Wandering Eyes

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

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

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — It's what sport is all about, isn't it? Choosing your team and rooting for them, through good games and bad times. The fleeting nature of the careers of some racehorses can make it harder to be a fan, but not if you pick Team Yahagi. For a start, there is a good chance that Yoshito Yahagi will turn up at a major meeting almost anywhere in the world with at least one horse. In Riyadh, a city which has become a happy hunting ground for the Japanese trainer in recent years, he has a team of three, and two of them are returning heroes from last year's Saudi Cup meeting. If ever there was a horse to get behind it is Forever Young. He has just turned five but it feels as though he has been around for ages. Let's hope that there's plenty of mileage left in those legs as valuable as Cyd Charisse's once were. He is grown up enough for us to call him a stallion now and he has already collected plenty of airmiles in travelling from Japan to Saudi Arabia, Dubai, America, home again, and then back to the USA – and that was just his three-year-old season. Last year, it was almost a case of rinse and repeat, bar the fact that he made just the one hugely memorable trip to the States in 2025 for the Breeders' Cup Classic. Forever Young could hardly have a more appropriate sire than Real Steel, for that appears to be what he is made of and he is gathering an expanding army of followers with every step he takes on a racecourse. Even Bob Baffert, who fields two rivals in the Saudi Cup, is a fan. “He's unbelievable, I have so much respect for that horse,” he said on Thursday morning. This Saturday, in defending his Saudi Cup crown, Forever Young will aim to add a further $10 million to his earnings of $21.2 million already accrued from 13 starts and 10 wins. And, for those suggesting that he may not be quite fit enough, having not raced since November 1, we're sorry to disappoint you but he looks, well, a million dollars, maybe more. A question was posed in Thursday morning's press conference as to whether the Japan Racing Association uses data scientists to give their licensed trainers an edge in honing runners for the racecourse. It was batted away by the jovial Yahagi, who, despite being one of the world's most successful trainers, doesn't appear to take himself too seriously. After winning the Breeders' Cup Classic he was filmed singing and dancing in a Mexican restaurant where he had gone to watch his team, the LA Dodgers, complete a memorable sporting double – for Yahagi at least – by winning the World Series. Data is useful, of course, but no weights or measures or stride-pattern programmes can replace the eyes and the intuition of a horseman. And when it comes to certain horses, attitude almost transcends talent. In Forever Young, there is a heady blend of both those attributes. Plenty of horses would never have put up another bold show after the kind of scrimmaging he was subjected to in the 2024 Kentucky Derby. That was the race that made the boy a man, and instead of raising a metaphorical white flag at that tender stage of his career, Forever Young appeared to gain strength from that narrow loss and double down on his will to win. However good Yahagi is at keeping his horses sweet, that kind of mettle cannot be taught. They either have it or they don't, and the fact that this horse is plainly as sound of limb as he is of mind only helps him in his quest. Travel doesn't faze him, neither does hard training. To watch Forever Young in the morning is a joy to behold, especially because such routinely unflappable behaviour is only exhibited by a horse with nothing to fear in being asked to draw deep once more on his athletic reserves. Forever Young and Shin Emperor paddock schooling on Thursday | Emma Berry “It's an honour to be back here for myself, and also Forever Young loves this place, so I am very pleased to be here,” said Yahagi, who has brought the horse here twice to win the Saudi Derby and Saudi Cup, having also trained Panthalassa to win the Cup in 2023. He is the only trainer to have won the world's most valuable race twice, and he has also claimed wins in the Neom Turf Cup and 1351 Turf Sprint. No wonder he likes returning. Having assured another questioner that Forever Young, who heads next to the Dubai World Cup, is “over 90 per cent fit”, Yahagi added, “There is a bit of a gap between the Breeders' Cup and here, and back in Japan I thought he was gaining a little bit of weight, but when I saw him this morning, I thought he looked very fit and ready for the race.” Reflecting on last year's unforgettable victory over 12-time Group 1 winner Romantic Warrior (Acclamation), the trainer said, “Honestly speaking, I would like to compete with him again. It was like something from a movie script. I wanted to give Forever Young an Academy Award.” If he romps through another season like he has his last two, then there is certainly a film to be made of Forever Young's career, even if there may be no Hollywood ending. Having competed in the last two Breeders' Cups in California, he appears unlikely to be asked to make the trip to Keeneland later this year. “The situation is going to be different from what we had in Del Mar, which is the on the west coast of the United States and closer to Japan,” Yahagi explained. “For Mr Fujita, the horse's owner, it is a long trip, so we haven't decided yet.” He added of achieving the accolade of becoming the first Japanese trainer to win the Breeders' Cup Classic, “For me, it's something I can be proud of in Japan. For horseracing in Japan, the Breeders' Cup Classic was a big obstacle. Everyone was reluctant to participate in it but I'm glad that it has been overcome, and I'm glad that there will be more challengers in the future.” Yahagi's regular jockey Ryusei Sakai sat alongside him in the morning press conference and appears to be drinking from the same well of confidence as his boss. He proclaimed that he will ride five winners on Saturday. He only has five mounts. Along with Forever Young, Sakai will be aboard Best Green (Smart Falcon) in the Saudi Derby, American Stage (Into Mishief) in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint, Fortune Time (Greater London) in the 1351 Turf Sprint and returning champion Shin Emperor (Siyouni) in the Neom Turf Cup. He'll sit out the Red Sea Turf Handicap and let someone else have a chance. Shin Emperor, the French-bred Arqana August-topping brother to Arc and Prix du Jockey Club hero Sottsass, has been another globetrotter for Yahagi, who was bullish in his assessment of the five-year-old pulling off a repeat performance in the newly upgraded G1 Howden Neom Turf Cup. “Shin Emperor has a very big chance because this race track – 2,100 metres on a left-hand course – is perfect for him, so he has a great chance,” he said. A double-double in the two Group 1 contests of the day on dirt and turf? If anyone can pull it off it's the man in the hat: the all-singing and dancing Yoshito Yahagi. The post Yahagi Returns With Sights Set on a Desert Double-Double appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia, post time: 20:40, SAUDI CUP-G1, $20,000,000, NH/SH4yo/up, 1800m Field: Banishing (Ghostzapper), Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), Haqeet (Arrogate), Luxor Cafe (American Pharoah), Mhally (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev), Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach), Nysos (Nyquist), Rattle N Roll (Connect), Star Of Wonder (Uncle Mo), Sunrise Zipangu (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), Thundersquall (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance), Ameerat Alzamaan (GB) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}). TDN Analysis: Forever Young will be a prohibitive favourite to become the first to go back-to-back in the world's richest race. The Japanese Horse of the Year and American champion older dirt male makes his first start since taking the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 1. 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Nysos was also a winner on Breeders' Cup Saturday in the GI Dirt Mile, but tries a distance as far as 1800 metres for the first time. He will have to do much better than his head defeat of stablemate Nevada Beach in Grade II company at the back end of December. Mhally and Ameerat Alzamaan enter off a 1-2 finish in the G3 King's Cup on Jan. 17. Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia, post time: 19:10, NEOM TURF CUP (Presented By HOWDEN)-G1, $3,000,000, NH/SH4yo/up, 2100mT Field: Alohi Alii (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), Bolide Porto (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}), Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchesters {Ire}), Galen (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Phantom Flight (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), Royal Champion (Ire) (Shamardal), Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), Silawi (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Yamanin Bouclier (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), Direct Security (Ire) (Sioux Nation), Survie (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}). TDN Analysis: Shin Emperor made every yard in winning this when contested at Group 2 level last year, but has not been close in four starts since and looks vulnerable here. Royal Champion was outclassed in last year's G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes, but won the G2 York Stakes and defeated Galen in the G2 Bahrain International Trophy either side of a third to Delacroix (Dubawi) in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes. Alohi Alii was midfield in last year's G1 Satsuki Sho, but was impressive in taking out the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville in August and will appreciate these quicker underfoot conditions, having finished well down the field in a soft-ground renewal of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when last seen. Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia, post time: 19:50, RED SEA TURF HANDICAP (Presented by Longines)-G2, $2,500,000, NH/SH 4yo/up, 3000mT Field: Presage Nocturne (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Tabletalk (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Epic Poet (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Sons And Lovers (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), Struve (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), Tennessee Stud (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Burdett Road (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}), Espoir Avenir (Fr) (Montmartre {Fr}), Vermicelles (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}), Real Dream (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Tarriance (GB) (Frankel {GB}). TDN Analysis: Tabletalk is all set for Riyadh glory and was not disgraced when runner-up in the Listed Chester Stakes in August. Trainer Tom Clover is bullish on the son of Camelot, who has to contend with a duo of Joseph O'Brien runners, not least Group 1 winner Tennessee Stud. Group winner Sons And Lovers also represents O'Brien. Japan is always a danger when shipping to the Middle East and fields multiple group hero Struve and the multiple group-placed Vermicelles. Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia, post time: 18:25, 1351 TURF SPRINT (Presented By Qiddiya City)-G2, $2,000,000, NH/SH 4yo/up, 1351mT Field: Annaf (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}), Comanche Brave (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Fortune Time (Jpn) (Greater London {Jpn}), Geography (Jpn) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), Lazzat (Fr) (Territories {Ire}), Love De Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Marvelman (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Panja Tower (Jpn) (Tower Of London {Jpn}), Reef Runner (The Big Beast), Shin Forever (Complexity), Zefzaf (Mo Town), Zio Jo (Nyquist), Time To Dazzle (Not This Time). TDN Analysis: Panja Tower is aiming to give Japan back-to-back victories in this race after the 2025 tally of Ascoli Piceno (Daiwa Major). The G1 NHK Mile Cup hero last year is coming off a fifth-place effort Down Under in The Golden Eagle. Annaf, a winner of the 2024 edition of the 1351 Turf Sprint returns to the scene of his greatest triumph. Placed in the G1 King's Stand Stakes of 2023, the seven-year-old entire has to contend with multiple Group 1 winner Lazzat, who was second in the G1 British Champions Sprint Stakes in the autumn. For the U.S., GII Eddie D Stakes winner Reef Runner steps up after a tally in the Listed Jannus Stakes. Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia, post time: 17:40, RIYADH DIRT SPRINT (Presented By Saudi National Bank)-G2, $2,000,000, NH/SH 3yo/up, 1200m Field: American Stage (Into Mischief), Colour Up (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Don Amitie (Jpn) (Asia Express), Echo Point (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Imagination (Into Mischief), Just Beat The Odds (Munnings), Lovesick Blues (Grazen), Muqtahem (Ire) (Soldier's Call {GB}), Royal Zabeel (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Self Improvement (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}), Transferred (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Yamanin Cerchi (Jpn) (Four Wheel Drive), Gabby's Sister (Jpn) (Apollo Kingdom). TDN Analysis: Straight No Chaser (Speightster) landed this prize in 2025, and the Americans are back for more with Bob Baffert's Imagination (Into Mischief). The son of Into Mischief was second in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint last autumn. GIII Elite Power Stakes hero Just Beat The Odds makes his first start away from the East Coast in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint. A consistent sort, he's been on the board for all barring one of his 13 starts to date. Yoshito Yahagi saddles American Stage, who was second in last year's G3 Mahab Al Shimaal. UAE regular Colour Up has a brace of stakes victories to his name and carries five group placings. Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia, post time: 17:00, SAUDI DERBY (Presented By ZOOD Realty)-G3, $1,500,000, NH/SH 3yo, 1600m Field: Acknowledgemeplz (Bucchero), Al Haram (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), Best Green (Jpn) (Smart Falcon {Jpn}), Cielo Di Roma (Fr) (Romanised {Ire}), Keiai Agito (Jpn) (Espoir City {Jpn}), My World (Essential Quality), Obliteration (Violence), Satono Voyage (Jpn) (Into Mischief), Shayem (Ire) (King Of Change {GB}), Tuwajeri (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}), Union Security (Maximum Security), Very Connected (Connect), Wonder Dean (Jpn) (Dee Majesty {Jpn}), Tokai Ma Cherie (Jpn) (Drefong). TDN Analysis: All eyes here should be trained upon Satono Voyage, who looks to give Japan a fourth win in the event in its seven-year history. Unblemished in three runs on the dirt, he most recently validated odds-on favouritism in the Cattleya Stakes (conditions) going Tokyo's one-turn mile Nov. 29. If he stays the trip, 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard and last-out listed romper Obliteration can be in the thick of this, as can My World, whose victories in the Nashua Stakes and Jerome Stakes in New York have come over a one-turn mile. Saudi Arabia's Al Haram will try to make it four-from-four lifetime, having whooshed home in the local 2000 Guineas on Jan. 17. Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia, post time: 16:20, TUWAIQ CUP (Presented By SHG)-Listed, $1,000,000, NH/SH4yo/up, 1800m Field: Akfeek (Macho Uno), Alaham (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), Bernard Shaw (Into Mischief), Carracci (Quality Road), Final Destination (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Havildar (Arrogate), Lionel (Authentic), Michael Scofield (Tiz The Law), Power Of Beauty (Ire) (Slade Power {Ire}), Riyadh El Ezz (Demarchelier {GB}), Sa'aeid (Munnings), Scotland Yard (Quality Road), Wadaatak Allah (Hard Spun), Waqtuk (Not This Time), Webinar (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), Wootton'sun (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Ya Dar (Fr) (Cracksman {GB}), Gharamy (Ire) (King Of Change {GB}). Saturday, Al Rayyan (Doha), Qatar, post time: 16:15 p.m., H. H. THE AMIR TROPHY (Presented By Longines)-G2, $2,500,000, NH/SH4yo/up, 2400mT Field: Byzantine Dream (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), Deep Monster (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), El Cordobes (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), GIavellotto (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), Lion's Pride (GB) (Roaring Lion), Satono Glanz (Jpn) (Satono Diamond {Jpn}). TDN Analysis: Some 51 weeks ago, Byzantine Dream ran out a ready winner of the G3 Red Sea Turf Cup Handicap in Riyadh and is the top-rated galloper here in a field short on numbers but high on quality. Last year's G2 Prix Foy hero makes his first start since a sound fifth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Godolphin took last year's running with the globetrotting Rebel's Romance and Charlie Appleby sends in US Grade I winner El Cordobes, who was last seen finishing third in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in California Nov. 1. Fourth in the Arc, Giavellotto fell a half-length short of repeating in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase, with Goliath a half-length adrift in third. Satono Glanz returns looking to improve on his third-place effort from last year's contest. Click here for the complete fields. The post Black-Type Analysis: Can Baffert Duo Dethrone Forever Young? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Colonial Downs has revealed a new brand, logo, and digital presence ahead of the track's first Virginia Derby spring meet, which will be held Mar. 12-14. The Virginia Derby will be contested Mar. 14 and will offer Kentucky Derby qualifying points for the first time. “With a record number of race days, growing crowds and purses, a Kentucky Derby qualifier race, and some of the most passionate fans around, Virginia is stepping into the sport's global spotlight,” said Frank Hopf, Senior Director of Racing Operations at Colonial Downs. “This exciting new identity for Colonial Downs honors Virginia's rich history of Thoroughbred racing, while inviting new fans and longtime enthusiasts to come experience the thrill of live racing at Virginia's premier Thoroughbred racetrack. It's a new look for a new era, and we invite you to be a part of it.” Colonial Downs' new logo features a striding Thoroughbred whose shape mirrors that of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The five strands of the horse's mane represent five regions of the state: Southwest Virginia, Northern Virginia, Central Virginia, Hampton Roads, and the Shenandoah Valley. The track's new signature colors also carry significance. Colonial Downs Copper represents the sport's enduring connections to the earth and the dirt of the racing surface, while Regal Navy represents the noble history of horse racing and the steady strength of both horse and jockey. Colonial Downs has also unveiled an updated website, featuring race schedules, promotions, and track information, as well as updated Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts. The post Colonial Downs Announces Brand Reboot Ahead of Spring Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, turned the sod on the new Tipperary all-weather track on Thursday, marking the beginning of the redevelopment project which is scheduled to be completed by the end of September 2027. Minister Heydon was joined by Nicky Hartery, chairman of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI); Maurice Moloney, Tipperary Racecourse committee chairman; Andrew Hogan, Tipperary Racecourse manager; Sinead Carr, CEO of Tipperary County Council; and Paul Dermody, CEO of HRI Racecourses, along with local representatives, community leaders, the Tipperary Racecourse committee and project partners for the sod turning ceremony. Work will now commence on the new all-weather track, with a view to staging a full winter race programme in 2027/28. The main contract has been awarded to Atlantic Golf Construction (AGC Ventures Limited), based in Ballybunion, County Kerry. Martin Collins Enterprises Ltd will develop the polytrack racing surface, while the floodlights at the venue will be provided by McSherry Electrical Limited, based in Mallow, County Cork. Minister Heydon said, “I am delighted to be here in Tipperary today to turn the sod on the new all-weather track project. It's an ambitious, exciting project and I wish Andrew Hogan, Maurice Moloney and the team in Horse Racing Ireland all the best. “The project is a major stimulus, creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and enhancing the horse racing and breeding industry that already generates €329 million in expenditure and approximately 3,000 jobs in Tipperary alone – contributing to the national figure of €2.46 billion and over 30,000 jobs, and will be hugely beneficial for the continued development of this world-class industry.” Hogan added, “Today is a hugely exciting day for Tipperary Racecourse and the broader county. The new all-weather track is a crucial piece of infrastructure for the racing and breeding industry in Munster and beyond, and we are thrilled to see the redevelopment work get underway. “On behalf of the entire Tipperary Racecourse team, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported this project and helped to get us to this point today. We look forward to hosting stakeholder engagement events over the summer, as the project develops and we have more updates to share.” Tipperary will become the second all-weather track in Ireland, along with Dundalk, which is located roughly 270 kilometres further north. “Today marks an important moment not only for Tipperary Racecourse but for our vibrant racing and breeding industry,” said Hartery. “The new all-weather track reflects Horse Racing Ireland's strategic goal to create opportunities at all levels, and the project will bring huge positives for the industry, creating significant economic and social benefits for Tipperary and the broader region. It will provide a major boost to racing throughout the south of the country, offering accessible racing and training facilities all year round. “I would like to thank the Minister and his Department colleagues, Tipperary County Council and all stakeholders for their ongoing support.” The post Minister Martin Heydon Turns Sod on Tipperary All-Weather Track appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It's been three weeks since our last GI Kentucky Oaks Top 10, and a lot has happened. But no one stepped up with the type of explosive performance that would have shaken up the standings. We've dropped four horses from our original poll. Mythical (St. Patrick's Day) just wasn't good enough in the GIII Forward Gal Stakes. Tommy Jo (Into Mischief) has been injured and has been taken off the Oaks trail. Percy's Bar (Upstart) hasn't had a workout since Jan. 6, which doesn't bode well for her making the Oaks. Hit Parade (Street Sense) was a disappointing fifth in the Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn. Saturday's GII Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra Stakes at the Fair Grounds should provide a bit more clarity to the picture. So, here goes, your latest Top 10: 1) ZANY (American Pharoah–Mo' Green, by Uncle Mo) O-Repole Stable; B-D.J. Stable (Ky); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $350,000 yrl '24 FTSAR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $221,500. Last Start: Won Feb. 7 Suncoast Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 30. She didn't exactly burn up the racetrack in her 3-year-old debut, last Saturday's Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, but I can't see dropping a horse from the No. 1 spot off of a win. Though she won by 2 3/4 lengths, her running time for the mile and 40 yards was 1:40.56. In the very next race, run at the same distance, the maiden Emerging Market (Candy Ride {Arg}) crossed the wire in 1:39.11 for trainer Chad Brown. That left Zany with an 81 Beyer figure, eight points slower than she ran in her impressive victory in the GII Demoiselle Stakes. She also ducked in sharply in the stretch. So why is she still No. 1? Because no one did enough to knock her off the top spot and I have all the confidence in the world in Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Likely, this was a starting place for Zany, and we will see a better filly when she returns in the Apr. 3 GI Ashland at Keeneland. 2) MEANING (Gun Runner–Figure of Speech, by Into Mischief) O-Bridlewood Farm & Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Stonehaven Steadings (Ky); T-Michael McCarthy. Sales history: $440,000 yrl '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-2-0-0, $187,000. Last Start: Won Feb. 8 Las Virgenes Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 26. Unranked in the first edition of the Oaks Top 10, she roared into the No. 2 spot with a win in the Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita, where she beat two pretty tough customers in Explora (Blame) and Super Corredora (Gun Runner). It was her first start since she was a non-threatening fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. “She's a stronger filly, more mature,” winning trainer Michael McCarthy told reporters after the race. The knock on Meaning is that she got a perfect trip. She sat third behind Explora and Super Corredora, who battled it out in testing fractions of :22.57 and :45.98. When those two started to tire, the race fell into Meaning's lap. McCarthy has said that the Apr. 4 GII Santa Anita Oaks will be next for his filly. Meaning | Benoit 3) TAKEN BY THE WIND (Rock Your World–Up for Grabs, by First Samurai) O-Magdalena Racing, Terry Bradshaw, Graham Leveston, Raasi Stable; B-Courtney L. Meagher (Fl); T-Kenneth G McPeek. Sales History: $70,000 yrl '24 FTKJUL; $20,000 yrl '24 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $270,710. Last Start: Won Jan. 17 Silverbulletday Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 30. Taken by the Wind has not raced since the first poll came out, but moves up because, well, someone had to, with so many disappointing performances from some of the more highly regarded horses. After his filly won the Silverbulletday Stakes, trainer Kenny McPeek expressed how high he is on her, and that means something from a trainer who has had so much success with star fillies. She only won the Silverbulletday by a neck, but there's no knocking her record–she's 3 for 3. McPeek reports that Taken by the Wind will have her next start in the Mar. 1 GIII Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn. 4) LIFE OF JOY (Gun Runner–Jordayn's Leo, by Malibu Moon) O-Will Stroud, Andrew Farm, Mountmellick Farm & For the People Racing Stable LLC; B-Springhouse Farm (Ky); T-Brad H Cox. Sales history: $375,000 yrl '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 4-2-1-0, $180,260. Last Start: Second in Feb. 7 Suncoast Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 22. You know that Brad Cox is going to have a say when it comes to the road to the Kentucky Oaks. He always does. And Life of Joy might be his best hope. Her race in the Suncoast, where she was second behind Zany, is better than it looks on paper. She broke a step slow, which cost her position. Sensing that there was a slow pace (:24.89, :49.55), Flavien Prat rushed her up into contention midway down the backstretch in what may have been a premature move. Still, she held her own against Zany. Other than a fourth-place finish in the GII Golden Rod Stakes, she's never been worse than second and seems to be peaking at the right time. 5) EXPLORA (Blame–Collections Choice, by Bernardini) O-Michael Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-Mesingw Farm (Ky); T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $22,000 yrl '24 KEESEP; $350,000 2yo '25 FTMMAY. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard.' Lifetime Record: GSW & MGISP, 5-3-2-0, $628,000. Last Start: Second Feb. 8 Las Virgenes Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 45. The Bob Baffert-trained filly made her 3-year-old debut in the Las Virgenes and probably didn't deliver the type of performance her Hall of Fame trainer was expecting. She's shown the ability to rate in the past, which she did in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, where she was fourth early before closing for second. But in the Las Virgenes, she got caught up in a speed duel with rival Super Corredora and didn't have enough left in the tank to hold off Meaning, who wasn't necessarily flying at the end. They went the final quarter in :27 4/5 seconds. The positive is that she held in there a lot better than Super Corredora, who finished last. She far from embarrassed herself and could easily rebound next out with a better trip. 6) DAZZLING DAME (Girvin–Awesome Dama, by Corinthian) O-Respect the Valleys LLC; B-Maria M Haire (Md); T-Brittany T Russell. Sales History: $50,000 RNA wnlg '23 KEENOV: $65,000 yrl '24 OBSWIN; $45,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: MSW, 5-4-0-0, $240,525. Last Start: Won Jan. 3 Busanda Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 22. Might be overrating a filly whose claim to fame is that she won the Busanda Stakes on Jan. 3 at Aqueduct, but that was a powerful performance. She won by 11 1/2 lengths and earned a 91 Beyer. That's the best Beyer number turned in by any 3-year-old filly so far this year. Trainer Brittany Russell reports that Dazzling Dame may go next in the Mar. 14 Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs. If so, she may need to find a tougher spot to prove that her filly belongs among the best of her division. It's worth noting that she might have missed a work since she has not had a published workout since Jan. 23. 7) BELLA BALLERINA (Street Sense–Pretty City Dancer, by Tapit) O/B-Godolphin (Ky); T-Brendan P Walsh. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $301,525. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard.' Last Start: Won Nov. 29 GII Golden Rod Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 10. The Godolphin-homebred will make her 3-year-old debut in Saturday's Rachel Alexandra at the Fair Grounds, where she'll likely be favored over seven others. She was last seen winning the Golden Rod on Nov. 29 at Churchill. She took a 3 1/2-length lead into the stretch of that race and held on to win by a half-length while earning an 80 Beyer. Her rivals in the Rachel Alexandra will include Just Singing (Justify), who finished a fast-closing third behind her in the Golden Rod. There's very little speed in this race and Bella Ballerina will either set the pace or stay close to what is sure to be a slow pace. Either way, she should get a good trip. This will be an important test for her. 8) SUPER CORREDORA (Gun Runner–Super Simple, by Super Saver) O-Spartan Equine Racing LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, Robert Gardiner & Michael Olszewki; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds (Ky); T-John Sadler. Sales History: $400,000 yrl '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo filly, GISW, 5-2-1-0, $1,099,600. Last Start: Fourth Feb. 8 Las Virgenes Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 34. It was not a good 3-year-old debut for last year's juvenile filly champion. Yes, she got caught up in a speed duel in the Las Virgenes, but she should have had more fight than she did. She finished last in the four-horse field, 6 3/4 lengths behind the winner, Meaning. It was nothing like her winning performance in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, where she hung on gamely after setting fractions of :22 2/5 and :45 3/5. “We will stay the course and go to the next one [Mar. 1 GIII Santa Ysabel Stakes],” said Terry Finley, whose West Point Thoroughbreds is a co-owner of the filly. “This was a tough race. The hope is our filly needed the race. She'll have to improve to stay in the top echelon.” On Time Girl | Coglianese 9) ON TIME GIRL (Not This Time–Girl Daddy, by Uncle Mo) O/B-Albaugh Farmily Stables, LLC (Ky); T-Brad H Cox. Sales history: $375,000 RNA yrl '24 KEESEP. 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard.' Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, $405,735. Last Start: Won Jan. 31 GIII Forward Gal Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20. Another Brad Cox filly, she jumped into the picture with a convincing win in the GIII Forward Gal Stakes at seven furlongs. She's now four for five during her career. The problem is that she's never gone beyond seven furlongs. She is by Not This Time, which suggests she should be able to handle a distance, but until she proves it, the jury is out. Cox is looking at the Feb. 28 GII Davona Dale at Gulfstream, a one-mile race. But it, too, will be run around one turn, meaning it may not answer all the questions. 10) POWERED BY FAMILY (Quality Road–Icon Project, by Empire Maker) O/B-St Elias Stables & West Point Thoroughbreds (Ky); T-Cherie DeVaux. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $38,400. Last Start: Won MSW at Fair Grounds Jan. 10. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0. While this might be an outside-the-box pick, the Quality Road filly has a lot of upside. She looked terrific breaking her maiden at the Fair Grounds on Jan. 10. She broke terribly and spotted the field several lengths, but made up a ton of ground and drew away to a four-length win while earning an 84 Beyer. The problem is she also broke poorly in her career debut and could do no better than fourth. She steps way up in class for the Rachel Alexandra and can contend. It all depends on the break. She'll have no chance against this caliber if she again breaks poorly. The post The Kentucky Oaks TDN Top 10 For Feb. 12: Zany Stays on Top appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA — Bob Baffert may have won two Triple Crowns, six Kentucky Derbys, 21 Breeders' Cup races, and four Dubai World Cups but there is an itch that still needs to be scratched: the Saudi Cup. “We've gotten pretty close,” he said Thursday morning from King Abdulaziz Racecourse, and he's not wrong. Baffert has been represented in five of the six runnings of the world's richest race and has finished second twice, with Charlatan (Speightstown) then Country Grammer (Tonalist). Last year was his sole omission, and to make up for that, this year he will saddle two horses, with the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Nysos (Nyquist) being joined by his stablemate and runner-up in the GII Laffit Pincay Jr Stakes, Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach). In any other year, he'd be sitting pretty, but there is the small matter of the defending champion and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the field. Baffert conceded that this will be no easy mission, and he was full of praise for the odds-on favorite and his trainer Yoshito Yahagi, who had exited the press conference suite just moments before. “That was a fantastic race,” Baffert said of the thrilling stretch-long tussle between Forever Young and Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) 12 months ago. “I was watching that race in my office at Santa Anita, and Romantic Warrior, he looked so good going to the gate, and all of a sudden he took off, he got bold, and it looked like the race was over, and then Forever Young, he's just–he's a unicorn. Bob Baffert during a Thursday press conference at King Abdulaziz | Emma Berry “I'm telling you, he's unbelievable, and I have so much respect for that horse. He just put his head down, and what he did as a 3-year-old, to win in Saudi, Dubai, come to the Derby, and come so close, that is just unheard of, you know, a horse shipping that much. Credit to his trainer and his staff, and his jockey, riding with so much confidence, but that horse is an incredible horse, and he's a good-looking horse. I saw him the other day, he looks healthy, and he's going to be tough.” Of Yahagi, who is arguably Japan's most internationally recognized trainer with a haul of victories which stretches beyond Saudi and America to Dubai–with Forever Young's sire among his five winners there–Australia and Hong Kong. He has also won Japan's Triple Crown with Contrail (Jpn). “He's like the Charlie Whittingham of Japan,” Baffert added. “He's tough, and he looks like he's having fun, that's what I love about him. And when he says his horse is ready, they're ready. He said last night his horse is ready, and I didn't like to hear that, but that's what makes these races great. These races are supposed to be tough, and bring the best horses here. It's like that baseball movie, if they put up the money, they'll come, and so, we're here.” Yahagi is himself a big baseball fan. He was proudly sporting his L.A. Dodgers shirt along with a self-confessed hangover the morning after last year's Breeders' Cup Classic, which happened to clash with the final game of a tense World Series in which the Dodgers, with their smattering of Japanese imports, proved as tough to beat as Forever Young. But Baffert will be doing his level best to ensure that Riyadh does not remain a field of dreams solely for his rival. He will also take on the Yahagi-trained American Stage with 5-year-old Imagination–both of them sons of Into Mischief–in the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, but in Nysos, he says that he has his strongest chance yet to add the Saudi Cup to his portfolio. “I think Nysos is a brilliant racehorse,” he said. “He's got his work cut out, but he's got a good draw position, he's outside, he can just stalk, he's smart. He can go to the lead, he can come off the pace, whereas the horses I brought here before were one-dimensional, and they had horses hook them early and then got tired at the end.” The long stretch at Riyadh, on a dirt track modelled on the easy, sweeping turns of Belmont Park, is famously attritional, as Baffert knows to his cost. He continued, “We won a little Derby here [with Pinehurst in 2022] and stuff, but we've fallen short. I always tell everybody, I'm watching at home, it looks like I'm home free and I'm looking for the wire, and all of a sudden they show the 100-meter mark and I've lost millions of dollars just to make that last 100 meters. They just come get you there at the end. It's sort of a deep racetrack, it's a soft, very forgiving, safe racetrack, but it gets tough: that stretch is just so long. I prefer shorter stretches.” Nevada Beach | Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia Following a dominant victory in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes in February 2024, Nysos was not seen in action for the remainder of his 3-year-old season. Injury niggles kept him off the track until May 2025, when he ran Mindframe (Constitution) to a neck on comeback to finish second in the GI Churchill Downs Stakes. Thereafter he has remained faultless in four starts, including his first Grade I success at the Breeders' Cup. On that same day at Del Mar, Nevada Beach, then three, finished seventh in a Breeders' Cup Classic for the ages, in which Forever Young was chased home by Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), Fierceness (City of Light), Journalism (Curlin) and Mindframe. “He wants to go a mile and a quarter, and you need a horse that can go a mile and a quarter to run here,” Baffert said of GI Goodwood Stakes winner Nevada Beach. “I feel pretty good about both my chances. I think the Breeders' Cup [Classic] was a weird-run race, he was on the inside, and he was sort of tight in the inside there and the track that day was just really speed. But he won after that, he's come back and run two big races, so I feel he's more mature now. He gets over this track really well. He's big, he reminds me a lot of Country Grammer–a big, long-striding horse that gets over this track.” The second-place finishes for Charlatan and Country Grammer came in the two years following a disappointing effort in the inaugural running from McKinzie, who, like Nevada Beach, was owned by the triumvirate of Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. “I thought McKinzie was going to run really big, and he didn't pick up his speed at all, so, you're just hoping that when they turn for home, that they're running, and hopefully it's going to be Nysos, and I hope that Nevada Beach is right there too, but Nysos and Forever Young–it's King Kong versus Godzilla,” Baffert said. While Nevada Beach is likely to go on to next month's Dubai World Cup from Riyadh, Nysos will return to California. “We'll take him back home, and just freshen him up and point for the Breeders' Cup Classic,” he added. “I've brought good horses here, and I think Nysos, hopefully, is the best one I've brought here. It's one of those things where I just felt like I wanted to come back, and if we were to win, I want to be here, I want to enjoy it. “All I can hope for is when they turn for home, that Nevada Beach and Nysos, they're there in contention. It would be great to see my horses hook up with Forever Young. Last year, it was really fun to watch that race. It was incredible–that's what the Saudi Cup is supposed to be about: two great horses just going at it. “I think Nysos is a great horse. Forever Young is a great horse, maybe there's another. I've come here and I got beat by [80-1 shot] Emblem Road, so you never know. Crazy things happen in this race. I just hope that the horses show up–that's all you can ask for. “I like challenges, and this is a race I've never won, so it's on my bucket list, and we're going to keep coming until we win this thing. We're not going to give up.” The post ‘It’s King Kong Versus Godzilla’: Baffert Relishing Saudi Cup Battle Between Forever Young and Nysos appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Letters to the Editor for the Feb. 12 edition of BloodHorse Daily includes a submission from the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association requesting changes from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.View the full article

Francis Graffard targeted Thursday's debutantes event at Chantilly with two potentially smart fillies and it was The Aga Khan Studs representative Edaja (Siyouni) who enjoyed the stable bragging rights. Sent off the 12-5 favourite for the mile contest on Polytrack, the daughter of the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational winner and G2 Prix de Malleret and G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris runner-up Edisa (Kitten's Joy) was restrained early in mid-division by Clement Lecoeuvre. Reeling in stablemate Morgana Gold (Too Darn Hot) with 50 metres remaining, the homebred asserted to score by 1 1/2 lengths. Smart debut at Chantilly! Edaja could be a filly with a nice future after coming home strongly to score at the first time of asking for @GraffardRacing and @AgaKhanStuds… pic.twitter.com/WDhmoyrZNj — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) February 12, 2026 The post Siyouni Filly Edaja Another Bright Graffard Prospect appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

John Size will unleash a bumper squad of 11 horses at Sha Tin on Saturday as he looks to continue his strong run of recent form, with Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) entrant Enthusium one of his most fascinating runners. The champion trainer has designs on running the British import – who won once at Carlisle from four starts in the UK when owned by King Charles – in next month’s Derby and his overseas form suggests that is not a fanciful idea. His victory came over 1,800m and his pedigree is all...View the full article

Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock) is a four-time Group 1-winning miler, but can he extend his brilliance to a longer journey at the top level? Joe Pride has one burning question he wants Ceolwulf to answer this autumn – is he a Group One horse over 2000 metres? The gelding’s record offers conflicting data. His four majors have come over a mile, but he does have an Australian Derby placing at three, and a narrow win at Group 2 level over a middle-distance as an older horse. He has also been soundly beaten in the past two renewals of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m). So as the backmarker with a booming finish readies to launch his five-start campaign at Randwick on Saturday, Pride is already plotting how to solve the distance conundrum. “This preparation, I am about once and for all establishing if he can run 2000 metres as well as what he runs a mile,” Pride said. “There’s no doubt he runs 2000 metres, but is he as effective? “And does he get the right set-up for 2000? He never seems to get speed on, and that might be the defining factor for him. He might get in a 2000 metre race that is run a bit different and be a different horse.” Ceolwulf will be given two chances to prove his middle-distance mettle – at his fourth run in the Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington and his campaign swansong in the Queen Elizabeth. But first he has to get through Saturday’s Apollo Stakes (1400m) and a clash with undefeated mare Autumn Glow, along with her high-class stablemate, Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio). Ceolwulf has never won first-up, but he has run some cheeky races, including an eye-catching fourth to Fangirl in the corresponding event 12 months ago during a period when he wasn’t racing at his best. Pride felt there were a few reasons the gelding didn’t perform as expected last autumn, and has taken steps to rectify the main one. “I’m convinced one of them was that I had him too big,” he said. “I had him up around 530 kilos for his first-up run last time and he’s 510 now. I’m not a believer in a fighting weight for a horse so much, but with this horse, there is just a weight he runs well at and it’s around that (510 kilos).” As for Saturday, Ceolwulf is expected to be doing his best work late and Pride will be satisfied with a finish “in the first four or five”. He will then race every fortnight with the end goal of having him at his peak for his final two campaign runs, performances set to shape the remainder of his career. “It is always my aim to find out what the one perfect formula is for each horse, and I’ll repeat it all day long,” Pride said. “That’s why I want to work it out with Ceolwulf. I don’t want to waste any more time running him in 2000 metre races if he can’t perform at his best at that distance. “I’ll keep him a miler for the rest of his life if I have to. I’ve just got to find that out.” View the full article