TEMPLEGATE takes on Tuesday’s racing confident of building the bank for next week’s Ebor meeting at York.
Back a horse by clicking their odds below.
SILENT CITY (4.07 Lingfield, nap)
Roger Varian’s filly looked potentially smart when bolting up by nearly four lengths at Windsor two starts ago. She had an inexperienced jockey in the plate when she allowed a useful rival too much rope at Hamilton last time, but she still pulled miles clear of the rest. With Silvestre De Sousa back on board, she can return to winning ways.
NOBLE HORIZON (7.10 Hamilton, nb)
Bumped into a useful horse at Newmarket two starts ago. He made no mistake in a weaker race at Leicester 26 days ago and he can go on a roll now for his top stable.
NOVAK (7.40 Hamilton, treble)
Came back to form with a good second at Musselburgh last time. He is a C&D winner and is still on a winning mark.
VALOR SPIRIT (2.15 Carlisle, Lucky 15)
He ran three nice races on maidens and goes handicapping off a fair mark with a top apprentice taking off 5lb.
Templegate’s tips
CARLISLE
2.15 Valor Spirit 2.45 One Of Our Own 3.15 Curran 3.50 Ice Sovereigns 4.25 Reenie’s Dream 5.00 Homeland
LINGFIELD
2.30 Semser 3.00 Al Joory 3.32 Perfect Panda 4.07 Silent City (nap) 4.42 Foinix 5.17 Dogged
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
ROYAL DUBAI landed a cosy Listed win at Newbury last time and looks ready for this stronger company. He enjoyed every yard of this trip there and has solid placed form at a high level.
TOPTEAM (3.55 Ascot, nb)
TOPTEAM has become a top horse since stepping up in trip and adopting positive tactics and the way he battled to score at Thirsk last time suggested there’s still more in the locker.
VENETIAN LACE (3.40 Newmarket, treble)
Venetian Lace can stamp her class on an open Sweet Solera. The Charlie Johnston-trained filly ran a blinder in the Superlative here last month, making the running before wandering across the track in the closing stages. That was a sign of greenness and she should have learned plenty from the run.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
RESIDENTS of a tranquil village are worried that their home will be overrun by travellers with caravans and ponies this weekend.
The two-day event called Tracy Cooper’s New Forest Drive is set to take place in several parts of the district, including Ashurst and Woodlands.
2
Travellers descending on New Forest in previous years to take part in the biggest horse drive in EnglandCredit: Solent
2
The eight-mile horse drive will end at the riverCredit: Solent
The traditional family event has been running for more than 20 years.
It sees hundreds of riders make their way across Hampshire to the drive on an eight-mile ride.
Travellers bring along their prized horses and two-wheeled carts.
But locals are not happy with the planned event and shared their thoughts on social media.
One wrote: “Feel so sorry for the horses involved Please this needs to be stopped.”
Another said: “Should not be allowed to take place. And the Old Bill will be invisible as usual.”
A third commented: “Just NO! It was horrendous last year. I work in the community access was blocked to places I needed to be in, it was mayhem.”
“Thank you for the heads up, now we know to avoid the area this weekend,” said a fourth.
Authorities say they are working together following the controversy caused by last year’s pony and trap ride-out.
Cops launched an investigation after a pony broke its leg at an Ashurst cattle grid.
And sharp objects were scattered at a popular picnic area near Brockenhurst, possibly in an attempt to sabotage the event.
We live in UK’s ‘worst’ seaside town – tourists say it’s rundown and crime is a problem but here’s why locals love it
Speaking at the time, Hampshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, vowed that concerns surrounding the get together would be fully investigated.
She said: “The ride-out caused a traffic backlog in an already busy seasonal area and it is so sad that a horse had to be put down.”
In a separate statement, Ms Cooper stressed that the Ashurst incident did not take place during the drive itself.
Forestry England said it was working closely with other authorities to minimise the impact of the event.
A Hampshire police spokesperson added: “We are aware of a planned pony and trap event taking place across the New Forest this weekend.
“We are working closely with our partners and have been engaging with the event organisers to ensure the safety of the people and animals involved as well as residents and visitors to the Forest.”
Ashurst and Colbury Parish Council has issued a similar statement.
Every August, people travel from Totton, near Southampton through the national park.
Their route from Totton traditionally ends at Balmer Lawn, where riders showed off their skills in the stream.
Visitors can buy and sell horses, harnesses and dogs at the event.
It is named and organised by Tracey Cooper, 50, who owns a burger van which she takes to local events and horse shows.
The travellers gather to raise money forcharity– before riding back to Totton for an evening of fun.
Was just edged out on her return and a repeat would be good enough to take this. She’s only been nudged up a couple of pounds and should have enough up her sleeve to progress out of this lowly grade.
MUY MUY LOCO (8.28 Windsor, nb)
Can send the bookies crazy. Simon Dow’s three-year-old has been knocking at the door all season but this looks his best opening yet.
MISTER SKETCH (3.40 Ripon, treble)
Looks picture perfect for Wathnan Racing. He’s been off for a while but fresh might be the best time to get him. He showed enough last season to suggest he can be competitive in races like this.
DANDANA (2.40 Ripon, Lucky 15)
Should be too good for this field for the red-hot Crisford team.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
TEMPLEGATE takes on Friday’s racing from Glorious Goodwood confident of success after banging in a 28-1 treble on Thursday.
Back a horse by clicking their odds below.
FIFTH COLUMN (2.30 Goodwood, nap)
John Gosden has a nice three-year-old on his hands in this son of Kingman. He showed promise last season and got off the mark in a Kempton maiden on comeback in April. That form was quickly left behind with a smooth handicap success at Sandown – before an excellent effort in the Britannia at Royal Ascot. He was only seventh in that hot contest but he was first home in his group getting the worst of the draw. He clocked a personal best when winning at Newmarket last time and relishes this mile trip. He goes on any ground so it won’t matter what the weather does.
BIG MOJO (3.05 Goodwood, nb)
Likes it here and can show his class in the King George Qatar Stakes.
DIEGO VENTURA (1.55 Goodwood, treble)
He is just about the only runner in the field who is proven in testing conditions – and looks set to get just that.
Templegate’s TV verdicts
1.20
KYLE OF LOCHALSH is fancied to go three better than last year’s fourth and land this marathon prize.
He’s on the same mark, handles any ground and shaped with promise on his reappearance.
He’s much more lightly raced than 12 months ago and looks primed to peak.
Aggagio loves it round here and was impressive under Ashley Lewis last time but stamina beyond 2m remains a question mark.
Align The Stars hasn’t quite fired this year but ran well in a strong Royal Ascot handicap and is lurking on a handy mark.
He has a good record here but came up short in this last year.
Tashkhan is classy and thrives in deep ground should it rain, with similar comments applying to Zinc White.
Sheradann has been knocking on the door and shapes as though this trip will suit.
Irish raider Mordor is interesting as this stamina test could bring improvement.
1.55
DIEGO VENTURA is just about the only runner in the field who is proven in testing conditions.
James Doyle’s mount has been running well at Listed level in France and scored over seven furlongs at Longchamp in May.
He then went well at Epsom before going down in a bunch finish at Chantilly last time.
Conditions will be ideal and he has more to come.
Cosmic Year has shown his best on good ground as he showed when second in the Irish 2,000 Guineas which is strong form.
The ground may not be ideal but this is a fair drop in class which makes him a player.
King Of Cities has been placed on tacky ground and sees out this trip well.
He has yet to win this season but could go well under Ryan Moore.
Seagulls Eleven was a solid second to non-runner Opera Ballo at Newmarket last time.
He’s unproven on this ground and needs a step forward.
2.30
FIFTH COLUMN can take another step up for the Gosdens.
His only defeat this season came when a strong-finishing seventh in the Britannia at Royal Ascot, where he won his group and shaped like the best horse on the far side.
He confirmed that when winning stylishly at Newmarket last time, and a 3lb penalty might not be enough to anchor this improving three-year-old who can beat his elders.
Skukuza is the main threat.
He’s officially 8lb well in after two smooth wins at The Curragh, including a Listed last time, and is clearly thriving.
Greek Order ran a screamer in the Royal Hunt Cup on his first start back from the US and again shaped well at Sandown behind Arisaig who is a contender here.
He’s a big player if things fall right. Ebt’s Guard has run well here before and wasn’t beaten far in the Royal Hunt Cup.
3.05
BIG MOJO can follow up last year’s Glorious Goodwood win in the King George Qatar Stakes.
Mick Appleby’s flyer ran a cracker at Newmarket last time and looks up to this level.
Aussie Asfoora will show her true colours here after a poor Ascot run, while She’s Quality lives up to her name.
Here’s my guide to the field, where I rate them one (worst) to five (best):
ASFOORA 4
FOOR star. Aussie raider won the King Charles III at Royal Ascot last year was just denied in this. Had excuses this year and could bounce back.
BIG MOJO 5
BIG chance. Won Molecomb here last year and has progressed at three. Unlucky in the Commonwealth Cup and ran a huge race in the July Cup. Strong claims back at 5f.
CELANDINE 2
HARD Cel. Chased home Big Mojo in last year’s Molecomb and beat Time For Sandals over 6f at York. Needs to prove she enjoys 5f as much.
CLARENDON HOUSE 1
DON for. Has run well over this C&D before but was poor at Epsom last time and needs more at this level.
FROST AT DAWN 3
HOT Frost. Won 6f Listed race earlier this season and showed real speed when second in the King Charles III at Royal Ascot. Can go close again.
JM JUNGLE 2
JUNGLE fever. Won over C&D at this meeting in 2023 and landed the Epsom Dash in June. Ran well in Listed last time but not up to this.
KERDOS 3
TAKE Ker. Fifth in this race last year and good run in the King Charles III. Likes tacky ground and cheekpieces may help.
KHAADEM 3
KHA motors. Won this in 2022 and has landed two Group 1s. He’s unbeaten in two runs here and looks a big place price.
MANACCAN 1
DANGER Man. Solid Listed performer over this trip but has been struggling for a while.
NIGHT RAIDER 3
NIGHT shifts. Unbeaten in four AW starts including a Listed 6f at Newcastle. Turf form not as hot but it’s early days.
SHE’S QUALITY 4
QUALITY pays. Ran a stormer when second in a hot Group 2 at Haydock in May. Sandown didn’t suit last time and this test looks much more suitable.
SPARTAN ARROW 2
BLUNT arrow. Has improved since sporting cheekpieces and took a French Listed prize latest. Goes well here and track/trip suits but this is much tougher opposition.
TIME FOR SANDALS 3
TIME trial. Surprise winner of the Commonwealth Cup over 6f at Ascot. Could improve again but drop in trip an unknown.
TOWN AND COUNTRY 1
TOWN and out. Few miles on the clock and is a Listed winner over this trip. Progressive but needs a lot more in this company.
3.45
SOCIALITE can get the party started.
Charlie Hills’ four-year-old can take this prize with a bold front-running show.
He quickened smartly to win at Windsor on handicap debut, shaping as though this extra furlong would suit.
Lightly raced, progressive and effective on any ground, he could prove tough to pass from a handy draw.
Liberty Lane is the main danger, with a soft-ground Cambridgeshire win and a Listed success here this year marking him out as a serious player.
Haunted Dream won this race last year and had excuses at Royal Ascot. He’s a big threat back at this track.
Godwinson is thriving after wins in the Lincoln and at Newcastle. He’ll be right there if liking this longer trip.
Fox Legacy is flying and isn’t written off provided the rain stays away.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
A SHOWJUMPER and horse rider had a threesome with a teen girl in a stable before hatching a “pact of silence”, a court heard.
Guy Simmonds, 37, and Lauren Jarvis, 26, are accused of targeting the girl despite knowing she was under 16.
4
Lauren Jarvis allegedly had a threesome with a teenage girlCredit: WNS
4
Guy Simmonds is accused of abusing the girl in a horseboxCredit: WNS
Equestrian boss Simmonds called himself “daddy” in messages to the youngster and would abuse with her while his girlfriend was away, jurors heard.
Prosecutor James Hartson said there was a “clear element of grooming behaviour” from Simmonds, who had “no doubt at all” about the girl’s age.
He added: “At all times he knew how old she was and so did Jarvis. The victim told him herself in one of the very first messages she sent him.
“The defendants didn’t care about her age when they were planning and engaging in a so-called threesome with the victim.
“They also knew what they did was wrong and they agreed a pact of silence when they got wind she had started to talk about it.”
Cardiff Crown Court heard Simmonds ran a riding school that offered “showjumping horse production and sales, coaching and schooling” in the village of Undy in Wales.
The experienced showjumper would allegedly regularly take the girl into a horsebox to sexually abuse her while they were alone at the stables.
Jurors heard that at one point, this was happening every couple of days when Simmonds’ girlfriend was away.
In January 2024, he messaged fellow rider Jarvis to organise a threesome at her home – asking when he should “pop over”, it was said.
Simmonds later messaged again asking whether the girl had arrived as he did not want to “turn up at the same time that her mum drops her off”.
Jurors heard the youngster had also text Simmonds about the threesome, asking what she would be made to do.
He replied: “You will both do what daddy says.”
Afterwards, Simmonds text Jarvis, saying: “Hey, I have a feeling that [name of alleged victim] has said about us. If anyone asks for sake of both of us nothing ever happened that night xx.”
Jarvis replied: “Hey, who’s she told? Oh god has she really, what’s she trying to do, make our lives hell? Of course I will xx.”
The court heard the alarm was raised when the girl told her dad what had allegedly happened and he alerted police.
Simmonds told police he did not have any from of sexual contact with the victim.
He also claimed any messages about a threesome were “banter and a wind up.”
Simmonds denies six counts of sexual activity with a child, while Jarvis has pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual activity with a child.
The trial continues.
4
Jarvis allegedly entered into a ‘pact of silence’ with SimmondsCredit: WNS
“Untamed,” a quasi-police drama premiering Thursday on Netflix, is a vacation from most crime shows, set not in a big city or cozy village but in the wilds of Yosemite National Park. (Never mind that the series was shot in British Columbia, which has nothing to apologize for when it comes to dramatic scenery, and whose park rangers are not threatened by draconian budget cuts nor their parks by politicians’ desire to sell off public lands.)
The mountains and valleys, the rivers and brooks, the occasional deer or bear are as much a part of the mise-en-scène as the series’ complicated, yet essentially straightforward heroes and villains. Lacking big themes, it’s not so much meat-and-potatoes television as fish and corn grilled over a camp fire, and on the prestige scale it sits somewhere between “Magnum P.I.” and “True Detective,” leaning toward the former.
Created by Mark L. Smith (“American Primeval”) and Elle Smith (“The Marsh King’s Daughter”) and starring Eric Bana and Sam Neill, Antipodean actors wearing American accents once again, it’s a limited series, though, for a while, it has the quality of a pilot, introducing characters that could profitably be reused — with perhaps a little less of the trauma peeking out at every corner. Of course, if the show becomes a fantabulous success, the Netflix engineers may contrive a way to make it live again; it’s happened before.
“Untamed” starts big. Two climbers are making their way up the face of El Capitan when a woman’s body comes flying over the cliff, gets tangled in their ropes and hangs suspended, dead. She is hanging there still — the climbers have been rescued — when Investigative Services Branch special agent Kyle Turner (Bana) rides in on his horse.
“Here comes f—ing Gary Cooper,” mutters grumbling ranger Bruce Milch (William Smillie) to new ranger Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago), a former police officer (and single mother, with a threatening ex) newly arrived from Los Angeles. (The horse, says Milch, who regards it as a high horse, gives him “a better angle to look down on us lowly rangers.”) What are the odds on Vasquez becoming Turner’s (junior) partner? And on a difficult relationship developing into a learning curve (“This is not L.A. — things happen different out here”) and turning almost … tender?
More heroically proportioned and handsome than anyone else in the show, a man of the forest with superior tracking skills, Turner is also a mess — a taciturn mess, which also makes him seem stoic — barely holding himself together, drinking too much, living in a cabin in the woods filled with unpacked boxes, undone by the unaddressed family tragedy that broke him and his marriage. (The dark side of stoicism.) Sympathetic remarried ex-wife Jill (Rosemarie DeWitt, keeping it real), who herself is only “as happy as I can be, I guess,” and sympathetic boss Paul Souter (Neill), try to keep him straight.
“You’ve locked yourself away in this park, Kyle,” Souter tells Turner. “It’s not healthy.” Turner, however, prefers “most animals to people — especially my horse.” Nevertheless, he has a couple of friends: Shane Maguire (Wilson Bethel), a wildlife manager — that means he shoots things, so be forewarned — also living in the woods, but without the cabin, is the toxic one; Mato Begay (Trevor Carroll), an Indigenous policeman, the nontoxic one. And he’s sleeping with a concierge at the local nice hotel, just so that element is covered; it’s otherwise beside the point.
If the dialogue often has the flavor of coming off a page rather than out of a character, it gets the job done, and if the characters are essentially static, people don’t change overnight, and consistency is a hallmark of detective fiction. The narrative wisely stays close to Turner and/or Vasquez; there are enough twists and tendrils in the main overlapping plots without running off into less related matters. (Keeping the series to six episodes is also a plus, and something to be encouraged, makers of streaming series. Your critic will thank you for it.) Still, between the hot cases and the cold cases, with their collateral damage; hippie squatters from central casting chanting “Our Earth, our land;” a mysterious gold tattoo, indigenous glyphs and old mines — there is an especially tense scene involving a tight tunnel and rising water — the show stays busy. Though last-minute heavy surprises don’t register emotionally — trauma overload, maybe — you will not be left wanting for answers, or closure.
And you will learn quite a bit about vultures and their dining habits — not what you might think.
John C. Harris, California horse-racing mogul, had a particular love for the thoroughbred breeding and racing sector of his company, Harris Farms.
Multiple horses that were raised and trained at Coalinga-based Harris Farms went on to become national champions, including Tiznow, the 2000 Horse of the Year, and California Chrome, a national Hall of Fame racehorse. A close friend recounted Harris’ reaction to the latter thoroughbred winning the 2014 Kentucky Derby.
The moment California Chrome sprinted over the finish line, tears streamed down Harris’ face.
“It was just knowing that his farm had such a major role,” said his good friend Doug Burge. “It was probably the most fun we ever had.”
Those who knew Harris described him as an acclaimed rancher, farmer and horse-racing enthusiast who devoted himself to his passions to the end. Harris Farms confirmed his death in a statement shared on July 3. No details, including cause of death, were provided.
Harris was born on July 14, 1943, and resided in Fresno County all of his life. He earned a degree in agricultural production at UC Davis before serving in the U.S. Army for two years.
Harris took ownership of Harris Farms following his father’s death in 1981. He oversaw all operations of the ranch, which encompasses a thriving farm that produces more than 30 types of crops including garlic, pistachios and wine grapes, as well as the horse-breeding operation, according to its website. Harris Farms was known for the beef it produced, but the cattle-raising portion of the business was sold in 2019.
Harris nurtured a steadfast passion for horse racing and the thoroughbred breeding industry in Northern California, according to friends and family. He was a former president and board member of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Assn. and served on the board of the Thoroughbred Owners of California and the National Jockey Club. According to those who worked with him, he shaped the horse-racing industry into what it is today.
“He had a love for the land, everything from farming to raising horses,” said Burge, the current president of the CTBA, who knew Harris as a mentor and friend for more than 30 years.
Harris was a longtime, dedicated advocate for the agricultural industry, according to Oscar Gonzalez, the vice chairman of the California Horse Racing Board who previously served as assistant secretary of Agriculture during the Biden administration.
“Mr. Harris was just a phone call away,” he said. “When I was in Washington, D.C. … and I needed a point of reference or background information on an issue involving agriculture, or water or immigration, he was always somebody that had context in that background.”
One of Harris’ last advocacy efforts was just a couple of weeks ago, when he fought to reinstate live horse racing at the Big Fresno Fair, a proposal that was ultimately unsuccessful.
“We will never give up continuing this storied tradition of Fresno racing. Today’s story is not the end — we will come back again next year,” Harris said, according to the Business Journal.
Justin Oldfield, a thoroughbred breeder and a chairman of the CTBA, said that Harris wanted everyone in the industry to be successful, always offering mentorship and help to those who needed it.
“For as successful as a businessman as he was, you would have never have known it from the way he treated you,” Oldfield said. “John was an extremely humble, down-to-earth individual that treated everyone with respect, treated everyone like they had value.”
He said that he once went to a horse racing industry event honoring Harris with more than 3,000 attendees.
“I can’t even imagine how many people are gonna be at his funeral,” Oldfield said.
Harris is survived by his wife, Cookie, and others “whose lives were enriched by his strength of character and enduring compassion,” the statement from Harris Farms said.
Darrell Wayne Lukas, known to the general public as D. Wayne and to friends simply as Wayne or as “The Coach” if you were in the business, died on Saturday after a brief illness. He was 89.
Lukas’ career, which started in Southern California in 1968, not only built a recognizable brand but helped shape horse racing for more than 50 years. He won 15 Triple Crown races among his lifetime win total of 4,953, having run horses in 30,436 races. His horses earned more than $300 million.
He died at his home in Louisville, Ky., after being diagnosed with a severe MRSA blood infection that affected his heart, digestive system and worsened preexisting chronic conditions. Lukas decided against an aggressive treatment plan that involved surgeries and round-the-clock assistance. Instead, he returned home and entered hospice care.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved husband, grandfather and great-grandfather D. Wayne Lukas. who left this world peacefully [Saturday] evening at the age of 89 surrounded by family,” the Lukas family said in a statement released by Churchill Downs.
“His final days were spent at home in Kentucky, where he chose peace, family and faith. As we grieve at his passing, we find peace knowing he is now reunited with his beloved son, Jeff, whose memory he carried in his heart always.
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers and support from all corners of the racing community — from ractetracks across the country to lifelong friends and respected rivals, and from fans who never missed a post parade when ‘Lukas’ was listed in the program.”
His illness was announced on June 22 along with the decision that he would not return to training. All of his horses were transferred to his longtime assistant Sebastian “Bas” Nicholl.
“Wayne built a legacy that will never be matched.” said Nicholl upon learning Lukas was not returning to racing. “Every decision I make, every horse I saddle, I’ll hear his voice in the back of my mind. This isn’t about filling his shoes — no one can — it’s about honoring everything he’s built.”
Lukas was so good that he was in not one but two halls of fame. He was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2007 and the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame in 1999.
“Wayne is one of the greatest competitors and most important figures in thoroughbred racing history,” said Mike Anderson, president of Churchill Downs racetrack in Kentucky, after the Lukas family announced the severity of his illness. “He transcended the sport of horse racing and took the industry to new levels. The lasting impact of his character and wisdom — from his acute horsemanship to his unmatched attention to detail — will be truly missed.”
Lukas’ story started on a small farm in Wisconsin.
Bill Dwyre, who previously was the sports editor of L.A. Times and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, recently chronicled Lukas’ roots.
“Lukas did not grow up on some farm in Kentucky, mucking stables as a teenager and rubbing elbows all day, every day, with grizzled horsemen,” Dwyre wrote last year after Lukas won the Preakness with Seize the Grey. “Lukas did grow up on a farm, all right, but in the state of Wisconsin, where there is no parimutuel betting, and where horse racing is pretty much confined to county fairs. His birthplace, Antigo, Wis., an hour and a half northwest of Green Bay, had a fair and D. Wayne … liked the horses.
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas looks on as Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey cools down after a workout ahead of the 156th running of the Belmont Stakes in 2024.
(Julia Nikhinson / Associated Press)
“But that sort of career was not foremost in his mind. He went to the University of Wisconsin, got his master’s degree in education, started teaching and soon was a high school head basketball coach. For a while, he was an assistant coach in the Big Ten for UW’s John Erickson. He stayed close to the game of basketball, even as his days were dominated by barns and backstretches. Along the way, one of his best friends became Bob Knight. D. Wayne liked the toughness and drive to win of the legendary Indiana University coach.”
Lukas decided to try his hand at training and started at Los Alamitos in 1968 working with quarter horses. It took him 10 years to realize that the real stars — and the money — was in thoroughbred racing. Before leaving the quarter horse ranks, he won 739 races and saddled 24 world champions.
He won his first thoroughbred race on Oct. 20, 1977, at Santa Anita. He won his last race at Churchill Downs on June 12 with 4-year-old colt Tour Player.
In between, he won the Kentucky Derby four times, the Preakness seven times and the Belmont Stakes four times. He has won 20 Breeders’ Cup races. He won the Eclipse Award for top trainer four times and was the leading trainer by wins four straight years from 1987 to 1990. In 1995, he won all three Triple Crown races but with two different horses; Thunder Gulch won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes and Timber Country won the Preakness. It was the first time a trainer accomplished that feat.
“The most enduring and essential sports legacies can also be the most complicated,” wrote NBC’s Tim Layden, a multiple Eclipse Award-winning journalist, upon learning of Lukas’ illness. “The very best are not just driven, but obsessive. Not just creative, but ingenious. Not just hungry, but voracious. Jordan. Woods. Ali. Armstrong. Rose. One of Lukas’ favorites, and a close friend: Bob Knight. To name a few. … Transcendence demands a selfish eccentricity; because greatness and normalcy are often mutually exclusive. Lukas has lived long enough to earn a warm embrace that he would not have received as a younger man, but that embrace alone doesn’t tell enough of his outsized story and his place in racing history, where he stands very much alone.”
Lukas first made his thoroughbred mark in 1980 when he won the Preakness with Codex. It was not a popular win as Codex beat Derby-winning filly Genuine Risk and then had to withstand an inquiry to officially give Lukas his first Triple Crown win.
Bookending that win was his last Triple Crown race victory, when he won the Preakness last year with Seize the Grey.
“One of the things that was very significant to me [that day] — and maybe it’s because I’m getting a little bit older — but as I came out of the grandstand and out across the racetrack, every one of the guys that were in that race stopped and hugged me and gave me a handshake,” Lukas told The Times after the race.
“That meant more to me than any single thing. [Bob] Baffert, Kenny McPeek, right down the line.”
Lukas did not get the nickname Coach because of his days as a basketball coach but because of the coaching tree he established during his tenure.
Among those that were his assistants were Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, future Hall of Famer Brad Cox, Kiaran McLaughlin, Dallas Stewart, Mike Maker, Mark Hennig, Randy Bradshaw, George Weaver and Bobby Barnett.
Among those Lukas was closest to, but never worked for, is Baffert.
“I asked him for a job one time out of high school, and he turned me down,” Baffert told The Times in 2018, while he was on his Triple Crown run with Justify. “I tell him, ‘I’m sure glad you turned me down because you’d be taking all the credit for this.’ But he probably would have fired me after two weeks because he works way too hard.”
Lukas later introduced Baffert at his U.S. Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“He told me everybody was laughing and kidding [when they heard I was inducting him,]” Lukas told The Times in 2018. “They were saying he’s not going to have Wayne do it because they thought we were rivals. Yet he came to me, and I said, ‘Bob, I’ll be honored to present you.’ And I did.”
“The media portrayed us as rivals and everything, so we would go along with you guys and then we’d go to dinner later,” Lukas said of Baffert.
“We’ve been friends for a long time. I have great respect for his ability. He’s got an excellent eye for a horse. He’s one of the few guys in the sale that when I pick one out that I like, I know sure as hell he’ll be bidding too.”
Seize the Grey’s trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, left, shakes hands with Bob Baffert, Imagination’s trainer, after Lukas’ horse won the Preakness Stakes in 2024.
(Julia Nikhinson / Associated Press)
In fact, this year at the Preakness Alibi Breakfast, an annual affair at Pimlico where trainers, owners and others tell stories and trade barbs about their career and horses, Lukas and Baffert hijacked the event with witty repartee and joking much to the delight of those in attendance. Their friendship was borne out as genuine.
“The horses were everything to Wayne,” Baffert posted on X after learning of Lukas’ death. “They were his life. From the way he worked them, how he cared for them, and how he maintained his shedrow as meticulously as he did his horses. No detail was too small. Many of us got our graduate degrees in training by studying how Wayne did it. Behind his famous shades, he was a tremendous horseman, probably the greatest who ever lived.”
Lukas’ life on the racetrack had one significant downside, when his son and assistant, Jeff, was run over and permanently injured by a loose horse at Santa Anita in 1993.
“I have a phone with one of those long cords,” Lukas told The Times’ Dwyre in 1999, “and so, I was up and walking around and right near the door when it happened. I was the first one to get to him.”
“One of Lukas’ Triple Crown prospects, Tabasco Cat, had bolted and was loose,” Dwyre wrote. “Jeff Lukas, a veteran horseman well schooled in the procedures for such situations, had stepped in Tabasco Cat’s path and was waving his arms. Horses always stop, or veer away. But this time…
“It’s like when you meet somebody in a narrow hallway,” Lukas said. “You go right and he goes right, and then you both go the other way. But eventually, one goes right and one left. Well, Jeff and the horse both went the same way.”
“Witnesses say that the sound of Jeff Lukas’ head hitting hard, compact ground after the collision could be heard several barns away. There was no blood, just an unconscious, badly injured 36-year-old man.”
The next year, Jeff Lukas had recovered enough to return to the racetrack but it proved too difficult for him to work around horses safely. Jeff eventually moved to Oklahoma and lived in a home his father bought him until Jeff’s death in 2016 at age 58.
Santa Anita issued this statement on Sunday after learning of Lukas’ death.
“Santa Anita joins the racing community in mourning the passing of D. Wayne Lukas. … His on-track success was such that it was easy to overlook his outstanding horsemanship that we were lucky to often witness back at the barn, away from the spotlight.”
Funeral arrangements for Wayne Lukas were not immediately announced.
Lukas is survived by his fifth wife, Laurie; grandchildren Brady Wayne Lukas and Kelly Roy; and great-grandchildren Johnny Roy, Thomas Roy, Walker Wayne Lukas and Quinn Palmer Lukas.
D. Wayne Lukas, 89, who has been a staple in horse racing since 1968 when he was training quarter horses at Los Alamitos, is leaving the game after contracting a potentially life-ending illness.
In a note to owners and friends on Sunday, Lukas Enterprises announced: “We regret to inform you that D. Wayne Lukas will not be returning to racing. A severe MRSA blood infection has caused significant damage to his heart, digestive system, and worsened pre-existing chronic conditions. The doctors proposed an aggressive treatment plan, involving multiple surgeries and procedures over several months. Even with the best-case scenario, Wayne would require 24/7 assistance to manage daily activities.”
The note goes on to say that Lukas declined the aggressive treatment plan and would “return home to spend his remaining time with his wife, Laurie, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”
It also says that he will be under home hospice care.
Lukas is a member of both the U.S. Racing and Quarter Horse Halls of Fame. He has won the trainer Eclipse Award five times, and his horses have won 25 Eclipse Awards.
In his career, Lukas has run 30,436 races, winning 4,953. His horses have earned over $300 million. His last significant win was in last year’s Preakness Stakes, which he won with Seize the Grey.
TEMPLEGATE takes on Saturday’s racing confident of slamming in some winners and building the bank for Royal Ascot.
Back a horse by clicking their odds below.
ALSAKIB (3.00 York, nap)
He rose through the staying ranks last season and put in his best effort at this track. He ran well on his comeback in the Yorkshire Cup last month and can improve from there.
HOLD A DREAM (2.40 Sandown, nb)
He’ll enjoy dropping to five furlongs after showing lots of pace at Newbury last time but just failing to get home. That was his turf comeback and there’s more to come.
HEATHEN (2.25 York, treble)
He runs off a much lower mark on turf compared to the all-weather and can make the most of it under experienced pilot Serena Brotherton.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
There are two things that can help make a sport popular: dynasties and rivalries. Horse racing is immune from dynasties because the sport is built mostly around breeding, which is where the money is. But, after Saturday’s 157th running of the $2 million Belmont Stakes, it certainly has a rivalry, if only for one year.
Sovereignty’s three-length win leaves a lot of people asking “what if” Sovereignty had run in the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness, and won. He would have been the 14th winner of the Triple Crown, although with an asterisk.
Both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes were run at 1¼ miles because Belmont Park is undergoing a rebuilding project forcing the race to move to Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The New York Racing Assn. opted to run the Belmont at 1¼ miles instead of the usual 1½ miles so the race wouldn’t start on a turn.
But that technicality didn’t dampen the spirits of Sovereignty’s trainer, Bill Mott, after the race.
“I think there are three really good horses and I’m glad he was able to come back and put in a race like he did in the Derby,” Mott said. “If we wouldn’t have won today, we would have taken a lot of criticism, but it turned out good. Sometimes you make the right decision and a lot of times you make the wrong ones, but today it really worked out well.”
Mott, and the colt’s owner Godolphin, decided that running in Belmont was the better move. It allowed Journalism, second in the Derby, to run and win the Preakness in a race for the ages, where he bulled his way through horses at the top of the stretch and ate up incredible ground in the final furlong to win by half a length. And a rivalry was born.
Sovereignty was the first horse to intentionally skip the Preakness after winning the Derby and then come back and win the Belmont. It was the first time in the last 22 Triple Crown races that there was a repeat Triple Crown race winner, a streak going back to Justify in 2018. The Triple Crown is restricted to 3-year-olds, meaning a horse only gets one year to compete in those races.
Sovereignty crosses the finish line ahead of Journalism to win the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
(Seth Wenig / Associated Press)
The race ran pretty much to form with Rodriguez going immediately to the front with Crudo close by as they headed into the first turn. But as the horses went down the backstretch Journalism started to get engaged with Sovereignty close by. Entering the homestretch, Journalism poked his head in front as Rodriguez started to slow. Sovereignty was working his way to the outside of Journalism and with 200 yards to go moved swiftly to the front and won easily.
The top three finishers were exactly the same as the Derby with Baeza finishing third. He was followed by Rodriguez, Hill Road, Heart of Honor, Uncaged and Crudo. Journalism, Baeza and Rodriguez are all currently based at Santa Anita.
Sovereignty paid $7.00 to win.
After the race, winning jockey Junior Alvarado and Umberto Rispoli, who rode Journalism embraced while atop their horses.
“It’s about two great horses,” Alvarado said. “[Journalism] ran amazing again for coming back after the Preakness. He fought very hard but he didn’t make it easy for my horse.
“It’s unreal to be honest. There was a point in my career, I think probably four or five years ago when I kind of saw everything fading away, to be honest. And now here I am. It’s unbelievable.”
It was Alvarado’s first Belmont Stakes win. It was also his first Kentucky Derby win, although he was fined $62,000 and suspended two days for using his riding crop eight times on Sovereignty, two over the allowable number.
The race was run on what was labeled either fast or good after rain pelted the track all morning. It even resulted the postponing until Sunday of two Grade 1 turf races for safety reasons. The track and Equibase, the official statistician of racing, do not have to agree on the quality of track surfaces.
“Look, anytime good horses get space in between their races, they are very, very dangerous,” said Journalism’s trainer Michael McCarthy. “He [Sovereignty] is a very good horse, he trains up here, he’s been up here for a while, he’s in his backyard. Let’s hope everybody stays happy and healthy, and we’ll see him in Del Mar hopefully in November, in our backyard. I can’t say enough good things about that horse or about my horse. It has been a fantastic experience for me and my guys.”
Jockey Junior Alvarado, center, holds up the August Belmont Trophy after riding Sovereignty to victory in the Belmont Stakes.
(Jessica Hill / Associated Press)
McCarthy did not rule out running in the Travers at Saratoga later this summer.
Journalism appeared to have stumbled coming out of the gate but Rispoli dismissed it as a reason for the loss.
“[It was a ] perfect trip,” Rispoli said. “I was lucky to be on the outside today to take the chance. I would say he had a little bit of a stumble coming out of the gate, but I don’t think it would’ve been an excuse that affected anything.
“I had a good trip. I was running down the lane, Junior [Alvarado] was just coming by, easing past, so the only thing I can say is probably the freshness. He [Journalism] is a warrior, he ran in three legs. He [Sovereignty] ran in one and had five weeks to recover, but that’s no excuse. Obviously, I would say the fresh horse won, but he’s a great horse, he beat me already. He beat me twice.”
The rivalry may not be Affirmed and Alydar or Dodgers-Yankees or Lakers-Celtics. But it’s the best horse racing has had to offer in a few years and that’s something to take note of.
Normally, the running of the Belmont Stakes without a chance at a Triple Crown winner makes the third leg of the series about as interesting as a television procedural — the Chicagos, FBIs or Law & Orders — in the last two minutes after the culprit has been identified and prosecuted.
But not this year. The 157th running of the Belmont Stakes has about as many plot lines as a season of “The White Lotus.” It’s easily the best race of the year, and, yes, that includes the Kentucky Derby.
You’ve got your villain in Sovereignty, who kicked racing tradition in the teeth after winning the Kentucky Derby when his connections refused to enter him in the Preakness Stakes because of the short time frame — two weeks — between the first two legs of the Triple Crown. It killed any opportunity racing had to build a new fan base revolving around the Derby and a possible Triple Crown winner.
You’ve got your fresh-faced wannabe in Rodriguez, whose last race was a win in the Wood Memorial. He was scheduled to run in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, but a sore hoof forced him to withdraw from both races. His early speed and front-running ability likely means he’ll be on the lead as the horses head down the backstretch. Add to that the fact that he is trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Mike Smith, both Hall of Famers who know how to get a horse from gate to wire in winning form.
And finally, you’ve got a wiseguy (professional gamblers) horse in Baeza, whose talent far exceeds his early results. He finished a strong third in the Kentucky Derby and second in the Santa Anita Derby behind Journalism. He is also trying to find a place in history for his mom, Puca, who has produced Kentucky Derby winner Mage and last year’s Belmont winner in Dornoch. If Baeza were to win, he would be the first horse who has a dam who has won three Classic races. That’s a record.
And that’s just half of the eight-horse field.
Whoever finishes first, the victory is likely to be remembered as having an asterisk next to it. The Belmont Stakes, considered the test of champions because of its normal 1 1/2-mile distance, is being run at the less interesting distance of 1 1/4 miles. The reason is the race has been moved from Long Island’s Belmont Park to Saratoga Race Track in Saratoga Springs, a suburb of the New York state capital of Albany, because of a massive rebuild at Belmont Park.
The reason the race was shortened is because to have a 1 1/2-mile race at Saratoga, the horses would have to start on a turn, something the organizers didn’t want to happen.
The starting positions add little clarity as to who might win. Sovereignty (post 2, 2-1 on morning line) should have no problem getting early running room, especially with Rodriguez on his immediate outside. Rodriguez (post 3, 6-1) and Crudo (post 5, 15-1) are expected to battle for the lead early. Crudo’s last win was his last outing with a 7 1/4-length win in the Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico.
Journalism will be breaking from post 7 at 8-5 morning line odds.
“He’s been kind of the same horse since July of last summer,” Michael McCarthy, trainer of Journalism, told NYRA publicity. “He does everything you ask a good horse to do — eats well, trains well, packs well. I thought the last six or seven weeks here, his energy has been the same throughout. Obviously, Saratoga is very good for horses. He seems reenergized up here. I’m looking forward to a wonderful renewal of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.”
If either Journalism or Sovereignty wins, they will be the first repeat winner of a Classic race since Justify in 2018, who won all three Triple Crown races. Since then, no horse has won more than one Classic race, making it a 21-race streak. Of course, Triple Crown races are only for 3-year-olds meaning trainers start every year fresh trying to find prospective winners.
Racing is in desperate need of stars and the chase for the Triple Crown is one way of getting them. It’s why there was such consternation when trainer Bill Mott and owner Godolphin, decided to skip the Preakness Stakes.
“You never know until they actually do it in a race,” said Michael Banahan, who heads Godolphin in the U.S. “He always gave us that indication that he’d like to go long. And we thought the Derby as well and then finished up, from the top of the stretch to the wire in very good fashion and galloped all the way through the wire.
Crudo is a 15-1 longshot to win the Belmont Stakes, which features an eight-horse field.
(Seth Wenig / Associated Press)
“So, I’m with the Belmont this year at Saratoga. He just has to do the same distance again. So, I would anticipate that’ll be fine for him. I suppose if it were a regular Belmont at Belmont Park, that’ll be another question to answer going that far. It certainly looks like a mile-and-a-quarter was well [within] his wheelhouse in the Derby and anticipate that it shouldn’t be any issue at Saratoga as well.”
The horse that is poised to pull the upset is Baeza, who has only won one race, a maiden at Santa Anita. His second-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby would have normally been enough to get him in the Kentucky Derby. But Churchill Downs, in an obvious attack at West Coast races, lowered the point total because of a small field.
Trainer John Shirreffs did not want to bring the horse to Churchill Downs, hoping there were enough scratches to get him in the race. Shirreffs was overruled by the owners so he stood on the backside at Barn 41 while hoping for an entry to the world’s most famous race. The reprieve, and entry, came when Rodriguez was scratched because of a sore hoof.
Baeza more than proved his entry into the Derby with a strong third-place finish.
“I think Baeza, week by week, he’s developed a little bit more,” said Shirreffs. “He’s developed a little bit more. I see him, maybe, a little bit taller, a little ‘stretchier’ He seems to be holding his weight really well. And you can really get an image of him now is what he’ll look like as a 4-year-old. So, you’re starting to see him emerge.”
The most likely scenario is the winner of the Belmont Stakes will come from the four most prominent horses. It’s more than possible that the 21-race streak without a repeat winner will be over.
TEMPLEGATE tackles Wednesday’s racing confident of bashing the bookies and building the pot for Derby weekend.
Back a horse by clicking their odds below.
THUNDEROUS LOVE (3.22 Nottingham, nap)
She made a cracking start to the season with a win on the sand at Southwell before following up nicely here two runs ago. Her hat-trick bid was thwarted by a shockingly slow start at Salisbury which gave her little chance. She’s usually better away at the stalls and can get back on track with a speedier start in this modest race.
MR JETMAN (7.22 Ripon, nb)
He was impressive when scoring over course and distance 17 days ago. He has never been out of the frame at this Yorkshire track and should be right there again.
RIDE THE THUNDER (4.55 Nottingham, treble)
Has been second on all three starts and can go one better. He shapes as though this step up in distance will suit.
ORIONIS (6.50 Ripon)
Looks good for the Lucky 15. She took a fair step forward when second at Chester last time and looks ready to win for William Haggas.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
He can land a winning hat-trick for his red-hot trainer Harry Eustace in Sussex today. He had more than a length in hand there last time and it could have been a lot further. He carries a 7lb penalty but rider Kaiya Fraser’s claim takes care of almost half that. He likes this trip on decent ground and can take another step forward.
REQUIEM (2.50 Redcar, nb)
He was just touched off at Haydock last time and Sir Mark Prescott’s runners usually improve for the hike in distance he gets today.
JET BLACK (3.50 Redcar, treble)
Can land another winner for in-form Andrew Balding. She got no luck when second on handicap debut at Nottingham 18 days ago, going down by less than a length. A repeat of that would be good enough to score.
ALFAREQA (3.00 Leicester, Lucky 15)
Looked a nice prospect when winning on comeback at Doncaster last month. She kept on strongly over 7f so this mile should be ideal. The Frankel filly is having just her third run so there’s a lot more to come.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
BALTIMORE — Trainer Bob Baffert loves to come to the Preakness. He loves the fact that all the top horses are in the same barn, so he can kibitz with his fellow trainers, such as an extended conversation with Mark Casse about the best crabcakes in town. He loves the casual atmosphere, in contrast to the high stakes, high pressure feeling at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby.
Or maybe it’s because he’s won the second leg of the Triple Crown eight times, more than any other trainer in history.
So, he was asked why he was bringing Goal Oriented, an undefeated two-time starter who has never run in a stakes race, to the Preakness.
“FOMO,” Baffert said with a laugh, referring to the acronym for “fear of missing out.”
Make no mistake, Baffert doesn’t run a horse in a race this big just because he likes the crabcakes.
Baffert had actually planned to also run Rodriguez in the Preakness. Rodriguez, the easy winner of the Wood Memorial, was supposed to run in the Kentucky Derby but scratched because of a sore hoof. He was being pointed to the Preakness. But that didn’t work out either.
“[Goal Oriented] ran well, and he worked well and came out of [the race on the Derby undercard] really well,” Baffert said. “I was thinking Rodriguez. But, I didn’t get to train him. It took me a long time. I put in a whole week to get that foot right, and then I breezed him.
“But I really think [Goal Oriented] is a bigger, stronger horse, and I think Rodriguez was not quite ready. I’d rather just shoot for the Belmont with him. He’s a lighter horse.”
No one, including Baffert, knows how good Goal Oriented is. He is the fourth favorite on the morning line at 6-1. But, given that he’s trained by Baffert, will likely go off at lower odds.
“Oh, we don’t know, [how he’ll run],” Baffert said. “We’re just going to throw him in there. He’s handled everything here. He handled the ship, and he handled Churchill, came back like it was nothing. I can tell after they win. In the winner’s circle, he just stood there, stoic, didn’t even take a deep breath. He was like, ‘Hey, that’s it?’ I like that. Some horses come back and they’re blowing (breathing heavy), they’ll blow your hat off. He wasn’t that. He handled it pretty well. We’ve always been very high on him.”
Goal Oriented, a $425,000 purchase for the same ownership consortium that also has Rodriguez and Citizen Bull, ran his first race on April 6 at Santa Anita, winning by 3 ¼ lengths. His second race was on the undercard on Derby day, winning an allowance on three-quarters of a length.
“He’s an eyeful, he’s handsome, he’s beautiful,” said Tom Ryan, who heads the ownership group. “He’s a May 15 baby who is just now coming into his own. He hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s gone short, he’s gone long, he’s handled the slop.
“We don’t run in Grade 1s just to have a look at a horse. We think he’s in form and deserves a shot. He has to improve for sure. He’s been great in the morning and now we’re hoping he can continue it to the afternoon.”
Goal Oriented certainly looks like he is in form, but the question remains what specifically is his form and style.
“We don’t even know his style,” Baffert said. “We put him on the lead because of the mud [at Churchill Downs] and we didn’t want to mess around. [Jockey Flavien] Prat knows him now. He’s got tactical speed, but he doesn’t have to be rushed off his feet. He’s a big strong horse.”
Baffert doesn’t claim to have any super secret key to his success at the Preakness.
“I had the best horse,” Baffert said simply. “You have to have the best horse to win. And that’s usually the best secret a trainer can have in these big races is if you have the best horse.”
He won his first Preakness in 1997 with Silver Charm. His other winners were Real Quiet (1998), Point Given (2001), War Emblem (2002), Lookin at Lucky (2010), American Pharoah (2015), Justify (2018) and National Treasure (2023).
This will most likely be the last time Baffert runs at Pimlico as it is currently constructed. The track is scheduled to be torn down almost immediately after Saturday’s race and the Preakness will move to nearby Laurel for two years during the rebuild.
The track surface and configuration will pretty much be the same. However, the place where the fans watch the race will be very different.
Baffert was more concerned that the stakes barn will remain. It will but it’s unclear if the same structure will remain or if a new barn will be built
“I like this barn,” Baffert said. “I would like to take this barn to Santa Anita.”
On Baffert’s long list of accomplishments, that’s one he may fall short on.
