thoroughbreds

As California horse racing enters one of its most consequential years yet, the California Horse Racing Board's (CHRB) first meeting of the year this Wednesday includes a proposal for 19 weeks of fair racing in the North of California this year. The National Horseman's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) has also weighed in, offering its support for a live racing circuit in NorCal at the behest of a group of Northen California owners and trainers, according to a letter the organization sent to the CHRB Jan. 7. "We recognize under...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and trainer Rudy Rodriguez have reached an agreement that will end Rodriguez's provisional suspension and allow him to return to training, HISA and Rodriguez announced jointly in a statement released Tuesday. His suspension will officially end on Wednesday. Rodriguez has not started a horse since Dec.  13. Rodriguez's problems began in November when HISA alleged that the NYRA-based trainer had violated rules related to "cruelty, mistreatment, neglect or abuse" of Thoroughbreds. At that time, HISA served Rodriguez with a "notice of violation and...

Five new members were elected to the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) board and four to the advisory council, at the organization's December meeting, the RRP announced Monday. The five elected to the board are Vanessa Coleman, who succeeds Sarah Williams as Treasurer; Amanda Chance; Anne Guillory; Audra and Gary Mandella (sharing one seat); and Rosie Napravnik. The group will also replace the directors who completed their terms of service at the conclusion of 2025: Richard Lamb, Sissy Wickes, and Sarah Williams. Board members may serve up to two consecutive three-year...

The board of directors of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) unanimously voted to appoint owner of Hill 'n' Dales Farms John Sikura to fill the vacant seat of Nick Alexander, subject to full board ratification at the upcoming Jan. 30 meeting, the owners group said via a Friday press release. "I have a great love for California racing dating to my youth attending Santa Anita with my father when Charlie Whittingham was our trainer," said John Sikura. "I currently have horses with Bob Baffert, and I can think of...

Pleasant Acres Stallions in Florida stands MGSW Mr Fisk (by Arrogate), who now has his first foal, a filly out of New York-bred Brass Cat (Bluegrass Cat), the farm said in a release on Friday. The new arrival hit the ground early on Friday morning at 3:25 a.m. ET for breeder Martine Britell. "Our beautiful Brass Cat has blessed us with another big, athletic baby," said Martine Britell. "Paired with Mr Fisk's amazing bloodlines and triple-digit speed, we are excited for this filly's future!" By the gone-to-soon Arrogate, Mr Fisk...

Making his 13th start of the year and 100th of his career, the 11-year-old gelding Surprsinglyperfect (Perfect Soul {Ire}) has been named the National HBPA's 2025 National Claiming Horse of the Year, the horsemen's organization said in a press release on Friday. Based at trainer & co-owner Justin Evans's main bases of Turf Paradise in Phoenix and Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington, Surprsinglyperfect finished 2025 with seven wins out of those 13 starts, along with three seconds and a third for career-high season earnings of $94,230. The Kentucky-bred son of...

The already struggling racing and breeding industries in New Jersey were hit by potentially devastating news on Wednesday when it was reported that there are bills afloat in the state capital in Trenton that could eventually allow Monmouth Park to reduce its meet to 25 days a year. Is this the beginning of the end for one of the sport's most iconic and picturesque tracks? Not necessarily. (I'll get to that later). But it's hard not to be pessimistic about Monmouth's future. As with so many things that have become...

On the heels of winning a preliminary injunction last month in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platform TwinSpires on Tuesday scored a victory in its overall federal lawsuit against the state of Michigan. On Jan. 6, the lower-court judge in charge of the case issued a summary judgment in favor of TwinSpires, meaning Michigan can't make that ADW partner with a brick-and-mortar racetrack in order to do business in that state. The operator of TwinSpires, Churchill Downs Technology Initiatives Company (CDT),...

The online portion of Thoroughbred Charities of America's (TCA) annual Stallion Season Auction presented by the Goodman Family is underway and runs through Friday, Jan. 9, with staggered closing times starting at 4 p.m. ET., the non-profit said via a release on Wednesday. The TCA's largest fundraiser during the year includes 175 seasons with sires such as Army Mule (by Friesian Fire), Life is Good (by Into Mischief), Flightline (Tapit), and McKinzie (Street Sense) all available for online bidding on Salering.net. The majority of seasons will sell 'no guarantee' however...

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) "pending" and "resolved" cases portals. Among this week's rulings, trainer Jose R. Gonzalez, Sr. has been suspended 18 months and fined $12,500 as a result of his trainee Discovery N Sight testing positive for the banned bronchodilator Albuterol from an out-of-competition hair sample collected on July 23. His suspension began...

Global Tote, in partnership with the Monmouth Park racetrack, has launched of a new multi-state--and soon-to-be national--Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) platform called MonmouthBets, according to a press release from BetMakers Technology on Wednesday. Live and available in 12 states, the new ADW was designed with both casual fans and experienced bettors in mind, and is a site that delivers a modern, intuitive wagering experience supported by industry-leading technology. Packed with high-quality professional data, including ratings, race comments, individual runner insights, speed maps and free past performances, these tools--previously accessible mainly...

The first two reported foals for Gainesway Farm's MGSW Charge It (by Tapit) were born Jan. 5, with one arriving at the Brogden family's Machmer Hall in Paris, Kentucky, and the other being delivered at Darby Dan Farm outside of Lexington, Kentucky, the stallion outfit said via a Tuesday release. Machmer Hall oversaw the arrival of a bay colt, the first foal out of SP Six Sense (Violence). A half-sister to SW Xanthique (Into Mischief), out of the GSP mare Qualia (Saarland), Six Sense was a $105,000 purchase at the...