Illinois
Outsider Ambiente Friendly defies odds to stun favourite Illinois in Derby Trial
One of the aspects of the two-week run of Classic trials after the Guineas meeting at Newmarket that makes it so much fun is that you can never be entirely sure when a realistic – and previously unconsidered – contender for the Derby or Oaks will suddenly throw their hat into the ring. Ambiente Friendly was a 100-1 shot for the Derby before the Lingfield Derby Trial but he is now no bigger than 12-1 after a powerful run down the middle of the track saw him stride nearly five lengths clear of Illinois, the Aidan O’Brien-trained 6-4 favourite, at the line.
O’Brien for one will probably have better Derby candidates in his yard than his runner here but there was no hint of fluke about Ambiente Friendly’s success. Instead, there was the sense of a young, improving colt who was a headstrong, hard-pulling type at two suddenly putting it all together, with the possibility of better still to come.
“I’ve been riding him a lot at home and he’s become so much more manageable,” Callum Shepherd, Ambiente Friendly’s jockey, said. “My feet were on the dash quite frankly for nine furlongs at Newmarket [in April] and he’s just developed so well [since], I decided to trust him today and slide forward in the hope that he’d relax, and he did.
“He handled the quicker ground and the camber beautifully and he was just relentless up the straight. I certainly didn’t think I’d be looking around in a Derby trial if I was fortunate enough to be in front in one, so what a wonderful dress rehearsal.
“He really gets his head down, he’s become a really kind and willing horse and hopefully the best is yet to come.”
The Derby on 1 June now promises to be a huge moment for everyone associated with Ambiente Friendly, who runs in the famous yellow and black silks of the veteran owner Bill Gredley that were carried to victory in both the Oaks and St Leger in 1992 by the outstanding filly User Friendly.
For his trainer, James Fanshawe, meanwhile, there is a rare chance to add a British Classic to a career record that includes nearly two dozen successes at Group One level, dating back to Environment Friendly’s win, in the same colours, in the Eclipse Stakes in 1991.
“We don’t get many horses that head for the Derby, Tom Fanshawe, the trainer’s son and assistant, said, “but thanks to Mr Gredley, it looks as if we do now.
“He’s always been a nice mover and everything he does is effortless. We know Charlie Appleby and Aidan will have contenders, but we feel we have every right to be there.”
There was a much tighter conclusion to the card’s Oaks Trial as You Got To Me, who had raced into a clear lead at an early stage, found more when challenged inside the final furlong to hold the late charge of Rubies Are Red by half a length.
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“It wasn’t deliberate to go quite that quick [but] she likes to get on with things and if you get in an argument with her, she’s 10 times worse,” Hector Crouch, the winner’s jockey, said.
Quick Guide
Greg Wood’s Sunday racing tips
Show
Ludlow 1.43 Playful Saint 2.18 Bellbird 2.53 Trapista 3.28 Him Malaya 4.03 Awesome Foursome 4.38 Flashy Boy 5.13 I Look How I Look
Plumpton 2.05 Global Esteem 2.40 Eliza Doolittle 3.15 Magistrato 3.50 Andapa 4.25 Yalla Habibi (nb) 5.00 Jacamar 5.35 Eileen’s Milan
Newcastle 3.07 Cross The Tracks 3.42 Jungle Land 4.17 Jean Baptiste 4.52 Natzor (nap) 5.27 Monsieur Melee 6.00 Legendary Day 6.30 Eldrickjones 7.00 King’s Lynn
“She came down the hill beautifully. She’s a very big horse but she’s beautifully balanced.”
Ralph Beckett, You Got To Me’s trainer, saddled Look Here to win the Oaks after a second-place finish in this race in 2008 and You Got To Me is 16-1 to give him a third career success in the Epsom fillies’ Classic. Rubies Are Red, meanwhile, also caught the eye as she stayed on strongly from off the pace, and O’Brien’s filly is four points shorter than the winner to go one better on 31 May.
SYCAMORE, Ill. – A Sycamore mother said she is still waiting for justice more than two years after her teenage son was stabbed to death.
The case is back in court this week, where a judge will consider a key request that could change how the case moves forward.
What we know:
A mother said her son’s life was cut short during a confrontation that turned deadly.
Heather Gerken said her 17-year-old son, Kaleb McCall, was stabbed during an incident in September 2023. She said Kaleb agreed to meet another teen for what he believed would be a fist fight while sticking up for a friend.
According to Gerken, the other teen, who was 15 at the time, pulled a knife and stabbed Kaleb in the chest. Kaleb later died from his injuries.
Gerken said a jury later found that teen guilty of second-degree murder after the defense argued he acted in self-defense.
Dig deeper:
The case is not over.
Gerken says the defendant’s attorneys are now trying to move the case out of adult court and into juvenile court. That decision could impact how the teen is ultimately sentenced.
What they’re saying:
Gerken said the legal process has been long and frustrating.
She said the case has stretched on for more than two and a half years and that ongoing court proceedings have made it difficult for her to grieve her son.
“He was everybody’s big brother,” Gerken said. “He had the biggest smile and the sweetest personality. He enjoyed fishing and being outside, and he was the best gift giver. He always got me flowers for every little holiday. Just a very thoughtful boy.”
Gerken also said the possibility of the case moving to juvenile court is especially upsetting, as she continues to push for what she believes is justice for her son.
“I don’t want anybody else’s child to die the way that my son died,” Gerken said. “Caleb is my whole world. I gave birth to him at 17 and he changed my life completely. He made me a better person. He taught me what real love truly is…And I just miss him so much more every day. And just knowing that he died the way he did. It makes me sick.”
What’s next:
The case returns to court Thursday morning.
A judge is expected to determine whether the case remains in adult court or is moved to juvenile court, a decision that could shape what happens next in the case.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX Chicago’s Lauren Scafidi.
Millions of asylum seekers have been impacted as caseloads have grown
A general crackdown on immigration courts the administration sees as liberal has led to the firing of dozens of immigration judges.
Recent polls show President Donald Trump’s approval ratings continue to dip as the war in Iran endures and national gas prices float above $4.
One such poll conducted by CNN/SSRS illustrates widespread upset among Americans with regards to Trump’s handling of the economy and inflation. Here’s how Trump’s approval ratings look nationally and within Illinois, as of April 20.
Donald Trump approval rating: CNN
Only 31% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling the economy, compared to 39% in January 2026, according to the poll.
The decline in approval on the issue is even higher among Republicans, especially Republicans under 45 years old, according to CNN.
In the poll, President Donald Trump received his worst approval rating yet in either of his two terms on the economy.
CNN findings show about two-thirds of Americans say Trump’s policies have worsened economic conditions, and 27% say they approve of Trump’s handling of inflation.
CNN also reported 63% of Americans say the prices at the pump have caused financial hardship in their household, including 15% calling it “severe.”
The poll, conducted March 26-30 among 1,201 U.S. adults, found 35% approve of Trump’s job performance overall. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
One poll respondent told CNN and the pollster about the most important issue facing the country: “Prices! Everything is so expensive. Makes it very difficult to do anything other than work and go home. Trips to the grocery store are ridiculous! Between gas and grocery prices, we are poor!”
Trump addressed the concerns about gas prices in his address to the nation on April 1, saying the Strait of Hormuz would reopen when the conflict was over and the prices would fall again.
Trump reaffirmed his promise about the strait on April 18, saying his administration had “very good conversations going on” with Iran after the country said the strait would not be reopened.
Donald Trump approval rating in Illinois: Civiqs
Trump’s job approval rating in Illinois, as of April 18, according to data from online survey platform Civiqs, is as follows:
- Approve — 32%.
- Disapprove — 65%.
- Neither — 4%.
Donald Trump national approval rating: Civiqs
Trump’s national approval rating as of April 13, according to data from Civiqs, is as follows:
- Approve — 39%.
- Disapprove — 57%.
- Neither — 4%.
Donald Trump approval rating in Illinois: The Economist
Trump has a -36% net approval rating in Illinois as of April 20, according to data from The Economist.
Donald Trump national approval rating: The Economist
Trump’s national approval rating as of April 20, according to data from The Economist, is as follows:
- Approve — 38%.
- Disapprove — 56%.
- Don’t know — 7%.
Trump, Iran War approval rating: Pew Research Center
A Pew Research study conducted in mid-March found that about six-in-ten Americans (61%) approve of Trump’s handling of the conflict in Iran, with 39% approving.
A report released in early April found that the largest concern for most Americans as a result of the conflict is higher gas prices, with 69% saying they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about the issue.
Other Trump approval rating polls as of April 20
Here is a look at some other polling aggregators to understand how CNN/SSRS’s poll compares to the average Trump approval numbers as of April 20:
RealClearPolitics Poll Average: 41.2% approve, 56.6% disapprove.
The New York Times: 40% approve, 56% disapprove.
Silver Bulletin: 39.7% approve, 56.4% disapprove.
Which president has the lowest approval rating ever?
Although Trump has dropped to a historic low in approval rating polls this term so far, he hit a 34% low in the first term and other recent presidents such as Joe Biden hit a 36% low, Barack Obama hit a 40% low, George W. Bush hit a 25% low and Bill Clinton hit a 37% low, according to the Gallup polls, whose recorded lowest rating was Harry Truman with 22%.
As for the highest presidential approval ratings, George W. Bush holds the highest approval rating ever recorded at 90%, while his father, George H. Bush holds the second highest at 89%.
Trump is the only president that has not reached a 50% or higher approval to date in the Gallup polls’ history.
CENTRALIA, Ill. – An investigation is underway after multiple people were shot Sunday in Centralia, Illinois, according to a report from WFCN News in southern Illinois.
FOX 2 has confirmed the Illinois State Police is investigating a shooting and taking over the investigation, but ISP could not confirm many further details as of 9 p.m. Sunday.
“The investigation is in its infancy and to protect the integrity of the investigation, no additional details will be released at this time,” ISP said in a statement to FOX 2.
According to WFCN News, the shooting happened around 5 p.m. near the 900 block of East Kell Street in Centralia. Multiple law enforcement agencies have since responded to scene and multiple victims are hospitalized, according to the report.
It’s unclear how many people may have been injured and what led up to the shooting.
Centralia, Illinois is about 70 miles, or just over an hour, east of St. Louis.
This is a developing story. FOX 2 will update as more information becomes available.
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