thoroughbreds

I am a bloodstock agent and, at times, a horse owner based in California. I have been reading, with great interest, the various comments and opinions regarding how best to resolve the ongoing and serious issue with the spate of deaths of our precious and amazing Thoroughbreds. While I am not as well known (and as articulate) as most of the professionals who have commented on this topic in TDN, I feel that I might be able to bring a different perspective. My family has owned both flat and steeplechase...

3rd-DMR, $82K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 5:30 p.m. As the summer winds down, there is still more than enough time for juvenile first timers to make their debut. At Del Mar, $1.25-million Fasig-Tipton Yearling Sale buy MC VAY (Constitution) is set for his inaugural trip. Out of Dothraki Sea (Union Rags), who counts both GISW Dixie Chatter (Dixie Union) and GSW Rumor (Indian Charlie) as half-siblings, the dark bay colt is trained by John Shirreffs and will be ridden by Mike Smith. Also entered is $250,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale grad...

It is said that life is simply a series of memories you share with the people you love. For Tony Rallo and his brother Tyler, most of those memories include Thoroughbred racing and Crown's Way Farm. First exposed to horse racing by their grandfather, Ron Dicicilia (their original family name) and his brother Gene Cilio, both stalwarts of Illinois Thoroughbred racing, the Rallo brothers have resurrected the Crown's Way name and set out on a new path in racing, developing, and managing a racing partnership group. In fact, due to...

Veteran trainer Dick Clark, who was based at Prairie Meadows this summer, has received a 90-month suspension and an $62,500 fine from the Horse Racing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU). The lengthy suspension and the fines were the result of five different positive tests that occurred with horses trained by Clark from June 19 to July 24. He was suspended 18 months and fined $12,500 for each offense. Clark's suspension is the lengthiest one handed down so far by HIWU. According to the HIWU website, in each case there was,...

My first race was two years ago. The 2021 Haskell Invitational S., the summer before my senior year of college. It was the post parade that hooked me. When "Born to Run" sounded through the grandstand as Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie and Midnight Bourbon bounced onto the track, it didn't matter how the race would go. I was in. It was enough to latch onto despite the outrage I felt towards my home-state regulators for an ill-advised whip rule that took down Midnight Bourbon, along with my exacta box. But...

At the Woodbine Sales Pavilion Aug. 30, a full-brother to Canadian Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd (Old Forester) led the way with $150,000 at this year's Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (CTHS)'s Ontario Division said in a release Thursday morning. With 68 RND'd, gross sales out of 168 increased by 4.6% to $4,017,790 from $3,837,700 a year ago when 150 went through the ring. Seven hips sold for $100,000 or more (three in '22), while the average was $23,915 and the median $15,000. The top...

Seven new members were elected to the Jockey Club of America, which include Gary Fenton, Eric Gustavson, Bret Jones, Jane Lyon, Michael Mulvihill, David O'Rourke and Mandy Pope, the organization said in a release early Thursday morning. Fenton has been the managing partner of Little Red Feather Racing, a racing syndicate based in California, since 2005, and he is on the board of the Thoroughbred Owners of California and has been chairman since 2021. Over the last 17 years, Gustavson has overseen Spendthrift's growth as it acquired, raced and launched...

Appearing as the Green Group Guest of the Week on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland, Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse grew emotional when the subject of the rash of fatalities that have plagued the sport this year came up. Believing that the industry has not done all that it can to help alleviate the situation and that tracks must embrace a return to synthetic surfaces, Casse admitted that his outlook on his profession and the sport has changed for the worse. "This is sad to...

10th-KD, $150K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 6:28 p.m. The European-style grass course situated on the Kentucky side of the southern border with Tennessee cards a maiden finale which draws $450,000 Keeneland September graduate from last year, PUBLIUS (Constitution). Bred by Twin Creeks Farm, the bay colt debuts out of Sharp Instinct (Awesome Again), who is the dam of seven winners from nine to race. The Brad Cox trainee, ridden by Florent Geroux, is a half-brother to GIII Excelsior S. hero Send It In (Big Brown). Also entered is the well-bred Tapitoro...

When it comes to breakdowns, the Tapeta surface at Woodbine isn't perfect. But it might be as close to perfect as any surface on the continent. While horses throughout North America broke down on the dirt at a rate of 1.44 per 1,000 starts in 2022, the rate of breakdowns over the synthetic surface at Woodbine was 0.42. This year, after about 4,500 starts over Tapeta there have been only two fatalities during races. Also, there have been about 14,000 published workouts over Woodbine's synthetic tracks and only two fatalities...

At 271 head, one of the largest catalogs in its history, the Texas Thoroughbred Association's (TTA) single-session Yearling Sale will be held Monday, Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. (CT) at Lone Star Park Sales Pavilion. The 2022 edition, which reported a buy-back rate of 24%, saw 161 yearlings out of 211 sell for a total of $3,416,000--up almost 6% from the previous year when 177 out of 228 grossed $3,229,600. Growth was also seen in last year's average of $21,217, an increase from $18,246 in 2021, while the median was...

6th-SAR, $136.5K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 2:31 p.m. With some bullet works under her belt at Saratoga (Aug. 23, 3f, :36.00, 1/11), $475,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase SHOP LIFTING (Into Mischief) heads to the post for Team Spoor for her debut. The bay filly's dam GI Personal Ensign S. heroine Miss Shop (Deputy Minister) is a half-sister to the dam of GISW Power Broker (Pulpit) dam and GSW Trappe Shot (Tapit). She also produced GIII Miss Grillo S. winner Tin Type Gal (Tapit). Trained by Tony Dutrow, she will...