Wandering Eyes

Construction on a trackside sportsbook and entertainment complex began with a ceremonial groundbreaking at Monmouth Park Tuesday which featured representatives from the New Jersey racetrack, Caesars Sportsbook, and local dignitaries who planted golden shovels in the ground to mark the occasion. The state-of-the-art facility and full-service restaurant combo is set to open in 2025, featuring 16,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor sports viewing with wall-to-wall flat screen televisions, food from nationally known restaurant partner Shake Shack, and more than 25 self-service betting kiosks. “We are proud to continue investing in Monmouth Park to elevate the sports betting experience for New Jersey sports fans,” said Dan Shapiro, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer at Caesars Digital. “The sportsbook at Monmouth Park has been a success since Gov. Phil Murphy placed the state's first legal sports bet in 2018 and continues to be an outstanding complement to our online businesses. “We look forward to continuing our support for horse racing in New Jersey and bringing sports fans and racing fans to this historic racetrack.” Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development, LLC, operator of Monmouth Park, praised the ongoing relationship between the track and Caesars. “We're extremely excited to begin this next chapter with the upcoming opening of the new Caesars Sportsbook at Monmouth Park,” Drazin said. “This facility will be state-of-the-art with all the amenities that a first-class sportsbook can offer to patrons. As we start our sixth year of sports betting, we continue to see the growth and expansion we knew would eventually happen. This will be a magnificent addition to the Monmouth Park facility as our partnership with Caesars continues to evolve.” The post Monmouth Park, Caesars Celebrate Sportsbook Groundbreaking appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Juveniles take center stage on the Gulfstream Park turf course May 11, as a pair of $120,000, five-furlong stakes will award an automatic berth to one of six 2-year-old races held at the Royal Ascot meeting June 18-22.View the full article

For what appears to have been nothing more than a minor clerical error, the New York Gaming Commission and its head steward Braulio Baeza, Jr. has fined NYRA Racing Secretary Keith Doleshel $2,000 for “failing to conduct business in a professional manner.” Doleshel has appealed the decision and has the backing of NYRA management. Under Baeza, the Gaming Commission has been quick to fine NYRA employees for what can be argued are nothing more than honest and inadvertent mistakes. Among those who have been sanctioned with fines are clocker Richard Gazer, the former Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Frank Gabriel, Jr. and Assistant Racing Secretary Rob MacLennan. Doleshel personally accepted the entry of the first time starter Sassy Allie (Coal Front) for a maiden special weight race carded for May 2. The entry was made by trainer Robert Falcone, Jr., who provided NYRA with the information concerning the ownership of the horse. The ownership details provided by Falcone matched those in The Jockey Club registry, which is how the racing office reviews the accuracy of ownership details. However, a mistake was made somewhere along the line as the entry did not accurately reflect a recent change in ownership. Following the entry being accepted, the trainer alerted NYRA of the issue. NYRA informed all relevant parties so that the ownership details could be updated and corrected in the program. However, Baeza ordered that the horse had to be scratched. “Mr. Doleshel took an entry from Robert Falcone and the ownership was misstated by the trainer,” said Doleshel's attorney Drew Mollica. “At the end of the day, it was a minor administrative error. Keith did everything according to Hoyle. The trainer gave him the information. He crossed referenced it. There was no impropriety. There was no effort to conceal. It was strictly a bookkeeping error. Those sort of things happen every day and in every walk of life. “Once it was discovered by due diligence, it could have easily been corrected. All it would have taken was a simple announcement that would have corrected the information regarding the ownership. That's the type of thing all of us have heard over the public address system a thousand times. The horse should have been allowed to run and Keith should not have been fined. Instead of solving problems, the Gaming Commission decided to create a problem where there was none. “Not only did they scratch the horse to the detriment of everybody involved, the owner, the trainer, the association, the betting public, now they double down and fine Mr. Doleshel. This rule, not tending to business in a proper manner, is unconstitutionally vague. Everyone has a different opinion of what that means. This is insanity to its highest level.” NYRA Vice President of Communications Pat McKenna confirmed that Doleshel has the full support of track management. “This is but the latest example of the New York State Gaming Commission leveling significant financial penalties to individual NYRA employees for inadvertent, and sometimes unavoidable, clerical errors,” McKenna said. “Keith Doleshel is a valued and talented NYRA employee who always conducts himself professionally. As we explore separate avenues of recourse, NYRA will take every step to support an appeal should Doleshel pursue that option. These kinds of formal sanctions are a departure from standard business practices and have the effect of discouraging self-reporting and decreasing NYRA's ability to recruit and retain top talent.” This is the second time the Gaming Commission has fined Doleshel for “failing to conduct business in a professional manner.” Doleshel was fined on Oct. 20, 2022. That ruling stemmed from an incident at Saratoga in which an unauthorized agent was allowed to claim a horse. After the claim, NYRA officials informed the Gaming Commission of the error. Doleshel agreed to a settlement with the Gaming Commission and the offense was expunged from his record. According to Mollica, fines of more than $250 become part of a racing official's permanent record. “Those fines have to be reported every time a licensee applies for another license,” Mollica said. “That's a scarlet letter. Any time you apply for a license or a job in the racing industry, you have to disclose these. Why would anyone want to work at NYRA under these circumstances where your entire career could be ruined over a clerical error that was nobody's fault?” Baeza, regarded as the most powerful of the three stewards working at the NYRA tracks, has had to deal with controversies of his own. The stewards disqualified Brick Ambush (Laoban) after he crossed the wire second in the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series at Aqueduct last December. Brick Ambush did not appear to do anything in the race to warrant being disqualified and many expressed an opinion that Baeza and the other two stewards disqualified the wrong horse by accident. Asked for comment, Gaming Commission spokesman Brad Maione said, “We have no additional information to provide beyond what's in the ruling.” The post NY Gaming Commission Fines Another NYRA Employee appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After the shell-shock of City Of Troy's performance in Saturday's 2000 Guineas still reverberating, the Derby has a much more open look than it did last week and so the focus on Chester's May Festival will be even keener than usual. Wednesday's G3 Boodles Chester Vase has supplied the Blue Riband hero twice since 2013 and with a record 10 successes it is clear that Aidan O'Brien has come to prioritise the trial for his Epsom hopefuls. Ryan Moore had the pick of a duo this time and has opted for the form choice Grosvenor Square (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), as tailor-made a Derby candidate as can be found anywhere being from the family of Urban Sea and therefore Galileo himself. Dynamic with his all-the-way tour de force when last seen in Leopardstown's G3 Eyrefield S. in October, the half-brother to the G1 Irish Derby winner Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) is joined by the Dylan Browne McMonagle-ridden Agenda (Ire). Another son of Galileo, he earned TDN Rising Star status when taking the same Dundalk maiden in March won by the yard's 2022 Chester Vase scorer Changingoftheguard (Ire). “He looks the clear form choice on his form at two. I didn't ride him in any of his three starts last year, but he followed up a good third in the Beresford when an impressive winner of a group three at Leopardstown on deep ground,” Moore said of Grosvenor Square. “He promises to be well suited to this trip and there is no reason to think he won't be as least as effective on a decent surface. In fact, he will probably improve for it. He's a good prospect, but our other Galileo colt, Agenda, is far from out of this, either.” This select affair could easily shake up the Derby market, with Juddmonte's Cadogan Place (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a full-brother to Quadrilateral (GB), re-opposed by Godolphin's Hidden Law (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a son of the Oaks runner-up Secret Gesture (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) who he beat by a short head on debut at Southwell in March. Hidden Law has since won impressively at Newbury and could bolster Charlie Appleby's already-solid Epsom hand. “He's a nice colt who has just taken a bit of time which is why he started so late, he's a big horse,” Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon said of Cadogan Place. “I suppose we're going to find out what we have and we didn't have the Derby on our minds, simply as in he didn't make it to the track at two. He's a fine, big, well-bred horse and very nice physically. He's taken his time to mature, but he passed his first test and we're stepping up to the next level and if he passes that then there's all the conversations to be had.” Also in the mix is Rachel Hood's imposing Wolverhampton novice winner Pappano (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), who represents the Gosdens successful 12 months ago. “He won well at Wolverhampton first time out this year and has come forward for that run,” Thady Gosden said. “He is stepping up in grade significantly, but he is a horse we have always liked. He is obviously still inexperienced and he's stepping into a solid race where Grosvenor Square sets the standard off 109, but the race looks a good fit for him.” Fillies Take Their Turn In The Cheshire Oaks… Also on the card is the Listed Cheshire Oaks, where the key pointer looks to be the 10-furlong Leopardstown maiden won by the Joseph O'Brien-trained Galileo Dame (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}). She is re-opposed by Ballydoyle's runner-up Rubies Are Red (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the daughter of Red Evie (Ire) (Intikhab) who was in turn in front of the stable's Listed Victor McCalmont Memorial S. runner Flight Of Fancy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). This was the maiden in which Above The Curve (American Pharoah) and Thoughts Of June (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) filled the first two places two years ago only for the form to be turned around here, while 12 months ago Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) also got off the mark in that before delivering her stunning performance in this trial. “She won really nicely at Leopardstown and now steps up slightly in trip which we think she will handle fine,” Joseph O'Brien said of Galileo Dame. “Her two runs so far have been on soft ground, so getting on better ground will be a slight unknown for her. However, we think she is a nice filly who will be able to hold her own in listed company going forward.” Ryan Moore has passed over the ride on Rubies Are Red for the Dundalk maiden winner Port Fairy (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and he rarely gets it wrong, particularly in this which he boasts five successes during the last 10 years. “I have been on board both for their runs this year and Port Fairy showed a good attitude to win at Dundalk, where she probably did it a bit snugly,” he said. “Rubies Are Red is a sister to Found among others and I think she probably finished second to a very good filly in Galileo Dame, who she meets again here. Improvement is needed from both, but of course the potential is there after just the two starts.” One who could yet become a leading British Oaks contender is the impressive Wolverhampton debut winner Forest Fairy (Ire) (Waldgeist {GB}), a certain stayer descended from Gestut Ammerland's ground-breaking Borgia (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}). “It was a good effort first time and I don't think we were expecting it,” trainer Ralph Beckett said. “She has done well for the time she has been given in between. She's a tall, well-balanced filly who has worked well on the grass at home and we're looking forward to it. This is the right place for her and she's been training well in the run up to it.” The post All Eyes On Chester With Epsom Classics Up For Grabs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Average Joe Racing Stables Ltd. and Dan Wells' Mugatu (Blofeld), an also-eligible entrant in the GI Kentucky Derby and most recently fifth in the Apr. 6 GI Toyota Blue Grass S., will make his next start in the May 18 GI Preakness S., trainer Jeff Engler confirmed Tuesday. “He's getting better. He really moved up on the dirt. His numbers proved it. Seize the Grey (Arrogate), who won the [GII] Pat Day Mile, we finished in front of him in the Blue Grass. I heard Seize the Grey is going in the Preakness, so it's a logical spot,” Engler said. “We were a little frustrated we didn't get into the Derby. We feel the more distance the better for this horse. I do like the 1 3/16 miles, so we're going to head up.” A maiden winner over the Tapeta at Gulfstream last November, Mugatu opened 2024 with a pair of third-place efforts going one mile over the synthetic at Turfway over the winter. He was fourth in the Mar. 2 John Battaglia Memorial S. and eighth in the Mar. 23 Rushaway S. before making his third start over the dirt in the Blue Grass. Mugatu is scheduled to breeze five furlongs Saturday before shipping to Pimlico. While Mystik Dan (Goldencents)'s participation in the Preakness is still undecided, the Derby winner is expected to return to the track Wednesday at Churchill Downs. “That's a typical routine for us,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “We'll walk them three days [after a race]. He could have gone back to the track [Monday] if we'd wanted, but he didn't need to.” Asked if he has seen anything that would rule Mystik Dan out of a Preakness engagement, McPeek said, “Not at all. Same thing. We've just got to get through the weekend and take it from there.” Entries for the Preakness will be taken Monday. The post Mugatu Confirmed for Preakness appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A new British Horseracing Authority policy will permit an on-the-day switch between flat turf and all-weather tracks when the original racing surface is deemed unraceable and the fixture would otherwise have to be abandoned.View the full article

Exports by Age shows where registered Thoroughbreds exported from the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico are going by country. The age groups range from weanlings to 11-year-olds and up.View the full article

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced May 7 a lucrative participation bonus program for owner and trainers at the four-day 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article

Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan vaults into first place in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's top 3-year-old poll thanks to his nose victory at Churchill Downs May 4.View the full article

If you're in this business, chances are you're seeking 'Saturday afternoon horses.' In this new series, we will select a stallion from the previous weekend whose runners particularly impressed. We start with the sire of the most coveted prize of all: this year's GI Kentucky Derby winner. Spendthrift Farm has long called Goldencents “Into Mischief's value sire.” As a member of the five-time leading sire's first crop, he was conceived on a $12,500 cover and, while quietly plying his trade with solid runners and numbers that put him at or near the top of all of his respective sire crops, he hadn't come up with a truly big horse. Meanwhile, Into Mischief had flashier sons like Horse of the Year Authentic and triple-digit Beyer sensation Life Is Good retire to the breeding shed and quick-success sire sons like Practical Joke grab the headlines. That all changed Saturday. Mystik Dan captured a thrilling rendition of the Derby, catapulting Goldencents into the rarefied air of sire of a Kentucky Derby winner. If Goldencents was somewhat in the background among an ever-growing smorgasbord of Into Mischief sons at stud, he won't be any more. “I think it just adds that much more to the legacy that Into Mischief is building as a sire, first having sired two Derby winners of his own and now to have a son sire one, it cements his legacy as a sire of sires,” said Ned Toffey, general manager of Spendthrift Farm. “When you talk to the public, no one ever asks you if you won a Breeders' Cup. Everyone always asks if you have a Kentucky Derby winner.” Goldencents was a $62,000 purchase by Dennis O'Neill at the 2012 OBS June Sales of 2-Year-Olds after working a quarter in :21.1. He broke his maiden first time out in September that year over 5 1/2 furlongs on what was then Del Mar's all-weather surface. Trainer Chief Stipe O'Neill–whose assistant Leandro Mora was sometimes listed as conditioner–thought enough of him to ship to Belmont for the GI Champagne S., where he finished second, before shipping again and capturing the GIII Delta Downs Jackpot S. That Delta Downs win would mark Into Mischief's first graded win as a sire. Goldencents would go on to win five more graded races, including back-to-back editions of the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and a stretch out to nine furlongs in the GI Santa Anita Derby. He retired after his second Breeders' Cup victory at the end of 2014 with a record of 18-7-7-0 and earnings of $3,044,000. Goldencents was one of just 41 named foals in Into Mischief's first crop. That number would drop to 26 in his second year, numbers that seem preposterous now with the hindsight of Into Mischief's prowess as a sire. He's had unprecedented success since, has led the North American sire lists for the past five consecutive years, and now stands for $250,000. “It's very special because when we brought Into Mischief and Goldencents to the farm, they were both offered on a program that B. Wayne Hughes developed called 'Share the Upside',” said Toffey. “Both of these horses were offered at a very, very low price. Now Into Mischief stands for $250,000 and he started at $12,500.” The late Spendthrift owner B. Wayne Hughes pioneered the innovative 'Share the Upside' program. In short, breeders who use new stallions selected to participate in the program for two consecutive years receive a free lifetime breeding right. Not every stallion pans out–that's just the nature of the game–but Into Mischief and Goldencents certainly have. Like almost all young sires, Goldencents's fee has fluctuated depending on the season. When Spendthrift acquired his breeding rights, approximately five months before his second Breeders' Cup win in 2014, the farm announced he would start at $15,000. While he's been in demand in the breeding shed and has 27 black-type winners with his seventh crop headed to the races this year, he hadn't had that breakthrough horse a stallion needs to propel him into the next stratosphere. Until now, that is. Mystik Dan wears the roses | Renee Torbit/Coady Media “Mystik Dan was bred on the year that Goldencents was $20,000,” continued Toffey. “It just fits with something we're trying to do, which is to offer breeders value at all levels. I think it really shows the value and quality we offer doesn't necessarily always mean more expensive. That very much fits with our legacy and with what Wayne Hughes tried to do.” Breeders recognized that value, sending Goldencents 179 mares in his initial crop and 204 in the year Mystik Dan was conceived. It paid off, too, as Goldencents came up with runners like Going to Vegas, back-to-back victress of the 2021-22 GI Rodeo Drive S. at 1 1/4 miles on the grass. Then there was By My Standards, winner of the GII Louisiana Derby and three other graded races, who also placed in the GI Met Mile and GI Whitney S. while banking over $2 million. Mr. Money was a MGSW & GISP, Wildman Jack won graded stakes in both the U.S. and Dubai, and the list continues. Goldencents's seven graded winners have been split evenly between dirt and turf (three on each, plus one on both surfaces) and while his overall runners average sprint wins, his graded winners have trended more on the routing side (five of the seven at nine furlongs or greater). “He gets hard-knocking, good, useful racehorses that are like Goldencents himself,” said Toffey. “He was a very good sprinter and miler who also stretched his speed into a win in the Santa Anita Derby. We've certainly seen his offspring have that toughness and that tractability. They're honest horses and they also have good minds.” Goldencents was sent 144 mares in 2023. His fee was listed at $10,000 this year. Without Mystik Dan, who also won the GIII Southwest S. and placed in the GI Arkansas Derby, he would currently still be ranked 20th among all 2024 North American sires by combined North American and European earnings. But he does have Mystik Dan, and that puts him third by that same metric, behind only his own sire and the mighty Gun Runner. The latter finished second in this year's Derby with Sierra Leone, while the former finished sixth with Resilience. “During the Derby,” said Toffey, “my eye was on Resilience, a son of Into Mischief, who was making a move on the outside at the same time Mystik Dan was on the inside. My eye was drawn there. But Mystik Dan–what a gutsy horse! What a ride by [Brian] Hernandez, [Jr.]. You can have a courageous jockey, but you also have to have a courageous horse. Mystik Dan is a gritty racehorse, because there was no hole. They made the hole. He had the tactical speed to put himself in that position. “You have to give the horse credit; he was tactical enough to put himself off the fast pace and take the opportunity. It was a really remarkable race. We're very happy for all of the connections and it's an honor for us to be a small part of it.” It isn't lost on Toffey what ramifications another Kentucky Derby win for one of the Spendthrift sires means. Hughes had bought the historic farm in 2004. No one, except perhaps the visionary Hughes himself, could have foreseen what has been accomplished a mere two decades in. Into Mischief was the first stallion Hughes offered through the 'Share the Upside' program and, along with Giant's Causeway, has become the sport's greatest conduit of the Storm Cat sire line. In addition to all of his other achievements, Into Mischief became the first sire in the 150-year history of the Kentucky Derby to have back-to-back winners with Authentic (2020) and Mandaloun (2021). Now, at 19, he has cemented Goldencents as the latest rung on Spendthrift's ladder of success. “It's a credit to what Wayne Hughes started for three of the last five Derby winners to be by a Spendthrift sire,” said Toffey. “We feel very fortunate.” The post Saturday Sires: Goldencents appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York Trainers Health Insurance Program (NYTHIP) has seen rising participation each year since being signed into law in October 2021. Trainers who compete on the New York Racing Association circuit over the course of a calendar year are eligible to enroll in the program for the following year, provided they meet two criteria: Minimum of 43 starts at NYRA tracks (Aqueduct, Belmont & Saratoga) Minimum of 60% of all starts must be at NYRA tracks Legislation was originally proposed by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and its lobbyists in 2020. In NYTHIP's pilot season, just over 50% of eligible trainers participated in the program. The rate has increased to 64% of those eligible for 2024. “It's gratifying to see the success of this program,” said NYTHA President Tina Marie Bond. “Our goal is to make certain that every eligible trainer considers this option. Some trainers can secure healthcare through Medicare or through a spouse, but this is a benefit we can offer members who support racing here in New York.” The program covers the equivalent of a silver-level healthcare plan. Trainers submit their health expenditure receipts monthly and are reimbursed. Added trainer David Donk, “I'm a husband and father, and health insurance is of utmost importance to me. When you're starting a family or getting to middle age, the savings costs achieved are substantial.” For more information about NYTHA's Benevolence Programs, visit www.nytha.com/at-work/. For details about NYTHIP, contact Abigail Klima at aklima@nytha.com. The post NY Trainers Health Insurance Program Increases appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Haras d'Etreham's first-season sire Hello Youmzain (Fr) (by Kodiac {GB}) was off the mark on Tuesday as his daughter Allee De Bercy (Fr) scored on debut in Chantilly's five-furlong Prix de la Mere Marie. Sent off at 16-1, the Alduino and Giuseppe Botti trainee raced behind the leading pair early for Ioritz Mendizabal before finding her way to the front inside the last 150 metres. Driven out from there, she recorded a short-neck success from Cendre (GB) (Goken {Fr}). The winner is so far the only foal out of a daughter of the listed-placed Gyrella (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) responsible for the G2 Prix Greffulhe winner Baby Rider (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}). This is the family of the Derby hero Wings Of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi {Ire}) and the G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Belle Et Celebre (Fr) (Peintre Celebre). Pour ses premiers pas en compétition, Allée de Bercy (I.Mendizabal / A.Botti) s'adjuge le Prix de la Mère Marie à Chantilly ! Parmi les anciennes lauréates de cette course, nous retrouvons See The Rose, lauréate du Prix Six Perfections (Gr.3) en 2020 et Dizzy Bizu, double… pic.twitter.com/p1VCeiFltz — Equidia (@equidia) May 7, 2024 5th-Chantilly, €50,000, Debutantes, 5-7, 2yo, f, 5fT, 0:59.68, sf. ALLEE DE BERCY (FR) (f, 2, Hello Youmzain {Fr}–Dehia {Ire}, by Mastercraftsman {Ire}) Sales history: €28,000 RNA Ylg '23 ARQOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €25,000. O-Ecurie X; B-Mme G Forien & G Forien (FR); T-Alduino and Giuseppe Botti. Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post First Winner For Hello Youmzain At Chantilly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Coolmore is the new sponsor of the G2 Coolmore St Mark's Basilica German 2000 Guineas, which will be held at Cologne on Monday, May 20, the organisation announced on Tuesday. “German breeders have been great supporters of Coolmore over the years and we have been long-time race sponsors in the country,” said Coolmore's Joe Hernon. “We were more than happy to get involved on this occasion.” Three of the past 10 renewals of the German Classic have featured winners by Coolmore sires, including the late Zoffany (Ire)'s Knife Edge (Ire) for Marco Botti and the Coolmore partners in 2016. “We feel very honored by the commitment and are pleased to have found a top international partner in Coolmore for this year's German 2000 Guineas,” said Philipp Hein, general manager of Cologne Racecourse. “Our thanks go to everyone involved. “ The post Coolmore New Sponsor Of German 2000 Guineas appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan vaults into the top spot of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's top 3-year-old poll following his nose victory at Churchill Downs May 4.View the full article

Topped by a quartet of graded races, Colonial Downs unveiled its 2024 stakes program consisting of 27 races worth $5.7 million for the 27-day season which runs from July 11 through Sept. 7.View the full article

A new British Horseracing Authority (BHA) policy will permit an on-the-day switch between flat turf and all-weather tracks where the original racing surface is deemed unraceable and the fixture would otherwise need to be abandoned.View the full article

In its second year as an official partner of the Kentucky Derby, FanDuel experienced increases in key metrics across the board on the first Saturday in May. Highlights include: Double digit year-over-year growth for active account holders, a record for the Kentucky Derby and the biggest day of racing ever for FanDuel Group. Peak bets on Saturday were at Super Bowl levels and the wagering platform performed without interruption. More than 700k customers bet the Kentucky Derby with FanDuel Group (last year was ~500k). Estimated over 200k customers bet on racing for the first time via FanDuel Sportsbook. Kentucky FanDuel Sportsbook customers over-indexed other states with very high rates of play Derby Day was FanDuel TV+'s biggest day in actives in its history, beating last year's actives by 37% The post Increased Kentucky Derby Wagering Via FanDuel Sportsbook appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Gowran Park Breeze-Up Sale is set to make its return in 2025 with powerhouse consignors Willie Browne, Con Marnane and Roger O'Callaghan pledging to support what was formerly known as the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale. The Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale was relocated to Fairyhouse and run by Tattersalls Ireland back in 2019. However, this year marks the first time that Tattersalls Ireland will run the sale away from the banner of Goresbridge. After a four-year hiatus, Goresbridge Horse Sales returned to the point-to-point and horses-in-training market last month under the leadership of Ed Donohoe, who says the decision to re-enter the breeze-up market for the first time since 2018 follows extensive discussions with handlers. Donohoe explained, “We've had a lot of positive feedback from vendors about this and, following on from the hugely successful point-to-point sale staged here last month, we felt there was a space to re-enter the breeze-up market.” He added, “From speaking with vendors, they struggled to get a lot of horses into the breeze-up sales this year. Not only that, but we all know that costs have gone up substantially in recent years. “Wouldn't it be great for vendors to have a viable outlet here in Ireland rather than having to travel to England with their middle market horses? We'll be limiting our sale from 100 to 120 lots and we are confident that there's an appetite for the sale. We're really looking forward to it.” Falling clearance rates has been one of the main talking points from the breeze-up sales that have already taken place in Britain this year. Donohoe says that he hopes Goresbridge can attract a broader cohort of buyers who don't have to deal with the red tape that comes with Brexit when exporting a horse from Britain. BBA Ireland's Mick Donohoe is better versed on the market than most, and while he admits a certain bias, says that he is convinced that the breeze-up sale at Gowran Park could thrive once again. He explained, “There is definitely a market for another breeze-up sale in Ireland and, speaking as an agent, a lot of good horses have come out of the Gowran Breeze-Up Sale. A lot of my clients like to buy in Ireland and, the beauty about this sale going back down through the years was that there was something for everybody with every kind of a budget. Ninety per cent of the breeze-up horses in a given year are produced in Ireland so it makes sense to hold another breeze-up sale here and to go closer to the source.” He added, “I bought a number of horses from the middle market at the breeze-up sales this year. Three of those were for Irish clients. By the time they got them back home and paid the VAT and then the transport, it added quite a lot onto the hammer price. The same can be said for the consignors. We all know that the vendors are feeling the costs involved now more so than ever before so staging another breeze-up sale in Ireland is a no-brainer for everybody concerned.” Marnane agrees that there is space for another breeze-up sale in Ireland but admitted that he would have preferred Donohoe and his team to be bold by going earlier in the calendar than the middle of May next year. The Bansha House boss explained, “Goresbridge is a very special place and I will be delighted to see business returning there next year. They have been very good to us down through the years. The one thing I would say is that, in an ideal world, the dates would be earlier. There's definitely a market for an earlier breeze-up sale in Ireland.” He added, “But there's no question that some of the breeze-up sales in England have been hurting in recent weeks because of Brexit. You'd be hoping that Goresbridge could attract plenty of buyers at the middle market and that the sale can be a success.” The news that Goresbridge Horse Sales is set to re-enter the breeze-up market comes just a few weeks after Goffs announced that it would be staging a new breeze-up sale at Naas racecourse in 2025 that would also be limited to just over 100 horses. Browne, renowned as the breeze-up king, describes Goresbridge as “a charming location” but concedes that there is only a finite number of horses that can be sold at the breeze-ups every year. He said, “It was a special sale because it took place at the end of the year when the heavy pressure was off. Everybody loved going there because it is a charming location. We miss that sale and will be happy to see it returning.” Asked if he felt Brexit was the driving force behind the shakiness to the middle market in Britain in recent weeks and whether he expected to see stronger trade at Arqana and Tattersalls Ireland in the coming weeks, Browne replied, “That might be a factor but that question probably can't be answered properly until the breeze-up at Tattersalls Ireland is over. We have been missing the volumes of Italians and Scandinavians at the breeze-up sales in Britain in the past few weeks. It will be interesting to see if Brexit affects where people from those countries buy their horses. That won't be proven until Tattersalls Ireland. Wouldn't it be great for everyone in Ireland if that was the case? We'll definitely support Goresbridge next year. There was always something lovely about the place-a bit of a holiday atmosphere. It was a great sale, for sure, and we all benefited from it with some good prices there down through the years.” Like Marnane and Browne, O'Callaghan has sold many high-class horses from his family-run Tally-Ho Stud at the sales house, and expects to be represented back at the County Kilkenny venue next year. He said, “We've nothing but great memories of the breeze-up sale at Goresbridge and, truth be told, never wanted it to go in the first place. It was an amazing place and we've sold a lot of very good horses down through the years there. We'll be supporting it next year and hope to continue selling good horses there.” The post ‘A Very Special Place’ – Gowran Park Breeze-Up Sale To Return In 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The first edition of the inaugural Timeform Jumps Awards will be held on Monday, May 20, the racehorse ratings organisation announced on Tuesday. Celebrating the leading performers of the 2023/2024 National Hunt season, the awards will be announced digitally across Timeform's social media channels. The eight award categories are as follows: Race of the Season, Biggest Improver, Top Mare, Top Novice Hurdler, Top Novice Chaser, Top Hurdler, Top Chaser, Horse of the Season. The Top Mare, Top Chaser, Top Hurdler, Top Novice Chaser and Top Novice Hurdler categories will be decided according to their Timeform end-of-season ratings, while the Biggest Improver award will be given to the horse whose Timeform rating increased most over the course of the season. The Race Of The Season award will be determined using an average of the Timeform ratings of the first three finishers. Finally, the Horse of the Season award will be determined by a Timeform panel from the following shortlist: Fastorslow (Fr) (Saint Des Saints {Fr}), Galopin Des Champs (Fr) (Timos {Ger}), I Am Maximus (Fr) (Authorized {Ire}), Jonbon (Fr) (Walk In The Park {Ire}), State Man (Fr) (Doctor Dino {Fr}), and Teahupoo (Fr) (Masked Marvel {GB}). The post First Edition Of The Timeform Jumps Awards Announced appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Before anything else, first and foremost we need to acknowledge the unfathomable legacy of Darling My Darling (Deputy Minister) as second dam of both colts denied in an agonizing three-way finish to the GI Kentucky Derby. The odds of that coincidence, for all her elite blood and performance, are best be left to an actuary. In the meantime, however, we should salvage the contrasting narratives aptly condensed, in what remains the definitive test of the American Thoroughbred, by her two grandsons. For our collective obsession with first place is such that two fairly momentous scenarios were stifled by their historically narrow failure to retrieve the advantage stolen along the rail by Brian Hernandez. On the one hand, by their patient cultivation of ostensibly uncommercial genetic assets, the Japanese have reached a point where the fairly random candidature of sophomores diverted from their own domestic Classics can produce Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), arguably the moral winner in view of his buffeting; and the raw T.O. Password (Jpn) (Copano Rickey {Jpn}), who came from nowhere (almost literally, in the race itself, as well as figuratively beforehand) for fifth on only his third start. On the other hand, the runner-up came within an ace of the ultimate vindication for the second-highest price paid for an American yearling in 2022, suggesting that the domestic market must still be functioning quite effectively. Giving $2.3 million for Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) left his purchasers a very narrow path to a dividend on their investment. While it proved a vexing day for those partners whose European champion juvenile had earlier bombed out in his own Classic test at Newmarket, in Sierra Leone they successfully identified one of the very few future stallions in his crop to have been offered at auction as yearlings. The colt who thwarted Sierra Leone, of course, was yet another to extend the long list of homebreds whose collective success, on both sides of the Atlantic, has in recent years implied a very different message about the yearling market. But we can't make any sweeping judgements about that (as though we ever should, with horses…) in view of the fact that Mystik Dan's breeders in 2020 chose one of the busiest commercial stallions around for his dam Ma'am. She was one of 204 partners for Goldencents that spring, when his fee had been doubled to $25,000 on the back of his second-crop sires' title the previous year. (For more on Goldencents, read Jill Williams's Saturday Sires.) Obviously it was a dashing rails move that just enabled Mystik Dan to last out on Saturday, and conceivably he might yet end up trying to emulate his sire, Into Mischief, back in trip for the GI Dirt Mile at the Breeders' Cup. But Ma'am did offer Goldencents one or two stretchy flavors: she's by a son of Tiznow (moreover one out of a Turkoman mare) out of a sister to GI Hollywood Futurity winner Siphonic, their sire Siphon (Brz) being a sturdy repository of South American stamina and grit. Ma'am | Coady Bred by the late Lucy Bassett, wife of Keeneland legend Ted, Ma'am was sold privately after failing to meet her yearling reserve ($9,500 at the September Sale) and dropped to claiming level for three of her four career wins. Nor is there much other distinction behind her until you get to where Rokeby Farms tried to tap into the Indiana-bred matriarch Hillbrook as seventh dam. Luckily for Mystik Dan's breeders, Ma'am never slipped from their grasp under a tag, and they were well counselled by McPeek, whose team even foaled the Derby winner on Magdalena Farm. But one way or another this astounding first foal is yet another blue-collar package in a race that makes a habit (think runner-up Two Phil's in 2023, and of course Rich Strike the year before) of maintaining the equilibrium so crucial to our business. Because we need a horse like Sierra Leone (and indeed elite producers like Darling My Darling) to work out often enough to keep the biggest players in the game; but we also need the Mystik Dans to ensure that the rest of us have a chance, as well. McPeek Finds Bargain from Noble Line Kenny McPeek's historic Classic double last weekend came almost three decades after saddling Derby runner-up Tejano Run. He cost $20,000 as a yearling, and ever since McPeek has continued similar alchemy with horses rejected by the market. Nowadays, of course, you don't see too many trainers at the sales at all, never mind trainers whose signature on a docket will send the professional agents immediately back to their notes, scratching their heads over just what it was they might have missed. Thorpedo Anna | Coady Media Actually McPeek was operating as an agent himself-he was taking a break from training to take care of his mother-when finding dual Horse of the Year Curlin for just $57,000, lurking as Hip 2261 at the September Sale. One way or another, then, Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) was all in a day's work when he gave $40,000 for her at the Fasig-Tipton Fall Yearling Sale in 2022. The sire had died the previous year, which often (instructively of the skewed mindset of many who shape the market) proves equally fatal to the commercial prospects of the stock they leave behind. Moreover, the filly bought by McPeek, one of 46 live foals in Fast Anna's final crop, was out of an Uncle Mo mare gifted as a premature foal to Judy Hicks by breeder Sanford Robertson. Hicks remembers her as “45 inches tall and 60 pounds,” but retained a stake in her Fast Anna baby-she'd kept the only previous foal, a Tourist filly, a $5,000 RNA before winning a Belmont maiden on debut-and so, too, did McPeek. That's something he often does, to have skin in the game, and all concerned should get their due reward from the GI Kentucky Oaks winner as a breeding prospect, regardless of Fast Anna's fleeting opportunity and influence. For Thorpedo Anna extends one of the very best families in the book, tracing to none other than Almahmoud as eighth dam. That's via Almahmoud's great daughter Cosmah and her Ribot filly Queen Sucree, who produced Derby winner Cannonade (Bold Bidder). The latter's half-sister by Northern Dancer, Stellar Odyssey, is fifth dam of Thorpedo Anna as well as third dam of GI Wood Memorial winner Eskendereya (Giant's Causeway) and G1 Middle Park S. winner Balmont (Stravinsky). Dreaming of Anna | Horsephotos Don't forget that Fast Anna himself had aristocratic genes as a son of champion Dreaming of Anna, a multiple graded stakes scorer on turf who also won the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Dreaming of Anna's aptitude for grass was unsurprising, as a daughter of Rahy out of a half-sister to Kitten's Joy. Throw in the versatility imparted by Medaglia d'Oro, in terms both of discipline and surface, and Fast Anna was able to sprint on both grass and dirt (beaten a neck in the GI King's Bishop S.). To me, Almahmoud is THE cornerstone of the modern Thoroughbred and it's wonderful to find Cosmah directly in a Classic female line. In noting Japan's role in the Derby above, we might have reiterated the impact of Cosmah's son Halo through Sunday Silence, responsible for the respective grandsires of both Forever Young and T.O. Password, in Deep Impact and Gold Allure. Messier Refreshing Sam-Son Legacy When Messier lined up for the GIII Westchester S. last Friday, it was beginning to feel as though he was living up to the name of his dam, Checkered Past. Having won the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. by 15 lengths in 2022, he had to switch barns to overcome his trainer's prohibition from Churchill but disappointed in the GI Kentucky Derby and this time last year seemed to have lost the thread sufficiently to be offered at Keeneland's HRA Sale in April. But he stalled at $475,000 and his powerful ownership group have instead made two further trainer switches, latterly to Rick Dutrow Jr. Messier | Susie Raisher The man who achieved such a remarkable rejuvenation in White Abarrio (Race Day) appeared to have begun that process with Messier in an Aqueduct stakes in March, only to see him relegated for interference. In the Westchester, however, Messier held off thriving GII Carter H. winner Post Time (Frosted) and, having posted some big numbers in the process, he may now join White Abarrio in the GI Met Mile. Messier represents a fifth generation of breeding by Sam-Son, the iconic Canadian farm that accumulated 84 Sovereign Awards, 14 Grade I winners and four Eclipse Awards under Ernie Samuel and his heirs. Its disbandment, poignant as it was, allowed other breeders to tap into a special legacy. A case in point was Silesia Farm, whose advisers Hunter Simms and Kitty Day of Warrendale were drawn to Checkered Past at the 2021 Keeneland January Sale, not least because her son from the penultimate crop of Empire Maker had been sold for $470,000 in the same ring the previous September. Their clients covered a $290,000 play in one hit when selling the Candy Ride (Arg) filly Checkered Past was carrying that day as a Saratoga yearling for $500,000. The Candy Ride filly has yet to break her maiden in five attempts but is another whose connections will be enthused by Messier's revival. Even as it is, Checkered Past is out of an unraced sister to Catch the Thrill, a top 2-year-old filly in Canada and herself daughter of a domestic champion in Catch the Ring. The next dam Radiant Ring was 2003 Canadian Broodmare of the Year, responsible overall for eight stakes performers and/or producers. And she, to continue a theme, was by none other than Halo. Gun Firing on Both Barrels He just missed out on the big one, but it was still another monster Saturday for Gun Runner. By this stage we're all running out of things to say about the Three Chimneys top gun, but it's kind of fun that his latest Grade I double, courtesy of Vahva and Gun Pilot, conforms to the profile most of us had in mind when he started out. For here are a pair of 4-year-olds, duly reaching fresh peaks with maturity. Gun Pilot | Coady Media And we have to remind ourselves that these guys are from only his second crop. If it's still Into Mischief who sets standards, among the many different indices where he again leads the field this year is by sheer volume: the perennial champion has already fielded over 300 starters in 2024, nearly double Gun Runner's 161. From these, both have three Grade I scorers already. His own fee having obviously gone through the roof, Gun Runner has seen his debut crop generate frantic competition for the status of value alternative, with Cyberknife, Gunite, Taiba and Pappacap now again having to deal with Early Voting after his early hitch. The homebred Gun Pilot will be a particular joy to the Three Chimneys team, his unraced dam Bush Pilot having been picked out as an eligible partner at $425,000 from the Keeneland November Sale of 2018. It was some weekend for the late damsire, incidentally, daughters of Smart Strike also producing Seize the Gray to win the GII Pat Day Mile on the same card, besides Messier in New York the previous day as noted above. There may have been contrasting sentiments for the breeders of Vahva, her stakes-winning dam Holiday Soiree having been cashed out for $160,000 at the Keeneland November Sale in 2021, a couple of months after they had sold Vahva as a yearling in the same ring for $280,000. The mare's then purchasers were presumably happy to sell her on for $300,000 back at the equivalent sale last November, after getting $400,000 for her City of Light filly in September. But kudos to Wimberley Bloodstock for keeping the faith with a mare rising 15, carrying another City of Light foal. Holiday Soiree was herself placed in the GI Distaff back in 2013-and now her daughter has won the same race. The post Breeding Digest: Different Shades to Derby Photo appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

City Of Troy (Justify) and Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) head the betting for the G1 Derby after the latest entries were released on Tuesday. Of the 69 set to run in late April, just 41 remain after the latest scratching deadline for the Classic, which will be run at Epsom on Saturday, June 1. A baker's dozen haven been entered by Aidan O'Brien for the Coolmore partners, anchored by City Of Troy, despite his puzzling ninth-place finish in last Saturday's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas. Last season's G1 Dewhurst S. winner is joined by G1 National S. hero Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Group 2 winner Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and G3 Eyrefield S. scorer Grosvenor Square (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) among others. Godolphin is represented by three colts from the Charlie Appleby yard, with dual Group 3 winner Arabian Crown the headliner. The rest of the trio are Hidden Law (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and G1 Futurity Trophy S. victor Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}). Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing also fields three, late supplement Dallas Star (Fr) (Cloth Of Stars {Ire}) who won the G3 Ballysax S. for Adrian Murray, Mr Hampstead (Galileo {Ire}) for Roger Varian, and Padesha (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) for Dominic Ffrench Davis. Sheikh Mohamed Obaid, who celebrated a trio of stakes winners on the weekend has four entered, among them Matsuri (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), trained by Roger Varian. The other three–Arabic Legend (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), listed winner Caviar Heights (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Golden West (GB) (Masar {Ire}) are trained by Karl Burke, who is also enjoying a good season with his runners. Coronation Cup Taking Shape Held on the eve of the Derby, the G1 Coronation Cup features a who's who of older horses from all corners of Europe. Ballydoyle heavy hitters number eight of the 20 entries after the latest scratching deadline. Last year's dual Derby winner and GI Breeders' Cup Turf scorer Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) looms large here, as do classy older horses Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}), and Tower Of London (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while last year's G1 St Leger victor Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) is also signed on. Three Amo Racing luminaries have their marching orders, with King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) the main danger to the Coolmore partners' brigade. The hulking grey, second to Auguste Rodin in the Derby, took the G2 King Edward VII S., as well as the G1 Champion S. last term and will be making his 4-year-old bow. John and Thady Gosden saddle both last year's G1 Coronation Cup heroine Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and multiple group winner Free Wind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Their Majesties The King and Queen are represented by the lightly raced Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) from the William Haggas stable. The 2022 National S. winner Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) will line up for Joseph O'Brien. Clash Of Generations Looms In Coral-Eclipse Whilst the Derby features the pick of the Classic crop and the Coronation Cup is restricted to older horses, the £750,000 G1 Coral-Eclipse S. at Sandown is another prestigious contest to look forward to as the first big clash of the generations in the middle-distance division. The 2024 edition of the Eclipse, due to be run on Saturday, July 6, has attracted 55 horses at the first entry stage. They include leading Derby contenders such as City Of Troy and Arabian Crown, while the cast of older horses is headed by the first two from last year's blue riband, Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel, plus Emily Upjohn, who filled the runner-up spot in the Eclipse after winning the Coronation Cup in 2023. Others with the potential to make an impact if lining up at Sandown include Emily Upjohn's stablemate Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), last seen gaining her sixth top-level victory in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita in November, as well as Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}) and Ghostwriter (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who finished third and fourth, respectively, in the G1 2,000 Guineas won by Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) at Newmarket on Saturday. Coral's David Stevens said of the entries, “In what will be the 49th year of our sponsorship of this historic race, the initial list of entries for this year's Coral-Eclipse is as star-studded as we can recall, with proven Group 1 winners of both sexes sitting alongside potential stars like the current Derby favourite, Arabian Crown. “King Of Steel is our early favourite following his Champion Stakes win over this distance last season, with Emily Upjohn next in the betting as she looks to go one place better than last year.” Big Evs Stars In Temple Entries The current entries for the G2 Temple S. at Haydock Park were also released on Tuesday. Set for May 25, the five-furlong sprint has attracted 22 horses in this prep for Royal Ascot. Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), who stamped his authority on the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint will return for Mick Appleby, while G3 Palace House S. one-two Seven Questions (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Vadream (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) also step forward. Recent listed victor Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) for Jessica Harrington is one of two Irish entries alongside the Coolmore partners' Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never). From Australia, the smart multiple Group 2 winner Asfoora (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) will make her first foray versus Northern Hemisphere sprinters for Henry Dwyer. The post City Of Troy And Arabian Crown Anchor Derby Entries At Latest Scratching Stage appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

New Jersey owner and breeder John Bowers Jr. of Roseland Farm Stable has been named the 2024 recipient of the Virgil “Buddy” Raines Distinguished Achievement Award, Monmouth Park announced Tuesday. The Raines Award, in its 29th year, honors men and women who have demonstrated a continuing commitment to the sport of Thoroughbred racing as an owner, trainer or administrator, and whose conduct has been exemplary for professionalism, integrity and service to the sport. Bowers has twice been honored by the state's Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association as the Breeder of the Year in New Jersey (2020 and 2021). He bred and owned He'spuregold, the state's champion older male in 2022, as well as New Jersey-bred performers Pickin' Time, Royal Urn and Thistyranthasclass. Pickin' Time won the GIII Nashua S. in 2020; Royal Urn was the state's champion male sprinter and older horse in 2021 and Thistyranthasclass was a multiple stakes winner. Bowers also bred Grade III winner Smart N Classy, who has a stakes race named for her at Monmouth Park. Stay Smart, a daughter of Smart N Classy who was bred and owned by Bowers and his long-time advisor Ed Rosen, won the race in 2020. “John Bowers, Jr. has been synonymous with New Jersey-breds for over 40 years,” said Michael Campbell, executive director of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey. “His breeding operation has produced horses that can compete in the biggest races, and I am proud they are New Jersey-breds. He is a worthy recipient of the Buddy Raines Award, considering his impact on the New Jersey breeding and racing programs.” Bowers and his wife Joan established Roseland Farm Stable in nearby Colts Neck in 1974. Monmouth Park's 79th season of racing gets underway on Saturday, May 11. The post New Jersey Owner/Breeder John Bowers Jr. Named ’24 Virgil ‘Buddy’ Raines Award Recipient appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced a new policy on Tuesday which will permit an on-the-day switch between Flat turf and all-weather tracks where the original racing surface is deemed unraceable and the fixture would otherwise need to be abandoned. The policy will apply where a change of surface may be possible on the day of the fixture due to a deterioration in the ground conditions, when horses, participants and paying customers will have already arrived at or be travelling to the racecourse. It will only be relevant for racecourses that have both an all-weather and Flat turf surface–at present only Lingfield Park. Where a surface switch has been approved, trainers will have the opportunity to withdraw their horses without incurring a penalty. Any horses that remain in the race will run as advertised in the racecard, with race weight and conditions remaining as originally published. Tom Byrne, BHA head of racing and betting, said, “Following the abandonment of a Lingfield turf fixture in 2022, questions were raised by connections as to whether there could be a process in place to allow the affected races to simply transfer to the all-weather course for those still willing to race, especially with participants and racegoers having already travelled to the course. “By introducing this new policy, we hope that if we are faced with a similar situation again, a switch of race surface on the day of the race would be permitted, allowing the fixture to continue, rather than being abandoned. “We expect that any such instance will be very rare, with an on-the-day switch only be permitted in the most exceptional circumstances. However, if the need does arise, then we give ourselves the chance to try and fairly deliver races for participants who want to run, as well as offering racing for customers both on and off-course.” The full policy is available to view here. The post New BHA Policy To Allow Surface Switch On Raceday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A participation bonus program for owner and trainers at the four-day 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga, which runs from June 6 through June 9, was announced by The New York Racing Association, Inc. Tuesday. Highlighted by the June 8 GI Belmont S June 8, the four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 24 stakes races with purses totaling $10.25 million, the highest purse levels and number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Festival in 2014. Owners will be eligible for a starter bonus for horses finishing fourth through last at the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga with $1,500 awarded for stakes starters and $1,000 awarded to owners of starters in overnight races. Trainers whose horses start in stakes races at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will receive a $750 bonus, while a $500 bonus will be awarded to trainers for starters in all overnight races. “The bonus program along with a lucrative purse schedule should incentivize participation in what is sure to be a unique and special edition of the Festival,” said Andrew Offerman, NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing and Operations. Eligible horses must be declared an official starter and must not be placed on the poor performance list or veterinarian list. Trainers must comply with all NYRA and regulatory race and safety rules. NYRA reserves the right to determine eligibility for qualified starters. Steeplechase participants are not eligible. The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will offer open maiden special weights for a purse of $100,000 and New York-bred maiden special weights competing for a purse of $85,000. Additionally, the open non-winners of two category will offer an increased purse of $115,000, while the non-winners of one category [$110,000] and New York-bred non-winners of one category [$90,000] are also boosted at the Festival. For the condition book and complete purse schedule, please visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/horsemen/. The post Owner, Trainer Bonus Program Set for Belmont Stakes Festival appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Headed by a quartet of graded races, Colonial Downs unveiled its 2024 stakes program consisting of 27 races worth $5.7 million for the 27-day season which runs from Thursday, July 11 through Saturday, Sept. 7. The Colonial Downs Festival of Racing, slated for Saturday, Aug. 10 is highlighted by the GI Arlington Million, the GII Beverly D. S. and the GII Secretariat S. The Beverly D. returns as a 'Breeders' Cup Challenge Win and You're In' race for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf to be held at Del Mar Nov. 2. For the complete stakes schedule, click here. The 2024 Festival Day will also four additional stakes races-the one-mile Petramalo Mile for 3-year-olds and its sister race, the seven-furlong Penny Chenery S.; the 5 1/2-panel Van Clief S. for 3yo/up on the turf and its distaff equivalent, the Andy Guest S. Opening weekend includes three new turf stakes–$125,000 Million Prep at 1 1/8 miles; $125,000 Beverly D. prep over 1 1/16 miles; and $125,000 Boston S. at one mile, which will serve as a prep for the Secretariat. The $500,000 GIII New Kent County Virginia Derby will be held on closing day, Sept. 7. The 1-1/8 miles grass race headlines a $1.3 million card, including the $250,000 Virginia Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1-1/16 miles; the $150,000 Da Hoss S. for older horses at 5 1/2 furlongs; the $150,000 Colonial Cup a 1 1/2-mile test for 3yo/up; the $125,000 Rosie's S. for 2-year-olds going 5 1/2 furlongs and the $125,000 Kitten's Joy S. for 2-year-olds over a two-turn 1-1/16 miles on turf. A pair of 2-year-old races for Virginia-restricted runners–the $150,000 Hickory Tree S. and the $150,000 Keswick S.–head the Saturday, Aug. 3 program. Both races have been lengthened to 5 1/2 furlongs on the dirt. Condition books and stall applications are available online at www.colonialdowns.com. Stall applications are due Tuesday, May 21. The post Colonial Releases 2024 Stakes Schedule appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article