Churchill Downs

Orb draws No. 1 post for Preakness; will be a 1-1 favorite

2013-05-15 16:00:00

Kentucky Derby winner Orb drew the No. 1 post and was named the 1-1 morning line favorite for Saturday's Preakness at Pimlico Race Course. Orb trainer Shug McGaughey said he didn't think the rail position would affect his horse. "Not going to say I...

Orb trainer Shug McGaughey has Triple Crown reminders 'every day'

2013-05-15 16:35:00

BALTIMORE — Wednesday morning at Pimlico race track was similar to most mornings for Claude McGaughey III. Except there were lots of reporters around, which made it different. McGaughey is a thoroughbred horse trainer, currently the one in the...

Preakness host Maryland's horse racing in optimistic state

2013-05-17 00:00:00

BALTIMORE — It is difficult to be at the Preakness this year without feeling a tinge of jealousy. That is especially true if you are just a few days removed from a visit to the current dungeon of California racing, a.k.a. Hollywood Park. All...

Hollywood Park's ghost of a chance casts pall on Southland racing

2013-05-11 00:00:00

With its announcement Thursday, Hollywood Park did little to refute the theory that horse racing is a sport in need of hospice. They raced at the Inglewood track Friday, but it wasn't business as usual. Nor will it be the rest of this meeting and the...

Orb wins the 139th Kentucky Derby

2013-05-04 18:50:00

LOUISVILLE, KY. — Claude R. “Shug” McGaughey is a man who looks like the embodiment of the nickname that is all anybody calls him by. Short and unassuming, he said this week he made an effort to enjoy the run-up to the Kentucky Derby,...

Orb leaves Kentucky Derby field moonstruck

2013-05-04 20:45:00

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The horse with the short name and the long stride won the Kentucky Derby here Saturday. Fans of Orb, and headline writers worldwide, rejoiced. Orb's daddy was Malibu Moon; thus the short name with its perfect family connection....

Kentucky Derby preview: The 139th Running of the Roses

2013-05-04 12:15:00

First things first: Grantland has a terrific look-back at Hunter S. Thompson's "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved." I always start the Derby primer with a link to this story -- and by always, I mean I also did it last year -- and this adds...

Orb wins 139th Kentucky Derby

2013-05-04 16:00:00

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Orb splashed through the slop to win the Kentucky Derby, giving Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey his first victory in the race. When the field turned for home on the cool, overcast Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs,...

Kentucky Derby 2013: A mint julep recipe now being served

2013-05-04 11:12:00

Mint juleps and margaritas: That's what's being served this Kentucky Derby-meets-Cinco de Mayo weekend. The Kentucky Derby is considered one of the most exhilarating two minutes in sports, Tradition dictates that the derby is always held on the first...

Horse deaths are troubling to Bob Baffert

2013-05-02 17:25:00

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With nary a thought to Hamlet, trainer Bob Baffert is currently suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. In his current situation, and in a world where oft-misinformed social media stirs the rumor pot to a boil,...

Pictures in the News | April 30, 2013

2013-04-30 10:13:29

As Kentucky Derby nears, these two already have won

2013-05-01 17:15:00

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As the Kentucky Derby approaches, consider Dennis O'Neill and Tom Knust as Twin Spires for racehorse Goldencents. The backstretch barns at Churchill Downs were celebrity central Wednesday morning, led by the current biggest...

No. 3: Lukas Trifecta D. Wayne Lukas, 77, joked in Kentucky that he'd only train until he was 90. But the man tied for the most Triple Crown race wins of all time - 13 - clearly plans on relentlessly chasing another win for as long as he can. He'll run three in the Preakness, including

2013-05-17 00:00:00

Gary Payton (R) at the GREY GOOSE Red Carpet Lounge at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky.

2013-05-04 13:45:38

Luke Bryan and Caroline Boyer at the GREY GOOSE Red Carpet Lounge at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky.

2013-05-04 13:44:02