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The Jockey Club of Canada's Graded Stakes Committee held its annual review of the graded and listed stakes races in Canada and the number of higher level races will remain at 41, according to a press release late on Tuesday from the Jockey Club of Canada. The Committee reviewed the North American Race Committee (NARC) figures for all graded, listed and potentially listed races in Canada. Based on the data, the committee determined that the GIII British Columbia Derby will be downgraded to listed status and the early October running at Woodbine of the bet365 Algonquin Stakes for 2-year-olds on the turf will be upgraded to a Grade III. Additionally, the Century Casino Oaks, King Corrie Stakes, Niagara Stakes and Thorncliffe Stakes will all be upgraded to listed status. The Graded Stakes Committee meeting was conducted by Chair Ross McKague, who was joined by appointed members David Anderson, Jim Bannon, Jeff Begg, Catherine Day Phillips, Bernard McCormack and The Jockey Club of Canada's Chief Steward Chief Stipe Anderson. Also attending were racetrack representatives Allen Goodsell, Teagan Goodsell and Mike Vanin from Alberta. McKague represented Manitoba, and Julia Bell & Scott Lane stood for Ontario. The post Review Of Canada’s Graded Stakes Stands Pat At 41 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Another strange quirk in the programming in Southland, Wyndham and Winton Cups rating 55 to rating 90, why not all in, going to be off at least 40m so why a restriction, these are cup races, imagine having a rating93 trained in Southland, seems a bit odd to me.

On May 22, the HISA Board of Directors will take a vote that could result in the ban of Lasix in all races. Any decision made by the Board, whether to keep the rules as they are, or to enact a full ban, must be unanimous. In response, five trainers and Eric Hamelback, the CEO of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, signed a letter imploring HISA to continue to allow the use of the medication in most races. Trainer Ron Moquett was among those signing the letter. To talk about what is a divisive issue for the industry and his personal feelings that there should not be a full ban of Lasix, Moquett appeared on this week's edition of the TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the Week. Moquett said that the use of Lasix is something that is beneficial to the horse and something that, if taken away, would leave trainers without a valuable tool. “I think the definition of a horseman is to do right by your horse and to take every possibility to minimize the risk of anything bad happening,” he said. “Every day, every morning, the horsemen that I know, they make sure that all the snaps are closed on the gates. They make sure that the nails are pushed in the stall so that there's no shot that a horse would scratch it. We're constantly trying to minimize the risk of anything bad happening to a horse. That's our whole job. Training Horses 101–take care of your horse, do everything in your power to minimize the risk of something bad happening. Lasix falls into that category. I'm not out here asking for race-day medications such as pain-maskers, performance-enhancers, or steroids or any of that business. I'm asking for some people to use common sense. There's been a smear campaign on Lasix. You see people calling it doping. You see people calling it performance-enhancing. It's not any of that. It's just something we can use to help with the problem of horses bleeding.” Under current HISA rules, horses are not permitted to use Lasix in two-year-old races or in stakes races. Moquett said he had no problem keeping those regulations in place. “The current model that we have, everybody has basically agreed that it's fine,” he said. “I like the fact that 2-year-olds don't have it. I'm okay with the fact that graded stakes horses don't have it. But with the day-to-day horses that are competing, it's a safety tool that ought to be used.” It was pointed out to Moquett that when HISA banned Lasix in the stakes and juvenile races there was an outcry, with many people casting a dire picture that included horses bleeding frequently and openly in races. Most people agree that never happened. When asked why the situation would be any different if there were a full ban, this was his reply: “First and foremost, I would say that just because you haven't seen (horses bleed) in those races doesn't necessarily mean it hasn't happened. It's the same reason I put on a seatbelt. That's to be careful and take the necessary precautions. I don't want my horse to ever experience bleeding. I don't. This is something that can minimize the risk of something bad happening to a horse.” He was also asked why European racing, as well as racing in most of the rest of the world, seems to do fine without the use of Lasix. “I always like to steer away from comparisons,” he said. “But things are different here. First off, at Churchill Downs and at Oaklawn, there are no green pastures. There are no trees. We lovingly call Churchill 'Riker's Island' because it's just concrete pavement everywhere. That's not the case in Europe. We have long meets. They don't. It's just not the same. There's more turf racing there, where you just gallop around and sprint home for the most part. It's not like here, where there is more dirt racing and speed is the name of the game. It's always laughable to me whenever they compare racing here versus racing in Europe.” The “Fastest Horse of the Week” was Knightsbridge (Nyquist), who got a 112 Beyer figure in his romp in the GIII Gulfstream Park Mile. The Fastest Horse of the Week segment is sponsored by WinStar, which stands the sire Heartland. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the PHBA, 1/ST TV, and West Point Thoroughbreds, Randy Moss, Bill Finley, and Zoe Cadman took a look back at last week's preps for the GI Kentucky Derby. Though he finished second, the team was very high on the performance of Chief Wallabee (Constitution) in the GII Fountain of Youth and predicted he will only get better. The trio delved into the story of Hawthorne declaring bankruptcy, and what it means for the future of racing in Chicago. The podcast wrapped up with a preview of this Saturday's two Derby preps, the GIII Tampa Bay Derby and the GII San Felipe Stakes. To watch the video version of the podcast, click here. To listen to the audio, click here. The post To Discuss Potential Ban Of Lasix, Moquett Joins The TDN Writers’ Room Presented By Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It is a fix duty (type of tax). The point I was making was the TAB never paid company tax on its profits. Compare that with Sky City Casino which pays a minimum of 18% GST and gaming duty BEFORE tax on company profits.

How ridiculous of course it was a tax. Duty is a tax like a car is a vehicle.

As part of his official duties, Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Dean Rothemeier was attending the races Saturday at Meydan in Dubai at the same time that drone and missile attacks launched by Iran were hitting nearby. While he said he never felt unsafe, he noted that his biggest worry was, with the Dubai International Airport having been shuttered, how he was going to make it back home? But after a long, complicated journey, he had made it to Amsterdam on Tuesday and was expecting to land at the Cincinnati airport Wednesday evening, four days after he was nearly trapped in Dubai. “When I get home, I probably won't know what end is up,” Rothemeier said by phone Tuesday from Amsterdam. “I'm just happy to be that much closer to home.” He said that attending the Emirates Super Saturday card was an experience he will never forget. “It was pretty surreal,” he said. “I've been to a few Super Saturdays at Meydan and the crowd is always big and very lively. This crowd was as big as I've ever seen it and the racing was great. But everyone was asking 'What is going on?' We heard big bangs and booms and saw the drones and missiles being intercepted. Despite all that, it was pretty much business as usual. When Sheikh Mohammed showed up at the races, that gave everyone a lot more confidence that everything was going to be OK.” “Yes, it got to be a little nerve-wracking. I would have felt safe remaining in Dubai. But there were no flights going out. It was more of a logistical challenge.” Rothemeier was scheduled to attend the races at Jebel Ali Racecourse in the Jebel Ali District of Dubai on Sunday, the day after the main attacks. Keeneland is a major, long-standing sponsor at that track. But racing was canceled there because of the war, which meant that Rothemeier could head home…if only there were a way to get there. He helped gather a group that also included Keeneland colleague Ed Prosser, Arqana's Ludovic Cornuel and bloodstock agent Alessandro Marconi. The group made a connection with Mohammed Al-Saadi, a horse owner based in Oman. It was Al-Saadi who arranged the “great escape.” “After racing was canceled at Jebel Ali, the airport in Dubai was still closed,” Rothemeier said. “Our best option was to get to Muscat in Oman. The owner from Oman managed to get us a ride across the border. He sent a car to pick us up and get us to the airport. He was so gracious. He even had us over to his house.” With Muscat International Airport operating, the group was able to move on. They went separate ways, some going to Munich, others to Paris, all with the same goal in mind, to get on a flight to take them home. “Right now, everybody is back in Europe, so it all worked out,” Rothemeier said. “Everyone at Keeneland, including Tony Lacy and Shannon Arvin, was very supportive and they all worked to find options to get us out of there. We all got very familiar with every flight-booking website there is.” Though Rothemeier's journey was a long and arduous one, it could have been worse. The original plan was to return through Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. A day earlier, two drones struck the embassy compound there. As of Tuesday, the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was not fully shut down, but was experiencing massive disruptions. The post It Wasn’t Easy, But Keeneland’s Rothemeier Is On His Way Back To Kentucky appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Interesting comment which raises an interesting question. If you take all clubs in combination, would there be a net taxable profit and therefore any return to government and the taxpayer? I would doubt it.

And it is no longer. The taxpayer has given that back too with some help from Winnie.

While the war raging in the Middle East has caused uncertainty and danger throughout the region, it appears that most among the group of U.S.-based horses that had been planning on running on the Mar. 28 GI Dubai World Cup card will make the trip to the United Arab Emirates and continue to prepare for one of the world's richest days of racing. “We're making plans and arrangements as if the world were normal,” said David Fiske, the racing manager for Winchell Thoroughbreds, which owns Dubai World Cup hopeful Magnitude (Not This Time). The connections that have given the green light to the Dubai trip are doing so even though the State Department on Tuesday ordered the mandatory departure of non-emergency personnel and family members in six countries in the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, over growing security concerns. In retaliation to the attacks on its country by the U.S. and Israel, Iran, on Saturday, fired missiles and drones at countries in the Persian Gulf. Included in the damage inflicted on Dubai, a drone strike ignited a fire at Dubai's iconic Burj Al Arab hotel. And four people were injured the same day after an incident at the Dubai International Airport. As of Tuesday, the Dubai International Airport was operating on a limited basis. The airport was temporarily shut down on Feb. 28 due to regional security tensions. According to trainer Jose D'Angelo, who is pointing Bentornato (Valiant Minister) to the GI Dubai Golden Shaheen, the plane that will take U.S. horses to Dubai is scheduled to leave Mar. 14. “We are still planning to go,” D'Angelo said. “Everything is set up to go. We have talked to the people in Dubai there and they say that everything is good to go. They say that at the moment everything is good there. Of course, I am worried about it. This is not normal. We see from here on television everything that is going on. But, hopefully, in two weeks the situation will be better.” Fiske acknowledged that the situation is precarious. “That the State Department said 'Everybody get out of the Middle East' means it doesn't seem like three days from now they are going to say 'Everything is ok, go back to the embassy, go back to the racetrack,” he said. “I think everybody probably has the same attitude and the same plans that we do–plan on going and then if things aren't right, pull the plug and find somewhere else to run. “We'd rather be ready to go than pull the plug now and then three weeks later be left thinking, 'Well, that was stupid.' We are expecting the worst and hoping for the best. The people in Dubai may be thinking the same way we are, that they're hoping to run the race and that everything pans out by then.” It's expected that Magnitude will be joined in the Dubai World Cup field by last year's winner, Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}). His trainer, Brad Cox, also said that the plans have not changed and that the recent winner of the GIII Mineshaft Stakes will be back to defend his title. “We're planning on going as of right now,” Cox said. “I don't know much about what is going on. It's an unknown. We're trying to prepare a horse for a race and it's obviously a prestigious, valuable race with a big purse. We'll just have to see what happens. If it doesn't happen and they can't pull it off, we have other options.” Burj al-Arab Hotel in Dubai | Getty Images One horse who will not be making the trip is the New Jersey-bred star Book'em Danno (Bucchero), who was being pointed to the Dubai Golden Shaheen. “We're not going basically because of the war, the political issues over there and the safety factor,” said Jay Briscione, who heads the partnership that owns last year's Eclipse Award winning sprinter. “I think that any time the State Department tells you not to travel, it's probably good to heed their advice. Something like this doesn't seem like it's going to end quickly. People have always been saying Dubai is the safest city in the world, and I bet that is right. But it's never had a war going on around it like this.” Briscione said it was his wife that demanded he stay put. “I kept saying to her, 'Well, it looks like this is going to happen, that we're going.' And she said, 'You're not going anywhere near the Middle East.' You know what? I can't blame her,” Briscione said. “It's hard enough in this business. It's hard enough to plan on any race under normal circumstances and then they throw all this at you.” Chief Stipe O'Neill was not planning on running any horses on this year's World Cup card, but he has traveled to Dubai numerous times and has stabled there in past years. He said that Americans going to the Dubai World Cup should not be worried. “Dubai is one of the safest places on the face of the earth,” he said. “I certainly wouldn't be hesitant to go to Dubai. You can leave your wallet on a park bench and come back a week later and it will be there. It's just a very safe place. The people are kind and they love their horse racing. I think the racing will continue on and everything will be okay. They are a very successful, wealthy country and they have put a lot of money into defending their country. So, I don't think there will be a problem.” The post Despite War In Middle East, Most U.S. Connections Still Planning To Head To Dubai appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Add to that advantage the fact that Clubs own assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars and pay no tax on any profits as they all operate under the umbrella of the Incorporated Societies Act. In my opinion that has been part of the problem. Clubs operate businesses that are not subjected to the same rules that many of their competitors have to. I believe if they had or did the industry would be healthier than it is. Certainly the natural rationalisation would occur a lot quicker than the slow march that is occuring. Ironically in a Communist Country the Hong Kong Jockey Club is the highest contributor to the City's coffers through betting duties, profits tax, and Lotteries Fund contributions contributing NZD$6.3 BILLION a year!

But that isn't a tax. It is a duty which was paid at 4% of profits. Certainly not a company tax rate!

The Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA) has kicked off its annual `Think Big for the BCCA' fundraising campaign, designed to increase awareness and raise critical funds to operate Belmont Park's Anna House and Saratoga's Faith House. The mission of the BCCA is to provide a safe, supportive, and academically inspiring environment for the children of parents working in the Thoroughbred racing backstretch area located at New York's Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack, and Saratoga Race Course. They are committed to promoting early childhood education, molding young minds, and encouraging the fulfillment of dreams. The program starts at 5 a.m. when backstretch workers begin their morning routines with the horses. Before the program existed, children were dropped off at illegal one room “day care” centers, or they were left in cars while their parents worked. In general, day care centers do not open this early and the lack of financial resources of these families left them with few options. Many of the children attending our program are from immigrant families earning below the poverty level. Since its opening in 2002, Anna House alone has educated over 1,000 students, several of which are now enrolled in colleges and universities. Click here for further information, or to make a donation. The post BCCA Kicks off Think Big Campaign appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

i have to admit i thought they were still paying that prior to reading this topic. i hadn't realised just how well the nz racing industry is treated . i can see why some not involved in racing would ask,why does the racing industry get such special treatment. it does make you wonder,it appears racing couldn't be getting any better treatment than they already are by government legislation,so if things get worse,it seems nz governments have already dealt all the good cards to the nz racing industry,so what would they have left to help.

Gulfstream Park saw two impressive maiden winners this week, Lincoln's Law and Candy Rockette.View the full article

Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine has commenced a comprehensive three-year study to improve detection of Thoroughbred racehorse injuries with data provided by horses seen by Ruffian Equine Specialists, which is located next to Belmont Park, the New York Gaming Commission said through a Tuesday press release. The study, funded by New York State and The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), will build on previous international research and the ongoing industry goal to prevent fatal musculoskeletal injuries. State-of-the-art standing computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) machines will be installed at Cornell Ruffian as part of the project. The CT provides a high-resolution image of the bony anatomy, allowing for identification of microstructural changes prior to being apparent on a radiograph. PET detects increased bone metabolic activity in three different planes, allowing for the exact identification of regions of bone pathology. It also provides a highly sensitive detection of bone abnormalities and remodeling. Racehorses are routinely examined by veterinarians who use diagnostic imaging. However, such scans can miss hairline fractures and pre-fracture pathology that can lead to fatal injuries. In such cases, horses with such undetected factors may be considered sound–and therefore train and race until they experience a serious or fatal injury. The three year project seeks to: Identify fetlock fractures and pre-fracture pathology in horses with and without lameness; Determine the sensitivity and specificity of CT, PET and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared to digital radiographs; Use photo-counting CT and high field MRI scans to further define early bone pathology in horses that suffered fatal fractures of the fetlock joint; Further characterize biomarker findings in healthy and lame horses; and Further refine a risk factor index for fatal musculoskeletal injury based on epidemiological findings, preliminary scanning technology, clinical examination, and advance imaging. “Continuously improving equine safety is an organizational imperative at NYRA,” said President and CEO of NYRA David O'Rourke. “This partnership will dramatically expand access to an important veterinary diagnostic tool while improving scientific research around thoroughbreds training and competing in New York. We thank Governor Hochul for her steadfast commitment to horse racing as we look forward to the opening of a new Belmont Park in September.” The results of the study will be published in peer-reviewed periodicals and presented at veterinary research conferences. The post New York And NYRA Support Three Year Cornell Study To Protect Horses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Article by Kelsey Wilhelm March 2, 2026, published in the Asia Gaming Brief New Zealand’s Racing Integrity Board (RIB) is stepping up its efforts as the country moves closer to enacting its new Online Casino Gambling Act in early 2026 and issuing licenses by the end of the year. In a recent case study authored by the Chief Executive of the RIB, New Zealand, Dr. Eliot Forbes notes that there is a ‘close relationship between online gaming and racebook offerings’. Forbes highlights that ‘the New Zealand Government’s intention to grant online gaming licenses reinforces the need for officials, regulators and policy-makers to be well informed about the crossover between these products and the integrity risks that can arise from both’. Currently, TAB NZ holds the exclusive right to offer betting to New Zealand residents. Under legislation enacted in June of 2025, Kiwis cannot place bets on race and sports with anyone apart from TAB NZ, which extends to race and sports betting events that take place outside of the country. Challenges already abound The RIB Chief Executive notes that, even before the new online casino licenses come into effect, the board is facing increasing challenges in ensuring a fair and legal market. ‘The current landscape requires us to extend our integrity focus beyond domestic borders to an environment that is international, multi-jurisdictional and increasingly crypto-denominated. Currently, NZ-based wagering ‘accounts for only around one-third of the combined Australasian betting on New Zealand races’, indicates the case study, published in the quarterly bulletin of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Crime. While the appointment of Entain by TAB NZ ‘has modernized the product offerings and upgraded the technology systems’, ‘the scale of Australia-based wagering on New Zealand racing […] means it remains essential to maintain visibility of activity with Australian operators’. But Australian betting is not only confined to the regulated market, with Responsible Wagering Australia finding that ‘illegal or ‘grey market’ offshore operators now account for about 36 percent of Australia’s total online gambling market’ – doubling since 2019. And ‘it would be optimistic to assume that New Zealand is insulated from similar forces’. Crypto concerns Forbes highlights how cryptocurrency – commonly used in the online casino space – is already posing a problem for regulators, as ‘more than 50 leading crypto-enabled brands, licensed in pseudo-regulatory environments, now accept bets on New Zealand racing’. The official notes that ‘they do not pay product fees, do not share integrity data, offer limited or no consumer protections and are unlikely to adhere to anti-money-laundering obligations’. In an analysis by RIB, the group found that ‘operators rely on ‘grey market’ licensing regimes such as Curaçao, Anjouan and Costa Rica, where licensing confers the appearance of legitimacy while imposing minimal integrity or reporting obligations’. And their offerings are attractive, with ‘fixed-odds and derivative products on New Zealand races that do not exist domestically’, sign-up inducements and bonuses ‘with rollover requirements no longer legal in regulated domestic markets’. ‘Alongside the large crypto-enabled sportsbooks, New Zealand races are also offered on illegal betting exchanges, crypto casinos and sport prediction markets, alongside political events and esports’. Forbes calls this ‘a fundamentally parasitic model’ as it extracts ‘value from NZ and other jurisdictions’ racing product while contributing nothing to the integrity systems or financial framework that sustain the sport’. Among the top 100 crypto sportsbook operators analyzed by the RIB, the majority had licenses in Curaçao and Anjouan, with four of the top five being listed in the jurisdictions. Work to be done The RIB is now doubling down to map offshore coverage of New Zealand racing, ‘monitoring key markets and mapping the crypto-deposit activity of major operators’. It is also fighting for greater transparency with operators that are lawful in their home jurisdictions, noting ‘operators who profit from NZ racing should contribute to the sport by protecting the product they use’. In regards to policy development, the group aims to ‘provide informed support to broader domestic policy work including consideration of tools such as payment interdiction and the targeted disruption of illegal marketing’. The focus is also on increased cooperation between policy bodies, financial intelligence units, enforcement agencies, racing and sporting codes and licensed wagering operators’. This accompanies more information sharing with international parties, including the IFHA – both for intelligence exchange and to ‘raise specific concerns about suspicious activity or operators’. In summation of the environment it faces, the RIB Chief Executive highlights that ‘the task ahead requires more sophisticated automated online monitoring, sharper intelligence, deeper cooperation and fresh strategies’, assuring that the RIB ‘will continue working with policy-makers, sporting bodies, regulators and government agencies to ensure our collective capability keeps pace with the environment’. The post NZ Racing Integrity Board shifting into high gear ahead of new Online Casino Gambling Act appeared first on Racing Integrity Board. View the full article

By Jonny Turner Cran Dalgety hopes Show Stopper has found the perfect spot in Wednesday’s Southern Oaks heat at Oamaru. The three-year-old heads south with stablemate The Merc after placing in all three of her starts this time in. Show Stopper is set to start favourite from barrier 2 in Oamaru’s opening heat of the series (5.58pm) and Dalgety is hopeful that draw is one of several key factors in his horse’s favour. “She has been racing great, she’s just been running into one better on the day lately.” “The last two have been colts and geldings and they have looked like handy enough horses too.” “She went down to one of ours last start, Treacherous Dreams, which is no disgrace because he has been racing super.” “We are hoping she can relish racing her own age and sex this week.” While beaten in her recent runs, Show Stopper has shown all the attributes needed to take advantage of her crucial draw in Wednesday’s 2000m sprint. “She’s got the gate speed and she’s shown she can lead or take a trail.” “On paper it looks like we should have all the options there, but you never know what could happen on the day.” On Wednesday, The Merc will return to Oamaru, where he was trained until recently by co-owner Kaleb Bublitz. Since transferring to the Cran and Chrissie Dalgety barn, the trotter has trialled up nicely on two occasions. The five-year-old is also set to start favourite in a rating 35-50 affair, the Hungry Horse Cafe handicap Trot (5.23pm). “We have had him a little while now and we have got to know him a bit better and he seems quite happy and well in himself.” “This looks like a suitable race to kick him off in and I am sure we will be much wiser about him afterwards.” “But on his trials and his work we would expect him to be quite competitive.” Show Stopper and The Merc are among five drives Carter Dalgety takes at Oamaru on Wednesday. Clonakilty looks a major winning chance for the reinsman in Race 4, the Otago Harness Awards Saturday 18th April Mobile Pace (4.48pm). The Brent and Tim White trained pacer lands in a suitable grade and has secured barrier 1. The Dalgety team will roll out several horses at Alexandra Park on Friday night ahead of an exciting autumn in the north. Among them is last start Group 1 winner All Of Me who is prepping for the upcoming Group 1 Caduceus Club Fillies Classic. The filly has only had one trial ahead of her return, running second to Spirit Of Tupelo who looks one of the biggest threats to Show Stopper in Wednesday’s Southern Oaks heat. View the full article

Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) will be scratched from Saturday's GI Santa Anita Handicap after he acted up and had to be removed from an airplane in Florida Tuesday morning as his flight to California was preparing to take off. Mike Welsch of Daily Racing Form previously reported the story, quoting trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. “We could have tranquilized him,” Joseph told Welsch. “But with the medication regulations I didn't want to take that chance just four days before the race. He's never done anything like this before, so I'm not sure if it's an indication there is a problem of some sort.” Welsch reported that Joseph said, “physically, he appears to be fine.” Joseph told Welsch that Skippylongstocking, who most recently won the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes, will return to his training base at Palm Meadows. Future race plans for the 7-year-old are undecided. The post Report: Skippylongstocking To Scratch From Santa Anita Handicap appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Million-dollar earning Gigante (Not This Time), named 2025 Virginia-bred Horse of the Year, headlines a slate of Virginia Thoroughbred Association (VTA) award winners whose connections will receive hardware for their efforts on Saturday, Mar. 14 at Colonial Downs, the track said in a release on Tuesday. The trophy presentations will take place on the winner's circle stage between races during the Virginia Derby Day card in New Kent, and are presented by the VTA and Virginia Racing Commission. The other winners are as follows: Turf Horse: Gigante Older Male: Repo Rocks (Tapiture) Older Filly/Mare: Winfinity (Not This Time) 2-Year-Old: Doubting Thomas (Carvaggio) VA-Certified Older Male: Mindframe (Constitution) VA-Certified Older F&M: Future Is Now (Great Notion) VA-Certified 2-Year-Old: Just Philtored (Great Notion) Top Trainer: Madison Meyers Virginia Breeder of the Year: Larry Johnson The post Gigante Named Virginia-Bred HOY; Awards Slated For Virginia Derby Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Following an exciting trio of Kentucky Derby (G1) preps Feb. 28-March 1, five runners from the weekend are now in the top 10 of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top 3-Year-Old Poll.View the full article

The initial mares covered by new stallions First Mission (by Street Sense) and Highland Falls (by Curlin) have reported in foal, Darley said via a press release on Tuesday. First Mission enters stud as the fastest freshman stallion to retire at $10,000 or less in the past five years after a racing career that was highlighted by a win in the GII Oaklawn Handicap. By sire of sires Street Sense, he is free of A.P. Indy, which is his sire's best cross. Highland Falls, who took home the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, is Curlin's only GI-winning son out of a multiple GI-winning mare. The new sire is out of GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Round Pond (Awesome Again). Of note, Highland Falls is a half-brother to the dam of fellow Darley stallion Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) and to recent MGSW Knightsbridge (Nyquist). The post Initial Mares In Foal To New Darley Stallions First Mission, Highland Falls appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A trio of mares bred to MGISW & 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Locked (by Gun Runner) are his first to have checked in foal, according to a press release from Gainesway Farm on Tuesday. She Be Boss (City of Light) is out of GSW Nellie Cashman (Mineshaft), and is a full-sister to GSP Cassiar and half-sister to GISP Bendoog (Gun Runner). Her first foal, She Be Boss is owned by Nathan McCauley's River Oak Farm. Also in foal is GISW Funny Moon (Malibu Moon) who is owned by Gene Batia and boarded at Jim and Pam Robinson's Brandywine Farm. She is already the dam of MGSP This Tea (Curlin) and Creole Chrome (Volatile), the winner of the Star Guitar Stakes at Fair Grounds. Finally, Itgetsgreaterlater (Justify), who is owned by Wasabli Ventures Stables and is a Serendipity Springs Farm boarder, is in foal. She is out of the full-sister to GISW Cupid (by Tapit). After notching his 'Rising Star' status, Locked secured his first top level victory when he captured the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at 2 and then finished third in the GI FanDuel Longines Breeders' Cup Juvenile. At 3, the newly minted sire returned to defeat older competition in the GII Cigar Mile and the following year took the GI Santa Anita Handicap. Locked stands for $35,000 LFSN at Gainesway. The post Trio Of Mares Checked In Foal To Gainesway’s New Sire Locked appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York Racing Association and Woodbine Entertainment announced March 3 the Empire Trillium Series, a 14-race program of stakes races restricted to horses foaled in New York or Canada worth $3.2 million in total purses.View the full article

Byron King's Top 12 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, presented by Spendthrift Farm.View the full article

Breeders' Cup hero Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) is as short as 8-1 in the betting, as the entries for the G1 Betfred 2000 Guineas and G1 Betfred 1000 Guineas were released on Tuesday. There are 52 colts entered and 57 fillies at this entry stage. Sharing those odds with George Boughey's G2 Royal Lodge Stakes hero Bow Echo (Night Of Thunder), the G2 Coventry Stakes winner is one of nine in the race for Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners. Also narrowly second in a trio of Group 1 races last year–the Prix Morny, National Stakes and the Dewhurst Stakes–the colt is joined by hype horse Albert Einstein (Wootton Bassett), a winner of the G3 Marble Hill Stakes (10-1), the 11-1 French dual Group 1 winner Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett), G1 Futurity Trophy Stakes victor Hawk Mountain (Wootton Bassett) (14-1), G3 Killavullan Stakes winner Dorset (Wootton Bassett), the winning multiple group-placed Flushing Meadows (Wootton Bassett), Italy, a winner and third in the National Stakes, and the winners Causeway (Wootton Bassett) and Montreal (Sea The Stars). Dewhurst hero Gewan (Night Of Thunder) now races for Yulong's Zhang Yusheng, and he also won the G3 Acomb Stakes. He is 10-1 and is trained by Andrew Balding, as is the two-for-two Item (Frankel) in the colours of Juddmonte. Also with four horses entered is Charlie Appleby, with Godolphin's recent Listed Jumeirah 2000 Guineas third Talk Of New York (Wootton Bassett) currently at 12-1. Fellow royal blue colourbearer Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) (16-1) won the G3 Tattersalls Stakes in his own right before a third-place finish behind Gewan in the Dewhurst. Undefeated in two starts is Hidden Force (Frankel) and it is a similar story for King's Trail (Sea The Stars), who has been seen just once, running out a 2 1/4-length winner at Kempton in December. John and Thady Gosden have also entered four horses, among them Juddmonte's 16-1 chance and listed second Publish (Kingman), Godolphin's stakes winner and G2 Vintage Stakes second Morris Dancer (Palace Pier), the debut winner Enoch (Frankel) for George Strawbridge and G2 Champagne Stakes second Oxagon (Frankel) for Prince A. A. Faisal. Francis-Henri Graffard has entered the 16-1 Rayif (Sea The Moon), third to Puerto Rico in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, as well as multiple group winner Samangan (Blue Point), both for the Aga Khan Studs. Without Parole's Zavateri, raced by Mick and Janice Mariscotti, is 20-1 for the 2000 Guineas. Trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, the National Stakes winner was fourth in the Dewhurst. Amo Racing holds several entries with G1 Phoenix Stakes victor Power Blue (Space Blues) tops among them for Robson Aguiar. Precise Poised For Classic Laurels The Coolmore partners hold a strong hand in the 1000 Guineas, as well, with the market leader, the 5-2 Precise (Starspangledbanner). The chestnut only lost her maiden, before rattling off a quartet of victories, the final three at stakes level. Successful in the G3 Prestige Fillies Stakes in August, she claimed the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh over Group 2 winner Beautify (Wootton Bassett) and wrapped her season with a 3 1/4-length win in the G1 Fillies Mile. One of 10 for Coolmore in this Newmarket Classic, Precise's biggest challenge might hail from her stablemates, as the 7-1 Diamond Necklace (St Mark's Basilica) is no stranger to high-class competition. Undefeated in three starts including the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, the filly is joined by the 12-1 True Love (No Nay Never), the winner of the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes. Other O'Brien entries include the multiple group winner Composing (Wootton Bassett), the group-placed Moments Of Joy (Justify), the winner Simply Astounding (Wootton Bassett), and the G3 Staffordstown Stud Stakes heroine Sugar Island (Dubawi). Karl Burke saddles five here, with Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's G1 Prix Morny victress Venetian Sun the jewel of the quintet. Currently 12-1, the daughter of Starman is joined by G2 May Hill Stakes scorer Aylin (St Mark's Basilica) for Al Shaqab Racing and Amo Racing, Forz Europe's G1 Cheveley Park Stakes third Evolutionist (Night Of Thunder) and G2 Lowther Stakes winner Royal Fixation (Palace Pier) and the two-for-two listed winner Hope Queen (Night Of Thunder) in the silks of Jaber Abdullah. The lone Charlie Appleby entrant at this point is the one-for-one Abashiri (Frankel) in the royal blue, while Andre Fabre has G2 Prix du Calvados heroine My Highness (Ghaiyyath) (16-1) entered, also for Godolphin. Also at 16-1 is David Ward's The Prettiest Star (Starman), who ran second in the G2 Rockfel Stakes over seven furlongs in September. Of the Francis-Henri Graffard 1000 Guineas duo, the Aga Khan Studs' Valasara (Hello Youmzain) (18-1) has yet to taste defeat in two starts. The post Gstaad, Bow Echo And Precise Anchor Guineas Betting As Entries Released appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article