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The Gilded Insularity: Why the "Inner Circle" Can No Longer Ignore the Noise

POSTED: February 16, 2026

There is a beautiful, protected inner circle in Thoroughbred racing—a space that is gilded, powerful, and meticulously insulated. To those within it, the walls feel...

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Past The Wire

The Untouchables: Why the Racing Media Chokes on the Ortiz Scandal but Swallows Kevin Bond Whole

POSTED: February 16, 2026

Low Hanging Fruit Often Tastes Bad "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."...

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Past The Wire

California Dreaming: Golden State Rejuvenation for Jockeys

POSTED: February 16, 2026

Maybe It's The Water The California racing circuit, despite its challenges with field size, has become an unexpected proving ground and career revitalizer for a...

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Past The Wire

The "Rainy Day" Mystery: Stewardship or Self-Interest at the Jockey Club?

POSTED: February 15, 2026

Have you ever gotten involved in something and wanted to get out, but you keep feeling brought back in? A few weeks ago I wrote...

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Past The Wire

The Starting Gate Closes: Florida Decoupling, Gulfstream's Crossroads, and the Rise of Tampa Bay Downs

POSTED: February 15, 2026

Decoupling and Its Impact on Florida Horse Racing: Who Wins, Who Loses The Handicapper's Perspective: "I’ve seen some bad beats at Gulfstream, but nothing compares...

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Past The Wire

The Gilded Cage: Why The Jockey Club Leadership is Financially Insulated from the Sport’s Decline

POSTED: February 11, 2026

The American Thoroughbred industry is currently a tale of two sports. In one version, the foundation is rotting: foal crops are in a twenty-year nosedive,...

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Past The Wire

The Umbrella and the Storm: Why Racing’s Narrative is Protected, Not Progressed

POSTED: February 9, 2026

In our recent exploration, The Illusion of Independence, we pulled back the curtain on the tight-knit relationships that govern horse racing’s "official" narrative. We’ve seen...

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Past The Wire

The Ethics Gap: Paco Lopez, Cockfighting, and the Selective Outrage of Horse Racing

POSTED: February 6, 2026

PETA 2 HORSE RACING 0 Almost everyone in the horseracing industry loves to bash PETA. I am not advocating for them here, but many will...

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Past The Wire

The Great Data Divide: A Lesson in Communication and Progress

POSTED: February 5, 2026

You Can Lead a Horse to Water, But You Can't Make Them Drink It is no secret that I haven’t pulled any punches lately. When...

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Welcome To Past The Wire

Welcome to Past The Wire, home of Jonathan Stettin’s column on all that is horse racing, the Sport of Kings! We hope you enjoy  Past The Wire where you will find articles and with tons of insight written by Jonathan Stettin. Jonathan shares his many years of experience as a player, owner and agent in the sport of horse racing with you. Jonathan has a unique approach on the game as we know it today coupled with a keen sense of what is going on in the Sport Of Kings on the daily.

Jonathan has been around the sport of horse racing his entire life. You will find candid interviews with owners, trainers and jockeys as well as his uncensored views on the state of horse racing, betting syndicates, opinion pieces and more. Read more from Jonathan Stettin here and allow him to take you Past The Wire!