Aron Wellman

The 2025 GI Preakness Stakes winner Journalism (Curlin) will ship to Hot Springs for the Apr. 18 running of the GII Oaklawn Handicap where the colt could face reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty (Into Mischief), according to a Friday post on X by co-owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. The tweet read, "JOURNALISM turned in a strong 5-panel move at Santa Anita Park in 1:00 3/5 this a.m. and has been declared all set by Michael McCarthy to make his seasonal debut in next Saturday's GII $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap with...

Joel Cunningham has joined Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners as vice president of communications, bringing more than two decades of experience in marketing, brand strategy and communications within the Thoroughbred industry, the syndicate said in a press release on Thursday. "Joel brings a unique combination of strategic vision, creative leadership, and deep industry understanding," said President and Founder of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners Aron Wellman. "His experience building and leading high-level communications and brand strategy will be invaluable to the team and our partners. We're excited to welcome him." Cunningham spent the last...

We've gotten ourselves into a pickle--and we're heading for a far bigger one, if the possibility of discussion is taken off the table. The trouble with most altercations and misunderstandings is a lack of knowledge and communication at the onset. What we're currently witnessing between Mike Repole, Louis Masry, Aron Wellman, and the The Jockey Club isn't just an altercation. It's a clash of cultures: the old traditional "club" model that has governed racing, versus the modern, results-driven mindset of 21st-century investors. Historically, the sport has been shaped by a...

At the OBS March Sale, trainer Michael McCarthy confirmed that his prize pupil Journalism (Curlin) continues to work well out in California as the colt prepares for his 4-year-old debut. "He's training great," McCarthy told TDN. "I don't see a whole lot of difference in him this spring compared to last. He's holding his weight well. Obviously, he's put some on since having a little bit of a break. He's training forwardly." McCarthy said that Journalism has drilled two good half-mile works at Santa Anita Park. "We're going to work...

It is, of course, a good thing, that the subjects of aftercare and slaughter are being so widely debated, with influential owners like Mike Repole and Aron Wellman all but demanding that the industry come together and solve the problem. Just last week, Pat Cummings, who has been working side-by-side with Repole on the issue, penned a letter to the TDN in which he revealed what he called "20 concise findings, with a funding model projection" that he and Repole have put together. Good for Cummings. Good for Repole. Owner...

In the age of social media, I realize that I'm writing this at my own peril. And I'm probably once again spitting in the wind. However, I feel like someone needs to speak up on a few things concerning our latest self-inflicted crisis regarding our lack of unity and dysfunction as an industry. To say that as an industry we continue to be "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight" is an understatement. We have been that way for the 40-plus years I've been involved in horse racing. Hence, the reason...

Last year's GI Preakness S., GI Santa Anita Derby and GI NYRA Bets Haskell S. winner Journalism (Curlin), back in training with Michael McCarthy at Santa Anita since mid-January, is nearing a return to the worktab. Campaigned in partnership by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, breeder Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables Five, and the Coolmore partners, the $825,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling concluded his brilliant sophomore season with a fourth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Nov. 1. "Journalism has been back with Michael McCarthy...

Like any responsible stakeholder in the Thoroughbred racing industry, I have followed with keen interest Mike Repole's now 2 1/2-year crusade to reform, disrupt, rejuvenate and revitalize horse racing, breeding and aftercare. Mike's mission surely predates that timeline, but it was in October 2023 that he formalized his intentions with the formation of the National Thoroughbred Alliance and the appointment of Pat Cummings as Executive Director. I am not privy to any private meetings or correspondence between Mike and Pat and the industry's power brokers. What we all do have...

A daughter of Gun Runner won Sunday's Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita going one mile on the dirt, but it wasn't the one everyone expected. Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners maiden winner Meaning (f, 3, Gun Runner--Figure of Speech, by Into Mischief), fourth behind Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly Super Corredora (Gun Runner) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, bested not only Super Corredora, but also GII Oak Leaf Stakes winner and Juvenile Fillies runner-up Explora (Blame), the lone 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' in the field,...

Edited Press Release Leadership representing Florida's five principal Thoroughbred industry organizations gathered in Ocala recently for a collaborative summit with the goal of uniting the Thoroughbred industry to help preserve and promote our Florida racing and breeding legacy by providing a clear and concise message to our elected officials at the local, state and national level to support our interests. The organizations represented included leadership from the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (FHBPA), Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA), Ocala Breeders' Sales Company (OBS), Tampa Bay Downs Horsemen's...

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...

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...