CHURCHILL DOWNS
Thursday, April 24
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 60
Track: Fast
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A horse whose connections originally planned on bypassing the Kentucky Derby and a second whose status remains up in the air took center stage during training hours Thursday at Churchill Downs.
CHURCHILL DOWNS
Wednesday, April 23
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 52
Track: Fast
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Those with a penchant for siding against the Kentucky Derby favorite, no matter how formidable they might appear on paper, may find that idea a lot less appealing once having seen the enemy up close and personal after Journalism made his first local appearance during the special Derby/Oaks training window Wednesday at Churchill Downs.
It’s been four years since Mark Casse has started a horse in the Kentucky Derby. The Hall of Fame trainer has mixed emotions about having missed the big dance the last three years.
“It’s demanding,” Casse said of the road to the Derby. “It’s a lot of holding your breath. You don’t miss that part, but you do miss that part. Ultimately, I’m happy to be there.”
And be there with a contender.
WHO’S HOT
Journalism, early favorite for the Kentucky Derby, arrived Tuesday at Churchill Downs and will post his final pre-Derby work over the track. Before he left Santa Anita, Journalism worked an easy half-mile and galloped out an additional furlong on April 19. It was the colt’s first work since he won the Santa Anita Derby on April 5. For Journalism, what seems like light training is standard fare. Journalism has never worked beyond five furlongs. Journalism’s Derby Watch odds have been lowered to 5-2 by Daily Racing Form linemaker David Aragona.
CHURCHILL DOWNS
Tuesday, April 22
Weather: Clear
Temp: 51
Track: Fast
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - There were two potential Kentucky Derby starters scheduled to work Tuesday morning during the special Derby/Oaks training session that begins daily at 7:15 a.m. at Churchill Downs. But in the end it was the Kentucky Oaks-bound filly La Cara who stole the show on a clear but chilly morning under the Twin Spires.
Louisville native Whit Beckman is approaching his second Kentucky Derby this year. What did he learn from saddling that first Derby starter last year?
“Don’t stress out about it,” Beckman said.
Those are brave words less than two weeks out from America’s most famous race. But Beckman has exuded relaxation outside his shed row at Churchill Downs, which currently houses not only 2025 Kentucky Derby candidate Flying Mohawk, but also Kentucky Oaks candidates Drexel Hill and Simply Joking.
CHURCHILL DOWNS
Monday, April 21
Weather: Showery
Temperature: 70
Track: Good/fast
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The weather was the big story Monday at Churchill Downs with intermittent showers falling and the track sealed and rated good when opening at 5:15 a.m. Fortunately, the rain abated and the course was able to be harrowed and upgraded to fast in time for the special Kentucky Derby/Oaks training session that began two hours later.
The lament of equine veterinarians and television producers is the same: Horses can’t talk. In an ideal world, equine veterinarians get around that limitation by relying on body language, physical examinations, and diagnostic testing. For television producers, there’s no such well of knowledge to create an intimate human-horse connection.
It has been a good news, bad news, good news couple weeks for trainer Cherie DeVaux.
DeVaux has a couple of Grade 1-winning fillies, She Feels Pretty and Vahva, working at Keeneland toward their first starts of 2025.
Racing at Keeneland this April, however, has not gone DeVaux’s way. After winning five races the last two Keeneland meets, she enters the final week of the spring meet with one win from 22 starts, a far cry from her excellent winter at Fair Grounds, where DeVaux’s barn notched 22 winners from just 79 runners.
