Thoroughbred Daily News

All breakdowns are horrible, something that no one ever wants to see and something that remains a troubling issue the racing industry continues to face. So it was a horrible scene on March 14 at the Fair Grounds when the 5-year-old gelding Guaguarero (Mo Town) fractured his right front ankle in a $12,500 maiden claimer and began to lose his action about 20 yards before the wire. Somehow, well in front of the field at the time, he managed to stagger across the wire still in front and was declared the winner. But he was euthanized after the race.

But what makes the story of Guaguarero different from the rest is that this was one breakdown that maybe didn't need to happen.

It was Guaguarero's first start since a Jan. 23, 2025 $35,000 maiden claimer at Santa Anita. The horse, owned by Greg Avery, obviously had problems, and trainer Steve Sherman had his hands full. After a stay on the vet's list, Sherman believed that he had Guaguarero fit and sound enough for a race. He pointed him for a Jan. 15 $20,000 maiden claimer at Santa Anita.

But, after a post-entry exam, Guaguarero was ordered scratched from the race by a regulatory veterinarian. According to Jeff Blea, the equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), the horse was unsound in his right front leg. It was the same right front leg that he fractured in the Fair Grounds race.

The vet's decision came as a surprise to Sherman.

“We did everything right,” Sherman said. “We turned him out. I did more checks with this horse than you can imagine. He passed every time until it came to that race. Sometimes people just don't like a particular horse.”

Since Guaguarero was put on the vet's list in California for the second time, he would have to remain there for a minimum of 45 days before he could be allowed to race again. To have his horse sit on the sidelines and hope that the vets would eventually clear the gelding again to race was one option that Sherman had. He and Avery decided to take another route. They transferred Guaguarero to trainer Grant Forster and sent him to the Fair Grounds.

“I wasn't going to argue any more,” Sherman said, “I wasn't going to fight, I just said that the horse needed to run elsewhere.”

Sherman and Avery surmised that it would be easier to get Guaguarero back into the starting gate in Louisiana than it would have been had they decided to stick things out in California. The reason? Louisiana is a state that does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA).

In California, when a horse is placed on the CHRB's vet list it also goes on the HISA vet list. On the day of the fatal race at the Fair Grounds, Guaguarero was still on the HISA vet list. That meant that he would not have been permitted to run at any track that is overseen by HISA.

Taking HISA out of the equation, according to Blea, tracks often deny the entry of a horse if it remains on the vet's list in another state.

But while HISA states offer reciprocity for vets' lists from state to state, non-HISA states don't honor those lists. The vets' list is controlled by the Louisiana Racing Commission, and a Louisiana commission vet is in charge of examining the horses to go on or off that list.

“(Louisiana) should have reciprocated and not allowed the horse to run until it came off the California vet's list,” Blea said. “You would hope there would be some reciprocation between the states to protect the horses. Obviously, this wasn't the case.”

Forster said that he never would have run Guaguarero had he not been convinced that the horse was sound and fit enough to run. The gelding did have four workouts at the Fair Grounds prior to the March 14 race, including a five-furlong work a week before the race that was recorded in 1:01.20.

“We never had any issues with him,” Forster said. “I never had an unsound day with him. He was working every Saturday. He was working really well and had a really good gate work with Mitchell Murrill the Saturday before the race. I never had any hesitation when it came to running the horse.”

Forster said that the Guaguarero was examined by a Louisiana Racing Commission veterinarian at the Fair Grounds before being allowed to race and was cleared.

“They obviously had the information on him and that's why we had to work for the vet here,” he said.

“It wasn't like the horse was going bad,” Sherman said. “They worked him out of the gate, They worked him for the vet. As far as I could tell, everything was fine with the horse. Unfortunately, things happen when horses run. I know this thing doesn't look great, but the horse was not in poor condition, and I stand by that.”

That a Louisiana Racing Commission vet had apparently examined the horse and given Forster the go-ahead to race him, still didn't mean that he was off either the California or HISA vet's list. HISA and the CHRB do not recognize the actions taken by tracks in non-HISA jurisdictions.

When asked to comment about the Guaguarero breakdown and what led to it, the reaction from HISA was firm and unapologetic.

“(Louisiana) does not operate within HISA's jurisdiction and does not honor HISA's veterinary list,” said a HISA spokesperson. “Racetracks operating under HISA's national, uniform rules have seen the benefits in a measurably lower fatality rate than non-HISA tracks. It is very discouraging that the entry was accepted and resulted in a fatality, an entirely preventable, tragic situation.”

It was a “tragic situation.” That's one point that is inarguable. There is more than one side to this story. There is HISA's side and there are the contentions made by Sherman and Forster attesting to the horse's soundness. Both have solid reputations.

But the fact remains that Guaguarero died on the racetrack. That's what really matters. He was owed more.

The post Did the System Fail a Horse Named Guaguarero? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

It can be hazardous to one's betting bankroll to drink the hype-flavored Kool-Aid that flows freely when an undefeated sophomore with limited experience wins a nine-furlong prep for the GI Kentucky Derby in eye-catching fashion.

Yet despite the well-documented risks against backing horses who have made only two lifetime starts prior to the first Saturday in May, Emerging Market just might be the type of real-deal, rapidly rising phenom to convince me to saunter over to the punch bowl and try a sip.

In the case of this ”TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' colt by Candy Ride (Arg), it's not just a matter of “how fast.” Although Emerging Market's two lifetime Beyer Speed Figures of 97 followed by a dip to 90 rank him in the upper tier of current Derby contenders, he rates a bit higher on the subjective “how he did it” scale.

In just a two-start racing career spanning six weeks, this Chad Brown trainee has gone from a debut maiden to winning the 1 3/16 miles GII Louisiana Derby. Racing effectively from both inside and outside posts, he has stalked, targeted and reeled in pacemakers while both covered up at the fence and from a few paths wide.

Most visually appealing have been Emerging Market's slugfest stretch runs, in which he has careened into the lane with serious, late-race momentum and been emboldened by shoulder-to-shoulder roughhousing with opponents, twice wresting command in the shadow of the wire by narrow margins.

With a victory in the season's first weekend of 100-points-to-the-winner qualifiers, the Klaravich Stables colorbearer has earned a berth in the Louisville starting gate if his connections–who are known for being conservative about not pushing young horses–want to buck convention and start a colt with only two lifetime starts in the Derby.

That angle that has produced only one winner in the 151-year history of the race, and has only been attempted six times since 1937.

On Sunday afternoon, Brown confirmed to TDN via text message that the Derby for Emerging Market is “very much under consideration.”

Emerging Market, a $185,000 KEESEP buy, descends from a female family in which the first two dams never hit the board in 11 combined races. But his dam, Wild Empress (Empire Maker), is a half-sister to the Eclipse Award-winning She Be Wild, winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2009.

Emerging Market debuted in a Tampa Bay Downs maiden special weight route over one mile 40 yards on the undercard of the Feb. 7 Sam F. Davis Stakes.

He broke alertly from post two at 3.2-1 odds under Flavien Prat, conceded the lead while saving ground into the turn, and responded to Prat's attempt to settle him at the back of the first flight.

Emerging Market then pulsed through at the inside, picking off horses through the far turn before darting off with a next-gear burst of acceleration at the quarter pole.

Spinning out to the five path, Emerging Market shifted in, bumping solidly with the favored leader several times through upper stretch. The two peeled off from the pack by 13 ½ lengths, taking turns alternating noses in front, before Emerging Market stubbornly prevailed by three-quarters of a length in 1:39.11 (.97 seconds off the track record) and galloped out with gusto.

Emerging Market drew the outermost nine post for this past Saturday's Louisiana Derby. Off at 2-1 favoritism, he broke with the leaders, and was again responsive to Prat's early-race attempt to pick ideal placement, which turned out to be a mid-pack stalking spot, fifth in the two path through the first turn.

Four lanes off the rail down the backstretch, Emerging Market advanced in hand, then encountered a minor momentum stall when he brushed with an inside rival and briefly got in tight on the heels of the horse in front of him. Effortlessly, Emerging Market recalibrated his cadence, and Prat nudged him outside.

Advancing in hand three furlongs out, Emerging Market glided to the front with a four-wide bid that briefly put him over the top at the quarter pole. But the 21-1 leader Pavlovian (Pavel)–a much more seasoned stakes winner making his tenth lifetime start–dug back in and re-seized the lead from the second-time starter.

The two sparred between the three-sixteenths and sixteenth poles before Emerging Market edged away with purpose to win by a head in 1:55.18.

“In his first race he showed a lot of professionalism,” Prat said. “I was a little worried about the nine hole, but we worked out a good trip. He fought hard. It was a good run, very professional. Honestly, when I turned for home I thought I would win easily, but Pavlovian gave us a good challenge.”

Emerging Market graduating at Tampa on Feb. 7 | SV Photography

The Kentucky Derby media guide has number-of-starts data dating back only to 1937 (the early decades of the Derby preceded the advent of past performances). But the media guide does contain a footnote explaining that, “Daily Racing Form's Jay Privman, with the help of Keeneland Library's Becky Ryder, determined through research that 1883 Derby winner Leonatus is the lone Kentucky Derby winner with just two lifetime starts.”

If (like me), Leonatus registers to you only as one of those names from a bygone era that you occasionally glance at on a souvenir Derby julep glass, take a nice little diversion over to his page on the American Classic Pedigrees site maintained by Avalyn Hunter.

There you'll learn that Leonatus was a well-proportioned, powerfully built bay who stood no more than 15.2 hands.

As a two-year-old, Leonatus raced only once, finishing second.

At age three, he won the Blue Ribbon Stakes in Lexington the week before the Kentucky Derby, then was sent off at 2-1 odds in the Derby itself, which at that time was contested over 12 furlongs.

The Churchill surface was reported as “stiff and slow” because of persistent pre-race rain. The start had to be taken twice because the field at first broke disjointedly. Leonatus pressed the pace and took over late to win by three lengths in 2:43.

If you think Leonatus overcame his lack of experience to win the Derby only to fade into obscurity, think again: He continued on a torrid win streak that netted him 10 stakes wins in a period of just seven weeks in the early part of 1883.

“Less than a week after the Kentucky Derby, Leonatus won the Tobacco Stakes. Then, three days later, he won the Woodburn Stakes,” a writeup by the Kentucky Historical Society explains. “Another win came at the Hindoo Stakes–later known as the Latonia Derby–and where he was ridden by legendary African American jockey Isaac Murphy. These wins were followed in close succession by victories at the Ripple Stakes, Himyar Stakes, Dearborn Stakes, Green Stakes, and Illinois Derby.”

Following his win in the Illinois Derby, notes the American Classic Pedigrees page, Leonatus was held via lien at Chicago as collateral to cover a $1,305 debt for “whisky, cigars, and borrowed money” that a co-owner had racked up. A $3,000 bond was required to get the Derby winner released the next day.

Other limited-start Derby entrants haven't fared as well.

Only one horse since 1937 has started in a Derby off just one lifetime start. Bert G. finished 14th in 1945.

The two-start Derby entrants since 1937 included Perfect Bahram (ninth in 1946), Senecas Coin (15th in 1949), Disposal (18th in 1992) and China Visit (sixth in 2000).

After a gap of more than two decades with no one trying the Derby off a base of just two lifetime starts, it's now happened twice within the past four years.

T O Password (JPN), who had raced twice in Japan, ran fifth in the 2024 Derby at 48-1 odds.

In 2022, 'Rising Star' Taiba was so well-regarded off two triple-digit Beyer wins (one in the GI Santa Anita Derby) that he was hammered in the Derby wagering to the 5-1 second choice. He finished twelfth.

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An increase in minimum purse payouts for all finishing positions was approved by The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) in coordination with The Maryland Jockey Club (TMJC) on Mar. 19, it was announced on Sunday.

The MTHA Board of Directors approved the measure after a recommendation from the MTHA Purse Committee, which includes representatives from the TMJC.

The changes took effect starting with races on Mar. 21 at Laurel Park and will remain in place through the summer meet, which ends on June 28. The structure will then be reviewed to decide if it should continue.

Under the new payment schedule:

• Fourth place will receive 5% of the purse or $1,000, whichever is greater.
• Fifth place will earn 3% of the purse or $1,000, whichever is greater.
• Sixth place will get 2% of the purse or $1,000, whichever is higher.
• Seventh place through last place will receive at least $1,000.

According to current projections, the revised structure is expected to allocate about $1 million annually from the Purse Dedication Account toward increased payouts.

Off-Turf Races Receive Purse Boost

In an effort to grow field size and boost wagering, the MTHA, in collaboration with TMJC, has approved a specific purse adjustment for turf races moved to the main track.

The measure, approved by the MTHA Board of Directors on Mar. 19 following a recommendation from the MTHA Purse Committee–which includes representatives from TMJC–will take effect with the start of the Laurel Park spring meet on Friday, Apr. 10.

Under the program, races taken off the turf that have seven or more betting interests will receive a 20% purse increase. The initiative will remain in effect through June 28, 2026, and will be reevaluated for continuation before the Laurel fall meet begins in September.

Under the new framework, qualifying races that switch from turf to dirt but still have a large enough field will receive significant purse increases. For example:

• A $47,000 maiden special weight would rise to $56,400.
• A $24,000 lifetime claiming race would rise to $8,800.

Data consistently shows that races with seven or more betting interests generate substantially higher wagering activity compared to those with smaller fields.

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Shortly after Journalism (Curlin) worked five furlongs in company at Santa Anita Sunday, trainer Michael McCarthy said he is looking at three potential races to kick off the colt's 4-year-old campaign. Last season's GI Preakness winner could return in either the GII Oaklawn Handicap or GIII Ben Ali at Keeneland, both on Apr. 18, or wait for the GII Alysheba at Churchill Downs on May 1.

“All three of those races are in play,” McCarthy said.

Both the Oaklawn Handicap and Ben Ali are 1 1/8 miles. The Alysheba is 1 1/16 miles.

Journalism's work Sunday was his fifth since Feb. 22 and first with company. He was timed in 1:01.8.

“Nice solid work,” McCarthy said. “I wanted him to go ahead and eyeball a horse. I thought it was very professional and he finished up full of run. It seems like his air is coming to him now. We like what we're seeing.”

Journalism enters 2026 as one of the leading older horses in the country. Last year, the colt by Curlin won the GI Preakness Stakes, GI Santa Anitia Derby, GI Haskell, GII San Felipe and was second in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. He closed out the campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Intrepido (Maximus Mischief) worked six furlongs with jockey Hector Berrios aboard Sunday in preparation for the Apr. 4 GI Santa Anita Derby.

Intrepido, trained by Jeff Mullins, was officially clocked completing the work in 1:14.4. Mullins said he timed the work in a shade under 1:14.

“He had a little company behind him at the start,” Mullins said. “We were just looking to get him through another work and come back sound.”

In his only start this year, the colt finished second by three-quarters of a length to the since sidelined Plutarch (Into Mischief) in the GIII Robert B. Lewis on Feb. 7. Last year, Intrepido won the GI American Pharoah at Santa Anita before finishing fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile after a slow start.

Intrepido was among several notables on the work tab Sunday. Big City Lights (Mr. Big), a candidate to run in next Sunday's GIII San Carlos going seven furlongs, worked six furlongs on the training track 1:13.4. Trained by Richard Mandella, Big City Lights has been off since Nov. 30 when finishing off the board in the Stormy Liberal on turf at Del Mar.

Trainer Bob Baffert's workers included Imagination (Into Mischief) and Usha (Tiz the Law). Imagination drilled four furlongs in :49.20. It was his second work since winning the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint on Feb. 14 in Saudi Arabia. Usha, winner of the GI La Brea on opening day, worked five furlongs in 1:00.4.

Me and Molly McGee (Vekoma), runner up in the GII D. Wayne Lukas in February, posted a three-furlong move in :36.60 for trainer Peter Eurton.

Vodka Vodka (Stay Thirsty), trained by Aggie Ordonez, returned to the work tab after finishing second in the GI Santa Anita Handicap Mar. 7. A 5-year-old California-bred gelding, Vodka Vodka drilled four furlongs in 49.0 seconds.

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The 2026 start of turf racing at Aqueduct Racetrack will be moved back two weeks due to the impact of heavy snowfall in January and February paired with continued cold overnight temperatures in March, according to The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) release Sunday.

Turf racing was initially slated to begin on Friday, Apr. 3, but the launch of the 2026 grass campaign on the NYRA circuit will move to Thursday, Apr. 16.

The Listed $150,000 Plenty of Grace Stakes, which was slated to be the first turf stakes of the season on Apr. 4, will move to Friday, Apr. 17. Nominations for the Plenty of Grace will remain open until Saturday, Apr. 4.

Despite the start of the 2026 NYRA turf season being pushed back, turf racing is still scheduled to commence earlier than in both 2024 and 2025.

The current Aqueduct winter meet will conclude on Sunday, Mar. 29 with the 2026 spring meet set to open Thursday, Apr. 2 and continue through Sunday, Apr. 26 with live racing conducted Thursday-Sunday. The spring meet will offer 15 live race days in total.

The Big A spring meet is highlighted by the 101st running of the GII Wood Memorial on Apr. 4.

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Champion Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) returned to the work tab Sunday morning at Oaklawn with a bullet half-mile work over a fast track for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

Nitrogen, under two-time Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres, was clocked in :46.40, fastest of 56 published works at the distance. Nitrogen was breezing for the first time since finishing third in Mar. 7 GII Azeri Stakes.

Last year's champion 3-year-old filly remains on target for the Apr. 11 Apple Blossom Handicap.

“Nitrogen looked like the old Nitrogen,” said assistant trainer Caden Arthur, who oversees Casse's Oaklawn division. “She galloped great down the lane. She looked like she was barely moving, but her time didn't really say that.”

Clockers caught Nitrogen in :23.80 for her opening quarter-mile and galloping out five furlongs in :59.20 and six furlongs in 1:12.60. Torres was aboard Nitrogen for the first time.

“Nice horse,” Torres said. “Makes it easier for me.”

Torres has also been the regular rider at the meeting for stablemate Nerazurri (Protonico), who also breezed a half-mile Sunday morning in advance of a scheduled start in the Apple Blossom. Nerazurri, under exercise rider Autumn Lavertu, went in :48.40. Nerazurri galloped out five furlongs in 1:01..

“Nerazurri went nice and easy out there,” Arthur said.

In addition to a pair of victories in the Oaklawn Sports Overnight Stakes Jan. 1 and Trivista Overnight Stakes Feb. 27, Nerazurri finished second to Nitrogen in the GIII Bayakoa Stakes Feb. 7.

Nitrogen and Nerazurri both breezed by themselves during the special 10-minute workers-only session following the surface renovation break. Arthur said Nitrogen and Nerazurri will have their final works for the Apple Blossom on Apr. 1.

“More than likely, they'll go solo, five-eighths,” Arthur said. “We'll put a good time into them right there.”

The Apple Blossom is a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, a race which Nitrogen finished second in last year.

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Fee, a half-sister to undefeated 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Englishman (Maxfield), has been supplemented to Fasig-Tipton's March Digital Sale, the online platform said in a press release early on Saturday morning.

Bidding for the sale opened Thursday and will close Tuesday, Mar. 24.

Fee (Hip 191), a six-year-old daughter of six-time leading sire Into Mischief, is consigned by Wasabi Ventures Sales LLC, agent.

An earner of $153,764 on the racetrack, she is offered in foal to Mindframe, Constitution's multiple Grade I winning son, on a Feb. 26 cover.

Englishman remains unbeaten following a 7 1/2 -length allowance victory at Fair Grounds Thursday, stopping the clock in 1:08.76 under a hand ride.

The 3-year-old has earned Beyer Speed Figures of 97 and 95 in his first two career starts. According to his connections, Englishman will point to the GII Pat Day Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

“Fee is an exciting addition to the sale off of Englishman's monster performance Thursday,” said Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales Leif Aaron. “Do not miss the many high-profile entries that we've received in the last week and are catalogued near the end of the sale. The last ten hips are loaded with six-figure horses coming off impressive wins, as well as broodmare prospects from live families with potential major updates on the horizon.”

Other prominent entries catalogued later in the sale include:

• Tiz a Ten I See (Hip 185): Three-year-old daughter of Tiz the Law has won her two most recent starts, including a 6-length win last out;
• Sutura (Hip 187): Three year-old daughter of Vekoma has been second in her first two starts and is primed to break her maiden in Kentucky in her next start;
• Feasible (Hip 188): Four-year-old daughter of Practical Joke was a winner at Oaklawn in her most recent start;
• Sea Art (Hip 189): Broodmare prospect is a half-sister to Wayne's Law (Tiz the Law), second in Sam F. Davis Stakes and pointing for GI Curlin Florida Derby for their next start.

To view the catalogue, or to register to bid, prospective buyers should click here.

The post Half-Sister To ‘TDN Rising Star’ Englishman Supplemented To Fasig-Tipton March Digital Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's Weekend Princess (Vekoma), a $235,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $625,000 Keeneland September yearling, argued a good pace inside of firming favorite Confidentiality (Complexity) and found more in the final furlong and a half to graduate by a space en route to being named a 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard.

The even-money choice, drawn widest of a field reduced to six by a couple of scratches, pinged the stalls and led them through the opening exchanges, but Florent Geroux was urging Weekend Princess along, and the two eventually paired off through a quarter-mile in a sharp :22.06.

By virtue of being stuck down to the inside of Confidentiality for the run around the turn, Weekend Princess was arguably doing it much the tougher of the two, but she nevertheless struck to the front with three-eighths of a mile to run.

Confidentiality had no real response and when Weekend Princess was popped the question in earnest in upper stretch, she strode confidently clear to score impressively. The final time for the 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:04.22.

It was the second maiden allowance winner on the program for Vekoma, adding to the victory of Rethink in race one going six furlongs on the grass.

Dam Alemia, a half-sister to 2016 GIII Senorita Stakes victress Stays In Vegas (City Zip) and listed winner Miss Technicality (Gio Ponti), was offered with this filly in utero at the 2022 Keeneland November Sale, but was ultimately led out unsold on a bid of $170,000. That looked a wise decision when Weekend Princess went through the ring herself the following November and the results were even more spectacular at KEESEP.

The pedigree is live in the third dam, as Just Reward is the dam of GI Personal Ensign Stakes winner Persistently (Smoke Glacken), whose daughter W Heart Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) beat the boys in the 2025 G1 Champions Stakes and was third, beaten a length, in last month's G1 February Stakes. Just Reward is herself a half-sister to GISW Good Reward and GSW Pure Prize.

Weekend Princess is the eighth 'TDN Rising Star' for her Spendthrift-based stallion.

5th-Santa Anita, $70,500, Msw, 3-20, 3yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:04.22, ft, 6 1/4 lengths.
WEEKEND PRINCESS, f, 3, by Vekoma
1st Dam: Alemia, by Congrats
2nd Dam: Double Jackpot, by Broken Vow
3rd Dam: Just Reward, by Deputy Minister
Sales history: $235,000 Wlg '23 KEENOV; $625,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Michael E Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-John McCormack (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

#5 WEEKEND PRINCESS ($4.80) absolutely soared home with @flothejock aboard. The daughter of Vekoma (@spendthriftfarm) is trained by Bob Baffert. pic.twitter.com/PKwMUFWr70

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) March 20, 2026

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Horses that were either unsold or breezed and scratched from the recently concluded OBS March Two-Year-Olds In-Training Sale Mar. 10 to Mar. 12 will be featured in a 'Second Chance' digital auction via the OBSOnline platform, the company announced Friday.

Entries will be available for viewing online beginning Mar. 25 at 12:00p.m. ET. Horses offered will feature the same hip numbers they were initially assigned for the March Sale. They will be available for inspection at the location noted on their page. Medical information, including radiographs and video scopes, is available in the repository and can be accessed by buyers' veterinarians. Each horse will also have a walking video.

“It is definitely something new,” said Tod Wojciechowski, director of sales for the Ocala Breeders Sales Company. “The idea behind the Second Chance sale online is to provide an additional instance for consignors to sell their March horses as well as giving buyers another opportunity to reconsider horses they may have passed on or just overlooked.”

Bidding will open Mar. 27 at noon and close Mar. 31 at noon. To create an account or register to bid for the OBSOnline March Sale, please go here.

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Last year's Eclipse champion juvenile filly, Super Corredora (Gun Runner), will miss the GII Santa Anita Oaks Apr. 4 after getting sick earlier this week, trainer John Sadler reported Friday.

The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine has had a rough start to her 2026 campaign with two non-factor efforts in the Feb. 8 Las Virgenes Stakes and last out Mar. 8 in the GIII Santa Ysabel Stakes, where she missed the break and trailed far off her customary position.

Super Corredora reportedly ran a fever earlier this week that knocked her out of contention for the Kentucky Oaks qualifying race as there are no reported works on her tab since Mar. 1 ahead of the Santa Ysabel.

“She had a fever and we have to wait for her to get over that,” Sadler said. “The [Santa Anita] Oaks is out.”

The winner of the aforementioned Las Virgenes, Meaning (Gun Runner), remains on track to contest the Santa Anita Oaks and was spotted on track Friday in a five-furlong breeze. The Michael McCarthy-trainee was clocked in 1:00.20.

“Nice work. We're on track for the Oaks,” McCarthy said.

With temperatures soaring into the high 90s Friday, Santa Anita Park has put in place heat protocols in advance of the eight-race program. Buckets of ice and hoses will be available for use throughout the property while riders will be legged up in the saddling enclosure before going straight to the track from there. Following each race, all horses will go back to the barn area down the racetrack rather than through the paddock.

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Golden Tempo (Curlin), third in the GII Fasig-Tipton Risen Star S. Feb. 14, will race with first-time blinkers in Saturday's GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.

The Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable homebred and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' was an eye-catching, come-from-behind winner of his first two career starts, including the GIII Lecomte S. Jan. 17. He rallied from seventh to complete the trifecta in the Risen Star, finishing six lengths behind Paladin (Gun Runner).

“He made a really nice run in the Risen Star and just gave himself a lot to do,” trainer Cherie DeVaux said. “We're putting blinkers on him not to change his running style, but hopefully to get him in a better position so he doesn't have to make up so much ground. He's got a really nice turn of foot, but I really just want to get him focused.”

Chip Honcho (Connect), winner of the local Gun Runner S. Dec. 20, was a fantastic second, beaten just a half-length, after setting a strong pace in the Risen Star. The 3-1 morning-line favorite figures to be on the engine once again beneath Luis Saez. Steve Asmussen has won the Louisiana Derby five times, including last year with longshot Tiztastic.

“He went fast to get to the front, but I had him on the lead where I wanted,” Saez said following the Risen Star. “He just got a little tired late. I feel like he's going to be a really nice horse.”

'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Emerging Market (Candy Ride {Arg}), a smart debut winner for Chad Brown with a field-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure going two turns at Tampa Feb. 7, is drawn widest of all in post nine. Runner-up that day Powershift (Constitution) returned with a disappointing sixth-place finish in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby.

The 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby serves as a Championship Series event on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, awarding 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points to the top five finishers.

The stacked 14-race program on Louisiana Derby Day also includes: a highly anticipated rematch between unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' and GII Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra S. winner Bella Ballerina (Street Sense) and Luv Your Neighbor (Constitution) in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks, good for 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks; the GII New Orleans Classic S., headed by Louisiana-bred sensation Touchuponastar (Star Guitar); and the GII Muniz Memorial Classic S.

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Stark Contrast (Caravaggio) will make his synthetic debut in Saturday's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, good for 100-50-25-15-10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

The Michael McCarthy-trained Amerman homebred–the same connections behind 2024 Jeff Ruby winner Endlessly–kicked off his sophomore campaign with a win in the Eddie Logan S. going a mile over the Santa Anita lawn Jan. 8.

“He's a good work horse and trains with a lot of energy,” McCarthy said. “He seems to be going the right way. It's a good time to take a swing at a big pot.”

Stark Contrast figures to vie for favoritism with the stretch-running Fulleffort (Liam's Map), who finished a rallying second in both the Leonatus S. Jan. 17 and John Battaglia Memorial S. Feb. 21.

Turfway's 13-race card also features: the Kentucky Oaks qualifier Bourbonette Oaks (50-25-15-10-5) and the GIII TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic.

Saturday's graded stakes action also includes the GIII Essex H. at Oaklawn, led by GI Pegasus World Cup upsetter Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator); and the GIII San Luis Rey S. at Santa Anita.

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Repole Stable and Spendthrift Farm's Make My Day (Gun Runner), a distant third to 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard and GII Louisiana Derby hopeful Emerging Market (Candy Ride {Arg}) trying a distance of ground on Tampa debut Feb. 7, took control of a Friday afternoon maiden at Gulfstream Park right from the start and proved not for catching.

Off as the 5-2 third betting choice, the $1.1-million Keeneland September acquisition broke a bit inward from the rail draw, but nevertheless made an easy lead entering the first turn. Laying down sound fractions of :23.14 and :47.05, the bay colt–carrying the Repole colors this time around–began to sneak away from his rivals with about three furlongs to race and appeared ready to win by as many as Luis Saez pleased.

Second favorite Stompin Grapes (Vino Rosso) tried to make a race of it in the final furlong, but, despite a bit of drifting as the wire neared, Make My Day was home safely in front. It was a gap of 10 lengths to the newly blinkered and market leader The Pulse (Curlin) in third.

Make My Day is a half-brother to an additional six winners, including Magical (Tapit), SW, $164,550; Exulting (Tapit), MSW, $687,370; Imagination (Into Mischief), MGSW & MGISP-USA, GSW-KSA, $2,143,700; and Occult (Into Mischief), GSW & MGISP, $721,006. The deeper female family includes Grade I winners Well Chosen (Deputy Minister) and Golden Ticket (Speightstown). Magical Feeling did not produce foals in 2024 or 2025 and was most recently covered by National Treasure, also bred by Peter Blum.

5th-Gulfstream, $68,000, Msw, 3-20, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:42.57, sy, 1 1/2 lengths.
MAKE MY DAY (c, 3, Gun Runner–Magical Feeling {GSW & GISP, $554,532}, by Empire Maker) 1/2 to Magical (Tapit), SW, $164,550; Exulting (Tapit), MSW, $687,370; Imagination (Into Mischief), MGSW & MGISP-USA, GSW-KSA, $2,143,700; and to Occult (Into Mischief), GSW & MGISP, $721,006. Sales history: $1,100,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $44,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Spendthrift Farm LLC & Repole Stable; B-Peter E Blum Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.

@RepoleStable & @SpendthriftFarm get a maiden winner with #1 MAKE MY DAY ($7.00), who held off Stompin Grapes in the 5th race at @GulfstreamPark. @luissaezpty rode the three-year-old Gun Runner (@Three_Chimneys) colt for @PletcherRacing. pic.twitter.com/V8i4TjQil9

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) March 20, 2026

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Gold Square LLC's Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), who suffered his first career defeat when beaten nearly 12 lengths into fifth behind Commandment (Into Mischief) in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 28, worked five-eighths of a mile in :59.65 (1/2) at Palm Meadows Thursday.

“He worked well,” said Gold Square's Al Gold between races at Gulfstream Park. “We're looking forward to his next race. We don't know yet where it's going to be.”

Last year's GI Champagne Stakes winner was off awkwardly in the Fountain of Youth, his first try going a two-turn route, and weakened out late.

Napoleon Solo is one of 28 3-year-olds nominated to next Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby. The gray colt is also under consideration for the GII Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct on Apr. 4.

Entries for the Florida Derby will be taken between the third and fourth races at Gulfstream this Saturday.

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John Oxley's Silent Tactic (Tacitus) drilled five furlongs in 1:01.60 (7/11) Thursday morning at Oaklawn Park in advance of the Mar. 28 GI Arkansas Derby, for which he figures one of the top few betting selections.

A $60,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling turned $500,000 OBS April juvenile, Silent Tactic was returning to the worktab for the first time since dropping a nose decision to Class President (Uncle Mo) in the GII Rebel Stakes on Mar. 1. Prior to that the bay flew home to post an impressive victory in the GIII Southwest Stakes.

“He's had an easier week galloping, so we're just trying to take it easy,” said Caden Arthur, who oversees dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse's Oaklawn division. “He's feeling really good going into this race, so we're excited. Hopefully, we can get on the better end of the photo this time or something. But that's part of horse racing. He looked phenomenal today, so we're very happy with it. He won't work again before the race. That was it.”

Post positions will be drawn for the Arkansas Derby following the first race this coming Saturday, Mar. 21. According to the Oaklawn racing office, others expected for the $1.5-million contest include 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard and GISP Blackout Time (Not This Time); recent Oaklawn allowance winner Exosome (Candy Ride {Arg}), Litmus Test (Nyquist), winner of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity and third in the Rebel; Sam F. Davis Stakes hero Renegade (Into Mischief); and Taptastic (Tapit), impressive in breaking his maiden at first asking over a mile at Oaklawn Mar. 8.

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Harvey A. Clarke Racing Stables' Gosger (Nyquist), who won last year's GIII Stonestreet Lexington Stakes before taking a pair of heartbreaking defeats behind Journalism (Curlin) in Grade I company, makes his 4-year-old debut in a two-turn allowance with an option to enter for a $125,000 claiming tag Saturday afternoon at Gulfstream Park.

The homebred son of Gloria S. (Tapit), a half-brother to Grade I winner Harvey's Lil Goil (American Pharoah), won the Lexington in just his third career start for Brendan Walsh and looked every bit a winner of the GI Preakness Stakes, only to be tagged on the wire after an other-worldly finish from Journalism. Having passed the Belmont Stakes, Gosger was a 6-1 chance in the GI Haskell Invitational Stakes and once again led late before just failing to hold off Journalism.

Sixth in the GI Pennsylvania Derby in September, the gray was third in trying older horses for the first time in the GIII Fayette Stakes at Keeneland the following month and was a wide sixth behind Magnitude (Not This Time) in the Nov. 28 GII Clark Stakes when last spotted. The blinkers he wore on that occasion come off on Saturday.

“It's a good spot,” Walsh said. “He's been down here all winter and he's been working well. The intention was always to give him a run kind of around now and hopefully prepare him for the year ahead. He's doing well. We backed off of him for a while and we've had him back working. He's been working really good, actually, so we're looking forward to Saturday with him.”

While non-committal about exactly what 2026 will look like going forward, Walsh is expecting big things from his charge.

“We'll just take it as it comes. You'd hope that he'd be right up there with the best of them and be able to compete at the highest level,” Walsh said. “I'd have to say the last month has really given me hope with the horse. He's really, really come on a lot and I'm glad we backed off and gave him a chance. He had a long year last year, but he was pretty consistent the whole way through to the last race. Hopefully the freshening will do him good and we'll see a good display from him on Saturday.”

Gosger figures to jump at odds far skinnier than his 6-5 morning line. He breaks from the rail with Dylan Davis in the irons for the first time.

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Riley Mott, the son of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, has come a long way in the 3 1/2 years he has been training on his own. He's already won more than 100 races and collected a pair of Grade I wins, including World Beater (Oscar Performance)'s score in last year's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes. And now it looks like he'll have a starter in this year's GI Kentucky Derby. In winning the Virginia Derby, the Mott-trained Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) earned enough points to guarantee himself a spot in the race.

To talk about Incredibolt, how his career is going, what he hopes for in the future and what it might be like to face off against his father in the Derby, Mott joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the Week.

Incredibolt was dismissed at 6-1 by the bettors in the Virginia Derby, which was no surprise since he was beaten 25 1/4 lengths in his prior start, the GIII Holy Bull Stakes. He was a completely different horse at Colonial Downs. But why?

“I was asking myself that very question as they were going down the backside during the Holy Bull,” Mott said. “I wanted to run away and hide and not talk to anybody for a couple of weeks. It was very perplexing the way he ran. I couldn't say anything other than he just really didn't like the racetrack surface. He had trained extremely well leading up to that race. Luckily for us and for the horse, the horse came back from the Holy Bull with zero issues. He probably even took a step forward physically and mentally. He got a little bit sharper, maybe put on a little bit of weight, filled out a bit. His works and training leading into the Virginia Derby were very good, and he certainly ran that way.”

There is a seven-week gap between the Virginia Derby and the Kentucky Derby, and Mott has decided to train up to the first leg of the Triple Crown. While a seven-week break may not be ideal, he said he has the right horse to handle the situation.

“With these good horses, you want to take things one step at a time, but, at the same time, you always want to be two steps ahead of the game,” Mott said. “So we were always thinking about what would happen if the horse ran well in the Virginia Derby and we were trying to pursue the Kentucky Derby. So it was thrown around after he won, do we come back in three weeks? That is something we had talked about. But I think everyone agreed and felt pretty comfortable with accepting the seven weeks. More than anything, the individual this horse is makes him the type that I think can handle that type of a layoff. He's not a horse that appears to need a ton of racing to get fit. He gets a lot out of his training and his workouts.”

Incredibolt is owned by Pin Oak Stud, which also owns World Beater. That operation has played a big role in Mott's early success, something that he has not lost sight of.

First and foremost, they've been paramount in my career,” he said. “Obviously, we're a young stable and we're just now kind of getting our feet underneath us and starting to improve on the quality of the stable and compete in some of those higher-level races. They have been right there from the start, one of my very first clients. The relationship formed when I was working for my dad the last couple of years, working under him as an assistant. That was around the first time that Jim and Dana Bernhard had owned horses and they sent a couple to my dad to train. So we formed a bit of a relationship just through working with my dad. And when I struck out on my own, Mr. and Mrs. Bernhard kind of interviewed me at one of the sales and we had a sit down meeting. It felt very much like a job interview, which it was, and we clicked. They liked me and I really enjoyed their company and they decided to send us some horses. So it's been really fun and rewarding to have the success we've had so far for them. You always remember the people that helped you get your start.”

If things continue on the right path, Incredibolt could go up against Chief Wallabee (Constitution) in the Derby. What would it be like to face his father in the sport's most important race?

“We're not in it for consolation prizes,” Mott said. “We don't want to just have a participation award. We want to go out there and have a horse that can potentially win the race. But, I'd be lying to you if I said it wasn't just a really cool feeling just having one in contention and qualified. Then, on the other hand, to have one against one of my dad's horses would be special. We've run against each other on a bunch of different occasions. We're always pulling for each other, but we're both extremely competitive. I think if we both are fortunate enough to have a couple in the gate, it's kind of every man for himself at that point.”

The “Fastest Horse of the Week” was Built (Hard Spun), who earned a 106 Beyer when winning a Fair Grounds allowance race in which he set a new track record for the six-furlong distance. The Fastest Horse of the Week segment is sponsored by WinStar, which stands the sire Nashville.

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the PHBA, 1/ST TV, and West Point Thoroughbreds, Randy Moss, Bill Finley, and Zoe Cadman took a look back at the ongoing battle between Churchill Downs Inc. and HISA. The latter threatened to pull the plug on Churchill's simulcasting signal if fees are not paid by next week. All three agreed that some sort of compromise would be worked out to make sure that the Kentucky Derby would be available to out-of-state bettors.

The team also discussed the retirement of trainer Tom Amoss and previewed this week's major races, topped by the GII Louisiana Derby and the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks.

Click here to watch the Writers' Room podcast and here to listen it.

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Trainer Bob Baffert will leave some horses at Churchill Downs this spring rather than bringing all of his stable back to California, said the trainer when reached by phone Thursday afternoon.

The story was first reported by Ron Flatter at Horse Racing Nation.

Baffert stressed that he is not abandoning the West Coast.

“I've always had a barn there before and I'm just splitting it up,” he said. “It's not like I'm deserting California. I have a lot of horses that have same conditions. I have more opportunities to run there than we do in California because the horse colony is a little low right now. So I need to run those horses.”

“I'm going to stay through,” Baffert said. “We used to stay through the meet years ago, but now I'm going to do it now because we need places to run. So I need horses here. I have so many horses in the same category. I can't run them. We just train, train. And so we'll split them up and then we'll mix it up, and so now I can run them. I can have them there and we can find more opportunities.”

Baffert said that he is in the midst of getting the Churchill barn ready and putting together a team to run the Churchill stable. He declined to say exactly which horses would be going to Churchill, but noted, “I'm bringing all those good horses for Derby weekend, so there will be some nice horses there because if you go to Kentucky, you better bring the A team. You're not going to win there with the B team. It's tough.”

Baffert also said that the timing of the meets played a factor.

“California this time of year, there's a lull in our racing. And so there's just nothing really until Del Mar.”

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Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 189 entries for its March Digital Sale, which may be viewed online here. Bidding is now open and will close Tuesday, March 24, beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

“With nearly 190 catalogued, our March Digital Sale has grown by more than 50% over last year–highlighting Fasig-Tipton Digital's rapidly increasing popularity among sellers.” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales. “Offerings include more than 100 horses of racing age, as well as broodmare prospects, broodmares–including mares with foals at foot–2-year-olds in training, and 'short' yearlings. We're also excited to offer a fractional interest in graded stakes winner and recent G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint Stakes runner-up Just Beat the Odds.”

Featured offerings include:

Maximum Bourbon (Maximum Security) (hip 5): 4-year-old horse of racing age is a winner in 3 of 5 starts to date, with four 90+ Beyer Speed Figures in his four starts on dirt, with a 103 Beyer and 4 Ragozin in his most recent start on March 13 at Fair Grounds. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

Miss Lizzy (Classic Empire) (hip 6): Graded stakes-placed and stakes-winning racing/broodmare prospect with lifetime earnings of more than $285,000 to date. She's out of a 100% winner-producing Bernardini daughter of graded stakes-winning millionaire Somthinaboutlaura. Consigned by Doug O'Neill, agent for Wilshire Farm.

Ms. Bucchero (Bucchero) (hip 7): Multiple stakes-winning racing/broodmare prospect has earned more than $462,000 to date. She's out of a multiple stakes producer and 100% winner-producer mare. Consigned by Evergreen Equine, agent for the Morici Bankruptcy Estate Dispersal.

Fractional interest in Just Beat the Odds (Munnings) (hip 23): 33.3% interest in graded stakes-winning horse of racing age. Won the GIII Elite Power Stakes at Aqueduct in December, finished second in the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint Stakes in Saudi Arabia Feb. 14 and has since returned to the United States. Consigned by Highgate Sales, agent.

The March Digital Sale also features over 100 horses of racing age along with mares in foal to Complexity, Cyberknife, Early Voting, Gun Pilot, Mage, Two Phil's, and more.

Additionally, the catalogue includes mares with foals at foot by Bright Future, Cyberknife, Elite Power, Girvin, Kingsbarns, Oscar Performance, and more.

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

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The first installment in the 2026 OwnerView webinar series was held Mar. 17 and featured a discussion of the benefits and challenges of breeding Thoroughbreds to race, the conference series said via a Thursday press release.

Guests included Carrie Brogden, Machmer Hall Farm; Kate Galvin, Godolphin; Len Green, D.J. Stable; and Walker Hancock, Claiborne Farm.

The event, hosted by The Jockey Club of America and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, was presented by Bessemer Trust, Keeneland and Dean Dorton Equine. Panel sponsors included the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Airdrie Stud.

A Q&A, sponsored by West Point Thoroughbreds, followed the presentations.

Click here to access all OwnerView webinars.

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In an effort to create greater opportunities for Florida-breds, the Florida HBPA will put up $2 million that will go toward both raising purses for Florida-breds and creating new stakes races for horses bred in the Sunshine State.

Owners and trainers with Florida-breds will have their first opportunity to collect a portion of the $2 million Apr. 25 when six state-bred stakes races, each worth $100,000, will be offered on the Gulfstream card.

The HBPA's decision to promote and fund Florida-bred stakes races comes after the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association  announced what it called the “unfortunate failure” to reach an agreement with Gulfstream Park and the Florida HBPA (FHBPA), which led to the cancellation of the traditional Florida Sire Stakes (FSS) series. The FTBOA shifted its focus to what it called a new $1-million Florida Sire Racing Incentive Program for 2026, which provides financial incentives to owners and breeders of FSS-eligible 2-year-olds at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs.

Thanks to the contribution from the Florida HBPA, Florida-bred 2-year-olds will still be able be to compete in lucrative races in the late summer and fall. On Sept. 5, there will be two $150,000 races, one for 2-year-old fillies and the other for 2-year-old colts. On Oct. 3, Florida-bred juveniles will compete in two races, each worth $250,000.

Unlike the Florida Sires Stakes series, which were open only to horses who were by Florida-based sires, the HBPA races will be open to all horses considered Florida-breds. There will be 12 HBPA-funded races under this format.

In addition, after the current “Championship Meet” is over, purses for Florida-bred maidens will see an increase. Races for 2-year-old Florida-bred maidens will go from $53,000 to $65,000. The purses for maidens that are 3-years-old or older will jump from $43,000 to $65,000.

“We're trying to do what we can to make the Florida-breds more prominent,” said Florida HBPA President Tom Cannell. “For the folks with Florida-breds, we want to give them a place to race and to make it worthwhile for them. We hope that will keep some of the folks here rather than having them travel for the summer. Maybe some of the folks from Tampa who generally trek north will have more opportunities to run with us in the summer.”

Cannell said the timing was right to get the message out about the increased purses.

“We want to get the word out because the first 2-year-old sale is in the books, but we still have the OBS April and OBS June sales coming up,” he said. “There will be great opportunities for people who want to pick up Florida-bred 2-year-olds.”

Amid efforts by Gulfstream to have legislation passed that would no longer require it to hold live racing in order to keep its slots operation going, a process known as decoupling, the horsemen and Gulfstream announced in December that a three-year agreement had been reached that guaranteed that racing would continue at the South Florida track through, at least, 2028.

“With that new contract in place, we are trying to fill some holes to make it more attractive for people to race in Florida,” Cannell said.

Cannell said his group is contemplating other options that would help bolster South Florida racing and purses at Gulfstream.

“This is just the beginning,” he said. “We're going to do everything we can to upgrade the entire racing program purse-wise. We may not be able to get to the levels they have in Kentucky, but we're going to try to be as competitive as we can for people who want to race in this part of the country.”

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