Wandering Eyes

Zoulander and Kylie Williams after winning the Bush Inn Tavern Open Sprint (1200m) at Riccarton. Photo: Race Images South Michael and Matthew Pitman’s outstanding carnival continued on Saturday at Riccarton Park, with handy sprinter Zoulander pulling off a tough victory in the Bush Inn Tavern Open Sprint (1200m). The local father-son training partnership collected a myriad of victories and placings through Riccarton Park’s autumn season, and snatched a further four at the final meeting with Star Ballot, Motiontime, Ocean Light and the seasoned son of Zoustar saluting. Zoulander recorded his last success in late February over the course and distance beating subsequent stakes-winner Our Echo, but was among the lesser-rated gallopers in Saturday’s contest sitting a $10.80 chance. In-form race favourites Sassy Merlot ($2.60) and Spartan ($3.10) headed the field as joint-pace makers from the jump, with jockey Kylie Williams hugging the rail aboard Zoulander midfield. As the pressure came on, Spartan led for majority of the long Riccarton straight and continued to fight hard after Zoulander drew level at the 100m, but the Pitman’s charge stuck his neck out and got the victory by a long head, with stablemate Benaud running into third. Southern-based hoop Williams has partnered Zoulander on seven occasions for two victories and two minor placings, and showed clear fondness for the six-year-old post-race. “He’s like your best friend, he’d give you the shirt off his back and he tries all the time,” she said. “Ideally, I didn’t want to be amongst them because he’s not that brave, but today he fought really hard and pushed his way out. “I travelled up quite nicely and so did Amberecho, so I just needed a bit of a gap and he’s come to that horse (Spartan) quite easily. He really wanted to win today.” Zoulander was bred by Gerry Harvey, and was originally purchased by Rogerson Bloodstock for $240,000 at the 2019 National Yearling Sale at Karaka. The six-year-old commenced his career with Team Rogerson, and Graeme Rogerson remained in the ownership when he was transferred to the Pitman’s base in mid-2022, accumulating $149,527 in stakes in total. Progressive sprinter Motiontime continued her affinity with the chute with a second victory at the course under Kavish Chowdhoory, defying her 30/1 odds in the Rating 75 1200m contest. In the final event of the day, Ocean Light was marked higher in the betting at $5.70, and delivered in style with a scorching outside run to claim the Pitman’s fourth win under Lisa Allpress, who also snatched a hattrick in her southern mission. Horse racing news View the full article

English Gambler clearing a hurdle on his way to victory in the Modern Transport Group Hurdle (2800m) at Te Rapa. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Talented hurdler English Gambler extended his impressive front-running record over the fences in Saturday’s Modern Transport Group Hurdle (2800m) at Te Rapa. The Lauren Brennan-trained son of Casino Prince has a reputation for putting a sizable margin on his rivals early, and the restricted-open contest proved no different as he extended his lead to near 20 lengths by the winning post on their first occasion. Regular jockey Hamish McNeill was able to steady the nine-year-old down the back straight, and after resuming a slick pace at the 800m, was too strong and held out a game Mont Ventoux by 1.25 lengths. The victory was English Gambler’s fourth over the hurdles in twelve starts, with his most impressive to date a dominant performance in the open hurdle on Pakuranga Hunt Day last August, warranting his $2.00 favouritism. Cambridge-based Brennan was pleased with the effort post-race, particularly under the 70.5kg top-weight. “His gallops have been really solid and he hasn’t really put a foot wrong,” Brennan said. “He jumped really well today, he hasn’t schooled this time in so that was his first for the whole season. “I wasn’t sure about the weight, I took the saddle back and nearly needed a wheelbarrow, but the horse has been training really well. “Hamish has ridden him enough times that he knows his quirks, and knows what he can and can’t do on him.” English Gambler’s pace in front has also proved his Achilles heel when contesting the longer staying efforts in the likes of the Great Northern Hurdle (4200m), and Brennan indicated she will be wary of that this preparation. “We just take it race by race with him, we know he doesn’t stay much further than 3200m and we want a half-decent track for him. We’ll just see what weather conditions come up and go from there,” she said. “We’ll probably incorporate a few flat runs between jump races, because they’ll probably be few and far between. He can go on the flat over ground.” McNeill has mixed his jumping commitments with riding on the flat in recent seasons, and had plenty of confidence in the gelding’s ability over the shorter distance. “Just look at what he did in the Pakuranga last year, especially over 2800m on a good track,” McNeill said. “He’d switched off by the top of the straight once he’d jumped the first. I was surprised how far they let me get in front when I looked back at the winning post, but he’s a machine of a horse. “The last came up really long, but he took a short one instead of taking off last he did last year. “It’s just a shame he can’t see a trip out, but you never know what could happen this year, he is a year older.” Horse racing news View the full article

Three weeks and a day ago, second-season sire The Autumn Sun didn't have a group 1 winner to his name and, for some, the wait was becoming tense. Now they seem to be dropping like leaves from a tree around this time of year.View the full article

Darwin apprentice Emma Lines (left) and Alice Springs apprentice Dakota Gillett enjoyed success at Pioneer Park in the Red Centre on Sunday. Picture: Nikki Westover Photography The remarkable Desert Lass, arguably Alice Springs’ most popular horse proved once again on Sunday that she is a force over 1400m. Four weeks after finishing as runner-up in the Alice Springs Cup (2000m) for the second straight year, the Carrol Hunter-trained seven-year-old mare proved too good in the Emmie Wehr Memorial BM76 Handicap. It was her fifth win from 14 starts over 1400m, with the daughter of Rock Hero also managing six seconds and a third. Desert Lass, with nine wins and 20 minor placings from 42 starts at Pioneer Park from 1000-2000m, won’t feature at Pioneer Park much longer, with Hunter confirming that retirement beckons at the end of the 2023–24 season. Hunter plans to head north for the Darwin Cup Carnival scheduled for July–August before drawing the final curtain. The mare saluted over 2050m for those who missed a start in the 2022 Darwin Cup for previous trainer Lisa Whittle before finishing sixth in last year’s Darwin Cup (2050m) for Hunter. Jumping from the outside gate (nine) on Sunday, Darwin apprentice Emma Lines had Desert Lass ($7) sitting in fifth place as Befana ($61), Great Buy ($6), That’s Justified ($6), and Flying Yishu ($3.50 fav) – sitting four deep – held sway passing the 800m. There were plenty of chances turning for home, but once leaving the fence, Desert Lass stormed up the middle of the track before overcoming Will Savage’s Fantasy Eagle ($41) and Ray Viney’s in-form Kickatorp ($4) by a length and a half. Fantasy Eagle (Ianish Luximon) was eighth at the 600m before finishing strongly along the rails and fellow backmarker Kickatorp (Jessie Philpot) was unlucky when forced four deep at the 400m, but Lines produced a super ride on the winner. With Desert Lass assigned 60kg, Lines could claim 1.5kg and replaced regular rider Casey Hunter. Dan Morgan’s $1.90 favourite Garrucha (Dakota Gillett) made it back-to-back wins and three wins from his past four starts when he toppled Savage’s Vanderland ($19) by 1.5 lengths after both had shared the early lead over 1100m (0-64) – Morgan’s Arrogant Miss ($9) was third. Greg Connor’s $10 hope Delago Lad (Lek Maloney), who hadn’t won since September, shared the early lead with Whittle’s Il Don Cavallo ($6), who held the fence, over 1200m (BM54) before saluting by 0.8 lengths with Gardner’s Lamoree ($5.50 fav) third. Gary Clarke’s $3.20 favourite Miracoli (Aaron Sweeney) was easily nine lengths adrift of the lead passing the 1100m before making it back to back wins by downing pacemakers – Kerry Petrick’s Princess Pancakes ($4.20) and Paul Gardner’s Better Not Fuss ($21) – by 2.3 lengths over 1600m (0-64). Gardner (19) leap-frogged Petrick (18.5) in the trainers’ premiership when $11 chance Hello Carol (Kyra Yuill) overcame a bout of inconsistency by finishing a length clear over 1100m (Class 2) from Connor’s stablemates Danny Whizzbang ($16), who stormed home, and Quanapirri Bay ($5), who shared the early lead with the winner. Protostar (Dakota Gillett), the $1.80 bookmaker favourite, bombed the start and despite making up considerable ground tired in the home straight to finish seventh. Horse racing news View the full article

What Goulburn Races Where Goulburn Race Club – Racecourse Dr, Goulburn NSW 2580 When Tuesday, May 7, 2024 First Race 12:40pm AEST Visit Dabble Country racing heads to Goulburn on Tuesday afternoon, where a competitive seven-race program awaits punters. The rail is in the true position the entire circuit, and with more rainfall forecast in the lead-up, the Heavy 8 rating at the time of acceptances seems likely to hold for race-day. The opening event is scheduled for 12:40pm AEST. Best Bet at Goulburn: Mountain Chatter Mountain Chatter scored a dominant one-length victory at Canberra on April 12 and appears to have above-average ability. The son of Kermadec was initially dragged back early before making strong inroads to the inside when getting clear thanks to a blistering turn-of-foot. This is much tougher as he steps up to Class 1 company, but with barrier one giving him a similar run throughout the 900m journey, Mountain Chatter can make it back-to-back wins for the John Nisbet barn. Best Bet Race 1 – #4 Mountain Chatter (1) 3yo Gelding | T: John Nisbet | J: Jack Martin (67.5kg) +150 with Neds Next Best: Joyner Joyner caught the eye in a recent jump-out at Canberra on April 19 and looks prepared for a first-up assault. The filly by Denman led all the way in a dominant piece of work under Richard Bensley, going on to score by 3.12 lengths with plenty left in the tank. She’s drawn awkwardly in gate 11, but with good early speed from the jump, watch for Joyner to make every post a winner on debut. Next Best Race 3 – #4 Joyner (11) 3yo Filly | T: Pat Murphy | J: Grant Buckley (57kg) +125 with Neds Best Value: Easement Easement got a pass mark returning from a 206-day spell at Moruya on April 26 and should take major benefit second-up into the campaign. He was well-beaten by 4.6 lengths but was doing his best work late over an unsuitable journey. Getting out to the 1300m still might not be far enough, but with the wet track conditions likely to favour the son of Preferment, the each-way price on offer with online bookmakers is too good to pass up. Best Bet Race 6 – #4 Easement (11) 4yo Gelding | T: Greg Backhouse | J: Alysha Collett (59kg) +150 with Neds Goulburn Monday quaddie tips – May 6, 2024 Goulburn quadrella selections Monday, May 6, 2024 1-2-4-7 1-2-3-4-5-6-10 3-4-6-8-10 1-5-8-14 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Motoring late in the GIII Senorita S. down the Hillside Turf Course at Santa Anita, it was Visually (Enticed–Eye Candy Annie, by Candy Ride {Arg}) who struck the front and won, which handed her sire the first graded stakes race of his career as a stallion. At odds of 17-1, the filly shed the blinkers and settled down the slope looking to make a run from the back of the pack. Jockey Edwin Maldonado gave her the cue after crossing the dirt and she responded with a late turn of foot to win by a length over Rascality (Into Mischief). This was also trainer Librado Barocio's first graded stakes win. Sunday, Santa Anita Park SENORITA S.-GIII, $101,500, Santa Anita, 5-5, 3yo, f, 6 1/2fT, 1:12.91, fm. 1–VISUALLY, 120, f, 3, by Enticed 1st Dam: Eye Candy Annie, by Candy Ride (Arg) 2nd Dam: Annie's Apple, by Shawklit Won 3rd Dam: Maid for Steele, by Rare Performer 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($15,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $23,000 Ylg '22 OBSOCT; $20,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-California Racing Partners, Ciaglia Racing LLC, Fick Brothers Racing Inc., Dario Bernardi, and George P. Monty; B-Thorough Bred by Design LLC (KY); T-Librado Barocio; J-Edwin A. Maldonado. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 9-2-1-2, $139,400. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Rascality, 120, f, 3, Into Mischief–Taking Aim, by Trappe Shot. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($190,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT). O-Legacy Ranch, Inc.; B-KatieRich Farms (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $20,000. 3–Laulne (Fr), 124, f, 3, Starspangledbanner (Aus)–Lady Francesca (GB), by Montjeu (Ire). (€750,000 2yo '23 ARARC). O-Madaket Stables LLC, Panic Stable LLC, Gerard Augustin-Normand, Robert V. LaPenta and William Strauss; B-Franklin Finance S.A. (FR); T-Philip D'Amato. $12,000. Margins: 1, HF, HD. Odds: 17.00, 3.60, 2.70. Also Ran: Girl of My Dreams, Shamrockin, Antifona (Fr), Alluring, Flattery. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Enticed?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Enticed's daughter Visually paints a beautiful picture when winning the G3 Senorita Stakes @santaanitapark! Congratulations to all the connections! https://t.co/TZ7k1bwbS1 — Darley in America (@DarleyAmerica) May 5, 2024 The post Sire Enticed With First Graded Stakes Winner In Senorita S. At Santa Anita appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A hot topic following the May 4 Kentucky Derby (G1) concerns a rough stretch run, specifically, the repeat bumping between drifting-in runner-up Sierra Leone and Japanese invader and third-place Forever Young.View the full article

Led by Peacock, the "Run for the Roses" posted NBC Sports' largest streaming audience for a horse racing event with an Average Minute Audience of 714,000 viewers—nearly doubling last year (371,000).View the full article

Five-pound apprentice J.G. Torrealba, riding in his first full meet in Maryland, won twice on Sunday's closing day card to capture his first career riding title at Laurel Park, while Kieron Magee defended his crown as the meet's leading trainer. Magee was winless with two seconds from four starters on Sunday's program, but held on to earn his second straight spring meet title, 11-10, over Jerry Robb, who had one winner in Sunday's opener. Over the 15-day spring meet, Magee won at least one race nine times, taking over the lead with a stretch of four wins from 11 starters, including doubles Apr. 27 and May 3. “It means a lot. We'll have a little party at the barn for the guys,” Magee said. “It's all due to my help. I have great help, and you have to get lucky with entries and everything else. Everything just sort of fell into place, so we're happy.” Torrealba registered at least one win on 14 of 15 days, including each of the first 13, notching a hat trick Apr. 12 and doubles April 6, 7, 14, 20 and May 3. “I didn't expect it, but we've been working hard and God has blessed me with the talent and the opportunity,” Torrealba said through fellow rider Angel Cruz. “I got here and I've been blessed with a lot of winners. I just want to keep doing what I do best and ride horses.” Torrealba, 22, grew up in Venezuela with no family ties to racing or plans to make his living as a jockey, but fell in love with the sport watching the races and started riding in 2019. With the help of Laurel-based trainer Jose Corrales, Torrealba came to the U.S. in September 2022 and initially landed in Ohio. Torrealba made his U.S. debut last April at Thistledown and rode his first winner the following day. He won 23 of 161 races (14%) and banked $620,669 in purse earnings before heading out west, where he went 3-for-57 at Del Mar's summer stand. Torrealba stayed the fall in Southern California, tying for seventh (from 49 mounts) at Santa Anita and fifth (from 31 mounts) at Del Mar with six wins apiece. Represented by agent Simon Purdy, Torrealba rode his first Maryland races in January at Laurel. He ended the winter meet with the fifth-most winners (19) and sixth-highest earnings ($679,018) from 127 mounts and scored his first career stakes win on Copper Tax in the Mar. 23 Private Terms S. He added a second stakes win aboard Copper Tax in the Federico Tesio S. Apr. 20. “I just want to thank my agent and all the trainers and owners because they give me a chance, and all the jockeys here that help me,” Torrealba said. “I have to thank God and I just want to keep going and keep working hard.” The post Torrealba Earns First Career Riding Title at Laurel appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tom Pedulla writes of five key takeaways from Kentucky Derby weekend.View the full article

NBC Sports' presentation of Saturday's Kentucky Derby averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 16.7 million viewers, the largest Derby audience since 18.5 million viewers watched Sunday Silence's 1989 victory on ABC, according to figures released by the network Sunday. Viewership peaked at 20.1 million viewers from 7-7:15 p.m. ET, as Mystik Dan edged Sierra Leone and Forever Young in the Kentucky Derby's first three-horse photo finish since 1947. Saturday's peak audience was the largest ever for an NBC Sports presentation of the Kentucky Derby. With 16.7 million viewers, the 2024 Kentucky Derby marks a 13% increase from last year's event (14.8 million) and will rank as NBC's most-watched program since the NFL Divisional Playoffs in January. The NBC-TV household rating for the broadcast (6:31-7:24 p.m. ET) was 7.5/27–up 9% from last year. The 27 share is the highest ever for an NBC Sports Kentucky Derby presentation. Led by Peacock, the “Run for the Roses” posted NBC Sports' largest streaming audience for a horse racing event with an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 714,000 viewers–nearly doubling last year (371,000). NBC Sports has averaged 15+ million viewers across all platforms for 11 of the last 15 Kentucky Derby races held in May (2009-2024, excludes 2020 Covid-impacted event which was moved to September). NBC Sports and Churchill Downs Saturday announced an extension to their partnership, with NBC and Peacock continuing to be the media home of the Kentucky Derby through 2032. The post Derby TV Audience Largest Since 1989 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

'TDN Rising Star' Doncho (Mo Town–Sassy Redhead, by Henny Hughes) did not mind a wet surface as the gelding took home his first black-type in the Gold Fever S. during the Belmont at the Big A meet on Sunday afternoon. The dark bay was sent on his way as the 2-1 choice and he vied for the early lead with longshot Buccherino (Bucchero) up the backstretch. Putting away his rival around the far turn, the chalk turned up the heat entering the lane, kicked for home past the eighth pole and won by two lengths over Maximus Meridius (Maximus Mischief). The final running time was 1:09.77. Doncho achieved his 'Rising Star' badge at second asking against optional claimers when he won by 4 1/2 lengths at Fair Grounds Feb. 13. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0. Sales History: $32,000 '22 Ylg KEESEP, $72,000 '23 2yo OBSOPN. O-JAL Racing; B-Susan Young (Ky); T-Michelle Lovell. DONCHO, the 3YO son of @coolmoreamerica stallion Mo Town, wins the Gold Fever Stakes under @jaimetorresjcky for trainer @_MichelleLovell. pic.twitter.com/LrJx9oqt7W — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) May 5, 2024 The post ‘TDN Rising Star’ Doncho Mines First Stakes Win In Gold Fever At Aqueduct appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

According to trainer and co-owner Tim Martin, a necropsy performed on the popular Iowa-bred Tyler's Tribe (Sharp Azteca) revealed that his death was the result of a collapsed trachea. He died following a workout Wednesday at Oaklawn. Martin said that when the trachea collapsed Tyler's Tribe was deprived of air and oxygen, which caused him to die. Martin said the problem with the trachea also explains why Tyler's Tribe had on-going problems with bleeding. The gelding bled in each of his last two starts and also bled in the 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. He was eased in the Breeders' Cup and had to be vanned off the track. “He had a weak trachea and from what I've been told that's why he was bleeding,” he said. “His oxygen was getting shut off and that made him bleed.” Martin said he had Tyler's Tribe scoped as a precautionary measure the day before he worked. “On Tuesday before I worked him, I galloped him and scoped him,” he said. “I brought my vet in to make sure that everything was clean and everything was good so I could work him the next day. He scoped clean. Everything was good. He didn't show any signs of a weak trachea. I've never experienced having a horse with a problem like that. “The exercise rider told me that he breezed good. He worked in :48 and change. Never did he show any signs of having a breathing issue. He never seemed liked he had a problem getting air. Every time he worked he acted liked he had done nothing. But they said he was losing oxygen and that would make him bleed. He pulled up after the work and was on his way back to the barn and then he just fell over.” Of the condition Martin added, “I had never even heard of this. I was told the only way you can detect this is you have to put a tube down their throats. That's news to me. This is a very rare thing, or at least that what I've been told.” After an 11-month layoff, Tyler's Tribe returned in a Mar. 10 allowance race at Oaklawn. He was beaten 20 3/4 lengths and was reported to have bled. “I did everything I could with that horse,” Martin said. “I gave him almost a year off. He is an athlete. If he wanted to run, I was going to go ahead and run him. But we talked about if he couldn't make it back I wasn't going to keep pushing him. We'd make him into a riding horse. That horse meant a lot to us and to a lot of people.” Martin lost another horse on the day after Tyler's Tribe perished. Following a five-furlong workout the gelding Collins (Into Mischief) collapsed and died. Martin said the results of the necropsy on Collins have yet to come in, but he believes the horse died of either a heart attack or an aneurysm. “I can't believe this happened twice to me, back to back,” he said. After the second fatality, the Oaklawn stewards scratched all horses trained by Martin entered to race over the final three days of the meet, which concluded Sunday. “They acted like I committed a big crime,” he said. “I didn't do anything. I know where I stand and what I do. Once I knew they died of natural causes there was nothing to be alarmed about. I've been there 40 years and they're telling me to get my horses off the grounds. What's the old saying, 'guilty until proven innocent?'” Martin has shipped out to Prairie Meadows, which opens Saturday. He said that to the best of his knowledge he will be able to race there. Tyler's Tribe won his first five starts by a combined margin of 59 3/4 lengths, which earned a trip to the Breeders' Cup. He finished last in the Juvenile Turf Sprint and was never again the same. The post Trainer Reveals Tyler’s Tribe Died from a Collapsed Trachea appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Veteran jockey Jon Court rode the final race of his career Sunday afternoon at Oaklawn Park. Court, 63, entered Sunday with 4,263 victories and $114,023,582 in purse earnings in his career, totals that rank 67th and 59th, respectively, in North American history, according to Equibase. “It's time,” Court said moments after his final career stakes mount, Navy Seal, finished fifth in the Arkansas Breeders' Saturday at Oaklawn. “It's something I've been thinking about for a while. People have been asking me a lot. I've had a great 43 years. I'm past the 43-year mark, 44. I've got some kind of cushion and retirement laid out. I've got a real estate license and I've got some other companies that I can work part-time with, doing things off the racetrack. I really enjoy kind of mixing it up like that and getting out there in world. One thing is I was drawn here by the love of the Thoroughbred and that's going to be the toughest thing that pulls on me.” Court has been riding professionally since 1980. He rode his first winner June 7 of that year at Centennial Racetrack in Colorado. The Florida native topped the Oaklawn standings in 2000 with 69 victories. He's the seventh-winningest rider in the Arkansas track's history with 730 victories, including 38 stakes. Court also owns riding titles at several other tracks, including Ellis Park and Birmingham Turf Club. Court became the oldest jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby when he finished 16th aboard Long Range Toddy in 2019 when he was 58. When he was 61, he became the oldest jockey in American Thoroughbred history to win a $1-million race when Last Samurai captured the GII Oaklawn H. in 2022. Court's biggest career victories included consecutive runnings of the GI Arkansas Derby, which he won in 2010 aboard Line of David and in 2011 aboard Archarcharch for trainer Jinks Fires. He also won the 2004 GI Citation H. aboard Leroidesanimaux (Brz) for Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel. Court was honored with the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 2007. “It's been a good career,” Court said. “Racing's been good to me. The horsemen have been great. The fans have been superior. I've got nothing but positive things going out.” The post Jon Court Retires appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With the leading GI Kentucky Derby runners looking likely to skip the May 18 GI Preakness S., a wave of non-Derby starters are lining up for the second leg of the Triple Crown. Trainer Bob Baffert, whose horses were banned from the Derby, confirmed GI Arkansas Derby winner Muth (Good Magic) and stablemate Imagination (Into Mischief), who won the GII San Felipe S. before finishing a narrow runner-up behind Stronghold (Ghostzapper) in the GI Santa Anita Derby last time out, are both expected for the Preakness. The duo breezed in company at Santa Anita Saturday, both timed in 1:11.40 (1/5) for six furlongs and they are tentatively scheduled to ship from Southern California to Baltimore May 14. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas indicated Saturday that Myracehorse's Seize the Grey (Arrogate) was likely for the Preakness following his win in the GII Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on the Derby undercard. “I think the 680 people will want to vote for that,” Lukas joked of the micro-share ownership group. “My vote will be the one that counts, but I'll vote with them. We have nothing to lose. He earned his way to run in the Preakness. He's qualified for it. He's nominated for it. So why wouldn't we give those people that opportunity? That's what we're getting paid for, to make that many people happy. If he pulls up well and everything is good tomorrow and the next day, we'll strongly, strongly consider the Preakness.” While Chad Brown ruled Derby runner-up Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) out of the Preakness, the trainer said GII Louisiana Derby third-place finisher Tuscan Gold (Medaglia d'Oro) was possible for the race. “I'm going to take a look at that horse training up until the Peter Pan,” Brown said of Saturday's nine-furlong Grade III race at the Belmont at the Big A meet. “See how the race comes up, see where he draws, because it's likely to be a big field, I'm hearing. Keep an eye on that Preakness, and sort of go from there.” Also considered possible for the Preakness is Informed Patriot (Hard Spun), who earned a fees-paid spot in the race with his win in Oaklawn Park's Apr. 20 Bathhouse Row S. Informed Patriot was fifth in the GI Arkansas Derby for trainer Steve Asmussen. GIII Withers S. winner Uncle Heavy (Social Inclusion) and Copper Tax (Copper Bullet) are also on the list of potential Preakness starters revealed Sunday by Pimlico officials. Trained by Gary Capuano, Copper Tax earned an automatic berth to the race by virtue of his 3/4-length victory in the Apr. 20 Federico Tesio S. at Laurel. “We'll see how it is in the next few days and see how things shake out,” Capuano said. “The door's not closed yet. It actually opened up a little bit. Baffert is going to come with a couple real good horses and he'll be the factor in there, obviously. Copper Tax is in good shape. Everything looks good with him. We're still a little bit up in the air trying to figure things out.” Copper Tax has yet to breeze back since the Tesio and a work over the weekend was delayed by rainy weather. “I did let him stretch his legs and gallop on pretty strong [Saturday] and he loved it out there,” Capuano said. “He's doing good. We'll see how this week goes, how the weather and the track holds up and how much I can do with him between now and probably the end of the week and go from there.” The post Preakness Possibles Line Up appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Observations features a pair of No Nay Never colts who are contesting Curragh listed races. 14.25 Curragh, Listed, €50,000, 3yo, 8fT SAMUEL COLT (IRE) (No Nay Never) is the star turn in this Listed Coolmore Stud Paddington Irish EBF Tetrarch S., named in honour of the colt who won 12 months ago en route to stardom. Runner-up in the G3 Ballylinch Stud S. last month, the Ballydoyle representative who is a relative of the G1 Melbourne Cup runner-up Tiger Moth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Oasis Dream's sire Coach House (Ire) faces four rivals in this course-and-distance G1 Irish 2000 Guineas prep. 13.50 Curragh, Listed, €40,000, 2yo, 5fT WHISTLEJACKET (IRE) (No Nay Never), a full-brother to Little Big Bear (Ire), bids to build on his debut second over six furlongs here last month in this Listed First Flier S. won for the last two years by his Ballydoyle stable. Among the opponents to the 500,000gns Tattersalls Book 1 purchase is AMO Racing and Giselle De Aguiar's course-and-distance maiden winner Arizona Blaze (GB), who looks to provide his first-season sire Sergei Prokofiev with his first black-type winner. The post Samuel Colt Takes On Tetrarch Challenge appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It was back in 2006 and Brian Hernandez, Jr. was mired in 12th place in the jockey standings at Churchill Downs with 14 wins. It wasn't that he had been a failure. He won an Eclipse Award in 2004 as the nation's top apprentice, winning 243 races that year. And before moving to the Kentucky circuit in 2006, he was among the top riders at Evangeline Downs and Delta Downs in his native Louisiana. It's just that Hernandez had larger goals and he was starting to worry they would never come to fruition. “There was one point right after I lost the bug around 2006 that I got pretty discouraged. I was planning on packing it in and returning to Louisiana,” he said Sunday, a day after his winning ride aboard Mystik Dan (Goldencents) in the GI Kentucky Derby and two days after he captured the GI Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna). But something made him stay, and it was the best decision of his career. Hernandez is anything but an overnight sensation. But he never quit, never stopped working and never lost the desire to be one of the leading riders in the sport. It took some time, but it looks like he has made it. Ordinary riders don't win the GI Kentucky Oaks and the GI Kentucky Derby on back-to-back days, with each win coming as the result of a perfect ride. “I'm hoping that we opened up some eyes,” the 38-year-old Hernandez said. He was born in Louisiana, where his father, Brian Hernandez, Sr., was riding on the Delta Downs-Evangeline Downs circuit. It didn't take the younger Hernandez long to figure out what he wanted to do. “We grew up around Evangeline and Delta Downs where my dad was a jockey,” Hernandez said. “My little brother, Colby, and I grew up watching him race and we both wanted to be jockeys. There's a photo floating around of me when I was about six years old wearing my dad's jockey pants and my saying that some day I was going to win the Kentucky Derby.” Like his father, he started off at Evangeline and Delta and in 2004 won 243 races and was named champion apprentice. After winning 100 races in 2005 without his apprentice allowance, he decided to move on to Kentucky in 2006, which would prove to be one of the worst years of his career. He won only 65 races. “I was a young kid and my business kind of tailed off,” he said. “It was one of those things. We fell out of the pecking order. We had to put our nose to the grindstone and work it out. Here in Kentucky, trainers want too see if you're going to stick things out and make things work. More than anything, it took putting in the time and the effort and having the kind of work ethic that says, 'Hey, we're just as capable of winning on your horse as any jock.'” His fortunes would improve and in 2012 he won the GI Breeders' Cup Classic with Fort Larned (E Dubai). But that changed little. He remained a middle-of-the-pack jockey in Kentucky. “The thing about my career is I've been fortunate to ride for many of the same guys for a long, long time,” he said. “That's the thing about when you ride for outfits. Guys go through cycles. There will be some years when they have really good horses and some years they don't. You have to stay loyal to the guys you ride for and you have to hope those guys stay loyal to you, which they have for the last 10 to 12 years.” In 2016, he won 156 races, the most since his apprentice year. That caught the attention of trainer Kenny McPeek, who started riding Hernandez in 2017 and would soon become his go-to rider. It was exactly the break Hernandez needed. Hernandez has won 232 races for McPeek, including 25 graded stakes. The list includes winning rides in the GI Ashland S., the GI Breeders' Futurity and the GI Alcibiades S. “He knows what to do out there,” McPeek said. “I always had a world of confidence in him. Rarely second guess anything he does.” As the year began, McPeek had a pretty good idea that he had some special horses in his barn. Mystik Dan won only one of three starts in 2023, but the win came in a rapidly run maiden race at Churchill Downs in which he turned some heads with a 7 3/4-length victory. He was fifth in his 3-year-old debut in the Smarty Jones, but followed that up with an eight-length romp in the GIII Southwest S. He then finished a well-beaten third in the GI Arkansas Derby. He wasn't winning every race, but on his best days, it appeared that he had the talent to beat the very best. Of course, getting a perfect ride doesn't hurt. Mystik Dan broke from the three hole and Hernandez instantly steered him to the rail out of the gate. He stayed glued to the rail while tracking front-runner Track Phantom (Quality Road). A narrow hole opened up as the field turned into the stretch and Hernandez and Mystik Dan squeezed their way through. After having saved ground every inch of the way, Mystik Dan had just enough left to hold off fierce late runs from Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and the Japanese runner Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}). “Brian Hernandez gave him the ride,” McPeek said. “Look, he doesn't win the race without the job Brian did.” “It means a lot more winning it the way we did because that was the trip we envisioned,” Hernandez said. “I talked to Kenny about it. After we drew the three hole, that was kind of the trip I had envisioned. That's the beauty of riding for Kenny. He doesn't give me any instructions. He entrusts me to go out there and give the horse the best trip we can. When we drew the three hole I watched a lot of replays and picked out a horse we could follow that would get us to the second turn. When we crossed under the first time Track Phantom was on the lead and I was thinking 'Oh, man this is working out better than I dreamed.' It was a magical moment.” It was more of the same in the Kentucky Oaks. Hernandez guided Thorpedo Anna to the lead right from the start, never left the rail and never allowed another horse to get past him. Thorpedo Anna won, drawing away, by 4 3/4 lengths. With top jockeys like Tyler Gaffalione, Luis Saez, Florent Geroux and Jose Ortiz all calling the Kentucky circuit home, the competition at the Churchill meet will be fierce. But Brian Hernandez, Jr., who says he may ride in Saratoga this year, won't have to take a back seat to anyone. Not after the weekend he had. Why No Inquiry Did Sierra Leone cost Forever Young the win in the Derby? Maybe. In the stretch, Sierra Leone continued to bear in and was leaning all over Forever Young and bumped him at least six times. Had the two horses been separated by a couple of lengths at the wire, it would have been no big deal. But Forever Young, who was third, lost by two noses in one of the closest Derby finishes in history, and you can make a case that he might have won had Sierra Leone not laid all over him. Japanese rider Ryusei Sakai didn't claim foul, but that doesn't mean that the stewards couldn't have posted an inquiry and taken a look at the roughly run stretch. Taking down Sierra Leone was hardly a no-brainer, but at the very least the stewards should have taken a closer look at the stretch run. The post The Week in Review: Persistence Pays Off for Derby-Winning Jockey Hernandez appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Asked to sum up his victory with Mystik Dan (Goldencents) in Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby, trainer Ken McPeek succinctly said, “Wow,” Sunday morning on the Churchill Downs backside. An 18-1 outsider, Mystik Dan just held on to a nose victory after a rail-skimming trip under Brian Hernandez, Jr. “Brian Hernandez gave him the ride,” a joyous but sleep-deprived McPeek said. “Look, he doesn't win the race without the job Brian did.” For his part, Hernandez was appreciative of McPeek's faith in him. “I was fortunate to ride for Kenny,” said Hernandez. “He and the owners entrusted me to have the daring trip that we had. And we were fortunate to have a horse that trusted us, and he went through a couple of tight spots, and never thought twice about doing it. It was like, 'No problem,' and did it. It's a big team effort, more than anything.” Of his trip in the Derby, Hernandez said, “It got pretty tight. Going around the second turn, I was watching those horses to the outside, and the thing about a race like that, everyone starts to make their moves. They can just stack and stack and stack, but we were just sitting there waiting. And the minute that Joel [Rosario, riding 41-1 Track Phantom] made a half a step to go meet those horses, we're shooting through. When we did that, [Joel] tried to come back down, but by then, Mystik Dan was already through there.” With the wire fast approaching, Mystik Dan was all out to hold off the late-closing Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in a dramatic three-way photo finish. “We kind of busted through there right before we straightened up and headed for home,” Hernandez said. “And Mystik Dan switched leads, and spurted off, it was like, hurry up and get to the wire as fast as we can. It was just rolling. When we got to the eighth pole, I was thinking, 'Wow, we're about to win the Kentucky Derby. And then, right at the wire, it was like, maybe we got beat. He never stopped running. It was the first time they were going a mile-and-a-quarter, those horses were getting to him late, but he was there for us.” The Derby win completed a big 24 hours for McPeek and Hernandez, who teamed to win the GI Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) Friday. “For three weeks, I've felt that we had a shot at winning both races,” McPeek said. “Both horses have been doing fantastic. There was never any little issue, anywhere or anytime, with either horse. It was always all systems go.” Two members of the partnership that owns Mystik Dan were at the McPeek barn Sunday, checking out the horse, talking to the news media, and accepting the presentation of WWE championship title belts that the fight organization is presenting to winners at various sporting events this year. When asked how many trips to the Kentucky Derby they've made, both Lance Gasaway and Sherilyn Gasaway, wife of Lance's cousin Brent, made a startling admission. “Just one,” the two said in unison. McPeek is taking a wait-and-see approach to an engagement in the second leg of the Triple Crown in the May 18 GI Preakness S. “We're not committing,” the trainer said. “When I ran him back in two weeks [at Churchill Downs last November], it completely backfired. And we skipped the Rebel because it was too short as well. So we'll watch him over the next week, and probably decide then. It will be a last-minute decision. We'll let him tell us.” The newly minted Derby winner will ship to McPeek's Saratoga base and, should he skip the Preakness, will prepare there for the June 8 GI Belmont S. Thorpedo Anna will likely make her next start in the June 7 GI Acorn S. Of speculation the filly could take on the boys in the Belmont, McPeek said, “I couldn't have Brian riding both horses.” Also heading to Saratoga is Derby runner-up Sierra Leone. “He's good, but he's not going to the Preakness,” trainer Chad Brown said of Sierra Leone. “I'm going to take him to Saratoga tomorrow and he's going to train there for the Belmont. He's a little tired. He's a real laid back horse, but when we brought him he out, was a little more tired than he normally is after his races. I think giving him the five weeks to the Belmont is definitely the right thing to do.” Sierra Leone rallied from 18th early on, made a wide, sweeping move off the far turn, traded bumps with third-place finisher Forever Young in the lane and still only came up inches short. Brown said Sierra Leone does have a tendency to lean in and that jockey Tyler Gaffalione was trying to keep the colt straight in tight quarters with Forever Young without accidentally striking that rival with his stick. “There was so much bumping going on there,” Brown said. “When horses are fatigued, they have a tendency to lean in a bit like he did with his last two wins and it's going to be more exaggerated when they're more tired. He had so much to do and by the time he got to the eighth pole, he was leaning in a bit. “What Tyler was attempting to do is make room for his left stick, which the horse really respects, and keep him straight. And he was looking for sort of a pathway to use his left stick. But with the bumping, the tight duel between those two horses, it disarmed him with the stick. All he had was a rein to pull on and it really hurt his momentum. He couldn't use it because he had no room to use his left stick without hitting his horse. He didn't want to do that either. So he was trying create a path not only to straighten out my horse who really respects that, he was trying not to foul the other horse with the stick.” Brown concluded, “I'm very proud of the horse. I'm disappointed with the result, but I'm so proud of the horse. In my mind, he ran the best race. That's no disrespect to the winner. It's just, it's a hard race to win, everything has to go right. With the winner, the horse showed up and was prepared right and he ran terrific. You have to have a trip where everything goes right. “It's not [Mystik Dan's] fault the doors opened for him, I wish that would have happened for me. But I don't think lesser of the winner's performance. It's just an example of two trips. But that's what has to happen here. For us, I don't think we had a bad trip. But our horse was very far back on a track that favors speed and he had to go around a lot of horses and he had a ton of ground to make up. To almost get there despite all that, I really feel he ran the best race. We'll see going forward the rest of the year where he stacks up with the entire body of work.” Susumu Fujita's Forever Young was scheduled to return to Japan Tuesday starting with a van trip to Chicago and then a flight to Narita. Fujita left Louisville after the race Saturday night, but told Hiroshi Ando, racing manager for trainer Yoshito Yahagi, that he “enjoyed the massive atmosphere and was proud of his horse's performance.” Despite the bumping down the lane between Sierra Leone and Forever Young, no claim of foul was made by jockey Ryusei Sakai. “Claims of foul do not happen much in Japan,” Ando explained. “It is the stewards' call, not us.” Kentucky Derby favorite Fierceness (City of Light) came out of his disappointing 15th-place effort none-the-worse for wear, according to trainer Todd Pletcher. “The colt seems fine this morning,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He cooled out fine and scoped clean and he's doing OK. I haven't had a chance to discuss what's next with [owner] Mike [Repole], but I think we will take a couple of weeks and let the dust settle before we make any decision. I believe he'll ship up to Saratoga in the next week.” The post Wowed by Derby Win, McPeek Won’t Commit to Preakness with Mystik Dan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jantar Mantar, Japan's top 2-year-old colt of 2023, defeated Ascoli Piceno, the top 2-year-old filly of 2023, in the May 5 NHK Mile Cup with the aid of a cutback in distance and some racing luck.View the full article

Jantar Mantar (Jpn) (Palace Malice), who was crowned Japan's champion two-year-old colt in 2023, resumed winning ways with a decisive defeat of the unlucky-in-running Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) in Saturday's G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo Racecourse, his fourth win from six career starts. Unbeaten in three starts at two, culminating with a first top-level win in the Asahi Hai Futurity S. at Hanshin, Jantar Mantar had been forced to settle for minor honours on his first two starts as a three-year-old, including when finishing a close-up third behind Justin Milano (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) and Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn) (Al Ain {Jpn}) in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) at Nakayama three weeks earlier. That performance–where Jantar Mantar led for much of the straight before being overhauled close home–suggested he would be suited by the drop back to 1,600 metres at Tokyo against Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), Japan's champion two-year-old filly in 2023 and runner-up in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas) on her previous start. Jantar Mantar broke sharply from a wide stall and was settled in around fifth, never far away from his chief market rival. Both horses moved up to take closer order on the home turn before enduring contrasting fortunes in the straight. Briefly held in by the strong-travelling Jantar Mantar, Ascoli Piceno was switched towards the inside by Christophe Lemaire, but space continued to be at a premium and she stumbled after clipping heels with less than two furlongs to run. She finished strongly once finally seeing some daylight, snatching second from Logi Leon (Jpn) (Leontes {Jpn}) in the final strides, but the damage had already been done and she couldn't get on terms with Jantar Mantar, who was still two and a half lengths clear at the line. It was a seventh Group 1 win for trainer Tomokazu Takano and a twenty-seventh for jockey Yuga Kawada, who was celebrating his second victory in the NHK Mile Cup after that of Danon Scorpion (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in 2022. “I had every confidence in my colt,” said Kawada. “Once we were off, I knew he was going to win, there were no doubts in my mind. He ran in good rhythm and showed his true strength. Concerns of his tight schedule–his latest Satsuki Sho start being only three weeks before–obviously was nothing to be worried about. I hope I can prove he is the best miler in Japan in the future.” KAWADA LEMAIRE Yuga Kawada on JANTAR MANTAR closes the door on Christophe Lemaire on ASCOLI PICENO, paving the way for the colt to beat the filly in the G1 NHK Mile Cup! #川田将雅 | #ジャンタルマンタル | #アスコリピチェーノ | #ルメール | #競馬pic.twitter.com/lNUs5ZlTEe — World Horse Racing (@WHR) May 5, 2024 Pedigree Notes Jantar Mantar is one of two top-level winners for his sire, Palace Malice, whose first-crop son Structor won the 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and was sold to Japanese interests in 2022 for his stallion career. India Mantuana, the dam of Jantar Mantar, produced the best effort of her career when winning the GIII Red Carpet H. at Del Mar in 2018. She was led out unsold on a bid of $145,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, before being purchased by Shadai for $100,000, pregnant to Accelerate, at Keeneland January in 2020. She unfortunately aborted that foal and was bred to this sire prior to her export to Japan, where she slipped her Kizuna (Jpn) foal in 2022. She has a yearling filly by Pyro and was covered in 2023 by Isla Bonita (Jpn). Sunday, Tokyo, Japan NHK MILE CUP-G1, ¥253,520,000, Tokyo, 5-5, 3yo, 1600mT, 1:32.40, fm. 1–JANTAR MANTAR (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Palace Malice 1st Dam: India Mantuana (GSW-US, $223,100), by Wilburn 2nd Dam: Speed Wagon, by Tomorrows Cat 3rd Dam: Rajica, by El Baba O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); T-Tomokazu Takano; J-Yuga Kawada; ¥133,864,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt-Jpn, 6-4-1-1, ¥320,528,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Ascoli Piceno (Jpn), 121, f, 3, by Daiwa Major (Jpn)–Ascolti (Jpn), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥53,104,000. 3–Logi Leon (Jpn), 126, c, 3, by Leontes (Jpn)–B B Barrel (Jpn), by Pyro. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (¥37,000,000 Ylg '22 JRHAJUL). O-Masaaki Kumeta; B-Bando Farm; ¥33,552,000. Margins: 2HF, NK, NK. Odds: 1.90, 1.90, 27.50. Also Ran: Gonbade Qabus (Jpn), Ipheion (Jpn), Channel Tunnel (Jpn), Di Speranza (Jpn), Water Licht (Jpn), Arsenaal (Jpn), Enya Love Faith (Jpn), Yukino Royal (Jpn), Noble Roger, Danon McKinley (Jpn), Arranger (Jpn), Mask All Win (Jpn), Strauss (Jpn), Bond Girl (Jpn), Captaincy (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. The post Jantar Mantar On Top As Champion Juveniles Lock Horns In NHK Mile Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Unbeaten colt Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) continues to progress in his preparation for the G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock on May 25. The Simon and Ed Crisford-trained colt's long-term goal is Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup S. next month. A winner of all four of his starts including the early August G2 Richmond S., G1 Prix Morny later that month, and the G1 Middle Park S. in September, the colt is pleasing his connections. “He's coming along nicely now, so we're hoping we'll be all systems go at the end of May,” said co-trainer Ed Crisford. “I'm really happy with him and he has done extremely well. He's a bigger, stronger horse this year and has really filled his frame. “He just showed us so much speed and the whole pedigree says he was a sprinter. Last year he was learning still and he didn't quite know what was going on. It took until the Middle Park to see that real electric turn of foot. Plus he ran on bad ground all the time. “When we saw him in the Middle Park he showed us that raw speed and we'll definitely stick to sprinting for now. The Commonwealth Cup is the main target and Haydock will be the prep run and on from there.” The post Vandeek Primed For Sandy Lane appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. and the other connections of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan greeted the media May 5 at Churchill Downs, a day after the colt's memorable nose victory there. View the full article

Trainer Kenny McPeek is undecided on whether Mystik Dan will run in the May 18 Preakness Stakes (G1). If he runs, he could possibly be the lone Derby starter in the gate.View the full article