Thoroughbred Daily News

A new Equine Health Advisory on the risk of fatal injury in Covered Horses previously placed on the Veterinarians' List as Unsound was revealed by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) on Friday.

The advisory, which is based on data drawn from the HISA Veterinarians' List, provides practical guidance, including on the use of wearable biometric sensors during training programs to provide additional insight into horses' condition and performance.

“Decisions to place a horse on the Veterinarians' List as Unsound are made with the utmost care and expertise by Regulatory Veterinarians, and it is crucial that they are supported in their work with as much data as possible, along with strong collaboration with trainers and attending veterinarians,” said Dr. Jennifer Durenberger, HISA Director of Policy and Industry Initiatives.

When horses are scratched, they may be placed on the Veterinarians' List or Stewards' List. In 2025, 3,297 unique horses were placed on the Veterinarians' List as Unsound by Regulatory Veterinarians at Covered Racetracks. As of March 31, 2026, 1,904 of those horses (nearly 60%) have not made a subsequent start.

Crucially, through the end of Q1 2026, approximately 20% of racing- and training-related fatalities involving Covered Horses at Covered Racetracks have occurred in horses who were either still on the Veterinarians' List as Unsound at the time of death, had been scratched by Regulatory Veterinarians prior to a recent race or removed from the Veterinarians' List as Unsound within the six months preceding the fatal injury.

This is the fourth Equine Health Advisory that HISA has issued, following advisories on proximal forelimb fractures, exercise-associated sudden death and proximal hindlimb fractures. Sharing these insights from the HISA Portal supports better-informed care, promotion of best practices and reduction of the risk of equine injuries and fatalities.

Supplemental to the advisory, in December 2025, HISA announced a comprehensive review aimed at updating the Veterinarians' List and Stewards' List categories across U.S. Thoroughbred racing, with changes targeted for 2026. Through this initiative, HISA aims to modernize and harmonize these oversight tools, providing additional insights into national safety metrics.

Click here to access the full advisory.

The post HISA Issues Equine Health Advisory On The Veterinarians’ List appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A new Equine Health Advisory on the risk of fatal injury in Covered Horses previously placed on the Veterinarians' List as Unsound was revealed by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) on Friday.

The advisory, which is based on data drawn from the HISA Veterinarians' List, provides practical guidance, including on the use of wearable biometric sensors during training programs to provide additional insight into horses' condition and performance.

“Decisions to place a horse on the Veterinarians' List as Unsound are made with the utmost care and expertise by Regulatory Veterinarians, and it is crucial that they are supported in their work with as much data as possible, along with strong collaboration with trainers and attending veterinarians,” said Dr. Jennifer Durenberger, HISA Director of Policy and Industry Initiatives.

When horses are scratched, they may be placed on the Veterinarians' List or Stewards' List. In 2025, 3,297 unique horses were placed on the Veterinarians' List as Unsound by Regulatory Veterinarians at Covered Racetracks. As of March 31, 2026, 1,904 of those horses (nearly 60%) have not made a subsequent start.

Crucially, through the end of Q1 2026, approximately 20% of racing- and training-related fatalities involving Covered Horses at Covered Racetracks have occurred in horses who were either still on the Veterinarians' List as Unsound at the time of death, had been scratched by Regulatory Veterinarians prior to a recent race or removed from the Veterinarians' List as Unsound within the six months preceding the fatal injury.

This is the fourth Equine Health Advisory that HISA has issued, following advisories on proximal forelimb fractures, exercise-associated sudden death and proximal hindlimb fractures. Sharing these insights from the HISA Portal supports better-informed care, promotion of best practices and reduction of the risk of equine injuries and fatalities.

Supplemental to the advisory, in December 2025, HISA announced a comprehensive review aimed at updating the Veterinarians' List and Stewards' List categories across U.S. Thoroughbred racing, with changes targeted for 2026. Through this initiative, HISA aims to modernize and harmonize these oversight tools, providing additional insights into national safety metrics.

Click here to access the full advisory.

The post HISA Issues Equine Health Advisory On The Veterinarians’ List appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

In theory, we're in the lull between Kentucky Derby and Preakness excitement, but the Belmont Big A meeting will host a chance for a spot in New York's marquee event in June as colts assemble Saturday for the GIII Peter Pan Stakes.

Chad Brown is no stranger to jumping a talented maiden winner straight into the graded ranks, and that's what he's doing with Growth Equity (Nyquist) for owner Klaravich Stables. The colt kicked off his career last July in Saratoga with a runner-up effort against a field which yielded MSP Stradale (Yaupon), SP Day One Starter (Upsart), and MSP Honey's to Blame (Blame). From there the distance increased and so did his Beyer numbers, with his Feb. 7 seasonal bow producing an 83 for another second-place finish trying seven panels and his graduation last out Mar. 20 at a mile earning him a field-best 89. He's been working steadily since then over the training track at Belmont Park, and the morning line has him tabbed early as the 6-5 favorite with Flavien Prat in the irons for the first time.

His chief competition comes from Trendsetter (Modernist) along the rail, an easy winner of the GIII Stonestreet Lexington Stakes at Keeneland Apr. 11. So impressive was he that his connections ran him through the Keeneland April sale at the end of the meet, and while he did not reach his reserve, the bidding did stall at $725,000. With no immediate changes on his horizon, and with an 85 Beyer under his belt from that last race, Trendsetter posted a lights-out breeze May 1 at Keeneland, rolling through four furlongs in :47.80 (3/100). There's going to be a pace in front of him in the Peter Pan and he's likely to get an ideal set-up. He's 3-1 on the morning line.

The third of the likely betting favorites is runaway Withers Stakes winner Talk to Me Jimmy (Modernist), who inspired a lot of Derby talk after that victory Feb. 6. He was hard to handle and faded to eighth in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes Apr. 4, and ended up far outside the bubble as a result. Still, he regained the services of Manny Franco for this jump, who was the frequent rider aboard Growth Equity. The pace will not be kind to him though, and the Modernist colt will need to be at his best to pull a repeat of his February effort.

On paper, this is going to be a tough race to win for any of these fillies and mares, but Irish Maxima (Maximus Mischief) rides a winstreak into this contest for trainer John Servis as well as bringing the highest Beyer in the field to the party.

The mare is a need-the-lead type who has run her competition off their feet in 10 of her 17 lifetime starts, so it's hard to argue with a successful formula. She's more than got the experience to keep going despite this being only her second time going a mile–the first was as a juvenile in the GI Frizette Stakes behind champion Just F Y I (Justify).

We can forgive her for that try.

Still, her last two races have been back-to-back masterclasses against optional claiming company, Mar. 21 at this venue and last out Apr. 14 at Parx, and when she's bold, it's impossible to reel her back in. She's a four-time black type winner, including in the GIII Distaff Stakes over this track last year, and produced her lifetime best 101 Beyer figure against stakes company in 2024. Her increasing figures with each subsequent start in 2026 say she's on the upswing once again here and is 5-1 on the morning line.

Eunomia and Alpine Princess in the Doubledogdare | Coady Media

To her far inside is Eunomia (Tiz the Law) for Saffie Joseph Jr.–a frequent flier with strong efforts under her belt this year. Second by a neck last out Apr. 17 in Keeneland's GII Doubledogdare Stakes, both she and winner Alpine Princess (Classic Empire) earned a 97 Beyer for their respective efforts. She won her division of the Sandy Bottom Stakes at Colonial Downs Mar. 14 over G3 UAE Oaks victress Queen Azteca (Sharp Azteca) after starting her season Feb. 14 in the GIII Royal Delta Stakes. That race produced quite the running line since, as GI Apple Blossom winner Clare Beret (Not This Time), GI La Troienne heroine Shred the Gnar (Into Mischief), and the aforementioned Alpine Princess all made an appearance in that spot. She's the 6-5 morning line choice in this spot.

In between the experience is the unbeaten two-time winner Inefficiency (Constitution) for the familiar combo of Klaravich Stables and Chad Brown. She's done nothing wrong from the front end at track and trip in both occasions–winning at first-asking Feb. 20 by six lengths and again Mar. 20 against local optional claimers. Her trainer isn't in the habit of putting his horses into spots they're not ready for, but she will have to contend with seasoned speed to her outside in Irish Maxima. While she was late to the races, there is more than enough reason to believe she could improve once again.

His competition have two and three years on him in age, but lone 4-year-old One Nine Hundred (Dialed In) has the speed-of-the-speed to his advantage in his bid to claim a first graded victory in the GIII John A. Nerud Stakes. He produced the field-best 104 Beyer when taking optional claiming competition gate-to-wire two back Jan. 9 at track and trip, and was third beaten barely three-quarters of a length for it all last out Feb. 28 in the GIII Tom Fool Stakes. He's 7-5 on the morning line.

To his inside is Full Moon Madness (Into Mischief), the runner up in said Tom Fool by a nose. He's a frequent face at this level for trainer Michelle Nevin and his increasing figures say he's rounding back into form at the right time. On the rail, Radio Red (This Big Beast) brings a two-race winstreak over this track after clearing $50,000 claiming company and coming right back to win the Haynesfield Stakes Mar. 29. He's got the stalking tactics to take advantage of a pace meltdown and get first jump on the closers.

Classy European purchases making North American debuts at Santa Anita Park tends to be a successful angle more often than not, and it looks to be no different here for Bella Lyra (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the GIII Senorita Stakes.

Her juvenile season overseas began last May in the barn of Richard Hughes, who unveiled the daughter of Oasis Dream at Haydock against a field which ultimately yielded Fitzella (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). That filly came back later in the summer to win the G3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot (where Bella Lyra finished third) and was eventually tried against Group 1 company that included the likes of Coolmore's G1 1000 Guineas titan True Love (Ire) (No Nay Never). In fact, several fillies who beat Bella Lyra also tried their luck in that European Classic. There is no Fitzella, nor a True Love, in the Senorita field for her to worry about this time.

After breaking her maiden in an allowance race at Windsor, Bella Lyra squeezed in a Listed placing at Newmarket before that Ascot tilt, and her final start for Hughes came in the Spring Cup Stakes Feb. 28 at Lingfield. She ran second by a length over a synthetic track. She missed her reserve in the 2025 Tattersalls December sale when bidding stalled at 270,000gns and privately changed hands afterward to the partnership of Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners and Jay Matharu. Now in the barn of Mark Glatt, there are a lot of new experiences here for her to overcome, but she's faced some salty company in Europe. She's going to be tough to beat.

Having faced salty competition of her own, Light Won Up (City of Light) will draw a lot of eyes as well. The Doug O'Neill runner went east to Keeneland for the GIII Limestone Stakes, and ran a hard-fought fourth behind a trio that included Breeders' Cup champion Cy Fair (Not This Time). She earned an 83 Beyer for that effort while the winner posted a 91, which is far and away faster than anyone else in this contest. Mo'Em Down (Caracaro), who will be eyeballing Bella Lyra in the gate, flourished over this hillside turf course in her most recent effort, but like many in this field, she'll need to show more to win. The blinkers come off and she's 5-2 for this jump.

The post Coast-to-Coast Graded Preview: Belmont Spot on the Line in Peter Pan, Big Field for Senorita appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

On a busy Friday morning at Churchill Downs, 138 horses recorded a published workout with GI Preakness Stakes possible Silent Tactic (Tacitus) headlining a group which also included the G1 Dubai World Cup hero Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}).

The former, scratched from the Kentucky Derby due to an ongoing battle with a foot bruise, breezed four furlongs in :48.80 (48/111) for trainer Mark Casse.

“He worked at 5:29 [a.m.], and I saw the video at 5:30,” Casse said by phone from his main base in Ocala, Fla. “I thought he worked very well. I was happy. Had good energy galloping out. That's what I wanted to see. Now let's just see how he is. That's the first time we put pressure on that foot since it started bothering him. Right now, I'd say there's a decent shot he's going to go to the Preakness.

“I saw what I needed to see today, but I don't want to 100 percent commit,” he added. “I want to see what tomorrow brings and how he reacts to this work. I went ahead and gave him some company for that reason. He worked with a pretty nice older horse called Aristotle, a multiple allowance winner.”

Another Preakness probable Corona de Oro (Bolt d'Oro) posted a five-furlong work in :59.80 for Dallas Stewart.

Also out Friday morning was the aforementioned Brad Cox-trained Hit Show, who also worked a half-mile over the main track in :48.40.

The post Churchill Worktab: Preakness Possibles Silent Tactic, Corona de Oro on Track During Busy Friday Morning appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

There is no truth to the rumor that T O Elvis (Volatile) stepped onto the Churchill Downs main track last Saturday to the Theme from 2001 Space Odyssey, the instrumental to which the horse's namesake took to the stage for wildly popular concerts in the 1970s.

But when Elvis–T O, that is–'left the building' following a defeat of no fewer than seven last-out graded winners in a renewal of the GI Churchill Downs Stakes that was widely heralded as one of the best races of the year, there will have been no 'suspicious minds' about the 4-year-old colt.

“We were just hoping he'd hit the board and then he took off right around the eighth pole. It was impressive,” said Jeff Prunzik, who bred T O Elvis in partnership with his wife Melissa.

The Prunziks own and operate Stone Bridge Farm east of downtown Lexington in an area between Interstates 64 to the north and 75 to the southwest. Stone Bridge was a division of the Courtney Family's Crestfield Farm and in its 80-some years of existence, has been graced by better than 50 black-type winners, including Fit To Fight, Meadowlake and his champion daughter Meadow Star–who remains in pedigrees to this day as the great-granddam of the late Arrogate–and champion Action This Day.

In the form of Stopshoppingdebbie (Curlin), Stone Bridge looks to have found its next superstar producer. Bred and raced by the Northwest Farms of the late Jerre Paxton and trained by Tom Wenzel, the daughter of two-time stakes winner Taste the Passion (Wild Again) was a sensation in the Pacific Northwest, winning her first nine starts, eight in stakes company.

A half-sister to multiple stakes winners Shampoo (Gulch) and closely related to MSW Smarty Deb (Smart Strike), Stopshoppingdebbie fetched $410,000 from Town & Country Farms and Pollock Farms in foal to Medaglia d'Oro at Keeneland November. But that mating, along with subsequent visits to American Pharoah and Pioneerof the Nile effectively yielded no fruit and the Prunziks acquired Stopshoppingdebbie privately in foal to Uncle Mo in 2019.

“We bought the farm in 2017 and we slowly built the business by boarding and then we eventually got into the ownership of some mares,” explained the 56-year-old Prunzik, who is in the commercial real estate business and owns the downtown Pittsburgh eatery Olive Or Twist. “Ever since we bought Stopshoppingdebbie, everything out of her has run.”

“She was fairly correct and obviously she was by Curlin,” Prunzik continued. “I thought her race record and physical and pedigree made her attractive.”

But the 16-year-old mare has proven that she is no one-hit wonder. Her current 5-year-old, Generous Tipper (Street Sense), was third in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at two and won the Discovery Stakes at three in 2024 for Walking L Thoroughbreds and Ken McPeek before changing hands in a private purchase by Wathnan Racing.

The Prunziks elected to send Stopshoppingdebbie to Three Chimneys' Volatile for her 2021 covering.

Stopshoppingdebbie | Courtesy Stone Bridge Farm

“Our prior farm manager was a big fan of Volatile and thought it would be a nice mix to try to inject some speed into her,” Prunzik said. “And that's how it developed.”

A breed-to-sell operation with 29 mares they own outright or as part of a syndicate, Stone Bridge would have otherwise been preparing to offer the Volatile colt at the 2023 Keeneland September Sale, but things never got that far, as representatives of owner Tomoya Ozasa swooped in earlier in the year.

“I think they came in through Vinery, Derek MacKenzie,” Prunzik recollected. “They were clients of his and Derek comes out every year and looks at our yearlings and our babies. They put an offer in after they visited the farm and we sold the colt.”

Stone Bridge is still well positioned to take full advantage of the booming pedigree update from last weekend. The operation retains Stopshoppingdebbie's unraced 3-year-old half-sister Under Arrest (Tiz the Law) and they bought out their syndicate on the mare's current 2-year-old filly My Pal Al (Golden Pal), who hammered for $300,000 at Keeneland September last year.

“And we have a nice Maxfield [colt] on the ground and she is back in foal to McKinzie,” Prunzik said of Stopshoppingdebbie.

Having returned to Japan earlier this week, T O Elvis could be destined for a return trip to the U.S. later this fall, this time in Prunzik's Bluegrass backyard at Keeneland.

“Oh, that would be really exciting for us, the farm and all our guys and girls on the farm,” said Prunzik when asked about a possible GI Breeders' Cup Sprint appearance. “To have it here in Lexington, yeah, that would really be exciting.”

Elvis really is everywhere. And Jeff Prunzik is loving every minute of it.

The post Breeder Prunzik Still On Cloud Nine After T O Elvis Romp appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

There is no truth to the rumor that T O Elvis (Volatile) stepped onto the Churchill Downs main track last Saturday to the Theme from 2001 Space Odyssey, the instrumental to which the horse's namesake took to the stage for wildly popular concerts in the 1970s.

But when Elvis–T O, that is–'left the building' following a defeat of no fewer than seven last-out graded winners in a renewal of the GI Churchill Downs Stakes that was widely heralded as one of the best races of the year, there will have been no 'suspicious minds' about the 4-year-old colt.

“We were just hoping he'd hit the board and then he took off right around the eighth pole. It was impressive,” said Jeff Prunzik, who bred T O Elvis in partnership with his wife Melissa.

The Prunziks own and operate Stone Bridge Farm east of downtown Lexington in an area between Interstates 64 to the north and 75 to the southwest. Stone Bridge was a division of the Courtney Family's Crestfield Farm and in its 80-some years of existence, has been graced by better than 50 black-type winners, including Fit To Fight, Meadowlake and his champion daughter Meadow Star–who remains in pedigrees to this day as the great-granddam of the late Arrogate–and champion Action This Day.

In the form of Stopshoppingdebbie (Curlin), Stone Bridge looks to have found its next superstar producer. Bred and raced by the Northwest Farms of the late Jerre Paxton and trained by Tom Wenzel, the daughter of two-time stakes winner Taste the Passion (Wild Again) was a sensation in the Pacific Northwest, winning her first nine starts, eight in stakes company.

A half-sister to multiple stakes winners Shampoo (Gulch) and closely related to MSW Smarty Deb (Smart Strike), Stopshoppingdebbie fetched $410,000 from Town & Country Farms and Pollock Farms in foal to Medaglia d'Oro at Keeneland November. But that mating, along with subsequent visits to American Pharoah and Pioneerof the Nile effectively yielded no fruit and the Prunziks acquired Stopshoppingdebbie privately in foal to Uncle Mo in 2019.

“We bought the farm in 2017 and we slowly built the business by boarding and then we eventually got into the ownership of some mares,” explained the 56-year-old Prunzik, who is in the commercial real estate business and owns the downtown Pittsburgh eatery Olive Or Twist. “Ever since we bought Stopshoppingdebbie, everything out of her has run.”

“She was fairly correct and obviously she was by Curlin,” Prunzik continued. “I thought her race record and physical and pedigree made her attractive.”

But the 16-year-old mare has proven that she is no one-hit wonder. Her current 5-year-old, Generous Tipper (Street Sense), was third in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at two and won the Discovery Stakes at three in 2024 for Walking L Thoroughbreds and Ken McPeek before changing hands in a private purchase by Wathnan Racing.

The Prunziks elected to send Stopshoppingdebbie to Three Chimneys' Volatile for her 2021 covering.

Stopshoppingdebbie | Courtesy Stone Bridge Farm

“Our prior farm manager was a big fan of Volatile and thought it would be a nice mix to try to inject some speed into her,” Prunzik said. “And that's how it developed.”

A breed-to-sell operation with 29 mares they own outright or as part of a syndicate, Stone Bridge would have otherwise been preparing to offer the Volatile colt at the 2023 Keeneland September Sale, but things never got that far, as representatives of owner Tomoya Ozasa swooped in earlier in the year.

“I think they came in through Vinery, Derek MacKenzie,” Prunzik recollected. “They were clients of his and Derek comes out every year and looks at our yearlings and our babies. They put an offer in after they visited the farm and we sold the colt.”

Stone Bridge is still well positioned to take full advantage of the booming pedigree update from last weekend. The operation retains Stopshoppingdebbie's unraced 3-year-old half-sister Under Arrest (Tiz the Law) and they bought out their syndicate on the mare's current 2-year-old filly My Pal Al (Golden Pal), who hammered for $300,000 at Keeneland September last year.

“And we have a nice Maxfield [colt] on the ground and she is back in foal to McKinzie,” Prunzik said of Stopshoppingdebbie.

Having returned to Japan earlier this week, T O Elvis could be destined for a return trip to the U.S. later this fall, this time in Prunzik's Bluegrass backyard at Keeneland.

“Oh, that would be really exciting for us, the farm and all our guys and girls on the farm,” said Prunzik when asked about a possible GI Breeders' Cup Sprint appearance. “To have it here in Lexington, yeah, that would really be exciting.”

Elvis really is everywhere. And Jeff Prunzik is loving every minute of it.

The post Breeder Prunzik Still On Cloud Nine After T O Elvis Romp appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

When Monmouth Park opens its doors for the 2026 season on Saturday, the issues it faces will already be obvious. Only eight races were carded with 63 horses entered. With only 500 to 600 horses on the grounds, the Elkwood section of the backstretch has temporarily been closed. The Long Branch Stakes did not fill, but the racing office salvaged the race and it will be run Sunday with a field of six.

Those are just some of the issues facing the picturesque Jersey Shore track as it prepares to kick off a 50-day meet, and they are serious enough to raise questions about Monmouth's future. But Dennis Drazin, who heads the management team that runs the track, is adamant that the track that has been around since 1946 will survive.

“I'm not going to let Monmouth Park close on my watch,” Drazin said. “Whatever I have to do to make ends meet, I'm going to do to support live racing and breeding in the state of New Jersey.”

The obvious quick fix would be for Monmouth to get a casino, something that it has been pressing for for decades, but has always been stymied by political forces that back the Atlantic City casinos. But there is hope this time. Bills have been introduced that would allow Monmouth and the Meadowlands to open casinos, but they must be passed by a 60-40 “super majority” in both branches of the legislature. If that happens, the casino question would then appear on the 2026 ballot. In 2016, the voters were asked to approve casinos outside of Atlantic City, an initiative that went down to a staggering defeat, losing by 54.48% points.

Drazin believes that the idea of a casino at Monmouth remains a possibility, but he isn't necessarily expecting it to happen overnight.

“Right now, all our eggs are in the casino basket, but the casino play is running out of time for this year,” he said. “It doesn't mean it can't happen, but we're dedicated to continuing over the next two years at the latest while continuing to try to make the casino play. Our first preference is this year, but with the budget coming up and June 30 probably being the end of legislators coming in for the year, that just gives us between now and June 30 to try and get it on the ballot for November. We're continuing to press the issue, but right now we're running out of time. Absent the casino, I'm going to continue to do the best I can to put on the best show that we can given the limited resources.”

If the casino effort fails, Drazin said he may turn to Historical Horse Racing Machines.

“If you were to say we give up completely on a casino, which I'm not prepared to do, then you turn around and you look at things like historical racing, which would also require a constitutional referendum,” he said. “Maybe there's not as much opposition to historical racing as it relates to casino expansion. But I think if you make that play now and go on the ballot for that, you probably would be foreclosing the opportunity to get the casino down the road because they would say we already took care of you.”

The purses at Monmouth are subsidized to the tune of an annual $20 million investment by the state, half of which goes to the Meadowlands. That money allows Monmouth to have purses that are comparable to tracks that it competes against, like Parx, Laurel and Delaware Park. But Governor Mikie Sherrill, who was elected in 2025, has cut the subsidy to $5 million in her budget for fiscal year 2027. Because of this uncertainty, a new bill was introduced in March 2026. It would allow Monmouth Park to drastically reduce its racing dates–to as few as 25 days–if the state fails to provide at least $10 million in purse money.

It's still one more battle Drazin is facing.

“Governor [Phil] Murphy [Sherrill's predecessor] was very, very good to us over the years,” Drazin said. “In his proposed budget, he took the 20 down to 10 and it always got put back up to the 20. But when the state needs revenue, you can't cut some people and not others without raising eyebrows and having people say, 'This isn't fair.' So this is a process we've been going through even in the prior administration and the legislators who support racing and the governors have always ultimately given us the $20 million. So I wouldn't say I'm panicked yet.”

Drazin said Monmouth's horse population will be down from last year, but will eventually reach about 1,000 horses. They are facing competition from what is a much healthier racing circuit in Parx, and it will only get worse with Delaware Park now open and with Colonial Downs set to reopen June 25. There is no part of the country that has such a glut of racetracks, and Monmouth is the only track in the region that does not receive revenue from casinos.

“[New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association Executive Director] Mike Musto has been very vocal about the whole Mid-Atlantic region and what needs to change in terms of not competing against each other,” Drazin said. “This is something we've been struggling with for as long as I've been around. Just by way of example, the conflict between the Haskell and the Jim Dandy is probably the biggest standout. Instead of one race with 10 to 12 horses, you have two races with six to eight. That doesn't make sense to me. I think we need to cooperate.”

Monmouth Park is a survivor, but little has gone its way in recent years. It made headlines for the wrong reasons at the end of last year's meet when it ran out of money and couldn't immediately pay horsemen.

The track's survival may hinge on getting a casino, but that is far from a guarantee. Absent that, what can Drazin and his team do? His answer is this: find a way.

“I'm trying to save an industry,” Drazin said. “I'm trying to do the right thing. It would be easy for me to walk away from it all in terms of my own time and how much effort I put into all this, but that's not part of my DNA. I took on the responsibility years ago to help the horsemen and I spend probably more time than I should on the track instead of concentrating on my law practice. But I think it's very important that horse racing in New Jersey and breeding in New Jersey survives. It is something that has always been part of my life. As long as I am here, it's not going to go away.”

The post Ready to Open for Another Season, Monmouth Has Problems, but Drazin Vows to Fight On appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

When the new Belmont Park opens on Sept. 18, NYRA will kick off an expanded fall meet that will run through Dec. 6 and include 72 stakes races worth $17.7 million in total purses, the racing association announced Thursday.

Among the highlights will be the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, which has been moved back to the downstate track after being run in Saratoga from 2021 through 2025. With a purse of $1 million, it will be the feature race on the first day of racing at the new facility. The Jockey Club Gold Cup provides a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic. To help unveil the new Belmont Park to a national audience, FOX will present live coverage of the Jockey Club Gold Cup on its broadcast network.

“The new Belmont Park will provide the stage to showcase the best racing in North America,” Andrew Offerman, NYRA SVP, Racing & Operations, said in a statement. “With that in mind, we have arrived at a stakes schedule that reflects the importance of the fall racing season, emphasizes major weekends throughout the meet, and establishes a strong foundation in advance of the 2027 Breeders' Cup World Championships. We look forward to Sept. 18, and the next chapter in NYRA's history.”

There was one notable to change to the stakes schedule as the Woodward was not included. Once one of the most prestigious races in the country, it has struggled to find a place on a calendar that is loaded with stakes races in the late summer and early fall on the dirt for males and had been dropped to Grade II status. Twenty winners of the race were eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“As a result of the shift of the Jockey Club Gold Cup to Belmont Park, the Woodward has been temporarily furloughed for 2026 and will return to the NYRA Stakes Schedule in 2027 on a date to be determined,” said NYRA Vice President Communications Patrick McKenna.

One important and historic NYRA race has returned. The GII Brooklyn Stakes, which was not held in 2025. is back on the schedule, slated to be run on Dec. 5. When last run in 2024, it was held on July 5.

NYRA has organized the first half of the fall meet around two consecutive “blockbuster” Saturdays to include 10 graded stakes with six Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” chances on the line. On Sept. 26, the $500,000 GI Joe Hirsch Classic will headline a program that will also feature the $500,000 GII Flower Bowl, a “Win and You're In” to the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, the $250,000 GII Vosburgh, a “Win and You're In to the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, and the $250,000 GII Gallant Bloom.

Four Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” races will be run on Oct. 3 as part of a lucrative program designed to showcase emerging stars from the juvenile division. Headlined by the $500,000 GI Champagne Stakes, a prep for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the Oct. 3 card will also feature the $500,000 GI Frizette Stakes, the $250,000 GII Pilgrim, the $250,000 GII Miss Grillo Stakes, the $200,000 GII Futurity and the GIII Matron.

The GII Man o'War Stakes, previously contested during the Belmont spring meet, has been shifted to Nov. 28.

The final Saturday of the extended meet will be held on Dec. 5 and will include the Brooklyn, the $250,000 GII Cigar Mile Stakes, the $250,000 GII Remsen Stakes, the $250,000 GII Demoiselle Stakes and $250,000 GIII Elite Power Stakes.

To view the entire Belmont Fall Meet stakes schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/stakes-schedule/.

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The stewards at Belterra Park have imposed a $1,000 fine on that track's clerk of scales, Jose Sanchez, Jr., for failing to check the weight of apprentice jockey Summer Pauly before she rode the 3-2 favorite in the second race May 2.

A ruling issued Thursday, described what happened:

“During the post parade of race #2, the Board of Stewards radioed Outriders to bring #1 Bobby's Gift back to the Paddock to re-check jockey Summer Pauly's weight, due to Steward's concerns it was incorrect. The scale showed Ms. Pauly was six pounds under the required weight listed in the program, due to Clerk of Scales Jose Sanchez Jr. failing to check the jockey at time of weighing out. The weight was corrected and #1 Bobby's Gift returned to the racetrack.”

Bobby's Gift, a 7-year-old son of Into Mischief, was the 3-2 favorite in the one-mile-and-70 yards route for $5,000 claimers. He led until deep stretch and was caught by two closers, finishing third.

The ruling stated that Sanchez had waived his right to a formal hearing before meeting with the stewards, and that his fine would be cut in half to $500 if he did not appeal.

“Any further violations of this nature will lead to increased penalties and potential action regarding the conditions of the license,” the ruling stated.

Sanchez could not be reached for comment prior to deadline for this story.

Although the ruling did not elaborate on the circumstances, Pauly, a five-pound apprentice, was facing unusual time constraints in trying to get to Belterra to ride four mounts last Saturday because she was pulling double duty at two tracks.

Pauly rode in the second race on the GI Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs. That race had an 11:33 a.m. off time.

After finishing 11th and last on a 70-1 shot at Churchill, Pauly then had to make the 112-mile trek from Louisville to Cincinnati, a drive that normally takes about an hour and 45 minutes, but was likely exacerbated by Derby day traffic.

Post time for the second race at Belterra was scheduled for 2:05 p.m., but after the delay for Pauly needing to be called back to the scale to be properly weighed, the off time was 2:12 p.m.

Pauly then won Belterra's third race aboard the 7-10 favorite.

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Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 94 entries for its May Digital Sale, which opened for bidding Thursday. Amongst the full catalogue, which may be viewed online here, is the five-strong consignment of Tessa Walden's Evergreen Equine, including an exciting 2-year-old maiden special weight winner from Keeneland in Blessed Flyer (Dialed In) (hip 1).

“It's hard to get them to races this early and he did it very effortlessly,” Walden said. “There were some bullet works in there and some other flashy moves but the best move he made was when he won. I think he's the full package. He's a good-sized horse, around 16 hands. He's super strong. Looks like he's still got some growing to do even on top of that.”

What impressed Walden the most from Blessed Flyer's Apr. 16 debut was not so much that he won, but how he did it.

“It was a much larger field than some of the other 2-year-old races we saw, which were maybe five or six-horse fields. This was a 10-horse field,” said Walden. “And then on top of that, we got to see a horse that showed diversity in his first start. So many of the 2-year-olds that are impressive at this time are year are horses that leave the gate and never look back. But what this horse did was he left the gate and found himself mid-pack. He took dirt, and he didn't like it but he pinned his ears and instead of basically wussing out, he ran up between horses and then targeted the leader and ran that horse down and beat him on the wire. And then he continued to gallop out. It was this huge, mature move that is so much greater.”

“The last thing I want to see in a 2-year-old race, when you're looking towards the future, is a horse that runs to the wire on the lead and then stops. They've got to have continuance. It's the most important ingredient for a horse that's going to develop into being something good, and this horse has it. He's by Dialed In, who is a good, proven, blue-collar stallion. There's a lot to be excited about with this horse.”

Now in its second full year of operation, Evergreen Equine brings in a diverse slate of horses from across the country which Walden specifically points through the Fasig-Tipton Digital Platform.

“Anything that's a racehorse is going to sell well, especially if it has conditions,” Walden said. “I have four horses from California this time. They're all horses that are actively racing. One of them, Sterling Sea (Union Rags) (hip 16), just broke his maiden May 1 for $50,000 [at Santa Anita].  And he'll be a great purchase now being starter eligible. Then I have a couple that'll be fresh for turf season that are more turf-oriented. [Turf horses] are a hot commodity right now [ahead of the racing season] with Colonial Downs, New York and Laurel Park, and then Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs too.”

Walden acknowledged the ease of which Fasig-Tipton allows consignors the opportunity to market a horse from its stall over two thousand miles away all while saving prospective buyers money.

Tessa Walden | Sara Gordon

“In reality, someone isn't going to try to arrange a situation where they can claim a horse out there unless they're local to California and specifically looking for that horse,” Walden said. “[Fasig-Tipton] has created a really good, easy way to move horses who may stay [where they are]. I would say probably 50% of the horses I've sold that reside in California have stayed there.”

The Digital Platform afforded Walden an opportunity to sell horses on a flexible schedule as she kicked off on her own after nearly 10 years working under the tutelage of trainer Brad Cox.

“[Brad and I] talked a lot about bloodstock throughout my last six months of working for him,” Walden said. “And Carrie Brogden [of Machmer Hall] was the main person who told me, 'You need to do these digital sales. This is going to be amazing for you as a mom with your schedule.' She's the one that really pushed me and I'm so glad she did because it's really opened up a whole new realm of things that I can do. And the more you do it, the more momentum you get.”

“I'm so passionate about bringing [2-year-olds] along. What are their strong points? What are their good qualities? I think Fasig's provided a great platform for 2-year-olds especially that people maybe didn't want to push into the 2-year-old sales and they want to do something a little more laid back. This platform has grown and grown and I'm really blessed that I get to do what I do because it's been amazing.”

In addition to Evergreen Equine, the Fasig-Tipton May Digital Sale features offerings such as:

• 40+ horses of racing age
• Broodmares in foal to Drain the Clock, Early Voting, Mage, Munnings, as well as first season sires Barnes, First Mission, and Il Miracolo.
• Mares with foals at foot
• 2-year-olds in training
• Yearlings

“We're coming off a great April sale and an exciting weekend which saw Digital grads win two stakes on the Derby undercard,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales. “Despite the short turnaround from the April sale, which ended less than two weeks ago, we have a significant catalogue of horses of racing age, breeding stock, two-year-olds in training, and yearlings on offer.”

To create an account or register to bid for the May Digital Sale, prospective buyers should click here.

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At this point in time, there is no reasonable argument to be made that the Preakness should remain two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. Four winners in just the last seven years (2019-2026) have bypassed the second leg of the Triple Crown. These include Golden Tempo (2026), Sovereignty (2025), Rich Strike (2022), and Country House (2019).

How stupid do you want to get? Would you like the American Triple Crown to be a practical non-entity as with the English Triple Crown, where you are extremely lucky to have a participant in the St. Leger that also ran in the Epsom Derby?  The English Triple Crown is not a “thing” anymore.

Ignoring Kentucky Derby winners, year after year as of late, few horses that ran in the Kentucky Derby run in the Preakness. For those that participated in the Kentucky Derby and did not win, there is even less incentive for them to run in the Preakness, since they have no chance at the Triple Crown. And this year, we have near perfection: as of May 7, save for the possibility of Ocelli, not a single horse that ran in the Kentucky Derby appears to be running in the Preakness.

I could go through the history of the Triple Crown to show that there have been differences. Sir Barton ran in a mile and 3/8 (not 1/2) Belmont, and the Preakness was only 1 1/8 miles (not 1 3/8) and only four days after the Kentucky Derby. When Gallant Fox won the Triple Crown, the Preakness was 8 days before the Preakness. Heck, in 1890, a 5-year-old won the Preakness which was run as a handicap at Morris Park in the state of New York at 1 1/2 miles (the distance of the modern Belmont). If that wasn't enough, two races later on that 1890 Preakness day the Belmont Stakes was run at the same track at 1 1/4 miles.

Changes are not all relics of the past. While the Belmont has been a Saratoga ('24,'25,'26), it has been run a 1 1/4 miles and not the traditional 1 ½ miles.  By the way, when Belmont was under construction in the 1960's, for five years, 1963-1968, the Belmont was run at 1 1/2 miles at Aqueduct. So I don't want to hear anything about the need to preserve “tradition.”

“Traditionally,” the better horses ran in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness–they obviously do not anymore. You would have to be thick beyond belief to not take this new development into consideration when scheduling the Preakness. How stupid can horseracing get? The fans of the sport are sick and tired of not being listened to. The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont are not like other races. They should be placed one month apart, so that horses are encouraged to run in all three races, and the rest of horse racing should set their calendars around that fact.

There is a reason the old saying “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result” is said over and over again. Here's to insanity, a deaf ear, and a much less interesting Preakness.

Rinaldo Del Gallo, III

The author is a horseracing fan and historian

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Turf Paradise had to cram them in on the day of the GI Kentucky Derby Day. Every seat in the track was sold out and, including those who bought general admission tickets, the estimated crowd was 7,500. While most tracks draw big crowds for the Derby simulcast and live racing, this was something new for Turf Paradise.

The facility had grown into such disrepair that no one had wanted to come. Things were so bad that, according to new

GM Tom Ludt, most people living in the Phoenix area did not even realize that Turf Paradise was still open.

“This sport was going to die here,” Ludt said.

Now, they had a sellout on Derby Day.

Not everyone was ready to give up on a track that had been open since 1956.

California horse owner and real estate developer Gary Hartunian's Skyfall 7 LLC entered into an agreement with track owner Jerry Simms, signing a two-year lease with an option for an extension. The deal was made in September, but due to required approvals from the Arizona Racing Commission, the new owner, who put Ludt in charge, wasn't able to fully take control of operations until mid-December.

Once given the green light, Ludt made fixing up the plant and reviving on-track attendance his main priorities. A lot of people live in or around Phoenix. The Greater Phoenix metropolitan area (Maricopa and Pinal counties) has a population exceeding

5 million. He just had to find a way to get them to discover or rediscover Turf Paradise.

“It's the reason I agreed to come out here,” said the veteran track executive, who has served as the chairman of the Breeders' Cup, and the president of Santa Anita, said. “As a horse racing fan all my life, if we don't start creating new fans, this industry's going to die. Phoenix is the perfect climate this time of year and have the perfect dates. If you don't get people to the track to fall in love with horse racing, you're going to lose your fans. We had to make a concentrated effort to get people here. We have to make coming to the track fun again. I've gotten into more arguments with people about this. Tracks that are abandoning the on-track experiences are killing the industry.

“You and I are going to continue to bet, but our kids aren't if they've never been to the track. You don't fall in love with it watching it on your phone. I mean, you just can't. People say, 'Well, but the sport's going in the wrong direction.' It's going the wrong direction because we've given up on it. Look at NASCAR, look at soccer, look at some of the sports that were dying. They had to find a way to have a resurgence and motivate people to come to the events and, a lot of times, at new facilities.”

It took a lot of work to bring back a facility that had been neglected for years. Things were so bad that what had been a director's room was boarded up and used for storage space. Several glass windows were covered with plywood and some areas of the grandstand were so dilapidated that they were closed off.

Ludt said it all started with cleaning the place up.

“The first thing we did was we cleaned it up,” he said. “We created a beautiful infield that had gone to hell. We created a nice general admission area. We created a good simulcasting area, and then we opened up a VIP room. And so we created three atmospheres for the different levels of play. We really emphasized cleaning our facility. We've got an incredible corporation that we've hired to do our cleaning. I'm very proud to hear customers say they see our cleaning crew everywhere, working all the time. You have to do that. You have to give people an environment that they're comfortable to be at. And we did that. Now we can bring people here and show them a facility we are proud of.”

It was also important to show the fans a good time. One particularly popular promotion involved a raffle. It costs $5 to get into Turf Paradise but the entire pool was raffled off toward the latter part of the card, with one patron taking home the entire gate.

Since Ludt's team officially took over in mid-December the people have started to come back. Between December 15 and May 2, the final day of the meet, on-track attendance rose by 70%. On-track handle was up 20 percent. Total all sources handle was up just one percent during that time, but Ludt noted that on-track bets produce far greater revenue for tracks than bets that come from ADWs or simulcast locations.

The struggle for Turf Paradise is to put together a decent betting product when it has small purses and does not receive any revenue from gaming.

“Obviously, in competing against other tracks, it is a big challenge because of purses,” Ludt said. “But the reality of the matter is, and I've said this about California because we're in the same boat, the Indian casinos are in a compact. You're not getting a casino. So quit talking about it and focus on how you can get people to the track. I mean, at the end of the day, horse racing lived very well for many, many years before anyone ever heard of a racino.”

Having less than five months to turn Turf Paradise around, Ludt didn't accomplish everything he had hoped to. He knows that increasing total handle and improving the quality of the racing is a must. But he believes the best is yet to come.

“We haven't even scratched the surface of letting people know about this place,” he said. “People still don't know about it. You've got to be wise where you spend your money to educate people, but the place has been here for 70 years. So we're really going to amp up our marketing and advertising and promotions to get people here for the next meet.

“They have created an environment at Del Mar and at Keeneland. Can we do what they do? No. But we can create the best environment possible for Turf Paradise. This industry needs to start focusing on what works versus complaining about what doesn't work. And is it easy? No. My dad used to say it all the time, 'Tom, if it were easy, everyone would do it.' This is a great challenge. We've got to focus on making people come and have fun and enjoy it.”

The post Focusing on Bringing People Back to the Track, Turf Paradise Appears Headed for a Brighter Future appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The TDN Writers' Room team had so much to say and so many people to talk to when it came to this year's GI Kentucky Derby, that we decided that one podcast was not enough. Our traditional podcast features winning trainer Cherie DeVaux (watch that here), but how could we overlook jockey Jose Ortiz or co-owner Daisy Phipps Pulito? We couldn't, so we gave each of them a podcast of their own.

It was a memorable couple of days for Ortiz, who won both the Derby on Golden Tempo (Curlin) and the GI Kentucky Oaks on Always a Runner (Gun Runner). In the Derby, he edged out his brother, Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode runner-up Renegade (Into Mischief).

“Honestly, when you are riding, normally, there's a killer instinct and you aren't thinking about who you are riding against,” Ortiz said. “But I knew it was (Irad) because I was following him almost every step of the way in the second half of the race. Afterwards, I felt bad for him because I know what it means to him to win the Derby.”

Though his brother had suffered one of the toughest beats of his career, Jose said that Irad could not have been more gracious.

“He told me he thought at one point that he was going to win, but then he felt something coming on the outside and when he looked, he saw the black and cherry and he said, 'Wow, that is Jose.' I mean, it's great because as close as he was, his first reaction was just being happy for me and congratulating me,” Ortiz said. “He didn't even think about him losing the race of his dreams. I think that was pretty remarkable. It speaks to the kind of person he is.”

The Phipps Stable, which owns Golden Tempo in partnership with St. Elias Stable, is one of the most renowned stables in the history of the sport and its roots go all the way back to the formation of the Wheatley Stable in 1926. As the stable's racing manager Phipps Pulito is now in charge of what is a racing institution. To see the iconic cherry and black silks in the Kentucky Derby winner's circle was among the highlights of the day.

“I'm proud, really proud of what we accomplished,” she said. “Look at what my grandfather, my father, and my great grandmother built, and I got to reap the rewards of that on Saturday. That  is absolutely amazing. That is not lost on me in the slightest bit. And winning it for St. Elias and the Phipps Stable in the Phipps Stable silks is something really special.”

The post Daisy Phipps Pulito And Jose Ortiz Feature In First Ever TDN Writers’ Room Overtime Podcasts appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Lighter (Constitution), sent off the 6-5 choice for this unveiling over a muddy track, wasn't particularly hurried off the blocks as Exodus (Not This Time) sprinted to the front while leading Playonwords (Thousand Words) through a quick opening quarter in :21.64. Starting to launch his rally leaving the far turn and heading to the quarter pole, Lighter swung out to the three path turning for home, took over from the fading pacesetter and drew off to score by an eye-catching 7 1/2 length margin over longshot Jr. Bartholomew (Danish Dynaformer). Exodus held on for third.

Lighter is out of Galina Point, purchased by WinStar for $145,000 at Keeneland January in 2018. A half to SW Overbore (Speightstown, $272,634), Lighter also has a year-younger sister by the WinStar stallion.

1st-Horseshoe Indianapolis, $32,000, Msw, 5-6, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.62, gd, 7 1/2 lengths.
LIGHTER (c, 3, Constitution–Galina Point {MSW & MGSP, $486,561}, by Saffir)
Sales history: $400,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $19,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart
O-Ann Harrison & Renata Hendrickson; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Rodolphe Brisset.

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'Kentucky Roses,' a new Hallmark movie that premiered on their channel May 2 and began streaming through Hallmark+ May 3, is nothing short of a triumph for the sport of Thoroughbred racing.

Set on the grounds of iconic Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, here's a film that has something for everyone. It's good, clean fun, but it also deals with myriad issues including class division, gender identity and the labyrinth that is family history.

Most of all though, if you are trying to hook someone that knows next to nothing about the sport, then this is one way to reel them in.

Directed by Clare Niederpruem with Jamie Pachino's hotly paced script, 'Kentucky Roses' stars Hallmark stalwart Andrew Walker.

The actor knows his way around horses and luckily has a best friend who is a relative of Churchill's CEO Bill Carstanjen. The racetrack was open to doing a movie and those involved cleverly rolled it out in time for Derby 152.

Walker stars as Ash Taylor, an architect who is trying to make a name for himself professionally without resting on his family's laurels. Taylor is the son of the CEO of Churchill Downs and goes to great lengths–even dropping his surname in favor of his mother's maiden name–so he can avoid any calls that he earned his stripes through nepotism.

As is prone in many a Hallmark tale, trouble in paradise comes two weeks prior to the running of the Derby. Walker's character is called on by his father to repair one of the Twin Spires that was damaged in a recent storm.

Opposite Walker is Odette Annable, who plays Sadie Moore. Her character works for Churchill's greenhouse and she is also trying to strike out on her own as a florist. Her ancestors worked diligently to supply the Derby with the famous garland of roses that is always draped across the winner.

As a budding romance blooms between Moore and Taylor, the pair discover that in 1932 their relatives were broken up because of class differences. A series of flashbacks are effectively used to give the viewers a window into that bygone era.

Back in the present, the modern day couple fight through issues like sourcing historic shingles and finding replacement roses for the Derby garland, which are juxtaposed against larger themes like duty and heritage.

Probably the most interesting character in the whole production is Abigail Esmena's Camila Ortiz. She portrays a racehorse trainer and Moore's closest friend. Ortiz has a longshot Derby entry named Angel Face. At the Derby draw–which includes a cameo from Churchill's Dan Bork–Angel Face is handed the post that no horse has ever won from, number 17. It was a clever nod to see that Angel Face's purple and white jockey silks sport the famous Hallmark crown.

Ortiz and Moore constantly support one another through trials and tribulations.

Spoiler alert! What is terribly ironic is that Angel Face and Ortiz win the Derby a la Golden Tempo and Cherie DeVaux. Hallmark must have one heck of a crystal ball.

Andrew Walker as Ash Taylor in 'Kentucky Roses' | courtesy of Hallmark

As for Taylor, whose sharp threads include a mean three-piece seersucker suit at one point, he does his bit to allow Moore access to his family's land which happens to be loaded with roses. It's Hallmark at its best, of course.

Instead of relying heavily on set design, 'Kentucky Roses' uses the backdrop of Churchill Downs in effective ways. Viewers get to see the Spires, a shedrow, the newly designed paddock, the club levels, the Prohibition-style speakeasy and we get a glimpse over Ash Taylor's shoulder as he uses the Derby winner's circle pagoda as an office during the restoration work. What a treat!

The film reaches the Derby Day climax in the third act. There is a brief scene where Taylor convinces his father that partnering to build a new Thoroughbred aftercare facility is the right move. It's a moment to cherish where the past and present intersect with the future in a powerful way.

Teaming with a juggernaut like Hallmark was a brilliant move by Churchill Downs.

Yes, the shroud of marketing is present, but let's not forget that telling a good story and emphasizing how a community works together isn't pure fiction. As the movie reminds us, the generational racetrack exists from the front to the backside and from the Spires to the greenhouse. It does take a village to save the day.

The industry and race fans should encourage anyone and everyone to see 'Kentucky Roses.' It's time to download the app.

What a big win for a sport that needs to embrace different forms of media that reside 'out there' in the public's popular imagination.

There was one question though that wasn't answered by the time the credits began to roll. Is Angel Face headed to the Preakness?

____________________

Niederpruem, C. (Director). (2026). Kentucky Roses [Film]. Hallmark Media.

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Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country.

The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.

Among this week's rulings, owner and trainer Raul Beltran-Moreno has been suspended for 18-months and fined $12,500 after he was found in possession of Pitcher Plant Extract, a banned substance (which goes by the brand name Sarapin) due to its analgesic properties. The suspension began on April 30.

According to a brief explanation in the case resolution, the substance was found in Beltran-Moreno's possession at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino in Sunland Park, New Mexico on January 8. According to Equibase, Beltran-Moreno has been training since last year, making 49 starts and winning five races.

Resolved ADMC Violations

Dates: 05/05/2026
Licensee: Jose A. Gallegos, trainer
Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on May 6, 2026; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Distinct, who finished ninth at Tampa Bay on 3/20/26.

Dates: 05/05/2026
Licensee: Mark S. Tubbs, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horses' Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. The following are treated as one violation. Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a class C controlled substance–in samples taken from C'S Lilly Dancer, who won at Turf Paradise on 2/28/26; and from Lotsa Kitty, who won at Turf Paradise on 3/16/26.

Dates: 05/04/2026
Licensee: S. Matthew Kintz, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Dantrolene–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Busker, who finished 10th at Tampa Bay on 3/22/26.

Dates: 05/01/2026
Licensee: Juan Carlos Gotera, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Patty's Having Fun, who finished fourth at Mahoning Valey on 3/26/26.

Dates: 04/29/2026
Licensee: Raul Beltran-Moreno, trainer
Penalty: 18-month period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on April 30, 2026; a fine of $12,500.
Explainer: Breach of rule 3214(a), concerning “Possession of a Banned Substance”–in this case Pitcher Plant Extract–for an event dated 1/8/26.

Pending ADMC Violations

05/06/2026, Todd Fincher, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Dantrolene–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Sunset Sizzle on 3/31/26.

05/05/2026, Leslielyn Hardesty, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from That's My Cat, who finished fifth at Tampa Bay on 2/25/26.

05/01/2026, Eddie Kenneally, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Tramadol–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Bowling Blue, who finished seventh at Turfway Park on 2/28/26.

04/30/2026, Rogelio Labra, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Cobalt Salts (e.g. CoCl2)–a banned substance–in a sample taken from Shallus, who finished third at Turfway Park on 3/12/26.

4/30/2026, Maria G. Gonzalez, trainer: Pending alleged violation of rule 3229, regarding the “Status During Provisional Suspension or Ineligibility,” for an undescribed event (concerning the horses I'magambler and Warriors Mark) dated 2/9/26. Gonzalez is already serving an 18-month suspension (which began on Feb. 7) after one of her trainees tested positive in an out-of-competition test for the banned substance, Albuterol.

Crop Violations

Aqueduct
Kendrick Carmouche – reporting date May 4; $1,000 fine, two-day suspension
Omar H. Moreno – reporting date May 4; $250 fine, no other information
Dalila Rivera – reporting date May 4; $500 fine, one-day suspension
Kendrick Carmouche – reporting date May 4; $500 fine, one-day suspension

Fairmount Park
Emmanuel Giles – reporting date May 2; $250 fine, one-day suspension

Oaklawn Park
Luis Fuenmayor – reporting date April 30; $250 fine, no other information

Parx Racing
Jorge A. Vargas – reporting date May 1; $35 fine, no other information

Santa Anita
Victor Espinoza – reporting date May 1; $500 fine, one-day suspension

Tampa Bay
Cesar D. Gonzalez – reporting date May 1; $250 fine, one-day suspension

Thistledown
Jose A. Bracho – reporting date May 2; $250 fine, one-day suspension

The post Weekly Rulings: April 30-May 6; Raul Beltran-Moreno Banned 18 Months appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

There was little question as to who would be the primary Gainesway Guest of the Week on this week's edition of the TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. Trainer Cherie DeVaux not only won the GI Kentucky Derby with Golden Tempo (Curlin), she also became the first female trainer to win the race.

But there were so many good storylines out of this year's Derby, that the podcast split off into three parts. In what we are calling the “TDN Writers' Room Podcast Overtime” we also featured in-depth interviews with winning Jockey Jose Ortiz and winning co-owner Daisy Phipps Pulito in separate podcasts. Stay tuned for those episodes in the coming days.

DeVaux has been a media darling since her victory and her appearances have included segments on the CBS Morning News and the Today Show. She understands why a victory in the Derby by a female trainer resonated with the public and the media, and that it is important to be a role model.

“To be honest, none of this, the enormity of it, has sunk in,” she said. “It's been a whirlwind. I wasn't really expecting to be whisked off to New York City and go all over different studios and get to be a representative for the industry. It's been fun, but I'm averaging about four hours of sleep a night. I am looking forward to a regular bedtime and getting some semblance of normalcy. It's not going to be normal for a while and I have to acknowledge that something happened in my life that is going to change it forever.

“I don't view my gender as being a female trainer as my whole identity, but I do acknowledge that being a female in the racehorse world is a big deal when big things happen,” she said. “I'm a person that just has always done my own thing. You guys have known me for quite some time. So if I can just be myself and be true to myself and that inspires others, then why not take advantage of that?”

Though Golden Tempo was sent off at odds of 23-1, DeVaux said she was growing increasingly confident as the week progressed.

“I was very confident in Golden Tempo,” she said. “He has trained so well throughout the winter. He trained even better when we freshened him a little bit and just gave him a little bit more time. And physically, he looked fantastic. He's kind of always been a little bit on the heavier side. He really started to trim up. And then the week of the Derby, he went from being a horse that was as quiet as a church mouse to something different. We're coming off the track and he's nickering at the pony trying to audition for his hopeful next career. So that gave me a lot of confidence.”

It has taken some quality horsemen decades to win a Kentucky Derby. Some of the very best have never won the race. DeVaux did it in just her eighth year as a trainer. How?

“Well, I don't think it's fair to say how did I make it happen?” she said. “It happened. In the beginning, we were just trying to persevere. We went almost a full year without winning a race. So it was almost seven years of training and winning races before we got here. I made a conscious effort and thought in the beginning of my career that my core principle was going to always be to put the horse first. And I'm going to surround myself with clients and a support team that had that same concept in mind. And I think that to do this and to be successful, the horses have to be the priority along with the care  of each individual horse. But you have to have the clients behind you. And I'm so grateful for these clients, St. Elias, the Violas and the Phipps family. I'm also thankful for every other client who has supported me in this journey.”

The “Fastest Horses of the Week” was T O Elvis (Volatile), the Japanese import who won the GI Churchill Downs Stakes. He earned a 108 Beyer. The Fastest Horse of the Week segment is sponsored by WinStar, which stands the sire Life Is Good.

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 gave their thoughts on the many stories that came out in the Derby. There was speculation that Renegade (Into Mischief) may have won the race if he had not been banged around at the start after breaking from the one hole. They talked of how successful the move to shift the GI Kentucky Oaks to primetime television turned out to be and discussed the massive late odds drops on T O Elvis courtesy of the CAW players and how that had to have left a bad taste in the mouths of every “regular” player who wagered on the horse.

Click here to watch the podcast or watch below.

The post Cherie DeVaux 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.

In a statement posted Tuesday afternoon on X, trainer Cherie DeVaux announced that the GI Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo (Curlin) will not be running in the GI Preakness Stakes. It's another blow to the race that has clearly become the weak link in the Triple Crown. The only horse who ran in the Kentucky Derby to commit to the Preakness at this point is the maiden, Ocelli (Connect), who was a surprising third.

“After much thoughtful discussion as a team, we have decided that Golden Tempo will bypass the Preakness Stakes,” read a statement attributed to Cherie DeVaux Racing.

“We are incredibly appreciative of the excitement and support surrounding the possibility of a Triple Crown run. The enthusiasm from racing fans, owners, and our entire team has meant more to us than we can properly express.

“Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort. His health, happiness, and long-term future will always remain our top priority.

“We are looking forward to pointing him toward the Belmont Stakes and are excited for what lies ahead with this very special horse.

“Thank you again to everyone who has supported and believed in this journey alongside us.”

This will be the last Preakness run by the team at 1/ST Racing. Mike Rogers, the executive vice president of racing for 1/ST, said the news of 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Golden Tempo's defection was a blow.

“Initially, when I heard the news, it was a gut punch,” he said. “You're always hoping for the best. When someone like Cherie and (co-owner) Daisy (Phipps Pulito) put their horse first, you can't criticize that decision. You respect it and you move on.”

Sovereignty (Into Mischief) also passed the 2025 Preakness to point for the Belmont. In 2022, Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) also bypassed the second jewel of the Triple Crown and ran next in the Belmont.

The issue has become the spacing of the Triple Crown races. Most trainers are very wary of running their horses back in just two weeks, especially when there is the option of waiting five weeks and coming back in the Belmont.

“I've long been a proponent of spacing these races out and I think it is something that has to be done,” Rogers said.

NYRA, for its part, said that it was willing to entertain the discussion.

“We are always willing to engage with Churchill Downs and the Maryland Jockey Club to ensure the continued success of the Triple Crown,” said NYRA Vice President of Communications Patrick McKenna.

Efforts to change the spacing of the races have not yielded any results, but perhaps the defection of another Derby winner from the Preakness could reignite the conversation. If Derby winners continue to pass the Preakness, that also puts NYRA in a bad situation as it means losing out on the chance to present a race with the potential of crowning a Triple Crown champion.

With Golden Tempo out, the Preakness favorite could be 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Crude Velocity (Beau Liam), the impressive winner of the GII Pat Day Mile on Derby Day. Reached by text Wednesday, trainer Bob Baffert said: “It's very tempting, but no decision yet.” Not only would Crude Velocity be coming back in two weeks, but he would be stretching out from a mile to a mile and three-sixteenths.

Trainer Whit Beckman had originally ruled out starting in the Preakness with Ocelli, but after reevaluating the situation he is ready to give the Triple Crown another try.

“I grew up watching the Preakness and it was all Derby runners in there,” Beckman said. “You never had a Preakness without a Derby runner. When you have a horse that is this fit, this healthy and giving you all the signs, I don't think there's anything wrong with running them back in two weeks. I understand it is challenging, but I don't think we're sacrificing anything. The Triple Crown is a prestigious thing to be a part of. Wayne (Lukas) never shied away from a Preakness and he won a ton of them.”

Preakness announcement pic.twitter.com/8JQu7VZlRC

— Cherie DeVaux (@reredevaux) May 6, 2026

The post Golden Tempo Will Pass Preakness, Aim for Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

We skipped last week as America focused on the Kentucky Derby, thus this slightly expanded list covering the last two weeks.

9) LOVELY EMMA, KEE, 4-22, Allowance, 5 1/2fT VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure-95
(f, 4, Twirling Candy–Salsa Diavola, by Mineshaft)
O-C R K Stable. B-Nursery Place, Donaldson, Broadbent. T-Peter Eurton. J-Jose Ortiz.
The Searing family's $600,000 yearling purchase appears ready to tackle stakes company now. This was her third consecutive win and third straight career-best Beyer.

8) SHOOT IT TRUE, CD, 5-1, GII Unbridled Sidney Stakes, 5fT
VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure-95 (2nd)
(f, 4, Munnings–To the Moon Alice, by Malibu Moon)
O-Ice Wine Stable and Smart Choice Stable. B-Old Tavern Farm (NY). T-Wesley Ward. J-Joel Rosario.
The first of two Ward trainees to appear on this week's list– both in defeat. Given a perfect rail trip by Rosario, she just missed earning graded stripes with her late kick against Moon Spun (below).

7) KATHYNMARISSA, CD, 5-1, GII Modesty Stakes, 1 1/8mT VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure-96
(m, 5, American Pharoah–La Dalila {Chi}, by Milt's Overture)
O-Michael Caruso and Michael Dubb. B-Don Alberto Corporation (Ky). T-Chad Brown. J-Jose Ortiz.
Brown had the exacta covered with Breeders' Cup heroine Gezora and Kathynmarissa, but this American Pharoah/Chilean cross finished strongest to nab her first graded score.

6) REAGAN'S FLAME, WO, 5-2, GIII Whimsical Stakes, 6f VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure-96
(m, 5, Flameaway–Mizzen Donald, by Mizzen Mast)
O-B A G Racing Stables, Turf Express and Watkins Diamond Stables. B-Jason Hall, Herschel Martindale & Stephen Mott (Ky). T-Saffie Joseph Jr. J-Sahin Civaci.
Flameaway started only once on Tapeta–a debut victory–but has sired four Tapeta SWs, this being the latest. Reagan's Flame is now 2-for-2 on the surface with markedly higher Beyers. The same figure as Kathynmarissa, but the tiebreaker? She carried one more pound.

5) COLD SPELL, KEE, 4-23, MSW, 6f VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure-97 (2nd)
(f, 3, Gun Runner–Chalon, by Dialed In)
O/B-Lael Stables/Mr & Mrs Roy Jackson. T-Wesley Ward. J-John Velazquez.
The second foal of seven-time stakes winner and GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint runner-up Chalon was dialed in for her debut, but simply outgunned by Mashallah's historic 106 debut Beyer (below).

4) MOON SPUN, CD, 5-1, GIII Unbridled Sidney Stakes, 5fT VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure-98
(m, 5, Hard Spun–Moonlit Bay, by Malibu Moon)
O-Town and Country Racing. B-Jack Liebau Sr (Ky). T-Brian Lynch. J-Javier Castellano.
Champion Shisospicy didn't have her usual sharpness off the bench, leaving 13-1 longshot Moon Spun to grab a clear lead–and that's the name of her game.

3) WAYS AND MEANS, CD, 5-2, GI Derby City Distaff, 7f VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure-98 (2nd)
(m, 5, Practical Joke–Strong Incentive, by Warrior's Reward)
O/B-Klaravich Stable. T-Chad Brown. J-Jose Ortiz.
She gave a valiant effort against R Disaster (below), and she'll undoubtedly be tough to handle in Saratoga's June 5 GII Bed O'Roses, which she won last year by 7 3/4 lengths. She is 5-for-6 in New York, but now 0-for-5 elsewhere.

2) R. DISASTER, CD, 5-2, GI Derby City Distaff, 7f VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure-103
(m, 5, Awesome Slew–Making Havoc, by Gottcha Gold)
O-Averill Racing and ATM Racing. B-Ocala Stud & J Michael O'Farrell Jr (Fl). T-Saffie Joseph Jr. J-Tyler Gaffalione.
Allow her to control the pace and Richard Averill's speedy mare “R” very tough to beat, as she proved again against talented Ways and Means and defending GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint champ Splendora. In 16 career starts, she has 10 races in which she led by at least one length at an official point-of-call, and she has won nine of those.

1) MASHALLAH, KEE, 4-23, MSW, 6f VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure-106
'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'
(f, 3, Maxfield–All in With Aces, by Quiet American)
O-JR Ranch. B-Taylor Made Stallions, Louis Brooks Ranch and Baysore Stables et al (Ky). T-Brendan Walsh. J-Joel Rosario.
Updated historical Beyer stats courtesy of racing data guru Jerry Nicholson: Mashallah became only the 22nd horse to record a debut Beyer Speed Figure of 106 or higher since Beyers were first published in DRF in 1992, and the sixth female.

The post Nine Fleet Fillies: From Apr. 19 to May 3 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Back in February, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that President Donald Trump's suite of International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs were unconstitutional.

That decision opened the door to potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in refunds to businesses that had paid those tariffs since they went into effect a year prior, including those who shipped in Thoroughbreds from abroad.

“We just did it unilaterally, figuring our customers would want their money back,” said Charles “Chuck” Santarelli, president of Mersant International, licensed custom brokers and freight forwarders which ships Thoroughbred racehorses worldwide, about his company's approach to applying for the tariff refunds.

“Most of our clients have been contacted that we're doing this,” Santarelli added. “There are some one-offs that we have not contacted yet.”

The refund process is being done through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Automated Commercial Environment system, within which is the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) functionality, what the CBP says is designed to “streamline the submission and processing” of valid refund requests.

Santarelli said before applying for the refunds, he went through every single customs entry that Mersant filed from Apr. 9 last year through Feb. 24 this year.

During that time, Mersant filed 202 custom entries. Each entry could contain as many as a dozen or more horses. And each horse, of course, could have multiple paying partners.

Not anyone can access the ACE system, which opened on Apr. 20.

“You have to be registered to utilize the portal,” Santarelli explained.

“What I've done is I've created internal spreadsheets of each portal upload to keep track of who paid us for each particular horse and added a column for the interest accrued so we have an idea of what the clients will get back,” said Santarelli.

“When we file a CAPE portal transaction, we get a claim number assigned to it for us to check the status of the refunds internally in the ACE Portal,” he added.

According to Santarelli, their customers paid around $5 million in IEEPA tariffs. He said he doesn't know exactly how many paying individuals that entailed, but suggested it could have been between 100 and 200 different entities.

The tariffs ranged in severity, from 10% from horses bred in the UK to 15% from horses bred in Japan and Europe.

Immediately following the Supreme Court's decision, President Trump enacted an additional global 10% tariff, similar in effect to the IEEPA tariffs. These are set to expire July 24, 2026. The refunds in the process of being issued do not relate to this new set of 10% tariffs.

It's currently unclear how the funds will be reimbursed–whether it'll be done in chronological order, for example.

“In terms of order, I would assume they will pay out the entries that were liquidated already within the last 80 days. Those ones should be paid out first. And then they will break it out and go in submission order. That's the way I see it,” Santarelli guessed.

The first of the refunds are expected to be issued on or around May 11.

“One thing I will tell you is that until I actually see the funds in our account, I'm always skeptical,” said Santarelli. “But that's just my mentality.”

The tariffs, he said, have impacted Mersant's business, the majority of which comprises the movement of Thoroughbreds. At the 2025 October Tattersalls yearling sale, they shipped back around 30 horses to America.

“The previous year, we had close to 50,” he said. “Maybe they're just not buying 18, they're buying 15. They're just buying fewer.”

The tariffs have also impacted the way Thoroughbreds have been moved post purchase.

Rather than ship them to the U.S. to be broken in, “a lot of people have kept their horses there post sale to break them in England or with Europe,” said Santarelli.

Importantly, anyone interested in possible refunds should reach out to their shipping agent or whoever they used to ship horses, to see if they've applied for the tariff refunds on their behalf, said Santarelli.

Many of racing manager and bloodstock advisor Joe Miller's clients are having their refunds processed by Mersant. For the ones who didn't use the company, Miller is processing the refunds himself.

“It's a huge amount of paperwork that needs to be done,” said Miller, who explained that he's currently working with his clients to decide whether the refund process is worth it. “It's a lot of paperwork and a lot of follow-up and back and forth with them to get the funds back.”

Miller said, “We're always trying to do what's best for our clients,” but some of the potential refunds would be of such a small amount, “the juice might not be worth the squeeze,” he added.

When asked what advice he would give to others pursuing refunds, Miller pointed to an instructive February article by attorney and syndicate manager Bing Bush Jr.

“What I would tell people is speak with your shipping company,” said Miller. “Do the paperwork and be relentless and try to get the money back.”

The post Refunds on IEEPA Tariffs: ‘We Just Did it Unilaterally’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.