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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Trainer Phil Serpe is contesting constitutionality of HISA in federal district court.View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
This week's racing on radio, TV, and streaming schedule compiled by America's Best Racing.View the full article -
By Chief Stipe · Posted
The only thing historical is that the programming has never aligned to horse numbers and trainer requirements. The South Island programming committee has been dysfunctional for decades. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
GSW/MGISP Mopotism (Uncle Mo), the dam of GI Preakness Stakes winner and this weekend's GI Haskell Stakes favorite Journalism, has died from complications of colic, Don Alberto Corp confirmed Tuesday. Social media posts, which credit an Instagram message, read: “Mopotism, mother of Journalism, has died due to complications from colic at Don Alberto USA. She leaves two unraced products, a yearling filly daughter of Into Mischief and a 2-month old filly by Flightline.” Don Alberto mourned the loss of their mare with the following message: “We are heartbroken to report the loss of our mare Mopotism, due to complications related to colic. She was a gift to all those that got to know her beautiful eye, strong mind, and gentle way. We are grateful to everyone that has taken care of her over the years and poured so much love into her each day. We are humbled to watch the brilliance of her son, Journalism, and to know that her legacy will continue through him and her other foals. On to greener pastures, Mopo. You will be dearly missed.” The post Mopotism, Dam Of Journalism, Dies From Colic Complications 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
Sandra Russell, breeder of Grade I winner Excellent Truth, opens up about the emotion surrounding that top-notch triumph Much of the attention surrounding Excellent Truth's breakthrough success at the highest level at Saratoga last weekend revolved around the game's larger than life owner John Stewart. And rightly so given it was the man behind Resolute Racing who forked out €1.6 million for the daughter of Cotai Glory at the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale last December. But a little over 3,000 miles away from Saratoga, the magnitude of what Excellent Truth had just achieved in out-battling race favourite She Feels Pretty to record that memorable Dunkin' Diana Stakes victory, was being felt in Bansha, County Tipperary, by the mare's breeder Sandra Russell. “For someone like me to dine at the top table is out of this world because there are not many seats at that table,” Russell surmised of her greatest achievement in bloodstock. “I watched the race from behind the cushion! I lived in America for a number of years so I got lots of texts and calls from people straight after the race. There was plenty of chatting and celebrating late into the night and it was just absolutely fabulous. She is the best horse I have bred.” She added, “I bred Ventura Diamond, who won a listed race for Richard Fahey, and Cowardofthecounty as well. Ventura Diamond was the first black-type horse I bred but, definitely, Excellent Truth is the best.” Russell is the definition of a small breeder. She keeps seven or eight mares of her own but it's the boarding arm of her business that puts bread on the table. Excellent Truth's dam Moment Of Truth, who was sourced for just €14,000 at Goffs in 2016, has in Russell's own words allowed her to dine at the top table. And what an experience this has been. “The big thing that attracted me to Moment Of Truth was the fact she was by Teofilo,” Russell explained. “She is a big, scopey mare, which tends to be the type of mare I am drawn to. The dam of Ventura Diamond, Shehila (Zamindar), was the very same. I can remember when I got her home I actually got a fright. I am not a tall person but I thought I must have been on stilts at the sales.” She added, “But Moment Of Truth had a very kind eye and temperament is a huge thing for me. She had a very good back page as well. Okay, the mare hadn't done it but, if she had, we wouldn't have been able to afford her. I am not sure if Tony O'Callaghan remembers or not but he was bidding on the mare at one point. When I went out to him afterwards, he said to me, 'sure you might consider sending the mare to Mehmas'. He was just starting off at the time so we sent her to Mehmas and the resulting progeny [Memo De L'Alguer] was sold to Italy where she got black-type. The same connections bought the Gutaifan the following year and then along came the Cotai Glory filly, which ended up being Excellent Truth.” Many people would be quick to seek praise for what has turned out to be a clever mating but Russell is not one to go down that road. Instead, she puts producing a breakthrough Grade I winner down to nothing more than pure chance. Sandra Ruseell: with Ventura Diamond at Tattersalls Recalling the mating, she says with refreshing honesty, “There was no planning in using Cotai Glory. I can't take any great credit for that aspect of it. Maybe it was as simple as a quick call to Roger O'Callaghan to find out what stallion was free at the time and Cotai Glory being the one who was available. We cover a lot of mares here given we look after a lot of UK-based clients so there are lorries going in every direction in the height of the breeding season. To be fair to Roger, Tony and Henry, they would never steer you wrong. They have been very, very loyal to this mare down through the years and she has been good to all of us.” The latest progeny from Moment Of Truth, a Starman colt by the name of Armstrong, who made a promising debut for Al Shaqab and Amo Racing for trainer George Boughey when third at Lingfield, is a good example of how things have worked out well for both Russell and the O'Callaghans. Tally-Ho signed for Armstrong at the Goffs November Foal Sale for €115,000 before reoffering him at what turned out to be a memorable Book 1 session of the October Yearling Sale at Tattersalls, where he sold to his current connections for 260,000gns. He remains a colt of some promise and Russell revealed that she has repaid the favour to the Westmeath men in recent years. As the saying goes, if it's not broken, don't fix it. Russell said, “She has a lovely Good Guess filly foal on the ground and is back in foal to Big Evs. I felt I had to be loyal to the O'Callaghan family as they have pretty much made the mare. I felt I couldn't shop elsewhere. Other people may have felt that they could go to more proven stallions but I think you have to be honest in this game, too. On a separate point, Cotai Glory is a flaking horse and this is a reminder of what he can do as well.” She added, “I remember speaking with Gavin O'Connor, who works for John Stewart at Resolute Racing, after they bought Excellent Truth at Arqana. I nearly fell off the edge of my chair when that happened. But I thought it was interesting that Gavin said that this mare matched up very well on whatever scoring system they use. They really liked the cross, which is why they were so keen on her. Look, they've been proved right with their Group I win and isn't it great to see? John Stewart has put a lot of money into the game and I'm thrilled to see them having some success. Those guys that put in the big money, they need the results. It's unfamiliar territory for me but I'm enjoying it also.” And with this newfound success there inevitably comes some big questions. Excellent Truth's dam has now become quite a sought after broodmare. Updates like this don't come around very often and, when they do, it's hard not to cash in. Bills need to be paid and books need to be balanced. So will her breeder sell? Russell explained, “That question has been asked and, to be honest, it will probably work out that I won't be able to afford to keep her. I suppose, with having a filly on the ground out of her, it would open the door to selling the mare. In a dream world, I would race the Good Guess filly but I am only a small player and there are plenty of bills that need to be paid so we'll see. They are nice thoughts to have anyway.” In many ways, Russell's story speaks to everything that is great about this game and can provide inspiration for people in similar positions. After spending a little shy of a decade honing her craft with some of the sharpest minds in bloodstock over in America, Russell returned home to Ireland with not much by way of a plan but a strong desire to make a go of it by herself. By surrounding herself with good people and even better horses, she has scaled heights that were at one point unimaginable and admits to being unable to wipe the smile from her face since Excellent Truth crossed the winning line in front on Saturday. She said, “I'm in my early 50s – I won't say how early or late! I spent eight-and-a-half years working for Robbie Lyons in America. Robbie, Gerry Dilger and Mike Ryan were some of the first guys who started pinhooking foals to yearlings and they had a big syndicate going. That was an incredible experience and I learned so much from those guys. The contacts and friends for life that I made in America were amazing but I came back to Ireland in the early 2000s not really with any great plan. I realised pretty quickly that pinhooking was not going to be an option because the market was quite saturated. I was in my early 30s at the time and went and worked in Mount Coote Stud with Luke and Alan Lillingston for a year. I suppose I had a desire to go out and do things on my own and this farm in Bansha became available in 2004. I knew the owners, Jim and Kate Nicholson, who were good friends of the family. So I decided to give it a go and we've been here ever since. “Jim and Kate are good friends with Kirsten Rausing and she was one of the first people who sent me mares for boarding. She has become a good friend of mine and is a wonderful sounding board to have. We also board mares and foal mares for Stringston Farm, Ed Player, Tom Blain as well as Clive and Tina Cox. I have surrounded myself with good people and have just been so lucky with the support. Looking back on it now, it was probably pure madness to set up on my own in my early 30s. If a bank manager were to have asked me back then what my 10-year plan was, I don't think I'd have been able to provide them with a 10-month plan. But thankfully it has all worked out.” Russell concluded, “People have been so kind. From the top down, the amount of people who have congratulated me has been amazing. They all know how hard it is to produce a horse like Excellent Truth and the amount of messages and calls we have received has been crazy. The phone has been going non-stop ever since the race. We're just thrilled. I haven't been able to wipe the smile off my face since Saturday. It's just fantastic.” The post ‘I Watched Excellent Truth From Behind A Cushion – It Was Crazy’ 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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