Barbara D. Livingston

ELMONT, N.Y. – Barry Irwin, president of the Team Valor International syndicate that owns Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, did not back away from some controversial comments he made following Saturday’s race, but said he was not referencing former trainers Wayne Catalano or Todd Pletcher when he made them.

Interviewed by NBC Sports' Bob Neumeier on his way to the Churchill Downs winner’s circle, Irwin was asked why he moved all of Team Valor’s horses to trainer Graham Motion, whom Irwin hired late last year.

LOUISVILLE,  Ky. - Animal Kingdom returned $64.40 for a $2 win bet in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, the only time the colt was listed as a separate wagering interest during the three parimutuel futures pools offered annually by Churchill Downs.

Animal Kingdom was part of the mutuel field in the first two pools, offered Feb. 18-20 and March 11-13, before emerging as a Derby contender by winning the March 26 Vinery Spiral at Turfway Park and being listed separately when Pool 3 was offered April 1-3.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Due to the severity of the injury suffered by Archarcharch in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs, the colt has been retired, trainer Jinks Fires said Monday.

Archarcharch underwent successful surgery Sunday at the Rood and Riddle equine clinic in Lexington, Ky., to repair a condylar fracture in his left foreleg, but “there’s some pretty bad cartilage damage in there, too,” said Fires. “It just wouldn’t be worth even trying to bring him back. He’s been great to us, so we’re going to take care of him.” Dr. Larry Bramlage performed the surgery.

Leading into the Kentucky Derby, NBC and the rest of the media promoted the stories of the trainer with the heart transplant, the female rider aspiring to win the race, the 70-year-old trainer and his 50-year-old son-in-law/jockey competing in thei

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Pants On Fire, the Louisiana Derby winner who finished ninth in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, was found to have bled in the race and will not point to any of the remaining Triple Crown races, trainer Kelly Breen said Sunday morning.

 “He bled a significant amount. We are not going to the Preakness,’’ Breen said. “We are going to try and heal him up inside out. My main goal right now is in three months is the Haskell.’’

All-sources wagering on the 13-race Kentucky Derby card on Saturday at Churchill Downs was $165.2 million, a slight increase over last year’s figures and the third-highest of all-time, while attendance was a record, according to figures released by Churchill late Saturday night.

The preliminary all-sources handle figure was a 1.5 percent increase over the 2010 figure of $162.7 million, according to Churchill. Last year’s handle total reversed three years of declines on the Derby card.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Comma to the Top, who chased the pace before finishing last in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, suffered an injured ankle, his trainer Peter Miller said.

"It appears my horse chipped his left ankle," Miller told Churchill Downs officials. "We could see it when we brought him back. I believe we’ll have Dr. [Wayne] McIlwrath from Colorado State University take it out in the next little while."

Miller said that Comma to the Top would be out of training for at least 60 days following that surgery.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Up until Friday morning, no one could blame John Velazquez if he felt cursed when it came to the Kentucky Derby.

On Saturday, Velazquez went from cursed to blessed in just a little more than two minutes.

VIDEO: Velazquez interview after winning Churchill Downs Stakes »