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The Lexington leg of the Real Rider Cup welcomed 30 horse and rider combinations, along with hundreds of spectators, to New Vocations at Mereworth Farm on June 28 for an evening of lively competition and entertainment.

The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund announced July 1 that president and fundraising director Nancy LaSala has retired and stepped down from its board.

Winchell Thoroughbreds and trainer Steve Asmussen will attempt to have the exacta again in the $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) July 5 as Red Route One and Unload return to the 1 1/8-mile contest this year.

Following a victory against top competition in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs June 28, Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables' Mindframe is the new No. 1 in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Viewers watching any of the broadcasts the New York Racing Association produces for FOX are sure to be struck by Acacia Clement's expertise, self-assuredness, and vivacious personality. They would never imagine she was once a shy child.

Excuse the redundancy, but it's the test for the Test.

The List: An Update and Review of the Top 25 General Sires List Rankings

On the June 30 BloodHorse Monday, Gatewood Bell discusses the 2026 Breeders' Cup at Keeneland, Louie Rabaut and Sean Collins remember D. Wayne Lukas, Dan Illman recaps the Laurel Park meet, and Rachel McLaughlin previews the Indiana Derby (G3).

The New York Racing Association did not create its trio of rich 3-year-old turf races for Flying Mohawk. But the series does come in quite handy for runners like the son of Karakontie.

The United States Supreme Court took a major step toward moving forward the years-long dispute over the constitutionality of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's powers with a sweeping set of orders June 30.

Donegal Racing's stakes winner A.P. Kid was euthanized June 28 following a workout over the Oklahoma Turf Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Journalism returned to the work tab June 29, breezing a half-mile at Santa Anita Park in :47 4/5. Trainer Michael McCarthy said the son of Curlin came out of the work well, but has no goals yet for summer races.

The 2026 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale will feature several key changes, the company announced Tuesday. Per their release, these changes, centered around eliminating timed workouts and restricting whip use, are designed to better reflect the natural athleticism of the horses, and attract a wider pool of buyers to the marketplace.

Key changes include:

• All under tack show performances will be untimed; Fasig-Tipton will not officially clock breezes.
• Use of the riding crop will be restricted: riders may carry a crop for safety purposes but may not strike horses during workouts.

“These changes reflect our commitment to improving our two-year-old sales process,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “We believe buyer focus has skewed too heavily toward stopwatch-based evaluations. This approach is intended to restore balance–emphasizing how a horse moves and presents itself on the track.”

The modifications are also designed with long-term strategy in mind: to welcome a broader spectrum of buyers. “By focusing less on clock-driven evaluations and removing whip use, we believe we can create a more accessible and horse-first sales environment,” Browning continued. “Our aim is to better serve traditional buyers while also welcoming new owners, trainers, and end-users who are interested in acquiring horses that are physically ready and mentally sound for the racetrack.”

Fasig-Tipton's decision was based in part on an unplanned but revealing trial during the 2025 Midlantic May Sale when severe weather prompted the company to adjust the final day of the under tack show to untimed gallops and breezes. According to Fasig-Tipton, the response was overwhelmingly positive.

“It became an unexpected case study,” said Browning. “Not only did the show present well visually, but the horses came out of their workouts in excellent condition–and the feedback from leading buyers and consignors was extremely supportive. That experience, combined with the tremendous horsemanship of our consignors, gives us the confidence to make these changes.”

The 2026 Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale will take place May 18-19 in Timonium, Maryland, following the running of the Preakness Stakes.

The post Fasig-Tipton To Switch To Untimed Breezes, Other Changes To 2026 Midlantic May Sale Format appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Jose Sarinana has checked off a number of firsts with Happy Saver. The longtime assistant manager at Hagyard Farm, Sarinana foaled the future Grade I winner and seven years later was the breeder of the stallion's first foal. That foal, a filly out of Sarinana's only broodmare Planeta (Giant's Causeway), will become the stallion's first yearling to sell at auction when she goes through the ring as hip 4 in the early minutes of the Fasig-Tipton July Selected Yearlings Sale next Tuesday. She is the lone horse in the Sarinana Racing consignment.

Bred and campaigned by Wertheimer et Frere and trained by Todd Pletcher, Happy Saver opened his career with five straight wins, a streak which included a victory in the 2020 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. He hit the board in 11 of 13 starts with five wins and earnings of $1,258,100. In addition to his win in the Gold Cup, he was second in that race, as well as the GI Clark Stakes in 2021, and was runner-up in the 2022 editions of the GI Metropolitan Handicap and GI Whitney Stakes before retiring to stud at Airdrie in 2023.

The team at Hagyard, the Wertheimer's Kentucky nursery where Happy Saver was born, knew the handsome chestnut was talented right from the start, according to Sarinana.

“We always number our horses from top to bottom,” Sarinana said. “And Happy Saver was always in the top three. He was good looking as a baby, as a weanling and a yearling. When we shipped him out to be trained, he looked even better. When he made it as a racehorse, I wasn't surprised. I knew he would.”

Like Happy Saver, Planeta was bred by the Wertheimers.

“Planeta got hurt as a baby, so she wasn't going to be a racehorse, but we nursed her to be a broodmare,” Sarinana said. “I was at the point where I wanted to do a little breeding and a little bit of racing and I asked if I could buy her. I remember one of the Wertheimer advisors asked me, 'Do you like to pay bills.' I said, 'Well, I do pay my bills.' He said, 'Well there you go. She is yours.' And they gave her to me. I got her as a yearling. She never left the farm. She stayed at the farm where she was born and where I've been working for 19 years.”

Now 14, the mare, who is a half-sister to graded winner Meteore (Pulpit) and from the family of Grade I winners A Phenomenon and Seattle Meteor, is Sarinana's lone broodmare.

“Just the one. It's just her and me,” he said with a chuckle.

Happy Saver | Sarah Andrew

Dac (Distorted Humor) carried the Sarinana Racing colors to victory in the 2015 and 2016 Prairie Bayou Stakes and that led to a brief doubling of the operation's broodmare band.

“Dac brought some income to me and I decided to get another broodmare,” Sarinana said. “Unfortunately, I lost her foaling. I decided to just stick with Planeta.”

Planeta is the dam of Mr. Sarinana (Mr. Speaker), who won on the flat and over jumps, and Kbcya Later (Broken Vow), a 5-year-old with earnings to date over $140,000.

When he bred Planeta to Happy Saver, Sarinana was hoping to reproduce some of the same qualities he saw from that horse at a young age.

“Good temper, a pretty easy-going horse, you don't even know he's there,” he recalled of Happy Saver. “One of those horses who showed his class all the way around. I was hoping that he would put some of his traits into the foal and he did. The filly looks a lot like he did when he was a yearling. I hope everybody will agree with me and like her.”

Of breeding the stallion's first foal, Sarinana added, “It was very special because I've known Happy Saver since he was born–I foaled him. So to have his first foal, it was very exciting. Especially seeing how beautiful she was.”

Sarinana may soon need a replacement for his lone broodmare.

“I am looking for my next Planeta,” Sarinana admitted. “She lost a pregnancy last year and this year, she couldn't get in foal. So she may be telling me it's time to retire her. I don't know. I may try to breed her again next year. Maybe to Happy Saver.”

While he may end up with two broodmares at some point, Sarinana doesn't expect his breeding operation to expand beyond that.

“It's easy to just manage one or two mares,” he said. “Since I have my work, I work for the farm and it's easy for me to have one or two mares. As a hobby, I would say, more than a business. Maybe expecting you can make it one day.”

Hip 4 (walking video) will be the only horse in Sarinana's consignment and he acknowledged it could be hard work getting people to believe in your product.

“People who know me, know Hagyard Farm has bred and raced a lot of winners, but it's still hard to get people to believe in what you present,” Sarinana said. “It's like going to a mall and going to a mom and pop shop.”

The Fasig-Tipton July Selected Yearlings Sale will be held Tuesday beginning at 10 a.m. and will be followed immediately by the company's July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale.

The post Sarinana to Give Happy Saver Another First at Fasig-Tipton July Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Nancy LaSala, who has served as president of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund since its establishment in 2006, has announced her retirement and has stepped down from the PDJF board.

“On behalf of the entire PDJF Board, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Nancy LaSala for her dedication and service to the Fund and our recipients,” said Chairman William J. Punk, Jr. “Her vision, unwavering commitment, and tireless efforts have been instrumental in what we've become and the support we provide our fallen riders. While she will be greatly missed, we celebrate her many achievements. She has made a lasting impact, and we look forward to continuing the growth she has enabled. Thank you, Nancy, for everything you've done for this organization and the professional jockey community that we serve.”

In addition to her role as PDJF president, LaSala served as the group's executive director from 2009 until April of last year. She received the Dr. J. David “Doc” Richardson Community Award, sponsored by Churchill Downs, in 2024.

A native of Chicago and wife of retired jockey Jerry LaSala, her business background includes a nearly 40-year career as manager of contract administration and commercial activities for a global leader in power generation.

“As one of the founding Board members of the PDJF, it's been an honor to help build this organization–from the ground up–into something that is so close to my heart,” LaSala said. “Looking back on our journey, I'm incredibly proud of the progress we've made and the impact we've had. It has been a privilege to work alongside such passionate and dedicated individuals, all united by a shared mission to support our jockeys in their time of greatest need. I leave with pride in what we've accomplished together and with deep appreciation for the relationships built along the way. I have always believed that a cornerstone of our sport's business model should be the unwavering support of both our human and equine athletes.”

The post PDJF President Nancy LaSala Retires appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Dr. Mary Scollay has retired from her full-time duties as the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's chief of science, effective immediately, HIWU announced Tuesday. While Scollay will continue to serve as a consultant to HIWU, Dr. Michael Hardy has assumed the position of acting chief of science.

“Dr. Scollay was integral to the creation of HIWU and the launch and enforcement of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program,” said Ben Mosier, executive director of HIWU. “In the three-plus years since our first introduction at Turfway Park's test barn, her contributions have been immeasurable.

“The entire HIWU team is thankful for Dr. Scollay's service on behalf of the Thoroughbred industry, and we are grateful that we will continue to benefit from her expertise as a consultant.”

Scollay was a regulatory veterinarian for more than 30 years, including 11 years serving as the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's equine medical director. She piloted the program that became known as The Jockey Club's Equine Injury Database (EID), which was the first North American database to track equine injuries and fatalities.

Before joining HIWU, Scollay was a member of HISA's inaugural ADMC Committee. She also served as the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium's executive director and chief operating officer for three years, where she directed the advancement of laboratory drug testing standards, promotion of RMTC-recommended rules and penalties for prohibited substances and therapeutic medications, monitoring of emerging threats to the integrity of racing and the health and welfare of racehorses, and administrative oversight of RMTC-funded research projects and educational programs.

As he transitions into his new position, Hardy will also maintain his role as executive director of the RMTC.

“HIWU has enjoyed a productive relationship with Dr. Hardy in his role at the RMTC, and we are excited for him to join our team,” said Mosier. “We are confident that he will build on our successes thus far to promote laboratory harmonization and facilitate research into novel substances that pose a threat to safety, integrity, and welfare.”

Hardy joins HIWU after spending nearly three years as the executive director of the RMTC. A member of HISA's Horsemen's Advisory Group, he spent more than a decade as a regulatory veterinarian, including serving as the chief association veterinarian and safety director at Horseshoe Indianapolis. He is also a member of the Breeders' Cup Veterinary Panel and has served on the Horseracing Testing Laboratory Committee and RegVets Continuing Education Program's Committee for the RMTC.

The post Scollay Steps Down From HIWU Post; Hardy Named Acting Chief of Science appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law Monday a budget package that includes a continuation to, and in certain ways a redistribution of, the incentives and promotions that lawmakers have funnelled towards the state racing and breeding industries in recent years.

The budget includes the following details:

• $15 million to Gulfstream Park and $5 million to Tampa Bay Downs for purses “and for the maintenance and operation” of these facilities. This mirrors the amounts listed for such purposes in last year's budget.
• $6 million to Gulfstream Park and $1.5 million to Tampa Bay Downs to be used as purses and purses supplements specifically for Florida-bred and sired horses.
• A $2 million direct appropriation to the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA).

Furthermore, the budget eliminates the requirement for Thoroughbred permitholders to pay their $2 million annual slot machine licensing fees, provided the permitholder is “in compliance” with certain specifics outlined in the budget.

Pre-existing legislation means the annual racetrack tax credits to offset HISA funding assessments continues this year unaffected.

The budget was a contentiously fought affair, both within the state legislature–which took an additional 45 days over the normal timeframe to agree upon a final package–and among some of the state's key racing industry organizations (beyond the ultimately thwarted attempts to decouple the live racing requirement for Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs to operate their respective casino and card rooms).

An earlier version of the tax package advanced by the Florida House of Representatives included a small section tacked onto the end of the bill that would have maintained $27.5 million in annual purse subsidies at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs, but would have stripped out the FTBOA as a receiving or administering entity for that money.

Last year, the state legislature funneled $5 million specifically towards the FTBOA in breeding and racing incentives and promotions. While this year's direct appropriation to the FTBOA is $2 million, the budget includes a combined $7.5 million for the tracks to use as purses and purses supplements specifically for Florida-bred and sired horses.

In a Monday statement, FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell singled out leaders in the Florida Senate for their “ongoing support” of the state's Thoroughbred breeding industry.

“Were it not for key Senate allies, Florida's breeding program would be in a precarious position. We are thankful that Thoroughbred breeding remains a priority in Florida. With Governor Desantis's approval today, Florida will continue to develop top-quality horses, while protecting the important and historic economic, agricultural, and cultural legacy of our state's Thoroughbred breeding industry.

“Today's additional state investment affirms the racetracks' responsibility to the Florida industry. We anticipate benefits to our breeders as purse incentives drive up market values for the second most valuable state-breds in the nation,” Powell added.

The post Florida Budget Signed, Includes Ongoing Incentives to Racing Industry appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Arindel’s homebred filly Nacho Problem gives freshman sire Waiting his first winner Sunday at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo.

Arindel’s homebred filly Nacho Problem graduated in her third start Sunday at Aqueduct to became the first winner for New York-based freshman sire Waiting.

Waiting, an 8-year-old unraced son of American Pharoah, stands for $2,500 at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions LLC in Stillwater.

Matched up against a group of eight first-time starters, Nacho Problem led from the start and won as the 5-2 favorite by three-quarters of a length over Devilish Grin under Christopher Elliott. Trained by Amelia Green, Nacho Problem finished third in her debut May 3 at Aqueduct and fourth in her most recent start June 8 at Saratoga Race Course.

“We have been hearing very good things from the training centers on Waiting’s first crop,” said Irish Hill & Dutchess Views’ Moe Scavullo. “It seemed likely he would have precocious runners but It is very nice to see it actually happen on the racetrack. We look forward to seeing more as the season progresses.”

Nacho Problem, making her first start on the grass after two tries on the dirt, is one of 14 foals in Waiting’s first crop.

Out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Wait No More, Waiting topped the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings on a bid of $1,575,000. Wait Not More is out of champion 3-year-old filly Wait a While.

The post Irish Hill & Dutchess Views’ Waiting sires first winner appeared first on New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. News.

Newmarket trainer Charlie Fellowes will aim to add the U.S. to the list of countries where he has saddled winners when lining up Luther in the July 4 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T).

The Iowa Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association announced the engagement of Corey Johnsen and Damon Thayer for a consultancy focused on securing a vibrant future for horse racing and breeding in Iowa.