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Hope Road, Alpha Bella to Square Off in Bayakoa
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Trainer James Acquilano Hits 2,000-Win Milestone
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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
In an effort to make up for the days lost to the recent blizzard that impacted the Northeast, Parx Racing has added March 5 and 12 programs to the calendar.View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Turbulente was a prophetic winner at Chantilly on Friday considering the events that would transpire less than 24 hours later across the Middle East. The Wertheimer-bred daughter of Australia from the family of a horse whose greatest exploits came in Australia – Americain (Dynaformer) – looks one to follow as the French Classic trials come around. Super Saturday went ahead in Dubai amid early rounds of missile strikes and interceptions across the region as American and Israeli troops struck Iran and the inevitable retaliation ensued. Sheikh Mohammed demonstrated his own brand of 'keep calm and carry on' by appearing at Meydan to see major winners both for himself in Rebel's Romance (Dubawi) and for his brother Sheikh Ahmed courtesy of Quddwah (Kingman) and Meydaan (Frankel). With President Trump suggesting a four-week war in the region and the airspace over the UAE remaining closed, it is anyone's guess as to when those waiting to come home to Europe will be able to board a plane. The continuing uncertainty must also cast some doubt over the Dubai World Cup meeting at the end of this month, or at least the participation of top horses who are not already in the Emirates. However, at the time of writing, the Bahrain Turf Club is planning to go ahead with its King's Cup meeting on Thursday and Friday, while the Dubai Racing Club is also planning to race at Meydan on Friday. Romance of the turf This time last year Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) was out in Dubai. Having provided the ultimate supporting role to Forever Young in an epic battle for Saudi Cup glory, he then went down by just a nose to Soul Rush in the Dubai Turf. Normal service has resumed since his return to Hong Kong and a spell which saw him start racing again at Sha Tin on November 23. Four straight wins have ensued this winter, and Sunday's four-length victory in the Hong Kong Gold Cup represented his 13th Group 1 victory. They haven't all come in Hong Kong either, as he has also won Japan's Yasuda Kinen and the Cox Plate in Australia. Romantic Warrior is now eight and remarkably was born, at Corduff Stud in Ireland, just one day before Rebel's Romance appeared at Godolphin's Irish operation. What a week that was, and what thrills they continue to provide for racing fans around the world. Rebel's Romance's record now stands at 21 wins from 31 starts, and perhaps the most notable aspect of his race record, alongside his consistency, is his global footprint. Those wins have been posted in six different countries – four in Dubai, two in Qatar, at three different tracks in the USA, four wins in Germany at Cologne and Hoppegarten, one in Hong Kong, and seven in the UK at six different courses. They are both, simply, marvellous horses. Long may they run. Epsom ahoy! Much as we love the golden oldies, it is time to start thinking about this year's Classic generation, and where better to start than with the entries for the Derby, which were released last week. Among the list was the Bob Baffert-trained colt Greenwich Village, a son of Quality Road out of the Australian-bred mare Houtzen (I Am Invincible). His dam did all of her winning in Australia over five and six furlongs, and she ran twice in Europe for Martyn Meade, notably finishing runner-up to Battaash in the G2 King George Stakes at Goodwood. Tom Ryan, representing Greenwich Village's part-owner SF Racing, admitted that it would be “quite a pivot” if the horse ends up coming to Epsom over Churchill Downs, but noted that he was invited by the Jockey Club after winning the Pasadena Stakes over a mile on the Santa Anita turf on February 22. There has never been a Japanese runner in the Derby but there are two horses from that country entered for this year's race: Choreo Sequence and Akkan. The Shadai Farm-bred Choreo Sequence is a son of the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) winner Saturnalia, who was also fourth in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and won up to a mile and a half. (It is worth noting that the Guineas equivalent in Japan is run over 2,000m.) Furthermore, Choreo Sequence is out of Noble Cullinan, who is by Deep Impact, and she has the Kentucky Derby winners Sunday Silence and Smarty Jones as her two grandsires. The colt's trainer, Yuta Sato, said, “The Derby, with its near 250-year history, is a truly magnificent race that I have long admired. “Although we are still at the consideration stage, the owner [Hiroyuki Kawakatsu] has entrusted us with a horse of tremendous potential, and for that reason we have decided to enter him in the Derby at Epsom Downs. “Choreo Sequence's dam line traces back to Germany, and his pedigree includes the names of outstanding sires such as Sadler's Wells and Monsun, both produced by Europe's great horsemen.” That German connection is through third dam Noble Stella (Monsun), who ended up racing in America where she won four graded stakes races for Gary Tanaka. The other colt, Akkan, also has some familiar European and American names in his pedigree as he is by Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy), winner of the Eclipse and the Dubai Sheema Classic who was also third at Epsom in the Coronation Cup. Akkan has a little more experience under his belt than the twice-raced Choreo Sequence, as he has made six starts, winning twice over 2,000m as a two-year-old. On a cold winter's day when you're longing for spring, there is almost nothing more exciting than perusing the names on the list of Derby entries. One name that immediately leaps out is Morshdi, for he is in the same Sheikh Ahmed colours as those worn by the previous Morshdi, who won the Derby Italiano of 2001, was second in the Irish Derby and was by the Derby winner Slip Anchor. We were delighted to hear on Monday that the original Morshdi is thriving at the age of 28, living in retirement at Sheikh Ahmed's stables at Jebel Ali. The new Morshdi, trained by William Haggas, is by Dubawi and should be the nap of all Van Morrison fans as he is a son of the Galileo mare Into The Mystic, which makes him a full-brother to the 2024 G2 Park Hill Fillies' Stakes winner Nakheel. Morshdi is not the only three-year-old currently out there with a recycled name as on Saturday up popped Pursuit Of Love (Sea The Stars) to win a Southwell novice race pretty comfortably for Charlie Appleby. Those who can remember the original Morshdi should also remember the first Pursuit Of Love. A decent sprinter for his breeder Lord Howard de Walden, the son of Groom Dancer won the Prix Maurice de Gheest and was second in the July Cup. Pursuit Of Love, who features as broodmare sire of the great Attraction (Efisio), later stood at Plantation Stud in Newmarket alongside the aforementioned Slip Anchor, who was perhaps Lord Howard de Walden's crowning achievement as a breeder. We applaud the naming of the Godolphin three-year-old, however, as the colt is out of Linda Radlett and is a half-brother to Fanny Logan, two superb characters from Nancy Mitford's beloved classic Pursuit of Love. Poised to Swoop The entries have also been published for the Deutsches Derby, which is run on July 5, and with 89 horses engaged, has one more than Epsom. It is of course early in the year, but one outfit which already has a developing Derby dream is Liberty Racing – and Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten's syndicate has form in this regard as it won the 2023 Deutsches Derby with Fantastic Moon (Sea The Moon) and then struck again the following year with Palladium (Gleneagles). One of this year's big hopes from five entries in the race for Liberty Racing is Salitos, who won on his second start at Fontainebleau on Saturday for Peter Schiergen. The colt is a son of the 2020 Deutsches Derby winner In Swoop, who is himself by the late Derby winner Adlerflug. These are the first three-year-olds for In Swoop, who was beaten only a neck in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe by Sottsass and stands at the Beeches Stud on the Coolmore National Hunt roster. There is no reason for him not to produce good middle-distance Flat horses too, and it would be great to see Salitos line up at Hamburg on the first Sunday of July. In Swoop's stud contemporary Japan (Galileo) was also placed in an Arc as well as winning the Juddmonte International and Grand Prix de Paris. He retired to Gestut Etzean and is one of the major young hopes on the German stallion scene along with the 2021 Arc hero Torquator Tasso, who has his first two-year-old runners this year. Japan is well represented by members of his first crop in the Deutsches Derby with eight entries. Hilitany a notable first for Ubettabelieveit Hilitany showed the benefits of having had some winter sun and a few outings in Dubai when becoming the first stakes winner for his Mickley Stud sire Ubettabelieveit in the Listed Spring Cup at Lingfield on Saturday. A dual winner last year for George Boughey, the colt is owned by Victorious Forever, who gave £300,000 for him when consigned at the Goffs UK Breeze-up by Tally-Ho Stud. Hilitany's brother Columnist, by another son of Kodiac in Ardad, came close in the G2 Coventry Stakes of 2024 when beaten just half a length to be third behind Rashabar and Electrolyte. The pair was bred by Peter Balding of Throckmorton Court Stud from the Royal Applause mare Sand And Deliver. A Legend indeed Veering off into National Hunt territory for a moment, it is worth noting the win in Saturday's Doncaster bumper of Friendly Glance. The son of Passing Glance races for the Pitchall Stud Parternship and represents a partnership in more ways than one. Passing Glance is now resident at Batsford Stud but he spent seven years prior to that standing at David and Kathleen Holmes's Pitchall Stud until it ceased standing stallions in 2016. Also in residence was the Pitchall stalwart Midnight Legend, and what a partnership these two stallions have struck up when it comes to the family of Friendly Glance. The four-year-old is the eighth full-sibling to have won for the Midnight Legend mare Call Me A Legend, a homebred six-time winner in the colours of Kathleen Holmes who, like her latest winner, was trained by Alan King. One of the tribe, six-year-old Glance At Midnight, holds entries in the G1 Supreme Novices' Hurdle and G1 Turners Novices' Hurdle at next week's Cheltenham Festival for owner/trainer Andrew Martin. The post Seven Days: Keep Calm and Carry On 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 the age of social media, I realize that I'm writing this at my own peril. And I'm probably once again spitting in the wind. However, I feel like someone needs to speak up on a few things concerning our latest self-inflicted crisis regarding our lack of unity and dysfunction as an industry. To say that as an industry we continue to be “The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight” is an understatement. We have been that way for the 40-plus years I've been involved in horse racing. Hence, the reason why we are not a major league sport or entity. I also have to preface this by saying that I do not participate in any form of social media. I tried it and decided years ago it was not for me. So, I am not familiar with Mike Repole's social media communications. I've never spoken to Mike about his goal for reform. I also want to say that Aron Wellman is a friend of mine. He is someone that I like very much. To me he represents the future of our industry. He is smart and I admire the success he has had over a long period of time. I applaud his and Mike's passion and goal to make things better. So, with that said, here are some of my opinions on our latest family feud. 1. I feel very strongly that what horse racing has always most sorely lacked is that we do not have a central governing body. The absence of one has been our Achilles Heel. In order to have an effective one, that organization has to have power–power to influence and regulate behavior. (We have tried establishing one with a commissioner, twice. It failed both times because it had no power). To say that The Jockey Club is that entity is false. It isn't in their mission statement, nor do I think it is their goal or intention. They serve as the breed registry and provide other services to the industry while funneling profits back to us. Is it an adequate amount? Should their corpus be handled differently? I guess that is a matter of opinion and debate. What isn't open for debate is they recognized aftercare was an industry issue, (along with Jack Wolf and others who were the pioneers in this space), established and support the TAA, recognized a need to get us back on television, pay to have us on television, provide a safety net to industry participants, were instrumental in creating a uniform set of rules for medication, promote the sport, and do other things that are all positive influences. 2. I agree that over the past many years almost every important measurable statistic has declined. Is that The Jockey Club's fault? I think it is the collective industry's fault, primarily a result of our lack of unity and a central governing body. My late friend and mentor Anthony Manganaro described it best. Everyone fights over making their slice of the pie bigger rather than trying to build a bigger pie. We are our own worst enemy and biggest obstacle. We refuse to get in the boat and row together in the same direction. When you do that, the boat moves forward. When you don't, the current pushes you the other way. 3. I take exception to the attacks on the Board of Stewards. I know all of them and instead of attacking them, we should be thanking them for serving. Everett Dobson and Vinnie Viola are first-class gentlemen who bring perspectives and best practices from the NBA and NHL. Louis Cella created a model for how a successful racetrack operates. Bill Farish, Bret Jones and David O'Farrell operate very successful breeding farms. In my opinion, they are all men of impeccable integrity. Are they overseeing an organization that has a direct bearing on their activities in the industry? Of course they are. The same way the owners of the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB operate. 4. Aftercare: I have been on the executive committee of the TAA since 2018. We have a $4-million budget and the JC contributes 30%. It is just in very recent years that the broader industry has started to realize that aftercare is an issue that determines our social license with the general public. They want to see that we care for these wonderful animals when their racing career ends. Aftercare is a huge undertaking with many silos and it is the responsibility of everyone to SHARE and SOLVE and so far the JC has been one of the leaders in this space. So how about everyone steps up and contributes? Owners, jockeys, trainers from purses. All sales participants when buying and selling. Stallion farms from stud fees. Ancillary businesses where their primary source of revenue comes from our industry. Racetracks, veterinary firms, tote and ADW companies, van companies, blacksmiths, etc. What I don't understand is why this is The Jockey Club's responsibility to solve? Why are they the ones to blame when this is an industry issue and too big for any one entity to solve. What we need is total industry buy-in and cooperation–not finger-pointing and arrow-slinging. When you choose to enter and participate in our industry, I think former TAA President Jimmy Bell said it best. “Aftercare is your responsibility, not your option.” 5. I think there are two very clear reasons our foal crop continues to decline at an alarming rate. First, we have lost many breeders who were breed-to-race people and had a passion for the undertaking. There are just very few of them in the business today. As a result, participants primarily consist of breeders involved in the commercial aspect of the business. In my experience, they are motivated by making a profit, and in my experience, that is very hard to do on a consistent basis. Second, regional breeding programs have been decimated by market changes and our shrinking pie. Perhaps if we can build a bigger pie, make breeding a more consistently profitable enterprise, that may change? I'll be the first to admit that, despite my efforts, like those before me, I'm part of the demographic that has failed to create change in the right direction. Although we have had some wins, it hasn't been good enough. However, I've never been afraid to speak out or try. I think we all have a responsibility to our wonderful sport and these amazing animals we choose to work and associate with. For all these years, it has broken my heart and frustrated me because I know how good we could be. However, we won't ever get there if we can't get on the same team and realize the enemy is not us. It has never seemed that complicated to me. This isn't Israel/Hamas or Ukraine/Russia. But we sure do treat it that way, which is why nothing will change. I don't believe the answer is to tear it all down and start over. I don't believe the answer is to throw the bums out. I believe the answer is to get in the boat and row in the same direction. Wouldn't that be something new and different and maybe worth trying? The post Letter to the Editor: Thoughts on our Family Feud 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
Patrick Reed presents four takeaways from an action-packed weekend highlighted by three 105-point Kentucky Derby (G1) prep races: the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), the Gotham Stakes (G3), and the Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park.View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Graded stakes winner Scaramouche (Munnings) has been retired through Turning for Home, the on-track retirement program at Parx. Scaramouche, who was purchased for $20,000 at the 2021 OBS June sale, won seven of his 30 starts for trainer Guadalupe Preciado and owner Nicholas Cammarano, Jr. His marquee win came in the 2022 GII Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx on Pennsylvania Derby Day. The 7-year-old gelding most recently finished sixth in a Parx optional claimer in December. He retires with earnings of $489,750. “Turning For Home is what the PTHA and our horsemen are most proud of,” said Jeff Matty, the Executive Director of the PTHA. “These horses give us everything on the track, it's our responsibility to give them everything off of it. As we approach our 5,000th horse to enter our program, we reflect on all of those who made this possible, especially our membership who fundraise, support, and entrust us with these amazing equine athletes.” The post Graded Winner Scaramouche Retired Thorough Turning for Home appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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