University of Kentucky

Dr. Michael "Mick" Peterson, Jr. is the executive director of the independent Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory. He is a mechanical engineer who is widely considered the preeminent track surface specialist in North America. His team has conducted the ongoing testing at Churchill Downs, and it will be tasked this week with being sure Ellis Park is ready to handle a race meet in expedited fashion while also helping out with the continued surface analysis at Churchill. TDN spoke with Peterson early Friday evening in the wake of the 12 horse...

Ed Brown Scholars, Jordyn Elder and Jaida Alee, have been placed as student interns at Keeneland, and Ed Brown Fellow Timothy Campbell, Jr. has been placed as a Keeneland Library Associate as the partnership between Keeneland and the Ed Brown Society continues to develop in its first year. Alee is a sophomore at the University of Kentucky, majoring in Equine Science and Management and Elder is on schedule to graduate with honors, from Kentucky State University in May of 2023, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Campbell is...

The opinion-heavy but heretofore science-light debate over whether or not certain stallions covering record numbers of mares per year will weaken the Thoroughbred breed gained a lot of clarity in late June when the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center released the findings from part one of its genetic diversity study. Tuesday, UK professor Ernie Bailey, PhD, joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland as the Green Group Guest of the Week to explain the major takeaways from the Gluck Center's research, what it means for the breeding...

Dr. Ernest Bailey shares the science behind the importance of diversity in equine genetics on this week's TDN Writers' Room. Plus the writers recap the GI Whitney S. and preview an exciting upcoming weekend of racing.

In the first episode of the TDN's new video series 'Catching Up with Katie,' host Katie Petrunyak sat down with the University of Kentucky's starting quarterback Will Levis and Claiborne Farm's Walker Hancock at Wallace Station Deli and Bakery outside of Lexington to discuss the N.I.L. (Name, Image, and Likeness) deal between Levis and Claiborne stallion War of Will (War Front). The partnership was announced early last month and is the first of its kind for any collegiate student-athlete with a Thoroughbred syndicate. [Elite_video_player id="2" html5videos_hd="https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/709670997/rendition/540p/file.mp4?loc=external&signature=d99ce348f7d43f5e6c9f920d0521574d659d3e2254c9e2161218981a2d67dabc" html5videos_videoThumbnails_jpg="" html5videos_title="Catching Up with...

The University of Kentucky Ag Equine Program's Wildcat Wrangler equine student ambassador team has selected Blue Grass Farms Charities (BGFC) as their agency of choice for the semester for community service. Club members will host a 'canned food, cleaning and hygiene' drive from Feb. 14-25 and will be collecting 'springtime' toys for farm children to play with outside on sunny days. "We cannot wait to start collecting donations and distributing them to the community while connecting with the equine industry," said sophomore Jen Zimmerman, a 'Wildcat Wrangler' in the UK...

Charles Churchill, a University of Kentucky senior majoring in Equine Science and Management from Louisville, has been named the recipient of the 2021/2022 Joe Hirsch Legacy Equine Academy Scholarship. Churchill, who completed an internship with the Keeneland track maintenance team during the summer of 2021, is a member of the UK Horse Racing Club, the UK Collegiate Professional Horsemen's Association and a Wildcat Wrangler, the student ambassador team within the equine major. The scholarship was originally established at UK in 2005 but to keep in step with current industry needs,...

The board of the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation announced the recipient of a one-time scholarship, with Shelby DeVita, a senior majoring in Equine Science and Management at the University of Kentucky, receiving a grant of a semester's tuition. DeVita has worked for Calumet Farm and is currently working as a tech at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. She is Vice President of the UK rodeo team and participates in roping and barrel racing competitions. In addition, the board announced a one-time scholarship to the Irish National Stud. Full tuition...

The Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) and the University of Kentucky (UK) have joined together to launch a statewide survey in 2022, designed to establish the number of horses in Kentucky and to determine the impact of horses in the Commonwealth. Kentucky has a unique cluster of private and commercial horse farms and operations, with hundreds of horse-related businesses which include everything from transportation to equine health services to tourism. These ancillary businesses create an advantage for Kentucky's equine industry and are integral to Kentucky's economy. The last survey completed in...

The inaugural Racecourse Manager Certification program, an online curriculum for turf surface maintenance personnel, will host its third and final session Monday, June 21 at 11 a.m. ET, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and University of Kentucky announced Thursday. Entitled "Measurement of Turf Condition," Monday's two-hour session will feature presentations from eight leading authorities on racing surfaces. Brian Jabelman, Senior Director of Track Operations for the New York Racing Association, will provide introductory remarks as the leader of the session. The Racecourse Manager Certification program curriculum is designed for...

The inaugural Racecourse Manager Certification program, presented by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and University of Kentucky, will take place Monday, June 14 at 11 a.m. ET. Entitled "Cultivation of Turf for Compaction and Wear," Monday's two-hour session will feature presentations by Keeneland Director of Racing Surfaces Jim Pendergest and Atlantic Tractor's Jamie Reeves, who will present John Deere research and development findings. The upcoming program includes: "Turfgrass aeration--why, how, when" - Mike Boekholder, Boekholder & Associates "How often in practice: Lessons from Del Mar, Woodbine, Fair Grounds and...

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory (RSTL) will launch a joint initiative offering a Racecourse Manager Certification from the University of Kentucky. The initial three-course program, entitled "Turfgrass as an Equine Sports Surface," is designed for those already engaged in careers with turf surface maintenance. Free online classes will begin June 7 and will be archived. Individuals who complete the video courses and pass a test that requires a $50 fee will receive a...