Horse Racing

Former horse racing gambler Ryan Dickey has filed a class action lawsuit against several entities related to wagering platforms offered to Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) players under the under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO") and under state law, alleging they have "organized and participated in the corruption of the betting system to the detriment of the class." The lawsuit was filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The dependents comprise The Stronach Group (TSG), Churchill Downs, the New York Racing...

Bernie Sams has been named as the new Director of Stallion Operations at Lane's End Farm, according to a release from the breeding organization on Friday. Sams notably spent more than 20 years at Claiborne Farm where he managed the careers of accomplished stallions such as Pulpit, Arch and War Front, to name a few. Prior to his tenure at Claiborne, Sams worked at Haras de Roiville in France, Overbrook Farm and Gainesway. "It's exciting to bring on a longtime friend like Bernie to quarterback our stallion division as we...

A federal judge denied a preliminary injunction Oct. 22 in a lawsuit initiated 3 1/2 months ago by a Sunland Park-based veterinarian against the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU). The case involves anti-constitutionality claims that are similar to a number of other lawsuits swirling in the federal court system. But the civil complaint filed by Jason Scott, DVM, is unique because it raises the issue of what happens when a mixed-meet vet is found in possession of medications that are prohibited for...

An overflow field of 3-year-old fillies is set to face the starter for Friday' GII Bank of America Valley View Stakes on the final couple of days of racing at the Keeneland Fall Meet. For bettors, the 8 1/2-furlong feature, which carries purse money of $400,000 (including KTDF money), seems like a true 'spread' race. Minnesota-bred Play With Fire (Oscar Performance) looms a logical favorite to give Chad Brown his second Valley View winner in the space of three years (Surge Capacity, 2023). Acquired privately from Fergus Galvin and trainer...

6th-GP, $70K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 3:30 p.m. ET. A $630,000 buy at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling sale, LITTLE GEORGIE (Charlatan) makes her first start for trainer Saffie Joseph. Sporting the same distinctive chestnut color as her sire, the filly is out of MSW Swingit (Victory Gallop), the dam of 10 foals, eight to race and seven winners. Chief among her produce are MGISP Neolithic (Harlan's Holiday) and MGSW Travel Column (Frosted). The latter--initially an $850,000 yearling purchase by OXO Equine--went to Spendthirft Farm for $2-million at the...

A total of 207 pre-entries from around the globe--including some 58 from overseas-based gallopers--was announced Wednesday afternoon for the 14 races comprising the 42nd running of the Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic is the richest of the weekend's contests at $7 million and has attracted 11 pre-entries, headed by Godolphin's dual Classic winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), who will look to make the...

Marvin Rafael Fernandez, a 35-year-old apprentice jockey at Delaware Park who rode a 228-1 shot to a third-place finish while beaten only half a length last Thursday, had his license rescinded the next day by that track's stewards, who determined that over the course of three probationary races Oct. 15 and 16 in which Fernandez twice finished in the money, his "performance was not satisfactory to the standards required to hold the license." Fernandez, who has five lifetime mounts in 2024-25 and had been riding last week under "temporary" licensure...

'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Fierceness (City of Light--Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty), the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male of 2023 and a four-time Grade I winner, will begin his stud career at Coolmore's Kentucky base at Ashford Stud following his final start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1. An imperious 11 1/4-length debut winner at Saratoga in August 2023, earning no-brainer 'Rising Star' in a similar fashion to owner Mike Repole's fellow champion and late Ashford stallion Uncle Mo, Fierceness romped by 6...

Kappa Kappa (Omaha Beach) drew in off the also-eligible list and pulled off a 27-1 upset with a game victory in Saturday's GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland. She jumped well from her outside draw beneath the hot-handed John Velazquez and vied for command while three deep through an opening quarter in :22.81. Kappa Kappa enjoyed a narrow advantage at the top of the lane and battled back gamely after being headed in the stretch by Vodka With a Twist (Thousand Words) to win by a head. Favored 'TDN...

Ready for Candy flashed a strong turn of foot when it mattered most down the lane to take the GII Sands Point Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday. With a runner-up finish during her 2-year-old season in the Catch A Glimpse Stakes at Woodbine, Ready for Candy ran third in the GIII Mazarine Stakes in Toronto last November. The dark bay, who was a $400,000 purchase during the Fasig-Tipton February Mixed sale, made the switch from Michael DePaulo to Philip Antonacci. The filly's conditioner watched as she went gate-to-wire versus...

GSP Howling Time (Not This Time--Werewolf, by Arch) will stand as a new sire for 2026 at the Midwest Vet Hospital in Trafalgar, Indiana, according to Tommy Wente on Saturday who purchased the 6-year-old for an undisclosed amount in a deal brokered by Lisa Groothedde. Wente said that a stud fee will be determined at a later date. Initially purchased during Keeneland September by Albaugh Family Stables for $200,000, as a juvenile Howling Time won at first asking under the Twin Spires then took home the Street Sense Stakes over...

Approaching the threshold of the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, MGISW Journalism (Curlin) had his penultimate workout for the big race at Santa Anita Park on Friday, but according to a report in the Daily Racing Form that same day, the colt's regular rider Umberto Rispoli will be replaced by Jose Ortiz for the Classic. In all but one of Journalism's 10 career races (his maiden win at Del Mar in Nov. '24), Rispoli has ridden the son of Curlin. This includes three GI victories this year...