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The extent of Hawthorne Race Course's financial troubles, and with it the enormous ramifications for industry stakeholders in the state, were made glaringly clear during Wednesday's Illinois Racing Board (IRB) meeting. On Monday, the racing board suspended the operating license of Suburban Downs, Inc., which manages Hawthorne's harness meet, for “failure to provide documentation demonstrating its financial integrity, and proof that they can meet the minimum standards” as outlined in state law. According to representatives from the Illinois Harness Horsemen's Association (IHHA) who attended Wednesday's meeting, Hawthorne–which is owned and operated by the Carey family–is responsible for more than $580,000 in bounced checks between some 66 individuals in recent months. With the 2026 Thoroughbred meet scheduled to begin March 29, representatives from the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) detailed both the sense of urgency with which they're seeking assurances from Hawthorne the meet can go ahead, as well as the consequences if it doesn't. The ITHA alone is apparently owed around $600,000 from Hawthorne for payments dating back seven months. “There's a very good chance that the last horse race in the Chicago area has been raced. Ever. Imagine that,” said ITHA executive director David McCaffrey. “Washington Park. Arlington. Maywood. There's a very good chance that it could be over.” Rather than offer concrete assurances over a Thoroughbred meet this year, representatives from Hawthorne asked the commissioners and the attending stakeholders to put their trust in a vaguely detailed sense of optimism that a last-minute deal over the next few weeks could be cobbled together. Specifics surrounding this alleged deal were in short supply. Hawthorne president and general manager Tim Carey was scheduled to provide an update for the commission. He pulled out before Wednesday's meeting. In his place sat John Walsh, Hawthorne's assistant general manager. “For the optimistic part of things, we have moved in a different direction in the last month and a half as far as getting these casinos and racinos up and running,” said Walsh. “We're working with a new partner, someone nearby, someone interested in Illinois and Illinois racing, who really wants all of this to succeed and move quickly,” said Walsh. “Whatever's going to happen is going to happen in the next two or three weeks.” The racing board did not ask about the identity of this alleged partner nor any substantive details about the purported deal. Walsh did not offer this information up voluntarily either. At the same time, Walsh strongly suggested that if this alleged deal cannot come to fruition by Feb. 16–when the facility would need to switch over operations from harness racing to Thoroughbreds–Hawthorne's 2026 Thoroughbred meet would be effectively over. “We will have something in place by that date… or we don't,” said Walsh. “If we don't turn over the track, I'm sure Tim will contact the board and just say where he is. But I just know things have to be done by then [Feb. 16]. They will be done. They have to be done.” In 2019, the state granted Hawthorne the go-ahead to convert its old grandstand into a casino. Since then, nothing concrete has materialized on that possibility despite repeated promises to the contrary by track operators. Indeed, ITHA president Chris Block voiced during Wednesday's meeting what he described as “growing alarm” through the years “over Hawthorne's delays finalizing a deal to open and operate this casino. “Amidst those delays, we've seen the precipitous decline of racing in Hawthorne. In 2021, we had 909 horses on the backstretch. Last summer, we peaked at 635. A drop of nearly 30%. Just five years ago, Thoroughbred purses in Northern Illinois totaled $19.27 million. Last year, we ran for $8.6 million. A drop of more than 50%,” Block said. And why should the industry trust that this time things will be different? “When I say I'm optimistic, I think everything is going the right way,” said Walsh, who described himself as a natural pessimist. “At our February meeting, if we have one, I'll be here and I'll be smiling.” The next scheduled IRB meeting is in March. Peppered throughout the meeting were glimpses into the sheer scale of Hawthorne's financial mismanagement, and the toll it's having on the horsemen and women facing economic dire straits. “We have some trainers in the audience that aren't eating because they're feeding the horses first,” said one Standardbred trainer during the public comment period. “The horsemen who depend on Hawthorne for their livelihoods, who have not been paid since before Christmas, deserve to hear directly from the person responsible for that,” said Jeff Davis, the IHHA president, noting Tim Carey's failure to appear at the meeting. “His absence I think is disrespectful not only to the horsemen but to you as a board,” Davis said, adding that there are some $414,000 in state funds “that remain inaccessible in Hawthorne's frozen accounts.” During his presentation, Davis explained how he had just learned “Churchill Downs obtained a judgment against Hawthorne Race Course in December for $1.64 million.” He added: “I'm not an attorney, but it was a judgment based on confession, they called it, which means they weren't, Hawthorne wasn't fighting that. They admitted it. And they owe it.” Walsh appeared to refute Davis's assertions, but his response raised more questions than it answered. “As far as the Churchill Downs settlement, it's not correct. There hasn't been a settlement. We haven't paid anybody anything. And the amount is not quite correct. It's much lower,” said Walsh. Pressed by one of the commissioners, Walsh explained how he and other Hawthorne employees–like the clerks and security personnel–had continued to receive their salaries during this time. The banks, he said, were deciding seniority of payments. “I'm never good with these. I'm never very good with speaking in public. However, I want to assure the horsemen that Hawthorne, its employees and the Carey family are disgusted by this turn of events. It was unexpected–Hawthorne would never decide to write checks that didn't go through,” Walsh said, at the opening of his remarks. In a press release Monday, the racing board stated that it would consider reinstating the licenses of Suburban Downs, Inc. should they “cure the violations and provide documentation demonstrating they meet the minimum standards, including but not limited to its financial integrity, under the Act and rules contained in Title 11 of the Illinois Administrative Code.” Block voiced his fears that the financial turmoil that has roiled the current harness meet at Hawthorne will bleed over into this year's scheduled Thoroughbred meet, if indeed it goes ahead. “We want to race this year at Hawthorne. All our horsemen are looking forward to it. Only, I hope that Tim and his family are taking the necessary steps to create the correct financial conditions,” said Block. The post Illinois Thoroughbred Racing ‘At a Critical Juncture’ Due to Hawthorne’s Financial Woes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I’m extremely sceptical that Brodie is the railway sleeper person that people seem to think he is.

Rancho San Miguel stallion Brickyard Ride (Clubhouse Ride–Brickyard Helen, by Southern Image), a multiple graded winner and eight-time black-type winner, was represented by his first foal, a filly born Jan. 24 out of To the Limits (Swiss Yodeler). The filly was bred in California by Jerry Engelauf. “I am very impressed by the quality of this first foal by Brickyard Ride,” said Tom Clark, owner of Rancho San Miguel. “Her sire exhibited great class, speed, and longevity on the extremely tough Southern California racing circuit, and this smart-looking filly is an excellent early representative of those strengths.” Brickyard Ride's graded wins included the GII San Carlos Stakes and consecutive runnings of the GIII Kona Gold Stakes. With 13 wins on his CV, the chestnut won or placed 21 times in his racing career. After covering 44 mares in 2025, Brickyard Ride will stand the 2026 breeding season at Rancho San Miguel for $4,000, live foal guarantee. The post First Foal for Multiple Graded Winner Brickyard Ride is a Filly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

So a strong sale.

When Karaka shrank, the market sharpened: a deeper look at the metrics Written by Renee Geelen Australian buyers didn’t just turn up at Karaka in 2026 - they shaped it. With fewer horses on offer and the same competitive pressure, prices lifted across the board, particularly at the lower end, as scarcity did what it always does. Cover image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock Data from New Zealand Bloodstock website as at 28 January 2026 Karaka’s shift in 2026 wasn’t subtle: the catalogue was cut by 240 yearlings, the sale was compressed from five days to three, and the market responded exactly the way markets do when supply tightens. Book 1’s median lifted to NZ$140,000 (up from NZ$110,000) - but the real story was Book 2, where the median surged to NZ$60,000 from NZ$26,750. Tightening comes with a trade-off; with fewer horses offered, headline gross growth is always going to be capped, and total turnover now reflects volume discipline rather than demand fatigue. So it was particularly notable that gross increased across both books. A smaller sale, a tougher fight Across both books, 848 yearlings were catalogued in 2026 compared to 1008 in 2025. After four straight years sitting around the 1100 mark, the shape of the sale materially changed. Fewer lots meant more competition per horse, and a clearer lift in the floor, reflected in the averages, medians, and clearance rates. The biggest change came in book 2, moving from 448 lots in 2025 to 281 in 2026, a removal of 146 horses from that sector of the market and a reduction from two days to one. Book 1 tightened by 94 horses from 661 catalogued in 2025 over three days to 567 catalogued in 2026 over two days of selling. year catalogued offered sold clearance gross average median 2026 567 520 422 81% $ 79,022,500 $ 187,257 $ 140,000 2025 661 588 457 78% $ 75,332,500 $ 164,841 $ 110,000 2024 682 607 473 78% $ 79,585,500 $ 168,257 $ 120,000 2023 644 582 461 79% $ 70,063,000 $ 151,980 $ 130,000 2022 636 558 430 77% $ 63,127,500 $ 146,808 $ 100,000 Table: Book 1 of Overall 5-year metrics NZB National Yearling Sale year catalogued offered sold clearance gross average median 2026 281 248 188 76% $ 12,247,000 $ 65,144 $ 60,000 2025 427 355 270 76% $ 9,759,000 $ 36,144 $ 26,750 2024 443 378 265 70% $ 11,444,000 $ 43,185 $ 32,500 2023 435 376 267 71% $ 11,516,000 $ 43,131 $ 32,000 2022 466 385 247 64% $ 10,036,000 $ 40,632 $ 30,000 Table: Book 2 of Overall 5-year metrics NZB National Yearling Sale Where the lift really occurred Breaking Book 1 into quartiles shows where the tightening actually did its work. Rather than the gains being isolated to the very top of the market, every price band moved higher in 2026 - a sign that improved quality wasn’t confined to elite lots, but spread through the catalogue. Looking back across the past five years helps put that shift into context. While 2023 delivered a relatively strong median, it did so with a softer top quartile and a heavier reliance on the middle of the market. In contrast, 2026 shows broader strength, with each quartile lifting year-on-year, despite fewer horses changing hands. In 2026, every quartile average lifted by at least 12% on 2025. Rather than inflation driven by a handful of top-end outliers, the data points to a deeper, more competitive market across the whole of Book 1. year book 1 sold https://bitofayarn.com book 1 median b1 q1 average b1 q2 average b1 q3 average b1 q4 average 2026 422 $140,000 $396,699 $182,736 $110,943 $64,500 2025 457 $110,000 $347,958 $149,915 $92,161 $52,648 2024 473 $120,000 $341,829 $160,164 $98,934 $59,333 2023 461 $130,000 $292,797 $156,992 $97,500 $50,936 2022 430 $100,000 $316,116 $135,670 $80,938 $44,491 Table: NZB National Yearling Sale Book 1 Quartile analysishttps://bitofayarn.com Measured by median, 2026 stands as the strongest Book 1 result of the past five years, with NZ$140,000 marking a clear step up from the NZ$110,000 recorded in 2025. Importantly, that lift came without an expansion in catalogue size - reinforcing that the market moved because buyers were prepared to pay more per horse, not because more horses were offered.https://bitofayarn.com The most pronounced gains came at the lower end. The bottom 25% of Book 1 horses averaged NZ$64,500, up from the previous peak of NZ$59,333 in 2024. Over the past four years, the cheapest quartile has lifted 31%, outpacing gains in the top end and confirming that the tighter catalogue materially reset the market floor. By reducing numbers at Karaka and diverting marginal stock into the Summer Sale and National Online Sale, New Zealand Bloodstock has effectively protected the integrity of Book 1. The result was greater consistency through the lower and middle bands, and a Book 2 market that responded even more sharply.https://bitofayarn.com Australian money set the tone New Zealand Bloodstock tracks buyer origin in two ways. Publicly reported results record the location of the purchasing entity, while internal data captures the end-user - the party funding the purchase. In most cases the two align, but where agents are involved, the internal data provides a clearer picture of where the capital is actually coming from. New Zealand Bloodstock provided this internal buyer-location data to The Thoroughbred Report. Using that internal measure, Australian buyers accounted for 48% of total gross sales across both books in 2026, up from 43% in 2025. funding buyer 2026 lots 2026 gross 2025 lots 2025 gross Australia 242 48% 438 43% New Zealand 283 34% 227 41% Hong Kong 49 9% 44 10% China 24 4% 16 0% South Africa 9 2% 5 1% Singapore 9 1% 8 1% Table: NZB internal data by % of gross spend A broader buying bench In 2026, 218 individual buying groups competed for 422 Book 1 yearlings, purchasing an average of 1.94 horses per buyer. That compares with 217 buying groups in 2025, who purchased an average of 2.11 horses from 457 horses sold.https://bitofayarn.com David Ellis has been the leading buyer at Karaka for more than two decades and his influence on the sale remains significant. Over the past five years, however, his purchasing profile has evolved alongside the expansion of Te Akau’s Australian operations. In 2026, Ellis purchased 17 Book 1 yearlings for NZ$4.26 million, down from 31 yearlings and NZ$8.07 million in 2022.https://bitofayarn.com David Ellis | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell In practical terms, a similar number of buyers were ending up with fewer horses, increasing competitive pressure and reducing the ability of any one buyer to dominate the catalogue. year https://bitofayarn.com lots sold median buyers lots per buyers number of buyers who bought one lot per cent buyers one lot top buyer by volume lots bought top buyer gross 2026 567 422 $140,000 218 2 139 64% David Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) 17 $4,260,000 2025 661 457 $110,000 217 2 130 60% Mr DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) 26 $4,497,500 2024 682 473 $120,000 253 2 159 63% Mr DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) 25 $5,700,000 2023 644 461 $130,000 229 2 138 60% Mr DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) 26 $6,035,000 2022 636 430 $100,000 212 2 133 63% Mr DC Ellis 31 $8,070,000 Table: Buyer behavoiur at NZB Contracted catalogue but similar vendor figures Despite the reduction in sale size, the number of vendors represented in Book 1 has stayed fairly static across the past five years. In 2026, the 567 yearlings catalogued were spread across 42 vendors, who presented an average of 13.5 yearlings each. The peak number of vendors was in 2023 when 48 different vendors showcased horses in book 1. Cambridge Stud | Image courtesy of Cambridge Stud Cambridge Stud was the leading vendors by lots sold in 2026, beating Waikato Stud into second from the top slot they’d held the previous four years.https://bitofayarn.com Cambridge Stud sold 50 yearlings in 2026. year lots sold median vendors avg yearlings catalogued per vendor biggest vendor lots sold gross 2026 567 422 140,000 42 14 Cambridge Stud 50 $10,640,000 2025 661 457 110,000 44 15 Waikato Stud Ltd 47 $6,010,000 2024 682 473 120,000 46 15 Waikato Stud Ltd 59 $8,730,000 2023 644 461 130,000 48 13 Waikato Stud Ltd 53 $7,792,500 2022 636 430 100,000 44 15 Waikato Stud Ltd 39 $7,860,000 Table: Vendor data over the last five years Stallion mix in Book 1 Across the past five years, the percentage of yearlings by New Zealand based stallions has stayed static at 72% of the catalogue, with Australian-based stallions making up the remainder of the yearlings presented.https://bitofayarn.com year lots nz based aus based international nz % 2026 567 406 159 2 72% 2025 661 465 195 1 70% 2024 682 509 171 2 75% 2023 644 452 192 0 70% 2022 636 458 178 0 72% Table: Sire location in NZB Book 1

Trainer Brad Cox is not prone to any delusions of grandeur where it comes to the chances of Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo) against the likes of champion Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Nysos (Nyquist) and GII Clark Stakes hero Magnitude (Not This Time) in the G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Feb. 14. He also realizes that $20 million is a lot to play for and is keen to seize upon the opportunity that presents itself, knowing that he has his horse the best he can be in advance of the 1800-meter contest. “He's done very well, he deserves an opportunity and I'm glad he's been invited and excited about giving him a chance,” Cox said from South Florida, where the mercury reached a balmy 66 degrees Wednesday afternoon, significantly warmer than home in Kentucky. Having made the GIII Forty Niner Stakes the third graded success of his career Nov. 2, Bishops Bay went on to top the Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale on a bid of $1.3 million from Pedro Lanz on behalf of the Saudi-based KAS Stables. The bay was on trial for a potential trip to the desert in the Dec. 6 GII Cigar Mile Stakes, came through that effort with flying colors and has since held his form, according to Cox. “He's training very well since the Cigar Mile here at Payson, he's had all his works here,” the trainer said. “He's doing very well and he looks amazing. It's going to be a tall task–with $20 million on the line, it's supposed to be.” Bishops Bay has recorded weekly breezes on a Saturday schedule over the deep surface at Payson since the first of the year, most recently drilling five furlongs in 1:01.60 on Jan. 24. He is scheduled to turn in his final local work this coming weekend. “He's been really good here,” Cox said. “Sometimes this Payson surface can get to some of them, but he's been handling it incredibly well. It's gives you confidence. He's a good horse and lots of times good horses work good on just about anything and he shows that. He's a classy horse to be around, beautiful horse physically. I remember loving him the first time I saw him at Warrendale Sales and he's been very good to us.” A $450,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase in 2021, Bishops Bay was a head second to next-out GI Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo (Arrogate) in the 2023 GIII Peter Pan Stakes and also rounded out the exacta underneath GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Two Phil's (Hard Spun) in the GIII Ohio Derby. Victorious in a single appearance at four, he well and truly arrived in 2025, with six wins in eight appearances, capped by the Cigar Mile. Though his best form of late has come at the mile, Cox is quietly confident that Bishops Bay can handle the added distance in Riyadh. “More confidence doing it around one turn as opposed to two turns based off what we've seen from him,” he said. “You have to look at it and treat it like an extended mile race. That track can be demanding and tiring late, I think he's going to have to be ridden properly. “It can be a challenging track, but I do like the idea that it's a one-turn mile and an eighth. If it were a two-turn mile and an eighth, it wouldn't be what I'd think would suit him, but the one turn definitely gives us a bit more confidence.” Cox will have a Saudi Cup entrant for the fourth time in the seven-year history of the race, his best result coming when Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) was beaten less than a length into third by Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) two years ago. Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) struck for the barn in last year's G1 Dubai World Cup, and the trainer continues to learn on the job where it comes to traveling horses. “Saudi Crown gave us a big thrill and what I learned that day is that it's a long stretch and a tiring track there,” Cox said with a laugh. “I do think there is something about having the experience going over to places like Saudi and Dubai and it's definitely valuable to have that experience from a personnel standpoint.” Cox is of that mindset that goes 'you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.' He remains realistic about his Saudi Cup chances, but is clearly embracing the challenge that lies straight ahead. “He has to step forward, there is no doubt,” Cox said of his charge. “We've given him one opportunity in a Grade I to date. He ran a very respectable race there at Saratoga going seven furlongs [sixth in the Forego Stakes] and he probably wants to go a little further. He needs to step up and move forward and if he does and gets the right trip and some racing luck, I think we can be in the mix.” Bishops Bay flies to Saudi with the other Florida-based entrants for the program on Feb. 2. A record $1.3 million in the ring for multiple graded stakes winner Bishops Bay at the November Horses of Racing Age Sale! Purchased by Pedro Lanz, Agent for KAS Stables and consigned by @EliteRaceSales. #KeeNov pic.twitter.com/IMiT0EWW2X — Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 12, 2025 The post Bishops Bay Thriving Ahead of Saudi Sojourn appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Florida-bred Mythical takes on seven rivals in the Forward Gal Stakes (G3) Jan. 31 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

The TAB are happy for punters to lose, that is whythey advertise for punters and give bonus bets etc. If punters want to offload $100 bets then that is fine but if others want to offload larger amount then that should be great for the TAB! Gambling business I thought the TAB was? In life people do things at different levels and different abilities!

$1k cash or betting vouchers is not a large amount in todays money! No problem with having a limit but needs to be higher as it is hindering wagering. Do you really believe that money launderers would be gambling on horses to launder money for $1k?

I think he's farewell the railway sleepers just like hrnz farewell craig railway

It was nothing less than a perfect GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who finished one-two in the $3-million race with Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and White Abarrio (Race Day). To talk about his big day at Gulfstream, his concerns that White Abarrio would not run well, and plans for the two 7-year-olds going forward, Joseph joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. Joseph was the Gainesway Guest of the Week. White Abarrio had not run since the Aug. 31 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga and was then a vet scratch in the minutes before the running of the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Joseph admitted that he wasn't sure whether White Abarrio could overcome all the obstacles that had been thrown at him. Even though White Abarrio was beaten by his stablemate, Joseph was openly emotional over how well he ran. “I reacted the way I did because of everything he's been through,” Joseph said. “There was a lot of pressure. There was his high-profile scratch before the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile as he got on the track. Whether the reason was legitimate or not, the vets decided to scratch him. So when something like that happens, you have to go through all these protocols where you have to make sure that you go over this horse from head to toe. You have many different people look at him and almost every person who looks at a horse is going to have a different opinion. So just to go through all that was hard. “And then the horse was good until Thanksgiving and then, after Thanksgiving, we were searching to try to get something out of him that basically wasn't there. That's the worst thing you can do as far as training a horse. We went ahead and we pulled his shoes and went to a different type of shoe. We went back to nail-on shoes, and that was a big mistake. We went from being good for a couple of weeks to where we were way behind schedule. [Blacksmith] Ian McKinley came in from New York and he looked at him and he said he would get him to how we wanted him. He did a marvelous job. All the credit goes to him.” Joseph knew that if White Abarrio ran poorly, he would be subject to second-guessing. “The situation created a lot of pressure,” he said. “We worked the horse and everything is checking out fine, but there is pressure that you don't want something to happen to the horse. And then someone would say, 'I told you, we told you that.' That could happen to any horse on any given day. You just don't want the horse to go out there and run tenth or eleventh because it's going to be the same kind of talk from the naysayers. It's always easy to talk after. Before, it's a lot harder. Thank God the horse went out there and showed up and ran big.” The only thing White Abarrio did wrong was that he wasn't quite good enough to beat Skippylongstocking, the veteran campaigner who picked up his first Grade I win during a career that spanned 36 starts. “[Skippylongstocking] had everything go right for him,” Joseph said. “We went into the Harlan's Holiday and that was kind of like a barrier going into the Pegasus. We thought he was getting there, but he was coming off a bad run at Charles Town. We needed to see him run well before we could have any confidence. When he won the Harlan's Holiday, we felt good and we felt like he should move forward quite a bit. He gave us all the confidence going into the Pegasus that he was going to run one of his best races, but you never know until they do it.” The main reason that both Joseph horses are still running at seven is because they are not fashionably enough bred to be sought after by the major breeding farms and they keep making money on the racetrack. Still, Joseph said this likely would be the last year for both. “I think it would be good for them to go off next year to stud,” he said. “There have been offers for White Abarrio, but nothing the owners were ready to accept or good enough for them. White Abarrio definitely has a great resume. He's won the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Whitney, two runnings of the Pegasus, the Florida Derby. So to have a horse with that resume…there's not many that have that kind of resume.” Joseph said he was not yet sure where the two would run next but added that the GII Oaklawn Handicap and the GI Dubai World Cup would be under consideration for both. The “Fastest Horse of the Week” was Knightsbridge (Nyquist), who earned a 105 Beyer figure when winning the Jan. 24 GIII Fred Hooper Stakes on the Pegasus World Cup undercard. The Fastest Horse of the Week segment is sponsored by WinStar, which stands Timberlake. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the PHBA, 1/ST TV, the KTOB and West Point Thoroughbreds, Randy Moss and Bill Finley took a look back at the Eclipse Awards and discussed Finley's suggestion that a rule be instituted that requires a horse to make at least two starts in North America to be eligible for championship honors. They also looked back at Graham Motion's one-two finish with Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) and One Stripe (SAf) (One World {SAf}) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. Looking ahead, Moss and Finley gave their picks for this week's major prep for the GI Kentucky Derby, the GIII Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The post Saffie Joseph Jr. Joins The TDN Writers’ Room Podcast Presented by Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Godolphin and Charlie Appleby have dominated Kempton's Unibet Supports Safer Gambling Maiden Stakes in recent years, annexing recent renewals with elite-level winners Opera Ballo (Ghaiyyath), Notable Speech (Dubawi) and Measured Time (Frankel). The axis unleashed another potential heavyweight on Wednesday evening as 750,000gns Tattersalls Book 1 yearling Palladas (Lope De Vega) delivered a power-packed debut display to attain 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' status in the one-mile contest. Palladas settled into a smooth rhythm and lobbed along in sixth after an alert getaway. Cruising forward once into the home straight, the 6-5 favourite powered to the front passing the furlong marker and thundered clear in the latter stages to easily outclass Al Azd (Dubawi) by an impressive 2 3/4 lengths. Palladas is the fourth of five foals and third scorer from as many runners produced by Listed River Eden Stakes third Isabella (Galileo), herself a daughter of Listed Blenheim Stakes victrix Song Of My Heart (Footstepsinthesand). Song Of My Heart is also the dam of G3 Musidora Stakes third Pandora (Galileo) and the dual stakes-placed Allegio (Galileo). The March-foaled chestnut is a half-brother to GIII La Jolla Handicap victor and GII Del Mar Derby runner-up Maltese Falcon (Caravaggio) and the unraced two-year-old colt Helvellyn (Pinatubo). 2026 2025 2024 2203 2022 2021 Palladas, a 750,000gns son of Lope De Vega, continues stunning run of Charlie Appleby in this Kempton maiden.@godolphin pic.twitter.com/GCB2Je2ybz — Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 28, 2026 The post Godolphin’s Palladas Powers to TDN Rising Stardom at Kempton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Getaway Car is one of two sons of Curlin set for the San Pasqual Stakes (G2) Jan. 31 at Santa Anita Park, with veteran Midnight Mammoth a major contender.View the full article

Artificial intelligence on the track and the emerging threats of prediction markets and wagering are among the salient topics to be discussed at the National HBPA Conference March 3-7 in Hot Springs, Ark., at Oaklawn Park.View the full article

In this series, we will have a look predominantly at American-bred first-time juvenile starters (through the end of 2025) and debuting 3-year-olds in maiden races at Meydan Racecourse, with a specific focus on pedigree and/or performance in a sales ring. The flagship venue for racing in the United Arab Emirates is Meydan Racecourse, which will host racing on Fridays through the end of March, with the exception of Super Saturday on Feb. 28 and Dubai World Cup night Mar. 28, 2026. Here are the horses of note for this Friday's program at Meydan: Friday, January 30, 2026 2nd-MEY, AED165,000 ($44,913), Maiden, 3yo, 1600m SALLOOM (Authentic) debuts for the Dubai-based string of horses for the Stables of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Sons and trainer Bhupat Seemar on the back of a good-looking trial victory from close range back on Jan. 7 (see below). An. Apr. 14 foal, the bay is the third to race out of a winning daughter of the Grade III-placed Chasethegold (Touch Gold), herself the dam of the GSP juvenile filly Goldrush Girl (Political Force) and granddam of a trio of 3-year-old stakes winners: 2025 GII Wood Memorial Stakes hero Rodriguez (Authentic); GIII Southwest Stakes hero One Liner (Into Mischief); and Hutcheson Stakes scorer Provocateur (Into Mischief). The female family also includes Grade I winners Albertus Maximus and Daredevil. A $175,000 Keeneland September acquisition, Salloom breezed a furlong in :9 4/5 (see below) at the 2025 OBS March Sale and brought a healthy $600,000. Stable go-to rider Tadhg O'Shea rides from gate two. Bato (Street Sense) was a $115,000 buyback out of the 2024 Keeneland September Sale but found a new home when hammering for 140,000gns ($193,887) at last year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up (video). The Jan. 20 produce is a son of 2020 Martha Washington Stakes winner Lucky Polly (Lookin At Lucky), a half-sister to 10 winners, among them the stakes-winning former 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Undulated (Curlin). Bato's now-juvenile half-brother by Jackie's Warrior fetched $280,000 at Keeneland last September. The post Desert Doings: Saudi-Owned Authentic Colt Looms Large on Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Total Racing NZ and Overseas plus total Sports betting

Where did you get the 663.1 million figure?

Artificial intelligence on the track and the emerging threats of prediction markets and wagering are among the topics to be discussed at the National HBPA Conference to be held March 3-7 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, the horsemen's organization said in a Wednesday press release. “Each year, we strive to take a deep dive into the serious issues facing racing while also showcasing innovation that already is making a difference,” said Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association (NHBPA). “Our goal is to be a conference that isn't just reactive to challenges but serves as an early warning about emerging threats to our industry. We also want to show our affiliates and horsemen ways to improve on the good work already being done.” Topics also include reimagining racetrack ownership led by horsemen and participants; updates on the Horseracing Integrity & Safety Act (HISA); strengthening horse racing's integrity with increased education and collaboration among officials and investigators; and building pathways to second careers for retired racehorses. “We are in the midst of the AI revolution, whether we like it or not, and horsemen and their leaders must be informed and prepared,” Hamelback said. “Meanwhile, there has been precious little talk about the impact of the prediction markets, which do an end-run around regulated gambling, including sports betting. The conference also seeks to highlight the positives about our great industry. In that regard, we have a couple more special presentations that will be announced soon.” Click here to view the conference program. The post HBPA Conference Topics Include AI And Horsemen As Racetrack Owners appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Probably good but not of much benefit to NZ racing if it wasn't bet through our TAB. Don't know revenue but you'd expect any increase would be less than the turnover increase based on the trend from tote to FOB. With customers from at least 25 participating countries and regions around the world wagering into a single pool, World Pool hosted betting on all six races at Saturday’s meeting, ensuring a 71% uplift in turnover on the meeting. The TAB Karaka Millions 2YO was the stand-out performer, with an 11% increase on last year’s edition.

Fairmount Park saw a plethora of upgrades in 2025 under new ownership, Accel Entertainment, and they aren't slowing down anytime soon in 2026.View the full article

Thanks It is very limited data though Total turnover was 663.1 million. Is that good or bad. What is the net betting revenue

Yesterday's piece with a selection of leaders in the French bloodstock community concluded with a teaser regarding the future stallion career of Daryz, the winner of last year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for Francis-Henri Graffard and the Aga Khan Studs. Of course, there is a lot of water to pass under the bridge, and more Group 1s to be won, before a decision has to be made, but it will be a conversation all the same as to whether Daryz takes up residence at the Aga Khan family's Haras de Bonneval in France or Gilltown Stud in Ireland next year. When the former opened its doors last week for La Route des Etalons, it was suggested to Pierre Gasnier, manager of the French studs for the Aga Khan family, that Haras de Bonneval could have a shiny new attraction to show off when these two days come around in 2027, in the event that the champion colt remains in France for his stud career. “That's if he does,” Gasnier teased in reply with a smile. “He's the first Arc winner by Sea The Stars and maybe he could be the one to take the mantle of his sire [at Gilltown] – you never know.” Gasnier went on to stress that such a decision is still a long way off, but clearly the possibility exists that Daryz could follow in the footsteps of his sire by retiring to Gilltown once his racing days are done. Indeed, there is a precedent there already as, before Daryz, the last three-year-old colt to carry the Aga Khan colours to victory in the Arc was Dalakhani in 2003, and he too took up stallion duties in Ireland the following year. Twenty years on from Dalakhani, French breeders could have been forgiven for thinking 'at last' when it was announced that the unbeaten Arc winner Ace Impact would be joining the burgeoning stallion roster at the Chehboub family's Haras de Beaumont for 2024, making him the first winner of France's greatest race to retire to stud in the country since Sagamix arrived at Haras du Logis for the 2001 season. It's an opportunity which the domestic industry has seemingly grabbed with both hands, as well as many other breeders from all parts of the globe. “When you're retiring a horse of that calibre, my job is made slightly easier because mares came from all over the world for him,” said Haras de Beaumont's Mathieu Alex. “We're very, very pleased with the numbers he has covered, as well as the quality of the mares he has covered from all over the world. Now, it's up to him, but we're going to support him strongly again in year three.” Closer to hand, 2026 will be an important year for another Haras de Beaumont resident in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Champion Stakes winner Sealiway, who is set to be represented by his first runners in the coming months. “The trainers have been very positive about them,” Alex said of Sealiway's first batch of juveniles. “It's early yet, but they look precocious and they look fast. Time will tell, but for Haras de Beaumont, which is a young enterprise, and also for France, we'd love to be able to have a very good stallion one day.” He continued, “We need a couple of good stallions coming through in France, but some serious racehorses have retired to stud here recently. We have to wait for them to have their first runners, but a few of them will become good stallions, I'm sure. It's a very, very competitive game, but here in France we're well able to breed horses and train horses. Of course, we have to be concerned about the situation with the prize-money, but we have the product.” Certainly, few would argue with that final sentiment following what was a hugely successful season for French-trained horses on the international stage in 2025. One such success story was Sosie (Sea The Stars) who, after winning the Prix Ganay and Prix d'Ispahan on home soil, ended the campaign by providing trainer Andre Fabre with a record fourth win in the Hong Kong Vase. A couple of weeks earlier, Fabre had forfeited one of his many other records when the brilliant Calandagan (Gleneagles) won the Japan Cup to provide compatriot Francis Graffard with a 14th top-level victory of the calendar year – beating Fabre's previous benchmark for a French trainer of 13. The aforementioned Daryz and Prix de Diane and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Gezora (Almanzor) were among the others to represent the Graffard stable with distinction in 2025, but there is no mistaking who is the current poster boy of French racing. A place at stud might be out of the reckoning for the gelded Calandagan but, for his many followers, there will be the joy of hopefully getting to see him race many more times. “He has been a very good flagbearer for the French industry,” Gasnier said of the Aga Khan Studs homebred, who was last week crowned Longines World's Best Racehorse for 2025, having also beaten a number of top-notchers in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and Champion Stakes. “He was bred and raised in Ireland, but he's obviously trained in Chantilly, where we have all of the facilities to train top-class horses. We have the training centres, we have the racetracks and we have the people. This year, we saw it, internationally.” On the experience of following Calandagan to Tokyo, Gasnier conceded that, despite himself, he couldn't help but feel like the team there was representing France and the tricolour flag. He added, “You have to feel a bit like this, even though, personally, I'm not really a patriotic person. You know that you have all of the French people watching that horse performing – the Calandafans. The Japanese people are following him now as well, so he's very important for racing because he will stay in training and the people will continue to support him very strongly.” When Calandagan does eventually bring the curtain down on his racing career, there is little doubt that his presence at Haras de Bonneval would put even more numbers on the door during the La Route des Etalons, should the team wish to have him on the ground as an equine ambassador for the longstanding excellence of the Aga Khan Studs. Put simply, anything that can increase engagement with the sport and its participants is worth exploring at this stage, in order to try and reverse the worrying trend of falling turnover on the PMU. It brings us back to the same age-old debate that we hear in Britain and Ireland, about the need to find ways to bring more people into the sport, especially among the younger demographic. “We went from six million to three million gamblers in France,” reiterated Nicolas de Chambure whilst welcoming visitors to his Haras d'Etreham on Friday morning. “We have to do everything we can to attract the public to the races and to come to the farms. Every little event that can help to promote our industry as a whole is always a good thing. “These two days [La Route des Etalons] are hopefully a little bit of a help in that sense. We should be working a lot closer to the PMU and they should be promoting these two days. We would be more than happy to have some of the gamblers coming to see these champion horses and getting to know a little bit more about what we do.” “The whole idea of this weekend is that we open our doors to everybody,” added Gasnier on a similar theme. “We make sure that we invite all of our neighbours, so that everybody that wants to be here can come and learn a bit more about what we do. “France Galop has done a very good job as well with the initiative bringing horses into the city in Paris, and it works. We saw more people going racing in Deauville during the summer, and it was the same at Longchamp, so you have to be hopeful. Of course, you have to worry about the betting, but it will follow if people continue to go racing more often – it will.” On the subject of attendances, there has most definitely been cause for optimism in that regard. In 2025, the five racecourses managed by France Galop – Auteuil, Chantilly, Deauville, ParisLongchamp and Saint-Cloud – welcomed a record 438,000 spectators, an increase of 8% on the 2024 figure. One initiative which has consistently succeeded in bringing in large audiences is the JeuXdi events at ParisLongchamp. This year, they will take place every Thursday between May 7 and July 9, bringing together live racing and DJ sets which get underway at the close of the card and go on well into the night. Another evening fixture which takes on a similar format is La Garden Party, which takes place every year on or around Bastille Day, with the Grand Prix de Paris headlining the action on the racecourse. “It's one of the best nights in Paris during the summer,” added Gasnier. “France Galop and Longchamp are doing a big party every Thursday evening, and it works. I heard recently of a young lady who came into the industry only because she used to go racing to follow her favourite influencer, and she will be one of many stories like that.” Another man with first-hand experience of one of the most popular evenings in the French racing calendar is trainer Henri-Francois Devin, who saddled New Ground to finish third in last year's Grand Prix de Paris and now reports the son of New Bay to be a different horse after being gelded during the winter. On Saturday, Devin was required at his family's historic Haras du Mesnil to assist his mother, Antonia, in welcoming the steady stream of visitors who came in to see the three stallions – Bay Bridge, Doctor Dino and Telecaster. “The success of these events is very encouraging,” Devin said of the JeuXdi evenings. “They have attracted large crowds of young people, many of whom had little previous connection with racing. “What is interesting is that the sport itself did not change – the races remained competitive and authentic. What changed was the experience around it: timing, atmosphere and accessibility. It shows that the younger generations are open to racing when it is presented as a social and cultural event, not solely as a betting product. This model deserves to be developed further.” He continued, “On Sunday, Vincennes welcomed 50,000 spectators for the biggest trotting race in the world, the Prix d'Amerique. Attendances are genuinely increasing, yet PMU turnover is declining. As with the JeuXdi events, it is now possible to attract more people to racecourses than in the past. “However, the racing authorities and the PMU have not done enough work on the second part of their mission: turning spectators into bettors and racing enthusiasts. On the racecourse itself and between race meetings – media, social networks, etc. – the effort made to convert these spectators is far too limited.” If there is one person whose efforts cannot be faulted when it comes to trying to reinvigorate the industry, then Benoit Jeffroy must be high on the list. As well as managing the stresses that come with launching a new stallion operation, the Haras de Castillon boss reported that he's also been bending the ear of his fellow stallion masters in an attempt to launch a new bonus system, similar to those that already exist in Australia and Ireland. In Ireland, for example, the IRE Incentive scheme, launched in 2021, awards a bonus of €10,000 to the owners of Irish-bred winners of selected races across the Flat and National Hunt programmes in both Ireland and Britain. The owners of each eligible winner – those carrying the (Ire) suffix and who are Foal Levy compliant – have until the end of the following year to spend their bonus on Irish-breds at Irish sales. “For a year now, I've been trying to work with other stallion owners and I'm trying to find a system like they have in Australia and like they have in Ireland,” Jeffroy explained. “The people standing stallions would put money into a pool and that could go towards bonuses that have to be spent on purchasing yearlings or foals to dynamise the market.” He added, “It's so important as stallion owners to help to dynamise everything – we have to be leaders. So far I've failed, but I'm working hard on it. You have to convince everybody and everybody has to agree to the project, but I think it's our responsibility as well to help as much as we can.” It would be fair to say that Jeffroy lacks nothing in endeavour, although he himself joked that some have questioned his sanity in opting to launch a new stallion base in such challenging times for the industry. “I think the English saying is 'God loves a trier,'” he laughed, before striking a more serious note when it comes to the need for the next generation to step up to the plate. “But if I don't do it, or Pauline Chehboub [of Haras de Beaumont], or Nicolas de Chambure, then who will? We will see what happens, but I think we have to try.” The post Daryz, Calandagan and the Thursday Evenings Bringing French Racing to Life appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Turfway Park Racing & Gaming has canceled its Friday and Saturday Jan. 30-31 live racing cards due to continued subzero wind chill temperatures expected in the Florence, Ky. area. Wednesday and Thursday's cards had previously been canceled amid the prolonged cold conditions, with live racing scheduled to resume Wednesday, Feb. 4. Additional information regarding makeup dates for Friday's $125,000 Wishing Well Stakes and Saturday's $125,000 Forego Stakes will be announced in the coming days. For the latest on racing and gaming from Turfway Park, visit www.turfway.com. The post Turfway Park Cancels Live Racing Through Saturday, Jan. 31 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk At what is now essentially his local track, in-form trotter Racey Krusa heads back to Oamaru this Sunday. The nine-year-old has turned into quite the “surprise package” since joining Amber Hoffman’s Waikouaiti Beach stable late last year, winning four of his five starts with her, and finishing third in the other. And it’s not just that he’s stringing the wins together – it’s the way he’s doing it. In his last start, at Oamaru on Wednesday January 21, Racey Krusa was nicely situated one out and one back before being left parked for the final lap. Driver Wilson House made his move at the home turn and the pair left the field in his wake, winning by more than two lengths. “To his credit he just relaxed so beautifully,” says Hoffman. After being transferred from Amber Lethaby’s stables in Canterbury, where he had his first three wins, Racey Krusa debuted for his new stable at Invercargill with a win in November. “His owners (Bruce Graham) thought a change of scene would do him some good and he’s enjoying the beach life,” says Hoffman, “we do all his fast work on the beach and he loves being on the lead as well.” “That first run we didn’t expect him to win, it was more a case of getting a line on him.” Before that win though Racey Krusa took a while to get used to his new surroundings. “He’s a cool wee dude but in the first two weeks he didn’t eat much and I was almost tempted to send him home but all of a sudden he came right,” says Hoffman, “and he’s mated up with a wee galloper and since then he’s been a really happy horse.” “He’s been a wee surprise package – that’s for sure.” Overall Racey Krusa has now won seven from 80 starts and looks to have a great opportunity to surprise again at his “home” meeting. He’ll line up in Race 12, the O’Connell Family/ Murphy Family Waikouaiti Handicap Trot (5.15pm). Among his rivals will be Dark Ghana, who went back-to-back at Blenheim on January 16 and 18, and last start Riverton winner Kracka Looka. To see Sunday’s field click here Racing at Oamaru on Sunday starts at 11.55am. View the full article

https://www.ttrausnz.com.au/edition/2026-01-29/when-karaka-shrank-the-market-sharpened-a-deeper-look-at-the-metrics