Jake Ballis

George Weaver has trained his share of talented fillies and mares, but few have shined quite like the two stable stars preparing to leave his shedrow. Grade I winners Dorth Vader (Girvin) and Sacred Wish (Not This Time) have been fixtures in the Weaver barn for several years, announcing their talent early and steadily building resumes worthy of millionaire status. Sacred Wish made her final start with Weaver at Kentucky Downs this summer, while Dorth Vader will have one last dance for her connections at the Breeders' Cup before both...

Under normal circumstances, Reagan Swinbank would have been at Saratoga July 10 to watch his filly Cy Fair (Not This Time) debut in a Saratoga maiden turf sprint. Swinbank had been receiving nothing but good reports from trainer George Weaver, and those reports proved to be accurate. Cy Fair won the race by 3 1/4 lengths, enough to be named a 'TDN Rising Star.' But Swinbank couldn't be there as his week was largely taken up by attending funerals. They were for the 27 campers and counselors who were killed...

Tournament newcomer Madison Mattmiller bested a field of 77 entries to capture the 2025 Belmont Stakes Challenge, which was contested from Friday, June 6 through Saturday, June 7 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course. Mattmiller, a 34-year-old bloodstock agent from Lexington, Ky. who works with Black Type Thoroughbreds, took home $57,750 from the prize pool awarded to the top-four finishers plus her $66,171.30 bankroll earned over the course of the tournament. In victory, Mattmiller also secured a seat at the 2025 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge from...

Jake Ballis didn't know quite what to expect when he sent Crimson Advocate (Nyquist) to the 2023 Royal Ascot meet, where she won the GII Queen Mary Stakes. He says now it was one of the most exciting days of his life, and he has vowed to get back there every day since. Ballis, who heads the Black Type Racing partnership, couldn't find a runner in 2024 that he thought could win at one of the most competitive meets in the world. But he never stopped looking. "It was probably...

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,...

As 2023 draws to a close, the TDN is asking industry members to name their favorite moment of the year. Send yours to suefinley@thetdn.com Crimson Advocate winning the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot in a photo finish. It was a huge moment and accomplishment for my young syndicate.

The momentum carried through into Tuesday's closing session of Book 4 of the Keeneland September Sale in Lexington with a filly by sophomore sire Connect drawing a $450,000 final bid from Maddie Mattmiller, acting as agent for Black Type Thoroughbreds. Tuesday's session grossed $21,182,500, up slightly from the corresponding session in 2021 when 312 horses sold for $20,549,000. The average for the day was $71,805, up 9.02% from 2021, while median increased 22.22% to $55,000. The final day of Book 4 saw a total of 295 horses sold, while 1,851...

Black Type Thoroughbreds and R.A. Hill Stable's Up in Smoke (The Big Beast) streaked to her third straight victory at Gulfstream Park Sunday and, while her late-running theatrics may cause anxious moments for her connections, if her powerful late kicks keep propelling her to victory, it's all ok with bloodstock agent Jake Ballis. "It's hard to watch because you can't see her for the entire race until they turn for home," said Ballis, who purchased the filly at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale. "But the replay is a lot...