Horse Racing

5:02 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — The projected field for the Belmont Stakes is down to eight after two withdrawals the day before the post-position draw. Neither Ethereal Road nor Howling Time will run in the third leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown on Saturday, which is set to feature Kentucky Derby winner

2:44 PM ET Associated Press EPSOM, England — Desert Crown strolled to victory in the Epsom Derby and gave owner Michael Stoute his sixth win in the British Classic on Saturday. Desert Crown was posted wide in mid-field in the early stages as jockey Richard Kingscote strived to settle the 5-2 favorite in the ideal

6:14 AM ET Associated Press LONDON — Lester Piggott, a jockey who won the English Derby nine times in his haul of victories in horse racing’s top events, has died. He was 86. Piggott’s death was confirmed to Britain’s PA news agency on Sunday by horseracing trainer William Haggas, who is married to Piggott’s daughter,

7:09 PM ET Associated Press BALTIMORE — Early Voting held off hard-charging favorite Epicenter to win the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, validating the decision to skip the Kentucky Derby and aim for the second leg of the Triple Crown. Early Voting stalked behind the leaders for much of the race before moving into the lead

6:29 PM ET Associated Press BALTIMORE — Canada-bred Interstatedaydream mounted a bold stretch run to hold off favorite Adare Manor and win the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on Friday. Starting from the ninth post, Interstatedaydream won for the third time in five career starts and has never finished out of the

7:12 AM ET ESPN Sports Betting The 147th running of the Preakness Stakes will take place Saturday at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. While Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will sit out the race, this year’s Preakness will be interesting to watch with Derby runner-up Epicenter and Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath in

10:17 AM ET ESPN Sports Betting The 147th running of the Preakness Stakes will take place Saturday at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. While Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will sit out the race, this year’s Preakness will be interesting to watch with Derby runner-up Epicenter and Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath in

12:51 AM ET Associated Press LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky horse racing stewards have suspended Brad Cox, trainer of 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun, for 10 days with a $500 fine and have disqualified colt Warrior’s Charge for a failed postrace drug test after the Stephen Foster Stakes last June at Churchill Downs. The test found

5:41 PM ET Associated Press BALTIMORE — Kentucky Derby runner-up Epicenter was set Monday as the 6-5 morning line favorite for the Preakness Stakes, which will be run without Rich Strike. The surprise Derby winner at 80-1 is not in the field of nine for Saturday’s $1.65 million race at Pimlico. Rich Strike’s owner felt

1:25 PM ET ESPN News Services Kentucky Derby long-shot winner Rich Strike will not run in the Preakness Stakes on May 21. Owner Rick Dawson said in a statement: “Our original plan for Rich Strike was contingent on the KY Derby, should we not run in the Derby we would point toward the Preakness, should

2:54 PM ET Associated Press The jockey of Kentucky Derby upset winner Rich Strike is currently serving a four-day suspension handed down by Ohio racing stewards that his agent said won’t prevent him from riding the horse in next week’s Preakness. Stewards last week suspended Sonny Leon for careless riding in the third race on

7:08 PM ET ESPN News Services LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With favorite Epicenter and Zandon dueling in front, Rich Strike came charging up the rail in the closing strides for a stunning 80-1 upset in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Jockey Sonny Leon guided Rich Strike from far back in the 20-horse field to beat 4-1

7:24 PM ET Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Secret Oath charged from pack to grab the lead from Yuugiri and off favorite Nest by two lengths Friday in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, giving 86-year-old trainer D. Wayne Lukas his fifth Oaks win and first since 1990. Coming off a third-place run behind colts

12:38 PM ET ESPN News Services Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who is banned from the Kentucky Derby, is on a mission to restore two legacies — his own and that of Medina Spirit, who was stripped of the 2021 victory after testing positive for an anti-inflammatory medication following the race. “I haven’t had

6:56 AM ET ESPN Betting Insiders The 148th running of the Kentucky Derby kicks off Triple Crown season. The race for the elusive crown begins this Saturday at Churchill Downs with Zandon as the 3-1 morning-line favorite. Our focus moves to pari-mutuel betting, which is different from the normal sports betting futures we are used

12:45 PM ET ESPN.com staff The 148th running of the Kentucky Derby will take place Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Zandon, leaving from the 10 post, opened as the 3-1 morning-line favorite after Derby post positions were released Monday, followed closely by Epicenter at 7-2 from the third position. Post time for Saturday’s

12:20 PM ET Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A deal for Drug Free Sport International to police medication in horse racing was announced Tuesday, two months before the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority takes effect. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency had been set to become the regulator for anti-doping and medication control for thoroughbred racing.

4:31 PM ET Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Zandon and filly Nest are the morning-line favorites for the 148th Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, respectively, at Churchill Downs, which will host both marquee races at full capacity for the first time since 2019. Zandon, trained by Chad Brown, drew 3-1 odds on Monday and will