Wandering Eyes

Porter on PedigreesView the full article

Maiden Watch: Week of Jan. 26-Feb. 1View the full article

A yearling colt by G1 Irish Derby hero Santiago topped the one-day Tattersalls Ireland Winter Flat and National Hunt Stale at Fairyhouse on Tuesday. Sold as lot 72 from Monroe Stables, the bay son of Regal Empress (Presenting) brought €42,000 from Gerry Aherne bidding on behalf of his family's Prospect Stables. A half-brother to Grade 2 hurdle winner Kazansky (Milan) who was runner-up in a Grade 1 on Monday, the colt is also a half-brother to the multiple graded-placed hurdler Knockanard Lady (Fame and Glory). His dam is a half- or full-brother to six black-type horses, four of the stakes winners led by Grade 1 scorers Wrath Of Titans (Oscar) and Thunder And Roses (Presenting). “He will be re-offered as a three-year-old, I really loved him; he has a great pedigree, and he is by a stallion who we think is going to be very exciting,” said Aherne. “Hopefully, when we resell, the pedigree will have done a bit more again, and the stallion will have done what we are expecting him to do.” “He comes from good breeders, we have bought out of the pedigree before and it is a family that just keeps on giving. This colt was due to be sold at the November National Hunt Sale, but was injured at the last minute and had to be withdrawn – we saw him and liked him then.” Second on the buyers' sheet was lot 25, a son of Jeu St Eloi out of the dual winner Innisfree Beauty (Yeats), who went to Adam Potts of BBA Ireland for €36,000. The dam is a half-sister to Grade 1 chase winner Galvin (Gold Well), and the colt was sold by Galbertstown Stables, the sale's leading consignor. Said Potts, “I am not too sure what his plan will be, but if he were to be reoffered as a store at the Derby Sale, I am sure he would stack up very well. “I saw all the colts this morning, and he was the one who stood out for me; I thought he was one of the nicest models – he has plenty of size and is light on his feet. “He has a good pedigree being out of a half-sister to Galvin and by Jeu St Eloi, who is producing the goods, and he is the first by the sire that I have bought.” The day's highest priced filly was a chestnut by Nirvana Du Berlais and christened Luna Of Glain (lot 97). She caught the eye of Timmy Hillman for €30,000 from the draft of Galbertstown. The dam won twice over hurdles and is a half-sister to the G3 Swinton Hurdle winner Joe Jo Star (Piccolo), as well as Group 3 hero Venturi (Danehill Dancer). “She is by a top stallion, has a pedigree with a bit of class and she is a good sort,” said Hillman after purchase. A total of 67 lots sold from 146 offered (46%) for a gross of €727,800. The average was €10,863 (+2%) and the median was €6,500 (-13%). Tattersalls Ireland's CEO Simon Kerins said, “The sales calendar got underway today with the Winter Flat & National Hunt Sale. Trade was selective as was evident with the clearance rate, however there was good demand for particular types. It was pleasing to see some Eastern European presence, purchasing at least six lots, however it would be remiss to say it wasn't challenging at a certain level of the market. “Attention now turns to inspections for the Derby Sale, with our aim to assemble the strongest possible catalogue in June. The Tattersalls Ireland bloodstock team look forward to meeting store vendors over the coming weeks.” The post Santiago Yearling Colt Tops The Tattersalls Ireland Winter Flat And NH Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

El Vencedor has been given the green light to defend his title in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The reigning Horse of the Year, who completed a Group One weight-for-age hat-trick last autumn, has won just one of his seven starts this season and serious doubts about his future were raised when he faded badly to finish eighth in last Saturday’s Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m) at Ellerslie. At the time his trainer Stephen Marsh said that El Vencedor would back up in the Herbie Dyke Stakes only if he was “120 percent” happy with him, and on Wednesday morning he reported that after extensive tests and other observations, he will take his place. “We went over him with every possible test and we can find absolutely nothing wrong with him; his blood and heart and everything else are fine,” Marsh said. “He went out to the beach at Raglan this morning and just enjoyed himself, he looks bright and well and to be frank we can’t find any reason why he shouldn’t run. “Opie (Bosson) said he was just too laid back on Saturday, so we’ve decided to take the ear muffs off and see if that makes a difference. Wiremu (Pinn) has ridden him a lot, so we’ll go back to the tried and true there. “If there was any doubt about his soundness we wouldn’t be running, but if he was to run poorly again we would probably pull stumps and even consider retiring him. “He’s been a wonderful horse who owes us nothing, so we’ll see what happens at Te Rapa and take it from there.” Marsh will be double-handed in Saturday’s second weight-for-age feature, the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m), with the highest rated horse in his stable, Provence, and three-race winner Tardelli. “Provence had to run at Ellerslie to get to Te Rapa and the way the race was run she had no chance, but she’s very well,” he said. “A mile is her pet distance and we’re targeting the Otaki Classic and Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes with her, but at 1400 with good tempo I could still see her running into it. “George Rooke will stay with her and Jonathan Riddell is on Tardelli. He’s only lightly raced and he was great over 1200 with that fourth in the Railway. “He’ll love the step up in distance and he’s a big strong colt, so the weight-for-age conditions shouldn’t be too much of a disadvantage.” At Tauranga on Thursday, Marsh will have a keen eye on his resuming three-year-old Magic Carpet, the winner of the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas in October and lining up in Rating 75 1400m company off the back off a trial placing at Pukekohe. The Satono Aladdin colt holds a nomination for the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby, but Marsh rates him a better prospect for the NZB Kiwi on the same Champions Day card at Ellerslie in a month’s time. “I would have preferred to run him in his own age-group but they scrapped the three-year-old race at Tauranga. If he runs well we’ll definitely look at the Kiwi with him.” Marsh, runner-up to the powerful Te Akau stable in the last six seasons and currently a closest ever 13 wins behind the Mark Walker/Sam Bergerson partnership with 56 wins versus 69, reports that his headline act Well Written is making all the right moves in the countdown to the NZB Kiwi. “She’s perfect,” he said succinctly. “Matt (Cartwright) came in a cantered her around this morning and everything is good with her. “She looks a picture and is getting that freshness back in her legs. We won’t have to do too much with her, maybe a trip to Ellerslie on the 21st (of February) for a breeze around, so we’re in a good place with her.” Well Written, who extended her unbeaten sequence to five with a facile win in the Listed Karaka Millions 3YO 12 days ago, remains the $1.20 favourite for the $4 million slot race on March 7. View the full article

International representation included 37 horses from Japan, led by Godolphin's Pyromancer. Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher led all trainers with 31 nominees, followed by Bob Baffert (23), Chad Brown (22), Brad Cox (21), and Daisuke Takayanagi (14).View the full article

As expected, House Bill 881, which aims to decouple Thoroughbred racing and gaming licenses in Florida, passed its second committee Feb. 3 when the Commerce Committee voted for it to proceed.View the full article

Potente, a $2.4 million yearling purchase, breaks his maiden on debut Jan. 31 at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

Charles Sniffen, who got his training license in 1968 and for the past 20 years has been assistant trainer for Ferris Allen, has been selected as the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association Backstretch Worker of the Year for 2025.View the full article

The Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund Committee approves Keeneland's request for $6 million to $6.25 million in Kentucky-breds funds.View the full article

Turfway Park will shift its Feb. 4-5 live racing cards to afternoon programs with a 1 p.m. ET first post in response to single-digit wind chills expected during the evening hours.View the full article

As expected, House Bill 881—which aims to decouple Thoroughbred racing and gaming licenses in Florida—passed its second committee Feb. 3 when the Commerce Committee voted it to proceed.View the full article

Byron King's Top 12 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, presented by Spendthrift Farm.View the full article

John Bogar, long time track announcer at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, has announced his retirement effective Feb. 5. Bogar has been a mainstay at the Grantville oval since joining the team 45 years ago.View the full article

Purses for 3-year-old and upward maiden special weight (MSW) races at Keeneland Race Course ($110,000) and Churchill Downs ($120,000) are projected to remain level this spring compared to the same seasonal race meets in 2025. Executives from both tracks disclosed those spring 2026 figures during the Feb. 3 Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) advisory board meeting. Keeneland's non-juvenile MSW purses had been $100,000 each April between 2022 and 2024 before getting bumped up to $110,000 last year. Churchill Downs has carded non-juvenile MSW races for $120,000 during its April-June meet since 2022. Although MSW purse levels do not tell the entire story about how healthy a track or a circuit's racing is, they are often cited within the Thoroughbred industry as a useful barometer that indicates the class of horses a track can expect to attract. The KTDF is funded by three-quarters of 1% of all money wagered in the state on both live Thoroughbred races and historical horse race gaming, plus 1% of all money wagered on Thoroughbred races via inter-track wagering and whole-card simulcasting. That money, along with funding from each track, goes to pay purses in the state. At Tuesday's meeting, the KTDF advisory board approved the recommendation of allotment requests that the Keeneland and Churchill purse estimates were based on. The Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation still has to vote on final approval of the funding at a subsequent meeting. The post MSW Purses At Keeneland And Churchill To Remain Level This Spring Compared To ’25 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

International representation included 37 horses from Japan, led by Godolphin's Pyromancer (JPN). Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher led all trainers with 31 nominees, followed by Bob Baffert (23), Chad Brown (22), Brad Cox (21), and Daisuke Takayanagi (14).View the full article