racing

Churchill Downs will host the 2024 Claiming Crown Nov. 16, the HBPA announced Thursday. The event, held at Fair Grounds last year, will return to Kentucky for the second time in three years. Created in 1999 by the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the Claiming Crown provides claiming horses with a multi-race program to spotlight their importance. "In a year when Churchill Downs celebrates the 150th [GI] Kentucky Derby, we are honored to host the Claiming Crown on center stage in the...

Country singer/songwriter Toby Keith passed away Monday following a battle with stomach cancer, his family announced Tuesday. While best known for his music career, which included 20 No. 1 hits, he also owned and bred Thoroughbreds and was known for his passion of the sport. Keith raced and bred primarily under the name of Dream Walkin Farms, which started its first horse in 2001. Dream Walkin was a song on an album by the same name that Keith released in 1997. According to Equibase, Dream Walkin won 848 races and...

During the recent holiday season, I had the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions with my 13-year-old son, Max, about his future aspirations. As he approaches an age where decisions about higher education and career paths come into focus, we've delved into conversations about his collegiate preferences and professional ambitions. It is not uncommon for adolescents at this stage to express a desire to emulate the occupational choices of family members. Max, in particular, has conveyed an interest in following in the footsteps of his father, cousin Norm, uncle Mark,...

I just wanted to express my frustration and disappointment that we, as an industry, seem incapable of presenting a meaningful response to the negativity we are currently facing in the mainstream media. For example, when the 60 Minutes documentary aired several weeks ago, it elicited a wave of legitimate outrage. But the industry's side of the story was nowhere to be seen outside the trade press. We have a collective tendency, at times like this, to wring our hands and shuffle our feet, figuratively speaking. Surely the Thoroughbred Racing Industry,...

The 2023 Thoroughbred Season at Remington Park will stretch one day deeper into December as an afternoon program has been added for Saturday, Dec.16, the track announced Friday. The first race will be at 2:30pm. The extra date of races will serve as a make-up for the nine races lost Wednesday, Dec. 6 when the track lighting system did not power up to the full potential needed for racing. The Dec. 16 race date will feature 12 races to put a wrap on the season. Remington Park had previously planned...

The CBS news program "60 Minutes," which aired Sunday evening included a segment that covered horse racing's worst problems, horses breaking down and dying and the use of performance-enhancing drugs on horses. 60 Minutes often reaches as many as 12 million viewers. The segment was hosted by correspondent Cecilia Vega. Though the program gave ample time to Jockey Club Chairman Stuart Janney III, Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority CEO Lisa Lazarus, Meadowlands owner Jeff Gural, and others who have been working to solve the problems, it left no doubt that...

Kentucky Downs VP of Racing Ted Nicholson joins the Writers' Room to discuss the seven-day Kentucky Downs race meet, talking takeout, purse money, plans for the future and more.

With oral arguments in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit now five weeks away, the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA) filed a legal brief Aug. 25 underscoring that the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority unconstitutionally "wants the best of both worlds" by allegedly portraying itself as both a governmental body or a private organization "depending on which suits its interests on any individual argument." "Sometimes [the Authority] wants to be like a government entity, with the power to compel registration, collect mandatory...

After the on-track deaths of two racehorses on its Saturday card prompted a series of meetings with interested parties, the racing card will continue as scheduled Sunday at Saratoga as planned, according to a release from NYRA's Vice President of Communications, Patrick McKenna. "Sunday's live racing program will proceed as scheduled following a series of productive meetings held with horsemen, jockeys, and veterinarians last night and throughout the morning," read an emailed statement. "Based on these conversations and ensuing dialogue, NYRA is confident in the safety and overall consistency of...

Stephanie Hronis, a long-time member of the Thoroughbred racing community, has been added as a board member of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Political Action Committee. The move was announced Monday by Board Chairman Bill Farish and President Tom Rooney. Hronis is part of the Hronis Racing ownership team, alongside her husband Kosta, his brother Pete, and their family. "It is a great honor to join the NTRA Horse PAC® and to support the significant work being done to ensure the longevity of the horse racing industry," Hronis said. "This...

The future of Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare is up in the air as the non-profit organization faces an unprecedented increase in both rehab cases and operating expenses. "Responsible aftercare is an imperative duty of the racing industry--one that cannot be overlooked or ignored," said CTA Adoption Coordinator Chrissy Laughlin. "As they profit from breeding and bringing these magnificent horses to Puerto Rico, it is incumbent upon the industry to step up and provide the essential funding for their lifelong well-being and care. Embracing this responsibility with unwavering dedication will ensure a...

On Tuesday, the consortium that operates Fort Erie racetrack filed a grievance with the Canadian Trade Commission over alleged strongarm business tactics by Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) that Fort Erie contends are designed to "starve Fort Erie of its necessary horse supply." Two days later, David Anderson, a prominent Ontario-based breeder who owns Anderson Farms and serves on the boards of three key Thoroughbred organizations in Canada, told TDN that Woodbine's tactics are, in his opinion, a coordinated effort to hamper Fort Erie's operations, and that some of those detrimental...