Churchill Downs | Horse Racing Free Tips

Former Churchill Downs President Lynn Stone Passes Away

Former Churchill Downs CEO and president Albert Lynn Stone, better known as Lynn Stone, passed away Feb. 22 in Lexington, Ky. He was 95.

During Stone's tenure at the helm of Churchill, from 1970-84, the Louisville track witnessed a remarkable three Triple Crown winners in Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Affirmed. As Churchill's ninth president, he was responsible for instituting the 20-horse limit in the Kentucky Derby and also oversaw $10-million in physical improvements that included new Skye Terraces, a press box, jockey quarters, 12 new barns, fire-resistant tack rooms, sprinkling systems in all barns, a recreation building, restroom facilities, and fireproof stairways in the grandstand and clubhouse.

Stone had originally joined the Louisville track in 1961 as resident manager and jointly spent several years as president of both Churchill and Florida's Hialeah Park. He also served two terms as president of the Thoroughbred Racing Association of North America and was on various boards, including the American Horse Council, Jockey Club Round Table, and Kentucky Thoroughbred Breeders' Association.

Born in New Orleans in 1925, Stone was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. A career in professional baseball followed. He signed with the New York Yankees and played with other minor league teams, then moved into management. He was part of the 1958 move of the Milwaukee Braves Triple-A team to Louisville and served as general manager of the Louisville Colonels until Churchill beckoned.

After retiring, Stone continued as a consultant to Churchill and other racing and sports organizations. Survivors include his wife, Jane Stokes Stone; three sons: Michael Stone (Katharine Friel) of Versailles, Patrick (Nora) Stone of Lawrenceburg, and Steve (Leslie) Stone of Nicholasville; two step-children: Charles (Christine) Halloran of Washington, D.C. and Ann Tarter Halloran of Lexington; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

A public visitation will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at Kerr Brothers Funeral Home-Harrodsburg Road in Lexington. Private funeral services will be held at Kerr Brothers, with private burial to follow at Camp Nelson National Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to either the American Legion Man O' War Post #8 (1230 Man O' War Place, Lexington, KY 40504) or the Alzheimer's Association (Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter–Kaden Tower, 6100 Dutchmans Lane, Ste 401, Louisville, KY 40205-3284).

The post Former Churchill Downs President Lynn Stone Passes Away appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Champion Vequist Heads Ky Oaks Noms

Champion 2-year-old filly Vequist (Nyquist), winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland last fall, tops the roster of 106 early nominations to the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs Apr. 30. Campaigned by a partnership consisting of Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swillcan Stable and trained by Butch Reid Jr., Vequist is based at Palm Meadows in South Florida and is scheduled to run in Saturday's GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream Park.

Other top contenders that were nominated to the Oaks include Stonestreet Stables' GIII Rachel Alexandra S. winner Clairiere (Curlin) and OXO Equine's runner-up Travel Column (Frosted); Harold Lerner, Magdalena Racing and Nehoc Stables' GI Alcibiades S. winner Simply Ravishing (Laoban); and Shadwell Stable's undefeated Malathaat (Curlin).

Trainer Todd Pletcher led all conditioners with nine fillies nominated to the Oaks followed by Kenny McPeek who had eight.

Each of the 106 fillies nominated to the Oaks were made eligible by a $200 payment that was due Feb. 13. Fillies not nominated to the Kentucky Oaks can be made eligible through a $1,500 late fee due Apr. 10 or a $25,000 supplemental nomination due at the time of entry. The Oaks field is limited to 14 starters and up to four fillies can be designated as “also-eligible” to start. Eligibility to compete is determined by points amassed during the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” point series.

A complete list of nominations will be available at https://www.churchilldowns.com/horsemen/stakes/nominations/.

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Champion Vequist Tops 106 Early Nominees To Kentucky Oaks

Champion 2-year-old filly Vequist, winner of the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade 1), tops the roster of 106 early nominations to the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), North America's premier race for 3-year-old fillies that will be staged at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. on Friday, April 30.

Owned in partnership by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swillcan Stable and trained by Butch Reid Jr., Vequist was a dominant two-length winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist is based at Palm Meadows in South Florida and is entered in Saturday's $200,000 Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

Other top contenders that were nominated to the Longines Kentucky Oaks include Stonestreet Stables' $300,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) winner Clairiere and OXO Equine's runner-up Travel Column; Harold Lerner, Magdalena Racing and Nehoc Stables' $350,000 Alcibiades (G1) winner Simply Ravishing; and Shadwell Stable's undefeated Malathaat.

Each of the 106 fillies nominated to the Oaks were made eligible by a $200 payment that was due Feb. 13. A complete list of nominations will be available at https://www.churchilldowns.com/horsemen/stakes/nominations/.

Trainer Todd Pletcher led all conditioners with nine fillies nominated to the Oaks followed by Kenny McPeek who had eight.

Fillies not nominated to the Kentucky Oaks can be made eligible through a $1,500 late fee due April 10 or a $25,000 supplemental nomination due at the time of entry. The Oaks field is limited to 14 starters and up to four fillies can be designated as “also-eligible” to start. Eligibility to compete is determined by points amassed during the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” point series.

Like the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, the Longines Kentucky Oaks has been run each year without interruption since 1875. The lucrative race is the centerpiece of a spectacular day of racing and entertainment at Churchill Downs that celebrates fashion, food, celebrity and fun with a focus on women's health issues and outreach.

Klaravich Stables' millionaire Digital Age (IRE) is nominated to attempt a repeat bid in this year's $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (Grade 1) on Saturday, May 1 at Churchill Downs.

The Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic, run at 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course, annually attracts some of the nation's top turf horses. This year's race has 75 horses that were nominated. Previous winners include 2019 Horse of the Year and Champion Turf Male Bricks and Mortar; two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan; and Eclipse Award winners Manila, English Channel, Sky Classic and Paradise Creek. Einstein (BRZ) a Grade 1 winner on both dirt and turf, won back-to-back renewals in 2008-09.

Digital Age is one of 17 horses from trainer Chad Brown's stable nominated to the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic.

Another accomplished turf specialist nominated to this year's race is Robert and Lawana Low's $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) winner Colonel Liam. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Colonal Liam joined six other stablemates on the nomination list.

In total, 13 Grade 1 winners were nominated to this year's Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic. The full list of nominations are available at https://www.churchilldowns.com/horsemen/stakes/nominations/.

The winner of the March 20 Muniz Memorial Handicap (G2) at Fair Grounds will be granted an automatic berth to the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic as well as the Arlington Million (G1). The winner of the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic also will be granted an automatic berth to the Arlington Million.

Horses nominated to the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic were made eligible by a $100 payment that was due Feb. 13. Horses not nominated can qualify through a $1,000 late fee due April 10 or a $20,000 supplemental nomination due at the time of entry on April 27. The race is limited to 14 starters with preference given to winners of graded turf stakes and, after that, highest earnings in stakes races on turf in 2020-21.

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‘Restart And A Reboot’: Drayden Van Dyke Will Shift Tack To Kentucky In April

Jockey Drayden Van Dyke will move his tack from Southern California to Kentucky beginning with the Keeneland meet in April, reports the Daily Racing Form. Represented by Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, Van Dyke will stay through at least the Churchill meet.

Though he earned leading rider titles at both Del Mar meets in 2018, Van Dyke has had a slow winter at Santa Anita, winning with six of his 72 mounts.

“We've got to do a restart and a reboot,” Stevens told drf.com.

Van Dyke won the Eclipse Award for champion apprentice jockey in 2014, and is originally from Kentucky.