Wandering Eyes

Karis Teetan has a quality book of rides at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, spearheaded by Young Champion in the feature Class Two Daisy Handicap (1,200m). A drop back in trip to 1,200m for his last two starts has seen a return to form for John Size’s Zoustar galloper, recording seconds both times – most recently by a nose to Group performer Beauty Waves with Teetan on board. “It’s pretty good to see him doing what he’s been doing lately because he was a bit disappointing, but it’s nice that...View the full article

Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) has taken a step closer to her second-up assignment with a gallop at Caulfield. Ciaron Maher took advantage of taking a small team of horses away from Cranbourne for gallops at Caulfield on Tuesday morning. One of those horses was evergreen Trelawney Stud bred mare Pride Of Jenni who is building towards a start on Saturday week. Maher indicated the Gr.1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington was the likely next assignment for Pride Of Jenni while the Gr.1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick next month is also under consideration. Pride Of Jenni resumed her autumn campaign finishing third to Tom Kitten in the All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington on March 7. Maher said Pride Of Jenni had taken natural improvement from the run and galloped strongly on her own at Caulfield. “Dec (Declan Bates) said she was wanting to pull him in half early in the gallop, so that’s always good to see,” Maher said. “She had a nice blow after her first-up run where she ran pretty quick time, fresh up, so she will take natural improvement and she wasn’t here (this morning) to bring her on or anything, it was just a tick over gallop. “I’m quite happy with how she came through her first-up run. Her weight is good, her action is good and she just had an easy time this morning. “The Australian Cup or the Queen Of The Turf, is next, but at this stage the Australian Cup. “You would think Flemington is more chance of being drier than Sydney, but the main thing is she came through it well and we’ll track towards the Australian Cup.” View the full article

Trainer Jamie Richards hopes Karaka graduate Storming Dragon (Star Turn) can turn his consistency into a hard-earned win when he tackles the Class 3 Hydrangea Handicap (1200m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. “He’s running really well,” Richards said. “He just costs himself at the start and he doesn’t travel very well for the first half of the race. “It looks like he wants to go further, but when you step him up in trip, he lets you down a little bit. He just needs everything to go perfectly for him – he’s getting down in the ratings now.” A three time winner in Hong Kong Storming Dragon was sold by Kilgravin Lodge at the Ready To Run Sale for $330,000 to Jamie Richards and Andrew Williams Bloodstock and was placed in a trial in New Zealand before being exported to Hong Kong. Richards, who surpassed 100 Hong Kong career wins in February, saddles five runners on Wednesday with Regrowth Winner (Hellbent), Happy United (NZ) (Sweynesse), Trendy Rush (Star Turn) and Swagger Bro (Capitalist) his other entries. View the full article

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has confirmed that it will recognise and support the enforcement of key traceability provisions within the Australian Rules of Racing relating to broodmare returns and foal ownership declarations. Some time ago, Racing Australia amended its Rules of Racing to prohibit any horse from racing unless both a Mare Return and a Foal Ownership Declaration have been lodged in accordance with the Australian Rules. These rules are now being actively enforced, and horses that have not complied with the requirements are being prohibited from being registered to race in Australia. Under Australian Rules of Racing AR 285 and AR 286, the following requirements apply: · A Mare Return must be lodged with the Australian Stud Book by the manager of a broodmare, or their authorised agent, within 30 days of the broodmare giving birth to a live foal. · A Foal Ownership Declaration must be lodged with Racing Australia by the manager of the foal, or their authorised agent, within 30 days of the foal’s birth. These provisions form part of the traceability section of the Rules of Racing and are designed to protect the integrity and image of horseracing while enhancing the welfare and lifetime traceability of Thoroughbred horses. Importantly, horses affected by this prohibition remain fully recognised as Thoroughbreds. In cases where the required returns were lodged late, the horses have still been accepted and registered within the Australian Stud Book. As such, they are recognised as Thoroughbred horses and are eligible for breeding purposes. From a stud book perspective, these horses may still enter the New Zealand Thoroughbred Stud Book through the standard export and import process. They may be named and used for breeding purposes in the usual way. The restriction imposed in Australia applies only to racing eligibility within that jurisdiction. The NZTR Racing and Integrity Committee recently considered whether New Zealand should recognise the Australian embargo when such horses are imported. The Committee determined that New Zealand should not provide a pathway that would allow participants to avoid the consequences of non-compliance with the Australian Rules of Racing. Accordingly, under Rule 408(4), NZTR resolved that any horse prohibited from being registered to race in Australia due to non-compliance with AR 285 and AR 286 will not be approved for racing registration in New Zealand. As a result, while a horse prohibited from racing in Australia under AR 287(1) may still be imported into New Zealand and recorded in the New Zealand Thoroughbred Stud Book, it will not be eligible to be registered for racing in New Zealand. NZTR said the decision reinforces the importance of industry traceability requirements and supports the broader international framework designed to maintain confidence in Thoroughbred racing and breeding. View the full article

After winning the Virginia Derby March 14 and earning enough points to qualify for the Kentucky Derby (G1), trainer Riley Mott said that plans call for Incredibolt to train up to the Derby rather than run another prep.View the full article

With a view to what the long-term future holds for Saturday’s feature Tauranga winner Omega Boy (NZ) (Time Test), the Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2100m) will be next on his schedule to assess his middle-distance potential. Off the back of a Rating 75 1400m win a fortnight before at Hawera, trainers Peter and Trent Didham made a well calculated move to step their rapidly improving five-year-old up to Group Two northern company in the Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m). Ridden by Cambridge apprentice Sam McNab, Omega Boy proved right up to the task, finishing hard down the centre of the track to overhaul Sterling Express and fellow proven performers Khafre and Qali Al Farrasha. Peter Didham has since confirmed another Group Two set weight and penalty feature for the Time Test gelding, the Awapuni Gold Cup at Trentham on Saturday week. “We’ve thought for a while that he would make a good middle-distance horse, so while he’s at the top of his form is the ideal time to test him,” Didham said. After a meritorious sixth placing in the Gr.2 Thorndon Mile at Trentham in January, a trip south for last month’s Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Weight-For-Age at Wingatui was considered before opting for a far less challenging assignment closer to his rating band. “The Wingatui race was tempting but at rating of 79 he wouldn’t have been very well placed under weight-for-age conditions and we decided on the benchmark race up at Hawera. “We were looking for a soft kill and that’s exactly how it turned out. As well as giving him a confidence boost, winning that race got him out of that danger zone where horses in the high 70s, low 80s can find themselves. “That took his rating to 83 and even though he was up against some decent types at Tauranga, he’s just kept improving and we felt he deserved his chance at a race like that.” While well satisfied with how McNab handled Omega Boy, who earned another 12 rating points to go to 95, Didham has opted for the experience of Group One centurion Opie Bosson at Trentham. “Sam rode him well, no complaints at all, he’s a very promising young jockey. But while we’ve got the chance to put Opie on, why wouldn’t we? “What the horse does will determine our plans for next season and with Opie on him, he’ll be able to give us a full appraisal of how he manages the extra distance.” While not comparing Omega Boy to triple Group One winner Waitaki, Didham is well aware that after returning to form in last year’s Japan Trophy at 1600m, the Proisir gelding readily made the step up to a middle-distance in the Awapuni Gold Cup. That enabled trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott to firm up new season plans and they were rewarded when Waitak won the second and third legs of the spring triple crown, the Gr. 1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) and Gr. 1 Livamol Classic (2040m). “I’m not suggesting our horse is in the same league as Waitak, but the route they took with him this time last year is another good reason why it also makes sense for Omega Boy,” Didham said. View the full article

Entries for NZB’s 2026 National Weanling Sale are now open, with the Sale set to be held at the Karaka Sales Centre on Thursday 25 June. Continuing as a dedicated weanling only format, the Sale is a happy hunting ground for those searching for their next pinhook success story or racetrack star. The Sale also offers breeders an attractive platform to sell their young stock to a strong international and domestic audience, with the added bonus of Karaka Millions eligibility. The weanling session in 2025 returned more than $2.5 million to breeders, with a top price of $190,000 achieved for a colt by Per Incanto out of London Express from Seaton Park – one of four weanlings that realised $100,000 or more alongside robust activity from an international buying bench. Following another strong 2025-26 sales season including the celebration of the 100th National Yearling Sale in New Zealand, NZB’s Manager Director Andrew Seabrook is looking forward to the final physical sale of the season. “Industry players know the National Weanling Sale is a proven source of genuine racehorses and pinhooking success.” “After a strong yearling sale, the demand for weanlings in June is going to be as strong as ever,” he added. “Last year, the Australian support of the Sale grew, so we look forward to producing a catalogue that will entice them back to Karaka again.” All weanlings offered are eligible to be nominated for NZB’s lucrative Karaka Millions Series. Graduates can compete for a share in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), followed by the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) as well as the NZB Mega Maiden Series. Entries for the National Weanling Sale are open from today and close on 16 April. To enter the Sale, visit NZB’s online portal at portal.nzb.co.nz or for enquiries contact NZB’s Bloodstock Administrator Mary Jane Harvey by calling +64 9 393 9832 or emailing MaryJane.Harvey@nzb.co.nz. For more information about the Sale, contact NZB Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or email Kane.Jones@nzb.co.nz. View the full article

Tom Amoss, a fixture of the American racing circuit for more than four decades, has announced that he will step down from his career as a trainer. After a storied 39-year career that saw him rise from the local ranks in Louisiana to the pinnacle of the sport with Grade I wins at Churchill Downs, Saratoga and Oaklawn Park, Amoss will officially hand over the management of his stable to head assistant Kinnon LaRose effective April 1. LaRose, who joined the operation in 2020, has served as Amoss's head assistant for the past five years. Amoss noted that the timing of his departure was chosen to provide a seamless transition for his clientele and to allow for an adjustment period under his continued mentorship. “I'm still going to be around the barn and working with Kinnon just as I have for the past six years, so I don't look at it as a retirement,” said Amoss. “I look at it as a lateral move of still being able to be a part of the stable, but the horses will run in Kinnon's name. I have a very talented horseman in Kinnon and the ability to give him the opportunity to train horses. I'm fortunate in that most of my clients have been with me a long time and in explaining my decision to them for that reason, they've all stood behind me. They're willing to give Kinnon that opportunity too.” He continued, “When you've done something your whole life, it's going to be a little different. I guess you could say I've had my cry and now I'm very comfortable with it. I know I'll get a lot of satisfaction out of his success.” Tom Amoss and wife Colleen with 'TDN Rising Star' Oscar's Hope last summer in Saratoga | Sarah Andrew Amoss, age 64, said that he hopes to continue his role as a bloodstock agent and will focus on finding racing prospects for the newly formed LaRose stable. He also plans to continue in his role as a member of the racing broadcast team for Fox Sports, where he has covered the Saratoga meet since 2017 and been a host of the GI Belmont Stakes for the past several years. “This will also allow me to maybe have coffee with my wife in the morning, something I've never done before, or go do something fun on the weekend, which is also something I've never done,” said Amoss. “But my emphasis is going to be Kinnon's success and the success of the stable.” Amoss steps down from the training ranks with 11 leading trainer titles at Fair Grounds, where he is a Hall of Fame member, as well as multiple titles at Churchill Downs, Ellis Park and Indiana Grand. He secured his 4,000th career victory in 2022 and has amassed over $132 million in career earnings. A proud native of New Orleans, Amoss was introduced to racing through his childhood friend–and later college roommate– trainer Al Stall Jr. After graduating from Louisiana State University, he spent years working for trainers Jack van Berg, Frank Brothers, Larry Robideaux and John Parisella. Amoss took out his trainer's licence in 1987 and celebrated his first graded stakes win with Festive (Damascus) in the 1990 GIII New Orleans Handicap. He earned his first Grade I win in 2000 with Apple Blossom Handicap victress Heritage of Gold (Gold Legend), who also won the GI Go for Wand Handicap in Saratoga that summer and was third in the 2000 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Tom Amoss and 2019 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress | Horsephotos Throughout his career, Amoss has built a reputation for unearthing top-tier talent on modest budgets, a knack best illustrated by his 2019 Kentucky Oaks victory with Serengeti Empress (Alternation). Purchased by Amoss for $70,000 as a yearling, the Joel Politi-campaigned star blossomed into a multi-millionaire, further cementing her brilliance with a dominant score in the 2020 GI Ballerina Stakes. “The first time I stood in the winner's circle in 1987, I never could have imagined what this industry would do for me and for my family,” Amoss said. “I have been able to make a good living and put two kids through school and feel very comfortable in retirement all because of one thing–the horse–and because of owners putting their trust in me. I wish there was a way that I could say just how much gratitude I feel towards each and every one of them, but the words just don't seem to justify it.” So far this year, Amoss has collected 21 wins and has been in the money in 53 of 110 starts. Top performances include 'TDN Rising Star' Oscar's Hope (Twirling Candy) scoring in the Feb. 16 Ozark Stakes, Authentic Gallop (Authentic) collecting a stakes win at Delta Downs on Feb. 20 and Standoutsensation (Take Charge Indy) finishing second in the GIII Houston Ladies Classic Stakes. “Things are going good with stable if you look at what we've done this year, but I didn't want to overstay my time,” Amoss explained. “By doing it now, I still have the ability to help Kinnon with the owners within the stable. Sometimes you can stay too long and I think it's time for me to give him the keys to the car. He's ready and I want to help him.” Amoss and Kinnon LaRose at the 2025 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards | photo courtesy Amoss Racing Stable LaRose, 28, brings a unique perspective to the training ranks. A former Division I basketball captain at Sacred Heart with a Master's degree in Strategic Communication and Public Relations, he took a chance by emailing Amoss —whom he had long admired as an analyst on FOX Sports—to request a position with his stable. LaRose was promoted to assistant less than a year later and has had a hand in managing stable stars like graded stakes winners Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) and Curly Jack (Good Magic). Last year, he received the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Award's Newcomer Award. “I've worked side-by-side with Kinnon for the last six years and I've watched him grow and develop,” said Amoss. “He is a great talent as a horseman and he brings with him some skills that are unique. He holds a master's degree and was captain of a Division 1 basketball team. He's got the leadership skills. All those are things that, in my mind, will allow him to be a great trainer.” LaRose will take the helm of the stable at the start of the Keeneland April Meet. Amoss will wrap up the Fair Grounds spring meet, where he is currently a top 10 trainer and has several horses entered this coming weekend including Fade to Gold (Bolt d'Oro) in the Crescent City Oaks and Hay Jude (Aurelius Maximus) in the Costa Rising Stakes. Reflecting on his career, Amoss said, “I did it with honor and I did it putting the horse first. I know the people that worked for me and with me are well aware of that. I hope the racing community sees it the same way.” The post Tom Amoss Transitions To Advisory Role As Kinnon LaRose Assumes Stable Reins appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

On the March 16 episode of BloodHorse Monday: Riley Mott discusses getting Incredibolt back in the winner's circle, BloodHorse sales editor Olivia Newman recaps the OBS March Sale in a segment presented by Gainesway.View the full article

Turfway's grade 3 stakes drew a very competitive 12-horse field, led by Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) runner-up Stark Contrast. View the full article

The Ontario division of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (CTHS-Ontario) has been approved as a member of Ontario Racing, effective immediately. The CTHS-Ontario will represent the province's Thoroughbred breeders at Ontario Racing, a not-for-profit group that serves as the voice of the province's horse racing industry. “We are pleased the CTHS will represent Ontario's Thoroughbred horse breeders at the Ontario Racing table,” said Andrew Gaughan, the Ontario Racing Independent Chair. “Thoroughbred breeders not only have a substantial investment in the province's world-class horse racing industry, they also play a critical role in the health of the sector. Their expertise is essential for helping guide the industry to a more prosperous and sustainable future.” The appointment allows the CTHS-Ontario to select a representative to sit on Ontario Racing's 11-person Board of Directors comprised of five racetrack seats, five industry association seats and the Independent Chair. “We appreciate the opportunity for the CTHS to have a seat at the Ontario Racing table,” said David Anderson, the CTHS-Ontario and National president. Anderson is also a member of Ontario Racing's Thoroughbred Improvement Program committee, a group that directs Horse Improvement Program funding. “Breeders are the foundation of the Thoroughbred industry, and ensuring their perspective is part of the conversation is essential to the long-term health of racing in Ontario,” said Anderson. “We recognize the leadership of OR chair Andrew Gaughan and appreciate the support of Ontario Racing, the OLG and the Government of Ontario in acknowledging the vital role breeders play in sustaining and growing our industry.” Ontario Racing is responsible for directing breed improvement programs, setting an annual program of races and purses, attracting new horse owners, building a fan base and connecting the industry with government and the general public. The post Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Joins Ontario Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of 1,220 horses have been catalogued for the upcoming OBS Spring Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, which will be held over four days Apr. 14-17. The catalogue is available online at www.obssales.com. Sale sessions will begin at 10:30 a.m. ET. Hips 1 – 306 will sell Apr. 14 with Hips 307 – 610 going Apr. 15. Apr. 16 will offer Hips 611 – 916 with the sale concluding Apr. 17 with Hips 917 – 1220. The under-tack show will run from Apr. 6-11 starting at 8 a.m. ET each day. Hips 1 – 203 are slated for Apr. 6 followed by Hips 204 – 406 Apr. 7, Hips 407 – 610 Apr. 8, and Hips 611 – 813 Apr. 9. The final two days of the under-tack show will have Hips 814 – 1016 going on Apr. 10 followed by Hips 1017 – 1220 on Apr. 11. The under-tack show and sale will be streamed live via the OBS website as well as the TDN, DRF, BloodHorse, and Past The Wire websites. Among the graduates out of the 2025 OBS April Sale were Grade I winners Cy Fair (Not This Time), Intrepido (Maximus Mischief) and Iron Orchard (Authentic). Graduates of the sale also include Grade I winners Nysos, Cavalieri, Dark Saffron, Raging Torrent, Skippylongstocking, and Usha. Other notable recent graduates out of the OBS April Sale include multiple Grade I winner Chancer McPatrick, Grade I winners Carson's Run, Cogburn, Du Jour, Mixto, Power Squeeze and Tenma, Saudi Derby winner Golden Vekoma, and graded stakes winners May Day Ready, Mo Plex, and Vixen. OBS will again offer online bidding during the April Sale. For complete information on registration and online bidding please go to the OBS website: obs-internet-bidding. The post A Total of 1220 Catalogued for OBS Spring Two-year-olds in Training Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Heading back to the rostrum from a break, Ryan Mahan was stopped by Wayne Lukas. “This filly coming up, three hips from now,” the great trainer said. “I'm going to put my pen in my pocket. As long as it stays there, keep me in.” “Wayne, please don't do this,” Mahan replied. “This kind of thing–if my glasses are on, if I take my hat off–it just never works.” But Lukas was insistent: that was what they were going to do. “So we get to $400,000,” Mahan recalls, decades later. “Pen's in the pocket? Yep. $450,000, pen's in the pocket. $500,000. Yep. Kid walks up to Wayne for an autograph. Leaves with the pen. Wayne! He won't look at me. Wayne, you're out! Kid comes back: sorry, your pen. Wayne puts it back in the pocket.” The hammer comes down at $1,100,000, the pen still in position. But Lukas starts walking away. “I jumped down: 'Wayne, where you going? You just bought that filly,'” Mahan resumes. “'What filly?' 'That filly, the pen in the pocket.' He said, 'What did she bring?' 'Million one.' Never misses a beat. 'Well,' he says. 'I got to get on the phone.' That was it. Didn't shake him up one bit. “I saw him three days later and said, 'Wayne, number were you wanting to go to?' '$600,000.' 'Everything okay?' He goes, 'Oh yeah, we're good. I put four different guys in.' Talk about a salesman.” Such are the precarious fortunes of an environment where the quest for a quick horse not only requires fast talk, and faster thinking, but where everything turns on trust. You say you're going to do something, you'd better be good for it. Next year Mahan will reach half a century of service in the Keeneland pavilion, initially as junior bid spotter and for the last 25 years as head auctioneer. That's not just a matter of longevity: each year, each auction, each transaction, represents an accretion of that trust. Professionalism and probity have not been reciprocated absolutely every time. There was a guy at OBS a few years ago–white suit, white cowboy hat, red bandana–signed for a $220,000 colt. Somehow the bidding hadn't felt right, and Mahan went down to find him. “What's your name?” “George Bush.” “Nice colt you bought there, George. Where you from?” “Washington. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.” “Now why don't we go to the office real quick?” The vendor went nuts, but Mahan managed to recall three guys who had made legitimate bids. He asked them to resume in a conference room, and eventually the underbidder came through at $210,000. And actually it turned out that the horse could run. Another time, back when he was a spotter, there was a fellow at Keeneland drinking with what looked very much like a hired companion. “He was just showing off, buys the horse for $100,000,” Mahan recalls. “So we go to the office and he winks. 'Come on, we're guys. You get it. Have you seen her?' He had no money at all. We had to resell.” However long you're in this business, then, it is going to surprise you. By now, Mahan obviously knows a whole community: breeders, vendors, consignors, pinhookers, buyers, agents. But when you have 4,000 yearlings catalogued across two weeks, you'll see unfamiliar faces, sometimes from countries you've barely heard of. Mahan marvels at the efficacy of the accounts department: how everyone gets found, everyone gets paid. “I always wonder how you go about collecting $400 million from 35 different countries,” he says, shaking his head. “In 30 days. Go to Wall Street and ask them to do that. The other thing that amazes me is that they do it all for five percent. I mean, just think: Sotheby's, basically one building, 22 percent. And Keeneland has 52 barns.” Mahan has sold many a champion but arguably peaked early, just an adolescent when holding the greatest of them all at the end of a halter. It was Derby week, and his stepfather Dr. Robert Copelan–his own father had been killed in an aviation accident–was treating the abscess that menaced the participation of Secretariat. “We would leave at 4:30 every morning, I'd ride up with him, and I would hold Secretariat,” he marvels. “Well, Eddie Sweat would hold the other side. They were going to have to scratch. You couldn't put a bit in his mouth. He couldn't treat him with anything, because it was so close to the race. So, hot compresses–30 minutes on, 30 minutes off–all day, all night. And all of a sudden, he rolled his lip up and it just fell out. Next day he ate up and became Secretariat.” That was something else, but it was the sheer immersion that captivated him: accompanying Doc Copelan to surgeries, to the backside: Arlington in summer, Hialeah at Christmas. On the wall at home, Mahan has mounted the racing plates in which Buckpasser broke the world record for a mile. Doc took him to the barn next morning as the horse was being reshod. “And Eddie Neloy threw them in the muck pit,” Mahan recalls. “So I wandered over, picked them out, put them in the trunk. And then when we get back to the car Bob says, 'What's this?' 'Buckpasser's shoes.' 'Well, you can't put them in here. They're dirty.' And he threw them back in the muck pile. I was crushed. Well, about two weeks later, there they were on a plaque.” Mahan initially thought he might follow in Copelan's footsteps but a first visit to Keeneland proved a revelation. He was only 16 but his path in life was set. “It was just magical to me,” he recalls. “Like going to your first big league baseball game. You walk in and suddenly the uniforms are bluer or redder than you ever saw, you've never seen grass so green. And I decided that this is what I've got to do.” So Copelan introduced him to the head auctioneer, George Swinebroad. “Bigger-than-life guy, booming voice,” Mahan recalls. “Just owned the room. He put me with a small auction company, and I would spend Saturdays selling fence posts, pots and pans, chickens and pigs.” Then Swinebroad started him on horses, out-of-town: Illinois, Woodbine, California, and a bid spotting debut at Keeneland in 1977. “Back then, you couldn't see through the smoke in the pavilion,” Mahan remembers. “And everybody dressed up. It was very different from now. It was a show.” His first gig was pretty accidental: he had a flair for mimicry, and was goaded into a turn or two at a staff party organized by Ted Bassett. Next day Tom Caldwell, Swinebroad's successor, beckoned him to the stand. Mahan thought he wanted a coffee. Instead he was told he was announcing the next horse. Contrary to assumptions, then, Mahan's familiar lilting rhythm has no foundation in tobacco auctions. “George Swinebroad did sell tobacco,” Mahan recalls. “I think he started that chant, that rhythm and speed: let's go, this is your chance, go now or miss out. Plus it's just more fun. I mean, we're selling something nobody needs. You always have to keep that in mind. “You almost feel like you're conducting an orchestra. You're not writing the music, not performing, but you're kind of driving it. That's why it's so important to know the buyers, make them comfortable. I don't care if you have a billion dollars, it's an intimidating place to be. I want them to feel like I know that guy, that guy knows me. Keeneland owns five percent of this horse. I want to give it every chance because I feel like I'm a partner.” Years ago at Barretts there was a giant advertisement on the street for Public Storage: dial 1-800-44-STORE. The company's founder, the late B. Wayne Hughes, was bidding for a filly but dropped out just short of her reserve. Mahan turned to his announcer, saying: “John, pick up that phone and dial 1-800-44-STORE. Tell them we need more money over here.” Hughes chuckled and resumed bidding. It's serious business, plainly, with high stakes. But first and foremost it remains about the horse: whether foals raised for friends on his own farm; or the yearlings that capture his imagination, on farm inspections; or sale thunderbolts, like Unbridled's Song at Barretts. (“This muck wagon, a great big truck, flipped over and made huge explosion,” Mahan recalls. “Must've been 10 horses got loose. Unbridled's Song never flinched.'”) Wade Cunningham, Ryan Mahan and Kurt Becker | Keeneland photo Those high stakes, of course, will bring out character-for better or worse. None better, in Mahan's view, than the late Robert B. Lewis, who knew and looked out for each groom. One of Mahan's first encounters with Lewis came when the latter discovered that somebody had run up one of his purchases. They breakfasted together. “He said, 'The horse business does not need a black eye,'” Mahan recalls. “'I can take the hit.' I never told this story until he passed away. What a gracious man. It cost him $200,000. And he told the guy, 'Look, I know what you did. Nobody's suing anybody, nobody's going to the media. But we will never do business again.' That person is now out of the horse business.” Of course, you also get the other type: huge egos that yell about everything you've done wrong and everything they've done right. To this institution within an institution, nothing is more fulfilling than helping the guys at the other end of the scale. He gets more of a kick out of getting $200,000 for a small player in Book 5 than $2 million for one of the factories in Book 1. “No question,” he says. “There was a little farm in Bourbon County, five or six mares, and the guy would always bring up the yearling himself and tap the stand: 'Baby needs a new pair of shoes.' One time he wanted $30,000 and got to $150,000, they just kept bidding, he's waiting to take the horse back to the barn and he's in tears. All that hard work, all those early mornings, foaling in 10 degrees. And it happens every year. “You see some tough breaks, too. But it's so gratifying when something like that happens. Because we're all engaged here, all working together. It's like I own that thing for a minute and a half. Book 1, we're averaging $500,000 every minute and a half. You look behind you, they're all in that back walking ring, and here they come. That's daunting. It's exciting, but it's daunting. It's very high risk, breeding these things, it's so tough. So our duty is to do everything we can to make it work.” The post Mahan The Main Man at The Stand appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Christopher Farrell has been appointed as Operations and Digital Communications Executive at Godolphin Flying Start, the two-year international management and leadership programme for the Thoroughbred industry. Farrell joins the team in a role that will support both the day-to-day operations of the programme and its digital communications. He will work across a range of areas, supporting trainees, promoting the programme's activities and contributing to its ongoing development. “I'm delighted to join Godolphin Flying Start as Operations and Digital Communications Executive,” said Farrell. “I was fortunate enough to complete this programme in 2018 and then work for some of the leading auction houses in the world. It's a full circle moment now to return in a new position, building on the foundation that shaped the early stages of my career. I'm looking forward to reconnecting with graduates and contributing to a programme that invests in future talent.” Godolphin Flying Start Executive Director, Clodagh Kavanagh, added, “I am delighted to welcome Christopher Farrell to the Godolphin Flying Start management team. As a graduate of the programme, he brings valuable insights, ideas and experience. His bloodstock knowledge and network are second to none. Christopher is an excellent communicator with an innovative approach and he brings a fresh and informed dynamic which will have positive impacts on many areas of our work.” For more information about the Godolphin Flying Start programme – which provides its trainees with the opportunity to gain experience across Ireland, the UK, the USA, Australia and Dubai – click here. The post Farrell Named Operations and Digital Communications Executive at Godolphin Flying Start appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Turf Classic (G1T) is one of 16 stakes scheduled for the Churchill Downs Spring Meet (April 25-June 28) that received a purse increase.View the full article