Dora Delgado

Cindy Niemetz, the longtime West Coast representative for the International Racing Bureau, passed away earlier in the month after a long battle with cancer, according to a press release Friday afternoon. The veteran horsewoman was an omni-present figure at the Breeders' Cup for more than three decades, running the quarantine barn for international shippers. Self-described as a "Mother Hen," she worked as a conduit between the international entrants, the Breeders' Cup, the host track and the U.S. Department of Agriculture rules and regulations. "Some people do a job; others become...

Dora Delgado, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Officer for Breeders' Cup Limited, will be honored May 28 by Midway University with the Pinkerton Vision Award. This award honors Dr. L.L. Pinkerton, whose vision of the Kentucky Female Orphan School in 1847 established it as the first formal education for orphaned girls on the site that is now Midway University. Pinkerton Vision Award recipients must have had a direct impact on improving the lives of women, served as an outstanding role model, or have displayed great leadership, innovative thinking, and...

The $1.25 million GI Apple Blossom Handicap has joined the roster of prestigious North American races for the 2026 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, Breeders' Cup Limited and Oaklawn Park said in a joint release on Thursday. The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races, the winners of which receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the 2026 Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Offering an automatic...

Breeders' Cup has announced that 14 countries on five continents will host 'Win and You're In' qualifiers in 2026 as the Challenge Series enters its 20th year. A selection of the premier contests in Argentina, Canada, Chile, England, France, Ireland, Japan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Uruguay feature as part of the 2026 Challenge Series. The 45-race international schedule is available to view here, with the North American portion of the Challenge Series, including races in Canada, set to be...

DEL MAR, CA - Like clockwork, the call over the radio went out promptly at 2:45 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday afternoon. "Breeders' Cup Investigators this is the 48-hour warning for the Juvenile Turf Sprint, please be aware," said the voice. "Again, that is 48 hours until the Juvenile Turf Sprint." Repeated by the day shift control room manager Tyler Durand for each of the four subsequent races on the Friday card and the next afternoon for the nine races carded for Saturday's slate, the announcements are a way to...

Breeders' Cup Limited is once again rolling out its schedule for the 'Dirt Dozen,' an incentive-driven program offering participation bonuses to horsemen preparing runners for dirt races at the World Championships, the organizer said via a press release on Friday. The 12-race slate--launched in 2022--features existing graded stakes races held from May through October at six racetracks across the United States. "We are pleased to continue our valued Dirt Dozen program," said Dora Delgado, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Officer of Breeders' Cup Limited. "Offering $525,000 in awards toward...

The 2025 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: 'Win and You're In' will feature 93 races in 15 countries, the most in the history of the event. Each winner receives an automatic berth into a corresponding race, with all fees covered. In 2025, Breeders' Cup Challenge races have been or will be contested at premier tracks in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Dubai, England, France, Ireland, Japan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, the United States and Uruguay. While several international qualifiers--a record 49 overseas races are scheduled--have already been staged, the...

Lexington, KY - With a view overlooking the massive renovation of the Keeneland paddock, professional equine investigators soaked up the latest techniques in the trade and engaged some of the most pressing issues across racing during the first day of the 29th annual Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) Training Conference on Monday. The ORI is a member organization which is composed of investigators who hail from jurisdictions across the U.S. and includes an international cadre as well. The conference's purpose is to create a resource where these shoe leather detectives...

Hosted by the Keeneland Association, the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) annual training and networking conference is marked for Sunday, Mar. 2 through Wednesday, Mar. 5. Central to ORI's mission is the pursuit of integrity and education for its members. By sharing best practices, interactions among investigators creates lasting relationships between jurisdictions. Representatives from every state racing entity will be in attendance, as well as regulators from national and international entities. With sponsors such as the AQHA, Breeders' Cup, NYRA, Parx Racing, PENN Gaming, The Stronach Group and Woodbine, this...

The one-mile G3 Asociación Uruguaya de Propietarios de Caballos de Carrera Stakes, to be held June 29 at Hipodromo Nacional de Maroñas in Montevideo, has been designated as a 'Win and You're In' automatic qualifier for the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, according to a press release on Thursday from the Breeders' Cup. Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Officer of Breeders' Cup Limited Dora Delgado said, "Breeders' Cup Limited is pleased to bring our international Breeders' Cup Challenge Series to Uruguay with the addition of the...

Over the next fortnight, board members of the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) will participate in a new exchange program, which features an intensive tour of hallowed racing sites in Ireland and England. "The new program is a continued effort by the ORI to exchange tradecraft and weigh how integrity is protected in different countries across the world," said ORI's immediate past chairman Jason Klouser. The small group, which includes Klouser, Tyler Durand, J.C. Jaramillo, Juan Estrada and David Duncan, will make stops at The Curragh, Leopardstown and Coolmore. Fellow...

The 2024 schedule for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen, an incentive-based participation bonus program for horsemen pointing runners to the dirt races in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, was released Monday. Launched in 2022, the 12-race program is comprised of existing graded stakes races scheduled from May through October at six tracks throughout the United States. "We are happy to once again offer our lucrative Dirt Dozen program," said Dora Delgado, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Officer of Breeders' Cup Limited. "Each year $525,000 is offered in awards, and...