LOUISVILLE, Ky. – No Kentucky Derby winner has finished worse than fourth in his previous start since Iron Liege was fifth in the Derby Trial in 1957. Four hopefuls for the 137th Derby will try to buck that long-standing trend by rebounding in a big way Saturday at Churchill Downs – Santiva, Stay Thirsty, Soldat, and Watch Me Go.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Dialed In, the Florida Derby winner and likely favorite for the May 7 Kentucky Derby, and Soldat, the Fountain of Youth Stakes winner, both arrived at Churchill Downs around 2 p.m. Eastern time Saturday.
KENTUCKY DERBY NEWS: Track all the 3-year-olds on the Triple Crown trail
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For a while there, Silver Rock was one of those mild disappointments.
“He acted like he was a decent horse early but just couldn’t get his act together,” said trainer Mark Casse.
But after four defeats to open his career, Silver Rock is on his way. He won a maiden race on the Gulfstream Park turf in late February, then followed that by winning as the favorite in a first-level allowance on the Keeneland turf on April 9. Both victories came since Casse equipped Silver Rock with blinkers.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Whatever apprehension owner Barry Irwin and trainer Graham Motion had about running Animal Kingdom in next Saturday’s Kentucky Derby was alleviated Saturday morning at Churchill Downs, when Animal Kingdom, who heretofore has raced exclusively on grass and Polytrack, worked sharply over the dirt.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Sunland Derby winner Twice the Appeal was the only potential Kentucky Derby starter to work before the renovation break at Churchill Downs on Saturday, breezing six furlongs in 1:15.62 seconds under jockey Calvin Borel.
KENTUCKY DERBY NEWS: Track all the 3-year-olds on the Triple Crown trail
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Despite a season impacted by near-constant rain, Keeneland posted strong attendance and handle figures for the meeting that ended Friday, the track announced.
Ontrack attendance for the 15-day meet was 241,684, the third-best for a spring meeting and an increase from last year's 238,282.
Handle was strong. Ontrack, it totaled $18,473,700, an average of $1,231,580 per day, and an increase of 3 percent from last year's $17,906,359.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The old-timer Musketier successfully defended his title in the Elkhorn Stakes on Friday's closing-day card at Keeneland by rallying from sixth in the final quarter-mile to take the Grade 2, $150,000 grass stakes for the second straight year.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – John Dooley, the track announcer at Fair Grounds and Arlington Park, recently had surgery to repair a detached retina, but will be ready to assume his race-calling duties when Arlington opens on May 6.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - There were three Oaks fillies out for five-furlong works at Churchill Downs Friday morning – er, make that one.
After going in 59.40 seconds, Arienza, the distant runner-up to Joyful Victory in the Fantasy, will opt out of the Oaks in favor of the shorter Eight Belles on the Derby undercard, said trainer Dan Peitz.
Also, Delightful Mary was ruled out by trainer Mark Casse after going in 1:01.60.
