TDN Podcast

The best horse racing book ever written? Honestly, that’s a no-brainer. Laura Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit wins in a gallop. For good measure, Hillenbrand also wrote the best-selling book Unbroken about World War II hero and Olympian Louis Zamperini. Hillenbrand has led a fascinating life, reaching the pinnacles of her profession despite battling health problems. She is our guest on this week’s Thoroughbred Daily News Podcast.

Dennis O’Neill may not get the acclaim that his brother, Doug, does. He’s the behind-the-scenes guy. But with virtually every Doug O’Neill success story, Dennis has played a role, as he is the one who picked out and bought so many future O’Neill stable stars at the sales. How has he done it? We’ll find out this week as Dennis O’Neill is our guest on the Thoroughbred Daily News podcast.

Darby Dan Farm is one of the most iconic brands in the history of the thoroughbred racing and breeding business. Darby Dan won two Kentucky Derbies, an Epsom Derby and stood all-star stallions like Roberto, Sea Bird and Sword Dancer. The early 2000s were quiet ones for Darby Dan, but that is beginning to change. Under the direction of John Phillips, Darby Dan stands some of the most exciting young stallions in the sport and is clearly embarking on a prosperous new era. Phillips is this week’s guest on the Thoroughbred Daily News Podcast.

The most high-profile stallion to retire to stud this year was North America’s leading money-winner, California Chrome, the two-time Horse of the Year. As the breeding season gets underway at his new home, Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, Kentucky, they are hopeful he will prove to be as great a sire as he was a racehorse. Taylor Made’s president, Duncan Taylor, fills us in on all things Chrome and all the latest news from the family-run operation on this week’s Thoroughbred Daily News podcast.

He just may ride the best horse in the world…and his name is not Mike Smith. While Arrogate has taken U.S. racing by storm, the great mare Winx has done the same in Australia. She is rated the top grass horse in the world, and has won an incredible 14 in a row. On this week’s Thoroughbred Daily News podcast, we chat with Winx’s jockey, Hugh Bowman.

He’s already won one Kentucky Derby with Monarchos and is now taking aim at a second with Eclipse Award winner Classic Empire. As if that’s not enough, he’s also an acclaimed polo player and philanthropist. John Oxley is our guest this week on the Thoroughbred Daily News podcast.

Be it Eight Belles, Hard Spun, Jostle, Havre de Grace or the great champion Songbird, owner Rick Porter keeps coming up with terrific race horses. How does he do it? We talk to him about that, as well as how he is he faring in his battle with cancer, in this week’s guest on the Thoroughbred Daily News podcast.

As the head of the Little Red Feather racing syndicate, Billy Koch has always been an innovator. His latest project is crowdfunding, which could be the best way yet for racing to attract something it desperately needs, new owners, no matter how big or small. Koch is this week’s guest on the Thoroughbred Daily News podcast.

The Stronach Group likes to think big–so big that it has created the richest horse race in the history of the world, the $12 million Pegasus World Cup, which will be run Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park. One of the people leading the team is Mike Rogers, the President of the Stronach Group, and he is this week’s guest on the Thoroughbred Daily News podcast.

He was once so small he was considered to be perhaps even too small to be a jockey. He made his debut in US racing in 2008 as an obscure apprentice/exercise rider who got all of three mounts for Todd Pletcher at Gulfstream. But few riders in the history of racing have come so far so fast. Today, at the age of 28, William Buick is recognized as one of the top jockeys in the world. Buick is this week’s guest on the Thoroughbred Daily News podcast.