Industry News

The De Francis Dash Day Handicapping Challenge, a one-day contest available both on-site and online, will take place Saturday, June 27, at Laurel Park. The Challenge can also be accessed via Xpressbet, TVG/4NJBETS, and HPI. The $500 contest ($250 entry fee, $250 bankroll) offers Win, Place, Show, Exacta, and/or Daily Double wagering on the full schedule of live races at Laurel Park, plus select races at Monmouth Park. Contestants must play at least five (5) Laurel Park races, with a minimum $50 bet per race. The last race of the...

Pete Aiello, the regular announcer at Gulfstream, will take over the Santa Anita booth in place of Frank Mirahmadi while the latter is in New York to call the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga. Aiello also served as the replacement during last year's festival in New York. Jason Beem, the regular Tampa Bay Downs announcer, will replace him at Gulfstream for this weekend. "I feel honored that Frank and the Santa Anita team invited me back out this weekend," Aiello said. "The Great Race Place is aptly named and...

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association will host a New Owners Seminar to be held Saturday, July 11 at Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville, Indiana, the group announced Tuesday. The event, held from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. in conjunction with Indiana Derby Day, will aim to provide prospective and new Thoroughbred owners with an educational introduction to racehorse ownership while offering participants an opportunity to learn from industry professionals while experiencing one of Indiana's premier racing events. Designed for individuals interested in becoming involved in Thoroughbred ownership, the seminar will cover...

Churchill Downs has launched Gallop for Good: From Race to Retirement ("Gallop for Good"), a national online giving campaign supporting Thoroughbred aftercare nonprofits, centered around a one-day giving event on Churchill's Stephen Foster Day, June 27. Gallop for Good supports Thoroughbred aftercare, which includes programs and services that help retired racehorses transition into second careers, adoption, rehabilitation, sanctuary and lifelong care after racing. Hosted by CDI, the campaign will operate through a centralized online platform, giving participating organizations the opportunity to raise critical funds, expand their reach and engage new...

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association presented its sold-out 2026 Breeding Clinic while hosting 40 attendees from across the country for a hands-on educational experience. "This year's breeding clinic continues to demonstrate the value of TOBA's educational programs," said Lauren Biddle, Director of Marketing and Education for TOBA. "This marks our fifth consecutive sold-out clinic, and the demand within the industry continues to grow. There is no other organization that provides the level of close-up, in-depth education that TOBA offers." Day one of the clinic began at Hinkle Farms, where...

This season, The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) will unveil Graduate Classes during its Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America. The Graduate Classes will provide an opportunity for Thoroughbred Makeover alumni to return to the Kentucky Horse Park and compete once again as part of the Thoroughbred Makeover experience. The Graduate Classes are open exclusively to any horse that was registered for the Thoroughbred Makeover in previous years, including those that are under new ownership or were withdrawn prior to the competition. This program provides an...

General Admission tickets for Belmont Stakes Day on Saturday, June 6, will be available for purchase at the gate upon arrival. General Admission tickets will be sold at the admission gates on the day of the event for $75, the same price offered online at www.BelmontStakes.com. Fans bringing coolers must ensure all ice is contained inside sealed bags upon arrival at the admission gates. Designated cooler inspection lanes will be set up at Gate B (Union and East Avenue) and Gate C (Nelson Avenue). All fans with coolers must enter...

The sixth annual calendar photo contest for inclusion in the 2027 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance calendar is now open for submissions, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) announced Monday morning. Submissions should showcase Thoroughbreds, and must be relevant to the mission of the TAA as well as adhere to the criteria specified in the official contest rules. Photos will be judged on clarity, artistry, and photographic quality. Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will select twelve winners, with one photo featured for each month. Each winner will receive Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance branded merchandise and a...

Cindy Niemetz, the longtime West Coast representative for the International Racing Bureau, passed away earlier in the month after a long battle with cancer, according to a press release Friday afternoon. The veteran horsewoman was an omni-present figure at the Breeders' Cup for more than three decades, running the quarantine barn for international shippers. Self-described as a "Mother Hen," she worked as a conduit between the international entrants, the Breeders' Cup, the host track and the U.S. Department of Agriculture rules and regulations. "Some people do a job; others become...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has updated protocols to further enhance fan safety and security while supporting the longstanding cooler policy tradition at historic Saratoga Race Course, the track said via a press release on Friday. Fans bringing coolers to Saratoga Race Course will be required to ensure all ice is contained inside sealed bags upon arrival at the admission gates. The policy will take effect with the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, June 3-7, and will continue during the Saratoga summer meet, July 3-Sept. 7. The initiative is...

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will host its juried photography exhibition, Photo Finish, and is now accepting submissions, the group announced Thursday. The exhibition will be on view at the Museum from Oct. 28 through Dec. 31. Professional and amateur photographers are encouraged to submit artistic and unique perspectives and may enter up to two photos. Each submission must relate to the sport of thoroughbred racing in America, including, but not limited to, racing and training scenes, the backstretch, life on the farm, and the emotions...

The winner of the 2027 National Horseplayers Championship will receive an updated cash prize of $1,000,000 along with a coveted Eclipse Award symbolically recognizing the important contribution all horseplayers make to the sport, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Thursday. The 2027 NHC, presented by Caesars Race and Sportsbook, Racetrack Television Network (RTN) and Horseshoe Las Vegas, will be held March 5-7, 2027, at the Horseshoe. "Since its launch in 1999, the National Horseplayers Championship has realized unprecedented growth thanks to sustained participation by horseplayers and our members and partners...