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Less than four months after being seriously injured in a frightening on-track accident, jockey Dylan Davis' comeback is in full swing at Gulfstream Park.View the full article

In a thrilling stretch duel, Class President was able to fend off Silent Tactic to win the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park March 1 in his first start around two turns.View the full article

In a display of heart and determination, Explora secured her first graded stakes win of 2026 in the $750,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park, earning 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. View the full article

weather lead up actually looks like some summer weather!!!   would it be to much to hope for a 'good' track  

It was desperately close on the wire, but the stewards did confirm that Class President (Uncle Mo) and the evergreen John Velazquez denied an equally game Silent Tactic (Tacitus) to win the GII Rebel Stakes. The son of the late, great Uncle Mo debuted in December for Todd Pletcher, and comfortably handled that maiden field by 3 1/4 lengths. He was last seen Jan. 31 finishing second in the Swale Stakes to MSW & GSP Solitude Dude (Yaupon), who went on from that race to close the trifecta in the GII Fountain of Youth Feb. 28. In no rush early as Litmus Test (Nyquist) went out to lead through an opening quarter in :23.06 and a half-mile in :46.62, positions had not changed much after six panels in 1:11.77. As they went into the far turn, ranks tightened through the bend and Class President was looming the danger as that pacesetter folded along the rail when they arrived at the head of affairs. Fighting off that longtime leader, but with Silent Tactic now the danger to his outside, Class President courageously met the challenge late to get his head down just in time. Litmus Test rank on well for third. The final time was 1:43.21. Class President takes home 50 Kentucky Derby points with his victory here.   Sunday, Oaklawn Park REBEL S.-GII, $1,000,000, Oaklawn, 3-1, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.21, ft. 1–CLASS PRESIDENT, 119, c, 3, by Uncle Mo                 1st Dam: Top Quality (SW & GSP-Can, MSW-USA,                                  $139,704), by Quality Road                 2nd Dam: Lemon Bay, by Bernardini                 3rd Dam: Sweet Fervor, by Seeking the Gold    1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-WinStar Farm, LLC, First Go Racing and CHC, Inc.; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $540,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $593,700. *1/2 to American Speed (More Than Ready), SP, $163,910. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click    for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.    Click for free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Silent Tactic, 124, c, 3, Tacitus–Magical Sign, by Gun Runner. ($60,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT; $500,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR). O-John C. Oxley; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $180,000. 3–Litmus Test, 121, c, 3, Nyquist–Study Hard, by Malibu Moon. ($875,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $90,000. Margins: NO, 5 1/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 8.50, 3.60, 1.50. Also Ran: Blackout Time, Soldier N Diplomat, Strategic Risk, Honey's to Blame, Rancho Santa Fe, Time for Music. Scratched: Bravaro. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Two Turn Tradition: Class President Takes Rebel Vote At Oaklawn appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Within the industry, TSG is currently getting batted around like a pinata, and many of the company's woes are self-inflicted. In recent years TSG has pulled the plug on racing at Portland Meadows and Golden Gate Fields,  and in many aspects is leaving Maryland racing in a worse-off state than when the company acquired Pimlico and Laurel 15 years ago. TSG is also currently embroiled in a controversial “decoupling” attempt in Florida to sever its live racing obligation from its casino privileges at Gulfstream Park. And just last week, TSG was instrumental in lobbying for the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to deny permits for two geographically distant Northern California fairs to conduct short race meets in 2026 out of concern that the TSG-owned Santa Anita Park, which has been financially strained in recent seasons, would suffer because of lost simulcasting revenue. At that Feb. 27 CHRB meeting, the board's vice-chair, Oscar Gonzales, openly questioned why other commissioners were deferring to the TSG-backed plan to consolidate all of California's racing in the Southern part of the state, where Santa Anita tenuously remains the flagship track. “We see what [TSG has] done in Maryland,” Gonzales said. We see what they're doing in Florida. But we're willing to put all of our chips [in SoCal, essentially on Santa Anita] rather than spreading them out?” The number of GI Kentucky Derby starters who went on to compete in the Preakness began to really tail off around the same time TSG took over Maryland racing in 2011. That decline is certainly not the outright fault of TSG. It is actually more attributable to the “less is more” training methodology that has cycled into vogue over the past several decades. But it did happen during TSG's stewardship of Maryland racing. Historically, the resilient Preakness has been able to overachieve by making the most out of being an “event” as much as a horse race. And in all fairness, even if you didn't like some of the company's specific ideas, TSG did try to capitalize on and boost the entertainment aspect of the Preakness as best as it could. At the moment, the legacy of the Preakness under TSG spans roughly from Kegasus (the beer-swilling centaur mascot who was introduced just before TSG took control of Pimlico and Laurel in 2011) to the cryptocurrency craze that spawned TSG's issuance of Preakness-themed non-fungible tokens in 2021 (a highly speculative collectibles concept that few people in the racing world understood before the marketplace for them completely cratered within a year). But now it looks like we'll have to leave room in the record books to see whether the 2026 Preakness attendance cap of 4,800 needs to have its own unique chapter written up in better-than-expected terms, or if the idea fizzles to the point where it's just a footnote describing a dubious move at a precarious time for the Preakness.   The post The 4800 Preakness Cap is Low. Should Expectations Be Even Lower? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Aaron Bidlake admits he has always been a dreamer and this Saturday he is hoping one dream can turn into reality when his smart three-year-old Tulsa King (NZ) (Staphanos) lines-up in the Gr.1 HKJC World Pool New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie. The Hastings horseman has long held aspirations of competing in the $1.25 million Classic, and later this week he will realise that ambition when he treks north with his diminutive gelding, who he bought online for just $1,500. The son of Staphanos, who barely reaches 15 hands, failed to flatter in his first two starts for former trainer Barry Donoghue as a two-year-old, beating just one runner home on debut at Trentham last May before finishing last at Te Rapa a fortnight later. Tulsa King was subsequently offered on gavelhouse.com, and after some analysis, Bidlake thought he was worth a gamble, and he faced minimal opposition in the online auction, with his $1,500 bid securing the gelding, who he syndicated amongst family and friends. “He had two starts up north with Barry Donoghue and didn’t show a lot, but I had looked at his trials and I liked the way he trialled up,” Bidlake said. “He was obviously a very small horse, so he didn’t really suit the selling market, so they decided to move him on and we managed to get him for next to nothing.” While diminutive in stature, Bidlake said Tulsa King had a presence about him from day one, and he thought he had something special on his hands, which was vindicated with a first-up victory at New Plymouth in September, with his $23,000 winning stake more than recouping his purchase price. Well and truly in the green on the gelding, Bidlake began to dream big, and decided to set a path towards the Derby with his stable newcomer. “Right from the day we got him I just loved his attitude,” Bidlake said. “He was a little shit when he arrived, trying to front foot me after about five minutes, and I thought he had a bit of something about him. “We didn’t really know what we had racing-wise, I had galloped him on our plough at home, but then he had that first raceday start for us and just ran away from them. We were no chance at the 600m and then won by a length. We knew we had something special then. “Once he did that at New Plymouth, I thought let’s map out some sort of plan to get to a Derby. His pedigree suggests that he was going to get over a bit of ground. “My theory is that every boy that comes into the stable is a Derby horse and every filly is an Oaks horse. I am a bit of a dreamer. You aim high and if you get halfway, you aren’t doing too bad.” While he was unplaced in his next two starts, Tulsa King secured black type at Otaki in November when runner-up in an action-packed Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m). Bidlake then cast his eye north, lining Tulsa King up at Rotorua before heading to Ellerslie, the home of the Derby, where he proved his Wellington Stakes result was no fluke when filling the same position in the Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m). “It (Gingernuts Salver) was a great run,” Bidlake said. “I didn’t watch a lot of the races that day, I stayed with my horse, but everybody said he was the only horse on the day to make up ground down on the inside. That got us excited going forward, so since then it has been maintenance and trying to look after him to get him there (Derby).” Bidlake elected to remain in the Central Districts for Tulsa King’s final lead-in run, opting to contest last month’s Wairoa Cup (2100m) at Waipukurau, a race C’est La Guerre (NZ) (Shinko King) won on his way to taking out the 2008 edition of the New Zealand Derby. “I am quite a big form analyst, I go through previous seasons and see how to get there (Derby),” Bidlake said. “Obviously we are doing things a little bit differently to others, and that is just because of travelling from the Central Districts. “We have made one trip north and have just stuck to home trying to save him for the Derby. “He ran in the Wairoa Cup, which was the same race C’est La Guerre won, but I don’t know if there are too many horses who actually had their lead-up run at Waipukurau to try and win a Derby.” Tulsa King was met by a Heavy8 track at Waipukurau, and while he didn’t manage to win the race, Bidlake was happy enough with his fourth placed run. “I think he has handled the Heavy track, he has just ended up on the inside,” Bidlake said. “Sectionally he was really good up until that last 200m and that is when he came down to the very inside and he has battled in that last bit. “When you are in an Open Handicap field, and you are only a one-win three-year-old, everything was up against him, but he was still close enough to some pretty handy horses. I am really happy.” Tulsa King has been ridden by Samantha Collett in his last two starts, but with the northern hoop committed to riding last-start Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) winner That’s Gold (Lucky Vega) in the Derby, Bidlake has called on the services of senior hoop Jonathan Riddell, who rode Jimmy Choux (NZ) (Thorn Park) to victory in the Derby 15 years ago for fellow Hastings trainer John Bary. Riddell sat on Tulsa King for the first time last week and Bidlake said he received positive feedback following his piece of work at Waipukurau. “It was his first feel of him, and he said ‘I know he is a small horse, but he doesn’t feel small, he rides so much bigger than he is’,” Bidlake said. “He is healthy and happy, so I am happy heading into Saturday.” Bidlake and Tulsa King will begin their journey north on Friday, stopping the night in Cambridge with good friend Shaun Phelan before heading to Ellerslie on raceday. Bidlake can’t wait for the big day and said he is excited about his gelding’s chances. “It is really exciting, we are only small players and only work a handful of horses,” he said. “I have had a bit of success as a jumps trainer and a couple of other handy flat horses, but to get a good three-year-old is great. I have always thought that the Derby was the ultimate goal, so to finally be getting one there is a great thrill.” Tulsa King will have an army of supporters barracking for him, with many of his owners set to be trackside on Saturday to cheer home their charge. “A lot of my family are involved in the horse,” Bidlake said. “Barry and Teresa are my Uncle and Aunty, who are up in Hamilton. Barry has raced a few horses with me over the years, he is right into the game. “Mum and Dad have got a small share in him with some friends of theirs, and there are about 12 people in the Grassroots Racing Kings Syndicate. They are all extremely excited and I think most of them are going to make their way up to Ellerslie to enjoy the day. “It (Champions Day) is developing into the biggest day in New Zealand racing, so to be a part of it with what I think is a realistic chance is great.” View the full article

Westport noms generally much better than xmas, but sometimes that dont always transform into field sizes but 15 for the main race for pacers, no other meet in Canterbury for the week,maybe come xmas might make sense if powers that be take note when scheduling same as the Banks Peninsula  programme, Westport incidentally have same numbers nominated as 2 meetings up North,