LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Thursday was the calm before the storm in regard to Kentucky Derby and Oaks activity at Churchill Downs, with nary a single workout from horses training locally for either race. Routine gallops were the order of the day, with a majority of the Oaks runners scheduled to work Friday and Derby contenders penciled in for Saturday and Sunday mornings. There was a 50 percent chance of rain in the forecast for Sunday as of noon Thursday.
NEW YORK -- Jury selection began April 27 in the trial of a Delaware woman who prosecutors say helped the convicted veterinarian Dr. Seth Fishman supply illegal performance-enhancing drugs to trainers.
By day's end, a jury of eight men and four women was sworn in to hear the case against Lisa Giannelli in U.S. District Court in New York.
Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil scheduled opening statements for April 28. The government has two FBI agents lined up to testify as their first witnesses.
Giannelli was in court for the jury selection.
Churchill Downs Inc. had net income of $42.1 million in the first quarter of 2022, the company announced on Wednesday, after seeing revenue from its casinos in Kentucky and elsewhere enjoy strong growth compared to the first quarter of last year, when some pandemic-related restrictions were still in place.
LOUISVILLE, KY. – If there is a buzz horse going into the 2022 Kentucky Derby not named Zandon, it would be Crown Pride, whose stock has risen a long ways in a short time, not only from the attention he receives as a result of his somewhat unconventional training regimen, but also because of works like the one he posted during the Derby/Oaks training session Wednesday at Churchill Downs.
The skies were clear and the temperature in the low 40s in Louisville for a second straight morning, with the racetrack a bit on the quick side throughout training hours.
Classic Causeway was in the Kentucky Derby, then out, and now back in. While the decision on Monday to go ahead and run in the Derby on May 7 at Churchill Downs despite a belly flop in his final prep, the Florida Derby, can be debated right up until post time, if not beyond, the significance of his addition cannot be overstated in terms of how he impacts the pace.
And over the past decade, the pace of the Derby, most notably where horses are in relation to that pace, has proven to be one of race’s most significant handicapping factors.
A hearing officer appointed by the New York Racing Association recommended in a report released Wednesday that the association should ban trainer Bob Baffert for two years due to a string of medication violations over the past several years.
The California Thoroughbred Foundation is donating the periodicals of the Carleton F. Burke Library – currently housed at the California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association offices in Arcadia – to Cal Poly Pomona, the CTF announced in a recent press release.
The contents of the library are among the most extensive collections of equine literature found anywhere. For years, racing fans and researchers accessed its contents at the CTBA offices, located across the street from Santa Anita.
Manny Franco has picked up the mount on Zozos for the Kentucky Derby, trainer Brad Cox said Monday afternoon.
Zozos most recently finished second in the Louisiana Derby to Epicenter, one of the leading contenders for the May 7 Derby. Zozos is one of three horses in the Derby trained by Brad Cox, and all three had Florent Geroux on them for their most recent starts. Geroux is sticking with Cyberknife, the Arkansas Derby winner. Tawny Port, winner of the Lexington Stakes, still needs a rider.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Pioneer of Medina made the news here Friday when forced to miss a scheduled workout due to an issue with some blood work. Pioneer of Medina, the Louisiana Derby third-place finisher, was in the spotlight again on Monday as the only potential Derby starter to work during the special 15-minute training session reserved for Derby and Oaks candidates each morning at 7:30 a.m. at Churchill Downs.
