Farrell has earned herself a rest after a testing campaign that commenced early last fall at Churchill Downs and culminated with a surprising last-place finish in the $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 5 at the same Louisville oval.
Abel Tasman emerged none the worse for wear following her 1 1/4-lengths Oaks triumph and could resurface in the June 10 Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park should she continue to enthuse her Hall of Fame conditioner with her ability to bounce back.
Salty's connections will point her next to the $700,000 Acorn Stakes (G1) June 10 at Belmont Park.
Ken McPeek said May 11 he is looking to send Daddys Lil Darling to the June 2 Investec Oaks (G1) at Epsom Downs.
A. Thom Brede, a Thoroughbred breeder and horse show judge, died April 20.
China Horse Club bloodstock manager Michael Wallace predicts Abel Tasman's Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) victory May 5 at Churchill Downs would make waves in China.
A wet Kentucky Oaks Day with temperatures closer to winter than springtime led to declines in attendance and on-track handle at Churchill Downs.
China Horse Club and Clearsky Farms' Abel Tasman rallied on the outside in the stretch to score a 1 1/4-length victory May 5 in the $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Shortleaf Stable's Benner Island, a 3-year-old daughter of Speightstown, holds off the late surge of Union Strike to win the Eight Belles Stakes (G2) May 5 at Churchill Downs. She covers the trip in 1:24.28.
It will be strictly business for Stone, 33, Churchill's track announcer since the 2015 spring/summer meeting.
Claire Novak sets the soggy scene for the 2017 Kentucky Oaks.
Steady rain provided a wet start to the May 5 Kentucky Oaks day card at Churchill Downs and was forecast to continue throughout the day. Also there were no scratches out of the May 6 Kentucky Derby before the 9 a.m. Friday scratch deadline.
Miss Sky Warrior's trainer Kelly J. Breen notes the $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) has a 'Final Four' feel, but the talent runs much deeper for Churchill Downs' main event May 5.
Handicapper Dave Litfin sizes up the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby.
Mopotism, bought by Dennis O'Neill for $300,000 out of the Fasig-Tipton Florida March sale of 2-year-olds in training, is most expensive filly entered in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).
This week is a BloodHorse BackTrack story on the 1949 Kentucky Derby won by Calumet Farm's Ponder and a stakes story on the 1949 Kentucky Oaks won by Calumet's Wistful.
Calumet Farm's Vexatious, trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale, has had excuses in all three of her 2017 starts, but may put it all together in the May 5 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Breeder/owner Chris Baccari brought Salty along slowly; the Quality Road filly earns a spot in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Richard Mandella-trained Paradise Woods, winner of the April 8 Santa Anita Oaks (G1), drew post four in the 14-horse lineup for the May 5 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) and was installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite.
Following are highlights of NBC Sports Group's coverage of the 143rd Kentucky Derby, which includes more than seven live hours on Derby Day between NBC and NBCSN.
The Kelly Breen-trained Miss Sky Warrior, winner of five straight, is ready for the May 5 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). Breeder/owner Al London, along with wife, Arlene, can't wait to get to Louisville.
Ron and Ricki Rashinski ran Bushfire in the 2006 Kentucky Oaks (G1). The Chicago-area couple returns in 2017 as the co-owners of Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) winner Sailor's Valentine.
One Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) filly working out April 28 stood out for her attire—if nothing else—during Churchill Downs' special training time reserved for horses in its two biggest races.
Abel Tasman went on the work tab for seven furlongs in 1:25 3/5, but was asked for more run after the wire by jockey Martin Garcia and continued to run strongly well into the clubhouse turn at Santa Anita Park.
Two-year-old champion Classic Empire and Florida Derby (Grade I) runner-up State of Honor could bring a lifelong dream to the Mark Casse barn in the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) on Saturday, May 6.
Richard Mandella has a certain giddiness about him when one of his good horses is going well. Not so long ago, after Beholder's morning breezes, he had a frequent pep to his step. In the Santa Anita grandstand April 27, the excitement was back.
For the first time in nearly a month, trainer Todd Pletcher had all of his Kentucky Derby hopefuls in one shedrow.
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) hopefuls J Boys Echo and Fast and Accurate breezed five furlongs at Churchill Downs and Trackside Louisville, respectively, April 23.
"Beautiful" is how Mandella described the April 21 work of Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) contender Paradise Woods, who went four furlongs in :47 3/5 Friday at Santa Anita Park in her penultimate exercise for the May 5 test.
State of Honor and Salty both put in five-furlong moves for trainer Mark Casse April 21 at Churchill Downs in preparation for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) May 6 and the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 5.
Less than 24 hours after champion Classic Empire crossed the wire first in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1), trainer Mark Casse was overseeing approximately 20 of his runners put in their first works at Churchill Downs April 16.
Behind a sustained late run through the far turn that saw her split horses entering the stretch, Clearview Stable’s Ever So Clever surged past rivals to register an upset victory April 14 in the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park.
Trainer Eddie Kenneally said morning of April 9 that the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) winner Sailor's Valentine, who won by a half-length at odds of 22-1, will be aimed at the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs May 5.
Hall of Fame trainer has 81 grade 1 wins but has never won the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Miss Sky Warrior will head to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) on a roll after securing her fifth straight victory April 8 in the $300,000 Gazelle Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Following in the footsteps of former stablemate Beholder, the lightly raced daughter of Union Rags romped by 11 3/4 lengths April 8 in the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks (G1).
Semaphore Racing and Homewrecker Racing's Sailor's Valentine broke through in a big way April 8, upsetting seven other 3-year-old fillies to win the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.
In the days following four-time champion Beholder's departure from the barn of Richard Mandella, the Hall of Fame trainer was asked a simple question—what's next?
Miss Sky Warrior and Yorkiepoo Princess meet in the $300,000 Gazelle Stakes (G2) April 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack, a race that will determine the likelihood of their progression to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Stonestreet Stables' Valadorna, runner up in the 2016 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), will miss the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) and be sidelined the next few months after emerging from an April 1 workout with an injury.
Coffee Pot Stable's homebred Farrell, by Malibu Moon, drew clear in the lane of the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) to win by 31/4 lengths.
From maiden winner to Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) prospect, the talented bay picked up her first graded stakes score in her stakes debut, and earned 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. That's where Casse confirmed she's headed next.
Overlooked prior to her 14-1 upset of the Forward Gal Stakes (G2) six weeks ago, Dorothy Alexander Matz's homebred Tequilita figures to be one of the horses to beat when she returns to Gulfstream Park April 1.
Unique Bella, considered a leading contender for this year's Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), has been sidelined with a shin issue.
Living the Dream Racing's Purely a Dream picked up 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks and completed an exacta sweep for trainer Ken McPeek in the $100,000 Bourbonette Oaks (G3) March 25 at Turfway Park.
Unique Bella, unbeaten in all but one of her five starts, posted a bullet six-furlong work the morning of March 19 in 1:11 1/5 to be the best of 10 at that distance at Santa Anita Park.
Coffee Pot Stables' homebred Farrell turned in an impressive move in her preparations for the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), drilling a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots March 18.
A talented field of sophomore fillies will travel one mile in the Caesar's Wish Stakes, with Fair Grounds shipper Jenda's Agenda looking to remain perfect while 3-year-old males led by O Dionysus try two turns in the Private Terms Stakes.
Potential Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) contenders Farrell and Valadorna breezed March 10 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Farrell drilled a half-mile in :49 3/5, while Valadorna went in :49 1/5.
China Horse Club and Clearsky Farms' Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) contender Abel Tasman has been moved from trainer Simon Callaghan to the barn of Bob Baffert, Callaghan said March 9.
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