Larry Demeritte is the first Black trainer participating in the Kentucky Derby in 35 years. And while the betting-books have his colt West Saratoga running at long odds, Demeritte, who is battling chronic illness and cancer, is feeling confident.
For the 70-something veteran trainer, this is his first time at the Derby, but he is part of a rich history of Black horsemen who helped shape the Kentucky Derby into the iconic race it is today.
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Funny Cide was an unknown racehorse from New York state in 2003 when he came out of nowhere to win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. He died this week at the age of 23.
Georgia lawmakers are pushing bills that would allow sports betting and horse race betting without a state constitutional amendment. They argue such gambling be legal under the authority of Georgia's state lottery. The House bill would allow sports betting only.
Rick Dawson, owner of Rich Strike and RED TR-Racing, said the horse will skip the next stop of the Triple Crown and get some rest before the third race in the series, the Belmont Stakes, in New York.
Georgia voters could decide in November whether they want to allow betting on sports and horse racing, as well casino gambling. A state House committee on Monday passed a proposed constitutional amendment, as well as a bill that would legalize sports betting on college and pro sports.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission determined Monday that Medina Spirit had betamethasone in his blood, and is now disqualified from last year's race.
A suite of bills designed to legalize horse racing in Georgia got a boost Thursday from a study suggesting that allowing Georgians to bet on races could bring more than a billion dollars in new revenue to the state.
Medina Spirit, the horse that won the Kentucky Derby earlier this month, has failed a drug test. It's the latest drug test failure for trainer Bob Baffert's horses. He denies any wrongdoing.
Savannah Republican Rep. Ron Stephens is betting on the promise of an infusion of money into the HOPE Scholarship to help his horse racing bill sprint through the House before an important legislative deadline Monday.