Thoroughbred Daily News

In most situations, discussion is always best, but some days you just don't feel like hearing second opinions. Arbiter (Charlatan) didn't let anyone get a word in edge wise, and coasted home to a sublime victory in the Woodstock Stakes at Woodbine.

Coming into the race with a maiden score on the turf and a win against optional claimers over the synthetic at Churchill Downs Nov. 30–where he set a new course record–and Turfway Park Dec. 17, respectively, he'd last been seen kicking off his 2026 campaign Mar. 21 in Florida. Running a flat seventh in the Texas Glitter Stakes, with this year's edition coming off the turf and onto the Gulfstream synthetic, he was given Lasix for the first-time in this contest. With a short field at his mercy as the lone speed in the race, the betting public liked his chances to the tune of 6-5 favoritism.

Catching a flier after the gates opened, Arbiter did exactly as they expected and went right to the lead, strolling on an easy advantage through :23.08 and a half-line in :46.14. Well within himself on the bend as Silver is Best (Signature Red) tried to cut into his margin, the chestnut spurted clear of his competition in the lane and dominated the race by six lengths. El Capo (Authentic) overtook 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Two Out Hero (War Front) in the shadow of the wire to claim the final trifecta spot.

With his win here, Arbiter provided his sire Charlatan (Speightstown) his first of two stakes win on the afternoon. The second came not even an hour later in New York when Fitz Right roared home late to win the Memories of Silver Stakes over the Aqueduct lawn.

“He was cruising along pretty easy,” said rider Pietro Moran, who claimed his first local stakes win since being award with a Sovereign Award last week. “And I knew Rafi [Hernandez] was there and he was gonna make a move, but he just kept fine. He got away so easy. Today was all about Arbiter.”

The victor is the second stakes horse for his dam behind elder half-sister Carlisle Bay (Speightstown), who also claimed her black-type on the Woodbine strip. They are the only winning offspring for their dam, and they have a pair of half-siblings by Epicenter in the wings–a juvenile colt and a yearling filly. Bicolour is due to Maxfield in 2026. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

WOODSTOCK S., C$130,000, Woodbine, 4-26, 3yo, 6f (AWT), 1:10.31, ft.
1–ARBITER, 120, c, 3, by Charlatan
                1st Dam: Bicolour, by Tiznow
                2nd Dam: Burmilla, by Storm Cat
                3rd Dam: Nannerl, by Valid Appeal
($175,000 Wlg '23 KEENOV; $160,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP; $100,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT; $375,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Resolution Road Stables; B-Hunter Valley Farm, Richie Galway, Frank Hutchinson & Lynch Bages LTD. (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Pietro Moran. C$78,750. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $189,689.
2–Silver Is Best, 122, g, 3, Signature Red–Scatter the Silver, by Scat Daddy. (C$23,000 Ylg '24 CANSEP). O-Mike A. Coll; B-Howard Walton (ON); T-William Tharrenos. C$30,000.
3–El Capo, 118, c, 3, Authentic–Revitalized, by Uncle Mo. ($100,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-CamHaven Farms; B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY); T-Preston Ferris. C$13,750.
Margins: 6, 1HF, NO. Odds: 1.35, 11.35, 10.25.
Also Ran: Two Out Hero. Scratched: Gnome.

The post No Quarrel Here: Arbiter Much the Best in Woodbine’s Woodstock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The annual GI Kentucky Derby post-position draw isn't so much about landing a favorable gate assignment as avoiding a poor one.

The task for the fast-closing Renegade got quite a bit tougher on Saturday when the flashy son of Into Mischief drew the historically unrewarding inside post for the May 2 Derby.

Much of the pre-race speculation will focus on whether or not Renegade can overcome a starting stall that has not yielded a Derby winner since 1986, when the 17-1 Ferdinand got bumped to the back, rallied wide, then darted up the rail in the stretch under a heady ride by 54-year-old Bill Shoemaker.

But a sizable chunk of the intrigue leading up to Derby 152 will involve whether or not the stigma of being buried down near the fence will be enough to sway horseplayers off the 4-1 morning-line favorite, who had been expected to carry the brunt of the betting in Louisville since his explosive victory in the

Mar. 28 GI Arkansas Derby.

In terms of having an impact on Derby wagering, you could make a case for Renegade's rail draw being the most significant post-position handicapping factor in the last decade and a half.

Over the past 70 years, the horse breaking from the rail has gone off as the Derby favorite only three times:

In 2010, the fence-drawn Lookin At Lucky was installed as the 3-1 morning-line choice. His starting mutuel ended up being double that price, but still low enough for favoritism. He got roughed up leaving the gate and again in the initial furlong, then could manage no better than sixth behind 8-1 winner Super Saver (who had broken inward from post four, contributing to crowding that adversely affected Lookin At Lucky).

In 1984, Althea and Life's Magic were coupled in the wagering as a rare two-filly Derby entry. They started fractionally north of their 5-2 morning-line price. Althea, who had drawn the rail and was considered the stronger half of the entry, was not overtly hindered by being pegged down inside. She broke well and led for the first seven furlongs, but could not sustain her speed. She regressed to 19th, beating only one eased entrant, finishing well behind 7-2 winner Swale while her stablemate ran eighth.

Prior to that, you have to go all the way back to 1956 to find an inside-drawn Derby favorite. Needles, off at 8-5, was pinched back into the first turn after starting from the fence. Jockey Dave Erb said Needles actually spit out his bit on the backstretch while dropping back to next-to-last in the field of 17. But Needles grabbed it again and responded to far-turn rousing from nearly 20 lengths back, tipping out for the drive to finish with furious late kick and win by three-quarters of a length.

Since the advent of the use of a starting gate for the Derby in 1930, the horses starting from post one are 8-5-5 from 96 starts with an 8.3% win percentage and an 18.8% in-the-money ratio.

The other Derby winners who broke from the rail since 1930 were Chateaugay (1963), Hill Gail (1952), Citation (1948), Gallahadion (1940), Lawrin (1938) and War Admiral (1937).

Field size can be a factor in how undesirably post one is perceived. Five of those above-cited winners raced in Derbies that had fields of 10 or fewer horses, so in those years post one was probably more of an advantage than an obstacle.

Now, with the Derby routinely luring 24 entrants (20 starters and four also-eligibles who can draw in if scratches occur) chaos, crowding and traffic are practically givens for inside-drawn contenders.

Just ask Renegade's jockey, Irad Ortiz, Jr.: He's 0-for-9 in the Derby dating to his first mount in the race in 2014, and two of his better chances-aboard the 9-1 Known Agenda in 2021 and the 10-1 Mo Donegal in 2022-finished off the board as closers from post one.

Despite being up against the rail-related historical metrics, Renegade does have a couple of things going for him that might mitigate the disadvantages of the innermost stall.

The first is that he's powerful but agile, and a very efficient mover. Although Renegade's preferred style is to attack from the back of the pack, he's not a bulky, lumbering closer.

Additionally, with the main speed of the Derby parked much farther outside and other off-the-pace types breaking from into gates two, four and five, Ortiz will likely not face a crush of inside-drawn competition gunning to secure a spot at the fence. Renegade, at least in theory, should be athletic enough to outbreak those rivals and gain decent positioning.

But we've never actually seen Renegade race effectively at the inside in five lifetime races.

Renegade did run third in his career debut at Saratoga last summer after breaking from the rail and chasing in the two path under Ortiz. But that was in a one-turn, 6 1/2-furlong sprint behind a 17 3/4-length winner.

In start number two, a one-turn maiden mile at Aqueduct, Renegade was finishing with gusto inside of a fast-closing rival, the well-regarded, now-sidelined Paladin (Gun Runner). But Renegade couldn't stay straight under John Velazquez, and got DQ'd from first to second for bearing out.

Ortiz regained the mount in the GII Remsen Stakes, and he has now asked Renegade to loop the field while widest in three straight stakes.

In the Remsen, Renegade did split horses near the inside after Ortiz cut the corner wide and dropped down. But the colt couldn't seal the deal and was again second-best behind Paladin.

Breaking his maiden in the Sam F. Davis Stales at Tampa, Renegade circled five wide while in hand, opening up to win by 3 3/4 lengths.

And in the GI Arkansas Derby, after a couple of back-of-pack momentum stalls while contemplating going through narrow gaps between horses, Ortiz again unleashed Renegade five deep on the far turn, blasting off through the stretch to win by four lengths.

Yet Renegade drifted out while well clear in the Davis (under left-handed stick work) and he wandered out to the eight path once he hit the lead in the Arkansas Derby.

That sort of stretch shifting wasn't a problem in both of those races because Renegade was much the best and lacked competition to keep him engaged.

But now he's going into the Derby as one of the horses to beat without having faced a serious, deep-stretch challenge in six months.

Is it a dealbreaker that both of this colt's winning moves have been from way out wide and we have still never seen him successfully fight his way through inside adversity?

Not necessarily. Renegade's blitzingly fast finishing fractions and visually arresting stretch drives might be enough to establish his status at the top of the crop, regardless of post position.

But it should make you think long and hard whether you want to bet on or against a rail-drawn favorite trying to hit the Derby winner's circle for the first time in seven decades.

The post Week in Review: A Derby Fave From the Rail Will Have to Outrun 70 Years of History appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

On a cloudy Sunday morning at Churchill Downs, six entrants put in their final breezes over a fast track, led by Chief Wallabee (Constitution).

Mike and Kay Ball's Chief Wallabee worked a half-mile in :49.20 in company with the 3-year-old maiden winner Steel (Tapit). Junior Alvarado was aboard for trainer Bill Mott.

The TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard produced splits of :13.20, :25.40, :49.20 and out five-eighths in 1:01.80 and six furlongs in 1:15.20.

“We did what we wanted to do and if it doesn't work out, then that's on me,” said trainer Bill Mott, who will be trying for a consecutive Derby victory to bookend with Sovereignty from last year. “Last year, I felt good about Sovereignty. Chief Wallabee has lots of class and ability and he is good and smooth. I'm not making any predictions. We'll have to wait and see.”

First up during the 7:15-7:30 (all times Eastern) training period for Derby, Kentucky Oaks and prior Kentucky Derby winners, was Speedway Stables' Potente (Into Mischief) for trainer Bob Baffert.

Working with the 3-year-old maiden Embry Show (Modernist) and with Martin Garcia aboard, the GII San Felipe victor worked five furlongs in :57.80, the fastest of 23 at the distance for the morning.

Next up was Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures Intrepido (Maximus Mischief) for trainer Jeff Mullins. With Hector I. Berrios aboard and working on his own, Intrepido covered a half-mile in :45 for the fastest work of 71 at the distance.

Last season's GI American Pharoah scorer recorded a brisk half-mile in :45, fastest of 71 at the distance on the clockers' tab. His splits included :11.60 and :22.60, with “out” times of :57 and 1:10.20.

Pin Oak Stud's Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) also worked for trainer Riley Mott. With jockey Jaime Torres up, he worked outside of Wan Dale. The Virginia Derby winner covered a half-mile in :47 for the second fastest time of the morning at the distance.

Incredibolt | Coady Media

The other half of the Pin Oak Stud-Riley Mott duo to work Sunday was GII Wood Memorial winner Albus (Yaupon). With Antonio Garcia up and working with Theoretical (Nyquist), a 3-year-old maiden filly, Albus worked a half-mile in :49.

“They both looked happy and had their ears pricked,” trainer Riley Mott said. “They traveled well. Finished strong and galloped out well. They are two different horses and this was a typical work for them. Incredibolt is like a race car; he has a lot of gears. Albus is more of a grinder type and not that flashy.”

Reddam Racing's Pavlovian (Pavel) also posted a 1:03.40 five-furlong move out of the gate in company with the 3-year-old maiden Mr American Pie (Maclean's Music) for trainer Doug O'Neill. Jockey Edwin Maldonado was aboard.

The Sunland Derby winner broke from the gate in the chute, throwing down splits of :25.80, :38 and :50.80 on the way to a final clocking of 1:03.40. Clockers caught him going “out” in 1:16.80.

“I thought he worked great,” said Maldonado. “He was perfect out of the gate. That's a good work for him.”

Also working for O'Neill was Reddam Racing's Robusta (Accelerate), who is the third Derby also-eligible. Robusta worked five furlongs out of the gate in 1:03.60.

 

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Grade I winner Bottle of Rouge (Vino Rosso), one of two GI Kentucky Oaks hopefuls for trainer Bob Baffert, will not contest Churchill's Classic for fillies, according to the Hall of Fame trainer on Sunday.

At 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning, Bottle of Rouge who worked a half-mile in :48.80 with Martin Garcia aboard in company with the Grade III stakes-winning filly Forced Entry (Charlatan).

Last year's GI Del Mar Debutante winner started to cough shortly after returning to the barn and subsequently failed to scope cleanly, prompting Baffert to scratch her from the Oaks.

This season, Bottle of Rouge won the Feb. 15 Sunland Park Oaks and most recently Virginia Oaks at Colonial on Mar. 14.

With the defection of Bottle of Rouge, Go Go Grey Stable's Lovely Grey (Vekoma) could move into the field should her connections decide to run. She is also cross-entered in the $600,000 GII Edgewood Stakes on turf.

Military Pike Racing Stables' MSP Resist (Maclean's Music), who is the second also-eligible for the Oaks, worked a half-mile in :47.40 for trainer Tommy Drury Jr. during the 7:15-7:30 training window.

Also on Sunday's Oaks work tab was Baffert's other hopeful, Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's Explora (Blame), who went out at 9 a.m. with Martin Garcia up. Last year's GII Oak Leaf scorer worked five furlongs in :58.80 in company with the 3-year-old maiden Winston Ave (Quality Road).  In her latest start, she won the GIII Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn on Mar. 1.

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With a namesake from Old Norse mythology, valkyries being a group of maidens in service to Odin who guided the worthy to Valhalla, it was fitting that Valkyrie (Early Voting) fought the good fight on the front end to strike at first asking at Churchill Downs.

Her graduation served dually as a coming out party for freshman sire Early Voting as she is his first starter and first winner.

Given 7-1 odds for this jump, and with the heavy 7-5 favorite Cardio Cat (Catalina Cruiser) eyeballing her in the gate on her outside, Valkyrie wasted no time contesting the pace after the break through an opening quarter in :23.17. Taking a narrow lead coming off the bend, and with the betting choice breathing down her neck as they entered the straight, the Ken McPeek trainee went on with it as Cardio Cat tried to run her down.

Called on for her best in deep stretch, and with her rival still unable to get by, Valkyrie managed to open up a bit on her pursuers in the final strides to win by a clear margin.

The victress is the first successful offspring on record for her dam, Vegas Palm, whose first foal is an unplaced colt in Russia named Er Turan (Vino Rosso). That mare has since produced a yearling filly by Midshipman and has a 2026 filly by Charge It at foot. Vegas Palm is a half-sister to SW & MGSP Competitive Speed (Competitive Edge). The third dam is SW & GISP Shop Till You Drop (Thunder Gulch).

2nd-Churchill Downs, $88,952, Msw, 4-26, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :51.53, ft, 1 length.
VALKYRIE (f, 2, Early Voting–Vegas Palm, by Violence)
Sales history: $30,000 Wlg '24 KEENOV. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $52,096. O-Arindel; B-Ashley Hiller (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

($16.38) goes gate-to-wire on debut for Kenny McPeek in R2 at Churchill Downs.

Jockey @decky_cann piloted the 2-year-old daughter of Early Voting.#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/mfpqkp87DU

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) April 26, 2026

The post Early Voting’s Valkyrie is Valiant En Route to Becoming Sire’s First Winner at Churchill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Mythical (St Patrick's Day) outclassed four overmatched rivals in Saturday's Sophomore Fillies Sprint to earn her sixth career stakes success and a return trip to Saratoga.

Pinballed around between rivals at the break, the Cohen homebred elected to sit off dueling pacesetters from third through the opening half-mile. Cruising up to the leaders in hand on the turn, Mythical poked her head in front at the five-sixteenths marker, raced well off the rail in the stretch and proved a much-the-best winner.

Mythical won five of her six starts at two, including Saratoga's GIII Schuylerville Stakes before suffering her lone defeat of the season in the GI Spinaway Stakes. Back to winning ways in the final two legs of the Florida Stallion Stakes in the fall, the bay was a slow-starting fifth in the GIII Forward Gal Stakes Jan. 31, but bounced back in the Mar. 14 Any Limit Stakes, earning a career-best 94 Beyer.

“I think she's one of the best fillies in the country, and she's getting better too,” said winning trainer Jorge Delgado. “We're probably going to Saratoga, she's won two stakes at Saratoga.”

The conditioner has Mythical penciled in for the $175,000 Jersey Girl Stakes at the Spa on June 4.

Lailoni, a daughter of the Grade III-winning New York-bred sprinter Dat You Miz Blue, was sold for the upset price of $1,000 at OBS January in 2024 and foaled a Noble Bird colt that RNAd for $12,000 at OBSJAN in 2025, but sold for $120,000 at this year's OBS March Sale.

Lailoni, by Arindel's Brethren, is also the dam of the yearling filly Sonny's Iris (Colonelsdarktemper) and was purchased by Summer Wind Farm for $200,000 at last year's Keeneland November Sale. The mare produced a Coal Front filly this season. Summer Wind also bred Mythical's sire, a full-brother to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

FHBPA SOPHOMORE FILLIES SPRINT S., $100,000, Gulfstream, 4-25, (S), 3yo, f, 6f, 1:09.52, ft.
1–MYTHICAL, 124, f, 3, by St Patrick's Day
1st Dam: Lailoni, by Brethren
2nd Dam: Dat You Miz Blue, by Cure the Blues
3rd Dam: Emma Loves Marie, by Wild Again
O/B-Arindel (FL); T-Jorge Delgado; J-Edgard J Zayas. $60,000. Lifetime Record: GSW, 9-7-0-0, $684,615.
2–La Chismosa, 120, f, 3, Win Win Win–Silent Joy, by Kitten's Joy. ($30,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $23,000 2yo '25 OBSOPN; $100,000 RNA 3yo '26 IGDCFD). O-Paula S Capestro; B-Brereton C Jones (FL); T-Renaldo Richards. $20,000.
3–Flowko, 120, f, 3, Brethren–Vino de Pago, by With Distinction. O/B-Flying Finish Farm (FL); T-Rory C Miller. $12,000.
Margins: 5HF, 5HF, 10 3/4. Odds: 0.10, 16.30, 37.60.
Also Ran: Love Like Lucy, Unfaithful Rose. Scratched: Don't Do It Lucy, Tessellate, Tosca, Winplaceandshow.

 

MYTHICAL ($2.20) is just too good! $100,000 FHBPA Sophomore Fillies Sprint at @GulfstreamPark. @zayas_edgardo had the call for trainer @RacingDelgado.

Wager on the next: https://t.co/pkv1V82mL2 pic.twitter.com/2xT8xmUlS3

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) April 25, 2026

The post Mythical Punches Ticket Back To Saratoga In Sophomore Fillies Sprint appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Two days after 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Mashallah provided Maxfield's trainer Brendan Walsh with his first winner by the Darley stallion sprinting on the dirt at Keeneland, INTEGRITY (f, 3, Maxfield–Truthful, by Bodemeister) repeated the dose in a one-mile maiden on the turf to open the Gulfstream program Saturday afternoon.

Distanced on dirt debut at Ellis Park last July when she was sent off just shy of 7-2, the $325,000 Keeneland September yearling re-emerged here with Lasix and blinkers for the first time and was kicked straight into the lead by Edgard Zayas, absorbing some token pressure to her outside through comfortable opening fractions of :23.33 and :48.30.

Traveling clearly better than the chasers behind her, Integrity began to get away as they neared the stretch and covered her final couple of furlongs in :23 and some change to score convincingly. Rail-drawn favorite Pan Pan (Audible) ran home belatedly for second while 'Insights' horse Sayula (Into Mischief) finished 12th.

Produced by a half-sister to MSW and GSP turfer Hello Don Julio (Afleet Alex), Integrity hails from the family of GI Ashland Stakes heroine Well Chosen (Deputy Minister), the dam of two-time GI Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes hero Telling (A.P. Indy). Truthful is also the dam of the juvenile colt Character (Cyberknife) and a yearling colt by Practical Joke. She was barren to Gun Pilot for this season.

1st-Gulfstream, $43,000, Msw, 4-25, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.80, fm, 1 3/4 lengths.
INTEGRITY (f, 3, Maxfield–Truthful, by Bodemeister) $325,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $26,905. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Robert E Masterson & Starlight Racing; B-Peter E Blum Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Brendan P Walsh.

Integrity and @zayas_edgardo open Saturday's card at #GulfstreamPark. pic.twitter.com/4S1bHhIC53

— Gulfstream Park (@GulfstreamPark) April 25, 2026

The post Integrity Another Maxfield Winner For Walsh appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Jethorse LLC paid $375,000 for General Graham (Omaha Beach), a 3-year-old undefeated ridgling who won in starter allowance company Keeneland on April 8, to post the highest price of Friday's April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale which followed the races on closing day of the Spring Meet.

Consigned by Kenneally Racing, agent, General Graham is from the family of Horse of the Year Sovereignty. He is out of Grade I-placed Giant's Causeway mare Flying Spur.

“We're delighted with General Graham,” consignor Eddie Kenneally said. “Two for two, hasn't done anything wrong–beautiful, big horse. He's a horse that we bought in a package as a yearling, and the intent was to sell. That's kind of what we do. We run these horses. Try to get some success at the track and sell them when they appear as though they're moving forward. (General Graham) certainly does appear as though he's moving forward. I think he's got a big career ahead of him.”

 

“He's bred to run all day, he's from a fantastic family, and I think he's a horse with a bright future.” @ScottFDTV spoke with @kenneallyracing about hip 14 GENERAL GRAHAM selling this afternoon at #KeeApr. pic.twitter.com/Kp2hCPbnT4

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) April 24, 2026

David Meah of Meah/Lloyd Bloodstock, as agent for Michael Iavarone and TCC Stables, spent $310,000 for Peak Perspective (Mineshaft), a 2-year-old filly who is entered in Wednesday's Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs. Third in her maiden special weight debut at Keeneland on April 15, Peak Perspective will remain with trainer Ben Colebrook, who consigned the filly in the name of his Colebrook Stables.

“She was definitely on our radar (after her Keeneland debut),” Meah said. “Immediately after the race, Mike and I had a phone call about 'Hey we need to keep an eye on this horse, try and buy her privately.' I called Ben, and Ben told me we're going to the Keeneland sale. Everybody wants to support Keeneland–it's a great place, right? So we're going to leave her with (Colebrook), and we're going to run next week.”

Keeneland sold 12 horses for a total of $1,697,000. The average was $141,417, and the median was $102,500.

“The April Horses of Racing Age Sale was a lively and fitting close to the Spring Meet,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “There was a big crowd in the Sales Pavilion with a lot of people coming down from the races and carrying that same energy right into the sale. It was an engaging way to cap the day and send off the Spring Meet in celebratory style.”

The post Undefeated General Graham Tops Keeneland April Selected Horses Of Racing Age Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The 2026 Keeneland Spring Meet concluded Friday with jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., trainer Brad Cox and owner Godolphin topping their respective categories.

Ortiz, Jr. defended his Fall Meet title from 2025 with 22 wins, earning five more than Flavien Prat (17). Luis Saez and Jose Ortiz tied for third with 15 apiece. Ortiz, Jr.'s biggest wins of the meet came with a pair of Grade I's in the Toyota Blue Grass and the Resolute Racing Madison Stakes.

Brad Cox secured his ninth training title, recording 17 wins from 43 starts. Wesley Ward, who notched a milestone 300th Keeneland victory Friday, was second overall at the meet with 10 victories from 38 starts.

And Godolphin earned their seventh owner's title with four total wins, breaking ahead of a tie for second between 11 different owners each registering two wins.

All-sources wagering (excluding whole-card simulcasting at Keeneland) totaled $209,351,173 this Spring–an 8.65% increase over the total of $192,676,486 wagered during the 2025 Spring Meet. Average daily purses for the season set a Keeneland record of $1,379,520 while races averaged 8.3 starters per race.

“Spring at Keeneland always carries a certain energy, and this meet captured that spirit in every way,” said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. “From the quality of the racing to the enthusiasm of our fans, it was a season that reflected the very best of what makes this place so special.”

“The Spring Meet is always a reminder that it takes an entire community to make something like this feel special,” added Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell. “You see it in the horses who show up ready to run, in the care and preparation from our trainers and horsemen and in the skill and determination of the jockeys in the saddle. We're grateful to every connection who chose to be part of it, and to all those working behind the scenes who keep things moving each day. It's something we're proud to share with our fans, and we don't take any of it for granted.”

The post Godolphin, Cox And Ortiz, Jr. Top Keeneland Spring Meet Standings appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Click Here Three Chimneys Farm's GUN RANGE (c, 3, Gun Runner–Bella Carina, by War Front) went up to the leading duo three abreast at the midstretch marker and kicked home to score by five convincing lengths, giving trainer Wesley Ward his 300th training victory at Keeneland. He is just the third to accomplish that particular feat, joining Bill Mott and Rusty Arnold.

“This is such a special place,” Ward told FanDuel TV. “When I came here 19 years ago, I knew this was a place for me. It's such a wonderful, wonderful place to be.”

Bet in half from his morning line of 6-1 to be off at odds of 16-5, the homebred broke alertly from an outside gate and settled just off the early pace established by rail-runner Island Town (Echo Town) and the debuting National Charter (Constitution) through the opening quarter in :22.16.

Given his cue three or four wide on the swing for home, Gun Range began to zero in on the leaders while racing on his left lead approaching the eighth pole and kicked on nicely once switching his legs to score by daylight.

“He's always been a special colt,” Ward added. “Thankful to Doug Cauthen and Goncalo Torrealba for giving me such a nice colt. I saw him as a yearling and knew he was one for me.”

A half-brother to Tempus Volat (Not This Time), SW & GSP, $200,558; and Delahaye (Medaglia d'Oro), GSW, $490,815, Gun Range is out of a daughter of SW Grand Prayer (Grand Slam), whose notable produce includes MGSW & GISP Valid (Medaglia d'Oro) and GI Ruffian Handicap winner Malibu Prayer (Malibu Moon), the dam of recent Jimmy Winkfield Stakes winner Igniter (Volatile). The third dam features GISW Swagger Jack (Smart Strike) and MGSW Tap Dance (Pleasant Tap). Bella Carina produced full-sisters to Gun Range last year and this season.

9th-Keeneland, $110,000, Msw, 4-24, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.71, ft, 5 lengths.
GUN RANGE (c, 3, Gun Runner–Bella Carina, by War Front) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $64,790.  Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-Three Chimneys Farm (KY); T-Wesley A Ward.

 

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2nd-Keeneland, $69,210, Msw, 4-24, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.38, fm, 6 1/2 lengths.
MORE CHAMPAGNE (f, 2, Golden Pal–Wildcat Gaze, by Wildcat Heir) debuted as a 6-1 shot here after a pair of scratches reduced the field to five.

Running into fractions of :21.26 for the first quarter and :45.06 for the first half, the filly gained ground on favorite Shining Moment (Golden Pal) and Extravaganzoo (Golden Pal). The 2-year-old began to target Shining Moment inside the final furlong, raced a touch green as she passed the leader and poured on the late speed to graduate by 6 1/2 lengths.

A half-sister to SW Saratoga Treasure (Treasure Beach {GB}), the winner's dam foaled a filly by Star Guitar Mar. 20. More Champagne was the second winner for his freshman sire (by Uncle Mo), who has 202 foals of racing age to his credit. Sales History: $100,000 2yo '26 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $37,386. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-StarLadies Racing, U Racing Stables LLC and Titletown Racing Stables; B-Helen & Joseph Barbazon (FL); T-Thomas Morley.

(1) More Champagne draws clear in race 2 under @ljlmvel! (5) Shining Moment checks in second, (6) Zarzuela finishes third. pic.twitter.com/Wj9q8XbRje

— Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) April 24, 2026

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The eighth annual PDJF Telethon, held last Saturday, April 18, raised a record-breaking $575,000 for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF), over $100,000 more than the previous year, the event announced Friday.

“This event is a testament of what can be accomplished when so many people, especially the fans, come together for a good cause,” said Andrew Moore, FanDuel TV's General Manager of Racing. “Every donation makes a difference. We are grateful to all of our friends in the industry that came together to make this event a success and we are proud to support the PDJF with a $100,000 donation from FanDuel.”

The event brings Hall of Fame jockeys, FanDuel TV's on-air talent and other prominent racing personalities together to man the phone lines. It has broken records each year to support jockeys who have suffered serious on-track injuries. $3 million has been raised since the inaugural telethon in 2018.

“The support for the 8th Annual FanDuel Telethon was overwhelming. Setting yet another record this year speaks to the broad support our fallen riders enjoy from across the industry,” said Joe Clabes, PDJF President. “We cannot thank our sponsors, retired and active jockeys, volunteers, and supporters enough. So many people across the country assisted in helping us make this year's telethon the most successful yet. These funds will go a long way in helping us continue to increase financial benefits to our recipients.”

“The Jockeys' Guild sincerely appreciates FanDuel, Keeneland, Santa Anita and NYRA who have been so supportive of the PDJF Telethon,” said Terry Meyocks, President and CEO of the Jockey's Guild. “This year's event, which was the most successful yet, invited racing fans to connect with their favorite active and retired, as well as permanently disabled, jockeys while making a donation to this vitally important cause. Our thanks as well to the jockeys at Keeneland and Santa Anita who took the time from a busy racing day to answer the phone calls. And, most importantly, we are grateful to all who made a donation.”

“The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund is one of those causes that really resonates with everyone in racing,” said Gatewood Bell, the Vice President of Racing at Keeneland. “The work they do for riders who've given so much to this sport is incredibly important. Keeneland is very proud to host the telethon and help keep that momentum going to bring people together.”

There were donations from supporters across the country including major donations and contributions from FanDuel, the William Stamps Farish Fund, Kentucky Downs, the Kentucky HBPA, Churchill Downs, the Ohio HBPA, the Heider Family Foundation, Oak Tree Racing, Repole Stables, Ken Freirich's Random Act of Kindness, Purple Rein Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm as well as significant, anonymous contributions.

“On behalf of everyone at Santa Anita Park, congratulations to the PDJF for their record telethon,” said Nate Newby, General Manager of Santa Anita.  “We are proud to support the PDJF throughout the year, and are so pleased that the public and racing industry contributed in supporting the men and women who are assisted by the PDJF.”

“The success of this year's telethon is a reflection of the importance of the PDJF and the generosity of the racing community,” said Eric Donovan, NYRA Senior Director of TV Broadcast Operations. “FOX Sports and NYRA are pleased to play a role in the telethon each year, and we thank all those who make this an annual tradition.”

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With one week to go until next Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby, contenders began putting in their final works Friday.

At Keeneland, Golden Tempo (Curlin) had his final timed drill for first-time Derby trainer Cherie DeVaux. Working inside of MGSW Brilliant Berti (Noble Mission {GB}), the GIII Lecomte Stakes winner clocked a half-mile in :47.40 (2/72).

“He's had different company, and he's outworked each one,” DeVaux said. “This was just a maintenance work and Brilliant Berti is a pretty good workhorse and he's older. We didn't want him (Golden Tempo) doing too much in the work and the gallop out. We have had great luck with our stable prepping here then going over to Churchill Downs.”

Golden Tempo last finished third in the GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby March 21. He will make the short trip from Keeneland to Churchill Downs Saturday morning.

“He has matured both physically and mentally a lot,” DeVaux said. “By design, we let him have the four weeks in between races and then we had six weeks (at Keeneland), so that we could do a little bit more with him. He was always a heavier horse and took a while for him to really shape up physically, and we're there now. He has really improved in that respect.”

Already on site at Churchill, two more Derby hopefuls also tuned up over a fast track Friday morning.

 

So Happy works 5F in 1:00.20 this morning as we're just about a week out from the Kentucky Derby! pic.twitter.com/uUKtH8gqjn

— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) April 24, 2026

GI Santa Anita Derby winner So Happy (Runhappy) and Louisiana Derby winner Emerging Market (Candy Ride {Arg}) were both on track, with So Happy going five furlongs in 1:00.20 (8/19) and Emerging Market covering a half-mile in :47.60 (15/92).

“He just glided through the lane,” trainer Chad Brown said of Emerging Market. “He galloped way out past three-quarters the right way and came back good. I was very pleased with the way he was moving. He hit his fractions perfect, and he didn't even look like he was going that fast, which is what you love to see as a trainer.”

 

Louisiana Derby winner EMERGING MARKET put in his final work for the @KentuckyDerby this morning at @ChurchillDowns outside of company. pic.twitter.com/iXCTxrc9N2

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) April 24, 2026

Japan's G2 UAE Derby winner Wonder Dean (Jpn) (Dee Majesty {Jpn}) went a solo six furlongs in 1:17.80 (1/1).

“He felt similar today as he did during his breeze a week out from the UAE Derby,” said rider Takuya Nakano, who was aboard for the drill. “He felt really great. This gives me a lot of confidence that he will be able to perform his best on Derby Day.”

The Riley Mott-trained duo of Albus (Yaupon) and Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) paddock schooled and galloped Friday and will work Saturday morning.

Chief Wallabee (Constitution) is set to work Sunday or Monday and spent Friday also visiting the paddock and galloping for trainer Bill Mott.

Saturday looks to be a busy work day with the Brad Cox trio of Commandment (Into Mischief), Fulleffort (Liam's Map) and Further Ado (Gun Runner) all scheduled to breeze in the morning after galloping Friday. Chip Honcho (Connect) will join that trio, as will Japan's Danon Bourbon (Maxfield) and Right to Party (Constitution).

 

Prom Queen finishing five furlongs in :59.80.

Splits: 12.20, 23.60, 47.80, 59.80/1:12.40 pic.twitter.com/ul6fgKG23V

— Kevin Kerstein (@HorseRacingKK) April 24, 2026

On the Kentucky Oaks front, six fillies put in breezes at Churchill Friday. The sextet was comprised of Always a Runner (Gun Runner) (four furlongs in :48.40 {48/92}), Bella Ballerina (Street Sense) (four furlongs in :47.40 {12/92}), Brooklyn Blonde (Gun Runner) (five furlongs in 1:01 {14/19}), Meaning (Gun Runner) (five furlongs 1:00 {5/19}), Paradise (Gun Runner) (four furlongs in :47.60 {15/92}) and Prom Queen (Quality Road) (five furlongs in :59.80 {4/19}).

“I was able to get Jose Ortiz out to breeze her, who is going to ride her for the first time in the Kentucky Oaks, which I thought was a real positive,” Chad Brown said of Always a Runner. “He just loved the filly. Very smooth, and she galloped out well.”

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The flash sale for Starship Beauty (Hard Spun), a half-sister to Kentucky Derby hopeful Fulleffort (Liam's Map) and GISW Power Squeeze (Union Rags), is accepting bids, the organization announced via press release.

Offered pregnant to Constitution for her first foal, Starship Beauty is consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency. Her aforementioned half-sister won three graded stakes in her career including the GI Alabama Stakes as a 3-year-old. The millionaire daughter of Union Rags sold for $2.5-million at the Fasig-Tipton November sale last year to Godolphin as a broodmare prospect.

Half-brother Fulleffort continues his preparations for next week's GI Kentucky Derby, and sits in fifth on the leaderboard with 110 points for trainer Brad Cox. The grey claimed the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks Mar. 21 to earn his spot in the gate. He is a graduate of the Saratoga Select Yearling sale.

A third half-sibling to Starship Beauty is Call on Mischief (Into Mischief), a stakes winner in her own right whose first offspring to the races will be a juvenile filly by Flightline named Aviatrix. She too was bred to Constitution for a 2026 foal. The female family is busy with black-type including the likes of GSW & GISP Faypien (Ghostzapper) and 19-time winner MSW Royal Squeeze.

“The pedigree on Starship Beauty is phenomenal and she's in foal to the right sire,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton director of digital sales. “She's a young mare in foal to Constitution and a half-sister to Grade I winning millionaire Power Squeeze, who sold for $2,500,000 as a broodmare prospect at The November Sale, and to graded stakes winner and Kentucky Derby contender Fulleffort, who was a Saratoga Sale selected yearling himself. The family has produced impressive results on the track and in the sales ring.”

To view the offering and all pertinent details, or to register to bid, please go here.

The next scheduled sale is the May Digital Sale, set to begin May 7 and run to May 12. Entries close this Monday, Apr. 27.

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HONG KONG, CHINA–Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges is at the helm of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, an international racing powerhouse, for nearly two decades. He has navigated Hong Kong Racing through financial crises, political upheaval and a pandemic, and never let anyone think that his visionary sight had lost its compass. In the conversation that follows, recorded on the eve of the HKJC's international race meeting, the chairman of both the Asian Racing Federation and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities once again covered ground that will resonate well beyond Hong Kong–from NYRA's CAW restrictions to the racino model, illegal markets, prediction markets and a billion-dollar technology overhaul.

We know where racing needs to go. This is a good moment to read the winds and currents before setting sail.

Before getting to the familiar debates about late money and casino diversification, Engelbrecht-Bresges raised an issue he considers underestimated across the industry: prediction markets. The HKJC alerted the Hong Kong government four months ago that existing wagering law needed clarification on the matter. His argument is straightforward–when a prediction market creates a tradeable event based on a sports outcome, it is wagering, regardless of how it is packaged.

“It's a financial market product they claim,” he said. “But when you have events which are clearly based on sports events, it's wagering. It's practically the same as a betting exchange.”

The concern goes beyond semantics. Prediction markets, he argued, are structurally designed to reward insiders. “Who makes money on prediction when it comes to sports? All of the major professionals. And they provide the liquidity.”

With crypto adding another dimension to the problem, he believes the regulatory window to act is narrowing.

However, the most common enemy at our gates remains illegal betting. Engelbrecht-Bresges explained that the HKJC has seen traffic to illegal football gambling websites increase faster than its own–despite significantly expanding its product offering in that segment. Younger customers, specifically the 18-to-25 demographic, are the primary target. “The worse is yet to come,” he said, “because we could have lost our future customer base.”

What makes the situation particularly striking is the role of major technology platforms. Both Meta and Google have deployed AI-powered tools to screen and suppress illegal gambling websites. Both have excluded Hong Kong and mainland China from that effort. The reason, in Engelbrecht-Bresges's view, is plain and simple. “The real money comes from there.”

He put illegal operators' advertising revenues from that region at approximately three billion US dollars annually, a figure he said was reported at the Asian Racing Conference. “We have to do more as operators to get a more global united front to compete.”

Licensed operators who improve their product are not automatically protected when the platforms that could police illegal competition quietly choose not to.

On slot machines and casino revenue as a racing lifeline, Engelbrecht-Bresges was, by his standards, blunt. “I was always joking to people in the US that they think they could save racing by making it into casinos. It's the death of your brand.”

When a casino wanted to explore a collaboration with the HKJC a few years ago, his answer was unambiguous. “I said over my dead body. We have no interest in going into an area where you have these addictive forms of gambling.”

The argument is partly philosophical and partly pragmatic. Slot machines and horse racing do not share a customer base, and combining them sends a signal–to younger audiences especially–that is difficult to walk back. He described the image of elderly patrons sitting motionless in front of screens cycling every twenty seconds as fundamentally incompatible with the sport's future.

“From a customer segmentation standpoint, you will not attract the right people. It has helped for some years. But then you fall completely off the cliff.”

The political vulnerability is just as real. When public budgets tighten–and they are bound to tighten–racing associated with addictive gaming formats becomes an easy target for legislators asking why public subsidy flows toward it. “The question eventually comes: why is this subsidized? Why doesn't this money go to the community?”

He acknowledged that many operators made those decisions under genuine financial pressure. But viewed over a longer perspective, this setup deserves a reckoning. “Many people don't think strategically. They try to do a quick fix, celebrate it. They set themselves up for failure.”

Asked about NYRA's policy–implemented in February and restricting computer-assisted wagering to one minute before post across nearly all parimutuel pools–Engelbrecht-Bresges was sympathetic to the intent. The HKJC has grappled with late-money compression for years. But he suggested the blunt instrument approach may leave value on the table.

“A block is a block. When you funnel or create incentives, you can change behavior more effectively.”

His preferred model is a differential takeout structure: bets placed in the closing seconds would carry a higher rate, making late money financially costly rather than simply prohibited. “If you have the right technology, you could punish bets that come later with a higher takeout rate. You create different incentive structures to change behavior.”

He was also careful to note that CAWs are not the whole story. “Ninety percent of our normal customers bet later and later. The behavior of betting closer to post time is not only due to professionals.”

At the HKJC, the response has combined pipeline throttling with longer-term platform redesign. The Club is in early-stage work on a cash-out mechanism for parimutuel bets–informed by financial market option-pricing models–that would reward earlier, better-informed wagering without abandoning the parimutuel structure. “There are ways to manage it that preserve the customer experience rather than interrupt it.”

In a strategic move to fully embrace the evolution of the racing and betting market, the HKJC has approved a HK$9 billion IT investment covering infrastructure, AI integration and a complete redesign of the wagering interface–the goal being to make parimutuel betting intuitive for someone who has never encountered an exotic wager.

“The attention span is eight seconds. If you have to explain what a quinella is, you've already lost them. The customer should be able to type in what they want to do, like a bet builder, and the system channels it to the backend.”

Fixed odds, he said, remains off the table for racing–not out of stubbornness, but because the HKJC's entire value proposition rests on providing every piece of available information and letting customers make informed decisions. “If you become a bookmaker, some customers will win permanently–and then do you limit their bets? Do you exclude them? It would be a fundamental philosophical change.”

The ecosystem he is building instead is one where AI accelerates research rather than replacing it, where hyper-personalization serves the engaged bettor, and where the intellectual challenge of handicapping remains the core product. “We don't want to extract as much money in the shortest time. It's a mind game. And I believe that is still–even for a younger segment–genuinely attractive.”

Racing, he concluded, is not in crisis. It is at a moment where choices get made, and where the consequences of those choices will play out over decades. “It's an existential moment where racing has to decide what its future is.”

And the future will definitely be very different from whatever we all take for granted.

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Two days after Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) announced its intent to acquire the intellectual property rights to the GI Preakness Stakes and the GII Black-Eyed Susan Stakes for $85 million, the firm's chief executive officer, Bill Carstanjen, said Thursday during a quarterly earnings conference call that the state of Maryland remains “in control” of the overall Thoroughbred racing product and its infrastructure, but that CDI's “real team of experts” is ready to assist if asked to help grow those assets.

Although Carstanjen detailed the annual fee structure for licensing the intellectual property rights for Maryland's two most prestigious days of racing to the state and expressed optimism that CDI's control over the second leg of the Triple Crown equates to “tremendous potential” for the gaming corporation, he wouldn't discuss whether his firm intends to try and enter either the casino or historical horse racing machine (HRM) gambling sectors in Maryland, like CDI has done in every other state where it is involved in Thoroughbred racing.

“There has been a movement, particularly among the off-track betting parlors, or OTBs in Maryland, to get HRMs,” Carstanjen said in response to a direct query from an investment banker (journalists are not permitted to ask questions during CDI's quarterly earnings calls). “I don't want to comment on that right now.”

Carstanjen continued: “You know, we're getting our sea legs in the state. We're talking to the government. We're talking to the executive branch. We are evaluating how we can be supportive and helpful to the state in achieving their goals of creating a world-class, best-in-class event that drives tourism and investment to the state [with] the Preakness.

“So we're focused on that right now and becoming a more integrated part of that state-driven team,” Carstanjen said. “And HRM is a component of the discussion in the state. But I won't comment on it for now, as I said, [until] we get our sea legs and become participants in all things racing in the state of Maryland.”

Pending an expected finalization of the deal in the near future, CDI will start reaping licensing fees from the two-day annual event in 2028. The rights to this year's Preakness are still controlled by 1/ST Maryland, LLC (an offshoot of The Stronach Group), which is in the process of exiting the racing industry in Maryland after a 15-year presence in the state.

The 2026 Preakness will be conducted on a limited-attendance (cap of 4,800) basis at Laurel Park May 16 while Pimlico Race Course is being rebuilt to become the new year-round home of Thoroughbred racing in Maryland (except for the Timonium Fair).

The state of Maryland is controlling and bankrolling the Pimlico rebuild. The non-profit Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) took over the day-to-day racing operations at Laurel and Pimlico in 2025, and it retains the on-track operational control and media rights for the Preakness.

The 2027 Preakness is scheduled to be run at the new Pimlico, even though the facility's construction won't be fully finished by that time.

Carstanjen described the annual return CDI will get on its Preakness rights investment:

“The fee structure in Maryland is a two-part structure. First, a base fee of $3 million that grows at 2.5% every year starting in 2028. It does not apply for the 2027 Preakness [because] we haven't closed on the purchase of the intellectual property yet.

“And then the second portion of the fee is 2% of handle for the Black-Eyed Susan day plus the Preakness day,” Carstanjen said.

“So you add those two amounts together and you get you get the total. Last year, the Preakness and Black-Eyed Susan days in combination did about $140 million of handle to give a rough perspective on where it is at this point,” Carstanjen said.

Carstanjen did not specify whether the 2.5% annual fee increase is based on compounded or simple calculations.

Based on simple 2.5% increases alone, CDI's licensing fee would go up $75,000 per year. That fee would escalate substantially over the years if a compounded formula is applied.

In terms of the handle, using Carstanjen's $140 million benchmark as a start point, the 2% cut payable to CDI comes out to $2.8 million annually.

So assuming a low-end estimation of combined fees and handle at roughly $6 million annually, CDI stands to earn back its $85 million investment in at least 14 years.

However, that's not factoring in the potential growth of the two-day event, and Carstanjen indicated CDI was bullish on that aspect of the deal.

“For us, it's entirely consistent with how we look at things like the Derby. In my opinion, the Derby is always what's most special and what's most unique about our company, and it's an asset that can't be duplicated. It's just a very special, unique piece of Americana,” Carstanjen said.

“And we think Pimlico and the Preakness have elements to that itself, and it's about developing those and encouraging those things to happen over time,” Carstanjen said.

“Some of those attributes come in connection with iconic assets–unique assets, special assets. They can have different attributes than everything else over the time,” Carstanjen said.

“We think the Preakness is one of those assets. We think it has tremendous potential and tremendous history,” Carstanjen said. “And as it unfolds, we certainly are available to the state and happy to work with the state to help them figure out how best to transition that property into something great, like it's been in the past.”

A different investment banker on the earnings call asked Carstanjen to explain the “explicit goal” for CDI's acquisition of the Preakness rights.

“Maryland is in control of the destiny of the Preakness. They have the land. They've authorized, legislatively, $400 million of bond proceeds to invest in the property,” Carstanjen said.

“There's another of $125 million of other government funds that are available to invest in Pimlico and Laurel Park, which is the training center that they just approved buying earlier this week. So they have a war chest of about $525 million or so of funds that have been allocated to invest in racing, and they're in control of that investment,” Carstanjen said.

“We, certainly, upon closure, will be the owners of the intellectual property, and have started already a very strong dialogue with the state on how we may be able to help them achieve those goals,' Carstanjen said.

“We have 300 people that work here in Louisville, at the track or in our corporate offices, supporting our racetrack, doing construction and design, ticketing, sponsorships, wagering. We have a real team of experts here that do this on an absolute world-class level, and certainly those resources and efforts are available to the state if they seek our help and would like our help in any way,” Carstanjen said.

“But those discussions are just beginning. And it's important to let those discussions play out at the state's timing and direction. I would say that we really love the market when we compare it to, say, our own market here in Louisville and in the Midwest,” Carstanjen said.

“We love that corridor, that 'D.C., Baltimore, up-through-Philadelphia' corridor. There are lots of great customers there. There are lots of great potential sponsors and business partners there. So we love that market. We think it's a one with a lot of opportunity, and we have a lot of ideas,” Carstanjen said.

“For us, it's a thrill to be a part of that. That's, in our view, an iconic asset. And having been in the game for a long time, I'm familiar with the history of the Preakness, and I know what it's been in the past and what it can be in the future,” Carstanjen said.

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Michelle Cuozzo Borisenok has been elected as the new president of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy, the organization's chairman Terry Finley announced Thursday. Celebrating its 40th year of service to the New York backstretch community, the Chaplaincy was previously headed by Hall of Fame jockey Ramon Dominguez, who will remain as a board member.

“It is hard to adequately convey the countless ways Ramon Dominguez helps our organization thrive and we are thrilled that he has agreed to stay involved as a member of our board of directors,” Finley said. “We wish him all the best in his new venture as the Executive Director of the Jockey's Guild Education Foundation.”

Borisenok, who has previously been serving on the board of directors as vice president, is a longtime Thoroughbred owner, entrepreneur and philanthropist recognized for her leadership and advocacy for women across the Capital Region. She is dedicated to fostering independence and improving quality of life through education, mentorship, women's leadership, and the arts.

She is the founder of Brown Road Racing, a boutique Thoroughbred racing organization that supports female racing enthusiasts with emphasis on the Thoroughbred, education and philanthropy, and co-founder of Old Tavern Farm, a New York Thoroughbred breeding farm focused on the sale of elite racehorses. Her success in racing includes a partnership victory in the 2021 Cicada Stakes, along with competitive placings in both flat track and steeplechase racing.

“Michelle Borisenok has a deep understanding of our mission and an unparalleled dedication to improving the quality of life for the backstretch community,” Finley said.

Also announced, board member Kathy Theroux-Reynolds, a Barnard College graduate with careers in medical science and education, will succeed Michelle as vice president of the board. Theroux-Reynolds comes from a horse racing family dating back to the 1930s, with her father, Ralph Theroux Sr., spending more than 70 years as a jockey agent and her brother, Ralph Theroux Jr., continuing in the sport as a jockey agent, placing judge, and steward.

“In addition to the board leadership changes, we are delighted to announce, as we look toward our future of continued excellence, two new board members, David Donk and Brad Ghaster,” said Executive Director and Lead Chaplain Humberto Chavez.

David Donk has been an active trainer on the New York Racing Association circuit for more than 40 years. He worked as an assistant for legendary trainer Woody Stephens before going out on his own. He has won more than 850 races, and numerous stakes races, including the Arlington Million Stakes with Awad and the Moet Champagne Stakes with Ordway. He has served several terms on the board of directors of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and currently holds the title of vice president. He has also served on the board of trustees for the New York Backstretch Pension Fund for the past nine years. David and his wife Fay were honored for their dedication to the NY Chaplaincy in 2015 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Brad Ghaster is actively involved with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America, where he serves as a Region 1 Ambassador alongside his wife, Kirsten Ghaster. Together, they help serve the Turf Paradise racing community in Phoenix with Chaplain John Schumaker and Amy Schumaker. Brad has also served as Chaplain for Racers For Christ for many years. He and Kirsten also maintain a passion for OTTB war horses to see them live out their best lives off the track.

In addition to his racetrack activities, Brad is the owner of Ghaster Painting & Coatings, a Phoenix-based commercial and industrial painting company he founded in 1975. He continues to provide leadership and oversight for the company's operations, bringing decades of experience in the industry.

Longtime board member, the Honorable John Andrew Kay, is transitioning from the Board of Directors to the Chaplaincy's Honorary Board.

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy ministers to the needs of the backstretch community at the NYRA racetracks (Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course) as well as surrounding farms through a wide variety of programs. They include enrichment programs for children, teen mentoring, women's enrichment, social service, and recreational programs, as well as educational opportunities and non-denominational religious services.

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Eleven new members have been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, headed by late trainers Christophe Clement and John A. Shirreffs, plus racehorse Kona Gold. Additionally, Kentucky-bred Gulch, Virginia-bred Mongo and the late trainer David A. Whiteley were chosen in the Historic Review Category; and the late Prince Khalid bin Abdullah, Dr. Robert Copelan, Seth W. Hancock, G. Watts Humphrey, Jr. and the late Joseph E. Widener were elected by the Pillars of the Turf Committee.

Clement, Shirreffs and Kona Gold were chosen on the majority of ballots submitted (50 percent plus one vote is required for election). A total of 143 voters (92.8 percent) participated from the 154 eligible to cast ballots. In the Historic Review and Pillars of the Turf categories, 75 percent approval from the respective committees is required for election.

The 2026 Hall of Fame Class will be enshrined at 10:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 7, at Fasig-Tipton's Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The event will be aired live on the Museum website. It is open to the public and free to attend. Renowned broadcaster Charlsie Cantey will serve as the master of ceremonies.

Christophe Clement (1965-2025), a native of Paris, France, won 2,576 races with purse earnings of $184,127,449 million (12th all time) in a career that spanned from 1991 through 2025. He trained three-time Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti, winner of four straight Grade 1s on the turf in 2009, as well as 2014 GI Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist, who also won consecutive runnings of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2014 and 2015. Clement won 286 graded stakes and trained 22 horses who earned $1 million or more. His Grade I wins included multiple editions of the Diana Handicap (2003, 2015), Manhattan Handicap (2001, 2009, 2010), Man o' War (2009, 2010), Turf Mile (2010, 2011) and Sword Dancer (1999, 2011, 2021, 2022, 2024), which was renamed the Christophe Clement Turf.

The late John Shirreffs | Sarah Andrew

John A. Shirreffs (1945-2026) was a native of Leavenworth, Kan., who trained the winners of 596 races, including 113 graded events, with purse earnings of $58,581,916–nine horses earned more than $1 million. Although he had a few starters as early as 1978, Shirreffs did not train full time until 1994. He won the GI Kentucky Derby in 2005 with 50-1 longshot Giacomo and later became the conditioner of one of racing's all-time greats, Hall of Fame member Zenyatta. In 2009, Shirreffs also won the Ladies' Classic with Life Is Sweet, becoming the first trainer to win both Classics in the same year.

A bay gelding bred in Kentucky by Carlos Perez, Kona Gold (Java Gold–Double Sunrise, by Slew o' Gold) won the Eclipse Award for Champion Sprinter in 2000. That year, he set the Churchill Downs track record of 1:07.77 for six furlongs in winning the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Campaigned by Bruce Headley (who also served as his trainer), Irwin and Andrew Molasky, Michael Singh, et al, Kona Gold raced from 1998 through 2003 with a record of 14-7-2 from 30 starts, earned $2,293,384 and won a total of 10 graded stakes. Kona Gold, who was ridden in all 14 of his victories by Hall of Fame jockey Alex Solis.

A bay colt bred in Kentucky by Peter Brant, Gulch (Mr. Prospector–Jameela, by Rambunctious) competed from 1986 through 1988 and posted a record of 13-8-3 from 32 starts with earnings of $3,095,521. Overall, Gulch won 11 graded stakes, including seven Grade Is. Campaigned by Brant and trained by Hall of Famers LeRoy Jolley (1986 through 1987) and D. Wayne Lukas (1988), Gulch won the Eclipse Award for Champion Sprinter in 1988.

A chestnut colt bred in Virginia by Marion duPont Scott, Mongo (Royal Charger–Accra, by Annapolis) raced from 1961 through 1964 with a record of 22-10-4 from 46 starts and earnings of $820,766. Trained by Frank Bonsal for duPont Scott, Mongo was voted Champion Male Turf Horse in 1963. He won a total of 16 stakes races.

David A. Whiteley (1944-2017) won 454 races with purse earnings of $11,837,823 in a career that spanned from 1970 through 1995. The Easton, Md., native won 45 graded stakes in his career and 62 total blacktype races. Whiteley trained Eclipse Award winners Revidere (Champion 3-Year-Old Filly, 1976), Hall of Famer Waya (Champion Older Female, 1979), and Just a Game (Champion Female Turf Horse, 1980). He won the 1979 Belmont Stakes with Coastal, denying the Triple Crown hopes of Hall of Famer Spectacular Bid. Whiteley was the son of Hall of Fame trainer Frank Whiteley, Jr.

Juddmonte colors carried home by Arrogate in the Travers Stakes | Sarah Andrew

Prince Khalid bin Abdullah (1937-2021) was a native of Saudi Arabia who established Juddmonte Farms, which he developed into one of the world's most accomplished breeding and racing operations. Juddmonte's success in both breeding and ownership under Abdullah's ownership was recognized with five Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Breeder (1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009) and four Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Owner (1992, 2003, 2016, 2017).

Abdullah's Juddmonte horses won more than 500 stakes races worldwide, including 118 Grade/Group 1 victories (102 of which were with homebreds). In Europe, Abdullah's Juddmonte runners won 21 Cartier Racing Awards, including Horse of the Year honors for Enable, Frankel, and Kingman. Carrying the Juddmonte colors stateside were the likes of Enable, Empire Maker, Expert Eye, Flute and Arrogate, just to name a few.

Dr. Robert Copelan, a native of Cincinnati, is a pioneer in the field of equine surgery and was one of the 11 founding members who established the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) in 1954. Copelan served as its president in 1973 and continued to participate on multiple AAEP committees throughout the years.

Seth W. Hancock, a native of Lexington, Ky., followed in his father's and grandfather's footsteps and took over the reins of historic Claiborne Farm in 1972 at the age of 23, following the death of his father, Arthur B. “Bull” Hancock, Jr., who in turn had taken over in the 1940s from his father, Arthur B. Hancock. Hancock added his own chapters to his family's knack for acquiring future stars, including Danzig, Mr. Prospector and Unbridled. Homebreds Pulpit and Forty Niner joined the elite rosters standing at Claiborne during Hancock's tenure.

In Hancock's 40-plus years running the farm, he guided the operation through significant changes in the sport and in the industry. One was the creation of the Breeders' Cup in 1984. Seth Hancock gave the program an important endorsement by signing up Claiborne to provide income from stallion seasons, a key source of Breeders' Cup funding. Claiborne homebred Lure, a Hall of Famer, was twice a Breeders' Cup winner for the farm.

G. Watts Humphrey, Jr. was born in Cleveland into a family with strong ties to Thoroughbred racing and breeding. Humphrey raises his Thoroughbreds on the fringe of the famed Bluegrass region at his 1,000-acre Shawnee Farm near Harrodsburg, Ky., 30 miles southwest of Lexington. Humphrey's racing stable has traditionally focused on fillies that have been channeled back to his breeding operation. Top runners for his stable have included Grade I winners Centre Court, Clear Mandate and Personal Diary, as well as multiple graded stakes winners Frivolous, Rey de Cafe, and Communique.

One of the sport's most dedicated leaders, Humphrey has served racing with distinction in various capacities, including more than 20 years on the board of Churchill Downs, including a stint as chairman. He has also been a director of the Keeneland Association, served four terms as a steward of The Jockey Club, and held several senior positions with the Breeders' Cup, among others.

Mongo with groom at Hialeah Park in 1964 | Jim Raftery Turfotos

Joseph E. Widener (1871-1943) was the second son of transportation and real estate magnate Peter A. B. Widener. In 1901, at the age of 30, Widener made a significant commitment to compete both in flat and jump racing.

Following the death of August Belmont II in 1924, Widener purchased Belmont's stallion Fair Play (leading sire in 1927 for the third time) for his Elmendorf Farm breeding operation. As part of the dispersal of the Belmont estate, Widener also acquired majority control of Belmont Park and became president of the Westchester Racing Association.

In 1929, Widener purchased controlling interest in Hialeah Park and began immediate upgrades. As part of his effort to maintain clean sport, Widener also introduced the first saliva test in America at Hialeah. Under Widener's leadership, Hialeah became one of the most popular and important racetracks in the world.

To view more information on all the inductees, click here.

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Controversial and never afraid to speak his mind, owner Mike Repole has been called a disruptor, which means that he is intent on challenging the status quo when it comes to how horse racing is run. And his primary target has been The Jockey Club. When the TDN interviewed Jockey Club Chairman Everett Dobson on last week's podcast, Repole asked for equal time.

It was a reasonable request, so Repole joined the team on this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the Week. As expected, Repole had a lot to say about The Jockey Club and the state of the industry. He also spoke about having the likely favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby in Renegade (Into Mischief) and a top contender in the GI Kentucky Oaks in Zany (American Pharoah).

To the surprise of no one, Repole found fault with many of the things Dobson had to say on last week's podcast.

“(Dobson) said that The Jockey Club and I agree on 95 percent of things,” Repole said. “If that's true, then we have a major problem with execution and a major problem with getting (expletive) done. If that's false, then you're just full of BS, and stop lying to us. Anytime I've agreed with someone at 95 percent, you have to find a solution. I am willing to find the solutions on how to move this game forward, and I don't really believe that they're attempting to find any solutions.”

The situation between The Jockey Club and Repole has become adversarial, and he has said that he is in the process of filing a lawsuit against the organization. Even so, Repole said he'd still welcome the opportunity to get industry leaders, including those from The Jockey Club, into a room and not leave until everyone can agree on solutions that might solve some of the sport's problems. He has said that The Jockey Club has rejected his efforts for a meeting.

“All I wanted to do was get a bunch of industry experts together,” he said.  “Let's just lock each other in a room for 24 hours, maybe two days, and just talk about what's working, what's not working, and what can we do to make it better in the most non-threatening way. It was rebuffed. So to me, that's not showing that you're looking to move the game forward. I don't want to be pessimistic or negative on the game, but you have to be honest. I don't really see anything that is really working in this game, from the foal crop, to racing, to HISA, to aftercare, to the sales, to the SAFE Act, to CAWs, to the horseplayers, to the tracks.”

 

He does not believe that the most prominent organizations in the sport are fulfilling their duty to improve the game.

“Where's the innovation? Where's the thought process?” he said. “We get nothing from the Breeders' Cup. We get nothing from The Jockey Club. And HISA is accelerating the death of the sport, and that's the truth.”

When the subject moved on to Renegade, a horse he co-owns with Robert and Lawana Low, and the Derby, Repole's tone shifted. He knows that he has a horse who is capable of giving him his first Derby win.

“He looks wonderful,” Repole said. “He's training incredibly. Now I'm going to get more anxious talking about this. He's only going to get better with more distance. That big Churchill stretch is going to look awfully good to him. If Irad (Ortiz, Jr.) can just get him to the outside in fifth or sixth place, he's going to be in a in great position for that last quarter mile. So, yes, I am excited about that. I'm not as excited about the sport as I used to be, but how can I not be excited about this horse? I have to be.”

And where did Zany and Renegade get their names?

“Zany means crazy,” he said. “Do you know anybody else that's crazy on this call out of the four of us? Where do you think the name Renegade came from? You know anybody who's a renegade. We've got a crazy renegade running in these races.”

The “Fastest Horses of the Week” was White Abarrio (Race Day), who earned a 111 Beyer in his win in the GII Oaklawn Handicap. The Fastest Horse of the Week segment is sponsored by WinStar, which stands the sire Constitution.

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 discussed White Abarrio's huge win in the Oaklawn Handicap over reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and GI Preakness Stakes winner Journalism (Curlin), as well as the lawsuit the connections of White Abarrio have filed over the scratching of their horse prior to last year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. The team also discussed the news that Churchill Downs had purchased the intellectual property rights to the Preakness and what that means for the future of the Triple Crown.

Click here to watch the podcast, or click here to listen.

The post Mike Repole 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.

Curlin, at 22 one of the most influential stallions in modern history, will not cover any more mares during the 2026 breeding season after a brief illness, said Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa owner John Sikura Wednesday afternoon.

“Curlin, about 10 days ago, exhibited some discomfort,” said Sikura. “Dr. (Nathan) Slovis from Hagyard examined him and found an ulcer which was outside of his stomach,” said Sikura. “This is highly unusual. He exhibited symptoms of pain, we treated him, and he had three days off breeding mares. He had a mild temperature, but nothing significant. When he was off all medication, he returned to the breeding shed, and had great libido covering mares, but his dismount samples did not look great.”

Sikura said that when his most recent mares were not checked in foal, Dr. Dickson Varner, a renowned stallion reproductive expert from Texas A&M, came to see him. “Dr. Varner came today, examined his dismount sample, and found it subnormal in motility and the number of live semen. Based on the science of how the body produces a sperm cell to a viable ejaculate, we thought it was only fair to give the horse a chance to regenerate on his own, and not to cover mares, which wouldn't be fair to outside breeders or to syndicate members.”

Sikura said the farm is hopeful that Curlin will be able to return to service in 2027.

“Obviously, that's not guaranteed,” Sikura said. “How close he will come to normalcy, time will tell, but it's still April, and everybody has a chance to regroup. Once we knew that it was unlikely for him to continue to get mares in foal, it was determined at the advice of veterinary experts to have the rest of the year off. This is a huge loss for us, but we respect the horse, are treating him with dignity and treating our customers fairly.
Curlin, known for siring classic, two-turn dirt horses, stood for $225,000 in 2026. He was the first sire to have three winners on a single Breeders' Cup card, which he achieved in 2022 with Malathaat, Elite Power, and Cody's Wish. He has twice sired three champions in a single year, which he did back-to-back in 2022 and 2023.

“It's a tough day for Hill 'n' Dale, said Sikura, “but we'll do what's best for him and see what the future holds for him. We have always bred some of our best mares to him, and we're in the same situation as everybody else. We bred Cavalieri (Nyquist) to him last week.”

Sikura said that Curlin has over 20 mares checked in foal this year, and that mares were still being checked. “He was a normal horse prior to this incident,” he said. “There is an accumulation of issues in an older horse, and those stress factors have compromised him. There's not a direct, specific diagnosis. These things are somewhat mysterious at any stage, but with older horses, they're more susceptible to illness and injury, elevated temperatures, and treatment. Hopefully he can regroup and cover mares next year. But it's the right decision to make at this time.”

Sikura acknowledged that breeders with top mares may find it hard to find another elite-level stallion with room left in their book. “It's a difficult situation because so many of those stallions at that level are full,” he said. “We're going to make a special exemption to let people book mares to Good Magic, and do everything we can do to help our customers.”

He said that Barbara Banke, who campaigned Curlin with her husband Jess Jackson in their Stonestreet Stables, strongly supported the decision to take the rest of the season off.

“Barbara Banke agrees with the decision,” said Sikura. “It has always been her wish that we take care of all the stallions ahead of any economic purpose. She loves the horse. We've always managed him very carefully. It's a real milestone for us to stand one of the couple of best stallions for more than a decade. That's a real honor. Means a lot to us and our sense of pride. It's hard to feel sad because at the same time, you have to realize how blessed you have been.”

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