Kentucky Derby

The first week of January doesn't have much in common with the first Saturday in May--with the exception that the inaugural TDN Top 12 has arrived to herald the coming of the seemingly far-off GI Kentucky Derby season. Get tied on and enjoy the ride. 1) ARABIAN KNIGHT (c, Uncle Mo--Borealis Night, by Astrology) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Corser Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $2,300,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $86,025. Last start: 1st Keeneland Maiden Special Weight, Nov. 5....

Who was the most talented 3-year-old male to race this year? I will not argue with anyone who says the answer is Epicenter (Not This Time). He won the GII Louisiana Derby, finished second in the GI Kentucky Derby and second in the GI Preakness S. From there, he won the GII Jim Dandy S. and the GI Runhappy Travers S. before an injury kept him from finishing the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Other than the Classic, he finished first or second in all of his starts and won four...

Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}--Reunited, by Dixie Union), winner of the 2019 GI Runhappy Travers S. and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, was euthanized Friday after suffering a bout of colic. Bred and raced by W.S. Farish, the 6-year-old stood his first season at stud at the Farish family's Lane's End Farm this past spring. Trained by Shug McGaughey, Code of Honor was second in the 2018 GI Champagne S. He won the GII Fountain of Youth S. the following March before finishing third in the GI Florida Derby...

FanDuel announced that its customers can access both parimutuel wagering on horse racing and traditional sports book wagering with a single account after a successful soft launch last week. FanDuel Sportsbook becomes the first to offer this feature, as users will be able to wager on and stream racing coverage from FanDuel TV and other related content. In addition to live horse racing, FanDuel Sportsbook customers will also be able to wager on the Kentucky Derby for the first time through the integrated platform in 2023. Prior to this innovation,...

Ray Kerrison, a former racing columnist for the New York Post known as a fearless reporter who was never afraid to tackle the most sensitive subjects, passed away Sunday. He was 92. His death was first reported by the Post, for whom he covered 32 Kentucky Derbies. A native of Australia, Kerrision came to the Post in 1977 and was a regular on the racing beat through the 1985 season. He then moved over to the news side and worked as a columnist up until 2013. The news department would...

The stakes schedule for the 2023 spring meet at Aqueduct Racetrack, featuring 14 stakes worth nearly $2.8 million in total purses, was released Friday, Dec. 16 The 19-day spring meet will open Mar. 30 and continue through Apr. 30. Live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday except for Apr. 9, when live racing and pari-mutuel wagering is prohibited by New York State in observance of Easter Sunday. The $150,000 GIII Distaff H., a seven-furlong contest for older fillies and mares, will kick off the spring meet graded stakes action Friday, Apr....

Trainer Bob Baffert filed a new motion in federal court Thursday that attempts to reverse the second year of a two-year banishment imposed upon him in 2021 by Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), the gaming company that controls the GI Kentucky Derby. Although the Hall of Fame trainer's ruling-off by CDI extends to the corporation's entire portfolio of racetracks, gaining access to the Derby itself is unquestionably Baffert's goal. Baffert's trainees have crossed the finish wire first a record seven times in America's most historic and important horse race. But it...

Churchill Downs Racetrack has unveiled the official logo for the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, which takes place May 6, 2023. Highlighted by the Kentucky Derby's color palette of red, black, gold and white, the Kentucky Derby 149 logo features diamonds intended to replicate the blocks in Secretariat's blue and white silks as this coming year marks the 50th anniversary of his Triple Crown victory. Meanwhile, the specific number of 13 diamonds is reverence to the number of Thoroughbreds that won all three races in...

Churchill Downs Racetrack on Tuesday released the 2023 "Official Art of the Kentucky Derby" created this year by renowned international artist Romero Britto. Britto's work for the 149th Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve highlights his iconic approach of mixing bright colors with unique patterns. With sparkling, textured accents and elements of pop graphics, the art features subtle details that bring the racetrack scene to life, highlighting the energy and excitement of the Derby in a modern way. "The Kentucky Derby has such a rich history, and we are thrilled...

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter (Not This Time--Silent Candy, by Candy Ride {Arg}), a leading candidate for champion 3-year-old honors, will enter stud in 2023 at Ashford Stud. He will stand for $45,000. Bred at Mike, Brent and Kevin Harrises' Westwind Farms in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Epicenter was hammered down to the Winchell team for $260,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September sale and was ultimately turned over to the operation's Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. A maiden winner at second asking going the one-turn mile at Churchill Downs, the bay romped...

Seven weeks before the start of the final remaining high-profile trial in the federal doping conspiracy case from 2020, the New York-based veterinarian Alexander Chan, whose client list included co-defendant trainer Jason Servis, has changed his mind about having a jury decide his fate on three felony charges for alleged participation in drug adulteration, misbranding, and wire fraud conspiracies. On Thursday, Chan asked for and was swiftly granted a Dec. 5 change-of-plea hearing in United States District Court (Southern District of New York), at which he will likely either plead...

After a failed attempt in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in which he bled, Tyler's Tribe (Sharp Azteca) will return to his comfort zone for his next start. Trainer and co-owner Tim Martin reports that his Iowa-bred gelding will start next in the Dec. 9 Advent S. at Oaklawn at 5 1/2 furlongs on the dirt for 2-year-olds. "This will give him five weeks between races," Martin said. "We worked him last week and he didn't bleed. Everything looked good. I'll breeze him again Saturday. In this race...