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FALL 2026

HOLIDAY RACING SEASON • NOV 27 - JAN 10 Allowances - $115,000 MSW - $105,000

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THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL CONTENTS | FALL 2026 | VOLUME 73/#3

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

02 Message from the National HBPA

American Shedrow

Industry News

The Horsemen’s Journal launches a new series profiling lesserknown, hard-working horsemen, kicking off with Iowa’s Les Rhodes, believed to be America’s oldest active trainer at age 94

Guest Commentary

A Day in the Life Veteran track announcer John G. Dooley stays passionate about the game and does his part to promote it in multiple roles

HBPA News

Stop Calling Positives on Feeding Horses Trace adverse analytical findings in urine come from horse feed

Outside the Box

Affiliate News

Finding a horse’s biggest fans can be part of their aftercare plan

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

MESSAGE FROM

THE CEO LEADERSHIP MEANS LISTENING

3380 Paris Pike Lexington, KY 40511 P (859) 259-0451 F (859) 259-0452 racing@hbpa.org www.hbpa.org

PRESIDENT/ CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD Dr. Doug Daniels SECRETARY/ TREASURER Lynne McNally CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Eric J. Hamelback VICE PRESIDENT SOUTHERN REGION Rick Hiles VICE PRESIDENT CENTRAL REGION Joe Davis VICE PRESIDENT WESTERN REGION J. Lloyd Yother VICE PRESIDENT EASTERN REGION Naomi Long

ecent events surrounding the announcement that the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association intends to dissolve have prompted considerable reflection throughout the Thoroughbred industry. Alan Foreman’s recent interview discussing the future of racing and the role his organization has played over the past several decades is an important contribution to that conversation. There should be no dispute that Alan has devoted much of his professional life to Thoroughbred racing. Anyone who spends that many years advocating for horsemen deserves respect for that commitment. Where the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association differs is not in the importance of leadership but in how leadership is defined. Leadership within a trade association is not measured by longevity, titles or personalities. It is measured by whether the organization faithfully represents the collective voice of the people it exists to serve. That philosophy has guided the National HBPA for decades. Nearly 30 years ago, the National HBPA experienced a significant restructuring that reshaped how the association operates. The lessons learned from that period continue to influence the organization today. Rather than concentrating authority in any one individual, the National HBPA has intentionally evolved into an organization through which its affiliated state HBPA organizations and horsemen establish the direction while leadership’s responsibility is to implement and advocate for those positions. The National HBPA’s leadership exists to represent its membership and not to ask the membership to follow the personal views of its leadership. That distinction matters. Over the past decade, the National HBPA has become far more visible on the issues affecting Thoroughbred racing. Whether others agree with every position taken is secondary to a more important fact: Horsemen know where the National HBPA stands, and they understand why. Those positions are not built around one person’s opinions. They are developed through discussion with affiliated organizations representing horsemen across the country. Leadership provides direction, coordination and advocacy, but the organization’s positions ultimately reflect the collective voice of its membership. That philosophy explains the National HBPA’s approach to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA). This organization’s opposition was never rooted in resisting change or opposing reform. Rather, it reflected concerns consistently expressed by affiliates and horsemen throughout the country regarding constitutional issues, federal overreach, funding mechanisms and accountability. The National HBPA’s responsibility was not to tell horsemen what they should believe. It was to faithfully represent what they had already communicated. Reasonable people can disagree on the best path forward. Healthy debate has always been part of this industry. But an

association’s responsibility is to advocate for its membership, even when those positions are unpopular. That same philosophy guided the National HBPA’s work on what ultimately became the Racehorse Health and Safety Act. The concept of interstate cooperation was not new. Foreman deserves recognition for advancing many of those discussions years ago. Rather NATIONAL HBPA PRESIDENT than abandoning the broader DR. DOUG DANIELS (LEFT) AND NATIONAL HBPA CEO objective of uniformity after ERIC HAMELBACK AT THE HISA, the National HBPA 2025 CLAIMING CROWN AT continued working toward an CHURCHILL DOWNS alternative framework that preserved state authority while creating a constitutional mechanism for interstate participation through the existing simulcasting system. The point was never to oppose reform. The point was to pursue reform in a manner consistent with the values and concerns expressed by the horsemen the National HBPA represents. The discussion surrounding Lasix provides another example. For years, horsemen, veterinarians and organizations representing them maintained that Lasix was fundamentally an equine health and welfare issue, not simply a performanceenhancing debate. While opinions differed across the industry, many who once advocated for its complete elimination now acknowledge that the issue is more nuanced than originally portrayed. Horsemen have been making that case for years. Experience matters. Veterinary science matters. Listening to the people who care for these horses every day matters. No organization has every answer, and no leader should pretend otherwise. The future of Thoroughbred racing depends on bringing together horsemen, owners, trainers, breeders, veterinarians, racetracks, regulators and horseplayers to solve difficult challenges collaboratively. Ultimately, organizations endure not because of any one individual but because they remain accountable to the people they represent. That has been the National HBPA’s philosophy for decades. Leadership is not about asking others to follow one person’s convictions. Leadership is listening, building consensus and faithfully carrying forward the collective voice of horsemen.

GWEN DAVIS/DAVIS INNOVATION

NATIONAL HBPA

SINCERELY, ERIC J. HAMELBACK

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

THE

NATIONAL HBPA WOULD LIKE TO THANK ITS CORPORATE

AFFILIATES

SPONSORS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS - AFFILIATES Dr. David Harrington, Alabama Lloyd Yother, Arizona Bill Walmsley, Arkansas James Miller, Charles Town Kim Oliver, Colorado Mike Lecesse, Finger Lakes Tom Cannell, Florida Jim Watkins, Illinois Joe Davis, Indiana David McShane, Iowa Dale Romans, Kentucky Benard Chatters, Louisiana Jason Uelmen, Michigan Justin Revek, Minnesota Mark Lemburg, Nebraska Anthony Spadea, New England Paul Jenson, DVM, New Mexico Joe Poole, Ohio Joe Offolter, Oklahoma Ron Sutton, Oregon Sandee Martin, Pennsylvania Mike Dini, Tampa Bay Downs David Ross, Virginia Pat LePley, Washington David Milburn, HBPA of British Columbia Sue Leslie, HBPA of Ontario Dan Hurley, HBPA of Alberta Blaine McLaren, HBPA of Manitoba Eddie Esquirol, HBPA of Saskatchewan

CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Kimberly Brewer Amy Brin Dr. Clara Fenger Dr. Andreas Lehner Jennie Rees Jen Roytz Dr. Thomas Tobin PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Burns Coady Media Coady Media/Levi Landeros Coady Media/Lexie Morrison Coady Media/Renee Torbit Coglianese Photo/Susie Raisher Coglianese Photo/Ryan Thompson Coglianese Photo/Walter Wlodarczyk Gwen Davis/Davis Innovation Emerald Downs Photography Hodges Photography J J Zamaiko Photography Tod Marks Kira Topeka STAFF Tom Law Editor P (859) 396-9407 hj@hbpa.org Michelle McShane Advertising Director P (515) 508-1811 info@hbpa.org LIMB Agency www.limb.agency Graphic Design THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL 3380 Paris Pike Lexington, KY 40511 P (859) 259-0451 F (859) 259-0452 hj@hbpa.org HBPA WEBSITE www.hbpa.org COVER PHOTO Gwen Davis/Davis Innovation

The opinions, representations and viewpoints expressed by the authors in the articles contained in The Horsemen’s Journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions, representations and viewpoints or the official policies or positions of The Horsemen’s Journal, National Horsemen’s Administration Corporation or National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association Inc. and its affiliates (collectively “HJ”). HJ is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to or reliance on any information contained within this issue. Information in this issue may become outdated due to the rapidly changing nature of the horse industry. The publication of any advertisements or articles should not be construed as an endorsement of any product, service or position unless specifically stated. The Horsemen’s Journal, Volume 73 #3. Postal Information: The Horsemen’s Journal (ISSN 0018-5256) is published quarterly by the National Horsemen’s Administration Corporation, with publishing offices at 3380 Paris Pike, Lexington, KY 40511. Copyright 2026 all rights reserved. The Horsemen’s Journal is the official publication for members of the Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, a representative association of Thoroughbred owners and

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

trainers. HBPA is a non-profit 501(c)6 Kentucky corporation. Members receive The Horsemen’s Journal as a benefit of membership paid by the national office from affiliate dues. Annual nonmember subscriptions are $25. Single-copy back issues, if available, are $7. Canadian subscribers add $6. All other subscriptions outside the U.S. add $20 payable in U.S. funds. To order reprints or subscriptions, call (859) 259-0451. The HBPA National Board of Directors has determined that the publication of this periodical is necessary in the transaction of the public business required of the association. Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and/or advertisers and do not necessarily represent the opinion or policy of the publisher or HBPA board or staff. Query the editor prior to sending any manuscripts. Periodicals Postage Paid at Lexington, Kentucky, and additional mailing offices. CANADA POST: Publications mail agreement no. 41530527. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P. O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Horsemen’s Journal, 3380 Paris Pike, Lexington, KY 40511.

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2 8 TH A N N U A L

CLAIMING CROWN From Claim to Fame!

PRESENTED BY A PARTNERSHIP OF THE

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MAKE YOUR HORSES ELIGIBLE BEFORE OCTOBER 23RD

November 14 at Churchill Downs For more information and eligibility requirements, go to www.CLAIMINGCROWN.com THE NATIONAL HBPA INC., Eric Hamelback, CEO (859) 259-0451 | ehamelback@hbpa.org | 3380 Paris Pike, Lexington, KY 40511 www.hbpa.org

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LEADING OFF

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

THE FIELD FOR THE 167TH RUNNING OF THE $1 MILLION KING’S PLATE STAKES HEADS INTO THE FIRST TURN AUGUST 15 AT WOODBINE, INCLUDING EVENTUAL WINNER LUSTER (NO. 1, SECOND FROM RIGHT). LUSTER BECAME THE 40TH FILLY TO WIN THE CANADIAN CLASSIC, UNDER JOHN VELAZQUEZ FOR OWNERS GAINESWAY STABLE AND ANDREW ROSEN AND TRAINER JOSIE CARROLL.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS BREEDERS OF BOOK’EM DANNO, GODOLPHIN SECURE TOBA AWARDS

COGLIANESE PHOTO/WALTER WLODARCZYK

he breeders of champion sprinter Book’em Danno, a multiple Grade 1-winning New Jersey-bred and fan favorite, were among those honored during the 41st annual Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) National Awards September 10 at The Kentucky Castle in Versailles, Kentucky. Christine Connelly of Bright View Farm and Gregory Kilka, breeders of the 5-year-old son of Bucchero, were named the 2025 National Small Breeder of the Year presented by BloodHorse and The Jockey Club. Campaigned by the New Jersey-based Atlantic Six Racing partnership led by Jay Briscione, Book’em Danno won four of five starts in 2025 including the Grade 3 True North Stakes, Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes and Grade 1 Forego Stakes, all at Saratoga. Book’em Danno, who is out of the Ghostzapper mare Adorabella, earned champion male sprinter honors in 2025. He won two of three starts this season, including another edition of the True North at Saratoga, before going to the sidelines with an injury. Book’em Danno has won 12 of 19 starts with four seconds and $2,270,425. Connelly and Kilka were also honored as New Jersey Breeder of the Year during the ceremony that recognizes outstanding achievements in ownership, breeding and industry service. “Congratulations to all of this year’s TOBA National Award recipients,” said TOBA President Dan Metzger. “From breeders and owners to industry leaders and exceptional equine athletes, these honorees exemplify the excellence, dedication and passion that continue to strengthen and advance the Thoroughbred industry. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and contributions to our sport.” The Maktoum family’s global racing and breeding operation Godolphin was honored as both the 2025 National Owner of the Year presented by FanDuel and 2025 National Breeder of the Year presented by TOBA, continuing its remarkable success at the highest levels of Thoroughbred racing and breeding. Godolphin earned its sixth Eclipse Award as outstanding owner in 2025 and also was recognized with its fifth straight Eclipse as outstanding breeder. The Cot Campbell Partnership of the Year Award presented by Central Bank went to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, honoring the organization’s racing success with six graded stakes winners, including three Grade 1 winners.

CHAMPION SPRINTER BOOK’EM DANNO, HERE WINNING HIS SECOND STRAIGHT TRUE NORTH STAKES DURING THE BELMONT STAKES RACING FESTIVAL AT SARATOGA RACE COURSE, HELPED CHRISTINE CONNELLY OF BRIGHT VIEW FARM AND GREGORY KILKA EARN NATIONAL SMALL BREEDER OF THE YEAR AND NEW JERSEY BREEDER OF THE YEAR FOR 2025.

Puca, owned by Ace Stud in Newmarket, England, was named National Broodmare of the Year presented by WinStar. She is the dam of Grade 1 winners Mage, Dornoch and Baeza. Bronwyn Watts received the Dr. J. David Richardson Industry Service Award presented by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) for her pioneering nurse mare program. The Rood & Riddle Sport Horse of the Year award was presented to Allison Smith and Gude Affair for outstanding accomplishments showcasing the versatility of the Thoroughbred beyond racing. Concrete Glory was honored as the Claiming Crown Horse of the Year presented by the National HBPA. TOBA National Awards sponsors included FanDuel, WinStar, BloodHorse, The Jockey Club, NTRA, Godolphin, National HBPA, Payson Park, White Birch Farm, Central Bank, Sextant Wines, Country Boy Brewing, Castle & Key Distillery, Daily Racing Form, Hallway Feeds and CaffeMarco.

2025 STATE AND CANADIAN BREEDERS OF THE YEAR CATEGORY

WINNER

Arizona Breeder of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marvin and Gerald Fleming, Fleming Thoroughbred Farm Arkansas Breeder of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . Bill McDowell, McDowell Farm California Breeder of the Year . . . . . . . . . Richard Barton Enterprises Inc., Barton Thoroughbreds Canada Breeder of the Year �� Robert Krembil, Chiefswood Stables Limited Canada Small Breeder of the Year �� Sam-Son Farm Florida Breeder of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlotte Weber, Live Oak Stud Indiana Breeder of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Justice, Justice Farm Iowa Breeder of the Year ��H. Allen Poindexter, Poindexter Thoroughbreds Kentucky Breeder of the Year �� Godolphin Louisiana Breeder of the Year . . . . . . . Earl and Keith Hernandez and John Duvieilh Maryland Breeder of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . R. Larry Johnson, Legacy Farm New Jersey Breeder of the Year �� Christine Connelly of Bright View Farm and Gregory Kilka New Mexico Breeder of the Year . . . . . . . . Fred A. Alexander, A & A Ranch New York Breeder of the Year �� Mallory and Karen Mort North Carolina Breeder of the Year . . . . Nancy Shuford, Rock House Farm Ohio Breeder of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . Larmon Cowles and Joe Cowles, T/C Stable Oregon Breeder of the Year �� Dr. Rodney Orr Pennsylvania Breeder of the Year . . . . . . . Donnie Brown and Tom McClay, Warriors Reward LLC South Carolina Breeder of the Year �� Franklin G. Smith Sr., Elloree Training Center Texas Breeder of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eric and Randi Moreau-Sipiere, Centurion Stud Virginia Breeder of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . R. Larry Johnson, Legacy Farm Washington Breeder of the Year ��Frederick and Debra Pabst, Blue Ribbon Farm THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

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NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS RACING REMEMBERS TRAINER BERNIE FLINT

HODGES PHOTOGRAPHY

ernie Flint, who for decades was among the most successful Thoroughbred trainers around the Midwest and beyond, died July 17 in Louisville at the age of 86. Flint’s family was by his side when he passed. “It’s been a rough few years, but Dad was always a fighter,” son Lance Flint said. “He was even making jokes on his way to the hospice care. He fought till the end, and his loved ones surrounded him during his final days.” Steve Flint, who spent years as his dad’s assistant before going out on his own, called his father his hero. Flint also is survived by wife Terri and son Scott Flint, a veteran blacksmith in Kentucky. “The word ‘legend’ is thrown around too loosely, but it applies in the case of Bernie,” said trainer Dale Romans, president of the Kentucky HBPA. “He came across as gruff but was really a softy who would help anyone. His success on the track is underappreciated because most of it happened before the current era with racing dominated by a handful of the very largest stables. Bernie cut his teeth with claiming horses but had a lot of top-quality runners over the years, including with horses that didn’t cost a lot of money. Everybody knew Bernie. He was a real racetrack character, whose combination of personality, training ability and sheer longevity sets him apart.” Trainer Ron Moquett, whose Churchill Downs barn was near Flint’s, likewise knew Bernie for decades. “Bernie was larger than life,” Moquett said. “You always knew when he was around with that loud, booming voice and thick New Orleans accent. And people were having a good time. His owners and barn knew two things for sure when they were with him. First, they were going to have fun and be entertained with his colorful stories. Second, they were going to win. His ability to get the most out of a horse and find the winner’s circle was remarkable. It didn’t matter where he was stabled; he did it consistently for more than 50 years. “I’m thankful for the help he gave me when I was starting out and for always making himself available anytime I needed advice throughout my career,” he added. “Horse racing lost one of the good ones.” At 6 feet, 31/2 inches and a peak weight of 245 pounds, the former New Orleans Police Department officer and homicide detective indeed was a looming and booming fixture in Kentucky, Louisiana and Arkansas. He completed his training career with 3,551 official victories, which ranks No. 30 all time in North America. That total includes 501 victories at Churchill Downs, at the time making him the sixth trainer to reach 500 under the Twin Spires. Fittingly, Flint went out a winner, with Bright Spark his last starter on November 10, 2023, at Churchill. Flint moved his main base to Kentucky in 1980. He earned a then-record 20 meet titles at Turfway Park, as well as being the leading trainer at Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Oaklawn Park, Hoosier Park, Ellis Park, Canterbury, Sportsman’s Park and Balmoral. He also won multiple training crowns at Jefferson Downs. Flint-trained horses won almost $65 million in purses (most of it before the money became so lucrative in Kentucky). His 28 graded stakes wins ranged from Top Corsage in Churchill Downs’ Grade 3 Falls City Handicap in 1988 to America’s Tale in Gulfstream Park’s Grade 2 Inside Information in 2019. His most successful runners included 14-time winner Hurricane Bertie, who has a stakes named for her at Gulfstream, and Swept Away for the Klein family of Louisville. Runway

BERNIE FLINT, THE WINNER OF 3,551 RACES DURING HIS TRAINING CAREER, PASSED AWAY IN JULY AT THE AGE OF 86.

Model, winner of Keeneland’s Grade 2 Alcibiades in 2004, went on to take third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies before capturing Churchill Downs’ Grade 2 Golden Rod for owner Dr. Naveed Chowhan. The homebred One Mean Man won five stakes, and his full sister Mizz Money won four for Flint and Ron Hillerich, his longtime client from Louisville. The Flint-trained sprinter Sovereign’s Ace didn’t win a graded stakes but became a popular fixture and multiple stakes winner in Louisiana and Kentucky, winning 26 of 90 starts. After he ran his last horse as a trainer, Flint continued as a racehorse owner and breeder, through his L.T.B. Inc. (named for Lance, Terri and himself), predominantly in Indiana and in partnership with Hillerich. Flint was also known for standing up for horsemen’s rights, wherever he raced. “He was a real New Orleans horse racing legend and will be sorely missed by all,” said Louisiana HBPA President Benard Chatters. —Jennie Rees

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

THOROUGHBRED CHARITIES OF AMERICA AWARDS 2026 GRANTS

horoughbred Charities of America (TCA) recently awarded grants totaling more than $600,000 to 94 organizations for 2026. The organizations approved for a grant include 61 aftercare organizations, 23 backstretch and farm worker programs, six equine-assisted therapy organizations, three Thoroughbred incentive programs and one research organization. Grant recipients can be found at tca.org. Over the past 36 years, TCA has awarded more than $29 million in grants. With a record number of grant applications this year, the TCA Grants Committee again established clear funding priorities with emphasis placed on approved organizations working to serve the backstretch and farm employee communities as well as nontraditional aftercare organizations. The committee defined nontraditional aftercare organizations as those that are either working to provide on-track placement services to retiring Thoroughbreds or working to incentivize equine enthusiasts to choose a Thoroughbred as their next mount. “Our annual grants reflect the generosity of our donors and the strength of the organizations we support,” said Erin Halliwell, executive director of TCA. “We take our responsibility as stewards of donor contributions seriously, ensuring every dollar helps create meaningful impact for Thoroughbreds and the people who care for them.”

TCA’s mission is to fund and facilitate the support of Thoroughbreds and the people who care for them. TCA distributes grants to several categories of Thoroughbred-related nonprofits including rehabilitation, retraining, rehoming and retirement organizations; backstretch and farm employee programs; equineassisted therapy programs; and research organizations. TCA has granted over $29 million to more than 200 charities since its inception in 1990. TCA is the charitable arm of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

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THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

REDUCE RESPIRATORY LOAD See the science. See the difference. FlairStrips.com

NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS NTWAB HONORS TEAM GOLDEN TEMPO, JOCKEY VELAZQUEZ

eam Golden Tempo, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, the late turf writer Mary Rampellini, the broadcast team from TVG and FanDuel Racing and the graduates of Stable Recovery will be honored during the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters’ 66th annual Awards Dinner Wednesday, October 28, in Lexington, Kentucky. The annual awards dinner, the NTWAB’s sole fundraiser, will take place at Malone’s Prime two days before Keeneland Race Course hosts the Breeders’ Cup World Championships October 30-31. Team Golden Tempo will receive the Mr. Fitz Award for typifying the spirit of racing. Owned and bred by Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes to propel trainer Cherie DeVaux into the record books as the first woman to win the Kentucky Derby and the first female trainer to capture two American classics. Jose Ortiz rode the son of Curlin to those victories while assistant trainer and exercise rider Enrique Miranda and groom Jose Hernandez also played important roles in the colt’s preparations. Velazquez, winner of the Joe Palmer Award for meritorious service to racing, has more than 6,800 victories, multiple Eclipse Awards, six Triple Crown race wins, 22 Breeders’ Cup victories and countless Grade 1 triumphs. Beyond his extraordinary racetrack success, Velazquez served as the Jockeys’ Guild chair for more than 20 years, later serving as co-chair with Mike Smith from 2018 until

stepping down earlier this year. He remains an active board member. He also is a 20-year board member of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Velazquez serves on the board of the New York Racetrack Chaplaincy as well. Along with his wife, Leona, he has spent years supporting the backstretch community through programs providing childcare, education, emergency assistance, healthcare and family services. In 2025, John and Leona received the prestigious Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson Award from the chaplaincy for their unwavering commitment to backstretch workers. Rampellini, the posthumous recipient of the Walter Haight Award for career excellence in Turf writing, passed away at the age of 53 in July. A full-time reporter and handicapper for Daily Racing Form for nearly a quarter-century, she became a trusted voice through her comprehensive reporting from tracks across the Midwest and South. Team TVG/FanDuel Racing will receive the Jim McKay Award for excellence in broadcasting. Before FanDuel management began phasing out its horse racing television coverage this year, TVG and FanDuel TV introduced entirely new audiences to the sport while serving as a trusted destination for news, analysis and live competition for longtime fans. This group award honors those who contributed to the network’s productions, including on-camera talent, producers, camera operators and others working behind the scenes.

COGLIANESE PHOTO/WALTER WLODARCZYK

TRAINER CHERIE DEVAUX HOISTS THE BELMONT STAKES TROPHY ALONGSIDE JOCKEY JOSE ORTIZ AND OTHERS CELEBRATING GOLDEN TEMPO’S SECOND CLASSIC WIN OF 2026.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

COGLIANESE PHOTO/SUSIE RAISHER

Stable Recovery, launched by Frank Taylor and Christian Countzler, has helped dozens of individuals recover from substance abuse, supporting them on their path to sobriety and helping them find meaningful employment within the Thoroughbred racing industry, and is the NTWAB’s Bill Mooney Award honoree. The Bill Mooney Award recognizes those who have demonstrated “courage in the face of tremendous adversity.” The peer-driven therapeutic community allows participants to live, work and recover together while helping each other grow mentally, physically and spiritually. In honoring Stable Recovery, the NTWAB specifically credits those graduates who have successfully reclaimed their lives. HJ

HALL OF FAME JOCKEY JOHN VELAZQUEZ, ABOARD CLASSIC Q AFTER HER VICTORY IN THE GRADE 1 JUST A GAME STAKES AT SARATOGA, WILL RECEIVE THE JOE PALMER AWARD FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE TO RACING FROM THE NTWAB.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

GUEST COMMENTARY

A PRACTICAL MODEL FOR COORDINATED INDUSTRY PHILANTHROPY THE THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY DOESN’T HAVE A MESSAGING PROBLEM. IT HAS AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEM. By Amy Brin

ature industries don’t simply launch successful initiatives. They study them. They evaluate them. They absorb what works into permanent infrastructure. That is the opportunity now facing Thoroughbred racing. Over the past two years, Light Up Racing has served as a pilot—testing new approaches to communications, collaboration, education and public engagement. The value of a pilot, however, is not its permanence. Its value is what it reveals. The most important lesson has little to do with communications. It has everything to do with infrastructure. Communications campaigns raise awareness. Infrastructure earns trust. If the industry wants different outcomes, it should focus less on creating new initiatives and more on strengthening the systems that allow successful ideas to endure.

FIX PHILANTHROPIC INFRASTRUCTURE The industry’s funding priorities and practices are misaligned. Organizations advancing workforce development, public education, aftercare

awareness, safety communications and other industry-wide priorities continue to operate within a funding model that is inconsistent. Mature industries fund shared priorities through systems, not annual uncertainty. • Define funding priorities. Each philanthropic-funding organization should annually establish one to three strategic priorities, anticipated funding levels and desired outcomes. • Standardize the process. Publish application requirements, submission deadlines, award timelines, reporting expectations and funding criteria. • Increase multiyear investment. Dedicate a portion of annual giving to two- and three-year commitments that allow organizations to build sustainable programs rather than restart every budget cycle. • Reduce duplication. Establish collaborative funding mechanisms for industry-wide priorities, reducing repetitive requests while encouraging coordinated investment. (Note: This work does not require creating a new charitable entity. Existing nonprofit infrastructure [501(c)(3)] can administer collaborative funding models by leveraging established governance, financial oversight and administrative capacity.) COADY MEDIA

THE THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY SHOULD FOCUS LESS ON NEW INITIATIVES AND MORE ON STRENGTHENING EXISTING SYSTEMS THAT ALLOW SUCCESSFUL IDEAS TO ENDURE, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST ARTICLE FROM LIGHT UP RACING.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

COADY MEDIA/RENEE TORBIT

THOROUGHBRED RACING IS FILLED WITH TALENTED COMMUNICATORS WHO TELL THE STORY OF THE SPORT AND INDUSTRY. WHAT THE SPORT LACKS IS A COORDINATED COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE.

BUILD COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE

SCALE SUCCESS, NOT ORGANIZATIONS

The Thoroughbred industry has talented communicators. What it lacks is a coordinated communications infrastructure. This is not a recommendation for centralized messaging. Individual organizations should continue communicating in ways that reflect their own missions, cultures and audiences. The opportunity is coordination. • Assign ownership. Designate one existing industry organization to convene communications leaders and coordinate long-term infrastructure supporting education, public engagement and trusted information. • Hold the owner accountable. Define success. Publish a strategic plan, annual priorities and measurable outcomes so the function itself is accountable to the industry it serves. • Develop shared resources. Maintain an evidence-based library of educational content, messaging guidance, research summaries and digital assets available across the industry. Build it off Light Up Racing’s existing online resource library. • Convene communicators. Regularly bring communications leaders together to identify emerging issues, share successful practices and coordinate educational efforts. • Invest in capability. Continue developing industry ambassadors through media training, communications education and grassroots engagement initiatives. Use Light Up Racing’s newly released virtual media training resources to build an ambassador pipeline. (Note: This function should be embedded within an existing national organization whose mission already includes advancing the long-term health of Thoroughbred racing.)

Innovation should create stronger institutions, not simply more institutions. The Thoroughbred industry has consistently demonstrated innovation by launching new initiatives to address emerging challenges. What it has lacked is a scalable process for determining what happens after those initiatives succeed. Too often, successful pilots become permanent organizations instead of permanent industry functions. Mature industries take a different approach. Successful innovation strengthens existing institutions whenever possible. • Define success before launch. Define the transition strategy. Before funding begins, identify where successful work will ultimately live if the pilot proves effective. Tie this to the receipt of industry funding. • Evaluate independently. At predetermined milestones, assess whether the initiative achieved its intended outcomes and whether the work addresses a permanent industry need. • Decide deliberately. Successful pilots should not automatically become permanent organizations. Leaders should determine whether the work should conclude, merge into an existing organization or become a permanent industry function. • Transition intentionally. If the work has proven value, develop a transition plan identifying the receiving organization, governance structure, funding model, staffing and measures of success before pilot funding concludes. These recommendations are practical. Many are cost-neutral. None require starting from scratch. Light Up Racing has done what every successful pilot should do—identify what works. The implementation frameworks exist. Many are currently in the hands of industry executives. The next move belongs to industry leadership. HJ Light Up Racing Interim Executive Director Amy Brin and the organization’s board of directors wrote this piece as the organization moves toward the conclusion of its work following the 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course. To share your perspective or participate in solutionfocused discussions, reach out via hello@lightupracing.com.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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NEWS

HBPA NEWS CLAIMING CROWN SHOWCASE

QUALIFIERS PROVIDE SECOND DAY IN SPOTLIGHT FOR RACING’S WARHORSES By Jennie Rees

HIGHLIGHTS

CADET CORPS SHIPS FROM MONMOUTH PARK AND SETS A TRACK RECORD FOR 9 FURLONGS IN HIS SECOND STRAIGHT WIN IN THE JEWEL QUALIFIER.

Morris Kernan Jr.—in taking the $49,900, 6-furlong Ready’s Rocket Express Qualifier by a nose over 18-1 Celtic Pride. Concrete Glory, two-time winner of the Claiming Crown Express, was scratched. Ness said he thought they had won but only because of jockey Martin Chuan’s fist pump at the wire. “We took everything they got, and luckily the wire came when it did,” Ness said, “because half a jump before we were second.” Kernan and Ness bought Kerness K for $70,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling because Kernan had raced the dam, No Picnic, at one point during her career. They lost the stakes-placed Kerness K in a $40,000 claiming race in his last start at 2 and then claimed him back for $7,500 earlier this year at age 4. He won by 6 lengths that day, starting the streak. “More of a sympathy claim than anything,” Ness said, “and here’s nine in a row and here we are going to Churchill. … Nine in a row. That’s up there in rare air. For a claiming horse, they don’t do that.” On a day dominated by short-priced horses, the exception was 40-1 Awesome Pic, winner of the $65,375 Jackie H. Starter Handicap by 2 lengths over the late-running Tiz Purple. The Jackie H. was created as the qualifier for the new Claiming Crown Empress for filly and mare sprinters at 6 furlongs. Daniel Centeno rode the Florida-bred Awesome Pic for Delaware Park- and Tampa Bay Downsbased trainer Enrique Hernandez and his jubilant owner Carlos Diaz. COADY MEDIA

COADY MEDIA

Kentucky- and Saratoga-based trainer Joe Sharp and owner TEC Racing won two races: Coquito took the $49,900 Glass Slipper Qualifier at a mile on dirt as the odds-on choice, and 7-5 favorite and first-off-the-claim Westside Tide captured the $90,325 Emerald Qualifier at 11/16 miles on turf over the Sharptrained 8-1 Funny Uncle. (Sharp also finished second in the Tiara Qualifier with Goodbetterbest among his five starters in four races.) TEC Racing is the stable name for Elliott Logan, owner of the men’s dress clothing and sportswear store Logan’s of Lexington in Lexington, Kentucky. Paco Lopez rode both horses for Sharp, along with repeat winner Cadet Corps in the $99,800 Jewel Qualifier. “When you have success coming to a place like this, it makes it easier coming back the next year,” said Sharp, who also won two Showcase races last year with a second-place finish. “It’s a great place to spend a couple of days. This is the buildup. Everybody gets here and gets excited to see if they fit in the division, and then you start making plans for November.” Sharp applauded the Virginia HBPA for providing a travel stipend for the Showcase winners that go on to compete at Churchill Downs. “That’s really nice that they do that,” he said, “and it gives owners extra incentive to want to come here and to be supportive of the next leg at Churchill Downs.” The Maryland-bred, Delaware-certified 4-5 favorite Kerness K won his ninth straight race—all but the first for trainer Jamie Ness, who owns the gelding with

COADY MEDIA

he Claiming Crown Showcase staged by Colonial Downs and the Virginia HBPA August 22 cemented the viability and benefits of a full day of Claiming Crown qualifying races, further stamping the day as an important event in its own right in just its second running. A total of $3,753,342 was wagered on the 11-race card, nine of which were starter handicaps whose top two finishers were awarded spots in the corresponding event November 14 at Churchill Downs. Like the Claiming Crown, the Showcase qualifiers are designed to give racing’s blue-collar warhorses and their owners and trainers a day in the spotlight.

WESTSIDE TIDE (INSIDE) OUTFINISHES STABLEMATE FUNNY UNCLE IN THE EMERALD QUALIFIER ON CLAIMING CROWN SHOWCASE DAY AT COLONIAL DOWNS, ONE OF TWO WINNERS FOR TRAINER JOE SHARP AND ONE OF THREE WINNERS FOR JOCKEY PACO LOPEZ.

FAVORED KERNESS K (LEFT) TOPS CELTIC PRIDE BY A NOSE IN THE READY’S ROCKET EXPRESS QUALIFIER FOR HIS NINTH STRAIGHT VICTORY.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

COADY MEDIA

GOATS ON A TREE SECURES A POTENTIAL RETURN TRIP TO CHURCHILL DOWNS IN NOVEMBER WITH HER VICTORY IN THE TIARA QUALIFIER.

“For trainers that don’t have the opportunity to run in the Breeders’ Cup, the Claiming Crown is awesome,” said Hernandez, looking ahead to his first starter in the event. Monmouth Park-based Cadet Corps smashed the track record for 11/8 miles on dirt, winning in 1:45.19 to repeat in the $99,800 Jewel Qualifier. The 8-5 favorite’s 41/2-length victory over 11-1 Freedom Principle was the largest margin of the nine Claiming Crown qualifiers. Owned by Kenwood Racing and trainer Kelly Breen, Cadet Corps has unfinished business in Louisville as runner-up in last year’s Jewel, “and hopefully we’ll finish it,” said Kenwood founder and partner Robb Levinsky. The popular gelding Freedom Road also has unfinished business at Churchill Downs—even more so. Freedom Road won his 15th race—the 12th for Marylandbased trainer Rick Sillaman and owners Panda Stable, LBR Racing Stable and Rashid’s Thoroughbred Racing—victory by three-quarters of a length over Bill of Rights in the $53,500 Iron Horse Qualifier under Andrew Wolfsont. Freedom Road was second by a neck each of the last two years in the $100,000 Claiming Crown Kent Stirling Memorial Iron Horse at Churchill Downs at 11/16 miles on dirt. “He’s an amazing horse,” Sillaman said. “He’s one of a generation for a trainer to get a horse like this.” Nick Peters, who races as Panda Stable, said he “can’t wait to get back to Churchill Downs again” and was so glad he’d flown in from his Tampa home for the Showcase Day. “And we get a trophy,” he said. “The HBPA does this for claimers like us. We’re not running in Kentucky for a million dollars or in New York. But this, to us, is the same thing. This is incredible. Just to come here, it’s such a beautiful track, and the people here are wonderful.” Team Adams Racing’s Goats On a Tree—the mare whose unusual name introduced racing fans to the phenomenon where goats in Morocco climb Argan trees to eat their fruit—took the $74,850 Tiara Qualifier at 7-1 by a neck over

Goodbetterbest in her second start since being claimed for $50,000 by Kentuckybased trainer Kinnon LaRose. Goats On a Tree finished third in last year’s Claiming Crown Tiara for fillies and mares running 11/16 miles on turf for trainer Mike Maker. “When I claimed the horse, it was all because I wanted to run in the Claiming Crown, because I knew she was starter $25,000 eligible,” said Sal Perito, whose Team Adams Racing partnership with Tracy Adams currently owns two horses. “I started out at Mountaineer Park, running a $4,000 claimer. Here we are now winning a qualifier to go to the Claiming Crown.” Laurel-based owner-trainer Joanne Shankle finished 1-2 in the $61,775 Rapid Transit Qualifier at 7 furlongs on dirt with odds-on Zero Blitz and Jorge Ruiz outfinishing stablemate Bold Diversion by 11/2 lengths. Shape Note, winner of last year’s $150,000 Claiming Crown Tom Metzen Memorial Canterbury for turf sprinters, took the $74,850 Colonial Downs prep for all-time Claiming Crown leading trainer Mike Maker and owners Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher. Jareth Loveberry was in the saddle as the 3-2 favorite kept Normandy Hero at bay to win by three-quarters of a length. As with the Claiming Crown proper, Colonial’s Showcase is a series of starter races for horses that had run for a designated claiming price or cheaper within a certain time frame. Owners or their authorized agents must fill out eligibility request forms by midnight ET October 23, 2026, accompanied by a fee of $250 per Claiming Crown race for which eligibility is requested, to run in the November 14 Claiming Crown at Churchill. Late requests for eligibility may be made up to the time of entry. More information and eligibility request forms are available at claimingcrown.com. Registered Kentucky-breds will compete for an additional $10,000 to $25,000 in Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund supplements November 14. The Claiming Crown was created in 1999 by the National HBPA and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

COADY MEDIA

AWESOME PIC EARNS HER SPOT IN THE NEW CLAIMING CROWN EMPRESS WITH A 40-1 UPSET SCORE IN THE JACKIE H. STARTER HANDICAP OVER LATE-RUNNING TIZ PURPLE.

CLAIMING CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES NOVEMBER 14—CHURCHILL DOWNS

FREEDOM ROAD (INSIDE), A CLOSE SECOND IN BACK-TO-BACK RENEWALS OF THE CLAIMING CROWN IRON HORSE, SCORES IN THE IRON HORSE QUALIFIER FOR HIS 15TH VICTORY. THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

$100,000

Kent Stirling Memorial Iron Horse

$100,000

Ready’s Rocket Express

$100,000

Glass Slipper

$100,000

Empress*

$125,000

Rapid Transit

$150,000

Tiara

$150,000

Tom Metzen Memorial Canterbury

$175,000

Emerald

$200,000

Jewel

*New for 2026 19

NEWS

HBPA NEWS EMPRESS ADDED TO CLAIMING CROWN CARD

GWEN DAVIS/DAVIS INNOVATION

he Claiming Crown, back at Churchill Downs November 14 for the third straight year and fourth time in five, is adding a ninth race to bring the event’s total purses to $1.2 million, plus additional money for Kentucky-bred starters. The $100,000 Claiming Crown Empress at 6 furlongs will be for fillies and mares that have raced for a $16,000 claiming price or less in 2025–26. The Empress was incorporated into Colonial Downs’ Claiming Crown Showcase Day, which returned to the Virginia track for the second year August 22. The top two finishers in each of the Claiming Crown Showcase races received an automatic entry into the corresponding race at Churchill. Showcase winners will get a $2,000 travel stipend from the Virginia HBPA if they run back in the Claiming Crown. “We are excited to expand both events by adding a ninth race,” said National HBPA CEO Eric Hamelback. “The Empress demonstrates our commitment to growing the Claiming Crown and creating more opportunities for horsemen and women. Because the Claiming Crown races generally overfill, we encourage owners and trainers to use Colonial Downs’ Claiming Crown Showcase to try to secure their spot at Churchill Downs while running for a very nice purse in its own right.” The first deadline to request Claiming Crown eligibility for horses is Friday, October 23, for a fee of $250 per horse per event. Entries will be taken for the 28th Claiming Crown November 7. The Claiming Crown last offered a ninth race in 2021 at Gulfstream Park. But the enthusiasm for the event overall encouraged the Kentucky HBPA and

THE 2026 CLAIMING CROWN RETURNS TO CHURCHILL DOWNS FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR AND FOURTH TIME IN FIVE YEARS NOVEMBER 14.

Churchill Downs to bring back the filly and mare sprint, with the host track and its horsemen ultimately determining which races are run because they fund the purses. Horses came from 15 racing jurisdictions and 30 racetracks last year, reflecting 110 trainers and 54 jockeys in the Claiming Crown entries. The average field size for last year’s 11-race card overall was 10.5 horses, with the Claiming Crown races averaging 11.75 starters. Churchill reported total handle of $12.8 million, almost 25% more than the $10.3 million in 2024 and the largest since $14.6 million in 2020 when there were nine Claiming Crown races at Gulfstream Park. The TwinSpires Claiming Crown NHC Qualifier online handicapping tournament also returns for the second year. Based on the Claiming Crown races, the live-money competition will award at least two seats to the 2027 National Horseplayers Championship March 5-7 in Las Vegas. —Jennie Rees

HAMELBACK EARNS RTCA COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

COURTESY OF RTCA

Max Corrales, a member of the Santa Anita Park gate crew, will receive the 2026 RTCA White Horse Award for his courageous response to a dangerous prerace incident at Santa Anita. When a horse in the starting gate threw jockey Tiago Josue Pereira, Corrales immediately jumped down from his station and placed himself between the rider and the horse, risking his own safety to protect the rider. Although Corrales was injured while rolling Pereira out of harm’s way, his quick judgment and bravery helped prevent a potentially catastrophic accident. GWEN DAVIS/DAVIS INNOVATION

ric Hamelback, CEO of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, will be honored during the Race Track Chaplaincy of America’s Night of Faith, Hope and Love Tuesday, October 27, at Keeneland Race Course. Hamelback will receive the 2026 RTCA Community Service Award, presented to an individual who has made meaningful contributions to racetrack chaplaincy ministries and the broader horse racing community. The award recognizes those who generously devote their time and energy to serving others and advancing the sport. “Few people promote the chaplaincy and its benefits more than Eric,” said Dan Waits, RTCA executive director. “The strong relationship between RTCA chaplaincies and HBPA affiliates nationwide is due in large part to Eric’s support of RTCA National. We are thrilled to honor him with this well-deserved recognition.” A Louisiana native and LSU graduate, Hamelback has held leadership roles at Prestonwood Farm, Adena Springs Farm and Live Oak Stud. He serves on several racing industry boards and is a dedicated advocate for the retraining and rehoming of off-track Thoroughbreds. The RTCA’s event also will honor the 2026 recipient of the White Horse Award, a special honor given to individuals in the racing community whose courageous, compassionate and selfless actions have made a meaningful impact on the lives of others, human or horse. Every year, remarkable stories emerge that remind us of the character, dedication and heart found throughout our industry.

MAX CORRALES, A MEMBER OF THE STARTING GATE CREW AT SANTA ANITA, WILL RECEIVE THE RTCA WHITE HORSE AWARD FOR HIS QUICK ACTIONS ASSISTING JOCKEY TIAGO JOSUE PEREIRA.

NATIONAL HBPA CEO ERIC HAMELBACK WILL RECEIVE THE RTCA’S COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD DURING THE NIGHT OF FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE EVENT IN LATE OCTOBER AT KEENELAND.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

ROUGHLY $4 MILLION TO BE PAID TO THOROUGHBRED

OWNERS & BREEDERS IN OKLAHOMA THIS YEAR

THOROUGHBRED RACING ASSOCIATION OF OKLAHOMA ONE REMINGTON PLACE | OKLAHOMA CITY 405.427.8753 | WWW.TRAORACING.COM

Entries as of August 3, 2026 Follow them and learn more at www.TheRRP.org/entries A Few too Many, '18 Dk B/Br G (Decisive Moment - Sasha's Reward)

Classical Cat, '20 B G (Mendelssohn - Conquest Strate Up)

Abject, '23 C G (Vino Rosso - Disclude) Ad Infinitum, '22 B G (Into Mischief - Anuket) Adherent, '22 C G (Om - Justenufappeal) ② Admiration, '14 C G (Unbridled's Song - Lady of Choice) After Dark, '22 B G (Ghostzapper - Desert Rendezvous) ② A'intyoudreamin, '09 C G (Indy King - Ain't Life Grand) Al Tirah, '20 Gr/Ro M (Cross Traffic - My Gal Lexie) Albedo, '21 Dk B/Br G (Leofric - Belle de France) Alcove, '21 Dk B/Br G (Twirling Candy - Structure) Alicia's Way, '19 B M (Laoban - Firm and Gracious) All Green Lights, '21 Dk B/Br G (Sharp Azteca - Indyniable) Altissimo, '13 B G (Noble Causeway - Great Goin Rose) Alvear, '22 B G (More Than Ready - Pretty Perfect (IRE)) American War Hero, '21 Dk B/Br G (Constitution - Libby's Tail) Analog, '21 Dk B/Br M (Sharp Azteca - Rare Match) Anisette, '21 C M (Central Banker - Anais)

Coach Petro, '20 B G (Cairo Prince - Hey Niki) Grand Avila, '22 B G (Improbable - Thats Our Princess) Coal Bank Road, '18 B G (R. C. Royal - Never Doubt) Grand Pick, '20 B G (Cajun Breeze - Astruggleforbeauty) Coinin, '21 C G (Hoppertunity - Cailin Alainn) Graphene Cassock, '20 Dk B/Br G (Hard Spun - Chapel) Commando Joe, '20 B G (Greeley's Conquest - Cactus Joe) Greener Pastures, '18 C G (Lea - Vicarious Won) ② Covington Quality, '14 B G (Backstabber - Bahama Baby) ② Groovy Cape, '12 B G (Fear the Cape - Agnes M.) Cowboy Church, '21 B G (Speightster - Fifteen Church) Gruden Grinder, '22 B G (Bolt d'Oro - Half A. P.) ① Coyote Queen, '11 C M (Early Flyer - Coyote Cafe) Gucci to My Hooves, '21 Dk B/Br G (Valiant Minister - Wildcat Chatter) Crabtree, '21 C G (Tapiture - Sweet Dixie Belle) Gwyneth's Malibu, '20 Gr/Ro G (Malibu Moon - Mystic Miracle) ② Crafty Daddy, '16 B G (Scat Daddy - Eager Emma) Hair On Fire, '21 B G (Flameaway - Deputy Cures Blues) Crees Valentyme, '20 B M (Mor Spirit - Reckless Betty) Han o' War, '22 B G (War Dancer - Hannah's Smile) Crews In To Win, '21 B M (Big Brown - Sweet Frost) Hanalei Bay, '21 B G (Into Mischief - Bonne Rafaela (BRZ)) Datesfreedom, '19 Dk B/Br G (American Freedom - Southern Truth) ② Happy Farm, '14 Dk B/Br G (Ghostzapper - Gospel Girl) Dawson, '21 B G (Connect - Jen's Rules) ② Happy To Be Here, '10 B G (Full Mandate - Happy Honeymoon) Dear John, '22 C M (Killybegs Captain - Hardly) Hard Rye Guy, '18 C G (Hard Spun - La Pomme D'Amour) Del Moon, '19 Gr/Ro G (Malibu Moon - Delphinia) Hari, '20 Dk B/Br G (War Dancer - Dancing Bay) ② Delawana Princess, '20 B M (Mineshaft - State Cup) Harry Hood, '20 B G (First Samurai - Destiny Unbound (IRE)) Denim N Lace, '19 Gr/Ro M (Macho Uno - Pritchett) He Better Bee Fast, '22 B G (Bee Jersey - Emmalee)

② Any Given Royal, '09 B G (Any Given Saturday - Really Royal)

Grand Aspen, '19 B G (Dialed In - Lady Aspen)

Arch’s Angel, '21 B M (Good Samaritan - Weave) Destin’s Rainbow, '21 Dk B/Br G (Destin - Becky's Rainbow) Heleonortiz, '19 B M (Tiznow - Heleonor Rugby) ② Armonico, '15 B G (Wrote (IRE) - Camp Surprise) Devious Banker, '19 Dk B/Br G (Central Banker - Devious Chic) Her Lucky Diamond, '22 C M (Breaking Lucky - Watch Her Strut) Arrogates Spirit, '19 Gr/Ro G (Arrogate - Melody's Spirit) ② Devoted to You, '18 B G (Bayern - Loving Lorraine) He's On Fire, '20 C G (Friesan Fire - Music Town) Athena d'Oro, '21 Dk B/Br M (Atreides - Fallen Arches) ② Diabolical Might, '18 B G (Diabolical - Sky Sprite) Hey Macarena, '20 B M (Mr. Gold Mover - Exotic Pride) Aunt Ruth, '19 B M (V. E. Day - Hope Cross (IRE)) Diamond Reo, '22 B G (Improbable - Our Hope Diamond) Hez All Out, '22 B G (Flat Out - Appealing Apple) Awesome Enough, '17 Gr/Ro G (Awesome of Course - Valuable Miss) Digital Sale, '22 C M (Lord Nelson - Quick Hit Fever) High Enough, '21 Dk B/Br G (Hightail - Luminoso) B T’s Bad Boy, '18 Dk B/Br G (Holiday Justice - Wyalaya) Dirty Gold, '21 B M (Flameaway - Figlia d'Oro) Hope for Glory, '22 C M (Hoppertunity - Grace N Favor) Backyard Justice, '20 B G (Harry's Holiday - Breezy Pointess) Dixie Street, '17 B G (New Year's Day - Scootles) Humstinger, '21 B G (Laoban - Bee in a Bonnet) Banditsgoldenchild, '21 B G (Golden Lad - Onearmedband) Don Eladio, '22 Dk B/Br G (Young Brian - Nightfury) Huntington, '20 B G (Uncle Mo - Haunted Heroine) Banjo Bill, '15 C G (K One King - Magic School) Donegal Momentum, '21 Dk B/Br G (Uncle Mo - Moon Dash) Hurricane Dude, '21 C G (First Dude - Elusive Laura) Baricci, '21 B G (Mendelssohn - Sugarille) Donut God, '22 B G (Into Mischief - Sweet Kisses) I Am the Game, '20 Dk B/Br G (Mendelssohn - Talihina Sky) Barn Buster, '22 B G (Isotherm - Phoenicia) ② Drafted, '14 Gr/Ro G (Field Commission - Keep the Profit) I’m Your Valentine, '19 C G (Wicked Strong - C K Given) ② Battle Creek, '17 Dk B/Br G (Tiznow - Desert Gazelle) Dreamalongwithme, '21 Dk B/Br G (Always Dreaming - Lady Rullah) Imperial Moment, '17 Gr/Ro G (American Pharoah - South Bank) Baytown Bulleit, '22 B G (Improbable - Peace Taker) Duke Of Love, '19 B G (Cupid - Tell the Duchess) Improbable Luck, '22 B G (Improbable - Lahaina Luck) Baytown Fury, '22 C G (Daredevil - Accumulate) Dye Pack, '23 C M (Maximum Security - Swiss Wild Cat) In the Arch, '18 Dk B/Br G (Dialed In - Arch Almighty) Beach Hero, '22 Dk B/Br G (Omaha Beach - Mundy Road) Dynamitendiamonds, '22 B M (Gormley - Literary Lady) Including Ellie, '16 Dk B/Br M (Include - Four Once) Beastorburden, '22 C M (Hoppertunity - Lady Gracenote) Earthling, '22 Gr/Ro G (Improbable - Esperance) Indy’s Universe, '22 Dk B/Br M (Unified - Indy Takes Charge) ① Becca's Diamond, '15 Gr/Ro M (Graydar - Spit Curl) Eastern Extension (IRE), '21 B G (Cable Bay (IRE) - Rainbow Vale (FR)) Inspired Irish, '20 C G (Irish War Cry - Secure Access) Beck's Spirit, '22 C G (Protonico - Pleasure Trip) El Dollar, '22 Dk B/Br G (Fog of War - Fast Franny) It’s Saul Right, '20 Dk B/Br M (Smokem - Paula's Pistol) Beeline, '21 C G (Bee Jersey - Secretariat Humor) El Hermano, '16 C G (El Padrino - Monkton Miss) Its Five Somewhere, '16 Dk B/Br G (Stay Thirsty - Silk Or Satin) ② Elusive Empire, '20 Gr/Ro G (Pioneerof the Nile - Classy Grey Lassy) Itzcoatl, '21 B G (Sharp Azteca - First Glory) Bernie White Socks, '22 B G (Bernardini - Zelda Rose) Best Hop Is a Drop, '21 C G (Free Drop BIlly - Scarlett D'Herea) Enjoy the Game, '22 Dk B/Br G (War of Will - Miss Luna) Jacohare, '18 C G (Midshipman - Palace Dreams) Betcha By Golly, '18 Dk B/Br M (Tapizar - Flit) Equaljusticeforall, '18 Dk B/Br G (Constitution - Lilac Lily) Jar, '22 B G (Twirling Candy - Snuff) Beto's Birdie, '22 B M (Higher Power - Beep Beep Birdie) ② Ernie Banker, '17 B G (Central Banker - Tall Timbercowgirl) Javadifar, '22 B M (Pass Rush - Veiled Vow) Billy's Reward, '21 C G (Free Drop Billy - Maximum Reward) Everyrosehasathorn, '21 B G (Shame on Charlie - Poised by Design) Jay Vee Bee, '16 Gr/Ro G (Data Link - Sinkit) Blazing Red, '20 C G (Uptowncharlybrown - Our Diva) ② Everything's a Bet, '12 Dk B/Br G (Everything Free - Colmena) ② Jeff the Lion, '15 C G (American Lion - Dutchie) Bloomin Heart, '22 Gr/Ro M (Cupid - Snowflake Obsidian) F J’s Warrior, '22 Dk B/Br M (Brethren - Joust) Jersey Cat, '22 B G (Bee Jersey - Moon Star Magic) Blue Vortex, '21 Dk B/Br M (Air Force Blue - Sirenusa) Fantastic Forest, '23 Dk B/Br M (Rainbow Heir - Forest Funds) Jimmie's Halo, '19 C G (Speed Limit - Lauren P.) Bobby Anton, '21 B G (Dads Caps - Quick Wampum) Fast Learner, '21 C G (Accelerate - Academy Street) Jova, '15 Dk B/Br G (Holiday Promise - Opata) Booyah, '19 Dk B/Br G (Lemon Drop Kid - Clairenation) Fastnfurious, '19 Dk B/Br G (Gun Runner - Toccet Over) Just My Type, '22 C M (Madefromlucky - Majestic Melresa) Boss' Dialin In, '19 C G (Dialed In - Lady Vi) Feelin So Lucky, '21 B M (Madefromlucky - Seeking Options) Kahala, '20 B G (Broken Vow - Karula) ① Bottle Dance, '13 C M (Cape Blanco (IRE) - Alkmaar) Ferrari Kid, '20 B G (Goldencents - Catch the Flag) Kamparri, '21 Dk B/Br G (Flat Out - Mudlaff Charlie) ② Bourbon Creed, '19 B G (Jimmy Creed - Tremendamente Loca) Field Day, '18 B G (Broken Vow - Sunny Isles) ① Katie's Belle, '16 B M (Temple City - Just a Jingle) Bourbon Heist, '19 B G (Practical Joke - Elusive One) Fifty One Fifty, '20 B G (Khozan - Lago Lindo) Keep a Copy, '22 B G (Keep Up - Mimeograph) Brady, '19 B G (Brethren - Tiz Boa) Firsthand Justice, '16 C G (Tidal Volume - Fly Gold Air) King of the Track, '21 B G (Bolt d'Oro - I Love America) Broken A, '21 B M (Drill - Bossy Bird) ② Five Berg, '19 B G (Temple City - Bold Print) Kissling, '22 B G (Practical Joke - Flip the Switch) Buchies Packin, '20 C G (Bucchero - Unwrapped Package) Five Star Run, '21 B G (Runhappy - Five Star Factor) Kyle's Sister, '22 B M (Paynter - Royal Class) Buckle Up, '20 Dk B/Br G (Bucchero - Smart Kit) Fleeting Atte, '19 B G (Afleet Alex - Attemptress) ② L G Suprem, '09 Dk B/Br G (Supremo - Lady's And Gent's) Busting Credit, '19 B G (Bustin Stones - Accrediting) ② Flowers For Lisa, '13 C G (Flower Alley - Indyan Lisa) La Fiere, '21 B M (Noble Mission (GB) - Bay Island) ① Buy Wave Buy, '16 C M (Unusual Heatwave - Limited Passion) Fly Without Cupid, '22 Dk B/Br M (Cupid - With Me Without Me) Lady McSparkles, '22 B M (McKinzie - Lady Dude) ② C C's Warrior, '13 B G (A. P. Warrior - Allen's Ms) Follow the Trend (GB), '22 Dk B/Br G (Study of Man (IRE) - Almiranta (GB)) Leahmaria, '21 B M (Gormley - Save My Place) Cajun Cruiser, '21 B G (Catalina Cruiser - Wild Ridge) Cajun Fool, '21 Gr/Ro G (Cajun Breeze - Lago Lindo) Cali Bay (IRE), '18 C G (New Bay (GB) - Majestic Dancer (IRE)) Call Me Rip, '21 C G (Custom for Carlos - Brahms Baby) ① Cameo Shores, '17 B M (Sky Mesa - Westline) ② Camp Gray, '20 B G (Unified - Goretti) Candy Land Delight, '22 C G (Candy Ride (ARG) - Sweet Love) Can't Stop Staring, '21 B M (Runhappy - Srikinglybeautiful) Captain Perfect, '22 B G (Killybegs Captain - Clearly Perfect)

② Forbidden Kitten, '15 B G (Kitten's Joy - Secret Union) Forest Fuel, '21 B M (Rainbow Heir - Forest Funds) Frankie's Rose, '21 B M (Frank Conversation - Rose Sayer) Freedom's Start, '19 B G (Jump Start - New Freedom) Full Armor, '21 B G (Blame - Miss Tattle Tale) Funny Road, '21 C M (Three Chopt Road - I'm Very Funny) Gala Star, '22 Gr/Ro G (American Freedom - Cause She's Fast) ② Galan, '17 B G (Gone Astray - The Marikutana)

Legend’s Journey, '21 Dk B/Br G (Elusive Journey - Sassified) Like a Saltshaker, '18 B G (Peace and Justice - With Sprinkles) Likeagentleman, '22 B G (Mastery - Uniquely Chic) ② Lil B Quick, '15 B M (Graeme Hall - Aiden's Lil Devil) ② Lil Deuce Coop, '15 B G (Amwaal - Truly Special) Li'l Lang, '21 B G (Tapiture - Positively Jean) Li'l Miss Camille, '19 B M (Exaggerator - Who Is Camille) Liquor Talk, '21 C G (Oscar Performance - K. D.'s Shady Lady) Garrison Forest (IRE), '19 B G (Walk In The Park (IRE) - My Pollyanna (IRE))Little Silver Girl, '22 C M (Smiling Tiger - Sensational Nikki)

Captain Quint, '19 B G (Mosler - Gansett) Captains Choice, '22 B G (Oxbow - Tapit Ten) Captive Heart, '21 C M (Malibu Moon - Sweet Avery) ② Carry The Burden, '14 B G (Flower Alley - West Africa) Cees Get Degrees, '18 B G (Paynter - Indian Cee) Chasing Miracles, '23 B G (Good Magic - Le Relais) Chesapeake Dream, '22 B G (Hard Spun - Cairo Cutie) Chief Howcome, '17 C G (City Zip - Secret Kitten)

Gem Mint Ten, '20 B G (Laoban - Dixie Gem) Global Giant, '22 B G (Global Campaign - Magger Bags) ② Go Code, '20 B G (Honor Code - Princess Kennedy) Go Margie Go, '21 C M (Exaggerator - Lil Super Bear) Gogo Gadget, '21 Dk B/Br G (Aldrin - Littlemissgogo) ② Golden Confusion, '19 C G (Goldencents - Causeforconfusion) Goldini, '18 C G (Goldencents - Caradini) Gone To Caro, '22 Gr/Ro M (Redirect - Little Tessa)

② Little Two, '16 Dk B/Br G (Wrote (IRE) - Mountain Lady) Littlegirljustice, '22 Dk B/Br M (Imagining - La Piu Bella) Living Water, '19 Dk B/Br G (Divining Rod - Amapola) Lone Tree, '21 Gr/Ro G (Twice as Bad - Justa Dollar) Lookin For Loki, '18 B G (Into Mischief - Bella Dorato) Lookin To Excel, '19 B G (Lookin At Lucky - Macaabra (IRE)) Lots Of Sass, '21 Dk B/Br M (Biondetti - Sassy Ombre) Lotta Charlie, '22 B G (Uptowncharlybrown - Lady Cheyne)

Key: Stakes Horses | ① Former Broodmare | ② Graduate

Entries as of August 3, 2026 Follow them and learn more at www.TheRRP.org/entries Lucky Two Day, '22 Dk B/Br G (Uncle Lino - Fast Fionnuala) Luna Llena, '22 Gr/Ro M (Street Strategy - Proud Mover) Lunar Mine, '22 B G (Mineshaft - Cats Halo) Majestic Eagle, '15 B G (Medaglia d'Oro - Double Tapped) Major Offensive, '21 B G (War Front - Seek and Destroy) Manta Rey, '20 C G (Good Samaritan - Shocking Behavior) Mark's Buddy Jacin, '20 B G (Wicked Strong - Chicks Are Better) Mary in the Irons, '22 Gr/Ro M (Sakonnet - Big Expense) ② Maryland Pride, '14 B G (Hard Spun - Katherine'skadence) Max Pandowdy, '17 B G (Albertus Maximus - Apple Pandowdy) Michele M., '20 Dk B/Br M (West Coast - Juliamarie) Midnight Royal, '19 Dk B/Br G (Midnight Lute - Dolly Peach) Midnight Trouble, '20 Dk B/Br G (Midnight Lute - Zarleeza) Midnight Twister, '22 Dk B/Br G (Bradester - Volant) Mo Liberty, '21 B G (Uncle Mo - Liberty Lady) Mo Rissa, '20 Dk B/Br M (Mo Town - Rose Pedals) Moctezuma Island, '22 C G (Uptowncharlybrown - Mabel Island) Mor Valor, '21 Dk B/Br G (Mor Spirit - Makoo) Morrigana, '22 Dk B/Br M (Warrior's Reward - More Than This) Mr Bingo, '20 B G (Bolt d'Oro - Lady Bling) Mr Tito’s, '17 Dk B/Br G (Mr Speaker - Mighty Katherine) Mucho Grande, '21 B G (Mucho Macho Man - Aes Sedai) Mucho Macho Eddie, '17 B G (Mucho Macho Man - Helloo Regina) ② Mucho Misstique, '20 B M (Mucho Macho Man - Miss Scarlett Road)

Red Line Overdrive, '19 Dk B/Br G (Nyquist - Spirit of the Dawn) Red Regret, '22 C M (Bucchero - E Major) Repeat After Me, '20 B M (Funtastic - Malibu Citi) Rev Too, '21 B G (Outwork - Nominative) Riddler, '22 B G (Practical Joke - Proud Indian) Right On Richie, '20 B H (Big Blue Kitten - Richysthunderingal) Risen Savior, '19 B G (Crown of Thorns - Ruttzy Tuttzy) Risky Roads, '21 C M (Bellamy Road - Beautiful Risk) River in Egypt, '20 Dk B/Br G (Cairo Prince - Glide On By) Rock d’Oro, '22 B G (Bold d'Oro - Rockport Babe) Rocking to Home, '19 C G (Limehouse - Roche) Roman Empire, '17 B G (Empire Maker - Positively Royal) Roman Eyes, '22 Dk B/Br G (Roman Gladiator - Close Your Eyes)

① Temple Belle, '18 B M (Temple City - Hour Queen) Texas Air Force, '21 Dk B/Br G (Air Force Blue - Texas to a Tee) Thairgo, '17 Gr/Ro G (Winslow Homer - La Chilita) The Hero Code, '21 Gr/Ro G (Tapit - Photograph) The Man to See, '19 B G (Bodemeister - Winsanity) The Toner, '22 C G (Maclean's Music - Ultimate Shopper) The Tortured Poet, '22 Dk B/Br G (Violence - Princee Pie) Thefrontiersman, '21 Dk B/Br G (Flameaway - Echluath) Tilson, '23 C G (Instagrand - Cambier Parc) ② Time Heist, '17 B G (Gervinho - Bachelorette One) Title Track, '21 B G (Medaglia d'Oro - Music Note) Titos With a Twist, '20 Dk B/Br G (Lemon Drop Kid - Maddy's Heart) Tittle, '22 Dk B/Br M (Country Day - Lafitte's Mistress) ② Runawaygrasshopper, '15 Gr/Ro G (Grasshopper - Runaway Cater) Town Barber, '20 C G (Speightstown - Disco Barbie) Runner's Heat, '19 C M (Northern Afleet - Vicar's Vixen) Trillion Town, '22 B G (Mitole - Yankee Lass) Runnin' Ray, '16 B G (Street Sense - Court Dress) Tuscaloosa, '22 Dk B/Br G (Candy Ride (ARG) - Maya Malibu) Ruschka, '22 C M (Speightster - Veruschka) Twice a Dollar, '22 B M (Twice as Bad - My Last Dollar) Rustler, '18 Dk B/Br G (Dominus - Latest Thinking) ② Unbeknownst To Me, '16 B G (Fed Biz - Perfect Paula) Sailingtheislands, '21 B G (Passion for Action - Tancook) Uncle Timmy, '22 B G (Twirling Candy - Somethingelse) Saint Devereaux, '21 Dk B/Br M (Uncle Lino - Love Heart) Uncle's the Banker, '21 B G (Goldencents - Aunty Mo) Saltwater Vixen, '22 Gr/Ro M (American Freedom - Bliss) Union Data, '19 B G (Midshipman - Im a Bear) ② Saminator, '22 Dk B/Br G (Liaison - Four of Hearts) Union Thunder, '22 C G (Union Rags - Money Never Sleeps) Saponara, '18 Dk B/Br G (Mosler - Dancinginthecity) Uno Mas Bourbon, '21 Gr/Ro G (Macho Uno - Camielee) Saratoga Weekend, '20 Dk B/Br G (Destin - Felisa) Urgent Fury, '20 Gr/Ro G (Creative Cause - Tell Me Again)

Munnycantbuymelove, '16 C G (Munnings - Adios Caballero) My Sobriety, '22 Gr/Ro G (Volatile - Boom Boom Boom) Mya C, '21 Gr/Ro M (The Factor - Sharbat)

② Victoria E, '16 B M (Warrior's Reward - Escape With Me) Voodoo Devil, '21 B G (Paynter - Devils Dragonfly) Sea The Ocean (IRE), '21 B G (Crystal Ocean (GB) - Indian Frontier (IRE)) Walker’s Gap, '19 B G (Unfettered - Lillehammer)

Mystic Storm, '20 B M (Sharp Azteca - Reign Suzanne) Mystifier, '18 B G (Americain - Chasin Mason) Mythomania, '20 B G (Exaggerator - Susie's Daddy) Nebulosa, '19 Gr/Ro G (Twinspired - Scarletts for Real) Nelson Gate, '22 C G (Kitten's Joy - Summer Rules) ② Nineteen Oysters, '20 Gr/Ro G (Bolt d'Oro - Platinum Song) Nineties Trend, '22 B G (Higher Power - Love Not Lost) No Fear No Limits, '22 B M (Song of the Sword - Shrinky Dink)

Seeing Red, '20 C G (Klimt - Obregon) ② Wally K, '15 Gr/Ro G (Cashel Castle - Lil Carmelita) ② Sekt, '21 C G (Mendelssohn - Champagne Forever (FR)) War Dept Calling, '22 Dk B/Br G (Munnings - The War Department) Set Point (IRE), '18 B G (Sea The Stars (IRE) - Hot Sauce (IRE)) War Map, '21 Gr/Ro G (Liam's Map - Assets of War) She’s Inthearmynow, '20 C M (Army Mule - First Fed Biz) We Got This, '21 C G (Get Stormy - Riot) Shedevr (GB), '22 Dk B/Br G (Sergei Prokofiev - Holberg Suite (GB)) Wedge, '23 B G (Rowayton - Meadow Dance) ② Shelbenie, '14 C M (Ice Box - Apache Tears) Wendell Fong, '16 Dk B/Br G (Flat Out - Augusta Queen) Shemitebeaporche, '21 Gr/Ro M (Itsthesameoldsong - Tidalove) Where Is Lisa, '21 B G (Divining Rod - Hayley Agnes) ① Shesmyheartandsoul, '14 Dk B/Br M (Rockport Harbor - Wildheartsneverdie) Wherever You Are, '21 C G (Dialed In - My Heart Goes On)

Nobel Speaker, '19 Dk B/Br G (Mr Speaker - Dynamite Dame) Northern Cardinal, '21 B G (Mor Spirit - K C's Songofprayer) Not That Sleepy, '23 C G (Sleepy Eyes Todd - Everybody Does It) Oaken, '16 C G (Giant Oak - Antique Silver) ② Oboy, '19 B G (Limehouse - Stray Bullet) Ocean City, '20 Dk B/Br G (American Pharoah - Unicorn Girl) Olive On Top, '23 B M (Midshipman - Rollin At the Top) ② One Drop, '15 C H (Lemon Drop Kid - Loveofalifetime) One Good Raison, '21 B M (Raison d'Etat - One Call Away)

Sasafran, '22 B M (Maximus Mischief - Tynagh Spirit) Savel, '21 Gr/Ro M (Pavel - Loan Savant)

Shore Lodge, '22 B M (Omaha Beach - Conway Two Step) White Dove, '21 Gr/Ro M (Violence - Tizway That Way) Show Sliding Home, '14 B G (Alcindor - Slide Show) Win and Be Happy, '20 B G (Runhappy - Victory On Tap) Showrunner, '22 C G (Not This Time - New Angel (GB)) Win For Laila, '19 B M (Golddigger's Boy - Head for the Hills) Sigalert, '16 B G (Street Sense - Ouchy Night) With Full Honors, '21 B G (Honor Code - Sunday Gravy) Silent Princess, '21 Dk B/Br M (Silent Name (JPN) - Zoogdidi (GB)) Wodeton (FR), '19 Dk B/Br G (Wootton Bassett (GB) - Amanda Carter (GB)) Silent Tone, '23 Dk B/Br G (Tonalist - Silent Rap) Work Order, '20 B G (Outwork - Baby Bird) Silver Bear, '22 Gr/Ro G (Calculator - Corsica) Work Release, '22 Dk B/Br G (Mor Spirit - Stellaluce) Silver Heist, '20 Gr/Ro G (Tapit - Silvery Starlet) X J Rascal (IRE), '20 B G (Kodiac (GB) - Fine If (IRE)) ① Silver Kitty, '13 Gr/Ro M (Northern Afleet - Unconditional) ② Yes and Yes, '16 B G (Sidney's Candy - Aberdeen Alley) Oodles and Boodles, '22 Gr/Ro M (Awesome Slew - Takethedoeandrun) Smart Mo, '20 B G (Mo Town - Vendita) Yesterdaysplan, '16 C M (Plan - Yesterdaystouch) Opal Bay, '21 B M (Upstart - Friendly Emma) Smash City, '23 Dk B/Br G (City of Light - Hennesey Smash) Yo Bro, '22 B G (Omaha Beach - Cavanaugh Park (IRE)) Opry, '16 B G (Declaration of War - That Voodoo Youdo) Smeauxkinitup, '21 Gr/Ro G (Laoban - Smeauxkininthelane) Z Races, '21 C G (The Big Beast - Sierra Love) ② Origami, '21 C G (Yoshida (JPN) - Caribbean Sea) Solar Power, '20 Gr/Ro G (Skylord - Royal Energy) Zuccarace, '20 B G (Race Day - Zucca) Our Ethan Charles, '21 B G (Bandbox - Anofficerandalady) Solrun, '21 B M (Holiday Promise - Nice Dreams) Distribution of this entry list to Our Girl Flint, '21 B M (Flintshire (GB) - Sugarandice) South Bend, '17 B G (Algorithms - Sandra's Rose) tracks throughout the country is Ox Tap, '21 B G (Oxbow - Tapicera) South Pacific, '19 B M (Practical Joke - Ravissante) generously made possible by: ② Palimonium, '19 Dk B/Br G (Greenpointcrusader - Genuine Treasure) ② Southbeachsandy, '08 B G (Aggadan - Really American) Pawtucketshuffle, '22 C M (Thousand Words - Revelation Road) Sparra, '20 B G (Goldencents - Pelican Lake) Paynter’s Boy, '15 B H (Paynter - Andri) Speed Warning, '20 C G (American Freedom - Zippy Speed) Pepper J, '23 B G (Beau Liam - Piccolo Flats) Square Tomatoes, '18 C M (Square Eddie - Toomanytomatoes) Perform, '20 B G (Good Magic - Jane Says) St. Eligius, '20 Dk B/Br G (Bolt d'Oro - Forever Discreet (AUS)) Pickford, '15 B H (Hat Trick (JPN) - Chantilly Nayla) Staged Conflict, '22 Gr/Ro M (Fog of War - Stage Luck) Pietrelcina, '20 B G (Noble Mission (GB) - Striking Bella) Starlite Walker, '18 C G (Tapiture - Sisheba) Play On Evan, '22 C G (Society's Chairman - Simple as That) Starstudded Affair, '21 B G (Star Guitar - King's Ghost) Playing Cupid, '22 C G (Cupid - Lavalier) Steeler Mischief, '21 B G (Maximus Mischief - Heart Union) Portos, '17 Gr/Ro G (Tapit - Fierce Boots) Sterling Class, '22 C M (V. E. Day - Mt. Sterling Mary) Poseidons Myth, '18 Gr/Ro G (Poseidon's Warrior - Trade Fair) Stimuli, '22 Dk B/Br G (Tom's d'Etat - Starry Rose) Power Driver, '22 C M (Khozan - Driving Mrs B) Storming Nun, '23 B M (Catholic Boy - Stormy Salute) Whether you bred them, owned them, ② Prevalence, '18 B G (Medaglia d'Oro - Enrichment) ② Straight Answer (GB), '19 Dk B/Br G (Kodiac (GB) - Straight Thinking) trained them, galloped them, or simply Prince Abama (IRE), '18 C G (Tamayuz (GB) - Abama Lady) Street Hockey, '22 Dk B/Br G (Street Boss - Chabeso) loved them, Makeover Connections is Princess Jessica, '22 B M (Lord Shanakill - Jessica's Tak) Street Riddler, '22 Gr/Ro G (Street Strategy - Utani) your invitation to celebrate the horses you've helped shape and reconnect with Prota, '17 C G (Alpha - Keysong) Striking Lad, '21 C G (Drill - Striking Lass) the people who shared in their journey. Psychedelic, '20 Gr/Ro M (Funtastic - Gracious Sakes) Stubborn, '22 Gr/Ro M (Volatile - Sipmychardonnaynae) Follow the QR code to learn more. Pullmeback In, '22 B G (Dialed In - Adler) Sue Loves Barbados, '18 B G (Barbados - Quiet Run) Que Sera Sir Ralph, '18 C G (Haynesfield - Norah's Kitten) ② Sum Midnight Star, '11 B G (Midnight Lute - Sumthingtotalkabt) Questionable Risk, '22 B G (Quality Road - No Questions Asked) Sweet Crystal, '20 B M (Twirling Candy - Crystal Lake Drive) Quiet Moon, '22 B G (Bernardini - Smooth Quality) Sweet Silver Kiss, '21 Gr/Ro M (Mohaymen - Kissesforcaroline) Raetastic, '21 Gr/Ro M (Funtastic - Space Cadet) Sword Of Damocles, '19 C G (Machen - Natalie's Wonder) Raging Bear, '20 C G (Old Forester - Bear All Over) Sylvia I Am, '19 B G (Jump Start - Sylvia's Sweetart) Rahmer, '17 B G (Golden Lad - Grand Canyon Gold) Talis Park Grad, '17 Gr/Ro G (Magna Graduate - Serena Ballerina) Reaction, '22 Dk B/Br G (Uncle Mo - Lastofthesummerwine) Tap N Glo, '19 B M (Tapiture - Aunt Glo)

Key: Stakes Horses | ① Former Broodmare | ② Graduate

GWEN DAVIS/DAVIS INNOVATION

FEATURE

American Shedrow

Rhodes Less Traveled By Jennie Rees

Les Rhodes is believed to be America’s oldest active trainer— and he does all the work himself at age 94

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

I just love the horses. When I’m not around the horses and stuff, it just seems like a bad situation. — Les Rhodes

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

COURTESY OF IOWA HBPA

here are old-school horse trainers. And then there is Les Rhodes. The owner-trainer on the Iowa and Nebraska circuit has an old flip phone that he concedes he barely knows how to work. Forget using a computer. He says he couldn’t even turn one on. Doesn’t own a credit card. But while Rhodes’ official Equibase statistics as a Thoroughbred trainer list 68 career wins, it’s quite possible that no one in the annals of American racing can match him for perseverance: At 94, Rhodes is the oldest active horse trainer that the Association of Racing Commissioners International can identify in its North American licensing database. If you count riding in unsanctioned races at Oklahoma bush tracks starting at age 12, Rhodes has been directly involved with some form of racing for 82 years, minus his 11 years in the Army. “I just love the horses,” the Korean War veteran said in an interview via Zoom with assistance from Iowa HBPA Executive Director Jon Moss. “When I’m not around the horses and stuff, it just seems like a bad situation. I don’t care if they win a stakes race or if they run for $2,500, I treat them all the same. I’ve just been with horses all my life, and that’s where I’ll be until I die.” Perhaps the best-known nonagenarian trainer is the late Californiabased Noble Threewitt, who retired on his 96th birthday in 2007. However, Rhodes doesn’t just train. He’s the groom and hotwalker as well. He mucks out all his stalls, washes out the feed tubs and water buckets, brushes his horses, combs out the manes and tails, picks the feet, legs up the exercise rider, leads the horses where they need to be, puts them on the walking wheel, fills and hangs the feed tubs and water buckets, cleans the tack and rakes the shedrow. In short, at 941/2, Rhodes does all the work around the barn except for being in the saddle. And he did that for morning training up until he was 75. He didn’t give up shoeing his horses until he was “79 or 82,” he said. “He still drives, still does the stalls, still walks them across the street to the walker,” said Prairie Meadows Hall of Fame trainer Kelly Von Hemel, who was in the same barn as Rhodes until a couple of years ago. “It’s just amazing watching him. You would never guess that he was 94 years old.” Von Hemel’s own father, 92-year-old Midwest racing icon Don Von Hemel, trained until he was 88 years old. The elder Von Hemel would help out where he could, his son said, “but not like Les, watching Les perform. When we were stabled together, he had a little motorized scooter he’d jump on. He’d ride it down to the training track, watch the horse and jump on it right back to the barn. I’m not sure I could ride one right now, and he just buzzed right down there and back.”

LES RHODES, THE OLDEST ACTIVE TRAINER IN NORTH AMERICA AT AGE 94, DOESN’T PLAN TO STOP ANYTIME SOON.

Through September 9, Rhodes’ last win was June 18, 2021. “I’m sure his record is not stellar, but for him to keep doing it, he loves it, and it just keeps him going,” Von Hemel said. “In fact, the other day we were at the house watching the races on YouTube. I’d bet on a horse to win, and my son starts yelling for the horse running second. He said, ‘That’s Les.’ I said, ‘I’ll give up my $5 to win. Just come on.’ He didn’t quite get there, but yeah, we were all just rooting for him. Everybody would love it if he’d win a race.” Jockey Alex Birzer said he was 15 or 16 at Mountaineer Park when he first met Les and Carola Rhodes, who lived next door to his parents. His wife, trainer Bonnie Birzer, also has known Rhodes since she was young. “Just a great guy, and to still be at it at 94 years old, you’re like, wow, just amazing,” Alex Birzer, now 52, said. “He’s out there every day. I have yet to beat him out to the barns, which I ride and I don’t get up too terribly early, but I sure ain’t beat him out to the barn yet. He gets around good. His eyesight, I mean, I’ll be quite a ways up the road, and I’ll holler at him or wave. He don’t stutter a little bit. He don’t look and try to study. Nope. It’s ‘Hey, Alex, how you doing?’ “He never has had very good stock or an overabundance of stock,” Birzer continued. “But he’s one of those guys that’s out there every day. We’ve straight up given him two or three horses—something that’s just not going to cut it for [Bonnie], and the owner wants to get rid of it, but it’s tame. That’s our big thing; we don’t want to see anybody get hurt. And he’s done decent with the stock that we’ve given him through the years over at Fonner Park.” Rhodes says he’s never had a hospital stay and doesn’t take any medication. His one concession is wearing a supportive bandage on his left elbow, and he has to go for a checkup at the VA hospital every couple of years to keep his medical benefits, he said.

American Shedrow

FEATURE

He possesses a depth of practical horsemanship and a range of skills that were once common but are becoming increasingly rare. — Jon Moss

Equibase records for Rhodes go back to 1978 and don’t include his Quarter Horse races. And, of course, there are no records for the bush tracks. Whatever the real numbers are, stats are the last thing to concern Rhodes, who had three horses at Prairie Meadows this summer. He doesn’t worry about winning races. The whole point is just to be around Thoroughbreds, with success measured in horses earning checks to keep going. Goal accomplished with Supine Duchess’ second and third in Iowa-bred $20,000 maiden-claiming races and Aprettylulaby placing in a state-bred $12,500-condition claiming race this summer at Prairie Meadows. “This little horse running for $2,500 is just as good as this horse running for $100,000, as far as I’m concerned,” said Rhodes, who over the years supplemented his income as a welder and blacksmith. “I never trained much for other people. We always wanted to own our horses. I didn’t have nobody to have to answer to for anything. I was just as happy when this horse won as I was when that horse won.

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Until health issues prevented her from coming to the track this summer, Carola Rhodes, Les’ wife of 62 years, worked alongside her husband throughout, albeit in a limited capacity when raising their four kids. She pays all the bills—she has a credit card—and handles all the bookkeeping, including the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority online paperwork. “So, if she were to pass away, why, I think I’d be in a lot of trouble,” Rhodes said. The good news is Carola is doing much better, including getting back to baking her famous banana bread. “When we were stabled with them, we got addicted to her banana bread,” Von Hemel said in August. “She brought some by this morning. Oh, my word, is that good.” The Rhodeses race on a Prairie Meadows-Fonner Park circuit, living in a camper at Adventureland Park for five months during the Iowa meet and in Grand Island, Nebraska, for the remaining seven months. Rhodes says his career record, as documented by Equibase, “is messed up. When I tried to look up my wins and stuff, I found out there’s a guy in Europe somewhere with the same name I have with the horses that I ran listed under his name, so I have nothing to verify anything.” Moss said Rhodes’ official statistics fail to tell the broader, more important story. “Les hearkens back to an earlier era in racing, when horsemen routinely helped one another, and often did so in substantial and meaningful ways, simply because that was how the backside operated,” Moss said. “He possesses a depth of practical horsemanship and a range of skills that were once common but are becoming increasingly rare. Much of that knowledge is learned only through a lifetime of working directly with horses, and it will be incredibly difficult to replace horsemen like Les as those traditions gradually disappear. “That is what makes it so remarkable to still have someone like him in our sport, continuing to work, continuing to compete and continuing to care for his horses every day—not for recognition or financial reward but just, as he says, simply because he loves the horse.”

JUST ABOUT THE ONLY THING AROUND THE BARN THAT LES RHODES DOESN’T DO IS RIDE—AT LEAST NOT ANYMORE. HE WORKS AS THE GROOM AND HOTWALKER, TACKS UP HIS HORSES AND CLEANS TACK, FEED TUBS AND WATER BUCKETS, PLUS ANYTHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.

LES RHODES TAKES THE RUB RAG TO A HORSE AT PRAIRIE MEADOWS THIS SUMMER.

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American Shedrow

FEATURE

I had no idea that I’d end up in any of the bigger tracks. I thought Oklahoma was probably as far as I’d get. — Les Rhodes

COURTESY OF IOWA HBPA

“The difference was the money,” he added. “But that was never really my goal. It wasn’t to be some big-class trainer. It never was my thing. I trained a few horses for people and done well for them. But as far as me wanting to train strictly for a lot of people and having 60 horses in a barn, I just have no desire for it. I’m happy doing what I’m doing.” It’s what Les Rhodes has done ever since leaving the Army, in which he enlisted at age 16, though his involvement with horses began at 12. Rhodes was born on the Quapaw Nation Reservation in Oklahoma, his dad a full-blooded Quapaw and his mom half Quapaw and half Rosebud Sioux, he said. They died when he was 1; he said no one ever told him how or why. He lived with his grandmother until she died when he was 9. Young Les was sent to Father Flanagan’s Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska, back when the Father Flanagan ran the home he founded for orphans and troubled youths. Rhodes began riding Quarter Horses at the Oklahoma bush tracks on weekends and bought his first horse for $25 at around age 12. A couple of years later, he moved onto a farm with the stipulation it board him and his horse. “I was on the farm crew; I was a garbage man,” Rhodes said of his time at Boys Town. “I had a team of mules, and I used to have to go down to the kitchen every afternoon at 3 o’clock, pick up the garbage, take it up to the farm crew and then unload it, and then I put my mules away. That was every day, so I got off school a half-hour early. I walked to the farm. It was threequarters of a mile up to the farm.” But on weekends, “the boys would all gather up,” Rhodes said. “We get out there, get $1 a mount. You ride Saturdays and Sundays; we usually ended up making about $30, $45 on the weekend. That was more than the people working in town at a full-time job made at that time.” Horse racing had thrived in Oklahoma in the early 1900s, receiving national attention, with pari-mutuel wagering installed in 1912 to keep the bookmakers under control. But the next year, “blue laws” championed by a more conservative governor led to the banning of pari-mutuel wagering and bookmakers, with the last recognized race meet during that era ending in Tulsa in 1914 after the governor sent the National Guard to the track, according to research by the Oklahoma Historical Society. While pari-mutuel wagering was not legalized again until 1982, there were plenty of bush tracks racing on weekends when Rhodes was a preteen and early teen. “You could run your horse twice a day if you wanted—no stipulations, no rules except the rules made by the people running the horses,” Rhodes said. “You run your horse, and they say, ‘You win the race, and this guy next

NO JOB AROUND THE BARN IS TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL FOR LES RHODES.

to you, he won his race.’ He’d say, ‘Well, I’ll match you.’ So, he’d put up money, and they’d put up money. He’d run them two horses. “Everybody had a big time on the weekends,” he added. “It was not a dog-eat-dog-type deal. Everybody knew everybody, and it was just a nice place to be. It was a family environment. They brought other people, brought their wives, kids. When the races were over, all the women had brought something, so we had a big meal and stuff. That was practically every weekend, weather permitting.” Rhodes said there weren’t many options for a young man to make money. When the bush tracks started closing, he joined the Army. He said he was deployed to war zones during the Korean War as well as to Japan and Germany while serving as an Airborne Ranger out of the 82nd Airborne Division and rising to sergeant first class. He thought he might be a career military man, he said, “until I got sent to Germany, and I really didn’t like the way things were in the service over there. So, I decided to call it quits.” But not before meeting his future wife, with Carola being from Berlin. “When I got out, I bought a couple of racehorses and been at it ever since,” Rhodes said. “I had no idea that I’d end up in any of the bigger tracks. I thought Oklahoma was probably as far as I’d get. But when I got back out of the service and started running Quarter Horses again, I decided that I’d have to go somewhere else. I went to Kansas, then Nebraska, Rapid City, South Dakota, started traveling with the horses in order to hit the two-week meets or whatever they were, and then the Illinois [tracks] had races.” At South Dakota’s Park Jefferson, he came across two future horse racing legends—a young D. Wayne Lukas, a high school basketball coach

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Rhodes Less Traveled

COURTESY OF IOWA HBPA

who’d gotten into racing Quarter Horses, and a much younger Bill Mott, the son of a veterinarian and who was training Thoroughbreds as a young teen. “He was just a regular person up there,” Rhodes recalled of Lukas, who died last year at age 89. “From what I seen and heard, he was just normal. I mean, he was no bigwig or nothing at that time. He was just starting on the Quarter Horses. But he was a smart man. He advanced a long way. Of course, it takes a little money to advance that way, and he had a little bit. So did Bill Mott, and they’re quite a bit smarter than I would have been.” Rhodes began branching out into Thoroughbreds because of the better purse money and more opportunities to run. “To win a race with a Quarter Horse, you might get $300, and that was clear up into the ’70s, ’80s,” he said. “The last Quarter Horse I ran was at Park Jefferson around 1984,” after which the track closed for horse racing and reopened for auto racing. “I remember what I got out of that last race was $742,” Rhodes said. “The Thoroughbreds were getting over $1,000 to win at Park Jefferson and Atokad, places like that. Besides that, you had more Thoroughbred races than you did the Quarter Horse races.” The Thoroughbreds took Les and Carola back east to the tracks around Cleveland, Penn National and Waterford Park (now Mountaineer). The largest their stable got was a dozen horses, he says. “My wife and I used to travel with 10 to 12 horses,” Rhodes said. “When we moved from Fonner Park in Lincoln, Nebraska, to go back east, our first place we went to was Waterford Park. We had 12 horses, a four-horse trailer, made four trips, round and round, nonstop. There were no walkers [walking machines] at Mountaineer. I would get the horses to the track, clean the stalls

DON’T EXPECT TO SEE LES RHODES SIT DOWN TOO MUCH. THE OLDEST ACTIVE TRAINER IN NORTH AMERICA TRIED RETIREMENT ONCE, EVEN BOUGHT A BOAT, BUT IT LASTED ONLY FOUR MONTHS BEFORE HE AND HIS WIFE, CAROLA, BOUGHT A COUPLE OF HORSES IN COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA. THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

My ultimate goal is just to keep living, keep doing something and enjoy yourself. I’m just happy the way I am. — Les Rhodes

up. My wife walked all 12 horses every day. We had no help. That was about 1984 up to 1990.” Carola had cut back on her on-track work while raising their three sons and daughter. After six or so years in the East, she wanted to move back to a Nebraska-Iowa circuit to be closer to their kids and grandkids. “When you’re running these horses and stuff, you’re not close with your families, you know,” Rhodes said. “I’ve had grandkids I ain’t seen till they get to be in their teens. … None of [my children] want anything to do with horses as far as an occupation. The problem was it kind of interfered with their life, too, because they ended up having to take care of stuff while I was gone, deprived them of some of their school functions and stuff. That had a lot to do with their mind on becoming involved with horses seven days a week. But they’re all pretty helpful. If I need any help, I can get it.” Pleural pneumonia kept Carola, 83, from going to the barn much this year, so Rhodes is doing all the work, using a walking wheel to cool out horses. He does not consider retiring. He and Carola tried it once in 2024— even buying a boat—and hated it. “I can’t sit somewhere,” he said. “We sold our horses a couple, three years ago, and we decided we’d go to this nice campground on the lake and fish and stuff. That lasted four months. I got so bored, I couldn’t stand it, both of us. There was a sale come up in Columbus, Nebraska. We went, and I bought a horse. I thought it would keep me busy. I was paying for the horse, and my wife came up and says, ‘Well, you better pay for mine, too.’ She bought one, so we ended up with two horses. We started back at it.” What keeps Rhodes going? “I’m Native American, so everybody tells me it must be your heritage,” he said. “I don’t know what it is. My ultimate goal is just to keep living, keep doing something and enjoy yourself. I’m just happy the way I am. I run cheap horses. I give $2,500 for two horses. And one of them has run four seconds and two or three thirds over here for $20,000 and $30,000 maiden [claiming] races. The other one just ran second the other day for $20,000. So I don’t really worry about the deals of getting rich and everything. I do it because I want to do it, and I like it.” When interviewed in mid-August, Rhodes said he and his wife were going through the catalog for the Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association sale September 3. “We’ve got a couple picked out,” he said. “We’ll see what happens. It all depends on how much they bring. We’re not quitting until we have to.” HJ

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HODGES PHOTOGRAPHY

FEATURE

A Day in the Life… …Track Announcer John G. Dooley By Jen Roytz

ohn G. Dooley’s voice is one of the most recognizable, respected and wellhoned in horse racing today. His calls have an ease and smoothness to them that make them sound more like an impassioned, animated story told to friends than a mere recitation of positions on the track. LIFELONG RACING FAN AND NATIVE NEW YORKER JOHN G. DOOLEY SERVES AS ANNOUNCER AT FAIR GROUNDS AND HORSESHOE INDIANAPOLIS AFTER STINTS AT ARLINGTON PARK, LONE STAR PARK, THISTLEDOWN AND OTHER TRACKS IN HIS CAREER.

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Dooley serves as the voice of Fair Grounds and Horseshoe Indianapolis, and he previously called the races at Arlington Park, Lone Star Park and Thistledown among other tracks. Before all that, though, he was simply a fan—a student of the game determined to make his love of racing and its many stories of success, adversity and all that lies in between into a meaningful lifelong career.

BITTEN BY THE PROVERBIAL BUG

HODGES PHOTOGRAPHY

Born and raised on Staten Island, on the urban cusp of New York City, Dooley didn’t grow up equine-inclined. What he initially lacked in industry connections and favors, he more than made up for with his devoted love of the game, its personalities and, most importantly, its athletes, both two-legged and four. Competitive and athletic, Dooley played sports as a child and teenager and developed a keen love for competition. But, when the racing bug bites, that love of the sport—and its equine athletes—gets into your blood and just builds. Dooley’s first foray into the world of Thoroughbred racing came during his childhood at one of the most iconic racetracks in the country. He and his family were on a summer trip to Lake George when his parents decided to take their kids for an afternoon of racing at Saratoga Race Course. “From that day and every day since, I was hooked,” said Dooley, now 60. “The energy, the atmosphere, the horses…everything. There was just something about it that was like nothing else, and it just grabbed a hold of me. I wasn’t necessarily a gambler, but I was immediately a racing fan, and I can remember even back then listening to the announcer and thinking, ‘I’d like to do that job one day.’” After that first Saratoga visit, Dooley became an avid follower of racing, going to local off-track betting spots regularly with his parents, reading the Daily Racing Form, studying the entries and results in the newspaper and going to the races at the New York and New Jersey tracks whenever he could. In the mid-1980s, while attending St. John’s University pursuing a degree in sports management, Dooley found a way to take his interest in racing to the next level. “I saw an ad for American Thoroughbreds Ltd., which specialized in fractional racehorse ownership, in the Daily Racing Form, talked with my parents about it, and we all bought in,” Dooley said. “My mother, father and myself were all licensed owners, and a lot of the horses ran at Philadelphia Park, so we’d drive to the track for their races. Whether watching in person or on TV, I always paid close attention to the race callers.” By the time he graduated from St. John’s, Dooley was ready to jump

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into a career in racing with both feet and landed a job at Monmouth Park in the publicity office for the summer meeting doing a little bit of everything— statistics, press releases, quotes and more. That fall, he joined the New York Racing Association’s publicity team, starting as a notes writer and quickly evolving into doing the morning line and putting out press releases. But Dooley had his sights set on a different role.

USING HIS VOICE Dooley started honing his chops as a race caller during his time at the NYRA tracks. He had the opportunity to work with longtime NYRA track announcer Marshall Cassidy as well as Tom Durkin, who followed Cassidy as the NYRA track announcer and went on to become the lead race caller for NBC Sports from 1984 through 2010. Both offered Dooley advice and feedback on developing his skills. “The team at NYRA were so formative for who I am as a professional and as an announcer today,” Dooley said. “Marshall would listen to my practice race calls and give me feedback focused on the fundamentals of race calling that was really helpful.” In a game of inches and fractional seconds, precision on the fly is imperative, especially when you’re the one communicating what’s happening in real time. “Marshall taught me the importance of being precise with my margins,” Dooley said. “It’s important to be accurate when you’re calling a race, especially at the finish. Telling the difference between four lengths or six, a head or a nose—communicating the separation of horses with accuracy is hugely important.” While Cassidy helped Dooley learn and refine the fundamentals of race calling, Durkin helped him personalize his voice. “With Tom, it was more about the panache,” Dooley said. “He became known as the voice of the Triple Crown through his work with NBC and has such a recognizable cadence, style and vocal quality to his calls. He really helped me learn how to let my personality come through with the race calls.” Dooley started filling in as the announcer at the NYRA tracks when Durkin wasn’t available, and his first full-time announcing gig came just a few years later when, in 1991, he began calling races at Thistledown in Ohio. In 1997, he moved to Texas to become the announcer at Lone Star Park. Then, in 2000, news broke that Dooley was leaving Texas to take on racecalling duties at the famed Arlington Park. For the next 20 years, Dooley called races at Arlington, including many iterations of the Grade 1 Arlington Million. One of his most meaningful career highlights came in 2015 when local favorite The Pizza Man won that year’s edition of the race. The then 6-year-old gelding had won again and again at Arlington and was going into the Arlington Million as a sentimental local favorite. “Everyone was rooting for him to win his home track’s biggest event,” Dooley said. “Calling the stretch run was something I’ll never forget. It was something like, ‘Chicago is about to erupt! The Illinois-bred The Pizza Man just won the Arlington Million!’ You could hear the excitement and emotion in my voice, and the crowd was just cheering so loudly. I got to see him a few years later at Old Friends in Kentucky, and that was really special.” Dooley remained Arlington’s track announcer until its closure in 2021, calling races at Fair Grounds in New Orleans during Arlington’s off-season beginning in 2004. Today, Dooley rotates between announcing races at Fair Grounds in the winter months and Horseshoe Indianapolis the rest of the year.

FEATURE

A DAY IN THE LIFE “I color-code my program for each race using markers to coordinate each owner’s silks with their horse’s name and number,” said Dooley. “When I call a race, I’m always looking at the silks as my main identifier, but on a day where it’s just pouring rain or snow, dense fog or just incredibly muddy and the jockey is covered head to toe, I have to look for the number on the towel and just do my best.” In many ways, a horse race is fairly predictable. Horses enter the starting gate, they run counterclockwise in a circle and the finish line is typically in the same place from one race to the next. But the unexpected can occur, and when it does, the announcer needs to be quick to articulate that to the people watching. “At the heart of all of it, I’m a fan, so when something goes wrong, like a horse losing its rider, for example, I try to juggle calling the race with also updating people on what is happening with the rider and the horse,” Dooley said. “It may be someone’s spouse, child or friend who was unseated, and each horse has a whole team of people that care about him or her, and in many cases whether people are watching in person or on television, they can’t see what is happening behind the field, so I try to do my part by articulating as much of what’s happening as possible.”

HODGES PHOTOGRAPHY

Calling races professionally is a lot like comedians doing improv. It’s important to be prepared, but you have to be comfortable reacting to situations on the fly in real time. Preparation for the afternoon’s race calling starts each morning when Dooley logs on to his computer and looks at the entries for that day, along with the relevant race information like distance, surface, conditions and purse value and each horse’s relevant information, like sire and dam, owner, breeder and past performances. He also watches the previous day’s races to pick up on how the track played and the decisions riders made based on the weather and how it affected the track surface. “It’s important to do your homework as an announcer and know what to expect, even though things don’t often go exactly as expected,” Dooley said. “For example, if the track was speed-favoring and we had eight or nine front-running winners, I’ll start thinking about how different the weather is today than the day before, because if there’s no change in the weather pattern, the track will likely play similarly, giving me insight into how the majority of races will likely play out.” Once he arrives at the track, he checks in with the clerk of scales and notes any scratches, equipment changes or other updates to the day’s program.

JOHN G. DOOLEY WORKING WITH HRTV’S ZOE CADMAN AT FAIR GROUNDS.

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HODGES PHOTOGRAPHY

BEYOND THE BOOTH Being a racetrack announcer is more than calling a full card of races each day. Dooley and his colleagues in announcer’s booths throughout the world become ambassadors for the track and for the sport, and their voices become not only recognizable but synonymous with the tracks they represent. This recognition often extends outside of the announcer’s booth and away from the track, as the announcer is often called on for media engagements and interviews on their track’s biggest race days. It also often extends to their everyday lives and online presence in this day and age of people wanting to know everything about everybody. It’s a role Dooley enjoys and takes seriously. “I love this sport and have nearly my entire life, so I am 100% about promoting it any way that I can, whether that’s through personal interactions when I’m out and about, through my own social media or when the sport is in the spotlight in the mainstream media,” Dooley said. “My job is nothing if not unique. I love hearing the questions people have about the sport or about my role in it and helping them gain a better understanding.” HJ

JOHN G. DOOLEY ENJOYS HIS TIME IN THE BOOTH AND ALSO SAYS HE’S “100% ABOUT PROMOTING” THE SPORT EITHER THROUGH PERSONAL INTERACTIONS OR THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.

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FEATURE

Stop Calling Positives on Feeding Horses Trace adverse analytical findings in urine come from horse feed

By Clara Fenger, DVM, PhD, DACVIM; Kimberly Brewer, DVM, MSc; Andreas Lehner, MS, PhD; and Thomas Tobin, MRCVS, PhD, DABT

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he matter of analytical positives for feed and environmental substances in post-race samples, particularly in post-race urine samples, dates back to the 1970s. At that time, equine drug testing was only able to detect microgram per milliliter (µg/mL) concentrations (parts per million) of substances, and the first foodstuff-related substance of concern to be detected in equine urine samples was theobromine, a compound recognizable as present in chocolate. The first scientific record of these detections and related regulatory concerns was a paper published in 1978 reporting the detection of theobromine in post-race samples and a review of the pharmacology of theobromine in horses.

Theobromine: The First Feed-Related Regulatory Threshold In England and Ireland in the late 1970s and early 1980s, numerous positives for theobromine were being reported in racehorse urinary samples. The source of these identifications was a small amount or trace of cocoa husk in horse feed. The theobromine identifications became the subject of several research papers starting in 1978, as noted above, and in reviewing this matter, the feed industry noted that it was impractical to try to remove theobromine sources from horse feed products. Authorities correctly identified that positive tests from typical components of horse feed should not be considered intentional doping. The solution to this problem was that on October 7, 1987, the stewards of the British Jockey Club gave notice that they had “established a threshold level for theobromine in urine of 2 µg/ml,” or a maximum permitted concentration of theobromine in horse urine, a “threshold” value within the British Rules of Racing. This was the first threshold established for a feed-related substance being detected in post-race urine samples to our knowledge. This approach has since been formally presented for application to a number of other feed-related substances.

Morphine and Classic Feed-Related Clusters The next dietary substance of concern was morphine, which showed up in equine urine samples following the introduction of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing in the late 1980s. Humans have long cultivated the opium poppy, taking it with them around the world, and it has become feral, growing wild alongside natural and cultivated local grasses. Among the fields with this feral poppy are the hay fields in Australia. Horses in Hong Kong, which were being fed Australian feeds, began testing positive for low urinary concentrations of morphine. The solution adopted in Hong Kong, apparently on an interim basis, was a reporting limit of 100 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) for morphine in urine. Similarly, Ohio and Louisiana soon introduced urinary reporting limits for morphine of 50 and 75 ng/mL, respectively. In late 2002, the detection of a sequence of low-concentration morphine identifications in English racing led the British Jockey Club to introduce a 50 ng/mL reporting limit for morphine. It is important to note that when morphine has passed through a horse to enter its urine, it will be present in the horse’s urine almost entirely as its glucuronidated metabolite, leading to the definition “total morphine” for a urinary detection, meaning the urine sample was enzymatically hydrolyzed to release the morphine from its glucuronidated metabolite to allow its chemical detection as free morphine.

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The 2014 International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) International Residue Limit is 30 ng/mL for “Morphine (Total)” with the note that “these refer to the free and conjugated concentrations unless otherwise indicated.” A classic example of an inadvertent morphine identification came in the Group 1 Gold Cup in 2014 at Royal Ascot, where the horse Estimate, owned by none other than Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, tested positive for morphine after her second-place finish. The identification was caused by the horse consuming a contaminated feed product. Overall, seven horses trained by five different trainers tested positive for morphine due to this contaminated feed. The queen’s horse was officially disqualified and the purse money forfeited, but the trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, faced no penalties because he had taken all reasonable precautions.

Concept of an Environmental Cluster The working definition of an environmental cluster is a circumstance in which three or more trainers within a specific time frame test analytically positive for a substance, usually dietary or environmental, at concentrations unlikely to be associated with a pharmacological response. The rationale is that it is highly unlikely that three or more trainers within a specified time frame will simultaneously decide to use the same specific substance and usually at low and pharmacologically ineffective concentrations. Clusters often occur within a defined geographical region but also have occurred across multiple regions, usually when the drug testing laboratory is the same for each jurisdiction. The above-referenced 2014 English racing cluster of morphine identifications therefore presents as a classic example of an environmental cluster of positive identifications as it involved five individual trainers with the source ultimately linked to a contaminated food product. Thus, any sequence of analytical identifications occurring within a specific time frame should be investigated as a potential environmental cluster and not related to trainerspecific activities. The second point about an environmental cluster is that if the substance is detected at low plasma or urinary concentrations and the source is challenging to avoid, the approach of introducing a regulatory threshold or residue limit needs to be evaluated. We note that the response to the first feed-related substance, theobromine, was the introduction of a regulatory threshold, and this was also the approach taken with morphine, as above, and also with a number of other substances. As of 2026, the IFHA presents defined urinary residue limits for caffeine and the related substances theophylline and theobromine; scopolamine and the related substance atropine; bufotenine and dimethyltryptamine; hordenine; and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and the related methylsulfonylmethane, with corresponding international residue limits in plasma for caffeine, theobromine and DMSO.

It is highly unlikely that three or more trainers within a specified time frame will simultaneously decide to use the same specific substance and usually at ... ineffective concentrations. 37

FEATURE COGLIANESE PHOTO/RYAN THOMPSON

Zeranol: HISA Called a Corn Positive In June 2023, shortly after the implementation of the Anti-Doping and Medication Control regulations, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) called a zeranol positive. Oddly, zeranol is listed as an S1 anabolic substance presumably because it is used to improve weight gain in cattle. As an estrogenic compound, it actually improves marbling (fat deposition) in meat as compared to a true S1 substance that improves muscle mass, making its classification as an anabolic curious. Nonetheless, HISA was compelled to call a positive. Zearalenone is a well-characterized compound produced by several species of fungi, most notably Fusarium graminearum. F. graminearum and other Fusarium species are common pathogens of grains, including those commonly incorporated into horse feed such as corn, soybeans, beet fiber and oats. It is effectively impossible to find feed for horses completely free of zearalenone. Upon consumption of Fusarium-contaminated oats by horses, its major metabolite, zeranol, is detected in urine. HISA accurately classified the finding as an atypical finding, and the horseman was not penalized. But the event cost the horseman thousands of dollars in legal, expert and feed testing expenses. There has not been another zeranol positive called, which suggests that a residue limit/threshold has been quietly adopted.

Higenamine: Beet Pulp Positives Higenamine is a naturally occurring beta-2 agonist found in plants with typical effects of the beta-2 agonists, including bronchodilation and cardiac stimulant actions. It has found its way into performance-related herbal supplements marketed for use in humans. It is known for its Eastern medicinal herb use through the “Chinese Wolfsbane,” or aconite root. However, its presence is not limited to this plant. Higenamine is present in measurable concentrations in beetroot juice, although consumption of this juice is unlikely to cause a World Anti-Doping Agency violation above the WADA minimum reporting level of 10 ng/mL of free parent higenamine in urine. This distinction is clear: Drug testing in horse racing universally tests enzymatically hydrolyzed urine before analysis so the amount of free parent higenamine in urine would not be determined. In the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) Uniform Classification system, higenamine is a Class 3, Penalty Class B substance. Under the Horse Racing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), higenamine is banned with a HISA S3 classification. A number of higenamine identifications have been reported in U.S. racing, starting in 2023 in Standardbred racing in Minnesota. More recently, beginning in May 2025, there has been a sequence of higenamine identifications in Nebraska racing, to our knowledge involving at least three different trainers, meeting the basic requirement for an environmental cluster, as well as in Colorado, Indiana, West Virginia and Florida. The feed from two of the Nebraska cases was the same, but otherwise, no feed or supplements were common among the cases.

When beetroot is pressed to produce beetroot juice, the remaining fiber is called beet pulp. This should set off all kinds of alarms for horsemen. Beet pulp is a common horse feed ingredient. A quick look through feed databases shows 664 horse feed products containing beet pulp, 47 others containing beet pulp shreds and 60 containing beetroot and juice. For comparison, only 295 horse feed products contain corn, and only 566 contain oats. An initial survey of a handful of research horses receiving beet pulp-based feed revealed that all of them had higenamine identified in their hydrolyzed urine. In the ongoing higenamine positive cases, many have had their feed and supplements tested, and the substance has not been found. The reason for this lack of identification is that higenamine is present in the feed (such as beet pulp) complexed to another molecule, typically a sugar molecule called a glucoside. If the drug testing methodology employed in feed and supplement testing looks only for higenamine and not its conjugates, it will be missed. All of these higenamine identifications reported to date in U.S. racing are reported in urine with no detections of parent-free higenamine in plasma. Simply put, it seems that all of the reported higenamine identifications are in urine only, which urine has been enzymatically hydrolyzed, so the identifications are most likely those of the inactive urinary metabolites and evidence of nothing more than a forensic trace urinary metabolite exposure from feed. What is compelling about this unusual higenamine identification pattern is that it may well be determined by the evolution of the horse, technically a “first pass” substance metabolism by the horse’s liver.

It is effectively impossible to find feed for horses completely free of zearalenone. Upon consumption ... its major metabolite, zeranol, is detected in urine. 38

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FEATURE

First-Pass Metabolism in the Horse The horse is a long-experienced grazing animal, having done so for the last 50 million years or so. When the intestine of the horse absorbs substances, including substances such as higenamine, these substances are immediately transferred directly via the portal vein to the liver, where they are checked for suitability for release into the general circulation of the horse. If, based on 50 million years of experience, the horse’s liver does not approve of the substance, it is rapidly converted into pharmacologically inactive and highly water-soluble drugs—conjugated metabolites, most commonly glucuronides, but also glucosides, sulfates and hippurates. This transformation occurs so rapidly that most of the drug is transformed on its first pass through the liver, hence the first-pass effect. These now highly water-soluble drug metabolites are able to be excreted at high concentrations in the horse’s urine. We first ran into this process when we administered isoxsuprine orally to horses and checked our horses for pharmacological effects. To our surprise, orally administered isoxsuprine was/is pharmacologically inactive, being about 98% metabolized on passing through the liver of the horse, so our orally administered isoxsuprine produced no identifiable pharmacological responses in our horses. Similarly, many years before, we had orally administered the naturally occurring plant substance hordenine to horses and also saw no pharmacological responses following oral administration.

The Takeaway Message for Higenamine The takeaway message for higenamine is simple: Higenamine is not present in the plant source as higenamine. It is present as a conjugate, higenamine-glucoside or higenamine-glucuronide, making it elusive to chemists to find in the feed source. It is broken down into its components in the digestive tract. The higenamine is absorbed and enters the liver, whose job is to modify, inactivate and rapidly excrete it in the urine. Higenamine is a classic plant substance, and the question regarding urinary higenamine

Calling a higenamine positive equates to calling a “beet-pulp positive.” identifications in the absence of detectable blood concentrations is whether the horse is simply pulling this well-known evolutionary trick and using its first-pass metabolic skills to avoid any significant blood concentrations and therefore any pharmacological effects. The first-pass effect is one obvious explanation for the fact that exposure of horses to higenamine fails to give rise to detectable plasma concentrations while producing readily detectable urinary concentrations in hydrolyzed urine. These chemist-reported urinary detections are actually higenamine recovered from inactive higenamine metabolites excreted in the urine samples. Given the very well-developed ability of the horse to metabolize substances to pharmacologically inactive metabolites and then excrete these metabolites at up to 1,000-fold or greater concentrations in urine, the question arises as to the pharmacological significance of urinary detections of metabolites recovered post-enzymatic hydrolysis from equine urine samples in the absence of any detectable blood concentration of the substance. The current higenamine cluster of identifications has most likely resulted from a change in the methodology of the laboratory. We have identified similar patterns of positive tests when a screening methodology is changed or a substance is added to the detection library of the testing laboratory. Regulators should apply common sense whenever a spike in identifications is seen. In this case, calling a higenamine positive equates to calling a “beet-pulp positive” and should hardly be considered an adverse analytical finding. HJ

COADY MEDIA

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FALL 2026

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FEATURE

Outside the Box

Finding a horse’s biggest fans can be part of their aftercare plan By Jen Roytz

RETIRED RACEHORSE BENEVENGO NOW COMPETES AS A SHOW JUMPER WITH OWNER CYNTHIA HOLZ.

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hat do you do when it’s time to retire one of your horses from racing? Do you reach out to your local aftercare organization or maybe a rehoming agent at your track? Both are good options, as are several others, but before you make that call, there is a simple step you should take that can help you get your horse into the best possible hands.

Does Your Horse Have Someone Waiting for Them? By the time a horse gets to its final race, a whole team of people—the breeder, former owners, grooms at the track or sales, exercise riders and more— have played a part in its journey. As a result, many folks have a vested interest in that horse’s success and may be interested in playing a role in its future. The Jockey Club has created an easy way someone can make it known that they are interested in a specific horse beyond racing. Through its Thoroughbred Connect program, users can log their interest in assisting with aftercare for a specific horse via their interactive registration account (which is free for anyone to create). Once updated, this information, including the person’s name and contact information, is available to the manager of a horse’s digital certificate. “Many Thoroughbreds already have people who have expressed an interest in helping if and when the horse comes available upon retirement or its owners want assistance with retirement placement,” said Kristin Werner, The Jockey Club’s vice president of Thoroughbred strategy and industry initiatives. “Through The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Connect, owners, breeders, former connections, aftercare organizations and other interested individuals can indicate their willingness to assist a specific horse.” One such entity that uses this service is Wasabi Ventures Stables. As a fractional ownership group, it breeds, buys and sells at public auction; purchases horses of racing age via claims and private sales; and of course, races under its own banner. Wasabi Ventures Stables has offered hundreds of people an entry point into racehorse ownership. As such, it works hard to be a responsible ambassador of the sport and advocates for the horses that carry its name. One of the ways the group does that is through its charitable arm, Wasabi Aftercare Fund, which offers aftercare assistance for every horse that passes through its stable. “Every horse Wasabi Ventures Stables has bred and/or raced is in the Wasabi Aftercare Fund Thoroughbred Connect account as a horse we would offer aftercare assistance to,” said Michele Pesula Kuegler, executive director of the Wasabi Aftercare Fund. “If owners need assistance in retiring a Wasabi Ventures Stables-associated horse, Wasabi Aftercare Fund can help in placing the horse into an appropriate aftercare program.”

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FALL 2026

Many Thoroughbreds already have people who have expressed an interest in helping.

Another way direct connections such as breeders or previous owners can make it known that they would like to be considered upon a horse’s retirement is by attaching a document or letter directly to a horse’s digital certificate that details what the person, farm or entity is willing to provide by way of retirement assistance.

RACING CONNECTIONS CAN SEE IF SOMEONE HAS REGISTERED TO ASSIST WITH AFTERCARE FOR A HORSE VIA THOROUGHBRED CONNECT IN THE JOCKEY CLUB’S INTERACTIVE REGISTRY PORTAL.

FEATURE

What To Do When It’s Time To Retire

COURTESY OF WASABI VENTURES STABLES

Sometimes the decision to retire a horse is made over the course of weeks or months while other times it happens in the blink of an eye. Either way, when the question of retirement comes up, you should first check the horse’s digital certificate in The Jockey Club’s interactive registry to see if it has someone interested in assisting with its retirement. The assistance can come in many forms. It may mean the person is eager to purchase or adopt the horse while other times, such as in the case of the Wasabi Aftercare Fund, they will offer assistance in identifying aftercare options and may provide financial assistance to get the horse into the appropriate program should it be needed.

“We track all horses bred or owned by Wasabi Ventures Stables through and beyond their racing retirement, often long after their association with our stable has concluded,” said Pesula Kuegler. “We follow each horse throughout their career and reach out to their connections if a horse has extra time off or seems to be indicating that their racing career is winding down. When appropriate, we offer to assist with the horse’s retirement.” The average Thoroughbred racehorse retires by age 5, which means they may have as many as 20 to 25 or more years of life left to live. Taking this simple step to see if someone is interested in assisting with your horse’s aftercare can make all the difference in providing that horse a safe and secure life after the track. HJ

BENEVENGO CARRIED THE WASABI VENTURES STABLES SILKS TO VICTORY SEVERAL TIMES, INCLUDING A 7½-LENGTH ROMP IN THE POLYNESIAN STAKES.

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NEWS

ALABAMA HBPA POSITIVE NEWS FOR ALABAMA-BRED RACES Good news for Alabama-breds. The Birmingham Racing Commission, with funds made possible from historical horse racing (HHR) machines at Birmingham Race Course Casino, has taken over the added-money funds for Alabama-breds running in open company races in Louisiana. Funds will be paid out for the first- through fifth-place finishers with $10,000 added to any open company race. These funds will be added into your purse distribution and paid out at the same percentage rate as the purse. Wow! Wonder what we could do with funds from all the HHR machines in Alabama. Two races have run since the summer edition of The Horsemen’s Journal with one more slated for September 12 at Louisiana Downs—the $50,000 Yellow Hammer going 1 mile on the Franks Turf Course for 3-year-olds and up. Unaffiliated won the $50,000 Alabama Stakes going 71/2 furlongs June 13 at Evangeline Downs. A 7-year-old gelding owned and bred by Laurie Sanderson and Nanette Cartier and trained by Aubrie Suarez, Unaffiliated came from behind to win by 21/4 lengths over Channelfortynine, owned and bred by Bobby G. Pruitt. Can See Da Feet, owned and bred by Lila Sessums of Live-Lee Farm, finished third. Wabash, a 5-year-old gelding owned and bred by Belinda K. Hubbell, won the $50,000 Alabama Cotton State Stakes at 1 mile August 8 at Evangeline Downs. Trained by Rylee Magnon, Wabash came from last at the half to win by 23/4 lengths over Dromas, owned by Live-Lee Farm and bred by Dennis and Mary Ellen “Sam” Murphy. Aoide, owned and bred by Hubbell, finished third. Additional Alabama-bred races for 2026 include the $50,000 Sweet Home Alabama Stakes at 7 furlongs on dirt for 3-year-olds and up October 17 at Delta Downs, allowance races at 5 furlongs for 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds and up November 11 at Delta Downs and the $100,000 Magic City Classic at 1 mile on dirt for 3-year-olds and up and the $50,000 Kudzu Juvenile at 5½ furlongs on dirt for 2-year-olds December 11 at Fair Grounds. Many continued thanks to Louisiana for its continued support of Alabama racing. Nancy Delony Alabama HBPA Executive Director

ARIZONA HBPA CLEANUP READIES TURF PARADISE FOR NEXT SEASON This summer at Turf Paradise has been transformative. Compared to last year, when we grappled with management’s extensive 100-item to-do list mandated by the state, this year has seen significant improvements initiated immediately after the racing season ended. The backside workers have diligently enhanced the facilities for the horsemen. Cleaning up the barn area was a major task, as some horsemen left their spaces in poor condition. Unfortunately, some will not be invited back due to the state in which they left their barns. Management repeatedly reminded everyone at the end of last year’s meet to remove all personal property. Many did not comply, resulting in tack rooms and barns being cleared out and property discarded. Key projects this summer included removing excess dirt between barns and leveling those areas, leveling shedrows in every barn, cleaning and replacing stall dirt, power washing and repainting every barn, installing new plywood on the row of pens north of the “A” row, bringing all dorm rooms up to code and removing several dead trees in the barn area.

A highlight was Freddy Alvarez and his crew maintaining and watering the turf course throughout the summer, resulting in a lush, vibrant green grass unlike anything seen before. Horsemen will be pleased with the backside’s condition, but it is crucial that they maintain their areas going forward. The Arizona HBPA collaborated with management to secure Hansen’s Cowboy BBQ and its team to operate the backside kitchen. Denise and Wade Hansen, who joined at the end of last year’s meet, have plans to upgrade the kitchen and provide quality, affordable meals. Additionally, the HBPA purchased a new Priefert walking wheel capable of handling up to eight horses simultaneously. The wheel will be installed behind the chapel and available during training hours. Tickets for use can be purchased at the HBPA office. Planning for the 2026–2027 race meet involved considerable effort. Management and the HBPA faced declining handle and no additional state funding for purses this year. Although funding was approved by the House and Senate, the governor vetoed it, forcing us to reconsider how to run the upcoming meet. Management ultimately decided to reduce race days while maintaining purse levels. The reduction in days was created by running two- and four-day weeks, and even though we are starting a couple of weeks later, we still have six months we can be on the backside at Turf Paradise. Management hopes that racing on Saturdays and Sundays will attract more attendees and increase handle. New betting machines from Global Tote Company will be installed at the track and all off-track betting locations. These user-friendly machines should benefit both tellers and customers using the self-betting option. Installation was scheduled for the first week of October. Important dates to remember: • October 17: Backside setup opens; no horses • October 19: Horses can arrive • October 26: Training begins • November 25: HBPA Thanksgiving dinner (details to be announced) • November 27: First day of racing We hope everyone had a successful summer, and the Arizona HBPA looks forward to welcoming everyone back in October. Leroy Gessmann Arizona HBPA Executive Director

ARKANSAS HBPA ALBARADO, FLEMING EARN LUKAS SCHOLARSHIPS The Arkansas HBPA awarded its first two D. Wayne Lukas Scholarships in August, continuing a program created to support members of the racing community and their families as they pursue college or vocational education. Larkin Albarado of Prospect, Kentucky, was named the scholarship’s first recipient. A sophomore finance major at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Albarado grew up around the racetrack and also competed in eventing. “Receiving a scholarship that honors D. Wayne Lukas is incredibly meaningful because his legacy reflects the values that have shaped my own journey,” Albarado said. “Horses have given me purpose, character and a lifelong appreciation for hard work.” The Arkansas HBPA also named Drew Fleming the program’s second scholarship recipient. Fleming is a senior communications major at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, and the daughter of Darren Fleming, an assistant trainer to Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. “I have realized that the racing industry has given me much more than childhood memories,” Fleming said. “It has taught me that success does not happen overnight.”

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

2027: GET READY FOR LIVE

THOROUGHBRED RACING ACROSS 5 NEBRASKA TRACKS!

In 2027, the Nebraska Thoroughbred Racing Circuit will host Live Racing across its 5 tracks! Nebraska continues to improve its tracks, barns, Stakes races, and purses.

LINCOLN

OMAHA

COLUMBUS

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GRAND ISLAND

7440 SW 12th Street, Lincoln, NE 68523 | nebraskahorsemen.com

NEWS

COURTESY OF ARKANSAS HBPA

Established in honor of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and his influence on generations of people in Thoroughbred racing, the scholarship is open to eligible Arkansas Racing Commission license holders and their children, including trainers, assistant trainers, stable foremen, exercise riders, grooms, hotwalkers and pony people. Awards are available for both fall and spring semesters. Scholarship eligibility information and the application for the spring 2027 semester can be found on the Arkansas HBPA website. Interested applicants also may contact Jeanette Milligan at arhbpa@gmail.com for more information.

CHARLES TOWN HBPA WILLY D’S WINS $1 MILLION CHARLES TOWN CLASSIC Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races hosted its biggest night of the year August 28, and Willy D’s stole the show with an upset of returning Charles Town Classic champions Banishing and Skippylongstocking in the featured $1 million renewal of the Grade 2 stakes. Willy D’s, second in last year’s Charles Town Classic, broke sharp from post two under Ricardo Santana Jr. and took the lead from defending champ Banishing. The pair opened up on the field before Banishing got a nose in front briefly on the final turn. Willy D’s dug back in and pulled away in the stretch to win by 13/4 lengths for trainer Mike Maker and owners Paradise Farms Corp. and Case Chambers. Skippylongstocking, the 3-1 favorite who won the Classic in 2023 and 2024, rallied late for third. Willy D’s came in off a fifth in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes in June at Churchill Downs. The Charles Town Classic marked his third stakes victory of the year, adding to scores in Turfway Park’s Grade 2 Kentucky Cup Classic and the Lake Ouachita at Oaklawn Park. “He just was in a little too tough in the Stephen Foster,” Maker said. “Tonight he broke well and made the front, and he got around the turns much better than he did last year. I’m not sure where he’ll go next. After the race he ran here last year, this was our main goal with him coming back this year.” COADY MEDIA/RENEE TORBIT

LARKIN ALBARADO OF PROSPECT, KENTUCKY, EARNS THE FIRST D. WAYNE LUKAS SCHOLARSHIP FROM THE ARKANSAS HBPA.

ARKANSAS HBPA READIES FOR OAKLAWN MEET The Arkansas HBPA is preparing for the 2026–2027 Oaklawn Park racing season, which begins November 27 and runs through May 1. Highlights include the $1.25 million, Grade 2 Rebel Stakes March 13; the $1.5 million, Grade 1 Arkansas Derby April 10; and the $1.5 million, Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap and $1.5 million, Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap April 17. The Arkansas HBPA looks forward to welcoming horsemen back for another Oaklawn season while continuing to support racing families through its scholarship and member programs.

WILLY D’S AND JOCKEY RICARDO SANTANA JR. WIN THE $1 MILLION CHARLES TOWN CLASSIC.

Red White and Blue Racing’s Niche sprinted to the lead and handed local favorite At a Premium her first defeat in the $750,000, Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks. Niche and At a Premium dueled for the lead throughout, with Niche’s quick break from the gate proving decisive down the stretch. Tahlequah rallied for third.

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AFFILIATE NEWS

COADY MEDIA/RENEE TORBIT

Other winners on the night were Foie Gras in the Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes, Bravaro in the Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes, Duncan Idaho in the Last Enchantment Stakes, Thelastsay in the Autumn Stakes, Play It Loud in the Shenandoah Stakes, Teachintherelease in the Frank Gall Memorial Stakes for the third year in a row and Overnight Pow Wow in the Sadie Hawkins Stakes.

WEST VIRGINIA CERTIFIED PROGRAM The West Virginia Certified Thoroughbred program—established under Senate Bill 1060 and signed into law by Governor Patrick Morrisey this spring—is already growing the ranks of horses eligible to compete in West Virginia races. The program requires a horse to reside in the state for at least six consecutive months before its 3-year-old season, effectively rewarding owners and trainers who base their horses in West Virginia year-round rather than shipping in only for race day. Since the program’s launch, more than 80 horses have enrolled in the program—a strong early signal for an initiative designed to strengthen field sizes and deepen the pool of competitive local talent. Each newly certified horse adds to the roster of starters available for West Virginia races. West Virginia joins Delaware and Virginia among states running certifiedhorse programs, with Virginia’s version credited with a marked boost to that state’s horse farms in recent years. Backers of SB 1060, which also adds roughly $1.5 million to the development fund, see the 80-horse mark as an early down payment on that same kind of growth for the Eastern Panhandle’s racing and breeding economy.

INDIANA HBPA SUCCESSFUL 2026 INDIANA DERBY DAY

NICHE (INSIDE) FENDS OFF AT A PREMIUM TO WIN THE $750,000 CHARLES TOWN OAKS.

Horseshoe Indianapolis hosted the 32nd annual Indiana Derby July 11. The card was filled with eight stakes races, and attendance for the day was estimated at more than 5,000. A record for single-day handle was set at $9,508,840.

Grace Clark-Sweet Photo

THANK YOU, HORSEMEN AND HORSEPLAYERS, FOR ANOTHER AMAZING MEET! The overwhelming support of owners, trainers and bettors has made Kentucky Downs one of horse racing’s greatest success stories in modern times.

SEE YOU IN 2027!

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

NEWS Wathnan Racing’s Leading Change won the Grade 3 Indiana Derby to improve to 2-for-2. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode the 3-year-old son of Gun Runner for trainer Brad Cox. Leading Change later won the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Thank you to all of our horsemen and Horseshoe Indianapolis management and staff for a wonderful day of racing. We recently concluded our Indiana HBPA summer soccer league, which took place every Friday evening at the soccer field located on the Heaven and Horseshoes Community Center property. Seven teams competed. Due to popularity, a summer/fall league will have started by the time of publication. The Indiana HBPA has hosted six backside meals, which fed 250 backside workers, security and Horseshoe Indianapolis backstretch employees. We also held two ice cream days for the same group. Indiana HBPA Chaplain Mickie Sajche hosts a service every Sunday in the Heaven and Horseshoes chapel. Julio Rubio, our immigration specialist, is available every Tuesday in the HBPA office. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning the nurse practitioner is here to serve those on the backside in need of medical attention. The Indiana HBPA transports backside employees to Walmart and the Mexican grocery store in our Indiana HBPA bus every Monday and Friday at 12:30 p.m. We are looking forward to a good ending to our 117-day meet, which wraps November 14. Tim Glyshaw Indiana HBPA Executive Director

IOWA HBPA PRAIRIE MEADOWS 2027 RACING SEASON The Iowa HBPA has already begun working with Prairie Meadows on preparations for the 2027 racing season. While many details remain to be worked out, our primary objectives are clear: maintain as strong a purse structure as possible, protect racing days and racing opportunities and continue building on the progress made during the 2026 season. We also will be discussing possible post-time changes and additional improvements to the stabling situation for Thoroughbred horsemen. These are all connected pieces of a successful racing program. Racing dates, post times, purse levels, horse population, wagering opportunities and the ability to properly stable horses all affect a trainer’s or owner’s decision about where to race. Another priority is completing the 2027 racing calendar earlier in the process. The Iowa HBPA has expressed its desire to have the schedule available to horsemen as soon as reasonably possible, and Prairie Meadows has indicated its agreement with that goal. An earlier calendar gives owners and trainers additional time to make decisions regarding horses, staffing, shipping and their overall racing plans for the coming year. There are still many details to be determined, and we do not want to speculate about items that have not yet been finalized. Horsemen should know that planning for 2027 is underway and that the Iowa HBPA will continue advocating for a racing program that provides competitive purses, meaningful opportunities and a strong environment for Thoroughbred racing in Iowa.

NEW BARN PART OF THE AGREEMENT

Specific planning details have not yet been finalized, including the barn’s design, location, number of stalls and construction schedule. Those items will continue to be worked through as the project develops. The commitment itself is important. Stabling capacity has a direct effect on horsemen’s ability to participate at Prairie Meadows and on the track’s ability to attract and retain the horse population necessary for competitive fields. Additional stalls can provide trainers greater certainty when planning their season and can help support the long-term strength of the racing program. The Iowa HBPA will provide horsemen with additional information as details of the new barn become available.

IOWA RACING’S ECONOMIC IMPACT As discussions about the future of racing continue, it is worth remembering how much the racehorse industry contributes to Iowa beyond the racetrack. An updated economic impact study conducted by Blueprint Kentucky at the University of Kentucky found that Iowa’s racehorse industry generated $264.6 million in total economic output in 2024 and supported 2,346 full-timeequivalent (FTE) jobs across the state. Other highlights: • Labor income: $176.4 million • Value added: $203.5 million • Thoroughbred economic output: $180.7 million • Thoroughbred FTE jobs: 1,832 • Thoroughbred share of total industry output: approximately 68% The Thoroughbred footprint becomes even more pronounced when Prairie Meadows’ direct pari-mutuel operating contribution is separated from the owner, breeder and trainer sectors. Excluding Prairie Meadows’ direct operational contribution, Iowa’s racehorse industry generated an estimated $225.1 million in output, with Thoroughbreds accounting for 80.3% of that total. The report also shows substantial growth from the prior study. The 2019 economic impact analysis estimated $196.8 million in total output, compared with $264.6 million in the updated report—an increase of nearly 34% in nominal output. The study notes that the figures are not adjusted for inflation and that differences in survey participation may account for a portion of the change, but it also identifies increased purse levels and a growing number of horses and trainers on property as contributors to the expansion of industry activity. Those numbers matter because the impact of racing extends well beyond purses. Racing supports veterinarians, farriers, feed and hay suppliers, farms, transportation providers, stable employees, jockeys, exercise riders and many other businesses and workers whose livelihoods are connected to horses. Maintaining a strong live racing program is therefore an investment not only in the sport but in Iowa agriculture, employment and economic activity.

IOWA HBPA OFFICE HOURS AND INFORMATION When racing concludes at Prairie Meadows, the Iowa HBPA office will move to offseason hours. The hours will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can contact the Iowa HBPA at (515) 967-4804 or via email at info@ iowahbpa.org. To keep up to date on news and issues occurring in Iowa, you can find us on our Facebook page, Iowa Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association Inc.; follow us on X @IowaHBPA; sign up to receive our emails; and visit our website at iowahbpa.org. We will continue providing updates throughout the offseason as details of the 2027 Prairie Meadows racing season and the new barn project develop.

One facility improvement already contained in the current agreement with Prairie Meadows is the construction of a new barn.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VIRGINIA RACING during the 2026 season, and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2027.

NEWS

KENTUCKY HBPA STRONG SUMMER

MAKER WINS 100TH KENTUCKY DOWNS RACE Mike Maker became the first trainer to win 100 races at Kentucky Downs, capping the 2026 seven-day, all-grass meeting in late summer with four victories on the September 9 closing card. Maker came into the meet with 90 victories. His third win on the final day came with a 38-1 shot and his fourth with a first-time starter that drew in off the also-eligible list and broke slow to spot the field more than 10 lengths. “It’s been a couple of years since we’ve won one,” Maker said. “It’s a credit to the staff and everybody who makes it happen. A lot of guys who work for me were there at the beginning.” But the best conditioning job might have been performed by Maker’s 13-year-old son. Caden Maker—who had been by his dad’s side most of the summer at Saratoga, where he walked horses, and on the two weekends at Kentucky Downs—was supposed to be in school during the closing card. “He was up at 2:30 a.m. working on me, because I told him he couldn’t miss school,” Maker said. “It just kept going; the texts kept coming. He got me, I think, about 7:30; I said OK. His famous line was, ‘If I die tomorrow, are you going to be glad you sent me to school, or we had this last day together?’ ” Caden tells pretty much the same story. “I heard him downstairs getting ready to leave for work,” Caden said. “I went to the top of the stairs and said, ‘Dad, do I have to go to school today? Can I go to Kentucky Downs?’ He said, ‘I’ll think about it.’ About three hours later, I was getting ready for school, and I texted him, ‘Are you sure?’ He said, ‘What about when you want to miss the other days?’ I said, ‘Well, if I were to die tomorrow, would you regret it?’ I was just pulling crazy stuff. Then he finally said, ‘Yeah.’ ” After being in the winner’s circle five times—four wins, including a presentation for his dad’s landmark 100th, and another for leading trainer— Caden asked his dad, “Are you happy I got to stay home from school now?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘I told you so.’ Because I don’t get many I-told-you-so’s with my dad. I’m pretty happy.” Maker extended his record number of Kentucky Downs titles to eight—the first seven coming between 2015 and 2022. While he credited his success to

COADY MEDIA

The Kentucky HBPA continues to build on a strong 2026 as we move into the fall season. Ellis Park concluded its summer meeting with record all-sources handle exceeding $80.6 million, alongside more than $19.1 million in purses and competitive field sizes throughout the meet. The success of the season reflects the strength of Kentucky racing and the continued support of our horsemen, fans and the community. Kentucky Downs followed with another outstanding meet, offering some of the most lucrative purses in the world and attracting top-level competition. During the meet, the Kentucky HBPA and Kentucky Downs were proud to donate $100,000 to Stable Recovery, supporting those in our industry working toward recovery. Looking ahead, we’re excited for the return of the Claiming Crown at Churchill Downs and are especially proud to welcome horsemen and women from around the world to the 2026 Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington—one of the great events in our sport and a special moment for our state. We remain actively engaged on key industry and regulatory matters, always working toward practical, horsemen-first solutions in collaboration with our partners across the industry. On behalf of President Dale Romans and the board, thank you for your continued support. We look forward to a strong fall season ahead. Alex Foley Kentucky HBPA Executive Director

“longevity,” his numbers suggest there’s much more to it. To put it in perspective, his 100 wins dating to the first in 2005 average about five a year, a number that by itself would have won the Kentucky Downs training crown many years. His 12 wins in 2022 are the track record, with his 10 this year tying Wayne Catalano’s then-unprecedented haul in 2013. Wesley Ward, whose eight wins tied Brad Cox for second in the 2026 standings, possesses the second-most career wins (67) at the European-style course on the Tennessee border. The Kentucky Downs meet has become a huge component in Maker’s annual business plan. In seven days, with 42 Kentucky Downs starters, Maker horses earned $1,744,371 of the stable’s $10,353,957 in purses on the year through September 9. —Jennie Rees

MIKE MAKER, SECOND FROM RIGHT, WON HIS EIGHTH KENTUCKY DOWNS TRAINING TITLE IN SEPTEMBER AND EVEN LET HIS 13-YEAR-OLD SON CADEN, SECOND FROM LEFT, SKIP SCHOOL TO SEE HIS DAD ACHIEVE HIS 100TH VICTORY AT THE TRACK.

THE HBPA IS YOU The HBPA, established in 1940, is an organization of owners and trainers, approximately 40,000 nationally in 23 states and Canada and more than 6,000 in Kentucky. The association is governed by a board of directors consisting of owners and trainers volunteering their time and elected by the membership every three years. The HBPA is committed to working for the betterment of racing on all levels. The HBPA represents owners and trainers on several fronts: • The HBPA negotiates with each racetrack regarding purse structure, equitable share of simulcast revenues, overall track safety, sanitation and security. • The HBPA provides benevolence to horsemen in need, education and recreation programs to the backstretch and various insurance packages that include—free of charge to members—fire and disaster insurance. Visit one of the fully staffed HBPA offices at the currently running racetrack in Kentucky for details. • The HBPA works in conjunction with the chaplaincy program and the Kentucky Racing Health and Welfare Fund to provide support and benefits for horsemen. • The HBPA supports scientific research and marketing initiatives on a regional and national level to help promote interest in Thoroughbred racing. • The HBPA is at the forefront in litigation and legislation on issues involving horsemen’s rights with regards to interstate simulcasting, proprietary rights, casino gambling, therapeutic medication, sports betting and many other areas of concern to horsemen.

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FALL 2026

OFFICIALSPONSOR SPONSOR OFFICIAL of the the National NationalHBPA HBPA of

NEWS HOW CAN I JOIN?

LOUISIANA DOWNS

You are invited to drop into the HBPA office to meet the staff and learn more about current projects and how you can get involved in helping to improve the industry. There are no membership fees. Remember that this is your organization. Become an active participant and one of the “horsemen helping horsemen.” To join, all you need to do is fill out our membership card and fax, mail or email it back to us. For more information, please visit our website at kyhbpa.org and click on “How to Join.”

The 2027 Louisiana Downs Quarter Horse meet begins early to midJanuary 2027 and concludes March 27, 2027. The Louisiana Downs meet will feature the Mardi Gras Futurity (RG2). The 2027 rendition is expected to feature an approximate purse of $600,000. The Grade 2 Louisiana Downs Futurity is expected to have a 2027 purse of $400,000. In 2027, we see the return and fifth running of the $50,000-added Mardi Gras Oaks, which is restricted to accredited 3-year-old Louisiana-bred fillies.

LOUISIANA HBPA DELTA DOWNS The 2026–2027 Thoroughbred meet at Delta Downs begins October 9 and ends February 20. Louisiana Premier Night again headlines the meet January 30, featuring approximately $1.1 million in purses for Louisiana-breds. Older horses will compete January 8 in the Treasure Chest and January 9 in the Delta Mile. The December 22-23 cards will feature two open 2-year-old stakes going 71/2 furlongs for $100,000-guaranteed purses, one for colts and geldings and another for fillies. For additional information, contact the Delta Downs racing office at (888) 589-7223.

EVANGELINE DOWNS The 2026 Quarter Horse meet at Evangeline Downs runs October 2 through December 19. The trials for the Louisiana Million Futurity will be conducted November 23 with the estimated $1 million Futurity final Saturday, December 19. The trials for the LQHBA Breeders’ Derby will be conducted November 27 with the final for an estimated $150,000 December 19. The card also will feature an exciting Louisiana-bred race program with three Champions Day races each worth $100,000. For additional information, contact the Evangeline Downs racing office at (337) 594-3022.

FAIR GROUNDS

THISTLEDOWN HOSTS 2026 BEST OF OHIO DAY Thistledown hosted its renewal of the 2026 Best of Ohio program under beautiful and sunny skies with a large on-track crowd in attendance Saturday, August 8. The Best of Ohio featured five $100,000 stakes events for Ohio-breds carded as the first five races on the program. Defending champion Candlelight Hours scored a 11/2-length victory in the Pay the Man Stakes under a perfect trip from jockey Terry Houghton. Silver Kiss, the 3-5 favorite, finished second after some early trouble in the 11/8-mile event for 3-year-old and up fillies and mares. James Jackson trains Candlelight Hours for her owner-breeder Elkhorn Oaks Inc. The 7-year-old Dominus mare won for the 16th time and, after a third in the Michael G. Mackey Memorial Angenora Stakes September 3, boosted her earnings to $851,100. Heavily favored Book Value scored a front-running 1-length victory over Breakheart Pass in the Kindergarten Stakes to remain undefeated in three starts. Erik Barbaran rode Book Value, a 2-year-old Mandaloun gelding, to the win for trainer Robert Gorham and owner Marion F. Gorham Revocable Trust. Santiago Gonzalez, the rider of Breakheart Pass, lodged a claim of foul against the winner alleging interference through the stretch. While the stewards disallowed the foul claim, this was still a promising stakes debut for Breakheart Pass, who was 113/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Skedazzle. Fair and Square was well rated by jockey Rocco Bowen and led throughout to score a neck upset victory over Ohio champion Who Dey in the 11/4-mile Governor’s Buckeye Cup. Tim Hamm trains Fair and Square for owners Blazing Meadows Farm and America’s Thoroughbred Investors. The win was the 6-yearold Super Saver gelding’s 11th in 26 career starts and good for $603,080 in career earnings. Fair and Square covered the 1¼ miles in 2:04.75. Who Dey lost little in defeat, putting up a game effort while finishing 151/2 lengths clear of third-place Tantrum. J J ZAMAIKO PHOTOGRAPHY

The historic Fair Grounds will be conducting its 155th Thoroughbred racing season starting November 19 and concluding March 21, 2027. Fair Grounds is known as one of the best winter destinations for the top owners, trainers and jockeys in our industry. Opening weekend features six Louisianabred stakes worth $100,000 each. Some of the notable dates for the upcoming meet start with the Thanksgiving Day card, an annual tradition for the people of New Orleans. Louisiana Champions Day, which spotlights the best of our state program, will be held December 12. The first point races of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series will be held at Fair Grounds December 19. The next series for 3-year-olds will be held January 16 with the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes and listed Silverbulletday Stakes highlighting the card. Louisiana Derby Preview Day will be February 13, featuring the Grade 2 Risen Star and the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra. More than $1.3 million in purses will be awarded. The meet will conclude with the $1 million, Grade 2 Louisiana Derby March 20 and six Louisiana-bred stakes races over the March 20-21 weekend. The Louisiana Derby card also includes the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks with a total of eight stakes races for more than $2.6 million in purses. Fair Grounds will offer 58 stakes races totaling approximately $9.1 million with 27 stakes races for Louisiana-breds worth approximately $3 million. For more information, contact the racing office at (504) 948-1288.

OHIO HBPA

FAIR AND SQUARE EDGES ODDS-ON FAVORITE WHO DEY TO WIN THE GOVERNOR’S BUCKEYE CUP STAKES.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

AFFILIATE NEWS Panda Listen scored her maiden victory in her second start, winning the Miss Ohio Stakes by 6 lengths over Motownsnojoke. Brendan Walsh trains Panda Listen, a 2-year-filly by Tiz the Law, for owner Emcee Stable. Fernando De La Cruz rode Panda Listen to the win. Superwolf ran his win streak to seven with a gate-to-wire score by 23/4 lengths over Empire’s Fire in the Honey Jay Stakes. Barbaran rode Superwolf, a 4-year-old Instagrand gelding, to the victory for trainer Robert Gorham and owner Mast Thoroughbreds. Superwolf improved to 11-for-17 with earnings of $492,450. KERCKHAERT

J J ZAMAIKO PHOTOGRAPHY

GAME CHANGERS

SMART FINISH

PANDA LISTEN WINS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE MISS OHIO STAKES. J J ZAMAIKO PHOTOGRAPHY

J J ZAMAIKO PHOTOGRAPHY

CANDLELIGHT HOURS KICKS OFF BEST OF OHIO DAY AT THISTLEDOWN WITH A VICTORY IN THE PAY THE MAN STAKES.

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BOOK VALUE OUTRUNS BREAKHEART PASS AND SURVIVES A FOUL CLAIM TO WIN THE KINDERGARTEN STAKES.

SUPERWOLF DELIVERS AS THE 1-2 FAVORITE IN THE HONEY JAY STAKES.

THOROUGHBRED RACING ASSOCIATION OF OKLAHOMA BUCK PIE, CYNDI LOPER WIN OKLAHOMA STALLION HANDICAPS Buck Pie was totally ignored by everyone at Remington Park except his jockey, Jose Alvarez. When all was said and done, Alvarez produced a 57-1 winner in the colts and geldings division of the $50,000 Oklahoma Stallion Handicap August 28. “Nobody is more surprised than I am,” said owner-breeder Bryan Hawk of Shawnee, Oklahoma. “We had two horses in the field, and I really thought [C W Dazzle] might be the one. Jose just did a great job.” Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame trainer Joe Offolter trains both C W Dazzle and Buck Pie, and he was thinking along the same lines as his owner.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

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NEWS COADY MEDIA/LEVI LANDEROS

WASHINGTON HBPA EMERALD DOWNS WRAPS UP 2026 SEASON

BRYAN HAWK’S HOMEBRED BUCK PIE RETURNS OFF A LAYOFF TO WIN THE OKLAHOMA STALLION COLTS AND GELDINGS HANDICAP.

EMERALD DOWNS PHOTOGRAPHY

COADY MEDIA/LEXIE MORRISON

EMERALD DOWNS PHOTOGRAPHY

“I did not expect [Buck Pie] to run the way he did,” said Offolter. “Jose rode him perfectly, and he told me before the race, ‘There’s a lot of speed in here. I think I’ll just sit back and see what happens in front of us and see what we can do.’ ” What they did was come from last in the pack of six and fly down the stretch, passing all the fading speed, to draw off to a 31/2-length win at 7 furlongs on the fast main track. “When I asked him to run at the three-eighths, he began to run and gave me everything he had,” said Alvarez. Buck Pie, a 3-year-old son of Pass the Buck, came into the race after more than three months off to win his stakes debut. He earned $30,000 for the victory and improved to three wins in eight starts for $63,331 in earnings. Pam Grossman’s Cyndi Loper improved to 3-for-5 with a victory in the $50,000 Oklahoma Stallion Fillies Handicap. Cyndi Loper’s victory gave jockey Floyd Wethey Jr. a second win in this event as he scored with Miss Code West in 2024. The win was the third for trainer Francisco Bravo since the race was reconditioned to 3-year-olds at 7 furlongs. He also won last year with Floras Ora and in 2019 with Lady Orhid. The Oklahoma Stallion Handicap is restricted to progeny of stallions registered with the Oklahoma Stallion registrar. “I love this for Ms. Grossman,” Bravo said. “She is fighting cancer really bad. Her filly is always really game.” This was the second stakes win for Cyndi Loper, an Oklahoma-bred daughter of Atreides. She broke her maiden at Lone Star Park last year at 2 and followed that up with a win in the $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Lassie at Remington Park in October 2025. “I really didn’t have much of a plan,” said Wethey. “I just let her break the way she wanted, and she was game the whole way.” Cyndi Loper earned $30,000 from the purse and boosted her bankroll to $107,284. She was bred by Eureka Thoroughbred Farm. Bravo offered a simple future plan for Cyndi Loper. “Just keep winning,” he said.

The 6-year-old mare Aloha Breeze and 3-year-old colt Robin Racer were voted co-Horses of the Meeting at the 47-day Emerald Downs meet that concluded September 7. Aloha Breeze and Robin Racer—both owned by George Todaro and trained by Tom Wenzel—are the first horses to share the meet’s top honor in the 31-year history of the track. The resumes of Aloha Breeze and Robin Racer were nearly identical. Each had four wins including three stakes, with Aloha Breeze earning $107,320 and Robin Racer $106,750. A Kentucky-bred by The Factor and reigning Horse of the Meeting, Aloha Breeze is the track’s all-time leading older filly or mare with 10 stakes wins and joins Noosa Beach (2010–11), Stryker Phd (2014–15) and Slew’s Tiz Whiz (2022–23) as the only two-time winners of Horse of the Meeting. In addition, Aloha Breeze was voted Top Sprinter and has won division honors at ages 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. A Kentucky-bred by Connect, Robin Racer capped his season with a victory over older horses in the Muckleshoot Tribal Classic. That followed decisive victories in the Seattle Slew Stakes and Muckleshoot Derby to go with a seasonopening allowance triumph at 51/2 furlongs. Robin Racer was also named Top 3-Year-Old Colt or Gelding. Todaro was the meet’s leading owner in wins (20), stakes wins (9) and earnings ($513,550), averaging more than $10,000 per start. Aloha Breeze, Robin Racer and Diamond Dasher combined for eight stakes victories flying the red, white and green Todaro silks. Wenzel led all trainers with nine stakes wins and conditioned three champions (Aloha Breeze, Robin Racer, Diamond Dasher) while becoming No. 1 all time with 76 stakes wins at Emerald Downs. Wenzel twice won three stakes in a day, tying his own track record, and took honors for Top Training Achievement.

CYNDI LOPER AND FLOYD WETHEY JR. HEAD TO VICTORY IN THE OKLAHOMA STALLION FILLIES HANDICAP.

ALOHA BREEZE AND ROBIN RACER FLEW GEORGE TODARO’S RED, WHITE AND GREEN SILKS TO SIX COMBINED STAKES VICTORIES IN 2026 AT EMERALD DOWNS AND WOUND UP AS THE CO-HORSES OF THE MEETING, A FIRST IN THE 31-YEAR HISTORY OF THE WASHINGTON RACETRACK.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

AFFILIATE NEWS EMERALD DOWNS PHOTOGRAPHY

TIPITAP LANDED BACK-TO-BACK STAKES WINS LATE IN THE SEASON TO TAKE HOME LEADING 3-YEAR-OLD FILLY HONORS. EMERALD DOWNS PHOTOGRAPHY

Silvio Amador took his first riding title with 68 wins, winning at a 20.6% clip, and led in earnings with $1,004,852. Amador’s previous best was a third in 2023. Frank Alvarado, regular rider for Robin Racer, led all jockeys with five stakes triumphs. Howie Gibson captured his first training title, winning 33 races, and scored his first Longacres Mile Stakes with Oregon-bred Adios Jojo at 32-1. Gibson won at a 31.1% clip and developed division champions Mattie Goincoastal (2-YearOld Filly) and Adios Jojo (Older Horse). Top 3-Year-Old Filly went to Ron Kalina’s improving Tipitap, a Kentuckybred daughter of Tacitus who finished the season with a victory over older fillies and mares including Aloha Breeze in the Muckleshoot Tribal Distaff. Trained by Blaine Wright, Tipitap overcame trouble to win the Washington Oaks and also was third in the Kent Stakes. Mattie Goincoastal, owned by Gary Lusk and Ron and Nina Hagen, took honors as Top 2-Year-Old Filly and Top Washington-Bred, winning three races including daylight scores in the Angie C. Stakes and WTBOA Lassies Stakes. Diamond Dasher’s resounding five-length victory in the Gottstein Futurity cinched honors as Top 2-Year-Old Colt or Gelding. A Todaro homebred by The Factor—Diamonds R, Diamond Dasher was second in the WTBOA Lads and finished the campaign 2-1-0 in four starts with $54,580 in earnings. Kristin Lee earned Top Claimer with a 4-1-0 record in five starts, winning her final three starts by 6¾, 7¼ and 4 lengths. A 5-year-old Cat Burglar mare, she made her final four starts for trainer Coco Patino. The 91st running of the Longacres Mile was voted Race of the Meeting. Kentucky invader Touchy was disqualified from first and placed second for interference in the stretch, becoming the first DQ from a win in the storied history of the race.

MATTIE GOINCOASTAL EARNED RECOGNITION AS EMERALD DOWNS’ LEADING JUVENILE FILLY AFTER WINNING THREE OF FOUR STARTS IN 2026.

OFFICIALSPONSOR SPONSOR OFFICIAL of the the National NationalHBPA HBPA of

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

FALL 2026

NEWS Leading Sire Wins: Smiling Tiger Claims: 176 ($1,089,000) Largest Claim: $40,000, Executive Chef, June 27 HJ EMERALD DOWNS PHOTOGRAPHY

California-breds won 118 of 390 races or 30.2%, followed closely by Washington-breds and Kentucky-breds with 106 wins apiece or 27.2%. Smiling Tiger was leading sire for a second consecutive season with 19 wins including Longacres Mile winner Adios Jojo. Claiming activity was hot and heavy throughout the meet with 176 horses red-tagged for an aggregate $1,089,000. Here are the 2026 Emerald Downs champions: Co-Horse of the Meeting, Older Filly or Mare, Sprinter, Co-Leading Horse Stakes Wins (3): Aloha Breeze Co-Horse of the Meeting, 3-Year-Old Colt or Gelding, Co-Leading Horse Stakes Wins (3): Robin Racer Washington-Bred: Mattie Goincoastal Older Horse, Leading Horse Earnings: Adios Jojo 3-Year-Old Filly: Tipitap 2-Year-Old Colt or Gelding: Diamond Dasher 2-Year-Old Filly: Mattie Goincoastal Claimer: Kristin Lee Race of Meeting: Longacres Mile Leading Jockey Wins: Silvio Amador Leading Jockey Stakes Wins: Frank Alvarado Leading Jockey Earnings: Silvio Amador Leading Apprentice Jockey: Talliyah Timentwa Leading Trainer: Howie Gibson Leading Trainer Stakes Wins, Leading Trainer Earnings: Tom Wenzel Leading Owner, Leading Owner Earnings: George Todaro Co-Leading Horse Wins (4): Aloha Breeze, Robin Racer, Kristin Lee, Taino House, Can’tdealwithit Riding Achievement: Silvio Amador, 68 wins (1.44 average per day) Training Achievement: Tom Wenzel, 9 stakes wins; becomes all-time leading stakes trainer Martin Durkan Award: Kay Cooper and British Columbia contingent (Mark Cloutier, Robert Gilker, Steve Henson, Ian Jewell, Patty Leaney) Lindy Award: Kevin Orozco

ADIOS JOJO (INSIDE) CROSSED THE FINISH SECOND BUT WON THE $125,000 LONGACRES MILE STAKES FOLLOWING THE DISQUALIFICATION OF TOUCHY. ADIOS JOJO TOOK HOME HONORS AS LEADING OLDER HORSE AND LEADING EARNER AT EMERALD DOWNS IN 2026.

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For more information or to reserve space, contact The Horsemen’s Journal advertising department at 515-508-1811 or info@hbpa.org

Victory Racing Plates ...................................................................... 15 Virgina Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association ................. 53

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FALL 2026

Are You Covered? OWNERS’ & TRAINERS’ LIABILITY PROGRAM

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A program to protect your assets in case of an injury or damage to property arising from your equine activities (breeding, racing, sales, training). This is not a substitute for workers’ compensation coverage.

What Does It Cover?

• Liability claims arising from injuries to participants (non-employee jockeys and exercise riders) • Contractual liability (i.e. hold harmless in Race Track Stall Agreements) • Premises and Operations liability coverage for all equine operations including breeding, boarding, training, and racing.

What Are Your Limits?

Each member additional insured has their own $1,000,000 coverage for each occurrence or offense and $2,000,000 general aggregate. Damage to premises rented to you or occupied by you with the permission of the owner is provided with a limit of $50,000. Medical Payments coverage applies as well in the amount of $5,000 per person. Cost: $90 Per Horse / $180 Minimum Premium (Between 1 Nov and 30 Apr)

Sterling Thompson Company 401 W Main St #1200 • Louisville, KY 40202 Phone 502.585.3277 • Fax 502.585.3306

OFFICIALSPONSOR SPONSOR OFFICIAL of the the National NationalHBPA HBPA of

Endorsed by The National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, Inc.

sterlingthompson.com/farmequine