Carla Gaines

Just over 20 minutes had passed when Darren Filkins dislodged the irritant in his craw concerning the future of Harris Farms without its eponymous captain, John, who passed this July. "People were talking dispersal," said Filkins, about Fasig-Tipton's recent digital sale of around 90 Harris homebreds. "I even corrected people yesterday. 'Oh, I heard you're shutting down Harris farms.' 'Nope.' I don't know where they heard it. We're not shutting down Harris Farms. We're committed to being in this." Sitting at a table in Del Mar's backstretch cafeteria and presiding...

John C. Harris, one of California's most respected leaders in agriculture and Thoroughbred breeding, has passed away peacefully at the age of 81. Born July 14, 1943, Harris was a lifelong resident of Fresno County. He attended local elementary and high schools before earning his degree from UC Davis. He proudly served his country in the United States Army. Harris was a passionate farmer, rancher, and businessman who dedicated his life to stewarding the land and advancing California agriculture. As the driving force behind Harris Farms, one of the state's...

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. Among this week's rulings, following a Nov. 22 hearing an independent arbitrator issued trainer Mike Puype a three-month and 17-day suspension (time served) along with a $1,000 fine after two bottles of Isoxsuprine tablets and two containers of Levothyroxine (ThyroL) powder were found in his barn during a routine search on April 24. The Isoxuprine tablets expired in 2012 and 2013, while the Levothyroxine powders expired in 2016...

Under the toughest of spotlights, the industry's collective eyes often turn to the stuff under foot. At least, that's what trainer Mark Casse did in a widely-shared TDN Q&A. "I think we really, seriously, need to look at more synthetic tracks," Casse said, triggering yet another cavalcade of commentary on the conceived benefits and blights of synthetic surfaces. "I believe in them. I believe they've got plenty of data to back that up." Former TDN writer Lucas Marquardt followed it up with an analysis of race-day fatality data through The...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. The TDN also posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from the same week. These include decisions from around the country. California Track: Los Alamitos Date: 09/15/2023 Licensee: Kent Desormeaux, jockey Penalty: Three-day suspension Violation:...

With Hurricane Hilary approaching from the south over the next 24-48 hours, officials at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club announced early Saturday morning that the live racing program scheduled for Sunday would be canceled. "For the safety of everyone involved--our horses, our riders and all the workers, staff and fans--we have made the decision to cancel Sunday's races," DMTC President and COO Josh Rubinstein said Saturday morning. "Unfortunately, the forecast calls for substantial rain and winds that appear to be headed our way. We are hopeful this will only be...

by Dan Ross & Jessica Martini ARCADIA, CA - The Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale returned from its year-long hiatus with a steady, if slimmed down version, Wednesday in Arcadia. A filly by Tiznow brought the auction's top price when selling to Spendthrift Farm for $250,000. The filly was one of eight to sell for six figures during the one-session auction. "I think we saw today that there is a viable marketplace," said Fasig-Tipton's President Boyd Browning, Jr. "There were plenty of buyers in attendance at the sale...