Kentucky Downs

Kentucky Downs VP of Racing Ted Nicholson joins the Writers' Room to discuss the seven-day Kentucky Downs race meet, talking takeout, purse money, plans for the future and more.

Ancient Rome (War Front) came to America and conquered the richest turf race outside of the Breeders' Cup in Kentucky Downs's GIII Mint Millions S. A graded-stakes winner in his native France, the Charlie Hill trainee also picked up Group 1 placings in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and the Criterium International as a juvenile. Shipped in specifically for this race, the 6-1 shot came away in the front flight but began to take back under jockey Jamie Spencer as Stiched (Mizzen Mast) and Smokin' T (War Front) traded blows up...

1st-KD, $150K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 1:30 p.m. ROCKETEIGHTYEIGHT (Into Mischief), a homebred for Frank Fletcher Racing, debuts for Riley Mott Sunday at Kentucky Downs. His dam is a half to the dam of successful young sire Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) along with GISW Global Campaign (Curlin) and SW/MGSP Sonic Mule (Distorted Humor). Under his third dam is MGISW Zensational (Unbridled's Song) and MGSW/GISP Departing (War Front). Making his second start, Hanalei Bay (Into Mischief) was a $500,000 yearling who just missed when debuted over the Colonial Downs turf Aug. 3....

Off as the 6-5 chalk in Saturday's $1-million Listed Gun Runner S. at Kentucky Downs, Joe Allen and CHC's TALK OF THE NATION (c, 3, Quality Road--She's Not Here, by Street Cry {Ire}) took command in upper stretch and staved off a stinging late rally from Wadsworth to lead home a 1-2 finish for their in-form stallion. Away in good order, Talk of the Nation took up a stalking position from second early on as Smokey Mandate (Strong Mandate) made the running down the hill and towards the side of...

6th-Kentucky Downs, $255,000, Alw, 8-31, (R), 2yo, 6 1/2fT, 1:16.87, fm, 1/2 length. COIN MINER (c, 2, Cloud Computing--Require, by Blame) finished well down the center of the course on Ellis debut July 30 to miss by a neck in third and was given a 10-1 chance to graduate in this colts' division of the Keeneland Sales allowance, restricted to horses bought or led out unsold at Keeneland September last year. Settled slightly ahead of mid-division as they raced down the hill and onto the turn, Coin Miner was held...

2nd-Kentucky Downs, $256,000, Alw, 8-31, (R), 2yo, f, 6 1/2fT, 1:17.31, fm, 3 1/4 lengths. HIDDEN CLASS (f, 2, Catalina Cruiser--Noblame {MSW, $167,023}, by Blame) kicked off her career with a closing second to Gala Brand (Violence) in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden over the Saratoga turf Aug. 3 and did her part here to flatter the form of that rival, who was to take on the boys as a 7-2 shot in the GIII With Anticipation S. later Thursday in upstate New York. Favored at a little better than 3-2...

10th-KD, $150K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 6:28 p.m. The European-style grass course situated on the Kentucky side of the southern border with Tennessee cards a maiden finale which draws $450,000 Keeneland September graduate from last year, PUBLIUS (Constitution). Bred by Twin Creeks Farm, the bay colt debuts out of Sharp Instinct (Awesome Again), who is the dam of seven winners from nine to race. The Brad Cox trainee, ridden by Florent Geroux, is a half-brother to GIII Excelsior S. hero Send It In (Big Brown). Also entered is the well-bred Tapitoro...

With both the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and the boutique Kentucky Downs race meet going on at the same time and 170 miles apart, Keeneland has arranged charter flights from Lexington to the Franklin, Kentucky racetrack to accommodate owners, trainers and others who are working the yearling sale, but also have horses running at Kentucky Downs. The 40-minute flights go between Lexington's Blue Grass Airport and the Portland (Tenn.) Municipal Airport seven miles from Kentucky Downs. The roundtrip flights are Sept. 7, 9, 10, and 13--the last four days of...

The digital sports entertainment and gaming company DraftKings will have access to operate mobile sports betting in Kentucky--pending licensure and regulatory approvals--under an agreement with ECL Corbin, LLC announced Tuesday. In addition to offering mobile sports betting, DraftKings and Corbin will also open retail sportsbooks at Corbin properties. ECL Corbin is a wholly owned subsidiary of ECL Entertainment, LLC, dba The Mint Gaming Hall at Cumberland and Cumberland Run ("Corbin"). "Together with the Corbin properties, we're excited to bring our premier sports betting experience to yet another state and its...

FanDuel, already returning as the Kentucky Downs meet's title sponsor, will also now assume sponsorship of the $1.7-million GII FanDuel Kentucky Turf Cup. The 1 1/2-mile stakes anchors the Sept. 9 card of six graded stakes each worth at least $1 million for Kentucky-breds at the Franklin, Kentucky oval. The sponsorship includes the Aug. 31 opening-day $500,000 FanDuel TV Tapit S. for 3-year-olds and up that have not won a stakes in 2023 and the FanDuel VIP Chalet, which provides air-conditioning in an upscale environment with a spectacular view of...

The National Thoroughbred League (NTL), a racing start-up meant to bring the league concept to Thoroughbred racing, will debut Sept. 3 at Kentucky Downs, but the first few events on the schedule will be run under a format different than what was envisioned when the formation of the league was announced. Under the original concept, all horses performing in NTL races were to be owned by the League itself and would be portioned off to six teams representing different cities. Each team was to have six horses and the team...

Sunday's GIII West Virginia Derby winner Red Route One (Gun Runner) is expected to make his next start in the National Thoroughbred League Dueling Grounds Derby Sept. 3 at the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs. The Steve Asmussen-trainee began his career with a victory over the Kentucky Downs grass last year and owner Ron Winchell is a co-managing partner with Marc Falcone in Kentucky Downs and its sister The Mint Gaming Hall properties. "I think since he had been successful there last year, we have always had our eye on...