Matt Scull

Founder @1stRodeoRacing • the on-ramp to racehorse ownership • chasing firsts with the next generation of owners

[Todd Schrupp @ToddTTV]

As a Sport we celebrate greatness in our equine athletes and are always eager to see our next Superstar; rightly so. However, Dylan Donnelly is currently re-defining what it means to be an ‘Elite’ Horseplayer, and the Industry needs to take notice and appreciate it. This year alone he’s already surpassed $1Million in Tournament earnings with a dramatic win @NTRA ‘s National Horseplayers Championship & now this come from behind win @DelMarRacing ‘s Summer Challenge.

The only major Tournament Win missing from his sparkling Resume’ is @BreedersCup BCBC. To win it this year would be otherworldly, and put him in his own orbit. To win it at any point in his career after becoming an NHC Champion is rarified air. Dylan’s personal story is inspiring in and of itself. What he’s doing as a horseplayer at the tender age of 34 should inspire the Industry to promote his accomplishments, and what he’s trying to accomplish.

Everyone can be a Horseplayer, it’s the most accessible entry point of our Game; yet there is little successful promotion of those who are dedicated to that craft and succeeding. Dylan is succeeding in unimaginable ways in Tournaments that already put him on a stage and in a potential Media Spotlight. How we get that message out is the challenge, but it’s one I hope our Industry accepts and makes an effort at. Until then, I know I’ll be watching with interest the next time Dylan enters a Tournament, and I’ll really be rooting for him when he tries to go where no Horseplayer has gone before; NHC Champ to BCBC Winner 🤓

[Adelphi Racing Club @AdelphiClub]

The Choice Facing Thoroughbred Racing: Row Together, or Sink Alone

For decades, the Thoroughbred racing industry has operated less like a unified sport and more like a collection of feudal kingdoms. We protect our individual borders, engage in bitter internal disputes, and litigate our differences in the court of public opinion. While we have been busy fighting over our slice of the pie, however, the pie itself has been shrinking.

We find ourselves in a defining moment for the future of our sport. We face a stark choice - we can continue our negative focus, public infighting, and short-sighted posturing, or we can finally get into the same boat and row in the same direction. In a contracting industry, collaboration isn't just a buzzword, it is a requirement for survival.

So, in the spirit of making actual progress, I’m asking you to take a minute to look at an idea for aftercare, challenge the math, and join me in making it a reality.

A Ground-Up Solution for Aftercare

Nowhere is this need for collective action clearer than in our responsibility to the horses themselves. @RepoleStable has repeatedly and rightfully, on this platform, called on the industry to support Thoroughbred aftercare in a meaningful way. Historically, we have watched the industry fail at a top-down approach to fully funding aftercare. Mandates and administrative programs only go so far. It is time we try a ground-up approach, one driven by the participants themselves.

We can look to other industries for inspiration. Let’s create a "carbon neutral" equivalent for horse racing: a Net-Neutral Aftercare Program. The concept is simple- participants actively fund the lifetime retirement gap for their entire roster of incoming horses (2-year-olds).

We know how the lifecycle works. Some horses will have their lifetime care covered naturally through breeding or private placement. Some will need decades of intensive sanctuary care. A portion of that care is already cushioned by current, excellent aftercare donations and existing registry programs. But a massive funding gap remains.

If the average lifetime gap to protect a horse after racing is $7,000 (a completely made up and demonstrative figure), and a stable buys six 2-year-olds at auction (or breeds them), that stable's leadership should work to generate $42,000 in dedicated funding to ensure their participation is completely "neutral."

I have wanted to implement this exact model for Adelphi Racing Club for a while now, but the roadblock has always been data…finding an accurate, universally accepted way to calculate that specific "gap" per horse figure.

I am challenging the industry participants reading this…The analysts, the bloodstock agents, the trainers, the tracks and track executives, the aftercare organizations, the Jockey Club, the owners and the breeders…To come together and help us calculate that definitive baseline figure. Once we have it, I challenge every owner and breeder to do their part from the ground up to fill that gap for their own stable of horses. Let’s stop waiting for an institutional savior. Let's work together, let's lead, and let's actually make some tangible progress.

-Matt C

@jockeyclub @MigBloodstock @duggan101 @FalconeJr @clementstable @acacia_clement @morley_racing @MaggieWolfndale @depazracing @DRFGrening @HorseToWatch @andyserling @ABRLive @DRFLivingston @BloodHorse @Steve_Byk @UrbnHandicapper @ChristinaBlackr @DRFGrening @barshoelife @failedtomenace @SaratogaGoose @BklynBckstretch @GiddyUpBets @trifectabox @iradortiz @joesantos_33 @BeemieAwards @jockeykdavis @TripleDeadHeat @loomsboldly @TheMichelleYu @TheNYRA @raypaulick @stoolpresidente @PatCummingsNTA @raypaulick @theTDN @Utbighair @NewVocations @trfinc @DarwinVizcaya_ @pvisco28 @hhhracingpod @BradWeisbord @westlakeracing @yagodaaron @ZillaStable @GhostofSwiftH

[Matt Scull @FRR_MattScull]

@_KyleHampton $241k in KY sales tax, they should name a road for her

[New York Post @nypost]

Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty have entered a horse in Belmont Stakes https://t.co/NCKok6JGuT

[Matt Scull @FRR_MattScull]

Very cool to see one of our horses on here

@1stRodeoRacing on a hell of a ride with our buddy Two Seven O, so grateful to enjoy it

[Craig Milkowski @CraigMilkowski]

Stakes winning and 120+ TimeformUS Speed Figures from 4-27 through 5-2. I'll add Sunday (5-3) tomorrow:

[Matt Scull @FRR_MattScull]

@OaklawnRacing So proud of our boy !

[Oaklawn Hot Springs @OaklawnRacing]

Two Seven O made his stakes debut a winning one in the 40th Running of the $150,000 Bachelor Stakes covering the 6F in 1:09. The 3yo son of Dialed In was piloted by Edwin Gonzalez and trained by David Fawkes for Aaron & Victoria Haberman and First Rodeo Racing LLC.🏆

[Matt Scull @FRR_MattScull]

@chancemoquett Appreciate the transparency, can’t wait to see this continue to develop

[TwinSpires Racing 🏇 @TwinSpires]

In a driving finish, TWO SEVEN O gets the win along the rail in R5 at Oaklawn Park for trainer David Fawkes with Francisco Arrieta in the saddle! 💪

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay

[FanDuel Racing @FanDuel_Racing]

TOUCHUPONASTAR will try to score back-to-back New Orleans Classics. We caught up with his owner, former NFL Quarterback, Jake Delhomme and trainer Jeff Delhomme to check in on their stable star.

[Boomer Bloodstock @CraigRounsefell]

Conformation Class with Boomer Ep 1: PASTERNS 💥

In this series we’ll be looking at the physical traits a horse needs to stay sound and handle the pressure of the racetrack. First up: the pasterns, which act like the shock absorbers in your car and are often overlooked. Let us know in the comments what your number one deal-breaker is at the sales, or what topic we should dive into next 💬

[Matt Scull @FRR_MattScull]

Spotify: https://t.co/l2DOXqaq1p

Apple: https://t.co/ps9HxtkC2P

[Matt Scull @FRR_MattScull]

Great conversation with Jamie Haydon - talking the history of the @jockeyclub , the importance of equine research, and much more (Also available on Spotify & Apple Podcasts)

[Matt Scull @FRR_MattScull]

That time of year to pick my all names team

[Kentucky Derby Media @DerbyMedia]

A total of 367 top 3-year-old Thoroughbreds became eligible to compete in the 2026 Triple Crown series.

Story: https://t.co/zn6Aqlr04d

Nominations:
https://t.co/sdU1DevxDU

Updated Road to the @KentuckyDerby Leaderboard: https://t.co/1OVsak1EvH

[Matt Scull @FRR_MattScull]

@stoolpresidente @barstoolsports @stoolgambling @elio82

[Matt Scull @FRR_MattScull]

Fun convo with the true next gen!

@FRR_Brian @1stRodeoRacing

[Stable Recovery @StableRecovery1]

We’re so excited to share that we have the opportunity to purchase gym equipment for Stable Recovery and create a space that will be used by both our residents and staff to build strength, release stress, and support their recovery journey.

[Matt Scull @FRR_MattScull]

https://t.co/JmMDY6u3vP

[Matt Scull @FRR_MattScull]

@NYRABets @UrbnHandicapper @failedtomenace @PegasusWorldCup Elite white board art

[Matt Scull @FRR_MattScull]

JERSEYYYYY

[Daily Racing Form @DailyRacingForm]

🏇​🏆​ The Eclipse Award for 2025 Champion Male Sprinter is Book’em Danno! Congrats to the winning connections!