thoroughbreds

Siena Farm and WinStar Farm's GISW Mullikin (Violence) will train up and point to the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, according to trainer Rodolphe Brisset. The 4-year-old dark bay is 4-for-4 this year, including his biggest score to date last-out in the GI Forego Stakes at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 24. Since returning from upstate to Brisset's base at Keeneland, Mullikin had his first breeze back on Thursday morning, covering a half-mile in 49 flat. "He's doing very good. We are just going to go straight to the Breeders' Cup," said...

Jockey Keith Asmussen is set for his return to the saddle Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs following more than three months on the sidelines because of a fractured femur and broken ribs, the track said in a press release Thursday. The rider began getting back on horses in early August, and continued to regularly gallop and breeze horses for his father, Steve Asmussen. The native Texan is named aboard Payne (Paynter) in the third race on Saturday and Vittorio (Ghostzapper) in the ninth on Sunday. Asmussen's riding career began in...

According to a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas, Ron Paolucci, once among the winningest owners in the sport, has been sentenced to 52 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $38.9 million in restitution to the IRS. The story was first reported by the Blood-Horse. Paolucci, the 55-year-old co-founder of American Management Staffing (AMS), was charged by felony information in January 2023 and pleaded guilty a month later to conspiracy to defraud the United States and making and subscribing a false...

It's early, but maybe not too early to start dreaming of the GI Kentucky Derby. At least it's not for owner Richard Rigney. Rigney is the owner of 'TDN Rising Star' Jonathan's Way (Vekoma), the winner of last Saturday's GIII Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs, the first of many races that award Derby points to the top five finishers. Making his second career start after overcoming trouble to win a maiden at Saratoga, Jonathan's Way was an impressive winner, suggesting there could be bigger and better triumphs in his future....

To many, no doubt, her genetic contribution is by now too attenuated to merit attention. At the very least, however, it must be acknowledged an impressive coincidence that the winners of both the GIII Iroquois Stakes and GIII Pocahontas Stakes--whose shared value, as reconnaissance for the Classics over the same track next May, is recognized by allocation of the first starting points--should share as sixth dam the Darby Dan foundation mare Golden Trail. The Golden Trail dynasty entwines such productive lines as those branded by Memories of Silver, Sunshine Forever...

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) will be in attendance to present awards and promote horse care at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, Sept. 28, for the inaugural California Crown Day, the non-profit said in a release Wednesday. Following the running of the Unzip Me Stakes presented by the TAA, winning connections will be presented with a branded blanket and gift bag in the winner's circle, and a check presentation will be made from 1/ST to the aftercare organization. "This event spotlights the best of California racing, and collaborating with Thoroughbred Aftercare...

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse won 15 races out of 53 starts during the tough as nails Saratoga meet this season, which amounted to a 28% clip. One of those runners who got her picture taken was La Cara (Street Sense--Cara Caterina, by Bernardini). Off that performance, she rolled into Louisville for the GIII Pocahontas Stakes and won, which earned her 10 points on the path to next May's running of the GI Kentucky Oaks. In the first two starts of her career under the Twin Spires earlier this...

Trainer Mark Casse had won the GI Natalma Stakes no fewer than seven times dating back to Woodford Racing's Sprung (Grand Slam) back in 2006, but he had not succeeded since 2016, when Victory to Victory (Exchange Rate) carried the silks of Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Stud. The Hall of Famer had every chance to add to that total and snap the drought in Saturday's renewal, as he saddled six of the 11 juvenile fillies that went postward, and when all was said and done, the stable accounted for the...

1st-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 9-14, 2yo, 6f, 1:12.81, ft, 5 lengths. VEKOMA RIDES (c, 2, Vekoma--Happy Now, by Mr. Greeley), off at odds of 4-1 for his debut here, tracked a pair of pacesetters from the outside gate up the backstretch. Ready to pounce going three wide around the far turn, the chestnut throttled up, was full of run at the top of the lane and sailed home a winner by five lengths over fellow first time starter Alias (Into Mischief). A half-sister to current sire Ironicus (Distorted...

Horseman and known storyteller in Kentucky's horse racing community, Neil Huffman has died at the age of 87, according to a release from Churchill Downs on Friday. Huffman's deep love for horses and contributions to the Thoroughbred racing industry spanned more than 50 years, as he leaves behind a legacy of hard work and will be remembered for his warm personality. With an uncle who was a clocker at Churchill Downs, his early education in horse racing led him to co-manage the Skylight Training Center alongside his late brother, William...

I read with interest the TDN article about Jorge Duarte, which is the latest in a pattern of stories about trainers (George Weaver, Rusty Arnold, etc.) with positive tests that have seemingly come from contamination. Glen Hill Farm has been racing and breeding horses since 1967. We are an American-based operation but have been building in Europe and Australia for the last decade. Having served on many industry boards, I always understood the goal for medication reform was for American racing to first have uniformity between states and then hopefully...

In most barns, after winning a $500,000 handicap at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 1 the 7-year-old gelding Goliad (War Front) would have gone to the sidelines, the trainer not daring to run him back in less than six weeks or so. Not Goliad. Hall of Fame conditioner Richard Mandella brought him back in six days. With so much money available at Kentucky Downs, a number of trainers ignored conventional wisdom and gave their horses two starts at the seven-day meet. That meant layoffs of no more than 13 days, with...