Wandering Eyes

Raging Torrent (by Maximus Mischief), new to the Lane's End roster for 2026, has his first mare confirmed in foal, according to a press release from the stallion operation on Wednesday. Owned by V. Gail Ray and Ramspring Farm, the covered mare is She'srunninghappy (Runhappy), who produced her second foal–a filly by Timberlake–Jan. 14. Out of an extended female family which includes GSW He Loves Me (Not For Love), the current 7-year-old is a half-sister to Canadian GSW Easy Time (Not This Time) and MSW Softly Lit (Latent Heat). As for Raging Torrent, he won at first asking in his 2-year-old debut at Del Mar and hit the board in the GIII Best Pal Stakes over the same surface. Turning a year older, the Chief Stipe O'Neill trainee cleared an allowance at Churchill Downs, where he scored by 8 1/4 lengths. During a span where he won six of seven, Raging Torrent took the Maxfield Overnight Stakes in Louisville and captured the GII Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar. Raging Torrent capped his 2024 season with his first top level victory in the GI Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita. Facing an international field in the G2 Godolphin Mile at Meydan, O'Neill's charge kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with a successful trip to Dubai. Returning to the U.S., the future sire went gate to wire in the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap to close out his career around the racetrack with $1,797,400 in earnings. The new Lane's End stallion stands for $15,000. The post First Mare In Foal To New Lane’s End Stallion Raging Torrent appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Goffs has announced the first wave of nominated bonus races available for qualified horses that were sold at last year's Orby Sale. Bonuses of €50,000 will be on offer for the Orby graduates whose connections have paid a €5,000 entry to the scheme. Similarly to last year, there will be €1m in bonuses on offer, split down the middle between Britain and Ireland. The first qualifying race of the season in Ireland will be the opening two-year-old maiden over 5f at the Curragh on March 15. Meanwhile, the Brocklesby at Doncaster on March 28 kick-starts the bonus series in Britain. The full list of nominated races is now available to view here on the Goffs website. Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said, “The Goffs €1,000,0000 Bonus Series offers Orby buyers as many opportunities to win as possible and we look forward to seeing graduates compete for these hugely valuable prizes right from the start of the season. “Of course, the Two Million Series also features Europe's Richest Two-Year-Old Race, the Goffs Million, which provides a wonderful focal point ahead of the Orby Sale with prize money to tenth place. “The Two Million Series was created to reward buyers and maintain momentum from the sale to the racecourse, and vendors are also benefiting in the ring as increasing numbers of purchasers are “ticking the box” to qualify for the series.” He added, “Orby Sale nominations are now open. All yearlings in the 2026 Orby Sale, which takes place on Monday 28 – Tuesday 29 September (Orby Book 1) and Wednesday 30 September – Thursday 1 October (Orby Book 2), will also be eligible for a guaranteed €2,000,000 prize fund in 2027. The continued strength and consistency of Ireland's national yearling sale was underlined again last year, with record average and median prices achieved alongside multiple seven-figure lots at Orby. Buyer diversity was a key feature, with eight individual purchasers securing the top ten lots, while the top three leading purchasers were Amo Racing, MV Magnier and Resolute Racing.” The post Goffs Release List Of Nominated Orby Bonus Races With €1 Million Up For Grabs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Caspar Fownes extended his championship lead with a double at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, Douglas Whyte ended his long drought and Luke Ferraris and Zac Purton dominated the card with trebles. Fownes bagged the opening two races on the card, extending his championship lead to 39 over nearest rivals Mark Newnham and David Hayes on 36. Hugh Bowman maintained his unblemished record on the Fownes-trained Super Sicario to take out the Class Five Kwoon Chung Motors Handicap (1,800m) before Luke...View the full article

Tyler Gaffalione earned the title after he won the Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3) aboard Lion Lake, the Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2) aboard Grand Sonata and the Honey Fox Stakes (G3) aboard Lush Lips.View the full article

As expected, Gulfstream's loaded Fountain of Youth card provides fast fillies–but topping this week's list is a breakout performance at Turfway Park. 5. WITH THE ANGELS, AQU, 3/1, Correction Stakes, 6 furlongs Beyer Speed Figure- 93, 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. (f, 4, by Omaha Beach–Sister Margaret, by Pulpit) O-Winning Move Stable, John Oxley, Sheila Stable, Silverwood Stables and Sanford Robbins. B-Joseph DeRico (NY). T-Linda Rice. J-Jose Lezcano. Rice says With the Angels “never makes a wrong move,” and after demoralizing her New York-bred competition last summer and fall, the $350k 2-year-old buy is now doing the same to the Big A's winter open company. In the Correction Stakes, she was confidently kept out in the clear by Lezcano before unleashing a final quarter in :24.05 to put 4 1/2 lengths on her rivals. Next on her agenda could be the Apr. 4 running of the $150,000 GIII Distaff Stakes. 4. JUST BASKING, GP, 2/28, GIII The Very One Stakes, 1 3/8 miles (T) Beyer Speed Figure- 93 (m, 5, by Arrogate–Spanish Star, by Blame) O-Andrew Schwarz and Wendy Gilder-Schwarz. B-Gilder-Schwarz Farms. T-Ian Wilkes. J-Javier Castellano. The promising Just Basking's development has been hindered by untimely interruptions, but fortunately nothing got in her way at Gulfstream on Saturday, as she rallied from last to first in GIII The Very One. She was good enough to finish a length- beaten third in the 2024 GI Alabama, only to be sent to the sidelines for seven months, followed by a disappointing comeback at Fair Grounds and another 10-month absence. But now she's back in a racing rhythm and has regained her form: her 1 3/8 time was only .05 slower than Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) and the males in the GII Mac Diarmida three races later. From the last crop of Arrogate out of productive mare Spanish Star (three GSWs from five foals to race), Just Basking also provided her late sire with his 16th graded winner out of 32 total stakes winners. 3. CLASSIC Q, GP, 2/28, GIII Honey Fox Stakes, 1 mile (T) Beyer Speed Figure- 94 (2nd) (f, 4, by Classic Empire–Lovely Em, by Scat Daddy) O-Gary Barber, Blue Crevalle Racing and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. B-Winning Bloodstock (Ky). T-Mark Casse. J-John Velazquez. She has no doubt been frustrating at times for her connections. But when she's in top form and gets her trip, Classic Q has proven capable of a graded-stakes-level run, even though she has come tantalizingly close without winning one yet. It now seems settled that her best chance is to control a reasonable pace, which Velazquez accomplished in the GIII Honey Fox Stakes only to see her lose another close one to a better horse. 2. LUSH LIPS (GB), GP, 2/28, GIII Honey Fox Stakes, 1 mile (T) Beyer Speed Figure- 95 (f, 4, by Ten Sovereigns {Ire}–Lamyaa {GB}, by Arcano {Ire}) O-Dixiana Farms. B-The Pocock Family (GB). T-Brendan Walsh. J-Tyler Gaffalione. Walsh was clicking his heels when Dixiana's Bill Shively opted to race GISW Lush Lips as a 4-year-old and keep her in her current stall after bidding $3.7 million to acquire her at Keeneland November. In nine starts since the previous owners brought her over from Ireland and transferred her from Donnacha O'Brien to Walsh, the turf star has six wins and three seconds–and two of the losses were to champion 3-year-old filly Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro). Literate | Coady Media 1. LITERATE, TP, 2/28, Wintergreen Stakes, 1 mile (AW) Beyer Speed Figure- 95 (m, 6, by Oscar Performance–Infanta Branca, by Henrythenavigator) O-C2 Racing Stable and BAG Racing Stables. B-Don Alberto Corporation (Ky). T-Brad Cox. J-Luan Machado. She's bred for grass and has a solid race on dirt, but she has been most productive on the all-weather. Maybe that's a function of being stabled at Woodbine and Turfway at the right times in her form cycle, but this winter she was a decent third in the My Charmer Stakes, got up to win the Likely Exchange Stakes and last week turned in the race of her life: a 10 3/4-length demolition job in the Wintergreen Stakes. Climb into the Wayback Machine and you'll find that her dam is a half-sister to 1998 GII Fountain of Youth winner Lil's Lad (Pine Bluff) out of Loblolly Stable's GSW Totemic (Vanlandingham). The post Five Fleet Fillies Of The Week: Feb. 23-Mar. 1 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The conversation around America's aftercare ecosystem has never been louder. Funding it and reforming it have been central to Mike Repole's efforts over the past three years. If our industry cannot align around something as fundamental and humane as aftercare, it raises serious questions about our ability to solve larger, more complex challenges. Events last week, including Anna Ford's TDN letter and the Eclipse Thoroughbreds town hall, have renewed interest in the findings Mike and I shared with The Jockey Club in December 2024 and prompted requests to make our findings public. It is time. In January 2024, Mike made clear the National Thoroughbred Alliance would begin its advocacy with aftercare. What started as a call with representatives of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance became a 10-month examination of the American aftercare ecosystem. After extensive outreach across the space, one theme was constant: deep disappointment that industry leadership was not addressing today's needs. We presented 20 concise findings, with a funding model projection, refined with respected aftercare leaders whose guidance was invaluable. These findings were meant to serve as a foundation for collaboration. They are not stand-alone solutions. We sent the findings and funding model to Jockey Club President Jim Gagliano and incoming Chairman Everett Dobson in December 2024 to begin engagement with the registry, whose role is critical to meaningful reform. After months of legal correspondence in 2025, a meeting between Repole and a majority of the Club's Stewards in August 2025 revealed the document had never been shared with them or discussed. The Stewards first saw it only when it was attached to a legal letter from Repole's attorney. The findings are shared below. U.S. Aftercare Ecosystem Findings Overview: While bright spots and successes undoubtedly exist, the greater U.S. aftercare ecosystem is significantly underfunded and underdeveloped, lacking the necessary programs, initiatives, relationships and the physical and technological infrastructure required today. Key findings are offered below. A coordinated, nationwide approach can build upon existing foundations, renovating these entities, building much-needed functionality, serving as a hugely positive marketing and engagement outlet for the Thoroughbred industry, while driving demand for retired racehorse purchases, growing value for existing stakeholders and ensuring racing continues for generations. Nearly every entity across the U.S. aftercare space is underfunded, some chronically so. This includes most adoption facilities, sanctuaries, equine-assisted therapy outlets, track-based programs, incentive programs and other charitable groups. The current TAA is far more limited than its reputation or brand awareness might imply. While highly successful in standard-setting and accreditation, the funds they raise are inadequate compared to the scope of need. With its strong brand, a significantly renovated TAA could be a legitimate center for the recommended actions derived from these findings. The U.S. racing/breeding sectors lack a central “customer service” function for anyone with an interest in retired racehorses. There is no central hub for help in a space that needs one. Incentive programs (RRP, TIP, TAKE2, etc.) seeking to drive demand for, and prove the usefulness of, retired racehorses have plateaued in the face of limited support from the racing and breeding sectors. They are ripe areas for growth, investment and strategic partnerships. Racetrack operators and/or horsemen's groups have been left to create their own programs–some very successful–to help transition some retired racehorses, but significant variance still exists in experiences, funding, accreditation, the likelihood of bad outcomes and more. Individual, for-profit resellers and agents, entirely outside the bounds of any organizational control–and not the non-profit sector–are likely responsible for the majority of recently-retired racehorse sales. This can compound problems faced years after initial retirement. Standardized, non-discipline-specific retraining practices do not exist in a formal capacity. Partnerships between industry and sport horse associations (U.S. Equestrian Federation) are underdeveloped. Traceability of retired racehorses is extremely limited, with only minor signs of improvement in the offing. Horse breeders, buyers and racing owners will always be targeted as a source for funding a portion of a horse's care once retired because formal tracking of such data is widespread, while post-racing traceability is practically non-existent. Retired racehorses can change hands frequently amongst post-racing owners, particularly within the first 24 months after leaving the track, further inhibiting traceability. The greater racing industry has done little to build residual value in horses (geldings) clearly not bound for a future career in breeding. Doing so drives more money back to racing owners. A safety net for vulnerable horses does not exist in the U.S. This would be intended for the neglected, ill-treated, or those whose owners encounter severe financial hardship. A viable, promotable emergency contact system for ex-racehorses does not exist in the U.S. The practice of slaughter has greatly diminished, but horses and the greater industry still experience bad outcomes. Individuals and organizations–including targeted past connections–routinely pay “bail” to operators of kill pens in the hopes of saving horses from bad outcomes, unfortunately perpetuating a vicious cycle. Senior broodmares are a highly at-risk segment for slaughter, representing a significant threat to the image of the industry; few policies exist to protect them from bad outcomes. Most major breeding farms do not dedicate space for retired racehorses or broodmares. Industry-led research and policy advocacy on aftercare and ex-racehorses does not exist. Those working across greater aftercare are tireless advocates for retired racehorse development and outstanding resources for information, but a portion suffer from compassion fatigue. Skepticism of much-needed improvements across the space is rampant after decades of ignorance or insufficient support from the very industry they try to help. This status quo leads to conflict, much of which bubbles under the surface, between key entities within aftercare. Many non-profit groups in aftercare are fearful of speaking openly or publicly about challenges they face, believing that doing so could risk a cut in funding or accreditation while limiting greater industry awareness of the realities facing the retired racehorse ecosystem. An Invitation To Collaborate That was it. Simple. The question is not whether these realities exist, because they do, but whether the leadership of this industry is willing to confront them honestly and act accordingly. We produced these findings to serve as a starting point for collaboration with the one entity uniquely positioned to help build structure, accountability, and traceability into the lifecycle of every Thoroughbred: The Jockey Club.The registry sits at the center of the breed. Aftercare is not a public relations initiative. It is a moral obligation and a structural necessity for the long-term viability of Thoroughbred racing and breeding in this country. The findings are not an attack. They are, and have always been, an invitation. The industry deserves to know whether that invitation will finally be accepted. Pat Cummings is Executive Director of the National Thoroughbred Alliance. The post Letter to the Editor: America’s Aftercare Conversation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The barrier draw is complete for the $4m NZB Kiwi taking place Saturday at Ellerslie. Romanoff (NZ) (Belardo) was offered by Haunui Farm in Book 2 of Karaka 2024, where he was bought by Ballymore Stables/Paul Moroney Bloodstock/Catheryne Bruggeman for $75,000. He has had nine starts for two wins, two placings and $485,575 in prize-money, headed by Group One glory in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in November. He is eligible for the $1m Bonus Pool. To Bravery Born (NZ) (Snitzel) was bought by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for $200,000 from Curraghmore’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2024. He has earned $169,575 to date from a 10-race career that has produced four wins and a placing, including a third in last season’s Group Three Matamata Slipper (1200m) and a fourth in the $1m Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m). Well Written (Written Tycoon) is a graduate of Brighthill Farm’s NZB National Online Yearling Sale draft. She was bought by Stephen Marsh Racing and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock for a sale-topping $80,000. The unbeaten filly has already earned more than 17 times that amount in her phenomenal five-race career, headed by runaway performances in the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and the $1.5m Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). She is eligible for the $1m Bonus Pool. Affirmative Action (Yes Yes Yes), like Romanoff, was bought by Ballymore Stables/Paul Moroney Bloodstock/Catheryne Bruggeman from Book 2 of Karaka 2024. He was a member of Wentwood Grange’s draft and was bought for $115,000. His six starts have produced two wins, three placings and $283,275 in stakes. He won the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) in the spring and finished second in a photo finish to the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m). La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) was bought by David Ellis – purchaser of last year’s inaugural NZB Kiwi winner Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) – for $190,000 from Waikato Stud’s Karaka 2024 Book 1 draft. She has won five times in a 10-race career and has banked $1.39m, including victories in the $1m Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), Group Two Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and Group Two Levin Classic (1400m). She also finished third in the $1.5m Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) in January. She is eligible for the $1m Bonus Pool. Asakura (Churchill) is the only Australian-trained runner in this year’s race. He was bought by Mitch Freedman Racing for $140,000 from Hallmark Stud’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2024. He has had four starts for two wins and two seconds, including a last-start second in the Group Three CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington, and has earned A$77,440 (NZ$88,686). He Who Dares (NZ) (Snitzel) is the third David Ellis-purchased runner in this field, bought for $825,000 from Haunui Farm’s draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2024. He Who Dares has had eight starts for a win, four placings and $374,160 in stakes. He has been runner-up in the $1.5m Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), the Group Two Auckland Guineas (1400m), the Group Three Matamata Slipper (1200m) and the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m). Panther (NZ) (Ace High) was offered by Rich Hill Stud in Book 1 of Karaka 2024, where Wexford Stables bought him for $280,000. He has had four starts to date, recording a win and three seconds including a last-start second in the Group Three Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m). He has earned $54,760 so far. War Princess (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) was purchased by Exempt Bloodstock and Peter Didham Racing for $77,500 from Haunui Farm’s draft in Book 2 of Karaka 2024. War Princess has had 10 starts for five wins, a placing and $202,860 in stakes. She won the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) in December and was a last-start fourth in the $1.5m Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) completes the quartet of NZB Kiwi runners sold by Haunui Farm at Karaka. She was bought from Book 2 by Richardson Racing Stables and Social Racing. She has turned that into $325,575 in prize-money, including a valuable victory in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and second placings in the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and Group Three Sunline Vase (1400m). The winner of the NZB Kiwi will earn $1.2m, with $600,000 for second and $450,000 for third – boosted by another $600,000 for first, $250,000 for second and $150,000 for third with the Bonus Pool. The fourth placegetter will receive $350,000, with $275,000 for fifth and $125,000 for every other runner in the field. The NZB Kiwi will be run as Race 9 on a star-studded Champions Day card at Ellerslie on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 5.48pm. View the full article

The Shadai Race Horse Company, which owns Masquerade Ball (Duramente) and Jantar Mantar (Palace Malice), has confirmed that neither horse will travel from Japan to the Dubai World Cup meeting, citing the uncertainty surrounding the conflict in Iran and across the Middle East. According to a report on the Nikkan Sports website, the stakeholders of the racing club reached their decision “based on the ongoing uncertainty regarding the smooth transportation to Dubai and the difficulty of ensuring the safety of horses and riders due to the lack of a clear end to the conflict.” Masquerade Ball, who was last seen running a close second in the G1 Japan Cup, had been due for a rematch with the winner Calandagan in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, while four-time Group 1-winning miler Janta Mantar was set to run in the G1 Dubai Turf. The four-year-old Masquerade Ball, who won last year's G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) after finishing runner-up to Croix Du Nord in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), is likely now to be rerouted to the G1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin on April 5. A trip to Hong Kong is under consideration for five-year-old Jantar Mantar, who holds an entry for the G1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin, Hong Kong on April 26. TDN's Bill Finley yesterday spoke to a number of American connections with runners planned to travel to Dubai, with most adopting a wait-and-see approach. Trainer Jose D'Angelo, who has Bentornato (Valiant Minister) entered for the GI Dubai Golden Shaheen, said, “We are still planning to go. Everything is set up to go. We have talked to the people in Dubai there and they say that everything is good to go. “Of course, I am worried about it. This is not normal. We see from here on television everything that is going on. But, hopefully, in two weeks the situation will be better.” Racing in Qatar has been postponed this week but, at the time of writing, the Dubai Racing Club was still planning to stage its meeting on Friday, while the Bahrain Turf Club's two-day King's Cup meeting is still intended to go ahead on Thursday and Friday. The post Masquerade Ball and Jantar Mantar Ruled Out Of Trip To Dubai appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Smart four-year-old Linebacker (NZ) (Super Seth) will contest the Gr.1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) fresh-up on Saturday, in a campaign focused on Doncaster redemption. The John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained gelding was luckless in the Gr.1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) last year when eighth and steps straight into elite-level company on Saturday when resuming. “He couldn’t be going any better,” O’Shea said. “He is always a bit suspect first-up, particularly at that level. But I have never run him first-up at 1300m since his first start in a race. “1300m is a good trip for him. He won the Silver Eagle at that track and trip last season and did a great job. “He obviously has improvement in him with whatever he does on Saturday, but with the strength of his trials and the manner in which he has worked, he will run very well.” Linebacker is on the fourth line of betting at $9 in a field headed by Cambridge Stud’s star sprinter Joliestar (Zoustar) ($2.50), her Chris Waller stablemate Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel) ($4.60) and high-class galloper Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto) ($8). A son of Super Seth, Linebacker has been allocated 53kgs in the A$4 million Doncaster which is run at Randwick on April 4. “Linebacker is a Group One winner at set weights and he is getting in six kilos under the scale,” O’Shea said. “We are very happy with how he is weighted. We are hoping to absolve the sins of last year, when he was frightfully unlucky in the race.” View the full article

The career of Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) was at the crossroads 18 months ago but at Flemington on Saturday she can become the first two-time winner of the All-Star Mile. Pride Of Jenni suffered a bleeding attack when finishing last in the Champions Mile at Flemington in November 2024 prompting owner Tony Ottobre to announce her retirement. The now eight-year-old returned the following March to win first-up over 1800m and Pride Of Jenni gathered another three wins through 2025 including the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) during Melbourne Cup week, the race she won in 2023 that showcased her ‘catch me if you can’ style under Declan Bates. Trainer Ciaron Maher said Pride Of Jenni was in terrific order as she prepares for her latest racetrack return in the Group 1 All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday. “I’m rapt with the way she has progressed through the prep,” Maher said. “Tony kept her active when she was down at his property and she came here in really good order and she will strip pretty close to her ideal race weight. “She’s amazing how evergreen she is. Her endeavour, her action, her whole demeanour. “Dec sat on her on Monday and said she wanted to rip from the 600 metres. He doesn’t say a lot, but when he’s saying that you know you’re pretty close to the mark.” Maher said he has confidence in Pride Of Jenni running well first-up on Saturday, especially as her recent preparations have been centered around running over 1600m and further when resuming. He said to make the comeback after her racing days appeared over and to be aiming at a second All-Star Mile was a remarkable achievement. “She’s unbelievable,” Maher said. “Even what she did in the spring. She continues to surprise with her longevity, her endeavour, her will that she has. “The team have done a super job with her and continue to do that, and Tony and his team need to take a fair bit of credit as well. “She seems as good as ever.” Pride Of Jenni has 10 opponents on Saturday including last year’s winner Tom Kitten (Harry Angel), Buckaroo (Fastnet Rock) , Antino (NZ) (Redwood) and Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express). View the full article

War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel) will chase a second Group 1 win when he lines up in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington. A field of 15 is set to do battle down the famous Flemington straight six in the Newmarket Handicap. In what was a ‘who will be there and who won’t’ discussion in the days leading up to Wednesday’s acceptances, the highly rated three-year-old Tentyris (Street Boss) is among the 15 chasing Group 1 glory and joins an honour roll that dates back to 1874. Tentyris will be looking to add his name to previous three-year-old modern-day winners that includes Placid Ark (1987), Schillaci (1992), Exceed And Excel (2004), Weekend Hussler (2008), Brazen Beau (2015), Bivouac (2020) and Cylinder (2024). But with 57kg, Tentyris will need to equal the weight carrying record for a three-year-old set by Ajax back in 1938. Tentyris has raced up the Flemington straight on four occasions and was breathtaking in his past two victories, taking the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) in the spring and in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) at his return on February 14. Mark Zahra gets back aboard on Saturday after Damian Lane steered him to victory last time and the pair will jump from barrier12. Looking to stop the winning record of Tentyris down the Flemington straight will be the Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes. Lindsay Park is chasing its first Newmarket success since Redkirk Warrior went back-to-back in 2017 and 2018. A lot has changed at Lindsay Park since then when David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig were at the helm. The Hayes brothers will be represented by War Machine on Saturday who will jump from barrier 11 with Jamie Mott back in the saddle. Mott partnered War Machine when successful at his first outing for Lindsay Park at Caulfield in May before the galloper headed to Brisbane to win the BRC Sprint and Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap. War Machine has not raced since finishing third as a $1.30 favourite in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Pakenham on January 23. But the sprinter has had two jump-outs since, finishing third behind Wodeton (Wootton Bassett) in his most recent at Flemington last Friday. Ben Hayes said the team was happy with the progression War Machine had made since being freshened after the Pakenham performance. “He’s spot on and will bounce back,” Hayes said. “We were really happy with his jump-out and I thought he was great through the line. “He didn’t handle the night meeting, and it was a very firm track that night and he jarred up, but he seems right back on track now.” View the full article

Mark Baker might be off trainer Mitch Freedman’s Christmas card list this year after the Hallmark Stud principal drew the outside gate for his gelding Asakura (Churchill) at the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) barrier draw at Karaka on Tuesday night. “We will cross out Hallmark Stud going forward,” Freedman quipped. “You can’t do anything about those barrier draws. “He has got gate speed and a little bit of versatility for a lightly raced horse. We will just work through some options there and communicate with Dean (Yendall, jockey) about what we think is the best way of tackling it.” Asakura is the only Australian raider in this year’s NZB Kiwi, which will take place at Ellerslie on Saturday, and despite getting the visitor’s draw, Freedman is pleased with his charge heading into the race, having finished runner-up in the Gr.3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington last month after winning his two previous starts this preparation. “The horse is in great shape,” Freedman said. “I think he was still coming to his top going to the CS Hayes, so we thought there was a bit of improvement to come. We think he has taken some improvement and we are looking forward to getting over there and testing him out. I haven’t raced a horse over there, so I am looking forward to that as well.” Bred by Jomara Bloodstock, Asakura is by Churchill and out of winning So You Think mare Sasanqua (NZ). He was offered through Hallmark Stud’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft where he was bought by Freedman for $140,000. Jomara Bloodstock, operated by siblings John, Mark and Rachael Carter, retained a share in the gelding, and John, who is part of NZB Kiwi slot holder partnership ‘The King’s Men’, first bridged the idea of targeting the NZB Kiwi following his debut win in January. “Mark Carter, who is in the horse, is in a syndicate that owns another slot,” Freedman said. “He raised it (idea of running in the NZB Kiwi) after he won his maiden at Terang, and we just said we would have to take it race by race and see how it all played out because he was still an immature horse and we weren’t sure how he would go through the preparation.” While The King’s Men elected to go with Belle Cheval (NZ) (Savabeel), Asakura continued to progress and attracted the attention of other slot holders following his next two starts. “Every time we have taken him to the races he has bounced out of it and he has just improved into the prep, and that is why we ended up going down the (NZB Kiwi) path,” Freedman said. Kerri Spence Bloodstock and Clotworthy Racing and fellow slot holder Ozzie Kheir made plays to secure his services for the race, and his owners ultimately decided to go with the latter. “He ended up with a few slot holders chasing him and the owners decided which one they thought was the best suit for them,” Freedman said. Asakura will fly to New Zealand tonight (Wednesday), and Freedman is looking forward to tackling the Southern Hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race with him on Saturday. “He travels over this (Wednesday) evening and we will meet him at Pukekohe in the morning,” Freedman said. “He has got to settle in and eat and drink, and we won’t be doing too much work with him that’s for sure. “We are looking forward to it. It (prizemoney) was a major part of why we made the decision (to contest the NZB Kiwi). He is a gelding, so we decided to chase the prizemoney, and the owners were happy to go along for it. “He is in there bringing the right form lines and I am sure he is going to be competitive” Asakura is on the fourth line of betting for the NZB Kiwi at $19, in a market dominated by unbeaten Group One-winning filly Well Written (Written Tycoon) ($1.20). View the full article

Last year’s Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) hero Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino) is returning home. The son of Tarzino was a standout three-year-old last term for trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, winning four of his six starts, including the New Zealand Derby. MyRacehorse Australia bought 50 percent of the gelding mid-season, with the Clotworthys and Bryan Black retaining the remainder of the ownership. He crossed the Tasman to run fourth in the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) before joining the stable of leading Australian trainer Ciaron Maher, for whom he has had five unplaced runs, and the decision was made to bring him back to New Zealand and return to his initial trainers after he finished last in the Gr.2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last Saturday. “I was talking with Ben (Willis) from MyRacehorse Australia after his last run in the Blamey Stakes,” Shaun Clotworthy said. “He just hasn’t come up this time, which often four-year-olds don’t come up after their three-year-old year. “Ciaron has done a great job with him over there and he has really matured into a professional horse in their big operation. “We decided to step back a little bit and bring him back to New Zealand and give him some lush grass and look after him for three or four months and then we will reassess after that.” Willydoit won the New Zealand Derby on Champions Day last year and Clotworthy is hoping he can continue his great run at the meeting on Saturday where his NZB Kiwi slot, Kerry Spence Bloodstock and Clotworthy Racing, will be represented in the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) by the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained To Bravery Born (Snitzel). The son of Snitzel will jump from barrier five with Rory Hutchings aboard and is currently an 81-1 shot with TAB bookmakers. “He is a good horse, he has been to Ellerslie a couple of times and he is from the right stable,” Clotworthy said. View the full article

Well-travelled horseman Henry Dwyer will bid for further overseas honours with a two-pronged attack on Champions’ Day this weekend. The Ballarat trainer has forsaken Australian opportunities with imports Paradise Storm (Masked Marvel) and Cote Atlantique (Kodiac) in favour of riches at opposing ends of the distance scale on offer at Ellerslie on Saturday. The French-bred Paradise Storm will take aim at the Gr.2 Trackside Auckland Cup (3200m) while Irish native Cote Atlantique will tackle the Gr.3 Haunui Farm King’s Plate (1200m), with the duo to arrive on Thursday morning. Dwyer has already savoured top level success on the international stage through the sprinting deeds of his outstanding mare Asfoora (Flying Artie), Group One winner of the Prix de l’Abbaye (1000m), Royal Ascot King Charles III Stakes (1000m) and Nunthorpe Stakes (1000m). Now, he has been lured across the Tasman with OTI Racing’s Paradise Storm and Cote Atlantique, who races in the colours of Seymour Bloodstock. “We were going to go to the Adelaide Cup (Gr.2, 3200m) with Paradise Storm and we pivoted a bit when we saw the prizemoney over there (Ellerslie),” Dwyer said. “It’s easy enough to get over and when we decided to send one, we decided we might as well send two.” Paradise Storm won three times in France up to 2400m before his arrival in Australia where he has added two further victories to his record. “We got him out to 2400m last preparation and always thought he would be a two-miler, so the Adelaide Cup came into play,” Dwyer said. “It’s on the same weekend and there’s more money in New Zealand and in fairness it looks a more winnable race, so it’s the better option. “It takes eight hours to get to Adelaide and takes two hours to the airport and three hours on a plane to Auckland and then on to Cambridge, so it’s a similar trip.” At his most recent outing, the five-year-old turned in a satisfactory performance when seventh over 2500m. “He ran pretty well at Flemington last time in a leader dominated race and with the slow tempo he got home well late,” Dwyer said. “Obviously, the extra 700m will suit him and it looks a good race for him. “He can get a little keen, so we’d want tempo in the race and we’ll take the blinkers off him stepping up in trip.” Joe Doyle will ride Paradise Storm, a son of Masked Marvel and Limmos who was successful up to 3000m, while Dean Yendall is booked for stablemate Cote Atlantique. The son of Kodiac was a dual stakeswinner in Ireland and France before joining Dwyer and has subsequently added the Listed Seymour Cup (1600m) to his record. “Dean is coming over to ride Mitch Freedman’s horse (Asakura (NZ) (Churchill)) in The Kiwi so we’re happy to have him,” he said. Cote Atlantique hasn’t raced since he finished third in the Listed Sale Cup (1600m) to close out his spring campaign and, following a break, was a trial winner last month on his home track. “He will be first-up and was going to go for a race in Sydney this weekend, but again it’s just as easy to go to New Zealand,” Dwyer said. “He’s probably a mile to 1800m horse, but he’s nice and fresh and can run a race over six furlongs.” View the full article

Bob Baffert will saddle multi-million-dollar purchases Brant and Potente in the 1 1/16-mile stakes, which offers 50 Kentucky Derby points to the winner.View the full article