Eleventh as the favorite in the Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford (G1) May 1, Live Oak Plantation’s Tap It to Win looks to rebound beneath the Twin Spires in the $150,000 Aristides Stakes at Churchill Downs May 29.

Royal Ascot will welcome a crowd of 12,000 for each day of the prestigious five-day meeting next month after being selected as one of the government’s pilot events with track officials confident the event will feel like “the party it’s meant to be.”

Silver Dust is the likely favorite May 29 at Churchill Downs in the $150,000 Blame Stakes, Envoutante in the $150,000 Shawnee Stakes.

The 3-year-old colt won May 21 at Hipodromo de Las Americas for Cuadra Colibri.

Barry Bowditch is predicting a big finish to the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale after a relative calm came over the Gold Coast auction ring May 26 in a strong but steady session in which one mare hit seven figures, the 19th of the sale. 

By My Standards cut back to a mile—the shortest distance he has run since his first race in 2018—in his 5-year-old debut and overcame a wide trip to win by a nose. He returns May 31 in the $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes (G3) at Lone Star Park. 

Steve Dance, a senior member of Fasig-Tipton’s auction team for five decades, passed away suddenly the morning of May 25 at his home in Jarrettsville, Md., which he shared with his wife, Nancy. He was 78.

Monmouth Park begins its season May 28 without some of its most well-known jockeys, amid a dispute with the New Jersey Racing Commission over a new riding crop rule, but it still has some noteworthy trainers among its opening day entries.

The $300,000 Penn Mile (G2T), canceled in 2020 with the onset of COVID-19, returns May 28 at Penn National Race Course along with three other $100,000 turf stakes during an 11-race evening card.

A raid on the backside of Parx carried out by the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission revealed “a significant amount of contraband,” Tom Chuckas, director of Thoroughbred Horse Racing at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, said May 25.