Rail Talk Podcast

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green are back after a week away to catch up on racing’s biggest stories. First, they appreciate and honor the outstanding career of D. Wayne Lukas, whose Hall of Fame career has come to its end after nearly five decades of groundbreaking success and influence. Joe and Jon then react to the ICE raid of Delta Downs, which resulted in over 80 arrests of bac...

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green wrap up a tremendous Triple Crown season with their reactions to the scintillating Belmont at Saratoga, as Sovereignty and Journalism put on a show at the Spa. Just how good are these two 3-year-olds historically, and what has been their impact beyond the walls of the racing industry this spring? The boys also analyze the star-studded undercard race...

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green are back at their mics, refreshed from a week away and buzzing about Belmont Stakes week at Saratoga, as the Derby 1-2-3 reconvene at the Spa in what could be a classic renewal on the greatest stage in racing. Joe and Jon tackle that, plus the rest of a stacked two days featuring nine total Grade I’s, and wonder whether the popular Sandman’s absence...

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green are back from the Preakness, full of crab cakes and hot takes. Did Journalism prove he’s head and shoulders the leader in this 3-year-old class? What’s the vibe from Team Sandman after his third-place run? How did Pimlico hold up in the final Preakness day at Old Hilltop? The boys then welcome multiple Breeders’ Cup-winning jockey and expert riding...

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green provide the backstory on Sandman’s surprise entry into the Preakness and dive into the rest of the field and its storylines with star NBC Sports racing host/reporter Britney Eurton. Britney also gives her take on the present and future of racing in her home state of California, how we can capitalize on an influx of young eyes watching this year’s Tr...

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green are back from the 151st Kentucky Derby and give you all the reactions from Team Sandman, plus analysis of the first three across the wire and the state of the 3-year-old division. They then discuss Griffin Johnson’s impact on the race and the sport, the Kentucky Oaks and notable undercard performances, give a final rundown of their Mage Rage Derby c...

Former Kentucky State Senator and Thoroughbred Racing Initiative (TRI) Senior Advisor Damon Thayer sits down with Jon Green to get into the weeds of the Florida decoupling bill that will no longer see the light of day in this legislative session. Jon, TRI Vice President, has worked with Damon since forming the initiative along with David O’Farrell, Dr. Barry Eisaman, Mark Casse, and Aron Wellman....

This week on Rail Talk! The Kentucky Derby is finally upon us, and Joe Bianca and Jon Green celebrate making it through the cold winter with a legitimate chance to take home the trophy in the 151st Run for the Roses. Joe and Jon give their honest reactions to Sandman drawing post 17, how they’d like to see the race unfold and what contenders they’re most worried about. They then welcome NBC Sports...

This week on Breakaway Rail Talk presented by Arion Pedigrees, Joe Bianca welcomes back friend of the show, owner and ace handicapper Jim Politano to put together multi-race tickets for the loaded Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks cards this weekend. Joe and Jim, previously together on Breakaway Rail Talk’s Breeders’ Cup handicapping shows which have produced multiple winning plays, hammer out late...

This week on Rail Talk! It’s our most highly-anticipated episode yet, featuring the great debate between Mike Repole and Tinky aka Tony Cobitz. This conflict has been simmering on horse racing Twitter for months, and the two agreed to get in the ring together for a verbal showdown on our podcast. No topic is off limits, as the outspoken billionaire owner and self-proclaimed commissioner of racing...

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green react to the final round of Kentucky Derby preps, as Journalism solidifies himself as the favorite, Rodriguez wires the Wood and Burnham Square dives late to capture the Blue Grass. What holes are there, if any, to poke in Journalism’s case, and are the other winners contenders or pretenders? The boys then welcome star NBC correspondent Steve Kornac...

This week on Breakaway Rail Talk presented by Arion Pedigrees, Jon Green talks to Keeneland CEO and President Shannon Arvin about the upcoming Spring Meet, sales grounds improvements and upgrades in the paddock and viewing areas. They discuss her five-year tenure at the helm and what is on the near horizon for racing and sales fans. Don’t miss any episodes of Rail Talk, be sure to subscribe to the...

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green are back from a thrilling Saturday at Oaklawn Park, where they witnessed, along with 68,000 of their closest friends, Sandman punch his ticket for the Kentucky Derby with a convincing win in the meet centerpiece Arkansas Derby. The boys react to one of the most thrilling moments of their racing lives and start five weeks of spine-tingling anticipati...

This week on Rail Talk! We’re less than six weeks out from Kentucky Derby 151, and Joe Bianca and Jon Green take stock of the 3-year-old class heading into crunch time. Joe, just back from New Orleans, gives his in-person reaction from the Louisiana Derby, while Jon has a bee in his bonnet about the Jeff Ruby Steaks being a 100-point Derby qualifier. The boys then look forward to this weekend’s Fl...

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green are back from Ocala, and dive into the statistics from HISA’s 2024 metrics report. Racing fatalities at HISA-run tracks were nearly half of those at the non-HISA tracks, proving that the system is working in keeping horses safer, and for the first time, we have data on training-related fatalities. Other takeaways include the increased safety of dirt...

This week on Breakaway Rail Talk presented by Arion Pedigrees, Joe Bianca sits down with New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association president Tina Bond to discuss her bold marketing initiative, The Heart of Horse Racing. As a passionate advocate for the sport, Bond has enlisted an impressive array of stakeholders to tell their stories and organize to create a sustainable future for racing. Marke...

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green react to the latest deeply unflattering New York Times article about the racing industry, this time coming in the form of a scathing, 4,600-word (!!) guest essay questioning the necessity of the sport’s existence. The boys let it rip on the negative slants, misrepresentations and omissions of the article, while also acknowledging and responding to t...

This week on a special Breakaway Rail Talk presented by Arion Pedigrees, co-hosts Joe Bianca and Jon Green continue to explore the impact of Lasix with guests Tony "Tinky" Cobitz and Southwest Stakes Winning trainer, Ron Moquett. Tinky provides a plethora of facts and figures backed by extensive research including how it affects two-year-olds, older horses and stakes competitors. Ron cou...

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green start a jam-packed show appreciating the immense progress being made in the HISA era. Racing fatalities dropped below 1 per 1,000 starts at tracks under HISA’s jurisdiction in 2024, the first time racing has crossed that benchmark since the advent of the Equine Injury Database in 2009. The same week the numbers were released, HISA also busted a vete...

This week on Rail Talk! We break some major news, as longtime Kentucky state senator Damon Thayer and Ocala Stud general manager David O’Farrell join the show to announce the creation of the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative, an alliance of major stakeholders organizing to stop the potentially devastating decoupling efforts in Florida. Thayer, whose experience includes spearheading the passage of his...

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green discuss the Los Angeles Times article reporting that The Stronach Group has let potential buyers know that Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita are available for the right price. What needs to be done to ensure racing continues in Florida and especially California? What responsibilities do other racing-rich states have in maintaining the industry beyond...

This week on Breakaway Rail Talk presented by Arion Pedigrees, Joe Bianca sits down with Frank Taylor and Christian Countzler, the co-founders of Stable Recovery, a groundbreaking program helping men struggling with addiction take back their lives. The organization, just honored with an Eclipse Award, teaches horsemanship skills, accountability and leans on its dedicated community to help their gr...

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green welcome Resolute Racing founder John Stewart for a a wide-ranging, in-depth discussion as he continues to make early waves in the racing world. The three talk about how Stewart is trying to make sure that his guns-blazing entry into the game is sustainable, his attempts to market the sport and increase its outreach/visibility, his background as a ho...

This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green kick off a loaded episode by reacting to the Pegasus World Cup card, perhaps one of the final major racing days in the life of Gulfstream Park. With The Stronach Group clearly uninterested in committing to racing there long term, the conversation moves to alternative homes for racing in Florida, and Joe and Jon discuss the pros and cons of the possi...

This week on Rail Talk! Jon Green rejoins Joe Bianca in the studio for a jam-packed show covering the industry’s hottest topics. First, the boys break down The Stronach Group’s pressure campaign on Gulfstream’s horsemen and whether or not the South Florida staple’s days are numbered. Joe and Jon also discuss the reinstatement of jockey Paco Lopez after his six-week suspension for striking a horse...