LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Furniture maven Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale bet roughly $2.4 million to win on Essential Quality in the Kentucky Derby last year to help make sure the colt would be the post-time favorite.

With the 148th Derby set for Saturday at Churchill Downs, McIngvale once again is offering a full refund to any customer spending at least $3,000 on merchandise from his Houston-based Gallery Furniture stores if the Derby favorite wins.

Trainer Mike Miceli was suspended 30 days and fined $2,500 by the New York Gaming Commission for a rules violation involving the horse Cover Photo, who won a $10,000 claiming race at Aqueduct on March 13.

The penalty stems from racing the horse within 14 days of receiving a joint injection, a violation of rule 4043.2 (i) and falls under the trainer’s responsibility, rule 4043.4. Cover Photo was not disqualified from first in that race nor was the purse redistributed.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The new $10 million turf course at Churchill has undergone a number of trial runs in recent weeks prior to the first-ever races being run over it Saturday night. Jockey Julien Leparoux already has ridden over it several times in practice runs and believes the new course eventually will be a major improvement over the one that underwent 35 years of use before being torn out last summer.

From a visual standpoint, it’s a pristine green practically begging 1,000-pound animals to come romping over it.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After a quiet Thursday morning for Kentucky Derby and Oaks prospects at Churchill Downs, there was serious work happening some 2,000 miles west when Taiba went six furlongs in 1:12.80 at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Taiba won the April 9 Santa Anita Derby by 2 1/4 lengths in just his second start. The Thursday breeze will be the only one for the Gun Runner colt ahead of the May 7 Kentucky Derby.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs starts its spring meet with a clean slate Saturday night. Not only have major improvements been undertaken and completed all around these historic grounds, including a $10 million turf course, but the upcoming Kentucky Oaks and Derby are real doozies.

Churchill Downs will expand and renovate its existing paddock to incorporate premium seating and suites, a project that will also allow the paddock to hold more than double the number of people than it does presently, the track announced on Wednesday.

All-sources handle was up, but average daily handle was flat at the Aqueduct spring meet when compared to the 2021 meet, according to figures released Wednesday by the New York Racing Association.

All-sources handle at Aqueduct’s 15-day spring meet was $115,750,073, a 35 percent increase over the 11-day meet conducted in 2021. Average daily handle at the 2022 meet was $7,716,672 compared to $7,765,368 in 2021.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. combined to win 13 races from 40 starters at Belmont Park’s two meets in 2021 and he will again have a presence in New York this summer as he plans to have 16 horses based here for the spring/summer meet that begins Thursday.

Among the group that will ultimately be here is Skippylongstocking, the third-place finisher in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 9. Skippylongstocking is scheduled to have his first work since the Wood on Friday at Gulfstream Park.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – April has been a breakthrough month for Saffie Joseph Jr., but he’s hoping May brings an even greater first.

Joseph won the Florida Derby for the first time in his ascendant training career, sending out White Abarrio to victory in the Gulfstream Park showcase April 2. The next day, Joseph wrapped up the Gulfstream Championship meet training title, ending an 18-year reign by Todd Pletcher.

“It was quite amazing,” Joseph said earlier this week via Zoom from his South Florida base.

There are several undefeated fillies in a deep group preparing to contest this Kentucky Oaks - and of those, Shahama is flying under the radar.

The filly, a half-sister to Preakness Stakes winner Lookin At Lucky, has won all four of her starts in Dubai for KHK Racing and trainer Fawzi Nass, and has since been transferred to Todd Pletcher to target the Oaks. The filly classic will be her first U.S. start, and her first start since Feb. 18.

"She's been really straightforward," Pletcher said. "She's been super professional since she came in. She's trained impressively."