LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Marty McGee of Daily Racing Form on Tuesday evening was presented with the 2022 John Asher Derby Ambassador Award at the Knights of Columbus 60th annual Kentucky Derby Festival Charity Dinner at the Galt House in downtown Louisville.
The event is sponsored annually by Bishop Spalding Council of the Knights of Columbus to raise funds for charitable organizations in the Louisville area.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The homework now begins in earnest for the jockeys of the 148th Kentucky Derby following Monday afternoon's post position draw.
"[A lot] depends on me and studying my race," said Reylu Gutierrez, who will ride the late-running Barber Road as his first Derby mount.
Barber Road and Gutierrez landed in post 14 in the full field, and first-time Derby trainer John Ortiz is fine with that.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Summer Is Tomorrow had a quiet Tuesday morning, walking at the quarantine barn that houses the international candidates for the Kentucky Derby a day after turning in his final breeze toward the race, and a day after drawing a post position that will make his early moves key in the run to the first turn.
NEW YORK -- Conor Flynn, a witness for the prosecution in the trial of an equine-supplements distributor who is accused of falsifying and adulterating medications, testified on Monday that he was a former harness trainer who understood the penalties for violating raceday medication rules.
“You’re not supposed to administer any drugs on race day,” Flynn, 32, told the jury on the trial’s fourth day in U.S. District Court in New York.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 15-horse field drawn Monday for Friday’s $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs has combined to win 23 stakes - 16 of which are graded - and includes three undefeated horses, one of whom is a champion.
“In a normal year I would be really confident, but this may be the best Oaks that I’ve seen,” said 86-year-old trainer D. Wayne Lukas, a four-time Oaks winner who this year sends out Secret Oath, a winner of two graded stakes. “I don’t know that I’ve seen a deeper, stronger Oaks.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The gang’s all here!
All 20 starters for this year’s Kentucky Derby were on the grounds before dawn Monday, with the final arrival of Florida Derby winner White Abarrio, whose long van ride from Gulfstream Park ended at the Churchill Downs stable gate at 4:30 a.m. He joined recent arrivals Messier and Taiba from Santa Anita, fellow Floridian Simplification, and Happy Jack, who vanned over from Keeneland on Sunday.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Corniche, the champion 2-year-old male of 2021, is being moved to trainer Todd Pletcher, his owners announced Monday, saying that the colt is ready to get back to serious training, with a planned return to racing in June. A change was necessary as his previous trainer, Bob Baffert, is suspended through July 2.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Tim Yakteen had been to the Kentucky Derby before, back when he was an assistant trainer to Charlie Whittingham, but never before like this, with two top contenders who only came to his barn weeks ago owing to the suspension of six-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert.
As would often happen in years past with Baffert upon his initial arrival here Derby Week, Yakteen was the center of attention on Monday morning in the Churchill Downs stable area, his first day here after Messier and Taiba arrived on Sunday from California.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Brian Lynch suspects Classic Causeway might have displaced his palate in his last race, perhaps accounting for the colt’s poor performance, so the trainer is tweaking a couple of things.
“We’ve always kept things very, very simple with him by running him in a snaffle [bridle],” said Lynch, who on Saturday will saddle Classic Causeway for owner-breeders Clarke Cooper and Patrick O’Keefe in the 148th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A little after 8:30 Monday morning, trainer D. Wayne Lukas was sitting in his office at Churchill Downs talking about Ethereal Road, whom Lukas the day before had been contemplating entering in either the Kentucky Derby or Pat Day Mile on Saturday.
Lukas said owners Aaron Sones and Julie Gilbert had decided they wanted to enter the Kentucky Derby, even it meant being on the also-eligible list.
