LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For many, attending the Kentucky Derby is a bucket-list experience. That’s true for Ryan Becker, who is battling a rare autoimmune condition. Becker not only gets to check the Derby off on Saturday, but will experience it as a minority shareholder in a horse in one of the stakes on the undercard.
Donna Herrick, whose family raced such graded stakes winners as Magnum, Medici Code, and Nuclear Debate, died on April 15 at the age of 97, her family announced earlier this month.
Herrick Racing, operated by Bill and Donna Herrick, had a longtime presence in Southern California racing.
Magnum, an Argentine-bred gelding, was second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in 2006 and later won the Grade 2 San Antonio Handicap in 2009 under the direction of trainer Darrell Vienna.
Since late December, trainer Jonathan Thomas has won 10 races at Santa Anita, including four stakes.
The 4-year-old gelding Hiding in Honduras can add to that list when he starts in the longest race of his brief career in Saturday’s Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita.
The $250,000 Super Derby will highlight the Louisiana Downs meet that opens on Saturday with an increase in purses and a new summer break. The 55-date season runs through Sept. 30.
“We’re excited,” said Roxanne Tanner, director of racing for Louisiana Downs. “Any time you kick off a race meet, there’s always a special kind of enthusiasm in the air. We’re always excited to see our Thoroughbred horsemen come back from their winter destinations.”
The $1.25 million Iowa Festival of Racing in July and the $1.25 million Iowa Classic card in September will again anchor the Prairie Meadows meet that opens on Saturday. There will be 76 days of racing through Sept. 26.
The Iowa Festival of Racing features eight stakes over two days, with the $225,000 Iowa Oaks leading four stakes for fillies or mares on July 10, and the Grade 3, $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap and $250,000 Iowa Derby the focus of four stakes on July 11.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Workout watching has become an increasingly popular pastime in the age-old quest to sort out the top contenders and ultimately pick the winner of the Kentucky Derby. This year’s talented crop of 3-year-olds has done its very best to make that task a lot more challenging than usual, with so many impressive performances to choose from during training hours in the weeks leading up to the big event.
What a difference a year makes.
Prior to the start of the 2025 meet at Emerald Downs, in an interview with the Seattle Times, Emerald Downs president Phil Ziegler cited a lack of financial support from the Washington State Legislature and untenable fees levied by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority as factors that could prevent the Auburn, Wash., track from hosting live racing in 2026.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Silent Tactic, winner of the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes and runner-up to Renegade in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, will scratch from the Kentucky Derby due to a bruised foot, trainer Mark Casse said Wednesday.
Silent Tactic’s defection moves Great White into the body of the Kentucky Derby.
Casse said the issue is with Silent Tactic’s left front foot.
With the eyes of the Thoroughbred world on Louisville this week, spring begins for another racetrack near the Ohio River as well.
Belterra Park in Cincinnati – across the river and less than two hours from Churchill Downs by highway – begins its live racing season Friday. Belterra will run 100 live racing dates in 2026, generally on a Wednesday-Saturday schedule.
He was foaled on Feb. 3, 2017, two days before Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to a 34-28 win over Atlanta in the Super Bowl in Houston. He is the same age as the promising stallions Maxfield, Tiz the Law, Yaupon and Authentic, the 2020 Horse of the Year.
Those horses left the racetrack long ago.
