Kentucky Derby News

September 4, 2018

Game Winner takes Del Mar Futurity, Mind Control prevails in Hopeful

The summer racing seasons at Saratoga and Del Mar ended Labor Day afternoon with two historic juvenile features, the Hopeful (G1) and Del Mar Futurity (G1), the featured events.
Not surprisingly, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was in the winner's...

September 1, 2018

Early Kentucky Derby contenders emerge from Del Mar Futurity, Hopeful

A sense of excitement surrounds the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity (G1) and $350,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1). Del Mar and Saratoga save their biggest two-year-old events for closing day and these important races have produced Kentucky Derby (G1) winners in the...

Expert picks August 31, 2018

Best Bet of Labor Day weekend

Close followers of Churchill Downs racing in recent seasons should be familiar with several candidates in the $750,000 Woodward (G1) at Saratoga, the historic 1 1/8-mile feature for older horses that attracted one of its largest fields in years —...

August 31, 2018

Sapling, Affirmed have proven to be hotbeds of early Kentucky Derby potential

A pair of stakes races for juveniles will be held on the eastern half of the country Saturday. Each of these are non-graded races, but anytime a two-year-old runs in a black-type race this time of year we start thinking ahead to next spring’s Kentucky...

August 31, 2018

Ten two-year-old colts to get excited about

The official Road to the Kentucky Derby doesn’t begin until mid-September, so many of the runners who will enter the starting gate for Kentucky Derby 145 are horses we haven’t even heard of yet.
Led by prospects trained by five-time Kentucky...

August 27, 2018

JOHN ASHER, ICONIC MEMBER OF CHURCHILL DOWNS FAMILY AND LOUISVILLE COMMUNITY, HAS PASSED AWAY AT AGE 62

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Monday, Aug. 27, 2018) – John Asher, an iconic and beloved member of the Churchill Downs family and Louisville community, passed away Monday morning after suffering a heart attack while on vacation with his family in Florida. He...

August 26, 2018

Breeders’ Cup Future Wager recommendations

Catholic Boy dominated the Travers (G1), and in the Personal Ensign (G1), Abel Tasman once again got the best of Elate. It’s full speed ahead toward the Breeders’ Cup for all three of those talented runners and the recency of those performances...

August 25, 2018

Catholic Boy dominates rivals in Travers

Catholic Boy provided jockey Javier Castellano with his fifth Travers (G1) victory in the last nine years on Saturday, wearing down long-time leader Mendelssohn in the stretch to win the 1 1/4-mile $1.25 million 'Midsummer Derby' at Saratoga...

August 23, 2018

Sadler’s Joy the pick in Sword Dancer

Saratoga will offer a blockbuster program Saturday featuring seven stakes races including the $1.25 million Travers Stakes for three-year-olds. For betting purposes, let’s focus on the $1 million Sword Dancer Stakes one race prior to the Travers...

August 22, 2018

Kentucky Derby Alums eye return to Churchill for Breeders’ Cup Classic

The retirement of Kentucky Derby (G1) and Triple Crown winner Justify opened up not only the sophomore division, but it’s turned the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) into an absolute crapshoot, which for horseplayers, is a very good thing.
Led...

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