Najja Thompson

Beginning in January 2027, the prize money on offer for all New York-bred overnight races on the New York Racing Association (NYRA) circuit will equal that which is available to their open-company counterparts, officials at NYRA said on Monday. As was announced in 2023, beginning in January 2026, all New York-bred overnight races for 2-year-olds will offer equal purse money. In 2024, NYRA staged 548 races restricted to New York-breds for total purses of $42,817,000, and the new program is expected to raise New York-bred overnight purses by 15% versus...

The New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) will hold its annual stallion season auction from Friday, Jan. 3 through Tuesday, Jan. 7. The event will be hosted online at Thoroughlybred.com. The auction has routinely attracted donated seasons from farms in the Empire State and Kentucky, including McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, Sequel New York, Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions, Rockridge Stud, Spendthrift Farm, Darley America, Darby Dan Farm and additional farms. The annual auction raises funds that allow the NYTB to carry on its two-fold mission of promoting New York breeding...

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...

A contractual impasse between NYRA and TVG/FanDuel will result in the elimination of all NYRA content from TVG/FanDuel wagering platforms effective immediately, the New York Racing Association, Inc., NYRA announced Thursday morning..As a result, pari-mutuel wagering and live video from the ongoing Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet are not currently available on TVG/FanDuel. "In its role as a not-for-profit corporation franchised by New York State, NYRA's mission is to conduct world-class racing for the benefit of the state's economy while growing the sport and creating opportunities for horsemen...

Selected from a pool of almost 200 applicants, the Next Generation Advisory Group will consist of 16 new members who represent a broad range of views and experiences across the American horse racing community, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) announced Monday. The group will start in April and will convene monthly to provide feedback on the implementation and evolution of HISA's various regulations, including racetrack safety and anti-doping and medication regulations. Among this group of 16 are horsemen, veterinarians, jockeys, horseplayers, representatives from horsemen's groups, racing offices and...

New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) named their nominees for the Empire State's divisional champions of 2023, the organization said in a Friday morning release. A panel of New York turf writers, broadcasters, handicappers, racing analysts and photographers will vote on each division and for the New York-bred Horse of the Year. The winners will be announced at the NYTB Awards Dinner sponsored by the New York Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund on Monday, May 13 from 6-9 p.m. ET. at Sacred Saratoga on the property of GMP Farm in...

New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) will conduct its annual Stallion Season Auction from Tuesday, Feb. 6 to Thursday, Feb. 8 on Wanamakers.com. The annual auction raises funds that allow the NYTB to carry on its two-fold mission of promoting New York breeding and racing and protecting the welfare of industry stakeholders. The auction has routinely attracted donated seasons from farms in the Empire State and Kentucky, including McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, Sequel New York, Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions, Rockridge Stud, Lane's End, Darley America, Darby Dan Farm...

A panel discussion titled "From Data to Dollars: Understanding Horse Racing's Economic Impact As Racing's Future is Questioned" during Wednesday's Global Symposium on Racing hosted by the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) led off with moderator Alan Foreman confronting "the elephant in the room that we dodge." Foreman, the chairman and chief executive officer of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, said racing is facing an "existential moment" at a time when industry stakeholders increasingly must make the case for the sport's so-called social license to exist in the...

Trainer Jena Antonucci, who orchestrated the 2023 campaign of GI Belmont S. and GI Travers S. winner Arcangelo (Arrogate), will be presented with the Big Sport of Turfdom award by the Turf Publicists of America (TPA). The award, which recognizes a person or group of people who enhances coverage of Thoroughbred racing through cooperation with media and racing publicists, will be given to Antonucci at the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program's annual awards luncheon in Tucson Dec. 5. Born in Hollywood, Florida, Antonucci, 47, was introduced to the...

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2026, New York-bred overnight races for 2-year-olds on the NYRA circuit will offer purse amounts matching the race's open-company counterpart, which will directly benefit the state's 2024 foal crop and pave the way to compete for some of the richest purses of any state-bred program in the nation, the association said in a release Wednesday. At the 2023 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, maiden races restricted to New York-bred 2-year-olds featured a purse of $88,000 compared to a purse of $105,000 offered for 2-year-olds competing...

The 57th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, focused this year on safeguarding equine welfare and exploring shifts in societal expectations and the sport's response around the world, took place on Oct. 2 at Saint-Cloud racetrack in Paris. Organised by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), the day-long conference emphasized horse racing in a changing society, safeguarding equine welfare and explore shifts in societal expectations and the racing industry's response around the world. "Today we continued what has been a chief mission throughout the life of the Federation: equine welfare,"...

New York-breds racing in open company at Saratoga this summer will be competing for increased purses, the New York Racing Association announced Thursday. "NYRA is committed to supporting and enhancing the New York-bred program now and in the future," said Frank Gabriel, NYRA SVP of Racing Operations. "These purse increases reflect the sustained growth of the New York-bred marketplace, while also rewarding owners already invested in the program." The purse for registered New York-breds running in select open-company races will be 30% higher than the purse offered for non-New York-breds....