Kentucky

This year's Breeders' Cup had a touch of deja vu all over again thanks to a series of veterinary scratches in the lead up to the event, some of which didn't exactly sit well with connections. The one that perhaps garnered the most attention is Californian flag-bearer The Chosen Vron's (Vronsky) removal from the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint on official veterinary advice. The horse's connections initially disputed the scratch, arguing he was 100% sound. It later transpired The Chosen Vron had a small ankle problem that necessitated a few months...

Maria Borell, known for training Eclipse Champion Sprinter Runhappy (Super Saver) in the lead up to his win the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, has been issued a trainer's license in the state of California. The Daily Racing Form first reported the news Friday. In 2016, Borell and her father, Charles, were charged in Kentucky with 43 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. The charges against her were dropped last year and the DRF noted that Borell plans to train for several clients in California. According to CHRB spokesperson Mike Marten, Borell...

A dedicated horsewoman who ran Ridgefield Farm in Shelbyville, Kentucky, Dani L. Parrish passed away Aug. 29. She was 68 years old. Born in Denver, Colorado, Parrish was one of seven who grew up going to racetracks and her love of horses drew her to enter the business which spanned over 40 years. She and her partner, trainer Robert "Boston Bob" Pincins, built their business from the ground up at Ridgefield. Mainly racing in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio, the pair developed young horses and Parrish was integral to farm's success...

Encouraging undergraduates to enter equine practice after graduation, Opportunities in Equine Practice Seminar (OEPS) will hold a two-day seminar starting Friday, Aug. 30 at the Griffin Gate Marriott in Lexington, Kentucky, the organization said in a Thursday release. Reestablished in 2023 after a ten-year hiatus, the event hosts third-year veterinary students (Class of 2026) with practitioners from around the country to present their experiences in various disciplines. The estimated 325 attendees will be able to engage in interactive discussions with industry partners, tour equine hospitals, local horse farms and Keeneland....

Kentucky Downs plans to increase purses for nine of its 18 stakes by a total of $3.7 million from what was originally announced, pending regulatory approval, according to a press release from the track early on Thursday morning. Leading the way is the GIII Nashville Derby Invitational, bumped from $2.5 million to $3.1 million. That would make the 1 5/16-mile stakes North America's second-richest race, for Kentucky-breds, behind only the $5 million GI Kentucky Derby among races held at one track. The Nashville Derby already was America's richest turf race...

Canadian champion 2-year-old colt Truth of It All (Proud Truth) died peacefully from natural causes at age 34 on Wednesday, July 24 at Hurstland Farm in Midway, Kentucky, according to a press release from the farm. By Darby Dan stallion Proud Truth, Truth of It All was born at Hurstland to MGSW Cup of Honey (Raise a Cup) Feb. 26, 1990. Trained by Sheldon Wolfe, Truth of It All won the 1993 edition of the GIII Grey Stakes en route to taking home the Sovereign Award for the top juvenile...

A day after an 'unexpected water issue' caused by Wednesday evening storms forced the closure to the public of Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky, track officials announced Friday morning that it would be business as usual for the afternoon's live program. "Thank you to our staff, the local Henderson community and racing fans for their patience," said Ellis Park General Manager Matt Pressley. "We're looking forward to seeing everyone out at the track [Friday]." Strong storms passed through the region Wednesday night, causing a power outage to the grandstand that...

"A man of my kidney." All the way back to Falstaff, this curious expression has tokened a particular kinship in temperament or personality. In the case of Adrian Regan of Hunter Valley Farm, however, it has an uncommon resonance--both literal and figurative. In the former sense, he was fortunate that his brother should have turned out to possess not only a matching kidney when Regan needed a transplant, but also the big fraternal heart to go willingly under the knife. Regan will never forget Dr. Erickson at the Mayo Clinic...

"Mr. Bob," they call him: a nice combination of deference and affection. Both have been amply earned, over the six decades since Robert Hall Jr. established a feed mill that has attained global reach while remaining an unmistakably local, Bluegrass institution. But as befits a man who sleeps in the room where he was born, 94 years ago, the story has roots extending to another era altogether; to a boyhood when Hall--presumably then plain "Master Bob"--saw for himself the difference that good diet could make to livestock. "I was nine...

We know it as a tried-and-true consignment that has been making headlines at the Keeneland September Sale for over 20 years now. And we know its figurehead Peter O'Callaghan as one of the sharpest pinhookers in the game--flipping a $400,000 American Pharoah colt into a $2.2 million Keeneland September yearling in 2018 and before that, pinhooking a $180,000 War Front weanling into a $2.5 million yearling at the same sale back in 2013. But what's relatively new for us, when considering Woods Edge Farm, is finding the operation listed as...

Kentucky's Thoroughbred retirement home Old Friends welcomed the recently-retired MGSW/MGISP C Z Rocket (City Zip). The 10-year-old gelding arrived Feb. 29 to the farm and was welcomed by founder Michael Blowen and current Old Friends CEO John Nicholson. "CZ Rocket has captured the affections of countless race fans throughout his many years on the track," said Nicholson. "After such a successful career, this special gelding has earned the right to enjoy being pampered and celebrated here at Old Friends. We are grateful to his connections for seeking such a well-deserved...

9-year-old stallion Scared Life (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), a multiple graded-stakes winner and third in both the GI Arlington Million and the GI Makers Mark Mile, was represented by his first foal Feb. 21. The colt, out of the mare Fire Assay (Medaglia d'Oro), was born in Kentucky according to War Horse Place. Sacred Life, retired after the 2022 Arlington Million, stands at Kentucky's War Horse Place for $2,000 alongside Hog Creek Hustle (Overanalyze), Rombauer (Twirling Candy) and Smooth Like Straight (Midnight Lute).