Linda Rice

Rhetorical (Not This Time) earned New York-bred Horse of the Year honors and led a strong evening for his breeders Mallory and Karen Mort Monday evening during the New York Thoroughbred Breeders' Inc.'s Annual Awards Ceremony held Monday night at the Hall of Springs at the Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs. Bred by the Morts and campaigned by Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable and Wachtel Stable, Rhetorical won four of five starts and earned $863,800 in 2025. His victories included the GI Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland Race...

Jockey Manny Franco and trainer Linda Rice were the respective leaders of the jockey and trainer standings at the conclusion of this year's Aqueduct winter meet, and they repeated by topping the Aqueduct spring meet, which ran from Apr. 2-26. Franco, 31, earned 22 wins to land his fourth riding title at the Aqueduct spring meet, adding to wins in 2019 and 2023-24. The native of Carolina, Puerto Rico posted an overall record of 103-22-28-16, good for a win rate of 21.36% and in-the-money rate of 64.08% with $1,518,315 in...

Linda Rice earned her fourth consecutive and sixth overall trainer's title at the Aqueduct winter meet, which concluded Sunday, while also claiming the meet's leading owner honors. Rice trained the winners of 62 races at Aqueduct's final winter meet. "It feels good, a little happy and sad at the same time as it's our last winter meet at Aqueduct," said Rice, who was the leading trainer on the NYRA circuit in 2025. "Aqueduct has been a big part of New York racing history, and I'm glad to have been a...

Since the inception of HISA, the diuretic Lasix (also known as furosemide) has been banned in all 2-year-old races and in stakes races. But that may be about to change. On May 22, HISA's nine-member Board of Directors will take a vote on whether or not the medication should be banned in all races. On that date, unless the board votes unanimously to continue the status quo, the medication will be banned. The board could also make any number of recommendations for modifications to the current provisions. To the extent...

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)-related rulings from around the country. The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU)'s "pending" and "resolved" cases portals. Among this week's rulings, the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority has issued to Churchill Downs Incorporated four notices for non-payment of its 2025 fees related to federal regulatory oversight of its Churchill Downs, Turfway Park, Ellis Park and Presque Isle Downs racetracks. The matter will...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) wrapped up Aqueduct's fall meet Wednesday with Flavien Prat taking the leading rider title and Linda Rice taking the leading trainer honors. Prat's 46 wins included nine stakes victories and five graded victories. His record for the fall stands at 136-46-21-15, earnings of $3,247,016, and a win percentage of 33.82%. Manny Franco was second with 33 wins, while Kendrick Carmouche was third with 25 victories. Rice notched her fourth consecutive Aqueduct fall meet training title with 31 wins and an overall record of...

Trainer Linda Rice captured a record 165th training win on the NYRA circuit for 2025 when owned/trained Snide (Tonalist) won race 4 at Aqueduct Friday. Snide stepped into the maiden special weight out of the maiden claimers for the third jump of her career, and dueled her rivals into submission to win by 4 3/4 lengths in a final time of 1:41.23. Rice is also the leading owner on the NYRA circuit this year with 58 wins, and the conditioner credited her entire team, including assistant Marsha Barrs, for the...

When the Belmont at the Big A fall meet wrapped Sunday, it was a familiar name leading the trainer standings as Chad Brown captured his 36th individual training title on the New York Racing Association (NYRA) circuit. The 32 wins at the Belmont fall meet--which ran from Sept. 11 through Nov. 2--marked his 14th consecutive Belmont fall title. "My team has done an unbelievable job--not only my team at Belmont, but my surrounding teams when we ship horses in--everyone has contributed," said Brown. "We have a diverse group of horses...

4th-Belmont The Big A, $85,360, Alw, 10-16, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:10.46, ft, 2 1/2 lengths. WITH THE ANGELS (f, 3, Omaha Beach--Sister Margaret, by Pulpit), unraced since November 2024, returned a winner in her 3-year-old debut Thursday at Aqueduct. A perfect four-for-four as a juvenile, she was named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' off an 11 1/2-length debut win before racking up three straight stakes wins all against fellow New York-breds. Facing open company for the first time Thursday and racing with the addition of Lasix, the...

The New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. will host its annual general membership meeting and educational seminar Sunday at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Saratoga Springs. This year's seminar, titled "Keeping or Selling? Mapping Your Breeding Goals," will focus on how breeders and owners can forecast and manage their breeding strategies, while balancing market demands and long-term objectives for breeding and racing. Sponsored by the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund, the seminar will feature Becky Thomas, owner of Sequel New York and Sequel at Winding Oaks in Ocala;...

4th-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 2:20p.m. ET A homebred for St Elias Stable, Nonna Teresa (Gun Runner) will head out for conditioner Todd Pletcher on what could turn into a very quality-heavy afternoon for debuting runners at The Spa. From the female line of the great Personal Ensign through third dam MGISW My Flag (Easy Goer), the chestnut is out of MGSW Teresa Z (Smart Strike), herself a half-sister to the dams of GSW-UAE Queen Azteca (Sharp Azteca) and MGSP Colorful Mischief (Into Mischief). Her final prep for this...

Jean Rice, matriarch of a family of top horsemen, passed away May 27 at the age of 85. Born Sept. 9, 1939 in Antigo, Wisconsin, Jean did not come from a racing family, but--alongside her husband of 59 years and top pinhooker Clyde Rice--she created one of the sport's most well-respected and deeply talented families of horsemen. She earned a four-year teaching degree while raising her four children, all of whom became jockeys and/or trainers. Curt Rice was one of the leading riders of his time and his brother Wayne...