HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – When D. Wayne Lukas met Keith Asmussen at a South Dakota racetrack more than 60 years ago, neither could have imagined Asmussen’s grandson would be attempting to give Lukas his fifth win in the Kentucky Derby.
“We were trying to make ends meet, let alone make a living,” Asmussen said.
A place in the Kentucky Derby starting gate is a coveted dream. It also is one of the hardest places in racing to get into, despite a larger gate, literally, than other prestigious American races.
It’s a sad song.
It’s a sad tale, it’s a tragedy.
It’s a sad song.
We’re gonna sing it anyway.
– 2019 Tony Award-winning musical “Hadestown”
Black Gold’s story is tragic. The game little black horse died at Fair Grounds after breaking down in January 1928, racing through lameness and past his prime. It was a failure on the part of the humans in his life – and a coda to the tragedy in their own lives.
CHURCHILL DOWNS
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 67 degrees
Track: Fast
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Monday proved to be a pretty quiet morning on the Kentucky Derby and Oaks watch with perhaps the most eventful moment taking place about 100 yards from the finish line where T O Password shied from a shadow on the track, nearly unseating his rider in the process while in the latter stages of his routine gallop.
The name may change but the venue remains the same.
With the renovation of Belmont Park – including the demolition of the grandstand – well underway, the Belmont at the Big A spring meet kicks off Thursday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 1:05 p.m. as it will be for most of the 31 days during the meet, which runs through July 7.
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.
