Blood-Horse

Market momentum is set to continue at the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale May 1, after a record-breaking Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale April 14-16.

Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement farm near Georgetown, Ky., welcomed multiple graded stakes winner and 2015 Eclipse Award champion grass horse Big Blue Kitten to the farm April 24.

Two stakes wins for Midwest rider Kevin Roman and career win 2,000 in North America for Ricardo Santana Jr. riding at Oaklawn Park led to a tie in the voting by the panel of racing experts for Jockey of the week of April 21-27.

The gelded son of Noble Mission won the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes (G2T) in 2023, prior to winning the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Santa Anita Park.

The depth of Todd Pletcher's involvement in the world's most celebrated race is staggering. In this year's 151st edition, he extends his own record of saddling the most starters in the Run for the Roses. Grande will be his 66th runner.

A competitive field of 12 3-year-old fillies, including eight last-out stakes winners led by Stonestreet Stables' homebred Eclatant, has been entered for the $600,000 Eight Belles Stakes (G2) May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Multiple grade 1 winner Carson's Run looks to return to form in the $200,000 Fort Marcy Stakes (G2T) May 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The 4-year-old son of Cupid takes on four opponents in the 1 1/8-mile race for older horses.

Maiden Watch Kentucky Derby Edition

On Racing

C2 Racing Stable may have left Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) winner White Abarrio behind in South Florida, but C2, a partnership of brothers Mark and Clint Cornett, is still coming out firing this week at Churchill Downs.

If the field set to go to post for the $1 million Derby City Distaff Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs May 3 is an indication, the breadth of ability within the division will again be overflowing, and any attempt at ascendancy hard fought.

This year's Alysheba Stakes (G2) drew a field of six, but owner Mike Repole is billing the May 2 race at Churchill Downs as "a heavyweight title fight" between two multiple grade 1 winners—his Fierceness and Todd Pletcher stablemate Locked.

Multiple graded stakes winner Beach Bomb ships to Aqueduct Racetrack for the $175,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G3T) May 2. The 5-year-old mare is looking for her third consecutive graded stakes victory.

Ascot Racecourse publicity reported April 29 that recent Memories Of Silver Stakes winner Laurelin has been entered in the Coronation Stakes (G1) at the Royal Ascot meeting in June.

Group 1-winning mare Lady Laguna is an early highlight of the supplementary catalog for the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, which is set to take place on the Gold Coast May 27-28.

Last year, Seize the Grey won the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) before winning the Preakness Stakes (G1) two weeks later. That's also a possibility for at least one contender in this year's $600,000 race: Built.

The improving Will Then, one of the rising stars in the Southern California female turf division, trades in the Golden State for the Kentucky bluegrass when she starts in the May 2 $600,000 Edgewood Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs.

Japan's Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders Luxor Cafe and Admire Daytona continued their acclimation exercises at Churchill Downs April 29 but finally got down to business with both colts working five furlongs in their last major pre-Derby drills.

Byron King's Top 12 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, presented by Spendthrift Farm.

Voters in the NTRA top 3-year-old poll agree Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Journalism should be the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Derby (G1) as the son of Curlin tops the final edition of that poll ahead of the year's opening classic.