Kentucky Downs

Edited Press Release Tyler Gaffalione capped off his third Kentucky Downs riding title in style, winning three races on Wednesday's closing-day card to finish with 12 victories for the FanDuel Meet, five more than 2021 riding champion and second-finisher Joel Rosario. Brendan Walsh earned his second training title, and first outright, at the track with eight wins, three more than Kentucky Downs' all-time win leader Mike Maker, who had a meet-high 10 seconds and nine thirds. Ken Ramsey, the winningest owner in Kentucky Downs history as well as Kentucky, won...

Crown Imperial (f, 2, Classic Empire--Mi Fiori, by Congrats), beaten just a nose by the streaking Amidst Waves (Midshipman) in Saratoga's Bolton Landing S. Aug. 20, delivered a 13-1 upset in Wednesday's $500,000 Pepsi Untapable S. at Kentucky Downs. She was outsprinted in eighth through scorching early fractions of :20.79 and :44.32, and, after diving toward an inviting opening toward the inside beneath Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the stretch, came alive to get the money by 1 1/4 lengths. Copper Em (Copper Bullet) was second; Buttercream Babe (Twirling Candy) was...

Vote No (g, 2, Divisidero--Sistas Ready, by More Than Ready) became the first stakes winner for his freshman sire (by Kitten's Joy) with a 12-1 upset in Wednesday's $500,000 Pepsi Juvenile Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs. He raced in a midpack fifth through an opening quarter in :21.79, set his sights on the top two in the stretch and came rolling over the top to reel in favored Hedwig (Maclean's Music) by 3/4 of a length. Please Advise (Palace Malice) was third. Vote No became the first winner for Divisidero with...

2nd-KD, $150K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 2:02 p.m. TIRELESS (Not This Time), an $875,000 Keeneland September yearling, makes the races for Repole Stables and St. Elias Stables under the guidance of trainer Todd Pletcher. Third dam Tizso, herself a full-sister to Horse of the Year Tiznow, is also responsible for GISW and sire Paynter (Awesome Again). Lined up just to that one's outside, American Decision (American Pharoah) is a son of champion female sprinter Informed Decision racing for Augustin Stable and trainer Jonathan Thomas. TJCIS PPS 5th-KD, $150K, Msw, 2yo, f,...

Austere, never far from the lead, powered home to an easy three-length victory in the Global Tote Juvenile Fillies S. at Kentucky Downs Sunday. The dark bay filly settled in third and was within striking distance racing up the hill. Waiting for racing room nearing the stretch, she tipped out three wide at the top of the lane and reeled in pacesetting Bella Haze with a furlong to run before drawing clear to the wire. Bella Haze held on to second as Latte Lizzie and Kodiac Wintergreen (Ire) (Kodiac {GB})...

KENTUCKY DOWNS JUVENILE MILE S., $499,286, Kentucky Downs, 9-10, 2yo, 1mT, 1:38.17, fm. 1--ASPENITE, 118, c, 2, by Constitution 1st Dam: Aspening, by Candy Ride (Arg) 2nd Dam: Motokiks, by Storm Cat 3rd Dam: Matoki, by Hail to Reason ($375,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Glen Hill Farm (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Cristian A. Torres. $294,150. Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-0, $350,450. 2--Tough Little Nut, 118, c, 2, Palace Malice--Celestial Kitten, by Kitten's Joy. ($20,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Town and Country Racing, LLC; B-Austin...

This year, she was on the winning side of the photo. After coming up just a nose short to MG1SW Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in this race just last year, Bay Storm (Kantharos) parlayed a victory in Ellis Park's KY Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint S. into a win in the real thing as she held off a closing Wakanaka (Ire) (Power {GB}) right on the wire. After making her first two starts of 2023 at Santa Anita, the 5-year-old came east and checked in a valiant second to...

When they throw $1.7 million at a race that entitles the winner to a guaranteed, fees-paid berth in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, sometimes you cast all logic aside and roll the dice against all odds. As the saying goes, 'you miss 100% of the shots you don't take,' and it was with that mindset that Get Smokin (Get Stormy)--a Grade II and Grade III winner, but unproven over the 12-furlong trip of the GII FanDuel Kentucky Cup Turf--was even entered in the first place. But given...

In a mad scramble for the wire in Saturday's $1-million GII Ainsworth Turf Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs, 23-1 Calumet homebred Gear Jockey (6, h, Twirling Candy--Switching Gears, by Tapit) got a desperate head down in front of 3-2 choice One Timer (Trappe Shot) and 11-1 Bad Beat Brian (Jack Milton). It was a repeat of his success in this same race two years ago when it was a Grade III, albeit by a far slimmer margin. Final time for the six furlongs was 1:10.59. The Turf Sprint is a...

5th-DMR, $82K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 6:37 p.m. Campaigned by the same ownership group as 'TDN Rising Star' Prince of Monaco (Speightstown), $1.05-million Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase LAKE SUPERIOR (Quality Road) makes his first appearance on closing day at Del Mar for trainer Bob Baffert. Dam Celibataire (Broken Vow) also produced the dark bay colt's full-brother SW Stillwater Cove. Out of a female family which includes his dam's full-sister MGSW Interactif, Lake Superior will have the services of the meet's leading rider, Juan Hernandez. TJCIS PPS 2nd-MTH, $57K, Msw, 2yo,...

Edited Press Release, Mike Kane/Kentucky Downs All the essential timing elements for Sunday have dovetailed for Houston Astros star third baseman Alex Bregman and his very promising filly Kodiac Wintergreen (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). By the time Kodiac Wintergreen goes to the starting gate for the $500,000 Global Tote Juvenile Fillies S. at Kentucky Downs at 5:28 p.m. (CT), the Astros's home game with the San Diego Padres should be long finished. His day's work on the diamond at Minute Maid Field done, Bregman will be parked in front of a...

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 the Classic-placed Lindy at Kentucky Downs, formerly the "Dueling Grounds", in Southern Kentucky.   Le Havre Filly Wins in Kentucky The French Classic-placed Lindy (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) won a Kentucky Downs affair for Everest Racing and trainer Brendan Walsh on Thursday (video). Part of the Ecurie La Vallee Martigny Earl breeding programme, Lindy was knocked down to Ghislain Bozo's Meridian International for €90,000...