LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Wake up. Shake off the fatigue. The day that drives the Thoroughbred industry is dawning.

“I think you have to dream,” assistant trainer Norman Casse said. “I’m not exaggerating – I think about it at least once a day every day. The Kentucky Derby’s why I do it. I think everyone should have something like that to drive them, and the Derby’s what drives me.”

Casse is an assistant to his father, Mark, who later today will saddle the strong-willed Danzig Moon for the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby. By all accounts, this year’s field is a dream lineup. 

Buoyed by ideal weather and a full field in a competitive Kentucky Oaks, attendance and wagering were both records for the Friday Oaks card at Churchill Downs in Louisville, according to figures released by the track.

Attendance under ideal weather conditions – temperatures in the low 70s and mostly sunny skies – was 123,763, Churchill reported, well above the previous record of 116,046 set in 2010. The attendance figure was up 9.4 percent over last year, when the weather was overcast and temperatures were in the mid-60s. 

PHOENIX - Citing a lack of entries, Turf Paradise canceled its live Monday card, the penultimate program of the meet.

General manager Vince Francia said the track could only get four races to fill. Those four will be moved to Tuesday’s closing-day card as a part of a nine-race program. That includes the traditional closing-day $35,000 Hasta La Vista at 1 7/8 miles on turf.

Watch DRF Live! for all-day video coverage of the Kentucky Oaks card here.

Watch DRF Live! for all-day video coverage of the Kentucky Oaks card here.

A bill introduced by two congressmen on Thursday night that would ban interstate wagering on horse racing likely will find little to no traction in the legislature and will be opposed by every major racing organization, racing officials said on Friday.

The bill, introduced by Sen. Tom Udall, a Democrat of New Mexico, and Rep. Joe Pitts, a Republican from Pennsylvania, caught the industry by surprise when the two congressmen announced its introduction in a joint release Thursday night, according to the officials.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – El Kabeir’s status for Saturday’s 141st Kentucky Derby might be in doubt after the colt showed tenderness in his left front foot Friday morning, forcing the gray colt to remain in the barn rather than train.

His connections said they would work on the foot Friday and hope to train him Saturday morning, at which time they would decide whether to run.

“If he is not sound, he will be scratched,” said Justin Zayat, the son of and racing manager for his father, Ahmed Zayat.

Two congressmen who have a history of supporting legislation seeking federal oversight of racing said on Thursday night in a joint release that they have introduced a bill that would ban interstate wagering on horse racing, depriving the industry of the main source of its revenue.

Injured jockey Sheldon Russell’s surgery on Thursday turned out to be more involved than hoped for, according to his agent Marty Leonard.

The 3 1/2-hour surgery at Sinai Hospital near Pimlico revealed one of Russell’s lungs was pierced in three locations by ribs he fractured during the spill. The surgeons removed a section of the lung, and then stapled the lung closed. About 350 milliliters of blood was drained from his lung during the surgery and the doctors inserted a chest tube to keep liquid from building up in the lung.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Hall of Fame jockey Alex Solis has been appointed to the California Horse Racing Board, according a statement released Thursday by Gov. Jerry Brown.

A native of Panama, Solis replaces Bo Derek, whose resignation from the board was announced Thursday.

In an interview Thursday, Solis, 51, said he was approached recently about taking a position on the racing board.

“I thought about it for awhile,” he said. “I think it will be good for racing. I’ve been in this sport for 30 years. I think I can help.”