Keeneland

As part of his official duties, Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Dean Roethemeier was attending the races Saturday at Meydan in Dubai at the same time that drone and missile attacks launched by Iran were hitting nearby. While he said he never felt unsafe, he noted that his biggest worry was, with the Dubai International Airport having been shuttered, how he was going to make it back home? But after a long, complicated journey, he had made it to Amsterdam on Tuesday and was expecting to land at the Cincinnati...

Multiple Grade I winner Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) has had his first mare confirmed in foal, Lane's End announced Monday afternoon. Said mare is Cahira's Song (Midshipman), a half-sister to seven other winning siblings, and who hails from the female line of GISP Lucky Lavender Gal (Carson City). The third dam is herself a full-sister to MGSP La Ville Rouge, most famous for her son--GI Kentucky Derby hero Barbaro (Dynaformer). The mare also produced his full-brothers MSW & GSP Margano and SW Lentenor. Made a 'TDN Rising...

Okay, so probably we're just running these animals in sufficient circles for the squeaking of the hamster wheel eventually, randomly, to yield something that seems curiously meaningful. But there are times when horses give the impression that they are participating in some mysterious wider scheme in human affairs. Last week, however inadequately, I joined the many in our community grieving the abrupt loss of one of its great horsemen, and gentlemen. The very next day, at Fair Grounds, a colt saturated with the legacy of John Shirreffs missed Olympiad's track...

It was a big weekend for trainer Brendan Walsh, whose Bella Ballerina (Street Sense) was a game winner of the GII Rachel Alexandra Stakes. A half-sister to Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), the 2023 GI Kentucky Oaks winner, who was also trained by Walsh, the trainer is hoping to pull off what would be a unique daily double--winning the Oaks twice within four years with half-siblings. To discuss the Rachel Alexandra win, his take on Bella Ballerina and what he has planned on the way to the Oaks, Walsh joined this...

Grade I winner Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map) continued preparations for his next Kentucky Derby qualifier with a strong work at Palm Meadows last Friday, but the question remains as to which race the grey will be pointed for at the end of the month. Cruising through five panels in 1:01.45, marking it the fastest work of five at the distance, the colt worked in company with Saffie Joseph Jr. trained Ruleroftheuniverse (Sharp Azteca). The latter posted 1:02.15 for the trip. "I couldn't be happier with how he's coming along," trainer...

2nd-FG, $65k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 1:30 p.m. ET A $185,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, TROMBONE (Maclean's Music) breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 flat and was knocked down to owner Kaleem Shah for $850,000 at last year's OBS April Sale. The April foal's winning dam Apologize (Lemon Drop Kid) is a half- or full-sister to four others to salute, including MGSW Aurelia's Belle (Lemon Drop Kid) and SW Dripping Gold (Lemon Drop Kid). This is the high-class female family of Althea, Twining, Atelier, Aldiza, et al....

Mark Casse is among the hottest trainers in America, was recently named Chairman of the Board of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company, and continues to help lead the fight to save racing in South Florida. So, there was plenty to talk about when the Hall of Fame trainer joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. Casse was the Gainesway Guest of the Week. Casse will head into the weekend with 17 wins from 38 starters at Oaklawn, good for a win rate of 45%. He bolstered his...

GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity runner-up Blackout Time (Not This Time) is on track to kick off his 3-year-old season in the GII Rebel Stakes Mar. 1 at Oaklawn Park, according to co-owner Lance Gasaway Saturday morning. Unraced since that second-place finish behind juvenile champion MGISW Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) at Keeneland, he had been entered in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile but was scratched by the regulatory vet because of an alleged soundness issue. Blackout Time returned to the worktab Jan. 23 at Fair Grounds and after a couple works...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horse of interest for this Saturday running at Tokyo Racecourse: Saturday, February 7, 2026 7th-TOK, ¥15,620,000 ($100k), Allowance, 3yo, 1400m FULMINE BLU (c, 3, Bolt d'Oro--Thundering Sky, by Sky Mesa) was hammered at the tills to the tune of 19-10 favoritism when unveiled over a mile at this...

Tickets for the 2026 Breeders' Cup championship weekend at Keeneland Oct. 30 and 31 will go on sale to the public Apr. 21. Fans can sign up for ticket information at BreedersCup.com/2026. In order to purchase tickets to championship weekend, fans must have a SeatGeek account, which may be created for free at SeatGeek.com/#register. For information on ticket packages, hospitality and travel offerings, visit BreedersCupExperiences.com.

These are not easy times for Illinois horsemen, who have already lost Arlington Park and may soon see the area's remaining Thoroughbred track go under. After the Illinois Racing Board, citing financial instability, which included the bouncing of checks, pulled the plug on the track's Standardbred meet in January, there's no telling whether or not a reeling Hawthorne will be able to open its doors when the Thoroughbred meet is supposed to start March 29. Chris Block, the president of the local horsemen's group, is fighting the good fight to...

As an unrelenting stretch of icy winter cold hangs over the Bluegrass, the thought of a sunny spring day of racing at Keeneland with the dogwood trees in bloom sure feels like a welcome reprieve. At the upcoming Spring Meet, Keeneland will celebrate the grand opening of the interior hospitality spaces in the new three-story Paddock Building. To help chase away the winter cold, Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin sat down with TDN to share more details on Keeneland's five new venues before tickets go on sale on Tuesday,...