Horse Racing News by Marty McGee

For all the terrific performances by 2-year-olds so far at the Churchill Downs fall meet, none was more eye-catching than the maiden victory by an Indian Charlie colt named Ever So Lucky on Nov. 11.

It's hard to believe that Bill Mott sent out 12 losers from his first 19 starters at the Churchill Downs fall meet, because it seems like every time the spotlight came on, the Hall of Fame trainer had the winner.

Bob Holthus, whose training career spanned nearly 60 years and made him a revered figure among his Midwestern peers, died early Tuesday at his home in Louisville. He was 77.

Somali Lemonade wowed a drizzled Keeneland crowd of 8,608 with a sensational late run Thursday in winning the Jessamine Stakes, giving trainer Michael Matz a 2-year-old filly for the Breeders' Cup to go along with his BC Juvenile favorite, Union Rags.

A magnetic resonance imaging test taken Tuesday on the right arm of Julien Leparoux revealed no soft-tissue damage, which clears the 28-year-old jockey to continue riding this week at Keeneland Race Course.

Daveron, a German-bred with stakes wins in 4 of her last 5 starts, and Never Retreat, a perennial overachiever with four graded wins this year, will clash with as many as 10 others in a riveting 14th running of the one-mile turf race.

Aikenite has developed quite a tradition at Keeneland, albeit not one as old as the Phoenix Stakes.

The Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes proved an ideal prep for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint last year when Dubai Majesty swept both races.

Look at it once, then look again. Then keep looking. A horseplayer could go crazy trying to nail down a sure winner Friday in the $400,000 Darley Alcibiades Stakes.

Wilburn moved through a rail opening at a critical time and proceeded to draw away from Shackleford down the stretch to post a 4 3/4-length victory Saturday in the 17th running of the Grade 2, $510,900 Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park.