GI Kentucky Derby

Right now within TDN's Top 12 rankings for the GI Kentucky Derby, seven horses are owned by multiple-entity partnerships. One syndicate maxes out at 10 individual owners, another at eight. If the horses from those larger partnerships (or other syndicates-there are plenty of them and they are growing in number worldwide) make it into the Derby field, they won't have to worry about getting the satisfaction and distinction of seeing their names in print as owners. But that's only because as a courtesy, Churchill Downs takes the extra step of...

It's not a too common occurrence for sales-topping purchases to make it on the track despite the world of promise their pedigree, physical, and connections might imply. Further out still is the extraordinary feat of reproducing themselves or--at the very least--producing several runners of equitable talent between them, though stallions have the task on significantly easier asking than do the fillies and mares. Mendelssohn is patiently inching closer to changing that outlook and his Del Mar winner from last Saturday proves the stallion can get a promising runner at any...

After the connections of GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) opted to skip the GI Preakness S. and instead prepare for the GI Belmont S., the structure of the Triple Crown races has been a subject of debate leading up to the second leg of the historic series. Should the timing between the races be adjusted? We asked a few industry participants here.   Chad Brown: I wouldn't change anything. I'm always an advocate of preserving the history of the sport. It would take a lot for me...

After the connections of GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) opted to skip the GI Preakness S. and instead prepare for the GI Belmont S., the structure of the Triple Crown races has been a subject of debate leading up to the second leg of the historic series. Should the timing between the races be adjusted? We asked a few veteran industry participants here. Steve Asmussen: I think it's what makes it the Triple Crown. There are other lucrative races on the calendar, but these are the American...

After the connections of GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) opted to skip the GI Preakness S. and instead prepare for the GI Belmont S., the structure of the Triple Crown races has been a subject of debate leading up to the second leg of the historic series. Should the timing between the races be adjusted? We asked a few veteran trainers here.     Mark Casse: I think it has to stay the same. I think it's nonsense to talk any different. This is history, this is...

Larry Collmus, the voice of the Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup on NBC, joined this week's TDN Writers' Room to relive the 2022 Kentucky Derby and discuss his pre-race preparations for a big day of racing.

Scott Miller has only been involved in breeding for a few years, but he's more than happy to stick around for a while longer now that he owns a half-sister to a Kentucky Derby winner. Miller's mare Lode Lady (Posse) is the first foal out of the Smart Strike mare Gold Strike, the dam of newly-acclaimed Derby hero Rich Strike (Keen Ice). Foaled in 2008, Lode Lady made three trips to the winner's circle at Woodbine and earned over $150,000 during her racing career before ending up with Miller eight...

Rich Strike (Keen Ice), upset winner of the Gl Kentucky Derby at 80-1, and Secret Oath (Arrogate), the powerful Gl Kentucky Oaks winner, are members of the first crops of their respective sires, both of whom were late-developing Classic-distance horses. Keen Ice and Arrogate each won his first stakes race at Saratoga in late August at three, in the Gl Travers S. at 10 furlongs. Keen Ice won the "Midsummer Classic" in 2015 at 16-1, defeating Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in a shocker. Arrogate won the race the next...

Mike Repole joined this week's TDN Writers' Room ahead of a big weekend for Repole Stable's Mo Donegal and Nest in the Kentucky Derby and Oaks.

Green Light Go (h, 5, Hard Spun--Light Green, by Pleasantly Perfect), winner of the 2019 GII Saratoga Special S. and runner-up in that term's GI Champagne S., was euthanized after breaking the sesamoid bone in his right foreleg during a workout Friday morning over the Belmont Park training track, according to Daily Racing Form's David Grening. "It looked like he was just cruising," trainer Jimmy Jerkens told DRF. The Stronach Stables runner was preparing for a start May 7 in the GIII Westchester S. at Belmont Park following a fourth-place...

Barber Road (Race Day) may be one of the longer shots on the board come the first Saturday in May, but there is one thing former Walmart CEO Bill Simon is sure of when it comes to his GI Kentucky Derby hopeful. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I can promise that at the end of the race he's going to be running as hard as he can and he'll be moving forward," Simon said. Trained by John Ortiz, Barber Road has placed in each of the three...

The GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. offers the last round of qualifying points for the GI Kentucky Derby on May 7 and the connections of GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth runner-up In Due Time (Not This Time) are still Derby dreaming. Their 3-year-old chestnut colt has never been off the board in his four career starts and has already earned 20 qualifying points from his second-place finish in the Fountain of Youth. He would still need the 20 points awarded to the Lexington S. winner in order to get a chance...