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I agree but can they have some consistency doing that. The GEM N EM questioning is more confusing than informing. If they are going to be subjective then question a horse that really needs to be questioned. If they are there for the public why do they question the favourite when it wins? Everyone expects it to perform so unless it dropped from double figures into favourite without cause there is no point. They should be questioning a horse like Kotare Rata who has not performed at trials has gone terrible on race day with a 13th out of 13 and an 8th out of 13 and suddenly pops up at $10.00 a place. They never question those ones but instead question a favourite with recent form who was unlucky last start and got the perfect run to win. I don't understand it and although I have asked them in the past for a reasonable explanation to this, no one can or wants to give me an answer. In any case the questioning is a token gesture because no one has ever been charged after questioning. Again pointless.    

Jockey Mario Gutierrez, who went down in a spill in Sunday's ninth race at Gulfstream Park, has reported on X that he was not seriously injured. After being attended to on the course, Gutierrez was transported to the hospital with complaints of a sore hip. “Counting my blessings today,” Gutierrez wrote. “Yesterday was rough, but I walked away with no broken bones–just some bruises and a lot of soreness. I can't thank the Gulfstream Park medical staff enough for their professional and kind help. Thank you for everything you do!” Tyler Gaffalione also went down in the spill, but returned to the jockey's room without apparent need for medical attention. Gutierrez has ridden 18 winners at the meet from 105 starters. The post Gutierrez Survives Gulfstream Spill With No Broken Bones appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Though Hawthorne maintenance crews took the first step Monday toward converting the racing surface so that it is suitable for Thoroughbred racing, Illinois horsemen remain skeptical that racing will proceed when the Thoroughbred meet is scheduled to open Mar. 29. Hawthorne officials had testified at a meeting of the Illinois Racing Board that work would begin Monday to change over the racetrack from a Standardbred surface to one that is conducive to Thoroughbred racing. But Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) Executive Director Dave McCaffrey noted that the only work that was done Monday was to remove the pylons that are used for harness racing and to replace them with an inner rail. “They didn't actually start turning the track over,” McCaffrey said. “In typical Hawthorne fashion, they started working on the rail. That part of the transition doesn't require them to rent any equipment. They do that in-house. They did do it. But whether they'll actually rent the equipment to blade the track and change it from harness to Thoroughbred remains to be seen.” Still skeptical about Hawthorne's future, the ITHA sent an email to its members Monday morning with the headline: “Past Time for Tim Carey to Address ITHA Members About Hawthorne's Financial Condition and Plans; Commit to Racing at Hawthorne at Your Own Risk.” “Right now, we are telling people to come to Hawthorne at their own risk,” McCaffrey said. “That is the gist of the email. It was a pretty strongly worded email, telling our membership how we interpreted today's events so far. The summary of it is, despite the fact they are out there working on the track, we are dubious that the meet is going to start on time.” The ITHA wants to hear from Hawthorne President and General Manager Tim Carey, who did not show up at a recent meeting of the Illinois Racing Board to discuss the Hawthorne situation. During the harness meet, the IRB suspended Hawthorne's license to operate due to “financial integrity issues.” Several checks to harness horsemen reportedly bounced. That has left the Thoroughbred meet in limbo. Hawthorne has struggled financially due to its inability to open a casino, even though casino gaming was approved at the track in 2019. In the email, the ITHA expressed its frustrations with Carey and how he has shared little, if anything, that would shed light on the current situation. “It's way past time for Tim Carey to directly address ITHA members about Hawthorne's financial condition and plans,” the email read. “The ITHA requests that he schedule a time to speak with our membership as soon as possible. Trackman Greg Cardenas and his crew have started conversion of the main track back to our training and racing surface for the upcoming 2026 meet. This process usually takes a week, depending on weather. Warmer than normal temperatures are expected, which will help that process. But Hawthorne has yet to provide the ITHA with any assurance that it has the financial means to begin the meet on Sunday, Mar. 29, as scheduled, and sustain the meet through its scheduled completion on Sunday, Nov. 1. The email continued: “ITHA leaders want to be clear to our members: If you intend to stable and race at Hawthorne for the 2026 meet, once the track is ready for training, come at your own risk and with the knowledge that Hawthorne may be unable to start the meet and sustain it through its entirety. We await communication from Hawthorne that it will be able to prove it can conduct a 2026 meet and meet its financial obligations. Until we have that information in our possession, we will continue to advise our members to proceed with caution.” “They still claim that they are talking to people [who may partner on casino project],” McCaffrey said.  “Another takeaway from our email is that we want Tim Carey to address us. He was a no-show at the racing board meeting, despite the fact he was a named witness on the agenda. Since then, he's been completely silent over the last two weeks. We get tidbits here and there from [Assistant General Manager] John Walsh and [Director of Racing] Jim Miller, but they don't seem to know much. Everything is very much murky. Everything is in a fog at the moment. That's extremely frustrating.” When asked to assess the chances of Hawthorne opening Mar. 29, McCaffrey labeled it a “50-50” proposition. The post Hawthorne Takes First Steps to Convert Racing Surface, But Horsemen Want Guarantees Meet Will Begin on Time appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Danox Co. Ltd's Danon Bourbon (Maxfield), a $450,000 Keeneland September yearling, began to chip away at that outlay when powering home to graduate by 10 lengths at first asking over a muddy main track at this venue last Oct. 26 and was a warm item to pick up where he left off making his 3-year-old debut in a first-level allowance over 1900 meters at Kyoto Racecourse on Feb. 15. Favored at 9-10 despite the absence and drawn one from the outside in a field of nine, the dark bay was asked for just a bit of gate speed to take up a forward position and settled well enough from a three-wide third down the back. Poised three deep on the turn, Danon Bourbon responded when set down passing the quarter pole and, despite failing to switch his leads until very late, put five lengths on third choice Allen Star (Jpn) (Leontes {Jpn}), himself an eight-length winner in his career bow just eight days prior. Blue Heaven Farm acquired Wild Ridge for $220,000 in foal to Candy Ride (Arg) at the 2016 Keeneland November sale and her four other winners includes Clubhouse (Speightstown), SP, $223,473. A daughter of MGSW & GISP Wild Gams (Forest Wildcat), Wild Ridge is a half-sister to 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard and dual graded winner Cazadero (Street Sense); Dubyuhnell (Good Magic), winner of the 2022 GII Remsen Stakes; SW Mt. Brave (Malibu Moon); and GSP Almost Famous (Unbridled's Song). Danon Bourbon has a 2-year-old half-brother by Nyquist, a yearling half-sister by Mage and Wild Ridge is due to Timberlake for 2026. Danon Bourbon holds an entry for the 1900-meter G2 UAE Derby at Meydan Mar. 28, but would also be a candidate for the 1800-meter Fukuryu Stakes (allowance), the final and clinching race on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby the same afternoon at Nakayama Racecourse. 4th-Kyoto, ¥15,620,000 ($101,858), Allowance, 3yo, 1900m, 2:00.9, ft. DANON BOURBON (c, 3, Maxfield–Wild Ridge, by Tapit) Sales history: $450,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $102,746. VIDEO (SC 8) O-Danox Co Ltd; B-Blue Heaven Farm (KY); T-Manabu Ikezoe.   The post Maxfield Colt Danon Bourbon Dominates Kyoto Allowance appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Based in Miramar Beach, Florida, Greg Tramontin of Greenwell Thoroughbreds purchased what was formerly known as Siena Farm outside of Paris, Kentucky and the breeder/stable owner has also continued to add to his broodmare band. At the recent Keeneland January Sale, Tramontin went to $2-million to acquire GISW Simply in Front (Summer Front) who will visit Into Mischief, and he also purchased for $550,000 Closing Statement (Blame) who is entered in Not This Time's book for this spring. Tramontin sat down with TDN to offer highlights from his 2026 matings plan. QUICKICK, 2022, McKinzie–Graeme Six, by Graeme Hall. Will be bred to Not This Time. Quickick was a filly who showed us early that she belonged at the top level, and she went on to prove that by running third the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and second in the GI Darley Alcibiades at Keeneland and won the Iowa Oaks, as well. She has class, professionalism and is gorgeous. Tom Amoss trained her and her talented mother, too. Her mother made a great broodmare herself and there are a lot of producing females up-close in the pedigree, so this family should continue to develop. She represents the type of mare we want for Greenwell Thoroughbreds–an athletic, attractive filly who earned her place in the broodmare band through performance. We're breeding Quickick to Not This Time this year for her first foal because he has firmly established himself as one of the elite sires in the country. His ability to produce brilliant, durable, competitive racehorses on any surface makes him a natural fit. Our goal for the farm is to produce top quality sales horses and racehorses and Not This Time does both exceptionally well. To get these younger fillies off to a strong start we are willing to invest in getting them to the best stallions out there. Runners are what improve the value of the mares, so while I'm excited to be a commercial breeder and seller. The real upside comes when they hit the racetrack as successful runners for their purchasers. That is my goal. ALYS BEACH, 2021, Omaha Beach–Pray For Leslie, by Bernardini. In foal to Cody's Wish. Will be bred to Not This Time. Alys Beach is from the first crop of Omaha Beach and was a filly who showed her ability early. She broke her maiden at Saratoga in her first start at 2, then followed that with a fourth-place finish in the GI Spinaway and a third in the GI Alcibiades. Greenwell silks at the Spa | Sarah Andrew After we purchased Alys, we liked the family enough to go back and buy her half-sister–the graded stakes-placed Spa Prospector (Authentic). The page has continued to improve since then, with their half-sister developing into the MGSW Praying (Vekoma), which has reinforced our confidence in the strength of the family. I sent Alys Beach to Flightline for her first foal and we're fortunate to get a filly we're very excited about–she's an excellent first foal and all class. Alys Beach is currently in foal to Cody's Wish, and this year we'll send her to Not This Time. I generally prefer to send younger mares to proven sires, but I'm comfortable taking the occasional shot with truly exceptional racehorses like Flightline and Cody's Wish. At this point, it makes sense to back those matings up with a stallion like Not This Time. Taylor Made, where he stands, have been great to work with too. IFURHAPPYNUKNOWIT, 2016, Bernardini–Mushka, by Empire Maker. In foal to Elite Power. Will be bred to Into Mischief. Ifurhappynuknowit is one of the mares I'm most excited about in the band. She's a beautiful Bernardini mare and a full-sister to Crowned, the dam of Horse of the Year Sovereignty (Into Mischief). Both mares are out of Mushka, a Grade I winner herself and a member of the extended Lakeway (Seattle Slew) family, so this is a deep, high-quality pedigree that continues to prove itself at the very highest level. I bought this mare in foal to Elite Power, who I think is an exciting young sire son of Curlin with a chance to make it. For her next mating this year, I decided to really go for it and send her to Into Mischief in an effort to replicate the success that Sovereignty has enjoyed. Into Mischief is as good as it gets and there is clearly a strong affinity for him within this family. NIGHT ON THE TOWN, 2017, Street Sense–Fully Living, by Unbridled's Song. In foal to Life Is Good. Will be bred to Constitution. Night on the Town is a Street Sense mare from the extended family of champion 2-year-old filly & MGISW Halfbridled (Unbridled), and she's one I'm very high on. She's a big, beautiful mare with real presence, and that's carried through to her produce. Her 2024 foal, a filly by Good Magic, is a standout individual. She's currently in foal to Life Is Good, and this year we'll send her to Constitution. That's a cross that has already proven itself with a horse like Mindframe, and it's one that makes a great deal of sense to me on multiple levels. We talk a lot about crosses and patterns, and those matter, but physical compatibility is just as important in my mind. Night on the Town is a typical big, imposing Street Sense, and Constitution is a very good balance for her. Like Good Magic, he's a bit tidier, with excellent balance, strength and stretch to his body, while offering some refinement and elegance. For me, that combination gives this mare a chance to produce something special. The post 2026 Mating Plans: Greg Tramontin appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty appeared on the worktab Feb. 15 for the first time since scratching from the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar.View the full article

Not too sure though how it is beneficial to punters after the race though? The trainers and drivers will always give a reason and the Stipes just accept it, so not that useful! What would be more useful, would be HRNZ actually advising the punters of why a horse went poor last start or any medicines administered a day or two before a race on HRNZ! How often do we hear just before a race on Trackside of a horse having its hocks injected  or is in season, or a horse is now with another trainer and has been for weeks? Fat lot of use just prior to the start, but would it be too hard for them to do this!      

Who they question is subjective to ones opinion of any horses form. nowornever,i think your just likely to be  very good at doing the form and therefore aren't surprised when some horses perform well. as to the stipes,the canterbury stipes intent is trying to keep the public informed and thats a good thing. Take it or leave it i suppose.. Its more information that some punters will appreciate and i believe implies that the stipes who do that have the right intent when it comes to oversight as well.

lol and I only found out because I brought the book!!!!!