Industry News

Five academic scholarships will be awarded by The Jockey Club for the 2026-2027 academic year. The Jockey Club Scholarship ($10,000 per semester, awarded to students in academic pursuit of majors for future employment in the equine industry):   The five students are: William Fallon recently graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He will be attending veterinary school at Cornell University beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year. William has worked as a veterinarian technician at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute since March 2020.   Beverley Grace...

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund, and New York Racing Association (NYRA) have partnered with the TAKE2 Program to donate $20,000 in prize money for two Thoroughbred Classics. The first $10,000 TAKE2 Thoroughbred Hunter Classic will be held on the morning of Friday, July 10, at the Saratoga Women in Business Spectacular, and the second on the morning of Friday, August 14, at the Saratoga Summer Horse Show. In addition to the prize money, the winners of the two Classics each will...

Officials at the New York Racing Association (NYRA) have announced the return of its popular summer morning excursion reimagined as the Saratoga Breakfast and Thoroughbred Farm Tours, presented by the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc (NYTB). The lineup turns the spotlight on Thoroughbred aftercare and also welcomes the program's first stallion operation. The 2026 series will begin on opening day of the summer meeting at Saratoga, Friday, July 3, and will continue weekly through the final Sunday of the season, Sept. 6. The weekly lineup features Old Friends at Cabin...

The New York Racing Association will host a job fair for individuals interested in securing employment during the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which opens Friday, July 3, and continues through Monday, September 7, NYRA announced Thursday. The job fair will take place Thursday, May 21, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. inside the 1863 Club at Saratoga Race Course. Applicants should enter through the Wright Street entrance (Gate 8) with parking available in the adjacent lot. Available positions include mutuel clerks, cashiers, merchandise clerks, customer service, maintenance and...

First-year trainees from the Godolphin Flying Start program, currently based in Lexington Kentucky, hosted their USA conference, "Passion Unbridled, Purpose Driven," at Copper Roux Wednesday. Executive Director Clodagh Kavanagh traveled from Ireland and opened the conference which drew a diverse audience of Godolphin Flying Start alumni, Godolphin staff including Dan Pride, Michael Banahan, farm rotation and externship hosts including Tony Lacy, Fergus and Kate Galvin, and Amplify mentees. Twelve trainees from Ireland, UK, India, Spain, New Zealand and Morocco, shared stories highlighting their passion for horses while addressing specific target demographics,...

The 12th Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, scheduled for June 29 and June 30 in the Keeneland Sales Pavilion and livestreamed, will feature presentations on the progress of the racing industry and how diagnostic equipment and technology is being used to assist in racing safety, the summit announced Thursday. Presentations for June 29 will feature Dr. Tim Parkin discussing the latest statistics from the Equine Injury Database; Liza Lazarus, who will discuss HISA technology and data integration; and Dr. Scott Morrison, who will present on the racehorse and...

The latest installment of the 2026 OwnerView webinar series was held May 5 and featured a discussion of the different facets of owning a Thoroughbred farm, the online event said via a Friday press release. Guests included Nicole Hammond, owner and manager of December Farm; Bill Justice, founder of Justice Real Estate; Mike Levy, founder of Muirfield Insurance; and Gayle Van Leer, equine advisor and bloodstock agent. The event, hosted by The Jockey Club of America and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, was presented by Bessemer Trust, Keeneland and...

A relaunch of OwnerView announced Thursday by America's Best Racing, includes the unveiling of a new site: ownerviewracing.com. Formed in 2012 as a joint venture between The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, is designed as an ownership education platform and resource directory. Central to the new site is an interactive Ownership Path Finder quiz that helps prospective owners identify the most appropriate path into the sport based on their individual goals, budget, and lifestyle. The broader platform presents the full range of ownership options in plain...

In celebration of the final Belmont Stakes to be contested at Saratoga Racecourse, the Embrace the Belmont III will be held in at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs on Tuesday, June 2. The event will feature cocktails, light bites in addition to handicappers Seth Merrow, Capitol OTB, Sara Elbadwi, NYRA on-air handicapper and Matthew Desantis, Handicapper and content producer for NYRA Bets. This year, Embrace the Belmont III supports both Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga and Saratoga Hospital Foundation. Fashion partners include Frivolous, Mark Thomas Apparel, Miss Scarlett and Gilded....

With the GI Kentucky Oaks streaming live during cocktail hour, the Alberta Thoroughbred industry celebrated Friday, May 1 at the Royal Hotel, Edmonton Airport with the annual Night of Champions, presented by Sublime Stables and TCX Premium Equine Supplements. Empire Equestrian and Kerredge Farm's Big Hug (Mr. Big) captured both the Horse of the Year and Champion Older Mare honors for the second consecutive season. "She has been everything for us and we're living the dream," said Rick Hedge of Kerredge Farm, who doubles as her trainer. Lori Neyka of...

The Blood-Horse's Bob Ehalt and photographer Charles Toler of Eclipse Sportswire will be recognized for their coverage of the 2025 GI Preakness during the Alibi Breakfast held Thursday, May 14 at Laurel Park. Ehalt will receive the David F. Woods Memorial Award for best Preakness story while Toler will be given the Jerry Frutkoff Photography Award for best Preakness image. The Alibi Breakfast, which began in the 1930s on the porch of the historic Pimlico Race Course, features a gathering of owners, trainers, jockeys, media and fans to celebrate the...

The Real Rider Cup, a charity show jumping competition created to support Thoroughbred aftercare, has partnered with Breeders' Cup Charities and Keeneland for its 10th anniversary year, each of whom will field a team of riders and have committed to match their respective team's total raised up to $5,000. Set for Saturday, July 11th in Lexington, KY, the Real Rider Cup encourages participating riders to pledge fundraising efforts for RRC beneficiaries, all while increasing awareness and "fostering a spirit of collaboration and community between the racing, aftercare, and equestrian industries."...