ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sam-Son Farm is ready to roll at Woodbine.
That could spell trouble for just about every other outfit on the grounds, as Sam-Son, the Sovereign Award winner as outstanding owner and breeder the past two years, is fresh off a very successful meet at Keeneland and returns with its usual complement of impeccably bred and talented racehorses.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - After close to two years of negotiations, the Woodbine Entertainment Group has completed the acquisition of the Pacific Racing Association, operators of Hastings Park Racecourse.
With the acquisition, under its wholly owned subsidiary Hastings Entertainment, Woodbine will control more than half of all wagering on horse racing in Canada.
The new company did not take long to make its presence felt, firing seven employees Tuesday.
CICERO, Ill. - No worse for wear after suffering the first loss of his career last Saturday in the Derby Trial, Cashel Castle has returned to trainer Chris Block's barn at Hawthorne Race Course, where he will prepare for his next start. But now what?
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The increased security measures seen at sporting and cultural events since the September terrorist attacks will be in place this weekend at Churchill Downs.
Beginning Friday with the Kentucky Oaks program and continuing Saturday with the Derby, Churchill Downs will have a higher level of security at entrances, an increase in security personnel at the track, and restrictions on picnic equipment and other items customers bring on the grounds.
A full field of 20 horses was drawn for Saturday's 128th running of the Kentucky Derby on Wednesday afternoon. Harlan's Holiday, the likely Derby favorite, will break from post 14 after drawing the seventh selection in the random draw. Post 14 is the outermost post in the main starting gate.
This will not go down as the happiest week in the life of trainer Neil Douglas Drysdale. First he had his courtesy car re-claimed by Churchill Downs. Then he had his Kentucky Derby contender, Sunday Break, excluded from Saturday's race because of insufficient earnings in graded stakes races. And then Wednesday morning, Drysdale was forced to scratch his outstanding 3-year-old filly Bella Bellucci from Friday's Kentucky Oaks.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Gotham winner Mayakovsky was not entered for Saturday's 128th Kentucky Derby, enabling Windward Passage to get into the race.
"He's not working and not running," trainer Patrick Biancone said Wednesday morning, when Mayakovsky was scheduled to breeze. "He's not ready mentally. He was only a backup anyway. As long as the other two horses arrived safely he was off the hook."
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For a horse who is supposed to be the favorite for the 128th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, Harlan's Holiday has an odd constituency. For while most people acknowledge that he is the horse to beat, it's rare to find anyone who is actually picking him on top. He's seemingly in everyone's top three, but not first.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - What a difference a year makes.
Last year the $100,000 Mamzelle Stakes drew a field of only six filly and mare turf specialists, and was dominated by Separata, who drew off to an easy six-length victory over Elvi Gamble and Penny Marie. This year's edition of the Mamzelle features a full and more evenly matched lineup, with Elvi Gamble and Penny Marie returning to take on 10 rivals going five furlongs on the grass.
