Wandering Eyes

The turf course at Churchill Downs, brown and unsightly from postspring meet maintenance meant to strengthen its root structure and growth, is still planned for use during the track's September meet, a Churchill Downs official said.View the full article

Bred by Saratoga Glen Farm and Beals Racing Stable, Bellacose brings attitude and speed to the racetrack. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–Trainer Jeremiah Englehart has some time to figure out what to do next with GIII Sanford Stakes winner Mo Plex (Complexity). The 2-year-old colt came out of his one-length Sanford win last Saturday in good shape, Englehart said Thursday outside his barn at the Oklahoma Annex. Now he has to decide when we'll see Mo Plex again. The options are the six-furlong, $200,000 Funny Cide for New York-breds on Aug. 25 or the seven-furlong, $300,000 GI Hopeful on Sept. 2, closing day. “I am definitely not ruling out coming back in the New York-bred race,” Englehart said. “You don't know who is going to break their maiden from now until then. The Funny Cide could be an option if I want to give him a little easier test.” Running in the Hopeful might be more appealing to owners Rick Higgins and Howard Read, who are from Albany and Saratoga Springs. Mo Plex won his debut easily–by 10 lengths–at Aqueduct on June 20. He had to work a little harder in the Sanford. “The first race didn't take a whole lot out of him,” Englehart said. “He got a little worked up [in the Sanford] in the paddock and Irad [jockey Ortiz Jr.] had to ask him from start to finish. You worry about how much the race takes out of him.” Englehart had another impressive juvenile debut when Bellacose (Audible) romped to a 10 3/4 length win vs. New York-breds on Wednesday. Last year, Englehart won four races at the 40-day meet. “Every win in Saratoga is special,” he said. “You never know when the next one is going to come. People have said to me that I must have thought [Bellacose] was going to be good. I didn't think she could really do that, but she is competitive enough where I could see her doing it. It's always good when you get your first 2-year-olds to run like that.” White Abarrio | Sarah Andrew White Abarrio Back Home, But No Races Are On Horizon White Abarrio (Race Day) has been reunited with trainer Saffie Joseph. But it doesn't appear as though there are any races on the schedule for the 2023 GI Breeders' Cup Classic. At least not in the near future. “We're thankful to have him back,” Joseph said outside his barn on the Saratoga backstretch. “Hopefully, we'll get him back to his top form.” White Abarrio is not currently in Joseph's barn, but he's not far away. The trainer said the grey or roan 5-year-old is at GMP Farm in nearby Schuylerville for some time off. “He will probably be there for two or three weeks for some down time,” Joseph said. “We just want to let him be a horse for a few weeks.” Joseph said White Abarrio will start some light training at GMP Farm before coming back to his barn in about five weeks. After that, the plan is to have White Abarrio breeze and then get him back to the races. “Our goal is to work backwards from the [GI] Pegasus [at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25],” Joseph said. “There is no set plan yet, because you can't have a set plan until you get back on the work chart.” White Abarrio had run 11 times while under Joseph's watch until co-owner Mark Cornett moved the horse to trainer Rick Dutrow in May of 2023. That came about because Joseph was barred from racing at Churchill Downs after two of his horses died suddenly at the track within two days. The New York Racing Association also barred Joseph, who was pointing White Abarrio to the 2023 GI Metropolitan Handicap. Cornett had to make a change if White Abarrio was going to run in the Metropolitan. “With the situation I was in, what are you going to do, stop the horse's career because of me?,” Joseph said. “The owners had to make a decision to go forward and it turned out to be the right decision because he won two Grade Is.” Under Dutrow, White Abarrio was third in the Met Mile and won the GI Whitney and GI Breeders' Cup Classic last year. In two starts this year, White Abarrio was 10th in the G1 Saudi Cup and fifth in the Metropolitan Handicap. The day after the Metropolitan, Cornett moved the horse back to Joseph. “He has run two below par races,” Joseph said. “Obviously, he is much better than that.” In 11 starts for Joseph, White Abarrio had four wins, a second and a third. The biggest wins were the 2022 GIII Holy Bull and GI Florida Derby. Casa Creed | Sarah Andrew Mott, Einsidler Will Always Have Fond Memories Of Casa Creed Earlier this month, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and co-owner Lee Einsidler sent stable warrior Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) into retirement. The 8-year-old horse certainly earned it. During his 36-race career, Casa Creed had nine wins, five seconds and six thirds. Four of his eight stake races were Grade I events. His career earnings were $2,691,308. He won the GI Jaipur Stakes twice as well as the GI Fourstardave Handicap twice. His second score in the Fourstardave came last year at the hearty age of seven. “A big part of life is making great memories,” Einsidler, who owned the horse with partner Mike Francesa said recently at the Spa. “And Casa Creed is at the top of my list.” The last race was the GIII Poker Stakes at Saratoga on June 8 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Casa Creed finished third and, soon after had a problem with a hind ankle. That's when the decision came to end the racing career. “He's sound, pasture sound,” Mott said. “He's not sound enough to come out here and work and run another race. He just had had enough.” Einsidler bought Casa Creed for $105,000 at the 2017 Keeneland Association September Yearling sale. He broke his maiden on dirt but spent the majority of his career on the grass. Casa Creed also won the GII National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes in 2019 when he was three and last year's GIII Kelso Stakes. Both of those races were at Saratoga. “He has given us more enjoyment than anyone should deserve,” Mott said. “He lasted a long time. Really, for most people, he's a once-in-a-lifetime horse.” The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented By NYRA Bets: Sanford Champ Mo Plex Could Run In Spa’s Hopeful Or Funny Cide appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After a 20-year business relationship between Clipper Logistics' Steven Parkin and his racing advisor, Ballyhane Stud's Joe Foley, ended in March, Parkin has filed against Foley in the Irish High Court as of Wednesday, The Currency reported. A Classic-winning owner with Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) in the 2024 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, Parkin has had great success with his grey Clipper Logistics silks for many years, with the owner and Foley a formidable team. In the past, the relationship was described as “nearly like family”. The master of Ballyhane lodged his case against Parkin and Clipper Logistics in May. The first hint of troubled waters occurred this spring when Parkin-owned stallions Asymmetric (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) and Space Traveller (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) departed Ballyhane to instead stand the remainder of the 2024 breeding season at Starfield Stud. A third stallion, Sands Of Mali (Fr) (Panis) who is owned in partnership, has remained at Ballyhane. Foley told The Irish Field at the time, that he wished “the team at Starfield all the best with the two horses”. “It has been a great adventure helping Steve and his family build his racing and breeding operation into what it has become today and I'm proud of the top horses I have spruced for them over the years,” Foley added. Parkin purchased Dullingham Park Stud in Newmarket in 2023, and earlier acquired Branton Court Stud in Harrowgate. He sold Clipper Logistics to GXO Logistics for nearly £1 billion in May of 2022. The post Steve Parkin And Joe Foley Clash In The Irish High Court After Legal Proceedings Filed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Though foreign-bred runners have done well in recent editions of the San Clemente Stakes (G2T) at Del Mar, Kentucky-bred Medoro could change that this year and keep her record perfect.View the full article

Australian champion Winx's half sister Wings Of Desire is set to make her debut over 5 1/2 furlongs at Hawkesbury Racecourse July 22.View the full article

When bloodstock agent Bob Feld and his son Sean first saw Trikari (Oscar Performance) at the 2022 OBS October Sale, they pegged him as a definite six-figure yearling and, with no clients for whom to buy the handsome bay, they moved on to the next one. But when the father-son team saw the colt had RNA'd for $30,000, they purchased him privately for just $27,500. Now campaigned by the Amermans, Trikari is a Grade I winner with earnings closing in on a million dollars. “My son and I were at OBS–we go to all the sales–and we loved this Oscar Performance, but we really didn't have anyone to buy an Oscar Performance for,” Feld, a longtime advisor to John and Jerry Amerman, who bred and campaigned Oscar Performance, said. “The Amermans had never bought a yearling at OBS. And nothing really registered as far as we should buy this horse for somebody, mostly because we thought he had a $100,000 to $150,000 kind of body. I was looking at the results and I saw he RNA'd for $30,000. I thought he was way too nice for $30,000. So I went and looked at the vet report and there were some things on the vet report, but I called the Amermans–only because of the Oscar angle–and I told them he's a really nice colt with a nice page, if you can ignore that the dam hasn't done much yet.” Trikari is out of Dynamic Holiday (Harlan's Holiday), winner of the 2011 GIII Herecomesthebride Stakes and third in the GII Lake Placid Stakes. She had produced five foals before Trikari, with only two making it to the races and no winners. “She won a Grade III, she's by Harlan's Holiday, who I love,” Feld said of the mare. “The second dam is a Dynaformer, with a really great pedigree and family. So I said, 'How about we vet him out and see what the vet says. If the vet says OK, we will make an offer.'” Dr. Jared High vetted the yearling for Feld and gave an upbeat report. “He said, 'You know what, there are some dings here, but this horse just needs time,'” Feld recalled. “If you just give him some extra time and don't break him for six, seven, eight months later than you would normally break a horse, he will be fine.” The yearling, purchased by Angel Ordonez for $9,000 at the Keeneland January sale earlier in 2022, was consigned to the October sale by Ordonez Thoroughbreds. “Once Dr. High said it was a go, I went back to the barn and I offered the guy $25,000,” Feld recalled. “And he was wincing and saying, 'Oh, I really want $30,000.' So I said, 'How about we split the difference. I will give you $27,500.' And he agreed, so we went to the office and signed the paperwork.” “$27,500 is obviously an odd price,” Feld admitted with a chuckle. “I told someone the other day, I would bet there has never been a Grade I winner bought at auction for $27,500.” Of the issues on the vet report that might have put off some potential buyers, Feld said, “It was sesamoiditis, just stuff that needed time. There was nothing glaring. But a lot of times, especially at the OBS yearling sale, everyone leans on the vet report. They don't hire vets because that gets too expensive. There was just enough on there where I think it discouraged a lot of people. Everyone was kind of looking the other way. But I thought he was the best physical in the sale. I just didn't think I had a client who had $100,000 or $150,000 to buy him.” Trikari was sent to Barry Berkelhammer's Abracadabra Farm for his early training and, once given the extra time he needed, was sent to trainer Graham Motion. “He's been pretty much straightforward,” Feld said of the colt's progress. “I think he had a little niggling thing that Graham mentioned to me, but Graham liked him right away. Graham obviously trained [MGISW] Miss Temple City for us and he was very happy with her and excited about her. But he really gushes about Trikari, so that got me excited early on when he said this horse can really run. He went slow with him, too. He knew, full disclosure, that he needed time. So he gave him even extra time when he got to the track.” Trikari's first start–a last-of-12 finish at Keeneland in October of his juvenile season–may not have inspired much confidence, but the colt returned to graduate over the Tapeta at Gulfstream in December. He added the Rushaway Stakes over the synthetic surface at Turfway in March before upsetting the GII American Turf Stakes as a 47-1 outsider over the Churchill lawn on the Derby undercard. Third best in a blanket finish in the May 31 GIII Penn Mile, Trikari was sent off at 5-1 while trying top-level company for the first time in the Belmont Derby. Close-up to a sluggish pace, Trikari outbattled resurgent pacesetter White Palomino (Kitten's Joy) in the final strides for a dramatic victory July 6. “Oh yes, I did,” Feld said when asked if he thought Trikari had gotten the bob. “Actually, I don't want to brag, but I am pretty good with photo finishes. I have been watching the races since I was eight years old, so it's over 50 years of photo finishes.” He continued, “The Amermans flew out from California to the race. I really wanted to go, but we had to look at the July sale horses. Sean and I went to McCarthy's to watch it on TV and we were screaming. People were giving us dirty looks, but we were screaming.” The Felds have built a steady reputation for finding future graded-stakes runners at bargain prices. They purchased multiple graded-placed Sueno (Atreides) for $61,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September sale and Hot Rod Charlie (Indian Charlie) for $17,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton February sale before reselling the future Grade I winner and GI Kentucky Derby runner-up for $110,000 at Fasig-Tipton that October. “Maybe I am Pollyanna, but every time my son and I buy a horse, we think it's potentially a Grade I winner,” Feld said. “We really do. We have been very fortunate buying Grade I winners at low prices and it's been fun to kind of get a reputation that we can buy a nice horse for not a whole lot of money. So honestly, no matter what I pay, I believe could be a Grade I winner. That's just my attitude.” Finding those bargains is a labor of love for Feld. “What I love the most about the auction is the process,” he said. “The process is so amazing. There is so much going on. Everyone has their team and their notes. It's like sifting for gold. My son and I work every sale by ourselves–including the September sale–we look at every horse at every sale. We split the horses up. We swap short lists and then we get that down to a short, short list. Then we go together and look at the horses. When you get to the point where you buy a Trikari, the feeling is so amazing and so satisfying.” Feld continued, “And I am proud of our numbers. We don't buy 20 or 30 horses a year. We buy 10 or 12. Our only pinhook, the one year that Sean and I bought our own horse to pinhook, was Hot Rod Charlie. The only horse the Amermans have ever bought at OBS as a yearling is Trikari. I remember one year, the only filly I bought at OBS–and we only bought two that year the whole season at OBS–was a champion 2-year-old filly [in Florida], K P Dreamin. The percentages are what we are really proud of. But it's all part of the process. And through the process, you find a vet report that you can deal with, you find a so-called bad sire that no one wants that has a rock star body. If Trikari was by Gun Runner or Uncle Mo, he would have brought $250,000. A lot of the horses we buy, if they were by different sires, they would be a lot more money. So we are definitely buying physicals and the physical does seem to outrun the pedigree a lot.” As the Felds continue their quest for their next Grade I winner, Trikari's summer agenda is still to be determined. “There are a couple of different options that Graham is looking at,” Feld said of a potential next start for the newly minted Grade I winner. “But nothing is etched in stone. He is going to see how he trains. Graham didn't think he was going to the Penn Mile, but he was training so good, he went there. So it's going to just depend on how he is training. But there are so many options for 3-year-old colts in the summertime on the grass. And there is plenty of money out there.” The post Grade I Winner Trikari Outrunning His Sales Price appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Australian champion Winx's half sister Wings Of Desire is set to make her debut over five and a half furlongs at Hawkesbury Racecourse July 22.View the full article

Trainer Derek Ryan said the New Jersey-bred and -based Book'em Danno will run July 19 at Monmouth Park, walking from his stall to the racetrack for the $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes for 3-year-olds.View the full article

Owner-breeder Arturo Cousino has promised to cheer on Jancis (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) when she lines out in the G1 Matron Stakes at the Irish Champions Festival after admitting to have been completely lost for words when his star filly landed a Group 3 at Leopardstown last week. What that victory meant to the 63-year-old, whose family is steeped in racing and breeding history in his native Chile, can scarcely be put into words. Literally. “Honestly, I couldn't believe it,” Cousino recalled of that Brownstown Stakes success. “When I saw her racing in her own style in the early part of the race I said, 'I don't believe this, she's going to win,' and she did. I was watching it at home on my computer with my brother and there were almost no words. Not even one shout. That will change in the Matron–I will shout!” In Willie McCreery, Cousino has a trainer who has a knack of producing a high-class filly at fever pitch for the Matron. It is almost a decade since Fiesolana (Ire) (Aussie Rules) provided the trainer with a breakthrough success at the highest level in the race and now new dreams abound for the latest star filly at the Curragh stable. But it's not just McCreery who can be attributed for helping Cousino fulfill a lifelong ambition of finding a filly of this quality. He explained, “It has been a personal project that began a few years ago. I went into this venture with [bloodstock agent] Chad Schumer. He bought the mare, Blameless (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), and we have a lot of respect for that line in Chile because Blameless goes back to Cristalline (Chi), who is a very famous mare in Chile. A lot of our best horses can be traced back to that line. It is by far the most respected line in Chile. So, when Chad bought Blameless [for €22,000 from Darley at Goffs in 2014], I proposed to him that we do foal shares together so that I could recover that line. My thought was that the line was getting lost, not only because of a lack of investment, but also some intelligence with getting the best out of that line in terms of matings. “That was one of the things that Chad and Nancy Sexton did a great job with. We had a relationship with Chad for about 15 years already. Chad helped me source some stallions from Europe down through the years so we have been working together for some time.” Jancis with her dam Blame The Ruler | Ballylinch Stud To say that Jancis has done her bit to revive the Cristalline line would be an understatement. But Cousino doesn't need to be so modest in deflecting the spotlight as few people would have devoted such time and patience to the project. He continued, “What can I tell you? Finally! After many years trying, we have a filly like Jancis. My family has been involved in this activity of breeding horses in Chile for over a century and a half. As a matter of fact, they were the first thoroughbred breeders in Chile and, along with other families, founded the first racetrack-Club Hipico-in the country as well. That was back in 1870. “So it has always been a hobby for my family. My grandfather won several of the most important races in Chile. In those days they were not Group races but they are Group 1s now. So, I just kept going in this activity, breeding a few horses and having fun, but only as a hobby. It's more than a hobby, though, more of a tradition now.” Blameless produced just one filly for Cousino. A daughter of Derby winner Ruler Of The World (Ire), she raced just twice in France for trainer John Hammond. Sadly, Blame The Ruler suffered a career-ending injury after winning her maiden over 1m4f at Clairefontaine as a three-year-old, with the owner revealing that Hammond made it clear the esteem in which she was held in before that injury cut her career short. He said, “With Blameless, we had a few foals. The first two were colts and we sold them in the sales. But when she gave me my first filly, by Ruler Of The World, Chad decided to sell Blameless to Chile. Unfortunately, Blameless died on that trip. I kept the Ruler Of The World filly, who we named Blame The Ruler, and I sent her to race in France with John Hammond. She was very late-maturing and was a stayer. She raced only twice–second and first. But after she broke her maiden, John called me to tell me that she had suffered an injury and couldn't race anymore. “But what was interesting was that John said, 'please, whatever you do, don't get rid of her.' He said he thought she was a very talented stayer who would have made some noise in France had she not gotten injured. I was never going to get rid of her anyway but I took her to Ireland and asked Chad and Nancy to try and help me bring this pedigree up. To try to recover it.” And that they did. The recommended mating with Tamayuz, who stood for a modest €8,000 at Derrinstown Stud at the time, is looking an inspired decision now. “Nancy and Chad came out with this cross with Tamayuz, making a beautiful pedigree. I saw so many families who have bred on similar lines–Height Of Fashion being one. It's the same with Allegretta (GB)–you can find so many things in that pedigree. I said, okay, let's go with it. This filly was born beautiful but Blame The Ruler died two days after the birth.” Oh my God. “Yes, oh my God. I said the same thing! I knew that she was going to be a good filly from the beginning because she has always been a fighter. To lose your mother on your second day of life, even in Ireland where everyone speaks your language-the language of horses-you've got to be a real fighter. So here we are, a couple of years later, we have Jancis being a very successful little filly and who knows what else.” To that extent, huge credit has to go to Ballylinch Stud, who raised the orphan Jancis along with Blame The Ruler and Blameless before her. If they say it takes a village to raise a child, the same can be said with Jancis, as this has been a collaborative effort from the very outset. “All of the team that Chad and Nancy have assembled for this project have been amazing and I am also so grateful to Ballylinch Stud. Finally, we are paying back their favour with a filly who is making good impressions. It is beyond dreams. And actually, it's kind of crazy here in Chile, too, because everyone is talking about Jancis. They are amazed about what has been done with this famous line. Everybody's so happy that the line has been recovered. There wasn't a fear that it had been completely lost because, every once and a while, a horse would come out of the same line. But it was dying abroad until Jancis came along.” Cosuino added, “The reason I went into this partnership in the beginning with Chad was because I always dreamed of one day having a mare good enough to breed from. What I mean by this is to have a mare good enough to send to all of the stallions that I read about in the TDN. You know, in Chile you can only watch horses like this, so my dream was–whether in Kentucky, England or Ireland–to have a good mare. At this time, my dream has already been fulfilled in that I know I can send Jancis to some very good stallions. If she gets a Group 1, the only difference is that we will have to pick even better stallions!” The post Cousino: ‘I Knew Jancis Would Be Good Because She’s Always Been A Fighter’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tony Martin, currently serving a three-month suspension, has been banned an additional two months and incurred a fine by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB). The additional suspension comes after his actions following Alphonse Le Grande (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire})'s Northumberland Vase win. Martin was originally banned for a six-month period–three suspended–for breaking anti-doping rules. Martin's sister Cathy O'Leary now holds his training licence, but Martin was present both before and after the race at Newcastle in the paddock, and appeared to be instructing rider Hollie Doyle. The trainer's actions were considered by the IHRB referrals committee to “constitute a flagrant disregard of the rules” that had “brought horse racing into disrepute” resulting in an additional two months' suspension, running from Aug. 16 to Oct. 16, and a €5,000 fine. Their ruling was that the former trainer had committed a “significant breach of Rules 272(i) and 273(xiii), undermining regulatory authority and damaging the reputation of the horseracing industry in that, once his licence was withdrawn, he continued to act in his capacity as a trainer despite the revocation of his licence”. His quick apology post-race was acknowledged by the IHRB and they weakened their sanctions accordingly. Martin did say that Doyle had reached out to him for advice on how to approach the race, a statement that the jockey has since corroborated. Martin's statement read, “I sincerely apologise for my actions during the Northumberland Vase. I fully understand that my behaviour was inappropriate given my current suspension status. I let my excitement and passion for the sport get the better of me, and for that, I am deeply sorry. “I accept the consequences of my actions and will comply fully with any disciplinary measures imposed. I apologise to the racing community, officials and fans for any disappointment caused.” The post Trainer Tony Martin’s Suspension Extended By Two Months After Newcastle Rule Breaches appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Such an eye-catcher when fourth in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp in May, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) who failed to stay the mile and a half of Royal Ascot's G2 King Edward VII Stakes roared back to form dropping to nine furlongs in Thursday's G3 Meld Stakes at Leopardstown. Kept wide early by Ryan Moore, the 8-11 favourite took up a prominent position and when sent for home two out stretched his rivals to breaking point en route to a seven-length success from Tarawa (Ire) (Shamardal). “He's made like a miler and loved the ground–he could be a Cox Plate horse, as he's definitely not short of pace. Ryan said he's got all the class and all the speed in the world. At least we know now what to do with him.” Back to winning ways! Diego Velazquez returns to his best under Ryan Moore to land the Group 3 Meld Stakes for Aidan O'Brien @LeopardstownRC @Ballydoyle | @coolmorestud pic.twitter.com/tgTxjiSYfg — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 18, 2024 The post ‘He could be a Cox Plate horse’: Frankel’s Diego Velazquez Dominates the Meld appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Four weeks before the Aug. 17 King's Plate Stakes, the historic CA$1 million race that kicks off the Canadian Triple Crown, 3-year-olds bred in the country will audition for a King's Plate opportunity in July 20 stakes at Woodbine.View the full article

Siena Farm and WinStar Farm's Timberlake is wasting no time returning to the top level as he returns from a 3 1/2-month layoff in the July 20 Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park.View the full article

Leopardstown staged the mile maiden on Thursday which had seen Opera Singer (Justify) prevail 12 months earlier and there was another promising winner as Juddmonte's Swelter (GB) (Kingman {GB}–Hot Snap {GB}, by Pivotal {GB}) made a winning start for the Dermot Weld stable. Out of the operation's G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes-winning and G1 Nassau Stakes-placed half-sister Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), the homebred was held up in rear early by Chris Hayes. Looming wide on the home turn, the 12-1 shot swooped on the experienced 11-4 favourite Valencia (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) with a furlong remaining and asserted to score by 1 3/4 lengths, with 2 1/2 lengths back to Ecstatic (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), Ballydoyle's daughter of Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). “She's a gorgeous filly, she's a big filly and has always shown ability,” Weld said. “I did enter her in the Moyglare and the Debutante so it's not a surprise that she won here at all. She settled beautifully. She's a big filly, so I'm looking more at next year with her. Please God she can make into a Guineas filly, that's how high I rate her. She's a talented filly, a nicer mover, and my only concern was a mile for her first run. If it was seven I'd have been confident that she'd win because of the pace she has. That's why Chris took his time on her, from a fitness score to go a mile, but she had no problem with the distance.” Impressive debut Newcomer Swelter (Kingman) makes a winning start to her career under @chrishayes24 as she strikes for Dermot Weld in the @IrishEBF_ Fillies Maiden @LeopardstownRC pic.twitter.com/Qe8AexXL4Y — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 18, 2024 The post Juddmonte’s Kingman Filly wins the Opera Singer Maiden appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the horses entered for Friday at Saratoga: Friday, July 19, 2024 Saratoga 1, $100k, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:10 p.m. ET Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($), Breeze Ky Anansi (Caravaggio), OBSMAR, 15,000, :10.2 C-Top Line Sales LLC, agent; B-Amira Chichakly No Evidence (Vekoma), OBSAPR, 325,000, :10 C-Kinsman Farm; B-Reeves Thoroughbred Racing Saratoga 6, $90, 2yo, (S), 5 1/2f, 4:02 p.m. ET Burning Munny (Munnings), OBSAPR, 20,000, :10.3 C-Paul Sharp, agent; B-Mahony Manor Monte Avi (Central Banker), OBSAPR, 30,000, :10.1 C-Santa Fe Thoroughbreds, agent; B-Nicolino Avicolli The post Summer Breezes, Sponsored by OBS: July 19, 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of 179 yearlings have been catalogued for the Osarus La Teste Yearling Sale on Sept. 9-10. The sale, to be held at La Teste de Buch racecourse, will begin at 1 p.m. during Monday's session, and at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 10. A Muhaarar (GB) half-sister to G3 Prix du Bois winner Cosachope (Fr) (Soave {Ger}) (lot 68) is one of 11 in the sale by her sire. There are another 71 sires represented at the sale, with past graduates including 2024 listed winner Chic Columbine (Fr) (Seahenge), and Group 1 winners Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) and smart, young sire Sands Of Mali (Fr) (Panis). Among the stallions represented are: Almanzor (Fr), Galiway (GB), Harry Angel (Ire), Iffraaj (GB), Kendargent (Fr), Sea The Moon (Ger), The Grey Gatsby (Ire), Zelzal (Fr), City Light (Fr), Earthlight (Ire), Romanised (Ire), Van Beethoven, Armor (GB), and Victor Ludorum (GB). Other lots of note are as follows: a Taj Mahal (Ire) half-brother to Group 3 winner Mister Saint Paul (Fr) (Dariyan {Fr}) (lot 58); lot 45, a Goken (Fr) filly closely related to Group 1 winner Harlem (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}); a filly by Cloth Of Stars (Ire) (lot 14) who is out of G3 Prix Chloe winner Wilside (Ire) (Verglas {Ire}); and a Toronado (Ire) colt (lot 39) who is a half-brother to listed winner Intellect (Fr) (Intello {Ger}). There will also be a small Anglo-Arab session featuring 10 juveniles. The post Half To Cosachope One Of The Stars of Osarus La Teste Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

At this point in the season, a freshman sire can hardly do better than to win Saratoga's–and the nation's–first graded stakes of the year for 2-year-olds. When that young stallion also leads the nation's first-crop sires in winners with 12 (75% of starters), he's signaling he might be something special. With that kind of start, it's no surprise Airdrie Stud's Complexity, a son of Maclean's Music, is firmly on top of the freshman stallion list at this early juncture. He's also currently leading all sires, regardless of number of crops, by 2-year-old winners and earnings this year. “It's such a long process of waiting from first getting a stallion, so to be top freshman sire at this point and to lead the overall sires of 2-year-olds with a considerable-enough lead is really everything that you work for and hope for as a stallion farm,” said Bret Jones, president of Airdrie Stud. “We all know we're a long way from the finish line, but we really believe we've got a shot with this horse. We hope he can continue to climb the ladder. “Our great hope is that his story is far from written.” If Complexity's story as a sire is on chapter one, he's crafted a beginning sure to appeal to the masses. In addition to undefeated graded winner Mo Plex, who captured Saturday's GIII Sanford Stakes, Complexity has sired the winning Astoria Stakes third-place finisher French Horn, 'TDN Rising Star' Complexion, and nine other winners. That would be a pretty nice start for a freshman by this fall, but it's only mid-July, which makes it an exceptional start. With the opening of Saratoga last week and Del Mar this coming weekend, the 2-year-old race season is just getting started in earnest. Jones said the buzz began at the 2-year-old sales early this spring. “Very early on this season the news coming out of Ocala was as positive as its ever been with any new stallion we've ever had,” he said. “We all know how quickly that can change, but almost as soon as they hit the track down there, you started hearing positive things. Of course, the proof is when they get in the starting gate and the momentum has continued to build. “The great thing is its been quality winners at the best tracks, from the best farms, just everything that you hope for when you put a stallion in the barn.” TDN Stallions: Complexity from Thoroughbred Daily News on Vimeo. A 'TDN Rising Star' himself at two on debut, Complexity won the GI Champagne Stakes in his next out. His sophomore year was abbreviated, but he proved his mettle with a 110 Beyer Speed Figure in a GII Kelso Handicap win at four. “I think everybody in the business who stands stallions was following him though that 2-year-old year after that Champagne win,” said Jones. “As a 3-year-old, he had some little issues that kept him out of the headlines, but never kept him far out of our minds. We did the deal near the end of his racing career as a 4-year-old. “He was such a talented racehorse. We've said for a long time how important he could be for our operation. He himself is a beautiful horse and the commercial market has always supported him. He's really appealed to shareholders and a lot of commercial breeders and they've supported him accordingly.” Jones cautioned that while Complexity is getting precocity, the bay is also giving indications that's not the whole story. “Although they look like they could be early horses, remember he was precocious himself by anybody's definition, but he was also a miler that was running 110 Beyers as a 4-year-old. That's such a feather in his cap. “I would not dismiss anything he's doing based on the fact that they're speed balls. We believe his best days are ahead.” Jones is so bullish on Complexity that Airdrie upped the number of mares sent to him from the farm's own broodmare band in his second year. “When those first foals started arriving, we made that decision to roll back heavily into him. We bred 26 mares of our own his second season because we were so high on his foals that we were seeing. “He has so many attractive aspects for us,” continued Jones. “We were very fortunate to get him and very grateful that [owner] Seth Klarman and [trainer] Chad Brown trusted us. We've tried to hold up our part of that bargain.” In the just-completed 2024 breeding season, Complexity covered “right around 90 mares. We ran out of breeding season. If only the season could have lasted a few more weeks so people could have seen what he was doing! We hope that's the smallest book he has going forward.” Airdrie introduced Complexity for his initial season in 2021 at $12,500, but unlike the majority of stallions, his fee never dropped in subsequent books before his first runners hit the track. “He's always been well supported,” said Jones. “Sure, he had a little bit of a downturn in numbers [his third and fourth years], but he's showing he's a horse that can consistently throw what he's appearing to be able to throw. His numbers are by design. We want to focus on getting quality mares to him and we're seeing that in the results.” Complexity's Mo Plex takes Saturday's Sanford | Sarah Andrew From a Stonestreet female family, Complexity was “a typical Mike Ryan purchase–an athlete,” said Jones. Ryan signed the Keeneland September ticket for the then-yearling for $375,000. Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables campaigned him with trainer Chad Brown, who shared his thoughts on the horse with NYRA officials at Saratoga this weekend. “Complexity was a horse that was so good to us,” said Brown. “He won the Champagne and he was a brilliant winner first time out here. He was a very precocious horse and a very likeable horse. “I'm so pleased that the horse is off to such a good start at stud. We've had several graduates of our program that are off to really good starts at stud. It's great personally and it's great for our business for different owners and breeding farms to see that we can make good stallions here. “We did buy Complexity as a yearling and developed him from yearling up and it's very rewarding for the whole program,” continued Brown. With the yearling sales season of 2024 about to get into full swing, Complexity brings a considerable head of steam. He had a pair of second-crop yearlings sell for $250,000 at last week's Fasig-Tipton July Sale. Overall, including last year's first yearlings, 98 have changed hands at sales while averaging $81,139 to date, or 6 1/2 times his stud fee. His 42 juveniles this spring have done well, too, with a healthy $102,792 mean. “He's always gotten that good, nice sales type and the hope is that continues at the racetrack,” said Jones. “So far, so good.” Complexity's very first winner, Mensa, was featured in a one-horse Fasig-Tipton Digital flash sale in April, just two weeks after that initial win. He brought $740,000 to Resolute Bloodstock's bid. Jones stresses how important it is to a stallion farm's success to have horses farm principals can believe in. “Our stallion rooster is everything to us as we breed the overwhelming amount of our own mares to our own stallions. We're not going to bring in a horse that we're not going to support ourselves. “We've bred 16 stakes winners this year. That starts in our stallion barn. If our stallion barn is firing, then our broodmares are firing. We're going to have good sales. It all starts there.” As Jones said, Complexity's story is still being written. If his future results match or exceed the early chapters, the sequel promises to be a bestseller. The post Saturday Sires: Complexity appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The turf course at Churchill Downs, brown and unsightly from post-spring meet maintenance meant to strengthen its root structure and growth, is still planned for use during the track's September meet, a Churchill Downs official said.View the full article

Perhaps the top 3-year-old in the country of either sex, Thorpedo Anna's connections have indicated she may use the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) as a prep for the Travers Stakes (G1). View the full article

The daughter of Curlin had a six-race win streak snapped June 8 in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course when she lost by a head at the wire, just failing to catch front-running Randomized. View the full article

The Lexus Melbourne Cup will be at Naas Racecourse during the €300,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes Day, on Monday, Aug. 5. Besides celebrating the iconic Australian race, the course will also venerate the legacy of Kildare man Robert Cooper Bagot, whose contributions helped shape one of the world's greatest races, and the experience of the Melbourne Cup. “The Race That Stops a Nation” will be run for the 164th time this year, and will offer prize-money of A$8.4 million. The trophy itself is valued at A$750,000. The trophy travels 110,000 kilometres, visiting 39 destinations globally before returning to Melbourne for the race on Nov. 5. Cooper Bagot, born in 1827 in County Kildare, emigrated to Australia in 1849, prior to becoming the first secretary of the Victoria Racing Club in 1864. His redesign of the Flemington racecourse and successful lobbying for a Melbourne Cup Day half-holiday expanded the race's appeal. There will also be a Treo Eile ex-racehorse parade that day, which will include the dual Melbourne Cup placegetter Max Dynamite (Fr) (Great Journey {Jpn}), and the first race on the day is due off at 2:20 p.m. For more information about the event and schedule, please visit the Naas website. The post Naas To Welcome Melbourne Cup During Ballyhane Stakes Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 213 entries for its inaugural July Digital Sale, which may be viewed at digital.fasigtipton.com. Bidding is now open and will close on Tuesday, July 23, beginning at 12 p.m. ET. The catalogue features 84 horses of racing age, led by 2024 graded stakes winners Hades (Awesome Slew) (Hip 1) and Nadette (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) (Hip 39). A leader in his three-year-old crop this year, Hades captured the GIII Holy Bull S. in January and recently finished second in the GIII Dwyer S. on July 6. Nadette (Fr), a five-year-old graded stakes winning mare of $329,634, won the Beverly D. Preview S. by nearly five lengths at Colonial Downs this past weekend. Breeding stock on offer is led by the Dispersal of the Lakin Estate Partnership, which includes broodmares as well as several New York-foaled weanlings. The Lakin entries are consigned by Sequel New York, as agent. In total, there are 88 broodmares or broodmare prospects catalogued, including 28 mares with foals at foot. Covering sires represented include American Pharoah, Cyberknife, Forte, Tiz the Law, Golden Pal, Oscar Performance, Street Sense, and Yaupon. The catalogue also includes 24 yearlings, as well as unraced two-year-olds, and a stallion prospect. “The interest from sellers in this inaugural July Digital Sale has been overwhelming,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales. “We have quality racehorses at all levels, including high-end stakes horses and recent winners.” “Our breeding stock entries are especially impressive for a mid-summer sale,” Aaron continued. “Mare and weanling buyers need to zero in on this catalogue or risk missing some major opportunities.” To create an account or register to bid for the July Digital Sale, prospective buyers should visit digital.fasigtipton.com. The post Graded Stakes Winners and Lakin Dispersal Headline Fasig July Digital Sale; Bidding Now Open appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Registration is now open for Monmouth Park's $1,000 Haskell Handicapping Challenge on Saturday, July 20. Now in its fourth year, the Haskell Challenge boasted a record 265 entries in 2023. Last year's winner, Gwyn Houston, took home his $7,100 bankroll plus a $17,000 cash prize and a Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) seat. In addition to the eight total BCBC prizes, two seats to the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship were awarded last year and will be awarded again this year. The Haskell Challenge can only be played online through Xpressbet, TVG, 4NJBETS and HPI. In order to participate, contest players must pre-register. TVG and 4NJBETS players must pre-register with contest director Brian Skirka by Friday, July 19, at 3 p.m. Eastern. Skirka can be reached at 732-571-6595 or bskirka@monmouthpark.com. HPI players must pre-register with Klaus Ebner at kebner@woodbine.com by the same deadline. Xpressbet players can pre-register with Skirka or register directly through Xpressbet up until noon on Saturday, July 20. The full $1,000 buy-in must be paid in advance with $500 going to the player's bankroll and $500 going to the prize pool. Entry fees can be paid via credit card. Per contest rules, there is a maximum of two entries per person. The post Registration Open For Haskell Handicapping Challenge appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Great Racing Welfare Cycle will take place in Newmarket and its environs from noon on Saturday, July 20 until noon the following day, charity Racing Welfare announced on Thursday. The Rowley Mile Racecourse will be the base for participating teams consisting of four to eight persons, who will continuously cycle over a 24-hour period completing laps of a planned 32km route around the town and surrounding villages. Afterward, there will be a BBQ and a celebration for all cyclists and their families. Earlier this week, a quiz was held by the Baker McVeigh cycling team at The Yard pub in Newmarket on Tuesday, July 16, which raised £1,362.80 towards their fundraising total. Juddmonte's Jake Woolf will also field a team, and has arranged a ticket drawing for six people to meet Frankel (GB) at Juddmonte's Banstead Manor Stud. For every £50 donated to his team's JustGiving page, Woolf will offer a ticket. There are 50 tickets available. For more information on the charity cycle, please visit the Racing Welfare website. The post Great Racing Welfare Cycle Challenge Set For July 20-21 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article