Latest news with #Kentucky-bred
New York Post
16-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
A Preakness Stakes long shot is named after an obscure Met
Don't be surprised if a lot of 'Mets money' shows up on a long shot in Saturday's Preakness Stakes. That's because the No. 9 horse in the 2025 Preakness is named 'Gosger' after Jim Gosger, a journeyman outfielder who played 74 games for the Amazins, including 10 for the 'Miracle Mets' in 1969. The gray, Kentucky-bred colt is owned by Harvey Clarke Racing Stables and was named after the former MLBer thanks to a random Facebook connection with Donna Clarke, whose family owns the horse, according to Paulick Report. Gosger was tagged with 20-1 odds on the morning line, tied for the biggest price on the board with No. 5 Pay Billy. 'It's amazing,' the human Gosger told Paulick Report. 'I'm so darn excited about something like this. I had a good career playing ball. I was very fortunate. But this ranks right up at the top.' 4 Gosger works out at Pimlico ahead of the 150th Preakness Stakes. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Gosger, 82, played for six teams during his 10-year career, and although his stats may not be memorable, his story certainly is unique. He was the last batter to face Satchel Paige, and he was once declared dead by the Mets. Paige was brought out of retirement in a publicity stunt by Kansas City A's owner Charlie Finley. At age 59, Paige hurled three scoreless innings, culminating with a groundball out by Gosger. 'I grounded out, and as I was running by him to grab my glove, he grabbed my arm and it scared the [heck] out of me,' Gosger recounted to the outlet. 'He looked at me and said, 'Good luck, young man.' And that's something I will never forget.' 4 Jim Gosger during the 1969 World Series. Getty Images Four years later, Gosger joined the Mets midway through the 1969 season. He played 10 games, mostly as a defensive replacement for Gil Hodges' team, but was left off the postseason roster. He never got a World Series ring, but he was honored by the club decades later as part of the 'Miracle Mets' 50-year anniversary celebration. 4 Jim Gosger in 2022 with one of his cats. Sergio Montanez/Times Herald / USA TODAY NETWORK There was only one problem. The Mets included him in the 'In Memoriam' video during the celebrations. 'They declared me dead, honest to God,' Gosger told the Paulick Report. An official from the Mets reached out that night to apologize. 'I said, '[Expletive] you' and hung up,' he told the publication. 4 The Mets issued an apology to Jim Gosger and Jessie Hudson after including them in the 'We Remember' segment of their celebration of the 1969 World Series champions. Paul J. Bereswill Gosger retired from the major leagues in 1974 after a second stint in Flushing. He hit .226 with 16 home runs and 177 RBIs in 705 games for the Mets, Expos, Red Sox, Seattle Pilots and Athletics. With numbers like those, imagine Gosger's surprise when he found out a Mets fan wanted to honor him by naming a thoroughbred in his honor. Donna Clarke was a massive Mets fan and, along with her late husband Harvey, ran the family's stable. 'I was nine-year-old years old in 1969 and I had a big crush on Ken Boswell,' Clarke told Paulick Report. So Clarke's son, Scott, thought it would be a nice touch to name their new colt 'Boswell.' Unfortunately, that name had already been taken, so they had to pivot. It just so happened that Clarke and Gosger had struck up a friendship on Facebook a few years earlier, leading Donna to request the horse be named after the journeyman outfielder. This is not the first time that Harvey Clarke Stables have named a Triple Crown runner after an athlete. Nyquist, the winner of the 2016 Kentucky Derby, was named in honor of Gustav Nyquist, then of the Detroit Red Wings. Gosger — the horse — is the son of Nyquist. Clarke and her family invited Gosger to Baltimore for Saturday's race, but the former Met respectfully declined because he has five cats and a dog to care for at home in Port Huron, Mich. Jim Gosger may not have ever got that 1969 World Series ring, but he could have his name etched into Triple Crown history on Saturday. Not too shabby for a .226 lifetime hitter.
New York Post
03-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
TwinSpires Promo Code POSTRACING for 2025 Kentucky Derby: Picks, exactas, trifectas, and superfectas
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. The 2025 Kentucky Derby takes place on Saturday, May 3, at Churchill Downs in Louisville. No. 8 Journalism (7-2) is the clear favorite and will almost certainly go off as the chalk when it comes time to sound the bugle on Saturday evening. Not only is Journalism coming into the Run for the Roses on a four-race winning streak at three different tracks culminating with the Santa Anita Derby on April 5, but he also drew well in the No. 8 post position. Use TwinSpires Promo Code POSTRACING for 2025 Kentucky Derby It's tough to poke holes in Journalism's résumé, but this is a 20-horse field featuring the best 3-year-olds in the world. There is always the potential for chaos with this setup. One way to take advantage of the expected chaos is to build a handful of exotics (exactas, trifectas, and superfectas) with long shots. Here are some horses to consider – either with or without Journalism – to juice up the price on your Kentucky Derby exotics. 2025 Kentucky Derby picks: Horses to use in exactas, trifectas No. 3 Final Gambit (15-1): There are plenty of question marks around this Kentucky-bred gray, but it's hard to ignore the combination of the price, the trainer, and the improvement in his last race. Final Gambit has never raced on dirt before – hence the price – but his connections, including legendary trainer Brad Cox, believe he'll fare just fine after his workouts at Churchill Downs. What really jumps off the page for Final Gambit is his last race. He took a massive step up in class at the Grade III Jeff Ruby Steaks and beat a field of 12 horses by three lengths while posting some impressive speed figures. Another step up would make him a contender in this field. No. 7 Luxor Cafe (12-1): A Kentucky-bred, Japan-raised horse, there's a lot of fun stuff to dig into with Luxor Cafe. Luxor Cafe is looking to become the first Japanese horse to win the Kentucky Derby. AP The cons are pretty clear. Japanese horses are 0-for-8 in the Kentucky Derby, he's never raced in the United States, and his jockey, Joao Moreira, is making his debut in this race. The pros are that he lit up the Fukuryu Stakes, is a terrific closer, and is the son of Triple Crown-winner American Pharoah. Ah, the modern Kentucky Derby trend of falling for a Japanese horse. Like Final Gambit, Tiztastic is a Kentucky-bred horse that seems to be peaking at the perfect time. No. 17 Sandman (5-1): The third favorite on the morning line, Sandman should enjoy the conditions of this race. There is plenty of speed in this field, so an adept closer like Sandman should have every opportunity to pass tiring horses as we come down the stretch. There are some concerns about Sandman's pedestrian record at Churchill Downs, but those races took place when he was a 2-year-old, and it seems pretty clear he is a different horse now. Who knows, maybe those worries, along with the fact that the No. 17 post has never produced a winner at the Kentucky Derby, will allow this price to drift closer to double-digits ahead of post time. No. 21 Baeza (21-1): Keep an eye on this price on Saturday, as a lot of veteran railbirds were hoping they'd get the chance to bet on Baeza in this field. Originally an also-eligible, Baeza got into the field after Rodriguez scratched. Baeza ran a terrific second behind Journalism at the Santa Anita Derby, and could be one of the favorite's main rivals in this field if he can take a step forward and overcome this post position. Why Trust New York Post Betting Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports. New users only. Must be 18+ (19+ or 21+ depending on state of residence). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Available in AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NM, NY, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY. Full T&C Apply.
New York Post
03-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
2025 Kentucky Derby odds: Journalism the favorite to win
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 3, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The post time for the 2025 Kentucky Derby is scheduled for 6:57 p.m. ET, and there are 20 horses currently in the field. The headliner for this year's Run for the Roses is No. 8 Journalism, who was installed as a 3-1 favorite on the morning line. That number has drifted a tad to 7-2 after the early betting and the field was reshuffled due to a couple of scratches. Journalism, a Kentucky-bred contender trained by Michael McCarthy, has won four of his five career starts and has never missed the board. He checks into the Derby on a four-race winning streak and just lit up the Santa Anita Derby on April 5. Barring anything crazy happening, Journalism will go off as the favorite on Saturday. No. 18 Sovereignty (9-1) was the second favorite on the morning line, just ahead of No. 17 Sandman (5-1), but they have flipped spots on the board. Another price to keep an eye on is No. 21 Baeza (21-1). An also-eligible, Baeza got into the field after No. 4 Rodriguez, one of Bob Baffert's two horses, scratched. There seemed to be a lot of veteran horseplayers who were hoping that Baeza would get into the field after running a game second to Journalism in the Santa Anita Derby. Don't be surprised if Baeza becomes a trendy long shot on Saturday. Baffert's other horse, No. 1 Citizen Bull, is 14-1. Umberto Rispoli will be aboard Journalism, the betting favorite to win the Kentucky Derby. Getty Images This is Baffert's first Kentucky Derby since he was suspended for three years after his horse Medina Spirit tested positive for banned substances after winning the Run for the Roses in 2021. 2025 Kentucky Derby Odds Post Horse Odds 1 Citizen Bull 14-1 2 Neoequos 49-1 3 Final Gambit 15-1 4 Rodriguez SCRATCHED 5 American Promise 12-1 6 Admire Daytona 39-1 7 Luxor Cafe 12-1 8 Journalism 7-2 9 Burnham Square 16-1 10 Grande SCRATCHED 11 Flying Mohawk 33-1 12 East Avenue 34-1 13 Publisher 28-1 14 Tiztastic 18-1 15 Render Judgment 13-1 16 Coal Battle 27-1 17 Sandman 5-1 18 Sovereignty 9-1 19 Chunk of Gold 29-1 20 Owen Almighty 39-1 21 Baeza 21-1 Why Trust New York Post Betting Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
USA Today
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
How did Journalism get its name? What to know about Kentucky Derby horse
How did Journalism get its name? What to know about Kentucky Derby horse Show Caption Hide Caption Kentucky Derby 2025: Baffert's return, and Journalism is the horse to watch Previewing the 151st Kentucky Derby, focusing on Journalism's chances and Bob Baffert's return. One of the many traditions surrounding the Kentucky Derby each year is looking at the field and picking out the more distinct and clever names of the 20 horses competing in the race. As the Kentucky Derby runs for the 151st time on Saturday at Churchill Downs, the majority of the top spots on those lists, and betting wagers, are perhaps going to one particular horse: Journalism. The Kentucky-bred horse enters the Kentucky Derby as one of the hottest horses in the field, coming off four consecutive wins. With the Run for the Roses taking place on Saturday, May 3 (7:02 p.m. ET), curiosity has risen about how exactly the betting favorite to win the first leg of the Triple Crown landed its name. Here's what you need to know about Journalism before the Kentucky Derby: How did Kentucky Derby horse Journalism get its name? You guessed it, it has to do with actual journalism and a newspaper. Journalism got its name from one of its co-owners, Aron Wellman, who was a former sports editor of his high school newspaper in Beverly Hills, California. Wellman and other owners bought the horse for $825,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale in 2023, but had some difficulty in coming up with a name off its sire and dam — Curlin and Mopotism, respectively — so they settled on Journalism. REQUIRED READING: What are the horses' numbers in the 2025 Kentucky Derby? "I've often been accused of being a disgruntled sportswriter because of all the writing I do for Eclipse for our partners and our horse updates and weekly newsletter," Wellman told the Courier-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. "So journalism is something that I value very much, and I appreciate responsible and diligent journalists." He added: "For the life of me, I can't figure out what Mopotism means. We played off of the 'ism' part of Mopotism and just tried to find a really good, strong word that ended in 'ism.' We came up with Journalism." Journalism isn't the first media-related named horse to run in the Kentucky Derby. The first horse to add its name to this distinct club was Newsboy in 1882 (11th place finish); there was Editor's Note in 1996 (sixth place finish); Suddenbreakingnews in 2016 (fifth place finish); and most recently Mr. Big News in 2020 (third place finish). "It wasn't intended to be this way," Wellman told the Courier-Journal. "But it's certainly nice to have the media and journalists on our side." Kentucky Derby: Journalism's record Journalism is 4-0-1 in five starts. Heading into the Kentucky Derby, Journalism is riding a four-race win streak, with the last victory coming at the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 5 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Here's a breakdown of how Journalism has done in races, per Maiden Special Weight (Santa Anita — Oct. 27, 2024): Third Third Maiden Special Weight (Del Mar — Nov. 17, 2024): First First Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity (Los Alamitos Thoroughbred — Dec. 14, 2024): First First Grade 2 DK Horse San Felipe Stakes (Santa Anita — Nov. 17, 2024): First First Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby (Santa Anita — April 5, 2025): First REQUIRED READING: Why is the Kentucky Derby 2025 field at 19 horses? Rodriguez, Grande scratched REQURIED READING: Kentucky Derby winners: History of winning horses at Churchill Downs since 1875 What is Journalism's post position in Kentucky Derby? Journalism will be placed in the No. 8 post position for the Kentucky Derby. Based on past Kentucky Derby results, the No. 8 gate is a favorable post position. Those that have come out of the No. 8 post position have won the Kentucky Derby nine times, which is tied for the second most wins from a single post position at Churchill Downs. What is Journalism's odds in Kentucky Derby? At the time of this writing, Journalism currently holds the best odds of winning the Kentucky Derby at 7-2, per the Kentucky Derby's official website. The last time a morning-line favorite won the Run for the Roses was Justify in 2018.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kentucky Oaks Wagering Up Four Percent From Last Year
Good Cheer captured the Lilies in the 151st running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks in a field of 13 and sloppy track conditions. Under mostly cloudy skies, more than 100,000 excited racegoers gathered to watch America's premier race for 3-year-old fillies. Wagering from all sources on the full Kentucky Oaks race day card was $73.9 million. All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Oaks race was $22.7 million, up 4% from last year. (Editor's note: All-sources handle was down from $75.3 million last year.) Advertisement TwinSpires, the official betting partner of the Kentucky Oaks, handled a new record of $20.9 million in wagering on Churchill Downs races for the Kentucky Oaks Day program, compared to last year's record of $20.3 million, including all settled future wagers and affiliate wagering. Good Cheer, owned and bred by Godolphin, LLC, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Luis Saez, covered the 1-1/8th mile and sped to the finish line to win the Longines Kentucky Oaks by 2 1/4 lengths at odds of 6-5 and with a final time of 1:50.15. The Kentucky-bred filly, sired by Medaglia d'Oro, now has lifetime earnings of $1.7 million. 'Today we honor and congratulate the connections of Good Cheer,' said Churchill Downs President Mike Anderson. 'We thank our many fans, sponsors, horsemen, and horseplayers who all contributed to making today's 151st Kentucky Oaks a remarkable celebration.' CDI continued using Kentucky Oaks as a platform to raise money for women's health initiatives. We welcomed 150 breast and ovarian cancer survivors to walk the historic racetrack prior to the running of Longines Kentucky Oaks for the 17th annual Survivors Parade. Churchill Downs' Oaks charitable beneficiaries were Derby Divas, representing the Norton Cancer Institute, and Horses and Hope, representing the Kentucky Cancer Program. Since its inception, the Oaks Survivors Parade charitable initiative has raised over $1.5 million for women's health advocacy, providing preventative access to underserved women throughout Kentucky, including those who work in the equine industry.
