all in Lifestyle

Whether endowing an entrepreneurship competition he founded at his alma mater, Skidmore College, supporting disabled jockeys, or donating to Thoroughbred aftercare, Ken Freirich believes in leading by example, and last week at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, he was seemingly everywhere all at once, spreading the message.

“Sure did. It was non-stop,” he said a few days after the event when asked if he’d had fun.

Noted racing journalist and horseman Josh Pons has been named the 19th recipient of the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, presented by the Ryan family’s Castleton Lyons, for excellence in Thoroughbred racing literature published in 2024. He received the winner’s $10,000 check during a Nov. 6 reception at the Lexington, Ky., farm. The ceremony was held in a loft above the historic stallion barn that once housed 19th century champions Domino and Commando.

OwnerView announced today that the 2025 New Owner of the Year, sponsored by 1/ST RACING, is being awarded to Griffin Johnson.

Johnson is an American content creator, social media influencer, actor, and singer with more than 14 million followers. Johnson was a founding member and resident of the Sway House, a Bel Air mansion and hub for famous TikTok creators. He is also a co-founder and operating partner of venture capital firm Animal Capital.

Ben Bernhard will be the first to tell you that he is very much new to racing, but he does bring something unique to his jobs as the CEO and co-founder of Stable Analytics and as vice president of Pin Oak Stud, a Thoroughbred farm near Versailles, Ky., owned by his parents, Jim and Dana. The couple bought their first racehorse, Grade 1 winner Geaux Rocket Ride, as a yearling in 2021, and purchased Pin Oak the following year.

As I sit down to write this final installment of Teddy Spaghetti’s road to the Thoroughbred Makeover, it is with great pride for how much he and our team accomplished there; huge appreciation for the family that allowed me the opportunity to take both their new 3-year-old OTTB and their 16-year-old daughter along for the ride; and a little bit of nostalgia that it’s over.

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