Kentucky Downs

Kathynmarissa became the 50th stakes winner worldwide for American Pharoah in Wednesday's $1.5-million Pepsi Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs. A close third in the Tepin Stakes at Churchill Downs June 29 and second after leading in the stretch in the GII Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes Aug. 2, the Michael Caruso and Michael Dubb colorbearer was backed as the 5-2 favorite here. She was bumped at the start and raced in seventh through a half mile in :48.60. The $200,000 KEESEP yearling made a four-wide bid off...

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for the final day of racing Wednesday at Kentucky Downs: Wednesday, September 11, 2024 KY Downs 1, $100k, 2yo, (R), 6.5fT, 1:25...

Chuck Simon, who retired from training in 2019 after a 20-year run in which he won 359 races, passed away Sunday at Saratoga Hospital after a bout with cancer. He was 57-years-old. Before going out on his own, Simon worked for Wayne Lukas, Pete Ferriola, Nick Zito and Tom Skiffington. His mentors included Allen Jerkens. He spent six years with Jerkens working as one of his assistants. He went out on his own in 1999 and five years later gave a job to a young newcomer to the track, Cherie...

Tiztastic (Tiz the Law) used his late speed to effect and took home the second black-type for his first-crop sire (by Constitution) in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile on Sunday. A well-beaten fifth on debut over the main track at Saratoga July 27, the dark bay won against restricted auction company going 6 1/2 furlongs north of the Tennessee line Aug. 29. Showing an affinity for the unique course and as a 9-2 shot here, the juvenile took up a position mid-pack up the backstretch. Beginning to make up some...

6th-Kentucky Downs, $180,800, Msw, 9-8, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.02, fm, neck. BALLERINA D'ORO (f, 2, Medaglia d'Oro--In the Moonlight, by Tapit) debuted a well-beaten sixth over the grass at Saratoga Aug. 4. Backed as the 6-5 favorite here, the filly was unhurried after the break as the lead was wrestled away by Big Air (Vekoma). The grey remained patient around the far turn, waited until she was given her cue approaching the eighth pole and went to work slicing through traffic. With a well-timed surge in the final jumps, the...

Clark Brewster and William and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Cogburn (h, 5, Not This Time--In a Jif, by Saintly Look) made it a perfect three-for-three on the year with another powerhouse performance in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' $2-million GII Ainsworth Turf Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs. The even-money favorite blasted out to the front, raced under pressure while setting fast fractions of :21.82 and :44.14 and kept on motoring down the stretch to win going away by 3 1/4 lengths. Second-place finisher Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and third-place finisher Axthelm...

Off as the 3-1 favorite in the first-ever Grade I event to be contested at Kentucky Downs, Gold Square LLC's Howard Wolowitz (Munnings) came with an irresistible run three or four off the inside at the eighth pole and turned back a late challenge from the well-backed Yellow Card (Lost Treasure {Ire}) to take out the $2-million Aristocrat Franklin-Simpson Stakes Saturday afternoon. Away alertly from his high draw, Howard Wolowitz was ridden positively by Irad Ortiz, Jr. and raced wide, but not far from Joe Shiesty (Air Force Blue), who...

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for Sunday at Kentucky Downs and Del Mar: Sunday, September 8, 2024 KY Downs 1, $170k, 2yo, 6 1/2fT, 1:25 p.m. ET...

It's been nearly 30 years since trainer Bob Baffert won his first GI Del Mar Debutante Stakes with Batroyale back in 1995. The Hall of Fame conditioner looks to have a stranglehold on this year's renewal of the seven-furlong contest, as he sends out a pair of big-money fillies, each campaigned by previous Debutante scorers. Front and center is 'TDN Rising Star' Nooni (Win Win Win), the $1.8-million topper from this year's OBS March Sale, who looks to become the second winner of the event in the last four years...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Idea Generation in the Flower Bowl Stakes, as Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown earned meet titles at Saratoga on Labor Day.   Dubawi Longshot Pillar To Post In The Flower Bowl Klaravich Stables and Chad Brown enjoyed a Saratoga double on Aug. 31, and Idea Generation (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) brought up the second half of that milestone when taking the GII Flower...

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for Thursday's program at Kentucky Downs: Thursday, September 5, 2024 KY Downs 1, $100k, 2yo, (R), 1mT, 1:25 p.m. ET Horse (Sire),...

Saratoga works for many reasons. The combination of great racing, a historic venue, iconic races like the GI Whitney S. and the GI Travers are reasons why more than one million fans file through the turnstiles every meet and the handle for the season now tops $800 million. But Saratoga's success also has a lot to do with its exclusivity. It's only open for eight weeks and there are just 40 racing days. That, as much as anything else, is what makes it special. There's an opening day and there...