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Two Rivers Over worked four furlongs in :49 3/5. Prior to his win in the Godolphin Mile, the 4-year-old gelding by Tamarkuz was fourth in the San Pasqual (G2) Jan. 27 at Santa Anita. Last year, Two Rivers Over won the Zia Park Derby.

Trainer Christophe Clement, who earlier in the week said that Deterministic was "unlikely" to run in the Kentucky Derby after an eighth-place finish as the favorite in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack, made that decision official April 21.

Shinzo, arguably the best-bred Golden Slipper (G1)-winning colt ever to retire to stud, has officially joined Coolmore's Hunter Valley roster ahead of the 2024 season.

Ridden by James McDonald, the late blooming Broadsiding backed up from his maiden victory over the same course in the April 14 Fernhill Stakes,

ECL Entertainment and its joint venture partner Clairvest Group have entered into an agreement to purchase Wyoming Downs in Evanston, as well as the track's historic racing locations across Wyoming, the partners announced Monday. The sale is expected to be finalized in the second quarter of 2024, pending all required regulatory approvals and standard closing conditions.

Based in Las Vegas, ECL operates live horse racing and four historic horse racing locations in Kentucky, including the Mint Gaming Hall at Kentucky Downs, as well as charitable gaming locations in New Hampshire that also operate historic horse racing machines.

“We are very excited to continue the growth of Wyoming Downs' racing and historic racing businesses and look forward to investing in the great state of Wyoming,” said Marc Falcone, co- founder of ECL.

Wyoming Downs opens for its 2024 season June 8.

“Given our company's deep roots in horse racing, the purchase of Wyoming Downs is a natural extension of our business,” said ECL co-founder Ron Winchell. “We look forward to working with all of the Wyoming Downs stakeholders.”

Clairvest, based in Toronto, is a private equity firm with over $3 billion of assets under management. This transaction would represent Clairvest's 16th investment in the gaming space, building on Clairvest's 24-year successful track record in the gaming industry.

“We are excited to partner with ECL for our second joint investment in horse racing in the United States,” said Michael Wagman, President and Managing Director of Clairvest. “We look forward to continuing to build the business in Wyoming.”

Wyoming Downs has been owned for the last 10 years by a partnership led by Wyoming Equity Investors, LLC, and Eric Nelson. In addition to its horse racing track in Evanston, Wyoming Downs also operates 18 off-track betting locations throughout the state in Evanston, Casper, Cheyenne, Evansville, Gillette, Green River, Laramie, Mills, Sheridan, Rock Springs, and Thermopolis. Wyoming Downs employs 163 people across the state.

“This is a huge win for the State of Wyoming. ECL is the right operator at the right time for Wyoming Downs and will make the state proud,” said Nelson.

Valtus Capital Group, an investment bank specializing in the gaming and real estate industry, is advising Wyoming Downs on the transaction.

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Coffee in Bed just got her neck in front of pacesetting Super Shine on the line to earn the first graded victory of her career in the GII Santa Maria S. at Santa Anita Sunday evening. The dark bay filly settled off the pace while shadowing favorite Desert Dawn as a four-way battle for the lead developed around the first turn. Super Shine asserted control into the backstretch as the quarter went up in :22.66. Desert Dawn and Coffee in Bed moved in tandem, four and five wide, to loom a threat heading into the far turn as the half was completed in :46.64. Super Shine was still in front at the top of the lane as Desert Dawn and Coffee in Bed rolled up to her outside. The gutsy pacesetter kept finding more down the lane and the favorite was first to blink, but Coffee in Bed dug in gamely to grab the lead in the final jump.

Coffee in Bed just got her neck in front of pacesetting Super Shine on the line to earn the first graded victory of her career in the GII Santa Maria S. at Santa Anita Sunday evening. The dark bay filly settled off the pace while shadowing favorite Desert Dawn as a four-way battle for the lead developed around the first turn. Super Shine asserted control into the backstretch as the quarter went up in :22.66. Desert Dawn and Coffee in Bed moved in tandem, four and five wide, to loom a threat heading into the far turn as the half was completed in :46.64. Super Shine was still in front at the top of the lane as Desert Dawn and Coffee in Bed rolled up to her outside. The gutsy pacesetter kept finding more down the lane and the favorite was first to blink, but Coffee in Bed dug in gamely to grab the lead in the final jump.

“Although we settled back a little, and were hung out a little wide, she seemed to be happy there,” winning rider Mike Smith said. “She was at a really nice, happy cruising speed. I said, 'I'll stay out of the way and let her do what she does best.' And she showed up today.”

Frankie Dettori was pleased with the effort of the runner-up, a multiple group winner in her native Argentina who was making her U.S. debut for trainer Phil D'Amato.

“She jumped good, nobody was faster than me, so I had to go,” Dettori said. “[Coffee in Bed] always had me. The last sixteenth, she really poured it out for me. It was her first time here. I couldn't ask for more. She ran great.”

Coffee in Bed, a first-out winner at Santa Anita in January 2023, added an optional-claiming victory four starts later going one mile in Arcadia in October. She concluded her sophomore campaign with a fifth-place effort over the lawn in the Nov. 5 GIII Autumn Miss S. The bay filly resurfaced in 2024 to come up a length short of Desert Dawn when second in the 1 1/16-mile GIII La Canada S. Jan. 20 and was most recently a well-beaten sixth in the GI Beholder Mile Mar. 9.

Pedigree Notes:

Coffee in Bed is the 105 worldwide stakes winner and 57 graded winner for Curlin. Curlin's son Gladiator King is his only other graded winner out of a Hennessy mare.

Sumptuous, the first foal out of graded winner Belle of Perintown and a half-sister to graded winner Strike it Rich (Unbridled's Song), sold in foal to Good Magic to Tim Thorton for $85,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November sale. She has a 2-year-old filly by Liam's Map–who sold for $100,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale–and a yearling filly by Good Magic. She was bred to Maclean's Music last year.

Breeder Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings purchased the mare, in foal to Quality Road, for $410,000 from the Ned Evans dispersal at the 2011 Keeneland November sale. Her first foal was graded-winner and Grade I-placed Great Stuff (Quality Road).

Sunday, Santa Anita
SANTA MARIA S.-GII, $201,000, Santa Anita, 4-21, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:45.16, ft.
1–COFFEE IN BED, 120, f, 4, by Curlin
                1st Dam: Sumptuous (MSP, $105,245), by Hennessy
                2nd Dam: Belle of Perintown, by Dehere
                3rd Dam: Hot Match, by Mr. Prospector
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($500,000
Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Stonestreet
Thoroughbred Holdings (KY); T-Richard Mandella; J-M Smith.
$120,000. Lifetime Record: 9-3-2-1, $253,860. *1/2 to Great
Stuff (Quality Road), GSW & GISP, $478,902.  Werk Nick
   Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Super Shine (Arg), 120, m, 5, Super Saver–Sunshine Allie, by
Southern Halo. O-R Unicorn Stable; B-Firmamento (ARG);
T-Philip D'Amato. $40,000.
3–Desert Dawn, 122, m, 5, Cupid–Ashley's Glory, by Honour
and Glory. ($32,000 RNA Ylg '20 OBSOCT). O/B-H & E Ranch
(AZ); T-Philip D'Amato. $24,000.
Margins: NK, HF, 4. Odds: 4.20, 3.80, 0.60.
Also Ran: Blue Dream Machine, Turnerloose, Princess Bettina, Liberal Lady. Scratched: Big Novel. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

COFFEE IN BED ($10.40) kept digging under urging by @mikeesmith10, found more late, and just beat Super Shine (ARG) at the wire in the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (G2). Richard Mandella trained the 4-year-old filly for @spendthriftfarm.

Bet the last: https://t.co/cROASzQAe9 pic.twitter.com/zBsNOGtzTA

— TVG (@TVG) April 22, 2024

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Keeneland has become a sponsor of the International Thoroughbred Breeders' Federation, an organization which serves the members of Thoroughbred breeding associations in 26 countries that produce some 80,000 foals annually.

“We are enormously grateful to Keeneland for their support and welcome them as an ITBF sponsor,” said Sarah Carmichael,  CEO of ITBF. “As a not-for-profit organization, ITBF has to look to the industry for ongoing financial assistance to facilitate the essential service that we provide to the international breeding industry. Our role is a continually expanding one, and without our sponsors we would not be able to deliver and further develop as we do.”

ITBF is dedicated to providing a worldwide platform for the voice of breeders with the goal of safeguarding the integrity of the Thoroughbred breed, and the global production of responsibly bred and reared, healthy, capable future athletes of the racetrack.

“Keeneland is pleased to become an ITBF sponsor in support of the federation's important work in the global Thoroughbred community,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Though an international industry, breeders worldwide are interconnected by similar needs and issues. ITBF plays a critical role in helping breeders achieve their goals.”

Keeneland joins existing ITBF partners which include fellow auction houses Tattersalls, Goffs, Hokkaido Sales, New Zealand Bloodstock and Fasig-Tipton, as well as Gallagher (bloodstock insurance).

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8th-Aqueduct, $80,000, Msw, 4-21, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 1:41.40, fm, 3/4 length.
RISK TOLERANCE (IRE) (c, 3, Kingman {GB}–Loving Things {GB} {GSW-Fr, SW & GSP-Eng, $107,896}, by Pivotal {GB}) was hustled out of the gate but didn't appear particularly hurried and settled back into a stalking third along the inside as 5-1 shot Coast Along (West Coast) cut out opening fractions of :23.83 and :48.23. Gradually working his way closer to the pacesetter approaching the quarter pole, he took aim at the frontrunner in the stretch, caught up in the final sixteenth and inched clear late to graduate by 3/4 of a length. Black Diamond (Street Sense) completed the trifecta. Group winner Loving Things was purchased for 260,000gns at the 2022 Tattersalls November sale in foal to Sea The Stars (GB). Sales history: 260,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $44,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Normandie Stud Ltd (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown.

 

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6th-Keeneland, $96,700, Msw, 4-21, 3yo, 7f, 1:27.39, ft, 3 3/4 lengths.
DRAGOON GUARD (c, 3, Arrogate–Filimbi {GSW & MGISP-USA, SW-Fr, $670,763}, by Mizzen Mast) just missed by a neck to future SW Otto the Conqueror (Street Sense) when he debuted last September under the Twin Spires. Back on the work tab in late February for Brad Cox, the homebred went off with Lasix as the 3-5 choice here to kick off his 3-year-old season. The colt charged out of the gate, but was content to lay off of Rock N Roll Bolt (Bolt d'Oro) up the backstretch. Taking on the leader around the far turn, the gray put the pacesetter away at the top of the lane, kicked for home past the eighth pole and won geared down by 3 3/4 lengths over Term (Medaglia d'Oro). Filimbi produced a filly last year by Into Mischief and foaled another, this one by Constitution, Mar. 8. The winner was bred top to bottom by Juddmonte, who campaigned his dam, second dam Flute (Seattle Slew) and third dam Rougeur (Blushing Groom {Fr}). They also stood Arrogate and Dragoon Guard's broodmare sire, Mizzen Mast. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $86,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-Juddmonte (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.

DRAGOON GUARD ($3.34) got a perfect trip under @flothejock to easily win @KeenelandRacing race 6. @bradcoxracing trained the 3-year-old Arrogate colt for @JuddmonteFarms.

Bet the Late Pick 3: https://t.co/0B8c3g81GL pic.twitter.com/BEEmIpRRM1

— TVG (@TVG) April 21, 2024

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1st-Santa Anita, $54,000, Msw, 4-21, 3, 4,/5yo, f/m, 7f, 1:23.90, ft, neck.
JANE AUSTEN (f, 3, Tapit–Shayjolie {SW & MGSP, $415,843}, by Indian Charlie), sent off at 5-1 for this unveiling, broke well and was eased back but she eagerly tugged her way up upon the heels of pacesetters Quick Brown Fox (Justify) and Queen of Naples (Hard Spun) through a :22.58 quarter. Requiring racing room and finding it turning for home, Jane Austen closed on the stubborn leader late and forged past Quick Brown Fox to graduate by a neck. Ms Bo J (Mitole) was third. Stakes-winning Shayjolie, a half-sister to MGSW and GISP Mythical Power (Congaree), was purchased by Speedway Stables for $400,000 at KEENOV in 2015. Responsible for an unraced juvenile filly by Constitution and a yearling colt by Essential Quality, she was bred back to Into Mischief. Sales history: $750,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $32,400. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Muir Hut Stables LLC; B-Speedway Stables LLC (KY); T-Mark Glatt.

 

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Bell Gable Stable's Nutella Fella (Runhappy), off since winning last year's GI Hopeful S., could return to action in the June 8 GI Woody Stephens S. The bay colt upset the Hopeful at 54-1, but suffered a hind ankle injury while training for the GI Champagne S. and underwent surgery. He has been working at Oak Ridge Training Center in Ocala and is currently back with trainer Gary Contessa's string in Saratoga.

“He worked five-eighths in 1:01 in Ocala before I brought him up last week,” Contessa said. “He'll probably have his first work the middle of next week. I'll wait until the weather is good and the track is to my liking.”

Contessa continued, “His first race of the year should be the Woody Stephens on Belmont Day. He's a good horse and it's the perfect distance for him–same distance as the Hopeful and he's already worked five-eighths. He's going to be really ready for that race in June. I know it's a tough ask to come back in the Woody Stephens, but that distance is what he's best at.”

Contessa is expecting another 2023 Saratoga graded winner to make the trek north from Ocala in the coming week. Lee Pokoik's Becky's Joker (Practical Joke) won the GIII Schuylerville S. in her racetrack debut last July, but has not been seen since finishing seventh in her second outing in the Aug. 6 GIII Adirondack S.

“Mentally, she just fell apart on me after that race,” Contessa said. “We gave her the winter off and that's what you've got to do with these young horses when they're not progressing mentally the way you want them to and Lee is the type of owner who will let you do the right thing.”

Becky's Joker spent the winter at Eclipse Training Center.

“I worked her five-eighths last Friday in 1:02 at Eclipse,” Contessa said. “My game plan is to work her there this Friday and then ship her on the weekend.”

Of potential targets for the filly, Contessa said, “I want to see how she's progressing and how she's doing. Obviously, during the Belmont Stakes weekend there is a mile and an eighth race for her [June 7 GI Acorn S.] and I don't think distance is going to be a problem for her because she's 17.2 [hands]. She's the biggest filly you'll ever want to see, but she'll have to tell me when she wants to come back. She's eligible for allowances and all the 3-year-old stakes races–there's so many opportunities for her, so we'll play it one step at a time.”

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It was a quiet Sunday morning at Churchill Downs April 21 following a day that saw 12 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) contenders complete published workouts.

Larry Brookshire died a year ago, but his son, Kyle, is continuing their Sunny Brook Stables, which bred and races Mr Fisk.

Skippylongstocking once again took his show on the road and came out on top with a commanding score in the $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 20.

Rose Petal Stable's multiple stakes winner Copper Tax came with a steady run down the center of the track to reel in stubborn pacesetter Speedyness and edge clear by three-quarters of a length in the $125,000 Federico Tesio at Laurel Park April 20.

Kingsbarns made a statement April 20 that he could be a force this year in the older dirt horse division with a 3 1/4-length victory in the $300,000 Ben Ali Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.

The British-trained Silver Knott—previously a silver- or bronze-level finisher in six graded starts in the United States—took the gold in the April 20 Elkhorn Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland.

Rodeo Creek Racing's Blazing Sevens overcame a nine-month layoff and returned to the winner's circle in a second-level allowance contest at Aqueduct Racetrack April 20.

Jockey Nik Juarez picked up his 1,000th win April 19 at Oaklawn Park and quickly began an initial push toward another milestone.

Never getting the traction it needed among Democrats who run state government in New York, a late-emerging plan that supporters billed as a racehorse safety measure has died at the Capitol in Albany, N.Y.