Wandering Eyes

Geldings by Joshua Tree (Ire) (lot 463) and Poet's Word (Ire) (lot 535) shared topper honours when selling for €45,000 to lead the way during Part 2 of the Goffs Arkle Sale on Thursday. Consigned by Liss House, lot 463 was purchased by Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins. His dam, Tropical Lilly (Ire) (Saddler's Hall {Ire}) is responsible for Grade 3 chase winner Embittered (Ire) (Fame And Glory {GB}), who was also placed in the G1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle. He was a €5,000 Goffs December National Hunt Sale graduate when picked up by Joe Kelly. Lot 535 is also well-related as a half-brother to Grade 1-placed chaser No Comment (GB) (Kayf Tara {GB}). Boardsmill Stud offered the bay, who was acquired by Robert Tyner. Overall, 148 horses sold from 214 offered (69%) for a gross of €2,243,250 during Part 2. The average and the median were €15,158 (-23%) and €14,000 (-18%). Goffs Group chief executive Henry Beeby said, “Part 1 of the Arkle Sale now sets such high standards that any sale that follows it struggles to keep up. Following two vibrant days today has maintained the momentum with a lively trade for those the market judged to be most desirable, although the average and median have declined by larger percentages compared to Part 1 which was deemed a success relative to the expectation coming into the week. “The clearance rate is of particular concern as a figure of 69% is well short of what we all set out to achieve. It compares unfavourably with Part 1's 80% and demonstrates the challenges the market is facing away from the headline horses and continues recent trends. A tightening of trade impacts everyone and we will look to reverse the decline by working hard with all entities. “As ever we are indebted to every vendor this week for their support and thank them sincerely as we are nothing without their horses. We also acknowledge each purchaser and have been grateful to receive so much positive feedback about the standard of horse that is now the norm at Arkle, the improvements we have carried out to Kildare Paddocks and the service they have received from the Goffs team and our friends at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing. The latter team are such an asset to us, and we are lucky to have their ongoing enthusiastic support. “Goffs NH sales are now leading the way in so many categories and we are proud of the progress we have made in this sector with the support of so many different people.” The post Pair Of Co-Toppers Lead The Way For Arkle Sale Part 2 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Santa Anita Park racegoers will have a rooting interest at this year's historic Royal Ascot meet in England. Departing Santa Anita for Royal Ascot June 12 was Missed the Cut for trainer John Sadler.View the full article

By Michael Guerin John Dunn wants to achieve something that hasn’t been done in modern times, but even if he pulls it off he won’t get his name in the record books. Dunn dreams of winning both the trainers and drivers’ premierships this year, with the harness racing season running from January 1 to December 31. At the half way stage he has a great shot at both, kind of. But there are two small issues: he isn’t actually officially a horse trainer and to win the drivers’ premiership he has to beat Blair Orange. Let’s start with the first issue. Dunn is the boss of the Canterbury stable which runs under Robert (his father) and Jenna’s (John’s wife) names, and is branded as Diamond Racing. Nothing untoward in that. Everybody who knows harness racing knows John runs things but he believes Jenna, who is an integral part of the stable, should have her name on the paperwork too. It obviously all works because Diamond Racing has a 22 win lead over Steve and Amanda Telfer on the trainer’s premiership and John is very clear about their commitment to winning the title again. “We absolutely want to win it again and I think we have the numbers to do it,” says Dunn, “Not only do we want to win it for ourselves and the owners but Dad (Robert) is good mates with Steve Stockman (owner of Stonewall Stud, who the Telfers train for) and they enjoy ribbing each other about it. “So the trainers’ premiership is a priority.” Winning the driver’s premiership would not only be more official but would put Dunn in two rarified clubs: one an (unofficial) winner of both premierships in the same season while John’s brother Dexter has won a remarkable 10 driving premierships. When Dexter moved to the United States, Orange took over the driving premiership domination and John isn’t sure he can wrest it away from his good friend. John recently drove seven winners on an Addington card and took the premiership lead, Orange came back by driving five at an Invercargill meeting a few days later so they head to Addington tonight with Orange leading by two. “Blair will be bloody hard to beat,” admits John. “I think I am driving well enough and I’d love to win it but I can’t travel as much as Blair. “I predominantly have to be here to train horses and most of my big books of drives are at Canterbury meetings whereas I had to watch Blair pop down to Southland and drive five winners just like that. “And, of course, we all know he is a great driver. “But if I am hanging in there come the back end of the season I will be prepared to travel to give me the best chance of winning it.” Team Dunn takes their usual strong team to Addington tonight where John rates their best chances as Follow Your Dream (R3, No.5) and Miki’s Courage (R8, No.7). “They are both racing well and haven’t finished winning yet,” says Dunn. Old favourite Heisenberg is the best horse in Race seven, The Seahorse Supplements Handicap Pace, and in great form, with Dunn only wary of his 30m handicap. “It’s only a small field so he can still win but a lot will depend on how they run the race,” says Dunn. View the full article

OCALA, FL – The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training continued its steady course Thursday, with figures through two of the auction's three sessions in line with its 2023 statistics. During two sessions, 384 juveniles have sold for $14,402,900, with the average of $37,508 ticking up 3.1% from a year ago and the median remaining steady at $20,000. With 125 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 24.6%. Through two sessions a year ago, 410 juveniles had grossed $14,922,600 for an average of $36,397. The buy-back rate was 21.9%. For the second day in a row, the session was topped by a $400,000 filly from the Tom McCrocklin's consignment. Thursday's top offering was a Twirling Candy full-sister to GI Preakness S. winner Rombauer who was purchased by John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock. Despite the two session toppers, McCrocklin admitted the June market was “tenuous.” “It's tough,” McCrocklin said. “I am of the opinion we might be getting into a little sales fatigue, a little financial fatigue. You know when you've been at the mall since March and your credit just went over the limit and it's time to go home. I think a lot of buyers feel that way right now.” The record rain fall in South Florida this week may have kept some potential buyers away, McCrocklin added. “Unfortunately, they had historic rain in Miami yesterday, so I don't think anybody came up from Gulfstream,” he said. “I don't know that they would have come in anyway, but that sure didn't help. It's June and it's hot and it's a lot of work. You have to really be motivated to be here and buying horses. Having said that, there is some tremendous value here. For people who are skeptical, there is some tremendous value at OBS June. There really is. I told somebody earlier, you could buy a racing stable here and come out ok. I'd like for them to consider that going forward.” McCrocklin added, “We've done very well and we are very grateful to the people who bought our horses, but it is tough right now.” Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds consigned Thursday's second-highest priced offering, a filly by Justify who was purchased by Tom Durant for $310,000. Randy Hartley | Photos by Z “The market just seems saturated,” Randy Hartley said. “We have how many Thoroughbreds that were born this year? Say 16,000 to 17,000. When I started there was 40,000. And now you have 6,000 or 7,000 going to the yearling sale and 3,000 are coming here now. There used to be maybe 1,000–there were 300 horses in the sale, we didn't have a June sale then. I feel like the market is changing a little bit. How you get more people in, I don't know. “The yearling sales are probably going to be good, because those people who have a gazillion dollars, they don't care about buying one. But it's the guy who has $100,000 and his wife says no, maybe you shouldn't spend that $100,000–that's who we are missing.” Hartley theorized that the added technology available to buyers at the 2-year-old sales may be hindering the market. “I know modern technology is a good thing, but I feel like now it's gotten out of hand,” he said. “Now with the videos walking, videos breezing, the pictures, the gallop-out times, the breeze times, there are seven things and chances are something is going to come up on one of those things. Versus coming here and just going with your gut. I think Bob Baffert is the best horse picker there is in the world because he picks his own horses. He's a gut-feel buyer. I think when you see something yourself [in person] versus just flipping through, sometimes you see something you might not have liked otherwise. I think technology is great, but at the end of the day, I think you have to go with your gut.” The OBS June sale concludes Friday with a session beginning at 10 a.m. Twirling Candy Filly to Resolute A Twirling Candy full-sister to GI Preakness S. winner Rombauer (hip 509) matched the top price of Wednesday's opening session when bringing a final online bid of $400,000 from John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock Thursday in Ocala. Like Wednesday's session topper, a daughter of Tiz the Law, the juvenile had RNA'd at the OBS Spring sale, worked a quarter-mile in a bullet :20 2/5 during last week's under-tack preview, and was consigned by Tom McCrocklin. “She has the pedigree and the residual value is there,” Resolute's Gavin O'Connor said of the filly's appeal. “At that price, she made a lot of sense. She looked very clean and comfortable going in :20 2/5 and she galloped out well. The pitch was that we would have a go at her and basically, as good as she made it look and as comfortable as she was, with the residual value of the pedigree, she looked like the right acquisition for Resolute Racing. We were delighted to get her at that price.” The filly, bred by John and Diane Fradkin, RNA'd for $570,000 as a weanling at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton November sale and again for $225,000 as a yearling at last year's Keeneland September sale before selling to Mustang Farm for $140,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October sale. She worked a furlong in :10 flat before RNA'ing for $285,000 at the OBS Spring sale in April. “We didn't see her in April,” O'Connor said. “But her work this time just looked a little bit more clear and concise. She had obviously come on from April.” Resolute purchased five horses at the OBS March sale, led by a $1-million son of Authentic. The operation now has some two dozen 2-year-olds on its roster with a group of yearlings waiting in the wings for next racing season. John Stewart in the winner's circle last weekend with Didia | Sarah Andrew “I know the boss is keen to build out many more active racers, so we can have more of a presence on the big days within the racing calendar,” O'Connor said. “So we are slowly, but surely, getting there and we've got another 14 or 15 yearlings to break next year to add to the racing stable as well. And we are always open to ready-made racers as well.” O'Connor said no trainer had yet been picked out for the filly. Among Resolute's March purchases was a $500,000 daughter of Munnings, who like hip 509, was consigned by McCrocklin. “I am very happy Resolute bought her,” McCrocklin said of Thursday's purchase. “We sold them a Munnings filly in the March sale, so they must be happy with how she came out of the sale. We need more people like Mr. Stewart to be in the game, supporting the industry, so it's a good result and we are really happy. We think she is a genuinely nice filly.” McCrocklin admitted having a pair of fillies bring $400,000 at the June sale after RNA'ing at the April sale was a definite longshot. “It's like the quote from Dumb and Dumber, 'One in a million,'” he said with a laugh. “It's highly unlikely. It's difficult to do. And all the credit goes to the horses.” Justify Filly to Durant A filly by Justify (hip 624) will join Tom Durant's Midwest-based stable after selling for $310,000 during Thursday's second session of the OBS June sale. The bay is out of Etching (Paynter), a daughter of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Summerly (Summer Squall). She was consigned by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds, which purchased her for $275,000 at Keeneland last September. “Tom saw her breeze and he loved her,” said Randy Hartley. “He's a good client of mine and he asked me what I thought about her. I told him she's a nice filly. We had her in the last sale and she worked in :10 flat and the sales people just didn't get on her. They got on the other fillies more than her. She came back and worked excellent. Tom loves Justify and she's a filly with a nice pedigree. She's going to Texas and he's going to race her out there. He will win some stakes with her and he will have a nice little mare for down the road.” Smullen on the Board at OBS Heather Smullen, who celebrated her first win as a trainer at the end of May at Gulfstream, was in action building up her stable at OBS Thursday where she purchased a colt by Win Win Win (hip 377) for $6,000. Heather Smullen aboard Tiz the Law in 2020 | Sarah Andrew “I have some people who just want to buy in portions,” Smullen said. “Ideally, I would love to pick up more clients up here and get a couple of nice 2-year-olds.” Consigned by Ocala Stud, hip 377 is out of Adios Annie (Adios Charlie), a half-sister to Grade I-placed Candrea (Trippi). “He was just a value play,” Smullen said. “He is a nice little horse with a nice stride on him. And he's a Florida-bred, so he fits in down there. I really like the Win Win Wins. He's late to mature, so he has some growing to do, but that's okay.” Smullen has served as an assistant trainer for Arindel Farms and to trainers Dale Romans and Phil Serpe. She currently has 15 horses in her South Florida-based stable, which has been dealing with historic rains this week. “All of Gulfstream had issues with the rain, but you just handle it,” she said. “We found dry stalls and put them in the dry stalls and carry on.” Smullen will continue shopping into the last session of the June sale Friday. “If anyone has anything they want to buy themselves and want to send down, I'd love to have more,” Smullen said. The post $400K Twirling Candy Filly Sets the Pace at OBS June Sale Thursday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features a seven-figure 2-year-old by Galileo (Ire). 14.40 Sandown, Mdn, £10,000, 2yo, 7fT ROYAL OFFICER (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is Godolphin's 1million gns Craven Breeze-Up topper who missed his intended debut at Haydock last week due to the quickening ground. A half-brother to the listed scorer Hidden Dimples (Ire) by Galileo's flagship son Frankel (GB) from the family of the sire Gregorian (Ire), the Charlie Appleby-trained Coolmore-bred has it to do taking on the Gosdens' Yarmouth runner-up Attack (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), a €460,000 Goffs Orby Book 1 purchase who is a son of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) representing Qatar Bloodstock, China Horse Club & David Howden. 16.50 Cork, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, 6fT SWEET CHARIOT (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is Ballydoyle's third foal out of the G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the full-sister to the multiple Group 1-winning sire Churchill (Ire) whose daughter Unless (Justify) was a listed winner and Group 3-placed for the stable. In opposition is Juddmonte's Babouche (GB) (Kodiac {GB}), a Ger Lyons-trained full-sister to the talented Zarinsk (GB) who picked up four pattern-race contests for the yard. The post Sandown Debut For Galileo’s Craven Breeze-Up Topper appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

White Birch and Auguste Rodin, first and second in last month's Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) at the Curragh, are on course to renew their rivalry in the June 19 Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1).View the full article

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen is facing charges levied by the New York State Gaming Commission that could determine whether his license should be revoked. View the full article

Amplify Horse Racing is accepting applications through June 30 for its fall 2024 Mentorship Program, which is scheduled for Aug. 1 through Oct. 31, the educational non-profit said in a press release on Thursday afternoon. The program provides an introductory step for youth and young adults who want to learn more about the Thoroughbred industry by matching them with experienced industry professionals who can offer career guidance. The suggested age range for mentee candidates is 15-25, with no restrictions based on academic achievement. The program is also accepting potential mentors who can demonstrate substantial and relevant experience in the Thoroughbred horse industry or an applied field, and can meet the program's minimum training requirements, background check and time commitment. All applicants must be residents of the United States, U.S. territories, or Canada. Amplify will host a live-streamed Q&A session for potential mentees and mentors on Facebook, X and YouTube on Thursday, June 20 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. Viewers will have the opportunity to ask questions in real time about program logistics and timeline, or can submit questions in advance to info@amplifyhorseracing.org. Travel grants to outstanding mentees will be awarded to those who complete their intake and demonstrate a strong dedication to pursuing involvement in the Thoroughbred industry. Award recipients will have the opportunity to travel to Kentucky for a weekend of behind-the-scenes tours in November, and will be recognized at Amplify's annual youth and young adult Thoroughbred industry networking event. “I knew that applying for this program could allow me the opportunity to explore future career paths,” said spring 2024 mentee, Grace Conley. “Through my mentorship, I now have connections to people in equine media and communications if I ever need a letter of recommendation or want to apply for an internship. I was also able to meet a lot of different people and see new places that are important to the industry.” Click here to learn about the program and to apply. The post Amplify Racing’s Equine Industry Youth Mentor Program Looking For Participants appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A celebration of life is planned for longtime equine insurance agent Louis Joseph Smith Jr., who passed away Nov. 20 of last year in Ocala, Florida at the age of 77. The event will take place at Monmouth Park on Saturday, Aug. 17 and a race will be named in his honor. Smith was in the racing business for 36 years as an owner. He served as a valued insurance agent, safeguarding the well-being of the horses and providing peace of mind to his clients. A member of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Smith was a fixture at Monmouth and during the Ocala Breeders Sales. Please email Laura Mogila, lmogila26@gmail.com, for further details. The post Celebration Of Life Planned For Equine Insurance Agent At Monmouth Park Aug. 17 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Cogburn also entered the picture, ranked ninth with a 120 rating. He won the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) with the fastest time ever at the distance in North America, on turf or dirt.View the full article

Senor Buscador, winner of the Feb. 24 Saudi Cup (G1) and third in the March 30 Dubai World Cup (G1), is back in serious training at San Luis Rey Training Center in Southern California. View the full article

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Tributes have been paid to Keeneland's longstanding and much-admired European representative Tim Preston, who died earlier this week aged 80 after an illness. He spent 23 years in his role with the Kentucky sales and racing company, starting in 1989 when it was still de rigueur for any major international bloodstock figure to be seen at the July yearling auction. His CV had previously included spells with a variety of trainers in Britain, a time as an amateur jockey (including a Cheltenham Festival ride), work at Greentree Stud in Kentucky and with South African handler Basil Cooper. He moved on to specialise in shipping, working with Hipavia in France and then the Curragh Bloodstock Agency. In an era where equine air transport was far from reliable, he was adept at problem-solving and ensured many high-profile horses met their international targets. He joined Keeneland in a golden era when transatlantic buyers were hungry for the American blood that is now behind every major European sire line. His unflappable nature again proved invaluable, whether dealing with occasionally demanding clients or unforseen situations. In the years leading to his retirement in 2012, Preston also grew the participation by European breeze-up consignors that is now such a big feature of Keeneland's September Sale. His easygoing charm made him a favourite in the company's Lexington office. He had time for everyone, whether a secretary or the directors of sales Rogers Beasley and Geoffrey Russell, both of whom became his great friends. It was Bill Greely, Keeneland's president from 1986 to 2000, who appointed Preston and he yesterday [Thursday] recalled him with fondness. “What can I say that hasn't already been spoken of Tim Preston,” said Greely. “He was one of the nicest, most personable, capable and horse-savvy people with whom I ever had the pleasure to work. The words 'no' and 'I can't' were not in his vocabulary. He was always there to assist anyone who needed his help or his sage advice. “Tim was instrumental in building the strong connections between Keeneland and the horse connections in Europe, especially England. “I, along with everyone at Keeneland who had the privilege to know Tim, will miss him, his ready smile and his wit. We all loved Tim; especially me. Most importantly, he unconditionally loved his wife Rossy and his three children.” Preston initiated a Keeneland sponsorship at York in 1990 and – as a man with an appreciation of racing history – saw that the William Hill Sprint Championship revert to its original name of the Nunthorpe Stakes. Appropriately the first renewal was won by Keeneland graduate Dayjur. He also oversaw sponsorships at the Curragh, which continue with the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes today. After watching Lingfield on television, it was Preston that encouraged Keeneland to become the first major US venue to use Polytrack on its main course in 2006, although dirt has subsequently returned. He embraced a programme of overseas internships at Keeneland that saw the likes of future bloodstock luminaries Freddie Powell and Bertrand Le Metayer gain experience in the Kentucky office. Living most recently in Dalham, he had been a much-loved member of the Newmarket community, often quietly helping those in need without fanfare. A man of huge knowledge, humour and understated generosity, he acquired a wide and often longstanding circle of friends at home and abroad. “I remember the day I met Tim in February 1964,” recalled Dr John Chandler, who went on to run Mill Ridge Farm and serve as Juddmonte's president. “I'd recently qualified as a vet and there was a mare needing stitching at Plantation Stud. David Cecil had the twitch and Tim held her tail. We became friends from then. “I kept in touch through his career, whether he was in South Africa, France or wherever and then I was delighted when he got the job at Keeneland. He was one of the standouts. We might not have talked for a while but then we'd speak and be right back where we started. I'll miss him greatly.” Following his retirement from Keeneland in 2012, he was never happier than with his family and dogs at home. As well as his beloved grandchildren, he leaves a wife, Rossy, a son Harry and daughters Charlotte, a former accomplished amateur rider, and Annabel, who is married to Dukes Stud owner Charlie Wyatt. Funeral details will be announced at a later date. The post Tributes Paid As Tim Preston Dies At 80 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York Gaming Commission will hold a hearing Sept. 18 to look into whether or not Steve Asmussen's owner-trainer license should be revoked, the board said via a press release on Thursday. Asmussen has been accused on a number of occasions of violating federal labor laws by failing to pay his workforce overtime. Earlier this week the U.S. Department of Labor obtained a court order requiring Asmussen to pay $243,260 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages (for a total of $486,520) after its investigation found that his allegedly illegal pay practices denied 163 grooms and hotwalkers at Churchill Downs and Keeneland of overtime wages. When reached for comment, Asmussen attorney Clark Brewster told the Thoroughbred Daily News that, “We welcome the opportunity to provide transparency and frank discussion to the Gaming Commission regarding federal agency actions that have impacted so many trainers in this industry. Steve has always paid at the top of the scale for all backside workers. The issue has never been the actual pay workers received, but has focused on rules relating to record keeping.” In the Notice of Hearing issued Thursday by the New York Gaming Commission, regulators laid out the issues they will look into to determine whether or not Asmussen's license should be revoked. They are: 1) Asmussen's financial responsibility, experience, character and general fitness and whether they are such that his participation in racing would be inconsistent with the public interest, convenience or necessity and with the best interests of racing generally in conformity with the purposes of Article II of the Racing Law. 2) Whether or not Asmussen is financially irresponsible. 3) Whether or not Asmussen has been guilty of or attempted any fraud or misrepresentation in connection with racing or otherwise or has been guilty of or engaged in similar, related or like practices. 4) Whether or not Asmussen has violated or attempted to violate any law with respect to racing in any jurisdiction or has been guilty of or engaged in similar, related or like practices. 5) Whether or not Asmussen has engaged in one or more improper, corrupt or fraudulent acts or practices in relation to racing or has conspired with any other person to commit or have assisted in the commission of any such act or practice; and/or that revocation of Respondent's license is necessary to protect the public health, safety or welfare. The hearing will be held before a hearing officer assigned to the case by the Gaming Commission. Asmussen will have the right to appeal any decisions made by the Gaming Commission to the court system. When it was announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a court order requiring Asmussen to pay the $486,520 it said he owed employees, it was determined that Asmussen failed to pay non-exempt employees the additional half-time owed based on their regular rates of pay for hours over 40 in a workweek. “More than 160 grooms and hotwalkers whose work enables Asmussen Racing Stables to be successful will soon have the opportunity to recover the back wages they're owed and liquidated damages they deserve from an employer that mistakenly thought they could win without playing by the rules,” said Regional Solicitor Tremelle Howard. While Asmussen has had persistent problems with the Department of Labor, this is first time that any gaming or racing commission has looked into the matter and threatened revocation of Asmussen's license. The post New York Gaming Commission To Hold Hearing Over Asmussen’s Payroll Practices; Threatens To Revoke His License appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Prix du Jockey Club runner-up First Look (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) has been purchased by Wathnan Racing and is under consideration for next week's royal meeting, according to agent Richard Brown. The winner is likely for the G3 Hampton Court S. on Thursday, June 20. Formerly raced by Ecurie Ama Zingteam, the son of the stakes winner Bilissie (GB) (Dansili {GB}) won once in a pair of juvenile starts for Andre Fabre and has placed in a trio of group races from three appearances at three. Besides his second in the Jockey Club, the Haras de la Perelle-bred was third in the G3 Prix la Force in his 3-year-old bow in April and went one better in the G3 Prix de Guiche last month. He was offered by his breeder during the 2022 Arqana August Sale, and brought €340,000 on the bid of BBA Ireland. Brown, racing adviser to the Emir of Qatar's racing operation, said, “Andre's delighted with the way he's come out of the race, and he's under consideration for the Hampton Court at the end of next week.” Wathnan Racing, which burst onto the European racing scene in 2023, has rapidly expanded its racing portfolio, with the listed-placed Space Legend (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) joining the stable on Wednesday. Another Classic-placed colt was added–along with several other prospects–just last week in the form of Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}), who has placed in both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas. The post Jockey Club Second First Look Latest Wathnan Recruit appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Gulfstream Park has canceled the June 13-14 programs due to heavy rains that have caused significant flash flooding throughout South Florida.View the full article

Cogburn also entered the picture, ranked ninth with a 120 rating. He won the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) with the fastest time ever at the distance in North America, on turf or dirt.View the full article

The Oak Tree Racing Association and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will partner this summer for a special day of sport that will provide extra value to horsemen and firm up the link between two of the iconic brands of West Coast Thoroughbred racing.View the full article

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Saturday, June 15, 2024 5th-KYO, ¥13,720,000 ($88k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200m AMERICAN BIKINI (JPN) (f, 2, American Pharoah–Paris Bikini, by Bernardini) is a half-sister to Paris Lights (Curlin), who won the 2020 GI CCA Oaks, prompting Katsumi Yoshida to pay $1.95 million for Paris Bikini–in foal to Uncle Mo–at that year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The mare is a daughter of the stakes-placed Lacadena (Fasliyev), herself the dam of GSW & GISP America (A.P. Indy) and granddam of MGSW & GISP 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin), who begins his stud career in Brazil this summer. Lacadena's dam Butterfly Blue (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) was a half-sister to Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister), the dam of GI Belmont S. winners Jazil (Seeking the Gold) and Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy). Paris Bikni's 3-year-old son Paris Plages was third in Tokyo maiden company May 26. Paris Bikini's yearling colt by top dirt horse Chrysoberyl (Jpn) sells at next month's JRHA Select Sale. B-Northern Racing メランジェ 牝　スワーヴリチャード×ボシンシェ（母父Kingmambo）　田中剛厩舎 (美浦) 祖母は英ＧＩ馬、兄グレンツェント（東海Ｓ等）https://t.co/WQ9boOECKg — ながつき（桔梗屋長月） (@nagatsuki_kikyo) June 8, 2024 6th-TOK, ¥13,720,000 ($88k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m THUNDER ROAD (JPN) (c, 2, Authentic–Guacamole, by Flat Out) becomes the first Japanese starter for his freshman sire (by Into Mischief) in this extended dirt sprint. The bay colt is the first produce for his dam, who finished third in the 2018 GII Adirondack S. for Repole Stable and Todd Pletcher and, after being acquired for Jackpot Farm for $125,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale, was hammered down to J S Company for $425,000 with this colt in utero at the same auction in 2021. Thunder Road races for owner Yuji Hasegawa, who has acquired a fair amount of American bloodstock over the past several years, and who also owns the current yearling out of Guacamole, a colt by Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). The mare's 2024 colt by Maurice (Jpn) also sells during the foal section of the Select Sale. B-Tsuji Bokujo Sunday, June 16, 2024 5th-KYO, ¥13,720,000 ($88k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT SADIQ (f, 2, Into Mischief–Moonshine Memories, by Malibu Moon) becomes the second starter for her dam, named a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut in the summer of 2017 and subsequently victorious in the GI Del Mar Debutante and GI Chandelier S. A half-sister to SW & GSP Indian Evening (Indian Charlie) and to the dam of MGSW Super Hoity Toity (Uncle Mo), Moonshine Memories was knocked down to West Bloodstock for $3.4 million with this filly in utero at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. This is also the family of Horse of the Year Favorite Trick (Phone Trick). B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt/Westerberg Ireland ULC et al (KY) Watch G1 winner MOONSHINE MEMORIES i/f Into Mischief sell for $3,400,000 at The November Sale! Congrats to all the connections!#FasigNovember @DenaliStud @WestBloodstock @spendthriftfarm pic.twitter.com/kcPUDxsXN1 — Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) November 10, 2021 The post American-Sired, -Bred Juveniles Get Going in Japan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sometimes in life, circumstances arise where you can either sink or swim. Meredith Krupp, the 32-year-old who purchased Timber Town Farm in Lexington, Kentucky last year and has since launched her own full-service boarding facility named Pine Branch Farm, has had plenty of experience learning how to pick herself up and keep swimming. Krupp's mother passed away when she was 16. Two years later when she was a freshman in college, she also lost her father. At the funeral, her father's best friend approached Krupp and told her that he wanted to pay for the remainder of her college tuition. “I think that was the best gift that he could have given me,” Krupp reflected. “It wasn't so much about paying for it. It gave me someone to answer to. I was 18 years old and had to make all of my own decisions, but I was going to do the opposite of what everyone thought was going to happen to me because I had someone who wasn't going to let me fail.” During her last semester at the University of Kentucky, Krupp got her first taste of the Thoroughbred business. She had developed a love for horses early in life from attending the races at River Downs in Cincinnati with her father. Krupp was a lifelong equestrian, but she had no experience in the racing world. At a particularly frigid Keeneland January Sale, she watched as a member of a consignment's staff pinhooked a short yearling from $5,000 to $80,000. “I just thought it was the coolest thing ever,” she recalled. “It was so grassroots and entrepreneurial where if you work hard you can make it. I was hooked. I didn't have any family in the horse business. I knew absolutely no one. But the horse business doesn't care who you are or how much education you have. Everyone has to start at the bottom, which I really enjoyed.” Krupp took a part-time job with Dr. Arnoldo Monge assisting him in his reproductive work at Hagyard for the breeding season. Looking back, she still cringes when she remembers him telling her to meet him at 3:45 on her first day and she asked him if he meant in the morning or the afternoon. She had a lot to learn, but she was willing work. Krupp graduated college on a Saturday and began working at Machmer Hall the following Monday. Later, she spent a year in Ocala with Eddie Woods and then returned to Lexington to work at Hunter Valley Farm. Sara Gordon “I'm very lucky that I got to be around some true horsemen who were really hands on,” Krupp reflected. “I think that's kind of what inspired me to go a bit more of the farm route. There's so much business behind it–I think more than what people think there is–but at the same time to be able to be hands on and be in the barn, it just seemed like the best of both worlds.” A few years later, Krupp got married and started managing a farm with her husband. But when the marriage failed, she found herself back at square one. She had to decide if she wanted to stay in the horse business and if so, where she would go from there. “I went from owning a farm with him to having to fight for what I truly wanted,” she said. “The horse business will for sure humble you. I had to decide if I wanted to play the long game–just put my head down and get back to work.” Ultimately, Krupp's passion for the horses won out. She began managing a client's farm in Midway. “I owe so much to these horses because they got me up every day,” Krupp reflected. “During those difficult times when my parents passed away and then when I was going through a difficult time personally, horses are what got me up every morning. You don't have a choice to be sad and lay in bed. No matter what, they have to eat. That's what kept me going.” Throughout her adult life, Krupp has stayed in touch with her step mother, who remarried after Krupp's father passed away. One day she got a call from her step mom's husband Lee Warren, who had a daughter that was interested in getting involved in the horse business and wanted to work for Krupp for a summer. With no prior horse experience, Carson was assigned to the weed eater. Krupp knew she had something special when, after Carson had finished the entire farm, she asked if she could come weed eat at Krupp's house. Even though there was no blood relation, the Warrens treated Krupp like family. Carson stayed on for the entire summer and the family took a vacation to Saratoga at the end of her time at the farm. During their trip, Krupp told the Warrens about her dream of one day running her own farm. They supported her wholeheartedly and a few months later, Lee Warren sent her the listing for Timber Town. The 130-acre property owned by Wayne and Cathy Sweezey was the birthplace of horses like GI Belmont S. winner Tonalist (Tapit) and MGSW Charge It (Tapit). It was once home to champions like Havre de Grace (Saint Liam), Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) and Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled's Song). “When Lee sent the listing to me I was like yeah, that would be a dream come true,” Krupp recalled. “I was kind of thinking, 'Get real.' The Sweezeys had such a name and were known for being so meticulous and detail oriented.” Krupp pulled up to the main office at Timber Town on a Sunday afternoon, expecting to meet with the realtor. Instead, Wayne Sweezey got out of his work truck. “Wayne can be a pretty intimidating guy,” Krupp recalled with a smile. “But he showed me every nook and cranny of the place and said, 'Now, I'm going to be right down the road. Anything you need, Kathy and I have got you.' I remember getting back in my car and thinking that it was a day I was going to remember for a long time.” When Lee Warren and Krupp went out to dinner to celebrate a successful purchase, Krupp admitted to Warren that she was still a bit uneasy about running the business side of things on her own. Warren asked if she would be interested in partnering with him. It was an offer that meant the world to Krupp. “To have my dad's friend come up to me after his funeral and say he was going to pay for my school and then for Lee to say he was going to do this with me, it was like feeling a little glimpse of my dad in these people,” Krupp explained. “I've suffered a lot of loss in my life, but I also feel like I've had a lot of people step up to the plate and believe in me, which is a huge motivation.” Sara Gordon Krupp decided to name her new acquisition Pine Branch Farm in honor of the business her father's friend founded, Pine Branch Coal. She vowed that her farm would be a place of community and support, just as so many people encouraged her along the way. “I still wake up every day and can't believe that I did it,” she admitted. “It just shows you to not give up. The horse business can be so tough and people can be quick to not be on your team. It's easy to play the short game and not root for other people, but a goal of mine is to stay steady in playing the long game and enjoy other people's wins as much as I enjoy my own.” Farming is in Krupp's blood. Her grandmother, who she was very close with before she passed away last year, was one of 11 kids who grew up on a tobacco farm in Eastern Kentucky and her great uncle Dr. Charles Derrickson helped found Morehead State University's agriculture program. Even so, owning a prestigious piece of the Bluegrass at the age of 32 is certainly not a normal occurrence. Krupp does not plan to let the opportunity go to waste. “I feel like when you buy a property like this, so many people have questions,” she acquiesced. “I've always been very private about what my parents left me but at the same time, they worked hard and never got to enjoy it. I never spent any of it from the time I was 18. I obviously have had a little help along the way and I don't want to deny that, but I also have been very smart with it and have honored how hard they worked for it. For the longest time I didn't know how to spend their hard-earned money. It feels good knowing that I used it to be able to start over again.” A few days after Krupp officially purchased the property last fall, Pine Branch Farm was up and running as she started moving in horses from the Keeneland November Sale. At the start of this year, she expected to foal between 15 and 20 mares. She ended up foaling 42. Her full-service boarding facility has already brought in clients like Popatop Stables and Clarmont Racing and Pinhooking. “I'm so grateful to the Sweezeys for what they built here and the kind of horses they raised because people knew right away when I said I bought a farm on Leestown Road that I had bought Timber Town,” Krupp explained. “The best gift that Wayne and Kathy left behind is their farm manager Josh. He foaled all of Mandy Pope's mares. I know wholeheartedly that if I am not here, things are taken care of just as well.” All of the experience that Krupp has gained over the years, ever since that first early morning with Dr. Monge going farm to farm checking mares, has led her to this opportunity to put her knowledge to use and raise horses how she believes is best. “I pride myself on raising a horse that gets into the winner's circle more than I care about them selling in the ring,” she explained. “You don't want your horse's hardest day to be that first race when they're breaking out of the gate, so I really believe in raising a horse tough. My goal for this place is to raise racehorses and to really be able to enjoy it with the people that I'm doing it with.” To celebrate the conclusion of a successful first breeding season, Krupp recently hosted a crawfish boil at the farm as a thank you to the people who have supported her in this first chapter of what is hopefully a long story for Pine Branch Farm. “Everyone just kept saying that my dad would be so proud,” said Krupp. “I think a lot of me is emotional that he doesn't get to share it with me. He loved horses and being outside, so I know he'd be enjoying this with me, but I'm thankful that Lee and his girls and everyone can enjoy it with me.” She continued, “When people tell me they don't know how I've survived all of this, I say that I can either kind of wallow in the fact that I wish my parents were here and that I wish I had more family, or I can live the life that was stolen from them. I feel like it's my duty to live my life. I can't nap during the day no matter how tired I am because if the sun is shining, I don't want to be missing out on life. I get to wake up every morning, walk out my door and be at work, so I'm very blessed.” The post Betting on Herself: Krupp Starts Fresh at Pine Branch Farm appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The National Thoroughbred League (NTL) added of several key investors to join their roster of team owners, including NBA legend Julius Erving (Philadelphia Stallions) and country music's Tanya Tucker (Nashville Dreams), as the league expands from six franchises to ten ahead of its second season, the operation said in a release on Thursday. This time around the league will boast almost $3 million in prize purses, up from less than $1 million last year. Erving and Tucker join NTL's list of partners, including Nelly, Rick Ross, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Moira Forbes, as well as numerous veteran investors. “I've been fortunate to have experienced first-hand the passion that Philadelphia fans bring in support of their athletes and teams,” NBA legend Dr. J said. “The unique model that National Thoroughbred League has created–not only bringing team-based and civic rooting interests into the sport of horse racing–but also truly letting the sports' best athletes 'enter their stride' as competitive performers inserts such an interesting dynamic into one of society's most popular and storied sports. Philadelphia and horse racing both hold a special place in my heart, and I am proud to help the Stallions build another fan favorite in the Philadelphia market.” Tickets for the 2024 season are now on sale with Tucker and Erving set to host the first two league events, and a third will take place at the end of the year at Turf Paradise in Phoenix. The Nashville Cup, Sept. 1 at Kentucky Downs: Also known as the Million-Dollar Weekend, the event will feature a $1 million kickoff race–one of the biggest purses in the United States this year–and will revolve around celebrating horses and music, hosted by Tanya Tucker and including performances from 10 up-and-coming Nashville stars. The Philadelphia Cup, Oct. 19 at Parx Racing: The Oktober-Fast Weekend will feature one of the biggest days of racing in Philly history. The event will consist of five NTL races totaling $1.2 million in purses, an Oktoberfest celebration of beer and music, as well as the NTL's first-ever “Dr. J Invitational” golf tournament. The Phoenix Cup, Dec. 30 at Turf Paradise: The Championship Weekend will feature six-figure purses to decide this season's winner, a concert from California Shamrocks owner Nelly, plus golf and food celebrations. Randall Lane | Sue Finley After a successful inaugural season, NTL will be expanding from six to ten teams–with those new four franchises coming from a finalist pool of Baltimore, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Miami, San Francisco and Tampa. The final decision will be made this summer, and those four new teams with join the original six franchises: the New York Knights, the California Shamrocks, the Philadelphia Stallions, the Nashville Dreams, the New Jersey Degens and the Seattle Gems. “Today is an exciting day for the National Thoroughbred League that shows the excitement behind what we've accomplished with our inaugural season and the momentum that we're bringing into this next year of operations,” said Randall Lane, NTL co-founder. Thoroughbred owners will be able to nominate their horses to be drafted by one of the 10 NTL teams onto their roster. Those drafted horses, who will represent the teams during the races, will be eligible to run in these NTL races for the $3 million purse pool. “From the very beginning, our mission has been to create an innovative new format that can generate compelling and competitive races between some of this generation's most exceptional horses,” said Bob Daugherty, NTL co-founder. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. The post National Thoroughbred League Releases ’24 Schedule, Adds New Teams And Owners appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

4th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, 2:13 p.m. The second foal out of MG1SW and 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Aurelia, AURELIA'S MISCHIEF (Into Mischief) makes the races as a homebred for Stonestreet Stables who went to $7,500,000 to secure Lady Aurelia at FTKNOV in 2018. The mare, herself a daughter of Puerto Rican Horse of the Year D' Wildcat Speed, has already produced 'TDN Rising Star' and Zia Park Juvenile S. winner American Rascal (Curlin) as her first foal. Trainer Brad Cox and Florent Geroux team up for Aurelia's Mischief's debut. TJCIS PPS 6th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, 3:18 p.m. Purchased for $410,000 at OBS April, Praying (Vekoma) is a half-sister to GISP Alys Beach (Omaha Beach). Dam Pray for Leslie is herself a half to C J's Gal (Awesome Again), the dam of GSW Hidden Connection (Connect). This is also the family of G1 Foxwoods King's Bishop S. winner Capo Bastone (Street Boss). Praying is from the first crop of Vekoma (by Candy Ride {Arg}) who already has four winners to date from his first five starters. TJCIS PPS 2nd-BAQ, $90K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, 1:34 p.m. Complexion (Complexity) was a $400,000 Keeneland September Yearling buy for Arnmore Thoroughbreds who then added Carl Pascarella and Yurie Pascarella as partners. The most expensive yearling from her sire's first crop, she is a half-sister to MGISW Jack Christopher (Munnings) while dam Rushin No Blushin is a half to MGISW and sire Street Boss (Street Cry {Ire}) and MGSP Habiboo (Unbridled's Song), the dam of GSW Bellera (Bernardini) and GSW Life Imitates Art (More Than Ready). Last week's Belmont-winning trainer Danny Gargan trains with John Velazquez aboard. TJCIS PPS 6th-SA, $54K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, 6:37 p.m. Trainer Bob Baffert and CSLR Racing Partners debut Midland Money (Shancelot), a $650,000 OBS March buy. Far and away the most expensive 2-year-old for his freshman sire (by Shanghai Bobby), the colt impressed at OBS when working in :9.4 for Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables. TJCIS PPS The post Friday Insights: Big Pedigrees Aplenty In Friday Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK — Even the larks were still wiping the sleep from their eyes when Kitty Rose (GB) was put through her paces on Thursday morning. The Listed-winning daughter of Invincible Army (Ire) was bred in Britain and has raced in Ireland but will be flying the flag for Australia at Royal Ascot next week having recently joined the stable of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr. The co-trainers' representative Ben Elam is currently overseeing the filly's preparation in Newmarket, where Kitty Rose arrived a week ago from her original training base with Natalia Lupini. It turns out that you can take the boy out of Australia but you can't take Australian ways out of the boy, and Elam was out super early with the three-year-old on Newmarket Heath, ahead of most of the town's thousands of equine residents and his fellow visiting internationals. Over the years, Newmarket has played host to plenty of superstars from foreign lands. Hacks as old as this one still count their blessings that, in one memorable morning, they were able to see two greats from opposing hemispheres – Black Caviar (Aus) and Frankel (GB) – out exercising on the same expanse of turf within moments of each other. Nobody yet knows who will be the stars of this year's show, which Elam refers to as “the pinnacle of racing around the world”. In these parts, we like to think that's true, while acknowledging that the world of racing is ever evolving, with new, hugely valuable races springing up with frequency. But Royal Ascot, with its centuries-long history plus plenty of pomp and circumstance, still has the rizz with which to pull in contenders from far and wide. Kitty Rose heads to the Sandringham H. on Friday. Later in the year, her connections are eyeing The Golden Eagle, which was run for the first time just five years ago for A$7.5m. This year that purse is up to A$10m. Few could argue with that as an incentive, but racing is also about fun and, let's face it, what's more fun than flying halfway round the world to take part in one of the most recognised sporting events while wearing a silly hat and later toppling over at a car park picnic after a little too much fizz? Not much, right? “She has lofty goals back in Australia,” Elam admits. “This is more an experience for our owners though. Royal Ascot is the biggest race meeting in the world – not just the spectacle that it is but the racing is incredible. All our owners will be coming out, there's a big entourage of them.” Kitty Rose and Ben Elam | Emma Berry In the next few days, Elam will be joined by Michael Kent Jr who is currently on his honeymoon. Both men are returning to the UK after stints working respectively for Andrew Balding and William Haggas, while Elam also did six months on the bloodstock scene in Europe with Johnny McKeever and Arthur Hoyeau. The latter was instrumental in the deal to secure Kitty Rose. “We did a deal that saw clients of ours take ownership of the horse before the season started,” Elam explains. “First time out she was beaten not far by [subsequent Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up] A Lilac Rolla, who is a good filly. “She's an utter professional and a straightforward filly. She's very relaxed which will stand her in good stead not only for Royal Ascot, which is a massive occasion, but also for the travel out to Australia and to compete out there. It's good for her to have that exposure at Royal Ascot because she's going to be facing big crowds when she goes to The Golden Eagle – that's her target for the end of the year.” He adds, “Royal Ascot is the pinnacle of racing around the world. Everyone stops to watch Royal Ascot, and for us to be afforded the opportunity to have a runner in our name, for Mick and Michael, it's not something that a lot of people have done, but of course we don't shy away from giving Natalia and her team the credit for preparing the horse because they've done a terrific job. We're very proud that she is going to run under our name at Royal Ascot.” Just along the row from where Kitty Rose is stabled at the yard of Charlie Fellowes is a new arrival, the two-year-old American colt Cheval de Guerre. A son of Caravaggio, who won both the G2 Coventry S. and G1 Commonwealth Cup on his Royal Ascot appearances, Cheval de Guerre was a recent acquisition by John Stewart of Resolute Racing, who will be represented by three runners at Ascot through his partnership with Qatar Racing. The other two, both based in Britain, are the Richard Hughes-trained Palace Green (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Listed Surrey S. winner Evade (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), trained by Archie Watson. Cheval de Guerre, a tall, strong colt, wandered about his new temporary home as if he'd lived there all his life. He appeared totally relaxed as he went for a walk and a trot with Kelly Wheeler and, with just the one race under his belt for Eddie Kenneally, his good temperament will be a plus if he can remain as composed next week at Ascot. Similar comments apply to Gabaldon (Gone Astray), another grey juvenile heading for the Windsor Castle S. He is stabled just across town at the National Stud and had a steady canter on the Cambridge Road Polytrack under Jesus Mangual. A winner over five furlongs at Gulfstream Park on his sole start, he is a first Royal Ascot runner for trainer Jose Francisco d'Angelo. Asfoora and her lead pony Angus | Emma Berry Oisin Murphy appears to be the go-to jockey for the incoming horses. He will be aboard both Kitty Rose and Cheval de Guerre, and he will also get the leg-up on the five-year-old mare Asfoora (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}), whom he rode in a gallop on Tuesday morning. Australian runners have won seven races at Royal Ascot over the years and five of those wins have come in the recently renamed opening-day sprint, the G1 King Charles III S., which is her target. Twice a Group 2 winner in her home country, Asfoora, trained at Ballarat by Henry Dwyer, was also second to Imperatriz (Aus) in the G1 Moir S. last September. She was an early arrival in England, landing back in April, and warmed up for Ascot by running fourth in the G2 Temple S. on May 25. “We came over earlier than normal because we tried to avoid the changing of the seasons – in Australia we are going into winter and you are coming out here. If she had stayed any longer in Australia, she would have started growing a winter coat. It has given her a chance to season and settle in,” explains Dwyer as he waits for Asfoora to canter by. “We had the initial idea 14 or 16 months ago when she won a couple of 1,000m races at Caulfield. We just knew our options in Australia were limited because we have very few five or five-and-a-half-furlong sprints. All our good sprints are six furlongs and she just doesn't get that. She is a dyed-in-the-wool five-furlong horse. There is a good series of races over here.” After Ascot, Asfoora's owner-breeders, Noor Elaine Farm, are eyeing potential runs at Goodwood, York, the Curragh and Longchamp through the remainder of her stay. “What's the saying, if you are going to be a bear, you might as well be a grizzly bear! We thought we would come over and give it a good shot. She would just be sitting in a paddock in Australia,” says the sporting trainer. “In her right conditions, I think she can win a Group 1. I think at her peak, which she will be at Ascot and beyond, she is well and truly up to it. I think Ascot will be a challenge for her but she will run really well. A stiff five furlongs probably doesn't suit her, whereas when we go to Goodwood and York, down the hill and on the flat, that is when she will really come into her own. I would love to see her run in the top three or four at Ascot. If she can do that, she will be really well placed for her next two runs.” Dwyer is a tad more laidback than his mare, who was a little on her toes on Thursday morning but had Jamie Lloyd's lovely dun pony Angus for company. The trainer, who is looking forward to saddling his first runner at the royal meeting, adds, “A win would be amazing but, on a professional level, just running competitively is a win for us. We feel we have got her to her peak – that might not be good enough but if it is it will be a huge thing for us. About 40 friends and owners are coming over for the week. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. When you have 40 horses, it is tough to find these horses good enough to compete internationally.” First glimpse of ⁦@rresoluteracing⁩'s Windsor Castle Stakes runner Cheval De Guerre this morning. Arrived in Newmarket last night and had an easy stretch this morning with Kelly Wheeler. A laidback colt, he seems to have taken the travelling well. pic.twitter.com/n0BMhPquTh — Emma Berry (@CollingsBerry) June 13, 2024 The post ‘Everyone Stops to Watch Royal Ascot’: Internationals Muster for Britain’s Big Week appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A weanling filly by Frankel (GB) (lot 7) topped the first day of the Inglis Great Southern Sale when selling to New Zealander Gary Harding for A$525,000 on Thursday. The only offspring by the Juddmonte star in the entire sale, the bay is out of GIII Chicago S. heroine Abby Hatcher (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who is a half-sister to a stakes winner in Purciaretta (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}). The third-most expensive weanling sold in Australia this year, she was consigned by Rosemont Stud. Harding bid over the phone to Inglis bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch and said, “Sebastian called me and suggested a couple of weanlings he thought might suit me and I've got a lot of confidence in him, he's very straight forward to deal with, there's no bullshit which is what I like. “We liked the pedigree, the crosses looked good and she vetted out very well so we thought we'd try to buy her. I thought she'd make between A$400,000 and A$500,000, I let someone else bid A$500,000 and then thought I'd have one more bid at the A$525,000 and that was enough thankfully. “It's a lot of money but you've got to pay for the good ones and we're happy we've bought her. “We've bought her to race. She'll come back to New Zealand, we'll put her on our good Waikato pastures and hopefully she grows into a good horse for us. She'll start out racing here in New Zealand and hopefully she's good enough to run in Australia before too long.” Overall, there were 22 weanlings who made A$100,000 or more on Thursday, which equaled the entirety of the 2023 Great Southern Sale. The clearance rate was 60.3% for 146 sold from 242 offered for a gross of A$7,431,000. The average was A$50,897 and the median was A$28,750, both improvements on 2023. “It was a great result,” said Rosemont's Ryan McEvoy. “You're not sure one way or the other on what to do with a filly like her, whether to take her through to a yearling sale or not but she just was a filly who stood out to us, we thought she'd be a really good highlight lot in a draft that we were really conscious of sending some quality here and she certainly was that, a beautiful moving filly, great shape for a Frankel, not too big but neat and strong and really intelligent.” The Great Southern Sale will continue at 10 a.m. on Friday with 156 weanlings and 72 broodmares. For the full sale results, please visit the Inglis website. The post A$525k Frankel Filly Foal Tops Day 1 Of The Inglis Great Southern Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article