COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Frank Whiteley Jr., the Hall of Famer who trained ill-fated racing filly Ruffian, died Friday in Camden. He was 93.
A man who answered Whiteley’s home and identified himself as Whiteley’s son, Alan, said the famed trainer had died. He did not want to give additional details or discuss his father’s career.
Although Whiteley saddled many champion horses, he’s probably remembered most for training Ruffian, the filly who began her career with 10 victories.
Ruffian’s last race was with Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure at Belmont Park on July 6, 1975. The horse shattered her right front ankle and did not survive the injury.
Whiteley became known to a later generation when Ruffian’s story was told in a 2007 ESPN original movie.
Besides Ruffian, Whiteley trained Damacus, the 1967 Horse of the Year, and Forego, who took the honor in 1976.

ap.google.com

First post Saturday at Churchill Downs is 11 a.m., seven hours and four minutes before the gates are scheduled to open for the 134th Kentucky Derby field. There are nine races before the Run for the Roses, including five consecutive stakes immediately preceding it. I’ll concentrate my other betting action on the four races before the Derby and see if I can hand out any winners.
Weather update: Rain, sometimes heavy, was expected Friday night, and there was a slight chance of showers for Saturday afternoon.
No track dries out as quickly as Churchill does, so wait until a half-hour before betting a race to find out the track condition.
6th race, Grade III La Troienne, 7½ furlongs: There are many front-runners here, and it’s tough to lead all the way, especially on a hot, contested pace, at this elongated sprint distance. GAME FACE, the likely favorite, can rate and fire, and if she’s a reasonable price, maybe I’ll play her. TIZ TO DREAM turns back from a win at 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland and also has the ability to track the pace.
7th race, Grade III Churchill Distaff Mile (turf): DREAMING OF ANNA, a very classy multiple-stakes winner, will be odds-on, and I can’t make a case for anybody to knock her off. I’ll just watch.
8th race, Grade I Humana Distaff, 7 furlongs: SUGAR SWIRL, 4-for-5 at the distance with excellent speed figures, is also 2-for-2 in slop, if that’s the track condition.
HYSTERICALADY is her main opponent and also likes it wet, and she almost won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff last fall at rainy Monmouth Park.
Looks like it will be one or the other, so maybe taking the better price is the move.
9th race, Grade I Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, 1 1/8 miles: This is always one of the classiest and most competitive grass stakes of the spring, and it begins a daily double with the Derby. I’m going to take another shot with WAR MONGER, who understandably faded to 10th after being five-wide almost all the way around the track in the Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland. He wasn’t going to beat Kip Deville that day, but he might have hit the board if he hadn’t lost all that ground. Instead of post 9, he gets No. 2, and I think Kent Desormeaux can work out a ground-saving trip on a colt with a strong late kick.

newsday.com

Tragedy struck the first filly in the Kentucky Derby since 1999, as Eight Belles went down on the track after her second-place finish today, broke two ankles, and was euthanized.
Showing a sisterhood with the female horse, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., during a trip to Louisville this week had said she was going to bet on Eight Belles to win, place, and show.
ABC News’ Karen Travers reports that Clinton told supporters in Jeffersonville, Ind., earlier this week, "I hope that everybody will go to the derby on Saturday and place just a little money on the filly for me. I won’t be able to be there this year — my daughter is going to be there and so she has strict instructions to bet on Eight Belles."
Travers also points out that Eight Belles’ trainer, Larry Jones, returned the love. "It looks like it could be the year for the girls," he said. "Eight Belles I’m sure would want to endorse."
The horse Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., picked to show — Big Brown — won the Derby.
Obama had picked Colonel John to win and Pyro to place.
Chelsea Clinton attended the Derby. Kentucky’s primary, which Clinton is favored to win, will be held on May 20.
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The saddest issue here has not even been mentioned. The billions of dollars spent in the horse racing industry has corruption than any other organization and you people reduce this to a political race.
If horses could talk (which they do on occasion!)they would say we are a bunch of selfish, egocentric idiots that are doing a good job of making fools of themselves.
My vote goes to Eight Belles who ran an amazing race for us humans and died trying.

blogs.abcnews.com

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — In May 2003, he was THE horse, winner of the Kentucky Derby, showered with media attention, roses and glory.
Today, he is the most famous stable pony at any racetrack in the country.
Unlike other recent Derby winners, Funny Cide — a gelding — wasn’t rushed to stud duty after his 3-year-old season. Instead, he continued racing until last year, when he was retired at age 7.
Now, his job is to carry trainer Barclay Tagg or assistant Robin Smullen as they accompany active racers to and from morning workouts — and the “Funny Cide” saddle towel is all that signals the uninformed that they are in the presence of a champion.
“That’s probably a first and a last, for the winner of the Kentucky Derby,” said Hall of Fame trainer and Lexington, Ky., native Shug McGaughey.
A gelding hadn’t won the Derby since Clyde Van Dusen in 1929 until Funny Cide claimed the garland of roses five years ago at odds that paid $27.60 on a $2 win bet.
After he won by more than nine lengths in the Preakness Stakes, the racing world harbored high hopes that Funny Cide could become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
But he finished third in the Belmont Stakes after dueling with eventual winner Empire Maker.
In the years after that, Funny Cide remained a fan favorite — he won every year he raced, except when he was injured at 5, with victories in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Dominion Day Stakes and in the last race of his career, the $100,000 Wadsworth Memorial at Finger Lakes.
“We kind of reached a point where we said, ‘What more can he do for us?’ ” said Jack Knowlton, managing partner for Funny Cide’s owners, the Sackatoga Stable group known for riding to the 2003 Derby in a yellow school bus.

courier-journal.com

A 28-year-old Bardstown woman was killed in a hit-and-run collision Saturday night while walking on Ky. 144, about two miles west of Vine Grove.
Billie Jo Webb was walking near a tavern at about 9 p.m. when she was struck by a vehicle, Kentucky State Police said. Witnesses described the vehicle as a blue midsize sport utility vehicle, with damage to the grille and passenger-side headlamp.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Jeff Jenkins of the state police post in Elizabethtown at (270) 766-5078.
National Guard members get a big send-off
Members of the Kentucky National Guard’s 201st Engineer Battalion are on their way to a yearlong mission in Afghanistan to build roads and buildings, clear roadways and make sure supply lines remain open.
But before they left, hundreds of family members and supporters gave them a big send-off Saturday in Eastern Kentucky.
They packed Boyd County Middle School’s gym for a ceremony for the 480 soldiers. The unit is headquartered in Ashland.
Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo attended the event and said the deployment was one of the largest in Kentucky’s history.
Today, the unit will go to Wisconsin for two months of training before heading to Afghanistan.
Next Powerball jackpot will be $173 million

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Powerball is still looking for its first winner this year.
Last night, no one won the current jackpot.
And 2008’s only other grand prize winner still hasn’t stepped forward to claim $97 million hit on Jan. 16.
One ticket sold in Louisiana had all the numbers drawn on that date.
Because no ticket matched all of last night’s numbers, Saturday’s Powerball jackpot will be $115 million for the annuity, $55.3 million for the lump-sum option - before taxes, of course.
The numbers were 9, 12, 20, 22 and 36 with a Powerball of 31.
Six tickets won $200,000 each for having all the numbers but the Powerball. Two were sold in South Carolina, one each in Colorado, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Oregon.
Powerball is played in 29 states, including Pennsylvania and Delaware.
An even bigger jackpot - $270 million - is up for grabs tomorrow in New Jersey and 11 other states.
Only four jackpots hit by Mega Millions players have been bigger.

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