http://www.kentucky.com/302/index.xml News, sports, and entertainment from Kentucky.com en-us Copyright 2008 Kentucky.com Horse Racing 60 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:03:55 EDT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss McClatchy Interactive's Workbench webmaster@kentucky.com http://www.kentucky.com/304/story/395080.html http://www.kentucky.com/304/story/395080.html Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:35 EDT
But now their names will be linked always to the filly, Eight Belles, who was runner-up to Big Brown, then lost her life after collapsing with two broken ankles while slowing down once the race had ended.

Eight Belles was euthanized on the track near the seven-eighths pole, on the far side of the turn near the start of the backstretch where she fell with her rider, Gabriel Saez.

The filly suffered compound fractures, according to Dr. Larry Bramlage, on-call veterinarian for the American Association of Equine Practitioners.

"There was absolutely nothing you could do," Bramlage said.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/505180.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/505180.html Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:09 EDT
Leading sprinter Benny the Bull has been retired from racing because of an ankle chip, The Blood-Horse reported Wednesday.

Benny the Bull developed a filling in his right front ankle after a workout Tuesday at Aqueduct.

He was on a five-race winning streak and training for the Grade I Forego at Saratoga on Saturday. He was second to Midnight Lute in last year's Forego.

Breeding plans have not been finalized. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/503758.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/503758.html Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:55 EDT
RUIDOSO DOWNS, N.M. . Peppers Pride trainer Joel Marr will use the Lincoln Handicap at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday to try for a North American record 17th victory in 17 starts.

"She's doing good. She's training great," Marr said Tuesday.

The thoroughbred mare is seeking to break the mark of 16 straight victories she shares with Triple Crown winner Citation, two-time horse of the year Cigar, Mister Frisky and Hallowed Dreams.

The Lincoln Handicap, originally scheduled for July 27, was postponed after the remnants of Hurricane Dolly caused heavy rains that led to flooding in the Ruidoso area. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/501611.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/501611.html Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:10 EDT
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission voted on Monday to ban anabolic steroids in racing. The new rule could take effect as soon as Gov. Steve Beshear signs an emergency regulation, perhaps as early as next week.

"I fully support the action taken today by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to ban anabolic steroids in Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing," Beshear said in a statement. "The vote reflects our shared commitment to strengthening horse racing in the commonwealth. As a result, I will deem this issue an emergency so that the regulation can go in effect as quickly as possible. I appreciate the commission's quick and aggressive action that will help preserve the integrity of Kentucky's signature industry."

The rule applies to both Thoroughbred and harness racehorses. Trainers will get a 90-day grace period as the rule goes into effect, although positive test results in the last 30 days of the grace period could count toward increased penalties in the future.

"We're doing away with anabolic steroids for the racing industry in Kentucky," said Robert M. Beck Jr., racing commission chairman. "I think it's very good news for the state." ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/501907.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/501907.html Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:20 EDT
French Thoroughbred trainer Patrick Biancone definitely will spend a few more months banned from training horses and will not be able to race any horses in his name at this year's Breeders' Cup.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Monday voted to approve a settlement reached with Biancone that will result in his license remaining suspended until Nov. 1.

Biancone had served an agreed-upon six-month suspension from Nov. 1, 2007, through April 30, 2008, with a subsequent six-month prohibition on entering the non-public areas of racetracks.

The penalties were levied last year after prohibited medications, including cobra venom, were discovered in his barns at Keeneland. He was originally suspended Oct. 17, 2007, just before last year's Breeders' Cup championships, in which he had horses entered. One horse, the colt Nownownow, won the Juvenile Turf. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/501084.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/501084.html Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:54 EDT
DEL MAR, Calif. . Go Between prevailed in a long stretch battle with Well Armed to win the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar racetrack Sunday.

Go Between, at 5-2 odds, was ridden by Garrett Gomez and won by a neck. The 5-year-old horse ran 11/4 miles in 2:01.18. Mast Track was third, 21/2 lengths behind Well Armed.

The victory gave Go Between an automatic spot in the Breeders. Cup Classic.

Go Between settled in eighth early in the 10-horse field and inched up to fifth with a quarter-mile left. Well Armed, who sat just off the early leaders, took the lead into the stretch but was run down late by Go Between. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/500111.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/500111.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:52 EDT
FREEHOLD, N.J. . FREEHOLD, N.J. . Meadowlands Pace winner Art Official broke the track record at Freehold Raceway on Saturday, winning one of the eliminations for the Cane Pace.

Driven by Ron Pierce, Art Official paced the mile in 1:50.4 in posting an impressive 31/4-length victory. The time was a fifth of a second faster than the old mark.

In the other elimination, Badlands Nitro took the lead in the stretch and posted a 1-length victory over Major General.

The top four finishers in each elimination advanced to the finals on Labor Day. The Cane Pace is the first leg of the Triple Crown for pacers. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/500109.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/500109.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:52 EDT
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. . Visionaire surged to the front in the final yards and drew clear for a 2.-length victory in Saturday.s Grade I, $250,000 King.s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

Visionaire.s trainer, Michael Matz, admitted he was a little nervous seeing Visionaire dawdling along in last place for most of the race.

But when the half-mile went in :44.79 and three-quarters went in 1:09.30, Matz started feeling a little better about his chances.

.I didn.t know if he was going to win, but I knew then he.d make a run of it,. he said. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/500073.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/500073.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:52 EDT
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. . By the narrowest of noses and thanks to a bob of the head, Colonel John won the Travers Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.

The race was so close that Robby Albarado, aboard the runner-up Mambo in Seattle, raised his whip in a victory salute after crossing the wire, only to be disappointed moments later when the order of finish was posted.

The biggest story leading into the Travers had been the absence of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, who will instead race on the grass on Sept. 13 at Monmouth Park. That was good news for Colonel John and the others who went to the gate Saturday in a Travers that lacked a marquee name and its usual significance. With 12 horses, many with modest credentials, the race appeared wide open on paper, and that is how it played out on the racetrack.

With five horses within striking distance at the top of the stretch, the biggest field for a Travers since 1990 bunched up with a quarter-mile to go. After overcoming a bumping incident, Colonel John emerged from the pack inside the eighth pole, but Mambo in Seattle was gearing up for a run on the outside. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/499051.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/499051.html Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:04 EDT
As far as Eoin Harty is concerned, his top colt Colonel John has nothing to prove to him this weekend.

In his eight career races, the son of Tiznow has more than lived up to any expectations Harty had, winning the Grade I Santa Anita Derby in April and becoming the first-ever Kentucky Derby starter for his trainer.

Admittedly, Harty.s admiration for Colonel John isn.t going to waver based on the outcome of a race or two.

The racing public, however, has not been nearly as forgiving. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/499264.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/499264.html Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:21 EDT
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. . Ginger Punch won the $400,000 Personal Ensign Stakes for fillies and mares by a nose Friday at Saratoga Race Course.

The champion older female of 2007 prevailed in a long stretch battle with Lemon Drop Mom. It was 5-year-old Ginger Punch.s fourth straight victory for trainer Bobby Frankel and the Stronach Stable.

Rafael Bejarano rode Ginger Punch, who ran 1. miles in 2:03.37 and earned $240,000 to push her career total past $2.9 million.

Unbridled Belle was third. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/504230.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/504230.html Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:00 EDT
Gov. Steve Beshear's task force on horse racing will hold its first meeting next week in Lexington.

Beshear appointed the task force, headed by Thoroughbred horseman and political ally Tracy Farmer, in July to recommend how to put Kentucky racing on a more financially sound footing.

Farmer, like Beshear, is a proponent of expanded gambling, but casinos are not explicitly on the agenda.

The task force will meet 10 a.m. Sept. 3 at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, on Newtown Pike. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/505180.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/505180.html Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:09 EDT
Leading sprinter Benny the Bull has been retired from racing because of an ankle chip, The Blood-Horse reported Wednesday.

Benny the Bull developed a filling in his right front ankle after a workout Tuesday at Aqueduct.

He was on a five-race winning streak and training for the Grade I Forego at Saratoga on Saturday. He was second to Midnight Lute in last year's Forego.

Breeding plans have not been finalized. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/503758.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/503758.html Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:55 EDT
RUIDOSO DOWNS, N.M. . Peppers Pride trainer Joel Marr will use the Lincoln Handicap at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday to try for a North American record 17th victory in 17 starts.

"She's doing good. She's training great," Marr said Tuesday.

The thoroughbred mare is seeking to break the mark of 16 straight victories she shares with Triple Crown winner Citation, two-time horse of the year Cigar, Mister Frisky and Hallowed Dreams.

The Lincoln Handicap, originally scheduled for July 27, was postponed after the remnants of Hurricane Dolly caused heavy rains that led to flooding in the Ruidoso area. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/501611.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/501611.html Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:10 EDT
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission voted on Monday to ban anabolic steroids in racing. The new rule could take effect as soon as Gov. Steve Beshear signs an emergency regulation, perhaps as early as next week.

"I fully support the action taken today by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to ban anabolic steroids in Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing," Beshear said in a statement. "The vote reflects our shared commitment to strengthening horse racing in the commonwealth. As a result, I will deem this issue an emergency so that the regulation can go in effect as quickly as possible. I appreciate the commission's quick and aggressive action that will help preserve the integrity of Kentucky's signature industry."

The rule applies to both Thoroughbred and harness racehorses. Trainers will get a 90-day grace period as the rule goes into effect, although positive test results in the last 30 days of the grace period could count toward increased penalties in the future.

"We're doing away with anabolic steroids for the racing industry in Kentucky," said Robert M. Beck Jr., racing commission chairman. "I think it's very good news for the state." ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/501907.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/501907.html Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:20 EDT
French Thoroughbred trainer Patrick Biancone definitely will spend a few more months banned from training horses and will not be able to race any horses in his name at this year's Breeders' Cup.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Monday voted to approve a settlement reached with Biancone that will result in his license remaining suspended until Nov. 1.

Biancone had served an agreed-upon six-month suspension from Nov. 1, 2007, through April 30, 2008, with a subsequent six-month prohibition on entering the non-public areas of racetracks.

The penalties were levied last year after prohibited medications, including cobra venom, were discovered in his barns at Keeneland. He was originally suspended Oct. 17, 2007, just before last year's Breeders' Cup championships, in which he had horses entered. One horse, the colt Nownownow, won the Juvenile Turf. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/501084.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/501084.html Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:54 EDT
DEL MAR, Calif. . Go Between prevailed in a long stretch battle with Well Armed to win the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar racetrack Sunday.

Go Between, at 5-2 odds, was ridden by Garrett Gomez and won by a neck. The 5-year-old horse ran 11/4 miles in 2:01.18. Mast Track was third, 21/2 lengths behind Well Armed.

The victory gave Go Between an automatic spot in the Breeders. Cup Classic.

Go Between settled in eighth early in the 10-horse field and inched up to fifth with a quarter-mile left. Well Armed, who sat just off the early leaders, took the lead into the stretch but was run down late by Go Between. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/500111.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/500111.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:52 EDT
FREEHOLD, N.J. . FREEHOLD, N.J. . Meadowlands Pace winner Art Official broke the track record at Freehold Raceway on Saturday, winning one of the eliminations for the Cane Pace.

Driven by Ron Pierce, Art Official paced the mile in 1:50.4 in posting an impressive 31/4-length victory. The time was a fifth of a second faster than the old mark.

In the other elimination, Badlands Nitro took the lead in the stretch and posted a 1-length victory over Major General.

The top four finishers in each elimination advanced to the finals on Labor Day. The Cane Pace is the first leg of the Triple Crown for pacers. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/500109.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/500109.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:52 EDT
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. . Visionaire surged to the front in the final yards and drew clear for a 2.-length victory in Saturday.s Grade I, $250,000 King.s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

Visionaire.s trainer, Michael Matz, admitted he was a little nervous seeing Visionaire dawdling along in last place for most of the race.

But when the half-mile went in :44.79 and three-quarters went in 1:09.30, Matz started feeling a little better about his chances.

.I didn.t know if he was going to win, but I knew then he.d make a run of it,. he said. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/500073.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/500073.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:52 EDT
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. . By the narrowest of noses and thanks to a bob of the head, Colonel John won the Travers Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.

The race was so close that Robby Albarado, aboard the runner-up Mambo in Seattle, raised his whip in a victory salute after crossing the wire, only to be disappointed moments later when the order of finish was posted.

The biggest story leading into the Travers had been the absence of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, who will instead race on the grass on Sept. 13 at Monmouth Park. That was good news for Colonel John and the others who went to the gate Saturday in a Travers that lacked a marquee name and its usual significance. With 12 horses, many with modest credentials, the race appeared wide open on paper, and that is how it played out on the racetrack.

With five horses within striking distance at the top of the stretch, the biggest field for a Travers since 1990 bunched up with a quarter-mile to go. After overcoming a bumping incident, Colonel John emerged from the pack inside the eighth pole, but Mambo in Seattle was gearing up for a run on the outside. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/499051.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/499051.html Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:04 EDT
As far as Eoin Harty is concerned, his top colt Colonel John has nothing to prove to him this weekend.

In his eight career races, the son of Tiznow has more than lived up to any expectations Harty had, winning the Grade I Santa Anita Derby in April and becoming the first-ever Kentucky Derby starter for his trainer.

Admittedly, Harty.s admiration for Colonel John isn.t going to waver based on the outcome of a race or two.

The racing public, however, has not been nearly as forgiving. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/922/story/506508.html http://www.kentucky.com/922/story/506508.html Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:55 EDT
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission needs more money and a larger staff if it hopes to adequately enforce new regulations on drug use and track safety, its executive director said Thursday.

The request comes after the commission voted earlier this week to ban anabolic steroids in racing. The new rule could take effect as soon as Gov. Steve Beshear signs an emergency regulation, perhaps as early as next week.

Executive Director Lisa Underwood told a subcommittee of the Governor's Task Force on the Future of Horse Racing that her agency needs 10 additional full-time workers and 21 part-time workers. The commission now has 27 full-time employees and three vacant positions.

The cost of the additional staff would be $1 million a year. The commission's budget is now $3 million a year. Underwood did not make any recommendations about the source of the money. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/922/story/501611.html http://www.kentucky.com/922/story/501611.html Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:10 EDT
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission voted on Monday to ban anabolic steroids in racing. The new rule could take effect as soon as Gov. Steve Beshear signs an emergency regulation, perhaps as early as next week.

"I fully support the action taken today by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to ban anabolic steroids in Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing," Beshear said in a statement. "The vote reflects our shared commitment to strengthening horse racing in the commonwealth. As a result, I will deem this issue an emergency so that the regulation can go in effect as quickly as possible. I appreciate the commission's quick and aggressive action that will help preserve the integrity of Kentucky's signature industry."

The rule applies to both Thoroughbred and harness racehorses. Trainers will get a 90-day grace period as the rule goes into effect, although positive test results in the last 30 days of the grace period could count toward increased penalties in the future.

"We're doing away with anabolic steroids for the racing industry in Kentucky," said Robert M. Beck Jr., racing commission chairman. "I think it's very good news for the state." ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/922/story/501907.html http://www.kentucky.com/922/story/501907.html Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:20 EDT
French Thoroughbred trainer Patrick Biancone definitely will spend a few more months banned from training horses and will not be able to race any horses in his name at this year's Breeders' Cup.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Monday voted to approve a settlement reached with Biancone that will result in his license remaining suspended until Nov. 1.

Biancone had served an agreed-upon six-month suspension from Nov. 1, 2007, through April 30, 2008, with a subsequent six-month prohibition on entering the non-public areas of racetracks.

The penalties were levied last year after prohibited medications, including cobra venom, were discovered in his barns at Keeneland. He was originally suspended Oct. 17, 2007, just before last year's Breeders' Cup championships, in which he had horses entered. One horse, the colt Nownownow, won the Juvenile Turf. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/922/story/488395.html http://www.kentucky.com/922/story/488395.html Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:37 EDT
Churchill Downs has announced details for a memorial service for Eight Belles, the second-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby who had to be euthanized on the track after the race.

The service will be at 2 p.m. Sept. 7 in the Kentucky Derby Museum garden.

.We hope our memorial service will serve as a lasting tribute to this great filly, and remind every visitor who walks through our doors of the incredible passion and ability she showed here in the Kentucky Derby,. Lynn Ashton, executive director of the Kentucky Derby Museum, said in a news release.

Eight Belles' owner, Rick Porter of Fox Hill Farm, will unveil a plaque honoring the filly during the ceremony. It will be mounted under a magnolia tree where the filly's remains will be interred. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/922/story/493911.html http://www.kentucky.com/922/story/493911.html Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:00 EDT
To this day, trainer LeRoy Jolley maintains he never had a horse try harder than Genuine Risk.

And to this day, Jolley knows her tenacity was matched only by her ability to capture hearts.

.Everyone who worked with her was absolutely in love with her,. Jolley recalled.

Early Monday, the racing world lost one of its most cherished icons when Hall of Famer Genuine Risk, one of only three fillies to win the Kentucky Derby, died in her paddock at Newstead Farm in Upperville, Va., at the age of 31. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/921/story/430186.html http://www.kentucky.com/921/story/430186.html Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:15 EDT
Popular Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones stands for $100,000 at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, future home of Big Brown.

Smarty's first foals are just reaching the track this year as 2-year-olds, so he's still an unknown quantity.

There's a big drop-off to others in the two-but-not-three club.

Preakness and Belmont winner Point Given, who stands with Smarty, goes for $15,000. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/921/story/374140.html http://www.kentucky.com/921/story/374140.html Sat, 12 Apr 2008 02:05 EDT
But after Thursday's announcement that the sheikh was involved in acquiring North America's oldest thoroughbred auction house, Lexington-based Fasig-Tipton Co., some think his most significant impact is yet to come.

The day after Fasig-Tipton said it reached an agreement to be acquired by Dubai-based Synergy Investments Ltd., members of the auction community were trying to digest what, if any, major changes might be on the horizon.

Synergy Investments is headed by Abdulla Al Habbai, a close associate of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed.

Next to Fasig-Tipton itself, the company with the potential to be most affected by the deal is in-town rival Keeneland.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/505733.html http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/505733.html Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:57 EDT
Owned by Stonestreet and Midnight Cry Stables, Curlin has been made the 3-5 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/8 mile race and will start from post five with regular rider Robby Albarado in the saddle.

"You have little kids wanting to know about Curlin and that alone shows you just how special he is," said Albarado, who won this race with Mineshaft in 2003. "Curlin's got it all, speed, stamina, heart, ability, but now, as time goes on, he's got an aura about him. He's matured and he knows how special he is. He's an amazingly popular animal."

The colt enters the Woodward with earnings of $9,496,800. A win in the race would boost Curlin's earnings to $9,796,800, and he would surpass Skip Away, who is currently second on the all-time thoroughbred money-winning list with $9,616,360. Cigar holds the record with $9,999,815.

"As magnificent looking as he is on the outside, he's probably even more magnificent on the inside," said trainer Steve Asmussen.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/502730.html http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/502730.html Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:13 EDT
A wooden box containing the filly's remains was buried at the Kentucky Derby Museum during a quiet ceremony Monday.

Eight Belles was the only filly to run in the 134th Kentucky Derby in May, finishing second to Big Brown. She was euthanized on the track after breaking two ankles.

Museum spokeswoman Wendy Treinen says Eight Belles was "interred without fanfare."

There will be a public memorial service Sept. 7. A plaque will be dedicated under a magnolia tree where the thoroughbred's remains were interred.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/501531.html http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/501531.html Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:22 EDT
With a unanimous vote of confidence from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the steroid ban could take effect as early as this fall's meet at Turfway Park and would be well under way in time for next year's Kentucky Derby. Gov. Steve Beshear has said he'll push it through swiftly using an emergency regulation.

While the ban is tough, it's not nearly as tough as the one proposed by Kentucky's Equine Drug Research Council earlier this month. That group had called for suspensions of up to three years for trainers and veterinarians whose horses fail a steroid test, but the authority revised the penalties, capping them at a 60-day suspension for first time offenders.

Jerry Yon, who chairs the drug council, said the changes happened because of concerns from trainers that their careers could be ruined through one positive test, even if they didn't personally administer the illegal drug or know about it. The racing commission's version more closely resembles a national model that racing states are being encouraged to follow, Yon said.

"Nationwide, it's too new for us to go from a slap on the wrist to the death penalty," Yon said. "There had to be an intermediate step, and that's what we've chosen here."]]> http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/500959.html http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/500959.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:47 EDT
By winning the 1 1/4 mile Pacific Classic, Go Between gains an automatic spot in this year's Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita as part of the "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Challenge.

Go Between, trained by Bill Mott, snapped a three race streak in which he finished second in each start. After winning the Sunshine Millions Classic in January he was the runner-up in the Santa Anita Handicap, the Ben Ali and the Hollywood Gold Cup.

Setting the pace in the 18th Pacific Classic was Barcola, the longest shot on the board at 43-1. Vying for second was Surf Cat and San Diego Handicap winner Well Armed.

On the backstretch the 10 horse field was separated by about six-lengths with 5-2 favorite Go Between in the middle of the pack on the outside. Entering the far turn Barcola continued setting the pace with Surf Cat and Well Armed pressing the leader.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/499788.html http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/499788.html Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:49 EDT
Colonel John, ridden by Garrett Gomez, went off as the 4-1 second choice behind 7-2 favorite Pyro. Harlem Rocker and Mambo in Seattle were both 5-1 with Jim Dandy Stakes champ Macho Again getting little attention at 7-1.

Da' Tara, winner of the Belmont Stakes, set the pace, closely followed by Tizbig in the 1 1/4 mile race. The two colts held their positions up the backstretch while Colonel John and Tres Borrachos dueled behind them.

Jockey Alan Garcia kept Da' Tara on the lead around the final turn and into the stretch. The two looked to be increasing their lead coming out of the turn.

With a quarter-mile to run Colonel John took a short lead as lightly raced Mambo in Seattle hooked him for the stretch drive. The two battled down the stretch and hit the wire together, with almost nothing to separate them.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/497511.html http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/497511.html Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:08 EDT
The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner will run in the Monmouth Stakes on Sept. 13, his first start on grass since breaking his maiden at Saratoga last year.

Big Brown co-owner Michael Iavarone said the 1 1-8 mile race will serve as the final tune-up for the 3-year-old colt before the Classic, which will be held on a synthetic surface at Santa Anita on October 25.

Monmouth bumped the purse from $200,000 to $500,000 to lure Big Brown to the race against horses 3-and-up.

Big Brown is coming off a gritty victory in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth on August 3 and has won six of his seven career starts. Big Brown dominated his only other start on grass, winning his first career start by 11 1/4 at Saratoga last September.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/496825.html http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/496825.html Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:38 EDT
Go Between, trained by Bill Mott, attempts to stop a three race streak in which he has finished second in each start. After winning the Sunshine Millions Classic in January he was the runner-up in the Santa Anita Handicap, the Ben Ali and the Hollywood Gold Cup.

Owned by Peter Vegso, the chestnut horse is the 3-1 morning-line favorite and will be ridden again by Garrett Gomez from the six-hole.

"The horse is doing excellent," said Kenny McCarthy who handles the Bill Mott string at Churchill Downs. "We gave him a couple of easy works after he came back from the Hollywood Park race and then put two sharp works into him."

The five-year-old has won seven of 25 lifetime starts with earnings of $2,183,880.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/496338.html http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/496338.html Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:09 EDT
The "Mid-Summer Derby" is a 1 1/4 mile race with all 12 starters carrying 126 pounds.

Despite winning the Jim Dandy at Saratoga, Macho Again is only fourth in the morning line at 6-1. He will again be ridden by Julien Leparoux from post five. The gray colt will try to duplicate the Jim Dandy-Travers double that Street Sense accomplished last year.

Trained by Dallas Stewart, Macho Again won the Derby Trial and was second to Big Brown in the Preakness Stakes. In his career, the three-year-old has earned $673,761 with four wins in 11 starts.

Assuming the morning-line favorite's position at just 7-2 is Pyro. The colt, trained by Steve Asmussen, will be ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan from post 11.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/495204.html http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/495204.html Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:27 EDT
Parker Buckley suffered a head injury at the upstate New York track on Monday. Asmussen told the Daily Racing Form that Buckley was galloping a horse when he was unseated on the Oklahoma training track.

Buckley, a former jockey, was taken to Albany Medical Center, where he was placed in a medically induced coma. Medical staff waited until his family could arrive before taking him off life support.

The hospital confirmed Tuesday that Buckley had died.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/493982.html http://www.kentucky.com/550/story/493982.html Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:07 EDT
One of just three fillies to win America's greatest race, Genuine Risk died Monday at Newstead Farm in Upperville, Va., at the advanced age of 31. Hall of Fame trainer Leroy Jolley said an "unbelievable determination to win" made Genuine Risk a horse for the ages.

"She wanted to win and she would run so hard that after some of her races, she just practically would lay down for three or four days," Jolley said in a telephone interview from Saratoga Springs, N.Y. "She would run very, very hard and give it all she had every time."

Cindy Perry, an office administrator at the farm, said Genuine Risk died peacefully about 7:30 a.m. after eating a hearty breakfast and being turned out in her paddock.

After her Derby win, Genuine Risk finished second to Codex in a controversial Preakness and second to Temperence Hill in the Belmont Stakes, marking the only time a filly has finished in the money in all three Triple Crown races. She won 10 of 15 career races, and never finished worse than third for Jolley.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/303/story/500692.html http://www.kentucky.com/303/story/500692.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 17:59 EDT
Keeneland will hold a public forum at 6 p.m. Monday on its master plan to renovate the historic race track on Versailles Road.

The forum will be held at the Keeneland Sales Pavilion. Keeneland President and Chief Executive Officer Nick Nicholson and Russ Simons, HOK Sport senior principal, will make opening remarks.

Keeneland has contracted with HOK Sport, the world.s leading sports architecture firm based in Kansas City, Mo., to develop a master plan for current and future use of the facility. HOK has been asked to review the Lexington racetrack.s existing facilities for racing, sales and simulcasting.

Keeneland, which has an eye toward expansion to host the Breeders. Cup, also has a form on its Web site, www.keeneland.com, for comment. The track will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2011. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/303/story/484212.html http://www.kentucky.com/303/story/484212.html Sat, 09 Aug 2008 05:52 EDT
For all those racing fans worried about plans for expanding Lexington's racetrack, the track president has a message: .We're not going to ruin Keeneland..

Nick Nicholson said Friday that although the Breeders' Cup is something consultants were asked to consider in developing a master plan for the track, it wasn't the focus.

.We're doing this for April and October,. Nicholson said of the track's meets. .We're not going to build a facility for a few days. out of a year.

In announcing the development of a master plan on Thursday, Keeneland said it had asked the architectural consultants to consider how it might accommodate thoroughbred racing's championships. Racing fans, along with breeders and owners, have often asked about the possibility of holding the event in Central Kentucky. It traditionally has been at much larger facilities. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/303/story/483210.html http://www.kentucky.com/303/story/483210.html Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:00 EDT
Keeneland has hired a prominent sports architecture firm, HOK Sport, to develop a master plan that could lead to expansion, with an eye toward possibly hosting the Breeders' Cup one day.

The Kansas City firm, which designed the new 30,000-seat grandstand at England's Ascot Racecourse, as well as the 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium, has been asked to review the Lexington racetrack's existing facilities for racing, sales and simulcasting.

Keeneland announced the hiring Thursday in a press release.

The track will host a public forum Monday, Aug. 25, at 6 p.m. in the Keeneland Sales Pavilion for public comment. Keeneland will also post a form on its Web site for comment. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/303/story/423595.html http://www.kentucky.com/303/story/423595.html Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:45 EDT
Keeneland will offer a record $5.4 million in stakes purses . one of the richest stakes programs in North America . for its 2008 fall race meeting, to be held October 3-25.

Fifteen of the 19 stakes scheduled for the fall are graded, including three whose graded status was recently elevated by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. The $400,000 First Lady, for older fillies and mares at one mile on the turf, earned Grade I status; while the Woodford Reserve Bourbon, for 2-year-olds at 11.16 miles on the turf, and Bryan Station, for 3-year-olds at one mile on the turf, were promoted from listed to Grade III status.

Purses for the Woodford Reserve Bourbon and Woodford Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up at 5. furlongs on the turf, were each increased $50,000 to $200,000 and $150,000, respectively.

.Keeneland's fall meet is unlike any other in the world; competitive racing in such a beautiful environment,. said Director of Racing Rogers Beasley. .We are very excited to be able to offer our horsemen and fans so many great racing opportunities.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/304/story/502300.html http://www.kentucky.com/304/story/502300.html Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:18 EDT
LOUISVILLE . The onlookers to her burial were few compared with the millions who witnessed her death.

They were a small crew of respectful landscapers, a reverent, sometimes tearful Kentucky Derby Museum staff and, from across the courtyard and behind a fence, the museum's resident Thoroughbred, Phantom on Tour, and Winston, the miniature horse.

At 2:25 p.m. yesterday, under an overcast sky, the cremated remains of Eight Belles, the 134th Kentucky Derby's second-fastest horse and its beguilingly beautiful filly, were buried in original Derby soil, next to a freshly planted Little Gem Magnolia, an evergreen tree expected to bloom twice a year. Now and again in May.

This interment was a brief, informal ceremony closed to the public. The public memorial service is scheduled for Sept. 7. That is when Eight Belles' owner Rick Porter will be part of a "celebration of her life and her accomplishments," says museum spokeswoman Wendy Treinen. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/504230.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/504230.html Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:00 EDT
Gov. Steve Beshear's task force on horse racing will hold its first meeting next week in Lexington.

Beshear appointed the task force, headed by Thoroughbred horseman and political ally Tracy Farmer, in July to recommend how to put Kentucky racing on a more financially sound footing.

Farmer, like Beshear, is a proponent of expanded gambling, but casinos are not explicitly on the agenda.

The task force will meet 10 a.m. Sept. 3 at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, on Newtown Pike. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/506549.html http://www.kentucky.com/302/story/506549.html Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:41 EDT
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. . Curlin drew the No. 5 post in a field of eight Thursday, and was made the 3-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's $500,000 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

The 2007 Horse of the Year goes for his sixth straight win on the dirt in the 11.8-mile Woodward, a winning streak interrupted last month when he was asked to race on grass for the first time and finished second in the Man o' War Stakes.

Of the seven challengers to Curlin in the Woodward, Divine Park is the most accomplished, with a victory in the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont. Divine Park drew the No. 4 post and will be ridden by Alan Garcia.

A victory by Curlin would put the colt, whose earnings stand just short of $9.5 million, at the threshold of $10 million and in position to surpass Cigar by season's end as the all-time leading money winning Thoroughbred. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/303/story/501972.html http://www.kentucky.com/303/story/501972.html Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:55 EDT
A crowd of about 125 racing fans . Keeneland fans . turned out Monday night to tell the track how it can change for the better.

The main messages: leave it green, but add more toilets.

The racetrack and sales company announced earlier this month that it has hired architecture firm HOK Sport to develop a master plan for expansion. Track president Nick Nicholson said HOK has been asked to consider such things as expanded gambling and how the small track could host a Breeders' Cup championship.

But Nicholson stressed that the primary focus is making the present Keeneland experience better. "We're growing faster than our facility," he said. "There's a lot that's not up to Keeneland standards." ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/646/story/468038.html http://www.kentucky.com/646/story/468038.html Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:29 EDT
Cranes and construction trucks are still buzzing around the Kentucky Horse Park, but a new map shows exactly what the park will look like when it hosts the Alltech FEI 2010 World Equestrian Games.

The new design boasts hundreds of thousands of feet in new construction, including a new indoor arena, a new outdoor stadium, a new main entry, and lots of space for exhibitions and shopping.

.While these venue plans may experience some changes between now and 2010, these tentative layouts already illustrate the magnitude and scale of this event, as well as the breadth and scope of our planning,. said Rob Hinkle, vice-president of operations for the World Games 2010 Foundation.

Hinkle is expected to take a leading role in directing the Games since the resignation of foundation director Jack Kelly last week. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/624/story/499274.html http://www.kentucky.com/624/story/499274.html Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:52 EDT
By 8 a.m. on an August morning at the Kentucky Horse Park, the day is already well under way . a panorama of horses being washed, braided, trotted, cantered and jumped, all in preparation for their few moments in the show ring.

Danielle Menker, 15, dressed for competition in breeches, boots and show jacket, finished jumping her gray horse, Countdown, around an intricate course in a large junior hunter class.

.These are really good shows with really good prize money,. Menker says to explain why she would make the long trek from Maryland to Lexington for the second year in a row. She.s already competed here three times this year.

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are expected to bring 900 horses to the Kentucky Horse Park in 2010. While that.s a lot of horses, it isn.t an unprecedented number for the Horse Park. ]]>