Christina Bossinakis

Fox Takes Home Pair of Media Eclipses; TDN Garners Two Honorable Mentions

FOX Sports led all entrants with two Media Eclipse wins--their first live television programming win ever--when the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form (DRF), and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) announced the winners of the 2025 Media Eclipse Awards in six categories on Jan. 8. Every entry must have been primarily published or aired for the first time between Nov. 16, 2024, and Nov. 14, 2025. Honorable mention in the multimedia category went to TDN's Katie Petrunyak for 'Breeders' Cup Breakthrough: For Kevin Attard, Moira's Win...

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Christina Bossinakis wins Bill Handleman Award
TDN's Christina Bossinakis Named 2025 Bill Handleman Award Winner

The TDN's Christina Bossinakis, senior editor for the Thoroughbred Daily News and a prominent TV racing personality, has been named the winner of the 2025 Bill Handleman Award for outstanding coverage of last year's NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes, Monmouth Park announced Tuesday. First presented in 2012, the Handleman Award honors distinguished media coverage of the GI NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes, Monmouth Park's showcase race. It is presented annually prior to the Haskell. The award honors the late Bill Handleman, one of New Jersey's top sportswriters for nearly three decades for...

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Writers' Room Devotes Entire Podcast to Wayne Lukas Tribute

Some of the most influential people in the life of Wayne Lukas-and some of the people for whom he was the most influential--took part in a special TDN Writers' Room podcast in order to pay tribute to `the Coach,' who passed away Saturday night at the age of 89. Lukas worked almost up until his last days in the sport which he revolutionized upon his arrival in the early 1980s. Before it was over, he would win 20 Breeders' Cups, 15 Triple Crown races, five Eclipse Awards as leading trainer,...

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TDN Writers' Room: A Tribute to D. Wayne Lukas

On this week's TDN Writers' Room, we pay tribute to D. Wayne Lukas. Friends and mentees, including Todd Pletcher, Bob Baffert, Kiaran McLaughlin and Gary Stevens, share their favorite memories and stories of 'The Coach.'

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'The Man'–D. Wayne Lukas–The Original

I can't really remember a time that D. Wayne Lukas wasn't in my life. Beginning with my teenage years, to say that I was a big fan of Wayne's is an epic understatement. As a student that liked to study at night it was highly likely I would take an afternoon siesta. So, I used to tell my mother "If ANYBODY calls, don't wake me. ONLY if it's the Queen of England or D. Wayne Lukas." My mother can corroborate this story. Even though I was a huge fan of...

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Monmouth Park Kicks Off 80th Season; John Heims Receives Virgil 'Buddy' Raines Award

Oceanport, NJ--Only a few years removed from what seemed like a death-knell for the New Jersey Thoroughbred industry, Monmout Park enthusiastically ushered in its 80th racing season with a full house during the Oceanport oval's press conference held in Turf Club dining room. Hosted by the TDN's Christina Bossinakis, the event was attended by a solid contingent of elected officials as well as local horsemen and women. Also included among the event's highlights, Monmouth General Manager John Heims, a long-time Monmouth executive, was honored with the 2025 Virgil 'Buddy' Raines...

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Graded Forecast Calls For Loaded Pegasus, Southwest Winds 'Point' To Oaklawn

The English polymath John Ruskin, who was always hard at work scribbling a well-timed observation for some future generation to co-opt, said when it came to the weather, "Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." Well, bully for you Mr. Ruskin! Send him a going stick and put him to work on the nearest turf course. Some might care to offer quite a different observation after recent events. What...

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The Most-Read TDN Stories of 2024

As the year winds down, now is a relatively quiet time for horse racing. But there was nothing quiet about 2024, another year when there was no shortage of bad news and plenty of controversy thanks to the nasty battle between pro and anti-HISA Forces. The TDN seeks to be fair in its news coverage and makes no attempt to accentuate the negative stories. The problem is that the numbers say the readers prefer to read the "bad stuff." What stories resonated most with TDN readers? Here are the top...

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Letter To The Editor: Hooked On The Coach's Kindness

In response to the TDN series 'How I Got Hooked on Horse Racing,' we received the following letter from a former Thoroughbred owner who offers his own anecdotes about Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. I really enjoyed Christina Bossinakis's professional profile in the Thoroughbred Dailey News today. Her history with D. Wayne Lukas hit a cord with me. I am a retired businessman, University of Wisconsin-Madison grad, and long-ago owner of a horse trained by D. Wayne Lukas. In 1986, I had a horse named Hurdy Gurdy Man that...

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How I Got Hooked On Racing: Christina Bossinakis

Without a doubt, I did not have the most conventional entry into horseracing. Growing up in Montreal, Canada, I was much more likely to have ventured into the world of harness racing rather than its Thoroughbred counterpart. Courtesy of Blue Bonnets (later re-named Hippodrome de Montreal), Montreal's racing landscape hadn't seen Thoroughbred racing since 1973, an era in which racetrack attendance in the province was at its zenith. One of three daughters of Greek immigrant parents, I simply did not have the access to horses or racing like many others...

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D. Wayne and Laurie Lukas Join 'Let's Talk'

The latest edition of "Let's Talk' features hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who is also joined by his wife, Laurie. Racing's power couple catch up with Christina and Gabby to talk about life, family, relationships and horses, including his latest star, GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Secret Oath.

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ERC Returns for Fourth Season

Officially kicking off its fourth season, the Empire Racing Club (ERC) will offer a reduced membership price of $400 through the official re-launch date of May 1. Membership dues for both new and returning members will be $475 beginning May 2, 2022. Membership is open to both licensed and unlicensed enthusiasts looking to enjoy the social and educational benefits of the Club. The ERC will once again be managed by famed race-caller Tom Durkin. Training the current roster of runners for the 2022 season are Hall of Famer Mark Casse;...

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