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Jockey Keith Asmussen began getting on horses late last month at Oaklawn in advance of his comeback, which could come during Oaklawn's Classic racing season (Jan. 30-May 2) or at Sam Houston Race Park, a press release from the Hot Springs track said on Sunday.

Asmussen, Oaklawn's second-leading jockey in 2023-2024, has not ridden since fracturing the right side of his pelvis in a Nov. 8 spill at Churchill Downs. Asmussen said there was no displacement of the bone and no surgery was required.

“It stinks any time you get hurt, but considering the timing of the break at Oaklawn it hasn't really put a rush on things,” Asmussen said Sunday morning. “On my six-week mark, I got released to ride and I started getting on horses here. It's been smooth for the most part. I'm excited to get on horses and be around the races.”

The young jockey, who was involved in a serious spill during the summer of 2024, frequently rides for his father Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

The post Asmussen To Return To The Saddle After Injury appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Track stars such as Ted Noffey (Into Mischief), Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) are among the finalists for the 2025 Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards, recognizing excellence through the past year in Thoroughbred racing, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) said via a Sunday press release.

Winners in 17 horse and human categories will be announced on FanDuel TV, and other outlets, during the 55th Annual Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards, presented by John Deere, The Jockey Club and the NTRA, on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The evening will culminate with the announcement of the 2025 Horse of the Year.

Of the 240 eligible voters represented by the NTRA, consisting of racetrack racing officials and Equibase field personnel, the National Turf Writers & Broadcasters and Daily Racing Form, 221 (92%) took part in the voting. Finalists were determined in each category by voters' top three selections, using a 10-5-1 point basis. Eclipse Award winners are determined solely by first-place votes.

The 2025 Eclipse Awards Finalists, with the exception of Horse of the Year, (in alphabetical order) are:

2-Year-Old Male: Brant (Gun Runner), Gstaad (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Ted Noffey;

2-Year-Old Filly: Cy Fair (Not This Time), Explora (Blame), Super Corredora (Gun Runner);

3-Year-Old Male: Baeza (McKinzie), Journalism (Curlin), Sovereignty;

3-Year-Old Filly: Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro), Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro), Shisospicy (Mitole);

Older Dirt Male: Forever Young, Nysos (Nyquist), Sierra Leone (Gun Runner);

Older Dirt Female: Scylla (Tapit), Splendora (Audible), Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna);

Male Sprinter: Bentornato (Valiant Minister), Book'em Danno (Bucchero), Nysos;

Female Sprinter: Kopion (Omaha Beach), Shisospicy, Splendora;

Male Turf Horse: Deterministic (Liam's Map), Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire});

Female Turf Horse: Gezora (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}), She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}), Shisospicy;

Steeplechase Horse: Cool Jet (Ire) (Jet Away {GB}), Swore (Broken Vow), Zanahiyr (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire});

Owner: Godolphin LLC, Klaravich Stables, Inc., Spendthrift Farm LLC;

Breeder: Don Alberto Corporation, Godolphin LLC, WinStar Farm, LLC;

Trainer: Chad Brown, Brad Cox, Bill Mott;

Jockey: Irad Oritz Jr., Flavien Prat, John Velazquez;

Apprentice Jockey: Christopher Elliott, Yedsit Hazlewood, Pietro Moran.

Finalists for Horse of the Year will be revealed during the live show Jan. 22. In addition to honoring the 17 winners in the horse and human categories, Dan Piazza will receive the Eclipse Award as the 2025 Horseplayer of the Year. Members of the media will be honored for outstanding coverage in six categories.

Click here for more information concerning Eclipse-related events.

The post Ted Noffey, Sovereignty, Forever Young Among 2025 Eclipse Finalists appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Santa Anita Park has canceled live racing on Sunday, Jan. 4 as the final round of strong storms pushes out of the Southern California area, the track said in a press release on Sunday morning.

The storm has dropped more than 10 inches of rain on the Arcadia, California, track since an atmospheric river began pummeling the West Coast Dec. 23.

“The weather is set to improve significantly by Monday, and we don't have any rain in sight for the next 10 days or so,” said Santa Anita Park's General Manager Nate Newby. “We are grateful for the support of our stakeholders these last two weeks. It hasn't been easy, but the safety of the horses will always come first. We're looking forward to building on the strong momentum from our first few days and getting back to business.”

Racing returns to Santa Anita Park on Thursday, which is the first of two announced makeup days due to the rain cancelations. First post time on Thursday will be 12 noon and will feature two turf stakes races. The track has also added Thursday, Jan. 15 to the racing schedule.

Both the Santa Ynez Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and GIII Las Flores Stakes for older fillies and mares will be run next weekend at Santa Anita after being postponed because of rain.

The seven-furlong Santa Ynez will be run on Saturday, Jan. 10 with the seven-furlong Las Flores going a day later.

In addition to the rescheduled Santa Ynez, Saturday's card will also feature the Grade II San Vicente Stakes for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs. The San Vicente begins the road to the GI Santa Anita Derby. Entries for the Santa Ynez, San Vicente and the rest of Saturday's card will be drawn on Monday.

Joining the Las Flores on next Sunday's card will be the GIII Las Cienegas Stakes for older fillies and mares at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. That card will be set on Tuesday.

The post Go Away! Sunday Santa Anita Card Canceled As Rain Set To Move Out appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Grade I winner Tappan Street (Into Mischief) worked Saturday morning at Gulfstream Park in his continued preparation for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational.

Working four furlongs alone at Payson Park, the Brad Cox trainee was clocked in :49.60 (15/48) in his first move since his successful return to the races Dec. 19 against allowance optional claiming company at Gulfstream Park.

“It was a really good move, by himself, :49.2 and 1:02.2,” said Cox. “I thought the track was much deeper after the break up there [at Payson Park].”

Disco Time (Not This Time), the unbeaten winner of the GIII Lecomte Stakes, worked five furlongs the day prior Jan. 2 in 1:01 flat, the fastest of five others at that distance.

“Disco Time went [Friday], lights out,” Cox said. “He's really on it. Super pleased with how he's breezed the last few weeks and how he physically looks.”

Both runners are currently being pointed toward the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Saturday, Jan. 24.

The post Tappan Street, Disco Time Work for Pegasus at Payson Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

In the kickoff of stakes action Jan. 3 at Gulfstream Park, Sister Troienne easily dispatched five other 3-year-old fillies to post a comfortable victory in the $157,500 Ginger Brew Stakes.

For a 3-year-old colt, the first Saturday in January at chilly Aqueduct Racetrack is a lot more than five months removed from the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs.

The first reported foal of 2026 appeared at 2:30 a.m. New Year's Day, when a filly by grade 1 winner Muth was born at Gainesway Farm in Lexington.

Darley stallion Too Darn Hot supplied his 31st global stakes winner and 14th in Australia when Jenni The Fox produced a stylish performance to win Black Pearl Stakes Jan. 3 at Geelong. 

Jockey Alex Birzer recorded his 4,000th Thoroughbred victory Jan. 2 at Delta Downs when he piloted Big Duck to victory in the fifth race. The 52-year-old rider also has 51 wins aboard Quarter Horses.

Santa Anita Park canceled racing Jan. 3 due to anticipated heavy rain. A decision for Jan. 4 racing program will be made early Sunday morning to evaluate the most up-to-date forecast.

Opportune black type awaits some of the five fillies and mares contesting the $100,000 Las Flores Stakes (G3) Jan. 4 at Santa Anita Park.

Nearly may have punched his ticket to the $250,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) Jan. 31, putting away favored Confessional in midstretch and pulling clear to a 5-length victory in a first-level allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park.

Godolphin set a single-season record in earnings as the leading owner for the fifth consecutive year, and Irad Ortiz Jr. established a single-season record as the leading jockey by earnings according to final statistics released Jan. 2 by Equibase.

Young Gainesway stallion Muth, a Grade I winner at both two and three, welcomed his first foal, a filly, on Jan. 1 at Gainesway. The filly is out of the winning Marlinspike (Tapit), herself a daughter of 2000 Eclipse champion Surfside and a granddaughter of 1994 Eclipse champion Flanders. The new filly, who was born at 2:30 a.m. on New Year's Day, is a a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Bullet (War Front).

Muth, the $2-million OBS March topper in 2023, as well as a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' for Zedan Racing, won both the GI American Pharoah Stakes and the GI Arkansas Derby. In 2026, he will stand his second season at Gainesway for $30,000.

The post Arkansas Derby Winner Muth’s First Foal is a Filly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A newly created $25,000 Thoroughbred Hunter Derby will make its debut at the Upperville Colt & Horse Show in Virginia in early June and replace the recent Upperville Thoroughbred Hunter Classic, the planners of the event said via a press release on their website Dec. 31.

The Derby will take place Tuesday, June 2 and reflects a growing, industry-wide effort to expand opportunities for Thoroughbreds at recognized horse shows. In recent years, trainers, owners and Thoroughbred advocates have worked to elevate the visibility and competitiveness of the breed in hunter and jumper sport.

TAKE2–founded by the late Bruce Duchossois and Rick Violette, Jr. of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.–has been at the forefront of that movement. The program partners with USEF-rated horse shows to offer hunter and jumper divisions restricted to Thoroughbreds eligible for registration with The Jockey Club of America.

The release also mentions that more recently, Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall communicated with Camden, South Carolina-based trainer Ron Danta about how the racing industry was interested in promoting the idea of a Thoroughbred-only Derby series offering significant prize money. Brogden recently spoke to TDN in the 'Racing in 2036' series about how Thoroughbreds could re-establish themselves as a central players in the show hunter world.

At the same time, Middleburg trainer Sue Lyman, an active USHJA member who chairs its Horse and Riders Advocates Committee, and Second Wind Thoroughbred Aftercare founder Dayle Eldredge made repeated efforts to revive the long-dormant USHJA Thoroughbred Taskforce. Danta helped by making them aware of Brogden's interest.

According to the release, another spark was the national success of Catherine Brown's Ifwhizkycouldtalk (Unfettered), known as “Whisky,” who drew widespread attention during his second year showing with Lyman. Not only did the gelding excel in the Thoroughbred hunter divisions, but the gray also placed consistently and won in the competitive 3'3″ Green Hunter division against warmbloods and participated in the USHJA Green Incentive Program at the Kentucky finals in August.

USHJA President Britt McCormick reached out to Lyman, and the USHJA Thoroughbred Taskforce was officially revived. The group agreed that a single, successful event was needed before expanding into a series and Upperville was the natural choice.

“At Upperville, they know how to do a Derby,” said Lyman. “And the Thoroughbreds are already successful divisions.”

Lyman approached UCHS Board member Tom Brennan, who brought the proposal for a Derby in 2026 to the Show Committee, where it received a favorable response. Brennan estimated that at least $20,000 in prize money, along with $10,000 for a competitor reception, would be necessary to attract top-level participation and support.

Undaunted, Lyman immediately reached out to people she knows have a special interest in Thoroughbreds. Funding followed quickly, for the Derby prize money as well as the reception. One of the earliest prize money supporters was longtime Thoroughbred advocate and former Lyman client Ann Hormel. Others include Jacqueline Mars, for whom Lyman has also trained, and Tisbury Stud. The purse quickly rose to $25,000, while TAKE2 and Aspire Equine, LLC. signed up to sponsor the reception.

“I love Thoroughbred horses,” said Hormel. “I hate to see them cast away because they didn't make it big on the track. I would love to see them coming back into the hunter and jumper rings, and I feel like this Derby could help make that happen.”

“Upperville is truly raising the stakes with the launch of this brand-new $25,000 Thoroughbred Derby,” Tom Brennan said. “This class underscores our commitment to honoring tradition while creating meaningful new opportunities for Thoroughbred horses, owners, and riders.”

The post Thoroughbred Hunter Derby Debuts At Upperville Colt And Horse In June appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Prominent equine veterinarian Dr. Bryan Boone died Dec. 31, 2025, after an 8 1/2-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 62.

Diane Crump, the pioneering Thoroughbred jockey whose riding breakthroughs set the stage for generations of female riders, died Jan. 1 at an inpatient hospice facility in Winchester, Va. She was 77.

Contenders for spots on Dubai World Cup (G1) night made their case as the World Cup Carnival swung into 2026 at Meydan Racecourse Jan. 2.

Multiple grade 1 winner Muth sired his first reported foal Jan. 1 at Gainesway, where the stallion stands for $30,000.

Keeneland announced Jan. 2 three horses in the third round of supplements to the 2026 January Horses of All Ages Sale Jan. 12-13.