thoroughbreds

The latest twist in the legal odyssey involving Phil Serpe and the agencies that regulate racing at the federal level was made public late on Tuesday, when the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued an order staying the issuance of a $25,000 fine that had been imposed against the veteran Thoroughbred trainer barely one day earlier by an administrative law judge (ALJ). That ALJ, Jay Himes, had been assigned by the FTC itself to adjudicate Serpe's FTC-level appeal of banned-substance charges. In addition to re-imposing the fine that the Horseracing Integrity...

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. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 09/16/2025 Licensee: Dale Romans, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final...

8th-Churchill Downs, $130,041, Alw (NW2X)/Opt. Clm ($125,000), 9-14, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.85, gd, 4 lengths. GUNS LOADED (c, 3, Gun Runner--Sky My Sky {GSP-Can, GSP-USA, $204,011}, by Bernardini) debuted at the Spa during his juvenile year and overcame a stumble at the start to finish as the runner-up. Shipping to Louisville in mid-November, the colt posted an 88 Beyer and broke his maiden by 2 3/4 lengths, which resulted in him earning a 'TDN Rising Star' badge. Guns Loaded was then seen winning the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park...

7th-Churchill Downs, $123,202, Alw, 9-12, (NW2L), 2yo, 6f, 1:10.37, ft, 5 1/4 lengths. GANAAS (c, 2, War Front--Shurakaa, by Tapit) rewarded his backers with a debut score by four lengths at Horseshoe Indy July 10. As a 7-1 shot here, the homebred raced between runners up the backstretch, but around the far turn the colt was ready to flash his speed. Ganaas pointed towards the wire, shifted into overdrive and then was steadily geared down as he cleared the condition by 5 1/4 lengths over Just Deeds (Liam's Map). The...

4th-BAQ, $85K, Msw, 2yo, 6fT, 2:37 p.m. ET. A $500,000 grad from the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling sale, FOURTH DIMENSION (Not This Time) makes his first start for Wathnan and trainer Bill Mott. Initially going for $200,000 during Keeneland January, the dark bay is out of Aureum (Medaglia d'Oro), who was a 220,000gns purchase at the 2021 Tattersalls July sale by Blandford Bloodstock. Aureum--who also produced current filly 3-year-old in-training Loveontheleftbank (Invincible Spirit {Ire})--is herself a half-sister to MGISP Nemoralia (More Than Ready), the dam of GII Lake Placid Stakes heroine...

Set to begin Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27 and run through Mar. 29, Gulfstream Park's 2025-2026 Championship Meet will offer a schedule with 68 stakes, 27 graded, worth $15.2 million in purses, 1/ST Racing said in a Thursday press release. The signature South Florida meet is highlighted by the $3 million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational and the $1 million GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Jan. 24, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. On closing weekend, the $1 million GI Curlin Florida Derby is scheduled for Mar. 28. The key...

The Jockey Club and The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) will host a state breeder organization workshop on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. ET in the Oaks Room at Churchill Downs to share current programs to help identify best practices and areas of growth, according to a press release from the club on Thursday morning. Topics include everything from an overview of national trends to perspectives from various breeder programs. For more information, please contact Jamie Haydon at jhaydon@jockeyclub.com or (859) 224-2750.

As a former professional jockey, I reached a point where I had to step away from the sport and change professions to prioritize my mental health. Because I know what it feels like to be in that position, I never want another jockey to feel they are without support or options. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month--a time to shine a light on mental health, share hope, and remind people that reaching out for help is a sign of strength. I've been working with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority...

Of course, my Dad introduced me to the Thoroughbred business. Both of my parents did. They met each other in the Thoroughbred business at Walmac where my Mom worked. I remember from my childhood, if only vaguely, running around Johnny Jones's offices, pretending to be a cowboy like he was. I dressed as Zorro for Halloween one of those years and couldn't wait to show off to Johnny! My Dad was working at Vinery or maybe Watercress at that time. I remember his red Toyota truck and I remember his...

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis, and Jill Williams LEXINGTON, KY -The only thing that could slow down the momentum of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale was a brief interruption in Wednesday's action when the fire alarms late in the day caused the evacuation of the pavilion. "We joked in the back ring the market was so hot, it set the fire alarms off," Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said with a chuckle after the dust had settled on another competitive day of bidding at the first of two...

The unique Kentucky Downs meet featured on its Wednesday closing day card the GIII Blackwood Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational Stakes, which was won in circuitous fashion by the late-running exploits of Fionn (Twirling Candy--Gaelic Gold, by Giant's Causeway). Never out of the money across seven prior starts, the filly christened her stakes run with a victory in the Allen Black Cat LaCombe Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds Mar. 8. Turning in a respectable third to the stellar Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GII Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland Apr. 8, the...

Chris Heyde is the founder of Blue Marble Strategy and is a Washington D.C. lobbyist who has dedicated his career to animal welfare issues. Along the way, he has had some important successes, including effectively ending horse slaughter in the U.S. But one main goal remains and has been elusive. Heyde has been fighting for passage of the Save America's Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, which would prohibit the slaughter of horses in the U.S. as well as ban the shipping of them to slaughterhouses in the Mexico and Canada. Heyde...