equine athletes

For 60 days straight over the winter at Will Walden's Palm Meadows base in Florida, MGISW Rhetorical (Not This Time) underwent a different kind of training. Instead of being turned out for the off-season like so many horses, his trainer decided that it was time to unveil a new project where skills like dressage would be emphasized. The work that the gelding put in over those months has paid off and now the New York-bred Horse of the Year owned by Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable and Wachtel Stable will point...

Despite broad Thoroughbred industry support, those who seek to keep the slaughter pipeline active are flexing their muscles in Washington D.C. in the hopes of trying to kill progress. One such group is the Public Lands Council (PLC), a nonprofit representing cattle and sheep farmers who graze herds on public land. The National Thoroughbred Alliance sent a letter to the PLC's executive director Kaitlynn Glover, reprinted below for industry awareness, after a PLC publication indicated their active opposition to the Van Drew--Titus Amendment which passed last week, calling these accomplishments...

The Jockeys' Guild of America issued a press release on Thursday afternoon responding to the suspension of Paco Lopez by HISA, which is reproduced here in its entirety. The notice issued by Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority ("HISA") against Paco Lopez on Sept. 22, 2025 for "immediate suspension for 6 months" is absolutely uncalled for and beyond ludicrous. This is just the latest in an extensive list of jockeys who have been assessed the outlandish fines and penalties for the use of the riding crop, the organization said in a...

Sam Glover, the vice president of sales for the Arkansas-based company U.S. Compounding, faces up to five years in prison at sentencing after being found guilty of one felony count of drug adulteration and misbranding conspiracy at a federal jury trial that concluded in New York last week. Ray Paulick of the Paulick Report was first to break the news of the verdict. According to the Paulick Report, "Prosecutors alleged that Glover was part of a conspiracy from 2015-2021 to sell the compounded medication omeprazole/fenbendazole paste, which treats both equine...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has lifted the precautionary quarantines by the New York State Department of Agriculture (NYSDA) of Barns 60 and 63 at Saratoga Race Course, the organization said in a press release on Saturday. As a result, all horses stabled in Barns 60 and 63 are once again permitted to enter races, effective immediately, and to train with the general horse population beginning Sunday, June 29. Barns 60 and 63, which contains horses under the care of trainer George Weaver, were placed under a precautionary...

As you review the entries for the marquee races this weekend at Churchill Downs, namely the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday and the GI Kentucky Derby on Saturday, you'll notice a common name listed among the connections: Brereton C. Jones. Though many outside of the Thoroughbred industry will recognize the name as that of the former governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, for those within it, it's one that evokes immense pride and gratitude for a man who was a true stalwart of the sport. Sadly, Brereton--the founder and...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) will host the next virtual webinar in its Town Hall series July 8 at 2:00 p.m. ET to discuss the updated Racetrack Safety Rules recently approved by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which will take effect that day, the organization said in a release late Thursday. The one-hour, live webinar will include an overview of some of the major rule changes, along with a Q&A session, and will be open to racing participants and the general public. HISA will also be hosting veterinary...