Mon, 04/14/2025 - 11:17

Heart attack doesn't stop Ward

Tom Keyser

Dennis Ward was discharged Monday after spending three weeks in the hospital.

Though he has spent the last several weeks in the hospital recovering from a heart attack, trainer Dennis Ward’s barn hasn’t missed a beat.

When Bahamian Moon won an off-the-turf allowance/optional $32,000 claiming race on Saturday, it was Ward’s ninth win from 27 starters at the meet. Three of those wins have been supplied by Bahamian Moon, an 8-year-old mare who has won 12 of 51 career starts. Since the meet began last November, Bahamian Moon has three wins, two seconds, and a third in six starts.

“How about her? She’s something else. They can’t beat her,” Ward said.

Mon, 04/14/2025 - 10:49

Skippylongstocking will carry top weight in bid for Oaklawn Handicap repeat

By Mary Rampellini

Tom Keyser

Skippylongstocking comes into the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap off a win in the Challenger Stakes on March 8 at Tampa Bay Downs.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Skippylongstocking will start as the 123-pound highweight Saturday when he attempts to win the Grade 2, $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap for the second year in a row. He is part of a field of eight for the 1 1/8-mile race and will start from post 4.

Fri, 04/11/2025 - 14:49

Horse, rider escape serious injury after spill results in no-contest

By Nicole Russo

Coady Media

Multi-race wagers starting in Friday's third at Keeneland were refunded, while others with the race in the sequence were ruled as "all" for wagering purposes.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The third race at Keeneland on Friday was declared a no-contest after a spill in which horse and rider both appeared to escape serious injury.

Fri, 04/11/2025 - 14:37

Kentucky Derby 2025: Tappan Street, Sovereignty, Neoequos breeze easy half-miles

By Mike Welsch

Barbara D. Livingston

Tappan Street's April 11 work was "better than expected," said trainer Brad Cox.

INDIANTOWN, Fla. – Tappan Street and Sovereignty, two of the six top-ranked 3-year-olds in the latest Daily Racing Form Derby Watch and the first- and second-place finishers, respectively, in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, got back to work Friday morning. Both breezed easy half-miles over a fast track at their winter home of Payson Park.

Fri, 04/11/2025 - 13:59

Haulin Ice nominated to Derby City Distaff, but next race is undecided

By Mary Rampellini

Coady Media

Haulin Ice, winner of the Matron, has been nominated to the Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs.

Haulin Ice has returned home to South Florida after her win in the $250,000 Matron at Oaklawn Park, and plans for her next start are to be determined, according to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

Haulin Ice, who is the reigning Arkansas-bred of the year, was a five-length winner of the Matron. She defeated open company in the race and earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 101. Haulin Ice covered six furlongs in 1:09.20.

Fri, 04/11/2025 - 13:34

Aqueduct adds race day to make up for noise cancellation

By David Grening

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

NYRA was forced to cancel Aqueduct's March 30 card due to “unacceptable noise levels” coming from a nearby auto and bike show.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Aqueduct will hold a live racing program on April 23, a previously scheduled dark day, to make up for the cancellation of the March 30 program, the New York Racing Association announced Friday.

NYRA was forced to cancel the March 30 card due to “unacceptable noise levels” coming from an auto and bike show being held in a parking lot just beyond the fence from the quarter pole of the track. Adding the April 23 program will make for a five-day race week, which follows a three-day week. There will not be live racing on April 20 due to the Easter holiday.

Fri, 04/11/2025 - 13:33

American Promise to work once more at Oaklawn before heading to Churchill

By Mary Rampellini

Coady Media

American Promise earned a spot in the Kentucky Derby with a 7 3/4-length victory in the Virginia Derby.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Virginia Derby winner American Promise is scheduled to have one more work at his winter base of Oaklawn Park before shipping to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Thursday.

American Promise has turned in back-to-back bullet works at Oaklawn since winning the Virginia Derby on March 15. He went five furlongs in 59.40 seconds on Wednesday.

“He had a beautiful work this week,” Lukas said. “He’ll get one more here, then we’ll move him. We’ll go to Kentucky.”

Fri, 04/11/2025 - 13:15

Kentucky Derby 2025: Velazquez on Grande; Irad on Publisher

By David Grening

Barbara D. Livingston

Grande, the Wood Memorial runner-up, got into the Kentucky Derby field because Heart of Honor is no longer being considered.

A few jockey assignments for the May 3 Kentucky Derby have been finalized, with John Velazquez getting back on Grande and Irad Ortiz Jr. taking the mount on Publisher.

Grande, the Wood Memorial runner-up, got into the Kentucky Derby field because Heart of Honor, runner-up in the UAE Derby, is no longer being considered for the Kentucky Derby, according to a racing official with the International Racing Bureau.

Wed, 04/09/2025 - 19:36

Kentucky Oaks: Geroux to ride Simply Joking

By Marcus Hersh

Coady Media

Simply Joking will make her next start in the Kentucky Oaks on May 2.

Simply Joking, who finished a close second with a difficult trip in the Fantasy Stakes on March 29 at Oaklawn Park, will make her next start in the Kentucky Oaks.

Her trainer, Whit Beckman, said Wednesday that Simply Joking would run in the Oaks, where Beckman firmly believes she belongs, and not the seven-furlong Eight Belles Stakes on the Oaks undercard.

Simply Joking will have a new rider in the Oaks, with Florent Geroux replacing Jaime Torres.

Wed, 04/09/2025 - 19:33

Junior Alvarado plans to resume racing April 16 at Keeneland

By Marcus Hersh

Barbara D. Livingston

Jockey Junior Alvarado is expected to return to the saddle on April 16 at Keeneland.

Jockey Junior Alvarado, sidelined since being injured March 23 at Gulfstream Park, will resume race-riding Wednesday, April 16, at Keeneland, his agent, Mike Sillito, said Wednesday afternoon.

Alvarado fractured his shoulder blade when the horse he was riding had a heart attack and fell. Alvarado, who has been working horses, Sillito said, has two mounts at Keeneland.

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