LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A year after he experienced the worst week of his professional life, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is back at Churchill Downs with a longshot chance in the Kentucky Derby.
Joseph is here with Catalytic, who earned his way into the Kentucky Derby by finishing second, albeit beaten 13 1/2 lengths by Fierceness, in the Grade 1 Florida Derby.
Even a last-place finish in the Derby would be better for Joseph than what he experienced in 2023.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There have been a lot of long miles on the dark highway for Eric Foster. The trainer prefers to haul his horses to the races himself, when possible, in addition to accompanying them to the track for morning training, putting the tack on, or even waiting at the rail with a bucket and a shank. From his farm in rural Utica, Ky., it’s about 3 1/2 hours to Turfway Park, where he was the leading trainer this past meet; 2 1/2 hours to Keeneland, where the meet just concluded; or about two hours to Churchill Downs, in focus this week.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Carl Spackler returns from a long layoff, Talk of the Nation returns for a new trainer, and who knows what the returns from the Appleton Stakes really mean. That, in a nutshell, is the $350,000 Opening Verse Stakes, a one-mile grass race for older horses Thursday at Churchill Downs.
While most of Thealligatorhunter’s success in his 27-race career has come against Minnesota-breds, one of his best performances came sprinting on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs in March 2023. His connections will look for a repeat of that effort Wednesday in a third-level/optional $62,500 claiming feature that helps kick off the final week of racing at the Oldsmar, Fla. track.
There are three programs left at Tampa, which closes following Saturday’s card.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Just about all the major workouts have been completed. The post positions have been assigned. For the connections of the 22 horses entered in Saturday’s 150th Kentucky Derby the waiting becomes the hardest part.
Adding to the anxiety and anticipation this week are the daily examinations of the horses being conducted by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarians led by Dr. Nick Smith, the commission’s chief veterinarian.
It would be virtually impossible for a broodmare to have two Kentucky Derby starters in the same year; the race is, of course, only for 3-year-olds, and surviving, thriving twins are rare in horses. But the pensioned broodmare Darling My Darling has found a way to get her name into this year’s lineup twice. Two of the mare’s daughters have foals in the race, represented by Sierra Leone and Forever Young.
Gun Runner and Justify were both brilliant on the track, earning Horse of the Year honors. For those accomplishments, they will be inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame this summer. First, though, they’ll try to add another accomplishment to the brilliant start to their respective stud careers, as both have Kentucky Derby entrants this weekend.
The influence of the late, great Storm Cat can’t be overstated. Five of this year’s Kentucky Derby entrants carry his blood via direct male line. One of those is Resilience, by leading sire Into Mischief, a great-grandson of Storm Cat.
The other Storm Cat line Derby horses are Domestic Product, Mystik Dan, Just a Touch, and Just Steel.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It’s a week for making history at Churchill Downs, with the 150th editions of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. First, though, local hero Bango will attempt to keep making more history at his home track.
Bango is seeking a repeat victory in the $200,000 St. Matthews Overnight Stakes on Thursday. The 7-year-old, a Tamaroak Stable homebred trained by Greg Foley, would take sole possession of the record as winningest horse at Churchill Downs, with 12 local wins.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Mansa Musa missed the break in his North American debut April 7 at Keeneland. Maybe he should do it again Wednesday – and maybe he will.
“I haven’t done anything different with him. I don’t know what I can do,” trainer Bill Mott said Sunday morning on the Churchill Downs backstretch.
