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.

Who Will be the Leading Freshman Sire of 2026?

With the first major 2-year-old sale, OBS March, now in the books, and the next round, the OBS April sale, right around the corner, it's time for some predictions. We asked the experts who their pick is for leading freshman sire and also asked them for a “sleeper pick,” or a stallion that will perform [...]

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Paco Lopez Set To Return Apr. 1 At Tampa, Will Ride “Danno” In The Carter

Injuries and a suspension levied by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) have limited Paco Lopez's mounts over the last several months, but he is healthy again, has served his suspension and is ready to resume his career. Lopez will begin his comeback on Apr. 1 at Tampa Bay Downs, reports his agent, Jose [...]

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The Kentucky Oaks TDN Top 10 for March 25: Life of Joy is for Real, and a Big Weekend Ahead

Brad Cox always seems to be loaded when it comes to top 3-year-old fillies, and he's got another good one in Life of Joy (Gun Runner), who pulled off an impressive victory in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks. With the GII Fantasy Stakes and the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks on tap this week, the picture [...]

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Beaten Up By The Racing Wars, Immortal Wink Still Found A Second Career Changing Lives

His name is Immortal Wink (Gimmeawink) and after a career that spanned nine years and 142 races, most of them in Puerto Rico, he was done. He was 10 and had suffered through the kind of wear and tear that is typical with horses who run so often, last so long and wind up at [...]

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Did the System Fail a Horse Named Guaguarero?

All breakdowns are horrible, something that no one ever wants to see and something that remains a troubling issue the racing industry continues to face. So it was a horrible scene on March 14 at the Fair Grounds when the 5-year-old gelding Guaguarero (Mo Town) fractured his right front ankle in a $12,500 maiden claimer [...]

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Universe at Saratoga
A Newly-Launched Morning Line Is Horse Racing's Version Of The Stock Market

It used to be that someone with limited financial resources had no chance of owning a quality race horse or even a fraction of one. That changed with the advent of MyRacehorse, which offers microshares in horses that can be bought for $100 or less. Now, there is a new player in the market, Morning [...]

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Paddock at Gulfstream Park
Florida HBPA to Contribute $2 million to Supplement Purses for Florida-breds

In an effort to create greater opportunities for Florida-breds, the Florida HBPA will put up $2 million that will go toward both raising purses for Florida-breds and creating new stakes races for horses bred in the Sunshine State. Owners and trainers with Florida-breds will have their first opportunity to collect a portion of the $2 [...]

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HISA Tells Churchill To Pay Up, Threatens To Pull Simulcast Signals In 10 Days

In the ongoing battle between HISA and Churchill Downs Inc., HISA fired the latest shot Tuesday, ordering Churchill to pay it $5,024,848.56, plus interest in the amount of $250,631.77. In documents released Tuesday by HISA, the authority charged that if CDI does not comply with the order it will no longer be able to simulcast [...]

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The Week in Review: Is Casino Gaming Finally on its Way to Save Monmouth? It's a Definite Maybe

New Jersey racing has not had it easy, and has not had it easy for a long time. Monmouth was in such dire straits that, after the end of the 2025 meet, there was so little money in its coffers that the track wasn't able to pay horsemen money that was owed to them for [...]

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Ortiz, Jr. To Miss Mounts In Virginia Oaks and Virginia Derby

Injured in a spill Thursday at Gulfstream, Irad Ortiz Jr., will not ride through Sunday, reports his agent Steve Rushing. Mike Welsch of the Daily Racing Form was the first to report that Ortiz would be out through the remainder of the weekend. “He's just really body sore,” Rushing told the TDN via text. “He's [...]

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Irad Ortiz, Jr. Taken to Hospital After Gulfstream Spill

After being involved in a spill in Thursday's fifth race at Gulfstream, Irad Ortiz, Jr. was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. When reached by the TDN via text, his agent, Steve Rushing, said he had no updates and was awaiting the results of tests. Early indications were that Ortiz was not seriously injured. [...]

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Court Throws Out Fine, Suspension Against Pletcher After Bute Positive

In a unanimous decision, the State of New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division Third Judicial Department, has thrown out a 14-day suspension and a $2,000 fine that was originally handed down by the Commission to Todd Pletcher after a horse he trained tested positive for an overage of phenylbutazone (bute) following a July 30, 2022 [...]

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