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2 days out and heavy rain forecast for Wairoa at Waipukurau, it's either one or the other when it comes to Hawkes Bay and rain. I'm picking 50 50 this meeting going. One would also seriously wonder how many from Wairoa would actually go, same question could be asked as how many go to Riccarton for the Marlborough Cup which should be back home, next week would be a ideal time to race in Blenhiem but one question do they have irrigation there, if not that's a whole different scenario.

Jockey Paco Lopez, who suffered a broken ankle in a spill at the Fair Grounds on Feb. 7, will miss the remainder of the Fair Grounds meet, according to agent Jose Gracia on Thursday. The incident occurred in the 8th race on the card when Lopez's mount, Betty's Dance (Brody's Cause), clipped heels and lost her rider. She was the 2-1 favorite in the 5 1/2 furlong turf test. No timetable has been set for his return, though Gracia said Lopez is recovering well and plans remain in place for him to return to Colonial Downs this summer to defend his riding title. The post Lopez to Miss the Remainder of Fair Grounds Meet with Broken Ankle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Repole Stable's Grande returns to racing action Feb. 14 at Gulfstream Park after being scratched from the 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1).View the full article

Trainer Eddie Clouston, who was third in earnings and second in victories at the 2025 Mountaineer Park meet, has been suspended six months and fined $5,000 by that track's stewards stemming from a Class 1/Penalty Category A post-race drug positive for oxymorphone in the urine of a filly who broke her maiden by 8 ¼ lengths as the 3-2 favorite three months ago. Oxymorphone is a semi-synthetic opioid analgesic derived from morphine that is used in humans to treat severe or chronic pain, often when other pain medications are not strong enough. It is a Schedule II controlled substance in the United States because of its high abuse potential. When prescribed for horses, oxymorphone is primarily used in anesthesia settings as opposed to managing routine pain. According to the Feb. 10, 2026, ruling, “This medication/prohibited substance violation is the permit holder's second violation in a 365-day period for medication/prohibited substance carrying a Class 1 penalty.” The charges represent only one side of the story. TDN could not reach the 60-year-old Clouston for comment prior to deadline for this article. He has 20 days to file an appeal, although the West Virginia Racing Commission confirmed in a Thursday email that no appeal has yet been lodged. Clouston's training record on Equibase dates to 1985 and includes 2,135 lifetime winners. The then-3-year-old filly Maam Cross (Dialed In) triggered the positive Nov. 18, 2025, in a Mountaineer maiden-claiming sprint. After being notified of the positive, Clouston exercised his right to have a split sample tested, and that second test again confirmed the finding. A $100,000 OBSAPR buy as a 2-year-old, Maam Cross had only once hit the board in four previous starts at Santa Anita, Horseshoe Indianapolis, Thistledown and Mahoning Valley. The Mountaineer start was the first for Maam Cross under Clouston's care and for the filly's new owner, Michelle Helms. Maam Cross has been disqualified from the victory, and the order of finish and purse money have been redistributed. After winning, Maam Cross subsequently ran third as the 3-10 favorite in a NW2L claiming sprint at Mountaineer Nov. 30. She has not started since. Unless an appeal triggers a stay, Clouston's suspension will run through Aug. 3, 2026. The post Mountaineer Trainer Clouston Suspended Six Months, Fined $5,000 for Second Class 1 Drug Positive in 1 Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Talented driver Josh Dickie is hoping the next phase of his career can start with a win at Alexandra Park tonight. Dickie partners last-start winner Father Barry for his father John in the opening race tonight, the $15,000 Classique Landscapers Metro heat and punters can expect to see him doing far more driving for the family and outside stables in the future. Dickie and fiancée Sammy Kilgour have gone out on their own account after two years working for premiership trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer, that stint coming after the couple had been based in Victoria. “We just thought it was time to try to build our own business,” says Dickie. “We have a handful of horses and are training those alongside Dad on his property. “We have nice numbers there now but are looking to grow so will be at the yearling sales next week and I’ll be looking to get back into more freelance driving.” Dickie has driven 14 Group 1 winners and has already started to build his freelance contacts again now he is not tied to a stable. “And we want to train more as well,” he explains. “Dad was almost retired a couple of years ago but the three of us are enjoying being back working together so he says he will be sticking around for a few more years now too. “So the next phase is exciting.” Father Barry sits alongside Higher Power as one of the two most talented trotters in tonight’s opener but both can gallop so their clash could be decided by manners. Higher Power’s trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan hold the key to a few of tonight’s races, with Sooner The Bettor favourite for the main handicap pace even off his 30m backmark. Sooner The Bettor was a last-start third in the Auckland Cup and while his best performances come when able to lead or race handy, he only faces four rivals tonight so his handicap may not be enough to stop him winning. Later in the night a rare mobile sprint for the better grade trotters could see American Muscle potentially the value option as she has produced some top class sprinting performances in the last year. View the full article

Darby Dan Farm's Shirl's Speight (Speightstown–Perfect Shirl, by Perfect Soul {Ire}), sired his first reported foal when a filly out of the multiple stakes-placed Ultimate Class (Durling) was born at Crupper Bloodstock in Paris, Kentucky, on Feb. 9. The filly's dam amassed earnings of $283,253 during her racing career and she has also produced multiple graded stakes-placed Bad Beat Brian who has banked $865,158. “I was very pleased with this filly from the moment she stood,” said Megan Morrison, Crupper Bloodstock, of the first arrival by Shirl's Speight. “Even in a newborn, it was obvious she had a great angle to her shoulder and a deep heart girth.” A homebred for Charles Fipke, the bay registered his biggest victory in the 2022 GI Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland, earning a career-high 104 Beyer Speed Figure. He ranked among the top milers that season when also second by less than a length to champion Modern Games (GB) in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. All told in an outstanding racing career, Shirl's Speight hit the board in 10-of-25 appearances competing against top-level horses around the world, banking $1,497,245. Shirl's Speight is by the late Speightstown, a champion sprinter, winner of the 2004 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Shirl's Speight is a member of a dynamic and highly achieving family cultivated by Fipke through the decades. Fipke purchased Shirl's Speight's second dam, Grade I winner Lady Shirl, for $485,000 at the 2005 Keeneland November sale. He bred Lady Shirl to his homebred Sadler's Wells stallion Perfect Soul to get Perfect Shirl, winner of the 2011 GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Perfect Shirl earned more than $1.3 million during her accomplished racing career. For more information on Shirl's Speight, who stands for $5,000 S&N, contact Stuart Fitzgibbon at (859) 621-6763, or by email at Stuart@darbydan.com, or visit www.darbydan.com. The post First Foal for Darby Dan Farm’s Grade I Winner Shirl’s Speight appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Afleet Alex (Northern Afleet–Maggy Hawk, by Hawkster), the 2005 Champion 3-Year-Old Male and winner of both the GI Preakness and GI Belmont Stakes, was euthanized on Feb. 6 due to the infirmities of old age. He was 24. Afleet Alex will be buried at Gainesway. Retired to stud at Gainesway in 2006, he remained as a resident pensioner since 2022. Bred in Florida by John Martin Silvertand, Afleet Alex won by 11 1/4 lengths at Delaware Park before being purchased by Cash is King LLC and moved into the barn of trainer Timothy Ritchey. An impressive 5 1/4-length winner of the GII Sanford Stakes, he then took the GI Hopeful Stakes before closing his season with a runner-up finish in the GI Breeders' Cup' Juvenile. Afleet Alex punched his ticket to the GI Kentucky Derby with an eight-length victory in the GII Arkansas Derby, then he finished third on the First Saturday in May. Afleet Alex took the GI Preakness Stakes, delivering one of the most iconic performances in Triple Crown history. In the stretch, Afleet Alex clipped heels with rival Scrappy T causing him to stumble badly. Despite nearly falling to his knees, Afleet Alex recovered and powered down the Pimlico stretch to win by 4 3/4 lengths. Afleet Alex then confirmed his status as the top 3-year-old of his class in the GI Belmont Stakes, scoring by seven lengths. That effort secured him the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male of 2005. “Afleet Alex's Preakness Stakes remains one of the most incredible displays of athleticism and heart I have ever seen. He passed that same determination and talent down to his offspring,” said Gainesway owner Antony Beck. “A true champion in every sense and his presence at the farm will be deeply missed.” Afleet Alex retired to Gainesway in 2006, where he proved to be a versatile sire over 15 seasons. He sired over 50 stakes winners with progeny earnings surpassing $54.8 million. His stallion career was highlighted by the 2010 GI Travers Stakes, where three runners from his debut crop ran in the 'Midsummer Classic', including winner Afleet Express. He also sired Breeders' Cup winners Texas Red (Juvenile) and Afleet Again (Marathon), as well as Canadian Champion Skywire (Canada). Other top-level performers included Grade I winners Iotapa, Materiality, Sharla Rae, and Dublin. As a broodmare sire, his daughters have produced Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston, along with Grade I winners Practical Move, Dream Tree, and Goal Oriented. Beyond the racetrack and his stallion career, Afleet Alex's most significant legacy is his partnership with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. His success on the track helped raise millions of dollars and national awareness for childhood cancer research in honor of Alex Scott. Years later he remains synonymous with the cause and continues to provide hope for children and their families. “Afleet Alex was truly a horse of a lifetime. From his first race at Delaware Park to his triumph in the Belmont Stakes, he defined class and pure athleticism,” recalled his owner, Charles Zacney. “Off the track, his affiliation with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation was transformative; Liz Scott credits much of their success to him. It was a special era, and we'll forever cherish the ride and the memories. He will be deeply missed.” The post Champion and Dual Classic Winner Afleet Alex Dies at 24 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Looking to be named the belle of the ball in a Gulfstream maiden, Prom Queen (Quality Road–Miss Bling Bling, by Tapit) ran on nicely to wear a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', crown on Thursday afternoon. A runner-up on debut in Hallandale last month, the 3-year-old was ready for her two turn dance as the heavy favorite. In the mix from the bell, at one point up the backstretch though she was shuffled back to last. Prom Queen got into action around the far turn and navigated through traffic. At the top of the lane the homebred took control and never looked back. Squander (Quality Road) checked in second. The final running time was 1:45.77. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0. O/B-Gary & Mary West (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. PROM QUEEN ($3.60) gets our vote after breaking her maiden second time out at @GulfstreamPark. @jjcjockey was aboard the filly by Quality Road (@LanesEndFarms). Congratulations to the @bradcoxracing team and owners Gary and Mary West. Bet Gulfstream https://t.co/n8J7Nf7Wyh pic.twitter.com/NAVFPO7MgR — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 12, 2026 The post Quality Road’s Prom Queen Voted ‘TDN Rising Star’ After Gulfstream Maiden Dance appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

While the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) and the $1.5 million Saudi Derby (G3) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse feature American-trained runners or owned interests, other races on the Saudi Cup undercard also include notable U.S. representatives. View the full article

Repole Stable's Grande returns to racing action Feb. 14 at Gulfstream Park after being scratched from the 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1).View the full article

A pair of runners trained by Todd Pletcher are being targeted for Gulfstream Park's marquee races for 3-year-olds this winter. WinStar Farm LLC, CHC Inc. and First Go Racing LLC's undefeated Jackson Hole (Nyquist) is on track for a start in the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Feb. 28, while Centennial Farms' Nearly (Not This Time) will make his next start in the GI Curlin Florida Derby on Mar. 28. “He's doing very well. He's scheduled to breeze [Friday], and we're pointing for the Fountain of Youth,” Pletcher said of the former. Jackson Hole, a $1.3 million purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September sale, debuted at Gulfstream Dec. 13 with a rallying one-length victory in a seven-furlong maiden special weight. The colt became a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard when taking his two-turn debut by 5 1/2 lengths at Fair Grounds on Jan. 17 in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance. “I thought he ran very well. He made a comfortable lead and it seemed like he had plenty left at the end,” Pletcher said. “It was a good performance in his second start for shipping out of town and making his first start around two turns.” According to Pletcher, the timing is still right for Holy Bull hero Nearly to race next in the $1-million Florida Derby. “We felt like we'd give him a little time. He had four races fairly close together. We thought we'd give him the chance to get a little breather,” Pletcher said. “We like the spacing of that.” Nearly, who was a disappointing sixth in his Oct. 26 debut at Aqueduct, has won three races in a row at Gulfstream. The colt scored by 9 1/4 lengths in a six-furlong maiden special weight Nov. 22 and came right back to draw off to a five-length victory in a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance Jan. 2. Negotiating two turns for the first time proved to be no problem for Nearly, who pressed the pace before drawing off to a 5 3/4-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull Jan. 31. “Hopefully, if he were to run well in the Florida Derby, it would be five weeks back to the [Kentucky] Derby,” Pletcher said. The post Pletcher’s Jackson Hole Returns in Fountain of Youth, Nearly Heads Straight to Florida Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Florida House of Representatives on Feb. 11 passed the controversial decoupling bill backed by Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs that would allow either track to cease live racing while retaining their respective casino and card-room privileges. The 77-34 decoupling vote was largely split along party lines, with Republicans mostly in favor of it and Democrats mostly against it. The roll call came at the very end of a four-hour legislative session on Wednesday, and the eight minutes of discussion preceding its passage consisted of only one representative speaking out against decoupling and only the bill's sponsor advocating in favor of it. By that point in Wednesday's session, House members seemed to have little appetite to enter into extended debate on the initiative, despite the fact that decoupling has the capability to dismantle Florida's entire Thoroughbred ecosystem. In fact, when two representatives who had asked for time to speak on the House floor said they were instead going to “yield back” their time and not weigh in at all on decoupling, the politicians in the chamber cheered in anticipation that the session would soon be ending. “There's a lot I can say today, in closing, about how this bill will keep Florida in the winner's circle,” said the bill's Republican sponsor, Rep. Adam Anderson, who, in what must seem like a stunning paradox to Thoroughbred stakeholders, keeps portraying himself as an advocate for the racing industry despite crafting the very legislation that could kill off the state's breeding and racing. But, Anderson added, “I know we all want to get home tonight, so I'm not going to do that.” In closing, Anderson said, “Let's quit horsing around. Help me gallop this bill across the finish line, and turn that [vote tally] board green.” Rep. Yvonne Hinson, a Democrat whose district includes part of Marion County, the heart of Florida's Thoroughbred breeding and horse-raising territory, spoke up in opposition to House Bill 881, just like she did last year when a similar decoupling bill sponsored by Anderson passed the House but not the Senate. Hinson had also vociferously advocated against the current bill's passage at a Jan. 14 committee hearing. “At first glance, this may seem like a technical regulatory change, just a tweak in how we classify permits. But in reality, it is a fundamental shift in policy that threatens a legacy of generations in industry, thousands of jobs, and an entire community's economy,” Hinson said. “This is not hypothetical. When similar decoupling measures have passed, other forms of pari-mutuel gaming, such as greyhound and harness racing, the result was the end of live racing in those sectors,” Hinson said. “Thoroughbred racing has been the one remaining exception, and for god reason. Proponents argue that safeguards in the bill, like delaying any notice of ending live racing until July 1, 2027, with a three-year operations requirement, will protect the sport. But let's be clear: Those are paper guarantees that depend entirely on future business decisions, and not on this legislature's firm commitment to the industry,” Hinson said. Anderson countered Hinson's narrative by suggesting that despite both Gulfstream and Tampa strongly backing the decoupling bill, neither track would actually utilize the legislation they are lobbying for to exit the business of live racing. “This upcoming weekend, Tampa Bay Downs is celebrating 100 years of Thoroughbred racing in the state of Florida, and they just signed a three-year contract with their horsemen,” Anderson said. “Gulfstream Park also just signed a new three-year agreement with their horsemen. These are not the kinds of actions that we are going to see from businesses that don't intend to continue to operate. This legislation simply eliminates unnecessary government regulations on the last two pari-mutuel permit-holders in the entire state.” As per custom in the Florida House (and unlike at the two previous House committee hearings that reported the decoupling bill favorably this year), only representatives were allowed to debate the bill, meaning no public testimony on Wednesday was taken before the full House voted on the measure. Earlier this week, Tom Cannell, the president of the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, told TDN's Bill Finley that even though passage in the House seemed to be a foregone conclusion, getting a companion bill passed in the Senate and signed into law might be difficult for pro-decoupling forces. “Our hope is that when this bill gets to the Senate, there will be no real appetite for the senators to deal with this,” Cannell said Feb. 8. “It has got to go through the two branches of the legislature and then it has to go to the governor [Ron DeSantis], who, last year, appeared at OBS and made it very clear he didn't have an appetite to wipe out an industry. I'd call it a long shot from the standpoint of the bill going through and completing its run through the Senate. Maybe that's too bold of a comment, but that's my gut feeling. My gut tells me it's not going to get through the Senate.” The nearly identical companion bill in the Florida Senate has been referred to three committees, but has yet to be scheduled for any committee debate in that chamber. The post Florida House Advances Decoupling, but Senate Has Yet to Schedule Hearings on Companion Bill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Returning to a track he has had much success over, the Phil D'Amato trainee enters the race off a game fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Del Mar, after being compromised at the break.View the full article

The Saudi Derby (G3) is a new addition to the Churchill Downs competitions seeking to lure foreigners to the Kentucky Derby (G1) but also has attracted some American 3-year-olds looking for an optional route to Louisville, Ky.View the full article

After finishing as the leading earner of any North American-trained horse in 2025 when earnings in the Middle East are included, Hit Show will chart a familiar path when he opens his 6-year-old season Feb. 11.View the full article

By Michael Guerin Talented driver Josh Dickie is hoping the next phase of his career can start with a win at Alexandra Park tonight. Dickie partners last-start winner Father Barry for his father John in the opening race tonight, the $15,000 Classique Landscapers Metro heat and punters can expect to see him doing far more driving for the family and outside stables in the future. Dickie and fiancée Sammy Kilgour have gone out on their own account after two years working for premiership trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer, that stint coming after the couple had been based in Victoria. “We just thought it was time to try to build our own business,” says Dickie. “We have a handful of horses and are training those alongside Dad on his property. “We have nice numbers there now but are looking to grow so will be at the yearling sales next week and I’ll be looking to get back into more freelance driving.” Dickie has driven 14 Group 1 winners and has already started to build his freelance contacts again now he is not tied to a stable. “And we want to train more as well,” he explains. “Dad was almost retired a couple of years ago but the three of us are enjoying being back working together so he says he will be sticking around for a few more years now too. “So the next phase is exciting.” Father Barry sits alongside Higher Power as one of the two most talented trotters in tonight’s opener but both can gallop so their clash could be decided by manners. Higher Power’s trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan hold the key to a few of tonight’s races, with Sooner The Bettor favourite for the main handicap pace even off his 30m backmark. Sooner The Bettor was a last-start third in the Auckland Cup and while his best performances come when able to lead or race handy, he only faces four rivals tonight so his handicap may not be enough to stop him winning. Later in the night a rare mobile sprint for the better grade trotters could see American Muscle potentially the value option as she has produced some top class sprinting performances in the last year. View the full article

By Michael Guerin A surprise driving decision will see two new combinations at the top of the market in tonight’s $100,000 Fahey Fence Hire Breeders Stakes (8.05pm) at Addington. Champion horseman Blair Orange produced a stunning drive to get General Jen home from five back on the markers in the Garrards Mares Championship two weeks ago, the lead-up race to tonight’s Group 1. But Orange sprung a surprise when he opted to partner General Jen’s stablemate Arafura tonight even though she has drawn the second line and not raced for two months. “Blair does most of our driving and got first choice of out three runners,” said Hayden Cullen, who trains with wife Amanda. “Once he did that it left the drive on General Jen free and we offered that to Mark [Purdon] because he was originally going to come down to partner Arafura. “Mark had already booked his tickets so will now drive General Jen instead and to be honest we can’t really split them.” That means two of the favourites have swapped drivers, with Purdon having reigned Arafura to win the NZ Oaks in November while Orange has done most of the driving behind General Jen. Which mare proves the stable’s best chance could come down to luck and tempo, with General Jen brilliantly fast but Arafura the more proven stayer and winner of both Oaks last season. “We all saw what General Jen did last start and she can win again but if I had to opt for one of ours I’d go Arafura,” says Cullen. “She may not have raced for two months but she is very forward and loves the 2600m. “She will need some luck from the second line but I think she is the best stayer.” The Group 1 is crammed with talent but the lead-up race two weeks ago suggested the four-year-old mares may have more upside than their older rivals like Francent and Esmeralda. Francent did have to work hard last start in the Garrards Championship though and with a better draw tonight gets her chance to try to fight the younger brigade off. The Breeders is the highlight of a stacked Addington programme, with Mr Love the $2.50 favourite for the Lamb And Hayward Trot (7.44pm) even off a 20m handicap. Pinseeker is red hot to win the Studholme Bloodstock feature pace (7.07pm)after easily beating Hadron Collider last start but Cullen, who trains the latter, thinks the gap between them will close tonight. “Our horse needed the run last start so will be a lot better this week but Pinseeker is going to be very hard to beat.” One of the early highlights of the meeting will be Race 1 (4.39pm), which boasts plenty talented pacers still on the way up, including the Cullen-trained Volare. “Our filly has just kept getting better but it is a really good field so it won’t be easy,” he says. View the full article

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Saturday, February 14, 2026 4th-TOK, ¥12,330,000 ($81k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m ASK DU CHAMP (JPN) (c, 3, Essential Quality–Red Lark {Ire}, by Epaulette {Aus}) is the first to race from his dam, who upset the 2020 GI Del Mar Oaks at 19-1 for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Paddy Gallgher and was subsequently acquired privately by Haruya Yoshida's Oiwake Farm. Given that he hails from the same female family as Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn), Essential Quality has proved popular with the Japanese buying public and this Feb. 9 foal was sold for just over $572,000 at the 2024 JRHA Select Sale. O-Hirosaki Toshihiro HD Co Ltd; B-Oiwake Farm; T-Hideaki Fujiwara FLIGHT MAP (JPN) (c, 3, Liam's Map–Enola Gay, by Uncle Mo), whose dam won the 2020 GII Appalachian Stakes for the Allen Stable and Shug McGaughey before fetching $250,000 with this colt in utero at Keeneland November in 2022, made an appearance during the foal section of the JRHA Select Sale in 2023, hammering for nearly $156,000. The 10-year-old Enola Gay hails from an active female family, as her half-brother Tomasello (Authentic) won last year's Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby Stakes at Ellis Park. The female family includes last year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity runner-up Blackout Time (Not This Time). O-Kazutaka Hosaka; B-Orion Farm; T-Hitoshi Kotegawa Sunday, February 15, 2026 2nd-KYO, ¥12,330,000 ($81k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1200m AMERICAN POWDER (f, 3, Charlatan–Girl Talk, by Medaglia d'Oro), a $150,000 Keeneland September acquisition by Yoshizawa Stable in 2024, is out of a stakes-placed daughter of One Caroline (Unbridled's Song), a two-time graded winner routing on the dirt and the dam of the Grade III-placed juvenile filly Improv (Distorted Humor). The third dam includes 2019 GI Kentucky Derby participant and four-time Japanese listed winner Master Fencer (Jpn) (Just A Way {Jpn}). The Feb. 17 foal is bred on a variant of the Speightstown–Medaglia d'Oro cross that resulted in Grade I winners Rock Fall, Prince of Monaco and Competitionofideas. O-Yoshizawa Holdings Co Ltd; B-Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Koicho Tsunoda 4th-KYO, ¥15,620,000 ($102k), Allowance, 3yo, 1900m DANON BOURBON (c, 3, Maxfield–Wild Ridge, by Tapit) could hardly have been more impressive on his lone racetrack appearance to date, streaking home to graduate by 10 lengths going 1800 meters over a rain-affected local main track Oct. 26 (video, SC 8). A $450,000 Keeneland September purchase by Katsumi Yoshida, the Triple Crown nominee is out of a daughter of MGSW & GISP Wild Gams (Forest Wildcat), the dam of former 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Cazadero (Street Sense), GII Remsen Stakes hero Dubyuhnell (Good Magic) and SW Mt. Brave (Malibu Moon). O-Danox Co Ltd; B-Blue Heaven Farm (KY); T-Manabu Ikezoe AMERICAN STYLE (c, 3, Gun Runner–Medina Thunder, by Thunder Gulch) is a half-brother to SW & GSP Lights of Medina (Eskendereya), herself responsible for GSW Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile) and June Eos (Constitution), a two-time winner in Japan. With Christophe Lemaire in the irons, the chestnut colt opened his account at first asking last Nov. 22 defeating Kirios (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}–Ivy Bell), who returned to graduate as a long odds-on favorite at this venue Feb. 7. American Style cost $400,000 at KEESEP in 2024. O-Yoshizawa Holdings Co Ltd; B-International Equities Holding Inc (KY); T-Hideaki Fujiwara The post Maxfield’s Explosive Debut Winner Danon Bourbon Back To Work at Kyoto appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

While the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) and the $1.5 million Saudi Derby (G3) at King Abdulaziz Racetrack feature American-trained runners or owned interests, other races on the Saudi Cup undercard also include notable U.S. representatives. View the full article

Bob Baffert's horses have found heartbreak in the final 100 meters of the Saudi Cup (G1) and will have to overcome that late-race challenge again Feb. 14 against a rival who has mastered that task.View the full article

Well-bred Aga Khan mares dominated on the second and final day of the Goffs February Sale, with Alex Elliott going to €190,000 to secure Shamalza (Lope De Vega), who the bloodstock agent said would continue her career for Valmont and trainer Ralph Beckett. A winner on debut for Dermot Weld back in September, Shamalza failed to land a blow on her only other start when the ground was heavy. A daughter of dual Group 2 scorer Shamreen (Dubawi), Shamalza is a sister to talented sprinter Shartash (Invincible Spirit) and Elliott said he is hopeful that she could have a lot to offer still on the track before ultimately ending up in the covering shed. Elliott said, “I wasn't really thinking about racing when I came over, rather to cover her with Kingman, but when I got here I loved her. She did well to win on her debut on good ground, but then she was well-beaten next time out on heavy ground. She is a good mover, so I think we will put her back in training and she will go to Ralph Beckett and see how we go. He added, “I actually bought her for Valmont and she will race in their colours. We will see what mark she has and how she is training. She is a winner, so we have nothing to lose. If we want to chuck her in at the deep end we can. She looks like she has been in training. There are lots of positives to her. She was in the range I had her, just a bit below the budget. I am happy to get her.” Shamalza was the highest-priced lot on Thursday and cemented a memorable renewal of the February Sale at Kildare Paddocks. The turnover for the two-day sale climbed by a massive 63% to €6,301,400 while the average was also on the rise by 37% to €24,615 and the median by 48% to €14,750. The clearance rate of 68% was also up by 1% on last year. Meanwhile, the newly-introduced point-to-point section of the sale brought in a respectable €585,000 for 11 horses selling at a clearance rate of 92%. Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby commented, “What a start to the new year. Goffs February has always been a first choice for so many at this time of year and, this year's renewal has recorded its highest turnover since 2007 when the sale was a four-day affair with over double the number of lots catalogued. However we frame it – premier, leading, whatever – what is beyond dispute is that we have enjoyed a sale that has exceeded expectations and has returned a turnover that is double last year and significantly ahead of any other sale this month. “Yesterday was extraordinary with the session accounting for the top 22 weanlings at any UK or Irish February Sale and huge increases at the top of the market as illustrated by the four six-figure transactions and quadruple the number at €50,000 or above. If that doesn't deserve the “premier” tag, I don't know what does! And those market leaders came from both the Flat and National Hunt spheres so underlining the diversity and appeal of the catalogue.” He added, “These results continue the very positive trends at superb renewals of our recent November Foal and December NH Sales, both of which make us very proud and grateful for the support we receive as we take nothing for granted whilst deriving quiet satisfaction that both are now clear market leaders in their own right, as is the case with this sale these days. “Today's mixed offering continued the vibrant trade headed by the top prices of the season for a filly and in foal mare at €190,000 and €98,000 respectively. Again, these highs are the result of the Goffs Purchaser Attraction Team and our friends at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing combining to ensure another truly international contingent of buyers have converged on Kildare Paddocks over both days with bidders from France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kuwait, Sweden, and, of course, the UK and Ireland. “The new Point-To-Point section attracted a large group of buyers despite some pre-sale predictions and would have benefited from further entries if the weather had been kinder (have we ever seen a January as wet as this one?) as we had more buyers than lots for the category so ensuring a very competitive trade. With a top price of €125,000 it made a good start to ensure it will become a regular feature of the sale in future. It just makes so much sense when we're here and the handlers can do a day trip so, if we get more favourable weather in early 2027, it will only grow. “As is our familiar refrain, always highly relevant and definitely bears repeating, we are indebted to every vendor for every entry as we are nothing without their horses whilst it is always a pleasure to welcome all our purchasers. It is gratifying that so many enjoy the unique customer experience the Goffs team and ITM provide to everyone who attends a Goffs sale, regardless of category or location.” The post Alex Elliott Lands Session-Topping Shamalza At Strong Renewal Of Goffs February Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — It's what sport is all about, isn't it? Choosing your team and rooting for them, through good games and bad times. The fleeting nature of the careers of some racehorses can make it harder to be a fan, but not if you pick Team Yahagi. For a start, there is a good chance that Yoshito Yahagi will turn up at a major meeting almost anywhere in the world with at least one horse. In Riyadh, a city which has become a happy hunting ground for the Japanese trainer in recent years, he has a team of three, and two of them are returning heroes from last year's Saudi Cup meeting. If ever there was a horse to get behind it is Forever Young. He has just turned five but it feels as though he has been around for ages. Let's hope that there's plenty of mileage left in those legs as valuable as Cyd Charisse's once were. He is grown up enough for us to call him a stallion now and he has already collected plenty of airmiles in travelling from Japan to Saudi Arabia, Dubai, America, home again, and then back to the USA – and that was just his three-year-old season. Last year, it was almost a case of rinse and repeat, bar the fact that he made just the one hugely memorable trip to the States in 2025 for the Breeders' Cup Classic. Forever Young could hardly have a more appropriate sire than Real Steel, for that appears to be what he is made of and he is gathering an expanding army of followers with every step he takes on a racecourse. Even Bob Baffert, who fields two rivals in the Saudi Cup, is a fan. “He's unbelievable, I have so much respect for that horse,” he said on Thursday morning. This Saturday, in defending his Saudi Cup crown, Forever Young will aim to add a further $10 million to his earnings of $21.2 million already accrued from 13 starts and 10 wins. And, for those suggesting that he may not be quite fit enough, having not raced since November 1, we're sorry to disappoint you but he looks, well, a million dollars, maybe more. A question was posed in Thursday morning's press conference as to whether the Japan Racing Association uses data scientists to give their licensed trainers an edge in honing runners for the racecourse. It was batted away by the jovial Yahagi, who, despite being one of the world's most successful trainers, doesn't appear to take himself too seriously. After winning the Breeders' Cup Classic he was filmed singing and dancing in a Mexican restaurant where he had gone to watch his team, the LA Dodgers, complete a memorable sporting double – for Yahagi at least – by winning the World Series. Data is useful, of course, but no weights or measures or stride-pattern programmes can replace the eyes and the intuition of a horseman. And when it comes to certain horses, attitude almost transcends talent. In Forever Young, there is a heady blend of both those attributes. Plenty of horses would never have put up another bold show after the kind of scrimmaging he was subjected to in the 2024 Kentucky Derby. That was the race that made the boy a man, and instead of raising a metaphorical white flag at that tender stage of his career, Forever Young appeared to gain strength from that narrow loss and double down on his will to win. However good Yahagi is at keeping his horses sweet, that kind of mettle cannot be taught. They either have it or they don't, and the fact that this horse is plainly as sound of limb as he is of mind only helps him in his quest. Travel doesn't faze him, neither does hard training. To watch Forever Young in the morning is a joy to behold, especially because such routinely unflappable behaviour is only exhibited by a horse with nothing to fear in being asked to draw deep once more on his athletic reserves. Forever Young and Shin Emperor paddock schooling on Thursday | Emma Berry “It's an honour to be back here for myself, and also Forever Young loves this place, so I am very pleased to be here,” said Yahagi, who has brought the horse here twice to win the Saudi Derby and Saudi Cup, having also trained Panthalassa to win the Cup in 2023. He is the only trainer to have won the world's most valuable race twice, and he has also claimed wins in the Neom Turf Cup and 1351 Turf Sprint. No wonder he likes returning. Having assured another questioner that Forever Young, who heads next to the Dubai World Cup, is “over 90 per cent fit”, Yahagi added, “There is a bit of a gap between the Breeders' Cup and here, and back in Japan I thought he was gaining a little bit of weight, but when I saw him this morning, I thought he looked very fit and ready for the race.” Reflecting on last year's unforgettable victory over 12-time Group 1 winner Romantic Warrior (Acclamation), the trainer said, “Honestly speaking, I would like to compete with him again. It was like something from a movie script. I wanted to give Forever Young an Academy Award.” If he romps through another season like he has his last two, then there is certainly a film to be made of Forever Young's career, even if there may be no Hollywood ending. Having competed in the last two Breeders' Cups in California, he appears unlikely to be asked to make the trip to Keeneland later this year. “The situation is going to be different from what we had in Del Mar, which is the on the west coast of the United States and closer to Japan,” Yahagi explained. “For Mr Fujita, the horse's owner, it is a long trip, so we haven't decided yet.” He added of achieving the accolade of becoming the first Japanese trainer to win the Breeders' Cup Classic, “For me, it's something I can be proud of in Japan. For horseracing in Japan, the Breeders' Cup Classic was a big obstacle. Everyone was reluctant to participate in it but I'm glad that it has been overcome, and I'm glad that there will be more challengers in the future.” Yahagi's regular jockey Ryusei Sakai sat alongside him in the morning press conference and appears to be drinking from the same well of confidence as his boss. He proclaimed that he will ride five winners on Saturday. He only has five mounts. Along with Forever Young, Sakai will be aboard Best Green (Smart Falcon) in the Saudi Derby, American Stage (Into Mishief) in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint, Fortune Time (Greater London) in the 1351 Turf Sprint and returning champion Shin Emperor (Siyouni) in the Neom Turf Cup. He'll sit out the Red Sea Turf Handicap and let someone else have a chance. Shin Emperor, the French-bred Arqana August-topping brother to Arc and Prix du Jockey Club hero Sottsass, has been another globetrotter for Yahagi, who was bullish in his assessment of the five-year-old pulling off a repeat performance in the newly upgraded G1 Howden Neom Turf Cup. “Shin Emperor has a very big chance because this race track – 2,100 metres on a left-hand course – is perfect for him, so he has a great chance,” he said. A double-double in the two Group 1 contests of the day on dirt and turf? If anyone can pull it off it's the man in the hat: the all-singing and dancing Yoshito Yahagi. The post Yahagi Returns With Sights Set on a Desert Double-Double appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia, post time: 20:40, SAUDI CUP-G1, $20,000,000, NH/SH4yo/up, 1800m Field: Banishing (Ghostzapper), Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), Haqeet (Arrogate), Luxor Cafe (American Pharoah), Mhally (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev), Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach), Nysos (Nyquist), Rattle N Roll (Connect), Star Of Wonder (Uncle Mo), Sunrise Zipangu (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), Thundersquall (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance), Ameerat Alzamaan (GB) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}). TDN Analysis: Forever Young will be a prohibitive favourite to become the first to go back-to-back in the world's richest race. The Japanese Horse of the Year and American champion older dirt male makes his first start since taking the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 1. 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Nysos was also a winner on Breeders' Cup Saturday in the GI Dirt Mile, but tries a distance as far as 1800 metres for the first time. He will have to do much better than his head defeat of stablemate Nevada Beach in Grade II company at the back end of December. Mhally and Ameerat Alzamaan enter off a 1-2 finish in the G3 King's Cup on Jan. 17. Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia, post time: 19:10, NEOM TURF CUP (Presented By HOWDEN)-G1, $3,000,000, NH/SH4yo/up, 2100mT Field: Alohi Alii (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), Bolide Porto (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}), Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchesters {Ire}), Galen (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Phantom Flight (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), Royal Champion (Ire) (Shamardal), Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), Silawi (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Yamanin Bouclier (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), Direct Security (Ire) (Sioux Nation), Survie (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}). TDN Analysis: Shin Emperor made every yard in winning this when contested at Group 2 level last year, but has not been close in four starts since and looks vulnerable here. Royal Champion was outclassed in last year's G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes, but won the G2 York Stakes and defeated Galen in the G2 Bahrain International Trophy either side of a third to Delacroix (Dubawi) in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes. Alohi Alii was midfield in last year's G1 Satsuki Sho, but was impressive in taking out the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville in August and will appreciate these quicker underfoot conditions, having finished well down the field in a soft-ground renewal of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when last seen. Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia, post time: 19:50, RED SEA TURF HANDICAP (Presented by Longines)-G2, $2,500,000, NH/SH 4yo/up, 3000mT Field: Presage Nocturne (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Tabletalk (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Epic Poet (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Sons And Lovers (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), Struve (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), Tennessee Stud (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Burdett Road (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}), Espoir Avenir (Fr) (Montmartre {Fr}), Vermicelles (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}), Real Dream (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Tarriance (GB) (Frankel {GB}). TDN Analysis: Tabletalk is all set for Riyadh glory and was not disgraced when runner-up in the Listed Chester Stakes in August. Trainer Tom Clover is bullish on the son of Camelot, who has to contend with a duo of Joseph O'Brien runners, not least Group 1 winner Tennessee Stud. Group winner Sons And Lovers also represents O'Brien. Japan is always a danger when shipping to the Middle East and fields multiple group hero Struve and the multiple group-placed Vermicelles. Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia, post time: 18:25, 1351 TURF SPRINT (Presented By Qiddiya City)-G2, $2,000,000, NH/SH 4yo/up, 1351mT Field: Annaf (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}), Comanche Brave (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Fortune Time (Jpn) (Greater London {Jpn}), Geography (Jpn) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), Lazzat (Fr) (Territories {Ire}), Love De Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Marvelman (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Panja Tower (Jpn) (Tower Of London {Jpn}), Reef Runner (The Big Beast), Shin Forever (Complexity), Zefzaf (Mo Town), Zio Jo (Nyquist), Time To Dazzle (Not This Time). TDN Analysis: Panja Tower is aiming to give Japan back-to-back victories in this race after the 2025 tally of Ascoli Piceno (Daiwa Major). The G1 NHK Mile Cup hero last year is coming off a fifth-place effort Down Under in The Golden Eagle. Annaf, a winner of the 2024 edition of the 1351 Turf Sprint returns to the scene of his greatest triumph. Placed in the G1 King's Stand Stakes of 2023, the seven-year-old entire has to contend with multiple Group 1 winner Lazzat, who was second in the G1 British Champions Sprint Stakes in the autumn. For the U.S., GII Eddie D Stakes winner Reef Runner steps up after a tally in the Listed Jannus Stakes. Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia, post time: 17:40, RIYADH DIRT SPRINT (Presented By Saudi National Bank)-G2, $2,000,000, NH/SH 3yo/up, 1200m Field: American Stage (Into Mischief), Colour Up (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Don Amitie (Jpn) (Asia Express), Echo Point (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Imagination (Into Mischief), Just Beat The Odds (Munnings), Lovesick Blues (Grazen), Muqtahem (Ire) (Soldier's Call {GB}), Royal Zabeel (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Self Improvement (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}), Transferred (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Yamanin Cerchi (Jpn) (Four Wheel Drive), Gabby's Sister (Jpn) (Apollo Kingdom). TDN Analysis: Straight No Chaser (Speightster) landed this prize in 2025, and the Americans are back for more with Bob Baffert's Imagination (Into Mischief). The son of Into Mischief was second in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint last autumn. GIII Elite Power Stakes hero Just Beat The Odds makes his first start away from the East Coast in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint. A consistent sort, he's been on the board for all barring one of his 13 starts to date. Yoshito Yahagi saddles American Stage, who was second in last year's G3 Mahab Al Shimaal. UAE regular Colour Up has a brace of stakes victories to his name and carries five group placings. Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia, post time: 17:00, SAUDI DERBY (Presented By ZOOD Realty)-G3, $1,500,000, NH/SH 3yo, 1600m Field: Acknowledgemeplz (Bucchero), Al Haram (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), Best Green (Jpn) (Smart Falcon {Jpn}), Cielo Di Roma (Fr) (Romanised {Ire}), Keiai Agito (Jpn) (Espoir City {Jpn}), My World (Essential Quality), Obliteration (Violence), Satono Voyage (Jpn) (Into Mischief), Shayem (Ire) (King Of Change {GB}), Tuwajeri (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}), Union Security (Maximum Security), Very Connected (Connect), Wonder Dean (Jpn) (Dee Majesty {Jpn}), Tokai Ma Cherie (Jpn) (Drefong). TDN Analysis: All eyes here should be trained upon Satono Voyage, who looks to give Japan a fourth win in the event in its seven-year history. Unblemished in three runs on the dirt, he most recently validated odds-on favouritism in the Cattleya Stakes (conditions) going Tokyo's one-turn mile Nov. 29. If he stays the trip, 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard and last-out listed romper Obliteration can be in the thick of this, as can My World, whose victories in the Nashua Stakes and Jerome Stakes in New York have come over a one-turn mile. Saudi Arabia's Al Haram will try to make it four-from-four lifetime, having whooshed home in the local 2000 Guineas on Jan. 17. Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia, post time: 16:20, TUWAIQ CUP (Presented By SHG)-Listed, $1,000,000, NH/SH4yo/up, 1800m Field: Akfeek (Macho Uno), Alaham (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), Bernard Shaw (Into Mischief), Carracci (Quality Road), Final Destination (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Havildar (Arrogate), Lionel (Authentic), Michael Scofield (Tiz The Law), Power Of Beauty (Ire) (Slade Power {Ire}), Riyadh El Ezz (Demarchelier {GB}), Sa'aeid (Munnings), Scotland Yard (Quality Road), Wadaatak Allah (Hard Spun), Waqtuk (Not This Time), Webinar (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), Wootton'sun (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Ya Dar (Fr) (Cracksman {GB}), Gharamy (Ire) (King Of Change {GB}). Saturday, Al Rayyan (Doha), Qatar, post time: 16:15 p.m., H. H. THE AMIR TROPHY (Presented By Longines)-G2, $2,500,000, NH/SH4yo/up, 2400mT Field: Byzantine Dream (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), Deep Monster (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), El Cordobes (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), GIavellotto (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), Lion's Pride (GB) (Roaring Lion), Satono Glanz (Jpn) (Satono Diamond {Jpn}). TDN Analysis: Some 51 weeks ago, Byzantine Dream ran out a ready winner of the G3 Red Sea Turf Cup Handicap in Riyadh and is the top-rated galloper here in a field short on numbers but high on quality. Last year's G2 Prix Foy hero makes his first start since a sound fifth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Godolphin took last year's running with the globetrotting Rebel's Romance and Charlie Appleby sends in US Grade I winner El Cordobes, who was last seen finishing third in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in California Nov. 1. Fourth in the Arc, Giavellotto fell a half-length short of repeating in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase, with Goliath a half-length adrift in third. Satono Glanz returns looking to improve on his third-place effort from last year's contest. Click here for the complete fields. The post Black-Type Analysis: Can Baffert Duo Dethrone Forever Young? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Colonial Downs has revealed a new brand, logo, and digital presence ahead of the track's first Virginia Derby spring meet, which will be held Mar. 12-14. The Virginia Derby will be contested Mar. 14 and will offer Kentucky Derby qualifying points for the first time. “With a record number of race days, growing crowds and purses, a Kentucky Derby qualifier race, and some of the most passionate fans around, Virginia is stepping into the sport's global spotlight,” said Frank Hopf, Senior Director of Racing Operations at Colonial Downs. “This exciting new identity for Colonial Downs honors Virginia's rich history of Thoroughbred racing, while inviting new fans and longtime enthusiasts to come experience the thrill of live racing at Virginia's premier Thoroughbred racetrack. It's a new look for a new era, and we invite you to be a part of it.” Colonial Downs' new logo features a striding Thoroughbred whose shape mirrors that of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The five strands of the horse's mane represent five regions of the state: Southwest Virginia, Northern Virginia, Central Virginia, Hampton Roads, and the Shenandoah Valley. The track's new signature colors also carry significance. Colonial Downs Copper represents the sport's enduring connections to the earth and the dirt of the racing surface, while Regal Navy represents the noble history of horse racing and the steady strength of both horse and jockey. Colonial Downs has also unveiled an updated website, featuring race schedules, promotions, and track information, as well as updated Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts. The post Colonial Downs Announces Brand Reboot Ahead of Spring Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, turned the sod on the new Tipperary all-weather track on Thursday, marking the beginning of the redevelopment project which is scheduled to be completed by the end of September 2027. Minister Heydon was joined by Nicky Hartery, chairman of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI); Maurice Moloney, Tipperary Racecourse committee chairman; Andrew Hogan, Tipperary Racecourse manager; Sinead Carr, CEO of Tipperary County Council; and Paul Dermody, CEO of HRI Racecourses, along with local representatives, community leaders, the Tipperary Racecourse committee and project partners for the sod turning ceremony. Work will now commence on the new all-weather track, with a view to staging a full winter race programme in 2027/28. The main contract has been awarded to Atlantic Golf Construction (AGC Ventures Limited), based in Ballybunion, County Kerry. Martin Collins Enterprises Ltd will develop the polytrack racing surface, while the floodlights at the venue will be provided by McSherry Electrical Limited, based in Mallow, County Cork. Minister Heydon said, “I am delighted to be here in Tipperary today to turn the sod on the new all-weather track project. It's an ambitious, exciting project and I wish Andrew Hogan, Maurice Moloney and the team in Horse Racing Ireland all the best. “The project is a major stimulus, creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and enhancing the horse racing and breeding industry that already generates €329 million in expenditure and approximately 3,000 jobs in Tipperary alone – contributing to the national figure of €2.46 billion and over 30,000 jobs, and will be hugely beneficial for the continued development of this world-class industry.” Hogan added, “Today is a hugely exciting day for Tipperary Racecourse and the broader county. The new all-weather track is a crucial piece of infrastructure for the racing and breeding industry in Munster and beyond, and we are thrilled to see the redevelopment work get underway. “On behalf of the entire Tipperary Racecourse team, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported this project and helped to get us to this point today. We look forward to hosting stakeholder engagement events over the summer, as the project develops and we have more updates to share.” Tipperary will become the second all-weather track in Ireland, along with Dundalk, which is located roughly 270 kilometres further north. “Today marks an important moment not only for Tipperary Racecourse but for our vibrant racing and breeding industry,” said Hartery. “The new all-weather track reflects Horse Racing Ireland's strategic goal to create opportunities at all levels, and the project will bring huge positives for the industry, creating significant economic and social benefits for Tipperary and the broader region. It will provide a major boost to racing throughout the south of the country, offering accessible racing and training facilities all year round. “I would like to thank the Minister and his Department colleagues, Tipperary County Council and all stakeholders for their ongoing support.” The post Minister Martin Heydon Turns Sod on Tipperary All-Weather Track appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article