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The Keeneland Library once again has fielded an ambitious and educationally-minded schedule to start 2026 which includes tours, the Starting Gate Storytime program and its Library Lecture Series, the repository said in a press release on Thursday. The library continues to offer free year-round exhibit tours and a host of other programs geared towards all facets of the Thoroughbred industry's past and present. The popular lecture series includes authors who conducted research at the facility. Tickets are now available for these winter events: 21: Gary O'Dell, Reinventing the American Thoroughbred; 18: Curtis Stock, The Turcottes: The Remarkable Story of a Horse Racing Dynasty; 18: Steve Haskin, Tales from the Triple Crown. Go to their website, www.Keeneland.com/library, for more information. The post Keeneland Library Fields Bevy Of Upcoming Programs And Events For 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

You would hope that the business case includes income from more than just the usual sources, that as has been mentioned is not enough. Things that attract and accommodate people outside of the usual racing activities, so all this investment is generating cash 365 days. It is a beautiful part of the country, with a strong emphasis on racing

The Remington Springboard Mile Stakes has yet to be won by the eventual Kentucky Derby (G1) winner, but perhaps this year's race snaps that streak. No trainer is better positioned to come away victorious than Steve Asmussen. View the full article

Trainers and owners need breeders more than the latter needs them. NZ Breeders have alternative markets. Surely you are not suggesting that they contribute to an infrastructure fund in Australia or Hong Kong? Essentially what you are proposing is a tax on breeders to sustain poorly managed and maintained racecourses. Clubs don't need subsidies they need to generate revenue and not just from their core activity. Why don't you tax Trainers and Owners who invariably don't pay enough for the assets THEY use? Breeders don't directly use those assets. Why doesn't Levin pay enough for the use of the Otaki track to race on?

For the second time in 2 1/2 years, the same panel of three judges on the Sixth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati has affirmed the constitutionality of the Horseracing and Safety Integrity Act (HISA) in a lawsuit spearheaded by the states of Oklahoma, West Virginia and Louisiana. The case had alleged that the HISA Act gave a private corporation–the HISA Authority, which operates under the auspices of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)–far too broad regulatory authority. The plaintiffs claimed that was a violation of the non-delegation doctrine, which bans Congress from delegating legislative power to federal agencies without an “intelligible principle” to guide the exercise of agency discretion. This same Sixth Circuit panel, back on Mar. 3, 2023, had already upheld a lower court's dismissal of the states' lawsuit, ruling that Congressional changes to the law that were made in 2022 rendered the HISA Act completely constitutional. But the case was back before the Sixth Circuit yet again, because on June 30, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court tasked the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Circuit appeals courts with revisiting their older decisions about HISA in light of a newer Supreme Court ruling in a similar case involving the non-delegation doctrine. (That precedent didn't exist when any of those courts issued their original opinions as far back as three years ago.) The Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Circuit appeals courts have all previously agreed that HISA's rulemaking structure is constitutional. Only the Fifth Circuit has disagreed, in part, by opining that HISA's enforcement provisions are unconstitutional. The two cases that the Supreme Court remanded back to the Fifth and Eighth Circuit appeals courts have yet to reach the oral argument stage. On Thursday, a spokesperson for the HISA Authority issued the following statement (not attributed to any executive within the Authority) on the Sixth Circuit decision: “HISA is pleased with the decision rendered by the Sixth Circuit once again affirming HISA's constitutionality and finding that the private nondelegation challenge against the HISA Act has no merit. “[The Authority] has remained singularly focused on its mission to promote the health and safety of the human and equine athletes at the heart of Thoroughbred racing and has implemented the first-ever uniform national set of rules applicable to every Thoroughbred racing participant and racetrack facility. These reforms are delivering transformative results, including meaningful decreases in equine fatalities, consistent standards at racetracks, a fairer and more balanced medication and drug-testing framework and an increased focus on jockey welfare. The data is clear that Thoroughbred racing is safer under HISA than ever before.” TDN has reached out to the plaintiffs, requesting their comments on the Sixth Circuit opinion. This story will be updated to include any responses. Regardless of which side won the case, it was always expected that the losing side would appeal the Sixth Circuit decision back to the Supreme Court. But as of deadline for this article, no one on the plaintiffs' side had officially stated that would happen. Going back to the Supreme Court again would likely add yet another year or two to the timetable for resolving the three highest-profile HISA constitutionality lawsuits, two of which were initiated as far back as 2021. The Sixth Circuit's Dec. 17, 2025, opinion was issued relatively quickly after the three-judge panel heard oral arguments from both sides Nov. 12. During those oral arguments, Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sutton was the only member of the panel to question the attorneys as they made their arguments. Five weeks ago, Sutton seemed to signal where his thoughts were going on the non-delegation issue when he stated, at one point during the arguments, that, “It happens all the time that governments rely on private entities to do things.” On Dec. 17, Sutton put those thoughts in writing as the author of the panel's opinion. “Sometimes government works. And sometimes it works best after a dialogue between and within the various branches,” Sutton wrote. “In 2020, Congress enacted the HISA Act to establish a nationwide framework for regulating Thoroughbred horseracing. That led to several nondelegation and anti-commandeering challenges to the validity of the Act throughout the country,” the opinion stated. “The lead challenge–the facial non-delegation challenge–focused on the reality that the Act replaced several state regulatory authorities with a private corporation, the HISA Authority, which became the Act's primary rulemaker and which was not subordinate to the relevant public agency, the FTC, in critical ways,” the opinion stated. “The first circuit to assess the validity of the law, the Fifth Circuit, declared the Act facially unconstitutional because it gave 'a private entity the last word' on federal law,” the opinion stated. “In response to the Fifth Circuit's decision and after oral argument in a similar case in our circuit, Congress amended the Act to give the FTC discretion to 'abrogate, add to, and modify' any rules that bind the industry,” the opinion stated. “While the Constitution does not require constructive exchanges between Congress and the federal courts, it does not discourage them either, and good government sometimes benefits from them,” the opinion stated. Supreme Court | Getty “A productive dialogue occurred in this instance, and, from our perspective, it ameliorated the concerns underlying the non-delegation challenge,” the opinion stated. [In the 2023 opinion] “we upheld the Act against a facial non-delegation challenge and an anti-commandeering challenge. The Eighth Circuit took the same view. The Fifth Circuit agreed with both courts with respect to the rulemaking power created by the Act. But it facially invalidated the law on the ground that the Act afforded the HISA Authority the power to enforce federal law 'without the FTC's say-so,'” the opinion stated. “The losing parties all filed petitions for writs of certiorari in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court held the various petitions while it considered a separate nondelegation challenge to another federal law that used a private entity in implementing the law,´” the opinion stated. “In FCC v. Consumers' Research, the Court considered an as-applied challenge to the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Fund, premised on the reality that the FCC relied on a private administrator's policy recommendations in administering the program. The Court ruled that the program did not impermissibly delegate government authority to a private entity because the FCC retained final 'decision-making authority.'” the opinion stated. “After its decision, the Court [remanded] the three certiorari petitions raising non-delegation challenges to the HISA Act. That is to say, the Court granted each petition, vacated the lower court judgments, and remanded the cases for reconsideration in light of Consumers' Research,” the opinion stated. “That brings us to our second look at the Act. In view of the guidance provided by the Supreme Court in Consumers' Research and other recent decisions, we reject this facial challenge because the Act, as amended, gives the FTC, not the HISA Authority, the final say over the Act's key rulemaking and enforcement provisions,” the opinion stated. “The HISA Authority is subordinate to the agency. The Authority yields to FTC supervision and lacks the final say over rulemaking and enforcement of the law, all tried and true hallmarks of an inferior body,” the opinion stated. With regard to plaintiffs' challenges to rulemaking, Sutton wrote this: “The HISA Act gives the FTC supervision over the rules that govern the horseracing industry. The Act permits the HISA Authority to draft proposed rules on racetrack safety and anti-doping matters. But they are just that: proposals. No such proposal becomes a binding rule until the FTC approves it, and the Act permits the agency only to approve proposed rules if they are 'consistent' with the Act,” the opinion stated. “In addition, the Act gives the FTC authority, as it 'finds necessary or appropriate,' to 'abrogate, add to, and modify the rules.' The FTC's power to review proposed rules, to abrogate existing rules, and to add new rules makes clear who is in charge and who has the final say,” the opinion stated. The post Sixth Circuit Affirms HISA’s Constitutionality A Second Time appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Mister Punch could work out a beneficial stalking trip from the outside post and deserves a long look in the Dec. 20 Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds.View the full article

The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) has allocated an extra £4.4 million to prize-money for 2026 compared to this year, following a further increase in the Levy yield to just shy of £109 million – the highest since the 2017 reforms that extended the scope of the Levy to overseas betting operators. Details of the statutory Levy – which climbed to £108.9 million, up from £105.3 million the previous year – were released on Wednesday as the HBLB published its 2024/25 Annual Report and Accounts. This increase came despite a third consecutive year of material decline in betting turnover. Higher than anticipated bookmaker gross profits in February and March this year, in particular, pushed income above expectations, according to the Annual Report. HBLB reported total income of £113 million, up from £108.7 million in 2023/24, when taking into account interest on cash deposits, which helped to boost reserves to £58.7 million. It's reported that the Board adopted a prudent approach to its overall financial position and revised its target reserves range from £21m-£31m to £25m-£35m, reflecting increased spending in recent years and the need for a strong financial cushion. This has facilitated the increased contribution to prize-money for 2026, plus an extra £1.2 million for regulatory and integrity services, among other grants. In her statement as interim chair of HBLB during the year, Anne Lambert noted that the Board was delighted to have been able to increase its grant expenditure on the previous year, but noted that “racing is facing significant challenges”. In the year as a whole, average betting turnover per race was down by 8% on 2023/24, representing a 15% fall versus 2022/23 and 19% versus 2021/22. Meanwhile, in his Chief Executive's Report, Alan Delmonte emphasised that the Board's willingness to support funding of more innovative projects such as 'Project Pace' and 'Project Beacon' illustrates that “if racing is to continue to be a leading sport and leisure activity, it needs to ensure that it is presented and structured in a way that is attractive to the modern consumer”. In June 2025, the Board published a new three-year business plan, with progress to be reported in future annual reports. An updated summary of the 2022-2025 business plan is included within the Annual Report. The post HBLB Annual Report Reveals Further Increase in Levy Yield to Almost £109 Million 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 plans to run 196 racing days at Aqueduct Racetrack, Saratoga Race Course, and the new Belmont Park in 2026. View the full article

A chance to travel around two turns as a 2-year-old in a Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying race awaits a field of 12 in the Dec. 20 Remington Springboard Mile at Remington Park.View the full article

7th-GP, $58k, OC 62k/C, 3yo/up, 1m, 3:30 p.m. ET WinStar Farm, CHC, Inc. and Cold Press Racing's Tappan Street (Into Mischief) will make his highly anticipated return facing six rivals in an optional claimer at Gulfstream Park Friday. He is the 4-5 program favorite. Last seen defeating leading Horse of the Year candidate and GI Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 29, Tappan Street was forced to miss the Kentucky Derby after suffering a condylar fracture in his right front leg. “We've been looking forward to this ever since he got hurt,” WinStar's Elliott Walden said in these pages earlier this week. TJCIS PPs 1st-GP, $56k, Msw, 3yo/up, 1mT, post time: 12:20 p.m. ET Highlands Way (Not This Time), a $1.35-million Keeneland September yearling, debuts for Robert and Lawana Low and trainer Todd Pletcher. The half-brother to GISW Bell's The One (Majesticperfection) is drawn wide in post 11 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard. Pletcher will also saddle fellow firster Make It Make Sense (Into Mischief), a $600,000 Keeneland September graduate campaigned in partnership by Repole Stable, Spendthrift Farm, Big Easy Racing LLC and Titletown Racing Stables. The latter is a half-brother to SW & MGISP Shoplifted (Into Mischief). TJCIS PPs The post Friday’s Insights: Florida Derby Winner Tappan Street Returns at Gulfstream Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Tonight is one of the most unique night on the New Zealand racing calendar, bringing the top class and battlers together racing for the same money under the same conditions. The Golden Gait series is designed to reward horses who regularly start at Alexandra Park during the year with 10 mobile mile finals all worth $50,000. That means former Miracle Mile runner-up Sooner The Bettor (R5, No.7) goes around for the same money over the same trip as 10-year-old veteran Benjamin Button (R7, No.8) who will be having his 153rd career start. Here is the best way to tackle tonight’s 10 Golden Gait Finals : Race 1 (R43-51 Pace) : Plenty of early speed here could set the race up for those who stay out of the early burn, the two most obvious being Double Parked and Ultimate Racy Girl. The latter may be slightly the better horse but Double Parked could have tactical advantage. Bet: Double Parked (6) to win. Race 2 (3YO Trot) : One of best fields of night with several future open class trotters. Ya Rite Darl beat the older mares at G1 level last Friday and if she races up to that form can win again but Youneverknow has x-factor and potential to get in front of key rival. Bet: Youneverknow (8) on top but be patient, price could drift closer to start time. Race 3 (3YO Pace) : Again plenty of depth but no doubting Captain Sampson is the best horse here. Faces a second line draw but has won coming wide in fast times before. Bet: Captain Sampson (12) to win but Final Change (7) at $3.10 Top3 also a good bet. Race 4 (2YO Trot) : Save A Prayer galloped in both his last two starts at Addington but before that won well here in good time. Looks the most talented and if he trots throughout clearly the one to beat in a race where manners will be the key. Bet: Save A Prayer (6) to win, Somebody a nice Top3 option. Race 5 (R55-R90 Pace) : Race of the night with Sooner The Bettor coming out of the NZ Cup last start against last year’s winner of this race Jolimont. Sooner The Bettor has great gate speed and won both the Spring Cup and Holmes D G here in the spring so has to be the one to beat. Bet: Sooner The Bettor (7) to win. Race 6 (R55-85 Trot) : Really deep field with all the major players in form. But Hillbilly Blues went to a new level beating Mighty Logan and Oscar Bonavena here last Friday. Has yet to win in three mobile starts but has been quick off the gate when asked so should stay handy. Walkinonsunshine, Belle Neige or American Muscle could all test the favourite if things don’t work out for him early. Bet: Hillbilly Blues (3) looks one of the bets of the night and is a juicy $3 with Box Seat Boost (under Futures on TAB website). Race 7 (R35-42 Pace) : A real “reward for turning up race” for plenty of the Alex Park regulars who have rarely visited the winner’s circle. Dave Duley stands out after being close second in strong and fast run Metro Final last start. Bet: Dave Duley as a multi maker as $1.50 too short for many win punters. Race 8 (R42-53 Trot) : One of the most even races of the night with multiple winning hopes. Bravehearthighlander was fourth in the race Hillbilly Blues won last Friday, Bolt For The Hill has a stack of ability, Shesgold is a sharp sprinter and Loteria could do something special if saved for one 600m surge. Even Westar Milly or Father Barry could win without surprising. Bet: Enough value to back Bolt For The Hill (7), Loteria (11) and Father Barry (1). Race 9 (2YO Pace) : Cyclone Rebel was a certainty beaten here last Friday against older horses when he never got clear. Some handy opponents here but he really should win. American Falcon has gate speed to make his own luck while Prince Lincoln was very brave in smart field last Friday. Bet: Cyclone Rebel (5) should win but again maybe only a multi play. Prince Lincoln Top2 at $1.85 another option. Race 10 (R35-41 Trot) : If you had told people a few months ago Crazy would be a $1.80 favourite to win a $50,000 race they would have thought you were.. um.. crazy. But the veteran troublemaker has found his sweet spot in mobile races and won a strong Metro Final last start yet still sneaks into this race. If he trots throughout he should win, if he doesn’t then Miss Bebe is the clear next best option. Bet: Crazy (7) to win but maybe with small cover on Miss Bebe just in case. View the full article

As usual, we start our annual quest for value among Bluegrass sires by treating the rookies as a case apart. From here we'll work our way through fee tiers of those already at stud, starting with four-figure bargains and working our way up to the big guns. In this notoriously unpredictable environment, there's one certainty on which you can hang your hat. Almost all the horses we examine today are about to cover the biggest and best books of their careers–though charging a fee that few will ever command again. But we all understand how the system works nowadays. Commercial breeders, knowing that they can bank on customers for a new stallion, typically flit from one to the next. As a result, it has become necessary for the stud farms to pay for their stallions more or less in a single season. You can't blame the farms for setting “excessive” fees, then, any more than you can blame commercial breeders for anticipating the most reliable demand. Both camps need to put bread on their tables–plenty of which already have woodworm! The source of the problem is instead at ringside, where investors claim that the unproven sire gives them their one affordable chance of landing on an Into Mischief in the making. That would be a lot more credible if they didn't run away screaming from those same stallions when, though still unproven one way or the other, their fees and books start to plummet pending the appearance of their first runners. Admittedly there is a self-fulfilling element to the equation, in that the quality and quantity of mares sent to a new stallion will represent his best chance of producing a runner. But if farms could rely on solid support right through “the bubble,” then they would not have to launch these horses at such stiff fees. As it is, the stampede is concentrated precisely where investment is most likely to fail–at least in terms of producing a racehorse. I will never tire of reiterating that there should be nothing more commercial than to put a winner under your mare. But a lot of people today instead hope to have won their “Derby” the moment the hammer comes down. As a result, and as can be seen from the way breed-to-race programs are dominating so many big races, there can seldom have been a better time to be an end user. Yet today we'll play the game, attempt the same kind of guesswork as everybody else, and try to land on one or two of the very few that typically last the course. No less than anyone else, we will need to be lucky to do that. As always, this is a notoriously subjective exercise. First and foremost people need to find the right physical match for their mares, and for every Not This Time that I may have stumbled across, I will have recommended a dozen turkeys. Nonetheless… once more unto the breach, dear friends! Sierra Leone | Benoit OVERVIEW OF THE INTAKE The sporting decision by connections of Sierra Leone and Fierceness to continue their rivalry this year certainly paid off for the racing public, and now gives the incoming cohort a star quality somewhat lacking in the previous cycle. Conversely, those whose budget was best served last year, when eight of 23 stallions were introduced between $30,000 and a peak of $40,000, find themselves with a choice of two in that bracket this time round–while as many as four of the 18 newcomers will start at higher fees. SIERRA LEONE has somehow made himself well bought as a $2.3-million yearling, which tag measured his eligibility–in physique and pedigree–to convert any kind of athletic achievement into a stud career. He has filled out the missing element in the equation magnificently, and even contrived to upgrade his page when thwarted, in his GI Breeders' Cup Classic defense, by his own “cousin”! After that, I think most of us would have estimated his start-up fee just where it has ended up, at $75,000. If hardly an obvious type to give you a maiden winner at the Keeneland spring meet, this 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' is assured helpful material and plenty of it. With his length of build and stride, equally, he will surely help some very fast mares to stretch out their foals. Bottom line is that he has everything it takes to figure prominently among sons of Gun Runner aiming to complete his resume now as a sire of sires. LOCKED, a Grade I winner at two and four and fellow 'Rising Star', offers the same cross for $35,000 at Gainesway. The Santa Anita Handicap might not be the race it was, but you try and win it by eight and a half lengths, and tell me how you get on. Don't back off his European granddam, either: she additionally produced a GI Acorn Stakes winner. For bargain access to Gun Runner, meanwhile, you can catch up with IL MIRACOLO in TDN's recent visit to that exemplary farm, Crestwood. Fierceness -at-Ashford-Stud-2_Coolmore_print_Sara-Gordon.jpg" alt="" width="599" height="435" /> Fierceness | Sara Gordon Back at Ashford, Sierra Leone is joined by two champion juveniles. The relative precocity of his old rival FIERCENESS–who these days could probably have found a place at stud straight after his 11-length 'TDN Rising Star' debut success at Saratoga–will keep the door revolving at $50,000. He consolidated unequivocally with maturity, as a Grade I winner at three and four, and it is a stallion's page. Literally, in fact: dam a half-sister to Outwork, granddam a half-sister to Cairo Prince. The other champion 2-year-old entering this roster got very close to our Value Podium. But that already features one son of Into Mischief out of a Distorted Mare, with rather more margin for error in their respective fees. Nonetheless CITIZEN BULL would be my pick of the more expensive covers in this intake, and I feel confident that he will become big value should he end up taking the customary fee clips towards his “bubble.” A revival at the end of his career reiterated all the class he showed as a youngster, and his strength and balance guarantee the breadth of support that can generate its own momentum. With all that juvenile quality on his page–his dam is a half-sister to Moonshine Memories (Malibu Moon), a dual Grade I winner at two, out of a half-brother to Favorite Trick (Phone Trick)–he seems bound to be a player in the freshman title. The arrival of MINDFRAME at Claiborne feels like quite an event and he, like Fierceness, can be confident of astute support from his own camp. He, too, opens at $50,000. That's commensurate with the natural ability that got this 'Rising Star' within half a length of the GI Belmont Stakes (admittedly not a 'real' Belmont!) on only his third start, and the speed that subsequently won him a Grade I at just seven furlongs. On the same farm, JOHANNES combines Nyquist and elite turf performance in a fashion that looks modestly priced at just $10,000. He was beaten by a single horse, at the Breeders' Cup, across six starts in the best of company in 2024 and would certainly have been able to charge rather more had he packed up then. Lane's End are also walking the walk, when it comes to all the talk we hear nowadays about expanding opportunities on grass in North America, with 'TDN Rising Star' CARL SPACKLER (Ire) joining his old rival More Than Looks on the roster that has also lately launched Up to the Mark. At $15,000, Carl Spackler allows Bluegrass breeders to tap into elite European sire Lope De Vega (Ire); while his dam is a Grade II-winning half-sister to a Grade I winner. Carl Spackler | Coady Media He started out in Book I at Tattersalls, but his new buddy RAGING TORRENT–who opens on the same fee–has a very different profile, as a rags-to-riches son of Maximus Mischief with a ton of dirt dash crowned by a frontrunning defeat of Fierceness in the stallion-making GI Met Mile. Airdrie consistently works a great angle for breeders with its imaginative recruitment and both the farm's novices look extremely tempting. If MYSTIK DAN's career proved rather uneven, his Derby form is rock solid and don't forget that he broke his maiden as a 2-year-old by eight lengths over 5.5f at Churchill for a 96 Beyer. On his day he was unplayable, and his granddam is sister to Siphon (Brz). JONATHAN'S WAY also made an explosive start to his career in 'Rising Star' fashion but was then unluckily derailed, and this farm has shown its flair developing this kind of project with Beau Liam. At $8,500, he looks a legitimate roll of the dice from the family that produced Dynaformer and Monarchos. Another recommendation is ARTHUR'S RIDE at Taylor Made: capable of very smart form on his day, from a fine family and a very nice Tapit physically. He looks fairly priced at $12,500. VALUE PODIUM Gold: PATCH ADAMS Into Mischief–Well Humored by Distorted Humor WinStar $30,000 As noted above, this is the same cross as Citizen Bull–who may well end up the pick of the bunch, in the longer term. But this 'TDN Rising Star' is not starting at quite so tough a fee, and in his own right has a great deal to recommend him. First and foremost he received a warm endorsement from one of the best judges of our time, who praises the light, balanced gait with which he carries his brawn. His temperament, moreover, seems to be maintained with similar equilibrium. While Into Mischief has deployed his upgraded mares to turn himself into a legitimate Classic influence, Patch Adams was a throwback to the way he made his name. A 10-length juvenile maiden romp at the home of the Derby (just a tick off Groupie Doll's 7f track record, for a juvenile class high Beyer of 98) prompted an understandable experiment with a couple of the early trials, but while he did end up returning to Churchill on the first Saturday in May, it was in order to drop back to sprinting. That worked out so well that he was elevated to Grade I company at Saratoga for what proved to be his final two starts, winning both the Woody Stephens and the Allen Jerkens with big numbers. The same cross has launched another exciting stallion on this farm, in Life Is Good, and has worked out pretty well for Practical Joke in his second career. But that basic structure supports some solid genetic detail, as the first starter out of a stakes-winning half-sister to Grade I winner American Patriot. Their dam is a sister to G1 Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed (Tiznow), and half-sister to the granddam of Cyberknife (Gun Runner). This farm has loaded a ton of speed onto its roster, with MULLIKIN and STRAIGHT NO CHASER offering affordable access–both $10,000–to two of the fastest sprinters around. But WinStar has put three generations of work into this horse and will surely be giving him every chance to maximize his impact on a fourth. Chancer McPatrick | Sarah Andrew Silver: CHANCER MCPATRICK McKinzie–Bernadreamy by Bernardini Spendthrift $25,000 This is the solitary recruit to the hectic roster of a farm that has dominated the freshman table in recent years and looks a safe bet to thrive as the sole beneficiary of its knowhow this time round. His precocity and powerful build will surely go down well among those who routinely rely on Spendthrift to make the numbers work. He's all business, in every sense: a really purposeful way of going, at the walk, and a blatant commercial profile. A $725,000 juvenile purchase, he followed up his debut 'TDN Rising Star' success at Saratoga by pairing up the two New York juvenile Grade Is. He didn't really build from there, albeit bowing out with a highly creditable effort against the pace in the GI Dirt Mile; and it was a similar story for the best horse on his page, granddam Dream Empress (Bernstein), after emerging among the cream of her crop at two. But that won't trouble many of his clientele in the slightest! Those who do prioritize a second turn at three can find plenty of hope in the seeding of his family: first four dams by Bernardini, Bernstein, Nijinsky, The Axe. His sire remains something of a puzzle, but the good ones appear to be very good; and the damsire, of course, is as solid as they come. In a game of chance, he appeals as the very opposite of a mere Chancer. Bronze: FIRST MISSION Street Sense–Elude by Medaglia d'Oro $10,000 Darley This is a working man's fee for a 'Rising Star' with some fairly aristocratic traits. His orderly mechanics support very smooth motion, which he deployed through three campaigns that left him just shy of elite quality–as, for instance, when taking a step on the podium below Mindframe ($50,000) and Sierra Leone ($75,000) in the GI Stephen Foster Stakes, having won the GII Oaklawn Handicap on his previous start for a 109 Beyer. His pedigree combines two farm legends and taps into a seam of Argentinian gold through his granddam Forty Marchanta (Arg) (Roar), a triple Group 1 winner whose family is saturated with quality performers and/or producers. A lot of smaller breeders–also likely to appreciate the top-class genes and handicap performances of HIGHLAND FALLS at the same fee–will surely be grateful for another young stallion to build up the eventual legacy of Street Sense. Like his buddies Maxfield and Speaker's Corner, of course, he will also benefit from access to the home herd, with all that entails. The post Kentucky Value Sires For 2026–Part 1: New Stallions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

TB-Ed, the educational platform of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, has launched a new 'Getting the Mare in Foal' programme – a series of online courses designed specifically for Thoroughbred breeders, stud farm managers and their employees, as well as anyone with an interest in equine reproduction. Caroline Turnbull, Industry Education and Retention Manager for the TBA, said, “We are really pleased to launch this new online course as part of the TB-Ed offering which now hosts 24 online courses and 81 resources on the site and which has become a vital tool to support the stud sector with over 1,000 registered users. “Each course within the programme is accredited by the British Horseracing Authority for continuing professional development and the flexible online format allows participants to learn at their own pace and in their own time, with expert-led content accessible from anywhere in the world and we hope it will be really well received.” The programme is now available and is free of charge to TBA members/ACCESS subscribers. Non-members can also access the full programme, with two of the four courses priced at £45 and the other two at £145. Further information about each of the individual courses can be found here. The post TB-Ed Launch New Online ‘Getting the Mare in Foal’ Programme appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2026 live racing schedule at Parx Racing has been released and features 149 days of live racing throughout the year, highlighted by the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) on Sept. 19.View the full article

Thoroughbreds are hitting the track early as Will Rogers Downs kicks off spring racing season on Jan. 12. The earlier start , nearly two months ahead of last year's March 3 opening, will conclude on Kentucky Derby Day, May 2.View the full article

The New York Racing Association plans to run 196 racing days at Aqueduct Racetrack, Saratoga Race Course and the new Belmont Park in 2026. View the full article

Oli Rix, the most recent addition to the training ranks in Newmarket, harbours dreams of sending out a breakthrough winner with Trouble Man before the year is out. The 31-year-old, who has spent time working with Andrew Balding, Chris Waller and most recently Roger Varian, has assembled a team of 15 horses to run in his debut season from Bedford House Stables. Trouble Man was a 31,000gns purchase by Rix at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale and, with the benefit of a recent pipe-opener under his belt, his young trainer is optimistic that he can go close at Wolverhampton on Saturday. “Trouble Man has been in great nick since he ran at Kempton,” the young handler said. “He wasn't helped by the draw that day and was forced to be dropped in when the track was favouring speed. He has bounced out of it well, had a blow on Wednesday morning and I am excited to run him again. I am keen to step him up to seven furlongs as he relaxed so well at Kempton and hit the line strong that day. “I think we will head to Wolverhampton Saturday over seven furlongs rather than six furlongs on Monday, which looks warmer at entry stage. Saturday is also a slightly lower grade and the race could be divided. Fingers crossed he draws okay!” Despite spending time in Australia with Waller, Rix has revealed that he never looked beyond Britain when it came about setting up as a trainer in his own right. He has spent the past four years working as an assistant trainer to Varian and said the opportunity to lease a yard at Bedford House Stable alongside Charlie Fellowes was too good to ignore. He said, “It's something I have always wanted to be doing more than a financial or a business decision. I will need it to work but it's an itch I had to scratch. I don't think I'd have been able to live with myself if I didn't give training a go at some stage. I am aware that it's very hard but you've got to give it a go. The opportunity to train out of Bedford House Stables presented itself and I felt that, if I was going to do it, now is the right time.” Rix added, “I worked for Chris Waller in Australia for a year so I definitely gave it some consideration to setting up down there but, the lifestyle there, it is probably even more grueling than it is here. They are basically working night shits and, the bigger you get, the more inter state racing there is. The travel is obscene. And actually, the training ranks are very much dominated by the super powers down there. I just felt, what I really wanted to be doing was to be training in England.” Son of respected form judge and tipster Henry Rix, Oli has understandably targeted the recent horses-in-training sales over the yearling market when it came to recruiting talent. He was notably active at the Autumn edition of the horses-in-training sale at Tattersalls and says that the recruitment and placing of form horses could provide him with a potential edge over some of his rivals in the coming months and years. He said, “Placing the horses is going to be a massive selling point for us. My father is a former tipster and is one of the top form judges around. Buying and placing horses, that's something that comes very natural to us. Trading is everything as well. You can't make money at this game without trading so, everything we have bought so far, we have bought them with one eye on selling. If we had anything that was good enough to go to Royal Ascot, for example, they would be in the Goffs London Sale.” He added, “Like I said, I know that this is a very hard game to make money in but we're not just playing – we need it to work. We waited and waited until we had enough support to do it properly and go out and actually buy some nice horses, which I think we have done. I didn't want to go out on my own, punting and speculating on five and ten grand horses and hoping for the best. I wanted to attract people who were prepared to put some money behind us and I feel like we've done that. We've bought a nice horse off Juddmonte for example, Intense Vision (Expert Eye), who I think a lot of people thought was unraced because, when the catalogue for the Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale came out, he hadn't run. We ran the figures for his runs in France and he could be rated in the mid to high 90s so, for 60,000gns, we think he was well bought and he could even have something like the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot as a potential target. “We also bought a horse privately off Ger Lyons, and he's called Strike Zone (Mehmas). He will be one for novices and was purchased on behalf of a Hong Kong client so he has the option of going out there if things go well. Dosman (Kingman), who I paid 4,000gns for in an online sale, is one we could aim at those valuable Friday night fixtures so there are four or five to run this winter.” While the hope is that Trouble Man can be good enough to get the stable off the mark in whatever race he pitches up at Wolverhampton, Rix is not setting any unrealistic targets for his debut campaign. Instead, he will be bidding to do right by every horse within his care and build up a reputation as being an assured pair of hands that prospective owners and clients can turn to. He concluded, “I don't really set goals at all but, if you were to ask me where I'd like to be in a year's time, I'd say to have the yard full and to be in a situation where people want to send me some nice horses. I don't really mind if that means we've had 10 or 20 winners, just as long as we've done well with what we have and are expanding.” The post Meet The 31-Year-Old Newmarket Trainer Bidding For A Breakthrough This Week 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, Inc. (NYRA) released its 2026 racing schedule Thursday, a calendar which includes 196 live race days spread across Aqueduct Racetrack, Saratoga Race Course and the new Belmont Park. Additionally, NYRA has reached a multi-year agreement with the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) designed to provide racing participants with additional certainty regarding racing opportunities and underscores NYRA's commitment to year-round racing during the transition to a re-imagined Belmont Park. Accordingly, NYRA has established the foundation of a 2027 racing schedule to include 203 live race days split between Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park. The 2027 racing calendar will mark the return of the GI Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets to Long Island. And for the first time since 2005, the Breeders' Cup World Championships will be contested at Belmont Park on October 29-30, 2027. Following a three-year period of temporary adjustments to the schedule of racing at Saratoga [2024-2026], NYRA will return to the traditional 40-day summer meet in 2027. “NYRA has arrived at a schedule for the next two years that provides continuity in 2026 and significantly expands racing opportunities in 2027,” said Andrew Offerman, NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing and Operations. “The two-year plan reflects NYRA's investment in a revitalized winter racing product at the new Belmont Park, where the availability of a Tapeta surface will improve field size and increase the quality of racing year-round. We will soon be entering a new era for racing downstate, and this agreement allows NYRA to focus its efforts on planning and implementing these racing calendars, continuing to improve the quality of racing opportunities for all participants in New York, and successfully reopening Belmont Park.” As part of the same forward-looking agreement, NYRA will be accelerating the implementation of comprehensive purse increases for all New York-bred overnight races. Originally scheduled for January 2027, these purse increases in races restricted to New York-breds will now be fully enacted in September 2026 to coincide with the re-opening of Belmont Park. Throughout the 2026 calendar year, as previously announced, NYRA will increase purses in all New York-bred overnight races for 2-year-olds. “This two-year agreement represents a significant step forward for every participant in the New York-bred program,” said Najja Thompson, NYTB Executive Director. “The significant increase in purses for all New York-breds with the reopening of Belmont Park will be enormously beneficial for breeding and racing in New York, which drives a broad and growing industry across the state. We're proud to have the best regional breeding program in the nation, and this announcement further strengthens our position.” Specific purse levels and details relative to these increases will be published in the first condition book for the summer meet at Saratoga and the first condition book for the fall meet at Belmont Park. “We are very pleased to announce a landmark two-year calendar for New York racing,” said Tina Marie Bond, NYTHA President. “This ensures stability for New York owners, trainers, and other major stakeholders as we prepare to transition to the brand-new surfaces of the redeveloped Belmont Park. We will continue to work closely with NYRA to secure a healthy future for horse racing in the Empire State.” The ongoing construction of a new Belmont Park, which will re-open in September, will require certain adjustments to the customary NYRA racing schedule throughout 2026. The spring/summer meets traditionally held at Belmont Park will again take place at Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga will host the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival for the third and final time. Highlighted by the 158th running of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 6, the 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be held at Saratoga from Wednesday, June 3 through Sunday, June 7. “Each summer, Saratoga Race Course stands at the center of the racing world,” said David O'Rourke, NYRA President & CEO. “The 2026 season will be particularly special as we celebrate the final Saratoga edition of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and honor America's 250th anniversary at one of the country's most historic sporting venues. While Saratoga has served as the ideal temporary host for the Belmont Stakes and July 4th festivals, we look forward to returning to the traditional 40-day summer racing schedule at Saratoga in 2027.” The 2026 Aqueduct winter meet will open Wednesday, January 1 and continue through Sunday, March 30. Except for January 8, live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday until February 15 and Friday-Sunday from February 20 through the end of March. The winter meet will offer 45 live race days in total. The 2026 spring meet at Aqueduct will open Thursday, April 2 and continue through Sunday, April 26 with live racing conducted Thursday-Sunday. The spring meet will offer 15 live race days in total. The 2026 Belmont at the Big A spring summer meet will open Thursday, April 30 and continue through Sunday, June 28. Live racing will generally be conducted Thursday-Sunday except for Memorial Day weekend and a period of dark days prior to the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga. The Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet will offer 33 live race days in total. NYRA will honor the legacy of Aqueduct throughout 2026 and bid farewell to the storied venue with a series of events culminating on June 28. Additional details will be provided in early 2026. At the conclusion of the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet, the NYRA circuit will return to Saratoga for a 46-day summer meet to open with the July 4th Racing Festival from Friday, July 3, through Sunday, July 5. “We are excited to have one more opportunity to showcase our amazing community to the world by hosting the Belmont Stakes and July 4th Festivals,” said Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus. “To kick off the Belmont Festival, we will again host a Belmont on Broadway concert free for locals and visitors to our community, and the July 4th All American Celebration to add to the festivities at the track. These two festivals helped drive up revenue at local hotels, restaurants, bars, stores and shops throughout the area, in 2025, and the same will be true as our historic run hosting these events concludes in 2026.” To accommodate the 2026 calendar, Saratoga will then host a series of four-day racing weeks, Thursday through Sunday, from Thursday, July 9, through Sunday, July 26 prior to the resumption of the five-day racing week beginning Wednesday, July 29. The 2026 summer meet will conclude with a six-day closing week from Wednesday, September 2, through Labor Day, Monday, September 7. NYRA will then unveil the new and re-imagined Belmont Park when live racing returns to Elmont, N.Y. in September. Centered around a new grandstand and paddock, Belmont Park will offer four newly constructed racing surfaces including a one-mile Tapeta track to be used for winter racing, off-the-turf races and for training year-round. Tentatively scheduled to begin Friday, September 18, the Belmont Park fall meet will continue through Sunday, December 6 and offer 46 live race days in total. NYRA will provide additional details in the coming weeks and months regarding Opening Day events and festivities to celebrate the new Belmont Park. The 2026/27 Belmont Park winter meet will open on Thursday, December 10 and will continue into 2027 following 11 days of live racing in December. Click here for the 2026 calendar of live race dates, which is pending New York State Gaming Commission approval. The post NYRA Releases 2026 Racing Schedule, Sets Multi-Year Race-Dates Agreement appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

No fewer than 44 all-weather fixtures (up to and including racing on Tuesday, December 16) have been held in Britain and Ireland since the most recent edition of Winter Watch was penned on November 20, with the end-of-year sales swing dictating that the recent focus for us bloodstock journalists has been less Newcastle and Dundalk, more Newmarket and Deauville. But now, with the sights and sounds of Arqana quickly becoming a distant memory, it's time to get back to what will be our bread and butter until Flat racing returns on turf next spring. Did one of those 44 meetings play host to a Group 1 winner of 2026? Who knows but, if they did, hopefully the horse in question makes an appearance in the near-2,000 words below, a hasty recap of everything we've missed over the past three weeks. New Bay Continues to Deliver for Ralph Beckett According to Timeform ratings, the best performance produced by a two-year-old novice/maiden winner since Winter Watch last went to print came courtesy of Richie's Rocket, a devastating pillar-to-post winner at Lingfield on November 20. Sent off the 30/100 favourite for the 7f maiden on the card, the son of New Bay confirmed the promise of his Newmarket debut three weeks earlier in no uncertain terms, ultimately passing the post nine lengths clear of his closest pursuer, despite being heavily eased down in the closing stages. Admittedly, Richie's Rocket didn't have much in the way of meaningful opposition, but the clock doesn't lie and he ran the seven furlongs in a considerably quicker time than the other two juvenile winners on the card, earning a noteworthy Timeform rating of 102p for one so early in his career. Bought for €110,000 at Book 1 of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, Richie's Rocket is one of four winners from five runners out of the speedy White Bullet (Exceed And Excel), who twice hit the frame at Listed level in a career spanning only four starts. This colt has clearly inherited a good deal of her pace, although a step up to a mile at some stage should be within his range. Richie's Rocket's trainer, Ralph Beckett, has also been among the winners lately with some well-bred fillies, including Juddmonte homebred Serenetta (Kingman) – a half-sister to the stable's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Bluestocking (Camelot) and G1 Sussex Stakes winner Qirat (Showcasing) – who got off the mark at the second attempt in a 7f novice at Kempton on December 3. Her pedigree will be an ongoing recommendation, while similar comments apply to stablemate K Sarra, who shares her sire with Richie's Rocket and is a full-sister to Beckett's G2 Dante Stakes and G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes winner Pride Of Arras. Keeping up the excellent strike-rate of the Aykroyds and their boutique breeding operation – which has also produced the G2 King Edward VII Stakes scorer Amiloc (Postponed) from only five individual runners in Britain in 2025 – K Sarra kicked off her career in style when winning a 1m novice at Southwell on November 26. She's very much one to follow. Look at him go! Richie's Rocket bolts clear of the field to record a supremely impressive success at @LingfieldPark…@Rossaryan15 @RalphBeckett pic.twitter.com/RJ4hONA7vT — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 20, 2025 Amo Filly Impresses at Southwell Beckett also struck at Lingfield on Monday when Angel Gabriel (Mehmas) dominated the 6f novice, a performance perhaps most notable for the compliment it paid to the filly he chased home at a distance at Southwell a few weeks earlier. Amo Racing's Domina Ignis is the horse in question, a €300,000 purchase at the Arqana May Breeze-up Sale. She was making a belated debut in the 6f novice at Southwell on November 21, but it proved well worth the wait as she easily shrugged aside the aforementioned Angel Gabriel, who was sent off the 4/7 favourite after filling the runner-up spot on his own debut at Doncaster earlier in the month. At the line, however, Domina Ignis was five lengths clear of that solid yardstick, impressing most with her strength at the finish, especially as she'd been keener than ideal in the early stages. Trained by Kevin Philippart de Foy at Amo's Newmarket base, Freemason Lodge, the daughter of Pinatubo could be as exciting a two-year-old as we've seen from that team heading into next year. The first runner out of a full-sister to the Listed Prix la Sorellina winner Chartreuse (Lawman), Domina Ignis should stay at least seven furlongs, though the high cruising speed she demonstrated at Southwell will stand her in good stead if connections opt to campaign her as a sprinter. Night Of Thunder Colt the Next Damysus? Organise is a name for the notebook from another of the sport's emerging superpowers in Wathnan Racing, having strolled to a seven-length debut victory at Southwell on November 26. Sent off the 11/10 favourite in a field of 14 for that 7f novice, the son of Night Of Thunder was still on the bridle when hitting the front with less than two furlongs to run, before drawing right away once shaken up by James Doyle to prove himself in a different league to the rest. Whilst he did blot his copybook slightly when hanging left in the final furlong, for now that is best put down to inexperience and it speaks to his ability that he still won by such a wide margin. It cost Wathnan 360,000gns to land Organise at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, with the G3 Renaissance Stakes scorer The Happy Prince (Rip Van Winkle) featuring among his five winning siblings. He'll stay a mile and his connections will be hoping he can emulate Damysus (Frankel), who proved himself a high-class performer after making a winning debut at Southwell around this time last year. Incidentally, Organise features among six juvenile winners for the Gosden yard since the previous instalment of Winter Watch. All of the others merit some sort of mention, including Kempton winner Asmeralda (Night Of Thunder), a €640,000 buy at Book 1 of the Goffs Orby, but Chelmsford scorer Symbol Of Majesty might just have the edge in terms of star potential. Another exciting prospect for New Bay, Symbol Of Majesty is a half-sister to the stable's G1 Fillies' Mile heroine Commissioning (Kingman), while their dam, Sovereign Parade (Galileo), is a full-sister to the Irish Derby and St Leger winner Capri, among others. This filly came from miles back to win the 1m novice at Chelmsford on December 4, shaping like one who will be a much sharper model with the experience under her belt. Going, going, gone! Organise is very green but clears easily away from the field on debut at @Southwell_Races… pic.twitter.com/sF8ld7od4i — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 26, 2025 Embarrassment of Riches at Moulton Paddocks Not to be outdone by the Gosdens, Charlie Appleby has saddled seven two-year-old winners in Britain over the past three weeks, highlighting once again that Moulton Paddocks is blessed with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to these late-maturing juveniles. On December 12, Tales Of Wisdom registered an even more emphatic victory at Southwell than Organise when winning the 7f maiden by 11 lengths. Whilst it's fair to say that it wasn't much of a contest, the winning margin underlines that he himself will be worth his place in a higher grade. Already gelded, the son of Blue Point was picked up for €250,000 at the Goffs November Foal Sale, having been bred by Brickfield Stud out of an unraced half-sister to this year's G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen winner Tornado Alert (Too Darn Hot). Elsewhere, Hidden Force and King's Trail both looked destined for bigger and better things when making successful debuts at Kempton on December 1. From the Godolphin family which has given them the likes of Thunder Snow and Coroebus, Frankel colt Hidden Force looked to have a bit in hand when winning the 7f novice which kicked off the card, just needing to be pushed out to land the spoils by 1 3/4 lengths. That victory saw him become the third winner from as many runners out of the Listed UAE 1,000 Guineas heroine Winter Lightning (Shamardal), with the others including the Listed Prix Casimir Delamarre scorer Dancing Goddess (Dubawi). King's Trail, meanwhile, was impressive in winning the 1m novice by 2 3/4 lengths, really putting his stamp on the contest late on after he'd taken a bit of time to get the hang of things. The second foal out of the G3 Prix Chloe winner and G1 Prix Rothschild runner-up Crown Walk (Dubawi), the son of Sea The Stars promises to be well suited by middle-distances next year. Then, of course, there's Nation's Hope, who is now two from two at Kempton, having followed up his debut rout with a similarly dominant effort to win the 1m novice run on December 10. A six-length winner most recently, the son of Ghaiyyath again showed more than enough in defying his penalty to suggest the 'TDN Rising Star' tag he earned on debut won't prove wide of the mark. He looks a safe bet to follow in the footsteps of his globetrotting half-brother, Nations Pride (Teofilo), by making an impact in Group company when the time comes. A comfortable success for Nation's Hope in the @HEROSCharity Creating Bright Futures EBF Novice Stakes pic.twitter.com/Zp4z5FpqCo — Kempton Park Racecourse (@kemptonparkrace) December 10, 2025 Bright Futures Ahead for Relative Bargain Buys The William Haggas-trained Zennor Storm hasn't caused so much fanfare as Nation's Hope with his two wins at Kempton, but he too looked a good prospect when last seen defying a penalty to maintain his unbeaten record on December 3. Proving well suited by the step up to a mile in that novice, the son of Mohaather responded generously to pressure after coming under a drive early in the straight, before putting on the afterburners late on to run out an authoritative winner by 1 1/2 lengths. Bred by Maywood Stud, Zennor Storm first changed hands for just 5,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, before being bought by Mary Reynolds of Ardglas Stables for €25,000 at Part 2 of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale. He proved a successful pinhook for that team, having sold most recently for £60,000 at the Goffs UK Breeze-up Sale, while his subsequent exploits suggest he was a bargain even at that price for his owner, Richard Salter. Another with an interesting sales history is Newcastle winner Noelan Star, who first sold for €47,000 at the Goffs November Foal Sale and then for 45,000gns at Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale. More recently, the son of Starspangledbanner failed to find a buyer at 80,000gns when catalogued as part of September's Tattersalls Online Barrier Trials Pop-Up Sale, having won his trial at Leopardstown for Diego Dias just a few days earlier. Having ended up at the Ed Bethell yard one way or another, Noelan Star caused a bit of an upset when making a winning debut in the 1m novice run at Gosforth Park on December 13. At the line he was fully 8 1/2 lengths clear of Alba Gu Brath (Study Of Man), who was sent off the 10/11 favourite after chasing home none other than Zennor Storm on his debut 10 days earlier. Alba Gu Brath probably wasn't in quite the same form at Newcastle as he had been at Kempton, but the manner in which he was put to the sword by the smooth-travelling Noelan Star was taking nonetheless. He seems sure to progress and win more races. The Irish Angle In Ireland, Greek Mythology provided another late-season boost for young Darley stallion Pinatubo when winning a 7f median auction event at Dundalk on December 3. The Al Shira'aa homebred very much enjoyed the run of the race, dictating just a modest gallop, but there's little doubt that the best horse won as he asserted in the final furlong to give weight and a comprehensive beating to the pair of last-time-out winners who completed the frame. Certainly, it was a stylish debut from this son of the G3 Premio Elena E Sergio Cumani third Liwa Palace (Oasis Dream), who has already given Al Shira'aa and Joseph O'Brien the G3 Killavullan Stakes winner Atlantic Coast (Kodiac). This one has scope for more improvement and will merit consideration wherever he turns up next. Lastly, similar comments apply to Danny Murphy's Sovereign Cry, who beat no less than four previous winners when opening his own account in a 5f conditions event at Dundalk on December 12, digging deep to mug the favourite in the shadows of the post. Murphy's phone has surely been red hot in the days since, but the son of Ten Sovereigns ought to give his connections plenty of sport if continuing his racing career on these shores. Bought for €58,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-up Sale, he is out of a once-raced half-sister to the G2 Duke Of York Stakes-winning sire Invincible Army. The post Winter Watch: Beckett, Gosdens and Appleby All Among the Winners appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Keeneland has supplemented four additional horses to the 2026 January Horses of All Ages Sale to be held Monday, Jan. 12 and Tuesday, Jan. 13. Broken Oath, a 9-year-old winning daughter of Broken Vow in foal to Kantharos. A half-sister to Grade II winner Venetian Harbor, she is consigned by Ashview Farm, agent. Broken Oath is out of the winning stakes-placed Sounds of the City, by Street Cry (Ire). 2025 filly by Flameaway consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. The first foal out of the Liam's Map mare Approachable, she is from the family of Canadian Horse of the Year Up With the Birds and Canadian champion Wilderness Song. Musical Rhapsody (Ire), a listed stakes-winning and Grade III-placed daughter of Holy Roman Emperor. Cataloged as a broodmare prospect, she is consigned by Eaton Sales, agent. Tight Line, a 3-year-old filly by Constitution cataloged as a broodmare prospect. From the family of Grade I winner In Lingerie, she is out of the winning Pioneerof the Nile mare Trailblazer. Ashview Farm, agent, consigns Tight Line. These supplements increase the total number of horses cataloged to the January Sale to 1,092. Each session begins at 10 a.m. ET and the auction will be livestreamed at Keeneland.com. The post Keeneland Supplements Four Horses To 2026 January Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The $1 million GI BetParx Pennsylvania Derby, set for Saturday, September 19, will headline the 2026 live racing schedule at Parx Racing which released its calendar for next year Thursday. The track, which typically operates a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday schedule throughout the year with select Friday and weekend dates, will play host to 149 days of live racing throughout the year. In 2026, there will be racing held on all three Triple Crown Saturdays (May 2, May 16 and June 6) as well as on Kentucky Oaks Friday (May 1). In addition, there will racing held on Saturday, July 18 for Pennsylvania Day at the Races, Saturday, August 15 for Owner's Appreciation Day and a Sunday card will be on Father's Day (June 21). As in years past, there will be a three-week break in live racing the last week of July into the first two weeks of August. In 2026, there will also be a week off of racing following the Pennsylvania Derby. Thursday racing has been added to the schedule for the month of November as well as live racing on Black Friday following Thanksgiving. “We are looking forward to our 2026 season and appreciate the cooperation of the horsemen and women and the PTHA as we put together our schedule,” said Parx COO Joe Wilson. “We are proud of the competitive product put forth by our racing office year-round and hope that the return of turf racing in 2026 will continue to enhance that.” The full 2026 live racing schedule can be viewed here. The post PA Derby Headlines 2026 Parx Racing Schedule appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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 Chukyo and Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses: Saturday, December 20, 2025 4th-NKY, ¥14,250,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m EXMOUTH (f, 2, Practical Joke–Lighthouse Bay, by Speightstown) looks to become the fifth winner from as many starters from her dam, winner of four of her eight trips to the post including a 21-1 upset of the GI Prioress Stakes at Saratoga in 2013. A half-sister to the stakes-placed Tammy Tap Tap Tap (Candy Ride {Arg}), Lighthouse Bay is also responsible for the 4-year-old colt Ecoro Eight (Take Charge Indy), a three-time winner in Japan, including a six-furlong allowance at this venue this past September. The visiting Tom Marquand has the riding assignment. O-Shadai Race Horse Co Ltd; B-Shadai Farm (KY); T-Taiki Chaki 6th-HSN, ¥14,250,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m SAN SEBA (JPN) (c, 2, Justify–Amortization {Ire}, by Kingman {GB}) is the first produce out of a mare who won two of seven starts in this country–one each for Chad Brown and George Weaver–before changing hands for $75,000 to the bid of Shimokobe Farm at Keeneland January in 2022. The colt's third dam Sulk (Ire) (Selkirk) was precocious enough to win the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac over a mile at two and later became a top stayer, finishing runner-up in the G1 Prix Royal-Oak and third in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks. Sulk is a half-sister to US champion Dank (GB) and G1SW Eagle Mountain. Yutaka Take rides. O-Monreve Co Ltd; B-Shimokobe Farm; T-Tatsuya Yoshioka Sunday, December 21, 2025 5th-CKO, ¥14,250,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m ELEGANT PHARAOH (f, 2, American Pharoah–Tap That App, by Tapit), a $40,000 Keeneland November weanling last fall, breezed an eighth of a mile in a smooth :10 2/5 and was hammered down for $185,000 at this year's OBS April Sale. The Mar. 21 foal is a granddaughter of GSP Conquest Curlgirl (Curlin), a half-sister to MSW & MGSP Easyfromthegitgo (Easy Goer) and GSW Sue's Good News (Woodman), the dam of GISW Tiz Miz Sue (Tiznow) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint hero Bulletin (City Zip) and the granddam of this year's GIII Gotham Stakes hero Flood Zone (Frosted). Pine Ridge Stable acquired Tap That App for $125,000 with Elegant Pharaoh in utero at Keeneland November in 2022. O-Kazuhiro Masuda; B-Pine Ridge Stable LLC (KY); T-Yuta Sato The post Lighthouse Bay Filly Debuts For Shadai at Nakayama appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In the wake of increasing disquiet at the impasse between Racing Australia and the Asian Racing Federation in the prolonged absence of proper oversight of Australia's black-type programme, the newly formed Australian Racing Industry Alliance (ARIA) released a statement on Thursday outlining plans for the restoration of an Australian Pattern Committee. Chaired by major owner-breeder Jonathan Munz, and with the backing of one of the most respected figures in international breeding in Arrowfield Stud's John Messara, ARIA represents many of the country's major industry bodies, including Thoroughbred Breeders Australia, Thoroughbred Breeders NSW, Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria, the sales companies Magic Millions and Inglis, the Australian Trainers Association, and the Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners Association. On Wednesday, the Asian Pattern Committee (APC), which oversees the individual committees of the member countries of the Asian Racing Federation, confirmed that it would take control of the decision-making process of grading Austalia's black-type races as a “temporary measure” while the Australian Pattern Committee remains inactive, as it has been since the 2017/18 racing season. ARIA now seeks to implement a new structure similar to the independent committees which sit in other major racing jurisdictions. Its proposal suggests that an Australian Pattern Panel (APP) be established with 18 permanent voting members and a constitution that ensures proper governance and succession planning. This panel would select an Australian Pattern Committee annually, with members representing the broad spectrum of the racing and bloodstock world but acting independently of Racing Australia. Jonathan Munz said, “Racing Australia has been heavily criticised and the current situation is an embarrassment. It cannot be in charge of putting together a set of experts on breeding and the Pattern to advise the APC. You don't empower the organisation that has been accused of botching a process to fix that process.” Following the unprecedented action of the Asian Pattern Committee in stepping in to revive the Australian Pattern, the country has been given a stay of execution from the threat of being demoted to Part II of international racing's Blue Book, which would mean its Group races would be recognised as such only domestically. John Messara, a former chair of Racing Australia, is well placed to recognise the potential damage this would wreak on Australia's bloodstock industry and he echoed Munz's sentiments. “We cannot have the current situation, where races are listed by Racing Australia as having been upgraded or as 'new' stakes races, when they do not qualify to appear as such in our sales catalogues,” he said. “It is also important to note that a 'ratings-based only' set of Pattern guidelines would be inconsistent with the Asian Patter Committee Ground Rules, which specifically require a pattern committee to take into account 'all factors that include more than race ratings or statical analysis, such as the effect of the shape of the Pattern, as well as circumstances that may impact the race rating of a specific race'.” Messara added, “For the sake of the Australian racing industry and its international reputation, we need a settlement that restores confidence in the Pattern. Nothing short of proper governance will do.” The post Munz and Messara Back ARIA to Wrest Control of Australian Pattern appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Central trainers also forewarned the lack of a sustainable funding model for the Awapuni synthetic. Most CD trainers did not want the track installed. However, it looks a mandate for Awapuni trainers to support the polytrack now as they rent facilities from RACE. As for a substantial increase of horses trained at Awapuni, despite the inflated numbers on the application to the Provincial Growth Fund, it was never going to happen. There are no longer studs of any significance in Manawatu, and leading jockeys and trainers are domiciled elsewhere. Growth must be close to zero making the use of government growth funding a failure. We are continually told by NZTR that those in the industry must band together for the good of all. I think there is an anomaly. Breeders have representatives on most racing boards and advisories, plus there is a definite inclusion of a selling facility at Greenfields. If it's good enough for all owners to contribute a percentage of stakes to horse welfare it may be time for breeders to do the same for an infrastructure fund. The breeders need horses to race for their core business to thrive. A tarif/tax/deduction of sales and service fees would help build up a fund, over and above any sweepstake races. A percentage applied to all income would allow for those who receive the most to contribute the most, rather than a select few clubs giving up their asset. The breeders could offer ongoing contributions, whereas the clubs can only sell their tracks once e.g. Feilding, Marton, Bulls, Paeroa etc.

Promising stayer She’s A Hustler (NZ) (Ace High) could be another galloper who could make a cameo appearance at the Sydney Autumn Carnival. Just as Tony and Calvin McEvoy are considering a return to racing for Caulfield and Melbourne Cups champion Half Yours in the All Aged Stakes, She’s A Hustler’s trainer Grahame Begg is pondering bringing her back at Randwick. Begg said he is looking at the Gr.1 Queen Of The Turf (1600m) for fillies and mares at Randwick on April 11 for his last-start winner of the Gr.2 Zipping Classic (2400m), before she heads to Queensland and feature middle-distance targets before bringing her back for the Melbourne Spring Carnival. “We’re working out a plan for her. In Brisbane she will run in the Hollindale Stakes (Gr.2, 1800m), the Doomben Cup (Gr.1, 2000m) and the Q22 (Gr.2, 2200m),” Begg said. “We’ve got to work out whether to run her beforehand in Sydney first-up in the Group One race for fillies and mares.” Begg said after She’s A Hustler won the Zipping Classic, his goal in 2026 will be to win the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) at the same track and distance. The five-year-old mare has been lightly raced, having had 10 starts for six wins and four second placings, with the daughter of Rich Hill Stud stallion Ace High having transferred from New Zealand after placing on debut for Roger James and Robert Wellwood. Ace High is represented by 17 yearlings at the forthcoming Karaka Yearling Sales in January. She’s A Hustler is $20 to win the 2026 Caulfield Cup. View the full article