Kentucky Oaks

It was a little over six years ago when Juddmonte Farms' Arrogate (Unbridled's Song), seemingly from out of nowhere, took the racing world by storm. Producing heroics, often in jaw-dropping, record-breaking fashion, in the GI Travers S., GI Breeders' Cup Classic, GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and G1 Dubai World Cup in succession, the imposing gray quickly catapulted himself into the discussion of all-time greats. Though his racing career fizzled somewhat when he finished off the board in two of his final three starts after returning from Dubai, the...

After putting on a show on the Jersey Shore earlier this summer, the Gun Runner-sired GI TVG.com Haskell S. exacta of Cyberknife and 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba co-headline a loaded renewal of the GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Saturday. Was it a tale of two trips or did the best horse just win that day at Monmouth Park? You be the judge. While subsequent GI Runhappy Travers S. runner-up Cyberknife awaited racing room leaving the quarter pole, the hard-ridden Taiba began to wind up beneath Mike Smith with a four-wide...

The "Road to the Kentucky Derby," a series of races awarding points toward a starting gate position in each year's GI Kentucky Derby, will see modifications for the upcoming season, including an increase of points for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile from 20-8-4-2 to 30-12-9-6-3. In addition, other early-season prep races have been elevated from 10-4-2-1 to 20-8-6-4-2 in an effort to increase the importance of those races. They include the GIII Lecomte S. at Fair Grounds, the GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park, the GIII Withers S. at Aqueduct,...

Churchill Downs will host 26 stakes races worth $8.31 million during its upcoming September and Fall meets. The 14-day September meet, which runs from Sept. 15-Oct. 2, will include 11 stakes races worth a total of $3.36 million. The line-up is led by the $400,000 GII Lukas Classic for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles and the $300,000 GIII Ack Ack S. for 3-year-olds and up at one mile--a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" race for the GI Dirt Mile--Oct. 1. The meeting also hosts the first races...

Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House's Nest (Curlin) found herself somewhat surprisingly on the lead early in Saturday's GI Coaching Club American Oaks, but still left little doubt as to who the top sophomore filly in the country is right now as she galloped home 12 1/4 lengths clear of main rival Secret Oath (Arrogate) in the Saratoga stretch. Having seen a three-race win streak snapped when she settled for second as the favorite to Secret Oath in the May 6 GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, Nest was coming...

Shadwell Stable's Malathaat (Curlin), who came up just a head short of Clairiere (Curlin) when second in the June 11 GI Ogden Phipps S. last time out, tuned up for the July 24 GII Shuvee S. with a four-furlong work in :49.22 (44/113) in company Sunday at Saratoga. Last year's GI Kentucky Oaks winner and champion 3-year-old filly, who has won seven of 10 lifetime starts, will be adding blinkers for her third start of the year next Sunday. "She seems a little more locked in and a little more...

Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) returned to the scene of her greatest triumph for Saturday's GII Fleur de Lis S. and came home a winner for the first time since taking this venue's GIII Locust Grove S. in September. It was her sixth win from seven starts at Churchill Downs with one second. The slight second choice behind Pauline's Pearl (Tapit), who defeated her in the GI La Troienne S. May 6, Shedaresthedevil glided up to stalk from second as Super Quick (Super Saver) carved out early splits of :24.13 and :47.83. Turning...

The Classic season is over. A surface reading shows that Arrogate (Unbridled's Song), Keen Ice (Curlin), and Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) got the GI Kentucky Oaks, GI Kentucky Derby, and GI Preakness S. winners, respectively, from their first crops, and proven star sire Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie), who had a Derby winner from his first crop in 2016, sired the GI Belmont S. winner. Sometimes, however, what's between the lines is as important as what's on the page, and Taylor Made's Not This Time (Giant's Causeway), whose second-crop sons...

Churchill Downs Racetrack is looking for a new agency to develop Kentucky Derby and Oaks logos for the next three years, beginning with and including the upcoming 150th runnings of the historic events, which will take place in 2024. Churchill has officially issued a Request For Proposal (RFP) in the search for a qualified creative agency for the conception, development, and execution of event marks and style guides. "The event marks must further establish the Derby and Oaks as must-see global events, commemorate and celebrate the storied history of those...

Wayne Lyster always knew it to be miracle enough, for a farm this size, simply to get both into the starting gate. The Derby-Oaks double hadn't been accomplished since the heyday of Calumet, 70 years previously, and at Ashview, they foal out no more than a couple of dozen mares every spring. As such, Lyster can justly take pride in the fact that both Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and Nest (Curlin) finished their races so well, for fifth and second, respectively, that they are now converging instead on the GI...

The post-race tests for banned substances in GI Kentucky Derby and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks horses have cleared, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced Wednesday. "The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) has received laboratory results from post-race samples taken on May 6, and May 7, 2022, at Churchill Downs," said the KHRC press release. "All samples for both days were cleared. This includes the post-race samples from the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby."

It was a hectic week in the Thoroughbred business with all eyes firmly focussed on Louisville, Kentucky. Here are some facts and figures that you might have missed in the rush. Record Numbers... Wagering from all-sources on the Kentucky Derby (single race) totaled $179 million, up 15% over 2021 and up 8% from the previous record of $166.5-million set in 2019. This year's wagering record includes $8.3 million of handle put through the window in Japan. The Smart Strike Factor... As a broodmare sire, Smart Strike has the distinction of...