Breeders' Cup
Bill Farish (Lane's End Farm) and Eric Gustavson (Spendthrift Farm) were re-elected to the Breeders' Cup Board of Directors, the organization said in a release Wednesday. M.V. Magnier (Coolmore) and Craig Fravel (Brown Advisory) were elected to the Board. Farish, Gustavson and Magnier will all serve four-year terms. Fravel, former President & CEO of Breeders' Cup Limited from 2011-19, will serve a three-year term. "We congratulate Bill and Eric on their re-election and are pleased to welcome M.V. and Craig to the Board," said Barbara Banke, Chairman of Breeders' Cup...
Following the news of his passing, tributes to legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas poured in from across the industry Sunday. "A four-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, today we lost one of the great champions of Churchill Downs and one of the most significant figures in Thoroughbred racing over the last 50 years. We will miss his humor, his wisdom and his unmatched capacity to thrill the fans with the performances of his horses on our sport's biggest days." Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated "D. Wayne Lukas was...
And just like that, last month's GI La Troienne is suddenly a distant memory. That mysterious May 2 effort, a seventh-place finish and her only off-the-board result in 13 prior starts, was righted Saturday as reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) got things back on track with a really never-in-doubt win in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' race for this November's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar. Named last year's Horse of the Year and Champion 3-year-old Filly, Thorpedo...
A contingent of U.S. racing investigators will take part in an intensive two-week tour of France and England beginning June 21 where they will visit their counterparts and exchange ideas about integrity issues. The inaugural trip last year included stops at Ballydoyle in Ireland and during Royal Ascot. The participants are members of the Organization of Racing Investigators and the schedule was put together by board member Jason Klouser of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission, who will lead the group. Local hosts Samuel Fargeat in France and John Burgess...
Saffie Joseph Jr. is no stranger to rejection. In the early years of his training career, there were moments when he wondered if chasing his dream had been a big mistake. In what is now a familiar part of Joseph's origin story, his father had warned him against leaving Barbados to launch a stable in America. Joseph came anyway. He arrived at Calder Race Course in 2011 only to be told that there was no stall space available, but he went back to the racing secretary week after week until...
Godolphin's undefeated champion 2-year-old filly Immersive (Nyquist), off since winning last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, tuned up for her seasonal debut in next Saturday's Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes with a four-furlong work in :49.20 (23/53) at Churchill Downs Sunday. The filly returned to the work tab at Churchill Downs in early May after being sidelined with bone bruising. Leading into the Monomoy Girl, she has posted six published workouts, including her latest move Sunday morning. "We're looking forward to getting her started again," trainer Brad Cox said. "She's...
The Breeders' Cup will be held at Keeneland Race Course and the new Belmont Park for the 2026 and 2027 Breeders' Cup World Championships, the company announced in a joint statement with NYRA and Keeneland Wednesday. The Breeders' Cup at Keeneland will take place Oct. 30-31, 2026, while the Belmont Park edition will be held Oct. 29-30, 2027, pending approval by the host tracks' respective states. "The Breeders' Cup, Keeneland, and Belmont Park share many core values, including a steadfast commitment to excellence and Thoroughbred racing, and there is no...
Knowing when a horse is ready to take a step up and when it's time to take a step back--it's one of the fundamentals of training. Get it right and you get rewarded. Get it wrong and, well, you'll likely know pretty quickly. Some trainers just seem to have a feel for where that line is, a sense of when to ask for more and when the horse might need a little more time and preparation. Cherie DeVaux is learning to hone that intuition. "It is a balance to be...
Nominations for the 2025 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards in North America are now being accepted through midnight Monday, July 14, Godolphin announced via press release Monday afternoon. Created to recognize the hardworking industry employees which make the sport run, equivalent awards are given in Ireland, Australia, Great Britain, and France. Godolphin is the principle sponsor in association with The Jockey Club; the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association; the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association; and the Breeders' Cup for the American program. Cash prizes totaling $124,000 will be awarded to...
Partnering once again with Equine MediRecord (EMR) and Business Infusions (BI), 1/ST will utilize their services to digitize equine welfare protocols for Preakness 150 and will have EMR representatives on site to ease the learning process, it was revealed in a press release from the group Monday afternoon. The added measure aims to enhance the equine health and safety protocols that will be in place for the contest May 17. The platform allows for the full veterinary history of the horse to be collected digitally and securely stored, and will...
The GIII Nashville Derby leads the lucrative 2025 Kentucky Downs meet which will feature 18 total stakes offering over $30.5 million in purses over seven racing days from August 28 through September 10. One of five stakes held Saturday, Aug. 30 on NBC, the 1 5/16-mile GIII Nashville Derby will again be America's richest race for 3-year-olds behind only the GI Kentucky Derby. The card also includes a 'Win and You're In' race--the GII Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint, whose winner earns a fees-paid berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf...
The 2025 "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In" television schedule, consisting of five live programs across NBC, FOX, Peacock, and CNBC, was revealed Thursday. Now in its 12th year of programming, the "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In" spotlights North America's top horses as they compete for an automatic starting position, and free entry, into a corresponding divisional race at the Breeders' Cup World Championships. Thoroughbred racing's year-end international festival of racing will be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar. "The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series...