Louisville native George Weaver was bitten by the horse racing bug at an early age. Coming up May 4, Weaver will top off his homecoming by taking his shot with Vekoma in the May 4 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).
Monthly Archives: May 2019
Restless Rider Seconds Away from Oaks Favoritism
Restless Rider, 3-4-0 in seven starts, has dropped her last two starts in photo finishes, making her a few inches away from being the favorite for the May 3 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).
The Big Beast Has First Winner From First Starter
Christina Jelm and Mike Puhich’s Ms Headley scored on debut May 1 at Churchill Downs, giving her sire, The Big Beast, his first winner from his first starter.
Charity Au-Dela Des Pistes to Partner With France Galop
The charity Au-Dela Des Pistes has become a partner with France Galop, the governing body of Thoroughbred racing in France, to work together on its mission to promote and encourage the retraining of racehorses.
Derby/Oaks Notes: Master Fencer Works Five Furlongs
Katsumi and Yasuyo Yoshizawa’s Master Fencer (JPN) worked five furlongs in 1:05.20 under jockey Julien Leparoux over a fast track on a warm Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs.
Weather, Cancellations Added Hurdles for CA Trainers
The record rain that arrived in Southern California this winter, along with the equine safety issues that followed at Santa Anita Park, forced trainers on the Triple Crown trail to make adjustments to plans.
Calyx Remains Unbeaten With Scorching Comeback at Ascot
Calyx looked a sprinter through and through when he quickened on demand and blitzed a decent field by more than four lengths in the May 1 Merriebelle Stable Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes (G3), which is registered as the Pavilion Stakes.
Churchill Downs Adds Rooftop Seating, Padded Seats
From the bottom floors to the rooftop of Churchill Downs, people attending this year’s Kentucky Oaks and Derby Weekend will notice the latest upgrades at the iconic facility.
Advertising Campaign Launched to Reform Horse Racing
The Coalition for Horse Racing Integrity (CHRI) has launched a major digital advertising campaign to raise awareness of the need for the reforms embodied in the Horseracing Integrity Act of 2019.
Pletcher Takes Unorthodox Approach to Derby 145
Trainer Todd Pletcher, seeking his third victory in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), took an unorthodox approach to the May 4 classic, shipping his two contenders to Churchill Downs at the last possible moment.
Equine Safety Paramount During Derby Week
Churchill Downs in investing in a new equine medical center on the backstretch and taking a lead nationally on advocating for reforms to race-day medication practices.
Roadster Drives Speedway Stable to Kentucky Derby
Speedway Stable figured to buy a son of Quality Road and name him Roadster, perfectly fitting for a fast-lane move toward the Kentucky Derby checkered flag May 4.
American Turf New Challenge for Avie's Flatter
Ivan Dalos homebred Avie’s Flatter is on a quest for his fourth consecutive stakes win in the $400,000 American Turf Stakes presented by Ram Trucks (G2T) May 4 at Churchill Downs.
Marley's Freedom, Spiced Perfection Top Humana Distaff
Two grade 1-winning West Coast fillies headline the $500,000 Humana Distaff Stakes (G1) May 4. Marley’s Freedom and Spiced Perfection meet for the first time in the seven-furlong test for older fillies and mares.
Kentucky Derby Odds – Official Odds and Post Positions Released by US Racing
US Racing (www.usracing.com), an international online horse racing service, today announced the post positions and updated odds of the 145th Kentucky Derby to be held at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
“While Game Winner, Roadster and Omaha Beach are very strongly backed by punters— there have been some large figures on Roadster and Tacitus,” said Timothy Maxwell of US Racing. “However, Roadster drew post position 17 which has yet to produce a Kentucky Derby Winner.”
Over the past 5 years, the favorites have gone on to win the Derby but in 2019, Maxwell suggested that, “we see a lot of parity among these three year-olds.” In fact, many fans are looking forward to a match race between Roadster and Omaha Beach—which will hopefully extend over the three races of the Triple Crown.
The world will be watching the “Greatest 2 Minutes of Sports” on NBC and getting all the action with US Racing.
Full odds available here.
Baffert, Mandella Trade Jabs at Trainers' Dinner
Hall of Fame trainers Bob Baffert and Richard Mandella mixed it up April 30 at the Kentucky Derby Trainers’ Dinner in downtown Louisville. The annual event is hosted by the KTA/KTOB.