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The Jockey Club announced the appointment of Charlotte Clement de Bona as its chief strategy and transformation officer, reinforcing its commitment to innovation, performance, and long-term growth.

Eye on the World, with BH correspondent and world traveler Bob Kieckhefer, aims to look at international racing from an American perspective and, along the way, perhaps grow some interest in racing overseas.

Letters to the Editor, Feb. 26 edition of BloodHorse Daily

The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) on Thursday voted down a pair of dates allocation requests for spring and summer meets at Red Bluff (Tehama District Fair) and Ferndale (Humboldt County Fair), meaning that no Thoroughbred racing is likely to occur in 2026 on the state's once-vibrant Northern circuit that has been dark since December of 2024.

“As much as I'd like to see them do well, they have no chance of success,” the CHRB's chairman, Gregory Ferraro, DVM, said prior to the first of two separate votes that each went down in defeat by 4-2 margins.

“There's just no market for 'em up there,” Ferraro said. “So you're going to end up destroying all of racing in California to bet on a no-chance situation in the North.

“There will come a time when the North will be ready for racing. But it's not right now,” Ferraro said.

Considering that the CHRB has repeatedly rebuffed attempts to revive the circuit over the past two years (meets at Ferndale, Fresno and Pleasanton were nixed in early 2025), proponents of NorCal are likely left wondering if Ferraro's “now” might be morphing into “never.”

As recently as two summers ago, NorCal boasted a year-round rotation of racing anchored by one commercial track, Golden Gate Fields, and five fairs venues.

That quantity of lower-class racing opportunities in the North dovetailed well with the better-quality race meets in Southern California at Santa Anita Park and Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (with shorter meets at Los Alamitos Race Course filling in seasonal SoCal gaps).

But an existential North-vs.-South rift was blown wide open in 2023 when The Stronach Group (TSG) announced plans to shutter Golden Gate, then the last-surviving commercial track in NorCal.

TSG also owns Santa Anita, and together with Del Mar, the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), and the California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT), those entities have since lobbied hard for centralizing all of the state's racing and simulcast revenues on a single circuit in the South.

Together, those pro-SoCal groups have asserted that the South's racing would be “cannibalized” by what they have characterized as unrealistic, not-well-organized, and tenuously financed attempts to make a go of race meets in the North while the entire state is dealing with a rapidly thinning Thoroughbred population and no source of purse revenues other than pari-mutuel betting.

NorCal interests, on the other hand, have consistently argued that they have both the horses and the financial backing to pull off successful small meets, and breeders, owners and trainers based in that region remain firm in their belief that it's a mistake to concentrate the entirety of the state's racing in one urban area in the South.

The North's proponents have also articulated complaints that the TOC and CTT aren't representing their interests, and that the CHRB isn't extending support to smaller-scale racing outfits that haven't been able to compete at Santa Anita or Del Mar.

They also claim that if NorCal slides off the grid, so too will the state's alarmingly diminishing foal crop, because the North is where the bulk of the breeding farms are.

The CHRB, meanwhile, is caught in the middle, and its board members seem collectively mindful that they made a mistake by greenlighting a risky venture by an entity called Golden State Racing that failed to conduct a financially viable extended NorCal meet at Pleasanton in the autumn of 2024.

In fact, in April 2025, Ferraro described that Golden State Racing decision by the CHRB as “unwise at best or disastrous at worst.”

In direct opposition to Ferraro, the CHRB's vice-chair, Oscar Gonzales, has been a staunch, outspoken supporter of keeping racing alive in the North over the course of the last several years, and he has consistently advocated for and backed every proposal aimed at propping up the North since TSG pulled the plug on Golden Gate, which last had racing in June 2024.

Prior to the votes on Thursday, Gonzales zeroed in on California's “foal crop that is nosediving,” which he pegged at “right around 800” and said is “just going to keep going down” if the CHRB didn't do something to revive racing in NorCal.

“The breeding that goes on in California is primarily in the North,” Gonzales said. “And what I have heard loud and clear from the breeders is that they're literally getting out because there is nowhere for them to kind of spread their investment across the table.

“So I find it very interesting that trainers would be very much in favor [of a single circuit in the South], especially when we just don't know what the future is for Santa Anita or TSG,” Gonzales said.

“We see what [TSG has] done in Maryland [where TSG is exiting the Thoroughbred industry by turning over control of Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park to the state]. We see what they're doing in Florida [where TSG is pushing for legislatively “decoupling” live racing at Gulfstream Park from its casino there]. But we're willing to put all of our chips [in the South] rather than spreading them out?” Gonzales asked rhetorically.

Instead, Gonzales suggested, the CHRB should be “keeping some presence in the North, even if it's just [fairs meets in the] summer, [because that's all] the breeders want.”

Gonzales continued: “We know the Cal-bred program is going down, and a big reason they're going down is because there's no place for them to train or race. I don't understand [and] I just don't really see a strategy here by completely eliminating Northern California racing. Because when you do that, you're eliminating breeding. And if you're eliminating breeding, guess what? You're eliminating the Cal-bred program eventually…

“By having these little fairs, you're sending a message to the breeding community in Northern California [that] they matter, and that there's going to be a place for them to compete,” Gonzales said.

“After today's meeting, if, in fact, we do not approve of these fairs, these breeders are going to be really sending their broodmares out [of state], and we will start to see a foal crop down in the 600 to 700 [range], which we might as well just throw in the towel at that point,” Gonzales said.

Ferraro was quick to respond to that last point by Gonzales, interjecting that, “I hate to be argumentative, but the way to improve breeding for California-breds is to breed better horses, not breed horses for the fairs.”

Thursday's meeting had been specially added to the CHRB's calendar after the board, at its January meeting, had tabled a proposal for 19 weeks of fairs racing at three different tracks (Pleasanton, AKA Alameda County Fair, which asked for dates last month, did not come back with a new proposal along with Red Bluff and Ferndale).

Red Bluff proposed an Apr. 29 to May 26 meet. Ferndale wanted dates from Aug. 5 to Sept. 1.

A CHRB staff analysis that was prepared for the Feb. 26 meeting indicated that there were several outstanding financial, bureaucratic and logistical questions about the proposed race meets that needed to be rectified under a tight timeline, particularly for Red Bluff, which has not hosted a CHRB-licensed meet in some four decades.

A CHRB safety steward visited the bare-bones remains of Red Bluff's former half-mile oval Jan. 23 and noted that there were “a large number of updates/improvements that need to be made to the track before it can pass an inspection.”

Ferndale last raced in the summer of 2024.

“At least with Tehama, I think in no way, shape or form are they ready to start a race meet and be successful at it,” Ferraro said.

Commissioner Dennis Alfieri said it was his opinion that the SoCal statewide consolidation plan is still in its formative stages, and thus shouldn't be tinkered with by diverting simulcast revenues and horses to the North.

“We're finally doing so well in the South,” Alfieri said (with Gonzales openly scoffing at that statement). “But it's fragile, right? It can break like an egg. And so I am still not convinced that granting race dates [in the North] is appropriate or smart. My belief [is] it's not the time to experiment, [and] this is high-risk.”

Commissioner Brenda Washington Davis said she saw both sides of the issue, and asked other board members to consider that giving the North some leeway with regard to racing might help get NorCal stakeholders on board to help lobby for new forms of gaming revenue that could be legalized to subsidize purses statewide.

“I understand the impetus for consolidating and not dragging everybody down by compromising purse sizes and field sizes,” Washington Davis said. “[But] I think every time the Southern California circuit takes a position that they don't want the North racing, [that] puts us farther from that Northern element that could help with getting [purse subsidies legalized].

“And frankly, in my concern, it's fragile in the South because we don't have the subsidy. And I think the South would go down anyway at some point, the way things are heading,” Washington Davis said.

“So it would just make more sense to me, instead of hounding on the fact that [race dates, horse population and simulcasting revenues are] a zero-sum game, to say, 'Let's give the North something,' and put that pressure on ourselves to work harder and get [gaming legalization] that you all know we're going to have to have to keep racing healthy in California.”

Voting “no” for both versions of the NorCal meets (and the simulcast privileges that would have gone with the dates) were Ferraro, plus commissioners Alfieri, Damascus Castellanos and Peter Stern.

Voting “yes” to advance the NorCal meets were Gonzales and Washington Davis.

Commissioner Thomas Hudnut was not at the meeting.

The post CHRB Again Votes Down Attempts to Revive NorCal Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Gary and Mary West's Sticker Shock (Uncle Mo–Smokey's Love, by Forestry) made it two-for-two going a route of ground when winning at Oaklawn Thursday afternoon.

Allowed to settle in a two-wide third as Copper Wind (Gun Runner) led the way through a :23.49 quarter, the 3-2 favorite, who was getting-first-time Lasix here, took closer order as the pacesetter kept up the tempo through a half-mile in :47.62. Starting to put the pressure on the leader as the round the far turn, the West homebred held a narrow advantage straightening for home, and despite the best intention of 5-2 chance Scot's Law (Tiz the Law) to her outside, the Brad Cox trainee held tough to score by a length. Spitfire (McKinzie) was third.

The winner is a half to Love Tap (Aus) (Tapit), GSW-Aus, $414,859; and to Fighting Mad (New Year's Day), GISW, $472,008. Smokey Love most recently produced a colt by Tapit in 2025.

Third as the favorite in her career debut going seven panels at Keeneland in October, Sticker Shock appreciated the added yardage when going wire-to-wire in an 8 1/2-furlong test at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29.

8th-Oaklawn, $125,000, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($150,000), 2-26, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:44.24, ft, 1 length.
STICKER SHOCK (f, 3, Uncle Mo–Smokey's Love, by Forestry)
Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $154,613. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Gary and Mary West; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.

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New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. is pleased to announce that this year’s New York-bred Divisional Championship Awards of 2025, scheduled for 6:30-9 p.m. on Monday, May 11, will once again feature an award for New York Farm Manager of the Year.

This award, to be chosen from the nominated candidates and voted on by the board of directors of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., is in recognition of an individual in a managerial or supervisory role at a New York Thoroughbred-based farm.

This person should display exceptional leadership qualities, particularly in motivating, mentoring, and supporting colleagues day-to-day. This individual should show consistency, reliability, and a talent for Thoroughbred breeding horsemanship and is a pivotal part of the Thoroughbred farm’s success.

Please complete the form located here to submit a nomination for 2025 New York Farm Manager of the Year. All nomination applications must be submitted by March 31, 2025 and can be returned to NYTB via e-mail at info@nytbreeders.org or mail at NYTB, Inc. P.O. Box 5120 Saratoga Springs, NY.

If you have any questions regarding the application process for the 2025 New York Farm Manager of the Year, please contact NYTB at 518.587.0777 or email at info@nytbreeders.org.

Tickets for the NYTB Awards Dinner, where the 2025 New York Farm Manager of the Year will be awarded in addition to New York Divisional Championship nominees, Broodmare of the Year, Champion Trainer, Champion Jockey, and Outstanding Breeder, are available for purchase while supplies last. Tickets are $150 for NYTB members and $175 for non-members by visiting nytbreeders.org/events. Tables of 10 are also available for $1,350 for NYTB members.

The post Nominations for 2025 New York Farm Manager of the Year Now Open appeared first on New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. News.

In 2011, I attended the meeting at Belmont Park that launched the creation of the TAA. I'll never forget how passionate Mike Repole was in that meeting as he paced back and forth leading the conversation that no one wanted to lead. One thing everyone agreed upon was that something needed to be done to fund and monitor aftercare. That was a huge accomplishment and pointed the industry in the right direction for both funding and accreditation. However, the goal was for both funding and infrastructure to grow over time, but that has not been the case.

The Thoroughbred industry needs to move beyond viewing aftercare solely as a funding challenge and recognize it as a shared responsibility of everyone involved in breeding and racing Thoroughbreds–at every level. For years now, the industry has acknowledged an obligation to provide meaningful aftercare for retired racehorses. The creation of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance marked an important step forward, but it was never intended to be a complete solution. Since then, progress has not kept pace with intent, and the gap between commitment and follow-through has continued to widen. This is not a matter of indifference, as many within the industry care deeply. Rather, advancement has been limited by leadership that has not required collective action or structural improvement.

Thankfully, awareness has grown, more owners seek aftercare, more organizations are accredited, and initiatives like the Thoroughbred Makeover, Take2 Thoroughbred Program, and Thoroughbred Incentive Program have expanded demand for Thoroughbreds in second careers. This is all good news, but aftercare capacity has not grown fast enough to meet the demand. The majority of aftercare organizations, including New Vocations, are overflowing and very few have the ability or support to grow.

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program began in 1992 when my mother, Dot Morgan, recognized a truth the industry could no longer afford to ignore: racehorses retiring from the racetrack were not disposable commodities, but capable, willing athletes in need of a responsible second chapter. At a time when formal aftercare infrastructure was nonexistent, she began taking in retired racehorses, rehabilitating them, retraining them, and placing them into homes as riding companions.

More than three decades later, that grassroots effort has grown into the nation's largest racehorse aftercare organization. New Vocations has successfully rehomed more than 9,500 retired Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds nationwide. That scale matters–not as a point of pride alone, but when responsibility is treated as a core obligation, real solutions follow.

With leadership comes accountability. As the largest aftercare organization in the country, New Vocations does not simply advocate for aftercare–we live it daily, accepting both the operational demands and the moral responsibility that accompany this role. Our work proves that meaningful aftercare is achievable and sustainable when it is prioritized. What remains missing is industry-wide leadership willing to take ownership of the problem, not just acknowledge it.

On October 7, 2024, I, along with others from the aftercare space and industry stakeholders, was invited by Mike Repole to meet and discuss the issues the racing industry faces with their horses beyond the track. It was a great first step as no one has reached out to get feedback from such a variety of aftercare initiatives and truly research the current aftercare space.

Shortly after that meeting I was able to review the report that Repole's team put together called “U.S. Aftercare Ecosystem Findings.” The phrase “aftercare ecosystem” describes this space perfectly. The services that New Vocations provides represents just one of the many aftercare initiatives that are currently in existence. To solve the overall aftercare issue, we must have a multi-prong approach. Aftercare is not one program or one solution–it is an ecosystem.

At present, we have improved awareness and accreditation, but we have not built the underlying infrastructure required to meet rising demand and complexity of aftercare. The burden continues to fall disproportionately on non-profit aftercare organizations operating without the capital depth of the industry they support.

If the industry is serious about its responsibility to Thoroughbreds beyond the track, it must invest not only more dollars, but in leadership and infrastructure to ensure no horse falls through the cracks. Good intentions are no longer enough. The horses do not need more conversations about aftercare–they need decisive leadership that turns responsibility into action. I feel we have come full circle to that meeting at Belmont in 2011 asking the same question. Who will lead the charge? New Vocations is ready to expand, collaborate and do more–but we are only a small piece of the solution.

The post Letter to the Editor: Good Intentions are No Longer Enough appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Live Oak Plantation's Souper Landslide (Tapit—Victory to Victory, by Exchange Rate) came from just off the pace to graduate in her career turf debut at Gulfstream Park on Thursday afternoon.

Sixth going 1 mile 70 yards over the Gulfstream synthetic in November, she was given a 6-1 chance cutting back to a mile on the sod here. Not particularly in a hurry exiting post 7, the chestnut settled in a three-wide third as Mo Java (Mo Town) and 8-5 choice Role Play (Uncle Chuck) led through an opening quarter in :22.79 and a half in :46.97. Poking her head in front of the favorite leaving the far turn, the Live Oak homebred cut the corner turning for home and drew off to graduate by two lengths over Sister Slew (Awesome Slew). Resort (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) was third. The favorite faded to fifth.

Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Victory to Victory, winner of the GI Natalma Stakes during her championship season, is a daughter of Canadian champion grass mare Points of Grace (Point Given). The half-sister to GI Whitey Stakes winner Arthur's Ride (Tapit) produced a colt by Into Mischief in 2024. She was most recently bred back to Liam's Map.

 

2nd-Gulfstream, $48,090, Moc ($50,000), 2-26, (C), 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.29, fm, 2 lengths.
SOUPER LANDSLIDE (f, 3, Tapit–Victory to Victory {Ch. 2-year-old Filly-Can, GISW, $210,804}, by Exchange Rate). Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $29,730. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Live Oak Plantation; B-Live Oak Stud (FL); T-Mark E. Casse.

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Anytime Bill Mott and Mark Casse have something to say I pay attention…and they have weighed in on the importance of maintaining use of furosemide (Lasix) on race day as a help in preventing pulmonary bleeding during races.

I agree with them…but with one condition. Horses who receive Lasix should carry more weight.

Bill and Mark and the other trainers speaking out contend that Lasix should be allowed until scientific studies can provide definitive proof that Lasix is a “performance-enhancing drug.” As a former National Defense Research Fellow during my doctoral program, I know that the probability of doing rigorous studies that can achieve scientific certainty and be replicated is next to zero. It is simply not possible in our racehorse world to design randomized, controlled experiments that account for numerous contaminating variables and that are performed with a large number of horses, same track conditions, and same distance. We will never get “scientific certainty.”

But in the midst of uncertainty, it is often useful to identify facts and common ground. One thing we can all agree on is that the horse must come first. I believe that protecting horses is an essential part of competent stewardship and should be our first thought. Lasix is protective. Many horses are susceptible to bleeding without Lasix. And strong scientific evidence shows that race-day Lasix reliably reduces the incidence and severity of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), which we simply call bleeding. Let's take those facts as givens.

Another fact worth noting is that eliminating Lasix will likely deliver another blow to our steadily declining industry. Field sizes are already shrinking, despite fewer tracks. They will shrink further.

Beyond the facts and evidence that Lasix is necessary for some horses and the industry, however, strong suggestive evidence also exists that Lasix produces performance improvements through weight loss and altered physiology. Multiple studies show that horses lose 20-30 pounds after administration of Lasix, that oxygen diffusion may be slightly improved, and that cardiac workload changes. Some studies also suggest that modest improvements are obtained in VO2 Max and “time to fatigue.”

Cardiopulmonary changes also exist; small, but measurable. All of these findings suggest that Lasix provides an edge.

At this point, we should pause and ask: Why is Lasix or diuretics banned in Europe, UK, Australia, Hong Kong, and the Olympics? And why is Lasix banned in professional Cycling as a masking agent for other drugs?

My assessment of the total picture is that the smart approach for us to take for now is to kick the can down the road and continue closely regulated use of Lasix for older horses, simply for economic reasons and to protect the horse. The current banning of Lasix for two-year-olds and stakes has worked well and should be retained. But, if we continue to use Lasix for the benefit of the horse and racetracks we should also develop a strategy for the benefit of all owners. We need a level playing field.

I believe a weight allowance makes sense for horses not running on Lasix. Because jockeys often have difficulty making lower weights, I believe horses running on Lasix should be assigned a higher weight than horses not on Lasix: two pounds at five furlongs, three pounds at six furlongs, and a pound for each furlong beyond six furlongs.

This strategy will not bring us in compliance with the rest of the horse and athletic world, but it will provide protection for our beloved horses and create a more level playing field for owners and players who are essential to the health and long-term viability of our sport.

The post Letter to the Editor: In Pursuit of a Level Playing Field appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A new, $1-million Florida Sire Racing Incentive Program for 2026–providing win incentives to owners and breeders of FSS-eligible 2-year-olds at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs–has been announced by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association.

Each 2-year-old winner of a maiden special weight, allowance, allowance optional claiming or stakes race at either track during calendar year 2026 will earn a $25,000 racing incentive paid directly by the FTBOA–$20,000 to the winning owner and $5,000 to the breeder.

The new program replaces the Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds.

“The FTBOA did not enter this decision lightly,” FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell said. “We had no other choice since repeated attempts to negotiate an agreement with the parties for the last six months went nowhere.”

“It is tragic that our breeders and owners have been denied Florida's traditional centerpiece races, but we are excited to announce the new Florida Sire Racing Incentives for 2026,” Powell said. “Florida breeders, owners and the sales segment will all benefit from this lucrative and timely initiative. With almost 70 percent of Florida-bred winners in Florida being Florida-sired, this program delivers real value where it matters most.”

He added, “The new Florida Sire Racing Incentives Program continues the FTBOA's expanding investments in Florida's Thoroughbred industry; joining the $1 million FTBOA Export Incentives launched to reward breeders whose Florida-breds win at out-of-state tracks, fee-free FTBOA and Florida Sire foal registrations, and the FTBOA's steadfast defense against decoupling.”

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A new Equine Health Advisory identifying key risk factors associated with fatal proximal hindlimb fractures in Thoroughbreds was revealed by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) Thursday.

The advisory, which is based on data drawn from the HISA Portal, provides practical guidance for trainers and veterinarians on how to help prevent these catastrophic injuries.

In 2024 and 2025, Regulatory Veterinarians at Covered Racetracks reported 28 fatal tibial (12) and pelvic bone (16) fractures. Most (75%) fractures occurred during training; 25% occurred during racing.

Approximately 40% of horses with fatal proximal hindlimb fractures reported to HISA had 10 or fewer high-speed furlongs recorded within the 60 days prior to the fracture occurring.

Fatal Tibial Fractures

Approximately 40% of horses with fatal tibial fractures, specifically, had zero recorded lifetime high-speed furlongs; 50% had 10 or fewer high-speed furlongs recorded in the 60 days prior to fracture.

Four of these horses (roughly 15%) had been on the Veterinarians' List as unsound at least once in the previous year, underscoring the need for careful attending veterinary evaluation once these horses are flagged by Regulatory Veterinarians. Two others were older, unraced horses: one was unraced at 4-years-old; one was unraced at 5-years-old. Both sustained fatal tibial fractures.

Fatal Pelvic Bone Fractures

Approximately 80% of fatal fractures of the pelvic bones occurred in fillies and mares, while fatal tibial fractures occurred more evenly across both sexes.

This data suggests that a lack of high-speed exercise, such as in horses just starting training or returning from an extended layoff, may pose a significant risk for fatal proximal hindlimb fractures—just as it does for proximal forelimb fractures.

This is the third Equine Health Advisory that HISA has issued, following advisories on proximal forelimb fractures and exercise-associated sudden death.

“It's important that HISA utilizes the data we collect to draw insights and share learnings with the industry,” said Dr. Jennifer Durenberger, HISA Director of Policy and Industry Initiatives. “This advisory, like the proximal forelimb fracture advisory, aligns with HISA's commitment to data-driven safety and education among industry stakeholders.”

The full advisory is available here.

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Newly minted sire Arthur's Ride (by Tapit), who won the GI Whitney Stakes with a 110 Beyer at Saratoga, has his first mares checked in foal according to news out of Taylor Made Stallions on Thursday.

The first mare covered successfully is Imimpeccable (Include), who is a half-sister to GSW The Mailet (Rock Hard Ten). Now 13, she's also from the decorated family of Stellar Jane (Wild Rush), Starrer (Dynaformer), Star Billing (Dynamformer) and champion 2-year-old filly Just F Y I (Justify)–all of whom are either Grade I winners or multiple Grade I winners.

Joining Imimpeccable is Miss River (Uncle Mo). A 4-year-old maiden out of Indian Gardens (Pioneerof the Nile), this mare counts as her second dam dual champion & MGISW Indian Blessing (Indian Charlie).

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Inglis Digital USA will partner with 1/ST to create a unique opportunity to get in the action ahead of Gulfstream Park's signature Kentucky Derby prep by debuting the Curlin Florida Derby Sale, it was announced Thursday.

The online auction will take a focus on South Florida ahead of the GI Curlin Florida Derby, giving racehorse owners an opportunity to gain liquidity by offering their horses at a time when they are most coveted.

For buyers, the sale offers immediate access to one of the biggest days of racing on the calendar, with longer-term prospects in the top spring and summer races for 3-year-olds and beyond.

“We are always trying to provide new opportunities to our current and future customers,” said Inglis Digital USA CEO Kyle Wilson. “Being associated with a race as prestigious as the Curlin Florida Derby and the day that surrounds it creates an exciting atmosphere. There is also a large population of horses based in South Florida and beyond. As we come to the end of the Championship Meet some of those horses will change hands and we're happy to help facilitate that.”

“The Curlin Florida Derby Sale creates a timely, high-impact marketplace that connects buyers and sellers right at the center of one of racing's most important weekends,” said David Duggan, Executive Vice President of 1/ST RACING. “Partnering with Inglis Digital USA allows us to offer owners meaningful liquidity while giving buyers immediate access to Gulfstream's marquee event, all within a modern digital auction platform that reflects how today's racing business is evolving.”

Entries will begin to close for the Curlin Florida Derby Sale on Friday, Mar. 13, with rolling entries accepted by approval up until the day of the sale. The catalog will be released Wednesday, Mar. 18, and bidding will close on Monday, Mar. 23, with the first lot closing at 2 p.m. Eastern and subsequent lots hammering in three-minute increments.

With the sale closing just days before the Florida Derby, scheduled for Saturday, Mar. 28 at Gulfstream Park, sellers are encouraged to enter horses based in South Florida, with a special focus on those entered on the Florida Derby card. Sellers will also be permitted to offer percentages of horses if they want to stay in on their runners ahead of the big day.

All ownership changes for horses entered on the Florida Derby card can be made by race day with the assistance of Gulfstream Park. The horse must stay in the race with the trainer who entered them, but the new owner is free to choose their own trainer afterward.

The Curlin Florida Derby Sale marks a first-time partnership between Inglis Digital USA and 1/ST that will feature unique cross-promotion. Inglis Digital USA will be the presenting sponsor of the GII Davona Dale S. Saturday, Feb. 28 at Gulfstream Park to promote the sale, and the auction company will be featured in promotion in the program, on the track's simulcast feed, and across the property.

To enter a horse or register as a bidder, visit www.inglisdigitalusa.com.

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The stakes schedule for the 2026 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which will open Friday, July 3, and continue through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7, was released by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) Thursday.

Highlighted by the 157th renewal of the $1.25-million DraftKings GI Travers Aug. 29 and the 99th edition of the $1-million GI Whitney Aug. 8, the 46-day summer meet will offer 20 Grade I races among 73 stakes worth over $23,575,000 in total purses.

The summer meet will begin with a special July 4th Racing Festival featuring the GI Belmont Derby and GI Belmont Oaks.

Following the three-day Opening Weekend, Friday, July 3, through Sunday, July 5, live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday before the resumption of the five-day racing week beginning Wednesday, July 29. The 2026 summer meet will conclude with a six-day closing week from Wednesday, Sept. 2, through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.

With the new Belmont Park to re-open on Sept. 18, 2026, this will mark the final year of adjustments to the customary schedule of racing at Saratoga. Beginning in 2027, Belmont Park will host the Belmont Stakes and July 4th Racing Festivals, while Saratoga will return to its traditional 40-day summer meet.

The $1-million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup will return to its traditional home at Belmont Park in 2026 and serve as the opening day feature on Friday, Sept. 18.

Additionally, the GII Flower Bowl will return downstate and be held during the fall meet at Belmont Park on a date to be determined.

On the heels of a record-setting Whitney Day in 2025, a blockbuster day of world-class racing awaits fans on Saturday, Aug. 8. Headlined by the Whitney, NYRA will also offer Grade I events Fourstardave, Saratoga Derby and Test.

As the centerpiece of the summer meet, DraftKings Travers Day will be held on Saturday, Aug. 29. In addition to the Travers, the program will include the GI Personal Ensign, GI Forego, GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial and the GI Resorts World Casino Ballerina.

Saratoga will host the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival for the third and final time from Wednesday, June 3, through Sunday, June 7.

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The late trainers Christophe Clement and John Shirreffs, as well as GI Belmont Stakes-winning filly Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy) are among 13 finalists who will appear on this year's ballot for inclusion in the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame.

Clement, who passed away last spring, trained Eclipse champion Gio Ponti, as well as Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist. Shirreffs, who passed away earlier this month, trained four-time champion Zenyatta, as well as GI Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo.

The two trainers are joined on the ballot by Ken McPeek, H. Graham Motion, Doug O'Neill, and John Sadler.

McPeek became the first trainer since 1952 to saddle the winners of both the Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks in the same year when Mystik Dan and Thorpedo Anna swept the two Classics in 2024. He also won the 2022 Belmont with Sarava and the 2020 GI Preakness Stakes with Swiss Skydiver.

Motion won the Kentucky Derby and G1 Dubai World Cup with champion Animal Kingdom, trained two-time Eclipse Award winner Main Sequence, and has won four Breeders' Cup races.

Graham Motion | Sarah Andrew

O'Neill won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness with I'll Have Another in 2012 and added a second Derby with Nyquist in 2016. He has trained five Eclipse Award winners and has won five Breeders' Cup races.

Sadler has won 194 graded stakes, including the GI Breeders' Cup Classic with Eclipse Award winner Accelerate in 2018 and with Horse of the Year Flightline in 2022. He also trained champion Stellar Wind.

Rags to Riches, who became the first filly to win the Belmont Stakes in 102 years when she defeated Curlin in 2007, is one of seven racehorse finalists for inclusion in the Hall of Fame this year. She is joined by six-time Grade I winner Blind Luck (Pollard's Vision), who won the 2010 Kentucky Oaks and was named that year's champion 3-year-old filly; eight-time Grade I winner Game on Dude (Awesome Again), the only horse to win the GI Santa Anita Handicap three times; two-time Eclipse champion female sprinter Groupie Doll (Bowman's Band); 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace (Saint Liam); 2000 Eclipse champion sprinter Kona Gold (Java Gold); and 2017 Eclipse champion turf female Lady Eli (Divine Park).

Blind Luck and Havre de Grace | Horsephotos

To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, trainers must be licensed for 25 years, while jockeys must be licensed for 20 years. Thoroughbreds are required to be retired for five calendar years. All candidates must have been active within the past 25 years. The 20-and 25-year requirements for jockeys and trainers, respectively, may be waived at the discretion of the Museum's Executive Committee. Candidates who have not been active within the past 25 years are eligible through the Historic Review process.

All the finalists were required to receive a minimum of 10 votes from the 15-member Nominating Committee to qualify for the ballot. The 2026 Hall of Fame Nominating Committee is comprised of chairman D. G. Van Clief, Caton Bredar, Steven Crist, Tom Durkin, Bob Ehalt, Tracy Gantz, Teresa Genaro, Jane Goldstein, Steve Haskin, Jay Hovdey, Alicia Hughes, Dick Jerardi, Tom Law, Jay Privman, and Michael Veitch.

Ballots were emailed Thursday to the 154-member Hall of Fame voting panel. Voters may select as many candidates as they believe are worthy of induction to the Hall of Fame and all candidates that receive 50% plus one vote from the voting panel will be elected to the Hall of Fame.

The results of the voting on the contemporary candidates will be announced Apr. 23. That announcement will also include this year's selections by the Museum's Historic Review, Steeplechase, and Pillars of the Turf committees.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Aug. 7 at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony is open to the public and free to attend.

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Charlotte Clement de Bona has been appointed The Jockey Club's chief strategy and transformation officer, the organization announced Thursday. In her new role, Clement de Bona will oversee enterprise strategy, digital and operational growth, and cross-functional initiatives.

“The sport is evolving, and so must we,” said The Jockey Club chair Everett Dobson. “Charlotte's role is an important step as the industry continues to seek growth and modernization opportunities. Charlotte's track record of delivering meaningful transformations, particularly in dynamic and complex environments, in addition to her unparalleled knowledge of racing, makes her uniquely suited to help guide The Jockey Club through this next chapter. We are delighted to welcome her to the team.”

The daughter of late trainer Christophe Clement, Clement de Bona majored in Economics at Vanderbilt and is a Harvard Business School graduate. She began her career at McKinsey & Company, where she advised senior leadership teams on strategy and operational performance. She has since held senior roles across high-growth start-ups and private equity backed portfolio companies.

She serves on the board of the Belmont Childcare Association; is a visiting professor in Skidmore College's Management and Business department, teaching on the Business of Horse Racing; and she is a co-chair of the Uveal Melanoma Taskforce and advisor to the Melanoma Research Alliance.

“I am incredibly excited to be joining The Jockey Club at such an important time for our sport,” she said. “Horse racing has a rich heritage and tremendous potential for innovation and growth. I am deeply passionate about its future and look forward to working alongside Jim Gagliano and the team to help shape and execute on a bold, sustainable, and forward-looking strategy. What excites me most about joining The Jockey Club is their commitment to the sport, the well-being of those who make up the sport, and ultimately the shared ambition for what it can continue to become.”

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The first mares have been reported in foal to Claiborne's first-season stallions Mindframe (Constitution–Walk of Stars, by Street Sense) and Johannes (Nyquist–Cuyathy, by Congrats).

Multiple Grade I Mindframe's first mare in foal is Put Together (Smart Strike), a half-sister to Grade III winner Feathered (Indian Charlie), the dam of Horse of the Year Flightline. Boarded at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa in Paris, Put Together is owned by Vinnie Viola's St. Elias Stables, which also co-campaigned Mindframe during his on-track career.

Mindframe stands his debut season at stud for an advertised fee of $50,000.

Toni Marie (Blame) became the first mare checked in foal for Grade I winner Johannes. This is the first mating for Toni Marie, who resides at Chesapeake Farm in Lexington for owner Raymond Fischer.

Johannes stands for an advertised fee of $10,000.

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For a Green Bay Packers fan like Paul Farr, it was hard to watch his team squander an 18-point lead and lose to the Chicago Bears in the NFL playoffs. A month later, on the frozen tundra of Aqueduct Racetrack, he suffered another heartbreaking loss.

While Churchill Downs Inc. reports some mixed results for 2025, its live and historical racing segment enjoyed an increase in adjusted earnings—including a revenue and adjusted earnings increase for Churchill Downs racing operations.

Graded stakes winner Litmus Test battles past foe Blackout Time in the March 1 Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park, plus a slew of 3-year-olds he has yet to face, led by local stakes winners Silent Tactic and Strategic Risk.