training

John Stewart's Resolute Racing farm in central Kentucky, located on the grounds of the former Shadayid Stud, will be expanded to include a new training facility, Stewart said on Nick Luck's Live From Royal Ascot podcast Tuesday. "It's our second year [on the farm]," said Stewart. "Last year we bred 31 mares, this year we bred over 50. We've got some fantastic diversity on the farm and we're really excited about that. We've got out first yearlings that were bred on the farm coming up so next year they'll be...

The 2025 First Quarter Metrics Report, released Tuesday by HISA, shows racing-related fatalities largely on par with previous averages. The first quarter, which runs from Jan. 1-March 31, saw racetracks operating under HISA's umbrella report 0.85 racing-related fatalities per 1,000 starts, consistent with the 0.84 fatalities reported through the same period last year. Additionally, this first quarter's 0.85 represents a 37% decrease compared to the 1.35 fatalities per 1,000 starts from two years ago through the same time frame. This also is 5.6% lower than the aggregate racing-related fatality rate...

Neil Pessin, who trained the late Bob Lothenbach's Bell's the One (Majesticperfection) to a victory in the GI Derby City Distaff in its COVID-delayed renewal in 2020, is leaving the training ranks effective immediately. The affable conditioner's final starter was Finn McSorley (English Channel), who finished eighth in a Keeneland maiden special weight on the grass Apr. 25. "I'd like to keep training, but financially it's very tough and I was down to two maiden turf horses, one maiden claimer, and it's just not financially feasible to keep going," Pessin...

Kathy Walsh, who started training as an interloper among the nation's almost hermetically-sealed male ranks and who pursued her career with a rare combination of grit, guts, gumption and generosity, passed quietly in her sleep at the age of 85. A consummate horsewoman, Walsh brooked no fools and minced no words, yet garnered the kind of deeply held reverence and affection typically extended to those of royal lineage. There's a reason she was nicknamed The Queen. "She probably hired and fired me more times than she changed her underwear, I used...

Trainer Wayne Catalano celebrated his 3000th career win Sunday when 4-year-old gelding Alilnalot (Tapiture) won race four at Ellis Park, a $30,000 maiden claimer. Catalano, who began his training career in 1983 following a successful riding career, has seen over 15,000 horses start under his name including the likes of GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Aloha West (Hard Spun) and dual Breeders' Cup winner Stephanie's Kitten (Kitten's Joy). "I've been waiting on this one a long time," said Catalano after the milestone Sunday. "I got to have my...

Midlantic-based trainer Cal Lynch celebrated the 1000th victory of his training career when Mosler Time took out the Saturday finale at Laurel Park. The 4-year-old gelding covered six furlongs on the main track in 1:12.25 in the claiming event for 3-, 4- and 5-year-old maidens and comes one day after Forest Boyce marked 1000 wins in the saddle at Laurel. "I'm delighted for everybody that's helped get to this point. It's all about the team," he said. "A thousand winners, a lot of people helped get there. A lot of...

For nearly 20 years, trainer Neil Pessin didn't have to worry about filling up his barn. His principal owner, Bob Lothenbach, kept sending horses his way. That included a Grade I winner in Bell's the One (Majesticperfection) and several useful allowance horses. Pessin was training a 22-horse stable and 19 of them were owned by Lothenbach. "Bob was an excellent owner," Pessin said. "He knew our field of expertise was training horses and his was the paper business. Anytime I asked for anything that involved the welfare of the horse...

Trainer Dan Blacker, who has been charged by the California Horse Racing Board with failing to comply with regulations that require that a horse undergoes a veterinary exam within 72 hours of a workout and that the work is entered into a CHRB database, has issued a statement in which he said he takes "full responsibility" for not following the rules. The issue came to light when an unraced Blacker-trainee named Animae (Speightstown) suffered a fatal injury after a July 1 workout at Santa Anita. The CHRB investigated and found...

As the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's (HISA) drug and medication control program has rolled out over the past couple of months, various questions have been raised over the mechanics of the new law. As such, the TDN has decided to maintain a Q&A on this new program comprising questions raised by readers, and answers fielded by representatives from either HISA or the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), which implements HISA's anti-doping and medication control (ADMC) program. The first set of responses can be read here. The second set of...

Richard Mandella has been selected by the Board of Directors of the Thoroughbred Club of America as the 2023 Honor Guest, Club President Charlie Boden announced Monday. "The Thoroughbred Club of America is delighted to name Richard Mandella as its 2023 Honor Guest", said Boden. "Richard is a shining example of what past generations traditionally thought of when they considered what a great trainer is--a real "throwback" who has never had more than 40 horses in his barn. He is steadfast in his care of the animal with a long...

Following the close of the Winter/Spring Meet at Turfway Park Apr. 1, the barn area and racetrack will remain open for year-round training and stabling, it was announced Tuesday.  Trainers wishing to fill out a stall application can visit www.TurfwayPark.com or contact Peggy Pate at Peggy.Pate@turfwaypark.com. Stall applications are due by Mar. 24. This year, Turfway Park finished construction on a new dormitory for backstretch workers and five new barns. The track can stable approximately 1,000 horses.      Local trainers expected to remain stabled at Turfway Park and race on the Kentucky circuit...

Edited Release from Del Mar It has been a meet to remember for several Northern California trainers who like to summer at Del Mar, as well as one trainer who came to Southern California from Northern California and stayed. Jonathan Wong rattled off seven wins in a week last month at Del Mar, winning 'Trainer of the Week' honors and climbing into the Top 10 in the trainer standings. He never left. Going into Sunday's final day of the Del Mar summer meet, Wong had notched 13 victories, good for...