Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Shackleford proved that home cooking is best when he outgamed California invader Amazombie by a length to win Grade 2 Churchill Downs on Saturday under the Twin Spires.

Churchill Down-based trainer Dale Roman sent out the son of Forestry for his first win since taking the 2011 Preakness at Pimlico in Baltimore, Md. That was eight

Bob Hill
Tracksideview.com
Staff writer

LOUISVILLE, Ky.  – There’s a good reason for paying attention to the undercard at Churchill Downs today.  Since arriving here on Tuesday, Ron Correll and I have witnessed a substantial bias on the main track that favors horses with running styles of being on or near the lead.  We are yet to see a stone-cold closer even come close to a win.

Napravnik first female jockey to win race

Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It took nearly a mile-and-an-eighth but Believe You Can finally got by longtime leader Broadway’s Alibi to win the 138^th running of the Kentucky Oak on Friday at Churchill Downs by three-quarters of a length.

Jockey Rosie Napravnik made history when she became the first female jockey to win the Oaks. Trainer Larry Jones picked up his second Oaks win. He won

Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Contested wasn’t as she ran away in the end to win the 57^th running of the Eight Belles in stakes-record time of 1:21.29 on Friday at Churchill Downs. The 3-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper ran her record to three wins in four starts and all of her wins have been runaways.

Good Deed was the quickest out of the gate in the seven-furlong race and had the lead as the field…

NYRA release

ELMONT, N.Y. – The Board of Directors of The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced Friday, May 4, that it has decided to terminate the employment of NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward and NYRA Senior Vice President and General Counsel Patrick Kehoe, effective immediately.

C.Steven Duncker, the Chairman of NYRA’s Board of Directors, stated that the Board’s decision was based on a determination that these executives failed to perform their duties at a level required by…

(Edited Blood-Horse and Churchill Downs reports)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jockey Robby Albarado has been arrested and has been taken off all of his May 4 mounts at Churchill Downs, including his mount on Hard Not to Like in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Rafael Bejarano picked up Albarado’s Oaks mount.

Acting chief state steward Barbara Borden said stewards were notified that Albarado would not ride because he was arrested the morning of May 4. Borden said she did not have any…

Bob Hill
Staff writer
Tracksideview.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Nearly all of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks hopefuls made an appearance this morning after the 8 a.m. renovation break.  With the exception of the European shipper Daddy Long Legs (still in quarantine), the few that did not show up on the track during this time frame had galloped earlier.

(Edited Arlington Park and Blood-Horse report)

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Arlington Park and the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association reached agreement on what had been a highly contentious contract at midnight May 3.

The Arlington meet begins May 4. The deal averted a potential simulcast blackout of the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands from Churchill Downs May 4-5, as well as export of the Arlington signal outside of Illinois.

“We worked from 1 p.m. until midnight,” said…

Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bodemeister was made the 4-1 morning-line favorite for the 138^th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 5 at Churchill Downs. The Bob Baffert-trained son of Empire Maker will be ridden by Mike Smith, who guided the colt to a more than 9 length victory in the Arkansas Derby on April 14.

Bob Hill
Staff writer
Tracksideview.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – No rain and no possums so far this morning is part of the Wednesday news from Churchill Downs just three days before the Kentucky Derby.  Under partly sunny skies and temperatures already in the 70s, a number of Derby hopefuls galloped with varying degrees of intensity.

More than one person covering the pre-Derby