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Announcements



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    • Thoroughbred trainer Dale Romans will run for the United States Senate in Kentucky, according to a press release from his campaign Wednesday morning, calling himself an “independent Democrat.” Romans will face Amy McGrath in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, May 19. The general election for the seat being vacated by longtime Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell is scheduled to be held November 3. The winner of the Democratic primary is expected to face U.S. Congressman Andy Barr. The release reads: “Independent Democrat and famed Kentucky horserace trainer Dale Romans today announced his campaign for U.S. Senate to stand up for working people across the state and fix the challenges facing our country like harmful tariffs and dangerous health care cuts – instead of waging exhausting partisan fights that get us nowhere and only divide the nation.” Said Romans, “I've been in Kentucky my entire life. It's the greatest place in the world and the heart of America. We need a Senator who reflects our people: not polished insiders or party-line politicians running the same old partisan nonsense, but someone who has built a career the hard way and lived the struggles that Kentucky's working families face every day. To solve the challenges before us, we need a fix, not a fight. As an independent Democrat, I won't be beholden to the national party, and I won't be a puppet of the president like a freshman Republican Senator would be. I love Kentucky, and I know our state needs a Senator in Washington focused on our people.” Romans is a Louisville native and a lifelong resident of Kentucky. He was born into a working-class family and raised by a single mother, along with his two brothers. “Lynn was a proud union woman who wouldn't let Dale or any of her boys fall through the cracks,” reads the press release. “Dale was also inspired by his grandfather, himself a union man who loved FDR, and grew up learning the values that define Kentucky–hard work, loyalty, and independence–values that voters desperately want in Washington.” Romans has won over 2,250 races, including wins in the Preakness with Shackleford in 2011 and the 2015 Travers Stakes with Keen Ice, defeating American Pharoah. He has had 12 Kentucky Derby starts, and was appointed to the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. He is president of the Kentucky HBPA, where, the press release says, “he has been a vocal advocate for Kentucky workers, championing fair treatment, protecting jobs, and defending the economic lifeblood of local communities tied to small business, agriculture and racing. As a small business owner himself running a stable with 50 employees, Dale knows what it takes to grow a company, and he's worked hard to protect workers and support the people who keep this essential industry running. Dale came from nothing, built a storied career from the ground up, and always remembers where his roots are. His vision for Kentucky in the U.S. Senate is built on the values and lessons of this remarkable lived experience. “As a small business owner and president of the Kentucky HBPA, Dale knows how to lead, negotiate, and protect Kentucky jobs, especially in sectors that national politicians often ignore. Dale will protect Kentucky workers and businesses from harmful overregulation and destructive tariffs, like those hurting the state's vital bourbon industry. And he'll relieve the pain and pressure of the affordability crisis on working people by lowering costs, boosting wages, and creating more and better jobs. “Dale also knows we must do much more to make health care affordable and accessible, especially for working and low-income people. This means reversing the painful health care cuts and hospital closures forced on Kentucky by the OBBBA. Dale wants to strengthen Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act so more people can get healthcare without destroying their household budgets. And Dale won't cave to Big Pharma but instead will finally, after all these years of politicians talking about it in Washington, pass legislation to lower prescription drug costs.” Romans and partner Tammy Fox | Sarah Andrew The announcement reveals that Romans was diagnosed as severely dyslexic, and that school was difficult for him. He graduated from Butler High School in Louisville, and said that education will be one of his focuses, adding that while he was characterized as L.D., “that doesn't mean learning disabled, it means learning differently.” Romans has been sober for two years since quitting alcohol after undergoing a comprehensive rehab program in Bowling Green, and said he hoped to bring reform to addition recovery, and expand drug and alcohol awareness and resistance programs for young people. In his announcement video, Romans says, “I've travelled around the world, but I also saw the plight of the immigrant workforce we needed back here. The ones that are here working, doing jobs that are necessary in this country. We need those people. We don't need a fight, we need a fix.” The release makes it clear that immigration will also be a focus, reading, “For decades, Washington did nothing as the immigration system atrophied. Now it's woefully broken. We must secure the border, and those here illegally who commit crimes should be sent back. But Trump's radical ICE raids are creating fear and resentment in communities, scooping up innocent, law-abiding residents and sometimes even citizens, and hurting businesses and the economy. The aggressive tactics of masked men grabbing people off the street without warrants or legal explanation are un-American, don't keep us safe, and inflict real pain and disruption to the economy that raises costs, including for Kentucky's horse racing industry. Washington needs to stop kicking the can down the road just because it's hard, and Dale will work to pass real immigration reform in the U.S. Senate.” Romans and his partner, Tammy Fox, a former jockey, live in Louisville where they have raised two children. They welcomed their first grandchild earlier this month. For more information, visit DaleRomans.com. The post Dale Romans to Run for U.S. Senate in Kentucky appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • Twenty-five years into this new millennium, the season's 86 Group 1 races in Europe have all been run and, with the year ebbing away, Night Of Thunder stands on the cusp of becoming the champion sire of Britain and Ireland for the first time. The odds for a grandson of Dubai Millennium collecting this honour would not have been short in the aftermath of that stallion's death at the age of just five. A quarter of a century ago the aptly named Dubai Millennium appeared to have the world at his feet when he topped the rankings for 2000 on a mark of 134 – ahead of that year's Derby, Irish Derby and Arc winner Sinndar on 132 and King George winner Montjeu on 130. A glittering stud career at his owner-breeder Sheikh Mohammed's Dalham Hall Stud surely awaited, had fate not had other ideas.  As is now well documented, Dubai Millennium succumbed to Grass Sickness on April 29, 2001, less than three months into his initial covering season. Early the following year, the results of those matings started to appear and by the end of the foaling season 56 sons and daughters of Dubai Millennium were on the ground – 27 colts and 29 fillies. Seventeen of those were the offspring of Group 1-winning mares; 11 were half-siblings to Group 1 winners. In a commemorative book produced by Darley later that year, each foal was catalogued alphabetically by dam, with photograph and pedigree displayed. Last on the list, out of the G1 Oaks d'Italia winner Zomaradah (Deploy), is the colt who would rise up to offer long-term consolation for his sire's untimely demise. In bloodstock circles he is now a household name: Dubawi. Winner of the G1 National Stakes at two, then a Classic winner in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, and third in the Derby, he also landed one of Europe's most prestigious weight-for-age mile contests, the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois. Dubawi had everything on his side to make it as a commercial stallion but early reactions to his offspring were varied and, after standing his first two seasons at £25,000, with one year at Kildangan Stud in Ireland on €40,000, Dubawi's fee was dropped to £15,000 in his fourth year at stud in 2009.  A lot of horses have galloped across finishing lines in the intervening years and, in the case of Dubawi's offspring, 63 of them have been Group 1 winners. By 2022, he had succeeded Frankel as champion sire, and since 2023 he has been the most expensive stallion in the world, sharing that distinction with Frankel since 2024. Both stallions remain at a fee of £350,000 for the coming season.  Roaring up behind them now at €200,000 is Night Of Thunder, whose stud career trajectory has echoes of his own sire in that he too spent some time at £15,000 – in 2018 and 2019 – but has been in six-figure territory since 2023. He will doubtless remain there now.   Night Of Thunder | Marc Ruhl   Like fellow Dubawi stallions Ghaiyyath and Henry Longfellow, the 2,000 Guineas and Lockinge winner Night Of Thunder is out of a mare by Galileo. Further Group 1 winners Modern Games, the late Coroebus, Lead Artist, and Ezeliya are from mares by Galileo's sons New Approach, Teofilo and Frankel. Going back up that line, so to speak, Sadler's Wells's sons Montjeu and Barathea are the damsires of Journey, Hunter's Light, Arabian Queen and Monterosso, while his grandson Singspiel features as the broodmare sire of Dubawi's Group 1 winners Too Darn Hot, Old Persian, Wuheida and Left Hand. Dubawi has no shortage of sons at stud and, as we have seen, it can sometimes take just one to continue the dominance of a sire-line. Night Of Thunder could be that one, though there are some established names and young pretenders following in his wake, some with their first runners to come. At Darley they include Too Darn Hot, Ghaiyyath and Space Blues – all of whom are now Group 1 sires – as well as Modern Games and Naval Crown. Coolmore has the new recruit Delacroix to add to Henry Longfellow, and the net casts much wider of course, to New Bay at Ballylinch Stud, Zarak and Erevann at Haras de Bonneval, and Makfi and Benbatl in Japan, among others. Dubawi's first of four 2,000 Guineas winners, Makfi, has perhaps done the most to extend the line to date. His son Make Believe is another Classic winner and Ballylinch sire, who in turn has produced the young Sumbe stallion and fellow Classic winner Mishriff. Make Believe's Group 1-winning son Sajir will also surely secure a stud berth in time. John Sparkman, in his essay in Darley's book on the Dubai Millennium foals, completed his overview of the stallion's family in optimistic fashion. “The leading sires Iroquois, Sir Dixon, Whisk Broom II, Cozzene and Fort Word are all in Dubai Millennium's family, adding substance to the hope that he might have sired high-class horses in this one precious crop. A great son or daughter; a lasting influence on the breed – there are still dreams for Dubai Millennium,” Sparkman wrote in 2002. He was to be proved right. Five stakes winners emanated from those 56 chances, including six-time Group winner and short-lived sire Echo Of Light, and the G3 Sovereign Stakes winner Belenus. The Sandown maiden winner Kydd Gloves would go on to produce the GI Ogden Phipps and GI La Troienne Stakes winner Shes A Julie (Elusive Quality), while in Japan daughter Mizna foaled the G2 American Jockey Club Cup winner Decipher (Deep Impact). The best of course was Dubawi: a Group winner in three countries and now a force to be reckoned with across the breeding world. As he turns 24 in January, Dubawi will be emulated by Night Of Thunder as the presiding champion sire. This follows a year in which Night Of Thunder's leading runners have included Britain's top-rated horse Ombudsman, 1,000 Guineas victrix Desert Flower, and the Dewhurst winner Gewan.  And so the torch, which might so easily have been vanquished, is passed.   The post Millennium Flame Burns on Through Night Of Thunder appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • A St Mark's Basilica half-sister to G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Barnavara (Calyx) has been added to the Tattersalls December Foal Sale as a wild card entry. Consigned by Awbeg Stud, the February-born filly out of the Kentucky Dynamite mare Alfea will be offered on the Friday of the sale as lot 895A. Her yearling half-sister by Blackbeard was sold for 450,000gns at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale.  The further family includes leading sire Lope De Vega, who is a half-brother to the foal's third dam Bal De La Rose (Cadeaux Genereux). Barnavara, who also won the G2 Blandford Stakes and G3 Blue Wind Stakes, is herself offered as lot 1753 by Baroda Stud during the Sceptre Sessions of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale. The post Barnavara Half-Sister Added to Tattersalls Foal Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • Riccarton galloper Mystic Park (NZ) (Ocean Park) prevailed in a thrilling tussle between the locals in the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) on his home track on Wednesday. The Michael and Matthew Pitman-trained gelding had been on an upward trajectory this preparation without winning and had the services of Victorian-based Kiwi-expat jockey Daniel Stackhouse, closing a $6.10 hope behind northern visitors Cannon Hill and Archaic Smile. Jumping from barrier six, Mystic Park was a stride slow from the gates and found himself three-wide in the trail of another fancied runner in Sir Albert, who was doing it tough in the open on a hot tempo set by Cluedo Lane. Cannon Hill travelled strongly into contention at the top of the straight and looked likely at the 200m, before Sir Albert and Mystic Park came charging down the middle of the track to set up a big finish. The pair were wide apart and hard to line up as they went to the post, but the photo favoured Mystic Park by a half-neck to a very game Sir Albert ahead of Cannon Hill, who stuck on bravely for third. The son of Ocean Park was the first South Island-trained winner of the $250,000 feature in seven years, the most recent being Son Of Maher who was also prepared by the father-son training partnership in 2017. Michael Pitman revealed post-race that it hadn’t been a smooth year for Mystic Park since he won last year’s Listed Stewards Stakes (1200m) at the Cup carnival, making the result all the more satisfying. “It’s a bit of a cliché I suppose, but I set him for this race 12 months ago,” he said. “It’s our third time winning the race and they’ve all been with really nice horses. “People don’t know this, but the reason he didn’t end up running in the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m) was because he broke his tail just after he won the Stewards. “My wife, my son and my staff deserve so much credit, they put so much work in and we were so confident, especially after Ocean Light ran second (earlier in the meeting over 2000m). Diane (wife) said if he could run second, this horse could win and win easily.” Matthew Pitman had lost his voice cheering trackside and expressed how much the horse means to their stable. “He’s a stable favourite for the team, he’s a favourite of mine, he just tries super hard,” he said. “It’s been a long-term plan to have him ready for this, we got in at a good weight and his closing sectionals leading up to it were brilliant, I couldn’t believe what he was paying a week ago. “We had to pivot with Sam (Weatherley, regular rider) getting suspended, we sent an SOS to Dan and he’s come over and rode him a treat. I’ve lost my voice yet again, it’s a day that means a lot to us and I’m just rapt with the win. “I can’t thank my staff enough, it’s been a massive effort by the team and our trackwork riders Donovan Cooper and Brett Murray.” A $40,000 purchase out of Kilgravin Lodge’s draft at the 2021 National Yearling Sales, Mystic Park has won over $390,000 for connections with eight wins from just 19 starts. It was a successful homecoming for Stackhouse, who grew up in Ashburton and rode more than 100 winners on home soil before making the move to Victoria well over a decade ago, where he is a frequent figure in metropolitan races. “It’s great to get the monkey off the back and win the big one for the day,” Stackhouse said. “Michael rang me and said to look at his replays, which I did, and he rang a few times after to make sure I’d watch them. After watching them I was pretty keen to come over, he was definitely the best chance that I had today so it’s nice to get the job done. “I just made sure he relaxed over the mile, he jumped OK and I just left him alone, the favourite (Sir Albert) was three-deep and I was happy to park in behind that. He relaxed nicely, his breathing and action were good and he travelled well. “He just wanted to run off a lot going around the circle, you could see me pulling him around to make sure he got onto his inside leg then he straightened up and when I went for him he kept drifting out, but he was the class horse of the race and won dominantly. “I had my fingers crossed (at the line), I was wasting a lot of ground running outwards and probably went for him a bit early as well, but I was just rapt to see South Canterbury back on the big screen. “It’s fantastic, it’s great to be home and having friends and family here as well. It’s good to catch up with everybody and ride at the same time.” View the full article
    • Was top notch. Unfortunately his main job was just to sell the outfit. 
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