Thoroughbred Daily News

Former Southern California jockey and “King of the Bullring” Francisco “Paco” Mena died last week in Rosarito, Mexico where family members said he had been living. He was 78.

Mena's brother, former jockey Guillermo Mena, said his older sibling retired to Mexico and had been staying with family before recently getting his own beachside residence in Rosarito.

“He just recently decided he wanted to live on his own. He got a nice little place by the ocean in Rosarito,” Mena said.

Born in 1947 in Jalisco, Mexico, Mena started riding in Southern California in the mid-1970s. He soon established himself as the “King of the Bullring” at Pomona where he was once the all-time winningest jockey. Mena's leading mounts included Grade I winners First Albert and Landcaper, and California-bred graded stakes winner Double Discount and Scherando.

Perhaps most notably, Mena was also the regular rider of Telly's Pop, a popular colt in the 1970s who was owned in partnership by actor Telly Savalas and producer/director Howard Koch.

By Bold Ruler's son Bold Combatant, Telly's Pop was bred by Mel Stute, who then sold the colt to Savalas and Koch for $6,000. With Stute staying on as trainer and Mena riding, Telly's Pop in 1975 won the Del Mar Futurity, Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita and California Juvenile Stakes at Bay Meadows. As a 3-year-old, Telly's Pop won the California Derby at Golden Gate.     Favored in that season's Santa Anita Derby, he finished fifth. Telly's Pop was retired the following season with a record of 17: 6-1-2 and $353,995 in earnings.

According to Equibase statistics, Mena won 931 races and more than $1.3 million in purse earnings.

“My brother was just a true gentleman,” Mena said. “He was well-liked and respected by his fellow riders. He was one of those guys who would give you the coat off his back if you needed it.”

Funeral services for Mena will be held this Sunday in Rosarito starting at 2:30 p.m. at the Guadalupan Missionaries of the Most Holy Sacrament Parish.

The post Former Jockey Francisco ‘Paco’ Mena Dies at the Age of 78 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

It's a busy time for NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney as there are some important issues facing horse racing that are being addressed in the nation's capital. Most notably, is the provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill that allows gamblers to deduct only 90 percent of their losses from their winnings. If nothing is done to change that, it will likely have a serious impact on the sport and drive many big bettors out of the game.

Bills have been introduced that would allow gamblers to again write off 100 percent of their losses. One is the FAIR BET Act and the other is the WAGER Act. Rooney is the chief lobbyist for the racing industry in Washington, D.C. and is doing his best to get one bill or the other passed. To talk about the latest on the bills and his efforts to rescind what all gamblers consider an unfair tax, Rooney joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the Week.

Rooney admitted that with so much else going on in Washington these days, it's hard to get lawmakers to focus in what is a low-priority issue.

“The WAGER Act and the FAIR BET Act have been a priority for our office,” he said. “We have gone up and down the halls of Congress to explain to a lot of members what the issue is. I don't think it's unfair to them. They did not know that it was in the Big Beautiful Bill. Sometimes there is an effort to find dollars, to find money somewhere in an effort to show that this bill is being paid for in some way. It is most likely a staffer on one of the committees saw this as a means to get money for the Big Beautiful Bill, and what better way to do this than target people who are engaged in a gambling activity? So, the short-sightedness of this is that you probably are looking at about a billion dollars in pay. But what's going to end up happening is that gamblers are probably going to end up taking their business elsewhere or greatly reduce their activity. So, the unintended consequence of this effort to gain revenue by the government is that they're probably going to end up losing even more because the people who bet at that level aren't going to continue to bet at that level or they're going to go somewhere else. So you're really going to lose more.”

Rooney doubted that a stand-alone bill would ever progress through the system and get passed. He believes the best way to get one of the acts passed it to make it part of a bigger, comprehensive bill.

“Sometimes, when you're kind of below the radar like this, if there is a bill, one that must pass and something that is going to get to the President's desk, we can attach either the FAIR Bet Act or the WAGER Act onto it, whether it be a continuing resolution, whether it be a debt limit vote, or whether it be some kind of a bigger bill where people are putting different ornaments on the Christmas tree. They always like to avoid those, but it does happen.”

Gamblers are incredulous that they may be subject to a situation where they may have to pay taxes on their gambling activity when they did not make any profits. While that seems completely unfair, Rooney said there are some elements in the House and Senate that simply don't like gambling.

“There are members of Congress and the Senate who believe that gambling is a sin, and their whole mantra about politics is piety. They believe that this is a tax essentially on sin.”

Another major issue for racing is the effort to get the Save America's Forgotten Equines Act (SAFE Act) passed. It calls for outlawing horses from being shipped to Mexico and Canada for the purpose of slaughter. If passed, it undoubtedly would make it harder for “killer” buyers to cash in on sending horses to a slaughterhouse. The bill has been in limbo for years, and Rooney said the biggest impediment to its passage is resistance from lawmakers representing western states where cattlemen have a big influence.

“It's a hot button issue, especially when it comes to Western Republicans who, in a way, look at horses as livestock in the way that they would look at cattle or pork,” he said. “For them to agree that there's a difference for equines is not easy. They feel like it's a slippery slope to beef cattle. And so, they have been hard and fast and opposed to the SAFE Act because they don't want the next shoe to drop and for that to be beef.”

The “Fastest Horse of the Week” was the Louisiana-bred sensation Touchuponastar (Star Guitar), who earned a 106 Beyer when winning the GII New Orleans Classic for the second straight year while setting a Fair Grounds track record.  The Fastest Horse of the Week segment is sponsored by WinStar, which stands the sire Two Phil's.

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the PHBA, 1/ST TV, the KTOB and West Point Thoroughbreds, Randy Moss, Bill Finley, and Zoe Cadman reviewed last week's major preps for the GI Kentucky Derby and the GI Kentucky Oaks and previewed the big races set to be run on a weekend that will be topped by the GI Florida Derby and the GI Arkansas Derby. They also took a look at the impending and improbable comeback of 63-year-old jockey Pat Valenzuela.

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

The post Tom Rooney Joins The TDN Writers’ Room Podcast Presented By Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Roger Attfield, 86, a member of both the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and the United States National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, is retiring from training after a 54-year career, although he plans to remain involved in the sport as an owner, breeder and consultant.

The news was announced via press release Mar. 25 by Woodbine Racetrack.

Attfield enjoyed much of his success on the Ontario circuit, where he won the Sovereign for Outstanding Canadian Trainer eight times and conditioned six Canadian Horses of the Year and three Canadian Triple Crown winners. He also trained during winters in Florida.

“It is with a very heavy heart that I have decided to retire from training,” Attfield said in a prepared statement. “Having hung my first shingle up when only 17, as a rider and trainer of horses, I feel that 69 years later is a pretty good number of innings.

“All of my life I have always been a hands-on trainer and now at 86 I can no longer ride out on my pony with sets, and [am] unable to safely inspect them in stalls,” Attfield said. “Both of these things always helped me understand my horses' needs, mentally and physically, to get the very best from them. No longer being able to perform these duties properly, it's time to say 'Hasta la vista!'”

After training 2,038 winners in an 11,648-start career that earned $112,119,392 in purses since 1972, Attfield ran only one entrant at Gulfstream Park this winter.

That mare, Ready for Shirl (More Than Ready), finished eleventh in the GII Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes.

Ready for Shirl is a 5-year-old daughter of Perfect Shirl, Attfield's only Breeders' Cup winner, who was victorious in the 2011 GI Filly and Mare Turf.

When Ready for Shirl ran third last Saturday at Fair Grounds in the Tom Benson Memorial Stakes Mar. 21, she was trained by Dallas Stewart. Both Perfect Shirl and Ready for Shirl are homebreds who race for the stable of Charles Fipke, who until recently had been one of Attfield's longstanding clients.

“This winter I only brought seven horses to Florida,” Attfield said in his statement. “A month ago, after having a small disagreement over when and where to run them, I decided to send them all to one of his other trainers.

“They were all very nice horses,” Attfield said. “I will miss them, but wish only the very best of luck to all. Throughout the years I have trained for so many great owners [to] whom I would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

“My intention is to continue owning and breeding, also consulting and buying,” Attfield said. “As a director of our local HBPA, I will also continue to fight for everything that will help our industry.”

Born in Newbury, England, Attfield earned a degree in agriculture, specializing in farm management, before beginning his career with horses as a steeplechase rider and as an international show jumper.

 Roger Attfield at Woodbine/ Michael Burns

He moved to Canada in 1970 and took his first training job with Gateway Farms.

In 1976, Attfield developed the colt Norcliffe into the first of his eight King's Plate winners and his first Canadian Horse of the Year.

According to his Canadian Hall of Fame biography, Attfield's career soared after he took charge of Bud Willmot's powerful stable of Kinghaven Farms in 1985.

He won his second Plate in 1987 with Market Control and then earned $1 million bonuses for Kinghaven when With Approval and Izvestia won back-to-back Triple Crowns in 1989 and 1990.

Peteski, owned by Earle I. Mack, swept the Canadian Triple Crown races in 1993 for Attfield.

In all, Attfield racked up eight Plate wins, tying him for most by a trainer.

His other Canadian Horse of the Year champions were Play The King, With Approval, Izvestia, Peteski and Alywow.

When Attfield was 60 years old in 1999, he was selected for the Canadian Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

In America, Attfield was inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in 2012.

He recorded his 2000th career victory at Woodbine in July 2022.

In a release from Woodbine on Wednesday, CEO Michael Copeland said, “The impact Roger Attfield made on Woodbine and Canadian racing as a whole is immeasurable. His achievements speak for themselves, but it is the respect he earned from owners, peers, and fans that truly defines his legacy.”

Copeland added, “Roger's horsemanship and dedication set a standard that will endure for years to come. He has been a cornerstone of our racing community, and we are proud to have been part of his journey.”

The post Attfield Retires from Training at 86; Plans to Remain Active in Sport appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Brad Cox always seems to be loaded when it comes to top 3-year-old fillies, and he's got another good one in Life of Joy (Gun Runner), who pulled off an impressive victory in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks. With the GII Fantasy Stakes and the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks on tap this week, the picture for the GI Kentucky Oaks should become all the more clear.

So, here goes, your latest Top 10:

1) ZANY (American Pharoah–Mo' Green, by Uncle Mo) O-Repole Stable; B-D.J. Stable (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $350,000 yrl '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $221,500. Last Start: Won Feb. 7 Suncoast Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 30.
She's been No. 1 since the start of this poll and retains that position. Who would have ever thought that the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs would prove to be one of the key races on the road to the Kentucky Oaks? But that looks to be the case. Not only was the race won by Zany, but the runner-up, Life of Joy, came out of the Tampa race to post a decisive victory in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Zany has been in a holding pattern since the Feb. 7 Suncoast, and she ran erratically in the stretch that day. But count on Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher to have a better, more focused filly when she returns in the GI Ashland Stakes Apr. 3 at Keeneland.

2) LIFE OF JOY (Gun Runner–Jordan's Leo, by Malibu Moon) O-Will Stroud, Andrew Farm, Mountmellick Farm & For the People Racing Stable LLC; B-Springhouse Farm (KY); T-Brad H Cox. Sales history: $375,000 yrl '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-1-0, $420,620. Last Start: Won Mar. 21 GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 122.
It was impossible not to like Life of Joy's performance in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Facing a stellar group of rivals, she was a much-improved filly and won decisively. Her winning margin was 3 3/4 lengths. It was her first win since the Oct. 26 Rags to Riches Stakes, but Cox is a master when it comes to getting horses to peak on the biggest days. That means that we may not have seen the best of this filly yet. Flavien Prat also rides GIII Honeybee Stakes winner Explora. He may be faced with a difficult decision.

Life of Joy | Hodges Photography

3) EXPLORA (Blame–Collections Choice, by Bernardini) O-Michael Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-Mesingw Farm (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $22,000 yrl '24 KEESEP; $350,000 2yo '25 FTMMAY. Lifetime Record: GSW & MGISP, 7-4-3-0, $1,053,000. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard.' Last Start: Won Mar. 1 GIII Honeybee Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 95.
It just goes to show you that Bob Baffert and his owners don't have to spend seven-figures to find a good horse. Explora was bought for a reasonable $350,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training sale. And he found a runner. She's never been worse than first or second in her seven-race career and is a two-time graded stakes winner. She didn't blow the field away in the GIII Honeybee Stakes, but she redeemed herself after losing at 4-5 in the Las Virgenes Stakes. The news broke Wednesday that she will scratch from Friday's GII Fantasy Stakes and head straight to the GI Kentucky Oaks.

4) SHE BE SMOOTH (Lexitonian–Seattle Smooth, by Quiet American) O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $162,320. Last Start: Won the Feb. 28 GII Davona Dale Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50.
On paper, She Be Smooth certainly looks like the one to beat in Saturday's GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. (She's also ridden by Prat!). Nonetheless, it will be an important test for her as it will be her first try around two turns, and her breeding suggests that she may not want to go this far. But the Pletcher-trained filly has improved with each start and looked terrific when winning the one-mile GII Davona Dale Stakes. It is hard to imagine that she went off at 9-2 when making her debut on Jan. 23 in a Gulfstream maiden. Her workout pattern has been slow and steady–slow four-furlong breezes every time out.

5) MEANING (Gun Runner–Figure of Speech, by Into Mischief) O-Bridlewood Farm & Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners;
B-Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Michael McCarthy. Sales history: $440,000 yrl '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-2-0-0, $187,000. Last Start: Won Feb. 8 Las Virgenes Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 26.
The Michael McCarthy-trained filly holds down the fifth spot for another week. Her claim to fame is that she beat Explora in the Las Virgenes, but she did have a perfect trip that day. With Explora taking the Arkansas route to the Kentucky Oaks, Meaning should be the horse to beat when she emerges in the GII Santa Anita Oaks Apr. 4. Was she just lucky to win the Las Virgenes, or is she that good? The Santa Anita Oaks should answer that question.

6) BELLA BALLERINA (Street Sense–Pretty City Dancer, by Tapit) O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brendan P Walsh. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 4-3-1-0, $561,525. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard.' Last Start: Second Mar. 21 GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 110.
It was not a great Fair Grounds Oaks for the previously unbeaten Bella Ballerina. As the even-money favorite, she was a well-beaten second behind Life of Joy and had no apparent excuse. TDN podcaster and NBC Sports racing maven Randy Moss has pointed out that her half-sister, Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), was also second in the Fair Grounds Oaks before coming back to win the Kentucky Oaks. Both come from the Brendan Walsh barn. So, was Walsh saving something in reserve for the Oaks? It's something to consider.

7) COUNTING STARS (Honor A.P.–Paynterbynumbers, by Paynter) O-West Point Thoroughbreds; B-HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud (KY); T-Mark Casse. Sales History: $13,000 yrl '24 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: MSW & GSP, 6-3-1-0, $372,606. Last Start: Second Mar. 1 GIII Honeybee Stakes Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 25.
Counting Stars, who goes postward in Friday's GII Fantasy Stakes, made a good run at Explora in the stretch of the GIII Honeybee, but fell short by three-quarters of a length. She was dismissed at 11-1 that day after a terrible effort in the Martha Washington, but she rebounded and showed the promise she displayed when she was an easy winner of the Year's End Stakes. She also ran poorly in the Myrtlewood Stakes, so she's a bit unreliable. But it looks like trainer Mark Casse has her back on track. That said, she needs to improve Friday at Oaklawn to be considered a major Oaks contender.

Prom Queen | Lauren King

8) PROM QUEEN (Quality Road–Miss Bling Bling, by Tapit) O-Gary and Mary West; B-Gary & Mary West Stables. Inc. (Ky); T-Brad H Cox. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $55,080. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard.' Last Start: Won Feb. 12 MSW at Gulfstream Park. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0.
More Brad Cox. After coming up short in her maiden try, she romped in a Feb. 12 maiden special weight at Gulfstream going 1 1/16 miles, winning by eight lengths. Her Beyer figure was an 83. She'll be taking a big step up in class when competing in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, and she'll be facing a formidable foe in She Be Smooth. But the homebred by Quality Road obviously has a lot of potential. The question is whether or not she is ready for Saturday's assignment.

9) STICKER SHOCK (Uncle Mo–Smokey's Love, by Forestry) O-Gary and Mary West; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (Ky); T-Brad H Cox. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $154,613. Last Start: WON Feb. 26 ALW at Oaklawn Park. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0.
Still more Brad Cox. Like stablemate Prom Queen, she still has a lot to prove. She's two-for-three and is coming off a win in an Oaklawn allowance, where she earned an 87 Beyer. She goes next in the Fantasy, and a win there would raise her stock considerably. Like Prom Queen, she is also a homebred from the Gary and Mary West stable, so it will be a big couple of days for the Wests.

10) BOTTLE OF ROUGE (Vino Rosso–Blues Corner, by Bluegrass Cat) O-Natalie J Baffert; B-Kathie Maybee (Ky); T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $60,000 wnlg '23 KEENOV; $100,000 yrl '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 6-4-1-0, $577,000. Last Start: Won Mar. 14 Virginia Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 57.50.
Another one trained by Bob Baffert, and there's a point to be made here. This Oaks field is not shaping up as a race for the so-called “little guy.” Trainers Baffert, Pletcher, Cox, Casse, McCarthy, and Walsh train the entire list. Baffert, Pletcher, and Casse are already in the Hall of Fame. Cox is a shoo-in to make it someday. McCarthy and Walsh are established stars. Now, back to Bottle of Rouge. She may not be a star, but Baffert has managed her perfectly. By taking the off-the-beaten-path route to the Oaks with wins in the Sunland Park Oaks and the Virginia Oaks, she has garnered more than enough points to make it into the field for the Kentucky Oaks. Baffert has also managed to compile career earnings of $577,000 with a filly who happens to be owned by his wife, Jill. He'll no doubt have to find another jockey, as this is still another one who was ridden by Flavien Prat in her last start.

The post The Kentucky Oaks TDN Top 10 for March 25: Life of Joy is for Real, and a Big Weekend Ahead 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 Explora (Blame), winner of Oaklawn's GIII Honeybee Stakes on Mar. 1, will miss her intended engagement in Friday's GII Fantasy Stakes at that venue after spiking a temperature, according to Horse Racing Nation.

“She spiked a temperature from the trip and we had to treat her with antibiotics,” Bob Baffert told HRN. “She'll go straight the [Kentucky] Oaks.”

Named a TDN Rising Star following a victory at Del Mar last summer, she was second in the GI Del Mar Debutante before rebounding to win the GII Oak Leaf at Santa Anita. She concluded her juvenile season with a close-up second behind Super Corredora in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on Oct. 31.

This season, the newly-turned sophomore ran off to an impressive 5 1/4-length winner in the seven-furlong Santa Ynez at Santa Anita before settling for second behind Meaning in the one-mile Las Virgenes Stakes on Feb. 8.

The post Explora to Miss Fantasy After Spiking Temperature appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

His name is Immortal Wink (Gimmeawink) and after a career that spanned nine years and 142 races, most of them in Puerto Rico, he was done. He was 10 and had suffered through the kind of wear and tear that is typical with horses who run so often, last so long and wind up at the bottom tier of the sport. He would never go on to a second career, at least one that is typical for a retired Thoroughbred. He just wouldn't be able to do it.

But there were people who didn't believe that meant he was expendable. In 2016, he was purchased for $1,000 by the founders of Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare (CTA), was retired, and was given to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF). He was given a job, to help improve the lives of the female inmates at the Lowell Correctional Institute in Ocala, Florida. It's a job he does well.

“I just fell in love with him,” said Rachel Gehrke, an inmate who cared for the horse she came to call “Wink” for about 18 months. “I felt it was really therapeutic. I was going through a lot when I was in Lowell and I was going through a lot before that. I wasn't able to talk to people and I wasn't able to fix things. It was so bad. Knowing that I was going to see my baby every day lifted me up. He would wait for me at the gate every morning. Getting to care for him, that got me through my time there.”

Rachel Gehrke with a horse | courtesy of TRF

Gehrke, who was released in 2021, is now living in Ohio, is engaged and is working toward getting her degree to become a veterinary technician.

Maggie Sweet is the executive director of the TRF, and while she is thrilled that the industry has made so many strides when it comes to taking horses off the track and retraining them for second careers, she doesn't want the Immortal Winks of the world to be forgotten. She'll tell you that not only do they, too, deserve a dignified retirement, but that they can work wonders in programs like the TRF's Second Chances Program. In Second Chances, inmates are paired with retired Thoroughbreds. They can learn important skills they can put to use once released from prison. But, more importantly, through the bonds they develop with the horses, they almost always seem to become better people.

“Our point is that we want to bring to the attention of the racing industry that a lot of the focus is on the retrain, re-home model,” Sweet said. “I think that is ideally what we should be aspiring to. But I think that it's important to note that not every horse can be retrained and re-homed, and that we still have the same responsibility to that horse. We have established that even if a horse can't go onto a second or third athletic career, there are other things the horse can do that are as important, possibly more important.”

Her other point is that old-timers like Immortal Wink, who is 20, were retired before the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) was formed and therefore weren't able to benefit from the funding the TAA now spreads across dozens of aftercare organizations.

“It's also really important to note that there is this big group of horses, which we have started calling the 'legacy herd,' who are still around from the time when the TAA didn't exist,” she said. “They came around when there was no formalized funding source for aftercare. The racing industry has this obligation to retroactively take care of these horses because if we don't, we're shooting ourselves in the foot, and they're the ones who are the most at risk.”

Wink with Shelley Blodgett in Ocala | courtesy of the CTA

It was Shelley Blodgett who got this whole thing started. She became the co-founder of CTA, but this was before that organization existed.

“Shelley was a racing fan and had been following Immortal Wink because he was an older horse who had made so many starts,” said Kelly Stobie, the CTA's other co-founder. “She reached out to me to ask if I could help get him retired. We went through the whole process of getting him retired. I was able to convince the owner to do so. We wound up having to pay $1,000 for him. We couldn't have gotten him retired without doing that. Then Shelley reached out to the TRF and they were willing to take him into their program. I am sure he had a lot of wear and tear from racing. He just wasn't going to be able to become a riding horse. With the TRF, horses are used mainly to teach the inmates. He was such a sweetheart, such a lovely boy. I have a beautiful picture with him before he left. With his having had a lot of racing and a lot wear and tear, we thought he'd be better off in a sanctuary companion home.  The TRF offered to take him. He's been amazing. He's been educating these women for so many years now. They are lucky to have him, and he's lucky to have the TRF.”

It didn't take the TRF long to learn that Immortal Wink had some spunk.

“He's a little bay gelding, and he is a feisty little thing,” said TRF Director of Equine Programming Chelsea O'Reilly. “So, despite his size, he is out in what they call D-Field with the other sassy geldings, and he's the smallest one out there. So they might assume that he is just going to be meek and quiet, but he is so full of personality, even at his elderly age now. They always think that he's going to be super quiet and he's not. He's out in the sassy gelding field with horses half his age.”

Gehrke was a quick convert.

Immortal Wink | courtesy of TRF

“I trusted that horse more than I trusted anything in my life,” she said. “Period.  He was such a good boy. I had never been around horses until I got into the program, but I am an animal lover by nature. I had just never been around a large animal like that. It was a new experience. I thought it could  be fun, that it could be cool. I thought, 'Let's try this.' It changed my thoughts on pretty much everything. You start to understand how their brain works. Horses display their emotions more than most people do. They'll give you a sign. They're just easy to read. These horses are so amazing. I love that horse.”

It's not just one horse and one inmate. Hundreds of women have gone through the Second Chances Program at Lowell, which was started in 2000, and have worked with dozens of horses. For many of the inmates, the connections they form with the horses are personal, meaningful, uplifting and something that had been missing in their lives. To Sweet, the message is clear: there are a lot of horses who come off the racetrack who are less than perfect, old, tired, a little beat up. That doesn't mean that they can't be put to good use or that the industry should ignore their situations.

“This horse was pulled from Puerto Rico, where he was a true iron horse, a war horse,” she said. “Then he was able to have this amazing effect on the mental health of these women who are incarcerated at Lowell Correctional. This particular horse, Immortal Wink, has touched a lot of lives.”

The post Beaten Up By The Racing Wars, Immortal Wink Still Found A Second Career Changing Lives appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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

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

Resolved ADMC Violations
Dates: 03/24/2026
Licensee: Joe Toye, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Roll Dem Bones, who finished fifth at Turf Paradise on 2/4/26.

Dates: 03/24/2026
Licensee: Michael E. Ferraro, trainer
Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on March 25, 2026; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Lidocaine–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Keigs, who won at Finger Lakes on 10/28/25.

Dates: 03/24/2026
Licensee: Desiree Blankenhorn
Penalty: 2-year period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on September 24, 2025; a fine of $25,000. Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Violation for the alleged possession of a banned substance (Niflumic acid) on an event dated 5/29/25. There are currently no further details publicly available on the HIWU website.

Dates: 03/23/2026
Licensee: Daniel Damen, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points.
Explainer: Medication violation of Rule 3313, concerning the “Use or Attempted Use” of Camphor–a class C controlled substance–on Tony B “during the Race Period” on 12/31/25.

Dates: 03/23/2026
Licensee: Carla Gaines, trainer
Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points.
Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Diclofenac–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Royal Rumor on 2/8/26.

Dates: 03/23/2026
Licensee: Manuel Badilla, trainer
Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points.
Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Coolwind on 2/4/26.

Dates: 03/23/2026
Licensee: Eric R. Reed, trainer
Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points.
Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Flunixin–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Sexarito on 1/17/26.

Dates: 03/23/2026
Licensee: Guillermo Flores, trainer
Penalty: 18-month period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on March 24, 2026; a fine of $12,500.
Explainer: Ruling for the possession of the banned substance Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP); Adenosine Monophosphate for an event dated 9/18/25. There are currently no further details publicly available on the HIWU website.

Dates: 03/20/2026
Licensee: Danny Gargan, trainer
Penalty: A written Reprimand (per 9/26/23 HISA Guidance). Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Wine Money on 2/4/26.

Dates: 03/20/2026
Licensee: Isaiah L. Ortiz, trainer
Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Ketoprofen–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Riding By on 2/4/26.

Dates: 03/18/2026
Licensee: Steven W. Martin, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Internal adjudication panel.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Soul Sacrifice, who won at Remington Park on 12/20/25.

Pending ADMC Violations
03/23/2026, Daniel H. Dennison, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Furosemide (Lasix)–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Garavani, who won at Turf Paradise on 1/28/26.
03/20/2026, Ivan Calderon, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Angel Wings, who finished fourth at Mahoning Valley on 2/9/26.
03/20/2026, Phil D'Amato, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Vow to Resiliency on 1/22/26.
03/19/2026, Justin J. Nixon, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Klum on 2/25/26.
03/19/2026, Ray Handal, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Ez Roll, who finished second at Aqueduct on 1/23/26.
03/17/2026, Isidro Castro, trainer: Pending alleged violation of Rule 3214(a), for the possession of the banned substances Glaucine and Testosterone for an event dated 8/19/25.

Crop Violations
Santa Anita
Vicente Del Cid–violation date March 20; $250 fine, one-day suspension

The post Weekly National Rulings: Mar. 19-25 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has reached an agreement with Churchill Downs regarding the track's unpaid HISA dues, according to an order posted on HISA's website Tuesday.

No specific details of the agreement were made public Tuesday other than that the case has been stayed “until notification from the parties that the conditions of the agreement have been satisfied,” according to a joint motion dated March 24, and signed by Charles Scheeler, chair of HISA's board of directors.

In that motion, it is also written that “[t]he parties have reached an agreement to resolve these four enforcement actions. . . [and] jointly move for the Board to stay the March 16, 2026, decision of the Board panel and related appeal proceedings until the conditions of the agreement have been satisfied. Upon the satisfaction of the conditions of the agreement, the parties will jointly move for the Board to dismiss these four enforcement actions.”

“We have no further comment beyond what is in the Board order,” said HISA spokesperson, Mackenzie Kirker-Head.

TDN reached out to Churchill Downs and were told that they could not comment further at the time.

The news is the latest update in a weeks-long battle between the entities dating back to February 18 when HISA served Churchill Downs “four notices for non-payment of its 2025 fees related to federal regulatory oversight of its Churchill Downs, Turfway Park, Ellis Park and Presque Isle Downs racetracks.”

The unpaid dues, which were listed in excess of $2.4-million, were to be paid within “10 days of any order by the HISA board that results from the just-scheduled Mar. 11 hearing.”

If left unpaid, according the Feb. 18 notice of hearing, “for each day the payment is late, Churchill [will] be prohibited from conducting any Covered Horserace, to be applied immediately on the next scheduled race day(s) at Churchill.”

Churchill Downs issued a strong rebuttal of the allegations via a statement Feb. 20 which included in part, “While we do not comment on pending legal proceedings, we will not accept HISA's mischaracterization of our actions. The Authority's recent escalation reflects a troubling pattern of overreach that is harmful to the industry and inconsistent with the collaborative approach necessary to strengthen the sport.”

The ongoing battle continued into March with HISA threatening to revoke the track's simulcasting signal due to continued unpaid balances.

The post HISA, Churchill Downs Reach Agreement On Unpaid Fees appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Promising allowance winner Maximum Bourbon (Maximum Security) topped the 2026 March Digital Sale which closed Tuesday evening with gross sales of $4,430,500 for 142 horses sold. The sale, which opened Thursday, March 19, included horses of racing age, racing/broodmare prospects, broodmares–including mares with foals at foot–2-year-olds in training, 'short' yearlings, and a fractional interest in graded stakes winner Just Beat the Odds (Munnings).

Maximum Bourbon (hip 5) sold for $400,000 to Agave Racing Stable to top the sale. Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, consigned the 4-year-old gelding. A three-time winner in five starts, Maximum Bourbon boasts four 90+ Beyers in his campaign to date, including a career-best 103 Beyer finishing second in allowance company at Fair Grounds on March 13. He has earned $124,824 to date.

“We are absolutely delighted to add a horse with this kind of potential to our stable,” said Mark Martinez of Agave Racing. “While Maximum Bourbon is lightly raced, he's certainly not light on talent and his impressive wins on dirt while yielding the kind of Beyer and Ragozin numbers he's posted certainly gives us optimism to believe he can compete with the upper echelon dirt sprinters in the country. The partnership of Agave Racing, Evan Trommer and Rockin Robin Racing will ship him to Phil D'Amato and his team at Oaklawn Park to begin his campaign for the new connections. Maximum Bourbon will be pointed to either the $500,000 GIII Count Fleet on April 11th or the $200,000 Lake Hamilton Stakes three weeks later.”

Added Martinez, “I can't say enough good things about the Fasig-Tipton Digital platform and the opportunity it gives to both buyers and sellers. I've found myself being more seller than buyer in the past, but today I'm happy to be on this side of the transaction.”

Fee (Into Mischief) (hip 191), carrying her first foal by Mindframe, sold for $310,000 to Frankfort Park Farm from the consignment of Wasabi Ventures Sales, agent. A half-sister to 'TDN Rising Star' Englishman (Maxfield), Fee was added to the sale late Friday after that colt's 7 1/2-length romp in allowance company at Fair Grounds on Thursday.

“The Fasig-Tipton Digital platform is transforming the industry,” said consignor TK Kuegler of Wasabi Ventures. “It is allowing buyers and sellers to work in a fast paced marketplace. The Fasig-Tipton staff was amazing. We contacted them and they helped us move quickly to add Fee as a supplement. Anyone not selling on the platform is missing out.”

Rounding out the top five offerings were:

Ms. Bucchero (hip 7), a multiple stakes winner, sold for $230,000 to Deputy from the consignment of Evergreen Equine, agent for the Morici Bankruptcy Estate Dispersal. The daughter of Bucchero was offered as a racing/broodmare prospect. A three-time stakes winner, Ms. Bucchero has earned $462,025 to date.

Libero (hip 2), a 3-year-old daughter of Justify, sold for $180,000 to Competitive Casual Thoroughbreds from the consignment of Heartwood Farm, agent. Offered as a racing/broodmare prospect, Libero was placed in her debut in February.

A fractional interest (33%) in graded stakes winner Just Beat the Odds (hip 23) sold for $150,000 to OG from the consignment of Highgate Sales, agent. Winner of the GIII Elite Power Stakes in December, Just Beat the Odds was just second in his most recent outing in the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia. The son of Munnings has earned $745,495 to date.

“The sale delivered a strong performance, achieving an 84% clearance rate and generating $4.4 million in gross sales–further reinforcing the continued strength and resilience of the digital racehorse market,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales. “If it's better for the horse it's better for the buyer and seller. Attention now turns to Maximum Bourbon, who will be an exciting horse to follow in the coming year.”

Of the broodmare offerings, Aaron added, “Broodmares were equally well received, posting a high clearance rate and demonstrating sustained demand across the segment. Notably, Fee commanded a top price of $310,000 for broodmares, reflecting buyers' confidence in quality offerings with current and relevant updates. The sale continues to provide an efficient marketplace that delivers both value to buyers and immediate liquidity for sellers.”

“The broodmare-with-foal-at-foot segment also delivered impressive results and continues to show strong upward momentum,” Aaron continued. “With 9 of 11 offerings sold, this category achieved prices of up to $50,000, $48,000, and $46,000, underscoring its growing appeal and suggesting continued expansion in future sales.”

Full results are available online.

The next digital sale is the April Digital Sale, to be held April 16 through April 21. Entries close April 8.

The post Maximum Bourbon Tops Fasig-Tipton March Digital Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The TDN is proud to announce the launch of its latest podcast, TDN Business Hour. Hosted by Najja Thompson, Executive Director of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, the show serves as a resource for owners, breeders and other industry stakeholders by examining the fiscal and operational complexities of the racing world. Each month, the podcast dives into a different economic issue or business trend affecting the industry's bottom line.

In its debut episode, TDN Business Hour explores the international macroeconomic factors currently shaping the market, from the ripple effects of global unrest and inflation to how international trade policies like tariffs and bonus depreciation, are impacting stakeholders.

This month's featured guests include:

• Mark Taylor (President and CEO of Taylor Made Farm): Taylor discusses how Medallion Racing has adjusted its international purchasing strategies and shares feedback from international pinhookers ahead of this year's yearling sales season. He also offers advice on how breeders and buyers can capitalize on the current economic climate.
• Marshall Gramm (Economics Professor, Accomplished Horseplayer and Co-Founder of Ten Strike Racing): Gramm offers an economic perspective on how current international events affect the industry. Gramm also highlights domestic concerns regarding long-term investment, including the affordability of HISA and the shrinking foal crop.

• Anthony Trimarchi (Managing Director for J.P. Morgan Private Bank): Trimarchi provides expert insight on how diversification and tax efficiency can protect and benefit stakeholders amidst global uncertainty.

• Case Clay (Bloodstock Agent and Racing Manager for Wathnan Racing): Clay discusses Wathnan Racing's decision to send Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) to defend his title in this weekend's G1 Dubai World Cup and the logistics of sending the Brad Cox trainee to the Middle East amid regional conflict. Known for his success purchasing horses internationally, Clay discusses how tariffs have shifted his buying approach.

Watch or listen to the TDN Business Hour below. The podcast can also be found on TDN's Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Listen here: 

Watch here:

The post TDN Business Hour: The Global Thoroughbred Market appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Two-time Sovereign Award winner Fatal Bullet (Red Bullet) and three-time champion One for Rose (Tejano Run) lead the finalists for the Canadian Hall of Fame which were announced Tuesday.

The Thoroughbred categories and finalists include:

• Thoroughbred Builder – John Burness, Dr. Robert McMartin, DVM, Stanley Sadinsky
• Thoroughbred Communicator – Michael Burns, Jr., Neil Campbell, Bill Tallon
• Jockey – Richard Dos Ramos, George HoSang, Emile Ramsammy
• Thoroughbred Trainer – Gerald Bennett, Dale Saunders, Laurie Silvera
• Thoroughbred Female Horse – Careless Jewel, Hard Not To Like, One For Rose
• Thoroughbred Male Horse – Joshua Tree, Rahy's Attorney, Fatal Bullet

Five additional names were added to a new Legend Category which includes “those whose impact on Canadian horse racing took place at least 50 years prior to induction”. The Thoroughbred Legend finalists are: Alfred Tarn, Kathleen Taylor, Kemo Inamasu, Osborn Morton, Eva Ring.

The individual receiving the most votes in each of the above categories will be named a 2026 Hall of Fame Inductee. The fourteen individuals, people and horses, to be included in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, 50th Anniversary Class, will be announced April 8.

The post Champions Fatal Bullet, One For Rose Lead 2026 Canadian Hall Of Fame Finalists appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) published its 2025 Annual Metrics Report Tuesday which showed just 1.04 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts. The report notes that that number, which is “a sustained reduction from pre-HISA benchmarks”, also marks a nearly 50% decline since reporting began nationally in 2009 by The Jockey Club's Equine Injury Database (EID).

“Our mission is clear: to make Thoroughbred racing safer for horses and riders while safeguarding the integrity and future of the sport,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “The data contained in this year's report shows that uniform national safety standards are working. We are encouraged by the progress and remain deeply committed to building on these gains in collaboration with racetracks, regulatory partners and industry stakeholders.”

Per the report, “HISA's racing fatality data and starts figures undergo a rigorous, multistep quality control process, including quarterly verification by each track's Safety Director.” Earlier Tuesday, the EID reported a North American racing-related fatality rate of 1.07 fatalities per 1,000 starts. This includes a rate of 1.21 fatalities per 1,000 starts for Thoroughbred racetracks in the U.S. operating outside of HISA rules in 2025. The EID's rate for HISA tracks aligns with HISA's report at 1.04.

“This continued gap between HISA and non-HISA racetracks underscores what we have long believed: strong, consistent national standards make racing safer.” Lazarus continued. “At the same time, it is encouraging to see the fatality rate at non-HISA tracks decrease from 2024. We hope that the implementation of HISA rules, the industry-wide focus on safety they have helped catalyze and the movement of people and horses between tracks that are and are not under the HISA umbrella have contributed to a broader cultural shift.”

HISA also determined that 71,443 unique Covered Horses either recorded a published workout or made a start in a Covered Horserace in 2025, meaning that the total racing- and training-related fatality rate for the Covered Horse population was 0.51%.

Additional key metrics released include a 24.8% year-over-year decrease in use of riding crop violations and 13.6% scratches per entry in 2025 compared to 13.4% in the prior year.

The 2025 Annual Metrics Report can be viewed in full here.

The post HISA 2025 Benchmarks: Sustained Reductions In Fatalities From Pre-HISA Numbers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

When the list of probables for the $2-million G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen came out a week ago, it was hardly surprising to see Qatar Racng and Mrs. Fitri Hay's Nakatomi (Firing Line) among the five American-based horses bound for Meydan Racecourse. After all, the Emirates have become a regular late-winter/early-spring destination for the chestnut gelding, as he makes his third straight appearance in the 1200-meter dash.

The way connections see it, the racing Gods owe them one. Off to a slow start and awkward in the early stages in 2024, he raced far back and was bothered when coming with a run passing midstretch, but nevertheless was just beaten for second.

Never on the track and no better than four wide the trip 12 months ago, Nakatomi delivered a wide challenge into the Meydan straight, but kept on determinedly and fell just short of the re-opposing Dark Saffron (Flameaway), with 2024 hero Tuz (Oxbow) back in third, albeit very unlucky.

So, it must be his turn, right?

“Well, I mean, we hope so,” said Fergus Galvin, American racing manager for Sheikh Fahad's Qatar Racing. “I mean, I know he's in terrific form there. Every time I see him, [trainer] Wesley [Ward] keeps us updated with videos of his training and even on social media. Every time I see him, he's bucking and squealing after work or training. So he's obviously enjoying himself out there.”

Third to Elite Power (Curlin) in the first of three straight appearances in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint in 2023, Nakatomi–an $18,000 Keeneland November weanling who was acquired by his current connections for $205,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Horses of Racing Age Sale in 2023–was also third to champion Book'em Danno (Bucchero) in a Grade I-quality renewal of the GII A. G. Vanderbilt Stakes at Saratoga last August before punching his ticket to Del Mar with a last-lunge success in the GII Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland Oct. 3. It wasn't the cleanest of passages when ninth to likely Golden Shaheen favorite Bentornato (Valiant Minister) in the Sprint, and he has since been managed with another overseas raid in mind.

“He's had the same sort of routine for the last, pretty much the last three years,” Galvin said. “So he's come back here to Hunter Valley after each Breeders' Cup. He spends a month or five weeks out in the paddock and then Wesley will take him down to Florida at the end of December or so and get him ready for Dubai then after that. So yeah, that's been his routine and it's worked very well and hopefully one better this year.”

Galvin is part-owner and managing partner of Hunter Valley Farm in Versailles, Kentucky.

Nakatomi turned in his final piece of fast work over the Meydan dirt track on Mar. 22 to the apparent satisfaction of all.

“Wesley sent me a video of it and he said he was very happy with it and even happier with him afterwards,” Galvin said. “Like I say, he was on the end of a lead and he was bucking and jumping after the work.

“And Wesley's done a terrific job with this horse. He's a 7-year-old now. He's taking good care of him and picks his spots and he's had a great career and hopefully we can add to it on Saturday.”

All roads lead back to Lexington and this year's Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland and it all gets started just after sunset on Saturday in what has become something of a second home for Nakatomi.

“Listen, obviously with his age, we mind him and kind of go one race at a time with him, but if everything is going well, that will be the plan,” said Galvin. “So fingers crossed. My daughter has an affinity for him, so she always looks forward to when he comes back to the farm.”

Maybe the next time he shows up, he'll have a richly deserved Golden Shaheen trophy with him.

NAKATOMI, birds' eye view #DWC26 pic.twitter.com/jSPsiddeVP

— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) March 22, 2026

“' .”

Rider @Gav_Ashton with the lowdown on NAKATOMI, who aims to make it third time lucky in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on Saturday.#DWC26 pic.twitter.com/nrhRptZxwO

— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) March 24, 2026

The post Third Time Lucky For Nakatomi In Dubai Golden Shaheen? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The 2025-26 meet at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots concluded with repeat leaders–trainer Joe Sharp and jockey Jose Ortiz–heading the 154th racing season at the New Orleans oval.

Trainer Joe Sharp and jockey Jose Ortiz each secured back-to-back titles. Sharp led all conditioners with 47 wins from 211 starts, earning more than $1.7 million in purses while posting a 22% strike rate. He finished ahead of Bret Calhoun, who tallied 31 victories, while Sam David Jr. added 19 wins and veteran Tom Amoss closed out his Fair Grounds career with 14.

Ortiz once again topped the jockey standings despite missing the first two weeks of the meet, finishing with 93 wins–just three shy of his total from last season–and more than $4 million in earnings. He posted a 29% win rate and was a key presence aboard several standout runners.

Marcelino Pedroza Jr. finished second with 65 wins, the most in his local tenure, while Ben Curtis placed third with 49 victories. First-year rider Sofia Vives made an immediate impact, recording 27 wins and more than $759,000 in earnings.

Veteran jockey Jareth Loveberry reached a career milestone during the meet, earning his 2,000th victory aboard Island Cabana on Dec. 8 for trainer Justin Jeansonne.

The ownership title went to the partnership of Earl Hernandez, Keith Hernandez and John Duvieilh, who won 13 times from 77 starts and earned more than $545,000. CRK Stable posted a meet-best 36% strike rate, while Allied Racing Stable and Calumet Farm each recorded double-digit victories. Keith Plaisance led all prominent owners by percentage, winning eight of 15 starts.

Built (Hard Spun), the 2024 Gun Runner titleholder, became the first horse in track history to break 1:08, stopping the clock in 1:07.96 on Mar. 13 for trainer Wayne Catalano. Kavod (Lea) set a one-mile dirt track record in 1:35.46 for Joe Sharp, while Fit to Fly (West Coast), trained by Alexis Claire, established two turf records at five furlongs and about five furlongs. Usually Wrong (Lookin At Lucky), trained by Robertino Diodoro, set a 5 1/2-furlong turf mark in 1:01.63 while winning the Duncan F. Kenner Stakes. In his final meet, Tom Amoss saw Ensemble Racing's Higgins Boat (Omaha Beach) set a one-mile turf course record in 1:34.58.

The post Sharp and Ortiz Top 2025-26 Fair Grounds Season appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Samantha Siegel has been named this year's recipient of the Ed Friendly Industry Service Award, also known as the TOC Chairman's Award, the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) announced on Tuesday. The annual award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Thoroughbred racing industry.

Siegel, who races as Jay Em Ess Stable, is an active owner and breeder whose family has been involved in California Thoroughbred racing for more than five decades. Her late father, Mace, was a founding member of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. Jay Em Ess has campaigned many graded stakes winners, including multiple Grade I winners Urbane, I Ain't Bluffing, and Include Me Out, Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup winner Rail Trip, 2004 champion juvenile colt Declan's Moon, multiple Grade II winner Arson Squad, and homebred Grade I winner By the Moon.

Siegel, who joined the TOC Board in 2016, serves as chair of the Wagering Committee and as a member of the Owner Relations committee. She also serves on the Executive board of CARMA (California Retirement Management Account) and on the board of directors of the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation.

“Between Sam and her father, a Siegel has served on this board for 26 of our 33 years,” said TOC Chairman Gary Fenton. “It is difficult to imagine where TOC or California racing as a whole would be without the Siegel family's enduring leadership. They have consistently led by example and supported every level of our ecosystem, including their willingness to invest in middle tier and emerging trainers. This reflects a deep and long-standing commitment not just to success, but to strengthening and sustaining the entire racing community.”

Siegel will be honored at TOC's Annual Meeting at Del Mar on Saturday, Aug. 15. For more information, visit www.toconline.com.

The post Samantha Siegel to Receive TOC Chairman’s Award appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

5. LET'S BE FRANK, SA, 3/20-3rd, 1 mile (turf) (Video)
Beyer Speed Figure – 83 (2nd)
(c, 3, by Liam's Map–Proudly (Kor), by Alternation)
O/B-Nice Guys Stables (Ky). T-Michael McCarthy. J-Hector Berrios.
It won't tell you much that his dam Proudly earned 3.6 million South Korean won, which currently translates into $2,422. More telling is that Proudly has a recognizable full sister: Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress. The unraced Darley-bred dam of both females, Havisham, was four when she was unloaded for $5,000 and in 2016 had just dropped her first foal at age five when Korea bought her for $12,000. But when that first foal became an Oaks winner, ROI kicked in: Havisham was resold in 2021 for $1.1 million, and Proudly sold the same year for $230,000. Now Let's Be Frank: after his third in the GII Pilgrim last October as a maiden, his crack at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf didn't end well, but Friday's runner-up finish at even money was an encouraging first 2026 run especially considering his sluggish break.

4. GROWTH EQUITY, AQU, 3/20-1st, 1 mile (Video)
Beyer Speed Figure – 83
(c, 3, by Nyquist –My Dear Venezuela, by Wildcat Heir)
O-Klaravich Stables. B-Stone Farm (Ky). T-Chad Brown. J-Manny Franco.
It's hard to get giddy about a 1-to-10 favorite whipping three overmatched rivals, but Growth Equity delivered what was expected–a 4+ length victory with a second straight 83 Beyer. You can get excited about Nyquist, who is popping up in the same conversations as Into Mischief, Gun Runner and Not This Time, and three of dam My Dear Venezuela's sisters have produced stakes-winners.

3. CALL ME CORY, SA, 3/20-3rd, 1 mile (turf) (Video)
Beyer Speed Figure – 86
(c, 4, by Uncle Mo–Fashion Week, by Speightstown)
O-Warren Drakos. B-Wimberley Bloodstock (Ky). T-Ryan Hanson. J-Adrian Escobedo.
On the stretchout in his third start, Call Me Cory ran them off their feet, sprinting away to a five-length backstretch lead then comfortably holding off a somewhat unlucky Let's Be Frank (above). Pedigree-wise, dam Fashion Week was an ordinary major-track level racehorse, but is out of Brian Meehan-trained group winner Theysken's Theory, a half-sister to Merv Griffin's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Stevie Wonderboy.

2. STOMPIN GRAPES, GP, 3/20-5th, 1 1-16 miles (Video)
Beyer Speed Figure – 87 (2nd)
(g, 5, by Vino Rosso –Quality Pearl, by Elusive Quality)
O/B-Paula Taube (Ky). T-Ian Wilkes. J-Edgard Zayas.
We don't see many 5-year-old geldings in his column, but he's run only five times and with no Beyers lower than 73. This was his first dirt try around two turns, and he held his own against highly-regarded Make My Day (below). Plus, you gotta love the name for a son of Vino Rosso (“red wine”).

1. MAKE MY DAY, GP, 3/20-5th, 1 1-16 miles (Video)
Beyer Speed Figure – 89
(c, 3, by Gun Runner –Magical Feeling, by Empire Maker)
O-Spendthrift Farm and Repole Stable. B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds (Ky). T-Todd Pletcher. J-Luis Saez.
Slightly more than 24 hours before he won the GII Louisiana Derby, Emerging Market's Tampa maiden win was flattered by this list-topping performance. Make My Day had finished a distant third after being mistreated at the break in that race, but went right to the front Friday at Gulfstream and kept a safe cushion over Stompin Grapes (above). The $1.1 million KEE September yearling has a pedigree dripping with graded blood: in addition to his sire and Grade II-winning dam, his half-brother Imagination just took the Ridayh Dirt Sprint for his third Grade II score; and Into Mischief mare Occult, his now-retired half-sister, has a Grade III victory to her credit.

The post The Week’s Fastest Maidens for Mar. 16 – 21 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

According to the initial data analysis from the 17th year of reporting to the Equine Injury Database (EID), the rate of fatal injury in 2025 was 1.07 per 1,000 starts, the lowest rate since the EID began in 2009. This is the sixth consecutive year that the rate of fatal injury has been below 1.5. The rate of fatal injury decreased 3.6% from 2024 and has decreased 47% since the first statistics were published from the EID in 2009.

Analysis of the EID was provided by Dr. Euan Bennet (University of Glasgow) and by Professor Tim Parkin (University of Bristol), who has consulted on the EID since its inception.

“The Thoroughbred industry should be very proud of the work done to improve the safety of its athletes and to know that the initiatives supported by The Jockey Club and so many other organizations are proving to be effective,” Parkin said. “A nearly 50% drop in the rate of fatality since 2009 is impressive, and it's especially encouraging to see 8 furlong and shorter races at historic lows.”

Based on the 2025 data, 99.89% of flat racing starts at the racetracks participating in the EID were completed without a fatality.

For a statistical summary from 2009 through 2025, click here.

Since March 2012, racetracks have been able to voluntarily publish their statistics from the EID on The Jockey Club website. The racetracks that publish their EID statistics reported racing fatalities per 1,000 starts of 0.95 as compared to 1.14 for those that do not publish. In addition, racetracks in the U.S. not covered under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) had a rate of 1.21 per 1,000 starts. The 2025 racing-related fatality rate at racetracks subject to HISA rules was 1.04 per 1,000 starts, which aligns with the HISA data. HISA reports race-related fatalities after regulatory review.

The EID statistics are based on injuries that resulted in fatalities within 72 hours from the date of the race. The statistics are for official Thoroughbred races only and exclude steeplechase races. Summary statistics for the EID are subject to change due to a number of considerations, including reporting timeliness. All data entered into the EID goes through a multilevel quality control process to ensure the data is completely and accurately reported.

To view racetracks participating in the EID, click here.

Throughout 2025, approximately 99% of all Thoroughbred starts were included in the EID.

The post 2025 Equine Injury Metrics Show Lowest Rate of Fatal Injury Since 2009 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A federal judge on Monday ended a nearly two-year-old lawsuit by dismissing seven of the eight counts in litigation initiated by two Iowa horsemen who alleged unconstitutionality of the Horseracing and Safety Integrity Act (HISA) and the way the HISA Authority collects assessment fees.

The eighth count, which pertained to an order from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding the fees, will simply be remanded back to that agency for a reworded explanation because, the judge wrote, “there is a 'strong possibility' that the FTC Order is guilty of nothing more than using imprecise language.”

The lawsuit was originally filed July 29, 2024, in United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa (Central Division) by Thoroughbred owner Joseph A. Kelly and owner/trainer Douglas L. Anderson against the HISA Authority, the FTC, and executives of both organizations.

Both sides in the case had asked for a summary judgment from the court instead of going through a full trial.

Much has changed in the litigation landscape involving HISA since that suit originally got filed, and U.S. District Judge Steven H. Locher, a 2022 judicial nominee by President Joseph Biden, focused on a number of those shifts in his 16-page ruling on Mar. 23.

“Plaintiffs argue that the Act violates the public and private non-delegation doctrines because Congress gave too much power to the private entity and/or insufficient guidance for how to exercise that power,” the judge wrote. “These arguments fail under recent (and not-so-recent) Supreme Court and Eighth Circuit precedent because the Act gives sufficient oversight authority to the FTC and provides an 'intelligible principle' for the FTC to follow in exercising that authority.

“Plaintiffs also argue, in the alternative, that a recent rule promulgated by the FTC violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) because the FTC Order adopting the rule gave too much deference to the private entity. In one narrow respect, the Court agrees. The Court will not, however, set aside the rule altogether, but rather will remand without [vacating the rule] to give the FTC the chance to clarify what it meant,” the judge wrote.

Locher explained how “Plaintiffs' arguments revolve around a rule proposed by the Authority, and approved by the FTC, for the assessment of fees to covered persons like Plaintiffs. The original version of the rule [required] covered racetracks like Iowa-based Prairie Meadows to provide the Authority with a proposal for how to make assessments among 'covered persons.'”

The judge continued: “The FTC approved the Assessment Methodology Rule, while also stating that it 'planned to issue guidance on the subject' soon. Based on input from Prairie Meadows, and in accordance with the original rule, the Authority decided to allocate Iowa's portion of the Authority's funding '50-50 between the track and horsemen' for 2023. Plaintiffs note that the word 'horsemen' is undefined.

“The Authority agreed to the same 50-50 split for 2024,” the judge continued. “In early 2024, the Authority began invoicing two entities for fifty percent of the assessment each: Prairie Meadows and the Iowa Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA).”

The plaintiffs, the judge explained, asserted “that the invoices to the Iowa HBPA were improper because it is not itself a covered person under the Act, nor does it have funds” to pay the assessment.

“In any event, the Authority and the Iowa HBPA tried without success to negotiate an arrangement for the Iowa HBPA and/or its members to pay the allocated portion of the assessment,” the judge wrote.

“One of the open issues was whether Prairie Meadows would institute a per-start fee on horseracing participants. After negotiations failed, Plaintiffs filed this action in July 2024 because they feared the Authority would order Prairie Meadows to institute a per-start fee on themselves and other industry participants,” the judge wrote.

Then, Locher wrote, “In response to Plaintiffs' lawsuit, the Authority proposed, and the FTC published, a Notice of a proposed amendment to the original rule.”

The judge continued: “The proposed new rule [would] assess fees to covered persons according to the following formula: Racetrack, 50%; Owners, 43.50%; Trainers, 5.00%; and Jockeys, 1.50%.”

As Locher explained, “The FTC Notice summarized an ongoing debate regarding whether the allocation of fees should be based on how often industry participants reasonably would be expected to enter horse races or how much money the participants would be expected to earn from these races.”

The FTC then approved its modified assessment methodology rule on Dec. 23, 2024.

“At the time Plaintiffs filed this case, the Eighth Circuit had never addressed the facial constitutionality of the Act,” Locher wrote. “Things are different now. In September 2024, the Eighth Circuit held that neither the rulemaking structure nor the enforcement provisions of the Act violate the private or public nondelegation doctrines. The Eighth Circuit reached this holding because, among other things, the Act makes the Authority subordinate to the FTC for purposes of both rulemaking and enforcement and provides an 'intelligible principle' for the FTC to follow in exercising its discretion.

“The Sixth Circuit reached the same conclusion at around the same time,” Locher continued. “The Fifth Circuit likewise concluded that the rulemaking structure of the Act did not violate the non-delegation doctrine, although it split from the Sixth and Eighth Circuits by declaring the Act's enforcement provisions unconstitutional.

“The Supreme Court later granted petitions for writs of certiorari from the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Circuit cases, vacated the judgments, and remanded for further consideration in light of [a new precedent case established in 2025],” the judge wrote.

Locher summed up his decision with respect to the assessment fees by writing that, “it appears that there is a relatively limited universe of ways for the FTC and Authority to allocate fees, with the record showing that the FTC, the Authority, and industry participants focused on proposals allocating fees based either on projected starts, projected purses paid, or some combination of the two.

“In other words, it has been obvious from Day One that an 'equitable' allocation should be tethered either to how often the covered persons participate in horseracing or how much they earn while doing so,” the judge wrote.

“The bottom line is that this is not a situation where Congress has given the FTC and Authority boundless discretion to do whatever they want with respect to assessing and allocating fees,” Locher wrote.

“Instead, Congress 'imposed ascertainable and meaningful guideposts' for them to follow [and that] the provisions of the Act governing the equitable allocation of fees are not unconstitutional under the public or private non-delegation doctrines,” Locher wrote.

The post ‘Things are different now’: Judge Dismisses Most of Horsemen-VS.-HISA Suit Over Fee Assessments appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Arizona Department of Gaming has issued a license to  63-year-old jockey Patrick Valenzuela. He last rode professionally in 2016.

Valenzuela has long struggled with substance abuse problems, as a result of which, the jockey has seen his license repeatedly suspended during a career that started in 1978.

In 2018, Valenzuela pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic abuse charges after slapping his girlfriend at a Carlsbad, California, restaurant. He was arrested again in 2019 on spousal abuse charges, according to a 2025 California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) hearing document.

After repeatedly violating his restraining order stemming from those abuse charges, Valenzuela served a brief jail sentence in 2024.

According to the Paulick Report, Valenzuela's license is conditioned on on-going drug testing, though the specifics around those conditions remain unclear.

Jessica Roza, the Arizona Department of Gaming's assistant director of government and community affairs, did not provide answers before publication deadline about what kind of analysis was done to ensure Valenzuela was fit for licensure, and what specific conditions are attached to his license.

Racing steward Jason Hart did not respond to multiple text messages and calls.

Valenzuela has been working as an exercise rider at Turf Paradise. He has also been licensed to work as an exercise rider in California, where his three attempts since 2016 to get licensed as a jockey by the CHRB were unsuccessful.

The CHRB denied his 2016 attempt because he “committed acts of moral turpitude or acts that exposed others to danger,” and “failed to demonstrate rehabilitation,” according to hearing documents. That 2016 decision detailed 15 separate rule violations and/or criminal convictions.

Valenzuela applied again in 2018 and was subsequently rebuffed by the CHRB due in large part to his 2018 arrest on domestic abuse charges and for a separate arrest for possessing drug paraphernalia.

Last year, the CHRB again denied Valenzuela's latest license application.

Hearing officer Patrick Kane noted in his hearing report Valenzuela's “willingness to improve and accept responsibility for his past transgressions, and this Officer encourages Appellant to continue down this path of rehabilitation in order reapply for a jockey's license in 2026.”

However, “Because of Appellant's substantial history of rule violations and criminal charges, and because Appellant's latest criminal charge recently occurred resulting in jail time, Appellant cannot meet Section 1489.2's rehabilitation criteria at this time,” wrote Kane.

Valenzuela has ridden 4,372 winners throughout his career. In 1989, he rode Sunday Silence to victories in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness Stakes.

In a Facebook post Valenzuela wrote, “I want to say thank you for all the support all the warm wishes, my brother JR, my sister-in-law, Jodie, and everybody in Phoenix, who have welcomed me as family. Thank you to the stewards and the Phoenix racing board. But most of all, thank you God without you nothing of this would be possible. I got my Jockey license.”

The post Jockey Patrick Valenzuela Licensed in Arizona appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

This coming weekend's nine-furlong stakes at Oaklawn and Gulfstream have the potential to usher in a major shake-up within the rankings, with seven of the Top 12 listed below entered in either the GI Arkansas Derby or the GI Curlin Florida Derby.

1) PALADIN (c, Gun Runner–Secret Sigh, by Tapit) O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter M. Brant, Brook T. Smith, and Summer Wind Equine, LLC; B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $1,900,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 3-3-0-0, $848,250. Last start: WON Feb. 14 GII Risen Star Stakes.

The three-for-three Paladin, a $1.9-million FTSAUG son of Gun Runner, maintains his lofty placement atop the sophomore totem pole. But company's coming.

This Chad Brown trainee is awaiting the Apr. 4 GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes as his final prep for the GI Kentucky Derby.

The last eight times Brown has had at least one starter in the Blue Grass, the results have included three wins, three close seconds, and a third.

Yet the Blue Grass itself has been a poor prognosticator for Derby success over the last three decades. No Blue Grass victor has scored in the Derby since Strike the Gold in 1991, and no participant coming out of the Blue Grass has won the Derby since Street Sense parlayed a second-place finish at Keeneland into a blanket of roses at Churchill in 2007.

Favored at 1.13-1 first time out, Paladin broke his maiden via disqualification in an Aqueduct one-turn mile Oct. 17 (87 Beyer Speed Figure), finishing a head behind the horse who fouled him, the No. 5-ranked Renegade (Into Mischief).

In the Dec. 6 GII Remsen Stakes, Paladin was favored at 1.88-1. He broke running from post two and settled third along the inside behind dueling 53-1 and 29-1 long shots. Scrubbed on for run by Flavien Prat 2 1/2 furlongs out, Paladin swept into contention five wide off the turn and finished with purpose, opening up by two lengths under the wire (85 Beyer).

Paladin's churn-and-grind kick was again on display in the Feb. 14 GII Risen Star Stakes, in which he was favored at 7-10 odds. The difference, though, was that unlike in the Remsen, Paladin was more assertive and did not require the same level of far-turn rousing to get into gear, carrying along jockey Tyler Gaffalione (subbing for Prat, who was riding in Saudi Arabia), at a comfortable clip before being set down for the drive. He won by a half-length with a 93 Beyer.

In the strength-of-competition category, the horses who finished 2-3-4 behind Paladin in the Risen Star didn't exactly flatter his company line when they all started in this past weekend's GII Louisiana Derby. They ran fifth, third and fourth, respectively.

2) COMMANDMENT (c, Into Mischief–Sippican Harbor, by Orb) O-Wathnan Racing; B-Lee Pokoik (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $485,000 RNA Wlg '23 FTKNOV; $475,000 RNA Ylg '24 FTSAUG; $500,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-3-0-0, $403,539. Last start: WON Feb. 28 GII Fountain of Youth Stakes.

This three-for-four son of Into Mischief has an edge in consistency, having repeatedly shown he can settle into a comfortable rhythm while either covered up at the fence or surrounded by horses before knifing through to finish powerfully in his stretch runs.

Commandment has drawn post four for the nine-entrant Florida Derby. He exits a 101-Beyer victory in the 1 1/16-miles GII Fountain of Youth Stakes that was conducted over Gulfstream's short-stretch configuration (finish line at the sixteenth pole).

Although it was tough to see on the race replay, jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. asked Commandment to gallop out with good energy to the second finish line in that Feb. 28 stakes, which will be the wire used Saturday for the nine-furlong Florida Derby.

Prior to winning the Fountain of Youth, Commandment took down the Jan. 3. one-turn-mile Mucho Macho Man Stakes under confident handling, and also tallied in a seven-furlong MSW at Churchill Downs, opening up late by 5 1/2 lengths. His only defeat was in his career debut, when he rallied from 11th to get fourth going six furlongs at Keeneland.

Numbers-wise, Commandment is well within the range for being able to deliver a speed figure good enough to win the Florida Derby. Starting with 2025 and tracking back to 2019, the last seven winning Beyers for that stakes have been 94, 110, 95, 96, 94, 96 and 101.

3) EMERGING MARKET (c, Candy Ride {Arg}–Wild Empress, by Empire Maker) ”TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard.' O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Stoneriggs Farm (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $185,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $618,880. Last start: WON Mar. 21 GII Louisiana Derby.

Until last Saturday, the Derby trail this year had pretty much unfolded without a “Wow!” race from a new shooter who we didn't already know about when these rankings were first published in January.

Then along came the big New Orleans breakout by this Chad Brown-trained Candy Ride (Arg) colt.

Emerging Market won a length-of-stretch slugfest in the Louisiana Derby, earning that victory in a manner that suggests he's gained more seasoning from two lifetime starts than many of his peers have accumulated in months of racing.

Off at 3.2-1 odds, Emerging Market debuted in a Tampa Bay Downs route over one mile 40 yards Feb. 7. Under Flavien Prat, he conceded the lead, saved ground, and settled willingly. Incrementally targeting horses with an inside run before sluicing five wide into the lane, Emerging Market bumped soundly and repeatedly with the favored leader for most of the stretch run before stubbornly prevailing by three-quarters of a length, leaving the rest of the fragmented field 13 1/2 lengths behind.

Emerging Market's winning time was .97 seconds off the track record, equating to a 97 Beyer. He galloped out long and strong after the wire.

Drawing the outermost nine post for the Louisiana Derby made the first race against winners a little tougher for this 2-1 favorite. But Emerging Market once again responded willingly to Prat's patient cues. After stalking from fifth for the first half of the race, he advanced in hand through the far turn, unleashed a four-wide bid that briefly catapulted him to the lead at the quarter pole, then for a full furlong was the main aggressor in a shoulder-to-shoulder tilt with the much more experienced Pavlovian (Pavel), who clawed back the lead while making his 10th lifetime start and coming off a win in the Sunland Derby.

Emerging Market drove relentlessly, finally wresting control from Pavlovian inside the sixteenth pole to win by a head. The top two were assigned co-Beyers of 90.

Brown is known for a patient approach to handling young horses, so no one would have been surprised after the Louisiana Derby if he said Emerging Market might bypass the Derby.

That would be similar to what Brown did in 2022 and 2017 with both Early Voting and Cloud Computing, who each ran well enough to hit the board in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes in their third career races, but then skipped the Derby and instead were freshened to win the GI Preakness Stakes.

Yet Brown told TDN on Sunday that Emerging Market is “very much under consideration” for the Derby.

If he does start in Louisville, Emerging Market will attempt to become just the second horse to win the Derby after prepping with only two lifetime starts. Leonatus was the only horse ever to do so, winning the 1883 edition of the Derby (over 12 furlongs and on just one week's rest!) in his third lifetime race.

Six other two-start horses since 1937 have attempted that feat, with none faring better than fifth in the Derby.

Emerging Market winning the Louisiana Derby | Hodges Photography

4) NEARLY (c, Not This Time–Ib Prospecting, by Mineshaft) O-Centennial Farms; B-Wind Hill Farm (FL); T-Todd A. Pletcher. Sales history: $350,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-3-0-0, $249,900. Last start: WON Jan. 31 GIII Holy Bull Stakes.

Nearly clearly relishes Gulfstream's main track, which meshes well with his speed-oriented style. He's won three straight there by a combined 20 lengths, and is riding an upward arc of Beyer figures (49-82-97-98) coming off a win in the GIII Holy Bull Stakes.

In that Jan. 31 stakes, this $350,0000 KEESEP colt from Todd Pletcher's stable forced an overheated pace, drilled the favorite into defeat, yet still had plenty left to repulse an off-the-turn late challenger before opening up to win by 5 3/4 lengths. It's worth noting that such a sizable open-length margin can be difficult to achieve over Gulfstream's short-stretch configuration for 1 1/16-miles races.

Nearly will start in Saturday's nine-furlong Florida Derby from post six while coming off a two-month layoff. There is speed drawn to his inside, and although Nearly is at his best when forcing the issue on the front end, he's not the type of colt who requires being on the lead, which will allow John Velazquez (aboard for all three of the colt's victories) to be flexible about early-race placement.

Nearly's company line out of the Holy Bull doesn't give us much of a clue either way about the quality of that field because only two of the six horses have raced back.

Bravaro (Upstart), who made the run at Nearly at the top of the lane and finished second in the Holy Bull, was subsequently fourth, beaten 11 lengths by Commandment in the Fountain of Youth Stakes.

Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro), who ran last in the Holy Bull without an evident excuse, came back to win the one-turn, nine-furlong Virginia Derby in his next start with an 88 Beyer.

5) RENEGADE (c, Into Mischief–Spice Is Nice, by Curlin) O-Robert & Lawana L. Low, and Repole Stable; B-Robert & Lawana Low (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. Sales history: $975,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-1-2-1, $199,000. Last start: WON Feb. 7 Sam F. Davis Stakes.

This $975,000 KEESEP son of Into Mischief is the 3-2 morning-line favorite for Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby.

Renegade was last in action Feb. 7, breaking his maiden in lifetime start number four in the Listed Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

Rated off the pace in next-to-last position in that field of nine, Renegade looped the group five wide on the far turn and rolled to the lead without encountering serious resistance, opening up to win by 3 3/4 lengths while drifting out under left-handed stick work from Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Originally assigned a 92 Beyer, Renegade's winning figure for the Davis has since been revised one tick upward to 93.

The only Triple Crown-caliber horse in Renegade's wake that day was third-place finisher The Puma (Essential Quality), who in his next start finished with a flourish to win the Mar. 7 GIII Tampa Bay Derby. Three other also-rans out of the Davis were subsequently third, sixth and ninth in the Virginia Derby.

Despite starting his season still a maiden, this Todd Pletcher trainee had built up a fair amount of company-line credibility based on who he raced against at age two in New York.

Renegade was third behind a 17 3/4-length winner, the 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' It's Our Time (Not This Time), in his Saratoga debut. He then finished a head better than Paladin, the current No. 1 on this list, in a one-turn-mile MSW at Aqueduct, but was disqualified from the victory because of stretch interference.

Renegade then was second, beaten two lengths by Paladin, in the Remsen Stakes, a race for which Renegade wasn't ideally prepped because he had missed some November training due to a quarter crack.

6) CHIEF WALLABEE (c, Constitution–A La Lucie, by Medaglia d'Oro) 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard'. O/B-Mike Ball & Katherine Ball (KY); T-William I. Mott. Lifetime Record: GSP, 2-2-0-0, $117,600. Last start: 2nd Feb. 28 GII Fountain of Youth Stakes.

This homebred son of Constitution from Bill Mott's stable has drawn post two for Saturday's Florida Derby.

He's coming into the race after breaking his maiden sprinting seven furlongs at Gulfstream Jan. 10, then finishing a strong second in the 1 1/16-miles Feb. 28 Fountain of Youth Stakes, beaten a only neck despite giving up more ground than the No. 2-ranked, inside-trip winner, Commandment.

Should Chief Wallabee run well enough to merit a trip to Louisville, he'll be just the 30th horse since 1900 to try the Kentucky Derby off exactly three lifetime starts.

Only four previous three-start horses have won the Derby, but three of them did it within the past two decades, underscoring the evolving “less is more” mindset for preparing young horses for Triple Crown competition.

Those winners were Regret in 1915, Big Brown in 2008, Justify in 2018 and Mage in 2023.

Of the remaining 25, only one finished better than seventh in the Derby: Curlin who was third in 2007 (but subsequently won the GI Preakness Stakes and ran second in the GI Belmont Stakes).

Chief Wallabee has been assigned Beyer figures of 89 and 100 for his first two starts.

For comparison, here's a look at the Beyer patterns for the first three starts of those aforementioned modern-day Derby winners, with their Kentucky Derby-winning Beyers in parenthesis.

Big Brown: 90, 106, 106 (109).

Justify: 104, 101, 107 (103).

Mage: 89, 88, 94 (105).

Also worth noting is that Big Brown's third start was a win in the Florida Derby, and Mage's third start was a runner-up try, beaten only one length, also in the Florida Derby.

Chief Wallabee | Ryan Thompson

7) IRON HONOR (c, Nyquist–Orenica, by Blame). O-St. Elias Stable, William H. Lawrence and Glassman Racing; B-Mike Freeny and Pat Freeny; T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $230,000 Ylg '24 KEEJAN; $475,000 Ylg KEESEP. Lifetime Record GSW, 2-2-0-0, $211,750. Last start: WON Feb. 28 GIII Gotham Stakes.

The 2-for-2 Iron Honor ($230,000 KEEJAN; $475,000 KEESEP) is on target for the Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial Stakes. Should he run big at Aqueduct, this Chad Brown trainee would be facing the same only-three-starts-before-the-Derby hurdle detailed in Chief Wallabee's writeup above.

From a development standpoint, this son of 2016 Derby champ Nyquist ($230,000 KEEJAN; $475,000 KEESEP) might be even more against the grain of convention considering he's a relatively late May 1 foal.

Brown had said back in January that Iron Honor “mentally needed time to come around” prior to his December debut. Now that the colt has paired a maiden victory sprinting six furlongs (95 Beyer) with a pressure-and-pounce score in the one-turn-mile GIII Gotham Stakes (90 Beyer), he's shaping up as the horse to beat in the nine-furlong Wood.

If Iron Honor does manage to roll home in the Wood in emphatic fashion, he will be a very dangerous contender by his actual third birthdate rolls around the day before the Derby.

8) LITMUS TEST (c, Nyquist–Study Hard, by Malibu Moon). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $875,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-2-0-2, $440,188. Last start: 3rd Mar. 1 GII Rebel Stakes.

After Litmus Test ran a subpar third contesting the pace from the one hole in the GII Rebel Stakes, trainer Bob Baffert said the colt would be more comfortable rating from farther back.

This $875,000 FTSAUG son of Nyquist drew the outermost nine post for Saturday's Arkansas Derby, which should allow new jockey Francisco Arrieta (taking over from Flavien Prat, who rides Commandment in the Florida Derby) to drop back and save ground while picking a launch point for one sustained run.

With five lifetime races at age two, including three at two turns and two in Grade I stakes, Litmus Test has a broader foundational base than many of his Top 12 counterparts.

Litmus Test was third, then fourth, behind the now-sidelined juvenile champ, Ted Noffey, in both the GI Breeders' Futurity Stakes and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

The best version of this large-framed colt was his 1 1/4-length, re-rallying score over five rivals in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 13.

Although a close finish in the Arkansas Derby would add to the 34 qualifying points Litmus Test has already accrued, he really needs to win a race at age three to fit the profile of a top-tier Kentucky Derby threat.

In the past decade and a half, only Rich Strike (2022) and Super Saver (2010) crossed the finish wire first in the Derby after not winning a sophomore race prior to the first Saturday in May.

9) THE PUMA (c, Essential Quality–Eve of War, by Declaration of War). O-OGMA Investments LLC, JR Ranch and High Step Racing LLC; B-Hidden Brook Farm & Brian Kahn (KY); T-Gustavo Delgado. Sales history: $95,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-1-1-1, $244,280. Last start: WON Mar. 7 GIII Tampa Bay Derby.

Races over the main track at Tampa Bay Downs, with its sandy surface and steeply banked turns, can be difficult to interpret. This year's GIII Tampa Bay Derby came with the additional twist of being run right after a significant burst of pre-race rain, and even though the track was listed as “fast” on the Equibase chart, it was more akin to a “wet-fast” designation.

The downpour might have contributed to the way the track played during and after that race. The first seven dirt races on the card were won by horses either wiring the field (three) or sitting just off the speed (four). The Tampa Derby itself was won in deep-closing fashion by The Puma, and the final dirt race on the card was won by a stalker from mid-pack.

Regardless of whether his style was augmented by a changing surface, the three-quarter length win by this son of Essential Quality ($95,000 RNA KEESEP; $150,000 OBSAPR), stamped him as a late-on-the-scene Kentucky Derby candidate.

Under Javier Castellano, this Gustavo Delgado trainee gave up four paths of real estate on the first turn, angled out to lane eight on the backstretch, then swept five deep on the far bend to commence a prolonged, 3 1/2-furlong bid.

The top three finishers in the Tampa Bay Derby were separated by less than a length, and The Puma was unfazed by light bumping late in the lane when that trio ran together through the final furlong in close quarters.

The Puma had previously been keeping excellent company in two lifetime starts this past winter.

In his Jan. 10 Gulfstream debut, he was second, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, when favored over the now No. 6-ranked Chief Wallabee.

And as a maiden in against stakes company in Tampa's Feb. 7 Sam F. Davis Stakes, he was third, six lengths behind the current No. 5 on this list, Renegade.

The Puma will be racing back in just three weeks off his Tampa Derby score when he starts from post eight in Saturday's Florida Derby.

The Puma | SV Photography

10) FURTHER ADO (c, Gun Runner–Sky Dreamer, by Sky Mesa). 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-John C. Oxley (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $275,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $550,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-2-1-1, $390,703. Last start: 2nd Mar. 7 GIII Tampa Bay Derby.

Back at the start of the season, I wasn't impressed enough with Further Ado's 82-Beyer win in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes to give him a berth within the Top 12.

But considering the circumstances of the Tampa Bay Derby (see the analysis of The Puma above), I have to credit this son of Gun Runner ($275,000 KEESEP; $550,000 OBSAPR) with running a much-better-than-it-looks second when making his first start off a 3 1/2-month layoff.

Further Ado absorbed a minor bump at the break but then put himself into a forward position, angling four paths off the fence through the first turn before settling into a sweet stalking spot in third down the backstretch behind dueling long shots.

He edged closer on the far turn and got first run at those pacemakers, then immediately was accosted by The Puma and favored 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Canaletto (Into Mischief).

This Brad Cox trainee initially looked overmatched by that double-team challenge, but he repeatedly fought back when headed, and ended up being the only horse who had raced within the first flight to stick around in the top three at the finish.

His 87 Beyer is still 11 points off the 98 he earned with an eye-opening 20-length win in a Keeneland MSW route nearly six months ago. But the forward progress in his form from the Tampa race will end up being more important than any numerical rating.

Further Ado could start in the Apr. 4 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes.

11) SILENT TACTIC (c, Tacitus–Magical Sign, by Gun Runner). O-John C. Oxley; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. Sales history: $60,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT; $500,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-2-3-0, $774,422. Last start: 2nd Mar. 1 GII Rebel Stakes.

Never worse than second in five races, all at 1 1/16 miles, Silent Tactic is steady and capable if not flashy.

He's aiming to be the only horse this season to compete in all four of Oaklawn's Kentucky Derby qualifying races after having drawn post two for the Arkansas Derby.

With a 12-1 win in the GIII Southwest Stakes and three second-place tries in other stakes at both Woodbine and in Hot Springs, this Mark Casse-trained son of Tacitus ($60,000 FTKOCT; $500,000 OBSAPR) consistently gains ground in the late stages of his races.

In the Mar. 1 Rebel, Silent Tactic weaved through far-turn traffic from the back of the pack, but was blocked behind a wall of front-runners. He belatedly swept four wide and did manage to attain the lead several times in the final furlong before 8-1 winner Class President (Uncle Mo) fought back to win by a nose.

Both colts were credited with 91 Beyers. Silent Tactic's Beyer progression now stands at 74-71-81-88-91 (first two races on Tapeta).

Starting with 2025 and going back to 2019, these are the winning Beyers for the Arkansas Derby, listed in reverse chronological order and including two divisions in 2020: 99, 98, 94, 92, 92, (98 and 96), 101.

12) REAGAN'S HONOR (c, 3, Honor A. P.–Rutile, by Medaglia d'Oro). O-West Point Thoroughbreds, David Ingordo & Gabriel Duignan; B-David Ingordo & Jerome S Moss (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. Sales history: $140,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $72,300. Last start: WON Feb. 19 Fair Grounds ALW.

Reagan's Honor, a medium-framed colt who leap-frogged into the Top 12 with a 6 3/4-length, 96-Beyer, first-level allowance wiring over older horses Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds, is on his way to Keeneland for his one-and-only qualifying points crack to earn a berth in the Derby.

Campaigned by trainer Cherie DeVaux, this speed-centric son of Honor A.P. took down that 1 1/16-miles allowance (which has since yielded one next-out winner from three starters) with a clocking of 1:42.02, just one-hundredth of a second off the track record set by Olympiad in the GIII Mineshaft Stakes exactly four years earlier.

Reagan's Honor ($140,000 KEESEP) is prepping for the Blue Grass Stakes over nine furlongs.

He's out of a Medaglia d'Oro mare who is a half-sister to Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, the late-striding gray who upset the field in the 2005 edition at 50-1 odds.

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