TDN Podcast

Despite a successful career in which he won 1,871 races, jockey Trevor McCarthy announced his retirement in April. He admitted that he was "miserable" and that the many problems that come with being a jockey, especially one who is 5 feet, 9 inches tall, had caused him serious mental health problems.

The TDN Writers' Room, which is presented by Keeneland, took a different route this week, handicapping every Breeders' Cup race. How did we do? We'll know late Saturday evening. Here are the highlights of the picks made by Zoe Cadman, Bill Finley and Randy Moss. FRIDAY: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint: Predicting that Aidan O'Brien is going to have a huge Friday, Finley picked True Love (Ire) (No Nay Never), pointing out that the filly is coming off a Group I win in the Cheveley Park S. and looks to...

It will be a hugely important weekend for trainer Kenny McPeek as Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) and Mystik Dan (Goldencents) will be in action Saturday at Churchill Downs. Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna will be heavy favorite in the GII Fleur De Lis while 2024 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan faces a tough assignment in a loaded GI Stephen Foster Stakes. To talk about the two biggest stars in his barn, his hiring of Jimmy Jerkens and even his new tattoo, McPeek was the Gainseway Guest of the...

After a historic weekend where Godolphin swept the worldwide classics, including a Kentucky Derby win with Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the colt's trainer Bill Mott appeared on the TDN Writers' Room podcast, presented by Keeneland, as the Gainesway Guest of the Week. For Mott, it was his second Kentucky Derby win, following the promotion of Country House in the 2019 Derby after the disqualification of Maximum Security, and he admitted that this one was a big one. "It's pretty special, I've got to tell you," he said. "We really enjoyed Country...

TDN Conversations is a new monthly podcast series and we are delighted to have been joined this month by Emma Balding, who discusses the history of her breeding operation with Emma Berry. "The whole place had been requisitioned by the Americans during the war, and the stud had been used for a dairy herd," she says of Kingsclere Stud, which neighbours the historic Park House Stables, where her son Andrew now trains. "So there are remnants still of the fact that it was used for that. The house was taken...

It sometimes seems that not a weekend goes by where Brad Cox isn't making news and visiting the winner's circle somewhere after winning another important race. That was the case last weekend as Cox won the Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs with John Hancock (Constitution). This coming weekend he'll send out one of his top threats for the GI Kentucky Oaks when the filly Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) makes her 2025 debut in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. at the Fair Grounds. To talk about past successes...

Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey has won 15 Breeders' Cup races and has watched hundreds more in person as a commentator for NBC Sports. Always on top of things and not afraid to voice his opinions, Bailey joined the TDN Writers' Room Podcast sponsored by Keeneland to discuss Breeders' Cups past and present. When asked who would most want to ride in this year's Classic if he were to come out of retirement, the answer was somewhat of a surprise. He picked GI Whitney S. winner Arthur's Ride (Tapit), who...

When it comes to winning Breeders' Cup races, no rider does it better than Mike (Big Money) Smith. His 27 wins leads all jockeys and is seven wins better than runner-up John Velazquez. With the Breeders' Cup quickly approaching, Smith sat down with the team at the TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland and took us on a trip down memory lane. Smith was this week's Guest of the Week. Of the 27 wins, is one his favorite? "It would have to be Zenyatta (in the 2009 Classic)," he...

Dennis Albaugh has Derby fever as he discusses Albaugh Family Stables star trainee Catching Freedom on the TDN Writers' Room. This week's episode is sponsored by Keeneland, Coolmore, the Green Group, WinStar, the PHBA, Pleasant Acres Stallions, XBTV and West Point Thoroughbreds.

The families and children who rely on the Backside Learning Center have a GI Kentucky Derby horse to root for. Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), the winner of the GII Risen Star S. at the Fair Grounds, is partially owned by Brook Smith, who is part of a partnership led by Coolmore. Smith has been a generous supporter of the Backside Learning Center and, through the Purses for a Purpose program, donates a portion of his earnings every time a horse of his picks up a check. Smith joined this week's...

No one was hotter last week than trainer Kenny McPeek, who won two stakes at Oaklawn over the weekend, one a prep for the GI Kentucky Derby, the other a prep for the GI Kentucky Oaks. McPeek scored with the filly Band of Gold (Preservationist), who, at 24-1, won the Martha Washington S. Two races later, it was the colt Mystik Dan (Goldencents), who was an impressive eight-length winner of the GIII Southwest S. at odds of 11-1. That meant there was plenty to talk about when McPeek joined this...

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens didn't get off to a good start after he resettled in Saudi Arabia. But the longtime fixture on the New York racing circuit seems to have figured things out. He went into the weekend with 12 wins from 60 starters. Jerkens was the Green Group Guest of the Week on this weeks TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland and discussed a number of topics, including why he believes his career had taken a wrong turn before he left for Saudi Arabia, his future plans and what...