Tag: Kentucky Derby

Repole, BodyArmor, Donate $24 Million to Youth Sports

BodyArmor and its founder, Mike Repole, will donate $24 million to the Mamba and Mambacita Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating positive impact for underserved athletes and boys and girls in sports, the company announced Tuesday. It is the single largest donation that the foundation has ever received. The news was first reported by Front Office Sports.

Repole is the co-owner of Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), the co-fourth choice at 10-1 in the morning line for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby.

The Mamba and Mambacita Foundation was founded in memory of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, who were killed in a helicopter crash in 2020. Bryant was one of the early investors in BodyArmor, acquiring 10% of the company for $6 million in 2014, according to Front Office Sports.

In addition to the financial donation, they will also donate eight refurbished basketball courts and renovated youth clinic facilities to the foundation.

The post Repole, BodyArmor, Donate $24 Million to Youth Sports appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Cancer Survivor Al Gold Stops and Smells the Roses with Cyberknife

LOUISVILLE, KY – Prostate Cancer Awareness Month isn't until September, but owner Al Gold will be getting a head start on the first Saturday in May.

Named after Accuray Inc's robotic radiation therapy used to successfully treat the 66-year-old's prostate cancer, Gold's Cyberknife (Gun Runner) continues to generate plenty of positive chatter leading up to the GI Kentucky Derby.

“At the end of the day, the Derby is exciting and very important, but it pales in comparison to helping people become aware of the power of CyberKnife in treating cancer,” Gold said. “That's why I've done a lot of interviews about it. I'd like to get it out there so people know.”

Gold, now in remission and “enjoying life as a retired person” while splitting time between Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and Del Ray Beach, Fl., received his first CyberKnife treatment on his 65th birthday last year. The non-invasive procedure–there's no incision involved despite the name–“is specifically designed to deliver radiation beams from potentially thousands of unique angles, targeting only the tumor while minimizing radiation dose to healthy tissue.”

“When someone tells you that you have cancer, it gives you fear and obviously makes you very nervous,” Gold said. “But this was such an easy procedure to get through–five, 18-minute treatments every other day and it was over. It's a wonderful thing. A lot of people have died from prostate cancer, but now it's easily diagnosed and treated.”

Trained by Brad Cox and always held in high regard, the four-legged Cyberknife has certainly done his part to help spread the word as well. Still learning the ropes while sixth in the GIII Lecomte S., the chestnut has put it all together in two subsequent starts. He punched his ticket to Louisville with a breakthrough win in the GI Arkansas Derby, the first ever at the top level for Gold.

Hailing from the first crop of sensational young sire Gun Runner, Cyberknife brought $400,000 from advisor Joe Hardoon on behalf of Gold at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase. Bred in Kentucky by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Cyberknife is out of six-time stakes winner and multiple graded placed Awesome Flower (Flower Alley). He hails from the family of G1 Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed (Tiznow).

“I had been in five or six Grade I races before and never hit the board, so I was cautiously optimistic going in [to the Arkansas Derby],” said Gold, who made his living in real estate management. “He ran beautifully and won the race. I had quality horses that I thought were going to be Derby potential, but it never materialized. Now, we're all excited about going to Kentucky.”

Racing under the nom-de-course of Gold Square LLC since 2004, Gold and his wife Hilary have also campaigned graded winners Chace City (Carson City) and Little Miss Holly (Maria's Mon). The native of New Jersey has approximately 15-20 horses in training, including a pair of recent OBS Spring acquisitions–a $220,000 Awesome Slew filly and a $140,000 Kantharos colt. In addition to Cox, Gold also employs trainers Jorge Abreu, Steve Asmussen, Tony Dutrow and Chad Summers.

“You want to keep pursuing your passion and what you love in life,” Gold concluded. “I've had some good horses and some bad horses, but you have to just keep on trying to get to the point where I am now. Hopefully, I'm building a quality stable and I'm going to the Kentucky Derby. What else can I ask for? This is the height of the game.”

The post Cancer Survivor Al Gold Stops and Smells the Roses with Cyberknife appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

CDI Wants Baffert Suit Dismissed in Entirety

On the same afternoon that Churchill Downs took entries for the GI Kentucky Derby that included two horses formerly trained by barred trainer Bob Baffert, the gaming corporation that controls the Derby asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit Baffert had filed Feb. 28 attempt to get his private-property banishment by Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), overturned.

Back on Apr. 11, the same federal judge in United States District Court (Western District of Kentucky) had permitted Baffert to withdraw his motion for a preliminary injunction to allow him to enter horses in this year's Derby when it became evident that such a motion, even if successful, would have been trumped by a Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) equine drug suspension that Baffert is currently serving.

But because the original lawsuit was also intended to fight CDI's two-year banishment of Baffert that runs through the 2023 Derby, the suit remains active despite the withdrawal of the motion for injunction. So on May 2, CDI took the next logical legal step by asking for the suit as a whole to be thrown out.

“This lawsuit is as meritless as all of his others,” CDI stated in its dismissal motion, alluding to court cases Baffert has initiated against the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and the KHRC. “Baffert's claims fail as a matter of law, and this Court should dismiss his complaint in its entirety.”

Baffert's flurry of litigation over the past year stems from now-deceased Medina Spirit testing positive for betamethasone after winning the 2021 Derby, plus Baffert's recent history of equine drug positives in major races.

Last May CDI barred Baffert from its properties. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has also sought to ban the Hall of Fame trainer, but a federal judge has ruled Baffert can still race in New York while an internal NYRA exclusion hearing process plays out. Baffert also recently failed in Kentucky courts to get a stay of his 90-day suspension and $7,500 fine while those KHRC penalties go through a separate appeals process.

The Feb. 28 complaint alleged that CDI and its corporate officers and executives have, “without legal authority and without any notice or opportunity to be heard, 'suspended' Baffert's right to race horses on CDI properties, precluding him from practicing his chosen profession or using his license on CDI properties. CDI's actions also constitute an unlawful restraint on trade.”

CDI begged to differ in its May 2 dismissal motion.

“Whatever his theory may be, Baffert is wrong in contending that CDI had no right to exclude him,” the court document stated, noting that legal precedents have already established that Churchill Downs is “a private facility” that may “exclude whomever it desire[s] from the track.”

CDI laid out four specific reasons for the suit to be tossed out.

“First, the due process claim fails because CDI is a private corporation, the individual defendants are not government officials, and no one violated Baffert's rights in any event…

“Second, the 'unlawful exclusion' claim fails because Kentucky has never recognized a standalone tort of unlawful exclusion. Nor can there be tort liability where, as here, the tort claim is not independent of the parties' contractual duties. CDI has a well-settled common law and contractual right to exclude from its property and its races repeat offenders like Baffert who endanger the safety of horses and jockeys, and threaten the integrity of the sport and CDI's signature events.

“Third, the antitrust claims fail because Baffert does not allege antitrust injury. His argument is that CDI's suspension injured him; he does not plausibly allege that the suspension harmed competition in a commercial market–the type of injury the antitrust laws were intended to prevent. His claim of a conspiracy to restrain trade fails because he has not alleged an actionable conspiracy…

“Fourth, the tortious interference claims fail because it is well-settled Kentucky law that exercising rights under a contract–as CDI indisputably did here when it suspended Baffert–cannot give rise to such claims. Baffert also failed to allege facts that plausibly show Defendants acted with malice.

“This lawsuit is nothing more than Baffert's latest attempt to dodge accountability for his wrongful actions,” CDI summed up. “The Court should dismiss his complaint with prejudice.”

The post CDI Wants Baffert Suit Dismissed in Entirety appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Zandon Tabbed as 3-1 Kentucky Derby ML Favorite from Post 10

LOUISVILLE, KY – With all of the morning buzz surrounding Zandon (Upstart) since his dramatic come-from-behind victory in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S., Mike Battaglia installed the handsome dark bay as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby after drawing right in the middle in post 10.

The Jeff Drown colorbearer, a $170,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase, has posted a pair of much-discussed breezes for Chad Brown following his breakthrough win at Keeneland, including a visually impressive five-furlong move in 1:00.40 (7/43) at Churchill Downs Apr. 29. Flavien Prat rides.

“Perfect,” Brown said of the draw. “We're ready to go.”

Epicenter (Not this Time), drawn on the inside in post three, was made the second choice at 7-2. The $260,000 KEESEP graduate enters off impressive victories for Winchell Thoroughbreds and Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen in the GII Risen Star S. and GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. Asmussen has failed to find the mark with 23 previous starters in the Run for the Roses.

“Like any race, you want to get away nicely from the gate and go from there,” Asmussen said. “How long he stands in there, how long it takes to load, 150,000 people staring at him–it's a lot. [Jockey] Joel [Rosario] is very confident in rhythm of the horse. So, if he is away cleanly Joel will let him be who he is.”

The top two choices have met once before. Zandon was back in third after a slow start and wide trip while making his first start of the season in Epicenter's front-running Risen Star score.

Louisville native Brad Cox, promoted to first with Mandaloun (Into Mischief) following the well-documented medication disqualification of the ill-fated Medina Spirit (Protonico) in last year's Derby and subsequent suspension of Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, will look to put them back to back. He has entered the trio of Cyberknife (Gun Runner) (post 16), Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile) (post 18) and 'TDN Rising Star' Zozos (Munnings) (post 19).

“I think with the Derby starting at the head of the stretch, and a quarter of a mile to the first turn, they'll be able to get into position,” Cox said.

Former Baffert runners, unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner) (post 12) and 'TDN Rising Star' Messier (Empire Maker) (post six), punched their tickets to Louisville for trainer Tim Yakteen following a one-two finish in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby.

Taiba, a $1.7-million Fasig-Tipton Florida 2-year-old purchase by Medina Spirit owner Zedan Racing Stables, looks to become the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby in just his third start since Leonatus in 1883. Messier, a 15-length winner of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S., is the third choice on the morning-line at 8-1; Taiba is listed at 12-1.

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, seeking his third win in the Kentucky Derby, will be represented by the trio of: GII Wood Memorial S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) (post one), GI Curlin Florida Derby runner-up and 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit) (post eight) and Louisiana Derby third Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile) (post 11).

Live coverage of the Kentucky Derby will be provided by NBC from 2:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (ET). Post time for the Derby is 6:57 p.m.

From the rail out, the complete field of 20 for the Kentucky Derby:

1-Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) (10-1)

2-Happy Jack (Oxbow) (30-1)

3-Epicenter (Not This Time) (7-2)

4-Summer Is Tomorrow (Summer Front) (30-1)

5-Smile Happy (Runhappy) (20-1)

6-Messier (Empire Maker) (8-1)

7-Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}) (20-1)

8-Charge It (Tapit) (20-1)

9-Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb) (30-1)

10-Zandon (Upstart) (3-1)

11-Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile) (30-1)

12-Taiba (Gun Runner) (12-1)

13-Simplification (Not This Time) (20-1)

14-Barber Road (Race Day) (30-1)

15-White Abarrio (Race Day) (10-1)

16-Cyberknife (Gun Runner) (20-1)

17-Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) (30-1)

18-Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile) (30-1)

19-Zozos (Munnings) (20-1)

20-Ethereal Road (Quality Road) (30-1)

Also-Eligibles: Rich Strike (Keen Ice) (30-1) and Rattle N Roll (Connect) (30-1).

The post Zandon Tabbed as 3-1 Kentucky Derby ML Favorite from Post 10 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights