Evan Hammonds

Orb Delivers Kentucky Derby Glory

May 04, 2013

Orb stormed to the lead in the stretch of a sloppy Churchill Downs strip to win the 2013 Kentucky Derby. Read More

Derby, Preakness Runner-Up Retired with Shoulder Injury

August 21, 2012

The colt was diagnosed with a peripheral nerve injury that caused atrophy in his left infraspinatus muscle. Read More

I'll Have Another Wins 138th Kentucky Derby

May 05, 2012

I'll Have Another ran past a freewheeling Bodemeister in deep stretch to win the May 5 race by 1 1/2 lengths. Read More

Kentucky Derby 2012: 20 to Start on May 5

May 03, 2012

Post time for the Derby is 6:24 p.m. EDT. NBC will offer three hours of Derby coverage from 4-7 p.m. Read More

Kentucky Derby 2011: Animal Kingdom Victorious, Archarcharch Injured

May 07, 2011

Team Valor International's homebred Animal Kingdom came from off the pace and roared down the stretch to win the 137th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands May 7 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Second in the classic race was Nehro with Mucho Read More

Plum Pretty All That in Kentucky Oaks

May 06, 2011

John Fort's Peachtree Stable's Plum Pretty fought off a late charge by St. John's River to win the May 6 Kentucky Oaks (the first jewel in the Filly Triple Crown) to win by a neck. Zazu rallied for third in the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-old fillies Read More

2011 Kentucky Derby: Posts Drawn, Dialed In Made Favorite

May 05, 2011

Robert LaPenta's Dialed In, winner of the Florida Derby got a favorable draw in post 8 and was made the morning line favorite for the 2011 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands which will be run May 7 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
Read More

Derby Favorite Eskendereya Out of Race

April 25, 2010

Eskendereya, the anticipated favorite for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands, will not run in the May 1 classic due to a slight filling in his left front leg. Read More

Thoroughbred Tiz Chrome Breaks Down in Work; Euthanized

April 18, 2010

Tiz Chrome, a 3-year-old Bob Baffert-trained colt, broke down during a workout at Churchill Downs April 18 and had to be euthanized. Exercise rider Dana Barnes was aboard the son of Tiznow. She was not injured in the mishap.

Ac Read More

Bone Chip Sidelines Kentucky Derby Contender

April 12, 2010

Odysseus, who finished last under Rajiv Maragh as the 5-1 co-third choice in the April 10 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, has a bone chip in his left front knee according to owner Satish Sanan.

"It's a bit unusual, it's rare t Read More

Rachel Alexandra Named Horse of the Year

January 19, 2010

In one of the most highly anticipated announcements in Thoroughbred racing history, Rachel Alexandra was named 2009 Horse of the Year at the Eclipse Awards Jan. 18 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The announcement was made just before 10:30 Read More

Theatrical Pensioned From Stud Duty

October 15, 2009

Hill 'n' Dale Farms announced Oct. 13 that champion and leading Thoroughbred sire Theatrical has been pensioned from stud duty.

The 27-year-old son of Nureyev, out of the Sassafras mare Tree of Knowledge, was bred in Ireland by Bert and Read More

Win Willy Out of Derby with Possible Injury

April 29, 2009

Win Willy, fourth-place finisher in the Arkansas Derby, was declared out of the Kentucky Derby by trainer Mac Robertson on the morning of April 29, hours before entries were to be taken for the May 2 race at Churchill Downs.

Robertson said Read More

Churchill Unveils Barbaro Statue

April 28, 2009

Fans entering Gate 1 at Churchill Downs may have their breath taken away when they arrive for the races Kentucky Derby week following the unveiling of life-sized statue of Barbaro April 26. The event drew a "Friends of Barbaro" crowd of about 50 Read More

Quarter Crack Takes Quality Road Out of Derby Contention

April 27, 2009

Quality Road, who figured to be among the top choices for Saturday's Kentucky Derby will not start in the Run for the Roses, it was confirmed Monday morning by Chris Baker, farm manager of Edward Evans' Spring Hill Farm.

"There was some Read More

Kentucky Derby Winner Big Brown's Stud Fee Set at $65,000

November 01, 2008

Robert N. Clay's Three Chimneys Farm announced their 2009 stud fees Oct. 31, and the latest stallion to their line-up, Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, will command a fee of $65,000 for his first year at stud.

Big Brown, a son of Read More

Florida Sire Reprized Euthanized

October 18, 2008

Reprized, a full brother to 1989 Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. I) winner and sire Prized, was euthanized Oct. 16 at Bill and Debra's Backlinie's D&B Farm near Morrison, Fla.

"It's a tough loss," said Bill Backlinie. "He was D&B Farm .. Read More

Big Brown Draws Inside Belmont Post

June 04, 2008

Triple Crown contender Big Brown was installed the 2-5 morning line favorite and drew the rail in the June 7 Belmont Stakes. The post position draw took place in the Garden Terrace on the fourth floor clubhouse of Belmont Park.

The Kentucky Read More

Big Brown Bound for New York

May 19, 2008

With his huge Preakness Stakes win in his rear-view mirror, Big Brown left Baltimore Monday morning right at 10 a.m. to head to New York and his date with destiny in the June 7 Belmont Stakes.

Big Brown was the last horse remaining in the Read More

Big Brown Crushes Preakness Rivals

May 17, 2008

In a performance that was more like a coronation than a Thoroughbred horse race, Big Brown crushed his 11 rivals in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course Saturday afternoon by 5 1/4 lengths. The son of Boundary, who two weeks ago won the Read More

Stud Plans for Derby Champ Big Brown Expected Today

May 15, 2008

Big Brown, winner of the Kentucky Derby and 1-2 morning line favorite for the Preakness Stakes May 17, will not run past his 3-year-old campaign, it was announced May 14. Speaking at a post-post position draw press conference for the second jewe Read More

Hennessy Dead of Apparent Heart Failure

August 11, 2007

Coolmore Stud’s talented stallion Hennessy reportedly died of apparent heart failure Aug. 9 at Haras La Mission in Argentina. The 14-year-old son of Storm Cat out of Island Kitty, by Hawaii, had shuttled to Argentina for the Southern Hemisphere Read More

Street Sense to Pass Belmont, Focus on Travers

May 31, 2007

The streets of New York will be a little less crowded next weekend because Street Sense will not be running in the June 9 Belmont Stakes but instead will be pointed toward the Travers at Saratoga and a fall campaign. The announcement was made by Read More

A Step Ahead

September 16, 2006

You've heard the names: Cushion Track, Polytrack, Tapeta, StaLok. They are the trademark names of the major players in racing's latest frontier: the new North American market to replace dirt tracks with synthetic ones.

Pardon the pun, but o Read More

Louis Pomes Named White Horse Winner

October 28, 2005

Louis Pomes, who worked tirelessly to find and lead abandoned horses to safety in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, was named the 2005 winner of the White Horse Award Thursday afternoon at Belmont Park. The award was bestowed upon Pomes during the Read More