Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE, KY--What a difference a day makes. The activity on the backside only a day ago offered a hint that something big was encroaching, however, Wednesday dawned with an explosion of activity straight out of the gate. Masses piled onto the barn area to watch the morning workouts, reminding me just how different Churchill Downs is Derby week when compared to almost any other racetrack in the United States. Fans are given a tremendous amount of access, creating an atmosphere that is difficult to compare most other venues. Trying to...

LOUISVILLE, KY--Having not attended the Kentucky Derby since American Pharoah won in 2015, I was reminded of why it's really worth the trip. Yes, one has to deal with the logistics. Limited parking, long walks to get to your destination, excessively priced hotels and car rentals, in addition to the singular hope that a Kentucky Derby Day ticket might miraculously have fallen into your hands. It's probably hard for some to understand just how many people converge in Louisville at the same time, creating something of a controlled chaos. The...

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...

Godolphin homebred Encino (Nyquist), winner of the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland Apr. 13, has been scratched from Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby. Trainer Brad Cox said that Encino will not run in the Kentucky Derby after being off after training Tuesday morning. Also-eligible Epic Ride (Blame), a longshot third for trainer John Ennis while making his dirt debut in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 6, will draw into the field. Encino will not run in the @KentuckyDerby per trainer Brad Cox. Also-eligible Epic Ride draws...

In a special edition of the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland, the team of Bill Finley, Zoe Cadman and Randy Moss discussed all 20 horses entered in this year's GI Kentucky Derby, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of each one. The consensus pick was Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), the winner of the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. He was picked on top by both Cadman and Finley. "He's in great form, seems to be improving and should love the 1 1/4 miles," Finley said. "He'll need a fast...

Who are the contenders in this year's GI Kentucky Derby? The TDN Writers' Room crew breaks down the field for the biggest race on the first Saturday in May. The TDN's Emma Berry also joins the show to preview the weekend's 2,000 Guineas.

One of the many trademarks of Kentucky Derby week during mornings on the backside at Churchill Downs is the media frenzy that never fails to ensue as dozens of outlets vie for interviews with Derby and Oaks connections. Some owners shy from the camera, others embrace their moment in the spotlight, and most fall somewhere in between. One owner who will not be hesitating to get his horse's name out there over the next week is Brook Smith, a part-owner in GI Blue Grass S. winner Sierra Leone (Gun Runner)....

After a busy weekend of works, it was a relatively quiet morning for the 20 contenders for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Monday. Only two Derby horses are expected to have published workouts this week, with Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) and T O Password (Jpn) (Copano Rickey {Jpn}) scheduled to work Tuesday morning. A day before those works, both Japanese runners followed similar routines Monday, warming up in the mile chute for a half-hour before galloping a mile and a half and then returning to the...

Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day and the connections of 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish, along with the three artists behind the "Brushes and Bronze" exhibition, will be on hand for the show's finale at the Louisville Thoroughbred Society May 1. The trio of acclaimed equine artists--portrait painter Jaime Corum, impressionist painter Lisa Palombo and sculptor Jocelyn Russell--will be joined by Day, winner of the 1992 GI Kentucky Derby, Kelly and Leslie Dorman--the parents of Cody's Wish's namesake Cody Dorman--and Danny Mulvihill of Godolphin's Gainsborough Farm; and Theresa...

With the assignment of GI Kentucky Derby post positions over the weekend, speculation takes a (slight) shift toward logical assessment. Here are some random takeaways on, well, randomness now that fate has left its gentle impression on the field... Dornoch getting buried in post one didn't exactly help the chances of two full-brothers winning the Derby in back-to-back years. This son of Good Magic will have a tough enough task getting out ahead of the field from the rail--which has an 8.5% Derby win rate since the use of a...

Jockey Antonio Fresu watched the 2023 GI Kentucky Derby on television. Though from Italy, he understood the importance of the race and knew that everybody, be it a jockey, trainer, owner, aspires to win it. But he had no reason to believe that he'd ever win the Derby, let alone ride in it. In late April of last year, just eight days before the Derby, he had started riding in the U.S. at Santa Anita. He was unknown and unproven to the trainers in the U.S. "I came here to...

Five contenders took advantage of a mild, dry Sunday morning in Louisville to put in final works at Churchill Downs ahead of next weekend's GI Kentucky Derby. First of the group to work was BC Stable's Just Steel (Justify), who went out just as the track opened at 5:15 a.m. Sunday. The bay colt worked four furlongs in :50.40 (52/60), registering splits of :13.40 and :25.20 before being eased up on the gallop out. "Just a slow maintenance work. We're close to the race, we didn't want to do much,"...