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The horses were tougher but I think there was more respect.  Most licensees called the Stipes "Sir".

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) wrapped up Aqueduct's fall meet Wednesday with Flavien Prat taking the leading rider title and Linda Rice taking the leading trainer honors. Prat's 46 wins included nine stakes victories and five graded victories. His record for the fall stands at 136-46-21-15, earnings of $3,247,016, and a win percentage of 33.82%. Manny Franco was second with 33 wins, while Kendrick Carmouche was third with 25 victories. Rice notched her fourth consecutive Aqueduct fall meet training title with 31 wins and an overall record of 139-31-24-23. Her win rate was 22.30%, while her earnings stand at $1,788,075. Chad Brown was second with 19 wins and Tom Morley was third with 10 wins. It was a 31st owners' title on the NYRA circuit for Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, with 10 fall meet wins that included six stakes scores. Klaravich Stables completed the meet with a 20-10-2-2 record and $877,183 in earnings. Rice finished second with nine wins and Tristar Farm finished third with eight wins. In addition, rider Manny Franco secured top honors as NYRA's leading jockey of 2025 with 206 wins across the circuit's six race meets. Franco won his fourth year-end title at NYRA following victories in 2018, 2019, and 2023. Franco won this year's Aqueduct winter title and Belmont at the Big A fall title, as well as 19 stakes at NYRA tracks in 2025, including with Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) in the GI Belmont Derby. “It's amazing,” Franco said. “First of all, I want to say thanks to God for letting me do what I love. I'm just happy to get the opportunity from all the owners and trainers in New York. My agent, John Panagot, has been doing a tremendous job and I'm happy to be the leading rider for the fourth time in New York. It's not easy, but it's not impossible either. You've got to work hard and that's what I've been doing since I came here. You never take anything for granted.” Franco's NYRA stats for 2025 are 1,164-206-205-195 with earnings of $15,851,470 and a win rate of 17.70%. Kendrick Carmouche was second with 178 wins and Flavien Prat was third with 168 wins. Trainer Linda Rice, who established a single-season NYRA record of 165 training wins earlier in December, finished the year with 172 victories. Rice captured three meet training titles this year at Aqueduct: winter [51 wins], spring [15 wins] and fall [31 wins]. Rice finished the year with NYRA stats of 808-172-139-120. Her purse earnings reached $9,561,873 and her win rate was 21.29%. Chad Brown was second with 127 wins, while Todd Pletcher was third with 78 wins. “2025 has been a great year overall,” said Rice. “The team has really performed and have been putting in the hours, energy, and expertise. My clients have given me the opportunity to go different directions and that allows you to have success when they give you that latitude to make sometimes difficult decisions.” Rice also clinched the NYRA year-end owners' title with a total of 61 wins and three meet owners' titles: Aqueduct winter [22 wins], Aqueduct spring [six wins], and Belmont at the Big A fall [10 wins, tie]. As an owner, Rice completed the year with a 273-61-45-39 record and $2,833,134 in total purse earnings. Klaravich Stables finished second with 46 wins; Michael Dubb was third with 38 wins. Live racing resumes Thursday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card for opening day of the winter meet. First post is 12:40 p.m. ET. The post Aqueduct Fall Meet Wraps with Honors for Prat and Rice, Franco and Rice Secure Year-End NYRA Titles appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

they had a speedy mare recently that did a similar thing Chief. Kiwi lad Jack Trainor (currently disqualified for 18 months) had a Mark Jones mare , the Bettor's Delight sired STYLISH MEMPHIS , who had average results n NZ , but really took off at Menangle through 2021-2022,  winning the $200k Ladyship and $200k Queen Elizabeth GROUP 1's for Mares. one of them in a quick 1.49.2.  Stylish Memphis even a bold 4th in the Chariots Of Fire and also in the Biggest race going, the Miracle Mile itself ,she was 6th in fast time against the boys too.  Makes perfect sense they would try the same approach with their next speedy mare. Tokyo Rose might be it ???  Best of luck to her NZ connections. 🏆💰   

I think the horses were tougher, and it was okay if the people said the odd word out of place.

I do think Nelson being once a year is silly racing miles, as for the accommodation one pointed out in regards Westport was it a problem pre covid when they would run 11 or 12 races and have 15 in the Cup, my beef with Westport Is  one, they have the biggest turnover and 2 the stakes in the main race is poor, if you bump up the stakes for the main race, which has been reduced from a rating 56 to a rating 46 that would make a difference, the reality is if the rating 56 has been replaced by a rating 46 due to lack of numbers dosnt that somehow suggest the ratings system as it is at present isn't right?

Friday, Meydan, Dubai, post time: 20:25, ZABEEL MILE SPONSORED BY PHI ADVERTISING-G2, AED850,000, 4yo/up & SH 3yo, 1600mT Field: Quddwah (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Holloway Boy (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}), Aomori City (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Keffaaf (GB) (Adlerflug {Ger}), Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), Chicago Critic (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Asad Zabeel (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Vafortino (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), Andrease Vesalius (Ire) (Caravaggio), Western Writer (Ire) (Shamardal). TDN Analysis: If Aomori City prevails in the Zabeel Mile, he would be the seventh winner for trainer Charlie Appleby. The gelding faces G1 Lockinge Stakes hero Audience, as well as Group 2 winner Quddwah. Friday, Meydan, Dubai, post time: 19:50, DUBAWI STAKES SPONSORED BY FRANCE GALOP-G3, AED700,000, 4yo/up & SH 3yo, 1200m Field: Dark Saffron (Flameaway), Mufasa (Chi) (Practical Joke), El Nasseeb (GB) (Profitable {Ire}), Drew's Gold (Violence), Colour Up (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Apollo One (GB) (Equiano {Fr}), Ponntos (Ire) (Power {GB}). TDN Analysis: A quartet of runners faced off in the Listed Al Garhoud Sprint in December, with El Nasseeb beating Colour Up, Mufasa and Group 1 hero Dark Saffron. All four are back again, and this time, El Nasseeb isn't guaranteed a pace meltdown sustained by the vanquished trio last year. Click here for the complete fields. The post Black-Type Analysis: Audience And Dark Saffron Test 2026 Credentials At Meydan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The "good old days" being better than today winds me up.  I think part of the problem is we THINK things were better but the difference is we didn't have all this information (much of which is negative) at our finger tips.  The number of races that were televised in the 70's and 80's was very small.  We didn't even have videos!  I remember replaying vinyl record replays of my Dad's horses winning at Addington and then we moved to cassette tapes.   When dad was living in Nelson his horse Dunhill was racing in the Timaru Challenge stakes in the early 80's - he couldn't get 3ZB where he was which was the only radio station broadcasting the races.  So he rang me in Christchurch and I went around to my Uncle's and we held the phone to the radio so he could hear the race! The grass tracks were as rough as guts.  It took an age to queue to get a bet on.  But it WAS easy to set a horse up for a big punt!

Jes Sikura, son of Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa president John Sikura, will be the new Director of Bloodstock at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, according to a Wednesday afternoon release from the Central Kentucky farm. The younger Sikura has spent the last two years working in the farm's bloodstock division while attending college. He recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in marketing. “Jes has demonstrated a great passion and acuity for the business,” said John Sikura. “He loves the farm and working with clients to serve their goals. This appointment is strictly about my belief in his integrity, ability, and commitment and has nothing to do with him being a 'Sikura'. It is rewarding to think that Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa can be a generational business fostered by such passion and love of place. We have a great tradition here of having exceptionally talented and committed people who have meant so much to our success. I expect Jes to do the same.” Jes Sikura added: “I am extremely excited to officially join the team at Hill 'n' Dale. I feel ready to join at a time of tremendous opportunity. We have a lot to look forward to in the immediate future, from launching and managing the careers of several of our important young stallions to building on the momentum of a monumental year in 2025 which saw Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency top both Keeneland September and the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. In addition, Hill 'n' Dale acquired an ownership interest in Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna, who has joined our elite broodmare band. I will be enthusiastically working towards the bright future we have here.” The post Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa Welcomes Jes Sikura as Director of Bloodstock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

tick... it does take a effort! Sigh, sadly, I could add, because the days of asking the right person at Head Office, for any facts and figures are now well gone!  I think that is  the base for some of that RN. (re things racing).  plus, "oh for the good old days..."  As ever, on a personal; level! how does one play ones cards? be it betting, ownership! playing around on a racing site like this! If you interest is in 'employment in Industry', then $1.10 you be looking like so many others! over in AU.