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Trainer Pierre Ng lands first winner with Super Happy Valley success: ‘it’s a very good feeling’
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Silvestre de Sousa upbeat despite suspension, as he looks to entrench himself for the long term
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Zac Purton makes hay in Joao Moreira’s absence: ‘it’s a lot easier for me when he’s not out there’
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Hong Kong raiders fall short in Korea features
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Jockey Club chief steward Kim Kelly to retire in January and be replaced by Marc Van Gestel
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the latest comment that makes no sense to me again comes from mr peden,who in the short hrnz press release about the cambridge meeting that was cancelled said "we are looking at putting some of the stakes cambridge lost this week back into the region,just how it looks is to be determined" Now what is the logic behind such a comment. Does he not realise there was a race meeting 2 hours up the road that the horses from cambridge could have started in. Or why couldn't they have just said ,hey lets transfer those 4 races they could have held at cambridge,to be run at auckland.even use the same nominations to select the fields,run them for the same stake or whatever. Why is mr peden saying things that encourages people to say,hey if we don't go to auckland then we will get a bigger stake down the track. does mr peden not realise that the shortage of horses was caused by,you guessed iit ,a shortage of horses. Wheres his consistency. hes never said before that when there were programmed races at cambridge that weren't run he thought they should do the same.. i.e. when they only run 6 races,if his thinking is consistent,why hasn't he said the stake from the races programmed and not run on those nights, will go into the region. Why did they just add 4 new meetings to next years calendar in the auckland region.Can't they work out they don't have enough horses in that region to justify that. Also,where is the proof that running races like the southern surge or the golden gait or whatever,with the increased stakes,generates more overall starters throughout the year. If you look at auckland.all i see was people aimed at the bigger stakes,but did they actually race more over the season or will they do so in the future. If hes a so called data man,can he show us the data which says its more beneficial to put the money into high stake races on certain nights than it is to apply the increased stakes in lesser amounts across the board of all racing. these are the people at hrnz who came up with the 2 year old bonuses,which have done nothing to increase th number of starters in 2 year old races. These are the same people who said having a million dollar nz cup was needed. Where is the evidence having big stakes for those races did anything to get the connections of the horses at that level to start more in other open class races throughout the season. Also what strikes me about the auckland trainers is,put simply,they are far more wealthy on average than anywhere else in nz. Yet they are the ones HRNZ think need the support more. How does that make sense. oh well,in my opinion,its all just groundhog day. -
By All The Aces · Posted
Not sure why anyone really cares to be honest. Why are people getting their tits in a tangle? There is no official award or prize to the best of my knowledge and certainly no mention of it in the awards at Horse Of The Year next month. NZTR only shows National tallies for both trainers and jockeys throughout the year. -
Barnaby Johns did a devine rissole back around the the time Cecil won his 6th cup. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale had its first million-dollar yearling when the two-day auction was just 13 hips old Monday evening and bidding stayed strong throughout the session, with the very last horse through the ring bringing $1 million. In all, nine yearlings reached seven figures Monday, led by a colt by Gun Runner, bred by Bobby Flay and consigned by Stone Farm, who sold for $2.7 million to Winchell Thoroughbreds. Twelve hit the million-dollar mark during the entire 2024 auction. “It was a tremendous start to the 2025 Saratoga Yearling Sale tonight,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “There was competitive bidding literally from start to finish. There was tremendous activity across the board.” During Monday's session, a total of 77 yearlings grossed $39,975,000 for an average of $519,156 and a median of $400,000. Those figures are similar to last year's opening session when 77 horses grossed $38,910,000 for an average of $505,325 and a median of $400,000. The cumulative average at the 2024 auction was a sale record $533,506 and the cumulative median was a record $425,000. From a catalogue of 109 head, 88 yearlings went through the ring Monday with 11 failing to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of just 12.5%. “The most encouraging stat really to me at an uber-select sale, the buy-back rate was less than 15% tonight and I promise you there will be some of those horses that get sold tomorrow,” Browning said. “It's a tribute to our selection team who did a great job of identifying the horses that were going to be marketable. It's a tribute to our consignors and the owners of those horses who entrust us with some of their very best yearlings year in and year out. And it's a tribute to the buyers who consistently support this sale.” Hip 37 prior to the Saratoga sale | Fasig-Tipton Browning said the Fasig-Tipton staff had every indication that demand would be high even before the first yearling went through the ring Monday. “One of the key indicators that we know, that nobody else really knows, is the repository activity,” Browning said. “We can compare the number of repository hits from year to year and this year, before the sale started tonight, we had exceeded the total number of repository hits that we had last year. And there will be a signifcant number of vettings that take place tomorrow because half the catalogue hasn't been sold yet.” The second and final session of the Saratoga sale begins Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. Winchell Looking for Another Gun Runner When Gun Runner retired to stud following a victory in the 2018 GI Pegasus World Cup, his connections could have hardly imagined that the chestnut would be able to surpass his racetrack accomplishments in the breeding shed. With six Grade Is and a staggering $15 million under his belt, the son of Candy Ride (Arg) retired to Three Chimneys with a tremendous amount of expectation on his broad shoulders. Fast forward to 2025, a son by the 2017 Horse of the Year led the proceedings with a session-topping $2.7 million on Day 1 of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. Offered as Hip 37 from the Stone Farm consignment, the bay colt caught the eye of the same team that was instrumental in the racetrack success of his sire, Ron Winchell and trainer Steve Asmussen. What was it that drew the team to the colt? “The sire,” said Asmussen succinctly. “That is exactly who we thought we saw when we looked at him.” “You don't try to make sense out of it, you just try to acquire what you like most.” Winchell, who signed the ticket on Monday's session topper, added, “There are 10 or 12 in the catalogue, and we are pretty sure one of them will be a Grade I winner. We like to stick with what we know.” The Apr. 12 foal is out of GSW and GISP America (A.P. Indy), who won over $500,000 on the racetrack. As a broodmare, the mare produced dual graded stakes winner and 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin). She hails from the extended family of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Blush With Pride. “She gives a really athletic-looking yearling,” said Lynn Hancock, Stone Farm's Director of Racing and Sales. “The mare has been a real producer both at the track and at the sale.” Regarding Monday's topper, she said, “This colt came up here and never stopped showing himself. He's been super straight forward since the day he was born. He has a huge walk on him and he's so well bred.” America has been heaping the rewards on celebrity chef Bobby Flay, who also bred the daughter of Lacadena (Fasliyev {Ire}). Flay purchased Lacadena in 2005 for $290,000 at the Keeneland November Sale. “[The mare] has been unreal,” said Flay. “I would say the day that I got her named America was an accomplishment in itself. People always ask how I got that name and I say I don't know. It was three in the morning and I just tried. And it was one of those things. She's been very special. Her family is one of the best in the stud book. And I would say at some point, the good blood really shows up and she's proven that.” Asked about what made the colt so special, Flay added, “He was very popular over the last few days, so we knew there were a chance that he would bring some money. Great pedigree, great family, all those things. But you never know until they go in the ring. As they say, you just need a couple of people who want him. And that's basically what happened tonight. It was a very special night for me. You can never expect something like that to happen.”-CBoss 'The Price You've Got to Pay:' $1.6-Million Good Magic Colt to Hoolie Racing Andrew Hudson, bidding on behalf of his family's Hoolie Racing Stable, admitted the operation was making its biggest purchase–by far–when accepting the $1.6-million to acquire a colt by Good Magic (hip 36) from the Warrendale Sales consignment. “Yeah. It's the highest by about two times,” Hudson, who was flanked by the Legion Bloodstock team, said when asked about the price. “We started buying horses here 10 years ago, and the first horse I bought up here was $100,000. But they don't make those any more.” The dark bay colt is the first foal out of Alpha Zulu (Shanghai Bobby), a half-sister to graded winner Recapturetheglory (Cherokee Run). He was bred by Mesingw Farm. “We thought he was the best-looking colt here,” Hudson said. “You always take a risk at this price range, but that was the colt we wanted to get. Just like everybody else, we are trying to get a nice two-turn colt. We want to go to the Breeders' Cup. We want to go to the Kentucky Derby. That's the price you've got to pay now.” Hoolie Racing, which campaigned graded winner Dream It Is (Shackleford), came back later in Monday's session to purchase a colt by Omaha Beach (hip 71) for $425,000 from the Mulholland Springs consignment. @JessMartiniTDN Qatar Racing Reinvests in Family of Caravel Sheikh Fahad of Qatar Racing went to $1.4 million to acquire a colt by Justify (hip 29) from the Hunter Valley Farm consignment early in Monday's first session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. Out of Zeezee Zoomzoom (Congrats), the colt is a half-brother to Caravel (Mizzen Mast), who won the 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint for a partnership that included Qatar Racing. “I've known him since he was a foal and he was the one we wanted,” Sheikh Fahad said after signing the ticket on the bay colt. “I am very, very happy to get him.” Of plans for the yearling, Sheikh Fahad added, “He will go back to Hunter Valley now and will most likely go to [trainer] Brad Cox. He knows the family well, too.” Cox trained Caravel after the partnership of Qatar Racing, Madaket Stables and Marc Detampel purchased her for $500,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November sale. She was acquired privately by John Stewart's Resolute Racing after RNA'ing for $2.4 million at the 2023 Keeneland November sale. Sheikh Fahad was already looking forward to the yearling colt's post-racing career. “He reminds me a lot of Justify and we've done well with Justify,” he said. “We had [2024 GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes runner-up] Just a Touch. Hopefully, he is our stallion.” Hunter Valley consigned the yearling on behalf of breeder Elizabeth Merryman, who also bred Caravel. “Any time you get that sort of price for a horse, you have to be thrilled,” said Hunter Valley's Adrian Regan. “Elizabeth Merryman did a fantastic job with this horse. We only got him 90 days ago. He behaved himself at home like he did here. Champion stock. We are delighted.” Of the yearling, Regan said, “His temperament was unbelievable. Any time somebody came by to see him, he marched out every time. He made it look good. “We are thrilled Prince Fahd can get his hands on this horse with the success he's had [with Caravel]. He's as good as anything we've ever had.” @JessMartiniTDN Kjell Andersen Makes a Splash with First-Ever Thoroughbred Purchase Kjell Andersen may be a new face on the Thoroughbred scene, but he certainly knows horses. A Switzerland resident, Andersen has made a significant investment in harness racing for over 25 years, however, Thoroughbreds hadn't been part of his equine portfolio. That is, until he was introduced to the Sport of Kings through the Netflix show 'Race for the Crown.' With his principal business interests in shipping, Andersen reached out to trainer Kenny McPeek, who was featured on the Netflix show, with a desire to dip his toe into the world of Thoroughbreds. After a brief introductory period to the industry, Andersen, who was accompanied by his two young sons at the Saratoga Sale Monday, jumped in with both feet, extending to $1.4 million for Hip 66, a colt by Not This Time. “I thought this colt was an exceptional individual,” said McPeek. “This colt really stood out to me today. We thought it was a horse that could win at any level, and [Andersen] wants to win at a high level, so we thought this one could do it.” Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, the Apr. 11 foal is out of Classic Strike (Smart Strike), the dam of GI Del Mar Debutante winner Union Strike (Union Rags), who sold for $1.65 million at Keeneland November in 2018. Classic Strike is also responsible for MGSW Handsome Mike (Scat Daddy) and SW Pretty Lady (Scat Daddy). The Kentucky-bred colt was bred by Clearsky Farms and Three Chimneys Farm. “We have harness horses in Lexington, Kentucky and [McPeek] is down there too, and it seemed a good fit for me,” said Andersen, whose Maximus Mearas S finished seventh in the Hambletonian at The Meadowlands last weekend. “I look forward to being part of this as well.”-CBoss Fast Start for Castleton Way Partnership is Nothing But Net The Castleton Way pinhooking partnership founded by Marshall Taylor began its fourth year of selling with a home run Monday in Saratoga, selling a colt by Constitution (hip 72) for $525,000 to MyRacehorse and Wesley Ward/Louis DuBois, agent. The colt, who was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, was acquired by Castleton Way for $250,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale. “He's by Constitution and I knew he had Mindframe who was going to have a big year this year,” Taylor said of the colt's appeal last fall. “And he had a really good physical. He had a great neck and shoulder and a really good hip from the sire. And I really liked the family. It's a really deep family. Arch is down there in the family, it's a stallion pedigree.” The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale | Fasig-Tipton Bred by LNJ Foxwoods and Helen Alexander, the yearling is the first foal out of the unraced Confetti (Mendelssohn). The colt's third dam, Antics (Unbridled), produced LNJ Foxwoods' champion Covfefe (Into Mischief). “He's just gone the right way,” Taylor said of the chestnut. “He vetted well when we bought him. He had the look when we bought him. He just developed the way we hoped he would.” Of Monday's result, Taylor said, “Coming into the sale, I thought he would bring $350,000 to $500,000, so I was very happy with what we got.” Hip 72 was the first of five yearlings in the Castleton Way package this year. “This is the fourth year,” Taylor said of the partnership. “The first year, we had a great year. And just like anything, you have a hiccup, and not everything goes the right way. But I have great partners who have been very loyal and great supporters. I am really grateful to them. Without them, we couldn't do this.” Later in the evening, Castleton Way sold a colt by Vekoma (hip 96) for $300,000 to Spendthrift Farm. The yearling had been acquired for $150,000 at the Keeneland January sale. “We've got to keep it going,” Taylor said, adding the group has three yearlings scheduled to sell at Keeneland in September. @JessMartiniTDN The post ‘Tremendous Start’: $2.7-Million Gun Runner Colt One of Nine Million-Dollar Yearlings at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Opener 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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