Last autumn, Ontario Racing announced two new Thoroughbred Horse Improvement Programs aimed at strengthening breeding and racing in the province. The association offered an update Jan. 16 on the Mare Recruitment Program and the Mare Purchase Program.

Mark Johnston questioned the failure to clean all racecourse stables completely after blood-stained cotton wool was found in a box given to one of his horses at Southwell.

This week is a recap of Silverbulletday’s victory in the April 30, 1999 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. The recap, written by Evan Hammonds, ran in the May 8, 1999 magazine issue. It carried the headline “Silver Lining.”

It didn’t take long to get the action rolling during the Jan. 15 session of the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, when Springhouse Farm drove up the bidding on an Uncle Mo colt to $400,000 less than an hour into the auction. 

The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale entered a new phase with Book 2 during the Jan. 15 third session, with a yearling by prominent sire Uncle Mo leading the way at $400,000.

The popular Keeneland Library Series, which features new works about Thoroughbred racing, will kick off 2020 with two programs that go beyond highlighting traditional nonfiction material.

The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale entered a new phase with Book 2 during the Jan. 15 third session, with a yearling by prominent sire Uncle Mo leading the way at $400,000.

Racing was dark at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Jan. 15, but the track commanded the Wednesday morning spotlight with a couple of workouts from grade 1 winners Midnight Bisou and Basin.

The view from the Keeneland sales podium was seen from a new pair of eyes Jan. 15 during the January Horses of All Ages Sale—specifically those of Gabby Gaudet, who made history as the first woman to take a leading announcing role at Keeneland.

WinStar Farm’s Good Samaritan, a versatile millionaire son of Harlan’s Holiday and a graded stakes winner on dirt and turf, sired his first reported foal Jan. 15 when a filly was born at Windmill Farm in Versailles, Ky.

The evaluation report on Mongolian Groom, who was fatally injured in the Nov. 2 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita Park, was released Jan. 15 by renowned equine surgeon Dr. Larry Bramlage, who conducted the evaluation.

Longtime horsemen Larry Wayne Richardson died at his Lexington home Jan. 13. He was 75.

Vardy, whose victory in last weekend’s L’Ormarins Queens Plate (G1) coincided with the birthday of his Leicester City footballer namesake, has a half brother to be offered at the Jan. 16 Cape Premier Yearling Sale in South Africa.

Florida stallion Bucchero sired his first reported foal Jan. 14 when a filly was born at Golden Legacy Stables near Ocala, Fla. The filly is out of the unraced Warrior’s Reward mare Goldenlegacy’shope.

The son of War Front will stand at Hidden Springs Farm.

The filly is the first foal out of the winning Proud Citizen daughter Proud Heroine.

The Horseracing Integrity Act (H.R. 1754), introduced in March by Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY) and Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY), has gained additional support from the House of Representatives, with 226 members now cosponsoring the legislation

Champion Monomoy Girl, unraced since winning the 2018 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) after a couple of physical setbacks in 2019, arrived Jan. 15 at the barn of trainer Brad Cox at Fair Grounds in preparation for racing in 2020.

Nick Rust, who has led British racing’s governing body for the past five years, is to step down as chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority at the end of 2020.