Wandering Eyes

Express Kid, who sold for $2,000 at an Arizona auction last year, is now on the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail after a dominant upset victory in the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes at Remington Park Dec. 20.View the full article

The top five betting choices were the first five home in Japan's G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes on Sunday, with second choice Cavallerizzo closing to take the juvenile contest by three-quarters of a length. Diamond Knot (Bricks And Mortar), a 7-1 shot, was second, with the formerly undefeated favourite Admire Quads (Real Steel) gamely snatching third, a length behind. Sent off at 13-5, the son of Saturnalia raced content in midfield well off the fence, with the first quarter covered in :23.20. At the half-mile marker, Diamond Knot was firmly in charge, with the lathered Cavallerizzo in good order as the field rounded the bend. In need of running room at the head of the straight, a gap slammed shut on the eventual winner and Christian Demuro called an audible and steered back to the inside. Rolling under a full head of steam, Cavallerizzo exploded late to just pass a stubborn Diamond Knot four jumps from the wire. “After a normal start, I had a good position behind Yuga [Kawada],” said Cristian Demuro. “In the last corner I had a little bit of a trouble with another horse next to me but when I asked my horse to go inside, he had a good reaction, a good turn of foot. Christophe [Lemaire] was trying to escape but my horse was very strong in the end.” A five-length winner at first asking at Chukyo in August, Cavallerizzo finished just a head short of Admire Quads in the G2 Daily Hai Nisai Stakes at Kyoto over this trip on November 15. Pedigree Notes G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) hero Saturnalia now counts six stakes winners among his progeny, five at the group level. Cavallerizzo is his first Group 1 winner worldwide. Like G3 Fantasy Stakes heroine Festival Hill, the colt is out of a Heart's Cry mare. The first foal for his dam who won thrice from three to five, the son of Saturnalia is followed by a yearling filly by Lord Kanaloa and a weanling filly by Leontes. Balladist was covered by Justin Milano last spring. Second dam Balada Sale (Not For Sale) was a champion three-year-old filly in Argentina and won a pair of Group 1 races there. Balada Sale also left the multiple group winner and G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) third Satono Flag (Deep Impact). The classy G1 Polla de Potrillos hero-turned-sire Le Blues (Roman Ruler) is a half-brother to Balada Sale. Sunday, Hanshin, Japan ASAHI HAI FUTURITY STAKES-G1, ¥135,480,000, Hanshin, 12-21, 2yo, c/f, 1600mT, 1:33.20, sf. 1–CAVALLERIZZO (JPN), 123, c, 2, by Saturnalia (Jpn) 1st Dam: Balladist (Jpn), by Heart's Cry (Jpn) 2nd Dam: Balada Sale (Arg), by Not for Sale (Arg) 3rd Dam: La Balada (Arg), by Confidential Talk 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Tatsuya Yoshioka; J-Cristian Demuro; ¥71,036,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, ¥93,624,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Diamond Knot (Jpn), 123, c, 2, Bricks And Mortar–Endless Knot (Jpn), by Deep Impact (Jpn). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Makoto Kaneko Holdings; B-Bando Farm (Jpn); ¥28,296,000. 3–Admire Quads (Jpn), 123, c, 2, Real Steel (Jpn)–Date Line (Jpn), by Zoffany (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (¥66,000,000 Wlg '23 JRHAJUL). O-Junko Kondo; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥18,148,000. Margins: 3/4, 1, HF. Odds: 2.60, 7.30, 2.10. Also Ran: Ecoro Alba (Jpn), Realize Sirius (Jpn), Good Piece (GB), White Orchid (Jpn), Tagano Aralia (Jpn), Storm Thunder (Jpn), Cosomo Red (Jpn), Corteo Soleil (Jpn), Kakuuchi (Jpn), Red Ligare (Jpn), Spe Luce (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. The post Cavallerizzo Closes For Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes Tally appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

And on we go, to a sector of the market that will have great appeal to the shrewd and smaller breeders (you can certainly be both), with the next part of our Value Sires series devoted to those standing in the bracket of £7,500 to £14,999 (approximately €8,500 to €17,000). There are always deals to be struck in the stallion market, and perhaps that is especially true within the lower price tiers, where your bartering power may also depend on your previous support of a particular stallion or stud, and the number of mares you have at your disposal. The fact that covering numbers have dropped off in recent years will mean that stallion owners will be conscious of the need to retain and incentivise the breeders who remain in operation. Proven prowess Being the sire of this year's Derby and Irish Derby winner entitles you to go first, so step forward Australia, who completed the same double himself, as indeed did his sire Galileo. We like this very much, but Australia proved himself to have more than one dimension this season thanks to the cheering victory of his daughter Cercene for Joe Murphy at Royal Ascot. It was but one of a number of feelgood results on racing's biggest stage and, in a year when Australia was advertised for only €10,000, should have served as a timely reminder of his talents. He's back up a wee bit this year to €15,000 but that still represents value for a sire who could get you a horse capable of mixing it in some of the world's biggest races. The name of his stud-mate Churchill lurks behind some decent performers too, without the dual Guineas winner ever really being given the credit he deserves. So let's right that wrong. Churchill is sneakily quite good: Classic winners Vadeni and Blue Rose Cen have already let the cat out of the bag on that front, and this year his daughter Survie went close to giving him another Prix de Diane winner before selling for 1.9m gns at Tattersalls. Ridari changed hands from the Aga Khan Studs to John Stewart's Resolute Racing for €950,000 at the Arc Sale before going on to win the G2 Prix Wildenstein and is a colt to follow in 2026. At €15,000, Churchill is at his lowest fee yet for 2026. We will get to some English sires in due course but also in Ireland stands one of the best-value sires in Europe: Awtaad. He graced our podium last year and is rightly back up there again, his fee having been only marginally adjusted upwards from €7,500 to €8,500. Post-race press conferences can sometimes be rather sober affairs despite the excitement of the occasion, but that was not the case for Willie Mullins, who swiftly downed two glasses of bourbon while gleefully recounting to journalists the thrill of securing his first win at the Breeders' Cup. The extraordinary Ethical Diamond was the horse who gave rise to what would have undoubtedly been a proper session later on. He had also been one of two winners for Awtaad at Royal Ascot along with Ascending. The Irish National Stud's Phoenix Of Spain has barged his way into contention, and he too has risen slightly to a previous fee of €12,500, but that still looks reasonable following a year in which he notched his first Group 1 winner, Caballo De Mar, along with three Group 3 winners in Europe and one in Australia. One of those, Lady Of Spain, has joined Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm after being sold for 900,000gns in December. Phoenix Of Spain's 5.83 per cent black-type winners to runners in 2025 puts him right up there among the best of his intake. It was an elite band of European stallions, numbering just 17, who sired two or more Group 1 winners this year and Ballylinch Stud's Make Believe was one of them. He is also a former podium poser and we have to put him back up there again this year after the exploits of Sajir in France and Royal Supremacy in Australia, while G2 Oaks d'Italia winner Klaynn ruled the three-year-old division in Italy. Any stallion who can get a horse as good as Mishriff in his first crop is surely no fluke, and thus Make Believe is proving, at a fee which is back up to €10,000 for 2026, having been €8,000 this year. At the £10,000 mark in Britain for the third year running is Overbury Stud's Golden Horn, a horse for the big occasion, whether you like the Flat or jumps. At the Cheltenham Festival his handful of runners included the Champion Hurdle and Triumph Hurdle winners Golden Ace and Poniros, while at Royal Ascot Trawlerman landed the week's most prestigious race, the Gold Cup, and was later named Cartier Stayer of the Year. Another four Group winners were added to Golden Horn's Flat tally in 2025, most notably the G2 Park Hill winner Santorini Star. Newsells Park Stud's Without Parole provided one of the best two-year-olds of the year in Zavateri, who took the G2 July Stakes, G2 Vintage Stakes and G1 National Stakes in quick succession, narrowly beating subsequent Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt Gstaad in the latter. With 52 and 43 foals from his first two crops, Without Parole has fewer representatives than some of his rivals in this year's second-crop sires' table, in which he is in sixth place. His fee has returned to £10,000, from £8,000 in his last two seasons. Ardad has been represented by 40 two-year-old winners, with five stakes winners among them in Europe this year, putting him top of the list of juvenile sires standing in Britain. Admittedly, he has had a lot of runners – 113 from his largest crop of 157 foals in 2023 after the exploits of his first crop encouraged more breeders to patronise him. In 2022 his fee rose sensibly to £12,500 on the back of that, but this year it has been cut to £7,500 which makes him a value proven option. A name worth noting among the young stallions in France is Victor Ludorum, who is the leading first-season sire in that country and has sired 17 winners across Europe, which puts him in eighth place by number of winners. He also has two black-type horses and is about to embark on his second season at Haras d'Etreham since Haras du Logis ceased standing stallions. After covering 102 mares this year, Victor Ludorum will be at his lowest fee of €10,000 (from €15,000) in 2026. His stud-mate City Light continues to be a consistent source of winners and is also at €10,000. Big year ahead As ever, there will be much interest paid to the runners of the first-season sires of 2026. Those who may take up the running early include Perfect Power, who was himself a prolific two-year-old, winning at Hamilton in June before landing the Norfolk, Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes. This year and next, the fee for the son of Ardad is £7,500, half that which he opened for at Dalham Hall Stud, and he posted a yearling average of 61,000gns for 32 sold. Perfect Power also collected the following season's Commonwealth Cup and another of his ilk who was smart at two, winning the Gimcrack, but went on to land the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup at four is Minzaal, one of an increasing cohort of sons of Mehmas at stud. Minzaal also started at £15,000 at Derrinstown Stud and has been dropped to £12,500. His yearling average for 89 sold was 79,112gns. What a racehorse State Of Rest was. His Group 1 victories came in America, Australia, France and Britain, with his Prince of Wales's Stakes win at Royal Ascot crowning that superb quartet. He won first up at two himself, and we know that his sire Starspangledbanner can get a good two-year-old. We'll be hoping to see some of his first two-year-olds starting to make their mark towards the second half of the season. He had some promising looking yearlings which averaged 53,514gns for 49 sold, and State Of Rest may well surprise some people next year, when his fee will be €15,000, down from €25,000 in his first year. We're prepared to die on the hill that says Stradivarius can be a good Flat sire if given the right backing. He's been given enough support, with around 100 Flat mares for his first book, and though only 16 of the youngsters from those matings were offered as yearlings in Britain and Ireland, they found favour in the market, selling for an average of 48,357gns for the 14 that changed hands. Plenty more will be lurking on their breeders' farms, about to head into pre-training, hoping that they will run their way to one of the £25,000 bonuses offered by Stradivarius's owner-breeder Bjorn Nielsen for his first ten juvenile winners. (And don't forget the £250,000 bonus for a Group 1 winner at two or three.) The National Stud resident has remained at his sensible starting fee of £10,000 throughout. It was as a four-year-old that Naval Crown came into his own when winning the G1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. The son of Dubawi joined Kildangan Stud the following year at €15,000 but dropped to €9,000 last year and remains at that price for 2026. He had some well-made yearlings, and 42 of them were sold for 47,012gns. He might be a sneakily good bet for next year, and plenty of folks will be expecting much from the next Tally-Ho sire off the line, Persian Force, whose fee has returned to his starting fee of €10,000 (from €8,000), presumably following some encouraging yearling sale results, with 73 sold for an average of 45,849gns. In France, Sealiway, a winner of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and later the Champion Stakes, will be bidding to put the fledgling operation of Haras de Beaumont on the map when his first runners step out next year. A son of Galiway, who has been a revelation at Haras de Colleville, starting at €3,000 and settling at €30,000 for the last four years, Sealiway was the busiest young stallion in France on his retirement in 2023, and he is now down to €10,000, having started at €12,000. First yearlings The risk of using a stallion in his third year at stud is of course that by the time a breeder might be wanting to sell a foal, the first runners will have come through and you can find yourself either in clover or in trouble. Stick to your guns if you like a horse, and there has been nothing but favourable comments about Shaquille since he retired to stud – both of his own physique and now in praise of his foals. He was of course a tiptop sprinter at three and the Ace Stud resident is now available for £10,000, having stood his first two seasons at £15,000. He has it all to prove, but that is true for all names mentioned in this section. The burly Native Trail was the champion two-year-old of his generation and is now at €16,000, while his fellow Darley sire Triple Time remains at £10,000, representing good value for a Group 1-winning son of Frankel over a mile. Another smart Frankel horse from this intake is Shadwell's Mostahdaf, winner of the Juddmonte International and Prince of Wales's Stakes at four, and who really does stand out at £9,000, down from his initial £15,000. There are Frankels from a range of distances in this intake and Onesto took the G1 Grand Prix de Paris over a mile and a half. His Juddmonte-bred dam Onshore (Sea The Stars) is out of a full-sister to Hasili, and we've all seen what that particular family can do. He stands for €10,000 in 2026. A Champagne Stakes winner at two and winner of the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes the following year, Bayside Boy represents a more affordable way into the New Bay line and is now €12,500 at Ballylinch Stud (from €15,000) After a false start, when injury prevented Mishriff from covering in his first season with Sumbe, we hope that the remainder of his stud career will be plain sailing. A stunning horse, he lived up to those good looks with a body of work which included the Prix du Jockey Club, Saudi Cup, Dubai Sheema Classic and Juddmonte International. From the family of Kodiac and Invincible Spirit, Mishriff is now available at £12,500, a fee which could look very reasonable in the years to come. Second-year stars Among those about to embark on their second covering seasons are the National Stud's Bradsell, who boasts a terrific race record for his £10,000; Coolmore's statuesque son of Dubawi, Henry Longfellow (€12,500); Group 1-winning miler Big Rock, who is at the rejuvenated Haras de Grandcamp for €12,000; fellow French Group 1-winning recruits Puchkine (€8,500, Haras de Beaumont) and Metropolitan (€12,000, Haras d'Etreham). The trio of Big Evs (€15,000, Tally-Ho Stud), Good Guess (€12,500, Tally-Ho Stud) and Mill Stream (€10,000, Yeomanstown Stud) covered 159, 210 and 170 mares respectively this year, and you can expect them to be well represented and well supported at next year's foal sales. New to stud In this price bracket the significant new recruits are Inisherin, a member of the final crop of Shamardal and a close relation to his fellow retiree Rosallion and to Triple Time. The G1 Commonwealth Cup winner joins the Dalham Hall roster at £12,500. Juddmonte's well-bred G1 Lockinge Stakes winner Lead Artist – another from the Hasili family -has been turning the heads of visitors to Banstead Manor Stud and is also at £12,500. The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Unquestionable is one of four sons of Wootton Bassett to join the Irish ranks this year and he will start at €10,000 at Rathbarry Stud, while the Irish National Stud has taken charge of Amo Racing's G1 Flying Five Stakes winner Arizona Blaze and has put him in at €12,500. Bolstering the French ranks is the G1 Prix Morny winner Whistlejacket, who joins Big Rock at Grandcamp for €14,000. Value Sires Podium The first thought here is 'We're gonna need a bigger podium'. There are so many in this category worthy of highlighting, but since only gold, silver and bronze medals exist, the stewards had a very close look at the stud-mates Australia and Churchill and decided they wouldn't mind passing the silver medal back and forth across the yard. GOLD Awtaad, Derrinstown Stud, €8,500 You want to breed a racehorse, right? Well, look no further. SILVER Australia and Churchill, Coolmore, €15,000 Dual Classic winners, dual Classic producers, and now dual silver medal holders. A snip at this price. BRONZE Make Believe, Ballylinch Stud, €10,000 Can deliver sprinters through to those with Classic potential, and he remains terrific value. Click the links here if you missed Part I or Part II of our Value Sires series. The post Value Sires 2026 Part III: Affordable Options appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A key member of the Elliott Bloodstock Services and Imperium Sales teams, Lucy Ryan lets us in on her background in the bloodstock business as the first person to be back in the TDN hot seat this winter. TDN: How did you become involved in bloodstock in the first place? LR: More by chance than design. I was lucky enough to be introduced to ponies at an early age, joining the local pony club, which led to a bit of eventing, hunting and point-to-pointing (very badly!). I met Mathilde Texier at a friend's barbecue and she offered me a job as her assistant so I paused my studies at Leeds University and never returned. I had a wonderful time with Mathilde (hopefully she thought the same); it was an amazing experience and she was a superb teacher. This then led to working for one of the top judges Amanda Skiffington; again a great education and I'm very grateful to the both of them who helped kickstart my career. TDN: What's your proudest moment to date? LR: It has to be the creation of Imperium Sales. It was a real challenge, and something completely different to my day to day. I'm very thankful to Nicola Short who answered all my questions and guided me throughout. We're very lucky to have the platform to do it, and I'm very grateful to clients of Elliott Bloodstock Services who entrusted Imperium Sales to present and offer their stock at the sales. TDN: What was your defining memory of 2025? LR: Probably selling Pintara at the mares' sale for 1.8 million gns to Resolute Bloodstock. Achieving another million-pound lot within only our third year of consigning at the Tattersalls December breeding stock sale was pretty special. I'm very proud of all the team, and more importantly very thankful to the connections of Pintara for allowing Imperium Sales to offer her. TDN: Tell us something people don't know about you… LR: I'm a devoted shopper — whether that's at the sales or during Black Friday. TDN: What keeps you awake at night? VAT returns and customs! TDN: Any regrets? LR: None worth mentioning. Things have naturally gone wrong, and we're all human. Of course I've made mistakes but it's best to focus on the present and what's ahead. There's no point dwelling in the past. TDN: What motivates you? LR: You Got To Me winning the Irish Oaks was a very proud moment for all of us, so we want to repeat this success by finding another Classic winner. TDN: Give us an underrated sire to keep onside next year… LR: Nathaniel. Perhaps not entirely underrated, but at his fee I think he represents huge value, providing breeders with nice returns within the sales ring and on the racetrack. Alex [Elliott] has had great success with him — notably through the 2024 Irish Oaks winner You Got To Me and dual Listed winner and Group-placed filly Understated, who was sourced from BBAG. TDN: Your favourite sale/place and why? LR: The BBAG September Yearling Sale in Baden-Baden. I love the vibe of the sale, it's very relaxed. The sale itself offers excellent quality and it has been a lucky hunting ground for Elliott Bloodstock Services over the years. The town itself is a beautiful spa town. You must visit the casino for a night of old-school glamour. Ladies, take a frock, and gentlemen, you'll need a blazer to enter. TDN: What's your go-to karaoke song? LR: Valerie by Amy Winehouse — and I can, and have, sung it with or without the music. TDN: Who is your inspiration? LR: Gosh, within our industry there are lots of inspiring people and you learn from each other all the time but, if I had to narrow it down, I would say probably my two prior bosses and my present one! Both Dr Mathilde Texier and bloodstock agent Amanda Skiffington are incredible women have carved out wonderful careers in a tough industry, and they are still very much at the top of their games. So if that's not inspiring, I'm not sure what is. Last but not least, my current boss Alex Elliott has achieved a lot of notable success in a relatively short career, so you could say he's only just getting started. The post In The Hot Seat: Lucy Ryan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Throughout its history, WinStar Farm's stallion program has been anchored by raw speed, with champion Speightstown and fellow sprinting specialist Distorted Humor among some of the first sires to define the farm's identity. As WinStar wraps up its 25th anniversary this year, the blueprint is much the same. Patch Adams, Mullikin and Straight No Chaser are the latest Grade I-winning sprinters set to join the roster. Two of the recruits carry the direct influence of the aforementioned cornerstone sires and the third is out of a mare by Congrats, another WinStar stalwart who has emerged as an influential broodmare sire. “Horses that have pure speed is something you can't fake,” said WinStar's Director of Bloodstock Services Liam O'Rourke. “It's a quality that we are always trying to inject into our breeding program and we're really excited to have three very fast horses coming to us in 2026.” PATCH ADAMS (Into Mischief — Well Humored, by Distorted Humor). Standing for $30,000 in 2026. Dual Grade I winner Patch Adams is a particularly meaningful addition to the WinStar roster as a third-generation homebred for the farm. WinStar purchased Patch Adams's third dam Well Dressed (Notebook) at the 2001 Keeneland November Sale. In the quarter-century since, the family has flourished with Grade I winners Well Armed (Tiznow), Cyberknife (Gun Runner) and Played Hard (Into Mischief). Patch Adams is out of the stakes-winning Distorted humor mare Well Humored, a half-sister to GISW American Patriot (War Front) and Parchment Party (Constitution), winner of this year's GIII Belmont Gold Cup Stakes. “Patch Adams is a horse that has been so rewarding for everyone here at WinStar,” said O'Rourke. “So many people in the WinStar family have had a hand in this horse's success. For him to return home and retire to our stallion barn is really coming full circle.” O'Rourke said the WinStar team had high hopes for Patch Adams from early on in his career. Trained by Brad Cox and campaigned in partnership with China Horse Club, the son of Into Mischief broke his maiden last November by 10 1/2 lengths, becoming a 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard.' Patch Adams as a foal at WinStar | courtesy WinStar Farm “He was a third of a second off Groupie Doll's track record under wraps as a 2-year-old,” recalled O'Rourke. “It was a 'wow' performance. He ran a 98 Beyer Speed Figure, which was the second-highest Beyer of any 2-year-old that year, so it really got us excited that he was going to be that special horse we thought he could be.” After testing the Kentucky Derby trail early this year, Patch Adams successfully cut back to one turn, defeating future stakes winner Big Truzz (Justify) on Kentucky Derby weekend. That victory launched a summer campaign in Saratoga where he reeled off back-to-back Grade I wins. “He was dominant in the Woody Stephens, going the fastest seven furlongs by a colt at Saratoga this summer,” said O'Rourke. “The Allen Jerkens was an elite sprinting performance, going in 1:21.61 which was faster than Book'em Danno (Bucchero) in the GI Forego that day and Hope Road (Quality Road) in the GI Ballerina. It wasn't an easy trip for him, so to gut that win out and run as fast as he did that day really solidified him as a special racehorse.” An injury sustained in training kept Patch Adams from making a trip to the Breeders' Cup before his retirement. Standing for $30,000 in his debut season, Patch Adams is bred on the same cross as fellow WinStar resident Life Is Good, who will see his first 2-year-olds on the track next year. O'Rourke reported a strong initial response from breeders, noting that Patch Adams should fit a wide variety of mares. “He has a lot of the qualities of both Distorted Humor and Into Mischief,” he explained. “He's a great-moving horse with beautiful action to him. He's got strength and balance and he stands over a lot of ground. He's gone over extremely well with some great judges.” MULLIKIN (Violence — Tulira's Star, by Congrats). Standing for $10,000. Mullikin -paddock-schooling-07-17-2025-SA6_9166-PRINT-Sarah-Andrew.jpg" alt="" width="1155" height="840" /> Sarah Andrew Like Patch Adams, Mullikin shares a connection to the WinStar brand. He was named after the farm's longtime CFO Jack Mullikin, who retired in 2023. Bred by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding, Mullikin was a $500,000 yearling at the Keeneland September Sale. The son of Violence placed in 12 of his 16 lifetime starts over a three-year career and earned over $1.1 million. As a 4-year-old last year, Mullikin reeled off four straight wins culminating in the GII John A. Nerud Stakes and GI Forego Stakes. “The Nerud was an especially important performance,” said O'Rourke. “To go as fast as he did in 1:20.54, he was half a second off Artax's record that has stood for 25 years. He came back in the Forego and put in a dominant performance, winning by 5 and three-quarter lengths. He ran a 105 Beyer Speed Figure over a very quality field that day.” Mullikin also placed third in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint and was second behind Locked (Gun Runner) in the GII Cigar Mile Handicap. This year at five, the Rudolphe Brisset trainee's highlights included two runner-up performances behind Book'em Danno in the GIII True North Stakes and GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes. O'Rourke said that Mullikin is a natural fit for the WinStar roster as a son of Violence out of a Congrats mare. Congrats is the broodmare sire of GI Kentucky Oaks victress Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), recently retired Grade I winner Johannes (Nyquist) and this year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}). “To have the speed that he had coming off that sireline is critical and really appealing to breeders,” said O'Rourke. “Some really excellent horses have come from the Congrats line and I think he's going to continue to be an important influence in pedigrees for years to come.” STRAIGHT NO CHASER (Speightster — Margarita Friday, by Johannesburg). Standing for $10,000. Straight No Chaser wins the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint | Horsephotos Straight No Chaser first came on WinStar's radar as a stallion prospect when he claimed in the 2023 GIII Maryland Sprint Stakes in a record time of 1:08.27, earning a 107 Beyer Speed Figure. The following year the MyRacehorse-campaigned colt claimed 2024 Champion Male Sprinter honors with back-to-back scores in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championships Stakes and the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. The Dan Blacker trainee added another win to his resume this year in the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint. “What was really impressive was the way he carried his race with him wherever he went, whether it was Del Mar, Santa Anita, Oaklawn or shipping east for Maryland's biggest day of racing,” said O'Rourke. “Especially as a sprinter, to come back year after year, have those unbelievable performances and run elite speed figures just speaks to his quality as a racehorse.” The $2.6 million earner is a half-sibling to two other stakes winners and is from the family of Hall of Famer Housebuster. O'Rourke said that the first time he got a look at Straight No Chaser, he immediately started looking forward to showing the horse off to breeders. “I was blown away by his physique, his scope and his general build,” he said. “I think he's well-priced and we've had a lot of great feedback from breeders.” Straight No Chaser follows his grandsire Speightstown, who passed away in 2023, as an Eclipse and Breeders' Cup-winning sprinter to stand at WinStar. “Speightstown was so important to WinStar's history and he continues to produce new Grade I winners,” said O'Rourke. “The parallels as champion sprinter from that beautiful Gone West sireline make us really excited about Straight No Chaser.” The post WinStar Farm Welcomes Speedy New Trio appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

At 34-1, Cal-bred Express Kid outran his odds in the Springboard Mile to close out Remington Park's Thoroughbred meet and in the process the colt took home 10 Kentucky Derby points on Saturday evening. The $2,000 buy out of the Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders Association Fall Mixed sale broke his maiden at first-asking at Canterbury in early July and was the runner-up in the Prairie Meadows Freshman Stakes in mid-August. Express Kid shipped to Oklahoma City to contest the Clever Trevor Stakes, but was well-beaten Sept. 28. Switching to the local course's turf for an allowance condition Nov. 6, the Wade Rarick trainee won by a head. The longshot hustled out of the blocks from the extreme outside post and was able to wrestle the top spot away from Jets Rio (Candy Ride {Arg}). Traveling like a smooth operator under Jose Alvarez up the backstretch, Express Kid separated himself from the rest of the field, but heavy favorite Arctic Beast went on the attack around the far turn. Still, the pacesetter proved he had plenty in the tank and running down the lane his 'catch me if you can' tactics worked to perfection as he became the second longest shot to win the race behind 128-1 Texas Bling (by Too Much Bling). “He broke so sharp in them, I was like, Wow!” trainer Wade Rarick said. “I don't have a lot of these kind [that win $300,000 races). He is eligible for a lot of things in Arizona (where Rarick stables), but I think we might go a different direction with him now.” Of note, the owners of the top three finishers in the Springboard Mile received a special complimentary 2026 breeding season to Lane's End stallion Senor Buscador (by Mineshaft), who won the 2020 edition of the race for owner Joey Peacock and trainer Todd Fincher. The winner's dam is responsible for a yearling filly named Burglarized (Cat Burglar) and a weanling colt by Tap Back. She was bred to Shaaz for 2026. Express Kid's second dam is MSW Stormy West (Gone West). REMINGTON SPRINGBOARD MILE S., $300,000, Remington, 12-20, 2yo, 1m, 1:38.99, ft. 1–EXPRESS KID, 121, c, 2, by Bodexpress 1st Dam: Sensationalize, by Street Sense 2nd Dam: Stormy West, by Gone West 3rd Dam: Storm Beauty, by Storm Cat ($12,000 RNA Ylg '24 FTCAYR; $2,000 Ylg '24 ARZOCT). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Steve Haahr; B-Richard Barton Enterprises (CA); T-Wade Rarick; J-Jose L. Alvarez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $236,902. 2–Arctic Beast, 121, c, 2, Yaupon–Frostie Anne, by Frost Giant. ($120,000 Wlg '23 FTNMIX; $275,000 Ylg '24 SARAUG). O-Paradise Farms Corp., JP Racing Stable, Staudacher, David, Zilla Racing Stables and Rice, Jennifer; B-Rockridge Stud, LLC & Saratoga Glen Farm & Beal's Racing Stable, LL (NY); T-Michael Maker. $60,000. 3–Royalamerican, 121, g, 2, Upstart–Scat for the Cause, by Creative Cause. O/B/T-C. R. Trout (OK). $33,000. Margins: 6 1/4, 2 1/4, HF. Odds: 34.50, 0.90, 9.50. Also Ran: Western Man, Way Beyond, Big Apple Patrick, Essential Time, Jets Rio, Time for Music, Supreme Good (Ire), Spice Runner. Scratched: My Dream Zapper. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. A HUGE upset! It was all #12 EXPRESS KID ($71.00) who goes gate-to-wire to easily win the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes at @RemingtonPark and earn 10 points towards the @KentuckyDerby. The son of Bodexpress was ridden by Jose Alvarez and is trained by Wade Rarick. pic.twitter.com/JOpL2ciijg — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 21, 2025 The post OKC Boxcar: Express Kid Rocks Tote In Remington Springboard Mile Upset appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Lyle Hewitson is hoping to turn some near misses into winners and continue his strong start to the campaign when he partners some useful chances at Happy Valley on Tuesday night. The South African is on the 12-winner mark for the campaign and has no complaints about his start, but a combined 30 second and third place finishes so far have left him feeling like there was more in the locker. “I can’t complain, there’s been plenty of seconds and thirds that of course we’d love to turn into winners,”...View the full article

Frankie Lor Fu-chuen is looking to the addition of the hood to help his rising star Regal Gem as he stretches out to the mile for the first time in the Class Two Neptune Handicap (1,650m) at Happy Valley on Tuesday night. After suffering defeats in his first four Hong Kong starts, Regal Gem has proved a revelation since getting off the mark at Happy Valley in July over the 1,200m distance. Bumping into a runaway winner on reappearance this campaign, the Zoustar galloper has not looked back...View the full article

Tomasina’s (NZ) (Darci Brahma) victory in the Dynes Transport Tapanui Cup (1335m) at Gore on Sunday couldn’t have come at a better time for owner Stanley Jones. He is in hospital recuperating from surgery after breaking his leg this week and trainer Sabin Kirkland said his mare’s win would be a great tonic for Jones. “I am very happy, especially for the owner’s sake,” Kirkland said. “He fell over and broke his femur this week, so he is in hospital and had a major operation. I am sure he was pleased to see that.” Tomasina took a solid form line into the race, having finished fifth in the Listed Stewards’ Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton last month before finishing runner-up in the Winton Cup (1400m), and Kirkland was confident of another bold showing. There was plenty of early speed in Sunday’s feature, with the field spread out four wide over the first few hundred metres, but jockey Terry Mosely elected not to get involved in the early skirmish and settled Tomasina midfield. He asked her to improve three-wide at the 800m mark and turning for home she entered a duel with Henry Hubber, and the pair quickly opened up several lengths on their rivals. Tomasina proved too strong in the concluding stages and dashed away to a four-length victory. Kirkland was pleased with the performance, and said treatment of her joints has been a key factor to her recent success. “It was sensational,” he said. “She had a bit of trouble with her fetlocks, we got them injected and she is just a different horse.” Tomasina may now back-up in the KB Contractors Open 1200 at Wingatui on Boxing Day, but Kirkland said he will wait to see how she comes through Sunday’s race before deciding. “You can’t make plans on raceday, we will just see how she pulls through, but looking at her now, she looks great,” he said. The daughter of Darci Brahma will be joined in her race on Boxing Day by stablemate Buoyant (NZ) (Dalghar), who scored one of the biggest wins of his career at the same meeting three years ago in the Listed Hazlett Stakes (1200m). He finished fifth in his two lead in runs and Kirkland is confident of an improved result on Friday. “I am very happy with him,” Kirkland said. “He got caught three and four wide at Cromwell the other day, he tried his heart out. If we get a good draw at Wingatui, he can sit back a bit and he will be right there.” Kirkland will also head to Wingatui with Belardo Ace, who will contest the Property Brokers – Ray Kean R65 2200. “He has been working super, I just hope we don’t get too heavy of a track, that’s my biggest query,” he said. View the full article

Mark Newnham reached a significant milestone on Saturday at Sha Tin as leading Karaka graduate, Invincible Ibis (Hellbent), passed yet another crucial test on his march towards the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) – the opening leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series – on 1 February. Celebrating his 100th Hong Kong training win with the young gun’s victory in the Class 3 Poinsettia Handicap (1600m), Newnham joined Caspar Fownes at the top of the trainers’ championship on 25 victories this term over Danny Shum (23 wins) and David Hayes (21). “It’s good to get the 100 out of the way. We’ve been stuck on 99 – I felt like a bad cricketer. It was going to come; I’m just pleased it came with this horse in this race. He’s a nice, progressive horse,” Newnham said. “That should see his rating lift to get him into the Four-Year-Old Classic Series. He’ll need another race before then, but he’s on his way and he’s improving every start.” Stepping from barrier three, Invincible Ibis hugged the rail while midfield. The field fanned across the straight turning for home as the Hellbent gelding stole ground under a cool Zac Purton ride, before saluting by one and three quarter lengths in 1m 34.97s. “He’s always given that indication that he’s going to run 1600 (metres) out strongly, but first run you need to see them do it. Zac gave him a perfect ride, the gaps opened up for him, so he had the advantages with an inside gate (three), but he still had to put them away and he did it well,” Newnham said. After success earlier with Hong Kong International Sale graduate Circuit Fiery (NZ) (Tavistock) in the first section of the Class 5 Amaryllis Handicap (1400m) for trainer Chris So, Purton became the first to reach 50 wins for the campaign with his bookending double. Purton said: “He (Invincible Ibis) keeps improving which is a nice thing. He did it a different way today, coming inside and through them. He keeps doing what we ask him to do.” Invincible Ibis was sold by Kilgravin Lodge at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale for $425,000 to trainer Mark Newnham. The Four-Year-Old Classic Series also features the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) on 1 March and ends with the HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on 22 March. Lyndhurst Farm graduate Sky Trust (So You Think) earlier propelled Caspar Fownes to the top of the trainers’ standings – before Newnham levelled up – with a smart victory in the HK$2.84 million Class 2 Ivy Handicap (1200m) under jockey Maxime Guyon. Having trained seven winners this month, Fownes is aiming to carry today’s momentum into Tuesday’s fixture at Happy Valley, where he has nine entries. “It’s nice to see a horse like this perform at this Class 2 level,” Fownes said. “He’s a horse that can go further – he’ll be better at 1400 (metres) – so there’s some races coming up and, hopefully, we can get another win for the owners.” Guyon, who grabbed a double, said: “We had a perfect run behind the leaders. I travelled very well, he showed a good turn of foot, and we had a light weight today.” Emblazon (Zoustar) dominated the Class 4 Pok Oi Cup Handicap (130lb) for trainer Cody Mo and jockey Jerry Chau. The four-year-old was sold through the Riversley Park draft at the Ready To Run Sale also began a double for Mo, who also won the Class 4 Erica Handicap (1400m) with Nyx Gluck (NZ) (Redwood) and jockey James McDonald. “This race worked out well for him (Nyx Gluck), he got a good draw (one) and James McDonald did very well. In the future, he will go a bit further, but for now this trip seems to be good for him,” Mo said. McDonald, who concluded his short-term riding stint on Saturday, steered Fit For Beauty (NZ) (Vanbrugh) to success in the Class 4 Hibiscus Handicap (1600m) for trainer John Size. View the full article

Join Pip Morris, Emily Murphy and Bruce Sherwin as they break down the action from Manawatu Cup day out of Trentham. Plus the latest NZB Kiwi slot has been announced, they found out the latest. Weigh In, December 21 View the full article

The Dirty Dee’s (NZ) (Derryn) Oaks preparation hit a slight snag this week when trainer Robbie Patterson was forced to scratch her from Saturday’s Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m), but he is hoping to get her quickly back on track. The three-year-old daughter of Derryn garnered plenty of attention following her impressive debut victory at New Plymouth last month, drawing comparisons to her former Oaks-winning stablemate Leica Lucy (NZ) (Derryn). Those comparisons were further enhanced when she finished runner-up over 1400m at Trentham a fortnight ago, the same position Leica Lucy filled in the same race following a similar hampered run. Leica Lucy went on to win the Eulogy Stakes at her next start, and The Dirty Dee was heavily favoured to do the same, however, she suffered a muscle strain and Patterson elected to withdraw his filly. “It was disappointing (having to scratch), but we have still got a horse,” Patterson said. “It was only slight muscle problems. Her muscle enzymes were through the roof, so we had to put her aside.” Patterson is hoping to get The Dirty Dee quickly back on track and head to Trentham next month for the Gr.3 New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) before tackling the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2100m) at Te Rapa in February, and ultimately the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Ellerslie. “She will keep, we will try and get her to the Desert Gold and then the one at Te Rapa, and the Oaks will be a fortnight later,” Patterson said. While disappointed not to line-up The Dirty Dee on Saturday, Patterson was still represented in the Eulogy by stablemate Capaci (NZ) (Tivaci), who was strong late to capture third place. Patterson was rapt with her performance and he is looking forward to her following the same blueprint as The Dirty Dee. “For a horse who was only having her second start and is still learning the caper in that grade, it was a great performance,” he said. “Her sectionals were really good compared to the winner and second horse. “Going forward, we are getting excited. She relaxes beautifully, so I don’t think those (Oaks) trips will be a problem in her own age group.” Patterson was also pleased with the performance of Belles Beau (NZ) (Iffraaj) on Saturday, with the five-year-old gelding rocketing home to finish third in the Gr.2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m), and the Taranaki horseman is looking forward to returning to the track next month to tackle the Gr.2 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m) with his charge. “It was super, he is looking for a mile,” Patterson said. “If it was a mile yesterday, he wins, but he will get his chance in the Thorndon over a mile. “It is not going to be easy, but by the way he is going, he is going to be competitive that’s for sure.” View the full article

Trainer Stephen Marsh had a massive grin on his face at Te Rapa on Saturday and it wasn’t just because promising stayer Roctave had overcome some mid-race difficulties to win the MVP Cars 2100 (2100m) and secure his place in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Final (2400m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. Marsh also took stable stars El Vencedor and Well Written to Te Rapa for an exhibition gallop to complete their Boxing Day preparations for the Gr.1 Cambridge Zabeel Classic (2000m) and Gr. 2 Jimmy Schick Shaw’s Auckland Guineas (1400m) respectively, with both coming through with flying colours. El Vencedor (NZ) (Shocking) showed he is at peak fitness as he broke 34 seconds for the last 600m of his gallop in effortless fashion, while Well Written also looked happy as she finished off a more sedate gallop that saw her close in around 38 seconds for her last 600m. “I’m really happy with both of them, they have pulled up well and will have taken plenty out of the day,” Marsh said. “El Vencedor is going great and the gallop will have brought him on again. I think he is right there now with his fitness and having the services of Mick Dee (jockey) on Boxing Day is also a plus for him. “It’s great to be able to have the use of jockeys of his class and he knows how to win the biggest races here and across the Tasman.” Marsh was also delighted to see how Well Written (Written Tycoon) had pulled up from her excursion, her first time back to the races since her triumph in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton last month. “She (Well Written) has just been ticking over since she got home from Riccarton, but she is such a clean-winded filly that you don’t really have to do a lot with her,” he said. “Today was more about giving her legs a good stretch, while getting her back into raceday mode with the float trip and being involved in the atmosphere on raceday. “We didn’t want her doing too much so she just had a run along and that will tighten her up nicely. “She has some big races coming up over the next three months, which is so exciting, and she looks a picture to kick that programme off.” Marsh was referring to the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) at Ellerslie on 24 January followed by the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) on 7 March, where the filly has been selected by Entain New Zealand to fill the TAB slot. Marsh was also relieved that Roctave (NZ) (Roc de Cambes) had come through with his victory to claim a spot in the $125,000 Dunstan Horsefeeds Final as the horse looked to be in real trouble when he dropped out to last with 600m to run on Saturday. “I just didn’t know what to think while I was watching the race,” he said. “Once he (jockey Rory Hutchings) got him balanced and into clear air coming to the turn he seemed to switch back on and in the end it was a fairly comfortable victory, albeit a very tough watch. “Provided he pulls up well, he will go to the Final on Boxing Day where he will have the blinkers put back on. “He is shaping up to be a pretty handy stayer so now he has got a ticket to the big dance I hope he can show us that.” View the full article

Last month’s $600,000 Group 1 Barneswood Farm 53rd New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) is proving to be the early form race for the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), with runner-up Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) announced as the third confirmed runner for the Champions Day feature. The Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall-trained filly will join race winner Well Written, alongside Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner Romanoff, in the southern hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race after being selected by the Barneswood Brady Nakhle Slot Holder partnership. Well Written was the horse every NZB Kiwi Slot Holder wanted, but after Entain New Zealand (TAB) secured the unbeaten filly earlier this month, the Barneswood Brady Nakhle partnership moved quickly to lock in their next target. Slot Manager Barneswood Brady Nakhle was rapt to seal a deal with Lollapalooza’s owners – Social Racing Premier Dynamic Duo Syndicate and Richardson Racing Carnival Syndicate. “Well Written was at the top of everyone’s list, but you can only have one of those, and Lolla was certainly on the radar,” Nakhle said. “She was by far and away our choice thereafter. “It (1000 Guineas) is the best form line, we think, through the three-year-olds. She has been beaten by an absolute freak (Well Written), it is great form. “We are very stoked to be on the ride with the wonderful ownership group. The discussions with the team were fantastic; they were so great to deal with. “Brent and Wendy Cooper (Social Racing) are just fantastic friends and wonderful people in their own right, and Graham and Rogan, you don’t get much better in terms of conditioners of a horse.” The Barneswood Brady Nakhle partnership learned a thing or two from the first edition of The NZB Kiwi, waiting to within weeks of the race before confirming their representative, and they were intent on not letting the pressure mount in their second foray into the race. “We put the pressure on ourselves (earlier this year),” Nakhle said. “We didn’t leave ourselves much runway, and with the wide draw, it didn’t quite pan out, but it was a great experience. “This time, it almost feels like the pressure is off, we can sit back now. To a certain degree, our work is done, and we will just leave it to the experts and Lolla now.” Nakhle saw Lollapalooza in the flesh on Friday at Matamata, where she was beaten by his Group One-winning sprinter Crocetti in their 1100m Group and Listed trial, and he was pleased with what he saw. “She looks an absolute treat and is a credit to the team,” he said. “It was nice to see her having that pipe opener and I am sure Graham will have her primed up for when she steps out on raceday. “Fingers-crossed she can be there in the finish.” Bred by Don Pye & Dame Wendy Pye, Lollapalooza is by El Roca and out of Group Three-winning Showcasing mare Carnival. She was offered through New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka 2024 Book 2 Sale under Haunui Farm’s draft, where she was purchased by Richardson Racing Stables and Social Racing for $30,000. She has proven to be a bargain buy, going on to win one and place in four of her seven starts to date, including victory in the $150,000 Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and runner-up performances in the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas and $150,000 Group 3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Sunline Vase (1400m), earning just shy of $250,000. View more information about the 2026 NZB Kiwi here. View the full article

Post Time went out in style Dec. 20, running down archrival Barbadian Runner in the Laurel Park stretch to win the $99,000 Robert T. Manfuso Stakes, the final start of his distinguished career.View the full article