Advertisement
Episode Directory
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
- 8/25/2011: Winning Ponies welcomes Mac McBride and Jay Privman Listen Now
- 8/18/2011: Winning Ponies welcomes Pat "P.J". Cooksey and Andy Serling Listen Now
- 8/11/2011: "Winning Ponies" welcomes Dan Collins and Joe Kristufek Listen Now
- 8/4/2011: "Winning Ponies" Welcomes Chris McCarron and Mr. Tom Law Listen Now
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
Frank Angst
Thoroughbred Times senior writer Frank Angst has covered sports for more than 20 years and has earned numerous awards for his writing, including twice receiving the best news writing honor from American Horse Publications. Besides covering races, Frank has been handicapping races, somewhat successfully, since graduating from Butler University in 1990. A Cincinnati native, the first tracks he ever attended were Turfway Park and River Downs. Frank has always done well at turf races and pace handicapping and recently has turned his focus to tracking surface biases. In 2011, Angst touted Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom as the best longshot wager. Frank lives in Lexington, KY, and will celebrate his tenth anniversary at Thoroughbred Times in February. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
John Asher
John Asher, vice president of communications at Churchill Downs, has worked in the thoroughbred racing industry as a journalist and a publicist for more than 20 years. Asher joined Churchill Downs in January 1997 and has served in his current position since March 1999, overseeing communications and public relations efforts at the home of the world-famous Kentucky Derby and the flagship operation of Churchill Downs Incorporated. As a radio journalist at WHAS-AM and WAVE-AM in Louisville, Asher earned five Eclipse Awards for Outstanding National Radio Coverage of Thoroughbred Racing. His work on other issues earned such recognition as a National Headliner Award; a Scripps-Howard Award; and honors from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Radio and Television News Directors Association, and the Kentucky Broadcasters Association, and was honored as the Best Reporter in Kentucky Large-Market Radio seven times, and recognized as Public Relations Practitioner of the Year by the Western Kentucky University School of Journalism and Broadcasting in 2003. A native of Leitchfield, he had earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from WKU and lives in Louisville with his wife, Dee and three daughters. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Julie Balog
Julie Balog is the Director of Communications at the Keeneland Association, the world’s largest Thoroughbred auction company and a world-class Thoroughbred race course, where she joined in 1999. She has led Keeneland’s media outreach relations efforts. Prior to joining Keeneland, Balog was director of business development and account management at Preston-Osborne, an award-winning public relations firm in Lexington, KY. She also worked at Host Communications, the world’s largest collegiate sports marketing firm, as Assistant Director of Marketing. Balog graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1991 with a degree in Marketing and minor in Economics. She and her husband Mike reside in Lexington, KY with their children Cecilia and Sean. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Michael Blowen
Old Friends' founder and President Michael Blowen discovered his unique bond with Thoroughbreds while working as a volunteer groom at Suffolk Downs during the 1990s, eventually buying and racing a small stable of claiming-level horses before leaving his position as Arts & Entertainment reporter and film critic for The Boston Globe to become operations director for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. > That move to Kentucky gave Michael an even greater appreciation for plight of older, displaced Thoroughbreds and led him to the idea of creating a permanent retirement home in the Bluegrass for horses who need a place to go when their working days are over. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Donna Barton Brothers
Donna Barton Brothers, born April 20, 1966 in Alamogordo, New Mexico, now serves as an horse-back riding reporter and analyst for NBC Sports' Triple Crown coverage and a reporter and analyst for TVG Network, at Churchill Downs and the Fair Grounds. She also exercises horses at Churchill Downs. She is one of the most decorated female jockeys of her time, retired in 1998 with more than 1,100 career wins and still ranks third on the money list. Brothers hails from a family of riders, including her siblings, as well as her mother who was, in 1969, one of the first women to be licensed as a jockey. She resides in Louisville, Kentucky. Brothers began her professional riding career in 1987. She was one of D. Wayne Lukas' first call jockeys in the 1990s and rode numerous stakes winners, at the time making her the second leading female jockey money earner of all time. Barton retired in 1998, married trainer Frank Brothers, and then became involved in television broadcasting. She started as an interviewer at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, then as an on-air racing analyst for Churchill Downs. She started in 2001 covering NBC Breeders' Cup as their only reporter on horseback. She attended college from 2002-2005. Presently she covers Keeneland's Spring and Fall meets for TVG. In 2011 she released the book, "Inside Track: Inside Guide to Horse Racing". View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen (born May 1, 1960 in Covington, Kentucky) is an American jockey. The son of a trainer and a farrier, he grew up in Walton, Kentucky around horses, which (along with his small size) made race-riding a logical career choice. He rode his first race on May 12, 1976 at Churchill Downs; he finished last, riding King of Swat. He rode his first winner (Red Pipe) less than a week later. His rise to prominence was meteoric; he was the nation's leader in race wins in 1977 with 487. In only his second year of riding, he became the first jockey to win $6 million in a single season. He won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey and the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey in the United States and was selected as Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, as well as being named as ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year. In 1978 he became the youngest jockey to ever win the U. S. Triple Crown, riding Affirmed. He was voted the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1984 that honors a rider whose career and personal conduct exemplifies the very best example of participants in the sport of thoroughbred racing. However, as he left his teens and matured, he had increasing problems making weight. In 1979 he moved to England, where jockeys normally compete at higher weights, and became a highly successful rider there. He married his wife Amy, also a Kentucky native, in 1992 and they have three daughters. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Patricia "P.J." Cooksey
Patricia "P.J." Cooksey is a trailblazer for women in the sport of racing. The Ohio native started in the leaky-roof circuit of West Virginia and made her way to the Kentucky Derby and became the first woman to ride in the Preakness Stakes. A leading rider at several tracks in the Midwest, Pat Cooksey reigned as the top female rider in North America before Julie Krone assumed that mantle. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Ben Creed
Ben is a red-hot bug rider at Turfway Park. He is a graduate of the North American Racing Academy in Lexington, Kentucky for Chris McCarron. Mr. Creed won his first race at Indiana Downs this summer, and even though he is an apprentice, he won the Turfway Park fall riding championship. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Steve Davidowitz
Steve Davidowitz, a veteran reporter, columnist and handicapper who has worked at racetracks from coast to coast, is a passionate lover of the racing game – and an equally passionate critic of its shortcomings. Davidowitz takes aim at its rascals and reprobates and at an industry that too often fails to address and resolve its most troubling issues. He is the author of "Bettin Thoroughbreds" and "The Best and Worst of Thoroughbred Racing". View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Ed DeRosa
Ed DeRosa grew up going to the track with his grandfather, who pretty much taught him to read (words and past performances) by letting him flip through the Daily Racing Form when he was done with it. He got into journalism in college, working for the school paper and eventually the small-town daily near his school. He recalls "I loved the rush of telling a story" and hoped that one day he would be able to combine his profession and hobby. Thoroughbred Times expanded its editorial department with the addition of Thoroughbred Times TODAY in spring 2002, and that's when DeRosa joined the paper. Ed DeRosa is Director of Marketing for Bloodstock Research Information Services (BRIS) and a lifelong Thoroughbred racing enthusiast and astute handicapper. Ed joined Churchill Downs Inc. following nine years as a writer and editor with Thoroughbred Times. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Ramon Dominguez
Ramon began riding horses at age 16 in Venezuela, despite the strong disapproval of his father, who wanted him to become a doctor. At his father’s suggestion, he started to learn show jumping instead, but after about a year he slipped away to a nearby training center, where he began getting on racehorses. After about a week, his father found out and ended up “being very supportive.” Dominguez, however, had to promise to finish high school. He came to the United States from his native Venezuela in 1995, and began riding in 1996 at Hialeah Park. First win was aboard Solo Moondance in March of that year. More recently he won the 2009 Spring/Summer Belmont Park riding title with 98 wins, 27 more than Rajiv Maragh, also led the Saratoga standings with 45 wins, and was also the leading earner with $2,734,486. On October 2, he became only the fifth jockey in history to win 300 races in one year at New York's Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga. The other riders to accomplish the feat were Angel Cordero Jr., Steve Cauthen, Mike Smith and Eibar Coa. Mr. Dominguez met his wife Sharon at Delaware Park, where she galloped horses in the mornings and ponied in the afternoons. They married the day after the 2001 Belmont Stakes, but delayed their honeymoon until January of 2002 because of the opportunity to win the national riding title. Although leading rider at Delaware Park for 2004-2007, Ramon finally switched his tack permanently to New York in 2009. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Bob Ehalt
Bob Ehalt has been an avid fan of Thoroughbred racing since that day in June of 1971 when he and his father walked from their Queens Village, N.Y., home to Belmont Park to see Canonero II fall short in his bid for the Triple Crown. A veteran sports writer and correspondent for Thoroughbred Times magazine, Bob has covered horse racing for more than 20 years and has won three awards in the Associated Press Sports Editors national writing contest for his coverage of the sport. Now working at the New Haven Register in Connecticut, Bob has also owned Thoroughbreds since 1995 and was a member of the syndicate that raced Tale of the Cat. He also writes a racing blog for ESPNNewYork.com. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Richard Eng
Richard Eng covers the Horse Racing industry. "Handicapping for Dummies" is one of the many handicapping books he wrote. He also is a writer for Las Vegas Review Journal and the Daily Racing Form. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Jude Feld
Jude Feld has loved Thoroughbred racing since his youth. He began his horseracing career in 1978, making charts for the Daily Racing Form at Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky under the tutelage of legendary trackman Jack Valentine. After a stint as assistant trainer to Doug Udouj in the Bluegrass State and to Julio Canani in California, Jude took out his own trainer’s license in 1980. Retiring from training in 2000, Jude became a racing publicist, public handicapper and bloodstock consultant. In 2003, he was honored with an Eclipse Award, alongside G.D. Hieronymus, for their collaboration “If it was easy…everyone would do it”, which he wrote and G.D. produced for Keeneland. He won another Eclipse Award as part of the Horse Racing Radio Network broadcasting team for their coverage of the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Bill Finley
Bill Finley is a veteran freelance writer for the New York Metropoltian newspapers and radio host. He won the 2010 Media Eclipse Award and writes for ESPN.Com Finley is known for his articulate opinions on the sport of racing. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Margo Flynn
Margo Flynn is currently the Vice President of Marketing at Tampa Bay Downs. She joined their staff in December of 1995, as the Director of Public Relations and spokesperson for the track. She was then promoted to Vice President in 2001, where her duties covered the spectrum from advertising and marketing to day-to-day operations of the track. Prior she held a similar position at Rockingham Park, NH, for several years where her duties included handicapping, media, horseman and customer relations, marketing, sponsorships & special events, promotions, seminars, and also production and on-camera television work for the racetrack. Margo has been involved with the thoroughbred and harness industry her entire life, first as an assistant for her father for a number of years, and then as a trainer on the New York and New England racing circuits between 1983 and 1993. She currently is a part owner of several thoroughbreds racing in Florida and Monmouth Park. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Bob Fortus
Bob Fortus has been the Turf Writer for The Times-Picayune for over two decades. His writing talents are not limited to the Crescent City. He covers the national racing scene and in 2009 he was presented with the Old Hilltop Award for covering racing with excellence and distinction. The following season he won the 2010 New York Racing Association's Joe Hirsch Memorial writing contest recognizing the best print coverage of the Belmont Stakes. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Brad Free
Brad Free is based in Southern California covering Santa Anita, Del Mar, Fairplex, and Hollywood Park. He joined Daily Racing Form in 1992 and is the author of "Handicapping 101: Finding the Right Horses and Making the Right Bets." Brad provides a daily analysis of the races. Each day during the meet, Brad Free offers his insight and analysis of the entire card. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Jim Gluckson
Senior Communications Consultant at Breeders' Cup Ltd., he currently is the owner at Jim Gluckson Communications. In the past he was a Senior Director of Communications at Sports Marketing & Television International (SMTI), and Public Relations Manager at Pepsi-Cola Company. Education: Skidmore College, Miami University. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Jim Goodman
Previously Publicity Director at River Downs and currently Assistant to Simulcasting Director Jim Goodman at Keeneland and in charge of their new ADW wagering system "Keeneland Select", Mr. Ed Meyer was the host for this show for about a bit over 2 years and contributed greatly to its success. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Marty Grunder
Horse owner Marty Grunder discovered his entrepreneurial spirit as a young man with a lawn mower and grew that passion into a multi-million-dollar company. Along that journey, his success story was amplified by The New York Times and acknowledged with numerous honors, including three “Entrepreneur of the Year” awards by various institutions. He continues to serve as CEO of Grunder Landscaping Co. in Dayton, Ohio, employing and leading more than 40 individuals, but Marty’s true passion lies in working with other CEOs, organizational leaders, and business owners to help them drive results. Marty began owning thoroughbreds in the early nineties and raced primarily in Ohio. He lives in Dayton, Ohio, with his wife Lisa, three daughters Emily, Kathleen and Lillian, and son Grant and is active as a volunteer in his community. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Kendall Hanson
Dr. Hanson is the breeder and majority owner in Eclipse Award winner Hansen. He is a graduate of Indiana University and its School of Medicine, paying for most of his first year of medical school with money he made betting horses, a pursuit he learned from a co-worker while working at a Ford plant in Indianapolis. Dr. Hanson moved to Kentucky in 1988 because of his love of thoroughbreds and is head of Interventional Pain Specialists in Crestview Hills. He has owned racehorses for about 30 years. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Steve Haskin
Steve Haskin (born 1947 in New York) is an award-winning American horse racing journalist and author. A former Wall Street employee, Haskin was entranced by the "Sport of Kings". He gained recognition for his annual coverage of the Kentucky Derby, and worked as a national correspondent for the Daily racing form before joining The Blood-Horse thoroughbred magazine, as a senior editor. Steve Haskin is the author of several books on Thoroughbred horse racing and its personalities to name a few: "Baffert: Dirt Road to the Derby" (1999), "Dr. Fager" (2000), "John Henry" (2001), "Horse Racing's Holy Grail: The Epic Quest For The Kentucky Derby" (2002), and "Kelso" (2003). View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Mark Hennig
Mr. Hennig got his start in horse racing while working for his father, trainer John Hennig. While attending Grove City High School, he worked before and after school helping at the barn. He graduated from high school in 1982, and studied veterinary medicine at The Ohio State University. During the summers he returned to horse racing, and went to Saratoga with trainer Neil Howard in 1984. He then went to work for Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg in Southern California in May 1987 at age 22. Hired by Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas in September 1987, he became his assistant in New York for two years, and was thereafter entrusted with his own division at Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Gulfstream Park and various other racetracks. In 1995 he moved his stable to New York, and began training horses for Edward Evans, but have since split. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Marcus Hersh
Daily Racing Form columnist Marcus Hersh will be our guest handicapper. He concentrates his efforts on the Fair Grounds and Chicago racing scene. Hersh has worked for the Daily Racing Form for over a decade and is the co-international correspondent and a Daily Racing Form features writer. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Les Instone
Les Instone has been involved in the Thoroughbred industry since 1984 as a handicapper and horse owner. Originally from Chicago, Les attended Georgetown College falling in love with the Bluegrass region of central Kentucky. Currently, Les is VIP Customer Service Manager with Twinspires.com online wagering service, a division of Churchill Downs based in Lexington. He previously held positions with Bloodstock Research Information Services and BrisBET which are now owned by CDI. He also worked for two years at Mare Haven Farm in Lexington. Les has conducted handicapping seminars since 1984 including handicapping seminars at Keeneland during the live meet on Saturday mornings in the Paddock (saddling area) for 13 years, as well as for other tour groups attending Keeneland or other racing events such as the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup. He is also an occasional guest on sportstalk radio shows, "That Handicapping Show" on bloodhorse.com, and was the substitute announcer for "Post Time Race Results" radio show on WLXG 1300 AM for 15 years. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Allen Jerkens
Nicknamed “Giant Killer” (which he does not like) for the many upsets of champion horses Mr. Jerkens has orchestrated, and “Chief” for his remarkable horsemanship and knowledge. His given name is Harry. Mr. Jerkens has been involved with horses his entire life. His father, Joseph, was a captain in the Austrian cavalry before emigrating to the United States. Mr. Jerkens was going to the barn with his father, who took care of H.T. Peters' polo ponies, hunters and jumpers, when he was a pre-schooler. Later his father bought a riding academy and would always fool around with an old racehorse. Mr. Jerkens wanted to be a jockey but grew too big. During the summer of 1945, at the age of 16, he galloped horses for trainer Steve Lawler at the old Aqueduct Racetrack. The following year, Mr. Jerkens tried steeplechase riding on horses his family owned. He did not return to school after he turned 16. He and his father went into business together at Aqueduct. The Jerkenses started with five horses, some of which they acquired in a sheriff’s sale. Mr. Jerkens got his license in 1950 at the age of 21. An owner named Larry Gottlieb offered him some horses to train. Joseph Jerkens died in 1951. His first winner was Populace at Aqueduct on July 4, 1950. In 1975 at the age of 45, Mr. Jerkens became the youngest trainer elected to the Hall of Fame of the National Museum of Racing. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Corey Johnsen
Corey Johnsen is the President of Kentucky Downs, the European-style race course located in Franklin, Kentucky, and the Vice President and Partner in Richland Hills, Inc. Since graduating from Arizona State University, 30 years ago, Johnsen has been involved in the horse racing industry. Prior to investing in the Kentucky horse racing and breeding industries, Johnsen was the President of Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie, which hosted the 2004 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. Mr. Johnsen has received numerous national honors. From 2005-2007, he was the President of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, an organization which represents 43 of the most successful Thoroughbred tracks in North America. He has worked at Lone Star Park, Remington Park, Arlington Park, Louisiana Downs and Turf Paradise during his career. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Dave Johnson
Dave Johnson has been a working member of the Thoroughbred and Standardbred horseracing industry for more than forty years. Starting at Cahokia Downs and Fairmount Park in Southern Illinois in 1965, Johnson has been Track Announcer, Journalist, Television and Radio Producer and Broadcaster. For a quarter century, Dave was the "Voice of The Triple Crown" for ABC Sports. When those races moved to NBC television, Dave moved to radio. He has been a member of the broadcasting teams for Premiere Radio, Westwood One and Clear Channel, calling The Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes for national radio audiences for more than 10 years. Over the years, Johnson has served as Track Announcer for Hialeah, Cahokia Downs, Fairmount Park, Aqueduct, Belmont Park, Saratoga, Marlboro and Santa Anita. Dave is a 1966 American History graduate of Southern Illinois University, and now lives in New York City. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Jeff Johnston
Johnston wrapped up at age 41 his 20-year career as a jockey based in Kentucky and Ohio, to become the Midwest Regional Manager for the Jockeys Guild. He covers most states in the Midwest, New York and New Jersey. He began riding at the age of 12 at the bush tracks in Iowa. When he did turn 16, he won his first race in Hastings, Nebraska at Queen City Downs. Johnston, an Iowa native, has a B.S. Degree in Business and Equine Administration from the University of Louisville, and now lives in Northern Kentucky with his wife, Jo Lynn, the former marketing director at River Downs and their children. Johnston has won more than 1,500 races in his career and more than 20 stakes at River Downs, where he has won several riding titles. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Dan Kenny
Dan was born in Johnstown, PA. He graduated with a BA from Loyola University in New Orleans. In 1972, Dan jumped from journalism to the bloodstock arena of the Thoroughbred world. In addition to being a bloodstock agent, Dan is an auction sales announcer, appraiser, consultant, breeder, handicapper, and has 23 years experience as a television commentator with NBC, ESPN and CBC. He also produced a documentary about racing and breeding in Russia, entitled "Sport of Kings in the Land of the Czars." Dan currently resides in Lexington, and is owner of Sunny Blossom Farm. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Byron King
Byron King, a native of Louisville, Ky., is the Kentucky handicapper and columnist for Daily Racing Form. A graduate of the University of Arizona Racetrack Industry Program, he initially worked as the paddock host and morning-line odds maker for Sam Houston Race Park before joining DRF in 1995. Since that time, he has covered racing from across the country for the Form, with his primary focus now being on the Kentucky circuit, and Churchill Downs in particular. In addition to his handicapping and reporting duties for the Form, he is a horse owner and breeder, and has helped identify numerous eventual stakes winners for private purchase for clients. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Mark Klein
Mark Klein makes laughter his living and horses his hobby. A professional comedian for 30 years in venues ranging from cruise ships to comedy clubs, this veteran headliner now entertains at corporate events, country clubs, and dinner theaters. He is a partner in No Joke Stable, based at Churchill Downs, and handicaps the old fashioned way - sipping an Old Fashioned. Mark was a frequent guest handicapper on The Regular Guy television show. Mark lives in Louisville Kentucky. He is a husband, father, and official walker of the "dumbest dog in the world." View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Willie Koester
Mr. Koester is currently Chair of the Association of Racing Commissioners International, and also a current member of the Ohio State Racing Commission, of which he was the former Chair. He has been involved as an owner/breeder of thoroughbreds for over 30 years, and studies bloodlines and breeding of thoroughbreds. He currently owns 3 mares, 2 2year-old and 1 yearling after selling one at Keeneland in January. He has traveled inspecting stallions throughout Europe, including Coolmore Ireland. Mr. Koester believes that all race day drugs should be eliminated in North American Racing, as they are hurting the breed. He is a firm believer that the sport someday must stand on it's own, without the benefit of casino money. Mr. Koester is a life long resident of the west side of Cincinnati. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Joe Kristufek
Joe Kristufek is a self-proclaimed "horse racing ambassador", currently serving as the racing writer for the Daily Herald newspaper in Chicago, where he has been the area's leading published handicapper for seven of the last 10 seasons. Joe who is a member of the National Turf Writers Association, is also Arlington Park's morning-line maker and program comments writer, and is involved in several horse-racing related educational projects within the Chicago horse racing industry. He also does guest television appearances with track analyst Jessica Pacecho over the Arlington airwaves. Together with Horse Player NOW partner Jeremy Plonk, Kristufek launched the highly successful "Night School" Monday on-line fan education program earlier this year. Currently housed on more than 30 industry websites, Night School tackles a fresh topic each week, and features high profile guest panelists. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Tom LaMarra
Tom LaMarra, a native of New Jersey, has been a racing fan since the mid-1970s. He graduated from Rutgers University, got a job as a newspaper reporter, and eventually landed at Daily Racing Form. He and his wife, Karen, moved to Lexington, Ky. in 1994, and have been there since. Mr. LaMarra has been the News Editor of The Blood-Horse magazine for more than 10 years. He is an award winning writer and is featured on their website with his weekly video handicapping segment of the race of the week. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Tom Law
Tom Law is the Managing Editor of the Thoroughbred Times. Tom is also the President of the National Turf Writers Association and was recognized for his outstanding writing abilities when he received the prestigious Red Smith Award. He hails from Saratoga, New York and will be able to bring a personal perspective to racing at one of the most unique racetracks steeped in history and beauty. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Tom Leach
15 years as "Voice of the Wildcats" for University of Kentucky football and 11 seasons for men's basketball, Tom Leach has been honored by his peers as Kentucky Sportscaster of the Year four times. He was also two-time winner of the Eclipse Award for coverage of thoroughbred racing. In his free time he wrote "Rich Tradition", a book about Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks and his turnaround of the Wildcat football program. Tom is a native of Paris, KY and is married to former Lexington TV news anchor Robyn Rabbeth. They have two children: Connor, 19 and Caroline, 13. You can follow Tom's coverage of the Cats at " tomleachky.com " and follow him on twitter @tomleachky. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
C.P. McBride
C.P.(Mac)McBride a member of the DMTC media staff at the seaside racecourse since 1981, has been in the racing industry since 1971, including stints with The Morning Telegraph and Daily Racing Form. A native of the New York/New Jersey area, he previously worked as a newspaper man, freelance writer and editor after graduating from Loyola University in New Orleans and serving a tour as an officer in the Marine Corps. He and his wife, Mary, have been married since 1974 and have lived in San Diego since 1977, where they raised two sons. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Chris McCarron
Winner of the Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice jockey in 1974 and the Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey in 1980, Chris McCarron led North America by races won three times and by money won four times. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989. Not one to rest on his laurels, he founded the North American Racing Academy in Lexington, Kentucky. Chris is a wealth of knowledge of the sport on so many levels and his enthusiasm is infectious. He has won 6 Triple Crown races: - Kentucky Derby 1987 on ALYSHEBA, 1994 on GO FOR GIN, - Preakness 1987 on ALYSHEBA, 1992 on PINE BLUFF, - Belmont 1986 on DANZIG CONNECTION, 1997 on TOUCH GOLD. After 28 years in the saddle, he was color analyst for major races, including Triple Crown events and the Breeders’ Cup, on ABC, NBC, ESPN, HDNet and TVG. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
John McDulin
Mr. McDulin currently writes for the Daily racing Form. He also creates the charts for Equibase. He has called races, set the morning line at various tracks, held the role of Stakes Coordinator at two tracks, and worked on radio as a professional handicapper. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Marty McGee
Mr. Marty McGee has been covering the Kentucky and Florida circuits for the Daily Racing Form since 1992. He has also been with Thoroughbred Racing Industry for the last 26 years. Marty McGee graduated from the University of Kentucky. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
John McKee
McKee's father, David, had been a jockey in the late 1970s and early ’80s. ... John was inspired to become a jockey after seeing his father’s win pictures. He grew up in the Cincinnati area where he was always around horses, learned to ride at an early age, and was a star wrestler in high school … His parents tried to discourage his desire to become a jockey but at 17 he got his start with Thoroughbreds at Poplar Creek Farm near Bethel, Ohio, and learned to be an exercise rider. At his father’s suggestion, McKee became acquainted with legendary jockey’s agent Eddie Campbell, best know for launching the career of Racing Hall of Fame rider Steve Cauthen … Campbell served as his early mentor and first agent when McKee rode his first race on March 15, 2002 at Turfway Park. By the end of the River Downs meeting, he won 114 races to break Cauthen’s 1976 record for an apprentice at the track and led the jockey standings. He then took the fall riding title at Turfway Park in 2002. John was a finalist that year for an Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice, and became a journeyman rider on June 6, 2003. In 2004, he was leading rider at Oaklawn Park and at Churchill Downs' fall meeting. In 2007, he returned to Turfway to win the Holiday Meet title. John followed Pat Day’s career when he was a youngster and the two later became good friends. “He’s set a lot of examples for me,” McKee said several months prior to Day’s retirement in 2005. “I try to copy him and be the person and the jockey he is now. There’s so much to learn from somebody like him.” John McKee earned his 1,000th win March 30, 2008, at Turfway Park. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Kiaran McLaughlin
Mr. McLaughlin currently has a barn of just over 120 horses. He was introduced to racing through his friendship with trainer James Burchell's son, Greg. He worked for the Lukas operation until February of 1992 to become the agent for jockey Chris Antley until November of 1993 when he started training for Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum in Dubai. Early on he had worked for trainers James Burchell, John Hennig, Mark Casse, Dave Kassen and Tim Muckler before joining the D. Wayne Lukas stable at age 24. His large stable doesn’t leave Mr. McLaughlin with much time for hobbies, but he does manage to get some poker playing in now and then. McLaughlin nearly made it through Day 2 of the main event of the 2007 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Kenneth G. McPeek
Kenneth G. McPeek was born August 2, 1962 in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas and was raised in Lexington, Kentucky. He graduated from Tates Creek High School and then the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. He obtained his trainer’s license in 1985. Kenny has won over 115 stakes in his career, with over 40 of them graded. In 2002, he won the Belmont Stakes with Sarava. He has won back-to-back Spinster Stakes' with Take Charge Lady in 2002 & 2003 and back-to-back Gulfstream Park Turf Handicaps with Hard Buck (BRZ) & Prince Arch in 2004 & 2005. Other Grade 1 victories include the Florida Derby, Ashland S., Blue Grass S. and most recently the Darley Alcibiades S. with Dream Empress for the third time in his career. Kenny is currently involved in creating a racing app through Horseracesnow and will be explaining the creation and the many uses of this innovative racing tool. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Ed Meyer
Mr. Meyer is no stranger to this show, as he was its host for over 2 1/2 years, beginning in December of 2008. He tackled this task while he was Publicity Director at River Downs. He had some memorable guests on this show, and was instrumental to its original success. He also wrote insightful blogs for Winning Ponies during that span which are greatly missed. Ed Meyer is currently the player services administrator for Keeneland Select, Keeneland's Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) service. His job includes providing expert picks, and servicing the needs of its customers. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Terry Meyocks
Mr. Meyocks is currently the National Manager of the Jockeys' Guild Inc. Prior to forming MORE (Meyocks and O'Hara Racing Entreprises, Inc.), he has worked within the thoroughbred industry since graduating from Loras College in 1972. In April of 2004 Meyocks was named special assistant to the commissioner of the National Racing Association (NTRA) and later served as Vice-President for the NTRA Racing & Industry Memberships. In December of 1996 he was named Chief Operating Officer of New York Racing Association and remained with NYRA until April of 2004. Prior to that Meyocks was hired in 1979 as Racing Secretary for Calder Race Course, then in 1991 was hired at Gufstream Park to become Director of Racing and he stayed at both tracks until 1993. Other tracks where he served in different capacities include Oakland Park, Arlington Park, Hawthorne, Churchill Downs, Hialeah Park, Delaware and Liberty Bell. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Katie Mikolay
Mikolay’s first exposure to racing came at a young age, attending Arlington Park with her family. In 2001 Mikolay secured an internship at Arlington, which she parlayed into another job as co-host of Horsin’ Around on Fox Sports Chicago. A graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago, she is the racing analyst at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for the second year. A 32-year-old native of Elk Grove Village, Ill., Mikolay has performed similar duties at Hawthorne Race Course in Chicago and Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pa, which she still works at during their summer meet for four seasons. In addition to hosting the daily Churchill Downs Simulcast Network production of live Fair Grounds racing, Mikolay co-hosts the pre-race Fair Grounds Today show. She also contributes to FairGroundsRaceCourse.com as both a handicapper and blogger. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Frank Mitchell
Frank Mitchell is author of "Racehorse Breeding Theories", as well as the book "Great Breeders and Their Methods: The Hancocks". In addition to writing the column "Sires and Dams" in the Daily Racing Form for nearly 15 years, he has contributed articles to Thoroughbred Daily News, Thoroughbred Times, Thoroughbred Record, International Thoroughbred, and other major publications. In addition, Frank is a private consultant to breeders on pedigrees, matings, and conformation. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Paul Moran
For 30 years, more than 22 at Newsday, in New York, Paul Moran has covered thoroughbred racing on its highest level. During that time, he has covered 30 Triple Crown series, every running of the Breeders' Cup Championships, 23 race meetings at Saratoga, won two Eclipse Awards, a Red Smith Award for coverage of the Kentucky Derby and other writing awards from the National Society of Newspaper Editors, Long Island Press Club, Society of Silurians (the oldest press club in New York), Long Island Veterinary Medical Association, Florida Magazine Publishers Association. In 2002, he was named New York's best thoroughbred handicapper by the New York Press in its annual "Best of Manhattan" edition. His work has appeared in virtually every racing publication published in the United States and most major American newspapers. He is a licensed owner of thoroughbreds in New York. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
William Nader
William Nader joined he Hong Kong Jockey Club as Executive Director of Racing in April 2007. He is responsible for all aspects of the racing product with specific oversight of Race Planning and Handicapping, International Racing, Operations, Stipendiary Stewards, Equestrian Affairs, Racing Registry, Veterinary Services, Racing Laboratory, Simulcasting and Sponsorship. Mr. Nader is Asia’s representative (Vice Chairman) on the International Racing and Planning Advisory Committee also serves as Chairman of the Asian Racing Federation’s Asian Pattern Committee. Prior to his current position, he worked for The New York Racing Association from 1994 - 2007, holding the title of Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer before joining the Hong Kong Jockey Club. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Bobby Neuman
Born in 1969 in Los Angeles, CA, Bobby Neuman attended UC Santa Barbara, then University of Arizona (Race Track Industry Program). Bobby Newman started his career in racing as a hot walker and groom for Charlie Whittingham then for Bobby Frankel. He then became a pari-mutuel clerk. His first announcing job was on Arizona Fair circuit (Duncan, Safford, Douglas, Sonoita and Globe), then worked at Sandy Downs (Idaho Falls, ID), The Red Mile, Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and Thistledown. Started at Calder in 1999 as Paddock/Television Host and became full-time announcer there in 2005. Married with 1 daughter 9 years old. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Joe Nevills
In 2008, Joe began an internship with Thoroughbred Times, highlighted by the on-site coverage of Horse of the Year Curlin's victory in that year's Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. When he returned to finish his education at Central Michigan University, he founded The Michigan-Bred Claimer, a blog focused on flat racing of all breeds in Michigan. Upon graduation, Joe expanded into regular freelance gigs with publications including Thoroughbred Times, Midwest Thoroughbred, Arabian Finish Line, Louisiana Thoroughbred and more. His experience in turf writing includes Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, Arabian and Paint Horse racing at tracks across the country. Joe joined Thoroughbred Times in August 2011 and has maintained his "Making Claims" column for Arabian Finish Line since March 2011. As one of many in the industry who came up through one of racing's less heralded circuits, he knows first-hand the impact that small tracks have on the sport. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
James Nicholson
Nicholson provides an intriguing and thorough history of the Kentucky Derby, examining the tradition, spectacle, culture, and evolution of the Kentucky Derby—the brightest jewel of the Triple Crown in his recent book "The Kentucky Derby : How the Run for the Roses Became America's Premier Sporting Event". He will also tell us how he got involved in writing about horse racing in the first place. James C. Nicholson recently received a PhD in history from the University of Kentucky. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Ron Nicoletti
Nicoletti, a native of Corona, N.Y., worked for 19 years as Gulfstream's analyst and handicapper. He also worked as television host at Hialeah Park and Calder Race Course and had South Florida's only handicapping show. Ron took time off in 2010 to work on a number of acting projects, including several episodes of USA Network's 'Burn Notice' and the upcoming movie, 'The Killing of a Japanese Bookie'. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Rich Nilsen
Rich Nilsen has qualified 9 times for the National Handicapping Championship (NHC) and is the only player to finish in the top 10 twice in the history of the event. A former executive with Churchill Downs, Rich is the publisher of a new book entitled "Keeneland Winning Trainer Patterns - 2011 fall meet edition" which is now available at his website www.agameofskill.com. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Claire Novak
Ms. Novak is one of Thoroughbred racing’s most recognizable writers. A Chicago native, she has covered racing for some of the nation’s best-known outlets, including The New York Times, ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com, the Associated Press, NBC Sports, and Athlon Sports. She is a former staff writer and current correspondent for The Blood-Horse Magazine, and has also served as a guest correspondent for Lady Luck, the seasonal television show produced by horse racing’s leading television network, TVG. In 2009 she was recruited to become the youngest member of that year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships' notes team, a position she maintains to this day. She is a lifelong equestrian and is therefore intimately acquainted with the sport she covers. She is also a member of the Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM), the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association (NTWAB), and the Lexington Young Professionals Association. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Daryl Parker
Exercise rider, pony boy, and jockey agent, Mr. Daryl Parker eventually became the first black Racing Official in the U.S. He is currently the State steward in Ohio. His son DeShawn Parker, won more races than any other jockey in 2010. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Ray Paulick
Ray Paulick has published the Paulick Report (paulickreport.com) since June of 2008. He was the VP/Editorial Director and Editor in Chief of Blood-Horse Publications from 1992 to 2007. He was the Racing Times' Midwest Editor from 2001 to 2002, and the managing Editor at the Thoroughbred Times from 1988 to 2001. He started as a copy editor in Chicago for the Field Newspaper Syndicate in 1975, which he left to go to the Daily Racing Form in 1980. Recipient of the Charles Engelhard Award, Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders/Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, in 2000, Mr. Paulick is on the Board of directors of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation since 2007 and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (filling non-veterinary board seat) from 2003 to 2006. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Mike Penna
Mike is the current president of HRRN and also serves as the anchor for all of its broadcasts. Last year, HRRN broadcast more than 100 of the nation’s best thoroughbred races. In early 2011, Mike and HRRN received an Eclipse Award for coverage of the 2010 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. This year HRRN will provide complete coverage of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Derby coverage will be carried on more than 50 affiliate stations across the country as well as on SiriusXM satellite radio. The coverage will also be broadcast to our service men and women around the world on the American Forces Network and streamed worldwide on the HRRN website. Mike’s passion for racing spans more than 2 decades. In 1989, he stood alongside the rail at historic Saratoga Racecourse and watched as Easy Goer won the Travers Stakes. After cashing his winning ticket on the heavy favorite, he was hooked for life. A native of Pittsfield, MA, Mike and his wife, Michelle, relocated to Lexington in 1997. Mike worked at The Jockey Club, Thoroughbred Times, and Keeneland’s racing office before pursuing his interest in broadcasting. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Jeremy Plonk
Jeremy Plonk has written for all the major horse racing outlets including The Horseplayer Magazine, where he was editor from 2004-2008. He has been lead researcher for major networks NBC Sports and ESPN, to such noted sportscasters as Bob Costas, Jack Whitaker, Charlsie Cantey, Tom Hammond, Chris Fowler and more. He remains on the NBC Sports Triple Crown team today. He has also charted races for Equibase, both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse events, and is a respected handicapping/statistical consultant to Keeneland Racecourse, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and Oaklawn Park, and a television handicapper for The Racing Network, England's At The Races, and Remington Park, where he was also a public handicapper. In 2011, he joined Horseplayernow.com partner Joe Kristufek in launching the Night School national fan education online program for the horse racing industry. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Jay Privman
Jay Privman covers the Southern California circuit plus such national events as the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup. He is the author of "Breeders' Cup: Thoroughbred Racing's Championship Day" and a contributor to "Champions," and is a six-time winner of the Red Smith Award for best Kentucky Derby story, among numerous other writing honors. He joined Daily Racing Form in 1998. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Jennie Rees
For the last 28 years Jennie Rees has been associated with the Louisville Courrier-Journal as a turf writer. Prior to that, she had a stint of 2 years with the Rochester Times-Union as a sportswriter copy editor. She had graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, with an A.B. in Journalism and Forensic Studies. She was a member and former president of the National Turf Writers Association. Among the many awards she had received, the Eclipse Award for outstanding newspaper and magazine writing, both in 1988 and 1993. She was also a key member of team that won Eclipse Award for on-line/multi-media coverage, in 2008. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Randy Romero
Romero who was inducted into Racing’s Hall of Fame in 2010, made an amazing comeback as a jockey after being severely burned over 2/3rd of his body in 1983. He went on to win numerous graded stakes races and three wins in Breeders’ Cup, most notably his amazing ride aboard Personal Ensign in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. In that race he caught Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors in the final stride, keeping Personal Ensign’s perfect record intact. Romero has battled health issues caused by years of self-induced weight reduction regimen to maintain his riding weight. HRTV recently received the 2011 Media Eclipse Award for the production of “Inside Information: Randy Romero.” His family life with his father Lloyd Romero, a horse trainer, was the basis for the movie “Casey’s Shadow.” View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Andy Serling
Andy Serling host of a couple of shows ('Trips and Traps' and 'Talking Horses'), was passed the torch from the legendary Harvey Pack as the lead handicapper for the NYRA. He grew up in Saratoga Springs and is in his element during the month of August. He is recognized as one of the leading handicappers on the east coast. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Jason Shandler
Jason Shandler has been a racing writer with Blood-Horse since 2004. He hosts the popular blogs "Triple Crown Talk" and "Breeders’ Cup Chat" on BloodHorse.com. He also appears on video weekly on BloodHorse.com's "That Handicapping Show" with Tom LaMarra which airs on Thursday afternoons. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Jonathan Sheppard
Born on Dec. 2, 1940 in Ashwell England, near Newmarket, the son of a 40 year British racing official, Mr. Sheppard attended Eton College before arriving in America in 1961. One of the first people he met, was legendary steeplechase trainer Burley Cocks. For the next nine months, Mr. Sheppard worked at Cocks' farm in Unionville, Pa. After a brief return to England, he spent the next two years riding races for Cocks, and may have won on about 25 of 250 rides. Mr. Sheppard then turned to training, and soon had a string of six horses. One of his initial clients was Mr. George Strawbridge Jr., owner of Augustin Stable, and one of steeplechasing's most successful owners. They have been together for 43 years. Mr. Sheppard has enjoyed great success both with flat and steeplechase runners and is one of only two trainers (the other being Hall of Famer Sidney Watters Jr.) to be able to do so. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Lenny Shulman
A resident of Lexington, Kentucky, Lenny Shulman is a features editor of The Blood-Horse magazine and an Emmy Award-winning TV writer. He also wrote " Ride of Their Lives: The Triumphs and Turmoils of Today's Top Jockeys", a book about how our current top jockeys deal with the pressure of riding horses at top speeds day in and day out, the reality of injury, and the issue of weight. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Dan Silver
Dan Silver has been with NYRA since January 2008, first serving as marketing communications manager before being promoted to director of communications and media relations in April 2009. He previously was director of broadcasting and play-by-play broadcaster for the Missouri River Otters minor league hockey team from 2003 to 2006. Dan has a BA from Haverford College and Masters degrees from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism and the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Ralph Siraco
Ralph Siraco is a former track announcer who became a turf writer. He currently hosts the racing radio show "Race Day Las Vegas", broadcast on KSHP AM 1400 in Las Vegas, and streamed live through warpradio.com. Ralph Siraco has been actively involved in racing communications and programming since 1977 including stints at Hollywood Park, Garden State Park, Fairplex Park and Turfway Park. The "Race Day Las Vegas" shows feature Thoroughbred racing news, handicapping, features, and guests from across the country. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Austin Smith
Trainer Austin “Kep” Smith has been flying under the radar in thoroughbred racing, but is finally getting the recognition he deserves with Nates Mineshaft who recorded a smashing track record in the $400,000 Grade II New Orleans Handicap over some of the top handicap performers in the country. Smith was born into the racing family of George Smith who founded Woodburn Farm in southern Ohio with his partner Dr. Wilburn Johnston. After attending Ohio State University, Austin worked under the tutelage of trainer Richard Lundy for five years before branching out on his own. He will be moving his stable to Keeneland for the upcoming meet so he can be closer to the Pine Club in Dayton, Ohio for their legendary Scallops and Filet Mignon. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Milt Toby
Milt Toby is an attorney, author, and photographer with a lifelong involvement in the horse industry. He has been writing professionally about horses since 1972, first as a staff writer and photographer for The Blood-Horse and since 1984 as a freelancer for a number of publications. His sixth book, Dancer’s Image: The Forgotten Story of the 1968 Kentucky Derby, was published in 2011. His earlier books include The Complete Equine Legal and Business Handbook, and Ruffian. Milt’s equine law blog, "Horses and the Law" appears weekly at www.thehorse.com. Milton also maintains a website called www.miltonctoby.com. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Elliott Walden
Before taking out his first training license in 1985, Mr. Walden worked under trainers such as Leroy Jolley, Dennis Ebert, John Godsen. Elliott was a three-time leading trainer at Churchill Downs, as well as two-time leading trainer at Keeneland. In July 2005, Elliott changed roles within the organization, going from private trainer to Racing Manager. In December of 2005, Walden was elevated to the role of Vice President of WinStar Farm, and in November of 2010 he was promoted to President and CEO of WinStar Farm. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Terry Wallace
Wallace retired as track announcer at Oaklawn earlier this year after a 37-year run. Wallace was named “Man of the Year” by the Arkansas Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and after calling his 20,000th consecutive race, and Hot Springs Mayor Mike Bush declared it “Terry Wallace Day.” Terry Wallace, who has been called the “most recognizable voice in Arkansas,” will receive the Mr. Fitz Award during the 52nd annual NTWAB Awards Dinner at the Louisville Slugger Museum in downtown Louisville. Presented annually to an individual or group for typifying the spirit of horse racing, the Mr. Fitz Award is named for the late Hall of Fame trainer Jim “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons. Past winners of the Mr. Fitz Award include 2010 recipient Richard Migliore, Luke Kruytbosch, Calvin Borel, Robert and Beverly Lewis, and Joe Hirsch. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Mike Watchmaker
Mike Watchmaker is the national handicapper for Daily Racing Form. He first joined the Form in 1980, and was named New York columnist in 1983. He left the Form in 1991 to join The Racing Times, then worked for NYRA, where he was program handicapper and morning line maker before rejoining the Form in 1998. He lives on Long Island with his wife and two children. Mr. Watchmaker handicaps races from all over the country and writes the weekly feature “Weekend Warrior” in the Saturday edition of the Daily Racing Form. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Gary West
Gary West is a regular columnist for the Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star Telegram. The son of a jockey, West was a college teacher before returning to the racetrack and writing about horse racing. He has appeared as a commentator on racing on ESPN and on CNN, and has hosted his own radio program on racing. He wrote several books about horse racing, and notably "Razoo At The Races: Diary of a Horseplayer" which is one of the funniest books ever written about the racetrack and horse racing. Gary West entertains readers with wit while imparting horseplaying wisdom and insight. West was the President of the National Turf Writers Association 2005-2006. View Guest page
Episode Listing:
Show Links
"Winning Ponies" welcomes Dan Collins and Joe Kristufek
August 11, 2011
Hosted by John Engelhardt
[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]
Dan Collins who manages Bona Venture Stables, is a life-long racing enthusiast who once spent a summer covering the horse racing scene for The Saratogian newspaper in Saratoga Springs, NY. In 1996, Mr. Collins became involved in his first racing syndicate and began learning about pedigrees, conformation and the sales process. He purchased his first thoroughbred in 1999 and formed Bona Venture Stables in 2005. Bona Venture Stables LLC is a horse racing organization dedicated to providing the average investor an opportunity for ownership in a major league sports franchise – thoroughbred horse racing! Today, there are about 40 individuals who are involved in individual ownership of a thoroughbred race horse through Bona Venture Stables. They maintain an active stable of between 8 to 15 thoroughbreds racing, and breeding primarily in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Florida.
Winning Ponies
Thur 5 PM PT on VoiceAmerica Sports Network
On the show we will talk about the Sport of Kings. We will delve into the different features of the WinningPonies.com website. John Engelhardt will talk about the issues of the day that affect horse racing, such as synthetic surfaces, medication rule changes, the fate of the industry as a whole, VLTs and Casinos, and human interest stories of triumph and defeat. You will also hear our spot play of the week, where John will handicap the feature races for the upcoming weekend, and will give out his best plays. We will keep you abreast racing’s big events. Featured on the show will be guests (trainers, jockeys, jockey’s agents, owners, and celebrity handicappers). Promotional giveaways will be featured, such as brand merchandise and free WinningCredits.
"Winning Ponies" is broadcast live every Thursday at 8 PM Eastern/5 PM Pacific on the VoiceAmerica Sports Channel.
John Engelhardt
You may recognize him as "Racing's Regular Guy." For ten years, John Engelhardt hosted the informative and sometimes irreverent handicapping show from his base at River Downs in Cincinnati, Ohio. He developed a passion for thoroughbred racing as a youngster at Saratoga, and has been able to make his love of the sport his life's calling.
Engelhardt, a native of Syracuse, New York is a graduate of the University of Dayton. His professional career in racing began as the track photographer at Beulah Park in 1983 and he has worked in racing ever since. John produced "The Stretch Run" for eight years, which aired on the CBS affiliate WCPO-TV in Cincinnati. For four years Engelhardt co-hosted "The Regular Guy Handicapping Show on HOMER 1530-AM in Cincinnati with former "Winning Ponies" host Ed Meyer.
John served as the President of the Turf Publicists of America in 2009 and 2010, after serving several years as the Midwest Vice-President of that organization. He is currently a consultant for Pinnacle Entertainment handling publicity, public relations, marketing, advertising and special events for River Downs. Under the "nom-de-course" of Heart of an Angel Stable, he has bred and owned thoroughbreds for 18 years.
"Racing's Regular Guy" has been exposed to racing on many levels and greets the sport with enthusiasm and well-rounded knowledge. Tune in Thursdays at 5PM PT, as he welcomes nationally recognized guests, who will help you find those "Winning Ponies.”
Advertisement
