Wandering Eyes

Guy Petit has been appointed as bloodstock director at AKTEM, the new auction house in France which is scheduled to hold its first sales in February next year. A bloodstock agent for more than 30 years, Petit has sourced top-class National Hunt performers such as Min, Royale Pagaille and Thousand Stars, as well as the Grand National winner Mon Mome. On the Flat, his high-profile purchases include the Group 1 winners Rougir and Tribhuvan. “I am delighted by this new challenge, which allows me to move to the other side of the fence,” said Petit. “Supporting a young and ambitious person like Sofiane Benaroussi – who is determined to implement new initiatives for the benefit of the industry – really appealed to me, and I am thrilled to invest myself alongside him.” He added, “My extensive address book of both buyers and vendors allows me to confidently embrace this new adventure and bring my expertise, particularly in the National Hunt sphere, by offering new opportunities to breeders and owners with a service that complements the existing market.” Mégane Martins has also joined the AKTEM team as head of communication and development. After a full-year internship with Arqana Racing Club, Martins gained hands-on experience at Écurie des Monceaux, before returning to the Deauville sales company within the communication and marketing department. In recent years, she has applied her expertise to the charity Au-Delà Des Pistes, among other roles. “I am honoured to join the AKTEM team and lead the communication department,” said Martins. “I return to an environment I know well and appreciate, and I am delighted to put my skills to work once again in this sector. We are committed to offering a new, high-quality service with a truly convivial, modern and professional atmosphere to conduct sales in the best possible conditions.” AKTEM president Sofiane Benaroussi added, “It is a real pleasure to welcome Guy Petit to the AKTEM team. His expertise and network, both in France and internationally, represent a major asset for a young auction house like ours. “Highly active in the National Hunt sector, he brings strong skills to this segment of the market and will provide clients with the best possible support in enhancing the value of their horses. “We are also delighted to welcome Mégane Martins to lead the agency's communication and support its growth. She brings extensive experience in this field, a broad range of skills acquired within the industry, and a young, innovative, dynamic profile.” The post Guy Petit Named Bloodstock Director at AKTEM appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The G2 Richmond Stakes winner and G1 Dewhurst Stakes runner-up Royal Scotsman will take up stallion duties at Michael Swinburn's Genesis Green Stud in 2026. He will stand for a fee of £6,000, in partnership with owners Jim and Fitri Hay. Bred by Rabbah Bloodstock, Royal Scotsman is out of the 100-rated Cheveley Park Stud-bred mare Enrol (Pivotal) and was consigned by Genesis Green Stud when fetching 125,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. He won the Richmond after finishing a close-up third behind Bradsell in the G2 Coventry Stakes. Having been beaten a head by Chaldean in the Dewhurst, the pair met again in the 2,000 Guineas, in which Royal Scotsman finished third. He also won last year's G3 Diomed Stakes at Epsom. Co-trainer Paul Cole said of the son of Gleneagles, “He was incredibly talented and it is very unfortunate that we did not always get to see him at his best with a variety of factors not going his way.” It had previously been reported that Royal Scotsman would stand at Haras du Taillis in France for the 2026 breeding season. Alex Cole, on behalf of the Hay family, said “Royal Scotsman has given us enormous pride on the racecourse and it was important to them [the Hay family] that his stallion career was here in Britain. Supporting British racing and the British breeding industry has always mattered to them, and we are delighted to partner with Genesis Green Stud and the Swinburns for his next chapter.” Michael Swinburn added, “Royal Scotsman was as good-looking and athletic a colt as I have ever sold. Naturally, we followed him closely on the track and had many conversations about how much we would love to breed to him when the time came. “We had never considered venturing into standing a stallion, but when this opportunity presented itself, we simply couldn't let it pass by. To welcome him back now as a stallion is enormously exciting and we believe, when breeders come to see him, they will be every bit as impressed by him as we are.” The post Multiple Group Winner Royal Scotsman to Stand at Genesis Green Stud in 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Prize-money at Ascot Racecourse will be a record £19.4 million in 2026, an increase of £1.65 million on this year. Figures exclude the industry-owned QIPCO British Champions Day. Across 25 racedays, 88 of Ascot's 169 races (52%) will have a higher total prize fund than in 2025, with all races on the Flat worth £25,000 or more. Royal Ascot will be worth £10.65 million, from £10.05 million. Increases have been made across the Royal Ascot programme, with all eight Group 1 races now worth a minimum of £700,000 (including two at £1 million), while all races at the royal meeting will be run for £120,000 or more, up from £110,000. In all, 26 of the 35 races across the week will be run for more than they were in 2025. In July, it was announced that the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes will become Britain's first £2 million race next year, up from £1.5 million. This year's running of the race saw the world's current top-rated horse, Calandagan, triumph in another top-class renewal of Europe's midsummer all-aged highlight. Total prize-money on the day will now be in excess of £2.5 million. Amongst other uplifts on the Flat, the G2 Summer Mile will be worth £165,000 (up from £140,000), while all Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup races will be run for at least £85,000 (up from £80,000), taking the total on the day to £525,000. Investment in Class 3 and 4 races on the Flat takes all races to a minimum of £25,000, with total prize-money increasing by £287,000 at those levels. Overall, Ascot's executive contribution to prize-money will go up from £9.97 million in 2025 to a budgeted £10.7 million next year. Felicity Barnard, chief executive officer at Ascot Racecourse, said, “We are delighted to be making these increases in prize-money for 2026, demonstrating our commitment to the sport and focus on rewarding participants. “We are of course conscious of the macro-economic factors currently at play which make taking a long-term view on prize-money investment even more important. We hope that these uplifts will play a part in encouraging investment in British racing. “In announcing this record figure, an increase of £1.65 million, whilst making an international statement with the King George, we have also focused on improvements across the programme. “Over half of our races across both codes have seen increases and through £25,000 minimum Flat values and a focus on the novice hurdle programme, we are aligning many of our increases with an agreed industry focus on developmental races.” Nick Smith, director of racing and public affairs at Ascot, added, “Prize-money is the most important investment tool that we have in attracting horses to run from home and abroad, at all levels of racing that we stage. “We've seen some world-class racing at Ascot in 2025, with runners travelling here from four continents. It is vital in an increasingly competitive international market that we keep Ascot at the forefront and the flagship £2 million King George is key to this alongside the royal meeting. “We will be promoting the King George alongside our large independent racecourses and Jockey Club colleagues, under the Midsummer Elite Races banner. The July Cup, Sussex Stakes, International and King George are Britain's historical, defining, all-aged summer races over their respective trips and we hope that promoting them together, with increased prize-money all round, will gain traction.” The post Prize-Money at Ascot to Reach Record £19.4m in 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Globetrotting galloper Dubai Honour has been withdrawn from Sunday week’s Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) at Sha Tin, reducing the field for the staying contest to 11. A five-time visitor to Hong Kong and runner-up to Giavellotto in last year’s Vase, the William Haggas-trained Dubai Honour was officially withdrawn on Monday after racing in the United Kingdom last Friday. The evergreen seven-year-old claimed his 10th career win with a typically tough performance in the Listed Midnite Churchill...View the full article

Hollie Doyle is hoping to keep building momentum on the way to the International Jockeys’ Championship with a solid book of six rides at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. The British rider has enjoyed a strong start to her Hong Kong stint, riding three winners and really hitting the ground running in terms of support. From seven meetings so far, Doyle’s leanest night has been five rides and she has already ridden in three Group races, such has been the support she has received in such a short...View the full article

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November is always an important month in Hong Kong racing and this year was no exception, with the city’s two best gallopers Romantic Warrior and Ka Ying Rising making big statements ahead of the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR). The Post analyses the jockeys and trainers who had a month to remember or one to forget, as well as the most outstanding victory and winning ride. Who’s in form? Zac Purton continued his winning ways, matching his October haul with 16 wins at an incredible...View the full article

California-bred Unrivaled Time proved his class in the Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T) Nov. 30 at Del Mar, winning the one-mile race by 3/4 lengths, and surviving a stewards inquiry.View the full article

With the Kentucky Derby still 22 weeks away, the pari-mutuel field of “All Other Foals from the 2023 Foal Crop” closed as the 2-1 favorite in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) and Spendthrift Farm's unbeaten GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) from the barn of two-time Derby winner Todd Pletcher was the 7-1 second choice. Saturday's GII Kentucky Jockey Club winner Further Ado (Gun Runner) also attracted some interest from bettors at 13-1. TOP 10 BETTING CHOICE (with trainer, sire, Pool 2 odds and $2 Win Will Pays) #40 All Other Foals from the 2023 Foal Crop (2-1, $6.08) #37 Ted Noffey (Todd Pletcher, Into Mischief, 7-1, $16.84) #14 Further Ado (Brad Cox, Gun Runner, 13-1, $28.86) #28 Napoleon Solo (Chad Summers, Liam's Map, 21-1, $44.84) #2 Boyd (Bob Baffert, Violence, 22-1, $46.16) #29 Paladin (Chad Brown, Gun Runner, 22-1, $46.90) #3 Brant (Bob Baffert, Gun Runner, 25-1, $52) #17 Incredibolt (Riley Mott, Bolt d'Oro, 28-1, $59.94) #26 Mr. A. P. (Vladimir Cerin, American Pharoah, 29-1, $60.60) #12 Englishman (Cherie DeVaux, Maxfield, 30-1, $62.78) Total handle for the Nov. 27-30 KDFW pool– the second of six scheduled wagering pools in advance of the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby–was $261,076 ($208,341 in the Win pool and $52,735 in Exactas). This year's early Derby betting menu also included the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, which, for the 11th consecutive year, provided bettors with an opportunity to wager on select sires and their entire crop of juveniles with the hope of winning next year's Kentucky Derby. Into Mischief at 9-2 and Gun Runner at 5-1, the sires of Ted Noffey and Further Ado, respectively, attracted the most attention from bettors as did Not This Time at 7-1. Total betting on the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager was $56,359 ($44,496 in the Win pool and $11,863 in the Exactas). The KDFW Pool 2 and Sire Future Wager combined to handle $317,435. Pool 1, which covered Oct. 29-31, had record early November total betting of $184,492 ($143,448 in the Win pool and $41,044 in Exactas), which brings the early Future Wager total betting to $501,927. For complete Kentucky Derby Rules and Future Wager Odds Sheets, click here. The post ‘All Others’ Favored at 2-1 in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Del Mar rounded out its 12th Bing Crosby Fall Meet on Sunday with a 9.4% gain in total handle, despite running one fewer day than in 2024 due to a weather-related cancellation. Total wagering for the recently concluded 13-day fall meet rose to $183.4 million compared to $167.6 million for the 14-day 2024 fall season. Average daily handle for the 13 race days was $14.1 million an increase of 17.8% from last year. Field size for the fall season remained steady at 7.77 runners per race versus 7.72 in 2024. For the second year in a row, the highlight of the fall session was the Breeders' Cup World Championships held on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. (The 2025 handle and field size figures exclude races conducted over the two Breeders' Cup cards.) The 2025 Breeders' Cup–Del Mar's fourth time hosting the World Championships in the past nine years–highlighted domestic and international runners with the handle topping $180 million for only the third time in the history of the event. The nation's premier fall season turf racing was conducted over Del Mar's Jimmy Durante Turf Course and featured the FanDuel Racing Turf Festival–six graded stakes races over the final weekend. “The recent strong business results at Santa Anita, along with those from our own summer and fall meets, show that the public is embracing the single-circuit model to the benefit of California racing stakeholders,” said Del Mar President Josh Rubinstein. “We're grateful for the continued support from owners, trainers, and horseplayers across the country, and we remain focused on finding additional ways to strengthen the economics of racing in California.” Leading jockey honors came down to the final day of the meet, with Umberto Rispoli securing the title with 17 wins. In the race for leading trainer, George Papaprodromou finished atop the standings with 11 victories. The leading owner for the fall season was Juddmonte, concluding the meet with four wins. “The results from Del Mar's fall meet reaffirm that California racing is moving in the right direction,” said Thoroughbred Owners of California Chairman Gary Fenton. “Handle growth, competitive fields, and the success of the Breeders' Cup showcase the value of a unified, single-circuit approach. TOC will continue working with our partners to build on this momentum and deliver a healthier, more sustainable future for our owners and the entire racing ecosystem.” Del Mar will resume racing at its 2026 summer season, scheduled from July 17 through Sept. 7. The post Del Mar Fall Meet Concludes With Increase in Handle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

One day after her half brother, Salamis, won the Hollywood Derby (G1T), Segesta became a grade 1 winner herself when taking the $302,000 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar Nov. 29.View the full article

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has quickly made a mark on the Kentucky horse racing circuit since shifting his tack from New York. The 33-year-old native of Puerto Rico secured his first Churchill Downs leading rider title with 46 wins through the Fall Meet.View the full article

At the end of wagering in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2, Spendthrift Farm's Ted Noffey and Further Ado closed as the top two individual betting choices.View the full article

The two-year-old race staged by the Levin Racing Club at Otaki every November has a proven record of unearthing top-level talent, and Te Akau Racing is hoping for more of the same with Sunday’s Levin Jumpouts 2YO (1100m) winner Kinnaird. The late-spring juvenile event boasts four subsequent Group One winners among its list of winners in the last 17 years alone, starting with the 2008 winner Eileen Dubh, who returned to take out the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) on the same raceday in 2009. The 2009 and 2020 winners, Jimmy Choux and Imperatriz, both earned New Zealand Horse of the Year honours later in their careers, while last year’s winner Romanoff went on to claim the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton just under 12 months later. Those are big shoes to fill for Kinnaird, who like Imperatriz races in the tangerine colours of Te Akau. But he took a big step towards the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie in January with Sunday’s hard-fought debut win. A half-brother to the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) winner Jon Snow, the Home Affairs colt had shown promising signs at the trials and was sent out as a $2.40 favourite for Sunday’s $40,000 event. Ridden by Craig Grylls, Kinnaird sat on the outside of the front-running Butler Cabin before quickening and taking command in the straight. He looked vulnerable as fellow first-starter Ka Ron launched a strong bid from near the back of the field, but rose to meet that challenge. At the end of a head-bobbing final 50m, Kinnaird clung on narrowly to win by a nose. Kinnaird earned $23,000 from Sunday’s win, which puts him in equal sixth spot on the order of entry for the Karaka Millions 2YO on January 24. The TAB now has him on the fourth line of betting at $9 in a market headed by De Armas ($3.20), Incandescent and Torture (both $6). “It was a really good performance to stick his head out and win in a close finish and he showed plenty of grit and determination,” said Mark Walker, who trains in partnership with Sam Bergerson. “He was left in front a little bit soon in the straight, and was a touch green at his first start, but he knuckled down strongly when the other horse arrived up alongside. “He’ll take a lot of improvement from the race and trip away, and I think that after a short freshen-up, he’ll keep furnishing into an even better young horse. There is plenty of upside with him. “The family has invariably left horses that win over much more distance and as older horses, but he has shown precocity and natural talent to be able to race and win as a two-year-old and there is a lot more scope to come. “He’s eligible for the Karaka Millions 2YO in January at Ellerslie, and that will be our aim.” Kinnaird is the second winner for Coolmore Australia’s first-season stallion Home Affairs, and both of those winners have been in New Zealand. The first was the Tony Pike-trained Harvey Wallbanger, who won at Ellerslie on debut before finishing second behind De Armas in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m). Kinnaird was offered by Highview in Book 1 of Karaka 2025, where Te Akau principal David Ellis bought him for $340,000. View the full article

Shifting his tack to Churchill Downs for the 26-day Fall Meet, Irad Ortiz Jr. rounded out the session with 46 wins, including two landed on Sunday's closing day. The mark represented the most wins at the meeting since Julien Leparoux won 63 races “It's been very successful since moving to Kentucky,” Ortiz Jr. said. “It's been great to be able to ride for so many new owners and trainers. I'm very thankful for everyone who's helped us get to where we are.” Represented by Steve Rushing, Ortiz' most notable wins at the Fall Meet included Further Ado in the $400,000 GII Kentucky Jockey Club; Alpine Princess in the $400,000 GIII Falls City; On Time Girl in the $225,000 Fern Creek; and Life of Joy in the $200,000 Rags to Riches. Ortiz won five races twice during the Fall Meet: Nov. 12 and Saturday's Stars of Tomorrow II card. Ortiz' brother, Jose Ortiz, was second in the standings with 37 wins. He was followed by Luis Saez (28), Tyler Gaffalione (28) and Axel Concepcion (11). Cox Secures 10th Leading Trainer Title Brad Cox notched his 10th Churchill Downs title with 21 wins after Sunday's closing day program. It marked his first Fall Meet training title since 2017. Cox, a 45-year-old Louisville native, enjoyed a banner day on Saturday with five wins from eight starters. He joined Steve Asmussen as the only two horsemen to achieve that feat since Churchill Downs records have been documented since 1991. Asmussen won with five of seven starters on Thanksgiving Day in 2021. Cox's starters on Saturday: Sticker Shock ($8.48), Kentucky Belle ($4.68), Swift Blade (9th at 8.88-1), On Time Girl ($8.22), Kilo Tango (3rd at 4.16-1), Further Ado ($3.42), Life of Joy (4th at 2.93-1) and Cannoneer ($5.54). Cox also became the eighth all-time leading trainer at Churchill Downs when Further Ado gave him win No. 500 and, one race later, Cannoneer delivered win No. 501. Cox teamed with Irad Ortiz Jr. to win 18, including four stakes: the Kentucky Jockey Club; the Falls City; the Fern Creek; and the $200,000 Rags to Riches. Brendan Walsh finished second with 14 wins, while Joe Sharp rounded out the top three with 13 victories. Godolphin Earns Owner Title The race for the Fall Meet leading owner at Churchill Downs came down to the final day Sunday, however, Godolphin held the advantage with seven wins. This is Godolphin's fifth leading owner title. Their wins at the meet included Bella Ballerina in the $400,000 GII Golden Rod and six allowance victories. The post Godolphin, Irad Ortiz and Brad Cox Top Churchill Downs Fall Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Hope Road (Quality Road–Marley's Freedom, by Blame) turned the GIII Bayakoa Stakes at Del Mar on Sunday into her own personal workout as she cruised home a winner. Following the lead of Simply Joking (Practical Joke), the heavy favorite was waiting to pounce from the bell through the end of the backstretch. The Cicero homebred who was firing on all cylinders went by her opponent before the top of the lane and never looked back. The final running time was 1:36.38. No doubt about this one. Hope Road dominates the Grade III Bayakoa Stakes. pic.twitter.com/NYuCP176sZ — Del Mar Racetrack (@DelMarRacing) December 1, 2025 Sunday, Del Mar BAYAKOA S.-GIII, $101,500, Del Mar, 11-30, 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:36.38, ft. 1–HOPE ROAD, 121, f, 4, by Quality Road 1st Dam: Marley's Freedom (GISW, $1,233,935), by Blame 2nd Dam: Relaxing Green, by Formal Gold 3rd Dam: Charlotte Augusta, by Chief's Crown ($575,000 RNA Ylg '22 FTSAUG). O-Cicero Farms LLC; B-Cicero Farms LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 14-6-4-2, $1,016,620. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Simply Joking, 118, f, 3, Practical Joke–Imply, by E Dubai. ($65,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Berkels0813 LLC, CMNWLTH LLC, Grantley Acres and Conner, Ryan; B-Barlar, LLC (PA); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $20,000. 3–Mahina, 121, m, 5, Bolt d'Oro–Malibu Pier, by Malibu Moon. ($100,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-U.S. Equine, Burke, Walter, Sones, Aaron and Wilson, Harry; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Patrick Gallagher. $12,000. Margins: 6HF, 2 3/4, NO. Odds: 0.40, 4.80, 28.40. Also Ran: Jane Austen, Home Game, Lemon Muffin, Warming, Precise Timing. Scratched: Deep Blue. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Quality Road’s Hope Road Blazes Home In Bayakoa Stakes At Del Mar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Stephen Marsh has his sights set on further feature-race success, with his proven performer Provence (NZ) (Savabeel) confirmed for Saturday’s Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham. The Cambridge trainer took his black-type tally for the first four months of the season to seven when Ammirati (NZ) (Savabeel) claimed a bizarre win in Sunday’s Gr.3 Jennian Homes Wellington Stakes (1600m) at Otaki. In a dramatic final 50 metres, fellow Cambridge-trained three-year-old Road To Paris (NZ) (Circus Maximus) shied at the winning post with victory in sight, dropping rider Masa Hashizume and severely checking Ammirati, who had seemed just as assured of second place. Adding to the melee, pursuing runners Tulsa King (NZ) (Staphanos) and Landman (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) suddenly burst into contention and when the trio still in contention crossed the line, Ammirati held victory by a nose from Tulsa King, with the same margin to Landman. “I’ve seen some strange things in my time, but that surely takes the cake, it was just crazy,” Marsh said on Monday morning after digesting the outcome of the Wellington Stakes, which he has now won five times. Meanwhile, Marsh has confirmed that Provence, whose Gr.1 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m) and HKJC World Pool New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) contributed two Group One wins to his collection last season, will give the Savabeel mare the chance of a third elite win in Saturday’s TAB Mufhasa Classic. Provence will be third-up in the weight-for-age feature after being unplaced in her resuming race and then a late-finishing second behind Qali Al Farrasha (NZ) (Almanzor) in the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe 10 days ago. “She’s coming up great and after what we saw last time, the step up to 1600 should be ideal,” Marsh said. “We know how well she goes at Trentham and now that she’s up there in the ratings (at 104), the weight-for-age conditions suit her.” Last-start jockey Craig Grylls is sticking with second favourite Waitak (NZ) (Proisir) in the Trentham feature, but Marsh is happy to have engaged another in-form rider in George Rooke for Provence, who is currently quoted at $15 on the early odds market. Marsh also reports that stable star El Vencedor (NZ) (Shocking) remains on target for the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day despite his defeat as the $1.50 favourite in last Saturday’s Gr.3 Bayleys Great Northern Challenge Stakes (1600m). “He’s come through it fine, and to be fair he still ran well when you look at the way the race panned out,” Marsh said in reference to El Vencedor being taken on in the lead and at one point headed by eventual last placegetter Major Major (NZ) (Pins). “I don’t expect my horse to be protected or anything, but I was very disappointed with the tactics on the other horse, it wasn’t a good look for anyone.” View the full article

Continuing the powerful display during Del Mar's closing weekend of racing, trainer Chad Brown once again held the winning card in the day's feature, taking Sunday's GI Matriarch Stakes with Juddmonte's Segesta (Ghostzapper), a half-sister to Saturday's GI Hollywood Derby winner, Salamis (Speightstown). Settled behind a respectable opening pace carved out by In Our Time (Not This Time), the 4-year-old swept to the from in early stretch and drew clear to collect her first Grade I victory by three lengths over the pacesetter. Final time for the eight-furlong test was 1:35.60. Lifetime Record: 11-4-4-0, $1,190,275. O/B-Juddmonte (KY). T-Chad Brown. The post Segesta Caps Del Mar’s Closing Weekend with Matriarch Score appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With a victory in the Cardinal Stakes at Churchill Downs Nov. 27, Proctor Street became the latest in a successful family line that dates back to owner/breeder Patricia Moseley's first horse: the multiple stakes winner Drumtop.View the full article

In a pair of prior starts facing statebreds, Innergy Racing Corp. and Alfred Pais's Unrivaled Time (Not This Time) had closed well in the late stages while showing marked improvement. Closing from the back of a 10-horse field going a mile at Del Mar on Aug. 29, the bay was situated a bit closer to the pace last time, while trying the same distance at Santa Anita on Oct. 19. Finishing full of run when winning as the 2-1 choice for Leonard Powell and jockey Diego Herrera that day, the homebred was given a 5-1 chance in Sunday's GIII Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at Del Mar while a crew that included Grade III winner Hey Nay Nay (Ire) (No Nay Never), who was looking to regain the winning thread after a lackluster 10th in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at the seaside oval on Halloween. Showing early foot from his inside draw, Laurel Futurity winner Proton (Astern {Ire}) went to the front while the flashy Track Tiger (Sharp Azteca) gave chase from a higher draw. While both Unrivaled Time and Hey Nay Nay were content to stalk as Proton carved out an opening quarter in :22.97, Track Tiger was eager to get to the fore and sprinted to the front following a half in :47.52. Regaining the lead leaving the far turn and approaching the quarter pole, 7-2 Proton was still narrowly in front straightening for home as Unrivaled Time, who was closely pursued by Hey Nay Nay, was within striking distance. The leader gave up the advantage midstretch as Unrivaled Time poked a head in front with Iriseach (Ire) (Ubettabelieveit {Ire}) in hot pursuit along the outside, and despite some jostling in the late stages, it was Unrivaled Time that was able to hold on to a half-length score over Iriseach with Hey Nay Nay a close third. Prompted by a rider's objection, the Stewards had a long look at the stretch drive when the favorite appeared to alter course in the final strides, however, the result ultimately remained unchanged. Pedigree Notes: Bred in California by Alfred Pais, Unrivaled Time is out of Margot Machance (GB) (Creachadoir {Ire}), a three-time winner that won for a $20,000 tag in a 23-start racing career for Pais. Her most notable offspring, Margot's Boy (Clubhouse Ride), also ended up winning in the claiming ranks late in his career, however, was a narrowly-beaten second in the 2020 renewal of the GII Del Mar Derby. Subsequent to Unrivaled Time, the English-bred mare produced a filly by Mr. Big last season. She was bred back to Brickyard Ride for 2026. With Sunday DeMille score, Unrivaled Time becomes the 55th graded/group winner for Taylor Made's standout sire Not This Time. Sunday, Del Mar CECIL B. DEMILLE S.-GIII, $101,000, Del Mar, 11-30, 2yo, 1mT, 1:36.42, fm. 1–UNRIVALED TIME, 120, c, 2, by Not This Time 1st Dam: Margot Machance (GB), by Creachadoir (Ire) 2nd Dam: Margot Mine (Ire), by Choisir (Aus) 3rd Dam: Delisha (GB), by Salse 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Innergy Racing Corp and Pais, Alfred; B-Alfred A. Pais (CA); T-Leonard Powell; J-Diego A. Herrera. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $97,600. *1/2 to Margot's Boy (Clubhouse Ride), GSP, $395,626. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Iriseach (Ire), 120, c, 2, Ubettabelieveit (Ire)–Max's Dandy (Ire), by Dandy Man (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. (15,000gns 2yo '25 TAOJN). O-Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, McLean Racing Stables, Strand Beach LLC and Nentwig, Michael; B-Hyde Park Stud (IRE); T-Philip D'Amato. $20,000. 3–Hey Nay Nay (Ire), 124, c, 2, No Nay Never–Travel, by Street Cry (Ire). ($300,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Hronis Racing LLC and Iapetus Racing LLC; B-Lynch Bages, Camas Park & Summerhill B/S (IRE); T-John W. Sadler. $12,000. Margins: 3/4, NK, 3/4. Odds: 5.50, 10.10, 0.50. Also Ran: Proton, Caro Buono (Fr), Brigante, Track Tiger. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. It's official! Unrivaled Time splits horses to capture the Grade III Cecil B DeMille Stakes under @JockeyHerrera. pic.twitter.com/4qHWzSWugN — Del Mar Racetrack (@DelMarRacing) November 30, 2025 The post Not This Time’s Unrivaled Time Survives Inquiry To Take DeMille At Del Mar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York Racing Association was forced to cancel the final eight races of the nine-race card Nov. 30 at Aqueduct Racetrack due to a protest lodged by the jockeys resulting in their refusal to ride.View the full article

Officials from Jamaica's Mouttet Mile asked jockey Javier Castellano to participate in the Caribbean's largest purse race in 2023 and 2024. But other obligations compelled Castellano to decline their overtures. This year, he couldn't say no.View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK — Britain doesn't yet have its own equivalent of the Irish Stallion Trail or La Route des Etalons, but credit must go to the seven farms in and around Newmarket that have thrown open their doors to breeders for an extended run to coincide with the concluding sessions of the Tattersalls December Sale. Opening times over the next few days vary for each farm but, on Sunday, it was possible to view 26 stallions parading within a 30-mile radius of British Flat racing's headquarters. Spared the fuss of having to parade were a couple of the town's elder statesman in Dubawi and Oasis Dream. The Darley behemoth was sure to keep a close eye on proceedings from the comfort of his box at Dalham Hall Stud, however, while Oasis Dream, now rising 26, cut a fine figure when giving a buck and a kick in the paddock that runs parallel to the yellow brick road leading to the stallion yard at Juddmonte's Banstead Manor Stud. For many, the road's end brought a cherished encounter with the living legend that is Frankel, as well as the first glimpse of Lead Artist in his new home, preparing to embark on his first season at a fee of £12,500 next year. “It's a crucial week,” Shane Horan, Juddmonte's nominations manager, said of the opportunity to showcase this year's G1 Lockinge Stakes hero to the breeders that arrived in droves on Sunday. “He's gone down really well. He's a Dubawi out of a Frankel mare and a Group 1-winning miler. He was an obvious one for us to stand and, any new horse that comes here, there is always huge interest in them. Already, lots of people have asked us to hold one [a nomination] and then they'll come down and see him and have a think about what mares would suit him. That's where the process starts and we'll finalise things once the sales are over.” Among those in attendance to be taken with Lead Artist was Daniel Creighton, the bloodstock agent and co-founder of Salcey Forest Stud in Warwickshire, who also took the opportunity to voice some concerns with regards the dilemma so many breeders face when it comes to mating plans. “He's a very nice horse. It's obviously an impeccable pedigree and they've priced him at a very reasonable level,” Creighton said of Lead Artist. “For a commercial breeder like myself, it's important to have stallions that are affordable. England is kind of lacking in stallions at the moment and, unfortunately, the market has just gone so polarised towards first-season sires that, if you use horses in their second or third season, you could be in trouble. They don't keep stallions like Territories that were affordable and could get you a winner. Now, you have to go to a first-season sire or spend 100 grand to send your mare to a proven stallion.” Next year, Creighton will be spoilt for choice should he choose to go down the first-season sire route, with Lead Artist being joined in Newmarket by this year's G1 Prix Jacques le Marois winner Diego Velazquez at the National Stud, as well as the triple Group 1 scorer Rosallion and G1 Commonwealth Cup hero Inisherin at Dalham Hall. The dual Group 1-winning juvenile Shadow Of Light, new to Darley's Kildangan Stud for 2026, also paraded at Dalham Hall on Sunday before his move to Ireland later this year. “He came here about six weeks ago and he's settled in very well,” Jamie Jackson, the National Stud's sales and nominations manager, said of the striking Diego Velazquez, who has been introduced at a fee of £17,500. “He's been able to put on some weight and condition, he's showing amazingly, and everyone's been very complimentary. We'd love to cover a full book for the syndicate behind him and Sam Sangster. If he gets 160 mares, we'd be absolutely delighted – and there's no reason why he wouldn't.” Whilst the team at the National Stud prepared to host a bumper crowd for a special event later on Sunday, it was all hands to the pump at Dalham Hall as Darley's UK base welcomed a relentless stream of visitors eager to inspect the trio of newcomers. “We can get hundreds and hundreds of people here,” Dawn Laidlaw, Darley's head of nominations, said of the five-day open house which got underway there on Saturday. “It's brilliant for us, particularly when you have new stallions. And it's a good chance for people to see the horses that have been here a year or two and how they've changed.” Of the new recruits, she added, “I would say one of the winners for people has been Inisherin. He's a lovely, big stamp of a horse and was obviously very fast. Shadow Of Light was a brilliant two-year-old and seems to be going down well, while Rosallion was an absolutely fantastic racehorse. He's probably a little bit light at the moment – he obviously had quite a hard season – but he moves really well and is exceptionally athletic. I think, this time next year, he'll look like a totally different horse.” Those views were echoed by Dwayne Woods, the bloodstock agent and owner of Brook Stud, who was quick to highlight the obvious potential of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes winner. “It's obviously very early days for them to look good, straight out of training,” Woods said of Darley's three newcomers. “But I thought Rosallion was an absolutely beautiful horse with plenty of scope and size. He's going to look fabulous in a year's time and I think he'll go down really well with breeders.” He continued, “We've obviously seen them when they were racing, but I always love to see them close up as stallions and to envisage the way they're going to progress.” Brook Stud had a busy December Foal Sale when offering 11 weanlings, including a Study Of Man filly who sold to Daithi Harvey for 175,000gns. Another to enjoy a successful time of things at Tattersalls was the dual Group 1-winning sprinter Shaquille, who averaged 64,371gns from 35 of his first-crop representatives. Little wonder the team at Ace Stud was in a buoyant mood as Shaquille's dappled bay coat glistened in the Sunday morning sunshine, with breeders Fiona and Mick Denniff featuring among the interesting onlookers. “We sold two foals by him this week, we've got a mare in foal to him, and another couple will be coming back to him,” Fiona said of their fierce patronage of the young stallion. “As I stood and looked at him there, I said to my husband, 'I don't need to make any notes on this stallion.' I like him that much. I watched him when he was racing and thought he was a phenomenal racehorse. Then, when I saw him for the first time, he looked like a miler and not a sprinter. He walked so well and had so much about him. For me, it was a no-brainer – I had to use him.” Similarly, many breeders who thought it a no-brainer to support Chaldean when he stood his first season at Banstead Manor in 2024 have seen their judgement well rewarded at Park Paddocks in recent days. With an average of 107,440gns from 25 foals, the Classic-winning son of Frankel also featured prominently among the leading first-crop sires at the December Foal Sale. “We could not be happier with Chaldean,” Horan summed up ahead of the sire's imminent return from Cambridge Stud in New Zealand, his base for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season. “We were quietly confident coming into the sale that he would go really well. We were very pleased with the Juddmonte foals that we have on the farm and we knew that he'd covered an exceptional book of mares. All of the right people were buying them and the amount of people that stopped me to say, 'Well done with the Chaldeans, you must be very pleased with the Chaldeans.' He was a very sought-after foal himself when he was offered and people remember him.” Just a short hop away at Shadwell's Beech House Stud, another son of Frankel, Mostahdaf, prowled for breeders on Sunday in the wake of his first foals selling at Tattersalls, headlined by a filly Shadwell signed for themselves at 100,000gns. As the curtain prepares to come down on 2025, however, we can be forgiven for turning our attentions to Shadwell poster boy Baaeed and the countdown to his first runners arriving on European racecourses in 2026. “It's a massive year for Shadwell and our stallion operation,” said the team's UK nominations and EU marketing manager, Will Wright. “Obviously, we've got Baaeed whose legacy goes all the way back to Height Of Fashion, our foundation mare. It's a story in the making, really, and his first yearlings were incredibly well received, selling for up to €800,000. Almost half of his first crop have been retained by their owner-breeders without sending them to the sales. He's everything that a stallion should be and must be one of the most exciting prospects of recent times heading into next year.” The post ‘It’s A Crucial Week’ – New Stallions On Show As Breeders Flock to Newmarket Open Houses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The final eight races of Sunday's nine-race card at Aqueduct Racetrack were cancelled by the New York Racing Association due to a protest lodged by the jockeys resulting in their refusal to ride. Following Race 1, jockeys expressed a concern regarding the duties of the NYRA Clerk of Scales and Assistant Clerk of Scales. Despite the efforts of NYRA management, the jockeys refused to ride and have abandoned live racing on Sunday at Aqueduct. “NYRA is responsible for oversight of the Clerk of Scales, Assistant Clerk of Scales and all racing officials in accordance with New York State Gaming Commission rules,” said Andrew Offerman, NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing and Operations. “The procedures employed by those officials are designed to protect the integrity of racing and are NYRA's responsibility to maintain and enforce.” The jockeys expressed no objections to the condition of the track or weather. Aqueduct Racetrack will remain open for simulcasting, and online wagering is available through NYRA Bets at www.NYRABets.com. Live racing is scheduled to resume Thursday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern. The post Live Racing Cancelled at Aqueduct on Sunday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Delta Downs decided to give horseplayers an unprecedented break last week. For their daytime cards on Tuesday and Wednesday, the track lowered the takeout in all pools to just 10%. While other tracks have experimented with lowering the takeout in some pools, never before had anyone decided to slash the take in all pools. By doing so, it looked like Delta would provide the industry with some much needed data. What effect would such a low takeout have on handle and how would the ADWs and the CAW players react? But the experiment didn't necessarily accomplish that. It may have raised more questions than it answered. On the first day of the takeout promotion, Delta had, for a small track, big numbers. It handled $1,428,848, a 38.6% increase over the comparable program in 2024. But the good fortune lasted only a day. On Day Two of the experiment, the handle was nearly the same as Day One with Delta handling $1,486,485. But that represented a 15.6% decrease from the 2024 handle. The reason why handle fell on Wednesday is pretty clear. Delta went head-to-head with some very strong competitors, including Parx, Tampa Bay Downs and, especially Churchill Downs. The competition was much softer on Tuesday when the only tracks to run daytime cards were Finger Lakes, Mahoning Valley, Parx and Zia Park. Delta decided to go the daytime route to give a break to its employees and horsemen around the Thanksgiving holiday, but it might have backfired. Delta rarely runs during the day and one of the reasons is that, during the night, it is typically one of, if not the, strongest signals offered to the player. That's why Delta proudly calls itself “America's favorite nighttime track.” “Would we have been better off running at night? We don't know yet. Maybe,” said Delta Downs Director of Racing Operations John Simon, who was the one who came up with the idea for the promotion. Another important mitigating factor for both days was that the Churchill Downs-owned TwinSpires ADW did not take the Delta signal on both days. That wasn't a complete surprise since such low takeouts mean less of a profit margin for an ADW. “We were a little surprised that they didn't take us after they were, at first, supportive of the idea,” Simon said. “Did they give us an explanation why they didn't take us? No, they did not.” However, all the other major ADWs–Xpressbet, TVG, NYRA Bets and AmWager–offered Delta to their customers, perhaps realizing that it wasn't the worst thing to let their Delta-playing customers get a big break when only two cards would be involved. The other unknown was how would the CAW players react. They generally don't like to play wagers with low takeouts because higher takeouts mean they are entitled to larger rebates. Simon said he had yet to receive the data regarding the play of CAW customers. But there was at least one race that indicated CAW play strongly influenced the odds. In Wednesday's feature, the $100,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes, the Tom Amoss-trained Oscar's Hope (Twirling Candy) looked like a standout on paper, worth even-money or less. At 3:57.30 pm, roughly 90 seconds before the race went off, he was 7-5. With each subsequent flash, his odds kept going down, but only slightly. At 4:56.32, he took a big hit and was all the way down to 2-5. In the last two flashes, he was down to 3-10. He won and paid $2.60, a lot less than the price that was being offered to the “regular player” less than two minutes before the race went off. Though we don't yet know 100% that was CAW play that slashed the odds, the evidence suggests that it was. Simon said it was too early to say whether Delta would try a similar promotion again, but let's hope they do. And if they do, let's hope that TwinSpires and all the other ADWs take the signal. The industry needs to give a lot more thought to making life easier on the everyday horseplayer, who has never had it worse because they are being hammered by the CAW players, causing many to simply walk away from the sport. Whether it worked or not, Delta should be commended for thinking of the horseplayer first. More on CAWs Not everyone is ready to sit by and let the CAW players make gambling a frustrating experience for them. Someone posted an online petition on social media sites under the name of “CAW Tracker,” asking players to sign a petition expressing their unhappiness with CAW play and the need for passage of the Fair Horse Wagering Act. The petition can be found at https://cawtracker.com/sign-the-petition/#. It reads: “Signing the Fair Horse Wagering Act sends a clear message that everyday fans are no longer willing to let computer-assisted wagering quietly distort the sport they love. By adding your name, you help shine a spotlight on an issue that has grown unchecked for years, raising public awareness and pushing regulators to take meaningful action. A unified show of support not only amplifies the voices of horseplayers who feel drowned out by automated betting groups, but it also helps protect the integrity of wagering pools, preserve competitive balance, and restore trust in a game that depends on transparency.” Well said. At Del Mar, Chad Brown Does It Again While no one is more dangerous with a turf stakes horse in New York than Chad Brown, he's even better at Del Mar, where his success continued during the weekend's Turf Festival at the seaside track. Brown won two of three grass stakes on Saturday's card at Del Mar and with the only two horses he started that day. He won the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes with Just Aloof (Justify), who paid $8.00. He came right back and won the only Grade I on the card with Salamis (Speightstown) in the GI Hollywood Derby. It was his fifth win in the Hollywood Derby as he surpassed Charlie Whittingham for most career wins in the Grade I event. It was his third win in the Jimmy Durate. He did not have a starter in the GII Hollywood Turf Cup on Friday, a race he has yet to win. On Sunday's card he had Segesta (Ghostzapper) in the GI Matriarch. (The race was run after the deadline for this story). That's a race he has won six times, including each of the last four years. He is bearing down on the record for most Matriarch wins, which is eight and was set by his former boss Bobby Frankel. Overall, Brown, despite not winning a race at this year's Breeders' Cup, is entering the Matriarch 21-for-104 all-time at Del Mar for a winning rate of 21%. For him, that's actually a lower percentage than the one he normally puts up in New York, but what is so remarkable is that all 21 wins have come in graded stakes races. The post Delta’s Takeout Promotion Yields Mixed Results appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article