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No images? Click here Dear Industry Stakeholders, Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR)’s 2025 Stakeholder Research. NZTR appreciates that people are busy and values the time taken to share feedback. NZTR acknowledges the delay in sharing its response to the stakeholder survey and appreciates the patience of those who contributed their views. The research was conducted independently by Kantar NZ and measured confidence in: NZTR as the governing body; and the future of New Zealand Thoroughbred racing. About the research The survey was sent to 16,473 stakeholders. 1,307 people responded (an 8% response rate). It was open from 26 September to 15 October 2025. While participation represented only 8% of stakeholders, the survey provides an important starting point for understanding current views and identifying areas for continued improvement. What you told us and the actions we are taking: 1) Overall confidence in NZTR As stakeholder confidence in NZTR’s leadership is a key measure in the 2026–28 Statement of Intent, this survey helped establish a baseline. Stakeholders gave NZTR a Confidence Score of 51.5. Essentially, saying that 1 in 2 stakeholders currently have confidence. Key Findings: Our strongest areas were: Stakeholder Engagement and Integrity & Welfare Our lowest-scoring areas were: Vision & Leadership and Financial Stewardship Confidence is stronger among owners, older participants, and those with less industry experience, while trainers and breeders, those with more industry experience, were the least confident. One-third report declining confidence, citing centralisation and loss of grassroots. Nearly one-third of stakeholders say their confidence in NZTR has declined over the past six months, most notably among trainers, long-time industry participants, and those in central regions. Improved stakes, satisfaction with the status quo, and leadership changes are cited as reasons for greater confidence. NZTR Actions: As we continue to optimise the core team within our operations, part of this was a refresh of our senior leadership team, with a focus on key operational areas – Racing, Welfare & Marketing/Promotion. This resulted in a shift in some internal responsibilities as well as three new appointments – Mitch Lamb as General Manager - Racing, Zac Reynolds as General Manager - Brand Experience, Communications & Industry Promotion, and Sam Fursdon as General Manager - Welfare & Industry Capability. We are confident that these three appointments, as well as those core changes, will result in renewed confidence levels amongst industry stakeholders and the Recognised Industry Organisations (RIO) that represent them, as well as the leadership and vision within the organisation. The initial feedback we have received thus far has been positive regarding this action. Project Stamina aims to deliver outcomes for the industry’s future that are not only financially sustainable from a tracks and infrastructure perspective, but also give renewed confidence levels to our grassroots racing and the vitally important role it plays in our ecosystem – at all levels, this will help set us up to be a more modern, viable, and self-sufficient industry. 2) Track reliability and infrastructure are front-of-mind Racecourse infrastructure came through as the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity for the industry. Confidence in tracks, including the impact of abandonments and cancellations, remains a priority for stakeholders and NZTR. NZTR Actions: Project Stamina’s influence on the future of New Zealand’s racecourses and infrastructure will be key to actions moving forward. There is renewed commitment to specific actions that will underpin further confidence in the processes that NZTR puts in place for the management of our tracks, with examples like the recent release of the Synthetic Track Quality Assurance Programmme, the successful recambering work performed at Hastings, and the utilisation of world class, industry leading resource integrated into the industry like NZTR Track Advisor Liam O’Keeffe. 3) How stakeholders engage with NZTR Around one-third of stakeholders interact with NZTR staff at least monthly, while four in ten reported no direct interaction. The most-used engagement channels were the NZTR website and LOVERACING.NZ, followed by direct staff contact and raceday interactions. NZTR Actions: Continued improvement on the relationship and communication between NZTR and RIOs is central to the process between stakeholders and the governing body – this has been, and will continue to be, a core focus of our management team. On top of this, NZTR leadership is focused on creating a more transparent flow of strategies, information and financial accountability with the wider industry. The LOVERACING.NZ website, the information that sits within it and the way it is able to be digested by both participants, customers and racing fans alike, will be undergoing a comprehensive review – the outcome of this to flow down into an optimisation of this “shop front” for our industry. NZTR is developing a new Owners’ Service Centre to provide digital self-service capability for owners. Initial features will support horse registration, change of ownership and welfare reporting, with delivery expected in mid-2026. 4) Future for New Zealand Racing Nearly four in ten stakeholders say they are fairly or very confident in the future of New Zealand’s Thoroughbred racing industry. NZTR Actions: This is a positive baseline as we continue to move through an era of rapid change for the industry. Our Statement of Intent is focused on four key strategic pillars, which sit at the heart of our future plans for New Zealand Racing – A Global Reputation for Excellence, A Sport that Captivates the Nation, One Industry Winning Together, and A Sustainable Industry. 5) Industry Participation Most expect their involvement to stay the same, though nearly one-third of breeders anticipate reducing participation due to financial pressures. NZTR Actions: NZTR recognises the challenges that New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders face and the increasing financial pressures that exist in the current economic climate. The declining foal crop is an area of great concern, and although this is, for the vast majority of Thoroughbred jurisdictions, a global problem, it is nonetheless one we need to, at the very least, steady. We are looking at a variety of methods to help offset these challenges – importantly, they must be financially viable, but at the same time create the impact that we are seeking in the areas where it is most required – this is the challenge from a governance perspective and one that we all need to work through in conjunction with the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders. Overall, this research provides an important baseline for NZTR as we continue working to strengthen confidence in the leadership of the organisation and the future of New Zealand Thoroughbred racing. The feedback shared by stakeholders is valuable, and it will help inform the way we prioritise our work across infrastructure, industry engagement, communication and long-term sustainability. We thank everyone who took part in the survey and contributed their views. Corporate Communications New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing nztrcommunications@nztr.co.nz New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing 18 Dick Street, Cambridge 3434 Email: office@nztr.co.nz Tel: 0800 946 637 NZTR.CO.NZ Unsubscribe

I thought Club volunteers did that work? Isn't that the heart and strength of Clubs that allows them to break even? BTW how would you have like to have been surveyed?

There is a no-frills air to George Weaver, evident in everything from his worn-in boots to the strictly utilitarian office in his Palm Beach Downs barn. Weaver has little interest in shouting his success from the rooftops. He'd rather let the horses do the talking. “I feel like your horses should do the advertising for you,” Weaver said. “When they win, I think it tells everybody what you're about. We let the horses kind of tell us when they're ready to go. That always leads to the best success on the track.” One filly who has done plenty of advertising for the Weaver stable as of late is Cy Fair (Not This Time). By defeating the boys in the 2025 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, she provided Weaver with a career-defining milestone. Over the past 24 years, Weaver has amassed a long list of highlights from 1,100-plus career wins. Based primarily in New York with a winter string at Palm Beach Downs, Weaver has scored marquee Grade I wins with the likes of Lighthouse Bay, Vekoma, Sacred Wish and Dorth Vader, but earning a breakthrough win at the Breeders' Cup holds a unique weight. “Winning the Breeders' Cup as a trainer, I guess, is justification,” he said. “There are many really talented horse people and trainers out there. If you don't get the ability to work with that caliber of horse or one that can take you there, it doesn't take long for people to kind of label you as, 'Okay, well they're a good trainer, but not for the big horse.' For me as a trainer, luckily we've had some big horses on big stages and it just justifies the job that we do in our program. It gives people confidence that we can get the job done.” Weaver and Cy Fair at Palm Beach Downs | Katie Petrunyak Weaver's own quiet confidence is what has led a growing number of prominent owners to entrust their horses to his care, and it's the same trait that first opened doors for him in the industry. The Louisville, Kentucky native had no background in the business, but his parents started taking him to the races when he was just an infant. One of his earliest memories is of the time his father took the family to Claiborne Farm to visit Secretariat. “I remember him running down the paddock when they whistled for him,” recalled Weaver. “I've always loved horses and wanted to be around them. When I got into my teenaged years, I went to the races any time that I could.” Through a friend of a friend, Weaver's mother got him a summer job at Kenny Burkhart's farm when he was in high school. The next year, Weaver stood outside the gates of Churchill Downs hoping to find someone in need of a hot walker. The assistant for John Hennig gave him a shot and Weaver seized the opportunity to work on the backside. Weaver eventually moved to the powerhouse barn of D. Wayne Lukas in New York. During his seven years there, he formed a pivotal friendship with assistant trainer Todd Pletcher. As the Lukas stable dominated through the mid-90s, the pair was frequently side-by-side in win photos for icons like Serena's Song and Tabasco Cat. When Pletcher went out on his own in 1996, Weaver soon followed. Working for a pair of Hall of Famers provided Weaver a front-row seat to greatness. He still considers Lukas's 1994 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Flanders to be one of the best fillies he has been around. Yet for Weaver, the true value of those years was more about the character the two barns instilled in him “You weren't going to survive in Wayne's barn–or Todd's barn for that matter–if you didn't have a work ethic,” he noted. Weaver opened his own stable in 2002, joining forces with Cindy Hutter. Already a team both professionally and personally, the two had worked together in the Lukas and Pletcher barns, and by the time they launched their own operation, they were already building a life together. George Weaver with D. Wayne Lukas and Todd Pletcher after Tabasco Cat's victory in the 1994 Belmont Stakes | Coglianese “Our son was on the way and it was time to take a leap of faith, so we decided to go on our own,” Weaver recalled. “It's a game of perseverance. You just have to stick with it. At the time when we went on our own, we had a handful of horses and it was stressful. I wasn't born in the game, but I got lucky enough to be educated underneath Todd Pletcher and Wayne Lukas and all the assistants in that barn.” The first horse that Weaver picked out at auction was Saratoga County, a $100,000 purchase for Evelyn Pollard. The son of Valid Expectations handed Weaver his first graded stakes win in the 2004 GIII Gotham Stakes and the next year, earned three straight graded scores including the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. Weaver's international profile reached new heights in 2023 when he became the third American trainer to conquer Royal Ascot with Crimson Advocate (Nyquist) in the G2 Queen Mary Stakes. The win was a poignant triumph for the Weaver barn as Cindy was on hand to celebrate just one year after surviving a traumatic brain injury. For Weaver, a win in the GI Kentucky Derby at the racetrack where he first fell in love with the sport has always been a goal, but so has a victory at the Breeders' Cup. He made it to his first World Championship in 2012 with Bona Venture Stables's Summer of Fun (Include), who finished third in the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf. He was expected to have the heavy favorite a few years later in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Sprint with Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}), who had won all three starts that year including the GI Met Mile and GI Carter Handicap. “Everything was going perfect,” Weaver explained. “He was the right horse at the right time. The day he was supposed to ship, he had a temperature and we had to withdraw, which really broke all of our hearts. I'm very confident he would have won that race that day, and it just wasn't meant to be.” Cy Fair breaks her maiden on 7-10-25 at Saratoga | Sarah Andrew The chips finally fell into place with Cy Fair, who hails from the same family as Crimson Advocate. Weaver had a hand in purchasing the daughter of Not This Time for $185,000 at the OBS April Sale. When the filly initially RNA'd, Swinbank Stables's Jake Ballis called Weaver and asked why he thought she had not sold. “I said, 'She's just small, a little light-boned, but I didn't see anything wrong with her,'” he recalled. “So I went back and looked at her and I was like, 'You know what, Jake? She is okay. If you guys like her, let's try to get her.'” Weaver said that despite her size, Cy Fair was a star of the barn from the get-go. “She's always been a pistol,” he shared with a fond smile. “She's forward-training, like you give her one small cue to go and she's ready for you. We wanted to run her at Ascot if she could come along fast enough, but I wasn't going to be able to move that quick with her at the gate and mentally I could tell that she wasn't going to take to that. So we took some time and she broke her maiden at Saratoga. Following the win in Saratoga, she finished second. It was a little disappointing, but I think she got a little keen. It was a matter of her just learning how to not be tense in a race situation.” Weaver and his team worked to teach the young filly how to relax on the track, and she returned the favor with a three-length win in the Algonquin Stakes at Woodbine. By the time Cy Fair arrived at the Breeders' Cup, her partnership included Swinbank Stables, Medallion Racing, Joey Platts and Mark Stanton. She went off at 5-1 in the Juvenile Turf Sprint and Weaver said that as he watched the race, he had almost never felt so confident. “I was standing next to Cindy and my son Ben,” he recalled. “We had some seats right there in the front boxes, which is my preferred place to watch live. The racing fan comes out of me and I want to be out front. It doesn't really happen very often this way, but in Cy Fair's Breeders' Cup, I was very happy the whole way. There wasn't one point where I was worried at all.” As soon as Cy Fair hit the wire, Weaver shared a celebratory moment with his wife and son before heading toward the winner's circle, his mind racing through the years of near-misses and hard work that had finally culminated into that moment. “It's so hard to explain to somebody that doesn't know horse racing, that feeling when you win, and to win a race of that caliber, how much goes into it,” he explained. “A lot of things flash through your mind about your career, what the filly has done for us, and just appreciation for the filly as an athlete.” Following her victory at Del Mar, Cy Fair returned to Weaver's base at Palm Beach Downs for a well-deserved break. A packed winner's circle after Cy Fair's victory in the 2025 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint | Breeders' Cup Eclipse Sportswire “She got about 60 days off here,” reported Weaver. “She went out to her paddock for most of the morning and tack walked for a while. We've got her back going and she's had three breezes back since. She's doing excellent.” According to Weaver, Cy Fair's 3-year-old debut will likely be in the GIII Limestone Stakes at Keeneland on April 10. Her connections are hopeful that it can be the first step toward a return trip to the Breeders' Cup. Weaver is quick to credit his owners and staff for the stable's success at the Breeders' Cup, but he said that the heart of the stable is Cindy. Though she is no longer working alongside him on the racetrack every morning, the pair stood hand-in-hand in the winner's circle after Cy Fair's victory and their son has taken the reins of ponying duty each morning. “She is the backbone of our barn and we miss her terribly out here,” he said. “Luckily, we've been able to keep it going, but our whole stable and its success has been built on all the hard years of work that she put in to get us where we are.” The Breeders' Cup trophy is a cherished milestone, but it hasn't changed Weaver's perspective or his appreciation for the quiet routine of overseeing his stable each morning. “I just love horses,” he said simply. “I'm lucky because I chose to do this when I was young and I never really had a doubt about it. I loved the action. I liked winning. I loved watching horses develop. It's kind of crazy. We get to come out every morning and be outside with horses. I mean, why not? What else would you wanna do?” The post Breeders’ Cup Breakthrough: George Weaver Driven by Quiet Confidence appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

CROSSINGTHECHANNEL (c, 3, Omaha Beach–In the Navy Now {SW, $253,020}, by Midshipman) proved himself a tough customer last year as a juvenile, finishing second Nov. 8 at Laurel Park behind eventual Turfway Prevue Stakes winner Hometown Bound (Mitole). He resurfaced Dec. 13 at Aqueduct and ran a strong second behind next-out GIII Gotham Stakes hero Iron Honor (Nyquist), earning a 91 Beyer to wrap his 2025 before returning Jan. 4 at that venue for a sophomore bow. Successfully breaking his maiden there by a neck, Crossingthechannel was hammered at the windows by the betting public here and was the overwhelming 1-5 favorite by the time the gates opened. Out to the front and never looking back, he sailed through an opening quarter in :22.67 and the field was never able to reel him back in. Under a confident ride, he was never asked as he strolled in 9 1/2 lengths best over Ihaveanappforthat (Creative Cause). The victor is a half-brother to Naval Empire (Empire Maker), SP, $174,755, who recently produced a 2026 filly by Essential Quality, as well as SP Sail Theseven Seas (Street Sense). Between those two stakes horses, the dam produced a two-time winning filly named Active (Gun Runner), but has not had any new foals since Crossingthechannel. In the Navy Now, a half-sibling to GSW Nefertini (Empire Maker), is due to Street Sense for 2026. 3rd-Colonial Downs, $97,400, (S), Alw, 3-13, (NW1X), 3yo, 5 1/2f, 1:02.69, ft, 9 1/2 lengths. CROSSINGTHECHANNEL (c, 3, Omaha Beach–In the Navy Now {SW, $253,020}, by Midshipman) Sales history: $90,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 4-2-2-0, $130,400. O-Estate of R. Larry Johnson, R. D. M. Racing Stable and Trombetta, Michael J.; B-R. Larry Johnson (VA); T-Michael J. Trombetta.*1/2 to Naval Empire (Empire Maker), SP, $174,755. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Omaha Beach’s Crossingthechannel Sails Home to Best Colonial Allowance Foes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

At least they published it.

The catalogue for the Arqana Online March Sale set for 3-5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, is now available. Leading the three-strong group is debut winner Nity Galeste (City Light) (lot 1), who took a 1900-metre race at Chantilly. Related to top-tier winners Potri Pe (Potrillazo) and Mukhalif (Caerleon), he is joined by Nippon Go (Beaumec De Houelle) (lot 3). From the family of AQPS graded winners Hispanic Moon (Spanish Moon) and Jordans (Coastal Path), he has a bumper win and novice victory to his credit. Rounding out the catalogue is Leen (lot 2). The daughter of Danehill Dancer will be sold with her Torquator Tasso foal by her side. She is from an Aga Khan family featuring top-flight scorers Valyra (Azamour), Val Royal, Valixir, Vadamos, Vazira (Sea The Stars), Vadawina (Unfuwain) and Vadeni. The post Debut Winner Nity Galeste Highlights Arqana Online March Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Injured in a spill Thursday at Gulfstream, Irad Ortiz Jr., will not ride through Sunday, reports his agent Steve Rushing. Mike Welsch of the Daily Racing Form was the first to report that Ortiz would be out through the remainder of the weekend. “He's just really body sore,” Rushing told the TDN via text. “He's going to take a few days off and will, hopefully, return next week.” Ortiz was scheduled to ride in seven races Saturday at Colonial Downs, including in four stakes races. Five of his seven mounts were for Brad Cox and they included Hit Parade (Street Sense) in the $250,000 Virginia Oaks and Confessional (Essential Quality) in the $500,000 Virginia Derby. When reached Friday morning, Cox said he has yet to pick his replacement riders. Ortiz was thrown Friday when his mount A Moment a Love (Kantharos) took a left turn leaving the starting gate and ran into the rail. The post Ortiz, Jr. To Miss Mounts In Virginia Oaks and Virginia Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and Caesars Entertainment have entered into a multi-year agreement that will keep the Horseshoe Las Vegas as the host venue for the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) through 2029. The dates for the upcoming NHC are: Mar. 5-7, 2027; Mar. 3-5, 2028; and Mar. 9-11, 2029. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Caesars Entertainment and Horseshoe Las Vegas,” said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. “Since moving to Horseshoe in 2020, the NHC has seen tremendous growth in player participation, sponsor involvement, and the overall player experience. We look forward to building on all of this with the help of the team at Caesars and Horseshoe Las Vegas in the coming years.” Added Joseph Morris, senior vice president, racing at Caesars Entertainment: “Hosting the NHC for years to come further demonstrates the Caesars commitment to horse racing and aligns well with the Horseshoe Las Vegas legacy of hosting championship-level events like the World Series of Poker. We are proud to support an event that celebrates the skill, dedication and passion of horseplayers and the broader racing community.” The post NTRA, Caesars Reach Long-Term Agreement on NHC Host Hotel appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

THE INDUSTRY NEEDS TO UNITE Our existing industry “members”, for lack of a better encompassing term, need to come together and agree on a unifying mission statement. This could happen around The Jockey Club Chairman Everett Dobson's “big table”. Why not a mission statement similar to the Breeders' Cup for our industry, like this: “To provide safe, healthy, fair, and high-integrity environments for our horses and fans, and owners and bettors to compete in, at all levels, of our sports entertainment industry.” Why be similar to the Breeders' Cup? The Breeders' Cup is not only emblematic of the best in our industry; it is the best we have to offer. The Breeders' Cup is strong, powerful, globally respected and works extremely well with all parties. I am not suggesting the Breeders' Cup break their rainy-day fund, by any means. The Breeders' Cup, more than any other organization in our industry, possesses existing working relationships with relevant members: the racetracks, the stallion nominators, the mare owners who fund the stallion nominators' entry fees as well as nominating their resulting foals, the purchasers of those foals, the trainers, the jockeys, the tireless backside workers, the regulating bodies of HISA and others. The Breeders' Cup is positioned at this time, maybe for a transitional interval or longer, to provide guidance and perhaps help create and potentially house our industry's central office for our governing body. Assuming we all want to selflessly take care of our horses, our owners, our bettors and our fans MORE than we want to take care of ourselves or other industry members (which is sadly a shaky assumption, in my opinion), we should come sit at Everett Dobson's “big table” and figure out the most efficient and effective way to take care of those who pay us, and pay for the horse. I understand we all take risks here. However, I'm crystal clear that without the owners, who take the greatest risks, we'd all be in much worse shape. The owners are at the top of the pyramid. We must invite the owners to the table. As a friend of mine stated this morning, “I've always felt that owners enter the business to enjoy it, not to have to fix it.” The owners shouldn't have to fix it, yet, at this time for expediency, and to assure it suits them, the owners must approve of the format, the rules we establish and have a seat at the table. Here are some ongoing issues that the Breeders' Cup is in a position to assist with and these fall under their mission statement: “To conduct the Breeders' Cup World Championships at the highest levels of quality, safety, integrity and to promote the growth of Thoroughbred breeding, racing, and sales through proactive leadership, innovation, and service.” Now, more than before, owners need one neutral platform for their voice. Second, a big issue: If we want our industry to exist, we all need to accept that HISA isn't going away. Are there ways for HISA to improve? Yes. Let's continue to find ways to help our horse and our customer have a better environment and relationship with HISA. Another big issue: Stud book size. At its inception, stallion managers paid nominations to the Breeders' Cup equal to the amount of one season. Some years later, based on the number of live foals, the Breeders' Cup adjusted the nomination fee as some stallion's crops began to exceed 100. I'm very grateful we live in a capitalistic society. According to each syndicate agreement, stallion operations can breed a varying number of mares to stallions as they judge per the agreement. However, now, something similar to an excise tax in the form of increased Breeders' Cup nomination cost could be set through an agreeable algorithm. The excise amounts collected, paid by the breeders/owners and passed through the syndicates to the Breeders' Cup, could help fund the central office and not negatively impact the rainy-day fund. The industry members who sit at Everett Dobson's big table could make the rules of our game clear and then work out how our governing body is selected. The process itself would be unifying if everyone at the table put the horse and all of our customers first, the owner, the bettor and the fan. Give a little, get a lot. The post Letter to the Editor–Finn Green appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

7th-GP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 3:52 p.m. ET. Gary and Mary West homebred Final Story (Candy Ride {Arg}) has posted four bullet workouts, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:02 (1/28) Mar. 7, at Brad Cox's Payson Park base ahead of this debut run. Final Story's dam Book Review (Giant's Causeway) carried the couple's hot pink-and-black silks to a win in the 2012 GI La Brea S. and a close second in the 2013 GI Ballerina S. Leading sire and 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner was bred on this same Candy Ride x Giant's Causeway cross. TJCIS PPS The post Saturday’s Racing Insights: Final Story Headlines Gulfstream Maiden appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

“All the fancy stallions: Danzig, Forty Niner, Pleasant Colony, Halo. And then there were these two bottom-line fillies, a Spend a Buck and a Mari's Book. And they told me to get them ready for the 2-year-old sale.” Eddie Woods is going back three decades, to the start of the business he closed last spring. He had rented a barn at Classic Mile in Ocala, with a single client in Elmendorf Farm. “Okay, so the Spend a Buck was a moose, great tall thing with a big pair of ears on her,” Woods resumes. “The Mari's Book was strong, like a colt. You couldn't give her a shot. One day I forgot and had the chiropractor in there. And she hit a spot. You could hear the rumble at the other end of the barn: the chiropractor's after getting knocked off a bale of hay, and the filly's standing there trembling with the needles still in her. But anyway they were being compared to all the rest of them, out of their graded stakes mares. So we go to work.” Then, as the auction neared, Woods made an announcement to Elmendorf manager Bobby Spalding. “Hey, Bobby, we're not going to the sale with these two.” “Which two?” “Spend a Buck and Mari's Book.” For a moment, Spalding was silent. Then he told him, in plainer terms, that he assumed Woods was winding him up. “What about the Danzig?” Woods shrugged. “So, so.” “Come on now, Eddie!” “I promise you, they can really, really run. I'm not taking them.” Well, the Spend a Buck was triple Grade I winner Antespend. And the other filly was Mari's Sheba, the dam of Congaree. “And the Danzig never broke her maiden!” Woods confirms. He had passed his first big test. Clearly here was a man who knew what he was about. Since then, Woods has developed so many elite performers that the market recognized a diminishing opportunity, at OBS last March, when his penultimate consignment included a record-breaking $3-million Gun Runner colt. That price was a measure of the litany of stars to have graduated from his program, the most recent including Citizen Bull, National Treasure and Good Cheer; and was duly vindicated last September, when the colt won the GI Del Mar Futurity as 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Brant. “People get comfortable in your barn,” Woods reflects. “Coming in to look at horses, they develop a trust. You've learned what they're looking for; they've learned confidence in you. You can tell a guy: 'Look, you don't need him.' 'Why not?' 'Buy him and find out! But you do need that one over there.' Okay, so usually they won't go for the one over there. But they'll keep an eye on them, and when they turn out? That takes years to evolve. But it gets to the stage where your top customers walk into your barn, hand you the card and say, 'Fill it out.'” Eddie and Angela Woods watching their final horse sell at OBS last April | OBS Being honest with the buyers might mean that somebody would consign elsewhere next time. But long term, Woods found that you're better off with repeat business at ringside than repeat business from people trying to offload a problem. That approach made Woods the cornerstone of a market that has changed beyond recognition during his career. The sector's success brought corresponding pressures, and possibly his retirement will leave a bigger void in the upcoming sales cycle than in his own life. He's still very much on the scene, of course: his antennae remain too alert simply to shut down, and he enjoyed helping a few people out at the yearling sales. What he won't miss is delivering bad news. If routine updates to partners and clients were shared by email or text, that had to be delivered verbally. “So when they answer the phone, it's: 'Okay, so what's happened?'” Woods says. “One individual just said: 'No, not today. Please not today!' So not to make a bad phone call in months, that's been really nice.” Everyone sees headlines about home-run pinhooks. But those have to carry a lot of failures; and if the market has soared, it has only done so in tandem with the cost of yearlings. But if the highwire has become higher and narrower, the basic satisfaction of the process remains: the daily fulfilment of working with the animals he loves. “The breaking season was the best part,” Woods says. “You see a lot straightaway: 'Oh, we're in trouble with this one. But oh, look at this one, can't mess this up.' That kind of deal. That was fun. But the way the whole thing has mushroomed, it's scary stuff now. When I first came to Keeneland, in the '80s, I wouldn't look at a horse in the first two books. We mopped up RNAs, horses in the back ring, no repository or anything. You winged it. Just physicals. If they had a pedigree, you couldn't touch them.” Woods accepts that with the stakes soaring, some of the fun has gone out of the business. To be fair, however, that might be a more general syndrome. He recalls the old days, in Ireland, where he emulated his father (who had won on Arkle and meanwhile gone on to train) as steeplechase jockey. True, amateur riding in Ireland back then was fiercely competitive. This, after all, is a man who rode Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Royal Frolic in a hunter chase. “Amateur racing was proper tough,” he admits. “There were some real gambling yards. Your instructions were always the same, but you'd know going to the start. Sometimes he can barely make it down there, he's so fat; or else you can't hold him, he hasn't been out of his stall in a week and he's just wild. Then one day he's all business, looks wonderful: 'Oh wait a minute, here we go. Today's the day.'” When first arriving from Ireland, Woods cut his teeth with Tony and Joanne Everard at Another Episode Farm: a tremendous grounding, high volume, cheap horses, clients from now defunct tracks in places like Detroit or Boston. Then, when he got his start from Elmendorf, Joe Greeley of Sabine Stables came on board. “Joe was a semi-retired stockbroker in New York and pretty game,” Woods recalls gratefully. “We got competing with some of the others who were then starting to buy expensive horses for 2-year-old sales. You could see the water rising the whole time. We went with it, and it worked. I'd been buying lesser horses for myself but then we got a couple of partnerships going, and it kept growing. Every time, you'd up the ante. “You got as much pedigree if you could afford, but it was always about the individual. That's how Baffert changed racing in this country: horses might come out of Texas, but they looked lovely–and they ran. Whereas a lot of the really well-bred horses just didn't crack it: weren't sound enough, correct enough, whatever.” The breakouts for Woods, commercially, were Left Bank as first champion; and Harmony Lodge, as first seven-figure sale. “First crop of Hennessy, and she was gorgeous,” Woods recalls. “Never did get overly big, and didn't go much further than a mile, but she turned into a Grade I filly. Selling those two, it kind of gave you a shingle to hang outside the barn.” Woods cautions against exaggerating how far the market has become dependent on the stopwatch. Eddie Woods | Photos by Z “The whole thing was always about the clock,” he says. “And a rider can ruin your career in 11 seconds! By not getting away, or the horse wants to get down on the rail, or won't change his leads. It's all over, you're done. Unless he's stunningly good-looking and you find someone to believe you, that he's really nice. You'll get him sold, but you won't get your gravy.” So it's quite straightforward, really: all you need is “white lightning, right lead, off the rail and a spectacular video”! There's the odd pleasant surprise. “The little brown filly,” Woods says. “You think she's no good and here she comes, at the end of the day, sound and just wants to do the job. We've never had a good horse that was bad acting. Most of the really good ones were like Brant. Take the shank off, he'll drop his head and eat grass. Doesn't give a damn. One of the coolest things I ever saw was when Pharaoh won the Breeders' Cup and everyone goes over to Rice Road next day, and Baffert walks him into the center of the circle and basically throws down the shank. And the crowd converged on that horse, patting him and everything, and you think someone's going to get killed here. But that's the good horse, right? Not all of them are like that, but when they are, that's the superstar. Usually when you walk down the barn in the afternoon, all the good ones are lying down asleep.” Woods is transparently cheerful about the decision he has made. The one thing he will miss is the farm, because of all it represents. “I built it and loved it,” he says emotionally. “There were watermelons everywhere when we went in and for years we'd get a weed crop of them. Actually I found one last year! And we had to move so much dirt for the racetrack. You need a good track, or you have nothing. And you can train on that one when most people in Ocala are underwater. But you know what? We only closed on the farm in March, started work on Apr. 9. And we moved in Dec. 31. A lot of cussing, in between, and the cost was extortionate. I think if we'd have bought a [ready-made] farm, that would be one thing. But when you build something up like that yourself, it's different.” Ultimately, however, the decision was a relief. “Financially, we'd had several really good years, so we were in good shape even prior to selling,” he says. “But I was just done with it. Getting the workforce is now really hard. We had 72 on the payroll, including a lot of guys on visas. It's drastically expensive to bring them in, house them, pay them. The day rate wasn't covering it, the sales had to, and my day rate again was already as much as people are charging at the tracks. But it wasn't like I had to stop. I wanted to.” By the end, more were being prepared for the racetrack than the sale, instead of the other way round. “Things change,” Woods says with a shrug. “But that was one of the other reasons I wanted to leave the business. Because I didn't want the business to leave me. We've a lot of younger guys doing a good job. My clients are older, fading away, and the younger wealth is coming in and wanting to do it with guys their age. A lot of people in our industry blew it all when it was going away on them, trying to revive it. I wanted to be done with it before it was done with me, and just go out good.” The post No Regrets For Eddie Woods, But Buyers Missed Him At OBS March appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The saddle Ron Turcotte used in Secretariat's Triple Crown victory sold for $1.524 million at Christie's auction house on Thursday, March 12. The price was a record amount for a piece of racing memorabilia. The hammer fell at $1.2 million, with the price reaching $1.524 million including the buyer's premium-an additional fee charged by the auction house to the winning bidder to cover the costs of the sale. The saddle was offered by the Jim Irsay Collection on behalf of the late owner of the Indianapolis Colts, who acquired it privately from Turcotte in February, 2023, almost 50 years after Secretariat's record-breaking run in the Triple Crown, according to the auction house. It came with four removable lead weights inscribed with Turcotte's name, a framed and signed photo of Secretariat's Belmont win, a letter of authenticity signed by Turcotte, other photos, and a Newsweek magazine featuring Secretariat on the cover. The saddle was hand-crafted and custom-made for Turcotte by saddle maker Lee Wincher just before the 1972 Bluegrass Stakes. Turcotte called the saddle his “Big-Race” saddle, as it was designed to carry the heavier weights horses would be assigned in major stakes races. According to Christie's, he also used the saddle aboard Riva Ridge in his 1972 campaign, which included wins in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. Irsay passed away May 21, 2025, leading his family to sell his large collection of sporting memorabilia at Christie's on Thursday. Turcotte died three months later, at the age of 84. Christie's did not release the name of the buyer. The post Turcotte’s Secretariat Saddle Sells for Record $1.5M at Christie’s appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Road, presented by Gainesway and WinStar Farm: In just its second year as a Road to the Kentucky Derby points race, the $500,000 Virginia Derby offers an enticing option in terms of distance as a 1 1/8-mile race contested at one turn.View the full article

I wonder how many track gallop and raceday divots could be put back for the price of that survey and unimpressive report?

Tulloch Lodge has unearthed a potential Gr.1 ATC Australian Oaks (2400m) filly after lightly raced Feminino (NZ) (Tivaci) graduated to stakes company in winning the Gr.3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m). Feminino, having her first start since breaking maiden ranks at Warwick Farm in early February, covered extra ground before prevailing in a four-way finish over 1600m. She had a nose to spare from the $101 chance Burn The Sky (Zoustar) with Profoundly (Farnan) close-up in the minor placing and Long Legs (Russian Revolution) a similar margin away in fourth. Feminino was a $320,000 at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from breeders Waikato Stud and races for well-known owner Judi Wanless who also won last week’s Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) with homebred Road To Paris (NZ) (Circus Maximus). She is the first foal from the stakes-placed Savabeel mare Magazine, who won three of her 14 starts when trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, “(We’ve) always held her in quite high regard,” jockey Tim Clark said. “She’ll definitely get further and obviously a race like the Adrian Knox (Gr.3, 2000m) could be right on her radar now. “And who knows, she could get to an Oaks trip.” View the full article

Nearly four in ten stakeholders say they are fairly or very confident in the future of New Zealand’s Thoroughbred racing industry. That's less than 40% I guess that is still deemed a "positive baseline" because it is above zero?

Hong Kong stars Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior have topped the latest edition of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, the first time the city has occupied both spots. The David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising headlines the rankings, remaining Hong Kong’s highest-rated racehorse in history on a mark of 128, while the Danny Shum Chap-shing-trained Romantic Warrior was close behind with a rating of 124. Third place in the list, which was released on Thursday, went to Japanese...View the full article

To be fair, it takes very little money for the Bookies to slash the odds on harness horses. A few hundred dollars a couple of times can halve a fixed odds whether it is win or place! When the Trackside presenters state that there has been money come for a certain horse it could be very little! What is surprising is the publicised big bets that are on hot favourites? There seem to be punters that are desperate to back favourites even though it is hardly worth the risk!

Results have been posted. When 40% of stakeholders have no confidence in a particular aspect of racing, be it leadership, vision or financial, yet that percentage is described as a positive baseline, I wonder how the other 60% surveyed feel about that comment. Statistics can be made to say anything, and this report does that in spades, even if the stats say one thing and the comments another. In this report racing isn't going well for trainers, breeders, those with experience in the industry, young people and anyone in the CD. The racing industry is going to rattle once those low confidence groups come out.

Well the bookies are judged on how close their opening prices are to closing prices. In this case they got it terribly wrong. Galah is saying its hard to find horses paying reasonable prices these days. I disagree and just posted some proof of that.

the cheats on wheels wont be getting the greyhound money now 🤣

Suggestion would be to reduce stake money now, but they wont, as they have Entain money still ticking over!

Bloke gets a bit excited because the opening prices are different to the starting price. I would open Herlihy runners (who ran 2nd and 3rd ) a lot shorter than a Merediith runner too any day. But a fabulous driving engagement and Top steer by one of the best reinsmen going in Carter, saw the number 2 get home after cushy run trailing leader. God help those poor bookies . lol 😆🤣 cleaned right out ? lol. they'll be back to collect more off the mugs in some other races . so don't worry. 😋

Hong Kong-trained horses dominate the March edition of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, which were released on Thursday, 12 March, occupying the top two spots. David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) maintained his position as the top-rated horse in training with an international rating of 128, while Danny Shum’s Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) was ranked second with a rating of 124. Japan’s dirt giant Forever Young (Real Steel), trained by Yoshito Yahagi, was third with a rating of 123, while the Karl Burke-trained eight-year-old Royal Champion (Street Cry) was fourth, rated 122. From the United States of America, Bob Baffert charge Nysos (Nyquist) rounded out the top five of the March list, rated 121. Ka Ying Rising, raced by the Ka Ying Syndicate, broke the record for consecutive wins by a Hong Kong-trained horse when he added an 18th straight triumph to his already glittering CV with victory in the Gr.1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) on 22 February. It was the five-year-old’s eighth Group One success and sixth win this season. Romantic Warrior was at his peerless best when the eight-year-old, owned by Peter Lau, blitzed the field to claim a record-extending 13th Group One victory in the Gr.1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) on 1 March. Both horses are focused on domestic glory for the remainder of this season: Ka Ying Rising is aiming to retain his Hong Kong Speed Series honours with victory in April’s Gr.1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), while the world’s highest-earning horse Romantic Warrior is looking to complete the Triple Crown with a win in the Gr.1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) on 24 May. Ka Ying Rising next races in Easter Monday’s (6 April) Gr.2 Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin when he goes for a 19th win in succession. Hong Kong boasts four entries in the top 20 of the March edition of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. Manfred Man’s Lucky Sweynesse is ranked joint-11th with an international rating of 118, while John Size-trained Helios Express is joint-15th with a rating of 117. View the full article

New Plymouth trainer Robbie Patterson looks to have an exciting juvenile on his hands in Ronaldo (NZ) (Ribchester), and he is hoping he can score again at Wanganui on Saturday. Ronaldo has yet to be beaten in four public hit-outs to date, including in his debut over 1200m at his home track last month, and he will be out to continue his wining ways in the Palamountains Nutrition 2YO (1200m) this weekend. “He is a gorgeous horse,” Patterson said. “He has got a beautiful draw (2) and he will put himself right there. I imagine his ability will take him a fair way.” A tilt at elite-level is calling Ronaldo after Saturday, with the colt set to head to Trentham in a fortnight to contest the Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), and Patterson believes Saturday’s run will have his charge cherry ripe for the two-year-old feature. “He is getting ready for two weeks in the Sires’ Produce and he hasn’t put a foot wrong since he won first-up,” Patterson said. “I am really excited about seeing him go around again.” Ronaldo is a $1.75 favourite with TAB Bookmakers for Saturday’s contest and he is currently at $10 on their futures market for the Sires’ Produce. Patterson will head to Wanganui with just one other runner in Ma Te Wa (NZ) (Time Test), and they too are getting ready for a Trentham assignment. The Time Test gelding has hardly put a foot wrong this preparation, winning two and runner-up in one of his four starts this season, with his only unplaced run coming in the Gr.3 Phar Lap Trophy (1600m) when seventh. “He didn’t get any luck that day, he got back and on the inside in unfamiliar territory for him and the breaks never came,” Patterson said. Ma Te Wa bounced back with a last start victory over 1400m and Patterson is looking forward to lining him up in the Shane Stone Builders Open (1340m) on Saturday ahead of the Listed Bramco Granite & Marble Flying Handicap (1400m) a fortnight later. “It was only a four-horse field (last start) but he beat a reasonable horse home from our stable in Our Jumala,” Patterson said. “He had a quiet few days after that and I looked at the Flying Handicap as an option for him, so I thought this would be a good one to kick him back off in. “There is a lot of pace in the race. He normally jumps and puts himself there, but I would imagine he might be fourth or fifth in the running with all of that pace. If they go hard it will suit him and hopefully he can get over the top.” Ma Te Wa currently heads the market for his Wanganui assignment at $1.90, with Old Bill Bone the next fancied runner at $6.50. Patterson is tipping a bright future for Ma Te Wa and believes the best is yet to come. “He is just a model of consistency, he is a good galloper,” Patterson said. “He is still 12 months away really, he is still weak, but he is strengthening up all the time. Next season, with a good break you could see a nice horse.” View the full article