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The $1 million GI BetParx Pennsylvania Derby, set for Saturday, September 19, will headline the 2026 live racing schedule at Parx Racing which released its calendar for next year Thursday.

The track, which  typically operates a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday schedule throughout the year with select Friday and weekend dates, will play host to 149 days of live racing throughout the year.

In 2026, there will be racing held on all three Triple Crown Saturdays (May 2, May 16 and June 6) as well as on Kentucky Oaks Friday (May 1). In addition, there will racing held on Saturday, July 18 for Pennsylvania Day at the Races, Saturday, August 15 for Owner's Appreciation Day and a Sunday card will be on Father's Day (June 21).

As in years past, there will be a three-week break in live racing the last week of July into the first two weeks of August. In 2026, there will also be a week off of racing following the Pennsylvania Derby.

Thursday racing has been added to the schedule for the month of November as well as live racing on Black Friday following Thanksgiving.

“We are looking forward to our 2026 season and appreciate the cooperation of the horsemen and women and the PTHA as we put together our schedule,” said Parx COO Joe Wilson. “We are proud of the competitive product put forth by our racing office year-round and hope that the return of turf racing in 2026 will continue to enhance that.”

The full 2026 live racing schedule can be viewed here.

The post PA Derby Headlines 2026 Parx Racing Schedule appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A three-judge panel on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has sided with the advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platform TwinSpires in a nearly year-old federal lawsuit against the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB).

In an opinion issued Dec. 16, the federal appeals court agreed with the Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) subsidiary that operates TwinSpires by ruling that the Interstate Horseracing Act (IHA) of 1978 preempts a Michigan licensing requirement requiring that ADW providers be linked to a licensed racetrack and live race meeting.

Back on Feb. 19, a lower federal court had already granted Churchill Downs Technology Initiatives Company (CDT) an injunction that prevented state regulators from enforcing that licensing requirement against TwinSpires. The state then appealed that decision.

“TwinSpires, an Oregon-based electronic wagering platform and a business unit of CDI, accepts interstate wagers on horseraces,” Tuesday's 16-page opinion stated. “This is legal under the Interstate IHA if TwinSpires obtains consent from state regulators and the racetrack's racing association.

“But which state regulators?” the opinion asked rhetorically. “TwinSpires says only Oregon and the racetrack's home state. Michigan says it too can regulate wagers that are made in Michigan but accepted on the TwinSpires application.

“So when TwinSpires fell out of compliance with Michigan's regulations, Michigan revoked TwinSpires' license under the Michigan Horse Racing Law (MHRL),” the opinion stated.

“TwinSpires sued, arguing that Michigan's enforcement of the MHRL is inconsistent with the IHA. The district court agreed and issued a preliminary injunction. And we agree with the district court,” the opinion stated.

“TwinSpires is likely to show that the IHA preempts Michigan's licensing requirement, and the other preliminary injunction factors favor TwinSpires. So we affirm,” the opinion stated.

The Jan. 12, 2025, lawsuit by CDT stemmed from the fact that at this time last year, Michigan's law requiring ADWs to partner with a racetrack in the state couldn't be fulfilled by any ADW operator.

That's because one year ago, there hadn't been any Thoroughbred racing in Michigan since 2018, and Standardbred races had been last conducted in February 2024.

TwinSpires (and other ADWs) previously partnered with the now-demolished and later-relocated Northville Downs, whose license-holders as of late 2024 were planning to–but had not yet received at that time–approval for the required 30 days of Standardbred racing at a different location so that parties could be eligible for ADW and simulcasting in 2025.

On Dec. 23, 2024, the MGCB notified all licensed ADWs to cease offering wagering for Michigan residents effective Jan. 1, 2025. The shutdown was to be temporary until the harness track licensing issue got resolved.

While ADW operators Xpressbet, NYRA Bets, and TVG Network voluntarily complied with the order, TwinSpires did not.

After a week of continuing to take bets against the order, the MGCB suspended the TwinSpires license Jan. 7.

CDT then sued.

On Jan. 31, Northville Downs received its licensing, allowing third-party facilitators to partner with it and accept wagers in accordance with the MHRL license requirement.

However, the MGCB continued to maintain its suspension against TwinSpires.

TwinSpires stated in court filings that the Michigan law behind the suspension was unfair.

“It is no different than if Michigan required any online retailer to partner with an in-state brick-and-mortar store before it could accept orders from individuals in Michigan,” the CDT lawsuit stated.

Nearly a year later, on Dec. 16, 2025, the federal appeals court explained its reasoning in upholding the injunction that allows TwinSpires to operate in Michigan while the overall lawsuit gets decided back at the lower-court level:

“Michigan points to its interest in regulating gambling and its residents' interest in the protections of Michigan law. But Michigan didn't lose its ability to regulate gambling other than wagering on interstate horseracing. The IHA is clear on that,” the opinion stated.

“Nor does the IHA necessarily prohibit Michigan from promulgating gambling regulations that incidentally bear on interstate horserace wagering (such as limiting wager types). And, of course, the state retains authority to regulate horseraces run in Michigan and horserace wagers accepted in Michigan because it wields IHA consent rights in those situations,” the opinion stated.

“Michigan also highlights the loss of revenue from Northville Downs. But any loss of revenue is self-inflicted because the Board ordered TwinSpires to shut down,” the opinion stated.

“And it notes a harm to competition: other third-party facilitators, but not TwinSpires, halted online pari-mutuel wagering when Northville temporarily lost its license. But this gets it backwards. The Board ended Northville's [licensing problem] in January 2025, and other facilitators are now free to accept wagers in compliance with the MHRL. TwinSpires still faces a license suspension. So TwinSpires would still face a competitive harm but for the injunction,” the opinion stated.

“Michigan can't condition the legality of interstate wagers on state requirements that add to the IHA's consent scheme,” the opinion stated.

“A license requirement for third-party facilitators doesn't regulate 'forms of gambling.' It regulates how off-track betting platforms accept interstate wagers,” the opinion stated.

“So Michigan's requirement is more like a plug-and-play supplement to the federal scheme than an earnest effort to regulate its residents' conduct,” the opinion stated.

The post Federal Appeals Court Upholds Injunction Favoring TwinSpires that Prevents Michigan from Overstepping IHA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

What will racing look like in 10 years? We asked some of racing's best and brightest to give us their predictions. Want to submit an answer? Email suefinley@thetdn.com

BARRY IRWIN, CEO OF TEAM VALOR INTERNATIONAL

Racing will contract in size and be conducted at fewer venues.

The names Stronach and 1st Racing will disappear and become as remote as the names Adena Springs and Magna.

NYRA and TwinSpires will control the game.

In 2036 there will only be racing in New York (Belmont/Saratoga), Florida (Ocala), Maryland (Pimlico), Kentucky (Keeneland, Churchill, Kentucky Downs) and Oaklawn Park.

Racing will become a team sport, with only the super wealthy able to afford team franchises.

HISA will disappear. Integrity and safety will become strictly the province of a league office that will set and enforce the rules, with its own team of scientists analyzing all aspects of the equine athlete. Only professionals will be allowed access to the stable area. Owners, supplement pushers, bloodstock agents and fans will be barred.

With wagering set to increase exponentially, stable areas will be controlled like Hong Kong operates today. Ex-FBI employees will control every aspect of surveillance of the stable area, as gambling on horses will only thrive with rigorous attention paid to its athletes and participants.

Smaller tracks will become outlaw operations with the participants not allowed to engage in the major league.

Fewer mares will be bred to fewer stallions, but breeders and stallion operations will make more profit from their investments, as fewer animals equates to much higher prices.

Wealthy folks will return to breeding and racing horses even though all previous tax incentives will disappear. These individuals will return to racing and breeding because it will be profitable and a sporting challenge.

The Jockey Club will cease to become relevant, as racetracks will dominate the equine landscape.

Horsemen's group like the HBPA and the TOC will be replaced by labor unions. All backstretch denizens will belong to a union.

AI will completely change how horseplayers bet on the races. Daily Racing Form will disappear and will seem a quaint remembrance of the horse and buggy days of Thoroughbred racing.

Horseplayers will be younger and more plentiful, with oldersters unable to keep pace with their younger rivals, whose embrace of AI and quantum computing will leave most players of a certain age in the dust.

CAW is a technique every player involved in betting on horses will employ.

The post Racing in 2036: Barry Irwin appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A highly respected team of equine veterinarians is set to serve the 2025-26 racing season at Santa Anita Park starting Dec. 26 with opening day of the Classic Meet.

Oaklawn's 2025 Thoroughbred racing season opened emphatically, with strong attendance, record wagering, and memorable on-track milestones highlighting an exceptional opening weekend.

The New York Racing Association announced Dec. 17 the stakes schedule for the 2026 winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack, which will include 20 stakes races worth more than $3.1 million in total purses.

Taylor Made Stallions' new State-Bred Initiative Program supports regional breeders outside Kentucky by providing complimentary seasons to approved mares.

Pyromancer remained undefeated after three starts and seized the lead in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby with a victory in the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun Dec. 17 at Kawasaki Racecourse.

Racing Australia has accepted the move by the Asian Racing Federation to seize control of the Australian black-type pattern, a step that will lead to its Asian Pattern Committee deciding on upgrades and downgrades before the start of next season.

Saudi Arabia's newest group 1 race has received a huge prize money boost with the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia announcing Dec. 17 that the 2026 Neom Turf Cup (G1T) will be staged for $3 million, an increase of 50%.

Veteran jockey Jareth Loveberry achieved the milestone 2,000th win of his 20-year riding career Dec. 12 and then won the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie Stakes Dec. 13. A panel of racing experts voted him Jockey of the week for Dec. 8-14.

Silent Cal's effect on the breed has been almost negligible, but he now plays a significant part in the pedigree of a horse who appears a very promising classic prospect for 2026 in Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) winner Litmus Test.

While a final adjudication is yet to come, a hearing officer on Dec. 15 determined that HISA had demonstrated good cause to move forward with a provisional suspension of trainer Rudy Rodriguez, who is accused of endangering horses.

The Dec. 20 Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds features a talented cast of eight juveniles, led by Liberty National.

A 1/50th share in the Aga Khan Studs' leading young sire Zarak topped the Arqana Online December Sale Dec. 16 when selling for 740,000 euros to an anonymous buyer based in Britain. The auction also saw shares in Mehmas and Palace Pier change hands.

Fort Bragg is a multiple stakes winner and son of Tapit who will be available to Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse mares. The partnership that owns Fort Bragg also is offering complimentary Thoroughbred seasons to breeders who are 35 or younger.

The Arizona Racing Commission gave official approval for commercial horse racing and teletrack pemits, allowing Skyfall 7 to operate Turf Paradise for three fiscal years and operate a network of 36 off-track betting sites.

Instagrand (Into Mischief–Assets of War, by Lawyer Ron), second on the Second-Crop Sire by winners list with 86, has been added to Taylor Made Stallions' “State-Bred Initiative Program,” according to the farm's release on Wednesday.

The program, created to support and incentivize regional markets, allows breeders to send approved mares to a stallion at a set stud fee, which will be waived as a complimentary no-guarantee once the resulting foal is reported as being born outside of Kentucky and supporting documentation for state-bred registration is submitted.

Instagrand joins Angel of Empire (Classic Empire), Dr. Schivel (Violence), Idol (Curlin), and Tacitus (Tapit) in the “State-Bred Initiative Program.”

Campaigned by OXO Equine, Instagrand wired his foes in the 2018 GII Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar by 10 1/4 lengths in just his second lifetime start. Undefeated at two for trainer Chad Brown, Instagrand was named a TDN Rising Star, sponsored by Hagyard after debuting a 10-length maiden special weight winner, blazing five furlongs in :56 flat and stopping the clock just .32 of a second off the Los Alamitos track record.

A $1.2 million Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale topper, Instagrand followed up his impressive juvenile season by placing in a pair of key Kentucky Derby preps at three. He placed in the GIII Gotham Stakes and set the pace in the GI Santa Anita Derby in his two-turn debut, finishing just behind GISW Roadster (Quality Road) and defending Champion 2-Year-Old Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}).

With two crops of racing age, Instagrand is the sire of 12 black-type horses, including stakes winners Sturgeon Moon, winner of the Audubon Oaks and third in the GIII Indiana Oaks; Superwolf, a two-time stakes winner in 2025; SW Kay Cup and 2-year-old stakes winners Sweet Montreal and Gangster Flash.

He is also represented by the graded stakes-placed runners Ourdaydreaminggirl, third in the GI Cotillion Stakes and in the GIII Comely Stakes; Gateskeeper, runner-up in the GII Gallant Bob Stakes and 2-year-old Vost, third in the GIII Iroquois Stakes.

“The reception of the new program has been incredibly positive and the addition of Instagrand is a very unique opportunity for regional breeders across the country,” said Travis White of Taylor Made Stallions. “Considering his success as a dirt sprint sire so far with horses like Superwolf, Gangster Flash, and Sturgeon Moon, he should work well with regional markets and add another option for breeders to choose from. He will provide significantly more value to the “State-Bred Initiative Program” with his sire line and progeny success in the dirt sprint division.”

For more information on Taylor Made's “State-Bred Initiative Program,” or to submit a mare for consideration, contact Brock Martin or Travis White at Taylor Made Stallions at (859) 885-3345.

Space in the program is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis with approval.

The post Instagrand Added to Taylor Made’s “State-Bred Initiative Program” appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is opening an investigation into antisemitic comments allegedly made on social media by young trainer Kevin Bond, son of long-time New York-based trainer H. James Bond and his wife, Tina, who is the president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA).

The aggressively antisemitic remarks allegedly attributed to Bond were in response to a Facebook post regarding the murder of Hollywood producer, director, screenwriter, and actor Rob Reiner and his wife over the weekend.

Kevin Bond reached out to TDN, saying his Facebook page had been hacked and the comments were not made by him.

His official statement follows in its entirety: “The contents of the post on Facebook that were attributed to me were shocking and unacceptable, and they most certainly did not come from me. The comments were in response to an account I do not follow; it would appear that my account was hacked, or someone created a false account that looks like mine. In any case, I immediately put on my social media story that my account was hacked and have deactivated my account and now will do everything in my power to prevent anything like this from happening again, and to repair the damage done to myself and to everyone who was hurt and offended by the post.”

NYRA president and CEO David O'Rourke also quickly released a statement: “NYRA condemns in the strongest possible terms the vile, antisemitic comments posted today on New York-based trainer Kevin Bond's Facebook account. NYRA has zero tolerance for this kind of hateful speech and will begin an investigation into the matter immediately.”

After serving as assistant to his father for several years, Bond went out on his own in 2024 and has won eight races from 72 starts.

The post NYRA Opens Investigation into Trainer’s Alledged Antisemitic Remarks, Bond Says Social Media was Hacked appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame hosts the fourth annual Countdown to the Triple Crown fundraising event Feb. 7 that features dozens of silent auction items and an online auction of unique items and experience packages.