Thoroughbred Daily News

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, which continued straight on from the strength of the company's record-setting September Yearling Sale, concluded its eight-day run Tuesday with new highwater marks for average and median and the auction's highest gross since 2007.

“This year marked a watershed moment for Keeneland Sales,” said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. “From a record-shattering September Yearling Sale that topped $500 million in gross sales to the continued momentum into an outstanding November Breeding Stock Sale, the confidence in this marketplace has never been stronger. These successes speak to Keeneland's position as the world's marketplace, but more importantly, they highlight the strength of our customers. These are the achievements of the breeders, sellers and buyers who place their trust in Keeneland year after year.”

Through nine sessions, 1,891 horses grossed $237,456,400. The cumulative average of $125,572 was up 37.25% from the 2024 November sale, which saw 2,050 horses sell for $187,557,400 and a then-record average of $91,491. The median of $60,000 rose 50.00% from the 2024 previous record figure of $40,000. The buy-back rate was 20.45%, on par with last year's figure of 20.67%.

With the addition of 85 post-sale transactions, the November sale gross rose to $245,901,400 for an average of $124,444 and a median of $60,000. In 2024, an additional 109 post sales, brought the gross to $196,492,900 for an average of $91,011 and median of $40,000.

The 2007 November Breeding Stock Sale grossed $340,877,220 over 15 sessions and included horses in training.

“It's been remarkable,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “To be very frank, we were hoping this would be a good, solid sale. We felt the quality was here and we had a good group of horses that would fit a large group of people. We were very pleased with the number of buyers that showed up–especially the international contingent–and we saw a lot of people here that we haven't seen in a number of years. It was very encouraging to see people energized to come back.

“But what was really encouraging was to see the domestic market so strong when it came to retaining a lot of these higher-end mares and retaining the gene pool,” Lacy added. “The weanling market was also exceptional, and I think that allowed breeders to feel motivated and positive as they plan to breed mares into the next season and into the near future.”

A total of 18 horses sold for seven figures during the November sale. That is double the figure from 2024 and the most at the auction since 2017. Three topped $3 million, while eight sold for $2 million or more.

Leading the way was recent GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup winner Lush Lips (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), who sold for $3.7 million to Bill Shively's Dixiana Farm from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. Dixiana Farm, which purchased two mares at the auction, was part of a deep and competitive domestic buying bench.

Cormac Breathnach and Tony Lacy | Keeneland

“The domestic buyers were definitely very, very strong,” Lacy said. “The Japanese buyers are historically very strong, but even they were finding it very competitive and probably not getting as many as they might have expected. It was just really good to see established breeders that were looking to upgrade some of their mares and complement their portfolio with some new mares and some new bloodlines. And we had some new people coming into the game. It was very encouraging overall. It's a good sign for the next few years.”

John Sikura, whose Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa consignment sold 72 horses for $13,943,000 (including post sales), was gratified by, not just the record-setting results of the November sale, but also  the strength of the domestic buying bench.

“There was an expectation that we'd have a strong Breeding Stock Sale based upon the success of the September Yearling Sale and the entire yearling market,” said Sikura. “But there is a difference between expectation and reality. The fact that it happened is a very positive sign because the cycle for breeders is a long one. It expresses market confidence that people were buying high-end mares and the clearance rate was high on quality.

“It was also encouraging that in more cases than one, I saw an American breeder outbid their international counterpart,” Sikura continued. “That's good, because we've sort of been running second around all these big mares, and there were so many instances at this sale where the U.S. breeders were the winners. That's very healthy, because over time we can kind of denigrate the quality of what we have when we keep selling our best mares into private hands or abroad.”

The weanling market was particularly strong, with a pair of foals bringing seven figures. Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, bidding on behalf of Saudi businessman Amr Zedan, went to $2.2 million to acquire a son of Gun Runner from the Denali Stud consignment, while trainer Wesley Ward, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed new racing client–went to $1.25 million to acquire a filly by Curlin from the Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa consignment. Ward ultimately signed for 18 weanlings–including some with Louis Dubois and Charles Shanahan as agents–for $6,030,000.

$2.2-Million Gun Runner weanling | Keeneland

In all, 808 weanlings sold through the ring at the 2025 Keeneland November sale for a gross of $91,630,300. The average price of $110,564 rose 46.50% from 2024 and the median rose 66.67% to $70,000. Twenty-three weanlings sold for $400,000 or more during the auction, up from 11 a year ago.

During the 2024 November sale, 801 weanlings sold through the ring for a gross of $60,454,700 for an average of $75,474 and a median of $42,000. The top-priced foal was a $900,000 son of Into Mischief.

The strength of the November market had its origins in the record-setting Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which set highwater marks for gross, average, median, as well as total number of million-dollar sales.

“The September market was remarkable with a jump of about 25% on last year, which was also a record,” Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said. “That has spurred reinvestment. Pinhookers have been aggressive in restocking for next year's yearling market, and breeders are seeing a lot of value in mares with attractive commercial covers. The September Sale drove a lot of the gains at the November sale, which is encouraging because it's how you want the industry to work: People continue the cycle and make money along the way. Thankfully, 2025 has been a good year in that regard.”

Some buyers sought to get ahead of another potentially strong yearling market in 2026 by buying weanlings in November. Zedan, traditionally a high-end buyer at the yearling and 2-year-old sales, was making his first weanling purchase through Lanni when he acquired the $2.2-million top-priced foal.

“That end-user market was very active searching for the quality stock because they know those horses were probably going to cost them potentially more in September or at least as much,” Lacy said. “So they were trying to safeguard their position and gaining the quality that was here.”

The competitive bidding also had buyers looking outside of their traditional roles to find value in the market.

“There were some weanling buyers here who talked about diversifying into the broodmare sector as well, just getting pushed back,” Breathnach said. “So you had some yearling purchasers and end-users looking to buying weanlings and you have some weanling pinhookers looking to try to pinhook in uteros. That's another factor of a vibrant market.”

Taylor Made Sales Agency repeated as the leading consignor at the 2025 Keeneland November sale, with 258 horses sold for a gross of $42,172,400. It was the 28th time since 1987 that the Taylor family's operation was the auction's leading seller.

The Raging Torrent Syndicate, which opened the week at Fasig-Tipton with the $5-million purchase of Puca (Big Brown) and $1.5-million purchase of Violent Wave (Violence), was the leading buyer at the Keeneland November sale. The operation purchased five broodmares at Keeneland for a gross of $5,225,000. Leading the way was the $2-million purchase of Chatalas (Gun Runner). Paul Curran, representing the English-based Ace Stud, signed for the mares who are expected to support the operation's new stallions Raging Torrent and Carl Spackler. The two stallions will begin their stud careers next season at Lane's End.

The unraced 3-year-old broodmare prospect Judicial Ethics (Constitution) (hip 2852) brought the top price of the final day at the Keeneland November sale, selling for $180,000 to Sylvie Racing Ltd. The filly, a daughter of stakes winner Midnight Soiree (Include), was consigned by Lane's End, agent.

During the eighth session of the November sale, 164 head sold for a gross of $2,290,000. The average was $13,963 and the median was $9,750.

During the auction's ninth session, which immediately followed the eighth on Tuesday, 76 horses sold for $913,400 for an average of $12,018 and a median of $7,000.

The action will switch from bloodstock to racehorse offerings with the Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale Wednesday. The one-session auction will offer roughly 130 ready-to-run horses and begins at noon.

“We are very encouraged by the depth of quality within the sale,” said Breathnach. “There are a lot of very lightly raced horses. There are 30-odd black-type performers in the group. There are some fillies with pedigree. It's a nice group of horses.”

Among the horses on offer Wednesday are 5-year-old multiple graded stakes winner Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo) (hip 4014), who is coming off a win in the GIII Forty Niner Stakes at Aqueduct Nov. 2; 4-year-old graded stakes winner World Record (Gun Runner) (hip 4184); and 3-year-old Divine Justice (Justify) (hip 4190), who broke his maiden at the Keeneland meeting Oct. 3.

“We are definitely seeing the catalogue books fly off the shelf and credit applications are coming in,” Breathnach said. “The horses of racing age are here and we saw a lot of people, end-users, agents and trainers, that are actively shopping all day today, looking through the barns. So we are very encouraged and optimistic about tomorrow's sale as well.”

The post ‘It’s Been Remarkable’: Keeneland November Sale Concludes with Record Average, Median appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

5. DYNAMITE TONIGHT, DED, 11/7, 5 furlongs (VIDEO).
Beyer Speed Figure-82
(g, 2, by Independence Hall–Shop for Gold, by Speightstown)
O-Roger Smith and Keiber Rengifo. B-DocAtty Stables (La). T-Sam Breaux. J-Elio Barrera.
Having brought $127,000 in June at OBS–a decent price for a Louisiana-bred–he debuted by demolishing state-bred maidens by 8 3/4 lengths in solid time. His pedigree traces to Jack Dreyfus' old Hobeau Farm breeding operation, and New Iberia-based veteran Breaux, 71, has won 2,063 races and more than five dozen stakes.

4. ROTHKO, CD, 11/8, 6 1/2 furlongs (VIDEO).
Beyer Speed Figure-86 (2nd)
(c, 3, by Tapit–Covfefe, by Into Mischief)
O/B-LNJ Foxwoods (Ky). T-Brad Cox. J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Much was expected of the second foal from the Roth family's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Covfefe, and after a training setback he might be getting there. Away from racing for 15 1/2 months after a lackluster 2-year-old debut, he was a solid second here in a race that earned good speed-figure grades.

3. HOMETOWN BOUND, LRL, 11/8, 6 furlongs (VIDEO).
Beyer Speed Figure-86
(c, 2, by Mitole–Youngest Daughter, by The Factor)
O-Colts Neck Stables. B-G. Watts Humphrey, Jr., Vickie Oliver and G. Watts Humphrey III (Ky). T-Jorge Duarte. J-Victor Carrasco.
In a maiden sprint that appeared modest on paper but became much tougher in action, first-timers Hometown Bound and runnerup Crossingthechannel left the field–including a 1-to-2 favorite–strung out 20 lengths behind them from first to fifth. Owners Richard and Stephen Santulli went to $350k to buy the winner at OBS March, but bettors underestimated him at 7-1 odds.

2. RIPPED, CD, 11/8, 6 1/2 furlongs (VIDEO).
Beyer Speed Figure-88 (1st)
(c, 3, by City of Light–Fly Time, by Mr Speaker)
O-BC Stables. B-Gage Hill Stable II, W.S. Farish and Ken Langone. T-Steve Asmussen. J-Keith Asmussen.
Following the death of D. Wayne Lukas, BC Stables owners John Bellinger and Brian Coelho transferred this $650k yearling to Asmussen in July, and the 12-race maiden is showing signs of life with back-to-back improved efforts. First, he was a good fourth at Keeneland at 61-1 odds last month, and here he took a further step forward to score at 8-1. His dam is a half-sister to GI Preakness winner Rombauer.

1. BARB, CD, 11/5, 1 mile (VIDEO).
Beyer Speed Figure-91
(g, 3, Candy Ride (Arg)–Classic Point, by Flatter)
O-Flying P Stable. B-Marc Keller. T-Mike Maker. J-Jose Ortiz.
In June, owner Jay Provenzano spent $100k to claim Ole Crazy Bone, who 10 weeks later won the $2.5 million GII Kentucky Turf Cup. A month before that claim, Provenzano took this gelding–out of a two-time graded winner–for $75k. He immediately reeled off Beyers of 86 and 87 in losing efforts, regressed in two subsequent outings, then rebounded in a big way last Wednesday (and went untaken) when dropped back into a $100k claiming spot.

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Finger Lakes cancelled the entirety of its card due to adverse weather in the region on Tuesday.

“Please be advised due to adverse weather conditions and out of an overabundance of caution, today's races have been cancelled. The entire card has been rescheduled to this Thursday, November 13th, with a 12:20p.m. first post,” read a Finger Lakes Gaming post on X Tuesday afternoon.

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Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) registration fees will be going up as of Jan. 1, 2026. The increase is the first since 2022.

Registrations for foals will go from $75 to $95; yearling rates from $100 to $140; racing-age rates from $350 to $700.

Only Kentucky-sired and Kentucky-foaled horses that are registered with KTDF prior to the close of entries will receive KTDF purse supplements.

The registration rates for stallions will stay at current levels, based on a $400-$850 sliding scale related to stud fee, with higher-priced stallions paying the most. Stallions must be registered annually by Mar. 1 for each breeding season. See the complete range here.

Chauncey Morris, the executive director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders, told TDN that the money raised by the last two KTDF registration fee increases, which took effect in 2017 and 2022, was solely directed to fund two special projects, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Promotional Fund and the J. David Richardson Research Fund for Reproductive Disease.

Other than those two special-project fee increases, Morris explained that the KTDF's operating budget has been funded by the same underlying fee structure for 21 years.

“The two previous price increases were to promote the industry and to fund research for the breeding industry, two missions that have been accomplished. This one is for administrative terms,” Morris said.

“The registration sum that we've been operating on, administratively, has been the same since 2004,” Morris said. “And we actually waited, [knowing that] the trajectory of KTDF was going to increase, and things were going to be very stable and on an upswing before we sought any administrative increase, and that's what this is.

“Not only that, it's really important for end-users to realize that we, including the trainer colony here in Kentucky, really want to encourage total registration of the foal crop,” Morris said. “We're running high 80's [percent], which is fantastic. But we'd like to get [it up] a bit more, and the cheapest way to do that is [by incentivizing people to register] at the foal level, which we purposely kept under $100.”

Morris said that Kentucky racing has grown since 2020 in field size, average purse, and increases in graded stakes thanks to the KTDF, which, along with funding from each track, goes to pay purses in the state.

The KTDF supplements that bolster purses are funded by three-quarters of 1% of all wagers in the state on both live Thoroughbred races and historical horse race gaming, plus 1% of all money bet on Thoroughbred races via inter-track wagering and whole-card simulcasting.

“You get a lot of bang for your buck here in Kentucky, and the KTDF has been a fantastic program that has grown since 1978, along with every iteration of pari-mutuel wagering here in Kentucky that's legal,” Morris said. “And we see what it's done for the year-round racing circuit here. It's helped create, arguably, the best racing circuit in the country.”

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The United States's Jockey Club and Europe's Weatherbys have partnered to launch 'Racehorse Naming,' the organizations announced in a joint statement Tuesday. The website enables users to check the potential availability of a Thoroughbred name in Great Britain, Ireland, the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

According to the statement, 'Racehorse Naming' “streamlines the naming process for owners and breeders and will be especially useful for unnamed Thoroughbreds bred or purchased in one country and imported to another, which requires name approval by the exporting and importing authorities.”

“We're proud to partner with Weatherbys to launch Racehorse Naming, and we hope that owners and breeders find it easy to use and helpful in streamlining the naming process,” said Andrew Chesser, director of Registration Services and director of Business Development for The Jockey Club. “Given the scale of trade between Britain, Ireland, and North America, it made perfect sense to create a shared tool that supports those naming horses bred in one jurisdiction and racing in another.”

Mike Butts, Head of Equine Services at Weatherbys, said, “Working with our partners at The Jockey Club U.S., we have created a new service designed to help anyone looking to check the availability of horse names across multiple jurisdictions–not just in Britain and Ireland but now also in the USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico–all through a single, convenient website. It has been a great pleasure to work alongside our long-standing partners at The Jockey Club U.S. to deliver a tool that will be of real assistance to our many mutual customers.”

The Jockey Club oversees naming in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, and Weatherbys covers Great Britain and Ireland. The results of a name search on Racehorse Naming indicate if the name is potentially available in both jurisdictions, only one jurisdiction, or neither jurisdiction.

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With numbers continuing to surpass the 2024 standard, Monday's seventh session of the Keeneland November Sale closed out another day of strong trade, highlighted by a gross of $234,253,000, up from $181,460,500 generated one year ago.

Average through seven sessions increased 25.34% to $141,886, while the median showed a sharp rise, up 40.35% to $80,000 this year. The RNAs to this point decreased from 470 in 2024 to 424 this term.

Conversely, session 7 saw RNAs rise to 58, increasing from 49 one year ago, while 259 head drew an aggregate of $8,444,500, down from $8,464,600 generated for 278 head sold in 2024.

Heading the day's activity, Repole Stable extended to $475,000 for Hip 2313, Whitethorn, a recently-placed 3-year-old daughter of Not This Time.

Whitethorn was the lone purchase on Monday for Repole Stable, the session's leading buyer.

“We had to fend off some serious players [to get her], so we were happy to buy her,” said agent Jacob West.

Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency acting on behalf of breeder Juddmonte, the dark bay is out of Cognitive (Uncle Mo), already responsible for Juddmonte's dual stakes winner Show Card (Into Mischief).

Repole Stable also secured Cognitive (Hip 349)–in foal to Elite Power–for $500,000 in Book 2.

“She was a lovely filly,” said West. “We are obvious fans of the pedigree. We feel that she has some major upside and it only helps to control her future.”

Under the care of Michael McCarthy, Whitethorn finished third in her career debut going 8 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs in September before coming home runner-up–beaten 1 3/4 lengths to American Pearl (Gun Runner)–in a one-mile test at the Louisville oval on Nov. 5.

“We bought her mother earlier in the sale and part of the appeal to the team and to Mike was that we knew she had a current filly on the track showing promise,” said West, explaining the purchase. “We already own the factory so to speak so we just bought the product.”

According to West, the filly will head to trainer Todd Pletcher.

Hailing from a prolific female line, third dam Turbo Dream (Unbridled) is responsible for dual Grade I winner Dream Rush (Wild Rush), herself the dam for Grade I-winning Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy), who in turn produced two-time champion Malathaat (Curlin).

Julia Shining (Curlin) and Dream Pauline (Tapit) also stem from the Dream Rush pipeline.

Through seven sessions, Repole Stable purchased seven head for total expenditures of $2,575,000 while averaging $367,857. The median was $475,000.

Also included among Repole's November purchases–GSW Mo' Green (Uncle Mo, i/f to Vekoma) (Hip 496) who brought $550,000 in addition to Gate to Paradise (Arrogate) (Hip 789), another $500,000 buy for the team.

Responsible for Monday's topper, Taylor Made Sales Agency was the session's leading consignor with sales of $1,141,500 for 25 horses.

Leading Monday's weanling action, a colt by first season sire Gunite brought $160,000 from Louis Dubois, buying for Wesley Ward. Offered as Hip 2485, the colt was consigned by Wasabi Ventures Sales.

Out of Itgetsgreaterlater (Justify), the chestnut colt is from the family of Grade I winner Cupid (Tapit), in addition to GSWs Heart Ashley (Lion Heart) and Ashley's Kitty (Tale of the Cat).

The Keeneland November Sale resumes Tuesday at 10 a.m.

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9th-Tokyo, ¥21,610,000 ($140,357), Allowance, 2yo, 1400m, 1:23.2, gd.
SATONO VOYAGE (JPN) (c, 2, Into Mischief–Jolie Olimpica {Brz} {Horse of the Year, Ch. 2yo Filly & G1SW-Brz, Ch. Turf Female & GSW-Can, MGSW & GISP-US, $460,507}, by Drosselmeyer), a debut second in a 1200-meter test at Hanshin June 14, set a juvenile course record when graduating by 10 lengths at Niigata in a slick 1:10.80 Aug. 9.

Favored at 70 cents on the dollar, Satono Voyage broke alertly and was content to let the other speed go on with it, settling ahead of midfield down the back. Patiently handled on the turn by Mirai Iwata, the bay split rivals once into the long Tokyo straight, confronted the long-time leader at the furlong grounds and powered clear to take it by five lengths.

The Apr. 3 foal is the first produce from his dam, Brazil's Horse of the Year and champion of her generation at two in 2019 and acquired by the late Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farm to her continue her career in this country with Richard Mandella. The chestnut earned her keep with three victories at the graded level in North American, including the GII Nassau Stakes at Woodbine that earned her a Sovereign Award as Canada's champion turf female of 2021. She was also runner-up to champion Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) in the COVID-delayed running of the GI Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes in 2020. Purchased by Shimokobe Farm for $675,000 at Fasig-Tipton November in 2021, Jolie Olimpica was put in foal to this leading sire and was exported to Japan.

Barren to Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn) for 2024, the mare foaled a colt by dual Horse of the Year Equinox (Jpn) on Feb. 12 of this year. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $133,368.
O-Hajime Satomi; B-Shimokobe Farm; T-Hiroyasu Tanaka.

東京第９レース #オキザリス賞 (２歳１勝クラス、ダート1400m)は #岩田望来 騎手騎乗の #サトノボヤージュ が６番手から抜け出し、マジッククッキーに５馬身差を付けました。
勝ちタイムは、コースレコードに０秒１差まで迫る１分23秒２、上り３ハロン36秒８(稍重馬場)。… pic.twitter.com/FjH0T9sEww

— 『優駿』編集部 (@YUSHUN_Magazine) November 9, 2025

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Keeneland's Horses of Racing Age, slated to begin Wednesday, Nov. 12 at noon ET, has 216 catalogued entries including the latest supplement in Grade III-placed Crevalle d'Oro (Constitution), the auction house announced Monday.

The daughter of Constitution, consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, was third in the GIII Selene Stakes in Canada and came a half-length short of hitting the board last out Nov. 1 in Del Mar's GIII Goldikova Stakes in a blanket finish for the minors. The winner of that race, MGSW & GISP Special Wan (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), changed hands last week during the Fasig-Tipton November sale for $1.3-million to Japan's Northern Farm. An earner of nearly $328,000, Crevalle d'Oro has hit the board 10 times in her 18-race career.

A half-sister to SW Valuation Metric (Munnings), the filly hails from the female line of SW The Administrator (Afleet), whose daughters and granddaughters went on to black-type winners or producers themselves–the tally sitting at no less than nine runners. She was also the dam of GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Nehro (Mineshaft).

The November HRA Sale catalogue, following the removal of outs, includes 136 racehorses of which 30 are black-type performers and 16 are graded stakes/stakes winners. A lightly raced group of horses (71 have made six or fewer lifetime starts), 35 are winners since Aug. 1 of this year, and 42 are NW1X eligible.

Most horses in the auction are stabled at Keeneland in Barns 20-26 with some horses offered remotely from their training locations. The online catalogue may be found here with enhanced options available for viewing, and a print catalogue with Equibase past performances is available at the Keeneland Sales Pavilion.

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Elite Power, the only son of Curlin to receive Eclipse Awards in consecutive season and whose first foals have been very well-received at this year's weanling sales, will stand the 2026 breeding season for a fee of $35,000, live foal stands and nurses, at Juddmonte's Kentucky nursery.

Elite Power has covered some 360 mares in his first two years at stud, his first book having included five champions and better than 25 elite-level winners or producers. A colt from the family of GI Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate) fetched $550,000 from Glen Hill Farm on the second day of the Keeneland November Sale during which 15 youngsters sold for an average of over $185,000. Twelve of the 15 were knocked down for six-figure pricetags.

'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Mandaloun (Into Mischief) will command a service fee of $10,000 LFSN. The GI Kentucky Derby and GI Haskell Stakes hero was represented by his first crop of yearlings in 2025, with a close relative of champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) selling to Pin Oak Stud for $1 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

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Retired jockey Trevor McCarthy is joining the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) as a jockeys' wellness consultant, a newly created position that is dedicated to advancing the health, safety and overall well-being of riders.

“Trevor's first-hand understanding of life in the saddle and his genuine commitment to jockey well-being make him an invaluable addition to our team,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “His insight and experience will strengthen our ongoing efforts, alongside Jockeys' Guild, to develop programs that support the overall health and safety of riders across the country.”

McCarthy, the son of veteran reinsman Michael McCarthy, began riding racehorses at the age of nine and became one of the leading jockeys on the Maryland circuit. He won numerous riding titles at Pimlico and Laurel and won his first Grade I with Highland Chief in the 2022 Man O'War Stakes. He retired in August 2024 from the saddle with 1,871 winners, his mounts having earned better than $76 million.

“I'm honored to join HISA and contribute to an organization that is focused on supporting riders and making the sport safer for everyone involved,” said McCarthy. “After a lifelong career as a jockey, I know how important it is to have resources that meet both the physical and mental demands of this profession, and I'm eager to help strengthen those supports and resources for my fellow riders.”

In his new role, McCarthy will collaborate with HISA's Racetrack Safety Committee, Horsemen's Advisory Group and Medical Advisory Committee to enhance communication, education and wellness initiatives for active riders. Drawing from his perspective as a recently retired jockey, he will help HISA better address the challenges riders face both on and off the track.

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The Irish diaspora in the Bluegrass has lost one of its foundation stones with the death last Sunday of Roger (“Roddy”) O'Byrne, who presided for many years at McCarthy's Bar in downtown Lexington.

O'Byrne, together with co-proprietor Peter Kiely, made their bar an institution not just for local horsemen but for the international bloodstock community. During an era when phoney “themed” bars round the world sought to exploit the national tradition of good craic, O'Byrne created a little piece of home for those compatriots of his own generation who served as pathfinders for the many to have followed since. The racing memorabilia adorning the walls of McCarthy's are not generic cultural symbols but the personal record of a colorful life, full of laughter and achievement.

O'Byrne remained devoted to family and friends during his brave fight against the illness that has finally claimed him, back in his homeland. On both sides of the water, many will now be raising the kind of toast that he would have appreciated, and those in Lexington have the opportunity to do so after the livestreaming in McCarthy's of his funeral on Tuesday at 7 a.m. Refreshments will be provided after the Mass.

That is a challenging hour even for his diehard customers, some of whom may find it easier to persevere overnight than to start at dawn! But like any good officer, he would not expect anything of his men that he would not be prepared to do himself….

McCarthy's Bar has evolved over the years and its popularity with college students nowadays has made some of the old hands feel their age. But the bar remains a haven for horsemen of every flag during sales and race meetings, having long served as the hub of the Irish expatriate community in moments of crisis, commiseration or celebration. O'Byrne hosted many a fundraiser for those in need; and it was here that another lamented compatriot, Gerry Dilger, chose to watch a second consecutive Dromoland Farm graduate win the GI Kentucky Derby in 2018.

O'Byrne was among many in his family, from Kilmacthomas in Co. Waterford, to have made their mark on the Thoroughbred industry. One of his brothers, Demi, served Vincent O'Brien as veterinarian before becoming integral for many years to the Coolmore scouting team; and another, John, found triple Group 1 winner Rip Van Winkle (Ire) for the same interests at a yearling sale in Italy. And the Lodge Stud, run for the past 17 years by John's son Timmy, has been responsible for educating a long line of elite jumpers for J.P. McManus.

Unsurprising, then, that O'Byrne was himself no mean judge of a horse. He sold McManus one fondly remembered by many in Danny Connors (GB), bought for just 1,500 gns before winning a Leopardstown bumper under Mr. W.P. Mullins in 1989.    Switched to Jonjo O'Neill for his new owner, he was colly delivered by Mark Dwyer to win the 1991 Coral Golden Hurdle at Cheltenham. And only last April O'Byrne could celebrate the Grand National success of Nick Rockett (Ire), who had started out winning a Curraghmore point-to-point in his own silks.

Nick Rockett was named for the uncle of the Kilmacthomas publican and was a second Grand National winner to have been traded by O'Byrne, following Miinnehoma (GB), who won the 1994 running after being found for just 5,800gns as a 3-year-old.

Short odds, surely, that the parting glass for O'Byrne may produce a partnership to name a horse in his honor, too.

Besides Demi and John, O'Byrne is mourned by his other siblings Jim and Mary, and countless others related by blood or friendship.

Funeral details can be found here.

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After being a scratch by track veterinarians from the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) is back at Santa Anita Park undergoing tests to determine a possible cause.

Both Tamara and Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca) were scratched the morning of the Filly & Mare Sprint, later won by Splendora (Audible), and were figured to be two of the favorites in the race. At the time of the scratch, no reason had been provided for either horse.

Now back in the home base of trainer Richard Mandella, Tamara underwent a PET scan as well as X-Rays, and her connections report that results should be known in a couple of days. Mandella said that she appears fine to them. When asked about running at Del Mar if she's okay, the conditioner replied, “I don't know. We're going to kick some ideas around.”

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Francis DiAmario, the starter at Charles Town Races, got fined $1,000 by that track's stewards for sending away the field in the seventh race on Wednesday with one entrant left back behind the gate.

Medallion of Ash (Medallist) was 90-1 in the betting and had yet to step into the outermost stall of a two-turn 6 1/2 -furlong race that started in front of the stands when DiAmario, 65, sprung the latch.

Track announcer Paul Espinosa Jr. immediately alerted bettors to the situation at the start of his race call, and the stewards declared Medallion of Ash a non-starter after the remaining eight runners in the NW2L allowance for state-bred fillies and mares crossed the wire.

The ruling, issued Friday morning, stated that “all money wagered on her was refunded.”

DiAmario waived his right to a hearing before the stewards issued the ruling, which lists his fine as having been paid.

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It was one of the better Breeders' Cups that we have seen in a long time and it featured great performances and safe racing, exactly the daily double the Breeders' Cup hopes to hit every year.

But the good news has been overshadowed this week by a controversy. Why was White Abarrio (Race Day) scratched just minutes before the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile?

The owners, C2 Racing Stable, LLC and Gary Barber, want to know, claiming the horse was “perfectly sound.”

“There's nothing wrong with him,” co-owner Mark Cornett told me Sunday. “I have no idea why they scratched him. No one has told us why yet.  This is unbelievably frustrating. We have a perfectly sound horse. I've been with this horse since September of his 2-year-old year and he's never missed a race, never missed a work, never missed a day of training.”

On Tuesday, the ownership group announced on social media that they have retained a lawyer and have asked for “a full and transparent investigation into this matter.” They continued: “We have requested that the Breeders' Cup, the California Horse Racing Board, and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club preserve and disclose all relevant documents related to White Abarrio being scratched.”

Maybe the vet who scratched White Abarrio was right, that there was something wrong with him and it was unsafe to let him run. Maybe he did the owners and all those who bet on the horse, a favor.

But that's only part of the story. The Cornett brothers and Gary Barber are exactly right-they are entitled to know why their horse was scratched from a $1 million race in which they believed White Abarrio had a serious chance to win.

What is it with horse racing and transparency? We see it time and time again, there is a controversial disqualification or non-disqualification, a controversial scratch and everyone in authority goes running for cover.

Horsephotos

There was the mess in the 2019 GI Kentucky Derby with Maximum Security (New Year's Day). The stewards took an agonizing 22 minutes to make a decision. Then they appeared before the press and more or less said nothing, failing to explain their reasoning as to why they disqualified a horse from the most important horse race in America. All they needed to do was to say something to the effect that “Maximum Security was disqualified from the 2019 Kentucky Derby for impeding with the progress of other horses as the field rounded the final turn and costing them a placing. Maximum Security, while leading the race, drifted out several running lanes near the quarter-pole. Jockey Luis Saez failed to maintain a straight course.”

Five days after the White Abarrio incident, I put on my reporter's hat and asked everyone I could think of who should be in the know the simple question: “Why was White Abarrio scratched?” Afterward, I felt like I had asked for the nuclear codes.

From Claire Crosby, the vice president of communications for the Breeders' Cup World Championships: “While we cannot specifically comment on pending or threatened litigation, the Breeders' Cup World Championships operate under the rules and regulations of the host jurisdiction. In the case of the recently concluded 2025 World Championships in Del Mar, California, the rules and protocols for scratches fell under the purview of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) and the Stewards. The Breeders' Cup fully supports the CHRB and its decision-making process.”

From HISA Senior Communications Manager Mackenzie Kirker-Head: “Thanks for reaching out. The California Horse Racing Board would be the best point of contact for information regarding that decision.”

From Del Mar: “Ask the CHRB.”

From the CHRB: No one was willing to go on the record, but colleague Dan Ross did find some information on line.

White Abarrio is listed on the CHRB website under the inCompass vet's list for “unsoundness.” There are no other details that have been made available.

From the Breeders' Cup website, he found language that confirmed that only a CHRB-licensed veterinarian can scratch a horse. A vet working for the Breeders' Cup cannot.

Here's what it says:

“Any horse that presents as unsound or unfit to race is confirmed and recommended to be scratched to the Board of Stewards by a CHRB-licensed official veterinarian. The function of the official veterinarian on race day is to determine a horse's suitability to race, not diagnose an issue. Non-California licensed members of the BCL Veterinary Team have no authority to recommend to the Board of Stewards to scratch a horse; that is the sole purview of the state regulatory veterinarians.”

Well, now we know that someone determined that White Abarrio was unsound and that decision was made by a CHRB vet. At least that's something.

Tamara | Benoit

It would also be nice to know why so many horses, including some of the biggest names taking part in the Breeders' Cup were scratched. There's nothing wrong with being extra careful. It is working as the breakdown rate falls every year, but wouldn't it be appropriate for the public and horsemen to be told a little more as to why such standouts as Precise (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Black Out Time (Not This Time), Scottish Lassie (McKinzie), Mystik Dan (Goldencents), Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) and Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca) were all scratched.

This all could have been handled so much more easily. Yes, there was little time to go before the race and certainly not enough time to whip out a statement before the Dirt Mile was off. But the owners and trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. should have been told as soon as possible what the issue was and why they scratched the horse. They still wouldn't have been happy, but they at least wouldn't have been kept in the dark. A veterinarian should have come on NBC right after the race and explained to the television viewers what had just happened. The stewards or a vet should have gone on in-house television and done the same for the fans sitting in the grandstand.

This sport has to be as transparent as possible and it is anything but. Keep in mind that CAW play may be the single biggest threat to the future of horse racing but no one-and I mean no one-will say one word about how much the computer players are betting, how much they are winning, what kind of rebates they are getting and, most importantly, how their play has increased the takeout rate for everyone else.

At least NYRA has the stewards appear with Andy Serling on television every so often when there is a controversial call, but it is very noteworthy that the steward with all the power, the New York Gaming Commission's Braulio Baeza Jr., doesn't participate. And NYRA has a section on its website called “Past Race Decisions,” in which the stewards do exactly what they should be doing, explaining the calls they made. One problem: There hasn't been a new posting since Dec. 1, 2024.

This just shouldn't be this hard.

Dan Ross contributed to this story.

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Kentucky Derby 150 winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents) has officially been retired to stud, trainer Ken McPeek announced Friday. But fans will have one final chance to see the colt beneath the Twin Spires on Saturday when he parades in the paddock for the fourth race from approximately 2:05-2:30 p.m. EST.

Owned by Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing, Daniel Hamby III and Valley View Farm, Mystik Dan will stand at Airdrie Stud in Midway, Ky., for $15,000.

The 4-year-old retires with a record of 16-5-3-1 and earnings of more than $4.8 million. Along with his victory in the GI Kentucky Derby, Mystik Dan captured this year's GII Lukas Classic and GIII Blame Stakes as well as last year's GIII Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

He joins the roster at Airdrie along with Beau Liam, Cairo Prince, Collected, Complexity, Divisidero, Girvin, Happy Saver, Highly Motivated, Jonathan's Way, Mage and Upstart.

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8-year-old Bango (Congrats), Churchill Downs's winningest horse, has been retired, his connections announced on social media Friday.

In a video posted to X, trainer Greg Foley said, “Mr. Churchill Downs has blessed Barn 11 in so many ways. Career has been just a testament to what horse racing is all about.  Thanks for everything Bango. Enjoy the next chapter.”

Retired with career earnings over $1,644,000, Bango raced 42 times, winning or placing in 24 of them. Nearly all of his starts came at Churchill Downs and he became their winningest horse of all time when he picked up his 12th total, an allowance victory in Sept. 2024. He raced just twice this year and finished up a well-beaten seventh in his final start Thursday.

His career highlights include a placing in the GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes in 2023. He was a nine-time stakes winner, picking up wins in consecutive editions of the Aristides Stakes in 2021 and 2022 and the Kelly's Landing Overnight Stakes in 2021 and 2023.

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Racing journalist and horseman Josh Pons has been named the recipient of the 2024 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, presented by the Ryan family's Castleton Lyons, for excellence in thoroughbred racing literature published in 2024. He received the winner's $10,000 check during a Nov. 6 reception at the Lexington, Ky., farm.

Pons won for 'Letters from Country Life: Adolphe Pons, Man o' War, and the Founding of Maryland's Oldest Thoroughbred Farm', a retrospective of the Golden Age of racing as viewed through a remarkable trove of correspondence to his grandfather, Adolphe Pons. Early in the 20th century, the senior Pons had served as private secretary to Racing Hall of Fame breeder August Belmont, a role in which he played an integral part in the breeding and eventual sale of Man o' War.

“Josh Pons already had established his writing talent, but Letters from Country Life is another level of literary achievement,” said lead judge Kay Coyte. “In it, you discover historic gems just as Josh does, and worry along with him about the future of Maryland racing and his beloved farm.”

Two other finalists were honored at the Castleton Lyons ceremony, Arthur B. Hancock III for his autobiography, 'Dark Horses: A Memoir of Redemption', and John Perrotta, for his international mystery thriller, 'A Beggar's Ride'.

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by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis

LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continued to churn out double-digit increases over its 2024 renewal as the eight-day auction's Book 2 section concluded Thursday.

“It felt like a complete continuation from yesterday,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said Thursday evening. “The momentum was there and there was the same enthusiasm for quality stock. The market never seemed to waver all day. It seemed to be steady and strong and consistent. Which was very encouraging. It jumped out of the gates well and hit the wire hard.”

Through the two Book 2 sessions, 474 horses sold through the ring for a gross of $91,389,000. The Book 2 average of $192,804 was up 25.9% from 2024, while the median of $160,000 was up 28.0%. Twenty-five horses sold for $500,000 or more over the two sessions, compared to just five to hit that mark last year.

During last year's Book 2 section of the November sale, 413 horses sold through the ring for a gross of $63,236,500. The average was $153,115 and the median was $125,000.

The 4-year-old broodmare Taylor Swifter (American Pharoah), in foal to Flightline, brought the highest bid of Thursday's session when selling to Bryant Prentice's Pursuit of Success for $700,000. The mare was consigned by Gainesway.

“The mares have been the flagbearers of the last few days,” Lacy said. “As long as they are not overly exposed, there is a market for them.”

Through the two Book 2 sections, 200 weanlings sold through the ring for a gross of $34,496,000. The average was $172,480–up 27.4% from last year–and the median of $150,000 was up 36.4%.

During Book 2 in 2024, 157 weanlings sold through the ring for $21,257,000 for an average of $135,395 and median of $110,000.

“The weanling market was sensational again today,” said Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach. “We had 239 sales through the ring today to 179 different buyers. So we are maintaining yesterday's ratio. We are into day three and the consistency of the day is really supported by the depth of the buyer base that is here. The top 20 weanlings sold today were by 19 different stallions and bought by 19 different buyers.”

A colt by Nyquist (hip 830) was the highest-priced weanling on the day, selling for $600,000 to the phone bid of Clover Leaf Bloodstock. Bred by Viking Breeding and consigned by Indian Creek, the chestnut is out of Intense Honor (Honor Code), a half-sister to graded winners Money Multiplier (Lookin at Lucky) and Intense Holiday (Harlan's Holiday).

“We thought he would sell very well today,” said Indian Creek's Sarah Sutherland. “Obviously, you are always thrilled when it actually pans out. We had end-users and pinhookers on him–everybody appreciated the horse.”

Indian Creek offered its first weanlings of the Keeneland sale Thursday.

“We had one earlier that sold great and the Nyquist colt obviously sold super,” Sutherland said. “We are two for two and they have both gone to great homes. “I think it's the same old story, when you have a quality horse with a nice pedigree, they bring premium prices.”

Despite the competitive weanling market, Tami Bobo has been a prolific buyer through the first three sessions of the Keeneland sale. The Ocala pinhooker signed for five weanlings Thursday, bringing her total Keeeland November haul to 13 head purchased for $1.81 million.

“The market is strong, but I think if you put in the time and diligence there are horses to be bought,” said Bobo. “Like any sale, we all get hyped on how the market is playing and I think a lot of us talk ourselves out of buying horses because of that. I felt like there was value and that's why I signed a lot of tickets today. There is going to be a marketplace with the new beautiful bill, so in 10 months, if we really evaluate the marketplace, I think there are a lot of us who need to put money in the market and I think there are a lot of people who will be there at the other end.”

The Keeneland November sale continues through Tuesday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

Swifties Line Up for Taylor Swifter

In a moment of life imitating art, Taylor Swifter, the four-legged version, received plenty of attention while leading the way with a $700,000 final bid early in Thursday's Book 2 finale at the Keeneland November Sale.

Consigned by Gainesway, the daughter of American Pharoah, who is in foal to Flightline, was purchased by Pursuit of Success' Bryant Prentice.

Handling the signing duties on the 4-year-old filly was agent Archie St. George.

Arthur St. George | Keeneland

“She's a very nice physical,” said St. George. “She's by American Pharoah, who looks to be possibly a very good broodmare sire. And she's in foal to an exciting stallion, Flightline. The team, Mr. Prentice and Bill Oppenheim seemed to like the mare.”

The unraced filly is out of SW and GSP Taylor S (Medaglia d'Oro), herself a daughter of GSW Miss Macy Sue (Trippi). Her siblings include GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and GI Woodward Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song) and GSW and GISP Not This Time.

Bred by the Albaugh Family, Taylor Swifter was a $725,000 KEESEP yearling purchase before bringing $170,000 at this season's Fasig-Tipton February Sale.

Taylor Swifter's filly by Flightline brought $1.5 million at Keeneland September in 2024. Her brother by Into Mischief, named Taylor's Version, won a pair of races at Churchill Downs this season.

“It's a big pedigree with stallions on there, Not This Time and Liam's Map,” said St. George. “There's a lot of upsides to her and there's a half-brother that potentially could run.”

“She will go back to us now and, hopefully, we'll have a Flightline colt, and [her offspring] can run.”–CBoss

Apple Picker Goes to Family & Friends for $650K

Early in Thursday's Book 2 session, Grade III winner Apple Picker (Connect) drew $650,000 from the partnership of Martha Jane Mulholland and Judy Pryor, who signed as Family & Friends.

“I buy horses mostly on conformation and she was a beautifully-conformed mare,” said Mulholland. “They have to be pretty first, and then we start looking how much race record we can afford.”

Consigned by Elite, Hip 678 is out of Silent Fright (Yes It's True), a half-sister to Canadian Champion Grass Horse Grand Adventure (Grand Slam). Victorious in the GIII Barbara Fritchie Stakes in a career that saw her amass $478,433 in earnings, Apple Picker hails from the family of Classic-winning filly Lakeway.

Keeneland

Pryor's early experience stems from the Quarter Horse show industry and the Nebraska-based horsewoman maintains about 50 Thoroughbreds at her 400-acre Pryor Ranch near Omaha.

“Judy was in the Quarter Horse show business and then she came into the racing business in Nebraska a few years ago,” explained Mulholland. “She is trying to step up the game a little bit with some really quality mares. We have a lot of high aspirations and goals for racing. In the meantime, we are going to breed some mares and make some money.”

Pryor appears to have somewhat loftier ambitions.

“I want to win the Kentucky Derby and the Oaks!” she said. “I am not going to work this hard to say I am going to win in Nebraska. But I do want to win there, too.”

Also purchased at Keeneland this week, the team signed for Ms. Tart (Maximus Mischief) (Hip 141), a Book 1 buy that brought $375,000 and Low Mileage (Mineshaft) (Hip 477), in foal to Nyquist, for $385,000.

“She is a gorgeous mare in foal to a very hot stallion,” Mulholland said of Low Mileage. “The way the market is going, I expect we can get out on a foal or two and if not, we are pleased to run them.”

Additionally, the partnership secured Hip 539, Promise of Hope (Ghostzapper) for $240,000 and Hip 851 Know It All Audrey (Shackleford), a $310,000 investment. The former is in foal to National Treasure, while the latter has a Vekoma in utero.

All the mares are expected to head to Mulholland Springs to foal and board.

“We are excited about buying a mare in foal to [new sire] National Treasure,” said Mulholland.

Asked about who they expect to breed to the partnership's open mares, Mulholland added, “I think for [Apple Picker], we can go with a little bit bigger stallion with more stretch. She has all the power and muscle so she has a lot to give to the stallion.”

“We'll go around tomorrow and look at the freshman horses as well as the wonderful proven horses like Yaupon and Omaha Beach and of course, all the big stallions.”

Also acting as a seller, Mulholland Springs sold all six of its offerings through the ring for gross receipts of $1.355 million. Averaging $225,833, the consignment was headed by a weanling colt by Taiba (Hip 699), who realized $385,000 on Thursday.

“We have done very well, we've been very blessed,” said Mulholland of the operation's selling activity at Keeneland. “You have to focus on what the market wants. The market is wanting the solid, proven stallions like the Yaupons and Omaha Beach and the top horses like Into Mischief and Not This Time.

She continued, “We want solid commercial stallions because the market is forcing us in that direction and we will try to give them what they want.”—Cboss

Taiba Colt Pays for Mulholland Springs

Martha Jane Mulholland says she has one criteria above all others when she buys a mare.

“I try to always buy very, very pretty mares, she said. “Above all else, they have to be pretty.”

She found a mare that fit the bill at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton February sale, going to $120,000 to acquire the then 9-year-old stakes-winning mare Bet She Wins (First Samurai) from the Lothenbach dispersal.

“She was a very pretty mare,” Mulholland said of Bet She Wins. “I was very pleased to get her for that price.”

Bet She Wins' filly by Gun Runner sold as a yearling at that same auction for $225,000 and Mulholland bred her new mare to that stallion's son Taiba, who was standing his first season at Spendthrift for a fee of $35,000.

“I think Taiba is one of the most beautiful sons of Gun Runner that is standing at stud right now,” Mulholland said. “And I was hopeful with the kind of body this mare has and that Taiba has, that we would get a stunning foal. And we did.”

Bet She Wins' Taiba weanling colt (hip 699) went through the ring at Keeneland Thursday, selling for $385,000 to Go Go Greys, BSW/Crow, agent.

“Well, this was a little more than I was expecting,” Mulholland said of the result. “But the market is so strong that, at the same time, I am not surprised.”

Bet She Wins is currently in foal to Muth. @JessMartiniTDN

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Named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' for her 3 1/4-length debut win over Thursday's distance at Saratoga, Deep Learning proved she had plenty of class, finishing a close-up fifth in the GI Natalma Sept. 13 and running second to subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf third Ground Support (Army Mule) in the GII Miss Grillo over course and distance Oct. 4.

The popular 3-5 choice to go one better here, Deep Learning settled a nice third behind frontrunning Candy Moonshine (Twirling Candy) who cleared from the outside gate to the rail to lead into the first turn. Boxed in along the rail through fractions of :24.31 and :48.35, the favorite had plenty of run left and just waited under jockey Flavien Prat for room to run around the far turn. As the gap she needed opened with less than a quarter-mile to run, Deep Learning shot through and was a clear winner from there, finishing clear of Bella Knows to pick up her first stakes win.

“I was traveling well,” Prat said. “She gave me a good run when it was time to get going and she kept on going. I loved the way she won at Saratoga and then we went to Canada and drew outside on the inner track, so it was not an ideal trip. I kind of crossed out that race and then she came back and had a good race and did again today. I don't think she'll mind going a bit further and I think she'll get better as a 3-year-old.”

The 43rd stakes winner for Cairo Prince, Deep Learning was a $27,000 KEESEP RNA turned $325,000 OBS April graduate for Klaravich Stable out of a placed half-sister to MGSW Secret Gypsy (Sea of Secrets).  Dovima, who last went through the ring for $50,000 to Dardis Bloodstock at KEENOV in 2023, has a yearling Girvin filly hammered down for $150,000 as a yearling at Keeneland last month. She reported an Uncle Mo colt this year and was served by Domestic Product for 2026.

CHELSEY FLOWER S., $150,000, Aqueduct, 11-6, 2yo, f,
1 1/16mT, 1:42.64, fm.
1–DEEP LEARNING, 120, f, 2, by Cairo Prince
            1st Dam: Dovima, by Union Rags
            2nd Dam: Miss Utada, by Rahy
            3rd Dam: Morini (GB), by Unfuwain
($27,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP; $325,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR).
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Tony Dardis,
Dell Ridge Farm, Ken Donworth & Desmond Ryan (KY); T-Chad
Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $82,500. Lifetime Record: GSP,
4-2-1-0, $184,722.
2–Bella Knows, 120, f, 2, Kantharos–Bellamy Knows, by Bellamy
Road. ($60,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Sofia
Soares and Robert Cotrone; B-Peter Sheppell and Royer Family
Stables (OH); T-Brad H. Cox. $30,000.
3–Candy Moonshine, 120, f, 2, Twirling Candy–Sunset Starlet,
by Malibu Moon. ($27,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP; $80,000 2yo
'25 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-RKTN Racing; B-Clearsky
Farms (KY); T-Michael E. Gorham. $18,000.
Margins: 2, NO, NK. Odds: 0.78, 11.81, 9.04.
Also Ran: Tideoftime, Fille d'Oro (Ire), Fitz Right. Scratched: Devilish Grin, Getting Serious, Hidden Rose. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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With what feels like the culmination from years of mounting pressure, the volcano of opprobrium over Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) erupted this summer, spilling all over the industry.

The debate around CAW players typically surrounds the edge they wield over regular gamblers thanks to their use of sophisticated technologies that allow them to precisely read the markets and to place massive wagers across many pools in the final seconds of betting-sometimes leading to extreme late odds changes-as well as the attractive rates and rebates offered to them which are unavailable to the average punter.

Collective pushback by rank-and-file gamblers led to actionable change at Del Mar during its summer meet, when outcry over a spate of glaring late-odds drops led to the track closing CAW access to its win pools at two minutes before the off-a move that mirrored prior action by the New York Racing Association (NYRA).

Santa Anita followed suit. Despite a spate of late odds drops during its recently concluded fall meet, however, Keeneland resisted the call to similarly cut off CAW access in its win pool-but changes might be on the way (more on that in a bit).

Then there's the recent class action lawsuit against several CAW-related wagering entities under the under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”) and under state law. The suit alleges they have “organized and participated in the corruption of the betting system” to the detriment of the plaintiffs.

“This just snowballs,” said Marshall Gramm, Rhodes College economics professor. “It has become the central issue for rank-and-file horseplayers.”

(Read the TDN's extensive coverage of CAW which includes a CAW 101, a look under the hood at how deals are made between tracks and individual teams, as well as a review of global approaches to the issue)

Click here for panel discussion on CAWs in horse racing which was presented at the 2024 National HBPA Conference.

“We've reached a tipping point,” agreed Damon Thayer, a veteran lawmaker with 22 years serving the Kentucky State Senate and now a senior advisor to the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative (TRI). “Horseplayers are pretty upset about this.”

Which is why, he said, some lawmakers in the Kentucky state legislature are considering introducing legislation to manage CAW play.

“I'm not suggesting legislation. I'm not encouraging legislation,” stressed Thayer (a remark he repeated). “But I happened to run into [a Kentucky lawmaker] at Keeneland two weeks ago, and he told me he's very concerned about the situation with the CAWs and that he's considering introducing legislation.”

Betting slip | Sarah Andrew

As to the nature of any such possible legislation, “it could be a very simple requirement that the racetracks cut off betting from the CAWs at a certain point in time-two minutes to post. Five minutes to post,” said Thayer.

Kentucky state representative Matt Lehman (D) is one of the lawmakers considering legislative intervention.

“I've followed horse racing all my life,” said Lehman. “It is very difficult for the average person to even compete against what's happening in some of these pools.”

He added, “I was recently at Keeneland. I thought I had a nice long shot, 21-1 going into the gate. Across the wire first and the odds were 8-1. When a pretty reliable fan or bettor in the game feels like he lost with an 8-1 horse winning, I think we've got a problem.”

With the state legislature not set to return to session until the start of next year, bipartisan discussions of possible legislation are currently “informal,” said Lehman.

“This isn't something you would usually ask legislators to really get involved in, micro-managing how these businesses run,” said Lehman. “Our preference would be to have these track operators figure something out that is important for their own health as well as the Kentucky industry going forward.”

But Lehman floated possible ways in which these talks could play out.

“The things you'd have to look at are: what is pari-mutuel racing? How is that defined? And what does it mean to have some level of equitability among the different players in the pools, along with transparency of information available to legislators and the public?” said Lehman.

“There's not a real clear picture of just how much CAW money are in the pools at any given time,” he added.

Windows at Santa Anita | Horsephotos

This last point isn't just a Kentucky problem, however.

The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) used to annually report the handle wagered by individual CAW teams but stopped doing so in 2022, choosing to instead report wagering totals from individual CAW platforms (like Elite Turf Club).

And yet, even with the steps the CHRB has taken to shield from public view CAW play in the pools, California remains arguably the most transparent of any jurisdiction in how it reports the impacts of CAW wagering on the pools.

A legal development that has garnered considerable attention is the class action lawsuit filed last month by former horse racing gambler Ryan Dickey.

The defendants comprise several entities under the The Stronach Group (TSG) umbrella (who last week issued a response to the lawsuit).

This includes Elite Turf Club, a CAW wagering platform 80% owned by Stronach Group and 20% owned by the New York Racing Association (NYRA), and AmTote International, the dominant totalizator service provider for North American racetracks described in the lawsuit as the “clearing house of U.S. pari-mutuel wagering.”

The other defendants comprise Churchill Downs Inc. (which owns CAW wagering platform Velocity), NYRA, United Tote Company and Racing & Gaming Services, another CAW wagering platform.

The lawsuit–filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York–could play out between as little as six months to two to three years, said attorney Drew Couto, a former president of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC).

Tote board at Fair Grounds | Hodges Photography

One of the quicker ways the case could be resolved within months is through a settlement. First, however, is an important procedural hurdle called a motion to certify the class.

“And there's a risk on both sides, obviously,” said Couto about the class certification process. “The plaintiff believes that the case warrants certification as a class. The defendants are going to argue that it doesn't.”

Even if class certification is granted, the defendants can appeal that decision–another potential spoke in the legal wheel that can stretch out the lawsuit's timeline.

During the process leading to whether or not class certification is granted, there's a period of discovery on both sides.

“That process can take up a fair amount of time,” explained Couto. “It's not a simple case of filing the complaint and then you immediately schedule a motion for certification, which is a complex motion in itself. But it is, generally speaking, an expedited process.”

If, however, class certification is ultimately granted, “then from the defendants' standpoint, your liability exposure goes up significantly,” said Couto.

“At first, defendants take a very hard line–'yes, we're going to fight certification.' If they lose at the certification level, however, then the calculations, from a defense standpoint, change,” said Couto. “A defendant must then assess what are the future risks, and that's why, when one is looking at the length of time, and costs, associated with a class action case, certification is the first pivotal point.”

While the legal machinations of the lawsuit play out, what steps should tracks take to seriously tackle the problem?

According to Marshall Gramm, they need to focus on two key areas: price stability and price differences between the teams and the retail bettors.

More pointedly, they need to cut off CAW access two minutes to post in “all the visible pools,” he said. “This means the double, the exacta and the win pool.”

The second area concerns reducing the price differences between what the CAW teams pay and what the recreational players pay, said Gramm. “You need to fix those two things.”

Gramm repeated a remark made by others–that the issue has reached a tipping point, and that observed inaction in the face of late odds swings won't be met quietly.

“One of the dominant stories of this Keeneland meet was the public outcry that has kept this to the forefront,” said Gramm. “I'm curious to know what they [Keeneland] do in the future,” he added.

“Nothing's outside of the realm of possibility of what we may or may not do in the spring. It's not like we're just vehemently opposed to doing X or Y,” responded Keeneland's vice president of racing, Gatewood Bell, when asked what changes the track might make in its approach to managing CAW play going forward.

“We also have to consider the track and the horsemen's accounts,” Bell said, stressing that Keeneland doesn't have an interest in any CAW platform or tote company, and therefore, not the entity offering rebates. “We're just trying to balance and keep all stakeholders in mind when we're making decisions like this.”

Though Keeneland didn't cut off CAW play minutes before the off, the track each meet “evaluates and adjusts” the way it manages the CAW teams accessing their pools, said Bell.

Keeneland during the Fall meet | Coady Media

“To encourage balanced participation, Keeneland charges CAW players equivalent to or higher than those charged to retail bettors across all pools,” he added.

The tweaks Keeneland made this last meet led to the total win pool handle going up 5% (comparing this year's meet to last year's), but CAW activity in that pool going down 9%, said Bell.

Another is a slight reduction in the percentage of overall handle from CAW play, to around 24%. “I think we'd like it to go a little bit lower, to be honest,” said Bell, when asked if this is the percentage sweet spot.

Nevertheless, they didn't impact the last-minute odds changes that garnered such withering criticism. Bell said that through the first 13 days of the meet, 57% of the winners went up in price or stayed the same, while 43% went down in price.

“Do I think it's the final answer? No,” said Bell. “We're going to review it all,” he added. “Usually when the most profound change or positivity comes out of something, it's when there's a tipping point.”

And what about the recently concluded Breeders' Cup?

Before the meet, the Breeders' Cup stated it would not impose a two-minute win pool cutoff to CAW play (as its host track did this summer).

“Fortunately, due to the substantial liquidity in our multi-million-dollar wagering pools, the late odds fluctuations that frustrate horseplayers have not been an issue at the World Championships, including last year at Del Mar,” the organization argued.

With the meet now wrapped, has the organization reevaluated its approach to managing CAW play?

“Breeders' Cup continues to evaluate all aspects related to wagering on the recently concluded World Championships,” a Breeders' Cup spokesperson wrote.

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