-
Available Subscriptions
The Rest of the World
77,068 topics in this forum
-
- Journalists
Heat Forces Woodbine To Cancel Sunday Card
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 155 views
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 161 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 333 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 196 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 177 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 187 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 193 views
-
-
- Journalists
Changes Finally Make Reynolds Channel A Winner
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 183 views
-
- Journalists
Whitebeam Goes Gate to Wire in Diana Repeat
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 150 views
-
- Journalists
No Catching Mo Plex in Sanford Stakes
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 151 views
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 211 views
-
-
- Journalists
With Mentee Out, Mo Plex Rolls In Sanford
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 226 views
-
- Journalists
Whitebeam Goes Gate to Wire in Diana Repeat
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 155 views
-
- Journalists
War Front Filly Bullet Speeds Home In My Dear
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 159 views
-
- Journalists
Whitebeam Goes Gate To Wire, Repeats In Diana
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 184 views
-
- Journalists
Sosie Scores Stylish Grand Prix de Paris Success
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 159 views
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 153 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 188 views
-
-
- Journalists
Celandine Faces Robert Papin Test
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 291 views
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 170 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 172 views
-
-
- Journalists
Carl Spackler Aces Test in Saratoga's Kelso
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 153 views
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 152 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 257 views
-
-
- Journalists
Filly Star of Mystery Faces Males in Quick Call
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 149 views
Announcements
-
Posts
-
By Chief Stipe · Posted
This is an NZTR Fund. Has HRNZ established one too? Are they really doing that much wrong? -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Sprinters young and old hold sway this weekend, with the juveniles centre stage on Saturday in the G1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes before the hardened category specialists take over in the G1 ARC Prix Maurice de Gheest 24 hours later. In the former contest, Aidan O'Brien looks set to add an 18th renewal with either the Coventry winner Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) or the Queen Mary winner True Love (No Nay Never) having missed out in six of the last seven. Gstaad and True Love's powerhouse performances at Royal Ascot set them apart from the four peers lining up against them and it is probably a simple case of who is the better of the two stablemates, especially given the filly's subsequent Railway rout of the boys including the yard's hard-grafter Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett). Aidan O'Brien issued a note of caution regarding the colt on Friday, however. “Gstaad has been working well, but he was just a little bit quiet this morning,” he explained. “I don't think it was anything serious–all his work has gone well but he was just a little quiet so hopefully he'll be okay. They've met before obviously and the filly has that little bit more experience than the colt. It has always been the plan for him to run at Ascot, have a little break and then go to the Curragh.” Only Green Sense (Starman) makes any sense outside of the Ballydoyle contingent, but while Simon Munir and Isaac Souede's admirable filly had her Robert Papin form franked at the weekend she has it all to do to bridge the gap to the front pair. At Deauville on Sunday, Wathnan Racing's Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee hero Lazzat (Territories) will be heavily favoured to record back-to-back renewals of the 6 1/2-furlong feature. His older contemporaries have questions to answer, so it could be up to the three-year-olds to put him to the test. The Aga Khan Studs representative Rayevka (Blue Point) was probably the moral winner of the Commonwealth Cup given the path she charted, with Godolphin's Shadow Of Light (Lope De Vega) putting up the first of two disappointments. Shadow Of Light offered an even more deflating performance behind Resolute Bloodstock's Woodshauna (Wooded) in the Prix Jean Prat and at this stage the Graffard runner looks more upwardly-mobile, but we are talking about a Middle Park and Dewhurst winner and a 2,000 Guineas third and he remains a danger to all. Also on Saturday is an intriguing edition of The Curragh's G3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes, where last year's Phoenix heroine Babouche (Kodiac) takes on the reigning British Champions Sprint Stakes winner Kind of Blue (Blue Point) and other classy types with fluctuating fortunes. At Newmarket, the G3 Newsells Park Stud Sweet Solera Stakes sees Billy Loughnane team up with Charlie Appleby for the ride on Godolphin's exciting filly Dance To The Music (Dubawi) before making the dash for Hoppegarten on Sunday to partner the yard stalwart Rebel's Romance (Dubawi) in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin he won in 2022. At this time of year, next year's Classics are never far from the mind and Saturday's supporting card at The Curragh sees an intriguing seven-furlong maiden whose recent list of winners includes Delacroix, Diego Velazquez, Al Riffa and Thunder Moon. Ballydoyle's newcomer Hawk Mountain is a son of Wootton Bassett and Hydrangea with Ryan Moore booked in preference to an experienced stablemate, so a significant performance is bound to cause major ripples in the ante-post markets. In the third race on the card, the often-informative Grand Hotel Malahide Irish EBF Fillies Juvenile Race won in 2016 by Hydrangea herself, Aidan O'Brien's debutante Diamond Necklace is a St Mark's Basilica half-sister to Magic Wand and Chicquita. Donnacha O'Brien, who took this last year with Falling Snow, saddles another beautifully-bred newcomer in Lookingforarainbow, a daughter of Justify and the past Phoenix winner Damson. As always with these pedigrees, the past continues to inform the present as we ready ourselves for the next cycle of Classic contenders. The post Speed Tests The Weekend Focus appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
Chief, still not sure why they need this fund when Brad Steele stated that everything was going well with the harness industry, on Trackside a few weeks ago? Was this not the truth coming from Brad Steele? Personally can not understand how HRNZ the controlling body for harness racing in NZ is being allowed to stuff the industry with its financial mismanagement of the funds being received from Entain and the betting public? If anyone believes that what HRNZ is doing currently makes any sense, then Brodie says they have absolutely no business acumen! You can not run any business the way they are and expect to succeed, end of story! Anyone know where the Committee has got to? -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Kevin Attard never doubted that he had what it took to train a racehorse. What he wasn't sure of, at least back then, was whether that confidence would be enough. The lifelong horseman was from a family of Canadian trainers and jockeys and he had practically grown up on the backside at Woodbine, but in 2005, his barn was down to five horses. He wrapped up the year with just four wins. “It was the first time in my life that I wrote a resume,” Attard recalled. “I had a young family and had bought a home and it just wasn't paying the bills. You're coming into work knowing you're losing money, but you're trying to have somebody give you an opportunity. That's the hope—that someone recognizes the talent in you.” At the eleventh hour, Attard's uncle, Canadian Hall of Fame jockey Larry Attard, heard that Steve Stavro of Knob Hill Stable was looking for a private trainer. Securing the position wasn't just the break Attard desperately needed. It was the first thread in a tapestry that would one day stretch all the way to the Breeders' Cup winner's circle. One of the first horses Attard trained for Stavro, Leonnatus Anteas (Stormy Atlantic), developed into a champion 2-year-old in Canada. That colt had been picked out by the then up-and-coming bloodstock agent Donato Lanni. Years later, Lanni would be the one who organized the racing partnership behind Moira (Ghostzapper), the Canadian champion who gave Attard his first win at the Breeders' Cup in the 2024 GI Filly and Mare Turf. For a trainer who once questioned his future in the sport, the breakthrough victory was more than just a career milestone. It was a reflection of the special bond he shared with a talented horse and the pride he felt in representing his country on the world stage. Kevin Attard at Woodbine Racetrack | Katie Petrunyak “When you look at some of the great Canadian trainers who have worked here and applied their trade at Woodbine, it's a small list of trainers that have been lucky to win [a Breeders' Cup race],” Attard explained. “So for me to be in that club in a sense, it means a lot to me. We're kind of like a little island here in Canada. There are a lot of great horse people here. It's just that the opportunity to win some of those races isn't as easy to come by being in Canada. I'm one of the fortunate ones I guess that can claim a Breeders' Cup win and hopefully it's the first of many more to come.” Growing up, Attard worked as a hot walker, groom and exercise rider for his father, Tino Attard. He struck a deal with his parents that he would go to college, but after earning a degree in accounting he went straight back to the racetrack to be his father's assistant trainer. “I always wanted to follow in my dad's footsteps,” said Attard. “I really enjoyed being with horses. I thought I had a connection with them. It wasn't an easy road, but I really believed in myself and thought I could be successful at what I did.” After Knob Hill's racing program dissolved in 2012, Attard faced the challenge of building his stable back up again. By that point, he had gained a reputation for success and quickly brought in clients like Terra Racing Stable, Elizabeth and Gordon Lickrish, and Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman. The stable established itself as a top operation in Canada, but in 2016 Attard's profile expanded internationally when he competed at the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita with Calgary Cat (Cowtown Cat) in the GI Turf Sprint and Melmich (Wilko) in the GII Marathon Stakes. Both finished fourth in their respective races, fueling Attard's resolve to make it back to the championship meet. He got the opportunity in 2020 with Starship Jubilee (Indy Wind), a filly he had picked out from the claiming ranks at Gulfstream Park and developed into a multiple Grade I winner. The stable star was coming into the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in top form for her final career start, but lost all chance when she stumbled at the break and lost her rider. Horse and jockey walked off unscathed, but even years later, Attard is still emotional when he reflects on what could have been. Attard and 2024 King's Plate Stakes winner Catherinehergrtness | Katie Petrunyak “I'll never forget watching her come out of the gate, fall to her knees and drop the rider,” he said. “It almost didn't feel real, to be quite honest. It was tough and it still kind of chokes me up. Just to see her end her career like that, I didn't think it was fair.” Again, having a Breeders' Cup victory come within reach left Attard wanting more. “You definitely have that taste that you want to come back and prove to the world that you belong,” he said. “It's the best of the best and I don't think people realize how hard it is to compete and get your horse to peak on that day.” The year after Starship Jubilee retired from racing, another filly started showing promise in Attard's barn. Moira was purchased by Donato Lanni for a racing partnership put together with the goal of winning Canada's historic Queen's Plate. From the start, Attard could tell that the daughter of Ghostzapper was something special. “When she first came to me at the age of two, she had some tendencies where she was difficult to handle,” he explained. “She had a bit of a temper and wasn't shy about showing it. I had a lot of confidence in her and I told Donato that I had this wacky idea to start her off in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes, a prestigious 2-year-old race for Canadian-breds. He was willing to go ahead with it and sure enough, she came up with an authoritative win. That was just the beginning of a great journey that I don't think anybody could have envisioned how it would turn out.” After winning the 2022 Queen's Plate just as her connections had hoped, Moira continued to thrive. She made her Breeders' Cup debut that year in the Filly and Mare Turf, finishing a well-fought fifth. The next season she ran in the money in all six starts as a 4-year-old, capped by a fast-closing third back at the Breeders' Cup behind talented turf fillies Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Moira's Breeders' Cup placing could have marked the end of her racing career, but her connections decided to keep her in training for one more season with one goal in mind–a Breeders' Cup win. “We had unfinished business,” Attard confirmed. “We put a plan together to get to the Breeders' Cup and we worked our way backwards. The whole season went really well for her, but as we got closer to the Breeders' Cup, there was just something different about her I thought.” This time, the Breeders' Cup really would be Moira's last dance with Attard. Looking back now, Attard said he tried not to let himself feel that added pressure until his stable star was in the post parade. “You're focused so much on trying to make sure she's in the best condition and peaking on that day that you're not even thinking about what's past this next race,” Attard explained. “You're throwing the bridle on her before we head over to the paddock and that's when it starts to hit you that this is probably it. A lot of emotions start running through your head, but there's a job to be done still. With her too, you never know how she's going to handle things in the paddock so you've got to be sharp and ready, but she did everything perfect from the time she left the barn. I don't know if she knew, but she gave it her all.” When Moira made her move around the final turn and came flying down the stretch, time seemed to slow for Attard as he took it all in from his spot near the finish line at Del Mar. Attard greets Moira and Flavien Prat after the win | Breeders' Cup Eclipse Sportwire “For a Canadian kid coming in from Woodbine, it was pretty surreal to watch,” Attard recalled. “When I saw Moira make that kick, I had a lot of faith and confidence in her and sure enough, she got the jump and was able to stave off challengers. The wire couldn't come soon enough at that point, but when it did and she was in front, I embraced my wife and my daughter. It was something I'll never forget.” Two days after reaching the pinnacle of the sport, Attard had to part ways with Moira when she went through the ring at Fasig Tipton and sold for $4.3 million. The champion was sent to Australia, where she is now in training with top trainer Chris Waller. Attard still keeps close tabs on his former pupil and hopes to visit her on day. To him, she is more than just a horse he once trained–she's a part of his story. A photo of her Breeders' Cup triumph is still the image on his phone's lock screen, a daily reminder of what they achieved together. “She became so important in my life,” he explained. “You get so emotionally attached to these animals and I don't think people realize how much you love them. She has done so much for my career and it's hard because she's in a very far place and it's not like you can get in your car and drive to go see her. One day I will get to Australia and hopefully see a baby by her side.” It's not just Moira that Attard holds close to his heart. In the quiet routine of shedrow, his love for the horses is evident. And that deep affection runs through his entire team. Attard believes it's been a driving force behind their stable's many achievements. “We were predominantly a claiming stable for a long time and many of the assistant trainers and grooms that were with me at that time are still here today,” he said. “In a sense, it's a family and not a team because we've spent so much time and so many hours together over the years. It's a lot of hard work by a lot people and you just stay determined to be successful. The post Breeders’ Cup Breakthrough: For Kevin Attard, Moira’s Win More Than a Milestone 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
In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the win of Luther (Frankel) in Saratoga's National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes. Frankel Colt Pens His Name Into The Hall Of Fame Paul Hickman and Nicholas Jones's Luther was put up via the disqualification of Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns) in the GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga on August 1 (video). The Frankel colt is trained by Charlie Fellowes. Bred by Jones at his Coln Valley Stud, the 3-year-old brought 250,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 when picked up by on Hickman's behalf by Will Douglass. His breeder retained a share. Luther, who won the Listed Ascendant Stakes at Haydock last year, placed third in the GI Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes on July 4. He is out of the group winner Give And Take (Cityscape), whose daughter Good Gracious (Kingman) was placed in a pair of listed stakes. Swiped (Too Darn Hot), her juvenile colt who was a 90,000gns Book 2 graduate, is unplaced in one start, and she has a yearling colt and a filly foal of this year both by Baaeed. Under the third dam is the high-class multiple Group 1-winning stayer and sire Fame And Glory (Montjeu). Juddmonte's Frankel has sired 37 winners from 70 to race in the U.S. (53%). Luther is one of 22 stakes winners for the son of Galileo there. Ghaiyyath Colt Gets It Done In La Jolla Phil D'Amato trainee The Padre (Ghaiyyath) broke his U.S. and stakes duck in Sunday's La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar (video). Bearing the silks of Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify, he was bred by John Halley. Although he did not meet his reserve when passed in for 60,000gns as a Tattersalls October Book 2 yearling, The Padre won his debut at Dundalk in Halley's silks when trained by his son, Josh, in January. The Padre resurfaced with a second at Santa Anita in June, with the La Jolla his third start. Out of G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Shalanaya (Lomitas) who also was placed in the GI E. P. Taylor Stakes and G1 Prix Ganay, the colt is her 10th foal. A half-brother to Zoffany's G3 Premio Ambrosiano third Shalamaba, The Padre counts a yearling filly by Camelot and a weanling full-brother as his latest siblings. He is kin to the star-crossed dual Derby hero Shergar (Great Nephew). Darley's Ghaiyyath has had three runners in America, with The Padre his first winner and stakes winner. 'Rising Star' Nod For Capital Partner Chad Brown and Klaravich Stables teamed up with Kingman's Capital Partner, who claimed an ultra-competitive GI Whitney Stakes Day maiden–and 'TDN Rising Star' rosette–at Saratoga on August 2 (video). Part of the Fittocks Stud and Arrow Farm Stud breeding programme, the son of Blue Waltz (Pivotal) was knocked down for 360,000gns to Mike Ryan out of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. The sixth foal, fifth runner and third winner for his three-time winning dam, the 2-year-old colt is a half-brother to G3 Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes second Euphoric (Frankel). Granddam Blue Symphony (Darshaan) is the dam of multiple group/graded heroine Fantasia (Sadler's Wells), and Pink Symphony (Montjeu), who won the G3 Give Thanks Stakes and is herself the dam of GI Man o' War Stakes hero Highland Chief (Gleneagles). Kingman's 48 winners in America from 80 runners arrive at a 60% strike rate. Nine of his American-raced progeny have struck at stakes level, with Domestic Spending, a three-time Grade I winner, leading the charge. City Light Filly New Saratoga Winner Prix Herod second Griselda (City Light) won her American debut when running out a half-length winner for Chad Brown at Saratoga on August 6 (video). Bred in France by Thierry de la Heronniere, she is now raced by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss and Michael Caruso. A €22,000 Arqana October yearling buy when the training duo of Carlos and Yann Lerner signed the ticket, the daughter of Narcisca (Maxios) made all five of her French starts in the colours of Serge Assous, winning once. Put back through the Arqana ring, she failed to sell when at €245,000 during the Summer Mixed Sale last July, before earning her stakes-placing that October. She changed hands for €200,000 out of the Arqana Vente d'Elevage when picked up by Mandore International Agency on behalf of Madaket Stables last December. The first foal out of her dam, Griselda has a 2-year-old full-brother, Mon Pote Leo, who is a winner in three starts so far, and a yearling half-sister by Sealiway. Her dam is a half-sister to the group winners Narrativo (Adlerflug) and Nikkei (Pivotal), with the former having been second in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin. Haras d'Etreham's City Light has sired 80% winners from his runners in North America. Griselda is his fourth scorer from five to race. Biles Shines In The Great White North The second time was the charm at Woodbine for Biles, as she landed a maiden on July 26 (video). Trained by Josie Carroll for NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods, the chestnut is by Night Of Thunder. Originally a 150,000gns Tattersalls December foal, the Castlefarm Stud-bred bloomed into a 450,000gns Book 1 yearling when catching the eye of Alex Solis and Jason Litt in that same ring in 2022. A full-sister to G3 Ballysax Stakes third Tiberius Thunder, Biles is out of the G3 Park Stakes heroine Ellthea (Kodiac), who was also placed at stakes level in France. Her latest pair is a 2-year-old named Quality Start (Mehmas) and a yearling filly by Blue Point, who has been entered in Book 1 of the 2025 Sale. Second dam Tropical Lady (Sri Pekan) claimed the G2 Royal Whip Stakes, G3 Brownstown Stakes, and G3 Meld Stakes. Night Of Thunder has sired 14 winners from 22 runners (64%) in the U.S. Of that number, five are stakes winners with Dynamic Pricing and Choisya his two Grade I winners. Showcasing Filly Sprints To Colonial Win So Sophia (Showcasing) did her new connections proud with a neck victory at Colonial Downs for trainer Abraham Gardea on July 25 (video). Bred by Carmel Stud and Whitsbury Manor Stud, the dark bay was knocked down to Ben McElroy for 325,000gns on behalf of Stonestreet Stables out of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. After a sixth-place effort for Barbara Banke's operation and trainer Brad Cox, So Sophia changed hands for $70,000 at the Fasig-Tipton May Digital Sale and now races for Next Level Stables. The daughter of the dual-winning Kyllachy mare So Brave is the second foal, runner and winner for her dam, who foaled the colt Zain Primus (Pinatubo) in 2023. Her latest is a weanling colt by Havana Grey. Fourth dam Interval (Habitat) captured the Prix Maurice de Gheest when it was a Group 2 and has been a steady fount of stakes winners, just not through So Sophia's branch of the maternal line. With the victory of So Sophia, Showcasing now has 18 winners from 33 runners (55%) in North America. His sextet of stakes winners are led by a trio of Grade II winners in Prize Exhibit, Projected and Bodhicitta. Blue Point Filly Strikes In Indiana Brad Cox saddled Keeley Jones to take the fifth race at Horseshoe Indiana on Thursday (chart). The daughter of Blue Point, bred by Barronstown Stud, was making her first start. The eighth foal out of the Oasis Dream mare Albaraah and a €300,000 Goffs Orby graduate, the filly is owned by Hoffman Family Racing and RT Stables. The Listed Prix le Fabuleux heroine and G3 Prix de Flore runner-up Albaraah is also the dam of Alrahma (Shamardal), a group winner and second in the G1 Prix Morny, as well as Efaadah (Dansili), who won the G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot. A yearling son of No Nay Never is the mare's last reported foal. Notable relatives included the Group 1-winning sires Hernando (Niniski) and Johann Quatz (Sadler's Wells). Blue Point, already the sire of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint hero and Tally-Ho Stud sire Big Evs, now has nine winners from 16 to race in the US. His other North American stakes winner is Raqiya, who landed the GIII Goldikova Stakes at Del Mar. No Nay Never Filly A Star At Hawthorne After a pair of unplaced efforts elsewhere, Star Blessing (No Nay Never) found the Hawthorne turf to her liking and outran her rivals pillar-to-post in Illinois on August 7 (video). Flying the flag for Tommy Town Thoroughbreds and trainer Wayne Catalano, the filly was bred by Lynch Bages and Lindy Farms. Sold for $250,000 to her current owners at the 2023 Keeneland September Sale, Star Blessing is the fourth foal, runner and winner for the Galileo mare Like A Star, herself a full-sister to multiple group winner Battle Of Marengo. Her dam foaled full-brothers to the winner in 2023 and 2024. The former sold for 100,000gns to Lynn Lodge Stud as a Tattersalls December Foal. Of No Nay Never's 111 North American runners, 66 have visited the winner's circle (59%). His 11 stakes winners include three graded winners with the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Meditate the most decorated. Repeat Winners LSU Stables' La Mehana added another graded race to her win column in the GII Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga on July 27 (video). Trained by Miguel Clement, the 6-year-old daughter of Al Wukair, third in the G1 Prix de Royallieu, also has the GIII Waya Stakes on her ledger. The Tyro Stakes went to Hey Nay Nay (No Nay Never) at Monmouth Park on August 2 (video). Raced by Hronis Racing and Iapetus Racing, the 2-year-old colt is trained by John Sadler. Lope De Vega's Mondego added his third lifetime victory at Del Mar on August 2 (video). Trained by Michael McCarthy, the Grade I-placed gelding is owned by Cheyenne Stable. The post Making Waves: Luther Put Up In Hall Of Fame appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
-
-
Topics
-
