The Jockey Club

Let's cut to the chase. The recent dictum from The Jockey Club (TJC) that North American stallions born in 2020 and forward will be limited to covering 140 mares in a calendar year is an attempt to divert mares from popular stallions to others not as in demand. It's a simplistic approach to a complex issue, and it's akin to applying a Band-Aid to a cut that requires stitches. These days, stallions that need help the most are third- and fourth-year horses and proven mid-priced bread-and-butter stallions with some age...

by Craig Bernick The breeding business in America has grown increasingly commercial over the last two decades. I am in favor of the 140-mare cap and applaud the Jockey Club for instituting this change. The metrics of this issue are simple to understand, comparing American foal crops to the number of "140+ stallions": 1999: 33,844--3 2009: 29,612--26 2019: 19,225--45 While I understand that these are the dynamics that emerged in the market, and that market is just a reflection of consumer behavior, I have come to believe we have let...

On this week's episode of the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland, the writers were joined by Oaklawn Park owner and president Louis Cella to discuss the challenges and logistics of running a race meet in the coronavirus era. Oaklawn, along with Gulfstream and Tampa, have led the way for major tracks continuing operations uninterrupted through the pandemic, and Cella, as the Green Group Guest of the Week, talked about the advice they can impart as other ones start to reopen. "Some of the details that we've shared with other tracks:...

I love this business and I am a true fan of the sport and an admirer of its equine athletes. I am fortunate enough to participate on a weekly podcast and occasionally write business-related articles for the Thoroughbred Daily News. Both forums enable me to voice my opinions on various topics including the recently enacted commercial breeding cap on the number of mares bred to a stallion annually. I also feel it is imperative to start this piece with a few disclaimers--I do not own a stallion, nor any shares....

The Thoroughbred Safety Committee announced three new recommendations to the industry to further improve the health, welfare, and safety of its equine athletes. The recommendations call for: - Increased self-reporting statistics from the Equine Injury Database - Mandatory stand-down period for horses in the care of trainers determined to be in possession of or intending to administer illegal substances to racehorses - Banning the presence of clenbuterol in Thoroughbred racehorses and Thoroughbreds consigned for public auction The full text of the recommendations can be found on The Jockey Club website....

I have never made a comment on things done in the horse business by governors, racing commissions or now, The Jockey Club. My feelings were always kept to myself. I cannot keep quiet about the new ruling by The Jockey Club to limit the breeding of stallions to 140 mares. I have been in the horse business for a long time and I love horses. Otherwise, the business model makes no sense to a rational business person. The horse business is hard enough now to make money or even break...

Starting with horses born in 2020, the number of mares a stallion can be bred to in a season will be limited to 140, The Jockey Club announced Thursday. "The rule reflects The Jockey Club's goal to preserve the health of the Thoroughbred breed for the long term..." Thursday's press release read. When reached by the TDN, Jockey Club President and COO Jim Gagliano declined to comment further. "I think this is great for the sustainability of our industry going forward," said Claiborne President Walker Hancock. "It's really going to...

The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program, designed to encourage the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines at the end of their racing careers, has announced the winners from its 2019 performance awards program. The list is available to view at tjctip.com/PerformanceAwardsWinners. "We received applications representing 630 Thoroughbreds competing in more than 12,500 classes and divisions during the 2019 award year," said Kristin Werner, senior counsel for The Jockey Club and the administrator of T.I.P. "Winners will receive ribbons, prize money, and a variety of prizes, including custom Horseware coolers, halters,...

The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation is calling for donations to assist backstretch workers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak across the United States. All donations to the foundation will be designated for COVID-19 relief until further notice. The foundation's current priority is addressing the immediate need to stock food pantries at racetracks around the country, and it is coordinating with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America in this effort. Those who would like to contribute should visit tjcfoundation.org/donate. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, checks cannot be accepted at this time....

In light of recent events impacting global health, perhaps it is time to review two controversial proposals in our industry. The first, seemingly backed by The Jockey Club, is a limit on stallion books. The second, seemingly forever opposed by that same august regulatory body, is some well designed use of artificial insemination. One could reasonably suggest that the two would work best in tandem. Limits on stallion books would, at least in the short term, begin the process of promoting diversity in the thoroughbred gene pool by giving slightly...

The Jockey Club Registry has made available a video tutorial and FAQs to assist industry stakeholders with managing digital certificates. Digital certificates were introduced in 2018 to streamline management of the official certificate of registration throughout the life of a Thoroughbred. Click here to watch the tutorial and click here to read the FAQs section. "A digital certificate follows a Thoroughbred from the farm to the sales to the racetrack to the breeding shed and even into retirement," said Rick Bailey, registrar, The Jockey Club. "The foals of 2018 are...

What an awful way to start the week. Sandwiched between a chaotic stock market and the spread of coronavirus, the racing industry got word Monday of a tawdry racehorse doping scandal that came packaged in four indictments against 27 defendants. These schemes were replete with instances of gutter-level language from wire taps that painted the treatment of some of these horses as nothing more than disposable money-making commodities. The 27 individuals included some trainers and veterinarians. They were charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New...