Horse Racing News

Shackleford battled for the lead from the start and held off a late charge from Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom to win the Preakness Stakes.

Awesome Maria was the only graded stakes winner going into the Shuvee Handicap and the only graded stakes winner coming out - but not without some anxious moments.

It's midday at Pimlico Race Course, and in a court plunked smack-dab amid the drunken chaos of the Preakness infield, the National Volleyball League is wrapping up its' first ever official event.

Ventana, the favorite in a field of nine older horses, returned $5.20 after finishing six furlongs in 1:09.88 over a fast track.

Apart ($4.40), the favorite, prevailed under jockey Garrett Gomez after a prolonged stretch battle, covering 1 1/16 miles on a fast, but dull, main track in 1:43.70. Icabad Crane was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third.

For Super Espresso, a $1.1 million auction purchase by owner Bobby Flay, it was her first graded stakes win.

No Explaining, a well-placed third in the early running, struck the front in upper stretch and went on to win the Grade 3, $100,000 Gallorette Handicap by about a length on Saturday at Pimlico.

Hyperbole surrounds the supposed difficulty Derby contenders face when wheeling back in the Preakness.

Royal Delta got a surprisingly lively pace to rally into and proved best in Friday's Grade 2, $250,000 Black Eyed Susan Stakes.

The Factor, impressive winner of the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn in March, is sidelined with a hairline fracture of a hind ankle, trainer Bob Baffert confirmed Friday.