Bobcat Fire

The world-renowned Keeneland September Sale has been a long time coming this year. With the coronavirus pandemic canceling and postponing much of the sales season, all eyes are on Lexington this week as Keeneland hosts its first live in-person auction since COVID-19 first hit American shores. Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland Wednesday as the Green Group Guest of the Week to discuss the obstacles faced by the company in conducting the sale and his early impressions of the trading. "We've...

Minutes before the start of Book 2 of the annual Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell joins the TDN Writers' Room to recap Book 1 and discuss expectations for the remainder of the sale.

Santa Anita management sent a text to trainers Tuesday morning advising them that workouts would be canceled because of the air quality. "The AQI is at 159 this morning. We are going to cancel workouts and only allow gallopers and joggers," the text said. In conjunction with Dr. Rick Arthur, the Equine Medical Director at UC Davis, where he is assigned full time to the California Horse Racing Board, the Stronach Group has a policy that any air quality index about 150 could be unhealthy for horses, and that exercise...

The opening day of Santa Anita's Autumn season will be pushed back a week until Friday, Sept. 25 due to the impact of the Bobcat Fire on the air quality and surrounding community. "Our local community has been deeply impacted by the Bobcat Fire burning for more than a week in the mountains behind us," said Aidan Butler, Executive Director of California Operations for The Stronach Group. "The current weather pattern has kept the smoke in the valley and the air quality is quite poor right now. The Red Cross...