Churchill Downs

7th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 3:55 p.m. ET. The debuting $3.2-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate Barnes (c, 2, Into Mischief--All American Dream, by American Pharoah) is set to become the first starter at Churchill Downs for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert since the lifting of his well-documented, corporation-imposed three-year suspension. Owned by Zedan Racing Stables, Barnes worked five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 (2/8) at Baffert's Santa Anita base Nov. 20 before heading to Louisville. His third dam is MGISW Dream Supreme (Seeking the Gold), responsible for GISW Majestic Warrior (A.P....

4th-Churchill Downs, $120,685, Alw (NW2X)/Opt. Clm ($125,000), 11-24, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:42.24, ft, 1/2 length. STAR OF WONDER (c, 3, Uncle Mo--Starship Warpspeed, by Congrats) was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following his 3 1/2-length debut victory going one mile at Churchill Downs June 2. He added a seven-furlong allowance tally Sept. 14 before suffering his first defeat when a well-beaten sixth in a nine-furlong allowance at Keeneland Oct. 24. Shedding the blinkers here, the 4-5 favorite lugged in at the break, but straightened out and rushed up to attend...

Multiple Grade I winner 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) will be paraded at Churchill Downs Friday, Nov. 29 in the paddock during the ninth race, the race track announced Sunday afternoon. One of the candidates for Horse of the Year honors, the presumed champion 3-year-old filly will join the field during the walkover to the paddock and will remain there through the race, from approximately 4:30 to 4:50 p.m. Thorpedo Anna has won five races at the elite level this season, namely the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, DK...

In a study of perseverance, Lagynos (c, 3, Kantharos--Steamy, by Speightstown), who has now run in 10 consecutive black-type events this year, finally got one to call his own when capturing the $300,000 GIII Commonwealth Turf Stakes Saturday at Churchill Downs. Last seen fifth in a troubled trip Oct. 26 in the GIII Bryan Station Stakes at Keeneland and seventh in the GIII Nashville Derby Aug. 31 at Kentucky Downs, Lagynos races for HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud. "He deserved this win," said Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen....

Golden Gamble (f, 2, Laoban--Me and Mine, by Bernardini) stamped herself as a filly to watch for trainer Ken McPeek with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance at second asking traveling around two turns in the Churchill nightcap Saturday. The 5-2 chance found a perfect spot beneath Brian Hernandez, Jr. in an outside fourth through fractions of :23.60 and :48.17. Traveling nicely rounding the far turn, she made a flashy, three-wide move to stick her head in front approaching the quarter pole, and, despite racing a bit green as they straightened,...

Coming out of the chute at Churchill Downs in the GIII Chilukki Stakes, Two Sharp (Twirling Candy--Double Sharp, by Distorted Humor) had a singular mission ahead as she stretched her legs on the one-turn mile dirt course--make the front. The 3-year-old accomplished that task in spectacular fashion and cruised home for her first black-type and graded stakes score amid what continues to be a promising career at the races. The $925,000 Keeneland September grad taken home by Richard Rigney was named a 'TDN Rising Star' at second asking when she...

7th-CD, 120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 3:55 p.m. The half-sister to Eclipse winner and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), PRETTY SASSY (Medaglia d'Oro) debuts as a homebred for Godolphin Sunday. The third foal out of GI Spinaway Stakes winner Pretty City Dancer, who sold to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for $3,500,000 at FTKNOV in 2018 and is a half to GISW Lear's Princess (Lear Fan), Pretty Sassy gets jockey Tyler Gaffalione aboard for trainer Brendan Walsh. Lined up just inside of that runner is Brown Sugar...

It was perhaps the decision of a lifetime for Judy Hicks when she famously went up to Kenny McPeek after he purchased Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) and asked if she could stay in for a small piece of the filly she bred. Just a year later, while still awaiting Thorpedo Anna's debut, Hicks went and made another similar arrangement. Hicks sold Thorpedo Anna's half-brother for $40,000--coincidentally the same price that 'Anna' had sold for--at the 2023 Keeneland September Sale. Afterwards, she approached Jake Ballis of Black Type Thoroughbreds and asked...

Sophomore turfers will enjoy the spotlight in the GIII Commonwealth Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs, one of three graded stakes races on tap Saturday. Frankly Speaking homebred Dashman (Oscar Performance) won two straight in Kentucky this summer, then was a solid fourth with trouble behind MGISW Carson's Run (Cupid) and next-out GIII Hill Prince Stakes winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Deterministic (Liams' Map) in the GIII Jockey Club Derby Invitational going 1 3/8 miles at Aqueduct Oct. 5. The 5-2 morning-line favorite turns back to 1 1/16 miles here. "He...

7th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 3:55 p.m. ET. A $1-million buy at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, YINZER (Twirling Candy) takes the racing stage for the ownership group of West Point Thoroughbreds, CJ Stables and Bill Farish. The Steve Asmussen trainee is out of Rehearsed (Tapit) who is a full-sister to GISP Closing Bell and a half-sister to GII San Felipe Stakes hero Hear the Ghost (Ghostzapper). Also making the races is Aerate (Candy Ride {Arg]). The Stone Farm homebred trained by Brian Lynch was produced by Ducru...

When Amplify Horse Racing was founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2020, our goal was to engage youth with the Thoroughbred industry. As 2024 draws to a close, I reflect with immense pride on how Amplify isn't just engaging youth with the Thoroughbred industry-we have become the national youth arm of the U.S. industry. By the end of the year, Amplify will have directly reached over 28,000 individuals through classroom lessons, events, interactive activations, and conference presentations. We recently wrapped up one of our busiest programming weekends of the year,...

The distinctive water tower at Ellis Park that hulks behind the far turn and is emblazoned with the Kentucky track's name will be removed over the coming weeks "due to critical safety concerns related to its structural integrity." Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), the gaming corporation that owns Ellis, made the announcement via press release on Thursday. CDI stated the decision was made "despite dedicated efforts to preserve the historic water tower." But, the press release added, "given the lack of functionality and rapid deterioration of the water tower, the increasing...