Horse Racing

Associated Press Jan 22, 2024, 09:02 PM ET Open Extended Reactions LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert says on social media that he has asked attorneys to end his appeal of Medina Spirit’s disqualification as the 2021 Kentucky Derby winner after the now-deceased colt failed a postrace drug test that detected the

Jan 10, 2024, 02:43 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The 2024 Kentucky Derby will be the richest in history as the purse for the first jewel of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown has been raised 67% to a record $5 million guaranteed, Churchill Downs said Wednesday. The winner of the 1-1/4-mile race on May 4 will

Associated Press Dec 14, 2023, 06:08 AM ET ARCADIA, Calif. — John Shear, who began as an exercise rider and later worked in the paddock where he was run over by a horse while saving a child during a 67-year career at Santa Anita, has died. He was 102. Shear died of natural causes Tuesday

Associated Press Dec 6, 2023, 11:33 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The 2024 Belmont Stakes will be run at Saratoga Race Course, with the third leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown shifting from Long Island to upstate New York because of the massive renovation of Belmont Park. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the move

Associated Press Nov 17, 2023, 03:47 PM ET Bobby Ussery, a Hall of Fame jockey who won the 1967 Kentucky Derby and then crossed the finish line first in the 1968 edition only to be disqualified days later, has died. He was 88. Ussery died Thursday of congestive heart failure at an assisted living facility

Associated Press Nov 16, 2023, 08:19 PM ET Open Extended Reactions LEXINGTON, Ky. — Rich Strike, upset winner of the 2022 Kentucky Derby, won’t be on the sales block at Keeneland on Friday. Owner Rick Dawson posted on social media that he has revised his plan for the 4-year-old colt. “At this time, Rich Strike

Associated Press Nov 9, 2023, 02:29 PM ET Open Extended Reactions LEXINGTON, Ky. — Rich Strike, the upset winner of the 2022 Kentucky Derby, has been retired after injuries kept him from returning to racing. The 4-year-old colt will be offered for sale as a stallion prospect. Keeneland announced Thursday that Rich Strike will be

Associated Press Nov 6, 2023, 01:23 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Cody Dorman, the teenager who watched his namesake horse Cody’s Wish win at the Breeders’ Cup, has died. He was 17. Dorman died Sunday after suffering a “medical event” on the family’s way home to Kentucky after attending the world championships at Santa Anita

Jarryd Barca Nov 5, 2023, 06:00 PM ET Open Extended Reactions We’re back! It’s the race that stops the nation, and in 2023, it’s going to be an absolute classic. Not sure who to back? Not to worry, as we take you through the best selections and some value runners in Tuesday’s 10-race card at

Associated Press Nov 4, 2023, 07:46 PM ET Open Extended Reactions ARCADIA, Calif. — White Abarrio won the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by a length on Saturday, putting trainer Rick Dutrow back on top months after his 10-year exile from the sport ended. A celebratory Dutrow hugged anyone he could in the winner’s circle

Nov 4, 2023, 12:13 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Kris Lees’s Kalapour has booked a place in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup by winning the Lexus Archer Stakes at Flemington. Ridden by legendary jockey Damien Oliver, Kalapour led from start to finish in the 2500m Group 3 contest at Flemington on Saturday. The John O’Shea-trained Athabascan and

Associated Press Nov 3, 2023, 08:43 PM ET Open Extended Reactions ARCADIA, Calif. — Mike Repole has been down this path before. A promising colt of his wins the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, goes to the Kentucky Derby as the early favorite and then nothing. Now, he’s pausing before getting consumed by Derby fever. Fierceness won

Associated Press Nov 1, 2023, 08:48 PM ET Open Extended Reactions ARCADIA, Calif. — Geaux Rocket Ride was euthanized on Wednesday, four days after getting injured during a workout leading up to the Breeders’ Cup and struggling to recover after surgery. The colt’s owner, Pin Oak Stud, posted the news of the death on social

Associated Press Oct 31, 2023, 11:19 AM ET ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) – A horse set to run in this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup died Tuesday at Santa Anita, and a short time later, Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo dropped out of the $6 million Classic. Trainer Jena Antonucci said she ran out of time trying to resolve

Associated Press Oct 30, 2023, 09:51 PM ET Open Extended Reactions PASADENA, Calif. — Arabian Knight is the early 3-1 favorite for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic this weekend at Santa Anita. The two-day world championships drew 205 horses including 59 from five foreign countries to the track in Arcadia. Santa Anita is hosting

Associated Press Oct 29, 2023, 01:04 PM ET Open Extended Reactions ARCADIA. Calif. — Kentucky Derby winner Mage will not run in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, his trainer said Sunday. Mage had yet to travel to California for the world championships next weekend at Santa Anita. “He presented a feverish state this morning

Associated Press Oct 28, 2023, 02:40 PM ET Open Extended Reactions ARCADIA, Calif. — Breeders’ Cup Classic contender Geaux Rocket Ride was injured during a workout Saturday at Santa Anita. The 3-year-old colt appeared to stumble in midstretch and was pulled up by Mike Smith, the Hall of Fame jockey. Geaux Rocket Ride sustained a

Associated Press Oct 12, 2023, 06:35 AM ET Open Extended Reactions LONDON — The Grand National is implementing a series of significant changes, taking effect next year, in an effort to make the world’s most famous steeplechase safer for horses and jockeys. They include reducing the field from 40 horses — the size since 1984