Fri, 04/13/2018 - 14:26

Osare, half-sister to Arrogate, debuts Sunday

Trainer Jonathan Thomas, who sent out the highly regarded Catholic Boy to finish fourth behind Audible in the Florida Derby, will be in the spotlight at Tampa Bay Downs on Sunday when he saddles Arrogate’s younger half-sister, Osare, in the third race, a maiden special weight event carded at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Fri, 04/13/2018 - 14:20

Audible impresses in first work since Florida Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Florida Derby winner Audible breezed a half-mile in 48.74 seconds Friday morning at Palm Beach Downs.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Audible, working for the first time since his impressive victory in the Grade 1 Florida Derby 13 days earlier, breezed an easy half-mile in 48.74 seconds Friday morning at Palm Beach Downs. Audible was one of two of trainer Todd Pletcher’s four potential Kentucky Derby starters to work at the training center Friday along with Louisiana Derby winner Noble Indy.

Fri, 04/13/2018 - 13:26

Four Ellis Park turf stakes to lead into Kentucky Downs meet

Officials at Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs announced Friday that four turf stakes worth as much as $100,000 apiece will be run on a new Kentucky Downs Preview Day, Aug. 5, at Ellis in western Kentucky.

The purse for each race will be $75,000, with another $25,000 in bonuses available to registered Kentucky-breds. Funded by Kentucky Downs through its lucrative historical-racing machine business, the Preview races are designed as preps for the rich Kentucky Downs meet, which runs Sept. 1-13.

Fri, 04/13/2018 - 13:20

Sunday card features three allowance races

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Eight Town earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure for this victory Thursday.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – With only three stakes left at the 16-day Keeneland spring meet following the big Jenny Wiley card here Saturday, allowance races will serve as the features on most remaining cards. That’s the case Sunday, when three allowances will anchor a nine-race program that starts at 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

Fri, 04/13/2018 - 12:40

Borel still plugging away despite fewer opportunities

Churchill Downs/Coady Photography
Hall of Fame rider Calvin Borel is now a father.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Don’t anybody worry about Calvin Borel. He’s just fine.

“Everything’s good, brother,” Borel said after breaking a drought by winning the fifth race Wednesday at Keeneland aboard 16-1 shot American Greatness. “I’m happy.”

Borel maintains an upbeat attitude despite a slide in his Hall of Fame riding career. His Wednesday upset came in his first mount since he took time off to visit with his older brother, former trainer Cecil Borel, in their native Louisiana, following a Fair Grounds meet during which the jockey went 6 for 117.

Thu, 04/12/2018 - 15:36

Jockey David Cohen happy with first Oaklawn season

Barbara D. Livingston
David Cohen broke both the fibula and tibia in his right leg when he was kicked by a horse in the paddock Saturday.

Jockey David Cohen on Saturday will attempt to close out what has been a very successful comeback meet with a win in the Grade 2, $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap. He will ride Inside Straight, who captured the race a year ago. Cohen has been working the horse for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

“He’s worked very good,” Cohen said. “He’s a very classy horse. I could see very easily why he won that race last year.”

Thu, 04/12/2018 - 15:26

Santana records 1,000th win in North America

Coady Photography
Ricardo Santana Jr. notched his 1,000th North American victory aboard Westfest on Thursday at Oaklawn.

Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. is building an outstanding record at Oaklawn, where he will win a sixth consecutive riding title when the meet ends Saturday.

Santana hit a milestone of 1,000 Thoroughbred wins in North America on Thursday when he guided Westfest to victory in the sixth race at Oaklawn.

Santana is a native of Panama who won his first race in the United States in 2009 at Delaware Park. He had won more than 50 races in Panama before that, and was his country’s leading apprentice, said his agent, Ruben Munoz.

Thu, 04/12/2018 - 15:00

McKnight, Smart Spree enjoying big meet

Coady Photography
Norm McKnight, wintering at Oaklawn for the first time this season, was seventh in the trainer standings with 16 wins heading into Thursday’s card.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The 7-year-old sprinter Smart Spree has had a remarkable season at Oaklawn Park, and his trainer Norm McKnight hasn’t done badly himself. On Saturday, Smart Spree will try to put the icing on McKnight’s first Oaklawn season as a top contender in the Grade 3, $400,000 Count Fleet Handicap.

McKnight topped Mark Casse in the Woodbine trainer standings last year after finishing second to him in 2016. He brought 24 horses to Oaklawn this winter, and coming into the Thursday card was seventh in the standings with a 16-for-75 record and a 21 percent win average.

Thu, 04/12/2018 - 13:36

Diversify ending layoff in Charles Town Classic

Justin N. Lane
Diversify has not started since finishing fourth as the favorite in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 24.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fl. – Trainer Rick Violette toyed at one point with the idea of running his Grade 1 winner Diversify in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup. But when that window of opportunity closed earlier this winter, Violette decided on taking another path with the speedy New York-bred, who will now kick off his 2018 campaign a week from Saturday in the $1.2 million Charles Town Classic.

Diversify has spent the past several months at the Palm Meadows training center, where he’ll have one more work this weekend prior to shipping out early next week for the race.

Thu, 04/12/2018 - 13:20

Midnight Bisou to ship east week of Kentucky Oaks

Emily Shields
Santa Anita Oaks winner Midnight Bisou is scheduled to complete most of her remaining Kentucky Oaks preparation at her home base.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Midnight Bisou and Skye Diamonds will be late arrivals to Churchill Downs for Kentucky Derby weekend stakes engagements, trainer Bill Spawr said Thursday at his Santa Anita stable.

Midnight Bisou, impressive winner of the Santa Anita Oaks, ships to Churchill Downs on April 30, four days before she runs in the Kentucky Oaks on May 4. Skye Diamonds, the graded stakes winner targeting the Humana Distaff on May 5, will be on the same flight.