Wandering Eyes

Items from the estate of the late Virginia Kraft Payson, proprietor of Payson Stud in Lexington and Payson Park Training Center in Florida, will be offered over the course of five auctions via Bluegrass Auction, Appraisal & Realty in June. Showcasing Payson's extensive collections of fine jewelry, rare antiques, and numerous paintings and prints–some numbered and from limited runs–over 1,200 items will be put on offer June 15-22. Said works are by renown sporting artists like Henry Stull, Jenness Cortez, Fred Stone, and Peter Howell, and include topics such as her 1985 Travers Stakes winner Carr de Naskra and homebred St. Jovite, who would be crowned the European Horse of the Year in 1992. Other artwork includes numbered prints and paintings of horses such as Ruffian, A.P. Indy, John Henry, and Alysheba, to name a few. All five catalogues, and online bidding, are available here along with more information on the condition of the pieces. The post Items from the Estate of Virginia Kraft Payson on Offer via Bluegrass Auction in June appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

America's Best Racing provides a numerical history of the Belmont Stakes (G1).View the full article

The New York Racing Association and the New York State Gaming Commission have placed Barn 85 at Saratoga Race Course under a 14-day precautionary quarantine until further notice due to a positive case of strangles in that barn.View the full article

Charlie Fellowes could be forgiven for any lingering frustration over the events at Longchamp just over a fortnight ago. After all, there he was, poised to receive the trophy for winning his first Classic. Shes Perfect was in the winner's circle after the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and the photos had been taken with her throng of happy owners. Then came the dreaded verdict. By now, the records show that after a stewards' enquiry and subsequent unsuccessful appeal, the hampered Zarigana was the winner of the race. Who knows what private and proverbial kicking of cats there may have been behind closed doors at Bedford House Stables, but Fellowes appears to have taken it all with a 'that's racing' shrug of his shoulders. It's the grown-up reaction of one who has now been training for 12 years and has seen enough lows – though perhaps none quite so public or profound – to know that in this sport, nothing can be taken for granted, not even when you've crossed the line in front. “I'm very much what will be will be,” says Fellowes as he watches Shes Perfect and his other exciting Classic prospect Luther as they warm up for first lot. “A lot of people were surprised at my reaction after the demotion. I got so many kind messages about the interview afterwards with Sky Sports Racing, although at that time it was all still such a blur; it hadn't really sunk in. “But I can't change what happened, I'm not going to change their decision, and getting wound up and angry over it achieves absolutely nothing. We are still in the enviable position of having two really exciting horses and, okay it didn't happen that day, but I feel sure that it will happen for her this year, and hopefully for Luther. The only way to help is by focusing on what's happening here and having the horses spot on for the next time they go to the races, and hopefully Lady Luck will shine down on us one day.” Instead then, in Fellowes's rose-lined corner of Newmarket at the yard which has housed a number of Derby winners, including Hermit, Isinglass, Pinza and, most recently, Luca Cumani's High-Rise, it is a case of onwards and upwards. And the next up could come as soon as this Sunday as Luther, whose valiant fourth in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains has been all-but forgotten in the hullabaloo of the fillies' race, returns to France for a crack at the Prix du Jockey Club. He will once more be partnered by Kieran Shoemark, of whom Fellowes is a staunch ally. “Not only is Kieran an incredibly nice human being and a joy to work with, but he's a very good rider. He makes very few mistakes, he's got brilliant hands, you never see a horse pulling with him,” he says. “He rode nigh on a perfect race. Luther has on occasion been a stride slow out of the gates so we put him through the stalls a few days before the race and then he absolutely pinged the gates. We sat a lot closer to a very strong pace than the other three that we reoppose [on Sunday] did.” Fellowes continues, “Luther is not a big, strapping, scopey, staying type. He's neat and quite well made but he's strong.” Fellowes alongside Luther and Stuart Ritchie on Warren Hill | Emma Berry A son of Frankel and the Musidora Stakes winner Give And Take (Cityscape), Luther was bought by Will Douglass for owner Paul Hickman, with his breeder Nicholas Jones staying in for a share. His dam is out of a full-sister to the brilliant Fame And Glory (Montjeu), whose five Group 1 wins included the Irish Derby. This gives Luther a strand in common with his stable-mate Shes Perfect, whose granddam Desertion (Danehill) is a sister to Irish Derby winner Desert King. Hickman, originally from Wolverhampton but now residing in Singapore, has long been a supporter of Fellowes, largely through his friendship with Chief Stipe King, the owner of dual Group 3-winning sprinter Vadream (and also of Coventry City FC). “Paul loves the middle-distance pedigrees – he's not interested in sprinters at all – and we buy one or two a year for him to try to win the Derby,” Fellowes notes. “When you've got one, maybe two if you're lucky, bullets to fire at the sales it's not easy. But I think Paul would definitely settle for a French Derby – so much so that he had the choice whether to go to Epsom or France and he's going to France.” The trainer is also “leaning towards” a return to France and the Prix de Diane instead of Royal Ascot for Shes Perfect. “She has always worked like she wants slightly further, so I am keen to explore a step up in trip,” he says of the daughter of Sioux Nation. “We put her in the Arc at the end of the year. You look at the Coronation [Stakes], and Lake Victoria was very good the other day, and Zarigana has beaten us twice – well, sort of. But it looks like quite a good race and, although I think the round track at Ascot would suit her, as she likes to just get on with things, I think that stepping up to ten furlongs now in France would just give us some clarity as to where we go for the rest of the season – whether we genuinely train her with the Arc in mind, or whether ten furlongs is the limit, or whether we are dropping back to a mile.” He adds, “The beauty of her is that she goes on any ground, which few horses genuinely do. She's a big girl. She is literally perfect physically and that is how she was named.” Shes Perfect and Poppy Watson | Emma Berry With one of the town's most historic stables as his home, Fellowes is now fully embedded in Newmarket. It is not all that far from where he grew up at Abbots Ripton in Cambridgeshire, and where he was first bitten by the bug when coming racing with his mother, who owned shares in horses with Geoff Wragg. “Mum would give me a pound to bet on each race and I was utterly hooked on it,” he recalls. “Friends would come over on a Saturday and want to play in the garden and I just wanted to watch Channel 4 Racing.” Far too tall to be a jockey, which was his initial ambition, he settled on a career as a trainer and set about learning from some of the most established names in the business, which included a stint in Australia with Lee Freedman and five years as assistant to James Fanshawe, who Fellowes says is “one of the best horsemen in the country”. He is not alone in this belief. “I don't come from a racing background so horses weren't in my blood,” he says. “But I think every trainer would say that they are always learning. I know this place like the back of my hand now – I've been here 20 years in Newmarket, and maybe these two have come along at a good point in my career. Maybe they have have timed their runs beautifully so I can showcase their careers.” There will be plenty of folk in his home town cheering for him if either Luther or Shes Perfect manage to land a Group 1. Fellowes is not just instantly likeable, with an openness now much more common to the younger breed of trainer, but he does his bit for the town, too. This includes chairing the committee for Newmarket's popular Henry Cecil Open Weekend in September. As Fellowes watches Luther have his last gentle exercise up Warren Hill before heading to Chantilly, Sir Mark Prescott calls out “bonne chance” to him, while David Simcock wanders over to enquire where Luther has been drawn for the Jockey Club. Along with George Scott, Fellowes was an early adopter of the podcast craze, and he is engagingly candid on his social media channels, which are actively driving ownership in the stable. “Basher does all my social media now,” he says of Basher Watts, the syndicate manager behind Shes Perfect and other horses. “I am generally relatively relaxed about information I send over. I would get an email or two a week now from people who are interested in shares in horses, which we never had before. We're reaching people now which we never touched before. We have about 12,000 followers on Instagram, which has grown significantly since Basher took over, and I'm now on TikTok, apparently.” Fellowes continues, “Twitter is a funny one. I find it can be a really toxic place. We don't use it as a marketing tool and I should really delete it from my phone as it just seems to be a breeding ground for negativity. But I like Instagram and it's definitely been a good marketing tool for us, and a lot of it is just explaining what we are doing – the day-to-day training of the horses, the farrier, etc. I think the everyday guy in the street still thinks that racing is fixed and horses are badly treated, but racing in England is incredibly clean and horses generally live exceptional lives through to retirement and then have a happy and peaceful time after racing. It's up to us to be getting that message across.” While Fellowes has enjoyed his share of success at the royal meeting, he points to Prince Of Arran's win in the G3 Lexus Stakes, which qualified him to run in the Melbourne Cup, as the high point of his career to date. Luther could yet take his trainer back to Australia, as Fellowes and Hickman are keen to aim him at the Cox Plate. “That's the potential end-of-season target,” he says. “I love Australia and I have been desperate to go back for a long time. Luther wants decent ground so he won't be running on Champions Day or anything like that. I think three-year-olds have a good record in the race and I think he would handle the tight track at Moonee Valley.” He continues, “It's really exciting to have these things to think about, and to have it for these owners as well. You couldn't find a nicer or more enthusiastic man than Basher. All he cares about is his shareholders. He just wants them all to have a good experience. He has all these what's app groups and it's a real community. “And then for Paul Hickman, he's been one of my biggest supporters and I speak to him almost daily at the moment. He's a lovely guy who I get on really well with. “I feel like [Luther and Shes Perfect] are just a little bit different to the other good ones that I've had. Prince Of Arran was a wonderful horse but he came alive in Australia and never really loved English tracks. Vadream is talented but quirky – everything has to go like clockwork for her and if it does she'll run a screamer. “But these two, mentally, they are just very tough and straightforward. I think that's what sets them slightly apart.” The post ‘Maybe These Two Have Come Along at a Good Point in my Career’: Fellowes on Luther and Shes Perfect appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) have placed Barn 85 at Saratoga Race Course under a 14-day precautionary quarantine until further notice due to a positive case of strangles in that barn. Strangles is a contagious bacterial infection that generally affects a horse's respiratory system and causes symptoms similar to those of strep throat in humans. When properly diagnosed and treated, strangles is not considered a life-threatening infection and horses recover fully. Barn 85 contains horses trained by Jeremiah Englehart and Jorge Abreu. The 2-year-old [Tranquil Sea] who is trained by Englehart, was referred to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital on Wednesday, after developing breathing issues. He was subsequently tested for a number of potential ailments, and a positive test for strangles was returned on Friday morning. The colt began treatment immediately at Rood & Riddle, where he remains. Following official notification of the positive case by the NYS Department of Agriculture on Friday morning, NYRA and the NYSGC implemented standard infectious disease protocols including restricting access to the horses in the quarantined barn, establishing a 24-hour security watch, mandating regular temperature checks for the horses in that barn and enacting biosecurity measures for all individuals requiring access to Barn 85. Overseen by Dr. Sarah Hinchliffe, the director of NYRA's veterinary department, in consultation with the NYSGC, the Barn 85 quarantine is effective immediately. Abreu has horses in both Barn 85 and Barn 86, and only the horses in Barn 85 are quarantined. The Abreu horses located in Barn 86 can train and race with the general population. During the initial quarantine period, these horses will not be permitted to enter races or train among the general horse population. Afebrile/asymptomatic horses stabled in Barn 85 will have isolated training hours at the Oklahoma Training Track following the close of training for the general horse population at 10 a.m. As of Friday morning, three additional febrile horses have been identified in Barn 85. These horses will be removed from the property to undergo further evaluation. In an email follow-up, vice president of communications Patrick McKenna stated that other than the impacted barn, NYRA had not instituted any additional restrictions on shipping horses into, or out of, Saratoga Race Course. NYRA will provide updates as appropriate. The post Barn 85 at Saratoga Placed Under Quarantine Due to Strangles Positive appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The first five finishers from the Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas-G1) return to contest the June 1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby-G1).View the full article

Sam Agars DAZZLING FIT - R5 (1) Can defy heavy weight and continue on his winning ways Jay Rooney LUCKY SYMPHONY - R3 (1) Won impressively last start and can overcome another wide draw here Trackwork Spy HELIOS EXPRESS - R8 (2) So long the bridesmaid, the gun sprinter can have his day in the sun today Phillip Woo DIVANO - R6 (7) Gets in nicely at the weights and is running over a suitable trip Shannon (Vincent Wong) POCHETTINO - R1 (5) Drops into Class Five and looks ready to produce his...View the full article

The Road, presented by Gainesway and Darby Dan FarmView the full article

NZB is excited to announce the addition of ten quality weanlings for the 2025 National Weanling Sale, set to take place at Karaka on Thursday 26 June. In addition to the 134 lots originally catalogued, ten bonus lots will be offered immediately following Lot 134. Seven of the supplementary weanlings are on account of renowned vendor Waikato Stud, who sold star Weanling Sale graduate Jedibeel (NZ), a recent winner of the Group Two Challenge Stakes at Randwick. “We were a little late getting organised, but what we’re offering at this Weanling Sale indicates the strength of what we’ve got in store for the Karaka yearling sales,” stated Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick. “We always support any NZB sale and can only prepare so many yearlings at once. We believe we’ve got our strongest crop of weanlings on the ground, quality and quantity-wise, that we’ve had in a long time and that will be reflected in our draft for Karaka 2026 as we celebrate 100 years of the National Yearling Sales Series.” Established Ready to Run Sale vendors Riverrock Farm will debut at the National Weanling Sale when they present Lot 143, a first foal by Turn Me Loose out of Neon Moon (Exosphere) and Lot 144, a Circus Maximus colt. While Little Avondale Stud have added one more weanling to their nine-strong draft in Lot 135, a filly by Tivaci from Lavita Vishi (NZ) (Savabeel). “The addition of these weanlings with some outstanding pedigrees, commercial sires and from genuine drafts adds another boost to this Sale,” commented NZB’s Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones. “Having these supplementary lots on top of an already quality catalogue creates further opportunities for those end users and traders. “The pinhookers will certainly want to take note, as too the trainers looking for a Karaka Millions eligible horse.” The on-farm parades for the upcoming 2025 National Weanling Sale are scheduled to take place from Wednesday 4 June through to Friday 6 June. All prospective buyers are welcome to attend to inspect weanlings ahead of the Sale, while NZB and NZ-based agents are also available to inspect on your behalf should you require a head start on inspections and evaluations. View and download the schedule here. Physical copies of the supplementary catalogue will be available at Sale Day Reception or can be downloaded here.  View the full 143-lot catalogue online here or on the Equineline app for tablets. All weanlings offered are eligible to be nominated for NZB’s lucrative Karaka Millions Series. Graduates can compete for a share in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), followed by the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) as well as the $1m NZB Mega Maiden Bonus Series. For those attending the Sale and requiring assistance with travel and accommodation, contact travel@nzb.co.nz, or book directly with special rates at the DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka hotel here. View the full article

Race 6 KPMG MILE 1600m LA MEZQUITA (T Moodley) – Trainer Mr. S Marsh reported to Stewards, he was satisfied with the post-race condition of the mare, however, in his opinion LA MEZQUITA would benefit to more rain effected footing. S Marsh further advised it is his intention to carry on with the mare’s current preparation. Race 9 CHAMPION FREIGHT 1500m ROZEL (E Nicholas) – Co-trainer Ms. M Murdoch advised Stewards, that the stable was satisfied with the mare’s condition following the race, however, ROZEL has now been seen for a spell. The post Waikato Thoroughbred Racing @ Te Rapa, Saturday 24 May 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Race 8 HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY EMILLIE RATING 65 1600m MIGHTY CASTLE (N Yuen) – Trainer Mr. S Woodsford reported to Stewards, he was satisfied with the mare’s condition following the race and it is his intention to carry on with MIGHTY CASTLE’S current preparation, where he may nominate her for the Waimate RC meeting on Sunday 8 June. The post Otago Racing Club @ Wingatui, Friday 23 May 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

After a successful first season in New Zealand, talented young jockey Matthew Cartwright is back home in Victoria for a winter stint. Cartwright currently holds a spot inside the top 10 in the New Zealand jockeys’ premiership, while he also gained his first taste of Group One glory earlier this season when he won the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) on Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj). “It was very rewarding and I was so glad to get that,” Cartwright said of that top-level triumph. “I’m very proud of my efforts and what I’ve achieved for my first season in New Zealand; I had seven Stakes winners, there was a Group One, a Group Two, a few Group Three’s and a few Listed races. “I was very happy, I rode 53 winners in New Zealand, it’s the most winners I’ve ever ridden in a season and we’ve still got a few months left.” More broadly speaking, Cartwright believes that he’s benefited from his time across the Tasman, both in and out of the saddle. “It’s improved me as a rider, it’s probably made me grow up mentally as well,” he said. “I feel like being away from home has probably mentally toughened me up and made me realise what it’s like being away from home as well.” Cartwright was back at the races on home soil last week at Kilmore and plans to ride in his home state for the next couple of months. “I’m just going to have a lighter winter and be riding in Melbourne and then I’ll head back to New Zealand early August for a few Group horses,” Cartwright said. “I’m happy with how it’s been going in New Zealand and I’d like to give Melbourne a crack for the winter, nothing permanent but I want to ride here and keep my licence in Melbourne for next season as well.” Cartwright hopes to taste metropolitan success during his time back in Melbourne and will ride veteran galloper Curran for his family in Saturday’s Listed Bel Esprit Stakes at Caulfield. View the full article

A successful association between Windsor Park Stud and Riverton owner-trainer Andrea Dickson has continued with A Mandarin, who will shoot for a hat-trick of wins when she lines up in the Grand Casino (2200m) at Wingatui on Sunday. A Mandarin has joined Dickson’s stable under a lease from Windsor Park Stud. That same arrangement resulted in Dickson winning races at Oamaru and Gore with the capable mare Rita Hayworth in 2021 and 2022. While Rita Hayworth ventured south as an unraced mare, A Mandarin brought established racetrack credentials. The daughter of Turn Me Loose was trained by Sam Mynott through a creditable northern career that spanned 16 starts for two wins, a second, two thirds and four fourths. Her wins came in 2100m races at Te Rapa and Pukekohe in January and October of last year. “I’m leasing her from Windsor Park, and with the good form that she had up in the North Island, I felt quite lucky to get her,” Dickson said. The five-year-old had excuses when unplaced in her first four starts in the South Island, but has turned a corner in her last two appearances with back-to-back Rating 65 victories in the Ashford Motor Lodge Christchurch Pourakino Handiacp (2147m) at Riverton and the Homestead Villa Motel & Majestic Float (2200m) at Ascot Park. The Riverton race had a stake of $40,000. “In her first start for me in January, she hit her head on the top of the gates and almost knocked herself out,” Dickson said. “Then she was badly interfered with by a fallen horse at Wingatui in February. I gave her a bit of a break for a few weeks, and she’s come back really well with those two wins in April. Those were a couple of very good performances. “She’s feeling very well. It’s quite a step up on Sunday, going into open class, and it looks like a very competitive field. “But she’s been working really well and is in great order. She tries really hard, and she seems to be forming a good rapport with Yogesh Atchamah, who has ridden her to both of those wins and can claim 2kg. “I can’t fault her leading into the race, and if she was able to run in the top four against that level of opposition, I’d come out of it pretty happy.” View the full article

Runaway last-start winner Honey Badger will head to Te Rapa on Saturday as a hot favourite for the Ambient Group 3YO (1100m), where another big performance could earn her a black-type opportunity at Tauranga next month. Honey Badger has shown a real affinity for heavy tracks, with both of her two career victories coming in those conditions. That includes a spectacular performance at Rotorua on May 10, where she blew her Rating 65 opposition away by eight and a half lengths. Trainer Tony Pike is open to the possibility of the El Roca filly taking on older mares in the Listed Team Wealleans Tauranga Classic (1400m) on June 21. “We’ll see how she goes tomorrow before making any plans, but if she happened to win well, we’d certainly give consideration to trying her out at weight-for-age at Tauranga,” Pike said. “She’d run a couple of good races on drier tracks (fifth and fourth at on Soft5 tracks at Te Rapa on April 13 and April 26), but she obviously has a real preference for that rain-affected going. She got that at Rotorua last start, and you don’t often see horses win as impressively as she did that day. “With the rain we’ve been having over the last few days, she’ll have suitable conditions again tomorrow, albeit a rise in class. She’s a short-priced favourite and probably deserves that on the strength of her last-start performance. “She came through the Rotorua run in fantastic order and has worked very well through the week.” Honey Badger will be joined on the float to Te Rapa by her stablemate Cast Of Diamonds, who is a similarly warm favourite for the Wright Civil (2200m). The four-year-old son of Eminent has finished second in his last two starts over 2100m and 2200m, beaten by a long neck and a short head. “He’s racing really well,” Pike said. “He went down by a very narrow margin at Rotorua last start. This looks like an ideal race for him, probably a touch easier than what he came up against last time, and he looks close to a win.” Honey Badger and Cast Of Diamonds could be the start of a notable long weekend for Pike, who also has a pair of highly regarded two-year-olds entered for the Mlaadi Laurich (1150m) at Te Aroha on Monday. Happy Youmzain and Cream Tart both come from the first crop of Hello Youmzain. The Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion is also the sire of Pike’s Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) winner Lucy In The Sky. Cream Tart finished second on debut at Matamata on May 14. She was beaten by a neck by Alacritous, with four and a quarter lengths back to the third placegetter. This will be the first raceday appearance for Happy Youmzain, who has recorded a win and three placings from four appearances at the trials. “They’re both going really well,” Pike said. “Cream Tart impressed me with that debut performance at Matamata. She might have just got the front a little bit soon there, but fought very well. Happy Youmzain has really pleased us at the trials. “We’ll assess what happens with the weather and track conditions between now and then, but as long as the ground isn’t too testing, they’ll head there on Monday as a couple of very nice chances.” View the full article

Luke Ferraris has shaken off the worst of the fever that sidelined him from Wednesday night’s Happy Valley meeting and is hoping he has the ammunition to continue his strong recent form at Sha Tin on Saturday. Victorious at the past two meetings he has ridden at, Ferraris will feature in both of Saturday’s Group Three features but must overcome barrier 10 aboard Lucky With You in the Sha Tin Vase (1,200m) and Chancheng Glory in the Lion Rock Trophy (1,600m). “Lucky With You is going to need the...View the full article

Hugh Bowman has supreme confidence in Helios Express capitalising on the absence of superstar Ka Ying Rising and a light weight when the talented sprinter chases a deserved win in Saturday’s Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m). A brilliant winner of last year’s Classic Mile and Classic Cup (1,800m), Helios Express has had to settle for five seconds and two thirds behind Ka Ying Rising in his seven starts this season. That streak includes three Group One seconds and a last-start third in the Group...View the full article

Presenter-driver-trainer Brittany Graham knows a thing or two about racing on both sides of the Tasman and now that the Queenslander is working for Trackside in this country she’s (reluctantly) agreed to write a weekly column. By Brittany Graham On a stacked King’s Birthday weekend of harness racing, here are four to follow around the grounds. Addington – Friday R8 #4 Tremendous Sensation On a night with quite a few well-backed, odds-on favourites, Tremendous Sensation looks a nice chance at a bit more value. I have really liked this mare’s handful of runs back from a long break and think she is now ready to cash in from a positive barrier draw. Her second to Miki Bennett last start was very good, and we can get a line on that form reference when he goes around earlier in race 5. She has versatility on her side although I’d expect her to make her own luck tonight with Blair Orange in the bike. To place a bet on this race click here Alexandra Park – Friday R6 #1 Carrera Hombre Luckless in a heat last week, his effort was sound in a quick last half and he has all the options from gate 1 in tonight’s TAB Metro Pacers Final. He has shown more than enough gate speed to hold those to his outside, although even from a trail he will still be a danger. He seems a progressive 3YO to follow who is still only relatively lightly raced in the big scheme of things, and I think he’s up to the challenge here. If you are looking for an absolute roughie to follow throughout the card, Crazy is huge odds and could sneak into some minor money, so a top 3 or 4 bet could provide some fun. To place a bet on this race click here Ashburton – Sunday R2 #5 Snooowgood Despite letting backers down last week at Timaru, this talented 3YO trotting filly can bounce back at start two. The early mistake on debut was not at all her fault after coping a nasty check, and her trials show above average talent and her fair share of high speed which will be very dangerous in this maiden trotting grade. I also like that she’s drawn out a little further this week which will hopefully mitigate the risk of getting into bother. To place a bet on this race click here Invercargill – Monday R10 #6 Remission Really like the way this 4YO mare has returned after being tested in strong company last season. Luckless here two starts ago when getting bottled away from a second row draw before charging home, her gritty effort behind Francent last week was a signal of an impending victory. She has enough gate speed to make something of this barrier draw, hopefully settling in front of her main rivals. View the full article

Consistent Taranaki mare Our Jumala has a number of winter features in her future and Robbie Patterson hopes she can pick up the first of those in Saturday’s Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui. The daughter of Zed kicked off a series of stakes races on a winning note in the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m) in late March, which she followed up with a fourth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2050m), fifth in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) and a luckless last-start third in the Listed Rotorua Cup (2200m). Pleased with each of those performances, Patterson is pressing on to the Wanganui feature with designs on a trip to Riccarton early in the new season. “She was a bit unlucky there at Rotorua, if she was drawn poorly she probably would’ve got a lot closer,” he said. “She’s trained on well, I’ve freshened her up a bit to drop back to a mile, so I’m hopeful of a good run. “She’ll have a short break for now, then will come back for the Opunake Cup (Listed, 1400m) and Winter Cup (Gr.3, 1600m).” Stablemate Ragamuffin will make an awaited step-up over ground in the Balance Accountants 2040, following two placings on heavy tracks this preparation. “I’ve been waiting for a long time to get him right and ready to step up to 2000m, and he gets his chance on Saturday,” Patterson said. “I think he’ll like the distance, he’s relaxing really well now, and he’s drawn a nice spot to get midfield. I’d be disappointed if he’s not in the thick of it.” Among his younger contingent, Patterson has plenty of faith in both Unbounded (Full Circle Appearance Medicine 2YO 1200) and Ma Te Wa (Wanganui-Taranaki Racehorse Owners Association MDN 1340) as they enter their second raceday starts. Challenge Syndications’ juvenile Unbounded was unsuited to the pattern on debut at Hawera, but if she strikes a track to suit, the daughter of Turn Me Loose could be one flying under the radar on Saturday. “The Hawera run was better than it looked on paper, it was one of those days at Hawera that everything was off the front, and she had to come wide,” Patterson said. “She was strong late in the piece. “She’s jumped out and galloped on rain-affected ground and revels in it, so I’m hoping that Wanganui gets a bit more rain to loosen the track up. “I think she can be very competitive in the right conditions.” Time Test three-year-old Ma Te Wa stepped out for the first time back in February but looked and performed like a stronger gelding when winning at the Foxton trials on Tuesday. “I gave him that run but he was just a bit weak, so I flicked him aside and he’s come back really well,” Patterson said. “He won a couple of jump-outs and that trial on Tuesday. “I’m expecting a big run from him, Craig is pretty happy to be riding him on Saturday. “I think he’s a horse that will win races, he’ll excel at a mile in time, probably with another year on him.” Patterson has had lighter representation at the races in recent weeks, but with a large volume of young stock coming through the stable, it has been business as usual in New Plymouth. “We’re still pretty full, we have a lot of young horses in while some of the older horses are out for their winter break,” he said. “Not racing-wise, but we’re still busy working away.” View the full article

Dark Destroyer is no stranger to success in Queensland, and he will be looking to replicate his past success when he heads to Eagle Farm on Saturday. Formerly trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, Dark Destroyer had a successful three-year-old winter campaign in the sunshine state, winning the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2143m) and finished runner-up in the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m). He went on to Group One glory in the Tarzino Trophy (1400m) the following spring, and after a stint with Sydney trainer John O’Shea, he is now in the care of Matamata trainers Darryn and Briar Weatherley. Following his runner-up effort in the Listed Rotorua Cup (2200m) earlier this month, his ownership group elected to send him to Queensland, with the first assignment of his Australian raid being Saturday’s Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth Cup (2400m). “We can’t fault him, we just need a bit of luck and hopefully we get a bit of rain, which is forecast, and that will only enhance his chances,” Darryn Weatherley said. “He had to work a little bit from that wide gate at Rotorua and he almost pulled it off. He has got form in Queensland as a former Rough Habit Plate winner and David Archer (part-owner) was very happy to put him on the plane and accompany Pier over here and have a crack. “Sam (Weatherley, jockey) worked him on Tuesday morning on the course proper and he got off him and said he couldn’t have worked any better. I am really happy with the way he is, and he is eating well, is bright, and I am looking forward to Saturday. “We have got Jason Collett (jockey) onboard, he has drawn a nice alley (3), so we will rub the rosary beads and hope for the best.” Weatherley was given a further boost of confidence following the six-year-old’s appointment with a chiropractor earlier this week. “I had a chiropractor go over him on Wednesday and he had worked on the horse three years ago and said he is a different horse this time around,” Weatherley said. “He might have had a couple of niggly issues, even though he still had form, but the chiropractor remembered him well.” Following Saturday, Weatherley said they have a couple of options, depending on the result. “If he was competitive, you would have to look at something like the Brisbane Cup (Gr.2, 3200m), but there is also the Caloundra Cup (Listed, 2400m) if you wanted to go down that path.” Meanwhile, Weatherley reported that stablemate Pier is thriving in the warmer climes of Queensland, and he has pulled up well following his third placing in last weekend’s Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben. “He raced last weekend after being here for only about four days and I thought he went huge considering he drew the outside gate,” Weatherley said. “Now that he has been here for over a week, he is actually a better horse today than leading into last Saturday, he has just settled and he is eating better. “It is three weeks until the Stradbroke (Gr.1, 1400m), we are not a guaranteed starter yet, but we hope a few do pull out and we get a run. If he happened to get a nice draw, and especially if we get a shower of rain, he will be competitive.” Pier has been plagued with issues his entire career, and Weatherley said it is rewarding to be competing at the highest level once more with his homebred. “He has had his issues,” Weatherley said. “Touch wood he has never been so sound in his life, he is very bright, and I believe he has finally grown into himself. “Even though he achieved what he did winning a Hawke’s Bay Guineas (Gr.2, 1400m) and 2000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m), I think he was always a weak boy that needed time. “When he won the 2000 Guineas, he was 474 kilos and he is now 530 kilos, so he has gone from a schoolboy to a man. We look forward to what lies ahead with him.” View the full article

Robert Dennis looks set for a lucrative meeting at Wingatui with an in-form team on Sunday, headed by open sprint handicap prospects Chevron and The Hangover. The Ascot Park trainer is enjoying a breakout season with a personal best of 32 winners and stable earnings of nearly $930,000. He has several chances to further his tally with former northerner Chevron and The Hangover both appealing as strong chances in The Mosgiel Tavern Handicap (1400m). The former placed in his first two appearances for Dennis before a comfortable win over 1600m at Riverton under apprentice Yogesh Atchamah, who will again take the reins. “He’s done really well since he’s been down here and improved with each run,” Dennis said. “He never gave the others a look in last time, the same rider sticks and he’s well in at the handicap with only 54.5kg. “Dropping back to 1400m shouldn’t worry him and provided he gets through the track, he should be a really good chance.” The Hangover is rarely far from the action and was runner-up to race rival Go Lotte on the course in the Beaumont Cup before a close fifth at Riverton, where beaten less than a length. He will be partnered by Billy Jacobson. “He’s there or thereabouts he’s very consistent and we’re pretty methodical where we race him,” Dennis said. “He likes his races spaced and likes a little break at the farm between runs. He tries his best and should do the same again on Sunday, he should handle the track, and we’ve got a good rider.” Jacobson will also continue his association with Sir Sterling in the Positive Sings + Print Handicap (1600m) following their victory romp at Riverton. That came as no surprise as they had been placed in their previous two outings together. “He’s up just 1kg on his last start win and, barring one or two horses, it’s a similar strength race to what he beat,” Dennis said. “We think he has come on really well and he could reach some reasonable heights in the South Island.” Dennis will kick off the day with Mackenzie Lass in the Nellies Restaurant & Bar 2YO (820m) and, while respectful of two-time winner Cool Aza Rene, expects a decent showing from his filly. “She had a jump-out two weeks ago and won it dominantly and Billy (Jacobson) came down and rode her at Wingatui,” he said. “Obviously, Te Akau’s horse has all the experience and has winning form, so he’ll be very hard to roll but I think going forward to her three-year-old season, our filly will be a pretty handy horse.” He also likes the future prospects of last start runner-up Taihoro, who is not a certain starter in the Speights Maiden (1300m), but is one to follow. “Whether we run or not on Sunday I’m not sure, we’ll decide closer to the time,” Dennis said. “He’s obviously only just had a fresh-up run on a testing track and I think he’s going to be a very good horse.” View the full article

Roydon Bergerson only has one preference for all five of his competitive chances on Saturday at Wanganui, a rain-affected track. That was the reality earlier in the week with the abandonment of Tauranga on Wednesday, and while he wouldn’t be wanting it to get to that extent, his top galloper Bradman would appreciate a Heavy surface as he tackles the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m). The runner-up in last year’s edition, Bradman is a model of consistency and always a big player in the feature contests, as displayed last start when he was a close-up fourth in the Listed Rangitikei Cup (1600m). “It was a good, honest run from him in the Cup, it’s just a shame it didn’t rain more,” Bergerson said. “He would’ve been a bit harder to beat, but he tried hard and was only beaten three quarters of a length. “I think he’s improved, he needed to but I’m just praying for a bit more rain.” Speedster Farravallo will make his resumption in the Dawn Eales-Baldwin Memorial OPN 1200 after a very impressive trial performance on Tuesday at Foxton. The four-year-old has been off the scene for over seven months, and despite already having a quartet of victories to his name, Bergerson is seeing a much-improved version of Farravallo this preparation. “He’s going super this time in, he’s a different horse,” he said. “He’s more relaxed, he was a bit of handful when we first got him but he’s settled down a lot and he’s more controllable. “He pulled up a little bit lame after his last start, so we’ve given him a good spell, he’s done a lot of pre-training down on Chris’ (Rutten, part-owner) farm so he’d done a lot of work before he came to me. He’s only been here for the last two months, he’s had a couple of jump-outs and a good trial. “He’s a lot stronger than he was last year which is a big help, he looks great in the coat and he’s ready to rock and roll on Saturday. “It’s a tidy little field, but he’s pretty well.” The gelding will be partnered by Kavish Chowdhoory in the open sprint, while apprentice Jim Chung will claim two kilograms off stablemate Reign It In, who has a long-term goal in mind through the winter. “I think there is going to be a lot of pace on which could set it up for one of the backmarkers, so hopefully it’s him,” Bergerson said. “He’s come up well this year, I’m trying to get him to the Winter Cup (Gr.3, 1600m). “He likes 1200 and likes a heavy track, so send down the rain.” Ardrossan filly Fleeting Glimpse pleased the Awapuni horseman on debut behind a storming Tycoon Boss, and she’ll be aiming to go one better in the Sound Electrical MDN 1340. “We like her, she’s not an overly big filly but she’s a nice looking type,” he said. “We gave her a chance (on debut), I didn’t think she could beat the winner but he looks like quite a nice horse going forward and she’s done well to hang in there for second. “Hopefully the rain keeps coming, Bradman and her probably have the draws to get to the outside first and that’s a big plus at Wanganui.” Bergerson hopes to also have Charlotte’s Way on the truck to the River City, but that will depend on a suitable jockey to ride her in the Dave Hoskin Carriers 1340. At times an enigma, the daughter of Pentire put her best foot forward when second to Mafia Mamma at Trentham back in March, with the long time in between runs suited to her. “If there is a scratching with a good jockey on, I’ll start her, but if not, she’ll wait and go to the poly meeting next week,” Bergerson said. “She’s going well, but we’ve just got to keep her fresh. She’s a funny little horse, we do a lot of different things with her and change training styles to keep her interested. She seems good and worked very well on Tuesday morning, as good as anything over at the track here. “She’s on song, but we’ll see what happens on Saturday.” View the full article

The Opening Day program of the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival June 4 at Saratoga Race Course will feature six New York-bred stakes to celebrate the best of racing in the Empire State for New York Showcase Day.View the full article

In a federal court case involving the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) that is being closely watched because it involves a trainer's allegations of a wrongful denial of Seventh Amendment rights to a jury trial, a judge in Florida on Thursday denied conditioner Phil Serpe's request for preliminary injunction in a lawsuit initiated last October against the HISA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The civil complaint involves “banned substance” sanctions stemming from the alleged detection of clenbuterol in an Aug. 10, 2024, Saratoga Race Course winner from the 66-year-old trainer's stable. Although Serpe's underlying lawsuit will proceed without any injunction being granted for the time being while his contested Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) case separately plays out at the FTC arbitration level, Judge David Leibowitz of United States District Court (Southern District of Florida) wrote in his May 29 order that because that FTC arbitration process has not yet been completed, the court will leave open the opportunity for Serpe to refile his Seventh Amendment injunction claim at a later time. “The FTC does not become involved or take any action until after arbitration is completed,” the judge wrote. “Plaintiff's arbitration is scheduled for June 2025. So, until the FTC's administrative law judge is called upon to review the Authority's sanction decision, if any, Plaintiff's claim as to the FTC is not ripe,” the judge wrote. “While the merits of Mr. Serpe's Seventh Amendment claim may ultimately win the race, this Court will not grant extraordinary relief before the starter's gate has even opened,” the judge wrote. So even though Serpe appears to have suffered a blow to his case on technical grounds with the denial of the injunction, the fact that the judge stressed Serpe's option to refile his Seventh Amendment claims later in the administrative process could be viewed as encouraging for the trainer. TDN reached out to both Serpe's attorney and to HISA get opinions from both sides on the denial of the injunction and the judge's seemingly telling words about the Seventh Amendment claim possibly prevailing in the long run. Saratoga grandstand and main track | Sarah Andrew But a HISA spokesperson wrote in a Thursday afternoon email that the Authority would have no comment, while Serpe's attorney did not respond to an emailed query prior to deadline for this story. In a civil complaint filed seven months ago, Serpe's legal team had asked the court to “declare HISA and the HISA Rules to be unconstitutional, preliminarily and permanently enjoin Defendants from enforcing HISA and the HISA Rules against Serpe, and dissolve and vacate the Authority's provisional suspension against Serpe.” Some of Serpe's “private nondelegation doctrine” allegations of unconstitutionality share common legal underpinnings with at least eight other lawsuits spawned in the federal court system over the past four years in which the powers of HISA, HIWU and the FTC and have been challenged by various individuals and entities representing horsemen and other HISA-regulated parties. But Serpe's Oct. 17, 2024, complaint was unique in that it stated that, “HISA and the HISA Rules violate the Seventh Amendment's right to a jury trial.” Initially, Serpe was facing a provisional suspension, plus a two-year period of ineligibility and a fine of up to $25,000 if HISA's clenbuterol allegations were proven against him. But HISA had announced on Nov. 4, 2024, that it was directing HIWU to impose provisional suspensions only in limited circumstances, thus lifting all in-effect provisional suspensions (including Serpe's) while the Authority reviewed whether any “modifications to the current rules are appropriate.” And on Apr. 23, 2025, HIWU informed Serpe that it would be dropping its pursuit of the $25,000 penalty–a move that Serpe's legal team termed in a court filing was actually part of “a concerted effort with HIWU to prejudicially moot Serpe's [Seventh Amendment] claims during the pendency of this case.” In his May 29 order on the injunction denial, Judge Leibowitz wrote that he was well aware of the number of other constitutionality cases that have been brought against HISA in the federal court system, although he noted that Serpe's case stands out because of its Seventh Amendment aspect. Three of those other cases have already been decided at the federal appeals court level (two in favor of HISA's constitutionality and one against). And in each of those three lawsuits, the losing party at the appeals court level has initiated legal action in the U.S. Supreme Court that could lead to the nation's highest court deciding once and for all whether the 2020 law that governs the sport in America is constitutional or not. “Plaintiff Philip Serpe's challenge to HISA's constitutionality is not the only one making its way through the federal courts,” the judge stated in his order. “Plaintiffs residing in horseracing country have lodged challenges to both HISA's delegation of rulemaking authority to [a] private-entity [as well as to] HISA's enforcement scheme. Phil Serpe | Sarah Andrew “Plaintiffs' Seventh Amendment challenge to HISA has been asserted (albeit tangentially) at the district court level, but no district court or court of appeals has squarely addressed the Seventh Amendment challenge to date,” the judge wrote. “Because the United States Supreme Court has yet to decide the private nondelegation question, this Court stayed that issue in [Serpe's] case and directed the parties to brief only Plaintiff's Seventh Amendment challenge,” the judge wrote. While the judge denied the injunction against the FTC for the “ripeness” reasons explained above, Leibowitz also wrote that, “as for a preliminary injunction against the Authority, Plaintiff fails to show irreparable harm.” The judge continued, in a different part of the order: “Serpe contends that Defendants' ability to impose a civil monetary penalty against him in the absence of a jury violates his Seventh Amendment rights…. The Authority responds that there is no violation here because HISA's enforcement scheme falls 'plainly under the “public rights” exception,' to the Seventh Amendment. “Serpe points to several types of harm that he says are 'irreparable' such that a preliminary injunction is warranted,” the judge wrote. “First, Serpe points to his provisional suspension from horseracing. However, since Serpe filed the instant Motion, 'the Authority has lifted all provisional suspensions (including Plaintiff's) outside a narrow category of circumstances inapplicable here.' “Nevertheless, Serpe argues the Authority's lifting of provisional suspensions was without lawful effect because the Authority lacks authority to lift suspensions and its pronouncement doing so violated its own rules governing rulemaking,” the order stated. “As a result, Serpe says his horseracing status remains uncertain and his harm is, therefore, irreparable. “The Court disagrees with Serpe on this point. Serpe continues to be allowed to train horses to compete in races. Consequently, his reliance on the now-lifted provisional suspension does not show 'irreparable harm,'” the judge wrote. “Apart from the now-lifted provisional suspension, Serpe says his lost business and consumer goodwill as well as his subjection to an alleged 'unconstitutional proceeding' constitute irreparable harm,” the judge wrote. “Although lost business and customer goodwill may constitute irreparable harm in certain circumstances, subjection to an unconstitutional process in-and-of-itself does not,” the judge wrote. “Serpe's claimed harms are not irreparable because he may pursue a remedy against the Authority for money damages in the event of a constitutional violation that causes harm,” the judge wrote. Quoting from a legal precedent, the judge continued: “The key word in this consideration is irreparable. Mere injuries, however substantial, in terms of money, time and energy necessarily expended in the absence of a stay, are not enough. The possibility that adequate compensatory or other corrective relief will be available at a later date, in the ordinary course of litigation, weighs heavily against a claim of irreparable harm.” The post Judge Denies Injunction In Serpe Suit Vs. HISA, But Leaves Door Open For Refile Of Key Seventh Amendment Claim appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Clayton Douglas couldn't be happier with Giga Kick ahead of the AU$1 million Kingsford Smith Cup (G1) May 31 at Eagle Farm. The group 1 winner produced a strong run in the Goodwood (G1) May 10 to finish third in his first outing since November.View the full article

Grade 3 winner and dual grade 1-placed Pyrenees, a homebred for Bonnie Baskin and Adam Corndorf's Blue Heaven Farm, has been retired from racing.View the full article