Kentucky Derby

Well, Triple Crown, now that the book has been closed on your 2023 campaign, it's time for your annual performance review. Yes, I realize you're not a tangible, actual entity, and that your entire being is really just a concept based around the sequence of three historic horse races conducted over a five-week span every spring. As such, perhaps you think you're above a little constructive criticism. But we're living in a new era of accountability and I know you want to do your part to remain the focal point...

ELMONT, NY - Breathe easy. Following significant improvement in air quality conditions throughout New York State, the 155th GI Belmont Stakes--celebrating the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's performance of a lifetime in the final leg of the Triple Crown--will go on as scheduled Saturday evening. If there's one sire's name that you want to see when handicapping the 1 1/2-mile Classic, it's Tapit. Responsible for a co-record four Belmont winners, two second-place finishers and two third-place finishers, the 22-year-old Gainesway kingpin will be represented by potential race favorite Tapit Trice (Tapit)...

ELMONT, NY -- Last year's champion 2-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence), scratched on the morning of the GI Kentucky Derby with an untimely foot bruise, was tabbed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the 155th running of the GI Belmont Stakes at Tuesday's post-position draw held in the Triple Crown Lounge at Belmont Park. The Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable colorbearer, last seen defeating subsequent Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) in dramatic fashion in the GI Curlin Florida Derby Apr. 1, will exit from post...

C R K Stable's Skinner (Curlin) will be scratched from Sunday's $100,000 Affirmed S. at Santa Anita, trainer John Shirreffs told the Santa Anita notes team Saturday. The decision was made following a Saturday morning gallop over the Santa Anita main track. "I just wasn't happy with the way he jogged," the conditioner said. Skinner, a $40,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $510,000 OBS April juvenile, broke his maiden in his 3-year-old debut in February and finished third to Practical Move (Practical Joke) in both the GII San Felipe S. and...

At a time when so many people seem to be allowing a duty of vigilance to crumble into morbid defeatism, it seems a little unfair that our sport should be going through such a hard time even as we approach the 50th anniversary of the most luminous tour de force in the story of the modern breed. Of course, as some powerful evocations of the time have lately reminded us, Secretariat arrived as a sunbeam into a wider world darkened by Vietnam and civic unrest. And nor should we deceive...

The Kentucky Derby Museum is partnering with The Jockey Club in England to display a replica Derby Trophy at the Epsom Downs Racecourse for the 244th running of the Epsom Derby June 3. The Epsom Derby was the inspiration for the Kentucky Derby, which will celebrate its 150th running in May 2024. A representative from Kentucky Derby Museum will attend the Epsom Derby to answer questions about the trophy and to engage guests in the unique ties between British and American racing. The trophy's journey to England will launch the...

There were a lot of "firsts" associated with Fusaichi Pegasus, the 2000 GI Kentucky Derby winner who was euthanized at Ashford Stud May 23 due to old-age infirmities that had accumulated over his 26 years. As the first Derby winner of the 2000s decade, this high-spirited, headstrong son of Mr. Prospector had commanded a $4-million price tag at Keeneland July, then the highest price paid for a yearling at that sale in 13 years. And to this day, that auction price remains as the highest ever paid for any starter...

Edited Press Release Churchill Downs Incorporated released the following statement Saturday in response to questions about track safety during the meet: In today's first race, Kimberley Dream (Colonel John) sustained a significant injury--a distal sesamodean ligament rupture--to her left front leg. A similar injury occurred to Lost in Limbo (Into Mischief) during Friday's seventh race. Unfortunately, in both scenarios, attending veterinarians determined that the injuries were inoperable and unrecoverable and made the difficult but most humane decision to euthanize. We send our deepest and most sincere condolences to the connections...

The hearing officer assigned to oversee trainer Bob Baffert and owner Zedan Racing Stables' appeal of penalties related to the drug disqualification of 2021 GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico) has issued a recommended order to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) that the underlying stewards' rulings be affirmed in their entirety. The 47-page report was made public via press release by the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet early on the Friday evening of the long Memorial Day holiday weekend. Its issuance comes 765 days after Medina Spirit crossed the...

'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit), a latest seventh to Mage (Good Magic) in the GI Kentucky Derby May 6, went five furlongs in 1:00.22 over a fast Belmont main track Friday morning in his penultimate work ahead of the GI Belmont S. at Big Sandy June 10. He galloped out three-quarters of a mile in a strong 1:12.60 and was up seven furlongs in 1:25. "Super breeze, big gallop out," trainer Todd Pletcher said following the work. "He seems to really like the main track here. I'm very, very...

White Abarrio (Race Day) has been taken away from trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. after his suspension by Churchill Downs during a week when two of his horses died from unexplained causes at the Louisville track, according to a Tweet posted by White Abarrio's owners, C2 Racing Stable. He was scheduled to arrive at his new trainer Rick Dutrow's barn at Belmont on Tuesday. Parents Pride (Maclean's Music) and Chasing Artie (We Miss Artie), both owned by Ken Ramsey and trained by Joseph, collapsed and died April 29 and May 2, respectively. Parents...

After a series of false starts, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's (HISA) signature anti-doping and medication control (ADMC) program is now set to go into effect Monday. On Friday, TDN spoke with HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus on a variety of topics including the launch of HISA's signature drug control program, operational expenses, the Forte situation, Kentucky Derby week and Texas. The following is a very lightly edited version of that interview. TDN: Last week, the TDN published a story on the headwinds facing the Texas racing industry. In it,...