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Cygames will sponsor the Listed Surrey Stakes during the 2026 Betfred Derby Festival at Epsom Downs, marking the Japanese-based company's first sponsorship agreement in the United Kingdom. The sponsorship sees Cygames further expand its international racing portfolio, having already sponsored Group 1 races in France and America. The Cygames Surrey Stakes will be run on Friday, June 5, the first day of the Betfred Derby Festival. Matthew Woolston, Assistant Racing and International Director at The Jockey Club, said, “The Jockey Club are delighted to play our part in the long and valuable history of cooperation between Japan and the United Kingdom, for the development of horseracing but also of wider cultural and community ties.” He added, “We're so pleased that Cygames are able to partner with The Jockey Club at the 2026 Betfred Derby Festival at Epsom Downs and we hope this partnership will enable further cooperation between the industries in Japan and the United Kingdom. “The UK has been privileged to welcome a number of Japanese runners to our courses in recent years and we look forward to seeing others in the near future.” The post Cygames to Sponsor Surrey Stakes at the Betfred Derby Festival appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Over 200 two-year-olds, one of them a St Mark's Basilica half-brother to G1 Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Galileo), have been catalogued for the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale. Breezes will take place over the Deauville turf on Thursday May 7 from midday, before the sale begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 9. Set to sell as lot 174, the bay is also a half-brother to G1 Railway Stakes heroine Bounding (Lonhro), while multiple group winner and sire Kuroshio is under the second dam. Other choice lots include lot 19, a New Bay colt who is a half-brother to G1 Grosser Preis von Baden hero Zagrey (Zarak); a Siyouni colt (lot 55) out of a half-sister to former Hong Kong Horse of the Year and superstar Romantic Warrior (Acclamation); a filly by Dubawi and out of a Dansili half-sister to G1 Preix Vermeille heroines Aventure (Sea The Stars) and Left Hand (Dubawi); a Frankel colt (lot 96) who is a half-brother to multiple group winner War Decree (War Front) and a full to GII Sands Point Stakes winner Skims (Frankel); a Sea The Stars colt–a grandson of multiple Group 1 winner Russian Rhythm (Kingmambo)–and half-brother to group winners Marenko (Exceed And Excel) and Potapova (Invincible Spirit), with the former also third in the G1 Flying Five Stakes; and lot 114, a Kingman colt out of the group winner Silence Please (Gleneagles). There will also be juveniles offered by such sires as Blue Point, Camelot, Dark Angel, Ghaiyyath, Havana Grey, Kingman, Lope De Vega, Mehmas, Night Of Thunder, No Nay Never, Sea The Stars, Sioux Nation, Starman, Starspangledbanner, Study Of Man, Too Darn Hot, Wootton Bassett and Zarak. The sale is a notable stomping ground for agents from overseas, and there are pedigrees sure to appeal. A filly by first-season sire Flightline (lot 60) out of stakes winner Miss Mosaic (Verrazano); another daughter of Flightline (lot 69) who is a granddaughter of G1 Irish 1000 Guineas victress Marvellous (Galileo); an Uncle Mo colt (lot 184) from the family of Lope De Vega group winners King Vega, Lady Boba, Elana Osario; and a third daughter of Flightline (lot 205) who is the first foal out of the Group 1-placed Esplanande (Daredevil) will all go through the Deauville ring. Other American sires represented are Constitution, Essential Quality, Frosted, Justify, Maxfield, Medaglia d'Oro, Oscar Performance, Practical Joke, Quality Road, Tiz The Law, Vekoma, and Yaupon. First crop sires are also amply represented with two-year-olds by Baaeed, Blackbeard, Epicenter, Golden Pal, Jack Christopher, Jackie's Warrior, Mandaloun, Minzaal, Perfect Power, Persian Force, Stradivarius, Thunder Moon, Cyberknife and Speaker's Corner. In 2025, the sale grossed €27,179,500 for 134 sold from 160 offered (84%). The average was €202,832 and the median was €120,000. The topper was Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder), a €1.9-million purchase by Godolphin. The half-brother to group winner Beautiful Morning (Galileo) won the G3 Tattersalls Stakes last autumn, and was third in the G1 Dewhurst Stakes to fellow Arqana Breeze-Up graduate Gewan (Night Of Thunder). All of the horses catalogued will be eligible for the 2026 Arqana Series, a programme of five races open to two- and three-year-olds offered at the Deauville sales with overall prize-money set at a minimum of €1.2 million. The post Half-Brother To Derby Winner Anthony Van Dyck Highlights Arqana Breeze-Up Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Bjorn Baker has announced the retirement of stable star Arapaho (Lope De Vega), a stalwart of the Australian racing scene whose top-level victories included the 2023 Tancred Stakes and 2025 Sydney Cup. Bred by the Fabre family's Ecurie Peregrine out of the Dansili mare Alzubra, Arapaho retires having won 10 races and over $2.8 million in prize-money from a career spanning 50 starts. Three of those victories came when trained in France by Andre Fabre, notably winning the Listed Prix du Pont Neuf, before a sixth-place finish in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains won by Victor Ludorum. At the end of that three-year-old campaign, Arapaho went under the hammer at the Arqana Deauville Autumn Mixed Sale where he was bought by Baker, along with Avenue Bloodstock and Clarke Bloodstock, for €140,000. He debuted in Australia in April 2021 and has been a mainstay ever since, with his other triumphs including the G2 Zipping Classic in 2024 and G3 Premiers Cup in 2022. “Today we announce the retirement of our dual Group 1 winner, Arapaho,” read a statement issued by Bjorn Baker Racing on social media. “A winner of both the Tancred Stakes and the Sydney Cup (in a track record time), Arapaho has been an outstanding ambassador for our stable over a long period. Tough, genuine and consistently performing at the highest level, he built a record of which to be proud.” The statement added, “The decision to retire him has been made with his best interests firmly in mind. He is feeling a little wear and tear on his joints and, as a nine-year-old, it's the right call to step him away from racing rather than take any risk. “Arapaho will now enjoy a well-earned retirement with Rachel King and Luke Hilton, where we know he will be loved and cared for in the next chapter of his life.” The post ‘He Built A Record Of Which To Be Proud’ – Dual Group 1 Winner Arapaho Retired appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The first installment in the 2026 OwnerView webinar series was held Mar. 17 and featured a discussion of the benefits and challenges of breeding Thoroughbreds to race, the conference series said via a Thursday press release. Guests included Carrie Brogden, Machmer Hall Farm; Kate Galvin, Godolphin; Len Green, D.J. Stable; and Walker Hancock, Claiborne Farm. The event, hosted by The Jockey Club of America and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, was presented by Bessemer Trust, Keeneland and Dean Dorton Equine. Panel sponsors included the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Airdrie Stud. A Q&A, sponsored by West Point Thoroughbreds, followed the presentations. Click here to access all OwnerView webinars. The post First OwnerView Webinar Of The Year Discusses Breeding To Race appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Constitution Hill is one of 10 entries for Wednesday's Virgin Bet Novice Stakes at Kempton Park, with Ryan Moore set to take over in the saddle from the suspended Oisin Murphy when the son of Blue Bresil attempts to build on a hugely impressive start to his Flat career at Southwell last month. Trained by Nicky Henderson for owner Michael Buckley, Constitution Hill proved himself an outstanding hurdler when breaking the track record to win the G1 Supreme Novices' Hurdle by 22 lengths at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival. He went on to win the following year's G1 Champion Hurdle but fell in the race last year. That tumble was followed by two more in 2025, in both the G1 Aintree Hurdle and the G1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle. As a result of those jumping difficulties and the striking nature of his Southwell victory, by nine and a half lengths from the 85-rated Square Necker (Zarak), Constitution Hill's connections subsequently took the decision to bring the curtain down on his National Hunt career and focus on the Flat. All being well, the next step on that road will come at Kempton's evening fixture next week, with Moore set to benefit from the misfortune of champion jockey Murphy when he takes the mount on the nine-year-old. Henderson said, “Of course, it would have helped if he [Murphy] could have ridden him, because he knows him, but it's one of those unfortunate things. “We're not running him for experience or anything like that. He doesn't need experience. The crux of it is that we probably need to get him a handicap mark and so this is the second leg. “We've talked about the [G3] John Porter [Stakes, at Newbury on Saturday, April 18]. That is three and half weeks after Kempton. We could possibly do that and then he's had his three runs and he's got a mark which opens up all avenues.” He added, “We've no idea what he is. Nobody knows what rating he'll get. You can't judge it after one run and nor can I. Let's see what he can do again. “Nico [de Boinville] came and sat on him this morning, only because he's ridden him in all of his gallops and knows him very well. I asked him to sit on him and he said he felt in good form.” The post Constitution Hill Poised for Second Flat Appearance at Kempton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article