Tim Yakteen

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With no shortage of racing fans, horsemen and media lined up along the outer rail, the Churchill Downs backstretch got awfully quiet in a hurry as Verifying (Justify) lost his exercise rider leaving the five-eighths marker during Thursday morning's special training session for GI Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses. A big tip of the cap goes out to outriders Greg Blasi and Lee Lockwood, who did a fantastic job of apprehending the GI Blue Grass S. runner-up at the quarter pole. Trainer Brad Cox later reported that...

Leslie and Pierre Amestoy and Roger Beasley's Practical Move (Practical Joke) will be scratched from GI Kentucky Derby 149 due to an elevated temperature, according to trainer Tim Yakteen. With the scratch of Practical Move, Albaugh Family Stables' Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief), who is trained by Dale Romans, will draw into the field and break from the outside post 20, but his program number will remain the same as No. 21, Churchill Downs said in a release on Thursday afternoon. "You have to be in it to win it," Romans...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - TDN Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of leading GI Kentucky Derby contenders to get their 'Early Impressions.' After pairing up matching 100 Beyer Speed Figures for trainer Tim Yakteen while capturing the GII San Felipe S. and GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, Practical Move (Practical Joke) has firmly established himself as the best of the west heading into the Kentucky Derby. Last term's GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner brought $230,000 from owners Leslie and Pierre Amestoy and Roger Beasley out of the...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- There was very little suspense during Monday afternoon's GI Kentucky Derby post position draw held in the Aristides Lounge at Churchill Downs as Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's champion 2-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) immediately kicked things off by drawing very well on the outside in post 15. Tabbed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the full field of 20, last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner overcame more than his share of adversity beneath regular rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. while punching his...

Leslie and Pierre Amestoy, the co-owners of Practical Move, share their journey to this year's Kentucky Derby.

Mage (Good Magic), runner-up to champion and likely GI Kentucky Derby favorite Forte (Violence) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park Apr. 1, breezed six furlongs in an easy 1:14.78 in what is likely to be his final serious piece of work ahead of the Run for the Roses May 6. "He worked good. We liked what we say. Everything is going to plan, thank God," said Gustavo Delgado, Jr., assistant to his father Gustavo who trains the son of former 'TDN Rising Star' Puca (Big Brown) for...

Even-money favorite Practical Move (Practical Joke) solidified his role as California's best GI Kentucky Derby hope as he parlayed a ground-saving trip into a narrow victory in Saturday's GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby over fast-charging Japanese raider Mandarin Hero (Jpn) (Shanghai Bobby). Seeking his third-straight victory off of clear-cut successes in both the Dec. 17 GII Los Alamitos Futurity and Mar. 4 GII San Felipe S., Practical Move was unhurried early and worked his way down to the fence and into a joint third around the first bend. He tugged...

A week after champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) solidified his status as the horse to beat on the first Saturday in May, the final round of major GI Kentucky Derby preps offering 100 points to the winner will share the spotlight on an absolutely stacked Saturday afternoon of racing. Forte's Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate and fellow 'Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit), an impossible come-from-behind winner in the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 11, will exit from the rail in a deep renewal of the GI Toyota Blue...

After watching the races just across the street from their home in Del Mar, Joe and Debby McCloskey decided to take the plunge into racehorse ownership with the purchase of a filly by Congrats at the 2014 Keeneland September sale. Now, nearly a decade later, Johannes (Nyquist)--the first foal out of that first filly--has become the couple's first stakes winner and the 3-year-old gave promise of more firsts to come in the near-future with an authoritative second stakes victory in the Pasadena S. at Santa Anita last Sunday. Johannes began...

We're approaching the edge of the GI Kentucky Derby abyss. Three final 100-points prep races Saturday, followed by four weeks of microscopic analysis and animated speculation. Bring it on! 1) FORTE (c, Violence--Queen Caroline, by Blame) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-South Gate Farm (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt, MGISW, 7-6-0-0, $1,833,230. Last start: 1st GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Apr. 1. Kentucky Derby Points: 190. 'TDN Rising Star' Forte has made...

Bet like he couldn't lose, Johannes strolled home much the best while making his two-turn bow in the Pasadena S. at Santa Anita Sunday. Taken in hand out of the gate, the heavy favorite settled at the back of the compact four-horse field heading into the backstretch. He rolled up four wide to challenge the pacesetters into the lane, pounced to the lead at midstretch and powered clear under a hand ride for an effortless victory. "It's onward and upward," said winning trainer Tim Yakteen. "It was a small field,...

Multiple contenders pointed to Saturday's GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby had their final works Sunday including the top three finishers from last month's GII San Felipe S. Practical Move (Practical Joke), winner of the San Felipe March 4, drilled five furlongs in 1:01.20 for trainer Tim Yakteen. Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}), who was second the San Felipe, worked five furlongs in company in :59.4 for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. "We're all set," Mandella said following the work. Skinner (Curlin), who was third in the San Felipe,...