Wandering Eyes

Applications are now being accepted for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's Next Generation Advisory Group. Members serve staggered terms of 18 to 36 months. As the group's initial 18-month terms conclude, HISA is beginning the process of rotating members off to welcome new voices and ideas into the group. HISA is seeking applicants in the early to mid-stages of their professional careers who bring a wide range of experience in Thoroughbred horse racing and who engage with HISA's rules. Advisory Group members are expected to join monthly meetings with HISA leadership to provide feedback on HISA's rules and processes. Candidates interested in joining the Advisory Group for membership beginning in October or April should submit an application to NextGen@HISAus.org outlining their interest and qualifications by Sept. 19. The post HISA Seeks Applications for Next Generation Advisory Group appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Twenty stakes races worth $3.15 million will highlight the 12th Bing Crosby Season at Del Mar beginning on Thursday, Oct. 30, and running through to Sunday, Nov. 30.View the full article

TOBA will honor national award winners at its 40th anniversary awards dinner Sept. 6 at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky in Lexington.View the full article

220 yearlings have been catalogued to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings sale, the company announced Tuesday. The sale will be held Tuesday, September 30 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Maryland beginning at 11 am. “Yearlings from the Midlantic region are well raised and that translates to results on the racetrack,” said Paget Bennett, Midlantic Director of Sales. “With 55 stakes wins or placings throughout the country so far this year, Midlantic Fall continues to produce quality racehorses that can take you to the winners circle on a national or regional level.” The front cover of this year's catalogue features Maryland-bred Horse of the Year Post Time (Frosted), a multiple graded stakes winner of $1.3 million; GSW/GISP Crazy Mason (Coal Front); GSW Our Shot (Kantharos); and Neecie Marie (Cross Traffic), a multiple graded stakes winning millionaire that sold for $1,000,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale this past fall. The catalogue's back cover lists an additional 11 recent stakes winning graduates, including Romeo (Honor A.P.) and Trendsetter (Modernist), stakes winning 2-year-olds of this year. National sires represented include Candy Ride (Arg), City of Light, Complexity, Corniche, Cyberknife, Drain the Clock, Early Voting, Epicenter, Good Magic, Hard Spun, Jack Christopher, Liam's Map, Mandaloun, Maxfield, Maximus Mischief, McKinzie, Midshipman, Nyquist, Olympiad, Practical Joke, Street Sense, Tiz the Law, Upstart, Vekoma, and Yaupon. There is also strong representation from leading Midlantic sires, including the region's current top-5 sires Great Notion, Cloud Computing, Golden Lad, Uncle Lino, and Enticed. Midlantic Fall offers yearlings from a wide variety of state-bred programs. Those represented this year are Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The catalogue may now be viewed online, and will also be available in the equineline catalogue app. Print catalogues will be available later this week. Fasig-Tipton will accept supplemental entries to the sale up until sale time. The post 220 Yearlings Catalogued For Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Twenty stakes races worth $3.15 million, including the GI Hollywood Derby and the GI Matriarch Stakes, will highlight the 12th Bing Crosby Season at Del Mar which begins Thursday, Oct. 30 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 30. All told there will be 16 days of racing during the meet, including two days of Breeders' Cup races Friday, October 31 and Saturday, November 1. All told there will be 11 Graded races presented through the month as well as 12 stakes held on the turf course. There also will be four Cal-bred stakes on the agenda. The Let It Ride Stakes kicks off the action Oct. 30 and four stakes races feature on closing day led by the Matriarch. Racing throughout the Bing Crosby Season will have a first post daily of 12:30 p.m. The two Breeders' Cup days will go at 11:35 a.m. (Friday) and 10.05 a.m. (Saturday). The post Breeders’ Cup Highlights Del Mar’s Upcoming Bing Crosby Season appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

National Trainers Federation (NTF) chief executive Paul Johnson has been appointed to the Board of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). He assumes the role with immediate effect, while the process continues to implement agreed governance reforms, working towards the establishment of an independent board of directors. Joining the Board as one of the two member-nominated directors, Johnson has been nominated by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, Racehorse Owners Association and licensed personnel. He takes over from John Ferguson, whose term on the Board has concluded. Johnson's previous roles within British racing included a spell leading the BHA's racing department. He has also been been a director of Great British Racing and worked for the Racecourse Association. “I am pleased to be able to join the BHA Board as a member-nominated director and consider it a great privilege to contribute to the ongoing development of the sport and its governance as we work towards the formation of a fully independent board,” said Johnson. “My thanks to the previous holder of this seat on the BHA Board, John Ferguson, who has contributed a great deal during his three-year term.” David Jones, BHA senior independent director, added, “Paul will be a valuable addition to the BHA Board during the period of transition as we work towards the agreed approach to establish independent directors. This is an important step for the sport and Paul's background and knowledge of the industry will support our efforts to secure a sustainable future for British racing, our people and horses. “I'd also like to thank John for his significant contribution to the work of the board over the past three years. We have benefited considerably from his industry expertise and he has brought invaluable insight and perspective from his career in training and bloodstock.” The post NTF Chief Executive Paul Johnson Joins BHA Board appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Pennsylvania Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association announces a 20% increase in all overnight purses at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pa., effective through the end of the meet on Thursday, Oct. 23.View the full article

TOBA will honor national award winners at its 40th anniversary awards dinner Sept. 6 at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky in Lexington.View the full article

Parchment Party is poised to become the first US-trained runner in the G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday, November 4, with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez again booked to ride after partnering the son of Constitution to a wide-margin victory in June's GII Belmont Gold Cup Stakes. The Bill Mott-trained Parchment Party was one of 120 nominations for the Melbourne Cup published on Tuesday, with his emphatic win at Saratoga earning him an automatic spot in 'the race that stops a nation'. Leigh Jordon, executive general manager of racing for the Victoria Racing Club, confirmed at the release of the Melbourne Cup nominations on Tuesday that connections of Parchment Party intend to take on the challenge, with Velazquez set to continue his association with Pin Oak Stud's four-time winner. “In terms of international horses, we've got a really wide representation and probably the widest representation we've had for the Cup,” said Jordon. “We've horses from England, Ireland, France, America, Germany and Japan. “The highlight from the USA is Parchment Party and he could be our first-ever US-trained horse to run in the Melbourne Cup. He won the Grade II Belmont Gold Cup, which is one of the 'golden tickets' into the race. “He's trained by Bill Mott who is a Hall of Fame trainer and I'm quite excited to announce that Parchment Party will be ridden by John Velazquez. “Some of his stats are unbelievable. He's ridden over 6,700 winners in his career, he is a Hall of Fame jockey and his career earnings are over half a billion US dollars. “He's won Kentucky Derbies, he's won all the Triple Crown races and he's won over 20 Breeders' Cup races. He truly is a legend of the sport and it's great to have him here riding in the Cup on the first Tuesday of November.” Goodwood Cup winner and St Leger favourite Scandinavia (Justify) headlines the potential contenders from Europe. Along with Mount Kilimanjaro (Siyouni) and Aftermath (Justify), Scandinavia is one of three possible runners for Aidan O'Brien, who was forced to withdraw last year's ante-post favourite, Jan Brueghel (Galileo), after he failed a pre-race veterinary check in circumstances described by the Ballydoyle trainer as “a little bit ridiculous”. Aidan's son Joseph O'Brien appears to hold leading claims of securing his third success in the race with his dual Group 1 winner Al Riffa (Wootton Bassett), who was subject of a recent big-money transfer to new owners Australian Bloodstock, while Willie Mullins is set to continue his quest for a first Melbourne Cup win with Absurde (Fastnet Rock) and Hipop De Loire (American Post). Former Closutton inmate Vauban (Galiway) is on course to take part in the race once again, after finishing down the field for Mullins when among the market leaders in both 2023 and 2024. This year Vauban is one of three contenders for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, along with the former Jean-Claude Rouget trainee Sir Delius (Frankel) and multiple Group winner Alalcance (Mastercraftsman), who started her career in Ireland with Jessica Harrington. Last year's shock winner Knight's Choice (Extreme Choice) has the chance to become the first back-to-back winner since Makybe Diva, who famously completed a hat-trick between 2003 and 2005. Of the other big names searching more success in their country's most famous race, Ciaron Maher has 13 nominees, including last year's third Okita Soushi (Galileo), while multiple Group 1 winner Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock) is an intriguing name among 27 for Chris Waller. The post US Raider Parchment Party and St Leger Favourite Scandinavia Among 120 Melbourne Cup Nominations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

“There are decades where nothing happens,” said Lenin. “And there are weeks when decades happen.” By the notoriously slow-burning standards of Thoroughbred breeding, however, for Amy Moore it has felt more like a decade when centuries have happened. The way it began, in a sprint maiden at Saratoga on 16 August 2015, could hardly have been less auspicious. The previous September, as she prepared to surface from a 30-year immersion in employee benefits law in Washington D.C., Moore had bought a Blame filly at Keeneland. The idea was that someday this would be the first broodmare on the little Virginia farm she had promised herself in retirement. Working up to this debut, the filly had actually been showing plenty of ability–enough to start second favorite. She finished tailed off. Moore was mortified, felt like slinking away from the racetrack “with a paper bag over my head.” What a waste of $170,000. Scroll forward 10 years, to the day: 16 August 2025. Same racetrack, another sprint maiden over the dirt. It's Our Time (Not This Time) wins with preposterous ease, by 17 3/4 lengths, melting the stopwatch even so. Where did this monster come from? Everyone checks the card. Breeder: South Gate Farm, Virginia. Amy Moore! Surely she hasn't done it again? For that Blame filly, of course, has since become celebrated as Queen Caroline. Winner of five stakes in Moore's colors, after switching to turf, she duly arrived on the 126-acre farm at Millwood in 2019 as one of just two mares in the founding band. She had been sent to Violence, the first mating Moore ever arranged. The resulting colt, Forte, won the GI Hopeful Stakes days before Queen Caroline's second foal, a colt by Uncle Mo, appeared at the September Sale. He duly made $850,000, while Forte proceeded to confirm himself champion juvenile at the Breeders' Cup. Just about the only thing that had gone awry was that Queen Caroline had lost a Not This Time foal that spring. But now that Moore had funds, she could return to Keeneland in November for an in-foal mare to fill that void. And, in fact, one of the things that put triple stakes winner Shea D Summer (Summer Front) top of her shortlist, at $260,000, was the fact that she happened to be carrying a first foal by none other than Not This Time. “I thought he was really an up-and-coming stallion,” Moore recalls. “And also a good match for this mare. She's a compact, sprinter type, 15.3hh, and Not This Time is a taller, stronger, scopier horse. I thought they'd complement each other well. And Shea D Summer met all my criteria. Number one, for me: a mare has to have raced successfully. I know a lot of people do have success with unraced mares, but a small program like mine can't be discovering whether or not they'd have had ability if only they'd been sound. She was versatile, too: she won on a fast dirt track, and on a wet dirt track; she finished second on turf. And she was also a young, attractive mare.” She had blood, too: out of an Empire Maker half-sister to the dam of one champion juvenile, Air Force Blue (War Front), while the next dam is sister to another in Flanders (Seeking the Gold). Shea D Summer followed what has become standard procedure for Moore: sent into the trusted care of Patricia Ramey at nearby Upperville, where she delivered a colt; then to Kentucky, along with her foal, to be covered by Bolt d'Oro; and then back to South Gate. Amy Moore with Shea D Summer | Sara Gordon “The colt was very attractive and well-balanced,” Moore recalls. “And had his mother's mind. She's a very calm, sensible, pleasant mare and her foals have so far had her temperament, which is a big plus. We swim yearlings, as part of our program to prepare them for the sale, and he was a good swimmer. He was just no trouble, always did what was asked.” Also as usual, the colt entered John Stuart's consignment for the 2024 September Sale. His Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services had been among several agencies tried by Moore, when first cutting her teeth with a few weanling pinhooks. “And he was the one that stood out,” Moore explains. “Not just for his very candid advice, but also for providing a lot of help besides selling horses. He would come from Kentucky to Virginia to see how my sales yearlings were coming along, and give me advice about how to prepare them. We've just had a good working relationship all the way along, so over time I've consolidated my business with John and his son Sandy.” Gratifyingly, the Not This Time colt cleared the investment in his dam straight off, realizing $425,000 from Elza Mitchum. “I was very pleased by that,” Moore says. “Like his mother, he's not a big horse. When he went to the sale, he was just a respectable size, certainly not a great big yearling. But I kind of like a smaller horse. I think they're sounder and come to hand more quickly.” This one has proved a case in point for Tom Amoss. “I keep tabs on them by following their workouts, and he was working very well,” Moore says. “In fact he worked a bullet at Saratoga, before that first start, so I actually thought he should have been shorter odds. It looked like he could run.” In the event, it turned out that It's Our Time could fly. Safe to say that his half-sister by Bolt d'Oro would have been promoted from Hip 1722 if the catalogue for next week's September Sale were compiled now. “She's a very nice filly,” Moore affirms. “She looks a good bit like him: on the smaller side, just as he was, so someone's got to be willing not to insist on a 16-hand yearling. But she has that same temperament, too, which I think stands them in good stead.” Incredibly, Moore has produced Forte and now It's Our Time from just nine foals of racing age–plus a third 'TDN Rising Star' in Crimson Light (City of Light). For all the help she values, from the Stuarts and others, she's plainly bringing something pretty special to the equation herself. Not that there's anything extraordinary in her grounding: plenty of others have shown ponies and hunters as kids, while she is reliably self-deprecating about her principal attribute showing yearlings in her youth. (“I was popular because I'm short,” she says. “I could make a small horse look bigger.”) Perhaps, then, the secret is the mentoring she received from Jim and Faye Little, who had a stable locally in North Carolina, where Moore grew up, before moving up to Washington and getting into Thoroughbred pinhooking. “Jim was a track coach,” she explains. “And I do think that experience helped him. He just had a very good eye for an athlete, horse or human. In each case, I think it's more about the way they move than how they're put together; about how the parts work together as a whole. I definitely learned a lot from Jim about conformation, about picking out the athlete.” Bizarrely, those first nine foals have all been colts. This time, however, the three she is sending to the September Sale are all fillies. “So this is the first time the question has arisen, whether I should keep a homebred filly as a future broodmare,” Moore says. “And I decided that the best thing to do is send them to the sale, see how they do in the market, and if they don't bring a price that I think appropriate, then I'll keep and race them.” The other pair are both out of mares acquired at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale after the pragmatic if painful decision to cash out Queen Caroline, in foal to Flightline, for $3 million to John Stewart's Resolute Farm. Lorena (Souper Speedy) was a five-time stakes winner round Woodbine and cost $160,000 in foal to Essential Quality; Strong Beauty (Overanalyze), whose black type score came among Louisiana-breds, carried a Jackie's Warrior foal at $110,000. The resulting fillies are catalogued as Hips 805 (“big, strong, robust”) and 1751 (“smaller but very well made, quite flashy and attractive”) respectively. Bolt d'Oro yearling filly out of Shea D Summer at South Gate Farm | Sara Gordon Even now, there are only eight mares at South Gate and that is evidently as many as Moore intends to accommodate. She never planned to change the world, coming here: it was just a reward that had kept her going through all those years behind a desk. “I enjoyed practicing law, but I was practicing at a level of intensity that didn't admit many other activities,” she reflects. “When I retired, I wanted to have some land. I'd been living in the city for 30 years and wanted to be a farmer. And since horses were what I knew, horses were what I would farm.” But knowing them as she did, didn't some part of her fear that she had used up all her luck in one go, with Queen Caroline? Could she seriously hope for lightning to strike a second time? “Well, I figured I could live at a lower level of good luck!” Moore replies. “I really enjoy the farm life. Racing is fun, also, but I think I'm more of a breeder and raiser than I am a racer of horses. I'm delighted when they have success for somebody else. I certainly didn't expect to have another potential Forte quite so soon, but let's see where he goes from here. I'm just very happy that he has started as well as he has.” So much, after all, depends on the interventions of fate–as she found even finding this farm. “I looked at a lot of places up and down Loudoun County,” she recalls. “But they were all house and no barn. You'd have some huge mansion, many times larger than I needed or wanted, and then a low dark barn and no fencing. But when I was looking at yearlings in 2014, and bought Queen Caroline, I needed someone to vet them for me and was recommended Dr. [E.C. 'Pug'] Hart. And when I was trying to find a farm, down the line, it turned out that Pug and Susie were moving. So I came and looked at their place and it was perfect: a covered free walker, a horse swimming pond, lots of double-fence paddocks. So I was lucky there, too.” So the guy who vetted Queen Caroline also ended up providing her pasture. But if Moore appears to have some kind of Midas touch, nor has she ever lost sight of what first animated the whole project. That passion for the horse, dating back to her girlhood, means that Moore essentially derives as much gratification from the quieter, daily joys of farm life as from showstoppers at the sales. “I had a colt that I couldn't sell because of some X-ray issues, so I raced him locally,” she says. “He started out last year at Colonial Downs, but it was like he thought the other horses must be afraid of something. He didn't want to get anywhere near whatever was chasing them, and kept back in some other county! But then he ran in a $12,500 maiden claimer at Laurel and battled the whole length of the stretch to get his nose in front just on the wire. That was a tremendously exciting moment. And you can get that, lower down the scale. There's a lot of satisfaction every day, just being in a beautiful place and surrounded by beautiful animals. “I've been very lucky. But I know that as fast as you can go from the bottom of the valley to the top of the mountain, you can find yourself going back down even faster. Luck counts for a lot in the horse business, and I've certainly been very fortunate. But I have greatly enjoyed my good fortune.” The post Keeneland Breeder Spotlight: It’s Moore’s Time, Again appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this BH monthly interview, Karen M. Johnson profiles young racing personalities.View the full article

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and Hawke’s Bay Racing Inc. (HBRI) have presented to Club Members proposals for the future of racing in the Hawke’s Bay region. The Forum marked the first formal opportunity for the Club’s full membership to consider these proposals, which set out a two-part strategy: restoring racing at Hastings Racecourse in the short term, while advancing plans for a new long-term Greenfields racing precinct venue in Flaxmere. The proposals form part of NZTR’s national infrastructure strategy, which recognises Hawke’s Bay as a key regional centre for racing. The revitalisation strategy outlined to Members has two key elements. The first is an interim project at Hastings Racecourse, where a partial recambering of the track’s bends will be undertaken to improve safety and performance. This work will allow racing to recommence at Hastings Racecourse in time for the 2026 Spring Carnival. This upgrade is essential in allowing racing to return to Hawke’s Bay while longer-term solutions are progressed. The works will be staged to minimise disruption to Central District-based trainers and horses. In parallel, Members were presented with a long-term proposal to develop a new, purpose-built racing and training facility on a Greenfields site in Flaxmere. Envisioned as a modern metropolitan venue, the facility would host premier race meetings, support year-round training, and provide wider event and tourism benefits for the local community. The Greenfields proposal remains subject to funding confirmation, Resource Management Act approvals, including mana whenua consultation, as well as formal approval by Members. A vote will be required once funding is confirmed before any final commitment is made, with project timelines dependent on the outcome of those ongoing discussions. NZTR Chief Executive Officer, Matt Ballesty, said the Hawke’s Bay region remains a vital part of New Zealand’s racing network and is an important focus of the organisation’s long-term strategy. “Our vision is to build a sustainable, world-class racing infrastructure across the country, and Hawke’s Bay has a key role to play in that,” he said. “Hastings has been confirmed as a strategic venue, reflecting the NZTR Board’s directive to ensure Hawke’s Bay remains a centre of racing excellence in the years ahead. The projects presented tonight address both the immediate need to restore racing and the longer-term opportunity to deliver a modern facility for the future. “Realising that vision will require strong collaboration with the Club, ongoing engagement with Members, and, importantly, securing the necessary funding. With the right resourcing and careful planning, these projects can create facilities that serve both the industry and the wider community for decades to come,” Ballesty said. HBRI Chairman, Richard Riddell, said the Forum was an important opportunity to involve Members in shaping the Club’s next chapter. “This evening was about opening up the conversation with our Members and ensuring they are part of the decision-making process,” Riddell said. “For the first time, the full membership has been presented with these proposals, and their feedback and support will be crucial as we move forward. “The interim track upgrade provides a clear and practical path back to racing at Hastings next year, while the Flaxmere Greenfields proposal is about thinking bigger and setting up Hawke’s Bay racing for the next generation. Our Members’ role in that journey cannot be overstated,” he said. Both the Club and NZTR emphasised that the redevelopment proposals would deliver benefits extending well beyond the racing industry itself. Should the proposed Greenfields venue in Flaxmere proceed, redevelopment of the current Hastings Racecourse site would only occur once the new Flaxmere facility is completed and formally handed over for racing use. At that point, the Hastings Racecourse land could be released and it is likely that redevelopment will take place, potentially paving the way for much-needed housing and other urban projects in the heart of Hastings. This aligns with wider community priorities, with local government and Council already progressing for new housing initiatives in the area. A purpose-built Greenfields racing and events facility in Flaxmere would also create jobs during both construction and operation, attract visitors and tourism spend, and complement Hawke’s Bay’s broader urban planning strategies. “This is not just about racing, it’s about contributing to Hawke’s Bay’s future,” Riddell said. The Hastings track recambering project will move into its implementation phase this month, with progress updates to be provided as Spring 2026 approaches. In parallel, planning for the proposed Flaxmere Greenfields development will continue alongside efforts to secure funding. Decisions on potential government co-funding are pending, and Members will ultimately vote on any relocation proposal once details are finalised. Ballesty said the organisations recognise the dynamic nature of the process. “We appreciate this is an evolving project and that circumstances are constantly moving,” he said. “NZTR and HBRI want to express our gratitude for the ongoing support and patience shown by the Hawke’s Bay racing community and neighbouring Clubs in the region who have stepped up to help fill the racing programme while Hastings Racecourse is out of action. “Our commitment is to keep Members, stakeholders and the wider community updated, and we will provide further detail as soon as it is possible to do so,” Ballesty said. View the full article

New Zealand Group One winner Pier (NZ) (Proisir) has joined in the race for this spring’s A$6 million Cox Plate at The Valley after being paid-up as a late entry on Tuesday. The 2000 Guineas winner as a three-year-old, Pier is trained by father-and-daughter team Darryn and Briar Weatherley and is part-owned by a couple of well-known Australians including Ozzie Kheir and John O’Neil. Pier has won five of his 13 starts, including his latest run in the Listed Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm in June. He is expected to run first-up in the Gr.3 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on September 13, before progressing to the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on October 4. Depending on his form, he could then come down to Melbourne for the Cox Plate. Ethan Brown has been booked for the horse’s Theo Marks return. Pier’s late nomination, at a fee of $6600, brings the total of Cox Plate nominations this year to 108. View the full article

Editor's note: Stuart Angus, a Senior Thoroughbred Advisor for Taylor Made, passed away Aug. 28 at the age of 60. His friends are encouraging those he touched to submit `Stu stories' to the TDN. How can Stuart Angus possibly be the man behind so many? I have no doubt you're going to learn that with the flood of Stu Stories to be shared. A tribute fitting of his profound impact. He knew when to listen, when to advise, and when to let you brave the world on your own…always knowing he was there if you needed him. Stuart didn't just teach you the skills to excel in the industry; he taught you about life. Which makes perfect sense, since he lived larger than life itself. An educated farrier. Knowledgeable in forestry. Once-upon-a-time farm manager. Account manager and Thoroughbred advisor. Esteemed colleague. Mentor. Friend. Family. Son. Father. Accomplished in everything he did. But he would never speak of himself. Ask him, and he'd tell you how proud he was of Drew. Or how Alexa could bake better than anything you'd ever tasted. He'd tell you about the incredible foster children their family welcomed, and how much of a gift that was. Or he'd light up telling you something special a friend (of which he had too many to count) had done. Maybe he'd pass along a lesson from his mother, Carol. That's just a small slice of the things that could bring that big, unforgettable smile to his face. A smile we'll all remember, especially when it came with that deep belly laugh he gave after sharing one of the many jokes he had up his sleeve. Stuart was a consummate horseman, from his Jersey roots to a farm in Kentucky. He worked incredibly hard every single day to accomplish all he did. His one focus was always to raise good horses alongside good people–something he achieved tenfold. His perseverance in the face of obstacles, including his illness, was something to be admired. Stuart is a Grade One winner and should always be remembered and honored as such. If all of us who knew him choose to live a little more like him each day, we'll not only appreciate life more, but we'll leave the industry better off. I'll follow suit to Hunter Houlihan's “offset knee,” but my story is a little different. Stuart and I had been visiting his client farms all morning one spring day, and–as we typically did–we stopped in for lunch. On this particular day, it was at J. Alexander's. We were recapping all the horses we'd seen, the tasks ahead to best position everyone for the sales, and which horse he might be able to find to sell that week (the man never stopped working, because it wasn't work after all it was just his way of living.) The waiter came by and went to remove Stu's plate. He waved him off and said, “Please leave it here.” I was puzzled; he was clearly done. That's when he shared a piece of wisdom that went far deeper than the sentiment itself. Stu told me how Mrs. Payson and his mother, Carol, had taught him that you never clear a plate from a table when not everyone is done, because why would you ever want to rush a good thing, or make someone feel their time wasn't as valuable as yours? When sharing a table with someone, you should savor every moment. Let your laugh be a little louder, lose your voice from sharing stories, drink the good bourbon, and cheers to being a part of such a beautiful life. So, my plan is to savor all the moments I got with Stu. Although they'll never feel like enough, they were monumental to me. To contribute your own `Stu story,' email suefinley@thetdn.com. The post Letter to the Editor: Stu Story #2 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Hong Kong Jockey Club unveiled the latest phase of its HK$14 billion racecourse master plan on Tuesday, with two new facilities at Sha Tin designed to elevate racing as one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions. Hailed as a “game-changing racecourse arrival and customer experience at grandstand 2”, the new Champions Connection and Genso Eki facilities feature digital entertainment aimed at attracting the younger generation to the races and promoting Sha Tin as a “platinum race-going...View the full article