Daily Racing Form's David Grening tweeted that Diodoro had no definite diagnosis for Ava's Grace but was concerned about her right shoulder and planned to get a nuclear scintigraphy scan done. Nuclear scintigraphy is a useful tool in isolating potential sources of lameness or discomfort that remain vague in a traditional lameness exam. The procedure involves the injection of a harmless radioactive isotope, which will bind to areas of increased metabolic activity in the skeleton, showing bright areas or “hot spots” when the scan is performed.

Learn more about the typical process for lameness examinations here.\

Diodoro trains Ava's Grace for Cypress Creek Equine. The daughter of Laoban was bred in Kentucky by Southern Equine Stables and most recently finished second in the Grade 3 Fantasy behind Pauline's Pear. She also has a third-place effort in the G2 Adirondack to her credit. David Cohenhd been named to ride the filly, who had been the early speed in the field during her last outing.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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“For the past 146 years, the Kentucky Derby has created memories and traditions for so many families and friends in our community,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Mike Anderson. “There's no better way to start the day than to watch our majestic Thoroughbreds train up-close and personal. We're thrilled to deliver this new experience free of charge and open it up to the general public for everyone to enjoy.”

Horses train on Churchill Downs' main track daily from 5:15-10 a.m. Beginning Saturday, April 17, there will be an exclusive training window only for Derby and Oaks participants from 7:30-7:45 a.m. following the 7-7:30 a.m. renovation break. Those horses will be identified by special saddle towels which include their names:  yellow saddle towels for Derby horses and pink saddle towels for Oaks contenders.

Churchill Downs will livestream the Kentucky Derby Morning Works presented by TwinSpires.com across its social media channels starting on Monday, April 19. Video also will be broadcast on Churchill Downs' Big Board.

Guests can enter Churchill Downs through the Paddock Gate and should park for free in the nearby White Lot for convenient entry. Guests will be directed to Sections 115-117 to watch the morning workouts.

Face coverings are required and guests must practice social distancing. Churchill Downs will continue to rely on proven health and safety protocols and operate within the guidance of local and state health officials as well as the CDC.

Between Saturday, April 17 and Friday, April 23, guests may bring in their own food and beverage during the morning workouts. Food and beverage may not be brought into the facility between Saturday, April 24 and Wednesday, April 28 because of Kentucky Derby Week security protocols but Churchill Downs' new Paddock Grill will be open during that period to offer breakfast items for purchase.

The 147th runnings of the $1.25 Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) and $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) will be held Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1, respectively. Opening Night of Derby Week and the 38-day Spring Meet is Saturday, April 24. For Derby Week and Spring Meet tickets, visit www.KentuckyDerby.com/Tickets.

The post Churchill Open To The Public For Derby/Oaks Works And Will Livestream Training appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trained by Barb Minshall, the Tapit bay, out of the multiple stakes winning Distorted Humor mare Bubbler, was purchased for $750,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms and Hill 'N' Dale Equine Holdings, Diamond Ore made her first three starts on Tapeta at Woodbine Racetrack, including a good second, defeated a half-length, on November 14 when stretched out to two turns for the first time that garnered a career-best 70 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I thought she was unlucky not to win her last race at Woodbine,” said Minshall. “She got shuffled back at the turn and then came back on and she just missed. That was the first two-turn maiden race at Woodbine on the synthetic.

“I ran her a couple times short just to give her some racing experience, even though I knew she wanted to go long,” added Minshall. “In her last race at Woodbine, she was really unlucky not to win.”

“The number was a little on the slow side, but she handled the dirt well off of one dirt work,” said Minshall.

Diamond Ore, who is based at Winding Oaks Farm in Ocala, Fla., worked five-eighths Friday morning in 1:02 as she prepares to stretch out in her stakes debut.

“It was a good work. She's strong,” said Minshall. “It's a deep track here at Winding Oaks and I thought she worked well. She's feeling good.

“I think she fits. The nine furlongs will be good for her,” added Minshall. “She's not an overly big filly, but she's gotten a lot more robust build since she came to me in July last year. She's a really happy, good feeling filly but she's not what I would call tall. She's compact.”

Minshall said the Kentucky Oaks qualifier will be a good litmus test as she plans a sophomore campaign for the well-bred bay.

“She's improved along the way. She's needed to learn and she's gotten stronger and smarter with every race,” said Minshall. “She has potential to move forward and obviously this is a big step from a maiden race to a stakes race, but it will be the same for most of the horses that are nominated. We're all looking to see what we have.”

Diamond Ore is slated to ship up to New York on Wednesday and will be piloted in the Busanda by Eric Cancel.

The post Arrogate Half Sister Diamond Ore To Make Stakes Debut Jan. 24 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Juddmonte Farms' homebred Sun Path (post 9 at 2-1 with Florent Geroux) is the much more fancied of the Cox runners. She is two-for-three on the track and is long on pedigree as well, as the daughter of Munnings is a full-sister to last year's Fair Grounds Oaks winner Bonnie South for these same connections. Sun Path was second on debut at Keeneland in October, broke her maiden at Churchill Downs in November, then won an allowance here Dec. 18 by an eye-popping 12 ¾ lengths.

With entries taken a week out and a lightly raced filly who showed she's still on her game when she threw down a 4-furlong bullet work in :47 4/5 over the track Jan. 9, Cox decided not to keep Sun Path in the barn.

“She worked well Saturday and we have to enter seven days out,” Cox said of Sun Path. “Her last race wasn't super taxing on her and she's had two nice works since, so we decided to run her back. Hopefully she can continue her progression to what we hope is the Kentucky Oaks. She drew outside but I think if we get a trip, she'll be tough.”

Divine Comedy (post 6 at 8-1 with Shaun Bridgmohan) is much more of an unknown commodity, though her two-turn debut resulted in an easy 5 ¼-length maiden special weight win here on Dec. 18. The daughter of Into Mischief was sixth sprinting on debut at Churchill in September but she clearly relished the added distance and turn she got last time, which was no surprise to her trainer.

As much as undefeated filly who has won her two races by a combined 6 ¼ lengths could be one, Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational (post 1 at 5-2 with Declan Carroll) is the wildcard in the Silverbulletday. The daughter of Curlin cost $725,000 as a yearling and has looked the part in a pair of wins over Woodbine's Tapeta surface for trainer Mark Casse, which includes the Oct. 17 Glorious Song by four lengths. Souper Sensational shows six works over the Fair Grounds main track and Casse's assistant David Carroll, who has been readying her for her local debut, admits the Silverbulletday will go a long way in determining what path to take in the future.

“Based on how well she performs will dictate her campaign after that,” Carroll said. “We feel she can be special, it's just a matter of at what distance and whether dirt will be part of that. The most important thing you hope for is talent and she's already shown that. She deserves to test the waters against really nice, 3-year-old fillies on the dirt. If she handles this well, it opens up more avenues for her.”

Joel Politi's Littlestitious (post 8 at 6-1 with James Graham) tried two turns in the Dec. 1 My Trusty Cat, traveling seven furlongs at Delta Downs and she drew off by 10 ¼ lengths for trainer Tom Amoss. Two starts back in October at Keeneland, the daughter of Ghostzapper broke her maiden in her fourth career start, and she clearly moved up last time, though she meets much tougher in her local debut, which will be her first start past seven furlongs.

Completing the Silverbulletday field from the rail out: Brad King, Jim Cone, Scott Bryant, and Stan and Suzanne Kirby's Moon Swag (post 2 at 20-1 with Adam Beschizza), fourth sprinting in the local December 19 Letellier for trainer Brendan Walsh; Lothenbach Stables' homebred Charlie's Penny (post 3 at 8-1 with Brian Hernandez Jr.), third in the Letellier for trainer Chris Block; Rigney Racing's Minute Waltz (post 4 at 8-1 with Gabriel Saez), third going a mile November 28 at Churchill in an optional-claimer for trainer Phil Bauer; John Dewberry's Princess Theorem (post 5 at 12-1 with Rafael Santana Jr.), fifth November 28 in Churchill's Golden Rod (G2) for Walsh; and Miacomet Farms and Michael Pietrangelo's Barista (post 7 at 12-1 with Miguel Mena), who won a December 31 off-the-turf optional-claimer here for trainer Jimmy Baker.

The post Cox Holds Heavy Hand In Silverbulletday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The move comes as 1/ST Racing announced that Gulfstream Park stakes races in 2021 will be run under the same condition. Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Del Mar, The Stronach Group, NYRA and others in the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition have called for gradual partial phaseout of the anti-bleeding medication pre-race over recent years. Several tracks carded races in 2020 with the new 24-hour Lasix administration time for 2-year-old races, and the second part of the phaseout calls for the same rule to apply to stakes races in 2021.

Ultimately, coalition organizers have said, they hope the new rules will give trainers a chance to see whether young racehorses really need the drug and to reduce the number of severe bleeders entering the gene pool. A multi-jurisdictional study is underway to study the prevalence of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage in 2-year-olds under the new rules.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form

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