GI Kentucky Oaks

Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), the champion of the GI Kentucky Oaks, returned to the Churchill Downs work tab Thursday with a half-mile breeze in :48 with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. in the saddle, according to a track press release. Owned by Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing, the filly began her training session soon after the track opened at 5:30 a.m. ET. Clocker John Nichols reported that the Kenny McPeek trainee covered an opening quarter-mile in :24 and continued her work past the wire, galloping out five...

Champion 3-year-old filly and MGISW Nest (Curlin--Marion Ravenwood, by A.P. Indy) has been retired from racing her owner Mike Repole told the Daily Racing Form on Wednesday. The owner who bought out his partners on Nest--Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House--for $6 million last fall at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale intended to race Nest this year. After three workouts at Stonestreet Farm in Ocala, Florida, she was set to ship to trainer Todd Pletcher's string at Saratoga, but a diagnostic exam was performed and showed "a slight abnormality in her...

Trainer Ken McPeek is considering the GI Preakness S. for Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), who came out of the race in fine shape. "She left a little bit of grain last night, about half a scoop, but it's nothing to be worried about," McPeek said. "It's something we watch regularly, and she typically eats up every night. She's tired. She ran hard." He continued, "We're gonna look at the Preakness, but she's gonna have to show us in the next three or four days. We'll...

To most people, 88 is just a number. But to Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, it already holds special meaning. It was the year he famously collected his first Kentucky Derby win, with a filly no less. The amazon Winning Colors became only the third filly in history to accomplish the feat. Armed with B C Stable's Just Steel (Justify) for the latest renewal, a win would also earn the 88-year-old Lukas the distinction of becoming the oldest trainer to win the Classic in its 150-year history. Since...

Trainer Bill Mott's barn sent out a pair of Classic aspirants Thursday morning, including Emily Bushnell and Ric Waldman's GII Wood Memorial winner Resilience (Into Mischief) along with George Krikorian's GI Ashland S. runner-up Just F Y I (Justify). The two returned to the work tab to continue their preparations for the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks, respectively. The duo began their work together at 7:30 a.m. ET after galloping about one mile. The defending champion juvenile filly Just F Y I worked to the outside of Resilience...

Albaugh Family Stable's GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby winner Catching Freedom (Constitution) began his preparations for the GI Kentucky Derby with a half-mile move in :48.40 early Friday morning at Churchill Downs, the track said in a release. Trained by Brad Cox, the 3-year-old worked at 5:30 a.m. ET with exercise rider Edvin Vargas in the saddle. The duo cruised through an opening quarter-mile in :24 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.20. "He's settled in nicely since we shipped him back to Churchill from Fair Grounds," Cox said. "He was...

Stop me if you've heard this one before: A horse gets claimed for a relatively cheap $30,000, later scores qualifying points at Turfway Park in March to get into one of the sport's most prestigious races at Churchill Downs, then ends up winning a career-defining Grade I stakes at improbable odds on the first weekend of May. That storyline describes the long-shot career of Rich Strike, who upset the GI Kentucky Derby at 80-1 back in 2022. But it also could be the 2024 script for newly crowned stakes victress...

Undefeated champion juvenile filly MGISW Just F Y I (Justify) and GSW Dornoch (Good Magic) are both slated to make their seasonal debuts in Florida Mar. 2, the former in the GII Davona Dale S. and the latter in the GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park. Conditioner Bill Mott hopes to use South Florida as his springboard to the GI Kentucky Oaks May 3, saying, "I've gone back and forth just deciding should I have two races or one [for Just F YI]. If I put two races...

The massive deep freeze which crippled the second half of Oaklawn Park's January cards seems like a distant memory, as weekend weather in Hot Springs looks to punch through the upper 60s and into the lower 70s. The sunshine will be a welcome sight with points intended for passage to the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks ripe for the picking.   Timberlake Favorite Choice in Rebel The Arkansas series for the colts features another running of the GII Rebel S., which brings together a field of 13. The...

'TDN Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro), the beaten favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, is not being pointed for the GI Kentucky Oaks, reports Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. The beautifully bred daughter of Beholder (Henny Hughes) finished seventh in the Breeders' Cup and came out of the race with a crack in a splint bone. "She's out of training," Mandella said. "It was a small crack in the splint bone, but it needed time to heal up. She'll start training again in about a week, but...

Early nominations for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds to become eligible to compete in the 2024 Triple Crown are now open and suspended trainers have until Jan. 29 to move their horses, Churchill Downs said in a release Friday afternoon. The early nomination phase will close Monday, Jan. 29 with the $600 payment only available to be made online. Horses not nominated by Jan. 29 can still enter with a $6,000 payment due Monday, Apr. 1. Last year's early Triple Crown nominations attracted 369 horses and 13 late nominees. Horses under the care...

Secret Oath (Arrogate--Absinthe Minded, by Quiet American), whose accomplishments include a win in the 2022 GI Kentucky Oaks, has been retired due to a minor problem with her right front ankle, reports trainer Wayne Lukas. She will sell at the Fasig-Tipton November sale. The story was first reported by Ron Flatter of Horse Racing Nation. Owned by Rob and Stacy Mitchell, Secret Oath came down with the injury after working five furlongs in :58.60 on Sept. 28 at Churchill Downs. Lukas said that the injury caused him to keep her...