Rail Talk Podcast

This week on Rail Talk! A truly unforgettable Kentucky Derby 152 is in the books, and Joe Bianca and Jon Green welcome two very special guests, NBC’s Steve Kornacki and Randy Moss, to break it all down from every angle. Cherie DeVaux becoming the first female trainer to take the Run for the Roses has captured America’s attention and imagination, so how do we capitalize on that interest? As Derby broadcasts continue to shatter viewership records, what if anything can be applied to how we present racing the rest of the year?Joe, Jon, Steve and Randy also discuss the Kentucky Oaks, in primetime for the first time, the staggering late odds drop on Churchill Downs Stakes winner T O Elvis, and much more. Plus Joe gives us his first-person perspective of running third in the Oaks with Counting Stars, then the boys react to HISA’s announcement that they’ll maintain the status quo on Lasix and wrap up the second annual Mage Rage Derby contest, won by our Kiwi friend Andrew Stewart!Don’t miss any Rail Talk content, be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Thanks as always to the sponsors The Green Group, Epic Insurance, Fasig-Tipton, Airdrie Stud, and Taylor Made for their support.

This week on Rail Talk! At long last, the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks are upon us, and Joe Bianca and Jon Green can barely contain their excitement.Both races are extremely competitive, and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Counting Stars will fly the flag for the home team on Friday night. Joe, just before heading to Louisville, provides insight into the mindset of their filly’s connections heading into the biggest race of her career, plus Joe and Jon cover the Derby from all angles and identify several must-see races on the undercards.Friend of the show Nick Tammaro then stops by after making the Derby and Oaks morning lines for the first time to shed light on the process of estimating the odds in a 20-horse field. One of the sharpest handicappers around, Nick also gives us his picks for a blockbuster weekend of stakes action, discusses the current state of dealing with CAW players, implores HISA to get involved in wagering issues, and more.Don’t miss any Rail Talk content! Join our beautiful and ever-growing family by subscribing to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Thank you to the sponsors Taylor Made, Fasig-Tipton, The Green Group and Epic Insurance for their support. Enjoy Derby week!

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green are back from Ocala and have plenty to discuss. First, White Abarrio runs down Sovereignty and Journalism in a star-studded Oaklawn Handicap. Might we finally be trending towards standout horses sticking around to race beyond their 3-year-old season? And why is the winner, despite all his accomplishments, still not considered a serious stallion prospect?Then, the boys give their dispatch from the OBS sales grounds, including the record-shattering $10.5-million Flightline colt, and Jon has something to get off his chest about the inertia of The Jockey Club and Breeders’ Cup boards compared to the positive results smaller groups in the industry have gotten.Don’t miss any Rail Talk content! Be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Huge thanks to our all-star sponsors Taylor Made, Fasig-Tipton, Epic Insurance and The Green Group for their support.

This week on Rail Talk! The Kentucky Derby field is mostly set after a thrilling weekend of racing, and Joe Bianca and Jon Green are here to make sense of it all. Further Ado puts on a show in the Blue Grass, but can he be trusted to repeat that performance in the Derby? What to make of the California 3-year-olds and the final Wood Memorial at Aqueduct? And who else made a name for themselves as spring and the peak racing season kick into high gear?A pair of guests also give us their glimpse into a positive future for the game. First, NYRA Bets President Tony Allevato tells us all about NYRA and FOX’s plans to expand and transform racing coverage in the wake of FanDuel TV shutting down, including a racing RedZone channel, even more national presence and utilizing the talents of the brilliant folks from FanDuel TV. Then, Equibase’s Chance Moquett gives us the scoop on his company’s new and growing ratings-based system for carding races, and the benefits it will provide for the industry long term.Don’t miss any Rail Talk content! We just passed 10,000,000 views on YouTube, so a huge thank you for the support, and if you haven’t yet, please smash that subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Hat tip to the sponsors Epic Insurance, The Green Group, Taylor Made and Fasig-Tipton for making this all possible!

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green bring you an absolutely jam-packed show, starting with Joe’s tale of nearly not making it to Oaklawn Park but getting there in the nick of time to experience Counting Stars’s romp in the Fantasy Stakes to punch her ticket to the Kentucky Oaks! Where does she stack among the 3-year-old filly class? And what to make of Renegade’s blowout win in the Arkansas Derby vs. Commandment taking the Florida Derby by a nostril?The boys then discuss the fallout from the announced phasing out of FanDuel TV—what does this mean for the industry and its ability to broadcast the sport long term? They also welcome FanDuel TV alum and current Keeneland director of communications Gabby Gaudet for an in-depth discussion about what’s to come, both for our sport and the Lexington staple, before conducting the Mage Rage Derby contest supplemental draft as each team sheds two horses and picks up two new ones.We’ve reached 30,000 subscribers on YouTube!! Huge thanks to all of you beautiful viewers/listeners for your support, and if you haven’t joined the Rail Talk family yet, please be sure to do so by smashing that button on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. As always, mega shoutout to the sponsors Epic Insurance, The Green Group, Fasig-Tipton and Taylor Made, without whom none of this would be possible!

This week on Rail Talk! The scintillating Kentucky Derby trail is nearing its pinnacle, and Joe Bianca and Jon Green are excited to dig in on all the action. The boys react to Emerging Market’s gutsy victory in the Louisiana Derby, discuss whether or not the Jeff Ruby Steaks Stakes should be a 100-point Derby qualifier, and look forward to stellar weekend cards at Gulfstream and Oaklawn surrounding the Florida Derby and Arkansas Derby centerpieces.
Joe and Jon also celebrate the latest evidence of major progress on equine safety from the 2025 Equine Injury Database numbers, give an update on the upcoming HISA board vote on Lasix use, update the Mage Rage Derby contest standings and look forward to Joe’s trip to Oaklawn a year after Sandman’s monster victory in Hot Springs.
Don’t miss any Rail Talk content! Join our ever-growing family by subscribing to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Major thanks to our industry-leading lineup of sponsors Epic Insurance, The Green Group, Fasig-Tipton and Taylor Made for their support!

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green return to their mics after a week in the Ocala sunshine, and they brought some good news back with them, as the decoupling effort that would devastate Florida racing was once again defeated in the state’s legislature.Will The Stronach Group keep trying to separate its racing and gaming businesses after two high-profile failures? Is this successful lobbying effort replicable in other states? Damon Thayer, who was instrumental in the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative’s campaign of organization and mobilization, stops by to answer those questions and more.The boys also discuss a potential lifeline for New Jersey racing as a new bill looks to break up Atlantic City’s casino monopoly in the state, salute Tom Amoss upon his retirement from training, and update the Mage Rage Derby contest standings, as Samantha Perry widens her lead and Joe climbs out of last!Don’t miss any Rail Talk content—be sure to join our ever-growing family by subscribing to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods! Huge shoutout to our sponsors Taylor Made, Fasig-Tipton, Epic Insurance and The Green Group for their continued support!

This week on Rail Talk! An action-packed first major weekend of the Derby Trail is in the books, and Joe Bianca and Jon Green are here to tell you all about what it means. Who took a step forward? Who underwhelmed? Who’s ahead in the Mage Rage Derby contest? And what of the Kentucky Oaks picture?The boys then get down to the nitty gritty of the Lasix debate as the HISA board of directors is set to decide on the future of the anti-bleeding medication at their May 23 meeting. They also welcome New Vocations executive director Anna Ford to discuss the aftercare situation and what’s needed to make sure no horses fall through the cracks, and react to the recent town hall hosted by Aron Wellman and Pat Cummings looking for feedback on a myriad of racing’s major issues.Don’t miss any of these candid and incisive racing discussions. Be sure to join our ever-growing family by subscribing to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Huge thanks to our sponsors Epic Insurance, The Green Group, Fasig-Tipton and Taylor Made for making this all possible.

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green pay tribute to legends, past and present, starting with Saudi Cup champion Forever Young. What does it mean for racing to have a global superstar, campaigned sportingly, by relatable connections, and how do we capitalize on his brilliance? Joe and Jon also bid farewell to the great John Shirreffs and Afleet Alex, reflecting on the legacy they both left on the game and what they meant to the boys’ personal journeys in the game.
Then, we welcome Gulfstream Park’s Samantha Perry, Black Dog Bloodstock’s Lauren Carlisle and Arion Pedigrees’ Andrew Stewart for our second annual Mage Rage Kentucky Derby contest draft, sponsored by the 2023 Derby hero and our friends at Airdrie Stud! Will Sam repeat as champion? Will Andrew help Lauren figure out the difference between Australia and New Zealand? Stay tuned all spring as we run for glory, bragging rights and trash-talking supremacy on the Derby trail.
Don’t miss any Rail Talk content! Join our ever-growing family by subscribing to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods! Thank you to our sponsors Epic Insurance, The Green Group, Fasig-Tipton and Taylor Made for their continued support!

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green take you behind the curtain of a huge racing weekend that featured mixed results for the home teams, as Nitrogen returns a winner in her 4-year-old debut while Super Corredora and Counting Stars lay eggs in their sophomore bows. What went into the decision to run Nitrogen so soon after the Breeders’ Cup? And how do owners deal with the disappointment when top horses simply don’t show up?
The boys then welcome dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, fresh off being named the new chairman of Ocala Breeders’ Sales. The always thoughtful Casse holds court on his three weekend stakes winners at Oaklawn, his vision for the future of 2-year-old sales, the potential need for a racing commissioner and much more. Joe and Jon also tackle the latest in the legislative battle to keep racing alive in Florida and the ongoing infighting between Mike Repole and The Jockey Club.
Don’t miss any Rail Talk content—join the family that’s made our show the #1 podcast in racing by subscribing on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Shoutout to our all-star sponsors lineup of Fasig-Tipton, The Green Group, Epic Insurance and Taylor Made for their support!