Bill Finley
Bill Finley is a New Jersey-based writer who writes a weekly column on espn.com, and is the co-host of Down The Stretch, an Eclipse Award-winning weekly radio program on Sirius Satellite Radio. He began his career working for Daily Racing Form at the Northampton Fair after graduating from Tufts University with a degree in Economics. He went on to work for the New York Post, the Daily News and wrote frequently for the New York Times. Bill won the 2010 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Magazine Writing for the Thoroughbred Daily News.
Court Rules Against Pletcher in Forte Matter
May 11, 2026
The New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division has ruled against trainer Todd Pletcher in his appeal of a 10-day suspension and $1,000 fine he received after Forte (Violence) tested positive for Meloxicam in the 2022 GI Hopeful Stakes. A separate matter, regarding whether or not Forte should be disqualified, is still pending. It was [...]
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Report: Legislative Panel to Take a Second Look at Purchase of Laurel
May 7, 2026
According a report published Thursday by Maryland Matters, the sale of Laurel Park to the Maryland Stadium Authority may not be a done deal. The website is reporting that a legislative panel is delaying the proposed purchase of Laurel by the Maryland Stadium Authority, asking for a cost-benefit review of the $48.5-million deal that was [...]
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Ready to Open for Another Season, Monmouth Has Problems, but Drazin Vows to Fight On
May 7, 2026
When Monmouth Park opens its doors for the 2026 season on Saturday, the issues it faces will already be obvious. Only eight races were carded with 63 horses entered. With only 500 to 600 horses on the grounds, the Elkwood section of the backstretch has temporarily been closed. The Long Branch Stakes did not fill, [...]
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Focusing on Bringing People Back to the Track, Turf Paradise Appears Headed for a Brighter Future
May 7, 2026
Turf Paradise had to cram them in on the day of the GI Kentucky Derby Day. Every seat in the track was sold out and, including those who bought general admission tickets, the estimated crowd was 7,500. While most tracks draw big crowds for the Derby simulcast and live racing, this was something new for [...]
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Keeneland's Partnership With Stable Recovery Has Been a Win-Win For All Involved
May 6, 2026
Before Josh Peters entered the Stable Recovery program, nothing was going right with a life that had been overtaken by addiction. “Before I came to Stable Recovery, my wife, my family, and my two kids, they didn't want to have anything to do with me at all,” Peters said. “With the program, that's all changed. [...]
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Golden Tempo Will Pass Preakness, Aim for Belmont
May 6, 2026
In a statement posted Tuesday afternoon on X, trainer Cherie DeVaux announced that the GI Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo (Curlin) will not be running in the GI Preakness Stakes. It's another blow to the race that has clearly become the weak link in the Triple Crown. The only horse who ran in the Kentucky [...]
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HISA Board Votes to Keep Status Quo on Lasix Rules
May 5, 2026
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) Board of Directors has voted unanimously to make no changes to the current rules regarding the use of the medication Lasix, it was announced Tuesday. With the decision from the nine-member Board of Directors, Lasix will still be banned in 2-year-old races and stakes races in all states [...]
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Op/Ed: It was a Great Kentucky Derby Day, but Not Without a Sour Note as CAW Players Feasted on Regular Joes
May 4, 2026
There were plenty of people who liked the chances of Japanese shipper T O Elvis (Volatile) in Saturday's GI Churchill Downs Stakes. He had won four straight races, was on the improve, and the word out of Japan was that this horse might be as good as any sprinter in the world. That he was [...]
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The Week in Review: Yes, the One Post in the Kentucky Derby is Still a Problem
May 3, 2026
So that's now 41 straight runnings of the GI Kentucky Derby in which the horse breaking from the one post has lost. Take nothing away from Golden Tempo (Curlin), who ran the race of his life for rising star trainer Cherie DeVaux and was a deserving winner after breaking from post 16. He beat Renegade [...]
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A HERF Horse is Thriving at Denali, Thanks to the Empty Stall Challenge
April 28, 2026
It was only a few days ago, on April 21 to be exact, that a horse racing at Thistledown sustained a slab fracture during morning training. That didn't mean that he had to be euthanized, but it could have. With many lower-level horses, when a career-ending injury occurs, the owner is often faced with a [...]
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White Abarrio Connections Say A Stud Deal Is Imminent
April 23, 2026
White Abarrio (Race Day) has won four Grade I races, earned $8,445,170 and has been going strong for six years. But that hasn't been enough for his owners to reach a deal with a stud farm, or at least one they found acceptable. But that may be about to change. Mark Cornett, who is a [...]
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The Week in Review: Can FOX Save the Triple Crown?
April 19, 2026
In an article posted last week in Sports Business Journal, it was reported that the GI Preakness Stakes would be pushed back a week next year to be run three weeks after the GI Kentucky Derby and that the GI Belmont Stakes would also be pushed back by a week. The stir the article caused [...]
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