Tag: kentucky oaks

Blue Grass a Possibility for Swiss Skydiver

Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) has been nominated for both the GI Central Bank Ashland S. and GII Toyota Blue Grass S., both to be run July 11 at Keeneland, and trainer Ken McPeek said he will give strong consideration to both races for his 3-year-old filly.

“I’ll probably run her in the Ashland, but there are a lot of things to consider,” McPeek said. “For one, I have another nice filly for the Ashland in Envoutante (Uncle Mo). With all these 3-year-old races being run around the same time, I’d imagine the field for the Blue Grass will be a little diluted. There’s also the weights. She carried 124 in her last start (win in the GII Santa Anita Oaks) and she’d only have to carry 118 if she were to go in the Blue Grass. Most of the colts in the race are going to have to jump up in weight. Who’s to say how much of a factor that would be. A filly has never won the Blue Grass so it would be a nice achievement.”

Other factors include the purses of each race and their grades. The Blue Grass is a $600,000 race but a Grade II. The Ashland purse is $400,000 and the race is a Grade I.

“Winning a Grade I is important with a filly,” McPeek said. Swiss Skydiver has won three graded races but has yet to notch a Grade I victory.

McPeek said he will not make his decision until the day of entry and will keep an eye on what horses are going in each race.

“We’ll do our research and figure it out,” he said. “An old-timer once told me don’t make an important decision until you absolutely have to. If there’s going to be 14 in the Blue Grass and just six or seven in the Ashland we’ll probably go in the Ashland. If the size of both fields is going to be about the same we can wait and make our decision when it is time to enter.”

A start in the Blue Grass could open up the doors for additional starts against males for Swiss Skydiver. A win would give her 100 Kentucky Derby points, more than enough to get into the field for what will be the second leg of the Triple Crown this year. Swiss Skydiver is nominated to the Triple Crown.

After showing little in her first two starts this year, Swiss Skydiver won the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks by 3 1/4 lengths and followed that with a win in the GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn. With Mike Smith aboard, she won the Santa Anita Oaks by four lengths.

The post Blue Grass a Possibility for Swiss Skydiver appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Baffert May Ship Gamine East Again To Prep For Kentucky Oaks

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was pleasantly surprised to see Gamine bounce out of her sensational 18 3/4-length domination of the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes on June 20 as quickly as she did.

Baffert, a five-time winner of the one-turn mile event at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., said the Grade 1, $1.25-million Kentucky Oaks on September 4 at Churchill Downs is the long-term goal for the Into Mischief bay, but that he would like to race once more before the prestigious event with a trip to Saratoga a possibility for his filly. The nine-furlong, Grade 1, $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks is slated for July 18 at Saratoga.

Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, Gamine arrived at the Acorn off a win on debut at Santa Anita and a two-turn victory against winners at Oaklawn Park.

“For as fast as she ran, she looks really good,” Baffert said. “It really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be on her. After the Oaklawn race she came back and was a little light on me, but this time she came back looking really well. So we're excited about her. I haven't really thought of a next race for her. I'd like to find one race before the Kentucky Oaks, I just don't know yet. I may have to come back to Saratoga.”

Gamine earned 50 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Oaks following an Acorn win and is currently No. 12 on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard.

Bred in Kentucky by Grace Thoroughbred Holdings, Gamine was purchased for $1.8 million from the Fasig-Tipton Mid Atlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale last May. She is out of the stakes-placed Kafwain broodmare Peggy Jane.

The post Baffert May Ship Gamine East Again To Prep For Kentucky Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Kentucky Governor Approves Churchill’s Plan For Spectators To Attend Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby

Churchill Downs Racetrack announced that after consultation with Gov. Andy Beshear and state public health officials the 146th runnings of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve and Longines Kentucky Oaks will occur with spectators under strict guidelines.

Kentucky Derby Week will be held Sept. 1-5 with the Oaks on Friday, Sept. 4 and the Derby on Saturday, Sept. 5.

“We truly appreciate the leadership of the Governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, and all of the hard work, collaboration and guidance that state and local officials and public health experts have provided us to safely and responsibly host Kentucky Derby Week in September with spectators,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery. “Our team is deeply committed to holding the very best Kentucky Derby ever, and we will take all necessary steps to protect the health and safety of all who attend and participate in the Derby. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have established a comprehensive set of operating procedures, which include a multitude of precautionary measures to be followed while fans are in attendance at our facility. We are determined to keep our customers, employees and communities as safe as we responsibly can.”

Churchill Downs' plan was developed in conjunction with advice and counsel set forth by the Louisville Metro Health Department and Kentucky's Healthy at Work guidance. Some of the steps that will be taken to ensure guest and employee safety include:

· Venue capacity reductions to limit overall crowd density, including general admission, outdoor reserved seating, premium dining and suites. More information on ticketing and seating areas will be released in the coming days and also will be sent directly to ticket holders.

· General admission tickets will be limited to a specified number and only grant access to the infield. No general admission will be allowed in the “front side” or paddock areas of the facility.

· Access throughout the facility will be severely limited.

· Credentials for employees, media and guests will be reduced.

· Barn area access will be restricted to essential personnel. Guests and parties in the barn area for morning workouts and during race days will be eliminated.

· Changes in venue operations to limit person-to-person touchpoints.

· Team member protocols established to protect employees and guests.

· A revised Fan Code of Conduct that establishes expectations for guests coming to the Derby.

o Guests will be consistently and frequently encouraged to wear a mask at all times unless seated in their reserved seat or venue. This includes when:

§ Riding on a shuttle

§ Traveling through the venue

§ Going to the restroom

§ Placing an in-person wager

§ Purchasing food or beverages from a concession stand

o Guests will be asked to wash their hands for 20 seconds or sanitize them frequently.

o Guests will be encouraged to socially distance themselves from others when possible.

More detailed and additional information will be provided in the coming days online at www.KentuckyDerby.com/Updates.

“The impact of the Kentucky Derby extends well beyond the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs,” Flanery said. “It is an incredibly important time for the City of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky both culturally, economically and with respect to our time-honored traditions. Both employees and guests are asked to take an active role in following all guidelines. We must all do our part to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience.”

Tickets purchased for the originally scheduled Kentucky Derby Week dates are automatically valid for the new race dates. Guests may arrive on the new dates in September with their printed ticket or mobile ticket to be scanned for entry at the gates. Guests that have purchased a ticket and are not able to attend the newly scheduled race dates, can visit www.KentuckyDerby.com/TicketStatus for more information. Guests who purchased tickets from a vendor or secondary market website other than Churchill Downs, Ticketmaster.com or Derby Experiences must contact those sites directly. Churchill Downs is unable to process refunds for those tickets.

The post Kentucky Governor Approves Churchill’s Plan For Spectators To Attend Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Kentucky Derby, Oaks Will Have Spectators

After consultation with Gov. Andy Beshear and state public health officials, Churchill Downs announced Thursday that the 146th running of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks will occur with spectators under strict guidelines.

Kentucky Derby Week will be held Sept. 1-5 with the Oaks taking place Friday, Sept. 4 and the Derby Saturday, Sept. 5.

“We truly appreciate the leadership of the Governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, and all of the hard work, collaboration and guidance that state and local officials and public health experts have provided us to safely and responsibly host Kentucky Derby Week in September with spectators,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery. “Our team is deeply committed to holding the very best Kentucky Derby ever, and we will take all necessary steps to protect the health and safety of all who attend and participate in the Derby. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have established a comprehensive set of operating procedures, which include a multitude of precautionary measures to be followed while fans are in attendance at our facility. We are determined to keep our customers, employees and communities as safe as we responsibly can.”

Churchill Downs’s plan was developed in conjunction with advice and counsel set forth by the Louisville Metro Health Department and Kentucky’s Healthy at Work guidance. Some of the steps that will be taken to ensure guest and employee safety include:

  • Venue capacity reductions to limit overall crowd density, including general admission, outdoor reserved seating, premium dining and suites. More information on ticketing and seating areas will be released in the coming days and also will be sent directly to ticket holders.
  • General admission tickets will be limited to a specified number and only grant access to the infield. No general admission will be allowed in the “front side” or paddock areas of the facility.
  • Access throughout the facility will be severely limited.
  • Credentials for employees, media and guests will be reduced.
  • Barn area access will be restricted to essential personnel. Guests and parties in the barn area for morning workouts and during race days will be eliminated.
  • Changes in venue operations to limit person-to-person touchpoints.
  • Team member protocols established to protect employees and guests.
  • A revised Fan Code of Conduct that establishes expectations for guests coming to the Derby.
  • Guests will be consistently and frequently encouraged to wear a mask at all times unless seated in their reserved seat or venue.
  • Guests will be asked to wash their hands for 20 seconds or sanitize them frequently.
  • Guests will be encouraged to socially distance themselves from others when possible.

More detailed and additional information will be provided in the coming days online at www.KentuckyDerby.com/Updates.

“The impact of the Kentucky Derby extends well beyond the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs,” Flanery said. “It is an incredibly important time for the City of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky both culturally, economically and with respect to our time-honored traditions. Both employees and guests are asked to take an active role in following all guidelines. We must all do our part to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience.”

The post Kentucky Derby, Oaks Will Have Spectators appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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