Latest news with #WoodMemorial
Los Angeles Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Can trainer Bob Baffert win yet another Preakness with Goal Oriented?
BALTIMORE — Trainer Bob Baffert loves to come to the Preakness. He loves the fact that all the top horses are in the same barn, so he can kibitz with his fellow trainers, such as an extended conversation with Mark Casse about the best crabcakes in town. He loves the casual atmosphere, in contrast to the high stakes, high pressure feeling at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby. Or maybe it's because he's won the second leg of the Triple Crown eight times, more than any other trainer in history. So, he was asked why he was bringing Goal Oriented, an undefeated two-time starter who has never run in a stakes race, to the Preakness. 'FOMO,' Baffert said with a laugh, referring to the acronym for 'fear of missing out.' Make no mistake, Baffert doesn't run a horse in a race this big just because he likes the crabcakes. Baffert had actually planned to also run Rodriguez in the Preakness. Rodriguez, the easy winner of the Wood Memorial, was supposed to run in the Kentucky Derby but scratched because of a sore hoof. He was being pointed to the Preakness. But that didn't work out either. '[Goal Oriented] ran well, and he worked well and came out of [the race on the Derby undercard] really well,' Baffert said. 'I was thinking Rodriguez. But, I didn't get to train him. It took me a long time. I put in a whole week to get that foot right, and then I breezed him. 'But I really think [Goal Oriented] is a bigger, stronger horse, and I think Rodriguez was not quite ready. I'd rather just shoot for the Belmont with him. He's a lighter horse.' No one, including Baffert, knows how good Goal Oriented is. He is the fourth favorite on the morning line at 6-1. But, given that he's trained by Baffert, will likely go off at lower odds. 'Oh, we don't know, [how he'll run],' Baffert said. 'We're just going to throw him in there. He's handled everything here. He handled the ship, and he handled Churchill, came back like it was nothing. I can tell after they win. In the winner's circle, he just stood there, stoic, didn't even take a deep breath. He was like, 'Hey, that's it?' I like that. Some horses come back and they're blowing (breathing heavy), they'll blow your hat off. He wasn't that. He handled it pretty well. We've always been very high on him.' Goal Oriented, a $425,000 purchase for the same ownership consortium that also has Rodriguez and Citizen Bull, ran his first race on April 6 at Santa Anita, winning by 3 ¼ lengths. His second race was on the undercard on Derby day, winning an allowance on three-quarters of a length. 'He's an eyeful, he's handsome, he's beautiful,' said Tom Ryan, who heads the ownership group. 'He's a May 15 baby who is just now coming into his own. He hasn't done anything wrong. He's gone short, he's gone long, he's handled the slop. 'We don't run in Grade 1s just to have a look at a horse. We think he's in form and deserves a shot. He has to improve for sure. He's been great in the morning and now we're hoping he can continue it to the afternoon.' Goal Oriented certainly looks like he is in form, but the question remains what specifically is his form and style. 'We don't even know his style,' Baffert said. 'We put him on the lead because of the mud [at Churchill Downs] and we didn't want to mess around. [Jockey Flavien] Prat knows him now. He's got tactical speed, but he doesn't have to be rushed off his feet. He's a big strong horse.' Baffert doesn't claim to have any super secret key to his success at the Preakness. 'I had the best horse,' Baffert said simply. 'You have to have the best horse to win. And that's usually the best secret a trainer can have in these big races is if you have the best horse.' He won his first Preakness in 1997 with Silver Charm. His other winners were Real quiet (1998), Point Given (2001), War Emblem (2002), Lookin at Lucky (2010), American Pharoah (2015), Justify (2018) and National Treasure (2023). This will most likely be the last time Baffert runs at Pimlico as it is currently constructed. The track is scheduled to be torn down almost immediately after Saturday's race and the Preakness will move to nearby Laurel for two years during the rebuild. The track surface and configuration will pretty much be the same. However, the place where the fans watch the race will be very different. Baffert was more concerned that the stakes barn will remain. It will but it's unclear if the same structure will remain or if a new barn will be built 'I like this barn,' Baffert said. 'I would like to take this barn to Santa Anita.' On Baffert's long list of accomplishments, that's one he may fall short on.
Newsweek
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
How to Watch Kentucky Derby: Live Stream Horse Racing, Post TIme, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The biggest event in horse racing is here. On Saturday, the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby will take place at the historic Churchill Downs. Which horse will come out on top? Tune in on Saturday to NBC to watch the Kentucky Derby. Coverage begins at 3:30 PM, with post time for the main event set for 6:57 PM. The field heads into the first turn during an undercard race ahead of the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 02, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky. The field heads into the first turn during an undercard race ahead of the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 02, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky. Photo byHow to Watch the Kentucky Derby: Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025 Post Time: (approximately) 6:57 PM ET Channel: NBC Stream: Fubo (Try for free) The early favorite for this year's Kentucky Derby is Journalism, who will come out of the No. 8 spot. The Santa Anita Derby winner had 3-1 odds in the morning line. The horse is trained by Michael W. McCarthy and ridden by Umberto Rispoli. Other contenders include two horses starting next to each other on the outside. Starting from the No. 17 post, Sandman sits at 6-1 for trainer Mark E Casse and jockey Jose Ortiz. Beside him in post No. 18 is Sovereignty, trained by William I Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado. The horse opened Saturday morning at 5-1. For the first time since 2003, no Todd Pletcher horse is in the field. That's because Grande, the runner-up from the Wood Memorial, was scratched with a heel injury on Friday. Trainer Bob Baffert returns from his suspension. One of his horses, Rodriguez, has already scratched, but he still has Citizen Bull in the field. 2025 Kentucky Derby Field & Odds Citizen Bull, 20-1 Neoquos, 30-1 Final Gambit, 30-1 Rodriguez, 12-1 American Promise, 30-1 Admire Daytona, 30-1 Luxor Cafe, 15-1 Journalism, 3-1 Burnham Square, 12-1 Grande - Scratched Flying Mohawk, 30-1 East Avenue, 20-1 Publisher, 20-1 Tiztastic, 20-1 Render Judgement, 30-1 Coal Battle, 30-1 Sandman, 6-1 Sovereignty, 5-1 Chunk of Gold, 30-1 Owen Almighty, 30-1 Baeza, 12-1 Watch the Kentucky Derby on Saturday on NBC. Live stream the Kentucky Derby on Fubo: Start your free trial now! Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
USA Today
03-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Grande trainer, jockey, owner and more to know about 2025 Kentucky Derby horse
Grande trainer, jockey, owner and more to know about 2025 Kentucky Derby horse Show Caption Hide Caption Watch 2025 Kentucky Derby contender Grande work at Churchill Downs 2025 Kentucky Derby contender Grande works at Churchill Downs on April 27, 2025. Trainer is Todd Pletcher. Career is three starts for 2-1-0. Grande will enter the Kentucky Derby off a second-place finish in the Wood Memorial on April 5 Grande trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Kentucky Derby twice with Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017) Grande is one of 20 horses expected to enter the 2025 Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs. Spots for the Run for the Roses are earned by gaining points through a series of Kentucky Derby prep races that began last September. The post-position draw for the Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, April 26. Post time for the Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. Grande will enter the Kentucky Derby off a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 5 at Aqueduct. He currently ranks 16th on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard with 50. Color: Dark Bay. Bred in: Kentucky. Sire: Curlin. Dam: Journey Home, by War Front. Price tag: $300,000 at 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Owner: Repole Stable (Mike Repole). He's 0 for 8 in the Derby, best finish coming with Mo Donegal (fifth) in 2022. Trainer: Todd Pletcher. He's 2 for 65 in the Derby, winning with Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017). No trainer has entered more horses in the Derby than Pletcher. Jockey: John Velazquez. He's 3 for 26 in the Derby, winning with Animal Kingdom (2011), Always Dreaming (2017) and Authentic (2020). Record: 2-1-0 in three starts. Career earnings: $228,200. Road to the Kentucky Derby points: 50 (No. 16). Last race: Second in Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 5 at Aqueduct, 3 ½ lengths behind Rodriguez. Running style: Stalker. Notes: Grande did not race as a 2-year-old and won two starts at Gulfstream Park before his runner-up finish in the Wood Memorial. … Grande will try to become the fifth horse to win the Kentucky Derby after just three career starts, joining Regret (1915), Big Brown (2008), Justify (2018) and Mage (2023). … Repole, Pletcher and Velazquez teamed on the favorite in last year's Derby with Fierceness, who faded to 15th after battling near the lead early. What they're saying: 'I thought he ran super,' Pletcher said after the Wood. 'He didn't break real well. He got shuffled around a little bit going into the first turn. (Jockey Dylan Davis) said he kind of had to check off heels, which forced him to go really wide. He advanced nicely down the backside while out in the middle of the track. He still got hung out pretty wide on the far turn and I think compared to the ground saved that the winner had, it was a very creditable effort.' Last May, NBC Sports announced a partnership with Churchill Downs to present the Kentucky Derby on NBC and Peacock through 2032. The extension includes multiplatform rights to the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Derby and Oaks Day programming, which will be presented on NBC, Peacock, USA Network and additional NBCU platforms. You can stream the 2025 Kentucky Derby on Fubo and Peacock. Post time for the 151st Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@ Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ. More horse racing: Here's how Journalism, likely Kentucky Derby favorite, got his name from a former editor
Fox News
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Bob Baffert-trained horse scratched from Kentucky Derby ahead of Hall of Famer's return to Churchill Downs
The field for the 151st edition of the Kentucky Derby was reduced to 19 by Friday after two horses were scratched with potential complications, including one colt trained by legendary trainer Bob Baffert. Rodriguez, the Wood Memorial winner, was scratched Thursday due to a bruised foot and will instead be sidelined until the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes on May 17. "Out of an abundance of caution, we have made a very tough decision to scratch our Derby horse, Rodriguez," Tom Ryan of Starlight Racing, one of the colt's multiple owners, confirmed in a post on X. "He has a small but slightly sensitive foot bruise that will need a few more days. Therefore, we are resetting our plans and will target him for the Preakness." Rodriguez was one of two horses trained by Baffert competing in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. The Hall of Fame trainer is returning to Churchill Downs for the first time since Medina Spirit's Kentucky Derby victory in 2021, a title that was later stripped because of a positive drug test resulting in a three-year suspension for Baffert. "It was an honest mistake," Baffert said in a sitdown interview with "Fox & Friends" on Friday morning. "The testing levels are so low now … It was in an ointment, and we didn't realize until about 48 hours that it was being used humanly – he had a horrible skin rash." "We were fighting for the horse," Baffert said of the legal battle that ensued after Medina Spirit's title was stripped. He said fallout was never over a denial of a positive drug test. "He earned that win." Baffert will still have a horse in the race as he pursues a record-breaking seventh win at the Kentucky Derby – a record he briefly held in 2021. Citizen Bull, a two-year-old colt, drew the dreaded No. 1 post for Saturday's race. Baeza entered the 20-horse field in place of Rodriguez, but the field was reduced to 19 after Grande was also scratched on Friday with a cracked heel. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
New York Times
02-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Grande scratched from Kentucky Derby, bringing field down to 19
A little more than 24 hours before the 151st Kentucky Derby, Grande has joined the list of scratched horses. Grande, owned by Mike Repole and trained by Todd Pletcher, will not race due to a bruised foot, the Derby announced, bringing the field for Saturday's race down to 19. The move came a day after Rodriguez, the Bob Baffert-trained horse, was scratched from the race because of a bruised foot. Advertisement Repole said in a post on social media that Grande had been fighting through a cracked heel, but that an X-ray and PET scan earlier this week came back clean. He said he was 'shocked and confused' at why the decision was made now. 'The heel has improved throughout the week and it also improved again this morning,' Repole wrote on X. 'Unfortunately the vets told us this morning they were scratching the horse despite the clean diagnostics. 'We were very confused with all the clean diagnostics and improvement all week, why they rushed to judgment to scratch today.'' Unfortunately, the vets have decided to scratch Grande from tomorrow's Kentucky Derby. He has been battling a slight cracked heel this week which has been improving. To be cautious, Todd X-rayed on Monday and the horse had clean X-rays. On Wednesday, the state vets asked us if… — Repole Stable (@RepoleStable) May 2, 2025 Grande was set to break from post position No. 10, with 10-1 betting odds. Bred by KatieRich Farms in Kentucky, Grande has made just three starts, all coming in 2025. Grande picked up a win at Gulfstream Park in January and finished second in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial with respectable speed and strength. Repole also had a horse (Forte) scratched from the Derby two years ago. Grande was rising up the Kentucky Derby odds board after the Rodriguez scratch. The Pletcher-trained horse opened at 20-1 on the morning line, but his odds had shortened to 10-1 by Thursday afternoon, as high as the fourth betting favorite, before the news broke. — Vik Chokshi
