Fair Grounds

The owners of seven Thoroughbreds killed or injured in a Mar. 25, 2024, accident on the Bluegrass Parkway when a trailer driver allegedly fell asleep at the wheel and careened off the road while en route from Fair Grounds to Keeneland are suing the equine transport company and the driver in federal court, seeking "not less than" $3 million in compensatory damages and a separate amount in punitive damages that the plaintiffs want decided at a trial. The collective owners of the three horses that perished and the four that...

Fair Grounds has bumped purses for the GII Risen Star Stakes and the GIII Lecomte Stakes--both "Road to the Kentucky Derby" points races--in advance of the track's 153rd season. The Risen Star will be increased from $400,000 to $500,000 and the Lecomte upped from $200,000 to $250,000. With eight existing stakes getting a $25,000 boost, a total of $325,000 in increases is scheduled for the track's 63-race stakes program, totaling $8.875 million in purses during the 76-day Thoroughbred meet. "The Louisiana Road to the Derby and Oaks has established itself...

8th-CD, 134K, Alw/OC, 3yo, f, 6f, 4:22 p.m. Unraced since hitting the board behind Tarifa (Bernardini) in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks back in March, 'TDN Rising Star' V V'S DREAM (Mitole) returns to the races Sunday for trainer Kenny McPeek. Last year's dominant GIII Pocahontas Stakes winner spent her last six races in stakes company, on the board in the Rags to Riches Stakes and, most notably, second by a length in the GI Darley Alcibiades at Keeneland last October. The daughter of Mitole showed her readiness for Sunday's...

The Louisiana Racing Commission went back to square one Friday, announcing that it will adhere to the guidelines set by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) regarding medications. The move came just nine days after the commission announced an emergency set of rules that were about to take effect and would have meant that Louisiana had, by far, the most lenient medications policies in the U.S. The withdrawal times for dozens of medications had been reduced and the threshold levels had been increased. The laundry list of changes included...

Just days after announcing plans to loosen drug restrictions, the Louisiana State Racing Commission will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday, June 4 to discuss "Corrupt and Prohibited Practices". In a notice sent late Monday, the LSRC noted the following items as topics of discussion: Discussion of Clenbuterol Discussion of Depo-Medrol Safeguards will be in the place during transition time for going back to increased withdrawal periods. The state of Louisiana, which does not fall under HISA's control, passed a set of emergency rules set to go into effect June 8...

'TDN Rising Star' Doncho did not mind a wet surface as he took home his first black-type in the Gold Fever S. during the Belmont at the Big A meet on Sunday afternoon. The dark bay was sent on his way as the 2-1 choice and vied for the early lead with longshot Buccherino up the backstretch. Putting away his rival around the far turn, the chalk sizzled entering the lane, kicked for the wire past the eighth pole and got there to collect his prize. Doncho achieved his 'Rising...

It's come down to the last few preps. An outstanding field will meet Friday at Keeneland in the GI Ashland S. Four horses on our Top 10 list will take part in that race. At Aqueduct, they'll be vying for a spot in the field for the GI Kentucky Oaks in the GIII Gazelle S. At Santa Anita, fillies will contest the GII Santa Anita Oaks, but the horse expected to be he heavy favorite, Kinza (Carpe Diem), is trained by Bob Baffert and is therefore ineligible to run in...

Things are heating up and the prospective field for the GI Kentucky Oaks is starting to take shape. Tarifa (Bernardini) won the GII Fair Grounds Oaks last Saturday and is very much looking like the horse to beat in the Kentucky Oaks. At Turfway Park, the former claimer Everland (Arrogate) earned her way into the Oaks with a win in the Bourbonette Oaks. Two huge preps will be run this Saturday--the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks and the GIII Fantasy at Oaklawn. Here's a look at the latest installment of our...

Eyeballing the quarter pole in Saturday's GII Louisiana Derby, it may have seemed that the Albaugh Family's Catching Freedom (Constitution) had far too much to do to even get a piece of it. However, what seemed like a foregone conclusion to some proved nothing more than a fleeting illusion as the colt closed by leaps and bounds to get up just in time to win by 1 1/4 lengths, earning 100 Kentucky Derby points in the process. Breaking from the 12 hole, GIII Lecomte S. scorer Track Phantom (Quality Road)...

Godolphin's Tarifa (Bernardini) extended her win streak to three with a professional score in Saturday's GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Installed the 3-2 choice ahead of GII Golden Rod S. victress Intricate (Gun Runner), the Godolphin homebred broke well and wrestled her rider Flavien Prat into contention as 4-1 Our Pretty Woman (Medaglia d'Oro) led the way through a :23.84 quarter. Continuing to fight for her head through a half in :47.93, she was finally given some rein and duly responded, closing on the frontrunner turning for home. Taking over turning...

Lance Gasaway, 4G Racing and Daniel Hamby III's Mystik Dan (Goldencents) worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 (20/34) over a fast track at the Fair Grounds Saturday morning. Trained by Ken McPeek, the winner of the Feb. 3 GIII Southwest S. is expected to ship to Oaklawn Wednesday in advance of a tilt at the $1.5-million GI Arkansas Derby Mar. 30. McPeek opted to train Mystik Dan up to the Arkansas Derby, which could award as many as 200 qualifying points to its top five eligible finishers (100-50-25-15-10, respectively) for Kentucky...

The road to the GI Kentucky Derby kicks into high gear with Saturday's GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park. Over the next three weekends, there will be eight "Championship Series" races that will award Derby points to the top five finishers on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale. Drawn widest of all in post 12, GIII Lecomte S. Jan. 20 winner and GII Risen Star S. Feb. 17 runner-up Track Phantom (Quality Road) looks like the one to catch in the Louisiana Derby. Hall...