The ceremony was the official opening of the SMRC facility, offering a preview of the Cosequin Equine Exerciser and remodeled barn on the university’s North Farm in Lexington. The facility will be a hub for advancing education and research on musculoskeletal disease and injury — a major welfare concern for horses and their owners, and the leading source of economic loss in the equine industry.

“This facility will provide novel research opportunities that focus on the improvement of equine welfare and safety and provide an unparalleled learning experience for graduate and undergraduate students,” said Bruno Menarim, DVM, Ph.D., Bill Gatton Foundation Endowed Chair in Veterinary Physiology and SMRC head. “The facility will enable translational, federally funded research opportunities that focus on improving human well-being, including leveraging proven translational equine models of orthopedic conditions in humans.”

The facility’s proposal was spearheaded by UK researchers Menarim; Allen Page, DVM, Ph.D., Bill Gatton Foundation Early-Career Professor at the Gluck Center; Austin Stone, MD, Ph.D., a knee and shoulder specialist at UK HealthCare’s Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine group; and Emma Adam, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, DACVS, assistant professor and equine industry liaison at the Gluck Center.

The facility was funded through equine industry partnerships with Nutramax Laboratories Veterinary Sciences, Inc., Keeneland, Spy Coast Farm, and Town and Country Farm. A gift from Nutramax Laboratories funded building the new eight-horse exerciser at the facility.

“Nutramax is delighted to support the Gluck Equine Research Center in the development of the Sports Medicine Research Center. This facility will advance high-quality equine and translational research while creating meaningful opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to gain hands-on experience working with horses in a research setting,” said Todd Henderson, DVM, and president of Nutramax Laboratories. “We are excited to partner with the Gluck Equine Research Center on this important initiative, united by our shared commitment to evidence-based medicine, scientific advancement and the highest standards of welfare for both horses and humans.”

Orthopaedic conditions are a major welfare concern for horses and their owners, as well as the main cause of economic loss in the equine industry. Among such conditions, degenerative joint disease, also known as osteoarthritis, represents more than 60 percent of the cases.

According to the team of researchers, musculoskeletal conditions are also a major concern for humans, and osteoarthritis is the second most costly condition to the U.S. public health system after cancer. Additionally, post-traumatic osteoarthritis is the most common cause of early retirement and long-term disability of American soldiers. Thus, there exists significant motivation to leverage research addressing musculoskeletal conditions, especially those affecting horses and humans.

According to the team, UK is uniquely positioned within the equine industry to address these issues collectively through expertise, stakeholder support, and collaborative relationships. The horse is not only the Gluck Center’s primary patient population but is also an established model for the study of musculoskeletal conditions in humans, including osteoarthritis and therapy development.

The researchers who proposed the center planned a type of facility to meet the industry’s needs. The demand has been evident, particularly in Central Kentucky. Construction began in late 2025, and the facility has already supported several research projects within the Gluck Center and is currently reserved through 2028.

An existing 12-stall barn was renovated at UK’s North Farm. It is surrounded by 26 acres, which includes an additional 16-stall barn the team is already planning to expand to house additional exercisers, a surgical suite, and laboratory spaces. UK’s North Farm makes up 1,900 acres and is part of the Martin-Gatton CAFE Agricultural Experiment Station.

According to the research team, these resources make UK uniquely positioned to offer hands-on graduate and undergraduate educational opportunities for multiple departments within Martin-Gatton CAFE.

“This center reflects what is possible when our researchers and industry partners come together around a shared goal,” said Laura Stephenson, vice president for land-grant engagement and dean of Martin-Gatton CAFE. “We are grateful to Nutramax and the other partners whose support has created new opportunities to advance equine health and welfare, prepare students and pursue research that may benefit both horses and people.”

A grand opening and open house will be held at the facility in April 2027 to showcase the research and impact of this industry-supported facility.

“The Sports Medicine Research Center will enable the faculty at the Gluck Equine Research Center to leverage their talent for the benefit of the horse and human by supporting translational musculoskeletal research,” said Brett Sponseller, DVM, Ph.D., chair of UK’s Department of Veterinary Science and director of the Gluck Center. “We are deeply appreciative of the support of the Gluck Equine Research Foundation and our donors.”

Presented annually by the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP), the Clay Puett Award recognizes an individual or individuals whose contributions have made a significant impact on the racing industry. Established in 1994, the award honors the legacy of Clay Puett, an Arizona innovator whose development of the mechanical starting gate helped revolutionize horse racing around the world.

Brothers has built an extraordinary career spanning nearly four decades, first as a successful jockey and later as a nationally recognized broadcaster, industry advocate, and leader in Thoroughbred ownership initiatives.

Beginning her professional riding career in 1987, Brothers quickly established herself among the nation’s top female jockeys. She retired from race riding in 1998 with 1,130 victories while ranking as the second-leading female jockey in the country by career earnings.

Following her retirement from riding, Brothers transitioned to broadcasting, bringing her firsthand racing experience and engaging personality to television audiences. In 2000, she joined NBC Sports, becoming one of the most familiar faces in the network’s Thoroughbred racing coverage. For more than 26 years, she has covered the sport’s biggest events, including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes and Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

Her distinctive on-track reporting, conducted on horseback alongside winning jockeys immediately following a race, provided viewers with an unprecedented perspective and access to the sport. She was on the track to interview the winning connections following the historic Triple Crown victories of American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018. In 2014, Sports Illustrated recognized Brothers as its Best Sideline Reporter of the Year.

Beyond her successful broadcasting career, Brothers also made a meaningful impact on Thoroughbred racing through her involvement with Starlight and StarLadies Racing, helping to bring new people into the sport and expand opportunities for women to participate in Thoroughbred ownership and become more actively engaged in the sport.

Brothers is equally committed to the future and welfare of the Thoroughbred. She serves on the executive board of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and has been an active advocate for horse welfare. She is also the author of Inside Track: Insider’s Guide to Horse Racing, written to help newcomers better understand and appreciate the sport.

“Donna Barton Brothers has had an exceptional career and made a lasting impact on Thoroughbred racing,” said Robert Hartman, Chair of the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program. “Her accomplishments in the saddle, followed by her distinguished career with NBC Sports, have given her a unique perspective and an important voice in our industry. Through her work, she has helped bring the sport closer to its fans while creating greater awareness of the people, competition, and opportunities that make racing special. We are proud to recognize her contributions with the 2026 Clay Puett Award.”

Anyone who has maintained a lawn during the scorching days of September and October will appreciate the effort that goes into maintaining such a large swath of grass. It’s a year-round chore that shifts into high gear with closing day of the summer meet.

“We do what is called ‘coring’,” points out John Beggin, turf and landscape superintendent at Del Mar. “We repair any damage that is done in the summer to areas like the finish line or where they switch leads in the last quarter mile. Those areas usually get beat up more than anywhere else. Especially the finish line because a lot of races go through it twice.”

Beggin and his crew meticulously go over every bit of ground on the turf course, searching for damaged areas.

“I take what is called a cup-cutter,” Beggin continues. “In golf, they use it to replace their cups when they change pin locations. We take a piece of grass from the outside rail and we put it in the damaged areas. Then we add a couple of fertilizer applications to promote healing and new growth.” 

They also utilize UV turf blankets that are laid over the turf course.

“They radiate heat and warm up the soil,” Beggin explains. “Our turf is a warm season turf and with the coastal climate the warmer you can make the turf the more it wants to heal and produce new shoots. We kind of had a little heatwave at the end of summer and it got a little too hot. So, we did a little bit of blankets but not much.”

Which was a good thing when the ferocious Santa Ana winds blew through San Diego County last month. 

“If you have blankets, which we didn’t, they tend to blow away,” Beggin says. “The wind tends to dry everything out so it took a little more moisture managing. A couple sections of the outside rail were blown down which we had to fix but we made it through the Santa Ana’s pretty good.”

Beggin’s turf course will get a lot of use during the Bing Crosby Season at Del Mar when turf racing is an emphasis. It comes as no surprise that the hardest part of maintaining Del Mar’s turf course comes during live racing which wreaks havoc on the grass. Beggin says they’ll continue with the weekly coring and rotate the rail position more frequently.

“I’ve been talking to other tracks,” Beggin notes. “We’ve been kind of playing around with the idea after the last Breeders’ Cup that we rotate the rail more often than we have in the past. I’m rotating it every race day. One rail position Friday, a different rail position Saturday and a different rail position Sunday. That means more work for us at night because we move the rail after racing.” 

The results of Beggin and his crew’s diligence are on full display every day at Del Mar. And while the turf course is pleasing to the eye, it’s also a safe track and that, above all else, is what’s important.

“I think about it every day,” he says. “Every time those horses get on the track.”

On Friday, Hughes scored a dominant victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with jockey Flavien Prat wearing a set of Quinella Silks for owners Starlight Racing and partners. 

A day later, Bacio scored an electric win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, with jockey Juan Hernandez donning a set of Quinella-made silks for MyRacehorse. On the same card, Owen Almighty, ridden by Luis Saez, came within a nose of winning the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for Quinella clients Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing.

It was an auspicious start for the Quinella Silks brand, which was founded earlier this year to strike the balance between modern racing design and technology while preserving the traditions of the sport, and the colors that make it unforgettable.

Quinella Silks produces the colors of owners at all levels of the sport, creating custom silks in the traditional satin, for a precise, structured fit, and an aerodynamic performance fabric, designed for a tighter, flexible fit. Each set of silks is created in the Garment District in New York by tailors trained in crafting racing silks, based on each owner’s specific needs.

The company was founded by Liza Hendriks, a Godolphin Flying Start graduate who founded Wanamaker’s, an early leader in the online Thoroughbred auction space, which is known today as Inglis Digital USA. 

Born into the industry, Hendriks used her practical experience in the horse racing business to guide her vision for creating silks that are stylish, comfortable, and efficient. Beyond having the backs of riders on race day, Quinella Silks shows its support to the people in the saddle by donating a portion of every order to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. 

“Both my parents train, so I grew up seeing how much every detail matters on race day,” Hendriks said. “Silks are part of that. We wanted to hold them to the same standard as everything else that goes into getting a horse to the races.”

That standard applied to her own horse when it came time to prove the Quinella Silks design concepts. 

The company’s first test set, a satin pullover with a quarter-zip in front, was worn by jockey Javier Castellano as he piloted Aperitif to victory in a Belmont Park starter allowance on Oct. 7. Aperitif is co-owned by Hendriks, along with her mother Elizabeth Merryman, who also trains the filly. 

The day after the first set of Quinella Silks crossed the wire at Belmont, Hendriks opened up for outside orders. Less than a month later, multiple sets of Quinella Silks were being carried into the winner’s circle on the global stage.

“We wanted Bacio’s silks to look as sharp as he runs, and Liza made the entire process seamless from the initial design through the final product,” said Caitlin Ward of MyRacehorse. “The fit was perfect, and seeing them come together in the winner’s circle after crossing the finish line first in the Turf Sprint made the experience that much more special.”

Owners interested in seeing their colors in Quinella Silks can submit their design at www.QuinellaSilks.com, approve a proof, and submit their payment. Specialists are available to help owners through the design process, and consultations can be booked on the Quinella Silks website.

The Maryland Jockey Club president, Bill Knauf, told The Racing Biz that a “carve-out” in the Oct. 28 agreement between the TMJC and the Maryland Stadium Authority would allow Laurel Park to have as many as 12 racing days or 10 percent of the annual racing calendar. Laurel Park could also operate as a back-up racing site if racing cannot be held at Pimlico “due to an act of god, ongoing emergency, or other cause as reasonably determined.”

“Laurel obviously has a great turf course, and Pimlico is a smaller one. And so, as we race at Pimlico, this gives us the option now for giving it a break,” Knauf told The Racing Biz. “It’s probably going to be in the fall at some point where we can come back to Pimlico after our break, race for a stretch, then give it a little bit of a breather, and allow us to utilize Laurel, and can make it a special turf meet.”

Laurel Park hosted the 2026 Preakness Stakes – with a limited crowd of 4,800 – while Pimlico was undergoing construction. The Preakness is expected to return to Pimlico on Sunday, May 23, 2027. 

Read more at theracingbiz.com. 

According to Korea Racing Authority records, the 9-year-old son of Tonalist arrived in the country on Oct. 2, joining fellow U.S. expats Independence Hall and Tacitus. He previously stood at WinStar Farm in Kentucky, entering stud in 2024, and his first foals are yearlings of 2026.

Country Grammer retired with earnings of more than $14.9 million, winning five of 17 starts. He won the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at three, and he added the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes at four, before having his best season at five.

During that campaign, he notched victories in the G1 Dubai World Cup and the G2 San Antonio Stakes, with additional lucrative Grade 1 placings in the Saudi Cup, Pacific Classic, and Awesome Again Stakes. Country Grammer finished second in the Saudi Cup again at age six, making him one of the highest-earning North American-based Thoroughbreds in history.

Bred in Kentucky by Scott and Debbie Pierce, Country Grammer is out of the winning Forestry mare Arabian Song, whose four winners from seven foals to race also includes Grade 2-placed stakes winner Joyful Cadence.

His extended family includes U.S. Grade 1 winner Obligatory, French Group 1 winner Etoile Montante, and domestic Grade 2 winners Revasser, Starformer, Bonny South, and Bowman’s Band.

WinStar Farm, First Go Racing and CHC’s G1 Breeders’ Futurity winner American History has already shipped to Florida after finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. 

“Right now, I’m thinking Holy Bull-Florida Derby, going in that direction,” trainer Todd Pletcher told DRF. “That gives us a little leeway if for some reason he should not be ready for the Holy Bull.”

Shug McGaughey trainee U. S. S. Valor won the one-mile Champagne by 6 ½ lengths at Belmont Park on Oct. 3. McGaughey and owner/breeder Team Valor International opted to skip a run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The son of War of Will has not worked since the Champagne, but DRF reports he has been galloping at Belmont Park since Oct. 26.

McGaughey also told DRF that the seven-furlong Swale Stakes on the same card is an option for U. S. S. Valor. The trainer told DRF he expects U. S. S. Valor to make three starts before a possible start in the 2027 Kentucky Derby. 

Read more at drf.com. 

O’Connor released the following statement about his present and future on Wednesday:

As I depart my role as general manager of Resolute Racing to explore new opportunities within the bloodstock industry, I look back with immense pride and gratitude on what we accomplished together.

Having been involved from the outset, it has been my privilege to help build Resolute Racing and establish the Resolute brand internationally. From developing the Kentucky farm and its dedicated team to competing at the highest level, breeding and raising a Grade 1 winner from the first crop, and celebrating Puca’s recognition as Broodmare of the Year, it has been an extraordinary journey.

I am sincerely grateful to the Stewart family for their trust and the opportunity, and to the entire Resolute team for their dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to the horses.

I wish everyone associated with Resolute Racing continued success and look forward with enthusiasm to the next chapter of my career in the Thoroughbred industry.

The 5-year-old son of Ghostzapper ends his career with five wins in 16 starts, and earnings of $1,354,700, racing as a homebred for Eric and Sharon Waller, and trained by Philip D’Amato.

Stronghold began his career racing in Kentucky, breaking his maiden in his second start as a 2-year-old at Churchill Downs, then shifting to Southern California where he ended his season with runner-up efforts in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar and the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity.

He began his 3-year-old campaign with a win in the G3 Sunland Park Derby, then he clinched his spot in the 2024 Kentucky Derby by winning the G1 Santa Anita Derby. After running seventh in the Kentucky Derby, the second half of Stronghold’s sophomore season included second place finishes in the G3 Indiana Derby, G1 Pennsylvania Derby, and G1 Malibu Stakes.

Stronghold was tested at sprint distances as an older horse, and he saw more graded success, highlighted by a victory in this year’s G3 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita.

Stronghold the first foal out of the Grade 2-winning Jimmy Creed mare Spectator, and his third dam is the Grade 3-placed stakes winner Swiss Diva.

An advertised fee for Stronghold’s debut season at stud is still to be announced.

A talented sprinter with exceptional speed, Local Knowledge established himself as a promising prospect from the outset, earning TDN Rising Star honors with an impressive debut victory over Commandment at Keeneland as a 2-year-old. He further showcased his brilliance in the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga, delivering a commanding performance that earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

Local Knowledge is a son of Spendthrift Farm’s Yaupon, one of the nation’s most exciting young sires. A Grade 1-winning sprinter himself, Yaupon has made an immediate impact at stud, and Local Knowledge adds to his growing list of accomplished runners. With his combination of natural speed, graded stakes ability, and a pedigree backed by an emerging sire line, Local Knowledge offers breeders an exciting new opportunity.

“We’re excited to welcome Local Knowledge to our stallion roster,” said Ned Toffey, General Manager and COO of Spendthrift Farm. “Yaupon has made an immediate impact as a young sire, and Local Knowledge is another example of the talent he’s passing along. He’s an outstanding physical with the speed, pedigree, and athleticism that breeders are looking for. We believe he has all the qualities to make an exciting stallion prospect, and we look forward to giving him every opportunity to succeed at stud.”

Local Knowledge will stand his inaugural season at Spendthrift Farm for $12,500 S&N with a limited number of Share the Upside spots available.

On Friday, Prat guided the undefeated Hughes to a win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. On Saturday, Prat won the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint with Ways and Means and the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile aboard Further Ado.

The panel of racing experts voted Prat Jockey of the Week Oct.  26 – Nov. 1.

Prat began the week at his home track of Belmont Park on Wednesday before travelling to Kentucky for the Breeders’ Cup with four races for Future Stars on Friday.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert gave a leg up to Prat on Hughes in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Hughes went off as the 4-5 favorite in the scratched-down field of six going a 1 1/16 miles.

Under Prat, Hughes tracked the field in second but as the field entered the far turn, Hughes began to gain the advantage. At the top of the stretch, Hughes was edging away but Coach Pope with Jose Ortiz and American History with Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez mounted a serious challenge. The flashy 2-year-old found another gear posting his fifth career win by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:42.27. Hughes is expected to be the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby.

On Saturday, Prat had the call aboard Ways and Means for five-time Eclipse Award trainer Chad Brown in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Off as the even-money favorite, the 5-year-old Ways and Means broke from post position 2 in the field of 11, racing in fifth. At the top of the stretch, Ways and Means took control cruising home for a dominant 6 ¼-length win in 1:21.76 for seven furlongs.

Prat next teamed up with two-time Eclipse Award trainer Brad Cox aboard even-money favorite Further Ado in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for 3-year-olds and up. Prat and Further Ado, the only 3-year-old in the field, hooked up with Owen Almighty under Luis Saez at the top of the stretch. The two battled every inch of the stretch with Further Ado prevailing by a nose in 1:34.50.

Based on Prat’s three wins and points awarded for second through fourth place finishes, he was named the recipient of the prestigious Bill Shoemaker Award as the outstanding jockey of the event for the second time having also won the award in 2024.

Other nominees for Jockey of the Week included Junior Alvarado who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic; Kendrick Carmouche who won the Mile for his first Breeders’ Cup win; Tyler Gaffalione who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies; Juan Hernandez with a win in the Turf Sprint for his first Breeders’ Cup win; and Jose Ortiz with two wins, the Breeder’s Cup Distaff and the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

In announcing the appointment, Hugh Anderson of Godolphin said:

“Godolphin is delighted to have signed the most exciting young jockey riding in Europe. Billy Loughnane is an outstanding rider with a great future in our sport. We are thrilled that he has chosen our silks at this early stage in his career and he will formally start with us at the Dubai Carnival in December 2026. William Buick has ridden for us with distinction for over 10 years and we are very happy that he will continue as one of our two retained jockeys.”

Billy Loughnane commented:

“I am absolutely ecstatic that Godolphin has given me this opportunity. It is a huge honour to become a retained jockey for one of the best racing operations in the world. I want to thank His Highness Sheikh Mohammed for giving me the opportunity to ride his outstanding horses at the highest possible competitive level. I rode my first G1 winner in the royal blue silks on Rebel’s Romance last year and I look forward to carrying them to victory in many more top-class races over the coming years.”

Mr. Broman and his late wife, Mary, began breeding Thoroughbreds at their Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, N.Y., in the late 1990s. To date, their program has produced 376 winners with earnings approaching $60 million, including no fewer than 56 individual stakes winners.

Among the most notable are Grade 1 Florida Derby winner Friends Lake; Bar of Gold, heroine of the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint; Artemis Agrotera, winner of both the G1 Frizette Stakes and G1 Ballerina Stakes; and Spirit of St. Louis, winner of the G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes and G1 Turf Classic. Other standouts include graded stakes winners Seeking the Ante, Khancord Kid, Highway Star and Coinage, as well as millionaire Mr. Buff. The Broman-bred stakes winners also include four Empire Classic winners, most recently Iron Dome, who races in partnership with L and N Racing LLC and captured the 2026 renewal on Oct. 24.

Although the Bromans have traditionally raced their homebreds, a more commercial approach in recent years has brought considerable success in the sales ring. Notable graduates include Chestertown, a $2 million OBS March 2-year-old purchase who subsequently became a stakes winner; Hejazi, a record-breaking $3.55 million Fasig-Tipton May 2-year-old in training purchase who went on to become multiple Grade 1-placed; and Inshallah, a $2.1 million graduate of the 2026 Fasig-Tipton May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Inshallah earned TDN Rising Star honors with an impressive debut victory in a maiden special weight at Del Mar in September.

The operation’s success has been matched by its consistency, with at least one stakes winner emerging from every crop from 2001 through 2022. The Bromans have been voted New York’s leading breeder eight times, and 14 horses bred by the couple have earned New York-bred championship honors. They have also led breeders of New York-breds by earnings on numerous occasions.

Alan Porter, who has served as the Bromans’ bloodstock advisor since 1995, reflected on the program’s enduring influence.

“I’ve had the privilege of working with Mr. Broman since he first entered the Thoroughbred business, and have seen him establish a new bar for what a New York-based breeding program could achieve. What has been notable is the way he has nurtured and developed families over the years.

“For example, Mr. Broman purchased the mare Confidently back in 2000. From her he bred graded stakes winner Khancord Kid, who is the dam of Spirit of St. Louis and Bar of Gold, and now Bar of Gold is represented by Broman-bred graded winner Coinage and by the very promising Inshallah. Similarly, homebred Friends Lake sired Broman-bred and -raced Empire Classic winner Friend Or Foe, who is himself the sire of Mr. Broman’s New York-bred legend Mr. Buff. Many other stakes winners from the program are second- or third-generation Broman-breds.”

Becky Thomas, who has advised, trained and sold horses for Mr. Broman for two decades, also reflected on the dispersal.

“It has been such a privilege to work with and train for Mr. Broman and Ms. Mary for so many years. Watching these female families take shape—some over the course of 20 years—and reflecting on the remarkable horses I have had the opportunity to train at Sequel has been truly humbling. So much of that success begins at Chestertown Farm, where farm manager Gregg Falk has done a tremendous job caring for these exceptional mares and their foals, giving the young horses an outstanding foundation before they come to us in Florida as weanlings. His dedication and care have been an invaluable part of this program, and I sincerely look forward to seeing these families continue to flourish in the years to come.”

As Porter noted, “Whoever purchases an individual from this dispersal will be buying into a
powerful and long-established legacy.”

Geroux is named on Donie Maronie for trainer Mark Casse in Race 3 at 1:58 p.m. (all times Eastern) and Schwarzenegger for Wesley Ward in Race 4 at 2:27 p.m. Garcia is scheduled to ride Cruising Again for trainer Dale Romans in Race 8 at 4:25 p.m.

Geroux broke six ribs when his mount, Flip Flop Freak, fell in the fourth race Sept. 10 at Churchill Downs. He spent more than a week at University of Louisville Hospital while doctors monitored multiple rib fractures.

Geroux returned a week ago to work horses for trainer Bob Baffert and was aboard Salahudin for a solo half-mile in :47 on Oct. 25 at Churchill Downs, days before the colt finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI).

“Everything felt good,” Geroux said. “I can’t wait to be back racing.”

Garcia sustained a rib injury in a six-horse spill while riding Steve Wood in the second race Sept. 19 at Churchill Downs. He began working horses for Romans this past week and is also named on two of his runners Saturday: Madeline’s Promise in Race 4 and C K Wonder in the $300,000 Bet On Sunshine in Race 10.

University of Guelph MSc student Alessia Masini collaborated on a study that examined whether rider laterality, including hand dominance, leg dominance, and leg length, is associated with differences in riding position. The researchers found several consistent posture differences between left- and right-side dominant riders, suggesting that our asymmetries may influence how we sit in the saddle and ultimately affect how a horse compensates for our laterality in their own muscle use.

Masini comments, “I believe this study is important because, to our knowledge, it is the first to directly examine how rider laterality influences their position in the saddle. Previous work has focused on how handedness affects rein tension or how experience and athletic ability shape posture, but it has remained unclear what specifically drives asymmetry in rider position.”

Left-Handed Riders Showed More Symmetrical Positions

One of the clearest findings was that left-handed riders generally rode in positions that were closer to symmetrical than right-handed riders.

The study found that right-handed riders tended to lean their torso farther forward when viewed from the left side. They also showed a greater tendency to carry the right leg forward and tilt their head to the right when viewed from behind.

By comparison, left-handed riders showed fewer of these side-to-side differences. However, they were not perfectly symmetrical. Left-handed riders tended to ride with the left heel lower than the right, which the researchers hypothesized was because the left leg was positioned slightly longer or because the heel was pushed farther down.

The researchers noted that previous studies have found left-handed people often display greater functional symmetry between the two sides of the body. While this study did not directly measure whole-body laterality, the riding position results were consistent with that idea.

Hand and Leg Dominance Usually Matched

The study also found a strong relationship between hand and leg dominance. Riders who were right-handed were usually right-leg dominant, while left-handed riders were typically left-leg dominant.

Right-leg dominant riders tended to lean their torso farther forward and, from the rear view, carried their shoulders farther to the left. They also rode with the left leg positioned farther forward.

In contrast, left-leg dominant riders maintained a more upright torso, kept their legs positioned more underneath their body, and rode with a lower left heel.

“What stood out to us was that rider posture changed depending on whether it was viewed from the right or left side,” says Masini. “For example, right-handed riders leaned farther forward when viewed from the left, suggesting that there might be some twisting of the torso to the right, or even what many riders might recognize as a ‘collapsed hip’. This raises new questions about how laterality shapes weight distribution in the saddle and stirrups, highlighting the value of future three-dimensional analyses of rider asymmetry.”

Leg Length Also Influenced Position

The longer-legged riders were more likely to tilt their head to the left at the halt, walk, and trot. Longer legs were also associated with the hips leaning left at several gaits, while at the canter the shoulders tended to lean farther to the right.

These findings suggest that some posture tendencies are influenced by the rider’s natural anatomy.

Why Does This Matter?

The practical value of the research is that it may help riders and coaches recognize predictable posture patterns. For example, a right-handed rider who consistently leans forward through the torso, carries the right leg ahead of the left, or tips the head slightly right may not simply be developing a random riding habit. Those tendencies could be related to natural side dominance. Likewise, left-handed riders may want to monitor whether they consistently push the left heel down more than the right.

The study does not suggest that left-handed riders are inherently better riders. In fact, riders in both groups showed measurable asymmetries. However, the results indicate that handedness and leg dominance are factors worth considering when assessing rider position and developing individualized coaching strategies.  

Striving for Symmetry

“These findings could have meaningful implications for the horse, including potential effects on musculoskeletal health and horse-rider communication,” says Masini. “They also demonstrate the importance of individualized rider training, including off-horse exercises to help improve symmetry.”

This study showed that rider laterality influences riding position. Right-handed and right-leg dominant riders were more likely to adopt forward-leaning postures and show side-to-side differences in leg and head position, while left-handed riders generally rode more symmetrically. Leg length also contributed to subtle alignment differences.

Rather than expecting every rider to have the same positional challenges, coaches can consider a rider’s handedness, leg dominance, and body structure when assessing posture and balance.  Understanding these natural tendencies may help riders and coaches identify asymmetries earlier and tailor exercises to improve balance, consistency, and communication with the horse. 

For riders striving for better balance and clearer communication with their horse, understanding personal tendencies could be the first step toward a more effective position in the saddle. Modern tools such as slow-motion video and motion analysis apps, similar to those used in the study, may make it easier than ever to spot these subtle asymmetries and work toward greater symmetry.

Masini, A., Faouen, A., MacGregor, H., Beaudoin, V., & Merkies, K. (2025). The impact of horseback rider laterality on riding position. Comparative Exercise Physiology, 21(5), 435-447. https://doi.org/10.1163/17552559-bja10060

Carrying HK$130 million in prize money, the flagship meeting has drawn entries from all corners of the globe for four elite G1 races – the HK$40 million LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), HK$36 million LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), HK$28 million LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and HK$26 million LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m).

Ka Ying Rising, Voyage Bubble, Benvenuto Cellini, Diamond Necklace, Lambourn, Masquerade Ball, Giavellotto, Almaqam, Land Legend, Sir Delius, Kingswood, Puro Magic, Star Anise, Docklands, Erdenali and Embroidery are among the headline entries, which feature G1 winners from Royal Ascot, the Breeders’ Cup and other feature meetings.

Rated 135 at the top of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, dual Hong Kong Horse of the Year (2024/25 and 2025/26) Ka Ying Rising will aim to become the first three-time winner of the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint following victories in 2024 and 2025. Both wins formed part of his incredible 21-race unbeaten streak – a period of his career which saw him set six course records at Sha Tin and win nine G1 races.

Six-time G1 winner Voyage Bubble – one of three Triple Crown winners in Hong Kong racing history – is a possible for the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup after winning the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile twice (2024 and 2025). The Deep Field gelding is entered for the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup, while 2026 Hong Kong Derby (2000m) second Numbers has dual entries for the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase and LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.

My Wish became Hong Kong racing’s newest G1 winner when he won April’s G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m). After finishing sixth in last year’s LONGINES Hong Kong Mile, he will aim to secure a seventh consecutive win in the race for the home side.

Dual G1-placed Galaxy Patch is aiming to capture an elusive top-level crown in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile after finishing unplaced in two previous attempts.

Helios Express, Little Paradise, Beauty Joy, Beauty Waves, Copartner Prance, Crimson Flash, Ensued, Fast Network, Ka Ying Attack, Light Years Charm, Patch Of Theta, Raging Blizzard, and other Hong Kong-trained runners are also in the mix for LONGINES Hong Kong International Races participation.

Mr Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “We are incredibly pleased with the support from our international friends with outstanding entries for the 2026 LONGINES Hong Kong International Races. Hong Kong will once again meet world-class opposition on an exciting afternoon of action on Sunday, Dec. 13at Sha Tin.

“Sitting at the top of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, our record-breaking champion Ka Ying Rising is trying to win a record third successive LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint, while Voyage Bubble will attempt to join Golden Sixty and Good Ba Ba – who each won three editions of the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile – by becoming a three-time winner at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races when he contests the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.

“My Wish and rising star Numbers are also on their respective missions towards the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, which again carries HK$130 million across the four elite races, and we are confident this year will be another memorable renewal.”

While Hong Kong’s leading sprinters will try again to topple Ka Ying Rising, recent G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) winner Puro Magic may race in Hong Kong for the first time, while the next four home in the Sprinters Stakes – World’s End, Sound Moryana, G1 winner Star Anise and Red Mon Reve – also hold entries.

Francis-Henri Graffard has a LONGINES Hong Kong Mile entry for gun 3-year-old Erdenali, the winner of four races from five appearances, including the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (1600m) ahead of Ten Bob Tony and Gstaad. The Aga Khan Studs-owned galloper next runs in the G1 Mile Championship (1600m) at Kyoto on Nov. 22.

2026 G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) winner Sixpence features in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile entries as well as Embroidery, Admire Zoom and Ask Ikigomi. Andrew Balding’s G1 winner Never So Brave features along with Royal Ascot G1 winner Docklands, who is also entered for the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.

Masquerade Ball finished second to Romantic Warrior in April’s G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) and was also second in the 2025 G1 Japan Cup (2400m) to Calandagan. Takahisa Tezuka’s Duramente colt is entered for the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and LONGINES Hong Kong Vase. 

G1 winner Almaqam, winner of the 2026 G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup (2100m) at the Curragh and second to Item in the 2026 G1 International Stakes (2051m) at York, has become one of the world’s top middle-distance horses. Ed Walker’s star is expected to contest the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup, a race which will be without four-time winner (2022-2025) Romantic Warrior for the first time since 2021.

Charlie Appleby and Godolphin have Military Order entered in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup. He will next race in the G1 Bahrain International Trophy (2000m) on Nov. 13, along with fellow entrants Glacius and Wimbledon Hawkeye.

Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott’s Sir Delius is nominated for the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and LONGINES Hong Kong Vase, while young trainer George Boughey has entered Survie for both races as well. 

Renowned for top-level successes aboard Eishin Preston at Sha Tin over 20 years ago as a jockey, Yuichi Fukunaga is looking to return as a trainer with G1 Tenno Sho Autumn (2000m) second Nebra Disk entered for the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.

Ciaron Maher’s Land Legend – raced by Hong Kong owner Boniface Ho – and the winner of October’s G1 Might And Power (Caulfield Stakes) (2000m) in record time is nominated for both the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and LONGINES Hong Kong Vase.

Giavellotto won the 2024 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase before finishing second to Sosie last year. Marco Botti has the well-travelled galloper mapped for a Sha Tin return this December after scoring at G2 level at Royal Ascot in June.

Kingswood exploded to a brilliant win in the 2026 G1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), and trainer Gavin Bedggood is looking to travel the grey to Hong Kong for the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase. G1 winners Durezza, Urban Chic and 2026 G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, 3000m) hero Going To Sky are also entered in the race.

Roger Varian’s Enfjaar – third in the Caulfield Cup – is a LONGINES Hong Kong Vase possible after finishing 15th in the G1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).

Aidan O’Brien – victorious in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase with Highland Reel (2015 and 2017) and Mogul (2020) – has entered G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf (2400m) conqueror Benvenuto Cellini, Minnie Hauk, Lambourn and Diamond Necklace for both the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and LONGINES Hong Kong Vase. Queenstown is entered only in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase. 

O’Brien’s entries also include Puerto Rico and True Love in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.

Aidan’s son, Joseph, who trained Galen to finish fourth in the 2025 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup, is slated to return to Sha Tin with the chestnut gelding, along with Bright Light, Goodie Two Shoes, James J Braddock, Omni Man, Sons And Lovers and Trustyourinstinct.

The 13-day session will be run in a Friday through Sunday format with first post daily at 12:30 p.m. going forward to Sunday, Nov. 29. The lone exception to the arrangement will be Thanksgiving Thursday (Nov. 26) when the track will present an early post (11 a.m.) and an early finish (approximately 2:30 p.m.) so folks can make it back home in plenty of time for turkey and all the fixins.

The Let It Ride, which carries a purse of $100,000, has drawn a field of 10 sophomores. Possible favorite in the lineup could be the Irish-bred Jordi Bear. Though he’s yet to tally in four stateside outings, he has been knocking on the door and may be well spotted for a big effort. He’s owned by the partnership of Glen Hill Farm and Little Red Feather Racing

Trainer Phil D’Amato, who has had great success with European grass imports, calls the shots for the bay “Bear” who’ll be handled by Joel Rosario, who is coming off a Del Mar riding championship when he registered 42 firsts this past summer.

Another horse of note in the lineup is the gray Pavlovian, who has been to the post 15 times and sports a stakes win and more than $600,000 in purses. He’s owned by his breeder, Reddam Racing, and is conditioned by Doug O’Neill, Del Mar’s leading trainer this past summer with 27 victories. Top rider Juan Hernandez will be in the boot.

The Let It Ride will go as Race 6 on the card with a post time of approximately 3 p.m.

The answer may lie with which list you consult.

After the victories by Hughes and Sovereignty in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Classic over the weekend, the list published through the Blood-Horse magazine shows Into Mischief closing nearly all the gap ($30 million to $29.9 million). The general sire list at the Thoroughbred Daily News has the pair reversed with earnings of $30.5 million for Into Mischief and $30 million for Not This Time.

What gives?

Sue Finley, publisher and CEO of Thoroughbred Daily News, said: “It comes down to accounting. We count all of a horse’s earnings in Japan or Hong Kong, whereas the Blood-Horse counts only a percentage of those earnings. I believe it comes from a time when those really big purses tilted the totals so much, but they didn’t continue that pattern. Instead, they count all the earnings that come from purses in Saudi Arabia or Dubai.”

Depending upon whose progeny win which of the remaining major prizes during the remainder of 2026, the leadership may clarify itself or even change a couple of times.

Whereas Sovereignty will not be adding further glory or gold to the record of his famous sire, being retired to stud at Darley’s Jonabell stallion station in Lexington for the 2027 breeding season, Hughes is an unbeaten 2-year-old with nearly limitless potential. He is as certain a lock for an Eclipse Award as any racer could be, and he possesses enough pedigree to back up his performance and promise of grand things for the classics next year.

There is little dispute that Hughes is the best juvenile colt off his racing record in 2026. He was the odds-on favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and the colt convincingly proved the point, winning the race by 2 ¼ lengths from American History (Constitution), with stablemate Salahudin (Uncle Mo) a head farther back in third.

In truth, however, there is room to question whether Hughes is nearly so much a classic favorite as he was for the Juvenile, when he towered over his competition from a reading of his past performances and in the estimation of the bettors.

Also, Hughes is the third consecutive Juvenile winner by Into Mischief, following Citizen Bull and Ted Noffey, and would become the third consecutive champion juvenile colt by the sire.

Neither of those preceding Hughes won a classic, although for differing reasons. Citizen Bull was a miler, wanted no part of 10 furlongs, but proved an excellent miler, finishing a dramatic and very close second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile to the older Nysos (Nyquist), which form looked better and better over the course of this year.

Ted Noffey suffered bone bruising and missed the classics because owner Spendthrift Farm took the prudent and laudable route of giving him time for a full recovery, and the colt is expected to make his three-year-old debut in the Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park on Nov. 7.

Truly few juvenile champions become the best colts the following season, but there is reason to hope that Hughes could prove an exception to the general rule. For one thing the colt is out of a mare, K P Dreamin (Union Rags), who placed third in both the G1 Chandelier Stakes and Starlet Stakes at two, and both the dam and second dam, Litigating (Point Given), are by stallions who showed high class at two and went on to win the Belmont Stakes at 12 furlongs.

Furthermore, the third dam is stakes winner Mediation, a daughter of Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) winner Caerleon, a son of English Triple Crown winner Nijinsky (Northern Dancer). That’s a lot of classic kin.

Mediation became an outstanding producer, the dam of two stakes winners, a group-placed racer, and three further winners who earned more than $100,000. The best of the group was Go Between (Point Given), a full brother to Litigating and one of three G1 winners by Point Given.

The classic connections of the family from which Hughes descends do not stop with the recent generations. The colt’s fourth dam is a daughter of 1979 Kentucky Derby second (and Travers winner) General Assembly, one of the best sons of 1970 Triple Crown winner Secretariat (Bold Ruler). The seventh dam is Cora Deans, a daughter of 1926 Derby and St. Leger winner Coronach (Hurry On). The eighth dam, Jennie Deans, is a daughter of Buchan (Sunstar), who won the Eclipse Stakes twice and ran second in the Derby and the 2,000 Guineas.

And the ninth dam is Eleanor M., a foal of 1913 by the 1907 Derby winner Orby (Orme), who was the first Irish-trained winner of the Derby and also the first winner of that classic and the Irish Derby. She had a classy pedigree, but she was lucky just to be registered as a Thoroughbred.

What? Yes, in Volume 23 of the General Stud Book, published in 1913, the Jockey Club of England announced a change of the rules for the requirements to register a Thoroughbred in the GSB, the standard of the Thoroughbred worldwide. The rule change, known in the vernacular as the Jersey Act, stated that the only horses eligible for registration were those who “can be traced without flaw on both sire’s and dam’s side of its pedigree to horses and mares themselves already accepted in earlier volumes of the book.”

Eleanor M. was a Thoroughbred because her sire was already registered with the GSB, as was Orby’s sire Orme (Ormonde) and dam Rhoda B. (Hanover). As a result of the Act, however, many American-bred horses were not eligible for registration because some of their ancestors were not registered in the GSB, most notably Lexington (Boston), the greatest 19^th-century American sire who led the sire list 16 times and was in the pedigree of a vast majority of American racers.

The Jockey Club’s rule change, however, was not retroactive, and a handful of high-quality horses of American pedigree were already in the GSB before 1913. As a result, they and their descendants were recognized as Thoroughbred, not half-bred, and retained value through the decades until the rule was changed in 1949.

Just me, but I think it’s a good thing that Eleanor M. was a Thoroughbred.

At $5.2 million, the session’s high seller was Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed Quietside, a 4-year-old millionaire-earning daughter of Malibu Moon carrying her first foal by Nyquist. She was purchased by Erdenheim Farm Thoroughbreds, which led all buyers by spending $7.8 million for two horses. Erdenheim also paid $2.6 million for Grade 1 winner and millionaire Kilwin.

For the day, Keeneland sold 152 horses through the ring for $95,929,000, for an average of $631,112 and a median of $400,000. In addition to the double-digit increase in sales, the average rose 5.85 percent from $596,205. The median dipped 5.33 percent from $422,500 last year.

“It was an incredible day,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “It was an incredible horse sale. The catalog was deep and the buying bench was diverse and deep, and it just had a great energy to it all day long. I think it really was a very successful Book 1.”

“I think one thing you notice is the confidence of buyers,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “There was enthusiasm for quality stock, and we had an abundance of it today. We’ve got to thank our sellers, the consignors and the owners who entrusted their stock with us. This is sort of like the benchmark for the breeding side of things because this is the very foundation of the industry: the broodmares, the weanlings. This is where everything starts.

“The sale is on a really strong trajectory,” Lacy continued. “We’re almost double the gross from two years ago. This is a trend we’re seeing in the confidence in Keeneland — what we do and the efforts we put into recruiting, not just domestically but internationally. We put in a lot of time. We travel all over the world. That allows us to be the support system for the industry and for the breeders, and that’s what they expect from us. It’s great to see the volume of people from all over the world. It’s a global marketplace and it’s exhibited here in spades.”

Quietside, who was consigned by Stone Farm, agent, is out of Grade 2 winner Benner Island and from the family of Grade 2 winner Spacy Tracy and Grade 3 winner Victim of Love. She is the most expensive mare to sell at auction in North America this year.

“It’s spectacular,” Lynn Hancock of Stone Farm said about the sale. “We foaled her, raised her and (breeder John Ed Anthony’s Shortleaf Stable) took her to the track and sent her back to us. She’s a special mare. She ticks all the boxes. Beautiful physical. She’s a superstar, and she came up here, showed well and people saw that. We’re just thrilled.”

“We love Keeneland,” Hancock added, “and we thought she’d stand out here and show well, and she did just that. We’ve got a long history with Keeneland, and it’s thrilling to come up here and get this kind of result.” 

“My father (John Ed Anthony) deserves all the credit,” Ed Anthony said. “He has been in the game for 50 years and has had a lot of good horses. This filly is pretty special because we bred her. And we own her dam (Benner Island), who is entered in the (2027 Keeneland) January (Horses of All Ages) Sale. My father is 87, and he is starting to downsize a little bit. We have been racing homebreds for a long time.”

In other sales Monday:

Ahavah, a winning Grade 2 placed runner who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Vahva and in foal to Gun Runner, sold to Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa for $4.8 million. Lane’s End, agent, consigned the 4-year-old daughter of City of Light out of stakes winner Holiday Soiree, by Harlan’s Holiday.

“I think there are a lot of updates to come with this family,” Jess Sikura of Hill ‘n’ Dale said. “Everything about her is appealing.”

M.V. Magnier and Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm purchased Admit, a 4-year-old Grade 2-winning daughter of Blame in foal to Life Is Good, for $3.1 million. Claiborne Farm, agent, consigned the mare from the family of leading sire Pulpit.

“Definitely hard decision to sell,” Claiborne’s Walker Hancock said. “We have had the family since (around) 1951. We still have a lot of the blood. We have two other Blame mares in the family. It is bittersweet, and I might regret it. We bought a few mares today – just trying to get some new blood infused into our broodmare band. Buying has been tough. We have had to pay more than we were hoping to.”

Flag Day, a 10-year-old daughter of Giant’s Causeway who is the dam of Grade 3 winner Hall of Fame and carrying a Gun Runner full sibling to that runner, sold for $2.9 million to Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm. Consigned by Denali Stud, agent for Earle Mack A Complete Breeding Stock Dispersal, she is out of the winning stakes-placed mare Sense to Compete and from the family of Grade 1 winner Diversify and Grade 3 winner Lady Digby.

“I know he’s (Giant’s Causeway) kind of ancient at this point, but I think he’s still just one of the top broodmare sires that we’ve had, and we also like that (Flag Day is) out of a Street Sense mare,” Pope said. “I think she’s a good broodmare, and she’s back in foal to Gun Runner. The plan would be to come back (to Keeneland in September) with that one as a yearling and get three, three and a half million for (him).”

Pope said she “was hoping (Flag Day) would be around two (million dollars), but everything’s bringing a lot of money, and if you want these kinds of mares, it’s what you have to do.”

Two horses sold for $2.6 million apiece.

Erdenheim Farm Thoroughbreds paid the amount for Kilwin, a 4-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy who was fourth in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect, Kilwin is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner One Timer and Grade 3 winner Just Basking and from the family of Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston. Her dam is Spanish Star, by Blame.

“We’re making plans,” said Chris Baker, who signed the ticket on behalf of Erdenheim Farm. “Whether or not she has any racing left is yet to be determined. We will talk with Rusty Arnold, who has been training her, and see what makes sense. Ultimately, she will be joining the broodmare band. This is a 10- to 15-year project.”

Kilwin was consigned by Royal Oak Farm, agent for BBN Racing and Rick Howard.

“It’s been quite a journey; she’s a really special filly,” said Brian Klatsky, founding partner of BBN Racing. “It is hard to see her go. Our partners had a great time with her. The new buyers can have a lot of fun with her, too. She has always been part of the family. We wish everybody the best.”

BBN Racing purchased Kilwin for $225,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“We train here at Keeneland (on Rice Road),” Klatsky said. “She ran here in the Breeders’ Cup. We buy and sell everything here. This is home for us and BBN Racing.”

David Lanigan, agent/Heider Family Stables, spent $2.6 million for Grade 2 winner On Time Girl, a 3-year-old daughter of Not This Time out of Grade 3 winner Girl Daddy, by Uncle Mo. Taylor Made Sales Agency, consigned On Time Girl, who is from the family of Grade/Group 2 winners Miss Coronado, Ludy Lucia and Spirit Road and Grade 3 winner Karen’s Caper.

“She was a very good dirt filly, winner at two and continued on at three,” Lanigan said, “She’s a very, very attractive filly by the right stallion, and the boss is keen to bring in some more dirt mares. He’ll make a plan with her and what he’s going to breed her to. She was his pick and pedigree in the whole book.”

Eve of War, whose 3-year-old son The Puma was second in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic Saturday at Keeneland, sold for $2.4 million to Al Ruwais Stables. A 9-year-old daughter of Declaration of War in foal to Sierra Leone, she is from the family of Grade 2 winner Gange and Grade 3 winners Bedanken and Apolda. Hidden Brook, agent, consigned Eve of War.

“We bought a quarter of The Puma five weeks ago,” buyer Bertie Butler said. “(Buyer Saleh Al Otaibi) wants to build a broodmare band for big racing around the world. I would have gone a bit less (on price), but the boss wanted her. I like the cover (Sierra Leone) on the mare and her foal (Hip 66, a weanling colt by Practical Joke sold for $900,000) is nice, and The Puma is the icing on the cake.”

Dead heat winner of Keeneland’s G1 Jenny Wiley in April and fourth in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Saturday, Expensive Queen (IRE) sold to Godolphin for $2.1 million. The 5-year-old daughter of Lope de Vega, who was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, is a full sister to Group 3 winner Antonia de Vega. Her dam is Witches Brew, by Duke of Marmalade (IRE).

At $1.3 million, Book 1’s top-priced weanling was a colt by Justify who is a full brother to G1 Betfred Two Thousand Guineas winner Ruling Court and sold to M.V. Magnier and White Birch Farm. Nursery Place, agent, consigned the colt, whose dam is the winning Grade 3-placed runner Inchargeofme (GB), by High Chaparral (IRE).

“This is our first time in Book 1, so we’re glad we came,” Griffin Mayer of Nursery Place said. “It’s been an incredible day. Very, very thankful for all our guys and everybody back on the farm. Horses came up here; they looked great, they showed great and we got the results we’re really hoping for.

“We raised Ruling Court,” Mayer continued. “I walked Ruling Court as a weanling and got to walk this one. And this horse might be better. He really is. He has a bigger stride on him. We sold an Up to the Mark (half-brother to Ruling Court and the weanling) for $1.65 million (at Keeneland) in September, which was unbelievable. We’ve loved this horse. That (price) does not surprise me at all.”

Taylor Made Sales Agency was the session’s leading consignor, selling 34 horses for $22,885,000. They included seven horses in the Complete Dispersal of Aaron and Marie Jones that brought a total of $3.22 million. Purchased for $975,000 by Al Ruwais Stables, the top seller of the Jones horses was Sweet Kisses, a 9-year-old daughter of Carpe Diem in foal to Into Mischief. Sweet Kisses is the dam of stakes winners Donut God and Hammond.

The November Breeding Stock Sale continues Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET with the first session of the two-day Book 2.

The auction runs through Wednesday, Nov. 11 with all remaining sessions beginning at 10 a.m.

On Thursday, Nov. 12, Keeneland will hold the November Horses of Racing Age Sale. The auction begins at noon.

All Keeneland sales are streamed live on Keeneland.com.

The numbers don’t lie: 17 Sovereign Awards as Canada’s outstanding trainer, eight wins in Canadian Triple Crown races, including three in the King’s Plate, six Canadian Horses of the Year, and a spot in Canada’s Racing Hall of Fame to book-end his 2020 induction at the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

But, for all the success that Casse’s runners have achieved north of the border, the horses that used their time in Canada as a finishing school for bigger things have repeatedly taken the trainer to the top of the sport.

It happened again on Saturday at Keeneland when the Eclipse Award winner Nitrogen asserted herself as North America’s top filly for another season with a convincing victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. In the days leading up to the race, Casse was quick to note how the roots of her success were first nurtured at Woodbine, like many of the trainer’s notable runners before her.

“If you look at my champions, most of them have a footprint through Woodbine,” Casse said. “I think Woodbine is probably the best place to develop horses in North America.”

The formula has worked time and time again for the trainer. His Preakness Stakes winner War of Will made his first two starts at Woodbine, while Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston spent the second half of his juvenile campaign north of the border.

Catch a Glimpse prepped for her 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf victory with a pair of races at Woodbine, and it was enough to earn her Canada’s Horse of the Year title. Uncaptured made the first five starts of his 2-year-old campaign at Woodbine in 2012, then became a two-time graded stakes winner at Churchill Downs before securing that year’s Sovereign Award as the country’s Horse of the Year.

Nitrogen took her turn among that group two years ago, when she made her first two starts as a 2-year-old at Woodbine: a runner-up effort against males in a maiden special weight, followed by a third in the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes, which served as a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, where she finished third.

Though Nitrogen went on to become one of North America’s most versatile runners, as a multiple Grade 1 winner on the dirt and a nose away from Grade 1 glory on the turf, Casse said she shipped to Woodbine as a somewhat unspectacular prospect, and the track’s setup and atmosphere helped her blossom.

“She went to Canada, and she had just kind of been okay,” he said. “I sent her to Woodbine because when I looked at her pedigree, I thought, ‘The Natalma (a one-mile turf race). This is a grass horse.’ I send all my Canadian-breds there, it just makes more sense, but if I’m really trying to develop a horse, a lot of times, I send them up there. So, I think maybe running on the grass helped, but I’m positive Woodbine was a big factor, as well.

“I’m a Tapeta fan,” he continued, noting Woodbine’s synthetic main surface. “I always have been, and it’s one thing to run over Tapeta, it’s another thing to get to train over it. We train over it every day up there, which also helps our turf horses. A lot of times, I will see a turf horse thrive there because they get to train over it every day.”

Most importantly, though, Casse said the consistency was key. Woodbine runs a long, uninterrupted meet, from April to December, meaning horses based there can plausibly keep the same stall and be handled by the same people for most of the year, unlike other jurisdictions like Kentucky and New York that run on circuits where horses are regularly getting on vans and into new settings.

Beyond anything to do with the surroundings, though, Casse said the secret sauce to his Woodbine formula is the people handling the horses.

David Adams, Casse’s head assistant of Casse’s Woodbine string, has been working for the trainer since 2001. When Nitrogen stepped off the trailer, he wasn’t as much concerned with the filly’s perceived talent level, but her willingness to go along with the program, and in that way, she stood out.

“I was like, ‘Wow, what a nice filly,'” he said. “She did everything right, never was any problem or anything like that. Everybody in the barn loved that horse. She was so good to work with.”

A native of Barbados and lifelong horseman who first arrived in Canada in 1998, Adams said working with patience was key when it comes to developing Casse’s northern string.

“We try to keep one rider on them mostly, and then take that rider’s input and just see how it goes from there,” Adams said. “You just bring them along slowly. We’ve got some of the better exercise riders, so we just take our time with the horses and they tell us when they’re ready.”

Adams has worked with an army of Casse runners during their decades together, but he used a recent example to display how the patient approach can pay dividends, in Silent Tactic, the team’s main contender for this year’s Triple Crown races.

“When he first got here last year, you could go back and see he was working in 1:05s and 1:04s (for five furlongs),” Adams said. “And then, for some reason, his light just went on, and (Casse) was just patient with him. He wasn’t in a hurry to run, and it’s just coming along slowly and then the light turned on. I said to Mark, ‘He’s ready to run. Let’s go.'”

Silent Tactic won on debut in October of his 2-year-old season, taking a maiden special weight over Woodbine’s Tapeta four months after he arrived at the track. That effort was followed by a second-place finish in the G3 Grey Stakes, and he developed into a top contender on this year’s Oaklawn Park branch of the road to the Kentucky Derby with a win in the G3 Southwest Stakes and seconds in the G2 Rebel Stakes and G1 Arkansas Derby.

The most important part of consistency with horses, though, is making sure the same people see them day-in and day-out. Adams said the Woodbine string has about 35 employees and 75 horses, and he was far from the only one with a long tenure on the Casse team. That stems back to dealing with the boss.

“You can’t ask for a better person to work for,” Adams said. “He’s just so easy to get along with. You can just be honest with Mark. You make your mistakes, and then Mark’s just like, ‘You know what, just life goes on.’

“Everybody here at Woodbine just enjoys working for Mark,” he continued. “All the employees have been here 15 years or more.”

For Casse, that consistency on his Canadian staff is as much a part of his stable’s branding as his red and white saddle towels, and others have taken notice. With another graduate of the program winning on the biggest stage, chances are good that attention will continue.

“I have grooms that have been with me 25 years,” Casse said. “It’s funny, if you listen to the commentators, when the horses come to the paddock, they’ll say, ‘Oh, Billy’s the groom on this one.’ They know if Billy’s the groom, this is a good one.

“I’m very proud of that,” he continued. “I’ve been training for 47 years. We have maybe 15 people that have been with us 30-plus years, and luckily, now at this stage of my life, I have the ability to take even better care of those people that have been around. For me, that’s one of the advantages of winning the races we won, and I try to spread that around. I try to take care of them, and they take care of the horses.”

Wawee has never missed the Breeders’ Cup World Championships after last weekend’s trip to Keeneland from his Porter Ranch, Calif., home marked his 43^rd year at the season-culminating event.

It all started when Wawee, now 63, was a junior at the University of Southern California and read that the inaugural Breeders’ Cup would be held at Hollywood Park. He chose to attend the races rather than watch his beloved Trojans play for a Rose Bowl berth. He was hooked.

“It’s all of these horses coming from all over the country and all over the world. It’s a special day. It’s spectacular. It’s a beautiful thing,” he said. “I can’t miss it. There is no way I can miss it.”

Wawee maintained that steadfast determination to venture to Keeneland in 2020 even though spectators were not permitted due to COVID-19. He wrote to various Breeders’ Cup officials, telling them of his unwavering attendance and offering to volunteer in any capacity, anything to gain admission. They responded by thanking him for his loyalty and sending a package of merchandise. Nice gesture. Not what he was after.

He contacted Laffit Pincay III, son of retired Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr. Might the well-connected broadcaster need an assistant? No task too small. Pincay III politely declined, telling him he would keep his eyes open if an opportunity arose to help him.

The roadblocks only added to Wawee’s discontent. Castle Batting Cages, the business he co-owns with great friend Andy Slater in Sherman Oaks, Calif., had been forced to close. He went without income and terribly missed the daily buzz of baseball and softball activity.

Wawee needed a good time. He needed to keep his streak alive, even more so because he had purchased two micro-shares in top Classic contender Authentic through MyRacehorse.

“I don’t know how you are going to do it,” Slater recalled telling him.

“Well, I’m going,” his friend responded, vowing to climb a fence as a last resort.

Thankfully, it did not come to that. Of all the calls he placed, all the emails he sent, one finally paid off. He found a farm manager who planned to attend only the Friday card and made Saturday’s ticket available to him.

Thankfully, it did not come to that. Of all the calls he placed, all the emails he sent, one finally paid off. He found a farm manager who planned to attend only the Friday card and made Saturday’s ticket available to him.

The flight from the West Coast was surreal. Wawee boarded a large plane with two other passengers. Were there six feet for social distancing? Heck, they were 20 rows apart.

As for the event itself, it was worth all of the time and trouble he had put into gaining access because the small investor in Authentic, winner of a Kentucky Derby like no other on the first Saturday in September, took the Classic en route to Horse of the Year honors.

   When Wawee was asked his top Breeders’ Cup memories, he said of Authentic’s Classic triumph, “That’s obviously the best.”

Not far behind is the Breeders’ Cup of 1989, when Sunday Silence avenged previous defeats against arch-rival Easy Goer in the Classic at Gulfstream Park.

“It was a New York versus Los Angeles kind of thing. It was great to stick it to them,” said the California native. “I’m a huge Dodgers fan and there is nothing better than beating the Yankees or Sunday Silence beating Easy Goer.”

Not far behind that is Zenyatta, who still stands as the only female to win the Classic. She accomplished that in 2009, seemingly leaving herself with far too much to do before coming from the clouds with a historic charge for Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.

“I didn’t think she could beat the boys but, boy, did I enjoy it when it happened,” Wawee said. Even when surging Zenyatta failed to overtake Blame by a neck the following year at Churchill Downs, the man who never misses the Cup appreciated the magnificence of the race.

Zenyatta will always hold a special place in Wawee’s heart. He and his wife, Sherry, have two daughters, Jaclyn and Heather. While Zenyatta was making national headlines, Wawee was regretting that he and Jaclyn had drifted apart and seemed to lack any common ground.

Wawee told Jaclyn of how Zenyatta would display her nervous energy with a peculiar paddock dance and of her breathtaking rallies when all appeared lost. When Jaclyn hopped on the crowded Zenyatta bandwagon, Wawee was so grateful to reconnect with his older daughter.

“It brought us back to being buddies,” said an emotional Wawee.

Forty-three years of thrills. Forty-three years of making memories. This is one streak that may not end soon.

“I imagine as long as he’s able and functioning, he will be to every one,” Slater said of the man the pandemic could not stop.

Yosra Helmy, Ph.D., an associate professor of veterinary science at the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), has received funding from the American Quarter Horse Foundation (AQHF) to investigate whether specially developed chemical compounds, known as small molecules, can control bacteria responsible for abortions in mares. 

The project, titled “Development of Novel Small-Molecule Therapeutics to Control Pathogens Causing Abortion in Mares,” will focus on finding alternatives to conventional antibiotics, which do not always successfully treat these infections. 

“In many cases, losing a pregnancy represents the loss of an entire breeding season, substantial veterinary and management expenses, and uncertainty about a mare’s future reproductive performance,” Helmy said. “Our research is driven by the need to develop new therapeutic approaches that could help veterinarians protect both the mare and her developing foal.” 

One of the project’s primary targets is Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus, commonly called Streptococcus zooepidemicus. The bacterium can normally be found in horses without causing illness, but under certain conditions, it can enter the reproductive tract and cause serious infections. Other bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, can cause similar reproductive problems. 

These bacteria can cause a serious infection called ascending placentitis. The infection happens when bacteria enter the mare’s reproductive tract and spread to the placenta, which provides oxygen and nutrients to the developing foal. When the placenta becomes infected and inflamed, the foal may not receive everything it needs to grow and stay healthy. This can lead to premature birth or cause the mare to lose her foal before it is born.  

“Veterinarians commonly rely on antibiotics to treat bacterial infections in pregnant mares,” Helmy said. “Although these treatments can be effective, they do not always eliminate infections, particularly when bacteria become resistant to the medications being used.” 

Antibiotics can also affect microbial communities, raising additional questions about their broader effects on reproductive health. Furthermore, bacterial biofilms that contribute to persistent infections and difficulties achieving effective drug concentrations at the site of infection can complicate treatment and contribute to persistent infections. 

“The goal is to find treatments that can control the infection and potentially reduce reliance on conventional antibiotics while limiting the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance,” Helmy said. 

Searching for the next generation of treatments 

The researchers aim to identify compounds that effectively target harmful bacteria while assessing their effects on host cells, their potential impact on beneficial microorganisms and their ability to reduce reliance on conventional antibiotics. 

The research will evaluate the most promising candidates for activity against antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, biofilm prevention or disruption and potential toxicity to mammalian cells. These studies are essential steps toward identifying compounds that may be suitable for future therapeutic development. 

The project will draw on the expertise and resources of the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) for Translational Chemical Biology to search for new ways to fight bacterial infections in horses. Researchers will work with Helmy’s laboratory to identify and test promising compounds, including those found in nature, that could stop harmful bacteria from growing or spreading. They will also study whether these compounds can prevent bacteria from forming biofilms. The goal is to find potential new treatments for bacterial infections that affect horses’ reproductive health. 

The work is still in its early stages, and researchers must evaluate the compounds before determining whether they could become safe, effective treatments for pregnant mares. If successful, the work could eventually give veterinarians another option for managing reproductive infections, help breeders reduce foal losses and support efforts to limit antibiotic resistance. 

“For the equine industry, even modest improvements in preventing infectious abortions could have meaningful benefits,” Helmy said. “Protecting a pregnancy means more than saving a potential foal; it can also help preserve a mare’s reproductive health and protect the investments breeders make in future generations of horses.” 

The research reported in this article was made possible in part by a grant from the American Quarter Horse Foundation. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Quarter Horse Foundation. 

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number P20GM130456. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. 

Learn more about the Martin-Gatton CAFE Department of Veterinary Science at  vetsci.mgcafe.uky.edu. 

Headlining the stallion parade is Collected, the 2017 Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes winner who has received an enthusiastic reception from West Coast breeders since his relocation from Kentucky to California last year. The 13-year-old son of City Zip currently dominates as the state’s leading sire by graded stakes winners, black-type winners, black-type performers, individual race winners and cumulative progeny earnings for 2026, with $5.3 million. He also covered more mares than any other California-based stallion during the 2026 breeding season, at 95.

Joining Collected in the narrated showcase will be two additional category leaders who reside in the Rancho San Miguel stallion barn: 2026 California leading first-crop sire Eight Rings and 2026 California leading second-crop sire Mo Forza, both Grade 1 winners.

Also available for inspection will be the promising young stallions Bolden and Brickyard Ride, as well as the veteran sires Editorial, Niagara Falls and Northern Causeway.

In addition to the stallion parade, Rancho San Miguel will offer a large group of farm-owned horses for sale at the event, including broodmares, weanlings, yearlings and racing / riding prospects of various ages.

A catered lunch, door prizes and a stallion season raffle will accompany the festivities.

“Our annual Open House is our most popular tradition, and we are delighted to host members of the West Coast breeding, racing and equestrian communities again this year,” said Rancho San Miguel owner Tom Clark. “We look forward to showcasing our stallions, offering a mixed-age group of horses for private purchase and socializing with our fellow horsemen at this event.”

Those questions brought veterinary professionals from across the United States and abroad to the fourth Davis-Thompson Foundation Racehorse Necropsy Workshop at the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UKVDL) sponsored by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) with support from Grayson-Jockey Club Foundation. Pathologists, veterinary residents, diagnosticians, regulatory veterinarians, clinicians, researchers, and veterinary students gathered for three days of presentations, case discussions, and hands-on instruction. 

A necropsy is a postmortem examination (autopsy) performed on an animal. By examining bones and other tissues, veterinarians look for evidence of pre-existing conditions that can help explain an injury or death. But interpreting that evidence — and putting it to use — benefits from a conversation that extends far beyond the laboratory. 

That connection shaped the workshop. UKVDL associate professor and veterinary pathologist Laura Kennedy, DVM, and University of California-Davis’s professor and veterinary pathologist Francisco Uzal, DVM, MSc, Ph.D., helped bring expertise in pathology, musculoskeletal research, racing regulation, surgery and cardiology to examine racehorse health from several angles.  

Hosting a workshop of this scale also highlighted UK’s quest to improve equine veterinary medicine and racehorse safety. The event required nearly a year of planning and brought together leading specialists from across the country and abroad. For UKVDL, it was an opportunity not only to share its expertise but also to strengthen relationships among the professionals working to better understand and prevent racehorse injuries and deaths.

Reading the evidence in the tissues 

Understanding an injury begins with knowing what healthy anatomy looks like and how it works. Sue Stover, DVM, Ph.D., professor emeritus at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, guided participants through anatomy, terminology and biomechanics, the study of how forces act on the body, before using preserved specimens to examine common skeletal injuries.

The sessions then connected those structures to injury diagnosis and treatment. Julie Engiles, DVM, DACVP, professor of pathology at the University of Pennsylvania, addressed diagnosing and documenting orthopedic injuries from the pathologist’s point of view, while Matthew Coleridge, DVM, BVMS, Diplomate ACVS-LA, MRCVS, from the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, offered a surgeon’s perspective on racehorse health and welfare. 

The workshop also examined tendons, ligaments and joints. Bruno Menarim, DVM,Ph.D., Bill Gatton Foundation Endowed Chair in Veterinary Physiology, explored the roles of these tissues, how joints develop and the processes that help maintain their healthy function. 

Since not every investigation centers on a broken bone or another obvious injury, the program addressed exercise-associated sudden death (EASD), pairing the University of Minnesota Twin Cities’ Sian Durward-Akhurst, BVMS, Ph.D.’s instruction on clinical cardiology and risk mitigation with a session on approaching the postmortem examination in cases of EASD by Uzal.

The investigation of EASD is a high priority for HISA, with the formation of an EASD working group, funding opportunities through several organizations and an expert summit held at Keeneland Race Course in July of 2026. The range of topics reflected the workshop’s broader purpose: helping participants understand both their own work and the questions their colleagues bring to the same case. A clinician, regulatory veterinarian and pathologist may encounter a horse at different points, but their observations can contribute to a shared investigation. 

Making findings useful beyond the laboratory 

An optional morning visit to Keeneland connected the laboratory discussions with Kentucky’s racing industry. Stuart Brown DVM, Keeneland’s vice president of equine safety, gave participants an inside look at initiatives intended to protect horses and the people who work with them. 

The workshop also introduced the Davis-Thompson Foundation, HISA and the responsibilities of racing regulatory veterinarians. Karen Hassan, DVM, DACVS, provided an introduction to HISA while Michael Hardy, DVM, of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium and the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) provided the ground perspective of the regulatory veterinarian followed by the perspective of HIWU on advancements in drug testing. These sessions provided context for how postmortem examinations fit into the wider effort to safeguard racehorses. 

A case-based panel brought the regulatory and pathology perspectives together, featuring Will Farmer, DVM, equine medical director for Churchill Downs, Inc., Brown and Kennedy. By reviewing cases from both sides, participants explored the advantages of sharing information across specialties. 

That exchange depends partly on skills that receive less attention than the examination itself: writing a clear report and taking a useful photograph. Kennedy addressed both, focusing on how to document findings so others can understand them. 

An examination produces observations; a report and its photographs carry those observations beyond the dissection room. Including those practical skills alongside anatomy and pathology emphasized that communicating evidence is an important part of diagnostic work. 

On the final day, a limited number of participants moved into a hands-on laboratory session. Preserved specimens showed normal anatomy alongside common lesions — areas of damaged or abnormal tissue — giving attendees an opportunity to examine the differences directly.  UC Davis’ Carlos Schild, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVP provided a hands-on demonstration of the anatomy of the skeletal system to provide a solid base for the participants.

Instructors demonstrated limb and cardiac dissections before participants practiced independently. With experts nearby to answer questions and guide their work, attendees could connect what they heard in the presentations with what they saw in the tissues.

The Bill Mott-trained son of Into Mischief ends his 4-year-old campaign with two victories, one second, and one third from four starts. In addition to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, he won the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga in August. He was second in the G2 Oaklawn Handicap and third in the G1 Stephen Foster. 

Nitrogen, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, moves into second. The Mark Casse trainee won four of her seven races this year, highlighted by a romp in the G1 Ogden Phipps and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Her defeats include a runner-up finish to Sovereignty in the Whitney. 

Nitrogen, a 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, is a homebred for D. J. Stable.

Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Deterministic rounds out the top three. The 5-year-old son of Liam’s Map avenged his second-place finish to Notable Speech in the Woodbine Mile by defeating that foe by three-quarters of a length at Keeneland. The Miguel Clement trainee won four of five starts in 2026. He began his year with victories in the G3 Fort Marcy, the G1 Manhattan, and the G1 Fourstardave.

Deterministic races for St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, C. Steven Duncker, and Vicarage Stable.

Japan-based T O Elvis moves from 15 to No. 4 after his dramatic victory in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. The 4-year-old son of Volatile won both of his starts in 2026, also taking down the G1 Churchill Downs Stakes in May by 3 ¼ lengths. T O Elvis is trianed by Daisuke Takayanagi for Tomoya Ozasa.

Godolphin’s Knightsbridge was relegated to fifth by voters after he was ranked third last week. The Mott trainee finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic to end his season and racing career. A 5-year-old son of Nyquist, Knightsbridge won this year’s G1 Pacific Classic, the G3 Monmouth Cup, the G3 Gulfstream Park Mile, and the G3 Fred W. Hooper. He was also second in the G1 Met Mile.

Raced in partnership by Michael J. Caruso and Michael Dubb, Kathynmarissa is ranked sixth in the final poll. The 5-year-old daughter of American Pharoah finished in the money in all five starts this year, highlighted by triumphs in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and the G1 Diana Stakes. She also recorded victories in the G2 Flower Bowl Stakes and the G3 Modesty Stakes, and finished third in the G1 New York Stakes for trainer Chad Brown.

After a fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Susumu Fujita’s Forever Young is ranked seventh after being near the top of the poll in recent weeks. The 5-year-old Japanese-bred son of Real Steel won the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park and the G1 Saudi Cup in February. He was also second in the G1 Dubai World Cup for trainer Yoshito Yahagi.

Brown-trained sprinter Ways and Means moved up 10 spots from 18 to be ranked eighth in the final poll. The 5-year-old Practical Joke mare dominated the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint by 6 ¼ lengths for her second G1 score of the year after she won the G1 Ballerina in August by 5 ½ lengths. She won the G2 Bed o’Roses Stakes by a nose in June and was second in the G1 Derby City Distaff in her season debut. 

She was campaigned by her breeder, Klaravich Stables.

The Cherie DeVaux-trained 3-year-olds Englishman and Golden Tempo round out the top 10. 

No. 9 Englishman drops from sixth after he was beaten 1 ¼ lengths by T O Elvis in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Campaigned by C R K Stable, the son of Maxfield won the G1 H. Allen Jerkens and the G1 Woody Stephens by a combined 9 ½ lengths. 

Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stables’ homebred Golden Tempo is ranked 10th. In seven starts this year, the son of Curlin has three victories and three third-place finishes. Last-to-first victories in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes highlight his sophomore season. He also won the G3 Lecomte in January. 

Other horses receiving votes: The Puma (47), Magnitude (41), Bacio (40), Hughes (39), Further Ado (26), Benvenuto Cellini (24), Notable Speech (20), Splendora (9), Emphatic (7), U. S. S. Valor (5), Tam Tam (3), Sun Goddess (2), Napoleon Solo (1).

The Top Thoroughbred poll represents horses competing for Horse of the Year.

A debut winner at two who captured graded stakes at three, four and five, Newgrange offers breeders a combination of precocity, consistency and a pedigree that unites the influences of Medaglia d’Oro and Empire Maker.

Mountain View Farm has acquired an ownership interest in Newgrange, strengthening its relationship with Sequel New York and Kirk Wycoff, an existing member of the Newgrange syndicate. The remaining syndicate members retain their interests and their commitment to supporting the stallion as he approaches the arrival of his first foals in 2027. Sequel also holds an interest in Imagination, further reinforcing the shared investment in both stallions’ futures and the New York breeding industry.

“Newgrange fits the vision we have for Mountain View Farm: giving New York breeders access to a Kentucky-caliber pedigree backed by an exceptional race record,” said David Cannizzo. “He’s a gorgeous individual with the speed to win first time out at two and the class to become a five-time graded stakes winner. That combination of pedigree, physical quality and early ability is exactly what we want to offer our breeders. We’re excited about his potential to sire precocious, athletic foals that can make an early impact on the racetrack.”

Newgrange retired with seven victories and four third place finishes from 17 starts, earning $1,014,584. His five graded stakes victories include the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes twice, the G2 San Antonio Stakes, the G3 Southwest Stakes and the G3 Sham Stakes.

He made an immediate impression on the racetrack, winning his six-furlong debut at Del Mar. Victories in the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita and the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park followed, beginning his career undefeated in three starts and establishing him on the Kentucky Derby trail. His success continued against older horses, with victories in the San Pasqual Stakes and San Antonio Stakes at four before he returned at five to defend his San Pasqual title. His graded stakes wins came at distances ranging from one mile to 1⅛ miles.

Newgrange is by Grade 1 winner Violence, a son of Medaglia d’Oro. Violence’s progeny have earned more than $69.1 million, and he is the sire of 57 black-type winners worldwide, including 22 graded/group winners. Violence is represented by champion Forte, a four-time Grade 1 winner whose victories include the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Florida Derby. His other Grade 1-winning sons include Dr. Schivel, Mullikin, No Parole and Volatile, all of whom have joined the stallion ranks.

Newgrange is out of Bella Chianti, an unraced daughter of Empire Maker. She has produced five winners from five starters and is a full sister to stakes-placed Zimmer and a daughter of Bella Chiarra, a nine-time winner who earned $636,088, captured the G2 Rampart Handicap and placed in the G1 Vanity Handicap.

The accomplished female family also includes Grade 2 winner Amalfi Sunrise, who won both of her starts at two, including the G2 Sorrento Stakes, and multiple graded stakes winner David Copperfield.

Newgrange’s arrival continues Mountain View Farm’s expansion of its breeding program, bringing another multiple graded stakes winner with a deep pedigree to breeders throughout New York and the Northeast.

Newgrange (Violence, out of Bella Chianti, by Empire Maker) joins Leinster (Majestic Warrior, out of Vassar, by Royal Academy), Imagination (Into Mischief, out of Magical Feeling, by Empire Maker), and Fire At Will (Declaration of War, out of Flirt, by Kitten’s Joy).

Asterix, an 8-year-old gelding scheduled to compete in the 3,200-meter race at Flemington, was withdrawn by Racing Victoria stewards at 10:33 a.m. after its Compliance Assurance Team reported that “Penetrene” had been applied to both of the horse’s forelegs in his stable.

Penetrene is advertised as a topical anti-inflammatory and analgesic liniment used to relieve muscle strains, sprains, and soreness. Although the product is permitted on other days, Australian racing rules prohibit administering medication, including topical treatments, on race day.

Waller pleaded guilty to a charge under Australian Racing Rule 227(a), which addresses negligence leading to a rules violation. Stewards accepted that a member of Waller’s staff applied the treatment in error, but cited the seriousness of the violation and Asterix’s withdrawal in assessing the penalty.

Speaking to News Corp Australia, Waller said the horse routinely received the treatment and that a staff member applied it in full view of a security guard.

“The pressure of race day, a very simple mistake,” Waller told News Corp. “The horse gets the same treatment every day, it’s a very basic liniment most stables use, and I guess the pressure of race day, the person that looks after the horse, put it on his legs right in front of the security guard; nothing to hide.”

Stewards also considered Waller’s guilty plea and his “excellent record” regarding similar offenses when determining the fine.

Previous studies have reported improvements in lameness lasting up to 24 months after PAAG treatment, but exactly how the substance works remains unclear. The gel was initially thought to improve joint lubrication, but it eventually becomes incorporated into the synovial membrane, the tissue lining the inside of the joint.

“Since PAAG incorporates into the synovial membrane rather than remaining free within the joint space, its mechanisms of action are more complex and may go beyond joint lubrication alone,” posited Dr. Bruno Menarim of the Gluck Equine Research Center.

Dr. Menarim, who has spent more than a decade studying the synovial membrane’s role in joint inflammation, also wondered whether PAAG incorporation into the synovial membrane might influence the joint’s ability to respond to inflammatory stimuli and its natural health balance (homeostasis).

“My suspicion was that there was something in the PAAG-remodeled synovial membrane that changes the inflammatory response of the joint,” he said. “I wanted to further investigate whether that was the case, and how that was happening.”

The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation funded a study into PAAG, and Dr. Bianca Ruspi of the Menarim Lab presented the findings at the 2026 American College of Veterinary Surgeons Surgery Summit, earning the award for highest clinical impact.

Using objectively measured pain responses, the authors found no difference between PAAG-treated and control joints. They also identified that the treatment doesn’t block the joint’s inflammatory response, but it may modulate inflammation resolution.

The team studied 19 Thoroughbreds, ages 3 to 7, whose carpal (knee) joints showed no evidence of joint injuries. Each horse received an injection of 2.5% PAAG in one joint and a control of sterile water in the other.

The horses were divided into three different groups, each ultimately evaluated at 7, 30, or 90 days following treatment. At each of these endpoints, researchers induced inflammation in both joints and compared the responses using specialized boots equipped with load sensors. The boots were placed on each horse for 50 minutes before PAAG treatment, before induction of inflammation, and 10 hours following induction of inflammation. The boots measure the weight horses placed on each limb and how often they shifted weight off it, providing an objective measure of pain-related behaviors. 

Researchers found no significant difference in weight-bearing or offloading frequency between PAAG-treated and control limbs. During the recording period, treated joints showed no impaired pain perception in response to induced inflammation, and examination of joint tissues found no abnormalities in the joints’ nerves.

Dr. Menarim’s group also found preliminary evidence that PAAG may influence how the joint resolves inflammation, rather than simply suppressing it. 

“Inflammation is a normal response to injury, and the body has built-in mechanisms to resolve it and restore joint health in a timely fashion,” Menarim explained. “However, when inflammation fails to resolve and becomes chronic, it can be damaging to tissues and lead to osteoarthritis.”

In PAAG-treated joints, researchers observed increased markers associated with recruitment and activation of macrophages, the main cells driving inflammation resolution. In addition, at 30 days following PAAG treatment, PAAG-treated joints had higher concentrations of 10-HDoHE, a substance derived from omega-3 fatty acids and associated with resolving inflammation. The findings raise the possibility that PAAG may influence how the joint resolves inflammation, potentially helping explain the long-lasting effects noted in some studies.

Both PAAG-treated and control joints responded similarly to the induction of inflammation, suggesting no blockage of the inflammatory response. 

When extrapolating these results to clinical cases, it is important to remember that the horses in this study were not in a training program, and only the 2.5% PAAG was investigated, meaning these findings may not be applicable to other formulations. In addition, healthy joints were used with an induced inflammation model, rather than studying the treatment effects on naturally occurring joint inflammation.

The team is finalizing the analysis of findings from another component of this Grayson-funded study examining PAAG in fetlock joints with naturally occurring osteoarthritis. Menarim also aims to further investigate how the treatment affects the joint’s inflammatory response and ability to maintain a healthy physiological balance. 

The preliminary findings are currently being prepared for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, and questions on the subject should be addressed to Dr. Menarim at bruno.menarim@uky.edu. 

Editor’s Note: The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) prohibits intra-articular PAAG injections within 180 days of a race. 

Hernandez missed the final Saturday of the meet when he traveled to Keeneland to earn his first Breeders’ Cup victory aboard Wesley Ward trainee Bacio. He flew back to Southern California shortly after that race, and added a victory on Sunday’s card to make it 20 winners from 100 mounts (20 percent) at the 16-day stand, earning his fourth consecutive Autumn Meet jockey’s title at Santa Anita. Hernandez’s 20 wins were three more than the runner-up, Emisael Jaramillo. Hernandez also led all jockeys with $1,337,299 in purse earnings. 

Hernandez, a 34-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, earned his signature win of the meet when guiding undefeated 2-year-old Hughes to victory in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes for 2-year-olds. He also won the Lure Stakes aboard Artislas for trainer Jeff Mullins and the California Distaff Handicap with Grand Slam Smile for trainer Sean McCarthy. 

O’Neill, a 58-year-old native of Dearborn, Mich., won 13 races from 56 starters (23 percent) to lead all trainers. Earlier this year, O’Neill also won the trainer’s title at the Santa Anita Classic Meet. 

O’Neill’s biggest wins came in the G2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship with Listenupshance, G3 John C. Harris Stakes with Little Opal, and the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes with Pura Vida Princesa. His stable banked $643,920 in purse earnings at the stand. 

Hronis Racing, whose principal is Kosta Hronis, won five races from 12 starters (42 percent) to top the owner’s standings while banking $196,540 in purse earnings.  Hronis Racing has been in operation since 2010. Its most notable wins include Breeders’ Cup victories with Accelerate in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Classic and Full Serrano in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. In 2018, Hronis Racing won the Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding owner. 

Reddam Racing led owners in earnings with $248,900 accumulated from 21 starters. Led by Paul and Zillah Reddam, Reddam Racing most notably had a pair of allowance winners — 3-year-old filly Factor P and 4-year-old filly Pavel Is Appealing — and finished second in the G1 American Pharoah with Net Par. Reddam Racing’s stakes earners also included Free Closer (4th, G2 Oak Leaf; 3rd Golden State Juvenile Fillies), Less Please (4th, G3 Surfer Girl) and She’s No Quant (5th, G2 Zenyatta)  

This year the Thoroughbred Owners of California also kept statistics of owners’ wins based on the managing partner of each winning horse. This reflects how owners often campaign horses through various partnerships. Based on that criteria, longtime owner-breeder Terry Lovingier showed the way with eight victories at the meet. 

Lovingier, 69, owns and operates Lovacres Ranch in Warren Springs, Calif. On closing weekend Saturday, Lovingier earned the biggest of his eight wins at the stand when Cupid Cowboy scored in the Golden State Juvenile for horses bred or sired in California. Lovingier bred Cupid Cowboy and co-owns the colt by Stay Thirsty with Victor M. Flores and John Moroney. 

Live racing will return to Santa Anita Park starting the day after Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 26 with the start of its traditional Classic Meet. Ticket packages for Opening Day and the rest of the Classic Meet are now available at santaanita.com.

Ways and Means (hip 161), fresh off her dominating victory in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, sold for $5 million to Boyd Racing, Brittany Linton, agent, to top this year’s sale. The multiple Grade 1 winner was consigned as a racing/broodmare prospect by ELiTE, agent for owner Klaravich Stable. In addition to her recent Breeders’ Cup victory, Ways and Means counts among her six graded stakes wins the Grade 1 Test Stakes at three and the G1 Ballerina Stakes this year. The 5-year-old daughter of Practical Joke has earned $2,157,500 to date.

“It was another remarkable evening for The November Sale,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “There’s something magical about trying to get to $100 million for this night. The demand for beautiful horses was extraordinarily strong, whether it happened to be a weanling, a filly or mare coming off the racetrack, or a mare in foal. We’re very pleased with the sale.”

Amo Racing USA went to $4.2 million to secure Cy Fair (hip 182), who was consigned as a racing/broodmare prospect by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. Cy Fair, who beat males in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint was most recently a gutsy second in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. A 3-year-old daughter of leading sire Not This Time, Cy Fair has earned $1,199,430 to date.

“She’s sensational,” said Kia Joorbachian of Cy Fair. “She was a must-have. I think we will keep racing (her) next year.”

Kathrynmarissa (hip 208), coming off her win in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, sold for $3.2 million to Katsumi Yoshida. She was offered as a racing/broodmare prospect by Gainesway, agent. A multiple Grade 1 winner this year, Kathrynmarissa has earned $3,255,745. In a race dominated by Europeans, she is the first U.S.-bred to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf since Stephanie’s Kitten won the race in 2015.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Scottish Lassie (hip 147) sold for $3 million to Spendthrift Farm from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. A daughter of McKinzie, Scottish Lassie broke her maiden by 9 lengths in the G1 Frizette Stakes at two and went on to win the G1 CCA Oaks at three by more than 15 lengths – the largest winning margin for that race in nearly 50 years. Consigned as a racing/broodmare prospect, Scottish Lassie has earned $954,510 to date.

“When she went for $3 million, I was quite surprised,” said Steve Weston of Parkland Thoroughbreds, co-owner of Scottish Lassie. “Quite surprised and very happy. It’s been a great couple of years with her.”

“There was strong international participation,” added Browning, noting that the buying bench included, in addition to North Americans, buyers from Japan, Europe, Australia, and Saudi Arabia. “It all comes back to the quality of the horses you’re able to put in front of the men and women sitting in the pavilion and standing out back.”

A pair of weanling fillies sold for seven figures to lead the opening section of the sale.

A filly by current leading sire Not This Time (hip 80), the second foal out of stakes winner Feeling Mischief (Into Mischief) sold for $1.15 million to Caitlin Dunne, agent for Asagi Stables, from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. The filly hails from the immediate family of Eclipse champion 3-year-old filly Wait A While. Hip 36 was bred in Kentucky by Feeling Mischief Syndicate.

Dunne, on behalf of the same client, had earlier gone to $1 million to secure a filly by Into Mischief (hip 36) from the consignment of Gainesway, agent. The filly is the first foal out of the graded stakes winning Curlin mare Solo Album, from the family of 2026 Eclipse Champion Turf Female She Feels Pretty. Hip 36 was bred in Kentucky by Payson Stud.

Thirty-three fillies and mares and two weanlings sold for seven figures or more.

A late addition and unique offering to the sale was a lifetime breeding right to this year’s impressive Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sovereignty, which sold for $1 million to White Birch Farm. Last year’s Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male, Sovereignty was retired to stud after the Breeders’ Cup and will cover mares at Darley America starting in 2027.

A lifetime breeding right to this year’s G1 Pacific Classic Stakes winner Knightsbridge sold for $450,000 to Havertz Bloodstock. Knightsbridge will join Sovereignty at Darley America this coming year.

“It’s a special night,” Browning concluded. “We just feel honored when we get entrusted with these type of horses. We look forward to doing it again in 2027.”

Overall, 140 horses sold for $101,617,000, with an average of $725,438. It was the fifth time in the past six years that gross sales exceeded $100 million. The median was $360,000, an 11.6 percent increase over last year’s median of $322,500. The RNA rate was 18.6 percent.

Full results are available online.

The 4-year-old daughter of Mitole will be retained by the Morplay Racing operation of owner Rich Mendez after the hammer fell on Monday at $2.4 million.

“She’s given us an amazing experience, an amazing last couple years of her life, and we’re going to probably retire her, and might set up some type of syndicate with her, and send her to either Not This Time or Gun Runner, and hope to have some beautiful babies here in the next couple of years,” Mendez said.

If this is the end for Shisospicy’s racing career, she will finish with six wins in 11 starts for earnings of $2,095,270.

Trained by Jose D’Angelo, the filly dominated a Gulfstream Park maiden special weight by 16 1/4 lengths in her 2-year-old debut, and she earned her first stakes victory the following season in the listed Limestone Stakes at Keeneland. After winning the G3 Mamzelle Stakes, Shisospicy shipped overseas to contest the G1 Commonwealth Cup on the prestigious Royal Ascot card, suffering her lone defeat of the season.

She quickly got back into form upon returning stateside, with a three-length win in the G2 Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs, leading into the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar, where she bested males and older competition to win by a front-running 2 1/2 lengths.

In the days following the 2025 Breeders’ Cup, Shisospicy went through the ring at the Fasig-Tipton November sale, and she sold to Mendez for $5.2 million, dissolving the partnership he had in the filly with former co-owner Qatar Racing.

Expectations were high for Shisospicy heading into her 4-year-old season, with plans to ship her overseas to test turf sprints on the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup cards, but she missed her trip to the Middle East with an infection. She wasn’t the same when she returned to the races, finishing last of seven in the G2 Unbridled Sidney Stakes on May 1, then after five months between starts, she finished last of 14 in her defense of her Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint title.

Mendez acknowledged that hanging on to Shisospicy after last year’s November sale might appear to be a gamble that didn’t pay off from an on-track perspective, but it was one he did not regret.

“I think a lot of people are wondering why we might have not sold last year or what happened to her this year,” he said. “These are things that as you grow in the business, you learn, but again, we kept her. She was a big part of our brand When Shisospicy hit the scene, Morplay kind of hit it at the same time with her, and, we decided to keep her last year. Just some unfortunate things happened this year, and she wasn’t able to give it her all, but at the end of the day we get to keep her. She gets to be at the farm. We get to feed her carrots and see our champion every single day.”

Bred in Kentucky by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Shisospicy is out of the winning Into Mischief mare Mischief Galore, whose four foals to race are all winners. Her third dam is the Grade 3 winner Maren’s Meadow.

The finer details of Shisospicy’s life as a broodmare are still in the process of being ironed out, but Mendez said the plan is unlikely to involve getting the horse in foal and offering her during next year’s November mixed sales. Mendez said he owns a small handful of mares, and he owns about 300 acres in Ocala, Fla., though whether Shisospicy joins the broodmare band there is not written in stone.

“She’s been a big part of our life, so I think we’ll keep her for a while and hopefully, she’ll give us some really good babies, and we look forward to seeing them run in the next few years,” Mendez said.

The 5-year-old mare is a daughter of American Pharoah, who will enter his second season standing in Japan. The Breeders’ Cup win was the biggest tipping factor in the purchase, but according to her new connections, her sire’s notoriety in Japan also played into the decision.

“She was gorgeous,” said Shingo Hashimoto, who signed the ticket on behalf of Yoshida. “She didn’t look like she raced last weekend, with that good performance. It was an easy win. It was amazing.”

Though Hashimoto did not offer a firm commitment on who might be Kathynmarissa’s first mating, he said two-time Japanese Horse of the Year Equinox was a likely candidate.

Kathynmarissa ends her career with eight wins in 16 starts, earning $3,255,745 for owner Michael Caruso and Michael Dubb, and trainer Chad Brown.

She earned her first stakes win in the autumn of her 3-year-old season, taking the listed Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs. After an abbreviated campaign at four, she did her best running at age five, starting with a win in the G3 Modesty Stakes at Churchill Downs. She finished her career on a three-race winning streak, starting with the G1 Diana Stakes, followed by the G2 Flower Bowl Stakes, and finally the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corp., Kathynmarissa is out of the the Chilean Group 1-winning Milt’s Overture mare La Dalila, whose four winners from five runners include Chilean champion La Poetisa, who is herself the dam of Chilean Group 2 winner Lorenzzo.

Continuing her deep ties in Chilean racing Kathynmarissa’s second dam is the Group 1-placed stakes winner Top Diplomat, and Chilean classic-placed Temis can also be found on the page.

Gainesway consigned Kathynmarissa, as agent.

Jamie McCalmont, an advisor for Amo Racing, said the 3-year-old Not This Time filly would remain in the barn of trainer George Weaver, who has conditioned her to five wins in nine starts and earnings of $1,199,430.

“I don’t think she really has to do much better than she’s already done,” McCalmont said. “If she can maintain what she’s done already, we’ve got a very nice horse for the racing stable, and that’s what we’re trying to do is win big races.”

McCalmont said Amo Racing principal Kia Joorabchian spoke with Weaver prior to the sale to envision what a potential 4-year-old campaign might look like for the filly. The agent predicted Cy Fair would join Joorabchian’s broodmare band at the end of her career.

“He asked him what he’d do with her, and they discussed the possibilities of going to Ascot, which would be a lot of fun for everyone,” he said.

Monday’s transaction capped off an incredible windfall for Cy Fair’s co-owner Reagan Swinbank, who purchased the filly for $185,000 at last year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, and has cleared over $5.3 million between racetrack and sale ring earnings. He campaigned Cy Fair on the racetrack in partnership with Medallion Racing, Joey Platts, and Mark Stanton.

However, that is not to say the whirlwind 48 hours from Cy Fair’s runner-up Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint effort, where she finished two lengths behind winner Bacio, to Monday’s fall of the hammer were a cakewalk for Swinbank.

“I cried Saturday after the race when she fought hard for second, I cried Sunday when I came here and fed her two peppermints and pet her, and I cried thinking about this moment this morning, but I’m very happy with the sale result, very happy she’s going to Amo Racing,” Swinbank said after the filly sold. “They’re obviously a world-class, worldwide operation, and I want to watch her run, and I want to bet $10,000 to win every time she runs.”

Cy Fair was a finalist for the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly of 2025, on the strength of a campaign that featured a win in the listed Algonquin Stakes, followed by her marquee victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, where she bested male competition by one length at Del Mar.

In 2026, Cy Fair kicked off her season with a third in the Grade 3 Limestone Stakes at Keeneland, then she got back on the winning track with victories in the G3 Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill Downs and the G3 Coronation Cup Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. She entered this year’s Breeders’ Cup off a sixth-place effort in the G2 Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs, the first and only time to date that she has finished out of the money.

“Cy Fair is the horse of a lifetime and, being able to own her and campaign her has been so fun, and she’s named after my mom’s hometown and my mom’s high school,” Swinbank said. “My wife was the one that told me to buy her when we were at OBS and we were over budget. My wife goes, ‘Crimson Advocate is under the second dam and she’s by Not This Time. Just buy her.’ We tried to get partners, and we didn’t get any, so my wife convinced me to buy her. She won first out, and we sold half to Medallion Racing, who are great partners.”

Bred in Kentucky by Marc Keller, and consigned at the Fasig-Tipton sale by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, Cy Fair is the first foal to race out of the winning Arch mare Remarqued. Her second dam is the Grade 3-placed stakes winner Citizen Advocate – the dam of the aforementioned English Group 2 winner Crimson Advocate – and her extended family features champion Caledonia Road and Grade 1 winners Data Link and Hymn Book.

The Breeders’ Cup was the 5-year-old daughter of Practical Joke’s eighth win from 14 starts, bringing her earnings to $2,157,500. Her winning margin of 6 1/4 lengths in the Filly & Mare Sprint was the widest of this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland, and it tied with 2020 winner Gamine for the biggest margin of victory in the history of the race.

Saturday’s victory was the sixth career graded stakes score for Ways and Means, whose 2026 campaign has also included wins in the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes and the G2 Bed o’ Roses Stakes. She also won the Bed O’ Roses in 2025. Her 3-year-old campaign featured wins in the G1 Test Stakes and the G2 Gallant Bloom Stakes.

A homebred for Klaravich Stables, Ways and Means was trained by Chad Brown, and she was consigned at the Fasig-Tipton sale by Elite, agent.

Ways and Means is out of the stakes-winning Warrior’s Reward mare Strong Incentive, whose four foals to race are all winners, also including Grade 1 winner Surge Capacity and Grade 3 winner Highly Motivated.

A multiple Grade 1-winning son of Not This Time, Magnitude retires as a dominant global force highlighted by spectacular victories in the $12 million Dubai World Cup and $2 million Stephen Foster Stakes.

Paladin, a $1.9 million Saratoga yearling by Gun Runner, brings an unblemished record to the roster following his wins in the Remsen and Risen Star Stakes.

“To have Magnitude defeat both last year’s and this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic winners – Forever Young and Sovereignty – proves what an absolute powerhouse he is,” said Charlie O’Connor, Director of Sales at Ashford Stud. “Match that with Paladin, an undefeated early Derby favorite who beat subsequent Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo, and you have two incredibly exciting colts. Both are already showing at the stallion barn, and we welcome breeders to come down and see them.”

Launched in conjunction with the Oct. 30–31 World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., the program celebrates Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Sovereignty, Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Nitrogen, Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) winner Benvenuto Cellini, and FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Hughes through officially licensed Topps NOW trading cards.

The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile card launched Saturday, Oct. 31 on Topps.com, and its 48-hour online sales window closed this afternoon. The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, and Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff cards dropped today on Topps.com and will be available for 48 hours, closing on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

In addition to the standard commemorative cards that allow racing fans and collectors to own a piece of Breeders’ Cup history, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic offerings feature special limited-edition chase cards incorporating authentic autographs from winning jockeys and pieces of the winning owners’ race-worn silks.

The partnership brings together one of the most recognizable names in sports collectibles and Thoroughbred racing’s premier international Championship event, creating a new opportunity to introduce Breeders’ Cup Champions and their historic performances to a broader audience of sports fans and collectors.

“Every Breeders’ Cup victory represents an extraordinary achievement, and this partnership with Topps gives us a new way to celebrate those moments and the people and horses behind them,” said Justin McDonald, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Breeders’ Cup Limited. “For the first time, four Champions will be celebrated through an official Breeders’ Cup Topps NOW collection, connecting our sport with a new generation of collectors and sports fans. We’re excited to create something special that captures the thrill of the World Championships while extending the reach of our sport.”

A central component of the partnership is its commitment to giving back to the Thoroughbred industry. Breeders’ Cup will donate 100 percent of the royalties it receives from the Topps NOW program to Breeders’ Cup Charities, supporting organizations and initiatives focused on Thoroughbred aftercare, jockey health and wellness, equine research, backstretch communities, and other important industry needs.

“Through Breeders’ Cup Charities, this program will do more than commemorate Championship performances,” McDonald added. “It will also help support the horses and people who make our sport possible, creating a lasting impact well beyond the finish line.”

Topps NOW is known for capturing defining moments in sports through trading cards released shortly after they occur, allowing fans to commemorate historic achievements as they happen. The new Breeders’ Cup collection will bring that approach to the World Championships, celebrating the performances that define the sport’s biggest international stage. This is the first time Topps NOW has featured horse racing.

Breeders’ Cup Mile victor Deterministic has been retired to Lane’s End Farm and is available for inspection. He will stand for $25,000 LFSN for the 2027 season.

Campaigned by St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, C. Steven Duncker, and Vicarage Stable, Deterministic, by top 15 sire Liam’s Map, is out of Giulio’s Jewel, by Speightstown. Giulio’s Jewel hails from the tail female line of Courtly Dee through multiple graded stakes winner Aquilegia, who is a full sister to champion 2-year-old filly Althea. 

A $625,000 Keeneland September yearling, bred by Hinkle Farms, Deterministic debuted in style at two for trainer Christophe Clement, winning a Saratoga maiden special weight over the main track and earning the title of “TDN Rising Star”. Following Christophe’s untimely passing in 2025, his son Miguel took over training duties, securing Deterministic’s first Grade 1 victory in the Manhattan Stakes that year at Saratoga. 

He started his 3-year-old campaign sharply with a win in the G3 Gotham Stakes, going one mile on the dirt at Aqueduct. Later that year, he returned to the winner’s circle in the G3 New Kent County Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs, following a switch to turf. The surface change proved a shrewd decision as Deterministic accumulated five Grade 1 victories. He became the only horse to win both the G1 Manhattan Stakes and G1 Fourstardave Stakes in the same year for two consecutive years.  His career highlights include a dominant victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, defeating Eclipse champion Notable Speech (GB), setting a new track record for 1 3/16 miles at Saratoga in the $1-million G1 Manhattan Stakes, earning six triple-digit Beyer speed figures, and he retires as Liam’s Map’s highest earner with $4,231,439.

“It’s thrilling to add another Breeders’ Cup winner to the roster, especially considering he will be standing alongside his sire, Liam’s Map, himself a Breeders’ Cup winner. Deterministic has so much to offer breeders – a debut victory at two, a graded stakes win on the dirt, and the only four-time Grade 1 winner at Saratoga, he has excelled at every level,” said Lane’s End President Bill Farish.  “We are thankful to all the connections for entrusting Lane’s End with his stud career.” 

First-crop sire Flightline will stand for $125,000 LFSN in 2027. 

Champion Flightline’s first-crop continues to impress with 15 winners, including five this fall at Keeneland. His first-crop runners are led by Grade 3 winner Shonan Galleon (JPN) and Saratoga stakes winner and graded stakes placed Go For Launch. In addition, he has sired four first-crop “TDN Rising Stars.” He has proven to be a global success with winners at top tracks such as Keeneland, Saratoga, Del Mar, Woodbine, and Kyoto. Flightline is proving to be a versatile sire with a nearly even split of winners on dirt and turf.

Flightline’s second-crop yearlings reached new heights in the sales ring this year, with prices up to $2,600,000, his top priced yearling to date. He maintained a strong yearling average in 2026 at $574,048.

Gary Hartunian, majority owner of Skyfall 7, won an emergency injunction in court to end the lockout the same day the Teletrack permit was suspended, but the Department of Gaming said that relief would not overturn the suspension.

A hearing regarding the suspension has now been scheduled for Nov. 13, six days earlier than originally planned, at a meeting of the Arizona Racing Commission. Turf Paradise’s 2026-’27 live race meet is supposed to open on Nov. 27, but the main track is not yet available for training and fewer than 300 horses are currently in the Turf Paradise stable area, according to Leroy Gessman, executive director of the Arizona Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. Many horsemen who would normally race at Turf Paradise are on hold, pending the Nov. 13 hearing, waiting to see whether the permit suspension will be lifted and the race meet will proceed.

Gessman said four inches of rain fell over the weekend, delaying maintenance crews from getting the main track ready. A representative from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority is now scheduled to inspect the track on Nov 11. The training track has been open for about a week, Gessman said.

The Department of Gaming public notice issued on Oct. 30 said Skyfall 7 on Oct. 28 asked for the permit suspension to be lifted temporarily, from Oct. 29-Nov. 1, but that request was denied in writing on Oct. 29. Another written denial was issued an Oct. 30 after the Division of Racing received additional information.

Loss of purse revenue from simulcasting and the OTBs, particularly from the Breeders’ Cup – one of the biggest wagering events of the year – could total $1 million, Gessman estimated.

The turmoil began in early October when Turf Paradise general manager Tom Ludt, and a number of the track’s management team, resigned. Ludt said Hartunian was delinquent on payments to a number of vendors and that Skyfall 7 owes TP Racing millions of dollars. Hartunian said he is disputing the amount he owes TP Racing and that he has been in the process of getting current or establishing payment plans for many of the vendors.

No announcement has come from Turf Paradise or Skyfall 7 about a new management team.

“The Division has several outstanding concerns that require remediation prior to lifting the suspension and opening the Off-Track Betting sites, including whether Skyfall has the licensed personnel and financial resources available to pay OTB winnings and essential services to safely conduct teletrack wagering operations in compliance with Arizona law,” the Department of Gaming’s public notice stated.

“The Division continues to evaluate conditions at Turf Paradise racetrack and the permittee’s compliance with applicable safety and regulatory requirements associated with its Commercial Live Racing Permit and Teletrack Permit. The health, safety, and welfare of all racing participants and the wagering public remain a priority for the Division. Should the Division’s findings identify matters warranting further regulatory consideration, those findings will be presented to the Commission for review and determination within its authority.”

The Department of Gaming also posted the following for horseplayers who may be holding winning tickets or cash vouchers purchased at Turf Paradise or one of the OTBs.

Information for Affected Wagering Customers:

The Division is aware that disruptions to pari-mutuel wagering operations may affect customers with outstanding wagering tickets, pending payouts, or related concerns. Customers who have placed wagers through Turf Paradise Racetrack or OTB locations are encouraged to:

-Retain all original tickets, receipts, account statements, and transaction records.

-Submit one Pari-Mutuel Claim Form ( link ) with a copy of all your tickets, vouchers, or receipts to the Department’s Division of Racing via rwagering@azgaming.gov.

-Claims will be accepted by the Division and will be directed to Skyfall for eligibility for reconciliation. Processing times may vary depending on the nature of the claim.

-Claim submission does not guarantee payment or establish a specific timeframe for resolution.

-If you have not received an update within 30 days, please contact the Department’s Division of Racing to check your claim status.

The Arizona Department of Gaming and the Arizona Racing Commission remain committed to protecting the public, maintaining the integrity of Arizona’s regulated racing and wagering industry, and ensuring compliance with applicable laws and permit requirements.

Thank you for your patience and continued cooperation as we carry out our regulatory responsibilities.

One of the bar/restaurants licensed as an OTB, the Red Zone Sports Grill in Glendale, issued the following statement on its Instagram account on Oct. 31:
“We know so many of you have been anxiously waiting for an update on our OTB, and trust us, we’re just as frustrated as you are. Yesterday, Turf Paradise contacted OTB locations with hopes of reopening in time for Breeders’ Cup weekend. Unfortunately, those efforts were unsuccessful.

“To be clear, OTB wagering remains UNAVAILABLE at Red Zone Sports Grill and all Turf Paradise-affiliated OTB locations until further notice. We are NOT able to accept wagers at this time. As a locally owned, family-run business, we know how much our horse racing community means to Red Zone, and we miss having everyone together doing what they love.

“While we can’t take wagers, you can still join us to watch the Breeders’ Cup races, enjoy great food and cold drinks, and make the most of the weekend!  We sincerely appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued support. We will share updates as soon as we receive confirmed information about when wagering can resume. – Your Red Zone Family”

The 400-yard race for 2-year-old Quarter Horses, worth $1,191,150, was won by the Manuel Rodriguez-trained filly Lightning Vaquera and jockey Gerardo Vera. Revenantly and jockey Christian Cardenas were second by a neck. The winner’s share of the purse was $488,943, with the runner-up earning $197,905. 

Vera was fined $9,700 and will be suspended for seven California Quarter Horse racing days, beginning on Nov. 14 and ending on Dec. 5. According to the ruling, Vera violations were: using the crop “more than twice in succession without giving the horse a chance to respond,” using the crop “more than six times during the running of the race,” and “using the crop in the overhand position.”

The Golden State Million Futurity was Vera’s first graded stakes win. The jockey has 139 Quarter Horse victories from 1,449 starts dating back to 2016, per Equibase statistics.

Cardenas was fined $1,980 and suspended three California Quarter Horse racing days, beginning on Nov. 14, for “blatant violations” of California’s crop use rules. The ruling alleges Cardenas used the crop more than six times on Revenantly during the Golden State Million Futurity.

Cardenas is a multiple graded stakes-winning Quarter Horse jockey, including four G1 races.

The suspensions will not prohibit participation in designated races.

The 6-year-old son of Always Dreaming’s retirement was announced Monday via the social media channels of owner FMQ Stables.

“After an extraordinary racing career, Saudi Crown begins an exciting new chapter as a stallion at Darby Dan Farm,” the post read. “From his unforgettable Grade 1 triumph in the Pennsylvania Derby to his commanding victory in the Commonwealth Stakes, Saudi Crown has built a remarkable legacy defined by speed, strength, and determination.”

Saudi Crown ends his carer with nine wins in 21 starts for earnings of $3,751,380.

Purchased as a 2-year-old for $240,000 at the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, Saudi Crown was placed in the barn of trainer Brad Cox, and he won each of his first two starts, first taking a Keeneland maiden special weight by 4 3/4 lengths, followed by a Churchill Downs allowance by 1 3/4 lengths.

Saudi Crown then graduated to face the higher ranks of his 3-year-old crop, turning in runner-up efforts in the Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes and the G2 Jim Dandy Stakes. Those starts led to his signature victory, a wire-to-wire score in the G1 Pennsylvania Derby.

He came back at four to win his season debut in the G3 Louisiana Stakes, which led to an overseas trip to finish third in the G1 Saudi Cup. When he returned stateside, Saudi Crown tallied victories in the R.A. “Cowboy” Jones Stakes at Ellis Park and the listed Tenacious Stakes at the Fair Grounds.

Saudi Crown’s 5-year-old campaign saw him finish second in the G3 Oaklawn Mile Stakes, then win the Lake Ouachita Stakes, both at Oaklawn Park. Earlier this year, he added another graded win to his resume in the G3 Commonwealth Stakes.

Bred in Kentucky by CHC Inc., Saudi Crown is out of the Tapit mare New Narration, whose three foals to race are all winners. His second dam is the Grade 3 winner New Normal, his third dam is the Grade 2 winner New Economy, and his extended family features Grade 1 winner Noble’s Promise.

Lopez and Harper’s Corner crossed the finish line third, beaten 1 ¼ lengths for the win and a head for second. Jockey David Egan, rider of Force Noir, claimed foul against Lopez after the race. Stewards disqualified Harper’s Corner to eighth, behind Moonrise, before declaring the race official. 

“Paco Lopez moved to the rail when he wasn’t clear,” jockey Oisin Murphy, rider of Moonrise, told At The Races’ Matt Chapman after the race. “It was really poor riding.”

Lopez has been served another three-day careless riding suspension on Nov. 9, 10, and 11. This one was handed down by the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission, which stated that Lopez and his mount Bulma beared out at the start of a six-furlong maiden claiming contest, “causing interference and intimidation,” in the fifth race at Parx Racing on Oct. 5. Lopez and Bulma crossed the line first, but were disqualified to second after Mychel Sanchez, rider of the runner-up Velveteen, claimed foul. 

For more than a century, images of Thoroughbred racing have captivated audiences with moments that last only seconds but become part of the sport’s history forever: a dramatic nose victory, a Triple Crown triumph, the joy of a first stakes winner, or the quiet emotion of a groom embracing a horse after a career-defining performance.

Most fans remember the horses, jockeys and trainers. Few remember the people who preserved those moments.

Joe Chile is one of those storytellers. For more than 25 years, his camera has documented the people, horses and moments that have shaped modern Thoroughbred racing.

I saw that firsthand in 2013, at the Pimlico horse show featuring Thoroughbreds, uncertain weather, and no established blueprint for how any of it should work. Alongside producer Steve Schiedler, Chile seemed to be everywhere.

He filmed five-year-olds riding retired racehorses. He captured nervous young equestrians preparing to show what their horses could do. He caught the rain and the purple storm clouds.

Then he climbed onto the grandstand roof for a view of the whole event.

With an instinct for finding stories that others might miss, Chile has spent his career documenting not just races, but the heart of Thoroughbred racing. From Hollywood Park to Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Saratoga, Del Mar and Dubai, his lens has captured champions, underdogs, horsemen, horsewomen and the everyday moments that remind us why this sport matters.

Cameras were first used in horse racing to document photo finishes and, later, for race patrol films. What began as a method of accurately determining race results eventually evolved into a new form of visual storytelling, allowing camera operators like Chile to document not only the races themselves, but the people and moments that define the sport.

For Chile, working in production was always the goal. When he was offered a production position, he eagerly took it.

“I moved my way down from the tower and up in my camera career,” he said.

As sports storytelling evolved, so did the demand for original content. Racing coverage expanded to include more cameras and operators, offering new perspectives from cables, automobiles, and tripods positioned around the racetrack. Operators like Chile carried cameras on their shoulders, moving from one location or interview to the next.

That access carries a responsibility. Chile wants the person watching to feel close to the action and to notice an expression, a gesture or a small detail that might otherwise disappear in the commotion.

“A really interesting thing about shooting through the camera is you may see other stuff through your viewfinder you may not even see in person,” he says. “That is when the magic can sometimes happen.”

For all his travels, Chile is surprisingly diplomatic about choosing a favorite racetrack.

“I always look forward to going to any racetrack where there is a story to tell,” he says. “Wherever I’m sent with a camera to tell a story, that’s my favorite place to go.”

It’s an answer that neatly avoids offending several dozen racing associations. It also sounds entirely like him.

Chile has contributed to Emmy Award-winning and Eclipse Award-winning productions, but much of what makes his work valuable happens outside the spotlight: the patience to keep watching, the willingness to find another angle, the relationships built over years of showing up.

As TVG winds down its operations, Chile’s time with the network is coming to an end. Those qualities deserve attention, particularly at a time when racing spends plenty of time discussing how to reach new audiences. People like Chile are part of the answer. They know how to make a viewer curious about a horse, interested in a person and invested in what happens next.

“It’s important to convey the visuals and the message and to bring it into people’s homes,” he says. “As a camera operator, you want to push the reach of the shot and ideally give someone goosebumps.”

That’s an ambitious job description: carry the equipment, find the story, deliver goosebumps. So the next time a racing feature makes you smile, draws you closer to the screen, or stays with you after it ends, spare a thought for the person behind the camera.

He may have climbed onto a roof to get you there.

But for someone who has not put many off-track rides on a young Thoroughbred, the first ride on a newly retired racehorse can be nerve-wracking and anxiety-inducing (vibes that are definitely NOT what any of us want to convey to the horse under us). 

By taking a mindful approach leading up to and during those first few rides, you’ll not only enjoy them more, but get more out of them, and so will your horse.  

Setting You AND Them Up for Success

When the average racehorse is ready to transition away from racing, they’ve already lived a whole lot of life, seen a lot of things, and been ridden by a variety of different people. So, while that first off-track ride is a significant milestone and much different than what they’re used to (different tack, different way of mounting, different style of riding, different environment…the list could go on and on), they aren’t exactly starting from ground zero. 

At the same time, that newly off-track Thoroughbred is going through a lot of change. New barn environment, new schedule, new feed, re-introduction to turnout and socialization, and more. When it comes to the first ride, that’s even more newness: a different type of saddle and likely bridle/bit, a new type of environment to be ridden in, a new way of being ridden (with more leg on their side and more rider contact on their back), and a new style of being ridden (rather than going fast and straight, they’re going to be asked to do more shapes, patterns, and changes of gait and direction). 

Taking things slow, especially in the beginning and especially if you’re navigating the restarting process for the first time, will get you farther faster in the long run. 

Before the First Ride

With a newly off-track Thoroughbred experiencing so much change, it’s important to teach him or her that “new” does not equal “bad.” The best way to do this is to do your best to set them up for success with new experiences. 

For example, take them to wherever you plan to have their first ride a few times before the actual day of the ride. Let them see and get comfortable in the environment. Maybe have them walk over some poles or investigate anything in or on the perimeter of the arena. You can have them walk a few circles around you at the walk in each direction, which is the first step in teaching them to lunge.

I prefer to do a few groundwork sessions with them and actually teach them to lunge before doing their first ride. You can read more about teaching them to lunge in the January 2024 “Learning to Lunge” edition of OTTB Training Toolkit. 

They may get excited or anxious the first time in that new arena environment, especially if there are other horses working around them. It’s up to you to stay calm and diffuse their nervous energy. Sometimes that might mean simple groundwork games, walking around and over poles, etc., to get their mind to focus on you rather than everything else, while other times it might mean letting them stand there and take it all in, hopefully with some quiet words and confidence-inducing pats or scratches from you. 

I take this approach with everything that’s new to a newly off-track horse, helping them to learn that “new” doesn’t have to be scary. This not only puts them in a mindset more open to learning, but also helps you to get to know the horse a bit better, and to build up a bit of trust between the two of you. 

When it’s the First Ride, for Both of You

Once you feel the horse can go to the arena and get into a calm, productive mindset (through lunging, groundwork, or whatever else), it’s time to do your first ride. Whether it’s your first time doing the first ride or you’ve done hundreds of them, it’s good to have someone around who can hold the horse as you mount. 

Most racehorses are used to a rider being “legged up” rather than mounting from a mounting block, and often they’re walking as this happens, so having to stand still as someone steps onto a mounting block, puts weight into the stirrup, and swings a leg over can be unsettling to some horses. If that’s the case, take your time to help them get comfortable with you there and what you’re doing.

There are a number of things I’ve learned over the years that not only help to keep the rider safe when mounting a newly retired racehorse (or any horse you’re unfamiliar with), but also help the horse learn to stand calmly while being mounted, which you can read about here.

Horses are sensitive animals. They can feel something as tiny as a fly landing on them, so they can definitely feel everything you convey through your hands, legs, and seat, whether you mean for them to or not. So, it’s important to be relaxed and confident, yet secure (not loose in the tack) during these first few rides. Be sure you’re not tense and tight through your seat and legs, and you’re not pulling or fussing with their mouth, as all of these things will make a relaxed horse tense, and a tense horse more anxious. 

Now, that doesn’t mean to ride with your leg off of them. I often describe to students having “wet towel legs” when riding anxious or green horses. You want your leg secure (like a ThunderShirt for a nervous dog) but not actively engaged or haphazardly swinging and rubbing them. Keeping your heel down, your calf on their side, and your core engaged plays a big role in this. This will keep you secure (and give you the ability to be light on their back).

While ideally I want to start with 5 or so minutes of walking and circling, if the horse is anxious or eager to go forward, I let them move into a trot, staying on the perimeter of the arena and doing large circles or figure 8s. Often, the best way to diffuse nervous energy in a horse is to keep their feet moving, and with Thoroughbreds especially, you can use their natural inclination to go forward to your advantage, as that is their comfort zone (and will serve them well in many off-track disciplines).

On the track, most Thoroughbreds are used to being ridden with contact, so in these first rides, I try to maintain quiet contact with their mouth through the reins, doing a lot of soft give and take (pressure and release) to help them relax into rather than brace against the contact. 

My mindset when I go into that first ride is to simply let the horse introduce him or herself to me, and me to them. I want to learn from them how they like to be ridden, if they prefer one direction over another, how well they turn and bend, and so on. From me, I want them to feel my legs against their side and how I engage them in coordination with my rein aids and seat when I ask them to turn or bend. 

There is no hard and fast rule that says one has to walk, trot, and canter in that first ride. Often I will do all three gaits and even a hack around the farm, but sometimes if I feel the horse has made good progress with just a few walk-trot sets, I’ll leave it at that so I can end in a good place and build on it next time. 

My goal for a first ride (really for the first few rides) isn’t ever “I want to accomplish X, Y and Z.” Instead it’s simply to end my session with the horse happy and relaxed, and hopefully thinking, “Wait, that’s it? That was easy!”

Taking this approach to the first ride (or rides) will help you to develop a good rapport and level of trust with a horse and put him or her in a curious, learning mindset. 

Troubleshooting Tips

If you are nervous – Horses can feel our energy, and they feed off of it, so if you’re nervous about getting on, there is no shame in asking a more experienced, confident rider to put the first few rides on your horse, or to coach you through it. If you don’t know of someone you can ask for help, the Retired Racehorse Project has a database of past Thoroughbred Makeover competitors and can try to help you connect with someone in your area that can offer guidance.

Have a ground person – Always coordinate having someone there with you when you get on a new horse for the first time. Not only can they hold the horse as you get on and walk the first few steps with you, but they can also take video, help from the ground (such as if your horse is hesitant to go over a pole or near something, the ground person can walk them from the ground to offer extra encouragement), and help if things go pear-shaped (hopefully not…but better safe than sorry!). 

Getting on safely – Every step of every ride is a conversation between you and the horse, so mounting is like your introduction. In addition to keeping yourself secure and with the horse by keeping your reins short and grabbing the mane with your left hand, make sure you don’t poke them with your toe as you put your foot in the stirrup, don’t catch them with your right foot as you swing your leg over, and don’t thud down on their back like a sack of potatoes. All of that not only sends the wrong message, but can startle the horse and cause them to go forward abruptly. You also don’t want to be too slow getting on, as that is often the most vulnerable point of your ride (since you’re only half on the horse). Instead, be soft and efficient as you swing your leg over and sit lightly into the saddle. 

Choose the right time – While it’s good to have someone there when doing your first rides, try to time it when the arena is going to be quiet. If there is another horse or two in the arena with you, let them know that it’s the horse’s first off-track ride and ask them to be mindful (not passing too closely, or slowing to a walk if they see your horse is getting overly excited). If you have a friend riding with you, simply walking next to them or following behind them at the walk or trot can be a good calming influence for your inexperienced horse. 

Be soft, but secure in the saddle – Racehorses are used to the rider riding much shorter in the stirrups and being off of their backs (or light on their backs if posting), so think about being light with your posting and using a half seat in the canter in those first few rides. Having a secure lower leg and engaged core are the key to this.

Don’t overdo it – Less is more in those first few rides. My goal isn’t to teach them any major concepts, but rather to get them used to a new way of being ridden and have positive experiences. If I can get them to be calm and curious about going over poles or passing/investigating things in the arena, even better!  Ending on a positive note is my main goal, but how I get there and what that positive note is depends on the horse.

Conducted by Boehringer Ingelheim, the nationwide survey garnered nearly 2,000 responses from horse owners in 49 states. It found that a large percentage of owners indicated a decrease in riding time after a PPID diagnosis, negatively impacting the important human/horse bond.

“A horse receiving a PPID diagnosis can feel overwhelming at first,” noted Steve Grubbs, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, Equine Technical Manager, Boehringer Ingelheim. “But as owners learn to manage the disease, many horses can potentially return to a normal life, whether that be competing or as a companion.”

Most promising is that the survey found that horse owners have an understanding of the disease, with 89 percent of respondents able to identify at least one clinical sign associated with PPID.¹ The findings reflect how awareness of the disease has evolved over the past decade-and-a-half.

“In the past, many horses with PPID weren’t diagnosed until the disease was advanced, because owners simply didn’t recognize the clinical signs,” said Dr. Grubbs. “Today, horse owners are much more aware of what to watch for, which creates opportunities for earlier conversations with their veterinarians, and better long-term outcomes for affected horses.”

Before PPID became a topic horse owners understood, they often attributed the early signs of PPID to the natural aging process. Those early clinical signs include change in attitude, lethargy, decreased performance, delayed shedding, loss of topline muscle, laminitis, and abnormal sweating.

The survey suggests that significant progress has been made in horse owner awareness of the disease and the resources available to manage it, including: 

•  61% of those surveyed specifically asked their veterinarian to test their horse for PPID.
•  75% of respondents’ horses are on PRASCEND® (pergolide tablets), with 98% treating daily year-round.
•  78% plan to continue treating for their horse’s lifetime. 

“The increased awareness reflected in this survey is encouraging, because early recognition remains one of the most important factors in successfully managing PPID,” Dr. Grubbs said. “When horse owners recognize subtle changes sooner, they’re more likely to involve their veterinarian earlier, which can make a meaningful difference in developing an appropriate long-term management plan.”

PPID is one of the most common endocrine disorders affecting older horses, although in rare cases, it has been identified in horses as young as 5 years old.² Veterinarians emphasize that successfully managing PPID requires a whole-horse approach that includes appropriate medical treatment, nutritional management, routine hoof and dental care, exercise when appropriate, and regular veterinary monitoring.

For Dr. Grubbs, the survey represents more than an encouraging statistic. “The biggest change over the past 15 years is that more horses with the disease have had the opportunity to be diagnosed and managed before the disease advances, significantly impacting their quality of life. That’s real progress,” he stressed.

Trainer and horse owner Keri Davidson, KTR Farms, Adairsville, Ga., knows firsthand about how to help horses diagnosed with PPID enjoy longevity. Her five horses on PRASCEND® (pergolide tablets) continue to thrive, providing lessons and competing on the show circuit. “I want other people to understand that a PPID diagnosis doesn’t mean the end of a horse’s career,” she said. “When their conditions are managed properly, these horses are able to continue doing their jobs and enjoy a great quality of life.”  

Horse owners who suspect their horse might have PPID should talk to their veterinarian about testing as catching PPID early can help with successful treatment. For additional information about PPID, visit PRASCEND.com.

PRASCEND® IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: PRASCEND has not been evaluated in breeding, pregnant or lactating horses. Treatment with PRASCEND may cause loss of appetite. Most cases are mild. PRASCEND tablets should not be crushed, due to the potential for increased human exposure. Keep PRASCEND in a secure location, out of reach of dogs, cats, and other animals to prevent accidental ingestion or overdose. Adverse reactions may occur if animals other than horses ingest PRASCEND tablets. Not for human use. Do not ingest the product. Refer to the package insert for complete information. 

References
1 Data on file at Boehringer Ingelheim.
2 Young A, Berryhill E. Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). UC Davis Weill Veterinary Medicine Center for Equine Health. 2020. Available at: https://ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/pituitary-pars-intermedia-dysfunction-ppid. Accessed July 15, 2026.  

The 18-day Holiday Meet runs Wednesday, Dec. 2 through Wednesday, Dec. 30, with racing expanding to five days a week on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule. The Winter/Spring Meet opens Friday, Jan. 1, with regular racing Wednesday-Saturday through March 27.

First post is 5:55 p.m. (all times Eastern) for most days and Jeff Ruby Steaks Day on Saturday, March 20, will begin at 12:45 p.m. There will be no racing Dec. 24-25, Dec. 27 or Dec. 31.

The Holiday Meet will feature eight stakes worth $1.5 million, led by the third annual Synthetic Championships on Saturday, Dec. 12. The program includes four stakes worth $250,000 each: the Holiday Cheer and Holiday Inaugural at six furlongs, and the My Charmer and Prairie Bayou (Listed) at one mile.

New to the Holiday Meet stakes schedule is the $125,000 Her Last Hurrah for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on Saturday, Dec. 26. The inaugural running joins the $125,000 Last Hurrah for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on the same program.

The Holiday Meet stakes schedule also includes the $125,000 Boone County at 1 ¼ miles on Saturday, Dec. 5 and the $125,000 Florence for fillies and mares at the same distance on Saturday, Dec. 19.

Three Kentucky Derby preps and two Kentucky Oaks preps during the Winter/Spring Meet will give horses competing in Northern Kentucky a path to Churchill Downs for the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on Saturday, May 1 and the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday, April 30.

The meet’s 20 stakes worth $3.977 million include a new addition to the Road to the Kentucky Derby: the $125,000 Leonatus on Saturday, Jan. 16. The one-mile race is part of the Prep Season and will award qualifying points to the top five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale, giving Turfway Park three Derby qualifying races.

The $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial (Listed), scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 20 at 1 1/16 miles, will offer Derby qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale. One night earlier, the $175,000 Cincinnati Trophy at one mile will award Kentucky Oaks points on the same scale.

The 56th running of the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) will anchor the six-stakes program on Saturday, March 20. The 1 1/8-mile race is part of the Championship Series on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and will award qualifying points to the top five finishers on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale.

Also scheduled for Jeff Ruby Day are the $300,000 TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic (G3) at 1 1/8 miles; the $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks (Listed) at 1 1/16 miles; the $250,000 Rushaway at 1 1/16 miles; the $250,000 Animal Kingdom at six furlongs; and the $250,000 Latonia (Listed) at 1 1/16 miles. The Bourbonette Oaks will award Kentucky Oaks qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10 scale.

The Holiday Meet condition book is available here: Turfway Park Holiday Meet Condition Book

For the latest information about racing and gaming at Turfway Park, visit Turfway.com. 

TURFWAY PARK STAKES SCHEDULE

2026 Holiday Meet

Dec. 5, Boone County, $125,000, 3yo & up, 1 1/4 M, BT

Dec. 12, Holiday Inaugural, $250,000, F&M, 3yo & up, 6 F, BT

Dec. 12, My Charmer, $250,000, F&M, 3yo & up, 1 M, BT

Dec. 12, Prairie Bayou, $250,000, 3yo & up, 1 M, Listed

Dec. 12, Holiday Cheer, $250,000, 3yo & up, 6 F, BT

Dec. 19, Florence, $125,000, F&M, 3yo & up, 1 1/4 M, BT

Dec. 26, Her Last Hurrah, $125,000, 3yo fillies, 1 1/16 M, BT

Dec. 26, Last Hurrah, $125,000, 3yo, 1 1/8 M, BT

2027 Winter/Spring Meet

Jan. 1, Gowell, $125,000, 3yo fillies, 6 F, BT

Jan. 2, Turfway Prevue, $125,000, 3yo, 6 1/2 F, BT

Jan. 9, Wishing Well, $125,000, F&M, 4yo & up, 6 1/2 F, BT

Jan. 16, Leonatus, $125,000, 3yo, 1 M, BT

Jan. 23, Likely Exchange, $125,000, F&M, 4yo & up, 1 M, BT

Jan. 30, Forego, $125,000, 4yo & up, 6 1/2 F, BT

Feb. 6, Valdale, $125,000, 3yo fillies, 6 1/2 F, BT

Feb. 13, Dust Commander, $125,000, 4yo & up, 1 1/16 M, BT

Feb. 19, Cincinnati Trophy, $175,000, 3yo fillies, 1 M, BT

Feb. 20, John Battaglia Memorial, $175,000, 3yo, 1 1/16 M, Listed

Feb. 27, Wintergreen, $125,000, F&M, 4yo & up, 1 M, BT

March 6, Big Daddy, $125,000, 4yo & up, 6 F, Listed

March 13, Queen, $125,000, F&M, 4yo & up, 6 F, BT

March 20, TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic, $300,000, 4yo & up, 1 1/8 M, G3

March 20, Jeff Ruby Steaks, $777,000, 3yo, 1 1/8 M, G3

March 20, Rushaway, $250,000, 3yo, 1 1/16 M, BT

March 20, Bourbonette Oaks, $300,000, 3yo fillies, 1 1/16 M, Listed

March 20, Animal Kingdom, $250,000, 3yo, 6 F, BT

March 20, Latonia, $250,000, F&M, 4yo & up, 1 1/16 M, Listed

March 27, Serena’s Song, $125,000, 3yo fillies, 6 F, BT 

All purses included contributions from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.

Sovereignty now goes off to build a legacy as a sire. But no one has any such doubts about trainer Mott’s legacy in Thoroughbred racing. The headline in Paulick Report editor Chelsea Hackbarth’s coverage of the BC Classic described what Mott did with his horse, coming off a hoof abscess earlier this year, as a “masterclass” of training. From Hackbarth’s piece: “‘The job Bill and his team have done to get this horse from last year to today in the shape that he’s in is an unbelievable trainer performance,’ said Godolphin’s Michael Banahan. ‘You’ll see some words written, but to put those into operation and all those little things that have happened along the way and the patience that Bill has shown to get him there to do that is unbelievable.’”

Over at Thoroughbred Daily News, Bill Finley had similar praise for the trainer and more praise for the horse. From Finley’s piece: “Mott did allow himself a shadow of a smile when it was over. But he is not one to gloat. ‘This horse is a runner,’ he said. ‘It’s like a loaded gun is dangerous in anyone’s hands. I guess we got it done today. The horse did everything we needed him to do.’”

In other words, he made it look easy. But there was nothing easy about this. There may be a few other trainers who could have pulled this off, but not many. It was a masterful training job.

“‘It’s his patience,’ said Banahan. ‘He teed the horse up to produce on the day, like he did in the Derby, the Belmont, the Travers, like the Whitney this year.’”

There was plenty to kvetch about, too, if that’s your thing. A wave of scratches late last week altered not just the results of the races on Friday and Saturday but the wagering options as well. That is one likely reason, among others, for why the handle was down sharply on Friday’s card and down slightly on the big Saturday afternoon card. Overall, the all-sources handle was down 6.7 percent from last year, when the Breeders’ Cup was held at Del Mar in Southern California. Next year, the Breeders’ Cup races will take place at the new Belmont Park in New York, a return to Gotham after more than two decades. Maybe the folks at the New York Racing Association, who successfully managed CAW reform, can help advise next year on home turf.

If I were a Thoroughbred industry stakeholder, I would focus on solving the broader question of why so many horses have to be scratched out of these races, rather than on the narrower question of how to improve the handle on these big racing days. Arguing that track veterinarians or regulators should be more lax in evaluating soundness issues is, no pun intended, a non-starter in this modern world. And for all the whining about late scratches, which bettors hate, the fact is that the public expects (or demands, if you prefer) that vets and regulators err on the side of caution. From this perspective, five less-attractive betting races is a cheap price to pay for not having a Breeders’ Cup horse break down with millions watching.

I watched hours of coverage of the Breeders’ Cup this year. I enjoyed almost all of it. Not because the broadcast was perfect (it wasn’t) or because all of the races were scintillating (they weren’t) or because there were some great parlays to be had (I don’t bet), but because the championship races were such a marvelous distraction from the final few days of a particularly frenetic and meaningful election season. I was rooting for Englishman, for example, but at the end of the BC Sprint I was in awe of T O Elvis for running down trainer Cherie DeVaux’s horse. I am sure there are plenty of voters who have switched their political horses this campaign season, back and forth. The good news? The election will soon be over, one way or the other. More good news? Joe Drape and The New York Times have just declared a racing renaissance in the U.S. The bad news? We have to wait another year for the next Breeders’ Cup races.

Pennsylvania needs to do more to stop the slaughter pipeline

I haven’t gotten very far in learning what regulators in Pennsylvania plan to do, if anything, about allegations that Bruce Rotz, of Rotz Livestock, is part of a pipeline that leads racehorses to slaughter in Canada. The problem involves all breeds of horses, including Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds. The newest allegations against Rotz come from the animal welfare group, Animals Angels, which claims that 179 Standardbreds alone went through his place in January and February of this year on their way to a slaughterhouse in Canada. Rotz, you will recall, was part of the September story where New York authorities arrested a driver accused of carrying horses to slaughter. Those horses are now getting the care they need, we just reported.

We know now that the prosecutor in that New York case isn’t sure that the law is strong enough to sustain the case against the driver. So what about Pennsylvania? No one can say that state officials aren’t on notice. From the animal rights group’s press release: “Animals’ Angels has filed formal complaints with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania Department of State, and Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office concerning the shipment, Rotz Livestock’s role, and the veterinary clearance that permitted these horses to travel. Both the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office have responded, confirming they are looking into our complaints.”

What’s particularly disheartening about the news about the doomed Standardbreds is that many of them were part of a United States Trotting Association program called “Full Circle,” which is supposed to add an extra layer of protection for retired Standardbreds. Harness horse owners can, for free, register their horses with Full Circle– I have done so for many of my horses. The idea is that the end-owner of a harness horse that is enrolled in Full Circle can contact the USTA to reach out to the Full Circle enrollee to see if that owner will buy or care for that horse. It’s a wonderful idea but, as the USTA concedes, it depends entirely on the willingness of the end owner to know about Full Circle and take the time to reach out and wait for a response.

Sadly, we don’t live in that world. We live instead in a world where the end users of these racehorses ignore the Full Circle program and try to find killers who will pay a few hundred bucks to take the animals to slaughter. The USTA is being both candid and cowardly when it acknowledges its limitations in protecting harness horses. “Policing horse slaughter would require investigative authority, access to private transactions, subpoena power, and the ability to impose legal sanctions. Those powers rest with governments, courts, and state racing commissions—not with breed organizations. Attempting to act beyond our legal remit would violate due process, expose the registry to significant liability, and ultimately undermine our ability to serve both horses and owners effectively.” 

The Meadowlands steps up its game

I often criticize Jeff Gural*, the owner and operator of The Meadowlands Racetrack, when I think he’s made mistakes, and so now I think it’s fair to praise his work in pivoting from the track’s loss of the 2027 Hambletonian. Gural and company, working with the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey and other industry stakeholders around the U.S., have come up with an impressive new $1 million trotting race and have beefed up some existing stakes for an impressive card that will take place in the heat of summer at the track in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Harness racing now can look forward to The Meadowlands Trot and the Hambletonian, which means two huge trotting races within one month of each other next year.

There were a lot of cats to herd to come up with this new racing card, which has a good chance of being the most heavily-bet card of the entire Standardbred season in the U.S. A lot of egos had to be stroked, a lot of compromises had to be swallowed, and a lot of cooperation had to take place among rivals who aren’t exactly known for their collaboration skills. Gural and his team, including Big M executive Jason Settlemoir, deserve credit both for leading and listening to the right people this fall after the Hambletonian Society took away the Hambletonian and gave it to the folks at Harrah’s who run Hoosier Park in Anderson, Indiana. In doing so, they’ve meaningfully improved their chances of one day getting a full casino at the Meadowlands.

Even the timing of the Big M’s announcement made sense, coming days before the biggest yearling and mixed sale of the year, the 88th annual Standardbred Horse Sale, a five-day slog at the sprawling State Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I cannot attend the Harrisburg sale this year, alas, because I have to cover this week’s election but I am sure that sales will be buoyed somewhat by buyers who now know for certain that there will be a vibrant stakes season at the nation’s most important harness track. Those in the Standardbred game should pause for just a moment and appreciate how good it feels when the industry comes together for a common purpose to overcome a significant problem. Now do beard trainers! 

Notes

An update on HISA litigation. I am told that the briefing is complete in the HISA litigation, now at the door of the U.S. Supreme Court. We are likely weeks or a month or two away from the justices in Washington, D.C., announcing in a terse written order that they will accept for review a case that will allow them, finally, to rule on the constitutionality of the Horseracing Integrity & Safety Act. The alternative, that justices will punt the case back to one of the three federal appeals courts that have ruled on the case, is unthinkable at this point. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld HISA in full. The 5th U.S. The Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down HISA’s enforcement powers. The Supreme Court has a choice to make.

If the justices grant certiorari before the end of the year, or early in January, expect oral argument in the sprawling case to take place in March or April, with a decision coming out before the end of June 2027. That means it will have taken nearly seven years from the law’s passage to its constitutional verdict. That probably seems like a lifetime for the folks who run HISA and its enforcement arm, the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit, and it sure feels like a lifetime to me covering all the twists and turns of the legal fight over the new racing integrity law. But there is no standard for the time it takes the federal courts to render a definitive judgment on a new law. Either way, 2027 will be a turning point for the law and, by extension, the Thoroughbred industry.

Still no word from Ron Burke, the harness trainer who dominates the sport in the U.S., on why he is running against USTA President Russell Williams for a spot on the association’s board of directors. I’ve asked Burke directly a few basic questions– why are you running? What do you hope to achieve as a USTA director? How will you be able to devote time to the gig if you are running the largest stable in Standardbred racing?– and have received no response. Burke doesn’t owe me a thing. But he does owe the constituents in the USTA district in which he is running an explanation for what on the surface seems to be an attempt to oust Williams and undermine the USTA’s ability to investigate its own members for integrity violations.

Standard disclosure: Gural and I own a few Standardbred racehorses and broodmares together. 

The day will begin with a press event at 10 a.m. featuring former jockey and recently retired racing analyst Donna Barton Brothers, who will help unveil the museum’s new Curator’s Corner. The first-floor space will feature rotating displays of unique and timely artifacts, launching with a suit Barton Brothers wore while reporting for NBC Sports at Churchill Downs.

At 10:30 a.m., guests can enjoy a live taping of The Best Bet Podcast, hosted by Claudia Coffey, featuring Barton Brothers in a conversation about her career, the pivotal decisions that shaped her journey, and the bets she’s made on herself, followed by an audience Q&A. The episode will later be released on major podcast platforms.

“It’s quite an honor to have one of my Derby outfits join the Kentucky Derby memorabilia collection at the Derby Museum,” said Donna Barton Brothers. “I have visited the museum frequently for 30 years or more, and looking at the outfits of iconic figures has always made me feel a little closer to that person, that moment in time. I hope people will feel the same way when they look at my outfit. I hope they can imagine what it must be like to be on a horse on the track during the Run for the Roses, then ride alongside the winning jockey immediately after the race. Welcome to the best seat in the house.”

The celebration will also offer guests a first look at the Kentucky Derby Festival’s 2027 Pegasus Pin design and a chance to view the original Kentucky Derby 153 and Kentucky Oaks 153 artwork up close. Both experiences offer a preview of the creativity and excitement building toward next spring.

This year also marks a new chapter for Derby in December, as Kroger joins the three Derby partners for the first time as presenting sponsor, helping make the free community celebration possible.

“Kroger is thrilled to help bring Derby in December to life for the Louisville community,” said Brandie Ryan, Customer Communications Manager for The Kroger Co. Louisville Division. “By helping provide free admission to the Kentucky Derby Museum, we’re able to give more families the opportunity to experience the traditions that make Louisville so special. We’re proud to join the Derby partners in creating a celebration that is open and welcoming to everyone.”

DERBY IN DECEMBER PROGRAMMING

Following a historic Derby 152 that saw the first female trainer win the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, this year’s event on Dec. 10 will spotlight the women whose stories and contributions have shaped the race’s past and present. Throughout the day, guests can explore those stories using a new digital museum map, while special programming and activities from all the Derby partners offer a first glimpse of what’s ahead for Derby 153.

Churchill Downs

• Receive a FREE Kentucky Derby notepad featuring the Official Artist of the 153rd Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. (While supplies last) 
• Enter for a chance to win one of four Golden Tempo replica saddle towels.

Kentucky Derby Festival

• Be among the first to see the 2027 Pegasus Pin design and receive a FREE 2027 Metal Pegasus Pin. (While supplies last)
• Secure your 2027 Derby Festival event tickets ahead of the season.
• See the Royal Court robe and crown, meet the Festival mascot, and step inside a real hot-air balloon gondola.
• Enjoy Derby Festival photo opportunities and giveaways.

Kentucky Derby Museum

• FREE Clayton & Crume Derby-themed gifts, breakfast bites, and prize opportunities. (While supplies last)
• Attend a special unveiling of the new Curator’s Corner with Donna Barton Brothers.
• Participate in a live taping of The Best Bet Podcast with Claudia Coffey and Donna Barton Brothers.
• Self-guided exploration highlighting women’s stories throughout the museum.

Derby in December has become an annual opportunity for the organizations behind Louisville’s most celebrated Derby traditions to give back to the community. Whether guests are longtime racing fans, families looking for a free day of fun, or locals looking to reconnect with the Derby spirit, the event offers a chance to experience what makes Derby special months before the first Saturday in May.

Derby in December presented by Kroger runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec.10, at Kentucky Derby Museum. Admission is FREE all day. 

For more information: https://www.derbymuseum.org/visit/experiences/derby-in-december 

The 12-year-old son of Curlin previously stood at Leadem Farm in Arkansas, where he stood for two seasons after beginning his stud career in 2019 at Northview Stallion Station in Maryland. He will stand for an advertised fee of $1,000 if the ensuing foal is born in West Virginia, and $2,500 for foals born elsewhere.

From five crops of racing age, Irish War Cry has sired 81 winners and compiled progeny earnings of more than $8.4 million.

He has sired four stakes winners, including two winners on the Maryland Million card on Oct. 24: Maryland Million Turf winner King’s River and Maryland Million Sprint winner Celtic Contender. It was the second Maryland Million Sprint win for Celtic Contender, who has made over $550,000 on the racetrack, and earned graded black type when he was third in last year’s G3 Maryland Sprint Stakes.

“I feel his quantity of foals has hindered him, but certain not his quality,” Baird said. “His 2-year-olds this year are a perfect example. He has 16 2-year-olds, and only had four starters so far, but all four have hit the board in their first two starts, with one winning at first asking. Those races were at Laurel, Delaware, and Monmouth. Running in West Virginia should be a softer landing, and we are hoping for big results.

“The biggest attraction that brought him to my farm is his $70,000 average lifetime earnings per starter,” he continued. “Bringing him to a state program where he could be considered the class of the state can only help add to that impressive number. The fact that his progeny will pass the $2-million mark this year also has me excited. He hasn’t had the graded stakes horses that make a stallion commercial, but his foals are proven paychecks, and that is what I hope attracts mares in this blue-collar state.”

Irish War Cry raced for three seasons, starting with an unbeaten 2-year-old campaign that was capped off with a win in the Marylander Stakes at Laurel Park.

He then became one of the top 3-year-olds of his class, after winning the G2 Holy Bull Stakes and G2 Wood Memorial Stakes. Following a start in the 2017 Kentucky Derby, Irish War Cry went on to finish second in the Belmont Stakes. At four, Irish War Cry won the G3 Pimlico Special Stakes and finished second in the G3 Hal’s Hope Stakes, ending his career with five wins in 13 starts for earnings of $1,257,060.

Bred in New Jersey by Isabelle de Tomaso, Irish War Cry is out of the winning Polish Numbers mare Irish Sovereign, whose seven winners from eight foals to race also includes Grade 3 winner Irish Strait, stakes-placed Irish Politics, and multiple stakes producer Irish Score.

Trained by Flint Stites, the 4-year-old Maximus Mischief bay rallied from 8 1/4 lengths back in last-of-10 to finish a three-length third last out in the six-furlong Endine over sloppy footing on Oct. 17 at Delaware Park. Piloted by Andrew Wolfsont, Icona Mama was beaten by Grade 2 winner Maida and multiple graded stakes winner Mystic Lake. 

“She had a lot of trouble over that surface at Delaware. It was very muddy, and she just had a hard time getting a hold of it,” Stites said. “She’s not one to like a lot of dirt in her face either. She got shuffled back, all that mud on her and she didn’t want any part of it. The rider was able to get her out, and she closed extremely fast in the stretch. I thought he was pulling her up, next thing I know she’s third. I was like, ‘What?’” 

Icona Mama entered that race off a two-length score over dual graded stakes winner Irish Maxima in the 6 1/2-furlong Liberty Bell on Sept. 19 at Parx Racing. She had returning rider Manny Franco up for the comfortable victory. 

“She’s very game and she always tries,” said Stites. “If you can get everything going for her, she’s always right there.”

Icona Mama [post 6, Manny Franco] has made three starts at seven furlongs, hitting the board in each, all at the stakes level. She is 18-4-3-8 overall with $430,451 in earnings. 

“I really like this distance for her, I think it is optimal,” Stites said. “I like a stalking trip, preferably on the outside and out of the kickback. She will tolerate it for a while, but it makes her mad if she’s in there too long.”

Don Alberto Stable’s Kentucky homebred Senza Parole [post 4, Flavien Prat] posted a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure last out when a 1 1/4-length second to G1 winner R Disaster in the 6 1/2-furlong G2 Gallant Bloom on Oct. 1 here. 

Trained by five-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, the 4-year-old Gun Runner chestnut previously defeated multiple stakes winner With the Angels by 2 1/4 lengths over muddy and sealed footing in a six-furlong optional claimer on Sept. 2 at Saratoga Race Course. 

Senza Parole breezed a solo half-mile in 48.83 seconds on Saturday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.

“She had a real nice solo breeze,” said Lee Vickers, assistant to Brown. “Went 48 and four on the training track and we were really happy with that. Moved really good. She looked well in control, on the bridle, and that was a good time for the training track.”

Senza Parole, 11-4-4-1 overall with $390,650 in earnings, seeks her first stakes score in her fifth attempt. Out of the winning Street Cry mare Senza Te, Senza Parole’s second dam is graded stakes winner Sacristy, who produced G1-placed Flor De La Mar, and is a half-sister to Mozu Superflare, a G1 winner in Japan.

Agave Racing Stable and Miller Racing’s Indy Bay [post 1, Micah Husbands] was a last-out fifth in the seven-furlong G3 Princess Rooney on Sept. 12 at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the 4-year-old Take Charge Indy dark bay captured the G2 Charles Town Oaks at the same distance last August among her 15-5-4-2 career. 

Bred in Kentucky by Frankfort Park Farm, Indy Bay was initially a $19,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Speightstown mare Discovery Bay.

Rounding out the field are G1-placed Beauty Reigns [post 3, Junior Alvarado] for Hall of Famer Bill Mott; stakes-placed Amalfi Drive [post 2, Antonio Fresu] for conditioner Michael Stidham; and allowance winner Shore War [post 5, Samuel Marin] for trainer Amelia Green. 

The Pumpkin Pie is slated as Race 6 on Saturday’s 10-race card, which features the G2 Mother Goose [Race 9], the Listed $200,000 Dwyer [Race 8] and the $175,000 Carle Place [Race 7]. First post is 11:40 a.m. Eastern. 

General admission at Belmont Park is available for $7 when purchased in advance and provides fans with access to grandstand seats on most days, all areas within the first floor of the grandstand and the backyard. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/tickets/. 

America’s Day at the Races presents daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule/. 

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com. 

The Carle Place is slated as Race 7 on Saturday’s 10-race card, which is headlined by the Grade 2, $300,000 Mother Goose in Race 9. The stakes-laden program also features the Listed $200,000 Dwyer in Race 8 and the Listed $175,000 Pumpkin Pie in Race 6. First post is 11:40 a.m. Eastern

Trained by Michael Trombetta, Doubting Thomas [post 4, Jorge Ruiz] enters from a convincing one-length score last out on Oct. 10 here in the seven-furlong Bricks and Mortar. There, with returning jockey Jorge Ruiz up, Doubting Thomas closed six-wide down the lane and staved off the onrushing Iron Palace for the smart score in a final time of 1:20.17. The winning effort earned Doubting Thomas a career-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure.

The Caravaggio colt entered the Bricks and Mortar from a non-threatening sixth in the one-mile Gio Ponti in September at Saratoga Race Course.

“The only flaw on his form is the two-turn race. We thought he’d be able to go further,” Trombetta said. “I had my reservations about running him back seven-eighths, but it was a one-turn race, and he handled it real well.

“It was a nice group of horses, and he showed up in a big way,” Trombetta continued, regarding the Bricks and Mortar score. “Ruiz has ridden him a bunch and he was pretty confident in and familiar with the horse, so it certainly didn’t hurt.”

Doubting Thomas made two starts in restricted company as a juvenile sprinting 5 ½ furlongs at Colonial Downs, winning his debut in rallying fashion and following with a frontrunning score in the Jamestown.

The talented bay launched his current campaign in June on the Presque Isle Downs synthetic, finishing second in the six-furlong Tom Ridge. He returned to the Colonial turf for his next two outings and utilized rallying tactics while landing a head second in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance in July ahead of a win in the six-furlong Colonial Turf Dash in August.

“He’s always been one of those horses that does things the way they’re supposed to and for me to be able to transition from state-bred and restricted to win in New York in open company was a nice surprise,” Trombetta said.

Trombetta has enjoyed a solid start to the Belmont fall meet, posting a 19-4-4-1 record that includes an additional stakes win with Souper Forces in the Listed Artie Schiller on Oct. 2.

The veteran conditioner said he’s hopeful Doubting Thomas will help pad those stats on Saturday.

“It’s nice to have a place to run some of these horses, it’s been a good start to the meet,” Trombetta said. “He’s [Doubting Thomas] training nicely. If we get an honest trip, I would hope that he runs well.”

Doubting Thomas, out of the dual stakes-placed Songandaprayer mare Allwewantforxmas, is a half-brother to G3 winner Spun Glass. His second dam is stakes winner Grecian Wings. He has banked $357,450 through a 7-4-2-0 record.

Michael McLoughlin’s Oscar’s Hope [post 3, Junior Alvarado] boasts a consistent 13-4-4-2 ledger for purse earnings of $548,397 that includes dirt stakes wins in the Jean Lafitte in November at Delta Downs and the Ozark in February at Oaklawn Park while in the care of Tom Amoss.

The Twirling Candy bay was transferred to trainer Kinnon LaRose upon Amoss’ retirement and made two additional dirt starts before trying turf for the first time in the Spa’s 5 1/2-furlong G3 Mahony in August. There, Oscar’s Hope closed from last-of-7 and seven lengths off-the-pace to finish a neck second to Stradale, who exited that effort to win the G2 Gallant Bob on dirt at Parx and was fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Saturday at Keeneland.

Oscar’s Hope has stayed on turf since, closing from deep to finish a 2 1/2-length fourth in the 6 1/2-furlong G2 Franklin-Simpson in September at Kentucky Downs and a 1 3/4-length third in a 5 1/2-furlong turf allowance last out on Oct. 8 at Keeneland won by dual stakes-winner Outfielder.

Oscar’s Hope, bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, is out of the winning Not This Time mare Hopeful Princess, a full-sister to stakes-placed turfer Johanny. His third dam, Magical Meadow, produced Past as Prelude, the dam of multiple graded stakes-winning turf sprinter Future Is Now.

Gold Square’s Two Out Hero [post 7, Kendrick Carmouche] will look to make amends for a seventh-place finish as the favorite last out in the Bricks and Mortar.

Trained by Kevin Attard, the War Front colt enjoyed a solid juvenile campaign, winning the Listed Soaring Free and finishing third in the G1 Summer over the Woodbine turf.

Two Out Hero returned to the winner’s circle in an optional-claiming turf sprint versus elders in June at Woodbine while making his fifth start of a campaign that has included a pair of off-the-board attempts at routing in stakes company on the Turfway Park synthetic.

The $240,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase closed, at odds of 26-1, to finish a 1 3/4-length second to European shipper Take Charge Star in the G2 Franklin-Simpson ahead of his recent Bricks and Mortar effort.

Bred in Ontario by Corser Thoroughbreds, Two Out Hero is out of the dual stakes-placed Liam’s Map mare Song River, and his second dam is stakes-winner Harlan’s Honor. He has amassed $479,959 through a 10-3-2-1 record.

Also raiding from north of the border is the versatile Highwaytothemoon [post 5, Dylan Davis], who has won at distances ranging from five to nine furlongs on the Woodbine synthetic.

Trained by Dale Desruisseaux for Centennial Farms (Niagara), the Ransom the Moon gelding graduated at first asking last August with a frontrunning score in a five-furlong restricted maiden sprint ahead of a third-place try in the 6 1/2-furlong Simcoe versus fellow Canadian-breds. He switched to turf to close out his 2-year-old campaign, landing a prominent fourth in the Listed Algonquin won by subsequent Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Cy Fair.

Highwaytothemoon stretched out incrementally in his sophomore season at Woodbine with an eye towards a start in the 10-furlong King’s Plate in August, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. He won his 5 1/2-furlong seasonal debut in April and followed with a runner-up try in open company in the seven-furlong King Corrie ahead of a pair of wins versus Canadian-breds in the seven-furlong Queenston in June and the nine-furlong Plate Trial in July. He went to post at odds of 12-1 in the King’s Plate and landed ninth-of-12 in an event won by the popular Luster.

Highwaytothemoon routed once more when seventh in the 1 3/16-mile Prince of Wales, second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown on dirt in September at Fort Erie, before turning to turf sprinting last out when a one-length second to the speedy My Covenant in the 6 1/2-furlong Sophomore on Oct. 10 at Woodbine.

Bred in Ontario by James Everatt, Janeane Everatt and Arika Everatt-Meeuse, Highwaytothemoon, out of the Society’s Chairman mare High Society Gal, has accumulated $277,376 via a 10-4-2-1 record.

Trainer Miguel Clement has entered four contenders in G3 winner Intricate Spirit [post 9, Samuel Marin], the dual stakes-placed pair of Illmatic [post 8, Flavien Prat] and Big Destroyer [post 1, Antonio Fresu] as well as maiden winner Blazing Tiger [post 10, Manny Franco].

The West Point Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables, Kenneth Beitz and Gail Beitz-campaigned Intricate Spirit won the G3 Futurity last year at Belmont at the Big A en route to a ninth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar.

The Complexity gelding has won 1-of-6 starts this season, taking the six-furlong Paradise Creek in May over good going at Belmont at the Big A. He enters from a trio of off-the-board efforts, including a fifth last out in the Bricks and Mortar.

Adelphi Racing Club and LJSS Thoroughbreds’ New York-bred Illmatic, by Honest Mischief, has made his last three starts on turf, beginning with a nose second to Nessuna Pagina in the NYSSS Spectacular Bid in June at Belmont at the Big A. He followed with a pair of state-bred allowance tries versus elders at the Spa when a head third on Aug. 1 and a smart half-length score last out on Aug. 28. Illmatic was bred in the Empire State by Sequel Stallions New York.

LJSS Thoroughbreds is also represented by Big Destroyer, a Midshipman gelding, who arrives from a third in the Bricks and Mortar. The late-running type was second in the My Frenchman in July at Monmouth Park ahead of a sixth in the Spa’s G3 Mahony – the lone blemish on a consistent 5-1-2-1 record.

Blazing Tiger is campaigned by Adelphi Racing Club, High Five Racing, Corms Racing Stable, Ausable Dream Racing, Shelly Hume and Russell Hume. The Twirling Candy colt graduated at seventh asking last out in a 6 1/2-furlong turf sprint on Sept. 24 here. He boasts a 7-1-4-1 record.

A talented group includes G3-placed Attfield [post 6, John Velazquez] for trainer Tom Morley and stakes-placed Capanaparo [post 2, Paco Lopez] for trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr.

General admission at Belmont Park is available for $7 when purchased in advance and provides fans with access to grandstand seats on most days, all areas within the first floor of the grandstand and the backyard. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/tickets/. 

America’s Day at the Races presents daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule/. 

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.