The $100,000 Aristides Stakes (gr. III) may be the feature worth the most June 1 at Churchill Downs, but a familiar cast of characters makes the $65,000 Opening Verse a more intriguing contest.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
In a near replay of last month's Texas Mile Stakes (gr. III), Master Rick galloped past stablemate Prayer for Relief in the stretch to win the $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III) by one length May 27.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Grade II winner Funnys Approval will try to return to top form when she faces an expected six other fillies and mares in the $100,000 Winning Colors Stakes on Memorial Day May 27 at Churchill Downs.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Richard Davis' Master Rick will try for a third straight win overall and second straight graded stakes score when he faces four other rivals in the $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III) Monday, May 27.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Nehro, Zayat Stables' runner-up in the 2011 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), died from colic May 4 while en route to a clinic.
Monday, May 06, 2013After racing along the rail in the backstretch, jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. angled Master Rick out in the far turn and the Master Command colt rallied from third in the stretch to win the $200,000 Texas Mile Stakes (gr. III).
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Donoharm, winner of the Fifth Season Stakes and Essex Handicap this winter at Oaklawn Park, headlines Lone Star Park's Texas Mile (gr. III) April 27.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Average daily attendance dropped 2.4% from 10,579 to 10,319, but daily average handle increased 2.3% from $2,780,943 in 2012 to $2,845,768 in 2013. Overall, total attendance for the 54 days was 557,250.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Turtle Bird Stable's undefeated Cluster of Stars repelled the challenge of Los Ojitos and preserved her perfect record April 13 at Aqueduct Racetrack, winning the $200,000 Distaff Handicap (gr. II).
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Vuitton came from well off the pace to edge favored Beat the Blues by a nose in the $100,000 Carousel Stakes at Oaklawn Park April 11, capping a sensational afternoon for trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Ricardo Santana Jr.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Turtle Bird Stable's Cluster of Stars, unbeaten in four starts, tries graded company for first time in six-furlong Distaff Handicap (gr. II) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Trainers Tom Amoss and Steve Asmussen ended the 141st Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots meeting in a dead-heat for most victories with 42 apiece when they combined to win half of the races on the closing-day card March 31.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Trainer Steve Asmussen moved ahead of Hall of Fame conditioner Jack Van Berg into second place for most lifetime training victories when favored Jake Jourdan romped home 5 1/4 lengths in front March 28 at Fair Grounds.
Thursday, March 28, 2013Michael Langford's recent purchase Carve was among the first horses to hit the track at Oaklawn Park early on the morning of March 10, breezing a half-mile before heavy rains left the track in sloppy condition.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
The connections for Brown Almighty have been planning their colt's dirt debut for months now, and on Jan. 21 their wait will be over when the colt makes his start in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Favored King Henny won the inaugural running of the $100,000 Big Drama Stakes for 3-year-olds at rainy Delta Downs when Mr. Bandini's Band was disqualified from first for interference in the stretch on the night of Jan. 5.
Sunday, January 06, 2013
The $100,000 Daytona Stakes (gr. IIIT) attracted a dozen entrants to the hillside turf course at Santa Anita Park Dec. 29 including Great Mills, most recently fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) on the course.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
In spite of her abbreviated campaign, My Miss Aurelia can likely wrap up an Eclipse Award as the nation's leading 3-year-old filly with a win in the $300,000 La Brea Stakes (gr. I) on opening day at Santa Anita Dec. 26.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic runner-up My Miss Aurelia worked a half mile in :48 3/5 on Santa Anita's fast main track on the morning of Dec. 20 in preparation for next week's La Brea Stakes (gr. I) at seven furlongs.
Thursday, December 20, 2012Cliff Berry secured his 15th jockey title, Steve Asmussen his ninth training title, and Danny Caldwell his fourth owner title.
Sunday, December 09, 2012
King Henny, winner of the Clever Trevor Stakes last month, drew the far outside post in a maximum field of 12 juveniles entered in the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes Dec. 9 at Remington Park.
Thursday, December 06, 2012
After finishing second to Groupie Doll in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) in November, Dust and Diamonds looms as a prohibitive favorite in the Adena Springs Sugar Swirl (gr. III) Dec. 8 at Gulfstream Park
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
Steve Asmussen-trained Madame Cactus heads wide-open field stretching out to a mile.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Astrology, a graded stakes winner at 2 and classic-placed at 3, has been retired from racing to stand at Taylor Made Stallions near Nicholasville, Ky. in 2013.
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Tapizar, returning to the scene of his only graded stakes wins for trainer Steve Asmussen, took the lead in upper stretch and drew away for a handy win in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park Nov. 3.
Saturday, November 03, 2012
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert had several Breeders' Cup World Championship contenders on the track Oct. 21 at Santa Anita Park including Game On Dude, early favorite for the $5 million Classic (gr. I).
Sunday, October 21, 2012Maclean's Music, whose 114 Beyer Speed Figure is the highest ever given to a debut winner, has been retired from racing for stallion duty in 2013 at Hill 'n' Dale Farms near Lexington.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Game On Dude headed a parade of heavyweight hopefuls prepping for the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park Oct. 14 as the countdown began in earnest for the 28th World Championship events Nov. 2-3.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Unbridled's Note, invading from New York for his debut on turf, captured the $100,000 Eddie D Stakes (gr. IIIT) over the hillside turf course on opening day of the 2012 fall meet at Santa Anita Park Sept. 28.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Justin Phillip, Zayat Stables' First Samurai 4-year-old, is the 3-1 morning line favorite for the Sept. 29 Vosburgh Invitational Stakes (gr. I) on Super Saturday at Belmont Park.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
In a heavyweight battle between champion My Miss Aurelia and multiple grade I winner Questing through the stretch of the $971,200 Cotillion Stakes (gr. I), My Miss Aurelia prevailed by a head to remain undefeated Sept. 22.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Dust and Diamonds, getting good at the right time, disposed of better-known rivals Musical Romance and Turbulent Descent with ease in capturing the $200,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap (gr. II) by 1 1/4 lengths at Belmont.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Very few fillies were up for the challenge of facing undefeated 2-year-old champion My Miss Aurelia and two-time grade I winner Questing in the Sept. 22 Cotillion Stakes (gr. I) at Parx Racing Sept. 22.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Stonestreet Stables' Teen Pauline, who set a track record in her July 25 debut at Saratoga Race Course, tries stakes company Sept. 2 in the Spinaway against six other juvenile fillies.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Trainer Steve Asmussen expressed satisfaction with My Miss Aurelia's breeze Aug. 19 at Saratoga Race Course in New York.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
My Miss Aurelia made her 2012 debut a winning one Aug. 8, overpowering four other 3-year-old fillies to take the $100,000 Mandys Gold Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
Trainer Steve Asmussen has switched gears with Daddy Nose Best, attempting to take the colt from Triple Crown contender to quality turf runner in the $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Jockey Corey Nakatani and Macho Macho let Louisiana Derby winner (gr. I) Hero of Order do the dirty work wearing out 3-5 favorite Hansen in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (gr. II), then rolled to victory Aug. 4.
Saturday, August 04, 2012
My Miss Aurelia, the unbeaten champion 2-year-old filly of 2011, will make her 2012 debut in the $100,000 Mandy's Gold overnight stakes Aug. 8 at Saratoga Race Course.
Saturday, August 04, 2012
Among Todd Pletcher's top 2-year-olds this year are Rose Junction and Onetwentyeight, who headline the $200,000 Sanford Stakes (gr. II) going six furlongs July 22 at Saratoga.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Six sophomores seeking their first graded stakes score head postward in the $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes (gr. III) July 14, sprinting six furlongs at Monmouth Park. Isn't He Clever is the lone stakes winner in the field.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Hansen, last year's champion 2-year-old male, makes his first start since a mid-pack finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) June 30 in Prairie Meadows' Iowa Derby (gr. III).
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Multiple stakes winner Tapajo has the home field advantage as she takes on five rivals in the 1 1/16-mile Iowa Oaks (gr. III) at Prairie Meadows June 30.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Steve Asmussen, Don McNeill, David Vance, Kip Deville, and Highland Ice are the 2012 Thoroughbred class set for induction into Oklahoma's Horse Racing Hall of Fame. They will be honored Sept. 26 at Remington Park.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Off for more than two months, Rothko made his 11-10 odds look like a bargain when he swept to victory in the $109,400 Aristides Stakes (gr. III) June 2 at Churchill Downs.
Saturday, June 02, 2012
Jockey Julien Leparoux who guided Daddy Nose Best to victories in both the El Camino Real and Sunland Derbies (both gr. III), will be reunited with the son of Scat Daddy for the Preakness Stakes (gr. I).
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
After Hierro breezed at Churchill Downs the morning of May 14, Stonestreet Stables announced the son of Hard Spun would not be sent to Pimlico for the May 19 Preakness Stakes (gr. I).
Monday, May 14, 2012
Not long after Churchill Downs opened for training April 30, trainer Steve Asmussen sent out his two Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) hopefuls for their final workouts.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Stonestreet Stables' Hierro broke his maiden over the Churchill Downs main track as a juvenile and returned a winner under the Twin Spires April 28 in the $200,000 The Cliff's Edge Derby Trial (gr. III).
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Endorsement, on the comeback trail for trainer Eoin Harty, makes his first stakes appearance in more than two years in the $200,000 Texas Mile (gr. III) at Lone Star Park April 28.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012