Craig Bernick

No business can change what it does not measure. Racing's public measurement of support, via wagering, hides serious issues. Recent stories have continued to cite declines in total handle, wondering just what is at play. How that handle has been derived has changed dramatically, but that's not reflected in the overall numbers. Over the last century, U.S. racetracks have reported total handle on their races and, for most of that time, it was one metric that accurately depicted the health of the business. But in our modern era of simulcasting,...

Craig Bernick's twice-raced maiden Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify--Data Dependent, by More Than Ready) went postward as an unconsidered 66-1 outsider for Saturday's G3 Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF S. at the Curragh and pounced late in the one-mile former Flame Of Tara S. to secure a first win of any kind. The January-foaled bay debuted with a fifth over six furlongs at the Co. Kildare venue in May, but slipped to 12th when upped to seven at the same track in June last time. The eventual winner settled off the pace...

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association re-elected Brant Laue as chairman of its Board of Trustees. Also joining Laue on the Board of Trustees to serve three-year terms as new members are Billy Koch, Braxton Lynch, and Francis Vanlangendonck. Re-elected to three-year terms were current trustees Doug Cauthen, Marshall Gramm, Stephanie Hronis, Jason Loutsch, and David O'Farrell. Officers named for 2022-2023 are: Laue, chairman, O'Farrell, vice-chairman, Dan Metzger, president; Doug Cauthen, secretary; and Garrett O'Rourke, treasurer. The TOBA Board also approved the appointment of O'Farrell and reappointment of Barbara Banke...

It was certainly a busy week of action on both sides of the Atlantic. Here's a sample of what went on, and what should be on your radar. Headline Maker... With Early Voting's Classic win at Pimlico Saturday, the colt became Gun Runner's fifth Grade I winner. It's a remarkable stat for any stallion, especially one so early in his stud career. It looks likely the Three Chimneys stallion will vie with the mighty Into Mischief for the honor of being America's most expensive sire over the next few years....

LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale, which had already surpassed its previous highest gross with a day to go, concluded Thursday with new high-water marks for average and median and its lowest buy-back rate since 2013. "Day four was another outstanding day for the October sale," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "It was a fitting conclusion to a great horse sale. It's been a great week. The numbers have been tremendous all four days across the board. There were dramatic increases in gross, dramatic increases in average and...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-SA, $61K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1m, post time: 6:50 p.m. ET Dixiana Farms-bred AMERICAN ADMIRAL (American Pharoah) was purchased by Hunter Valley Farm for $340,000 at Keeneland November in 2018 and fetched $1.3 million from Jamie McCalmont on behalf of M.V. Magnier and Sarah Kelly at KEESEP the following fall. That price was the richest of 70 of his sire's second-crop yearlings to sell in 2019, bar the sales-topping $8.2 million Mandy Pope paid for the half-sister to Beholder (Henny Hughes) and Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday)....

The fireworks at the annual Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton November sales are always a highlight of the year as seven-figure bids abound on some of racing's top broodmares and broodmare prospects. But after the dust settles, it can be years before words get out on the breeding careers of the sales' top offerings. We catch up with the connections of a few of these most recent million-dollar broodmares and learn of their mating plans for 2021 in our ongoing 'Million-Dollar Matings' series.     CONSTELLATION (Bellamy Road-For Royalty, by Not For...

Warmed by the fireplace, or perhaps by sipping yet another glass of a Santa Ynez vineyard's rich and full-bodied red, I was contemplating the new year and how it needs to be better than the fiasco that was 2020. The wine, by the way, was issued by a label called Westerly and named Fletcher's Red, and it happens to be the namesake of a man who burned a short but bright trajectory through horseracing. He's also had a positive impact on young people's lives in ways in which he could...

On the back of the eagerly anticipated stallion fee announcements in Europe, we spoke with a number of leading industry figures about value. Today we hear from Craig Bernick of Glen Hill Farm. TDN: Who have you identified as a first-year stallion at an appealing opening fee? CB: Pinatubo (Ire) was a top-class 2-year-old and his introductory fee of £35,000 is probably very fair compared to where similar horses have started off over the years. Shamardal is the sire of Lope De Vega (Ire) and he comes from the female...

Edited Press Release The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association has announced the re-election of Brant Laue as Chairman of its Board of Trustees. Joining Laue on the Board of Trustees is Shannon Bishop Arvin, Jeffrey Bloom, Marette Farrell, Dr. J. David Richardson and Stephen Screnci. Re-elected to three-year terms were current trustees Robert Devlin, Terry Finley, Brant Laue, Bernard McCormack, Charlie O'Connor and Garrett O'Rourke. "I am honored to serve another term as chair with this board of trustees," Laue said. "Our great sport has overcome many obstacles and difficulties...

The Thoroughbred Idea Foundation has published a biennial report covering operations from its launch in August 2018 through the end of July 2020. The report provides a brief overview of TIF work and engagements from that period, high-level financials and more. "We are pleased to present the TIF Biennial Report, covering our first two years of operations," said TIF founder and board chairman Craig Bernick. "We believe a report is necessary to be transparent with the activities we have undertaken and with our spending to accomplish that--primarily funded to date...

Michael Levy has been added to the Board of Directors of the The Thoroughbred Idea Foundation (TIF). Levy is the founder and president of Muirfield Insurance, a full-service equine insurance agency based in Lexington, Kentucky. Along with wife Meg, they own and operate Bluewater Farm and Bluewater Sales. Throughout his career, Levy has served on a variety of industry boards, including the American Graded Stakes Committee, Breeders' Cup and Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. "Mike brings a lifetime of experience to our board, and with it, a willingness to think...