This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Kentucky Derby. Nine U.S. presidents have attended the Derby, though only Richard Nixon did so while in office. These facts seem to indicate both the abiding popularity of the race, but also that it was not a matter of political urgency or expediency for presidents to attend. Kentucky Governor Earle Clements invited Harry Truman to the race … Continue reading Presidents Day…At The Races
The competition for qualifying points for the 2024 Kentucky Derby heats up on Saturday with the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. This is the first prep race offering 50 qualifying points to the Winner. That should be enough to secure a spot in the field of 20 for the May 4th Run For The Roses, but coming close can be rewarding as well … Continue reading Who Wins The Risen Star
The 2024 Risen Star has drawn a deep 12-horse field with local runners squaring off against out-of-state challengers. It’s shaping up as a challenging race to handicap but a fun Stakes to bet. Looking at the past 15 years of Risen Star results, you can glean some tips and trends to guide your handicapping: Pace Advantage Typical of most U.S. dirt racing, the Risen Star is … Continue reading Risen Star Trends
Saturday is the $400,000 dollar, Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. It will be the first race of the season to offer the Winner 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The contest will award a total of 105 points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale. The race was first held in 1973 as the Louisiana Derby Trial Stakes. In 1989, it was renamed in honor of Louisiana-based … Continue reading The Risen Star
There have been 18 prep races so far on the 2023-2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby. Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs marks the halfway point as the thoroughbred needle moves toward the first Saturday in May. This Edition of the Sam F. Davis brings a full field of 12, led by WEST SARATOGA, Winner of the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes back in September. AGATE … Continue reading Who Wins The Sam F. Davis?
The Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday is the lone Kentucky Derby prep race this weekend. Inaugurated in 1981, the Sam F. Davis (G3) needed more than twenty years to earn its place as a meaningful Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race. But since achieving a six-figure purse in 2004, the Sam F. Davis has steadily risen in prominence while … Continue reading The Sam F. Davis Stakes
Saturday is the Grade 3, $250,000 dollar Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. It is is the first of three Derby preps at the Florida venue, and 20-10-6-4-2 qualifying points are available to the top five eligible finishers. The 1 1/16-mile Stakes features the 2024 debut of FIERCENESS, last year’s 2-year-old Champion and Winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Here is a look at the lineup for the … Continue reading Who Wins The Holy Bully Stakes?
At 4 feet 11 inches tall and 98 pounds, it didn’t look like Bill Shoemaker could walk a big dog, let alone control a head-strong Thoroughbred Race Horse a dozen times his weight. Still, Shoemaker personified that mysterious bond between horse and rider. He communicated with an innate light touch on the reins, coaxing the horse into the action, gentling it with his hands. Horses would always … Continue reading Bill Shoemaker
Kentucky Derby Champions GO FOR GIN (1994), FUNNY CIDE (2003), and BARBARO (2006) have something else in common… All three used the Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park as a steppingstone toward career-defining Wins in the Run For The Roses. So, even though it’s early in the prep-race season, it would be worth your (Derby handicapping) while to take note of this contest Saturday at … Continue reading Holy Bull !
On Monday trainer Bob Baffert announced that he has asked his attorneys to dismiss the appeal of the MEDINA SPIRIT disqualification from the 2021 Kentucky Derby. The dismissal would bring an end to over two and a half years of litigation and administrative proceedings dating back to May 2021. Baffert’s statement on Twitter read in-part: “I have instructed my attorneys to dismiss the appeal related … Continue reading Baffert Bails On Appeal
