The decision by Stonestreet Stables to have undefeated Ocean Knight bypass the March 7 Gotham Stakes in favor of the Tampa Bay Derby sets up a showdown between that colt and Carpe Diem, owned by Stonestreet and WinStar Farms.
Join us to talk about this weekend's races, including the San Felipe Stakes, the Gotham Stakes, and the Tampa Bay Derby.
Kiaran McLaughlin, a former D. Wayne Lukas assistant who grew up near Lexington, has started five horses in the Derby, all longshots. He came tantalizingly close to winning with his initial starter, the 71-1 Closing Argument.
Prospective, a multiple graded stakes-winning son of Malibu Moon, has his first foal -- a colt -- arrive Jan. 13 at Ocala Stud in Florida.
Iowa's Dennis Albaugh collects Chevys, racehorses. Download Now
Keeneland's January horses of all ages sale opened its four-day run Jan. 12 with mixed results, as gross fell but average gained and median remained level in a market widely described as "fair" by consignors.
WinStar Farm's Take Charge Indy, the regally-bred grade I-winning millionaire by A.P. Indy, had his first reported foal Monday, Jan. 5 when a dark bay or brown filly was born at Royal Thoroughbreds in Freedom, N.Y.
The winner of last year's edition of the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) leads a group of 11 entered for the 2014 edition as he aims to become the first two-time victor in the race's seven-year history Oct. 31.
The 35th renewal of the $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) for 3-year-olds highlights a 2014-2015 Tampa Bay Downs stakes schedule offering $2.66 million in purse money.
Goldencents, winner of the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) in 2013, leads a group of 12 pre-entered contenders for the 2014 edition as he aims to become the first two-time winner in the race's seven-year history.
Itsmyluckyday bounced back from a pelvic fracture to win the Woodward (gr. I), and now will try to add the Kelso (gr. II) on Sept. 27 to his resume en route to a potential Breeders' Cup bid.
Golden Ticket and Alpha, dead-heat winners of the 2012 Travers Stakes (gr. I), met up again in the Left Bank Stakes on opening day of the Belmont Park fall meet Sept. 5, but this time Golden Ticket was the clear victor.
Grade III-placed Take Charge Brandi will aim for her breakthrough stakes win Saturday, Sept. 6, when she faces an expected nine other 2-year-old fillies in the $200,000 Pocahontas Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs.
Will Take Charge and Palace Malice meet again Aug. 2 in the $1.5 million Whitney Handicap (gr. I), squaring off at Saratoga Race Course as the top two choices in a field of nine drawn for the 1 1/8-mile test.
Five contenders for the upcoming $1.5 million Whitney (gr. I), including favored Palace Malice, were out for published workouts the morning of July 26.
The $1.5 million Whitney (gr. I) (Aug. 2)--the richest race this summer at Saratoga Race Course--has attracted a robust field of likely starters, topped by last year's Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner, Palace Malice.
George and Lori Hall's Pants On Fire makes his seasonal debut July 27 in the Monmouth Cup Stakes (gr. II) as the 6-year-old son of Jump Start seeks to repeat his victory in the 2013 edition.
Michael Langford's Carve, third in the grade II Oaklawn Handicap in April, worked out a nice trip to win the $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (gr. II) at Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino the evening of June 28.
Golden Ticket, who dead-heated for the victory in the 2012 Travers Stakes at Saratoga and who won last year at Prairie Meadows, returns to Iowa and is the 3-1 morning-line choice in the nine-furlong Cornhusker Handicap.
Willis Horton's Will Take Charge seeks redemption in the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) June 14 against Revolutionary, Departing, Prayer for Relief, and others.
J. Keeler Johnson handicaps the Mountainview Handicap and Penn Mile Stakes. read blog
The owners of Ring Weekend are hoping his distant second-place finish in the Calder Derby isn't a true indication of his chances in the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (gr. I) May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.
Dehere, the champion 2-year-old male of 1993 and sire of 77 stakes winners, has died in Turkey. The son of two-time leading sire Deputy Minister is the broodmare sire of Take Charge Indy, Will Take Charge, and Midnight Lute.
West Point Thoroughbreds founder and president Terry Finley had to reach deep into his wallet to acquire Preakness Stakes contender Ring Weekend, a son of Tapit, at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale.
Champion Will Take Charge fizzled May 2 in the $342,000 Alysheba Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs, as former claimer Moonshine Mullin took a rail-skimming trip to victory.
| Horse | Trainer | Breeder / Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Battle Hardened | Michael J. Maker |
|
| Cajun Charlie | Brian S. House |
|
| Chief Energy | James J. Toner |
|
| Cozzetti | Dale L. Romans |
|
| Fox Rules | M. Anthony Ferraro |
|
| Golden Ticket | Kenneth G. McPeek |
|
| Prospective | Mark E. Casse |
|
| Ravelo's Boy | Manuel J. Azpurua |
|
| Spring Hill Farm | Todd A. Pletcher |
|
| Take Charge Indy | Patrick B. Byrne |
|
| Tell All You Know | Anthony J. Granitz |
|
| Twin | Pedro Maestre |
|
| Race | Track | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Challenger S. | TAM | 3/7 |
| Florida Oaks (gr. IIIT) | TAM | 3/7 |
| Hillsborough S. (gr. IIIT) | TAM | 3/7 |
| Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) | TAM | 3/7 |
