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And countless examples of staying superstars coming to Aus and getting beaten, some of them grow a leg down under.  Aus has the better sprinters the majority of the time.

Divert attention away from the track issue.

I saw a couple of times a couple of days ago ,adds on 2 of the mainstream tv channels,from memory tvl 1 and 4. Only very short adds,promoting bonus back bets of up to $50 if you rback a horse that runs 2nd to 4th ,to win......at perth on saturday. you have to ask yourself,what value is that advertising to the nz racing industry? Races at perth run ,which will only start after nz meetings are finished. Perth,australia,i mean its not nz racing.No bonus back on nz racing.  Another thing that i have noticed. Is it just me,or is the message that free to air racing is back,not been promoted in a way  that it should be. Like i haven't even seen anything at the couple of tab's i visit that racing is back on free to air.  

In the wake of news that seven racehorses at properties under the jurisdiction of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) died in March, several commissioners and staffers at Thursday's monthly board meeting raised the verbal equivalent of a yellow flag with the goal of preventing future fatalities that would equate to a spike into red-alert territory. “Our injury rate, death rate, is creeping up,” chairman Gregory Ferraro, DVM, said after CHRB equine medical director Jeff Blea gave the statistics in his report. “Do you have any solutions, reasons, comments about that?” he asked. “Solutions, no. Reasons, each one is unique,” Blea replied. “For example, in March, there were two tibias, one shoulder in a Quarter Horse, and two fetlocks,” Blea said, describing the underlying fatality reasons and settings in four musculoskeletal injuries that occurred in training and one in racing. Blea said the other two deaths were “medical-condition fatalities unrelated to exercise.” Blea continued: “When I look at the necropsy reports and when I'm involved in the post-mortems, each one is unique. Solutions, I think what we need to continue doing is what we've been doing. We need to continue the educational point of the welfare, the racing and safety program that the CHRB established, trainer [continuing education]. We need to continue the education through the post-mortem examination reviews. And we need to continue to get that message out. “We need to continue to remind our stakeholders not to get complacent,” Blea said. “It's easy to get complacent. Right now is a difficult time for not only the industry but specifically in California. I think the horsemen feel it, management feels it, everyone feels it. So I think it's [important] to continue to do what we've been doing, and continue to do it better than we've been doing it. “There's been some discussion in some circles about penalties for fatalities,” Blea said. “I think that is recirculated conversation from a few years ago. That is going to take quite a bit of in-depth discussion and understanding as to how that sort of process would work. “In other words, if you have more than one fatality, two fatalities, three fatalities [you'd face penalization],” Blea said. “Some folks have brought that notion back up, but I think horsemen are keenly aware that the last thing they want is a fatality. But I think in order to help reduce those numbers, we just have to keep our foot on the pedal.” Ferraro then wanted to know how many trainers might have had more than one musculoskeletal fatality in their stables over a 12-month period. Scott Chaney, the CHRB's executive director, didn't have the exact figures in front of him, but off the top of his head, he said that based on the last annual report the CHRB put out, he believed that of around 66 fatalities statewide, “in the neighborhood of 10 trainers that had more than one.” Chaney clarified that, “So the vast majority obviously have [just] one. And then I think there was maybe one trainer with four, one with three, and a handful with two.” CHRB vice chair Oscar Gonzales said it was important for the board to remain vigilant about keeping an eye on horses training and racing off of extended layoffs, and he added that he knows that oversight in general can be difficult at a time when the industry is short on veterinarians. Chaney agreed that the layoff horses deserve the extra scrutiny they get from the CHRB. “Those [injuries] are particularly troublesome, because they are preventable,” Chaney said, noting the CHRB's required extra examinations for horses coming off a layoff. Widening the lens further, Chaney added, “The sudden death ones, I still think we're still trying to get our arms around. But large-bone injuries we can prevent.” Gonzales summed up the discussion by reminding stakeholders “The last thing we need are more rules and regs, or even for the state legislature to act in the instance where they feel not enough has been done.” Blea put it this way: “The success of the regulations is in the silence of it. It's there-you just don't hear or see it. Which, quite frankly, I'm glad we don't hear it or see it, because the goal is to reduce those numbers. But the success is there.” The post Seven Equine Fatalities in March Raises Caution, but Not Alarm, from CHRB appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With a strong move down the lane, Waves of Mischief (Into Mischief–Pearl River, by Quality Road) held on to win her first career race over the grass at Keeneland on Thursday. Off as the 5-2 choice, the filly from the barn of Brendan Walsh settled along the rail in the third position while Beyond Lucky (Nyquist) set the pace. As the field began to bear down on the leader around the far turn, Waves of Mischief launched her bid by tipping to the two path at the eighth pole, secured the front and outlasted fellow first timer Deep Satin (American Pharoah) for the win. The winner was bred in part by the late Martin Wygod, who passed away last week at the age of 84. The final running time was 1:41.50. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. Sales History: $575,000 '23 OBSAPR. O-Qatar Racing LLC; B-Pam and Martin Wygod (KY); T-Brendan Walsh. The post Into Mischief Filly Turns In Strong Debut Over Keeneland Turf appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features a 'half-sister to Group 1 winner Naval Crown (GB). 14.42 Newbury, Mdn, £12,000, 3yo, f, 10fT MAGIC DREAM (IRE) (Shamardal) is an eyecatching debutante for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby in this race which saw the future Oaks winner Eswarah (GB) (Unfuwain) and Irish Oaks heroine Star Catcher (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) break their maidens. A half-sister to the stable's G1 Platinum Jubilee S. hero Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), she encounters a clutch of potential Oaks fillies in a fascinating affair.   16.20 Saint-Cloud, Debutantes, €27,000, 3yo, f, 8fT ON THE CLOUDS (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) is another intriguing Godolphin newcomer on the day, this time for Henri-Alex Pantall, being a half-sister to the triple G1 Dubai Turf and G1 Prince of Wales's S. hero Lord North (Ire) by Too Darn Hot's sire Dubawi (Ire). One of her peers in attendance is the Wertheimer's Solinah (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), a Christophe Ferland-trained half-sister to the recent GII Pan American S. winner Kertez (GB) (Intello {Ger}).   16.50 Newbury, Debutantes, £12,000, 3yo, f, 7fT TARQEEZ (IRE) (Kingman {GB}) represents Shadwell and Roger Varian, who combined to enjoy success with her half-sister Eshaada (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) in the 2021 G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. Also of note is Yuesheng Zhang's Pride And Power (IRE) (Frankel {GB}), a Karl Burke-trained first foal out of the G3 Prix Sigy winner Big Brothers Pride (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) who is in turn kin to the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest heroine Polydream (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}).   The post Half-Sister To Naval Crown Debuts In “Eswarah Maiden” appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Trotting training supremo Phil Williamson has just retired his best ever trotter but he has a new apple of his eye in at Alexandra Park tonight. Williamson’s multiple Group 1 winner Majestic Man has run his last race after 105 starts for 24 wins and $855,545 in stakes. His new trotting excitement machine Empire City has an awfully long way to go to get to Majestic Man’s level but she has started her career on the right trajectory with five wins from seven starts and winning juvenile trotter of the year. She returned at Addington last week with a powerful win via a long sustained run from the 800m and oozes class. “She has all the key ingredients to be a top trotter, she has the gait, the manners and the speed,” says Williamson, one of the most successful trainers of trotters ever in this part of the world. For all Empire City’s obvious talent Williamson has brought enough newbies to Alexandra Park to know they can be tripped up by racing right-handed for the first time. “She isn’t as confident this way (right-handed) yet and while she can win this is her trial for richer races coming up in a few weeks. She’ll line up in the IRT NZ Sires’ Stakes 3YO Trotters Prelude (8.39pm). “She will wear a Murphy Blind on her inside this week to help her steer better.” Empire City also finds herself as one of the brightest stars of a stronger than usual early-season three-year-old crop with plenty of talented rivals tonight and maybe one really good horse in Paramount Kiwi. He was unbeaten as a two-year-old and looked a natural and while he was beaten into third in his seasonal debut last start there was far more to the story than that. Paramount Kiwi finished third to older horses and trotted a remarkable 2:45.5 which is over two seconds faster than the national record for a three-year-old, not that it will count as only winning times do. But it shows what a talent he is and if he shows gate speed and settles in front of Empire City the filly will need to do something special to beat him. Add in Father Barry, Levi, Dreams Pat, Bounce N Beyond and Princess Sadie, who Williamson is caretaker training for son Matthew, and this three-year-old crop will provide some real highlights as their season develops. Trotters will be the highlight of the early part of tonight’s meeting with a stacked juvenile trot including some impressive trialists and the return of last season’s Anzac Cup winner Eurokash in Race 5, the Border Fencing Services Handicap Trot. But it wraps with a good two-year-old fillies race and Duchess Megxit set to go around red hot in a four-horse Race 10, the Magness Benrow Sires’ Stakes 3YO Fillies Heat 3 Mobile Pace. View the full article

Owner Amr Zedan's quest for a temporary injunction that would require Churchill Downs to allow Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Muth into the Kentucky Derby (G1) field was denied April 18 by a Louisville, Ky., judge.View the full article

Races at Evangeline Downs and Horseshoe Indianapolis both went off without all horses being loaded into the starting gate on Wednesday. The fourth race at Evangeline Apr. 17, a mile route for $4,000 claimers, was declared a “no contest” by the stewards because multiple horses were involved. The $54,453 in mutuels for the race had to either be refunded or paid out as part of “all” combinations for that leg in multi-race exotics. Several hours earlier, the sixth race at Indy, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for Indiana-bred maiden special weights, ended up with the stewards declaring the outermost-drawn entrant, Tremor (Unbridled Express) a non-starter whose bets were subject to refund. The announcers at both tracks quickly informed the public in their calls that not all horses had loaded before the start and to expect an inquiry. The Equibase chart described the chaos in the Evangeline race like this: “Paynt Battle (Paynter) unprepared start, rider left without irons, made a mild bid and faded…Gottatakehimto (Speighter Man) had an awkward start and was never close. Callinginthenight (Nownownow) unprepared start and was quickly pulled up. Smoky Topaz (Congrats) unprepared at the start and lost rider. Turn On the Magic (Khozan) not loaded in gates.” Updates on the riderless and pulled-up horses involved in the Evangeline “no contest” were not available at the time this story was posted. The jockeys on those mounts all rode later on the card. The Evangeline incident was the second “no contest” at that track in as many racing dates because of an issue involving the starting gate. On the previous day Evangeline raced, Apr. 13, the second race, a starter/optional claimer at one mile on the turf, had $68,005 in wagers refunded when the starting gate could not be moved out of the homestretch. Despite the barrier being stuck across the homestretch about four paths off the rail, the race was not called off in progress, and the nine jockeys had to shoot a narrow gap between the gate and the inside rail to finish. The post Horses Left Behind Gate at Both Evangeline and Indy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article