thoroughbreds

A trio of authors have been selected as finalists for the 19th annual Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award with the winner being selected on Thursday, Nov. 7 at Castleton Lyons near Lexington, Kentucky, the farm said in a Friday morning release. This year's finalists are: Isaac Murphy: The Rise and Fall of a Black Jockey by Katherine C. Mooney Lexington: The Extraordinary Life and Turbulent Times of America's Legendary Racehorse by Kim Wickens The Turcottes: The Remarkable Story of a Horse Racing Dynasty by Curtis Stock The winner will receive...

The new reality of Computer Assisted Wagering's escalating presence in racetrack's pools and the emergence of horse racing as a fixed-odds betting product on sportsbooks were the focus of Thursday's second day of the three-day National HBPA Conference at Prairie Meadows. Discussing fixed odds on horse racing as a new betting product has become a fixture at the National HBPA Conference, led by industry consultant Michele Fischer, who also is vice president of SIS Content Services, a subsidiary of the largest horse-racing content supplier to global bookmakers/sportsbooks. But this time...

The anniversary is right around the corner, a gruesome tragedy that nobody who was at Saratoga that day will ever forget. It was among the darkest days in the long history of racing upstate. But nobody had it worse than trainer Melanie Giddings, who, in a fraction of second, saw Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) go from the sure winner of the GI Test Stakes to a horse who broke down inches before the wire and could not be saved. Her business is doing fine. She has 42 horses and...

The 12th annual 'Riders Up!' jockey karaoke contest, benefitting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF), returns on Sunday, July 28 at Vapor Night Club in Saratoga Springs, the non-profit said in a Thursday press release. As in previous years, the Saratoga contest will be part of the Battle of East-vs-West with the Del Mar event being held on Aug. 11. Famed track announcer Tom Durkin returns as emcee, and this year's judges include Donna Brothers, Marisa Jacques, Mark Mulholland and Father Jim Sichko. Click here for more information.

Monmouth Park's $1,000 Haskell Handicapping Challenge on Saturday, July 20, saw another record field and finished with New Jersey's own Pete Rogers atop the leaderboard, according to a release on Thursday from the racetrack. Rogers's $6,095.50 bankroll was best of 323 total entries and landed the Summit, New Jersey-resident a first prize of a Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge seat and $21,000. In total, Saturday's Haskell contest awarded 10 BCBC seats, two seats to the National Horseplayers Championship and $50,000 in cash. Monmouth Park's next live-money handicapping contest is Saturday, Aug....

Retired MLB star and GI Belmont Stakes-winning co-owner Jayson Werth will be the luncheon keynote speaker at the Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga (RGCS), taking place from Aug. 12-14 at the Saratoga Hilton, the organizers said in a release on Thursday. "I am humbled to be welcomed into the racing community alongside experts passionate about addressing the challenges and opportunities in racing and gaming," said Werth. "It's an honor to share my own journey with such a remarkable group at the Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga." The RGCS...

Fasig-Tipton will offer a share consigned by Airdrie Stud in freshman sire Complexity (by Maclean's Music) as the first item in the Saratoga Sale's second session on Tuesday, Aug. 6, the auction house said in a release on Thursday morning. Complexity leads all first crop sires by winners, black-type winners, black-type horses, graded stakes winners and progeny earnings. He is also the current leading general sire of 2-year-olds. These include Mo Plex, winner of the GIII Sanford Stakes at Saratoga on opening weekend, as well as Mensa, winner of the...

Kentucky Downs plans to increase purses for nine of its 18 stakes by a total of $3.7 million from what was originally announced, pending regulatory approval, according to a press release from the track early on Thursday morning. Leading the way is the GIII Nashville Derby Invitational, bumped from $2.5 million to $3.1 million. That would make the 1 5/16-mile stakes North America's second-richest race, for Kentucky-breds, behind only the $5 million GI Kentucky Derby among races held at one track. The Nashville Derby already was America's richest turf race...

An $80-$90 million renovation to the existing grandstand at Churchill Downs Racetrack that will update ticketed seating is scheduled to begin in August with completion planned in time for the 151st GI Kentucky Derby in May 2025, the track said in a Wednesday release. The renovation of the Grandstand Club will transform existing outdoor aluminum bleachers into a combination of 8,300 new seating varieties. Updated options will include covered and uncovered stadium-style seats as well as rail boxes along the dirt track's outer rail that will offer a "trackside" seating...

The Horse Racing Women's Summit (HRWS) hosted their second event of the year with panels and networking opportunities taking place at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame on Tuesday, July 23 in Saratoga Springs, New York, the organization said in a Wednesday release. "To be clear, this is not an event where women get together to discuss female challenges," said Shona Rotondo, Chair of the HRWS Marketing & Communications Committee. "It's an event that brings together intelligent and successful industry professionals to discuss the challenges of our...

Canadian champion 2-year-old colt Truth of It All (Proud Truth) died peacefully from natural causes at age 34 on Wednesday, July 24 at Hurstland Farm in Midway, Kentucky, according to a press release from the farm. By Darby Dan stallion Proud Truth, Truth of It All was born at Hurstland to MGSW Cup of Honey (Raise a Cup) Feb. 26, 1990. Trained by Sheldon Wolfe, Truth of It All won the 1993 edition of the GIII Grey Stakes en route to taking home the Sovereign Award for the top juvenile...

Vladimir Cespedes, an owner, exercise rider and stable employee based at Parx Racing was found in possession of an electrical device and illegal human narcotics on Monday, July 23, during an integrity sweep of the barn area which was led by Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission (PSHRC) investigators who were in coordination with the racetrack and the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA), according to a stewards' ruling (24172PP) posted on the Commission's portal. That same day, Cespedes was summarily suspended by the stewards for a potential violation of 7 PA...