Fri, 04/21/2017 - 14:58

Bode Miller joins ownership group of Fast and Accurate

Coady Photography
Fast and Accurate wins his graded stakes debut in the Spiral last Saturday.

Bode Miller, an Olympic gold medalist in alpine skiing, is like all those who participate in that sport: a risk taker. Now, Miller is participating in another high-risk endeavor, horse racing, buying a small interest in Spiral Stakes winner Fast and Accurate ahead of the May 6 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Fri, 04/21/2017 - 14:40

Miss Sky Warrior settles in, breezes for Kentucky Oaks

Debra A. Roma
Miss Sky Warrior went gate to wire in winning the Gazelle Stakes on Saturday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Four of the major contenders for the May 5 Kentucky Oaks already have settled in at Churchill Downs, with Miss Sky Warrior among those sent here in time to have a couple of serious breezes over the local surface.

Miss Sky Warrior arrived Monday from south Florida and breezed Thursday, going a half-mile in 49 seconds.

“In watching the weather, I wanted to get in a little early,” trainer Kelly Breen said Friday. “She’ll have one more work next week. I just want to get her as good as I can possibly get her.”

Fri, 04/21/2017 - 14:20

Meet opens with more runners competing for higher purses

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – It isn’t by accident that the 52-day Hastings meet that begins Sunday has one of the track’s strongest opening-day cards in recent memory. Incentive programs put in place in recent years are beginning to pay off.

According to racing secretary Nichelle Milner, there are more than 100 additional horses stabled on the grounds than were here at this time last year.

Fri, 04/21/2017 - 13:06

Always Dreaming, Gunnevera put in final Florida workouts for Derby

Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photos
Always Dreaming works five furlongs in 1:01.56 at Palm Beach Downs on Friday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Always Dreaming and Gunnevera will say goodbye to south Florida in the next few days – but not before the winners of the Grade 1 Florida Derby and Grade 2 Fountain of Youth here this winter turned in their final local workouts Friday for the Kentucky Derby.

Always Dreaming and stablemate Patch, who is also being pointed to the Derby by trainer Todd Pletcher, worked at their winter home, the Palm Beach Downs training center in Delray. Gunnevera worked at his permanent residence at Gulfstream Park West.

Fri, 04/21/2017 - 12:56

Paradise Woods puts in easy half-mile for Kentucky Oaks

Shigeki Kikkawa
Paradise Woods won the Santa Anita Oaks by 11 3/4 lengths on Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Paradise Woods continues to do everything easily. On Friday, she worked an effortless half-mile, her first breeze since taking the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks by 11 3/4 lengths on April 8 in her third career start.

Regular rider Flavien Prat worked Paradise Woods minutes before 8 a.m. on a warm Friday at Santa Anita. Trainer Richard Mandella did not expect her to work fast; she went in 47.60 seconds by herself, with minimal encouragement.

“You could see it was pretty easy, real nice,” Mandella said.

Fri, 04/21/2017 - 12:50

Pink Lloyd points to New Providence Stakes

Michael Burns
Pink Lloyd earned a career-high Beyer when winning the Jacques Cartier Stakes.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Pink Lloyd recorded his first stakes victory and won Woodbine’s first stakes race of the season in last weekend’s Jacques Cartier Stakes. He likely will make his next start May 6 in the $125,000 New Providence Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and up, trainer Robert Tiller said.

The lightly raced 5-year-old is now a four-time winner in six career starts but didn’t make it to the races until last August. Tiller said minor injuries delayed Pink Lloyd’s racing debut.

Fri, 04/21/2017 - 12:40

Caren makes 4-year-old debut in Whimsical Stakes

Michael Burns
Caren has won her last four starts at Woodbine, most recently in the Carotene Stakes last October.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Caren, the 2016 Canadian Horse of the Year, will make her 4-year-old debut Sunday on Woodbine’s Tapeta main track in the Grade 3, $125,000 Whimsical Stakes, which drew a strong field of eight older fillies and mares to go six furlongs.

The Whimsical will be Caren’s first start since she finished 11th in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs on Nov. 25.

Fri, 04/21/2017 - 12:30

Irap, Practical Joke drill for Kentucky Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Irap worked a mile in 1:44 at Keeneland on Friday.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Irap and Practical Joke, the one-two finishers in the Blue Grass Stakes on April 8, both turned in their first works since then on Friday at Keeneland, as a flurry of Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks hopefuls worked to beat the rain that was expected that evening and through the weekend.

Fri, 04/21/2017 - 10:18

Kentucky Derby contender Battle of Midway sold

Barbara D. Livingston
Rick Porter has sold Battle of Midway to WinStar Farm and Don Alberto Stable. He will be ridden in the Kentucky Derby by Flavien Prat.

Battle of Midway, second in the Santa Anita Derby in his last start, has been sold to a partnership of WinStar Farm and Don Alberto Stable and will be ridden in the Kentucky Derby by jockey Flavien Prat, Elliott Walden, the president and chief executive of WinStar Farm, said Friday morning.

Battle of Midway was purchased outright by the partnership from Rick Porter.

Jerry Hollendorfer will continue as his trainer.

:: ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays, and analysis

Fri, 04/21/2017 - 09:06

Why Two hits the road for Twin Spires Turf Sprint

Barbara D. Livingston
Why Two will be sent to Churchill Downs for the Twin Spires Turf Sprint in an effort to qualify for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

ARCADIA, Calif. – A stakes-winning turf sprinter in California will ship to Kentucky next week, hoping to build a résumé that is sufficient for entry into the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, which will be run this fall in California. Sound convoluted?

Why Two would have been a contender in the $75,000 Siren Lure Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita, but trainer Mike Machowsky believes the Grade 3 Twin Spires Turf Sprint on May 5 at Churchill Downs gives the gelding a better chance to make it into the BC Turf Sprint this fall at Del Mar.