LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs on Wednesday unveiled its renovated section for the owners of Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses, a ground-floor section comprising 20 private, open-air, all-inclusive suites between the sixteenth pole and finish line.
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DRF Past Performances
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Rick Violette said Wednesday that his Kentucky Derby contender, Upstart, continues to progress nicely after having a scheduled breeze canceled last Saturday at Palm Meadows.
Violette canceled the work, which was to be Upstart’s first since the Florida Derby, after discovering that Upstart had some discharge from his nostrils and was running a temperature just prior to sending him to the track to breeze. Upstart was subsequently diagnosed with a sinus infection.
After 35 races in which horses could earn points toward a berth in the Kentucky Derby on May 2, the prospective field is largely set, though the final composition of the maximum 20-horse field could undergo a few tweaks over the next 2 1/2 weeks, since there are a handful of horses currently in the body of the race whose status is cloudy.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - American Pharoah will fly to Churchill Downs on Monday to begin final preparations for the Kentucky Derby, his trainer, Bob Baffert, said on Sunday, the day after the champion’s eight-length win in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.
“He’ll have a real easy week,” said Baffert.
Going forward, Baffert said American Pharoah will probably have one work in advance of the Kentucky Derby on May 2.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - American Pharoah cemented his status as the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, with a commanding eight-length win in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. Displaying a new dimension, he sat off the pace, overtook the leader on the final turn, and then opened up on the field, winning in hand before an estimated ontrack crowd of 67,500.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Divining Rod got a patient ride from Julien Leparoux before surging to victory Saturday in the 34th running of the Grade 3, $250,000 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, possibly earning enough points to make the field for the Kentucky Derby – although that appears moot.
Divining Rod earned 10 points toward the May 2 Derby, giving him a total of 20 in the Churchill Downs system used to limit the field to 20 starters, although his owner said afterward he most likely will not run the colt even if a spot opens.
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out three of his potential Kentucky Derby starters to work at Palm Beach Downs on Saturday, including Florida Derby winner Materiality, who looked razor-sharp breezing a half-mile in company with Louisiana Derby runner-up Stanford.
Fountain of Youth winner Itsaknockout also breezed four furlongs at the training center earlier in the morning.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Ocho Ocho Ocho, third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 4, will have his next start at Churchill Downs on May 2.
A decision on whether Ocho Ocho Ocho starts in the $2 million Kentucky Derby or the $200,000 Pat Day Mile on the undercard will be made at the beginning of that week. The decision depends on how the colt trains and whether he can gain a berth in the Derby, trainer Jim Cassidy said Friday.
“I want to see how he’s doing coming up to it,” Cassidy said.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Few people are going to be watching the results of the Arkansas Derby more closely than Nick Zito.
The Hall of Fame trainer is dead set on getting Frammento into the lineup for the 141st Kentucky Derby on May 2 but will need a little help in the points standings for that to happen.
“The bottom line is he’s a mile-and-a-quarter horse,” Zito said. “That’s what he’s going to be best at.”