LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The post-Derby portion of the Churchill spring meet begins with an eight-race Thursday card that follows four dark days. First post is 5 p.m. Eastern.
Entries for the Thursday card were not to be drawn until Tuesday, meaning past performances will not be available in Daily Racing Form print editions because Monday is the deadline for Thursday racing. The Churchill past performances still will be available online at DRF.com.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Steve Asmussen had a raspy voice Monday at Churchill Downs, the result of all the hooting and hollering he did on Kentucky Derby weekend.
“I’ve told everybody I cracked it on Friday and broke it on Saturday,” said the 53-year-old Hall of Fame trainer.
ARCADIA, Calif. -- At lunchtime Saturday, a horse who finished second in a stakes was promoted to first after the winner was disqualified for causing interference. The incident gave the promoted winner a first career stakes win.
The scenario occurred in the $85,300 Angels Flight Stakes at Santa Anita when Miss My Rose was promoted from second to first after Sneaking Out was disqualified from first. The Angels Flight Stakes had a post time of 12:32 p.m.
ARCADIA, Calif. -- Bellafina, fifth as the 9-5 favorite in Friday’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, will be rested this spring and is likely to start in races around one-turn in the second half of the year, trainer Simon Callaghan said on Sunday.
The Grade 1 Test Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 3 is a long-range goal.
“Most likely, we’ll give her a little bit of a break and concentrate on one-turn races,” Callaghan said. “We’ll look at the Test.”
Callaghan won the 2017 Test Stakes with American Gal, his first starter at the historic track.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Gary West, the owner of Maximum Security, said Sunday he wants to appeal the stewards’ decision to disqualify his horse from first in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, but based on Kentucky regulations, he may have to take it to federal court for it to be heard.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In the moments immediately following the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, trainer Bill Mott said his thoughts were of how well his colts Country House and Tacitus had run, and he figured they’d both be bound for the Belmont Stakes next.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Tom Amoss said Saturday morning that Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress came out of her front-running victory in the Churchill Downs filly classic Friday “in great shape” and that he’ll think about the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes on the June 8 Belmont Stakes card.
“We’re going to enjoy this for a couple of days,” said Amoss. “She’s tired. I’m tired. She’ll get plenty of rest the rest of this month, I know that, as hard as she worked toward the Oaks. We’ll come up with a game plan when it’s time to.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There are two annual graded stakes for 2-year-old fillies in the fall at Churchill Downs. Last fall, both were won by Churchill-based fillies, with Serengeti Empress romping in the Grade 2 Pocahontas Stakes in September and Liora narrowly claiming the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes in November.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – If you don't like the favorite for the Kentucky Derby, wait a minute, it's likely to change.
With morning-line favorite Omaha Beach scratched on Thursday, the wide-open nature of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby is reflected in the early wagering. As of 6:15 p.m. Eastern, and with $749,690 in the win pool, Wood Memorial winner Tacitus ($101,102) was favored by $4 over Arkansas Derby runner-up Improbable ($101,098). Florida Derby winner Maximum Security ($99,983) is the "third" choice. All three horses are 5-1.
