Industry News

Kevin Engelhard, Mike Ferrozzo, Chris Littlemore, and Ken Seeman, who have 62 total NHC appearances between them, have been voted by their peers for induction into the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship Hall of Fame, the The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced Friday. These decorated handicappers represent the 12th class of NHC Hall of Fame inductees and will be recognized during the NHC Champions Dinner on Sunday, March 15, following the conclusion of the 27th NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) at the Horseshoe Las Vegas.

The Jockey Club of Canada will present Rose Day with the 2025 Outstanding Groom Award, Tove Morgan with the Outstanding Off-track Worker Award, and Jodie Hiesinger with the inaugural Outstanding Western Canadian Backstretch Worker Award, the group announced via a press release that also included the media finalists for the 2025 Sovereign Awards. Part of the Woodbine Racetrack community for nearly three decades, Day has been a groom for 22 years--13 of them with Sid and Larry Attard. Recognized for her consistently positive attitude and ability to motivate those around...

With the encouragement of Sergio de Sousa from Hidden Brook Farm and Carrie Brogden from Machmer Hall, a group of 17 Thoroughbred industry stakeholders have pledged to donate a total of $35,000 in prize money for a series of TAKE2 Thoroughbred Hunter and Jumper Classics at the Kentucky Horse Shows and Split Rock Jumping Tour in 2026. The 20 TAKE2 Classics, offering $1,750 in prize money each, will be held at 10 horse shows at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, between May and September. The TAKE2 Classics sponsors...

The New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program will move through a period of transition with founder Dot Morgan stepping down from her role as executive director and Anna Ford taking the reins as the organization enters a new chapter. Morgan's personal mission to ensure racehorses a future beyond the track has grown into a national aftercare model in the 34 years since its start. Currently, New Vocations operates nine facilities across multiple states and serves more than 600 horses annually, providing rehabilitation, retraining, and rehoming services to both Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds....

Horse Racing Alberta (HRA) has released its 2026-2028 Business Plan, outlining a clear and strategic roadmap to strengthen, modernize and grow Alberta's horse racing and breeding industry over the next three years, the organization said in a release late on Friday. Through four strategic areas the HRA plan will zero in on enhancing equine welfare and the safety of racing participants, modernizing regulation, strengthening stakeholder relationships and generating long-term economic stability. "This plan reflects our commitment to collaboration with industry stakeholders while maintaining strong governance and transparency for Albertans," said...

The National Thoroughbred League (NTL) has appointed Mike Monroe as its new CEO, the organization said via a Friday release. The company which is focused on providing an entertainment experience for fans went with Monroe because of his business background. The new NTL head served as the chief marketing officer for Penske Media Corporation and chief marketing officer of Sundance Institute/Sundance Film Festival. Monroe's career also includes senior leadership roles at Forbes, The Atlantic and Condé Nast.

Edited Press Release Two students from California Polytechnic University Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) studying in its Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences Equine Studies program recently joined Santa Anita Park as interns through an ongoing partnership between the famed racetrack and world-renowned university. Amaranta Torres, a senior, and third-year student Keira Roberts--both majoring in Animal Science, pre-veterinary at Cal Poly Pomona--were selected to intern at Santa Anita during the spring semester. They started Jan. 30 and will complete a minimum of 60 hours through the end of April working in...

The Jockey Club has launched the ID My Thoroughbred app, which allows users to access Thoroughbred information using a microchip number, it was announced via press release Thursday. "The ID My Thoroughbred app is just one of the many tools The Jockey Club has provided to support the industry's aftercare and traceability initiatives," said James L. Gagliano, president and COO, The Jockey Club. "These initiatives are crucial to ensuring the welfare of Thoroughbreds throughout their lives, and we appreciate the collaboration among other industry organizations to make this a priority."...

Halters worn by Storm Cat, Sovereignty, Good Cheer and Gun Runner will feature as part of the Bourbon & Bayou silent auction held by the nonprofit child advocacy organization CASA of Lexington. Each halter comes with a certificate of authenticity and is valued at $1,000. Bidding is available here opened Wednesday and continues until 9:45 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27. Also included with Gun Runner's halter is an exclusive VIP tour for up to 10 people of Three Chimneys Stallion Complex. The silent auction is part of CASA of Lexington's...

The Racing Medication & Testing Consortium (RMTC) has awarded 25 Racing Industry Veterinary Student Externships, the company announced Tuesday. This program, which is in response to the supply and demand concerns associated with available equine veterinarians to meet the racing industry's needs, provides a shared experience for veterinary students with racetrack practitioners and regulatory veterinarians. "Thanks in part to partnerships with industry sponsors and host veterinarians, the RMTC has been able to award 65 externships over the past three years," said Dr. Michael Hardy, RMTC Executive Director. "The early impact...

Caitlin Courtney has been named the new Director of Sales at Denali Stud after eleven years working with St George Sales and Brookstone Farm. She succeeds Elizabeth Snellings who held the position for three years. "We are thrilled to have Caitlin join the team at Denali," said Conrad Bandoroff. "She has extensive sales and industry experience, and we're looking forward to her bringing this skillset to Denali and our clients." A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Courtney has grown up around the Thoroughbred industry and started working for St George Sales...

A quintet of New York Sired/Breds have been named finalists for Horse of the Year in the 2025 New York-bred Divisional Awards, announced by the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) on Tuesday. The Horse of the Year finalists are: Bank Frenzy (Central Banker), Doc Sullivan (Solomini), Braverthanubelieve (Honest Mischief), Twenty Six Black (War Dancer), Sunday Girl (Central Banker). Graded stakes winner and MGISP My Mane Squeeze (Audible) was named a finalist in both the Champion Older Dirt Female and Champion Female Sprinter categories. A panel of New York Turf...