Tue, 04/29/2025 - 13:01

Kentucky Derby Clocker: Not much to glean from Japanese horses' works

Barbara D. Livingston
Luxor Cafe works five furlongs in 1:02.44 Tuesday morning in his first serious local drill for Saturday's Kentucky Derby.

CHURCHILL DOWNS
Weather: Clear 
Track: Fast
Temperature: 71 degrees

Tue, 04/29/2025 - 12:25

Kentucky Derby 2025: Japanese shippers work five furlongs

Barbara D. Livingston
Luxor Cafe, a Kentucky-bred son of American Pharoah, will bring a four-race winning streak into the Kentucky Derby.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Forever Young set the bar for Japan-based horses participating in the Kentucky Derby when he was beaten a head at odds of 7-1 in last year’s race while getting bumped in deep stretch.

Forever Young and T O Password, who finished fifth at odds of 48-1, have produced the two best finishes among eight Japan-based horses to compete in the Kentucky Derby.

Saturday, in Kentucky Derby 151, Japan will be represented by Luxor Cafe and Admire Daytona, both of whom are coming off stakes wins, but neither of whom are being fancied like Forever Young was last year.

Mon, 04/28/2025 - 13:50

Kentucky Derby 2025: Asmussen sends Tiztastic, Publisher with hopes to finally end drought

Barbara D. Livingston
Tiztastic, winner of the Louisiana Derby, is part of a Steve Asmussen-trained duo entered for Saturday's Kentucky Derby.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – He used to be anxious about it. Then he got defensive. Now, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen seems somewhat philosophical about the fact he has yet to win the Kentucky Derby.

Asmussen, North America’s winningest trainer with 10,861 career victories, has started 26 horses in 18 runnings of the Kentucky Derby. He has three seconds and two thirds.

Mon, 04/28/2025 - 13:09

Kentucky Derby 2025: Shirreffs, Prat left playing the waiting game with Baeza

Barbara D. Livingston
Jockey Flavien Prat was aboard for Baeza's work Monday morning, going five furlongs in 1:02.25.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The waiting is the hardest part.

The connections of Baeza will be waiting to hear if there is a defection from the Kentucky Derby between now and scratch time – 9 a.m. Friday – to learn if their horse gets to run in the $5 million classic at Churchill Downs.

Mon, 04/28/2025 - 11:08

Shrouded in infamy, Foolish Pleasure won a Kentucky Derby to remember

Ray Woolfe Jr.
Trainer LeRoy Jolley leads Foolish Pleasure to winner’s circle after the 1975 Kentucky Derby.

There are horses who become footnotes in racing history due to their ties to notorious or tragic events.

Sun, 04/27/2025 - 17:28

Into Mischief seeking more history in Kentucky Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Sovereignty (above) is one of two sons of Into Mischief in this year’s Kentucky Derby.

Into Mischief has already firmly written himself into the history of the American stallion ranks, with his six consecutive sire titles the most in more than a half-century. Now, he is looking to write another chapter as the first stallion since the 1950s to sire three Kentucky Derby winners, which would tie him for the all-time record.

Sun, 04/27/2025 - 15:50

Turf pedigrees fine for Kentucky Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Jeff Ruby winner Final Gambit will make his first start on dirt in the Derby.

History says that a horse with a turf background or pedigree can run well on the Churchill Downs dirt, including in the Kentucky Derby. Animal Kingdom made his first start on dirt winning the 2011 Derby, and 2006 hero Barbaro had been a stakes winner on turf as a juvenile before moving to dirt. Big Brown (2008), Mine That Bird (2009), and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (2015) also were early-career winners on turf or synthetic surfaces before moving to dirt.

Sun, 04/27/2025 - 15:46

Tiz the Law has first Kentucky Derby entrant in Tiztastic

Barbara D. Livingston
Tiztastic, trained by Steve Asmussen, is from the first crop by Coolmore stallion Tiz the Law.

Tiz the Law was a Grade 1 winner at age 2 who won a classic at 3. Those closest to him in his current career as a stallion say his progeny show similar progression, and that means exciting things could be in store for Tiztastic, who represents his sire’s first crop in the Kentucky Derby.

Sun, 04/27/2025 - 14:57

2025 Kentucky Derby Clocker: Journalism looks sharp in final major prep

Barbara D. Livingston
Sovereignty's solid workouts for Saturday's Kentucky Derby suggest he could be sitting on his best yet.

CHURCHILL DOWNS 
Sunday, April 27
Weather: Sunny 
Temperature: 47
Track: Fast 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Anybody looking for one last opportunity to knock the Derby favorite likely came away disappointed after Santa Anita Derby winner Journalism turned in his final major prep shortly after the renovation break Sunday at Churchill Downs.

Sun, 04/27/2025 - 12:27

Kentucky Derby 2025: Rispoli, after airport tour, rides Journalism in five-furlong work

Deb Roma

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It was a whirlwind 36 hours for jockey Umberto Rispoli, who, in his attempted travels between California and Kentucky, wound up experiencing more about the Atlanta airport than he would have liked.

“I walked all around the Atlanta airport for 5 1/2 hours,” Rispoli said. “I know all about terminal B and C. I couldn’t get lost in Atlanta.”