Everett Dobson

The Jockey Club and Equibase have launched the Thoroughbred Data Hub, a new platform designed to expand access to Thoroughbred racing and pedigree data and accelerate innovation across the sport, according to a press release issued Wednesday. The announcement came as part of The Jockey Club's inaugural industry newsletter, the first in what the organization said will be a regular series of updates from its Board of Stewards aimed at communicating openly and consistently with industry stakeholders. "This letter is the first in a new, regular series of updates from...

The ballot for the 2026 election of 22 Breeders' Cup Member positions was released Tuesday by Breeders' Cup Limited. Per their release, the Member election website will open at 9:00 a.m. ET Monday, May 25, and closes at 5:00 p.m. ET Monday, June 1. Of the 26 candidates on the ballot, 18 are incumbent Members standing for re-election. There are eight new individuals seeking election. The 20 individuals receiving the most votes will each serve four-year terms. Additionally, as the result of two vacancies, two terms lasting two years will...

Members of The Jockey Club, I've been a casual horse racing fan since I watched American Pharoah cross the wire at the Belmont on my iPhone 6. But I've been obsessed with this sport since August 2, 2025. Dave Portnoy was nice enough to invite me to the Whitney Stakes and the Saratoga Sale last summer. He wanted a partner for more ammo to buy exclusively grey horses. We bought one, simply because he was grey and a horse. Zedan Racing outbid us for another one. Imagine that. I had...

Controversial and never afraid to speak his mind, owner Mike Repole has been called a disruptor, which means that he is intent on challenging the status quo when it comes to how horse racing is run. And his primary target has been The Jockey Club. When the TDN interviewed Jockey Club Chairman Everett Dobson on last week's podcast, Repole asked for equal time. It was a reasonable request, so Repole joined the team on this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the...

It's no secret that The Jockey Club has come under fire recently, particularly from owner Mike Repole. There have been calls for it to step up and be a better leader, to take a larger role in solving the aftercare issues, and to spend its resources more wisely and on programs that would better help the sport. Owner Aron Wellman wrote in a TDN op-ed that The Jockey Club refuses "to accept responsibility for its own failures." The Jockey Club Chairman Everett Dobson joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast...

It's no secret that The Jockey Club has come under fire recently, particularly from owner Mike Repole. The Jockey Club Chairman Everett Dobson joined this week's TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland to address some of the criticism and to talk about other issues.

The Kentucky legislature has passed a sweeping bill that opens the door to fixed-odds wagering in the state and bars a cap being placed on the number of mares bred to a stallion there. In its final passage Wednesday, the 150-page bill passed out of the state House on a 64-19 vote, with 17 no-votes. It was delivered to Governor Andy Beshear's office on Thursday with a veto-proof majority. HB 904 was introduced into the state legislature by Republican Representatives Matthew Koch and Michael Meredith. Unlike the fluctuating odds that...

Our existing industry "members," for lack of a better encompassing term, need to come together and agree on a unifying mission statement. This could happen around The Jockey Club Chairman Everett Dobson's "big table". Why not a mission statement similar to the Breeders' Cup for our industry, like this: "To provide safe, healthy, fair, and high-integrity environments for our horses and fans, and owners and bettors to compete in, at all levels, of our sports entertainment industry." Why be similar to the Breeders' Cup? The Breeders' Cup is not only...

A floor amendment has been added to HB 904--a sweeping piece of legislation seeking to legalize fixed-odds wagering in Kentucky--that is designed to essentially ensure no limit can be imposed on the number of mares bred to a stallion in the state. It requires that the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation select and use an entity to act as "a registrar of Thoroughbreds" in the state, meaning it could choose an organization other than The Jockey Club, which is the current breed registry for the U.S., Canada and Puerto...

Everett Dobson, chairman of The Jockey Club, pledged to collaborate with horsemen to find solutions to racing's many challenges and ways to grow the sport while delivering the keynote address at the National Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association Conference at Oaklawn Park Wednesday. Dobson acknowledged some of the divisions between The Jockey Club and the National HBPA, including The Jockey Club's support of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, the constitutionality of which the National HBPA is challenging in court. But Dobson stressed the common goals shared by the two...

In the age of social media, I realize that I'm writing this at my own peril. And I'm probably once again spitting in the wind. However, I feel like someone needs to speak up on a few things concerning our latest self-inflicted crisis regarding our lack of unity and dysfunction as an industry. To say that as an industry we continue to be "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight" is an understatement. We have been that way for the 40-plus years I've been involved in horse racing. Hence, the reason...

Charlotte Clement de Bona has been appointed The Jockey Club's chief strategy and transformation officer, the organization announced Thursday. In her new role, Clement de Bona will oversee enterprise strategy, digital and operational growth, and cross-functional initiatives. "The sport is evolving, and so must we," said The Jockey Club chair Everett Dobson. "Charlotte's role is an important step as the industry continues to seek growth and modernization opportunities. Charlotte's track record of delivering meaningful transformations, particularly in dynamic and complex environments, in addition to her unparalleled knowledge of racing, makes...