Del Mar Thoroughbred Club

Equine or human, history is always about the six degrees of someone in racing's world. For instance, at 100-1 Jim Dandy beat Triple Crown champion Gallant Fox in the 1930 edition of the Travers S., which only featured four entries total. The horse who set up the longshot by engaging in a speed duel with the favorite over the mud was Whichone, a colt owned by Harry Payne Whitney (yes, that important family). And what other Thoroughbred did Whitney own? Well, that would be Upset, who did just that, when...

by Brent J. Malmstrom I am the owner of a small stable with 35 horses in training split between multiple states. I wanted to share my first-hand experience on what happens when your trainer has been provisionally suspended, as well as my own thoughts on what is happening within our beloved industry. HISA/HIWU testing and enforcement went live roughly 60 days ago. Every week, there is news in the trade publications of trainers who have been provisionally suspended or have had an unfavorable test result. The rules continue to be...

Bill Strauss and Bret Jones have both been named to the Board of Directors of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. The two, who are the first new members added to the board since three members were added in 2018, bring the total number of current board members to 11. "We've made ourselves better and stronger with the addition of these two fine gentlemen," said board member and Del Mar CEO Joe Harper. "When you can pick up a pair of individuals who love racing and have rich histories in the...

6th-SAR, $136K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 4:06 p.m. CAMERA (Curlin) will make her debut on Sunday at Saratoga Race Course for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. A $1,050,000 buy last August at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale, the bay filly out of Cassies Dreamer (Flatter) hails from a female family which includes More Than Real (More Than Ready) and Structor (Palice Malice), winners of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf, respectively. The Todd Pletcher trainee, who gets the services of Irad Ortiz, clocked 1:00.55 in her last workout...

After a rousing Saturday lineup, the stakes weekend isn't complete yet, as Saratoga, Woodbine and Del Mar present graded offerings. The marquee match on Sunday is the GII Shuvee S. at Saratoga, which honors the 1970 and 1971 champion older female by Nashua who was the second filly to win the Triple Tiara. The Virginia bred is also the only filly to ever defeat colts in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. And she did that twice. Though only four are entered here, the race includes the defending champion from last...

Not just anyone could join their club. You had to possess status, refinement, wealth and charm. Oh, and the real test was, "The ability to drive four horses with grace and skill," which translated to holding the reigns in one fist--whew, tough. Founded in 1875, New York's Coaching Club had strict guidelines for membership, which included that you could not be involved in racing of any kind. Interesting that the CC's annual parade was replaced in 1917, the same year America entered The Great War, by a race for 3-year-old...

Keeneland Sales has become the presenting sponsor of the GI Alabama S. at Saratoga Race Course, and Keeneland November will present the GII Jessamine S. on opening day of the 2023 Fall Meet, the organization said in a release Thursday. This comes on the heels of last week's news that the sales division would lend its name to the GIII Sorrento S. at Del Mar. "Keeneland is excited to team with NYRA and Del Mar in sponsoring these prestigious summer stakes, and for Keeneland November to sponsor our Jessamine Stakes...

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will officially partner over multiple seasons with Keeneland Sales beginning with their summer meet on July 21, the track said in a release Friday afternoon. As part of the orchestration around the partnership, Keeneland Sales will become the presenting sponsor for the GIII Sorrento S. on Saturday, Aug. 12. "We're delighted to be partners once again with the folks at Keeneland," said Tom Robbins, Del Mar's executive vice president of racing. "The name Keeneland resounds throughout our industry and Del Mar and Keeneland are a perfect...

Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC) have reached an agreement in a lawsuit stemming from events during the summer of 2019 when the track temporarily barred the trainer from its grounds, according to a notice of settlement recently filed in the San Diego Superior Court. The notice included no specifics. "The terms of the settlement are to remain confidential," explained Hollendorfer's attorney, Drew Couto. DMTC president, Josh Rubinstein, confirmed the settlement in an emailed statement. "The resolution of this litigation does not reflect the...

The California Horse Power Coalition (CHPC), a growing partnership of Thoroughbred associations, will commit to fund the California breakout report as part of the American Horse Council's California Economic Impact Study, the organization said in a release Thursday. "The American Horse Council consistently produces the most comprehensive national economic impact studies that showcase the vast benefits that the equine industry brings to communities across the country," said Josh Rubinstein, President of Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, an American Horse Council member. "As our industry continues to evolve, we are confident that...

Del Mar will once again offer a bonus package for maidens competing at the highest levels on dirt throughout its upcoming 84th summer season, the track said in a release on Wednesday. The move adds 25% in purse earnings to runners who fit the simple specifications of the program, is available to all dirt competitors in maiden allowance races, all California-bred maiden allowance races or any maiden-claiming race at the $62,500 level or above. The maiden must come from the barn of a trainer who has no more than 60...

Ryan Noffsinger has been named track superintendent at Prairie Meadows. A third-generation horseman, Noffsinger has worked at tracks from California, Arizona, New Mexico and, most recently, in Florida. "In my 18 years working in various roles with track maintenance, I've been able to gain valuable knowledge at tracks like Del Mar, Turf Paradise, Zia Park, Sunland Park, Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows which will serve me well as Track Superintendent for Prairie Meadows," Noffsinger said. Prairie Meadows Vice President for Racing Derron Heldt added, "Ryan brings so much to...