thoroughbreds

A Florida-based veterinarian has found herself in the crosshairs of a state law barring her from obtaining a license issued by the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) having already been employed by the agency within the prior two-year period--a rule that has some industry stakeholders scratching their heads at a time when many jurisdictions are already struggling to find enough regulatory and practicing veterinarians, including in Florida. "I have no job right now because I came down here to take that job and moved over to Tampa," said veterinarian Christine...

MSW Determined Kingdom (Animal Kingdom) captured the title of Virginia-bred Horse of the Year and will be recognized--along with other 2024 award winners--during Virginia Derby Day festivities at Colonial Downs Mar. 15, the track said in a Thursday press release. A series of award presentations will take place between various races from the paddock infield that day and broadcast over the simulcast feed. Determined Kingdom's year was marked with his third straight win in the Punch Line Stakes at Colonial last July. The 6-year-old was also rewarded as the Virginia-bred...

It now appears as if only two of the five tracks that ran summer fairs meets in Northern California in 2024 are willing to consider giving racing a go in 2025, exacerbating the racetrack fallout in that region that started when The Stronach Group ceased operations at Golden Gate Fields, the region's lone commercial track, last June. "Ferndale has expressed interest," Oscar Gonzales, the vice chair of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), said at Thursday's monthly board meeting. "They're trying to bring together the different components. Fresno, their fair...

Bidding is now open for the Fasig-Tipton February Digital Sale, which includes among its 240 offerings a 'no guarantee' season to sire Street Sense with a portion of the proceeds going to recent Special Eclipse Award winner Stable Recovery, the auction company said via a release Thursday. The online sale will close Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 2:00 p.m. ET. The catalogue offers horses of racing age, breeding stock--including mares with foals at foot, 2-year-olds in training, yearlings, a stallion prospect, and a no guarantee stallion season. "We are heating things...

By international sire of sires More Than Ready, the 2024 GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile winner More Than Looks will shuttle to Australia from Lane's End in 2025, commencing stud duties at Yulong in Mangalore, Victoria for the Southern Hemisphere season. Bred by Hinkle Farms and campaigned by Victory Racing Partners, the Cherie DeVaux trainee collected several stakes wins including at three the GIII Manila Stakes at Belmont Park and the Jefferson Cup Stakes at Churchill Downs. Last year, More Than Looks was the runner-up in the GI Fourstardave Handicap...

For the first time in the United States since data has been recorded, the racing-related fatality rate at racetracks subject to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) rules fell below 1.00 per 1,000 starts for a calendar year, the regulator said in a press release on Thursday morning. In 2024, 99.91% of starts did not result in a fatality. From January 1 through December 31, 2024, 47 racetracks across 19 states operating under HISA's rules recorded an aggregate racing-related fatality rate of 0.90 per 1,000 starts, an approximate 27%...

Heavily favored Scipio sailed home a much-the-best winner of the Baffle Stakes at Santa Anita. The dark bay colt, twice graded-placed while still a maiden, earned his first career victory going one mile over the Santa Anita turf last time out and was the 4-5 favorite to make it two in a row while making his first start down the hill Sunday. He raced near the back of a compact field and was buried behind a wall of horses approaching the stretch. Tipped to the center of course at the...

Getaway Car just got his nose in front to nip Caldera on the line in a dramatic finish to the Sunland Park Derby. Already a graded stakes winner and Grade I stakes-placed, Getaway Car was sent off the 6-5 favorite in his sophomore debut Sunday. He went right to the lead and was unchallenged while setting fractions of :23.31 and :46.93. Caldera, who had raced in midpack down the backstretch, rushed up four wide as the favorite attempted to skip away on the far turn. The gray stuck his head...

In the lone GI Kentucky Oaks points race on Sunday, Runnin N Gunnin (Gun Runner) deposited into her account the top prize of 20 points as she took home the Sunland Park Oaks. Breaking out of the maiden special weight ranks at third asking when the filly owned by Valor Farm's Douglas Scharbauer won by a head at Horseshoe Indy at the end of October, Runnin N Gunnin was well-beaten against optional claimers at Churchill Downs a month later. In her prep for this spot, the Keeneland September grad cleared...

Despite a state auditor's report last summer which found major discrepancies with Texas Racing Commission record-keeping practices, during a scheduled meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 12, the horse racing regulator voted 5-1 to temporarily allow the state breed registries to access their portion of the Horse Industry Escrow Account (HIEA) to channel money to purses. For Thoroughbreds, that means that requests by organizations like the Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) will be able to contribute to the current Sam Houston Race Park meeting's purse structure. However, the commission has not sanctioned the...

6th-Santa Anita, $60,500, Msw, 2-14, 3yo, 1m, 1:37.84, ft, 4 3/4 lengths. BAEZA (c, 3, McKinzie--Puca {SW & GSP, $299,406}, by Big Brown) debuted over the grass at Del Mar Dec. 1 and finished a well-beaten ninth. Switching to the main track at Santa Anita Jan. 4, the pricey Keeneland September buy was the runner-up behind 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic). Backed at the windows as the 2-1 second choice here, the bay came running out of the blocks to shadow a longshot into the first turn. The 3-year-old waited...

4th-FG, $55K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 2:30 p.m. ET. A $1.15 million buy for Mike Rutherford during Keeneland September, BUNDLE (Volatile) makes her debut for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Bred by Three Chimneys, the gray is out of MGISW Love and Pride (A.P. Indy), who is responsible for a pair of stakes winners in Princesinha Julia (Pioneerof the Nile) and Bella Runner (Gun Runner). Bundle's third dam, GISW Cara Rafaela (Quiet American), produced generational sire Bernardini (A.P. Indy). TJCIS PPS 4th-GP, $94K, Msw, 3yo, 1m, 1:47 p.m. ET....