Bill Finley

After a very successful mini-meet highlighted by the running of the GI Belmont Stakes, NYRA is set to return to Saratoga for the start of the 2024 meet. Guiding the ship will be NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke, who will be hoping for sunny skies, no breakdowns and record attendance and handle numbers. That's a lot to ask, but it is Saratoga, where magical things happen. To talk about the meet, O'Rourke joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast Presented by Keeneland. He was the Green Group Guest of...

David O'Rourke, the President and CEO of NYRA, joined this week's TDN Writers' Room ahead of the opening week at Saratoga.

Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) had always shown potential, but making good on it had become a problem. After he won last year's GII Louisiana Derby to remain undefeated in three career starts, he struggled to duplicate that performance. He did win the GIII Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland, but his record still lacked that all-important Grade I win. That's no longer a problem. Kingsbarns defeated a strong field to win the June 29 GI Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs. To discuss that win and other matters relating to Spendthrift Farm,...

Spendthrift Farm's Ned Toffey joined this week's TDN Writers' Room to discuss the breakout victory by Kingsbarns in the GI Stephen Foster, as well as the early success from first-crop sire Vekoma.

1st-Los Alamitos, $42,500, Msw, 6-29, 2yo, 5f, :57.90, ft, 1 1/2 lengths. MISCHIEF RIVER (c, 2, Into Mischief--Candy Drawer, by Candy Ride {Arg}) was overlooked as a 7-1 shot for his debut here in favor of fellow 'TDN Insight' runner Privman (Justify) who was tabbed as the even-money favorite. Co-owned by Chris Galpin and trained by James Glenn--both from the Quarter Horse world--the juvenile grabbed the early lead from the bell, but relinquished the top spot up the backstretch to General Jackson (Maximus Mischief). Chasing the pace around the far turn,...

It could happen this weekend at Woodbine. But if not, it won't be that much longer before Emma-Jayne Wilson reaches one of the most significant milestones of her career. She has $89,920,723 (US) in career earnings, just $206,311 behind Julie Krone, widely recognized as the greatest female rider ever. Wilson, 41, is a lot like Krone. Neither wanted to be known as good girl jockeys, but just good jockeys, period. But Wilson understands that the upcoming accomplishment would not be recognized if she were not a woman. The leading all-time...

It's a good time to be Flavien Prat. He has amassed $13.4 million in earnings so far this year, is riding regularly for the Chad Brown barn and, through the first half of the year has won 26 graded stakes, four of them worth $1 million or more. This is what he hoped for when he made the decision in 2022 to leave Southern California, where he was dominating, to come East, which is firmly established as one of the very best jockey colonies in the sport.      ...

Flavien Prat is performing at the top of jockey standings both in New York and on a national stage. The rider joined this week's TDN Writers' Room to discuss his background in the sport, the move from California to New York, the recent impressive win aboard Unmatched Wisdom and more.

Scott Sander joins this week's TDN Writers' Room to discuss an exciting new venture in the works. He is the Hollywood producer of a romantic comedy called Breeders that will be set in Lexington, Kentucky.

You have to root for the people who strive so hard to make a go of racing in Northern California after Golden Gate Fields shut its doors for good June 9. Racing has a rich history in Northern California and there are hundreds of people, from hotwalkers to grooms to trainers to breeders, and everybody in between, who depend on the sport to put food on the table. They deserve better than the uncertainty that has left most everyone worrying about their futures after The Stronach Group announced it was...

After getting his first career Grade I in the Belmont S. with Dornoch and then celebrating another victory with GII Matt Winn S. winner Society Man the following day, trainer Danny Gargan had a lot to talk about on this week's TDN Writers' Room.

It was a first-of-its-kind TDN Writers' Room this week as the crew gathered to discuss the first GI Belmont S. to run at Saratoga Race Course. To get started on their handicapping ahead of a jam-packed weekend of racing at the Spa, the team brought in Green Group Guest of the Week Richard Migliore, an on-air racing analyst for NYRA who will be part of the FOX Sports coverage of the Belmont on Saturday. Calling into the show--which is presented by Keeneland--from the famed picnic tables of Saratoga, Migliore said...