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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Strawberries and cream. Chocolate and peanut butter. Horse racing and making movies? One of those is clearly not like the others, but Librado Barocio has managed to meld the two into a successful career, both behind the camera and, courtesy of the eight-year-old gelding Lovesick Blues, more recently in front of the camera. That's because he's been fielding numerous questions and granting frequent interviews about the horse that not only provided him with a maiden win at the Grade I level in the summer of 2025, but has also taken him and his team on the ride of a lifetime, first to Riyadh and now to Dubai, where Lovesick Blues will try to leave his mark on the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan Racecourse on Mar. 28. “For me, it's a blessing from God above. And it's a dream come true,” Barocio said. “The good Lord, he brought Lovesick into my life and he just opened the doors for me to see the world. I know in my life I would never have ventured to the Middle East for anything, but it's beautiful. It's eye opening, beautiful. I'm just very fortunate to be in the position I am in.” Having grown up in the Bay Area of Northern California, Barocio attended college at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), where he played football. But the gridiron was never likely to offer more than near-term fulfillment. “In the evening, we were going to an acting class there,” Barocio explained. “So that was what my goal was and I did some acting stuff, but then I got into the UCLA film school, learned the art of film-making. I was a film-maker and then horses. I did some acting stuff, but then I got into the UCLA film school, learned the art of film-making.” And, known as Lee Librado ('an agent said it was much easier for people to pronounce'), he found some success in that line of work. “I just said to myself, “You know what? I'm not going to depend on anyone else to hire me,” Barocio explained. 'I'm just going to make my own movies.' So I was able to raise some financing and we made a string of movies that did well and then that's kind of like what catapulted me there. ” It was more than a little fortuitous that Barocio, whose heritage is part-Mexican and part-Italian, found his way into the horse racing business. His cousin's fiance was an ex-jockey turned trainer, who talked Barocio into taking a piece of a horse. Owning and racing horses helped recreate some of the adrenaline he felt as a collegiate athlete. “He said, 'Hey, I'm training horses, you should come and check it out.' So I went, because the film business is up and down and most of it's down. There's a lot of highs and lows. And during one of those lows, I happened to go there and he talked to me to buying a horse with him. “We ran the horse and when that horse was coming down the stretch, that was the first time I ever felt like that was me back on the football field,” he said. “And I just kind of hit me like, 'Whoa!' That excitement, that feeling of living vicariously through that horse.” A licensed trainer since 1999, Barocio had never got his hand on that 'big horse' and when he acquired Lovesick Blues from breeder Nick Alexander after finishing down the field in a minor race in the summer of 2024, it seemed the roughest of rough chances that the gray gelding would scale those sorts of heights. But that he has. In eight starts for Barocio, Lovesick Blues has two wins, two seconds and a third, all in stakes competition and capped by an 18-1 boilover in the Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar, his first elite-level success. He was forced to come from a mile back, but ran with credit behind likely Golden Shaheen favorite Bentornato (Valiant Minister) in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint (sixth) and last time to Imagination (Good Magic) in the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint on Feb. 14 (fifth). Barocio said that Lovesick Blues, recently named 2025 California-bred Horse of the Year, was due to work Saturday morning at Meydan. “I'm probably going to probably breeze him out of the gate because I'm trying to get some more early speed into him, just to get him more on the bit. I'm making some tweaks,” Barocio said. Reached via text Saturday evening Dubai time, the conditioner reported that Lovesick Blues went a half-mile from the starting stalls in :48 1/5. “I love the way he did it and my rider says he is doing better than ever.” If Barocio can work a little magic over the course of the next couple of weeks, it could, indeed, be an ending befitting a Hollywood screenplay. “I've kind of played for nothing and won some major stakes in Southern California,” he said. “You got to make your future. You got to make it happen. Otherwise, no one's going to hand it to you.” So the stage is set. And Librado (or Lee, if you will) Barocio and Lovesick Blues are more than ready to be one of the star turns of Dubai World Cup night. The post Barocio In Search Of Hollywood Ending With Lovesick Blues appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
From the outside looking in, Rachel Arnold had everything going for her. Married in her early 20s, she received certification as a veterinary technician, secured her bachelor's degree from Auburn University, followed by her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine, and had welcomed her son into the world. But inwardly, each step forward in Arnold's personal life and career was fueled by a need to prove that she had grown beyond a childhood of trauma which stemmed from a contentious relationship with her father. In spite of her professional and educational success, Arnold struggled with a secret drug addiction. In her early teens, Arnold was first prescribed anti-anxiety medication. By the time she was 15, Arnold was hooked on pills and also began drinking. By the age of 17, she had escalated to using stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamines. “I've always had anxiety and struggled with it. But with all of the trauma from my father, I would give anything to feel normal. When I started taking the pills, I felt like I could breathe. You have zero control over things when you're a kid. You just want to be a kid,” said Arnold. “I thought I was managing and functioning fairly well. I didn't see what I was really doing, not just to myself, but to others.” After being diagnosed with Addison's disease and Neurological Lyme disease, Arnold fell further into the toxic cycle of drug use in an attempt to cope. In the meantime, the façade began to fracture, as Arnold and her husband divorced, which resulted in less time spent with her son, and she made the move from Alabama back to her home state of Kentucky. Rachel with Maracuja at Taylor Made Farm | courtesy of Rachel Arnold By the age of 34, Arnold was falling in and out of abusive relationships, mixed with unsuccessful trips through rehabilitation programs, and had experienced quite a few run-ins with law enforcement. Though there were many instances of feeling like she'd hit her lowest point, it was the day that Arnold was faced with the reality of potentially losing her son for good that shook her from the substance-induced haze. “His dad, who has always given me chance after chance, said, 'If this doesn't get better, you won't see him.' Knowing that I would lose [my son], that was it for me. I was facing a lot of time [in prison], and the fact that I had so many things amended down, that was huge. It was like someone was giving me this huge opportunity and all I had to do was take it,” said Arnold. “Never have I ever felt peace like I did when I was arrested. I was at the point where I didn't have anywhere to live and I was constantly struggling to feed my addiction. I'll never forget that feeling, it was like an out-of-body experience, thinking, 'Wow, maybe I'll have a chance this time.'” Arnold's official sobriety date is May 19, 2022 and February of the following year, she was referred to the Stable Recovery program. After working her way through many other rehabilitation programs, Arnold thought she'd seen it all, until she set foot on Taylor Made Farm. Though she was the only female in the program at the time, Arnold never felt out of place. Instead, she once again felt a profound sense of peace. “This program helps you learn how to live sober, not just get sober. The level of care and compassion that these people show is second to none,” said Arnold. “The first time I came in, I remember sitting in a morning meditation session where everything felt so calm. I watched the sun rise in this beautiful place, knowing this experience was being gifted to me, and I thought, 'I'm doing this.'” Stable Recovery also brought Arnold back to her roots by reconnecting her with horses and reminding her why she had originally pursued a career as a veterinarian. From relearning the hands-on basics to working more closely with the broodmares, Arnold rediscovered what it was like to work and live with purpose. Along the way, she developed a special fondness for Maracuja (Honor Code), a graded stakes-winning broodmare residing at Taylor Made. “I absolutely loved her. She could be kind of spicy and I really liked that about her, but she was such a sweet soul. I really enjoyed all of my time that I spent [at Taylor Made]. After that, I went to Spy Coast Farm and worked with Julie, the vet there,” said Arnold. “Working with the horses is something I clung to. Just having them around helps. I realized I didn't need the drugs or alcohol, I could breathe without it, and that's something I had been searching for all of my life.” Arnold graduated from the Stable Recovery program in 2024 and holds the honor of being the program's first female legacy graduate, marking her completion of a full year at Stable Recovery. “It's pretty incredible to sit back and see that we now have another female legacy graduate and one more coming up. I'm so proud of these women,” said Arnold. Women like Arnold served as inspiration for the Stable Recovery Women's Program at Spy Coast Farm, launched in September 2025, which provides women in recovery the chance to learn and grow within the sport horse industry while working to overcome addiction. Rachel at Taylor Made Farm | courtesy of Rachel Arnold Since her graduation from Stable Recovery, Arnold has had her veterinarian license reinstated, restarted her career, reconnected with her family, and relocated to Virginia to live closer to her son, who she now sees regularly. However, her most progressive step forward in recovery was taken when she came face-to-face with her father, a figure who has been the major source of pain and trauma for Arnold. “I found out he overdosed. He was on a ventilator for two weeks and they didn't think he was going to make it. During that time, I decided to go down there and see him. I felt that it was finally time to take that step. He was in a medically induced coma at the time, so my fear was manageable, and I was able to forgive him and find that closure that I never expected was possible,” said Arnold. “I know that if it weren't for God and this program, I wouldn't have been able to do that. The peace I have about it now is such a gift. My father is [currently] recovering and I'm actually able to be happy about it. My boundaries will remain, but I'm happy he's okay.” After spending the majority of her life in fight or flight mode, constantly at war with herself to prove her worth while simultaneously avoiding reality through substance abuse, Arnold is now grounded. And she's perfectly content with that. “I think that's the key, being vulnerable enough so you can figure out what it is you're missing, what you need, and how being sober can get you there. Being sober is everything. Without it, you have nothing.” Stable Recovery is a recovery housing program in Lexington, Kentucky that offers men and women in the early stages of recovery access to 12-step meetings, life skills training and-through the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship-the opportunity to develop a trade in the equine field. To learn more about Stable Recovery, click here. The post The Road Back: ‘Being Sober Is Everything’ – Arnold Reflects On Time in Stable Recovery As Program’s First Female Legacy Graduate appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Jay Rooney RED SEA - R10 (3) Should improve on his first-up third and can take advantage of gate one Owen Goulding NYX GLUCK - R4 (1) Keen goer will appreciate a drop in trip and class to salute again Olivia O'Sullivan TURQUOISE VELOCITY - R6 (10) Has started his career in style and can win again Phillip Woo HAPPY UNIVERSE - R5 (7) Can win after an eye-catching second last start at his initial dirt run Shannon (Vincent Wong) TURQUOISE VELOCITY - R6 (10) He should go close to posting...View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Angus Gold is the man in the hotseat for the latest edition of TDN Conversations as he joins Emma Berry in Newmarket to chat about some of his most memorable times in the business and a busy year ahead. From Nashwan to Nayef, Battaash to Baaeed, Gold has had the inside track on some of the great names of the turf during his time as racing manager for Shadwell and this year he embarks on his 40th year in that role “I was very wet behind the ears,” he says of his early years working for the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum. “There were some incredible people. For me to be able to work with and learn off Dick Hern – as unbelievable a trainer as I ever came across – and Tom Jones, Barry Hills, John Dunlop, Michael Jarvis and on later to Michael Stoute and now John Gosden and William Haggas, it's been an incredible experience for me because every trainer has different methods. “It may only be little things that are different, but you never stop learning. And for me to go and have mornings with them on the gallops and hear why they're doing something, and to share little tidbits with them, it's been a huge privilege for me to have worked with them. “And obviously, there's been some really good horses – Nashwan, Unfuwain, Dayjur, Salsabil – we were very lucky in those early days. “If I could start every day on the gallops – 5.30 on a summer morning, there's nothing like that.” Please click below to listen to the full podcast, which is kindly sponsored by Saracen Horse Feeds. https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Angus-Gold-Conversations_v1.mp3 The post Angus Gold Joins TDN Conversations with Emma Berry appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
Mick boots races the horse Newmarket. ( the leading Partner in Swayzee) Bootsie was already racing it in NZ with Nathan last year and got him to campaign her in Brisbane last Winter for some big races. 4 starts where she won 3 and was 3rd in the Group 1 Oaks , after a poor drive by Nathan. This year she was always going to come back to Australia in the Summer, to tackle the Queen of the Pacific at Melton and the Chariots of Fire Group 1's . She won them both and over $300,000 this year in oz with 6 starts for 6 wins. before running 5th tonight. Pretty sure Mick Boots has other horses with Nathan as well. He is using over 30 trainers all around Oz and NZ at the present moment. he's a great supporter of mid level trainers as well as top-line ones.
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