Both tracks smashed handle records for opening day thanks to full, competitive fields, packed stands (to the degree allowed) and joyful atmospherics.
Betting
The Haskell Invitational drew a field of seven that includes the runners-up from all three Triple Crown races — Hot Rod Charlie, Mandaloun and Midnight Bourbon.
There’s been a lot of turmoil in the Sport of Kings of late, but everything will be right with the racing world again next week when both Del Mar and Saratoga open their gates.
Fixed-odds wagering on horse racing is on the verge of becoming a reality in New Jersey, a game-changing experiment that might have implications outside the Garden State.
Testing of Medina Spirit’s urine has moved to the forefront in the developing legal battle over the colt’s anticipated disqualification from his Kentucky Derby victory.
Many riders have fled New Jersey’s Monmouth Park after the rule was imposed by the state’s Horse Racing Commission. A PETA officer says the rule does not endanger the jockeys.
The John Sadler-trained colt didn’t put his best hoof forward in the Kentucky Derby, but he can make amends with a front-running win in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
Train wreck at Old Hilltop sounds like a great title for a country song, but we are talking about a story that has cast a cloud over Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.
Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit will be favored in the Preakness Stakes, but trainer Bob Baffert also is entering the highly regarded Concert Tour.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board is allowing racebooks to take bets on more races from Churchill Downs, not just the Kentucky Oaks on Friday and the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
With just over a week until the race, it’s clear that local bettors are going to be faced with either a long drive or a watered-down wagering menu.
A contract dispute between the Nevada Pari-Mutuel Association and Churchill Downs Inc., which is in its 18th month, may severely limit wagering options in Nevada.
When the dust settles, we should at least be able to predict with some certainty who the Derby favorite will be: Essential Quality or Concert Tour.
It’s “April Madness” for horse racing fans with the Wood Memorial, Blue Grass Stakes and Santa Anita Derby scheduled for Saturday, a month before the Kentucky Derby.
Greatest Honour, the Shug McGaughey-trained son of Tapit has victories in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes and the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes.