Rail Talk Episode 109: Running Down a Dream

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green start to look forward to the Breeders’ Cup and share the perspectives of readying participants for the World Championships at Del Mar. That leads into a deeper conversation filled with gratitude about the ups and downs of competing to win races and being around special horses. They also bestow a new Rail Talk Citation after a historic win at Keeneland and look forward to their friend and star associate producer Julia Agresta’s wedding this Sunday! Joe and Jon then welcome Damon Thayer to give the industry a briefing on where the fight against decoupling in Florida stands. Thayer discusses the intense lobbying/fundraising effort necessary to stave off the demise of Gulfstream Park, how crucial Florida is to the racing and breeding ecosystem, potential alternative racing sites and much more. Don’t miss any Rail Talk content, as we approach two major viewership/subscriber milestones, be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods! Huge thanks to our sponsors Fasig-Tipton, The Green Group, Taylor Made and Epic Insurance for their support.

Rail Talk Episode 108: Forward Motion

This week on Rail Talk! The last round of major Breeders’ Cup preps is in the books, and Joe Bianca and Jon Green react to all of it: Nitrogen’s narrow second in the Spinster, a fitting win for Rhetorical in Keeneland’s Turf Mile, Ted Noffey’s continued dominance in the Breeders’ Futurity, Intricate Spirit punching his ticket to Del Mar for West Point and much more. The boys are then joined by legendary trainer Graham Motion for an illuminating discussion on HISA, Paco Lopez, the importance of speaking out in a Trump-heavy industry and much more. Joe and Jon also discuss the economic indicators through three quarters of 2025—what does it mean that total handle is down but handle per race day is up?

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green give their takes on the major controversy surrounding jockey Paco Lopez’s six-month suspension by HISA: Does the punishment fit the crime? What effect should Paco’s extensive prior record of being unable to follow the rules have? What’s the significance of his fellow riders standing so uniformly behind him? The boys also react to the first of two huge Breeders’ Cup weekends and look forward to the second at Aqueduct and Keeneland, which provides two of the best days of racing in the sport. There’s also a ton of exciting action on tap for the home teams, with Ewing, Curtain Call and Nitrogen headlining a jam-packed weekend of high-profile runners trying to punch their BC tickets for West Point and DJ Stable. 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. A million thanks to our sponsors Fasig-Tipton, Taylor Made, The Green Group and Epic Insurance for their support.

Murray Valene: October Member of the Month Spotlight

In this episode of TOBA Breakaway Rail Talk, Jon Green sits down with Murray Valene, TOBA’s October Member of the Month, whose Valene Farms operation has long been a force in Louisiana racing. Valene shares the story behind Smoken Wicked, his Louisiana-bred standout who clinched the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at Saratoga this summer. From spotting him in sales prep to celebrating his success as a juvenile champion, Valene’s approach to horse selection and development comes through in every story. With roots in polo and a racing journey that traces back to the 1960s, Valene reflects on his family’s legacy, the strength of the Louisiana-bred program, and how patience, perseverance, and smart partnerships have defined his stable’s success on both local and national stages. Don’t miss TOBA’s Pedigree & Conformation Clinic on Monday, October 20 at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, held in conjunction with the Kentucky October Yearlings sale. Topics will cover everything from conformation and pedigree insights to auction strategy, nutrition, genetics, and more. Registration is open through October 16. TOBA members receive discounted pricing, and each attendee will get meals, materials, and a TOBA gift bag.

Rail Talk Episode 106: Unpacking the Budget

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green sit down with HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus to answer horsemen’s questions about the regulator’s proposed $78 million budget for 2026. How much is going to drug testing? What are some ways we can be more efficient going forward? And what is the intrinsic value of racing on a more level playing field compared to the cheater-infested landscape we had pre-HISA? The boys then react to Baeza getting his well-deserved Grade I in the Pennsylvania Derby and look ahead to a phenomenal Breeders’ Cup Classic. Joe and Jon also discuss the New York stewards’ latest colossally infuriating screwup over the weekend that put bettors in a terrible spot, and Jim ‘Mattress Mack’ McIngvale leaving the game.

Rail Talk Episode 104: Pull A Rabbit Out of the Race

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green react to a Labor Day weekend full of controversy and superstar performances as we enter the home stretch of the championship hunt. First, the boys dissect the scary bumping incident in the roughly-run Jockey Club Gold Cup, which caused Irad Ortiz, Jr. to fall off Mindframe. Thankfully, disaster was averted, but how can we avoid situations like this to begin with? Who was at fault? And is it time to eliminate the ‘rabbit’ strategy from the game? Then, Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Junior Alvarado stops by for a fantastic interview, where he discusses what makes Sovereignty so special, the resilience necessary to bounce back from so many injuries, his observer’s take from the JCGC mess and much more. Joe and Jon also react to some of the weekend’s most impressive efforts, highlighted by Fierceness in the Pacific Classic and Ted Noffey in the Hopeful.

Rail Talk Episode 103: Chalk of the Town

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green react to a star-studded Travers Day at Saratoga, headlined by Sovereignty‘s dazzling 10-length romp in the ‘Midsummer Derby’. Where does he rank in the pecking order of elite 21st century 3-year-olds? And what does it say about this year’s sophomore class that Journalism could still potentially overtake him in the championship hunt if he beats elders in the Pacific Classic this Saturday? The boys also discuss the latest Grade I victories from superstars Thorpedo Anna and Book’em Danno, and where the two go from here, before giving their takes on the swift one-year suspension of jockey Albin Jimenez at Belterra, HISA’s Q2 safety metrics and the data surrounding voided claim rules.

Rail Talk Episode 102: Monday Nitro

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green react to a seismic win for DJ Stable’s Nitrogen in the Alabama, as the superstar filly proves she can handle dirt as well as turf. Jon reflects on what the homebred’s victory means for his family’s program, Mark Casse’s stable and their sophomore filly’s chances of a year-end championship. Speaking of stars, elite racing broadcaster Laffit Pincay III then stops by for a fun chat with the boys about what it takes to put on a 5+ hour show every day from Saratoga, his early days in journalism and what he thinks racing needs to fix most. The boys also look forward to the meet centerpiece Travers card this Saturday while lamenting only five horses entering the Midsummer Derby, try to figure out what’s going on with the epidemic of voided claims this meet and bestow two new Rail Talk Citations on either coast.

Rail Talk Episode 101: The Good, the Bad, and the Alabama

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green are back in their home studios and kick off their second hundred episodes with plenty to discuss, chief of which was the embarrassing gate misplacement in Saturday’s finale at Saratoga. How does this keep happening? What steps will be taken to ensure it never happens again? The boys also look forward to the 1 1/4-mile (we hope) Alabama, which features DJ Stable’s own superstar filly Nitrogen. That leads into an announcement from Jon about DJ reducing its stock this fall, plus Joe and Jon unveil two new Rail Talk Citations, a world-record setting Epic Performance of the week and much more. If you haven’t yet, be sure to join the Rail Talk family by subscribing to the show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Thanks as always to our superstar sponsors Fasig-Tipton, The Green Group, Taylor Made and Epic Insurance Brokers for their support.

Rail Talk Episode 100: ‘Live’ From Saratoga

This week on Rail Talk, it’s Episode 100, on scene from the center of the racing world, Fasig-Tipton at Saratoga! Joe Bianca and Jon Green take the set and the sales grounds by storm with an array of highly influential guests, starting with Taylor Made president Mark Taylor, who was followed by Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning and director of client relations Anna Seitz to talk all about the record-breaking select yearling sale. DJ Stable founder Len Green then stops by to tell the story of how his two-man team is able to compete at the highest levels of the game, and last but not least, Mike Repole sits down with the boys in advance of his meeting with The Jockey Club where things got.. interesting. Joe and Jon also react to Sierra Leone capturing the Whitney, Ewing’s huge win over Obliteration in the Saratoga Special, Joe’s weekend at Del Mar and more. We are so proud and grateful to have reached the 100-episode milestone. We couldn’t have done it without our outstanding and dedicated production team, our all-star lineup of sponsors—The Green Group, Fasig-Tipton, Taylor Made, Epic Insurance and Arion Pedigrees—or our phenomenal base of viewers and listeners. Thank you all for every ounce of support, it truly means the world to us. And if you haven’t officially joined the RT family, please be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible or wherever you get your pods. Here’s to the next 100 being even more fun than the first!

Episode 2: Steve Duncker: August Member of the Month Spotlight

Presented by Rail Talk in proud partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) This month on Breakaway Rail Talk, we sit down with Steve Duncker, TOBA’s August Member of the Month—a lifelong racing enthusiast, former NYRA chairman, and a passionate advocate for ownership partnerships in the Thoroughbred industry. Steve shares how a teenage driveway-sealing business turned into his first racehorse investment, leading to a long and impactful career in racing. From owning a piece of champion Bates Motel to recent success with graded stakes winner Deterministic, Steve’s journey reflects the heart of TOBA’s mission. He also reflects on his decades-long friendship with the late Christophe Clement, and what it meant to see Christophe’s son Miguel earn his first Grade 1 victory in the Manhattan Stakes. This episode is a celebration of legacy, community, and the joy of owning horses with friends.

Rail Talk Episode 99: CAW-se for Outrage

This week on Rail Talk! We’re knocking on the door of our milestone 100th episode by digging fully into the madness of late odds drops caused by computer-assisted wagering groups, which reached its breaking point over the weekend at Del Mar. A long-time frustration for regular horseplayers, CAW action cut several winners’ odds by more than half at the track on Saturday, and track officials were forced to respond to public outcry. Joe and Jon break it all down, then welcome National Thoroughbred Alliance Executive Director Pat Cummings, the foremost authority on this problem who’s written eloquently about it for years, to discuss every angle of this ongoing injustice and what can be done to level the playing field for bettors. The boys then react to Sovereignty ruling again in the Jim Dandy, preview a phenomenal Whitney Day card and look forward to next week’s 100th episode, which will be on site from Fasig-Tipton in Saratoga!