TDN Writers' Room Podcast

Kentucky Downs Vice President of Racing Ted Nicholson may have the easiest job in racing, which he'll readily admit. Thanks to the popularity of the Historical Horse Racing Machines, he's got a boatload of money to spend. Every year, it's the same thing...he has to decide where and how to spend millions of dollars. How do you divide up the money and which races deserve a purse increase? "Business has been very strong on the gaming side," said Nicholson, this week's Green Group Guest of the Week on the TDN...

Owners Karl and Cathi Glassman, this week's Green Group Guests of the Week on the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland, bought their first horse in 2015 and initially didn't have much to show for it. But they understood patience and that good fortune would eventually come their way. Did it ever. The Glassmans have their first star, the GI Whitney winner Arthur's Ride (Tapit). Making his stakes debut at age 4, he was a 2 1/4-length winner on a rainy day in Saratoga. The win gave Bill Mott his...

It's been a magical year for jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr., who rides the best 3-year-old filly in the country in Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) and one of the best 3-year-old males in Mystik Dan (Goldencents). For the veteran rider that has meant wins in the GI Kentucky Oaks, the GI Kentucky Derby, the GI Acorn S. and the GI Coaching Club American Oaks. Thorpedo Anna will take on the boys in her next scheduled start, the GI DraftKings Travers S. Appearing on the TDN Writers' Room Podcast, presented by Keeneland,...

After a very successful mini-meet highlighted by the running of the GI Belmont Stakes, NYRA is set to return to Saratoga for the start of the 2024 meet. Guiding the ship will be NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke, who will be hoping for sunny skies, no breakdowns and record attendance and handle numbers. That's a lot to ask, but it is Saratoga, where magical things happen. To talk about the meet, O'Rourke joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast Presented by Keeneland. He was the Green Group Guest of...

Scott Sander had an idea for a rom-com movie floating around in his head, but wasn't quite sure what the setting should be. Then it hit him. Why not horse racing, and specifically the breeding industry? That's the story behind the story when it comes to the movie Sander is working on, "Breeders." "I thought I had what was a really good idea for a big, fun romantic comedy," said Sander, who was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week on the Thoroughbred Daily News Writers' Room Podcast presented...

Cherie DeVaux has been among the sport's hottest trainers this month, with a winning streak that included three graded stakes wins on the Pimlico card the day prior to the GI Preakness. Those wins landed DeVaux the top prize of $50,000 in the Maryland Jockey Club's $100,000 trainer bonus that was offered to horsemen for their participation in stakes races over Preakness weekend. DeVaux was no overnight sensation after going out on her own in 2018 after working for Chad Brown. She lost her first 28 races and it took...

To some trainers, the GI Preakness S. has become an afterthought. They worry about making the GI Kentucky Derby, so much to the point that the Preakness is not on their radar. The exception is Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Yes, he'd like to win the Derby more so than any other race, but the Preakness isn't far behind. He's won it eight times and will be back in Baltimore this week with Muth (Good Magic), the 8-5 morning line favorite, and Imagination (Into Mischief), who is 6-1 on the...

In a special edition of the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland, the team of Bill Finley, Zoe Cadman and Randy Moss discussed all 20 horses entered in this year's GI Kentucky Derby, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of each one. The consensus pick was Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), the winner of the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. He was picked on top by both Cadman and Finley. "He's in great form, seems to be improving and should love the 1 1/4 miles," Finley said. "He'll need a fast...

Few jockeys have ever come so far so fast. Keith Asmussen, the son of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, has been riding full time for less than two years, but has already snagged mounts in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks and sits in second-place in the jockey standings at Oaklawn Park. Asmussen, who will ride Just Steel (Justify) in the Derby and Lemon Muffin (Collected) in the Oaks for trainer Wayne Lukas, joined the TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland this week to discuss his...

When it comes to getting horses to the GI Kentucky Derby few have done more with less. Dennis Albaugh's Albaugh Family Stable doesn't have nearly the numbers of a Mike Repole or the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables, but he keeps coming up with Derby starters. This year he has Catching Freedom (Constitution), the winner of the GII Louisiana Derby, who will be his tenth starter under the Twin Spires over the last seven years. The goal this time around is not to simply make into...

Brad Cox won four stakes races over the weekend, including the GII Louisiana Derby and the GII Fair Grounds Oaks. But such a run of success has almost come to be expected from a trainer who never seems to have a bad week. Cox will arrive at Churchill Downs with an army of stakes-caliber horses, including threats for the GI Kentucky Derby and the GI Kentucky Oaks. The multiple Eclipse Award winning conditioner was our special guest on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland. He was this...

He's best known as a former NFL quarterback who nearly beat Tom Brady in Super Bowl XXXVIII. But Jake Delhomme, who starred for the Carolina Panthers, is also a passionate horse owner who, along with his father Jerry and his brother Jeff, operates Set-Hut Stable LLC. The Delhomme clan focuses on Louisiana-breds and this year they have come up with one of the best ever. Touchuponastar (Star Guitar) is 11-for-14 lifetime and will run this weekend at Fair Grounds, either against open company in Saturday's $500,000 GII New Orleans Classic...