Churchill Downs

The first of three pools of Churchill Downs’ 2012 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”) begins its three-day run on Friday, Feb 10, and the bet’s opening scenario is very similar to each of its opening pools since the wager was created in 1999: the Mutuel Field, or “All Others”, looms as a very strong favorite.

 Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia has installed “All Others” as the 9-5 morning line choice for KDFW Pool 1, but the favored individual horse among the 24 wagering interests in this week’s Friday-Sunday pool is an exciting newcomer.  Starlight Racing’s unbeaten Algorithms (#1), is the favored individual horse at 8-1 and the overall second choice in Battaglia’s early odds for the Pool.  The Todd Pletcher-trained colt burst onto the road to the 138^th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) with an emphatic five-length victory over previously unbeaten 2-year-old champion Hansen (#12) in the Holy Bull (GIII) at Gulfstream Park.

Not far behind Algorithms in Battaglia’s Pool 1 morning line odds is Chadds Ford Stable’s once-beaten Union Rags (#23, 10-1), winner of the Grade I Champagne, and Dr. Kendall Hansen and Sky Chai Racing’s Hansen (12-1), who won the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) to earn the Eclipse Award that honored him as America’s champion 2-year-old of 2011.

The popular Kentucky Derby Future Wager offers fans the opportunity to bet on candidates for the famed Kentucky Derby, America’s greatest race and one of the world’s premier sports events, well in advance of this year’s running of the famed 1 ¼-mile race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 5.  Fans will receive the odds on their respective horse or horses that are place at the conclusion of wagering in each 2012 pool, and those odds could be significantly higher than those available on Kentucky Derby Day.

Wagering on 2012’s KDFW Pool 1 is scheduled to open on Friday at noon (all times Eastern) and will conclude on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 6 p.m.  The remaining pools are scheduled for March 2-4 and March 30-April 1, and all KDFW pools feature both win and exacta wagering.

All Kentucky Derby Future Wager pools include 24 betting interests that consist of 23 individual horses and the mutuel field, or “all others” interest.  That latter (#24) includes all 3-year-olds other than the pool’s 23 individual horses. 

All bets in the Kentucky Derby are $2 minimum wagers, and there are no refunds on any wager placed during a Kentucky Derby future pool.  If it is determined during any pool that an individual betting interest has suffered an illness, injury or other circumstance that would prevent that horse from competing in the Derby, wagering on that betting interest will be suspended immediately.

Wagering on KDFW Pool 1 is available through TwinSpires.com and other advance deposit wagering platforms and at racetracks and simulcast centers throughout North America.

Here’s the complete field: #1 Algorithms (8-1); #2 Alpha (20-1); #3 Battle Hardended (30-1); #4 Creative Cause (#20-1); #5 Discreet Dancer (15-1); #6 Dullahan (15-1); #7 El Padrino (20-1); #8 Empire Way (50-1); #9 Ever So Lucky (20-1); #10 Fed Biz (20-1); #11 Gemologist (20-1); #12 Hansen (12-1); #13 I’ll Have Another (20-1); #14 Junebugred (50-1); #15 Liaison (20-1); #16 Longview Drive (50-1); #17 Midnight Transfer (50-1); #18 Mr. Bowling (50-1); #19 Out of Bounds (20-1); #20 Rousing Sermon (30-1); #21 Sabercat (30-1); #22 Take Charge Indy (30-1); #23 Union Rags (10-1); and #24 mutuel field (“All Others”, 9-5).

“The mutuel field has been a solid favorite in every opening pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager and, given the loss by 2-year-old champion Hansen in his first start as a 3-year-old, there is every reason to think the ‘all others’ bet will be a strong-to-heavy favorite in what appears to be a wide-open crop of Kentucky Derby candidates,” said Battaglia.  “The ‘now’ horse is Algorithms, who is unbeaten, comes from the Pletcher barn, has a strong pedigree and easily handled the reigning 2-year-old champ in the Holy Bull.  The speed figures assigned to that win were impressive, so you can expect a lot of bettors to move in his direction.  But every pool has interesting Derby prospects at attractive odds, and we should remember that last year’s Derby winner, Animal Kingdom, did not even appear as an individual wagering interest until Pool 3.  So much can happen on the road to the Kentucky Derby.”

Algorithms is one of four KDFW Pool 1 horses trained by Pletcher, who saddled Super Saver to win the 2010 Kentucky Derby.  Other Pletcher trainees include unbeaten Discreet Dancer (#5 and the overall fifth choice at 15-1), unbeaten Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) winner Gemologist (#11, 20-1) and recent Gulfstream Park allowance winner El Padrino (20-1).  Hall of Famer and three-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert trains a pair of Pool 1 horses in Liaison (#15, 20-1) and Fed Biz (#10, 20-1).  Others with a pair of Pool 1 trainees include Hall of Famer trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who trains Rousing Sermon (#20, 30-1) and Longview Drive (#16, 50-1), and Mike Harrington, who trains Norfolk (GI) winner Creative Cause (#4, 20-1) and Empire Way (#8, 50-1).

Team Valor’s Animal Kingdom, who went off at odds of 20-1 and paid $43.80 for a $2 win wager in the 2011 Kentucky Derby, was listed as an individual betting interest only during Pool 3 of last year’s Derby Future Wager.  He closed at odds of 31-1 in that pool and a $2 future wager on trainer Graham Motion’s colt returned $64.40 on Derby Day.  As a member of the “all others” mutuel field in the first two pools of 2011, he returned $6.20 for a Pool 1 bet and $9.40 for a Pool 2 wager.  Both Animal Kingdom and Derby runner-up Nehro were part of the “all others” interest (#24), so the KDFW $2 exacta payouts for the three pools were:

• Pool 1 – 24-13 (mutuel field over third-place Mucho Macho Man) for $230;
• Pool 2 – 24-12 (mutuel field over third-place Mucho Macho Man) for $388.20; and
• Pool 3 – 1-12 (Animal Kingdom over runner-up Nehro) for $3,074.60.

The Derby Day $2 exacta payout for Animal Kingdom over Nehro (16-19) was $329.80.

Real-time odds and other information on the KDFW will be available at the official event Web site at www.KentuckyDerby.com. Wagering interests for the 2012 Kentucky Derby Future Wager pools are chosen by a four-member committee that includes Mike Watchmaker, National Handicapper for Daily Racing Form (“DRF”); Brad Free, DRF West Coast correspondent; Ed DeRosa, Brisnet director of Marketing; and John Asher, vice president of racing communications for Churchill Downs.

Champion 2-year-old Hansen and Union Rags, separated by a head in a thrilling 1-2 finish in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Grade I), and unbeaten Algorithms, who stepped into the spotlight with a five-length win over the champion in the Holy Bull (GIII) at Gulfstream Park, top a large roster of 397 horses made eligible during the early nomination phase to compete in the three classic races that make up American horse racing’s elusive Triple Crown.

The first race in the series of classic races for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds – the $2 million-guaranteed 138^th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) – is set for Saturday, May 5, at world-famous Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.   The second jewel of the Triple Crown is the 137^th running of the $1 million Preakness Stakes (GI), which will be run on Saturday, May 19, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.  The American classic series concludes with the 144^th running of the Belmont Stakes (GI) on Saturday, June 11 at New York’s Belmont Park.

All three Triple Crown races will be televised by NBC Sports and are scheduled to be broadcast on radio by the Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN).

The nomination total for the 2012 Triple Crown races is a 9.1 percent increase over the 364 early nominees for the three-race classic series a year ago.  The roster of 2012 early Triple Crown nominees is the largest since 2009, when 412 3-year-olds were made eligible during the early period.  This year’s early nomination period, during which each nomination was accompanied by a $600 fee, closed on Saturday, Jan. 21. A late period for nominations – during which each nomination must be accompanied by a $6,000 fee – will conclude on Saturday, March 24.

Hansen, owned by Dr. Kendall Hansen and the Sky Chai Racing partnership, completed a perfect three-race campaign with his narrow front-running victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs.  Along with a 13 ¼-length victory in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile over synthetic Polytrack at Turfway Park, that victory earned Hansen the Eclipse Award for champion 2-year-old of 2011.  Maker’s colt suffered the first setback of his young career in his runner-up finish in the one-mile Holy Bull on Jan. 29, his first start of his 3-year-old season.

Union Rags, a son of Dixie Union owned by Chadds Ford Stable, suffered his only setback in four races in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.  The bay son of Dixie Union is trained by Michael Matz, who saddled Barbaro to win the 2006 Kentucky Derby, and scored stakes wins in the Champagne (GI) and the Saratoga Special (GII).

Algorithms, owned the Starlight Racing partnership headed by managing partner Jack Wolf, burst onto the road to the Triple Crown with an impressive five-length victory over Hansen in the Holy Bull.  That race was the debut in stakes competition for the Todd Pletcher-trained son of 2006 Preakness winner Bernardini and his third in as many starts.  He has won his three races, including a maiden victory last June at Belmont Park and a pair of wins this year at Gulfstream Park.

Other winners of major stakes races on the list of early Triple Crown nominees include CashCall Futurity (GI) winner Liaison; Creative Cause, third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and winner of the Norfolk (GI) and Best Pal (GII); Hopeful (GI) winner Currency Swap; Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (GI) winner Dullahan; unbeaten Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) winner Gemologist; and Delta Jackpot (GIII) winner Sabercat.

Brisnet is providing free online past performances of all the 2012 Triple Crown nominees in PDF format at http://www.brisnet.com/brisnet_promos/TC12noms.pdf.

Of this year’s 397 nominations, 344 are colts and there are 37 geldings.  The list also includes 10 ridglings.

Horses bred in Kentucky again dominated the roster of Triple Crown nominees.  Of the 297 nominees, 303 were born in Kentucky.  Florida was next with 27 horses, followed by New York with 13 and California with 12.  Fourteen of the nominees were produced outside of the United States, a number that includes six horses bred in Ireland.

The list of nominees includes six fillies, and that group is headed by Anita Cauley’s On Fire Baby, winner of the Golden Rod (GII).  She ran third to Triple Crown nominee Junebugred when she faced males in Oaklawn Park’s Smarty Jones on Jan. 16.

Ahmed Zayat’s Zayat Stables LLC leads all owners with 13 nominees to the 2012 Triple Crown.  Robert LaPenta is next with 10 and Klaravich Stables Inc. has nine nominees, either on its own or in partnerships.

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, who scored his first Kentucky Derby victory with Super Saver in 2010, led trainers for the third consecutive year with 32 Triple Crown nominees.  Pletcher was tied at 20 atop last year’s list with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who ranks second 21 nominated horses.  Steve Asmussen and Nick Zito are next with 15 nominees, and Dale Romans nominated 14.

There is a tie atop the roster of leading Triple Crown sires between two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) winner Tiznow and Unbridled’s Song, each with 12 Triple Crown nominees.  Malibu Moon and Street Sense, the winner of the 2007 Kentucky Derby whose first crop of foals are 3-year-olds, share the next spot with 11 nominees.   War Front sired 10, with Hard Spun and Smart Strike next with nine.

The Kentucky Derby field has been limited to 20 starters since 1975, and accumulated earnings in prestigious graded stakes races along the “Road to the Triple Crown” have determined the field for the 1 ¼-mile classic since 1986.  The field for the Preakness, the 1 3/16-mile second jewel of the Triple Crown, is limited to 14 starters, while Belmont Stakes, the “Test of the Champion” and finale of the series at 1 ½ miles, permits a maximum field of 16 horses.

A Triple Crown sweep – one of the most difficult feats in all of sports – has been accomplished on just 11 occasions: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1942), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978). Fifty other horses have finished one win shy of the honor.

The 2011 Triple Crown races yielded three different winning horses and the connections of each of the winners experienced their first victories in the coveted series.

Animal Kingdom, owned and bred by the Team Valor partnership headed by Barry Irwin, scored an emphatic victory in the Kentucky Derby to kick-off the 2011 Triple Crown.  The winner was trained by H. Graham Motion and was ridden by jockey John Velazquez, who picked up his winning mount the day before the race. Mike Lauffer and W.D. Cubbedge’s Shackleford, fourth in the Kentucky Derby for trainer Dale Romans, held off the surging Animal Kingdom by a half-length at Pimlico to win the Preakness under jockey Jesus Castanon. The Belmont Stakes went to George and Lori Hall’s Ruler On Ice, a late nominee to the Triple Crown who had been excluded from the Kentucky Derby field because of insufficient earnings in graded stakes races.   The son of Roman Ruler won by a half-length under jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. and provided trainer Kelly Breen with his first success in a Triple Crown race.

The current 33-year streak without a Triple Crown winner is the longest in the history of the series.  The previous record was a 25-year gap between the Triple Crown earned by Citation in 1948 and Secretariat’s stunning sweep in 1973.

For a complete list of horses nominated to the Kentucky Derby and 2012 Triple Crown, click here.

For a look at leading trainers,  owners and breeders of 2012 Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown nominees and other statistical categories, click here.

Churchill Downs has set the dates for its trio of three-day betting pools for its 2012 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”) and a single pool for the historic track’s Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (“KOFW”).

Dates for the pools for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which is now in its 14^th year, are:

• Pool 1 – Feb. 10-12
• Pool 2 – March 2-4
• Pool 3 – March 30-April 1

 Wagering on each of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager pools will open at noon (all times Eastern) on Friday and close on Sunday at 6 p.m.  The KDFW Pools will feature both win and exacta wagering.

The single three-day pool for the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, now in its ninth year, is scheduled for March 2-4 and will run concurrent to Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.  Betting on the KOFW pool will open at noon on Friday and is set to conclude on Sunday at 6:30 p.m., 30 minutes after the conclusion of betting on the accompanying Kentucky Derby Future pool.  The Kentucky Oaks Future Pool will also offer win and exacta wagering.

The wagers provide fans of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks opportunities to bet on potential competitors in those great American races at odds that could be considerably more attractive than those available on the days on which the respective races are run.  Winning mutuel payouts on both wagers are determined by the odds that are in place at the conclusion of each respective betting pool.

The 138^th running of the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), America’s greatest race and the 1 ¼-mile first jewel of the coveted Triple Crown for 3-year-olds, is scheduled to be run on Saturday, May 5 at Churchill Downs.  The $1 million-guaranteed Kentucky Oaks, the nation’s top prize for 3-year-old fillies, will be run on Friday, May 4, the eve of the Derby.  Like the Derby, the Kentucky Oaks has been contested annually since 1875 and its 2012 renewal will mark the 138^th consecutive year that the 1 1/8-mile “Derby for Fillies” has been run beneath the track’s historic Twin Spires.

Both the KDFW and KOFW pools consist of 24 wagering interests that include 23 individual horses and a mutuel field, or “all others” interest.  In the Kentucky Derby wager, the mutuel field is made up of all other 3-year-olds – including fillies.  The mutuel field in the Kentucky Oaks bet consists of all other 3-year-old fillies.

All bets in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks Future Wagers are $2 minimum wagers.  No refund will be made on any wager placed during the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks Future pools.  If it is determined during an individual pool that any of the individual betting interests has suffered an illness, injury or other circumstance that would prevent that horse from competing in either race, wagering on that betting interest will be suspended immediately.

Wagering on the Derby and Oaks Future wagers is available through TwinSpires.com and other advance deposit wagering platforms and at racetracks and simulcast centers throughout North America.

Team Valor’s Animal Kingdom, who went off at odds of 20-1 and paid $43.80 for a $2 win wager in the 2011 Kentucky Derby, was listed as an individual betting interest only during Pool 3 of last year’s Derby Future Wager.  He closed at odds of 31-1 in that pool and a $2 future wager on trainer Graham Motion’s colt returned $64.40 on Derby Day.  As a member of the “all others” mutuel field in the first two pools of 2011, he returned $6.20 for a Pool 1 bet and $9.40 for a Pool 2 wager.  Both Animal Kingdom and Derby runner-up Nehro were part of the “all others” interest (#24), so the KDFW $2 exacta payouts for the three pools were:

• Pool 1 – 24-13 (mutuel field over third-place Mucho Macho Man) for $230;
• Pool 2 – 24-12 (mutuel field over third-place Mucho Macho Man) for $388.20;
• Pool 3 – 1-12 (Animal Kingdom over runner-up Nehro) for $3,074.60.

 The Derby Day $2 exacta payout for Animal Kingdom over Nehro (16-19) was $329.80.

Eventual Kentucky Oaks winner Plum Pretty was not an individual betting interest in the lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager pool, but returned $21.80 to win as member of the KOFW mutuel field.  The Peachtree Stable filly trained by Bob Baffert returned $14.60 for a $2 win wager on Oaks Day.  Both Plum Pretty and runner-up St. John’s River were members of the mutuel field, so the KOFW exacta paid to 24-23, with third-place Zazu under the top two “all others” finishers, and returned $142.20 for a $2 bet.  The Oaks Day exacta of Plum Pretty over St. John’s River (12-13) paid $163 for a $2 wager.

Wagering for the three 2011 Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pools totaled $1,362,101, the fifth highest total since the Derby bet was introduced in 1999 and its largest three-pool betting total since 2007.  Kentucky Oaks fans wagered $92,902 during the single KOFW pool of 2011, second only to the single-pool total of $117,368 recorded in the wager’s introductory year in 2003.

Wagering interests for the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks future pools will be announced on the Wednesday prior to the Friday start of each pool.  Real-time odds and other information on the KDFW will be available at the official event Web site at www.KentuckyDerby.com, and information on the KOFW will be available at www.KentuckyOaks.com.

Headed by the 138^th runnings of the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) and the $1 million-guaranteed Kentucky Oaks (GI), Churchill Downs’ schedule of stakes races for its April 28-July 1 Spring Meet will feature 24 events, total stakes purses of $7.275 million and an emphasis on ‘big event’ programs that include the first nighttime running of the multi-stakes event headed by the Stephen Foster Handicap, one of America’s top races for older horses.

All but one of the 24 Spring Meet stakes events has achieved graded stakes status, and five are Grade I contests topped by the Kentucky Derby, America’s greatest race, and its companion Kentucky Oaks.  The Grade I roster is rounded out by the $500,000-added Woodford Reserve Turf Classic and $300,000-added Humana Distaff, both set for their 26^th runnings on the Kentucky Derby Day program, and the Stephen Foster Handicap, which will carry a purse of $400,000-added when it makes its first appearance beneath Churchill Downs’ permanent lights when the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up is run for the 31^st time on Saturday, June 16.

The spring schedule of stakes races at Churchill Downs features four multi-stakes race programs.  Total stakes purses for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks programs, each featuring six stakes events, will be the largest in the history of those great American races.  Six stakes contests on the Derby Day program on Saturday, May 5, offer total purses $3.525 million, up from last year’s then-record of $3.4 million. Overall stakes purses for Kentucky Oaks Day, Friday, May 4, will surpass $2 million for the first time as its half-dozen stakes races are now worth a collective $2.05 million.  Oaks Day stakes purses hit the $2 million mark for the first time in 2011, when the value of the Kentucky Oaks, America’s top race for 3-year-old fillies, doubled to $1 million.

The value of stakes purses for the 2012 Spring Meet is down slightly from last year’s of total of $7.325 million for 25 races.  Purses for three 2012 races on the popular Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks Day programs have been increased, headed by a $100,000 boost for the Grade II Churchill Downs Stakes, a race for 4-year-olds and up at seven furlongs that is now worth $400,000-added.  Purses for five Spring Meet stakes races were adjusted downward, including a $100,000 reduction for the Stephen Foster Handicap and a $50,000 decrease for the Fleur de Lis Handicap (GII), a 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares ages three and up that is set to return from a one-year hiatus with a $150,000-added purse as one of four stakes races on the Stephen Foster Night program.

Nine of the 12 Spring Meet stakes races outside of its blockbuster Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks programs are scheduled to be run in prime time on a Saturday night.

"Our 2012 Spring Meet Stakes schedule at Churchill Downs is exciting in terms of the high quality events and wonderful possibilities offered to the fans who enjoy those races and the owners, trainers and jockeys who compete in them,” said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack. “Our fans who support Churchill Downs racing at our track, through TwinSpires.com and other advance deposit wagering platforms, and at simulcast centers have shown us that they love big-event programs, so we’ve added a fourth multi-race stakes card to the schedule.  We’re eager to see how stakes races on each of our four ‘Downs After Dark’ night racing programs enhance those Saturdays of racing under the lights.

“But our stakes purses are basically flat to last year’s total, and we’ve had to do some adjusting within our available purse funds to make the overall schedule of our top races as attractive as possible to both horsemen and racing fans. The schedule continues to offer strong events in every division of horses, but the lack of growth in those purses continues to reflect the challenges Churchill Downs and Kentucky’s horse industry face in the continued growth of direct gaming competition from neighboring and other racing markets that benefit from gaming revenues.”

The 2012 Spring Meet will kick off on Saturday, April 28 with the “Opening Night” celebration under the lights that launches both the spring racing session and Kentucky Derby Week.  The evening’s racing highlight is the 88^th running of the $200,000-added The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (Grade III), the one-mile race for 3-year-olds that is the final major prep for the Kentucky Derby.  Last year’s debut of “Opening Night” attracted 38,142 fans, which was the largest crowd in the short history of night racing beneath the Twin Spires and a record for a non-Derby/Oaks/Breeders’ Cup program.

All four night racing programs during the Spring Meet are scheduled on Saturdays and will, for the first time, feature graded stakes races along their array of “Downs After Dark” dining and entertainment options.

A quartet of stakes races with total purses of $750,000 is set for the Stephen Foster Handicap “Downs After Dark’ night racing program on Saturday, June 16.  Along with its main event and the return of the Fleur de Lis, Stephen Foster Night will offer a pair of Grade III contests in $100,000-added Matt Winn, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds, and the $100,000-added Regret for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on grass.  A trio of $100,000-added stakes races is set for the “Downs After Dark” celebration on Saturday, June 2. And the “Downs After Dark” finale on Saturday, June 30 will feature the historic 111^th running of the $100,000-added Bashford Manor (GIII) for 2-year-olds at six furlongs.

Other changes in the purse or status of races on the 2012 Spring Meet stakes schedule include:

• Purse hikes for two Kentucky Derby Day stakes races: a $100,000 boost to the Churchill Downs Stakes (GII) making it worth $400,000-added, and a $25,000 increase for Twin Spires Turf Sprint Presented by GE - Appliances & Lighting (GIII), which now has a purse of $125,000;

• The $300,000-added Alysheba Presented by Besilu Stables on Kentucky Oaks Day has been elevated to Grade II status, and the purse for the ungraded Edgewood Presented by Kentucky Naational Insurance on the same day has jumped to $150,000-added, an increase of $50,000;
• The purse for the Firecracker Handicap (GII), the featured event on the meet’s closing day program on Sunday, July 1, has been reduced by $25,000 to $150,000-added;
• Purses for the $100,000-added Regret and $100,000-added Matt Winn on Stephen Foster Night were reduced by $25,000 each;
• Two stakes run in 2011 – the $100,000-added Dogwood (GIII) for 3-year-old fillies and the $100,000-added Jefferson Cup (GIII) for 3-year-olds on turf – are on hiatus for at least a year.

Click here for the complete 2012 Spring Meet Stakes Schedule

Veteran trainer and retired jockey Mitch Shirota, whose training career spanned more than three decades and included stakes triumphs in the Grade I Top Flight at Aqueduct and a memorable Kentucky Derby Day stakes win at Churchill Downs, died early Wednesday, Jan. 4 at Norton Suburban Hospital in Louisville.

The Hawaiian-born Shirota had been hospitalized since Monday, but had endured a lengthy illness.  He was 78.

Visitation and a memorial service are scheduled for Christ Chapel in the Churchill Downs stable area on Saturday, Jan. 7.  Visitation will be conducted in the chapel from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (all times Eastern), with the service set to follow at 2 p.m.  Access to the chapel is available via Churchill Downs’ Gate 5 off Longfield Ave.

The diminutive Shirota was a gregarious resident of the Churchill Downs stable area known by friends for his sharp, and occasionally biting, wit.  But he possessed considerable talent as a horseman. Equibase statistics, which have been compiled since 1976, show that Shirota saddled 236 winners from 1,637 career starters, and his horses collected career earnings of $5,692,466.  He won 79 races from 676 starts at Churchill Downs with earnings at his home track of $2,065,573.

His years as a trainer were preceded by a 15-year run as jockey that began in 1958 at Agua Caliente in Tijuana, Mexico. Shirota eventually became a riding fixture at Churchill Downs, Louisville’s Miles Park and other Kentucky tracks in the 1960s and early 1970s.  Statistics on his years as a jockey are not available.

Shirota is survived by his wife, Lynda; their daughter, Lori Gowen (Greg); grandchildren Whitney Gowen and Tyler Gowen; brothers Seiko and Hiro Shirota; and sisters Kay Tada, Sumi Martin and Tomi Shirota.  He was preceded in death by a brother, Seiyu Shirota, and a sister, Evelyn Tan.

Born and educated through high school in Maui, Shirota moved to the United States in the mid 1950s (Hawaii did not become a state until 1959) to attend Brigham Young University, where he graduated in three years with a degree in political science. He became involved with Thoroughbreds when he worked at a California farm following his graduation from BYU, and decided to pursue a riding career when a friend suggested he had the perfect stature for the job.

After the conclusion of his career in the saddle, Shirota obtained a trainer’s license in the mid 1970s and saddled his first winner at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 18, 1977.  His final victory was provided by Holy Dixie at Churchill Downs in a maiden race for $15,000-to-$12,500 claiming horses on June 29, 2007.  His last recorded start occurred a few weeks later at Arlington Park, when Mutadda finished fourth in a Maiden Special Weight race on Aug. 25, 2007.

Between those career bookends, Shirota saddled winners of 21 stakes races – including five graded events – headed by a win by Gainewsay Stable’s Firm Stance in the $200,000, Grade I Top Flight at Aqueduct on April 17, 1992.  The daughter of 1978 Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown winner Affirmed also won the $150,000 Red Bud Breeders’ Cup at River Downs in a three-year racing career in which Firm Stance compiled a record of 7-3-0 in 17 starts and earnings of $443,771.

Another stakes highlight was provided by Andrena Van Doren’s Shaconage when she won Churchill Downs’ Grade III Argent Mortgage (now the Grade II Distaff Turf Mile) by a nose over heavily-favored Etoile Montante on the 2004 Kentucky Derby Day program.  The win was Shirota’s first in a stakes race at Churchill Downs and its timing made the long-awaited triumph even sweeter.

"Cha-Ching! I've been coming to Churchill Downs for 20 years now and this is my first stakes win here," Shirota said after the milestone win.  “To do it on Derby Day is even more special.”

Shirota’s initial stakes success at the Louisville track was followed a few weeks later by another stakes victory by Shaconage over the Matt Winn Turf Course in the Grade III Locust Grove Handicap.  The homebred daughter of El Prado also won Woodbine’s Ontario Colleen in 2003 and the Ellis Park Breeders’ Cup Turf in 2005, additional high points in a four-year career during which Shirota’s star ran 29 times with a record of 6-3-7 and earned $534,051. Later that year Shaconage provided Shirota with his only start in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, where she ran sixth to Ouija Board in the Filly & Mare Turf at Lone Star Park.

Other notable Shirota trainees include Van Doren’s Jadada, a half-brother to Shaconage by Jade Hunter and a career earner of $449,088 who counted the Grade III Fayette Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland and Ellis Park’s Governors Handicap among seven wins from 52 starts; Gainesway’s Wicked Mama, winner of Ellis Park’s Dade Breeders’ Cup Turf Classic in 1995; Warren Kemper’s Madam Bear, who won the 1992 Queen Breeders’ Cup at Turfway Park before a runner-up finish to Ifyoucouldseemenow in the Grade III Brown & Williamson (now Grade I Humana Distaff) at Churchill Downs; and Maramour Stable’s Limanda, who took the 1995 running of the Queen Breeders’ Cup.  Shirota notched his first career stakes win with Note of Victory in the 1977 Sallan Cup Handicap at Detroit Race Course.

A memorial service for Julian Logan “Buck” Wheat, the longtime director of Horsemen’s Relations and the unofficial “Mayor of the Backside” at Churchill Downs, will be held at the home of the Kentucky Derby on Wednesday, Dec. 28.

Wheat, 78, died on Wednesday, Dec. 21 at University of Louisville Hospital of complications from injuries suffered in a fall at his home a day earlier.  His life was linked to Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby and the horse industry for more than six decades.

The Wednesday memorial service for Wheat is scheduled for 1 p.m. (all times Eastern) in the Triple Crown Room in Churchill Downs’ Jockey Club Suites.  Visitation for Wheat is set for Tuesday, Dec. 27, from 12-8 p.m. at Highlands Funeral Home, 3331 Taylorsville Road.  Additional visitation is scheduled Wednesday in the Triple Crown Room from 11 a.m. until the memorial service begins.

Those attending Wednesday’s visitation and memorial service at Churchill Downs should enter the track via Gate 1, which is located off Central Avenue adjacent to the Kentucky Derby Museum.

Wheat was known simply as “Buck” to friends throughout the horse industry and countless others he had encountered in his unofficial role at as an ambassador for the industry, the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs.  The son of Thoroughbred trainer Logan Wheat, Buck Wheat had been associated with the historic home of the Kentucky Derby in several roles – including a stretch as a trainer – since he took his first job at the track as an usher at the age of 16.  Wheat entered his Horsemen’s Relations post in 1986 and held that position at the time of his death.

He is survived by his children, Kevin Wheat (Kim), Dennis Wheat (Rhonda) and Denise Sohm, and their mother, Barbara Passifume; his grandchildren Matthew, Baili, Heather, Cooper and Jessica; his great grandchild, Aiden; and his companion, Debbie Hunt.

Wheat was preceded in death by his father; his mother, Katherine M. Wheat; and his sister, Margie Atherton.

His family has requested that memorial contributions be made to the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation or the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America.        

Julian Logan “Buck” Wheat, Churchill Downs’ Director of Horsemen’s Relations long known as the “Mayor of the Backside” at the home of the Kentucky Derby, died Wednesday afternoon of complications from injuries suffered in a Tuesday fall at his home.  Wheat was 78.

The Churchill Downs veteran, whose career at the track in various roles spanned more than 60 years, died at approximately 2:10 p.m. (EST) at University of Louisville Hospital, where he had been treated since he was found unconscious in his home following his Tuesday accident.  Family members said Wheat did not appear to be seriously injured following the mishap, but they became concerned when he could not be contacted later in the day.  He was rushed to the hospital after family members went to Wheat’s home to check on him, but he never regained consciousness.

Wheat apparently suffered serious head injuries in that fall.

Known simply as “Buck” to owners, trainers, jockeys and fans of every type, Wheat was the son of trainer Logan Wheat and launched a formal association with Churchill Downs that would last most of his life when he took a job as an usher at the age of 16 in 1949.  He attempted to follow in his father’s footsteps as a trainer for a few years, but accepted the post of Director of Horsemen’s Relations at Churchill Downs in 1986.   That post – in which Wheat served as the initial contact for owners and trainers who brought their horses to compete at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and other races throughout the year – became the signature job of his long career.  Despite occasional health concerns in recent years, Wheat held that position at the time of his death.

“We could not begin to name, or even count, all of the people who have worked at Churchill Downs in one capacity or another since our track opened in 1875, but Buck Wheat is part of a very small number who became a true part of the fabric of this institution and the Kentucky Derby,” said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack.  “Buck was a friend to all who had the good fortune to cross his path, and a great ambassador for Churchill Downs, the Derby and the horse industry and his efforts went far beyond his listed duties.  We will forever miss the one and only ‘Mayor of the Backside.’  As a friend and co-worker, Buck Wheat is simply irreplaceable.”

Wheat’s work as Director of Horsemen’s Relations frequently wandered far beyond the formal job description for that post.  Throughout his time at Churchill Downs, Wheat greeted fans and dignitaries from all walks of life on visits to the track’s stable area and served as an unofficial ambassador for the historic track, the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky’s signature horses industry.  His activities included work as a guide on countless tours by groups and individuals through the track’s stable area, and those efforts led Wheat to his unofficial title of “Mayor of the Backside.”  Many of his tours, speaking engagements and other activities benefited charitable organizations and causes.

He was honored several times for his work at Churchill Downs and never-ending charitable activities.  The most recent of those honors came earlier this year during Kentucky Derby Week when Wheat received the “Dean Eagle Award” from Knights of Columbus Bishop Spalding Council No. 2761.  That award, named for the late Courier-Journal sports columnist Dean Eagle, annually honors individuals for their contributions to the Thoroughbred racing industry.  Previous winners of that award include Hall of Fame and Kentucky Derby-winng trainers trainers D. Wayne Lukas, Bob Baffert, Nick Zito, Bill Mott, Carl Nafzger, MacKenzie Miller and Woody Stephens; owners Seth Hancock of Claiborne Farm, the late William T. Young and Penny Chenery of Secretariat fame; jockeys Steve Cauthen and Pat Day; and even Secretariat himself, the legendary winner of the 1973 Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown.

In 2001, Dogwood Stable honored Wheat with its “Dogwood Dominion Award,” which annually recognizes “unsung heroes” of the horse industry.  As he handed the award to Wheat, Dogwood Stable’s W. Cothran “Cot” Campbell said, “’Unsung hero’ is Buck Wheat’s middle name.”

Wheat is survived by three children: Denise, Kevin and Dennis; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild; and Barbara Passafiume, his first wife and the mother of his three children.  Among Wheat’s countless friends is his special companion, Debbie Hunt, who shared many joyous moments and special events with Buck and his family and friends in recent years.

Funeral arrangements have not been finalized, but family members say there will be no memorial service until after Christmas holiday.

Churchill Downs will permit four also-eligible entrants to the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), America’s greatest race, and the $1 million guaranteed Kentucky Oaks (GI), the nation’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies, beginning with the respective 138^th runnings of those races in 2012.

For the first time in the recent history of those races, the new system allows as many as four horses to remain eligible to compete in each race beyond the official time of entry and one or more of the “also eligible” horses could be allowed to run in their respective race if members of the original fields for their races scratch from the race within a specified period of time.  A maximum of 20 horses is allowed to compete in the Kentucky Derby, the 1 ¼-mile race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds conducted each year on the first Saturday in May, while the Kentucky Oaks, the Derby’s 1 1/8-mile counterpart for fillies run on the eve of the Derby, is limited to 14 starters.

Entries for the Kentucky Derby are due the Wednesday before the race, while Oaks entries are taken on the Tuesday before its annual Friday renewal.  Also-eligible horses would be permitted to compete in the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks if there are scratches from either race prior to their shared official “scratch time” of 9 a.m. (Eastern) on Friday, Kentucky Oaks Day.  That time is the opening of wagering on the Kentucky Oaks Day racing program and the beginning of preliminary betting on the Kentucky Derby.

In the event of a scratch or scratches from either race, preference among also-eligible entrants would be determined under the current eligibility system for the Derby and Oaks.  Horses with the highest total earnings in graded stakes races would “draw-in” to the field for their respective race.  If the total entrants for either of those races should exceed the maximum field size plus four, the four horses listed as also-eligible entrants would be determined by the same system.

“There has been significant discussion in recent years regarding also-eligible entrants for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, especially in light of the late scratches of Derby favorites I Want Revenge in 2009 and Uncle Mo from this year’s running,” said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack.  “Our concerns have always focused on preliminary wagering on the Kentucky Derby permitted during our Kentucky Oaks Day racing program, including refunds of wagers on scratched Derby horses and potential confusion during those two special days among our massive crowds of bettors.

“Also-eligible horses for Oaks will have nearly three days of opportunity to get into their race, while the Derby’s window for also-eligible entrants to participate is just under 48 hours. We feel strongly that the deadline for also-eligible horses to join the Derby field must be set before preliminary wagering on the race begins.  Despite the more limited window for also-eligible horses for the Derby, this system provides owners and trainers an opportunity to keep their Derby dreams alive that has never existed before.”

Equibase past performances for also-eligible horses for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks will appear in racing programs along with the original fields for the two races.  As many as four also-eligible horses outside of the Kentucky Derby’s 20-horse field would be listed, in order of preference, with program numbers 21, 22, 23 and 24.  Kentucky Oaks also-eligible fillies would be numbered between 15 and 18, also in order of preference.

In the event of a scratch from either the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks fields, horses in post positions outside of the scratched horses would move in a spot and the also-eligible horse would then occupy the outermost position in the starting gate.  Also-eligible entrants are not required to compete in either race in the event of a scratch.

The decision to permit also-eligible entrants to the Kentucky Derby will allow that possibility for the first time since a two-year period in the early 1980’s.  Churchill Downs adjusted its Kentucky Derby rules in 1982 to allow up to eight also-eligible entrants, but reversed that policy following the 1983 “Run for the Roses.”  Twenty horse fields were entered in the Derby in each of those years, so the also-eligible rule never came into play.

The historic track first imposed its 20-horse Derby field limit in 1975 after a record 23 Thoroughbreds competed in 1974’s Centennial Derby won by Cannonade.  The field was limited to the 20 3-year-olds with the highest career earnings,but following a 1981 legal challenge that enabled 21 horses to run in the Derby won by Pleasant Colony, Churchill Downs established its current policy to restrict the field to the 20 horses with the highest career earnings in graded, non-restricted stakes. 

Steve Asmussen has won the last five training titles at Churchill Downs and will wrap up another successful meet at the home of the Kentucky Derby when its fall racing session concludes on Sunday. Entering the final day of the 21-day Fall Meet, Asmussen had saddled 14 winners from 63 starters and trailed Mike Maker by a single victory in his bid to add another “leading trainer” title to his collection.

“We were very fortunate to get a couple of wins at the Breeders’ Cup and we’ve had some really nice 2-year-olds this meet,” Asmussen said via phone Sunday morning. “The meet was everything we could have hoped for.”

Asmussen, the fifth all-time leading trainer at Churchill Downs with 426 wins, saddled two winners at the 2011 Breeders’ Cup World Championships when the event was held beneath the Twin Spires for a record eighth time on Nov. 4-5. The first came on Breeders’ Cup Friday with Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton’s unbeaten My Miss Aurelia in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade I). The following day, the Asmussen-trained Regally Ready took the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (GII) for Vinery Stables.

“The highlight of the meet was My Miss Aurelia,” Asmussen said. “She won so impressively and you couldn’t be higher on a horse than we are on her.”

Well-known for his success with young horses, Asmussen saddled six 2-year-old winners aside from My Miss Aurelia to lead all trainers with seven wins in so-called “baby races.” Eddie Kenneally has the second-highest 2-year-old victory total with four.

“We had success with 2-year-olds this meet, with Unbridled’s Note and Hierro looking like the standouts,” Asmussen said. “They physically look like the kind of horses that will appreciate more distance. The plan is to bring them to Santa Anita this winter and get them ready for next year.”

Mike McCarthy’s Unbridled’s Note was a debut winner on the undercard of the Stars of Tomorrow I program on opening day of the Fall Meet on Oct. 30. The 2-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song won by 4 ½ lengths under leading rider Julien Leparoux.

Stonestreet Stables LLC’s Hierro broke his maiden on Nov. 9 in his third career start with an eye-catching 5 ¼-length romp as am odds-on favorite. The chestnut son of Hard Spun was also ridden by Leparoux.

COURT BECOMES 17^TH RIDER TO REACH 400-WIN MILESTONE AT CD – Jockey Jon Court became the latest rider to record a career milestone at Churchill Downs when a Saturday victory aboard Bluegrass Hall LLC’s Red Jack in the sixth race made him just the 17^th rider to record 400 wins under the Louisville track’s venerable Twin Spires.

“It’s nice to get the 400^th win at Churchill Downs,” Court said. “I’ve always loved riding here. It’s been a great meet and I hope I can keep it going. I knew Churchill had that (400-win) sign. I was just hoping they wouldn’t have to use it next spring. At 51-years-old I think I can still ride with the youngest and the best and I’m very thankful to be healthy and have the opportunity to do what I do.”

Court, who has over 3,600 wins in his riding career, has won 14 stakes beneath the Twin Spires, including the 2011 Firecracker Handicap (Grade II) aboard Wise Dan, who captured the 137^th running of the Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) on Friday. Other notable winners at Churchill Downs include With Anticipation in the 2001 Louisville Handicap, Belterra in the 2001 Golden Rod (GII) and Softly in the 2002 Churchill Downs Distaff Handicap (GII).

His number of Churchill Downs victories would have certainly been higher had Court not left the Kentucky-circuit in 2004 to ride in Southern California for trainer Doug O’Neill. He returned to his Midwest-roots in 2009.

“A few of the trainers gave me a hard time, saying if I hadn’t gone to California to ride I could have doubled that and beyond, but that’s fine,” Court said. “It’s all in the name of racing and that’s good.”

Court began his riding career in 1980 and recorded his first victory aboard Nevada’s Hope at the now defunct Centennial Park in Colorado. He has won riding titles at Oaklawn, Ellis Park, Hoosier Park, Turfway and Birmingham and has recorded six top-five finishes at Churchill Downs, including a trio of thirds: 1999 Fall Meet, 2001 Fall Meet and 2002 Spring Meet.

The victory aboard Red Jack was Court’s second victory of the day and 13^th of the Fall Meet. He is poised for another top-five finish in the jockey standings as he is currently in fourth behind Julien Leparoux, Corey Lanerie and Calvin Borel.

STARS OF TOMORROW II WINNERS EXIT RACES IN GOOD ORDER – WinStar Farm LLC’s Gemologist exited his 1 ¾-length victory in Saturday’s 85^th running of the Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade II) in good order, according to Michael McCarthy, assistant trainer to Todd Pletcher.

“He came out of the race well,” McCarthy said. “He’ll go to WinStar Farm on Monday for a brief freshening and then make his way down to Palm Meadows.”

            A 2-year-old son of Tiznow, Gemologist improved his record to a perfect 3-for-3 and increased his earnings to $145,855 in the Kentucky Jockey Club. There are currently no plans for his next start.

The Kentucky Jockey Club was the co-featured event on Saturday’s Stars of Tomorrow II program with the 68^th running of the Golden Rod (GII), which was won by Anita Cauley’s homebred On Fire Baby. A 2-year-old gray/roan daughter of Smoke Glacken, On Fire Baby won the Golden Rod in gate-to-wire fashion by 6 ¼ lengths.

“It was an excellent performance and she’s doing well this morning,” trainer Gary Hartlage said. “She’ll head to Oaklawn Park on Thursday morning and the goal is to be back here (at Churchill Downs) in the spring (for either the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks).”

On Fire Baby became just the seventh 2-year-old filly to sweep the Pocahontas (GII) and Golden Rod and improved her record to 3-0-0 from four career starts with earnings of $227,329.

Another impressive winner on Saturday’s card was John Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock’s Indian Ambush, who won the seventh race by two lengths at the 3-2 favorite for trainer Bill Mott. A 2-year-old son of Indian Charlie, Indian Ambush was doing well Sunday morning will be sent to Florida on Monday. He will be stabled at Mott’s barn at Gulfstream Park or Payson Park.

Other winners Saturday who will be shipped to Gulfstream Park this week include Elm Tree Farm’s Callmenancy, winner of the second race on the Matt Winn Turf Course for trainer Ken McPeek, and McKee Stables Inc.’s King Kid, who took the finale by two lengths for trainer Dale Romans. Both 2-year-olds exited their races in fine order.

BARN TALK – Entering the final day of the 21-day Fall Meet, the race for leading trainer is still wide open with Mike Maker holding a 15-14 lead over Steve Asmussen. Maker, who won only training title at the Louisville track in the 2008 Fall Meet, has two horses entered Sunday: Chyhyryn (Race 1, 3-1 on morning-line) and Twinspired (Race 10, 8-1). Asmussen will be seeking his 11^th training title at Churchill Downs with his previous titles coming in 2001 Fall, 2004 Spring, 2004 Fall, 2007 Spring, 2007 Fall, 2009 Spring, 2009 Fall, 2010 Spring, 2010 Fall and 2011 Spring. He has four horses entered Sunday: Miss Chloe H. (Race 6, 9-2), Eyeseeyou (Race 8, 5-1), Hunterwood Point (Race 8, 6-1) and Joes Blazing Aaron (Race 10, 5-1). …

In the race for leading jockey, Julien Leparoux held a 32-27 advantage over Corey Lanerie heading into Sunday’s closing day program. Leparoux is seeking his ninth Churchill Downs riding title with his previous titles coming in 2006 Spring, 2007 Spring, 2007 Fall, 2008 Fall, 2009 Spring, 2010 Fall and 2011 Spring. Lanerie is seeking his first riding title at the Downs. …

Ken and Sarah Ramsey, the track’s all-time leading owners, wrapped up their record 18^th Churchill Downs title as leading owner and 10^th in the Fall, including five in a row. They enter closing day with a 12-5 lead over Billy, Donna and Justin Hays. The Ramseys’ local titles: 2000 Spring, 2000 Fall, 2001 Spring, 2001 Fall, 2002 Spring, 2002 Fall, 2003 Spring, 2003 Fall, 2004 Spring, 2005 Fall, 2006 Spring, 2007 Fall, 2008 Spring, 2008 Fall, 2009 Spring, 2009 Fall, 2010 Fall and 2011 Fall.

WORKTAB – Barry Butzow and Westrock Stables LLC’s Hamazing Destiny, second in the Sentient Jet Breeders Cup Sprint (GI) in 2010 and fifth in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint, breezed four furlongs in :48.60 on a sloppy main track at Churchill Downs on Sunday morning for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.