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Randy Winick, trainer of the 1993 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Brocco, died Feb. 15 at age 76. He trained many stakes winners throughout his career, including grade 1 winners Dontstop Themusic, Country Queen, Mitterand, and Spence Bay.View the full article

They do at their Pukekohe venue. Licensing laws and the cost of security/compliance killed the boot party. If you will NEVER go back to Ellerslie then I wouldn't class you as a racing enthusiast. Have you been there since the upgrades? A wide range of options are available for the public and like most businesses the market differentiate their racedays. That is exactly what their sell out days are doing. Is there any evidence of that actually happening? Regardless Ellerslie have at least two family oriented days during the season. For example The Summer at the Races Day on 31 January. https://www.aucklandracing.co.nz/racedays/summer-raceday/ General Admission is Free and you can take a picnic.

They also do not cater for what you could call your 'average' racing enthusiast, or those just looking for a 'country style' day at the races. Long gone are the wonderful days of picnics, boot parties and limited BYO, when the infield had thousands of such people. I would class myself as racing enthusiast but will never go back to Ellerslie. Word gets around, when a venue has some momentum going and it attracts people as the place to be. Ellerslie has unfortunately lost that, and with it many other associated flow on affects. An enjoyable picnic style day at the races will arouse the interest of a certain percentage in going again and potentially becoming involved.

Five different tracks produced our fastest maidens this week, and the list includes nothing but winners – no runners-up. 5. CREED'S VISION, TAM, 2/14-2nd, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-89 (g, 4, by Jimmy Creed–Moon Vision, by Pollard's Vision) O-West Point Thoroughbreds, Michael P. Lyden and CJ Stables. B-Country Life Farm and Moon Vision Broodmare (Md). T-Arnaud Delacour. J-Charlie Marquez. West Point could have another solid Maryland-bred on its hands. Jaxon Traveler was recently retired after a remarkable run of sprint stakes wins every year from age 2 to 7, and now Creed's Vision has seemingly turned his career around at Tampa. His back-to-back Beyers of 84 and now 89 are 20 points higher than what he recorded in five starts as a 2- and 3-year-old at Laurel. He's modestly-bred–the first foal to race from a dam who squeezed $234k out of 44 starts–but he's a gelding, so who cares? 4. SEA VISTA, AQU, 2/12-1st, 6 1/2 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-90 (c, 4, by Street Sense–Sara Louise, by Malibu Moon) O/B- Godolphin (Ky). T-Brad Cox. J-Manny Franco Given her fine Godolphin pedigree, Sea Vista had been an underachiever. Her full sister Sara Street placed in three stakes including a strong half-length 2nd in the Gazelle Stakes (Gr. II), and stakes-winning half-brother Nash ran fast races, as well. But in her sixth start, she got over the hump with a determined odds-on victory for a career-high Beyer. Three-time GSW Sara Louise has had difficulties getting into foal lately, but was bred in 2026 to Speaker's Corner. 3. PUBLISHER, OP, 2/15-2nd, 1 1/16 miles (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-90 (c, 4, by American Pharoah–Indian Pride, by Proud Citizen) O-Gus King and Estate of Brereton Jones. B-Brereton Jones (Ky). T-Steve Asmussen. J-Erik Asmussen. Yes, this is the same Publisher who was 2nd in the Arkansas Derby last year to earn a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby. Yes, he was still a maiden after a dozen starts, including back-to-back odds-on losses against maiden company. But at 3-to-5 Sunday, this time, the $600,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate he overcame brief traffic issues to deliver in a big way. Asmussen has no peers at spotting horses like this in the right stakes races around the country, so you'll probably be encountering his name the rest of the year. 2. TROUBLE CALLING, FG, 2/14-2nd, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-91 (c, 3, by Dialed In–Into Trouble, by Into Mischief) O/B- Donamire Farm (Ky). T-Greg Foley. J-Luis Saez Trouble Calling proved his recent sharply improved Beyer–which previously earned him a matching No. 2 ranking on Five Fastest Maidens–was no fluke. He couldn't quite deal with debuter Knock It Off that day, but Saturday at Fair Grounds he sailed home by 6 1/4 lengths in a sprint Beyer only two points slower than Paladin earned in the Risen Star later on the card. Donamire dam Into Trouble won the Arlington-Washington Lassie and has also produced top turf sprinters Troubleshooting (Gr. I winner) and Big Trouble. 1. THE LAST STRAW, SA, 2/15-2nd, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-93 (c, 4, by Into Mischief-Bast, by Uncle Mo) O/B-Spendthrift Farm (Ky). T-Richard Mandella. J-Marco Demuro. The proverbial racing lightbulb went on in his fourth lifetime start, as he showed signs of living up to his illustrious Spendthrift pedigree. Into Mischief….enough said. Bast is a familiar name as well–a three-time Gr. I winner who was third in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Her racing career ended prematurely after taking the Gr. II Santa Ynez in January of her 3-year-old season, and Spendthrift bought her at that year's Keeneland November for $4.2 million from Baoma Corp. owners Charles and Susan Cho. The Last Straw is Bast's second foal to race. The post Five Fastest Maidens: Feb. 9-15 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A classy sprinter since he burst on the racing scene as a juvenile, 6-year-old Damon's Mound pursues a seventh stakes victory in his 19th-career race in the Feb. 21 Gulfstream Park Sprint.View the full article

Inspired by the strong performance of purse sources, Fair Grounds announces the addition of two race dates to the 2025-26 meet. The additional days will be Monday, March 9, and Monday, March 16.View the full article

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots has added two additional race dates to the 2025-26 meet, the track announced Tuesday. The additional days, which were “inspired by the strong performance of purse sources” according to the release, will be Monday, March 9, and Monday, March 16. “Following the purse meeting with the Louisiana HBPA and Racing Commission, all parties involved were confident that the addition of two race days fits within our current projections and reflects a shared commitment to the strength of the meet,” said Jason Boulet, senior director of racing at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The Thursday-through-Sunday schedule remains intact for the remaining dates in February. March will now include two five-day race weeks: March 5-9 and March 12-16. Closing week remains Thursday, March 19, through Sunday, March 22. The post Fair Grounds Adds Pair Of Mondays To 2026 Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Unraced since winning the Aug. 23 GI Travers Stakes at Saratoga, Sovereignty (Into Mischief) got back to work Sunday morning at Payson Park in Florida, working three furlongs in 37.40 breezing. It was the first workout this year for the 2025 Horse of the Year and 3-Year-Old Champion. “We've got him back on a regular training schedule,” trainer Bill Mott said. “We're a ways away from sorting out exactly where he will run. There are a couple of races in mind. We don't think he'll be ready until April, so we will potentially look at the (April 18) Oaklawn Handicap or the (May 1) Alysheba. We got behind and missed Dubai. That was something we would have thought about, but we just got a little behind schedule. With the travel and with him not being able to get a prep in we just thought it was too much to ask.” Mott said that the work did wonders for the now 4-year-old. “He looks great,” he said. “It's amazing. Just with putting the one little easy breeze into him, it's like all of a sudden he flipped a switch. He came out looking pretty sassy after that.” Sovereignty was expected to end his year in the 2025 GI Breeders' Cup Classic, but had to be withdrawn due to a fever. “It was unfortunate that he missed out on the Classic,” Mott said. “But who knows? There are a lot of what-ifs, but maybe if he would have won the Classic, he wouldn't have been brought back this year. Who knows? It could turn out well.” 2025 Horse of the Year and Derby/Belmont winner SOVEREIGNTY (Outside), recorded his first breeze since before the Breeders Cup Classic, 3F – 37:40, Jimmy Quispe up at Payson Park. First step of a return process. Excited for what's coming with this talented horse. SOVEREIGNTY… pic.twitter.com/yDuTG464rm — Agentes305 (@agentes305) February 15, 2026 Mott also gave updates on several other star horses in his stable: Chief Wallabee (Constitution): Winning his career debut on Jan. 10 at Gulfstream, he was one of the more impressive maiden winners at the meet. Initially, Mott said he would not push the colt to make the GI Kentucky Derby, but is now saying that he hasn't ruled anything out. “With Chief Wallabee, we are looking for a spot for him,” he said. “He is nominated for the (Feb. 28) Fountain of Youth, which really isn't my normal progression, to bring a horse into that kind of race in just their second start. But he is nominated. He's also nominated for the (Feb. 28) Gotham. We will look at those races. It is a lot to ask to run that type of horse in one of those races. It's not the normal progression. Most of those horses have had several races and have a foundation under them, which we don't have.” On the same day that Chief Wallabee broke his maiden, Mott sent out another impressive first-time winner in Thunderously (Gun Runner). He said that horse is “on the shelf.” Baeza (McKinzie) With the passing of trainer John Shirreffs, GI Pennsylvania Derby winner Baeza has been transferred to the Mott barn. The colt has yet to arrive at Mott's Florida headquarters. While still under the care of Shirreffs, he has had three works this year. Mott has not picked out a spot for him yet. “He has not traveled yet,” he said. “He's only had three works, a couple of easy three-furlong works and a half,” he said. When asked if it might be hard to keep Baeza and Sovereignty apart, Mott said: “Maybe not so much early in the year. It's doable. If it falls into a situation and they are compromised by a timing issue and they have to run against one another, that's just the way it is. Otherwise, there is certainly a good possibility you could separate them until you get toward the end of the year. Hopefully, we will have that issue when it comes to the Breeders' Cup. Hopefully, one or both of them are good enough and sturdy enough to make it to the Breeders' Cup Classic. Everybody would like that to happen. Let's hope we will have that issue when we get to the Classic.” Knightsbridge (Nyquist): An impressive winner of the GIII Fred W. Hooper Stakes, Knightsbridge will make his next start in the Feb. 28 GIII Gulfstream Park Mile. The post Sovereignty Is Back On Work Tab; Could Resurface In The Oaklawn Handicap Or The Alysheba appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bob to busy wrapping cotton wool on latest yearling sale purchase for 👢 ?

The concerns voiced by Mike Repole and Aron Wellman reflect what many in our industry have felt for years – a disconnect between leadership and the realities of the sport. For that reason, I have resigned from my position as a member of The Jockey Club. While I valued the opportunity to serve as a member, the role offered little meaningful visibility into the direction or decision-making that shapes our sport. My time as a member left me with the impression that influence remains concentrated among a small group rather than reflecting the broader industry it claims to represent. While my personal and my family's commitment to Thoroughbred racing remains strong, I no longer have confidence in The Jockey Club's current leadership or its vision for the future. I, and LNJ Foxwoods, stand with those calling for meaningful change. The post Letter To The Editor: Calling For Meaningful Change appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

When you are a small stable, it can be challenging to get the best drivers, who naturally want to drive the horse they think are the best chance of earning them money, that's their job. There is also a loyalty factor. I know one leading trainer who has a list of preferred drivers. When a driver turns him down, that driver goes to the bottom of the list. As for Paul and Tu Tangata, he owns it so he can do what he wishes, don't forget he gets $100 for doing so.

I could name a few horses who would benefit with a driver change. Sometimes these guys are quite happy to run around and just get place money. I don't blame them with the handicapping system. If I owned a maiden trotter in the North I wouldn't want to win either. Sometimes better to run a lot of placings than win one and never place again for the next however many starts in a higher grade against horses who have won ten races.

Street Beast and Fulleffort, the 1-2 finishers of the Leonatus Stakes, will need to fight off some out-of-town shippers as Turfway Park joins the Road to the Kentucky Derby Feb. 21 in the $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes.View the full article

Discussion on Project Stamina Tayler Strong An assurance that Project Stamina was not a "land grab" was conveyed to administrators of thoroughbred racing in Otago and Southland at a gathering at Wingatui today. "We have no agenda and are trying to be collaborative," said Martin Butler, of RCP, the independent consultant appointed by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, NZ Harness Racing and the TAB on the future of NZ's racing infrastructure. He was addressing 26 administrators from the Otago, Southland, Riverton, Central Otago, Kurow, Oamaru, Beaumont, Gore, Tapanui, Waikouaiti, Winton, Wyndham and Wairio clubs. "There is a perception that nothing has been done over past decades to address the issues affecting racings position in a progressive manner," said Murray Acklin a long time racing administrator and former president of the NZ Racing Conference (now NZTR) "This couldn't be further from reality and Otago and Southland have, in many respects led the way regarding many of the issues up for discussion. "Nationally thirty-five years ago, there were 96 racing clubs racing at 59 venues, today there are 50 clubs racing at approximately 40 venues. "Rationalization and consolidation have been Club led through evolution, not revolution with great success. "For example, in Otago four racing venues have closed, Waikouaiti, Central Otago (Omakau), Beaumont and Tapanui. "Waikouaiti and Beaumont Racing Clubs race at Wingatui, Central Otago Racing Club join forces with Otago Racing Club for the two-day carnival at Cromwell and Tapanui race at Gore. "Otago province race at four venues, Wingatui, owned and operated by the Otago Racing Club, hosting 15 race days across three individual racing clubs and one harness club [Forbury Park] "Oamaru racecourse is owned by the government on lease in perpetuity for equine activity and administered by local Trustees. It is the home of the Oamaru Jockey Club who host three meetings over the winter months. Oamaru Trotting Club race several times on the grass and all-weather track along with Kurow and Waikouaiti Trotting Clubs. "The Kurow Jockey Club race annually on 30th December at Kurow. This extremely popular meeting draws on a holiday crowd from more than 35,000 who holiday in the Waitaki Valley each year. The venue is owned and administered by a local trust. "The Cromwell racetrack is owned by the local council and forms part of a sporting and recreational complex. Both horse codes race there over the busy holiday period, literally taking 'racing to the people' which would not be replicated to the same extent if moved to say, Wingatui. "Waikouaiti racecourse is owned by the Waikouaiti Racing Club and has been closed for racing purposes for 5 years. The Club are keen to instigate a sale and are working with NZTR to affect a positive outcome for both parties. "Beaumont Racing Club's venue at Beaumont was leased to the Club by local farmers and racing in 1986. In summary, all four active venues are important to ensure racing has exposure all year round and three venues cater for both codes. "The only active venue that could be sold is Wingatui and in doing so would effectively devastate racing in Otago and Southland and be problematic to Canterbury racing. Wingatui is the main training centre in Otago. "Racing in Southland has experienced similar consolidation in recent times and has only three thoroughbred racing venues. "Gore racetrack is owned by the Gore Racing Club and is host to Wyndham Racing Club, Tapanui Racing Club and Gore Trotting Club. "Gore is less than 2 hours from Wingatui and 45 minutes from Invercargill making it easily accessible within Otago and Southland. "The Invercargill track at Ascot Park is home to all three codes and whilst owned by the Southland Racing Club, very long-term leases exist between the two horse codes. "The venue is host to the Southland Racing Club, Wairio Jockey Club and Winton Jockey Club. Harness and Greyhound race there in number. Ascot Park is the main training centre in Southland. "The Riverton Racing Club own their own venue and provide excellent racing and training facilities on a large roomy track often described as one of the best in the country. "The Easter Carnival is extremely popular with on and off course turnover exceeding that of major North Island Clubs. Their New Years Day meeting is gaining in popularity catering for many holiday makers at the seaside resort "There are 13 individual thoroughbred clubs racing 36 days per year in Otago & Southland at 7 venues. "Gallop South administers 16 race days by 10 clubs at 4 venues in Otago & Southland. "Otago Racing Club administers 15 race days by two clubs at two venues [plus one joint venue with Gallop South at Cromwell] "The Southland Racing Club administers their five meetings from Ascot Park. 13 Clubs racing 36 days per annum at seven venues administered by three entities who work collaboratively for the betterment of racing optimises rationalisation and consolidation of a very large area of NZ. "All 13 Clubs are in a sound financial position, cash and assets wise, are debt free and not a drain on resources from NZTR or TAB NZ. "All Clubs conduct successful meetings [weather permitting] and contribute to the nation wellbeing of the thoroughbred racing industry. "Club led rationalization will continue to evolve in the region. Any forced closures or downsizing will erode involvement at all levels," concluded Acklin.

Blessed is the moderator...indeed all moderators are blessed for they shall inherit the earth RIP Stu Dromgool An iconic Cambridge character who always had a roll your own hanging out the side of the mouth but could train Olde school, built out of the same cloth/era as Bob McCosh, the legendary Matamata trainer who refused a drink in the President's room after winning the Great Northern with Bob's Luck...probably felt embarrassed having a hole in his hat

In this week's Maiden Watch, Trouble Calling, a Dialed In half brother to grade 1 winner Troubleshooting, draws off to a 6 1/4-length with to earn his first career victory Feb. 14 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.View the full article

The Racing Medication & Testing Consortium (RMTC) has awarded 25 Racing Industry Veterinary Student Externships, the company announced Tuesday. This program, which is in response to the supply and demand concerns associated with available equine veterinarians to meet the racing industry's needs, provides a shared experience for veterinary students with racetrack practitioners and regulatory veterinarians. “Thanks in part to partnerships with industry sponsors and host veterinarians, the RMTC has been able to award 65 externships over the past three years,” said Dr. Michael Hardy, RMTC Executive Director. “The early impact of the program has resulted in numerous job offers and new equine veterinarians working within the racing industry.” Since its inception in 2024, this program has gained significant industry support, with all 25 externships for 2026 funded by program sponsors, including AVMA Trust, AAEP Foundation for the Horse, Breeders' Cup Ltd, Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, Oak Tree Racing Association, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Horseshoe Indianapolis, The Jockey Club, National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association as well as the Indiana, Nebraska, Tampa Bay, Charles Town and Virginia chapters of HBPA. The post RMTC Distributes 25 Racing Industry Vet Student Externships For 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Byron King's Top 12 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, presented by Spendthrift Farm.View the full article

Charles Briere's Fairway Consignment was responsible for two of the top three lots during Tuesday's opening session of the Arqana February Mixed Sale, including the Listed-winning hurdler Elektrix (Gemix), who was knocked down to Hubert Barbe of Horse Racing Advisory – bidding on behalf of Haras de Couëly – for €80,000. Offered as lot 113, Elektrix enjoyed her career highlight when winning the Listed Prix Gaston Branere at Auteuil in April last year. The five-year-old is out of another talented hurdler in the G3 Prix Pierre de Lassus winner and G1 Prix Renaud du Vivier second La Grande Dame (Daliapour), while this is also the family of the multiple Grade 1 winners Brighterdaysahead (Kapgrade), Caldwell Potter (Martaline) and Mighty Potter (Martaline). “She was a very good racemare,” said Haras de Couëly's Hubert O'Delant. “She's from a family that has produced some very nice horses, and we have the possibility of choosing many crosses for her. We're delighted to be able to have purchased a mare of this quality to join the stud's broodmare band.” Early in the session, Haras d'Etreham signed for the other headline lot from Fairway Consignment when the Toronado mare Chiaraniya (lot 9) fetched €67,000. From the extended family of the top-level winners Maranoa Charlie and Tiggy Wiggy, the five-year-old Chiaraniya was placed in a pair of Listed races on the Flat in a career spanning 16 starts for trainer Mickael Seror. Of the 173 lots offered, 108 sold at a clearance rate of 62%. With 108 fewer lots being offered compared to this day 12 months ago, the aggregate was down by 53% at €1,257,250, whereas the average held up well at €11,641 (-3%) and the median was €4,500 (-10%). Along with Elektrix, Secret Sky (Camelot) also achieved the session-topping price of €80,000 when going under the hammer as lot 180. Sébastien Desmontils, acting on behalf of Colin and Melba Bryce's Laundry Cottage Stud, emerged on top in the battle to secure the three-race maiden who was third in the Listed Prix de Thiberville as a three-year-old. Offered by Coulonces, the now-seven-year-old is out of the winning Tale of the Cat mare Oh Star who, in turn, is out of the 1,000 Guineas heroine Sleepytime (Royal Academy). Elsewhere, lot 32, a Siyouni colt from La Motteraye Consignment, proved the most sought-after of the 33 yearlings to go through the ring on Tuesday when picked up by Ronald Rauscher for €58,000. A half-brother to the G1 Preis von Europa winner Aspetar (Al Kazeem), the colt is out of the winning Dansili mare Bella Qatara who, in turn, is out of the triple Oaks heroine Alexandrova (Sadler's Wells). This is also the family of Ecurie des Monceaux's star broodmare Prudenzia (Dansili), the dam of the top-level winners Chicquita (Montjeu), Diamond Necklace (St Mark's Basilica) and Magic Wand (Galileo), among others. The action at Arqana resumes at 11am (local time) on Wednesday with a final session of breeding stock, stores, two-year-olds and horses-in-training. The post Fairway Consignment Mares Find Favour as New Year Gets Underway at Arqana appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company has implemented additional control measures for its under-tack shows in 2026, the company announced Tuesday. In a press release, OBS states the measures “further enhance existing standards that prioritize the well-being of horses and riders.” Beginning with the under-tack show for the March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, use of the riding crop will be restricted to where the rider will not be permitted to strike the horse with their hands off the reins before, during or after the breeze. Also starting this year, all horses will be required to have a veterinary statement stating they are suitable to perform in the under-tack show. Any entries without an affirming statement will be scratched from the sale. This will be in addition to the existing practice of a staff veterinarian monitoring the training leading up to the under-tack show and positioned on track during the under-tack show. Additionally, OBS states that the new protocols complement safety rules which have already been successfully implemented. The administration times for NSAIDS and corticosteroids were tightened to where neither are allowed to be administered within 48 hours of a horse's under tack performance and no other medication is allowed within 24 hours of an under-tack effort. Corticosteroids are also not permitted within 24 hours of a horse's sale session. No NSAIDS can be administered after 6 p.m. the day prior to a horse selling. Any overages for these medications will result in a horse being subject to return. Last year, OBS instituted a gallop only option where sellers can enter their horses with this designation which will be on the catalog page. The 2026 OBS March Sale will be held March 10-12 with under-tack shows taking place March 4-7. The post OBS Implements Additional Control Measures Ahead Of March Under-Tack Show appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

You might have a lifelong passion for horses, and even devote your whole working life to their welfare. But sometimes there is no substitute for sitting on their backs. A few years ago, Dr. Jeff Berk took a vacation from his relentless schedule as an equine veterinarian in order to-well, spend a little time with horses. His next trip to Britain was not to Tattersalls, as usual, but to an eventing course run by two former Olympians. Though Berk was a perfectly accomplished rider, with years of foxhunting behind him, it was this experience that clarified the secret to horsemanship. “And that was that you don't muscle a horse,” he explains. “That's why a small, slight person can be a very good rider. Because it's not about your muscular development. It's about the shifts and balances, all the nuances and subtle signals you can give to a horse, so that if you're speaking their language correctly, they will do things automatically. Which becomes the most beautiful partnership there can be, between human and animal.” To Berk, exploring that rapport brought home the daily miracle he enjoys in engaging professionally at such close quarters. “I know they're ignorant in some ways,” he acknowledges with a smile. “But they're very intuitive creatures that want to do what you ask, so long as you know how to ask them. To me, that's phenomenal. To be honest, I think that the Thoroughbred horse is a gift from God, unique among the animal kingdom. I don't know any other animal as majestic.” Such admiration, however, only makes our accompanying responsibility more urgent. That's why this past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners became a director of Light Up Racing, the sport's campaign to elevate understanding inside and outside its own community. But Berk also believes that each of us, beyond that proactive organization of collective messaging, owes the horse a less formal duty of vigilance; and that we need to think carefully about how the sales and breeding industries have evolved. He has been around the business rather longer than his youthful looks imply. In fact he had already cut his teeth as a racetrack veterinarian, at Thistledown in Ohio, before heading to Ocala in 1983 to start his own practice. Even before then, he had been saturated with animal lore. His father, a polo player and eventer (still riding daily at 95), was a veterinarian by trade; and during vet school at the University of Pennsylvania, Berk himself would spend summers at Delaware Park walking hots and grooming. “I became addicted,” he says simply. “There was no other path for me.” Recovering from a surgery, he decided to prioritize sales work and moved to Lexington, Kentucky, with Equine Medical Associates. But he is licensed at all points of the compass, home and abroad, and has duly been able to compare many different cultures and practices. And he admits himself “very troubled” by the way young horses are nowadays raised. He invokes one of his earliest clients, the old Farnsworth Farm, then the largest Thoroughbred breeder in Florida: between 300 and 450 mares, a dozen stallions. They raised their stock “properly.” “And I'm going to define what that is,” Berk says. “They were foaled out correctly, with great attention. Then the mare and foal would gradually be graduated: round pen, small paddock, eventually a big field, 50 acres plus, where they could run around with the rest. They were raised rough: brought up once daily to be fed and examined, the other 23, 23½ hours living outside. “Why's that important for the development of young horses? Well, it's not only mentally, as herd animals. At least as importantly, all that activity helps to develop the strength, flexibility, and health of all their structures. It's not just bone, but ligament and tendon as well. Everything gets exercised in the right way for the age they are.” Sure enough, these horses were so sound that they required hardly any vet work. But a world where adolescent animals are sometimes put through three sales cycles inside 18 months-weanling, yearling, 2-year-old-feels very different. “Every time a horse goes through a sale, what happens?” asks Berk. “Number one, they have to go through prep, which means a lot of time in the stall. And then maybe there are some little bone fragments. They really don't bother a horse, but they're hard to sell with those. So they undergo a surgery, and that's another month in the stall. “So it's entirely possible, when you're trying to buy a young horse for an athletic pursuit, that it may have spent two, three, four months in a stall exactly when it should be out exercising the way horses do when left to their own devices.” Little wonder, then, if Berk has observed soundness issues that were formerly less prevalent. “I'm not saying that 20 years ago nobody ever saw a high suspensory,” Berk says. “But we didn't see nearly so many of the things we do now that we're putting their bodies and minds under a level of pressure that's not normal for their age.” This is one of those vets who believes that intervention will often be a poor substitute for pasture. That's why he is grateful for clients with patience, something he finds more often when people work as a team. “When you rush horses, it never pans out,” he says. “It's about good decisions. Sales are when they are, there's no flexibility. But if people try to make a horse fit into a program, it may or may not work. Our business has evolved so that people tend to operate in silos, in their own unique space with a unique corporate structure. So perhaps every stakeholder's mission statement should address the collective responsibility we have, above and beyond corporate profits.” Berk challenges us whether commercial dividends banked by cutting corners on a particular horse can ever redress the wider erosion of credibility. “Breeding or racing, there's always a delicate balance between commerce and sport,” he says. “Get too far over, at either end, you're in trouble. There has to be a financial aspect, for it to continue. But think about the roots of the sport, in England and Ireland, under certain conditions-one being a pretty good base of horsemanship, an emphasis on the animal.” He reminds us that when horse vans were first introduced, to Victorian Britain, the sport remained seasonal, spring to autumn. Horses were all turned out for the winter months; moreover walking to race meetings was treated as part of their conditioning, and often the same was true of races themselves. “Now what have we evolved to?” asks Berk. “America being such a big country, we can race year-round. And the horse never gets a break. I'm not trying to reinvent American racing. It's just that if you asked what is ideal for a horse, then that is not. Berk also has concerns about the business model of trainers, though he stresses that this is hardly their fault: they have had to respond to the expectations of owners who select trainers according to win percentages. “There was a time when public trainers didn't even exist,” he says. “Working for Calumet, you may be famous, but you're still an employee. But now that people measure success by win percentages, nobody's going to run unless they think they can win. So the idea of using a race [for fitness] is gone. What do we have instead? Work, work, work, work; race; work, work, work, work; race. And we all see the unfortunate result, the horses that didn't pan out because they didn't fit the program.” To Berk's point about the winter break, studies have shown unequivocally that the spelling of horses will reduce breakdowns-because bone is living tissue, capable of wear and repair. “Every Thoroughbred is an athlete, and every athlete is subject to injury,” Berk remarks. “Almost all of them have some tiny little thing they're living with, and ignoring, because they love to run. Give that horse some time off, the little thing heals and they start over again. If you don't, the little thing becomes bigger. Unbeknownst to you, the horse starts to acknowledge it, feel it. They start to travel differently. A horse that might have a problem in a hind ankle is changing the way that it travels, and then goes and bows a tendon. And they say, 'Oh, shame, stepped in a hole on the track.' But the primary problem may have been brewing for weeks and career-ending injury could have been avoided.” Another side of this same coin, essentially of vigilance, is the contentious business of sales vetting. Here, changing practice tends to reflect technological advances: digital radiography and video scopes, for instance, being reviewable online. Berk has even done so for Arqana yearlings while working a sale at Saratoga. Long days, for sure, with X-ray requests at 2 a.m., and the completion of a vetting process obviously remains contingent on a trusted pair of eyes over the water. But none of this, in itself, results in an overly simplistic “pass” or “fail”. To Berk, the very expression suggests a misapprehension. Vets seldom trade in anything as basic as thumbs up or down. “These are very nuanced discussions,” he emphasizes. “All these things we're doing-X-rays, throats, physicals, ultrasounds-are about assembling information, to establish a level of risk. My job is very much like a portfolio manager, with a shortlist of potential investments. I'm trying to establish a level of risk based upon the information I'm generating. And then I need to be articulate enough to package it for the client, in a way they can understand. So the exact same horse, with the same information, may be suitable for one client and not for another-based entirely upon their own ability to absorb risk and their unique purpose for the horse.” As Berk notes, it is not as though any horse has an absolute commercial value. “Let's say that a given horse should bring around $300,000,” he suggests. “Would you pay $1 million dollars for that horse? Clearly not. But even if there are significant findings, would you pay $1 for it? Of course. Well, there's a number between $1 and $1 million, and the agent's job is to figure out what it is.” Over the years, all this coalface participation has confirmed Berk in one axiom: our first commitment should always be to the horse. Overall, he feels of a community that profoundly respects the animal; it just needs to be better at explaining that. Along with colleagues Dr. Wayne McIlwraith and Dr. Emma Adam, he duly loaded the Light Up Racing platform with the science to counter malice and misinformation. “We talk about collective responsibility,” Berk says. “Well, what if somebody walked up to you and said, 'What happens to horses when they're done racing?' or, 'Is it bad to race 2-year-olds?' Instead of shrugging your shoulders, I think you have a bit of a responsibility: go to the website and within five minutes you could have a good answer, or can at least point that person to one. “We need to be transparent and communicate what we're doing and why, without trying to gloss over anything that needs improvement. But when you hear things that aren't just negative, but baseless, we can now say: 'Number one, where are you getting your information? And would you be interested in some facts?' Because to combat the false narratives out there, we all need to take part in conveying the truth-the lovely truth-about what a wonderful sport we have.” The post Berk Lighting a Path to Keep the Horse Up Front appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

For the fifth straight year, the European Pattern Committee has reduced the number of black-type races, which chair Jason Morris says, "reflects the collective responsibility that the EPC member countries share towards enforcing quality control."View the full article

Caitlin Courtney has been named the new Director of Sales at Denali Stud after eleven years working with St George Sales and Brookstone Farm. She succeeds Elizabeth Snellings who held the position for three years. “We are thrilled to have Caitlin join the team at Denali,” said Conrad Bandoroff. “She has extensive sales and industry experience, and we're looking forward to her bringing this skillset to Denali and our clients.” A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Courtney has grown up around the Thoroughbred industry and started working for St George Sales and Brookstone Farm after college. “I am really excited about this next chapter in my career at Denali Stud,” said Courtney. “I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have worked with Archie and Michelle for eleven years to help them grow into the operation that they are today and through their mentorship, I have gained a wealth of knowledge that will allow me to really excel in my new role. I appreciate all of the staff at their consignment and farm, and am looking forward to forming new relationships working with the staff and clients at Denali.” The post Caitlin Courtney Named Director of Sales at Denali Stud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A quintet of New York Sired/Bred's have been named finalists for Horse of the Year in the 2025 New York-bred Divisional Awards, announced by the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) on Tuesday. The Horse of the Year finalists are: Bank Frenzy (Central Banker), Doc Sullivan (Solomini), Braverthanubelieve (Honest Mischief), Twenty Six Black (War Dancer), Sunday Girl (Central Banker). Graded stakes winner and MGISP My Mane Squeeze (Audible) was named a finalist in both the Champion Older Dirt Female and Champion Female Sprinter categories. A panel of New York Turf writers, broadcasters, handicappers, racing analysts and photographers will vote on the winners of each division and the 2025 New York-bred Horse of the Year. The 2025 New York-bred divisional champions, New York-bred Horse of the Year and other honors, including the new New York-sired New York-bred of the Year, will be announced at the NYTB Awards Dinner sponsored by the New York Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund from 6:30-9 p.m. Monday, May 11. The awards ceremony includes a cocktail hour, silent auction, and plated dinner. Formal invitations to follow. “The New York-bred Divisional Awards are an opportunity to recognize the excellence, commitment, and talent that define New York breeding and racing,” said NYTB President Lere Visagie. “This year's nominees exemplify the strength of our program and the people behind it. We look forward to celebrating the connections, farms, and professionals whose work continues to elevate New York on a national stage. It promises to be a memorable evening for our entire industry.” Tickets are available–$150 for NYTB Members and $175 for non-members–for purchase at www.nytbreeders.org/events. Tables of 10 are also available for $1,350 for NYTB members. Also to be honored at the event with 2025 awards will be Broodmare of the Year, Trainer, Champion Jockey, Outstanding Breeder, New York Sire of the Year and New York Farm Manager of the Year. Applications for submission for the New York Farm Manager of the Year are available here. A list of the 2025 New York-bred divisional championship nominees by category follows. Champion 2-Year-Old Male: Arctic Beast, Bravaro, Jaxer, Spirit of New York, Sunday Boy Champion 2-Year-Old Filly: Braverthanubelieve, Iron Orchard, Letmecounttheways, Oh, She's Country Champion 3-Year-Old Male: Iron Dome, Mi Bago, Mo Plex, Out On Bail, River Thames, Train the Trainer Champion 3-Year-Old Filly: Bernieandtherose, Five G, Usha, Valtellina, Vehemente, Zi End Champion Older Dirt Male: Bank Frenzy, Doc Sullivan, Jak N Burny, The Wine Steward, Whatchatalkinabout Champion Older Dirt Female: Bernietakescharge, My Mane Squeeze, Sterling Silver, Sunday Girl, Zi End Champion Turf Male: Mi Bago, Out On Bail, Rhetorical, Spirit of St Louis, Twenty Six Black Champion Turf Female: Awesome Czech, Mommy's Turn, Moonage Daydream, Spinning Colors, Trail of Gold Champion Male Sprinter: Dancing Buck, Doc Sullivan, The Wine Steward, Twenty Six Black, Whatchatalkinabout Champion Female Sprinter: My Mane Squeeze, Sterling Silver, Sunday Girl, Usha, Landed New York-Sired New York-Bred of the Year: Bank Frenzy (Central Banker), Doc Sullivan (Solomini), Braverthanubelieve (Honest Mischief), Twenty Six Black (War Dancer), Sunday Girl (Central Banker) The post My Mane Squeeze, Bank Frenzy, Doc Sullivan Head 2025 New York-bred Divisional Championship Noms appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Last year a move to decouple Florida track/casinos from the requirement to conduct racing was passed in the Florida House, but a united horse group stopped it in the Florida Senate. The wolf was at the door and they got rid of it. This year the wolf is back. Churchill Downs says Fair Grounds without a casino will close. The wolf is at the door there too, and at every track without coupling. The coupling of tracks with casino/alternate gaming was a case of leverage. The casinos wanted in and racing used its political leverage to make it happen. Decoupling is a question of how long racing will have political leverage? Can we save live racing in states without coupling, like California? Yes. Live racing generates plenty of revenue, it just gets misappropriated. Last year, over $11 billion was bet on racing. If it all was bet at the tracks, live racing would have received about $2.2 billion. That kind of money can make or break many businesses, including live racing. Of the $2.2 billion up for grabs last year, only $550 million went to the host tracks, while $1.65 billion went to off-track bet takers. I believe more than $1.65 billion of off-track revenue is now going to the wrong people. I mean the off-track bet takers in and out of racing. They pay about 5% to live racing, but they keep 15%, just for taking the bets. That can change. What if live racing kept all of it? What if racing disrupted the off-track market and kept all of it? Technology says we can. Why can't our sport display a bit of “race riding” in the gambling market? We can amend the Interstate Horseracing Act (IHA) to deliver the full 20% takeout to the host tracks, and then pay a small commission to those taking off-track bets. That's how the lotteries work. They gross over $100 billion, pay 5% to gas stations and keep the rest. Racing can do the same. Technology is changing public behavior quickly. Ticketmaster changed us from paper tickets to phone digital entry overnight. What if Ticketmaster, or another company, took over off-track bets for the host tracks? If their fee was less than 5%, host tracks would receive over $1 billion in new money. This disruption in the gambling market could result in less handle for racing, but 20%, means live racing will net more money even if there was a 50% drop in handle. The IHA, written in 1978, has allowed off-track bet takers to gang up and drive down the price they pay host tracks. That's why host tracks get 5% and bet takers get 15%. We must amend the IHA to refocus the revenue on the live race produced, not where and how the bet is made. The host tracks are being starved of their own revenue by off-track bet takers. To be clear, the $1.65 billion going to bet takers is more than all of the purse money in North America ($1.1 billion). This new money to the host tracks will be in addition to coupling revenue. Combining the two means dramatic growth for live racing. Sports gambling is breaking all the rules. Prediction Market companies, like Kalshi, are barging into every state and cannibalizing the rest of the sports betting market. The big wagering companies, Fan Duel and Draft Kings, are planning far beyond racing. Their future is with the major sports and prediction markets. Every day the expenses to breed, train, feed and care for Thoroughbreds go Up. Every day the expenses to maintain and operate host racetracks go Up. Every day the expenses to take off-track bets go down. Look at the graph lines and decide which direction racing's political leverage should be applied. Right now, one party controls both houses of Congress and the presidency. Before anything changes, those with the means for political leverage can act for the racing's future. Track owners, the HBPA, THA and TOC need to look at the numbers and see the impact of amending the IHA to deliver all of the off-track takeout to the host tracks. I believe they will see more than $1 billion in new net revenue for them to split. The folks who stopped decoupling in Florida took direct action to save live racing there. Now they can join others and scale up for a national effort to amend the IHA and assure, by federal law, the protection of live racing's off-track revenue. John Gaines hired me to sell the concept of the Breeders' Cup to the industry. We started by lining up every major owner and breeder and published the growing list of names every week until those holding out were forced into support of what has become racing's biggest idea. Perhaps some leaders will step up now and start such a list to amend the IHA. As trainer D. Wayne Lukas said about his strategy to win, “Go to the front and stay there.” Amend the IHA and give live racing a chance to go to the front and stay. The post Letter to the Editor: Coupling, Decoupling and Disrupting appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article