Thoroughbred Daily News

The vet scratch is a baked-in component of the sport. It isn't going away. But is there a way to make the system better, more efficient?

On the one hand is the regulatory vet world, arguing that criticism of their vital role is not only damaging to the sport but often misleading (the latter argument they back up with statistical support).

On the other hand are the trainers and owners on the receiving end of a vet scratch decision who feel that too many sound horses are getting caught up in a system that doesn't effectively account for the subjectivity involved with identifying lameness, and subtle lameness especially.

There's no one way to diagnose a lame horse. There's no one way to read a scan. With that in mind, there are some, both regulator and the regulated alike, who believe they can improve the system without jeopardizing horse welfare.

One of those people is bloodstock agent David Igordo, a member of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) horsemen's advisory committee.

In this Q&A, Ingordo talks about possible changes to the way horses are monitored in the lead up to big events, ideas to improve transparency for the betting public, and a possible code of conduct. The following has been edited for clarity and brevity.

TDN: What are your main takeaways from the White Abarrio vet scratch situation?

DI: I want it to be clear I'm not passing judgment on the connections or the regulatory vets. My observations as a horseman were that White Abarrio was being looked at quite a bit throughout the week, and I don't think it was fair to the connections or the sport or the gamblers to have the horse get out there and then get scratched.

I have regulatory vets tell me, 'trust me, David, the horse needed to be scratched.' Okay, I take their word. But the thing is, if there were concerns about running the horse throughout the week, all the parties should have just made the tough decision to scratch him before he ever got to the track.

TDN: What can be done to ensure a similar situation doesn't happen again?

DI: We need to sit down and look at our big days and [make sure] the Kentucky Derbies and the Breeders' Cups don't sneak up on our industry. We shouldn't be putting the horses and their connections through this scrutiny the week of the Derby or the week of the Breeders' Cup.

My proposed solution is we need to start this much further out.

Let's get all the proper people in a room and let's come up with a 'Best Practices' protocol to evaluate these horses prior to them even getting entered in the race-come up with something that can really give us confidence we're putting the soundest horses out there.

TDN: Can you point to some examples?

DI: Sure. The Melbourne Cup that just was completed.

In my position on the ADMC, I'm lucky to deal with a very intelligent regulatory vet from Australia. He's in charge of the team for the Melbourne Cup inspections.

These inspections don't start the week of the race-they start quite a bit out. We need to take something like they do for the Melbourne Cup, which is a much longer window of inspection and communicate any extra kind of diagnostics that need to be done.

Not everything they do might suit us here in the U.S. and whatever protocols are put in place need to be customized to our racing here to find a sweet spot of horse safety and allowing horses and their connections to compete.

Some of these things are very definitive. With a PET scan or a CT scan or whatever, it makes it easy for the trainer, his attending vets and his owners to understand, 'my horse isn't going to compete in this race for this reason.'

TDN: In short, a clear set of additional veterinary protocols for everyone to follow over a much longer timeframe leading up to these big events.

DI: And a clear set of expectations for the trainers, the attending vets and the owners of these horses.

TDN: Now, in fairness, regulatory vets have access to a horse's regulatory exam history from all around the country. But these are primarily written records. Do you think video diagnostic aid (like the Sleip app) should be woven into this whole regulatory system? A video can reveal a whole lot more than a set of written notes can.

DI: That Sleip app is a great tool. The trainers I know who work with it on a regular basis talk about integrating it into their training regime. I've spoken to Mark Casse–he's a proponent of it.

From the regulatory side, it would be a great help when horses move from different jurisdictions. It would help the regulatory vet in say, New York, see what the regulatory vet in Kentucky saw–see if he's getting better, he's getting worse or if he stays the same.

We're looking for that consistency and something like the Sleip app could be a great tool.

TDN: The regulatory vet world argues that the process works, and they point to compelling statistical evidence that horses who are scratched for unsoundness are notably more likely to face extended periods of time off than non-scratched horses. They typically take longer to get back on the work tab and to the races. A significant number simply never make it back.

DI: I've heard the regulatory vets make these comments.

Now, I can only look at the population of horses that I'm intimately involved with to speak accurately. And at one point in Cherie's [DeVaux, Ingordo's wife] barn, the horses that were vet scratches the morning of the race typically got back to the races within 45 days of the day they were scratched at the level they were entered at, or, in some cases, a higher level than they were scratched at.

I can also tell you that a lot of our vet scratches were because the horse probably had a bad day or out of an abundance of caution by the regulatory vet. And the ones that did not come back, some might've been fillies we were going to retire anyway, or there was a reason they were retired that wasn't necessarily on soundness.

That's why I believe we should take into account each trainer's individual records. Just like if you have a driver's license and you have no speeding tickets or no accidents in your car, your insurance is different, right? In the insurance world, the healthier and better you are as a person, the lower your insurance rates are.

So how does that pertain to this? I think with all the statistics [HISA] has out there on things like this, I think the horsemen and women that have best practices shouldn't necessarily be treated the same as people that maybe are not as thorough.

TDN: A program to incentivize 'Best Practices' behavior, in other words?

DI: We jog all our horses up. Cherie and her assistants look at these horses. Our vet then comes to look at them. So, there are two sets of eyes inspecting a horse in the programs I'm involved with intimately. That's before the regulatory vet comes.

There are things that could happen when the reg vet sees it. But if you have a trainer that you trust and a vet that's competent, and they're saying, 'look, we don't see it per se. It could be a foot. It could be this. It could be that.' Well, maybe have a different avenue than putting it on a vets' list.

If the reg' vet can honestly say, 'I think this horse is at risk of a catastrophic injury or could really hurt itself,' then by all means they need to say 'no, you're on a vet list.'

The regulatory vets have an awesome responsibility every day. I respect the job they have and what their purpose is. But there should be some way with this rating system idea we're talking about to make it an easier process for the horsemen that still protects the horse.

Sometimes it's very difficult to get off the vets' list because of timing, because of several things. I think we need to look at that part of it to make it fairer for the horse, the horsemen, and still be thorough from a welfare standpoint.

TDN: Now, as a former exercise rider, I can think of dozens of times where trainers (who undoubtedly are under a lot of pressure) didn't react well to news that something's wrong with a horse. I don't think there's one reg vet who hasn't encountered the same reaction. Everything you've outlined so far comes back to the idea of better communication.

DI: 100% that's what needs to happen.

Look, I'm not going to say that I have never had disparaging words for a regulatory vet because I have, with horses I own or I'm involved with. That needs to stop. There needs to be more meeting in the middle at times. The communication between the parties and respect between the parties needs to improve.

There does need to be some kind of code of conduct that the trainers and the vets adhere to. Again, I'm guilty of being upset with the vets and saying things to them that are out of frustration because I don't agree with them. But there's got to be a code of conduct that would be very helpful to everybody involved.

TDN: When it comes to communication, it's not just between the vets and the horsemen. One of the key issues many folks have concerns alerting the general public in a timely and transparent manner about the reasons behind a vet scratch, especially those that occur post-parade. Do you have any ideas about that?

DI: I think that is a very important thing to be transparent about. I don't know why there's not [a uniform system already in place]. This is important to do for respect to our gambling component of the game and to show respect for the betting public.

When a football player is injured, they'll come on and say, 'Peyton Manning was hurt on that play. And they're looking at his ankle and he's out indefinitely.' That's it. End of story.

TDN: One regulatory vet I spoke with suggested having an on-call spokesperson relay this information on big race days, and one of the stewards do it on the lesser race days.

Similarly, some tracks make the reasons for a vet scratch available on Equibase but that's far from a uniform approach. This reg vet thinks Equibase should have this info recorded on Equibase as standard protocol.

Do you think both ideas would help?

DI: I love the idea of having a spokesperson that's articulate and media trained do that. I think it's fantastic and I think they should bolster that person's visibility.

I think any information on horses that we think is pertinent ought to be put on Equibase. When they just put on Equibase, 'unsound,' that's an improper word to use. Unsound is a very strong word. So, put scratched and the reason versus just 'unsound.'

TDN: Okay, you're king for the day. What's the first few thing you do to start fixing the system?

DI: When you say king, just on this subject or…

TDN: No, no, no. You're not touching anything else but this.

DI: I'm a big fan of the sit down, like the old mob movies. But you have to bring all the players in the room and everybody has to talk sensibly to one another.

I'm not just talking about the Breeders' Cup or the executives from the racing commissions or the racetracks. They are definitely part of it. But you have to have practicing veterinarians with great practical veterinary experience involved. And then you've got to get the horsemen in, the trainers with the most experience in dealing with this.

The horsemen at times haven't been well represented in the creation of HISA's regulatory body.

Get the smart kids in the room together, roll their sleeves up and figure out something that will work. It's not going to be perfect ever, but we need to work on it.

The post David Ingordo Q and A on Vet Scratches appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Jockey Dylan Davis, who was injured in a spill Friday at Aqueduct, will be out of action indefinitely according to NYRA in a note released Saturday morning. Davis's agent, Mike Migliore, said that the jockey “sustained a broken right collarbone, multiple fractured ribs and a partially collapsed lung.”

Davis was aboard Tarpaulin (Leofric) when Heavyweight Champs (Solomini) fell near the three-eighths pole unseating jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. Tarpaulin made contact with Santana, Jr. and unseated Davis, who was placed on a backboard and immediately transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.

Once stabilized, Davis was then transported to the ICU at North Shore University Hospital late Friday evening for additional testing and to begin his recuperation.

“More than anything, I just want him to be healthy,” Migliore told NYRA. “He'll get to go home to his family one day soon and be OK. It could have been a lot worse. Thank God, the Lord was looking over him and we have good people looking out for him and he's going to get good care. We would also like to thank Bob Rosenthal, who provided important guidance with the transfer to North Shore. Dylan has received additional scans and X-rays to track the progress of his left lung. He's still uncomfortable, but all vitals are healthy. Dylan really appreciates all the well-wishes and now he just needs to rest and continue to heal.”

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. visited onsite first aid under his own power Friday and is back on his mounts Saturday.

Additionally, jockey Sahin Civaci, who was injured at Aqueduct on Thursday after being unseated from Despo's Dream (Mitole), sustained hairline fractures to two vertebrae according to his agent Mike Sellitto. Civaci will follow up with an orthopedic specialist this week.

The post Jockey Dylan Davis Out Indefinitely After Friday Spill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

John and Chelsey Stewart's Resolute Racing was represented by its first winner in Australia on Nov. 14 when the beautifully bred 3-year-old filly Ernaux (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) took out a maiden handicap contest at Canterbury Park in Sydney over 1100 meters.

Beaten for speed and settled inside near the back of a seven-strong field beneath Kerrin McEvoy, Ernaux was ridden for luck with $2.20 (6-5) favorite Pyrolysis (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}) to catch turning into the straight. Continuing to find at the fence, she was steered away from the inside and was shoved across the line narrowly best to strike at odds of 6-1.

Bred in New South Wales by Katom and offered through the Coolmore draft at the 2024 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, the daughter of G1 Oakleigh Plate heroine Booker (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) was knocked down to Resolute for A$3 million ($1,971,134), second only to the A$10 million for the Pierro (Aus) filly out of Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Aus}). All totaled, Resolute purchased six horses for A$5.44 million at the 2024 Easter Sale.

Trained by Chris Waller for a partnership that also includes Coolmore, Westerberg and J Poulin, Ernaux had placed in three of her previous six appearances, including a runner-up effort in the soft at Newcastle in New South Wales on Nov. 1.

Our first winner in Australia in the RR silks. ERNAUX gets it done for team @resracingky

We have now had winners in 6 countries and 4 continents in only our 2nd year racing!

It is a team effort and we are thankful for all of our partners and trainers. pic.twitter.com/cGXTECedV9

— Jstewartrr (@jstewartrr) November 14, 2025

The post Resolute Racing Represented By First Australian Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Brian Spearman, who has served as the chairman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners since 2015, has decided to step away from his day-to-day role with the company at the end of this year, marking a decade of unprecedented success for the Eclipse stable and overall business during his tenure, the syndicate said in a press release late Friday.

“Brian's business acumen, combined with his sheer passion for the Thoroughbred horse racing industry has played a vital role in Eclipse's rise within the public partnership space and our considerable success on the racetrack,” Eclipse Founder and President Aron Wellman said.

The post Chairman Brian Spearman Steps Away From Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Now at the two-month mark since the conclusion of the Monmouth Park season, some Thoroughbred owners and trainers remain concerned that they can't withdraw the purse money they earned during the May 10-Sept. 13 meet and from the turf-only mini-meet that Monmouth conducted at the Meadowlands Sept. 19-Oct. 17.

When TDN first reported on the track's cash flow difficulties Oct. 22,  Dennis Drazin, the chairman and chief executive officer of Darby Development LLC, which operates Monmouth and its sportsbook, said the payment process is a complicated one that he hoped would be resolved shortly.

But 3 1/2 weeks later, with some horsemen still complaining about not being able to access their winnings, TDN contacted Drazin late Friday afternoon to get an update.

Drazin said Nov. 14 that while progress has been made in making payments, Darby is still waiting to receive money from the state of New Jersey that it will use to fund the purse account.

“We have been paying out the purses since [TDN's original story],” Drazin said. “So any money that we get in, we put right into the purse account, and we've probably paid over a million dollars, maybe a little higher than that, maybe [around] $1.3 million.

“Let me make it clear to begin with, the responsibility to pay purses at the racetrack is the responsibility of the permit-holder, which is us. So we're not saying, 'It's not our responsibility.' I can assure you that everyone will be paid,” Drazin said.

“But having said that, the delays are occasioned by not getting all the funding that we're supposed to get in the budget,” Drazin said.

“The budget process that took place in July gave us an allocation of $3.5 million,” Drazin said. “We have not received that money yet. We have filled out the applications that we have to to get that money coming, but we don't have that money yet. If I got that money at any point soon, we'd put all that's needed to pay all the purses immediately. We would not divert it anyplace else.”

So roughly how much is still outstanding?

“I'm not sure without checking with the bookkeeper,” Drazin said. “I don't just want to give you a number off the top of my head, because I know he's been paying some of the purses and probably has dissipated a lot of what's owed.”

Drazin wanted to clarify that when he speaks of “the state” he is referring to several different sources.

One is the New Jersey Racing Commission, which acts like a clearinghouse in distributing money after first making sure that the post-race drug tests are clear and that incoming money from simulcasting is being properly tallied.

Another is the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA), through which some incoming account-wagering money must pass first.

A third is the $3.5-million budget allocation that Drazin mentioned above. The purpose of that payment is to offset cost increases from a tax hike on revenue from sports betting.

A fourth is a $10-million annual subsidy that the legislature granted to Monmouth, but that money isn't scheduled to arrive until the end of this year and is earmarked for next year's purses.

“The way it kind of works is that Monmouth, the OTWs, account wagering, they all are required to file these seven-day reports, send the money to the commission so that they can make sure the money is being distributed correctly; little pieces to the breeders, for example, that they pay out,” Drazin said.

“That money from Meadowlands, as of today, has not come in yet. But we know the racing commission has indicated that they are sending it, so we expect that money this [coming] week,” Drazin said.

“We did get some money from another source [late Friday afternoon], and that money will be distributed probably Monday or Tuesday,” Drazin said. “That money [came] from the NJSEA, because all of our account-wagering money from TVG goes to them first. Then they pay the bills that are required to be paid from their end.

“For example, the real estate taxes at Monmouth Park, which are about $1.8 million each year, the Authority gets the bill because they own the land,” Drazin said. “They use our account-wagering money to pay the bills and then send us the balance. So we did receive a portion of [that] money to help pay out some of the purses.

Asked how Darby/Monmouth determines which horsemen get paid when, he explained it as a first-in/first-out type of system.

“Requests that come in first get paid first,” Drazin said. “So horsemen–and I'm not being critical, because I do the same thing sometimes–you wait until the meet's over, and you're shipping someplace else, [then you] request your funds. So people who requested the money  [first] would have gotten the money first. The rest of them are in the order of when the requests came in.”

TDN asked Drazin if horsemen being unable to withdraw winnings this year was unusual from how Monmouth traditionally operates.

“Not really,” Drazin answered. “We had a problem two years ago with the commission where they were eight months behind sending us money. And frankly, when the commission doesn't pay us, like in that year, we've loaned the money to the purse account from our own funds in order to make sure the horsemen got paid.”

So why didn't Darby just loan the money this year?

“Well, the horsemen this year were overpaid about $3 million from last year,” Drazin said. “We kept anticipating we were going to get the monies from [the state sources], and if it got delayed [much further], my intention would be to fund the account myself to make sure everyone gets paid.”

Drazin said that, “At the end of the day it's our responsibility. Whether we have to wait for the money or not, we're going to make sure the purse account has enough money and that everybody will get paid everything that they are owed.”

Drazin outlined several scenarios moving forward that might help avoid a cash crunch in subsequent seasons.

“Just to be clear with you so you understand, when you start the [racing season] in May, you've accumulated monies from when your meet closed the previous year until the day you open,” Drazin said. “Then, in addition, you're getting a $10-million subsidy from the state, which requires a formal report to be issued first before that happens. I think the commission will allocate that money this December.

“So going into next year's meet, you would have the $10 million, you would have whatever accumulated in the way of purse revenue, and then you have your daily money that comes in as the meet goes on.

“You project purses for your fiscal year, so you're projecting purses [by] including money that's going to come in for simulcasting in the second half of October, when you're not running, [and also] November and December. And you couldn't possibly receive all that money until [we're] finished with November and December,” Drazin said.

“So a better practice going forward is probably not to project October, November and December's revenue in the purse account, but carry that over until the following year, so you're not making horsemen wait,” Drazin said.

“The alternative, which the horsemen have suggested to me–some of them–is cut days, cut purses, so you don't run into this problem next year,” Drazin said.

“But the majority of horsemen want the higher purses, and they don't want to give up days,” Drazin said.

TDN asked Drazin what his general message is for horsemen who have been contacting track executives and the bookkeeper about when they are going to get their money.

“I would hope that everyone would be patient,” Drazin said. “For the past 12 years we've operated the track, and done so at significant losses. The horsemen operated the track before, so no one was asking the horsemen for the money. But Darby took over in terms of the lease last August, so it's Darby's responsibility.

“So we're asking them to bear with us. We'll get them the money as quickly as we can. I can certainly assure everyone that everyone will get paid every dollar that they're owed,” Drazin said.

The post Drazin On Monmouth’s Cash Flow Woes: ‘Everyone Will Get Paid Every Dollar That They’re Owed’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Jockey Dylan Davis suffered a broken right collarbone in a spill that affected four horses Friday afternoon at Aqueduct, his agent Mike Migliore told the TDN's Bill Finley. Migliore updated late Friday that Davis also has multiple fractured ribs and a partially collapsed lung.

Heavyweight Champs (Solomini), the third betting choice in a $17,500 claimer with a non-winners-of-three-lifetime condition, was a handy third and three wide tracking the pace into the turn, but broke down and fell three-eighths of a mile from the wire. He unseated his rider Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the process, and the Davis-ridden Tarpaulin (Leofric) could not avoid his stricken rival and fell, but picked himself up, completed the course and was caught by outriders before being walked off. Both Christopher Elliott aboard Because the Night (Uncle Mo) and Lane Luzzi astride Funny Uncle (Distorted Humor) were forced to take evasive action and both horses were eased, but were otherwise uninjured.

According to a statement from NYRA's Patrick McKenna, Heavyweight Champs was attended to immediately by veterinary staff, but due to the severity of the injury to his left front leg, could not be saved. Santana, Jr. visited on-track first aid under his own power, but was removed from his remaining mount.

Davis was transported to Jamaica Hospital for evaluation. There is no timetable for his return, Migliore said.

The post Dylan Davis Suffers Multiple Injuries, Horse Euthanized In Aqueduct Spill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Dave Smyth, a financial planner and horseplayer from Lexington, KY, saved his best for last at the 2025 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC), parlaying an $8,000 Daily Double on the final two legs into a record $607,800 payday.

“As a financial planner, I put puzzles together,” he said.

Smyth did the bulk of his damage in the second half of the Saturday program.

“I absolutely loved Forever Young,” he recalled of the eventual GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic winner. “He had tactical speed and was ready to fire.”

In addition to betting Forever Young across the board, Smyth went big on a Forever Young exacta box with defending champion Sierra Leone, which grossed $17,150.

Smyth finished with a total score of 144,800 points and combined those earnings with his first-place prize of $463,000 for the $607,800 total. Ken McMahan of La Quinta, CA, finished second with 139,930 points, and combined with a second prize of $308,600, his total earnings were $448,530. McMahan also played a second entry and finished in eighth place with 82,950 points, and adding a prize pool of $51,400 gave him a second-entry total of $134,350 and total tournament earnings of $582,880. Michael Martinelli finished in third place with 105,000 points. Adding the third-place prize money of $167,200, his total grand total reached $272,200.

“As a handicapper, this was a thrill of a lifetime and a dream come true, and I never imagined I would win the BCBC when my grandmother first took me to Keeneland for a day of fun with friends,” said Smyth. “To be live at Del Mar is a moment that I'll never forget. I love the horse industry, and I try to make sure, as a player and a fan, that I can help future generations enjoy the sport even more.”

As a commitment to the future of the sport, Smyth is donating 5% of the first-place prize to Amplify Horse Racing. The organization fosters Thoroughbred industry education, mentorship, and career opportunities with horse programs for youth and young adults.

The tournament players generated a record $8,902,863 in wagering handle. Breeders' Cup tournament wagering at Del Mar totaled 22% of the on-track handle.

In the 2025 BCBC, each player was required to fund a $2,500 buy-in and a $7,500 betting bankroll ($10,000 total). All buy-in monies were applied to the prize pool, making a record total prize pool of $1,607,500. Players made real wagers (win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, and daily double) with their $7,500 bankroll over the two days (22 races) and kept all monies earned from their wagering.

Click here for the full BCBC results.

The post Smyth ‘Solves Puzzle’, Wins 2025 BCBC appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Emerald Downs on Friday was approved to race 51 dates in 2026, the same number of programs that the suburban Seattle track was granted in 2025.

Back in March, Emerald's president, Phil Ziegler, had said that the '26 race meet at the lone remaining commercial track in the Pacific Northwest could be in jeopardy because the fees imposed by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) were expected to be nearly doubling under a new assessment methodology.

Although the track's assessment for '26 did go up, Emerald had a better-than-expected 2025 season that resulted in increases to average daily handle (49%), average daily on-track handle (18%), average attendance (“about 10%”) and average number of starters per race (up 0.9% to 7.35).

While there was no talk of abandoning or curtailing the '26 racing season during Friday's Washington Horse Racing Commission (WHRC) meeting, at which commissioners unanimously approved Emerald's status-quo request, there was still plenty of discussion about the daunting HISA assessment and what could be done to mitigate it.

WHRC executive secretary Amanda Benton read into the record that Emerald's gross assessment for '26 is $1,302,706, but that potential credits for sample collection and drug testing could reduce the net fee to $1,015,000.

That's still $642,132 more than '25, Benton said. But additional credits are still in the negotiation phase, and the track and horsemen are brainstorming ideas to lighten the financial hit even further, several stakeholders said during the meeting.

Benton also cited an email from HISA's chief executive officer, Lisa Lazarus, that outlined “potential additional credits towards the assessment fee if Emerald Downs agrees to various items listed in the email.”

Benton said that, “Those items, according to [Lazarus], could offer potential credits of $350,000, bringing the total assessment fee to $604,000. Some of the items on the list would result in a cost for Emerald Downs, but that credit would be greater than the costs.”

Pat LePley, the president of the Washington Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, said that even with the known reductions, the money that horsemen and the track must pay to HISA and the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) is still concerning to everyone involved in Washington racing.

“The costs that are imposed by HISA and HIWU, if we don't get some help along the way, some type of relief, either additional revenue or some type of a help from state government or local government, we're going to continue to be in serious trouble and in more serious trouble than we have been,” LePley said.

“The owners of the horses that we have here, we don't run for enough money in terms of purses to be able to sustain the kind of expenses that HISA and HIWU want to impose upon us,” LePley said. “If we were required to pay $1.3 million in regulatory fees, I don't see how the racetrack can stay in business.”

Emerald will open May 2 in '26, coinciding with the simulcast of the GI Kentucky Derby. With the exception of several tweaks because of the way the calendar falls, the season will largely feature racing on Saturdays and Sundays in May, with Friday night cards added to make three-day racing weeks June through August. The meet will close Labor Day Monday, Sept. 7.

“Not many differences to [the '25] season,” Ziegler said. “A couple of minor changes. We did open a week earlier [in '25]. Our staff kind of likes getting a race day in before Derby day, when everybody shows up. But it was just too tough on the horsemen to be ready for that last weekend in April.

“Derby day is the one day [of] overlap we have with Turf Paradise,” Ziegler noted. “So their meet ends on Derby day, and then we get [a number out outfits that] come up here [from Arizona]. We had very short fields and only a few races on opening weekend last year, so we went back to opening on Derby day.”

Ziegler said Emerald's stakes and promotion schedules will be announced in the near future, and that the stable area is expected to open sometime in late February or early March.

The post Emerald A ‘Go’ For 51 Dates In ’26, But HISA Fees Still Considered An Existential Threat appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Awesome Result (Justify–Blossomed, by Deputy Minister), who opened her career with eight straight victories and was an intended runner in the 2024 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, has been retired from racing and will be bred next year at Northern Farm, according to a tweet from the Insel Thoroughbred Co. Ltd. ownership club.

Bred in Kentucky by Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt and trained by Yasutoshi Ikee, Awesome Result made the first five starts of her career at Japan Racing Association (JRA) venues, taking her lone appearance at two over the metric nine furlongs before adding victories in a trio of appearances in allowance company at three.

On the back of a victorious 4-year-old debut in February 2024, Awesome Result was tried in some of the valuable listed races on the National Association of Racing (NAR) circuit and strung together a pair of black-type successes, capped by a five-length tally in the Breeders' Gold Cup at Mombetsu last August (see below, SC 11). .

That 1800-meter contest had been used previously by Marche Lorraine (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) as a springboard to her ground-breaking victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, and Awesome Result was shipped stateside to contest the same event last fall, where she would have been the chief adversary to future Horse of the Year and 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna). She was a late scratch with an apparent fetlock issue.

Kept in training at five, Awesome Result took the Listed Queen Sho on her return to action in February and was placed in three subsequent appearances at stakes level. She retires with a record of 11-8-1-2 and earnings of $1,323,545.

“We express our deepest gratitude to everyone who was involved with this horse and everyone who supported here,” Insel Co. tweeted.

Awesome Result is a half-sister to GI Spinaway Stakes heroine Sippican Harbor (Orb); UAE listed winner Saayedd (Malibu Moon); GSP Bodacious Babe (Mineshaft), the dam of GSW Royal Spa (Violence); and she is a full-sister to Crudo, this year's Sir Barton Stakes winner who was sold to Saudi Arabian interests for $350,000 during this week's Keeneland Horses of Racing Age Sale.

WATCH: Awesome Result romps in the 2024 Breeders' Gold Cup at Mombetsu

The post Justify’s Three-Time Japanese Stakes Winner Awesome Result Retired appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds has added 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Showcase (by Uncle Mo) to its stallion roster and the current 3-year-old will stand his first season at stud in 2026 for a fee of $5,000, the breeder said in a Friday release.

A $300,000 Keeneland September yearling, Showcase quickly fulfilled his early promise as a juvenile for owner Harrell Ventures and trainer Todd Pletcher when the colt broke his maiden on debut during the Belmont At The Big A meet and earned a 'Rising Star' for the effort. Stepping up in the GII Saratoga Special Stakes, Showcase won by three and a half lengths upstate that August.

“Showcase had enormous ability combined with an explosive kick of speed,” said Pletcher. “He was my best 2-year-old that year. He should be a huge asset to the New York breeding program, returning to Saratoga where he showed so much talent on the racetrack.”

The newly-minted sire joins Central Banker, Solomini and sophomore Provocateur.

The post McMahon Of Saratoga Adds Showcase To 2026 Stallion Roster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) hosted a regional breeders workshop at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, Nov. 12, to identify best practices and areas of growth for the industry, the organizations said in a joint press release on Friday.

Racing executive Doug Reed presented on his work in Iowa and New Mexico featuring the feasibility of regional programs. Other panels focused on Maryland, New York, and Virginia, and the mare reimbursement practices in California, Indiana, Maryland, and Ontario.

In addition, Corey Johnsen, a Thoroughbred breeder, owner, and racetrack executive, shared ideas on awards for open races, a handicap system and how to recruit new breeders.

To facilitate further cooperation, The Jockey Club and TOBA will organize face-to-face meetings with the many regions represented at the workshop, and follow-up is being planned for next year.

The workshop concluded with an open forum and next steps presented by Jockey Club Chairman Everett Dobson and TOBA President Dan Metzger, followed by networking opportunities during an afternoon of racing at Churchill Downs.

Click here to view the booklet provided to attendees.

The post Regional Breeders Workshop At Churchill Identifies Best Practices appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

In the first oral argument since the United States Supreme Court remanded three lawsuits related to the constitutionality of the Horseracing and Safety Integrity Act (HISA) back to their originating appeals courts five months ago, a panel of three judges on the Sixth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati on Wednesday heard from lawyers on both sides in a case that alleges the HISA Act gives a “private corporation broad regulatory authority.”

This same Sixth Circuit panel, back on Mar. 3, 2023, already upheld a lower court's dismissal of that lawsuit, ruling that Congressional changes to the law made in 2022 made the HISA Act completely constitutional.

But now the case, led by the states of Oklahoma, West Virginia and Louisiana against defendants that include the HISA Authority and individuals acting in their official capacities for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), is back before them again.

That's because on June 30, 2025, the Supreme Court tasked the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Circuit appeals courts with revisiting their older decisions in light of a newer Supreme Court ruling in a similar case involving the non-delegation doctrine, a precedent that didn't exist when any of those courts issued their original opinions as far back as three years ago.

On Nov. 12, Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sutton told attorneys on both sides that the Sixth Circuit lawsuit has been a “challenging case at every iteration.”

The non-delegation doctrine, which bans Congress from delegating legislative power to federal agencies without an “intelligible principle” to guide the exercise of agency discretion, is central to all three HISA-related cases that the Supreme Court remanded.

Attorney Lochlan Shelfer, appearing Wednesday on behalf of the states, told the Sixth Circuit panel that he wanted to start his argument with the “starkest example, which is the Authority's exclusive power to bring enforcement actions in federal court, over which the FTC has zero oversight.”

Shelfer said precedent cases “have explained that the power to enforce federal law is the core provenance of the federal government [and] all of the myriad litigation choices that go into enforcement litigation are the sole provenance of the executive branch. So what the Act does is it flips that on its head, and it deprives the federal government of the power to enforce federal law and puts that entirely in the hands of the private Authority.”

Backstretch worker giving a Thoroughbred a bath | Sarah Andrew

Attorney Pratik Shah, representing the HISA Authority, tried to re-center the argument back to the legislation that Congress enacted three years ago to cure an alleged constitutional defect that had been identified in a different anti-HISA lawsuit (the  Nov. 18, 2022, Fifth Circuit Appeals Court opinion).

“After the [December 2022] amendment, we know Congress has given the FTC all the power it could hope to subordinate the Authority in every which way to Sunday,” Shah said.

Although many parts of Wednesday's proceedings were dense with legalese (as federal-level oral arguments often are), Judge Sutton frequently stopped the lawyers mid-sentence to try and drill down their arguments to common-sense language.

“One feature of case [that] I'm struggling with a little bit is just what 'private' means in this setting. I quite understand non-delegation principles. That's not that hard to get my head around,” Sutton said.

Then the judge made the analogy that Shelfer himself is a private lawyer, “and here you are, standing on behalf of the state of Oklahoma. [In essence], you're Oklahoma right now….You're making decisions as we speak about the position of the state of Oklahoma, and as soon as this argument's done, you're back in your capacity as a private citizen.”

Judge Sutton then asked rhetorically why this same line of reasoning about the way a state employs private lawyers shouldn't apply to how the HISA Authority operates under the auspices of the FTC.

“I don't quite understand why [with] the Horseracing Authority, why you can't essentially say the same thing,” Sutton said.

Judge Sutton continued: “I know there's a process to put people on the [HISA] board. They're not just regular old citizens when they hold meetings. They're not just regular old citizens when they decide to enforce or propose rules. They're trying to carry out this law. This is, of course, historically, the way most criminal law enforcement worked: You deputized private citizens, you gave them the badge, and they went and they had all these authorities….

“It happens all the time that governments rely on private entities to do things,” Sutton said.

“So I'm trying to figure out just what is so bad about this when there's a process for appointing [the HISA board]. You're not making an appointment-clause challenge here, so presumably these people are all appointed correctly. And I assume they have obligations to act for the government and not their private interests. So just help me realize why this is so bad,” Sutton said.

Shelfer started to respond by explaining that in the instance of an attorney like him acting on behalf of the states, the government is instructing a private party to carry out a specific task as an agent.

But the judge interjected before the lawyer could finish his point.

“There is always discretion,” Judge Sutton said. “Everybody knows there has to be discretion, ultimately. You're exercising discretion every second [by arguing a court case right now on behalf of the states]. This is the nature of delegations. There's going to be some discretion.”

Sutton, a George W. Bush appointee, was the only judge of three that asked questions during Wednesday's arguments. The other two on the panel are U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Griffin (also appointed by Bush) and Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Guy Cole Jr. (appointed by Bill Clinton).

The Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Circuit appeals courts have all agreed that HISA's rulemaking structure is constitutional. Only the Fifth Circuit has disagreed, in part, by opining that HISA's enforcement provisions are unconstitutional.

The two cases that the Supreme Court remanded back to the Fifth and Eighth Circuit appeals courts have yet to reach the oral argument stage.

The case in the Fifth Circuit involves an anti-HISA lawsuit spearheaded by the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA).

A Fifth Circuit appeals court panel opined July 5, 2024, that even though HISA's rulemaking structure is constitutional, HISA's enforcement provisions are unconstitutional.

Mornings at the track | Coady Media

In the Eighth Circuit, the plaintiffs, led by Bill Walmsley, the president of the Arkansas HBPA, and Jon Moss, the executive director of the Iowa HBPA, are challenging a ruling out of a lower federal court in Arkansas denying a preliminary injunction the horsemen had sought to halt HISA and its Anti-Doping and Medication Control program.

The new precedent that the Supreme Court now wants the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Circuits of the U.S. Court of Appeals to consider involves a case titled Federal Communications Commission (FCC) vs. Consumers' Research.

In that case, the Supreme Court justices, by a 6-3 vote June 27, 2025, rejected arguments that the funding mechanism for a service that provides subsidized telecommunications services for low-income customers, rural hospitals, schools, and libraries violated the non-delegation doctrine.

In that opinion, the Supreme Court also shot down an allegation that the FCC delegated too much authority to a private company to administer the program.

Once the appeals courts issue updated decisions in their respective HISA cases, if the losing parties don't agree with them, they can petition the Supreme Court anew.

Going back to the Supreme Court again would likely add yet another year or two to the timetable for resolving the underlying HISA constitutionality lawsuits, two of which were initiated as far back as 2021.

The post Sixth Circuit Judge On HISA: ‘It Happens All The Time That Governments Rely On Private Entities To Do Things’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Edited Press Release

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse returned to Oaklawn Park last season, winning nine races–a single-season personal best in Hot Springs–led by GI Arkansas Derby hero Sandman (Tapit).

Casse could make an even bigger impact during the coming split meets because several of his most prominent horses will ship for Oaklawn's 64-day season that begins Dec. 12. The trainer, who received 25 stalls, already has horses on the grounds.

“They'll come in stages,” Casse said from his Florida base on Thursday. “But we're going to bring our big guns there.”

His top talent includes Sandman, GISW Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro), MGISW La Cara (Street Sense) and unbeaten Kentucky Derby prospect & 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Ewing (Knicks Go). Casse said that the four horses are now at his training center in Ocala.

Sandman was turned out after his last start in late August. The son of Tapit resumed training about three weeks ago and looking at the schedule Casse said his ultimate goal would be the GII Oaklawn Handicap Apr. 18.

As for Nitrogen, the accomplished filly could make her 4-year-old debut in the GII Azeri Stakes Mar. 7 then be ready for the GI Apple Blossom Handicap Apr. 11.

La Cara, who netted a pair of Grade I races this year, will point to the GIII Bayakoa Stakes Feb. 7.

Ewing was scheduled to make his two-turn debut in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity Stakes at Keeneland Oct. 4, but was scratched.

“He had a minor injury,” Casse said. “We've taken care of that. We gave him some and he's just starting back.”

Ewing's road to the Arkansas Derby Mar. 28 might begin with a January sprint.

Casse's Oaklawn division is again being overseen by assistant Caden Arthur.

The post Casse Makes Oaklawn Plans For Sandman And Other Stable Stars appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

While several tracks have experimented with lowering the takeout, none has gone as far as what Delta Downs has planned for two daytime cards, Nov. 25-26.

On those days, the takeout will be 10% on all wagers, in all pools. Some tracks have slashed the takeout on certain wagers and Hawthorne offered an industry low takeout at its 2025 meet of 12% on all win wagers. But never before has a track lowered takeout on all pools or to anything near 10%.

“Our Director of Racing Ops John Simon came up with the idea,” said Delta's Vice President and General Manager Steve Kuypers. “We are hoping to have more people watch Delta and get them excited about wagering on horse racing. We are hoping the bettors appreciate what we are trying to do and will enjoy the two days.”

Delta normally runs at night and players might not watch a daytime card at the Vinton, Louisiana track, but the Delta team is hoping the 10% takeout gets their attention.

Bettors will notice a significant increase in the winning prices. While the traditional takeout on Win, Place and Show bets is 17% at Delta, the takeout on the Trifecta, Superfecta, Pick Three,  Pick Four and Pick Five is 25%. A winning Pick Four under the traditional takeout structure that would have paid $750 would now pay $900.

None of this was accomplished without a great deal of effort. The takeout reduction had to be approved by both the horsemen and the Louisiana Racing Commission.

Delta Downs grandstand | Coady

Originally, Delta had planned to offer the promotion on six days of racing, all of the daytime cards run around the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. But it recently cut back to just the two days. A possible reason is that the ADWs were not thrilled with such low takeouts, which will cut into their profit margins. But Kuypers said that isn't the case.

“We wanted to try this for two days instead of six days to see how the bettors reacted,” Kuypers said. “The ADWs all thought it was a good idea.”

It will be interesting to see how the CAW players will react. They tend to make up a much larger percentage of the pool at smaller tracks like Delta than they do at places like Keeneland, Del Mar and Saratoga. But they like bigger takeouts, because the bigger the takeout the larger their rebate is. It's not inconceivable that, if there is a significant drop in CAW play, the experiment could backfire.

“We do not think so [that the CAW players will cut back on their handle],” Kuypers said. “Hopefully, they will realize we are trying to get more people to bet which will increase the pool sizes.”

Just two days of reduced takeout at Delta should provide the entire industry with some much needed answers. Do horseplayers really respond to lower takeouts and will CAW play decline when a track lowers the takeout while trying to give a break to the everyday player?

What can Delta learn and what can the racing industry learn from this?

“We want to see if lowering the takeout will actually get more people watching and wagering on Delta,” Kupyers said.

Fair enough. On Nov. 25 and 26, Delta Downs will offer the lowest takeouts in modern horse racing industry. It will be up to the horseplayers to show that they get it, that the lower the takeout the better chance they have of winning.

The post Delta Downs Offering Early Holiday Present For Horseplayers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational will for the first time be included in the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, Breeders' Cup Limited and 1/ST announced Thursday.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 94 stakes races in 15 countries whose winners will receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the 2026 Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington.

As part of the global series of automatic qualifying races for the $7-million GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, the Pegasus World Cup Invitational, which will be held on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at Gulfstream Park, will offer the winner an automatic starting position along with pre-entry and entry fees paid (a $150,000 value). Additionally, the nominator of the winning horse will receive a $10,000 award.

All Breeders' Cup Challenge winners receive travel benefits to the World Championships:

• $10,000 for starters based outside of Kentucky in North America
• $40,000 for international starters based outside North America

Since its debut in 2017, six of the nine Pegasus World Cup champions have also won a Breeders' Cup race.

“The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is designed to celebrate and connect premier racing on a global stage,” said Drew Fleming, President and CEO of Breeders' Cup Limited. “Including the Pegasus World Cup is a perfect fit–it's a first-class event that now becomes part of an elite journey to the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.”

“This partnership connects two of the sport's most powerful stages,” said Aidan Butler, President, 1/ST. “The Pegasus World Cup Invitational's 10th anniversary will serve as a true gateway to the Breeders' Cup Classic – linking our passionate fans, horsemen and international audience in a new and meaningful way.”

The 2026 Pegasus World Cup, presented by 1/ST, will be broadcast live from 4:30pm – 6:00pm (ET) on NBC and Peacock.

For more information and tickets to the 2026 Pegasus World Cup, visit www.pegasusworldcup.com or follow on socials @pegasusworldcup.

The road to the @BreedersCup has a new stop. Beginning in 2026, the Pegasus World Cup joins the “Win and You're In” Challenge series, giving the champion a guaranteed spot in the Breeders' Cup Classic. pic.twitter.com/KLYA0qQxeJ

— Pegasus World Cup (@PegasusWorldCup) November 13, 2025

The post Pegasus World Cup Joins Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

With inclement weather affecting much of the country, Del Mar will cancel the entirety of its card on Saturday, Nov. 15, the track said in a press release on Thursday.

Friday's 8-race card is expected to proceed as scheduled, however, first post has been moved up to 12 p.m. PST.

Track officials have not yet made a determination regarding Sunday's racing program. Once a decision is reached for the remainder of the weekend, Del Mar will release additional information outlining plans to make up cancelled races as appropriate.

Saturday's cancellation marks only the third time in Del Mar's 88-year history that racing has been suspended due to weather conditions.

Del Mar's 16-day Bing Crosby Fall Racing Season began Oct. 30 and will conclude Sunday, Nov. 30.

The post Del Mar Cancels Saturday Card Due to Weather appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Graded stakes winners Disarm (Gun Runner–Easy Tap, by Tapit) and Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}–Eblouissante, by Bernardini) will take up stud duty at Hidden Lake Farm in Stillwater, New York in 2026, according to Hidden Lake's Chris Bernhard Thursday. The acquisition was brokered by The Stallion Company.

Disarm's stud fee is set at $7,500. Confidence Game will stand for $5,000. Both stallions will stand as property of a syndicate, LFSN terms apply.

“We are very excited to jump back into the New York Stallion arena with graded stakes-winning millionaire by Gun Runner Disarm and Grade II-winning son of Candy Ride Confidence Game,” Bernhard commented. “Both beautiful colts offer valuable opportunity for breeders in the Empire State. Disarm is the first Gun Runner to stand in New York and to date, his other sons are off to a great start in the sales ring including Gunite, Early Voting, Taiba and Cyberknife. Confidence Game is by Candy Ride, perhaps the most prolific sire of sire in the last decade, siring Gun Runner, Twirling Candy and Vekoma. Confidence Game is the Grade II Derby prep winner of the Rebel Stakes, out of a Bernardini half-sister to [Horse of the Year] Zenyatta. Both horses are graded stakes winners from deep families and poised to enhance the New York-bred program.”

Disarm, fourth behind Mage in the 2023 GI Kentucky Derby, is an earner of nearly $1.7 million in a 19-race career during which he has posted five triple digit Beyer numbers. He broke his maiden by 6 1/4 lengths going seven furlongs at Saratoga, won the GIII Matt Winn at Ellis Park, finished second in the GI Travers at Saratoga and GII Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.

He was third in two Grade I's at Saratoga, the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Whitney, and third in the GIII Lexington at Keeneland. In his latest effort on Sept. 25, the 5-year-old finished second in the GII Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs.

On the racetrack, Confidence Game won the GII Rebel and finished third in the GIII Lecomte at Fair Grounds and the Iowa Sprint. The 5-year-old retired with earnings of $823,962.

Candy Ride is the sire of nine Champions, 116 black-type winners and earners of more than $160 million.

Confidence Game's second dam, Vertigineux, was Broodmare of the Year and dam of Zenyatta, track record-setter and 19-time winner (14 Grade I's).

For information, contact Chris Bernhard, Voice/Text: (914) 850-9769 or email at cjbern@hotmail.com.

The post Disarm, Confidence Game to Hidden Lake Farm in 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A day after the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale closed with new records in the average and median prices, there were more headlines made Wednesday afternoon when recent GIII Forty Niner Stakes winner Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo–Catch My Drift, by Pioneerof the Nile) was knocked down to bloodstock agent Pedro Lanz, agent for Saudi Arabia's KAS Stables, for a record $1.3 million in the first 30 minutes of trade during the auction house's standalone Horses of Racing Age Sale. The previous Keeneland HORA Sale record was the $1 million paid for the 2-year-old colt Extortion (Into Mischief) in 2022. The HORA sale is in its fourth year as a separate auction.

The 5-year-old entire was one of three horses to sell for better than a half-million dollars during a 3 1/2-hour session where 108 horses changed hands for $10,455,000, an increase of 21.39% over last year. The average of $96,806 represented a gain of 18.01%, while the median price of $40,000 declined by 20%. Twenty horses were reported as not sold (15.63%), a slight uptick numerically and on a percentage basis from 2024, when 14 horses (11.76%) failed to find new homes.

In the aftermath of booming results from its September Yearling Sale and again over the course of the eight days of trade during the breeding stock sale, Wednesday's results gave sales officials even more to crow about.

“This was a strong finish to a remarkable sales season,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Setting a record for top price in this format is very satisfying and reflects an ongoing demand for quality, race-ready horses as we move into a new season.

“The momentum we've seen throughout the year carried right through to the end, and we are grateful to all the buyers and sellers whose participation and confidence make success like this possible.”

Next up on the Keeneland sales docket is the 2026 January Horses of All Ages Sale which begins Jan. 12.

Beyond any shadow of a doubt, the launching of the Saudi Cup in 2020 has dramatically altered the trajectory of horses-of-racing-age sales in Central Kentucky and further afield.

With that in mind, bloodstock professionals representing ownership interests in Saudi Arabia and in the Gulf countries at large have been understandably more aggressive with their spend, willing to invest top dollar with the lure of a potential high-six, seven-, or in the case of the main event, eight-figure payday over the winter months in the desert.

Bishops Bay is the latest to tick the necessary boxes, according to Lanz.

“All year,” the agent told Keeneland media when asked how long the 5-year-old has been on his radar. “That's a typical horse that can work for us. I was watching the replays and I recommended this horse because he is a very honest horse: 12 starts, eight wins, three seconds. It's a very honest horse and I think he will be fine.”

Bred by WinStar Farm and sold for $450,000 as a Keeneland September yearling in 2021, the bay was trained by Brad Cox for a partnership headed by Spendthrift Farm, won his first two starts as a 3-year-old and transitioned into stakes company, finishing runner-up to future champion Arcangelo (Arrogate) in the GIII Peter Pan Stakes and second to Two Phil's (Hard Spun) in the GIII Ohio Derby.

Restricted to a single appearance at four, Bishops Bay has won five of his seven outings this season, including the GIII Westchester Stakes and GIII Salvator Mile in addition to the Forty Niner on Nov. 2. Bishops Bay has amassed a record of 8-3-0 from 12 starts to date for earnings of $702,800. The other partners in Bishops Bay include Steve Landers, Marty Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing, Kueber Racing, Big Easy Racing, Rick Kanter, Michael Caruso and WinStar.

Bidding on Bishops Bay was fractionally slow to develop through the early stages, with incremental lobs of $10,000 and $15,000 ushering Bishops Bay into the $400,000 range. It picked up–dramatically so–once a $450,000 bid was upped by $50,000, and it progressed in $25,000 chunks through the $1-million mark before the competition bowed out on Lanz's $1.3-million salvo. Bloodstock agent Chad Schumer was the immediate underbidder.

“Pedro was sitting right across from me and poor E. C. [46-year Keeneland bid spotter E. C. Larkin] was going back and forth, I felt sorry for him,” Schumer said anecdotally.

Bishops Bay will race on under Cox's care into a 6-year-old campaign that could end up in a start in the world's richest race, should all go according to plan.

“We have the [GII] Cigar Mile [at Aqueduct on Dec. 6],” Lanz said. “We will talk to Brad Cox and that's a possibility. We have the option to continue training the horse in quarantine for the Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia, not confirmed yet.

“If we win the [G3] King's Cup (Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup) against local-trained horses, we have a pass. We qualify. If we win the Cigar Mile and we get a nice high rating, that's another way. We have to receive an invitation from the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia.”

Rattle N Roll (Connect) won the 2025 King's Cup ahead of a fourth to Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the Saudi Cup. The 2026 King's Cup, an internationally recognized Group 3 contest, is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 17, four weeks ahead of the Saudi Cup on Feb. 14 over the same course and 1800-meter distance.

Lanz wasn't entirely surprised that a bidding war ensued.

“Well, that's what usually happens when we have the Middle East fighting for the same horse,” he said. “He was, for me, the best horse–two turns, long distance horse. We (had) to be ready.”

In an ironic twist, Bishops Bay is a half-brother to Strava (Into Mischief), who topped the racing-age section in 2021 when it was still folded into the breeding stock sale. The winning bid of $825,000 was made by the late Louisville head basketball coach Denny Crum.

Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi's Dubai-based RRR Racing went to $900,000 to acquire 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard World Record (Gun Runner–Marwa {GB}, by Exceed and Excel {Aus}) as Wednesday's Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale neared its conclusion in Lexington.

“I thought he sold well, that's kind of where we had him pegged, from $500,000 to $1 million,” said WinStar Farm's Elliott Walden, who raced the colt in partnership with BBN Racing. “He had 12 vets and was very popular.”

Consigned by ELiTE Sales, agent, the bay colt was bred by Runnymede Farm LLC, Falguieres Bloodstock, Gestut Zur Kuste AG, et. al. and was originally a $410,000 purchase as a weanling out of the 2021 Keeneland November Sale.

Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, World Record was named a 'Rising Star' when graduating by open lengths at second asking at three and two starts later, ran his rivals off their feet in the GII Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga, scoring by 6 3/4 lengths.

World Record | Keeneland photo

An impressive allowance winner at Churchill Downs during Derby week this past May, the bay was second in the GIII Aristides Stakes and third in the GI Bing Crosby Stakes this season. His career record stands at 11-4-1-4 for earnings of $504,540.

“I think there was quite a bit of interest in this horse from the Middle East,” said Ed Prosser, who signed the ticket on behalf of RRR Racing. “Bhupat Seemar, who will train him in Dubai, asked me to bid on him. He rang me earlier. He had seen the catalog and was interested in a few and this was one of them. He is always on the lookout for horses in America. There are some people from Saudi Arabia and the (Persian) Gulf region who are interested in this horse and this sale. They did their homework and they liked him. He looks like he will be a good horse for the races in Dubai.”

Among RRR Racing's best horses to date are Isolate (Mark Valeski), winner of the G2 Godolphin Mile; Clapton (Brethren), victorious in the 2023 GIII Lukas Classic Stakes and Group 1-placed in Dubai; G3 UAE Oaks heroine Rayya (Tiz Wonderful); and Mufasa (Chi) (Practical Joke), twice a winner at Grade III level in this country at the back end of 2024 and acquired thereafter by RRR.

The WinStar stallion barn contains some of the country's most fashionably bred sires by top sires-of-sires, but one thing it is 'missing' is a son of the white-hot Gun Runner. The sale of World Record boiled down to a business decision, Walden said.

“We've had discussions about him over the years and there are great opportunities to run in those races in Saudi and Dubai. I think he's a good fit for them,” Walden said.

“For us–and typical of what we've sold in this sale–we felt he just missed the mark on being a stallion in Kentucky at this point and that's why he was for sale,” he added. “It's not at all that he's a bad horse or that we were trying to unload him. Hopefully he'll go on and do good things there and prove us wrong. We've sold horses like him in the past who have gone on and done well. There are also a lot of sprint sons of Gun Runner in Kentucky.”

WinStar has had previous success with horses offered through the Keeneland horses-of-racing-age sale. In 2006, the farm sold Spring At Last (Silver Deputy) to Paul Reddam for $675,000 and the Doug O'Neill trainee would go on to win the 2007 G2 Godolphin Mile and 2008 GI Donn Handicap before returning to cover mares at WinStar.

Brad Weisbord and Liz Crow's EliTE agency was the leading consignor by gross at the Horses of Racing Age Sale, realizing turnover of $5,683,500 for 45 horses sold (including post sales). Some 40% of those gross receipts were due to Bishops Bay and World Record, and Weisbord was duly pleased as he prepared to depart Lexington.

“They way exceeded expectations,” he said. “Bishops Bay is the end of a terrific partnership with Spendthrift and WinStar bred the horses and stayed in. The reserve was just a fraction of that.

“Anytime you bring these sorts of horses to the marketplace, both Bishops Bay and World Record, you're going to get paid. The opportunities to buy these sorts of horses are rare, so when they come about, especially right ahead of the racing carnivals there in Saudi and Dubai, you're going to get paid. The owners were rewarded. We're just grateful that the Spendthrift guys and the WinStar guys are part of our team.”

The post ‘A Strong Finish To A Remarkable Sales Season’: Bishops Bay Tops Keeneland HORA Sale on Record $1.3m Bid appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

For 2026, Maryland's racing calendar will look more or less like this year's schedule after the Maryland Racing Commission on Wednesday approved a slate of 120 dates for Laurel Park.

That's the same number of racing days that the non-profit Maryland Jockey Club had been awarded for this season, with the only difference being that in 2025, six programs were run at Pimlico Race Course as part of the GI Preakness Stakes meet.

Pimlico has since been demolished and is being rebuilt with the goal of all commercial-track Thoroughbred racing in Maryland shifting to the new Baltimore venue by 2027, at which time racing will cease at Laurel.

Laurel's management submitted a request of specific racing dates and post times to the commission for only the early portion of '26.

After racing concludes this year at Laurel Dec. 31, the track will take a brief break before the '26 season opens Jan. 9 with racing through the end of that month on Fridays and Saturdays with 12:00 (Eastern) post times.

In February and March Laurel will add Sundays to make a three-day racing week.

Chris Merz, the commission's executive director, told TDN in an email after the meeting that the expected summer break and the exact race dates around it in the spring and fall would likely not be finalized until March or April.

The Timonium Fair applied for 10 dates covering Aug. 27-Sept. 13, although Merz said at the meeting that “they will likely run seven of those days,” which is consistent with the fair's applications in previous years.

Fair Hill, which conducted its first race meet in six years this past August, was granted eight dates of racing. “Stakeholders are going to work together to get specified dates,” Merz said.

Fair Hill's card in '25 consisted of six pari-mutuel flat races on the turf. But according to a Nov. 2 story in The Racing Biz, the event's organizers have discussed re-introducing steeplechase racing, possibly over Memorial Day weekend in '26.

The post Laurel to Anchor Maryland Circuit in ’26 with Same Template of 120 Dates appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Dale Romans announced Wednesday morning that he will be running in the Kentucky Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat that has opened up due to the impending retirement of Mitch McConnell. He realizes he is an outsider and a Democrat running in a red state, but he sees a path to victory. Romans sat down with the TDN Wednesday to discuss why he is running for the U.S. Senate, whether or not he thinks he can win and what he would do if elected.

TDN: When and why did you decide to run for the U.S. Senate?
DR: I've always been political behind the scenes, mostly on horse racing immigration issues. I've spent a lot of time on Capitol Hill and have met with a lot of local politicians. This is something I've always been fascinated with. When Mitch McConnell said he wasn't going to run again, I started to think about it. I know it's a big seat for a first-time politician but I thought there was an opportunity to throw my hat in the ring. I went to Gov. Beshear first and asked him if he were running and he said no. I asked him what he thought and he said that I wasn't crazy, that this made sense. If a Democrat can win in Kentucky it's going to be someone with deep roots in the state, no voting record, can connect with the people and has a little name recognition. He said I checked all the boxes. I thought I might as well jump in. At this stage in my life, Kentucky has been very good to me and I'd like to give back by being a senator for Kentucky and all of Kentucky.

TDN: In racetrack parlance, it looks like you're a longshot on the board. Can you overcome those odds?
DR: I think so. I don't think the state is as red as people think it is. We did vote a Democratic governor in and we've done that several times. We haven't had a Democratic senator in a long time. (The last Democrat to serve in the U.S. Senate from Kentucky was Wendell Ford, who was elected in 1992). But look at the history. We had two Republican institutions in Jim Bunning and Mitch McConnell that nobody was ever going to vote out. Rand Paul came around and won, but there's only been that one opportunity to have a Democrat win. As far as being an outsider, I think that's what the people want right now. We need outsiders in Washington. Let's try something different. What we're doing now isn't working.

TDN: You call yourself an “independent Democrat.” Can you expound on what that means?
DR: I'm running as a Democrat but coming from a red state you have to be independent of the party. You don't have to vote along party lines. I talked about this a lot with Joe Manchin because he is from West Virginia. He said he always called himself an independent Democrat. He wasn't beholden to the party for everything they did. He said they could never primary you. They can't afford to lose the seat. I plan to vote for what's best for Kentucky and best for the country and be independent in what I do.

TDN: A lot of people in this country and in Kentucky are struggling right now. You say you can identify with them. Why is that?
DR: I had a single mother who was raising three boys by herself. We lived in Shively, a suburb of Louisville and it was always paycheck-to-paycheck. So I know those struggles because of what I went through. I was sleeping in tack rooms before I started winning races. I also know the struggles of starting a business and what you have to do for payroll and regulations and keeping your workforce available. My life lessons will translate well to Washington.

TDN: You have admitted that you have overcome issues with alcohol. If you were not sober now would you be doing this?
DR: No, I don't think I would have done it then. There are a lot of people who have helped me get things in my life in order. I got my health back, I got my weight down. I quit drinking two years ago. A lot of people helped me and now it's time for me to help people.

TDN: As a U.S. senator, what can you do to help horse racing?
DR: The biggest thing I can do for horse racing is try to get some funding for the unfunded mandate that's been thrust upon us in HISA. The other big thing is to do some immigration reform. We have a labor force back there and I don't think it's that tough a fix. I don't think the two sides are that far apart. I have talked to a lot of people and that's the reason why I have been on Capitol Hill a few times. They all agree but they don't want to give the other side the win. I don't care if Trump is in office. I will give him the win. Let's just get this fixed.

TDN: Should you win the Democratic primary your likely opponent in the general election will be Rep. Andy Barr. He will surely be a formidable foe. He is a Republican, he's got the name recognition factor and he has also been known to be a friend to horse racing.
DR: I call Andy a friend, but we differ on quite a few issues, one being that he's the one who wrote this unfunded mandate that could bankrupt racing. Andy is a friend. Can I beat him? I'll worry about that if I get through the primary.

TDN: The horse racing industry in Kentucky, particularly in the Lexington area, includes a lot of wealthy people. Have any pledged their support to you? Do you think they will?
DR: I'm hoping they step up for me. I don't know about Lexington, but I've already been very pleasantly surprised how many of my colleagues have already stepped up and donated to me. They have been very supportive.

TDN: You are dyslexic. How did that affect your education and how has it shaped your opinions on our education system?
DR: I didn't get through college. I struggled to get through high school. I think that is another life lesson. I understand how difficult school is to some people like it was for me. Both my kids have advanced degrees and have done very well. I barely got out of high school. It wasn't because a lack of effort; it was a struggle for me. I think there's a different way we can educate people like me.

TDN: In the 2025 elections, Democrats were successful running on what they were calling “kitchen table issues,” namely affordability. They recognized that people were struggling to pay their bills and hit on a winning theme. Will that be one of the themes of your campaign?
DR: I want to pick up on the themes that are important to the American people and the people of Kentucky. Those issues are important. They are complicated issues and there are a lot of things that tie into it. One of them is immigration reform. If you take away the workforce we have from undocumented laborers that we have right now you'll see there'll be bigger problems when it comes to affordability. There are a lot of angles to attack it from. We're going to try to get out there and work on all issues that affect Kentuckians.

TDN: The favorite right now in the Democratic primary is Amy McGrath. She has run two times for major offices in Kentucky, for Congress in 2018 and for the Senate in 2020. She has lost both times. Are Democrats experiencing Amy McGrath fatigue?
DR: With all due respect to Amy, I think it's time to try something different. It's time to try something different in Washington and get a different kind of politician in there.

TDN: I take it that you're not a big fan of Chuck Schumer.
DR: I haven't said I'm not a big fan of Chuck Schumer. I said I'm not pledging any support to Chuck Schumer or anyone else until I get there. I won't be beholden to the party and won't always vote for what they want me to vote for. We'll just have to figure that out when I get there…if Schumer lasts that long. I will say that I'm not a fan of the shutdown. I'll tell you that. I never would have voted to shut down the country and never will vote to shut down the country. I don't think there's any issues big enough to keep people from getting their paychecks and the budget of the United States shouldn't be a political pawn.

TDN: You've already talked about your admiration for Joe Manchin. Let's get back to that issue. What is it about Manchin that you like?
DR: I have talked to Sen. Manchin. His advice to me was to be authentic and be myself. He's the one who gave me the title of “independent Democrat.” He wasn't one beholden to the party because he was from a red state. I talked to him about it before I jumped in because these are very similar situations. He voted for what he thought was best for West Virginia and what he thought was best for the country. He had both sides mad at him half the time. If that happens to me, I'd have no problem with it.

The post A Q&A With Trainer Dale Romans, Who Has Launched Longshot Bid For The U.S. Senate appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.