Kentucky Derby News

While there were no graded events for juvenile fillies this past week, a number of stakes took place. A few of them even proved worthy of making this recap.
DIADURA moved her record to a perfect two-for-two with a 5 1/2-length triumph in the Arlington-Washington...

The boutique meets of Saratoga and Del Mar came to a close on Labor Day with a pair of prestiguous events for two-year-olds that both had the potential of yielding future Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders.
At Saratoga, Practical Joke overcame a moderate...

Three stakes take center stage in this week’s juvenile filly review – an historic victory at Saratoga, an upset at Del Mar and continuing perfection at Gulfstream Park.
First up is the Spinaway Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, which saw the first...

Del Mar and Saratoga will conclude their meets Labor Day with Grade 1 races for juveniles, the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity and $350,000 Hopeful Stakes. Both have produced recent Kentucky Derby winners, with Nyquist & American Pharoah prepping in the...

One year after Triple Crown champion American Pharoah was upset in the Travers (G1), Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert returned to Saratoga on Saturday and conquered the “Midsummer Derby” – with a secret weapon named Arrogate.
I...

This week’s juvenile filly review is headlined by a pair of stakes winners in MISS SUNSET and HALONA. While the former earned her black-type credit at Del Mar, Halona got hers at Belterra Park.
Miss Sunset hooked up with I’ll Be Around from...

Winner of the Preakness (G1) and runner-up in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Exaggerator can lay a strong claim to divisional 3-year-old male honors with a victory in Saturday’s $1.25 million Travers (G1) at Saratoga.
Known as the “Midsummer Derby,”...

The criteria is getting a bit more stringent to make this juvenile filly review, what with stakes now going for the two-year-old lasses, but there are still plenty of runners from all over the country who are impressing.
Case in point, one wouldn’t...

California Chrome, the 2014 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and Horse of the Year, transformed Saturday’s $1,001,380 Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar from a showdown into a one-horse race. By demolishing a field including three-time Eclipse Award champion...

Around this time last August, Nyquist dominated the Best Pal (G2) at Del Mar, and Exaggerator bulled through to take the Saratoga Special (G2). Few of us would have realized it back then, but we’d just seen the future top two finishers in the 2016...