Jockey Club of America

The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) hosted a regional breeders workshop at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, Nov. 12, to identify best practices and areas of growth for the industry, the organizations said in a joint press release on Friday. Racing executive Doug Reed presented on his work in Iowa and New Mexico featuring the feasibility of regional programs. Other panels focused on Maryland, New York, and Virginia, and the mare reimbursement practices in California, Indiana, Maryland, and Ontario. In addition, Corey Johnsen, a Thoroughbred breeder,...

For some who breed and race Thoroughbreds, the decreasing foal crop is regarded as a bellwether for a business in decline. Yet, a clear-eyed look that goes beyond numbers--and the efforts to turn them around--offers an important reminder: North American Thoroughbred breeding and racing still has real strengths. But to ensure its future we need strategic, collective action to strengthen the sport and keep it vibrant for generations to come. Industry collaboration is the only path to revitalizing Thoroughbred production.   Understanding the Foal Crop Decline In 1950, arguably the...

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...

Lexington, KY--The final day of the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) Training Conference at Keeneland escalated the focus on enforcement and how investigators can broaden their expertise. Though participants regularly receive training at home, the ORI sessions offer equine knowledge that is highly specialized which can be taken back to their own jurisdictions and applied. Mike Singletary, vice president of security for the Maryland Jockey Club, said when his team walks the shedrow at Pimlico or Laurel being cognizant of your surroundings takes time and effort to hone. "Information is...

Dr. Alan Ruggles--a partner at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital who specializes in orthopedic surgery and lameness--made a presentation on condylar fractures, a common injury in racehorses, during the final installment of the 2024 OwnerView webinar series which was held Dec. 10, the resource said in a press release on Friday morning. With a PowerPoint presentation, Dr. Ruggles covered how the injury occurs and its treatment through surgery. He also discussed bone bruising and the advantages of different diagnostic tools. The presentation was followed by a video showing the specialist...

OwnerView named Resolute's John Stewart and former MLB star Jayson Werth as the co-winners of the 2024 New Owner of the Year Award, sponsored by 1/ST RACING, the Jockey Club of America said via a press release on Wednesday morning. A lifelong racing fan, Stewart bought his first horse at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. From his farm in Midway, Kentucky, the owner of Resolute Racing focuses on breeding to race instead of to sell. "It's very important as I grow the breeding program at Resolute Racing to breed...

The ninth installment in the 2024 OwnerView webinar series was held on Nov. 5 and discussion covered the various ways state incentive programs approach supporting the equine industry, especially when it comes to a declining foal crop, according to a Friday Jockey Club press release. The panel consisted of Cricket Goodall, executive director of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association Inc., the Maryland Million Ltd., and the Maryland Horse Foundation; Roger Heitzmann, secretary and executive director of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association; Steve Koch, the associate vice president of operations for...

The Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) recognized the top Thoroughbreds at the 2024 Dutta Corp United States Eventing Association's (USEA) Young Event Horse (YEH) East Coast Championships, held Oct. 17-18, 2024, in Elkton, Maryland, at Fair Hill, the Jockey Club of America said in a Thursday press release. Emily Bradford won the 5-year-old championship title riding her Thoroughbred mare Rose Traveler (registered as Rossie'slastdance), securing a victory over 41 other 5-year-old horses of all breeds. The pair were also awarded the T.I.P. high point Thoroughbred award. Rossie'slastdance, who was unraced, is...

At 76 and with none of his children particularly interested in racing, Stuart Janney, III had to make some decisions about the future of his racing and breeding operations. He didn't want to get out of the sport entirely and he also didn't want to breed mares whose foals won't get to the races for years. So he has decided to disperse his band at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. There, he will sell 13 broodmares and two broodmare prospects. Among others, they are in foal to Good Magic,...

Juddmonte General Manager Garrett O'Rourke joined an OwnerView panel Sept. 3, which included Peter Bradley of Bradley Thoroughbreds and Medallion Racing Manager Phillip Shelton, to discuss the international racing market, the online conference said in a Friday release by the Jockey Club of America who co-hosts the series. During the event O'Rourke was asked about Juddmonte's process when it comes to where they race their horses and how they decide to keep certain stock either abroad or in the U.S. "It used to be, years ago, sometimes when Lasix was...

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 Jockey Club will rebrand its wholly-owned commercial subsidiaries--The Jockey Club Information Systems, The Jockey Club Technology Services, and InCompass Solutions Inc.--under a single commercial brand called TJC Innovations, according to a late afternoon Wednesday press release from the organization. "To more efficiently meet the evolving demands of customers looking for comprehensive datasets and solutions that span the entire breadth of our businesses from breeding to racing to sales to retirement, TJC Innovations can service the customer with one call," said James L. Gagliano, president and COO of The Jockey...