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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
A key member of the Elliott Bloodstock Services and Imperium Sales teams, Lucy Ryan lets us in on her background in the bloodstock business as the first person to be back in the TDN hot seat this winter. TDN: How did you become involved in bloodstock in the first place? LR: More by chance than design. I was lucky enough to be introduced to ponies at an early age, joining the local pony club, which led to a bit of eventing, hunting and point-to-pointing (very badly!). I met Mathilde Texier at a friend's barbecue and she offered me a job as her assistant so I paused my studies at Leeds University and never returned. I had a wonderful time with Mathilde (hopefully she thought the same); it was an amazing experience and she was a superb teacher. This then led to working for one of the top judges Amanda Skiffington; again a great education and I'm very grateful to the both of them who helped kickstart my career. TDN: What's your proudest moment to date? LR: It has to be the creation of Imperium Sales. It was a real challenge, and something completely different to my day to day. I'm very thankful to Nicola Short who answered all my questions and guided me throughout. We're very lucky to have the platform to do it, and I'm very grateful to clients of Elliott Bloodstock Services who entrusted Imperium Sales to present and offer their stock at the sales. TDN: What was your defining memory of 2025? LR: Probably selling Pintara at the mares' sale for 1.8 million gns to Resolute Bloodstock. Achieving another million-pound lot within only our third year of consigning at the Tattersalls December breeding stock sale was pretty special. I'm very proud of all the team, and more importantly very thankful to the connections of Pintara for allowing Imperium Sales to offer her. TDN: Tell us something people don't know about you… LR: I'm a devoted shopper — whether that's at the sales or during Black Friday. TDN: What keeps you awake at night? VAT returns and customs! TDN: Any regrets? LR: None worth mentioning. Things have naturally gone wrong, and we're all human. Of course I've made mistakes but it's best to focus on the present and what's ahead. There's no point dwelling in the past. TDN: What motivates you? LR: You Got To Me winning the Irish Oaks was a very proud moment for all of us, so we want to repeat this success by finding another Classic winner. TDN: Give us an underrated sire to keep onside next year… LR: Nathaniel. Perhaps not entirely underrated, but at his fee I think he represents huge value, providing breeders with nice returns within the sales ring and on the racetrack. Alex [Elliott] has had great success with him — notably through the 2024 Irish Oaks winner You Got To Me and dual Listed winner and Group-placed filly Understated, who was sourced from BBAG. TDN: Your favourite sale/place and why? LR: The BBAG September Yearling Sale in Baden-Baden. I love the vibe of the sale, it's very relaxed. The sale itself offers excellent quality and it has been a lucky hunting ground for Elliott Bloodstock Services over the years. The town itself is a beautiful spa town. You must visit the casino for a night of old-school glamour. Ladies, take a frock, and gentlemen, you'll need a blazer to enter. TDN: What's your go-to karaoke song? LR: Valerie by Amy Winehouse — and I can, and have, sung it with or without the music. TDN: Who is your inspiration? LR: Gosh, within our industry there are lots of inspiring people and you learn from each other all the time but, if I had to narrow it down, I would say probably my two prior bosses and my present one! Both Dr Mathilde Texier and bloodstock agent Amanda Skiffington are incredible women have carved out wonderful careers in a tough industry, and they are still very much at the top of their games. So if that's not inspiring, I'm not sure what is. Last but not least, my current boss Alex Elliott has achieved a lot of notable success in a relatively short career, so you could say he's only just getting started. The post In The Hot Seat: Lucy Ryan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Throughout its history, WinStar Farm's stallion program has been anchored by raw speed, with champion Speightstown and fellow sprinting specialist Distorted Humor among some of the first sires to define the farm's identity. As WinStar wraps up its 25th anniversary this year, the blueprint is much the same. Patch Adams, Mullikin and Straight No Chaser are the latest Grade I-winning sprinters set to join the roster. Two of the recruits carry the direct influence of the aforementioned cornerstone sires and the third is out of a mare by Congrats, another WinStar stalwart who has emerged as an influential broodmare sire. “Horses that have pure speed is something you can't fake,” said WinStar's Director of Bloodstock Services Liam O'Rourke. “It's a quality that we are always trying to inject into our breeding program and we're really excited to have three very fast horses coming to us in 2026.” PATCH ADAMS (Into Mischief — Well Humored, by Distorted Humor). Standing for $30,000 in 2026. Dual Grade I winner Patch Adams is a particularly meaningful addition to the WinStar roster as a third-generation homebred for the farm. WinStar purchased Patch Adams's third dam Well Dressed (Notebook) at the 2001 Keeneland November Sale. In the quarter-century since, the family has flourished with Grade I winners Well Armed (Tiznow), Cyberknife (Gun Runner) and Played Hard (Into Mischief). Patch Adams is out of the stakes-winning Distorted humor mare Well Humored, a half-sister to GISW American Patriot (War Front) and Parchment Party (Constitution), winner of this year's GIII Belmont Gold Cup Stakes. “Patch Adams is a horse that has been so rewarding for everyone here at WinStar,” said O'Rourke. “So many people in the WinStar family have had a hand in this horse's success. For him to return home and retire to our stallion barn is really coming full circle.” O'Rourke said the WinStar team had high hopes for Patch Adams from early on in his career. Trained by Brad Cox and campaigned in partnership with China Horse Club, the son of Into Mischief broke his maiden last November by 10 1/2 lengths, becoming a 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard.' Patch Adams as a foal at WinStar | courtesy WinStar Farm “He was a third of a second off Groupie Doll's track record under wraps as a 2-year-old,” recalled O'Rourke. “It was a 'wow' performance. He ran a 98 Beyer Speed Figure, which was the second-highest Beyer of any 2-year-old that year, so it really got us excited that he was going to be that special horse we thought he could be.” After testing the Kentucky Derby trail early this year, Patch Adams successfully cut back to one turn, defeating future stakes winner Big Truzz (Justify) on Kentucky Derby weekend. That victory launched a summer campaign in Saratoga where he reeled off back-to-back Grade I wins. “He was dominant in the Woody Stephens, going the fastest seven furlongs by a colt at Saratoga this summer,” said O'Rourke. “The Allen Jerkens was an elite sprinting performance, going in 1:21.61 which was faster than Book'em Danno (Bucchero) in the GI Forego that day and Hope Road (Quality Road) in the GI Ballerina. It wasn't an easy trip for him, so to gut that win out and run as fast as he did that day really solidified him as a special racehorse.” An injury sustained in training kept Patch Adams from making a trip to the Breeders' Cup before his retirement. Standing for $30,000 in his debut season, Patch Adams is bred on the same cross as fellow WinStar resident Life Is Good, who will see his first 2-year-olds on the track next year. O'Rourke reported a strong initial response from breeders, noting that Patch Adams should fit a wide variety of mares. “He has a lot of the qualities of both Distorted Humor and Into Mischief,” he explained. “He's a great-moving horse with beautiful action to him. He's got strength and balance and he stands over a lot of ground. He's gone over extremely well with some great judges.” MULLIKIN (Violence — Tulira's Star, by Congrats). Standing for $10,000. Mullikin -paddock-schooling-07-17-2025-SA6_9166-PRINT-Sarah-Andrew.jpg" alt="" width="1155" height="840" /> Sarah Andrew Like Patch Adams, Mullikin shares a connection to the WinStar brand. He was named after the farm's longtime CFO Jack Mullikin, who retired in 2023. Bred by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding, Mullikin was a $500,000 yearling at the Keeneland September Sale. The son of Violence placed in 12 of his 16 lifetime starts over a three-year career and earned over $1.1 million. As a 4-year-old last year, Mullikin reeled off four straight wins culminating in the GII John A. Nerud Stakes and GI Forego Stakes. “The Nerud was an especially important performance,” said O'Rourke. “To go as fast as he did in 1:20.54, he was half a second off Artax's record that has stood for 25 years. He came back in the Forego and put in a dominant performance, winning by 5 and three-quarter lengths. He ran a 105 Beyer Speed Figure over a very quality field that day.” Mullikin also placed third in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint and was second behind Locked (Gun Runner) in the GII Cigar Mile Handicap. This year at five, the Rudolphe Brisset trainee's highlights included two runner-up performances behind Book'em Danno in the GIII True North Stakes and GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes. O'Rourke said that Mullikin is a natural fit for the WinStar roster as a son of Violence out of a Congrats mare. Congrats is the broodmare sire of GI Kentucky Oaks victress Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), recently retired Grade I winner Johannes (Nyquist) and this year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}). “To have the speed that he had coming off that sireline is critical and really appealing to breeders,” said O'Rourke. “Some really excellent horses have come from the Congrats line and I think he's going to continue to be an important influence in pedigrees for years to come.” STRAIGHT NO CHASER (Speightster — Margarita Friday, by Johannesburg). Standing for $10,000. Straight No Chaser wins the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint | Horsephotos Straight No Chaser first came on WinStar's radar as a stallion prospect when he claimed in the 2023 GIII Maryland Sprint Stakes in a record time of 1:08.27, earning a 107 Beyer Speed Figure. The following year the MyRacehorse-campaigned colt claimed 2024 Champion Male Sprinter honors with back-to-back scores in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championships Stakes and the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. The Dan Blacker trainee added another win to his resume this year in the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint. “What was really impressive was the way he carried his race with him wherever he went, whether it was Del Mar, Santa Anita, Oaklawn or shipping east for Maryland's biggest day of racing,” said O'Rourke. “Especially as a sprinter, to come back year after year, have those unbelievable performances and run elite speed figures just speaks to his quality as a racehorse.” The $2.6 million earner is a half-sibling to two other stakes winners and is from the family of Hall of Famer Housebuster. O'Rourke said that the first time he got a look at Straight No Chaser, he immediately started looking forward to showing the horse off to breeders. “I was blown away by his physique, his scope and his general build,” he said. “I think he's well-priced and we've had a lot of great feedback from breeders.” Straight No Chaser follows his grandsire Speightstown, who passed away in 2023, as an Eclipse and Breeders' Cup-winning sprinter to stand at WinStar. “Speightstown was so important to WinStar's history and he continues to produce new Grade I winners,” said O'Rourke. “The parallels as champion sprinter from that beautiful Gone West sireline make us really excited about Straight No Chaser.” The post WinStar Farm Welcomes Speedy New Trio appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
At 34-1, Cal-bred Express Kid outran his odds in the Springboard Mile to close out Remington Park's Thoroughbred meet and in the process the colt took home 10 Kentucky Derby points on Saturday evening. The $2,000 buy out of the Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders Association Fall Mixed sale broke his maiden at first-asking at Canterbury in early July and was the runner-up in the Prairie Meadows Freshman Stakes in mid-August. Express Kid shipped to Oklahoma City to contest the Clever Trevor Stakes, but was well-beaten Sept. 28. Switching to the local course's turf for an allowance condition Nov. 6, the Wade Rarick trainee won by a head. The longshot hustled out of the blocks from the extreme outside post and was able to wrestle the top spot away from Jets Rio (Candy Ride {Arg}). Traveling like a smooth operator under Jose Alvarez up the backstretch, Express Kid separated himself from the rest of the field, but heavy favorite Arctic Beast went on the attack around the far turn. Still, the pacesetter proved he had plenty in the tank and running down the lane his 'catch me if you can' tactics worked to perfection as he became the second longest shot to win the race behind 128-1 Texas Bling (by Too Much Bling). “He broke so sharp in them, I was like, Wow!” trainer Wade Rarick said. “I don't have a lot of these kind [that win $300,000 races). He is eligible for a lot of things in Arizona (where Rarick stables), but I think we might go a different direction with him now.” Of note, the owners of the top three finishers in the Springboard Mile received a special complimentary 2026 breeding season to Lane's End stallion Senor Buscador (by Mineshaft), who won the 2020 edition of the race for owner Joey Peacock and trainer Todd Fincher. The winner's dam is responsible for a yearling filly named Burglarized (Cat Burglar) and a weanling colt by Tap Back. She was bred to Shaaz for 2026. Express Kid's second dam is MSW Stormy West (Gone West). REMINGTON SPRINGBOARD MILE S., $300,000, Remington, 12-20, 2yo, 1m, 1:38.99, ft. 1–EXPRESS KID, 121, c, 2, by Bodexpress 1st Dam: Sensationalize, by Street Sense 2nd Dam: Stormy West, by Gone West 3rd Dam: Storm Beauty, by Storm Cat ($12,000 RNA Ylg '24 FTCAYR; $2,000 Ylg '24 ARZOCT). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Steve Haahr; B-Richard Barton Enterprises (CA); T-Wade Rarick; J-Jose L. Alvarez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $236,902. 2–Arctic Beast, 121, c, 2, Yaupon–Frostie Anne, by Frost Giant. ($120,000 Wlg '23 FTNMIX; $275,000 Ylg '24 SARAUG). O-Paradise Farms Corp., JP Racing Stable, Staudacher, David, Zilla Racing Stables and Rice, Jennifer; B-Rockridge Stud, LLC & Saratoga Glen Farm & Beal's Racing Stable, LL (NY); T-Michael Maker. $60,000. 3–Royalamerican, 121, g, 2, Upstart–Scat for the Cause, by Creative Cause. O/B/T-C. R. Trout (OK). $33,000. Margins: 6 1/4, 2 1/4, HF. Odds: 34.50, 0.90, 9.50. Also Ran: Western Man, Way Beyond, Big Apple Patrick, Essential Time, Jets Rio, Time for Music, Supreme Good (Ire), Spice Runner. Scratched: My Dream Zapper. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post OKC Boxcar: Express Kid Rocks Tote In Remington Springboard Mile Upset appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
Potentially they could be, as a cheaper bred horse could be trained by an owner/ trainer or someone who trains more on a part time basis. I appreciate that it is very expensive to have harness horses trained, but I have serious misgivings that the HRNZ idea to pay out $60k stake money for 12 races today was a good idea! The amount paid out for the revenue from wagering just does not make sense with the way things are financially. The tote pools were absolutely pathetic, not sure about fixed turnover but I would imagine the Bookies wouldnt have done that well with many hotties mostly winning? They wouldve had just as many horses racing if the stakes were $25k or less and the $60k was just plain dumb! Good that some studs have dropped their stallions down to $5k and slightly cheaper to breed but then we all know that the service fee is probably the cheap part in getting a race horse to the races! Personally believe that if an owner goes to a $5k stallion so it can race in a few years in todays races, then they are not overly intelligent! No way on earth these races are going to be in existence with a $60k stake when they are old enough to race! The industry just can not afford it and it is only the Entain cash splash that enabled it today! Just telling it the way it is, unless Brad Steele can come out and state that Brodie is not on the money? -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Lyle Hewitson is hoping to turn some near misses into winners and continue his strong start to the campaign when he partners some useful chances at Happy Valley on Tuesday night. The South African is on the 12-winner mark for the campaign and has no complaints about his start, but a combined 30 second and third place finishes so far have left him feeling like there was more in the locker. “I can’t complain, there’s been plenty of seconds and thirds that of course we’d love to turn into winners,”...View the full article
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