Wandering Eyes

John Oxley's Silent Tactic (Tacitus) will likely make his next start in the Mar. 1 GII Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park following his upset victory in the GIII Southwest Stakes Friday in Arkansas, trainer Mark Casse confirmed. The Southwest was Casse's third consecutive victory in a Kentucky Derby qualifying race at Oaklawn, following last season's GI Arkansas Derby with Sandman (Tapit) and the Jan. 3 Smarty Jones Stakes with Strategic Risk (Noble Bird). Silent Tactic closed to finish second in the 1 1/16-mile Smarty Jones. “The thing, too, it wasn't like when Sandman won the Arkansas Derby,” Casse said. “There was a pace meltdown. There wasn't a pace meltdown [Friday]. I think the impressive thing about Silent Tactic is he ran down an average pace.” Casse said he also plans to run Strategic Risk in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel. A sparkling 4 1/2-length winner of the Smarty Jones, Strategic Risk spun his wheels late in the Southwest and finished 10th, beaten 10 1/2 lengths. Casse said Strategic Risk's performance may have been impacted by a winter storm late last month that delayed the Southwest six days and closed the track for training for nine days. “I really don't know what happened with him,” Casse said. “If you're watching, he looks like he's struggling. Maybe that little time off bothered him more than the others. I'm going to run back in the Rebel as long as he's fine.” Casse reported Eclipse champion Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) came out of her victory in the GIII Bayakoa Stakes Saturday in fine shape and is on target for the Mar. 7 GII Azeri Stakes. “I almost think yesterday was the best race she's ever run,” Casse said Sunday morning. “When I flew out here, I was 50-50 whether we were going to run her or not. When we came out, I'd always said we were going to run in the Azeri. I told the Greens she's doing so well that if everything goes right, we'll run in the Bayakoa. Well, nothing went right there.” After arriving Jan. 11 from Florida, Nitrogen posted a five-furlong bullet work (1:00) Jan. 17. But a winter storm subsequently closed the track for training for nine days (Jan. 24-Feb. 1). “We got the one good work in her and then we sat in the barn for 10 days,” Casse said. “I struggled with that, big time, because you've got a champion. She's my girl and I don't want to do anything to tarnish her record. So, I did a lot of talking to myself. But when I saw her and I saw her fitness, I was good.” Casse said he also plans to start multiple Grade I winner La Cara (Street Sense) in the Azeri. The post On to Rebel for Southwest Winner Silent Tactic appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures's Intrepido (Maximus Mischief), a game second in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes Saturday at Santa Anita, could make his next start in the Mar. 7 GII San Felipe Stakes or could wait for the Apr. 4 GI Santa Anita Derby if he looks to have earned enough points to make the field for the GI Kentucky Derby without the extra start. “If we could have won [the Robert Lewis], then we could have coasted and wait for the Santa Anita Derby,” trainer Jeff Mullins said. “The question is, are you going to dance every dance before you really get down to business [in the Triple Crown]? You don't want to chase, chase chase, those points. Then you get to the Derby and you're done.” Intrepido earned 10 Derby points with his win in last year's GI American Pharoah Stakes and three points for his fifth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He added an additional 10 points with his runner-up effort Saturday. Ridden by Hector Berrios, Intrepido dueled Plutarch (Into Mischief) for most of the one-mile Robert Lewis and came up just 3/4 lengths short of that rival after a stirring stretch duel. “Hector said if he was on the outside, he probably could have gone by him,” Mullins said. Trainer Bob Baffert reported both Plutarch and Splendora (Audible), winner of Saturday's GII D. Wayne Lukas Stakes, were “doing great” Sunday morning. Also possible for the San Felipe is Harris Farms' homebred Start the Ride (Upstart), who broke his maiden second-time out in the Jan. 17 California Cup Derby. “We're looking at the San Felipe,” trainer Dan Blacker said of Start the Ride. “He's still eligible for a non-winners of one, but we could try something a little more ambitious.” So Happy (Runhappy) tuned up for a possible start in the San Felipe with a four-furlong work in :47.80 (2/55) at Santa Anita Sunday. The Mark Glatt-trained colt, two-for-two in his career so far, was most recently a two-length winner of the Jan. 10 GII San Vicente Stakes. The post Lewis Runner-Up Intrepido Possible for San Felipe appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Talk about a dream start. Louis Blanchet and Ruben Elbase, the latest duo to strike up a training partnership in France, couldn't have wished for a better beginning to their venture when sending out Nargiz to win a maiden at Pornichet racecourse last Thursday. The daughter of Lope De Vega carried the distinguished colours of Gerard Augustin-Normand to victory and now the training duo of Blanchet, who up until this point had been working as an assistant to his brother and trainer Xavier, along with Elbase, a former owner, are eyeing an audacious tilt at Royal Ascot with their breakthrough winner. Blanchet said, “Fantastic. It was the target for us to have a winner quickly with the quality of horses that we have. So yes, we had a fantastic start with Nargiz and she won really easily as well so we could look for a Listed race with her now. We also had a very good third with Canneza (Siyouni) in a Class 3 at Deauville on Friday. She is a filly we bought with Johnny McKeever for €180,000 at the sales and looks a lovely prospect. She finished extremely fast so I think we have two very nice mares at home. We will target a race at Royal Ascot with one – if not both of them – so it is a very exciting start for us.” The Chantilly-based Blanchet, 28, is perhaps best known in his native France for his role in supporting his brother Xavier, himself an up-and-coming trainer. The former amateur jockey has also spent time working for the sales company Osarus as well as spending three years with Mark Johnston in Britain before enjoying a six-month stint with Francis Graffard. In short, he has crammed a lot in and is mature beyond his years in realising that the landscape of training is changing. He explained, “Being a trainer is not what it was 20 years ago so, from my point of view, I had been watching some of the other training partnerships in France and the one that inspired me the most was Amanda Zetterholm and Noel George. I was thinking about training for the past two years. I had been working as an assistant trainer with my brother during that time but always wanted to set up my own business. When you have a partner in business, you can split the tasks and grow faster. If you are going to progress as a trainer, you need somebody who is very skillful with horses and another person who finds new clients and looks after the marketing and the communication as well as all of the other responsibilities a trainer has to deal with away from the hands-on work with the horses. So, I wanted to find someone who could deal with the clients and let me deal with the horses. When I met Ruben, I thought he was probably the perfect person to do the partnership with.” He added, “It works really well with Ruben being based in Paris. There are many occasions when, because I am so busy with the horses, I miss out on meeting clients, going to dinner, functions or whatever. Now, with Ruben a partner in the business, he can go and represent our stable and potentially attract new people to our stable, which is extremely important. This is the plan.” Elbase, 36, is not your typical trainer. In fact, he is the first to admit that he brings very little to the table when it comes to buying, training or even placing the horses within the stable. Instead, his role revolves around entertaining clients and attracting prospective owners to the yard. Something Blanchet could not fit into his busy schedule but equally important to any thriving racing stable. Elbase said, “Launching this partnership is the dream of my life. This is a big thing for us and we are really excited. We have worked really hard for this and are looking forward to the future. This is an innovative concept to training partnerships in that we both have clearly defined roles. It's not unoriginal to see training partnerships in France but usually they are with two trainers. I was a long-time owner and I had the majority of my horses with Louis in recent years. We have enjoyed a very good relationship together and I can remember him telling me one year ago that he wanted to branch out and launch his own training stable in Chantilly. He asked me if I was interested in being his partner. It's very different because I am not a trainer so I was not sure if we could have a partnership or not if I did not have a training licence.” He added, “However, we discovered that if the main owner of the company is the trainer, then it is not a problem and we can do that. I am based in Paris, where I will concentrate on meeting and attracting owners, while Louis will look after all of the training and the horses in Chantilly. I think this could open up the possibility for new racing fans and owners who want to be involved in this side of the business.” After enjoying a dream start with their first runners last week, Blanchet admitted to being quietly optimistic to what the summer might bring. He expects the stable's numbers to rise to around 20 horses in its pomp. He said, “We have eight horses in training at the moment and three of those are two-year-olds. We have five more two-year-olds on their way to us from Ireland, the UK and France. We have a few other three-year-olds in pre-training so we should have around 20 horses here in the next couple of months. I love working with the younger horses and we bought five yearlings at the sales last year. We also bought some fillies at the breeding stock sales and, if we can add a bit of value to them this season, that would be great. We have a nice Stud Of Man filly called Lady Tedsmore, who we are aiming at a Listed race next, and she came from the breeze-ups so we could return to that market again this year.” Elbase concluded, “The sales are pretty new to me so I am learning about all of the chaos involved in finding the new horses. It is really important to be at the sales in Arqana, Tattersalls or Goffs. The sales provide a good opportunity for trainers to meet people and attract owners. Louis is usually very busy at the sales so it can be hard to keep owners in the loop with what is going on. But when I am there, we can strike a good balance between working the sales hard and entertaining clients, so hopefully it can work well in the future. We can share the job together.” The post France’s Newest Training Duo Eye Tilt At Royal Ascot With Breakthrough Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Though it was hardly a surprise that a bill that would allow decoupling at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs was advanced Tuesday by the Florida House Commerce Committee, it was not good news for the troubled Florida racing industry. Having now been advanced by two House committees the bill, HB 881, can be scheduled for floor consideration and a vote by the full House membership. Expectations are that the bill will pass in the House. For the horsemen and the breeders, last week's news means that they will have to continue to dig in their heels and try to find a way to not only make racing in Florida survive, but prosper. Tom Cannell, the president of the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, thinks that is still a possibility. One factor on the side of the horsemen is that nothing is going to happen overnight, which will give the horsemen and the breeders time to find solutions. Cannell notes that there appears to be a completely different attitude in the Florida Senate, and he is banking on that body to reject decoupling efforts. A bill that is nearly identical to HB 881 has been filed in the Florida Senate. It has been referred to three committees, but has yet to be scheduled for any debate in that chamber. In 2025, a similar version of decoupling ended up getting passed in the House, but not the Senate. “Our hope is that when this bill gets to the Senate, there will be no real appetite for the senators to deal with this,” Cannell said. “It has got to go through the two branches of the legislature and then it has to go to the governor [Ron DeSantis], who, last year, appeared at OBS and made it very clear he didn't have an appetite to wipe out an industry. I'd call it a longshot from the standpoint of the bill going through and completing its run through the Senate. Maybe that's too bold of a comment, but that's my gut feeling. My gut tells me it's not going to get through the Senate. “The Senate, last year, never really got a hold of this. It will pass the House this week, but there is nothing scheduled in the Senate yet, even for a hearing. Our goal is to maintain our pressure on the Senate and to educate them as to why this is a bad idea. Why would they want to eradicate an industry that employs so many people, provides so much revenue, and is 100 years old?” DeSantis's term ends in January of 2027, meaning a new governor will soon be in place to make decisions regarding the future of South Florida racing. Because he is confident the anti-decoupling bill will die in the Senate, Cannell is optimistic that there is plenty of time to work out a solution. The horsemen have already brokered a deal with Gulfstream that calls for no less than 180 live racing days in 2026, no less than 140 live racing dates in 2027, and no less than 120 live racing dates in 2028. He believes that, no matter what direction Gulfstream's owners decide to go when it comes to developing the property or closing the track, racing there will continue for a few more years beyond 2028. Currently, to maintain its license and its slots room, Gulfstream must race at least 44 days a year. But he also knows that the industry can't tread water forever and that a day will likely come when racing at Gulfstream is no longer an option. Then what? Cannell believes that the best-case scenario would be for someone to find a way to keep racing going in South Florida without Gulfstream. One obstacle is that Gulfstream holds the only permit to race in South Florida. The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA) is attempting to revive a dormant permit that would allow the group to open a racetrack in Ocala. (More on that later). “Changes were made when they made this strike-all bill and the biggest issue there was the limitations when it comes to transferring the racing license,” Cannell said. “In the first bill, there was an allowance to move the license. But the new one restricts even being able to move the license at all. It puts the onus on whether or not South Florida can maintain a racing venue. It's hard to understand what they were trying to do, other than to put the horsemen in a box.” Cannell said that he doesn't believe it will be impossible to get a new racing permit for the South Florida region, but trying to do so will be just one more thing that can gum up the works. “This could make it more difficult for racing to resume or flourish in South Florida because you're going to have to move the permit,” he said. “If Gulfstream were to close, you'd have to be able to move that permit to a new venue. I'm hopeful the Senate will kill the bill at some point and we can continue to negotiate and look for a location in South Florida that would satisfy the horsemen with a continuation of racing in some form and in some location.” Hialeah could be the perfect solution. It is one of the sport's most historic venues and, though work would need to be done to bring Thoroughbred racing back there, the facility is hardly in a state of disrepair. John Brunetti, Jr., the president of Hialeah, has not spoken publicly about the possibility of bringing racing back to Hialeah. He did not return a phone call from the TDN Sunday seeking his input on the situation. “People still talk about Hialeah,” Cannell said. “Let's just say that is one of the options that folks have talked about as a potential place to race. To my knowledge, there's nothing concrete to make you think it's any more than a rumor. It obviously should be in everybody's discussions. It's a beautiful venue. I have never been personally involved in any discussion with John Brunetti, but I have been in discussion with a number of other stakeholders who are looking at potential options to keep racing going in South Florida.” While Cannell would not dismiss the efforts to build a track in the Ocala area as an option, he said he believes making a go of a racetrack there will be very difficult. “[The breeders] have been floating the idea of building something up in Ocala,” he said. “You are talking about something that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars and I'm not sure that's something that can happen. We all know that with the investigations that have been done and with the surveys that have been completed, to build a quality racetrack facility from the ground up is so expensive. Most people have walked away from that idea and that's why there are people looking at other potential venues.” While Gulfstream is in a highly populated area that is popular with tourists, an Ocala track would be in a remote location and would most likely have to try to get by without any outside revenue from gaming. “That's the $64-million question,” Cannell said. “You could build the finest facility in the world, but how do you fund it? Where does the purse money come from?” Despite the many obstacles in the way and the unresolved issues, Cannell is not ready to give up on racing in Florida. “I'm optimistic,” he said. “This horsemen's group, behind the scenes, has worked very hard. We have a great committee working very hard on our behalf. I'm fairly confident that this current bill will not go through and that sometime over the next six months to a year there will be some clarity as to what is available to us in South Florida and a time frame as far as when it may happen.” Kudos to Touchuponastar The remarkable Touchuponastar (Star Guitar) did it again Saturday night at Delta Downs, winning the $150,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship for the fourth straight year. He is 20 for 27 lifetime with earnings of $1.76 million. Owned by former Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme, he's won 20 stakes races and is 17 for 19 against state-breds. With the win, he moved into second place, and ahead of his sire, Star Guitar, on the all-time earnings list for Louisiana-breds After winning the Louisiana Premier Night Championship last year, he took a steep jump in class and won the GII New Orleans Classic Stakes over, among others, Sierra Leone (Gun Runner). Let's hope that's where they go next. The post The Week in Review: After Setback in the House, Florida Horsemen Hunting for Solutions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Deva Racing's bargain buy Imperial Emperor (Dubawi) is being primed for a second tilt at the Dubai World Cup after his breakthrough Group 1 success in last month's Al Maktoum Challenge. That Meydan victory took Imperial Emperor's career earnings to more than $1.3 million, with his form reaching a whole new level since his purchase for just AED300,000 (around €70,000) at the 2024 ERA Racing in Dubai Sale. Formerly trained for Godolphin by Charlie Appleby, the six-year-old is now in the care of Bhupat Seemer and has won five of his seven starts in the blue and red silks of Deva Racing. The worst performance of that sequence came when Imperial Emperor trailed home last of the 11 runners in last year's Dubai World Cup, after which he is reported to have returned lame. “We were so disappointed last year with his run in the race,” said Deva Racing's managing director, Ryan Tongue. “To be fair, we didn't think when we bought him that he was going to take us to the World Cup, so we were just delighted to be there. “He was disappointing, but we found he had a slight knock after. He was fine the following day and has come back even better this year. He's an exciting horse. He's been brilliant and, for the dream we've had, he's been fantastic.” Reflecting on Imperial Emperor's defeat of Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance) in the Al Maktoum Challenge, Tongue added, “The race just panned out really well for us. The draw in stall eight suited us, because we don't like kickback on the inside and we can always go around them. “I think a few horses had a difficult passage through and we just had plain sailing. The way he quickened around the bend and down the straight was very impressive, and Richie Mullen gets on so well with him. “He's been an unbelievable horse, for Dubai anyway. [He won] the Group 2 [Al Maktoum Mile] in December, Group 1 last time, and hopefully he'll go and bag another Group 2 and the Group 1 in March.” The post Imperial Emperor On Course for Dubai World Cup Redemption appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Espen Hill, last seen winning the Listed Songline Classic at Bro Park in October, has been crowned Sweden's Horse of the Year for the second time in three years. The son of Helsinki is trained by Bro Park-based Madeleine Smith, who is also the gelding's regular rider. Connections of Espen Hill received the prize at Saturday's Galoppgalan, which was held at the Glasklart in Malmö. Espen Hill was also named Older Horse of the Year, with his other victories last year including October's Listed SFK Jubileumslöpning at Jägersro, before he followed up in the Songline Classic just seven days later. Elsewhere at the ceremony, the British-born Alan Jack received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Benny Carlsson, chairman of the Jockeyklubben, while the Norway-based Niels Petersen was named Champion Trainer and Brazil's Elione Chaves collected the prize for Champion Jockey. The full list of winners is as follows: Horse of the Year: Espen Hill (Helsinki) Two-Year-Old of the Year: Papa Joe (Kodi Bear) Three-Year-Old of the Year: Celtic Lullaby (Juniper Tree) Older Horse of the Year: Espen Hill (Helsinki) Filly or Mare of the Year: Abby (Appel Au Maitre) Jumps Horse of the Year: New York Strip (Appel Au Maitre) Tattersalls Prize for Winningmost Horse: Secret Royal (Zelzal) SFAF Breeding Prizes: Rävdansens Stuteri, Swipe & Bengt Morberg Stable Staff Worker of the Year: Kajsa Holmsten Svensson Lifetime Achievement Award: Alan Jack Champion Owner: Väsby Häst (Hans Skiöld) Champion Breeder: Stutteri Hjortebo Champion Trainer: Niels Petersen Champion Jumps Trainer: Tobias Hellgren Champion Amateur Trainer: Maria Andersson Champion Jockey: Elione Chaves Champion Jumps Jockey: Christopher Roberts Champion Amateur Jockey: Emelie Gustavsson Champion Apprentice: Elin Hedman The post Espen Hill Named Sweden’s Horse of the Year at Galoppgalan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Observations features a newcomer from the Jerome Reynier stable. 14.30 Cagnes-sur-Mer, €21,000, Mdn, 3yo, 8f (AWT) Nurlan Bizakov's LASHKER (Pinatubo) is a homebred half-brother to the dam of G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest hero Lazzat (Territories), while his second dam is G1 1,000 Guineas heroine Sleepytime (Royal Academy). The Jerome Reynier trainee encounters seven opponents in this debut, including Safran Dore (Dabirsim), who is a once-raced gelded full-brother to the multiple Group 1-placed, dual Group 2 winner Horizon Dore, from the Patrice Cottier stable. The post Relative of Lazzat Set for Cagnes-sur-Mer Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Mark Newnham looks to have another smart one on his hands after Lucky Ranger made it second-time lucky with a dominant success in the first section of the Class Four On Ting Handicap (1,400m). The Vanbrugh galloper ran a big race on debut from a wide draw but with the benefit of the run under his belt, he was able to defy stall 14 on this occasion under an ice-cool Luke Ferraris. Able to settle midfield with cover from the widest stall, the pair ambled into contention and when let down in the...View the full article

Andrea Atzeni helped Flow Water Flow boost his faint hope of making the Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) with a last-gasp victory to clinch a treble for the Sardinian jockey at Sha Tin on Sunday. Adding to a memorable week after booting home a double at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, Atzeni won both sections of the Class Four Lung Yat Handicap (1,200m) on dirt on King Dance and Good Chap before striking in the Class Three Yau Oi Handicap (1,800m) on Flow Water Flow. Desperately needing to boost his...View the full article

Numbers led them a merry dance and showed he is the real deal with an authoritative all-the-way performance in the Group Three Centenary Vase (1,800m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. Second in the Group One Queensland Derby (2,400m) on his final start before being imported, Frankie Lor Fu-chuen’s galloper again enhanced his claims on the HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) after being guided to a facile success by Derek Leung Ka-chun. The son of Tivaci ran riot from the front to get off the mark in...View the full article

It may not have been by design, but Balcairn trainer Centaine Spittles got her hands back on the Gore Cup following In Vegas’ (NZ) (Telperion) win in the KB Contractors & MLT-sponsored 2200m feature at Wingatui on Saturday. The seven-year-old daughter of Telperion won the southern Cup at Gore last year and Spittles didn’t have any intention of her mare defending her crown, however, the race’s transfer to Wingatui following Gore’s abandonment last week opened up a window of opportunity. “We got a little bit lucky with them putting Gore off and transferring the Cup to Dunedin,” Spittles said. “I was never backing her up after Marlborough, we were always going to go to Dunedin (for the Dunedin Cup). That (abandonment) gave us a second chance to have a crack at that Cup.” In Vegas headed into the race in good form, having finished runner-up in the Kumara Gold Nuggets (1810m) and Marlborough Cup (2000m) last month, giving Spittles plenty of confidence heading south. From her outside barrier in the 10-horse field, In Vegas was taken back to settle at the rear of the field before jockey Akshay Balloo asked his charge to improve three-wide from the 800m. In Vegas loomed ominously at the turn and after balancing up she began to wear down the leaders, capturing the lead with 100m to go and dashed away to a 1-1/4 length victory over Generation Joy. “I was pretty confident with her going down and she ran up to what I expected,” Spittles said. “Akshay knows her really well. I thought she was pulling too hard in the running, but he got going right when he needed to.” The Gore Cup is the first leg of the Southern Cups Bonus Series where a $50,000 winner-takes-all bonus is up for grabs. In Vegas’ bid last year was curtailed by injury and Spittles is intent on chasing the cash on offer, with her next target being the Listed Positive Signs + Print Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) at Wingatui in a fortnight. “We are going to crack onto the Dunedin Cup and then all going well we might as well go for the final and then give her a freshen-up after that,” Spittles said. “Last year we planned on doing the series because she won the Gore Cup, but she got hurt coming home so we will have another go at it this year.” A $500 purchase off gavelhouse.com, In Vegas has proven to be an astute buy for Spittles, with the mare having won seven and placed in 10 starts to date and has earned more than $217,000 in prizemoney. “She has been great,” Spittles said. “She has taken a bit of time and tests your patience at times, but those ones are always worth it.” Spittles was also pleased with the runner-up performance of stablemate Flower Moon (NZ) (All Too Hard) in the Otago Engineering (1400m). A fellow gavelhouse graduate, Flower Moon, a daughter of stakes winner Silver Eclipse, was purchased by Spittles off Pencarrow Stud for $8,000. She has won three races for Spittles and more than $60,000 in prizemoney, and the North Canterbury horsewoman was pleased with her effort on Saturday. “The draw (15) didn’t help her that much, but she just seems to be a better mare when she keeps rolling around them,” Spittles said. “It was a tough run but the winner beat her fair and square. “She is another one that is back in form. She will probably go to Ashburton in two weeks over 1400m and we may step her up to a mile somewhere to see if she can get the distance.” View the full article

Trelawney Stud’s Australian import Miss Jones (Deep Field) continued her faultless New Zealand form at Te Rapa on Saturday when extending her unbeaten sequence to four following her victory in the Horses & Henley Park 1200. Purchased as a yearling by the farm’s former manager Kevin “Millie” Walls, under his KPW Bloodstock banner, Miss Jones began her career in Australia for the Cambridge farm with trainers Richard and Will Freedman, for whom she placed in six of her 10 starts. Trelawney Stud principals Brent and Cherry Taylor thought she may be better placed in New Zealand and decided to bring her across the Tasman and entrusted her to the care of Matamata trainer Cody Cole last spring. She has thrived in the rural environment of his Waikato property and showcased that first-up when clearing maidens at Ellerslie in December. She has been perfectly placed in her subsequent outings, contesting three MAAT races and she has brought home a winning cheque on each occasion. The daughter of Deep Field was backing up just a week after her last start at Trentham and that was her connections only concern heading into Saturday, but she was able to hold off the late challenge of a luckless Sarti, who was hampered early in the race, to win by a head. “She was really tough,” Cherry Taylor said. “I thought if she was going to get beaten it would have been today on a short back-up. “He (Cole) has done an amazing job with her. She is a filly that is not easy. The Freedman boys did a great job with her (in Australia) but she really likes being trained out of the paddock, so it has been perfect to bring her back here and get those wins on the board as a broodmare in the future.” Miss Jones will now head to the spelling paddock on a high, with her connections now hatching a plan to tackle some stakes targets with their mare as they set their sights towards her future broodmare career. “She is going to the paddock now for a well-deserved spell and we will bring her back and hopefully get some black-type with her,” Taylor said. While bought on their behalf by their former farm manager, Miss Jones also has a connection to Trelawney Stud’s current manager, Callum Jones, with the mare named after his daughter. “She is named after Vienna Jones, Callum, our manager’s daughter,” Taylor said. “She is out of Vienna Miss, so we thought Miss Jones was perfect. Vienna was super excited to see her win.” View the full article

Progressive three-year-old That’s Gold (Lucky Vega) never left the inside rail as he stormed home to collect his richest career win in the $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The Chris Wood-prepared son of Lucky Vega hasn’t shied away from tackling the best of his age group in his current preparation having taken out the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) three starts ago before finishing fifth to Well Written in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) and third behind Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) contender Chilling Out at his most recent performance. Wood has made no secret of his regard for his charge and gave rider Sam Collett a clear plan before the race, which she followed to the letter. “I thought drawn (barrier) one he had to be hard to beat,” Wood said. “I said to her don’t dig him up too much as he will get over-racing as we are trying to get him to settle as we head towards those 2000m and more races.” Bounced away quickly at the start by Collett, That’s Gold enjoyed a perfect trail behind Thorax before sticking hard against the running rail turning for home. Eventual runner-up Rambling On issued his challenge wider out as That’s Gold hit the front at the 200m and the pair went to the line locked together, with That’s Gold securing the line by a head at the winning post. Wood wasn’t afraid to shed a tear as he thanked his owners and stable staff for the contribution they have made to the horse. “It’s a huge, huge thrill and I’m over the moon,” he said. “His work this week has been exceptional. He has a great syndicate of owners and I have to thank them, my staff at home who are incredible, and my farrier. “I have a lot of good people around me who are a big help and it was also a lovely ride by Sam.” Wood noted the horse would now head to the Gr.2 Eagle Technology Avondale Guineas (2200m) at Ellerslie on 21 February before contesting the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) a fortnight later. Collett was delighted with the run given her mount was up against quite a few older runners. “He is only a three-year-old and there were quite a few four-year-olds in the race with more experience,” she said. “He showed what he can do and he is a much better chaser, so I had a bunny to follow today, the rail opened up and he did the rest. “He quickened really well and he has just kept improving on his Derby path.” That’s Gold was purchased by Wood alongside Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Catheryne Bruggeman for A$57,500 out of the Yulong draft at the 2024 Inglis Premier Sale. He has now won three of his 14 starts and over $287,000 in prizemoney. View the full article

Plutarch, who had placed in three stakes, including two on the turf, proved best of Bob Baffert's three entrants and defeated Intrepido to win the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) Feb. 7 at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

Splendora's return to the races after winning the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) is a winning one in the Feb. 7 D. Wayne Lukas Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.View the full article