Wandering Eyes

Sudbina and Kozzi Asano return to scale after winning the Gr.3 New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Roger James and Robert Wellwood turned their Wellington Cup Carnival fortunes around with an impressive victory by Sudbina in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday. Sudbina’s Desert Gold heroics came seven days after a frustrating afternoon of near-misses for the Cambridge trainers on the opening day of the carnival last weekend. They saddled Zabmanzor for a second placing in the Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m), a long head behind Quintessa, while stablemate Apostrophe was beaten by a head by Churchillian in the Group 3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m). “After having to settle for a couple of close seconds in Group One and Group Three races last week, it’s really nice to get a good win today,” Wellwood said. James and Wellwood headed south on Saturday with high hopes for Sudbina. The talented daughter of Almanzor had finished a commendable sixth in a star-studded Group 2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and fourth in the Group 3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m), then warmed up for the Desert Gold with a stylish come-from-behind victory at Hastings on January 6. Being stuck with gate 12 in Wednesday morning’s barrier draw may have slightly dented the confidence of Sudbina’s connections, but in the end it proved to be no obstacle in the $120,000 three-year-old fillies’ feature. Rider Kozzi Asano eased Sudbina back to last behind a strong early speed set by Bella Corno. Asano was happy to bide his time at the tail of the field until around the 600m mark, when he pushed the button and swooped forward out wide. All eyes were drawn to the outside of the track at the top of the Trentham straight, where Sudbina and the favourite Grail Seeker accelerated side by side and burst to the front together. 2024 Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes Replay – Sudbina They left the rest of the field behind and bounded clear, with Sudbina edging ahead of Grail Seeker to score by three-quarters of a length. The Entertainer finished third, almost four lengths behind the first pair. “She had an electric turn of foot,” Asano said. “I thought I might have gone too early. “I just tried to keep her in her rhythm for most of the race today, and then off she went. Once she got a clear run, she was away. “The way she accelerated at the end of the race today, I’d say that more distance would be no problem for her.” Sudbina has now had seven starts for three wins and a placing, earning $114,765 in stakes for owner-breeders Frantic Bloodstock and Haunui Bloodstock. “We were disappointed when the draws came out for this race earlier in the week, but the way the track has worked out and the way this race ended up being run, it probably worked in our favour a little bit,” Wellwood said. “What she did there was very nice. “We’ve been scratching our heads a little bit in terms of what distance might suit her best. We were just hoping she’d get the mile in this race, but off today’s performance, perhaps she might go even further. We’ll talk to her connections and work out a plan from here.” More horse racing news View the full article

Bermadez scores a determined Flemington victory under Jye McNeil. Photo: Bruno Cannatelli The Mike Moroney-trained Bermadez was back in the winner’s circle for the first time since May 2022 with a hard-fought victory at Flemington on Saturday. The seven-year-old son of Tavistock loves the vast spaces of Flemington and needed every inch as he collared Beehunter and Suparazi in the shadows of the post with the trio more than five lengths clear of their rivals in a small field. Bermadez has been in good form this campaign, finishing runner-up in all three starts prior to Saturday’s victory. Punters sent the gelding out as favourite with top horse racing bookmakers on the strength of his second placing in the $300,000 Coastal Classic (1700m) where he chased home the in-form Holymanz. Despite Suparazi and Beehunter stealing a march on Bermadez, Moroney said he was confident the consistent galloper would reel in his rivals. “I thought when he got to the outside he would pick them up because he has done that before where he arrives late,” Moroney said. “He has never won by very big margins and I was quietly confident he still had a chance of picking them up. “I’d like to have a go at 2000m with him now. We had a go (at the distance) in the Ballarat Cup but it was very wet and it was at the end of a long preparation. “He’s in the right stage of his preparation now to have a go and I think it will be his right trip now that he has got a bit older. He did take forever to pick them up today and I think he is in the right form to have a go at it now. “We will find the right open or Benchmark race for him and it would be nice if it was here at Flemington on his preferred track. “He is pretty lightly raced horse for one reason or another. He had a lot of immaturity things go wrong as a young horse and I think there is still at least another 12 months of good racing in him.” More horse racing news View the full article

Four-year-old chases a fourth win in the city as connections weigh up best time to join Classic SeriesView the full article

Gold Square LLC's Drum Roll Please (Hard Spun), an individual betting interest in this weekend's Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3, was injured in a Friday workout and has been removed from the Triple Crown trail. Daily Racing Form was the first with the news. Winner of the Jan. 6 Jerome S. under jockey Javier Castellano for trainer Brad Cox, Drum Roll Please reportedly sustained a sesamoid fracture in his left hind ankle during the Belmont Park work. It is believed the chestnut will undergo surgery and require approximately three months to recover before he is able to resume training. In addition to his Jerome win, Drum Roll Please was third behind Dornoch (Good Magic) and Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in the GII Remsen S. in December. His next target was reportedly the Feb. 3 GIII Withers S. The post Jerome Winner Drum Roll Please Off Derby Trail appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Steven Reid produced two stunning back to back winners at Cambridge on Friday night but had an even better horse to look forward to on Saturday. The Pukekohe trainer finally got the best out of former smart age group pacer Lou Baby when he demolished a lower grade field by 17 and three-quarter lengths, one of the biggest winning margins in the north in years. As impressive as that was in may have been trumped in the very next race when debutante Next Level was well named, missing the start before storming to a remarkable maiden win suggesting he has plenty more in store. Reid was thrilled with both but especially Lou Baby after a horrid run in the last 10 months after he was regularly locking horns with our best three-year-olds this time last year. “Early on I thought he might go all the way through the grades,” says Reid. “He won in 2:38 (2200m) at Alexandra Park one night but two runs later he fibrillated in the Northern Derby. “We had all sorts of different issues with him after that. He has cracks in his hooves, got crook and I was wondering whether we would see the best of him again. “But that was far more like it tonight and now Les (Purdon, owner) has to decide whether to race on, spell him or sell him. I’ll leave that to him.” Next Level’s win was one of the better maiden successes in the north for a long time and with the reason for him giving away such a big start being his gait in the score-up, with experience and maturity he is going to be a potential Derby horse. One horse Reid already knows is Group 1 quality is stable star Coastal Babe, who returns to the workouts at Pukekohe today (Saturday). Already the winner of a Caduceus Club Classic (Group 1, Alex Park in September) and the Harness Million at Addington in October, Coastal Babe hasn’t raced since finishing fourth in the Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington on Show Day. “We found she had an ulcer on her epliglottis after that so we gave her a month off and she was always going to miss the Grand Prix meeting. “She put on heaps of weight during her break and looks huge so I will drive her in the workout myself and just let her run home in the field.” Coastal Babe is being set for three summer targets, starting with the Harness Million at Alexandra Park on February 16, then the Peter Breckon Memorial on March 15 and the Northern Oaks back at The Park a week later. View the full article

With the much-anticipated debut of Rise Companions on hold, the undefeated Fun Elite looks to have the Class Four Cheung Shan Handicap (1,000m) at his mercyView the full article

A share in Horse of the Year finalist and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) hero White Abarrio has been acquired by Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud ahead of an expected start in the Feb. 24 $20 million Saudi Cup (G1). View the full article

Like one of those old split-flap mechanical signs at train stations, everyone knows that in the new year the 'Run for the Roses' leaderboard will fluctuate. Week-to-week, the top points begin to compound–from 20 to the winner Saturday and going as high as 100 to the winner come April. The trail to Derby 150 begins a much steeper ascent on Saturday at Fair Grounds in New Orleans as the GIII Lecomte S. offers 3-year-old colts 20-10-6-4-2 that can be applied to Bank of Churchill. This year's edition pits a field of eight against one another with the central question being: what happened to Nash (Medaglia d'Oro) in the December running of the Gun Runner S.? The heavy favorite was unable to build on his Nov. 12 'TDN Rising Star' performance under the Twin Spires at second asking when he powered to the lead, torched a field of maidens by 10 1/4 lengths and posted a 97 Beyer. The race shape in the Gun Runner was nothing of the sort for the Godolphin homebred, as he was forced to watch Track Phantom (Quality Road) take control towards the end of the backstretch and never relinquish the lead. Track Phantom (center) with Nash (along the rail) | Hodges Photography/Amanda Hodges Weir “It was great to see him [Track Phantom] win the race against a talented field, but especially with going as fast as they did early and showing enough quality to still respond,” said the winner's trainer Steve Asmussen. “I love how he's doing, very happy with him and how he's trained since the Gun Runner. I feel good about the draw and excited to run him again. Past success from there so we'll see what we can do.” Of course, the pair will have others to contend with in this spot and chief among them is Lat Long (Liam's Map). The dark bay trained by Ken McPeek was never out of the money in all five of his juvenile starts against maiden special weight company starting at Churchill back in September. Facing the likes of GSW Dornoch (Good Magic) and Track Phantom himself, Lat Long broke through at Oaklawn Dec. 17 against his stablemate and next-out winner Common Defense (Karakontie {Jpn}). “[Lat Long] has been a horse who is still trying to figure it out a bit,” McPeek said. “He's not all there yet. But we're going to try him at a higher level and see how he handles tougher company.” Also after points is Can Group (Good Samaritan), who was last seen running fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita for trainer Mark Casse. Joining him will be two more Cox runners in Ethan Energy (Uncle Mo), who broke his maiden by 5 1/4 lengths at second asking over this surface Dec. 23, and Awesome Road (Quality Road). Bred by Claiborne Farm, the latter was a $600,000 Keeneland September purchase by Albaugh Family Stables and Donegal Racing. Saudi Crown Kick Starts His 4-Year-Old Campaign Preceding the Lecomte is the GIII Louisiana S. for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/16th on the main track. This race marks the return of Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming). Now a 4-year-old, the gray debuted a winner by 4 3/4 lengths at Keeneland last April, then won against allowance company at Churchill Downs a month later. Saudi Crown | Sarah Andrew Finishing over the summer as the runner-up by a nose in the GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont Park and in the GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga, the Brad Cox trainee set the pace en route to the winner's circle in the GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx in September. A popular pick in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, the colt finished a well-beaten 10th to close out his year. “I'm not treating it like he has to be on the lead,” Cox said. “He's a smart horse. He's capable of sitting off. When he broke his maiden, he sat off horses. I really don't think he has to be on the lead. It probably will be a situation where he will have to take a breath at some point, you can't just run all-out throughout.” After Cox watched Saudi Crown drill five furlongs behind Nash Jan. 13 (1:00.20, 3/51), the trainer said, “It didn't quite set up as well as we expected. There were other horses out there and we got caught up with a little more company than we wanted. I was very, very happy with the breeze. He was a little wide through the lane and around the turn. Plenty fit. He had a good work the week before last. We just wanted him to cruise along the other day and he did. I think he's set up for a big spot.” Opposing him in New Orleans are a number of seasoned challengers looking to set the tone for their own campaigns. Smile Happy (Runhappy) has not been seen since he ran fifth in the GI Stephen Foster S. at Ellis Park in July. The 'TDN Rising Star' has a resume which includes a pair of Grade II wins in the Kentucky Jockey Club S. as a juvenile and in last year's Alysheba S.–both at Churchill Downs. Making the gate is deep closer GSW Red Route One (Gun Runner), defending GISP Happy American (Runhappy) and GII Rebel S. hero Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}). Midnight Memories Faces Desert Dawn Once Again Swinging out to Santa Anita Park on Saturday afternoon, the GIII La Canada S. has MGSW Midnight Memories (Mastery) taking on MGISP Desert Dawn (Cupid). The last time these two met as 4-year-old fillies in the GIII Bayakoa S. at Los Alamitos Dec. 15, it was Midnight Memories who got the best of her rival by a length. Favored at 6-5 on the morning line, the Bob Baffert trainee will also have to contend with, among others, GISP Musical Mischief (Into Mischief) and Coffee in Bed (Curlin). The post ‘Rising Star’ Nash Faces Track Phantom In Lecomte Rematch Headlining Saturday Graded Races appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The latest industry member to share their best moments from 2023 and likely prospects for this year is Boherguy Stud's Clare Manning. Proudest moment of 2023? Frazil (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), who Dad [Kevin] and I bought as a foal, winning his maiden at Naas in my own colours What is your biggest ambition for the new year? Make money and sell winners. Give us one horse to follow and why? A two-year-old Blue Point (Ire) colt out of Bandiuc Eile (Ire). He always had a great attitude throughout his prep and looked like the real deal. And a young person in the industry to keep an eye on… Conor Wixted–he'll go places. Who do you think will be champion first-season sire this year? Earthlight (Ire), or at least I hope so! And the best value stallion in Europe? Teofilo (Ire), standing at Kildangan Stud for €30,000. I'm definitely biased but he's produced a Group 1 winner in his first 11 crops, not to mention the impact he's having as a broodmare sire. What's the one horse you wish you'd bought in 2023? A Too Darn Hot (GB) colt from New England at Tatts Foals that Guy O'Callaghan bought for 185,000gns. Biggest regret? Not winning the lotto and being able to buy more foals. Biggest influence on your career? Dad and Granda [Jim Bolger]–they haven't steered me wrong, yet! If you could sit down for dinner with three people (dead or alive) who would they be and why? Joe Lyng, Mark O Sullivan and Eleanor Dunne. The lads always make for an interesting and entertaining dinner while Eleanor will guarantee it's in done in style. The post In The Hot Seat: Clare Manning appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York Racing Association canceled racing Jan. 20 at Aqueduct Racetrack and morning training at Belmont Park due to arctic temperatures forecast to impact the New York metropolitan area throughout the day.View the full article

The New York Racing Association canceled racing Jan. 20 at Aqueduct Racetrack and morning training at Belmont Park due to arctic temperatures forecast to impact the New York metropolitan throughout the day.View the full article

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has canceled live racing on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack, as well as morning training at Belmont Park, due to arctic temperatures forecast to impact the New York metropolitan throughout the day, the organization said in a release Friday afternoon. Aqueduct Racetrack will remain open for simulcasting on Saturday and online wagering is available through the NYRA Bets website. Saturday's featured race, the Listed $150,000 Interborough S., will be brought back Saturday, Jan. 27 with entries to be taken Wednesday, Jan. 24. Live racing is scheduled to resume on Sunday with a nine-race card featuring the $100,000 Rego Park S. First post is 12:20 p.m. ET. The post Big A Succumbs To Big Chill As Saturday Card Cancelled appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), who stands at Godolphin's Darley division in Lexington, Kentucky, sired a filly Jan. 18–his first reported foal–for breeder Airdrie Stud, the stallion's farm said in a release Friday afternoon. The new filly is out of the Upstart mare Gratz Park, who is a half-sister to GSW Rich Mommy (Algorithms). “We are overjoyed to see such a nice first foal by Speakers Corner out of the Upstart mare Gratz Park,” said Ben Henley, Airdrie's General Manager. “She has a ton of quality and within a few hours of being born was running laps around the stall!” Speaker's Corner's top-level wins included the GI Carter H. in which he earned a 114 Beyer. Only Flightline (Tapit) ran a better number over the past four years. In addition, his 109 Beyer as a 3-year-old matched the highest number out of the trio of 2021 sophomore finalists for Eclipse Award honors. The post First Foal Arrives For Darley’s GISW Speaker’s Corner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) will be in attendance as the official charity for the 53rd Eclipse Awards Jan. 25 at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida, the non-profit said in a Friday release. “It's an honor to stand with NTRA and the whole racing community, celebrating the incredible talent and of the Thoroughbreds and the dedication of their connections,” said Stacie Clark Rogers, Operations Consultant for Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. “We are grateful for the opportunity to highlight our commitment to our industry's horses on this prestigious platform.” “We are thrilled to welcome back Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance as our esteemed partner for this year's Eclipse Awards,” added NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. The NTRA also organized a 'Sip, Shop, and Support' event with three participating stores–Lilly Pulitzer, J. Mclaughlin and Oumere–who will donate a percentage of their proceeds to the TAA. Additionally, TAA will hold a raffle featuring select items from these stores and 100% of those proceeds will be donated to their cause. Store hours are scheduled from Noon to 3 p.m. ET. The post Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Onsite As Official Charity Of The Eclipse Awards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Brothers Mark and Clint Cornett, who race under the name of C2 Racing Stable, have taken on Prince Abdul Rahman al Faisal of Saudi Arabia as a partner in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio (Race Day). The 5-year-old will make his next in the Feb. 24 running of the G1 Saudi Cup. Mark Cornett said that C2 remains the majority owner, but declined to say how big a percentage was sold. The story was first reported by the Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch. Prince Faisal will be seeking his second win in the $20 million Saudi Arabian race, which he won in 2021 with Mishriff (Make Believe {GB}). Mishriff also won the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic, the G1 Prix du Jockey Club S. and the G1 Juddmonte International S. Prince Faisal is also the owner who lured trainer Jimmy Jerkens to Saudi Arabia to train a string of his horses. “Winning the Saudi Cup is very important to them,” Mark Cornett said. “It's in his backyard and he'll be representing his country in an international race. You're going to have four or five Japanese horses, horses from all over the world. It's very important to them that they represent the Saudi people.” Cornett said the deal has been in the works for about four weeks. “We've been working on this for about a month,” he said. “They've flown over a couple of times to watch the horse breeze. Their vet has come over twice from France to do his due diligence. They ended up pulling the trigger on it and we consummated the deal this week. They're going to be great partners for us and we will be great partners to them. We look forward to doing additional things with them in the future.” White Abarrio | Benoit White Abarrio has remained at Santa Anita since winning the Breeders' Cup Classic there. Cornett said the gray will board a plane from LAX to Miami Feb. 13. From there, he will be joined by South Florida-based horses who will also be running on the Saudi Cup card before heading straight to Riyadh. Though the owners have not committed to any races beyond the Saudi Cup, Cornett said the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 30 is definitely a possibility. “The Dubai World Cup is definitely on our list of races,” he said. “He'll have to run the right way in the Saudi Cup and come out the race the right way. All the stars are going to have to line up. If that happens, we'll go in the Dubai World Cup. If not, we'll bring him back to New York and take a look at the Met Mile.” White Abarrio worked four furlongs (:47.60, 6/73) on Friday morning at Santa Anita. “The horse is doing better than he's ever done,” Cornett said. “I talked to (trainer) Rick (Dutrow) this morning. He breezed a half in :47 3/5 as good as he ever has and came out of the work great. The horse is definitely on his game.” The post C2 Racing Stable Sells An Interest In White Abarrio To Saudi Prince Faisal 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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West Omaha and Sistina Chapel—second and third in the Dec. 23 Untapable Stakes—will not have to deal with the filly that defeated them in that race, Alpine Princess. They lead the $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes Jan. 20 at Fair Grounds.View the full article

Absent from racing since the July 1 Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Ellis Park, when he needed to be walked backward to approach the starting gate, Lucky Seven Stable's Smile Happy returns Jan. 20 at Fair Grounds in the $175,000 Louisiana Stakes (G3). View the full article

Foaling season is off to a flying start at Taylor Made Farm as they're already up to nearly a dozen foals on the ground. Everything has gone smoothly so far, but a real showstopper came early when they welcomed the first foal by Horse of the Year Flightline. A star-faced bay filly with a bit of chrome on her hind legs, the new arrival is also the first foal out of Grade I winner Juju's Map (Liam's Map). “It's really a blessing to have such a well-bred horse here,” said Frank Taylor. “She's got a great attitude and she is strong and healthy. Everything is going great so far. The mare is by Liam's Map, who is a half-brother to Not This Time. Those are two of the best horses we ever raised, so it's really exciting to have this filly on the farm.” Bred by Fred W. Hertrich III, Juju's Map was a $300,000 Keeneland September purchase for the Albaugh family. She broke her maiden in her second start for Brad Cox and went on to claim the 2021 GI Darley Alcibiades S. and run second to Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. A winner and three times graded stakes placed at three, Juju's Map was sent through the ring at the Keeneland November Sale in 2022, but she RNA'd for $1.9 million and stayed with the Albaugh family. Taylor said the mating of Flightline and Juju's Map produced a good blend of both Grade I-caliber horses. “The filly has the looks of Flightline, but she also has some of the mare,” he explained. “The mating matches up well physically and pedigree-wise, and you're just breeding the best to the best and hoping for the best.” Taylor added that Juju's Map will visit Curlin in 2024. Sara Gordon As for the foal, Taylor hypothesized that for now, it's a coin toss as to whether the youngster would one day see the sales ring or race in the Albaugh silks. The filly's broodmare sire and his family carry a well-known story on just that subject. “We had Liam's Map here as a yearling and the Albaughs really never sold many of their horses,” Taylor recalled. “He was by Unbridled's Song and he was the best yearling on the farm, so we talked them into selling him. He brought $800,000 and we were all very excited about the way he sold until he won the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and they syndicated him for a lot more than $800,000. Then fast forward and Mr. Albaugh was back here and we were showing him the Giant's Causeway colt out of same mare and we said, 'Man, this one could bring maybe $1 million or $2 million.' His response was,' Not this time.'” Not This Time, who was runner-up in the 2016 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile for Dennis Albaugh and his family, stands for $150,000 this year as a fifth-crop sire at Taylor Made and is now embarking on a career as a sire of sires with 3-year-old champion Epicenter beginning his second year at Ashford Stud and MGISW Up to the Mark debuting at Lane's End. Plenty of superbly bred horses will hit the ground at Taylor Made in the coming weeks, but Taylor said there is no denying that having the first foal by a horse like the undefeated Flightline–who stood for $200,000 and covered 152 mares in his debut season–is a special honor. “You dream about these horses become great racehorses and this filly is really bred to go a distance, so maybe someday we'll see her in the Oaks,” he said. “That'd be a dream come true.” The post Taylor Made’s Foaling Season Starts with Flightline’s First Foal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Spendthrift Farm's Mo Donegal, the classic-winning son of Uncle Mo, sired his first reported foal this week when a colt was born at WinStar Farm in Versailles, the stallion's farm said in a release Friday afternoon. Bred by Alfredo Gastaneta, the bay colt is out of the Declaration of War mare Andavete, a half-sister to 2020 GI Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Mr. Big News (Giant's Causeway) and hailing from the immediate family of champion sire Saint Ballado. “This is a good size colt with good bone and leg underneath him,” said Fernando Macchiavello, agent for Alfredo Gastaneta. “He looks like an Uncle Mo, with that hip and balance and long legs. He has that look to him.” Mo Donegal joined Nyquist as classic-winning sons of leading sire Uncle Mo when he captured his biggest win in the 2022 GI Belmont S. Campaigned by trainer Todd Pletcher and owners Repole Stable and Donegal Racing, Mo Donegal also won the GII Remsen S. at Aqueduct, defeating Grade I winner Zandon (Upstart), and the GII Wood Memorial S. over classic winner Early Voting (Gun Runner). Mo Donegal retired to Spendthrift with earnings of $1,511,800. He bred 186 mares in his first book in 2023 and is set to stand his second season for a fee of $15,000 S&N. For more information about Mo Donegal, please contact Des, Mark, Brian or Daniel at 859-294-0030, or click here. The post Classic Winner Mo Donegal Celebrates A Colt As His First Foal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Jan. 19 that Stuart S. Janney III will be honored with the Eclipse Award of Merit at the 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards dinner and ceremony Jan. 25 at The Breakers Palm Beach in South Florida.View the full article

The 2023 Longines World Racing Awards will be live streamed beginning at 1:10 p.m. GMT/8:10 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 23. The ceremony, organised by Longines and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), will be held at The Savoy in London. The world's highest-rated horse in the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (WBRR) and the Longines World's Best Horse Race of the 2023 will be honoured during the programme. This is the 11th edition of the ceremony honouring the Longines WBR and the ninth edition paying tribute to the Longines World's Best Horse Race. Connections of the winners will be presented with a watch and a replica of a trophy of a proud horse head. Also, the Top 100 Group/Grade 1 races will be released from the annual list maintained by the IFHA. For more information on the awards, please visit the IFHA website. The post Longines World Racing Awards Will Be Live Streamed Next Week appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend–all filllies–including three in a single race at Kyoto as well as Nakayama: Saturday, January 20, 2024 3rd-NKY, ¥11,850,000 ($80k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1200m ROLY GLORY (f, 3, Justify–Roly Poly, by War Front) is the first foal from her dam, winner in England of the G1 Falmouth S. and G1 Sun Chariot S. and the G1 Prix Rothschild in France. Second dam Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won the 2011 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and has since gone on to excel in her second career, producing champion and treble Group 1 winner U S Navy Flag (War Front) and Cover Song (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a $2.1-million buyback at Keeneland November last fall. This is also the family of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), whose progeny include the listed-winning Monday (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Group 3 winner Red Riding Hood (Ire) (Justify), one of the sire's 17 worldwide winners at the group/graded level from just the two crops to race. B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY) Sunday, January 21, 2024 2nd-KYO, ¥11,850,000 ($80k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m G T SPEED (f, 3, Into Mischief–Iotapa, by Afleet Alex), a $510,000 Keeneland September acquisition by J S Company, is out of a winner of the GI Vanity S. and GI Clement L. Hirsch S. who was also third to Untapable (Tapit) in the 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff before selling to China Horse Club for $2.8 million at the Keeneland November Sale a few days later. Iotapa is closely related to SW/GSP Saintly Joan (Northern Afleet), the dam of recent Louisiana Champions Day Turf winner Behemah Star (Star Guitar). B-CHC Inc (KY) KEA LAULE'A (f, 3, Quality Road–Hard Not to Like, by Hard Spun), a half-sister to GSP 'TDN Rising Star' Faustin (Curlin), is out of a dam who starred on the grass, with a victory in the 2014 GI Jenny Wiley S. for Hillsbrook Farms and Michael Matz before being purchased by Speedway Stables for $1.5 million at that year's KEENOV sale. Kept in training at age six, Hard Not to Like added the GI Gamely S. and GI Diana S. and was knocked down to DATTT Stable for $2.2 million at KEENOV in 2015. The deeper female family includes the MGSW marathon dirt horse Lone Rock (Majestic Warrior) and GSW Gerrymander (Into Mischief). Kea Laule'a was hammered down to North Hills for $500,000 as a KEESEP yearling. B-DATTT Farm LLC (KY) JAMILA NOOR (f, 3, Uncle Mo–Layla Noor, by Midnight Lute) is out of a Grade II-placed daughter of SW & MGSP Senada (Pulpit) who was purchased by Shadai Farm for $660,000 with this filly in utero at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. Senada's half-brother Arthur's Tale (Bernardini) was runner-up in the 2011 GI Wood Memorial S., and this is also the family of SW/MGSP Gingham (Quality Road) and SW Blackadder (Quality Road). Layla Noor was bred to American Pharoah in 2021 and exported to Japan, where she produced a filly by American Pharoah the following season. B-Shadai Farm (KY) The post Debuting Fillies To The Fore This Weekend in Japan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The catalogue for the Arqana February Mixed Sale on February 13-14 was released by the sale company on Friday. Featuring 363 horses comprised of horses-in-training on the Flat and over jumps, broodmares, maidens, 2-year-olds and yearlings, with eight wildcards still to be announced, sessions will begin at 11 a.m. daily. The Arqana February Sale, which last year sold the G2 Prix du Petite Couvert winner and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye-placed Air De Valse (Fr) (Mesnil des Aigles {Fr}) as a broodmare prospect, this year offers a trio of fillies-in-training who achieved black type in 2023, including Haras de la Beauvoisiniere's Pepete (Fr) (Attendu {Fr}) (lot 1), listed-placed as a 2-year-old and from the family of the multiple Group 1 winner Peintre Celebre (Nureyev); Princess Child (Fr) (Dariyan {Fr}) (lot 6), last seen filling the runner-up spot in a listed race at Saint-Cloud in November and out of a half-sister to the G3 Prix la Force winner Chilean (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}); and Vasda (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}) (lot 10), listed-placed at Milan in September and a half-sister to four black-type winners, including G3 Prix d'Aumale winner Rocques (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}) and listed winner Mea Domina (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}). The Wertheimer et Frere homebred Adeliade (Ire) (Australia {GB}) (lot 79), a winner at two and out of a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner Solow (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), is another name to note among the fillies-in-training, while the broodmares in foal include the listed winner Rolleville (Fr) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) (lot 163), offered carrying her first foal by Sioux Nation, and the Group 3-placed Lady Paname (Fr) (Soldier of Fortune {Ire}) (lot 251) in foal to Masked Marvel (GB), both offered from Haras de Maulepaire. Several regally-bred individuals also feature among the fillies out of training and should attract plenty of interest from breeders as potential broodmare prospects. They are headed by two unraced daughters of Group 1 winners in Chesska (GB) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) (lot 160), out of Wertheimer et Frere's G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Queen's Jewel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), and the Aga Khan Studs' Manshina (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) (lot 338), a daughter of the three-time Group 1 winner Mandesha (Fr) (Desert Style {Ire}). The post Plenty Of Diversity In Arqana February Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article