Wandering Eyes

A 17-horse field has been entered for the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini Internacional (G1) at Hipodromo de San Isidro Dec. 13 in Argentina, part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.View the full article

The connections of the half-dozen European raiders among a field of 11 for Sunday's HK$26-million Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m) will have been mostly pleased with the outcome of the barrier draw, which was held in the state-of-the-art parade ring at Sha Tin Racecourse Thursday morning. Resolute Racing and Baron Philip Von Ullman's Goliath (Adlerflug) makes a second trip across to Hong Kong in the space of eight months, having finished a disappointing ninth to Tastiera (Jpn) (Satono Crown {Jpn}) at a fairly short price in the G1 FWD QE II Cup over the 2000 metres in April. Though he did best 2024 Vase runner-up Dubai Honour (Pride of Dubai) in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden Sept. 7, the bay never seriously factored when down the field in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Nov. 1. Trainer Francis Graffard is hopeful of a rebound from Goliath, which would cap an already monumental season for the yard. “He's really well now and while he has had far from a perfect season, he could finish off in style,” Graffard said of the 5-year-old, who will depart gate four on the weekend. “He is in terrific form and this week you are seeing the Goliath that we all love to see. He is a happy horse who is moving very well and I'm delighted with him.” Giavellotto (Mastercraftsman) had 2 1/2 lengths on Dubai Honour in last year's Vase after quickening home brilliantly, and his 2025 preparation has always had this title defence as its terminus. The 6-year-old arrives back off a cracking fourth in unsuitably soft ground in the Oct. 5 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with Andrea Atzeni at the controls, and the Italian–who has 109 career Hong Kong wins to his credit–will be back aboard from barrier six. “In his early days, I remember hitting the front on him at York and he hung left; he was very immature,” Atzeni said. “In Europe, he never won by very far, so I was actually very surprised to see him pull that far clear here last year. “He's just a different horse; he's mature mentally and over a mile and a half (2400m) with a good pace, he's got quicker with age and now shows much more speed.” The legendary Andre Fabre is already a three-time winner of the Vase, including Wertheimer et Frere's Junko (Intello) in 2023, and the same owners' Sosie (Sea The Stars) can add to the total. The homebred 4-year-old was the popular winner of this year's G1 Prix d'Ispahan and was runner-up in the G2 Prix Foy on Arc Trials day Sept. 7 ahead of a sound third in the main event, one spot better than 2024. The bay will be ridden by dual Vase winner Maxime Guyon from the eight hole. Aidan O'Brien has also unsaddled the winner of the Vase on three occasions and will rely on 2024 G1 Irish Derby hero Los Angeles (Camelot) to build upon previous scores by Highland Reel (Galileo, twice) and Mogul (Galileo). A tough-as-nails winner of this year's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup over an extended 10 furlongs, the bay–who is off to join the Coolmore NH stallion roster next season–has Ryan Moore from gate 10, but has plenty of time to slot in from there, though he must improve on his last-of-17 result in the Arc. Joseph O'Brien will try to outdo his dad when sending out G1 Irish St Leger romper Al Riffa (Wootton Bassett) at the weekend. The 5-year-old was set a tall task with 130 pounds on his back in the G1 Melbourne Cup last time and ran home nicely from a mile back to be seventh. He should be more prominent from a low draw in two with Irish champion Dylan Browne McMonagle looking to add more international plaudits to his CV. Oisin Murphy gave Giavellotto an A-plus steer here 12 months ago, but finds himself partnered with Prince A A Faisal's Eydon (Olden Times) for this return to Group 1 company. A big fourth at rough odds in the 2022 G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas, the bay is a dual winner this term, including the G2 Gran Premio del Jockey Club going this distance at the San Siro Oct. 19. Eydon jumps from gate nine on Sunday. The post Mostly Blue Skies At the Vase Draw For Team Europe appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

7th-OP, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 4:22 p.m. ET. Set for her unveiling is SANGARETTE (Charlatan), a 2-year-old who was purchased for $500,000 by Tom Durant during the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale last year and sent to trainer Ray Ashford. The filly's dam, GISP Sweet Shirley Mae (Broken Vow), produced SW Mae Never No (Ire) (No Nay Never). Sangarette's extended female family includes GSW Chaos Theory (Curlin). Also making the starting gate on opening day of the Oaklawn meet is Don Alberto homebred Eagle Dance (Audible). Trained by Brad Cox, the filly is out of a dam whose half-sisters are responsible for Canadian Horse of the Year Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d'Oro) and GISW Secret Spice (Discreet Cat), respectively. Last but not least, Winchell has one of their own making the races in Cognizant (Silver State). Her dam is Easy Tap (Tapit), who claims 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Disarm (by Gun Runner), who after being conditioned by Steve Asmussen will head to stud duty next year. TJCIS PPS 3rd-LRC, $45K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 4:28 p.m. ET. Toaster (McKinzie) heads to the gate for owners Sarah Kelly and William Strauss, who bought the filly for $525,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale. The Bob Baffert trainee is out of the full-sister to the highly-productive Quiet Dance (Quiet American)–herself the dam of Horse of the Year Saint Liam (Saint Ballado), Gun Runner's own dam Quiet Giant (Giant's Causeway) and GISW Funtastic (More Than Ready). TJCIS PPS 9th-TAM, $55K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 4:40 p.m. ET. Taking to the Tampa turf is first-time starter Protect and Defend (Munnings). The Stuart Janney homebred and Shug McGaughey trainee is a half-brother to SW &MGSP Limited Liability (Kitten's Joy) and his extended female family includes sire Ironicus (by Distorted Humor), who have both raced for those same connections. TJCIS PPS The post Friday’s Racing Insights: Salty Maiden Race Seasons Opening Day Of New Holiday Meet At Oaklawn appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tampa Bay Downs has imposed a quarantine on barns 25 and 26 after a horse was confirmed to have the neurological form of equine herpesvirus type 1, also known as EHV-1. The track canceled live racing Dec. 21 and Dec. 28.View the full article

The final installment in the 2025 OwnerView webinar series, held on Dec. 9, covered industrywide efforts to support individuals in need. The conference is hosted by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and presented by Bessemer Trust, Keeneland, and Stoll Keenon Ogden. The panel was sponsored by Daily Racing Form. A Q&A was sponsored by West Point Thoroughbreds. Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView, moderated the panel with guests Joe Clabes, executive director of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF); Christian Countzler, chief executive officer of Stable Recovery; Shannon Kelly, executive director of The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation; and Dan Waits, executive director of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCA). Included among topics of discussion was role of The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation. “The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation is a charitable trust that's underneath the umbrella of The Jockey Club and assists people in horse racing that are in financial need,” Kelly said. “What's really unique about the Safety Net is that we assist all people in racing in all occupations across the country. So, people that work at racetracks on the backside, grooms, hot walkers, exercise riders, foremen, trainers, night watchmen, at farms, on breeding farms, on the front side of racetracks, jockeys, you name it.” All panelists agreed that they work together within the industry to help those in need. “I don't know that there are many other industries around that can say they have the level of support that this industry does,” Countzler said. “And I'm very proud of that. I'm very proud to support that, you know. And so especially this time of year, it seems to ramp up for all of us on this panel right now. The holidays are really, really tough if things aren't going very well in your life. So, I would like to thank everybody on this panel for the incredible support.” The replay of Tuesday's Thoroughbred Owner Conference panel is available at bit.ly/OVVideos. The post OwnerView Series Highlights Industry Efforts to Support Individuals in Need appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A 1/50th share (lot 125) in multiple French champion sire Siyouni sold for 175,000gns to TCT Bloodstock on Thursday to top the Tattersalls Online December Sale. The Aga Khan Studs' stallion has sired 13 stakes winners in the Northern Hemisphere this term anchored by Aga Khan homebred Zarigana, the winner of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, multiple graded winner Bellezza, third in the GI New York Stakes and G2 Neom Turf Cup hero Shin Emperor. The sire of 46 group winners in his career, he will stand for €150,000 next year. Alex Elliott purchased a breeding right in Palace Pier (lot 122) for 80,000gns. The son of Kingman has eight black-type horses from his first crop of runners. Standing under the Darley banner at Dalham Hall Stud, Palace Pier is credited with G2 Lowther Stakes heroine Royal Fixation and G3 Solario Stakes winner A Bit Of Spirit. Also during the sale, a breeding right in Sands Of Mali (lot 135) brought 74,000gns after originally falling shy of its reserve. Roalso was on that ticket. The Group 1-winning sprinter sired his first Group 1 winner in 2025–Time For Sandals. Recently purchased by Yeomanstown Stud, he will stand for €22,500 next year. Fourth on the buyers' sheet was Suzette Defoye (Sea The Moon), who was consigned by Gainsborough Thoroughbreds. Lot 127 was purchased by the Suzette Defoye Partnership. The half-sister to Group 1 scorer Simca Mille (Tamayuz) won once last year and was sold as a horse-in-training. Overall, 55 lots sold from 127 (43%) offered for a gross of 732,100gns. The average was 13,311gns and the median came in at 5,500gns. Online manager Katherine Sheridan said, “We are delighted that the Tattersalls Online December Sale, which closes out the year for the platform, has continued the strong momentum witnessed throughout 2025. The confidence of our vendors and purchasers is evident in the success we have enjoyed across the monthly sales as well as through our innovative bespoke sales and international collaborations with BBAG, the Emirates Racing Authority and Inglis. We thank all our participants for their trust and support and we look forward to building on this success with further development of the Tattersalls Online sales in the year ahead.” The post Siyouni Share Tops Tattersalls Online At 175kGns appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Back at the site of a couple of his most important victories, White Abarrio (Race Day) breezed five furlongs in 1:00.35 at Gulfstream Park in preparation for a planned start in the Dec. 27 GIII Mr. Prospector Stakes which he will use as a steppingstone to the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 24. It was the second workout for the multiple Grade I stakes-winner since being a veterinarian scratch from the Nov. 1 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar. “Today was his work for the vet's list. He had to work five-eighths. He worked five-eighths. He came back well. He jogged off sound,” explained trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. “They pulled his blood and we have to wait for the blood to come back to be cleared. So that was a big hurdle that he had to get through.” The 6-year-old was sent to the racetrack shortly after 9 a.m. following the renovation break to work in company. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., the grey worked outside an unraced 2-year-old Munnings colt before finishing a few lengths clear at the finish line and galloping out six furlongs. His workmate was credited with a half-mile in :47.66, the fastest of 11 recorded at the distance. “Ideally, we didn't want to go five-eighths today, but California requires you to go five-eighths. If I wasn't training him to get off the vets list, he wouldn't have gone five-eighths. He probably would have worked three-eighths,” said Joseph, who worked White Abarrio an easy three furlongs Nov. 23. “We didn't want to take the chance to wait until next week to work him five-eighths, because we have to wait for information on the blood to come back. With the holidays, the blood might not come back [in time]. So, our schedule was kind of forced to work five eighths, because that's the requirement. We got through that hurdle, so we're trying to go forward from here now.” Campaigned by C2 Racing Stable LLC, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable LLC, White Abarrio finished a late-closing second in last season's seven-furlong Mr. Prospector prior to his 6 1/4-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup Invitational. White Abarrio most recently raced in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga Aug. 31, when he finished fifth after being bumped by a rival, nearly unseating Ortiz, and was placed fourth. In addition to winning the Pegasus World Cup, White Abarrio also won the GI Curlin Florida Derby in 2022 at Gulfstream, the 2023 GI Whitney at Saratoga and the 2023 GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. The post White Abarrio Breezes Ahead of Mr. Prospector appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Local horses, led by Romantic Warrior and Ka Ying Rising, look like solid bets in at least three of the four races comprising the Longines Hong Kong International Races Dec. 14 at Sha Tin Racecourse.View the full article

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, post time: 4:40 p.m., LONGINES HONG KONG CUP-G1, HK$40,000,000, 3yo/up, 2000mT Field: Romantic Warrior (Jpn) (Acclamation {GB}), Bellagio Opera (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), Rousham Park (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), Galen (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Straight Arron (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), Chancheng Glory (Mor Spirit), Quisisana (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}). Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, post time: 4:00 p.m., LONGINES HONG KONG MILE-G1, HK$36,000,000, 3yo/up, 1600mT Field: Soul Rush (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}), Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}), Docklands (GB) (Massaat {Ire}), Beauty Joy (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}), Galaxy Patch (Aus) (Wandjina {Aus}), Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Happy Together (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}), Red Lion (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), Sunlight Power (Aus) (Capitalist {Aus}), My Wish (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}), Copartner Prance (Aus) (Epaulette {Aus}), Patch Of Theta (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}), The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Embroidery (Jpn) (Admire Mars {Jpn}), Pray For Mir (Aus) (Justify). Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, post time: 2:50 p.m., LONGINES HONG KONG SPRINT-G1, HK$28,000,000, 3yo/up, 1200mT Field: Ka Ying Ring (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), Satono Reve (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}), Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}), Win Carnelian (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}), Fast Network (NZ) (Wrote {Ire}), Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Lucky With You (Aus) (Artie Schiller, Beauty Waves (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Raging Blizzard (NZ) (Per Incanto), Tomodachi Kokoroe (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}), Wunderbar (Aus) (Rich Enuff {Aus}), Divano (Aus) (Brave Smash {Jpn}). Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, post time: 2:10 p.m., LONGINES HONG KONG VASE-G1, HK$26,000,000, 3yo/up, 2400mT Field: Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Giavellotto (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), Sosie (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Urban Chic (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}), Ensued (Lemon Drop Kid), Eydon (Ire) (Olden Times {GB}), Moments In Time (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky), Bundle Award (Aus) (Shamus Award {Aus}), Ka Ying Generation (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}). Click here for the complete fields. The post Black-Type Analysis: Ka Ying Rising And Romantic Warrior Anchor Longines HKIR appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin A private workout at Addington on Monday convinced trainer Cran Dalgety of two things heading into tonight’s East West Fencing Summer Cup. The first is that Republican Party is ready to win even from the toughest draw and the second is Franco Sinatra will be better off without hopples in the same race. Dalgety and wife Chrissie will try something which is very much a rarity in open class racing in New Zealand these days when the start Franco Sinatra without hopples in tonight’s feature. Mach Shard is a major race winner who at times raced without hopples in recent years but it is not common yet Dalgety says he has tried it with lower grade horses on a few occasions. “I just think he will be better without them on,” he says. “He always paces around free-legged and I have been thinking about trying it for a while. “We took them into Addington on Monday and he worked better than usual without hopples so that is how he will race on Friday.” But while Franco Sinatra was good enough to win the Junior Free-For-All on New Zealand Cup day he will be big odds tonight as many of the best pacers in the South Island contest the 1980m mobile. For horses like Republican Party and We Walk By Faith it could be a lead up to next Friday’s $100,000 Invercargill Cup while if the flights work out then Republican Party could then head to Alexandra Park to defend his Auckland Cup title. With those two Group 1s ahead and drawn barrier 9 tonight you could easily envisage a situation where Republican Party is allowed to relax early and that wouldn’t be quite so relaxing for those punters taking his $1.55 price. But Dalgety says that doesn’t have to be the case. “The way he worked on Monday he is fit and ready to go,” he says. “I know it is a lead-up race to bigger races the next two weeks but it is still $40,000 and we are still there to win. “I don’t know what those horses inside him will do and we won’t give Carter instructions, he can go out and drive his own race. “But I think he is ready to be put in the race if it pans out that way.” There is great depth to the field though and if Republican Party has to sit parked then We Walk By Faith will take a power of beating while the real enigma of the race could be Chase A Dream, now trained by the Dunns. Add in Alta Meteor and Mo’unga and it is a cracking little Group 3. Earlier in the night the Dalgetys go into Race 1 understandably confident with Eun Sogno. The two-year-old beat Sonofamistery last start and the latter bolted in last week so while he steps up in grade tonight Eun Sogno should have a class edge on his older rivals as he prepares to head to Invercargill next Friday for a $30,000 juvenile pace. View the full article

By Michael Guerin The trainer who could dominate tonight’s Group 1 Trot at Alexandra Park has a surprise for punters. Because Michelle Wallis says the pecking order for the four reps she and husband Bernie Hackett take to the $100,000 TAB Queen of Diamonds may have changed in the last week, even if the bookies don’t think so. The couple are nearing the end of a hugely successful season and could put an exclamation mark on it tonight with Belle Neige, American Muscle, Faith In Manchester and Courmayeur in the 2200m mobile, all with realistic winning chances. Belle Neige has been set for tonight’s race for months and not only looked spot on with a big last-start third but has secured barrier 1 and has the gate speed to use it. “She is going well and we know she has gate speed because she has led from barrier 8 before,” says Wallis. “I wouldn’t like to see her burn really hard but Crystal knows how to drive her and she should be really hard to beat.” So with all those ticks in the right boxes how come Wallis isn’t oozing confidence with Belle Neige? “I actually think there isn’t much between the four of ours. And after the way she won last Friday maybe American Muscle is actually our best chance. “She has kept getting better and was very good last week. She has a good record in these type of races and she is likely to be on the speed. “Faith In Manchester is proven in these races too, even though I was a bit disappointed by her third last Friday while Courmayeur might actually be the most talented of the four but also the one who needs the most favours. “So I know Belle Neige is the most logical one of ours but I am not sure American Muscle might end up being the best hope.” Belle Neige does have that inside draw advantage though and three of the stablemates being on the front line could lend itself to Belle Neige leading and then handing that role to either American Muscle or Faith In Manchester. Not only would that give her the trail and passing lane but also potentially put second favourite Walkinonsunshine three back on the markers. What should punters make of all that? If you’re going to back Belle Neige maybe cover on American Muscle at $6.50. Tonight’s $100,000 Woodlands Queen Of Hearts for the pacers has a similar tactical feel as Arafura (No.1) and Captains Mistress (No.2) are high class fillies but likely to be followed out at the start by really good mares in Esmeralda and Francent. Any of the four could win with tempo and the early speed map crucial but like with Belle Neige in the trot, Arafura may end up being the one who needs luck the least. “She was still pretty good last week and the extra distance will suit her but Francent was very impressive and it goes to show how hard those older mares can be to beat,” says Arafura’s driver Tony Herlihy. Two of tonight’s other features will see the favourites undoubtedly having to come from off the speed as Oscar Bonavena and Mighty Logan faces 20m handicap in the main trot and Merlin and Akuta the same starting point in the $60,000 Lincoln Farms Franklin Cup. Mighty Logan’s opening price of $3.50 was too long compared with Oscar’s $1.80, especially if Mighty Logan can step well and get in front of his key rival. But Merlin deserves his $1.75 quote in the Pacing Cup as he is the best horse on spring form, with tempo his biggest concerns in a small field. View the full article

What were the most popular stories in the TDN in 2025? What resonated most with our readers? Here again is our annual review of the stories you liked the most and the ones that received the most views: 1) Alvarado Faces Penalties for Overuse of Whip in the Derby, by Bill Finley. 258,371 Views. Winning the GI Kentucky Derby aboard Sovereignty (Into Mischief) was the highlight of jockey Junior Alvarado's career. But the story included a bad footnote as Alvarado faced penalties from HISA for overuse of the whip. Under HISA rules, jockeys can use the crop no more than six times. It was alleged that Alvarado used his whip eight times, including once after Sovereignty took a clear lead at the sixteenth pole. The eventual penalty issued by HISA to Alvarado for overuse of the whip was a $62,000 fine and a two-day suspension. 2) Two Runners Collide, Both Die After Training Incident at Belmont Park, Staff Report. 174,930 Views. It was a tragic day at Belmont Park on Oct. 25 when a freak accident on the training track led to the deaths of two horses. Fortunately, neither exercise rider was injured. 3) Jorge Navarro Released From Prison, by Bill Finley. 106,944 Views. The notorious “Juice Man,” Jorge Navarro, was released from the federal prison FCI Miami in June. He served three years and three months of a five-year sentence. Within days, Navarro was sent to an ICE Facility in Colorado. He is a felon and is not a U.S. citizen, reasons why he was taken into custody by ICE. His lawyer had long ago predicted that the Panamanian-born disgraced trainer would be deported to his native country. 4) Taylor Made's Josh Bryan Dies From Surgical Complications, by Sue Finley. 86,007 Views. In one of the sadder stories the TDN had to report during the year, Josh Bryan, the former program coordinator for the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship who had been serving as assistant to Frank Taylor, the Director of New Business Development at Taylor Made Farm, died in April from complications from jaw surgery. He was 33 years old. Bryan was born with Goldenhar syndrome, a rare congenital defect that affects the development of the ear, nose, soft palate, lip and mandible usually on one side of the body. He had his first corrective surgery when he was just seven weeks old and went on to endure at least 15 more procedures. Thanks to his enrolling in Stable Recovery, Bryan had successfully battled back against substance abuse problems and had turned his life around. 5) Horse Goes From Kill Pen to Winner's Circle at Churchill Downs: The Story of Awesome Hawaiian, by Bill Finley. 53,486 Views. This was the type of feel-good story that gives you hope about the problem of horse slaughter. Awesome Hawaiian (Awesome Bet) was saved out of a kill pen by owner John Stewart and his family. Usually for a horse that has wound up in such a dire situation, their future is as a pleasure horse or a “pasture ornament.” Not Awesome Hawaiian. Originally purchased for just $1,000 at a yearling sale in Louisiana, he was given every chance to be a race horse by the Stewarts, and he broke his maiden in his debut in a $30,000 maiden claimer at Churchill Downs. 6) Enough Already: It's Time to Fix the Triple Crown, by Bill Finley. 51,341 Views. Alarmed that Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty passed the GI Preakness S., this TDN contributor had had enough. Coming to the obvious conclusion that more and more trainers are unwilling to bring their Derby horses back in the Preakness after just two weeks' rest, the column called for major changes and advocated that future Triple Crown races be run on the first Saturday in May, the first Saturday in June and the first Saturday in July. 7) 'He Loved Horses and Horses Loved Him'-Tributes Paid to Hugh Mulryan, by Adam Houghton. 49,839 Views. In a story that appeared in the European edition of the TDN, Associate Editor Adam Houghton collected the thoughts of prominent European breeders and horseman on the passing of Hugh Mulryan at age 25. The son of owner-breeder Liam Mulryan, Hugh had carved out a promising career of his own in racing and bloodstock, having spent time under the wing of trainers such as Denis Hogan and Sir Mark Prescott, as well as working on the farm and at the sales for Baroda Stud. The County Galway native had recently relocated to Britain to take up a new role with Adrian Keatley in Ryedale, North Yorkshire. 8) Dr. Robert Hunt Passes, by Bill Finley. 40,986 Views. In another sad story about a beloved racing figure that died too soon, the TDN reported on the death of Dr. Robert Hunt, who passed away in October after a bout with cancer. Hunt was a respected veterinarian at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. “Dr. Hunt's character, integrity and perseverance have been so impactful on not only my career but the lives and careers of so many people and horses,” said veterinarian and jockey Dr. Ferrin Peterson, who worked alongside Hunt. “He always placed the needs of the horse first, even if it cost him personally and financially. But he remained steadfast, standing strong in his convictions. Mentoring people in his line of work was one of his greatest passions. I can think of no greater legacy than for these mentees, myself included, to carry on the principles he exemplified. I am forever grateful for my time with this great man.” 9) Trainer Christophe Clement Passes at 59, by Bill Finley. 37,398 Views. Among the most respected trainers in the sport and one who may be headed to the Hall of Fame, Christophe Clement passed away in May after battling Metastatic Uveal Melanoma. He was 59. According to Equibase, Clement saddled 2,576 winners from 13,269 starters. His stable had compiled total earnings of $184,119,069. His son, Miguel, has taken over the stable and has followed in his father's footsteps, quickly establishing himself as one of the top trainers on the NYRA circuit. 10) Out of the Bargain Basement, the $2,500 Yearling Who is on His Way to the Kentucky Derby, by Bill Finley. 34,982 Views. Chunk of Gold (Preservationist) was impossible not to like. The 3-year-old was purchased for $2,500 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings sale and earned his way into the Kentucky Derby with second-place finishes in the GII Risen Star Stakes and the GII Louisiana Derby. Following publication of the story, Chunk of Gold finished ninth in the Derby, but later went on to win the GIII West Virginia Derby. The post The TDN’s Most Widely Read Stories of 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Al and Bill Ulwelling's Mansetti (Collected), upset winner of this year's C$1-million King's Plate at Woodbine, is one of 42 horses that have been added to the upcoming Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale in Lexington Jan. 12 and 13, 2026, the auction house said in a release Thursday. Consigned by Four Star Sales, agent, as a racing or stallion prospect, the Ontario-bred colt–a $40,000 OBS April grad–also took out this year's GIII Marine Stakes and showed his versatility when just run down in the Sept. 9 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie, just his second start on a conventional dirt track. Runner-up in the GIII Ontario Derby back on the Woodbine synthetic, Mansetti has posted a record of 5-2-0 from 11 starts with earnings to date of $776,003. Also supplemented to the January Sale and selling with Taylor Made is In a Jif (Saintly Look), the dam of the record-setting turf sprinter Cogburn (Not This Time) and offered in foal to Yaupon. Taylor Made also consigns the mare's foal of 2025, a colt by Into Mischief. Being offered as broodmares or racing/broodmare prospects are Life's an Audible (Audible), winner of the GIII Sweetest Chant Stakes at three; SW & GSP St. Benedicts Prep (Flatter); and Grade III winner True Royalty (Yes It's True), selling in foal to Practical Joke. Additional supplements include mares in foal to Maxfield, Taiba, Tiz the Law and Twirling Candy; racing or broodmare prospects including stakes winner Brocknardini (Bernardini); and soon-to-be yearlings by such stallions as Elite Power, Jackie's Warrior, McKinzie, Street Sense, Vekoma, Yaupon and Zandon. With the supplements announced today, the total number of horses cataloged to the January Sale is 1,088. Click here for the Keeneland January catalog. The post King’s Plate Winner Among 42 Supplemented To Keeneland January appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Kentucky Derby Museum during its 'Derby in December' celebration held Thursday, Dec. 11. Following the ceremonies, the many guests that were on hand enjoyed a meet-and-greet with the 1992 Kentucky Derby-winning rider and explored a new exhibit in Day's honor. The exhibit at the museum features decades of his accomplishments. The collection ranges from his high school photo to awards celebrating milestone victories as a jockey, including the silks he wore during his final race before retiring after the 2005 Delaware Handicap. The new exhibit was unveiled following the presentation of Day's Lifetime Achievement Award. “I'm deeply humbled by this award,” said Day. “The Kentucky Derby has given me so much throughout my life–from the incredible horses I've had the privilege to ride, to the fans and community who make this sport so special. To be recognized here at the Kentucky Derby Museum, in the place that keeps Derby history alive, means more to me than words can say.” The post Hall of Famer Day Honored By Derby Museum appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Cathal Beale reflects on a momentous run of sales results for the Irish National Stud as well offering his thoughts on new addition to the stallion roster Arizona Blaze Credit where credit is due, the Irish National Stud knocked it out of the park at this year's breeding stock sales. The stud netted just shy of €2 million at the Goffs November Foal Sale. That haul placed the Irish National Stud second only to the Castlebridge Consignment by €46,500, despite selling 33 fewer foals than that outfit. What was most impressive about the performance the Irish National Stud put in at Goffs this year was that the majority of the foals sold by the stud were out of mares that CEO Cathal Beale and his team went out and sourced at sensible digits. The team's Night Of Thunder filly, who sold to Ed Sackville on behalf of TBT Racing For €500,000, is out of Oceanie (Dansili), a mare that was sourced for just €75,000 at Arqana in 2023. Then there was the €340,000 Wootton Bassett filly out of €80,000 mare Loyale (Turtle Bowl), also sourced at Arqana, as well as the €220,000 Palace Pier filly out of Big Break (Dansili), who looks exceedingly good value now at only 30,000gns. The Irish National Stud's performance at Goffs provided one of the fascinating subplots to what was a memorable sale and, despite labelling that achievement as one of his finest moments in the business at the time, Beale is keen to deflect any praise now that the dust has settled. “I've been selling foals in various different guises for the past 25 years so I know how hard it is,” he explained. “Many things can go wrong and I have walked out of the sales ring with my tail between my legs before. It wasn't lost on us how hard it is to enjoy a day like that. “I said it at the time, but I had never been at a sale like this year's Goffs November Foal Sale before. The footfall and the raw enthusiasm for foals was unbelievable. The Sunday and the Monday at Goffs is unique. The amount of enthusiastic young pinhookers who come through the gates is brilliant. Goffs and Irish Thoroughbred Marketing do a brilliant job getting so many people through the door and that's why we go to that sale. It's because we know we're going to have hundreds and hundreds of shows. Like, we had foals that had upwards of 250 shows, which is unheard of for any sale. So huge credit must go to Goffs.” Explaining the years of investment in the broodmare band that led to that “moment in time” performance at Goffs, Beale continued, “It started with John Osborne [former CEO], really,” he says. Off the back of Invincible Spirit, we had a little bit of money to invest in broodmares. If you can remember, it was a different world back in 2010 with the whole country coming out of the recession. It was very much touch and go with regards to what the stud could do. But, as Invincible Spirit started to get better and better, there was a little bit of money to invest in broodmares. John invested in a few broodmares that left a lot of money behind – Propaganda, Lethal Quality and more. We also had a couple of mares who were left over, the likes of Nebrass, whose daughter Aimhirgin Lass is still in the broodmare band. “So there have always been a couple of nice mares there but, definitely, we needed to be a bit more strategic and start investing properly in broodmares. I suppose, through investing in mare syndicates and the board allowing us some capital, we have been able to buy some nicer mares. It doesn't just happen overnight. It can take five, six or even seven years to find out if a mare is good, bad or indifferent. The foal sales at Goffs was just like a moment in time where three or four happened to bounce into the back of the net on the same day. At the same time, there has been a steady stream of investment over the past number of years that allowed us to get to a day like that.” With more money comes more choice, and there has definitely been a change in philosophy as to how the stud recruits its mares. That is not the only shift in modus operandi, though, with the support of the foal sales a relatively new phenomenon. Beale said, “Obviously, if you've got more money you can do more. You can't do it without money. But we definitely made a conscious decision to focus more on the foal sales because, when you see end-users turning up to Goffs, you just can't ignore how strong that market has become over the past few years. On top of that, it shortens our window in being able to turn a profit on the stock that we are raising. We had dipped our toe into the foal market in the past four or five years but, in the last couple of years in particular, we have sent out best foals to Goffs. If it doesn't happen on the day, you always have a second chance at the yearling sales.” Elaborating on the recruitment policy for mares, he added, “I suppose people are kind enough not to mention the mares who didn't work out but you're going in there and you're really trying to find value. I could have 100 mares I'd like to take home from a sale but it's just a matter of taking them home at a price that will give you a chance of having a commercial turnaround in the next three to four years. That's really all we try to do. It just so happened that, over the past couple of years, some of those mares have bounced but, over the past five or six years, there are some who haven't worked out the same way at all.” The big-ticket sales were not confined to the foal section at Goffs, either, as the Irish National Stud enjoyed a quicker-than-expected commercial lift with La Gloire (Churchill), who sold in foal to Sioux Nation to Michael O'Leary's Plantation Stud for €250,000. Out of Date With Destiny (George Washington), La Gloire's sky-rocketing value from a 40,000gns purchase at last year's December Mares Sale at Tattersalls is in no small part down to the emergence on the page of her half-brother Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder), who finished third in the Dewhurst and holds genuine 2,000 Guineas claims next year. Arizona Blaze: new to the Irish National Stud for 2026 | Racingfotos.com Beale commented, “We put her in the sale as an insurance policy as much as anything. We had a pretty average yearling sale season this year so we knew the foals had to go well. And then, if the foals didn't go well, we had a few mares in the sale there just to try and make ends meet as an insurance policy. Thankfully, the foals did sell well but, when we were there, we said we'd put a sensible price on her and if she sells, she sells. I would have been more than delighted to bring her home but she made a fair price and I'm delighted she went to a big farm so she'll have a chance.” You will be hard pressed to find a man more allergic to self praise than Beale. Instead, he prefers to shine a light on the countless people behind the scenes – the likes of Gary Swift, Helen Boyce and Conor Hyland – who have played an important role in the changing fortunes for the stud. “I always say the place is a teaching hospital,” he says. “We're used to people coming through the place and hopefully they're adding a little bit of value by spending five or six months by doing the breeding course or by coming back and working with us after the course is finished. The vast majority of the people working at the stud, myself included, are graduates from the Irish National Stud course that went away and did something else before coming back. So, they understand it, they get it and they have an awful lot of pride in it. Above all else, they are very capable. I pride myself on the fact that, when a person comes down to view our stock, the horses are presented well number one but, also, the people are met with a warm welcome. From top to bottom and everyone in between, they are met with a smile. For the Irish National Stud, I think that is extremely important.” Warm welcomes at the ready then for breeders and general racing fans who will be hoping to catch a glimpse of the Irish National Stud's newest addition to the stallion roster, Arizona Blaze, whose opening fee has been set at €12,500. Campaigned by Amo Racing , Arizona Blaze proved himself one of the toughest horses in training over five and six furlongs, culminating with a brilliant top-level triumph in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh at the Irish Champions Festival. Beale is confident that he will complement Phoenix Of Spain, Lucky Vega, Nando Parrado and Shouldvebeenaring on the roster. The post Cathal Beale: ‘It Was A Moment In Time For Us At The Irish National Stud’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article