Churchill Downs

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Churchill Downs Lifts Baffert's Suspension

Trainer was barred for more than three years after Medina Spirit failed a drug test

(Newser) - Churchill Downs has rescinded its extended suspension of Bob Baffert, allowing the Hall of Fame trainer to resume racing his horses at the historic track and partner facilities after more than three years of banishment for a failed drug test of 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit . The stunning announcement...

After 'Series of Unfortunate Circumstances,' a Reopening

Racing to resume at Kentucky's Churchill Downs in September, after 12 horse deaths

(Newser) - Racing will resume at Churchill Downs in September, with no changes being made after a review of surfaces and safety protocols in the wake of 12 horse deaths, including seven in the days leading up to the Kentucky Derby in May. The Louisville track suspended racing operations on June 7...

Racing Suspended at Churchill Downs After 12 Horse Deaths

Venue is moving its current thoroughbred meet to Ellis Park in wake of 'unusual' number of deaths

(Newser) - Churchill Downs is suspending racing operations and moving the rest of its spring meet after a series of mysterious horse deaths. CBS News reports that 12 horses have died at the Louisville, Kentucky, racetrack since April 27, spurring the suspension that will run from Wednesday through July 3. Although racing...

8th Horse Dies at Churchill Downs
8th Horse Dies at
Churchill Downs
May 15, 2023 12:40 AM CDT

8th Horse Dies at Churchill Downs

7 others had died in recent weeks at home of Kentucky Derby

(Newser) - A horse died Sunday after a race at Churchill Downs, making it the eighth fatality in recent weeks at the home of the Kentucky Derby, the AP reports. Rio Moon “suffered a catastrophic injury to his left foreleg a few strides after the wire,” according to notes in...

After Horse Deaths, Trainer Suspended and Horses Scratched

Churchill Downs says it's looking into 'highly unusual' deaths, 2 of them unexplained

(Newser) - A horse trainer has been suspended indefinitely following the deaths of four horses ahead of the Kentucky Derby. Two of the horses that died after racing on the track at Churchill Downs were trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., who's now been suspended, WLKY reports. Their causes of death have...

Jockey With 2K Wins Dies in 'Pedestrian Accident'

Churchill Downs calls Miguel Mena's death 'shocking, terrible, and heartbreaking'

(Newser) - Successful, well-liked jockey Miguel Mena was killed in what police are calling a "pedestrian" accident in Louisville six days before his 35th birthday—and his friends are trying to figure out why. Mena's agent, Tim Hanisch, tells the Louisville Courier-Journal that Mena was on his way home in...

Churchill Downs Hits Star Trainer With 2-Year Suspension

Bob Baffert will be barred from company tracks after second Medina Spirit drug test confirmed first

(Newser) - After a second test on his Kentucky Derby winner came back positive for a banned steroid, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has been suspended by Churchill Downs. The punishment will last till the end of the 2023 spring meet, the Washington Post reports. "Substance violations that jeopardize the...

Kentucky Derby Organizers Do a 180 on Spectators

Decision to allow fans to attend this year's event in September is reversed

(Newser) - Organizers tried to figure out a way to keep the Kentucky Derby horse race safe for fans this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, but those efforts have apparently come to naught. Per WLKY , Churchill Downs announced Friday it wouldn't be allowing spectators after all at the Sept. 5 event...

Track's Loud Sound System Killed My Horse: Trainer

Mare got startled by commercial at Churchill Downs, he says

(Newser) - A 5-year-old mare died in a freak fall at Churchill Downs yesterday, and its trainer blames the track's massive new sound system, reports AP . Kenny Wirth says the horse, Never Tell Lynda, was being led to the paddock before the day's first race when a commercial began blaring...

Orb Wins Kentucky Derby
 Orb Wins Kentucky Derby 
May 4, 2013 5:50 PM CDT

Orb Wins Kentucky Derby

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey gets first derby win

(Newser) - Orb splashed through the slop to win the Kentucky Derby today, giving Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey his first victory in the 3-year-old classic. When the field turned for home on the cool, overcast afternoon at Churchill Downs, Normandy Invasion grabbed the lead while Orb was gearing up. But...

Kentucky Derby Body Was a Groom

Adan Fabian Perez was believed murdered

(Newser) - Police have identified the body found yesterday at a Churchill Downs barn , whom they believe was murdered. Adan Fabian Perez, 48, was reportedly a groom for trainer Cecil Borel and had been licensed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission since 2008. The Guatemala native lived on Churchill Down's backside,...

Body Found at Kentucky Derby Track
 Body Found at 
 Kentucky Derby Track 
UPDATED
May 6, 2012 10:51 AM CDT

Body Found at Kentucky Derby Track

Dead male found just 4 barns away from I'll Have Another

(Newser) - The day after I'll Have Another broke from the field to win the first leg of the Triple Crown, Kentucky police are investigating a man's body that was found at Churchill Downs this morning. The body was found in Barn 8, just four barns away from where the...

Horses Run Loose After Tornado Hits Churchill Downs

Barns damaged at home of Kentucky Derby

(Newser) - A tornado hit the home of the Kentucky Derby Wednesday night, damaging several barns and leaving horses running loose. No injuries to humans or horses were reported after the tornado at Louisville's Churchill Downs, reports the AP . The horses were corralled and no damage to the racetrack's iconic...

Kentucky Derby Caller Quits, Cites Crippling Anxiety

Diet, prayer, breathing, going to a shrink didn't do the trick for Tom Durkin

(Newser) - "The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports" turned out to be the most hellish for the man who has been tasked with calling the race 13 times. Tom Durkin's annual preparation went well beyond poring over photos of horses and flash cards and toting around a notebook containing more...

Rain Cancels Derby Workouts

Race expected to go on, just soggier

(Newser) - Heavy rain has postponed early morning workouts at Churchill Downs, where all 20 Kentucky Derby horses are still expected to start. Most turf races were being moved to the main dirt track today, at least until late in the day. That sparked numerous scratches in minor races. Kentucky state veterinarian...

You, Too, Can Pick a Winner
 You, Too, Can 
 Pick a Winner 
kentucky derby
May 1, 2009 2:37 PM CDT

You, Too, Can Pick a Winner

All you need is a buck and 3 key stats

(Newser) - Put down that mint julep: The Kentucky Derby is tomorrow, and you still don’t have a horse to bet on. But you do have a prayer, because Christina Settimi of Forbes, with help from horse racing expert Dean Keppler, outlines a winning strategy. With $118 million wagered, novices have...

Safety Remains in the Spotlight
 Safety Remains 
 in the Spotlight 
kentucky derby
Apr 30, 2009 3:40 PM CDT

Safety Remains in the Spotlight

(Newser) - A year after second-place finisher Eight Belles had to be euthanized following the Kentucky Derby, safety has improved—but the inherent dangers of horse racing remain immutable, MSNBC reports. The industry has altered the rules regarding steroids, whips, and horseshoes, "but the bottom line is, not a lot of...

I Want Revenge Is Early Derby Fave

(Newser) - I Want Revenge has been made the early 3-1 favorite for Saturday's Kentucky Derby, with Pioneerof the Nile and Dunkirk sharing second-favorite status in the full field of 20 horses. I Want Revenge, coming off eye-catching victories on dirt in the Gotham Stakes and Wood Memorial at New York's Aqueduct,...

Crazy Colt Triggers Churchill Downs Tragedy

Filly slammed by runaway at Churchhill Downs dies from shock

(Newser) - A colt who went bonkers during a workout at Churchill Downs threw his jockey then slammed into a filly who had to be put down because of her injuries, reports Horse and Hound. Several hopefuls for the upcoming Kentucky Derby were on the track, but none was injured. "The...

Barbaro Statue Awaits Ky. Derby Fans

His ashes lie below memorial

(Newser) - A bronze statue of the late Barbaro charging mid-air toward his 2006 Kentucky Derby victory has been completed in advance of next week's 135th Derby, the Courier-Journal reports. Buried below the sculpture are the ashes of the beloved colt, who was euthanized two years ago after struggling to recover from...

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