Tag: Racing

Derby Week Stakes Races Taking Shape At Churchill Downs

Seventeen stakes races cumulatively worth purses of $9.78 million are on tap for Kentucky Derby Week at Churchill Downs, which runs Tuesday, Sept. 1 through Saturday, Sept. 5. The spectacular week of racing, headlined by the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) on Sept. 5 and $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) on Sept. 4, will feature 14 graded stakes events.

Here's a look at some of the known early probable entrants, according to assistant racing secretary and stakes coordinator Dan Bork:

$115,000 Champion's Day Marathon Overnight Stakes presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (Entries taken Friday, race Tuesday, Sept. 1) – Probable: Eskenforit (trainer Steve Margolis).

$150,000 Unbridled Sidney (Entries taken Saturday, race Wednesday, Sept. 2) – Bye Bye J (Steve Asmussen); Change of Control (Michelle Lovell); Dixieincandyland (Eddie Kenneally); Stonewood (Carlo Vaccarezza); Tomlin (Mike Stidham); and Violent Times (Ralph Nicks).

$200,000 Pocahontas (GII) (Entries taken Sunday, race Thursday, Sept. 1) – Alexandria (Tim Hamm); Crazy Beautiful (Kenny McPeek); Dream Quist (McPeek); Girl Daddy (Dale Romans); Trip to Seoul (James Chapman); and Xtrema (Keith Desormeaux).

$115,000 Opening Verse Overnight Stakes (Entries taken Sunday, race Thursday, Sept. 1) – Crafty Daddy (Kenny McPeek); Cullum Road (Ignacio Correas IV); Hembree (Mike Maker); and Mr. Misunderstood (Brad Cox). Possible: Set Piece (Brad Cox).

$300,000 Eight Belles presented by TwinSpires.com (GII) (Entries taken Monday, Race Friday, Sept. 4) – Four Graces (Ian Wilkes); Mundaye Call (Brad Cox); and Sconsin (Greg Foley). Possible: Ocean Breeze (Wayne Catalano).

$300,000 Edgewood presented by Forcht Bank (GII) (Entries taken Monday, Race Friday, Sept. 4) – Beguiled (Phil D'Amato); Lucky Betty (Will VanMeter); Outburst (Eddie Kenneally); and Sharing (Graham Motion).

$250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint presented by Sysco (GII) (Entries taken Monday, Race Friday, Sept. 4) – Archidust (Steve Asmussen); Carotari (Bryan Lynch); Chaps (Eddie Kenneally); Chief Cicatriz (Shawn Davis); Diamond Oops (Patrick Biancone); Extravagant Kid (Brendan Walsh); Tell Your Daddy (Neil Pessin); Tiger Blood (Mike Maker); and Well Labeled (Larry Rivelli).

$400,000 Alysheba presented by Sentient Jet (GII) (Entries taken Monday, Race Friday, Sept. 4) – By My Standards (Bret Calhoun); Hence (Jack Sisterson); Owendale (Brad Cox); and Silver Dust (Bret Calhoun).

$1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (GI) (Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, Race Saturday, Sept. 5) – Bowies Hero (Phil D'Amato); Digital Age (Chad Brown); Factor This (Brad Cox); Mr Dumas (Mike Maker); Parkland (Carlo Vaccarezza); Sacred Life (Chad Brown); Somelikeithotbrown (Maker); and Spectacular Gem (Jimmy Baker).

$500,000 La Troienne presented by Oak Grove Racing & Gaming (GI) (Entries taken Monday, Race Friday, Sept. 4) – Lady Kate (Eddie Kenneally); Monomoy Girl (Brad Cox); Saracosa (Cipriano Contreras); and She's a Julie (Steve Asmussen). Possible: Vexatious (Jack Sisterson).

$500,000 Derby City Distaff presented by Derby City Gaming (GI) (Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, Race Saturday, Sept. 5) – Bell's the One (Neil Pessin); Mia Mischief (Steve Asmussen); Sally's Curlin (Dale Romans); Serengeti Empress (Tom Amoss); and Wildwood's Beauty (Scott Becker).

$500,000 Longines Distaff Turf Mile (GII) (Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, Race Saturday, Sept. 5) – Beau Recall (Brad Cox); Belle Laura (Juan Avila); Daddy is a Legend (Rusty Arnold); Juliet Foxtrot (Brad Cox); and Newspaperofrecord (Chad Brown). Possible: She'sonthewarpath (Steve Margolis).

$500,000 American Turf presented by Smithfield (GII) (Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, Race Saturday, Sept. 5) – Fancy Liquor (Mike Maker); Field Pass (Maker); King Theo (Carlo Vaccarezza); Mr. Big News (Bret Calhoun); Sugoi (Mike Tomlinson); and Vanzzy (Mike Pino). Possible: South Bend (Bill Mott).

$500,000 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU (GII) (Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, Race Saturday, Sept. 5) – Cezanne (Bob Baffert); Echo Town (Steve Asmussen); Liam's Pride (Doug O'Neill); Shashashakemeup (Keith Desormeaux); and Sonneman (Steve Asmussen). Possible: Attachment Rate (Dale Romans); Rushie (Michael McCarthy); South Bend (Bill Mott); and Taishan (Richard Baltas).

$200,000 Iroquois presented by Ford (GIII) (Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, Race Saturday, Sept. 5) – Belafonte (Tom Humphries); Drop Anchor (Kenny McPeek); Pico D'Oro (Bill Morey); Sittin On Go (Dale Romans); Super Stock (Steve Asmussen); Therideofalifetime (Ignacio Correas IV); and Ultimate Badger (Romans).

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American Pharoah Documentary ‘Born to Run’ Premieres Sunday on NBC

Nearly five years ago, on Oct. 31, 2015, American Pharoah raced for the last time, winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic by 6½-lengths at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. “A Triple Crown winner, a Breeders' Cup winner, a horse of a lifetime,” exclaimed NBC Sports’ race caller Larry Collmus.

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Champion Maximum Security Back Out Front In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

Champion Maximum Security asserted his class when he captured the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on August 22, an effort that has once again moved the son of New Year's Day to the head of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.

In earning his tenth career triumph and fourth top-level victory, Maximum Security secured 16 first-place votes and 343 points to take the lead in the poll for the first time since March 2. The 4-year-old bay colt has won both of his starts since being transferred to the barn of Bob Baffert having previously annexed the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on July 25 in his first start under the care of the Hall of Fame trainer.

“He was a totally different horse today,” Baffert told the Del Mar publicity team after the Pacific Classic. He (jockey Abel Cedillo) got to know 'Max' last time and I'm happy for him. (Maximum Security) just does things effortlessly. He wasn't even blowing when he came back. I'm just so happy for this horse. It's not his fault what he went through. Today he showed that he is a great horse.”

With Maximum Security taking over the top spot, fellow multiple Grade 1-winner Vekoma drops one position to No. 2 with 8 first-place votes and 297 points. Tom's d'Etat (3 first-place votes, 250 points) is now third followed by Grade 1 Whitney Stakes-winner Improbable (232 points) in fourth.

Top sophomore Tiz the Law (11 first-place votes, 228 points) remains in fifth, just ahead of champion distaffer Midnight Bisou in sixth with 204 points. Zulu Alpha (109 points) ranks seventh while the Chad Brown-trained Rushing Fall (102 points) jumps up three spots to eighth on the strength of her triumph in the Grade 1 Diana Stakes on August 23.

Champion Monomoy Girl (1 first-place vote and 96 points) and By My Standards (81 points) round out the top 10.

With the September 5 Kentucky Derby less than two weeks away, Belmont and Travers Stakes hero Tiz the Law remains the leader in the NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Poll with 39 first-place votes and 390 points.

Blue Grass Stakes winner Art Collector remains in second with 320 points followed by Honor A. P. (274 points) and fellow Grade 1 winner Authentic (249).

After being tied for the fifth spot last week, Gamine now owns that position outright with 207 points – one point more than her expected Kentucky Oaks rival Swiss Skydiver (206). Thousand Words (138 points) holds in seventh with King Guillermo (102), Ny Traffic (77) and Travers runner-up Caracaro (60) completing the top 10.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in both the Top Three-Year-Old Poll and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through the conclusion of the Breeders' Cup in November.

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