Wed, 02/04/2026 - 14:07

Kimura, Hernandez at top of jockey standings

By Steve Andersen
Barbara D. Livingston
This winter, Kazushi Kimura has benefited from alignments with trainers Bob Baffert, Michael McCarthy, and Tim Yakteen.

Kazushi Kimura can easily relate to the lengthy recovery fellow jockey Umberto Rispoli faces from ankle and leg injuries sustained at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 24. A year ago at this time, Kimura was in the midst of an absence of more than two months caused by a leg injury suffered in the starting gate at Santa Anita.

Through Sunday, the most recent day of racing at Santa Anita, Kimura was tied for the lead in the jockey standings with Juan Hernandez with 19 wins. Last Friday, the pair overtook Rispoli, who led the standings for much of January.

Wed, 02/04/2026 - 12:12

Turfway cancels Wednesday program; seventh straight card lost due to weather

By Nicole Russo
Coady Media
With the cancellation of Wednesday's card, racing is planned to return to Turfway on Thursday.

Mother Nature continued her winning streak at Turfway Park, as the track canceled its Wednesday card, the seventh consecutive live racing day lost to ongoing winter conditions.

Wed, 02/04/2026 - 11:29

Churchill to hold races on Sunday before Kentucky Derby for first time in 16 years

By Matt Hegarty
Barbara D. Livingston
Churchill will run its opening-day card during the afternoon rather than at night on April 25.

Churchill Downs this year will run on the Sunday prior to the Kentucky Derby for the first time since 2010. The track will also run its opening-day card during the afternoon rather than at night, the track said on Wednesday.

The addition of the Sunday, April 26, card means that Churchill will run live every day except Monday from opening day on April 25 until the Derby card on Saturday, May 2.  

Mon, 02/02/2026 - 14:14

Walsh trainees on track for 3-year-old stakes

By Marcus Hersh
Coady Media
Bella Ballerina is on track to make her 3-year-old debut Feb. 14 in the Rachel Alexandra.

Bella Ballerina, a debut sprint winner at Keeneland in October before landing the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 2 Golden Rod on Nov. 29 at Churchill, remains very much on track to make her 3-year-old debut Feb. 14 in the Rachel Alexandra.

Trainer Brendan Walsh on Jan. 30 gave Bella Ballerina her stiffest drill of the winter, a five-furlong Fair Grounds move timed in 1:00.20, fastest among 43 works over the distance that morning.

“She keeps herself fit and there’s not a ton of work to do with her,” Walsh said. “She’s grown and gotten stronger, and all her works have been very good.”

Mon, 02/02/2026 - 14:12

Liberty National could be value in Southwest off troubled trip last out

By Mary Rampellini
Coady Media
Liberty National, a maiden winner at Churchill in November, ran second last out in the Gun Runner at Fair Grounds.

Liberty National might be the value play of the Grade 3, $1 million Southwest Stakes on Friday at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

He’s listed at 10-1 on the morning line in the Kentucky Derby points race, one start after finishing a troubled second as the favorite in the Gun Runner at Fair Grounds.

Mon, 02/02/2026 - 14:11

Plans made for Quatrocento, Aussie Girl

By David Grening
SV Photography
Quatrocento may run in the Grade 3, $150,000 Canadian Turf at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 28.

Quatrocento, coming off a dominant, front-running victory in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes, may run in the Grade 3, $150,000 Canadian Turf at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 28, trainer Fausto Gutierrez said Monday.

Quatrocento, off three disappointing efforts at the graded stakes level, led at every call under Julien Leparoux and won the Tampa Bay by 3 3/4 lengths. His final time of 1:41.51 was more than a second faster than the mare Aussie Girl’s time for winning the Grade 3 Endeavour about an hour later. Quatrocento earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

Mon, 02/02/2026 - 14:11

Atropa skipping Rachel Alexandra to regroup

By Marcus Hersh
Debra A. Roma
Atropa finished third, beaten a half-length, as the 1-2 favorite in the Silverbulletday last month at Fair Grounds.

Kentucky Oaks hopeful Atropa won’t make the Rachel Alexandra Stakes on Feb. 14, nor will she start in any other near-term race.

Second in the Grade 2 Golden Rod to cap her 2-year-old campaign, Atropa checked in third, beaten a half-length, as the 1-2 favorite in the Silverbulletday last month at Fair Grounds.

“We’re going to regroup with her,” trainer Cherie DeVaux said. “She needs some time. She will go to Florida and get a work-up done.”

Mon, 02/02/2026 - 14:09

Southwest an intriguing addition to big weekend

By Mary Rampellini
Coady Media
Oaklawn's Classic Meet kicks off Thursday and is followed by the Southwest Stakes on Friday, the Bayakoa on Saturday, and racing on Sunday.

Winter Storm Fern wiped out what was supposed to be the first week of the classic meet at Oaklawn Park, and so the Hot Springs, Ark., track had to rearrange its schedule in a move that puts the Grade 3, $1 million Southwest Stakes on Friday.

The Kentucky Derby points race was originally slated for last Saturday.

“You can’t beat Mother Nature,” said Oaklawn president Lou Cella. “Hot Springs was just walloped.”

Cella said there were a couple of reasons for the Southwest to be run on a Friday.

Mon, 02/02/2026 - 14:09

Speedy Felks runner turns heads, attracts interest

By Marcus Hersh

Bloodstock agents far and wide have been telephoning owner Keith Plaisance since Synthetic delivered a wickedly fast dirt sprint performance Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Synthetic, a Louisiana-bred 4-year-old filly by Midshipman, won her career debut June 25 at Evangeline Downs by nine lengths, earning a strong 86 Beyer Speed Figure and so thoroughly dominating her competition that Plaisance and trainer Joseph “Bobby” Felks backed off the filly’s training, Felks said, to save her Louisiana allowance conditions for the Fair Grounds meet.

Mon, 02/02/2026 - 14:07

Zany likely to keep Suncoast small

By David Grening
Barbara D. Livingston
Zany won a maiden sprint by 6 1/2 lengths at Gulfstream in November before galloping to an 8 1/2-length victory in the Demoiselle.

Zany, dominant winner of the Grade 2 Demoiselle, figures to be a short-priced favorite in what is likely to be a small field for the $125,000 Suncoast Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday.

Zany, a daughter of American Pharoah owned by Mike Repole and trained by Todd Pletcher, won a maiden sprint by 6 1/2 lengths at Gulfstream in November before galloping to an 8 1/2-length victory in the Demoiselle.

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