Photo by Jennie Rees D. Wayne Lukas — the most transformative horse trainer in the modern era — will be the keynote speaker at the National HBPA’s annual conference in March in Hot Springs, Ark. “When we seek out our keynote speaker, we look for inspiration and passion,” said Eric Hamelback, chief [...]
Expanding purse supplements for Kentucky-breds to include claiming races would shore up the state’s year-round horse-racing circuit, keeping horses and jobs in Kentucky, the leading horsemen’s association told a legislative committee Friday. Rick Hiles, president of the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association (KHBPA), said that while Kentucky’s racing industry is thriving on many [...]
(from Illinois HBPA news release) The organization representing owners and trainers at FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing (formerly known as Fairmount Park) is withholding consent for the TwinSpires betting platform to accept wagers from Illinois residents. The board of the Illinois Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, which represents horsemen at the southern Illinois track 15 [...]
Photo courtesy Churchill Downs (from Churchill Downs news release) Miguel Mena, one of the winningest jockeys in Churchill Downs history and a two-time winner of the prestigious Stephen Foster Stakes, was killed in a pedestrian accident on westbound I-64 between Blakenbaker Parkway and Hurstbourne Lane in Louisville on Sunday night. He was 34, [...]
The interactive, electronic version of The Horsemen’s Journal’s Fall 2021 issue is now available online. It is an enhanced version of the printed magazine, which is currently being mailed. To view it, click here. Features in the issue include: One Lucky Filly Thanks to some caring horsemen, 2-year-old Bold and Bossy is safe after first running [...]
Photo by Coady Photography Another successful Colonial Downs race meet was highlighted by a dedication to Thoroughbred Aftercare. After the sixth race on the Virginia Derby card Aug. 31 at Colonial Downs, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accepted a check for $50,000 from Colonial Downs and the Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. Initiated [...]
The finalists for the 2021 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards have been announced, including three finalists in six of the seven categories, as well as the winner and runner-up of the Thoroughbred Industry Community Award. This year’s Community Award winner is Nick Caras of the New York Racetrack Chaplaincy, with Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association’s Diana Pinones [...]
Photo by Coady Photography Jockeys and Jeans, which has raised over $1.6 million for former jockeys supported by the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, has made Brian Elmore, the Executive Director of the Indiana HBPA, its 2021 Man of the Year. "We can think of no one who is more deserving," said Barry Pearl, [...]
Attendees at the 2021 Track Supers Field Day at Indiana Grand (Photo by Coady Photography) The 2022 edition of Track Superintendent Field Day will be held June 12-14 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. This will mark the first time the event, which debuted in 2002 at Philadelphia Park (now Parx Racing), [...]
(from NMHA news release) A District Court Judge in New Mexico gave the New Mexico Horsemen’s Association (NMHA) an initial victory in the organization’s legal action against the New Mexico Racing Commission (NMRC). The action for now blocks the racing commission from ordering New Mexico’s tracks to withhold owners’ contributions to the horsemen’s association, [...]