Blood-Horse

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

Parx Racing and Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course have canceled their racing cards for the second day in a row Feb. 18 as high winds and inclement weather continue to hit the region.

The $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2), a race that offers Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale, has been pushed back from Feb. 22 to Feb. 23 due to winter weather expected Feb. 18-19.

The highs and lows of racing were on full display this week after Magnitude, the dominant 9 3/4-length winner of the Feb. 15 Risen Star Stakes (G2), was declared off the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail with an ankle chip Feb. 18.

Trainer David Wayne Baker had only one minor medication violation since 2005 until last September. Now he's been suspended for 15 days and fined $1,000. He is not sure how he'll be able to avoid this happening again.

During the Feb. 17 edition of the BloodHorse Monday podcast, WinStar Farm president, CEO, and racing manager Elliott Walden outlined plans for Kentucky Derby (G1) hopefuls John Hancock, Tappan Street, River Thames, and Patch Adams.

On the Feb. 17 episode of BloodHorse Monday, Louie Rabaut and Sean Collins recap the Risen Start Stakes (G2) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, WinStar's Elliott Walden discusses John Hancock, and BloodHorse's Eric Mitchell previews new stallions.

Barnes and Rodriguez, candidates for the San Felipe (G2) on March 1 at Santa Anita Park, and fellow 3-year-old Citizen Bull all worked for trainer Bob Baffert Feb. 17 at Santa Anita.

Saudi royal Prince Sultan bin Mishal Al Saud has been placed on the British Horseracing Authority forfeit list after running up unpaid training bills of $402,701.

BH Interview with Clay Whitham

Due to the winter weather, Mahoning Valley and Parx have canceled live racing Feb. 17. Both tracks are expected to resume racing Feb. 18.

When Robbie Norman dispatched his two trainers, Lonnie Briley and Jayde (J.J.) Gelner, to each select a horse for him at the 2023 Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale, he never imagined the daily double would prove to be so rewarding.

Ethan West has spent years quietly building his training career. On Feb. 15, the 32-year-old horseman found himself on the national stage for the first time as Chunk of Gold finished a hard-fought second in the $500,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2).

Feb. 28 is the last opportunity to nominate foals born in 2024 to the Breeders' Cup program for a one-time late nomination fee of $1,500. This nomination entitles each foal to lifetime eligibility to the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

With the Kentucky Derby (G1) 11 weeks away, the pari-mutuel field of "All Other 3-Year-olds" closed as the 9-2 favorite in Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager and San Vicente Stakes (G2) winner Barnes was the 8-1 second choice.

Although he was finally out of the shadows of his stablemates, Getaway Car's extraction of the Sunland Park Derby's $400,000 purse proved no easy feat Feb. 16 as he held off a hard-trying Caldera in a thrilling photo finish.

The New York Racing Association has canceled live racing on Feb. 17 at Aqueduct Racetrack due to high winds forecast to impact the New York City metropolitan area throughout the day.

The top two finishers of the Springboard Mile, Coal Battle and Speed King, rematch in the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) Feb. 22 after each winning one of Oaklawn Park's Kentucky Derby (G1) prep races.

Grade 2-winning 3-year-old Journalism and fellow sophomores Bullard and Madaket Road, who were both entered in the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park Feb. 22, were among 229 horses to record timed workouts Feb. 16 at Santa Anita Park.

The Godolphin team had begun a productive afternoon Feb. 16 when Al Qudra made all to land the Al Rayyan Mile (G2T) under William Buick.