Michael Tabor strolled down the apron at Santa Anita Park, shielding the bright California sunlight with a baseball cap and a dark pair of shades. Peering out at the Pro-Ride surface the morning before the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships would begin, the Coolmore principal answered a simple question with a response that was as clear as the day's view of the San Gabriel Mountains.

The health and safety of our human and equine athletes, and the integrity of our sport are our highest priorities. These fundamental principles will guide the newly formed National Thoroughbred Racing Association Safety and Integrity Alliance.

The passing of Cozzene Oct. 8 made me reflect on what my life would have been without our "introduction" when I was young. His presence has been a constant thread throughout my life, beginning when I was about 3 years old.

After viewing a study conducted for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the organization's senior vice president of communications and industry relations, Keith Chamblin, had this to say: "Our core fans are pissed."

Arlington fans said goodbye to Earlie Fires on a recent Sunday afternoon, the final day of the 2008 meeting, 42 years after he first rode at Chicago's showplace racetrack.