Captain Cook
Colt by Practical Joke – Pow Wow Wow, by Indian Charlie
Bred in Kentucky by Marylou Whitney Stables ($410,000 Keeneland November horses of racing age purchase by Steven Young)
The bloodlines of the vaunted Whitney program have rarely been available in the public marketplace. That changed last year, when John Hendrickson, widower of Marylou Whitney, died.
Journalism, the current favorite on Daily Racing Form’s Derby Watch list, will stand at Coolmore's Ashford Stud upon his retirement from racing, the farm announced Monday night.
The Coolmore team will also join Journalism’s current ownership partnership – Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC, and Robert LaPenta – in his continuing racing career. On Monday, Journalism was entered in Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The Florida Derby has produced more winners, 25, than any other Kentucky Derby prep. Trainers Brad Cox and Bill Mott hope that trend continues when their leading Derby candidates Tappan Street and Sovereignty meet again at Churchill Downs on May 3.
The stakes winner Luxor Café will have a new rider when he starts favored in Saturday’s $226,400 Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan, the fourth and final race in that country’s Kentucky Derby qualifying series.
Joao Moreira, a former leading rider in Hong Kong, has the mount on Luxor Café, who has won three consecutive starts since last fall. Australian-based Rachel King rode Luxor Café to wins in an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles at Nakayama on Jan. 11 and in the Hyacinth Stakes at a mile at Tokyo Racecourse on Feb. 23.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will be out indefinitely after he suffered a broken left ankle as a result of an incident prior to the start of Wednesday’s fourth race at Gulfstream Park, his agent Matt Muzikar said.
Gaffalione, the second-leading rider at the Gulfstream winter meet, was booked to ride all 14 races on Saturday’s Gulfstream Park card, including Madaket Road in the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby. Mike Smith will instead ride Madaket Road in that race for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, according to Muzikar.
Render Judgment is scheduled to make his next start in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Blue Grass on April 5 at Keeneland, trainer Kenny McPeek said.
The son of Blame is one of two prospects McPeek currently has in play for the Kentucky Derby, a race he won last year with Mystik Dan. The other is Maximum Promise, who was third in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks last Saturday at Turfway Park.
“I think that’s about where we’re at,” McPeek said.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – A stall toy gave trainer Lonnie Briley a tip-off about how to proceed with Coal Battle on the road to the Kentucky Derby.
Briley has been closely monitoring the Rebel winner, to see if he should run him back in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday or just train up to the Kentucky Derby. He said last week that Coal Battle gave him a clear sign to enter the Arkansas Derby.
“I thought he was going to rip his ball off the wall yesterday, playing with it,” Briley said. “He’s jumping out of his skin. He’s feeling so good right now.”
Led by the Kentucky-bred colt Luxor Cafe, 15 3-year-olds have been nominated for Saturday’s Fukuryu Stakes at Nayakama Racecourse, the final race of the Japanese qualifying series for the Kentucky Derby.
The Fukuryu Stakes is run at 1 1/8 miles, a distance that many of the nominees have already tried.
Luxor Cafe, by American Pharoah, has had five starts and has won his last three starts in a maiden race at a mile at Tokyo last November, an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles at Nayakama on Jan. 11, and the Hyacinth Stakes at a mile at Tokyo on Feb. 23.
Although Bullard may be nominated to the Santa Anita Derby, trainer Michael McCarthy said it would be “just to keep our options open.” Bullard is more likely to be trained toward the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes on April 12 at Keeneland.
Journalism, early favorite for the Kentucky Derby, worked in company Saturday with Kentucky Derby alumnus Endlessly. Both colts are trained by Michael McCarthy. Endlessly, a turf/synthetic specialist who finished ninth in the 2024 Derby, is training toward a spring comeback on turf.
“Endlessly is a pretty lackluster type work horse, so I needed something to pique his interest,” McCarthy said. “I put Journalism inside, just to get his attention. It was just a solid work, that’s all I was looking for. I don’t need to go fast. We know he’s fast.”
