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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
By Michael Guerin In an Auckland Cup littered with question marks punters need to decide which doubt that can put up with the most. The second $250,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup on 2024 will be run at Alexandra Park tonight, the Cup moving back to the New Year’s Eve date after being held on May 24. The only thing certain about this Cup it the date move is a win, May was too late and too cold to be holding Group 1 open class pacing races, but after that this becomes a Cup with question marks over all the serious players. Perhaps the one with the least doubt is Merlin, who is almost certainly our best pacer and back on his home track with a favourable draw. His question mark lurks after a below par fourth in the New Zealand Cup over tonight’s 3200m in November, when race rivals tonight Don’t Stop Dreaming and Republican Party both outshone him. Merlin is so brilliant and bold over shorter trips you can see how he may not quite enjoy the bare knuckle brawl of a NZ Cup at Addington. But an Alexandra Park 3200m is more forgiving than the NZ Cup, by far our most brutal race. Merlin is a two-time Derby winner and they often go on to win Cups and the last time he raced over 2700m at home he smashed his opposition in the Holmes D G, rating a fast 1:58 and pacing his last 800m in 54.2 seconds, suggesting he can still sprint at the end of a staying race. Perhaps more importantly there is no NZ Cup winner Swayzee in tonight’s Cup and if Merlin can work forward to the lead there also looks to be no real pressure, not the sort that would turn this 3200m in a 3:54 lung burner. If he gets a nice sit handy or leads and gets one easy 800m sectionals this should be Merlin’s Cup to lose. “We are happy with him, we took him to Pukekohe for a day out the other morning and he worked great,” says co-trainer Scott Phelan. “I’d say he would be as good now as when he won the Holmes D G. I am not saying he is better, but at least as good.” Don’t Stop Dreaming’s question marks aren’t over his staying ability but more his winning record, or lack thereof, in 2024. He has only won 3 of his 16 starts this year. Two of them were at Menangle, the other a free-for-all at Alexandra Park and he has found ways to lose races a horse of his reputation should win. Even co-trainer Mark Purdon says Don’t Stop Dreaming’s desire has come into question at times and he was pleased rather than thrilled with his fast work last Friday morning. “We all know how good he is but it is up to him to step up and prove it now,” says Purdon. Don’t Stop Dreaming’s best chance of doing that may be driven cold and swooping but that is a strategy which rarely pays Auckland Cup dividends. Better Eclipse has already proven he can win an Auckland Cup so his question is whether he can win a stronger one, as well as the standing start which driver Greg Sugars admits is a coin flip. Last start Invercargill Cup winner Republican Party should the fittest of the favourites and his New Zealand Cup third has boosted his stocks. His 17 wins from 45 starts is not the usual record of a true modern day Auckland Cup winner but he has more ticks than crosses in the “reasons he can win” column. Jolimont looks the only other serious winning chance but his question is whether this Cup comes six or even 12 months too soon? The answer is probably yes because New Zealand’s two great 3200m Cups are rarely the races a horse arrives in, more the ones that confirm a crown. A crown Merlin looks more likely to be wearing than his rivals by 7.30pm tonight. Oscar set to become trotting millionaire By Michael Guerin One of New Zealand’s great staying trots could turn into a 200m drag race at Alexandra Park tonight. And even if it does which of the two favourites wins is hard to predict. Oscar Bonavena and Muscle Mountain continue their long-running rivalry in the $100,000 Peter Breckon Memorial National Trot over the 2700 mobile, finally a Group 1 where the pair can get away from all-conquering Aussie champion Just Believe. Both are wonderfully talented trotters who have had a rollercoaster 2024, with their ageing bodies meaning while the heart may be willing the legs don’t quite pump as fast. In the last two months there have been glimpses of their best, particularly from Oscar Bonavena who even beat Just Believe in the NZ Trotting Free-For-All at Addington. Muscle Mountain was also back in the winner’s circle at Invercargill last start and their gate speed coupled with respect earned makes it seem certain they will be the first two off the gate tonight with Muscle Mountain likely to lead and Oscar Bonevena trail. In a race with no rivals good enough to pressure them the Group 1 could be decided by whether Oscar can outspring the Mountain up the Alexandra Park passing lane. “It looks a bit that way,” admits Muscle Mountain’s driver Ben Hope. “We will be going forward and trying to lead and while Oscar has had the better of us lately I really liked the feel of got from him [Muscle Mountain] last week. “He flew up to Auckland last week and Dad said he worked well yesterday so he will get his chance.” If Muscle Mountain gets a relaxed run in front and is in full flight when the pair hit the passing lane it will take some serious sprinting from Oscar Bonavena to get past him. But serious sprinting is Oscar’s speciality when he is at his best and the punters have already spoken, backing him in $1.65 while Muscle Mountain is out to $2. Regardless of who wins a milestone looks near certain as Oscar Bonavena needs to only earn $12,442 (a top two finish) to become New Zealand trotting’s latest millionaire. Auckland Cup Twilight bets – first race 3.13pm 1: Invisible (R4, No.7): No luck lately in better fields but has fine sprint record so can overcome wide draw. 2: Oscar Bonavena (R7, No.3): Likely to trail Muscle Mountain and should beat him for speed on their recent clashes. 3: Merlin (R9, No.7): Willing to forgive his NZ Cup battling fourth as tonight’s 3200m unlikely to be less brutal. Back home and with an ideal draw he is the one to beat. 4: Mr Kaplan (R6, No.7): Pulled too hard last start but could blast to lead tonight and be allowed to roll over the sprint trip. Good bet with small cover on Dance Till Dawn. 5: Taylad To Use (R10, No.8): Hard to follow but won similar races two starts ago and never got a crack last time. On a hard night to find value he could be the smokey. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Jockey Luis Antonio Gonzalez was suspended 15 days by the Mahoning Valley Race Course stewards Monday for a “failure to give best effort” infraction while riding an Ohio-bred 2-year-old shipper from Santa Anita Park who had broken her maiden in her most recent race in California by six lengths. Gonzalez was aboard the 7-5 favorite Rapida (Country House) in the eighth race at Mahoning on Dec. 26, a state-bred N2L allowance sprint. After stalking the pace from the inside to the quarter pole, Rapida surged to the lead under urging and began opening up. She led by two inside the eighth pole, then Gonzalez geared her down approaching the final sixteenth despite the onrushing presence of the 2.20-1 second favorite Lo Bug (Mor Spirit), who nailed Rapida at the wire by a head. In the Dec. 30 ruling, the Mahoning stewards wrote that Gonzalez “failed to use his utmost exertion to obtain a winning performance possibly costing him a better placing which may have affected mutuel payout.” The stewards' ruling stipulated that if Gonzalez chooses not to appeal his suspension, it will be reduced to seven days, running Jan. 6-12. It was unclear at deadline for this story if Gonzalez planned to appeal. Gonzalez, who has been a licensed jockey since 1986 with 3,632 lifetime wins, is currently 16th in both victories and earnings at the Mahoning meet. His record in 2024 is 64-67-56 from 317 mounts. The post Nailed At Wire On Santa Anita Shipper, Mahoning Jockey Suspended 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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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
In yesterday's edition of Value Sires for 2025, Chris McGrath profiled the stallions standing between $10,001 and $19,999, awarding the gold medal to trusty Darley stalwart Midshipman (read more here). Here, we asked the breeders to hand out their top picks for this category. ANDREW CARY GOLD: Volatile (Violence – Meloday Lady, by Unbridled's Song) Three Chimneys Farm, $12,500 The brilliantly fast and talented son of Violence is off to a very promising start at stud, already with 24 first crop winners, six stakes horses (two Grade I placed) and three TDN Rising Stars. Volatile looks set to follow in his father's footsteps, capable of siring stakes horses and lucrative sales yearlings. SILVER: Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile – Holy Bubbette, by Holy Bull) Airdrie Stud, $15,000 The veteran son of Pioneerof the Nile continues to churn out winners and stakes horses year in and year out. A consistent top 30 sire for $15,000 is impressive, especially for one that throws the consistency and versatility that Cairo Prince throws. He has sired 12 individual stakes winners and 18 stakes horses this year, led by Grade III winner Honey Pants. BRONZE: Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile – Pomeroys Pistol, by Pomeroy) Spendthrift Farm, $12,500 Another son of Pioneerof the Nile, Thousand Words has exceeded expectations with his first crop this year, currently sitting in the top five on freshman sire rankings by progeny earnings. He has sired three individual stakes winners, including the hard-knocking fillies The Queens M G and Vodka With a Twist, the latter a game runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies to champion Immersive (Nyquist). ADRIAN REGAN GOLD: Midshipman (Unbridled's Song – Fleet Lady, by Avenue of Flags) Darley, $15,000 My gold choice would Midshipman. For me he gets solid results on the track every year and always seems to be well received at the sales as a result. SILVER: Corniche (Quality Road – Wasted Tears, by Najran) Ashford Stud, $15,000 My silver choice would Corniche. I don't know why but they surprised me at the sales a little bit. He seems to be getting a very consistent type of horse and considering how good a 2-year-old he was, it would not surprise me at all if his first-crop 2-year-oolds are successful. BRONZE: Mandaloun (Into Mischief – Brooch, Empire Maker) Juddmonte Farms, $15,000 My bronze choice would be Mandaloun. The ones that we have had so far all were very easy to deal with and just seem to have a bit quality about them. At the end of the day he is a Kentucky Derby winner, a son of Into Mischief and out of a very good Empire Maker mare. I think he's definitely worth a shot at the price. The post Value Sires–Into the Teens: The Breeders Speak 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
Beginning in January 2027, the prize money on offer for all New York-bred overnight races on the New York Racing Association (NYRA) circuit will equal that which is available to their open-company counterparts, officials at NYRA said on Monday. As was announced in 2023, beginning in January 2026, all New York-bred overnight races for 2-year-olds will offer equal purse money. In 2024, NYRA staged 548 races restricted to New York-breds for total purses of $42,817,000, and the new program is expected to raise New York-bred overnight purses by 15% versus the 2024 levels. According to the release, 672 live New York-bred foals have already been reported to The Jockey Club through Oct. 13, an increase of 13.9% when compared to the previous year's figures. The national foal crop is predicted to decline by approximately 2% in 2024. “The commitment to the New York-bred overnight program builds upon our previous efforts to support high-quality New York-bred racing,” said Andrew Offerman, NYRA's Senior Vice President of Racing and Operations. “Starting in 2026, the New York-bred foal crop will benefit from the financial reward of purse parity and will continue to reap those benefits throughout their racing careers.” The programs will be offered starting in 2026 at both Saratoga Race Course and Aqueduct Racetrack as well as at the new Belmont Park, which will open in the fall of 2026. In addition to the lucrative purses offered by NYRA, a variety of owner, breeder and stallion awards are available to those who breed and race in New York. These incentives directly benefit thoroughbred breeding farms across the state. “Thanks to the quality of New York-breds in the sales ring and at the racetrack, our foal crop numbers have trended positively in recent years,” said Najja Thompson, Executive Director, New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. “NYRA's commitment to investing in the New York-bred program will support continued growth and is a clear statement on why it pays to breed, own, and race in New York.” The state of New York has adopted rules that expand the reach of the New York-bred awards and benefits by clarifying a pathway for non-resident mares to gain residency status. A non-resident mare purchased in foal through public auction is deemed a resident mare provided (1) that the mare is purchased for at least $50,000 in the public auction; (2) is present in the state of New York within 15 days after a sale in North America and 60 days at any public auction sale abroad; (3) the foal is foaled in New York; and (4) the mare thereafter is continuously in residence in New York from within 120 days after her last cover in the year of conception of another foal and remains in residency until foaling. Click here for additional information. NYRA and the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund (NYTBDF) proved up to $650,000 annually in bonuses to owners. The bonus awards $5,000 each time a New York-sired, New York-bred wins at the maiden special weight or allowance levels at NYRA tracks. The post All NY-Bred Purses To Match Open-Company Levels Beginning in 2027 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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