Elliott Walden

Leading GI Breeders' Cup Classic contender Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike--Julia Tuttle, by Giant's Causeway), hero of the 2019 GI Clark S. and an impressive last out winner of the GII Stephen Foster S. with a career-best 109 Beyer Speed Figure, will stand at WinStar Farm upon the conclusion of his racing career. Campaigned by Gayle Benson's G M B Racing and trainer Al Stall, Jr., he has compiled a record of 18-11-2-1 and earnings of $1,627,272. Tom's d'Etat is currently on a four-race winning streak and has his sights set...

Longtime owner/breeder Jack Preston died in his home in Texas earlier this month, the Blood-Horse reported Friday evening. He was 84. Preceded in death by his two brothers J.R. and Art, the Preston family campaigned the likes of GI Belmont S. winner Victory Gallop, two-time GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Da Hoss and MGISW Flat Out. The Preston brothers partnered on a variety of business ventures involving gas and oil, real estate, restaurants, cattle ranches and geothermal power generation companies. Along with his brothers, he founded Preston Farm near Quanah,...

The present crisis will perhaps find horsemen a little more stoical than most. When it comes to biding their time, after all, the Thoroughbred gives them plenty of practice. Nonetheless it must test the patience more than anything to have a racehorse just back to fitness this spring after a long lay-off, only to find most of the racing program immersed by the pandemic. What a relief for his connections then that Global Campaign (Curlin) was able to find a landing strip for his touchdown, after a nine-month absence, at...

On the last day of 1990, T. Murray McDonnell made his regular call from the United States to Ireland. "David," he said. "We're going to have the best year ever. I can feel it." The next day, a call from McDonnell's son instead. They had found him that morning on the kitchen floor. David Hanley flew out for the funeral. He was reserved a spot in the second row, next to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. McDonnell had never had the best of health, so his heart attack couldn't be the biggest...

TDN Intern Katie Ritz polled a series of industry members to see if they had found anything good that has come out of the current crisis. Their responses will appear every day in the TDN. To submit your own, email suefinley@thetdn.com ELLIOTT WALDEN The silver lining in the current crisis we find ourselves in is clear. In America, we have gone away from our faith in God. We live in a fallen world where there is heartache and despair... where bad things happen to good people, and good things happen...

There has been a lot of conversation in these pages over the past few days about the difficulty sires have attracting mares in their third and fourth season. Many of them are sold overseas as a result. Once in a while, one gets off to such a good start in America that they are brought back when it is discovered that people simply gave up on them too soon. Case in point: Take Charge Indy. The son of A.P. Indy is back at WinStar Farm after spending three years in...