Wandering Eyes

Racing witnessed an unforgettable moment as Damien Oliver produced a miracle to win his final race in the saddle. View the full article

Jockey believes the John Size-trained youngster has what it takes to make it three wins from three starts on Sunday when he steps up to 1,200mView the full article

Rider Penalties L Allpress | Hawke’s Bay 13 December; careless riding; suspended 24-28 December inclusive. L Sutherland | Hawke’s Bay 13 December; careless riding; suspended 21-24 December inclusive. R Elliot | Hawke’s Bay 13 December; medical clearance required. W Kennedy | Tauranga 15 December; careless riding; suspended 25-30 December inclusive. J Kamaruddin | Manawatu 16 December; use of whip (2 charges); suspended 27 December – 6 January inclusive and fined $400. C Butler | Manawatu 16 December; use of whip; suspended 25-30 December inclusive. Horse Penalties ANELA | Waikato 16 December; hock injury; veterinary clearance required. STIPULATOR | Manawatu 16 December; very slow to jump; must complete trial. HENLEY | Southland 16 December; lame; veterinary clearance required. The post 11-17 December 2023 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

A commanding victory in Saturday’s Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa completed a rare fillies and mares’ feature double for Campionessa (NZ) (Contributer). The Te Akau Racing mare became only the fourth horse to win the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) and the Cal Isuzu in the same season, joining Just Apollo (1995), Calveen (2004) and Ruud Van Slaats (2008). Campionessa was bought by David Ellis in Australia as a yearling in 2019, and her 26-start career has now produced nine wins, eight placings and more than $677,000 in stakes for the Te Akau Campionessa Syndicate. “She’s come back from a short freshen-up in fantastic form,” said Sam Bergerson, who trains the six-year-old in partnership with Mark Walker. “She’s back in the groove. “She was aided by a fantastic ride from Opie (Bosson), who got her into a lovely spot. She relaxed beautifully, was presented at the right time and was strong to the line.” Campionessa was runner-up in two Group One races last season, chasing home Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ) (Redwood) in the Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) in the New Zealand Stakes (2050m). Now the Contributer mare’s connections are keen to try to go one better, with the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2050m) on Boxing Day firmly in their sights. “It’s all systems go for the Zabeel Classic now,” Bergerson said. “As long as she comes through today well, we’ll press on for that. Going up to 2000m will be ideal for her and she finished so strongly today, so all being well, she should be bang on.” Saturday’s Cal Isuzu was viewed as a two-horse race, with Campionessa facing off against the well-credentialled Pencarrow Stud homebred Pearl Of Alsace (NZ) (Tavistock). But from the moment the gates opened, it was all Campionessa. Wearing blinkers for the first time, Pearl Of Alsace was slow to leave the starting gates and settled near the tail of the field behind a pedestrian tempo. Her task was an uphill one from the outset, and it was close to insurmountable by the time she reached the home straight. In contrast, Campionessa landed in third behind Pride Of Aspen (Pride of Dubai) and Madame Le Fay (Smart Missile). Bosson settled the six-year-old into a smooth rhythm, and she cruised up to the turn breathing down the necks of the first pair and poised to pounce. Bosson released the brakes soon after straightening, and the race was all over within a few powerful bounds. Campionessa exploded away with a quality turn of foot, and by the time she reached the finish line, she was still two lengths clear of the strong-finishing Zaila (Street Boss) and Polygon (NZ) (Highly Recommended). “We got into a good spot and she travelled beautifully throughout the race,” Bosson said. “Mark and Sam have done a great job with this mare. She lost her mojo there for a little bit, but that win in the Auckland Breeders’ Stakes the other day gave her a lot of confidence. “Even in her trackwork, she’s been stepping up and really wanting to do it. Today she came out and showed how good she is. “This was a perfect trial for the Zabeel Classic. She’s on the way up, full of confidence and you can’t knock her on that win today.” Campionessa is now rated a $3 chance in the TAB’s fixed-odds market for the Zabeel Classic at Pukekohe, sharing favouritism with Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls). Aquacade (NZ) (Dundeel) is the third favourite at $6, followed by One Bold Cat (NZ) (The Bold One) ($8) and Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride of Dubai) ($10). View the full article

Six-year-old gelding Piaggio (NZ) (Vespa) landed a breakthrough metropolitan victory for trainer Greg Eurell when successful at Caulfield on Saturday in the Millennium Services Group Handicap (1600m). Ridden by Celine Gaudray, Piaggio sat outside eventual runner-up Montather (Dubawi) for the majority of the contest, before pulling away from his rivals inside the final furlong to score by half a length. A son of Vespa, Piaggio commenced his career with trainers Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard in New Zealand, where he placed in the Gr.3 Taranaki Classic (1200m) as a two-year-old before being sold to Hong Kong. After five unsuccessful performances in Hong Kong where he raced as Good Health, Piaggio was sent to Eurell, where he has returned to form, winning three of his nine starts for the Cranbourne conditioner, with a further three placings. “It was a bonus what he did (when finishing second) first-up this time in over 1400m. He was up for the fight and probably indicated from that run that he was heading in the right direction to have a good prep,” Eurell said. “There is not a lot of him. He is only a little horse, but he has got a big heart. “I think a mile is probably the optimum trip at this stage but a bit deeper into the prep he might get over a little bit further but we will sit around the 1600m for now. “It’s his second preparation with us and the horse is absolutely enjoying life and we are happy to keep racing him. Being in Hong Kong didn’t really suit him and he is happy to be here.” Piaggio is out of the two-win Scaredee Cat mare Sand’ior (NZ) and was bred by South Canterbury breeders Sue and Stuart McGiffert, who sold the now gelding as a yearling for $8,000 at the 2019 Karaka Book 3 Sale. View the full article

Move To Strike (I Am Invincible) provided jockey Opie Bosson with a memorable result on Saturday when winning at Te Rapa. The Te Akau Racing-trained two-year-old provided Bosson with his 2000th domestic win and in doing so became the eighth to achieve the feat and joined, in order of most wins, Chris Johnson, David Walsh, Lance O’Sullivan, Noel Harris, Bill Skelton, Michael Coleman, and David Peake. Beautifully drawn in barrier one, Move To Strike was positioned fifth by Bosson before angling clear in the straight and produced a huge finish to win as he liked by four and three-quarter lengths. “I knew he was the horse I could get it on today and to do it in these colours for David (Ellis) and the whole Te Akau team is an extra bonus,” said Bosson, who earlier this year was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame and became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the King’s Birthday Honours List. “To hit any milestone in a career is good and to join an elite club of 2000 wins in New Zealand, so I’m quite honoured.” Bosson won his first race in 1995, first Group One aboard Jezabeel (NZ) (Zabeel) on 1 January 1998 in the Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie, who subsequently won the 1998 Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m). Top jockey Opie Bosson with his family. Photo: Trish Dunell The six-time Champion Jockey rode his 1000th winner in 2010, surpassed Hall of Fame legend Lance O’Sullivan (62 Group One wins) in 2019, now has 94 Group One wins to his credit, and won three premierships. “I’ve won Caulfield Cups, Derbies, but Imperatriz, what she’s done lately is up there with my highest achievements,” Bosson added. “It seems everything has happened at the same time, and to be honoured for my achievements in the saddle is really quite humbling.” Co-trainer Mark Walker was thrilled to be a part of Bosson’s 2000th domestic win and recalled the jockey’s early days in the saddle. “This will give Opie a good thrill and he’s just had such an amazing career, for someone that’s struggled with his weight,” said co-trainer Mark Walker. “I remember he won his first race when he was 16 years old and he had a postage stamp for a saddle, and full credit to him still to be in the saddle after all these years. And of late, Emily (Bosson) has to take a lot of credit as well. “It was good to do it on such an exciting horse, as well. Opie has thought a lot of this horse for quite some time. Walker suggested Move To Strike may next contest the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) on 1 January at Pukekohe, while also on the radar is the A$2m Gr.1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) on Saturday 24 February at Caulfield, Melbourne. View the full article

Promising mare Zecora (NZ) (Power) made a welcome return to the winner’s enclosure at Te Rapa when she stormed home out wide to secure a thrilling victory in the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m). The six-year-old mare looked to have any amount of ability when winning three of her first nine starts before a fractured cannon bone intervened and saw her spend over a year away from the track for trainers, breeders and part-owners Russell and Robyn Rogers. A quiet run for second in a 1000m trial at Taupo last month preceded her return to racing at Te Rapa earlier in the month, where she battled on nicely to finish midfield over 1100m. That fitted her nicely for her stakes mission and she didn’t disappoint in the hands of Lynsey Satherley who was content to sit back off a hot speed in the early stages of the contest. Satherley began to wind her up at the 600m and she produced an irresistible late burst to snatch victory from runner-up Tevere (NZ) (Contributer) by a nose at the line with race favourite Romancing The Moon (NZ) (El Roca) fighting strongly for third just a neck from the first two. Robyn Rogers sported a smile a mile wide as she spoke about the winning effort as well as the injury that kept the mare away from racing. “I thought she ran second and we were stoked with that as it was a huge run, so when they said she had won it was just so exciting,” Rogers said. “She is a beautifully bred mare and her form was outstanding but she had her last bit of work at this time last year when we were preparing for a stakes race on Boxing Day and she pulled up sore. “We had her x-rayed and she had fractured a canon bone, so that was the end of that and we thought it might be the end of her career. “She had three rods and plates put in it, but she was an awesome patient and coped with the rehab. “This was very much a roll of the dice as we were thinking if we could get some black-type it would be huge for her and with the race being just down the road we gave it a crack and it is just amazing.” Rogers wasn’t sure where the mare would go next as they had been concentrating exclusively on her immediate mission. “She is just so tough and Lynsey is a huge part of it as she rides her in all her trackwork,” she said. “She is not the easiest but she gives 120 percent. “I don’t know where she will go next and we hadn’t even looked anywhere else so we will have to go home and have a rethink.” Bred by the Rogers under their Kendayla Park banner, Zecora is out of the two-race winner C’est la Vie (NZ) (Anabaa), a sister to Gr.1 Railway Handicap (1200m) Imananabaa and has now won four of her 10 starts and over $166,000 in prizemoney. View the full article

In-form jockey rides Patch Of Theta in a 1,000m sprint on Sunday when the most expensive lot at this year’s local auction makes his competitive bowView the full article

In her first start in more than nine months Midnight Memories asked for just a bit more patience from her connections ahead of her winning move in the $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) Dec. 15 at Los Alamitos Race Course.View the full article

Jockey looks to build on his 11 wins this season with seven rides at the New Territories track on SundayView the full article

The sixth WTBOA (Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association) Stallion Season Auction is now open for bidding through Friday, Dec. 22 at 11 p.m. ET. No fewer than 83 different stallions and sires representing Kentucky, California, Florida, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Oregon and Washington are in this year's mix. Click here to see the complete list of stallion seasons offered. The post WTBOA Stallion Season Auction Now Live appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sarah O’Reilly carries New Zealand’s hopes going into the final heat of the 1Equine Australasian Young Drivers’ Championship (AYDC) at Albion Park in Brisbane tonight. The leading Kiwi junior is third equal after nine heats on 64 points with Joshua Gallgher, but within striking distance of the two leaders Angus Garrard (80 points) and Emily Suvaljko (73). O’Reilly had two fourths in heats eight and nine at Redcliffe last night. Tonight’s final heat is part of Inter Dominion Grand Final night at Albion Park and is due to go at 7.49pm. O’Reilly will drive Luxury Lad, who’s currently at $26 on the fixed odds. The points table (after nine of 10 heats) : Angus Garrard 80 Emily Suvaljko 73 Joshua Gallagher 64 Sarah O’Reilly (NZ) 64 James Herbertson (63) Corey Johnson (58) Mitch Ford (58) Leonard Cain (45) Zev Meredith (NZ) 44 Crystal Hackett (NZ) 40 View the full article

The single day Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale came to a close with 15 lots selling for over £100,000, two lots over £300,000 and a top price of £335,000 for lot 8, Tumuch (Fr) (Buck's Boum {Fr}). After an impressive showing in his debut maiden at Lingstown where he posted an authoritative victory, Tumuch proved a hot commodity as bidding sailed through the ranks with Robbie Power, Tom Malone, Gordon Elliott, and Mouse O'Ryan putting up a spirited battle for the 4-year-old with the last coming out successful. “He is a lovely horse, he is a well-made horse, who won well. He was very eye-catching. We had seen him in January, and we were waiting for him to run,” said O'Ryan. “We are building up a big team of young horses and they are starting to come to fruition. We have bought a Gold Cup horse out of the point-to-point field–we have only had one, but we'd like another!” Out of the Maille Pistol dual-winning mare Pistol Girl, a half-sister to the dam of the Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed Sir Valentino (Fr) (Early March {GB}), Tumuch was sold by the 2021 Tattersalls Cheltenham December top consignor Ballycrystal Stables. Wildcard entry Port Joulain (Fr) (Cokoriko {Fr}), consigned by Denis Murphy of Ballyboy Stables as Lot 20, was the second highest price on the evening, bringing £300,000 from Harold Kirk. He hails from the family of 11-time Grade 1 winner Apple's Jade (Fr). The purchaser said: “He is going to Willie's; he was my pick of the sale. I love the sire, he gets the most winners in France. Apple's Jade is in the pedigree, and I love this horse as an individual. I think he has got loads of class.” Third highest price on the sale was Belliano (GB) (Black Sam Bellamy {Ire}), lot 18 out of G3 Prix de Flore victress Miliana (Ire), who was bought by Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls for £255,000. This is also the family of G1 Galway Hurdle-placed Mirpour (Ire). Sustained demand saw the flagship sale produce an aggregate of £3,448,000, a best-ever average of £104,485-up 15 per cent and the first time it has achieved a six-figure sum–and a record median of £85,000, up 26 per cent from last season. The seven Tattersalls Jockey Club Sales held in 2023 achieved a new record for annual aggregate with a turnover of £20,965,500. The post Tattersalls Cheltenham December Concludes Record-Breaking Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Hastings Racecourse staged four Friday Nights Under the Lights race cards in 2023 with each of them attracting enthusiastic crowds and noticeable increased wagering both on and off track.View the full article

For most farms it is enough just to be introducing one new stallion to the market in a season. For Nurlan Bizakov's Sumbe, that task is multiplied by three as the Normandy-based operation launches homebred Belbek (Fr) and Angel Bleu (Fr) at the same time as relaunching Mishriff (Ire) after a false start. It is unlikely that anyone has forgotten Mishriff but the stallion business is a fickle game. A misplaced kick to the wall of his stable at Haras de Montfort & Préaux at the beginning of the year left the multiple Group 1 winner with a foot injury which meant he was unable to start his new job in February. Instead, his covering debut will take place in February 2024. Last week in Deauville, he was on show with all five Sumbe stallions at Clairefontaine racecourse, enabling breeders to call in while at nearby Arqana. They won't have been disappointed by what they saw. Mishriff, always a fine-looking horse in his days in training, has developed into a truly imposing specimen during his year of leisure. To this beholder, he comes very close to being a textbook example of a Thoroughbred. “Mishriff, as everybody knows, had a setback last year,” says Sumbe manager Tony Fry. “It seems such a long time ago now that he won the Prix du Jockey Club. He won on turf, dirt. There was a few races that he was unlucky in, but he was a true world champion.” Fry notes that Mishriff is 1.66 metres tall – that's 16.3hh in old money – and it is easy to believe that breeders are renewing their initial interest in the horse, especially with his fee now reduced a little to €17,500 from what would have been his opening mark of €20,000. Mishriff remains the sole Group 1 winner for his sire Make Believe (GB). On his top line he traces back through Makfi (GB) to Dubawi (Ire), the horse who became such an effective conduit for the blood of Mr. Prospector on this side of the Atlantic, ensuring that his ill-fated sire Dubai Millennium (GB) could at least be remembered in stallion terms as a one-crop wonder. Underneath, Mishriff's family holds equally lofty claims to greatness. Bred by his owner Prince A A Faisal, he is a member of the family which has stood Nawara Stud in ample stead over the years. His dam Contradict (GB), by the increasingly useful broodmare sire Raven's Pass, fell just short of gaining black type herself but she has bred three black-type earners, with Mishriff, her third foal, way out in front. Contradict is out of the Group 3 winner Acts Of Grace (Bahri), making her a granddaughter of the G1 Prix de Diane winner Rafha (GB) (Kris {GB}). The latter's success at stud has by now far outstripped her Classic credentials on the track, and through her sons Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Kodiac (GB) especially, her imprint can be found in reams of modern-day racehorses. Mishriff makes his debut alongside a horse who has a special place in he heart of his owner: Belbek, a son of Showcasing (GB). His dam, the Makfi (GB) mare Bee Queen (GB), was purchased from Juddmonte and, as a granddaughter of Banks Hill (GB), represents one of that operation's key families. “He's a Sumbe homebred, so that gives him the pride of place,” says Mathieu Le Forestier, the former trainer who joined Sumbe last year. “It's very meaningful that the first stallion that we bred here in France in our first year here joins the roster as an exciting prospect. “He's been a champion two-year-old. And what's very interesting about him is that he started off in April, he was the first runner from André Fabre's yard. And even before the summer, he won the Prix du Bois. He clicked off fractions in the upper level of what's been seen in the last decade in France in this specific race. He went all through the year and picked up the crown in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, which is obviously an important race in the stallion business.” He continues, “He's been around all year at three and he eventually bowed out with a nice Group 3 win, beating horses of Group 1, Group 2 level, older horses. So it's a good starting point for a future stallion. He comes from one of the deepest families in Europe and is the close relative of 12 other Group 1 winners.” Tony Fry adds, “Belbek is a Juddmonte-bred through and through. Showcasing was Juddmonte and Bee Queen was Juddmonte. So, thank you to Juddmonte. “You can't make somebody use your stallion. All you can do is show them and say, 'Here they are. What do you think?' And people can stand in front of you for ten minutes and pick out faults and positives and whatever. But he's an exceptionally good-looking horse, a nice-moving horse with a great disposition. He took his racing well, he took everything well. And the mare is a very kind mare as well. She's just one of those sweetheart mares. And again, she'll always be special to us for providing Nurlan with his first Group 1 winner. So we're very hopeful. We'll send a good selection of mares to him, as we have with all our stallions. You can't ask people to use them unless you believe in them and follow it through yourselves.” Sumbe has somewhat cornered the market in winners of the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagradère as joining Belbek is the previous year's victor Angel Bleu, who should be a valuable addition to the French stallion ranks. Though he went off to be trained in England by Ralph Beckett, the son of Dark Angel (Ire) was bred in France by Pan Sutong at Ecurie des Monceaux, and he recorded his two most significant wins there in the Jean-Luc Lagardère followed by the G1 Criterium International. His other five wins included the G2 Vintage S. and, at four, the G2 Celebration Mile and Listed Spring Trophy for Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen. Though they both won France's major two-year-old contest for colts, Belbek and Angel Bleu are very different types, with the latter a smaller and more compact individual than the tall Belbek. “He's 1.61 metres, a deep horse with a strong neck and very strong shoulder,” says Le Forestier of the dapple grey Angel Bleu. “He really looks to be the early-maturing, strong, sturdy type that may be very appealing to breeders.” Adding a bit of oomph to a decent race record is the fact that Angel Bleu's dam, Cercle De La Vie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), is a full-sister to the Group 1-winning stallions Highland Reel (Ire) and Idaho (Ire) from the family of the top Australian broodmare Circles Of Gold (Aus) (Marscay {Aus}), who in turn produced the stallions Haradasun (Aus) and Elvstroem (Aus). While the first books for the trio are being drawn up, there is also the anticipation next season of the first runners for Sumbe's G1 Commonwealth Cup-winning stallion Golden Horde (Ire), who, as a son of the G1 July Cup winner Lethal Force (Ire), also represents the Dark Angel sire-line. Then there's De Treville (GB), who doesn't have quite the same lofty race record but has the distinction of being the first foal of the great Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). A dual winner, he managed Group 3 placings on three occasions, and the stallion's family has been given a major boost by his high-flying half-brother Too Darn Hot (GB), both on the track and through the exploits of his first crop of runners in 2023. “We try our best to address every segment of the market,” says Le Forestier. “We have De Treville at entry level and then up to Mishriff at the top end. We have sprinters, we have middle-distance horses.” Tony Fry, who started his association with Nurlan Bizakov in England as manager of Hesmonds Stud, has seen plenty of change during his tenure. He says, “It's been 13 years now. When we started, it was six mares that we bought in December back in 2010. And now we're up to 55 mares, new stallions and two farms in France and still a farm in England. We have Haras de Montfort & Préaux and Haras du Mézeray in France, and Hesmonds in England. Montfort is the stallion station and we board mares here. Mézeray is more Nurlan's private farm, and we take in boarders there as well. They're only six kilometres apart.” He continues, “I remember we were we were driving out of Hesmonds one day and he said, 'One day I'd like to to buy a farm in France.' And I said, 'I hope you do. If you do, it means you enjoying the industry. It means you're having success. It means you want to expand.' So that was 12 years ago and it did happen. He still enjoys it. As we all know, with horses, there's plenty of downsides. It's normally more bad news than good news. But he's taken the bad news. We move on and he still wants to succeed and breed Group 1 winners, be in Group 1 races, be in the best races. So the ambition is still there.” Bizakov's ambition is plain to see, not least in naming Sumbe after his birthplace in Kazakhstan. The operation took on its first major sponsorship earlier this year when backing the G1 Prix Morny and the entire undercard on one of Deauville's major summer Sundays. “The long-term plan is to establish it as a top-tier brand,” says Le Forestier. “First of all, the boss sees himself as a breeder, and every venture he makes into the business is breeding-orientated. He has a very long-term view about things and it impacts everything in the company, be it horses in training or stallions. For instance, when we take in a new stallion prospect, the first client, the first user of the stallion would be Mr Bizakov himself. We're trying our best to make people understand that the brand is a multi-dimensional operation and that we stand behind our customers in the stallion business because we are our primary customers.” The post ‘We Stand Behind Our Customers’: Sumbe Launches Three New Stallions 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 Saturday running at Chukyo Racecourse. The weekend feature comes up on Sunday at Hanshin with the running of the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity, where the US-conceived and Japanese-foaled Jantar Mantar (Jpn) (Palace Malice) tries to run his record to three wins from three starts. Read our preview here: Saturday, December 16, 2023 5th-CKO, ¥13,720,000 ($97k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m WET SEASON (c, 2, Mendelssohn–Season Maker, by Pioneerof the Nile) is out of a daughter of Seasons Greetings (Ire) (Ezzoud {Ire}), a stakes winner and placed three times at group level in France, but better known as the dam of Grace Hall (Empire Maker), winner of the GI Spinaway S. and runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2011; as well as G1 Prix Ganay runner-up Wren's Day (Medaglia d'Oro). This colt's half-brother Hardwired (Hard Spun) won two of his first three starts, including his debut, and was most recently unplaced in Group 3 competition. B-Godolphin (KY) INDICATOR (JPN) (c, 2, Liam's Map–Ice Cream Silence, by Street Sense) is the first Japanese-foaled starter for his dam, upset winner of the 2013 GIII Doubledogdare S. at Keeneland for G. Watts Humphrey and Rusty Arnold and later sold to J S Company for $70,000 with this colt in utero at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. Having been foaled Feb. 21, 2021, Indicator took his spot in the ring for the JRHA Select Sale about five months later and was hammered down for ¥19 million ($172,173). B-Okada Stud The post Mendelssohn Colt Favored At First Asking at Chukyo appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Caravel, winner of the 2022 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Keeneland, has been retired from racing and will be bred next year to Justify, according to the racing manager for one of her owners.View the full article

By Michael Guerin Kyle Austin is heading back to The Coast to try and win the Westport Cup his best ever pacer couldn’t. Austin trained Live On Legend to win the feature pace, the Betavet Mobile Pace, at Addington on Friday night, the four-year-old leading throughout in the hands of Blair Orange to beat a brave Fernetti. “Blair’s drive was a big help, he drove him perfectly,” says Austin of the 26.4 second last 400m quarter that secured him the win. It was Live On Legend’s fourth win and a good training performance from Austin as he hadn’t raced since mid-September. Now the Canterbury trainer, who only works three before his day job as a sign writer, says Living On Legend will head to Westport on Boxing Day. “I have had a couple of goes at winning it and finished second with Buster Brady,” he remembers when his future open class horse went down by a nose to Bronze Over in 2016. Buster Brady went on to win the second day and Austin says Live On Legend will get his shot at both days but then skip Reefton and chase another Cup at Nelson. As good as Live On Legend was his effort was challenged for performance of the night by Eurostyle in the main trot. The Derek and Adele Jones-trained Eurostyle sat parked for much of the 1980m to record her fourth career win in the hands of Kimberly Butt and she has the scope and speed to make an open class mare with another year of strengthening. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Jeremy Young never stopped believing in Lady Of The Light. Not when she went nine starts without winning a race last year. Not when she was beaten by Aardie’s Express in the Breeders Stakes a week ago. Not even when she drew the outside of the front line in the $110,000 Woodlands Stud Queen Of Hearts last Monday. And as it turns out, Young was right. His big, beautiful stable star turned a bad draw into good by using it as the surprise factor in the Alexandra Park Group 1 on Friday night, driver Maurice McKendry launching the mare to cross polemarker Manhattan. McKendry kept the speed on just enough on the Lady Of The Light before she rolled home her last 800m in 55.7 seconds to beat the late surging Lifes A Beach, with Manhattan third after trailing and not pacing cleanly on the last bend. The shock of the race was Aardie’s Express fading to finish eighth after having the one-one, a run well below her best. While that was a surprise to punters, Lady Of The Light’s win wasn’t to her Pukekohe trainer Young. “She is a very good mare and we decided at lunch time today to have a crack early,” says Young. “She is so genuine and loves being in front because she is a great stayer.” Young says while this rates alongside Best Western’s win for him in the Great Northern Oaks, it was even more emotional because of the large group of owners. “They are a great bunch,” said Young as the owners serenaded him with a There-Is-Only-One-Jeremy-Young chant. It was a scene rarely seen in the Alexandra Park stabling area and Young summed it up well. “This is what racing is all about, we could do with more of this at Alexandra Park.” Young says while he thinks Lady Of The Light can eventually become a New Zealand Cup horse his main aim for now will be the big Addington mares’ races, including the Group 1 NZ Breeders Stakes she finished second in earlier this year. Her win was matched for merit earlier in the night by trotter Dream Of You, who returned with a super win in the $50,000 Thames Members Handicap Trot. In his first start since July 28 he blasted past Dominion placegetter Resolve, trotting his last 800m in 57.1 seconds in a huge effort considering trainer Derek Balle thought he might need a run. Dream Of You has matured into a near foolproof trotter and as only a four-year-old he could be around in the top grade for a few seasons. The other highlight of the night was Miki Shan winning the Thames Goldfields Summer Cup, leading throughout to win the standing start contest for trainer Maurice McKendry, giving him the feature pacing race double. View the full article

Trainer Bob Baffert won seven consecutive editions of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity until that streak ended two years ago. The Hall of Famer will have half the field when Wynstock (Solomini), Coach Prime (Quality Road) and GSP Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso) line up for his barn on Saturday. Coach Prime was a $1.7 million Keeneland September yearling, and began to pay back owner Zedan last out with a 7 1/4-length win at Del Mar Nov. 10, earning him the status of 'TDN Rising Star'. As for his stablemates, Wynstock broke his maiden by roughly the same margin as Coach Prime in what was his third attempt Oct. 15 at Santa Anita. While Wine Me Up returns after finishing second in the GI American Pharoah S. and then running eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, both at Santa Anita. Last year, trainer Tim Yakteen won the Futurity with Practical Move (Practical Joke) and he is back again, this time with debut winner Moonlit Sonata (Malibu Moon). The bay colt came from off the pace to win by 2 1/2 lengths at Del Mar Nov. 25. Rounding out the field is Doug O'Neill trainee Ace of Clubs (Mor Spirit) and Stronghold (Ghostzapper). The latter is a homebred trained by Phil D'Amato who was a well-beaten runner-up to 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) in the GIII Bob Hope S. at the seaside oval Nov. 19. The post ‘TDN Rising Star’ Coach Prime High Steps Into Los Alamitos Futurity 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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7th-LRC, $45K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 6:28 p.m. ET. MARCH OF TIME (Justify) debuts for the ownership group of Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael B. Tabor. The Bob Baffert trainee is out of GIII Sorrento S. winner Untouched Heart (Storm Cat), who is also responsible for the runner-up in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, Bodemeister (Empire Maker), and GII Summertime Oaks heroine Under the Stars (Pioneerof the Nile). A half-sister to the dam of GI La Troienne S. victress She's a Julie (Elusive Quality), Untouched Heart was purchased while in foal to Unbridled's Song for $5 million at the '12 Fasig-Tipton Fall Sale by M.V. Magnier. TJCIS PPS 8th-GP, $70K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, 3:33 p.m. ET. Homebred Sally Albright (Into Mischief) makes her first start for trainer Cherie DeVaux. The bay filly is a half-sister to GII Mrs. Revere S. champ Sparkling Review (Lemon Drop Kid), who is the dam of SP Fawning (Into Mischief), and is also a half to the dams of GSP Prince of Jericho (Munnings) and GIII Grey S. winner Bluebirds Over (English Channel). Her extended female family includes Grade I winners No Review (Nodouble) and Another Review (Buckaroo). Another homebred setting sail for her inaugural voyage is St. Susan (Quality Road). The Christophe Clement trainee is out of Canadian MGSW Akronism (Not For Love), who produced GII Hill Prince S. hero Have At It (Kitten's Joy). She's also responsible for the dam of GI Santa Anita Oaks winner Bellafina (Quality Road) and MGSP Diamond King (Quality Road). TJCIS PPS The post Saturday Insights: Half-Brother To Bodemeister Debuts At Los Alamitos appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Listed as Lot 1 next Wednesday, Thoroughbid's Christmas Sale will offer a breeding right to Aclaim (Ire)–sire of G1 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet (Ire)–as one of the highlights of the 32 strong mixed catalogue of horses in training, breeding and youngstock. Also on offer will be Fletchers Dream (GB) (Advertise {GB}) as Lot 10, a son of Poet's Princess (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}), herself half-sister to the dam of GSW Raasel (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who won his sole start over the Newcastle all-weather last Saturday for conditioner Craig Lidster. He hails from the female family of G1SW Sakhee's Secret (GB) (Sakhee) and MGSW Santa Monica (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). “Our offer of risk-free consignment at what can be a tricky time of year for many has attracted a healthy catalogue of 32 nice prospects for both racing and breeding, with plenty of black-type and winners throughout,” said James Richardson, CEO of Thoroughbid. “To be hosting the sale of another breeding right, this time to Aclaim, is testament to the versatility of our platform and we're looking forward to another competitive bidding period next week.” Bidding for the sale goes live on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 9am and will run until midday. The full catalogue can be viewed here. The post Breeding Right to Aclaim Headlines Thoroughbid Christmas Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Just one week after the Horseracing Welfare and Integrity Unit (HIWU) issued a public disclosure on its website that top Mid-Atlantic trainer Anthony Farrior had a horse test positive for the banned substance Metformin, Farrior's attorney Drew Mollica said that he has been informed by HIWU that the charges have been dropped. “The system worked and we are happy to clear his good name and his reputation,” Mollica said. Mollica said HIWU's decision came about after a review of the split sample, which was requested by Mollica and Farrior. Mollica said there were “issues” with the split sample, also known as the B sample. “Pursuant to the procedures available we sought verification of the alleged positive by requesting a B sample,” Mollica said. “Due to issues with the B sample and pursuant to the rules, HIWU withdrew the charges. There were issues with the B sample that precluded them from prosecuting.” Farrior faced a suspension of up to two years. When HIWU took over the role of drug testing and handing out penalties for infractions on May 22, trainers who had an alleged positive for a banned substance were issued provisional suspensions that went into effect immediately. It has since changed its rules and allows trainers to put off their suspensions until the results of the B sample have come back. “The fact that he was not summarily or provisionally suspended is a testament to the effort HIWU has made to seek some level of justice and we look forward to more modifications going forward to protect the innocent,” Mollica said. Metformin, is used in humans to combat Type II diabetes, but is not FDA approved for horses. In October, HIWU announced that following an internal review, it had discovered that not all of its participating laboratories had applied the same limit of detection in analyzing samples for the presence of drug. HIWU said it met with the six laboratories it works with to establish uniform limits of detection for the Metformin. Farrior, who has been training since 2011, has 840 winners from 3,725 starters. He is currently the leading trainer at Charles Town with 136 wins on the meet. The post HIWU Withdraws Farrior Suspension appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Building on an 11-length debut maiden victory at Presque Isle Downs in October, El Terreno (Speightstown–Palma, by Malibu Moon) stormed home a multiple-length winner against optional claimers over the Tapeta at Gulfstream Park on Friday afternoon. Though taken off the turf, the 2-5 choice set the pace from the bell, continued to blow through the fractions and the 2-year-old dark bay filly won easily over Bubbly Champagne (Bee Jersey). The final running time was :55.67. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0. O-Castleton Lyons; B-Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate; T-Christophe Clement. Post-time favorite #3 EL TERRENO ($2.80) doesn't let us down as she and @iradortiz go gate to wire in Race 2 at Gulfstream for @clementstable. The 2 year old filly by Speightstown is owned by @castletonlyons. LIVE racing continues on @FanDuelTV. Bet on @FDSportsbook. pic.twitter.com/jYyYghfYZU — TVG (@TVG) December 15, 2023 The post Speightstown’s El Terreno Blitzes Over Gulfstream Tapeta To ‘TDN Rising Stardom’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article