LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Game Face, taking advantage of a sharp pace that softened up the front-runners and a clever ride from John Velazquez, came up the rail and then outdueled Keep the Peace in the final furlong to earn a neck victory in the Grade 3, $168,450 La Troienne Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Tiz to Dream, a 14-1 shot, was another two lengths back in third. Alina, Secret Gypsy, Minewander, and Color Me Up completed the order of finish. Both American County and Informed Decision were scratched earlier in the day.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Game Face, the 9-5 favorite who was presented with a big opening on the rail into the stretch, outbattled an unlucky Keep the Peace to win Saturday's $150,000 La Troienne Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs.

Early pacesetter Secret Gypsy, in her first start since a big maiden win at Saratoga last summer, drifted wide while tiring entering the stretch, carrying Keep the Peace even farther out. Despite benefitting from this, Game Face was hard pressed to narrowly prevail over Keep the Peace. Tiz to Dream outgamed Alina for third money.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Chelokee will need “a major piece of surgery” to repair a dislocated right front ankle that he suffered during the running of Friday’s Grade 3 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs, Dr. Larry Bramlage said Saturday. But while his racing career is over, Chelokee could be saved to become a stallion, Bramlage said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The combination of the Kentucky Oaks winner, Proud Spell, with Kentucky Derby favorite Big Brown was the lowest potential payoff in the Oaks-Derby double, which drew an all-sources handle of $2,023,441 on Friday at Churchill Downs. The $2 payoff on the Proud Spell-Big Brown combination was set at $37.80.

$2 Oaks-Derby double will-pays:

Proud Spell (No. 8) with:

1. Cool Coal Man, $436.00

2. Tale of Ekati, 312.20

3. Anak Nakal, 778.00

4. Court Vision, 132.20

5. Eight Belles, 212.00

6. Z Fortune, 143.60

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Big Brown was a lukewarm 7-2 favorite for the 134th Kentucky Derby as the close of advance wagering neared Friday.

As of 6:30 p.m. Eastern, and with $446,183 in the win pool, Big Brown was the slight choice over Colonel John (4-1), Pyro (5-1), and Eight Belles (8-1). The rest of the 20-horse field was 14-1 or higher.

Advance Kentucky Derby odds:

1. Cool Coal Man, 36-1

2. Tale of Ekati, 46-1

3. Anak Nakal, 57-1

4. Court Vision, 14-1

5. Eight Belles, 8-1

6. Z Fortune, 17-1

7. Big Truck, 20-1

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - About 4 o'clock every morning, anyone staying at a hotel on the north side of Louisville's Standiford International Airport is awakened by the roaring sound of jet airplanes, one after another, leaving at an ungodly hour if you're trying to sleep. The squadron is from the United Parcel Service, whose hub is in this city.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Eight Belles, the 5-2 morning line favorite for Friday’s Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, has been scratched, as expected, in favor of a start in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.

Owner Rick Porter and trainer Larry Jones had stated this week their intention was to scratch from the Oaks if the filly drew favorably in the Kentucky Derby, which she did, in post position 5. She had drawn a disadvantageous post in the Kentucky Oaks, post 12, on the far outside.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With little to do Monday afternoon, trainer Eoin Harty decided to fuel his other passion and go bass fishing at a nearby lake. They were biting, all right.

"I have to figure out what to do with all this fish," he said.

On Saturday, though, he will try to reel in the big one.

Harty trains Colonel John, who comes off a powerful win last month in the Santa Anita Derby and is likely to be the second choice Saturday behind Big Brown in the 134th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Paul Pompa Jr. had barely made it to the New York State Thruway last Sept. 3 when his phone started ringing nonstop. The Pompa-owned Big Brown had just won a maiden turf race at Saratoga by 11 1/4 lengths and people were inquiring if he was for sale.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Big Brown buzz grew a little louder after the Kentucky Derby favorite worked three furlongs in 35.33 seconds here Thursday morning. Big Brown was one of two Derby starters to blow out for the race Thursday. Smooth Air covered the same distance in 37.99.