Archive

Homebuilder, philanthropist, and racehorse owner. Michael Dubb does it all. He's recently been working on a project called Oak Ridge. We visited Dubb in Saratoga to see what he's been working on. Seven-time Saratoga leading owner Michael Dubb is the founder of The Beechwood Organization, Long Island's largest homebuilder which he operates with his son Steven. Dubb prides himself on attention to detail and building houses that feel like homes. Dubb, much like how he manages his highly successful racing stable, is on-site and hands-on in his design-build business. These...

The New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show is the largest all-Thoroughbred horse show in the country, and an event that specializes in displaying the variety of disciplines retired racehorses can excel in. Leandra Cooper and Andrea Mandella spoke with us about the upcoming event. This year, the show is scheduled for September 3-6, dates that have been set on the calendar well before the Coronavirus forced the rescheduling of the Kentucky Derby for September 5. And while the New Vocations team is said they were looking forward to their annual...

Paige Gilster moved to Lexington after gradating from Iowa State University, and has since become the assistant farm manager at Timber Town Stables. She's also the breeder of Finnick the Fierce, a contender in this year's Blue Grass S. at Keeneland. Gilster was long on hands-on horse experience but short on connections when she graduated from Iowa State University and moved to Lexington. Since then, she's developed her skills as a horsewoman and in just a short time, has become the assistant farm manager at Timber Town Stables, where she...

Like everyone else, Gabby Gaudet is looking forward to Keeneland's special summer meet, which kicks off Wednesday. With 10 graded stakes races packed into a five-day schedule, she knows the meet will be special, but also different. Keeneland has never run in the summer before, and, for this meet, no spectators will be allowed to attend. As one of the hosts of the track's simulcast feed, Gaudet's job will be to deliver the "Keeneland experience" to people's living rooms. Because fans aren't allowed to attend, Keeneland is enhancing its simulcast...

As president of the sale company that conducted the final auction before the coronavirus pandemic shut down society as well as the first one after restrictions were lifted, OBS's Tom Ventura has had to learn on the fly. Wednesday, he joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland to offer his advice for the rest of the industry on keeping business going amidst COVID-19 and his impressions of the rebounding sale market. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Ventura said of the lessons...

Ouita Michel's Wallace Station is located in the heart of horse country. The restaurant has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, but many of the business' top customers are members are the horse racing community. Michel spoke with us on the how the Thoroughbred industry has helped make Wallace Station such a success. Owner Ouita Michel is world-renowned for the family of restaurants she has built in Lexington over the past two decades. Her businesses have been featured in the New York Times, Southern Living, and the Food Network....

Guy Leach speaks to TDN's Alayna Cullen about his recent Royal Ascot winner Pyledriver (GB), who is on course for the Derby this weekend, and his dam La Pyle (Fr). Group 2 winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) remains on course for the G1 Investec Derby as long as he continues to please trainer William Muir ahead of the premier Classic on July 4.The Harbour Watch colt put himself in the picture for the Epsom showpiece with a convincing victory in the King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot.

With a newly-minted Grade I winner in his barn and another set to hit the track this weekend, trainer Tom Amoss joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland Wednesday morning for an illuminating discussion that covered a wide variety of topics, big and small. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Amoss explained the success of barn stars No Parole (Violence) and Serengeti Empress (Alternation), talked about what he's learned from branching out into broadcasting and offered his take on why racing has...

This week on the TDN Writers' Room, we spoke with Taylor Made's Mark Taylor and discussed Not This Time's (Giant's Causeway) fast start as a freshman sire, as well as his predictions looking towards the upcoming sales season. After what feels like an endless drought, the U.S. sales season resumed last week at OBS. This week on the TDN Writers' Room podcast, presented by Keeneland, Taylor Made's Mark Taylor is the Green Group Guest of the Week to talk what kind of bellweather the OBS sale provides for the rest...

It's not every year that John Shirreffs, a patient trainer with a small stable of mostly older horses, has a GI Kentucky Derby contender. In fact, the last time most remember him being in the spotlight was with a certain mare named Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}), four-time champion and arguably the most popular horse of the 21st century. But with newly-minted Grade I winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code) looking like a leading challenger for the Run for the Roses, Shirreffs joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Wednesday...

After eight years of veterinary school, Ferrin Peterson would have been content enough to start up her career as a veterinarian. But Peterson has other ideas. Ferrin Peterson can't exactly tell you why she will at least temporarily put aside the eight years of study and sacrifice that earned her a veterinary degree from UC Davis, one of the top schools in the country, and a lucrative-and safe-career as a large-animal vet. Nor can she say why she's willing to let her acupuncture skills and certification lie dormant, for now....

There was no better place to be in American horse racing than Belmont Park Wednesday morning as the track prepared to reopen New York racing later in the day after months of being shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic. That's where Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey called in from as the Green Group Guest of the Week on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland. In a wide-ranging discussion, McGaughey talked about the return of stable star Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), racing finally resuming at his...