Yeah, that whip action gets hidden that way round 😀. I’ll keep thinking, must be mid to late 80’s?

Despite two losses to start her 4-year-old year, trainer Phil Bauer is confident that Xigera still has a chance to be one of the leading members of the distaff division. She has her chance to prove it June 29 in the $500,000 Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2).View the full article

His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen's 3-year-old filly Rainbows Edge (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}–Memory {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}), a John and Thady Gosden trainee, backed up a debut victory at Newcastle in March with a taking 2 3/4-length success under a seven-pound penalty in Friday evening's Long Shot Seltzer Spring Fillies' Novice Stakes at Newmarket. 3rd-Newmarket, £10,000, Nov, 6-28, 3yo/up, f/m, 8fT, 1:40.11, g/f. RAINBOWS EDGE (GB) (f, 3, Night Of Thunder {Ire}–Memory {Ire} {MGSW-Eng, $127,136}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who carried a seven-pound penalty for annexing her Mar. 23 debut going one mile at Newcastle in her only prior start, broke well and settled under cover in fifth for most of this turf bow. Making headway into contention approaching the quarter-mile marker, the 11-8 favourite was ridden to the fore with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining and kept on strongly up the hill to assert by 2 3/4 lengths from Inherit (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Rainbows Edge is the eighth of ten foals and seventh scorer produced by G2 Cherry Hinton Stakes and G3 Albany Stakes victrix Memory (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), herself a half-sister to G3 Tyros Stakes victrix Remember Alexander (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) out of GIII Miesque Stakes third Nausicaa (Diesis {GB}). The April-foaled homebred chestnut is a half-sister to G3 Acomb Stakes-winning sire Recorder (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), GII Belmont Gold Cup Invitational-winning sire Call To Mind (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and G3 Stockholms Stora Pris victor Learn By Heart (GB) (Frankel {GB}). She is also kin to the twice-raced 2-year-old filly Royal Equerry (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and a yearling filly by Palace Pier (GB). Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $14,136. O-HM The King & HM The Queen; B-The Queen (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. The post Night Of Thunder’s Rainbows Edge Doubles Up For Royal Success at HQ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With the Breeders' Cup a little over four months away, the 'Win and You're In' tickets to the signature event, the GI Longines Classic, are definitely numbered. The road to Del Mar currently goes through Churchill Downs on Saturday as Classic hopefuls enter the starting gate for the GI Stephen Foster Stakes. Looking to punch his ticket to the seaside oval is Godolphin homebred First Mission (Street Sense). The 'TDN Rising Star' certainly burned brightest when he took home the GIII Essex Handicap by five lengths at Oaklawn Park in late March and followed that up with a four-length win in the GII Alysheba Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard. The 4-year-old colt was tabbed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite here. “We've had this race on our schedule for a long time now,” trainer Brad Cox said. “The plan has been if he ran well in the Alysheba to run him in the Stephen Foster. He came out of the Alysheba very well and has been training great at Churchill. The Stephen Foster is always a tough race year in and year out. It's a Grade I, so that's expected. This year's field is no different, but we like our chances to try and get him his first Grade I win.” A potential derailer to First Mission's all-expense paid trip to California is a veteran 5-year-old with his own strong race resume. Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) does not have a grade I win, but the Saffie Joseph trainee certainly has accumulated his share of important victories. After collecting the GIII Challenger Stakes in early March at Tampa Bay, the bay posted a 107–the highest Beyer of his career–when he captured the GII Oaklawn Handicap Apr. 20. Making a bid in the Stephen Foster for the coveted Breeders' Cup ticket are the first and second place finishers from the GIII Pimlico Special Stakes in Baltimore last month. Pyrenees (Into Mischief), who was featured in Friday's TDN, was up in time to take his first graded race in as many tries over MGSW Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo). Also looking for a shot at the purple prize is 'TDN' Rising Star Disarm (Gun Runner). The 4-year-old's only start this year came over Churchill's main track May 18 as he went gate to wire against optional claimers. Scylla | Coady Media The stakes card under the Twin Spires does not stop there. On tap is GII Fleur de Lis Stakes for older filles and mares routing on the dirt. After a stellar start to her career in 2023, Juddmonte homebred Scylla (Tapit) has put together a solid campaign this season. Out of MGISW Close Hatches (First Defence), the bay filly was last seen getting her picture taken in the GIII Shawnee Stakes at Churchill Downs to start this month. Bill Mott's charge was 3 1/4 lengths ahead of MGSW Xigera (Nyquist), who will try to flip the script on her rival for Rigney Racing and conditioner Phil Bauer. “She [Xigera] ran a lot better in the Shawnee than she did in her first start of the year when she didn't take to the slop in the [GI] La Troienne,” Bauer said. “We're confident that she'll give us her best effort and hopefully that will be enough to turn the tables this time around.” Also facing down Scylla are a trio of runners in GSW Shotgun Hottie (Gun Runner), GSW Taxed (Collected) and MGISP Occult (Into Mischief). The other high-level race on the card in Louisville is the GII Wise Dan Stakes which includes the experienced turf specialist and English group stakes winner Ottoman Fleet (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Owned by Godolphin and trained by Charlie Appleby, the even-money morning-line favorite in the Wise Dan swept over this turf course and at this distance to grab the GIII Arlington Stakes June 1. Speaking of racing on the grass, the Belmont at the Big A meet will get in on Saturday's graded action with the annual renewal of the GIII Manila Stakes for 3-year-olds. It might be a bit of surprise to see GIII Gotham Stakes hero Deterministic (Liam's Map), who is switching surfaces for trainer Christophe Clement. Deterministic | Sarah Andrew “We decided to go with the turf option for him,” said Miguel Clement, son and assistant of Christophe. “This race makes a lot of sense. The fact that it is one mile, it is a logical next step for an experiment on the turf. I think he is versatile. If the race was anywhere from seven furlongs to one mile and an eighth, there'd be no preference whatsoever.” The dark bay will face five others, which includes MSP Move to Gold (Twirling Candy) and SW Mattingly (Bucchero). Taking the Canadian path to the 165th King's Plate Stakes–set for Aug. 17–the field is steadily coming into focus. At Woodbine on Saturday the GIII Marine Stakes is the next stop for ambitious 3-year-old colts. A pair of U.S. based invaders in Cameo Performance (Oscar Performance) and Native Land (Mastery) should give the locals a run for their money. However, Piper's Factor (The Factor) poses a major threat. The local prep for the Woodbine Oaks, the GIII Selene Stakes, pits seven fillies against one another, and GSW Witwatersrand (Connect) will be tough to beat over an all-weather surface she fancies. Finally, as of two years ago the Los Alamitos Derby lost its graded status, but the race still remains an important black-type. In Saturday's edition, trainer Bob Baffert has two entries with Cornell (Into Mischief) and Wynstock (Solomini). The post Mission Breeders’ Cup: Stephen Foster Leads Saturday Graded Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

You don't see many new faces at the 2-year-old sales. When it comes to the best prospects that come through the ring, the ones that command the serious dollars, they are usually bought by the same people who give them to the same trainers. So when owner Chris Galpin and trainer James (Jimmy) Glenn, Jr. pounced on an Into Mischief colt that sold for $500,000 at OBS April, some were probably wondering…just who are these guys? The answer is: a couple of Quarter Horse guys who wanted to get into Thoroughbreds and wanted to do so at a high level. So, along with bloodstock advisor Hoby Kight, they bought two horses at the OBS April sale. One, Mischief River (Into Mischief) cost $500,000 and will be making his debut Saturday at Los Alamitos in a five-furlong maiden special weight race. The other is a Frosted filly that cost $150,000, also at OBS April. “We went to the April sale and were looking at Hoby's short list and we spotted this guy,” Glenn said. “We decided if we were going to stretch things out, this is the horse to do it with. He was a little more expensive than what we expected. But we really liked him.” Glenn had a short career as a jockey that ended in 1995. Afterward he went right into training, setting up a barn at Los Alamitos. He has won numerous stakes races and trained a champion in Quirky, a three-time Grade I winning mare. He still has 18 Quarter Horses and says he has no plans to switch over to Thoroughbreds. His plan is to focus on a handful of quality horses and, hopefully, win some races and have some fun. “At this point, no, I will not be converting to Thoroughbreds,” said Glenn. “I am real happy with where I'm at. To get a Thoroughbred ready at Los Alamitos, it is the premier place to do so. The track is excellent and is consistent every day. You can train here and then ship to Santa Anita or Del Mar to run. I do want to play with a nice horse or two. I don't plan on moving to Santa Anita, Del Mar. This gives me the freedom to still be a Quarter Horse guy, yet still play at the top level with some nice Thoroughbreds.” Glenn has had a few Thoroughbreds over the years, but they were ones that couldn't cut it at Santa Anita or Del Mar so wound up running in the cheap nighttime Thoroughbred races that are part of the Quarter Horse card. He also helped prep the Thoroughbred babies owned by Dr. Ed Allred, Los Alamitos' owner. If they were good enough they'd be sent to a Santa Anita or Del Mar-based trainer. If they weren't Glenn would run them himself at Los Alamitos. But never has he had a horse with the type of pedigree and price tag that is part of the equation when it comes to Mischief River. “At the end of the day, we bought him and then got him here,” Glenn, 59, said. “Now, the question is can he run? We breezed him the first couple of times and kept him well under wraps. In his first gate drill he was very impressive. We worked him with an older horse as company and he really handled that horse pretty easily.  We've been really impressed with him. He's a nice horse to deal with and he seems to have a lot of class and he seems to have some talent. We are real pleased with him. It's exciting for me to be in there with those nice horses. We're blessed to have him. He's a really nice horse and hopefully he will meet our expectations.” The jockey will be Cesar Ortega, who primarily rides the nighttime cards at Los Alamitos. The likely favorite in the race will be Privman (Justify), who cost $625,000 at Keeneland September and is debuting for former Quarter Horse trainer Bob Baffert. Glenn says he doesn't know Baffert but says he has observed how he operates and has a lot of respect for him. “I really don't know him,” he said. “You think I would. I see him all the time when he comes over here. At those sales, I watch his team and I am very impressed. They really have a good system and they have guys who know how to find quality horses. We're hoping they missed one here with Mischief River. I like looking at horses at that level. It was fun to watch him from a distance. It was easy to see why he is successful. He has quite a team and they do quite a job. But will I be intimidated? No, not at all.” He said he'd eventually like to have four or five Thoroughbreds at a time, all quality horses. It's a big experiment and he's just starting out, but he's confident that Mischief River will get him off to a good start. “I know there are some nice horses in this race, but I wouldn't trade my horse for any of them,” he said. “I am really looking forward to seeing what he can do.” The post Quarter Horse Trainer Looking to Topple Thoroughbred Heavyweights at Los Al appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Can't comment about all the northern jocks, but Ashvin G does get his travel covered when T.A has runners south.  And he does his share of stable work too, when here, so fair play to him IMO. The Parsons' would contribute to costs, as does Terri Rae and probably Marsh too.

Yes.      Easter [ Riverton ] used to be the last meeting in Southland, and Queen's [ King's ] birthday the last Dunedin meeting.  Oamaru kicked in for Otago after that with a couple more esp with their excellent steeplechase course. Even allowing for changing weather patterns there wasn't much wrong with those arrangements.   Even the locals were muttering about the very heavy ground at the last two meetings down south.

Trainer Ciaron Maher believes another wide draw will not inconvenience Bella Nipotina when the star mare makes her ninth start of this preparation in the June 29 Tattersalls Tiara (G1).View the full article

Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Seize the Grey resumed breezing June 22 at Churchill Downs after his seventh in the June 8 Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. Another breeze is planned soon toward a likely start in the July 20 Haskell Stakes (G1).View the full article