Horse Racing News by Jason Shandler

After a thrilling stretch duel with champion Amazombie, Mike Lauffer and Bill Cubbedge's Shackleford inched clear in deep stretch to win the $441,600 Churchill Downs Stakes May 5.

Favored Groupie Doll made it consecutive Grade 1 wins when she dominated the field in track-record time while taking the $334,500 Humana Distaff Stakes at Churchill Downs May 5.

Stonestreet Stables' Hierro broke his maiden over the Churchill Downs main track as a juvenile and returned a winner under the Twin Spires April 28 in the $200,000 The Cliff's Edge Derby Trial.

He only defeated three horses in a scratched-filled edition of the $142,500 Westchester Stakes, but To Honor and Serve could not have looked any better in his season debut April 28 at Belmont Park

With just two weeks remaining until the Kentucky Derby, there is still some graded earnings jostling left for the final spots remaining in what promises to be a full field of 20.

Dullahan, with big strides down the center of the racetrack, ran down champion Hansen in the late stages to win the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths April 14 at Keeneland.

Groupie Doll, who barely missed in the Lexus Raven Run last fall at Keeneland, broke through in a big way April 12 when she returned to Lexington to win the $300,000 Vinery Madison by three lengths.

Alex G. Campbell Jr.'s homebred Karlovy Vary took advantage of an easy pace under James Graham and went wire-to-wire in the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland April 7 at Keeneland.

In what is easily the most wide-open field of all the final Kentucky Derby preps, the $500,000 Illinois Derby drew a full field of 14 for the April 7 event at Hawthorne Race Course.

The $1 million Louisiana Derby is the headliner April 1 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, but the biggest names and most talented horses may be running on the undercard in the $400,000 New Orleans Handicap.