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Hill 'n' Dale announced Dec. 31 the appointment of Jes Sikura to the position of director of bloodstock at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.

Retired jockey and Thoroughbred aftercare advocate Rosie Napravnik will return to Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Jan. 3 to lead the sixth annual “New Vocations Day at the Races.”

On the surface, hiring people who have battled substance abuse issues, some of whom have criminal records, might not seem like a good idea. But Elliott Walden, the president and CEO of racing operations for WinStar Farm, felt otherwise. His family had dealt with these issues for years. His son, Will, now a successful trainer who is sober, had dealt with addiction for years before turning his life around thanks to the Stable Recovery program, which was co-founded by Taylor Made's Frank Taylor and Christian Countzler.

Stable Recovery helps addicts overcome their substance abuse issues and then helps find them jobs in the horse racing industry. The success of the program has been nothing short of remarkable.

“I had seen things firsthand how well this worked through my son, Will, and his working through addiction and into sobriety and seeing his friendship with Christian Countzler, who started Stable Recovery with Frank Taylor,” Walden said. “He was very close to them. We knew they were going about it the right way. If Christian said these guys were solid, that's all I needed to hear.”

So Walden got involved. WinStar is now one of a group of about 20 farms and racetracks that have signed on with Stable Recovery as Strategic Partners. What that means is that they are willing to hire, train and look after graduates of the program. Walden said WinStar currently employs eight individuals who have graduated from the program.

“There are probably about 20 of what we call Strategic Partners,” Taylor said. “To be a Strategic Partner, all you need to do is to hire people that graduate from Stable Recovery and support them and pay them well. It's been miraculous. When we started Stable Recovery, the first two years, Taylor Made hired everybody and that's because we were that short of help. After that, we were fully staffed or overstaffed. Out of the blue people started calling me and said, 'Can I get some help?' We started sending people to different farms to work. That's when we coined the name Strategic Partners. That list has really grown and the quality of people and farms that we work with is just unbelievable. They are benefitting from our people and our people are benefitting a lot from them.”

Walden admits that when he first approached WinStar owners Kenny and Lisa Troutt about hiring recovering addicts, it took some convincing for them to agree to do so.

“We have had a great experience,” Walden said. “We started a little bit over a year and a half ago. I wouldn't call it a leap of faith, but it took some encouragement on my part with the Troutts to have them gain a comfort level when it came to employing these guys. Some of them have records. Many of them have checkered pasts. I am grateful to them for their Christian beliefs and their willingness to take a chance on these men.”

Not only do the graduates work at WinStar, they live in a house on the farm. It is Ann Hayes who oversees the Stable Recovery program for the WinStar employees.

“We dedicated a house that they live in and they support each other,” Walden said. “Ann Hayes has helped us look after the Stable Recovery guys and give them support. She's the one that just saw the good in each one of them and the men they were becoming. It's been really exciting to see their growth and development.”

Walden says that he has had one person who didn't make it once hired by WinStar, but said that was an unusual situation.

“Sometimes things happen, but it happens very rarely,” he said. “The great thing about it is that most of these guys have stayed sober from the time they have been there. We might have lost one that didn't work out. But those are great statistics when it comes to people in recovery.”

Most have been exemplary.

“That's part of the beauty of this program,” Walden said. “They are still accountable to Stable Recovery, even though they are working at WinStar and are living at WinStar. They still go over there for meetings once a week. They have touch points with other guys in the program. They are helping the younger guys in the program continue to develop. It's truly what recovery is all about. It's not about yourself; it's about helping the next man.”

Several of the Stable Recovery grads work directly with the horses at WinStar. Walden said that it's no coincidence that the men have thrived once connected with the horses.

“There is a connection point where the horses love these guys right from the start,” he said. “Quite honestly, they probably haven't felt that in a long time. They've burned a lot of bridges, not only with their families, but in the workplace as well. The horses come in and they are able to love them exactly where they are and they love the horse back. It's a beautiful thing to see. Recovery, if done well, it's done through a spiritual lens. The connection they develop with the horses brings about something outside of themselves and can help them in that spiritual plane. They are caring for something besides themselves. It's not about themselves. It's helping others and it's about helping a horse, and that gives them a responsibility. I think it is part of the secret sauce.”

The Strategic Partners program now includes some of the biggest names in the industry, giants like Coolmore, Denali, Godolphin, Juddmonte and Keeneland. Spy Coast Farm has started a program that specializes in taking in female graduates of the Stable Recovery

Taylor said his experiences with Keeneland have been typical of the type of cooperation he has gotten from within the industry.

“The Keeneland team has been fantastic,” he said. “We've got guys working out there and thriving. I see that continuing to grow and they have been a great partner. Some of the guys work at sales time with the horses, but their main jobs have been doing maintenance. Keeneland has been a big supporter and they believe in what we are doing, they built a house out there for some of our guys to live in. We have something like eight people living on the Keeneland property that are Stable Recovery graduates. They were willing to give them a chance.”

Taylor added that the Strategic Partners program has done more than just help recovering addicts. It has helped to fill what has become a huge need for an industry that has struggled to maintain a suitable workforce.

“You're helping in two ways,” he said. “You're not only saving a life and the extended families of these men and women who have battled addiction. You're also helping to create a workforce. How many people in this country are addicted? This is a way to just start helping and to be part of the solution instead of the problem.”

With the Strategic Partner initiative having taken off, Taylor is justifiably proud of the program, what he and Countzler have helped accomplish and the progress the graduates have made.

“It doesn't work perfectly every time, but, overall we are having great success,” he said. “I get more out of this than anybody. It's so much fun to see these guys change their lives and enjoy success.”

The post Stable Recovery Graduates Are Thriving at WinStar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Gary and Mary West's homebred Rancho Santa Fe (Tapit), unbeaten in a pair of lifetime starts, is expected to make his stakes debut in the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park Saturday. The 3-year-old colt debuted with a victory going one mile at Ellis Park Aug. 24 and added a 1 1/16-mile allowance win at Keeneland Oct. 11. He had four published works at Payson Park in December, most recently going five furlongs in 1:02.00 (2/11) Dec. 27.

“He's doing great,” trainer Brad Cox said. “His last work at Payson was really good. I think he's physically developed a bit since his last run at Keeneland. It was kind of by design to space his races a little bit and to point him for the Smarty Jones for a while. Here we are.”

Rancho Santa Fe is out of multiple graded stakes winner and Grade I-placed Family Tree (Smart Strike) and is a half-brother to graded winner Heroic Move (Quality Road).

“Typical Tapit, the farther the better,” Cox said of the colt. “Good stride, good mover, pretty good mind. Excited about getting his year kicked off.”

The 1 1/16-mile Smarty Jones is Oaklawn's first of four GI Kentucky Derby qualifying races and will offer 21 total points (10-5-3-2-1) toward starting eligibility for the first leg of the Triple Crown.

Cox will saddle 2024 Smarty Jones winner Catching Freedom (Constitution) in a 1 1/16-mile allowance contest at Oaklawn Park Sunday. The newly turned 5-year-old is winless in seven starts since winning the 2024 GII Louisiana Derby, but finished fourth in that year's Kentucky Derby and third in the GI Preakness Stakes. He was most recently third in a Churchill Downs allowance Nov. 21 and worked four furlongs in :48.40 (4/16) at Fair Grounds Dec. 30.

“Obviously, it's no secret he's been a little bit inconsistent in his career with some of his runs,” Cox said. “But he's doing well. He seems to always be doing well. It's just getting him back in the winner's circle. Hopefully, we've got the right spot for him. He seems to be training well. When he puts it all together, he's very good. It's just about getting everything to click for him on race day.”

The post Rancho Santa Fe Set to Make Stakes Debut in Smarty Jones appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) wrapped up Aqueduct's fall meet Wednesday with Flavien Prat taking the leading rider title and Linda Rice taking the leading trainer honors. Prat's 46 wins included nine stakes victories and five graded victories.

His record for the fall stands at 136-46-21-15, earnings of $3,247,016, and a win percentage of 33.82%.

Manny Franco was second with 33 wins, while Kendrick Carmouche was third with 25 victories.

Rice notched her fourth consecutive Aqueduct fall meet training title with 31 wins and an overall record of 139-31-24-23. Her win rate was 22.30%, while her earnings stand at $1,788,075. Chad Brown was second with 19 wins and Tom Morley was third with 10 wins.

It was a 31st owners' title on the NYRA circuit for Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, with 10 fall meet wins that included six stakes scores. Klaravich Stables completed the meet with a 20-10-2-2 record and $877,183 in earnings. Rice finished second with nine wins and Tristar Farm finished third with eight wins.

In addition, rider Manny Franco secured top honors as NYRA's leading jockey of 2025 with 206 wins across the circuit's six race meets. Franco won his fourth year-end title at NYRA following victories in 2018, 2019, and 2023. Franco won this year's Aqueduct winter title and Belmont at the Big A fall title, as well as 19 stakes at NYRA tracks in 2025, including with Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) in the GI Belmont Derby.

“It's amazing,” Franco said. “First of all, I want to say thanks to God for letting me do what I love. I'm just happy to get the opportunity from all the owners and trainers in New York. My agent, John Panagot, has been doing a tremendous job and I'm happy to be the leading rider for the fourth time in New York. It's not easy, but it's not impossible either. You've got to work hard and that's what I've been doing since I came here. You never take anything for granted.”

Franco's NYRA stats for 2025 are 1,164-206-205-195 with earnings of $15,851,470 and a win rate of 17.70%. Kendrick Carmouche was second with 178 wins and Flavien Prat was third with 168 wins.

Trainer Linda Rice, who established a single-season NYRA record of 165 training wins earlier in December, finished the year with 172 victories. Rice captured three meet training titles this year at Aqueduct: winter [51 wins], spring [15 wins] and fall [31 wins].

Rice finished the year with NYRA stats of 808-172-139-120. Her purse earnings reached $9,561,873 and her win rate was 21.29%. Chad Brown was second with 127 wins, while Todd Pletcher was third with 78 wins.

“2025 has been a great year overall,” said Rice. “The team has really performed and have been putting in the hours, energy, and expertise. My clients have given me the opportunity to go different directions and that allows you to have success when they give you that latitude to make sometimes difficult decisions.”

Rice also clinched the NYRA year-end owners' title with a total of 61 wins and three meet owners' titles: Aqueduct winter [22 wins], Aqueduct spring [six wins], and Belmont at the Big A fall [10 wins, tie]. As an owner, Rice completed the year with a 273-61-45-39 record and $2,833,134 in total purse earnings. Klaravich Stables finished second with 46 wins; Michael Dubb was third with 38 wins.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card for opening day of the winter meet. First post is 12:40 p.m. ET.

The post Aqueduct Fall Meet Wraps with Honors for Prat and Rice, Franco and Rice Secure Year-End NYRA Titles appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Jes Sikura, son of Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa president John Sikura, will be the new Director of Bloodstock at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, according to a Wednesday afternoon release from the Central Kentucky farm. The younger Sikura has spent the last two years working in the farm's bloodstock division while attending college. He recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in marketing.

“Jes has demonstrated a great passion and acuity for the business,” said John Sikura. “He loves the farm and working with clients to serve their goals. This appointment is strictly about my belief in his integrity, ability, and commitment and has nothing to do with him being a 'Sikura'. It is rewarding to think that Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa can be a generational business fostered by such passion and love of place. We have a great tradition here of having exceptionally talented and committed people who have meant so much to our success. I expect Jes to do the same.”

Jes Sikura added: “I am extremely excited to officially join the team at Hill 'n' Dale. I feel ready to join at a time of tremendous opportunity. We have a lot to look forward to in the immediate future, from launching and managing the careers of several of our important young stallions to building on the momentum of a monumental year in 2025 which saw Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency top Keeneland September. In addition, Hill 'n' Dale acquired an ownership interest in Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna, who has joined our elite broodmare band. I will be enthusiastically working towards the bright future we have here.”

The post Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa Welcomes Jes Sikura as Director of Bloodstock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)-related rulings from around the country.

The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU)'s “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.

Among this week's rulings, trainer Carlos Acosta, Jr. has been banned a combined four years and fined a combined $25,000 after out-of-competition hair and blood samples taken in April from his trainees, Storm Leader and Tucum, tested positive for Albuterol, a banned bronchodilator.

At the time of the required testing, both horses were stabled at a private farm near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Acosta reportedly refused to allow HIWU personnel access to the private farm and instead took the horses to Albuquerque Downs Racetrack for testing.

According to a final decision signed by case arbitrator Barbara Reeves, Karina Gonzalez, the owner of Storm Leader and Tucum, initially explained that their regular licensed veterinarian, Lane Dixon, had examined the horses and prescribed Albuterol to be administered via an inhaler, due to the horses suffering exercised-induced pulmonary hemorrhage.

Though classed a banned substance, Albuterol is permitted only if it was given as an inhaled bronchodilator, and only if it was also prescribed by a licensed veterinarian in the context of a valid veterinarian-patient-client relationship, according to HISA rules.

Furthermore, HISA requires anyone who medically treats a “Covered Horse” to report every treatment to the HISA portal within 24 hours. According to the final ruling, there are no Albuterol treatments reported in the HISA portal for Storm Leader and Tucum.

During the adjudication process, Acosta forwarded to HIWU a single email, purportedly from Dixon, to say that he had been prescribed Albuterol due to exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, the final decision states. Gonzalez also testified that she paid Dixon in cash for his services.

Acosta, however, did not call or subpoena Dixon to testify at the hearing, “nor did he produce or subpoena veterinary records from Dr. Dixon,” the final decision states.

Furthermore, after being told that authentic medical records would need to be produced to be part of a valid case, Gonzalez reportedly changed her argument to claim her horses had been intentionally contaminated, according to the final decision.

Acosta's four-year ban started on Dec. 29. According to Equibase, he has trained on and off since 2013. He has 62 career wins to his name from 439 starts.

Resolved ADMC Violations

Dates: 12/30/2025

Licensee: Nick Canani, trainer

Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU.

Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Betamethasone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Bloodline, who finished sixth at Churchill Downs on 11/6/25.

Dates: 12/30/2025

Licensee: Jamie Ness, trainer

Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on December 31, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Admission.

Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Mepivacaine–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Uncle Irish, who finished second at Laurel Park on 9/13/25.

Dates: 12/29/2025

Licensee: Carlos Acosta, Jr., trainer

Penalty: Combined 4-year period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on December 29, 2025; a fine of $25,000. Final decision of arbitral body.

Explainer: Out-of-competition medication violations for the presence of Albuterol–a banned bronchodilator–in samples taken from Storm Leader on 4/22/25; and from Tucum on 4/22/25.

Pending ADMC Violations

12/30/2025, Carlos Rafael Figueroa, Jr., trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Foxy Cara, who finished second at Finger Lakes on 11/19/25.

12/30/2025, Jeremiah Englehart, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Oxymorphone–a banned substance–in a sample taken from Neigh Baby, who finished second at Belmont at the Big A on 10/9/25.

12/29/2025, George Lopez, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole and Methocarbamol–both class C controlled substances–in a sample taken from Tiz Lissett on 11/26/25.

12/29/2025, Kieron Magee, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Neolithica, who won at Laurel Park on 10/11/25.

The post National Rulings December 27 – 31, Carlos Acosta Banned 4 Years appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Oaklawn Park executive Louis Cella and the late trainer D. Wayne Lukas will be part of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame's 2026 class, the ASHOF's 68th overall.

Horse Racing Alberta has approved the 2026 budget, reflecting a disciplined approach in response to current economic conditions while maintaining strong support for the province's racing and breeding industries.

Universe, a closing second in the 2025 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) after two earlier graded stakes placings, aims to turn the stakes corner as a newly turned 3-year-old in the Jan. 3 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

After breaking her maiden by an impressive 3 lengths over Woodbine's all-weather track Nov. 29, Dunmore Beach will make her dirt debut Jan. 1 in the $175,000 Cash Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and Gulfstream Park announced Dec. 31 a three-year agreement that, with each passing year, lowers the minimum number of required racing days at Gulfstream Park in South Florida.

Kazushi Kimura did not originally have a mount in the American Oaks (G1T) opening day, Dec. 28, at Santa Anita Park, but that changed when fellow jockey Antonio Fresu was injured in the seventh race and Kimura picked up the mount aboard Ambaya.

Santa Anita Park canceled racing Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 due to a strengthening rainstorm coming in from the Pacific Ocean.

If you've attended the Preakness Stakes (G1) in recent years, you're no doubt well aware of trainer Brittany Russell.

The Hipódromo Camarero will host the Puerto Rican Best Jockeys Event Jan. 6 as part of a 10-race program celebrating the Clásico Día de Reyes.

Parx Racing and the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association announce the addition of three Thursday race dates in January 2026: Jan. 8, Jan. 15, and Jan. 22.

BloodHorse has reprised its online year-end survey to ask some of the sport's leading individuals for their opinions on pertinent issues facing the sport.

Spendthrift Farm's blue-blooded homebred Tamara, a talented filly who has battled physical problems since winning the 2023 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1), has been retired.

Jockey Orlando Mojica rode Charles Garvey's Logical Myth to victory in the fourth race at Turf Paradise Dec. 30 for the 3,000th win of his career.