Latest news with #StronachGroup
Forbes
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Preakness Stakes 2025: Odds, Best Bets, And Journalism's Biggest Run
LOUISVILLE, KY - MAY 03: Sovereignty with Junior Alvarado riding wins the 151 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Racetrack, on May 3, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo) Getty Images There are a few aspects to this evening's $2-million 150th Preakness that matter in a sort of reverse way to top favorite Journalism than to some of his fellow combatants, one of which is the length. Meaning: Had the Kentucky Derby been a sixteenth of a mile shorter — the length of the Preakness — then that would have been approximately just as he peaked in the stretch, arguably just seconds before he began to lose the Derby to the thundering-on Sovereignty. Working for Journalism, also, is the fact that the Preakness will confront him with slightly less than half of the traffic he faced in the Derby. He got pinched, and rather characteristically, by the Derby traffic in the early going, and had to recover. It's far less likely to happen today. But before we get into who's gunning for Journalism and who among them has the form to take him down, here, a refresher on the field and the odds. (Source: Pimlico, 5/17/2025) Did we mention that the owners of Pimlico, the Stronach Group (under its 1/ST racing flag) has, like many corporations in America, put artificial intelligence to work on the Preakness probabilities? It's quite jolly having the machine mind do the mixing and re-mixing of the billion factors that comprise handicapping, minus the players' 'gut-feel' component, since AI can't really go there. Suffice it to say, AI is by definition proprietary in the sense that it only knows what it's fed by its proprietor, so, when we clock into AI picks for Race 13 today, we get this entertaining breakdown of what the machine has been taught are the top four picks, ranked in descending order of implied probability to win (NOT in order-of-finish): Post Position, Horse, Implied Probability To Win 2. JOURNALISM 36% 7. SANDMAN 17% 8. CLEVER AGAIN 15% 6. RIVER THAMES 11% (Source: Pimlico (1/ST) Artificial Intelligence, 5/17/2025) Fascinatingly, Clever Again pops up in the machine's hivemind four big percentage points likelier to win than Pletcher's hardworking River Thames. The proof of the machine's handicapping chops — or more accurately, the proof of the machine's programmers' handicapping chops in weighting the hundreds of factors influencing Thoroughbred performance — will be in the proverbial pudding.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignity will not run in Preakness Stakes
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, will not run in the Preakness Stakes. (Jeff Roberson / Associated Press) There will be no Triple Crown winner this year. It became official on Tuesday when Sovereignty trainer Bill Mott told Preakness Stakes officials that the Kentucky Derby winner will not run in the second leg of the Triple Crown and instead point to the Belmont Stakes. 'We received a call from trainer Bill Mott that Sovereignty will not be competing in the Preakness,' Mike Rogers, a Stronach Group executive vice president, said in a media release. 'Bill informed us they would point toward the Belmont Stakes. We extend our congratulations to the connections of Sovereignty and respect their decision.' Advertisement It opens the door for Rodriguez, the Bob Baffert-trained horse who scratched from the Derby because of a tender hoof. The winner of the Wood Memorial will likely be the favorite unless Journalism runs in the second leg of the Triple Crown. Journalism's trainer Michael McCarthy has still not announced the next race for the Santa Anita Derby winner and runner-up in the Kentucky Derby. Baffert has won the Preakness eight times. He said on Sunday that the horse's hoof is fine and the 3-year-old colt was set for Baltimore. 'We're going to breeze this weekend [at Churchill Downs], and then ship to Pimlico,' Baffert said. Generally, the Kentucky Derby winner runs in the Preakness even though it is only two weeks later. Horses tend to run once a month although in racing again in two weeks was common in the past, but training and racing methods have changed in recent years as the business model switched more from racing to breeding. Advertisement Read more: Sovereignty surges past race favorite Journalism to win the 151st Kentucky Derby Michael Banahan, the director of bloodstock for Godolphin, Sovereignty's owner and breeder, appeared on "At the Races" radio show with Steve Byk on Monday. 'We fully respect what the Triple Crown means for the industry, for racing in America,' Banahan said. 'Most importantly, the decision will be made to do what's best for the horse. … It looks like he's come out of the race well. He did have a scrape on his pastern that needed to be treated somewhat. We'll just see how he gets over that, what his energy levels are going to be like.' The last Kentucky Derby winner to skip the Preakness Stakes was Rich Strike in 2022. Before that it was 2019 when Country House, the Derby winner when Maximum Security was disqualified, skipped the Preakness because of a cough. He never ran again. His trainer: Bill Mott. Advertisement It was more than two decades before Country House when a horse didn't go to the Preakness. Grindstone skipped the 1996 race becasue of a bone chip in his knee. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignity will not run in Preakness Stakes
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, will not run in the Preakness Stakes. There will be no Triple Crown winner this year. It became official on Tuesday when Sovereignty trainer Bill Mott told Preakness Stakes officials that the Kentucky Derby winner will not run in the second leg of the Triple Crown and instead point to the Belmont Stakes. 'We received a call from trainer Bill Mott that Sovereignty will not be competing in the Preakness,' Mike Rogers, a Stronach Group executive vice president, said in a media release. 'Bill informed us they would point toward the Belmont Stakes. We extend our congratulations to the connections of Sovereignty and respect their decision.' It opens the door for Rodriguez, the Bob Baffert-trained horse who scratched from the Derby because of a tender hoof. The winner of the Wood Memorial will likely be the favorite unless Journalism runs in the second leg of the Triple Crown. Journalism's trainer Michael McCarthy has still not announced the next race for the Santa Anita Derby winner and runner-up in the Kentucky Derby. Baffert has won the Preakness eight times. He said on Sunday that the horse's hoof is fine and the 3-year-old colt was set for Baltimore. 'We're going to breeze this weekend [at Churchill Downs], and then ship to Pimlico,' Baffert said. Generally, the Kentucky Derby winner runs in the Preakness even though it is only two weeks later. Horses tend to run once a month although in racing again in two weeks was common in the past, but training and racing methods have changed in recent years as the business model switched more from racing to breeding. Michael Banahan, the director of bloodstock for Godolphin, Sovereignty's owner and breeder, appeared on 'At the Races' radio show with Steve Byk on Monday. 'We fully respect what the Triple Crown means for the industry, for racing in America,' Banahan said. 'Most importantly, the decision will be made to do what's best for the horse. … It looks like he's come out of the race well. He did have a scrape on his pastern that needed to be treated somewhat. We'll just see how he gets over that, what his energy levels are going to be like.' The last Kentucky Derby winner to skip the Preakness Stakes was Rich Strike in 2022. Before that it was 2019 when Country House, the Derby winner when Maximum Security was disqualified, skipped the Preakness because of a cough. He never ran again. His trainer: Bill Mott. It was more than two decades before Country House when a horse didn't go to the Preakness. Grindstone skipped the 1996 race becasue of a bone chip in his knee. Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
NBC Sports
03-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
151ST KENTUCKY DERBY IS ONE MONTH FROM TODAY – NBC SPORTS' COVERAGE CONTINUES WITH THE 1/ST RACING TOUR'S SANTA ANITA DERBY LIVE THIS SATURDAY AT 7 P.M. ET ON CNBC AND PEACOCK
Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey, Randy Moss, and Britney Eurton Join Host Ahmed Fareed to Anchor Coverage STAMFORD, Conn. – April 3, 2025 – With the 151st Kentucky Derby one month from today (Sat., May 3 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock), NBC Sports presents live coverage of the $500,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1) this Saturday, April 5, live at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC and Peacock from 1/ST's Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. The Santa Anita Derby, which is part of the 1/ST RACING TOUR, is a key Triple Crown prep race. Some of the top Kentucky Derby winners to have competed in the Santa Anita Derby are Triple Crown winner Affirmed (1978), Sunday Silence (1989), California Chrome (2014), and Authentic (2020). 2025 San Felipe (G2) winner Journalism, 14th in the Road to the Kentucky Derby standings, is the morning-line favorite (6-5) in the 1 ⅛-mile Santa Anita Derby. The 20 horses with the most Road to the Kentucky Derby points will earn a spot in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May. 2024 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Citizen Bull and 2025 San Vicente (G2) winner Barnes, who are both trained by Bob Baffert, are also expected to contend in the race. Baffert and jockey Gary Stevens hold the record for most Santa Anita Derby victories in their respective categories with nine wins each. The Santa Anita Derby will award a total of 150 Kentucky Derby qualification points, with 75 going to the winner of the race. In addition to the Santa Anita Derby, this Saturday's show will focus on the Road to the Kentucky Derby races and major contenders. Ahmed Fareed hosts Saturday's coverage alongside Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss as analysts. Britney Eurton will report on-site from Santa Anita Park. In addition to horse racing, Peacock's sports programming features live coverage of the NFL, including Premier League, Sunday Night Football, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Big Ten football and basketball, BIG EAST basketball, Notre Dame Football, the U.S. Women's and Men's National Teams soccer matches (in Spanish), golf, NBA and WNBA coming in 2025-26, and much more. and the NBC Sports app will stream live coverage to desktops, mobile, tablets, and connected TVs via authentication, giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. NBC SPORTS AND HORSE RACING NBC Sports is the exclusive home to the most important and prestigious events in horse racing, including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, the Breeders' Cup World Championships, Royal Ascot, and Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series. ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP AND 1/ST The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group's 1/ST business (pronounced 'First') is North America's preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group's continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company's premier racetracks, training centers and premier events including: Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); Laurel Park, The Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST's media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and 1/ST TV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing's largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group's commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group's TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company's live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). For more information, visit or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook. --NBC SPORTS--
