Horse Racing News

Win the Kentucky Derby, and you don't get to pick the next start for your horse.

Seattle Smooth, who won the Grade 2, $150,000 Shuvee Handicap as the prohibitive favorite a year ago, will be odds-on again when she returns from an 11-month layoff to defend her title in Saturday's 35th running of the one-mile race at Belmont Park.

For the first time in three years, Zenyatta will not win the Grade 2 Milady Handicap for fillies and mares Sunday at Hollywood Park.

With Forever Together and Informed Decision in his barn, trainer Jonathan Sheppard has two of the elite older females in the country.

Hall of Famer and 1998 Horse of the Year Skip Away died of an apparent heart attack in his paddock Friday morning at Hopewell Farm in Midway, Ky., according to farm owner Rick Trontz.

Besides the 135th Preakness here Saturday, Pimlico also will run five other stakes on its 13-race card. Foremost among those undercard races is the $200,000 Dixie Stakes, a Grade 2 turf race at 1 1/8 miles.

Super Saver, the Kentucky Derby winner, drew Post 8 when a field of 12 was entered on Wednesday for the 135th Preakness Stakes. The second leg of the Triple Crown will be run Saturday at Pimlico Race Course.

Tidal Pool will be coming off a mere two-week layoff when Calvin Borel rides her as the favorite in the $175,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, the highlight of a 13-race Friday card at the Baltimore track.

The Preakness is limited to 14 runners, and as of Monday, it appeared a baker's dozen of 13 was going to pass the entry box on Wednesday, when post positions will be drawn for the $1 million race.

Kent Desormeaux has read and heard the criticism regarding his perceived lack of effort at the end of the Kentucky Derby aboard Paddy O'Prado, who finished third. The Hall of Fame jockey feels like it's unjustified.