Graded Stakes Committee

by Clodagh Kavanagh The 2020-2022 Godolphin Flying Start trainees have been tasked to use their knowledge and creativity to come up with proposals for a new look U.S. Graded Stakes Program for 3-year-olds. These four round table discussions will be published in TDN on May 15, 17, 19, and 21. First up we have England's George Broughton, England's Tommy Lyon-Smith and France's Marine Moussa who will be focusing on 3-year-old colts. Click here for Part One.  Please send feedback and suggestions to the trainees via Kate Hardy at khardy@godolphinflyingstart.com. All...

The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association released its listing of U.S. graded and listed stakes races for 2021, the results of its annual grading session conducted Dec. 15-16. A single race, the Saratoga Derby Invitational S. at Saratoga, was upgraded to Grade I status for 2021. No races were downgraded from Grade I to Grade II for 2021. The committee evaluated races conducted following the 2019 Breeders' Cup through Mar. 15 as normal, and races conducted after March 15 were evaluated as normal, as...

When it was announced last week that a record $748.6 million had been wagered on sports during September in New Jersey that appeared to be more bad news for horse racing. It was the most ever bet in any one state during a month and a sign of the times. The amount legally wagered on sports in this country is soaring, with no end in sight, and it stood to reason that some of that money had been siphoned off from racing. Sports betting is now available in 18 states...