Patrick Louis Biancone (born June 7, 1952 in Mont-de-Marsan, Landes, France) is a Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. He is currently based in the United States, but enjoyed success in both Europe and Hong Kong earlier in his career. He was the head trainer for the Daniel Wildenstein stable in France, where his horses won numerous important races including back-to-back victories (with All Along and Sagace) in the 1983 and 1984 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. After leaving his native France, for most of the 1990s Biancone trained in Hong Kong but in 1999 was suspended after two of his horses tested positive for banned medications.
Biancone trained Triptych, who won the 1987 Irish Champion Stakes and the 1988 Coronation Cup. However, his most famous horse is the '83 Arc winner All Along, a filly who also raced in North America and was voted both French and U.S. Horse of the Year honors and was inducted into the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame. [1]
Among his efforts in the United States, Patrick Biancone trained Lion Heart, who finished second in the 2004 Kentucky Derby. In 2005, he trained Angara to win the Beverly D stakes. The following year, Biancone's Gorella took the Beverly D.
On June 22, 2007, Biancone became the subject of an investigation by the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority (KHRA) and his Keeneland barns were raided by Kentucky stewards. [2]
Cobra venom, which is barred by state regulation from racetrack grounds, was found in a crystalline form in a refrigerator in Biancone's barn during the raid. Snake venom is a neurotoxin that can be injected to deaden pain in a joint or nerve.
On September 17, 2007 Dr. Rodney Stewart, Biancone's veterinarian, was suspended for a total of five years by the KHRA for possessing cobra venom, two other Class A Drugs, and various other violations that resulted from the investigation after the June raid. [3]
On October 4, 2007 Biancone was suspended for one year in by The KHRA, [4] a penalty that on October 17, 2007 was shortened to a 6-month suspension with the caveat that Biancone could not apply for a trainer's license for another 6-months after the suspension ends. [5] As a part of this settlement, Biancone agreed to remove his name as the "trainer of record" for his Breeders' Cup entries and to end his appeal of the suspension. During the suspension his horses were moved to trainers that he has no business relationship, and he is banned from both the public and private areas of Kentucky race tracks (and through reciprocity all North American tracks).
The day after his settlement agreement with the KHRA, Biancone issued a press release that indicated that he was innocent. [6]
All Along was a champion Thoroughbred mare that was foaled and trained in France. She was one of the top European fillies since World War II. While she mostly raced in Europe, the filly also won top-level races in North America. She was named into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2019. All Along was less successful as a broodmare, her only winning offspring being the Mill Reef-sired colt Along All who won the Prix Greffulhe in 1989.
Whirlaway was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the fifth winner of the American Triple Crown. He also won the Travers Stakes after his Triple Crown sweep to become the first and only horse to win all four races.
Robert A. Baffert is an American racehorse trainer who is considered one of the most successful and influential trainers in the history of horse racing. He has trained two Triple Crown winners: American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018. Baffert's horses have won the Kentucky Derby six times, tying the record with Ben A. Jones for wins by a trainer. He holds the trainer record for Preakness Stakes with eight wins and has won the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Oaks three times each.
Kingston Rule was an American-bred racehorse who raced in Australia, where he won the 1990 Melbourne Cup in a record time of 3:16:3. This time still stands as the record today.
Henny Hughes is a thoroughbred race horse. A foal of 2003, he was a contender for the Triple Crown in 2006. He was taken off the Triple Crown trail in March 2006, then recorded three sprint victories in stakes races before failing in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, finishing 14th and last. He was retired to stud at the end of the 2006 racing season. His best-known offspring is the champion mare Beholder.
Patrick Angel Valenzuela is an American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Born into a racing family, his father plus three of his uncles, including Ismael Valenzuela, were jockeys. He rode his first career winner on November 10, 1978, at Sunland Park Racetrack in Sunland Park, New Mexico. In 1980, 17-year-old Pat Valenzuela became the youngest jockey to ever win the Santa Anita Derby. He was voted the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award by his peers in 1982.
Julien R. Leparoux is a French Eclipse Award winning jockey currently racing in the United States. He has won seven Breeders' Cup races, including the 2015 Breeders' Cup Mile with Champion Turf Mare Tepin and the 2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile with Classic Empire.
WinStar Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding and racing farm near Versailles, Kentucky, owned by Kenny Troutt. It won the 2010 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner and 2016 Outstanding Breeder. WinStar Farm owned 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, 2010 Belmont Stakes winner Drosselmeyer, and 2016 Belmont Stakes winner Creator. Notable stallions that have stood at stud at Winstar Farm include two-time Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow, leading sire and broodmare sire Distorted Humor, and Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup Classic winner American Pharoah's sire Pioneerof the Nile.
Steven Mark Asmussen is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. The leading trainer in North America by wins, he is a two-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2016. His horses have won the Breeders' Cup Classic, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes, Breeders' Cup Distaff, Kentucky Oaks and Dubai World Cup.
Douglas F. O'Neill is an American Thoroughbred horse trainer. He was born in Dearborn, Michigan, and resides in California, where he trained the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, I'll Have Another, and 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist. O'Neill and his family reside in Santa Monica, California.
Favorite Trick was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who in 1997 became the first 2-year-old in twenty-five years to be voted United States Horse of the Year.
Commendable was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, best known for his victory in the 2000 Belmont Stakes. In his racing career, he ran twelve times and won two races. After his racing career, he stood as a stallion in South Korea.
Nownownow is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in 2007.
Gabriel Saez is a Panamanian horse racing jockey. He began his riding career in his native country in 2004, becoming the leading apprentice jockey in 2005. Saez moved to the United States in February 2006, and almost instantly became Delaware Park Racetrack's leading jockey that same year. He won his first race as an apprentice in the U.S., and then his first race as a journeyman.
Richard E. "Rick" Dutrow Jr. is an American thoroughbred racehorse trainer. A winner of multiple stakes races including three victories in the Breeders' Cup, Dutrow campaigned Big Brown to his wins in the Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Haskell Invitational in 2008 en route to champion three-year-old male honors.
Palace Music was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and a Champion sire who won Group/Grade 1 stakes in both Europe and the United States.
The 1945 Kentucky Derby was the 71st running of the Kentucky Derby, held on June 9, 1945. It was won by Hoop Jr., ridden by jockey Eddie Arcaro.
Florent Geroux is a jockey who has earned over 1,700 wins in American thoroughbred horse racing, including the 2017 Breeders' Cup Classic on Gun Runner, two Breeders' Cup Distaff wins with Monomoy Girl, and the 2021 Kentucky Derby on Mandaloun.
Medina Spirit was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who finished first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby before being disqualified. He came second in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic and third in the 2021 Preakness Stakes.
The 2022 Road to the Kentucky Derby is a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2022 Kentucky Derby, which was held on May 7. The field for the Derby is limited to 20 horses, with up to four 'also eligibles' in case of a late withdrawal from the field. There are three separate paths for horses to take to qualify for the Derby: the main Road consisting of races in North America, the Japan Road consisting of four races in Japan, and the European road consisting of seven races in England, Ireland and France. The top four finishers in the specified races receive points, with higher points awarded in the major prep races in March and April. Earnings in non-restricted stakes races act as a tie breaker.