David O'Farrell

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...

The Jockey Club has elected new stewards and members to its rolls, the organization said in a release on Thursday morning. The new stewards are Gary Fenton, David O'Farrell, Everrett R. Dobson and Vincent Viola. William S. Farish Jr. (vice chair) was re-elected. The remaining stewards are Stuart S. Janney III (chair), Ian D. Highet (treasurer), William M. Lear (secretary), Barbara Banke, Louis A. Cella, Terry Finley and R. Alex Rankin. The new members who were added include, Joseph Appelbaum, John Ballantyne Ph.D., Rick Gold, Marshall Gramm Ph.D., M.V. Magnier,...

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association elected David O'Farrell as chairman and new Board of Trustees members who will be serving three-year terms are Jake Ballis, Ben Bernhard, Tina Marie Bond and Brook Smith, the organization said in a release Wednesday. Also, re-elected to three-year terms were current trustees Carrie Brogden and Tim Cohen. Following its annual members meeting, the TOBA Board of Trustees met to elect officers for the association.  Officers named for 2024-2025 are: O'Farrell, chairman, Everett Dobson, vice-chairman, Dan Metzger, president; Doug Cauthen, secretary; and Garrett O'Rourke,...

Nineteen individuals have been elected Breeders' Cup Members by 2023 Breeders' Cup foal and stallion nominators in voting that concluded Monday evening. Each Member will serve a four-year term. The following individuals, listed alphabetically, received the most votes from the Breeders' Cup nominators to fill 19 Member seats: Conrad Bandoroff, Maria Niarchos-Gouaze, Barbara Banke, David O'Farrell, Boyd Browning, Bernie Sams, Doug Cauthen, Alex Solis II, Matt Dorman, Edward (Ned) Toffey, Craig Fravel, Elliott Walden, Eric Gustavson, Barry Weisbord, Bret Jones, Aron Wellman, Gray Lyster, Jacob West, and Clem Murphy. The...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL - With a $1-million Authentic colt early in the session and a $1.8-million Win Win Win filly late in the day, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds matched its 2023 number of five seven-figure juveniles and the auction concluded its three-day run Thursday with another strong renewal. "Overall, it was a terrific sale and we are looking forward to April," said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. Through three sessions, 446 horses sold for $66,437,600. The average of $148,963...

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, the first of the spring's juvenile auctions, kicks off Tuesday with bidding on the first of 853 catalogued lots beginning at 11 a.m. The OBS March sale, which transitioned from a select to an open sale in 2015, was held over three days for the first time since 2014 in 2023 and again returns in that expanded format in 2024 after a power-packed renewal a year ago. "I was really impressed by the number of people who were here watching...