Horse Racing News

The filly stretched and strained and a lead that was a length in early stretch was down to a neck at the finish of the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland last weekend.

Trainer Todd Pletcher reports that Eskendereya is doing very well after his eye-catching performance in last Saturday's Grade 1 Wood Memorial and is back galloping over his winter base at the Palm Meadows training center.

In an effort that thoroughly delighted the crowd of 44,973 that stuffed itself into Oaklawn Park on Friday, the great Zenyatta ran her perfect record to 16-0 with another flawless performance.

Karelian got a great forward trip under Julien Leparoux and had plenty in reserve to turn back a sustained run by favored Court Vision and avenge a bitter defeat in the Grade 1, $300,000 Maker's Mark Mile on a sun-splashed Friday afternoon at Keeneland.

Custom for Carlos usually has the need for speed, but he showed a new dimension on Friday, rallying from slightly off the pace under a clever ride by Mike Smith to win the Grade 3, $150,000 Count Fleet Handicap for older sprinters at Oaklawn Park.

Undefeated champion and Hall of Famer Personal Ensign has died at age 26.

Tony Dutrow will take two shots at Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Comely Stakes, sending out the uncoupled entry of She'll Be Doggone and Volare Cantare in the one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies.

Patience. Simple, virtuous patience. It's the operative word for the trainers of the three top choices in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday here at Oaklawn Park.

Though he is unlikely to make it into the field due to insufficient graded stakes earnings, A Little Warm is being trained as if the Kentucky Derby will be his next start, trainer Tony Dutrow said Wednesday.

Custom for Carlos began the year at Gulfstream Park, went to Aqueduct last month, and now is here at Oaklawn Park, where he will run on Friday in the Grade 3, $150,000 Count Fleet Handicap for older sprinters.