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Returning to a track he has had much success over, the Phil D'Amato trainee enters the race off a game fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Del Mar, after being compromised at the break.View the full article

The Saudi Derby (G3) is a new addition to the Churchill Downs competitions seeking to lure foreigners to the Kentucky Derby (G1) but also has attracted some American 3-year-olds looking for an optional route to Louisville, Ky.View the full article

After finishing as the leading earner of any North American-trained horse in 2025 when earnings in the Middle East are included, Hit Show will chart a familiar path when he opens his 6-year-old season Feb. 11.View the full article

By Michael Guerin Talented driver Josh Dickie is hoping the next phase of his career can start with a win at Alexandra Park tonight. Dickie partners last-start winner Father Barry for his father John in the opening race tonight, the $15,000 Classique Landscapers Metro heat and punters can expect to see him doing far more driving for the family and outside stables in the future. Dickie and fiancée Sammy Kilgour have gone out on their own account after two years working for premiership trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer, that stint coming after the couple had been based in Victoria. “We just thought it was time to try to build our own business,” says Dickie. “We have a handful of horses and are training those alongside Dad on his property. “We have nice numbers there now but are looking to grow so will be at the yearling sales next week and I’ll be looking to get back into more freelance driving.” Dickie has driven 14 Group 1 winners and has already started to build his freelance contacts again now he is not tied to a stable. “And we want to train more as well,” he explains. “Dad was almost retired a couple of years ago but the three of us are enjoying being back working together so he says he will be sticking around for a few more years now too. “So the next phase is exciting.” Father Barry sits alongside Higher Power as one of the two most talented trotters in tonight’s opener but both can gallop so their clash could be decided by manners. Higher Power’s trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan hold the key to a few of tonight’s races, with Sooner The Bettor favourite for the main handicap pace even off his 30m backmark. Sooner The Bettor was a last-start third in the Auckland Cup and while his best performances come when able to lead or race handy, he only faces four rivals tonight so his handicap may not be enough to stop him winning. Later in the night a rare mobile sprint for the better grade trotters could see American Muscle potentially the value option as she has produced some top class sprinting performances in the last year.   View the full article

By Michael Guerin A surprise driving decision will see two new combinations at the top of the market in tonight’s $100,000 Fahey Fence Hire Breeders Stakes (8.05pm) at Addington. Champion horseman Blair Orange produced a stunning drive to get General Jen home from five back on the markers in the Garrards Mares Championship two weeks ago, the lead-up race to tonight’s Group 1. But Orange sprung a surprise when he opted to partner General Jen’s stablemate Arafura tonight even though she has drawn the second line and not raced for two months. “Blair does most of our driving and got first choice of out three runners,” said Hayden Cullen, who trains with wife Amanda. “Once he did that it left the drive on General Jen free and we offered that to Mark [Purdon] because he was originally going to come down to partner Arafura. “Mark had already booked his tickets so will now drive General Jen instead and to be honest we can’t really split them.” That means two of the favourites have swapped drivers, with Purdon having reigned Arafura to win the NZ Oaks in November while Orange has done most of the driving behind General Jen. Which mare proves the stable’s best chance could come down to luck and tempo, with General Jen brilliantly fast but Arafura the more proven stayer and winner of both Oaks last season. “We all saw what General Jen did last start and she can win again but if I had to opt for one of ours I’d go Arafura,” says Cullen. “She may not have raced for two months but she is very forward and loves the 2600m. “She will need some luck from the second line but I think she is the best stayer.” The Group 1 is crammed with talent but the lead-up race two weeks ago suggested the four-year-old mares may have more upside than their older rivals like Francent and Esmeralda. Francent did have to work hard last start in the Garrards Championship though and with a better draw tonight gets her chance to try to fight the younger brigade off. The Breeders is the highlight of a stacked Addington programme, with Mr Love the $2.50 favourite for the Lamb And Hayward Trot (7.44pm) even off a 20m handicap. Pinseeker is red hot to win the Studholme Bloodstock feature pace (7.07pm)after easily beating Hadron Collider last start but Cullen, who trains the latter, thinks the gap between them will close tonight. “Our horse needed the run last start so will be a lot better this week but Pinseeker is going to be very hard to beat.” One of the early highlights of the meeting will be Race 1 (4.39pm), which boasts plenty talented pacers still on the way up, including the Cullen-trained Volare. “Our filly has just kept getting better but it is a really good field so it won’t be easy,” he says. View the full article

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Saturday, February 14, 2026 4th-TOK, ¥12,330,000 ($81k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m ASK DU CHAMP (JPN) (c, 3, Essential Quality–Red Lark {Ire}, by Epaulette {Aus}) is the first to race from his dam, who upset the 2020 GI Del Mar Oaks at 19-1 for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Paddy Gallgher and was subsequently acquired privately by Haruya Yoshida's Oiwake Farm. Given that he hails from the same female family as Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn), Essential Quality has proved popular with the Japanese buying public and this Feb. 9 foal was sold for just over $572,000 at the 2024 JRHA Select Sale. O-Hirosaki Toshihiro HD Co Ltd; B-Oiwake Farm; T-Hideaki Fujiwara FLIGHT MAP (JPN) (c, 3, Liam's Map–Enola Gay, by Uncle Mo), whose dam won the 2020 GII Appalachian Stakes for the Allen Stable and Shug McGaughey before fetching $250,000 with this colt in utero at Keeneland November in 2022, made an appearance during the foal section of the JRHA Select Sale in 2023, hammering for nearly $156,000. The 10-year-old Enola Gay hails from an active female family, as her half-brother Tomasello (Authentic) won last year's Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby Stakes at Ellis Park. The female family includes last year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity runner-up Blackout Time (Not This Time). O-Kazutaka Hosaka; B-Orion Farm; T-Hitoshi Kotegawa Sunday, February 15, 2026 2nd-KYO, ¥12,330,000 ($81k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1200m AMERICAN POWDER (f, 3, Charlatan–Girl Talk, by Medaglia d'Oro), a $150,000 Keeneland September acquisition by Yoshizawa Stable in 2024, is out of a stakes-placed daughter of One Caroline (Unbridled's Song), a two-time graded winner routing on the dirt and the dam of the Grade III-placed juvenile filly Improv (Distorted Humor). The third dam includes 2019 GI Kentucky Derby participant and four-time Japanese listed winner Master Fencer (Jpn) (Just A Way {Jpn}). The Feb. 17 foal is bred on a variant of the Speightstown–Medaglia d'Oro cross that resulted in Grade I winners Rock Fall, Prince of Monaco and Competitionofideas. O-Yoshizawa Holdings Co Ltd; B-Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Koicho Tsunoda 4th-KYO, ¥15,620,000 ($102k), Allowance, 3yo, 1900m DANON BOURBON (c, 3, Maxfield–Wild Ridge, by Tapit) could hardly have been more impressive on his lone racetrack appearance to date, streaking home to graduate by 10 lengths going 1800 meters over a rain-affected local main track Oct. 26 (video, SC 8). A $450,000 Keeneland September purchase by Katsumi Yoshida, the Triple Crown nominee is out of a daughter of MGSW & GISP Wild Gams (Forest Wildcat), the dam of former 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Cazadero (Street Sense), GII Remsen Stakes hero Dubyuhnell (Good Magic) and SW Mt. Brave (Malibu Moon). O-Danox Co Ltd; B-Blue Heaven Farm (KY); T-Manabu Ikezoe     AMERICAN STYLE (c, 3, Gun Runner–Medina Thunder, by Thunder Gulch) is a half-brother to SW & GSP Lights of Medina (Eskendereya), herself responsible for GSW Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile) and June Eos (Constitution), a two-time winner in Japan. With Christophe Lemaire in the irons, the chestnut colt opened his account at first asking last Nov. 22 defeating Kirios (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}–Ivy Bell), who returned to graduate as a long odds-on favorite at this venue Feb. 7. American Style cost $400,000 at KEESEP in 2024. O-Yoshizawa Holdings Co Ltd; B-International Equities Holding Inc (KY); T-Hideaki Fujiwara The post Maxfield’s Explosive Debut Winner Danon Bourbon Back To Work at Kyoto appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

While the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) and the $1.5 million Saudi Derby (G3) at King Abdulaziz Racetrack feature American-trained runners or owned interests, other races on the Saudi Cup undercard also include notable U.S. representatives. View the full article

Bob Baffert's horses have found heartbreak in the final 100 meters of the Saudi Cup (G1) and will have to overcome that late-race challenge again Feb. 14 against a rival who has mastered that task.View the full article

Well-bred Aga Khan mares dominated on the second and final day of the Goffs February Sale, with Alex Elliott going to €190,000 to secure Shamalza (Lope De Vega), who the bloodstock agent said would continue her career for Valmont and trainer Ralph Beckett.  A winner on debut for Dermot Weld back in September, Shamalza failed to land a blow on her only other start when the ground was heavy. A daughter of dual Group 2 scorer Shamreen (Dubawi), Shamalza is a sister to talented sprinter Shartash (Invincible Spirit) and Elliott said he is hopeful that she could have a lot to offer still on the track before ultimately ending up in the covering shed.  Elliott said, “I wasn't really thinking about racing when I came over, rather to cover her with Kingman, but when I got here I loved her. She did well to win on her debut on good ground, but then she was well-beaten next time out on heavy ground. She is a good mover, so I think we will put her back in training and she will go to Ralph Beckett and see how we go.  He added, “I actually bought her for Valmont and she will race in their colours. We will see what mark she has and how she is training. She is a winner, so we have nothing to lose. If we want to chuck her in at the deep end we can. She looks like she has been in training. There are lots of positives to her. She was in the range I had her, just a bit below the budget. I am happy to get her.” Shamalza was the highest-priced lot on Thursday and cemented a memorable renewal of the February Sale at Kildare Paddocks. The turnover for the two-day sale climbed by a massive 63% to €6,301,400 while the average was also on the rise by 37% to €24,615 and the median by 48% to €14,750. The clearance rate of 68% was also up by 1% on last year. Meanwhile, the newly-introduced point-to-point section of the sale brought in a respectable €585,000 for 11 horses selling at a clearance rate of 92%. Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby commented, “What a start to the new year. Goffs February has always been a first choice for so many at this time of year and, this year's renewal has recorded its highest turnover since 2007 when the sale was a four-day affair with over double the number of lots catalogued. However we frame it – premier, leading, whatever – what is beyond dispute is that we have enjoyed a sale that has exceeded expectations and has returned a turnover that is double last year and significantly ahead of any other sale this month. “Yesterday was extraordinary with the session accounting for the top 22 weanlings at any UK or Irish February Sale and huge increases at the top of the market as illustrated by the four six-figure transactions and quadruple the number at €50,000 or above. If that doesn't deserve the “premier” tag, I don't know what does! And those market leaders came from both the Flat and National Hunt spheres so underlining the diversity and appeal of the catalogue.” He added, “These results continue the very positive trends at superb renewals of our recent November Foal and December NH Sales, both of which make us very proud and grateful for the support we receive as we take nothing for granted whilst deriving quiet satisfaction that both are now clear market leaders in their own right, as is the case with this sale these days.  “Today's mixed offering continued the vibrant trade headed by the top prices of the season for a filly and in foal mare at €190,000 and €98,000 respectively. Again, these highs are the result of the Goffs Purchaser Attraction Team and our friends at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing combining to ensure another truly international contingent of buyers have converged on Kildare Paddocks over both days with bidders from France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kuwait, Sweden, and, of course, the UK and Ireland. “The new Point-To-Point section attracted a large group of buyers despite some pre-sale predictions and would have benefited from further entries if the weather had been kinder (have we ever seen a January as wet as this one?) as we had more buyers than lots for the category so ensuring a very competitive trade. With a top price of €125,000 it made a good start to ensure it will become a regular feature of the sale in future. It just makes so much sense when we're here and the handlers can do a day trip so, if we get more favourable weather in early 2027, it will only grow. “As is our familiar refrain, always highly relevant and definitely bears repeating, we are indebted to every vendor for every entry as we are nothing without their horses whilst it is always a pleasure to welcome all our purchasers. It is gratifying that so many enjoy the unique customer experience the Goffs team and ITM provide to everyone who attends a Goffs sale, regardless of category or location.” The post Alex Elliott Lands Session-Topping Shamalza At Strong Renewal Of Goffs February Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article