Wandering Eyes

Last Sunday, Christophe Soumillon was doing what he has become famed for: riding a Group 1 winner. In this case it was Diego Velazquez in the Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques Le Marois for those celebrated racing names of Aidan O'Brien and Sam Sangster. Soumillon's name is of course equally celebrated, but as a young boy in Belgium, growing up riding ponies, the path to becoming a jockey wasn't always clear to him. To try to solve that problem for the budding riders coming up behind him, the ten-time champion jockey in France has recently set up the Soumillon International Pony Academy (SIPA) at a farm just outside Deauville. Through the summer, he has been riding winners in the afternoon, after training the potential young winners of the future by morning. “I remember when I was training my ponies on the training centre in Belgium and I was the only one there. I brought one friend, then two friends and there ended up being four or five of us, but I think since I was that young I probably had it in my brain and my heart to do this,” he says. Now, youngsters from the age of eight can benefit from his experience and that of fellow jockey Dominique Boeuf among the team of instructors at SIPA, where a wide range of mounts, from tiny ponies up to Arab and Thoroughbred former racehorses, are available for the five-day course. Classes are generally on the oval, sand gallop and the large paddock within at the former pre-training facility, but there is also a thrilling morning galloping along Deauville beach at the end of the course. Soumillon says of his new role, “It's something that for me has became a real passion. I couldn't believe, even three or four years ago, that I would achieve something like that but today, for me, it looks normal. It's a part of my daily work.” He says that he wishes to help open doors into racing for those who do not already have connections in the sport. “When you have the chance to become famous like I am now, and also with the money I have, I think it is good to contribute to the whole racing industry,” Soumillon continues. “There are a lot of big owners helping the industry but I think trainers and jockeys also need to give of their money and their time to make sure the youngest can get the help. “I'm giving everything I can because, for me, that's what I was dreaming of when I was a young kid. I would love to be seven or eight again, but now I am living it through them. I can see it in their eyes when I see them finish a canter and they have stars in their eyes and want to cry with joy. It's something that you can't have anywhere else.” Christophe Soumillon and Dominique Boeuf at work in Deauville | Emma Berry Certainly the children being tutored in Deauville this summer represent a wide range of riding abilities. Some are the offspring of trainers and jockeys, others arrive with no connection to racing. There are also five places on each course of around 20 which are paid for by Godolphin, to ensure that children whose families cannot afford the fee of around €1,000 are still given the chance to learn. This bright morning, most appear to be loving every bit of the gallops session, a mixture of determination and excitement writ large on their faces. One small boy falls off the tiniest of ponies on several occasions, each time picking himself up and remounting. Gotta keep getting back on the horse. One girl, however, is in tears, and a change of mount is proffered to ease her fears. “I explain to them every day that we all get stressed, we get scared, so we need to try to control that,” Soumillon says. “What I want first is to make them discover what we are doing with a different type of pony that they are used to riding in other pony clubs. For me, the most important thing is to have the confidence and the trust so they can listen to me and go on the track because, like you can see this morning, there were two or three newcomers that have never ridden racing ponies before. They can be sometimes a bit shy, a bit scared, some of them can even cry, but we need to explain to them that everything is going to be alright if they just follow the right instruction.” Soumillon points out ex-racehorse Didymos among the string. The four-year-old was gifted to SIPA by the Niarchos family after a less-than-glittering racing career. “He's a grandson of Divine Proportions, but he doesn't know it,” he says with a grin. Whether on a Thoroughbred or switching to the recalcitrant pony that upset the young rider, Soumillon looks much younger than his 44 years. This new lease of life appears to have brought calm to the once-flamboyant, sometimes wayward, character he was in the early days of his riding career. “I'm training differently now,” he says. “I'm riding two, three, four strings sometimes in the morning. I stay on the ponies three, four hours every day before I arrive to the racecourse. “I think I'm more of a horseman than I was because I don't care who's the dad, who's the mum from [the rider of] each pony. For me, it's one horse or one pony and I need to find the way to try to make the best pony possible. And now when I'm arriving at the races I'm trying to do the same thing. I don't care if it's a big owner, small owner, big trainer. I don't look at the origins. “I think my eye is more sharp now because I can see things that I didn't look at before. And now when I'm riding I'm really happy, I'm fit.” This pathway for the young riders is also a welcome new direction for him, then? “I never thought I would be a good teacher but, yeah, today it looks like that's something that suits me and that makes me happy every day, and proud,” he agrees. “So I will keep continuing as far as we can and make sure we get the best ponies and the best riders coming around. And sometimes we know some kids are not going to [be a] match for racing, but if they had a great time, that's most important.” The post Soumillon Combining G1 Wins With First-Class Tuition At SIPA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The seven-furlong Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar offers a Win and You're In berth to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.View the full article

Klaravich Stables' Weigh the Risks goes for her first black-type victory when she ships northward for the CA$150,000 Seaway Stakes (G3) at Woodbine. View the full article

FOX broadcast network will provide television coverage of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup from Saratoga Race Course Sunday, August 31, NYRA announced Thursday. Additionally, a special edition of Saratoga Live presented by Caesars Sportsbook will air on FOX from 1-2 p.m. To allow for national broadcast viewership, Jockey Club Gold Cup Day will feature a first post time of 11:20 a.m. The Jockey Club Gold Cup, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Del Mar, has attracted an all-star list of nominations, including last year's Breeders' Cup Classic-winner Sierra Leone (Gun Runner); GI Stephen Foster-winner Mindframe (Constitution); and multiple Grade I-winner White Abarrio (Race Day). “This is another example of FOX Sports' commitment to showcasing the best events in horse racing on their biggest platform,” said Tony Allevato, NYRA Chief Revenue Officer. “The Jockey Club Gold Cup could be one of the great races of the year, and we appreciate FOX Sports featuring the race before a national audience.” The post FOX To Broadcast Saratoga’s Jockey Club Gold Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features the son of a dual Classic-placed mare. 2.35 Newmarket, Novice, 2yo, c/g, 7fT MONOCEROS (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is the seventh foal out of the Oaks and Irish Oaks runner-up Shirocco Star, who produced this colt's classy G2 Challenge Stakes-winning full-brother Al Suhail, the Dante winner Telecaster (New Approach), the G1 Prix de Royallieu third Mistral Star (Frankel) and this year's Jersey runner-up Spy Chief (Kingman). A 750,000gns purchase at Tattersalls October Book 1, Godolphin's newcomer gets the Billy Loughnane treatment as he teams up with the Charlie Appleby stable again in the absence of William Buick on duty at York. The post Monoceros, Son Of Shirocco Star, Debuts At Newmarket appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Having won the Oaks and Irish Oaks, Minnie Hauk (Frankel) completed the heralded treble on Thursday in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks with the minimum of fuss. Held up behind as Wayne Lordan set the tempo on the Ribblesdale winner Garden Of Eden (Saxon Warrior), the 8-15 favourite moved up to take control two out and draw away from her main rival Estrange (Night Of Thunder) for a resounding 3 1/2-length success. “She's very straightforward and professional and does everything very smooth,” Ryan Moore said of the winner, who also won the Listed Cheshire Oaks in May and was rounding off a rare set of races with that title. “She put the race to bed when I asked her and the last furlong was easy. She does what you ask her to do and with the higher tempo and nice track and ground today she was able to show more, but she's always been very good.” Aidan O'Brien, who was registering a record-equalling ninth Yorkshire Oaks success, has the Arc in mind for the winner who he believes was compromised by the way the race panned out. “Wayne set lovely fractions [on Garden Of Eden], but Ryan couldn't follow as close as he would have liked as the other filly [Qilin Queen] got between them and we feel there is probably more to come still when the pace is strong and even,” he explained. “She's made like a miler, not like a typical middle-distance filly but gets this trip well and is a very good mover so we always thought that fast ground would suit her,” the master of Ballydoyle added. “She could go to an Arc or a Breeders' Cup Turf–all those things are open and we know ease in the ground doesn't matter. When these fillies are improving at this time of year you never know what will happen.” Estrange's rider Danny Tudhope said, “It went as we thought, she travelled lovely and settled well and I thought I had half a chance when I loomed to Ryan, but Minnie Hauk just went away from me quite easily and probably outstayed me. This ground was fine for her, maybe she could come back in trip again.” FOUR times an Oaks Winner Yorkshire Oaks Irish Oaks English Oaks Cheshire Oaks Next stop Longchamp for ? @coolmorestud | @yorkracecourse | #EborFestival pic.twitter.com/10M0vNliYk — Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 21, 2025 The post ‘It Was Very Smooth’: No Worries For Moore As Minnie Hauk Completes Oaks Treble appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Clive Cox's love affair with York's Harry's Half Million By Goffs showed no signs of abating after Middleham Park Racing's Song Of The Clyde (Sergei Prokofiev) delivered a third straight edition of the valuable contest for the trainer. “Harry Beeby was a good friend of mine, it's such a good incentive and even better to win it three times running,” said Cox. “He had a bit of size and scope as a yearling and we've always liked him. He's got a wonderful mind and it was really pleasing when he won at Chester. He ran well with a penalty at Newbury and the drier ground helped him here. He's not just about the sales races, we'll see how he comes back and he'll have a bright future from here.” Racing in a prominent third after a swift getaway, the 15-2 chance seized control approaching the final furlong and was driven out in the closing stages to prevail by 3/4-of-a-length from 66-1 outsider Boston Dan (Ardad). It's Clive Cox AGAIN! Song Of The Clyde hits the jackpot in the Harry's Half Million That's the third year in a row this big pot has gone the way of a Clive Cox-trained runner. @Goffs1866 | @Rossaryan15 | @MprUpdates pic.twitter.com/oMKYyuxd7q — Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 21, 2025 The post Song Of The Clyde Delivers Third Straight Harry’s Half Million For Clive Cox appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fair Hill Training Center today announced that Tropical Racing has joined its roster of barn owners. With the acquisition of the newly constructed Parlo II barn, Tropical secures access to an innovative Thoroughbred training center in the U.S.View the full article

Palace Pier has got off to a highly encouraging start at stud and his daughter Royal Fixation took it to the next level on Thursday when winning York's G2 Lowther Stakes. Runner-up in the G2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket's July Festival, Opulence Thoroughbreds' 5-2 joint-favourite had to come from off the pace under William Buick to get the other joint market-leader America Queen (Havana Grey) but was in command from the furlong pole en route to a length success. “She's very straightforward and did well in the circumstances at Newmarket, where we thought she could have won had we ridden her closer,” Buick said of the Ed Walker-trained winner. “My filly always had more to give and was green in front, if anything. I think she's a good filly and is probably improving all the time.” A right ROYAL result Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes runner-up makes amends in Group 2 @SkyBet Lowther Stakes.@edwalkerracing | @WilliamBuickX pic.twitter.com/mSu5MB9ViJ — Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 21, 2025 The post Royal Fixation Wins The Lowther For Palace Pier appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Lady Iman and Spicy Marg bid to become rare two-year-old winners of the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes (1,000m) at York on Friday but will face competition from all angles in a 17-runner barn burner. The Nunthorpe has always been a historically competitive contest and this year’s running is no different, with no stand-out favourite and a host of runners from different age groups. The last two-year-old to win the Nunthorpe was Kingsgate Native in 2007, but trainer Ger Lyons clearly has confidence...View the full article

What Winx Stakes Day 2025 Where Royal Randwick Racecourse – Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031 When Saturday, August 23, 2025 First Race 11:40am AEST Visit Dabble The Sydney Spring Carnival gets underway at Randwick this Saturday, with the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) headlining a bumper 10-part program. The $1 million feature has attracted a stacked field of 12 and is supported by a stellar undercard, including the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) alongside a trio of Group 3 features. With showers forecast across Sydney leading into the weekend, the track is expected to be in the Heavy range, while the rail is in the true position for the entire circuit. Winx Stakes Day 2025 is scheduled to get underway at 11:40am local time. Winx Stakes Tip: Aeliana The Chris Waller-trained Aeliana stamped herself as a horse to follow with her breathtaking display in the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) on April 5. She had proved to be a genuine miler prior to that performance, producing victories in the Group 3 Reginald Allen Quality (1400m) and Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) as a three-year-old. She appears to be returning in superb order on the back of two eye-catching barrier trials, and with Jason Collett set to get the run of the race from stall two, Aeliana should get every chance to claim the 2025 Winx Stakes. Winx Stakes Race 8 – #12 Aeliana (2) 4yo Mare | T: Chris Waller | J: Jason Collett (56.5kg) Silver Shadow Stakes Tip: Within The Law Within The Law returns after a 126-day spell and a gruelling two-year-old campaign. The Lucky Vega filly was a model of consistency throughout the preparation, hitting the frame in six of her seven starts, with her lone failure coming when jumping the rail in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m). She lacks race-day fitness and comes in this on the back of one barrier trial; however, with an element of class compared to some key rivals, Within The Law should prove hard to hold out in the 2025 Silver Shadow Stakes. Silver Shadow Stakes Race 6 – #1 Within The Law (2) 3yo Filly | T: Bjorn Baker | J: Jason Collett (57kg) Toy Show Quality Tip: Manaal While the undefeated Autumn Glow is all the rage with horse racing bookmakers, the Michael Freedman-trained Manaal shouldn’t be underestimated heading into the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1200m). The now four-year-old simply couldn’t draw a marble last preparation, securing a double-digit gate in all three starts when being well held by potential superstar Lady Shenandoah. She was cruising in her latest barrier trial, and with the yielding ground giving a massive boost to her chances, Manaal looks a good price to upset the hotpot favourite. Toy Show Quality Race 7 – #3 Manaal (3) 4yo Mare | T: Michael Freedman | J: Jason Collett (56kg) Show County Quality Tip: Yellow Brick Yellow Brick brings residual fitness into the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m) after a terrific runner-up effort in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) on June 14. The Tony & Maddysen Sears-trained gelding also brings an outstanding record over 1200m, with the six-year-old producing three wins and four minor placings across seven starts. The heavy conditions should be no issue for Yellow Brick, and although he will be tested with 60kg on his back, expect Andrew Mallyon to press forward and allow this guy to show his rivals a clean pair of heels turning for home. Show County Quality Race 9 – #1 Yellow Brick (4) 6yo Gelding | T: Tony & Maddysen Sears | J: Andrew Mallyon (60kg) Best Bet at Randwick: Juja Kibo Juja Kibo goes in search of a hat-trick and looks perfectly placed in this BM78 contest. The son of Belardo relished the Heavy 8 conditions in his latest victory at Rosehill on August 2, extending impressively when urged to take a gap by apprentice hoop Braith Nock. Stepping out to the 2400m for the first time appears ideal, and although the pair will need to drop back to find cover from stall 10, watch for Juja Kibo to be putting in the big strides late. Best Bet Race 3 – #1 Juja Kibo (10) 4yo Gelding | T: Ciaron Maher | J: Braith Nock (a2kg) (59.5kg) Saturday quaddie tips for Randwick Randwick quadrella selections Saturday, August 23, 2025 2-3-4 2-3-9-12 1-4-5-10-11 2-5-7-12-13-15 Horse racing tips View the full article

Ombudsman emphatically turned the tables on Delacroix to win a fascinating Group One International Stakes (2,051m) at York on day one of their Ebor Festival. The John and Thady Gosden-trained star was pipped by Delacroix in a tactical Group One Eclipse Stakes (2,000m) at Sandown last month, but the form was reversed in no uncertain terms. Godolphin ensured the race would be run at a true gallop by introducing Birr Castle as a pacemaker, with Rab Havlin sending him on by over 20 lengths and...View the full article

There is just one week to go before nominations close for the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup and the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. Nominations opened on August 11 and already there has been significant interest from both sides of the Tasman. Though numbers are expected to increase markedly before the deadline so far there are 20 nominations for the Cup and 19 for the Dominion. This year no nominations will be accepted until payment has been made. Nominations close at 3pm (NZT) Thursday, August 28. Swayzee, as defending champion, Auckland Cup winner Republican Party and Inter-Dominion winner Leap To Fame all have guaranteed spots in the Cup, if nominated while in the Dominion there is Rowe Cup winner Bet N Win and Inter-Dominion winner Arcee Phoenix. There will be four automatic qualifying races leading into the 2025 New Zealand Cup starting with the Maurice Holmes Vase at Addington tomorrow night (Friday). The other races are the New Brighton Cup (September 5), the Canterbury Classic (October 17), all at Addington, and for the first time the Holmes DG at Alexandra Park (October 3). All winners of these races will make the Cup field, if nominated. The Dominion has three automatic qualifying races – the Ordeal Trotting Cup (September 5), the Worthy Queen (October 10) and the Canterbury Park Trotting Cup (October 17), all at Addington Raceway. The winners of these races will qualify for the Dominion, as long as they are nominated. The initial rankings for both the Cup and the Dominion will be made available on Thursday, September 4. For a Nomination form for the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup click here For information on the Nomination criteria for the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup click here For information on the Ranking system for the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup click here For a Nomination form for the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot click here For information on the Nomination criteria for the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot click here For information on the ranking system for the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot click here For all enquiries please contact Cameron Kirkwood on 03 9641183 or bureau@hrnz.co.nz View the full article

The first foal by Cambridge Stud stallion Chaldean has hit the ground with a filly foal out of the winning Burgundy mare Top Note born at Pencarrow Stud. The bay filly was bred by Lachlan Fitt and Cameron Rodger and stems from the family of Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks winner Belle En Rouge. “She’s out of a maiden mare but has a lot of quality about her,” stud manager Leon Casey said. “She’s got good leg under her and good rein and has a fair bit of class about her.” The only Group One winning two-year-old by Frankel at stud in the Southern Hemisphere, Chaldean won three stakes races as a juvenile, including the Gr.1 Dewhurst Stakes (1400m) before claiming the Gr.1 2000 Guineas (1600m) at three. Standing his second season at $35,000+GST, the royally-bred son of Frankel shuttles from Juddmonte Farms Banstead Manor Stud in the UK and will cover a limited book of 120 mares. View the full article

Synthetic specialist Gemma Flitz (NZ) (Telperion) continued her purple patch of form on Riccarton’s polytrack on Thursday when taking out the Stable Books and Ardex Supporting NZ Trainers Open (1200m). It caps an outstanding preparation for the daughter of Telperion, who has won three and placed in three of her six starts this year, highlighted by her last-start victory in the $100,000 Polytrack Championship (1200m). Gemma Flitz was sent out a $1.80 favourite to repeat that result on Thursday, but she didn’t have things all her own way. While perfectly positioned in the one-one by apprentice jockey Amber Riddell, pacemaker Delphillius opened up several margins on the pack, and Riddell had to begin her chase from the 400m. Gemma Flitz continued to eat into Delphillius’s lead, finally heading her in the final 100m, and she was able to hold out the fast-finishing Dimaggio to win by a neck. “She’s a tough wee button,” trainer Ross Beckett said. “I think she is going to get over a bit more ground. She is starting to settle and I don’t think 1400m or a mile will worry her next prep.” Beckett has been rapt with his seven-year-old’s preparation, and said her connections are enjoying a great ride with the now six-win mare. “She has done a great job and I have been very lucky with the owners, they have let me take my time with her since I have had her,” he said. “We have just brought her through quietly and now they are reaping the rewards.” Gemma Flitz has recorded all but one of her career victories on the synthetic track, and Beckett said it is a godsend for some horses over winter. “She wouldn’t be in work if it wasn’t for the polytrack,” he said. “She likes the tracks nice and firm, and that just shows that the poly has got its place.” Gemma Flitz will now have a freshen-up but will stay at Beckett’s Yaldhurst property in preparation for some late spring targets. “She will stay at the stables and go out in a grass paddock during the day and come in each night,” he said. “It is just too cold to turn them out after being in through the winter. “She will do that over the next two or three weeks and then we will try and find a nice race for her over Cup Week.” Stakes targets are now in the offing for Gemma Flitz, but Beckett has yet to identify any targets. “We are going to have to start looking at some (stakes races),” Beckett said. “It would be good if we can get a bit of black print around her and put a bit of value on her for the owners. “We will just wait and see. There are plenty of them (stakes races) around, we will just bring her through and take one step at a time.” View the full article

Joshua Brown’s (NZ) (Dalghar) victory in last month’s Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) was more than 30 years in the making for the Gussey family, and on Saturday he will be seeking to add to his burgeoning record in the Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa. The Dalghar six-year-old was bred by Ronald Gussey, who trained for more than three decades, and while he recorded eight victories on the track, a stakes win remained elusive. It would be as a breeder that he would realise that dream, but he wouldn’t be there to see it, with the Cambridge horseman passing away a couple of years ago. His son, Lance Gussey, picked up the mantle and took out his trainer’s license to carry on his father’s legacy. He has struck gold with Joshua Brown, who has taken him on a sentimental journey, winning four of his 14 starts, including his first tilt at stakes level in the Opunake Cup. “I am living his dream,” said Lance Gussey, referring to his father’s love of racing. “People go their whole lives and not get that far (stakes win), I know my Dad did.” Gussey said Joshua Brown bounced through his Opunake Cup victory, and he has been itching to get back to the races. “He came out of that like he hadn’t even really had a run,” Gussey said. “It has been a little hard to keep him quiet in the last month, but he is going well and he is eating up like he needs to.” It will be five weeks between runs, a little longer than Gussey usually prefers, but he said his charge is ready to put in a good showing this weekend. “I usually space them (races) about three weeks, so this is a bit longer than normal,” he said. “When we did it for the Opunake, he only had two, which worked really well, but it’s all a guessing game.” Joshua Brown has drawn barrier nine for Saturday and will be partnered once again by Lynsey Satherley. “I am very happy about that (draw),” Gussey said. “We are just praying for a little bit more rain, but apart from that I am looking forward to it.” Following Saturday, Joshua Brown is set to return to Te Rapa next month to have his first tilt at elite-level in the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m), a distance Gussey believes will be more to his liking. “I think he is preferred at the mile,” Gussey said. “I think the 1200m is a little bit short for him, so we thought we would put him in this one and see how he goes.” View the full article

Maiden winner Ferocious Frankie (NZ) (Darci Brahma) steps out for the first time as a three-year-old for trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young when the well-related filly contests the Drummond Golf Plate (1200m) at The Valley on Saturday. A winner at Cranbourne on debut in May, Ferocious Frankie is a $6.50 chance in a small field of six. “She’s a full sister to Sierra Sue who won a couple of Group Ones for us. She is very similar to her sister.,” Busuttin said. “She has got ability, no question, but whether she is strong enough to be a spring filly, I’m not too sure. “She has got the frame but hasn’t quite filled it out. She trialed up well at Cranbourne. We have just given her the one trial and head into Saturday which will tell us where we are at with her. “I would say she will hold the fence and the lead unless something whips around her and we end up in the box seat. She has got good gate speed, and we will leave it up to Johnny (Allen,) but I imagine she will be closer to the front than the back in a very small field.” Busuttin and Young went to $170,000 to purchase the filly as a yearling at Karaka 2024, where she was presented by Ardsley Stud. View the full article

Trainer Chris Waller will have a strong hand in the Gr.1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday with five runners headed by stable star Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock). But four-year-old stablemate Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) is the horse Waller believes could be her heir apparent. The established star and rising young talent clash for the first time in the Randwick feature, with Via Sistina a $2.30 favourite for back-to-back titles and New Zealand bred Aeliana ($7.50) facing her maiden test in open company. “She is the unknown,” Waller said of Aeliana. “I think she will measure up being a multiple Group One winner. She has won a Derby, been placed behind the best horses in her three-year-old year when she hasn’t won. “It is pretty exciting with her. She is probably next year’s Queen if she keeps making the rapid rise like she has done.” Waller said the challenge for Aeliana would be not only taking the step from three-year-old company to open grade but keeping the speed in her legs. The mare was stretched to 2400m to thrash her male rivals in the Gr.1 Australian Derby in the autumn, although she did place first-up behind Broadsiding in the Gr.2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) last preparation. Aeliana is also untested on a heavy track and Randwick is expected to be in the extreme range for the opening Group One meeting of the season. The conditions also present a query for Via Sistina, who was a well beaten fifth at her only start on heavy ground in last year’s Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m), her lone unplaced effort in 11 Australian runs. However, Waller warned that performance could be deceiving and said Via Sistina’s wet track form overseas indicated she would handle a genuinely heavy surface. “It’s hard to compare tracks but the one thing I don’t think she likes is a shifty track and that’s what she got in the Makybe Diva last year,” he said. “It rained an hour before the race, it actually hailed, and it was a firm base and it was quite shifty. She didn’t like it. “But when she is getting into the ground, which is where her English form comes in, I think she is pretty good.” Lindermann (Lonhro), Fangirl (Sebring) and former American mare Full Count Felicia (War Front) round out Waller’s Winx Stakes quintet and all are expected to line up despite the anticipated Heavy 10 conditions. Aeliana was bred by Nearco Stud and Rich Hill Thoroughbreds and is by Arrowfield Stud stallion Castelvecchio out of the Star Witness mare Temolie. Desnie Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds bought Aeliana for $180,000 from Rich Hill Stud’s Book 1 yearling draft at Karaka 2023. Aeliana is the first foal to race out of Temolie, who was herself a placegetter on the racetrack and is a half-sister to Star Thoroughbreds’ Group One winner Invincibella as well as the Group Three winner Secret Blaze and Listed winner Extreme Flight. Rich Hill Stud bought Temolie for A$200,000 from the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast, when she was carrying Aeliana. Temolie has been served by Rich Hill’s outstanding resident sire Proisir every spring since then, producing filly foals in 2022 and 2023. The first of those Proisir fillies was bought by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and TFI for $250,000 at Karaka 2024, while Aeliana’s owners Star Thoroughbreds paid $300,000 to buy the filly offered by Rich Hill during Book 1 of Karaka 2025 in January. View the full article

Twain (NZ) (Per Incanto) will be out to replicate the deeds of his dam when he heads to Te Rapa on Saturday to contest the Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa. His dam, Fleur de Lune, was runner-up in the race in 2011 for trainer Lee Somervell before going one better a year later, and trainer John Bell believes Twain can match that feat. The five-year-old son of Per Incanto hasn’t put a foot wrong so far in his career, winning six and placing in three of his 10 starts to date. After posting two wins at the start of this preparation, Twain was runner-up over 1200m behind Midnight Scandal at Te Rapa earlier this month, and Bell said his gelding has felt the effects of the tough run. “After his last start he was a little bit tired,” Bell said. “He had to go early, which was unfortunate. He was challenged on the outside and he is a very aggressive horse. Vinnie (Colgan, jockey) had to pick him up and carry him over that last stride. “He felt it, but he has kicked back nicely.” Colgan will once again be in the saddle on Saturday, where they will jump from barrier 11. “He gets out of the gates and he will just sit there with a bit of cover, in the first three, four or five,” Bell said. “He (Vinnie) rode him between races in a track gallop the week before and he was very happy with that, and he was upset that he had to go a bit early in the race at Te Rapa. “He is a big race rider, he knows the horse now. The instructions will be – ‘go and do it’.” Bell will head to Te Rapa with three other chances on Saturday, with Muscovado contesting the Ocean Park 2400, Manawa the Chittick Family Wishing Butcha All The Best 1500, and Cleese the Savabeel 2100. “Muscovado was finishing over the top over 1800m at Taupo the other day, so we have done very little with him,” Bell said. “We have got him in a 2400m and Jack (Taplin, apprentice jockey) said you will have pry me off the saddle with a crowbar. We are very happy with him. “Cleese went a little bit wide at Te Rapa and finished fourth (last start), which was encouraging for an old boy. “Manawa was right off the track and very wide the whole way (last start) and hit the front coming into the straight and then petered out. He was fit, but not match fit. “I think the whole four will bring the heart rate up a little.” View the full article

Emotions will run high if war horse Mali Ston (NZ) (El Roca) can go one better in Saturday’s Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa. The eight-year-old will again resume in the Waikato Stud-sponsored feature and trainers Darryn and Briar Weatherley have been delighted with his progress. Bred and raced by Markwood Lodge, Mali Ston has been given a thorough grounding for his return after finishing a first-up second behind Bonny Lass 12 months ago. “He didn’t get all favours, he was completely off the bridle at the 600 and Sam (Weatherley, jockey) said when he got him out into the clear he changed gear and almost won it,” Darryn Weatherley said. “I’m really happy with him and he’s had a couple of quiet trials and has trained on well. “He’s bright and well and he’ll run a nice race fresh. If they get any rain on the day, I’m sure he’ll be very dangerous.” Mali Ston has overcome adversity to continue his career after the son of El Roca suffered a serious injury in 2022. “If there’s any horse that deserves something it’s Mali Ston, he’s been through the wars after he broke his pedal bone and had 18 months off, and we were going to retire if not have to put him down,” Weatherley said. “He’s come back and hasn’t won a race since, but he’s run third in a Thorndon Mile (Gr.1, 1600m) and Group Two seconds. “The connections are just the greatest owners, and we’d love to see him win a nice race.” The stable is also looking forward to the debut performance of well-bred filly Rumours in the Banquo 3YO (1200m). “She’s a sister to Maria Farina and a half-sister to Pier and we think quite a bit of her,” Weatherley said. “She’s trialled well, her work has been really good, and she’s drawn barrier one with Matt Cameron in the saddle, so she’s got a few favours.” Multiple stakes winner Maria Farina has been retired and will visit Windsor Park Stud’s Paddington this spring while Group One winner Pier is making good progress toward his spring campaign. He remained in Queensland to spell following his win in the Listed Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm in June. “He’s in work with Barry Lockwood and I’m going over on Monday, he’ll float to Sydney in the middle of next week and trial on September 4 at Warwick Farm,” Weatherley said. “He’ll have his first run at Rosehill in the Theo Marks (Gr.2, 1300m) on September 13 and, all going well, will go through to the Epsom (Gr.1, 1600m) on October 4. Meanwhile, Group-winning stablemate Arby hasn’t raced since he was fourth in the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) but is closing in on a return. “He will trial at Te Awamutu on Tuesday, he’s coming up well and we should have some fun with him in the summer Cups,” Weatherley said. View the full article

They were heading up the driveway of a famous horseman when old Joe Taylor turned to young Tommy Eastham. “Hey,” he said. “This guy can be a little cranky. So if you've any questions, just wait until we get out.” Tommy nodded. “Okay Joe.” They'd only got to the third yearling when suddenly Taylor was bringing him into the conversation. “What d'you think about that one, big fella?” Tommy didn't know what to say: all he could remember was being told to keep his mouth shut. “Well Daddy Joe,” he admitted. “He wouldn't be my favorite.” Taylor came straight back. “You don't know what you're talking about.” Tommy shrugged. “You're probably right,” he said. But then Taylor gestured to their host and said, “He doesn't know what he's talking about.” Tommy was puzzled. Where was he going with this? “And nor do I,” Taylor continued. “So: find the best in the horse. Because you don't know, I don't know, nobody ever knows.” All these years later, like so many of his mentor's lessons, this one sticks in Tommy's memory. It's part of what makes him look forward with undiminished enthusiasm to every new sales cycle. For some, no doubt, the perennial demands of the circuit gradually corrode the passion. Yet Tommy and his wife Wyndee, 22 years after founding their sales agency, maintain a pristine fulfilment in their vocation. As such, it felt apt last year that Legacy Bloodstock should have sent the very first yearling of the crop into the ring, a Maxfield colt sold for $220,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale. This time round they fielded Hip 2, a $120,000 colt from the debut crop of Cyberknife. In each case, the consignors eagerly renewed their role as conduit for the intrigue and enthusiasm that together drive the market. For just like Taylor said, the mystery always abides. “What he said was very, very true,” Tommy says. “I feel like I can sell a wide variety of horses because I know that I don't know; that, in the end, only God knows.” That said, one of his principal responsibilities is to evaluate each horse, to read the shows and the state of trade before recommending a reserve. “Having that bit of market savvy, it's kind of like placing horses for a trainer,” he says. “Expectation management. We try to be realistic. I remember one of the first horses I sold for Dr. David Richardson wasn't one of the best. So I was trying to let him down a little bit gently. And he said, 'Thomas. I'm a doctor. I've delivered a lot of bad news in my life. If you tell me what I need to know, then we've a chance of making a good decision. If you try to protect my feelings, we probably won't.'” “Doc” was always one of his favorites. And that approach, over the years, has just come to feel right for the kind of clients drawn to Legacy. “I don't like tension,” Tommy says. “And I don't like disappointing people. So if we see a commercial penalty coming, we're going to be up front about it. Now, we can all miss those sometimes. But we've sold enough horses that 99 percent of the time we can identify, and early, what we need to concentrate on.” Wyndee and Tommy Eastham | Sue Finley That candor is the direct road to trust–and, for a consignor, trust is indispensable to your dealings either side of the fence. If you want repeat business, people need to depend on your word. “It's like high school,” Tommy agrees. “Every day you go down the hallway, it'll be the same guys. So you better take care of them. As a consignor, it's not the sellers that are hard to find. It's about getting people to come by your barn and trust you enough to buy horses from you. That's the true test of what you're doing.” That can boil down to basic diplomacies: knowing, for instance, which guy will (or won't) remain chilled during the heat of a big sale, with horses being shown left and right, and everyone obliged to wait their turn. And actually that personal connection explains a Legacy trademark commitment: not to stretch numbers, because that might stretch service. “Our business plan has always been to be selective on the people we represent,” Tommy emphasizes. “Because we always want to be the ones selling a horse, not somebody we hired.” That philosophy has found favor with longstanding clients from Spendthrift to such programs as those operated by Bob Austin, for whom they sold Girvin, or Scott Pierce. “One of the things I'm proudest about is that we've maintained relationships for a long time,” Tommy notes. “Some of our clients have been with us 20 years, becoming good friends. Of course, that loyalty they've shown does bring a certain amount of responsibility. But then personality-wise, too, I think certain people just fit with us and like the way we do things. We all have to go through obstacles and challenges, and we like people that can handle things in a classy, strategic way.” It all happens very quickly, after all. Typically, a horse enters their care barely half a week ahead of entering the ring, hardly time to turn a duckling into a cygnet. “But the good thing is that we generally get out on the farms once a month, ahead of the sales, and get to know them a little that way,” Wyndee says. “You're talking to the people who raised them, and they'll tell you their personalities, little bits and pieces that we can take away with us. “But horses can be very different when they get to the sale. So we're fortunate to have a great team of horsemen working with us, a lot of them very experienced. They're calm and patient, not rushing in there grabbing horses. Especially when it gets really stressful, with lots of shows going on, I think that makes a huge difference.” Wyndee Eastham grew up in racing | Sue Finley Wyndee has lifelong experience herself, as daughter of a trainer in Frank Carter. “My dad was a little older by the time I came along, so slowing down a little as I was growing up,” she recalls. “But he would do the Oaklawn circuit and go down to Florida and come back here [to Keeneland]. I loved coming to the track. I'd wake up early and sneak into his truck so that I could hang out the backside, maybe hotwalk a couple. “And it just became a natural progression. I saw the romance and magic in horses at a very young age. They fascinated me from the very beginning. It was almost like God meant me to do it.” “Happy horses sell good,” Tommy declares. “And their body language counts. If you've a horse that you can get in, make comfortable and confident, they're going to show that out on the show ring. And the really good ones, they take care of themselves in the barn–whether you call that intelligence, or just a nervous system handling pressure. But I've sold a lot of really good horses that had significant commercial penalties, too.” Of course, one of the challenges of this business is that labor and other costs are the same for a $1,000 horse as for a $1-million horse. (“And sometimes there's a little more pressure on the cheaper horse!” Wyndee notes.) It was ever thus, but the big change has been the growing timidity produced by vetting. “There's always going to be a sorting method,” Tommy acknowledges. “But I feel the vetting has gotten really, really tough. If I could have a dollar for every time I took a large penalty, because of vetting, on one that turned out to be a really good runner, I'd be a very wealthy man. We probably sold 300 last year, but I don't think there was one that had all its radiographs clean with everybody.” It is obviously a market increasingly oriented to perceived “commercial” sires, too, but the best buyers get past both those barriers. “Kenny [McPeek] is not a sire snob,” Tommy says. “And he can read a vet sheet. He uses vet information as a tool, not as 'pass' or 'fail.' And I've seen Mike Ryan spend a long time on a horse with obvious conformational penalties. And he'll say, 'Tommy, good sale horses come in one size. Good racehorses come in all shapes and sizes.'” 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames | Lauren King In fairness, their latest star graduate ticked all the conventional boxes. 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames (Maclean's Music), sold for $200,000 at Saratoga a couple of years ago, was beaten a neck in the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes and a length in the GI Blue Grass Stakes. “When we saw him on the farm, he just had a presence about him,” Wyndee says. “Very confident in himself, had a really nice walk, just did everything that we asked him to do.” “He went through the whole rigors of Saratoga and I don't think he lost a pound from the day we shipped him to the day we shipped out,” Tommy says. “Just enjoyed the whole thing: enjoyed people, enjoyed the activity, wasn't intimidated by the horses there. Sometimes Saratoga can sort them out, they can get really tight. But he was a man. Those kind, they're just class.” But horses of every stamp, the Easthams insist, are owed the same standards. “Doesn't matter if we're hoping for $3,000 or $3 million, we feel a responsibility to get that horse in the correct position,” Tommy says. “Because you know those horses with value will have a good quality of life, but animals that don't might not. So we always try to get them in the right hands. “Some people see an eyeball. Wyndee and I were always blessed enough to have seen that window into their soul. And when you hit a home run for a family that doesn't just say, 'Oh, that's nice,' but, 'Oh, now we can get the tractor fixed…' That fills your heart. Because you know you made a difference in their life. There's a lot of effort for everybody, lot of sweat and tears. It's truly a labor of love. There's so many ups and downs that it just has to touch your soul before you can do it. But when it does, it's incredible. So the horse has given us a beautiful life.” The post New Sales Season a Labor of Love for Legacy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Five of the six fillies that will line up Aug. 23 for the Lake Placid Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course will be looking to win their first graded stakes race, with May Day Ready the lone 3-year-old to have broken through at that level.View the full article

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By Jordyn Bublitz Emily Johnson is gearing up for a busy night at her home track tonight. She’ll take the reins behind four runners at Cambridge Raceway, with two drives for her employer Sean McCaffrey, and one each for Todd Mitchell and Craig Sharpe. Her first engagement of the night comes in Race 1, the Wednesday Quiz Night At The Clubhouse Handicap Trot, where she partners the promising three-year-old trotter Ya Eejit Ya. The gelding finds himself in a slightly easier field after a solid fifth at Alexandra Park, where he was doing his best work late after being held up in traffic. Back on his home track, where he scored a win two starts ago, Johnson is optimistic. “He’s been working good, there’s nothing to suggest he won’t run a good race but the 2700m trip could be a bit of a question mark for him,” she said. “I thought he was really good last start, he probably blew out a little at the end but overall, he ran well.” Later in the evening, Johnson will drive debutante Blinx in Race 2 – the Pie Night In The Skyline Lounge Aug 28th Mobile Pace. The two-year-old filly by Raging Bull is a first starter from the McCaffrey barn and has the advantage of barrier one on debut. “She’s been doing everything right at home, she’s been working good enough to suggest she has what it takes, but first up we’ll just be looking for a soft run and a bit of education,” Johnson said. In Race 3, the Tardina Stud – Here For The Horse Mobile Pace, Johnson teams up with Auctioneer, trained by Todd Mitchell. Bred to trot but now racing as a pacer, the son of Orlando Vici comes into the race after a luckless run at Alexandra Park. Despite drawing on the second row tonight, Johnson sees potential upside in the position. “It probably suits him to be out of the early burn, so the draw should work in his favour,” she explained. “Last start he looked to run a good last half, he’ll likely need the speed on tonight, he’s got a short sharp sprint.” Rounding out her night, Johnson will guide seasoned campaigner Proviseur in Race 5, the Gobble & Go At The Stables Mobile Pace, for trainer Craig Sharpe. The 10-year-old son of Auckland Reactor ran a bold fifth at Cambridge last week, charging home after settling well back. “He’s been racing super, Craig’s got him in a really good spot. He’s always thereabouts, he does need the race run to suit but recently he’s been hitting the line really well,” she said. “This field does look a little tough for him though.” While all four drives have their merits, Johnson rates Ya Eejit Ya as her best chance of the night. With a return to his home track and a more suitable class, he looks poised for a strong showing. His odds reflect that – he’s currently a $1.80 favourite. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A year ago, trainer Chad Brown thought he had his best chance ever when he ran 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in the $1.25-million GI Travers Stakes. The best he could do as the 8-5 favorite was a third-place finish. Brown accepted the verdict and vowed that he would keep trying to win the Midsummer Derby, a race he grew up with. The 46-year-old Brown grew up in the shadow of Saratoga Race Course, in nearby Mechanicville, so, of course, the Travers is the race for him. When the Travers is run for the 156th time on Saturday, Brown will be represented but the expectations aren't nearly as high as they were a year ago. He will send the lightly raced 'TDN Rising Star' Strategic Focus (Gun Runner) to the starting gate for the 1 1/4-mile race. Owned by Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables Inc., Strategic Focus is the 6-1 third choice on the morning line in the five-horse field. The favorite is the imposing Sovereignty (Into Mischief), who is 2-5. “I am taking a shot,” Brown said in his office at the Oklahoma Training Track. “I am not going in with any expectations like I am going to win the race, but I am going in with a horse that I think is far better than his last race.” That last race was the Curlin, where Strategic Focus finished third as the 3-5 favorite behind stablemate and 'TDN Rising Star' Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie), who is running Saturday in the seven-furlong, $500,000 GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes. At the top of the stretch in the Curlin, it looked like Strategic Focus and jockey Flavien Prat were going to win for fun, but he ended up a half-length behind Chancer McPatrick. “I believe he pulled himself up last time due to inexperience,” said Brown, who will equip Strategic Focus with blinkers for the Travers. “I believe this horse has a lot of ability. I loved him in the Curlin. I'm not saying he is good enough to compete with Sovereignty, but I am saying there is more there.” Strategic Focus, a $500,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, did not race as a 2-year-old. He broke his maiden at Aqueduct in April and then won a first-level allowance at Saratoga on June 6 but was disqualified and placed second. White Abarrio Staying Put to Run in Jockey Club Gold Cup The final decision is in. White Abarrio (Race Day) will stay in Saratoga to run in the $1-million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup on Aug. 31. White Abarrio Tuesday morning at the Spa | Sarah Andrew “We want to stay here and take on the best,” trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said on the soggy Saratoga backstretch Wednesday morning. “And we think he is the best.” White Abarrio, owned by Gary Barber, C Two Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable LLC, was originally being pointed to a trip West, to run in the $1-million GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 30. “When that statement (from co-owner Mark Cornett of C Two Racing) came out, California was the front runner, 100 percent,” Joseph said. “The horse sold us to stay here. The ownership group decided (Tuesday) that he was going to run here.” Joseph said that White Abarrio, who is scheduled to work Thursday morning, is doing very well and that was one of the reasons the decision was made to stay home. The other was that it is easier to run out of his own stall rather to fly cross country. White Abarrio finished fourth in the GI Whitney Stakes on Aug. 2. By staying for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, he will be facing the likes of Whitney winner Sierra Leone and 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution), two of the top-ranked older horses in the country. The Pacific Classic is expected to attract the Bob Baffert-trained 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist), who has won two of three this year, including the GII San Diego Handicap in his last start. Another possible starter is 3-year-old Journalism (Curlin), who won the GI Preakness Stakes and was second in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes. Joseph said he will have to get a new rider for White Abarrio. Irad Ortiz, Jr., who has ridden the 6-year-old gray in his last 10 starts, is committed to ride Mindframe in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. “I have thoughts, but I am going to keep those to myself,” Joseph said. White Abarrio has two wins in four starts this year, the biggest being the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Mar. 29. He has finished fourth in last two starts, the other being the GI Met Mile, also at Saratoga, on June 7. “The horse is giving me the right signs,” Joseph said. “We feel like he is going to run his best (in the Jockey Club Gold Cup). Is his best going to be good enough? You never know. Another horse might run a better best.” The ultimate goal for White Abarrio is the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 2, a race he won at Santa Anita in 2023. Joseph said that sometime after the Jockey Club Gold Cup, he will send White Abarrio back to his home base in Florida and ship to California from there. Brightwork Back Where She Does Her Best Work The first two starts of the year would not instill confidence to anyone who is a fan of the 4-year-old filly Brightwork (Outwork). But those two races weren't at Saratoga. The next one is. Brightwork in one of her recent Saratoga works | Sarah Andrew Brightwork, trained by John Ortiz, loves it at the Spa. She has won all three of her starts at Saratoga, all of them graded stakes, including the GI Spinaway when she was a 2-year-old. Last year, she won the GIII Prioress here. She will try to keep her perfect Saratoga record intact when she runs in the $500,000 GI Ballerina at seven furlongs. “I don't know, but she usually blossoms here,” Ortiz said Wednesday morning at his barn on the Saratoga backstretch. “Whether it's the Saratoga air or the track or the track kitchen sitting next to our barn … she just has really sparked since we got here. It has shown up in all her workouts.” Brightwork has had five works since arriving in Saratoga in mid-July. “We had no plans on running her in the Ballerina,” Ortiz said. “What we were initially trying to do was to train her and get her back to her old self. She has gained a ton of weight, and she is brighter and sharper than she was in Kentucky.” In her first two starts this year, she was fourth in the GIII Winning Colors and eighth in the GII Chicago, both at Churchill Downs. The Winning Colors was her first start since October. “We tried to make the Winning Colors right off the farm,” Ortiz said. “I think sometimes you are chasing a spot more than getting a horse ready for the right race. We were burning up too many calories to catch up to her fitness and it showed. She was just not happy. Now, she is back to herself. She is happy and, honestly, there is nothing better than running a happy horse.” Brightwork, owned by WSS Racing, is 15-1 on the Ballerina morning line. She will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez for the first time. “I think she will be,” Ortiz said when asked if he thought Brightwork would be overlooked, “but she always has been. Look at all her races. She has never really been the favorite when she has won and that's okay. It's not about favoritism or numbers. It's about knowing your horse and when to run her.” The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Brown Taking a Travers Shot with Strategic Focus appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article