Wandering Eyes

A good 10 years ago in the Santa Anita paddock garden, former trainer Matt Chew was leading a stately old schoolmaster named Fred through and around an afternoon gathering of children with developmental issues when a diminutive figure from the crowd locked eyes with the horse. “I walked over and handed him the shank and said, 'here, take him. He's yours,'” says Chew about the curious soul, a 10-year-old named Austin, onto whom he foisted the docile Fred. “He starts walking around with the horse and he starts talking to him, 'oh, you're a beautiful horse. This is wonderful. You're so great. Dah, dah, dah. My name is Austin, I'm 10 years old,'” Chew recounts. Several observers that day, however, appeared shocked. “Their jaws dropped,” says Chew. “They looked horrified.” Anticipating a few feathers needing unruffling, Chew's wife Candie Coder-Chew marched over to the thunderstruck group—some of them in tears—lavishing apologies and assurances about the horse's temperament. “One of the women goes, 'no, it's that Austin doesn't talk. He had experienced a trauma a few years earlier that had shut him down verbally.' So, he was nonverbal, autistic, and this horse brought him out of it,” says Chew. “And to this day, he is still speaking.” This anecdote has been worn smooth by Chew's retelling over the intervening years, with good reason, for it encapsulates the sense of purpose that has driven the Chews the nearly 1,400 miles from Los Angeles, California, where Matt had trained for decades, to Hayden, Idaho, where they now run a racehorse aftercare facility and equine therapy program for local foster kids, Champions Retreat. A sense of purpose propelled by the knowledge that within the 1,000 pounds of thundering horseflesh seemingly a hair's breadth away from careening dangerously out of control is an intuitive mind capable of plunging the deepest reserves of empathy. “These horses are amazing. They seem to understand from the energy coming off of these kids that there's a need for one another,” says Chew of his stable of eight retirees, all of them from California–horses like Silken Prince, a useful claimer under Chew's tutelage before the trainer's retirement in 2020. Matt Chew | Courtesy of Candie Coder-Chew “The horses really do interact with these foster kids in a different way than when they act with normal people,” he says. “And I can't explain it. I don't fully understand it, but I've witnessed that dozens of times. There's just a connection that's formed.” Their 18-acre Idaho ranch is the sort of place that would set Grizzly Adams's heart aflutter. Eight acres of green pasture. A large barn with 10-feet by 20-feet stalls. An indoor arena. An outdoor arena. And all of this abutting a vast leafy wilderness. “This is National Forest. We walk out our back fence and we have 350 acres of trails which we've erected on some of the old logging roads. We built a cross country course back there for jumping, and it makes for some lovely riding,” says Chew. “And we have a view of a lake.” The Chews set up shop some three years ago, unsure quite what kind of program they would offer to whom. It started with the children of a few local friends with autism or anxiety issues. Some adults that had physical or mental challenges. A few military veterans. Domestic violence survivors. That's when they were approached by Fostering Idaho, a nearby program that links foster kids and families. “They asked if we'd be interested in working with them. At that point, they asked us, 'how many kids do you want?' They basically filled up our dance card for us,” says Chew. “We had 42 kids total last year.” While some kids approach the whole endeavor with all the reticence of an avalanche, “other kids, they're definitely afraid of horses, period,” says Chew. “And they're very intimidated. So, if we can get a kid to feed a carrot and pet a nose, that's a good day.” “We have the type of horses where we can put somebody that's never ridden before on a horse and have it be a safe experience,” Chew says. “And then as they progress, we take them from the barn to our outside arena, and then when they get to a certain level, we're able to go on a trail ride.” Some of the foster children have turned into repeat visitors. “They're welcome any time,” Chew says. But they have to earn their bacon. “The kids that come back time after time, we do put them to work. We want them to understand that they have to, at some point, earn the right to ride these horses,” he says. Coder-Chew remembers the first group of foster kids that came their way. “We weren't a hundred percent sure what to expect, so we were kind of winging it a little bit,” she says. This first reconnaissance mission included two foster brothers, both around six or seven years of age. “One had been adopted by the foster family that brought these kids out. The other one had not,” she says. The adoptee was a little chatterbox who took to horseback like a young Steve Cauthen. The other brother was more reserved, tentative. As the young boy hit the saddle, he took a sharp intake of breath, and held onto it as though diving for the sea floor. “So, I asked him to take a deep breath and try to relax a little bit,” says Coder-Chew. “It took about three minutes, I think, and he took some deep breaths and sort of relaxed and petted the horse.” After a few minutes of slow plodding, the young boy spotted his speedier brother, leaned down with a smile and whispered to Coder-Chew, “'can we go faster? I want to beat my brother,'” she remembers. “So went a little faster. And he was just having a great time and was very engaged by the end—not talking a lot but talking.” Afterwards, the children and the horses were taken to a small area behind the barn for refreshments. “This little kid, he walked very purposefully over to the horse, threw his arms around the horse's chest and leg. He was so small. And the horse, of course, bent over to kind of hug him back. I don't think there was a dry eye in the place. It was just pretty incredible, the connection this kid felt with this horse.” Chew trained for nearly 40 years, during which time he sent out 400 winners from just over 4,000 runners. The majority of these wins came at the lower levels of the game. “When you're training horses, you're consumed by it 24/7 from the minute you wake up to the time you go to bed,” said Chew. “I mean, it's all encompassing. And that's your entire world. And believe me, to work in racing is a privilege. It's hard. It's demanding. It sometimes sucks the life out of you. But it also gives you a feeling of elation when a horse runs well that you can't get in any other aspect of your life,” he says. “I fully understand that what working with these kids has done for me is give me a lot more balance in my life. You don't get the extreme high of winning a race, but you also don't get the extreme lows that came with it. “After you'd win a race, there'd be a time when you'd be walking back to the barn where it was a feeling of contentment. When the world is okay, everything's right, everything's good, and you just would have an overall feeling of well-being. Working with these kids, that feeling lasts for days, not just moments,” Chew says. Champions Retreat | Courtesy Candie Coder-Chew A self-described city-slicker, Chew's life-lessons have been both philosophical and practical over three years in a part of the country where the deep winters can wear as long and unrepentant as the summers are short. A flick through one of their newsletters gives a glimpse into these seasonal toils: “Winter is near and we feel the pressure of the seasonal changes to get prepared for the cold weather. Matt has been cutting down trees, splitting wood, repairing fences and structures. We have all of our hay in the barn to last through June and have seeded the pasture for spring grass,” they wrote in fall of last year. “I thought I could I never build anything in my life,” admits Chew. “And I've built shelters and feed sheds, for God's sake. I have two chain saws now. If you'd have told me 10 years ago that I'm going to be in a position where I'm going to need two chainsaws, I'd have said you're nuts.” Ask Chew who should take credit for much of the heavy lifting and he barely takes a breath. “My wife,” he replies. “She found the property. She knew it was my vision to work with kids but it was her vision to provide a place for retired race horses. And she made it happen. Without her, this dream would not have materialized.” Eight horses are a lot to care for. Nor are they cheap. Appetites are huge. Upkeep is near constant. And Champions Retreat is a free service. “We like to say we have donations and grants, but we also self-fund about 25% of this operation. So, it takes a special commitment to do it,” Coder-Chew says, adding how several of Chew's former owners have supported them financially. “I think the one thing I would absolutely mention is how supportive the racing industry is of aftercare programs for retired thoroughbreds,” says Coder-Chew, former California Retirement Management Account (CARMA) board president. “That's something that we're so grateful for because we wouldn't be able to do what we do if we didn't have the support of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, TCA [Thoroughbred Charities of America] and CARMA. That's huge,” she says. Given the departure from their old life, do the Chews have any regrets or misgivings? “None,” says Chew, empathically. “In the racing environment, in order for me to prosper, somebody has to lose. That's just the way it is in any sport. We've tried to create an environment where when you walk onto our property, whether you had four legs or two legs, you're going to be better off when you leave. And we feel like we've accomplished that.” The post From Training to Equine Therapy, Chews Finding New Balance in Idaho appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A filly from the first crop of multiple Grade I winner McKinzie (hip 1143) equaled the fastest quarter-mile work of the seven-session under-tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training when covering the distance in :20 1/5 Sunday in Central Florida. The juvenile is consigned by Eddie Woods on behalf of breeders Brent and Beth Harris. “We expected her to work well,” Woods said. “I'm not going to say I thought she would go in :20 1/5. That would be ridiculous. But she really stepped on it. She's a very honest filly.” The bay filly is out of D'Fashion (D'Wildcat) and is a half-sister to stakes winner and graded-placed Strategic Dreams (Archarcharch). She RNA'd for $65,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. “She's done really well since we got her,” Woods said. “She was a inexpensive RNA for the most part in September, but she's changed significantly since then, from a physical point of view. It's like night and day. She belongs to the Harris brothers up in Kentucky and I got her through Padraig Campion of Blandford Stud.” McKinzie's first crop of 2-year-olds have been working well at OBS this spring and, led by a $750,000 colt, were well-received at the March sale. “They act like they are nice horses,” Woods said of the Gainesway stallion's first crop. “They are very professional. They all try really hard like he did. He ran for a long time himself and they look like they are going to do the same thing.” A filly by Practical Joke (hip 1187) became the fourth juvenile of the week to work a furlong in :9 3/5 during Sunday's final session of the under-tack show. Out of Emerald Gal (Gilded Time), the bay is a half-sister to multiple graded-stakes winner Sarah Sis (Sharp Humor). She was purchased by Carlo Vaccarezza for $25,000 at Keeneland last September and is consigned by Top Line Sales. While the under-tack show was interrupted by an unexpected off day due to severe weather Thursday, buyers and sellers were back on schedule Sunday. “We usually have two show days between the breeze show and the sale, but it used to be one,” Woods said Sunday afternoon. “And the extra day was purposefully put in there for that reason. If we come up on a bad day, we have a swing day in there, so it worked well. A lot of people got a lot of horses looked at that morning before the rain got too bad. And there are people who are only starting to come in here anyway, so it didn't effect them at all. We were pretty steady showing today and hopefully we will be very busy tomorrow.” The OBS Spring sale will be held Tuesday through Friday with bidding beginning each day at 10:30 a.m. The post McKinzie Filly Fastest at OBS Finale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Several contenders for the Kentucky Derby (G1) had regular training sessions April 14 at Churchill Downs, including Louisiana Derby (G2) runner-up Honor Marie and UAE Derby (G2) winner Forever Young.View the full article

Justin Milano rallied to a narrow victory in the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown April 14 at Nakayama Racecourse, remaining undefeated after three starts and lowering the course record by 0.7 seconds.View the full article

At 84-1 odds, Boys and Bullets (Uptowncharlybrown) was lagging in 11th and last place nearing the quarter pole in last Wednesday's eighth race at Parx when 10-pound apprentice jockey Francisco Martinez patiently started picking off half the field. By the time Martinez set down his gelding at the eighth pole, Boys and Bullets was gathering momentum, but still five lengths behind the frontrunner. As the line loomed, the pack tightened. With a hustling hand ride Martinez gunned for an inside split, then deftly readjusted his aim for a better hole between rivals to the outside. Boys and Bullets burst through to head-bob with the leader in the final strides, and Martinez kept driving hard through the finish. It was only a few jumps later that the rookie rider gave a jubilant fist pump because he knew he had earned his first official winner as a licensed professional. Or had he? On the gallop-out, doubts crept in. Returning to unsaddle, Martinez became even less sure, because none of the other riders were saying anything one way or the other. Then he saw his number glowing on the infield tote board. Boys and Bullets had won by a head. After coming close with six seconds and seven thirds from 29 mounts since his Mar. 5 debut, Martinez was a maiden no more. “My heart screamed inside of me, I was so happy,” Martinez told TDN. “I was like, 'Wow, I can't believe I got it done on a long shot-the one that you least expect.'” You've seen the congratulatory rite-of-passage “baptism” that accompanies an apprentice jockey's first win in North America: A gleeful mob of riders and valets douse the grinning newbie with water, shaving cream, boot polish, toothpaste, shampoo, eggs, and whatever other gooey substances can be found in the jocks' room or kitchen. Martinez's celebratory bath was no different. But his backstory certainly is. For starters, he's 30 years old and has only been riding horses for 3 1/2 years despite having spent a childhood in a family of racetrackers on the now-defunct New England circuit. In addition, as a teenager, Martinez drifted away from the sport-and for a brief while, his family. He reconnected with both after figuring out, in his words, “that horses really do bring people together.” “In Boston, I grew up in the 'hood,” Martinez said. “I come from poverty, so it feels nice to, like, be someone now in life. And if feels good to know that my parents are really, really happy for me, and my family supports me in everything I do. I thought I was lost at 20 years old.” 'You're going to be a jockey…' Martinez's father, also named Francisco, has worked for decades in the stable of trainer Mike Aro. When Aro was based primarily at Rockingham Park and Suffolk Downs, the younger Martinez recalls that he and his two younger brothers were always welcome under the shed row, where they got acquainted with racehorses from infancy. In the early 2000s, the Martinez boys carried their equine enthusiasm home, where they were fond of watching the nightly televised Suffolk replay show while “riding” the arms of the couch with their dad's leather belts strapped to the furniture as reins. Those pretend stretch battles did not exactly thrill their mother, Maria Rodriguez. “My Mom would be like, 'What are you guys breaking down the couch for?'” Martinez reminisced. “And I would say, 'We're learning. We're riding.” Martinez was allowed to do some hotwalking in the summers before he got out of grade school, and he gained a reputation for being able to handle difficult horses, even as a child. “Especially the crazy ones. I used to get along with them really good,” Martinez said with pride. He occasionally would be permitted to get up on horseback, but not beyond the shed row. Martinez vividly recalls one of Aro's primary jockeys at the time, Michel Lapensee, giving him early encouragement. “Mike Lapensee once threw his helmet and vest on me and put me up on a horse in Mikey Aro's barn and said, 'You're going to be a jockey when you grow up,'” Martinez recalled. Decades later, that prediction resonates with poignancy: Lapensee died at age 58 in 2005 after a fall during a race at Suffolk. But as Martinez grew into his teenage years, his interest in racing became eclipsed by a passion for soccer. He got recruited to play for a statewide team in Massachusetts. At roughly the same time though, his father decided to follow a job offer to Parx when the Aro outfit relocated to Pennsylvania. This was a few years after Rockingham ceased Thoroughbred racing in 2002 and more than a decade before Suffolk would close in 2019. “It was just me, my mom, and my two brothers back home,” Martinez said. “Then I broke my three last toes on my right foot, and I just couldn't get back into soccer shape. Every time I tried to run, I couldn't run. I'd fall or trip or something because I had no feeling there yet. And I kind of got mad and got away from it. Then I started hanging around the streets a lot. I got distant from everybody. I dropped out of school.” Martinez has an uncle, Ruben Rodriguez, who had worked for standings-topping New England trainer Charlie Assimakopoulos. But Rodriguez left the backstretch life to take on construction work when that outfit also relocated as the New England circuit dissolved. Seeing that his nephew was in danger of going adrift, Rodriguez got him a job as a construction laborer in Boston. But Martinez didn't really relish the work and had a nagging feeling something was missing. His dad phoned one day. “What are you going to do with your life?” he asked his son point-blank. “Honestly, I was going to call you to come back to the horses,” Martinez told his father. “Because that's all I've known since I was little.” So Martinez followed his father to Pennsylvania. Eventually, his younger brothers took jobs at Parx as well. Luis, the middle sibling, is now an assistant for Ron Dandy, another transplanted New England trainer. Juan, the youngest, is an exercise rider. Asked approximately when he made that move to Parx, Martinez rattles off the exact date: Dec. 15, 2012. “I remember it because it was the best thing I ever did in my life,” Martinez said. 'Never too late to start' Aro took him on as a hotwalker, but Martinez had lost some muscle memory for the job after being away from horses for a decade. “I had to basically learn everything again,” Martinez explained. “Because from 10 years old to 19 years old, I hadn't done anything with horses. I hadn't been around them. But I always had a really good connection with them.” Later in the 2010s, Martinez worked as a groom for trainer Scott Lake. In the summer of 2020, he learned that he and his high school sweetheart were going to become the parents of a baby girl, and this got him thinking about trying to get a better-paying racetrack job. Juan kept pestering his brother to get on horseback and get licensed. One day Martinez accompanied Juan to a local farm where he exercised horses. The farm's trainer had heard that the older Martinez brother wanted to give riding a shot, so he handed Martinez a helmet and gave him a leg up on a massive Quarter Horse nicknamed Gorilla because of his size and strength. “At that farm, it takes four rounds to jog a mile,” Martinez said. “By the third round my hands were asleep, and I thought he was going to run off with me. But when I laid back, he relaxed. And the more I did that, the more he got along with me.” The trainer told him no other rider had ever had such kinship with Gorilla. “What I like about you was you didn't panic, you didn't get scared, you stayed on the horse so he could do his job,” Martinez said the farm's trainer told him. Back at Parx, Martinez's father had acquired three of his own horses that he cared for in addition to his work for Aro. Although initially reluctant to let his son get licensed and jog them, he relented. At age 27, after a lifetime at the races, Martinez took his first twirl around the track on horseback. Soon after, someone from John Servis's barn approached Martinez, complimented his style, and asked who he worked for. Martinez said he only got aboard his dad's three horses. The Servis outfit was looking for a galloper, but would let him start learning that skill by jogging. It was a Thursday-could he start on Monday? “I can start today if you need me,” Martinez beamed by way of reply. Martinez credits Servis with teaching him to gallop and breeze horses the right way for the last 3 1/2 years. “I turned into his main two-minute-licker,” Martinez said. “I hit every exact second that he asked me. He'd test me-1:56, 1:58-and I'd hit them. He told me, 'Kid, you've got a clock in your head.'” Francisco Martinez receives the “initiation” celebration after capturing his first career win | EQUI-PHOTO. It was also Servis who nominated Martinez to ride in the Amateur Riders Club of America series at Delaware and Laurel. Those are pari-mutuel races in which riders are allowed to tack higher weights well into the 130-plus pound range. Martinez won the very first amateur race he attempted, on Oct. 6, 2022, at Delaware aboard Boffo Kid (Friesan Fire), who won by a neck with a furious late drive in an off-the-turf route. “I was just so happy to be in the race that I forgot to put on my goggles,” Martinez said with a laugh. “I was just getting hit with dirt, dirt, dirt. At the three-quarters pole I said, “Should I bring my goggles down?' And I was like, 'Nah, I gallop like this every morning. I'll just leave them off.” He competed in that series through 2023, winning two of seven races over two years. The amateur jockeys do not get awarded any purse money, and although Equibase lists the wins on their lifetime records, the victories don't count against an apprenticeship if a rider does turn pro. At Parx, Martinez also got a taste of true horsepower during that time. When trainer Bob Baffert shipped Reincarnate (Good Magic) and Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) to run in a pair of Grade I stakes there, Servis recommended Martinez to get on them in the mornings. As 2024 neared, Martinez knew it was now or never for taking his shot at being a jockey. Friends in the Parx riding colony were asking him what he was waiting for. His main concerns were getting his weight down from 118 to 110 without resorting to unhealthy measures, and dealing with the loss of steady income from exercising horses. As a jockey, he would still be getting aboard horses in the mornings, only now he'd have to do it for free in exchange for the never-certain prospect of getting mounts on them in the afternoons. When Martinez told Servis what he was planning to do, the trainer further complicated the decision by saying he had just been about to offer Martinez an assistant's job. “I told John, 'I want to try this, because if I don't do it, I'm going to regret it,'” Martinez said. Martinez cut down his weight via diet and intense gym sessions, and February was supposed to be his target to start riding in races. Then his brother Juan broke five ribs in a training accident when his saddle slipped sideways trying to pull up a rank horse, and Martinez delayed his debut. “He got stuck next to the rail,” Martinez said. “But Juan says the rail saved his life, because if not, that horse would have been dragging him on the ground.” Martinez finally rode in his first race six weeks ago. He was 11th and last and didn't hit the board for a week, but was not deterred. When Martinez hit the winner's circle Apr. 10, it unlocked more opportunities. After initially hustling his own mounts without an agent, Martinez has since teamed with Richard Englander, who has him booked on 18 mounts at Parx this Monday through Wednesday, plus two more at Aqueduct on Thursday. “I'd been wanting to do this since I was little, but I never got the chance,” Martinez said. “And now that I'm doing it, I want to get everything out that I always wanted to get out. Every time I ride I try to give my all. It doesn't matter if the horse is a long shot, what the odds are. If I get along with the horse, I'm at peace with my heart.” Although Martinez said he has accepted some good-natured ribbing about being a rookie at age 30, he replies pensively when asked what his advice would be to others looking to fulfill a difficult dream later in life. “It's never too late to start,” Martinez said. “God is always, always open to anybody, and He will push you if you talk to Him. That's one thing that I have learned and believe in. And I believe that thanks to Him, I'm on the right track now.” The post Week In Review: A 30-Year-Old Bugboy’s First Win: ‘The One You Least Expect’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

While several Kentucky Derby 150 contenders had regular training sessions Sunday morning, Japan's undefeated hope MGSW Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) made his first appearance on the Churchill Downs main track since arriving early Saturday morning. Conditioned by Yoshito Yahagi and under rider Yusaku Oka, the colt jogged in the one-mile chute for about 20 minutes before taking a 1 1/8-mile gallop in the early hours. Shortly after at 7:30am, GSW Honor Marie (Honor Code) worked in company with stablemate Anthem King (Bolt d'Oro), the pair breezing a half-mile in :48.80 with the former claiming a slight edge passing the wire. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:02. “He did it the right way, easily,” trainer Whit Beckman said. “We didn't want to do a ton this week and he seemed to do it well. He's the type of horse that will always do what you ask of him. I always thought it was good to have a workmate next to him, to just give him a little encouragement.” Other contenders who went through their paces on track Sunday morning include GSW Track Phantom (Quality Road), MGSW Dornoch (Good Magic), and GSP Society Man (Good Magic) while D. Wayne Lukas's SW & GISP Just Steel (Justify) is expected to have his first training session over the Churchill Downs surface, since winning the local Ed Brown S. last November, Monday morning. The post Forever Young Takes First Churchill Gallop, Honor Marie Breezes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Justin Milano (Jpn) lowered the track record as he came out on top in a stirring finish to Sunday's G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) at Nakayama Racecourse, adding the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown to a record which now sees him unbeaten in three starts. Keita Tosaki settled Justin Milano in fifth place in the early stages as Meisho Tabaru (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}) took the field along at a fierce gallop, racing a few lengths clear of the chasing pack. Jantar Mantar (Jpn) (Palace Malice), who was crowned champion Japanese two-year-old colt in 2023, raced in third for much of the race and was the first to make his bid for glory when surging past Meisho Tabaru early in the straight. However, Jantar Mantar was unable to sustain his run and lost two places close home as both Justin Milano and Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn) (Al Ain {Jpn}) went by him, with Tosaki's mount digging deep to get the verdict by a neck. Jantar Mantar was half a length further back in third, while the disappointment of the race was G1 Hopeful S. winner Regaleira (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}), who could finish only sixth having been sent off favourite in her bid to become the first filly to win the race for 76 years. It was a second victory in the Satsuki Sho for Justin Milano's trainer Yasuo Tomomichi after that of Unrivaled (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}) in 2009, while Tosaki had also tasted success in the race just once before with 2018 winner Epoca d'Oro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}). “Given the condition of the track, I thought that it would be better to race toward the front,” said Tosaki. “He broke well and we were able to settle in that position naturally. The pace was fast but Justin Milano ran in his own rhythm. His response weakened a bit at the third corner, but he regained his focus after the fourth corner and stretched well to win the race. He's a smart horse with a lot of potential. He's easy to ride and I think he can handle the longer distance.” The next leg of the Japanese Triple Crown is the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), which is run over 2400 metres and was won by Justin Milano's sire, Kizuna (Jpn), back in 2013. The 2024 edition of the Tokyo Yushun will be run at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday, May 26. Justin Milano is already a dual winner at Tokyo having won both his previous starts at that track. He made a winning debut as a two-year-old there in November before returning in February with victory in the G3 Kyodo News Hai (Tokinominoru Kinen), beating Jantar Mantar by a length and a half. Epsom Derby entrant Justin Milano got up late on in the Grade One Satsuki Sho earlier this morning! #ジャスティン・ミラノ #日本の競馬 pic.twitter.com/A3FS9jDjk7 — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 14, 2024 Pedigree Notes Justin Milano is a third Group 1 winner for Shadai Stallion Station resident Kizuna, who won only once at the top level himself when landing the 2013 Tokyo Yushun, though he did perform with credit when travelling to Europe later in his three-year-old campaign, winning the G2 Prix Niel before finishing a creditable fourth behind Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. His standout performer before Justin Milano was Songline (Jpn), who notably won back-to-back renewals of the G1 Yasuda Kinen in 2022 and 2023, while another daughter, Akai Ito (Jpn), won the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in 2021. Justin Milano's dam, Margot Did (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), showed her best form at up to seven furlongs in Britain, with her biggest success coming over five in the 2011 G1 Nunthorpe S. at York. Justin Milano is the second Group 1 winner and third black-type performer she has produced at stud. Magic Attitude (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) became her dam's first top-level winner in the 2020 G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational S., while her first foal was the G2 Prix de Sandringham winner Mission Impassible (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who also filled the runner-up spot in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. as a three-year-old. Margot Did's own dam, Special Dancer (GB) (Shareef Dancer), was a winner in Italy at up to a mile and a half, as well as being a half-sister to the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup runner-up Floral Dynamite (Aus) (Danehill) and the G3 Meld S. winner Cajarian (Shahrastani). Sunday, Nakayama, Japan SATSUKI SHO (JAPANESE 2000 GUINEAS)-G1, ¥417,520,000, Nakayama, 4-14, 3yo, c/f, 2000mT, 1:57.10 (NTR), fm. 1–JUSTIN MILANO (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Kizuna (Jpn) 1st Dam: Margot Did (Ire) (Hwt. Filly-Eng at 5-7f, G1SW-Eng, $425,664), by Exceed And Excel (Aus) 2nd Dam: Special Dancer (GB), by Shareef Dancer 3rd Dam: Caraniya (Ire), by Darshaan (GB) 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Masahiro Miki; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Yasuo Tomomichi; J-Keita Tosaki; ¥226,264,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, ¥274,821,000. *Half to Mission Impassible (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), GSW & G1SP-Fr, GISP-NA, $311,814; Magic Attitude (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), GSW & G1SP-Fr, GISW-NA, $439,402. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A++. 2–Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn), 126, c, 3, by Al Ain (Jpn)–Southern Speed (Aus), by Southern Image. O-Big Red Farm; B-Big Red Farm (Jpn); ¥87,504,000. 3–Jantar Mantar (Jpn), 126, c, 3, by Palace Malice–India Mantuana, by Wilburn. O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); ¥53,752,000. Margins: Neck, HF, 1 HF. Odds: 3.80, 14.80, 5.10. Also ran: Urban Chic (Jpn), Shin Emperor (Fr), Regaleira (Jpn), Ecoro Waltz (Jpn), Lucullan Feast (Jpn), Sunrize Zipangu (Jpn), Mr G T (Jpn), Ho O Prosangue (Jpn), Sunrise Earth (Jpn), Byzantine Dream (Jpn), Sirius Colt (Jpn), Allegro Brillante (Jpn), Water Licht (Jpn), Meisho Tabaru (Jpn). Scratch: Danon Decile (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. The post Justin Milano Remains Unbeaten With Satsuki Sho Victory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

No More Time, winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) and runner-up in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), is off the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail after sustaining an injury at the end of his April 14 breeze at Palm Meadows Training Center.View the full article

Kentucky Derby hopeful GSW No More Time (Not This Time) returned from a breeze Sunday morning with an injury which will knock him out of the GI Kentucky Derby, announced the colt's owner Rich Mendez, the founder of Morplay Racing, on X. The account stated in a release that there are still plans to head to Churchill Downs later in the week as well as provided a positive prognosis for a future return to the track. “Less than 24 hours after officially qualifying for the Kentucky Derby, No More Time unfortunately suffered an injury Sunday morning during his final controlled breeze and plans to head to Churchill Downs later this week,” Mendez wrote in the release. “Our team at Morplay Racing is clearly devastated by the news, but we are thankful No More Time should be able to make a full recovery and be back on the track soon.” He continued, “We want to thank trainer Jose D'Angelo and our entire team that gave us this incredible ride over the last year, and we're now turning our attention and focus to getting No More Time healthy and better than ever.” The post No More Time Injured, Out of Kentucky Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Australian horse racing woke on Sunday to devastating news from the Bondi attack on Saturday. Breeder and owner John Singleton's daughter Dawnie Singleton and G1 Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip's (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) part-owner Kerry Good's daughter Ash Good have been confirmed as two of the six victims. Ash Good's nine month-old daughter, who was also wounded in the attack, is in a stable condition. The post Racing Families Devastated By Bondi Mall Attack appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Gifted an ideal lead in Sunday's G3 Prix de Fontainebleau, Aurelien Lemaitre took full advantage to steer Nurlan Bizakov's Ramadan (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}–Raushan {Ire}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) to success in the key G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains trial. Race-fit having registered a five-length success in the Listed Prix Omnium II at Saint-Cloud last month, the Christopher Head-trained homebred who had been fourth in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud last term ticked off honest fractions on the front end before kicking in early straight. Getting the jump on the returning TDN Rising Star Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) there, the 6-4 favourite had extra to give as that chief market rival paid late for having to accelerate harder to close. At the line, Ramadan had 3/4 of a length to spare over him, with the same margin back to the re-opposing Omnium runner-up Grey Man (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who narrowed the gap between him and the winner. The sectionals were faster at every step than the Grotte, suggesting that the winner made it a relative test by French trial standards. “The better the ground, the better the horse, I would say,” Bizakov said. “It is emotional for me, because he is by Le Havre, who is no longer with us and I bought the mare from Lady O'Reilly, who is no longer with us. For sure he deserves to be in the Poulains and we'll go there with an open mind. He'll stay the Jockey Club distance too.” 𝗥𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗻 (@lemaitre60LA / @CHeadRacing) repousse les assauts de 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗿 dans le Prix de Fontainebleau à @paris_longchamp Il rejoint notamment 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗴 et 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 au palmarès de ce Groupe 3 pic.twitter.com/18BCzeHaBv — Equidia (@equidia) April 14, 2024 The post Fontainebleau Success For Le Havre’s Ramadan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It is 16 years since The Aga Khan enjoyed the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches-G1 Prix de Diane double with Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar) and there was a genuine sense at ParisLongchamp on Sunday that he has a live prospect for a repeat. While the afternoon's G3 Prix de la Grotte winner Candala (Fr) (Frankel {GB}–Candarliya {Fr}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) can not yet be placed in the same bracket as that former luminary, the manner of her re-entry suggests that she is going to be one of the season's leading lights among her sex. Anchored with only the slow-starting G1 Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Rose Bloom (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) behind early by Mickael Barzalona, the 29-10 favourite who was last seen winning a Chantilly conditions event in September by four lengths delivered a telling surge in the straight to overhaul the 13-1 shot Minoushka (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) close home for a short-neck success, with the G3 Prix des Reservoirs winner Tulipa Chope (Fr) (Born To Sea {Ire}) a length away in third. According to France Galop, her finishing splits were 11.94, 10.98 and 11.41 confirming that she has the acceleration to win the course-and-distance mile Classic in four weeks' time, which is notable considering her stamina-packed pedigree that points to her being much more of a Diane or Oaks filly. “I was impatient to see her back at the races, but equally I was not in too much of a hurry as the ground has been very bad so far and also it took her some time to come in her coat and blossom,” explained trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, who had earlier saddled the owner-breeder's Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) to success in the G3 Prix Noailles. “So a nice day like today with drier ground was ideal for a seasonal debut and it was the plan to use waiting tactics, as I know she can quicken. She had run well here first time out last year, won well on her second start and had always showed us good things. I'd imagine the Poule d'Essai will be next. She has every right to be at the start and it will be a test, but we also think that she'll stay further.” 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗮 (@mickaelbarzalon / @GraffardRacing / @AgaKhanStuds) brille dans le Prix de la Grotte (Gr.3) à @paris_longchamp Elle succède à 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝘾𝙚𝙣 au palmarès de cette épreuve Minoushka (@CYLerner) Tulipa Chope (S. Wattel) pic.twitter.com/0vmc222ZMO — Equidia (@equidia) April 14, 2024 The post Frankel’s Candala Burns Bright At ParisLongchamp appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Francis-Henri Graffard trainee Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}–Calayana {Fr}, by Sinndar {Ire}) finished 3-4-of-a-length behind Bright Picture (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) in Saint-Cloud's Listed Prix Francois Mathet last month and exacted revenge on that rival in Sunday's G3 Prix Noailles at ParisLongchamp. The Aga Khan's homebred gelding was out twice as a 2-year-old, following up an Aug. 12 debut third at Deauville with a facile 10-length tally at Chantilly in October. Calandagan tucked in at the tail of the field after breaking from the outside stall and was urged closer once into the home straight. Making headway to launch his challenge with 300 metres remaining, the 13-5 second favourite gained an edge soon after and found extra under continued rousting inside the final furlong to defeat Bright Picture by an ultimately comfortable 1 3/4 lengths. Francois Mathet third Trafalgar Square (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) made it a gelding trifecta and ran on well in the closing stages to finish 1 1/2 lengths adrift in third. “He had come on a lot from his first run this year and I was expecting a good performance,” revealed Graffard. “It was the plan to ride him [from behind] like that, as he can be keen, but he also has a strong acceleration. I like how he behaved when he was challenged by the favourite [Bright Picture], he dug in and found more. I have no idea what will be next. He is a gelding so Classics are not for him, but he is a Group winner now and that is a good point.” Pedigree Notes Calandagan, who becomes the 23rd pattern-race scorer for his sire (by Galileo {Ire}), is the second foal and leading performer from two winners produced by G3 Prix Minerve second Calayana (Fr) (Sinndar {Ire}), herself a granddaughter of Listed Prix Isola Bella second Clodovina (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). Clodovina, in turn, is the dam of GI Belmont Derby Invitational runner-up Canndal (Fr) (Medicean {GB}). She is also kin to G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains-winning sire Clodovil (Ire) (Danehill), GSW GI Arlington Million third Colombian (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) and to the dam of G1 SA Derby hero Aragosta (SAf) (Rafeef {Aus}). The January-foaled homebred bay is half to a 2-year-old filly by New Bay (GB) and a yearling filly by Zarak (Fr). Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France PRIX NOAILLES-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-14, 3yo, 10 1/2fT, 2:13.56, vsf. 1–CALANDAGAN (IRE), 128, g, 3, by Gleneagles (Ire) 1st Dam: Calayana (Fr) (GSP-Fr), by Sinndar (Ire) 2nd Dam: Clariyn (Fr), by Acclamation (GB) 3rd Dam: Clodovina (Ire), by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (IRE); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Stephane Pasquier. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-1, €70,500. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Bright Picture (Fr), 128, g, 3, Intello (Ger)–Lucy The Painter (Ire), by Excellent Art (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€72,000 Ylg '22 ARQOCT). O-Wertheimer & Frere; B-J P Carrington (FR); T-Andre Fabre. €16,000. 3–Trafalgar Square (Fr), 128, g, 3, Kendargent (Fr)–See You Always (GB), by Siyouni (Fr). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€80,000 Ylg '22 ARQAUG). O-Ecurie Hugo et Pierre Pilarski & Gousserie Racing; B-Ecurie X (FR); T-Patrice Cottier. €12,000. Margins: 1 3/4, 1HF, 2. Odds: 2.60, 1.30, 16.00. Also Ran: Casapueblo (Ire), Sibayan (Fr), Black Run (Fr), Golden West (GB). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Calandagan Outpoints Noailles Rivals in Paris appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer enjoys his best day at the races in almost a year, landing a 338-1 double thanks to wins from debutants Thunder Blink and Lo Pan SpiritView the full article

Italian jockey back in the winner’s enclosure 24 hours after successful hit-and-run raid in AustraliaView the full article

Newmarket's Craven meeting could just as well be called Anticipation Week. Anticipation is climbing the steps of a venerated football stadium for a night game to find the floodlights blazing and the grass slick and lush. It's the bounce of the England cricket team down the pavilion steps to start an Ashes series. It's checking your tickets the day before Wimbledon tennis starts or standing just after dawn beside the first tee at an Open Championship or Masters. It's not about what you know. It's about all the things you don't know. Or don't know yet, because there is no script. A venue, a tradition, a hum of expectation, yes, but no script. Unlike cinema or the theatre, nobody wrote what you are about to see. You scan the horizon of pleasures still to come with a preferred outcome, certainly, but no guarantees. In books and films the whodunnit is already decided. In sport the who-will win-it is a thing of intrigue. It's the unknowable. What I'm describing here, in racing terms, is 'Craven week,' the Newmarket fixture that ends the strange hiatus between the Lincoln meeting at Doncaster and the 'real' start of a Flat racing campaign, on the Rowley Mile course. It's not about what you know. It's about all the things you don't know. Or don't know yet, because there is no script. The Grand National meeting bisects the cutting of the start-line ribbon at Donny and the unleashing of the first wave of Classic contenders at Newmarket, in a week when everything feels possible, and dreams are unbruised by reality. And in Flat racing, anticipation week is centuries old. The Craven was first run in 1771 and evolved over two hundred years into the pre-eminent 2,000 Guineas trial. In 1869 it was reduced from 10 furlongs to eight. Eight years later it was restricted to three-year-olds. Modern training is a scientific, data-driven trade, so colts often go straight to the Guineas without a prep run. City of Troy and Rosallion – the first two in the market – will arrive on May 4 without form in the book as three-year-olds. Yet the Craven is still the race that tells you spring has sprung, the Classic race scramble has begun, and that 2024's contenders are about to be reclassified as champs, nearly-horses and also-rans. In the history of the colts' Classics, the evidence trail still starts with the Craven. Six years ago Masar beat the odds-on Roaring Lion and went on to win the Derby. Roaring Lion proceeded to win four Group 1s. Curiously the last horse to compete the Craven-2,000 Guineas double was Haafhd in 2004, an anomaly that is due correction. Eminent (2017), Native Khan (2011) and Adagio (2007) are among those for whom winning the Craven was largely an end, rather than a beginning. No modern Craven meeting has produced a more lasting declaration than that of Dancing Brave in 1986. His defeat of Henry Cecil's pair Faraway Dancer and Mashkour was emphatic enough but the ground was too soft to offer a promise of the beauty to come: victories in the 2,000 Guineas, Eclipse, King George and Arc to earn an official rating of 141, the highest ever awarded to a horse at that time. The first big fillies' trial of the season, the Nell Gwyn Stakes, can also be revelatory. In a mini golden era from 1984 to 1986 it was won by Pebbles (1,000 Guineas, Eclipse, Champion Stakes, Breeders' Cup Turf), Oh So Sharp (1,000 Guineas, Oaks, St Leger) and Sonic Lady (Irish 1,000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes, Sussex Stakes, Prix du Moulin.) The British crave spring and hints of summer delights particularly keenly. It feels as if it has been raining in the UK since November. Racing folk ask Craven week to lift the grey blanket off their heads. They want equine coats to gleam and the sun to glint off silks. Trainers, stable staff and jockeys will see hints from the gallops tested on the racecourse. Lazy types will be transformed and 'morning wonders' may flop when they step on the track. With Craven week, there are clues and promise but no certainties. After Newmarket the auditions roll on to Newbury, to the Greenham and Fred Darling. The two Guineas races come less than three weeks after the Newmarket and Newbury trials – a timetable more compressed than you might imagine, considering that these are three-year-olds emerging from hibernation. Everything is up for grabs, and everyone wants to grab it, especially after a gruelling, soggy winter. The not knowing is part of the thrill. There are champions on the scroll of Nell Gwyn and Craven winners but there are also winners you struggle to remember. It's not possible for a 'bad' horse to win either race, but eminently possible for the victory to lead nowhere. Twelve months ago Indestructible beat The Foxes in the Craven but has not won since. In Anticipation Week stars will emerge, reality checks will abound, hopes will be dashed and question marks will be scattered. But the 2024 Flat season will be in full swing. It's not just the horses who burst from the stalls at Newmarket. We do too. The post The Unscripted Delighted of Anticipation Week appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

At his second meeting back after nearly three months on the sidelines, the star jockey steers Baby Crystal and Holy Lake to victory on SundayView the full article

Dog Penalties KNOW STAMINA | Christchurch 8 April; failed to pursue the lure; stood down for 28 days and must complete trial. OPAWA GORDON | Christchurch 12 April; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. OPAWA BRANDY | Christchurch 12 April; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. General Race 1 at Christchurch GRC of 11 April was declared a no-race when the lure was stopped in the interests of safety. The post 8-14 April 2024 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Rider Penalties H McNeill | Non-raceday dated 11 April; rode with prohibited substance in system; suspended 26 March – 30 April inclusive and costs of $187.50. O Bosson | Auckland 10 April; careless riding; suspended 26 April – 2 May inclusive. C Lahoud | Auckland 10 April; medical clearance required. K Myers | Otaki-Maori 13 April; use of whip; suspended 21-28 April inclusive. K Chowdhoory | Canterbury 13 April; careless riding; suspended 21-27 April inclusive. S Wynne | Canterbury 13 April; use of whip; suspended 21 April – 1 May inclusive. A Goindasamy | Canterbury 13 April; use of whip; fined $500. L Hemi | Canterbury 13 April; use of whip; fined $500. C Butler | Waikato 14 April; use of whip; suspended 22 April – 3 May inclusive. M Hashizume | Waikato 14 April; use of whip; fined $500. Trainer Penalties A Hewitson | Non-raceday dated 12 April; had prohibited substance in system; suspended 21 March – 3 May inclusive and costs of $187.50. C Isdale | Auckland 10 April; neglect in saddling; fined $300. B & R Foote | Otaki-Maori 13 April; late rider declaration; fined $100. S Kennedy & A Furlong | Canterbury 13 April; incorrect saddlecloth; fined $50. S Marsh | Waikato 14 April; late rider declaration; fined $100. Horse Penalties SENOR PEDRO | Canterbury 13 April; bled; stood down for 3 months and veterinary clearance required. REDEMPTION | Canterbury 13 April; late scratching after becoming fractious in barriers; must complete 2 trials. General The Auckland TR meeting of 10 April was abandoned after Race 3 due to an unsafe track. The post 8-14 April 2024 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Western Australia owner Bob Peters added another chapter to his success as an owner when Affluential (NZ) (Zed) gave him his first jumps winner from his first runner at Pakenham when he won the Ecycles Solutions Maiden Hurdle (3200m). Affluential, trained by John Leek, also has the distinction of being a brother to the ill-fated champion Verry Elleegant, who unfortunately passed away in February when giving birth to her foal. “That’s a great tribute to Verry Elleegant. Like her, he would run through a brick wall but on the flat he was a maiden,” Peters said. “I said to John the time had come to put him over the jumps as he couldn’t win a maiden. That’s why I sent him over to him from here.” Peters said it was a great thrill to have won a jumps race as he had always enjoyed that aspect of horse racing. “I’ve always loved the jumps and I liked it when I was hunting when I rode.” Peters said he had also noticed that another brother Verry Flash had shown ability as a jumper in New Zealand. Affluential was sold by Grangewilliam Stud at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Sale for $140,000 to John Chalmers Bloodstock Services. View the full article

Two-year-old filly Star Shadow (NZ) (Reliable Man) made an impressive winning debut at Otaki when she came from last on the home corner to take out the McMillan Equine Feeds 2YO (1300m). The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-prepared daughter of Reliable Man had looked a handy type in her three placed runs at the trials before making her debut on Saturday, with punters installing her as the $3.50 second favourite behind Ballon d’Or ($2) in the five-horse field. Rider Wiremu Pinn allowed the Fortuna Bloodstock-owned filly to find her feet early on and only began to get serious as the leaders approached the home bend. Ballon d’Or looked to be cruising at that point however Star Shadow quickly joined issue and the pair set down to a serious dogfight that went in favour of Star Shadow by a half head with Brilliant Battle finishing on nicely to take third. “It was a great ride by Wiremu as he let her find her feet early on,” said Te Akau Racing Manager Reece Trumper. “He’s a kid who is riding a lot of work for us at home and he deserves these opportunities. “Also well done to John Galvin of Fortuna Bloodstock as it has been a while between drinks to get a winner for him and this is great as he has been a big supporter of our stable.” Trumper believes Star Shadow, who was a $35,000 purchase by Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis in conjunction with Galvin from the Book 2 sale at Karaka in 2023, will be best when stepping out over even further than the 1300m she faced today. “She is bred to cope with a wet track and the further she gets, the better she will get,” he said. “What we do now I’m not sure but there are stakes races coming up in both the south and north islands or we might tip her out and give her a good three-year-old season.” Bred by Westbury Stud owner Gerry Harvey, Star Shadow is raced by the Star Shadow Fortuna Syndicate and is out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Scene Queen who comes from a family that extends back to northern hemisphere Group One performers Fitnah, Caponi and former Waikato Stud-based stallion No Excuse Needed. The win also brought up an early double for Pinn who had taken out race one in impressive fashion aboard the Lauren Brennan-trained Asgard (NZ) (Almanzor). View the full article

The Hottie (NZ) (Swiss Ace) produced an ideal prelude to next Saturday’s Listed Great Easter Stakes (1400m) with a dominant display down the chute at Riccarton Park on Saturday. The mare’s Taranaki trainer Robbie Patterson had initially planned on trialling her at Foxton on Tuesday before heading south for next weekend’s feature, but a decision to contest the Angus Meats Open Handicap (1200m) paid dividends. In the hands of Courtney Barnes, The Hottie jumped positively from an inside draw (2), and remained in close quarters to the leaders in Emanon and Spartan, the latter closing a $3.10 race-favourite ahead of Patterson’s mare ($4.70). Successful twice previously on soft ground, The Hottie had swept to the lead by the 200m in the rain-affected conditions, and put two-and-a-half lengths on well-performing mare The Radiant One and Spartan in a comprehensive winning effort. Patterson was pleasantly surprised with the early speed from the daughter of Swiss Ace, and praised the efforts of Barnes. “I wasn’t expecting her to be that handy, I just hoped she would finish the race off well ahead of going 1400m next week,” he said. “It was a great ride, Courtney got her up in a good position as she’s normally a stride slow. She’s got a good affinity with our horses, and has good hands. “I had planned to trial her at Foxton on Tuesday but thought we may as well run for money, so it was just a trial for her today, and definitely a good one. “She got the job done, bring on next Saturday.” Raced in the yellow-and-black silks of co-breeder and part-owner Eddie Bourke, The Hottie has earned $138,495 in stakes with five victories from 14 attempts. Closer to his New Plymouth base, Patterson prepared talented gallopers The Fearless One and Contribute to fill the minor placings behind Group One-performer Lightning Jack in the Cavallo Farms & Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1600m). Patterson was pleased with their efforts considering that the track (Heavy 8) was not in favour of either, and confirmed Contribute will press onto the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) on April 27. “Craig (Grylls, jockey) said the track was just too heavy for Contribute, but she’ll go up to the Travis Stakes and we’re looking forward to getting her back on a good track at Te Rapa,” he said. “It was a good run by The Fearless One, because he doesn’t like the off ground either. We’ll pick out as good a track we can find in the early part of autumn and winter, then get ready for some nice staying races next year. He’s come back really good.” View the full article

Talented four-year-old Mr Mojo Risin’ (NZ) (Deep Field) has recently returned home after a successful stint in Melbourne, and he has wasted no time in making his mark on a New Zealand racetrack. The Andrew Forsman-trained gelding mastered the heavy conditions at Otaki on Saturday to score an impressive victory in the Vets On Riverbank Handicap (1400m). The Rating 75 event was the third win of a 15-start career for Mr Mojo Risin’, who placed in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) and Listed Wanganui Guineas (1340m) as a three-year-old last season. A victory at Avondale on Anzac Day last year was the final New Zealand appearance for 11 months for Mr Mojo Risin’, whose next eight starts were in Victoria and included a win at Moonee Valley in November, along with a third at Kyneton and fourths at Sandown and Geelong. The son of Deep Field returned to New Zealand with a close fourth at Ellerslie on March 9, finishing 2.9 lengths behind the subsequent black-type performer Provence. Second-up at Otaki on Saturday, Mr Mojo Risin’ was back in the winning groove. Mr Mojo Risin’ was a 59.5kg topweight for the $35,000 race, but apprentice jockey Triston Moodley’s 3kg claim reduced that impost to a more manageable 56.5kg. Moodley had his mount prominently positioned in fourth before surging past Lincoln Falls and Sir Sterling in the straight for an emphatic half-length victory. “That was a nice performance to see second-up,” Forsman said. “He had a bit of weight relief today, which definitely helped him in those conditions. But he’d performed well in stakes company in testing ground before, so we were expecting him to get through it okay today and he did a very good job.” Bred and raced by Jomara Bloodstock, Mr Mojo Risin’ has now had 15 starts for three wins, four placings and $146,644 in stakes. “We don’t have any specific plans with him now,” Forsman said. “We brought him back home from Melbourne, where he’d been running well, but we just thought he wouldn’t be suited to having too many more runs on firm tracks. Those metropolitan tracks on Saturdays often don’t have a huge amount of give in the ground. “But it’s good to get the win today, and we’ll get him home and take it from there.” Forsman’s Otaki team on Saturday also included Sporting Chance (Dundeel), who finished a gallant third behind Testify Me in the Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m). “He went well,” Forsman said. “He just got caught in the worst of the ground from his inside gate. There wasn’t much Wiremu (Pinn, jockey) could do about that. But I thought he was very brave down the straight.” View the full article

War Machine eases to victory in the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m) on Saturday. Photo: Scott Barbour (Racing Photos) A tough week for Ballymore Stables ended on a positive note after New Zealand-bred three-year-old War Machine ran away with the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m) on Saturday under the guidance of Jordan Childs. It had been a week since his trainer Mike Moroney was admitted to hospital and his long-serving right-hand man Anthony Feroce said the Guineas success will provide the trainer with a great boost. “It’s been a tough few days for everyone at the stable and so this is a great tonic,” Feroce said after the son of Harry Angel ran clear to score at odds of +320 with horse racing bookmakers. “The team has been terrific. Everyone back in the stables here and in New Zealand have been head down and bum up, so it’s been fantastic. “Mike would be so happy. It’s just a great tonic for everybody. We bought him in New Zealand as a tried horse and its very special. “I would just like to say, to everybody thanks for all the wishes that we’ve been receiving from all over the world about Mike. “He’s hanging in there and doing well so hopefully we’ll see him back at the track really soon.” Feroce said he wasn’t sure whether Moroney would have seen the race. “I’m not sure as he’s still in intensive care so when he comes out, he’ll have some good news waiting.” Feroce said War Machine could now go north to Queensland to seek black-type over the winter carnival after winning his third race on end, following his maiden win at Kyneton and a five-length demolition in a class one at Cranbourne. “There is always a possibility of Queensland,” he said. “We’ll have a look and see what’s there. “This time in, he’s just kept improving, His work on the track on Tuesday morning was sensational and it’s great to see him bring that to out here today.” Horse racing news View the full article

Panic scores a narrow victory in the Listed South Pacific Classic (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday. Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au The in-form stable of Michael Freedman notched another stakes success during The Championships when Panic scored a narrow victory in the Listed South Pacific Classic (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday. Freedman sent out Manaal to win the Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and Ducasse to win the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) on Day One of the Championships and was quick to claim further stakes glory on Day Two. A three-year-old son of Time Test, Panic was always prominent throughout under jockey Tommy Berry and dug in late to stave off the challenge of favourite Razors. “It’s been amazing. For a relatively small team to be competing at this level and getting a few winners, it’s a big thrill and a huge credit to the whole team. They’re a great bunch of staff,” Freedman said. “I was getting a little bit anxious that last bit. Tommy made the suggestion that we put a set of winkers on him earlier in the week. He has ridden him a bit and he was a bit wayward at Wyong when he got in front the other day, so credit to Tommy with the gear change. “I would love to eventually see this horse ridden with a bit of cover. When you see what he can do at home when he works off the back of another horse, he’s a nice sort of horse. I think there is more in store for him.” Further stakes options beckon Panic, who has now won four of his six starts and made it back-to-back victories this preparation after winning over 1200m at Wyong. “I will see how he pulls up,” Freedman said. “The Hawkesbury Guineas (Group 3, 1400m) in three weeks’ time is an option or maybe something in Queensland. We will just get through today and have a bit of a think.” Winning jockey Tommy Berry said Panic had been an immature type with good ability. “I thought he was always going to make it up to this grade, I just didn’t think it would be so early with what he has been doing at home,” Berry said. “It’s a great training performance by the team. They have given him that win (at Wyong) to boost his confidence first-up and he has definitely gone on with it now.” Horse racing news View the full article