Havre de Grace, the 2011 Horse of the Year, died early April 30 from complications after delivering a colt by Into Mischief two days prior.
Havre de Grace's death, which followed episodes of hemorrhaging, was first reported by the Thoroughbred Daily News. Havre de Grace was a 16-year-old daughter of Horse of the Year Saint Liam, from his only crop.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Four years after recording what was then the second-biggest upset in Kentucky Derby history when Country House, at 65-1, was awarded first via disqualification, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott looks to pull off another surprise in Saturday’s 149th Run for the Roses with Rocket Can.
Churchill Downs
Saturday, April 29, 2023
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 52
Track: Fast
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Nine of the 20 confirmed starters for the 2023 Kentucky Derby, along with two others still hoping to draw into the field, got in their final works for the most important start of their careers Saturday at Churchill Downs.
The majority came during a hectic 15-minute session reserved for Derby and Oaks starters only immediately following the first renovation break.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Spendarella, among the top handful of North American 3-year-old turf fillies in 2022, is set to make her 4-year-old debut Saturday at Churchill Downs in the Distaff Turf Mile.
Spendarella won all four of her American starts in 2022, landing the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride, the Grade 2 Appalachian, and the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks, which she won by 4 1/2 lengths. In June, Spendarella went to England and finished a fine second behind the high-class filly Inspiral in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at the Royal Ascot meeting.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Skinner runs and trains like a colt who will relish the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Kentucky Derby, and he finished his six-furlong solo workout Saturday at Santa Anita like a colt who will deliver the best race of his career next weekend at Churchill Downs.
New rider Juan Hernandez was on Skinner for the first time Saturday; the Santa Anita Derby third-place finisher was the first horse to work after the 6:30 a.m. break.
Churchill Downs
Friday, April 28
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 54
Track: Sealed/Sloppy
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hopefully, we’ll all be as accurate with our Derby selections as the weathermen were when predicting the heavy rainfall that passed through the Louisville area Thursday night into early Friday morning, allowing trainers to accurately adjust their workout schedules for those key final Derby preps, the majority of which will now take place here Saturday morning.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Since the filly Regret did it in 1915, only two horses have won the Kentucky Derby having made just three previous starts. In 2018, Justify did it on his way to becoming the first undefeated Triple Crown winner since Seattle Slew in 1977. In 2008, Big Brown, also undefeated, won the Kentucky Derby from post 20, a spot the brash trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. picked on purpose.
