Though the grandstand remains quiet during the off-season at Keeneland, the racetrack does not, as trainers' barns grow and flourish with the continuous arrival of 2-year-olds ready to take the next step towards debuting as fully-fledged racehorses. It's a time of year filled with a sense of excitement for what's to come as trainers, owners [...]

With all eyes on Maryland this week as Saturday's 150th running of the GI Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course takes center stage, a unique organization that highlights all that Maryland's Thoroughbred industry has to offer aims to keep that focus year-round. The Maryland Thoroughbred Partnership (MTP), launched earlier this year, was created by Maryland [...]

Though Lexington, Kentucky is commonly known as the 'Horse Capital of the World,' serving as a central hub for the Thoroughbred industry, there are many who live in the area that have no knowledge of how multi-faceted the world of horse racing truly is. In an effort to bridge that gap, first-year trainees on the [...]

As you review the entries for the marquee races this weekend at Churchill Downs, namely the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday and the GI Kentucky Derby on Saturday, you'll notice a common name listed among the connections: Brereton C. Jones. Though many outside of the Thoroughbred industry will recognize the name as that of [...]

On a quiet afternoon at Meadowbrook Farm in Shelbyville, Ky., mares and foals graze and stroll about while pregnant broodmares-in-waiting bask in the warmth of the sun's rays. And adjacent to all of them, in a small round pen set up alongside one of the main pastures, Surfside Stables' Kona Kai (Palace Malice) and her [...]

Lexington, KY-Following a jam-packed Tuesday of racing at Keeneland, highlighted by the postponed running of the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, industry members ventured out to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers' Club (KTFMC)'s monthly meeting held at Fasig-Tipton. The evening was highlighted by a panel on racehorse ownership with prominent owners Brook Smith, John Stewart [...]

When Iowa-bred Cyclone State (McKinzie) breaks out of the starting gate for Saturday's $1.5-million G3 Saudi Derby, part of the Saudi Cup undercard at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, odds are that the loudest cheers will be emanating from halfway across the world at the Iowa State University (ISU) Equine Farm. That is where the [...]

On March 3, 2019, Happy Farm (Ghostzapper) was claimed by trainer Jason Servis for $30,000 at Aqueduct. The dark bay gelding would remain in that barn for an entire year where he'd go on to finish no worse than second in seven starts – highlighted by a victory in the 2019 GIII Fall Highweight Handicap. [...]

Throughout the course of Scott Shepherd's life, his mind had always been plagued by chronic, inescapable fear and doubt. His negative thoughts became a constant cycle of “what ifs,” fear of failure and concern over letting those in his life down. That all changed during his first morning meditation session as part of the Stable [...]

It has been just over a year since Light Up Racing (LUR), inspired by the Australian-based initiative Kick Up for Racing, was launched in an effort to 'illuminate the path to transparency, awareness and accountability in horse racing' in the United States. As Light Up Racing's pilot year has come to a close, it's safe [...]

When Minaret Station (Instilled Regard) jogged back after his stunning upset victory in the GII Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 6, one of the first people to greet him was trainer Will Walden, followed immediately by Tyler Maxwell. The victory was not only poignant in what it represented, with the 2-year-old colt earning an [...]

There are people that work with horses and there are people that love horses. In the case of Katie Tolbert, there is no better example of a person that works with horses because of how much she loves them. You see the devotion on a quiet morning on the backside of Churchill Downs as she [...]