Wandering Eyes

Following protracted litigation, the racing stable of trainer @SteveAsmussen1 was held liable March 4 by a federal district court in Kentucky for wage and hour law violations totaling more than $486,000 in actual and liquidated damages.View the full article

The racing year is only just doing up its laces, but already Into Mischief is on the march. Last week we examined the GI Kentucky Derby candidature of his son Timberlake and now, with a little help from the evergreen Dettori, he has a 19th Grade I scorer in Newgate. I must admit that my heart went out to connections of Subsanador (Arg) (Fortify), who led every step bar the last, and would have been John Sadler's fourth winner of the storied Santa Anita Handicap-still dearly cherished by some of us, outflanked as it has been-in seven years. While the modern booty plundered in the desert by a son of the venerable Mineshaft is temporarily distorting his latest title defense, the opening skirmishes of 2024 have already seen Into Mischief overtake Medaglia d'Oro in the all-time earnings table. He now stands cents shy of $170 million with only Giant's Causeway ($178 million) dividing him from Tapit ($204.5 million). The latter obviously has much unfinished business-and we fervently hope that he can still come up with the Derby winner he so deserves-but the industrial model at Spendthrift means that Into Mischief is about to overtake Tapit's aggregate of lifetime starters, from four fewer crops. And, as often remarked, he's only lately started to bring his elite mares into play. Newgate himself was conceived at $150,000, but made that investment pay for Town and Country Farms-besides the $360,000 they gave for his graded stakes-placed dam Majestic Presence (Majestic Warrior) at the 2017 November Sale, already amply defrayed by the Runhappy foal she was carrying there and a couple of others-by realizing $850,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. The same farm gave us Adare Manor (Uncle Mo), who similarly made her Grade I breakthrough in her third campaign for Baffert, so they can take credit for raising horses that persevere. (Majestic Presence, incidentally, was returned to Into Mischief to produce the $500,000 yearling Denim and Pearls, who won her first two and has now run second in consecutive stakes.) Life is hard enough for rival sires without Into Mischief again enlisting Dettori to clinch another narrow verdict in the GII San Felipe S. through Imagination. This colt is yet another tribute to Peter Blum's patient curation of a dynasty tracing to his foundation mare, Mono (Better Self), identified as a priceless conduit of King Ranch blood way back in 1975. Mono was out of a sister to 1946 Triple Crown winner Assault, from the family of Man o' War himself. But she was actually being sold from the estate of the King Ranch farm manager, and had duly been confined to less expensive covers. The young Blum noticed that she had nevertheless produced good runners, and vowed that he would not leave the Keeneland January Sale without her. He'll never know where he might have stopped, but was able to do so at $17,500. Blum, of course, has in recent years bred a Horse of the Year. But Authentic came from a rather younger line in his program, and possibly he's deriving no less satisfaction from the emergence of Imagination at a time when GI Preakness winner National Treasure (Quality Road) is also consolidating his own reputation. For both trace to Mono's daughter Mine Only. Blum's first choice of mate for Mono had been an unproven Florida sire named Mr. Prospector. When the resulting colt won on debut at Del Mar, he resolved to send her back to the stallion at his new base at Claiborne. Their second tryst produced Mine Only, who won no more than a maiden but set a pattern for this family by proving a much better producer. Her three graded stakes scorers (all on turf) included Good Mood (Devil's Bag), who won the GIII Miss Grillo S. and is third dam of Imagination. National Treasure | Adam Coglianese Before that Mine Only had already produced a daughter by Secretariat, Chosen Lady, who failed to win but produced not only GI Ashland winner Well Chosen (Deputy Minister) but also the third dam of National Treasure. So while Blum always emphasizes the help he gets from the likes of Doug Cauthen and Bridie Harrison, he must accept the compliment implied to his own patient stewardship by the elite investors who target his program at the sales. National Treasure made $500,000 at Saratoga, and Imagination $1.05 million at Keeneland September. The latter sum partly reflected the Grade II sprint success of his dam Magical Feeling (Empire Maker), who has always been given nothing but the best: she had four foals by Tapit before more recently being sent to Into Mischief and producing first Occult, sold as a yearling for $625,000 before winning the GIII Monmouth Oaks last year; and now Imagination. Yes, Nysos (Nyquist) was the specter at this particular feast. But even the supporting roles on this circuit demand real caliber, and it might not require that much more Imagination to aspire to the mature deeds of National Treasure or Newgate this time next year. Mage Page Paying Many a Wage Let's not get too glum about these sophomores. After all, most enter their single year of Classic eligibility as little more than gawky adolescents. In fact, however diffident a crop they may seem for now, recent history suggests that there's probably a Horse of the Year lurking among them somewhere. At this stage of his career, Cody's Wish remained unraced and he would only break his maiden, at the fourth attempt, in October. Flightline was also weeks short of his debut. Knicks Go had admittedly established his caliber at two, but at this point was bombing out in the GIII Sam F. Davis and then the GIII Gotham. All three, of course, would only achieve their peak with age. But this time last year even the horse that went on to win the GI Kentucky Derby had just been beaten seven lengths in the GII Fountain of Youth S. Puca selling at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale The success of his full-brother Dornoch (Good Magic) in the same race last weekend has elicited some faint praise, thanks to the decimation of the field, but the fact remains that he's far more seasoned than was Mage at this stage. True, the latter was duly on a steeper curve of improvement, but whatever happens John Stewart can be gratified that his $2.9 million investment in their dam Puca (Big Brown) at Keeneland last November has stood up to both its first big tests, in the GII Remsen S. and now here. Just like Mage, Dornoch is advertising the expert grounding he received at storied Runnymede Farm, which raised and then consigned both colts on behalf of breeders Grandview Equine. Mage proved a fairly marginal pinhook ($235,000 to $290,000) when resold at two, but events in the meantime make the extra investment on Dornoch at the Keeneland September Sale ($325,000 from Oracle Bloodstock) look pretty inspired. Those supporting Mage in his first year at stud, meanwhile, must be feeling similarly comforted by the way his page is evolving. Remember that Puca is a half-sister to a Grade I winner on turf, Finnegan's Weake (Powerscourt {GB}); was herself runner-up in the GII Gazelle S.; while her only previous foal-the Gun Runner filly she was carrying when acquired by Grandview for $475,000 at Fasig-Tipton in November 2018-was herself twice stakes-placed. Not least granted the parallel strides since made by her rookie sire, what a stroke of luck for Grandview that she failed to meet her reserve as a yearling! By the time Puca sent her son by McKinzie into the Keeneland ring last September, her genetic wares were sufficiently known for Mayberry Farms to have to go to $1.2 million. Yet only that January, Puca's own dam Boat's Ghost (Silver Ghost) had been discarded in the same ring, in foal to Raging Bull (Fr), for just $17,000. That indignity, at the age of 19, was redressed by finding herself on a peerless farm of its type, Nursery Place, where she safely delivered a filly, apparently a good specimen too; and was then given a typically astute covering in Hard Spun. Lonesome Days Long Forgotten for Pounce Another interesting mare in Hard Spun's book last year was Bouncy (Twirling Candy), whose daughter Pounce (Lookin At Lucky) won the GIII Herecomesthebride S. at Gulfstream last weekend. In fact, if you ever needed a cross-section of our community to offer its most considered judgement, you could do worse than simply consult those breeders using Hard Spun. In an environment so childishly prey to fashion, those sticking with the Darley stalwart instead prize proven value in the last commercially accessible son of his breed-shaping sire. Those who sent him Bouncy have four resonant surnames: Pounce's breeders are registered as Bell, Rankin, VanMeter and Hancock. From these familiar clans, it turns out we are dealing respectively with Gatewood, Hunter, Ike and, “the rose among thorns,” Lynn. One or two of them have evidently followed Bouncy from the outset, though along the way she also appears to have caught the attention of a couple of Texas rangers. Bred and raised by the Hancock family's Stone Farm, she was pinhooked as a $85,000 yearling by Bell's Cromwell Bloodstock Agency; made $170,000 from “Augustus McRae” at OBS the following April; showed plenty of ability in both her starts in the silks of Augustin Stables, winning on debut at Keeneland before a close second to a stakes winner at Belmont; and was then picked up by “Joshua Deets” for just $37,000 in the Covid market of the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. At that point Bouncy was pregnant to a maiden cover by Lookin At Lucky, an excellent choice to prove a mare despite his appalling treatment by the commercial market. That came at an initial cost, in that Pounce was a $20,000 RNA at the Keeneland September Sale-but in the long run it has paid off handsomely. For she had caught Mark Casse's eye in the back ring. “When she didn't sell, we approached Mark to work out a deal so we could make sure she got into good hands,” Hancock explains. “And we are fortunate that she did! He trained her up to a certain level, to acquire interest in the filly, and we were partners from there on out. We are very appreciative of Mark for taking a chance on her and obviously he has done a spectacular job.” Yes, he has: Pounce won on debut at Churchill in November and again at Turfway in February, after which she topped Fasig-Tipton's Digital Sale at $370,000 from Resolute Bloodstock. As with Puca, noted above, John Stewart has been quickly vindicated in a bold investment with Pounce's graded success at Gulfstream, still for the Casse barn, coming just 11 days later. Hancock says that Bouncy has now delivered a “lovely” Hard Spun filly, but the gang is still debating-or maybe we should say bouncing around-her next cover. Maybe they should ask Woodrow Call what he thinks… The post Breeding Digest: Another Week Full of Mischief appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Maiden Watch: Week of Feb. 28-March 3View the full article

4th-GP, $89k, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 2:38 p.m. ET Juddmonte homebred SIDAMARA (Arrogate) kicks off her career for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. The 3-year-old is out of 2012 GI Darley Alcibiades S. winner and Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Spring in the Air (Spring At Last), who brought $1.65 million from Nawara Stud at the 2015 KEENOV sale. Spring in the Air's Nawara Stud-bred 5-year-old gelding Find (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was second in the 2022 G3 Jersey S. Sidamara is the 9-5 morning-line favorite. TJCIS PPS The post Wednesday’s Racing Insights: Arrogate Juddmonte Homebred Filly Debuts at Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Byron King's Top 12 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, presented by Spendthrift Farm.View the full article

If you follow Alan Delmonte on Twitter or X, or whatever they call it these days, you will know him for his offbeat sense of humour. But as chief executive of the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) for the past 11 years, he has one of the most serious jobs in British racing, overseeing the distribution of around £100m a year. Delmonte is, to some extent, the sport's Chancellor of the Exchequer, but there is an awful lot of important work going on behind the scenes at the Levy Board that make it not just racing's cash machine but also one of its staunchest guardians. A recently published progress report on its three-year business plan shone a light on that work, and Delmonte, along with HBLB's chief finance officer Craig Pemberton, gave Emma Berry an overview. Emma Berry: Racing is facing some serious issues, including the government's proposed affordability checks on punters, which would have an impact on what you do. How are you feeling generally about the state of the racing nation at the moment? Alan Delmonte: It's a mixed picture, as the recent update set out. And I think from a narrow levy, or financial perspective, we are not in bad shape. Although betting revenue turnover is falling, and the amount bet has fallen, which is a double concern, bookmakers' overall profits seem relatively stable, and that is how the levy is derived. So that has given some foreseeability and continuity. It is well known that we started the Covid pandemic with quite significant reserves, which we used about half of, but have been able to keep them at around that level. So for us, at least at the moment, it has been a relatively stable background. But we have said to the board that we do need to be cautious, because it won't be sustainable if turnover continues to fall, that bookmakers can't keep making the same amount of money out of declining turnover. And that's why the outcome of the consideration of the risk-based checks process is obviously very important to the sport as a whole, and to us, in terms of long-term security. EB: At the top end, and even now the middle to top end, things are improving in Britain regarding prize-money. Premier Racing is a new development this year, and there is some extra money at that level. From a more personal position, a particular race won two years ago by a horse in our stable was worth £4,500 to the winner but if he won it this year, it's £3,000 to the winner. That's a 33% drop. At that lower level the pinch is going to be felt, and I wonder about how that will affect ownership numbers and field sizes. AD: That question of where to put prize-money is financially the biggest question that we have to face every year. On the assumption that we do this from one year to the next, ideally we'd like to have in a lot of these areas a multi-year strategy, not just the prize-money, but for an awful lot of things that we fund, where there is a very clear direction set with a lot of detail, and we set sail with racing on funding that for a longer period. That doesn't generally exist, which is one of the frustrations and challenges that we have. So we will see how these fixture changes come along. They are part of a two-year trial, but we were explicit in wanting to have a one-year review point for the sort of thing that you're talking about. The board has agreed that we should run the trial, and racing's representative groups have said that it is more important, strategically, to invest more towards these top-end days. They made the point that the prize-money for the lower-grade races on those days will go up. It's not all money that's going into the top races at the top fixtures. One of the points that we were very keen to make sure was monitored was the effect on core racing. Racing seems to be relatively confident that the effect on those day-to-day cards would be relatively limited. We will be doing reports for our board every quarter on what's really going on, with a view to recommending whether we can carry on with this funding structure for next year. But the overall principle has been racing's view, that your best route to growth of the sport is through maximising the profile of the bigger events. It's an assertion rather than something that's based on hard facts and research, but we've gone with this with our eyes open, but with the need to really assess what's happening on the ground as we go along. Without preempting the review, it would be an odd outcome if these changes ended up with fewer people wanting to put their money into being owners in the sport. There is nowhere in racing's plan that says the outcome that we are satisfied with is if the total number of people interested in participating in the sport goes down. So if we are seeing that – and one of the pieces won't just be the number of owners, it will be what type of owners, which type of horses are they owning – that will need some proper analysis. EB: There is a feeling of anxiety among some breeders at the moment, and not just in this country. That could obviously have a knock-on effect on the horse population. What struck me in your report is that one of the first things you mention is improvement of the breed. Can you explain a little more about the HBLB's involvement in the breeding sector? AD: We have three statutory objectives, which are set out in the business plan, and the requirement is for us to spend the money on one or more of them. The board has always taken a serious view of not just spending money on what might be termed day-to-day horseracing expenditure, but also the other two, improvement of the breed and advancement of veterinary science. We have been the principal supporter of a series of TBA-driven schemes over the past 30 years or more, with the breeders' prize scheme, and over the last 10 years on Plus 10 and on MOPS, the Elite Mares Scheme that we continue to fund, and now GBB [Great British Bonus], which we provide three-quarters of the funding for. These things are all designed to provide incentive and upwardly-mobile ownership and rewards. We try to get that mix of short-term funding for things like prize-money and regulation, and then the longer-term investment in other areas. Craig Pemberton: One thing we've done fairly recently was a confidential survey. Around 200 stakeholders were invited to give an opinion on how well we were doing against our own purpose and vision, and it scored well. Relatively lower was the breeding area of what we do. So the board's actions, from having conducted that survey, are that we will make more prominent what we do around breeding. We spend £2 million-plus on research in the veterinary science and education spheres each year. We will publish some of the research that comes out of that, and make links to those projects. Some of these things are very slow burns over multiple years. We absolutely get that part of what makes British racing what it is. It's not the perception of quality, but the reality of quality. EB: I suppose it's always a balance, deciding whether that £2 million should be going into prize-money when we all know what impact a sudden outbreak of a contagious disease can have. It could bring racing to a standstill… AD: We were one of the main funders of the work that the Animal Health Trust did, and then worked very hard to try to see whether there was a route to survival for the AHT. But the view that the board came to in the end was that what the sport had to focus on was the preservation of the services that were being provided. We set up the process to ensure the continuity of AHT people that were related to racing. We oversaw the tender process that has seen Rossdale's and Cambridge University take on the functions that were previously carried out by AHT. And those organisations now work under contract, effectively, to the sport, but through us. And I think that is a good example of where people probably just think things happen, but these extracurricular things do sometimes occur, and it did require quite a lot of extra time and resource to get that over the line. But that's not to say it was all us. Sometimes in these areas there are things that the Levy Board runs itself, and other times, it's a much more collaborative effort. We work with the ROA and TBA as co-funders of these services, and through the BHA. So it does go on behind the scenes to some extent, but there is quite a lot of thinking that goes on about a disease prevention plan. It was absolutely essential that the continuity of service was maintained. Obviously it was a great shame that the AHT, as an institution that was supported for 40 years, couldn't go on, but in the end, the bullet had to be bitten. And the priority became, 'Well, how is the sport going to get its disease surveillance and diagnostic service done elsewhere?' And we've ended up with a more transparent process that has clearer reporting, clearer measurement about who's doing what, and our own committee that we chair, that monitors how those two institutions are doing against the contract. EB: Are you still able to enjoy going racing? Or do you get ground down by all the politics of it all? AD: I do, very much so. I don't even find that difficult to say. I think it's still the sport that gets my heart racing, just the way it always has. Work is work, and then the pleasure of seeing the horses actually racing is a different thing, and that's something that I think will always be absolutely at the core of my love of the sport. I'm just incredibly fortunate to be able to do something that's in the sport, but also to be involved in a job and an organisation that covers such a wide range of bases. CP: I'm just in my fifth year [at the HBLB], and part of the motivation for joining was that I was really interested in the sector. Previously I'd worked at the construction industry training board, another levy organisation, getting apprentices into construction. It was principally about young people and life chances, and that struck me as having a very big parallel with racing. The CFO role is not just about the numbers, it's a lot more than that. If you can do the role and try and bring some balance and help, particularly for young people, that was part of the motivation for me, as well as finding out about a new sport and a new sector. And it's probably the most complex group ecosystem I've ever come across, but therein lies the challenge, of getting a lot of stakeholders to agree on what can get done, the AHT being a fantastic example. That was literally in my first few months here, and then we had Covid. So it was an interesting start. EB: It's been a time of fighting plenty of fires, but the cyclical nature of racing and breeding means there's always something to look forward to, albeit in what is a tempestuous business at times. AD: It's not a job where you can sit there, just making judgements and decisions, and then never having to see anyone again. It is by its nature an environment where you are, in a sense, always accountable for what you're doing, because you're seeing people quite a lot of the time all around the place. You've just got to accept that there is a lot of to-ing and fro-ing with the stakeholders. Yes, we want to try and be clear and open about how we're going to make decisions, or why we've said yes, or why we've said no. But part of that process is an ongoing dialogue. It's obviously a very fragmented structure, but that structure does manage to come together every day to produce racing at racecourses, and it produces a breeding operation, and all the other infrastructure. So it works. It may not be perfect, but I don't think it's realistic for anyone to keep blaming the structure for things not being done. You just have to work with what you've got, and try and find a way through. EB: And while acknowledging those pressures, do you feel that it's still aspirational for people from various parts of the word to race and breed in Britain? AD: It is for that reason, to go back to the Premier Racing point, that we absolutely get that part of what makes British racing what it is. It's not the perception of quality, but the reality of quality that is matched by the people perceiving it. We want to be encouraging the sport where we can, to take Craig's point, to provide the most professional positive environment for people to come into the sport and work in. We're very supportive of the initiatives that racing has put in place around code of conduct, and all these other associated positive developments that should be necessary in a modern industry. EB: The Levy Board has been in existence since the 1960s, and at one stage it looked like it would be discontinued. What's the situation now? AD: There are no plans to abolish the Levy Board. There have been a few attempts over the years. Probably the closest one to abolition was the most recent one, which would have culminated in 2019. The fundamental point there, which is my summary rather than anyone else's, is that if you are going to have a statutory levy, which we do based on an act of parliament, then parliament wants to see that there is a public body accountable for that levy. And what would have happened under the proposed arrangement was that the responsibility for the levy would have passed over to a private sector racing body. And when push came to shove, parliament wasn't satisfied that that gave the necessary oversight. So maybe a way will be found, or somebody will have the desire to revisit it again and find a way through that. But at the moment, here we are five years on from non-abolition, we have got on with modernising what we do, getting our own systems and processes up to going concern standards, and we are not thinking at all about anything other than long-term continuity. One thing I'd say about the business plan and the update is that a lot of the things in there have been generated by the Levy Board. They are designed by us, but what we would ideally like to see is the equivalent of those produced by racing so that racing has its own clear aims, objectives, targets, measurements for the sport, over a period of time. Ideally, our measures become racing's measures. Racing's strategy has been announced as something that will be produced, and the first fruit of that was the 2024 fixture programme. But there are all of these other major areas where we're expecting that there will be a very detailed underpinning strategy and ideally an overarching piece of work that says, 'This is what it all means for the sport.' It's not easy, but that's what BHA, on behalf of the sport, committed themselves to doing in 2022. And if we can get to a position where we're all working on the same major objectives, which are very transparent, it should help everybody be clear about where the direction of travel is. The post Benefactor and Guardian: Racing’s Friend in the Levy Board appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of 83 juveniles have been entered in the Osarus La Teste Breeze-Up Sale catalogue which was released on Tuesday. Past graduates of the sale include G2 Prix de Malleret winner Rue Boissonade (Fr) (Seabhac). Set for Apr. 10 with the breezes the day prior, the sale contains 2-year-olds by 60 sires like Almanzor (Fr), Charm Spirit (Ire), Galileo Gold (GB), Galiway (GB), Havana Gold (Ire), Kodi Bear (Ire), Le Havre (Ire), Make Believe (GB), Mehmas (Ire), Profitable (Ire), Ten Sovereigns (Ire), Territories (Ire), and Zarak (Fr). There is also ample representation from younger sires like Blue Point (Ire), Calyx (GB), and Study Of Man (Ire), and sires with their first juveniles–Arizona (Ire), Circus Maximus (Ire), Far Above (Ire), Hello Youmzain (Fr), Sands Of Mali (Fr), Shaman (Ire), Threat (Ire) and Wooded (Ire). Some lots of note include a Shaman half-sister to Group 1-placed Felix (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (Lot 54); Nuit d'Ivresse (Fr) (Henrythenavigator)'s Galiway filly (lot 66); a Zarak colt who is a relative of Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}); lot 26, a Zarak filly out of the Group 2-placed Corporate Queen (Colonel John); a Blue Point filly (lot 40) who is kin to Camelot (GB); and lot 55, a filly by Almanzor and from the family of Group 1 winner Alterite (Fr) (Literato {Fr}). The breezes will takes place at 2 p.m. local time on Apr. 9 and be streamed on the Osarus website. The sale begins at 4:30 p.m. French time the day after. The post Diverse Catalogue Of Juveniles For Osarus La Teste Breeze-Up Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Saudi Cup (G1) winner Senor Buscador retained the top spot in week six of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's top Thoroughbred poll, released March 5. The top three horses as ranked by NTRA voters all ran in the Saudi Cup.View the full article

Deterministic was thrust from a relatively unknown maiden winner into the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail spotlight while winning the Gotham Stakes (G3) March 2. However, the horse's potential was no surprise to those who bred and raised him.View the full article

Wagering on U.S. races dipped 2.85% in February, with 11 fewer racing dates, in year-to-year comparisions released Tuesday by Equibase, while through two months of 2024, wagering is down 6.83% with 59 fewer race days than the same period in 2023. Wagering in February totaled $838,195,585, compared to $862,782,585 in February, 2023. Through two months, a total of $1,618,055,698 was wagered in U.S. races. That figure was $1,736,625,054 after two months of 2023. While available purse money increased 6.44% to $86,413,218 in February, that figure year-to-date is down 4.03% to $164,357,301. There were 252 race days in February, compared to 263 in 2023, bringing the year-to-date total to 469 versus 528 a year ago. There were 4,007 races in January and February, compared to 4,508 during that period in 2023. Average field size rose slightly during the first two months of the year, from 7.66 in 2023 to 7.77 in 2024. The post Wagering on U.S. Races Declines in February appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Darley newcomers Modern Games (Ire), Native Trail (GB) and Triple Time (Ire) have all had their first mares scanned in foal, the operation announced on Tuesday. Dalham Hall Stud resident Modern Games won five races at the top level for Charlie Appleby, notably winning at the Breeders' Cup in successive years when landing the Juvenile Turf in 2021 and Mile in 2022. Modern Games is reported to have four mares in foal, including George Strawbridge's G1 Prix Royal-Oak winner Montare (Ire) (Montjeu {GB}), already the dam of three talented performers by Dubawi (Ire)–who is also the sire of Modern Games–namely Journey (GB), Indigo Girl (GB) and Mimikyu (GB). Triple Time, who enjoyed his biggest success when winning last year's G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot, is also standing his first season at Dalham Hall in 2024 at a fee of £10,000. G2 Lancashire Oaks winner Emirates Queen (GB), a half-sister to Dubawi by Street Cry (Ire), is among the first mares covered by Triple Time to be scanned in foal. Emirates Queen's most notable progeny so far is the multiple Listed winner/Group 1-placed Royal Champion (Ire) (Shamardal). Over in Ireland, Native Trail is new to Kildangan Stud for 2024 following a racing career which saw him crowned Europe's leading two-year-old in 2021 before going on to win the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at three. The early mares in foal to him include Woodford Farm's Amore Bello (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}), a half-sister to the GIII Miesque S. winner More Than Love (More Than Ready) and from the family of the four-time Group 1 heroine Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never). The post Trio of Darley Stallions Reported to Have First Mares in Foal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The entries for the first two Classics of the season have been released, with 49 horses entered in each of the Qipco 2,000 Guineas and Qipco 1,000 Guineas. The colts will line up at Newmarket on Saturday, May 4 when it is likely that much of the attention will focus on the unbeaten City Of Troy (Justify), who at this stage is the ante-post favourite for the 2,000 Guineas. Trained by Aidan O'Brien, he has left Ireland for two of his three starts to win the G2 Superlative S. at Newmarket's July Course followed by the G1 Dewhurst S. on the Rowley Mile. City Of Troy's stable-mate Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a son of the 1,000 Guineas winner Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), is currently second-favourite and is one of eight entries in the race for the Ballydoyle stable. The other two Irish-trained entries are the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), trained by Adrian Murray, and Jim Bolger's unraced Clean Energy (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}). The G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Rosallion (Ire) could become an important first Classic runner for his sire Blue Point (Ire) and represents Richard Hannon Jr., who won the race 10 years ago with Night Of Thunder (Ire) and also has Son (GB) entered this year. He too is by a second-season sire in Too Darn Hot (GB). In that same category is Sons And Lovers (GB), by Study Of Man (Ire), who is one of four entries for Jane Chapple-Hyam, two of which are owned by former trainer Peter Harris. Charlie Appleby has three colts entered led by the G1 Kameko Futurity Trophy winner Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Saaeed Bin Suroor, who won last year's 1,000 Guineas with Mawj (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), has one of the Godophin quartet, Olympic Candle (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}). Eve Johnson Houghton has entered Mister Sketch (GB) (Territories {Ire}) for Wathnan Racing and the G3 Acomb S. winner Indian Run (Ire) (Sioux Nation) for the Bronte Collection, while David Menuisier has three colts entered including the G1 Criterium International winner Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}). Aidan O'Brien is also the trainer of the favourite for the following day's 1,000 Guineas, Opera Singer. Like City Of Troy, she is by Coolmore's American-based sire and Triple Crown winner Justify, and she won last season's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac. Opera Singer is one of 16 Irish-trained fillies engaged in the race, including eight from her own stable, while Paddy Twomey could have two runners, Purple Lily (Ire) (Calyx {Ire}) and One Look (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), and Natalia Lupini has her first Classic entrant in Kitty Rose (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}). Ollie Sangster is another young trainer with a frost Classic hope in Shuwari (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), along with Amy Murphy, the trainer of Needlepoint (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}). The G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Fallen Angel (GB) is currently the leading British-trained hope and is one of two entries for her trainer Karl Burke along with Darnation (Ire). Both fillies are by Too Darn Hot. Fallen Angel represents Steve Parkin's Clipper Logistics, which also has the William Haggas-trained Love Dynasty (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) engaged in the 1,000 Guineas. Among the four fillies entered from the John and Thady Gosden stable is Cheveley Park Stud's Listed winner Regal Jubilee (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Christopher Head is the sole French trainer with an entry and she is another daughter of Justify, Ramatuelle, who was only narrowly beaten by Vandeek (GB) in the G1 Prix Morny. The post Justify and O’Brien Dominate Guineas Entries appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Gaurav Rampal has been appointed as the Tattersalls representative in India, the sales company announced on Tuesday. Firmly established as a leading bloodstock agent in India, Rampal has a client base which includes Dr Cyrus Poonawalla–who now stands Richard Hannon's multiple Group 2 winner Chindit (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) at his Poonawalla Stud–plus Khushroo Dhunjibhoy and Shyam Ruia, both of whom have also been big buyers abroad. Rampal, who had previously received an education in European bloodstock from Anthony Stroud, Ted Voute and James Underwood, covers all aspects of bloodstock consultancy work and also acts as an auctioneer and shipping agent. Edward Mahony, Tattersalls chairman, said, “Gaurav is a great addition to the Tattersalls team of overseas representatives and his appointment demonstrates the importance we place on promoting Tattersalls and particularly the December Mares Sale throughout India. “Well-known and hugely respected in the Indian racing and bloodstock industry, Gaurav brings a wealth of experience to the role and his knowledge and extensive contacts in India will be invaluable as we look to promote all Tattersalls sales to as wide an international audience as possible.” Rampal, who has an MBA in Marketing and Finance, added, “Tattersalls and the December Mares Sale have played hugely important roles in the development of the Indian thoroughbred, and the victories of recent Indian Derby and Oaks winners Enabler and Jendayi, both out of mares purchased at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, bear testament to that. “Tattersalls is widely regarded as the European market-leader with a reputation for outstanding customer service and I am thrilled to be joining the Tattersalls team and looking forward to encouraging even more Indian buyers to visit Tattersalls.” The post Rampal Named Tattersalls Representative in India appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Queen Goddess, a grade 1 winner for trainer Michael McCarthy, has been recently retired. Co-owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners announced the news the afternoon of March 4 over the social media platform known as X.View the full article

The 11th Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit will be held June 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Longship Room at Kroger Field on the campus of the University of Kentucky. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be co-hosted by the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and The Jockey Club. Annise Montplaisir, equine education coordinator of the Kentucky Equine Education Project Foundation and president of Amplify Horse Racing, will emcee the event, which will be livestreamed. Topics for the summit include a presentation by Dr. Tim Parkin on the latest statistics from the Equine Injury Database, work being done by state veterinarians, harmonizing pre-race inspections, track surfaces, and other issues affecting horse safety. “Keeneland has always been a great host. When its construction coincided with this year's summit, Dr. Nancy Cox, dean of the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, immediately stepped up to host the summit,” said Jamie Haydon, president of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and deputy executive director of The Jockey Club. “Dr. Cox and UK have been great partners with The Jockey Club and Grayson on multiple projects, and we look forward to working with them on our 2024 summit. I am certain they will be an excellent host.” The post Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit to be Held at UK appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of €3 million will be added to the prize-money of Irish races in 2024 by the Irish European Breeders' Fund (Irish EBF), an all-time record high and bringing the Irish EBF's overall contribution since it was founded in 1983 to over €60 million. Almost 500 races, both Flat and National Hunt, will carry EBF conditions in 2024. A new addition to the calendar this year is the €330,000 3YO Spring Series, with the €200,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Gowran Classic as its showpiece. The considerable spend of €3 million has also allowed the Irish EBF to underwrite all two-year-old EBF maiden races with €18,000 of minimum prize-money and all EBF maiden hurdles and beginners chases with a €15,000 minimum prize-fund. This compliments the 2023 announcement where all Listed races are worth a minimum of €40,000 and all fillies' Listed races are worth a minimum of €50,000. The Irish EBF Auction Series and the Median Sires Series continue with €1.7 million of prize-money on offer to two-year-olds. The Irish EBF Ballyhane S. is worth €300,000 alone, while the Irish EBF Auction Series Final has a total prize-fund of €120,000. National Hunt support continues with about 50% of the National Hunt allocation targeted at mares' chases, hurdle and bumper races. Irish EBF will also continue to back the Connolly's Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series, worth nearly €400,000 with 16 qualifying races and a €75,000 final at the Punchestown Festival which is backed up by the Irish EBF Auction Bumper Series with six races worth €15,000 each over the season. Joe Foley, Irish EBF chairman, said, “The Irish EBF governors are delighted to announce another record contribution to Irish prize-money for the 2024 racing year. This will allow us to continue our normal sponsorship programme spanning almost 500 races but also to add extra support in many areas. “All Irish EBF two-year-olds maidens carrying a minimum €18,000 prize-money is a significant achievement but other areas such as Listed races, maiden hurdles, beginners chases and the exciting new 3YO Spring Series, which culminates in the €200,000 Irish Stallion Farms Gowran Classic, will benefit from our increased spend. “We look forward to seeing the 3YO Spring Series for middle distance horses grow and develop and hope that it becomes as successful and popular as our 2YO series; the Irish EBF Auction Series and the Irish EBF Median Sires Series. As ever, this record contribution would not be possible without the unanimous support and funding from Irish stallion owners, so immense thanks is due to them.” Jonathan Mullin, director of racing at Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), added, “The Irish EBF has long been the largest sponsor of Irish racing and HRI is hugely appreciative of their long-standing investment, which is underpinned by voluntary contributions from stallion farms all over Ireland. “The commitment of €3 million towards prize-money includes a key project in 2024: the first year of targeted support for later developing middle distance horses. This initiative is the latest in over forty years of dedicated support from the EBF and for that we thank them sincerely.” The post All-Time Record High of €3 Million for Irish EBF Sponsorship appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Wednesday's top tips from the Post's racing teamView the full article

BloodHorse Interview: Rich Mendez of Morplay RacingView the full article

The All-Star Mile push by connections of Ayrton (NZ) (Iffraaj) has paid off, with the six-year-old securing a slot in this year’s race. Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, as well as owners Roll the Dice Racing, had been pushing for a spot in the race following his luckless third in the win-and-you’re-in Blamey Stakes last Saturday. He is joined by New Zealand galloper Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls) in gaining a berth in the race. “Ayrton’s owners made a highly convincing case for him and given his track record at Caulfield, where he has produced three Stakes wins, it made a lot of sense to award him a wildcard,” said Matt Welsh, Racing Victoria’s Executive General Manager – Racing. “Ayrton arguably would have won the Blamey Stakes with clean air and it would be no surprise to see him run a big race at Caulfield on 16 March.” Andrew Forsman-trained Aegon was most recently seen running second in Group One company in New Zealand. He will be joined by compatriot Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride of Dubai) in the race. “Aegon bounced back to something like his best in New Zealand last start. He brings recent Group 1 form to the race, and his best form would see him most competitive in this year’s All-Star Mile,” Welsh said. Confirmed All-Star Mile runners (nine): Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars), Pride Of Jenni (Pride of Dubai), Desert Lightning, Munhamek (Dark Angel), Buffalo River (Noble Mission), Dom To Shoot (Shooting To Win), Cascadian (New Approach), Ayrton, Aegon. Those with a ticket, yet to confirm (three): Southport Tycoon (Written Tycoon), Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto), Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel). View the full article

Peter Moody knows he needs to have stable star I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) rock-hard fit and ready to go ahead of a likely first-up defence of the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) in Sydney. The five-year-old came from last to win last year’s edition on testing heavy ground and Moody says his superstar galloper will be ready should similar conditions arise again this year. “That early April period around Easter in Sydney can quite often present a bit of wet ground, which he handles, but I’m mindful that I want to have him pretty forward because I don’t want him going there – let’s hope it’s not the case for racing’s sake, but if you end up on a Heavy 10, you don’t want to drag the guts out of him,” Moody said. I Wish I Win’s fitness took another step on Tuesday morning with an 800-metre jumpout at Pakenham. Will Price was in the saddle with Luke Nolen sidelined by injury and he gave the gelding a quiet time, running on to finish third in a heat which featured talented stablemates She Dances (Street Boss) and Pounding (Exceed and Excel). “Thought it was very pleasing, he carried a featherweight in Will Price, be like carrying a postage stamp compared to Luke Nolen I’d imagine,” Moody said with a laugh. “He just settled out the back and ran home nicely. It’s always nice to trial in a heat where there’s a competitiveness about it instead of just dawdling along, without being asked he lengthened and stretched to the line and rounded off. “More pleasing was the way he pulled up, the report from Will was very positive. “He’s really come up nicely, he’s very clean in the wind, very clean in his action, just seems to be enjoying life.” View the full article

When trainer Chad Ormsby sold Master Fay (Deep Field) to Hong Kong, he was expecting the horse to potentially develop into a champion sprinter. Ormsby was over the moon when Master Fay scored at his Hong Kong debut on New Year’s Day in 2021 and was eagerly awaiting to see when the gelding would next appear. Unfortunately, that day did not eventuate again in Hong Kong, and Master Fay was finally sent back to Ormsby where he made a racetrack return just over three years after that debut success. “I sent him up to Hong Kong confident he would break records up there,” Ormsby said. “I thought he could be Sprinter of the Year, Horse of the Year, and when he won his first start, I thought wow, he’s on the right track.” With two wins from his two starts in New Zealand, Ormsby has brought Master Fay across to Melbourne to contest one of Australia’s premier, and toughest sprints, the Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday. It is a tough ask for Master Fay to compete against the top level at just his fourth start, but Ormsby has that confidence in the gelding. Ormsby said Master Fay was potentially the best horse he has worked with in a career that has seen him as a jockey and trainer, including a stint in a training partnership with his father-in-law, Mike Moroney, who won the Newmarket with Roch ‘N’ Horse (NZ) (Per Incanto) at her Australian debut in 2022. “Personally, I think he’s right up there, but we won’t know until we try as there’s some special horses in the race,” Ormsby said. “He’s got raw ability and I have not ridden a horse that is so fast. “I’ve ridden plenty of Group One horses and he’s on another level and I don’t think I’ve felt the best of him yet. “He’s only having his fourth start and that makes us a little bit nervous. Maybe we’re throwing him in the deep end too soon, but I don’t think so. “He is an older horse and I think he can prove up to it.” Ormsby said he was unsure whether Master Fay would make it back to the racetrack when he first arrived back from Hong Kong with a few niggling problems. Luckily, Ormsby said, everything fell into place, although Master Fay did pull-up lame in a hind-leg after his win at Ellerslie on January 27. “It was almost like a tie up,” Ormsby said. “We ran a blood, and he had a high muscle enzyme. “He’s like an ADHD child, he gets over excited and can’t stand still. He’s like that in his races, he can get over eager at times. “By the time he got home after that last start, he was fine.” Ormsby had considered a start in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield last month and the ATA Bob Hoysted Handicap at Flemington later this month, but felt Saturday’s race, timing wise, is a perfect fit for Master Fay. View the full article

Waverley trainer Harvey Wilson. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Australian stallion Pariah is living up to his name across the Tasman, with the former Arrowfield Stud stallion set to have just his third New Zealand runner at Otaki on Wednesday. Andersons Bay will make his debut for trainer Harvey Wilson, who came about the now four-year-old gelding through his association with leading jumps jockey turned trainer Shaun Phelan. Purchased out of Riversley Park’s 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale draft for $160,000 as a Hong Kong prospect, Andersons Bay continued his early preparation with Jim Collett, but it soon became apparent that he didn’t fit the mould to send to the competitive racing jurisdiction. He was subsequently sent to Phelan, who felt he was better placed with Wilson at his Waverley property. “He is a big horse and I think they felt he was too big to go up there (Hong Kong), so he was offered to Shaun Phelan and he was redirected to us,” Wilson said. “We have had him for about 18 months now. He was very well educated, Jim Collett had done a great job.” By a Group One performed sprinter, Andersons Bay was bred to thrive over shorter distances, but Wilson gets the feeling his gelding will be suited over more ground. “He is a very nice moving horse and is a nice horse to ride. The Pariahs are sprinters, but he gives you the impression that he is a stayer. We will see what happens,” he said. Andersons Bay takes winning trial form into Wednesday, having won his 1000m heat at Foxton last month, and Wilson is hoping the inclement weather doesn’t persist. “We hope there isn’t too much rain because he would prefer a better track, but hopefully the track won’t be too bad,” he said. “It was a good win at the trials. I don’t know how strong the field was, but he won, so that was the main thing.” A noted trainer of jumpers, Wilson is unsure whether Andersons Bay will follow that path, but he said time will be the judge of that. “We will see what happens. He is a big, leggy horse, but whether he is a jumping type I am not too sure, but you never know,” he said. “He has done a little bit of playing around and popping over the odd jump, but nothing serious. We will play around with him and do a bit of jumping with him and see where we get.” Meanwhile, Wilson has been pleased with the progress of his current two jumpers, Password and Aongatete Express, and is hoping recent stable acquisition Mandalo will join them over the fences this season. “We have got two and a half jumpers ready to go and five in work, so that keeps us busy,” Wilson said. “We would hope to have Password and Aongatete Express ready for the early chases. They are both well. We will start off with the steeplechase at Te Rapa in early May and then if all goes well we would go to the Manawatu Chase at Wellington and take it as it comes. If things progress then we will go up, if they don’t go so well then we will go down. “We have got another five-year-old called Mandalo that we hope to jump this year.” While looking forward to the jumps season with his horses, Wilson said the lack of jumps jockeys is proving to be a big concern. “There is a real shortage of jockeys for jumping, which is a big worry,” he said. “I think Paul Nelson (trainer) is bringing one over from the UK. It would be nice to think we would have one or two more come over, but we are a bit short on jockeys.” Horse racing news View the full article

Victor The Winner is a seven-time winner in Hong Kong. Derek Leung is excited to test his skills overseas again. The 35-year-old gets the opportunity in the Group 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m) on March 24 at Chukyo when Victor The Winner ships east to Japan for trainer Danny Shum. “It’s a great opportunity and it’s come at the right time. The horse is fit and well, it’s just that it’s a left-turning course and the pace could be different. I’ll do more homework and trust the horse,” Leung said. Victor The Winner finished first on Tuesday morning at Sha Tin ahead of his planned departure next Tuesday, clocking 57.92s over 1000m on turf as he had his patience tested with a different set of racing manners. “It was good. We trialled to keep his fitness up and we are bit concerned in Japan if someone tries to lead and go crazy in front, so we just wanted to see him sit behind and see how he would respond. “He was very lucky, one horse (Ka Ying Warrior) went forward this morning and we tried to let him find cover. He didn’t like the kickback at first, it shocked him, but then he dropped his head, balanced up and went smoothly. He kept his momentum, he’s fit and he’s well,” Leung said. Leung is the winner of almost 450 races in Hong Kong. He’s a two-time Tony Cruz Award recipient (2016/17 & 2017/18). His most recent campaigns abroad in 2018 saw him finish second in South Korea, while in Dubai he was unseated at the start. “I’ve ridden in Korea, Dubai, New Zealand, France, England and Australia. During COVID we couldn’t leave, so it’s quite exciting and it’s a good time go. He’s a fit horse, a Group 1 winner, straightforward and it depends on the conditions on the day,” Leung said. The Toronado gelding won the HK$13 million Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) from the front with Leung last month. The speedster will skip Sunday’s HK$13 million Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) at Sha Tin. “He’s not only a leader. Everyone says if someone passes him, he will stop but with cover, he loves to chase. I’m not concerned if he gets in the box seat, he just needs to travel smooth,” Leung said. Aerovelocity is the only winner for Hong Kong in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, taking the contest in 2015 for jockey Zac Purton and former trainer Paul O’Sullivan. Horse racing news View the full article

Caspar Fownes to determine ‘where we are on the world stage’ with stable star at Meydan next monthView the full article

Tauranga trainer Antony Fuller is hoping history repeats itself on Saturday when he takes Roger That (NZ) (Shinko King) north to Ellerslie to contest the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m). The now 11-year-old gelding caused an upset in the race in 2020 when taking out the then Group One feature at odds of 40-1. He readied for the race with a runner-up performance in the Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m), and for the first time in four years, Fuller elected to follow that lead-in path to the Cup this year as opposed to the traditional Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m) route. Roger That finished fifth behind Saint Alice (So You Think) in last month’s Kaimai Stakes at Matamata, giving Fuller confidence to press on for his sixth attempt at the time-honoured race. “His run in the Kaimai was very pleasing,” Fuller said. “He probably went a bit keener than we would have liked early. He certainty didn’t give in and battled on well, which is what you need for a stayer. “He has come through it well, he has been working really well, we are very pleased with him. It seems like he is peaking at the right time.” “He only has 52kg on his back (on Saturday), so you never know.” Fuller will also be represented in the Auckland Cup by Khan Hunter (NZ) (Mongolian Khan), a massive achievement for the Bay of Plenty horseman who only has four horses in work Khan Hunter has been in fine form this season, finishing runner-up behind Trust In You (NZ) (Sweynesse) in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabth II Cup (2400m) at Pukekohe on New Year’s Day and ran fourth in the Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie last month. Fuller has been pleased with Khan Hunter this season, but admits it has been a long campaign and his charge is on weary legs heading into the Cup. “He has been up a long time,” he said. “We freshened him up after the QEII. He had a run at Matamata, which we were a bit ho-hum about, and then he went a lot better in the Avondale Cup, so we have pressed on with him. “The QEII and Avondale Cup were always his aim. We put him in the Auckland Cup just in case he happened to keep going. He has been up a while, but he is in it, so we are going to have a go. “Fingers-crossed one of them makes the day worthwhile. We are thinking Roger is the one more one target for it, so we will see what happens.” While Khan Hunter will be going out for a break after his weekend assignment, Fuller said they will likely press on with Roger That, with the Gr.3 Rotorua Cup (2200m) in May a potential target. “Khan Hunter will definitely have a freshen-up,” he said. “I would say Roger will kick on with it because he still has a lot of spring in his step. If he keeps going well, we will look at the Rotorua Cup again, he seems to go well on that course.” View the full article