Wandering Eyes

The catalogue for the Tattersalls Online June Sale can now be viewed here, with 140 lots set to be offered when the sale takes place on June 5-6, including 51 two-year-olds in the second edition of the Online Breeze-Up Session. The 51 lots, which include the progeny of first-season sires such as Earthlight (Ire) and Kameko, breezed prior to the sale at Chelmsford Racecourse and Dundalk Stadium. The breeze-up footage and timings for all lots have been recorded and are available on the Tattersalls Online website. Each will also be offered with a Pre-sale Five Stage Veterinary Certificate Of the 71 horses in and out of training set to go under the virtual hammer, Dragon Icon (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (lot 68) is one of the most accomplished having finished fifth in last year's G2 German 2,000 Guineas after winning his first two starts. Consigned by Roger Varian's Carlburg Stables, the four-year-old is a full-brother to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Aunt Pearl (Ire). Baroda Stud will offer a draft of five lots which includes the 87-rated colt Respectful (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) (lot 100), a half-brother to the Group 3 winner Doctor Geoff (Ire) (Fast Company) and the Group 2-placed Show Respect (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}). The draft also features an unraced three-year-old filly named World Vision (Ire) (lot 58), who is by Galileo (Ire) out of the Group 3 winner and dual Group 1-placed Wind Chimes (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). Eight broodmares, five point-to-pointers, four stores and one yearling will also be offered for sale when bidding opens at noon on Wednesday, June 5. The post Tattersalls Online June Sale Features 140 Lots And Breeze-Up Session appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Thursday's TDN contains a story by Bill Finley discussing the set of more lenient medication rules that the Louisiana Racing Commission has recently enacted. Louisiana is not a state governed by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, and the new rules, which replace the ARCI model rules previously used, are scheduled to go into effect on June 8. In Thursday's story, HISA Chief Lisa Lazarus suggested that there might have to be additional scrutiny on horses coming out of Louisiana races in the spring because of the more lax medication rules. The TDN reached out to several trainers who winter at the Fair Grounds, but do not stable there year-round, to see how they felt about the new medication policies. Steve Asmussen It's obviously concerning. No horse that you're going to plan on running somewhere else would you dare treat with (the new rules) and the people who plan on running anything out of state are not going to jeopardize our whole year with a horse.. I'm interested in what Churchill Downs's policy is going to be. I feel that the Fair Grounds is a great place to winter those horses because of what they get done the rest of the year after coming out of there, and that won't change. But what does it mean for the day-to-day racing? That remains to be seen. Per usual, we're not in the room when these decisions are made. It makes it a topic of discussion between me and every person that I train for. Of course you're not going to do anything to jeopardize a horse's eligibility the rest of the year. This is completely out of our hands. This is another example of “here's policy. Do your best.” What does it mean for our Oaks and Derby races? Our game is run for the Derby and the Oaks and Churchill Downs are in control of them and it will be interesting to see what they choose to do starting with those races. Brad Cox When I was reading the (Thursday) article about this, I felt like I was reading an article that was printed 10 years ago. But it was written yesterday. Michael Stidham I am astonished with the decision. The decision was made with complete reckless abandon. It's a step backwards, in my opinion. Knowing the different properties of Clenbuterol—it can be helpful in the right circumstances, but unfortunately sometimes in our industry the people who are using it are not using it for the best reasons. To be bringing that back and allowing people to use it potentially for the wrong reasons is a big step backwards. My home is a block from the Fair Grounds, and the Fair Grounds has been my winter base for over 25 years, and this is going to cause big problems for me personally when I leave the Fair Grounds. I'm not a year-round Louisiana trainer. I won't be using Clenbuterol on my horses, so I'll be at a disadvantage. When I do leave, there are just going to be a lot of negatives to this decision they have made. I don't even know what to say or why they would think that this would be helpful for the industry. I just don't see it. I certainly have not used Depo in any of my horses' joints over the last 10 years or more and I certainly don't have any intentions of re-introducing it to my horses. Depo is considered detrimental to the joint and there wouldn't be a case where I would want to use it again. Unfortunately, there is a certain group in our industry that will do that. It's unfortunate but it happens and yes, there will be people trying to use it to their advantage. It's going to create lots of problems for the trainers that use the Fair Grounds for their winter stabling. I'm just shocked that they would be doing this or thought that it's helpful. I'm just hoping that they can see the light and realize this is not a move in the right direction. Tom Amoss | Sarah Andrew photo Tom Amoss Two weeks ago, I heard about this and I immediately called the Louisiana Racing Commission. I know both the head of the Commission, Steve Landry, and Gerald Calogero, the number two guy there. and I called Gerald and said literally verbatim what the (TDN) article said (Thursday). And he said, `boy, I wish you'd said something before we made this official.' I said I didn't even know. Then later that evening Steve Landry, the new Executive Director called me. I've trained a few horses for him, and I repeated my concerns with their decision. He said, `look, we never knew there was anybody against this.' I have the strong sense that there was nothing sinister, and they just rubber -stamped what came along. They seemed to think it was the Louisiana HBPA's decision, and someone there was trying to push it through. As for the vets on the Commission, I 've never heard of these guys. Two of them are Quarter Horse vets and one is a farm veterinarian. There's one former racetrack vet, and he was against it. I've been around Louisiana racing a long time, and I didn't recognize any of them. I do find it disappointing and embarrassing but rather surprising that Steve (Landry), who has been a horse owner for years, would agree with this. I told them both, first of all, you've created an unfair playing field, People who don't race outside of Louisiana are going to take advantage of thes rules. And for the ones who compete under HISA, they're not going to do that. The major trainers, who have the majority of the stalls, are not going to do this. And that creates an unfair playing field. Breeders with yearlings bred in Louisiana bring those yearlings to the Keeneland September sale, because they realize far more money for them than they would in Louisiana. But who in the world is going to buy a Louisiana-bred racehorse under these circumstances? It's so far-reaching and such a baffling decision. I grew up in Louisiana. My first job was at the age of 15 at the Fair Grounds and I'm proud of Louisiana racing. But today is a day that I am embarrassed for it. Al Stall They are tweaks from last year's rules, when we had the ARCI model rules. Without looking at it super-close, I'm not going to say the whole thing is great or the whole thing is horrible. I imagine it will look a little bit different by the time we get to the Fair Grounds. Obviously, the elephant in the room is the Clenbuterol. These are things that are out of our control. I'll be at the Fair Grounds, I'll tell you that. I'm going to let it roll and see what happens. I'm comfortable using what we're using now. I haven't used Depo in such a long time that it's not even on my radar. The person behind a lot of this in my mind is the leading expert in horse pharmacology, Dr. Steven Barker, and I'm not going to question what he has to say. The clenbuterol is the grey area. The Depo all depends upon the horse and what is going on with the horse. I can't remember the last time we had Depo. It's been a long, long time. The horses who go into the starting gate without a drop of Clenbuterol as opposed to those who withdrew at 72 hours? I'm not sure there's empirical data but there's sure talk around the track. Clenbuterol is actually a very helpful drug for horses with dirty tracheas, but it got abused. I don't think that what you see on this piece of paper that came out is going to be the Bible, so to speak. But I may be wrong. The powers that be in Louisiana understand what could happen with us going to different jurisdictions, and we're all hoping this will be ironed out before we go down there. Dallas Stewart It's quite concerning. I just don't know that that's the right route to go. I think most horsemen that are coming from Kentucky think that it will be a setback. We're in the shock stage right now, so I'm hopeful that we can get something ironed out, and stay in a positive way. We're shocked. The Clenbuterol is something we don't need to be dealing with. We all know that it was a drug that was abused. We've got to get that off the table. Listen, we all love racing there, I have owners that love going there, but they're going to be quite concerned. We've got to get to work on it and get to talking so hopefully we can get a middle ground that's good for everybody and good for the horse. A lot of daggers are being thrown at this point, and we've got to get to the right person to fix this, but I don't even know who that is right now. I'm very concerned. Cherie DeVaux Listen, we all have to go down there and abide by Kentucky rules. The rules that they had prior to passing this weren't reckless. Some of the rules made more sense than HISA rules. But this is to me a lack of regard for the safety of the horse and the riders and it's borderline negligent. Since we took away Depo, we've had a lot fewer breakdowns. We're just there for a short amount of time in their year of racing and these rules are not directed toward the transient trainers. They're more structured for those that are there year-round. It impedes what we do and our standards to run, we're at a disadvantage. It is what it is, and there are times when you just have to go on and do what's right, which is to abide by the standards we're held to when get back to a HISA state. It's a step backwards. Their rules were (already) more lenient, and this is going backwards. Maybe those who passed this didn't look into the statistical data or don't know how to interpret the statistical data to show that the rules they're implementing are a risk and a harm and negligent on their part. Dan Ross contributed to this story. The post `Concerned’ and `Embarrassed’: Ship-In Trainers React to Louisiana Medication Rules Changes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The CA$175,000 Eclipse Stakes (G2), the first big prize on the Woodbine calendar for older horses, lured some of the most talented runners on the 2023 Canadian circuit, topped by 2023 King's Plate Stakes hero Paramount Prince.View the full article

For the second consecutive year, FOX Sports presents full coverage of the 156th edition of the Belmont Stakes June 8 across FOX Sports' family of networks.View the full article

Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 103 entries, including graded stakes winner Cairo Consort, for its June Digital Sale. Bidding for the sale is now open and will close June 4.View the full article

Lane's End Farm's grade 1-winning stallion Gift Box was represented by his first winner May 25 as Candy Jan Delight won a MXN$75,400 maiden event in the second race at Hipódromo de las Américas in Mexico City.View the full article

While the 3-year-old male division searches for someone to assume control with back-to-back major wins, the sport's most impressive winning streak will be on the line during the historic, first-ever Belmont Stakes (G1) card at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article

1st-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 12:45p.m. SALTED (Tapit) debuts for Gary Barber, Bridledwood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbreds and trainer Mark Casse. A $760,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, the Don Alberto Corp.- bred filly is out of GI La Troienne S. scorer Salty (Quality Road), who brought $3 million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in 2018. Irad Ortiz Jr. gets the mount. Also marking her career bow, Adeera (Authentic), a $300,000 KEESEP yearling purchase for L and N Racing and Jerry Caroom, is trained by Steve Asmussen and will be ridden by his son, Keith. TJCIS PPs The post Friday’s Insights: Daughter of GISW Salty Debuts at Churchill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Jockey Club of America is hosting a new podcast called 'On the Lead' as part of its communications and outreach mission to the industry, the organization said in a release Thursday. Presented by The Jockey Club, the podcast is produced by the In the Money Media Network, which is owned and operated by Peter T. Fornatale and Jonathon Kinchen. The program is co-hosted by Shannon Kelly, executive director of The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, and Fornatale. Set for a 12-episode series, the content will cover a variety of topics reminiscent of the Round Table Conference's theme of “matters pertaining to racing.” The goal of the series is to have entertaining and interesting conversations with varying industry voices targeting owners, breeders, fans, and anyone interested in Thoroughbred breeding and racing. The podcasts will also feature a mailbag component that will incorporate questions from the audience. The email address is: OTLmailbag@jockecyclub.com. “Through the podcast and the mailbag feature, we hope to reach out to and answer questions from an audience who might not otherwise have the opportunity to interact with us,” said James L. Gagliano, president and COO, The Jockey Club. “This is a great way to gather information on what people want to know about The Jockey Club and the sport.” The first podcast, which is now available, features a discussion about the Thoroughbred registration process. Guests include legendary racetrack announcer Tom Durkin, The Jockey Club Associate Registrar Lori Johnson, and owner and breeder Jaime Roth of LNJ Foxwoods. Shows can be accessed through a variety of locations including The Jockey Club's website and the In the Money Media podcast feed. The post The Jockey Club ‘On the Lead’ Podcast Now Available appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After becoming trainer Librado Barocio's first graded stakes winner, Visually will attempt to make it two in a row in the $100,000 Honeymoon Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park June 1.View the full article

The Kentucky Derby Museum has been awarded a $1 million James Graham Brown Foundation Grant, which will support the Museum's plan to remaster its iconic 360° feature film, "The Greatest Race," in celebration of the Museum's 40th anniversary in 2025.View the full article

With bidding now open, Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 103 entries for its June Digital Sale, which will close on Tuesday, June 4 at 2 p.m. ET, the auction company said in a release Thursday. The catalogue offers breeding stock, horses of racing, 19 yearlings, a two-year-old and a stallion prospect. Breeding stock include mares in foal on 2024 covers to sires from Arcangelo to Yaupon. Racing/broodmare prospect offerings are headlined by 2022 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Cairo Consort (hip 26) (Cairo Prince), while horses of racing age include a last out allowance winner and those with conditions. “We have something for everyone in our June Digital Sale, including a graded stakes winning racing/broodmare prospect and another quality group of broodmares,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton's Director of Digital Sales. “Traditionally, one has to wait until November to purchase high class offerings like these.” To create an account or register to bid for the June Digital Sale, prospective buyers should visit digital.fasigtipton.com. Click here for a video preview of the June Digital Sale by Fasig-Tipton's Jesse Ullery. The post Fasig-Tipton June Digital Sale Now Open For Bidding appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Back in March, a pre-race exam at Turf Paradise led to Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bernie “Chip” Woolley accusing a regulatory veterinarian who had scratched his 10-year-old mare of furnishing him with the name of a horse trader who he suspected of being a “kill-buyer.” This is someone who purchases horses for export into the slaughter pipeline. The incident triggered formal investigations by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) and the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG). HISA shared its findings with the ADG, which ultimately cleared the state veterinarian, Victoria Lowe, of any wrongdoing. Indeed, Lowe stressed to investigators how the horse trader in question, Jesse Bell, finds good homes for many horses that pass though his hands. A TDN dive into the incident found gaps and factual inaccuracies with the investigations. Key figures also claimed they had not been interviewed by investigators, including Bell, who admitted to purchasing horses that would end up in the slaughter pipeline. But more broadly, the incident peeled back the curtain on holes riven through the industry's network of aftercare programs in under-resourced parts of the country. Which begs some key questions: What does the industry need to do to plug these existing holes? How much will that cost? And how should industry stakeholders who want to do right by their horses once their racing careers have ended navigate this fractured landscape in the meantime? Proper Protocols? While trainers and owners have “a financial and ethical responsibility” to find good homes for their retiring racers, “I don't think that it's fair to expect all of our industry professionals to have those resources readily available and be doing the work of vetting and verifying potential homes for these horses,” said Lucinda Lovitt, executive director of the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA). CARMA is the non-profit dedicated to fund-raising for the rehabilitation, retraining and retirement of California's fleet of ex-racers. By now well-established, CARMA provides funding to 23 rehoming facilities in the Golden State. Lucinda Lovitt | CARMA A focal point for these facilities is an “aftercare liaison” with roots at California's racetracks. This “liaison” acts as a middle-person between the trainers and the rehoming facilities. The intent is to ensure the funneling of horses into the right kinds of homes–a rehabilitation facility, for example, or a re-training program or a sanctuary for life. “That's a person, boots on the ground, who gets to know the trainers,” said Lovitt, of the liaison. “I think racetrack operators owe it to themselves and to the sport to have someone like that at their tracks–someone with some resources who can point the trainer in the right direction.” While other jurisdictions operate comparable programs to CARMA–like New York's “Take the Lead” and Maryland's “Beyond the Wire”–not every state does. And so, at those tracks lacking a well-organized network of aftercare programs connected through an aftercare liaison, what should the connections of a racehorse suddenly needing a new home do (especially if they have done little to prepare for the day at hand)? “My big thing is, be prepared for it to take you some time. Be prepared to have this horse for a little while longer,” said Lovitt, adding how the connections of retiring racehorses often believe the process to be a swift one. Because of the time it can take to rehome a freshly retired racehorse–and because of the costs of stabling a horse at the track–Lovitt recommends that in the interim, connections find a local farm instead (if possible). “I find that if you shift expense to a farm rate, they [the owners] are more willing to maintain the care of that horse for the time it takes to rehome them properly,” said Lovitt. Lovitt's third suggestion is to review the map on the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance's (TAA) website for any nearby accredited rehoming organizations. The TAA accredits, inspects and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations across the nation. “It doesn't matter if your horse doesn't fit these organizations' models. You want to be talking to people who are working in aftercare at a high level of knowledge and experience,” said Lovitt. “These organizations have founders, have principles, have executive directors, have development directors, have whatever–they've met this standard of care and standard of operation that is highly scrutinized,” said Lovitt. Even if a facility cannot immediately take in a horse, “you can ask them for recommendations,” said Lovitt. “Those are the sorts of people you want to be getting recommendations from.” Another possible option, said Lovitt, are universities that maintain breeding programs, like that at the University of Arizona. “If I'm an owner, I can call that program and say, 'I have a horse that is no longer viable for racing. I want to make sure that it gets retired to a place that'll be safe. Do you guys have any recommendations?'” said Lovitt. The breeding option isn't always considered the best avenue for a retiring race-mare, Lovitt admits. “But I think recipient mares, or embryo transfer mares, or a mare sent to a university farm is a great option,” she said. “They typically have a long life. They're well cared for.” Nationwide The TAA has grown exponentially since its inception a little over a decade ago, to a point now where the TAA accredits 86 aftercare organizations, providing grants to 85 of them. These 86 organizations operate 180 different facilities that currently house around 2,500 horses annually. Stacie Clark-Rogers | TAA WEB All told, the TAA has helped roughly 16,500 ex-racehorses find new homes after their careers at the track have ended, and growing. TAA operations consultant, Stacie Clark Rogers, said that the road to a sturdily built and watertight aftercare program begins at the racetrack and with the owners. Which is why the TAA has passed out a “Best Practices” document on the subject to many racetracks, including to Turf Paradise. “We explain what the problem is here, right?” said Clark Rogers, “Those aren't best practices if you let a horse end up in a bad spot.” But high-ups in the TAA are the first to admit that the current framework of aftercare facilities doesn't nearly cut the mustard in terms of providing a comprehensive national aftercare safety-net for all ex-racers. The TAA's foundations, said organization president Jeffrey Bloom, are sturdy enough to “grow up and out” on this existing model. “Some of these organizations are really ambitious,” he said. As an example, Bloom and Clark Rogers pointed to Beverly Strauss, who co-founded MidAtlantic Horse Rescue (MAHR). When MAHR first came under the TAA umbrella back in 2012, the organization adopted roughly 20 horses annually. “She regularly now adopts over 100 horses a year,” Clark Rogers said, highlighting how the organization's growth has been facilitated by a strong network of “aftercare triage” at Maryland's tracks coupled with sustainable funding from the TAA and Maryland's Beyond The Wire program. But what would a strong nationwide aftercare program look like? How many more aftercare facilities does the industry need, for example? Where would they be located? Who would run them? The TAA framed the answer in numerical rather than in geographical terms, all built around this currently unanswerable question: Just how many Thoroughbred ex-racehorses are currently slipping through the cracks and into the slaughter pipeline? For all sorts of reasons, the industry is unable to pin an accurate number to a question that sits at the very heart of its aftercare problems. Border forms require only generic horse descriptions, for example, making it impossible to know for sure just how many Thoroughbreds are still making the trip to Canada or Mexico for slaughter. The rise in recent years of the “bail pen” cottage industry adds another disturbing wrinkle to the whole problem. These are traders who purchase Thoroughbreds at auction before posting them online with a short deadline for purchase that, if missed, will mean the horse gets shipped for slaughter-a coercive economy, in other words, built on the exploitation of good-will. Jeff Bloom | Benoit And as Clark Rogers points out, “one thing no one talks about are the number of racetracks that don't know when horses are being shipped direct to kill.” There are efforts to correct course, however. Last year, The Jockey Club announced a traceability project to track retired horses. In preparation for the project's launch this summer, the Jockey Club recently encouraged “anyone with a digital certificate of foal registration in their account who no longer has possession of the horse to transfer the certificate to the current owner or appropriate certificate manager.” A comprehensive national network of aftercare facilities is a tantalizing ideal. But these facilities aren't cheap to run. As any doting owner will attest, a well-fed happy Thoroughbred can burn a hole through the pocket. According to Clark Rogers, the monthly aftercare cost per-horse across the country averages out at around $680–a number that will only creep up with inflation. The TAA's annual operating budget is between $4.5 million and $5 million, 80% of which is doled out to its accredited aftercare partners, 10% for the accrediting process. Clark Rogers is unable to estimate the total funding levels for all aftercare facilities across the country, including those not funded by the TAA. Until it's known just how many more retiring racehorses the industry needs to catch, an accurate figure on a comprehensive national program is impossible. But according to Clark Rogers, annual expenses for the current crop of TAA-accredited facilities comes to roughly $48.5 million for both horse care and operational costs. Furthermore, the TAA operates on a skeleton crew. In an ideal world, this small team would be primarily focused on the governance side of the aftercare equation, providing oversight of accredited facilities while ensuring equitable distribution of funds, said Bloom. But that's not nearly happening to the degree it should. “Actually, the bulk of our time is spent trying to raise money to help support the industry's need for aftercare. It's a Catch-22. You can't really grow and expand the scope of what you're providing–in terms of comprehensive aftercare that's accredited–if a lot of your time is spent raising money to support that,” said Bloom. “One way or another, we need a mandatory sustainable fundraising solution,” Bloom added. “So, who's going to pay for that?” Official Responses Arizona is home to four TAA-accredited aftercare facilities. After the Homestretch near Phoenix, Desert Oasis Rescue and the Equine Encore Foundation near Tucson, and the Harmony and Hope Horse Haven near the New Mexico border. Despite several aftercare figures in Arizona working informally with trainers at Turf Paradise, one thing the track lacks is a permanent “aftercare liaison” on the grounds who can act as an official rehoming facilitator. Given recent events, will that change? Turf Paradise gate | Coady Photography According to Vincent Francia, Turf Paradise general manager, track management and the Arizona chapter of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) have opened discussions on the idea of such a liaison as part of a more organized system of aftercare. The funding component has also been part of these discussions, he said. “This is the perfect opportunity for track management and the horsemen to unite to get this information out there,” said Francia, of a more systematic approach to the problem. And what of the investigations that the Arizona Department of Gaming and HISA pursued into Woolley's original complaint? Both agencies maintain their investigators are guilty of no lapses. “We were completely satisfied with HISA/HIWU investigators here because our investigation was focused exclusively on Dr. Lowe. We were satisfied that Dr. Lowe, who has played an outsized role in reducing fatalities at Turf Paradise this meet, did not violate any HISA rule and did not recommend that any thoroughbred be sent to slaughter,” wrote a HISA spokesperson, when asked to respond to last week's TDN story. “Jesse Bell is not a covered person so even if he does export horses to Mexico for slaughter, we have no jurisdiction over him. It would make no sense to use HISA/HIWU resources (industry funded) to investigate someone who is not covered in any way by HISA,” the HISA spokesperson added. The ADG did not respond directly to questions about the TDN's findings. Instead, the agency resent its original statement issued prior to last week's story. The post Filling The Aftercare Gaps In States Like Arizona appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Yoshito Yahagi has provided a sprinkling of stardust to the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion S. by pencilling the €1.25m Leopardstown highlight in for the Japanese star Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). With numerous big-race wins in his home country and international Grade 1 success to his name in Hong Kong and at the Breeders' Cup, Yahagi has now set his sights on Leopardstown on Saturday, September 14 a colt who finished third in the Japanese Derby last weekend. Of course, the brother to Sottsass (Fr), who fetched €2.1m at the August Yearling Sale at Arqana in 2022, wouldn't be the first Japanese raider to tackle the Irish Champion S. The Mitsuru Hashida-trained Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) ran a respectable fourth behind Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the 2019 edition. The international appeal of the race is further emphasised by an entry of two horses trained in South Africa and five from France. The South African entries are the dual Grade 1 winners Double Superlative (SAF) (Twice Over {GB}) and See It Again (SAF) (Twice Over {GB}), the latter trained by Michael Roberts, the former British champion jockey, who won the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion S. on the Henry Cecil-trained Indian Skimmer in 1988. The quintet of French possibles are headed by the US$5m Dubai Turf winner Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}), trained by Jerome Reynier, the Alex Pantall-trained Fast Tracker (GB) (Churchill {Ire}), a leading hope for this Sunday's Prix Du Jockey Club and French 2,000 Guineas winner Metropolitan (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), trained by Mario Baratti. The entry from Britain numbers 17 while Aidan O'Brien has handed entries to his big Epsom Derby hopes City Of Troy (Justify) and Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) along with Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the leading contender for Friday's Oaks at Epsom. The post Yahagi’s Shin Emperor Provides Some Stardust To Irish Champion Entries appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The CA$175,000 Eclipse Stakes (G2), the first big prize on the Woodbine calendar year for older horses, lured some of the most talented runners on the 2023 Canadian circuit, topped by King's Plate hero Paramount Prince.View the full article

The Kentucky Derby Museum was awarded a $1 million James Graham Brown Foundation Grant, which will support an upgrade to the feature film, “The Greatest Race,” the repository said in a release early Thursday. While the Museum updates the end of the 18-minute film every year to reflect the most recent Derby winner, the current exhibit has not been remastered in nearly a decade. Next year marks the Museum's 40th anniversary. “We are immensely grateful to the James Graham Brown Foundation for their generous support,” said Patrick Armstrong, President and CEO of the Kentucky Derby Museum. “This prestigious grant will enable us to create a more visually stunning and immersive experience for our visitors, ensuring that 'The Greatest Race' continues to captivate and inspire audiences from across the globe.” The post Foundation Awards Kentucky Derby Museum $1M Grant For Historic Exhibit Upgrade appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Belmont Stakes on FOX will feature Curt Menefee, Tom Amoss and Richard Migliore as its principal hosts, FOX Sports announced Thursday morning. On Saturday, June 8 beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET with Belmont Day on FOX, the network's pre-race show coverage is anchored by veteran studio host Menefee, multiple grade I-winning trainer Amoss and retired jockey Migliore. Hosting from the paddock, Charissa Thompson will be joined by FOX Sports wagering expert Chris “The Bear” Fallica and handicapper Jonathon Kinchen, who will both be providing up-to-the-minute wagering expertise. Reporter Tom Rinaldi returns and racing analyst Maggie Wolfendale also reports live on horseback for the undercard races and provides insight from the paddock. Finally, track announcer Frank Mirahmadi will be in the booth for his first call of the Belmont S. FOX Sports's weekend of racing begins Friday, June 7 with America's Day at the Races from 12:00 PM to 6:00 p.m. ET on FS2 and continues 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET on FS1, providing live coverage and analysis from prominent races across the country. The broadcast returns on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET on FS1, followed by Belmont Day at 4:00 p.m. ET. The network's pre-race show will feature coverage of multiple grade I races, culminating with the GI Belmont S. Concurrently on FS1 at 4:00 p.m. ET, America's Day at the Races provides an alternate telecast geared to the experienced horseplayer with the most in-depth handicapping across all Triple Crown pre-race coverage. Following the conclusion of the Belmont S., coverage continues on FS1 and FS2. All horse racing coverage on FOX, FS1 and FS2 can be streamed live on the FOX Sports app and FOXSports.com. The post Full Televised Schedule Released As Belmont 156 Returns To FOX Sports appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The $400,000 GIII Penn Mile, the lone graded stakes annually on the Penn National stakes schedule, has attracted a competitive field of 10 and, adding further intrigue to an already challenging handicapping puzzle Friday evening, is the presence of some of this country's top reinsmen, making a rare appearance at the Central Pennsylvania oval. A good many were pushing for an Amerman Racing-owned son of Oscar Performance to contest the GII American Turf S. at Churchill Downs May 4, but GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks winner Endlessly opted for the GI Kentucky Derby instead. That left the door open for the owners' Trikari (Oscar Performance), who sat an inside trip, came out for the drive and edged away late to light up the tote to the tune of 47-1. Top California jockey Umberto Rispoli, fresh off a Grade I double at Santa Anita on Memorial Day, retains the mount for the Amermans and trainer Graham Motion. Qatar Racing and Hunter Valley Farm's First World War (War Front) carried Tyler Gaffalione to a half-length success in the GIII Kitten's Joy S. at Gulfstream Feb. 3 and the $285,000 Fasig-Tipton November weanling endured a bit of a checkered passage when a low-odds ninth in Keeneland's GIII Transylvania S. Apr. 5. Frankie Dettori, who shipped in from Churchill to win the GIII Dinner Party S. at Pimlico two weekends ago and also spent the holiday weekend in California, takes the reins for Brendan Walsh. With racing in New York on hiatus until the start of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival on Thursday, Flavien Prat makes the trip down to Grantville to ride Good Lord Lorrie (Hard Spun). The chestnut is undefeated in his two racetrack appearances to day, including a strong-finishing victory in t he Apr. 27 Woodhaven S. at Aqueduct for George Weaver. Also in town are Preakness-winning jockey Jaime Torres aboard 30-1 outsider I Know Map (Street Boss); Cristian Torres on the rail-drawn Aspenite (Constitution); and Javier Castellano atop Please Advise (Palace Malice). The post Superstar Jockeys Add Shine To Competitive Penn Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Having had to settle for a narrow second in the Australian Derby with Ceolwulf (Tavistock), Joe Pride will rely on the improving Bullets High (NZ) (Ace High) in his bid to go one better in the Queensland equivalent. Ceolwulf, who was the trainer’s first Derby runner, was beaten a neck by Riff Rocket (American Pharoah) in the Sydney classic and in Bullets High, Pride is confident he has a three-year-old with the stamina to handle Saturday’s 2400-metre Eagle Farm test. The gelding scored a gutsy victory over older horses at Warwick Farm last week to book his spot on the float north, alongside star stablemate Think About It (So You Think) who will chase back-to-back wins in the Gr.1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) a race earlier. Pride says Bullets High has continued to please him and he has also taken heart from the observations of David Payne, who trained the sire of Bullets High, 2017 Victoria Derby winner Ace High. “David Payne, who knows Ace High better than anyone, he saw him (Bullets High) in the yard at the start of the preparation and he said he’s the spitting image of his sire, so I hope he’s half as good,” Pride said. “He’s on his way this horse, it’s just a matter of when it is all going to come together for him. “He has bounced out of last week well and he’s still learning, but I couldn’t see him not running well because he can stay.” While Pride has no doubts over Bullets High’s stamina, he is wary of Brisbane’s weather forecast for rain on race day. Bullets High scored on a soft 6 track at Warwick Farm but missed a place at his two runs on wetter ground, while he would also prefer a drier surface for Think About It. “The rain concerns me a little bit for Saturday. I think it’s probably concerning everyone because of the way that Eagle Farm track has played,” Pride said. “The only genuinely heavy track Think About It has been on was in the Doncaster and he didn’t have any luck that day from a bad draw, so I wouldn’t make too many assumptions about that. “I’d rather be on the dry because it’s a variable I don’t want to deal with being an unknown.” The Bureau Of Meteorology is predicting between five and 20mm of rain in Brisbane on Saturday, mainly in the afternoon and evening. View the full article

Four weeks after demolishing quality opposition in Class 2, Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) is back at Sha Tin for his stiffest test to date in Sunday’s HK$4.2 million Gr.3 Sha Tin Vase Handicap (1200m). The second of a Group Three double-header at Sha Tin, which also features the HK$4.2 million Gr.3 Lion Rock Trophy Handicap (1600m), the quality dash is topped by a pair of Group One winners in Victor The Winner (Toronado) and Invincible Sage (Thronum), while Ka Ying Rising has the least experience in the nine-runner field with six starts under his belt. Trained by David Hayes and to be ridden by Karis Teetan, the budding three-year-old – who has won four times at Sha Tin – is aiming to outshine a host of better credentialed rivals. “I think Ka Ying Rising has very good form references going forward. He’s taking on international Group One winners, so we’ll see how good he is,” Hayes said. The rapidly improving Ka Ying Rising has surged through the grades. Two starts ago he safely held subsequent winner Call Me Glorious (No Nay Never) by more than a length in March. “He’s eaten up and held his form and it was good to see that good young horse he beat (Call Me Glorious) win, beating Little Brose at Sha Tin on Sunday (26 May). I thought he was one of the most progressive horses on the weekend,” Hayes said. Ka Ying Rising’s 96 rating is dwarfed in the race book as only he and Son Pak Fu (Fighting Sun) rate below triple figures. “He’s on the minimum but he is still racing probably seven or eight pounds out of the handicap. We’re pretty confident he can run in the upper-class next season so we don’t mind sacrificing a ratings race at this stage of his career,” Hayes said. View the full article

Regally bred son of Galileo signs off with three Group One wins and more than HK$48 million in prize money to his nameView the full article

The field for the June 8 Belmont Stakes (G1) lost a possible starter as Juddmonte Farms general manager Garrett O'Rourke said Batten Down would be pointed toward the Ohio Derby (G3) instead of the final leg of the Triple Crown at Saratoga.View the full article

Big City Lights, who would be undefeated except for his losses to The Chosen Vron, avoids his fellow California-bred by stepping into graded company.View the full article

Jerome Reynier has the Queen Anne in his sights for stable star Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) with the Marseille-based trainer bidding to bag a breakthrough Royal Ascot winner later this summer. Facteur Cheval played his part in some memorable Group 1 races last season before securing his own big day in the sun when landing the Dubai Turf on his seasonal debut at Meydan. That win came off the back of placed efforts in the QEII, Prix du Moulin, Sussex S. and Prix d'Ispahan, with Reynie hoping that his five-year-old has now come of age after his Meydan triumph. “He is aiming for the Queen Anne on the Tuesday and he came back in very good shape from Dubai. We're very happy with him,” Reynier said. “Now he's going to try to win a second time in a row after having not won for a long while. We don't have any questions about good ground because he won on it in Dubai and he's done the straight course at Ascot for the Queen Elizabeth so everything seems to be in good shape for him.” Joining him on the journey will be Darlinghurst (Ire), a three-year-old Dark Angel(Ire) colt who has not put a foot wrong in four starts this year. Winning a pair of Cagnes-Sur-Mer contests early in the season, the bay then stepped up to Listed level to win the Prix Maurice Caillault at Chantilly in March and then returned to the same track to take the Group 3 Prix de Guiche in May. He now holds an entry for the St James's Palace S. on the same day as his stablemate's Queen Anne bid. “That's the plan with him, he's in very good shape. He is unbeaten this year in four starts, he won his maiden, his conditions race, his Listed race and his Group 3,” said Reynier. “Everything is in good order, the more he goes, the better he is. Last time out in the Prix de Guiche he won in very good fashion. He's a son of Dark Angel and the dam is a Group 3 winner over five furlongs, so aiming for the French Derby over 300 metres more wouldn't have been a good idea. “He looks like a miler physically. It's a stiff mile at Royal Ascot and it will be a great race to look forward to.” The third horse set to make the trip over from France is Zarakem (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), who will aim to put defeat in the Prix Ganay behind him to return to the form he was in when he got the better of Horizon Dore (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) to land the Prix d'Harcourt in April. “We just have to forget about his last run in the Ganay where everything just went wrong,” Reynier said. “He won well on his reappearance in the Prix d'Harcourt and he has some pretty solid form beating Horizon Dore, who just got beaten in the Prix d'Ispahan.” The post Reynier Bidding For Royal Ascot Triumph With Facteur Cheval appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Aidan O'Brien will be represented by a trio in Saturday's G1 Betfred Derby, with Ryan Moore staying loyal to last year's champion juvenile City Of Troy (Justify) over the stable's other kingpin Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). With the draw for the Blue Riband taking place on Epsom High Street, there was a blow to City Of Troy's chances as he was handed the dreaded stall one with all its disadvantages, while Los Angeles who will be partnered by Wayne Lordan will part from stall four. O'Brien withdrew the trio Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Portland (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) on Thursday, with the Dominic ffrench-Davis-trained Padesha (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) the other withdrawal to leave 16. Of the other notables, Godolphin's Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) has drawn 11, The Gredley Family's Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) is in six and Dancing Gemini (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is in 15. Drawing the “lucky” stall 10 which has housed 11 winners is the Gosdens' outsider God's Window (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The post City Of Troy Heads Derby Sixteen, Drawn In One appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article