You can say this much for John Stewart, he doesn't think small. Looking to build a stable that can compete at the highest level not only in the U.S. but all over the world, the owner will compete in Sunday's G1 Japan Cup with his newest acquisition, the gelding Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {(Ger)}. Stewart purchased a majority interest in Goliath after he won the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at odds of 25-1. Since, he has won the G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris Stakes at ParisLongchamp Oct. 20 as a prep for the Japan Cup. “My goal is I want the best horses racing all over the world,” Stewart said by phone from Japan. Goliath was so dominant in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth that Stewart believes he should be considered among the best horses on the planet. “I saw him run in the King George, and before that he really wasn't on my radar,” Stewart said. “And me and [Director of Breeding for Stewart's Resolute Racing] Chelsey [Stone] are big fans of Auguste Rodin, who he beat. We had visited him at Coolmore and we knew he was going to be retiring. We plan to breed to him with some of our horses because 80% of our program is turf. We're big fans of Aidan O'Brien, and we are good friends with the Coolmore team.” All signs point to Goliath, who is four, running a big race in Japan, but he will again have to beat, among others, Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), whose wins include the 2023 GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf and the 2024 G1 Prince of Wales Stakes for the Coolmore team. That's fine by Stewart, as he not only wants to win the biggest races in the world, but to beat the best horses across the planet. “I had fun with Coolmore,” Stewart said. “MV Magnier and I have become pretty good friends. They've sold me some great horses and when I bought this horse he asked 'where are you going to race him?' I said, I don't know, 'Where's Auguste Rodin going to race?' He said 'Why does that matter?' I said, 'Because that's where he is going to go race. I love those guys, but I want to beat them.” Stewart, who runs under the name of Resolute Racing, wants to take on all comers. “Think about it, in my first year I've had a horse in the Kentucky Derby,” he said. “I've had horses at Royal Ascot. I've had a horse in the Golden Slipper. I had a horse in the Everest and now I have a horse in the Japan Cup. It's fun. Who doesn't want to be in all those races?” When it comes to Goliath, he didn't have to be part of a bidding war that included the usual suspects. That's because Goliath is a gelding. While most owners who have the means to buy a horse of his caliber and looking ahead to when the horse can be retired to stud, Stewart doesn't think that way. Goliath | ScoopDyga “With the gelding, you don't have to buy a hundred percent of the horse,” Stewart said. “That's because there are no breeding rights. You just need to control the horse. You're going to see me do more of that.” Still, some wondered why anyone would pay a hefty sum for a gelding. “Remember, my operation is about breed to race,” Stewart said. “So I'm a firm believer that too many of our horses are being retired early.” After the purchase, Stewart could have gone in many different directions, including a start in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar. But he didn't believe that would be the best spot for his horse. “The reason we didn't go to Breeders Cup, the track is too tight,” he said. “It doesn't set up well for these foreign horses to come over and to run, especially the Europeans where the tracks are a lot wider and bigger and the turns are more sweeping. Trust me, I want to win the Breeders Cup and we finished third [in the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf] with Didia. To me, the ultimate races to win in the U.S. are the Derby and Breeders' Cup races. But with the track configurations it makes it tough for foreign horses. I'm a little frustrated that it's back-to-back at Del Mar.” Another race he wants to win is the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and he is hoping that French racing authorities change the rules so that geldings can compete. “If they want to say it's the best race in the world then geldings shouldn't be excluded,” he said. Stewart wants these races so badly that he often throws in incentives for the winning trainers and jockeys. He has promised jockey Christophe Soumillon and trainer Francis-Henri Graffard that he will buy them each a Porsche should Goliath win the Japan Cup. “I put out incentives for all of my jockeys and trainers,” Stewart said. “If you're a jockey for me and you win a Grade III, you get a $25,000 bonus. For a Grade II, you get $35,000, and for a Grade I you get $50,000. That all started in the New York Stakes with Didia. When Mike Repole and I kind of got into an argument, I told Jose [Ortiz] if he beat Repole, I'd give him a hundred grand. And so he did, and I gave him a hundred grand. I think aligning the incentives is really smart business.” Goliath | photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Stewart made his first big splash in racing when he spent lavishly at the 2023 November bloodstock sales. He was much quieter this time around. Why? “I had all these people saying I was broke,” he said. “People have no idea how much money I've spent in the industry in the last year. But they said John didn't show up, he must not have any money. Actually, I bought a business for $350 million in Germany during the sales. My private equity business is what affords me the opportunity to do all the stuff I'm doing in the horse industry. So I had to take care of that. I'm not the type of person that's going to have to send somebody else to the auction and buy all the horses because I'm involved in selecting the horses that we're buying. And so I've already got 53 yearlings for next year, and I bought a lot of mares as they were running this year, like Didia and others.” He wishes that more American owners thought the way he does. “In America, we're terrible about taking our best horses and going and racing them elsewhere,” Stewart said. “And that's something I want to do as I build my fan base in the US. I saw the Japan Cup as an opportunity to fast track that whole kind of agenda and create some excitement around this horse.” What's next for Goliath and Didia (Arg) (Orpen) or any of the other star horses he owns now or will in the future.? You can expect anything other than the ordinary. “There's an opportunity globally because I already have horses in Australia,” he said. “I bought some at Arqana and I'm going to have a few over in Europe. My goal is I want the best horses racing all over the world. I have some plans for Didia and when I'm ready to reveal that, I'll let you guys know, but it's going to shock everybody what my plans are for her. This is stuff that other people aren't doing. Because I'm the new guy, I can take more risks and chances even though people write me off. They say I don't know what I'm doing or I'm crazy or whatever. I know exactly what I'm doing.” The post Always Aiming High, John Stewart Ready To Tackle Japan Cup With Goliath appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

WHIP RULE BREACHES There is limited scope or discretion for an Adjudicative Committee to depart from the Penalty Guide when imposing a penalty for a breach of the whip rules. Any departure would need to be carefully evaluated on the basis of exceptional circumstances.

Listed Prix Herod heroine Glamis Road (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) (lot 190) is one of two wildcards that were added to Arqana's Vente d'Elevage on Friday. The sale runs from Dec. 7 to Dec. 10 in Deauville. Offered by Baroda Stud, she was a winner in June on debut, and also ran fourth in the G3 Prix Miesque. The daughter of Pass The Moon (Ire) (Raven's Pass) is currently rated 100. This is the family of Grade I winners Vanlandingham (Cox's Ridge) and Funny Moon (Malibu Moon). Trainer Ollie Sangster said, “Glamis Road is improving and consistent, she showed her class in her best performance to date last time out when impressively winning the Prix Hérod. A mile won't be an issue and she's an exciting filly for next year to be targeting a Guineas trial in the spring.” The second new wildcard is the listed-placed Vasda (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}) (lot 226), who is part of the Coulonces draft. Trained by Joseph O'Brien, she is rated 98 and is out of the stakes-placed Regina Mundi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). The 4-year-old filly is also a half-sister to five stakes horses, among them G3 Prix d'Aumale heroine Rocques (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}) and the listed winner Mea Domina (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}), who was also second in the G3 Gladness Stakes. The post Listed Winner Glamis Road And Vasda Join Arqana’s Vente d’Elevage As Wildcards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Clear interference to me. Cut under its neck and took the other horse's line. I agree with the adjudicator and the stewards bringing the charge. Should happen more often to put a stop to this shit.

WinStar Farm is hoping to see plenty of activity come out of their stallion division in the near future. In 2025, the farm's flagbearer Constitution, currently ranked a top five general sire, will stand for a fee of $110,000 while his son and fellow WinStar resident Independence Hall will see his first 2-year-olds hit the racetrack. Also this coming year, Life Is Good and Nashville will be represented by their first crop of yearlings while Country Grammer and Two Phil's are expecting their first foals. Meanwhile, three new sires have been added to the farm's roster for 2025 with record-setting turf sprinter Cogburn (Not This Time), 2023 GI Champagne Stakes winner Timberlake (Into Mischief) and 'TDN Rising Star' Heartland (Justify). Fletcher Mauk of Small Batch Thoroughbreds was among the breeders that stopped in to check out the newcomers during the past few weeks of open houses at WinStar. “They're exciting stallion prospects,” Mauk said after inspecting the trio. “All three have good bone and nice feet. They were all accomplished as 2-year-olds, which I think is important for a lot of breeders to know that you have the opportunity to have something come running out of a mare. They're all three by very nice sire lines as well.” Four-time graded stakes winner Cogburn leads the charge of new recruits at WinStar with a $30,000 stud fee. He is one of six Grade I winners for Not This Time (featured in Saturday Sires here) and will be the first son of the fast-starting sire to stand at WinStar. WinStar's Liam O'Rourke reported that the multi-millionaire arrived at WinStar shortly after the Breeders' Cup and settled in immediately. “It's rare that you see a stallion come in and have as much composure and as much presence as he's had since the first day he came in,” he said. “He went up there, put his head down, walked like he'd been doing this for 10 years, stood up perfect and didn't move a hair. He's been incredibly well received, a beautiful horse who is going over very well with the breeding public.” Although Cogburn's biggest achievements came this year as a 5-year-old, including a record-setting GI Jaipur victory where he covered 5 ½ furlongs in 59:80 and another memorable win in the GII Turf Sprint Stakes at Kentucky Downs where he completed six furlongs on 1:07.68, O'Rourke said that breeders are also taking note of his earlier resume. The Steve Asmussen trainee broke his maiden by over four lengths on dirt as a juvenile and was runner-up in the GIII Chick Lang Stakes on the main track the following year before he eventually switched to turf. “He really excelled as a 2-year-old and showed a ton of ability on the dirt,” said O'Rourke. “When Steve moved him over to the turf, he definitely hit another level. Speed is speed. It's something that we've always been attracted to here at WinStar. We've had a lot of success with horses like Distorted Humor, Speightstown and More Than Ready who had that really elite speed.” Fletcher Mauk said that he has plans to send an American Pharoah mare to Cogburn that was twice stakes placed going over a mile on turf. “For me, the big thing is incorporating speed into that pedigree,” he said. “More than likely we'll end up with a turf horse just given her female side, but you don't know and that's what's exciting about a horse that has been able to run on every surface. Anything is possible and I don't even necessarily think that he is going to throw just speed given his sire. I think you could get any distance as well.” A 'TDN Rising Star' in his 9 1/4-length maiden win for WinStar and Siena Farm, Timberlake was runner-up in the GI Hopeful Stakes before soundly claiming the GI Champagne over a field that included future 2-year-old champion Fierceness (City of Light). “The Champagne places him as the only Grade I-winning 2-year-old by Into Mischief other than Practical Joke in Kentucky,” said O'Rourke. “We've gotten a great response from breeders on that. He was talented, very precocious, and just a big, strong, handsome horse that people are really falling in love with when they come out here.” Timberlake, winner of the GII Rebel Stakes this year as a 3-year-old, will stand for 20,000. After getting a look at the newcomer, Mauk said he believes the son of Into Mischief shows the potential to become a versatile sire. “I don't think he's necessarily your typically shaped 2-year-old graded stakes winner,” he explained. “To me he has a little bit more range in his body, a longer shoulder and maybe a more slope-y hip. The fact that he did win a very important race as a 2-year-old in the Champagne and then went on to win the Rebel I think is a good indication that you're not limited in your scope of exclusively being a sprinter or a 2-year-old horse.” Rounding out the trio, Heartland made only one career start, but the team at WinStar believes he has the resume to succeed in this next chapter. A homebred for WinStar and a half-brother to juvenile champion Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile), Heartland sold for $575,000 at the Keeneland September Sale, going to China Horse Club and Siena Farm with WinStar staying in for a piece. “He was at the head of the class among our 2-year-olds that year,” O'Rourke reported. “David Hanley, Elliott Walden and [trainer] Neil McLaughlin were gushing about this horse. He was our first 2-year-old that we sent on.” Making his debut for Bob Baffert at Del Mar last July, Heartland rated off the pace before picking off rivals around the turn and then opening up over future stakes winner Slider (Jimmy Creed) by two lengths, completing 5 ½ furlongs in 1:03.20 and earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. While Heartland was never able to make it back to the starting gate, the WinStar team is hoping he can make his mark as a sire. Standing for $10,000, Heartland will be the second son of Justify  to stand in Kentucky after Spendthrift's Arabian Lion retired last year. “It's very intentional that he is here at WinStar,” said O'Rourke. “We are going to support him very strongly in his first several years at stud and we have some creative incentives for our breeders that we think make him a really good value proposition. Justify obviously is doing incredible things as a stallion and I think it's a great access point to Justify at that $10,000 level. He's got the pedigree to back it up being a half-brother to Classic Empire and by one of the most elite sires in the world, so we think he's got a big chance and we're getting some good support from breeders on him.” The post A Lot to Look Forward To for WinStar in 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Last week, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority announced that its Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) standing committee was replacing three outgoing members with new ones. Among them was David Ingordo, arguably the first hands-on horseman the group has seated. The committee is required by federal law to be composed of four independent members and three industry representatives. The committee plays a key role in advising and assisting HISA with the establishment of comprehensive rules and protocols for its ADMC Program, including the prohibited substances list, laboratory testing standards, and in- and out-of-competition testing programs. The daily operations of the ADMC Program are managed by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), a subsidiary of Drug Free Sport International, which works to ensure horseracing is conducted in accordance with the ADMC Program. We talked to Ingordo how his years on HISA's horsemen's advisory committee shaped his view of the current rules, what he hopes to bring to the table as an active horseman. SF: When it's working at its best, how does the ADMC Standing Committee function? DI: The purpose of this committee is to recommend the anti-doping and medication rules to the HISA Board who then submit them to the FTC for approval. They also provide guidance on some of the more challenging issues that arise in connection with the enforcement of these rules under the ADMC program. Frankly, its function is a critically important one and it is a serious responsibility to be involved on this committee, making recommendations to HISA and fixing any of the problems with those rules and their enforcement. SF: Do you have monthly meetings? How does it work? DI: I haven't served on the committee yet and the appointment officially starts in January when we have our first meeting. As I understand, that's when we'll lay out the itinerary and the agenda for the year. I understand the expectations are for us to be active and proactive on getting policy right. SF: How many people are on the committee? DI: There is a total of seven members, four “independent,” from outside the industry and three “industry.” The Committee chairman must also sit on the HISA Board. Charles Scheeler is an independent and he is both the chairman of the HISA Board and the ADMC Committee. You have three industry members, who will now be Dr. Jeff Blea, myself, and veterinarian Dr. David Sykes. I had my first introductory conversation with Chairman Scheeler on Wednesday. I was impressed with him and energized by the thoughts that we shared for what he called “ADMC 2.0.” SF: Dr. Jeff Blea obviously works in the trenches, but you are probably the person with the most hands-on horse-training experience that the ADMC has ever had on board. Would you say that's true? And what have they been lacking in practical advice that you can bring? DI: I would like to discuss that. Jeff Blea, who is a world-class veterinarian, and remains on the committee, was quite hands-on before he became the Equine Medical Director for the state of California. I've worked with and respected Jeff since my teens, so I know him first as a practicing veterinarian. Just because he's gone over to the regulatory side doesn't mean he has forgotten how to work with horses and trainers or how racing works. I would contend that Jeff is still hands-on in his current role. His experience on the racetrack is on par with mine, but he is a veterinarian; I'm not. I would say the same about (outgoing member) Dr. (Lynn) Hovda, who is a very sharp person. Barry Irwin is the other outgoing committee member, and he would rightly argue that he has a lot of knowledge about all that is racing as well! To rephrase it that I'm a different type of hands-on appointment, I would say that is very true. I'm different than anyone on the Committee because I'm looking at the rules from a trainer, owner, gambler and even a Thoroughbred auction point of view. I'm not from a veterinary or a regulatory background. I'm coming to this appointment with what I see as a practical, common-sense way of dealing with the X's and O's of training and racing horses safely, because this is my livelihood. SF: Cherie DeVaux, your wife, is a trainer, and you work closely with her in various aspects of the business. How will you represent that viewpoint on this committee? DI: My wife is a horse trainer as are many of my family and friends, so I'm sure I will get a lot of their solicited and unsolicited viewpoints…like it or not! Joking aside, I have great respect for the job of a horse trainer. It is the toughest job in our industry, adding to everything that is the responsibility of the trainer: wins versus losses, the horse and employees, the bills and results of post-race testing. My goal is to listen, represent their viewpoint where pertinent, help improve what rules are already in place and fix those that need replacement. So not only for my wife, but for all the people who train–family, friend or otherwise–it's imperative we to get these rules and their enforcement right. SF: As a follow-up to that question, you've been on the HISA Horsemen's Advisory Committee for two years. What sort of things did you hear from horsemen there that you feel you can bring to this committee that will be helpful? DI: The words that many trainers and owners used when calling and discussing their issues and qualms with HISA were `common sense' and `practical.' I'm hopeful that I can help the ADMC committee and HISA by articulating and helping to understand what rules and regulations might make sense in theory but not in practice. Chairman Scheeler called it the “ADMC 2.0” in acknowledgement of that when we spoke on our call, knowing we need to iron out the issues with the rules that are currently in place that we are all aware of. That was exciting for me to hear and to be able to share with horsemen. SF: In terms of what you've heard from horsemen until this point, where have they been right in their objections and where do you think they've been wrong? DI: They've been right and effective in voicing their objections, pointing out the well-reported issues and helping develop practical solutions by working with HISA. Early on, they drew attention to how some racing jurisdictions were keeping to the old rules, not following the updated HISA rules. There are many great lobbyists inside the Horsemen's Advisory Group and within the broader industry who have done an excellent job communicating when they see a problem and articulating, “This is a problem that needs to be fixed and here is a solution that works for horsemen.” The wise horsemen have used their political clout, to the benefit of all horsemen, to get the ear of HISA and get problems identified and fixed quickly, faster than I have experienced pre-HISA. By working with HISA and through the process, horsemen in general have helped all the participants across the board. My personal experience is that HISA and Lisa Lazarus want to get it right and when you approach HISA professionally, you have a great chance of success getting substantial changes made. SF: And where have they been wrong? DI: I think a broad mistake that horsemen have made is not taking the time to understand HISA and to get a deeper understanding of what the facts are versus the fiction, not developing their own relationship and understanding of HISA. I do not think that horsemen as a group had a good understanding that most of these rules were in place pre-HISA and HIWU, but now they're being enforced more than they were previously. A lot of horsemen got bad professional advice on how to navigate the process to work with HISA. The professionals that are advising horsemen, they need to recalibrate how they work within the new regulatory framework. As is wont at the racetrack, rumors circulate, and horsemen often are getting HISA information from a slanted or wrong viewpoint or interpretation, often from trade organizations that are supposed to be there to help horsemen and advocate for them. Horsemen are getting their understanding of policy from second- or third-hand sources and often the truth is nowhere near what they are being told. Horsemen have been given the impression HISA is against them, and instead of seeking their own understanding and relationship with HISA, they accept what they are told via the rumor mill. It has happened to me so I understand how easy it is to not do your own homework on the subject. SF: You are known for being bluntly honest. You're a huge HISA supporter, but what have they done wrong? DI: You're right. I'm a huge HISA supporter because it's here, and if it's here, we should make a conscious effort to work with it. I didn't agree with the provisional suspensions. I think they were a mistake in how they were executed in the beginning. I don't think HISA understood exactly what happens on the backside as far as how horses are trained and all the interworking parts of a backstretch, the whole ecosystem. I don't think they understood the sport from the bottom to the top. I think they went in with good intentions, but I don't think they initially had enough information on how to build this out the right way. SF: Give me an example. DI: When HISA was created, they had people who were independent from the industry designing the program. And in theory, having people with no conflicts of interest and independent is a good idea because then you're not getting cronyism, you're not getting `well, my mother's mother's mother did it this way, so we've got to do it that way.' But the mistake was not having a good team of horsemen and industry participants advising from the beginning on these rules and being part of that conversation. They needed an experienced Horsemen's Advisory Board from day one. The way I understand it, USADA wrote a lot of these rules without industry input and Lisa and her team inherited them. The analogy I used was they built this beautiful building and then went and tried to put the foundation under it after it was built. And that just doesn't work from a building standpoint. I think the biggest mistake that HISA made in the beginning was not getting more hands-on active industry participants, whether they're trainers, vets, or owners. With that, I think HISA could have figured out some of the operational flaws before it was put into operation. SF: Do you think that the way the drugs of human abuse were treated was a mistake? DI: I think that HISA perhaps didn't know fully what we were dealing with on the backside. I would go as far as to say we all didn't fully know. How many meth positives were there before HISA? I don't remember it being such an issue, but I know people were abusing it before HISA. Maybe they weren't testing for that as much as they should? Maybe it wasn't in the budget of a racing jurisdiction to test for meth or Metformin? Maybe laboratories made judgement calls on what they through were trace amounts? I don't really know the answer, but I think it could have been handled differently. SF: I asked you what HISA did wrong. So tell me what they've done right. DI: I would say the number one achievement of HISA thus far is saving horses' lives. HISA has been a big part of bringing us back from the brink of that awful day at Saratoga in the not-too-distant past. It is important to remember that many of the rules were created pre-Lazarus coming on board, so addressing bad rules and being open to change is something that was much harder pre-HISA. HISA having an open door to horsemen to come in and debate and change bad policies and the willingness to listen and work with industry participants to find solutions. SF: Give me some examples of things that have been changed due to the ADMC. DI: The dropping of the provisional suspensions is huge. Improved communication and working with trainers on their positives over the course of the last year has greatly improved. HISA is making strides towards laboratory unification – testing for the same substances at the same level at all the labs, this has never been done before and it is now standard under HISA. SF: You have a lot on your plate already. How much time do you spend on this and why is it important—both to the industry, but also to you? DI: That I have a lot on my plate is an understatement! Kidding aside, it is important to understand that the people on the ADMC, or the HISA Safety Committee, or the Horsemen's Advisory Committee, are all doing a civic duty to horseracing by giving their time. Participating in the ADMC is one way I can give back to the industry on a subject matter that is critically important that we get right. I spend anywhere from one to three hours a day on HISA issues many days of the week. It's important to me because right now, as we're doing this interview, these are the rules that our game is to follow at a federal level. So, we need them to be the best, the fairest, the most accurate that they can be. It's important to me because people I care about all get up in the morning to play this game. I love racing and it's all I'm interested in doing. I do all the work I do to be able to watch horses compete at the track. It's a passion and if I can be part of a solution, to have this industry around for future generations and help other people enjoy it, then I've done my part. That's what I feel like the task at hand here is: getting this right so we can race horses safely and treat people fairly. SF: As an industry, do we have to get HISA right to survive? DI: Everyone has an opinion on what happened to get HISA here and I believe we had decades to get it right as an industry on our own, and we didn't. I respect that people have different opinions on how to do it, but we need to get HISA right. The country right now is divided politically, and our industry is divided on HISA. If we don't get racing right, and the numerous external forces get their way, we won't have anything to be fighting over, racing will be extinct. We all need to be statesmen and women and to reach across the proverbial aisle and work together. There has got to be give-and-take on both sides because the horsemen aren't 100% right and the regulatory agencies aren't 100% right. So, do I think we need HISA to survive at the end of the day? Yes. The post Q and A With New ADMC Committee Member David Ingordo appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I think others will concur too.

Three of Europe's top 2400-metre gallopers face an 11-strong local challenge in Sunday's G1 Japan Cup, looking to snap an 18-year run of success for Japanese-based horses. While it has become next to impossible for the raiders to walk away with the Tokyo spoils, that was not always the case. In the first 17 renewals, horses from overseas prevailed on no fewer than a dozen occasions, including theretofore unprecedented consecutive winners for Sir Michael Stoute with Singspiel (Ire) and Pilsudski (Ire) in 1996 and 1997, respectively. But since that time, it has been an embarrassment of riches for the home team as the depth in quality of Japanese bloodstock has increased meteorically. Only Falbrav (Ire) in the shortened Japan Cup at Nakayama in 2002 and Alkaased in 2005 have since been able to solve the race for the raiders, while the likes of Deep Impact (Jpn), Epiphaneia (Jpn), Contrail (Jpn), Kitasan Black (Jpn) and the latter's son Equinox (Jpn) have been joined on the local honour roll by top females Gentildonna (Jpn), Vodka (Jpn) and two-time winner Almond Eye (Jpn). It has been an enigmatic version in 2024 of Auguste Rodin (Ire), who becomes the first foreign-based son of Deep Impact to contest a race on the JRA circuit. Never a factor at any point of the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic on seasonal debut, he bounced back to prove best in the G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at the Royal meeting and all seemed well in the world. Unable to match strides up the hill when fifth to Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in the G1 King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July–a performance trainer Aidan O'Brien attributes to underfoot conditions that were easier than the listed good-to-firm–the 4-year-old was just beaten in the dying strides by the in-form Economics (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes Sept. 14. A victory on Sunday would be the cherry on top of a fantastic career. “We always dreamed that Auguste Rodin could finish off his career in Japan–obviously he's by one of the greatest stallions ever, Deep Impact, and his dam (three-time Group 1 winner Rhodendron {Ire}) is by Galileo (Ire), which is one of the greatest stallions ever in our part of the world,” O'Brien said earlier this week. “So, we always dreamed that he could be a horse for the Japan Cup. We know how difficult it is to win and how competitive it is and it's his third year in training and it's his last race. It was a dream that we could win the Japan Cup, we've tried it before, but no horse was as good as this horse.” Goliath was runner-up in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, and his King George was a bit Harbinger-esque, as he came to win it on the bridle at the furlong, pinched a break and had future G1 Prix de l'Arc de Troimphe winner Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) in second and recent GI Breeders' Cup Turf hero Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) back in third. A majority interest was subsequently acquired by American John Stewart's Resolute Racing and he prepped for this with a soft success in the G2 Prix du Conseil in heavy ground at ParisLongchamp Oct. 20. Jockey Christophe Soumillon has his first ride in Japan in five years and is bullish on his chances. “I really think I ride the best horse in the race,” the Belgian said. “So, we're going to do our best on Sunday to realize everybody's dream. The team worked hard to bring him 100% fit and I think his owner wants to realize also something big, so we are all very confident.” Germany won the 1995 Japan Cup with the globetrotting Lando (Ger) and Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) will give it a go this weekend. Victorious in Group 2 company at Cologne in June, the bay filled the runner-up spot for the second straight season in the G1 Bayrisches Zuchtrennen July 28 ahead of an eye-catching defeat of Dubai Honour (GB) (Prince of Dubai {Aus}) in the Sept. 1 G1 Grosser Preis von Baden. His ninth in the Arc is arguably better than it looks, he travels kindly and has a smart turn of foot, and the Fuchu course may just suit him.     The local charge is headed up by the likely favourite Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), whose sire was just beaten in 2005. Last year's G1 Arima Kinen hero was bothered by a stricken horse when making a run in this year's G1 Dubai Turf and he likely did not get through the conditions when sixth to Blow The Horn (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen in June, but whistled home impressively (final 600m in :32.5) to take out the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) over this track Oct. 27. Legendary jockey Yutaka Take looks for a fifth Japan Cup, and first since Kitasan Black in 2016. “I have ridden many excellent horses, and have had joyous moments and frustrating moments,” said Take. “Last year, due to injury, I couldn't ride Do Deuce in the Japan Cup, but this year I'm in all the way. This horse has at most two more starts and I want to ride in such a way that leaves no room for regrets.” Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a Group 1 winner over 3200 metres, was also inconvenienced by the ground in the Takarazuka Kinen and–particularly when factoring in that he is a stayer–also finished well (:33 flat) in the Tenno Sho to be a close fourth. The extra 400 metres works in his favour here. Cervinia (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) disappointed in this year's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), but bounced back to take the final two legs of the filly Triple Crown, the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) May 19 and the Oct. 13 G1 Shuka Sho. Fellow Oaks winner Stars on Earth (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) did not miss the top three in her first 12 starts, but makes her first start since an eighth to Rebel's Romance in the Sheema Classic. She returned from a similar absence to finish an excellent third behind Equinox here 12 months back. The post Capable European Trio Try To Snap Dubious Streak In Japan Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In honor of the 10th anniversary of Silver Charm's arrival, Old Friends is hosting a special event on Sunday, Dec. 1 so fans can celebrate the day with the 30-year-old who is currently the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner, the retirement home said in a release early Friday. Date: Sunday, December 1, 2024 Time: Noon-2:00 p.m. ET Where: Old Friends, 1841 Paynes Depot Road, Georgetown, Kentucky Admission: Free Another highlight will be Mike Middleton, who will be onsite to demonstrate the making of Raku Pottery using some of Silver Charm's hair in honor of the retired stallion's anniversary at Old Friends. The post Silver Charm Celebrates 10 years At Old Friends With Dec. 1 Event appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article