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    DELAY TO HUMIDOR’S RETURN

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    AALAALUNE JOINS TEAM ROGERSON

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    TRACK QUANDARY FOR ENDLESS DRAMA

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    Bambry squad set to fire at Otaki

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    Delay to Humidor’s return

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    Rodmor Trust Lecture Series

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    Aalaalune joins Team Rogerson

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    Track quandary for Endless Drama

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    Club News 14 August 2019

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    Stable Shout – Gavin Smith

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    Tribeca heads back West

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    • I find the letter a bit cryptic.  If you are not amongst those being abusive or being abused how do you know the extent or severity of the abuse?  Then there is the mention of minority of offenders.  If there are only a handful of abusers why aren't they being dealt with by those in charge? Or, because of the scope of recipients of the letter, can the abusers not be dealt to by RIB because of non licence status?  Does it then become a case for NZ Police. The letter seems more of an attempt to frighten rather than an action plan to me, and perhaps ineffectual.
    • In a thrilling stretch duel, Excellent Truth edged She Feels Pretty to earn her first grade 1 victory July 12 and give trainer Chad Brown his 10th triumph in the $485,000 Diana Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article
    • Trainer Miguel Clement experienced a rewarding victory when Far Bridge rolled by three lengths July 12 over El Rezeen in the Bowling Green Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article
    • The GI Dunkin' Diana Stakes continues, as it has for nine of the last ten years, to run through the Chad Brown barn as Excellent Truth (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) just edged out favorite She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) in a stretch duel to take the opening Grade I of the Saratoga summer meet. While eyes and wagering dollars were on Cherie DeVaux's She Feels Pretty, Brown wielded a strong hand in stablemates Excellent Truth and Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), the one-two finishers in the GI Just A Game Stakes over this course June 6. Heavy rain Saturday morning dampened the course down to yielding and expected pacesetter Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhaara {GB}) scratched for Saffie Joseph, Jr. leaving a five-horse field otherwise intact. Excellent Truth, notably second to her stablemate in the aforementioned Just A Game and also to Choisya (GB) (Night of Thunder {GB}) in the GI Jenny Wiley at Keeneland, stretched out to Saturday's 1 1/8-mile distance with aplomb in the silks of Resolute Racing. Expertly guided in the hands of Flavien Prat, aboard for both of her starts since coming stateside for John Stewart, the 5-year-old broke inside of her stablemate and hustled up to form a three-wide charge for the lead outside of rail-drawn She Feels Pretty and Choisya who outsprinted them both. The favorite took back, opting to sit third as Choisya led along the hedge with Excellent Truth never far behind as the field cornered for the first time. In a single file line up the backstretch, the Jenny Wiley winner continued to lead through the opening half in :48.52 with little pressure from either two of her main rivals who were yet to move behind her. It was Excellent Truth who jumped first, drawing alongside midway around the far turn while She Feels Pretty was winding up three wide and the three of them came off the corner together. As the longshot pacesetter faded along the hedge, Excellent Truth was led to contend with the four-time Grade I winner to her inside and the pair threw down the length of the stretch with the Chad Brown runner just edging past the favorite in the final strides to win in a driving finish. It was the 10th overall Diana win for Brown while Flavien Prat picked up his third straight having claimed the last two aboard Whitebeam (GB) (Caravaggio). “It means a lot,” Brown said of his landmark win. “A lot of different horses have done it. Many of the same team members, though. I know I mention his name a lot–[Bobby] Frankel–but I think about him on days like this. This was a race that I can't believe he only won twice, he always pointed to it. It was right in his wheelhouse with a female turf horse–he taught me so much. A big part of it is him, his legacy lives on, because it is his system we are using.” Of Excellent Truth's win, he said: “That reminded me a little bit of the 3-year-old race [2024 GII Lake Placid] when Grayosh, in another race versus She Feels Pretty, came back again on her. I'm really happy for this horse. She had her day today. She has had two tough trips. I think you could argue with a cleaner trip, she could be 3-for-3 in the country. She has always trained like a top horse all winter. I want to thank John Stewart [owner, Resolute Racing] and his team. He could've picked anyone to train her, I was so happy when she showed up in our barn at Payson this winter. She has never had a bad day. She deserved the win today.” “We felt in her last couple of races, she was probably a little further back [than optimal],” Brown continued. “As Flavien [Prat] and I got to know her, she didn't have that electric turn of foot that maybe we thought was under the hood when we really turned her loose in a race. She took a few strides to get going, a little bit more of a strong, steady run she has. So, he had been commenting to me, particularly after the last race, 'you know Chad, I probably should've been a little closer today, and I would've avoided that wide trip on the final turn. I'm going to try to get closer.' Then with the scratch of the six [No. 6, Be Your Best], it became, 'I may even be on the lead now. I don't want to be far away at all.' Luis Saez [ aboard No. 2, Choisya] wanted to be on the lead, which I understand, so we got a good trip. Down the lane, there was no excuse for either horse, we ran right down the stretch together and she showed a lot of heart.” Winning owner John Stewart said of the result, “It's awesome. We won the New York last year with Didia [with trainer Ignacio Correas, IV] and now we have this one here with Chad–and Chad is Saratoga racing. Excellent Truth had a couple of shots and got second in both of them. We knew she was this quality of horse. I think it's a testament to NYRA with the weather challenges and everything that came up to have the race run today and the competition we had in the race. It wasn't a big field, but it was really deep. This is what I got into racing for–to make sure we're competing at the highest level with the best horses, and I think we all saw that today. Any one of those horses could have won that race and it was just phenomenal to get the win. Chad and Flavien [are] a dangerous combination and I'm really happy to have them train and ride for us.” Pedigree Note: Stewart's Resolute Racing paid €1,600,000 for Excellent Truth in France at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale at the end of 2024 after the mare had run second in the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville in July of last year. She is the second top-level winner for Tally Ho Stud's Cotai Glory joining G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint runner The Platinum Queen (Ire). First dam Moment of Truth (Ire), unplaced in her own racing career and a half to French G1 Criterium International winner Zafiso (Ire) (Efisio {GB}), has four winners from five to race including Italian GSP Memo de L'Alguer (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). Moment of Truth is also a half to the dam of GSW/MG1SP Spycatcher (Ire) (Vadamos {Fr}). Excellent Truth's 2-year-old half-brother Armstrong (Ire) (Starman {GB}), her youngest reported sibling, hit the board in his first start just last week.   Saturday, Saratoga DUNKIN' DIANA S.-GI, $485,000, Saratoga, 7-12, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.37, gd. 1–EXCELLENT TRUTH (IRE), 120, m, 5, by Cotai Glory (GB)               1st Dam: Moment of Truth (Ire), by Teofilo (Ire)               2nd Dam: Goldthroat (Ire), by Zafonic               3rd Dam: Winger (GB), by In the Wings (GB) 1ST GRADE I WIN. (€52,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR; €1,600,000 4yo '24 ARQDEC). O-Resolute Racing; B-Sandra Russell (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $275,000. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP-Fr, 14-5-5-1, $677,898. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2--She Feels Pretty, 124, f, 4, by Karakontie (Jpn)               1st Dam: Summer Sweet, by More Than Ready               2nd Dam: Summer Solstice (Ire), by Caerleon               3rd Dam: Summer Sonnet (GB), by Baillamont ($240,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Lael Stables; B-Payson Stud Inc (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. $100,000. 3–Dynamic Pricing (Ire), 124, f, 4, by Night of Thunder (Ire)               1st Dam: Shemda (Ire), by Dutch Art (GB)               2nd Dam: Shamooda (Ire), by Azamour (Ire)               3rd Dam: Shemaka (Ire), by Nishapour (Fr) (170,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown. $60,000. Margins: HD, 4HF, NO. Odds: 3.00, 0.70, 3.80. Also Ran: Choisya (GB), Lady Claypoole (Ire). Scratched: Be Your Best (Ire). Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.   The post Excellent Truth Refuses to Yield, Denies She Feels Pretty in Diana appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • Racing’s two codes seek cohesive plan as big decisions loom   By Michael Guerin   Https://bitofayarn.com Racing Editor·NZ Herald· 11 Jul, 2025 12:19 PM4 mins to read   Awapuni is one racetrack to have experienced recent track troubles. Photo / Race Images New Zealand’s two horse racing codes are set to join forces to plan for the future. The thoroughbred and harness racing codes were once considered staunch rivals. Despite plenty of cross-over between owners, punters and trainers, the two codes used to compete for turnover. Those days are all but gone, with harness offering little competition on thoroughbred racing’s biggest days, while both codes benefit from a stronger overall turnover at the TAB. At present, racing’s percentage of TAB profits is also shared with greyhound racing. But that code is now slated for extinction next July, after the death sentence handed down by Racing Minister Winston Peters in December. That decision is being challenged by Greyhound Racing New Zealand, although it may not get to argue its case in court until as late as next March. The other two codes, commonly known as “the gallops” and “the trots”, have announced they will work together on their infrastructure issues and which tracks are likely to survive the next five years. Racing’s ageing infrastructure is one of its greatest concerns, with abandoned meetings on tired tracks costing the industry tens of millions in lost turnover and eroding owner and punter confidence. So NZ Thoroughbred Racing and Harness Racing NZ have launched Project Stamina, supported by the TAB, which will work towards answering the infrastructure questions hanging over the industry. Some of the biggest questions will be around the Waikato Greenfields project, the almost certain closure and sale of Avondale and the troubled Central Districts, where Hastings and Awapuni have had serious track problems and Trentham may need a new grandstand that it cannot realistically afford. In harness racing, the Auckland region will need a new training track once Franklin Park at Pukekohe is sold and, with so many potential projects looming, the two codes are better working together, especially when applying for funding from the TAB or the Government. Project Stamina’s main purpose, according to NZTR chief executive Matt Ballesty, is to move from “reactive maintenance to long-term, future-focused investment”. That could mean no longer fixing tracks that don’t work or will eventually be closed, and instead spending money on those that make long-term financial sense. Working out which tracks are which, overcoming parochial bias and building a cohesive and affordable plan is a mammoth undertaking. Ballesty and HRNZ boss Brad Steele say they plan to use consultants initially, but are quick to emphasise that their boards will be making the final decisions, with input from TAB NZ and the new TAB Advisory Committee, which contains some of New Zealand racing’s biggest players. Working together makes sense for the two codes as it ensures a sharing of information and what each hopes to achieve, especially important as they already share some venues and could end up working together on others. “We have reached a critical point that calls for bold decision-making,” says Ballesty. “Project Stamina is about making the necessary decisions to ensure our infrastructure supports a thriving future for horse racing in New Zealand. “Working alongside Harness Racing NZ and TAB NZ, we have a chance to build something enduring and unified.”   Steele echoed those sentiments and saw the potential in code collaboration. “This is a chance to reshape our future. Collaboration is key to creating venues that serve our people and our sport for generations. It’s time to build infrastructure that matches our industry’s potential.” Project Stamina is supposed to have a “first draft” of what the future of racing infrastructure may look like by December this year.
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