TDN Writers' Room Podcast

With four new stallions standing at the farm in 2025, perhaps no farm had a better recruiting year than Gainesway. Their general manager, Brian Graves, appeared on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast to discuss those new recruits-Muth, Seize the Grey, Tapit Trice, and Charge It. But the quartet isn't all that's going on at Gainesway, where their first-crop stallion McKinzie is one of three stallions vying for 2024's leading freshman sire, along with Vekoma at Spendthrift and Coolmore's Tiz the Law. "We're busy here," said Graves. "You know, that's...

There will be a changing of the guard in August when Stuart Janney, III steps down from his long-held position as the Chairman of The Jockey Club. His replacement will be owner-breeder Everett Dobson. Janney recommended Dobson, and the board of stewards of The Jockey Club agreed. Dobson has long involved himself with some of the sport's most important and influential organizations. He is on his second term as a steward of The Jockey Club. He serves on the executive committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and is...

The last few weeks have been and will continue to be important ones for Mark Cornett's C2 Racing Stable, which he owns alongside his brother Clint. A few weeks ago, the Cornett brothers won the GI PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint with longshot Soul of an Angel (Atreides). And later this week, their stable's star, GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio (Race Day), will have first start since finishing a disappointing fifth in the GI Metropolitan Handicap June 8. He'll run in an allowance race...

When bloodstock agent David Ingordo bought Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) for just $60,000 out of the 2005 Keeneland September Sale he probably thought he had found that once-in-a-lifetime horse. Little did he know that the 2010 Horse of the Year, who was admitted to the Hall of Fame in 2016, might not be his very best purchase. Fourteen years after he discovered Zenyatta, he picked out Flightline (Tapit), paying $1 million for the future superstar. There was nothing coincidental about any of these selections. Over the years, Ingordo has solidified...

It was quite a few days for Canadian-based trainer Kevin Attard. On Saturday, he won his first Breeders' Cup race with Moira (Ghostzapper) in the GI Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf and some 48 hours later she went through the ring for $4.3 million. Knowing he'd have plenty to say, we invited Attard to join us on this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He admitted that saying goodbye to the best horse he has ever trained was difficult. "Well, right now it's extremely difficult, no doubt...

When it comes to winning Breeders' Cup races, no rider does it better than "Big Money" Mike Smith. His 27 wins leads all jockeys and is seven wins better than runner-up John Velazquez. With the Breeders' Cup quickly approaching, Smith sat down with the team at the TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland and took us on a trip down memory lane. The Hall of Famer was the Guest of the Week. Of the 27 wins, is one his favorite? "It would have to be Zenyatta [in the 2009...

As recently as 2015, it looked like Dylan Davis's career was stuck in neutral. He won just 57 races that year with earnings of $1,859,318. He was, at best, a middle-of-the-pack rider on the NYRA circuit. Fast forward to 2024 and a new Davis has emerged. With three months to go on the year he's already won 147 races and earned $11,318,656 and is on schedule to have the best year of his career. His win aboard Todd Pletcher trainee Tapit Trice (Tapit) in last Saturday's GII Woodward Stakes was...

Peter Rotondo picked a good time to go to work for 1/ST Racing. The company's new Senior Vice President of Racing and Wagering joined a team who is ready to put on an extravaganza this weekend at Santa Anita. It's called the California Crown and consists of three races, the GII $750,000 John Henry Turf Cup, the Grade II $750,000 Eddie D. Stakes and the $1 million GI California Crown Stakes. Meant to be Santa Anita's version of the Pegasus World Cup, the day will also include entertainment meant for...

It's early, but maybe not too early to start dreaming of the GI Kentucky Derby. At least it's not for owner Richard Rigney. Rigney is the owner of 'TDN Rising Star' Jonathan's Way (Vekoma), the winner of last Saturday's GIII Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs, the first of many races that award Derby points to the top five finishers. Making his second career start after overcoming trouble to win a maiden at Saratoga, Jonathan's Way was an impressive winner, suggesting there could be bigger and better triumphs in his future....

Aidan O'Brien has never won the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. But it hasn't been from a lack of effort. He's had 13 starters in the race and has run some very good horses, including Galileo (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and Giant's Causeway (Storm Cat). But his luck could very well change this year as he will take aim at the Classic with one of the best horses of this generation. The O'Brien trained City of Troy (Justify) has had an outstanding campaign in Europe, winning six of seven starts, including four...

Mentee (City of Light), the two-year-old full-brother to GI Travers Stakes winner Fierceness (City of Light), came down with laminitis after his winning debut on June 15 at Aqueduct. According to owner Mike Repole, who revealed the news on the TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland, the situation was so severe that the colt is "lucky to be alive." However, Mentee recovered so well and so quickly that he is set to start in Monday's GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga. Mentee broke his maiden by a nose, defeating another...

The public may have given up on Fierceness (City of Light) before the GI DraftKings Travers S., sending last year's 2-year-old champion off at 7-2. It was all about his inability to string together two good races. But owner Mike Repole remained confident and that confidence was rewarded in the Travers in a victory that put his homebred squarely in the mix for Horse of the Year. To talk about Fierceness, and also his desire to make changes in the sport through his National Thoroughbred Alliance, Repole joined this week's...