Technology challenges and strategies, ongoing legal issues, racetrack ownership options and small-stable opportunities mark annual HBPA conference
32
Living Legend
Trainer William “Jinks” Fires is the ‘epitome of what is good about the HBPA’
36 Strong Bond
New book featuring Cody’s Wish and his namesake profiles the unique connection between a boy and a horse that captivated the racing world
40 10 Years of TIEA
Godolphin’s annual awards recognize unsung heroes of the industry
46 Should Lasix Be Eliminated?
A history and overview of EIPH and the use of furosemide 50 New Strategy
Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance rolls out five-pillar plan
NATIONAL HBPA PRESIDENT
DR. DOUG DANIELS (LEFT) AND NATIONAL HBPA CEO
ERIC HAMELBACK AT THE 2025 CLAIMING CROWN AT CHURCHILL DOWNS
NATIONAL
HBPA
3380 Paris Pike
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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
MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
STAYING IN OUR LANE: REGULATION IS NOT BRANDING
In every industry, there is a difference between governance and marketing. Between authority and advertising. Between statutory responsibility and institutional ambition.
In Thoroughbred racing, that distinction matters.
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act created the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and its enforcement arm, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU). Agree or disagree, their mandate is clearly defined in a federal law. It is not philosophical. It is not aspirational. It is definitely not emotional. However, it is regulatory.
The act passed in 2020 with a specific purpose: to establish uniform medication control and racetrack safety standards for “covered” horses, persons and races subject to the act by election of a state racing commission or breed governing organization. That is a very defined lane. Anti-doping. Medication control. Track safety. Enforcement mechanisms. Nothing more was written into the legislation.
Yet, increasingly, we in the industry are seeing something else.
We are seeing messaging that positions HISA not simply as a regulator but as a moral compass. A cultural leader. A convener of industry “governance.” A steward of aftercare. A voice on mental health. A banner carrier for overall reform throughout horse racing.
Let me be very clear: These are important issues. Aftercare matters. Mental health matters. The future of our sport matters deeply.
But importance does not equal jurisdiction.
The statute does not direct HISA to oversee retired racehorse aftercare. It does not authorize it to lead industry governance discussions. It does not task it with serving as the central voice for social initiatives. It does not give it authority to redefine the business structure of racing. It regulates covered horse racing, which only includes medication, safety protocols and enforcement within that framework.
When a regulator moves beyond its defined scope, that is not evolution. It is mission creep.
Mission creep often begins subtly. It begins with language, including words and phrases like “leadership,” “industry stewardship,” “holistic welfare” and “governance.” It continues with partnerships, summits, task forces and position statements that imply a broader mandate than the law provides. Eventually, perception becomes reality. I have said this before and will again: Perception is not reality; reality is reality.
If enough people begin to believe that one federally created body is the “leader” of the industry, its practical influence grows beyond its statutory authority. That influence may not be grounded in the act, but it becomes embedded in public perception, and perception can be very powerful.
Why does this matter?
Because HISA is not a trade organization. It is not an association of horsemen. It is not a recognized horsemen’s representative. It is not a breed registry. It is not a charitable aftercare coalition. It is not a mental health nonprofit. It is not a policy think tank.
HISA/HIWU and their staff are the current regulators and nothing more.
Regulators exist to enforce rules fairly and efficiently within defined boundaries. They are not designed to build consensus across unrelated sectors. They are not designed to serve as the public face of an entire sport. And they certainly are not designed to expand into every corner of our industry’s ecosystem.
When regulatory bodies seek to occupy moral or cultural high ground outside their lane, two problems arise.
First, accountability blurs. If a regulator presents itself as a benevolent industry leader rather than a neutral enforcer, it becomes more difficult to scrutinize its costs, structure and performance. Criticism of its efficiency or constitutional framework can be framed as opposition to “reform” or “welfare” rather than legitimate oversight of a regulatory body. Second, costs demand justification.
HISA is funded by the industry. Horsemen, owners, breeders and racetracks are ultimately bearing the financial weight. When assessments are substantial, the pressure to demonstrate relevance increases. If the measurable outcomes of medication control and racetrack safety do not, in the public eye, justify the expense, expanding into visible, emotionally resonant areas becomes tempting. Sound familiar?
Aftercare photographs. Mental health panels. Governance summits. Industry-wide messaging campaigns. These are persuasive optics. They resonate beyond the backstretch. They generate favorable headlines. Optics are not statutory authority.
None of this diminishes the value of aftercare organizations, which were built by the industry long before federal intervention. None of this dismisses the importance of supporting the mental well-being of those who work tirelessly in this sport. Those efforts deserve respect, and they deserve to be led by organizations whose missions are designed for that work.
The concern is not about compassion. The concern is about concentration of influence without statutory grounding.
Federal law did not nationalize governance of the Thoroughbred industry. It was created to develop a uniform regulatory framework for medication control and racetrack safety within covered horse racing. That distinction is critical.
Centralizing moral authority in a single regulatory body, especially one whose constitutionality has been litigated repeatedly, should give every stakeholder pause.
The future of racing will not be secured by branding exercises. It will be secured by economic sustainability, sound horsemanship, responsible regulation and respect for statutory boundaries.
If HISA focuses narrowly and effectively on medication control and racetrack safety by executing those responsibilities efficiently, transparently and cost-consciously, it can justify its existence within the framework Congress established.
But when it ventures into areas outside its mandate, it invites legitimate questions:
• Who authorized this expansion?
• Who oversees it?
• Who pays for it?
• Who benefits from the consolidation of influence?
This is not about hostility. It is about governance discipline.
Regulators should regulate. Trade groups should advocate. Charities should provide care. Mental health professionals should lead mental health initiatives. And industry governance should remain a shared responsibility among stakeholders and not serve as a branded platform.
The Thoroughbred industry does not need a single entity declaring itself the leader. It needs clarity of roles, respect for jurisdictional boundaries and fiscal accountability.
Emotion can be persuasive. Advertising can be powerful. But federal law is specific.
The lane is defined. Staying in that lane is not obstruction; it is responsible governance.
As we look toward the future of our sport, let us commit to doing the hard work where it belongs. Let us support aftercare through the organizations built for that purpose. Let us strengthen mental health resources through appropriate channels. Let us invest in safety and integrity through clear, accountable regulatory structures. And let us ensure that no entity, however well-intentioned, expands its footprint beyond what Congress authorized simply to gain favor or justify cost.
Racing deserves discipline. Horsemen and women deserve representation. And regulation deserves boundaries.
SINCERELY, ERIC J. HAMELBACK
AFFILIATES
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
Garald “Wally” Wollesen, 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
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 #1.
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
CONTRIBUTORS
Dr. Kimberly Brewer
Liane Crossley
Dr. Clara Fenger
Paul Halloran
Jennie Rees
Dr. Andrew Roberts
Jen Roytz
Dr. Thomas Tobin
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Denis Blake
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Help Your Fellow Horsemen
Help Your Fellow Horsemen
Make a Tax Deductible Donation to the National HBPA Foundation
Make a Tax Deductible Donation to the National HBPA Foundation
The National HBPA Foundation, a tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) fund, was developed as a safety net for horsemen and horsewomen when other forms of assistance are unavailable or have been exhausted after disaster strikes. Every year the National HBPA Foundation helps horsemen and horsewomen make it through difficult times such as disease quarantines at a racetrack or natural disasters like floods and fires by providing tens of thousands of dollars in needed assistance.
The National HBPA Foundation, a tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) fund, was developed as a safety net for horsemen and horsewomen when other forms of assistance are unavailable or have been exhausted after disaster strikes. Every year the National HBPA Foundation helps horsemen and horsewomen make it through difficult times such as disease quarantines at a racetrack or natural disasters like floods and fires by providing tens of thousands of dollars in needed assistance.
“It was just fabulous. I can’t thank the HBPA enough; I really appreciate all that they do. It’s because of the National HBPA Foundation combined with our insurance and other supporters like Fasig-Tipton’s Blue Horse Charities, we were able to build this kind of barn.”–Old Friends’ Michael Blowen after receiving aid from the National HBPA Foundation following a barn fire.
“It was just fabulous. I can’t thank the HBPA enough; I really appreciate all that they do. It’s because of the National HBPA Foundation combined with our insurance and other supporters like Fasig-Tipton’s Blue Horse Charities, we were able to build this kind of barn.”–Old Friends’ Michael Blowen after receiving aid from the National HBPA Foundation following a barn fire.
The National HBPA Foundation extends heartfelt gratitude to the Estate of Bob Reeves for its generous donation. The contribution will make a significant impact on our motto, “Horsemen Helping Horsemen.” Bob Reeves’ legacy of compassion and generosity will continue to assist Horsemen everywhere as we work towards the Foundation’s mission. We appreciate honoring his memory in such a meaningful way. Scan the QR code or visit https://nationalhbpa.com/remembering-bob-reeves/ to read the Winter 2023 The Horsemen’s Journal article remembering Bob Reeves.
The National HBPA Foundation extends heartfelt gratitude to the Estate of Bob Reeves for its generous donation. The contribution will make a significant impact on our motto, “Horsemen Helping Horsemen.” Bob Reeves’ legacy of compassion and generosity will continue to assist Horsemen everywhere as we work towards the Foundation’s mission. We appreciate honoring his memory in such a meaningful way. Scan the QR code or visit https://nationalhbpa.com/remembering-bob-reeves/ to read the Winter 2023 The Horsemen’s Journal article remembering Bob Reeves.
To make a tax deductible donation to the National HBPA Foundation and make a difference in the lives of your fellow horsemen and women who may find themselves in need, either:
To make a tax deductible donation to the National HBPA Foundation and make a difference in the lives of your fellow horsemen and women who may find themselves in need, either:
• Log onto https://nationalhbpa.com/donate/ to make a credit card donation
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• Mail a donation check made payable to National HBPA Foundation to: National HBPA Foundation, 3380 Paris Pike, Lexington KY 40511
• Mail a donation check made payable to National HBPA Foundation to: National HBPA Foundation, 3380 Paris Pike, Lexington KY 40511
HEROES DAY, ONE OF SEVERAL SPECIAL EVENTS SCHEDULED FOR THE SPRING MEETING AT KEENELAND RACE COURSE, HONORS MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY (ACTIVE DUTY AND VETERANS), FIRST RESPONDERS, HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
BIG NIGHT FOR GODOLPHIN AT ECLIPSE AWARDS
Another year, another big haul for Godolphin and Bill Mott. Dual classic winner Sovereignty led a strong showing for Godolphin and Mott at the 55th annual Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards ceremony January 22 at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida. Sovereignty came away with the Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male titles, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Godolphin global operation defended its crowns as outstanding owner and outstanding breeder, and Bill Mott collected his fifth outstanding trainer award.
“I can’t express how proud I am to be the one to hold this award,” Mott said when accepting the gold Horse of the Year trophy. “It is so telling of the entire Godolphin team. His royal highness Sheikh Mohammed, what he’s done for racing in this country and all around the world is just amazing. To be able to be part of winning his first Kentucky Derby and another Horse of the Year is just unimaginable and unexplainable. I’m so proud to be standing up here with the Godolphin team. … The whole entire group. Hey, it’s supposed to be a minute or less, so there you have it.”
In 2025, Mott trained Godolphin’s homebred Sovereignty to victories in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes, along with the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes and Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes. The son of Into Mischief, who missed the Breeders’ Cup Classic after being sick the week of the race, helped the Hall of Famer add the 2025 Eclipse to his other outstanding trainer awards in 1995, 1996, 2011 and 2023.
Sovereignty also became Godolphin’s second Horse of the Year in the last three years, joining the Mott-trained Cody’s Wish in 2023.
Godolphin picked up its fifth straight owner title and ninth overall as well as its fifth straight and sixth overall breeder title. Along with Sovereignty, other homebreds campaigned by Godolphin included 2025 champion turf male and Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Notable Speech and 2025 Kentucky Oaks winner and champion 3-year-old filly finalist Good Cheer.
“The beauty of this … it’s been a phenomenal year highlighted by the first weekend in May,” said Godolphin farm manager Danny Mulvihill. “The beauty of it was all of our divisions had a hand in the formative years in those two star athletes. You had Good Cheer, who was born at Stonerside out in Bourbon County, led by Ben Lynch and his team. She spent her yearling year at Raceland with Paul Seitz and his team. Then you roll onto 24 hours later, and you had Sovereignty, [who] was born in Woodford County [with] a team at Gainsborough Farm led by Gary Harlow. Gary’s been with us for 33 years. For any of you guys that foal mares in the middle of the night, the dreams are alive when those foals hit the ground. The term ‘this could be the next Oaks winner’ or ‘this could be the next Derby winner’—well, I guess this year it was our turn for both.”
Michael Banahan, Godolphin USA’s director of bloodstock, also summed up the team approach to the haul of honors.
“We were so lucky as fans to witness Sovereignty’s brilliance in some spectacular, goose-bump, hairs-standing-up-on-the-back-of-your-neck, spinetingling performances,” Banahan said. “A big thank you to Sovereignty’s team. Junior Alvarado gave some awesome rides on Sovereignty this year, none more than in the Kentucky Derby, with the deft skill of getting on the rail as they went by the wire for the first time. It was probably the winning of the race, saving all that ground on the first turn. Thank you so much, Junior. For Bill Mott, the Hall of
Fame trainer who skillfully called all the right shots from Florida to New York via Kentucky and who brought Sovereignty to his peak three times. Thank you to his whole team at Mott Racing, who had a massive part to play in his success.”
None of the “Team Sovereignty” votes proved particularly close.
Sovereignty earned 201 of a possible 220 votes in the Horse of the Year race, with Forever Young earning 17 and Ted Noffey picking up two votes. Sovereignty earned 219 votes for champion 3-year-old male, with one abstention.
Godolphin earned 206 of the possible 220 votes to win the owner title and 212 for the breeder title. Mott earned 85 votes for the trainer crown, 35 more than runner-up Brad Cox, with Chad Brown (40) third and Todd Pletcher (21) fourth. Bob Baffert (13), Steve Asmussen (3), Jamie Ness (2), Mark Casse (1), Christophe Clement (1), Mike Maker (1), Brendan Walsh (1) and Henry Walters (1) also earned trainer votes.
The voting is conducted by the Eclipse Awards’ three presenters—the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, Daily Racing Form and National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
Forever Young gave Japan its second Eclipse Award in the older dirt male category. He earned 127 votes to 50 for Sierra Leone. Forever Young is trained by Yoshito Yahagi, who also conditioned Japanese-based Loves Only You to the 2021 turf female Eclipse Award.
Thorpedo Anna, 2024 Horse of the Year, earned the older dirt female title with 171 votes to 33 for Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Scylla.
GODOLPHIN’S SOVEREIGNTY, WINNING THE TRAVERS STAKES IN AUGUST AT SARATOGA RACE COURSE FOR HIS THIRD GRADE 1 VICTORY OF THE SEASON, EARNED HORSE OF THE YEAR AND CHAMPION 3-YEAR-OLD MALE HONORS IN 2025.
Nitrogen, who transferred her graded stakes-winning form on the turf to become a Grade 1 winner on the dirt, dominated the 3-year-old filly category. She earned 183 votes to 24 for champion female sprinter Shisospicy. Shisospicy, who defeated older males in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint to cap a 5-for-7 campaign, earned 113 votes for the female sprinter title. Splendora, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, earned 68 votes to finish second.
New Jersey-bred gelding Book’em Danno, purposely kept out of the Breeders’ Cup by his connections, topped Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Bentornato for the male sprinter title by a vote of 115-82.
Godolphin’s Notable Speech, unbeaten in his two Grade 1 appearances in North America including the Breeders’ Cup Mile, topped fellow Godolphin runner Rebel’s Romance 115 votes to 59 to take the male turf horse title.
She Feels Pretty finished a half-length behind Gezora in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf but came out ahead of that rival in the female turf horse voting. A two-time Grade 1 winner in 2025, She Feels Pretty earned 151 votes to 36 for Gezora.
Undefeated Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Ted Noffey earned 218 of the possible 220 votes—with the lone dissenters going to Further Ado (1) and Gstaad (1)—to take the 2-year-old male title. Super Corredora, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies 20 days after a maiden win, earned 146 votes to win the 2-year-old filly title. Cy Fair finished second with 49 votes.
Cool Jet, an Irish-bred who strung together three graded stakes wins including the Grade 1 Commonwealth Cup in May, earned champion steeplechase honors with 119 votes to 51 for Zanahiyr.
Flavien Prat defended his title for outstanding jockey, earning 152 votes to 52 for Irad Ortiz Jr. Pietro Moran earned 128 votes to outpace Yedsit Hazlewood (55) and Christopher Elliott (26) to take home the outstanding apprentice jockey title.
Others recognized at the Eclipse Awards included Edward L. Bowen, posthumously with the Eclipse Award of Merit, and Bob Duncan and Trevor Denman, each with a Special Eclipse Award.
Media Eclipse Awards were given in the categories of photography, multimedia, news/enterprise writing, feature/commentary writing, feature television programming and live television programming. The 2025 Media Eclipse Awards winners, determined by a judges’ panel for each category and previously announced, were news/enterprise writing, Natalie Voss, Paulick Report; feature/ commentary, Jay Privman, DRF.com and Daily Racing Form; photography, Skip Dickstein, The Albany Times-Union and BloodHorse; multimedia, Augusta Chapman and Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics Radio; live television programming, FOX Sports (Michael Mulvihill, president); and feature television programming, FOX Sports (Michael Mulvihill, president).
Dan Piazza, winner of the 26th National Horseplayers Championship, was presented an Eclipse Award as the 2025 Horseplayer of the Year.
The connections of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Forever Young were honored with the FanDuel Racing-NTRA Moment of the Year, as voted on by fans.
—Tom Law
RACING MOURNS PASSING OF LEGENDS SHIRREFFS, LEATHERBURY
ohn Shirreffs and King Leatherbury, two legendary trainers who did things their own way, achieved success on opposite coasts and left lasting marks in the Thoroughbred training ranks, passed away this winter. Shirreffs, 80, died February 12 at his home in California. Leatherbury, 92, died February 10 at his home in Maryland.
Shirreffs went about his near five-decade career as a trainer with a hands-on, patient and individualized approach. He sent out the earners of more than $58 million, including Hall of Famer and Horse of the Year Zenyatta, 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo and 2009 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic winner Life Is Sweet.
Shirreffs, on the ballot for possible induction into the Hall of Fame again in 2026, won 39 Grade 1 races in a career that started after he served in the Marines Corps in the Vietnam War and later found himself in California on the way to Hawaii for some surfing. He never made it to Hawaii, instead working as a hotwalker and later at a farm in California.
“He was a great man; it was an honor to have him in our lives,” said Lee Searing of C R K Stable, which owns Grade 1 winner Baeza and was one of Shirreffs’ top clients at the time of his passing. Shirreffs and Searing spent the weekend prior in Florida inspecting 2-year-olds.
“He was so excited when we were in Florida,” Searing said. “We were looking at our 2-year-olds that are ready to come to the track in April and May. He was excited because this is probably the best group I’ve ever had—and there are 28 of them. He had a great time. He was healthy, had a great dinner.”
sport,” Breeders’ Cup Ltd. said in a statement. “Beyond his three victories at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships … John was widely respected for his integrity, patience and steadfast commitment to the care and development of his horses. Campaigning Zenyatta to a Hall of Fame career, he never failed to make the great race mare accessible to her fans, promoting the sport to thousands across the nation and around the world. He understood the responsibility that comes with greatness and embraced the opportunity to share it, helping broaden racing’s audience and inspire a new generation of fans.”
Leatherbury went about training in a different manner, using handicapping prowess and relying on horsemen in his barn to handle the hands-on care of his runners. He trained from 1958 to 2023 and at one point was part of the “Big Four” of Maryland racing, along with fellow legends Bud Delp, Dick Dutrow Sr. and John Tammaro. The four conditioners dominated racing in Maryland in the 1970s.
HALL OF FAME TRAINER KING LEATHERBURY WITH FELLOW MARYLAND LEGEND BEN’S CAT, A 26-TIME STAKES WINNER AND $2.6 MILLION EARNER
Leatherbury, best known nationally for his training of fan favorite and multiple stakes-winning turf sprinter Ben’s Cat, won 6,508 races and racked up purses of more than $64.6 million. He won 52 training titles in Maryland—26 apiece at Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park—and four at Delaware Park. Leatherbury earned induction into the Hall of Fame in 2015.
“Nobody in the history of racing … has done what he’s done the last 25 years: that being training the horses from speed figures, the Racing Form, using top assistants and veterinarians,” Delp told Turf writer Vinnie Perrone in the May 20, 1993, edition of The Washington Post. “Believe me, King Leatherbury can train any racehorse that ever lived, and train him to perfection.”
Well-liked and respected by his colleagues and the racing press, Shirreffs became nationally known for conditioning Zenyatta to 19 straight victories from 2007 to 2010. Zenyatta won 13 Grade 1 stakes during that stretch, including the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic and the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic over males. Zenyatta’s lone defeat—a head loss to Blame—came in her final start in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. She retired with a bankroll of $7,304,580 and earned induction into the Hall of Fame in 2016.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of John Shirreffs, whose grace, humility and skillful horsemanship left an indelible mark on our great
In the same article, Perrone said that Leatherbury, also known as the “King of the Claimers,” achieved success “predominantly with claiming horses, using guile, prescience and statistics to buy and sell Thoroughbreds in the cheaper, unpublicized races. In essence, he’s one of the sport’s great livestock traders.”
Leatherbury didn’t only succeed in the claiming ranks. He trained Grade 1 winners Catatonic and Taking Risks, along with 26-time stakes winner and $2,643,782-earner Ben’s Cat. Laurel honors Leatherbury annually with the King T. Leatherbury Stakes at 5½ furlongs on the turf.
—Tom Law
JOHN SHIRREFFS CELEBRATES BAEZA’S VICTORY IN THE 2025 PENNSYLVANIA DERBY AT PARX RACING.
CHURCHILL BRINGS SUNDAY CARD BACK TO DERBY WEEK
Churchill Downs is returning its spring meet opener to an afternoon card and adding a Sunday program to its Kentucky Derby Week in 2026.
First post for the Saturday, April 25, opening day program is set for 12:45 p.m. ET. It will be the first opening card not run under the lights since 2010. Churchill is also bringing the Sunday card back to the Derby Week schedule for the first time in 16 years. Post time for the Sunday, April 26, program is also 12:45 p.m.
The 152nd spring meet in Louisville spans 44 racing dates over nine weeks from April 25 to June 28. Kentucky Derby Week grows from six to seven days from April 25 to May 2 with no racing Monday, April 27.
“With the spring meet and Kentucky Derby Week kicking off in the afternoon and the return of Sunday racing on Derby Week for the first time in 16 years, we believe our strong racing product will be well received by the local community, horseplayers around the country and our horsemen,” said Mike Anderson, Churchill Downs racetrack president.
The lead-in to the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby weekend includes:
• Opening Day powered by LG&E and KU (Saturday, April 25)—New for this year, Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon and Mini Marathon finishers will receive free admission if they wear their finisher medals.
• Sunday Funday (Sunday, April 26)—Sunday racing returns to Kentucky Derby Week for the first time since 2010, which gives the community an extra day to celebrate the seasonal fun with brunch options around the track.
• Dawn at the Downs Dining (Monday, April 27)—Guests can watch Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders train while enjoying a buffet breakfast in the Stakes Room or on Millionaires Row. Gates open at 7 a.m.; there is an exclusive training window only for Derby and Oaks participants from 7:15 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.
• 502’sDay (Tuesday, April 28)—General admission is $5.
• Winsday presented by Resolute Racing: Great Thrills for the Greater Good (Wednesday, April 29)—“Winsday” puts the spotlight on Louisville’s robust nonprofit community. In partnership with the Community Foundation of Louisville, local nonprofit organizations will be invited to fundraise and highlight the work they do to make Louisville a more vibrant place to live, work and play.
• Thurby presented by Old Forester: Cool Kentucky (Thursday, April 30)—In partnership with the Frazier History Museum, Churchill Downs will transform into a showcase of Kentucky’s rich heritage with an exploration into the commonwealth’s storied past and lively present. Guests are encouraged to wear vintage-style outfits.
• Taste of Derby (Thursday, April 30)—The 17th annual Taste of Derby culinary experience is an evening of cuisines created by nationally renowned chefs at the Kentucky International Convention Center.
SOVEREIGNTY’S VICTORY IN THE 151ST KENTUCKY DERBY WAS JUST ONE OF SEVERAL HIGHLIGHTS OF LAST YEAR’S DERBY WEEK AT CHURCHILL DOWNS, WHICH ROLLED OUT SOME CHANGES FOR 2026 THAT INCLUDE SUNDAY RACING THE WEEK BEFORE THE MAIN EVENT.
RETIRED RACEHORSE PROJECT ANNOUNCES 2026–2030 STRATEGIC PLAN
The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to increasing demand for Thoroughbreds beyond racing, rolled out a new strategic plan in March designed to expand support services, strengthen the Thoroughbred Makeover and deepen collaboration across the racing, equestrian and aftercare sectors.
“Over the first 15 years of its existence, the RRP has had a huge impact on the Thoroughbred industry, primarily through the success of the Thoroughbred Makeover,” said RRP Board Chair Neil Agate. “The implementation of our strategic plan will continue this success by extending the support we provide to everyone involved with Thoroughbreds after their racing careers. I am extremely proud of all the hard work that the RRP staff, board and advisory council members have put in over the last year to develop such a focused plan to maintain the RRP’s value to the Thoroughbred industry for many years to come.”
The RRP’s 2026–2030 strategic plan underpins the organization’s commitment to building a stronger, more connected aftercare ecosystem that supports the Thoroughbred beyond racing. The plan was adopted by the RRP board in December 2025 after a facilitation process that took place throughout the year, including stakeholder interviews, community surveys and landscape assessments.
The plan includes three priorities, which represent the RRP’s commitment
to building a more informed, unified and sustainable future for the Thoroughbred aftercare community:
1. Strengthen capacity through Thoroughbred Makeover refinement and renewed focus on supportive programming for anyone involved with the breed.
2. Build and amplify the RRP’s brand identity as a leading nonprofit and aftercare unifier.
3. Lead industry-wide accountability and engagement.
“In 2025, the RRP celebrated its 15th anniversary and the Thoroughbred Makeover its 10th, and so it was a timely opportunity to complete this facilitation and define our focus over the coming years,” said RRP Executive Director Kirsten Green.
“As many groups in organized aftercare are reaching a similar stage of organizational maturity, it’s energizing to reflect on the progress we’ve made and think strategically about what’s still needed in this sector. Increasing demand for the Thoroughbred remains at the nucleus of everything we do, and there’s still a lot of room for innovation on that front. I’m excited for the RRP to make its mark programmatically and continue to elevate the standing of the Thoroughbred breed.”
As the RRP looks forward to expanding its year-round programs, strengthening collaboration and leading national conversations, the organization will continue to champion the athleticism, versatility and lifelong value of the Thoroughbred. HJ
SURPRSINGLYPERFECT
EARNS NATIONAL CLAIMING HORSE OF THE YEAR
Surprsinglyperfect—feted at the National HBPA Conference as 2025 National Claiming Horse of the Year for his 7-for-13 record at age 11— not only has a second career as trainer/co-owner Justin Evans’ stable pony but as an ambassador for the sport.
Long before the Perfect Soul gelding entered horse racing’s national limelight with his award, Evans and his partner Jeff Rakoczy already had plans to take care of Surprsinglyperfect for the rest of his life. Now, with the additional cachet, he showcases what horsemen across the country routinely do in taking care of their horses after retirement, including finding them another career. Surprsinglyperfect, a fan favorite during his years racing at Turf Paradise and Emerald Downs, also carries the banner for claiming horses and the smaller tracks that are the foundation of North American racing.
“He’s got a forever home,” Evans said. “He’s going to be my son and daughter’s new barn pony. That’s his next career. He’ll live in the same stall every track we go to; he’s always been in the first stall. His role will just change. I don’t think he’s the type of horse who would like the life where you just turn him out. He is a tough horse to gallop in the mornings. He’s strong; he likes to do his job; he pulls on you and stuff. Cutting back on his feed, leveling him out a little bit, I think he’ll make the switch really well.”
Surprsinglyperfect was selected amid strong competition for Claiming Horse of the Year honors after a season in which he ran 13 times and for the 100th time in his career. His 2025 earnings of $94,230 were a career best and included three seconds and a third. The Kentucky-bred ran one time in 2026, providing the opportunity for a retirement ceremony at Turf Paradise. That he finished second in start No. 101 was a technicality in the celebration of a horse who wrapped up racing January 13 with a record of 28-18-15 for earnings of $419,951.
“This is like winning the Eclipse Award for a blue-collar horse,” Evans said of the award, adding of his notification call from National HBPA CEO Eric Hamelback, “When I got off the phone, I literally had goosebumps.”
“I’m really speechless, but I’m honored to be associated with Surprsinglyperfect and Justin and his team,” Rakoczy said. “I had heard of the award before, but I had no idea that Surprsinglyperfect would be considered for that type of recognition. I’m not sure how to put everything into words. He’s a fabulous horse. He’s such a classy horse. He tries hard every race.”
The National HBPA presents the National Claiming Horse of the Year to shine the spotlight on horses that are exceptional at their level of competition,
Surprsinglyperfect
Own:RakoczyRacingLLCandEvansJustinR
with claiming horses comprising the largest segment of racing across the U.S. Surprsinglyperfect and his connections were honored March 4 at the conference’s awards luncheon at Oaklawn Park.
“Surprsinglyperfect is the persona of the claiming horse,” said Todd Mostoller, the Pennsylvania HBPA executive director who serves as chair of the National HBPA’s awards committee. “He might have been bought cheaply on numerous occasions, but that only means he’s an inexpensive horse, not a ‘cheap’ horse. He’s a great horse running at his level, running 100 times and always looking forward to his next start. Clearly, he’s had good caretakers throughout his career. We applaud Justin, his team, Jeff and especially Surprsinglyperfect, who may not be perfect but he sure is awfully darn good.”
Evans said he ran Surprsinglyperfect the final time to give him a public send-off. He made it clear he wasn’t running Surprsinglyperfect for the money.
“It’s my respect for the horse,” Evans said beforehand. “He owes me nothing, and I owe him a lot. My respect for the horse is to put him in a spot where nobody will claim him, but it’s not over his head. I want to give him a chance to go out a winner because he deserves it.”
Evans said a dream would be to have a horse in the Claiming Crown in November at Churchill Downs, with his National Claiming Horse of the Year serving as his pony.
“I’d love to; that’s absolutely a goal,” he said. “We really want to try to gear up for a couple of Claiming Crown horses for sure. If we get to come with some Claiming Crown horses, hopefully he’s the pony that’s escorting everybody to the track.”
And given his daughter Addison’s attachment to Surprsinglyperfect, Evans said he told his wife, Vanessa, “He’s going to be like American Express. We’re not going to leave home without him forever from now on.”
Evans and Rakoczy claimed the 10-year-old Surprsinglyperfect for $10,000 March 21, 2024, at Turf Paradise. They’ve been rewarded with 11 victories in 24 starts, with another five seconds. (Evans won another five races with the gelding in early 2022. More on that below.) He raced every year from age 2, running only three times apiece as a juvenile at Woodbine and at 3 but never less than 12 times during any of his final five full seasons. Early in 2017, he sold for $9,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale, ending up in New Mexico and racing out west from then on. He was claimed five times, the first four for $6,250.
Evans has been intertwined with Surprsinglyperfect through much of his career. He purchased him for the $9,000 for a trainer friend in New Mexico, who ultimately lost the gelding via the claim box. Five years later, Evans claimed
B.g.11(Apr)
Sire:PerfectSoul*Ire(Sadler'sWells)$5,000
Dam:ElusiveSurprise(ElusiveQuality)
Br:CharlesFipke(Ky)
Tr:EvansJustinR(0000.00)2025:(37091.25)
Life 100 28 17 15 $417,351 88 202513731$94,23084 202413521$68,28288 0000$0-
Surprsinglyperfect for $6,250, winning five races in five starts before selling him privately. After the horse changed hands twice more and showed back at Turf Paradise in a $15,000–$10,000 claiming race, Evans gave Rakoczy a call.
“I said, ‘You might think I’m crazy. I know $10,000 is a lot for a 10-year-old, but I love this horse. We just crushed it when I had him before,’ ” Evans reflected. “He said, ‘Yeah! Get him.’
“He’s nothing flashy, but he’s an almost larger-than-life presence, just a big beautiful bay with a really pretty head and always holds his weight,” Evans continued. “He makes me want to be a racehorse trainer, and he loves being a racehorse. Around the barn, the stall, my daughter feeds him cookies. She’s brushing his belly, what she can reach. She’s underneath the webbing with him doing stuff; [he] never turns a hair. I said he’s like Superman in a phone booth. As soon as you throw the tack on him to go to the track in the morning, he’s a different horse.
“My son Austin plays a deal with him all the time. If you play the ‘Call to the Post’ on your phone, he could be in the back of the stall eating his hay, and he’ll run up to the front of the stall and just points his ears and stares off looking for it.”
NATIONAL HBPA’S 2025 NATIONAL CLAIMING HORSE OF THE YEAR
SURPRSINGLYPERFECT RETIRED IN JANUARY WITH 28 WINS, 18 SECONDS AND 15 THIRDS IN 101 STARTS, ALONG WITH $419,951 IN EARNINGS.
CARRYING THE BANNER FOR CLAIMING HORSES, SMALL TRACKS
Evans and Rakoczy are typical of the largest population of horsemen, hoping the “Big Horse” comes in someday but realistic enough to know the bread and butter of their stable is the claiming horse. Few may have Surprsinglyperfect’s longevity and success, but many are considered champions in their own barns.
Rakoczy, who retired from a long career as a senior executive in the property and casualty insurance industry, was introduced to racing when his wife’s sister won a day at the races with a Southern California trainer and invited the Rakoczys along.
“I was like, ‘This would be really cool to explore, but if we do anything, I’d like to do it close to home,’ ” Jeff said.
If Turf Paradise hadn’t been an easy drive from their Scottsdale home, Rakoczy believes he wouldn’t have been likely to get involved.
“The tracks like Turf Paradise and Emerald Downs, there’s a place for them,” said Rakoczy, who also is a partner in a couple of horses racing in Southern California. “Horse racing is a sport that a lot of people enjoy, so to have the ability to have more people have access to tracks at different racing levels is really, really important.
“The claiming game opens up a window for a lot of people to have the joys and excitement of horse ownership,” he continued. “From a cost perspective, from an owner’s standpoint, it really is exciting to be able to own the majority or all of a horse for not a low but for a reasonable amount of money and to experience some of the same thrills as people who spend hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars on horses. It may not be as glamorous as some of the big tracks, but when you’re at the tracks that Justin and I are racing at, the
SURPRSINGLYPERFECT’S 28TH—AND FINAL—VICTORY CAME ON AUGUST 22, 2025, AT EMERALD DOWNS.
competition is just as fierce. The owners love their horses just as much as everybody else. The trainers are taking really good care of their horses, just like the bigger tracks. For us, it’s just a really comfortable level. We get a lot of the pleasure and excitement of being a horse owner and involved in the business. Economically, it works out really well for us.”
Evans, who has about 75 horses in Arizona and New Mexico, said American racing needs the smaller tracks.
“It’s a landing spot,” he said. “These horses all deserve their moments in the sun, and these small tracks give them that shot. American racing couldn’t make it with just running at four or five tracks a year, the bigger tracks. They couldn’t survive. There wouldn’t be enough population to make those tracks run without your Turf Paradises in the winter and your Emerald Downses in the summer. People look at racing, look at the big picture and see the Kentucky Derby and things like that. They don’t understand the families and the importance of the money put into this industry from these smaller tracks—all the way around from the feed companies to the tack shops, to the horseshoers, to the grooms supporting their families, the everyday trainers and jockeys supporting their families. These smaller tracks need help, and they need to thrive to keep this industry strong. Del Mar and Santa Anita have to have a Turf Paradise, an outlet for those owners to send their horses to continue to make some money.
“The smaller tracks get looked over, but we honestly are the heartbeat of horse racing.”
—Jennie Rees
SURPRSINGLYPERFECT EARNED A RETIREMENT CEREMONY IN THE TURF PARADISE WINNER’S CIRCLE AFTER FINISHING SECOND IN HIS 101ST CAREER START IN MID-JANUARY.
TEAM BUILDING
HEAVEN AND HORSESHOES COMMUNITY CENTER SHOWS THE RESULT WHEN TRACK, HORSEMEN WORK TOGETHER
The newly unveiled Heaven and Horseshoes worship and community center near the Horseshoe Indianapolis backstretch exemplifies what can happen when horsemen, track leadership and regulators work together.
Upon its grand opening February 6, Heaven and Horseshoes became the benchmark for a track-connected facility that serves the pastoral needs of backstretch employees while also providing a dedicated area for year-round events and activities, said Indiana HBPA President Joe Davis.
“Horseshoe Indianapolis is now a year-round facility for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses and horsemen, with eight months of live racing and four with offseason training,” said Davis, a Thoroughbred owner and trainer. “The backstretch is truly a community, and it’s rewarding that Caesars Entertainment recognizes that and is supportive of capital projects that have put Horseshoe Indy on its upward trajectory as one of the most innovative tracks in the country.
“As the saying goes, we’re all better working together,” he added. “In this case, the Indiana HBPA was proud to lockstep with the Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana [QHRAI] as we collaborated with Horseshoe Indy management and the Indiana Horse Racing Commission on a project that benefits everyone.”
Caesars Entertainment funded the $1.4 million cost out of a capital fund to benefit its racing operation and donated 2.5 acres for the property, which will include a soccer field and a basketball court. The racing commission must approve such expenditures out of the fund.
Heaven and Horseshoes, spanning almost 7,000 square feet, is adjacent to the enclosed backstretch, thereby providing community access. The building includes a 126-seat chapel, full kitchen, two meeting rooms, three restrooms
and four offices. In addition to serving as the Indiana HBPA and QHRAI track chaplain, Micky Sajche will oversee year-round programs and special events at Heaven and Horseshoes. While the schedule remains in the works, it is likely to include social events such as World Cup watch parties, soccer and basketball tournaments, and children and family activities as well as health, life skills and educational programs.
Illustrating the benefits of racetracks working closely with horsemen, Joe Morris, Caesars Entertainment senior vice president for racing, noted that since Eldorado Resorts bought the much-larger Caesars (keeping the Caesars name) in 2020, Horseshoe Indianapolis’ live racing handle has increased every year, doubling total handle from 2019 while the Indiana Derby Day card has gone “from a $2 million to $3 million [day] to $9.5 million last year.” During that span, the track has added a 105-stall barn, 50-room dorm, all-weather Eurocizer for training, a grandstand awning and now Heaven and Horseshoes.
“We just really work well with our Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse guys,” Morris said. “You just can’t do enough for your backstretch workers. It’s where the rubber meets the road with this industry. If you don’t take care of them, you’re not going to get where you need to get.”
Morris called a strong and mutually respectful relationship with horsemen “critical,” praising track vice president and general manager Eric Halstrom and race marketing manager Tammy Knox as key in fostering the team atmosphere, which not only includes the two breeds but at times Horseshoe Indianapolis’ sister track Hoosier Park and its Standardbred horsemen.
“I always say we’re in a partnership with them,” Morris said of horsemen. “We provide the facility and that infrastructure; they provide the product. When you look at building handle—the No. 1 thing is handle—you have to have enough
INDIANA HBPA PRESIDENT JOE DAVIS (RIGHT) AND SECOND VICE PRESIDENT RANDY KLOPP AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER’S GRAND OPENING
horses and races to attract the gamblers you need to bet on it. Winter training, we did that because there aren’t a lot of nearby Thoroughbred farms. These guys had to leave the state. They leave, and it’s hard to get them back in the state. We decided, with the HBPA, let’s do some winter training. So, we winterized four barns—it’s seven now. We’ve gone from 300 horses to 600.”
The Indiana HBPA’s relationship with the track and its Quarter Horse brethren provides a blueprint for casino-owned tracks to prosper at a time when horse racing is struggling in many areas, said Indiana HBPA Executive Director Tim Glyshaw.
“Tracks and horsemen face a difficult environment under the best of circumstances,” said Glyshaw, who trained for 20 years. “But racing in Indiana is thriving, in large part because of the excellent relationship Horseshoe Indianapolis and its parent company Caesars Entertainment have with its horsemen. Instead of fighting, we’re working together on solutions and finding creative ways to get better and grow.”
Halstrom agreed.
“I don’t know how you get by anymore with horsemen and the racetrack not doing things together, whether it’s at the racetrack, purse funding, the legislature,” he said. “Wherever this industry goes down the road, the ones that flourish will be the ones who work together. The leadership of the Indiana HBPA is fantastic to work with. There are ways to make this work when you trust each other. Our company is in it for the betterment of racing in Indiana, and obviously that’s the HBPA’s charter. The community center is a real example of what that means.”
Chris Duke, president of the QHRAI and owner of Elite Homes of Whiteland, Indiana, wound up with his construction company building the facility after he was asked to submit a bid. He said he initially was reluctant, perceiving a potential conflict of interest, but ultimately decided, “at the same time I would put the most effort into it; I would make sure it was as quality as it could be. And they chose me.
“We just had so many residents who stay there; this was something we felt that with the capital money we had, it was the perfect thing for our backside community—and the whole community of Shelbyville,” said Duke, a Quarter Horse owner and breeder. “It’s going to get so many special opportunities to be utilized, with the location. Caesars donated the land as well, which was just unbelievable. I see the future being very bright. … It’s a very healthy environment in Indiana.”
Sajche has served as chaplain for the Indiana HBPA and QHRAI for four years. He said the winter population on the backstretch increases from 200 people to 500 to 600 during the meet, including workers who live off the track. He said Heaven and Horseshoes “is a dream for helping the workers here … serving to God and serving to horsemen” as well as strengthening relationships with the Shelbyville community.
More than 100 people attended the grand opening, which featured Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day as the keynote speaker. Dan Waits, executive director of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America, said of Heaven and Horseshoes: “I’ve been to many tracks across the United States, and this is by far the best facility I’ve seen. I label this as the gold standard for future projects like this.”
—Jennie Rees
THE RIBBON CUTTING IN THE CHAPEL AT HEAVEN AND HORSESHOES FEATURED (FROM LEFT) MIKE SPEEDY, INDIANA SECRETARY OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS; MICKY SAJCHE, INDIANA HBPA AND QHRAI CHAPLAIN; JESSICA BARNES, ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE INDIANA HORSE RACING COMMISSION; ERIC HALSTROM, VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER AT HORSESHOE INDIANAPOLIS; CHRIS DUKE, PRESIDENT OF QHRAI; AND JOE DAVIS, PRESIDENT OF THE INDIANA HBPA.
NATIONAL HBPA’S CORPORATE PARTNER GROUP GOING STRONG IN 2026
The National HBPA is proud to announce that 11 valued corporate partners have renewed their relationships with North America’s largest horsemen’s association.
“The support of our corporate partners is more important than ever, and we truly appreciate each and every one of them,” said Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National HBPA. “By partnering with the National HBPA, these companies have made a statement about how important horsemen are to them, so I ask all our members to make that same statement and patronize our corporate partners whenever possible.”
Following is an overview of the 11 corporate partners on board for 2026.
CHRIMS-PGSI provides a variety of technology and software solutions for the pari-mutuel and gaming industries, including parimutuel settlements and host fees, a runners database using Equibase data and a full range of accounting, auditing and consulting services. Based in California, CHRIMS-PGSI has a client list that includes racetracks and regulatory agencies around the country as well as in Mexico and Europe. For more information, go to portal.chrims.com.
Coady Media serves as the official photographer at 25 racetracks, including the entire Kentucky circuit of Turfway Park, Keeneland Race Course, Churchill Downs, Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs. Coady Media also serves Colonial Downs, Oaklawn Park and Presque Isle Downs and recently became the official photographer of Ruidoso Downs and Wyoming Downs. Coady Media is a Kurtis Coady Photography company and not affiliated with Jack Coady Photography or Coady Racetrack Services.
Daily Racing Form, “America’s Turf Authority since 1894” for Thoroughbred racing horseplayers and professionals, is the industry’s dominant multichannel media company. Daily Racing Form is the only daily newspaper in the United States dedicated solely to the coverage of a single sport. Its companion website, drf.com, is the most heavily trafficked online horse racing destination, providing players with extensive racing news coverage, interactive past performances, exclusive handicapping tools and access to the online and mobile wagering platform DRF Bets. For more information, go to drf.com.
Finish Line Horse Products Inc. manufactures products for racing and other performance horses and strives to provide the right products at the right price. The company offers a free hotline for customers to ask trained staff about Finish Line products or general equine-related questions. Although Finish Line has grown to serve many other equine disciplines over the years, Thoroughbred racing was the first and is still a core business for the company. For more information, visit finishlinehorse.com.
Achieve Equine LLC, as parent company of the FLAIR brand, manufactures and distributes FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips and is passionate about creating products that benefit the health and performance of horses. The dedication to equine welfare drives Achieve Equine to innovate continually, ensuring that its solutions are both scientifically validated and practically beneficial. The commitment extends beyond mere product development; it encompasses a genuine care for the well-being of horses, which is reflected in its ongoing research, customer support and corporate sponsorships.
Horcery, a subsidiary of Tavistock Group, combines cutting-edge artificial intelligence with deep industry expertise to develop solutions tailored to the needs of trainers, owners and equine professionals. Horcery provides state-of-the-art technology designed exclusively for horsemen, enhancing the safety, health and management of racehorses like never before. Horcery’s flagship product, the AI Stall Monitor, is a game-changer in stable management, offering continuous real-time surveillance, detecting early signs of distress or illness and providing invaluable documentation to protect trainers and owners from false claims.
Horseman Labor Solutions provides immigration services to the industry and assists trainers in maintaining their staff of skilled guest workers. Whether it is a 10-month temporary visa for a skilled groom or hotwalker or a five-year visa for exercise riders and jockeys, Horseman Labor Solutions and its immigration services are considered second to none by many horsemen. For more information, call (800) 678-RACE (7223).
Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN) is the home of Eclipse Award-winning coverage of racing’s biggest events. In addition to live on-site special event coverage, HRRN produces a series of weekly talk shows taking listeners inside the world of Thoroughbred racing. From conversations with the sport’s most prominent trainers, owners, jockeys and handicappers to extensive interviews with celebrities and athletes who share a passion for racing, HRRN has it covered.
Sports Information Services (SIS) has been a horse racing content supplier to the global betting industry for more than 30 years, distributing racing product to sportsbooks (fixed odds) and pari-mutuel operators. From two United Kingdom-based production and operation centers, SIS produces 24/7 live racing video channels, racing data and betting prices in a standardized format to a network of more than 400 betting operators in 50 countries. For more information, go to sis.tv.
Sterling Thompson Equine administers the National HBPA-endorsed Owners’ and Trainers’ Liability Program, which provides coverage for assets in cases of injury or property damage as the result of equine activities such as racing, sales, training and breeding. The policy covers liability claims, contractual liability and premises and operations liability at an affordable cost to horsemen. The policy includes up to $1 million in coverage for each occurrence and $2 million general aggregate. For more information, visit sterlingthompson.com/farmequine or call (502) 585-3277.
Twinspires.com, owned and operated by Churchill Downs Inc., is the premier online horse racing wagering platform in the U.S. and the official online betting partner of the Kentucky Derby. Players can wager through the TwinSpires desktop, mobile and app-based advance deposit wagering platforms as well as at retail locations and racetracks across the country.
Don’t Miss 2026!
2026 PUBLISHING SCHEDULE
SUMMER
Approximate Mail Date: Friday, July 3
Advertising Space Reservation Deadline: Friday, May 22
Advertising Materials Due Date: Wednesday, May 27
FALL
Approximate Mail Date: Friday, October 16
Advertising Space Reservation Deadline: Friday, August 28
Advertising Materials Due Date: Wednesday, September 2
WINTER
Approximate Mail Date: Friday, December 11
Advertising Space Reservation Deadline: Friday, November 13
Advertising Materials Due Date: Wednesday, November 18
Blend of the Old and New
How horsemen face ongoing challenges while leveraging potential opportunities for growth, innovation and meaningful change led the discussion and panels during the 2026 National HBPA Conference held March 3-6 at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
The in-depth event included panels on artificial intelligence, prediction markets, challenges and opportunities for smaller to midsize stables, reimagined racetrack ownership, medication issues and ongoing legal challenges involving the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA).
The opening panel of the three-day confab dug right into the ongoing and perhaps biggest issue facing horsemen: the myriad obstacles set forth by HISA and the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU). Discussions of HISA and HIWU are regular fixtures at the HBPA conference, and presenters in the panel “HISA: Law, Litigation and the View From the Inside Rail” painted the need for reform at a minimum.
Ed Martin, CEO of the Association of Racing Commissioners International, made the case that the benefits of HISA have been minimal for its substantial cost to tracks and horsemen.
Martin, whose group represents pari-mutuel racing regulators, said HISA’s budget increased from the initial $66.49 million in 2023 to $78.42 million for 2026. He said the incidence of catastrophic injuries remains extremely low and that it’s not clear that incremental improvements had to do with HISA, noting the low numbers for some non-HISA tracks.
Technology challenges and opportunities, ongoing legal issues, racetrack ownership options and small-stable opportunities mark annual HBPA conference
He said no new drugs or doping agents have been called by the HISAcontracted laboratories from the old system in which individual states oversaw testing and rules enforcement. Martin said there is less transparency and accountability under HISA, a private entity with no public meetings or public records and that essentially approves its own budget, compared with state racing commissions.
Martin’s conclusion after three years of HISA: “HISA is doing a credible job at a greatly increased cost with results comparable to those previously achieved by the state racing commissions. The racing industry has lost transparency, independent financial oversight and the checks and balances that safeguarded the public when dealing with a government agency.”
Horse owner Brent Malmstrom said he’s spent millions of dollars financing the appeals of sanctions handed to two trainers under HISA for alleged drug-rule violations: Jonathan Wong, with whom Malmstrom has horses but not the one in question, and Phil Serpe, whom he says he’s never met. Why? “Because I believe in the cause,” the owner said.
“We believe that you cannot take someone’s economic livelihood away from them without an appropriate opportunity to defend yourself,” Malmstrom said. “And in this scenario that exists today, where you go through this arbitration process, where you don’t get to pick the arbitrator—it’s assigned— where you don’t get to do discovery, you don’t get to do disclosures, you don’t get to do depositions. … It’s really about fundamental fairness.
By Jennie Rees and Tom Law | Photos by Denis Blake unless noted
“The panels at this conference— can’t find one that I’ll say, ‘I don’t think I can sit through this.’ ”
— National HBPA President Dr. Doug Daniels
NATIONAL HBPA PRESIDENT DR. DOUG DANIELS (RIGHT) OPENS THE CONFERENCE WITH NATIONAL HBPA CEO ERIC HAMELBACK.
“This is not inexpensive to do,” he continued. “But if you don’t do it, how will change occur? … When I look at where we started and where we are today, there have been some changes, and some of it is good. Your adverse analytical finding notice, you’re no longer immediately suspended. Back when this happened several years ago [with Wong], we had 18 hours to disperse 140 horses, and that’s on a Fourth of July weekend. There has been some progress made.”
Panel moderator Peter Sacopulos, an equine attorney based in Indiana, said it’s important to get mediation introduced into the adjudication system.
“Because many in this industry simply cannot afford to go through the administrative gauntlet and then try to look at judicial review,” he said. “It’s simply too expensive. … You’ve placed a price tag on due process that is too expensive for the average person to purchase.”
Daniel Suhr, lead counsel in the National HBPA’s legal challenge to HISA, noted that the Supreme Court sent the case back to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals— where the horsemen previously have won twice—to be considered in the wake of the SCOTUS ruling in a similar case. Suhr said he just didn’t see Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan, who twice ruled in favor of the National HBPA in striking down HISA’s enforcement mechanism, changing his mind this time around.
“Ultimately, we’re going to be back where we were before we got sidetracked, which is at the U.S. Supreme Court,” Suhr said. “We can’t have rules provisions and not have enforcement provisions. So, if the court agrees with us just on the enforcement part and strikes that down, the whole bill fails. And if the whole bill fails, Congress has to go back and fix the problem, and so at that point, we will essentially force Congress’ hand. What that fix looks like is not up to me, right? That is for … all of you to figure out.”
ED MARTIN, CEO OF THE ASSOCIATION OF RACING COMMISSIONERS INTERNATIONAL, GIVES HIS TAKE DURING THE PANEL “HISA: LAW, LITIGATION AND THE VIEW FROM THE INSIDE RAIL” WITH (FROM LEFT) MODERATOR PETER SACOPULOS, BRENT MALMSTROM AND DANIEL SUHR.
AI, Prediction Markets
Artificial intelligence and prediction markets—facets of the global landscape that certainly aren’t new but are rapidly on the rise—were featured in a pair of panels.
Participants on the “Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the Track: Smart Tech for Racing’s Next Frontier” panel said racing should not fear the advent of AI but embrace it as a valuable tool to assist with creating condition books and providing new ways to market the sport.
John Julia, a racehorse owner-breeder who is senior vice president at Pinnacle AI, said understanding what AI is helps to demystify the concept and make it appear less scary.
“It’s about utilizing massive amounts of data to identify patterns in that data,” said Julia, a former board member for the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. “And when you can identify patterns and data, you can extract a lot of business insights out of that. Not only can you extract insights but then you can actually start making predictive models, because patterns of it have a tendency to repeat themselves, and that’s really what the basis of machine learning is all about.”
Rick Hammerle is a veteran racing executive who spent years as a racing secretary putting together the condition books that spell out what races for which entries will be taken at a track. He said AI offers all kinds of possibilities for assisting with what races have the best chance of filling and getting a decent number of entries.
“Let’s say that you’ve been writing a race for every 18 days,” Hammerle said. “And it now suggests that 23 days is the [optimum] number between races for that, something along those lines. And maybe you thought about writing the race going a mile. Maybe it suggests that if you had it at a mile before, maybe you should have it back at a mile and a sixteenth. The more data we get, this could help in improving condition books, races moved maybe two days or a week.
“Obviously, you still need a human element,” he added. “You can’t hit a button and have a book spit out. But you can have these small aids along the way to help you determine where a race might be placed.”
Mark Midland, founder and CEO of Horse Racing Nation, said his company uses AI to create more accurate morning lines—actual projected odds—that use hundreds of data points and which are updated every 10 minutes, accounting for scratches and other changes. Other products the company is generating include the projected number of wins for a jockey, trainer or sire on a day’s card and horses’ speed figures that are available 90 minutes after a race. Midland said a racing-intelligent AI chatbot could make picks and identify good and bad bets as well as push ticket sales and seating. Horse Racing Nation also is using AI to map out pace predictions, and Midland believes it can become a tool in more accurately planning race strategy.
TECHNOLOGY IN THE FORM OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROVED A HOT TOPIC ACROSS A FEW DISCUSSIONS, INCLUDING THE PANEL “ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) ON THE TRACK: SMART TECH FOR RACING’S NEXT FRONTIER” WITH MODERATOR RICK HAMMERLE, JOHN JULIA, MARK MIDLAND AND KYLE MCDONIEL.
“They were really hung on protecting student athletes, protecting those underage. Well, fast-forward just a couple months later, when Kalshi started to blow up in the summer, really after March Madness in 2025. What happens? Now their worst fears have come true: A senior in high school between periods can sign up for Kalshi and Polymarket in less than 45 seconds and get a bet down on Nebraska.”
— Jason Johnston, sportsbook manager for Nebraska’s WarHorse Gaming, on prediction markets’ end-run around state-regulated racebooks and sportsbooks
Kyle McDoniel, president and COO of racing’s official data keeper Equibase, said the company likewise creates its morning lines based on data from hundreds of thousands of races. He said the industry-owned company has started using AI to create more uniformity for what a term means when chart callers describe what happened in a race. Marketing is another example of where AI can be an important contributor, he said.
“Every major sports league … they’re spending tens of millions of dollars with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to come up with all these data points and new stats,” McDoniel said. “Just telling stories about sports, telling stories about why this driver won the race or why this team won the game, why the momentum shifted or the odds shifted or how rare a play it is when Caleb Williams finds somebody in the corner in the end zone. Those are all things that are essentially trying to make a game more interesting, and that’s what we’re working on from the marketing standpoint: How can we come up with more stats to make horse racing easier and better to understand? Stats like ROI [return on investment], they’re just not really good stats. There are ways to improve upon them. … There’s all this data that could help us all.”
Speakers agreed during the panel “Prediction Markets and Wagering: An Emerging Threat to Horse Racing and Interstate Horseracing Act Revenue” that prediction markets have the ability to dwarf even sports betting in the U.S. Prediction markets can take “contracts” or “swaps” on everything from who will be the Republican and Democratic nominees for the 2028 U.S. presidential election to who will win Best Picture at the Oscars to gas prices on any given month. What’s not determined are angles involving racing, including the Kentucky Derby.
The prediction-market platform Kalshi reportedly took in more than $500 million in trading volume on the Super Bowl. Bloomberg has reported that Polymarket took in $529 million on the timing of U.S. strikes in Iran. And Polymarket reportedly took in $1.2 million overseas on the 2025 Derby.
Unlike pari-mutuel horse racing and legal sports betting, prediction markets aren’t subjected to state gaming taxes and have little of the consumer protections built into state regulation, according to the panel moderated by wagering consultant and SIS Content Services Vice President Michele Fischer. Prediction markets, parsing semantics, say they offer futures contracts akin to commodities trading (heretofore generally thought of being more about crops, livestock, metals and oil), contending they are not bets. They insist money placed on the outcome of a future event is not a wager.
If the panelists disagreed on whether to join forces or head to court, they concurred that horse racing cannot ignore the prediction markets.
“The prediction market is a real threat to the horse racing industry unless we handle it correctly,” said attorney and horseman Dennis Drazin, chair and CEO of Darby Development LLC, which runs and leases Monmouth Park, a horsemen-driven transition that saved the track from closure. Drazin also has been a leading figure in adopting fixed odds in American horse racing, along with sports betting outside Nevada and Atlantic City.
Prediction markets offer contracts on almost anything, but there’s an element of caveat emptor. For instance, reports said more than $54 million was traded on when Khamenei would be ousted. When a joint U.S. and Israeli air strike killed Khamenei, some expected huge paydays—only to find out Kalshi wouldn’t pay because of what it contended was a death carve-out.
The public outcry—not just that bettors were perceived as being stiffed but, for the prediction markets that did pay out, the unseemliness of wagering on a death, never mind the potential abuse of insider trading—was so loud that some congressional lawmakers threatened to ban the markets. In response, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission sent a rule-making plan to the president’s Office of Management and Budget. Donald Trump Jr. is an investor and unpaid advisor to Polymarket and reportedly a paid advisor to Kalshi.
“We really have a situation in which you have this administration and the federal government advocating very, very hard for these platforms,” said panelist and industry consultant Peter “Holt” Gardiner, founder and managing general partner of Seaforth Partners, “while the state governments where there are already regulated gaming commissions, tribal nations and generally the Democratic administrations and states, plus Utah, are fighting back at a very hard level.”
Prediction markets’ morphing into sports has been so fast and lucrative that sports betting powerhouses FanDuel and DraftKings have gotten into the action.
Churchill Downs Inc. has vowed to see the prediction markets in court if the prediction markets again try to offer contracts on the Derby. Indeed, horse racing has ammunition not available to other athletes and sports: the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, which gives horsemen the right of approval or refusal to have their betting signal sent out across state lines.
THE RAPID RISE OF PREDICTION MARKETS WAS DISCUSSED DURING THE PANEL “PREDICTION MARKETS AND WAGERING: AN EMERGING THREAT TO HORSE RACING AND THE INTERSTATE HORSERACING ACT REVENUE” WITH MODERATOR MICHELE FISCHER, PETER “HOLT” GARDINER, DAVE BASLER, JASON JOHNSTON AND DENNIS DRAZIN VIA ZOOM.
“We have a very strong case because we have federal laws that control this,” said Drazin, joining the panel via Zoom. “It’s not something that’s trying to create state law. … There were two very important decisions [in early March] by the federal court saying that, basically, the prediction market does not preempt state law, and they dismissed those cases and sent them back to the state court. So, I think certainly there’s a lot to be said and a lot to be litigated.”
That ideally would be a class-action suit, he said.
“We need to be prepared to decide how we’re going to deal with this,” said Drazin. “My recommendation is that those of us who want to participate, we head to the federal court and assert our rights under the Interstate Horseracing Act. But the industry is going to have to make some decisions.”
Ohio HBPA Executive Director Dave Basler is an avid handicapper who is frequently involved on behalf of the National HBPA on wagering and gaming issues. He concurs with Drazin.
“Ultimately, what we have to consider is litigation,” he said. “Because I think Kalshi, Polymarket, they make it very clear that they don’t believe that they need approvals. … Once they ultimately start taking bets, I think the industry players have to decide if they’re willing to be 61st in court. Because if they’re not willing to do that, I think [the prediction markets] are going to take bets and we’re not going to get paid.”
Challenges, Opportunities for Horsemen
“It would be a disaster if one jurisdiction alone got into the prediction market and left the others out in the cold.”
— Dennis Drazin, chair and CEO of Monmouth Park’s operator Darby Development, on the need for racing to be unified in its approach to prediction markets
If corporate owners no longer want live horse racing—as appears the case at Gulfstream Park with officials so far unsuccessfully seeking decoupling legislation that would allow them to keep the track’s slots license without the current mandate of running races—maybe a solution is to have horsemen own the tracks.
That’s a scenario that rescued racing in Nebraska, one of the focuses of the panel “Reimagining Racetrack Ownership: A Future Led by Horsemen and Participants.”
Nebraska racing was in dire shape after the 1995 closure of the popular Ak-Sar-Ben racetrack after being sold to the county. The Nebraska HBPA now owns two racetracks and partners with the Winnebago Tribe for a casino at each. The result is Horsemen’s Park in Omaha and Legacy Downs in Lincoln, both featuring a WarHorse Casino.
Nebraska HBPA CEO Lynne McNally didn’t gloss over the challenges involved but said a key was to get protective legislation.
“We’ve been able to really revitalize the racing industry in Nebraska,” McNally said. “The one direction the board of directors gave me was make it impossible—or at least super, super hard—to decouple. We specifically put in the constitution that it [casino gaming] has to be at the track. And we put in our development agreement that if we get divorced from our partner, they’re moving out and we’re keeping the house.”
Lonny Powell, CEO of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, said that while decoupling died in the 2026 Florida legislative session, he is not optimistic that live racing will survive in South Florida.
“We can no longer ride with this Toronto group,” Powell said of Gulfstream’s ownership. “We hope they last as long as they can, but boy, you can’t plan your future there.”
He reiterated that FTBOA possesses a permit for a nonprofit racetrack in Ocala and that he has enlisted a pair of advisors to help formulate an economically viable plan for a new track.
“That’s the direction we’re going to go to try to address our industry’s future,” Powell said.
The Thoroughbred Racing Initiative—a broad-based industry collaboration that includes as partners the National HBPA, the Tampa Bay Downs HBPA and the Florida HBPA that represents Gulfstream horsemen—also is working on a long-range plan.
When Colonial Downs closed in 2014, the Virginia HBPA’s then-executive director and general counsel, Frank Petramalo, helped lead the push to get back live racing with the formation of the Virginia Equine Alliance. The nonprofit’s four equal shareholders were the Virginia HBPA, the Virginia Thoroughbred Association (the breeders), the Virginia Harness Horse Association and the Virginia Gold Cup Association (steeplechase). The entity got statutory approval for source-market fees from the internet betting platforms operating in the
commonwealth. The legislation also allowed the alliance to run the off-track betting facilities. Colonial Downs reopened after five years of dormancy, subsequently being purchased by Churchill Downs Inc. in 2022, and is one of racing’s recent success stories.
Petramalo, who retired from his HBPA posts at the end of 2023, said the horsemen have complete control over purses.
“It really gives us substantial control over the racing product,” he said. “The race dates are pretty much controlled by statute,” with one day of racing required for every 100 gaming machines.
Horsemen’s ongoing battles in a numbers game, issues with the labor force, so-called super trainers and finding the right spots for certain horses were just a few of the topics discussed during the panel “Seeing the Industry From the Barn and the Owner’s Box: A Real-World Racing Conversation.”
THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FACED BY MEDIUM- TO SMALLSIZED STABLES WERE DISCUSSED BY (FROM LEFT) MODERATOR JENNIE REES, MARSHALL GRAMM, TOM VAN BERG AND ROBBIE MEDINA DURING THE PANEL “SEEING THE INDUSTRY FROM THE BARN AND THE OWNER’S BOX: A REAL-WORLD RACING CONVERSATION.”
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“The only bad thing I can say is he’s older than me.”
— National HBPA Southern Region Vice President Rick Hiles recognizing Dr. Thomas Tobin with a resolution for his dedicated service to the organization
DR. THOMAS TOBIN (AT LEFT, CENTER) AND FRANK PETRAMALO (AT RIGHT, CENTER) WERE HONORED WITH PROCLAMATIONS, PRESENTED BY PETER ECABERT (LEFT) AND RICK HILES (RIGHT), DURING THE NATIONAL HBPA CONFERENCE.
Marshall Gramm, an economics professor at Rhodes College in Tennessee and an owner at several levels through his Ten Strike Racing, said the continued consolidation of horses into a small number of trainers’ care is affecting the quality of the American racing product.
“You don’t need to have an [economics] degree or anything like that to look at the data and see what’s happening with the consolidation of stock in very few hands,” said Gramm. “If there’s some advantages to scale … that the biggest trainers are able to access better help, they’re able to move their horses around much easier. They’re subtle things, right? If you’re stabled at multiple tracks, it is easier to go from Kentucky and race in Indiana if you have stalls in Indiana. Whereas if you’re a smaller trainer, you’re unable to do those things without the wrath of the racing office.”
The consolidation affects more than the races themselves, trickling into the workforce for the medium and smaller outfits.
“The biggest change that I realized when I came back in the game is the quality and availability of the labor pool in our industry,” trainer Tom Van Berg said. “Especially as a smaller-size stable, what happens typically is, you train or teach a hotwalker, groom, exercise rider how to work … and then as soon as they get the ability to do it, they’re swallowed up by the bigger outfits because they can pay a lot more and they have better horses.”
Despite the challenges, which also include availability of horses from owners, continual changing and restrictive regulations, workers’ comp issues and overall economics, trainer Robbie Medina said it all comes down to a passion for the game and for horses.
“Something I always wanted to do was train,” said Medina, born into the game in the barn areas at Chicago tracks and a longtime assistant to Shug McGaughey in New York. “I kind of got a little comfortable there with Shug with all those good horses, and I was just trying to kind of wait for the right time. I got offered an opportunity during COVID to move my family to Kentucky, so that was kind of it. That fizzled out after a year and a half, and so I just had to hang up my shingle. There are a lot of challenges, but growing up in this industry that I love, that is something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s not easy, but that’s the path I’m on now.”
Racehorses Exposed to Human Use Pharmaceuticals
For Dr. Clara Fenger, testing the waters is not just a saying but a mission. The Lexington, Kentucky-based racehorse veterinarian and researcher has worked tirelessly the past few years to get water samples from backstretches across America to learn what horses might unwittingly be drinking at the track.
Fenger works closely with the National HBPA, serving as the national organization’s veterinary advisor along with the University of Kentucky’s Dr. Thomas Tobin. Fenger, Tobin, National HBPA CEO Eric Hamelback and others long have been convinced that certain substances showing up in horses’ postrace tests are the result of environmental contamination or transfer that could not be prevented by the trainer. Fenger set out to prove it, working with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to get the water tested, for which the agency in the Department of the Interior is uniquely qualified.
During the final panel of the conference, USGS environment chemist Kelly Smalling presented the preliminary results during the annual Kent Stirling Memorial Medication Panel.
“The goal was to determine if racehorses are exposed to low levels of human-use pharmaceuticals through the drinking water at racetracks during racing seasons across the country,” said Smalling, who is working with Paul M. Bradley on the USGS Environmental Health Program’s equine exposure pilot study.
The results say they are.
Speaking remotely, Smalling said 35 samples to date had been collected from 16 states and two Canadian tracks, with sample kits delivered to participating barns. Detailed instructions were given for collecting the water samples and providing critical information about the procured samples. Each returned sample was analyzed for more than 80 human-use pharmaceuticals, she said.
The early findings:
• At least one pharmaceutical was observed in 74% of the samples.
• Nine racetracks had no detections in their drinking water.
• Concentrations for the test substances ranged from not detected to 985 nanograms (ng) per milliliter (mL), with the average being 32 ng/L.
• The 25 substances that were observed at least once included atrazine (a pesticide that appeared in 14 samples), methyl-1h-benzotriazole (which has industrial uses, in 13 samples), the antifungal fluconazole (10 samples), nicotine compound cotinine (nine), caffeine (eight) and the diabetes drug metformin
“It’s really important for us to use this information to put pressure on our regulators to adopt rational thresholds for things that are stable in the environment. And all of these substances that we’re finding in water are going to be stable in the environment.”
— Dr. Clara Fenger on the fact that the substances horses might ingest in drinking water don’t readily break down and instead hang around
(seven). Metformin, one of the most used human medications in the world, early on surfaced as the poster child for environmental contamination in racehorses, with HIWU and HISA recently increasing the amount that must be detected in a post-race test before an adverse analytical finding is called.
Participating tracks or horsemen’s associations received reports about their sample, with no individual track locations publicly identified, though there are generalizations. That includes more than 10 substances being detected in some samples in Kentucky along the Ohio River.
Fenger said the results back up what the National HBPA and others have advocated for years: that the authorities setting racehorse drug-testing policies need to establish realistic threshold levels that reflect today’s contamination realities and the lack of any pharmacological effect in such trace amounts.
Dr. Kevin Keegan, an equine surgeon and University of Missouri professor, collaborated with engineering teams to develop the body-mounted inertial sensor system known as The Equinosis Q with Lameness Locator. He said he researched Stirling in advance of the presentation and was impressed with what he learned about the former trainer who became a powerful advocate for horsemen in his long tenure as executive director of the Florida HBPA.
“I came away with a genuine respect for him,” Keegan said, “because he seemed like somebody who was not just reflexively against rules but he was fighting against bad rules. His view, I think, was very simple, that if you’re going to restrict what trainers and horsemen are going to do with their horses, you need to prove first that whatever regulations you enforce, there’s a chance that it’s actually going to help.
“We should honor the burden of proof before you impose the burden of compliance,” he continued. “This principle should apply to everything in racing—not just medication but in training protocols, veterinarian examination requirements, racing procedures and any kind of screening program that is proposed. It should all pass the same test, and that’s what the evidence says, not just because it looks good for a press release. Or not because it’s going to satisfy the legislators who maybe don’t know anything about racing, though that’s important, too. But that’s not going to solve the problem of racetrack breakdowns.”
For example, Keegan said there is a place for wearable technology but cautioned against using it to determine which horses can run and which can’t. He also questioned some of the statistical methodology employed.
“Most agree—or at least admit—that the majority of catastrophic musculoskeletal breakdowns are not random events,” Keegan said. “They’re at the end process of something that has been going on for weeks, possibly months, possibly years.”
Dr. Jim Meyer, a veterinarian and clinical researcher with more than 30 years of experience who also has a master’s degree in medical statistics from the University of Oxford, detailed his research focused on large-scale data analysis to better understand injury patterns and pharmacoepidemiology in racehorses. Meyer’s goal is to improve racing safety and welfare.
Meyer emphasized that catastrophic fatalities in a race are extremely rare. Noting that equine fatalities since the national Equine Injury Database began in 2009 are down 40%, he said it’s misleading to focus on the fluctuations from one year to the next, let alone quarter to quarter, as HISA has done.
American racing fatality rates are calculated for those who die within 72 hours of injury in a race, with the denominator being the number of starts times 1,000.
“One of the challenges … is it’s a mixed group,” Meyer said. “It includes starts, but each individual horse in the data set may not have one start. They may have multiple starts, whereas some horses will have few starts, and the one with more starts contributes more to it. Potentially, there’s some survivorship bias. The horse that runs more may be healthier in many ways, so that potentially
dilutes the number. Also, there are different trainers, different tracks, different track surfaces—all mixed into one number. And that can change over time.
Representing
THE JOCKEY CLUB’S KRISTIN WERNER (LEFT) CLOSED THE CONFERENCE ON A PANEL WITH KIRSTEN GREEN AND JEANETTE MILLIGAN DISCUSSING AFTERCARE, SECOND CAREERS AND FUNDRAISING.
“We know that since the data started, a number of racetracks are no longer around,” he added. “Obviously, there are trainers no longer around. In the mix of horses, the risk profile of the horse may have changed in 2009 to 2024. … There’s a lot of uncertainty in these numbers.”
Based on his team’s latest research, Tobin told the conference that determining medication overages and drug violations in horses’ post-race testing should be based on relevant findings in plasma, not urine. He said urine testing readily detects pharmacologically irrelevant concentrations of substances that are almost always greater than the plasma concentrations.
“Horses are very capable chemists,” Tobin said, noting that molecules that go into a horse’s liver can be excreted at extremely high concentrations in urine. He said the classic example is dextrorphan, which can be excreted at 361,300 times the level in plasma serum. His suggestion is to avoid urine testing when possible and to define specific pharmacologically irrelevant screening limits in plasma testing. The screening limit would be a defined concentration below which an identification would not be called.
Aftercare Reimagined
The National HBPA Conference generally features an educational session involving what typically is described as “aftercare” for retired racehorses. Hamelback said that term no longer adequately describes what has evolved in the industry, with an ever-increasing number of former runners being retrained, rehomed and thriving in another career. Hence, this year’s panel was titled “Beyond the Finish Line: Building Pathways to Second Careers for Thoroughbreds.”
Kirsten Green, executive director of the Retired Racehorse Project, described what that program has done to encourage and popularize taking horses from the track to the show ring. That’s highlighted by the organization’s flagship Thoroughbred Makeover competition for newly retired racehorses at Lexington’s Kentucky Horse Park, with more than $1.5 million in prize money awarded to date.
The Jockey Club’s deputy general counsel, Kristin Werner, provided an update on The Jockey Club’s traceability initiative, which has the goal of knowing where every retired racehorse is until their death. That includes a survey they’ve undertaken to track down the whereabouts of all living horses born before 2017 that are no longer racing or breeding.
Arkansas HBPA Executive Director Jeanette Milligan updated the audience about Oaklawn Park’s highly successful and now trademarked Ring the Bell program that has expanded to tracks in Texas, Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma and Arizona.
The brainchild of trainer Ron Moquett, Ring the Bell involves having a big bell positioned in the Larry Snyder Winner’s Circle. As a winning horse leaves after having its picture taken, the owner, trainer or their representative can ring the bell, signifying they are making a donation to the Arkansas Thoroughbred Retirement Program and Rehabilitation Foundation, a collaboration of the Arkansas HBPA and the track. HJ
“We have an amazing story; it’s time to start telling it.”
— The Jockey Club Chair Everett Dobson during his keynote address
Keynote Address:
By Jennie Rees
The Jockey Club’s new chair, Everett Dobson, gave every sign that his leadership of North America’s powerful Thoroughbred breed registry will be built on a strategy of inclusion and thinking big.
In delivering the National HBPA Conference’s keynote address, Dobson said he will collaborate with horsemen to find solutions to horse racing’s many challenges and ways to grow the sport. It also means meeting with stud farms to revisit the controversial issue of a potential cap on the number of mares that a stallion can breed in a season.
Dobson acknowledged that The Jockey Club and the National HBPA, representing almost 30,000 racehorse owners and trainers, have their differences. That includes The Jockey Club’s support of the 3-year-old Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), with the National HBPA challenging in court the enabling federal legislation’s constitutionality.
However, Dobson said there exists much common ground and that a big-table approach is necessary to grow and improve the industry. His comments were extraordinary, given the past acrimony between the organizations, and made it clear that Dobson is his own man.
“Our first allegiance is to the horse,” he said. “As I look around this room and look at the mission statement and position statements of the National HBPA, it’s apparent that when it comes to the horse, we are as closely aligned as two organizations could possibly be. The improvement this sport has made in the health and safety of the Thoroughbred racehorse is, I believe, the single most important thing I’ve seen in my now 30 years of involvement.
“I am also of the belief that credit for that should be spread far and wide and especially to the great horsemen and women that make up the National HBPA,” he added. “You are the ones putting your hands on the horse, providing for the care and nutrition needs for every single horse, every single day.”
Dobson said he wanted to take another hard look at limiting the size of stallions’ stud books. The Jockey Club in 2021 proposed capping at 140 the number of mares that a stallion could breed; any more would not be registered and therefore ineligible to race. That swiftly brought a lawsuit from three of Kentucky’s largest stud farms. The Jockey Club dropped the controversial rule change. Dobson is prepared to take another run but with a different approach.
“As we think about the health of the Thoroughbred breed, we must not ignore the alarming increase of the coefficient of inbreeding,” he said. “Years ago, The Jockey Club attempted to impose a cap on the number of mares a stallion could breed. Under
Dobson Delivers Message of Collaboration
my leadership, we’re going to revisit that question. This time we will involve stallion farms and other breed registries around the world to help us find the solution. Our discussions must be science-based with an understanding of the economic realities of the world we live in.”
Dobson—the Oklahoma businessman, tech entrepreneur, philanthropist, horseman and partner in the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder—is the 132-year-old Jockey Club’s first chair who isn’t from the Northeast. His ascent to head the organization follows the 42year reign of cousins Ogden Mills “Dinny” Phipps and Stuart Janney III.
Dobson said that when he was tapped to replace the retiring Janney, he met individually with all of The Jockey Club board members and stewards.
“I’m going to tell you what I told them,” he said. “I think big; I guess I always have. I founded this cellular telephone business when I was in my 20s that became one of the largest in the country. When I started out, I wasn’t thinking, ‘Oh gee, let’s make this a nice little Oklahoma business.’ Quite the contrary. When I joined the seven others to purchase what is now the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2006, we didn’t sit around and discuss the keys to being the operators. No, we discussed what a pathway would look like to a world championship—and it didn’t hurt that we had two Arkansas Razorbacks on the team to do it.”
He said under his leadership the organization will take a fresh look at “the business of The Jockey Club.” He gave a sample of what’s to come, telling the audience that The Jockey Club—a nonprofit with for-profit subsidiaries—will:
• Back a national marketing campaign that builds on The Jockey Club’s America’s Best Racing initiative.
• Continue to push for legislation that would permanently ban horse slaughter and the export of horses abroad for slaughter.
• Increase its funding substantially for the aftercare of retired racehorses.
• Continue to support the traceability initiative to track horses throughout their post-track lives.
Dobson said a positive trend is that major capital projects aren’t restricted to high-profile tracks such as Churchill Downs, Keeneland and Belmont Park but are underway at smaller tracks in Nebraska, Wyoming, Arizona and Kansas.
“Thinking big means we don’t ignore the smaller markets,” he said. “Without a doubt, this influx of capital will produce some level of growth.”
While there is incredible fan engagement in pockets around the country such as Oaklawn, Keeneland, Saratoga and Del Mar, according to Dobson, “our mission is to expand that reach by looking at what is successful and develop that relationship with new and younger fans on a continuous basis.”
At the heart of progress is working together, he added.
“Sports and sports leagues function best when there is collaboration toward the common goal,” Dobson said. “My belief is that horse racing can raise to a far higher level of participation and fan engagement. For that to happen, we need collaboration and unification. … For this sport to move forward, it will take a team: the horsemen and women that rise before dawn, the track operators that are reinvesting in their infrastructure, the breeders who take long-term risk, the bettors who support us every day, those that buy our yearlings and 2-year-olds at the sales. It will take all of the industry organizations working together, and it will take those organizations working with HISA and HISA working with us. If we were serious about thinking big— truly big—our future … will be built at the big table. Tables where we check our egos at the door, where we debate vigorously, disagree honestly, but being aligned around the common purpose.
“Can we elevate this sport to a level that hasn’t been seen in a generation? I believe we can, with commitment, collaboration, integrity, unification and a big dose of big ambition. I am standing before you because I believe the best days of Thoroughbred racing are not behind us. They are in front of us.”
THE JOCKEY CLUB CHAIR EVERETT DOBSON DELIVERS THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT THE 2026 NATIONAL HBPA CONFERENCE.
DENIS
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By Jennie Rees
Jinks Fires is the ‘epitome of what is good about the HBPA’
WILLIAM “JINKS” FIRES EARNED LIVING LEGEND HONORS FROM THE NATIONAL HBPA DURING ITS ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN MARCH AT OAKLAWN PARK.
Some 30 years ago, Arkansas businessman Bob Yagos asked around about finding a horse trainer after getting into racehorse ownership. The answer he heard over and over: William “Jinks” Fires.
“I knew nothing about horse racing,” said Yagos, who in 2011 would team with Fires to win the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby with Archarcharch, “and his name came up every time: ‘If you want to start with someone who is going to steer you right, that’s going to tell you the truth, that’s the person to go to.’ We talked, and I told him, ‘I’m starting at the bottom, with $5,000 horses, and hopefully one day we’ll look up and we’ll go to the Derby.’ And that’s what we did. A lot of people spend a lot more money and do it a lot longer and don’t ever get there.”
Stories like those are among the reasons why the 85-year-old Fires—in racing since he was 19, winner of more than 1,500 races and a decades-long member of the Arkansas HBPA board—earned HBPA Living Legend honors at the National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association’s annual conference in March at Oaklawn Park. The honor came the same week that Fires and his wife, Penny, celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary.
“Living legend says it all right there,” said Fires’ daughter Krystal Fires. “He is a living legend. Everyone in the horse business, if you mention Jinks Fires, they’ve come in touch with him somewhere. He just loves the game so much, loves being around the people and the horses. I think that’s his drive. He likes to help everyone when he’s out there. He’ll do anything for you, but he doesn’t take a lot of help from anyone else.”
Fires has trained horses for the past 50 years without a gap—a racetrack fixture on his stable pony virtually every morning except for a brief spell in 2024 when a deployed airbag fractured his sternum in an otherwise minor car accident. In addition to that durability and excellence at his craft is Fires’ long service to his fellow horsemen, serving on the Arkansas HBPA board so long that no one seems to remember when he was first elected. No one can remember him missing a board meeting either.
“The HBPA Living Legend has to be, first, the number of years that he represented the Arkansas HBPA—and still does—as a member of the board,” said Arkansas HBPA President Bill Walmsley, a horse owner persuaded by Fires to join the board in the mid-1980s. “And secondly, the fact that in his training career he’s won 1,500 races. Either one could make you a living legend. But the first one is very, very important as far as I’m concerned. Jinks has just been the picture of racing. He’s the epitome of what is good about the HBPA.”
Fires officially had 1,501 victories and $28.4 million in purse earnings through mid-February, according to industry data-keeper Equibase. That includes Fires’ lone Grade 1 triumph with $60,000 yearling purchase Archarcharch in the Arkansas Derby and his victory in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby in 2017 with $35,000 yearling Colonelsdarktemper for owner A.J. Foyt Jr.
However, those totals shortchange his record. Equibase’s database reliably goes back to 1976, though efforts have been made to go through previous years for select trainers, including Fires. Those efforts aren’t necessarily conclusive because the American Racing Manual, the bible of North American racing stats until Equibase, used to have a cutoff for starts or wins before a trainer was included. While Equibase has Fires’ training career starting in 1968, a Sportsman’s Park photo chronicles his first victory as April 22, 1967, with Hidden Pocket (with R.L. Baird, father of veteran jockey E.T. Baird, aboard).
‘A horseman—that’s all he is’
“It’s amazing what he’s done, just the longevity of it and with no gaps in the deal,” said trainer and fellow Arkansas HBPA board member Steve Hobby, who has known Fires since Hobby first came to Oaklawn in 1985. “A horseman— that’s all he is, that’s what he is.
“He’s still riding the pony every morning,” he continued. “He really, really does love training horses. When it gets to where you run out of the better horses,
FIRES’ FIRST VICTORY AS A TRAINER CAME ON APRIL 22, 1967, AT SPORTSMAN’S PARK IN CHICAGO.
COURTESY
FIRES PLANS TO CALL IT A TRAINING CAREER AT THE END OF THE CURRENT OAKLAWN PARK MEETING.
FIRES BEING INTERVIEWED BY NANCY URY-HOLTHUS DURING DAWN AT OAKLAWN
it gets a lot harder to want to get up and go out there. But I tell you what, he’s amazing. He’s always the same, always in the same mood. Always friendly to everybody. He’ll help anybody. In fact, he really loves helping other people. He’s the most consistent man I ever met in my life. Always the same Jinks.”
After landing in racing, Fires subsequently brought seven of his eight brothers to the track, including Hall of Fame jockey Earlie, as well as their cousin Perry Ouzts, who has ridden in more races than anyone in history.
The Fires family grew up in tiny Rivervale (2020 census: 46 people) in northeastern Arkansas. In his teens, Jinks began giving horses their earliest education in wearing a bridle and saddle as well as riding bulls and bucking horses at rodeos across the region. It was that ability to handle the meanest, most ornery broncs at the MidSouth Fair rodeo that caught the eye of a Memphis attorney who owned racehorses. The attorney sent his chauffeur down to fetch Fires to get him to handle his young horses before they went to the track. That led the 19-year-old Fires to Oaklawn, where he started as a hotwalker for Lyle Whiting (1992 Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Lynn Whiting’s father).
Fires began galloping horses for Frank Kirby and ultimately went to New Mexico, where he got a chance to ride some of the horses he got on in the mornings in actual races. As he tells it, Fires’ riding debut came on a notoriously rogue horse who was always trying to run off, whether in training, in the paddock or even ducking into the barn.
“I hadn’t done that much with him,” Fires recalled. “I’d had him to the gate once, and next thing I know I was named on him in a race. I said, ‘This isn’t going to work.’ I kept him in the pack of horses until I got past the gap and the paddock, and then I let him run. He came on and won and set a new track record. Then I never got to ride him back because the jockey who was leading rider figured if I could ride him, he could ride him.”
Fires continued to rodeo, gallop at the track and ride sparingly until drafted into the Army in 1963, serving in the Vietnam War and getting out in 1965.
“When I got out of the Army, the guys all wanted to get on unemployment,” Fires said. “I got in line with them but said, ‘Not me’ and got out of line. I went home, got in my car and headed to Chicago and went back to galloping horses the next day.”
Future Hall of Fame trainer Phil Johnson talked him into going to New York, where on the side Fires became the exercise rider for turf champion T.V. Lark for Paul Parker, who had been promoted from groom to oversee the horse’s training.
“He asked Phil Johnson if he had anyone who could gallop a tough horse,” Fires said. “Phil pointed at me and said, ‘He can gallop anything.’ ”
Rebounding from a barn fire
With that first victory in 1967, Fires got his training career underway in Chicago. But in April 1970 at Washington Park, just as he was really starting to roll, he lost his entire stable and about $20,000 in tack that he was still paying on in an overnight fire believed to have been caused by a cigarette butt.
Fires returned to galloping horses at the track and breaking babies at the farm.
“I kept trying to come back [to training] in Chicago,” Fires said. “But they wouldn’t give me any stalls because they said I didn’t have any older horses. I told ’em, ‘I’d have had old horses if they hadn’t burned in your fire.’ ”
He finally got in by borrowing stalls from friends, Fires said, his luck changing over Sportsman’s Park’s bull ring.
“The horses ran their eyeballs out,” he said. “Of course, I’d broken them on a half-mile track, so they knew how to make the turns. Cowboy Jones, he was riding over there; he said, ‘I could pull the bridle off and win on these kind.’ ”
Fires had to rebuild again after the death of his major client, going back again to galloping and breaking, including working about three years for Doug Davis, a close friend of prominent veterinarian Alex Harthill, both of whom were among the founders of the National HBPA. Harthill got the young trainer in with Arkansas owners Patricia and Buddy Blass, for whom he trained for three decades.
Fires rose to prominence in Chicago and Kentucky. He said his stable maxed out at about 75 horses when he had 25 apiece at Arlington Park, Churchill Downs and Canterbury Downs (now Park) before giving up his Minnesota operation. He won 95 races in 1986 and 98 in 1987 before scaling back.
“I hated it because I felt like I wasn’t able to look at every horse every day,” Fires said. “I liked it when I had 25 to 30 horses. I could always keep up with them and felt like I was doing a 100% job. But when you’ve got that many horses and you’re on an airplane most the time, it didn’t work out for me. I won a lot of races that one summer, but I said, ‘This is not for me.’ ”
Arkansas has been Fires’ winter base and home throughout his training career, his 47 consecutive years with at least one Oaklawn victory a record that ended in 2024. His 479 victories rank fourth in track history, and his 30 Oaklawn stakes wins rank sixth all-time.
“The horses ran their eyeballs out. Of course, I’d broken them on a half-mile track, so they knew how to make the turns. Cowboy Jones, he was riding over there; he said, ‘I could pull the bridle off and win on these kind.’ ”
WILLIAM “JINKS” FIRES
Lifetime achievement in Arkansas Derby
Archarcharch’s Arkansas Derby served as something of a lifetime achievement award and family affair—owned by longtime clients, with then son-in-law Jon Court the jockey, daughter Candice Fires the pony person and Court’s son Aaron the exercise rider while a couple of the trainer’s brothers were involved in developing the racehorse.
“I think everybody who ever met him was in the winner’s circle,” Val Yagos, Bob’s wife, said of the neck victory at 25-1 odds over next-out Kentucky Derby runner-up Nehro. “It was surreal.”
“They finally had to stop people coming into the winner’s circle because there were too many,” Bob added.
Fires couldn’t have scripted a better scenario to earn his first Grade 1 stakes. Unfortunately, the dream ended one stride out of the Kentucky Derby starting gate.
“I got to do it for local people I trained for [for] a long time, and with a horse they let me buy at the sale,” he said of the Arkansas Derby. “Of course, here at home with family and friends, so many people in the winner’s circle. I felt like we had the horse that year to win the Kentucky Derby. He was doing so good. He drew the 1 hole, and that’s when they had half the gate strung out. That track got banked a little bit out from the 1 hole; he stepped down and landed on one leg and got a condylar fracture. Jon rode the whole race trying to pull him up, and he still beat four horses.”
Archarcharch never raced again, but the memories haven’t dimmed.
“That was an experience of a lifetime for him,” said Krystal, who refers to her dad as a “gentleman’s cowboy.”
“Everyone strives in the horse business to get those Grade 1s, and Dad is one of the hardest workers at getting there,” she said. “He just never before that really had that special horse like he did in Archarcharch. It was special for him to finally get there and make that big Grade 1 and for everyone to get to see that. We all kind of lived vicariously through that.”
Today, Fires trains seven horses, most of them Arkansas-breds, while stabling in Arkansas year-round, thanks to Oaklawn Park’s ownership of a nearby training center. He believes his training career will wrap up at the end of the current Oaklawn meet on Kentucky Derby Day, though Fires says he’ll stay involved with horses and remain a presence at the track.
Look for the National HBPA’s latest Living Legend to continue to help others.
“I’ve seen him help people knowing he was never going to get paid back,” Bob Yagos said. “And he’d help them over and over again. It’s just what he does.”
Added Val: “It’s really hard to walk through a racetrack with him because everybody knows him. So, everybody stops him. He’s always the gentleman and will never ignore somebody.”
Concluded Bob: “It takes 30 minutes to make a five-minute walk with Jinks.”
HJ
STRONG BOND
NEW BOOK PROFILES THE UNIQUE CONNECTION
BETWEEN A BOY AND A HORSE THAT CAPTIVATED THE RACING WORLD
CODY DORMAN HAD ALREADY BEATEN THE ODDS WHEN HE WAS INTRODUCED TO A 5-MONTHOLD FOAL IN 2018 THROUGH MAKE-A-WISH. BORN WITH WOLF-HIRSCHHORN SYNDROME, HE UNDERWENT MORE THAN 40 OPERATIONS, INCLUDING TWO OPEN-HEART SURGERIES BEFORE HE WAS 3. ONE DOCTOR TOLD HIS PARENTS HE WOULDN’T LIVE TO SEE HIS SECOND BIRTHDAY.
CODY DORMAN MEETS THE THEN 5-MONTH-OLD CODY’S WISH AT GAINSBOROUGH FARM.
Yet there he was at Gainsborough Farm, a few months shy of his 13th birthday, when farm manager Danny Mulvihill led the broodmare Dance Card and her colt by Curlin out of their stall. There was an instant connection between Cody and the young horse, so impactful that Godolphin, at the suggestion of longtime employee Mary Bourne, named him Cody’s Wish. When Cody was severely depressed during the pandemic and expressed to his parents a diminishing will to live, a visit to see “his” horse snapped him out of it.
Cody traveled to racetracks around the country to watch Cody’s Wish run. Each time they met—in the paddock, on the backstretch, in the winner’s circle—the bond between the 1,100-pound racehorse and 70-pound boy was obvious. They would stare at each other, and then the horse would walk toward Cody and put his head in his lap. Cody saw Cody’s Wish win a Breeders’ Cup race at Keeneland in 2022 and was at Santa Anita when the horse ended his career with a thrilling victory in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
Paul Halloran’s new book Cody’s Wish: A Boy, a Racehorse, and a Fight for Life is a story of resilience, triumph and love and of the inexplicable yet undeniable bond between a courageous boy and the champion racehorse he considered his best friend.
Halloran, a lifelong Bostonian who graduated from the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1985, started writing about sports at The Daily Item in Lynn not far from Woburn, where he grew up. He spent 15 years at The Item, including stints as sports editor and news editor, before leaving to work at the small communications and public relations company Grand Communications. He also started his own company—PKH Communications— and has covered racing since the 1980s, first at his home track of Suffolk Downs.
Halloran started writing for The Saratoga Special in 2019 and earned a Media Eclipse Award Honorable Mention for his first story on Cody’s Wish at the 2022 Forego Stakes at Saratoga. He approached Cody’s parents, Kelly and Leslie Dorman, in January 2023 with the idea for a book that told the story of Cody and the champion racehorse named for him. He told them he had a singular goal for the book—them feeling he did a good job of telling their son’s story.
CODY AND KYLIE DORMAN ENJOY THE RACES WITH CHURCHILL CHARLIE BEFORE THE 2023 KENTUCKY DERBY.
The Horsemen’s Journal enjoyed following the story of Cody Dorman and Cody’s Wish and is pleased to publish an excerpt from the book scheduled for release in early May.
WINNING FORMULA
When Junior Alvarado was taken off Cody’s Wish after the troublefilled first race, the only injury he had to deal with was a bruised ego, but jockeys deal with being fired every day. There are times when it’s not worth a second thought, but in this case Alvarado resolved to keep track of this huge horse he believed had the talent to match.
He was vindicated to a degree when Cody’s Wish lost his next two races, both at Saratoga with Joel Rosario in the irons. Trainer Bill Mott stretched him out to 11/8 miles for his second start, and the public sent him off as the odds-on favorite. When the gate opened, he bobbled and was immediately last in the field of nine, but Rosario passed two horses entering the first turn, saving ground on the inside.
As they began their run down the backstretch, Cody’s Wish was still seventh under a tight hold, but just like the debut with Alvarado, he wanted to do it on his own terms and was very keen to run on. By the time they cleared the halfway point of the race, he was still on the inside and vying for the lead with Pipeline. Cody’s Wish put his head in front on the turn but was passed by Pipeline as they straightened for home. Vindictive eventually passed both of them, and Cody’s Wish had to settle for a well-beaten third.
“We were really happy to get the mount,” Rosario said, referring to his agent, Ron Anderson. “He was a horse with a lot of talent, and he was amazing. I remember when we got to the gate, he was still a little bit green. But he was a very beautiful-looking horse, very long shaped, and we were really happy.”
Start number three came on closing weekend at Saratoga in 2021— a 7-furlong maiden race in which Cody’s Wish was again bet down to heavy favoritism. He was fractious in the gate—a harbinger of races to come—and again dead last in the first 100 yards. Rosario started to advance on the rail and then took Cody’s Wish to the far outside coming off the turn, as Pipeline—a familiar foe who would play an important role in his future—took the lead in the stretch. Cody’s Wish lost a battle for second with Waxman.
Three races in New York, three losses for a horse with seemingly limitless potential. The Godolphin team was disappointed but far from ready to give up on the big bay.
“I think in those races circumstances just conspired against him,” Godolphin Bloodstock Director Michael Banahan said. “He didn’t break exceptionally well, so things just didn’t work out. But at the same time, he ran against some decent horses at Saratoga, which is unusual for 3-year-old maidens at that time of the year. A lot of the good ones are gone at that stage [having won and advanced beyond the maiden ranks]. When you look back at the form, maybe at the time you’re disappointed, but there were some talented horses that he ran against in those races.”
After racing at Saratoga ended for the year, Mott gave Cody’s Wish two workouts on the Oklahoma Training Track before shipping him to Churchill Downs, where he had the opportunity to run a 1-mile race around one turn, as opposed to two turns for that distance at most other racetracks. The trainer thought—and was ultimately proven 100% correct—that one-turn races would be his strength.
There was another advantage to running in Kentucky: Cody could be there, which he told his mother was a critical factor in his namesake’s fortunes.
At some point after the races at Saratoga, which the Dormans watched on TV, Cody offered a simple reason why Cody’s Wish had not yet won.
“He won’t win until I’m there to see him,” he told his mother.
That prediction would be tested October 2, 2021, when the horse was entered in a maiden race at Churchill. The Dormans made the 100mile trip from Richmond for what was a homecoming of sorts for Kelly, who was born in Louisville and had lived across the river in Clarksville, Indiana, before his family moved back to Columbia when he was 1. It had been around 30 years since he had been to the track that sits below the iconic twin spires, and Kelly is sure he was never treated so well.
“I didn’t know they had all this stuff cooked up for us,” he said. “They told us when we got there to just tell them we’re the Dormans and they would take care of everything. I wasn’t used to being treated like that, but it was kind of neat. We had a better parking spot than Danny [Mulvihill] and Mary [Bourne] from Godolphin. We went in and they had a lady right at the gate waiting to lead us around and make sure we were where we needed to be.”
The Fox Sports TV cameras were rolling, giving Cody and his family their first taste of the bright lights that would shine on them for the next two years. Several of the jockeys came out to get their picture taken with Cody, a celebrity in the making. Churchill gave Cody’s sister, Kylie, a backpack with coloring books and other swag.
The Dormans were brought to the winner’s circle to watch the race. Mike Anderson, Churchill Downs president, came down to meet Cody, something he would repeat on future visits. Kenny McCarthy, who oversees Mott’s Churchill division, was only mildly aware of the story behind the horse, but it came into clearer focus when a fan yelled to him, “No pressure!”
“I think it really started to sink in then,” McCarthy said. “And of course, the Dormans were there. I remember I was nervous, but in a good way. And I just thought, ‘Please, please let this work out.’ ”
No one had to wait too long to see whether it would, because Cody’s Wish was in the first race. For betting purposes, he and a horse named Crump made up a coupled entry—required under Kentucky wagering rules because both horses were owned by Godolphin—that went off as a prohibitive 1-5 favorite. After a slight stumble at the start, Rosario had Cody’s Wish closer than in previous races, sitting fifth of seven as they ran out of the chute onto the main track. Moving down the backstretch, Cody’s Wish pulled closer without being asked and was just off the lead after a half-mile. A bold move on the turn put him in front at the stretch call, and he ran off to a 2-length win.
Cody’s prediction—that “his” horse would win if he were there to watch—was proven right, and the celebration was on.
“It was just kind of surreal, shocking,” Kelly said. “You had all these emotions running at one time. I think the Churchill people and Danny and the Godolphin people were nervous about everything kind of lining up and falling into place the way it did.”
Kelly and Leslie didn’t think it could get any better than having a horse named for their son. Now they were posing for an official win photo at Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby.
Cody didn’t show much emotion immediately, but as the day went on, he made it known how he was feeling.
“During the races, you don’t really get a whole lot of emotion from him, where so much is going on,” Kelly said. “But after the race, especially on the way home, I mean, that kid was still laughing when we got him in bed. Just laughing. He was tickled to death all the way home.”
In the Churchill Downs winner’s circle, McCarthy asked the Dormans whether he could bring the horse close to Cody. It had been a year since the two had last met at the Thoroughbred Training Center near Keeneland, when Cody was going through his depression, so how either the boy or the horse would react was again very much in question—but not for long.
“Here’s a horse that just ran a race,” McCarthy said. “I mean, he’s a big, strong individual, and he just calmed himself down, and he dropped his nose right there to Cody. It’s the most amazing thing. It gives me chills every time I see it. It was like he looked up and was like, ‘Hang on a minute. This is our moment. This is Cody and Cody right now. Just give us a moment here.’ ”
That scene would be repeated over the next two years—on the backstretch, in the paddock and back in the winner’s circle.
Cody’s Wish ran two more times as a 3-year-old and won both. Jockey Martin Garcia rode him November 6, the same day as the 2021 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, where Rosario was committed to ride. With the horse entered in the last race, scheduled to go off at 8 p.m., the Dormans opted to watch from home.
Out in California, Team Godolphin was having a banner day, with two of the stable’s European stars—Space Blues and Yibir, both trained by Charlie Appleby—winning the Breeders’ Cup Mile and the Breeders’ Cup Turf, respectively. In the winner’s circle after the Yibir race, the Godolphin people from Kentucky were glued to their phones, as interested in a $127,000 allowance race at Churchill as they were in the $4 million Grade 1 they just won.
Regardless of where you watched—Louisville, Richmond or Del Mar—you could clearly see Cody’s Wish was starting to figure it out. Garcia got him involved in the race earlier, and he was in the middle of the pack after a quarter-mile, instead of trailing the field. He was already fourth and in the clear at the halfway point, moved to third entering the turn and put his nose in front at the top of the stretch. From there, Cody’s Wish gradually extended his lead, winning by 51/4 lengths and offering no stress for those who bet him at even money, and earned a 100% return on investment in a minute and a half. Try getting that in the stock market.
The last start of his 3-year-old season came November 28, the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. Churchill Downs gave the Dormans a suite, allowing them to invite family and friends.
“I can’t say enough about them,” Kelly said. “They treated us like kings every time we’ve been there.”
With Rosario back in the saddle, Cody’s Wish was last early on, around 10 lengths off the lead, but he started traveling with purpose without being asked. Similar to his previous race, he made a menacing move on the turn and was second at the stretch call. The leader, Ducale, did not surrender without a fight, but Cody’s Wish wore him down in the last 100 yards and won by a length.
Cody, a blanket draped on his lap on the 45-degree afternoon, was again waiting when the horse returned to the winner’s circle. McCarthy, who came to the United States from Ireland at age 20 and has worked for Mott for more than 30 years, and fellow assistant Penny Gardiner, who grew up on a cattle ranch in Colorado and has been working on the racetrack since graduating from high school, joined a happy Dorman clan.
As they tried to get the horse to settle for the photo, Cody had his eyes trained on his friend, who had now won three straight races after three losses to start his career. He was validating the optimism Godolphin and Mott had from the beginning, leading them to believe he could be in line for a productive 4-year-old campaign.
Alvarado also had a good year in 2021, winning 110 races and more than $9 million in purses. The day after he rode Cody’s Wish in his first race—the one that cost him his job—he won the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes for Mott on the Belmont Stakes card. At the end of the year, Alvarado rode in four of the Breeders’ Cup races, but none of his horses finished
in the top four. Through it all, he never forgot about Cody’s Wish and took note of his improvement.
“I knew it was going to take him time,” he said. “But I wanted to make sure I followed him because I know Bill Mott, that’s his way of training horses. They get better, better and better. So I wanted to make sure even if I couldn’t ride him, I kept an eye on him in case I had the opportunity to get back on.”
He knew one thing: If he ever did get another shot on Cody’s Wish, he would make damn sure he never got taken off again. He couldn’t help but wonder whether he would ever get that chance. HJ
CODY’S WISH: A BOY, A RACEHORSE, AND A FIGHT FOR LIFE may be purchased through Amazon and Barnes & Noble or through codyswishbook.com.
CODY DORMAN AND CODY’S WISH AT TRAINER BILL MOTT’S BARN ON THE OKLAHOMA TRAINING TRACK AT SARATOGA RACE COURSE BEFORE THE 2023 WHITNEY STAKES
PAUL HALLORAN PHOTO
One by one they walk into a conference room. Nervous laughs, sweaty palms and maybe more than a touch of anxiety mark the day for a select group of people whose lives will be changed the moment they find out they are finalists for the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards presented by Godolphin.
The TIEAs, as they’ve come to be known both within Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s global Godolphin operation and from others involved through the years, recognize the unsung, sometimes overlooked and unquestionable heart and soul of the Thoroughbred industry. They come from all over— California, Kentucky, Washington, Florida and all points in between—for their deserving moment in the spotlight.
The North American version of the awards celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2025, and plans are already well underway to start the second decade in 2026. Nominations open after the Kentucky Derby and continue through July 13. From there, the short-list judging panel meets in late July or early August to select three finalists and two alternates from the nominees.
Godolphin’s annual awards recognize unsung heroes of the industry
By Tom Law
“They have a very difficult job,” said Katie LaMonica, Godolphin’s charities manager for America who heads up the TIEAs. “They have to comb through every nomination in every category. … Once they give us those top three, Godolphin will fly everyone to Lexington, and you will get to spend a couple of days there.”
The TIEAs launched in 2016 with five awards—Leadership in Breeding, Leadership in Racing, Dedication to Breeding, Dedication to Racing and Community. The North American version was modeled after the Stud and Stable Staff Awards in Ireland, which Godolphin has sponsored since 2015. Go
The initial awards in the U.S. were launched by Godolphin in partnership with the National HBPA, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, Breeders’ Cup Ltd. and The Jockey Club. Additional partners and supporters have come along in the years since, including the New York Racing Association, Keeneland Association, Churchill Downs Inc., 1/ST Racing, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute and Hallway Feeds.
The program has changed subtly over the years to reflect the everfluctuating industry, with new categories that include Managerial, Newcomer and Support Services.
Six of the now seven categories award $7,500 to the winner with the other finalists receiving $3,500 apiece. Alternates receive $2,000 each, and some of the categories award the finalists’ farms/stables $1,000. The Newcomer Award winner receives $5,000 and $1,000 to their stable, farm or organization, with $2,500 each going to the other finalists and $1,000 each to the two alternates.
Overall, Godolphin’s TIEA program has recognized 205 individuals with more than $1.2 million in prizes.
LaMonica was on hand at the National HBPA Conference in early March at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to highlight the “10 Years of TIEA” and encourage nominations from those on hand.
“I look around this room and so many of you all have been a part of the program,” she said. “I love knowing that this program has impacted this group because you all are the people that take care of the people. This program is designed to reward and recognize all of our industry staff, plain and simple, but I can’t do it unless you nominate. You have to tell us who your people are, OK?”
The
2025
Isabel Escobar (Administration)
Lynne Hewlett (Support Services)
Sara Patterson
(Dedication to Breeding)
Fiona Goodwin
(Dedication to Racing)
Jesus Pinales (Managerial)
Kinnon LaRose (Newcomer)
Nancy Turner (Community)
2024
Lauren Marks (Administration)
Cass Dewey (Support Services)
Steve Vargas
(Dedication to Breeding)
Milver Martinez
(Dedication to Racing)
Christine Jones (Managerial)
Julianne Stowell (Newcomer)
Nancy LaSala (Community)
LARGE CROWDS ALWAYS TURN OUT FOR THE THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY EMPLOYEE AWARDS PRESENTED BY GODOLPHIN, INCLUDING FOR THE INAUGURAL EVENT IN 2016 AT KEENELAND.
A Decade of Excellence
past winners of the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards
2023
Kelly Danner (Administration)
Bill Vest
(Support Services)
Jimmy Tate
(Dedication to Breeding)
Myra Hall
(Dedication to Racing)
Manuel Hernandez (Leadership)
Dominick Merritt (Newcomer)
Linda Doane (Community)
2022
Darla Shoemaker Gaige (Administration)
Laura Scheer
(Support Services)
Don Jenkins
(Dedication to Breeding)
Felipe Pulido Mendoza (Dedication to Racing)
Leanna Willaford (Leadership)
Johnathan Estrada (Newcomer)
Jessica Hammond (Community)
2021
Kelsey Marshall (Administration)
Brenda Wilhelm
(Support Services)
Calvin Smith
(Dedication to Breeding)
Lorita Lindemann
(Dedication to Racing)
Robert Turner (Leadership)
Olivia Desch (Newcomer)
Nicholas Caras (Community)
2020
Dionne Johnson (Administration)
Wayne Clem
(Leadership in Breeding)
Carmen McShane
(Leadership in Racing)
Helen Otero
(Dedication to Breeding)
Gregory Smothers
(Dedication to Racing)
Aaron West (Newcomer)
Maria Cristina Silva (Community)
2019
Bessie Gruwell (Administration)
Jenny Carpenter (Leadership in Breeding)
Saul Castellanos (Leadership in Racing)
Ernest Blair
(Dedication to Breeding)
Leslie McCall (Dedication to Racing)
Amy Stokes (Newcomer)
Bobby Lillis (Community)
2018
Sandy Hatfield (Leadership in Breeding)
Cesar Aguilar
(Leadership in Racing)
Therese Reese
(Dedication to Breeding)
Lisa See
(Dedication to Racing)
Devon Dougherty (Newcomer)
Angie Carmona (Community)
2017
Larry McGinnis
(Leadership in Breeding)
Christophe Lorieul
(Leadership in Racing)
Lugusta “Gus” Gray (Dedication to Breeding)
Arturo Ramirez
(Dedication to Racing)
Jak Knelman (Newcomer)
Leslie Janecka (Community)
2016
Victor Espinoza
(Leadership in Breeding)
Melissa Cohen
(Leadership in Racing)
James Sebastian
(Dedication to Breeding)
Jose “Vinny” Castaneda (Dedication to Racing)
Israel “Izzy” Vega (Community)
Memories for a Lifetime
Darla Shoemaker Gaige knew all about the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards presented by Godolphin well before she found out she had landed on the list of finalists in 2022.
“Oh yes, absolutely,” said Gaige, who wears many hats working for the Charles Town Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and now also with O’Sullivan Farms in West Virginia. “We knew [about] it from the folks from Godolphin coming out and bringing flyers the very first year. We had also been trying to drum up people to nominate because we have a lot of great horsemen here. We wanted to make sure they got nominated.”
Gaige nominated Charles Town HBPA Executive Director Maria Catignani, a finalist for the Administration Award in 2019, and knew about Charles Town’s track kitchen operator Brenda Wilhelm winning in the Support Services category in 2021. Being nominated—and then winning the Katherine McKee Administration Award sponsored by Keeneland—went far beyond Gaige’s wildest dreams.
“Obviously I was surprised and thrilled,” Gaige said. “You know, I come in here and the focus is on the horsemen. That’s what I do. So it seemed strange. Does that sound like a right way to put it? To have the focus be on me?”
Gaige’s sentiment cannot stray far from the feelings of nearly all of the past finalists and winners. She enjoyed the trip to Lexington—bringing along her family for the festivities that included farm visits, the awards luncheon and a day at the races at Keeneland Race Course—and can’t help but think of it often.
“You mentioned that it’s been a few years back now, but those pictures are saved on my phone and hanging up on my wall here at the office,” Gaige said. “I think of it all the time. It was an amazing experience to see some of these farms that are just breathtaking, and to meet some of the legends of horse racing, both human and horse, was unforgettable.”
‘I’m at the Racetrack Now’
Lorita Lindemann describes herself as a “barn rat” who would rather be at the barn than anywhere else. Since 2015, that barn has been Joe Sharp’s. Her commitment has been instrumental in Sharp’s rise to rank as one of the nation’s leading trainers and earned her the Dedication to Racing honor at the 2021 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards.
“Winning was amazing,” she said. “I was blown away and surprised. I have never looked for any recognition. It is just what I do. I grew up like that.”
Lindemann was introduced to Thoroughbred racing by an uncle who traded a steady job for a traveling position as a groom. He sent letters and win pictures to an elementary school-aged Lindemann in Boston, and she found his world fascinating. He later got her mother involved in racing partnerships, and they spent time at stables on the New England circuit.
Lindemann enjoys fond memories of those days.
“I was in heaven because I was like, ‘I’m at the racetrack now,’ ” she said.
The uncle returned to a more secure lifestyle, but Lindemann remained hooked. She furthered her equine knowledge by working with connections made through her uncle and obtained her trainer’s license in 1998. Honing her craft with a modest stable, she won 80 races from 1,235 starters before accepting a position with Sharp.
“My clients were hometown New England people whose family hobby was racing,” she said.
One such enthusiast was Michael Blowen when he was a film critic for the Boston Globe and long before he founded Old Friends Equine Retirement in Georgetown, Kentucky. He routinely spent time at Lindemann’s barn learning about horse care and barn chores and purchased a few horses to race. As the daughter of a single mother, Lindemann viewed Blowen as a father figure, and they remain close while continuing their focus on rehoming runners.
DARLA SHOEMAKER
GAIGE, WINNER OF THE KATHERINE MCKEE
ADMINISTRATION AWARD IN 2022, HANDLES MULTIPLE ROLES WITH THE CHARLES TOWN HBPA AND AT O’SULLIVAN FARMS IN WEST VIRGINIA.
Gaige added more administrative work at O’Sullivan four years ago, helping fill a void at the farm and with a goal to pick up some extra income for her family’s plan to buy a house. She’d mastered the tasks at the racetrack, but the work at the farm threw Gaige for a loop at first.
“I am good at juggling,” Gaige said in late February. “You know, I can answer the phone and talk to somebody and be printing something or writing notes or whatever. I got out to the farm and I came home after my first week and my husband looked at me and said, ‘You’ve got the 1,000-yard stare thing going on. What’s going on?’ I told him this was the first time in a long time where I’m wanting to keep up.
“I was telling John [O’Sullivan, the farm’s owner] the other day that I was starting my fourth year and I have finally started emptying filing cabinets and rearranging files and stuff because I was afraid to touch anything. … Now I can streamline and set up my own processes. I know what the processes are supposed to be. I’m still in the office, like I am at the track, but it’s very different. It’s a very different world. I felt like I knew lots about the racing industry, and then I get into the breeding industry and there are a lot of different moving pieces there, too.”
—Tom Law
VETERAN RACETRACKER
LORITA LINDEMANN, HONORED WITH THE DEDICATION TO RACING AWARD IN 2021, DESCRIBES HERSELF AS A “BARN RAT” AND CONTINUES AS A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR THOROUGHBRED AFTERCARE.
Lindemann’s valuable experience on the minor circuits made her a natural fit with Sharp, who had a similar background in his youth before going to the big time.
“We share the same ideas,” she said. “We both grew up working with horses at a lesser level and helping them without using modern technology and medicines. And we train the horses as individuals. He takes great care of the horses, and he is a great conditioner. He leaves me alone. He trusts my judgment and my horsemanship.”
Although Lindemann is frequently told to go home when all is well under the shedrow, she sees no reason to leave. Her only hobby is growing flowers at the home near Belmont Park that she shares with partner Anthony Rodriguez, an assistant starter on the New York Racing Association circuit.
“You have to love it,” she said. “If we don’t have the horses, we have nothing. We can’t fail them because they haven’t failed us. They might have failed us by not running well, but we all have what we have because of them. That was always instilled in me even as a child. You have to have passion for the horses. If you don’t have that passion, you are in the wrong business.” —Liane Crossley
Floored by the Nomination
Leslie McCall, winner of the 2019 Dedication to Racing Award, has left racetrack life. Well, not really. Although she opted to retire from a decade-long run for trainer Ron Moquett, she remains firmly connected to Thoroughbred racing.
Accepting that she needed a more secure future, McCall was at a crossroads in late 2023. She resigned from her position as all-around stablehand and tried to reinvent herself. She learned how to use a computer, became a certified forklift operator and launched a job search. But nothing came easy.
“But being certified on a forklift means nothing if you have no job experience,” she said. “I just kept getting negatives. I was burning through my resources.”
Her luck changed when she saw an ad that Churchill Downs was seeking employees for the maintenance team.
“It happened to come up on my feed and I thought, ‘Wow, I can go right back to Churchill,’ ” she said.
Hired in early 2024, McCall feels right at home. In addition to customary benefits such as paid vacation, McCall relishes her days off.
“Two days in a row is like a mini vacation after years of working seven days a week,” she said.
McCall’s work ethic resulted in her Thoroughbred Industry Employee Award, and she has carried that work ethic into her present job. During the racing season, she is on the crew that prepares the receiving barn for the day’s race-and-return shipins. In the offseason, she stays busy in the stable area—cleaning, removing what’s left behind, leveling stalls and shedrows, mowing, weed-eating and other tasks.
The job keeps her connected to the Thoroughbred world she fell in love with as a child when her mother took her and her brother to the races at Del Mar. With winnings from a small wager, they purchased rafts for swimming in the Pacific Ocean that left an indelible memory.
Back to His Roots
Dominick Merritt, winner of the Newcomer Award at the 2023 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, recently added another chunk to his résumé by working as an exercise rider for a season in Australia. Upon his return last spring, he came back to his Maryland roots by securing a job with trainer Brittany Russell at Laurel Park.
He also returned to mentoring youth in Saddle Up Scholars, a nonprofit that promotes equity and inclusion in the equestrian community by using horses as inspiration for academic achievement. Its mission is “to make a direct and immediate impact in the lives of young horse enthusiasts from underserved backgrounds by harnessing the skills they gain from horses and channeling that into academic success.” Saddle Up Scholars provides tutoring via Zoom meetings for students enrolled in equine programs.
Merritt became the organization’s first mentor after meeting co-founder Jennie Towner, an administrator at the community college he attended. Towner recommended him to the Boniface family’s Bonita Farm in Darlington, Maryland. A Thoroughbred racing fan since childhood who grew up in Baltimore, Merritt had little hands-on experience, but he learned horse care, barn chores and how to ride at Bonita Farm. The Bonifaces recommended him for what he calls his dream job as an exercise rider for Todd Pletcher in the spring of 2022. Merritt’s primary mounts included Up to the Mark, who was named champion turf male at the Eclipse Awards ceremony Merritt attended in January 2024.
“My role as a mentor is to instill confidence in [the students] and let them know they might be struggling but they should not give up,” Merritt said. “Nothing happens overnight. It takes repetition to get to where you want to be.”
One of his favorite opportunities is talking with the students when they visit Pimlico Race Course during the week of the Preakness Stakes.
LESLIE MCCALL RECEIVES THE DEDICATION TO RACING AWARD FROM HALL OF FAME TRAINER BILL MOTT IN 2019.
“It stuck in my head that you could have a good time at the racetrack even with not much money,” she said.
After the family moved to Arkansas about 30 miles southwest of Hot Springs, her mother gave her a pony that she described as a rogue.
“I got good at riding because he kept dropping me,” she said.
Childhood riding plus a nearby racetrack often equals securing a job with Thoroughbreds, and McCall soon realized that Hot Springs was home to Oaklawn Park. Although she had no connections, she was allowed to roam the stable area in search of a job as a hotwalker. She then learned to exercise racehorses at a nearby farm until she was strong enough to ride at the track.
McCall has never really left the track despite all the changes in her life. She compares herself to riderless racehorses that instinctively find their way back to the barn. One of her career highlights is receiving the TIEA honor.
“It floored me,” McCall said. “I didn’t know that my boss lady Laura [Moquett] had nominated me until it was down to the three finalists. The nomination letter she wrote was phenomenal. It was heartfelt. I had no idea that she felt like that about me. I was proud to represent in a nationwide contest with so many people gathered at Keeneland for the ceremony.”
—Liane Crossley
DOMINICK MERRITT, WINNER OF THE 2023 NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR AWARD, WITH NOMINATOR AND SADDLE UP SCHOLARS CO-FOUNDER JENNIE TOWNER
“I enjoy seeing the kids see the horses,” he said. “I remember going to Pimlico and Laurel because I loved seeing the animals. The kids asked lots of questions. I remember what it was like to have that person to ask. I love that I can be that person for them.”
Merritt credits his uncle for sparking his interest by regularly taking him to the track.
“He was the most invested in me,” Merritt said. “He saw how interested I was. He watched me when I started working at the farm and then when I worked for Todd. When I was announced as the Newcomer Award winner, it was surreal because I had my support team.”
That support crew included his uncle, parents, sister and Towner.
“They were ecstatic,” he said. “It was a great feeling. I don’t want to take away from the other finalists [in his category]. I didn’t want to make it about me. I wanted them to feel involved. This is not a one-man show. Everybody plays a part.”
As Merritt navigates his career in the Thoroughbred industry, he remains humble and proud as a role model for future generations via Saddle Up Scholars and elsewhere.
“I didn’t grow up with a mentor, and I know that a lot of kids didn’t have that adult to look up to,” he said. “If I can be that person who they can call and ask anything, that is important to me.” —Liane Crossley
COURTESY OF GODOLPHIN
COURTESY OF GODOLPHIN
‘Immediately Started Crying’
Spring breaks for high school students do not often involve trips to a racetrack—unless you’re from a racing family like Sara Patterson, who can’t thank her father enough for such a trip to Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, when she was a junior in Anthony, Kansas.
“The town is like a couple thousand people,” Patterson said. “We had five days of racing—two weekends in July—horses and dogs, and Dad’s been in racing since the 1980s. I just fell in love with it then.
“Now when I look back at it and somebody says, ‘What’s your favorite childhood memory?,’ it’s always going to the races. It’s what we did every summer. Then my junior year, Dad brought me and my stepbrother and sister to Arkansas. At first I was like, ‘OK, I’ve never been there.’ We came down, had some horses running, and from there I was hooked.”
So hooked that after returning home, Patterson made a prediction: “One day I’m going to live in Arkansas.”
She made good on the promise, moving to Arkansas in 2013 and later helping launch and grow the family’s Cedar Run Farm about a half-hour drive from Oaklawn in Pearcy. She’s not only an Arkansas resident but an active participant in several aspects of the state’s Thoroughbred industry.
Patterson serves on both the Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Horsemen’s Association and the Arkansas Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association boards and runs an equine transportation business. Cedar Run Farm started as a 40-acre layup facility and now also includes a stallion division and boarding and foaling operations.
“My goal at first was, if I could ever just keep 30 horses here, I [would feel] like we’d make it,” Patterson said. “Well, fortunately, I’ve had some great clients. We surpassed the 30s and went up to about 100 head of horses. I keep about 30 broodmares year-round. The rest are 2-year-olds, yearlings, weanlings, all that.”
Susan Watkins, a client at Cedar Run Farm, took note of everything on Patterson’s plate when she nominated her for the Dedication to Breeding Award for the 2025 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards.
“Honestly, I have no idea where she gets the energy to do all this, but she has never backed down when asked to do something,” Watkins wrote in her nomination.
Keeping with the TIEA’s tradition, Watkins delivered the news to Patterson that she put in a nomination form. Patterson found herself in the midst of a mini crisis when she got word.
“My vet had an emergency, and he needed a horse to be taken to the clinic,” Patterson recalled in March. “Our closest equine hospital is Oklahoma, about 4 1/2 hours away. … I load up the baby, take it to the clinic. It’s an unexpected trip and obviously started in the middle of the night.”
Watkins’ call came on the return trip to Arkansas.
“Honestly, I have no idea where she gets the energy to do all this, but she has never backed down when asked to do something.”
—SUSAN WATKINS
SARA PATTERSON (RIGHT), THE 2025 DEDICATION TO BREEDING AWARD WINNER, WITH HER NOMINATOR AND LONGTIME CLIENT SUSAN WATKINS
“Hey, I just want you to know that I’ve done something,” Watkins said. “I nominated you for the TIEA awards.”
Patterson felt honored, thanked her and was floored when Watkins told her she’d made the cut as a finalist.
“I immediately just started crying,” Patterson said. “It’s at that point that you feel like you’ve been recognized. It was like an instant reminder why you’re doing what you’re doing, like driving a sick foal to a clinic far away. I was in shock because I’ve always followed the TIEAs.”
Patterson won about two months later and doesn’t go a day without thinking about the honor.
“It was really cool, amazing,” she said. “When you think about it, a lot of times all you hear about are the big farms in Kentucky. You don’t so much hear about the littler states, the littler programs. I’m like a little tiny program compared to them. You just feel seen, really. It just validates all the goals that you had set.
“It’s something I’ll never forget. … There are so many people that deserve the spotlight. I never dreamed that I would be one of those people in my wildest dreams. But to be able to go and do something and to just be able to take my people at my farm and let them be recognized for their hard work because, without them, I’m nothing.”
—Tom Law HJ
By Kimberly Brewer, DVM, MSc.; Andrew Roberts, DVM; Clara Fenger, DVM, PhD, DACVIM; and Thomas Tobin, MRCVS, PhD, DABT
Four hundred or so years ago, the Elizabethan author Gervase Markham, who wrote extensively about horses and women and other important things, noted, “Many horses (especially young horses) are often subject to this bleeding at the nose, which I imagine proceeded either from the much abundance of blood or that the vein which ended in that place is either broken, fretted, or opened. It is opened many Times by means that Blood aboundeth too much.”
This statement is likely the first written description of epistaxis, bleeding from the nose or what we now know as exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), a name applied to the condition in the late 1970s after the arrival of the flexible fiberoptic endoscope.
As long ago as the early 1700s, when the foundation sires of the Thoroughbred breed were racing and breeding, EIPH was recognized as epistaxis. Bartlett’s Childers, one of the breed’s most prolific sires, was also known as “Bleeding Childers” for his propensity to bleed from the nose. Bartlett’s Childers was unraced but is distinguished by being the greatgrandsire of Eclipse, and he is represented in the pedigree of every modernday Thoroughbred.
It was only with the development of first the rigid endoscope in the early part of the 20th century and then the flexible endoscope in the 1970s that it was discovered that a very high percentage of horses bleed internally to some degree following strenuous exercise. Therefore, epistaxis, which was obvious for centuries, became only the tip of the iceberg, accounting for only about 4% of the cases of EIPH.
The awesome athleticism of the horse is not lost on anyone who works in the racing industry. The cardiovascular system of the equine athlete at a full gallop is finely tuned to pass a massive amount of blood both to the exercising muscles and through the lungs with every stride. The horse is unique in the animal kingdom in that its blood passes through the lungs at maximal exercise so fast that it does not become fully oxygenated. It is this rapid transit through the pulmonary circulation at high pressure and speed that predisposes the horse to EIPH.
Horsemen began to realize in the early 1960s that the diuretic furosemide, commonly known by its brand name Lasix, mitigated the occurrence of epistaxis. By the mid-1970s, Lasix was routinely used in racehorses and beginning to acquire regulatory approval. The major industry concern at the time was the effect of Lasix on urinary drug detection. Research conducted by Dr. Thomas
FOUNDATION SIRE BARTLETT’S CHILDERS (A FULL BROTHER TO THE CELEBRATED RACEHORSE FLYING CHILDERS, SHOWN ABOVE) BECAME KNOWN AS “BLEEDING CHILDERS” FOR HIS PROPENSITY TO BLEED FROM THE NOSE.
Tobin soon showed that this potential masking effect was short-lived, and a four-hour rule for Lasix was established, eliminating the urinary drug detection problem. This led to the approval in most jurisdictions of furosemide being administered four hours prior to post to avoid any effect on post-race urinary drug detection. The last state in the U.S. to approve Lasix for racing was New York in 1995.
Now, after decades of uniform, tightly regulated race-day administration of Lasix in racehorses, a dangerous deadline looms. Without intervention by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) board, where a unanimous vote to retain the use of Lasix on race day is required, Lasix is scheduled to be withdrawn from racing in the U.S. on May 22.
The question of whether Lasix is performance enhancing was supposed to be studied, the results reviewed by the HISA board and an informed decision made. Yet none of the funded studies have been able to answer that question. So, the use of Lasix appears to be ready to sunset with no clear answers.
How does Lasix mitigate EIPH?
EIPH is a hemorrhage that can occur in the lungs of animals, including horses, camels, greyhounds and even in top-end human athletes during strenuous exercise. This hemorrhage occurs in polo horses, show and event horses, barrel racing horses and any other equine athlete participating in endeavors in which strenuous exercise is required.
In racehorses, EIPH incidence is 50% to 95% with well over 90% of horses bleeding at some point in their careers. Airway examinations suggest that all racehorses experience some minor degree of EIPH.
The hemorrhage occurs when the thin membrane between the capillaries and alveolar air sacs fails due to the pressure within the circulatory system of the lung. The blood in the lungs, along with the damage from the ruptured capillaries, results in inflammation that heals with scarring, and the lungs lose their natural ability to expand and contract. With each subsequent EIPH injury, the disease progresses, and the scientific evidence has shown that the result is permanent injury to the lungs.
The hemorrhage is slight in most cases, but as more capillaries fail, the bleeding can be marked, even in rare cases resulting in fatal hemorrhage. In extreme cases, the bleeding from the lungs can be so extensive that blood can be seen coming out of the nostrils as the horse runs. In this extreme situation, the horse is in danger of faltering, thus endangering itself, its rider and other horses and riders. In the past, before Lasix was used, horses even died during this terrible event. With the advent of Lasix, this catastrophic event has virtually been eliminated.
A short-acting loop diuretic, Lasix has several effects in the body. The most obvious effect is its effect on sodium-potassium channels in the kidneys. Urine is normally concentrated by the reuptake of sodium in the kidney tubules. Free water follows sodium, so the reabsorption of sodium results in the concentration of urine. Lasix blocks these channels, preventing sodium reuptake and therefore the reuptake of free water.
Another effect of Lasix is the production of a small molecule called prostaglandin E. This small molecule causes relaxation of blood vessels and contributes to the diuretic effect by increasing blood flow to the kidneys. It also induces vasodilation of the pulmonary blood vessels, which are under incredible strain during exercise, thereby decreasing the blood pressure in the lungs and decreasing the risk of EIPH.
A systematic review of the available scientific literature indicates that Lasix is the only medication shown to be effective in decreasing the incidence and magnitude of EIPH. Furosemide has a brief diuretic effect of one hour (peaking
SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ARGUE AGAINST A PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING EFFECT OF LASIX, AND HORSEMEN SHOULD STAND FIRM IN SUPPORT OF THE CONTINUED CAREFUL AND REGULATED USE OF THE MEDICATION.
at 30 minutes), diminishing pulmonary capillary pressure up to four hours. This short duration of hemodynamic effect requires administration on the day of racing in order to mitigate EIPH.
Lasix has been used prophylactically to mitigate EIPH in racehorses for more than 40 years and in recent years has become commonplace, with it being administered on race day, under strict regulatory control, to more than 92% of the Thoroughbreds that race in North America.
Is furosemide performance enhancing?
There are studies that suggest that Lasix is performance enhancing, although most are inconclusive.
Dr. Diane Gross and colleagues at Ohio State University came to this conclusion using a commercial database and evaluating the effect of furosemide on times, placing and money earned.
Raw times, earnings and placings are poor predictors of racing performance, because a slower time on a slow track may be a better performance than a faster time on a fast track. Further, a last-place finish in a stakes race may be a better performance than a win in a claiming race.
Speed figures, which use algorithms to quantitate racing performance independent of these other factors, were not used in this study.
More importantly, in the Gross study, the EIPH status of any of the horses in the study was unknown. This is a fatal error of the study because without assessing the EIPH status of the horses in the analysis, there is no way to know if the improvement in performance of any horse is due to mitigation of EIPH or performance enhancement with Lasix.
Another study often quoted by those that argue that Lasix is performance enhancing was conducted on a treadmill by Dr. Warwick Bayly and colleagues at Washington State University in 1999.
This study was a crossover study, meaning that each horse served as its own control, performing two treadmill exercise tests with Lasix and two with saline as a placebo control. The design is slightly better than the observational Gross study, but like the previous study, no actual determination of the occurrence or severity of EIPH was made.
The study used both time and distance run and the ability of the animal to perform aerobic work, termed oxygen consumption, to assess performance enhancement. These investigators identified weight loss associated with furosemide administration and suggested that this weight loss conferred a performance advantage.
They were able to show an improvement in mass specific oxygen consumption (oxygen consumption per kilogram of body weight), although this lower weight did not translate to an improvement in total body oxygen consumption. In other words, a significant change in weight or mass will, in most cases, result in a significant change in every measure that depends on weight or mass.
The weight loss that is described in this study does not address the question of residual urine volume in the bladders of the experimental horses. Urine in the bladder would function as dead weight and would contribute nothing to oxygen consumption.
This study also found no difference in the time to fatigue or total distance run with and without Lasix, although when the first part of the exercise test was eliminated, the horses ran further. At the same time, in three of 10 paired exercise tests, the time to fatigue and distance run were shorter with Lasix, which would suggest that Lasix hinders rather than helps performance, at least in those three exercise tests.
The conflicting results indicate that more horses should have been studied and the actual EIPH status of each horse determined before any conclusions could be drawn.
The study that is most often cited and claims that Lasix is performance enhancing was published in 1990 by Dr. Corinne Sweeney and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania. These investigators found no difference in racing performance for Lasix among colts and fillies in the absence of EIPH, although they found an effect in geldings.
Geldings tended to be older horses in the Sweeney study, which led those investigators to suggest that the performance effect was a function of age rather than gender. However, an alternative explanation for the apparent improvement in performance among geldings in the Sweeney study is the influence of some unmeasured variable. Older geldings are commonly managed differently than their younger intact counterparts.
The design of the Sweeney study included a first race without Lasix, a second race with Lasix and a third race without Lasix. The improvement in performance of geldings was observed from the first no-Lasix race to the second Lasix race, but the geldings did not revert to their previous form when returning to no-Lasix in the third race. The change in performance in geldings in that study cannot be solely attributed to the addition of Lasix. No significant effect of Lasix was identified in female or intact male horses.
A similar large-scale study was conducted by Dr. Stephen Selway restricted to 2-year-old Thoroughbreds in Florida in 2015, funded by Zayat Stables, Caroline Wilson, Antony Beck, Roy and Gretchen Jackson and John Sikura. In presenting his work at the 2017 North American Association of Racetrack Veterinarians conference, Selway said that he performed more than 800 endoscopies, of which a total of nine horses had EIPH scores of 0 over two races with and without Lasix. Like Sweeney, Selway found no Lasix effect on performance.
The mechanism of performance enhancement from Lasix has always been presumed to be weight loss.
In the 1999 Bayly treadmill study, the authors argued that the weight reduction conferred potential improvement in performance, despite the fact that no such improvement was actually seen in the study. Further, discussion of the paper never addresses the finding that three of 10 paired Lasix/non-Lasix exercise sets actually fatigued faster and ran a shorter distance with Lasix than without.
The Sweeney study in which only geldings showed improvement in performance with Lasix and then failed to revert to non-Lasix performance in a subsequent non-Lasix race spends a lot of discussion on possible mechanisms of performance enhancements despite failing to actually show performance enhancement. The authors in this study also spend a lot of time arguing that
the weight loss is primarily responsible for the theoretical (but not proven) performance enhancement.
A study published in 2019 by Dr. Abby Pritchard and associates throws cold water on the weight loss theory.
In this study, horses were administered Lasix once every seven days for 49 days. Body weight was measured at two, four, eight, 24 and 48 hours after Lasix at days 0, 28 and 49. In this study, the Lasix group lost more weight than the untreated control group on day 0 but not on days 28 or 49. The weight loss was not evident after multiple treatments.
This effect is unsurprising, because the ion channels in the kidneys responsible for the diuretic effect of Lasix are downregulated in response to multiple doses of Lasix, ultimately mitigating the diuretic effect. The prostaglandin effect of Lasix is not similarly downregulated, hence the continued benefit of decreased pulmonary blood pressure. Since most horses racing with Lasix receive the diuretic for all works and races, the weight loss phenomenon is expected to be minimal.
The long and short of Lasix
Lasix has long been known to protect the health and welfare of racehorses, and its use has been carefully controlled and regulated for more than 30 years.
Existing scientific literature argues against a performance-enhancing effect of Lasix in the racehorse. The existing scientific literature argues on behalf of a beneficial effect of Lasix in the prevention of severe EIPH.
Horsemen, regulators and the racing industry in general should stand firm in our support of the continued use of Lasix, which is highly regulated and controlled in racing in the U.S.
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September 2, 2026 | 2:00-5:00 PM
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
September 2, 2026 | 5:30 PM | Sales Ring
Consignment contracts available at www.iowathoroughbred.com itboa@msn.com or 800-577-1097 for more information
By Jen Roytz
Included in the announcement were five pillars that will guide the expanded strategy:
1. Financial stability maintained through centralized industryprovided funding conduits
2. Gold-standard accreditation and certifications, including developing and expanding strategic alliances with racetrack placement programs
3. Data analytics to better monitor and analyze aftercare outcomes
4. Comprehensive resource allocation and support via increased grants, alliances and sponsorships of Thoroughbred events and customer service resources and support
5. Industry-wide advocacy and education, including public relations success stories with Thoroughbreds in second careers
The inauguration of the new strategic plan came on the heels of The Jockey Club’s announcement that it would be increasing its annual donation to aftercare efforts from approximately $1 million to $2.5 million in 2026. The Jockey Club has contributed more than $23 million toward the TAA’s mission since the organization’s founding in 2012.
The TAA’s primary functions center around accrediting Thoroughbred aftercare facilities in the U.S. and Canada and awarding grants to approved organizations. To gain TAA accreditation, an organization must have a current 501(c)(3) status (or the equivalent nonprofit status in Canada), have been operating for a minimum of three years, care for and/or rehome a minimum number of Thoroughbreds annually and complete an application process that includes a site inspection and review of the organization’s policies, practices and bylaws.
In 2025, the TAA awarded grants totaling $4.7 million to 86 accredited organizations, and it is currently accepting applications for 2026 accreditation.
The new strategic plan and its pillars of expanded focus will allow the TAA to support aftercare efforts beyond the foundational brick-and-mortar facilities.
“These new initiatives won’t change how we support our accredited organizations; rather, they will allow us to support a wider variety of aftercare organizations and other efforts related to increasing demand and opportunities
for Thoroughbreds in equestrian sports,” said Stacie Clark Rogers, operations consultant for the TAA.
Rogers said the new pillars are a precursor to discussions and work that will be done to expand the TAA’s involvement in those additional areas. This will include the formation of committees to help the organization identify the best ways to lend its support to these new areas of focus.
“The TAA is an industry initiative, and we listen to the industry,” Rogers said. “Aftercare has evolved significantly since the TAA was created in 2012. A lot of positive progress has been made, and I am proud that the TAA has played a significant role in that. But with progress comes new challenges to address, which is why we are doing this strategic planning exercise—to identify areas where we need to offer or increase our support to meet those current and future challenges.”
This isn’t the first such effort. The TAA, according to Rogers, has had five or so strategic plans over its 14 years of existence that have helped the organization address the industry’s ever-evolving needs and in turn have led the organization to evolve how it carries out its mission.
The TAA engaged Kelly Wesley Taylor of Taylor Bell Consulting in Lexington, Kentucky, to assist with the latest strategic planning exercise, which included an in-depth industry survey that was sent to stakeholders to better understand their current needs, concerns and understanding of aftercare, both as it relates to them directly and to the industry as a whole.
“The feedback we got from the survey gave us some very important insight into what our constituents’ current concerns are and their understanding of the current landscape of aftercare,” Rogers said. “We also looked at aftercare on a global scale to see what is working in other countries.”
The results of these efforts were then shared with the TAA’s executive committee and board of directors, who worked to collectively define the areas where they felt the organization could have the most meaningful influence beyond its current efforts.
“There weren’t necessarily any major surprises from the survey and resulting conversations we’ve had, but one of the biggest takeaways for myself and our staff was that the industry as a whole seems to be paying much more attention to our sport’s social license to operate and how significantly aftercare plays a role in that conversation,” said Rogers. “Those of us who have worked in aftercare for an extended period have long been aware of this, but the fact that it’s now at the forefront of the minds and conversations throughout the industry is a sign of meaningful progress and change.”
Rogers noted that one of the first things the TAA plans to do in response to the strategic plan is hire new staff to focus on customer service.
“We have had the same number of staff since we had 44 accredited organizations and we now have 86, and at the same time we are now fielding more calls, emails and other communications than ever before from people with questions about aftercare,” said Rogers. “This new staff will help us be more responsive and allow us to assist more people in finding the information they’re looking for, which will ultimately help more horses.”
CHANNELFORTYNINE LEADS OFF ALABAMA STAKES SLATE
Channelfortynine and Wabash dueled down the stretch on the way to a 1-2 finish in the Magic City Classic Stakes for Alabama-breds December 12 at Fair Grounds. A field of eight contested the Magic City Classic, which featured a record $85,000 purse at 1 mile on the dirt.
Channelfortynine, at 9-1, held on by a neck for the victory. Owned and bred by longtime Alabama horseman Bobby Pruitt, Channelfortynine is now a 5-yearold gelding by Conan out of the English Channel mare Track Teller. Wabash finished second for owner and breeder Belinda Hubbell, and Liken It, bred by Kent and Lisa Gremmels, finished third for owner Jason Grudzien.
The $50,000 Vulcan Stakes led off the 2026 Alabama-bred race schedule February 21 at Delta Downs. The Vulcan, at 5 furlongs on the dirt, is for Alabama-breds that have not won an Alabama-bred stakes race.
Other Alabama-bred races are scheduled to run at Evangeline Downs:
April 4: $50,000 Buggin Out Stakes, non-winners of an Alabama-bred stakes race, 61/2 furlongs on dirt
May 9: $35,000 Kenny Cotton Stakes, open to all Alabama-breds, 7 furlongs on dirt
June 13: $50,000 Alabama Stakes, non-winners of two Alabama-bred stakes races, 71/2 furlongs on turf
The above races will be listed in the Evangeline Downs condition book. All will feature a purse structure of 2% to sixth place and out with the remainder to be divided 60% to first, 20% to second, 10% to third, 6% to fourth and 4% to fifth.
Thanks to Kent Gremmels for all of his time and effort in working with the Birmingham Racing Commission to get the above races scheduled along with future races being scheduled for July and August. Details on races for those months will be forthcoming.
Off and running in 2026.
Nancy M. Delony
Alabama HBPA Executive Director
ARIZONA HBPA
CHANGES EVIDENT AT TURF PARADISE
Skyfall 7 LLC assumed management of Turf Paradise December 16 and immediately began implementing significant improvements. A release about the new management strategy said that “the goal of General Manager Tom Ludt was to get fans back to the track,” and the early initiatives reflected that mission.
The first major project focused on upgrading the west end of the clubhouse. This included installing new sun film on the front windows to improve visibility of the races, repairing the roof to eliminate leaks and replacing all the ceiling tiles. A new horsemen’s bar was constructed, and all outdated televisions were replaced with modern large flat-screen displays. Additional enhancements included cleaning the infield ponds, planting new grass and undertaking extensive painting and general maintenance throughout the facility.
The Director’s Suite on the fourth floor received a complete renovation and is now used for special events, parties and promotional activities. These upgrades have given the 70-year-old venue a refreshed and contemporary atmosphere.
The impact of Skyfall 7’s efforts is already evident. According to the release, “on-track attendance is showing a 100% increase over the previous years,” and on-track handle has risen significantly as well. The fan experience at Turf Paradise has become vibrant, engaging and enjoyable once again.
Turf Paradise celebrated its 70th anniversary in January with an impressive turnout. The day featured a mandatory payout on the pick 6 that exceeded $1.2 million. Another mandatory payout was scheduled for Presidents Day, and projections indicated an even larger pool.
Following the success of the Arizona HBPA’s annual Thanksgiving dinner, the organization—partnering with the chaplaincy—launched a new monthly meal program. The first of four events was held January 29 and featured a barbecue serving pulled pork and chicken. More than 350 backstretch workers came through the serving line. Additional events were scheduled for February 26 and March 26, with a final date in April. Special thanks go to Valarie Lund, Wendy Hobson, Chaplain John Shumaker and the many volunteers whose hard work made the event possible.
THE ARIZONA HBPA PARTNERED WITH THE CHAPLAINCY FOR THE FIRST OF FOUR MONTHLY MEAL PROGRAMS FOR BACKSTRETCH WORKERS IN LATE JANUARY. ADDITIONAL EVENTS WERE SLATED FOR FEBRUARY, MARCH AND APRIL.
UPCOMING BOARD MEMBER ELECTION
The Arizona HBPA will conduct elections for new board members this year. Six owners are running for five available seats, and 13 trainers are competing for five seats. Ballots were mailed in early March and also may be picked up at the HBPA office. All completed ballots must be received by the HBPA office no later than 3 p.m. April 16. Members are encouraged to ensure their current mailing address and email are on file.
ARKANSAS HBPA
STRONG SEASON CONTINUES AT OAKLAWN PARK
The 2025–26 Oaklawn Park meeting runs through Kentucky Derby Day, Saturday, May 2. Winter weather forced the cancellation of racing January 30-31 and February 1, but the schedule resumed the following week and the meet has continued as planned since.
We were thrilled to host the 90th running of the Arkansas Derby March 28. It was a special day for Oaklawn and for the horsemen who have supported this race for generations. As always, it played a major role in shaping the Kentucky Derby picture and brought a strong group of 3-year-olds to Hot Springs. Derby Day at Oaklawn remains one of the highlights of the meet for our horsemen and fans alike.
The Apple Blossom April 11 is next on the calendar and remains one of the biggest days of the season for fillies and mares. The Oaklawn Handicap follows the next weekend, keeping the spotlight on the older horses as we head toward the final weeks of the meet.
On the backside, HBPA operations continue as usual. Our medical clinic remains open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., providing medical, dental, vision and chiropractic services. Prescription assistance and benevolence programs are ongoing for eligible licensees throughout the meet.
The D. Wayne Lukas Scholarship Foundation is preparing to open its application window for the fall 2026 semester. The scholarship is available to Arkansas Racing Commission license holders and their children who plan to attend college or vocational school.
We look forward to closing out the meet May 2 and appreciate the continued cooperation of our owners, trainers and backside workers throughout the season.
FLORIDA HBPA
GULFSTREAM PARK, FHBPA WORK ON FLORIDA-BRED OPPORTUNITIES
Gulfstream Park and the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (FHBPA) are currently developing a 2026 fall racing schedule designed to provide expanded opportunities for Florida-bred horses with fewer restrictions.
As part of this effort, FHBPA President Tom Cannell expressed strong support for owners purchasing Florida-breds at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s 2-year-old sales in March, April and June.
“We are committed to providing prospective owners of these 2-year-olds with a quality and worthwhile racing schedule,” Cannell said. “While the full schedule is still being finalized, it will include stakes races designed to reward Florida-bred horses across the board.”
Gulfstream Park and the FHBPA recently reached a new racing agreement extending through 2028, reinforcing a shared commitment to maintaining a strong and competitive racing program in South Florida. Both organizations are actively working to retain and attract trainers and owners to make Gulfstream Park their racing home.
“Gulfstream Park remains a top-tier racetrack, and we will demonstrate our continued commitment to the owners, trainers and horses that compete here,” Cannell said. “This initiative will help dispel the many rumors about our immediate racing future, and we look forward to putting our best foot forward.”
Gulfstream Park Executive Vice President David Duggan echoed that commitment and emphasized the track’s focus on strengthening the Florida-bred program.
“We value the important role Florida-bred horses play in the success of Gulfstream Park and the broader Florida racing industry,” Duggan said.
“Working together with the FHBPA, we are focused on creating a racing schedule that offers meaningful opportunities for owners, trainers and breeders while continuing to position Gulfstream Park as a premier racing destination.”
ILLINOIS HBPA
FAIRMOUNT PARK UPDATE
Fairmount Park in Collinsville, Illinois, near St. Louis is the “little track that could.”
Thoroughbred racing has experienced a decline in many regions in our nation, and none worse than the decline in Illinois. Following decades of working to pass gaming legislation, a bill was passed in 2019, only to see Arlington Park near Chicago close and the COVID-19 pandemic delay any casino openings.
Then it happened. In December 2024, Accel Entertainment purchased Fairmount Park and immediately began construction of a temporary casino inside the existing grandstand. The temporary casino, housing 270 gaming machines, was up and running in time for the start of the racing season in April 2025.
Accel, a gaming company based in the Chicago area, immediately displayed its commitment to the racing program by employing former longtime Keeneland executive Vince Gabbert to run the overall operation. Gabbert began evaluating the racing program and incorporated significant changes in both scope and impact. To the thrill of our loyal fanbase, a jumbotron was installed, replacing our outdated tote board. Many other improvements to the grandstand area followed, and a new tote system was brought in to serve our bettors. Gabbert and Accel elected to outsource food and beverage services to greatly enhance the dining experience. Longshots restaurant and bar, located next to the paddock, opened in June and quickly became a popular gathering place for horsemen, horsewomen and our patrons.
As of press time, a new state-of-the-art inner rail was being installed for the safety of horses and riders. Accel purchased much-needed equipment, including tractors, bobcats and drags and floats to better prepare the track for training and racing. It also purchased a new horse ambulance and employed a new ambulance service to provide timely and professional care to horse and rider in case of an incident. These actions show Gabbert and Accel’s commitment to safety.
A long-term strategic plan is in place and exemplifies a vision for the future. Plans are being finalized for a permanent casino. Fairmount Park has acquired 12 acres of land and other lots adjacent to the property to allow for expansion. Bids are being obtained to construct barns on the current backside area as well.
CONSTRUCTION ON THE CASINO THAT HOUSES 270 GAMING MACHINES WAS FINISHED IN TIME FOR THE START OF FAIRMOUNT PARK’S RACING SEASON IN APRIL 2025.
ACCEL ENTERTAINMENT PURCHASED NEW EQUIPMENT AND A STATEOF-THE-ART INNER RAIL THAT WILL MAKE RACING SAFER FOR HORSES AND RIDERS AT FAIRMOUNT PARK.
These steps have already begun to produce results. The 2025 race season brought positive indicators to what the future might hold. Under the direction of Collinsville native David Frizzell as the new director of racing, the following results were realized:
• The horse population increased by 20% up to 720 horses.
• Field size saw a small jump of half a horse per race.
• The 2025 purse structure, already up 40% from five years ago, will see an 18.5% purse increase go into effect for the 2026 racing season.
• Attendance in 2025 increased 4%.
• All-sources handle was up more than $11 million over 2024 (including an all-time record handle of $1,573,039 on St. Louis Derby Day).
The future is bright here at Fairmount Park. There are many to whom we owe a debt of gratitude for this bright future—local state legislators, specifically Jay Hoffman; the Illinois Racing Board and its chairman, Dan Beiser; and the Illinois Department of Agriculture and its director, Jerry Costello II, to name a few.
The upward trajectory is also the result of the previous ownership. Former owner William Stiritz, a longtime top Illinois owner and breeder, bought the facility a quarter century ago. Stiritz kept the track open, at a loss during the lean times, loaning money to the horsemen’s purse account to fund purses. More importantly, when Stiritz decided to sell Fairmount Park, he was very selective, opting to work a deal with Accel, which he felt was the best fit for the community and the racing program.
The two constants, through the good times and bad and multiple ownership groups, have been the loyal fanbase and the dedicated horsemen. The fans have continued to support Fairmount by attending in large numbers. “Horse Hooky Tuesdays” have taken on a life of their own with attendance regularly in excess of 3,000 fans.
Last and certainly not least, a special thank you to the horsemen and women who have remained at Fairmount Park and suffered through reduced racing dates and plummeting purses. The loyalty, devotion and never-say-die attitude speaks volumes to the character of these individuals. These same horsemen and women who made a stand to survive will now serve as the cornerstones and building blocks for the future.
To those who haven’t made it to Fairmount Park to race your horses or to bring your family and friends out to enjoy a day at the races, 2026 is the time. Come join thousands of enthusiastic fans in experiencing what Fairmount Park has to offer.
Best wishes in 2026,
Jim Watkins
Illinois HBPA President
IOWA HBPA
HBPA SECURES THREE-YEAR RACING AGREEMENT
Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino enters the next chapter of Iowa racing with momentum and long-term certainty following the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s approval of a new three-year racing contract January 15. The agreement between Prairie Meadows, Iowa Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (IAHBPA) and Iowa Quarter Horse Racing Association (IQHRA) secures the framework for a 76-day mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse meeting through the 2026, 2027 and 2028 seasons.
The Prairie Meadows meet will continue to run annually from Kentucky Derby Day through the final weekend of September, a schedule that has become a familiar and reliable anchor for Midwest horsemen. For 2026 specifically, the calendar includes a full 76 racing days for Thoroughbreds, along with up to 570 individual racing opportunities and more than $18 million in purses available throughout the season.
The operational calendar is already set, with the backside scheduled to open April 4 and the first day of training slated for April 6. The early start allows horsemen ample time to prepare for opening day and reinforces Prairie Meadows’ commitment to providing a well-organized and competitive racing environment.
Prairie Meadows President and CEO Brian Ohorilko said the multiyear agreement allows the track to build on recent progress while focusing on consistency and growth.
“This three-year agreement is an important step forward for Prairie Meadows and Iowa racing,” Ohorilko said. “We’re excited to continue working with the IAHBPA and the IQHRA to provide consistency, strengthen our racing program and build on the momentum of our mixed meet over the next three seasons.”
From the horsemen’s perspective, the value of the agreement lies not only in purse levels and race opportunities but in the ability to plan ahead with confidence. IAHBPA President Dave McShane emphasized the collaborative nature of the process and what it means for participants returning to Iowa this spring.
“We are very pleased to move forward under this three-year contract and appreciate the cooperation and professionalism shown by Prairie Meadows and the Iowa Quarter Horse Racing Association throughout the process,” McShane said. “This agreement provides consistency for our horsemen and allows everyone involved to focus on delivering a strong 76-day mixed meet that benefits the racing industry in Iowa.”
With the contract approved and the calendar set, attention now turns to the barns filling, training beginning in early April and the familiar rhythm of racing returning to Prairie Meadows. For horsemen across the region, the message is clear: Iowa racing is open for business, and the groundwork for a strong 2026 season is firmly in place.
HORSEMEN INFORMATION
Condition Book No. 1, Thoroughbred Stall Applications, 2026 Thoroughbred Meet Live Racing Schedule, 2026 Thoroughbred Meet Training Schedule and Hours and other racing-related documents can be found on the Prairie Meadows website under the Horsemen’s Info tab and in print at Prairie Meadows’ racing office. We also have some information posted on our IAHBPA Facebook page and the IAHBPA website at iowahbpa.org.
2026 IOWA HBPA SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
May 1: IAHBPA general membership meeting
May 2: Opening day of the Prairie Meadows race meeting
May 16: Annual IAHBPA awards presentation held in conjunction with ITBOA awards
July 10-11: Iowa Festival of Racing showcasing graded stakes
September 26: Iowa Classics Night featuring Iowa-bred stakes
OFFICE HOURS AND INFORMATION
Until the Prairie Meadows meet opens, our normal office hours will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Once the meet begins May 2, we will have the office available six or seven days a week, with normal hours beginning at 9 a.m. and going until 3 p.m., and we can be reached at (515) 967-4804.
For more information, please visit our website at 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., or follow us on Twitter @IowaHBPA, and you can also sign up to receive our emails at info@ iowahbpa.org.
We look forward to seeing the return of our horsemen including familiar and new faces.
KENTUCKY HBPA
STRONG SPRING SEASON IN THE BLUEGRASS
Spring is around the corner, and it’s a welcome sight for us here in Kentucky after dealing with a demanding winter of subzero temperatures and snowstorms. The one thing that’s held constant is the resilience of the horsemen across the Bluegrass.
Spring racing in Kentucky sets up to be a strong season in 2026. Keeneland’s 15-day spring meeting April 3-24 will feature 19 stakes races worth a record $9.55 million. The schedule is anchored by the $1.25 million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes and the $750,000 Central Bank Ashland Stakes, major preps on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. We’re looking forward to the strong racing in Lexington and the debut of Keeneland’s capital renovations across the property.
It won’t be long until Churchill Downs and Kentucky racing shine worldwide with the 152nd running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. Derby Week is always special for us, and this year we’ll have an additional day to showcase Kentucky racing as the Sunday of Derby Week returns for the first time since 2010.
Most importantly, thank you to our horsemen, trainers, owners, assistant trainers, grooms, exercise riders and support staff who make Kentucky racing what it is. Your hard work, professionalism and commitment are the foundation of this sport. We also appreciate racetrack leadership and our state legislators for their continued collaboration in keeping Kentucky racing strong and competitive. We look forward to a productive, safe and successful spring season for all.
Dale Romans Kentucky HBPA President
LOUISIANA HBPA
DELTA DOWNS
The 2026 Quarter Horse meeting at Delta Downs begins April 24 and ends July 18, featuring the Lee Berwick Futurity July 11, with an estimated purse of $700,000. The July 11 card will have eight stakes worth more than $1.1 million in purses, including the Delta Derby and Oaks for Louisiana-breds. The Firecracker Futurity will be contested July 4 for $100,000-added and the Firecracker Derby will be run for $75,000. For additional information, contact the Delta Downs racing office at (888) 589-7223.
EVANGELINE DOWNS
The 2026 Thoroughbred meeting at Evangeline Downs begins April 3 and ends September 7. Louisiana Legends night will be June 6 with six Louisiana-bred stakes for more than $600,000 in purses. The Shine Young races are scheduled for July 31 (fillies) and August 1 (colts and geldings) with $75,000-guaranteed divisions. For a complete stakes schedule, visit the Evangeline Downs website at evdracing.com. For additional information, contact the Evangeline Downs racing office at (337) 594-3022.
LOUISIANA DOWNS
The 2026 Louisiana Downs Thoroughbred meeting begins May 2 and concludes September 30. The meet features Louisiana Cup Day September 19 with six Louisiana-bred stakes with more than $350,000 in purses. In a nod to our friends in Alabama, Louisiana Downs will host the $50,000 Yellow Hammer Stakes for Alabama-breds July 3. For additional information, contact the Louisiana Downs racing office at (318) 741-2511.
NEBRASKA HBPA
2026 NEBRASKA RACING SEASON
The following schedule has been set for racing in Nebraska this year:
• Fonner Park in Grand Island—31 days over 12 weekends (February 14–May 2)
• Legacy Downs in Lincoln—11 days over four weekends (May 16–June 14)
• Horsemen’s Park in Omaha—Seven days over three weekends (June 27–July 12)
• Harrah’s in Columbus—15 days over five weekends (July 24–August 23)
• Atokad in South Sioux City—Five days over two weekends (August 29–September 7)
NEW PAYOUTS AT NEBRASKA TRACKS
Nebraska HBPA will make a $125 payment directly into owner accounts for horses that finish sixth through 10th.
LEGACY DOWNS ADDS BARNS, MORE PLANNED
Legacy Downs in Lincoln is finishing two new barns in time for the MayJune live meeting. When finished, there will be 320 stalls and several tack rooms, complete with electricity and water hydrants across Barns A, B and C. The site work and elevations for future Barns D and E also have been completed.
OHIO HBPA
2026 HISA ASSESSMENT FIGURES
This article provides Ohio HBPA members with the 2026 Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) assessment figures as well as a comparison of those numbers to 2025 and to other tracks around the country so that our members can make their own judgments regarding the assessments.
The Ohio HBPA does not believe that the HISA press releases regarding its $77 million-plus budget and assessments for 2026 paint an accurate picture of the negative impact these assessments will have, particularly on smaller tracks.
The HISA assessment for Ohio’s three Thoroughbred tracks for 2026 totals $6,584,688, an increase of more than 23% from the 2025 figure of $5,350,864.
Belterra Park shows the most dramatic increase at nearly 50%. Mahoning Valley’s 2026 assessment is up more than 30% while Thistledown’s is approximately a 2.5% increase.
$1,868,055
Mahoning Valley $2,431,659
$1,250,721
$1,868,142
Thistledown $2,284,974 $2,232,001
Total $6,584,688 $5,350,864
HISA changed its formula for calculating assessment dues in 2026. The previous formula equally weighted total purses paid as well as total number of starters at each track from the prior year. Beginning in 2026, HISA assessments will be based solely on the total number of starters at all participating HISA tracks.
For states that do not have an operating agreement with HISA, of which Ohio is one, HISA has dictated that the HISA assessment fees be split with 50% to be paid by the track and 50% to be paid by the horsemen. The Ohio HBPA has a current lawsuit against HISA regarding this split of HISA assessments as we do not believe it follows the law. However, until a judge rules on our lawsuit, the Ohio HBPA is bound by the 50-50 split.
The 2026 HISA assessments equate to $436.56 per start at each HISA track throughout the country.
How unfair is the new HISA assessment formula to small tracks? We will let you be the judge. In 2026, each of Ohio’s three tracks has a higher HISA assessment than Saratoga Race Course ($1,620,087), Del Mar Thoroughbred Club ($1,497,850) and Keeneland Race Course ($1,221,505), arguably the three premier tracks in the country.
OREGON HBPA
SUCCESSFUL YEAR OF RACING
Greetings from Oregon,
Last year was a successful year of racing with four fair meetings and a 12day commercial meet. As the horsemen travel all over our state, we get excellent support from all local Oregonians, and in return we bolster local economies and provide entertainment to counties all over our state.
The commercial meet was beset with myriad challenges, including delays for rain, air quality, lightning and a power outage. Throughout these challenges, thanks to the efforts of the Oregon Racing Commission and Grants Pass Downs, we were always able to get all the races run and the purses into the hands of the horsemen. We all were greatly appreciative of their efforts.
The offseason once again sees us appealing to our legislature for some funds to help racing in Oregon. We remain hopeful and committed to preserving the heritage of racing in Oregon.
Happy and safe racing to all.
Randy Boden
Oregon HBPA Executive Director
PENNSYLVANIA HBPA
INACTIVE ACCOUNTS AT PENN NATIONAL
The Pennsylvania HBPA announces inactive accounts in the horsemen’s bookkeeping account at Penn National. In accordance with the live racing agreement, Penn National Race Course furnished a list of accounts that have been inactive for a period of four years. The names on those inactive accounts are listed below.
Holders of inactive accounts should contact the PA HBPA at P.O. Box 88, Grantville, PA 17028, by telephone at (717) 469-2970 or by fax to (717) 469-7714.
All inactive accounts that remain unclaimed one year after the date of this publication will be paid to the PA HBPA’s Benevolent Fund.
Abhyasa Racing; Abrams, Amber, Posey, Debra and Abrams, Joseph; Acclaimed Racing Stable; Ramon Davila Aguayo; James Alessi; Alifyfe Racing LLC; Allison Bramlett and Bill Benson; David Alloway; Robert J. Amendola, Katherine R. Antus, Anualpe Stable and McGinn, Jeannine; Omar Aquino, Gary Armstrong, Juan Carlos Arosemena, Nicolas A. Arriagada, Barlar, LLC and Stephanie Karp; Judith M. Barrett and Frank R. Vento; BHMFR LLC; Jennifer Black, Andry G. Blanco, Mary B. Boskin, Patricia Bosley, Elizabeth Brand, Robert Brittingham, Brothers Love Stables, Ronald Brown, Brown, Nicole and Bown, Ronney W.; C and K Racing and Hillcrest Meadow Farm; C and R Horse Farm; Candy Cane Stable LLC; Wilfredo Vargas Caraballo; Gregory Carlevale; William Carter; Hector Castellanos; Caves Farm; Bryan David Ceclen; Victor Centeno; Chem Dance Stable; Clark, III, Henry S.; Christina Crum and Pamela Lippert; Ciao Luna Stables; Robert V. Cipriano, Scott Clark, Suanne Hallman and Kyle M. Horlacher; Richard Collacchi; Colonial Farm; Compilare Racing Stable and Early, Meagan; Greg Compton; Corporation Trinity Racing; Daniel Marconi; Anthony P. D’Angelo; D’Antonio and Sons LLC and Van Sant, Maria Claire; Jamen Davidovich; Day At The Races LLC; Diane Day; Daybrak Sables Inc.; DB DOJO LLC; Scott DiDomenico, Diegidio, Joseph and Fox Tale Racing Stable; Dos Potrillos Stable; Richard Eastham and Wilbur Truett; Jeremiah C. Englehart; Sheila Englehart; Steve Epley Jr.; Establo G and G, Evans, Cecilia and Christman, Kimberly; Evolution Stables; Daniel J. Feiss; Daniel Feliciano; Anthony J. Fontana, Fosman, Stephen, Foss, Monty and Moirano, John; Full Circle Racing Stable; Fuoco, Toni Anne and Fink, Melvin; Jose M. Gallegos; Edixon Gaviria; Dorothy Gentner; Freya Gerlach; Mike Gifford; Green Hornet Stable; Greenfield Farm; Bruce R. Grossman; Grullon & Baratta Racing Stable LLC, H & P; Hardesty Stables and M3 Racing Stable; William J. Hartwel; Gregory Hawkins; McLane Hendriks; Carole Leanne Hester; Luis Hiraldo; John B. Holsclaw; Dove Houghton; Howling Pigeons Farm LLC; Inspire Thoroughbreds LLC; Gerald James; Jeram Stables Corp.; Judith K. Johnston; Jose Lozano Sanchez and Blas Perez; Julie Gordon and Ann Bernecker; Jeff and Stacy Jeans; Patrick Aloysius Kane; Adam King; Raymond M. Kohl; Krown Racing Stables LLC; Mark Kulow; Lanexa Stable; Laureles Racing Inc.; LC Racing and Wellesley Stable; Laszlo, Janet A.; David Lee; Katie Lisowski; Antonio Lopez; Arcadio Lopez; Joseph L. Maloney; Mare’s Tail Stables; Alan Mayo; Francisco Maysonett; William D. McCarty; McCarty Racing; William J. McGowan; Jim McCool; Mens Grille Racing; Marko Mesic; Michael McPoland and Doug La Regina; Thomas H. Michaels Jr.; Carlos J. Milian; Ashrad Mohamed; Sabrina Morris; Paul Mouttet; My Mary Stables and Faulconer; My Purple Haze Stable; Jeanne Marie; Nick Surick Stable LLC and Fuoco, Toni Anne; Anthony Narducci; No Doubt Racing; Non Stop Stable; Ronald E. Occhino; Old Five Oaks Farm and Gregory Garofalo; Bethany M. Ortega; PAD Racing; Theodore F. Pagano; Paige Panik; Pavillion Racing; Giselle Peralta Mancebo; Pewter Stable and Check, Diane; Pink Ribbon Stable; Pinnacle Farms Racing LLC; Gary Piper; Daniel Pia, Poggi, Francis X. and Greycross Stable LLC; Anna Popovich; Poppa Dukes Stable; R. D. M. Racing Stable, Properties LLC, R. A. Hill Stable and Cobb R.; C. Park Racing Stable Inc.; Luis A. Ramirez; Therea Ransone; Ratajues Racingh Stables and Manuel Pimentel; Red Baron’s Barn; Red Baron’s Barn LLC and The People Tree; Jeffrey Sr. C. Reightler; RH Breeding LLC and Giangiulio, Peter; Justin Rivera; Jose S. Rodarte; John M. Rodriguez; Pedro A Rodriguez; Jose M. Rodriguez-Vega; David S. Romanik; Toby Roth; Royal Crown Stables LLC; Ken Russell and William P. Stites; Sagamore Farm LLC, Sajor Stable and Wagner, Jay Lester; Dustyn Salazar, Jose G. Salazar and Emelly Salazar-Miranda; Salerno Stables, Mark V. Salvaggio and Angel Vergary; Brett Santangello, Sapp, Ronald E. and Giliforte, Jarret R.; Kenneth Saul and Greenflash Racing LLC; James T. Sawyer, M & C Scafidi and R. Danca; Scarlin, Mitch, Bisso, Jr., Louis A. and Vega, Richard; Reeve Schley III; Shuford, Nancy C; Riders Up Farm; Casey E. Seaman; Christopher B. Seaman; Shea D. Boy’s Stable; James J. Smith; A. Rogers Smithwick; Robert J. Snyder; Nick Surick Stable LLC; Two Roads Stable; Start To Finish Farm; Sterling Farm WV LLC; Kennyel Suarez; Andrew P. Sulley; S.J. Talbott; Team Ramgeet Racing Stable LLC, Three M’s Racing and Establo G and G; Jason Tomczak; Townsend Thoroughbreds Inc.; Trade Winds Farm; True Grit Stables; Rebecca Tustn; Two Legends Farm LLC; Nairo R. Vazquez; Gregory Viands, Vintage Thoroughbred Farm and Marchfore Thoroughbreds; Vital Racing Stable, Vrana, Stephanie and Cohen, Walters David D.; Ken Michael Wertz; Wheels, Avery Whisman, White, Alexandra S. and Stees Laura; William, Alexandra and Stees, Laura; William Mauk and Stepfanie Vetter; Wintickett Farm; George A. Wynn; Zimmel, Douglas; Jeff W. Zook
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VIRGINIA HBPA
SPRING, SUMMER UPDATE
Following the three-day March meet at Colonial Downs, highlighted by the second running of the Virginia Derby as a Kentucky Derby prep race, the Virginia HBPA remains focused on representing horsemen and supporting Thoroughbred racing across the commonwealth.
Colonial Downs will host a 45-day summer meet from June 25 through September 7, racing Thursday through Sunday with a 12:30 p.m. first post. A special Labor Day card will be held on Monday, September 7. The backside will open two weeks before opening day.
The Virginia HBPA summer benevolence program will include church services, cornhole and soccer tournaments and backside barbecues throughout the meet.
For details on the Colonial Downs meet and Virginia racing, visit virginiahorseracing.com or follow Virginia Horse Racing and the Virginia HBPA on social media (@VAHBPA).
To reach the Virginia HBPA, contact Executive Director Glen Berman at (312) 505-7722 or Field Director Aidan Turnage-Barney at (814) 424-2213.
WASHINGTON HBPA
HORSES RETURN TO EMERALD DOWNS
In preparation for opening day at Emerald Downs, which coincides with the May 2 Kentucky Derby, trainers began arriving February 27 and horses began training March 2. Emerald Downs’ 2025 Horse of the Meeting, Aloha Breeze, earned “first horse on track” honors as she officially kicked off training for the 51-day meet.
The 91st running of the Longacres Mile headlines a 20-race stakes schedule worth $1,075,000. The entire stakes schedule is again consolidated over four Sundays with six stakes events July 19 and August 16 and quadrupleheaders June 21 and September 6.
Persons hauling horses in and out of the barn gate may notice a new format to the in/out slip, which requires much more information and more accuracy than in previous years. The changes came after several meetings with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and collaborative meetings with Emerald Downs management, race office staff, security, Washington HBPA representatives and Washington Horse Racing Commission (WHRC) staff.
This has led to increased enforcement of WAC 260-28-295 and WAC 26036-250, which address the trainers’ responsibility to accurately report horses in their care including providing proper information on in and out slips and reporting all invoice errors prior to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries invoice due date for the current month. Further, all transfers and sales of horses other than claimed horses must be reported to the commission within 48 hours of the transfer or sale. Trainer-to-trainer sales and transfers between both parties by rule require notification to the WHRC. For sales to persons other than a WHRC licensee, it is the trainer’s responsibility to report the sale to the WHRC and to provide the person hauling the horse out of the barn area with an accurate out slip. For the protection of all parties, an appropriate bill of sale, signed by both the seller and buyer, is recommended for all sales. A copy should be brought to the WHRC when reporting the sale, and another should be retained by both buyer and seller.
HISA rules state that it is the trainer’s responsibility to enter all required information in their personal HISA portal. Horses that have left a trainer’s care need to be removed and new horses added. In addition, for horses that have not raced for more than 150 days, trainers must report the reason for layoff and submit all veterinary records for approval by HISA. Trainers are advised to report these horses as soon as the horses return to training, as it can take several weeks for HISA approval. Although trainers are asked for a timeline of when the horse will start, trainers understandably can only estimate the horse’s start date. Many horsemen are confused by this request, as HISA asks for a very specific date.
As trainers continue to arrive at the track throughout March and April, we remind them that horses coming in the gate must go to a currently licensed trainer. Ponies must be listed under a trainer’s name or under a WHRC-registered independent pony person. All persons working at the track must be licensed prior to bringing horses to the stable area to be eligible for coverage under the horse racing industry workers’ compensation program.
If you have any questions regarding the HISA rules, in and out slip requirements, your monthly workers’ compensation premium invoice or any other matter, please contact the WHBPA via email at contactus@whbpa or phone at (253) 808-6822, or visit the Emerald Downs race office.
HEALTH RECORDS REQUIRED FOR STABLE AREA
HISA stable entry rules have not changed; however, it was recently conveyed that the longstanding WHBPA/Emerald Downs 72-hour post-arrival window for records submission does not comply with HISA regulations.
The reason for previously providing a window was based on an agreement with the WHBPA and Emerald Downs, which both understood some of the complexities and issues with documents being available and with the hauler at the time of stable entry. Although the majority of the trainers and pony persons appreciated and complied with the 72-hour cushion, each year the number of horsemen not submitting records in a timely manner has increased, thus putting horsemen and Emerald Downs at risk of repercussions from HISA. To assist the process, race office staff will have several options for transmitting documents prior to horses arriving.
In accordance with HISA Rule 2143 (Racehorse Monitoring), Emerald management was advised that the following documents are required to be present prior to or at the time of arrival for all horses entering the stable area:
1. The newly revised “in slip” with legible and correct information regarding the name of the responsible and licensed trainer, the horse’s correct Jockey Club registered name or the horse’s year of birth and dam’s name. Barn names are not acceptable on in slips. Also new this year: one horse per in slip.
Ponies entering the stable area should be noted as “Pony-Name” (barn name is OK) and include the responsible trainer’s name or the WHRC-registered independent pony person’s name. Pony horses should also include descriptive characteristics including breed (“grade” if unknown), color and sex. All horses and ponies, including companion animals, must comply with entry requirements.
2. A current negative Coggins test, drawn within the past 365 days
COLONIAL DOWNS HOSTS TWO MEETS: THE THREE-DAY SPRING MEET HIGHLIGHTED BY THE VIRGINIA DERBY AND THE 45-DAY SUMMER SEASON FROM LATE JUNE THROUGH LABOR DAY.
3. A veterinary certificate of health inspection from the state of origin, completed within five days of arrival at Emerald Downs, for all horses arriving from outside the state of Washington
4. Vaccination records in the race office or uploaded to the HISA portal prior to the horse entering the stable area. Note: It is the trainer’s responsibility to upload vaccine records for all horses in their care. Providing records to the race office allows entry but does not alleviate the HISA portal requirement. Horsemen may use the following methods for delivering documents to the race office in advance of a horse’s arrival:
• Email information and records to raceoffice@emeralddowns.com (PDF preferred)
• Text Coggins tests and health certificates to (253) 424-0424 (PDF preferred, JPG acceptable)
• Fax to (253) 288-7750
Please do not send any information to any race office staff’s personal phones.
Contact the Emerald Downs race office for more information and assistance. Email BretA@emeralddowns.com or call (253) 288-7755.
LABOR AND INDUSTRIES RATES FOR 2026 RELEASED
The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has published its 2026 industrial insurance rates for the Horse Industry Account. Rates are determined by data from the previous five years—July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2024—of exposure and claim experience. Rates will increase for risk classes 6625, 6626 and 6627. Grooms and assistant trainers are up $20.23 per month, exercise and pony riders at the track are up 23 cents per day per horse, and exercise and pony riders at the farms are up $1.24 per day.
Good safety procedures in the stable area and ensuring that no fraudulent claims are filed are the best ways to stabilize or reduce premiums in the future.
— Information courtesy of WHRC
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