Road to the Kentucky Derby

The Oaklawn Park live racing season wrapped up last Saturday, and it delivered with strong numbers across the board, with over $56-million in purses distributed over 621 races, the track announced Monday evening. With an average of 10 races a day, and a daily purse distribution of $903,338, the racing remained competitive with an average of 9.32 starters per race. The average daily handle surpassed $6.73-million while the meet handle reached well north of $417-million. Participation from horsemen remained strong, too, as 2,030 individual horses made at least one start...

The field for the GI Kentucky Derby, ranked in "likeliest winner" order. 1) JOURNALISM (c, Curlin--Mopotism, by Uncle Mo). O-Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC, LaPenta, Robert V., Magnier, Mrs. John, Smith, Derrick and Tabor, Michael B.; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. Sales history: $825,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG. Lifetime record: GISW, 5-4-0-1, $638,880. Last start: WON Apr. 5 GI Santa Anita Derby. Journalism is the legitimate and deserving favorite. He checks many of the Derby desirability boxes by being a big, long-striding...

In his penultimate work for the GI Kentucky Derby, American Promise (Justify) went fast by design for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, and will ship to Kentucky Sunday. The breeze Friday morning at Oaklawn Park, shortly after the renovation break, was a seven furlong trip from the gate in 1:25.20 under Nik Juarez, who will also have the call in the big race. According to Oaklawn's lead clocker Jim Hamilton, American Promise rolled through :22 for the opening quarter, :33.60 for three furlongs, a half in :45.80, five furlongs in :57.80,...

This past weekend we were three weeks out from America's most historic and important horse race, and all was quiet on the GI Kentucky Derby front. Too quiet, in fact. Compared to pro and college team sports, which have expanded their wild-card and play-in formats to capitalize on the immediacy of games with win-or-go-home playoff berths on the line, the lead-up to the Derby has silently shifted in the opposite direction. Instead of maximizing the relevancy of making the final cut as the sport's main event nears, racing rolls out...

It's exceedingly rare to see a Kentucky Derby point race run on a Tuesday, but thanks to a week of catastrophic weather in the Commonwealth, that's what is happening at Keeneland as a field of seven line up to contest the last of the major Derby preps--the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. On the rail, and fortuitously drawn to the inside of a closer, is 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames (Maclean's Music). With the small field, the speedster will likely encounter considerably less traffic trouble than that post position would...

Saturday's Santa Anita Derby day showed large increases over 2024 with the all sources handle totaling $22,388,003 and wagering on just the marquee race up by nearly 24 per cent, according to a press release by the track. Bolstered by a big turnout from the Derby Day 5K, the on-track attendance came in at 34,312, a seven per cent jump from last season. It was the largest turnout since 2018. Both the all sources handle and on track attendance are expected to finish the Classic Meet Sunday up by noteworthy...

Journalism (Curlin) has emerged from Saturday's GI Santa Anita Derby victory in good form and as the 2025 GI Kentucky Derby favorite. Having recovered from trouble near the eighth pole and checking near the three-eighths, the son of Classic sire Curlin rallied down the lane to overhaul Baeza (McKinzie) and collect the coveted 100 points to the Derby. The effort garnered a 102 Beyer speed figure. "I thought he showed a lot of poise being down inside," trainer Michael McCarthy said. "He had to kind of bide his time and...

Saturday's Wood Memorial Day card generated record-breaking wagering as the all-sources tally came in at $23,250,478 for the 13-race program, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced via press release. The 2025 figure, on a day highlighted by 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) running them off their feet in Centenary edition of the GII Wood Memorial, eclipses the precious record of $21,601,673 established back in 2013 when Verrazano (More Than Ready) took home the top prize. The other contests on Saturday's card were the GIII Distaff Stakes won by Irish...

The goal of the Kentucky Derby points system should be to make sure the 20 best 3-year olds in the sport make it into the field. Churchill Downs has tweaked the system a couple of times over the years and the changes, for the most part, have been well received. It's a different story this year. Churchill has tweaked the system so that in any race with five horses or fewer the horses receive fewer points than races with six or more horses. The rule is clearly aimed at Santa...

Japan earned their fourth consecutive $1-million G2 UAE Derby and fifth overall with the narrow victory of Admire Daytona (Jpn) (Drefong) over the ultra game Heart Of Honor (GB) (Honor A. P.) at Meydan on Saturday. The latter's jockey Saffie Osborne was attempting to become the first female rider to win a race on Dubai World Cup night. It was jockey Christophe Lemaire's second UAE Derby win after he was aboard Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) in 2023. One of the fastest from the bell, he immediately glued himself...

If you want a historical prognosticator for success in the GI Kentucky Derby, you can't do much better than running well in the GI Florida Derby. The premier stakes for sophomores at Gulfstream Park has been around since 1952, and in 73 renewals, Florida Derby participants have gone on to win that year's Kentucky Derby 25 times-a better than 1-in-3 strike rate. For perspective, the next-most-productive preps are two far older races, the GI Champagne Stakes (which dates to 1867) and the GI Blue Grass Stakes (first run in 1911),...

Gulfstream Park's GI Curlin Florida Derby tips off one hour ahead of Oaklawn's GI Arkansas Derby on Saturday and, with 100 points on the 'Road to the Kentucky Derby' on offer in each spot, both races offer what amounts to a 'win and you're in' spot in the gate on the first Saturday in May. Between them, the two tracks host eight of the day's 10 graded stakes. Godolphin homebred Sovereignty (Into Mischief), one of two runners in the Florida Derby along with Madaket Road (Quality Road) facing a jockey...