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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
At an unspecified date in the future Saudi Arabia will have a brand new racecourse at Qiddiya City, which will eventually host the Saudi Cup, according to an announcement made earlier this week. But for now the world's richest race belongs in Riyadh. Development has continued apace at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, which has now been in operation for 24 years. Much has changed, even in the short history of the Saudi Cup, both to the infrastructure at the racecourse and in the status of some of the contests. The Saudi Cup itself gained a Group 1 tag back in 2021, ahead of the third running of the race, and now it is joined at that international top tier by the Howden Neom Turf Cup, which on Saturday will become the first Group 1 race on grass to be staged in Saudi Arabia. Bob Baffert served up the Field of Dreams analogy in an interview during the week, and of course when $20m is attached to a race it will draw top horses from all over the world. In 2021, Classic winner Mishriff became the first European to take the race, and remains the only one to have done so, with subsequent runnings having gone to horses trained in Saudi, America and Japan. Yoshito Yahagi is the only trainer to have won it twice, initially with Panthalassa in 2023, and he has brought last year's winner, Japan's Horse of the Year Forever Young (Real Steel), back for another shot in an attempt to extend his record further still. Japanese horsemen now come in droves to the winter fixtures in the Middle East. In the six-year history of the Saudi Cup, 16 of the 47 international thoroughbred races have gone to a Japanese runner and there are 20 horses from the country here in Saudi. It should come as no surprise as, in addition to the Cup itself, Japan secured a clean sweep of last year's turf races with Shin Emperor (Siyouni), Ascoli Piceno (Daiwa Major) and Byzantine Dream (Epiphaneia). The latter has not travelled to Saudi this year for a repeat attempt at the G2 Red Sea Turf Handicap but is instead in Qatar where he will run in the G2 HH The Amir Trophy. For this year's main event, Forever Young will be tough to beat. Baffert, having twice finished second in the Saudi Cup, launches a double-pronged attack and said on Thursday that the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Nysos (Nyquist) is the best horse he has brought for the Saudi Cup to date, from five previous runners. He also fields Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach), who the trainer compared favourably to his 2022 runner-up Country Grammer. Yahagi's former assistant Kyoko Maekawa, the first female trainer to be licensed in the JRA, has her first shot at international glory with Sunrise Kipangu (Kizuna), a versatile sort when it comes to both trip and surface. Her compatriot Noriyuki Hori, who came close to Royal Ascot glory last year with Satono Reve, will saddle the third challenger from Japan, Luxor Cafe (American Pharoah), the mount of Joao Moreira. The Godolphin-bred Banishing (Ghostzapper) was bought by Larry Roman for $80,000 as a four-year-old in training, and Roman has raced him since then with trainer David Jacobson. On Saturday Banishing will race for those two partners along with Sharaf Al Hariri, who bought into the six-year-old in recent days – a strategy which worked well for him when he took a share in the 2024 winner Senor Buscador just prior to the race. Meanwhile the fellow American-trained Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo) will also carry local hopes. The Brad Cox trainee, the winner of four graded stakes at up to nine furlongs, is now listed in the ownership of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz and Sons. Ghaiyyath filly Ameerat Alzamaan leads a team of five Saudi-trained challengers and will be ridden by Ryan Moore. The four-year-old was runner-up to Mhally (Sergei Prokofiev) in the G3 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup, a Saudi Cup qualifying race over course and distance. Bridesmaid Survie goes for Group 1 glory The new Group 1 status of the Howden Neom Turf Cup, along with its $3m purse, has proved sufficient enticement for the new connections of Survie, who changed hands for 1.9 million gns at Tattersalls in December. The five-year-old daughter of Churchill now runs in the colours of Doreen Tabor and has moved to the stable of George Boughey, who gave her a warm-up run, and win, in the Winter Derby Trial at Lingfield on January 31. “She came out of the race good, she didn't do a huge amount last week but has shipped over in great shape,” Boughey said. “Dropping back to this 2,100-metre trip was always my plan, especially with this race having been upgraded to a Group 1 and with an extra $1m in prize-money, it was an obvious point for her.” Survie has been placed in Group 1 contests on four occasions, including when second to Sparkling Plenty in the Prix de Diane. She fully deserves to be a top-level winner in her own right but will have to see off last year's winner, the aforementioned Shin Emperor, as well as recent G2 Bahrain Trophy winner Royal Champion (Shamardal) and his runner-up Galen (Gleneagles). Alohi Alii (Duramente) claimed the G3 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano on his last trip outside Japan and will likely be better suited by the 2,100-metre trip and faster ground after being thwarted in the Arc. The 2024 G1 Dubai Turf winner Facteur Cheval (Ribchester) and last year's GI Canadian International winner Silawi (Dubawi), now seven and six respectively, add some depth to an 11-strong field drawn from six different nations. Melrose winners clash in Red Sea Turf Bar two runners from Japan – Struve (King Kamehameha) and Vermiclles (Gold Ship) – the $2.5m G2 Red Sea Turf Handicap is an entirely European affair featuring some well known names and emerging stayers. The last two winners of York's Melrose Handicap, so often a good pointer to some progressive types, face each other, with Tom Clover's Tabletalk having been gelded since we saw him last at Chester in August. The trainer rides him daily and feels he will be well suited to the faster ground he will encounter in Riyadh. The 2025 Melrose winner was the Juddmonte homebred Tarriance, a son of Frankel from the family of Hasili who has also recently been gelded. Trained by Andrew Balding, his only blip in six runs to date was his last-place finish in the St Leger on soft ground, but he too should enjoy these more suitable conditions. “It's great having a Juddmonte horse out here,” said the trainer's wife Annalisa Balding. “He didn't run at two and just improved so much last year. He's very straightforward and hopefully will enjoy the trip.” Epic Poet (Lope De Vega) was second in the race last year for David O'Meara, who said of the seven-year-old, “I think his prep, especially going out to Dubai this year, has been better. “I'm unsure about the draw in 12, but we're hopeful. He's very versatile and can sit right behind the leaders or take his time in the back if they're going hard.” Joseph O'Brien has scratched his Melbourne Cup runner-up Goodie Two Shoes but is still double-handed thanks to last year's Derby third and G2 Prix Dollar winner Tennessee Stud (Wootton Bassett) and G3 Ballyroan Stakes winner Sons And Lovers (Study Of Man). Burdett Road (Muhaarar) is guaranteed to be the only Saudi runner who did his Middle East prep at Cheltenham, but last year's Champion Hurdle runner-up is plainly in good form from his National Hunt exertions as he ran a decent second in a conditions race in Dubai last month. The French-trained greys Presage Nocturne (Wootton Bassett) and Espoir Avenir (Montmartre) have looked a picture training together in the morning this week but they are not just here to look pretty. Both are Group 3 winners over this trip at Longchamp and Presage Nocturne went off favourite for last year's Melbourne Cup. Lazzat and Panja Tower a class above in 1351 Turf Sprint Annaf (Muhaarar) won the $2m 1351 Turf Sprint two years ago and Mick Appleby's seven-year-old finished sixth of 13 last year. In this third appearance he faces a solid Group 1 performer in Lazzat (Territories), who could well add to trainer Jerome Reynier's burgeoning haul of international wins. Donnacha O'Brien's first runner in Saudi Arabia is Comanche Brave (Wootton Bassett), who drops back in trip for this 1,351-metre contest. Ridden by Ryan Moore, he backs up quickly after finishing third in last weekend's Listed Abu Dhabi Gold Cup. “He is a horse I always wanted to bring back down to sprint distances,”O'Brien said. “This is his first step in that direction. He is a horse with a lot of natural pace and hopefully that will bring out a bit of improvement.” The G1 NHK Mile winner Panja Tower (Tower Of London), representing trainer Shinsuke Hashiguchi, looks the pick of the three Japanese runners and is versatile regarding trip. Points to be made in the Saudi Derby The G3 Saudi Derby has been given something of a boost by its star graduate of 2024, Forever Young. Three of the six runnings have gone to Japan, and this year's most talked-about horse is Satono Voyage (Into Mischief), the winner of three of his four races in Japan including the Cattelya Stakes, which carries points for the Kentucky Derby, as does this race. Satono Voyage is trained by Hiroyasu Tanaka, whose biggest threat in attempting to land this prize could come from compatriot Junji Tanaka (no relation), who saddles another multiple winner Best Green (Smart Falcon). The American challengers attempting to pick up some Derby points include the Brad Cox-trained My World, from the first crop of Darley's Essential Quality, and Obliteration (Violence), who was fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint for Steve Asmussen. Karl Burke has sent Pontefract Listed winner Shayem (King Of Change), the winner of three of his four starts last year, and James Doyle's mount is not the only European runner in the reckoning as Gianluca Bietolini brings his Deauville Listed winner Cielo Di Roma (Romanised) and has secured the services of Mickael Barzalona. Breeders' Cup Sprint form tested The Grade I winners Elite Power and Straight No Chaser are both former winners of the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, for which last year's runner-up Muqtahem (Soldier's Call) reappears with a string of five Saudi wins to his name since then for trainer Abdullah Alsidrani. The Bob Baffert-trained Imagination, last seen finishing runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, sets a decent standard and will reoppose fellow Into Mischief colt American Stage, who was fourth behind him at Del Mar and is making his first visit to Riyadh for this meeting's most successful trainer Yoshito Yahagi. The Naoya Nakamura-trained four-year-old Yamanin Cerchi (Four Wheel Drive) has a progressive look to him and closed out last year with a hat-trick of Listed wins before finishing second in the G3 Capella Stakes in mid-December. The post International Cast Assembled as Forever Young Bids for Saudi Cup History 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
At 78 years of age, Dana Halvorson is looking to move out of Washington State and live permanently at his farm in Ocala, Florida. He leaves behind a decades-long, storied career in the bloodstock world in Washington. He also leaves behind a state breeding industry in free-fall. Between 2005 and 2025, the number of mares bred dropped 94%, from 1214 to 70. Only two major farms remain in the whole state. “The West Coast has just taken a beating,” said Halvorson, president of the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders & Owners Association (WTBOA). “It's our last chance-how do you get the breeding industry back?” One idea Halvorsen has raised in recent years is the prospect of combining, in some fashion, the breeding industries in California, Arizona, Washington and Oregon to create a kind of reciprocal Western breeding scheme. In other words, a program expanding the individual definitions of a state-bred along Western states. Halvorsen describes the talks he's had around the idea–both with his cohorts in Washington and other states–as preliminary but ongoing. But he's far from the only one having the conversation. “Other states that have done this, it's helped them,” said Mike Machowsky, Fasig-Tipton's California representative who floated the idea in the pages of the TDN last June, saying a unique situation needs “unique ideas.” At December's Global Symposium on Racing in Arizona, former California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (CTBA) vice chair Harris Auerbach made similar noises–as he did in the TDN last year. “I believe it's possible. It's needed,” said Oscar Gonzales, vice chair of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB). “It's been quite some time in the state capitol to make policy adjustments to help breeders, though it's been really encouraging to see what the CTBA has been doing of late.” Harris Auerbach and Chief Stipe Burge | Fasig-Tipton The impulse is understandable: strength in numbers to stem the bleeding, while at the same time, help protect the last remaining racetracks still operating this side of the Rockies to give all horses at all levels a chance to compete. It wouldn't be without challenges. Money is the obvious one. Each state has their own pots of breeders' award money with their own individual purse strings limiting it. In most cases, legislative changes would be needed to free it up. Then there's the task of getting a disparate set of individuals from different states with a splintered set of wants to sit down and agree upon a plan. And what would a plan look like that would benefit all states, both large and small? While California's breeding industry has also seen large declines, it still far outnumbers the industries in states like Washington and Arizona. In the latter, the number of mares bred fell 85% between 2005 and 2025, from 565 to 84. The disparities in purse structure are the same. “In some of the regions back east, when you have comparable racing and funding, it's easier to put together. Obviously, it's totally different out here,” said CTBA president Chief Stipe Burge, who raised questions about whether it behooves California financially to open its Cal-bred program to horses bred in other states. Rather, the immediate focus in the Golden state should be on luring back ex-California runners competing elsewhere, including the roughly 350 currently based at Turf Paradise, many of them Cal-breds, Burge said. “The breeder awards that they're forfeiting is another major incentive to come back,” he added. “If the races exist, the opportunity's there for them.” Other States, Other Programs Last year, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA) announced it was putting $1 million towards a new program that rewards registered Florida-breds who win out of state in selected conditions. The New Mexico Horse Breeders Association instituted a new program allowing certain Arizona-breds (including those by Arizona-based sires) to participate in state restricted races in New Mexico. Among the program's conditions, connections are required to stump up $1,000 annually to participate. The breeding industries in Maryland and Virginia have their own reciprocal program, allowing both Maryland-bred or -sired and Virginia-bred or -sired horses to compete in a series of stake races at Laurel Park and Colonial Downs. Back in 2012, lawmakers tweaked language in state statute opening the door to an out-of-state breeder incentive program that never came to fruition. Nevertheless, the recent program that did come together still required some deft financial reconfiguring to fund it. Video lottery terminal monies are a huge revenue for the state racing industry, but they can only be used in the state of Maryland. So, stakeholders came together to re-work how some of these funds are allocated, with breeders essentially covering the program's out-of-state costs, and the trainers covering in-state costs. Chris Merz | Maryland Department of Labor “They were able to do some flip-flopping using the finds that they already had,” said Chris Merz, executive director of the Maryland Racing Commission. The idea had its detractors. “People I think were a bit worried about letting Virginia-breds into the Maryland stakes program, which is understandable,” he said. “But we're at the time and place in horse racing where if we don't work together, everything's going to go down.” Arguably the biggest obstacle to getting this program launched, said Merz, was finally landing upon a specific program that everyone could get on board with. That, and getting all the right people together in the first place. “The way it came about, the stakeholders in Maryland and Virginia finally got in the same room and started hashing some stuff out,” said Merz. “It's one of those things, you start from ridiculous and work backwards. But obviously, good on them [for getting it done].” It's too early to tell if the program has helped boost the breeding industries in both states. But if they were to begin the process again, is there something that would change? “Perhaps communications could have been better between the stakeholders and their organizations within the state,” Merz admitted. “I think a lot of the frustration that came out of it, some of the trainers and the breeders didn't know much about the program to begin with.” Economic Factors Jenny Webber is the assistant farm manager at California's Rancho San Miguel. She thinks a reciprocal breeding program among the Western states is the “only feasible things that's going to save breeding at least on the West Coast.” Webber has a few ideas about what that could look like. One is that horses competing in the state they're bred in would see higher returns. “You get a higher percentage of the money if you're a Washington-bred competing in Washington, or a Cal-bred competing in California,” said Webber. More broadly, she'd like to see horses with fewer options right now have their horizons expanded-a program, for example, to give more opportunities to connections of a Washington-bred, who currently have a short 51-day meet at Emerald Downs to make good on their outlay. “What we're seeing at the sales in California right now, if you don't have a horse that's going to be a Del Mar or Santa Anita horse, people don't want to buy it. There are no outside options to run aside from Los Alamitos [with tight restrictions on Thoroughbred races],” she said. If stakeholders are serious about instituting any such kind of reciprocal program in the West, there are some basic principles at play, explained Jill Stowe, a professor in agricultural economics at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Jill Stowe | UKY WEB “It's a cost-benefit question,” said Stowe. “It has to make financial sense for all these states to participate.” Would the program be worth it in relation to travel and training costs, for example? How would the program be structured? Would it be built around open or restricted races? And exactly how do you relax the rules around what constitutes a state-bred? While ultimately the devil's in the details, the sorts of incentives programs that work as intended (i.e., they give the breeding industry a boost), are those primarily focused on quality, said Stowe. “If the quality is rewarded, then the quantity follows,” she said. Then there's the issue of how to build a reciprocal program when there's one giant dominating the market. “In microeconomic theory, we do address the topic of oligopoly markets, which is when there are just a few firms in the market. One could characterize a multistate regional breeding conference with this type of market structure. In this situation, and the relative strength of each firm has to be considered when designing agreements,” said Stowe. “If California is seen as the leader of this program,” Stowe added, “then the agreement must consider appropriate incentives for the other states to participate.” When it comes to the program between Maryland and Virginia, it's proven most beneficial to stakeholders in the former. According to Merz, a total of 101 horses ran in these stake races between June and December, with 85 of them Maryland bred or sired horses, and 16 from Virginia. Maryland won 10 of the races with Virginia winning the other two. Altogether, 84% of the money paid out in these stakes went to Maryland horses, with the rest going to Virginia. Lopsided? Perhaps. But when you consider how Virginia bred just 10% of the mares Maryland did last year, the picture looks numerically consistent. Legislative Change California already has a program where horses bred to a California sire but foaled elsewhere are eligible to race in Cal-bred or sired races in the state (but aren't eligible for breeders or owners' awards). “In the beginning, it was [successful]. People were taking advantage of it. But now, as the mare population has declined in neighbouring states, you don't see as many,” said Burge. One important aspect of that program? It didn't require a legislative change to facilitate the program. “We're not looking at making any legislative changes,” said Burge, about one of the key reasons he's reluctant to expand the Cal-bred program to horses bred in other Western states. “There's always a risk when you run legislation. We just don't believe it's necessary.” Machowsky said he understands Burge's concerns about the financial disparity between California and the other states. But he still thinks it's worth exploring ideas to develop programs that help breeders in all states out West-like a Western state stakes program, the purses built upon a “futurity” style funding scheme. “Every idea needs to be talked about, whether it's a good idea or a bad idea,” said Machowsky. “We need to create something unique and different and try to give some of these people something to look forward to.” The post Would A Program Consolidating Western State Breeding Programs Work? 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
2nd-FG, $65k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 1:30 p.m. ET A $185,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, TROMBONE (Maclean's Music) breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 flat and was knocked down to owner Kaleem Shah for $850,000 at last year's OBS April Sale. The April foal's winning dam Apologize (Lemon Drop Kid) is a half- or full-sister to four others to salute, including MGSW Aurelia's Belle (Lemon Drop Kid) and SW Dripping Gold (Lemon Drop Kid). This is the high-class female family of Althea, Twining, Atelier, Aldiza, et al. Vivo Stavolta (Not This Time) is an April-foaled son of MGSP Vivo Per Lei (Empire Maker), whose four winners include GI Forego Stakes placegetter Pipeline (Speightstown). Despite a dearth of black-type in his first two dams, Vivo Stavolta must have impressed many a judge, as he was hammered down for $1.3 million at Keeneland September in 2024. Juddmonte's Deep Flame (Into Mischief) is a maternal grandson of Willstar (Nureyev), whose daughter Etoile Montante (Miswaki) won the G1 Prix de la Foret in France and was a dual graded winner and Grade I-placed on these shores for trainer Bobby Frankel. Etoile Montante is the dam of MGSW Starformer (Dynaformer) and her half-sister Uno Duo (Macho Uno) produced GISW Obligatory (Curlin). Tranquillo (Independence Hall) was bought back for modest five-figure pricetags as a weanling and as a yearling, but blossomed at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale, where he fetched $400,000 from Hoolie Racing following an energetic gallop through the Timonium stretch. TJCIS PPs 4th-FG, $65k, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 2:30 p.m. ET ISLAND FLOWER (Gun Runner) draws the rail as a 7-2 chance for this first trip to the races. The Mar. 14 foal is the second runner for dam She's My Gem (Into Mischief), a two-time stakes winner who was acquired by Three Chimneys for $325,000 in foal to More Than Ready at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale. The mare's three foals to be offered at public auction to date have grossed a combined $1.25 million, including Island Flower, a $550,000 KEESEP purchase by Belladonna Racing and her current 2-year-old Detonator (Cyberknife), who realized the same price in Lexington last September. TJCIS PPs 5th-FG, $65k, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, 3:00 p.m. ET John and Susan Moore take the wraps off their homebred PRIMA DONNA (Gun Runner), whose dam Masquerade (Silent Name {Jpn}) was twice stakes-placed over the Stall-Wilson turf course. She has since become a successful producer, as her daughter Princess Grace was a five-time graded winner and twice placed at Grade I level before selling for $1.7 million at Fasig-Tipton November to continue her career in Australia. There she was a Group 3 winner, second in a pair of Group 1 contests and foaled an I Am Invincible (Aus) filly in 2025. Masquerade was also responsible for the ill-fated GSW & MGISP Catnip (Kitten's Joy). TJCIS PPs 7th-GP, $87k, Alw/Opt. Clm., 4yo/up, 1m, 3:20 p.m. Repole Stables' GRANDE (Curlin) shaped with tremendous promise at this venue last winter, belying odds of 9-1 to score over course and distance at first asking in January before tacking on a first-level allowance going nine furlongs at the back end of February. The $300,000 Keeneland September graduate was last seen jumping as low as 4-1 in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes in April en route to a runner-up effort behind 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Rodriguez (Authentic). The blinkers go on for the comebacker. Praetor (Into Mischief) claimed the scalp of none other than Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in a mile maiden at Aqueduct in the fall of 2024 and aired in his first start of 2025 before checking in third as the favorite in the GIII Stonestreet Lexington Stakes last April. Mario Gutierrez takes the call from Chad Brown. TJCIS PPs The post Saturday Insights: High-Class Maidens On Tap At the Fair Grounds 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
The MyRacehorse partners have been lucky enough to campaign runners worthy of taking up stud duties in Kentucky both in 2025 and 2026, and in an effort to support both Seize the Grey (Arrogate) and Straight No Chaser (Speightster), we've begun building up our broodmare band. These breeding-focused ventures have proven extremely popular–probably more than we even expected–and provide our owners with a chance to experience a different part of the business. While there's certainly a focus on supporting our stallions, we have made an effort to diversify and also balance the commercial element with the prospect of breeding to race. We currently have six mares as part of our broodmare band, and are excited to have them booked to some other promising young stallions in addition to our own duo. COMMUNITY ADJUSTED, 8, Summer Front–Rimini Road, by Dynaformer. Will be bred to Fierceness We purchased this big, stakes-placed mare for $275,000 at KEENOV 2024 carrying her first foal by Quality Road. The resulting filly is extremely nice and will most likely be offered at the Saratoga sale. Community Adjusted is due soon to Seize the Grey and the resulting foal will be bred on a version of the cross responsible for GISW And Tell Me Nolies (Arrogate). We're going to double down on the Quality Road sire line and breed back to Fierceness. The mare was a pure router who excelled going long on the grass, and she's got an interesting throwback pedigree with her first three dams by Dynaformer, Devil's Bag and Dr. Fager. We like the idea of putting a bit of dirt speed into her, which she'll get both from Seize the Grey and Fierceness. JOKE SISI (Arg), 7, Practical Joke–Lucky Sisi (Chi), by Lookin At Lucky. Will be bred back to Yaupon This mare was a superstar down in Chile, winning her first four starts by a combined 40 lengths before scoring at the Group 1 level two starts later. South American form is always a tricky read, but she had enough quality to take a Churchill Downs allowance and earn a stakes placing at Laurel, both while carrying her first foal by Arcangelo. That resulting colt was sold at Keeneland November to a top judge and we'd expect to see him reoffered later this season. We were big supporters of Yaupon from the start, and will go back to the well now as his stock continues to rise. This mating reproduces a version of the Yaupon over Into Mischief cross responsible for unbeaten recent Swale Stakes romper Solitude Dude and there are two other Yaupon stakes winners bred similarly. LAZARA, 7, Tapit–Divine Elegance, by Uncle Mo. Will be bred back to Straight No Chaser This well-bred, pretty daughter of the great Tapit was acquired at KEENOV 2025 in foal to Speightstown's intriguing son Prince of Monaco, and we'll stick with the same sire line and breed her back to Straight No Chaser. Versions of this cross have produced six graded winners, including GISW Lexitonian, and there are two Speightster stakes horses out of Tapit mares. LITTLEST WARRIOR, 5, Bernardini–Sister Sunday, by Denman (Aus) Will be bred back to Seize the Grey We've been eager to breed a Bernardini mare to Seize the Grey. Unbridled's Song/Arrogate over A.P. Indy is a potent cross (Arcangelo via Tapit, etc.) and Bernardini mares have done particularly well with another Unbridled's Song's son in Liam's Map (Colonel Liam, Wicked Whisper and KEENOV 2024 sale topper Roses for Debra). The two priciest mares at the 2025 November sale offered in foal to Seize the Grey were both by Bernardini, and we took a good run at that top-priced one before later landing Littlest Warrior. She's currently in foal to Vekoma. Seize the Grey | Sarah Andrew SINTRA, 5, Constitution –Trophy Girl, by Warrior's Reward Will be bred back to Straight No Chaser We were happy to support Seize the Grey in the Keeneland sales ring last November and pick up this young mare carrying her first foal by him–that one's due any day now and will be bred similarly to Arcangelo. The Straight No Chaser mating will mirror the one mentioned above for Lazara, and it doesn't hurt that Sintra is out of a Grade I-producing daughter of Warrior's Reward, by Medaglia d'Oro. Obviously, it's a bit removed in this case, but the Speightstown over Medaglia d'Oro cross is one of the strongest ones we've seen in recent years, having produced four Grade I winners. TIFFANY'S MO, 7, Uncle Mo –Cruelmore, by Forestry Will be bred back to Locked We grabbed this daughter of red-hot broodmare sire Uncle Mo in partnership with Gainesway Farm for $120,000 at the 2024 November sale, and did well with her first foal-a super solid Liam's Map colt who brought $180K a year later. Locked makes tons of sense to us as a stallion prospect and seems to offer good relative value for his profile and accomplishments among this crop of new sires. He's by an emerging sire of sires, was precocious enough to break his maiden at Saratoga and win a Grade I at two, and also got the Classic distances as an older horse. This cross produced the talented GISW Geaux Rocket Ride and we like the fairly far-back inbreeding to Storm Cat, who is so potent when mixed with the Candy Ride line. The post Mating Plans for 2026: MyRacehorse 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
Jay Rooney AUDACIOUS PURSUIT - R4 (1) Has been in consistent form and gets an overdue good draw here Owen Goulding AUDACIOUS PURSUIT - R4 (1) Bumped into a useful sort last start when lashing home and this is easier Trackwork Spy RED SEA - R3 (2) Trialled brilliantly ahead of his local debut and can strike with Purton up Phillip Woo LUCKY WITH YOU - R7 (1) Capable sprinter should map well and can repeat last year' TVB Cup win Shannon (Vincent Wong) SOLID CAR - R8 (4) Ran a close third...View the full article
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