Wandering Eyes

James McDonald has been booked to ride Beauty Bolt in next month’s Classic Mile as the world’s best jockey prepares for another shot at history with champion galloper Romantic Warrior. Beauty Bolt’s owners, the Kwok family, swooped on McDonald after eight-time Hong Kong champion Zac Purton opted to ride Sagacious Life in the first leg of the four-year-old series. One of seven rides under consideration by Purton, the Tony Cruz-trained Beauty Bolt has finished in the first four in all seven local...View the full article

As it did in 2025, a Florida House of Representatives bill seeking to decouple racing and gaming licenses for Thoroughbred operators unsurprisingly passed its first committee.View the full article

A decision over a 2026 fair meet race-date proposal before the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) was punted unanimously to a single-discussion meeting in February (the date yet to be decided) after last-minute reshuffling of the chairs behind the scenes led to an at-times contentious meeting Wednesday. The original proposal outlined 19 race weeks this summer between three different fair tracks: six racing weeks at Tehama District Fair, six racing weeks at Alameda County Fair, and seven racing weeks at Humboldt County Fair. The meeting agenda packet included either a signed live race agreement or a memorandum of understanding between the three fair associations and Bernal Park Racing Management Company (BPRMC), headed by long-time owner-breeder George Schmitt. However, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) weighed into the matter Tuesday, issuing a letter to Schmitt saying they could not approve the proposal. “After a thorough review, we have determined that the current statutory framework does not provide authority for CDFA to approve the proposed structure. Food and Agriculture Code §4058 envisions entities formed by fairs or similar public organizations, and existing provisions do not contemplate private entities leasing racetrack facilities for the purpose of conducting live horse racing meetings. Additionally, related statutes impose restrictions that would prevent implementation of the proposal as submitted,” the letter states. This prompted representatives of BPRMC and the fairs to scramble together a revised proposal for the board to decide upon, shrinking their originally allotted dates down to a four-week window each. The new set of proposed dates would see the following: Tehama District Fair, Red Bluff: April 29 – May 26, 9 Racing Days Alameda County Fair, Pleasanton: June 17 – July 14, 12 Racing Days Humboldt County Fair, Ferndale: August 5 – September 1, 12 Racing Days Moving forward, it's the individual fair associations that will be the licensees applying for the race dates and submitting the race-meet applications, rather than Bernal Park doing so–something that was made unclear in the proposal. These developments were so last minute, CHRB staff hadn't had time to make the CDFA letter nor the revised fair race-dates schedule publicly available online beforehand. These eleventh-hour maneuvers also irked CHRB staff, voiced in no uncertain fashion by CHRB executive director Scott Chaney, who also vented his frustration at what he described as ongoing legal and financial question marks over the organizational structure of the proposed race meets. “Staff is tired. We have not had the opportunity to evaluate this brand new proposal. Frankly, the last one was sent less than 24 hours from when we were going to notice this meeting. In retrospect, I think agendizing the item in my view was a mistake. So, I just need to let the board know that staff cannot recommend considering a date allocation today simply because we have had not even close to adequate time to evaluate this proposal,” said Chaney. CHRB chairman Greg Ferraro agreed with a separate suggestion to put onto the calendar a February meeting to discuss this item alone, with a view to giving the fairs time to get their race-meet applications in (if indeed the board approves their race-date proposals). The next scheduled CHRB meeting was not until March. The typical race-meet application deadline is 90 days before the meet starts, though waivers have been granted in the past. Ferraro, however, was similarly exasperated by the behind-the-scenes scrambling just before Wednesday's meeting, and he gave the fair associations and the Bernal Park representatives a stern warning to get their proposals in order before February's meeting. “I would tell the three counties, get your paperwork together. Get your plan together. Get your finances together. Make everything very clear. We're going to check on the legality [of the proposals], because I'm not convinced we're not violating some kind of law,” Ferraro said. Proponents of a renewed racing program in the North argue it's needed to better support a NorCal breeding industry, as well as to provide better opportunities to keep and lure back horses to the state. A recent TDN analysis of the fate of former NorCal horsemen and women since the closure of Pleasanton for Thoroughbred stabling in March found that a significant number of barns had either left the state or called it quits altogether. The overall impression among barns that maintained a footprint in the state was one of an average 50% decline in both earnings and starts. On the flip side, proponents of the current consolidated program argue this existing system is needed to shore up the fragile California racing industry as a whole. Any overlapping calendar in the North, they say, would siphon off and dilute valuable resources (both equine and financial) needed to maintain recent upticks in things like purses and field size in the South. In terms of potential last revenues for the South, several speakers described as the “elephant in the room” the proposal to give the fairs “host-fee” status on 12 of their proposed race dates, four dates at each track. If the race dates are approved and the Northern fairs are granted host-fee status on those days, that could prove a significant loss to Southern California racing entities at a time when they're already struggling with purses that can't compete with other jurisdictions whose purses are heavily juiced by purse supplements. David Elliott, CEO of Bernal Park Racing, argued that Southern California would still retain the bulk of the host-fee race dates, and that the allotment of host fees to Northern California fair dates was needed to give stakeholders there a financial shot in the arm. “Southern California will still be the recipient of host fees for 40 weeks,” said Elliott. “We're just asking for 12 [days] and allowing us the opportunity to create some racing opportunities for owners that can't compete anymore and those folks that have left the state as well.” Sarah Andrew While the matter of who the race-meet licensees will be has been resolved, there still appear to be key funding and organizational discrepancies that need to be rectified before February's CHRB meeting. Benjamin Dickens, counsel for Bernal Park Racing, attempted to quell fears among board members about the financial aspect of the proposal (especially in light of the CDFA's letter). While Bernal Park Racing–a key funding mechanism for the proposed race meets–is not a nonprofit, “it will operate in such a fashion,” said Dickens. “Any profits that are realized by Bernal Park will be flowed back to the licensee counties and any losses will be absorbed by Bernal Park,” he added. Bernal Park has also apparently already invested $104,217 in track improvements to the Tehama County track to bring it up to par with state and federal safety requirements. Tehama County hasn't hosted an official race meet for decades. Chaney, however, maintained that there remains several key legal question marks hanging over the live race agreements or the MOUs between the fair associations and Bernal Park Racing, which appear to describe a profit-sharing mechanism between the relevant parties. “I think my attorneys probably want another look at the two operating agreements that you seem to have with the fairs plus the MOU with Alameda County Fair because there's lots of holes in them,” said Chaney. “I've thought of 10 questions that I'm sure the attorneys want to ask between now and next time that the board wants to consider dates.” As he wrapped up the agenda it–which ran for over 80 minutes, many of them characterized by pointed frustrations on both sides–Ferraro warned the NorCal stakeholders of the import of their request at a time when the future of the state racing industry has arguably never been shakier. “I hope you understand that failure is not an option. If you fail, you could bring the whole of California racing to an end,” Ferraro said. “We can't afford failure. It has to be successful.” The post CHRB Punts to February 2026 NorCal Fair Dates Decision appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

As it did in 2025, a Florida House of Representatives bill seeking to decouple racing and gaming licenses for Thoroughbred operators unsurprisingly passed its first committee.View the full article

Expressing concerns that it could not responsibly approve fair Northern California race dates amid unresolved legal, regulatory, and logistical issues, the CHRB agreed to reconvene next month to consider allocating race dates for several fairs.View the full article

'Winning Strategies', a three-part professional development series created to support women navigating leadership, communication, and decision-making in today's Thoroughbred industry, will be offered by the Horse Racing Women's Association (HRWA) in three virtual sessions over the next three months. The sessions, each 90 minutes long, are available to HRWA members exclusively and center on practical leadership tools and peer connections. Session one is entitled 'Claiming the Reins–Leading With Confidence' and is set for Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific Time. Session Two, 'Voices Unbridled–Boundaries, Balance and Growth' takes place Feb. 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT and the final session, 'In the Stretch–Strategic Leadership Lab' is scheduled for Mar. 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT. The series is facilitated by Amy Brin, MSN, MA, PCNS-BC, a nationally recognized leadership strategist with more than 20 years of experience guiding executives and organizations through change. In 2024, Brin entered the Thoroughbred industry as Interim Executive Director of Light Up Racing, bringing her background in healthcare leadership, nonprofit governance, and coalition-building into the racing space. Click here to join HRWA. The post HRWA To Kick Off ‘Winning Strategies’ Series Jan. 29 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Jonny Turner The Group 3 Pryde’s Easifeed Southern Lights Trot is coming along at the perfect time for Princess Sadie. The Oamaru mare is set to start favourite ($2.40FF) for the Northern Southland Trotting Club feature at Ascot Park today (7.34pm) largely due to her front-line handicap. Earlier in her career, punters may not have been keen to take up short odds on Princess Sadie in a 2700m Group event. While she was known as a speedster as she competed with plenty of merit in top-class age-group events, a lot has changed since then for the Matthew Williamson-trained mare. “She has definitely got stronger as she has got older, but also I think she’s probably going as well now as she ever has,” Williamson said. “Probably the last couple of months or six weeks or so, she just seems to be thriving.” As well as her continued progression, a creditable fourth behind top-liners Mr Love and Muscle Mountain shows 2700m is nothing to fear for Princess Sadie. “She went a good race in the David Moss Stakes, so the distance isn’t a worry.” “That was a harder field too.” “That is not to say this race will be easy. With the small field, it will be tactical, and on their best day you could say just about any horse could win it.” Princess Sadie’s front-line handicap gives her a 15m head-start over her key rivals and the Southern Lights second favourite, Hidden Talent. Trained by Williamson’s brother Nathan, Hidden Talent made a surprise error at her last start on grass at Cromwell after her nice second at the recent Harness 5000. Known as something of a speed demon herself, Thursday’s small field of six runners looks to play into the seven-year-old’s hands. Usually driven with one last shot, Hidden Talent has the speed to be rounding up her rivals late. Williamson has a full book of 10 drives at Northern Southland’s twilight meeting at Ascot Park. While few of his chances look like clear-cut favourites, he combines with plenty of strong each-way chances. “The Greek Freak looks a nice chance, he’s got the manners now and it looks like another suitable race for him.” “Anita Mary would be another nice each-way chance.” “Rise Up N Dance would be too even from the wider draw.” “If he can bring his manners, Mister would be another handy hope — he went quite good at Cromwell.” Williamson also links up with Shergar, Jordan Anne and Southside Of Heaven, who all look top-four hopes. Kairaki Vegas and Pacific Arc look to be the reinsman’s rougher chances. View the full article

Groundhog Day isn't for another 2 1/2 weeks, but when a Florida House of Representatives subcommittee on Wednesday debated a newly retooled version of previously controversial decoupling legislation that is being pushed by Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs, there was a distinct flavor of deja vu in the Tallahassee state house. Just like in 2025, a similar group of legislators on the House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee were considering essentially the same proposed bill that would allow either of Florida's two Thoroughbred tracks to cease live racing while retaining their gaming rights. And just like last year, when a version of his decoupling measure ended up getting passed in the House but not the Senate, its same sponsor, Rep. Adam Anderson, claimed his goal of decoupling was to actually “support” the Thoroughbred industry. During Jan. 14 testimony in support of HB 881, Anderson highlighted how this year's updated version of his bill would require the tracks to give notice of racing suspension as of July 1, 2027, with racing required to continue for at least three years after that notice of intent got filed. In almost exact carbon-copy fashion as 12 months ago, Thoroughbred industry participants and several legislators sympathetic to the concerns of stakeholders fired back with reams of impressive economic-impact statistics, impassioned stories about their love of horses and the importance of continuing multi-generational family legacies involved in the sport. Additionally, horsemen once again articulated how they feel their trust is being abused by track operators who, decades ago, leveraged the support of the racing community to establish a gaming-at-tracks paradigm that Gulfstream and Tampa now want to abandon by having the option to walk away from hosting horse races while retaining the benefits of the respective slot-machine and card-room privileges that the partnership of horsemen made possible. To be sure, there were also the same queries of confusion by some legislators who, year after year, find it difficult to grasp the complex inner workings of how horse racing meshes with the overall gaming landscape, which in Florida is intricately linked by intertwined requirements involving a state compact with an Indian Tribe, various pari-mutuel statutes, local referendums and commission-level oversight. Thus, given the repetitive, cyclical nature of all of the above, it was not surprising that the end result of Wednesday's voting ended up with the same result as last year, as the House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee reported HB 881 as “favorable.” Just like last year, a nearly identical companion bill has been filed in the Florida Senate, but it has yet to come up before a committee for a recommendation either way. After the hearing, a press release from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA), termed the vote an “expected outcome.” Lonny Powell, the FTBOA's chief executive officer, added that, “The bill has a long path ahead and we will continue making the case for Florida's Thoroughbred industry at every opportunity.” Powell wasn't kidding about the “long path” prediction. All of this happened on just day three of the House's 2026 session, which is scheduled to go at least until Mar. 13. HB 881 must next clear the House Commerce Committee, where it is up for consideration with no hearing date yet posted. Racing and breeding stakeholders have fought Florida's looming threat of decoupling almost since right after Gulfstream and Tampa first got gaming two decades ago. On Wednesday, at least to those within the horse industry, the descriptions of the decoupling bill by its sponsor, Anderson, had to have resonated as a mind-boggling array of double-speak. “The whole intention of this legislation is to ensure that live racing does not end,” Anderson said. With specific regard to a committee member's question about how decoupling might affect live racing at Tampa, Anderson postulated that, “we don't believe there will be any impact at all to Tampa Bay Downs.” Asked a similar question about Gulfstream, Anderson replied, “this bill is providing [a] pathway to preserve the industry” that “guarantees racing into the future.” Powell, who said he was testifying on behalf of not just the FTBOA but of all of the united horsemen-supported spheres of influence in the state, told legislators not to buy what he alleged was Anderson's intentional use of opaque language. “Though it may be said this [bill] does good for the Thoroughbred industry, what that means, as presented so far, [is] 'good for the Thoroughbred racetracks,'” Powell said. “As far as the horse people, it's not good. We oppose it. We oppose it just like we did last year. Decoupling is just, simply, not being committed to live racing, [and] the revenue share that used to go to the horse people gets kept by the racetracks,” Powell said. “You'll hear much more about the destruction of decoupling,” Powell forewarned. “You heard it all last session.” Powell told the committee members that when Anderson spoke of purported flexibility in the form of the bill's options to transfer racetrack permits, what the sponsor was really trying to do was execute a legislative strategy based on “permit confusion.” “It's an attempt to toss out lots of 'shining-star' options,” Powell explained. “However, they're all extremely speculative. Does anybody really know, especially as we try to look at the wording, which is not clear, are these certain options? Are these even realistic or even possible, [and] are they even viable economically?” Two committee members were clearly on the side of horsemen in opposing the legislation. One was Rep. Yvonne Hinson, whose district includes part of Marion County, the heart of Florida's Thoroughbred breeding and horse-raising territory. “Decoupling is a multi-billion-dollar threat to Florida's world-renowned Thoroughbred legacy,” Hinson said, echoing nearly verbatim arguments she made before the very same committee last year. “I beg you all not to destroy five or six generations of the Florida equine industry.” Another was Rep. Angie Nixon, whose district is in the northeast part of the state. “I believe in honoring contracts, especially contracts with voters. The casinos wouldn't have even been established if not for the races and the Thoroughbred owners. And so it doesn't make sense that now they can kind of be pushed out of the deal, so to speak,” Nixon said. No executives from either Gulfstream or Tampa spoke during the public testimony portion of the hearing. In summation of his bill just prior to the committee's vote, Anderson was given the floor one final time to make closing remarks. “It appears that most of the concerns here with this legislation is what the potential impacts could be if racing ceases in the state of Florida. Those are concerns that we are addressing in this bill,” Anderson said. “So I want to remind everyone that today, there is nothing that requires a track to continue racing. Today, any Thoroughbred racing permit-holder could stop racing tomorrow if they want, which would send shock waves reverberating through the industry, and would, in fact, cause a lot of the concerns that were being brought up today in public testimony,” Anderson said. “So I remind everyone of the provisions that we add in here: The transferability of licenses, to ensure that the industry can continue in the free market, [and] the four years of visibility and notice that doesn't exist today,” Anderson said. “Four years should be enough time if there is a Thoroughbred permit-holder that wants to get out of the industry. For whatever reason it is, that's enough time for the industry to adjust, enough time to transfer that permit, enough time to ensure that racing continues,” Anderson said. The bill then got reported favorably by the subcommittee by what appeared to be at least a 10-6 margin. (Several voice votes were inaudible during the roll call, and the Florida legislature's web page for the bill had not posted the official vote tally prior to deadline for this story.) The post Just Like Last Year, Decoupling Bill Clears Same Florida Subcommittee In First Legislative Hearing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a half-brother to Ace Impact. 12.23 Cagnes-Sur-Mer, Debutantes, 2yo, c/g, 10f (AWT) ARMANO (FR) (Waldgeist {GB}) is the seventh foal out of the remarkable Absolutly Me (Anabaa Blue), which makes him a half-brother to Cracksman's illustrious son Ace Impact who was the winner of this in 2023 before it was renamed in his honour. Bidding to make it a third win in the race for the dam's progeny after the subsequent Prix Royal-Oak hero Arrow Eagle in 2024, Waltraut Spanner's Jean-Claude Rouget-trained homebred meets the Wertheimers' Frankish (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a Yann Barberot-trained son of the 1,000 Guineas heroine Miss France (Dansili). Armano is also looking to add to Jean-Claude Rouget's tally in this, with the stable's eventual Grand Prix de Paris hero Leffard continuing the trend 12 months ago. The post Armano Follows In His Half-Brother Ace Impact’s Steps appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Edited Press Release The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (ITBA) will reach its centenary on January 15, 2026. A brief history and major milestones of the organisation are below. Founded in January of 1926 as the Bloodstock Breeders Association of Ireland, the inaugural council was led by president Peter Fitzgerald and supported by Frank Barbour, Ernest Bellaney, Col. Ar. Blake, Isidore Blake, Capt. J. Cecil Brodie, Major J. Scarvell Cape, D.J. Cogan, Capt. Bernard Daly, S.C. Dawson, Major T.G.C. Gerard, W.P. Gill, J.W.A. Harrie, Albert Lowry, J.J. Maher, F.B. O'Toole, Senator J.J. Parkinson, G. Smithwick, J.C. Sullivan and C.T. Wallis, with F.S. Myerscough as the honorary secretary. Courtesy of the BBA of Ireland, there was a formal definition of an Irish-bred horse in 1943. The call for a national stud in 1944 demonstrated an understanding of the infrastructure required for longevity of the industry. The Association's engagement with the Government on transport conditions, effects of World War II, and its support for breeders during outbreaks of Foot and Mouth in the 1940s and strangles in the 1960s, reflected a readiness to assist Irish breeders when the industry was most vulnerable. For many years, The Irish Horse served as the Association's annual record—a publication that combined statistics, pedigrees, stallion fertility figures, and international reports with photographs and commentary. Discussions around an Irish Equine Research Centre in 1979 reflected a growing awareness of the scientific and veterinary demands of a modern breeding landscape. In 1975, the BBA of Ireland moved to its current location outside Goffs in Co Kildare and a few years later in 1981, the Association became known as the ITBA, with the amalgamation of the Irish Bloodstock Breeders Association and the Thoroughbred Mares Owners Association. For anyone with an interest in tracing the history of the Association, past records and minutes of the meetings are available to view on request—a reminder that the story of Irish breeding has always been shaped not only by great horses, but by the people and structures that supported them. For more information, visit the ITBA website. The post ITBA Celebrates 100th Anniversary On Thursday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The finalists for the 2026 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, sponsored by Godolphin, were revealed on Wednesday. The finalists will head to Ascot Racecourse for the ceremony, hosted by ITV Racing's Ed Chamberlin on February 23 after a final round of judging earlier in the day. The finalists for each category are: Newcomer Award Emma Skerritt – Richenda Ford Freddie Wilks – Charlie Johnston Poppy Hatton – Folland-Bowen Bloodstock Leadership Award Carrie Sanderson – Karl Burke Claire Freeman – Dan Skelton Louisa Allen – Jim Boyle Rider / Racing Groom Award Ellie Jefferson – Christian Williams Kieran Kourdache – Karl Burke Michelle Kramer – Paul Nicholls Stud Award Dayna Walsh – Tweenhills James Goddard – Chasemore Farm Oleh Ihnatenko – Whitsbury Manor Stud Dedication Award Christopher Pattenden – Diana Grissell Derek Snaith – Charlie Fellowes Helen Halliwell – James Fanshawe Community Award Anna Collins – Chester Racecourse Geraldine Jones – Godolphin Hayley Clements – Micky Hammond Brant Dunshea, acting chief executive of the BHA, said, “My congratulations to this year's finalists, who are truly worthy of this accolade. The 2026 ceremony promises to be another memorable occasion as we celebrate the very best of British racing and breeding. “Everyone who was nominated, made the shortlists or got through to the final 18 should be immensely proud. You are all fitting representatives of the many individuals, yards, studs and communities across the country who make our wonderful industry the success it is. “A huge thank you to our sponsors Godolphin, our award partners at the Racing Post, Racing TV and Ascot Racecourse, and of course to our esteemed judging panel – who no doubt have the toughest job.” The post TIEA Finalists for 2026 Revealed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It was a good year for the new management team at the Maryland racetracks, where the average daily handle at Laurel was up 13.49 percent and average per-race handle increased by 14.29 percent. To talk about what went right for Maryland racing last year, the future of the GI Preakness Stakes, the decision to form a circuit with Colonial Downs, and to report on the rebuild of Pimlico, Bill Knauf, the president and general manager of the nonprofit Maryland Jockey Club, joined the team for this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. Knauf was the Gainesway Guest of the Week. “It was a really great first year for us,” he said. “When our new organization took over Jan. 1, we weren't quite sure what to expect. We started off a little slowly in January. I think, at the time, there was a lot of uncertainty about what Laurel was going to bring and what Maryland racing was going to bring. Then we really got some nice momentum going for the rest of the year. Because we shut down for two months in the summer, there was a substantial date reduction. We decided that when we race, let's put big fields out there. Let's put competitive fields out there. We chose to focus on some bets, like the 12 percent low-takeout Pick Five. We were doing some online handicapping contests. So there was a lot of focus after we could set the product the right way.” When it came to Laurel, Knauf and his team decided to focus even more heavily on grass racing. According to statistics from Horse Racing Nation, Laurel Park ranked third in the nation in the number of turf races run in 2025, behind only Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park. From Apr. 1 to the close of the turf season on Thanksgiving Day, Laurel Park carded the most turf races of any racetrack in North America. “We have a fantastic turf course,” Knauf said. “I stepped into one of the largest in the country. Our turf maintenance guys do a fantastic job. So shout out to them. We've got six running lanes and that's a luxury. When I came here, I honestly didn't realize how big the turf course was. The turf course can really take quite a beating, and it really wasn't until the very end of November that we felt like we had to stop because it was in such great condition. The other part of it is that we have a natural break by not running in July and August, which means we can open it up in April and can run pretty strong on it until June. We can give it a nice two-month break, recuperate, and then come back and go September to November.” Laurel stopped racing for two months in the summer after a deal was worked out with Colonial Downs. The two Mid-Atlantic region tracks had been going head-to-head during those months, which was an unhealthy situation. Knauf said that the Colonial decision worked out well for the Maryland tracks. “It's a true point,” Knauf said when asked about the glut of tracks in the Mid-Atlantic region. “I think a lot of people recognize that. We started down the path with Colonial, and I also think that trying to work in conjunction with Delaware Park also makes sense. During our break, our horsemen actually ran just as much, if not more, at Delaware than they did at Colonial. I can't speak for Delaware, but I think it's a natural fit, as well. It's just trying to get to that point where we all can agree on when to run or when not to run and what the long-term focus should be. We can live without racing in July and August.” The “Fastest Horse of the Week” was One Nine Hundred (Dialed In), who earned a 104 Beyer figure after taking an allowance race at Aqueduct Jan. 9. The Fastest Horse of the Week segment is sponsored by WinStar, which stands the red-hot sire Constitution. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the PHBA, 1/ST TV, the KTOB and West Point Thoroughbreds, Randy Moss, Bill Finley and Zoe Cadman discussed the latest problems at Monmouth Park and recapped remarks John Sikura made on the prior week's edition of the podcast, in which he called on the Breeders' Cup to offer financial assistance to the struggling California racing industry. The team also looked at some of the potential 3-year-old stars who have run during the early weeks of 2026 and previewed Saturday's GIII Lecomte Stakes at the Fair Grounds, which carries Derby points. Click here, to listen to the Writers' Room podcast. To view the podcast as a video, click here. The post Maryland Jockey Club’s Bill Knauf Joins The TDN Writers’ Room Podcast Presented By Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The dual Louisiana-bred Horse of the Year from 2022 and 2024, Free Like a Girl (El Deal–Flashy Prize, by Flashy Bull), was euthanized after a recent trailer accident. The story was first reported on Tuesday, Jan. 13 by the Daily Racing Form. The all-time highest earner in the Pelican state's history with over $2.5-million, Free Like a Girl made 55 starts and got her picture taken on 21 occasions. The $5,500 Equine Sales of Louisiana Yearling Sale grad was owned by Gerald Bruno, Carl Deville, Jerry Caroom and Chasey Deville Pomier, who also trained her. Free Like a Girl ran third in the GIII Iowa Oaks then served as the runner-up in the GIII Charles Town Oaks and GIII Remington Park Oaks during her 3-year-old campaign. Almost exclusively a stakes competitor moving forward, the race mare was incredibly consistent versus state breds as she recorded 18 black-type wins, but she also took on graded company where she was second in the GI Fasig-Tipton La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs in 2024 and the runner-up to Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) in the GI Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park in 2025. After a runner-up finish in the Magnolia Stakes at Delta Downs Oct. 11, the 7-year-old was retired and according to the DRF article was set to visit Into Mischief for the 2026 breeding season. By El Deal, Free Like a Girl has an unraced full-brother named Flashy Rich Deal, who was made the $150,000 topper by Landon Jordan of Mansfield Racing during the 2024 Texas Yearling Sale at Lone Star Park. The post Dual Louisiana-Bred Horse Of The Year Free like A Girl Passes Away appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bob Duncan, whose career spans better than 50 years at the tracks of the New York Racing Association (NYRA), will be honored with a Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence during the Resolute Racing Eclipse Award ceremonies at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday, Jan. 22. The award recognizes Duncan's horsemanship and his work to foster the human-equine relationship at the starting gate. Duncan, who grew up in Elmont, NY, began working at the NYRA tracks in 1967-1968 and returned from a stint in the U.S. Army in Korea to become an assistant starter under Frank Calvarese. He succeeded Calvarese as head starter in 1993 and remained in that role until his retirement in 2004. He remained a consultant to NYRA and continues to provide his service on a private basis to racing stables. Addressing the issues starting gate crews had with loading horses into the gate, Duncan came to the realization that common practices of using fear and intimidation were counterproductive and counterintuitive. Horses, by and large, were being loaded into the gate, but the process was often a recipe for disaster. “Horses respond to good leadership,” said Duncan. “Once we started communicating in a language that the horses understood, they responded calmly, and their performance improved. By watching horses, you learn how to connect with them; the key is to set aside your ego and any urge to dominate the horse. “They are prey animals, and dominance just doesn't work. We used to think we were heroes just to get the horses into the starting gate, but we didn't realize the price that the horses were paying and, in turn, how it hurt their connections and the sport.” “Bob revolutionized the starting gate process over his 50-year tenure,” said Hall of Fame trainer and eight-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher. “He was the first to introduce more humane, behaviorally informed practices in his running of the gate-schooling and starting-gate program, establishing a model now emulated internationally. He led the charge in urging the industry to use natural horsemanship not only at the gate but throughout all elements of the training, racing, and breeding process.” Duncan's practices began receiving attention both at home and overseas, as his services were solicited by the likes of trainers Aidan O'Brien and Gai Waterhouse in Ireland, Australia. Barbados and other countries. Duncan's methods were well institutionalized in New York. In 2004, there were 6,000 horse visits to the gates at NYRA tracks without a serious occurrence at the starting gate. In later years, Duncan worked with the starting gate crew at Churchill Downs and started the 2006 Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby. In 2009, Duncan worked with the Pletcher-trained Quality Road, who was fractious and unruly while being loaded for the start of the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park, and had to be scratched. Following that incident, Duncan got a call from Pletcher. “I came down from Saratoga and schooled him at Belmont Park,” Duncan remembers. “I just took him in the stall with my rope halter and spent 15 minutes with him, moving him back and forth, and connecting with him. He was almost instantly responsive.” In 2010, a calmer Quality Road won four graded stakes races, including Grade I fixtures in the Donn Handicap, Metropolitan Handicap and the Woodward Stakes. Moved upon hearing the news of receiving a Special Eclipse Award, Duncan reflected, “This is not something that normally happens in our discipline. There is so much joy and satisfaction to this process–handling the horses in this way–that it's like winning a little Eclipse Award every morning.” “What began with smaller changes like limiting the use of buggy whips and blindfolds,” continued Pletcher, “turned into a complete overhaul of the current system focusing on bringing in the practices of Monty Roberts, Pat and Linda Parelli, Ray Hunt, and the like, to create calm horses at the gate and build a safer environment for all involved.” The post Legendary Starter Duncan To Receive Special Eclipse For Career Excellence appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Multiple Group 3 heroine Lastotchka anchors the Tattersalls Online January Sale catalogue, which was released on Wednesday. Set for Tuesday, January 20-Wednesday, January 21, the sale features 102 lots comprised of 70 horses in and out of training, 18 broodmares, four yearlings, three breeding rights, three two-year-olds, three stores and a share in young sire and champion sprinter Bradsell (lot 99). Lastotchka, by Myboycharlie and sold as lot 59 by Ronald Rauscher, won the G3 Prix Belle de Nuit and G3 Prix Gladiateur. The seven-year-old mare also won the Listed Prix de Thiberville and is from the family of Arc winner Rail Link. Other lots of note are Willie Mullins's 132 IHRB-rated hurdler and listed-placed Charlus (Churchill) (lot 42); as well as listed-placed hurdler Olympic Man (Martaline) (lot 16), who is a winner over fences and rated 132 over hurdles and 136 by IHRB as a chaser. Listed Tipperary Stakes-placed Fresh Fade (Cotai Glory) (lot 2) will be offered, as will prolific all-weather winner Maris Angel (Harry Angel) (lot 14). Broodmare Hotaugustnight (Camelot) (lot 83) will be put through the ring in foal to Pinatubo. She is a relative of G1 Epsom Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly (Gleneagles). Among the stallion offerings are: a breeding right to Group 1 stallion Space Blues (lot 102), as well as breeding rights in A'Ali (lot 100) and El Caballo (lot 101). The post Lastotchka Headlines Tattersalls Online January Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article