LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As 2-year-olds began to establish their stock over the last month, the wheeling and dealing began. As the first stakes race of the year for the division comes up in Thursday’s $250,000 Kentucky Juvenile at Churchill Downs, a few sets of connections are hoping for a quick return on investment, having acquired a trio of young guns off their debut efforts.

PHOENIX – The local product is in the spotlight Thursday at Turf Paradise as Arizona-bred day features five $60,000 stakes.

The stakes include the Gene Fleming Breeders’ Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles (race 9), Dwight D. Patterson for 3-year-olds and up at a mile on the turf (race 8), Ann Owens Distaff for fillies and mares at six furlongs (race 6), Joanne Dye Breeders’ Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs (race 7), and Lyman and Bradley Rollins for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs (race 10).

A couple of $35,000 starter/optional-claiming races restricted to horses who have not won a race other than a maiden or claiming share the spotlight Thursday at Gulfstream Park. Both races are restricted to 3-year-olds, with fillies going 1 1/16 miles over Tapeta in the seventh race and colts at the same distance on turf in the last of eight races. A maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds kicks off the card that begins at 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Leading trainer Saffie Jospeh Jr. has a couple of live horses in the seventh race.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Going 1 1/2 miles is a long, three-turn trip at Churchill Downs – and Next and Classic Causeway could be staring at one another for a good bit of it. The two graded stakes winners, who have both found success racing on the lead, are part of a field of eight going this route of ground for Wednesday’s $200,000 Isaac Murphy Marathon Overnight Stakes.

“He’s doing fantastic, but that other horse – both of them have speed,” said Classic Causeway’s trainer, Kenny McPeek. “That’s going to be interesting, to see how that unfolds.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Having watched a turf horse of his work fast on the dirt early Friday morning, trainer Chad Brown knew that his top 3-year-old dirt filly Ways and Means would likely produce a fast time when it came to her final move before next Friday’s Kentucky Oaks.

He wasn’t expecting her to fire the fastest work of the morning. So when Ways and Means went a half-mile in 46.18 seconds over the glib Churchill Downs main track, Brown wasn’t overly excited.

Fantastic Moon was unable to win France’s most important Group 1 of the season Oct. 1 at Longchamp, but he’ll have a much better chance to land France’s first Group 1 of the 2024 flat season Sunday at Longchamp.

A disappointing 11th in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, a race in which he did not appear to be overmatched, Fantastic Moon was one of nine older horses whose names passed the entry box for the Prix Ganay. The 1 3/16-mile contest not only is France’s first Group 1, it annually opens Group 1 flat-racing competition across Europe.

CHURCHILL DOWNS
Friday, April 26
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 51
Track: Fast

LOUISVILLE, Ky – Fierceness was unquestionably the center of attention Friday morning at Churchill Downs, and the reigning juvenile champion certainly did not disappoint his ever-growing legion of supporters. He likely cemented his status as the Kentucky Derby favorite with an eye-catching work moments after the start of the special Derby-Oaks training session at 7:30 a.m.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For nearly a quarter of a century, the trainer-jockey team of Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez was arguably the most successful in racing. The duo combined to win 1,866 races – including a Kentucky Derby in 2017 with Always Dreaming and a Belmont Stakes with the filly Rags to Riches in 2007 – and more than $163 million in purse money.

In recent years, the two have found more of their success with other partners. But for Kentucky Derby 150, the band is back together.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Media Mogul gets the added distance trainer Boyd Caster believes he will appreciate Sunday, when the half-brother to champion Arcangelo moves to 1 1/8 miles for the eighth race at Oaklawn Park.

“I’d have entered him if it was a mile and a half,” quipped Caster.