Ken McPeek

King Fury (Curlin), who was forced to bypass last week's GI Kentucky Derby after spiking a temperature on the eve of the race, will also miss next weekend's GI Preakness S., trainer Ken McPeek confirmed Tuesday. After developing another temperature along with a cough Tuesday, the decision was made to reroute the GIII Lexington S. winner to this summer's GI Travers S. "He's still not 100%," said McPeek Tuesday. Campaigned by Fern Circle Stables, Three Chimneys Farm and Magdalena Racing, the chestnut also won last season's Street Sense S. at...

Fern Circle Stables, Three Chimneys Farm and Magdalena Racing's King Fury (Curlin) will be forced to scratch from Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby after spiking a fever Friday, his trainer Ken McPeek announced via a video on twitter. The $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling and last-out GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. winner was drawn in post 16 and was 20-1 on the morning line. "King Fury spiked a 104 fever this afternoon after he galloped this morning. He went off his feed. We obviously have to do the right thing--I feel gutted for...

Godolphin's Essential Quality (Tapit) headlined a quintet of hopefuls that put in their final major works at Churchill Downs Saturday morning ahead of next weekend's Run for the Roses. Also working on an overcast morning were Juddmonte Farms' Mandaloun (Into Michief), Klaravich Stables' Highly Motivated (Into Mischief), Erv Woolsey and Keith Asmussen's Super Stock (Dialed In) and Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury (Curlin). Heading the Brad Cox Derby team, last season's juvenile champ worked five furlongs in 1:00.40. With exercise rider Edvin Vargas aboard, the likely...

Trainer Kenny McPeek said Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimney Farm's King Fury (Curlin) will be pointed to the GI Kentucky Derby or the GI Preakness S. after winning the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. Saturday at Keeneland. The chestnut returned last night to McPeek's division at Churchill Downs, where he has two wins including the Street Sense S. With the 20 points he earned in the Lexington, King Fury ranks 28th on the Derby points leaderboard and would need several defections to draw into the May 1 Run for the...

Fern Circle Stable & Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury (Curlin) took advantage of a fast early pace in Saturday's GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. over a sloppy Keeneland main track and closed off fastest of all to cause an 18-1 upset, earning 20 points towards a potential appearance in the GI Kentucky Derby in three weeks' time. A maiden winner at first asking over a distance of ground at Churchill Sept. 3, King Fury could not overcome a wide trip when eighth of nine behind Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GI...

Simply Ravishing (Laoban), the 6 1/4-length victress of the GI Alcibiades S. at Keeneland last year, has been retired to be bred, with an eye toward a possible sale at public auction this autumn. Trainer Ken McPeek confirmed the news via phone to TDN late Wednesday afternoon, shortly after TVG's Gabby Gaudet broke the story. "She had a minor breathing issue that we were dealing with, and we decided that if she couldn't be as competitive in Grade I races as she was at age two, we were going to...

The picture for the GI Kentucky Oaks might look a lot different late Saturday afternoon than it does at the present. There are four races on tap-the GIII Gazelle S., the GI Ashland S., the GIII Fantasy and the GII Santa Anita Oak--that will feature more than a dozen serious candidates for the last Friday in April. Five horses among our top 10 are slated to go. Meanwhile, last weekend's action featured a win in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks for Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) and a strong showing for...

Winless since last August, 'TDN Rising Star' Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) marked her return to the winner's circle in style, taking Saturday's GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. Sent off at 5-2 while searching for her first graded stakes victory, she was settled at the back of the compact field as 6-5 choice Con Lima showed the way through initial fractions of :24.16 and :48.69. Rallying from the back as the field compressed approaching the quarter pole, the Ken McPeek trainee strode through the center of the group and continued to gain...

Trainer Ken McPeek, who won last year's GII Gulfstream Park Oaks with 3-year-old filly champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), will look to take a second straight renewal of the 1 1/16-mile race when he saddles Phoenix Thoroughbreds' Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) Saturday in Hallandale. The gray filly, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, was second in both the GIII Pocahontas S. and GI Darley Alcibiades S. last fall before ending her juvenile campaign with a sixth-place effort in the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She rallied from well back to finish...

After a disappointing effort when last seen in the Nov. 7 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil)returned to the brilliant form that earned her an Eclipse Award last season with a good-looking score in her seasonal bow Saturday at Santa Anita in the GI Beholder Mile. It was her second win from as many starts in Arcadia, having captured last term's GII Santa Anita Oaks. Away in good order from her rail draw, the 7-5 chalk secured a comfortable position ina ground-saving fourth as Golden Principal (Constitution) hustled up...

Champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) crushed her competition on her last trip to the west coast for the GII Santa Anita Oaks last spring and looks to repeat that performance Saturday when she returns to Santa Anita for the GI Beholder Mile. Capturing the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks and GIII Fantasy S. prior to the Santa Anita Oaks last term, the chestnut took on males next out in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. July 11, finishing a respectable second to Art Collector (Bernardini). Returning to winning ways next out in...

The Ken McPeek shedrow is flush with fillies, two of which--Tabor Hall (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Trapeze S. winner Oliviaofthedesert (Bernardini)--are set to represent the stable in this weekend's GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn Park. "They're both two-turn fillies," McPeek told the Oaklawn notes team. "I think it's ideal timing for both of them to see where they fit in the scheme of the Oaks and the 3-year-old filly division. Olivia won a nice little race out at Remington and Tabor Hall's shown quality. They're both doing well and the...