Wandering Eyes

Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) winner and Preakness Stakes (G1) contender Seize the Grey is making Preakness dreams come true for some of his 2,570 MyRacehorse shareholders.View the full article

Baltimore, MD-All eyes turn to Baltimore this weekend where Pimlico features an eight-race graded showcase, beginning with Friday's GII George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan S. card, featuring 3-year-old fillies. Installed the 5-2 morning line favorite for the nine-furlong test, Madaket Stables and Slam Dunk Racing's Corposo (Vino Rosso) ran an even race in the Apr. 6 Santa Anita Oaks, but could only finish third, beaten eighth lengths, by Nothing Like You (Malibu Moon). “I don't think she's going to cry about the distance too much, at least that's what her jocks are always telling me,” trainer Peter Eurton said. “From the time I've had with her, everything's been pretty straightforward with her. She's got a great mind. She's a solid filly, a good 1,100 pounds or better. Nothing seems to bother her at all. I've never really seen her sweat too much, either. It's good.” Several of the feature's contenders will attempt to improve on subpar performances last time out, including Aaron Sones and Julie Gilbert Lemon Muffin (Collected), the sole filly to have contested the GI Kentucky Oaks two weeks ago. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the GIII Honeybee S. winner will try to improve upon an eighth-place finish behind winner Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) in the Oaks. Lukas, who has had the most Black-Eyed Susan starters since 1976 with 18, is tied with former protégé and fellow Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher for the most wins with four. “She has her days when she's up and down and everything. On her best day, she's a very, very nice filly,” said Lukas, whose most recent winner of the race was with Serena's Song in 1995. “But she doesn't always show up every time, so we're hoping that we get one of those days when she does.” Also looking for some measure of redemption, Sunland Park Oaks scorer Recharge (Gun Runner) makes her first start since a fading fifth behind Thorpedo Anna in Oaklawn's GII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn Mar. 30. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the Winchell homebred won her first three starts, including an impressive nine-length victory in her Remington unveiling Dec. 14. Courtlandt Farms' Whocouldaskformo (Uncle Mo) will get an equipment change for her return. A $450,000 Keeneland September purchase, she finished fourth most recently in the Apr. 6 GIII Gazelle S. at Aqueduct, also going nine furlongs. “Johnny [Velazquez] rode her the last time and he said at the half-mile pole. we were right there and she just kind of got lost after that and finished fourth,” said Hall of Famer McGaughey, winner of the 1996 Black-Eyed Susan with Mesabi Maiden. “So we put the blinkers on her. She breezed a couple of times in them, and we'll see what happens. I hope it keeps her a little more focused and maybe a little more aggressive when the time comes.” Whocouldaskformo ran an even fifth in her prior start, the one-mile GII Davona Dale S. Mar. 2 at Gulfstream, which came three weeks after her runner-up finish in the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs. “I like that it's two turns going to a mile and an eighth,” McGaughey added. “I ran her a mile in the Davona Dale and it didn't work, so I was looking for a long race. That's why I sent her up for the Gazelle. The allowance races were only going a mile, and that's one turn at Aqueduct. I thought this would be a good spot, and I think it is a good spot. She's 6-1 on the morning line, so it isn't a bad spot.” Breaking from post 6, she will be ridden by Luis Saez. Friday's undercard is highlighted by a pair of Grade III tests–the Pimlico Special S. and the Miss Preakness S. The former is led, at least on paper, by morning line favorite Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo), winner of his two latest starts including the Apr. 20 GIII Ben Ali S. The $800,000 Fasig-Tipton juvenile purchase also won last term's GII Louisiana Derby. A seemingly more competitive affair, the Miss Preakness features Youalmosthadme (Oxbow), victorious in a pair of sprint stakes late last season. Tiring to third in her seasonal debut in the seven-panel GII Beaumont S. at Keeneland Apr. 7, the Brad Cox trainee cuts back to six panels here. Tyler Gaffalione returns to ride. The post Turning Lemons into Lemonade appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Point-to-pointer Sober Glory (Ire) (Mount Nelson {GB}) (lot 10) topped the Tattersalls Cheltenham May Sale on Thursday. The 4-year-old debut winner cost £110,000 and was purchased by the session's leading buyer Tom Malone. Consigned by Monbeg Stables, the gelding is related to Grade 1 hurdler Fingal Bay (Ire) (King's Theatre {Ire}) and Grade 3 chaser Oodachee (GB) (Marju {Ire}). The other lot to break six figures was American Jukebox (Ire) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) (lot 22), also from Monbeg Stables. He was sold to Gordon Elliott Racing for £100,000. His dam won the G2 Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase at Punchestown and was placed in the G1 Irish Grand National Handicap Chase. A total of 26 lots sold for a gross of £1,231,000. The average was £47,346 and the median was £43,000. Tattersalls associate director Matt Prior said, “The May Sale has brought the 2023-24 Tattersalls Cheltenham sales year to a satisfactory conclusion. “The season has performed well and with 195 horses sold from 238 offered over the seven sales, we are delighted with the strong 82% clearance rate. Noticeably, the market has stepped back a level, but, positively, nice horses are being sold as is evidenced by our strong clearance rate. “We congratulate all our consignors on another successful winter and spring point-to-point season, despite the considerable challenges posed by the wet spring.” The post Sober Glory Tops Tattersalls Cheltenham appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Robby Albarado allows fans attending Preakness Stakes (G1) training May 16 a chance to get a picture of who he calls, "the people's champ," Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan.View the full article

Disarm, who last year ran fourth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs, finds an easier assignment at the Louisville, Ky., track for his 4-year-old debut May 18.View the full article

Baltimore, MD–The stage may have changed but the show remains the same. Two weeks ago, the Triple Crown train ran through Louisville, where all were treated to a sensory assault that can only be understood when experienced first-hand. With the tour moving on to Pimlico this week, there is an undeniable adjustment. It's something like comparing Taylor Swift to Courtney Love. No further explanation required. However, despite all of its shortcomings (and no, the elevator is still not working), Pimlico and the GI Preakness S. offer a charm that many other racetracks–many of them far flashier and newer–seem to lack. It's sometimes easy to forget that history can reside in the most obscure corner of any track. Case in point: a chance run-in with radio personality Steve Byk leads me to a concealed area behind the FanDuel TV set. Nestled in some weedy spot by the fence is a large wooden cross that reads 'Pimlico Barney (1960 – 1974).' According to legend (and to Steve Byk), Pimlico Barney was a dog that wandered into the track one day and was adopted by the stall man at the time, Harry Jeffra. Prior to his tenure on the racetrack, and his meeting with Barney, Jeffra made a name for himself in the ring, earning the 1937 bantamweight and 1940 featherweight championship titles en route to his induction into the Maryland Hall of Fame. Enter Barney. According to several accounts, Jeffra and Barney made the backstretch rounds every day, stopping periodically to oversee the property's network of time clocks in addition to checking for fire code infractions. According to published reports, Barney was known on occasion, put out cigarettes with paws (I'm just relaying published accounts, folks). The story goes that the little dog also had a penchant for 'singing', howling when the situation (including the Pimlico Fire Department's sirens) moved him. After 14 years of devoted service to Jeffra, Barney was put down due to old age. When the issue of where he was to be buried, it is suggested that Jeffra insisted the dog be buried on the backstretch because that was where he spent of most his life. C Bossinakis With Pimlico facing the prospect of complete demolition only a couple of years ago, the city of Baltimore and the state joined forces in an effort to save the aging racetrack and current plans call for the facility to undergo a complete overhaul over the next three years. With that in mind, I walked away from Barney's grave thinking that it's sometimes easier to focus on all the blemishes and yes, there are quite a lot of them right now. However, if one remains open and looks past the failing veneer, one is sure to catch a glimpse or two of the storied history of the place. While 'Old Hilltop' remains true to its name now (with the emphasis squarely on 'old'), the proposed rejuvenation should remind everyone why saving it was worth the effort. Pimlico Bouncing with Activity There can be little doubt that the announcement that early favorite Muth (Good Magic) would not contest Saturday's Preakness took the wind out of a great many sails. However, several of the remaining contenders–including Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents)–appear to offer enticing options as they hit the track on a sun-filled morning Thursday. Heading to the track shortly after 8:30a.m., the Kenny McPeek trainee jogged part way around Pimlico's track. Mystik Dan, who is the 8-5 favorite on the revised morning-line, was introduced to the saddling paddock before embarking on a light gallop under former jockey Robby Albarado. “He's doing great,” said McPeek, who arrived in Baltimore Wednesday afternoon. “He's a pretty easy-peasy colt. He eats well. He's a real quiet horse. I've used the terminology that he's an old soul. Nothing much fazes him at all, which makes our job really easy.” Looking ahead to race day, McPeek added, “We want a quiet day. We don't want anything complicated or any hoopla. We want to get him over there and give him his best chance. It's still not an easy race. There are no guarantees. It's a very humbling sport. Right now, we've got everything in line.” Imagination getting a bath Thursday morning | Sara Gordon Following his morning exertions, the unassuming bay returned as dry as when he first walked onto the track. In stark contrast, Bob Baffert's remaining half of the entry, Imagination (Into Mischief), bounced away from Pimlico's stakes barn under Humberto Gomez, snorting and dancing on his toes before returning a little more deflated, and a fair bit sweatier, than he appeared on departure. The white-haired maestro was reportedly set to arrive in Baltimore Friday. Lukas, McPeek Regale at the Alibi Breakfast Every year, the Alibi Breakfast offers connections and fans alike the chance to garner some insight into some of the characters who will be highlighting Saturday's second jewel in the Triple Crown. And when D. Wayne Lukas has a horse running at Pimlico, there is little one can do other than just sit back and enjoy the show when the Hall of Famer takes the stage. “I went to [McPeek's] office the other day. He was so proud. He had just finished a jigsaw puzzle,” Lukas chided. “He said, 'Wayne look at this! I finished this puzzle in two months, and it says right on the box–2 to 4 years.'” Lukas will try to collect his seventh Preakness with Just Steel (Justify) and recent GII Pat Day Mile winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate). After regaling the crowd with several new jokes, in addition to a few of his most well-versed jibes, Lukas summed up his latest Preakness experience. “It's a game of experience,” Lukas said. “You still have to have that experience of looking at these horses and reading them and knowing what to do. I feel like I haven't lost anything. I might be a little slower on the pony, but I'm still on that horse. I'm still doing the same thing, but I do it better than I used to.” Despite his recent flush of Classic success, McPeek still had some way to go to catch the 88-year-old horseman. However, despite the discrepancy, McPeek wasn't about to be outdone by the Hall of Fame trainer. “I finally did something Wayne Lukas hasn't done–the Oaks-Derby Double,” he laughed. “He's won four Derbys, six Preakness and four Belmonts, do you want to tell us?” McPeek said while looking in the direction of Lukas. On the opposite end of the spectrum, trainer Butch Reid Jr. was the essence of humility, offering shout outs to several of the individuals who offered him a helping hand throughout his lengthy career. Reid saddles GIII Wither S. winner Uncle Heavy (Social Inclusion), who is co-owned by Reid's older brother, Mark, a retired trainer and bloodstock agent, and the elder Reid's wife, Barbara, who bred the colt. The colt's name is Mark Reid's family nickname. The Pennsylvania bred represents the first Triple Crown entrant for the Reid brothers. “It's really been great,” Butch Reid said. “We've all been kind of in the business but in separate aspects of it, so for this to come together like this is really something s The post What’s Old Is New Again at Pimlico appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Seize the Grey carries the dreams of about 2,570 shareholders that bought into the colt through MyRacehorse, a fractional ownership app that allows racing fans a taste at ownership for a much lower cost.View the full article

A fever knocked morning-line favorite Muth out of the Preakness Stakes (G1) May 15, enhancing the chances of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan, but Muth's stablemate Imagination still poses a threat.View the full article

Speaking May 16 during a meeting of the CHRB in Sacramento, Calif., the board's executive director Scott Chaney said an allocation needs to be determined by its June 20 meeting to be in place before the CHRB's fiscal year begins July 1.View the full article

The first race will be followed by a simulcast of the 149th Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, from Pimlico Race Course. Canterbury racing officials were pleased with the number of entries, 77 total, for the opening night program.View the full article

In the case of Imagination, some silence at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale turned out to be quite fortunate for "The Avengers" and company.View the full article

Bet down from a 9-2 morning line into a 'they-knew-it' 7-5 at the off, Donegal Racing's DONEGAL MOMENTUM (c, 3, Uncle Mo–Moon Dash, by Malibu Moon) never truly looked like losing his racetrack debut Thursday afternoon, kicking on full of run into the final furlong and a half to score by a good seven to eight lengths to become the latest 'TDN Rising Star' for his exceptional Coolmore-based stallion. The $375,000 Keeneland September yearling bounced beautifully from an outside gate and was immediately in the thick of things, taking the sit just off the flank of the pacesetting and much more experienced Light the Way (Justify–By the Light) down the back and into the turn. Drawing more or less on even terms passing the three-furlong pole, Donegal Momentum was held together into the stretch by Javier Castellano, and when the Venezuelan cut the ribbons at the three-sixteenths, it was all over, as the colt bounded clear with every stride. The final time for the six furlongs on a rain-soaked track was a crisp 1:10.30. Sales history: $375,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. O-Donegal Racing; B-Speedway Stables (KY); T-Tom Morley. DONEGAL MOMENTUM, the 3YO son of @coolmoreamerica stallion Uncle Mo, secures an impressive maiden victory under @jjcjockey for trainer @morley_racing. pic.twitter.com/MxU9Txaovd — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) May 16, 2024 The post Uncle Mo’s Donegal Momentum Earns ‘Rising Star’ Honors on Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

As California begins transitioning the hub of the state's Northern circuit from the permanently closing Golden Gate Fields (June 9) to Pleasanton (June 12-July 9 and Oct. 16-Dec. 25, with other county fair meets running in between), the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) on Thursday greenlit the first meet in the expanded NorCal schedule after hearing an optimistic update from Larry Swartzlander, the executive director for the California Authority of Racing Fairs (CARF). “What I'm really enthused about is the fact that we have 1,150 stall applications, which is 200 more than we had last year,” Swartzlander said. “It's a good picture, and right now we're putting up new stalls [and] we're looking at 1,100 horses already coming by the end of the summer, so it's very positive in that vein. I feel very comfortable with that. We always want to have [horse population around] 700-750, and I think this year we'll make it.” Swartzlander explained that even as additional stalls are getting built at Pleasanton, CARF will utilize auxiliary stabling at Cal Expo to accommodate overflow. Average daily purses for 13 dates of racing at the first Pleasanton meet will be $160,000, Swartzlander said, terming that figure “a little bit less” than last year's comparable level of “about $170,000.” Golden Gate Fields | Shane Micheli, Vassar Photography Swartzlander told the CHRB of a recent recruitment trip he made to Turf Paradise in Arizona “to get the temperature of the owners and trainers on the backside” about competing in NorCal. “This year we do have quite a few [California-based] owners and trainers over there, because this year [Turf Paradise] made an agreement with the state on sports wagering,” Swartzlander said. “They received a significant amount of money for purses. So the purses actually were better than they were at Golden Gate. “But that will not be true with this [recently announced] three-year [Turf Paradise contract] extension,” Swartzlander said. “That money will no longer exist. They'll go back to the purse level that they had, which was probably 20 to 30% less than we have here on the fairs. “Do I look at them as competition?” Swartzlander asked rhetorically. “You know, they run through May and then shut down for the [California] fair meets. Then no, they're not any competition. We get a lot of these owners and trainers to come, and based on our recruitment over there, we did get two or three new trainers that have 50-60 horses in their stables that are coming over this year.” “And they like what they see is going on in the North,” Swartzlander summed up. “They see some stability. They see that we're going to take over racing. They've raced on the fairs before. They have trust in what we do, and I think it's going to be great.” Beyond polite prodding from commissioners about the stabling and purse details, no regulators or stakeholders voiced objections to or major concerns with Swartzlander's assessment of the situation. The post Upbeat Outlook For Pleasanton As NorCal Hub Shifts Away From Closing Golden Gate appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The field for the GI Preakness S., ranked in “likeliest winner” order: 1) MYSTIK DAN (c, Goldencents-Ma'am, by Colonel John). O/B-Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby & 4G Racing, LLC (Ky); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-3-1-1, $3,650,050. Last start: WON May 4 GI Kentucky Derby. The Derby champ will go favored in the Preakness on Saturday after the scratch of 'TDN Rising Star' Muth (Good Magic). This son of Goldencents upset the first leg of the Triple Crown at 18-1 odds. In the last three Derbies, three very different types of colts (Rich Strike, Mage, Mystik Dan) have won after executing perfect trips that not only demonstrated the deft skills of their jockeys, but the role that racing luck plays in determining which holes or seams in a 20-horse pack open to allow passage to the winner's circle. And while the last two Derby winners failed to win again at any level, there are plenty of upsetters who won at inflated mutuels in Louisville, then rolled into Baltimore and won again at much lower odds, in part because their Derby victories didn't take all that much out of them. Despite having to fight hard to win a three-horse photo, Mystik Dan could end up being just that type of colt. It the Derby, Mystik Dan broke on top and led through the first sixteenth before Brian Hernandez, Jr. conceded the lead and opted to rate at the rail, solidly surrounded by horses. Mystik Dan edged up five furlongs out, made it to within two lengths of the leaders a half-mile from home, then raced “on hold” through the far turn with no openings available to tip out. Off the far turn, Hernandez made his own space with a bold, now-or-never move, blasting through at the fence by shouldering aside a caving Track Phantom (Quality Road). Mystik Dan briefly opened up by two lengths three-sixteenths out, and although he was tiring in the final furlong with two onrushing closers threatening to swallow him up, this colt dug in and never quit, surviving a three-way bob. One concern about running back on two weeks' rest is that earlier this year, trainer Kenny McPeek was on record as saying that Mystik Dan does better with more spacing between his races. But McPeek also purposely skipped a prep race between Mystik Dan's eight-length blowout in the Feb. 3 GIII Southwest S. and a trip-troubled third in the Mar. 30 Arkansas Derby, with the stated goal of bypassing the GII Feb. 24 Rebel S. to “give us a little more confidence to come back in the Preakness.” Over the past week McPeek has disclosed that Mystik Dan–whom he has repeatedly described as a “smart” horse all season long–has been thriving since winning the Derby, and that all of his diagnostics (scoping, bloodwork, hydration and inflammation markers) have come back normal, accompanied by a robust appetite. The bottom line is that while Mystik Dan might look a little vulnerable on paper, you should think twice about betting against one of the more sensible, respected conditioners in the sport. According to DRF's Formulator, over the past five years McPeek's winning percentage with horses running back in 13-15 days is 16% (20-for-129), which is actually two percentage points higher than his overall strike rate of 14% (369-for-2,571). Tuscan Gold | The Stronach Group 2) TUSCAN GOLD (c, Medaglia d'Oro-Valadorna by Curlin). O-William H Lawrence, Walmac Farm & Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY) 'TDN Rising Star.' T-Chad Brown. Sales history: $600,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-1-0-1, $147,100. Last start: 3rd Mar. 23 GII Louisiana Derby. Trainer Chad Brown's previous two Preakness winners were both colts with three starts who had bypassed the Derby. Tuscan Gold fits that profile too, but he differs from Cloud Computing (2017) and Early Voting (2022) in that he's coming into the second leg of the Triple Crown off an eight-week hiatus instead of six. At 8-5, Tuscan Gold debuted as the heavier-favored of two Brown entrants in what turned out to be a “loaded” one-turn-mile MSW at Aqueduct Nov. 4. But while 4-1 stablemate Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) ended up winning that afternoon, earning 'TDN Rising Star' status, Tuscan Gold got a decent education out of the effort, absorbing bumping at the break that put him at the back of the pack before gaining five wide on the turn. He rallied to chase the top two before being outkicked late and finishing fourth. This son of Medaglia d'Oro garnered his own 'Rising Star' honors in start number two at Gulfstream Jan. 31, which was an off-pace, driving, short-stretch-configuration win going 1 1/16 miles. Start number three was when Tuscan Gold first started to get noticed as a potential “wiseguy” contender for a Triple Crown race. Drawn wide in post 10 of the GII Louisiana Derby, he was four wide on both turns while ambitiously up close to a moderate pace, and he unleashed a nice rally between the three-sixteenths and sixteenths poles before getting collared by two deep closers. Tuscan Gold ended up third, galloping out well and getting credited with a 95 Beyer Speed Figure. Tuscan Gold didn't make the qualifying points cut for the Kentucky Derby. He was entered in last Saturday's GIII Peter Pan S. at Aqueduct, but Brown scratched him to run in the Preakness and was subsequently impressed with the colt's final pre-Preakness workout. 3) CATCHING FREEDOM (c, Constitution-Catch My Drift, by Pioneerof the Nile). O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-WinStar Farm (Ky); T-Brad Cox. Sales History: $575,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-3-0-1, $1,127,350. Last start: 4th May 4 GI Kentucky Derby. In the Derby, Catching Freedom got shuffled first time through the lane from post four, raced midpack near the inside, found a good far-turn spot at the fence to use as his late-race launch point, then followed the eventual winner up the rail. True to form, this colt tried hard through the final furlong. But Catching Freedom lacked the extra spark that would have put him on even terms with the front three in the run to the wire. He stayed on for fourth, beaten only 1 3/4 lengths. Catching Freedom | Jim McCue Catching Freedom earned a 97 Beyer, matching his winning number from the Louisiana Derby. Being a medium-framed stayer who doesn't seem to impose a pounding on himself contributed to trainer Brad Cox's decision to go on with him to Baltimore. But Catching Freedom also lends the impression that he's not going to suddenly reveal any new tactical wizardry in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. He resonates as a reliable, what-you-see-is-what-you-get closer. And that one sustained run doesn't earn him a blanket of Black-Eyed Susans without a little help from a Preakness pace meltdown on the front end. 4) IMAGINATION (c, Into Mischief-Magical Feeling, by Empire Maker). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan & Tom Ryan; B-Peter Blum Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $1,050,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-2-3-0, $406,800. Last start: 2nd Apr. 6 GI Santa Anita Derby. The speed-centric Imagination has some appeal from the perspective that he has five races of experience around two turns, and in each of his last three races at Santa Anita he's engaged in prolonged stretch fights. Even though he lost two of those tussles, he's never been beaten by more than a neck at a mile or longer. The reason why this Into Mischief colt isn't ranked higher is that despite always being in the hunt until deep into his races, I can't quite figure out if he's a resilient sort who punches back when headed, or if he just likes to spar without sealing the deal. In each of his last two losses he held the lead in deep stretch but let a re-rallying rival get by him. Having said that, there are other aspects of Imagination's way of going could align to produce a big effort on Saturday. In the GI Santa Anita Derby, he forced the issue through a quick opening quarter (:22.72), made two moves at the leader on the far turn, then held the lead for most of the stretch while taking pressure from eventual winner Stronghold (Ghostzapper). But then again, the Santa Anita Derby wasn't a particularly fast race. Stronghold (who finished seventh in the Derby) and Imagination (who has been unraced since Apr. 6) shared 89 Beyers. And the :25.98 split for the fourth quarter of that stakes was the slowest clocking for a fourth quarter out of all nine 1 1/8-miles prep stakes on the Kentucky Derby qualifying calendar this season. The scratch of stablemate Muth brings this likely pacemaker one gate closer to the inside from his outermost-drawn post assignment. 5) JUST STEEL (c, Justify-Irish Lights {Aus}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}). O-BC Stables, LLC; B-Summerhill Farm (Ky); T-D. Wayne Lukas. Sales History: $500,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISP, 11-2-4-1, $724,545. Last start: 17th May 4 GI Kentucky Derby. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas has described Just Steel as a big, robust colt who not only can withstand the rigors of frequent racing, but needs that seasoning to round into the performer that Lukas believes he can be. The Preakness will be Just Steel's 13th lifetime start, tied for the most in the field along with Mugatu (Blofeld). This son of Justify got bumped at the break of the Derby, engaged in a three-way duel, then capitulated to finish 17th. Lukas's assessment was that Just Steel was uncharacteristically aggressive in Louisville, and he indicated that he'd like to see a performance more along the lines of the colt's runner-up effort in the GI Arkansas Derby two starts back. In that Oaklawn stakes, Just Steel was always near the pace despite going four wide on the first turn, and he maintained a persistent (but not electrifying) run through the lane to finish capably behind the well-regarded Muth. Just Steel will also reunite with jockey Joel Rosario, who was aboard in the colt's 2-year-old season for his only two victories, over distances of 6- and 6 1/2-furlongs. Seize the Gray | Coady Media 6) SEIZE THE GREY (c, Arrogate-Smart Shopping by Smart Strike). O-MyRacehorse; B-Jamm, Ltd. (KY); T-D. Wayne Lukas. Sales History: $300,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG). Lifetime Record: GSW, 9-3-0-3, $619,938. Last tart: WON May 4 GII Pat Day Mile S. Seize the Grey stalked in a tight pack behind quick fractions (:22.12, :44;59, 1:09.48), came with a four-wide bid, survived some bumping, and split foes to upset the GII Pat Day Mile S. at 9-1 odds on the Kentucky Derby undercard. He earned an 88 Beyer, his lifetime best over a nine-race career that has spanned from 5 1/2 to nine furlongs. Prior to that he was a no-impact seventh in the GI Blue Grass S. at Keeneland and had run third with a wide bid over Tapeta in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks S. at Turfway. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas will be saddling his 47th and 48th Preakness starters on Saturday, a race that he has won six times. The last time Lukas won was in 2013 with the 15-1 Oxbow. One of the horses he beat that day was Goldencents, the sire of Mystik Dan. 7) UNCLE HEAVY (c, Social Inclusion-Expect Wonderful, by Tiz Wonderful). O-Michael Milam and LC Racing LLC; B-Barbara Reid (PA); T-Robert E Reid Jr. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-0-0, $323,580. Last start: 5th Apr. 6 GII Wood Memorial S. Uncle Heavy, a stout-framed colt befitting of his name, was hooked four- and three-wide around both turns of the GIII Withers S. back on Feb. 3. He advanced into third but still looked beaten 100 yards out, then closed with a surge to bob for the photo, earning both the win and an 84 Beyer. This Pennsylvania-bred son of Social Inclusion next attempted the GII Wood Memorial S. Apr. 6, but was a no-factor fifth after being parked in twelfth for the early stages of the race. He managed a seven-wide rally that picked off half the field, and although he raced alongside a horse who fell in upper stretch, the spill didn't directly affect his momentum. Uncle Heavy will get a jockey change to Irad Ortiz, Jr. for the Preakness. 8) MUGATU (Blofeld-Union Way, by Union Rags). O-Average Joe Racing Stables, Ltd. and Dan Wells. B-JSM Equine, LLC (Ky); T-Jeff Engler. Sales History: $14,000 '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 12-1-1-3, $80,570. Last start: 5th in GI Blue Grass S. Mugatu | Jim McCue Mugatu was on the also-eligible list for the Derby but failed to draw in. He sports only a maiden victory from 12 starts, and if he upsets the Preakness, it will mark exactly six months since his only other trip to the winner's circle, in a mile and 70-yard Tapeta try at Gulfstream. Joe Bravo rode him that day, and will be aboard again in Baltimore after not having ridden Mugatu since. In his last start, Mugatu finished fifth in the Blue Grass S. at 181-1 odds. The most optimistic line in Mugatu's recent form was actually an eighth-place try, in which he was only beaten 2 1/2 lengths, in the Rushaway S. over Tapeta at Turfway two starts back. The winner of the Rushaway, Trikari (Oscar Performance), orchestrated a 47-1 shocker in the GII American Turf S. on the Derby undercard two weeks ago. The bulk of Mugatu's racing experience has been on turf or Tapeta. His only three tries on dirt have yielded fourth-, fifth- and sixth-place finishes. The post TDN Preakness Preview: Muth’s Scratch Plays In Favor of Derby Hero Mystik Dan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Training legend Barry Purdon remembers the moment he decided to launch his renaissance. It was eight years ago when the Hall of Fame trainer with nothing left to prove, decided he was sick of watching other trainers win the races he wanted to. “I wasn’t enjoying being beaten,” says Purdon, “I have had a great career but I knew I wasn’t finished and I had a good young training partner in Scott (Phelan) and a wonderful team around us. “But were weren’t winning the major races as much as I would have liked and I thought that came back to the horses we were buying. “So I decided to be more active at the sales, go after the ones we wanted, within reason. “I knew if we did that and trained them well and looked after them like we always have we could get the results I wanted.” That strategy started a snowball effect that has become an avalanche of winners at the highest level this season. He and Phelan have won a feature race most weekends they have contested one this year, with the team’s stars winning over $2million worth of races since December. It doesn’t quite rival Purdon’s record-breaking days when he would take NZ and Auckland Cup winners and Miracle Mile heroes Chokin and Christopher Vance to the races in the same float. But allowing for the changing nature of trans-Tasman harness racing and the horses he has on his South Auckland property, Purdon is training as well as he ever has in his storied career. “You need the horses but you also need the people,” he explains. “Scotty is now such a big part of the partnership it almost doesn’t need pointing out anymore but we have great staff right across the board. “Then we have bought a lot of the horses we want for good owners and Dean (Shannon) has come on board and been a wonderful supporter.” So is Purdon training any differently as he approaches 70 next year? “Not really. I stick to the same fundamentals as I always have but I know we look after our horses very well. “They all get walked in the afternoon, brushed until they shine and well fed. “We still feed oats like we used to in the old days but these days they are mixed in more with pre-made feeds, which are very good. “But the basics are still the same. Look after the horses and they will look after you.” The results are staggering and that run should continue at Alexandra Park tonight as Duchess Megxit is red hot for the $140,000 Magness Benrow Sires’ Stakes Final. “She is a very good filly and has a perfect draw so she has to be hard,” says Purdon. Opening at $1.85, Duchess Megxit was $1.65 before key rival All You Need Is Me was withdrawn, then shortened into $1.28 and could start $1.15 tonight. Merlin and Sooner The Better are in the paddock and Mach Shard waiting for next week’s Auckland Cup so the Purdon/Phelan stable can’t win the $50,000 Roy Purdon, named after Barry’s legendary father. But they can win the $50,000 Young Guns Trot, with Barry saying there is little between Meant To Be (stronger) and Higher Power (better manners). Don’t Stop Dreaming is the obvious in the Roy Purdon if the race is run to suit but any of the eight starters could win depending on standing start manners, a rarity in open class pacing. Muscle Mountain has the class and form edge even off a 15m handicap in the $60,000 Anzac Trot while whoever ends up in front out of Paramount Kiwi and Empire City after 400m of the Sires’ Stakes Trot will hold the aces. Barry Purdon (and Scott Phelan’s) amazing last 5 months : Dec 10, 2023: $250,000 NZ Derby (Merlin); $110,000 Ace of Diamonds (Duchess Megxit) January: Largely no feature harness racing. Feb 16, 2024: Alex Park feature pace with Mach Shard; beaten a nose in both 3-year-old Harness Millions March 1: $55,000 Alabar Classic (Cold Chisel). March 9: A$100,000 Ainsworth Free-For-All at Menangle (Merlin) March 22: $200,000 Northern Derby (Cold Chisel) April 4: $60,000 Cambridge Flying Mile (Merlin) April 12: $1million Race by Grins (Merlin) April 19: Won three age group races in one night at Alex Park April 26: $110,000 Taylor Mile (Mach Shard at $155) May 3: $110,000 Messenger Pace (Mach Shard at $21). View the full article

Last year's Grand National hero Corach Rambler (Ire) (Jeremy) has been retired, trainer Lucinda Russell announced on Thursday. Corach Rambler won seven of his 18 career starts under Rules, with his other notable victories including back-to-back editions of the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022 and 2023. He also finished third in the Gold Cup on his most recent appearance at Prestbury Park in March, before unseating jockey Derek Fox at the first when trying to win the Grand National for the second year in succession. Having followed that mishap with a laboured effort when pulled up in the Punchestown Gold Cup, the decision has now been taken to call time on the career of a 10-year-old who is set to remain at Russell's Kinross yard in his retirement. “After a lot of thought and discussion we have decided that our brilliant 2023 Grand National winner Corach Rambler is going to be retired,” Russell told her website, www.lucindarussell.com. “In some ways the decision is laced with sadness. Corach has been a horse of a lifetime for his seven-strong syndicate of owners who won the greatest steeplechase in the world. He also has had a special relationship with our jockey Derek Fox and has brought so much joy to all our staff here at Arlary. “But the decision is also a joyous one. Corach Rambler will always be a special horse for us, we owe him so much. More than anything we want him to go out at the top, in excellent physical condition and able to hopefully enjoy a long and happy retirement.” The post Russell Announces Retirement Of Grand National Winner Corach Rambler appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Understandably, life since winning the Kentucky Derby would not be described as normal for Sharilyn Gasaway. Mystik Dan's scintillating triumph in the first leg of the Triple Crown has thrown Gasaway's life for a curve literally and figuratively. View the full article

The conference is hosted by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and presented by Bessemer Trust, Stoll Keenon Ogden, and The Green Group. The panel was sponsored by OCD Pellets.View the full article

1st-Belmont The Big A, $87,300, Msw, 5-16, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f (off turf), 1:06.12, my, 9 lengths. DELIGHTFUL FLAME (f, 2, Flameaway–Delightful Mary {Ch. 2yo Filly & GSW-Can, MSW & GISP-US, $588,055}, by Limehouse) was smashed into 7-10 favoritism for her Gulfstream debut Apr. 12, but was off to an awkward beginning and never reached contention en route to a distant sixth-place finish. The 3-2 second choice–with $685 on her nose less than the well-meant Moonlight Promises (Promises Fulfilled)–the homebred hit the ground running in this rained-off contest and was soon joined to her outside by the post-time favorite. Matching motors around the turn, it was clear that Delightful Flame was going the better of the two as they reached the stretch and she pulled readily clear in the rain-affected conditions to score by a distance. It was another five lengths back to Triple Sweet (Big Brown) in third. A $500,000 OBS April juvenile, Delightful Mary was the Sovereign Award-winning 2-year-old of her generation in 2010, having finished third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Delightful Mary is a half-sister to MGSW & GISP Delightful Kiss (Kissin Kris), GSP Honour the Deputy (Honour and Glory) and to Chesutoke Rose (Uncle Mo), the dam of Japanese MSW & MG1SP Wilson Tesoro (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}). Delightful Flame is the most recent live produce for her dam. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $49,900. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O/B-John C Oxley (KY); T-Wesley A Ward. DELIGHTFUL FLAME lights up the track, breaking her maiden impressively under @ljlmvel for trainer Wesley Ward. pic.twitter.com/Thha8i4QzL — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) May 16, 2024 The post Flameaway Filly Delightful Flame Frolics In The Mud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bidding opens Sunday, May 19 for Box B30, a second floor Saratoga Clubhouse finish line two-seater for the 2024 Belmont Stakes Festival, which is being auctioned off over the course of 10 days by The Jana Domino Foundation, the non-profit said in a Thursday press release. The box was donated by Lynwood 'Doc' O'Cain with the cooperation of the New York Racing Association. Proceeds from the auction will be used to fund the organization's work in supporting Thoroughbred aftercare, the PDJF and the children of backstretch workers. “Words cannot express my gratitude to Doc O'Cain,” said Carl Domino, founder of the Jana Domino Foundation. “His generosity in helping the foundation raise funds during the Belmont Festival, for the causes that were important to my late daughter Jana is a wonderful opportunity. “Any seat at the Belmont Stakes in 2024 is coveted, and this box is the ultimate place to watch the races as Doc always did with his late wife, Suzie. With the money we raise, we will make sure that more Thoroughbreds are enjoying a happy and safe retirement or second career.”' Click here to register for the auction. The post Jana Domino Foundation To Auction Box For Saratoga Belmont Stakes Weekend appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kenny McPeek's 2020 Preakness Stakes (G1) victory with the filly Swiss Skydiver does not have any kind of symbol attached to it, but it was the most unique running of the middle jewel in the Triple Crown. View the full article

International standout dirt runner Kabirkhan, a flesh-and-blood example of the adage that a good horse can come from anywhere, has arrived in the United States where he'll be conditioned by multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox.View the full article

Aidan O'Brien's Gold Cup picture will be a lot clearer by Friday night, with the 2022 hero of that Royal meeting's feature Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the G3 Red Sea Turf H. and G2 Dubai Gold Cup winner Tower Of London (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in action across the Irish Sea. The latter, who is beginning to fulfil his TDN Rising Star tag over staying trips, takes aim at the York Dante festival's G2 Boodles Yorkshire Cup before Ryan Moore flies to Leopardstown to steer Kyprios to an almost inevitable success in the G3 Saval Beg Levmoss S. Tower Of London faces stiff opposition in the Yorkshire Cup, with the prolific group winner Hamish (GB) (Motivator {GB}) looking to provide Yorkshire-born William Haggas with an emotional victory and Al Qareem (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), compatriot Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), last year's winner Giavellotto (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) all similarly unexposed in the staying category. Ryan Moore said of Tower Of London, “I always thought a lot of him at three, but he is really blossoming now. He shaped very much like a group one-winning stayer in waiting when winning at Meydan last time, so I'd hope and expect he will be going close here even under his three-pound penalty.” Kyprios, who gave all the right signals when winning on his seasonal bow in Navan's Listed Vintage Crop S. last month, is following a tried-and-trusted route back to the Gold Cup and Aidan O'Brien said, “I've been very happy with him so far this year. He did really well to come back at all last year after his injury and to get two runs into him was a credit to the team.” The post Ballydoyle Stayers Out In Force On Friday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

1st-BAQ, $90k, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, post time: 1:05 p.m. ET SHINY LURE (Catalina Cruiser) was hammered down to Jonathan Thorne's Thorndale Farm for $320,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, making her the most expensive of her sire's 68 youngsters reported as sold that season (86 through the ring). Debuting with Lasix for the usually patient Danny Gargan barn, the chestnut is out of 2009 GII Forward Gal S. winner Frolic's Dream (Smoke Glacken), whose daughter Bode's Dream (Bodemeister) was a dual stakes winner as a juvenile. Frolic's Dream is also the dam of Grade III-placed Wyeth (Candy Ride {Arg}). Making a belated first career start is Refuse to Lose (Union Rags), a half-sister to Australian MGSP and Canadian GSP Victory Kingdom (Aus) (Animal Kingdom), whose dam Victory Party is a Yankee Victor half-sister to Into Mischief and Beholder. TJCIS PPs 3rd-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, post time: 1:43 p.m. ET D J Stable and trainer Mark Casse have been on a roll of late with juvenile firsters and look to stay hot with ACHIEVE (Justify). A $525,000 of last year's Keeneland September Sale, the Apr. 20 foal is out of a winning full-sister to MGSP Stellar Sound (Tapit) and a half to SW Smart As Me (Malibu Moon) and GISP 'TDN Rising Star' Luminance (Tale of the Cat). The four-time Grade I-winning third dam Versallies Treaty (Danzig) produced GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner George Vancouver (Henrythenavigator) and GSW/GISP Saarland (Unbridled). Tracy Farmer's La Cara (Street Sense) is out of a full-sister to MGISW To Honor And Serve (Bernardini) and GISW Angela Renee (Bernardini) and a half to SW/GISP Elnaawi (Street Sense). Under the third dam is dual-surface Group 1 winner Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}). Anakarina (Vekoma) is kin to MGSW & MGISP Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft) as well as SP Mucho Macho Girl (Mucho Macho Man). TJCIS PPs The post Friday Insights: Expensive Catalina Cruiser Filly Gets Going For Gargan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Owners and previous owners of former racehorses in the UK are encouraged to participate in a new survey launched by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) on Thursday. The purpose of the survey is to find out the different factors that influence a successful outcome in rehoming racehorses. It is part of the RVC's wider 'Life After Racing' project, which seeks to improve understanding of retraining and rehoming former racehorses by outlining the processes involved in rehoming and assessing the different factors that influence a former racehorse's suitability for entry into a second career. The survey is available online here. The post Rehoming Survey For Former Racehorses Launched By Royal Veterinary College appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article