The Jockey Club

Edited Press Release The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) announced Monday that Samantha Smith has been named as its Director of Marketing and Education, effective Feb. 7, 2022. Samantha was most recently the Marketing & Communications Director at the United States Pony Club. She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and previously served in several capacities at The Jockey Club, including as its Industry Initiatives Specialist. "I am honored to be joining TOBA and look forward to all aspects of this role," Smith said. "I am thrilled...

Applications have been opened for The Jockey Club (TJC)'s formal summer internship program, to be held for eight weeks. Launched last summer for college students and recent college graduates, the program allows up to three interns, who will be exposed to all companies and departments within the organization. "We were impressed by our first class of interns last summer and look forward to welcoming a new group of enthusiastic individuals this year," said Matt Iuliano, executive vice president and executive director of TJC. "This program, as well as our scholarship...

Edited Press Release The Thoroughbred industry in Kentucky has raised $517,224 for both immediate response and longer-term recovery needs of individuals and families impacted by the deadly tornadoes occurring in Western Kentucky Dec. 10 and 11. The Kentucky Thoroughbred Association organized a GoFundMe page Dec. 11, which raised $318,199 since inception. Further donations came in, including a season to Triple Crown winning stallion Justify donated by Ashford Stud/Coolmore America and private sources, raising the total quickly. All told, 315 Thoroughbred breeders, racehorse owners including Spendthrift Farm, trainers, jockeys, industry stalwarts...

The Jockey Club, through its commercial subsidiaries, has donated $50,000 toward tornado relief in Western Kentucky in response to the areas that were devastated Dec. 11. The donation was made through a Go Fund Me site established by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association. In addition, The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, which provides financial relief and assistance to needy members of the Thoroughbred industry and their families, is prepared to help those in the racing community personally affected by the storms. Please visit tjcfoundation.org or call Shannon Kelly at (212) 521-5327...

Teddy Grimthorpe, who for 22 years served as racing manager to the late Prince Khalid Abdullah, has been named chairman of The National Stud. Grimthorpe succeeds Nicholas Wrigley, who has filled the role since the death of the Duke of Roxburghe in August of 2019. Grimthorpe, who has been a member of the Jockey Club since 2007 and joined its board of directors this year, will serve a three-year term. "I was a student on the National Stud course in 1976 so we have a long history, as they say,"...

U.S. Congressman Andy Barr, a Kentucky Republican who represents Lexington, has reintroduced the Equine Tax Fairness Act, which, if passed would make changes to the tax laws favorable to horse owners and breeders, it was announced by his office Wednesday. The bill calls for new regulations that would make the three-year depreciation schedule permanent for racehorses, no matter their age when put into service. Currently, Congress must reauthorize this provision in the tax law on an annual basis. The legislation would also reduce the holding period for equine assets to...

Statistics for Ontario's part in the North American breeding industry were among The Jockey Club (TJC)'s annual reports released recently, with Ontario showing positive gains across the board. The number of Ontario-sired live foals reported to TJC through Oct. 4 was up 2.6% from last year, while the number of stallions registered in the province increased by 12.5% and the number of mares reported bred through Oct. 18 was up 13.9%. Ontario was the only jurisdiction with positive gains in all three categories. "Ontario, in terms of growth on the...

Applications are now open for The Jockey Club (TJC)'s five academic scholarships, which apply to the 2022-23 academic year. Applications close Feb. 1, 2022, with recipients to be announced in the spring. The five available scholarships are as follows: The Jockey Club Scholarship ($15,000; $7,500 per semester): available for students in academic pursuit of majors for future employment in the equine industry. Open to any equine breed or discipline; preference will be given to candidates with the expressed desire to secure employment in the Thoroughbred industry. The Jockey Club Advancement...

The Jockey Club has released its annual Report of Mares bred for 2021 and there's a new name atop the leader board. The Spendthrift Farm stallion Goldencents led all sires, having been bred to 230 mares. He was bred to 204 in 2020. His ascension to the top spot came after Spendthrift cut his stud fee from $25,000 to $15,000 and after a strong showing by his progeny in 2020. Goldencents was the leading third-crop sire in 2020 with $6,653,183 in earnings. His top performer during the year was By...

Breedings in 2020 have resulted in 19,021 live foals of 2021 thus far being reported to The Jockey Club (TJC) on Live Foal Reports, according to the annual Report of Mares Bred (RMB), which was released Friday by TJC. The number of live foals reported to date is expected to be 85-90% complete. The reporting of live foals of 2021 is down 3.3% from last year at this time when TJC had received reports for 19,677 live foals of 2020. TJC also received 2,195 No Foal Reports for the 2021...

The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) has revealed the recipients of its two non-competition awards, the T.I.P. Thoroughbred of the Year Award and the T.I.P. Young Rider of the Year Award, for 2021. The Thoroughbred of the Year Award recognizes a Thoroughbred that has excelled in a non-competitive career, such as equine-assisted therapy or police work, and includes a $5,000 grant to the non-profit organization associated with the horse or, if no organization is associated with the horse, to a horse-related charity chosen by The Jockey Club. This year's...

Christopher Spence,  a former senior steward of The Jockey Club, died on Monday  after a brief illness. An owner-breeder from his Chieveley Manor Stud near Newbury, he was 84.    Born in 1937, Spence became a Jockey Club member in 1986 and served as Chairman of The National Stud from 2008 to 2011. Also Chairman of the Racecourse Holdings Trust, Spence was a merchant banker by trade and one of the founding directors of the British Horseracing Board, among other important roles in the UK racing industry.    A former...