TOBA

OwnerView outlined the 2023 schedule for its Thoroughbred Owner Conference, which will be held as a free series of virtual panels over 10 months. The conference series, hosted by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and presented by Bessemer Trust, Stoll Keenon Ogden, and The Green Group, will be held on the first or second Tuesday of each month beginning in March. "This new format began in 2021, and over the past two years it has been very successful in reaching new and existing Thoroughbred owners,"...

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) has scheduled educational seminars for 2023. Specific topics, speakers, and sponsors for each seminar will be announced closer to the events with each seminar covering topics pertaining to both Thoroughbred owners and breeders. The 2023 schedule includes: Mar. 19-20 - Ocala, Florida June 23-24 - Toronto, Canada July 27-28 - Del Mar, California Aug. 10-11 - Saratoga Springs, New York* Oct. 23 - Lexington, Kentucky *Tentative dates for Saratoga; all others confirmed. "We are excited to announce some great venues for the 2023...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) announced that a team led by Brendan Kumagai has been selected as the winner of the inaugural Big Data Derby competition, beating out 105 other submissions for first prize. Kumagai, together with Gurashish Bagga, Kimberly Kroetch, Tyrel Stokes, and Liam Welsh, took the $20,000 first prize with the submission, "Bayesian Velocity Models for Horse Race Simulation." Kumagai's team created a dynamic model that focused on horses' forward versus lateral speed and examined the results of...

Trainer Mike Maker racked up his 20th and 21st Claiming Crown victories on Saturday, extending his lifetime lead among conditioners in that annual series by saddling Keystone Field (Candy Ride {Arg}) to a determined half-length win in the featured $175,000 Jewel. But while Maker's familiar presence in the winner's circle underscored his resilience in the event often described as the "blue-collar Breeders' Cup," a trainer taking his first crack at the Claiming Crown, Tom Van Berg, also registered two series victories and added a third on the undercard for a...

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association announced the roster of speakers for its Pedigree & Conformation Clinic at Fasig-Tipton, held Monday, Oct. 24, in Lexington during the Kentucky October Yearlings sale. The event, sponsored by Lexington Equine Medical Group and the Retired Racehorse Project, offers insight on different aspects of Thoroughbred auctions, including bloodstock, pedigree and conformation analysis, and more from industry professionals. The topics and speakers at the clinic include: Horse Selection & Working with your Bloodstock Agent, presented by Chad Schumer (Bloodstock Agent) The Role of an Auction...

Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin was named 2021 National Owner of the Year, presented by 1/ST, and also Breeder of the Year during the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA)'s National Awards Dinner held Sept. 10 at Keeneland. The event was emcee'd by TVG's Gabby Gaudet. Horses carrying the Godolphin blue won 84 races from 479 starts in America in 2021, for a strike rate of 18% and purse money of better than $17 million, led by champion Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf. Godolphin also won...

The National Awards Dinner will be held Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, at Keeneland, and the National Awards Luncheon which honors breeders from 18 states and Canada will be held on Friday, Sept. 9 at Ashford Stud. While the state and Canadian breeder awards, as well as some of the national awards, are predetermined--three awards will be announced live at the dinner on Saturday evening. The three awards that will be announced live are: The National Owner of the Year presented by 1/ST, National Breeder of the Year, and Small Breeder...

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association re-elected Brant Laue as chairman of its Board of Trustees. Also joining Laue on the Board of Trustees to serve three-year terms as new members are Billy Koch, Braxton Lynch, and Francis Vanlangendonck. Re-elected to three-year terms were current trustees Doug Cauthen, Marshall Gramm, Stephanie Hronis, Jason Loutsch, and David O'Farrell. Officers named for 2022-2023 are: Laue, chairman, O'Farrell, vice-chairman, Dan Metzger, president; Doug Cauthen, secretary; and Garrett O'Rourke, treasurer. The TOBA Board also approved the appointment of O'Farrell and reappointment of Barbara Banke...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority will be implementing changes to HISA Rule 2276, which pertains to full outer rim shoes and toe grabs. The rule will not be enforced for horses racing on dirt that are shod with traction devices on their hind feet in the form of either a full outer rim shoe or a toe grab, both up to 4mm in height. All other provisions of the rule will remain the same and be enforced Aug. 1 as previously announced. Click here to read the full HISA...

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association will be hosting a Breeding Clinic on June 3-4 in Lexington, Kentucky. Attendees will learn about a variety of topics pertaining to the breeding side of the Thoroughbred industry while visiting five central Kentucky farms and hearing from experts in the field. The clinic will include tours of Godolphin's Stonerside Farm, Spendthrift Farm, WinStar Farm, Mt. Brilliant Farm, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, and Summerwind Farm. Topics and speakers at the Breeding Clinic include: Breeding For the Athletic Thoroughbred and Conformation in Foals, presented by...

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association is hosting an Ownership Seminar on Wednesday, May 4, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Attendees will learn insights on different aspects of Thoroughbred ownership from industry professionals and enjoy a day of racing at Churchill Downs during the week of the Kentucky Derby. Topics include, but are not limited to, Thoroughbred veterinary care, aftercare, purchasing & managing of racehorses, equine insurance, and handicapping basics. Some of the speakers include trainer Kenny McPeek, Erin Halliwell of Thoroughbred Charities of America, and Dr. Russell Freeland,...

Mary-Courtney Gaddini has joined the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association as its membership manager, it was announced Tuesday. Gaddini was most recently the marketing coordinator at the United States Pony Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, she has been an equestrian since she was six years old. She is a graduate of Asbury University and previously worked in the foaling division at several Thoroughbred farms in Central Kentucky. Gaddini will manage all aspects of TOBA's membership program and owners concierge and will assist with the association's seminars, clinics and...