Wed, 09/02/2020 - 11:50

Preakness: Black-Eyed Susan moved to card along with De Francis Dash

The Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, historically run in recent years on the day before the Preakness Stakes, will instead be run on the same card as the Preakness this year, according to a stakes schedule distributed by Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Wednesday.

According to the schedule, the Oct. 3 Preakness card will feature 12 races, all of them stakes and seven of them graded. This year, the Preakness is the third leg of the Triple Crown, scheduled one month after the re-scheduled Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

Wed, 09/02/2020 - 11:26

New diagnostic equipment program increases equine safety

A cooperative effort between Del Mar and Santa Anita to use high-level diagnostic equipment based at Santa Anita has been credited by veterinarians with catching potential small problems before they become big ones during a summer season in which Del Mar has continued its strong safety record of recent years.

Del Mar has subsidized the transportation to Santa Anita of horses to use three highly advanced diagnostic services – nuclear scintigraphy, position emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – provided by the Southern California Equine Foundation.

Wed, 09/02/2020 - 11:20

Kentucky Derby: Shirreffs's Zenyatta visit will have to wait

Barbara D. Livingston
Zenyatta lost her pregnancy in April after suffering an inflammation of the placenta.

John Shirreffs trained Zenyatta throughout her Hall of Fame career and can’t wait to see her soon, but the demands of the Kentucky Derby will mean the next visit will come later this month, when he returns for the yearling sales. This week, he’s sticking to Churchill Downs like Calvin Borel sticks to the rail.

“It’s hard to leave. You never know when something unforeseen could develop,” said Shirreffs, who trains Honor A. P.

Wed, 09/02/2020 - 10:56

Talamo leading rider; Cox, McPeek tie atop trainer standings

Barbara D. Livingston
Joe Talamo won 20 races at Ellis Park to secure the riding title.

LOUISVILLE, KY. –Joe Talamo, in his first year of riding the Kentucky circuit after more than 13 years in Southern California, was the leading jockey at the 25-day Runhappy summer meet, which ended Sunday at Ellis Park in western Kentucky. Talamo rode 20 winners, two more than Rafael Bejarano, who missed the last nine days of the meet. Talamo led in mount earnings with $746,716.

Brad Cox and Kenny McPeek tied for leading trainer with 10 wins, while the PTK of the Haughey family of Virginia was the leading owner with six wins.

Wed, 09/02/2020 - 10:56

Tiz the Law a fat price in first four pools of Kentucky Derby Future Wager

Barbara D. Livingston
Tiz the Law was 11-1 in the first pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bettors with the foresight to back Tiz the Law months ago for the Kentucky Derby are among those who will be hoping to cash in on an overlay Saturday.

Tue, 09/01/2020 - 18:36

Five first-timers take a shot at the Kentucky Derby

Tom Keyser
Luca Panici has a broken collarbone and will miss rides on Kentucky Derby hopefuls Sole Volante and Ete Indien.

The Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May – or, as it turns out in 2020, the first Saturday in September – is the Super Bowl of American Thoroughbred racing. Every trainer and jockey in the sport dreams, however casually, of giving or getting a leg up to answer the call to the post for the classic race.

Tue, 09/01/2020 - 18:16

El Bayern's win in Muskoka Stakes special on several levels

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Stacey Van Camp’s $8,000 yearling buy El Bayern gave her and her partner, trainer Mike Mattine, quite a thrill last Sunday when she came from left field to land her debut in the $250,800 Muskoka Stakes at Woodbine.

Van Camp said the victory was especially sweet because Sheena Ryan rode El Bayern after coming out of retirement this year. Ryan had success for Van Camp in the past, riding her allowance horse Stormfuhr in his victorious debut in 2017, and winning on Strut and Stomp and Uncatchable Fire. Ryan left the track last fall to pursue a career in yoga.

Tue, 09/01/2020 - 18:16

Swiss Skydiver has the right stuff to give McPeek long-sought Kentucky Oaks win

Coady Photography
Swiss Skydiver works what trainer Ken McPeek called a "happy half-mile" at Churchill Downs Saturday under Brian Hernandez Jr.

Ken McPeek has unfinished Kentucky Oaks business.

Tue, 09/01/2020 - 18:00

Kentucky Derby: 15 years after Giacomo, Shirreffs hopes for another memorable afternoon with Honor A. P.

Benoit Photo
Honor A. P., with Mike Smith riding, wins the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.

It has been more than 15 years since trainer John Shirreffs won the Kentucky Derby, but when he is asked of that glorious May day back in 2005 at Churchill Downs, the memories are vivid. The crowd noise, the feeling when Giacomo began his move, the temporary disbelief, the presence of mind to take it all in, all before being shepherded to the winner’s podium, then a post-race celebration in the Derby Museum, before finally heading back to the barn to check on his horse – it all comes flooding back.

Tue, 09/01/2020 - 13:31

Bound for Nowhere to scratch from Twin Spires Turf Sprint

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Bound for Nowhere has cruised in two starts this year, winning by a combined 10 1/4 lengths.

Bound for Nowhere, the morning-line favorite in the Grade 2, $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint on Friday at Churchill Downs, will scratch to await the Grade 3, $700,000 Runhappy Turf Sprint on Sept. 12 at Kentucky Downs, trainer Wesley Ward said Tuesday.

"Three times the money," Ward said of the reason for the decision.

Bound for Nowhere most recently was third in the Grade 2 Shakertown on July 11 at Keeneland.