John Servis

Seven of the 11 directors of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA) filed a legal response Monday that denied sweeping allegations of corruption and cronyism that were made last month by the PTHA's current president and another board member. Facing a petition in the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, that seeks to use a state business corporations law to remove those seven directors from the PTHA board, the respondents stated in their Oct. 21 filing that the petition should be denied "because it is both legally and...

At 84-1 odds, Boys and Bullets (Uptowncharlybrown) was lagging in 11th and last place nearing the quarter pole in last Wednesday's eighth race at Parx when 10-pound apprentice jockey Francisco Martinez patiently started picking off half the field. By the time Martinez set down his gelding at the eighth pole, Boys and Bullets was gathering momentum, but still five lengths behind the frontrunner. As the line loomed, the pack tightened. With a hustling hand ride Martinez gunned for an inside split, then deftly readjusted his aim for a better hole...

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. Among the key rulings from the last seven days, it appears once again that the rules barring intra-articular injections within seven days of a timed or reported workout are tripping up trainers, with one such case resolved and another three introduced to the "pending rulings" list. NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the HIWU's "pending" and "resolved" cases portals....

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. Among the key rulings from the last seven days, trainer Jaime Cruz has been suspended for 15-days--beginning on Nov. 21--after his runner, Animal Princess, tested positive post-race for Detomidine, which is used primarily as a sedative in horses. Detomidine is also labelled as an analgesic. Trainer Tanner Tracy has also been suspended for seven days--beginning Nov. 15--after a post-race sample from his trainee, Carry On, tested positive for...

Trainer Tom Morley admitted that he was doing a bit of a rain dance Thursday, and his prayers were answered when Friday's Coronation Cup was washed onto the Saratoga main track. Scratched down to a field of just four sophomore fillies, Unified Alliance (Unified) took full advantage while making her first start for Morley and the in-form Javier Castellano. Nicely into stride from gate three, the dark bay filly had early company to her inside in the form of Anna's Arabesque (Munnings), as odds-on L Street Lady (Munnings)--the lone main-track-only...

Members of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA) have selected horse owner and breeder Robert Hutt to serve as the new president of the organization. Bob Hutt is president and CEO of Uptowncharlybrown Stud, LLC, a Pennsylvania-based Thoroughbred breeder and management firm. Hutt has 37 years of experience as an owner and a breeder and is the lead sponsor of the PTHA's Turning for Home, the association's signature racehorse aftercare and placement program. "I am honored and thrilled to represent the horsemen at Parx," Hutt said. "As president of the...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale, which produced a day of brisk trade during Monday's first session, saw activity tick up another notch during a vibrant day of trade Tuesday in Lexington. "The first horse through the ring this morning brought six figures and the last horse through the ring brought six figures," said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. "There was brisk activity and great trade, literally from start to finish today. It was very similar to yesterday." Midway through the four-day auction, 524 yearlings have sold for $28,232,900....

Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief--White Pants Night, by Speightstown), the romping 5 1/2-length winner of this year's GI Carter H. at Aqueduct, will enter stud in 2022 at the Shizunai Stallion Station on the island of Hokkaido, according to a release from the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association (JBBA). Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Mischevious Alex was a $75,000 Keeneland September yearling and was acquired privately by Charles Zacney's Cash Is King LLC after failing to meet his reserve at $140,000 at OBS April in 2019. A debut winner at Parx...

The streaking Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief) will look for his fourth straight score, third at the graded level, versus four fellow sophomores in Saturday's GI Woody Stephens S. at Belmont Park. A jaw-dropping seven-length winner of Gulfstream's GIII Swale S. at this same seven-furlong distance, the speedy bay outslugged 10 rivals for a sharp decision in the GIII Gotham S. going a one-turn mile last time at the Big A Mar. 7. "I'd love to be running in the Belmont," trainer John Servis said. "But I wanted to run him...

Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief) handled the added distance of Saturday's one-turn mile Gotham with aplomb, running away to his third straight impressive victory. He broke sharply and raced three deep to vy for command as they stacked up four across the track through a :23.54 opening quarter. The bay made his move to gain a narrow advantage approaching the far turn, was sat down by Kendrick Carmouche nearing the quarter pole and responded nicely from there, driving clear in the stretch to deliver as the favorite. Mischevious Alex entered the...

Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief) looks for his third straight stakes score in a loaded renewal of Saturday's GIII Gotham S. going a one-turn mile at the Big A. The speedy bay, favored at 3-1 on the morning line for the Gotham, ran away by 9 3/4 lengths in his first attempt with blinkers added in the Parx Juvenile S. Nov. 5, then returned from the bench with another dazzling front-running performance in Gulfstream's GIII Swale S. Feb. 1. Both races were contested at seven furlongs. "If he runs good in...

Last term's GII Saratoga Special S. winner and GI Champagne S. runner-up Green Light Go and the runaway debut winner Untitled (Khozan) took all the money here, but it was Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief) who ran more like an odds-on favorite. Swiftly into stride from the inside post, the last-out runaway winner of the Parx Juvenile S. held inside position at the fence as the two market leaders lingered behind. Both Green Light Go and Untitled were up and down approaching the stretch, but Mischevious Alex, who turned for home...