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Zarigana the One to Beat in French One Thousand Guineas

Blood-Horse - Sun, 2025-05-11 14:49
Zarigana will start an overwhelming favorite for the first French fillies' classic, the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas, G1) May 11, although some might argue her price is hard to justify based on her last two starts.

Peter Pan Winner Hill Road Eyes Belmont Stakes

Thoroughbred Daily News - Sun, 2025-05-11 14:05

Amo Racing's Hill Road (Quality Road) may have earned himself a tilt at the June 7 GI Belmont Stakes with his win in the GIII Peter Pan Stakes at Aqueduct Saturday.

“He bounced out of the Peter Pan in good shape,” trainer Chad Brown said Sunday. “Hopefully once we get him back under tack and he's healthy and good, we will go onto the Belmont.”

A debut winner at Leopardstown last August, Hill Road was third behind champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar last November for trainer Adrian Murray. Transferred to Brown, he opened 2025 with a third-place effort in the Mar. 8 GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby and had been expected to start in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes before being sidelined by a fever.

Brown said he was expecting a big comeback effort in the Peter Pan.

“I was not surprised–it was a good spot for him,” Brown said of the Peter Pan win. “After a little bit of a layoff, it was a reasonable spot for him to get going again. It wasn't too difficult of a race, it was at the right distance, at least off a layoff, and I think at a mile and a quarter, you'll see the best of him. That's what he's been looking for.”

Brown sent out reigning 3-year-old champion Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) to work four furlongs in :50 flat (131/187) over the Belmont Park dirt training track Sunday. The colt, who was third in the GII New Orleans Classic in his 4-year-old debut Mar. 22, is expected to make his next start in the June 28 GI Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs.

“He is doing fine. He is idling for a little while and is probably not going to run until the Stephen Foster in late June,” said Brown. “Today was a solo [breeze], just maintenance to stretch his legs. I might pick it up with him next week and do something a little more serious.”

The post Peter Pan Winner Hill Road Eyes Belmont Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Burnham Square to Target Matt Winn

Thoroughbred Daily News - Sun, 2025-05-11 13:22

Whitham Thoroughbreds' Burnham Square (Liam's Map), coming off a troubled sixth-place effort in the GI Kentucky Derby, is now being aimed at the June 8 GIII Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs, trainer Ian Wilkes confirmed.

Jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. had to check repeatedly aboard Burnham Square in the Derby when when Admire Daytona (Jpn) (Drefong) slowed abruptly in front of him.

“In a 20-horse field, somebody is going to have trouble and I guess it was my turn,” Wilkes said the morning after the race. “I thought he ran a terrific race. He got stopped at the half-mile pole when everybody else was making their move and then he got going again to get sixth. Without the trouble, I think he would have been in the top three.”

Burnham Square opened his sophomore campaign with a win in the Feb. 1 GIII Holy Bull Stakes and, after finishing fourth in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes, he won the Apr. 8 GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes.

The post Burnham Square to Target Matt Winn appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Whatchatalkinabout grits out John A. Nerud win

New York Thoroughbred Breeders - Sat, 2025-05-10 17:41

Whatchatalkinabout lands first graded stakes victory in Saturday’s John A. Nerud at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo/Susie Raisher.

Whatchatalkinabout returned to stakes company for the first time since October 2023 and came away with a gritty victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $169,750 John A. Nerud at Aqueduct.

Owned by Ice Wine Stable and trained by Wesley Ward, the 4-year-old son of Dialed In also returned from an almost five-month layoff to win a three-way photo in the 6-furlong Nerud. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode Whatchatalkinabout, who edged Silver Slugger to his inside and Surveillance to the outside.

Bet down to even-money favoritism, Whatchatalkinabout broke well and relinquished the lead early to Silver Slugger up the backstretch. Silver Slugger led through the opening quarter-mile in :21.89 over the fast track, just ahead of Whatchatalkinabout with Surveillance and Full Moon Madness right behind the top pair.

Silver Slugger and Whatchatalkinabout continued their battle around the far turn and to the half in :44.84 with Surveillance ranging up three wide at the top of the lane. The trio flashed past the eighth pole heads apart in :56.67 for the 5 furlongs and threw it down in deep stretch.

Whatchatalkinabout edged clear of Silver Slugger just before the wire for his second stakes score and fourth overall win from seven starts. Whatchatalkinabout, scratched at the gate before last month’s Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland, won in 1:09.03.

“He’s a good horse, talented,” Ward said. “He ran a gutsy race. I was proud of him. That horse on the inside [Silver Slugger] ran a big one and also the grey horse on the outside [Surveillance]. To be in the middle of those two and for him to gut through it really showed something.

Ortiz came away equally impressed.

“He was good. I was supposed to ride him last time and we scratched at the gate,” he said. “He was much better at the gate. That helped, we broke so good, he put me right in the race, and after that I was closer than I thought, and I go from there. He was game at the end. He felt the outside horse and fought. Then the inside horse came back, and he fights back and by the time we hit the wire he had his head in front. He was game, he was fighting.”

Whatchatalkinabout started his career with two wins in three starts, including a debut score in mid-May 2023 at Belmont Park and the New York Breeders’ Futurity in mid-October at Finger Lakes. He also finished third behind The Wine Steward and El Grande O in the Funny Cide Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day during his juvenile season.

Off until last October, Whatchatalkinabout returned with back-to-back seconds at Aqueduct before an 8-length victory in mid-January at Aqueduct. Ward purposely waited until this spring to bring Whatchatalkinabout back to the races.

“He ran such a big number in his last race, I just wanted to give him a bunch of time,” Ward said. “I’ve learned a lot over the 35 years. When I started, I had black hair and now it’s white, so, I’ve learned what not to do. It’s hard to be patient, especially when he ran a big one like that.”

Bred by Newtown Anner Stud, Whatchatalkinabout is the sixth foal out of the unraced Super Saver mare Super Savvy. A half-sister to Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed Don’t Forget Gil, Super Savvy is the dam of 10-time winner and $354,215-earner Prince James and winner Stopdropandroll.

Super Savvy is also the dam of the 2-year-old New York-bred Sharp Azteca colt Hamilton’s Reason and a colt by Maxfield born February 12 in Kentucky. Newtown Anner Stud bred both colts.

Originally consigned by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale, Whatchatalkinabout left the ring unsold on a bid of $38,000. Reoffered by Blake-Albina at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale, Whatchatalkinabout sold to Ward for $82,000.

Whatchatalkinabout earned $96,250 for the Nerud victory to boost his bankroll to $335,328.

The post Whatchatalkinabout grits out John A. Nerud win appeared first on New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. News.

Sandman Joins Preakness; Gosger, River Thames Breeze

Blood-Horse - Sat, 2025-05-10 14:48
River Thames and Gosger recorded breezes May 10 in preparation for the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1) May 17 at Pimlico Race Course, and another leading 3-year-old, Sandman, joined the prospective lineup.

Alvarado Fined $62,000, Suspended for KY Derby Ride

Blood-Horse - Sat, 2025-05-10 14:48
In a ruling issued May 9, jockey Junior Alvarado was fined $62,000 and suspended two racing days for violating established riding crop rules in piloting Sovereignty to victory in the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.

With Rodriguez Out, Goal Oriented Emerges for Preakness

Blood-Horse - Sat, 2025-05-10 14:48
Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) winner Rodriguez will miss the May 17 Preakness Stakes (G1) because of a foot issue, but his connections have another colt in mind for the second leg of the Triple Crown, undefeated Goal Oriented.

Longtime West Coast Trainer Walsh Dies at 85

Blood-Horse - Sat, 2025-05-10 14:48
Former trainer Kathy Walsh died in her sleep May 8 in Chico, Calif., where she had resided for the past 2 1/2 years. She was 85. 

Top Buyers Flock to Deauville for Arqana Breeze Up Sale

Blood-Horse - Sat, 2025-05-10 14:48
With the recent success of last year's Arqana Breeze Up Sale topper Ruling Court in the Two Thousand Guineas (G1), top buyers have flocked to Deauville ahead of Saturday's ring action.

Preakness Updates: River Thames Breezes at Belmont, Brendan Walsh Green Light Gosger

Thoroughbred Daily News - Sat, 2025-05-10 14:30

Breezing Saturday morning over the Belmont Park training track, 'TDN Rising Star' GISP River Thames (Maclean's Music) put in another half-mile move in advance of his anticipated start in the GI Preakness Stakes May 17 at Pimlico.

In company with MSP Trust Fund (Practical Joke), the New York-bred went a half-mile in :48.25 (9/37) with exercise rider Fernando Rivera in the irons. He began the work to the outside and just off of his workmate and ended it along the rail and at least a length in front. Trainer Todd Pletcher said he clocked the gallop out in 1:01 and 1:15, and was happy with what he saw from his charge.

“He went very well, in hand throughout,” said Pletcher. “He put in a nice half-mile in 48 [seconds] and change. He galloped out around the turn strongly and looked good. They followed the instructions perfectly.”

He continued, “We are happy with his condition. He has bounced out of the Blue Grass well. He has been training consistently here. He has put on a few pounds, so we are happy with the way he is coming into [The Preakness].”

River Thames will be looking to claim Pletcher's first victory in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. The conditioner is a two-time Derby and four-time Belmont Stakes winner.

“I'd love to check that box, we will give it a try.”

Gosger gets the Green Light for Preakness after Keeneland Work

Working in company with Godolphin's Paris Lily (City of Light), who is being pointed to Friday's GII Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, Gosger (Nyquist) and the filly breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60, making the pair's move the fastest of 14 at the distance at Keeneland that morning. Carrying the colors of the late Harvey A. Clarke, the grey will attempt to collect his third straight win after he claimed the GIII Stonestreet Lexington Stakes Apr. 12 at the venue.

“He worked really well,” Walsh said. “He worked good; so, we're a go. I think he's ready to take a step forward again off the last race.”

Walsh will be trying for his first Preakness win with Gosger's entry.

Heart of Honor Set to Clear Quarantine Earlier, On Track Tuesday

G2 UAE Derby runner-up Heart of Honor (GB) (Honor A.P.) is now set to clear quarantine at Churchill Downs Sunday and will make his first appearance on track at Pimlico Tuesday after vanning over the day prior.

Trainer Jamie Osborne has earlier confirmed his daughter Saffie Osborne will have the Preakness mount. The elder Osborne has sent prior runners who competed in the UAE Derby to the States and enjoyed great success, but a win on the Triple Crown trail would be a first for Heart of Honor's connections.

The post Preakness Updates: River Thames Breezes at Belmont, Brendan Walsh Green Light Gosger appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Sorcerer’s Silver Undergoes Successful Surgery At Rood And Riddle

Thoroughbred Daily News - Sat, 2025-05-10 14:09

Sorcerer's Silver (Good Magic), a 3-year-old colt who suffered a sesamoid injury on the Kentucky Derby day undercard is recovering from surgery at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, according to a story posted on the NBC Lexington affiliate website on Friday afternoon.

Pulled up by jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. halfway through the third race, the dark bay trained by Dale Romans was transported to Rood & Riddle in Lexington.

“The problem with the sesamoid injury is, they don't show much,” said Rood & Riddle's Dr. Larry Bramlage. “Sesamoids are the two little bones in the back of the horse's fetlock joint where when they move and up down, they're the bones that support their weight. They're sort of like our kneecaps only in reverse.”

After a three-hour fusion surgery Monday, X-rays showed Sorcerer's Silver was doing well, even though his racing days are over.

“He's gonna live 25 years,” Dr. Bramlage said.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Domeyko Taylor, the colt debuted a winner at Gulfstream Park Feb. 1 and then cleared an optional claimer over the same surface Mar. 27.

The post Sorcerer’s Silver Undergoes Successful Surgery At Rood And Riddle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Arkansas Derby Champ Sandman Enters Preakness Fray

Thoroughbred Daily News - Sat, 2025-05-10 11:57

The winner of the GI Arkansas Derby and seventh place finisher in the GI Kentucky Derby, Sandman (Tapit–Distorted Music, by Distorted Humor) will enter next Saturday's GI Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, according to a press release sent out by 1S/T Racing.

Co-owned by D. J. Stable LLC, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, CJ Stables and influencer Griffin Johnson, the 3-year-old has remained at Churchill Downs where he took a spin over the main track on Friday.

“We wanted to see how he came back. He's an extremely happy horse right now. It looks like the race might set up nice for him. It looks like there's a fair amount of speed,” said trainer Mark Casse, who saddled eventual victor War of Will in 2019. “I always quote Allen Jerkens, 'Run 'em when they're good,' and he's good right now. We were planning on waiting for the Belmont, but a lot of things can happen in between. He's telling us he's happy so we're going to go with it.”

Casse continued, “I knew when he went by us the first time that we were in big trouble. He obviously wasn't handling the track very well, and you just don't know how that affects them late in the race. He made a middle run but did flatten out a little bit. I think War of Will ran seventh in the Derby and won the Preakness, so we're going with that.”

The grey, who was pointing to the GI Belmont Stakes, joins 'TDN Rising Star' Goal Oriented (Not This Time) who was also confirmed for the barrier this week. A jockey has yet to be announced and Sandman is scheduled to ship to Pimlico Monday.

The Preakness draw is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on Monday, May 12.

 

Sandman back galloping this morning, looking ahead to the Belmont Stakes! pic.twitter.com/YnkcO2Sgdj

— West Point Tbred (@westpointtbred) May 9, 2025

The post Arkansas Derby Champ Sandman Enters Preakness Fray appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Alvarado Fined $62,000 And Suspended Two Days For Crop Violation During Winning Derby Ride

Thoroughbred Daily News - Fri, 2025-05-09 19:42

Jockey Junior Alvarado has been fined $62,000 and suspended two Kentucky racing days after using the whip two more times than is permitted when winning the GI Kentucky Derby aboard Sovereignty, according to a Kentucky stewards' ruling Friday.

Under Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) rules, jockeys can use the crop no more than six times during a race.

The typical penalty for going one to three strikes over the limit is 10% of the jockey's earnings or a $250 fine, whichever is bigger. Alvarado's share of the Derby purse was $310,000. It typically comes with a one-day suspension.

This, however, was Alvarado's second whip violation within 180 days, according to the stewards' ruling.

According to HISA Rule 2283 (c)(1), a second violation within that 180-day period results in a doubling of the fine and a doubling of the suspension period.

Alvarado's two-day suspension will run May 29 and 30.

According to the BloodHorse, the ruling is under appeal, which will likely be heard by a three-person HISA Internal Adjudication Panel.

The post Alvarado Fined $62,000 And Suspended Two Days For Crop Violation During Winning Derby Ride appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Queen Of Racing Kathy Walsh Passes At 85

Thoroughbred Daily News - Fri, 2025-05-09 17:30

Kathy Walsh, who started training as an interloper among the nation's almost hermetically-sealed male ranks and who pursued her career with a rare combination of grit, guts, gumption and generosity, passed quietly in her sleep at the age of 85.

A consummate horsewoman, Walsh brooked no fools and minced no words, yet garnered the kind of deeply held reverence and affection typically extended to those of royal lineage. There's a reason she was nicknamed The Queen.

“She probably hired and fired me more times than she changed her underwear, I used to tell her,” said jockey Mike Smith. “She could be tough on you–but once you were part of the family, buddy, you were part of the family, man.”

Walsh was born into racing. Her father James trained. She cultivated great taste in mentors. Walsh spent the formative years of her equine education mining nuggets of wisdom from the likes Allen Jerkens, Charlie Whittingham and Buster Millerick, who she viewed as her “adoptive grandfather.”

Walsh started training in the early 1970s, taking over her father's stable upon his death. She soon hung out her shingle as a trainer to note, winning multiple titles at Longacres in Washington State and Canterbury Downs in Minnesota.

“We go way back, me and Kathy, back to the old Canterbury Downs days,” said Smith. “She's a great horsewoman. She had a strong stable back then. She was someone you wanted to ride for all the time.”

Once becoming a permanent fixture of the California circuit, so the overall quality of her stock improved in leaps. She won 15 graded stakes during a career comprising 1231 individual wins. This includes the 2001 GI Santa Monica Handicap with Nany's Sweep.

Walsh's moon shot came in 2007, and the arrival in her barn of Cal-bred Georgie Boy (Tribal Rule), who took that year's GI Del Mar Futurity.

The following spring, Georgie Boy claimed wins in the GII San Vicente Stakes and San Felipe Stakes, on the way to what was expected to be a bold tilt at the Kentucky Derby. He missed the race, however, with pulled muscles in his back, but he returned to action later that year before claiming the GII San Carlos Stakes, his final race.

As a two-year-old still learning his craft, Georgie Boy was headstrong, a real bruiser. “But we knew he could run,” said Smith, who rode the horse to second in the GII Best Pal Stakes, a prep for his next race, the Del Mar Futurity.

“He was so aggressive with the blinkers on when we finished second. And she was pretty aggravated because we'd gone pretty quick. And I said 'Kathy, he doesn't need these blinkers anymore. I know he did when he was young, bless him, but he needs to relax. Take them off,” Smith recalled.

“Well, she took the blinkers off but she took me off with them!” said Smith. “Of course, the horse relaxed beautifully in the Futurity and won it.

“I ran into her the next day and I said, 'Well, first of all congratulations. But if I knew I was attached to those damned blinkers, I would never have told you to take them off!' That's just the game, isn't it,” said Smith. “And you know, we were having dinner together two nights after that.”

Walsh was a pioneer among female trainers–a distinction she would begrudgingly acknowledge but more readily downplay.

“So many other people are deserving to be here, men and women,” Walsh told the LA Times in 1988, before her trainee, Hanuman Highway, took a shot at the Kentucky Derby. He finished seventh.

“But really, this horse doesn't know me as a woman or a man. He just knows me as an individual. I don't mean this as a put-down on women, but I think the respect I might get has more to do with getting a horse to the Derby than what sex I am.”

Former trainer Mike Puhich, now trainer and director of horse operations at the Pegasus Training and Rehabilitation Center in Redmond, Washington, knew Walsh since he was knee-high to a pastern. She was Puhich's godmother.

“My dad's the one who gave her the nickname The Queen,” said Puhich, of his father, Nick. “She was a great horseperson and a great person. It's hard to think she's gone.”

Marietta Gelalich was a long-time owner with Walsh, and one of her closest friends.

“Not only was she good with the horses and honest with me about when they should run and shouldn't run, but when my husband ['Tiny'] died–and she loved my husband–she stayed with me 24-7 to help me get back on my feet. She was a true, true friend,” said Gelalich.

“I miss her and I love her and she was a true friend and a good trainer. And she did not like a lot of women, you know. You had to cuddle up to her to make her like you. She'd been a woman in a man's world for so long,” said Gelalich.

“They broke the mold–thank god–when they made The Queen. She was made of cast iron,” said XBTV and TDN Writers Room presenter Zoe Cadman, who became close friends with Walsh after working for her as a freelance exercise rider.

“She loved her horses, cussed like a sailor and tolerated people. She tried for years to get me to work for her full-time but would never acquiesce to giving me a day off. She said I could sleep when I was dead. I declined! Sleep tight, Queen.”

Said Smith, “She led a wonderful life. She wouldn't have traded her life for anybody. I can guarantee you that.”

The post The Queen Of Racing Kathy Walsh Passes At 85 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Cyclone Mischief To Stand In Argentina

Thoroughbred Daily News - Fri, 2025-05-09 17:11

Albaugh Family Stables and Castleton Lyons's Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief–Areyoucominghere, by Bernardini), third to 'TDN Rising Star' and champion Forte (Violence) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby and GII Fountain of Youth Stakes in 2022, will enter stud at Haras Don Florentino in Argentina for the 2025 breeding season, Turf Diario reported on Friday.

Bred in Kentucky by Castleton Lyons and Kilboy Estate, Cyclone Mischief cost $450,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale and won two of his first four starts for trainer Dale Romans, including a 5 3/4-length allowance success that saw him jump as the 6-5 favorite in the GIII Holy Bull Stakes. A troubled seventh on that occasion, he bounced back in the final two Gulfstream legs on the Derby trail before finishing down the field in the Run for the Roses. He added allowance victories at Ellis Park last August and back in Hallandale Beach on Jan. 26 and amassed a record of 4-1-4 from 18 starts for earnings of $405,528.

Bred on the exact same cross as last weekend's GI Kentucky Derby hero Sovereignty, Cyclone Mischief is out of a half-sister to Suddenbreakingnews (Mineshaft), a 3-year-old of note in 2016 when taking out the GIII Southwest Stakes ahead of a runner-up effort in the GI Arkansas Derby.

The Grade III-winning and G1/GISP third dam Party Cited (Alleged) produced seven winners, including GIII West Virginia Derby scorer Ready Set (Touch Gold) and dual Grade I winner Composure (Touch Gold), the dam of GSW & GISP Penwith (Bernardini). A Munnings half-sister to Cyclone Mischief was purchased by Frank Fletcher Racing for $225,000 at Keeneland September last fall.

The post Cyclone Mischief To Stand In Argentina appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Penn Vet Agrees To Lifetime Ban To Resolve HISA Allegations Of 18-Month Joint Injection Conspiracy

Thoroughbred Daily News - Fri, 2025-05-09 16:46

An 81-year-old Penn National-based veterinarian charged in February by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) with allegedly intentional, conspirational and repeated violations of intra-articular injection rules designed to safeguard the health of horses has consented to an “agreed order” of a lifetime ban of practicing medicine on Thoroughbreds covered by HISA.

Allen Post Bonnell, a veterinarian who has been practicing for 45 years, signed the consent order May 7, according to documentation provided by HISA.

Beyond his work as a veterinarian, Bonnell is barred from “participating in any activity” at a racetrack or training facility.

According to the consent order, Bonnell agreed to a stipulation that his acceptance of the lifetime ban resolves only the HISA charges against him, and that the penalty is separate from charges, “if any,” that might be issued by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU).

An investigation initially led by the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission last year had revealed that Bonnell allegedly conspired with 13 implicated trainers from May 2023 through November 2024 to administer intra-articular injections to the joints of Thoroughbreds within the prohibited stand-down periods, in direct violation of HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) and Racetrack Safety Programs.

According to the PSHRC investigative report that was later handed over to HISA, “Dr. Bonnell informed investigators that trainers will request his services for intra-articular injections because they know he will not report them as required, allowing them to run their horses during the time they should have been placed on the veterinarians list…

“Dr. Bonnell went on to [tell investigators] that he feels what he is doing is harmless and it just helps the horse with pain and inflammation. He said the reason he does not report it is that the injections he gives are worthless if it's done too far out because it eventually wears off. If he reports it and the horse is put on the veterinarians list for 14 days, it could be an additional 14 days to a month, even two months, before it runs in a race,” the PSHRC report stated.

In a November article published by the Paulick Report in the wake of Bonnell's summary suspension by the PSHRC, the veterinarian told Ray Paulick that he believes the “HISA rules are a nightmare” because they “don't make any sense.”

HISA disagreed, stating in a press release in February that of the more than 100 unique horses alleged to have breezed or raced in violation of HISA's intra-articular stand-down times, 30% never raced again, “strongly suggesting these injections were used to mask pain.”

Approximately 10% were observed to be lame post-race by a regulatory veterinarian. Three horses were euthanized as a direct result of injuries sustained in those races, HISA stated.

Under HISA's rules, horses treated with intra-articular injections are not permitted to race within 14 days or perform a workout within seven days of the treatment.

The post Penn Vet Agrees To Lifetime Ban To Resolve HISA Allegations Of 18-Month Joint Injection Conspiracy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Preakness Names Michael Behrens, MyRaceHorse Honorary Postmaster

Thoroughbred Daily News - Fri, 2025-05-09 16:31

Michael Behrens and MyRacehorse, owners of last year's GI Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate), will be celebrated at Thursday's Alibi Breakfast with the role of Honorary Postmaster for Preakness 150.

Previous Honorary Postmasters have included Hall of Fame trainers D. Wayne Lukas, Nick Zito, and Bob Baffert; Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado; and Horse of the Year recipients Cigar and Knicks Go.

Behrens is the Founder and CEO of MyRacehorse, the platform that brought fractional racehorse ownership to the masses. Under his leadership, MyRacehorse has opened the gates of the sport to over 100,000 fans worldwide.

“It is an incredible honor to be named Honorary Postmaster for Preakness 150,” said Behrens. “This race means the world to us. Winning it last year with over 2,000 MyRacehorse owners behind the horse was one of the most powerful moments in our journey. To be back here a year later in this role is truly special.”

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Gaming Board–But Not State Officials–Dismissed As Defendant In TwinSpires Vs. Michigan Suit

Thoroughbred Daily News - Fri, 2025-05-09 15:36

The federal lawsuit in Michigan involving TwinSpires and a state law requiring advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platforms to partner with a brick-and-mortar racetrack before accepting simulcast wagers took a twist Friday when a judge granted in part and denied in part a motion by state defendants to dismiss the claim initiated back in January by Churchill Downs Technology Initiatives Company.

“TwinSpires brings this claim under the implied cause of action to enjoin state actors from violating federal law,” United States District Court Judge Hala Jarbou of the Western District of Michigan wrote in a May 9 opinion. “It has alleged facts sufficient to state a claim under preemption, but not for a claim under the dormant Commerce Clause. While the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) will be dismissed as a defendant, the Executive Director of the MGCB and the Attorney General remain as defendants in this lawsuit.”

That means the underlying case (minus the dormant commerce clause allegations) will proceed against those two individuals while a preliminary injunction issued two months ago in favor of TwinSpires remains in effect.

Back on Feb. 19, the judge had ruled that the MGCB was unconstitutionally violating the Interstate Horseracing Act (IHA) by requiring that ADW to partner with a brick-and-mortar state racetrack before accepting simulcast wagers from Michigan residents.

Via that earlier injunction, which survived an Apr. 18 motion to dismiss by the Michigan defendants, the judge had ordered the MGCB not to enforce the contested Michigan Horse Racing Law (MHRL) licensing requirement about partnering with an in-state racetrack or to issue any sanctions against TwinSpires, a Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) subsidiary, for accepting bets from Michigan residents on out-of-state simulcast races.

An entirely separate lawsuit brought against TwinSpires by Henry Williams, the executive director of the MGCB, was remanded from the federal court system to a state court in March.

Both lawsuits stem from the fact that at the start of 2025, Michigan's law requiring ADWs to partner with a racetrack in the state couldn't be fulfilled by any ADW operator because there hasn't been any Thoroughbred racing in Michigan since 2018, and Standardbred races last ran in February 2024.

TwinSpires (and other ADWs) previously partnered with the now-demolished and to-be-developed Northville Downs, whose license-holders as of Jan. 1 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 all 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's 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.

On Jan. 31, Northville Downs received its licensing, allowing third-party facilitators to accept wagers in accordance with the MHRL license requirement. However, the MGCB continued to maintain its suspension against TwinSpires.

The post Gaming Board–But Not State Officials–Dismissed As Defendant In TwinSpires Vs. Michigan Suit appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Maryland Governor Approves Plans for 'New' Pimlico

Blood-Horse - Fri, 2025-05-09 14:48
A big step for Maryland racing was made May 9, when Maryland Gov. Wes Moore approved a plan that called for the demolition and restoration of Pimlico Race Course, in addition to the acquisition of Shamrock Farm as a satellite training center.

ABR: Blane Servis Goes From Recovery to Kentucky Derby

Blood-Horse - Fri, 2025-05-09 14:48
Blane Servis, assistant to trainer Brad Cox, allowed America’s Best Racing inside his journey on the path to recovery and behind the scenes with Final Gambit before and during the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.

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