Wandering Eyes

Charlie Appleby is hoping for another break in the weather ahead of the reappearance of TDN Rising Star Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) in York's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. on Thursday. Last year's G1 Futurity Trophy and G3 Autumn S. winner is a key member of the Derby cast at present, but his obvious preference for softer conditions leads connections into a quandary ahead of this trial. “The ground will be a question mark and we will want the rain to come,” Appleby said. “We know that he is a better horse with ease in the ground, so we will be on weather watch slightly. If it's on the easy side of good, then we will look forward to seeing him run. He has wintered well and we are very happy with him.” Interestingly, Ancient Wisdom was third on ground similar to that prevalent on the Knavesmire on Wednesday in Ascot's Listed Pat Eddery S. last July, where Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and Al Musmak (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) were ahead. The latter went on to win the Listed Ascendant S. and finish runner-up in the G2 Royal Lodge S. and trainer Roger Varian said, “He's a solid horse, he's wintered well and we've been patient with him. This has always been his target and we think 10 furlongs at a track like York will suit him. I think how he runs will point us in a direction. He's in the French Derby, he's in at Epsom and he will have Royal Ascot options. I think he's a nice colt, with a good profile, who should run a good race.” Karl Burke's Guineas contenders failed to fire earlier this month, but there is still hope that Spigot Lodge can have an English Classic winner in 2024. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's impressive Listed Newmarket S. winner Caviar Heights (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is worthy of respect here and his trainer commented, “I wouldn't want it too fast for him, but good ground will be ideal for him. He was good at Newmarket and his form was given a little bit of a boost at the weekend by the horse that won the Lingfield Derby Trial [Ambiente Friendly], that finished behind him first time out in the Feilden. He goes there with a fighting chance and it's a different challenge again, but hopefully he comes through it.” Also over the Dante's extended 10-furlong trip is the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' S., where George Strawbridge's Free Wind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) defends her title against a quintet including the TDN Rising Stars Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) and Infinite Cosmos (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). While the latter only raced once after finishing third in this meeting's G3 Musidora S. last May, when third to the re-opposing Sapphire Seas (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in Yarmouth's Listed John Musker Fillies' S. in September, Juddmonte's Bluestocking took part in a trio of top-level contests. They resulted in second placings in the Irish Oaks and British Champions Fillies & Mares S., but Infinite Cosmos was always going to be a long-term project. Ryan Moore rides Infinite Cosmos and he said, “Free Wind and Bluestocking are obviously the form fillies, but the boss [Sir Michael Stoute] has his horses in good form and hopefully there is plenty more to come from Infinite Cosmos as a four-year-old. You'd hope there is progression in her after just the four starts and she comes into this in good form at home. I think the track will suit her, as will the recent rain.” The post Wisdom Needs Rain for Dante Date appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Roger Varian has suffered a massive blow to his plans for 2024 after stable star King of Steel was found to be lame after working May 14 and will miss his big summer targets.View the full article

Prevalence has not been the most consistent runner, but at his best the 6-year-old Medaglia d'Oro gelding is capable of sprinting with the country's best and he enters the Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3) off of one of those top efforts.View the full article

With the scratch of GISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Muth (Good Magic) from Saturday's GI Preakness S. due to a temperature, Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing, Daniel Hamby III, and Valley View Farm LLC's Mystik Dan (Goldencents) is expected to be the favorite. The GI Kentucky Derby winner galloped 1 3/16 miles on a sloppy, sealed surface Wednesday morning under retired jockey Robby Albarado at Pimlico after the renovation break. “I'm doing a rain dance all this week,” said Albarado. “I'm not saying he has to take a racetrack with him, but we know he gets over it well.” He added: “He felt really good this morning. He was very responsive when I needed him at the sixteenth-pole. I squeezed him a little but just to see if he was there, and he was there. He feels good on all tracks, but there's something about this that he just gets over it easy.” With the withdrawal of Muth, Mystik Dan will now face seven rivals. The final Preakness horse arrived at Pimlico Wednesday morning at 4 a.m. when Mugatu (Blofeld) shipped in from Belterra Park. Expected to arrive around midnight, he endured some travel delays and walked Wednesday morning rather than jogging as scheduled. Uncle Heavy (Social Inclusion) shipped from Parx Tuesday and had a routine gallop Wednesday; Tuscan Gold (Medaglia d'Oro) vanned from Belmont Park Tuesday and galloped about 1 3/8 miles Wednesday; and Imagination (Into Mischief) walked the shedrow Wednesday after shipping the day prior with Muth from California. Thursday will mark his first visit to the Pimlico oval. Catching Freedom (Constitution), Seize the Grey (Arrogate), and Just Steel (Justify) all had routine gallops Wednesday. The post Preakness Update: All Contenders on Pimlico Grounds appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a half-sister to G1 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}). 15.00 Salisbury, Novice, £10,000, 2yo, 5fT KESSAYA (GB) (Kingman {GB}) debuts for Juddmonte and Andrew Balding, who enjoyed that big day last May with her half-brother Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Also a half to the G2 Mill Reef S.-winning sire Alkumait (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), the 1million gns Tattersalls December Foal Sale topper encounters TBT Racing's fellow newcomer Blinky (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), a 120,000gns half-brother to the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges winner and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye runner-up White Lavender (Ire) (Heeraat {Ire}). 16.45 York, Novice, £30,000, 2yo, 6fT SEATTLE (FR) (Siyouni {Fr}) is a rare early juvenile runner in Britain for Ballydoyle, but he is some prospect as the top-priced colt at last year's Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale. Out of a half-sister to Shamardal, the €2.2-million sensation encounters another pedigree notable in Clipper Logistics' Andesite (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}), a Karl Burke-trained half-brother to the G2 Queen Mary S. and G2 Temple S. winner Dramatised (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}). The post Kingman Half To Chaldean Starts At Salisbury appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Roger W. Schipke, who campaigned 1997 GI Manhattan H. winner Ops Smile (Caveat) in partnership, passed away peacefully on Apr. 27 in the presence of his family. He was 87 years old. Born and raised in St. Louis, Schipke was offered a minor league baseball contract after his high school graduation, but declined and went on to earn his undergraduate degree from Washington University, an MBA from New York University and an honorary Doctor of Law degree from Spalding University. He served for a time as a visiting professor at the University of Kentucky and as executive in Residence at the University of Louisville. After serving as a US Navy Officer, Schipke began a 28-year career with General Electric, retiring as Senior Vice President and CEO of Worldwide Appliances. Recruited by Sunbeam Corporation in 1993 as CEO and Chairman, he was also a 25-year director of Legg Mason and Brunswick Corporation. He served on international boards in Canada, England and the Philippines. Schipke committed himself to social and public service, sitting on the board of the Federal Reserve Board of St. Louis, the Greater Baltimore Development Board, the Louisville Fund for the arts, the Kentucky Racing Commission and was president of the Maryland Million Ltd. It was a Maryland-bred roan that gave Schipke and partners their finest hour as Thoroughbred owners. Ryehill Farm-bred Ops Smile blossomed into one of the Midlantic region's top turf horses at five in 1997, winning that year's GII Dixie S. on the Preakness undercard before causing a 21-1 upset over Flag Down in the Manhattan one race before Touch Gold denied Silver Charm the Triple Crown in the GI Belmont S. Schipke was a client of Hermitage Farm in Kentucky and of the Boniface family's Bonita Farm in Maryland. According to an online obituary, Schipke's love for horses was matched by his devotion to and affection for dogs. Roger Schipke was preceded in death by his parents and his wife Jacquelyn Boyden Schipke, who was also among the Ops Smile owners. He is survived by his wife, Joyce Stone Schipke, two children, three stepchildren and 10 grandchildren. Schipke was laid to rest at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville May 7. The post Roger W. Schipke, Raced Grade I Winner Ops Smile, Passes Away appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Virginia Reid, assistant trainer for her husband Butch Reid, discusses their Preakness Stakes (G1) contender and Withers Stakes (G3) winner Uncle Heavy.View the full article

Robby Albarado discusses how Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan feels different when he runs on a muddy race track ahead of the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1) May 18. Rain could be in the forecast Preakness day.View the full article

Ahead of his arrival in Baltimore for the May 18 Preakness Stakes (G1), Mike Tirico gave his thoughts on how the classics have evolved, what he would do if put in charge of horse racing, and more.View the full article

Godolphin Flying Start is delighted to announce the latest intake of trainees for its prestigious two-year Thoroughbred Industry Management and Leadership Program. The class of 2024-26 comprises trainees from five countries.View the full article

The attorney representing trainer George Weaver has been informed by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) that a split sample taken from the horse Anna's Wish (Dialed In) has confirmed the earlier finding that the horse raced with the banned substance metformin during the Mar. 16 Cicada S. at Aqueduct. Trainers whose horses have tested positive for what HIWU considers banned substances face suspensions of up to two years. Weaver will be allowed to run horses that have already been entered, but cannot continue to enter horses and his stable must be disbanded. Metformin is used to treat Type II diabetes in people. With more than 20 million patients taking it, metformin ranks as the nation's third-most-prescribed human medicine, according to the consumer healthcare website Healthgrades. That the drug is so widely used has raised the possibility that horses are testing positive for it because they have come into contact with individuals taking the drug. According to attorney Drew Mollica, the groom who was caring for Anna's Wish takes metformin. Weaver is the seventh trainer to be hit with a metformin positive since HIWU took over drug testing and enforcement for most of the industry on May 22, 2023. “It is unfathomable to me that we as an industry can allow this organization to simply take an ax to a man's career and his life and with the swing of that ax destroy it in a minute,” Mollica said. “It's beyond belief. Metformin should not be a banned substance and the groom is on metformin.” Mollica said he will continue to fight the charges and that the first step will be his request for a provisional hearing with HIWU. However, even with Weaver having the right to an appeal, he cannot continue to train and his horses must go to other trainers. “We got no heads up, no anything,” Mollica said. “You'd think that if the B sample came back positive they would call and say 'listen we're going to do this, but you have three days to take care of everything.' You'd think that's the way human beings would act. I have never dealt with a system like this before. There are 75 horses that George has that are spread around the country that need care. It would seem prudent to give us notice beforehand that this was about to happen. To the zealots that run this organization the well-being of those horses should be more paramount than a 'gotcha' letter.” Mollica said that HIWU has yet to give him an opportunity to discuss mitigating circumstances. “I'm going to talk to George about that and we'll try to lift the suspension,” Mollica said. “This case is everything that's wrong with this system. They're just taking an ax to a guy and have just decided to destroy him.” Weaver, a former assistant to Todd Pletcher, has had two other positive tests during his 22-year training career, for acepromazine and for promazine sulfoxide. In each instance, he was fined $300. “George Weaver is not a cheater,” Mollica said. The post After “B Sample” Comes Back Positive, Weaver Faces Two-Year Suspension appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Anyone who knows Pete Bradley even a little bit knows that he's a devoted Francophile. You almost can't travel in France without running into Pete somewhere or another. Arc de Triomphe? `Hey, Pete.' December sale? `Hi again, Pete!' Dinner at a friend's house in rural Normandy? `Seriously, Pete?' So it's only fitting that the most recent American owner to win a French Classic is one who would appreciate it so much. When Metropolitan (Fr) exploded up the rail in the final stages of Sunday's Poulw d'Essai des Poulains at Longchamp, it was the culmination of years of study and interest in the French racing product, said Bradley, who regularly watches racing on the France-Galop website. Metropolitan's debut Aug. 12 at Deauville caught Bradley's eye. “He ran a big race, and I called and talked to a friend over there about him,” recalled Bradley from the Fasig-Tipton Timonium Sale this week. “I always go over form with him on horses because he's a really good judge. And he said, `the horse was amazing.'” Bradley reached out to Alessandro Marconi, who represents the Scuderia Scolari, owned by Hrand Aladjian and his wife, Monique. “I got in touch with Marco Barrati, and with Alessandro Marconi, made an offer which they thought was going to be acceptable for half of the horse. And then, all of a sudden, the Qataris and everybody else started making significantly larger offers. However, everybody else wanted the whole horse. And I told them I wanted 60 percent but I'd take a little bit less, which is what we settled on. And because he didn't want to sell the whole horse, I don't want to say we got a discount, but he could have made more if he wanted to sell one hundred percent of the horse. And he decided he wanted to stay in, which was obviously the smart thing to do.” Bradley didn't get the chance to go see Metropolitan before he committed, but from the notes he got and the videos he watched, “he is gorgeous,” he said. “He's an A physical. I mean, he's absolutely beautiful. So I actually didn't see him until I went over for the October sale last year and for the Arc. He ran in his second race, and won exceptionally well. And the idea was always, at least in Marco's mind, to put him away for the winter. He wasn't going to make the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, and other potential races didn't value-add. The horse needed a little time to grow up. And we gave it to him.” Metropolitan made his 2024 debut in April's G3 Fontainebleau at the mile distance at Longchamp, finishing fifth, beaten two-and-a-quarter lengths. His team said they thought he needed the work, and would improve off the race. While the fillies' Classic, the Pouliches, went off without a hitch, after the horses for the Poulains were in the paddock, the skies opened up with thunderstorms and hail. Alexis Pouchin celebrates his Poule d'Essai win | Scoop-Dyga “And then the deluge comes,” said Bradley. “I guess their radar isn't that good over there because they already had the horses in the central paddock in an already-starting downpour. And then the monsoon hit, and they decided at that point to turn them around and bring them back inside. Metropolitan was so chill. He gets back to his stall, they take the saddle off. And by this time, horses usually understand there's a race going on. They're getting pretty hyped. He stuck his head down, halfway closed his eyes, and Mario was rubbing on his neck, and he was liking the attention.” Barrati also took a minute to give jockey Alexis Pouchin instructions. “Mario is very good about communicating,” said Bradley. “Before the race, he said that he had spoken with Alexis, and he said, `I told Alexis to get the horse out of the gate and put him into the race immediately.' He said, `I want him lying within a couple of lengths of the leader, and he should settle.'” And that's exactly what Pouchin did. Breaking on top, he settled the horse into third on the rail and when they entered the open stretch, he made his move. “I was a little worried he had moved too early,” said Bradley. “He certainly had enough horse and got to the lead, but I think Metropolitan thought the race was almost over, and the other horses came to him. He took a hold of the bit, dug in, and he was much the best. And as I said before the race, `We know we have a very talented horse, and this will tell us if we have an exceptional horse.' He showed he is exceptional.” Bradley, who has been attending big races in France for over 30 years now, said he knew what the experience was like from the outside looking in. “But when you have a horse there yourself?” he said. “It's just magical. France Galop is exceptionally good to you in helping you with any accommodations you need–boxes and lunches, whatever. They make sure things are taken care of. They've got a hospitality and owners concierge which is I think one of the best in the world.” Metropolitan's win was hardly Bradley's first taste of success in France. The owner of La Parisienne (Zarak {Fr}), he saw her finish second in the G1 Prix Diane and third in the Prix Vermeille in 2022-another successful purchase by Zarak. But his first Classic? That was a whole other story. “The entire racing community over there is so appreciative of a winner,” said Bradley, who said that the hugs and high fives followed him all the way to the winner's circle. “The celebration isn't just for the winners. It seemed to me that everyone celebrated our victory.” Bradley said that a decision would be made in the next week as to the horse's next start, with the G1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) June 2 at Chantilly and the G1 St. James's Palace at Royal Ascot June 18 among the options, and that the decision would be left to his trainer. For Bradley, the success was long due and well-earned. “I've always bought horses out of France, and I've been lucky enough to buy some really nice ones,” he said. “Michel Zerolo became a very good friend. Michel basically taught me how to buy European racehorses. Since then, It has been one of my favorite things to do in my business of being a `talent scout,' as I call myself, and not a bloodstock agent. And it's one of the most rewarding things I do, and I hope I continue to find more horses like him.” The post American Peter Bradley’s `Magical’ French Classic Victory With Metropolitan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Peter J. Callahan, a magazine publisher and decades-long Thoroughbred owner and breeder who campaigned the 2020 champion 3-year-old filly and GI Preakness S. victress Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), died May 9 in a New York City hospital in the company of family members. He was 82. The cause of death was a brain tumor, his daughter, Carolyn Callahan, confirmed to TDN on May 15. A celebration of his life will be planned at a later date, she added. “Horse racing really was his passion,” Carolyn Callahan said. “He was very practical about how challenging it was to be successful in breeding and racing. He used to joke that he had a really good racehorse only once every 10 years. He had so many health problems over the last several years, but having that Swiss Skydiver experience really just breathed new life into him–it was like a reboot.” Callahan was especially enamored of Swiss Skydiver because he had named the filly after the exploits of one of his granddaughters, Callie, who was then a 20-year-old college student studying aboard. Bidding on Callahan's behalf, trainer Kenny McPeek had acquired the Daredevil-sired filly at the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale for a relatively bargain price of $35,000. Two months later, Callahan awoke on a Sunday morning to a video massage from Callie showing her jumping out of an airplane strapped to a parachute over the Swiss Alps. “I thought it was pretty daredevilish of her,” Callahan told the St. Francis College alumni newsletter in 2020. “When I saw Daredevil, I thought, 'That's my granddaughter jumping out of planes.' I said, 'Let's name the Daredevil filly Skydiver.' That was taken, so I added the prefix 'Swiss.' That's the story of Swiss Skydiver.” Swiss Skydiver became only the sixth filly ever to win the Preakness, doing so in the pandemic-altered 2020 season when the second jewel of the Triple Crown was conducted in October. She also scored that year in the GI Alabama S. at Saratoga and the GI Beholder Mile S. at Santa Anita. “Just a wonderful man, and very much a father figure to me,” McPeek said via phone from Pimlico on Wednesday. “I had a world of respect for him, and just enjoyed being around him. I was very close to Peter, not only professionally, but also personally. He had struggled with health issues for years, and fought and fought and fought. With Swiss Skydiver, it was really just a great period for all of us, and I'm glad we were able to contribute to him reaching the pinnacle of the sport.” Callahan was a lifelong New Yorker who spent time in Florida later in life. According to a 2020 profile in The Tablet, a newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Brooklyn and Queens, Callahan was raised in Astoria and attended St. Francis Prep in Williamsburg, where he starred on the football and baseball teams. As a shortstop, he played alongside eventual major-league Hall-of-Famer Joe Torre. Callahan would later honor his alma mater's red-and-blue color scheme on his racing silks. Callahan went on to continue his baseball career at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights. He then attended the Columbia University Graduate School of Business before embarking on a long career in the publishing and broadcasting industries. Callahan helmed a variety of consumer and trade publications, including Photoplay, Us and the National Enquirer. For a time, he was part-owner of Daily Racing Form. Swiss Skydiver | Sarah Andrew In the mid-1980s, Callahan got a taste of the Thoroughbred world as a part-owner. Over the next four decades, he branched out on his own and in other partnerships, including in racing and bloodstock ventures with the Clay family of Runnymede Farm in Paris, Kentucky. “In every sense of the word, he was the best partner you could possibly have,” said Brutus Clay III, Runnymede's chief executive officer. “His family has been partners with Runnymede for over 35 years, and he was really instrumental for us as we were moving from one generation to another. Not only was he a good partner, but he was a friend and mentor. He was a shrewd businessman, and had a really uncanny ability to evaluate opportunities and assess them. He applied that same type of rigor to investing in the equine market, which is a challenging thing to do.” Callahan and Runnymede co-bred Collected (City Zip), who finished second in the 2017 GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Stakes winners raced by Callahan included Bevo (Prospectors Gamble), Beautician (Dehere), Scotus (Successful Appeal) and Fistfite (Two Punch). Callahan will be represented in Friday's GII Black-Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico by Ringy Dingy (Dialed In), whom he owned in partnership with James Reiley McDonald. “The Bible says that the trophy doesn't always go to the fastest or the strongest,” Callahan told The Tablet in 2020. “It goes to the competitor with the most amount of persistence. That's certainly true in Thoroughbred racing. You can't be in the game for instant gratification, you've got to wait your turn and pay your dues.” The post Peter Callahan, Owner of 2020 Preakness Champ Swiss Skydiver, Dies at 82 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Preakness Stakes (G1) morning-line favorite Muth has been declared out of the May 18 race after trainer Bob Baffert said the colt spiked a temperature after arriving at Pimlico Race Course late May 14.View the full article

Virginia Reid, assistant trainer for her brother Butch Reid, discusses their Preakness Stakes (G1) contender and Withers Stakes (G3) winner Uncle Heavy.View the full article

The New York Racing Association announces the creation of the NYRA Foundation to raise funding and awareness for the work of non-profits, service providers, Thoroughbred aftercare groups, and charitable organizations connected to horse racing.View the full article

An overcast morning at Pimlico Race Course May 15 was business as usual for the remaining Preakness Stakes (G1) contenders, led by Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan, who became the morning-line favorite after Muth was scratched.View the full article

6th-BAQ, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6f, 3:39 p.m. ET. DEPUTY MISCHIEF (Into Mischief), a 3-year-old Bill Mott trainee, makes his first start for co-owners John Oxley, Neil Sands, Tom McCrocklin and Justin Casse. The $475,000 2023 OBS June Sale graduate is out of Canadian champion 2-year-old filly and 'TDN Rising Star' Delightful Mary (Limehouse). Herself campaigned by Oxley, she counts as a half-sister MGSW Delightful Kiss (Kissin Kris). Deputy Mischief has an extended female family which includes MSW Dr Ardito (Liam's Map) and Japanese multiple group 1 stakes runner-up Wilson Tesoro (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}). TJCIS PPS The post Thursday Insights: Into Mischief $475k OBS June Grad Debuts At Big A appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kabirkhan (California Chrome), who won his first three starts in Kazakhstan on his way to winning the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge in Dubai, has been sent to the U.S. and will be trained by Brad Cox. Kabirkhan was purchased at the 2021 Keeneland September sale for $12,000 by agent Nadir Khassanov and was then shipped to Kazakhstan, which has just one racetrack and a horse population of about 300. Running at Almaty Hippodrome, he broke his maiden in a three-horse race after breaking slowly. For owner Tlek Mukanbetkaliyev, the chestnut won his next two starts in Kazakhstan, winning so easily that it was clear that no horse in that country could compete with him. He was living up to his name, Kabir is Arabic for mighty or great and Khan is Kazakh for King. Yet, his total earnings after those three races in Kazakhstan were the equivalent of $3,458. Looking for bigger purses and greater challenges, the connections sent the colt to Russia. There he won five straight races, but his winning streak ended when he was second in the Russian Derby behind Hero Mo (Mo Town). The next stop was Dubai, where he was trained by Chief Stipe Watson. In his first start there, he won a handicap race over the same Hero Mo who had defeated him in Russia. He followed that with a win in the $1-million Al Maktoum Challenge. “He might be the best mile and a quarter horse I've ever trained,” said Watson. “We'll see what the owners want to do next, but I'm glad he's in our yard. I'm delighted for our team, [jockey] Pat [Dobbs] and of course everybody in Kazakhstan.” The fairy tale took a wrong turn when Kabirkhan finished a distant eighth in the G1 Dubai World Cup. After the World Cup, Kabirkhan was shipped to the U.S. and sent to WinStar Farm to get acclimated to the U.S. Cox said he arrived at his barn at Churchill Downs last Sunday. “I just got him,” he said. “He's a big, good-looking horse. All we've done with him so far is to gallop him a couple of days. I've had a couple of conversations with the owner, who seems like a nice fellow. I am looking forward to getting this horse up and going.” Cox said he hasn't decided when to give Kabirkhan his first breeze or where he will kick off his U.S. campaign. “I just want to see how he moves forward over the next week or so,” the trainer said. “It's like a big puzzle. You're hoping you can put it together. Based off what we have in our barn in the division, I think we'll have a pretty good idea of what we have before we run him. Obviously, I have to get to know the horse and what his tendencies are and how he is as a work horse. We can work him with some of the better older horses we have and that will give us a good line on where he stacks up. It will be interesting.” The post By Way of Kazakhstan, Group 1-Winning Son of California Chrome Sent to Brad Cox appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Free contest entries for the $5-million 1/ST GRAND 3 Pick 'Em Challenge are now open, 1/ST announced in a release. The 1/ST GRAND 3 Pick 'Em Challenge closes at 6:55 p.m. ET May 18, prior to the post time for the 149th GI Preakness S. Fans can register and submit their picks for free at www.1st.com/contest or at www.preakness.com/contest. The 1/ST GRAND 3 Pick 'Em Challenge connects the Preakness (May 18 at Pimlico Race Course), GI California Crown (Sept. 28 at Santa Anita Park) and the 2025 GI Pegasus World Cup (Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park). Five million dollars is on the line to successfully pick the first four finishers of each race, in order. If there is not a perfect entry, the entry with the most overall points will win a guaranteed $100,000 cash prize. “The 1/ST GRAND 3 Pick 'Em challenge is a great opportunity for new fans and seasoned pros to take a shot at a huge payday, coupled with amazing racing and entertainment experiences across the three events, this is intended to drive excitement for the next 8 months!” said Aidan Butler, President, 1/ST. The post $5-Million 1/ST Grand 3 Pick ‘Em Challenge Kicks Off Preakness 149 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Preakness Stakes (G1) morning-line favorite Muth has been declared out of the May 18 race after spiking a temperature after arriving at Pimlico Race Course late May 14.View the full article

Edited Press Release The NYRA Foundation, a philanthropic effort designed to raise funding and awareness for the work of non-profits, service providers, Thoroughbred aftercare groups and charitable organizations connected to horse racing, has been launched by the New York Racing Association, Inc. Throughout its history, NYRA has dedicated significant resources and made direct investments to support the communities surrounding Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. In addition, NYRA provides sustaining financial contributions to deepen the impact of the Backstretch Employee Service Team (BEST), the Racetrack Chaplaincy of New York and the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA), the primary non-profits working in support of New York's backstretch community. The NYRA Foundation establishes a pathway for businesses, individuals and organizations to contribute to a variety of worthy endeavors connected to Thoroughbred racing in New York State and across the country. To highlight the expansion of NYRA's charitable efforts, the NYRA Foundation will host a gala event Friday, June 7 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Co-hosted by NYRA Chairman Marc Holliday, all proceeds from the inaugural Belmont Ball will benefit a selection of non-profit organizations active in backstretch services, thoroughbred aftercare and more. The NYRA Foundation is currently offering Belmont Ball sponsorship opportunities for individuals and businesses interested in supporting the mission. For additional information on available sponsorship opportunities, or to donate to the NYRA Foundation, visit https://nyraf.org/. “The NYRA Foundation reflects our belief in the importance of service to others,” said David O'Rourke, NYRA President & CEO. “Thanks to Chairman Marc Holliday, and the generosity of our event sponsors, the Belmont Ball will shine a light on the essential and underappreciated work done to support the broader horse racing community.” The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will take place at Saratoga Race Course in 2024 to allow for the uninterrupted construction of a new Belmont Park. Highlighted by the 156th edition of the GI Belmont S. on Saturday, June 8, the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will begin on Thursday, June 6 and continue through Sunday, June 9. The post NYRA Launches Charitable Foundation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Do you want to feel old? It's over a decade since a baby-faced Connor King burst onto the scene in Ireland and landed Champion Flat Apprentice titles in 2013 and 2015. King rode winners for some of the biggest names in the sport but his career on the Flat was cruelly cut short when he started to fill into his massive frame. In short, nature took its course. After a spell riding under National Hunt rules, King is now concentrating fully on training winners rather than riding them, and sent out his first runner at Killarney this week. Oscars Brother (Ire) (Malinas {Ger}), the sole horse the young man has to go to war with on the track, ran a respectable race under his own brother and promising young National Hunt pilot, Daniel, in a novice hurdle at the Kerry track. That horse should have days in him over fences, according to King, but more pressingly, there is a certain Make Believe (GB) colt that the Tipperary-based handler is getting excited about ahead of the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale. King said, “The Make Believe is a lovely horse and I'm very happy with him. I'm very excited to be going to the sales with him actually. He seems to be going very well. I spent €12,000 on him at Part 2 of the Orby Sale at Goffs. He has a decent pedigree and is a half-brother to Impact Warrior (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who was a decent filly for Paddy Twomey–she was actually third in a Grade I in America last year. The mare got black-type and is by Lope De Vega (Ire) so I am lucky to have gotten my lad for the price that I did.” He added, “I had worked for Paddy and was obviously keeping an eye on all of his horses at the time. I was familiar with the filly so, when I saw her name on the page, it jumped out at me straight away. When I was looking at the pedigree at the sales, I thought to myself that I probably wouldn't have been able to afford the colt. Luckily enough, I did.” One of the stories of last year's Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale was the touch the Shinnick brothers secured with a filly by Make Believe. It was Johnny Shinnick who came out with the memorable line, “she looks quick going past thistles,” after selling the filly for €170,000. A similar result would do nicely for King. “That was brilliant,” he recalled. “If we got even half as good a result as that it would be great. The lads did very well with their filly last year and the sire is going well. He has a couple of nice horses on the go, so fingers crossed. He's probably a value sire at €10,000.” On his career change, he added, “I'll be 28 in August so it's coming up on 12 years since I had my first ride. I don't know where the time has gone, to be honest. It took me a while to realise what I wanted to do after I was finished riding on the Flat. I rode over jumps for a while but it wasn't easy, especially when I had no claim. But I did enjoy that and got plenty of experience. It just wasn't for me, though. That's why I decided to go down this route. I had my first runner the other night. I took out my restricted National Hunt licence and he's the only horse I have in training at the moment. But it did take me a while to figure out what I wanted to do.” King was the prime example of what an unstoppable force a talented young apprentice can be. He went from sitting his Leaving Certificate to being to most in-demand young jockeys in Ireland and rode high-profile horses at some of the biggest meetings there is. But the harsh reality is that it was never going to last. His body was better suited to playing in the NBA than guiding thoroughbreds to victory but he was bloody good at the latter which made letting go and allowing nature to take over all the more difficult. “At the time, I thought it was going to last forever. People were telling me that I needed to mind my claim but one high-profile jockey told me to just make hay while the sun shined and to ride as many winners as I could while I was able to. Looking back now, that person was right because my height meant I was never going to make a long-term career at it. When I was going well, I did try to convince myself that it would last, but it didn't take long for reality to kick in.” King added, “I feel like I had a good run and lived my dream for a good few years when I was younger. You know, all I wanted to do when I was younger was to race-ride and I did it. I looked up to Pat Smullen, Billy Lee, Wayne Lordan and Joseph O'Brien when I was kid. What felt like five minutes later, I was sitting in the car with those lads heading to the races and sitting beside them in the weighroom. It was brilliant.” The dream has changed insofar that he now has designs on training winners rather than riding them. Working with the youngsters and setting up a breeze-up arm to his business is another avenue that he is keen to pursue. That's not to say that King will be diving in head first after what has proved to be a tricky few weeks for his fellow breeze-up consignors. He said, “I breezed one horse last year and he won twice for Ed Dunlop. It was brilliant watching him go on. He ended up being called Hint Of The Jungle (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}). We bought him for €20,000 and sold him for 30,000gns but watching his entries and seeing him run–it was like we still owned him.” King added, “If you were just reading the sales reports and looking at the big-money sales, you could get sucked in, but you have to be realistic. A lot of people seemed to be coming home with horses from the sales. But the fact that I am operating at such a small scale for the moment, it's not going to affect me too much. Going forward, you'd certainly be cautious. At the moment, I'm just taking things one step at a time and we will see where we end up. “Hopefully we can get on well with this fella first and I can't wait to get him up to Fairyhouse for him to show people what he can do. I think he's very nice so hopefully he proves me right. I'd be fairly confident that, wherever he goes, he'll be a fairly good horse.” The post ‘I Lived Out My Dream’ – King Looking Forward To New Chapter In Training Ranks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article