Wandering Eyes

Breeders' Cup released the 2024 schedule for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen April 8, an incentive-based participation bonus program for horsemen pointing runners to the dirt races in the Breeders' Cup World Championships.View the full article

Chad Brown has selected Irad Ortiz Jr. to ride his GIII Tampa Bay Derby winner Domestic Product (Practical Joke) in this year's GI Kentucky Derby. The mount opened up when Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) won Saturday's GI Blue Grass S. with Tyler Gaffalione aboard. Gaffalione, also the regular rider of Domestic Product, will stick with the highly regarded Sierra Leone, who could be the second choice in the Derby. “We were lucky enough to pick up Irad Ortiz on (Domestic Product). So he's going to ride him in the Derby, which is great,” Brown said. Ortiz has had seven mounts in the Derby and has yet to hit the board with any. Brown is also 0-for-7 in the race. While Sierra Leone may be his main gun, Brown thinks highly of Domestic Product. “That horse is an under-the-radar real contender in the Derby,” Brown said. “He has a really fast figure at a mile-and-an-eighth as a two-year-old to keep working off of.” Gaffalione is also a fan of Domestic Product. “Tyler said to me, 'he's not that far behind (Sierra Leone).,” Brown said. “'Trust me, the horse goes a mile and a quarter. There's not as much separating these horses as you think. That's what he told me.'” Domestic Product broke his maiden in his second career start last fall at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet. After a poor effort in the GII Remsen S. he was second in the GIII Holy Bull S. He then won the Tampa Bay Derby by a neck over No More Time (Not This Time). The post Irad Ortiz, Jr. Picks Up Derby Mount On Domestic Product appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Joe Clabes is the new Executive Director of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, the organization announced Monday. Clabes joins current PDJF President Nancy LaSala and will oversee “finance, technology, internal operations and controls along with disbursement of benefits to disabled jockeys.” “We are thrilled to welcome Joe as the new Executive Director of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund,” said William J. Punk, Jr, Chairperson of the PDJF Board of Directors. “Joe has strong leadership and management skills and is dedicated to supporting the needs of disabled jockeys.” “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund as Executive Director and assist the organization in taking the next steps in its evolution,” said Clabes. “I look forward to working closely with Nancy, the PDJF team, our partners, and the broader horse racing community to continue the important work of providing assistance and support to our permanently disabled jockeys.” The post PDJF Names Joe Clabes As New Executive Director appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Several farms in and around Lexington, KY will be represented as part of a two-day breeding clinic hosted by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. The event, which will be held June 7-8, will take attendees to Lane's End, Mulholland Springs, Crestwood Farm and Pin Oak Stud and also includes a tour of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. Educational opportunities will touch on all aspects of breeding including mating plans, foaling procedures and veterinary perspectives. Registration for this event is open to the public and available here. The post TOBA To Host Two-Day Breeding Clinic In KY appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

All the nine-furlong prep races have been run, and the Triple Crown-caliber players have stepped forward and established themselves. We're three weeks away from a campaign's worth of enjoyable chaos sorting itself into some semblance of order, which means there's still plenty of time before you have to lock in your GI Kentucky Derby horse. Or maybe you'd prefer to wait for the GI Preakness S., like several top sophomores might end up doing. 1) MUTH (c, Good Magic–Hoppa, by Uncle Mo) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables Inc; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $2,000,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 6-4-2-0, $1,504,100. Last start: WON Mar. 30 GI Arkansas Derby. On Apr. 2, three days after Muth's two-length score in the GI Arkansas Derby, trainer Bob Baffert confirmed that this 4-for-6 'TDN Rising Star' is Baltimore-bound for the May 18 GI Preakness S. “My plan's always been, if he ran well [in Arkansas], we're just pointing him for the Preakness,” Baffert told the Oaklawn media team. Then the very next day, Muth's owner, Zedan Racing Stables, filed a lawsuit in a Kentucky court with the aim of overturning Churchill Downs's corporate ban of Baffert so that Muth (and possibly other horses trained by Baffert) could run in the Kentucky Derby. We'll leave the ongoing debate about Baffert's Derby eligibility to the judge for the purposes of this writeup. The assessment still stands that this son of Good Magic ($190,000 KEESEP, $2 million OBSMAR) is the most consistent and reliable contender at the top of the crop, and he looms as a major threat to blossom into a dominant divisional force. Muth's chief attribute is speed-oriented athleticism fused with a straightforward way of doing whatever has to be done to win. Baffert said Muth's trip from Santa Anita to Oaklawn “was good for him. First time shipping was important. He ran well. Everything went smoothly for him. He looked great in the stretch. Distance is not going to be a problem for him, so that was very encouraging. A mile and an eighth, I've always felt, really starts to separate them. It was a very tough, competitive race.” 2) SIERRA LEONE (c, Gun Runner–Heavenly Love, by Malibu Moon) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Mrs John Magnier, Michael B Tabor, Derrick Smith Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing LLC & Peter M Brant; B-Debby M Oxley (KY); T-Chad Brown. Sales history: $2,300,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GISW, 4-3-1-0, $918,000. Last start: WON Apr. 6 GI Blue Grass S. In Saturday's GI Blue Grass S., 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) built up serious momentum with one of his customary off-the-tailgate runs to mow down the competition. Although he's still not the most polished version of the racehorse his potential and pedigree suggest he will be, this $2.3 million FTSAUG sale-topper has enough raw, off-pace power to establish his status as the top-ranked closer in his class. After being reluctant to load into the outermost post in front of a lively Keeneland crowd that caught his attention, this Chad Brown trainee broke without incident and was dropped down next to the fence at the back of the pack by Tyler Gaffalione. With stablemate Top Conor (Twirling Candy) establishing an ambitious tempo up front, Sierra Leone waited patiently at the rear, settling unto a rhythmic stride before beginning to unfurl five furlongs out. Gaffalione sliced him between two rivals nearing the far turn, then popped outside to pick off the mid-pack stragglers. Although still exhibiting a tendency to lean in during his stretch runs like he's shown since age two, Sierra Leone did respond to being roused, and you get the feeling he would have easily shouldered aside any rival who dared get in his way. He won by 1 1/2 lengths and finished up the final sixteenth with his ears pricked forward, indicating he was eager for more. Sierra Leone's 98 Beyer was a tricky fig to make considering there was only one other main-track route race at Keeneland that afternoon. Despite being visually arresting, the timing of Sierra Leone's finish was on the tepid side. While the early part of the Blue Grass featured revved-up opening quarter-mile splits of :23.15 and :23.33, Sierra Leone closed ground through a final furlong clocked in :13.43. That's the slowest last eighth among all nine points-awarding Derby preps run at 1 1/8 miles in 2023-24. 3) FOREVER YOUNG (JPN) (c, Reel Steel {Jpn}–Forever Darling, by Congrats). O-Susumu Fujita; B-Northern Racing; T-Yoshito Yahagi. Sales History: ¥98,000,000 Ylg '22 JRHAJUL. Lifetime Record: 5-5-0-0, $2,049,451. Last start: WON Mar. 30 G2 UAE Derby. The 5-for-5 Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) raced outermost to win the Feb. 24 one-turn mile G3 Saudi Derby with a long, well-timed drive. He was then parked in the four path on both turns to prevail in the G2 UAE Derby over 1900 meters Mar. 30. For the most part, those ground-conceding tactics have been by design to keep Forever Young from being pelted by kickback from horses in front of him. His connections are on record as saying that the colt dislikes the dirt spray, and he was equipped with a sort of facemask (like blinkers without the cups) in his last race at Meydan. Is Forever Young's aversion to kickback a reason to discount his chances in the Kentucky Derby? Probably not if you otherwise like his chances. In any given 20-horse Derby, we end up hearing plenty of post-race comments from the trainers of also-rans stating how their horses just couldn't handle the kickback. Some horses persevere through it, some don't and some are race-to-race about how they handle it. Plus, it isn't like Forever Young, who sold for the equivalent of $720,603 at the JRHA Select Yearling and Foal sale, has never dealt with dirt before. He won three times in Japan at age two despite being in spots where he was forced to take at least some kickback. In his Oct. 14 maiden win, Forever Young was buried behind the first-flight wall of horses before bursting through near the inside rail. Against stakes company Nov. 3, he was covered up toward the rear for most of the trip before tipping outside to win going away. And on Dec. 13, Forever Young raced just off the heels of the pacemaker before punching past on the far turn to romp by seven lengths. 4) FIERCENESS (c, City of Light–Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty) 'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Repole Stable (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo, MGISW, 5-3-0-1, $1,703,850. Last start: WON Mar. 30 GI Curlin Florida Derby. With this past weekend's final nine-furlong prep races yielding wins by two stalkers and one closer, Fierceness's stock upticked because he now looms as the most legitimate speed threat among horses pointing for the Derby. But bettors in the latest pool for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager–which closed Saturday prior to any of those stakes being run–apparently didn't need to know that bit of pace information before staunchly backing Fierceness. He was established as the 5-2 favorite, a pre-race price that could end up being lower than the 2-year-old champ's actual mutuel odds 3 1/2 weeks from now on Derby Day. This Repole Stable homebred by City of Light heads to Louisville off a hammer-dropping, 13 1/4-length pasting of an underwhelming GI Curlin Florida Derby field. The impressive 110 Beyer Speed Figure he earned is five points faster than any other number put up by a sophomore so far this year. But realists will legitimately question the figure's face value considering Fierceness established an all-his-own-way cadence without having to fight hard for the lead or repulse any serious stretch bids. Eight of the last 10 horses to cross the finish wire first in the Derby have raced on or near the lead. If Fierceness can establish control early, he avoids a lot of potential trouble simply by being out ahead of the first-turn scrum that is an inherent risk in any 20-horse Derby. Fierceness | Benoit 5) TRACK PHANTOM (c, Quality Road–Miss Sunset, by Into Mischief) O-L and N Racing LLC, Clark Brewster, Jerry Caroom & Breeze Easy LLC; B-Breeze Easy (KY); T-Steve Asmussen. Sales history: $500,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 7-3-2-1, $405,000. Last start: 4th in Mar. 23 GII Louisiana Derby. Track Phantom has been sporting blinkers in the mornings at Churchill Downs in preparation for wearing them for the first time in the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Steve Asmussen told Daily Racing Form's Marcus Hersch last week that “The blinkers are for what he did from the quarter pole to the wire last time, not what he does in the morning.” Asmussen was referring to this $500,000 KEESEP son of Quality Road setting a moderate pace in the GII Louisiana Derby, then fading to fourth in deep stretch. Track Phantom has won three of seven starts, all at a mile or longer, and he consistently breaks well enough to lead the pack, despite often getting disadvantaged by outside draws. He has experience in fighting off rivals in the stretch, and even though this colt isn't always on the winning end, he has gained valuable experience. According to DRF's Formulator tool, Asmussen's win percentage with all starters over the past five years is 18%. His 205 trainees adding blinkers for the first time during that time frame won 15% of the time. On five occasions in the past five years, Asmussen has tried first-time blinkers on a Grade I starter. None have won, with the best finish among them a second by Disarm (Gun Runner) in the 2023 GI Travers S. 6) DORNOCH (c, Good Magic–Puca, by Big Brown) O-West Paces Racing LLC, R A Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding LLC, Two Eight Racing LLC & Pine Racing Stables; B-Grandview Equine (KY); T-Danny Gargan. Sales history: $325,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 6-3-2-0, $552,275. Last start: 4th in the GI Blue Grass S. Apr. 6 Dornoch's punchless fourth in the Blue Grass S. is a little easier to make sense of moving forward knowing his connections weren't satisfied with the experiment of rating him off the pace, and that trainer Danny Gargan plans on changing tactics back to letting this colt freewheel on the front end in the Derby. This $325,000 KEESEP son of Good Magic, who is a full brother to 2023 Derby winner Mage, broke running from post four, but Luis Saez had a handful trying to keep his colt under wraps around the first turn. Dornoch was pegged down at the rail in fourth for most of his trip and had only a mild response when asked to pick it up around the far bend. He briefly ran up on the heels of a rival in front of him three-sixteenths from home, then drifted out towards the onrushing Sierra Leone, who blew by Dornoch in upper stretch with zero resistance. “He got in there behind,” Gargan said. “It's his first time really getting a lot of dirt like that, he resented it a little bit early, Luis said. He said he kind of ran away from the horses. [Dornoch was] a little bit stuck in there. Next time, we'll break him out of [the gate on the lead] and keep his face clean, and he'll run better next time. There's no pressure now. We're going to go over [to Gargan's hometown of Louisville] and have fun.” 7) IMAGINATION (c, Into Mischief–Magical Feeling, by Empire Maker) O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan & Tom Ryan; B-Peter Blum Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $1,050,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-2-3-0, $406,800. Last start: 2nd in the GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 6. Imagination was a narrowly-beaten second in Saturday's GI Santa Anita Derby. The fact that he forced the issue through a quick opening quarter (:22.72), went after the leader on the far turn, then held the lead for most of the stretch while taking constant pressure from eventual winner Stronghold (Ghostzapper) gives his effort an edge in terms of performance under duress–even though he didn't come out on the winning end of the photo. In fact, it's now three straight route races in which this $1.05-million KEESEP colt by Into Mischief has hooked up in prolonged late-race fights. One was a win in the Grade II San Felipe S., the two others were neck losses. “We jumped good and we had a good pace,” said jockey Franke Dettori, noting that pressure from an outside rival turning onto the backstretch meant he pushed Imagination “a little bit earlier than I wanted to. “In the stretch I was vulnerable for a closer,” Dettori said. “When [Stronghold] passed us, my horse kept fighting back. We were head and head, and he was too strong for me down the line.” Imagination is now 2-4-0 from six lifetime starts. Trainer Bob Baffert has not publicly declared next-race plans. 8) Just a Touch (c, Justify-Touching Beauty, by Tapit) O-Qatar Racing LLC, Resolute Racing & Marc Detampel; B-Don Alberto Corp. (KY); T-Brad Cox. Sales history: $170,000 RNA '22 KEESEP; $125,000 yrl '22 FTKOCT; $300,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 3-1-2-0, $281,700. Last start: 2nd in GI Blue Grass S. Apr. 6 The second-place effort by Just a Touch in Saturday's Blue Grass S. was commendable on several levels. This son of Justify ($170,000 RNA KEESEP, $125,000 FTKOCT, $300,000 OBSAPR) gets credit for attending a fast pace, then wresting control of the lead from the three-sixteenths marker until just before the sixteenth pole. When Sierra Leone torqued by him, Just A Touch was tiring but not folding, and he galloped out more or less on even terms with the winner. That performance rates additional credibility considering it was only the third lifetime start and first race around two turns for Just a Touch. And this is a colt who also won't hit his third birthday until the day after the Kentucky Derby. “The pace was a bit quicker than I thought it would be,” said jockey Florent Geroux. “Turning for home, I thought I had it, but was just taken down by Sierra Leone. My horse had a good finish to be second. He ran a good race against really good horses.” Trainer Brad Cox explained that Just a Touch is “going to have to move forward in the next four weeks. Colts can do that. If he moves forward, he will be able to compete in the Derby.” 9) RESILIENCE (c, Into Mischief-Meadowsweet, by Smart Strike) O-Emily Bushnell & Ric Waldman; B-Pam & Martin Wygod (KY); T-Bill Mott. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-2-1-1, $494,630. Last start: WON Apr. 6 GI Wood Memorial S. Resilience, an Into Mischief colt out of a Smart Strike mare, leapfrogged into Derby relevance with a 2 1/4-length stalking victory (90 Beyer) in Saturday's GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct. Off at 9-2 odds and adding blinkers for the first time, this Bill Mott trainee broke fluidly from the rail under John Velazquez, then conceded the lead while in a touch tight at the fence through the clubhouse turn. Resilience enjoyed a no-excuse, ground-saving trip behind sparring 52-1 and 80-1 shots on the front end. Velazquez edged him off the rail 4 1/2 furlongs out, then commenced to chipping away at the leaders' margin through the far bend before collaring those spent rivals at the quarter pole. There was a spill in upper stretch behind Resilience, but it did not appear to hamper any serious threats to his lead. This colt willingly stayed on late to outfinish 106-1 and 38-1 long shots. “We broke really well, which was what we wanted to do,” Velazquez said. “He got a little bit aggressive, more than I wanted to in the first part. Then I put him out and he kind of relaxed better on the outside of horses. The reason we put blinkers on is because he's kind of hesitant in passing the horses. So, I kind of engaged him a little bit early to see if he'd pass horses and he passed them. Then I was like, 'Oh, man I might've broken a little too soon.' Then he just kept me busy down the lane.” Resilience | Sarah Andrew 10) CATCHING FREEDOM (c, Constitution–Catch My Drift, by Pioneerof the Nile) O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-WinStar Farm (KY); T-Brad Cox. Sales history: $575,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-0-1, $877,350. Last start: WON Mar. 23 GII Louisiana Derby. This Constitution colt ($575,000 KEESEP) is now one breeze into a series of four planned workouts before starting in the Derby, where he's likely to be mid-priced in the betting and expected to close from off the pace. “He's settled in nicely since we shipped him back to Churchill from Fair Grounds,” trainer Brad Cox said after training on Friday. “He was impressive [winning] from that far back in the Louisiana Derby and I think the longer stretch at Churchill, plus the mile-and-a-quarter, should only help him in the Derby.” Catching Freedom is a medium-framed stayer, and ever since he got on the Derby radar with a grind-'em-down win in the Smarty Jones S. at Oaklawn Jan. 1, Cox has reiterated that this colt won't be wowing anyone with his morning workouts. So the key to figuring out whether you want to back him or beat him in the Derby is going to have to rely more or race-to-race assessment rather than how Catching Freedom trains over the next 3 1/2 weeks. His Beyer progression has been 72-77-87-87-97. 11) JUST STEEL (c, Justify–Irish Lights {Aus}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}). O-BC Stables, LLC; B-Summerhill Farm (KY); T-D. Wayne Lukas. Sales History: $500,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISP, 11-2-4-1, $724,545. Last start: 2nd Mar. 30 GI Arkansas Derby. Even though he's an outlier likely to go off north of 30-1, you don't have to squint too hard at Just Steel's past performances to make a case for this D. Wayne Lukas trainee. This $500,000 KEESEP son of 2018 Triple Crown champ Justify has a bedrock (by today's standards) foundation of 11 starts leading up to Louisville. On three occasions at age three, he's finished second around two turns in points-awarding prep stakes, and the one time he didn't, Just Steel was five wide round both turns at Oaklawn. His final Kentucky Derby tune-up in the Arkansas Derby was also better than it might seem on paper: Just Steel raced close to the pace despite getting hooked four wide on the first turn, and he sustained his run through the lane in workmanlike fashion without tossing in the towel, finishing only two lengths behind No. 1-ranked Muth. 12) STRONGHOLD (c, Ghostzapper-Spectator, by Jimmy Creed) O/B-Eric M. and Sharon Waller (KY); T-Philip D'Amato. Lifetime Record: GISW, 6-3-3-0, $827,200. Last start: WON Apr. 6 GI Santa Anita Derby This Ghostzapper-sired homebred for Rick and Sharon Waller is Kentucky-bound after winning the stretch slugfest in the Santa Anita Derby at 2.2-1 odds. His Beyer of 89 matches the figure he earned when victorious in the GIII Sunland Derby Feb. 18. Of the nine 1 1/8-miles prep stakes on the Kentucky Derby qualifying calendar this season, the Santa Anita Derby holds the distinction of featuring the fastest opening quarter-mile (:22.72) and the slowest fourth-quarter split (:25.98). Stronghold broke for the lead straight out of the gate, then was rated back to fourth by Antonio Fresu. After stalking the pacemakers, Stronghold shadowed Imagination on the far turn, split horses in upper stretch, then took over at the eighth pole. For the second straight race, he lost but recaptured the lead in the stretch, prevailing in the final 50 yards with admirable tenacity. “Stronghold is a horse that just continues to improve, and I think it's the farther the better with him,” trainer Phil D'Amato said. “He does just enough. He's shown the will to win, but those are usually the kinds of horses that stretch out well because they don't use themselves too much early and drain the gas tank. They have something left. I'm happy where we're at with him right now.” Potentially rounding out the Derby starting gate… 13) Endlessly (Oscar Performance) After Endlessly won the Mar. 23 GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks S. to run his record to 5-for-6, with all wins on turf or Tapeta, trainer Michael McCarthy said that this Amerman Racing homebred would be pointed for the GII American Turf S. on the Kentucky Derby undercard instead of using the colt's eligibility points to get into the Derby itself. Endlessly's connections have since caught Derby fever–or at least a whiff of it. “After the Jeff Ruby, Mr. Amerman and I talked and we're going to leave all of our options open,” McCarthy said after Endlessly breezed an easy four furlongs in :49.60 (78/111) over the Churchill dirt Saturday morning. “We still have a few weeks to train here and have some time to make a final decision as to what we do next.” You wouldn't blame them for taking a shot. Endlessly has six starts, all at a mile or longer, and has already twice won over nine furlongs. His four-length, complete-control win with a big outside move in that Turfway stake completely outclassed the field. 14) Mystik Dan (Goldencents) Mystik Dan was carried out wide entering the backstretch of the Arkansas Derby and took the second turn in the four path. But he stalled when called upon for run and ended up third, beaten 6 1/2 lengths, in his nine-furlong debut. He currently makes the Kentucky Derby qualifying cutoff with 46 points and will be in “regroup” mode for trainer Kenny McPeek, who hopes a little extra distance will allow this homebred son of Goldencents for owners Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby and 4G Racing to get back to his 101-Beyer winning form from the GIII Southwest S. 15) Domestic Product (Practical Joke) Domestic Product, a Chad Brown-trained homebred for Klaravich Stables, won the GIII Tampa Bay Derby with an 82 Beyer Speed Figure, a five-point regression off his 87-Beyer second in the GIII Holy Bull S. The Tampa Derby was run as a non-wagering race because of bet-processing problems that caused a delay of more than half an hour past scheduled post. Domestic Product was a midpack fifth behind a dawdling pace before being shaken up for run and surviving a three-way bob for the win. For the second straight race, Domestic Product closed into unusually slow fractions. The first two quarter-mile splits in the Holy Bull were :25.03 and :25.50. The Tampa Derby's three opening quarters were clocked in :25.25, :25.89 and :25.07. 16) Honor Marie (Honor Code) Honor Marie, a modest-framed $40,000 KEESEP colt by Honor Code who turns three on Derby Day, won the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill back on Nov. 25 by rating from last after five horses dueled early and two others took late-race runs at the lead. In two starts in 2024, this Whit Beckman trainee was fifth in the GII Risen Star S., a key race that notably produced next-out, nine-furlong graded stakes winners Sierra Leone, Catching Freedom and Resilience. Honor Marie was second in his next outing, a 96-Beyer deep-closing try in the Louisiana Derby. 17) Society Man (Good Magic) Now trainer Danny Gargan will have not one, but two Good Magic colts aiming for the Derby. Society Man's runner-up effort at 106-1 odds in the Wood Memorial secured the points berth to make the qualifying cutoff. This $85,000 KEESEP yearling does have three races worth of experience at nine furlongs, although his only win was an on-Lasix score over a muddy, one-turn mile at Aqueduct Mar. 9. “His mother won going a mile and an eighth and he's getting better,” Gargan said. That win by dam You Cheated was her only dirt-track score from four wins, and it came at Churchill Downs in the slop in 2018. 18) West Saratoga (Exaggerator) West Saratoga, an $11,000 KEESEP colt, is currently 11th on the Derby qualifying list with 67 points. He closed at 121-1 in this past weekend's Kentucky Derby Future Wager. West Saratoga won the very first points-awarding prep stakes of the campaign, the GIII Iroquois S. back on Sept. 16 at Churchill. He sat fourth behind a breakaway pacemaker, then came with a long, lumbering run to score at 12-1 odds. This gray hasn't won since. At age three, he's been second, third, then second in the Pasco S., GIII Davis S. and Jeff Ruby S. 19) Catalytic (Catalina Cruiser) Catalytic ($70,000 KEENOV, $125,000 FTSAUG) hit the side of the starting gate then got fanned four wide into the clubhouse turn of the Florida Derby. He was no match for runaway winner Fierceness, but held second in a best-of-the-rest performance that earned 50 qualifying points to get into the Kentucky Derby. In his only other two starts, this son of Catalina Cruiser (out of a Distorted Humor mare) broke his maiden sprinting at Gulfstream last October, then finished second as the beaten favorite in an optional claimer/allowance sprint at Tampa Mar. 8. 20) T O Password (Jpn) (Copano Rickey {Jpn}) The connections of the 2-for-2 T O Password (Jpn) have accepted an invitation to compete in the Derby for accruing 40 points in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby series. This is a forward-running colt whose two victories have come against lesser company than that kept by fellow Japanese contender Forever Young. In the Mar. 23 1,800-meter Fukuryu S., this 13-1 Daisuke Takayanagi trainee went straight to the lead but had to be saved by the wire after losing a four-length cushion in the final half a furlong. Woodbine's leading rider last year, Kazushi Kimura, has been booked to ride in the Derby. T O Password won't hit his third birthday until May 20. The post TDN Sophomore Top 20: Separating Contenders From Pretenders appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The field for the 150th Kentucky Derby (G1) is almost set, but the 1 1/16-mile $400,000 Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland April 13 provides a final opportunity to make Derby dreams come true.View the full article

Breeders' Cup releases the 2024 schedule for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen April 8, an incentive-based participation bonus program for horsemen pointing runners to the dirt races in the Breeders' Cup World Championships.View the full article

by TTR Aus/NZ Drama. Emotion. History. Arguably the most highly anticipated offering ever seen at public auction delivered all that and more as the Pierro filly out of wondermare Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) brought a jaw-dropping AU$10-million (US$6.6-million) in front of a packed Inglis auditorium. There had been much speculation about how much the blue-blooded, Coolmore-consigned youngster would make, and an opening bid of $2-million duly foretold an utterly unprecedented price. The bid board struggled to keep pace with the scale and speed with which the increases came in. The bidding leapt from $3-million to $5-million in one fell swoop and continued to bound upward in seven-figure increments as an offer of $6-million was superseded by a play of $7.5-million. As proceedings reached the business end Inglis's managing director Mark Webster, taking instructions on the phone from ebullient American owner John Stewart, signalled a bid of $9-million. However, within mere seconds that hand was gazumped when the Woppitt Bloodstock team around Debbie Kepitis, one of Winx's co-owners, delivered the $10-million knockout blow. “These opportunities do not come along very often,” said auctioneer Jonathan D'Arcy as he tried to coax another increase from the assembled crowd. “Once in a lifetime.” But with no further bids forthcoming, a visibly emotional Kepitis had seized the moment. Kepitis raced Winx in partnership with Peter and Patty Tighe's Magic Bloodstock and the late Richard Treweeke. In continuing her association with the star mare by buying out her partners in the filly, Coolmore's Tom Magnier said Kepitis had helped to write “the perfect story”. Kepitis explained that she had not set out to secure the filly when the decision was made to bring her to market, but said she had a change of heart as the date with destiny neared. “I didn't come here to buy this horse originally,” she said. “We put her up for auction and then in the last few weeks, all of the family, we started to miss our daughter, granddaughter, so we just decided as best we could, if we could get her we would. I'm privileged to be able to secure this filly on behalf of my family to be able to see if she can get to the racetrack. If she can't get to the racetrack she'll be an amazing mum. “She's Australian forever. She's going to be just fabulous. Hopefully she'll do a Winx, but it doesn't matter if she doesn't. Thank you to everybody around the world who has taken this on board. It's been thrilling to watch it and we're lucky enough that we came out winners.” Kepitis confirmed that Winx's trainer Chris Waller would oversee the racing career of her daughter. She also expanded on the rationale behind bringing the filly to the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, saying: “Inglis were amazing. Along with Magic Millions, they are two amazing companies that do a fabulous job of presenting horses for sale in the Australian market. The ownership group had a big decision to decide when and where to sell her. She was always going to be a little bit of a later horse so leaving her until the April sale was really the major thing in our consideration.” 10,000,000 for the Pierro X Winx … After everything you have been through with this amazing mare, I know what this meant to you and your family. Wishing you the best of luck with the next chapter of the wonderful Winx story. @WoppittB @CoolmoreAus @coolmorestud @cwallerracing pic.twitter.com/JUcs9bj5Gx — Tom Magnier (@TomMagnier) April 8, 2024 Winx rates as arguably the greatest racehorse to grace the Australian turf. Her completely unparalleled race record features no less than 37 victories, the last 33 of which were gained in consecutive fashion. Those successes include a world record tally of 25 Group 1s and saw her career earnings exceed $26-million in prize-money. She is perhaps best remembered for being the only horse in history to win four runnings of the prestigious Cox Plate, while she also claimed the Horse of The Year title on four occasions. Unsurprisingly the filly's price totally eclipsed the sum her celebrity dam fetched when she came under the hammer, as Winx was signed for by Guy Mulcaster at 'just' $230,000 at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Winx has endured a challenging start to her breeding career having lost her first foal, by I Am Invincible, in October 2020. Magnier not only heaped praise on those who helped nurse Winx back to full health, but reiterated how close the story came to ending in complete tragedy. “It's no secret that Winx lost her first foal and she nearly died,” he said. “To be fair to Paddy Sheehan (foaling manager) and all the team at Scone Equine (Hospital) they did an unbelievable job in saving the mare. To think that we have this mare today, who's had a foal, now a yearling, by Pierro, and such a good-looking filly, the behind the scenes of what we went through to get here today, it couldn't happen without the most understanding owners. They've been so patient and so understanding and the team at the farm have done an unbelievable job.” Reflecting on the pressure of selling such a high-profile yearling, a relieved-looking Magnier said: “I think I have a little bit of an idea about the pressure Chris might've felt in some of those races!” He continued: “The Kepitis family grew up beside us because our farms are next to each other in the Hunter Valley so I've known Debbie since I was young. They've been so good to us and they keep their horses at Coolmore. They won the Derby last week and I thought 'God, how do we beat that?!' and then we've come here today and done this. It's really fitting that this filly is going to the Kepitis family and it's just the perfect story. That was the most important result for me today so I'm just thrilled. I just want to say thanks to Paddy Sheehan and all the staff at Coolmore. To save the mare and get the foal, it's just a dream story.” When asked whether the record-breaking price matched his expectations, Magnier said: “John Stewart was in Australia a couple of weeks ago and he was very confident of getting the filly, but when you come up against Debbie you want to have will and determination! I knew she was going to make a very high figure because someone is buying history. This is like a classic and a collector's item.” “There's only one person who deserved today and that was Debbie and Paul and the whole family. I don't think you can put a value on a filly like that, especially to someone like Debbie who really wanted this filly. We've been through so much on this journey to get here today. It's just incredible.” The filly's price was exactly double the previous record for an Australian yearling, with BC3 Thoroughbreds giving $5-million for the ill-fated Redoute's Choice half-brother to Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) at the 2013 Easter Sale. Among those on hand to witness the record-breaking transaction was another of Winx's co-owners, Peter Tighe. “It was pretty exciting for everybody, not just me!” he said. “It's good for racing, good for breeding, there's no losers here. It's something you couldn't imagine. People want something and they're prepared to pay for it. If they can afford it, then good luck to them. It's great for Debbie Kepitis and great for the ownership group who'll benefit from the sale, we're really happy.” He continued: “Winx is pregnant again so we're keen to get a nice healthy foal at the end of the year and see where that takes us. There's no guarantees that we'll sell or keep (that foal), we'll just take it as it comes. We do it because we love the sport and we love our horses. It's a funny thing to say but we didn't come here today for the money, we came here for a purpose and I think we've achieved that with getting the horse out into the breeding world. I'm looking forward to many more years of great stories that all stem from Winx.” Inglis's CEO Sebastian Hutch also shared the sales company's view on proceedings, saying: “It's fantastic and a real privilege for our company to have the opportunity to offer a horse of this magnitude. Obviously Winx is an iconic figure in Australian sport, not just in racing. To have had the opportunity to bring her daughter to market was fantastic. For it to play out the way it has, and to facilitate the scale of interest we've had, has been incredible.” Winx was bred by John Camilleri under the banner of Fairway Thoroughbreds from the Listed-winning Al Akbar mare Vegas Showgirl. This makes the mighty mare a half-sister to El Divino (Snitzel), who did his bit to uphold family honour by dead-heating with Astern in the Group 3 Kindergarten S. The presence of Winx's daughter wasn't Camilleri's only involvement in the Easter Sale as he was the client behind James Harron when the agent secured day one's top lot, the Zoustar filly out of Prompt Response, at $2.2-million. Sunday's session-topper held the record of most expensive yearling filly sold at Inglis for less than 24 hours. The Winx filly becomes Pierro's most expensive yearling to date by some margin. The stallion's previous best came at last year's Easter Sale when Mick Wallace and Gandharvi signed at $1.75-million for the half-sister to Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}). Pierro, who was crowned leading first- and second-season sire during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns, stood the most recent breeding season at a fee of $82,500 (inc GST). The son of Lonhro is the sire of six Group 1 winners. The post Debbie Kepitis Secures Winx Filly for Record-Breaking Price appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With the European Classics around the corner, expect an explosion of activity over the next few days beginning at Deauville on Tuesday with the G3 Prix Imprudence and G3 Prix Djebel. TDN Rising Star Ramatuelle (Justify) lines up in the former, stepping up to seven furlongs for the first time after a storming juvenile campaign that saw her take the G2 Prix Robert Papin and G3 Prix du Bois and finish a narrow second to Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in the G1 Prix Morny here in August. Godolphin's Listed Bosra Sham S. winner Romantic Style (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) also goes beyond six furlongs for the first time and Charlie Appleby is not certain that she will excel. “She won the Bosra Sham Stakes on testing ground, so similar conditions shouldn't be an issue, but the step up to seven furlongs is the slight question mark,” he said. Also from Britain is the David Menuisier-trained G3 Prix Miesque scorer Tamfana (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), while Juddmonte's Polytrack debut winner Abstract (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is an intriguing contender from the Henri-Francis Graffard stable. In the Djebel, Nurlan Bizakov's unbeaten gelding Lazzat (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) has won his three starts by a cumulative margin of 14 lengths including in the Listed Prix de la Californie on similar ground last time. Trainer Jerome Reynier said, “Tomorrow will be pretty deep and sticky, he's running around a straight course for the first time. I am very happy with Lazzat, he looks good, has been training very well and I'm very enthusiastic about him.” Menuisier saddles Clive Washbourn's G1 Futurity Trophy runner-up Devil's Point (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), who sets the standard on that form. “He seems well, it's a prep run and the ground will be testing but we know he likes those sorts of conditions,” he said. “We will take his races one by one and we feel he might be more efficient over seven furlongs than a mile.” Jean-Claude Rouget usually targets something significant at these preps and he relies on The Aga Khan's impressive Cagnes-Sur-Mer conditions winner Keran (Fr) (Blue Point {Ire}) as he shuffles his Classic pack. The post Imprudence and Djebel Share Centre Stage on Thursday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kildangan Stud's first-season sire Earthlight (Ire) (by Shamardal) became the latest in his bracket to get off the mark as his daughter Lady Lightning (GB) struck at Wolverhampton on Monday. Sent off at 12-1 for the five-furlong Download The Raceday Ready App EBF Restricted Novice S., the Ed Dunlop-trained 30,000gns Tatts Book 1 purchase was taken straight to the early lead by Rossa Ryan. Staying on strongly up the straight, she registered a 1 3/4-length verdict over Earthlight's Ashen Glow (Ire) to give the freshman a one-two in the bargain. First winner for Earthlight as a sire! Lady Lighting strikes at @WolvesRaces for @Rossaryan15 and @EdDunlopRacing… pic.twitter.com/2S6R5j7fto — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 8, 2024 The post First Winner For Earthlight At Wolverhampton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sam Houston Race Park closed the curtain on its 30th anniversary Thoroughbred live racing season April 7. Competitive racing and excellent weather prevailed for the majority of the 43-day meet, which began Jan. 5.View the full article

The 2024 schedule for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen, an incentive-based participation bonus program for horsemen pointing runners to the dirt races in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, was released Monday. Launched in 2022, the 12-race program is comprised of existing graded stakes races scheduled from May through October at six tracks throughout the United States. “We are happy to once again offer our lucrative Dirt Dozen program,” said Dora Delgado, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Officer of Breeders' Cup Limited. “Each year $525,000 is offered in awards, and many horsemen benefit from the credits offered towards entry fees for our Championship dirt races. We look forward to extending this incentive once again to connections preparing for a dirt division race at Del Mar this November.” The Dirt Dozen program will again award bonus credits funded by the Breeders' Cup for first through third finishes in the 12-race schedule. Horsemen may use those credits toward entry fees for one of six Breeders' Cup World Championships dirt races: the $2 million GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, $2 million GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, $2 million GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile, $2 million GI NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, $1 million GI PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, and the $1 million GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. In Dirt Dozen races in the $2 million Breeders' Cup race divisions, the bonus tier is allocated at $30,000 for first, $15,000 for second, and $7,500 for third. In Dirt Dozen races in the $1 million Breeders' Cup race divisions, the bonus tier will award $15,000 for first, $7,500 for second, and $3,750 for third. Horses may bankroll multiple awards earned and apply toward their Championship entry fees. For more information, click here. 2024 DIRT DOZEN SCHEDULE BY DIVISION DIRT MILE – GII San Diego H. July 27, GIII Philip H. Iselin S. Aug. 17 DISTAFF – GII Fleur de Lis S. June 29, GII Zenyatta S. Sept. 29 FILLY & MARE SPRINT – GI Derby City Distaff May 4, GIII Rancho Bernardo H. Aug. 25 JUVENILE – GI Del Mar Futurity Sept. 8, GIII Iroquois S. Sept. 14 JUVENILE FILLIES – GI Spinaway S. Aug. 31, GIII Pocahontas S. Sept. 14 SPRINT – GIII Maryland Sprint S. May 18, GII Santa Anita Championship Sept. 28. The post Breeders’ Cup Release 2024 Dirt Dozen Schedule appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sam Houston Race Park concluded its 43-day Thoroughbred live racing season Sunday, Apr. 7. Heading the training ranks this season, Steve Asmussen notched his 16th title after receiving the honor in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005; 2014 -2024. Asmussen started 249 runners, finishing with a record of 48 wins, 36 seconds, 31 thirds and earnings of $1,260,342. R. Caldwell was second in the standings with 28 victories. Trainer Ronnie Cravens won 22 races and Sarah Davidson rounded out the top four conditioners with 19 winners. Jockey Stewart Elliott held off a stiff bid from several jockeys to claim his fourth title at Sam Houston. The 59-year-old rode 39 winners from 215 mounts, earning $1,123,500 and finishing in the money at 41%. For the past four years, Asmussen and Elliott have won titles together here, Lone Star Park and Remington Park. Floyd Wethey, Jr. won 32 races to finish second in the standings while Fernando Jara was third with 31 victories. Rene Diaz finished fourth with 30 trips to the winner's circle For the second year in a row, L and G Racing Stables wrapped up owner of the meet honors. The ownership group, with principal owner Genesis Castillo, competes in Texas as well as Louisiana. The group also took leading owner honors at Fair Grounds in 2023. L and G finished with a record of 17 winners from 195 starts and purses of $376,723. Cesar Govea is their primary trainer. Steve Asmussen finished second in the standings with 14 wins, followed by Henry Witt, Jr. (13) and Carl Moore Management, LLC (11). The post Asmussen, Elliott and L and G Racing Take 2024 Sam Houston Titles appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

GAIN The Advantage Series will be supported by Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and GAIN Equine Nutrition for the fourth consecutive year, it was announced on Monday. In 2023, the trainer league was clinched during the final leg by Tipperary-based Andrew Slattery, who secured the overall prize of €5,000 worth of GAIN equine products. Building on three successful years, the 2024 series includes nine races which will be run for points over a variety of conditions to cater to different trainers and horses throughout the Flat season. All races in the series will continue to benefit from a 50% increase in prize-money. The series will commence at Cork on Sunday, April 21 and then proceed to Leopardstown, Navan, Ballinrobe, Tramore, Down Royal, Tipperary and Killarney. The series finale will be hosted at Naas on Thursday, September 19. “This initiative has truly thrived over the past three years, becoming an integral part of our commitment to supporting the thoroughbred racing and bloodstock industries, which are vital to our business,” said Philip Gilligan, GAIN Equine Nutrition's Irish country manager. “The series' success stems from its inclusive recognition of all stakeholders involved. Not only does it offer increased prize-money for owners, but it also acknowledges the hard work of trainers through the league table, as well as breeders and the dedicated stable staff. On behalf of our team, I extend our heartfelt best wishes to all connections involved. Here's to an exciting and successful year ahead!” The post GAIN The Advantage Series Returns For 2024 With Nine Races 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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Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley Park Stud, has issued a positive bulletin on star mare Inspiral (GB) as she prepares to embark on her five-year-old campaign. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Inspiral was last seen running out an impressive winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita in November, her third top-level success of the season having already won the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville for the second year in a row and the Sun Chariot S. at Newmarket. The daughter of Frankel (GB) subsequently won the 2023 Eclipse Award for Champion Turf Female, a notable achievement for the Cheveley Park team who have made the sporting decision to keep her in training in 2024, with the G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. at Newbury on Saturday, May 18 being identified as a likely first port of call. “The Lockinge is the plan, but obviously she is a filly that likes to take her time to come in the spring as we've seen before,” said Richardson. “Certainly the Lockinge looks the first engagement we can consider and, if she tells us she's not quite ready, then we can wait until the Queen Anne [at Royal Ascot on Tuesday, June 18]. “She seems to be happy and well back in the yard and I watched her come up Warren Hill the other morning and she went up there nicely and quietly, so we will see how we go.” Inspiral had not raced beyond a mile before her Breeders' Cup triumph, but that performance over 10 furlongs provides more options ahead of a five-year-old campaign which will see her try to add to her six Group 1 victories. Richardson added, “I think John is keen to start her off at a mile and then we can build over the campaign hopefully, all being well. We will definitely be considering going a mile and a quarter. “She's five now and a lovely filly who is still maturing and developing. She had a lovely break at the stud after America and they are a long time in the paddocks, so she is a mare we can really enjoy. She had a nice visit to us and was out in the paddock with her usual companions. She is always very inquisitive with her ears pricked, seeing who is coming round the corner next.” The post Inspiral Limbering Up For Possible Lockinge Return appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The curtain came up at Longchamp on Sunday, with the 'réouverture' being conducted in extremely testing conditions but nevertheless providing a welcome return to action at France's premier racecourse. The most important thing on arrival in the Bois de Boulogne is to make it into the track without being mown down by one or more of the cyclists within the relentless peloton that streams past the gates of Longchamp of a weekend. Everything after that feels like a blessing. And indeed we were blessed with an almost dry and definitely warm day. Every trainer, breeder, farmer and clerk of the course has been preoccupied with the exceptionally wet spring that has seen race meetings abandoned and paddocks poached. In assessing the results from Leopardstown to Longchamp on Sunday it will be hard to gauge how well these three-year-olds will fare on faster underfoot conditions but Christophe Ferland believes that his G3 Prix La Force winner Atlast (Fr) (Farhh {GB}) is simply a good horse who, as the old adage goes, will go on any ground. A solid and flashy chestnut, the Wertheimers' homebred is certainly an imposing specimen and won decisively despite his slightly awkward head carriage. His Sangster-bred granddam Pitamakan (Danzig) had been bought as a Keeneland yearling for $400,000 and is herself a third-generation descendant of the influential matriarch Courtly Dee (Never Bend). It remains regrettable that Atlast's sire Farhh is only able to cover small books of mares owing to his poor fertility, but perhaps that is key to his success, and this looks another really interesting prospect for the son of Pivotal (GB), who on Monday was represented by the G3 Prix Edmond Blanc winner Tribalist (GB). Atlast will surely now be aimed with the intention that he joins Fonteyn (GB) and King Of Change (GB) on the list of Group 1 winners by Farhh. The latter of that pair has his first two-year-old runners this season, as does Farhh's unusually fast son Far Above (Ire). Hernon Dreams On Gavin Hernon, who eschewed his native Ireland to start training in Chantilly six years ago, was the toast of the winner's enclosure at Longchamp on Sunday. His fellow Chantilly trainer Tim Donworth shouted “The Irish are taking over” as Hernon collected his trophy from sponsor Kieran Lalor after Dare To Dream (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) opened her season in portentous fashion with victory in the G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Prix Vanteaux. Bred by Ecurie des Monceaux, Meridian International and Scuderia Waldeck, Dare To Dream was well bought by her trainer at €67,000 from Arqana's October Yearling Sale, especially when one considers that the mission Hernon was given by owner Dun Shing Lee was to buy a filly good enough to run in the Oaks. And that's not just any Oaks, either. Lee meant the original Oaks, at Epsom, where he was born and raised. So far, so good, as Dare To Dream is the only French-trained filly among the 58 entries for the Betfred Oaks on May 31. With a Classic trial under her belt, a Derby winner as a sire and Arc winner Danedream (Ger) as her aunt, she will have every right to be there. Another Ballysax Star? I've always loved the Ballysax Stakes. For a particularly heady period at the turn of this century its roll of honour featured Galileo (Ire), High Chaparral (Ire) and Yeats (Ire) in just four years. It ebbs and flows, of course, but since then there have been some proper names added, such as Fame And Glory (GB), Banimpire (Ire), Fascinating Rock (Ire) and Rekindling (GB). The most recent Derby winner to emanate from the Ballysax was Harzand (Ire) in 2016. Dallas Star (Fr) took the 2024 Ballysax on Sunday and could be the horse to elevate the profile of his sire Cloth Of Stars (Ire), who was eighth behind Harzand at Epsom and went on to win the G1 Prix Ganay as well as finishing second and third in consecutive Arcs won by Enable (GB). Dallas Star is another to have been sold by Monceaux, this time as a foal for breeders Eliane Dieuaide and Domaine Billard et Fils, for €30,000. He was picked up by Robson Aguiar for 50,000gns as a yearling at Tattersalls and, when he failed to sell, was retained at the Craven Breeze-up Sale for 180,000gns and now runs in the Amo Racing colours, which were so narrowly vanquished in last year's Derby aboard King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}). Sent off at 50/1, Dallas Star's victory was clearly not expected, and he had two better fancied rivals from Ballydoyle behind him. The third home, Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), had been sent off favourite and he is a half-brother to Debutante (Fr) (Gold Away {Fr}), dam of the above-mentioned Dare To Dream, and to Danedream. Cloth Of Stars was also responsible for the third-placed Birr Castle (Fr) in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt. The race provided yet another triumph for Jerome Reynier, and was won by Zarakem (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) on his second start for Ecurie Benaroussi Sofiane after being bought for €500,000 at Arqana's Arc Sale. The previous weekend, Reynier, who is currently top of the French trainers' table, had enjoyed his first winner on Dubai World Cup night when Facteur Cheval (Ire) won the G1 Dubai Turf. Third Classic Contender for Wellenspiel If you saddle a horse with the name Weltbeste (Ger) you'd better hope that she can live up to it, but Gestut Rottgen had something of a clue in the fact that the daughter of Soldier Hollow (GB) is a full-sister to a Deutsches Derby winner, Weltstar (Ger), and a half-sister to another, Windstoss (Ger) (Shirocco Ger}). Now two from two in her races to date following victory at Mulheim on Sunday for Rottgen's new trainer Maxim Pecheur, Weltbeste heads the market for the G1 Preis der Diana on August 4. That's a long way off, of course, but if it seems too fantastical to imagine that their dam Wellenspiel (Ger) (Sternkoenig {Ire}) could produce three German Classic winners, it is worth remembering that that feat was achieved not too long ago by Sacarina (GB) (Old Vic {GB}), the dam of Samum (Ger), Schiaparelli (Ger) and Salve Regina (Ger), all sired by Monsun (Ger), Ward Starts Ascot Hype Rolling These days, nothing quite says spring is here like a Wesley Ward speedball rocketing from the gates to tear up the early Keeneland juvenile races and book a place on the plane for Royal Ascot. Step forward Shoot It True, a daughter of Munnings, who claimed a TDN Rising Star with her victory in the first two-year-old race of the season after scoring in emphatic fashion by an eased-down seven and a half lengths. Queen Mary ahoy? It would be no surprise. Stefano Cherchi Remembered at Santa Anita and Beyond At Santa Anita on Saturday, Frankie Dettori stole the show as only he can do, winning six races in a row, including the GII Santa Anita Oaks aboard Nothing Like You (Malibu Moon) for his main ally Bob Baffert. Dettori wasn't the only Italian to triumph at the 'Great RIP', however, with Umberto Rispoli winning the GIII Monrovia S., before Antonio Fresu claimed the major race of the day, the GI Santa Anita Derby, on the Phil d'Amato-trained Stronghold (Ghostzapper). Of course, the Italian jockey who has been in the thoughts of racing folk the world over this week is Stefano Cherchi, who died last Wednesday, a fortnight after sustaining devastating head injuries in a race fall at Canberra, Australia. Fresu paid an emotional tribute to his compatriot after his first Grade I win on American soil. He said, “I want to dedicate this to my friend who passed away the other day. I felt like he was there with me today. Stefano Cherchi was an amazing guy.” The death of Cherchi at the age of just 23 has rocked so many of his friends and colleagues in the business. In Newmarket, where the Sardinian had been based since the age of 16 with Marco Botti, the trainer said simply, “I feel like I've lost a son.” Cherchi's former weighing-room colleague in Britain, Callum Shepherd, perhaps summed up his loss most eloquently. “He was not defined by his abilities in the saddle, or by the races he has won,” Shepherd said. “What defined him to us, those lucky enough to have known him, and I really do mean lucky, was the human being he was. “He was a great friend, he was incredibly kind, and I think he thrived off making those around him happy. Certainly he was far more bothered about others than he was about himself.” There can really be no finer tribute than that. It has been a terribly sad week, and we offer sincere condolences to Stefano Cherchi's family and friends. His life was celebrated at a remembrance mass in Sydney on Monday and another service will take place on Sunday, April 28, at Our Lady Immaculate and Saint Etheldreda Church in Newmarket. He will not be forgotten. The post Seven Days: Reawakening appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After a busy three seasons, the world’s highest-rated sprinter will get the longest break of his careerView the full article

Manawatu horsewoman Gail Temperton has experienced a stellar month, which got even better on Saturday when her homebred mare Royal Flower attained black-type when placing in the Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2100m) at Trentham. While the outsider in the field for Saturday’s contest, Royal Flower’s result didn’t come as a surprise to Temperton, who was delighted to earn some black-type with her mare. “It is always good for a mare, especially as I am a breeder as well. It was very nice – a good run and a good ride,” Temperton said. “It was only a field of nine and I knew the track would suit her. I was concerned about getting flushed out wide on that big bend at Trentham because the barriers were relatively close to the corner. Unfortunately, she had to go a bit hard early and I think that was her undoing. I don’t think she would have beaten Apostrophe, but I think she would have been a little closer if she hadn’t had to work quite so hard.” Temperton has been pleased with the way Royal Flower has come through the race and is now eyeing the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa later this month with her mare. “She is a box of birds, she has eaten all of her feed. She always comes through her racing very well, she has got a good constitution,” Temperton said. “I have been ringing about for jockeys to see if we go to Te Rapa on the 27th (of April). We will see what evolves between now and then, but that would be my aim.” Bred and raced by Temperton, alongside her partner Stanley Alexander under their Taikorea Thoroughbreds banner, Royal Flower is by New Zealand Champion stallion Proisir and out of their two-win mare Ishidanzin. “I own her mother, who was a favourite of mine, she was only a two-win mare and her pedigree had got a bit empty. I wanted to keep her mother because I like her so much, so I am very pleased,” Temperton said. “This is Ishidanzin’s second foal, her first foal was a Vespa and she was very fast. She won a couple of jumpouts and showed me a lot of promise, and then she had an accident and we had to euthanise her, which was very sad. The mare has been good to me and it is good to formalise it.” Temperton also has a yearling full-brother to Royal Flower she intends on offering at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready To Run Sale later this year. “I didn’t put him in the yearling sales,” Temperton said. “I thought Royal Flower could do this, given more time, and the pedigree didn’t have much until Royal Flower gave it a bit of black-type. I will put him in the Ready To Runs now.” Ishidanzin has been served by Little Avondale Stud stallion Time Test, with Temperton wanting to support more local farm’s after selling her share in Proisir. “I sold my Proisir share so I no longer had the use of him. We always go a long distance to the studs from here and I wanted to support people who were closer to us, and I just like Time Test,” Temperton said. “I am interested that Jeff Lynds won with a staying horse (Cheval de Foudre) on Saturday at Trentham. That (staying horses) might be where Time Test is heading.” While rapt with Royal Flower’s weekend result, it was just the icing on the cake for Temperton over the last month, with her homebred Mark Twain placing in the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie before booking his berth in November’s Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington when taking out the Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) at the Melbourne track nine days ago. Temperton said his results have been a tonic for her and Alexander, who can’t wait to see what the Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained gelding can do in the spring. “I was a bit down in the dumps before Mark Twain did his thing. It was a bad time of the year, we had had a drought, and I am getting on in years,” she said. “Mark Twain really gave us a huge boost because he has done our other broodmares a great favour. Suddenly my list of raggle-taggle broodmares are not so raggle-taggle after all.” If he takes up his golden ticket in the Melbourne Cup later this year, Mark Twain won’t be the first in his family to take his place in the field, with half-brother Pentathlon having contested the 2016 edition of the two-mile feature, where he finished ninth behind Almandin. “We bought her (Pinders Prize, dam) from Tom Jamieson and she raced in the CD (Central Districts) three times, Howie Matthews trained her,” Temperton said. “Mr Jamieson was selling up a group of horses and we bought her at the sales. We sent her to Pentire because we are a Rich Hill client, have been for a long time, and she is closely related to Pentathon, who was a very good staying horse by Pentire. That is how we bred Pentathlon. “He was a very good horse, a very hard-working, good stayer. He was Group placed several times. The fillies haven’t been quite as good as the colts out of that mare, but every colt we have bred from her has sold well and raced well.” Temperton’s association with the Melbourne Cup doesn’t just lie with the horses she has bred. “I had an uncle, Eric Temperton, who had high acclaim for winning a Melbourne Cup with Silver Knight in 1971, but it is usually forgotten that another horse of his, Magnifique, ran second the following year,” she said. “They were both ridden by Bruce Marsh.” While Temperton has high hopes for Mark Twain in the Melbourne Cup this year, she is also excited about the future with his Vadamos two-year-old half-brother, the last foal out of Pinders Prize. “We have a two-year-old by Vadamos,” Temperton said. “I am told Vadamos’ are a little out of favour at the moment and the buyers want to see him do a bit more. I will hang onto him because I think Vadamos can do that. If anyone wants him at the right price between now and the Derby they can talk to me, otherwise I will just plod along and end up there myself with a bit of luck.” Temperton and Alexander are continuing to breed from a handful of broodmares, with a focus on up-and-coming local stallions. “The old mare Pinders Prize, we are not going to breed from her again, but she has two daughters – Surprizing and Nosecondprize,” Temperton said. “Nosecondprize is the mother of Samuel Langhorne, who is racing quite well in Australia at the moment for Mick Kent. “I have got two mares I raced called Miss Benci, who is in-foal to Derryn, and Edwardian Lady, who is in-foal to The Bold One. “When we sold the share in Proisir, I also wanted to support the local studs, and I wanted to pick out something that was an up-and-coming stallion rather than spend a lot of money on an established one. I think I have done that with The Bold One.” View the full article

Antrim Coast continued his upward Derby trajectory on Saturday, despite having to settle for second in the Listed Galilee Series Final (2400m) at Caulfield. The Stephen Marsh-trained three-year-old finished second behind Orchestral in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) in March and franked that form with a tough victory in the Gr.3 Alistair Clark Stakes (2040m) over Kiwi filly Quintessa at The Valley. Antrim Coast lined-up on Saturday at much shorter odds, but came off second-best to fellow Kiwi-bred Gold Wolf, going down by a head. Marsh was pleased with the gelding’s performance but admitted that pressure was placed too soon in a testing 2400m contest. “I thought he went super, I couldn’t have asked for any better from him,” Marsh said. “The rider was very apologetic, he just went so far from home and needed to be a lot more patient. We feel he would’ve been very hard to beat, but he was probably travelling so well that he’s gone for him too early. “But he’s come through it really well, he’s right on track for the South Australian Derby. He’s always been a laid-back horse, takes everything in his stride and loves it. He’s the ultimate racehorse.” Antrim Coast is now set to represent his owner-breeder, Dick Karreman of The Oaks Stud, in the $1 million Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on May 4, a race won by New Zealand-breds for the last three years. Back home, Marsh collected black-type placings at Trentham with Provence, who was a close-up second in the Listed Flying Handicap (1400m), and Skyman, who finished third in the Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2100m). A daughter of Savabeel, Provence has risen rapidly through the grades since breaking maiden status fresh-up in late-December, picking up three victories before surging into runner-up position behind Bradman in her black-type debut. “She ran really well, just probably wanted a better track. Sam (Spratt, jockey) said she couldn’t quite sprint as well as she thought she could’ve, but she’s gone terrific,” Marsh said. “She definitely needed time, she’s come back a lot better as a four-year-old and has come a long way in one season. It wasn’t that long ago she was a maiden and now she’s running in good black-type races. “She’ll go to Ellerslie for the Easter Handicap (Gr.3, 1600m) now, where she’s won before, and it’s a beautiful track so it should suit her a lot more. “She’ll only get better from here, she might be one of those horses you see in good weight-for-age races next season.” In his first season under Marsh’s care, Mukhadram gelding Skyman has contested five Group races in as many starts, with Saturday’s effort capping off fourth and fifth placings in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher Stakes (2000m) and Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) respectively. Marsh was pleased with his front-running performance, leading up to the 200m mark, and fighting on bravely to fill the minor placings behind Nereus and He’s A Doozy. “He also ran really nicely, Sam just said he wants a good firm track,” he said. “He’ll go out for a spell now and we’ll see a really nice horse next season getting to those better tracks. I’m really happy with how he’s performed this campaign.” Marsh’s black-type bridesmaid streak was rectified in the undercard at Pukekohe, with victories from both Billy Lincoln and Lerado. View the full article

Imperatriz’s (I Am Invincible) season is now over but don’t expect to hear David Ellis now ramping up a campaign for her to be crowned Australia’s Champion Racehorse for the 2023/24 season. The five-year-old finished fourth in last Saturday’s Gr.1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick won by Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun), her only unplaced run in a season that netted five Group One wins, which took her career Group One tally to 10. Imperatriz on Monday flies home to New Zealand, where she will spell before returning to Cranbourne later in the year, and while Ellis thinks being crowned Australian Horse Of The Year would be a fitting accolade, she does not need to title to justify a successful first Australian season for Te Akau. “I don’t get involved in judging her with other stables but we’re just so incredible proud,” Te Akau principal Ellis said. “What a great way to start our Cranbourne stable, with a horse that’s rated the second best in the world, the best sprinter in the world, and we’re just very proud to have been able to buy her.” A $360,000 Magic Millions Gold Cost yearling, the Mark Walker-trained daughter of I Am Invincible is one of the leading contenders for the Horse Of The Year award, with Cups double champion Without A Fight (Teofilo) shaping as her biggest rival. Two-time Group One winner and All-Star Mile heroine Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) gets the chance to further press her claims in this Saturday’s $5 million Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick. The T J Smith Stakes was the fourth run in a campaign that realised Group One wins in the Gr.1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) and Gr.1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) and a game Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) second placing under 58kg. Imperatriz was undefeated in a spring campaign that started with Group Two success in the Gr.2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) before Group One wins in the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m), Gr.1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) and Gr.1 Champions Sprint (1200m). The T J Smith Stakes, in which Imperatriz sweated up badly pre-race and was a victim of interference in the run, was her first run in Sydney for the season and Ellis said it did not provide a true guide on whether she can replicate her Melbourne form in Sydney. For that reason, the $20 million The Everest – a race she bypassed in spring to remain in Victoria – remains an option later in the year. “It was a very hard race for us to get a guide, she was held up quite a bit, but we were very proud of her. “We’ll have everything open for next season.” View the full article

Ascot Park trainer Robert Dennis continued his good run of form at his home track on Sunday, securing a winning double and bookending the eight-race meeting in the process. “We have won five races in eight days now, so we have been going alright,” he said. Hasstobeyou kicked off the meeting in winning fashion when taking out the Editor’s Cut Sports Bar Handicap (1200m). The daughter of Darci Brahma was tardily away but quickly made up her early deficit and found herself in the trail behind pacemaker Papagena. Hasstobeyou enjoyed the economical trip, however, Jockey Kendra Bakker had to guide her charge four-wide down the straight to find clear running room where Hasstobeyou quickly found the lead and ran out a 1-1/4 length victor. “We didn’t expect her to be slow out of the barriers, but she is certainly a better chaser than a leader, so that worked out well,” Dennis said. “She looked the winner a long way out. She got out just in time and boomed home over the top of them. It was quite impressive in the end.” Black-type targets are the ultimate aim with the six-year-old, however, Dennis said he will consult with her owners before making any concrete plans. “She is possibly coming up to the end of her preparation, she may only have a couple of more starts in her,” he said. “We had a go at a Group Three last time and they (owners) would certainly like to get some black-type with her. “I will just talk with the owners and come up with a plan.” The stable finished the meeting like they started it, with The Royal Diva taking out the Northern Sports Bar & TAB Handicap (1600m). “It was really nice to get a win for the family and their stallion, The King,” Dennis said “She had a freshen-up after her last run which seemed to do her the world of good. She was quite impressive too. I don’t how good the horses are that she beat, but all they can do is win.” Earlier on the card, stablemate The Princie One made her first raceday appearance in nearly a year when runner-up in The Ave Sports Bar Maiden (1200m). The daughter of Savabeel will now head for a spell and Dennis believes the best is still ahead of her. “She has been a frustrating horse, she is her own worst enemy at times,” he said. “We expected a little bit better yesterday, so she is going to go out now for three or four months, have a really good break and clear her head. “The family all get better with time and she will get the opportunity for that too.” Meanwhile, Dennis is looking forward to heading to Riccarton on Saturday where Great Time will contest the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m), while stablemate On Song will also trek north to line-up in the rating 65 1200m event. “They are both last start winners and both were very impressive,” Dennis said. “They will be stepping up in company, but I am very confident they can both cope with it.” View the full article

An investment in an English mare more than 30 years ago is continuing to reward Blandford Lodge, with a homebred descendant successful on the opening day of The Championships at Randwick. The John O’Shea-trained Good Banter appreciated the step up in distance to claim the Gr.3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) and double her winning tally from a handful of appearances. “It was fantastic to get a win on that day, it was really good and being by Tavistock out of that family she was always going to be a middle-distance filly,” Blandford Lodge’s Graham Bax said. “I think she will carry on to be an Oaks type, I don’t know whether she would run in Sydney and maybe they’ll lean more toward the Queensland Oaks (Gr.1, 2200m).” Good Banter was bred by Blandford and on their behalf sold by Blue Gum Farm at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for A$280,000 to Louis Le Metayer’s Astute Bloodstock. “We’ve been involved with the family ever since I bought (fifth dam) Polly Soleil more than 30 years ago off Ron Denby,” Bax said. By Roi Soleil, Polly Soleil was a half-sister to Avon Valley who stood at stud for Denby and sired Group One winners Avon Angel, Sir Avon and Valley Of Carome. Among Polly Soleil’s four winners was Soleil Rouge, who was a two-time Group winner, and more recently they have featured in the pedigrees of the Blandford-bred and sold three-time Group One winners Danzdanzdance and Lucia Valentina. “Soleil Rouge was a good mare to me and (multiple Group winner) Silky Red Boxer is from the family, which we’ve obviously still got offshoots of,” Bax said. “There’s a whole range of them, it goes on and on and then there’s Katie O’Neill, who is the dam of She Will Be Loved who won the Gr.2 Sir Edward Manifold (1610m).” The recent Gr.1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) winner Lady Laguna is another decorated member of the family. Blandford graduate Ahuriri, out of Lucia Valentina’s half-sister Mackenzie Kate, also ran in the Adrian Knox with the Chris Waller-trained filly finishing midfield. The daughter of Almanzor was sold at Karaka to Waller and Bax and wife Helen-Gaye’s daughter Kylie for $210,000. “Good Banter and Ahuriri, who Chris rates a bit, were in our paddocks here at home and grew up together,” he said. Good Banter is a daughter of the Savabeel mare Danza Kuduro, a half-sister to Danzdanzdance and Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) winner Le Gai Soleil. “We raced Le Gai Soleil and she’s back here with a Wootton Bassett colt at foot and is in foal to Proisir,” Bax said. Bax initially sold Danza Kuduro at the Premier Yearling Sale for A70,000 and she subsequently won three races. “I kept in touch with one of the guys that bought her off me and he texted me and said we are going to retire the mare,” he said. “I thought I need her back because Danzdanzdance was going pretty well so I got hold of (agent) Bruce Perry. “I asked him to get hold of the owners of Danza Kuduro and see if you can buy her for me, which he did.” The mare’s unraced Ocean Park filly, named See Me Dance, was sold at Karaka for $70,000 in 2023 to Wylie Dalziel and Peter Moody with Danza Kuduro now in foal to Starspangledbanner’s multiple Group One-winning son State Of Rest. “It’s been a fantastic family and Kylie was well-rewarded this year when she sold a Per Incanto filly out of the family at Karaka for $280,000 to Wexford Stables,” Bax said. She is a daughter of the unraced Mastercraftsman mare Ouzo, dam of the Group performers Aspen Colorado and Canuhandleajandal. “We’ve still got plenty of the family around, so hopefully it keeps us all going,” Bax said. View the full article

Antrim Coast (closest to camera) prepare for the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) after a second-placed finish at Caulfield last Saturday. Photo: Bruno Cannatelli Antrim Coast continued his upward Derby trajectory on Saturday, despite having to settle for second in the Listed Galilee Series Final (2400m) at Caulfield. The Stephen Marsh-trained three-year-old finished second behind Orchestral in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) in March and franked that form with a tough victory in the Group 2 Alistair Clark Stakes (2040m) over Kiwi filly Quintessa at Moonee Valley. Antrim Coast lined-up on Saturday at much shorter odds, but came off second-best to fellow Kiwi-bred Gold Wolf, going down by a head. Marsh was pleased with the gelding’s performance but admitted that pressure was placed too soon in a testing 2400m contest. “I thought he went super, I couldn’t have asked for any better from him,” Marsh said. “The rider was very apologetic, he just went so far from home and needed to be a lot more patient. We feel he would’ve been very hard to beat, but he was probably travelling so well that he’s gone for him too early. “But he’s come through it really well, he’s right on track for the South Australian Derby. He’s always been a laid-back horse, takes everything in his stride and loves it. He’s the ultimate racehorse.” Antrim Coast is now set to represent his owner-breeder, Dick Karreman of The Oaks Stud, in the $1 million Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on May 4, a race won by New Zealand-breds for the last three years. Horse racing news View the full article

The only living foal of champion mare Winx has been sold for $10 million, the world record sum for a filly. View the full article