David O'Farrell

A filly by Jackie's Warrior (hip 570) broke through a parade of :9 4/5 works to claim the furlong bullet time of :9 3/5 during Wednesday's third session of the under-tack preview of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Consigned by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds, the dark bay filly is a daughter of graded winner Brazen Persuasion (Indian Charlie). "We love the pedigree, we love Indian Charlie mares, that means the world to us," Randy Hartley said. "When we saw her, we just loved her. She's the...

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...

The Jockey Club of America has released the list of mares in the 2026 Mare Incentive Program, which waives registration fees for certain 2027 foals of mares that meet the criteria, the organization said on Friday. The list of mares in the 2025 pilot program was searched more than 3,100 times and 228 mares were bred as part of the program. "We were pleased to see how many searches were performed and how many mares were brought back into production," said James L. Gagliano, president and COO, The Jockey Club....

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) has re-elected David O'Farrell as chairman of its board of trustees, along with new members serving three-year terms Jonathan Green, Walker Hancock, Dean Reeves and Adrian Wallace, the organization said via a press release on Wednesday. Re-elected to three-year terms were current trustees Billy Koch, Braxton Lynch, David O'Farrell and Francis Vanlangendonck. Following its annual members meeting, trustees met to elect officers for the association. Officers named for 2025-2026 are: David O'Farrell, chairman, Garrett O'Rourke, vice-chairman, Dan Metzger, president; Brant Laue, secretary; and...

The fifth installment of the 2025 OwnerView webinar series took place on July 1 focusing on the development of young horses with panelists Niall Brennan (Niall Brennan Stables), David O'Farrell (Ocala Stud), trainer Lindsay Schultz and retired pinhooker Eddie Woods. Gary Falter, the project manager for OwnerView, moderated a panel discussion. The conference is hosted by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and presented by Bessemer Trust, Keeneland, and Stoll Keenon Ogden. The panel was sponsored by OCD Pellets. According to O'Farrell, it's important to start...

OCALA, FL-- Just before the start of the Thursday session of the OBS April 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stood up at the OBS rostrum to tell the assembled crowd that "you can count on me as one that is not going to look favorably on legislation that is going to decimate any of our signature industries." The statement was in reference to the decoupling legislation pushed by The Stronach Group that is currently winding its way through the Florida House of Representatives and Senate. DeSantis stopped...

A Senate committee advanced Florida's controversial decoupling bill at a Tuesday hearing after amending the legislation so that the effective date for removing the live racing requirement for Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs to operate their respective casino and card room would be seven years instead of the five years that appears in the amended companion House bill. After absorbing more than two hours of testimony--almost all of it from Thoroughbred trainers, owners, breeders, sales company officials, veterinarians and other industry workers speaking out against the bill--Senator Jennifer Bradley...

Ocala Stud stallion Seeking the Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}--Seeking the Title, by Seeking the Gold), whose first-crop runners are 3-year-olds this year, died unexpectedly on Feb. 28, of complications from colic. Campaigned by Charles Fipke, the homebred won the 2017 GI Clark H., 2018 GIII Ack Ack S. and the 2019 GII Stephen Foster S. The Kentucky-bred won or placed in eight graded stakes, including runner-up finishes in the $1-million GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and the $9-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S., while hitting the board in 20-of-32...

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale marks a full decade as an open auction when it begins its three-day run Tuesday afternoon and, with a well-attended under-tack show last week followed by a busy weekend of showing, consignors are optimistic demand will be high for the first juvenile sale of the season. The sale, originally slated to begin at 11 a.m. Mar. 11, will now get going at 1 p.m. to allow horsemen more time in the wake of the consolidated under tack show....

Breeders and horsemen aiming to fight Florida's decoupling bills launched the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative (TRI) Tuesday, billed as "an industry collaboration created to fight for live horse racing in Florida and elsewhere in the United States," according to a release from the new organization. Thayer Communications & Consulting's Damon Thayer, a 22-year veteran of the Kentucky State Senate and Majority Floor Leader for 12 years, has been picked as senior adviser of the group. Decoupling has been an issue at the forefront of the sport for the past month, when...

It all started at the 2022 Kentucky Derby. Kelly Mahoney had the time of his life attending his very first horse race as he watched Rich Strike (Keen Ice) make one of the biggest upsets in Derby history. Afterwards, he called up his business partner Brad Kinsell and uttered that notorious phrase: 'I want to win the Kentucky Derby.' It took some convincing on Mahoney's part, as neither of them had any prior experience or involvement in horse racing, but eventually his friend acquiesced and Victoriam Farm was born. Now...

David O'Farrell, General Manager of Ocala Stud, has been appointed to Keeneland's Advisory Board of Directors, according to a release Thursday. "David brings a wealth of expertise and a deep-rooted commitment to the Thoroughbred industry," Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. "His leadership at Ocala Stud, coupled with his involvement in numerous industry organizations, makes him a valuable addition to the board and to Keeneland's continued success. We are grateful for David's service in advancing the sport we all love." O'Farrell, who serves as General Manager of his family's...