Rail Talk Podcast

This week on Rail Talk! We break some major news, as longtime Kentucky state senator Damon Thayer and Ocala Stud general manager David O’Farrell join the show to announce the creation of the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative, an alliance of major stakeholders organizing to stop the potentially devastating decoupling efforts in Florida.Thayer, whose experience includes spearheading the passage of historical horse racing legislation that’s been a boon for Kentucky racing and O’Farrell, whose family stallion/breeding farm has operated in Florida for 70 years, lay out the steps being taken as we speak in Tallahassee to secure a long-term future for the sport in the Sunshine State. They also discuss potential future interventions by the TRI to help racing fight existential crises across the country.www.thoroughbredracinginitiative.comJoe and Jon also discuss Equibase’s plan to create a rating system to replace some claiming and allowance races, hopefully increasing field size and decreasing the amount of times horses have to change stables. They then touch on Magnitude’s blowout win in the Risen Star and look forward to this weekend’s Rebel in updating their Mage Rags Kentucky Derby contest standings.No other racing podcast is having these kinds of substantive, passionate and constructive conversations to face the challenges of the day. 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, The Green Group, Epic Insurance Brokers and Airdrie Stud for their support.

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green discuss the Los Angeles Times article reporting that The Stronach Group has let potential buyers know that Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita are available for the right price. What needs to be done to ensure racing continues in Florida and especially California? What responsibilities do other racing-rich states have in maintaining the industry beyond their borders? Can the situation at Santa Anita be resolved with the installation of Historical Horse Racing machines and how likely are they to be greenlit?Tampa Bay Downs analyst and friend of the show Ren Carothers then jumps on to discuss the weekend’s stakes races, the Derby trail as a whole, and whether or not Tampa could potentially fill the role of Florida’s main Thoroughbred racing hub. The boys also preview this weekend’s Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds and update their Mage Rage Derby Contest standings.Don’t miss any of these invaluable conversations as the industry continues to attempt to navigate these choppy waters. Be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Thank you to our sponsors Fasig-Tipton, Taylor Made, The Green Group, Epic Insurance Brokers, and Airdrie Stud for their steadfast support!

This week on Breakaway Rail Talk presented by Arion Pedigrees, Joe Bianca sits down with Frank Taylor and Christian Countzler, the co-founders of Stable Recovery, a groundbreaking program helping men struggling with addiction take back their lives.

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green welcome Resolute Racing founder John Stewart for a a wide-ranging, in-depth discussion as he continues to make early waves in the racing world.

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green kick off a loaded episode by reacting to the Pegasus World Cup card, perhaps one of the final major racing days in the life of Gulfstream Park. With The Stronach Group clearly uninterested in committing to racing there long term, the conversation moves to alternative homes for racing in Florida, and Joe and Jon discuss the pros and cons of the possibilities, including Hialeah, Palm Meadows, OBS and Tampa Bay Downs.The boys then appreciate a huge effort from Sandman—and jockey Cristian Torres—to overcome a disastrous start in the Southwest and run a huge second, taking a big step towards a potential Kentucky Derby berth. Finally, they welcome friends of the show and outstanding racing personalities Michelle Yu, Samantha Perry and Dan Tordjman for our fun and hilarious Mage Rage Derby contest draft, sponsored by 149th Derby winner Mage and our friends at Airdrie Stud! You truly don’t want to miss it.Who else in this industry has as many substantive discussions mixed with as many laughs as we do? Don’t miss any Rail Talk content—join our ever-growing family by subscribing to the show on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. Thank you to our sponsors Fasig-Tipton, The Green Group, Taylor Made, Epic Insurance and Airdrie Stud for their phenomenal support!

This week on Rail Talk! Jon Green rejoins Joe Bianca in the studio for a jam-packed show covering the industry’s hottest topics. First, the boys break down The Stronach Group’s pressure campaign on Gulfstream’s horsemen and whether or not the South Florida staple’s days are numbered.Joe and Jon also discuss the reinstatement of jockey Paco Lopez after his six-week suspension for striking a horse in the face with his whip, John Stewart’s private equity firm being sued for $20 million, the continuing impact of computer-assisted wagering on smaller horseplayers and much more.Nowhere else in racing are these kinds of substantive discussions taking place on a weekly basis. Be sure to join the ever-growing Rail Talk family by subscribing to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Thank you to our outstanding, industry-leading sponsors Fasig-Tipton, Taylor Made, The Green Group and Epic Insurance Brokers for their support!

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca is joined by guest co-host Samantha Perry live her from analyst post at Gulfstream Park, and the two discuss some of their early observations from the track’s marquee Championship Meet—Dylan Davis continuing his career-best form in his first winter at Gulfstream, Todd Pletcher unveiling better and better 3-year-olds and the level of buzz surrounding the Pegasus.Joe and Sam are then joined by Santa Anita reporter and horsewoman Michelle Yu for an update on the devastating fires in Los Angeles county and how Santa Anita is holding up the community as it prepares to resume racing this week.Don’t miss any Rail Talk content, if you haven’t already be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Big shout out to our sponsors The Green Group, Epic Insurance, Fasig-Tipton and Taylor Made for all their support!

This week on Rail Talk! The boys are back and thrilled to kick off an exciting 2025 with lots of big news, as Joe Bianca and Jon Green welcome brand new sponsor Epic Insurance to the show, and introduce the newest four-legged member of the RT family, Joe’s whippet puppy Juno!Joe and Jon then analyze the Eclipse Award finalists—which categories have potential for intrigue and debate, and are there any outside-the-box contenders who could take home championship statues? We’re also less than four months away from the Kentucky Derby, with no shortage of tantalizing prospects, and we take stock of the many potential-oozing newly-turned 3-year-old colts.Happy new year to everyone in our ever-growing Rail Talk family—we’re now up to 16,000 subscribers and 3,000,000 views on YouTube! If you haven’t yet, please smash that subscribe button on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Thank you so much to our sponsors, Epic Insurance, Taylor Made, The Green Group and Fasig-Tipton for all of their support! Let’s have a great 2025!

Coming right back atcha, it’s the action-packed conclusion of our 2024 Rail Talk season featuring the second part of our discussion with industry titan Mike Repole!

This week on Rail Talk! It’s a holiday double serving, as multiple Eclipse Award winner, entrepreneur and self-proclaimed commissioner of racing Mike Repole joins the show and gives us two episodes worth of content!