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LOUISVILLE, Ky.– Bob Baffert, conspicuous by his absence considering that his Derby favorite American Pharoah has been on the grounds at Churchill Downs for more than a week, made a cameo appearance here Tuesday morning. He stayed just long enough to watch American Pharoah gallop and one of his two possible Oaks contenders, Maybellene, breeze during the 15-minute Derby-Oaks training session, which began at 8:30 a.m.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - WinStar Farm announced Monday that it has acquired a minority interest in leading Kentucky Derby contender Upstart from his principal owner, Ralph Evans. Upstart will continue to be trained by Rick Violette.
Details of the transaction were not revealed. Upstart will give WinStar two horses in this year’s Derby field. It is also partners with Stonestreet Stable in Carpe Diem.
One might assume that only top fillies would dare contest a Kentucky Derby – and one would be correct in that assumption. As broodmares, these 40 classic distaffers went on to comprise a pretty solid group of matrons, with 18 of them producing stakes winners and several exerting a notable-to-profound influence on the American Thoroughbred.
The King can wear his crown.
King Leatherbury, the fourth-winningest trainer in history, made good on his first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot by being voted into the Hall of Fame along with the late jockey Chris Antley, and the horses Lava Man and Xtra Heat, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame announced on Monday morning.
Eric Hamelback, the former general manager of Adena Springs in Kentucky, has been hired to be the chief executive of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, the organization announced on Monday.
Hamelback will succeed Phil Hanrahan, who retired this year. Hamelback’s first day on the job is today, the organization said. The National HBPA is based in Lexington, Ky.
Indiana Grand Racecourse commences its 2015 racing season Tuesday, with a new summer date for the Indiana Derby, a stable and attractive purse structure, and one nagging issue that won’t go away anytime soon.
If the land on which Indiana Grand sits had a small mountain and the day were sufficiently clear, a person could spy several competing racing venues off in the distance. The region is flush with them.
Handle figures at racetracks throughout California were down 7 percent in March, pushing the year-to-date data into negative territory for the first time this year, according to a report delivered April 16 at the California Horse Racing Board at Golden Gate Fields.
Handle at four venues in March – Thoroughbred races at Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita, harness racing at Cal-Expo, and Quarter Horse and lower-level Thoroughbred racing at Los Alamitos – was $249,549,797, a decline of 7 percent from $267,460,696 in March 2014.
