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A schedule of 35 stakes races and handicaps worth more than $6.5 million, topped by the Colonial Downs Festival of Racing Aug. 1, is on tap when the Virginia racetrack opens its doors for a 45-day summer season June 25.

The latest Dollars & Sense with Frank Angst looks at how the 2027 season would be a good time to make changes to the Triple Crown, if so desired.

This is not your typical edition of the Preakness Stakes (G1). While the 2020 race, which was contested in October due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was unprecedented, the May 16 renewal has a number of unique elements tied to it.

Mischief Crown became a first-out winner May 9 at Hipodromo de Las Americas for owner Cuadra Los Agaves.

The countdown to New Zealand Bloodstock's National Weanling Sale is underway, with a high-quality catalog of 140 youngsters by New Zealand's best stallions now available to view online. The one-day sale will be held June 25.

Rich Strike, a son of Keen Ice, won the 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1) and stands for Irish Hill and Dutchess View Stallions in New York.

Subscribe now and read about what this year's Preakness Stakes (G1) will look like at Laurel Park.

On the May 11 episode of BloodHorse Monday: Trainer Whit Beckman discusses Kentucky Derby (G1) third-place finisher Ocelli competing in the Preakness Stakes (G1), we react to Golden Tempo skipping the Preakness and the Triple Crown's future.

A New York appellate court affirmed a ruling suspending Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher for 10 days due to a medication positive for Forte, who crossed the line first in the 2022 Hopeful Stakes (G1).

Fasig-Tipton announced that the Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training under-tack show will be condensed into two days, May 12-13, in order to provide the safest, most consistent, and fairest racetrack for all participants.

Freshman stallion Jack Christopher saw his first winner May 8 when filly Rhythm of Crown captured a maiden race at Hipodromo of the Americas in Mexico City.

Katsumi Yoshida's Aperitivo wins first-out going 5 1/2 furlongs on the dirt May 5 at Mombetsu Racecourse.

Incredibolt was entered May 11 to the May 16 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Laurel Park, according to Michael Hardy, director of operations for the colt's owner, Pin Oak Stud. The draw will be held later Monday afternoon.

To Derby or not to Derby. It's an interesting predicament facing trainers who have horses "on the cusp" of the leaderboard earning points to be a Kentucky Derby contender. Preakness contender Talkin was one such horse.

Trainer Mark Casse said John Oxley's son of Tacitus had a protective shoe removed from a bruised foot and regular shoe put on. The colt galloped fine May 11 but is not jogging at 100%, according to Casse.

Rhetorical, here winning last year’s West Point Stakes at Saratoga, earned New York-bred Horse of the Year and Champion Turf Male honors for 2025. Coglianese Photo/Chelsea Durand.

Rhetorical earned New York-bred Horse of the Year honors and led a haul for his breeders Mallory and Karen Mort Monday evening during the New York Thoroughbred Breeders’ Inc.’s Annual Awards Ceremony at the Hall of Springs at the Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs.

Bred by the Morts and campaigned by Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable and Wachtel Stable, Rhetorical won four of five starts and earned $863,800 in 2025. His victories included the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland Race Course and the West Point Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. In addition to Horse of the Year honors, Rhetorical took home Champion Turf Male honors.

The 2025 New York-bred Horse of the Year and divisional champions were chosen by a vote of New York turf writers, handicappers, photographers and television and radio hosts and analysts conducted by the NYTB.

The Morts were also selected by the NYTB board as New York Breeder of the Year and their former Distorted Humor mare Sheet Humor was named Broodmare of the Year. Sheet Humor also produced Sterling Silver, who was bred by the Morts and took home honors as Champion Older Dirt Female for owner Mark Anderson.

A Commemorative Awards Program, written and produced by ST Publishing (the team behind The Saratoga Special and Thisishorseracing.com), was produced for the Awards Dinner and is available on the Thisishorseracing.com website by clicking here.

New York’s 2025 honorees:

New York-Bred Horse of the Year, Champion Turf Male
Rhetorical (Not This Time – Sheet Humor, Distorted Humor
Owners: Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable and Wachtel Stable
Breeders: Mallory and Karen Mort
Trainer: Will Walden
Foaling farm: Gallagher’s Stud in Ghent

Champion Two-Year-Old Male
Arctic Beast (Yaupon – Frostie Anne, Frost Giant)
Owners: Paradise Farms Corp., JP Racing Stable, David Staudacher, Zilla Racing Stables and Jennifer Rice
Breeders: Rockridge Stud, Saratoga Glen Farm and Beal’s Racing Stable
Trainer: Mike Maker
Foaling farm: Rockridge Stud in Hudson

Champion Two-Year-Old Filly
Iron Orchard (Authentic – Onebrethatatime, Brethren)
Owners: KatieRich Stables, CSLR Racing Partners, Edward Childs and R.A. Hill Stable
Breeder: Pine Ridge Stable
Trainer: Danny Gargan
Foaling farm: Waldorf Farm in North Chatham

Champion Three-Year-Old Male
Mo Plex (Complexity – Mo Joy, Uncle Mo)
Owners: R & H Stable
Breeder: Everything’s Cricket Racing
Trainer: Jeremiah Englehart
Foaling farm: Stonegate Stables in Fort Edward

Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, Champion Female Sprinter
Usha (Tiz the Law – Animal Appeal, Leroidesanimaux)
Owners: Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman
Breeder: Esler and Raine
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Foaling farm: Thirty Year Farm in Saratoga Springs

Champion Older Dirt Male
Bank Frenzy (Central Banker – Storm Now, Tiznow)
Owners: LSU Stables
Breeders: Chester and Mary Broman
Trainers: Rudy Rodriguez, Miguel Clement
Foaling farm: Chestertown Farm in Chestertown

Champion Older Dirt Female
Sterling Silver (Cupid – Sheet Humor, Distorted Humor)
Owners: Mark Anderson
Breeders: Mallory and Karen Mort
Trainers: Bill Mott and Anthony Margotta Jr.
Foaling farm: Gallagher’s Stud in Ghent

Champion Turf Female
Awesome Czech (Mendelssohn – Marvelous Martina, Awesome Again)
Owner: Barry Schwartz
Breeder: Stonewall Farm
Trainer: Horacio De Paz
Foaling farm: Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs

Champion Male Sprinter
Whatchatalkinabout (Dialed In – Super Savvy, Super Saver)
Owner: Ice Wine Stable
Breeder: Newtown Anner Stud
Trainer: Wesley Ward
Foaling farm: Jack’s Farm on the Hill in Millbrook

Broodmare of the Year: Sheet Humor (Distorted Humor – Sheets, Scatmandu), dam of Rhetorical, Sterling Silver

New York-Sire of the Year: Bucchero
Standing At: Ironhorse Stallions

New York-Sired Horse of the Year: Bank Frenzy

New York-Bred Trainer of the Year: Linda Rice

New York-Bred Jockey of the Year: Manny Franco

New York Breeders of the Year: Mallory and Karen Mort

New York-bred Program Lifetime Achievement Award: Marlene Brody

New York Farm Manager of the Year: Gregg Falk (Chestertown Farm)

The post Rhetorical earns 2025 New York-bred Horse of the Year, Champion Turf Male honors appeared first on New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. News.

A final decision on whether Silent Tactic, the probable favorite, runs in the Preakness Stakes will come the morning of May 11. It appears, though, that the decision has been made.

Considering he is named after a television spy, it should come as no surprise that the grade 1-winning 3-year-old Napoleon Solo's career has been filled with thrills, drama, and plot twists.

When Farfellow Farms' Expensive Queen (IRE) hit the wire simultaneously with Segesta in the Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland this April, the Knelman clan which operates the farm turned the winner's circle celebration into a family affair.

The increasing globalization of Thoroughbred racing provides opportunities for horsemen to test their horses against the best across the world. One of those is the Goodwood Festival at Goodwood Racecourse.