Wandering Eyes

After running 1-2 in the Mahony Stakes (G3T) last month, Spiced Up and Governor Sam stretch out to 6 1/2 furlongs in America's lone grade 1 turf sprint restricted to 3-year-olds: the $2 million Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G1T) at Kentucky Downs Sept. 6.View the full article

This year has been one of ups and downs in the professional and personal life of 25-year-old trainer Nick Vaccarezza, but he is set up to make history Sept. 6 at Kentucky Downs should Golden Afternoon win the Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G1T).View the full article

Last season's King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) winner Goliath and globetrotting star Rebel's Romance top the bill in a top-class running of Germany's leading weight-for-age race Sept. 7, the Grosser Preis von Baden (G1).View the full article

By Jordyn Bublitz Fresh from her first ever New Zealand driving win at Alexandra Park last Friday, Brooke Wilkins is aiming for more success at Cambridge tonight. The Australian-born links up with the Ival Brownlee-trained Emily Bay in Race 4, the IRT.Your Horse.Our Passion .Mobile Trot (6.52pm). “She’s a really consistent little trotter, and she always trots which is her biggest asset,” Wilkins says, “she’s got a good draw and it’s a pretty even race, so hopefully if we find a handy spot, we’ll be thereabouts.” A four race winner, currently the Majestic Son seven-year-old is at $17 and $3.40 in the market. Last start winner Loteria is the $2.35 favourite in the Juniors Drivers race for Harrison Orange. Last Friday Wilkins achieved a career milestone when Alecto took out the Dunstan Horsefeeds Sires Stakes Heat 1 2YOF Mobile Pace, for her employers Mark and Nathan Purdon. It was the 10th driving success of her career, but the first on Kiwi soil and one she won’t forget in a hurry. “It was a pretty good feeling to get the monkey off of my back,” Wilkins says, “I’ve come close a few times, so it felt great to finally get that win.” Drawn ideally from barrier one, Wilkins slotted the daughter of Bettor’s Delight into the trail behind stablemate River before peeling out at the top of the straight. Showing determination and a sharp sprint, Alecto reeled in her rival to score the victory. “I was quietly confident heading into the race,” Wilkins says, “she had the perfect draw and Mark and Nathan have always had a high opinion of her, so I was confident without getting too silly about it. “She still had to work for it, when I came out at the top of the straight, I didn’t know if I was going to catch the stablemate, but she got into her work nicely and got the job done.” During her career in Australia, she prepared 39 training winners and notched nine victories in the sulky. Now she’s keen to keep the winning momentum going. “Driving wasn’t something I came to New Zealand to do, but now that I’m back out there I just love it.” View the full article

Maybe Ned Toffey should have presented the trophy to himself. Or perhaps the horse should have presented it to him. Because the Thoroughbred is generally here to confuse us, and yet here was one that seemed to be obeying a transparent and coherent destiny: Ted Noffey, dominating a GI Hopeful Stakes sponsored by Spendthrift for the first time, welcomed into the winner's circle by Ted Bates Farm Manager of the Year Ned Toffey. For good measure, the equivalent prize for fillies had the previous day been won by Tommy Jo, named after the first grandchild of Spendthrift owners Tammy and Eric Gustavson. (Aptly, she is homebred.) Both, of course, are by the farm's champion stallion Into Mischief. We will not dismay the stubbornly modest Toffey by dwelling again on the tremendous judgement and decency with which he handled his late employer's provocative reset of the commercial stallion model. Suffice to say that any horse intending to meet the standards implied in (nearly) sharing Toffey's name cannot rest easy until sealing that Eclipse Award. Into Mischief, of course, became the poster boy for what B. Wayne Hughes had set out to do. His fourth and fifth Grade I winners of 2025, heading into the fall as leading juvenile filly and colt, respectively, follow in the slipstream of a son already bestriding the previous crop. These days Into Mischief's ratios of quality are right up where they should be, at his fee, without having ever relented on quantity. Indeed he has so far fielded 397 starters in his march to a seventh consecutive title, compared with 193 and 148, respectively, for elder statesmen Cupid and Tapit. Actually Into Mischief's nearest pursuer, in output, is his son (and neighbor) Goldencents with 343. And while Goldencents obviously can't lay a glove on his sire, as only a $10,000 cover, five stakes winners so far this year match the pricier Munnings, who's next with 331 starters. (Moreover Goldencents would currently win a tiebreaker between that pair, with two GSWs playing none.) Anyone persisting in the notion that a cross can be branded by entire sire-lines will doubtless discover some satisfaction in the fact that Ted Noffey and Tommy Jo are both out of mares by a grandson of Unbridled. I would be rather more impressed, however, had they ever urged the claims of the Old Fashioned nick, in particular! Runaway winner of the GII Remsen in 2008 before derailing on the Derby trail, Old Fashioned had dwindled to $6,500 when exiled to Korea in 2016. The son of Unbridled's Song left behind one standout, dual Grade I winner Fashion Plate, but Streak of Luck was a solid stakes operator on turf, running second in the GII Buena Vista Stakes and winning the Lady Canterbury Stakes over a mile at Canterbury Park. Streak of Luck was sold to Aaron and Marie Jones for $620,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale, and the following spring visited Into Mischief. Perhaps the mare made an impression on the Spendthrift team, because they bought the resulting colt at Keeneland this time last year for $650,000. We now know him as Ted Noffey. Tommy Jo | Sarah Andrew Streak of Luck evidently found her ability from somewhere, but her dam Valeria (Elusive Quality) ended up winning under a $5,000 tag at Sunland Park, and otherwise produced nothing to belie her mediocre covers. Valeria's siblings were also largely anonymous, disappointingly so in view of their dam's profile: Lindsay Jean (Saint Ballado) won a Grade III on turf and four other stakes, besides boasting a couple of black-type scorers among her half-sisters (one, coincidentally, preceding Streak of Luck by 13 years as winner of the Lady Canterbury Stakes). And perhaps here is where some genetic embers could be stoked up by Into Mischief. Lindsay Jean's dam was by Pleasant Colony out of a sister to none other than Storm Bird-who presides, of course, over the sire-line now extended by Into Mischief. To have his full-sister bang opposite, in Ted Noffey's pedigree, may seem fairly tenuous: after all, we're talking about the fifth dam. But it's fun to note that this mirror image is compounded by its combination with Halo: as we've seen, Lindsay Jean was by his son Saint Ballado; while Storm Bird's son Storm Cat produced Into Mischief's grandsire Harlan out of a Halo mare. And if anyone is prepared to treat Old Fashioned as gateway to a whole sire-line, please note that Lindsay Jean and Harlan are closer up in this pedigree than Unbridled! The Mother of All Parting Gifts At what proved to be the final round of breeding stock sales before his death, B. Wayne Hughes indulged his farm manager-always a broodmare man, at heart-with a spree that added massive quality to their paddocks. At the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, in fact, Spendthrift accounted for half of the dozen mares to make $1.5 million or more. These included Mother Mother (Pioneerof The Nile), a dual stakes scorer placed three times at Grade I level, for $1.8 million. She was naturally sent to Into Mischief, and the resulting filly was retained and sent into the racing division. Unfortunately she has so far beaten a total of two rivals in three starts. But the same formula, the following spring, produced a very different result. Ted Noffey being led in by Ned Toffey | Sarah Andrew As with Ted Noffey, Tommy Jo's page contains a fallow core alongside elements that might assist Into Mischief with his alchemy. Obviously Mother Mother herself was highly accomplished, and her half-brother Commanding Curve (Master Command) wildly surpassed the rest of his record when chasing home California Chrome at in the Derby. And their dam, dazingly named Mother (Lion Hearted), showed quite a bit of talent, notably when breaking her maiden by eight lengths at Santa Anita. Then you hit something of a wall: the next dam, by Topsider, contested serial maiden claimers to no avail, and produced only the kind of pedestrian runners her covers generally warranted. But she was out Proper Miss (Tom Rolfe), a dual stakes winning half-sister to GI Metropolitan Handicap winner Proper Reality (In Reality) and two other stakes winners. And their dam in turn opens up some fertile territory, being granddaughter of a half-sister to Alanesian (Polynesian)-who can be found, back in 1956, on the same Spinaway roll of honor now topped by Tommy Jo. Among numerous other distinctions, Alanesian became dam of Boldnesian and granddam of Revidere; while her own mother Alablue (Blue Larkspur) ties together the pedigrees of such evocative names as Cryptoclearance and Duke Of Marmalade (Ire). Incidentally, the paths that have brought Tommy Jo and Ted Noffey into the same barn-and same winner's circle-nearly touched long before their ultimate direction might be guessed. On 28 December 2019, Mother Mother ran third in the GI La Brea Stakes. As she was taken back to the barns, she will have passed the runners in the next race, a Grade III on turf, who just happened to include Ted Noffey's dam Streak of Luck. (She faded into sixth.) But then it's a small world. The Reverend Spooner, who gave his name to the transposing of first letters in the manner of Ted Noffey, lived not one furlong from where I'm sitting. Many “Spoonerisms” are doubtless apocryphal. Could he really have raised a toast “to our queer dean” when Queen Victoria was a guest of his college? Regardless, I can't picture anyone naming a horse accordingly… A Collector's Item Too many angles over recent days to accommodate adequately here, but a couple we might “mention in dispatches.” Albeit pulverised by Ted Noffey-which may prove a common fate-both the second and third in the Hopeful represent the second crop of Tiz The Law, duly consolidating the good work of his first. His 11 graded stakes performers to date, from 130 starters overall, exceed every other sire of his intake by both volume and ratio (five percent of named foals). Not that the class leader is slowing down. While we doff the cap yet again to Bernardini as damsire, GIII Prioress Stakes winner Praying became Vekoma's fifth graded stakes scorer in a week when he also reached the landmark of 100 winners overall. Vekoma always had volume behind him, but is making it count with 38 percent winners-to-named foals, a ratio exceeded among his peers only by Win Win Win, batting 35-for-54 in Florida. And surely you didn't expect me to allow a Grade I winner for poor Preservationist to pass unremarked, regardless of the dramas that diluted Antiquarian's Jockey Club Gold Cup. Having been reduced to just 11 mares in 2024, this beautifully bred animal sought pastures new in South Korea-only for his death to be reported in July. In the meantime his $2,500 yearling Chunk of Gold, having run midfield at Churchill, has added an emphatic score in the GIII West Virginia Derby. To be fair, even I must acknowledge that Preservationist must share the credit for Antiquarian: the only other starter out of Lifetime Memory (Istan) is Fondly (Upstart), recent winner of the GIII Delaware Oaks. With the next two dams both graded stakes winners, better check out Lifetime Memory's Happy Saver colt [802] at Keeneland next week. The post Breeding Digest: Mischief Leads to a Double Take appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

British based trainer James Owen had never been to Kentucky Downs prior to his visit last week for the GIII $3.5 million Nashville Derby. Actually, he had never been to the U.S., period. Now he can't wait to come back. The versatile trainer who has trained flat horses, jumpers and even Arabians, won the Nashville Derby at Kentucky Downs with Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko), who out-gamed GI Blue Grass winner Burnham Square (Liam's Map) in a thrilling finish. To talk about his impressions of Kentucky Downs, the biggest victory of his career and his future plans for Wimbledon Hawkeye, Owen joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast, which is sponsored by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the Week. “We had a fantastic weekend,” Owen said. “I had never been to America, let alone come over with a horse and win such a big prize. But of that nature, we were welcomed with open arms and it was a great experience for me and my owner as well. We had a great time and the result was just the icing on the cake.” Owen believes that European horses have an edge at Kentucky Downs because they are used to similarly quirky tracks back home. “The track at Kentucky Downs is very unique,” he said. “And it probably suits our horses. We've been to Goodwood, which is a very up-and-down track. You've got a gallop downhill, gallop uphill. Go on your left lead, go on your right lead, which I think probably gives the European horses an advantage because they've had to do it before. He definitely gave our jockey (Frankie Dettori) an advantage. Frankie is obviously another step ahead on that track. He's a world-class jockey, but he's definitely a step ahead on that track as well. I don't the European horses are massively better than American turf horses. I just think our horses are used to this sort of track more.” One reason more European horses don't come to Kentucky Downs is, unless they are Kentucky breds, they race for a smaller purse. Still, Wimbledon Hawkeye made $1,109,800. A solid Group II/Group III horse in the U.K., such a payday over there would be way out of his reach. “We would have loved for him to be Kentucky-bred,” Owen said. “It would have been nice. But it's a fantastic purse when you weigh it. He would have been running for an extra million if he were a Kentucky bred, but it's still a fantastic prize. Wimbledon Hawkeye is probably a Group II, Group III horse at home. I do think he's improving all the time. So I do think he can still upgrade, but to be running for that money, you can't turn that down. Owen plans to be back in the U.S. as soon as November as he is pointing Wimbledon Hawkeye to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. “We're very keen to take him to the Breeders' Cup Turf,” Owen said. “This race is a little shorter than the Breeders Cup, but I think he'll upgrade going the extra distance. He's very nimble. He'd go around a tight track. Fingers crossed we'll be coming again early November.” The “Fastest Horse of the Week” was GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Antiquarian (Preservationist), who got a 109 Beyer figure, the highest Beyer figure any horse has ran in the Gold Cup over the last 10 years. The Fastest Horse of the Week segment is sponsored by WinStar. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by 1/st TV, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association, West Point Thoroughbreds and the KTOB, the team of Bill Finley, Zoe Cadman and Randy Moss touched on the GI Pacific Classic and the roughly run Gold Cup. The name of the winner of the GI Hopeful Stakes, Ted Noffey (Into Mischief), who is named, sort of, for Spendthrift Farm's General Manager Ned Toffey, had Finley tied up in knots as he couldn't get the names straight. The discussion also included the Kentucky Downs phenomenon. Moss said the purses there are “bonkers.” The post Nashville Derby Winning Trainer James Owen Joins The TDN Writers’ Room Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The silent auction held in tandem with TOBA National Awards Dinner opened Wednesday, Sept. 3 and will continue through the dinner event, which takes place Saturday, Sept. 6 at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, Kentucky. Included among this year's auction attractions are signed Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby 151 Limited Edition Bourbon signed by Kentucky Derby-winning connections of the past two years, portraits and commissioned work, a signed print of Thorpedo Anna, a Mark Pope signed UK basketball, a John Deere mower, Saratoga, Keeneland and Churchill Downs packages, private tours, halters worn by notable racehorses and stallions and a variety of gift bags, equine accessories and much more. For the complete listing of auction items, click here. Dinner check-in is at 5:30pm, with cocktails at 6:00pm. The 'Bluegrass, Blue Jeans & Bourbon Celebration' is scheduled to begin at 6:45pm with the awards and Bluegrass Music concert commencing at 7:45pm. The attire for this year's event is casual, blue jeans etc., no ties and sports coatis optional. For more information on the dinner, awards or to purchase tickets, click here. The post TOBA National Awards Dinner Silent Auction Opens appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In the paddock for the GI Forego Stakes, nearly every other horse was flanked by handlers. A few pranced or eyed the crowd warily, as their teams worked to keep them focused on the task at hand. Meanwhile Book'em Danno (Bucchero) ambled placidly in front of the saddling stalls. His lone handler gave him an occasional pat, but otherwise the pair seemed impervious to the commotion around them. That steady demeanor has been one of Book'em Danno's trademarks, and it's one of the reasons why bringing the multiple Grade I winner up to the races is such a pleasure for Mark Rubenstein, who not only serves as the gelding's race-day groom but is also one of his co-owners. “I'd rather bring him over, as opposed to standing there in the paddock watching and hanging out,” Rubenstein said with a laugh. “It all ties into my racetrack and grooming roots.” A Jersey-bred like his horse, Rubenstein grew up going to Monmouth Park every summer. While he enjoyed the excitement of afternoon races, it was the quiet intensity of morning training that drew him. In 1969, he dropped out of law school to work on the racetrack. Over the next few years, he moved his way up from working as a hot walker to a groom and later a barn foreman. Rubenstein learned from trainers Larry Jennings and Tony Bardaro, and he crisscrossed now-defunct tracks like Hialeah Park, Garden State Park, and Atlantic City Race Course. He worked yearling and 2-year-old sales at Keeneland, Saratoga and Hollywood Park. Rubenstein on the job at Monmouth Park in 1974 | courtesy Mark Rubenstein “I was living in a tack room and making not-too-much money, working seven days a week and loving every minute of it,” Rubenstein recalled. “Just sitting there in the morning after the horses had done their thing and listening to the people talking back there, it was wonderful. I worked for trainers that had some really nice stock and the good ones had an aura. It's hard to explain, but anyone who has worked at the races knows what I'm talking about.” Eventually, Rubenstein made the decision to join his family's real estate appraisal business, but he never gave up his passion for the sport. He followed all the big races and put a few partnerships together in the late '80s. His stable's top earner Cuca's Lady (Great Above) collected seven stakes wins racing throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Six years ago, Rubenstein's old friend Jay Briscione — a fellow former hot-walker turned real estate professional —called and asked if Rubenstein was ready to get back in the game. They formed Atlantic Six Racing with four other New Jersey friends and started out with a horse named Counterfeitcurency (Currency Swap). The hard-knocking gelding placed in 10 of his 30 lifetime starts. “He made us a couple hundred thousand and we parlayed that money into buying Book'em Danno,” noted Rubenstein, who was the one who named the future star. From the day he arrived in trainer Derek Ryan's barn, Book'em Danno exuded a quiet confidence. “His first day on the track he went out there and was as relaxed as could be,” said Rubenstein. “To this day, nothing gets to him.” After going undefeated as a 2-year-old, Book'em Danno took a big step forward last year, traveling across the world to finish second to Japan's star Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the G3 Saudi Derby and then earning his first Grade I victory in the Woody Stephens Stakes. Rubenstein and multiple stakes winner Get Permission at Hialeah Park in 1976 | courtesy Mark Rubenstein When Book'em Danno shipped to Colonial Downs for his 4-year-old debut this March, expectations were high for another big season. The only problem was that on race day, the groom never showed up. “Our trainer asked me if I wanted to run him,” recounted Rubenstein. “It was something I hadn't done in probably 50 years–take a horse over to the races–but it's all muscle memory. I knew how to do it. So I told him sure and I've been running him ever since.” Rubenstein has been the man at the end of the shank for Book'em Danno's past three trips to Saratoga, where the gelding has reeled off wins in the GIII True North Stakes, GII Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes and GI Forego Stakes. For Rubenstein, the journey has been beyond anything he could have imagined. “I knew we have a nice horse, but just to have him do what he's done up here, three graded stakes, that's off the wall,” explained Rubenstein. “We are a small little stable. We're not used to something like that. When we win an allowance race, that is a big deal for us. Now we're running for a half-million-dollar purse. It's crazy. It's absolutely crazy.” In his Forego victory, Book'em Danno became the richest New Jersey-bred in history when he held off a late rally by Scotland (Good Magic) to win by a length. “I don't think there was really a moment in that race where I was really worried,” said Rubenstein. “When he hit that seam coming into the stretch, I was very confident because he'll fight you. When he nailed those two speed horses, I knew that was it.” While Book'em Danno started out as a likeable underdog, he has developed into one of the most popular horses in training. Rubenstein has witnessed that rise firsthand each time he walks the gelding back to the barns after every trip to the winner's circle. “The adoration you feel when you're walking back after the race,” he shared. “People in the grandstand cheering their heads off and taking pictures going 'Danno! Danno!' I know he's a very popular horse, but it's a quarter mile of people just loving him.” Book'em Danno and Rubenstein in the winner's circle for the Forego | Sarah Andrew The Forego was a Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' qualifier. While trainer Derek Ryan has yet to commit to the championship meet, Rubenstein admits that the venue would be yet another memorable place to bring his horse through the paddock. “I've been to Del Mar and it's beautiful out there,” he said. “It's a spectacular location with a great racetrack and it's a great place to have the Breeders' Cup again.” Back at Monmouth this summer, Book'em Danno has a regular groom named Eddie, whom Rubenstein calls “the man.” With Eddie staying home to help manage the string when the stable's star trainee is traveling to the races, Rubenstein has had the rare privilege of leading his horse onto racing's biggest stages. The experience has left a lasting mark well beyond himself. “My kids were never really into it until 'Danno' came around,” he admitted. “Then all of a sudden, he was a big horse and they've enjoyed it a lot. We're always in attendance when he's running and I think they're going to carry on the tradition in the family. I want my grandchildren to be involved in racing.” Each time Rubenstein walks Book'em Danno from the barns to the paddock on race day, he savors every step. The steady rhythm of hooves and the hum of anticipation bring him back to why he fell in love with racing in the first place. “I'm a racetracker,” he said simply. “That's how I would define myself, even though I'm not there all the time anymore. Being in the barn, that's where I want to be.” The post Breeders’ Cup Connections: Owner Brings Book’em Danno to the Big Stage appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It is not beyond the realms of possibility that eight days after this year's BBAG Yearling Sale, the team behind the German sales company could be celebrating a British Classic winner. Already runner-up in the Derby and third in the Irish Derby, Lazy Griff is now being aimed at the St Leger on September 13. The colt, bred by the Rodde family of Gestut Westerberg, graduated from the BBAG sale of 2023, when bought for €75,000 by Jeremy Brummitt, who was also responsible for finding G1 Sun Chariot Stakes winner Tamfana there a year earlier for €20,000. She, too, looks set to be back in Group 1 action before the month is out. The sires of those two yearlings – Protectionist and Soldier Hollow respectively – are both sadly no longer around. Two members of Protectionist's final crop will be offered on Friday, while there are four by Soldier Hollow, the former German champion sire. His are big boots to fill, but the horse who arrived to stand alongside him at Gestut Auenquelle a year before his death, Torquator Tasso, is the one carries many of the hopes of those involved with the German breeding industry. Taking withdrawals into account, there will be 15 of the first batch of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner's yearlings for potential buyers to peruse over the next few days, from 200 yearlings on offer in total, and BBAG's managing director Klaus Eulenberger is confident that they will be well received. “They are very athletic horses,” he says. “They look like stayers but also more like sales horses than the Adlerflugs were – they have much more quality.” Adlerflug, a fairly leggy and light-framed chestnut, and the celebrated late sire of Torquator Tasso, left quite the mark on the German breed despite dying at the age of 17, His influence has rippled through to the hallowed turf of Longchamp and Ascot, where another son, Goliath, won last year's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. In his 12 seasons at stud, Adlerflug never had a crop larger than 54 foals. His smallest was 16 in 2015. From the 368 reported foals he left, 312 have so far made it to the track (the youngest are now three) for a winners-to-foals rate of 58 per cent. More impressively, his ratio of stakes winners to foals chimes in at 9.5 per cent. Like Soldier Hollow, Adlerflug was by In The Wings, whose influence in Germany followed the years of Monsun dominance and upheld the country's reputation globally as breeders of top-class middle-distance horses. The hunt is now on for Adlerflug's successor. Encouragingly, his Deutsches Derby-winning son In Swoop already has a first-crop dual juvenile winner to his name this year, but he stands in Ireland in Coolmore's National Hunt division. To the German breeding community, success for Torquator Tasso, himself a graduate of BBAG's later yearling sale in October, will mean much. “The results of the German horses abroad, it's unreal,” says Eulenberger, who has been closely tracking the progress of last year's €850,000 top lot, Del Maro (Camelot), who was a close second on debut at Newmarket for Godolphin and is entered for Ascot this Saturday. The colt was bred by Gestut Brummerhof, who gave the racing world another famous German Arc winner in Danedream (Lomitas). “We also had Swagman, a Classic trial winner in Britain this year, which is quite an achievement, and of course Tamfana and Lazy Griff. From the last crop of Protectionist here with us this year we have two colts, one from Rottgen and another Gestut Karlshof, and they're outstanding colts, both of them.” For weeks now, there has been talk on the circuit about visiting this particular sale, and BBAG looks set to welcome plenty of new potential buyers through its gates this year. Eulenberger continues, “It's what we used to call a pinhooker's paradise but we now have many more high-value international clients, compared to three years or five years ago. It is getting better every year, and it is the one day of international trade in Germany, so it's great that we are able to keep it on that level. “We try to improve, but with a limited number of yearlings it is not that easy. But I am happy that the quality of the horses is great and I feel this year many horses are much better than their page.” As ever, there are changing names on the doors and, as profiled by Brian Sheerin over the weekend, Hetty Spencer will have one of the largest drafts at BBAG, partly owing to her association with Ronald Rauscher, who is not consigning this year but is instead there in his other role as bloodstock agent. “Hetty sold for the first time at this sale last year and she sold a nice Study Of Man colt for €50,000 to Liberty Racing. The great story is that this horse [Chiefland] won first time out on Saturday,” Eulenberger notes. BBAG is a shareholder in the racecourse alongside the sales complex at Iffezheim and, once the sales action has been completed on Friday, there is plenty of racing to be enjoyed over the weekend, including Sunday's G1 Grosser Preis von Baden. “We might have the race of the year in Germany here on Sunday – that's up to Rebel's Romance,” says Eulenberger of the potential of Godolphin's popular globe-trotter with two more world travellers – the aforementioned Goliath and the William Haggas-trained multiple Australian Group 1 winner Dubai Honour. They could meet some of Germany's top three-years-olds, including G1 Deutsches Derby winner Hochkonig and Path Of Soldier. He adds, “In Germany in the Group 1s it is hard to get a field with enough horses. We were hoping for seven runners, and now it seems we have nine, including three foreign horses. This is an outstanding result. “We had a great first weekend of racing here. There were some great results for the sale and loads of updates for the yearlings, but also we had nice weather, a really good crowd, and good turnover. It's an end-of-summer festival here in Baden-Baden and I'm very happy, and was a bit surprised, that there are many spectators coming from England and Ireland just to spend a weekend here. That's kind of new.” The post BBAG Boutique Opens With Torquator Tasso’s First Yearlings Centre Stage appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A much-anticipated third showdown between Ombudsman and Delacroix in next week's Irish Champion Stakes (G1) is off after connections of the Godolphin colt have decided to freshen him up for a busy autumn campaign.View the full article

The latest stallion addition at Wai Eyre Farm in North Canterbury has arrived – and already he’s making his presence felt around the place. With world champions on both sides of his pedigree, US Captain was a 22-race winner in North America, pacing 16 sub-1:50 miles. He is by Captaintreacherous out of American Jewel. Captaintreacherous is Somebeachsomewhere’s greatest performing son on the track and as a stallion while American Jewel is the highest earning mare sired by American Ideal. She was a world champion at 2 and 3, winning four Group 1s including the Breeders Crown and amassing nearly $US2m in stakes. Now nine, US Captain only arrived at the farm this week. “He’s a big horse (16hh) and he’s arrived in good condition, a shiny coat and he’s very well-natured, he’s been a pleasure to deal with so far,” says Wai Eyre Farm principal Darryl Brown. He was purchased outright by Wai Eyre Farm and the Southland-based Macca Lodge. “Both studs are excited about introducing a 100% New Zealand-owned stallion who boosts impeccable breeding at an affordable choice who will cross extremely well with Bettor’s Delight mares,” says Brown. “We went on a mission to find the best bred son of Captaintreacherous that we could afford. Others like Rockyroad Hanover, Captain Albano and Ken Hanover were in the millions.” He comes down under after two years as a stallion in Canada. He bred 62 foals in his first crop and this year he has bred just over 50. US Captain also bred a small number of mares while he was still racing, and so he also has three 2YOs. From these he has had his first winner, the two-year-old Send Me Ten in Maryland. The rest of his progeny are only yearlings or younger. He’ll stand for $3000 which includes Working Fee if bred at Wai Eyre Farm or Macca Lodge. Semen will be available in New Zealand and Australia. He is both Next Gen and Harness 5000 eligible. He joins a stallion roster at Wai Eyre that includes On A Streak, Lazarus, Carlton and All Cashed Up. “We have already had quite a few bookings for him so we think the demand will be there,” says Brown. “He could potentially serve 80 to 100 mares a year.” All enquiries should be directed to : admin@waieyrefarm.co.nz View the full article

There is less than a month to go before owners, trainers and syndicators have to meet key eligibility criteria for the Next Gen bonus scheme. By October 1, 2025 Harness Racing New Zealand must be notified of the trainer details and the ownership group for any horse bought at the 2025 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales. They will be 2YOs as of January 1, 2026. “The deadline is fast approaching, and we’re urging all owners, trainers, and syndicators to act now. Next Gen is about creating new opportunities and strengthening the future of harness racing, so it’s important we see as many eligible participants as possible take part,” says Harness Racing New Zealand’s Head of Racing and Wagering Matthew Peden. The Next Gen scheme, run in partnership with HRNZ, TAB NZ and NZB Standardbred, aims to support new ownership, emerging trainers, and investment in young sires. To be eligible, a horse had to be purchased at the 2025 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales at Auckland or Christchurch in February and meet at least one of the following: Be by a Next Gen sire (stallion in their first, second, or third NZ crop) Be trained by a Next Gen trainer (no Group 1 win before 1 Jan 2025) Be owned by a Next Gen ownership group (at least four people, with at least 30% new or under-40 owners) Bonuses include $50,000 for the first Next Gen horse home in each of the Harness Million 2YO races (colts & geldings, fillies, trotters), and a $5,000 second start bonus for eligible 2YOs (capped at 90 horses). Any questions can be directed to cameron@hrnz.co.nz View the full article

Owners Middleham Park Racing will have to play the waiting game before firming up riding arrangements for St Leger contender Lazy Griff, with Christophe Soumillon now heading to Leopardstown to deputise for the injured Ryan Moore aboard some of Ballydoyle's leading lights. Soumillon, who was in the saddle when the son of Protectionist filled the runner-up spot in the Derby at Epsom, had been lined up for the ride, but connections have been forced into a rethink as a result of the Belgian-born jockey's recent change in circumstances. William Buick is in pole position for the mount after partnering Lazy Griff to a third-place finish in the Irish Derby at the Curragh last time, though he too could be required elsewhere by Charlie Appleby and Godolphin. “Obviously, Christophe was going to ride, but he's now going over to Ireland to ride for Aidan,” said Middleham Park's Mike Prince. “It's Irish Champions Weekend, there's racing in Canada as well with Woodbine, so we are just waiting on some clarity on which jockeys are where. “William, who rode him in the Irish Derby, will obviously have to see where Charlie Appleby is going and what he wants him to ride, so we aren't going to know until Monday or Tuesday of next week. “So, we have to sit on our hands a little bit and see who is where, really. It's a shame because there is top-quality racing all around the world on the same weekend. It's a bit tricky. Come Monday or Tuesday, we will have a plan in place.” The Charlie Johnston-trained Lazy Griff is currently trading at 4/1 for the Betfred-sponsored Classic which takes place at Doncaster on Saturday, September 13, behind only Goodwood Cup winner Scandinavia (Justify) at 6/4 and dual Derby hero Lambourn (Australia) at 3/1. Having also finished behind Lambourn in the G3 Chester Vase back in May, Lazy Griff currently trails that rival 3-0 in their meetings so far this season, but Prince is hopeful of an improved showing when faced with what should be ideal conditions on Town Moor. “He's had an excellent season so far and it is by no means over yet,” he added. “He's by Protectionist – a Melbourne Cup winner – and the way he finished off in the Irish Derby, he was doing his best work in those last couple of furlongs. “This is the race that Charlie has had in mind for him since Chester, really, so I think a step up in trip will suit him nicely, as well as this spell of wet weather. “The more rain the merrier, not that he wants it heavy. He's got a good turn of foot and a bit of juice in the ground will suit him to a tee.” The post Jockey Plans Going to the Wire for St Leger Hopeful Lazy Griff appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I was pleased to see the increased dialogue regarding Thoroughbred aftercare and the additional steps needed to reduce the number of horses needing homes in two recent TDN articles, “Open Letter to the Industry: When Does a Thoroughbred Earn a Safe Retirement?” and “Aftercare Not Meeting the Need.” Unfortunately, they are two ships passing in the night when all horse industry boats should be rowing in the same direction. Regardless of the front-end attention from owners and industry, Thoroughbreds will always fall prey to abuse until the export of horses for slaughter is finally banned. When I started the national campaign to end horse slaughter back in 2001, I was fortunate to gain the support of one of the greatest Thoroughbred owners of all time, the late John Hettinger of New York. John pushed for aftercare and industry improvements before they were considered normal. Most of all, he advocated for a federal ban to end equine slaughter and hurled his considerable resources at that target. We came so close before his untimely passing. Many years ago, I helped co-found the Homes for Horses Coalition, a national organization dedicated to supporting rescues and promoting sound standards of operation. At the time, there were few rescues across the United States and even fewer dedicated to caring for Thoroughbreds. With John's leadership, that began to change. Owners stepped up to make a difference, and quality rescues for all breeds expanded greatly. Now, Thoroughbred industry leaders need to embrace the spirit of John Hettinger and come forward in a final, successful push to end the specter of horse slaughter once and for all. Thoroughbred racing is not the most significant contributor to the slaughter pipeline, but it is the most high-profile of all the breeds impacted, and it represents the most profitable segment of the horse industry. That prominence enables the Thoroughbred community to play a leadership role in ensuring that horses are responsibly managed, humanely cared for, and receive a dignified end to their lives. But no matter how many worthwhile rehabilitation, rehoming, and retraining programs are generously supported, you cannot honestly claim to place Thoroughbreds on a pedestal with slaughter still lurking in the dark. Progress has been made. Foreign-driven market forces have significantly reduced the demand for American horsemeat. Greater public and industry awareness about horse welfare, responsible breeding, and the growth of quality aftercare programs are also a part of the reason for a dramatic decrease in slaughter numbers. Still, slaughter remains a convenient dumping ground for all the lousy behavior in the horse industry, regardless of breed, and Thoroughbreds will still get caught up in it. No matter the size of the foal crop, there will always be those shunted off to underfunded rescues or doomed to the international slaughter trade. Unregulated killer buyers not only make money on truckloads of slaughter-bound horses, but they also are finding a second income by exploiting the public's empathy for horses in need, virtually holding them for ransom. An annual Congressional measure, known as defund language, blocking required federal funds from inspecting horse slaughter plants has kept domestic slaughterhouses closed for almost 20 years now, but the workaround must be renewed with each annual Congressional appropriations cycle, and is never a sure thing. In the meantime, slaughter-bound horses are cruelly trailered across state lines and through international borders, with nothing to stop the despicable commerce. Thoroughbred racing organizations have been and continue to be invaluable in the effort to pass the Save America's Forgotten Equines Act (SAFE Act) before Congress, which would place a lasting ban on the slaughter trade within the United States and stop the export of horses to foreign slaughterhouses. For that, I am grateful. The passage of the SAFE Act, as sensible as it seems, is still in need of vital support. And, quite frankly, that support would come at a price far less than what is spent by people who are fortunate enough to be able to spend millions of dollars on a single horse. John Hettinger always reminded me that he did not get into the sport to make money, but for the love of the horse. I believe there are many who would echo his sentiments – men and women willing to shake things up and build support from across the horse world that could not be ignored in the halls of Congress. So, let's put our efforts into ending horse slaughter once and for all, and removing that dark cloud looming for so long over the vital work of what happens to our treasured Thoroughbreds once their careers on the track and in the breeding shed have ended. Chris Heyde is the founder and CEO of Blue Marble Strategy, a national animal protection lobbying firm in Washington, DC. Heyde has been a leader on equine policy issues, from ending slaughter, protecting wild horses, and stopping horse soring for the last 25 years. The post Op/Ed: Want a Quick Way to End Slaughter? Pass the SAFE Act appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Autumn plans for leading older horse Ombudsman are beginning to take shape, with a third clash with Delacroix (Dubawi) in the G1 Irish Champions Stakes all ruled out in favour of an appearance on QIPCO British Champions Day. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the son of Night Of Thunder has been one of the star performers of the summer, having registered Group 1 victories in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and Juddmonte International either side of a narrow defeat to Delacroix in the Coral-Eclipse. After gaining revenge on that rival on the Knavesmire, the stage was set for a deciding contest between the pair at Leopardstown, but connections of Ombudsman confirmed on Wednesday that they are looking elsewhere. The G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday, October 18 is now the primary target, with the GI Breeders' Cup Turf and G1 Japan Cup also set to enter calculations later in the year. “I'm not sure if we will be able to get all three of those races in, but those races are certainly what John has in mind,” said Godolphin's managing director, Hugh Anderson. “It's a classic example of where a trainer will need to watch the weather, watch his horse and work out the best options. But what I will say about Ombudsman is the way he has been trained over his career is very much to John and Thady's credit, with the watchword being patience and that has delivered fantastic results. “He didn't race at two and then was very lightly raced at three and he's hit these huge highs at four. So, whatever John thinks is best for him is going to prove to be good for Godolphin.” He added, “There is no man better able at setting out a challenging campaign for a fabulous racehorse than John and we look forward to hopefully some good results in the autumn. “He's been a star this year and Ombudsman and [Kentucky Derby winner] Sovereignty are out of the real top drawer. Godolphin have had some good horses down the years but to have these two in the same year is really excellent.” The post Ascot Next for Ombudsman with Irish Champion Bid Off the Cards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

George Connolly is set to join Four Star Sales as a Bloodstock Sales Associate, the company announced Wednesday. From County Carlow, Ireland, Connolly grew up on his family's Burgage Stud, a successful National Hunt stallion farm that has produced multiple Grade 1 winners. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University College Dublin and was selected for the Godolphin Flying Start program – graduating with distinction in June 2025 as the leading student of his class. Connolly's early career has spanned top trainers, sales companies and stud farms around the globe. In the United States, he completed an internship with the Keeneland Sales team and gained experience working with Springhouse Farm and Elizabeth Merryman. Internationally, he has worked under leading trainers such as Jim Bolger, Joseph O'Brien, Nicolas Clement, and Willie Mullins, as well as top stud farms including Ballylinch Stud and Yeomanstown Stud. He has also worked across many of the major thoroughbred auction houses as well as interning with The Hong Kong Jockey Club. “This is an exciting step in my career, and I am thrilled to be joining Four Star Sales,” Connolly said. “The company is renowned for its integrity, quality, and outstanding results. I look forward to contributing to its success while helping its breeders, owners, and buyers achieve their goals both in the U.S. and internationally.” Connolly added: “Having worked across breeding, sales, and racing, I have gained insight into the needs of a wide variety of industry stakeholders. I look forward to applying that perspective to help guide Four Star's clients and I truly look forward to working with the entire team to keep Four Star dynamic in an ever-evolving marketplace.” Kerry Cauthen, managing partner and one of the founders of Four Star Sales, welcomed Connolly to the team: “We are truly excited to welcome George to Four Star. He has had an excellent start in the industry through the wonderful opportunity afforded him with the Godolphin Flying Start program and the broad international work experiences he has gained along the way. We are confident he will bring new energy, knowledge, and perspective to our sales and management team.” Connolly will be working alongside Ashley Franz and David Lanigan in Four Star's Bloodstock Sales and Management division. The post George Connolly Joins Four Star Sales As Bloodstock Sales Associate appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation will honor Mrs. Lucy Young Hamilton with the Dinny Phipps Award, the organization announced Wednesday. The award, created by Ambassador Earle Mack to honor individuals who have demonstrated dedication to equine health, will be presented at a cocktail reception hosted by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation in Lexington, Kentucky, at The Apiary on October 14, 2025. Tickets are available here. Mrs. Hamilton created the Storm Cat Career Development Award in 2006 to introduce young researchers to equine sciences. The award is named in honor of the champion stallion Storm Cat, which Mrs. Hamilton's family bred, raced, and stood at Overbrook Farm. The award has established itself as an elite incubator for young minds with novel ideas and unique approaches for advancing equine health. Since 2006, Mrs. Hamilton has provided $425,000 in direct salary supplements to 26 individuals pursuing careers in equine research. Currently, 86% of the award winners are active in equine research. “For generations, the Young family has been committed to the integrity of Thoroughbred racing and have shown continued leadership, which Mrs. Hamilton carries on with strength and courage,” said Ambassador Mack. “The Youngs and their continued support of Grayson and horse health epitomize why I created the Dinny Phipps Award, and I'm pleased that the family's virtues and sportsmanship remain strong with Mrs. Hamilton.” In addition to Mrs. Hamilton's success with the Storm Cat Career Development Award, she has served on the board of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation since 1997 and has been a member of The Jockey Club since 1999. She also serves as a trustee for the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. In the past, Mrs. Hamilton served as a trustee for the Breeders' Cup and the New York Racing Association. She has also served on the board of directors for the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Foundation for two terms, the Political Action Committee of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the National Museum of Racing, the Markey Cancer Center, and Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. “We couldn't be more grateful for Mrs. Hamilton's devotion and support of the foundation and our industry,” said Jamie Haydon, president of Grayson. “Mrs. Hamilton is an exceptional candidate for the Dinny Phipps Award, as she continues to depict the importance of equine health through her generosity and dedication.” Previous winners of the Dinny Phipps Award are the Phipps family, Frank Stronach, John C. Oxley, Michael Del Giudice, Dell Hancock, Dr. Larry Bramlage, and Nancy Kelly (posthumously). The post Mrs. Lucy Young Hamilton To Be Honored With Dinny Phipps Award appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Much has been written about our friend and team member, Stuart Angus. Knowing that many readers never met Stuart, I thought I would share a short list of facts that may help you get to know him and benefit from his life lessons. Stuart taught me not to judge people too quickly. My initial perception of Stuart 25 years ago was one thing, while the real Stuart was another completely. He was tough but he had a vulnerable side and a heart of gold. 2) We should all strive to be lifelong learners. Stuart had intellectual curiosity and continuously looked to improve as a horseman, customer advocate, Dad, and all-around human being. 3) Don't take yourself too seriously. We are all flawed and it takes a sense of humor to get through life. Stuart always could break the tension with a wry smile and a witty comment. 4) Value your vocation as a parent. All the monetary success in the world will pale in comparison to giving your child the best possible chance to have a good life. 5) Stay open to the possibility that there is something after this life. Stuart was not a religious person, but he drew closer to his God through his battle with cancer. He showed a beautiful vulnerability and openness to what might be on the other side of this life we know. 6) He taught me the value of being generous with your time and energy. He would make time to teach young people. He would also listen whenever someone needed help with problems. Stuart was a generous friend and mentor. 7) Stuart set the bar for work ethic and commitment to his craft as a horseman. He taught me the value of making work fun. 8) Stuart taught me the value of attention to detail. Stuart didn't miss much as a horseman and he put the horse on a pedestal. He wanted them happy, healthy and well-cared for at all times. 9) Stuart taught me the value of healthy conflict. He was a tough “Jersey Bred” and would not shy away from clearing the air. He taught me that while conflict can be uncomfortable, it can also bring growth and improvement to relationships. 10) Stuart taught me not to feel sorry for myself. He got dealt some really bad cards over the last five years. He never complained or felt sorry for himself. He soldiered on and set a truly heroic example for everyone who has to face extreme challenges in this life. God bless you, Stuart, and thanks for teaching me so much about life. Editor's note: Stuart Angus, a Senior Thoroughbred Advisor for Taylor Made, passed away Aug. 28 at the age of 60. His friends are encouraging those he touched to submit `Stu stories' to the TDN. Please email suefinley@thetdn.com if you have a story to share. The post Letter to the Editor: Stu Story #3 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Royal Ascot scorer Merchant, who had been an intended runner in Sunday's G2 Prix Niel at ParisLongchamp, has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a setback. Trained by William Haggas, Merchant was a dominant winner of the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot, before taking the step up to Group company in his stride with a narrow defeat of Wimbeldon Hawkeye (Kameko) in the G3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood last time. The son of Teofilo was due to put his Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe credentials to the test in the Prix Niel, but those plans for the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-owned colt have now had to be shelved. “He's just met with a little setback, so unfortunately he will be out for the rest of the year,” said Haggas. “It was always the plan to go to ParisLongchamp for the Prix Niel, but unfortunately we're not going. We feel a bit gutted, but sadly that's just the way it goes.” The post Exciting Merchant to Miss Autumn Targets Due to Injury appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The holidays are officially over, and the 2025-26 Hong Kong racing season is upon us. There are 88 meetings, 840-odd races and endless possibilities with fortunes to be won and lost. So let’s go fishing and get in the mood for the new term with some (educated) guesses about what might happen. My Wish to blossom The Classic Mile has been won by the likes of Romantic Warrior, Voyage Bubble and Helios Express in recent years – no pressure, My Wish. Classy as! 👏 My Wish staves off challengers to...View the full article

What Moe Races Where Moe Racing Club – Waterloo Rd, Moe VIC 3825 When Thursday, September 4, 2025 First Race 1:30pm AEST Visit Dabble Best Bet at Moe: Omamori Omamori looks ready to win, stepping to 2069m. He’s been building through the grades, finishing runner-up at Donald on Soft 7 three back, and comes here off a narrow second at Moe last start over 2050m, where he was strong through the line. The Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained gelding draws to hold a stalking spot, and his soft-track records suggests a heavy track shouldn’t blunt his finish. With race fitness and a reliable setup, he finds a winnable maiden staying contest and should get every possible. If he reproduces his last-start closing splits at this trip, he’ll take some catching. Best Bet Race 3 – #4 Omamori (5) 4yo Gelding | T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | J: Ethan Brown (59.5kg) Next Best at Moe: Porsha Crystal Porsha Crystal looks hard to beat in the finale at Moe on Thursday. She was a brave second two starts back in a Soft 6 Class 1 at Seymour and previously handled heavy ground when runner-up in a Bendigo F&M BM64 on July 13, indicating she handles genuine heavy going. From the draw she can slide across and park in the first half dozen, and her late strength at 1100m reads well, rising to 1208m. With race-fit wet-track form and a senior rider booked, she looks the best way home. Next Best Race 8 – #9 Porsha Crystal (13) 4yo Mare | T: Mark & Levi Kavanagh | J: Jye McNeil (59kg) Best Value at Moe: Vegas On Fire Vegas On Fire maps to control or sit outside the speed in a modest BM62 and brings the right profile for a slog at Moe. She was nutted late three back at Cranbourne and then found one better again at Seymour on Heavy 9 over the mile last time out, showing she can absorb pressure and still kick through the line. With a handy draw and Caitlin Hollowood’s 2kg claim keeping her in well at the weights, this looks like a target race. Wet-track numbers stack up well, and a repeat of her recent figures should simply be good enough. Best Value Race 6 – #7 Vegas On Fire (5) 6yo Mare | T: Shawn Mathrick | J: Caitlin Hollowood (a2) (57.5kg) Thursday quaddie tips for Moe Moe quadrella selections Thursday, September 4, 2024 2-5-6-7-11-12 1-3-7 1-2-3 1-2-7-9 Horse racing tips View the full article

VRC Derby aspirant Engine Of War (NZ) (Circus Maximus) made a winning Australian debut from the quarters of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr when saluting at Sandown on Wednesday over 1500m. The son of Circus Maximus finished third at his only start in New Zealand for Andrew Forsman before being purchased by micro-share syndicator MyRacehorse. Transferred across the Tasman, Engine Of War showed good ability in two jump outs before his winning performance at Sandown. Ridden by Mark Zahra, Engine Of War sat behind a modest tempo and found enough to score from the fast finishing There Were Roses (NZ) (Darci Brahma), a fellow Kiwi import. “It was a good effort,” Kent Jnr said. “He raced fairly tractably. He’s a very big raw product. “He looked to get to the front fairly easily and then he didn’t know what to do and how to put the race away, but he’s only got upside. “The second horse was very good behind him. “He’s a very big, 16.2½ three-year-old and all leg. “I hope he stays, he looks like he should, so fingers crossed.” MyRacehorse sourced the horse through bloodstock agent Andrew Williams but Kent Jnr said their scouts had also identified the horse. “We were chasing him at the same time through our avenues, and it ended up that MyRacehorse bought him and we joined together after that,” Kent Jnr said. “He was purchased, had a five-week spell and he has then had a full preparation to this point. “I’m rapt for the owners and we’ve got some good clients on our side and of course, MyRacehorse they’re so good for this game. They would be more than half the crowd here today, you can always find your horse on course, just look for the mob. “He’s got to do everything right and I think every horse in this field was probably touted as a Derby type, so we’ll be aiming that way.” A graduate of last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale, Engine Of War was originally purchased by Andrew Forsman for $50,000 from the draft of Ohukia Lodge. A son of triple Group One winning miler Circus Maximus, who resides at Windsor Park Stud, Engine Of War is out of the Lonhro mare Prove Your Worth, a daughter of stakes winner Kiss From A Rose. Runner-up There Were Roses was purchased after a third placing at her only trial for Samantha Finnegan at Waipukurau. View the full article

Daring Dame (NZ) (Almanzor) broke through for an elusive win when taking out the Kensington Tavern 1200 at Ruakaka on Wednesday. The four-year-old daughter of Almanzor had shown plenty as a three-year-old, placing in all four of her starts, but a win eluded her. She strengthened with a spell and pleased when winning her 950m trial at Cambridge last month, giving punters the confidence to back her into an even money favourite on Wednesday. From the ace barrier, she settled in the trail behind Man o’ Slew (NZ) (Reliable Man) where she enjoyed an economical passage before being presented three-wide down the straight by jockey Warren Kennedy. She hit the lead with the 100m to go and was able to hold out the late challenge of Zenzero Girl (NZ) (Belardo) to win by a nose. “Full credit to her for winning today,” Kennedy said. “The testing track obviously helped her chances a little bit. She was able to have a very economical run thanks to the draw. “I presented her at the 300m and she kicked up like she was going to win it quite well, but she flattened out and had a good look around. Even when she came back, she nearly dug in her toes and didn’t know quite where to go. “She is going to go 2000m-plus, she is exciting going forward.” Trainer Lance Noble was pleased with the win and said she had strengthened a lot since her three-year-old season. “I am really happy. Drawing one, Warren rode her a treat,” he said. “She has just strengthened up from three to four and I think she will get better as she gets over a bit more ground. “It’s spring time and once those fillies and mares start coming into form hopefully they can maintain it for a while.” In the race prior, stablemate Heloisa (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) recorded her third placing from as many starts, and Noble said she was unsuited by the Soft7 surface. “In that ground it probably found her out a bit in that last little bit, but I think she will be better once we get on better footing,” he said. View the full article

The TAB Racing Club’s silks were to the fore at Ruakaka on Wednesday, with three-year-old filly Transcend carrying them to victory in The Homestead Sports Bar & Bistro 1200. The daughter of So You Think had one previous run as a juvenile, finishing runner-up to subsequent stakes performer Country Salon at Trentham in May, and readied for Wednesday’s first-up run with a runner-up trial performance over 950m at Cambridge last month. She caught the eye of punters, who backed her into $2.60 favouritism on Wednesday, and she duly delivered. Transcend jumped away well from barrier four under jockey George Rooke, who was able to find the rail and trail behind pacemaker Heloisa. The Lance Noble-trained filly was kept honest upfront by outsider Unrestrained, with the pair entering the straight on even terms. A gap presented between the pair, but Rooke was forced to navigate his charge three-wide, but once she found clear running room, Transcend showed a good turn of foot to run over the top of her rivals to score a three-quarter of a length victory over Unrestrained, with a further 1-1/2 lengths back to Heloisa in third. Rooke was pleased with the run, but said Transcend has plenty of improvement to come, with the filly still racing greenly. “She has got a lot more to come, with the prelim and mid-race she is still a little bit green, but I was really impressed with her last 400m,” he said. Colm Murray, who trains Transcend in partnership with Shaune Ritchie, echoed those sentiments. “She is still doing a couple of little bits wrong, but once he got her out into the clear she came home really well,” he said. “She has to improve on her ringcraft a wee bit, but there is plenty of time to do that, we will get there. “We will just get her home, see how she pulls up and go from there.” Transcend was initially pinhooked out of Rushton Park’s 2023 Inglis Great Southern Sale draft by Devcich Bloodstock for A$80,000, who subsequently offered her under their Henley Park banner at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2024 Book 1 Yearling Sale draft where she was purchased by Murray and Ritchie in partnership with the TAB Racing Club for $150,000. View the full article

Group Two winner Tuxedo (NZ) (Tivaci) will test his talent at weight-for-age for the first time when he heads to Ellerslie on Saturday to contest the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m). The Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray-trained gelding had a pleasing three-year-old season last term, winning three of his six starts, including the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m), Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m), and finishing runner-up to Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). The son of Tivaci continued his winning ways first-up this season when victorious over 1400m at Ruakaka last month. “We are pleased we got that run into him,” Ritchie said. “The three weeks between races has worked out perfect for him. “Having a run over 1400m means he is rock hard ready for Saturday. He has performed well at Ellerslie, having run second to Damask Rose in a Karaka Million, so things are looking pretty rosy for him.” While upbeat about his gelding ahead of the weekend, Ritchie is aware of the big step up to weight-for-age level. “History tells us that four-year-olds have struggled a bit in the spring, especially straight into weight-for-age,” he said. “That is always in the back of your mind. Having said that, I don’t believe we have a dominant weight-for-age horse at the moment. “I think it does open up for a horse like him to be able to put his hand up and be a chance in this race. “We were encouraged by Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) who is a four-year-old and smashed them in the first Group One weight-for-age race (Memsie Stakes, 1400m) of the season in Australia. Four-year-olds can do it if they are good enough. “He has performed well at Ellerslie behind Damask Rose and she went an unbelievable run first-up (fifth in Gr.3 Cockram, Stakes, 1200m). She proved she is right up to the best four-year-olds there. “We are looking at the positives as best we can. Having said that, he is a high-quality horse and we are just hoping we can measure up and I am sure he will run well.” Stablemate Gate Crashers (NZ) (Almanzor)will also head to Ellerslie where he will be first-up in the Join TAB Racing Club 1600. The four-year-old Almanzor gelding had a light but lucrative autumn preparation where he placed over a mile at Matamata before winning over the same distance at Ellerslie in May. “His performance last time was very impressive,” Ritchie said. “He kept up a solid gallop through that whole mile. The difference this time is that he is first-up and I can’t remember the last horse we lined-up at a mile first-up, it is something we don’t do as a stable, we are generally quite light on them. “He went to Ruakaka and had a couple of solid gallops up there and did a lot of walking in the water and a lot of mileage. Ellerslie is where the money is and I believe he is a strong miler, so we thought we had him ready enough to get through it. “One thing he hasn’t had is a trial, but he is a pretty fair sort of galloper and I believe he will get through the grades through the spring. “Whether he is a bit vulnerable because of the lack of race fitness I guess is a fair comment to make, but having said that, he will be right there until the last furlong. “I don’t think he is the worst bet in the world, and he could be over the odds.” The stable will also be represented by Hot Line Bling (NZ) (Almanzor) in the Yourride 2200. “He is probably our value chance on the day,” Ritchie said. “His runs, albeit on the poly, have been super. “I love the way he moves, he gets down nice and low. He has always indicated that he would be a lovely stayer, being an Almanzor out of a good family.” Ritchie holds the one-win gelding in high regard and has lofty ambitions for him this spring. “He is a cracking individual, he is a really lovely horse,” he said. “He has got a nomination for the New Zealand Cup (Gr.3, 3200m), so we have got to be going very well or winning a race like this. “He is fit and he is ready to go. In his last run (when runner-up over 2000m at Cambridge), he missed the kick, he sat on the back of the gate, so we will ask for a man to go up with him. “If he jumps with them, he is going to take a lot of holding out one would think. That will be the key to his chances, but he has got 2100m to make up some ground. “I feel he deserves his chance at the big prizemoney.” View the full article