breeder

When Alvin Haynes passed away in 2014, his son Mitch wasn't exactly sure what to do with the handful of mares and foals his family had inherited. While Haynes had accompanied his father to the races over the years, he had never taken a real interest in the sport. But as he began to oversee the family's equine holdings, a genuine curiosity took hold. By the following year, he was at Keeneland purchasing a mare of his own. That single acquisition has elevated Haynes to the rank of Grade I-winning...

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's Labwah (Charlatan) will face some considerable obstacles when she enters the gate for Saturday's $1-million G2 UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse. Not only will she attempt to become just the second of her sex to beat the boys in the Road to the Kentucky Derby points race (Khawlah, 2011), she will also have to see off an always-deep challenge from Japan, whose runners have taken out the last four runnings. While the filly's Lexington-area breeder Calvin Crain wasn't prepared to make any bold predictions,...

For the better part of five decades, Tom Durant has been searching for the type of horse that could carry him to the top of the game--namely, the Kentucky Derby. With his homebred 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' D'code (Speightstown), who makes his two-turn debut in his second career start in Friday's GIII Southwest Stakes, Durant is hoping that he has found such a star. An auto dealer from Texas, Durant got his start in the horse business when a customer talked him into buying a Quarter Horse broodmare....

In response to Maggie Sweet's powerful letter to the TDN--February 2, 2026, I would like to add my support--and my urgency. The Jockey Club needs a paradigm shift, and so do Thoroughbred owners and breeders. The future of our sport depends on it. Think of a stunning model--poised, admired, photographed from every angle. Now imagine that same model with a mouth full of rotten teeth. No matter how beautiful the rest of her may be, the illusion collapses the moment she smiles. Perception changes instantly. The image is damaged, and...

Austro-Canadian billionaire and prominent racing owner/breeder Frank Stronach will face a sexual assault trial later this week in Toronto that will be decided solely by a judge, according to a report from the BBC. The article states that 93-year-old Stronach, one of Canada's richest men, has been charged in relation to more than a dozen historical sexual assault allegations that span nearly a half-century. Stronach has pleaded not guilty to the 12 Toronto charges, and has denied all of the allegations against him. Prosecutors have split his case into two...

In the latest installment of 2026 Mating Plans, Anne Archer and Tom Hinkle discusses upcoming mating plans for Hinkle Farms. SEEKING GABRIELLE, 19, Forestry - Seeking Regina, by Seeking the Gold. Booked to Twirling Candy Seeking Gabrielle has been a very special mare for us and is the dam of Nyquist. Being 19, we know the number of foals she will have are few. Our hope is to get as many fillies as we can. Twirling Candy with Forestry mares is a proven cross and we believe this mating can...

As a trainer, Luca Cumani's name has long been etched in the history books among an elite group to have trained two Derby winners. Along with Kahyasi and High-Rise, other equine stars to have graced his stable over more than four decades include Barathea, One So Wonderful, Gossamer, Alkaased, Falbrav and Zomaradah, who is now better known as the dam of Dubawi. Perhaps one of the most special was the Fillies' Mile winner Shamshir, who carried the colours of Sheikh Mohammed but had been bred by Luca and his wife...

Luca Cumani and his wife Sara have long run a successful breeding establishment in tandem with the training operation, but since his retirement from the training ranks in 2018, Luca has joined Sara in making this his main focus. Luca took the time to join TDN Conversations, presented by Saracen Horse Feeds.

Track stars such as Ted Noffey (Into Mischief), Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) are among the finalists for the 2025 Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards, recognizing excellence through the past year in Thoroughbred racing, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) said via a Sunday press release. Winners in 17 horse and human categories will be announced on FanDuel TV, and other outlets, during the 55th Annual Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards, presented by John Deere, The Jockey Club and the NTRA, on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7:30...

For the latest instalment of the TDN Conversations podcast, sponsored by Saracen Horse Feeds, Emma Berry took a trip to Oghill House Stud in County Kildare. There, Johnny Hyland represents the fifth generation of his family to be running what has become a notably successful nursery for Thoroughbreds.

A good ranch horse was worth its weight in gold. They needed to be able to withstand long hours navigating rocky, unforgiving terrain beneath the blazing Arizona sun. With six to eight cowboys riding out daily at H and E Ranch, there never seemed to be enough horses to meet demand. So Elena Crim set out to breed her own stock. She focused on producing sound, sturdy Quarter Horses that could not only tolerate the harsh conditions, but thrive in them. As it turned out, Crim's lifelong passion for horses...

A visit to Richard Kent at Mickley Stud is guaranteed to involve some lively conversation - and lots of it - spiced with opinion, tips on horsemanship, and often some scurrilous gossip. Tune in to our latest episode of the TDN Conversations podcast with the breeder of Royal Ascot winner Docklands.