Thoroughbred Daily News

A filly by Nyquist (hip 372), who stopped the clock for a furlong in :9 3/5, hammered down at an even $2-million to Boyd Racing during Wednesday's OBS March Sale.

“She was just an absolute queen the whole week,” said Hannah Jennings, who signed the ticket. “She was super professional. Obviously her stride was fantastic on the track and physically she's everything we could want. Nyquist is one of our favorites. He can get you a really elite horse and Ciaran Dunne sold two Grade I-winning Nyquist fillies out of OBS sales. So hopefully she can be the third.”

Consigned by Dunne's Wavertree Stables, Inc., the filly is out of a Lucky Pulpit half-sister to GISW Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute).

Bred in Kentucky by Cannon Thoroughbreds LLC, she was sold last year at Keeneland as a September yearling for $300,000 to Forest Bloodstock.

She is the second seven-figure Nyquist sold by Wavertree Stables this sale joining a colt who brought $1.2-million during Tuesday's opening session.

The post Nyquist Filly Brings $2-Million From Boyd Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni signed the ticket on a Mo Town colt (hip 299) for $1.05-million early in Wednesday's second session at OBS March.

“Beautiful, beautiful horse,” Lanni said after signing on behalf of Baoma Corp. “Breezed exceptional. Beautiful breeze. He came out of it really well. I think that's the toughest thing on these young horses, to come out of those breezes. He's going to go to Bob [Baffert], bought him for Baoma Corp. They've been very lucky here over the years, so glad we got him.”

The colt, out of the Into Mischief Reckon, worked a quarter-mile in a sharp :20 2/5.

He was bred in Kentucky by William Lussky and consigned Wednesday by Hoppel LLC, Agent V.

Hip 299 was initially purchased as a weanling at Keeneland in November 2024 for just $40,000.

The post Baoma Corp Adds Mo Town Colt For $1.05-Million appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

After finishing fifth and seventh, respectively, in Saturday's GII Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park, Tracy Farmer's La Cara (Street Sense–Cara Caterina, by Bernardini) and Shortleaf Stable's Quietside (Malibu Moon–Benner Island, by Speightstown) have each been retired.

La Cara, a homebred for Farmer conditioned by Mark Casse, won both the GI Central Bank Ashland Stakes and GI DK Horse Acorn Stakes in 2025, in addition to the 2024 GIII Pocahontas Stakes and last year's Suncoast Stakes. The now-4-year-old bay made two starts in 2026, finishing off the board each time. She retires with a record of 15-5-2-0 and earnings of $1,254,903.

According to Robert Yates on X, La Cara will be bred to Not This Time.

Quietside, named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' on debut, raced as a homebred for Shortleaf. She won the 2025 GII Fantasy Stakes and GIII Honeybee Stakes after placing in both the GI Spinaway Stakes and GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes at two. The John Ortiz trainee, whose other 2026 start resulted in a third in the GIII Bayakoa Stakes, retires at age four with a record of 12-3-4-2 and earnings of $1,051,575.

A post on X from Shortleaf states Quietside will be sent to Nyquist for her first mating.

The post La Cara, Quietside Both Retired After Disappointing in Azeri Saturday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

After breakdowns during the 2024 racing season forced the closure of the Clinton E. Phipps Sr. Racetrack on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands in February 2025, yet another accident took place during Sunday's opening day Spring Stakes feature Mar. 8 that saw a Thoroughbred euthanized and a jockey taken to a local hospital.

The story covering the incident was first reported by Bill Kiser of The Virgin Islands Daily News Mar. 9.

The breakdown last Sunday is part of a larger story at the Phipps track, which reopened for racing in 2024 after two hurricanes hit the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2017.

In a report by the TDN Jan. 30, 2025 seven horses had to be euthanized from May 3, 2024 to December 22, 2024. Also, unregistered Thoroughbreds were also allowed to compete and two horses who were banned by Gulfstream Park appeared in a race.

A little over a week after the filing of that story, the U.S. Virgin Islands government closed the racetrack so that an investigation could take place.

Before the 2025 closure, the St. Thomas/St. John Horse Racing Commission (STT/STJ HRC) was regulating cards without anti-doping laws in effect and the local surface had not undergone professional testing.

Kiser reported in a piece in the Daily News Apr. 17, 2025 that after a four-month shutdown at Phipps that the STT/STJ HRC commissioned an inspection of the local surface by John Hubbs of the Phoenix-based Stabilizer Solutions Inc., who found the track up to code and not responsible for the breakdowns that occurred in 2024.

Kiser quoted STT/STJ HRC chairman Hugo Hodge Jr. who said, “It wasn't deemed that the surface was the root cause for the issues; it was more the condition of the horses.”

The report by Kiser also says that the Virgin Islands's Sports, Parks and Recreation Department and the STT/STJ HRC made changes to the course. They increased the height of the rails, and brought in 5,000 tons of new racing surface and underfill.

In that same Apr. 17 article, Kiser goes on to state that rule changes were made as well. For instance, the STT/STJ HRC's Dr. Laura Palminteri increased her efforts to conduct pre-race checks and alterations were made to the entry qualifications for the Governor's Cup.

Racing at the St. Thomas track resumed over the course of the summer and into the fall, but it is unclear if any breakdowns took place during this time period.

According to the Daily News article Mar. 9, the Phipps incident occurred during the fourth of six scheduled races on the card, which included a three-race field for Class A older females going a mile and 40-yards.

The piece cites an unnamed eyewitness who said that the trio was racing through the far turn when both 5-year-old Unrelentless (The Big Beast), ridden by jockey Joshua Navarro, and 7-year-old Raw Honey (Bal A Bali), with Jean Alvelo aboard, fell ahead of 7-year-old Family Band (Constitution), who had Sebastian Ortiz in the irons.

Unrelentless and Navarro went down first, according to the source, but the reason, Kiser said, is still undetermined by race officials. Raw Honey and Alvelo tried to avoid Unrelentless, but went down themselves.

The article says that the St. Croix's Truville Racing-owned Family Band went on to win the feature, which was the New York-bred's third victory in her last four starts. The piece did not state if the race was declared a no-contest.

The Daily News reported that Navarro suffered injuries that required he be transported to Schneider Hospital, while Alvelo was examined and treated at the track. The paper said that the injured rider's status at the medical facility was unknown.

However, it was reported that while Unrelentless–owned by Just For Fun Racing and a winner in her last four starts at Phipps–suffered just scrapes and bruises, the injuries to Raw Honey, who is owned by Boysie Tuff Racing Stables, were considered severe enough that the mare had to be euthanized.

According to Equibase, the majority of the horses that were entered last Sunday on the card were former claiming runners whose last recorded races outside of St. Thomas's track took place at Hipódromo Camarero in Puerto Rico during 2024 and 2025.

Before appearing in St. Thomas, Florida-bred Unrelentless finished sixth in a starter optional claimer at Gulfstream Park Jan. 31 of last year.

TDN reached out to the St. Thomas/St. John Horse Racing Commission for comment, but did not receive a response by the time this story was posted.

The post Safety Concerns Mount Once Again At U.S. Virgin Islands Track As Horse Suffers Breakdown On Opening Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Last week, Republican Representatives Matthew Koch and Michael Meredith introduced into the Kentucky state legislature a sweeping gambling bill with several key components, including legalized fixed-odds wagering in Kentucky along with efforts to essentially expand and modernize its gambling infrastructure.

Unlike the fluctuating odds that make up pari-mutuel betting, fixed odds is a form of betting in which the payout odds are set and agreed upon at the time the wager is placed. Crucially, they do not change.

Among other aspects of the bill, it requires tracks and tote companies to adopt new modern technologies to streamline and expedite betting cycle times. Right now, tote machines across the country update at varying times, and typically anywhere between 10- and 30-second cycles.

The bill also attempts to essentially decouple wagering providers from the prediction market, which is the ability for bettors to make speculative bets on the outcomes of future events.

On Tuesday, the TDN spoke with Koch about the bill, which goes before the standing committee on licensing and occupations Wednesday morning. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

TDN: What are you seeing in this industry that prompted you to write and introduce this bill?

MK: We've been talking about this for 10 years or more. [KY lawmakers] Damon Thayer and Adam Koenig were talking about this many years ago.

Although it's new to Kentucky, it's nothing new to the world of horse racing. We do it in other countries. Monmouth is doing this. West Virginia and Colorado. So, we would actually be the fourth state in the U.S. to do this if we're able to get it there.

A big part of this, I think the bettors love it.

Nothing gets somebody frustrated more than when they place a bet on a horse, it's 4-1. And, you know, at some point in the race they realize, 'Hey, we're going to win, we're going to do it.' And then they look down, the odds have dropped to 2-1 or whatever they've dropped to.

Fixed odds is a way to give the bettors just another avenue to place the wagers. We put it completely on the tracks to make the format on how they're going do it.

Talking with the tracks, there's some fear about what's going to happen with the purse account. And so, we've created an account [the “purse stabilization fund”], for tax dollars to come off and into there.

That way, we can look at it every few months and make sure that we keep the purse account whole, which is obviously very important to me and everybody else in the entire horse industry.

TDN: As a farm owner yourself of Shawhan Place, how do you see what's happening broadly in the industry trickling down and impacting your business?

MK: When I first ran for office, I thought I was running for my district on jobs, roads, schools, right? I never realized that I was going to get up here and be in the fight for the industry, with everything that's going on.

Since I've been up here, we had the HHR [Historic Horse Racing] fight a few years ago, and that has just greenlit so much for this industry. Kentucky is absolutely thriving because of the work we've done, not just with the HHR.

We followed that up with the banning of gray machines. We followed the banning of gray machines with the creation of the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation. We're now in charge of all the gambling in the state of Kentucky. That's like the ultimate protection for the horse industry.

With this bill, I view it as just a continuation of those things.

We need to keep improving. As the markets have evolved, you have predictive markets that are coming on board. Predictive markets, by the way, are absolutely cannibalizing other forms of gambling that are out there.

Fantasy sports is the other piece of this bill, regulating them. They've been out there for a while, but we've never regulated, never taxed them. So, we've got to make sure that we're doing all that while keeping these things operating on as fair a level as we possibly can.

TDN: From an industry standpoint, the fixed-odds component of the bill is obviously the key one. If the bill passes, that doesn't mean wagering companies will have to offer fixed odds. Do you think there's much appetite among tracks and wagering companies in Kentucky to offer fixed odds to their customers?

MK: I think it's fair to say there's hesitation.

I don't really want to speak for them, but I feel like there's just a little nervousness that comes with something new. How are you going to implement it? How are you going to make it work? And how are you going to keep the purse account whole?

So, I think they come with a lot of good questions on how to properly do this. And it's our job to make sure that we do it right.

TDN: Under this legislation, a new “purse stabilization fund” would be supported by a 15% tax on fixed-odds betting conducted on-track, online or via mobile apps. How much do you think this could funnel to the newly established fund?

MK: It's just a matter of how they set it up, when they set it up, etcetera. So, I don't have anything on that yet.

TDN: What have you seen and learned from how other states have rolled out fixed-odds wagering?

MK: That's the advantage. You can always pick and choose what works and what doesn't work. And I think the beauty here is we're giving it to the tracks and we say they 'may'–not shall, it's not a 'shall'–it's a 'may' [to implement fixed odds]. We're putting it in the hands of the tracks to make the decision on what can work for them to implement this.

TDN: In the parts of the bill requiring tote companies to adopt modern technologies to streamline and expedite betting cycle times, how much of that was driven by concerns over the impact of CAW teams?

MK: All of it.

There have been several bills filed in the legislature across the spectrum–people wanting to get rid of the rebates, etcetera. There's a whole line of thought out there about what to do.

But as you know, the CAW [wagering] feeds a lot into the purse account. So, you don't really want to do anything that's going to harm that, right? But at the same time, you have to have the perception for the bettors that they're getting a fair deal–that their odds aren't changing. That kicked off the first part of it, which was fixed odds.

The second part of that is, we learned that there is technology out there that our totes can operate and update faster than every 30 seconds. Right now, that seems to be the average speed these totes are operating.

But we've learned that there is technology out there for these things to operate at a much faster speed than that and give the bettors quicker information.

Look, there's Horseshoe Indianapolis, which has had the Daily Racing Form to project odds. There are things like that. And while that's not any part of this bill, it's kind of the conversation we've had with the tracks. We need to give the bettors the most information that we can, in the fastest way we can.

TDN: You've targeted prediction markets in the bill. How and why do you see the prediction markets as a threat to the horse racing industry?

MK: They're a threat to all gaming, right? Not just racing.

Just look at the Super Bowl. If you go back and look at the numbers, prediction markets ran 10 times the amount of wagering on the Super Bowl than Las Vegas did.

TDN: Tells you everything you need to know right there…

MK: I can't sum it up any clearer than that.

TDN: What other components of this sweeping bill are you keen to highlight?

MK: Another member came to us. If you're in arrears on child support, he didn't think you should be able to [engage in] online gaming. We're working on some of that language to put that in there, so, if you owe child support and it's in arrears, you're not out here blowing that money on gambling. I don't disagree with it. We thought it was a good idea.

Another part, we've increased [the age limit] on sports wagering from 18 to 21. And then, I guess the other big thing we need to highlight is no more proposition bets on Kentucky college athletes.

The reason for that, I was reading one article that said almost 30% of college athletes have already been impacted by this in some negative way, form or fashion.

I don't want to see a young college kid get in trouble because somebody approached them, trying to get them to miss a free throw or whatever because of prop betting. I think it's a way of protecting our young kids that are out there playing NCAA sports right now.

Look, it's not going to happen at your big schools. It's going to happen at a little school. It's going to be a kid that knows he's not going pro[fessional], and something like $10,000 or $20,000 looks like a lot of money to him. We have to have some consumer protections on this.

TDN: Will the standing committee on licensing and occupations be discussing this bill in tomorrow's (Wednesday's) scheduled meeting?

MK: Yes sir, 9:00 a.m.

TDN: And what do you see as the likely path of this bill? Are you going to try to pass it this session?

MK: Well, I hope so, but you never know. We're at that time of session, it's just like a horse race. That's why you run the race, to see how it's going to turn out. But I'd like to think we have a shot.

The post Koch Q&A on KY Fixed-Odds Bill: Predictive Markets ‘Absolutely Cannibalizing’ Other Gambling appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis

OCALA, FL – With brisk activity at the top of the market, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training opened Tuesday with a lively day of trade topped by a $1.35-million son of Corniche. The colt was one of three to bring seven figures during the session. The entire 2025 March sale produced seven million-dollar juveniles.

“Certainly an excellent day,” said OBS president Tom Ventura. “We had a lot of activity in the barns during the week and expected that to translate in the auction ring, and it did. Hopefully, we can keep that going for the next two days. Everybody here is working hard trying to find a good horse and the sales results have shown that. You don't want to predict too much moving forward, we've got one day down and two to go. But very happy so far.”

During the session, 142 juveniles sold for $22,969,500. The average of $161,757 was up 19.0% from last year's opening session, while the median was up 5.8% to $90,000. Both the average and the median were up from the cumulative 2025 figures of $152,351 and $70,000, respectively. With 62 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 30.4%.

“The market is very strong,” Legion Bloodstock's Kristian Vilante said after signing for the session topper, who was consigned by Pick View. “This is not the first horse we've tried to buy [Tuesday], but was the first horse we actually got to buy. The market is very strong and there is high demand for quality horses.”

The OBS March sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning each day at 11 a.m.

With Tuesday's opening session of the OBS March Sale in Ocala already in full swing, hip 95, a colt by Corniche, drew a $1.35-million final bid from Legion Bloodstock. It was the sole purchase by the operation on Day 1.

During last Wednesday's breeze session, the top-priced juvenile of Tuesday's session breezed a quarter mile in :21 flat.

“We were trying to not leave here without him, we were hoping he wouldn't cost quite that much but that's what you have to pay for horses like that,” said Legion's Kristian Vilante, who signed the ticket.

Consigned by Pick View LLC, the May 8 foal is out of Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Leigh Court (Grand Slam), who was purchased by Speedway Stables for $1.1 million in 2014.

Kristian Villante | OBS/Photos by Z

“He's a beautiful colt, his dad was a champion,” said Vilante. “We've been following him since January. We saw him in January at Joe Pickerell's farm. He's been a standout all year.”

The Speedway-bred colt was secured by Pick View for $275,000 at last season's Keeneland's September Sale.

“Joe had to pay a lot for him as a yearling and we are fortunate that we have some clients that are willing to step up and try and buy a horse that might be a [Kentucky] Derby kind of colt.”

According to Vilante, the colt will head to Travis Durr Training Center in South Carolina for his early preparation.

“He'll eventually go to Whit Beckman,” added Vilante. “We'll let Travis play around and determine when it's time to move him on to Whit.”

Vilante explained that the colt's future trainer was equally high on the colt prior to the purchase.

“Whit actually came down here last month and he fell in love with this colt just like we all have,” he said. “He was here again [Tuesday] morning to see him.”

Hip 95 | OBS/VidHorse

Represented by his first crop of juveniles, 2021 champion 2-year-old colt Corniche stands at Ashford Stud.

“We bought a couple Corniches as yearlings and they're on Travis's farm and he loves them so far,” said Vilante. “We tried to buy a filly earlier in the day by Corniche. I think he stamps them, he's just putting out a beautiful horse. He should make it.”

Pick View sold three juveniles for a total of $1,390,000 on Tuesday.

“I have two [Corniches] and they're both awesome,” said Pickerell. “They love to train, they're sound and they seem to thrive off the work. That's something that separates good horses from great horses and he seems to thrive. Everything we've thrown at him, he's taken it in stride and loves to work. Loves to perform. I feel like he's a horse who is going to have some big things coming.” —@CBossTDN

Ramiro Restrepo of Marquee Bloodstock and Cam Dulgar of Morplay Racing partnered up to acquire a colt by Nyquist (hip 88) for $1.2 million during the first session of the OBS March sale Tuesday.

“We are working together to find ourselves a big horse,” Restrepo said after signing the ticket on the juvenile, who was consigned by Wavertree Stables.

Both of the new partners have experience on the Kentucky Derby trail. Marquee graduate Mage (Good Magic) wore the roses in 2023 and The Puma (Essential Quality) is on the road to Louisville after his win in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby Saturday. Morplay's No More Time (Not This Time) was second in the 2024 Tampa Bay Derby.

Cam Dulgar | OBS/VidHorse

“No More Time made it to the Derby. He unfortunately ended up getting injured, but we got hooked,” Dulgar said. “The success we've seen with [2025 Eclipse champion female sprinter] Shisospicy (Mitole) has us extremely excited to pick up this colt and hopefully experience something similar. Right now, we are Derby Dreaming and just happy to hopefully have gotten a good horse.”

Hip 88, purchased by Ange Bloodstock for $170,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale, worked a furlong in :9 4/5 during last week's under-tack preview. He is out of La Extrana Dama (Arg) (Catcher in the Rye {Ire}), a champion older mare in Argentina.

“He stood out on paper,” Restrepo said. “I love the Argentinian sturdiness. Obviously there are a couple champions in there. And Nyquist, what a season he had last year and the year before that. He stands above a lot of horses in this catalogue with that sire power. That's what we were chasing.”

Hip 88 | OBS/VidHorse

Just a few hips after acquiring the seven-figure juvenile, Morplay was back in action as sellers offering their homebred colt by Yaupon (hip 92). The bay, out of La Urbana (Into Mischief), sold for $100,000 to Sean S. Perl Bloodstock.

“This is our second crop of homebreds,” Dulgar said. “We sold a McKinzie out of the mare last year and this is her second foal. We have only two broodmares, so we are light on the broodmare side. We have run both of our mares and because of their physicals, it just made sense to keep them.”

Asked if Morplay would be looking to increase its broodmare band, Dulgar said, “We'll leave it up to the boss man [Rich Mendez].” —@JessMartiniTDN

Juveniles from the first crop of Drain the Clock made plenty of noise on the OBS track during last week's under-tack preview and the Gainesway stallion was equally quick out of the blocks in the sales ring at OBS Tuesday when bloodstock agent Pedro Lanz went to $1.1 million to acquire a colt (hip 132) from the de Meric Sales consignment. Lanz, who was bidding on behalf of the Saudi-based KAS Stable, said the juvenile would stay in the U.S. and would be trained by Brad Cox.

Hip 132 | OBS/VidHorse

“His horses are fast and can sustain speed, they gallop out very fast,” Lanz said of the juveniles by Drain the Clock he saw work last week. “They are athletes. Incredible athletes. When you see them, they are sharp. And I think they can go the distance. I think this horse's stride is very long and they sustained their speed. So I think they can go long.”

Hip 132 is out of the unraced Making a Point (Freud) and worked a furlong last week in :9 4/5.

Lanz admitted he was prepared for the colt's seven-figure price tag.

“In the morning before the sale, I didn't think he would bring that much, but after what I saw–I tried to buy a filly by Nashville and I couldn't, I told Prince Abdullah we have to go very strong to get him,” Lanz said. “I told him, 'If you want this horse we have to fight.'”

Pedro Lanz | OBS/Photos by Z

The de Merics purchased the colt for $145,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearlings Sale.

“He's been a nice horse all year,” Tristan de Meric said. “We've always liked him a lot. He's done everything right.”

Drain the Clock, winner of the 2021 GI Woody Stephens Stakes, had bullet workers on three of the four days of the under-tack preview for the March sale.

“I've been high on Drain the Clock,” de Meric said. “The two we have are both here. They can both run. They both look like they should be early. And looking at the stallion on paper himself, it makes sense for him to have early, fast 2-year-olds.

“I knew this was a nice horse and I am happy all the stars aligned for him. He's a beautiful horse, he vetted clean and did everything right.” —@JessMartiniTDN

Heading into the opening session of the OBS March Sale, many eyes were sure to be on hip 139, a colt by Army Mule that recorded the fastest eighth of the March breezers when producing a blistering :9 3/5 move at OBS last Wednesday.

Hip 139 | OBS/VidHorse

On Tuesday, Cesar Loya had only that one to lead up, but what the pinhooking operation lacked in numbers at the sale, it more than made up for in quality as the Arkansas-bred colt brought $750,000 from Katsumi Yoshida.

“Time doesn't lie. We knew we were sitting on a very fast horse,” admitted Loya, who was sitting in front of his shedrow shortly after the colt's sale.

Bred by Mark Burdette, the March foal sold for a bargain $57,000 at last year's Texas Summer Yearling Sale.

“God bless Texas,” he said with a laugh when asked what his initial thoughts were after the colt's sale. “We were sitting high high high on this horse leading up to the final work here. The work didn't surprise me as much as the sale price.”

In regard to the final price, he added, “It more than exceeded my expectations. Any time you can double or triple your money you are making a good living in any business. But when it's that many times over what you paid, then that really exceeds expectations.”

The colt is out of minor winner Marching Fire (Midnight Lute), who sold for $30,000 at Keeneland November in 2023.

Cesar Loya | OBS/Photos by Z

Loya, who launched his pinhooking operation in 2023, has two more juveniles lined up for the March sale, a filly by American Pharoah (hip 496) who breezed in :10 flat on Friday and colt by Win Win Win (hip 403). The latter worked an eighth in :10 1/5 during last Thursday's breeze session.

“We are a small operation. Me and my wife [Danielle] usually pinhook seven to 10 horses of our own per season,” he said when asked if expansion was in his operation's future. “I'd like to maintain more of a boutique type of consignment. Maybe we'll grow a little bit more but not much. I'd rather remain selective.” —@CBossTDN

Ramon Minguet has been training at Gulfstream Park for the better part of a decade, but decided to make the move to Ocala two years ago. The move paid dividends Tuesday when his RM Stables sold a filly from the first crop of Nashville (hip 71) for $550,000 to William Werner. Minguet had picked up the filly for $45,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“I liked her physical,” Minguet, with his son Gabriel interpreting, said. “She was a very big horse. And I liked her sire.”

Gabriel and Ramon Minguet | Jessica Martini

Of the filly's price last fall, Minguet admitted, “I was very surprised. But she came out very early in the day and there weren't that many people in the sales ring yet.”

The chestnut, out of Kencho (Fusaichi Pegasus), worked a furlong during last week's under-tack show in :9 4/5.

“She has grown exponentially,” Minguet said. “She is very intelligent and does everything very professionally.”

Minguet admitted the sale result Tuesday exceeded his expectations.

“I thought maybe $300,000 or $400,000. So she very much exceeded expectations,” he said.

Hip 71 | OBS/VidHorse

RM Stables had more success with Nashville later in the session when selling a colt (hip 234) for $260,000 to CHC, Inc. and Maverick Racing. The 2-year-old had been purchased by Deivy Ordonez, Abreu Sales, and D&D for $24,000 at Keeneland last September.

RM Stables still has three juveniles to send through the ring at the OBS March sale, but Minguet said his first-out success has him feeling confident.

“I am more at peace and settled now,” he said with a smile. —@JessMartiniTDN

The post Strength at the Top as $1.35-Million Corniche Colt Leads OBS March Opener appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

After another big week of Kentucky Derby preps and with the Dubai World Cup on the horizon, there was plenty to unpack in this week's TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland.

The trio of Zoe Cadman, Randy Moss, and T.D. Thornton broke down the weekend's biggest performances. Cadman made sure to school her American colleagues on the correct pronunciation of The Puma (Essential Quality), the winner of the GIII Tampa Bay Derby.

“He is named for Gustavo Delgado Sr., because apparently that's what they call him and I can kind of see why,” she shared. “He broke his maiden here and congrats to Ramiro Restrepo, the team that bought Mage, for purchasing him off Hidden Brook for just $150,000.”

The team also looked at Potente (Into Mischief)'s win in the GII San Felipe Stakes and Majestic Oops (Majestic Harbor)'s upset of champion Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GII Azeri Stakes.

Alex Lieblong was this week's Gainesway Guest of the Week. The Arkansas native and veteran horse owner joined the show to discuss his homebred Reef Runner (The Big Beast), who is currently in Dubai training up for a bid in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint Stakes on March 28 following his win in last month's G2 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia.

Despite regional tensions, Lieblong confirmed he and his wife, JoAnn, are ready for the trip.

“Somebody said that they can hear missiles going over and this and that, but it hasn't bothered [Reef Runner],” Lieblong said. “They say he's actually training a tick better than he was in Saudi Arabia. We're planning on going if they open up the airspaces.”

“Seventy-five is the time to take chances,” he added. “At 75 years old, you don't want to leave things on the table.”

Reef Runner, who won last year's GII Eddie D. Stakes and was fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, is out of a half-sister to multiple Grade I winner Paradise Woods (Union Rags). The 5-year-old gelding trained by David Fawkes is a son of Lieblong's Grade I-winning stallion The Big Beast (Yes It's True), who stands at McDowell Farm in Arkansas for $2,000. Lieblong is understandably proud of his latest stable star.

“It's fantastic,” said Lieblong. “What's so great about it is that I've got so many of my trainers who have all got something to do with this. [Steve] Hobby was the first trainer of The Big Beast, but I remember Hobby coming to me when he was a 2-year-old and he said, 'Hey, he's too fast. If we go in now, you're not going to have a horse.' Not a lot of trainers will tell you that anymore. We ran him I think in March of his 3-year-old year. And then as Oaklawn wound down, we thought, 'Okay, he'd fit better up in New York.' So Tony [Dutrow] took him up there and did a great job in the GI King's Bishop. [Richard] Mandella is actually the one that picked out the mare. Of course he was close to the family. And then Steve Asmussen ended up training the mare.”

As the chairman of the Arkansas Racing and Gaming Commission, Lieblong offered his take on the role of gaming in modern racing.

“There was an old guy that used to tell me when I was kid, 'I believe every tub ought to sit on its own bottom,'” he shared. “In a way, racing is not sitting on its own bottom. It's taking contributions from other areas. I'd like to be able to see it stand up on its own, but I think still at this stage, it's got to have some help. We're lucky at Oaklawn. We have been very fortunate with the purses and we're very fortunate because the ownership at Oaklawn truly likes racing. That's hard to find at this stage of the game.”

Also on this week's show, which is also sponsored by the PHBA, 1/ST TV, the KTOB, and West Point Thoroughbreds, Moss shared that the Fastest Horse of the Week, presented by WinStar, was Joe Sheisty (Air Force Blue), who earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure in the Big Daddy Stakes.

The team took a look at the GI Santa Anita Handicap, won by British Isles (Justify). After several scratches, the Big Cap only garnered five entries.

“Clearly, the race is struggling for whatever reason,” said Moss. “It used to be a million dollars. 2016 was the last time Santa Anita gave away a purse of a million dollars. Now it's $300,000 and I know this is a little bit of a one-off because of Skippylongstocking scratching and all that. It's not usually this weak, but it's in grave danger of losing it's Grade I status after a field like this.”

“There are no easy answers,” said Thornton. “You can zero in and try to drill down what to do, to complain about or hopefully fix the Big Cap, but it's endemic for other Grade I races and it's accentuated in Southern California because the circuit essentially functions as an island right now.”

Turning to international waters, the crew debated the potential American contingent for the Dubai World Cup and reflected on the career of trainer John Kimmel following his recently announced retirement.

Watch or listen to this week's show below:

The post Alex Lieblong Joins TDN Writers’ Room Ahead of Reef Runner’s Dubai Bid appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A variety of seating and hospitality options for the 2026 Breeders' Cup are available as the World Championships are set to return to Keeneland Race Course Oct. 30-31, the Breeders' Cup said via a Tuesday release.

While tickets for the general public go on sale on Tuesday, Apr. 21 at Noon ET, fans may browse ticket options and specific pricing for general admission, box seating, reserved seating, dining options and corporate & group sales.

A $100+ million capital construction project, the largest in the track's 89-year history, will be on full display as Keeneland hosts the World Championships for a fourth time.

In addition, the Breeders' Cup and Keeneland are investing $3 million to add three luxury chalets and loge box seats to provide additional premium hospitality options.

As part of a continuing multi-year partnership with SeatGeek, the Breeders' Cup will leverage cutting-edge technology to enhance ticketing for attendees.

In order to purchase tickets to the Breeders' Cup World Championships, fans must have a SeatGeek account, which is free by clicking here.

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The track announcer at Parx Racing outside of Philadelphia, Jessica Paquette, has a new equestrian podcast she has launched named “Amateur Hour with Jessica Paquette,” the voice of Parx said via a Monday afternoon tweet on X.

The first pair of episodes have been released on Apple Music and on Spotify.

Episode 1: Client/Trainer Relationships; Guests: Cellar Door Farm's Kelly Jennings, circuit trainer Archie Cox of Brookway Stables and Kentucky-based eventer Natasia Linnd.

Episode 2: Social License to Operate in Horse Sports; Guests: David O'Connor, the Head of the USEF and HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus.

The “Amateur Hour with Jessica Paquette” will drop fresh episodes every Monday.

The post Track Announcer And Horsewoman Paquette Unveils New Equestrian Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

After burning up the track all last week during the under-tack shows, a colt by first-crop stallion Drain the Clock (hip 132) was the first for his sire to breach the seven-figure mark Tuesday at OBS March, selling to Pedro Lanz for $1.1-million. Lanz was bidding on behalf of the Saudi-based KAS Stable and said the colt would stay in the U.S. and be trained by Brad Cox.

“They are athletes. Incredible athletes,” Lanz said of the juveniles he has seen by Gainesway's Drain the Clock. When you see them, they are sharp. And I think they can go the distance. These horses' strides are very long and they sustained their speed.”

Bred in New York by Saratoga Glen Farm, LLC and Dean Purdom, the chestnut son of Making a Point worked a furlong in :9 4/5 for consignor de Meric Sales.

He'd been through the ring twice before, first selling as a weanling at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale in 2024 for $120,000, then realizing $145,000 when de Meric picked him up at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Preferred New York Bred Yearling Sale last season.

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A colt from the first crop of champion juvenile Corniche (hip 95) quickly established a new high-water mark, selling to Legion Bloodstock for $1.35-million at OBS March Tuesday.

Out of Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Leigh Court, the colt worked a quarter mile in :21.

Bred in Kentucky by Speedway Stables, LLC, he was consigned by Pick View LLC who purchased him as a yearling at Keeneland September last year for $250,000.

Represented by his first crop of juveniles, 2021 champion 2-year-old colt Corniche stands at Ashford Stud.

“We bought a couple Corniches as yearlings and they're on Travis [Durr]'s farm and he loves them so far,” said Legion's Kristian Vilante. “We tried to buy a filly earlier in the day by Corniche. I think he stamps them, he's just putting out a beautiful horse. He should make it.”

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The Puma (Essential Quality) returned to his base at Gulfstream Park early Sunday morning after his win a day earlier in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby, and his connections reported that he came out of the race in good order. Though no firm plans have been made regarding his future schedule, Gustavo Delgado Jr., who is the assistant trainer to and son of trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr., said the GI April 4 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland is one option the team is definitely considering.

“We're still undecided,” the younger Delgado said. “Let's see how he comes back when he hits the track again. Right now, eight weeks is a long time between races from here to the Derby, so we might go to the Blue Grass. That's what would make sense right now. It's a good feeling that we don't need the points anymore. We have secured a spot in the big race. That's a big relief. Basically, we have more room to do whatever we feel is the best, always having the Kentucky Derby in mind. Eight weeks is a lot, so we will definitely be aiming for another race between now and the Kentucky Derby.”

The Puma earned 50 points for his win at Tampa.

The Puma came into the race as a maiden and off a third-place finish in the Sam F. Davis Stakes, the major prep for the Tampa Bay Derby. He ran a much-improved race Saturday, winning by three-quarters of a length over GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes winner, Further Ado (Gun Runner).

“These horses continue to learn,” Delgado said. “They are so young. The last race was a learning experience.”

He also gave credit to jockey Javier Castellano. Castellano rode The Puma in his first start, a second-place finish behind the highly regarded Chief Wallabee (Constitution) in a Gulfstream maiden, but Edwin Gonzalez had the mount for the Sam F. Davis.

“Javier made a huge difference,” Delgado said. “He has been coming to the barn and breezing him and getting to know more about the horse and his running style and how to make him more effective. My dad and I told him to just let him get his rhythm, make one move whenever you feel like it is the right thing to do. Basically, that's what he did. He was last in the beginning of the race, but that turned out to be a good thing. He was a good last because you could see that he was in a good rhythm and grabbing the bit properly and making a steady move little by little.”

Should The Puma make it to the Derby, he will be the second horse the Delgados have sent to the race since 2023. The first was Derby winner Mage (Good Magic). The Puma was purchased for $150,000 at last year's OBS April sale. Mage was bought for $250,000 in 2022 at Fasig-Tipton's 2-Year-Old Midlantic Sale.

“The main thing for us is that we want to go to the Kentucky Derby,” Delgado said. “It is not easy. It's a very difficult thing to do, especially with the kind of operation that we have. We don't get good horses sent to us. We have to go to the sales and scout the horses and sometimes invest in the horses ourselves with our own money.  To be in this position again is gratifying. We were in the paddock yesterday and we saw the Coolmore guys, the Spendthrift guys, Mike Repole. I was thinking, 'Look at how much money these guys spend on their operations.' Going back to the Derby with a horse we developed and selected at the sales is a good feeling.”

Delgado said that the horse was named after his father, whose nickname is “The Puma.”

“We call my dad The Puma all the time,” Delgado said.  “When we saw that the horse was talented and showing progress and we couldn't find a name that we all liked we decided to name him The Puma. It's a good thing that when we named a horse after my dad that he turned out to be a graded stakes winner going to the Derby. We could have named a horse after him and the horse could have turned out to be a $5,000 claimer.”

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I have been reading the opinions of many respected people who have invested greatly in the racing industry and have been involved in it for decades. Many of their observations about the state of the sport and the organizations that are supposed to lead it are correct. I would like to share what I have discovered over the past few years.

I have been involved in breeding and racing Thoroughbreds for more than 40 years, and I care deeply about the future of this industry. Like many others, I have watched the steady decline in horse racing and have long believed that our sport desperately needs a coordinated national marketing effort.

With that goal in mind, I founded The Heart of Horse Racing, a 501(c)(3) national marketing campaign built around storytelling and authentic voices from within our sport. Through professionally produced videos and interviews with trainers, jockeys, owners, outriders, analysts, and others who dedicate their lives to the horse, we aim to show the public what makes this sport so special and to introduce a new generation of fans to racing.

The campaign includes a comprehensive marketing strategy and an investor deck outlining how we can reach new audiences and grow the fan base of horse racing.

Over the past two years, I have personally presented this initiative to several of the industry's leading organizations. I presented the plan to the board of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, where I serve as a board member. While there was interest, no funding commitment was made.

I also presented the proposal to New York Racing Association, where I serve on the board. Again, no funding commitment was made.

I spoke with representatives of Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, who expressed support but did not commit financial resources. I had a lengthy meeting during the Saratoga meet with Everett Dobson of The Jockey Club and shared the investor deck and marketing strategy.

He asked that I arrange a meeting with the firm working on the project, which I did, but nothing further has occurred.

The Breeders' Cup organization never returned my calls.

Meanwhile, a number of industry participants have stepped forward to support the initiative, including Fasig-Tipton, The Green Group, the Finger Lakes HBPA, the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, members of the jockey colony, and several private individuals.

My purpose in sharing this is not to criticize any one organization, but to highlight a much larger issue. The organizations that represent and lead our sport are funded by the very people who work within the industry–owners, breeders, trainers. Yet too often they operate independently rather than collaboratively, and meaningful opportunities to promote and grow the sport are missed.

Horse racing is facing intense competition for the entertainment dollar from sports betting, prediction markets, and other emerging forms of gaming. At the same time, internal divisions and fragmented leadership continue to weaken our ability to present a unified message to the public.

If we truly want to preserve this historic sport, we must begin working together and investing in initiatives that expand the fan base and tell the story of racing to the world. The Heart of Horse Racing campaign was created to do exactly that. The time has come for our industry's leadership to move beyond discussion and begin supporting solutions that will grow and sustain horse racing for future generations.

Click here if you would like to learn more or make a donation.

Tina Marie Bond is the President of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.

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Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator), who acted up badly on the plane that was meant to transport him to California for Saturday's GI Santa Anita Handicap and was subsequently scratched, is possible for one of two races over the coming weeks.

“I always look at it as everything happens for a reason. No regrets,” said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., who saddles three horses in Saturday's Barbados Gold Cup in his native country. “He'll probably run at Oaklawn in the Essex, or he'll run at Gulfstream in the Ghostzapper. I'm going to work him when I get back.”

The 1 1/8-mile GIII Essex Handicap will be run Mar. 21 at Oaklawn Park, while the 1 1/16-mile GIII Ghostzapper Stakes will be renewed a week later on the undercard of the $1-million GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 28.

Skippylongstocking was last seen defeating stablemate White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Jan. 24.

Trainer Ian Wilkes reports that both Just Basking (Arrogate) and Burnham Square (Liam's Map) have emerged from their efforts Feb. 28 in good shape and laid out plans for the near future.

Winner of the 2024 Iowa Oaks and third in that year's GI Alabama Stakes, Just Basking was third to 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Senza Parole (Gun Runner) in a one-mile dirt allowance Jan. 15 and came with a late charge beneath Javier Castellano to take out the GIII The Very One Stakes by a half-length. She could make her next appearance in the GIII Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland on Apr. 24.

“It's a little later in the meet, but she's a light filly,” Wilkes said. “She ran hard, and I just don't want to reel her back here too quick because it's a long year. She's run twice here now, so we'll look ahead to Keeneland.”

Burnham Square was having his first run since a cracking runner-up effort in the GIII Nashville Derby last Aug. 30 and got home well over an insufficient trip to round out the exacta in allowance company. Wilkes has the Whitham homebred pointed for the GIII Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland on Apr. 18.

“Burham Square ran a real good race. Was I ready to run him? Probably not, but there was nothing in the next book for him and I wanted to get a race into him here,” Wilkes said. “He came out of it good, which was the main object. He came out good and his gallop-out was tremendous. He'll go to the Elkhorn now.

“It's always a relief when you get them back, but the way he trained I had confidence,” Wilkes said. “He's trained very well. He didn't miss a beat and hasn't missed a beat and has just trained better this year than last year, and he trained good last year. It's exciting. I hope I don't jinx him. We'll just keep going forward. Distance is going to be his friend. He'll get stronger as they go [longer].”

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Fixed-odds wagering has already made it to states like New Jersey and Colorado. It could also be a fixture in Kentucky thanks to a bill just introduced into the state legislature by Republican Representatives Matthew Koch and Michael Meredith.

HB 904 is a sweeping piece of legislation with several key components designed to essentially expand and modernize the gambling infrastructure in the state.

The contextual background of this bill appears to be an attempt to seriously grapple with the impacts from Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) on the betting pools.

Unlike the fluctuating odds that make up pari-mutuel betting, fixed-odds wagering is a form of betting in which the payout odds are set and agreed upon at the time the wager is placed. Crucially, they do not change.

Under this legislation, a new “purse stabilization fund” (to supplement existing purses at live meets) would be supported by a 15% tax on fixed-odds betting conducted on-track, online or via mobile apps.

Among other aspects, the bill requires tracks and tote companies to adopt new modern technologies to streamline and expedite betting cycles times. Right now, tote machines across the country update at varying times–typically anywhere between 10- and 30-second cycles.

More specifically, the bill requires them “to include commercially reasonable access to the betting odds for retail bettors by Apr. 1, 2027.”

The bill also attempts to essentially decouple wagering providers from the prediction market, which is the ability for bettors to make speculative bets on the outcomes of future events.

“A track or association that holds a license to conduct horse racing, sports wagering, or a licensee offering fantasy sports contests under this chapter or its affiliate shall not participate in or contract with platforms that offer events contracts through a prediction market or have a beneficial interest in the proceeds of prediction markets,” the bill states.

Last year, fixed-odds wagering was also legalized in West Virginia. It followed New Jersey, where it debuted at Monmouth Park in 2022.

“I remember us having discussions [on fixed odds] in committee going back 10 years,” said Damon Thayer, a veteran lawmaker with 22 years serving the Kentucky State Senate.

“As a fan, I like it. I know when I go to England and Ireland for racing, which I do annually, I prefer to go to the bookmakers so I can shop and get the best price,” he added.

“It may be a reaction to the CAWs,” speculated Thayer, about some of the motivation behind HB 904. “There's a lot of justifiable angst out there amongst horse players about the CAWs and their effect on late-changing odds.”

Earlier this year, HB 39 was introduced into the state legislature that sought to put CAW players on as even a playing field as possible with average retail players in Kentucky's pari-mutuel wagering pools. It hasn't advanced through the legislature.

The current legislature adjourns on Apr. 15, making it a tight timeframe to pass such a sweeping bill during the current session. Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene in early June for an interim session that will run through December.

“That's when the joint committees of House and Senate can meet monthly… They have the purview to discuss bills that have been filed, as well as those for the future,” explained Thayer, about the interim session.

“I don't know if they're going to try to push House Bill 904 through right now, or if they're just trying to get it out there for discussion heading into that interim period,” he said. “Representative Koch and Representative Meredith are two of the best minds in the general assembly on all issues related to gaming. I worked with them on HHR and sports betting and pari-mutuel tax reform. They're really thoughtful guys, and I don't think they would do anything to harm horse racing.”

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Jockey Serafin Carmona remained hospitalized at CHI-St. Vincent in Hot Springs following a spill in Thursday's ninth race at Oaklawn Park.

Carmona, riding for the first time at Oaklawn this season and with five wins to his credit, was aboard 84-1 Balandeen Storm (Balandeen) in a state-bred maiden $50,000 claimer and was making a move on the far turn when he was shut off and clipped heels, throwing Carmona to the ground. The horse got up and jogged away before being caught by the outrider and was vanned off the track.

Carmona was transported to the hospital via ambulance and has been diagnosed with head and neck injuries and was on a ventilator as of Friday afternoon.

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So-called prediction markets have become all the rage across a wide swath of topics, from election results to gas prices to the amount of snowfall might occur in a given place.

The Kentucky Derby and horse racing at large? That topic was the subject of a panel entitled 'Prediction Markets and Wagering: An Emerging Threat To Horse Racing and Interstate Horseracing Act Revenue' during Thursday's session of the National HBPA Conference at Oaklawn Park.

Speakers agreed that prediction markets have the ability to dwarf even sports betting in America. The prediction-market platform Kalshi reportedly took in more than $500 million in trading volume on the Super Bowl. Bloomberg has reported that Polymarket took in $529 million on the timing of U.S. strikes in Iran. And Polymarket reportedly took in $1.2 million overseas on the 2025 Derby.

Prediction markets, which are not subjected to state gaming taxes and do not have the consumer protections built into state regulation, say that they offer something akin to futures contracts. They insist this does not constitute a wager and the danger to horse racing is real, experts agree.

“I think that the prediction market is a real threat to the horse-racing industry unless we handle it correctly,” said Dennis Drazin, the chairman and CEO of Darby Developments, which operates Monmouth Park.

So pervasive are the prediction markets that FanDuel and DraftKings have jumped in. But Churchill Downs has suggested court involvement should prediction markets try to offer contracts on the Derby. Horse racing's cause is aided by the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, which gives horsemen the right of approval or refusal to have their betting signal sent across state lines.

According to panelists, there are better than 60 lawsuits pending and the consensus is that the issue will advance all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, a final decision years down the road.

“I think we have a very strong case, because we have federal laws that control this,” said Drazin, joining the panel via Zoom. “It's not something that's trying to create state law. And I think as things go on, this has been a very important week.

“There were two very important decisions by the federal court saying that, basically, the prediction market does not preempt state law, and they dismissed those cases and sent them back to the state court. So I think certainly there's a lot to be said and a lot to be litigated.”

Drazin said a class-action suit would be the optimal means of pursuing a remedy.

“We need to be prepared to decide how we're going to deal with this,” said Drazin. “My recommendation is that those of us who want to participate, we head to the federal court and assert our rights under the Interstate Horseracing Act. But the industry is going to have to make some decisions.”

But Jason Johnston, the sportsbook manager for WarHorse Gaming in Nebraska, is of the opinion that peacefully coexisting might be the way forward for the racing industry.

“If there's not a hard block, they [prediction markets]'re going to swing for the fences, and it's going to escalate fast,” Johnston said. “Just look at how much Kalshi has changed over the last nine months from a consumer experience.

“The other backup plan would be get ahead of it, try to find a partnership with it and get a piece of the pie. Because I think Kalshi and Polymarket are just going to try to run through everybody and just get what they can get, just like they've done in other sports and states, and deal with the lawsuits later.”

Dave Basler, the executive director of the Ohio HBPA, agrees with Drazin that litigation might be the ultimate answer, but Michele Fischer, a wagering consultant and vice president of SIS Content Services, believes that prediction markets could be beneficial to horse racing.

“We missed the mark with sports betting for the horse-racing industry,” she said. “It's a highly regulated form of gambling, and that's something that's still on the table for horse racing. I think that the conversation needs to be a little wider. We sit here and look at all the threats, which they all can be. But where are those opportunities for this new market we've been talking about for 20 years? Where are all the eyeballs that we wanted on horse racing? What are they watching?”

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MAD HOUSE (g, 4, Vekoma–Stifled Heiress, by Munnings) was last seen fading to the back in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar last November, but before that he'd strung together a respectable tally of four consecutive victories which culminated with him taking home the hardware in the Sept. 20 GII Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx.

Made the 3-5 heavy favorite here for his seasonal bow, Mad House went right to the front and never looked back after :21.94 and :44.42 sectionals, rolling home by 3 3/4 lengths in a crisp 1:08.85–only .18 off the 14-year-old track record. Dreaming of Kona (Fast Anna) was a well-beaten second.

The victor is the most accomplished of his siblings as the second to the races and the only black-type earner, but his eldest half-sister is a winner. Stifled Heiress has a juvenile colt named Gaelic Legacy (Leinster) to her credit as well as a yearling full-brother to that one. She is due back to that stallion for a third time in 2026.

6th-Tampa Bay Downs, $51,900, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 3-6, 4yo/up, 6f, 1:08.85, ft, 3 3/4 lengths.
MAD HOUSE (g, 4, Vekoma–Stifled Heiress, by Munnings)
Sales history: $47,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 11-5-1-1, $318,015. O-James Thares; B-Jean White, Wavertree Farm & SGV Thoroughbreds,LLC (FL); T-David VanWinkle.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Gulfstream Park and the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (FHBPA) are currently developing a 2026 fall racing schedule designed to provide expanded opportunities for Florida-bred horses with fewer restrictions, 1/ST Racing said in a press release on Friday.

As part of this effort, FHBPA President Tom Cannell expressed strong support for owners purchasing Florida-bred 2-year-olds at the upcoming Ocala Breeders' Sales (OBS).

“We are committed to providing prospective owners of these 2-year-olds with a quality and worthwhile racing schedule,” Cannell said. “While the full schedule is still being finalized, it will include stakes races designed to reward Florida-bred horses across the board.”

Gulfstream and the FHBPA recently reached a new racing agreement extending through 2028, reinforcing a shared commitment to maintaining a strong and competitive racing program in South Florida. Both organizations are actively working to retain and attract trainers and owners to make the destination their racing home.

“Gulfstream Park remains a top-tier racetrack, and we will demonstrate our continued commitment to the owners, trainers, and horses that compete here,” Cannell added. “This initiative will help dispel the many rumors about our immediate racing future, and we look forward to putting our best foot forward.”

Gulfstream Park Executive Vice President David Duggan echoed that commitment and emphasized the track's focus on strengthening the Florida-bred program.

“We value the important role Florida-bred horses play in the success of Gulfstream Park and the broader Florida racing industry,” Duggan said. “Working together with the FHBPA, we are focused on creating a racing schedule that offers meaningful opportunities for owners, trainers and breeders while continuing to position Gulfstream Park as a premier racing destination.”

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For the second time the accomplished Touchuponastar (Star Guitar) was named by the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association as the LA-bred Horse of the Year, the organization said in a letter that was sent to its members on Friday.

The gelding, who secured the same honor in 2023, turned in a stellar 2025 which included a handful of wins against black-type state bred company and also a victory in the GII New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds.

Bred by Coteau Grove Farms, Touchuponastar is owned by former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme's outfit Set-Hut and is trained by Jake's brother Jeff Delhomme. The stable star also took home the top 4-Year-Old Male award for 2025.

“It is truly an honor to receive the Louisiana bred horse of the year,” said Jake Delhomme. “This horse has brought so much joy to my family and everyone involved. We're blessed and lucky to have him still running competitively at the age of seven.

Concerning Touchuponastar's 2026 path moving forward, Delhomme said, “Looks like we're going to be pointing towards the final weekend of the Fair Grounds meet. There's a couple of races there with the New Orleans Classic and then the Star Guitar Stakes. We will aim for those two and decide what's best for him. Really happy with his work on [this past] Tuesday. He's doing extremely well.”

The rest of the 2025 Louisiana champions are:

• 2-Year-Old Colt or Gelding: Our Moneyman (Mr. Money);
• 2-Year-Old Filly: Little Miss Curlin (Curlin);
• 3-Year-Old Colt or Gelding: Smoken Wicked (Bobby's Wicked One);
• 3-Year-Old Filly: Secret Faith (Aurelius Maximus)
• 4-Year-Old/Up Male: Touchuponastar
• F&M 4-Year-Old/Up: Free Like a Girl (El Deal);
• Stallion of the Year: Star Guitar (by Quiet American);
• Broodmare of the Year: Jean (Macho Uno);
• Breeder of the Year: Coteau Grove Farms;
• High Percentage Breeder Award: J. E. Jumonville Jr. and Bunny Jumonville.

Award presentations will take place at the annual banquet, held in conjunction with the R.E.A.P. benefit, which is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 1 at Evangeline Downs.

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