Scott Leeds

By J. Keith Desormeaux As owners and trainers, because of our day-to-day direct involvement with our horses, we have the most at stake, both personally and monetarily, in the success of racing in the State of Kentucky. Because of this, I, with the support of my clients and colleagues are strongly requesting an improvement to the raceday scratch procedure. As much as anyone, we understand the unpredictable nature of Thoroughbred soundness. It should be clearly understood that we are not seeking to end vet checks on race day, but we...

This letter originally appeared on the Walking L Companies website and is republished in the TDN unedited and with permission. I believe that we are all involved in whichever corner of the Thoroughbred Racing Industry we each occupy because of our love first and foremost for the HORSES and that we all want to see racing grow and thrive for decades to come. Of course, there are many problems and challenges within our industry and many things that we need to fix in order for it to continue, let alone...

Wonder Ride (Gun Runner) is by one of the best sires in the sport and comes from a winning barn in the Kenny McPeek stable. But Saratoga bettors overlooked her in Sunday's first race, a seven-furlong dirt maiden for 2-year-old fillies. She was sent off at 10-1. You probably won't get 10-1 again on her anytime soon. Ridden by Julien Leparoux, Wonder Ride was never far back, but the jockey remained patient. She got rolling near the top of the stretch, split horses and then took over in the final...

Camp Hope, a 3-year-old son of Summer Front who made it to the winner's circle on both opening day and closing day of Keeneland's fall meet, will take on Grade I company in Saturday's Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. The Kenny McPeek trainee carries the silks of owner Walking L Thoroughbreds, but his earnings go toward the important facility he was named after. An intensive residential program in Houston, Texas, Camp Hope provides treatment for combat veterans suffering from trauma and PTSD. The facility opened its doors in 2012 and...

Nearly a thousand miles from Keeneland Race Course, a watch party in Houston, Texas is sure to be cheering just as emphatically as if they were in the grandstand. Residents of Camp Hope, a facility that provides support and mentoring to combat veterans suffering from the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress, will tune in on Friday to watch a juvenile colt named after the residential program. If Camp Hope (Summer Front) ends up in the winner's circle for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, his earnings will go back to the facility...