The powerful turn of foot that carried Bricks and Mortar to victory in his first three starts kept him unbeaten in his toughest challenge to date as he ran by favorite Yoshida (JPN) in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T).
Rarely do we see our horses lapping up sand like it's some rare commodity.
Parading made it consecutive graded stakes victories when he held off Just as Well in the $150,000 Dixie Stakes (gr. IIT) at Pimlico May 16.
As Mine That Bird, winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), quietly goes about his business at Pimlico in preparation for the May 16 Preakness Stakes (gr. I), so does the man who has been at his side since the Birdstone gelding's unlikely Triple Crown quest began. Charlie Figueroa is Mine That Bird's excercise rider and groom.
Trainer Michael Matz switched Nicanor to the turf for his fourth career start and it clearly suited the colt well, as he demolished a maiden special weight field by 15 1/4 lengths at Delaware Park May 13. He is a full brother to 2006 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Barbaro
3D dynamometric shoe gives insight into the biomechanical effects of diverse surfaces on the entire musculoskeletal system; Nanomedicine is a rapidly expanding field and is anticipated to have a huge impact on equine practice in the not-so-distant future.
As heavy rain fell on Churchill Downs in the days leading up to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), trainer Bennie Woolley Jr. took it with a smile. On Saturday, he sent out Mine That Bird in the Run for the Roses, and posted a 50-1 upset.
Miss Isella defeated race favorite One Caroline in the Louisville Distaff (gr. II) at Churchill Downs May 1.
After Summer Bird's solid third-place finish in the April 11 Arkansas Derby (gr. II), his connections decided to enter the colt in the Run for the Roses. His trainer, Tim Ice, just opened his stable last year.
Although the Kentucky Oaks undercard May 1 got an added dose of excitement when trainer John Shirreffs announced 2008 champion older female Zenyatta would make her 5-year-old debut in the Louisville Distaff (gr. II), the talented Street Cry mare may be forced to scratch due to weather.
Hall of Fame trainers D. Wayne Lukas and Bob Baffert kicked off the annual Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders' trainers' dinner April 28 with humor and vivacity, and that attitude lasted throughout the evening.
When trainer Kelly Breen saddles West Side Bernie and Atomic Rain in the May 2 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), it will be the first time the 39-year-old conditioner has started a horse in the Run for the Roses. But for now, he is trying to keep calm and keep his mind busy.
A talented group of eight fillies and mares will line up against last year's female turf champion Forever Together when she makes her 5-year-old debut April 11 in the $200,000 Jenny Wiley Stakes (gr. IIT) at Keeneland.
Although she is little more than a week old, Rags to Riches' first foal is already displaying the same independent streak her mother was known for.
Given that Garrett "Go-Go" Gomez topped the North American leading jockeys' list for the third consecutive year and took four Breeders' Cup World Championship races in 2008, it is not surprising he also earned his second Eclipse Award in as many years.
Sometimes a change of scenery and a stiff drink are all a girl needs. That was at least partially the case for Forever Together, who was named 2008 champion turf mare.
On a delightful autumn afternoon, Big Brown contently stood for photos and surveyed his new home while fulfilling the role of guest of honor during Three Chimneys Farm's open house for breeders Nov. 5.
Though this weekend will feature power-packed racing that should impact the upcoming Breeders' Cup World Championships, all eyes will be on Curlin as he looks to defend his title in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) and break Cigar's North American earnings record.
Loving what you do for a living certainly improves your odds at succeeding. At least, that was the case for Tim Kegel, a Louisville-based bloodstock agent, who has certainly had his share of success.
It is fair to say that when Mike Chapple enrolled in the Groom Elite Certification School at Gulfstream Park this spring, he was not the average pupil.
Dancing Allstar looks to be the belle of the ball entering the $250,000 Azalea Stakes (gr. III) at Calder Race Course July 12. The chestnut Millennium Allstar filly has won her last six races, all of which have come in stakes company, and she leads a field of seven 3-year-old fillies who will contest the six-furlong Azalea.
Carribean Sunset, a multiple group III winner in Ireland, leads a four-horse European contingent in a field of 12 3-year-old fillies contesting the $750,000 American Oaks Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park July 5.
While Einstein, a multiple grade I winner on turf, acquitted himself well on the dirt by running second in the June 14 Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) at Churchill Downs, it was a situation he was never meant to be in.
Denis of Cork went from last to third in the May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), and it is that bid that has led many to think he will enjoy the extra quarter-mile he will have to run in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes (gr. I) June 7.
California trainer James Kasparoff may only have three horses in his barn, but since one of them is May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) starter Bob Black Jack, right now there is not much to complain about.
Race favorite Mr. Nightlinger led from start to finish as he defeated seven rivals in the $100,000 Aegon Turf Sprint (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs May 2. Salute the Count checked in second, while Atticus Kristy came running late to grab third.
Should Eight Belles run on Saturday, she will provide trainer Larry Jones with his second Kentucky Derby (gr. I) starter. Last year he conditioned Hard Spun, who ran a credible second behind Street Sense and was also owned by Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farms.
For 70-year-old trainer Bennie Stutts Jr., coming to the May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) with his first starter, Smooth Air, is a bit like getting the chance to play in another major sporting event.
As trainer Louie Roussel III feeds his 3-year-old bay colt a mint to keep him quiet during a morning bath in the week leading up to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), it isn't so hard to imagine it is Risen Star being rinsed down, not the appropriately named Recapturetheglory.
While Arkansas Derby (gr. II) winner Gayego settles into his temporary home at Churchill Downs in advance of the May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), his trainer, Paulo Lobo, is logging some serious frequent flyer miles between Louisville and his base in California.
Posse's first runners came out blazing, leading him to the freshman title.
David Wade, agent, purchased the stakes-placed Citidancer mare Immune to Gloom for $40,000 to top the opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December mixed sale at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium Dec. 2.
Gains were posted across the board during the second-to-last day of the Keeneland November mixed sale Nov. 18.
The Holy Bull mare Silent Bull brought $130,000 to top the 11th Adena Springs broodmare sale at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's Newtown Paddocks Nov. 8.
Tessa Blue kicked off the Breeders' Cup World Championships stakes undercard when she went wire-to-wire and demolished the field in the $250,000 Inside Information Breeders' Cup Stakes at Monmouth Park Oct. 26.
Though Old Man Buck was pre-entered with first preference in the Oct. 26 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, after considering multiple factors, his connections decided to run the chestnut Hold That Tiger colt the next day in the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) instead.
Vinery Stables is looking to score a progeny/sire double in the Oct. 27 Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) with Kodiak Kowboy, a son of freshman sire Posse, who stands at the Lexington farm.
If Dixie Chatter wins the Oct. 27 Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), proverbial lightning will have struck Tony Holmes' Marula Park Stud near Lexington twice in the span of three years.
Carl Nafzger, trainer of Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Street Sense, discussed his reasoning for racing against grade I winner Hard Spun in the Sept. 29 Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) at Turfway Park during a National Thoroughbred Racing Association media teleconference Sept. 25.
A filly from the family of Mr. Greeley and Street Sense topped day 10 of the Keeneland September yearling sale. Tom Gentry, agent, bought the Hold That Tiger filly for $182,000 from Four Star Sales, agent.
Participants from the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit announced a second summit is scheduled for March 17-18, 2008, at Keeneland. In addition, members on Sept. 20 provided updates on a variety of summit-inspired initiatives.
A bay daughter of Distorted Humor fetched $475,000 and topped the ninth day of the Keeneland September yearling sale as the middle market continued to show its strength by posting across-the-board gains.
No less than 18 individual horses that have won a grade- or group-I race in 2007 went through the Keeneland September sale.
Frank Calabrese's Lewis Michael will try to step out of his sister's shadow July 28 when he competes in the $300,000 Washington Park Handicap (gr. II) at Arlington Park.
Woodford Equine Hospital, a new equine veterinary clinic in Versailles, Ky., will hold its open house Saturday, July 14.
Farm has five stud horses ranked among the top 11 leading sires of 2007.
A uniform on-track equine injury reporting system developed by Dr. Mary Scollay will be implemented as a pilot project at more than 30 racetracks beginning June 1.
The Illinois Senate passed a bill May 16 that would end horse slaughter for human consumption in the state. The bill, which passed by a vote of 39-16, now goes to Gov. Blagojevich for his signature.
In a year where multiple trainers have multiple horses in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), Bill Kaplan will saddle two longshots.
Although trainer Doug O'Neill has played a significant role in some of racing's biggest days, on May 5 he will experience saddling a Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) contender for the first time. After the defection of his trainee Cobalt Blue, O'Neill will be saddling two horses in the Derby, Great Hunter and Liquidity
