Wandering Eyes

A floor amendment has been added to HB 904–a sweeping piece of legislation seeking to legalize fixed-odds wagering in Kentucky–that is designed to essentially ensure no limit can be imposed on the number of mares bred to a stallion in the state. It requires that the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation select and use an entity to act as “a registrar of Thoroughbreds” in the state, meaning it could choose an organization other than The Jockey Club, which is the current breed registry for the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. That “registrar of Thoroughbreds” is then unable to restrict “the number of mares that can be bred to a stallion or otherwise refuse to register any foal based upon the number of mares bred to the stallion.” HB 904 has been posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday. This means that this amendment could be voted on as early as Friday morning in the House. If successful, the amended bill could then theoretically be brought up for final passage on the House floor immediately. The specific language of the amendment reads: “For purposes of this chapter, a registrar of Thoroughbreds shall not restrict the number of mares that can be bred to a stallion or otherwise refuse to register any foal based upon the number of mares bred to the stallion of the foal submitted for registration. “The corporation shall select and utilize an entity to serve as the registrar of Thoroughbreds. The registrar shall submit to the jurisdiction of Kentucky and shall comply with the laws of this chapter,” the language reads. The amendment was authored by Republican David Osborne, speaker of the state House of Representatives. The Republicans hold an 80-20 majority in the state House. The language of this amendment is almost identical to that in a bill Osborne introduced in 2022. That bill was written in response to The Jockey Club's controversial mandate that any stallion born from 2020 onward would only be allowed to cover up to 140 mares. After that bill was introduced, The Jockey Club rescinded the cap. Speaking at last week's National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association conference (NHBPA), new Jockey Club chair Everett Dobson told the audience the organization would revisit that stallion cap mandate. “Years ago, The Jockey Club attempted to impose a cap on the number of mares a stallion could breed. Under my leadership, we're going to revisit that question. This time, we will involve stallion farms and other breed registries around the world to help us find the solution. Our discussions must be science-based with an understanding of the economic realities of the world we live in,” Dobson said. The fixed-odds bill, introduced into the state legislature by Republican Representatives Matthew Koch and Michael Meredith, is a sweeping piece of legislation designed to essentially expand and modernize the state's gambling infrastructure. Among other aspects of the bill, it requires tracks and tote companies to adopt new modern technologies to streamline and expedite betting cycle times. It also attempts to essentially decouple wagering providers from the prediction market, which is the ability for bettors to make speculative bets on the outcomes of future events. Koch told the TDN this week that as the markets have evolved, “predictive markets, by the way, are absolutely cannibalizing other forms of gambling that are out there.” Earlier this week, it was successfully voted out of the standing committee on licensing and occupations. The post Anti Stallion Cap Amendment Added to KY Fixed-Odds Bill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A New York appellate court has thrown out a two-week suspension of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, but the case is probably far from over.View the full article

Sorghaghtani (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) will get a well-deserved tilt at black-type at Tauranga on Saturday but only if her trainers can find a suitable jockey. The daughter of Mongolian Khan is in a purple patch of form, placing first-up behind subsequent Group Three performer She’s A Dealer (Ace High) at Te Rapa in December before posting successive wins over a mile at Ellerslie in January, and trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall believe she is ready for a crack at stakes level. They identified the Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga this weekend as her target, and while excited to give her a chance at attaining black-type, Sorghaghtani hasn’t been given any favours, drawing barrier 13. Adding to their woes, with two meetings in the North Island and jockeys light on numbers, Richardson and Norvall have also struggled to find a rider for their in form mare. “She deserves a crack at black-type,” Richardson said. “She has been working well, but there is a bit of a concern with the draw and there’s been a bit of a struggle with the riders.” Richardson has also been on the search for a jockey for stablemate Lodi Dodi (Blue Point) in the Craigs Investments Partners 1400 but said she will be saved for her home meeting on Sunday week if they can’t secure a rider. “We had George Rooke onboard and then he got suspended, so we are left without a rider. If we don’t run there we will run at Matamata,” Richardson said. Earlier on the card, Stay Frosty (NZ) (Preferment) and Absolutelyfabulous (NZ) (Sweynesse) will attempt to score an elusive victory in the Bayleys Bay Of Plenty Maiden 1400. Preferment gelding Stay Frosty has finished runner-up in all three of his career starts to date, while Sweynesse mare Absolutelyfabulous has posted the same result in her last two outings. “I don’t like clashing horses but sometimes you have to do it,” Richardson said. “Stay Frosty has had some bad draws, but his run last time was outstanding, and Absolutelyfabulous is going very well.” Stakes performer Romilly (So You Think) will round out Richardson’s representation in the Angela & Nick Fleet Bayleys Papamoa 1400. “Romilly is going really well, I am really happy with her,” Richardson said. “Her run at Matamata in that stakes race (Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes, 1400m) was very good on a bottomless track. She tried really hard that day.” Meanwhile, Richardson was pleased with Lollapalooza’s (NZ) (El Roca) fifth placed run in the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) and said she has gone for a spell following a successful three-year-old season that netted a win in the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and placings in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and Gr.3 Sunline Vase (1400m). “It was a very good run (in the NZB Kiwi), she ran fifth and got held up,” Richardson said. “She has been very genuine and she is giving all the owners a big thrill, they are having a ball. “She pulled up pretty well and is out in the spelling paddock until probably June.” View the full article

Last start victor O’Riordan (NZ) (Proisir) will trek south to Wingatui from her Timaru base on Sunday in a bid to add to her winning haul in the Mosgiel Tavern Beaumont Publican’s Cup (1500m). The six-year-old daughter of Proisir was building towards that winning result last week, having finished runner-up at Riccarton at her previous start, and trainer Stephanie Faulkner said she has bounced through the run, which has given her the confidence to back her up this weekend. “I don’t normally back her up this quick, but she was messing around in the paddock like she had recovered really well from her last run,” Faulkner said. “She was out there bucking and carrying on so I thought it wouldn’t hurt her to go again.” O’Riordan will jump from barrier 10 with Central Districts jockey Leah Hemi aboard, and Faulkner said she will be ridden positively from her wide alley. “She will just roll forward and if something else wants to take the lead she is happy just to sit on its hindquarters,” Faulkner said. “On the other hand, if no one wants to go, she is happy to go to the front too.” Faulkner hasn’t made any set plans with O’Roirdan post her weekend run but said she will likely go out for a freshen-up. “She has been up a wee while, so she just may have a freshener and look for something else in another month or so,” she said. Meanwhile, Faulkner is looking forward to heading to Riverton next month with Smooth Operator (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) to line-up in the Riverton Cup (2147m). It is the final leg of the Southern Cups Bonus Series where a $50,000 winner takes all bonus is up for grabs. Smooth Operator currently sits in third position on five points behind Noble Knight (NZ) (Ghibellines) (eight points) and In Vegas (NZ) (Telperion) (seven points), with double points on the line in the Riverton Cup. The gelding won the second leg of the series, the Invercargill Gold Cup (2600m), and was a beaten favourite in the Listed Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) last month when fifth, but Faulkner said a post-race examination found he had an infection. “He took half an hour to recover after the Dunedin Cup, and he is usually very clean-winded, so we knew something wasn’t quite right,” Faulkner said. “He had a bit of a respiratory tract infection, and we have treated him for that. “Outwardly you would think there is nothing wrong with him, but not until they race and get under that pressure you find out these things. “He is very well so I am looking forward to that Riverton final with him.” Faulkner is also excited about the stable’s top-rated horse Richard Stomper’s (NZ) (El Roca) return to the trials after undergoing surgery following a race fall last year. “He is going to trial at the next lot of trials,” she said. “He had that accident on the 27th of September, and he was operated on and he has had a long, slow build-up for his first trial. I am really happy with him.” View the full article

Gordon Elliott Racing snapped up debut winner Monster Truck (lot 29) for a record £530,000 to top the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale after racing on Thursday. The four-year-old gelding is the highest-priced horse ever sold in the Tattersalls Cheltenham sale ring. The son of Goliath Du Berlais won his only start, a three-mile point-to-point at Lingstown on March 8. Consigned by Cormac Doyle's Monbeg Stables, he is out of the winning Carmen Lady (Authorized) and is a half-brother to the winning hurdler Le Yacht (Buck's Boum). Granddam Shining Sea (Anabaa Blue) was placed twice at listed level in France. He changed hands for €49,000 as a Goffs December NH Sale weanling when purchased by Tally-Ho Stud. Elliott said, “We saw him six to eight weeks ago at Cormac's. We did not think he would make that sort of money, but to get to the top, these are the horses you need. Mouse [O'Ryan] was at Lingstown when the horse ran, but the horse came highly recommended anyway. You won't see him on a racetrack until next season.” A trio of fellow three-mile point-to-point winners each made £400,000–lot 5, Palinca, also by Goliath Du Berlais, Jezebel Eyes (Motivator) (lot 17) and Monzon Sport (Goliath Berlais) (lot 24). Also offered by Monbeg, Palinca caught the eye of Coolmara Stables and was originally a €23,000 yearling out of the Arqana Autumn Mixed Sale to Brown Island Stables. She is a half-sister to the listed chase winner Shokdor (Seabhac) and the stakes-placed AQPS hurdler Heros (Voiladenuo). Jezebel Eyes was sold from Skehanagh Stables to Walters Plant Hire. The filly is a half to a pair of winners in the NH sphere and will visit Cracksman upon her retirement from racing. “We bought into the stallion [Cracksman] and I want to buy him some quality mares,” said Dai Walters. Monzon Sport, part of the Suirview Stables draft, went to Willie Mullins and Harold Kirk. The gelding is a half-brother to Grade 1-winning chaser Leader Sport (Nirvana Du Berlais) and Grade 3-scoring chaser Geelong Sport (No Risk At All). Kirk said of Monzon Sport, “He is by the best sire in France, he has a very good pedigree, he looks a quick horse and he has come highly recommended by Pat Doyle. He goes to Willie Mullins, and a lot of good horses come out of this sale.” Of the 28 horses offered, 25 sold (89%) for a gross of £4,385,000. The average was £175,400 and the median was £145,000. All three lots by rising sire star Goliath Du Berlais made £400,000 or more. Tattersalls Cheltenham sales manager Shirley Anderson-Jolag said, “The Tattersalls Cheltenham team have put together a fantastic catalogue, arguably the best we have had for the Festival Sale, and this record-breaking evening is a superb testament to those horses, this unique sale at this brilliant location and to the trust placed in us by these brilliant consignors, and we thank them for that. “To have two record Festival Sales in successive years, as well as a record-breaking top lot, is a brilliant achievement. We wish the new connections all the very best for the future. The post Monster Truck Sets New Tattersalls Cheltenham Record At £530k appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After being involved in a spill in Thursday's fifth race at Gulfstream, Irad Ortiz, Jr. was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. When reached by the TDN via text, his agent, Steve Rushing, said he had no updates and was awaiting the results of tests. Early indications were that Ortiz was not seriously injured. Reporting on FanDuel TV, Caton Bredar said Ortiz was complaining of hip pain, but added that he told the ambulance driver he was “fine.” “I'm told by track officials that Irad was alert, awake, conscious, answering all questions,” Bredar said on FanDuel TV. “He told the ambulance drivers that he was fine, but he did have some pain in his hip, so they did take him to the hospital to get that checked out. It appears that he escaped anything serious, and that is definitely some good news.” Bredar also reported that the horse Ortiz was riding, A Moment a Love (Kantharos), was collected by the outrider and was not injured. The Equibase chart caller footnote gave an account of the incident: “A Moment a Love ducked in at the start, broke through the inner rail, lost the rider, galloped along the inner turf course and walked off.” The post Irad Ortiz, Jr. Taken to Hospital After Gulfstream Spill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL – With one more million-dollar juvenile bringing its three-day total to a record-tying seven, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training concluded Thursday with its highest-ever gross and increases in both average and median from a year ago. “Gratified, pleased and happy for the consignors,” OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski said of the auction's record-setting results. The consignors bring the horses and the quality of the horses that they bring is what brings the prices. So I am happy for the consignors. I am pleased with the amount of trade that took place over all three days, domestically and internationally. We had involvement from a lot of different buyers, so we are very happy with that.” Through three sessions, 439 horses sold for a gross of $71,815,500, eclipsing the mark of $71,473,500 set when 464 horses sold in 2023. The average of $163,589 was up 7.4% from a year ago, while the median was up 7.1% to $85,000. From a catalogue of 816, a total of 566 horses went through the ring with 127 failing to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of 22.4%. It was 17.6% a year ago. A colt by Yaupon, consigned by Kings Equine, became the auction's seventh seven-figure juvenile when selling to Donato Lanni for $1 million Thursday. That matched the record-setting number to hit that mark in 2025. Donato Lanni signed for Thursday's $1-million colt | OBS/Photos by Z Two of those million-dollar juveniles were consigned by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables, which was the auction's leading consigner with 13 sold for $7,730,000. “It's been an unbelievable market,” Dunne said. “I don't know what drives it. But I know what causes it–a fast horse. And there is no shortage of appetite for that. At the end of the day, we may all be doom and gloom about our business, but one of the most exciting things that someone can do is still to own a winner. We get so tied up in the nuts and bolts of it, we forget the enjoyment that that gives the people. I think that's as important as any tax code.” Consignor Randy Miles said he saw plenty of positives in the March market. “I thought it was wonderful,” Miles said of the sale. “I thought it was well attended. The good horses sold well and the middle of the road horses were traded, which is always good. In my consignment, we had action on every horse. It was up to me whether I sold the horse or not. The buyers were willing to buy. “If we just look at racing alone, racing is doing very well. We have our hiccups, but racing is doing well. And everybody loves to come to March. It's the first 2-year-old sale. It seemed like the people who were here were excited to buy and bought multiple horses. I hope it carries on to April.” Juveniles from the first crop of Grade I winner Drain the Clock set the track on fire during last week's under-tack preview and the Gainesway stallion delivered in the sales ring, topped by a $1.1-million colt. Fellow freshman Corniche also had a million-dollar result with a colt selling for $1.35 million. The strength of the yearling market may have changed the type of horses pinhookers could afford a year ago, leading to a change in the make-up of the March catalogue, which featured a deep bench of first-crop sires. Last year's record-setting $3-million March topper was one of eight by Gun Runner catalogued to the auction. None were catalogued by the leading sire this year. “It's the same old song and dance, the ones they want they are paying up for and the other ones are struggling to get sold,” said S G V Thoroughbreds' Steve Venosa. “It was extremely hard to buy horses last year, so people are looking for maybe a little more depth in the pedigrees. With the smaller foal crop and as hard as it was to buy them [as yearlings], it's showing here. Maybe some people are waiting for the April sale.” Raul Reyes of Kings Equine sold Thursday's topper in between feeding hungry shoppers | OBS/Photos by Z Bloodstock agent Justin Casse was active as both a buyer and seller at the March sale and was seeing opportunities ahead in what could be a tightening market. “Going to the barns and talking to some of the consignors, they said they had to really work to get some horses sold,” Casse said. “That might concern me a little bit for April when there will be 50% more horses. I am looking forward to it since there is more opportunity.” While Wavertree has for years been among the leading consignors in Ocala, the March sale–the first in recent memory to not include a consignment from the legendary Eddie Woods–also allowed some younger consignors to shine. Jesse Hoppel and Susan Montanye's SBM Training and Sales were both represented by their first million-dollar sales at the auction. “A lot of the younger consignors are really starting to become a bigger and bigger part of the sales,” Wojciechowski said. “We've seen Nick de Meric stepping down a little bit and Tristan [de Meric] picking up the reins. We see Jimbo Gladwell, Joe Pickerell, SBM Stables, Jesse Hoppel, these younger consignors really starting to grow more and more within the industry. We always worry, are we going to be able to replace the consignors we have. It looks like we are in good hands.” Yaupon Colt Another Success for D'Angelo Trainer Jose D'Angelo, coming off a career year in which he won two Breeders' Cup races, found success in the sales ring Thursday at OBS when bloodstock agent Donato Lanni purchased a son of Yaupon (hip 576) for $1 million. D'Angelo had acquired the colt for $235,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. “I was looking to pinhook a horse and I saw him at Hunter Valley and I fell in love with him,” D'Angelo said. “He had everything that you are looking for in a racehorse.” Hip 576 | OBS/VidHorse D'Angelo purchased the colt in partnership with Hal Mintz and Seth Morris, but he had to do so remotely. “I remember it was the same day Bentornato won at Churchill, so I bought him on the phone,” D'Angelo recalled with a smile. “I called my owners to help me get in there and they decided to pinhook and we were good.” Bentornato won the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes last September before his victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Hip 576 is out of Balbina (Lemon Drop Kid), a daughter of multiple graded winner Ready's Gal (More Than Ready). Consigned by Kings Equine, the bay worked a furlong during last week's under-tack preview in :9 4/5. With a pair of graded-stakes winning graduates on his resume, D'Angelo isn't a stranger to pinhooking success. He purchased Iscreamuscream (Twirling Candy) for $55,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September sale and resold her for $145,000 at the OBS March sale the following year. He also purchased Taxed (Collected) for $27,000 at Keeneland in 2021 before selling the future graded winner for $105,000 the next March. Asked if he was surprised by Thursday's seven-figure result, D'Angelo said, “I was sure he was going to bring $1 million. He looks like a $1-million horse.” The outstanding result had the trainer hoping a colt by Epicenter (hip 683) selling later in the session might stay in his barn to race, but the juvenile proved another astute pinhook. Picked up for $90,000 last September, the gray colt sold for $560,000 to William Werner. Lanni made the winning bid on hip 576 on behalf of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. “He will go to California,” Lanni confirmed. “He was beautiful and fast. And sound. He came out of the work very good. He was a horse that did everything well.” —@JessMartiniTDN de Meric Sales Round Out OBS March with $800K Filly By Constitution Having already sold a seven-figure yearling on Day 1 of this week's OBS March Sale, de Meric Sales rounded out the auction's three-day run with a filly by Constitution garnering $800,000 from Donato Lanni, bidding on behalf of Frank Fletcher, during Thursday's final session. Hip 694 | OBS/VidHorse The leading filly of the day, she was the second-highest priced juvenile of the afternoon behind a colt by Yaupon (hip 576), who brought $1 million earlier in the session. Offered as hip 694, the dark bay filly is out of Curls and Bows (Curlin), a half-sister of GI La Brea Stakes winner Dearest Trickski (Proudest Romeo). The juvenile posted a :10 flat move during last Saturday's breeze show. On Day 1, the agency was rewarded with a cool $1.1-million final bid from Pedro Lanz when a colt by Drain the Clock (hip 132) led the initial session. The colt was the fifth highest-priced juvenile over the course of three days. On the second day of selling, de Meric also sold a filly by sophomore sire Yaupon (hip 437) for $700,000 to MorPlay Racing / Marquee Bloodstock /Marc Tacher. Through three days of selling, de Meric Sales sold 18 head for a gross of $4,677,000, rounding out the week as the third leading consignor in gross at this season's OBS March sale. —@CBossTDN Casse Finds Up-and-Coming Sires on Point at OBS One can always count on agent Justin Casse to be hard at work scouting out potential prospects at many of the nation's biggest sales. This week at OBS March proved no different. “I don't know that people expected it to be a crazy market here given how the yearling market was and how that's carried over, but I think everybody should be pretty pleased. Maybe it wasn't like the yearling sales but it seemed pretty solid,” he opined. Justin Casse | Photos by Z Active as both a buyer and seller through the sale's three-day run, Casse signed for seven juveniles, including a $560,000 colt by Mandaloun (hip 313) on Day 2 and a trio of $335,000 buys, highlighted by a filly Drain the Clock (hip 595) who was purchased by Casse on behalf of CKDS Racing on Thursday afternoon. The other two to attain the $335,000 mark were hip 39, a filly by Practical Joke purchased on Day 1 in addition to hip 405, a colt by Nashville, secured in tandem with JWS Racing. “I think there were definitely some surprises,” remarked Casse. “What people are willing to pay for a fast breeze by either an unproven stallion or a blue-collar stallion, basically not a sexy stallion. Sexy stallions sell well but it's been all about the physical and performance and the 'digestible' stallion or a freshman stallion, which there are a ton of freshmans in here. I'd say there is a larger number than year's past because yearling buyers were unable to get the really good stock that they would have wanted last fall.” Like many other buyers at March this year, Casse leaned quite heavily into younger, unproven sires. Out of his seven purchases, six of the youngsters were by first-season sires. “People tend to stick to the upper level of the yearling sales, say the top 10 stallions and the top 10 freshman stallions,” he said. “At the 2-year-old sales, the range is well beyond that if they can show performance. They're willing to look at a lot more and it's great for these guys.” Also included in Casse's haul this year were colts by Jack Christopher (hip 789) and Corniche (hip 178) in addition to a filly by Olympiad (hip 637). Casse's total expenditures for the three sessions was $2,305,000. When asked if he thought this week's results might inform future decisions later this season, he said, “Personally, it might make me as a pinhooker start looking harder at [yearlings by] certain stallions that I normally wouldn't have looked at last fall. —@CBossTDN Nasvhille Colt a High-Water Mark for Twelve Toes Hernan Elicier spent nine years working with Danzel Brendemuehl's Classic Bloodstock and, following the horsewoman's death in 2023, he started his own consignment, Twelve Toes. The operation had its biggest sale to date when selling a colt by Nashville (hip 671) for $525,000 to St. Elias Stable Thursday in Ocala. Elicier had acquired the colt out of Closet Shopper (Tapit) on behalf of Robert Lambe–a longtime client of Brendemuehl's–for $90,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. Hip 671 | OBS/VidHorse “Everything,” Elicier said when asked what he liked about the yearling. “He was a classy horse, very smart, with a nice eye.” The bay colt worked a furlong during last week's under-tack show in :10 flat and his price tag Thursday was no surprise to Elicier. “100%, I was expecting around that,” he said. “He's a really nice horse, smart, with a lot of class.” Of the experience of watching his highest sale to date, Elicier called it, “Unbelievable.” Twelve Toes enjoyed another pinhooking success earlier in the auction when an Epicenter filly (hip 63) sold for $250,000 to D.J. Stable. The filly had RNA'd for $45,000 at Keeneland in September and was purchased privately afterwards for $37,000, according to Elicier. —@JessMartiniTDN The post $1-Million Yaupon Colt Tops Finale as OBS March Sale Concludes with Record Gross appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Thousand Guineas (G1) heroine Ole Dancer will bid to land a second group 1 this weekend when she takes to Rosehill Gardens Racecourse March 14 for the Coolmore Classic Handicap (G1).View the full article

Breeders' Cup Charities, the official outreach program of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, will make more than $650,000 in charitable donations. A Thursday afternoon release by the organization said the funds were a result of a revitalized philanthropic effort launched in the second half of 2025. Breeders' Cup Limited makes a direct contribution of all royalties from merchandise sales, while 2025 Breeders' Cup Charities programs included an Annual Day of Giving, a “Champions Give Back” fundraising initiative, and a post-Breeders' Cup online auction of memorabilia and experiences. The initiative is also supported by philanthropist Ken Freirich, whose $500,000 contribution to Breeders' Cup Charities will be released over a 3 1/2-year period. “Following the successful launch of the new Breeders' Cup Charities initiative in the second half of 2025, we remain committed to creating sustainable support for important causes across our industry and anticipate a significant increase in our giving going forward,” said Drew Fleming, President & CEO of Breeders' Cup Limited. “Through Breeders' Cup Charities, with the help of our partners, fans, and the racing community, we're proud to stand behind impactful non-profits and their vital work.” Breeders' Cup Charities donates 100% of all funds raised, with designated beneficiaries including the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF), the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America (RTCA), and the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, among others. The post Breeders’ Cup Charities to Donate Over $650,000 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In a unanimous decision, the State of New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division Third Judicial Department, has thrown out a 14-day suspension and a $2,000 fine that was originally handed down by the Commission to Todd Pletcher after a horse he trained tested positive for an overage of phenylbutazone (bute) following a July 30, 2022 race at Saratoga, and has remanded the matter back to the New York Gaming Commission for a rehearing. The horse in question, Capensis (Tapit), finished sixth in the allowance race. In affirming Pletcher's petition in part, and remanding the matter back to the Commission, the court acknowledged that there were “concerns regarding the fundamental fairness” of the original hearing and called the evidence presented by the New York Gaming Commission “hearsay proof.” Both the original blood sample taken from the horse and a split sample sent to an outside lab allegedly showed that the level of the bute in the horse's system was above the specified threshold. That led to a fine and suspension from the New York Gaming Commission, which was later upheld by a hearing officer. But Pletcher and his attorney, Drew Mollica, took the next step and brought an Article 78 petition to the New York State Supreme Court. Their argument centered around the contention that, according to the court ruling issued Thursday, “respondent (NY State Gaming Commission) failed to introduce competent evidence establishing the reliability of the testing that was conducted on the postrace samples that purportedly demonstrated the presence and concentration of bute.” The panel agreed, noting that “the sole proof relied upon by the Commission to establish that the bute concentration from postrace samples exceed the permissible limit were letters from the New York and California laboratories, which lacked any scientific foundation or probative value. “The letter from the New York laboratory indicated the overage in bute concentration but did not provide for the method of testing, and although the method of testing was provided in the letter from the California laboratory, neither letter gave any indication as to the reliability or general acceptance of the tests utilized to ascertain the presence and concentration of bute in the postrace samples.” The ruling continued: “Thus, relying solely on hearsay proof in this case to establish the rule violation rendered the hearing fundamentally unfair under the circumstances presented and persuades us to remand the matter for a new hearing.” “Mr. Pletcher is appreciative that the Appellate Division, Third Department, unanimously decided that the underlying hearing was unfair,” Mollica said. “It was unfair. That's what they said. Without the test results and lab packet, the Commission did not present any evidence of any probative value. In an era where regulators at all levels seek to overlook fairness and due process to achieve only the result they desire, it is refreshing that Appellate Court was clear that fairness and due process are important elements of the Justice System. This decision will have precedential value on other cases going forward.” The post Court Throws Out Fine, Suspension Against Pletcher After Bute Positive appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

At the OBS March Sale, trainer Michael McCarthy confirmed that his prize pupil Journalism (Curlin) continues to work well out in California as the colt prepares for his 4-year-old debut. “He's training great,” McCarthy told TDN. “I don't see a whole lot of difference in him this spring compared to last. He's holding his weight well. Obviously, he's put some on since having a little bit of a break. He's training forwardly.” McCarthy said that Journalism has drilled two good half-mile works at Santa Anita Park. “We're going to work five-eights this weekend and then we'll kind of start mapping out a plan,” he said. “I'll get together with Aron Wellman and he'll get together with everybody else and kind of come up with some soft circles around some spots, but very pleased with the way he's trained right now.” McCarthy also said that he his eye fixed on a championship run. “It's the whole reason behind keeping him in training,” Journalism's conditioner added. “Great news that Sovereignty is back. A couple of horses are starting to kind of rise from their 3-year-old performances and obviously a good performance by Magnitude the other day. So it's an exciting crop of 4-year-olds.” The GI Preakness and GI Haskell winner, Journalism was the runner-up in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes. He capped his 2025 run with a fourth-place finish in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. The post Journalism ‘Training Great’ For Intended 2026 Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Half of the field for Santa Anita Park's 6 1/2-furlong turf sprint on the hillside course has been set at 3-1 or lower in the morning line.View the full article

CHELTENHAM, UK — On a day of high winds and even higher stakes at Cheltenham, it was Heart Wood (Choeur Du Nord) who best withstood the challenge to run out a wide-margin winner of the Ryanair Chase, Thursday's Grade 1 feature which lost much of its lustre when defending champion Fact To File (Poliglote) was withdrawn at the eleventh hour. Beaten nine lengths behind Fact To File when filling the runner-up spot 12 months ago, Heart Wood took full advantage of that rival's absence to belatedly make the breakthrough at the top level for trainer Henry de Bromhead and owners Robcour. Always travelling sweetly in the hands of Darragh O'Keeffe, the eight-year-old soon put his stamp on proceedings after moving to the lead on the approach to the second last, drawing right away from there to register an emphatic 10-length defeat of the gallant Jonbon (Walk In The Park), with Banbridge (Doyen) another two lengths further back in third. “He ran a blinder last year, and we probably rode him to sort of be placed last year, whereas this year we said that we would go out and give it a real go,” de Bromhead said of his first winner at the 2026 Festival. “It was brilliant. Darragh was brilliant on him, he jumped amazing, and it's just lovely to get it. It's getting harder and harder [to train winners at the Festival]. It's been even more competitive this week.” For a trainer operating in the same era as a certain Willie Mullins, de Bromhead's Festival record certainly stands up to the closest of scrutiny. Indeed, this victory means that it will remain a decade since the Knockeen trainer last left the meeting empty handed, having saddled at least one winner every year since drawing a blank in 2016. It's a remarkable achievement but one that left O'Keeffe feeling the pressure in his first season as number one rider to the stable, following the retirement in May last year of de Bromhead's long-time ally, Rachael Blackmore. “It's unreal. I'm very grateful to be riding for Henry de Bromhead this week,” said the winning jockey. “I was keen to get a winner on the board because his record here is so good. The horses have been running well, just a couple of things went against us. These colours are brilliant. They've always been great to me.” Those Robcour colours have become an increasingly familiar sight in the Cheltenham winners' enclosure in recent years, but the man behind them, Brian Acheson, admitted to thinking that it might not be his year after watching his former Festival champions Bob Olinger (Sholokhov) and Teahupoo (Masked Marvel) come up short in the preceding Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle. “Half an hour ago I was on the floor and now that – it just shows you what a screwed up game this is!,” Acheson said of his eventful afternoon. “When the favourite [Fact To File] came out, he had a chance, but we're having such a bad week that you start to talk yourself out of it.” Having been buffeted by strong gales for much of the day, Prestbury Park briefly had the air sucked out of it when Fact To File, arguably the most talented National Hunt performer in training, was declared a non-runner over the public address system. The official reason given for his absence was “unsuitable ground”, with a visibly annoyed Mullins later clarifying his stance in an interview with Racing TV. “Good ground, we think, is not good enough for the type of individual we are buying and trying to race,” said the most successful trainer in the Festival's history. “If the ground is going to be like this, we're not going to bring them.” Even in the absence of Fact To File, owner JP McManus was still responsible for a leading Ryanair fancy in fan favourite Jonbon, who was seeking a first Festival win at the fourth attempt. Alas, it wasn't to be, but as ever he battled on manfully to preserve his record of never having finished out of the first two in a career now spanning 28 starts under Rules. It remains to be seen whether Jonbon will be back for a fifth crack at Festival glory in 2027 but, should his connections need any encouragement, then look no further than the 11-year-old Home By The Lee (Fame And Glory), who sprung a 33/1 surprise when making his fifth consecutive appearance in the Stayers' Hurdle. Trained by Joseph O'Brien for owner-breeder Sean O'Driscoll, Home By The Lee had finished sixth, fifth and third in his first three attempts, before unseating JJ Slevin last year when Bob Olinger led home the 2024 champion Teahupoo in a Robcour one-two. Teahupoo was sent off the 6/4 favourite to regain his crown on Thursday but could muster only sixth, while the winner's fellow veteran, Bob Olinger, ran an honourable race in third. Instead, it was the mercurial Ballyburn (Flemensfirth) who threw down the stiffest challenge to Home By The Lee, but the horse described by O'Brien as “a superstar” simply wasn't for passing on the run-in, finding plenty under the Slevin drive to land the spoils by a little over a length. “We were just hoping for a good run,” O'Brien said of expectations coming into the race. “It was a fantastic ride by JJ and I'm so delighted for Sean O'Driscoll and his family as they bred him. He's an 11-year-old and they've been with him all the way. He's as tough as nails “We've had him since maybe he just turned four, so he's been there a long time. He trains every day with enthusiasm and when he's off he gets bored. He loves his work, loves his job, loves his racing and has never had a lame step in his life. He's a superstar.” For O'Driscoll, this was a triumph for perseverance in more ways than one, having stood firm when O'Brien gently suggested on one occasion that the then-struggling Home By The Lee might be better off trained elsewhere. “Never give up, that's the moral of the story,” O'Driscoll explained. “He has the heart of a lion and he's a very sound horse. He lost his way chasing. Joseph rang me one day and said, 'I think maybe you should send him to another yard, they can freshen him up.' I said, 'Are you politely telling me that I should take him away from the yard?' To which he replied, 'No, I'm not.' So I said, 'Well, he's not going anywhere.' Joseph is an amazing trainer.” He continued, “We came here with confidence, but the odds were stacked against us in that he's 11 years of age, it was his fifth attempt at the race. I don't think any horse has won it after running in it five times – the moral of the story is that there's always a first time!” Gordon Elliott cut a similarly philosophical figure earlier in the afternoon, having watched the redoubtable Wodhooh (Le Havre) provide the stable with a belated breakthrough at this year's Festival in the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle. Elliott went into the race 0/30 for the week, frustrated but with an ace card still to play in 5/6 favourite Wodhooh, who duly got the job done with the minimum of fuss, hitting the front before the last and always doing enough from there to lead home Jade De Grugy (Doctor Dino) by a length. Bought by Ted Durcan for 50,000gns at the 2023 Tattersalls July Sale, having failed to win in four starts on the Flat for Sir Michael Stoute, Wodhooh has been beaten just once in 11 starts over hurdles, with the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at last year's Festival also featuring among her 10 victories. Then, just as she did on Thursday, Wodhooh stepped up to get Elliott out of a tight spot after he arrived at the finale winless from 47 runners in the previous 27 races. No wonder the trainer described himself as “lucky to have her” in the aftermath of this latest rescue act. “It's hard to have winners here,” he summed up. “The ball just wasn't bouncing, but thankfully we're on the board now. I'm delighted for myself, my staff and my owners. “The race worked out great and Jack [Kennedy, jockey] gave her a peach. She idled a bit up the straight, but she picked up again. She's something else. It's hard to know how good she is as she doesn't do anything fancy at home, but we're lucky to have her.” In the other Graded race restricted to mares on the card, the G2 Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle which kicked off proceedings, White Noise (Kingston Hill) caused a 40/1 upset to realise a lifelong dream for jockey Tom Bellamy. With last year's Champion Bumper heroine Bambino Fever (Jukebox Jury) never threatening to land a meaningful blow, it was left to the Elliott-trained Oldschool Outlaw (Walk In The Park) to give vain chase to the relentless winner, who has improved out of all recognition since gaining her first victory in a Worcester novice hurdle back in October. “I've worked my whole life for this day,” said the winning rider after his first Festival triumph. “I'm genuinely speechless, I cannot believe it. A great performance from a really likeable filly. I'm delighted for the team at home, we've had a season. This tops my whole career, not just this season. “I'm nearly crying here. I bunked off school as a kid to come and watch the Cheltenham Festival, and I can't believe I'm walking around at the top here after winning. I am expecting to wake up, to be honest. I got beaten a neck once in the Pertemps and I thought that was it, because I haven't even got close since. It means everything.” Thirty-one years on from a famous Champion Hurdle/Gold Cup double – and for the first time since being joined on the licence by long-time assistant Mat Nicholls – Kim Bailey is a Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer once more thanks to White Noise, while the action on Thursday also saw nerve-settling victories for two trainers who will be hoping to emulate Bailey by etching their names into Gold Cup folklore on Friday. Dan Skelton, the trainer of Gold Cup contender Grey Dawning (Flemensfirth), would have had very few anxious moments as he watched 7/2 favourite Supremely West (Westerner) turn the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle into a procession, while Ben Pauling admitted that he will sleep easier ahead of Friday's blue riband after his Meetmebythesea (Watar) had won the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase. Pauling is responsible for the current Gold Cup favourite in The Jukebox Man (Ask). “I'll look forward to tomorrow now,” said Pauling, before echoing the sentiments of many on Thursday with regards what was a difficult start to the biggest week this sport has to offer. “I was a bit deflated after the first two days, if I'm completely honest. It's a stark reminder of how hard it is to win here, because you come with good horses and we weren't really sighted. This was one of the darts we hoped would run well, so it was great to see it come off. I'm pleased we've had one before The Jukebox Man runs tomorrow.” The post Heart Wood Runs Riot in Ryanair as Ground Concerns Sideline Fact To File appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Serena’s Song, a Hall of Famer and blue hen mare, died March 11 at the age of 34. View the full article

Serena's Song, the 3-year-old filly champion in 1995 and the winner of 11 Grade I stakes races, passed away peacefully Wednesday at Denali Stud, where she spent her entire post-racetrack career. She died 25 days before her 34th birthday, but was officially considered 34 at the time of her death. Inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2002, she won 18 of 38 starts and recorded 17 grades stakes wins. Her finest hour came when she defeated males to capture the 1995 GI Haskell Invitational Handicap. “She had the elegance of a Grace Kelly, she had the moves of a Ginger Rogers, and she had the charisma of a Marilyn Monroe,” her trainer, Wayne Lukas, said at the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies for Serena's Song. “For you people that are a lot younger and don't have a clue as to what I'm talking about, she had the moves of Janet Jackson and the charisma of Britney Spears.” A daughter of Rahy out of the Northfields mare Imaging, she was bought for $150,000 at the 1993 Keeneland July Sale of Selected Yearlings. She began her career for Lukas and owners Bob and Beverly Lewis with a fifth-place finish in a May 28, 1994 maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs. In her fourth career start, she won her first stakes race, the GII Landaluce Stakes at Hollywood Park. She would prove to be one of the best 2-year-old fillies in training that year, winning the GI Oak Leaf Stakes and the GI Starlet Stakes. She also finished second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, losing to stablemate Flanders. Serena's Song takes the Haskell | Equi-Photo But her 3-year-old year was the one in which she became a superstar. After his filly kicked off her season with three straight wins, Lukas got bold and ran her against the boys in the GII Jim Beam Stakes, a major prep for the Kentucky Derby. With Corey Nakatani aboard, she won by 3 ½ lengths. Lukas originally said after the Jim Beam win that Serena's Song would be pointed for the GI Kentucky Oaks, but changed course and ran her in the Kentucky Derby. After setting blistering early fractions, she finished 16th. It didn't take her long to rebound, and, with a new jockey in Gary Stevens aboard, she won two of her next three starts. She then headed to the Jersey Shore to take on the boys again in the Haskell. She was tiring in the stretch, but held on to win by three-quarters of a length. Serena's Song became the first filly ever to win the prestigious Grade I event. “We came, we made history and we stamped her as one of the great ones,” Lukas said after the win. “I rank her right up there with any of the great fillies we've had.” Serena's Song would go on to win two more major stakes that year, the GI Gazelle Handicap and the GI Beldame Stakes. But she could do no better than fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. She slowed down a bit as a 4-year-old, winning five of 15 starts, but still managed to capture three more Grade I races that year, the GI Santa Monica Handicap, the GI Santa Maria Handicap and the GI Hempstead Handicap. In her final career start, she finished second in the GII Churchill Downs Distaff Handicap, which increased her career earnings to $3,283,388. “It's not what we can see that counts, it's ultimately what we can't see that makes them great,” Lukas also said during Serena's Song's Hall of Fame induction speech. “It's the inside, the heart, and she had plenty of that. She was tough.” Bob Lewis was so fond of his Serena's Song that he told the Los Angeles Times in 1995 that it almost felt like the filly was part of his family. “I tell people we've been fortunate to have two sons and a daughter, but I almost feel as though we have two daughters when you count Serena's Song,” he said. “We realize how fortunate we are to have her. She's the epitome of a racehorse. She just flows.” Serena's Song wins the Mother Goose | Coglianese Upon retirement, Serena's Song was sent to Denali. She was considered the first high-profile broodmare to land there. “We call her the 'Queen of Denali,' just because she is really our foundational mare and the fact that she's still with us,” Denali Director of Marketing and Hospitality Claire Bandoroff told the TDN's Jill Williams in 2025. “She put us on the map. I don't think anyone on the farm remembers a day without her here.” Serena's Song produced 12 foals, 11 that raced, and nine who have won. She was the dam of Sophisticat, a filly by Storm Cat, who won the GI Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2002. She also produced the Storm Cat colt Grand Reward, who won the GII Oaklawn Handicap in 2005. “Serena had such a profound impact on many people's lives, especially the Lewis family, our family, and the staff who worked with her during her time at Denali,” said Conrad Bandoroff. “We are incredibly blessed and honored that Bob and Beverly, and eventually their son Jeff chose to keep her with us and trust us with her care for three decades. She is and always will be the Queen of Denali Stud. I would like to think that Wayne had a stall ready for her up there, and that he, Bob, and Beverly welcomed her with open arms.” In 2014, the Lewis Family and Denali Stud announced that Serena's Song, then 22, was being retired as a broodmare. She enjoyed the rest of her days eating peppermints and helped raise thousands of dollars for Thoroughbred charities through her halters. “I know that there will never be another broodmare like her for me,” Craig Bandoroff said. “It has been a great honor to work with the Lewises for the entirety of her breeding career. She has had a profound impact on the growth and development of Denali Stud. “I very rarely can't find the words, but that is where I find myself,” he said. “There are times in our lives where the Good Lord takes care of you. He did that when Bob and Beverly Lewis became our clients and again when Serena came into our lives. Some things can't be replaced. You just have to be thankful they came your way. Serena meant more to Denali than I can describe. We were just blessed to have her. Hopefully Bob, Beverly and Serena are reunited.” The post Champion Serena’s Song Passes Away appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article