Kentucky Thoroughbred Association

LEXINGTON, KY--Kentuckians across the Commonwealth woke up with a text on Saturday morning: 'Are you okay?' For most, it was an uneventful night aside from perhaps being awakened once or twice to the sound of high winds. But for some, unimaginable destruction and immeasurable damage occurred overnight as a catastrophic tornado hit western Kentucky. As of Friday, 77 Kentuckians have lost their lives due to a storm that is expected to have affected an estimated 227 miles, according to WLKY News. Bradley Boyd, a professional Quarter Horse trainer based in...

The Jockey Club, through its commercial subsidiaries, has donated $50,000 toward tornado relief in Western Kentucky in response to the areas that were devastated Dec. 11. The donation was made through a Go Fund Me site established by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association. In addition, The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, which provides financial relief and assistance to needy members of the Thoroughbred industry and their families, is prepared to help those in the racing community personally affected by the storms. Please visit tjcfoundation.org or call Shannon Kelly at (212) 521-5327...

Coolmore is offering a 2022 live foal guaranteed season to Triple Crown winner Justify to benefit relief efforts for the devastation caused by the recent tornadoes in Western Kentucky. Proceeds raised will be donated to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association's relief fund. The deadline to bid is Dec. 17 at 5 p.m. EST. Click here to bid.

David Richardson, M.D., a distinguished Kentucky-based surgeon who owned and bred Thoroughbreds for nearly half a century and was known as a thoughtful, cerebral racing regulator whose zeal for the sport shone through in his volunteer service on numerous industry-related boards, died Sept. 7 in Saratoga Springs, New York, after developing pneumonia related to COVID-19. Richardson had been briefly hospitalized in the intensive care unit at Saratoga Hospital; he was believed to be 76 years old. Chauncey Morris, the executive director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners...

(Editor's note: the following is a response to the letter to the editor sent to the TDN by Jason Litt) The KTA is run by a volunteer board of industry professionals. To become a director of the KTA you have to be chosen by your peers and voted in by the likes of those same peers. Obviously Jason Litt did just that, and we are all thankful for his time served on the KTA Board of Directors. Jason's 'why' has never been in question. He is a tremendous judge of...

It's no secret the horse industry is struggling. But like any good optimist, I'm always open to new ideas. I recently read Simon Sinek's book, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. The oversimplified concept of the book is how understanding your 'why' can contribute to your success. This is my 'why' I chose a career in horse racing. I love horses. From the unbelievable softness of a newborn foal to the rippling musculature of a stallion, they are majestic. As an agent, breeder and owner,...

The Jockey Club, the Breeders' Cup and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association have filed Amicus Curiae briefs supporting the rights of Churchill Downs and Keeneland to prohibit Lasix in races for 2-year-olds. The two Kentucky tracks are being sued by the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, which is seeking a temporary injunction that would stop the tracks from instituting so-called house rules that cover the Lasix ban. The three groups have asked the court to deny the injunction. The news of the filing of the briefs by the industry groups...