HorseRacingNation.com NewsWire

Brookdale Farm: Home of Arch's Gal Edith, dam of I'll Have Another

Tue, 29 May 2012 08:28:28 GMT

In any given year, there are thousands of Thoroughbreds born in Central Kentucky. Out of them, some will win allowance and claiming races, some others will win stakes races and a few others will win graded stakes races. However, only one will win the Kentucky Derby.

Just a few years ago, you might have driven past any Central Kentucky Thoroughbred farm and you would have seen fields filled with mares and foals. They all look so cute, running around and playing with the other foals and their moms. What you don't see, what you don't know, however, is what lies in their future, as one of them, if everything lines up right, j

Road to the Kentucky Derby – 10 to Watch - Gemologist

Fri, 04 May 2012 05:09:35 GMT

Churchill Downs (May 4, 2012) – The time has finally arrived. We’re just one day away from the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby and it is a beautiful day at Churchill as this is being written.

No question, the excitement is building. The field is set. Trainers are making their final preparations and the horses are in their stalls relaxing for one more day and night before the big race.

So, with that in mind, it seemed appropriate to write the final Road to the Kentucky Derby – 10 to Watch article while sitting at Churchill Downs just a few hours away from post time for the Kentucky Oaks and on the eve of the Derby.

Please note that these are not in the order of any predicted finish. They are in an order based on their race history and a “gut feel.” Tomorrow we’ll see how close the list is to the order of finish.

For Reference: Derby History Finishes

Road to the Derby: 10 to watch

1. Gemologist

Pedigree: Tiznow-Crystal Shard, by Mr. Prospector

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: Javier Castellano

Owner: WinStar Farm

Career Record: 5 S

Dullahan cruises to Blue Grass Stakes victory at Keeneland

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 13:55:06 GMT

With powerful closing strides, Dullahan came from 10-lengths back, ran down 1.20-to-1 favorite Hansen and cruised to a 1-1/4-length victory in the 88th running of the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) in front of a record crowd of 40,617 at Keeneland on Saturday, April 14, 2012.

The win for the Dale Romans-trained Dullahan was a bit of redemption, as the three-year old colt had finished fourth behind Hansen in the 2011 Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November at Churchill.

But, this day belonged to Dullahan, who is out of Even The Score-Mining My Own, by Smart Strike (Can) colt. Dullahan will now head to Churchill once again, this time for the Kentucky Derby, which will be run May 5 at Churchill. Interestingly, Dullahan who is a half brother to 2009 Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird.

"He did everything that a good horse has to do to win," said Romans, who had just won his first Blue Grass Stakes. "When it’s time to accelerate, (jockey Kent Desormeaux) had enough horse to split through. He gets the job done. He’s just a sp

Hansen faces big test in Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on Saturday

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:57:26 GMT

Reigning two-year-old champion Hansen faces a major test this Saturday at Keeneland in the 88th running of the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes.

While he already has enough stakes earnings to give him a spot in the Kentucky Derby on May 5 at Churchill, his connections – owner Dr. Kendall Hansen and Skychai Racing, trainer Mike Maker and jockey Ramon Dominguez, are going to give the three-year-old colt one more major prep race before the big day on the first Saturday in May.

According to the Keeneland press release, morning-line maker Mike Battaglia has installed Hansen as the 6-to-5 morning-line favorite for the 1-1/8-mile race, which will be contested on the main Polytrack.

Hansen has won on Polytrack before, most recently the Kentucky Cup Juvenile at Turfway Park last September. The Blue Grass will be his first race on the surface since that race.

Hansen finished last year with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill, which earned him the Eclipse Award as two-year-old champion.

So far this year, Hansen finished seco

Road to the Kentucky Derby – 10 to Watch (No. 3)

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 07:03:43 GMT

We’re now just four weeks away from this year’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 5, 2012 and a lot has changed since the last edition of “Road to the Derby: 10 to Watch," thanks to a number of Derby prep races now in the books. So, who’s moved up and who’s moved down?

First and foremost, Gemologist put on a great showing in last weekend's Wood Memorial, which put him into the top spot on the list.

Meanwhile, Union Rags, who finished third in the Florida Derby two weeks ago, only drops one spot because he's still one of the best three-year olds out there and because, once again, he had another bad trip around the track. Hopefully, he can get a clean run in the Derby.

Also moving up on the list is I'll Have Another, who put on a strong showing in winning the Santa Anita Derby.

Other horses still sitting in the top 5 are Hansen, who has a big race this weekend that will go a long way in determining his three-year old abilities, while Creative Cause dropped a little because of his second place finish in the Santa Anita Derby.

So, what are th

Keeneland 2012 Spring Meet Preview

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:40:35 GMT

It's spring time in Central Kentucky. The sun is shining. Temperatures have finally gotten back to normal – mid 60s to low 70s daily – and life is good.

That all changes tomorrow, Friday, April 6, however, as life gets even better.

Why you ask?

Because Keeneland, which was recently rated as the No. 1 Thoroughbred Track in North America for the fourth-consecutive year by The Horseplayers Association of North America, begins its Spring Meet, which for Lexington and surrounding area residents, means its an unofficial day of hookey from work.

During the 15 day Keeneland meet, which officially runs from April 6 to April 27, there will be 16 stakes races – 15 of them graded stakes races – all worth $3.635 million. Included in those 16 stakes races is one of the biggest Kentucky Derby prep races on the Derby Trail on April 14 – the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1).

Things get started this Friday, April 13th, with the running of the $100,000 Transylvania Stakes (G3), a 1-1/16th-mile race for three-year olds. Then, on Saturday, it is 75th running o

Road to the Kentucky Derby – 10 to Watch (No. 2)

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:07:01 GMT

We’re only eight weeks away from this year’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 5, 2012 and most of the top three-year old Thoroughbreds have now taken to the track at least once this year.

As a result, the field is slowly beginning to take shape.

There are a few changes in this week’s “Road to the Derby: 10 to Watch” as a result of this past week’s races.

Dropping out of the list is Sabercat, a horse I thought had a lot of potential, but finished a very disappointing eighth in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn.

New to the list is Secret Circle, who looked very impressive in winning the Rebel, which now gives trainer Bob Baffert two horses on this list.

In addition, Gemologist gets an honorable mention on this list with his win in an allowance race at Gulfstream last week. We’ll have to wait and see how he does in a stakes race before we move him up or down from there.

So, as mentioned last week… Keeping in mind I'm not an expert like one of my favorite writers, Steve Haskin of BloodHorse, let's continue to have some fun for the next few

Fortunate Prospect – The Passing of an Old Friends' Legend

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:49:21 GMT

Fortunate Prospect, the oldest thoroughbred retiree at Old Friends, a thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky., was euthanized at the farm on Thursday, March 15, 2012, due to complications of old age. He was a young 31.

Fortunate Prospect, whose nickname on the farm was Grandpa, was born in Florida on February 24, 1981, and became a top sprinter and broodmare sire during his lifetime.

“Grandpa was our oldest retiree and one of our flagship residents,” said Michael Blowen, president and founder of Old Friends. “He was incredibly gentle and was beloved by everyone at Old Friends and by every visitor. He was the kindest, sweetest stallion we've ever had, and he will be greatly missed."

In his racing career, Fortunate, who was out of Northern Prospect-Fortunate Bid, by Lucky Debonair, was a graded-stakes winning sprinter. He had 13 wins in 39 career starts, five seconds, three thirds and $439,875 in earnings.

His top victories included the San Vicente Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita, the Equus Handicap, which he won two times at Gulfst

Road to the Derby – 10 to watch

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:25:22 GMT

With just eight weeks left before the Kentucky Derby, it's time to start looking at some of the three-year-old Thoroughbreds that have a shot at winning the race at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 5, 2012.

While it is still early, the field of horses is slowly beginning to unfold. Still there are no dominant horses out there, like a Secretariat, Big Brown, or even an Uncle Mo, taking the field by storm.

There are a number of horses, however, that are beginning to show good form.

Plus, there’s a potential duo in Union Rags and Hansen that could, maybe, just maybe, if we're lucky, remind us of the days of Affirmed and Alydar. But, that's just a dream. We'll have to wait a while to see what the reality turns out to be in May.

Until then, there are still a number of big stakes races that need to be run before the field of 20 will to come together.

In addition, between now and then, there will be other top contenders that will drop off the Kentucky Derby trail, due to injury or other circumstances.

One such horse is Algorithms, who would have been

Kentucky State Senate votes down expanding gambling

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 04:54:49 GMT

Once again, the Kentucky State Senate, under the leadership of Sen. President David Williams, found a way to deny the citizens of Kentucky a chance to vote for an expanded gambling bill that would help the states' horse racing industry.

In a 21-16 vote on the Senate floor on Thursday, Feb. 23, the Republican-controlled Kentucky Senate killed the proposed bill that would have let citizens of the state to vote on a constitutional amendment in November that would have allowed casino wagering in the state.

Sen. Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) had crossed party lines to work with Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear to help put the bill together.

However, according to a Thoroughbred Times article on Thursday, Feb. 23, “Sen. President David Williams (R-Burkesville), who lost a lopsided gubernatorial election to Beshear in November, again led the charge against the bill. The signs were ominous when Thayer said he would have preferred to delay Thursday’s vote, but it was clear that there were not enough votes in support of passing over the issue to another d