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Wearing blinkers for his April 20 breeze, which he recorded in 1:00 for 5 furlongs, Chief Wallabee is ready to take a step forward in the May 2 Kentucky Derby (G1).

On the April 20 edition of BloodHorse Monday: Jockey Junior Alvarado talks about seeking a repeat Derby victory with Chief Wallabee and analyzes Sovereignty's Oaklawn Handicap (G2), Alan Porter dives into this year's Derby pedigrees.

Due to the overwhelming response and positive feedback of a new wager early in the meet, all Daily Double wagers will now line up with a reduced takeout of 15% beginning April 21 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Three stakes—including a grade 2—worth a total of $400,000 highlight the Los Angeles County Fair meet at Los Alamitos Race Course. The nine-day season will begin June 19 and continue through July 5.

The book is produced annually and provides a listing of stakes races from each country that will be accorded group/graded or listed status in sales catalogs using standards approved by the Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers.

A federal bankruptcy judge approved interim financing and budget for Hawthorne Race Course at an April 20 hearing, less than 24 hours after the track's delayed Opening Day.

Top-class Australian sprinter Tentyris will not run at Royal Ascot in June after Darley announced that he and Ghaiyyath's dual group 1-winning son Observer have been retired and will take up stud duties in Australia later this year.

Ocala Breeders' Sales will host a "Second Chance" digital auction on its OBSOnline platform featuring horses that were either unsold or breezed and scratched from the record-setting Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

By reviewing decades of Kentucky Derby (G1) results for commonalities uniting past winners (or losers), handicappers can build a profile of a typical Kentucky Derby winner.

Edited Press Release

Kentucky Derby week kicks off Saturday at Churchill Downs as the track opens its 44-day Spring Meet offering sizeable pools and new wagers for the meeting, the track announced Monday.

Annually, Derby Day produces some of the largest betting pools in the sport. Last year's Derby race win, place and show pool totaled $122.4-million, while the exacta pool reached $30.1-million, the trifecta pool handled $35.5-million and the superfecta pool totaled $15.5-million. New on the Oaks and Derby programs in 2026 will be a 50-cent all turf Pick 4 while opening day of the Spring Meet will introduce the Jackpot 8, Odd vs. Even wagering, and Matchup wagering.

• The $1 Jackpot 8 challenges bettors to select the first eight finishers, in exact order, in the daily designated race and will typically be offered on the final race each day when there are at least 10 separate betting interests.
• Odd vs. Even allows fans to wager on whether the winning horse's number will be odd or even and will be offered on all races with at least three horses on each side.
• Matchups, or head-to-head betting, let horseplayers select which of two horses or groups of horses will produce the highest finisher in a race and will be offered on select days throughout Kentucky Derby Week and the Spring Meet.

The Jackpot 8 carries a 22% takeout, while Odd vs. Even and Matchups each feature a 17.5% takeout. There will be a $54,964 carryover in the Jackpot 8 from the conclusion of Turfway Park starting with Saturday's opening day card.

For the entire wagering menu and for more information about betting on the Spring Meet, please go here.

The post New Wagers, Big Pools Highlight Kentucky Derby Week at Churchill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Like it did for the OBS March Sale, OBSOnline will host a 'Second Chance' digital auction on the online platform featuring horses that were either unsold or breezed and scratched from the OBS Spring 2-Year-Old In-Training Sale, the organization announced Monday.

The record-setting auction concluded Apr. 17 with the April online sale scheduled for Apr. 24 to Apr. 28–bidding will begin at noon EDT on the 24th and will conclude at noon EDT on the final day. Horses offered will feature the same hip numbers they were initially assigned for the OBS April sale. They will be available for inspection at the location noted on their page.

Medical information, including radiographs and video scopes, is available in the repository and can be accessed by buyers' veterinarians. Each horse will also have a walking video.

Entries for the online sale close Apr. 21. To create an account or register to bid, please visit their website.

The post OBSOnline to Host ‘Second Chance’ April Digital Auction appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Mike and K.K. Ball's Chief Wallabee (Constitution) worked five furlongs in company in 1:00 on a crisp Monday morning at Churchill Downs.

Working during the special training period for Derby and Kentucky Oaks horses from 7:15-7:30 a.m. (all times Eastern) with recent maiden winner Gilded Bandit (Charlatan), Chief Wallabee produced fractions of :24.80, :36.60, :48.20 and 1:00 while galloping out six furlongs in 1:12 and seven-eighths in 1:26.60, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

Jockey Junior Alvarado was in the irons.

“It was a good work,” Alvarado said. “We added blinkers to see how he would handle them and he was very focused. He had a strong gallop out and did everything we wanted to.”

Named a TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard after a win at Gulfstream in January, Chief Wallabee finished runner-up to Commandment in the GII Fountain of Youth before coming home third to that son of Constitution most recently in the GI Curlin Florida Derby.

“I thought it was very good, he finished really well and galloped out strong,” said trainer Bill Mott, who saddled Horse of the Year Sovereignty to victory in last season's Kentucky Derby. “He's an inexperienced horse [with three starts] and we put the blinkers on to give him a little something to help him focus.”

Sovereignty, who is scheduled to ship into the Mott barn on Monday following his runner-up finish in Saturday's GI Oaklawn Handicap, had two works at Churchill Downs last spring before his Derby victory. Mott plans a similar path for Chief Wallabee with a final work coming next Sunday or Monday depending on weather.

Also working at Churchill on Monday morning, GI Kentucky Oaks contender Lorelei Lee (Nyquist), winner of the Mar. 21 Bourbonette Oaks, worked a half-mile in company in :48.20 for trainer Mike Maker. The Skychai Racing representative opened the work in company with Salty Senorita (Speightstown) with a :24 first quarter and galloped out five-eighths in 1:01.40, according to Churchill Downs clocker Adam Wallace.

The post Classic Contenders Chief Wallabee, Lorelei Lee Work at Churchill Downs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A trio of stakes–including the GII Great Lady M.–worth a total of $400,000 highlight the Los Angeles County Fair meet at Los Alamitos.

The nine-day season will begin Friday, June 19 and continue through Sunday, July 5.

Racing will be conducted on Friday-Sunday basis (June 19-21, 26-28 and July 3-5). Post time will be 1 p.m.

The richest event on the calendar is the, $200,000 Great Lady M. Stakes for fillies & mares at 6 1/2 furlongs. Won for a second consecutive year by Sweet Azteca–who eclipsed her own track record–in 2025, the Great Lady M. will be offered Saturday, July 4.

The $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby will be run Saturday, June 27. The Derby is for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles.

The other stakes on the schedule is the $100,000 Bertrando for 3-year-olds & up bred or sired in California. The one-mile Bertrando will be run Saturday, June 20.

There will also be a handicapping contest Saturday, June 27 and the Los Alamitos Racing Association will offer a cash prize and two berths in the 2027 National Thoroughbred Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas. Cost to enter is $500. Of that amount, $100 will be placed in the contest pool with the remaining $400 going towards a live money wagering card.

For more information, visit https://www.losalamitos.com/.

The post Great Lady M. Heads 2026 Los Alamitos Stakes Schedule appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Thanks to The Puma and In Our Time, two horses bred by Brian Kahn are giving the Californian two months to remember.

Utilizing her early speed, Simply Joking didn't mess around in the $100,000 Santa Maria Stakes (G3) as she strolled to a 6 3/4-length win at Santa Anita Park April 19.

CJ Stables' Reb Five surged past Throckmorton 20 yards from the finish en route to a neck victory in the $300,000 Palisades for 3-year-olds April 19 at Keeneland.

Jockey Jose Angel Medina accomplished a career milestone April 18 when he rode his 1,000th Thoroughbred winner in North America aboard Flaming Glory in the second race at Fonner Park.

Ranked 22nd on the Kentucky Derby (G1) leaderboard and needing two defections to get in the field, grade 1 winner Intrepido will ship to Churchill Downs following a fast work April 19 at Santa Anita Park.

The Flightline colt, who sold for an eye-popping $10.5 million April 17 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, arrived at trainer Bob Baffert's barn at Santa Anita Park April 18, shortly before 9:00 p.m.

Red White and Blue Racing's Pashmina was second in Aqueduct Racetrack's $200,000 Gazelle Stakes (G3) April 4 and will now take a shot in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs May 1.