Photo courtesy of Coady Photography
Photo courtesy of Grace Clark
Help Odanis Acuna’s family and you might win a TV The Kentucky HBPA’s foundation is raffling off one 40-inch and two 32-inch televisions, with proceeds going to the family of Odanis Acuna, the 42-year-old veteran exercise rider killed Saturday morning in a training accident at Churchill Downs. Acuna, nicknamed Cuba for his homeland, leaves a wife and three young […] Continue Reading
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018) – Trainer Norm Casse is closing in on his first year as a trainer with 14 victories but the 35-year-old Louisville-native hopes improving filly Angel of Mischief can give him his first stakes victory in the $200,000 Mrs. Revere (Grade II) on Friday, Nov. 23 at Churchill Downs. “This is going to be the most logical spot to run her in,” Casse said. […] Continue Reading
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018) – Woodford Racing’s 3-year-old colt Hot Springs pulled away from front-running Marzo inside the final sixteenth of a mile and held off a late run by Zero Gravity to win Saturday’s 15th running of the $100,000 Commonwealth Turf (Grade III) at Churchill Downs by 1 ½ lengths. Ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. and trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Hot Springs trailed the field of seven […] Continue Reading
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018) – Odanis Acuna, a veteran exercise rider for trainer Kenny McPeek, died early Saturday morning during a training accident at Churchill Downs. He was 42. The tragic accident occurred at approximately 5:45 a.m. when Acuna was breezing unraced 2-year-old New York Harbor. Nearing completion of the workout, the colt and Acuna suddenly fell about […] Continue Reading
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Friday, Nov. 9, 2018) – Trainer Mark Casse’s locally-based assistant Nick Tomlinson is eagerly awaiting Saturday’s $100,000 Commonwealth Turf (Grade III) as his “barn favorite” March to the Arch tries for his first graded stakes win at Churchill Downs. “He’s been one of those horses that I absolutely love to be around at the barn,” said Tomlinson, 24, who oversees about 36 horses for Casse at the historic […] Continue Reading
Today’s Churchill Downs media notes, written by Kevin Kerstein LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018) – One of the new editions to the Churchill Downs jockey colony for the Fall Meet is Florida-native Tyler Gaffalione. Through the first seven days of the 21-day meet, the 24-year-old rider has already made headway in the highly-competitive roster of journeyman riders at Churchill Downs with five […] Continue Reading
Michael Wrona on the mic Bolt d’Oro’s thrilling but controversial win over DQed McKinzie in 2018 San Felipe Accelerate gives John Sadler his first Santa Anita Handicap Cigar wins Arlington’s 1996 Citation Challenge for record-tying16th straight win FRANKLIN, Ky. (Tuesday, November 6, 2018) — Michael Wrona, one of the world’s preeminent race-callers and the voice of Santa Anita Park, has been […] Continue Reading
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018) — On horse racing’s biggest global stage, Monomoy Girl became only the third Kentucky Oaks winner to also take the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff in the same year. She further entrenched her status as the country’s best 3-year-old filly in Saturday’s length victory over Wow Cat at Churchill Downs. “That’s what you’re […] Continue Reading
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Friday, Oct. 26, 2018) – On a soggy Friday morning beneath the historic Twin Spires, nine Breeders’ Cup contenders completed their major preparation for the World Championships on Nov. 2-3 at Churchill Downs. MIND YOUR BISCUITS TUNES UP FOR THE CLASSIC – Trainer Chad Summers’ top Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) contender Mind Your Biscuits completed what appeared […] Continue Reading
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Friday, October 26, 2018) — The Kentucky HBPA has launched a redesigned website, kyhbpa.org, along with its latest social-media initiative, #KyBCKids, as part of the organization’s mission to serve horsemen and promote thoroughbred racing. The Kentucky HBPA, a division of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, represents about 6,000 thoroughbred owners and trainers and is the only […] Continue Reading
