Churchill Downs has banned the trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. for an “indefinite period,” citing the sudden deaths of two of his horses over the past five days at the track.
The announcement of the decision to ban Joseph came 30 minutes after Kentucky stewards said that Joseph had agreed to scratch all of the horses he had entered at Churchill, including Lord Miles, who was entered in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
Churchill Downs
Thursday, May 4
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 43
Track: Fast
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A busy and very eventful morning on the Kentucky Derby/Oaks watch Thursday at Churchill Downs with arguably the most impressive training session of the morning saved for last when Skinner came out at his usual time, shortly after 9:00 a.m., to turn in an eye-catching gallop over the freshly harrowed strip.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Practical Move, winner of the Santa Anita Derby and a major player in the Kentucky Derby, will have to scratch out of the race due to a temperature, trainer Tim Yakteen said Thursday afternoon.
“We spiked a temperature,” Yakteen said. “It started climbing right after training when we do our due diligence. He didn’t jump into the feed tub like he usually does. We temp our horses routinely, that’s when it was recognized.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Given the events of the past week at Churchill Downs, the sight of two horses running loose without a rider – one a Kentucky Derby starter, one a Kentucky Oaks hopeful – made for some heart-palpitating moments Thursday morning during training hours.
Thankfully, neither Derby runner Verifying nor Oaks longshot And Tell Me Nolies were hurt, and both, as of Thursday morning, were expected to be able to make their engagements.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For years, Arlington Park’s opening day coincided with Kentucky Oaks Day. Then COVID-19 struck, and Arlington didn’t begin a 2020 meeting until July. In 2021, the opener returned to the first Friday in May – a dark day, not a celebration. Churchill Downs Inc., Arlington’s owner, already had decided, strictly for financial reasons, to shed the track from its corporate portfolio. In May 2022, the massive Arlington grandstand, the vast tract of land upon which it rests, stood quiet as a remote Illinois prairie.
Customers of the enormous FanDuel sports-betting platform will have the ability this year to wager on the Kentucky Derby directly from their regular accounts for the first time, a feature that officials for the company and Churchill Downs Inc. believe could lead to a significant jump in betting on the race.
Churchill Downs
Wednesday, May 3
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 46
Track: Fast
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The gangs all here, the heavy lifting is over, the hardest part for everybody now is the wait until the horses are saddled up and sent away from the gate in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks and Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – When it comes to Practical Move’s preparation for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, trainer Tim Yakteen is utilizing the less-is-more approach.
On Wednesday, three days out from Kentucky Derby 149, Practical Move simply jogged one mile around Churchill’s main track. It was at least the second time Practical Move just jogged after arriving from Southern California on Saturday.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Gary and Mary West watched their colors cross the line first at Churchill Downs, only to have roses literally taken out of their hands. Trainer Brad Cox experienced the opposite, as he saddled a colt to cross the line second in the Kentucky Derby, only to later be promoted to the victory.
Together, the owners and trainer team up in this Saturday’s running of the Derby with Hit Show, hoping for a first-place finish they can celebrate this time.
