Rail Talk Podcast

By Rail TalkSports

Rail Talk Podcast episodes

July 25, 2024 Rail Talk Episode 53: Keeping it Casse
This week on Rail Talk, Joe Bianca and Jon Green break down all the top headlines from a great weekend of racing, including how Dornoch and Thorpedo Anna’s victories affect the races for 3-year-old championships and Horse of the Year, and Idiomatic scoring another game victory as she builds a potential Hall of Fame case. They then touch on hopefully the last chapter in the Bob Baffert vs. Churchill Downs saga as Baffert is allowed to resume racing under the Twin Spires after a three-year suspension.
Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse then jumps on to discuss his unreal weekend of stakes victories all across North America, where we stand on HISA’s implementation, synthetic racing’s place in America’s racing ecosystem and much more.
Don’t miss any Rail Talk goodness as the summer racing season continues to heat up—be sure to subscribe the show on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Thank you as always to our sponsors Fasig-Tipton, Taylor Made and The Green Group for making all of this possible.
1 hr 2 min
July 18, 2024 Rail Talk Episode 52: The Summer Place To Be
This week on Rail Talk, Jon Green returns from his Canadian vacation and rejoins his buddy Joe Bianca, just home from opening week at Saratoga! The two break down all the storylines from the Spa—smaller than average crowds but solid handle, impressive 2-year-old performances and a speed-favoring dirt track.The boys then welcome Paulick Report founder and publisher Ray Paulick to analyze the latest developments from a potential Game of Silks rug pull, the opening of the Del Mar season, NYRA going all-weather all winter, and much more.Don’t miss any of these fascinating conversations full of straight talk, expert insight and as always, plenty of laughs. Be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Thanks for watching/listening and shoutout to the sponsors Fasig-Tipton, The Green Group and Taylor Made for their steadfast support.
1 hr 8 min
July 11, 2024 Rail Talk Episode 51: Jim-dependence Day
Happy Saratoga opening day! This week on Rail Talk, the team is back from a holiday weekend and Joe Bianca is joined by guest co-host Jim Politano, owner, bettor and rockstar. The two break down the latest court ruling on HISA’s constitutionality and Jim gives his input as a horseman on what needs to be fixed.
They also discuss the concerns surrounding fantasy horse racing app Game of Silks, which is temporarily freezing its operations after raising millions of dollars in the past year. Joe and Jim also give their ode to the unbelievable Next, and look forward to another summer at the Spa.
Don’t miss any fascinating, no-nonsense conversations on Rail Talk. Be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Thank you as always to The Green Group, Fasig-Tipton and Taylor Made for their support.
38 min
July 03, 2024 Breakaway Rail Talk: Blue Lion Thoroughbreds' Dave Lyon
This week on Breakaway Rail Talk sponsored by Arion Pedigrees, Joe Bianca sits down for an in-depth 1-on-1 conversation with Dave Lyon, the founder and managing partner of Blue Lion Thoroughbreds.
A Saratoga native, Lyon started Blue Lion as a tight-knit partnership with local friends and acquaintances. Before they knew it, the group found themselves on the Kentucky Derby trail with Gotham Stakes winner Morello in 2022. But an untimely injury cost the colt his chance at the Roses, and Lyon tells all about the lessons he learned from managing his partnership through that massive letdown.
The two also discussed both the excitement and challenges of getting a smaller partnership off the ground, what it takes to punch above your weight class in a business ruled by big money, the news that winter racing in New York will shift exclusively to synthetic and much more.
Don’t miss any of these fascinating conversations on Rail Talk—be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Thanks to Arion Pedigrees for giving us the fuel for our Breakaway Rail Talk fire.
36 min
June 28, 2024 Rail Talk Episode 50: A Beautiful Day in the Neigh-borhood
We made it to 50 episodes! It’s been an absolute joy for the team here at Rail Talk to experience this journey with all of you, so for this week’s episode we had to celebrate our milestone with an extravaganza of surprise guests, games, and of course, some straight talk on racing’s hot-button topics.
First, Joe Bianca and Jon Green react to the Supreme Court rebuffing a constitutional challenge to HISA and discuss some of the fascinating findings from McKinsey’s report on racing at the sport’s Welfare and Safety Summit. They also appreciate some strong performances on the track, headed by filly and mare sprint queen Vahva.
Special correspondent Skip Anderson calls in from the road to play ‘Name That Horse’ with Joe and Jon, plus Joe’s dad Russ pops in to gives his take on the show and tell some slightly embarrassing stories about his son. Plus some of our other good friends chime in to offer their congrats and well wishes.
Thank you so much to everyone who’s helped us establish Rail Talk as one of the leading voices in the industry. That means you, the viewers, listeners and subscribers and our outstanding sponsors The Green Group, Fasig-Tipton and Taylor Made. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Here’s to the next 50, 100 and beyond!
1 hr 6 min
June 19, 2024 Episode 49: A Lazarus Encore
This week on Rail Talk, Joe Bianca and Jon Green welcome back HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus for another illuminating, substantive discussion about a wide variety of racing’s hot-button topics. Joe and Jon ask about the improved breakdown statistics from the first quarter of 2024, the rationale behind HISA’s deferment of metformin suspensions, HISA’s investigative powers, the successful pressure campaign forcing Louisiana’s about-face on its attempt to loosen drug regulations and much more.The boys also celebrate some big wins for the ‘home teams’ of DJ Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds and look forward to the respective debuts of Rail Talk family horses Burner Account and Mean to Me!Nowhere else in the racing world are these kinds of in-depth conversations being had. Don’t miss an episode—especially as we get ready to celebrate show #50–be sure to subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Lots of love to the sponsors Fasig-Tipton, Taylor Made and The Green Group for supporting our vision from day one.
57 min
June 12, 2024 Rail Talk Episode 48: Belatoga Caps Thrilling Triple Crown
For the first time in its history, the Belmont Stakes moved north to Saratoga, and the buzz was unmistakable at the old Spa during a phenomenal racing festival. This week on Rail Talk, Joe Bianca and Jon Green react to the thrilling capper to an exhilarating—and safe—Triple Crown and celebrate an array of superstar performances.
Joe, who was in attendance all week at Saratoga, is then put in the hot seat as this week’s interview guest, as his buddy Jon has all sorts of questions about the inaugural ‘Belatoga’. What was the atmosphere like? What were the highlights? What can be improved upon? Joe tells all.
Finally, analyzing the other major news of a busy week, the boys discuss the Louisiana Horse Racing Commission thankfully backing down from its irresponsible attempt to loosen drug regulations, and Frank Stronach being arrested on a slew of sexual assault charges.
Don’t miss any of these content-rich episodes of Rail Talk. Be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Thanks as always to our sponsors Fasig-Tipton, Taylor Made and The Green Group for making it all possible.
1 hr 3 min
June 04, 2024 Rail Talk Episode 47: Reversing a Bayou Bumble
This week on Rail Talk, Joe Bianca and Jon Green welcome Louisiana racing’s finest and New Orleans native Dallas Stewart to update us on the pushback to the Bayou State’s racing commission loosening drug regulations. Stewart lets the viewers in on discussions happening behind closed doors to make the LRC reconsider the drastic move that will make horses less safe if enacted. He also touches on his former boss and mentor D. Wayne Lukas winning the Preakness and how Lukas’s willingness to take shots and run his horses has influenced his own career.
The boys also appreciate a huge Epsom Derby win by City of Troy and the possibility of him coming across the pond to try his hoof in the Travers, and preview a fabulous week of racing as the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival moves upstate to Saratoga.
Don’t miss an episode of Rail Talk, join the family by subscribing to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. Major shoutout to our sponsors Fasig-Tipton, Taylor Made and The Green Group for supporting our vision from day one.
48 min
May 30, 2024 Episode 46: Louisiana Racing Commission loosening drug regulations
Joe Bianca and Jon Green had to get behind their mics for an emergency Rail Talk this morning after stunning news broke that the Louisiana Racing Commission is purposefully loosening regulations on drugs and injections for its horses.
Outraged by the decision, Joe and Jon discuss the potential fallout—Louisiana racing ending up on an island where no one wants to ship in or out, potential revocation of Derby qualifying points for Fair Grounds’s series of prep races, and of course the horses who will be at greater risk.
Don’t miss any Rail Talk content. Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Thanks to our sponsors Fasig-Tipton, Taylor Made and The Green Group for lighting the way.
23 min
May 22, 2024 Rail Talk Episode 45: ‘Seize’ Part for Lukas in Preakness
Two races in, the 2024 Triple Crown has produced a pair of phenomenal stories, with the good vibes continuing Saturday as 88-year-old D. Wayne Lukas’s Seize the Grey went wire to wire at a rain-soaked Pimlico in Saturday’s Preakness. Joe Bianca and Jon Green broke down all angles of the popular victory, starting of course with the legendary Lukas.They went on to analyze the other myriad storylines, including horses who ran two weeks ago at Churchill Downs finishing 1-2-3 in the Preakness just as the calls to increase the spacing Triple Crown reach a fever pitch. Joe and Jon then discussed the business model of winning owner MyRacehorse—is selling microshares in horses a scam, a great way to introduce new people to ownership, or something in between?Don’t miss any of these fascinating conversations—be sure to join the ever-growing Rail Talk family by subscribing to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods! Thanks for tuning in, and big love to our sponsors The Green Group, Taylor Made and Fasig-Tipton for their support!
39 min