thoroughbreds

The horses, of course, remain just as reticent about discussing their health as 150 years ago. But their beauty and courage are also unchanged, which has always kept veterinarians willing to persevere in a one-sided consultation. Until recently, anyway. People do change, however-and the fact is that an increasingly urbanized society is no longer producing as many young people with a natural affinity for horses. That's a problem for our whole industry, but a quietly developing crisis for its veterinary sector. And, having lasted as long as it has, the...

5th-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 2:10 p.m. ET. OTTINHO (Quality Road) is out of Quiet Giant (Giant's Causeway), who is famously known for producing one of the top sires of this age in Gun Runner (by Candy Ride {Arg}). The first-time starter and Three Chimneys homebred--sent to trainer Chad Brown--counts among his extended female family GISW Funtastic (More Than Ready) and MGSW Lull (War Front). A stablemate of Ottinho, Up Yonder (Curlin) heads to the post for owner Jeff Drown. The $500,000 Keeneland September grad is out of a winning...

Brian Spearman, who has served as the chairman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners since 2015, has decided to step away from his day-to-day role with the company at the end of this year, marking a decade of unprecedented success for the Eclipse stable and overall business during his tenure, the syndicate said in a press release late Friday. "Brian's business acumen, combined with his sheer passion for the Thoroughbred horse racing industry has played a vital role in Eclipse's rise within the public partnership space and our considerable success on the...

The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) hosted a regional breeders workshop at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, Nov. 12, to identify best practices and areas of growth for the industry, the organizations said in a joint press release on Friday. Racing executive Doug Reed presented on his work in Iowa and New Mexico featuring the feasibility of regional programs. Other panels focused on Maryland, New York, and Virginia, and the mare reimbursement practices in California, Indiana, Maryland, and Ontario. In addition, Corey Johnsen, a Thoroughbred breeder,...

Stud fees are unchanged for Ocala Stud's roster of seven stallions, which is led by second-crop sire Win Win Win (by Hat Trick {Jpn}) who will stand for $8,500 S&N, the farm said via a release on Friday. Filling out the list is Roadster (by Quality Road), who will stand for $7,500 S&N, Colonel Liam (by Liam's Map) for $6,500 S&N, and Khozan (by Distorted Humor)--Florida's leading general sire each year since 2020--for $6,000 S&N. Win Win Win, the leading second-crop sire in Florida this year with progeny earnings of...

The ninth installment in the 2025 OwnerView webinar series was held Nov. 12 and featured a veterinarian from Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital discussing foal conformation and possible corrections, the conference series said via a Thursday press release. Guest Dr. Ali Broyles, a surgeon at Rood & Riddle, covered how soon after birth a veterinarian or farm manager can assess a foal's conformation to helping a horse stay sound into the future. The event, hosted by The Jockey Club of America and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, was presented...

All race day test samples (post-race and TCO2) collected from contenders in the 2025 Breeders' Cup held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club have been cleared by the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) and purse distribution has begun accordingly, the organizer said in a press release on Friday. In 2025, the Breeders' Cup was run for a third year under the full jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity & Safety Authority (HISA), including the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, which took effect in May of 2023 and...

The oldest living GI Belmont Stakes winner, Touch Gold (Deputy Minister), has passed away at Old Friends Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky, according to a post on X from the retirement home late on Thursday. The message said, "We are devastated to share the passing of Touch Gold, the 1997 Belmont Stakes winner, who succumbed to the infirmities of old age at 31. Tough, intelligent, determined, and courageous, he embodied the very spirit of a champion on the track and in retirement." Touch Gold won six of 15 starts for $1,679,907...

While several tracks have experimented with lowering the takeout, none has gone as far as what Delta Downs has planned for two daytime cards, Nov. 25-26. On those days, the takeout will be 10% on all wagers, in all pools. Some tracks have slashed the takeout on certain wagers and Hawthorne offered an industry low takeout at its 2025 meet of 12% on all win wagers. But never before has a track lowered takeout on all pools or to anything near 10%. "Our Director of Racing Ops John Simon came...

Damon Thayer has retired from his job as the Senate Majority Floor Leader in the state of Kentucky, where he was one of horse racing's staunchest and most important allies. Thayer may no longer be walking the halls of the Capitol in Frankfort, but he is still working hard to help the sport he loves. He is now a senior advisor with Thoroughbred Racing Initiative (TRI), a group devoted to stopping decoupling efforts at Gulfstream Park and to see to it that racing in South Florida remains a vital part...

Kim Weir, the Director of Strategic Growth for Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga, received the first Nancy Kelly Volunteer Award for her extraordinary volunteer efforts with the New York Race Track Chaplaincy at a luncheon held Tuesday at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York, the chaplaincy said via a NYRA release on Wednesday. The award is named in honor of the late Nancy Kelly, a former president, vice president and longtime volunteer with the New York Chaplaincy. Kelly passed away in February 2024...

The Backside Learning Center (BLC), an independent organization providing support and resources for the diverse community of racetrack workers and their families at Churchill Downs and Kentucky racetracks will hold its annual fundraiser "Benefit for the Backside: A Day at the Races" on Friday, Nov. 21 at noon in the First Turn Club at Churchill, the non-profit said via a release on Wednesday. Both a live and silent auctions are planned with a range of different offerings. Sponsors for this year's benefit include: Rocket Ship Racing, Rigney Racing and FanDuel....