thoroughbreds

A longtime figure in Pennsylvania within official horse racing circles, Salvatore DeBunda passed away on July 9, aged 83. DeBunda was past president of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association at Parx Racing, and was a member of the state Horse Racing Commission up until his death. As an owner, DeBunda raced under the Dun Roamin Farm Inc moniker. As an attorney, he was co-managing partner at law firm Archer & Greiner. According to an online obituary, DeBunda is survived by his children, Lauren (Neil) Shank and David, his three grandchildren:...

The Jockey Club's annual Round Table Conference, which will be held at the Saratoga Springs City Center on Thursday, Aug. 6, will feature new racing league chief Greg Maffei, according to a press release from the organization on Tuesday. Maffei is a veteran sports executive who helped transform F1 into a global entertainment powerhouse during his tenure as president and CEO of Liberty Media. He currently serves as executive chair of QVC Group, chair of SiriusXM and MediaKind, and a director of Zillow. Everett R. Dobson, chair of The Jockey...

OCEANPORT, NJ--Only two months removed from a victory in the GI Preakness Stakes, Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map) returns to the races in Saturday's GI NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park. Although some might assume the grey would be favored heading into Monmouth's midsummer test for sophomores, they should think again. At Tuesday's Haskell press conference luncheon at the Oceanport oval, the dual Grade I winner was installed the 5-2 second choice on the morning line behind Further Ado (Gun Runner), who was granted 2-1 favoritism in advance of the...

"There's no such thing as a mistake." He doesn't mean it literally, of course. Evan Sandhu knows perfectly well how horses can make us repent of words and deeds. But he also understands that the greater your ambition, the more essential humility becomes. At Keeneland last November, Sandhu bought a mare named Sing Me Home (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}), carrying what proved to be a filly by Yaupon, for just $25,000. But both had already been sold on by the time the mare's 2-year-old by Justify, Nola Soul, won the Chesham...

All the pretty filly needed was a folding lawn chair and some ice-cold lemonade to make it made in the shade. The aptly named Sippin Pretty (Yaupon--Tiz Imaginary, by Tizway) was overlooked on the tote at 26-1, but those that did make a wager on the 3-year-old were rewarded handsomely as she flew home a winner in the GIII Victory Ride Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Friday afternoon. One of two trainees for Ian Wilkes in the feature, Sippin Pretty broke her maiden by 3 3/4 lengths in what...

Edited Press Release The Reins of Hope 2026 online charity auction will open Friday, July 10, bringing together the racing community and supporters from across the country to raise funds for those affected by the devastating June 16 barn fire at the Saratoga Casino Hotel harness track in Saratoga Springs, New York. Created by Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Cherie DeVaux, who has deep ties to the Saratoga Standardbred community, the auction is a grassroots effort to support the individuals impacted by the tragedy. The auction will run through Tuesday, July 21,...

It's not a terribly fair question, but it had to be asked. Which would be bigger for Reagan Swinbank: a Breeders' Cup World Championship win or a Texas A&M football national title for the 'Home of the 12th Man?' "Well, I've already got a Breeders' Cup win last year with Cy Fair," said Swinbank. "So, the icing on the cake would be for my Aggies to 'Gig 'Em' by sweeping the bracket come fall and getting their hands on that trophy." Point goes to the born-and-raised Houstonian who was nothing...

Saratoga Race Course has added Wednesdays to the Breakfast and Thoroughbred Farm Tours, presented by New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB), which will begin July 29 to coincide with the first Wednesday of live racing during the 2026 summer meet, the track said in a press release on Friday. The new weekly lineup features Old Friends at Cabin Creek every Thursday, Old Tavern Farm every Friday, Sugar Plum Farm on Saturdays and Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga every Wednesday beginning July 29. The experience starts with Breakfast at Saratoga, presented by...

2nd-SAR, $115K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:08 p.m. ET. ANGEL OF KIRK (Yaupon) makes her first start for Greenwell Thoroughbreds and trainer Brad Cox. A $500,000 Keeneland September grad, the filly is the second foal for her graded stakes placed dam Crazy Sweet (Majestic Warrior). Also set for her unveiling is Kirk and Judy Robison homebred Hot Fries (Jackie's Warrior). The Steve Asmussen trainee is out of MSW Fast Gator (Diabolical), who is herself a full-sister to SW Mama Was a Rocket. Bluegrass Princess (Tiz the Law) is a...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - If he is going to win his eighth riding title at Saratoga Race Course, Irad Ortiz Jr. is going to have to be a closer. The perennial champion jockey at Saratoga has won the last four championships at the Spa, but the playing field has been leveled this year. The 33-year-old Ortiz won't begin his Saratoga summer until Sunday, giving his competitors a six-day head start. Ortiz has been serving a six-day suspension which came about from Saratoga last summer and Delaware Park last month. Four...

Turf Paradise, which spent recent years mired in a never-ending cascade of controversy, is enjoying a quiet, productive summer of projects and improvements, according to reports from both the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (AZHBPA) and the Arizona Racing Commission (AZRC) during the commission's monthly meeting Thursday. "The Turf team is doing a wonderful job, improving all the areas, not only inside, but outside as well," said Brian Duncan, the AZRC's racing enforcement and operations manager. "The department does remain pleased with the steady progress they're making on the...

Edited Press Release Spendthrift Farm's Provenance, a graded-placed 3-year-old son of seven-time leading sire Into Mischief and the first foal out of dual champion mare Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), has been retired from racing and will enter stud for 2027 at Country Life Farm in Bel Air, Maryland, for a fee of $2,000. As a 2-year-old for trainer Bob Baffert last year, Provenance debuted going a mile at Del Mar in August and finished third. In his second start, going six furlongs at Santa Anita in September, Provenance again was the...