Wandering Eyes

Dazzling debut winner KINZA (f, 3, Carpe Diem–Secret Wonder, by Quality Road) backed up her 'TDN Rising Star' form with a gate-to-wire win in Saturday's rescheduled GIII Las Virgenes S. Shadowed throughout by Kopion (Omaha Beach), the even-money choice had no problem turning that rival back at the top of the stretch and continued to find more to secure the win and keep her undefeated record intact. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0. O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-JD Business Ventures LLC, Brushy Hill Stable & Carpe Diem Syndicate; T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $17,000 wlg '21 FTNMIX, $30,000 ylg '22 OBSOCT, $350,000 2yo EASMAY. #3 KINZA ($4.00) goes wire to wire as the favorite in the $100,000 Las Virgenes Stakes (G3) at @santaanitapark. The three-year-old Carpe Diem filly is 2 for 2 for trainer Bob Baffert. @JJHernandezS19 was in the irons. pic.twitter.com/QhBB9tLVGm — TVG (@TVG) February 10, 2024 The post ‘TDN Rising Star’ Kinza Goes Gate To Wire In Las Virgenes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

One year after heavily favored Wonder Wheel was upset in Tampa Bay Downs' $150,000 Suncoast Stakes, 2-5 favorite Life Talk endured a similar fate when Power Squeeze handily denied the grade 2 winner in her 3-year-old debut. View the full article

Primed for his graded stakes debut, California-bred Big City Lights used an extended bid to catch front-running Hopkins in the final strides of the $100,000 Palos Verdes Stakes (G3) Feb. 10 at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

A statement thanking the racing community for their support was released by the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) on behalf of injured jockey Graham Lee on Saturday. Injured in a severe fall at Newcastle three months ago, the Group 1-winning jockey is currently located at the Spinal Unit of the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesborough. Also a Grand National winner, Lee is planning to modify his house in order to move home in the next few months. A JustGiving page was set up for Lee shortly after his accident and it has raised over £190,000 to date. Lee's statement, released via the IJF, read as follows: “It's three months now since my accident and I thought it was appropriate for me to say something publicly for the first time. “Frankly, I've been overwhelmed by the unbelievable support and good wishes sent by everyone and I'd like to thank you all so much on behalf of myself, my wife Becky and our children, Amy and Robbie. “It feels like I'm in a bit of a bubble here at the James Cook Spinal Unit but the girls share with me all the messages that they are receiving and every single one is appreciated, as is the support of my great friends who continue to visit me so regularly and keep my spirits up. “I never really considered that I had achieved that much as a jockey and it seems crazy that so many people are thinking of us all. I can't deny it has been–and continues to be–hard for us all, but these messages help us all so much. “I would also like to thank the team of nurses here who are just unbelievable in the around the clock care and support they offer us all. “As most of you know, the injuries I have suffered are life-changing and there is a long road ahead. But we have just received planning permission so that work can start to adapt our home in the hope that I will be able to leave hospital at some stage in the next few months. “Thank you again. I am truly humbled and grateful.” The post Graham Lee Thanks Racing Community For Their Support Three Months After Spinal Injury appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Wesley Ward's lawsuit against owner/breeder Ken Ramsey is settled, and a trial set to start on Feb. 19 will not take place. Ken Ramsey said Ward was "made whole" by the settlement.View the full article

The first race with 105 qualifying points on the 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby takes place Feb. 17 with the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots and with a field worthy of the added points up for grabs.View the full article

One year after heavily favored Wonder Wheel was upset in Tampa Bay Downs' $150,000 Suncoast Stakes, 2-5 favorite Life Talk endured a similar fate when Power Squeeze handily denied the grade 2 winner in her 3-year-old debut. View the full article

Power Squeeze may have finally put it all together in time to pick up 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with a win in Saturday's Suncoast S. Racing along the Mid-Atlantic last season, it took the $90,000 OBSAPR grad three tries to break her maiden when she caught an off-the-turf one-mile event at Delaware Oct. 7. After a short layoff, Jorge Delgado shipped Power Squeeze south to Gulfstream where she upset the Cash Run S. at odds of 8-1 to open her 3-year-old season Jan. 1. Second on the board at 3-1 Saturday behind last-out GII Demoiselle S. winner Life Talk (Gun Runner), Power Squeeze was always involved with the early pace and stalked from third while locked in against the fence behind pacesetter Managing Mischief (Maximus Mischief). Still caught in amongst the pack through a half in :48.94, the Delgado trainee began to find running room past the quarter pole and shot clear once space opened inside the furlong marker. 6-1 shot Whocouldaskformo barely held off 28-1 shot America's Vow to fill a pricey trifecta. 2-5 favorite Life Talk came up empty into the stretch and faded to trail the field home. Union Rags currently sits at 32 stakes winners while Callmethesqueeze, now a producer of two stakes winners herself, has a 2-year-old Street Sense filly and a yearling Liam's Map colt still to run. She visited top freshman stallion Vino Rosso for 2024. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. #2 POWER SQUEEZE ($8.00) gets through on the rail to win the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes at @TampaBayDownsFL. The three-year-old filly by @LanesEndFarms' Union Rags earns 20 Kentucky Oaks points for trainer @RacingDelgado with @jockeydcenteno in the irons. pic.twitter.com/GnVJ9oQv1b — TVG (@TVG) February 10, 2024 SUNCOAST S., $100,000, Tampa Bay Downs, 2-10, 3yo, f, 1m 40y, 1:40.22, ft. 1–POWER SQUEEZE, 122, f, 3, by Union Rags 1st Dam: Callmethesqueeze (MSW, $324,499), by Awesome Again 2nd Dam: Mop Squeezer, by Roanoke 3rd Dam: Honey League Girl, by Honey Jay ($50,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $90,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Lea Farms, LLC; B-Forging Oaks LLC (KY); T-Jorge Delgado; J-Daniel Centeno. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $188,650. *1/2 to Call On Mischief (Into Mischief), SW, $283,237. 2–Whocouldaskformo, 120, f, 3, Uncle Mo–Midnight Belle, by Bernardini. ($450,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam); B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $20,000. 3–America's Vow, 120, f, 3, Constitution–Cloudy Vow, by Broken Vow. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Patricia Pavlish (KY); T-Timothy E. Hamm. $10,000. Margins: 2 3/4, HD, 3/4. Odds: 3.00, 6.00, 28.70. Also Ran: Managing Mischief, Gorgeous Girl, Life Talk. The post Power Squeeze Makes It Three Straight With Suncoast Win appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Oaklawn Park is adding two race days to their calendar–Sunday, Apr. 7 and Sunday, May 5–to make up for recent cancellations due to inclement weather. “We are excited to announce the two additional dates of Apr. 7 and May 5 to Oaklawn's 2023-2024 racing calendar,” said Oaklawn President Louis Cella. “Thoroughbred racing is the heart and soul of Oaklawn, and adding these days provides even more opportunities for faithful fans to cheer on their favorite horses and for our horsemen to compete for additional purses.” Oaklawn will race four days a week, Thursday through Sunday, for a period of three weeks beginning Mar. 7. The Apr. 7 addition will conclude four days of live racing that week. Oaklawn was originally set to close on Kentucky Derby day, Saturday, May 4. The post Oaklawn Adding Two Race Days appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Last year was a big one for John McConnell. He fulfilled a lifelong ambition when Seddon won a race at the Cheltenham festival. That bargain buy went on to win at the Punchestown festival before bringing the trainer to the American Grand National at Far Hills. Fennor Cross was another horse to fly the flag for the stable with great distinction. Again, a cheaply-bought recruit, Fennor Cross won races at the Punchestown and Aintree festivals. However, in what came as a bitter blow to all associated with the horse, Fennor Cross was killed at home in the spring. What started out as a brilliant start to 2023 turned into something of a nightmare as another promising young novice hurdler, Kinbara, suffered a fatal injury while prominent owner Derek Kierans decided to move the talented Encanto Bruno to rival trainer Gavin Cromwell. Not only that, but the McConnell stable struggled for form in the second half of the year due to aspergillus in the hay. It never rains but it pours. Thankfully, things have been going a lot better for the Naul-based trainer, who splits his string between Flat and National Hunt horses, with three winners in the past two weeks alone. From blooding future Group 1-winning sprinter A Case Of You, wanting to break into the top bracket of the training ranks and dealing with the disappointments that come along the way, McConnell makes for a fascinating interviewee with Brian Sheerin in this week's Q&A. Seddon | Racingfotos.com How would you reflect on 2023? It was a year of two halves, really. It was a brilliant first half of the year but a very average second half. On one hand, we had a winner at all of the top spring festivals–Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown–and then on the other, we lost some talented horses–Fennor Cross (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) and Kinbara (Ire) (Mahler {GB})–while Derek Kierans moved a smart horse in Encanto Bruno (Ire) (Mahler {GB}) to another stable and then we hit a bad patch of form. It was very up and down. It's the old cliche that this is a game that would tame lions. How do you deal with all of those ups and downs that come with training? I don't know how other trainers do it but I tend to lock myself away into a cupboard or something to think about what has happened! Obviously I'm only messing but it is very hard for a stable like ours to lose a few 140-rates horses in the one year. They were Saturday horses and we don't have them anymore. Replacing them is not easy. But, to be honest, I think I was better prepared than most people associated with our yard were. I knew we were overachieving with the resources that we had. I was ready for it, but that doesn't mean it was easy to take. What was difficult was how people started to question you when things weren't going well. We found aspergillus in the hay. It was a difficult few months but thankfully we got to the bottom of it and the horses are back healthy and well, which is the main thing. I also think we had a below-average bunch of horses running at the time and that maybe over-egged how bad we were going over the winter. I can remember a pundit on Racing TV talking about my lack of form and he made the point that, if you looked at the prices of the horses running, they weren't running any better or worse than market expectation. I think it was a combination of those two things. You don't become a bad trainer overnight but it certainly tested my view of humanity because there were some people who were wobbling in their faith. That was frustrating. You feel like you have been over achieving with the horses you have? Yes, definitely. With the money we have to work with, I think we have done well with the horses. Okay, Encanto Bruno cost a lot of money [£210,000] but, to do what we did with Fennor Cross and Seddon (Ire) (Stowaway {GB}), both of those horses over-achieved. When you don't have a batch of those six-figure horses coming through the system, you know it's going to be hard to hit the heights at some of the bigger festivals, so I am a realist in that sense. It doesn't mean I am okay with that because I am extremely ambitious and I want winners on the big stage. You are not on your own, certainly in terms of National Hunt racing in Ireland, in feeling frustrated by not being able to compete at the top level. The Dublin Racing Festival, where Willie Mullins completed a clean sweep of all eight Grade 1 races, is a case in point. Ambition is a curse because you never want to settle. It would be worse if I thought I was not capable of training those big horses or if I was underachieving but I don't feel I am. At the end of the day, you need to have the backing and, at the minute, I don't and it's very frustrating. Don't get me wrong, I have some great owners and the majority of them are very supportive and obviously Derek Kierans has put a lot of money into our yard as well.The McNeill family and loads more people have been very supportive of me but, the reality is, the top yards have stacks of six-figure horses and only a small percentage of those horses go on to be good horses. You need the numbers coming through to give yourself a chance. I would put you down as a good man to get owners into the yard. I suppose everyone has a different mindset and some are hungrier than others. That's cool but I never wanted to be second best. That's just the way I am, be it playing a computer game or training horses. I often wish I was easier to please but I suppose that's what keeps me so driven to keep going and keep searching for that next nice horse. If you looked at it logically you might say you may never get to where you want to be but, the great thing about this game is, it might only take one horse or a couple of different things to spiral and you could be operating at the next level. For all bar about four trainers over jumps in Ireland, it probably looks a long way away. What's your approach to getting owners into the yard? Is it as simple as just putting yourself out there? It's wide scale harassment! I talk to as many people as I can when I go to the sales or the races and I have made contact with a lot of owners through Instagram and Facebook. We have gotten horses through social media, with the McNeill family and Jimmy Fyffe good recent examples of that. You just have to have a brass neck. You are going to get a lot of nos but I find, even if people don't send you a horse, they respect you taking the time to reach out and put your neck on the line. If you don't ask, you are never going to get. Just how difficult is it to compete against the bigger stable over both codes in Ireland? It's borderline impossible, which is why we try to run a lot of horses in Britain. If you have a 120-rated horse in Ireland, you could run in six maiden hurdles in Ireland throughout the winter and not win one of them. That same horse could win two races in Britain in the same space of time. That's just the way it is and I don't blame Willie Mullins or Gordon Elliott for that. They've gotten to where they are on merit. What did Seddon winning at Cheltenham mean to you? I probably enjoy it more now than I did at the time. When things were going bad for us in the autumn, it felt like a long time ago. But winning a race at the Cheltenham festival was something that I had dreamt about as a kid so, to go and achieve it, it was better than I ever thought it could be. What drives you? The ambition is to find a top horse and compete on the big stage but, I have to say, when Together Aclaim (GB) (Aclaim {Ire}) won at Dundalk last week, I got a great kick out of that as well. He was a 30-raced maiden coming into the race and, for him to finally get his head in front, it was a great feeling for everyone involved with him. The guys who own him were there and they got a great thrill. I just love horses and love racing and winning. Obviously, I'd love to be winning the big races but I get a thrill out of winning any race. Gordon Elliott is the same. He loves to win any race. It's a bit of an addiction. Depending on what way you look at it, some might view it as a weakness to keep a 30-raced maiden on the go. That's the one thing I would say about you, you always look for the positives in a horse whereas plenty of people would have been happy to move Together Aclaim long before his day in the sun came at Dundalk. You have to back what you believe in and, what we try and do when it comes to buying horses at the sales, is find angles and horses who may not be obvious, because that's the price range we are dealing in. It doesn't work every time but we have had a lot of success with small-money buys. I know what you mean about Together Aclaim but the syndicate were happy to keep going and so was I. Well Seddon is an advertisement for what you can do with those second-hand small-money buys. How did you get him to train? I was in contact with the McNeills and their manager at the time told me that they were moving some others on. The Galaxy Racing Syndicate had expressed an interest in finding a National Hunt horse and Seddon fitted the bill because he had a good enough rating to bring us to the big festivals. I thought he'd win somewhere but I didn't think he'd win twice at Cheltenham, again at the Punchestown festival and then run in the American Grand National. He has been some horse for us. What are the plans with Seddon and Coral Gold Cup runner-up Mahler Mission? Seddon wasn't one hundred percent after America but he seems fine now again and hopefully we'll get him and Mahler Mission back for the spring festivals. Mahler Mission could run in the Grand National at Aintree. To a certain degree, A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) put you on the map. I'd imagine if a horse of his ability came through your system now, you would have enough owners to call upon to be able to keep him? That was a very tricky situation because the horse had failed the vet to go to Hong Kong and America after he won the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh. It became very hard to push him onto owners. If Ado [McGuiness] hadn't come along, we probably would have been able to put together a syndicate or something, but fair play to him for taking a chance and I'm glad it worked out for him. That came at a very different time of my life. For starters, I had never owned anything before, so selling him provided me with some security in terms of buying a home. He did so much for me at the time but, I don't need anything else in life now so, if another A Case Of You came along now, I don't think I would sell him. How did you find him in the first place? I was at Goffs for the Open Yearling Sale and I was standing down at the chute. I can remember this gorgeous horse walking down to the ring and opening up his page and thinking, 'ugh, Hot Streak.' I let him go in and he didn't sell. I ended up buying him privately and he just kept getting better and better. We never trained a Group 1 horse before him but we always felt he was very good. That goes back to your outside-the-box thinking. A bit like Seddon, we didn't expect A Case Of You to do what he did. We were thinking that, if he was placed in a maiden, we would have been able to get him away for anywhere between 30 and 50 grand and we would have been thinking 'happy days.' He was one in a million. Have you worked in many yards before setting up on your own or are you essentially self taught? I worked for Michael O'Brien when I was younger but that's the only racing yard I have worked in. Obviously being a qualified vet helps and I did a lot of reading about training before I started. But, yes, I am basically self-taught. There was a long time you were muddling away. What was the catalyst? I don't know if there was one specific thing. Derek Kierens came into the yard and decided to put a good few quid in which meant we were able to buy nicer horses for a start. That was one thing. I got a lot of good young staff at the same time, the likes of Siobhan Rutledge, Ben and Alex Harvey, Thomas Reilly, Martin Fox and loads of others. That was another. That definitely helped. We have just developed a system that seems to work. It's a vibrant yard with a lot of young people working for you. We have great staff and everyone seems to be happy. I like having young people around the place because they are not soured and they are hungry. You can mould them to how you want things to be done rather than someone who has worked in five or six different yards and has their own ideas on how to do things. A lot of what we do is very different from other yards. We are way more relaxed and the lots go out a lot quicker than in other places, even for the jumps horses. When somebody comes to our yard, they think we are on Mars, but it works. They go quite quickly every day but they don't do many hard pieces of work, if that makes sense. You've trained everything from a top-notch sprinter in A Case Of You to a cross-country chaser in Some Neck (Fr) (Yeats {Ire}). Is there a particular path you'd like to continue down or do you like both codes equally as much? Not really, I get as much kick out of watching the two-year-olds as much as I do the National Hunt horses schooling. Both would make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. I love the jumps because it's not as much of a business. I do that more for a love of the sport whereas the Flat is very much business. It's much easier to train on the Flat and you don't get as many injuries. There is something very special about seeing a good two-year-old work. There are pros and cons to both codes and I love them as much. And how do you get to the next level in both codes? Harass more owners maybe! Listen, there's not much more you can do bar keep trying. We've had some Grade 1-placed horses but finding that horse who could take us to the top level is what we really crave. There's no question that, the guys who are doing the best, they have the biggest backing. In many cases, they earned that backing and we just need to try and prove ourselves worthy of similar backing so we can kick on again. The post ‘People Started To Question Me When The Horses Weren’t Running Well – That Was Tough’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Oaklawn Park will add two additional race days—April 7 and May 5—to its 2023-24 meet. The two added race days will provide more racing opportunities after winter cancellations due to inclement weather.View the full article

Mr Brightside showed he could be on the way to earning champion status with a spine-tingling fifth elite-level success in the Feb. 10 Orr Stakes (G1) at Caulfield Racecourse.View the full article

Trainer Wesley Ward's lawsuit against owner/breeder Ken Ramsey is settled, and a trial set to start on Feb. 19 will not take place.View the full article

Trainer Wesley Ward's lawsuit against owner-breeder Ken Ramsey is settled, and a trial set to start on Feb. 19 will not take place.View the full article

Edited Press Release Nancy C. Kelly, who helped raise millions of dollars for equine research and for individuals in need throughout the Thoroughbred industry over the course of a 32-year career at The Jockey Club, died Feb. 9 in Garden City Park, NY. Kelly was 71 years old and had been battling ovarian cancer since February 2019, approximately one year after she retired. As the vice president of development for Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and the executive director of The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, Kelly organized countless fund-raising events ranging from golf tournaments and ladies' luncheons to formal gala dinners. She also managed domestic and international racing conferences, including The Jockey Club's annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing and multiple editions of the Pan Am Conference in New York City. Kelly had worked in the clubhouse relations department of The New York Racing Association before The Jockey Club chairman Odgen Mills (Dinny) Phipps, who became a longtime friend and cherished colleague, recruited her to join The Jockey Club staff in 1985. “Nancy had hundreds if not thousands of friends throughout the Thoroughbred industry, and she was as universally respected and admired as much as anyone I've ever known,” said Stuart S. Janney III, the chairman of The Jockey Club. “She was the face of The Jockey Club in many ways and no one was ever a better representative of our organization. Our sincere condolences go out to her entire family.” Kelly, a native of New Hyde Park, NY, and a resident of Westbury, NY, maintained a long-standing and deep appreciation for the backstretch community and served in a variety of key volunteer roles in the creation and/or development of several Belmont Park-based organizations. Among them were the Belmont Child Care Association and the New York Race Track Chaplaincy. She was named president of the chaplaincy shortly after retiring from The Jockey Club at the end of 2017, but stepped aside shortly thereafter due to her illness. From then on, she served as the vice president and as a board member. “This is a sad day for anyone who ever knew Nancy and that includes all the racetrack chaplains around the country with whom she worked on a regular basis,” said Humberto Chavez, the lead chaplain and executive director of the New York Racetrack Chaplaincy. “She was a humanitarian in every sense of the word and took great joy in helping others.” Though Kelly avoided the limelight at all costs, she was often honored by organizations and community groups for her service to the industry and nearby communities. Among many other honors, she received the Race Track Chaplaincy of America's Award of Excellence, the Jockeys' Guild's Eddie Arcaro Award (presented annually to a person who shows exceptional commitment to jockeys and the organization) and the New York Turf Writers Association's Red Smith Good Guy Award. Kelly is survived by her sister, Fran Dtugokenski; brother-in-law, Ray Dtugokenski; nieces Lisa Locurto and Michelle Mirabile; and four grand-nieces and two grand-nephews. Kelly's late husband, Jack Kelly, an Equibase chartcaller and field supervisor, died in November 2010 after a long battle with polycythemia. The wake will be held Monday, February 12, at 9 a.m. at the Leo F. Kearns Funeral Home, 445 E. Meadow Avenue in East Meadow, NY. It will be followed by a Mass at 11 a.m. at St. Brigid Catholic Church, 85 Post Avenue in Westbury. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, the New York Race Track Chaplaincy, or the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Donations in Nancy Kelly's name can be made to The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation through its website tjcfoundation.org or by check, payable to The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation and mailed to The Jockey Club Safety Foundation, 250 Park Avenue, Suite 2020, New York, NY 10177. Donations in her name to the New York Racetrack Chaplaincy can be made through its website rtcany.org or by sending a check, payable to the New York Racetrack Chaplaincy, to the New York Racetrack Chaplaincy, PO Box 37191, Elmont NY, 11003. Donations in her name to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center can be made at giving.mskcc.org or by sending a check, payable to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Office of Development, PO Box 27106, New York, NY, 10087. We are very sad to share the news that Nancy Kelly died on February 9. Nancy was a friend to everyone she met and did so much for the people and horses in the Thoroughbred industry. She will be deeply missed. https://t.co/Z9mE6gKr7J pic.twitter.com/udysP8rxzA — The Jockey Club (@jockeyclub) February 10, 2024 The post Nancy Kelly Passes Away Following Long Illness 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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6th-SA, $100K, AOC, 3yo, 1m, 4:30 p.m. Richard Mandella has ambitiously spotted REVISED STATUTE (Consitition) for his debut Sunday. The colt set expectations high when he nearly topped the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling sale, selling to Pin Oak Stud for $1,800,000. A son of GI Madison S. winner and $1.5m NEENOV broodmare Last Full Measure, Revised Statute is a half to GI Juddmonte Spinster S. heroine Valiance (Tapit), herself a $3m FTKNOV broodmare purchase. His second dam is Lazy Slusan, also a dual Grade I winner. Revised Statute will need to bring his best on debut as he lines up just to the inside of a pair of more-experienced Bob Baffert stablemates including $900,000 OBSAPR buy and 'TDN Rising Star' Maymun (Frosted) along with $1.05m KEESEP yearling Imagination (Into Mischief). TJCIS PPS 2nd-GP, 89K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, 12:40 p.m. Another big KEESEP purchse, Last Episode (Into Mischief) went for $900,000 and starts over the grass for Todd Pletcher and the partnership of WinStar Farm and Siena Farm at Gulfstream. The filly is a half to champion 2-year-old colt Shanghai Bobby (Harlan's Holiday) and to the dam of MGSW Canoodling (Pioneerof the Nile). She is the last foal out of the stakes-winning mare Steelin' who RNA'd for $1.775m at FTKNOV in 2015. TJCIS PPS 6th-GP, $89K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 2:38 p.m. Juddmonte homebred Save Time (Into Mischief) debuts Sunday out of the Chad Brown barn. The filly is the first foal out of a daughter of MGISW Sightseek (Distant View). This is also the family of MGISW Tates Creek (Rahy), MGSW Fulsome (Into Mischief) and European champion 2-year-old filly Special Duty (GB) (Hennessy). TJCIS PPS The post Sunday Insights: Pin Oak’s Revised Statute Picks Tough Spot For Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Straight No Chaser (h, 5, Speightster–Margarita Friday, by Johannesburg), unraced since posting a powerhouse, front-running victory in the GIII Maryland Sprint S. on last spring's GI Preakness S. undercard, is on the comeback trail for trainer Dan Blacker. After stopping the clock for six furlongs in a razor sharp 1:08.27 and earning a career-best 107 Beyer Speed Figure in that 7 1/2-length decision at Pimlico, an undisclosed party agreed to purchase a minority interest in the MyRacehorse colorbearer. The deal, however, was called off after a positron emission tomography (PET) scan in a pre-purchase exam in June revealed “some abnormalities in a sesamoid,” per Blacker. “Even though the horse was sound, it was the early stages of something that would've likely developed into an issue,” Blacker said. “And when you're dealing with sesamoids, it's significant. As a trainer, that's why the PET scan has been such a game changer for us at Santa Anita. It could show the initial stages of a training injury like this.” He continued, “For me, it was an easy decision giving him time off. We had hoped to give him 90 days initially, but when we rescanned him (after 90 days), there was still activity in that same spot. So, we just gave him more time. The unfortunate thing with sesamoids is that they take time.” In Straight No Chaser's case, six months' time, to be exact. Given the green light to resume training following a clean PET scan, the bay is now nearing his first workout back at Santa Anita, Blacker reports. “He's been training as good as ever,” Blacker said. “He looks super out there on the track. Obviously, we've lost a bit of time training wise just because all of the wet weather recently, but he's getting close to being ready to breeze. He certainly looks as good if not better than ever. We'll let the workouts be the real judge of where he's at though.” Hailing from the second crop of Speightster, Straight No Chaser is one of two graded winners for the late son of Speightstown, who was euthanized following a stall accident at Northern Dawn Farm in Ontario in 2022. Bred in Kentucky by John Eaton and Steve Laymon, he was produced by the winning Johannesburg mare Margarita Friday. She is also responsible for the stakes winner Hangover Saturday (Pomeroy). This is the extended female family of two-time champion sprinter Housebuster. Straight No Chaser brought $110,000 from MyRacehorse as a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old following a :10 2/5 breeze for consignor Paul Sharp. He currently sports a career record of 7-4-0-1 and earnings of $245,800. His resume also includes a debut maiden win over the Del Mar lawn, a pair of optional claiming wins at Santa Anita and Oaklawn and a third-place finish as the favorite in last year's GIII Palos Verdes S. Straight No Chaser's aforementioned win in the Maryland Sprint was further flattered when the distant third-place finisher that day Nakatomi (Firing Line) subsequently placed a close third in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita. “It's great as a trainer when you have patient owners and I'm really grateful to have owners like MyRacehorse,” Blacker concluded. “To me, he's always been a horse that is gonna keep improving with age. I'm excited to get him back to the races.” Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3) 1.200 m – 100.000 USD – for 3yo and upward Pimlico Straight No Chaser (USA) (4C Speightster – Margarita Friday , by Johannesburg) J : @ljlmvel T: Dan Blacker O : My Racehorse B :John Eaton & Steve Laymon pic.twitter.com/H5LRCJ51jm — (@WorldRacing1) May 20, 2023 The post Straight No Chaser, Off Since Breakthrough Performance on Preakness Undercard, Back Galloping at Santa Anita appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column reflects on success at Gulfstream Park for Warm Heart and Francesco Clemente. The highlight of recent weeks has been the Coolmore partners' Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who won her third top-level race in a third different country when taking the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. in Florida in late January (video). Trained by Aidan O'Brien, the Coolmore-bred set a new course record, and is now bound for a date with Justify. The late Galileo has sired 65 winners from 177 runners (37%) in America. She is also his 28th stakes winner in the U.S. (16%). His final crop just turned two. Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1) 1800m – 1 000 000 USD Gulfstream Park Warm Heart (IRE) (Galileo- Sea Siren ,by Fastnet Rock) J : Ryan Moore T :A.P. O'Brien O :Mrs John Magnier/Michael Tabor / Derrick Smith / Westerberg B : @coolmorestud pic.twitter.com/l6ynAd7bTt — (@WorldRacing1) January 27, 2024 Dubawi Entire Lands McKnight Peter Brant homebred Francesco Clemente (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) earned a career high in the GIII William L. McKnight S. on Pegasus World Cup day at Gulfstream Park for trainer Chad Brown (video). Listed-placed at four at Goodwood last May for John and Thady Gosden, he then ran second in the GII Hollywood Turf Cup S. in November two starts later before his graded win. His dam, Justlookdontouch (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), also responsible for stakes winner and multiple group-placed Abingdon (Street Cry {Ire}), is a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Islington (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). Francesco Clemente is also from the former Ballymacoll Stud family of G1 Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) and fellow Group 1 winners Greek Dance (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and Mountain High (Ire) (Danehill). Darley kingpin Dubawi now sports a record of 40 winners from 78 runners (51%) in the US. With Francesco Clemente's Grade III win, Dubawi's American stakes winners number 22 (28%) with 17 striking at the graded level. William L. McKnight Stakes (G3) 2400m – 220 000 USD Gulfstream Park Francesco Clemente (IRE) (5H Dubawi- Justlookdontouch , by Galileo) J: I. Ortiz T: Chad C. Brown O :Peter M. Brant B : White Birch Farm, SCpic.twitter.com/RptqkwGoDQ — (@WorldRacing1) January 27, 2024 Bells Are Ringing At Santa Anita Phil D'Amato trainee Bellabel (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) showed no rust after a lengthy layoff and won the GIII Megahertz S. at Santa Anita earlier this month (video). Bred by Fergus Cousins, the dark bay sold for €33,000 as a yearling to BBA Ireland and finished her Irish career with one win at handicap level in September of 2021 for Jessica Harrington and It's All About The Girls. A graded winner in America and placed in two Grade I events in 2022, she was reoffered at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale, but was a $425,000 buy-back. Racing for Agave Racing Stable, Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Michael Nentwig and Ray Pagano, the mare was making her first start in over 13 months. Out of the winning Fashion Line (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), Bellabel's latest half-sibling is a two-year-old filly by Profitable (Ire) named Miss Birkin (Ire), and a yearling full-brother. This is the extended family of G2 Prix de Royallieu winner Princess Yaiza (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}). Belardo's best runners are based in America, among them is the Grade I winner Gold Phoenix (Ire). He has five winners from seven runners (71%) in the US. Irish-bred Bellabel overcomes 15-Month layoff to take Grade III, $100,000 Megahertz Stakes pic.twitter.com/z88apbNnlB — Santa Anita Park (@santaanitapark) February 4, 2024 Churchill Filly Off The Mark At Gulfstream Poolside With Slim (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) proved that second time was the charm in a Gulfstream maiden for trainer George Arnold (video). Bo Bramagen bought the Kilweelran-bred filly for €110,000 out of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale in 2022, and she races for Bromagen and Patrick Lewis. Her unraced dam Kissepal (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus}) now has two runners and two winners from two foals of racing age. Kissepal, a half-sister to multiple group winner and G1 Cheveley Park S. second Besharah (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), has a yearling filly by Mehmas (Ire) still to come. GIII Affirmed H. hero Nonios (Pleasantly Perfect), placed in both the GI Haskell Invitational S. and GI Awesome Again S., is also in this family. Coolmore's Churchill has seven winners from 12 runners (58%) in the US. His group winner The Foxes (Ire) was runner-up in the GI Belmont Derby in 2023. Poolside With Slim (IRE) scores in the first leg of the Rainbow Pick6, second win today for @luissaezpty! #GulfstreamPark #ChampionshipMeet pic.twitter.com/DAWoGREZZi — Gulfstream Park (@GulfstreamPark) February 3, 2024 Repeat Winners Kingman (GB)'s Equitize (GB) won for the second time in three starts when taking a Tampa Bay Downs allowance for trainer Chad Brown (video). A debut winner last March, the Klaravich Stables runner was unplaced in Aqueduct's GII Hill Prince S. in November. The post Making Waves: Florida Graded Success For Galileo And Dubawi appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sunday Racing's Queen's Walk (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) rallied to victory in the 1600-metre G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup in Tokyo on Saturday. She was just a neck to the good of Epiphaneia (Jpn)'s Arsenaal (Jpn). Stranded widest of all when breaking from gate 13, the filly soon perched well off the inside third from the rear as Morino Red Star (Jpn) (Declaration Of War) set a solid pace on the front end through an opening quarter in :23.80 and a half-mile in :47.10. Sweeping out into the centre of the course for the stretch drive, Queen's Walk unleashed a sustained closing move to reel in Morino Red Star. Rouge Suerte (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), located dead last for the majority of the contest, also produced a strong closing kick even wider on the course, and, at one point, appeared to be the eventual winner's main danger. Arsenaal, much nearer the front end with a stalking trip, also had plenty left in the lane and her finishing burst carried her just a neck short of Queen's Walk at the line. Rouge Suerte's bid flattened out in the final 50 metres and she made do with third, another 1 1/4 lengths behind the top pair. Second on debut versus Kyoto newcombers over 1800 metres in November, the dark bay won going that trip at Hanshin on Dec. 23. Saturday was her 3-year-old bow. Pedigree Notes The Japanese Champion 3-Year-Old Colt when he won the G1 Japanese Derby in 2013, Kizuna has now sired 26 stakes winners. His best runners to date have been the dual champion Songline (Jpn) and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner Akai Ito (Jpn). His total group winners have increased to 14 with Queen's Walk's victory. Queen's Walk is a half-sister to G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. hero Grenadier Guards (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}) (click here for Emma Berry's piece on Frankel's growing influence in Japan), who won the G2 Hanshin Cup and was also third in the G1 NHK Mile Cup. Their dam, the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint heroine Wavell Avenue (Harlington), is also the dam of the winning Astrophyllite (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), 3-year-old filly Sopers Lane (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), and a juvenile filly by the late Duramente (Jpn). She was bred to Lord Kanaloa's champion 3-year-old colt and G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas winner Saturnalia (Jpn) last spring. Saturday, Tokyo, Japan DAILY HAI QUEEN CUP-G3, ¥72,660,000, Tokyo, 2-10, 3yo, f, 1600mT, 1:33.10, fm. 1–QUEEN'S WALK (JPN), 121, f, 3, by Kizuna (Jpn) 1st Dam: Wavell Avenue (GISW-US, $1,190,008), by Harlington 2nd Dam: Lucas Street, by Silver Deputy 3rd Dam: Ruby Park, by Bold Ruckus 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Mitsumasa Nakauchida; J-Yuga Kawada; ¥38,462,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, ¥46,862,000. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Arsenaal (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Sambre et Meuse (Jpn), by Daiwa Major (Jpn). 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥15,132,000. 3–Rouge Suerte (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Heart's Cry (Jpn)–Ryzhkina (Ire), by Storm Cat. 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Tokyo Horse Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥9,566,000. Margins: NK, 1 1/4, 1. Odds: 2.10, 3.30, 4.20. Also Ran: Success Calla (Jpn), Morino Red Star (Jpn), Sunset View (Jpn), Teleos Sarah (Jpn), Cosmo Dinner (Jpn), Safira (Jpn), Karenna Otome (Jpn), Rouge Salinas (Jpn), Bright Again, Gabby's Sister (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. The post Kizuna’s Queen’s Walk Rallies To Victory At Tokyo appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Unbelievable (Justify), a full-brother to the undefeated Cartier champion 2-year-old colt City of Troy and a veteran of five European starts when racing as Bertinelli for Coolmore and Aidan O'Brien, will become his boom sire's first starter in Hong Kong in the Class 3 Red Packet H. (1600m) at Monday's Chinese New Year meeting at Sha Tin Racecourse. A son of G1 Fillies' Mile winner Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), also the dam of Group 3 winner Military Style (War Front) as well as the latter's full-brothers–the Group 2-placed Absolute Ruler and the listed-placed King of Athens–Unbelievable won his maiden over the Dundalk all-weather in the second of two juvenile appearances last November. A first-up second over a mile and two furlongs at Cork last April, the colt validated 9-2 second favoritism in the London Gold Cup H. at Newbury the following month and was last seen finishing third to subsequent Group 3 winner and G1 St Leger third Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the King George V. S. (Hcp.) at Royal Ascot June 22. Unbelievable is under the care of trainer Frankie Lor, a former assistant to top conditioners John Moore and John Size and Hong Kong's champion trainer during the 2021/2022 season. He has had a pair of barrier trials, including a running-on fifth Jan. 30 (video) going 1200 meters over the 'all-weather' track, but Lor told the HKJC's Nick Child that preparations have not been entirely straight-forward. “I wanted to trial him in early December, but he had a temperature, so I had to wait a little bit,” Lor said. “Of course, the trial was a bit short for him, so that's why we start him over 1600 meters, but more ground later on.” Unbelievable will race in the colors of the Frankie Lor Fu Chuen Trainer Syndicate and would have been imported with the hopes of making the gate for Hong Kong's richest domestic prize, the HK$26-million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) Mar. 24. Monday's race is clearly a jumping-off point, but Lor is hopeful that Unbelievable will do enough between now and then to earn a berth in the field. “You can see his form is over 200 meters and further, but he's rated 80, so if he can pick up a few points, hopefully he can get into the Derby,” he said. Unbelievable has drawn gate one in a field of 14 in the ninth race of the program at 4:40 p.m. local time. Derek Leung has the riding assignment. Unbelievable is one of four sons of Justify currently registered in Hong Kong. The others are Pray For Mir (Aus) (ex Javaja), an A$950,000 Inglis Easter yearling who was perfect in two starts at the Sunshine Coast in Australia prior to his import; Call Me Supreme (Aus); and Miles Away (Aus), a son of SW & GISP Stopshoppingmaria (More Than Ready), who has also produced SW/GSP Mo Shopping (Uncle Mo) and MGSW Always Shopping (Awesome Again). The post City of Troy Full-Brother A First Hong Kong Starter For Justify appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Driver Ricky May admits Sunday’s $20,000 Garrards House And Hound Horotata Cup may not be the ideal comeback race for Jimmy James Maguire. But compared with what happened the last time he tried to go to the races the 3000m standing start at Methven will seem like a picnic. Jimmy James Maguire is having his first start since finishing eighth of nine in the Green Mile at Methven in early December, having been sixth to Don’t Stop Dreaming and Merlin in the Junior Free-For-All on Cup day the start before. But trainer Brendon Hill has actually tried to race Jimmy James Maguire since that Methven start on December 3 but it couldn’t have gone worse. “He got attacked by another horse in the float on the way to the races when he was heading to Invercargill for their Cup Day,” says May, who also shares in the ownership. “The other horse had a real go at him and took some skin off his neck and it was only the great work of the float driver to break them up that saved it being a lot worse. “But this poor fella needed a break after that.” Hill took Jimmy James Maguire to the workouts last weekend and was pleased with his performance but May has been around long enough to know winning fresh-up after an incident like that over 3000m from a 20m handicap in a big field will take some real doing. “Benny (Hill) is taking the attitude he has to start off somewhere so it might as well be here but clearly he will improve with the run.” With those doubts in mind the latest leg of the Country Cups circuit looks very even with the distance even bringing veteran grass track hero Homebush Lad into play after a remarkable 13th grass track win last start. While May isn’t going to his hometrack confident he can win the Cup he rates two stablemates trained by Stephen Boyd as good chances. “Both Kawatiri Creek (R4, No.7) and What A Minx (R9, No.7) went really well last week and I think they will both be good each way chances.” View the full article

By Jonny Turner Sand Wave might have the biggest task in front of him among the powerful team Nathan Williamson starts on Wairio Cup Day. While the pacer is the class horse of the field in Sunday’s 2400m feature, he is going to need to bring all of his best qualities to overcome a massive 40m back mark. Williamson knows exactly how big that task could be, especially if Sand Wave’s key rivals set a fast tempo from their lesser handicaps. But the trainer-driver is comfortable in knowing he has his horse ready to run the best race he can, no matter what circumstances are thrown up in front of him. “It certainly won’t be easy off 40m,” Williamson said. “I suppose the small field does help, but it’ll just be what happens in front of him.” “But he’s well, and he’ll go good race.” Mr Cash Man starts from a 10m handicap in the Wario Cup for Williamson. The pacer had a temporary stable movement lodged as he is based with Tyler Dewe in the hope the horse can bounce back to the kind of form that saw him win the South Of The Waitaki event during New Zealand Cup week. “We just went for a bit of a change of scenery, he raced at Ascot Park last start and I just decided afterwards why don’t we leave him here for a change of scenery and try something new.” “If he does bring his best form, he wouldn’t be without a chance.” The unbeaten Miraculous starts in Sunday’s Southern Supremacy Stakes heat for the Williamson barn. The pacer looks the horse to beat, while stablemate Ultimate Weapon looks a Trifecta and First4 player. “Miraculous is a classy horse, he’s got nice point-to-point speed, and he’s pretty trackable.” “The other fella is probably not the finished product yet and he is a good staying horse.” “I think over the longer trips later on will suit him better.” “But you’d have to lean towards Miraculous.” Another Williamson pairing go head to head in Sunday’s Southern Oaks heat in Flying Ellie and Ruby Roe. “There isn’t much between them, and it probably comes down to the run, who will finish in front of the other.” “But they both seem very well.” “I’d say the Flying Ellie might be a little bit more forward this week.” “But I’m in saying that Ruby Roe trialled lovely as well, and I’ve been happy with their both of their work.” “So, there’s not much between them.” Another Williamson pairing take on race 11 in Itoje and Micaitlen Denario. Itoje has the benefit of recent racing, while Micaitlen Denario comes in fresh from barrier 1. “Micaitlen Denario has got a nice draw and shouldn’t have to do a lot of work from there. “So that brings her into calculations.” “But Itoje is a very smart horse, and I think he’s ready to show his best on Sunday.” Zamperini returns to Winton on Sunday after impressing in his debut 5th. The pacer gets a big draw upgrade from his first run, moving from barrier 8 to the 3 draw. “He’s got a couple of wee fancy steps in him, but he’s quite a strong horse.” “He always runs on, so I think in that type of field, if he didn’t settle too far away he should be there or thereabouts.” Rakapmurph rounds out the outstanding Williamson line up when starting in race 12. The pacer disappointed in his last start at Omakau, but he has produced a handy workout effort since being freshened. View the full article

Promising galloper Wallen (NZ) (Tarzino) produced one of the standout performances on Legends Day at Te Rapa, claiming the inaugural Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m) in sensational fashion. The Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic was the third of the five newly-instated innovation races worth $350,000 this season, with eligible horses required to be maideners as of 31 July last year, the day before commencement of the new racing season. Wallen, a four-year-old son of Tarzino, was a relative late-starter commencing his career in September last year, though he has impressed at each race-day appearance in finishing third on debut behind race-rival Adam I Am (NZ) (Almanzor), before three second-placed efforts preceded his deserved maiden victory at Pukekohe in early December. Shane Crawford, who prepares Wallen out of his Cambridge base, opted to freshen the gelding ahead of a tilt at the Karapiro Classic, where he entered the race an underrated $17 chance, in a market dominated by Adam I Am ($2.20). Wallen jumped leisurely away from barrier seven in the hands of regular rider Ryan Elliot, who was flying high after a Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) victory aboard Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) in the previous race. Hastobeawinner (NZ) (Vadamos) took up the dominant front-running role down the back straight while Elliot bided his time near the tail of the 14-horse field, and passing the 800m mark, Wallen had a sizable task on his hands trapped on the fence in last. As many runners spread wide turning for home, Elliot remained on the rail and looked to be running into the minors nearing the 100m, before Wallen showed a scintillating turn of foot to chase down a game Hastobeawinner and talented filly Vera Rose (NZ) (Fiorente) to score by a neck. An elated Crawford admitted to a few nerves during the mid-stages of the 1600m event, while watching from afar alongside partner Kara Waters in Sydney. “I spoke to Ryan this morning and said let’s not change his pattern of racing, just ride him in a rhythm and comfortable. But, at the 800m, I was thinking ‘jeez, where are we going to go from here’,” he said. “But it was a cool, calm and collected ride from Ryan, he stuck to the inside which I was happy with, and he got all the splits up the straight. “It’s a great thrill for us, certainly money-wise, and also to get the win for Russell (Warwick, General Manager at Westbury Stud) and Gerry Harvey (owner of Westbury Stud) is just huge. “I’m just gutted that Kara and I are over in Sydney at the moment for the sales, not able to be there to enjoy the moment.” Crawford had initially hoped to contest the first innovation race, the $350,000 The Oaks Stud Remutaka Classic (1600m) at Trentham with Wallen, however changed those plans when his rating wasn’t going to be high enough for him to make the field. “We had the Remutaka in sight originally, but we realised his rating wouldn’t get him in, so we thought we may be a better chance of freshening him up and going for this race. It had been on our radar for a while,” he said. “It was a great effort today with six weeks between runs, but I think another key was putting the blinkers on.” While contemplating a spell, Crawford indicated he may consider targeting the $350,000 Rangitoto Classic (1500m) on Derby Day at Ellerslie on March 2, for horses prepared by trainers outside of the Top 10 in domestic stakes earnings. “After winning today, we seriously will give some thought to the innovation race on Derby Day, but he has been up a long time, probably a spell would be a possibility as well. We’ll discuss it with Russell Warwick and see what the plan’s going to be.” Wallen carried the familiar blue-and-white silks of breeder and owner Gerry Harvey, who was represented by Warwick at Te Rapa. The victory was one of sentimental value for Warwick, a former employee at Cambridge Stud, as the race was named in honour of the late Sir Patrick Hogan, an incredible figure of the New Zealand racing and breeding industry. “That was fantastic, these races are pipedreams, and it’s great for Entain, TAB and NZTR to be able to put a race on like this. The Sir Patrick insignia on this race also makes it very special for me,” Warwick said. “Shane and Kara have done an amazing job with this horse. He was probably just about at the end of his preparation, but Shane thought he could get him to this race with a freshen-up and putting the blinkers on. “Supplemented by a great ride by Ryan, it was superb. I thought (about Ryan) ‘you’ve just won on Legarto so you’re up high now”, and we just hoped he could do it for us too, but he was going to need a lot of luck at the 600m for sure. To get up and win was just fairy-tale stuff. “He’s been up since October, and we think he’ll be even better next season getting up over a trip.” View the full article

Cult horse Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) commenced his autumn campaign in the Gr.1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday and after looking beaten for much of the contest called on all his fighting qualities to mow down bold front runner Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) and Buffalo River (Noble Mission) in the shadows of the post. The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained gelding has a never say die quality that has endeared him to racing fans and has been scarcely out of the money since crossing the Tasman from New Zealand. The non-descript son of Bullbars was a near certainty beaten in a Matamata maiden exactly three years ago to the date and has gone on to bag five Group One victories plus an A$5 million All-Star Mile in his 15 victories since. Sent out a $1.85 favourite, Mr Brightside was slow from the gates but quickly mustered under regular rider Craig Williams, who got him into fifth position one off the fence. Bonny Trelawney Stud-bred mare Pride Of Jenni adopted her customary front-running role under Declan Bates, setting a strong tempo that had most of the field gasping. But after playing second fiddle to Pride Of Jenni in the Gr.1 Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington last spring, Mr Brightside turned the tables on resumption on Saturday to collar the mare on the line. JD Hayes said the win can be the start of a huge campaign for the son of Bullbars, who until Saturday had never won first-up in the autumn. “He’s a great horse. He’s so dear to our hearts. He was slow away, but it worked out perfectly with the pace on,” Hayes said. “Pride Of Jenni was so brave there, but I was glad that he got there late and there’s so much improvement in him to come. Hopefully it’s the start of a big autumn.” The stable has also been vindicated in their belief that Mr Brightside’s slightly underwhelming jumpouts were of no concern as they build towards a campaign targeting the Gr.1 Futurity Stakes (1400m), A$4 million All-Star Mile (1600m) and Gr.1 Australian Cup (2000m). “He’s been beaten in the autumn first-up every time so if history repeats, this is a first for him, and we’re very happy,” Hayes said. “He’s a seasoned campaigner now and there was nothing to read into the trials and jumpouts. We thought it was nothing for him just being an older horse. “I’d just like to take the opportunity to thank everyone at home and all of the clients supporting us. It’s such a team effort and when a horse like Mr Brightside is able to fly the flag, it gives us a reason to have a sore head in the morning.” A son of the former Highview Stud stallion Bullbars, Mr Brightside is out of the Tavistock (NZ) mare Lilahjay (NZ) (Tavistock), who is also the dam of Will Power (NZ) (Power), an eight-time winner in Hong Kong. Mr Brightside was bred by Ray Johnson in partnership with his late wife Martha. He was sold as a yearling for $22,000 via Janine Dunlop’s Phoenix Park at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock May Sale, then failed to meet his $50,000 reserve when re-offered at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale. Later an opportunity arose for Johnson to buy him back on gavelhouse.com for just $7,750, in conjunction with Cambridge trainer Ralph Manning and good friend Shaun Dromgool. Mr Brightside finished a luckless fifth in his sole New Zealand start at Matamata for Manning, having previously won a trial. He was subsequently sold privately to clients of the Hayes stable via Australian agent Wayne Ormond. The Kiwi-bred star has now won 15 of his 30 starts, with a further seven placings and boasts prizemoney of A$11,925,752. View the full article