LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It is expected there will be plenty of pace in this year’s Kentucky Derby. Brian Lynch doesn’t want his horse, Owen Almighty, to be a part of it.

Despite Owen Almighty’s biggest win to date, the Tampa Bay Derby, having been accomplished in gate-to-wire fashion, Lynch expects Owen Almighty to be off the pace in his attempt to navigate the 1 1/4 miles of the Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

ARCADIA, Calif. – One is an established graded stakes winner, while another is an undefeated allowance filly in her first stakes race. Who to bet, proven class or undefined potential?

Conventional handicapping says Grade 3 winner Tirupati holds the advantage over 3-for-3 Raw Ability in the Grade 3 Royal Heroine Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita. However, bettors sometimes must deviate from the norm to catch a price. That’s the idea Saturday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Turf racing will be in flux during the 2025 Woodbine meet, which kicks off Saturday with an all-Tapeta card headed by the $125,000 Star Shoot Stakes.

The 128-day meet is scheduled to conclude Dec. 14. Racing will be conducted on weekends until mid-May, when Fridays are added. Twilight Thursday racing commences in late May.

Work on the revitalization of the main turf course began last fall with the reinforcement of the tunnel that leads to the main track. A small section of the course was removed, an area that will be resodded when weather permits.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Perennial leading Woodbine trainer Mark Casse sends out the talented comebackers Winterberry and Charlotte’s Heart in Saturday’s opening day feature, the $125,000 Star Shoot Stakes. The question handicappers must ponder is whether they can handle the winter-raced runners in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies.

Winterberry should be favored under Patrick Husbands, who won a remarkable 15 stakes aboard Casse horses during the 2024 Woodbine meet.

CHURCHILL DOWNS
Wednesday, April 23
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 52
Track: Fast

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Those with a penchant for siding against the Kentucky Derby favorite, no matter how formidable they might appear on paper, may find that idea a lot less appealing once having seen the enemy up close and personal after Journalism made his first local appearance during the special Derby/Oaks training window Wednesday at Churchill Downs.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Modo’s dream trip in Friday’s ninth race at Oaklawn Park is one that would use one of her best assets – her quickness from the starting gate – said trainer Tom Amoss.

“Ideally, we’d love to control the race out of the gate,” he said. “There is other speed in there. We’ll just see how it plays out.”

While trainer Bob Baffert shipped Wood Memorial winner Rodriguez to Kentucky on Tuesday, he kept Citizen Bull back in California. On Wednesday at Santa Anita, the 2-year-old champion worked seven furlongs in 1:24.30 in preparation for the Kentucky Derby.

It was the third work in 11 days for Citizen Bull, who on April 13 went a half-mile in 47.60 seconds and on April 18 drilled six furlongs in 1:11.80. In the April 18 work, Citizen Bull started five lengths behind a workmate before finishing a length or so in front at the wire.

Awesome Beast, a 4-year-old gelding trained by Kathryn Davey, will likely be the horse to beat in the eighth race on Friday at Gulfstream Park, a $43,000 state-restricted allowance. A key scratch may change the pace scenario in the race, but he should still contend after an improved showing in open company last time out.

Relying on streaks of success at Charles Town, trainer Timothy Grams is well on his way to 1,000 victories. With three wins last week, the 61-year-old trainer now stands at 996 in his career and has several live runners who could put him over in the next few weeks.

There are those in the racing industry who use career milestones as benchmarks for success. Grams isn’t one of them.

“As far as how many races we win, as long as I got a couple dollars in the bank, that all doesn’t bother me too much,” Grams said.