Thousand Words

GI Kentucky Derby hero Authentic (Into Mischief) and GI Kentucky Oaks victress Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) both returned to the worktab Saturday at Churchill Downs. GI Preakness S.-bound Authentic covered five panels in :59.20, the fastest of 38 works at the distance. With jockey Martin Garcia aboard, the bay clicked off splits in :23.80 and :35.40, galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.20. "It went very well. Martin has been with me," said trainer Bob Baffert, who came to Louisville from the Keeneland Sale in Lexington. "He knows what I expect. I told...

The 2020 GI Kentucky Derby winner Authentic (Into Mischief) and his stablemate Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) are both on track for Pimlico's GI Preakness S., scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, according to trainer Bob Baffert. The Hall of Famer reported Sunday from Keeneland's September yearling sale that both colts remain at the Churchill barn of D. Wayne Lukas. Both are galloping daily and Baffert indicated they would both likely breeze toward the end of the week. "[Authentic] came out [of the Derby] very well, very well," said Baffert Sunday....

Here are the final TDN GI Kentucky Derby rankings after an entertaining, intriguing, and unusually long buildup to the first Saturday in September. The field is listed in "likeliest winner" order. The Top 10... 1) TIZ THE LAW (c, Constitution--Tizfiz, by Tiznow) O-Sackatoga Stable. B-Twin Creeks Farm (NY). T-Barclay Tagg. Sales History: $110,000 yrl '18 FTNAUG. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 7-6-0-1, $2,015,300. Last Start: 1st GI Runhappy Travers S., SAR, Aug. 8 Accomplishments Include: 1st GI Belmont S., BEL, June 20, 1st GI Curlin Florida Derby, GP, Mar. 28, 1st GI...

It could be quite a Derby week for Spendthrift Farm and its owner B. Wayne Hughes. Spendthrift has never won a Triple Crown race but is in solid position in this year's GI Kentucky Derby with two starters it co-owns, Authentic (Into Mischief) and Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile). It could also be a huge couple of days for Spendthrift's white-hot stallion, Into Mischief. He will be represented by 'TDN Rising Star' Authentic in the Derby and by the freakishly fast 'Rising Star' Gamine in the GI Kentucky Oaks. Hughes...

All of the qualifying races for the GI Kentucky Derby have been run and we're approaching the two-week mark for the first Saturday in September. Please note the rankings below are independent from the "Road to the Derby" points leaderboard Churchill Downs uses to determine starting berths. That list can be accessed here. 1) TIZ THE LAW (c, Constitution--Tizfiz, by Tiznow) O-Sackatoga Stable. B-Twin Creeks Farm (NY). T-Barclay Tagg. Sales History: $110,000 yrl '18 FTNAUG. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 7-6-0-1, $2,015,300. Last Start: 1st GI Runhappy Travers S., SAR, Aug. 8...

This past Saturday wasn't a great day to be a favorite in an open stakes race at the nation's premier race meets. Chalk horses went a collective one-for-seven at Saratoga and Del Mar, and the list of excuses included stutter-step starts, bumps leaving the gate, stretch-run roughhousing, getting disqualified, and being dueled into defeat in internal pace battles. Tight finishes in several stakes elevated the interest level, although the results in general did not lend clarity to the nationwide divisional races with the GI Kentucky Derby inside the five-week mark...

Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) returned to winning ways and improved his position on the GI Kentucky Derby trail with a gutsy score in Del Mar's Shared Belief S., which offered a total of 50 points towards the Run for the Roses. Breaking sharply from the inside post in this field scratched down to four, the 9-1 shot had all three rivals hot on his tail through a :23.89 opening quarter. GI Santa Anita Derby hero and heavy favorite Honor A.P. (Honor Code) was the first to break ranks, moving...

Honor A.P. (Honor Code) looks to add more GI Kentucky Derby points to his collection in Saturday's Shared Belief S. at Del Mar. An impressive second-out graduate when extending from six panels to a mile at Santa Anita in October, the $850,000 FTSAUG buy was runner-up to recent GI Haskell Invitational S. victor Authentic (Into Mischief) in the GII San Felipe S. Mar. 7. The dark bay turned the tables on that rival last time with a decisive score in the GI Santa Anita Derby June 6. Bob Baffert had...

Following a disappointing spring which saw two top Bob Baffert trainees-Nadal (Blame) and Charlatan (Speightstown)-get bounced off the GI Kentucky Derby trail, the horseman emerges with a pair of live contenders in Saturday's GIII Los Alamitos Derby. The more accomplished of the two is Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm's Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile), the winner of his first three starts, including last winter's GII Los Alamitos Futurity and the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Feb. 1. After fading to fourth behind stablemate Authentic (Into Mischief) in the Mar....

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Ohio Derby Result - Sprawl made a middle move and settled for fifth. Bankroll: $3540. GIII Los Alamitos Derby - Believe me, I'd love to make a case for anyone but Uncle Chuck, and there used...

After suffering the first loss of his young career last time, Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) will try to get back in the winner's circle Saturday in the inaugural Oaklawn S. The $1-million KEESEP buy opened his account with a trio of victories, including the GII Los Alamitos Futurity S. Dec. 7 and the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Feb. 1. The bay suffered his first loss at the hooves of his stablemate Authentic (Into Mischief) last time in the GII San Felipe S. Mar. 7. Steve Asmussen sends out...

Courtesy Oaklawn Barn Notes Bob Baffert has had to hit the reset button in pursuit of his record-tying sixth GI Kentucky Derby victory. Fortunately for the Hall of Fame trainer, he still has the same buttons to push. The first comes Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn when he sends out 5-2 program favorite Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) in the $200,000 Oaklawn S. for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. Thousand Words, a $1-million Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, is among four highly regarded Kentucky Derby prospects for the Southern California-based Baffert,...