Todd Gralla

The topic of the diminishing North American Thoroughbred foal crop (estimated 17,000 for 2026) came up several times during last week's Global Symposium on Racing hosted by the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program in Tucson. This is often referred to as our industry's "horse shortage" problem. I try to avoid that term in my reporting unless I am directly quoting someone who says it. Instead, the sport has long been dealing with an "owner shortage." Breeders stand ready and willing to start producing more racehorses if only more...

As it has in virtually every conversation that involves horse racing over the past year, safety played a central role at the 72nd annual Jockey Club Round Table Conference in Saratoga Springs, New York Thursday.   California: Safety and Collaboration In two presentations focusing on California, Gary Fenton, Chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners of California and a managing partner of Little Red Feather Racing, spoke from a TVG set in the Del Mar paddock about the importance of California racing to the overall racing ecosystem, while Dionne Benson, the Chief...

Todd Gralla, principal at Populous, will be the keynote speaker at the 72nd annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing, which will be held Aug. 1 at the Excelsior Springs Event Center in Saratoga Springs. Populous is a global design firm that focuses on sports and entertainment, from stadiums and arenas to event spaces and urban environments. Gralla will discuss cutting-edge racetrack projects around the globe and he will provide a look into the redesign of Belmont Park, which attempts to integrate modern technology into racetrack operations, while...