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Tuesday morning's draw for the 2021 Kentucky Derby from post 20 Bourbonic to post 1 Known Agenda. Those are two of trainer Todd Pletcher's four entries in Saturday's Run for the Roses. (Image: Churchill Downs)

Essential Quality Opens as 2/1 Favorite for 147th Kentucky Derby

As expected, Essential Quality checked in as the 2/1 morning-line favorite for the 147th Kentucky Derby. And Tuesday’s post-position Derby draw sends the undefeated colt and his favorite status into post 14 for Saturday’s 2021 Triple Crown opener. As he watched the posts fill up on Tuesday morning, this put […]

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida recently agreed to a new gaming compact, paving the way for expanded gambling in the state.. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Florida Sports Betting Moves Closer to Reality

The Florida Legislature could move this week to approve a compact between the state and the Seminole Tribe that would introduce online sports betting to the Sunshine State. Gov. Ron DeSantis and the tribe signed a new gaming compact on Friday that includes a provision to allow the Seminoles to […]

No stranger to large wagers, as his $3.5 million bet on the Houston Astros to win the 2019 World Series illustrates, Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale plans to make at least a $2 million bet on Kentucky Derby favorite Essential Quality. (Image: Scarlet Pearl Casino)

‘Mattress Mack’ McIngvale Planning Largest Bet in Derby History on Essential Quality

In his latest sports-bet-meets-furniture-promotion escapade, Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale is sticking his neck out with presumptive Kentucky Derby favorite Essential Quality. The Houston furniture magnate plans to wager at least $2 million on Essential Quality to win Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. That wager is believed to be the largest bet ever […]

Undefeated Malathaat and John Velazquez go for their fifth consecutive victory as the 5/2 favorite in Friday's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. (Image: Keeneland Photo)

Unbeaten Malathaat Takes Favorite Status in Kentucky Oaks

Malathaat and her undefeated record earned 5/2 morning-line favorite status for Friday’s 147th Kentucky Oaks at Monday morning’s post-position draw and morning-line announcement. The 1 1/8-mile Oaks anchors Churchill Downs’ 13-race, six-stakes Friday card. The 14-filly field of 3-year-olds runs for a $767,250 first-prize check out of the $1.25 million […]

Rock Your Work brings an undefeated record and the best Beyer Speed Figure into the 2021 Kentucky Derby. But under Jon White's Derby Strike System, he brings two strikes to the Run for the Roses. Only seven horses since 1973 won the Derby with two strikes. (Image: Benoit Photography)

The Derby Strike System: Does Your Horse Strike Gold or Strike Out?

That Jon White would come up with something like the Derby Strike System (DSS) makes sense when you consider its creator spent hours surreptitiously handicapping races during his high school classes. “I’d hide it from my teachers. But I’d hide it from my fellow students as well,” said White, Santa […]

Aunt Pearl and Florent Geroux went gate-to-wire in last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. She is the likely favorite in the Grade 2 Edgewood on the Kentucky Oaks undercard. (Image: Coady Photography)

Don’t Overlook These Kentucky Oaks, Kentucky Derby Undercards

The Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby undercards offer turf stars Colonel Liam and Smooth Like Strait. They offer filly stars Gamine, Shedaresthedevil, Sanenus, Aunt Pearl, and Envoutante. They also offer Maxfield, Roadster, and Max Player. And they offer one-time Derby hopefuls Jackie’s Warrior, Prevalence, and Gretzky the Great. It’s easy […]

Caddo River won January's Smarty Jones Stakes as the lone speed. The projected pace-setter for Saturday's Kentucky Derby scratched Sunday due to a fever. (Image: Coady Photography)

Projected Pace-Setter Caddo River Scratched From Kentucky Derby

Caddo River, one of three Brad Cox Kentucky Derby entries and the one pace horse in this year’s field, won’t be that pace horse. Cox scratched him from the Derby Sunday morning because of a fever. This opens the gate for Brooklyn Strong, who gets into the field with his […]

A sad Jose Mourinho watches on as Spurs is thrown out of the Europa League by Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb (Image: Twitter / @SpursOfficial )

Three Clubs Want to Sign Jose Mourinho after His Exit from Tottenham

Jose Mourinho was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur on Monday. The club’s decision came just 17 months after he was hired with the goal of bringing the glory days back to North London. Mourinho ended up being sacked from his past three jobs, which were all in England (Chelsea, Manchester United, […]

After a year's hiatus due to the pandemic, Wesley Ward returned to his native habitat: winning Keeneland training titles. With 20 victories, the conditioner won his seventh Keeneland Spring Meet title. (Image: Coady Photography)

Keeneland’s Spring Meet Hops Into the Books With Strong Handle

Despite selling limited tickets for its 15-day Spring Meet, Keeneland’s just-concluded meet brought a 7.55% handle increase from its 2019 numbers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic scrubbing Keeneland’s 2020 Spring Meet, 2019 represents the last comparable year. Headlined by Essential Quality’s Blue Grass Stakes victory, Wesley Ward’s seventh training title […]