Horse Racing News by Marty McGee

Billy Denzik paid a mere $6,000 for a yearling colt at auction last fall before asking his friend from high school, Brook Smith, if he wanted to partner up.

Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom is through racing this year after being diagnosed with a slab fracture in his left hock, it was announced Wednesday by Barry Irwin, who heads the Team Valor International partnership that owns the colt.

And you thought the older-horse division was muddled before the Stephen Foster Handicap was run Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Awesome Maria continued her ascent up the ladder in the extremely deep older filly and mare division with a three-length victory over Payton d'Oro in Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap at Belmont Park.

It might seem unreasonable for a trainer to repeatedly slap his program and get all excited about his 1-5 shot drawing off as a clear winner, but Tom Proctor is extremely wary about what can happen in short fields.

Preakness winner Shackleford has been sent to WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., for a two-week break before gearing back up for a run in the $1 million Haskell Invitational on July 31 at Monmouth Park, said trainer Dale Romans.

Al Stall Jr. won the Stephen Foster Handicap last year with Blame, but the 49-year-old trainer refrains from making unfair comparisons when it comes to Apart, the colt he will run Saturday in the Foster.

Caleb's Posse came through as the favorite Saturday when rolling past longshot Marco's Fling to capture the 77th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown in the Cleveland suburb of North Randall, Ohio.

Salty Strike surged to her first stakes victory Saturday, getting a perfect stalking trip under Manny Cruz in the 37th running of the Grade 3, $109,300 Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs.

In an incredibly tight finish that nearly resulted in a triple dead-heat, Keertana was the narrowest of winners Saturday in the 74th running of the Grade 3, $111,200 Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs.