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.
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. – 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.
ALBANY, Calif. - When the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile was run at Golden Gate Fields in April 2023, jockey Irving Orozco was in a nearby hospital being treated for a punctured lung and bruised ribs sustained in a spill earlier that afternoon.
He did not ride again for four months.
When the San Francisco Mile was run for the final time on Saturday, Orozco was very much part of the action. He rode local hope Lammas to a well-timed upset from off the pace.
ALBANY, Calif. - Golden Gate Fields has canceled racing for Friday because of insufficient entries, track general manager David Duggan said on Sunday.
This will be the second time in three weeks the flagship Northern California track will not race on a Friday. Racing was canceled on April 19 because of a lack of entries.
Racing was held last Friday, although the program opened with fields of four and three runners in the first two races on a seven-race program.
CHURCHILL DOWNS
April 28, 2024
Weather: Clear
Track: Fast
Temperature: 68
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Sunday offered a picture-perfect morning at Churchill Downs to pretty much close the book on the final major preparations for this year’s Kentucky Derby, with only the two Japanese invaders, Forever Young and T O Password, likely to record an official work in the days ahead.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It was a whirlwind, albeit successful, 12 hours for trainer Steve Asmussen.
On Saturday afternoon, Asmussen was at Oaklawn Park, where he watched Valentine Candy win the Bachelor Stakes, the 3-year-old’s fourth stakes win of the meet. Asmussen jumped in his car for the eight-hour drive to Churchill Downs during which time he was kept apprised of his stable winning four races at Lone Star Park in Texas and then a victory by Zeitlos in the Roxelana Stakes, the latter being the opening-night feature at Churchill Downs.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Fair Grounds Oaks winner Tarifa drew a trainer-pleasing post 8 in a full field and has been installed as the 7-2 morning-line favorite for the 150th running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks Friday at Churchill Downs.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fourteen hours before post positions were to be drawn for the 150th Kentucky Derby, a serious contender officially joined the party.
Encino, just two weeks after winning the Lexington Stakes to earn enough points to make the field, sealed his connections’ decision to run in next week’s Kentucky Derby with a superb five-furlong workout shortly after 5:15 a.m. Saturday.
