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John Kasbar announced Feb. 4 the return of third-crop sire Sweetontheladies to Florida. The multiple stakes winner and graded stakes performer will stand at Solera Farm near Williston, Fla., for the upcoming 2026 breeding season.

Super Corredora, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2025, faces Explora in the Las Virgenes Stakes. The two top sophomore fillies ran 1-2, respectively, in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

With the Southwest Stakes (G3) set for Feb. 6, it's only fitting that the winner of last year's edition also returns this weekend at Oaklawn Park. Speed King is set to make his 4-year-old debut in the Feb. 5 Fifth Season Stakes. 

Mount Bona, a winner of her past three starts for Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich, topped the Inglis Digital February (Early) Online Sale Feb. 4, when selling for AU$240,000 to Beaufort Bloodstock.

Blue Diamond Stud has reported the arrival of the first foal by its homebred classic heroine and three-time group 1 winner Nashwa. The 2022 Prix de Diane (G1) winner produced a colt by Dubawi.

Slated as the 4-5 morning line favorite, Nitrogen faces six in the Bayakoa Stakes to begin her 4-year-old campaign.

Walter Robertson Jr., president of Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, announced Feb. 4 the inauguration of a new strategic plan for the organization.

The cancellation comes one day after the track had announced it's Feb. 4-5 cards would begin at 1 p.m. EST, rather than the normal 5:55 p.m. start time.

The Jockey Club announced Feb. 4 that the 2026 edition of the Fact Book is available. It is a statistical and informational guide to Thoroughbred breeding, racing, and auction sales in North America.

The first day of racing at Churchill Downs in advance of the Kentucky Derby April 25 will be moved to the afternoon after being held at night since 2011. Additionally, a Sunday card will be added to Derby Week April 26.

Mike Curry, of America's Best Racing, sees Intrepido as the pick for the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) Feb. 7 at Santa Anita Park while Robusta could pull the upset.

In late December, trainer Butch Reid had a tough decision to make. Should he run his promising now-3-year-old Mailata in the Jerome Stakes Jan. 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack or the Dec. 30 Parx Future Stars Stakes at his home base of Parx Racing?

Schedule for racing on radio, television, streaming, as compiled by America's Best Racing.

The Iroquois Steeplechase announced Feb. 4 the renewal of its partnership with The Jockey Club UK, reaffirming a shared commitment to excellence in jump racing and the continued strengthening of ties between American and British steeplechasing.

Intrepido, trained by Jeff Mullins, defeated Desert Gate and Plutarch in the 2025 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) and is scheduled to meet them again in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) Feb. 7 at Santa Anita Park.

Mario Gutierrez won the Kitten's Joy Stakes and the Sweetest Chant Stakes at Gulfstream Park Jan. 31 aboard Brian Lynch trainees Thousandsticks and Sister Troienne, earning him Jockey of the Week honors for Jan. 26-Feb. 1.

The recent Thoroughbred Daily News piece by Mike Repole and The Jockey Club's response were both timely and important. Regardless of where one stands on the broader debate, Mr. Repole is plainly correct on this point: the Thoroughbred industry still does not do enough to fund aftercare.

For decades we relied on good will, volunteerism, and heroic nonprofit work to clean up the back end of an industry that generates enormous revenue at the front end. That model was not sustainable nor was it morally defensible.

In 2011, Jack Wolf and other stakeholders recognized what many in racing would not say aloud–that there was little-to-no meaningful industry funding for retirement, rehabilitation, and rehoming. In response, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) was established in 2012, supported by an initial $1-million donation funded by Breeders' Cup, The Jockey Club, and Keeneland. The TAA created standards, accountability, accreditation, and a mechanism to direct funding to legitimate aftercare organizations.

This was good progress, but let's be honest: aftercare funding has not grown nearly enough since 2012. The industry and the public have tolerated inertia for far too long.

As a founding board member of the TAA, I was involved in its funding development and have knowledge of its history. Let's examine three key funding sources where meaningful change is overdue: public auctions, The Jockey Club registry, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

1). Auctions: a “starter” assessment frozen in time.

Early on, the sales companies developed a mechanism whereby 0.05% of public auction sales could support the TAA–paid by sellers, buyers and the sales companies themselves. We intentionally started small (too small for my taste). The goal was to get industry buy-in, prove the concept, and expand overtime.

The original structure included an “opt in” by sellers and buyers. The concern was that market participants, particularly international buyers, might resist contributing to a U.S aftercare initiative. Over the next couple of years, sales companies moved toward mandatory deductions on the seller side and buyer mechanisms that allowed opt-out.

But here is the problem: we never grew beyond the starter number. Thirteen years later, the contribution is still 0.05%.

That means that on a $200,000 horse, aftercare receives roughly $100 from the seller, $100 from the sales company, and $100 from the buyer (unless the buyer opts out). This assessment was never intended to stay permanently at 0.05%. It was supposed to increase within a few years. It didn't and it must.

Any buyer who participates in the U.S Thoroughbred marketplace should do so with the expectation that aftercare funding is part of the deal. Aftercare is not optional.

2). The Jockey Club's “$2.5 million donation”: credit, but also clarity.

The Jockey Club recently stated it donates $2.5 million annually to the TAA. I don't dispute that number, and we all appreciate support for aftercare, but I do believe it is misleading without clarification, because a meaningful portion of funding is generated through breeder-paid registry transaction fees, effectively a pass-through mechanism. In other words, it is not “The Jockey Club” alone funding aftercare through The Jockey Club. It is actually the breeders.

3). Kentucky's $250,000 contribution is appreciated and a start, but inadequate.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky–through Kentucky House Bill 8–provides $250,000 annually to the TAA, starting in 2025. That is progress. But given what Kentucky earns from Thoroughbreds, it is insufficient.

Look at stallion-season tax revenue alone. Even using conservative assumptions–an average of $35,000 per season–and a 6% sales tax–Kentucky could conservatively realize around $40 million in state revenue from stallion seasons alone. Add auctions, racing, tourism, payroll, and sales tax on goods and services, and revenue to Kentucky becomes far larger.

With that reality, a $250,000 aftercare contribution is not a “solution.” It is a token. Given the economic reality, Kentucky should be funding aftercare at a far higher level, well into the millions. These horses are part of the state's brand, identity, and economic engine. The state can lead the nation in caring for them when their earning years end.

The TAA has changed aftercare for the better. But the funding model has stalled, and the industry is still living far too comfortably with the bare minimum. That is no longer acceptable. Additionally, the TAA itself must become more transparent.

I spoke with Walt Robertson, the newly elected president of the TAA, who assured me that changes are being explored and he is the right person to help drive them. Boyd Browning is also 100% behind sale increases. That gives me real hope.

But hope is not a strategy. We must stop tolerating inertia, complacency, and neglect.

The post Letter to the Editor: Aftercare–Hope Is Not a Strategy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

If bloodstock agent Mike Pender feels the urge to pinch himself from time to time, it would be hard to hold that against him.

Having trained the likes of Grade I winners Jeranimo and Ultimate Eagle for his late client B. J. Wright in a career that lasted 15 years, Pender is now very much focused on the bloodstock side of the game, and his two current success stories–the three-time graded-stakes winning turf sprinter Queen Maxima (Bucchero) and Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Intrepido (Maximus Mischief)–are doing their part to keep the humble horseman's name in lights. Both horses are campaigned by Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures.

A $40,000 OBS June purchase, the Florida-bred Queen Maxima recently made the Jan. 11 GIII Las Cienegas Stakes her seventh straight success against her peers in turf sprint contests. She has since turned in a pair of easy, maintenance-type works at Santa Anita just to keep her ticking over as connections mull over their choices for the star mare, who is effective no matter the shape of the race.

“She is as hearty and made of hickory as any horse you'll ever put a saddle on,” Pender said Wednesday from Kentucky, where he was checking in on some of his other horses. “If anyone takes the time to watch her eight wins, the way in which she wins is chilling. It's chilling. I mean, it's goosebumps.

“She wins wrapped up. How many times can [jockey] Juan Hernandez return to the winner circle saying the same thing?: 'We still haven't gotten to the bottom of her.' I think that's the definition of a champion. Juan just says she's so versatile and he can put her wherever he wants. If he needs speed in a paceless race, she's there for him. If it's full of speed, he can just sit back and guide her.”

And to the point of getting to the bottom of Queen Maxima or what her ceiling might be, Pender said the goals will be loftier in 2026.

“The Jaipur against the boys [at Saratoga in June] is definitely on the radar. That would be nice to add to the resume,” Pender said, adding that the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland is the longer-term objective.

So talented is Queen Maxima that Pender suggested a switch to the dirt or a stretchout in distance could not be ruled out as the year goes on. The 5-year-old has finished off the board in two tries at a mile on the turf, each time with a bit of an excuse.

Queen Maxima | Benoit

Intrepido, ultra-game in winning last year's GI American Pharoah Stakes, makes his sophomore debut in Saturday's GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes, facing–among others–Desert Gate (Omaha Beach), who he defeated at odds of nearly 9-1 in the American Pharoah. Ironically, Pender saddled Lombo (Graydar) to an 8-1 upset in the 2018 Lewis.

Just a $30,000 Keeneland September yearling, Intrepido was sold on for $385,000 at last year's OBS April Sale and became a 'Rising Star' when racing over a mile for the first time at Del Mar last August. A late surge following a tough trip in the American Pharoah saw him prevail by 3/4 of a length, but he stubbed his toe in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, finishing a non-threatening fifth behind 'Rising Star' and champion Ted Noffey (Into Mischief).

Whatever Intrepido does on Saturday, he is sure to come on for the effort, Pender believes.

“We feel he's ready to go a mile on Saturday,” he said. “Is [trainer] Jeff [Mullins], the consummate horseman, going to tighten those screws and put him over the top for this race? No way. But he's definitely ready.”

Intrepido reunites in the Lewis with Hector Berrios, who will also climb back aboard champion Super Corredora (Gun Runner) in Sunday's Listed Las Virgenes Stakes at the Great Race Place.

Now going on seven years since saddling his last runner, Pender is very much enjoying applying his skill set toward picking out what he hopes to be top-class runners on behalf of others, including the two stars for Dutch Girl and Irving Ventures.

“I guess in football terms, I'm effectively their team manager,” he says. “They admit that they're very new to this process. While I didn't build this stadium nor front of money for the players in their payrolls, I do have to buy their horses, and I have to buy their horses that stay sound and most of all win races in what is arguably the most competitive environment for babies on the planet, Southern California, it's a tough playing field out here.

“[The owners] have just been unbelievable,” he added. “I mean, they put their money up, they wash their hands, and then turn it over to Jeff and I. It's tough. It's tough. We don't have a gigantic budget. There's a diminishing foal crop out there that makes for greater demand, and thus the higher purchase prices at these sales. They have been there with open arms every time. Without them, none of this is happening.”

Pender reflects back on the Saturday finale at Del Mar on Aug. 10, 2024, when Queen Maxima weaved her way through and powered home to graduate on debut. His hunch at that moment that he just might have unearthed something special has since been proven true.

“The people that were sitting next to me in the box, they go, 'We've never seen such a visceral reaction from you. There's tears streaming down your face.' I was like, 'This filly could be any kind,” he related.

“I'm really enjoying this aspect of being their agent as well, because it gives me more time to work with them, to educate them, to work on the human aspect of the day-to-day machinations of running a barn and all that goes on with it. This is a new way to branch off into something that was largely forgotten about when I was a trainer.”

The post Pender Purple Patch Looks Set To Continue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

These are not easy times for Illinois horsemen, who have already lost Arlington Park and may soon see the area's remaining Thoroughbred track go under. After the Illinois Racing Board, citing financial instability, which included the bouncing of checks, pulled the plug on the track's Standardbred meet in January, there's no telling whether or not a reeling Hawthorne will be able to open its doors when the Thoroughbred meet is supposed to start March 29. Chris Block, the president of the local horsemen's group, is fighting the good fight to keep the track alive, but he admits he has no idea what to expect when it comes to Hawthorne's future or even if the track will be able to open in March.

To shed some light on what's going on in Illinois, Block joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast Presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the Week.

The frustrating part of this is that Hawthorne, which is now facing severe financial problems, was granted a license to build a casino way back in 2019. Five years later, there's no casino and very little, if any, progress has been made toward building one or finding a partner to help run one. Obviously, if a casino had joined hands with Hawthorne in an expedited manner none of this would be happening. So, where is the casino?

“(Hawthorne President and General Manager) Tim Carey started what I think was the process of moving forward because he demolished three quarters of the grandstand and set it up for construction,” Block said.  “And then it was my understanding there was more than one funding mechanism for that. One of the major funding mechanisms fell through. Everything came to a standstill. I wouldn't ask you to come to Hawthorne because it's not anywhere near the type of place to watch a race. By tearing down the grandstand, it has made it impossible to watch a race there. It's not a very fan-friendly situation. So with that, this has gone on now for five years thereafter. They use COVID as an excuse, which I understood at the time, but they've had plenty of chances to recover from that. Then Tim Carey hired on Kevin Kline after the passage of the bill in 2019 to be his casino guru, if you will. That's what they called him, a casino guru. And I have not seen anything that makes him a guru in my mind because they've passed on what I understand are deals that could have come together to partner with another company.”

The delays have caused a number of problems, especially when it now appears that Carey family has gone deeply into debt by trying to keep the track operating and recently lost a line of credit from a bank that was keeping the place afloat. That's why purse checks to harness horsemen have been bouncing.

“I believe what's happened here is that the Carey family, and, specifically, Tim Carey and his staff there, have relied on some funding from a bank to help keep the racing going, both on the Thoroughbred side and the harness side over the last five years,” Block said. “And during that process, they have been trying to get what they think is the perfect deal with a partner to have funding for a racino construction at Hawthorne. The perfect deal has never come according to them. And they've gotten themselves backed into a corner now and up against the wall where they're going to have no choice but to do something or Hawthorne won't exist.”

There is so much that is uncertain right now. Will they open on March 29? If they do, will the meet be run to its conclusion or will Hawthorne again run out of money? For good reason, Chicago-area horsemen are stressed, and don't know what to do.

“As we stand right now, we have hundreds of horsemen that are on edge, both on the harness side and the Thoroughbred side,” Block said. “A lot of horsemen have had their checks bounce. There are horsemen who put money into the horseman's bookkeeper account just to claim horses. That wasn't even purse earned money, and they can't get to it. And these are all people, hardworking horsemen, that are in need of that revenue to sustain and continue going forward. So I guess if there's any silver lining on the Thoroughbred side, I'm glad the IRB suspended their license during the harness meet. I feel for the harness horsemen. But right now, I don't want to get our horsemen on that backstretch until I know for sure that the Carey family can keep the track going forward in 2026. And until we find that information out, we won't have an answer. I'm advising all our horsemen, unfortunately, to have a backup plan in case by, let's say, February 25th or March 1st, that we don't have anything positive to report because time is running out for our guys to make decisions on where they need to go.”

Block said that John Walsh, the general manager of Hawthorne, has now been involved in the project of finding a casino partner. Block expressed his respect for Walsh and took note when Walsh said he was optimistic that something could be worked out in a timely manner that would save the Hawthorne Thoroughbred meet.

“They need to make a deal,” Block said. “And that's been our mantra from the Horsemen's Association, just make a deal. Okay. You don't have the opportunity to sit back and wait for the pristine deal. You have to make a deal or otherwise you're going to lose this.”

There were three “Fastest Horses of the Week” this week. They were GIII Holy Bull S. winner Nearly (Not This Time); Louisiana-bred and Fair Grounds allowance winner Synthetic (Midshipman); and Quatrocento (War Front), the winner of the GIII Tampa Bay Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. All three earned 98 Beyer figures. The “Fastest Horse of the Week” segment is sponsored by WinStar Farm, which stands the promising sire Cogburn.

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the PHBA, 1/ST TV, the KTOB and West Point Thoroughbreds, Randy Moss, Bill Finley and Zoe Cadman discussed the reshuffling of the deck among the nation's top 3-year-olds colts during a week when the Juvenile champion Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) was declared off the Derby trail  only to be replaced on the NTRA's Top 10 3-year-old list by his stablemate in the Todd Pletcher barn, Nearly, the impressive Holy Bull winner. The team also discussed Florent Geroux's move to California and the latest news CAW rules that will be instituted this week by NYRA. The podcast concluded with an examination of the four races that will be run this weekend that will award points for the GI Kentucky Derby.

For the Writers' Room Podcast video, click here, and for the audio version click here.

The post To Discuss the Mess at Hawthorne, Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s President Chris Block Joined the TDN Writers’ Room Podcast Presented by Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country.

The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.

Resolved ADMC Violations

Dates: 02/04/2026

Licensee: Johanna Urieta, trainer

Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on February 5, 2026; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.

Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Ready for Action, who finished tenth at Mahoning Valley on 12/8/25.

Dates: 02/03/2026

Licensee: Amador Sanchez, trainer

Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU.

Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from More Than Glory, who finished second at Gulfstream Park on 12/13/25.

Dates: 02/02/2026

Licensee: Thomas Waltke Jr., trainer

Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points.Admission.

Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Greyzer, who won at Tampa Bay on 12/19/25.

Dates: 01/29/2026

Licensee: Kim A. Puhl, trainer

Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.

Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Riobella on 12/29/25.

Pending ADMC Violations

02/04/2026, Edwin Martinez, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Tsunami Gold, who finished second at Sunland Park on 1/4/26.

02/04/2026, William Cowans, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Sticky Note, who finished third at Turfway Park on 12/6/25.

02/03/2026, George Lopez, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Tiz Lissett on 1/7/26.

02/03/2026, Jack Sisterson, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole (Gastrogard)—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Jimmy's Kid on 1/3/26.

02/03/2026, Michael Simone, trainer: Pending ruling for the alleged breach of Rule 3313, regarding the “Use or Attempted Use of a Controlled Medication Substance during the Race Period.” The alleged substance is the class C controlled substance, L-Arginine; Stop-2. The case involved the horse Indulge, for an event dated 11/14/24.

02/02/2026, Hernan Parra, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Justy Han, who finished seventh at Gulfstream Park on 1/3/26.

02/02/2026, Anna Meah, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Gabapentin—a class B controlled substance—in a sample taken from Showers, who won at Churchill Downs on 11/6/25.

01/30/2026, Thomas McMahon, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methamphetamine—a banned substance—in a sample taken from Tierra Santa, who won at Laurel Park on 12/7/25.

01/28/2026, Guillermo Flores, trainer: Pending ruling for the alleged possession of the banned substance Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP); Adenosine Monophosphate for an event dated 9/18/25.

Violations of Crop Rule

Laurel Park

Carlos Mancilla – violation date February 2; $750 fine, five-day suspension

Mahoning Valley

Fernando S. Becerra – violation date February 3; $1.500 fine, ten-day suspension 

Sunland Park

Francisco Amparan – violation date January 30; $250 fine, one-day suspension

Turf Paradise

Isaias Enriquez – violation date February 2; $500 fine, two-day suspension

The post National Rulings January 29 – February 4 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.