Wandering Eyes

The 8th Annual Jockeys and Jeans Great American Stallion Season auction to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund begins with a preview day, Monday, Jan. 8 at 9:00 a.m. ET on Equiring. The sale starts on that same website Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 9:00 a.m. ET and ends Thursday, Jan. 12 at 8:00 p.m. ET, the organization said in a release Thursday. This year nine major Kentucky Thoroughbred breeding farms and individual owners are expected to gift seasons along with donors across nine states. “This season sale is truly living up to its name, and as far as we can ascertain, it is the only one that includes stallions in this many states,” said interim President Eddie Donnally. “And it's the only one that solely benefits humans, namely those 60 men and women who underwent catastrophic career ending racing injuries.” Since its inception in 2014, the drive has accounted for at least $800,000 of the $3.6 million raised by the all-volunteer group for the PDJF. “Our sale not only offers solid stallions at a reasonable cost, but more importantly, the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those that are no longer riding racehorses, said Donnally.” A Quarter Horse fundraiser begins Jan. 21, which last year collected $70,000, while the Thoroughbred version totaled $40,000. To donate a season or for more information contact Eddie Donnally at edjockeysandjeans@gmail.com or call (818) 653-3711. The post Eighth Jockeys And Jeans Stallion Season Fundraiser Sets Dates appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Adam Hamilton Champion driver Chris Alford certainly isn’t conceding this Inter Dominion trotting final to defending champion Just Believe. Alford, who teams up with star Kiwi-owned mare Queen Elida (gate five), remains very positive despite drawing outside Just Believe (four). “He’s been fantastic Just Believe, he’s absolutely flying, and he’ll be hard to beat,” he said. “But all things being equal, I still think I’m a good chance of beating him. “The mare has got better each run through the series and ‘Lil’ (trainer Brent Lilley) says she’s been fantastic this week. “She felt really good last Saturday and she’s such a good doer, Lil thinks she’ll only be better again for the final.” Queen Elida was raw and inexperienced when third as favourite behind Just Believe in last year’s Melbourne final. Alford is adamant she’s considerably better 12 months down the track. “She’s stronger and just a lot more mature. She can hold that great speed of hers longer,” he said. “I know she’ll need to be right at her top and have a few things go right, but we’re right in there with a winning chance.” A big talking point has been whether Alford will chance his arm and blast Queen Elida out in a hope to cross Just Believe at the start. It’s a question Alford dodged a little and hedged his bets on. “I don’t think we need to burn out, but I must say I haven’t put a lot of time into the race yet,” he said. “I’ll have to chat with Lil and the owners and see what they think, but she’s been racing really well without being fired out at the start too often.” Against that, Queen Elida showed the most gate speed she ever has when Alford asked to extend at the start of last Saturday night’s heat. “The speed’s there, no doubt about that. It’s just a matter of whether it’s the best thing to do, burning her out like that,” he said. “I think we could cross if we really wanted to. Just Believe isn’t that fast out, he’s been crossed a couple of times in this series already. “We’ve got some thinking to do because we’ve got options,” But co-trainer and driver Greg Sugars insists Just Believe will hold the lead if he wants. “I expect Chris (Alford) will come out hard and have a look, you don’t get these races handed to you on a platter,” he said. “I don’t think she (Queen Elida) can cross us, not drawn next to us. I can get out quickly when I absolutely have to. “It’s a big advantage being drawn inside my main danger and I’ve got to make the most of it.” Like Alford, Sugars has no doubt Just Believe is “much better” than he was winning last year’s final. “It’s hard to believe, but he’s gone to another level since Sweden. He’s come back so well and that last (round) heat win of his was simply amazing.” Just Believe is $1.15 favourite to complete a clean sweep of the Inter Dominion series for a second successive year. Queen Elida is $8 second elect. View the full article

By Adam Hamilton Leap To Fame’s Inter Dominion fate could be decided in the first 200 metres. Trainer-driver Grant Dixon insists his superstar four-year-old is “the best he’s ever been” heading into Saturday’s race at Albion Park in Brisbane, but he’s wary of yet another tricky barrier draw. Leap To Fame has drawn six, but will come into five if emergency Canfindabettorman doesn’t gain a start. The problem is, his two main dangers Swayzee (three) and Nerano (one), have drawn inside him. So, Dixon knows he must have a serious crack at getting across Swayzee in the first 200m, which would give him a great chance of working to the lead. If he doesn’t, then Swayzee will likely find the front and that’s a role where he is unbeaten since joining Jason Grimson’s stable. “We’ve never had him better. He’s come through the heats well. His weight’s good, his bloods are good and he looks great. We’re really pleased,” Dixon said. “He’s been in a few big races this season. He’s better than he was for the Eureka and he’s fitter and harder than he was for the Victoria Cup. “Remember, it’s his first season in the big league and the hard racing has been good for him. He’s better for it. “The other thing in his favour this time is being at home. The Eureka and Victoria Cup were interstate and there’s nothing quite like being in your own routine to have your horse at their very best for races like this.” “I’d love to have drawn inside Swayzee, but we don’t have much luck with barriers in the big ones, do we? “To be honest, we haven’t had many draws to try and use his gate speed, but he’s got out quite well when I have asked him. “If you go on the gate speed Swayzee showed from the inside (gate one) last week, we’d cross him, but he’ll probably get out better from a middle draw and they will be driving him a lot more aggressively to try and hold me out. “I’ve got to go forward and have a look. Even if I don’t get across, I’ll have to be right up there.” If Leap To Fame doesn’t get across he will be in the same position he was when Swayzee led and beat him at their only clash in the Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park on July 22. Did Dixon learn anything from that defeat? “Yes, don’t get a flat tyre like we did that night,” he laughed, “seriously though, that didn’t help my cause at all that night, but sitting outside them is the hardest way to win. It’ll take some sort of effort to do it. “They’re obviously half-brothers and both Leap To Fame and Swayzee love the staying distances like this. “Nerano looks a big danger to me. He’s been so dangerous sitting just off the pace in the heats and he’s drawn to get a great run, either behind the leader or three pegs and you can be sure the gaps will come in a race like this and he’ll get his shot at us.” Swayzee is $2.15 favourite, just ahead of Leap To Fame at $2.40. Grimson is thrilled with the draws for his two runners in his quest for an historic Inter Dominion pacing final three-peat with three different horses. “I’m not worried about Swayzee being beaten at his past two (runs). Every run for me he’s hit the line strongly for me,” he said. “It’s great to draw inside Leap To Fame and if Swayzee gets to the front, he’ll be so hard to roll. He’s a true stayer.” Nerano, who has firmed from $151 before the series to $5 from the pole, has good gate speed. “I think he can hold our Turn It Up, especially drawn right next to him,” Grimson said. “It’s a perfect draw for him to get a trail and finish strongly like he’s done in the heats.” Former Kiwi Jack Trainor will partner Nerano. The race is due to go at 9.30pm NZT on Saturday night. View the full article

It's been a remarkable year for trainer Linda Rice, who either won outright or tied for the lead at five straight meets at the NYRA tracks, and it might get even better. She entered the week with 157 wins at the three NYRA courses this year and needs just eight more to break the single-season record held by David Jacobson. Her stable has already amassed $10 million in earnings, a record for her barn, and $4.3 million more than her stable made last year. How has she done it? Those were among the question she was asked when she joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast sponsored by Keeneland. Rice was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week. “I would say some of the things that really moved me forward in my business was the decision to stay in New York year-round,” she said. “I used to split my stable in the winter and send a division to Miami while keeping the main division here in New York. I found out over the years that it was expensive. I spent all winter trying to recover my expenses, and I didn't feel like it moved us forward in any way. So when the VLT money kicked in in New York and was added to the purses, which was about 2013, I abandoned ship on Miami. I said, 'look, we're going to try something different. We're going to stay in New York.' I'm going to consolidate my workforce. Frankly, we had a lot of work right here in New York in the winter. It's a tough job in the winter. And I needed all my best people right in front of me. So I think that is the one thing that I see on my career that was very helpful was to consolidate and consolidate in New York when the VLT money showed up.” She also largely abandoned buying at the sales. “I used to buy a lot of young horses, yearlings, 2-year-olds in training and I'd shop all of the auctions, which I loved to do,” Rice said. “But I became it became very frustrating to me. We would go to the auctions. We'd spend a lot of money and there were all the expenses between hotels and everything else involved. And we had to invest a lot of time. I felt frustrated when we came home and we weren't getting the horses bought that we wanted. We were buying horses that really weren't on the list of horses to take home. So you go home with nothing. So I changed it up and I said, 'Well, let's try something different.' And that's when I started claiming more horses.” She is so New York-centric that she has won only two races outside of the NYRA tracks all year, which has put her in position to break Jacobson's record. Is that something that is important to her? Linda Rice | Coglianese “I really hadn't thought about it much, but a few of my friends have been prompting me lately that I need to become a little more aggressive with my entries for the next couple of weeks,” Rice said. “I think we only have about eight days of racing left. The wins have been coming kind of slow and hard the last couple of weeks. So I don't know. And I told them, 'look, no matter what, it's been a great year.' And they pooh poohed that idea. They said, 'Oh, no, oh, no, you need to dig down, dig deep, get this done.'” Rice also scored a major victory in the courtroom during the year. The New York Gaming Commission was looking to suspend her for three years for allegedly receiving favorable treatment from the racing office that could have given her an advantage over her rivals. The courts intervened and called the three-year suspension “shockingly unfair,” which forced the Gaming Commission to drop the ban. “It was a very trying long process to finally get there,” she said. “My family has told me, that the fact that I've been able to maintain the level that I have professionally under that type of pressure is quite amazing. But it has been a huge relief to have it finally behind me. It was very stressful, very hard on myself, my family, to watch me go through that. But we were very pleased with the appellate decision and glad to have it over.” Also on the show the hosts discussed the Coolmore Stallion of the Week, Corniche (Quality Road), an undefeated champion two-year-old now standing at stud at Coolmore America. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association,https://www.kentuckybred.org/https://www.nyrabets.com/ West Point Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm and XBTV.com, the team of Randy Moss and Bill Finley debated NYRA's decision to move the GI Belmont S. to Saratoga for 2024 and, most likely 2025. Finley was all in favor of the move and while Moss conceded that Saratoga was probably the right place to hold the race the distance should not have been shifted from 1 1/2 to a 1 1/4. Moss and Finley also discussed Pat Valenzuela's plans to begin riding again after a seven-year absence brought about by knee problems. Both agreed that he has an uphill climb in front of him. Click for the video of the latest podcast or the audio-only version. The post Linda Rice Joins The TDN Writers’ Room Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With a total of 1,467 entries, Keeneland has supplemented eight horses to the 2024 January Horses of All Ages Sale, which will cover four sessions Jan. 8-11, the organization said in a release Thursday. Consigned by Mill Ridge Sales, agent, as a broodmare prospect, Dolce Zel (hip 839) concluded her racing career in November at Del Mar by winning the Kathryn Crosby S. The daughter of Zelzal (Fr) was a winner in her native France and in 2022 won or placed in five of six races–all stakes–led by victories in the GIII Lake George S. at Saratoga and the GIII Florida Oaks at Tampa. Good Sam (hip 1154) debuted a juvenile winner and then followed that with a 3 1/2-length score in the 2022 Tempted S. First or second in five of her six lifetime starts, Good Sam is by Good Samaritan out of the Twirling Candy mare Twizzler. Consigned by ELiTE, agent, she is offered as a broodmare prospect. Additional supplements are: Classic Performer (hip 1155), a winning daughter of Mendelssohn consigned by Denali Stud, agent. Out of High Performer, by Candy Ride (ARG), she is from the family of Grade I winner Wicked Strong. Disruption (hip 1486), a winning daughter of Practical Joke cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect and consigned by Lane's End, agent. Geolocation (GB) (hip 1485), a daughter of Too Darn Hot offered as a broodmare prospect by Lane's End, agent. My Happy Holiday (hip 1484), a daughter of Runhappy cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect. Lane's End, agent, consigns My Happy Holiday. A yearling colt by Kantharos (hip 1482), who is the first foal out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Golden Ibis (FR) and is a consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent. A yearling colt by Yaupon (hip 1483), who is consigned by Royal Oak Farm (Damian and Braxton Lynch), agent. Click here to access the online catalogue. The post Keeneland Adds Eight Horses To 2024 January Horses Of All Ages Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Graded stakes-placed Wine Me Up brings the biggest resume of the Baffert trio to the 1 1/16-mile race.View the full article

As 2023 draws to a close, the TDN is asking industry members to name their favorite moment of the year. Send yours to suefinley@thetdn.com “There were so many, it is hard to narrow it down to just one. I would have to say the one that will stick with me is winning the GII Raven Run with Vahva. There is something magical about racing at Keeneland and to be able to make the walk to the infield with a filly that has meant a lot to me since we purchased her, was something special.” –Cherie DeVaux, Trainer The post What Was Your Favorite Moment Of 2023: Cherie Devaux appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Three Chimneys Farm's GI Belmont S. hero Palace Malice (Curlin) and WinStar Farm's versatile multiple Grade I winner Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) are bound for 2024 Japanese stud duty, Darley Japan said in a release late Wednesday. On the heels of the announcement that Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will stand at Darley in Japan next year, Palace Malice and Yoshida add even more star power as they accrued four Grade I wins and 10 black-type wins between them. Palace Malice was a stateside Classic winner, taking the Belmont S. by more than three lengths. He also won the GI Met Mile at four, a season that saw him amass four graded victories. Out of SW Palace Rumor (Royal Anthem), who was purchased by Katsumi Yoshida while in-foal to Mineshaft at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale for $1.1 million, Palace Malice is a half-brother to this year's G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) winner Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and GSW Iron Barows (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}). That pair are likely to face one another in the G1 Arima Kinen on Christmas Eve. His yearling half-sister by Silver State (Jpn) sold for nearly $2.2 million this past summer in Japan. Three Chimneys's own wasted little time in getting his career at stud off to a flying start in his very first crop when Structor landed the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and Palace Malice has sired 21 stakes performers to date. Among them is unbeaten Japanese Group 2-winning juvenile, Jantar Mantar (Jpn)–one of four winners from just seven runners in Japan for his sire–and he figures one of the favorites for Sunday's G1 Asahi Hai Futurity. Also, his U.S. bred son Noble Roger was an impressive debut winner at Tokyo last month. Yoshida | Sarah Andrew Yoshida was purchased for $765,160 in Japan as a yearling by John McCormack on behalf of WinStar Farm. Named a 'TDN Rising Star', he landed the GI Turf Classic at Churchill Downs and the GI Woodward S. at Saratoga. He was also beaten by just a length in the G1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot and finished fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Yoshida is a son of Heart's Cry who is also the sire of Japanese stallions Just A Way (Jpn) and this year's freshman sire sensation Suave Richard (Jpn). He is the second foal out of the Grade I-winning mare Hilda's Passion (Canadian Frontier), who won the 2011 GI Ballerina S. by over nine lengths for Starlight Racing, then sold to Katsumi Yoshida for $1.225 million at that year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale. She is also responsible for Japanese group winner Sanctuaire (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Yoshida, whose first crop are now juveniles, is the sire of eight winners, of which two are stakes-placed, including Yatta, third in the GIII Jimmy Durante S. Dec. 2. “In addition to Adayar and Hukum, we are very pleased to introduce two more exciting stallions,” said Harry Sweeney, President of Darley in Japan. “Palace Malice has already had success on the turf in Japan, and Yoshida is a promising stallion who won Grade I races on both turf and dirt in the U.S. as a Japanese-bred horse. Even though both stallions raced in the U.S., they are well-known amongst Japanese breeders. With the addition of these two exciting new stallions, we have an even stronger and more varied lineup for next season. We look forward to welcoming you to view these stallions.” Fees for both Palace Malice and Yoshida will be announced at a later date. The post Darley’s Japanese Stallion Roster Welcomes Palace Malice And Yoshida appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

And so another cycle opens, bringing all the usual dilemmas. To assist their resolution–albeit the exercise seldom fails to entail a degree of provocation, sometimes even offense–today we commence our annual quest for value among Kentucky stallions. This time round, value feels likely to prove quite elusive. With the middle market increasingly porous, stud fees overall are at a challenging level. If they were driven up by a long bull run in international bloodstock, that appears to be tapering away and there's evidently going to be quite a lag before we see any kind of relief in fees. Instead of assessing each annual intake, and judging how its members are meeting challenges particular to a phase of their career, this year we're going to tackle them by price bands. Previously a mediocre group has sometimes left us scratching around for a horse for the Value Podium, while much better sires in stronger year groups enjoyed no such elevation. So we're simply going to work to a budget, and the full range of options within it–which, after all, is what every breeder has to do. We'll start with sires below $10,000, and work our way up through the tiers. The one exception comes today, when we acknowledge that new sires are always a class apart. On the one hand, they are priced to exploit commercial prejudice and seldom turn out to have offered value relative to their eventual competence. Almost all will turn out to be standing at a career-high fee; and many will be packing their bags, whether for overseas or Oklahoma, even before the claims now being made on their behalf are validly tested by mature crops. Nonetheless many breeders will be focusing all their attention on this group. The defeat of the proposed 140 cap appeared to stimulate some pointedly unfettered books last time round, when a rookie turf sprinter covered 293 mares. Regardless of the merits of that debate, and indeed of that horse, it really can't be healthy for so many mares to be corralled by unproven stallions that will mostly fail. As we've often conceded, however, it's hard to blame either commercial breeders or the stallion farms. The former need to put bread on the table, never easy; the latter, equally, can no longer bank on market interest even into a second year. (In other words, if you want fees to come down, don't just flit from one new sire to the next.) The situation is really driven by the agents and managers driving the spending at ringside. This series will hope to challenge the refrain that breeders have no choice but to roll the dice on newcomers because proven sires are too expensive. In fact, that's exactly why we're giving the newcomers separate consideration today: few, if any, would have had a prayer of making a Value Podium in a price band shared by stallions who have actually got horses out there winning stakes. The truth about buyers' behavior is evident from the way yearling averages tend to slide markedly in the second crop even for stallions whose first runners make a flying start-as happened this year, for instance, to all four of the sires who have dominated the freshman table! (Champion elect Mitole, for instance, processed his second crop at $48,423, down from $104,638 with his first.) We'll leave for another day the puzzle why breeding “for the sale ring” should be any different from “breeding for the track.” As I'm always saying, there should be nothing more commercial than putting a winner under your mare. The only real argument for unproven sires is self-fulfilling, in that most will never again repeat the quality and quantity of their debut books. Otherwise, investment is being directed precisely where it is most likely to fail. But each to their own, right? There's a proving ground out there, with a wooden stick at the end, and this is a great environment for anyone mating a mare with the quaint objective of breeding a runner. So let's immerse ourselves in this perilous whirlpool of new sires, and at least try to make the gamble affordable as we seek the handful that will eventually manage to swim clear and build a viable stud career in the Bluegrass. As indicated, that won't be easy in the current market. For a sense of where the typical commercial breeder is operating, we can calculate the median fee of the top 10 new sires in each of the past six years. This was $22,500 in 2019; $27,500 in 2020; $25,000 in 2021, as farms made a pandemic gesture; $40,000 in 2022; $35,000 in 2023; and it is again $35,000 for this latest intake. So the typical cost of using a new sire has gone up by over half (56 percent) in the last six years, during which time the average banked for a Keeneland September yearling has risen only 13 percent. And you still don't want to use a proven horse? Well, okay, if you insist. Let's take a look at the class of '24. But remember that this whole exercise, while undertaken with every effort at objectivity, is just one guy's opinion. You know what your mare looks like-which should, after all, be the starting point for every mating-and you know what physique would complement her best. OVERVIEW OF THE CLASS The retiring cohort is led by two sons of Curlin who have given an extra twist of speed to his established influence. That said, both shared another of his trademarks by thriving with maturity. Both, indeed, required four sophomore starts to win a maiden, Elite Power in September and Cody's Wish in October. So we'll have to see whether or not their brilliance will express itself on a pattern more conventional for sons of Curlin out of Seattle Slew line mares. Elite Power | Sarah Andrew Both those mares were elite runners themselves, of course, as a GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up and GI Gazelle S. winner respectively. The latter, Dance Card, showed conspicuous speed for a daughter of Tapit when placing in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, and had laid the ground for Cody's Wish by producing Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro), the throwback talent who has this year won graded races in his sixth season. Elite Power meanwhile underpins his credentials with a half-sister to proven sire Dialed In as second dam, besides champion Eliza (Mt Livermore) as his fourth. Both will take little finding but rather more funding, CODY'S WISH introduced at $75,000 and ELITE POWER at $50,000. While we all love a Met Mile winner, I'm not sure anyone could sensibly assert that there's a 50 percent difference in their potential at this stage. GUNITE got a rear view of each, in his respective Breeders' Cup starts, but proved a handful for Elite Power in their two meetings in Saratoga this summer, running him to a head in the first and then beating him in GI Forego. And he has an edge in precocity, having won the GI Hopeful S. by nearly six lengths, enabling him to start at $40,000. His maternal family is seeded by some fairly arcane names, but the first three dams are stakes winners so it's demonstrably all working. By the way, while we quickly learned to expect the unexpected from Gun Runner, perhaps we should pay more heed to the fact that Cody's Wish, Elite Power and Gunite were all presumably bred with two turns in mind. Quality tells, however it expresses itself. You want a Hopeful/Forego winner? Then you don't necessarily want to join a long line for a “commercial” sprinter. Gunite | Sara Gordon As for those who did end up with a Triple Crown agenda this year, we'll see who ends up with Eclipse laurels but the farms have meanwhile sought to anticipate the votes of breeders, with juvenile champion FORTE ($50,000) still ahead of ARCANGELO ($35,000), MAGE ($25,000) and TWO PHIL'S ($12,500). The world was still at Forte's feet when he added the GI Florida Derby to three elite scores at two, but a couple of his contemporaries rather caught up with him. With hindsight, as the far less experienced horse, Mage's performance that day actually turned out to be the more significant pointer. But obviously commercial breeders will prize Forte's precocity, the Derby and Belmont winners both being later developers. No newcomer has a better genetic base than Arcangelo, whose third dam is Better Than Honour, yet was found as a yearling for exactly the same price we must now pay for single cover! Hard to argue with that, given the way he followed up his Belmont breakout in the deepest sophomore field of the year at Saratoga. Mage did not show his true colors there, but let's not lose sight of the historic level of talent required to progress so rapidly from a standing start, unraced until Jan. 28. He's gone to a farm that prices horses fairly without flooding the catalogue, and his brother's GII Remsen performance has meanwhile opened an exciting door. That's the kind of thing that would help Two Phil's, who has an inescapably plain page. But you had to love the way he followed up a shatteringly game Derby effort on what sadly proved his only subsequent start, and the bottom line is that Danzig's last big star has covered a graded stakes sprinter and come up with something special. Another star sophomore entering the ranks is ARABIAN LION, at $30,000. He's surely set for pinhooker shortlists as a $600,000 2-year-old who followed through to clock big numbers in the GI Woody Stephens, but those taking a longer view will also be satisfied to find Justify underpinned by Personal Ensign as third dam. Pappacap | Sarah Andrew TAIBA was an even more spectacular pinhook ($140,000 to $1.7 million) and paid it all back on the racetrack, winning the GI Santa Anita Derby off a maiden win and flaunting his speed when dropping back for the GI Malibu. Sticking around to run in the desert did not pay off, except maybe for breeders who might conceivably have been asked for a little more than $35,000 a year ago. Like Gunite, Taibia suggests the upgrading powers of their sire: his family owes most of its distinction to Ohio-breds, but his dam's 17 wins would be pretty remarkable in any currency. PROXY, like Taiba, ran third in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and that was a fitting conclusion to four seasons of set-your-clock Tapit action that left him just a tick below the very best (starts on $25,000) while thoroughly deserving his Grade I in the Clark. That hard-knocking profile befits the combination of his sire-line with a third dam also by Seattle Slew, and his dual Grade I-winning dam Panty Raid (Include) has corroborated her genetic input–sister a GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up–with a Grade II-winning daughter. Among the more affordable newcomers, ZANDON appeals strongly at $12,500 as a horse rather more talented than generally appreciated. That's a curious suggestion of one whose consistency banked over $2 million through three campaigns in the best company, but he seldom found the right scenario to showcase that turn of foot. Even as it stands, he looks a lot of horse for this kind of money. I guess someone who could stretch for his aptly-named sire should still do so, but at this level Zandon is entitled to give Upstart fresh kudos. DR. SCHIVEL will be in commercial demand at the same fee, as a Grade I winner at two and then also in the GI Bing Crosby S. He was beaten only two heads in his defense of that trophy, and only by a nose in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint in between. His family carries a few faded names, but his dam is a half-sister to a Grade I winner and the blood was plainly functioning in a horse so consistently fast. The Walmac revival meanwhile gains ground with a couple of eligibly priced recruits. PAPPACAP is assured traffic at $12,500 as a precocious son of Gun Runner, while FULSOME gives bargain access to Into Mischief at $7,500 after converting his Juddmonte page to the margin of elite performance. War Horse Place is also showing ambition, bringing Classic winner Rombauer in from the cold at $6,000, while SMOOTH LIKE STRAIT has every right to sire runners at a bargain $3,500. This teak-tough and classy horse definitely warrants a look, having repeatedly missed adding to his solitary Grade I score only by narrow margins, including a head, a neck (twice), and half a length. He earned $1.8 million across four full campaigns and has a bunch of top runners and producers under his third dam. Do not make the mistake of assuming that his basement fee limits the kind of breeder who should be interested in recycling his merit in an expanding turf program. VALUE PODIUM Bronze: UP TO THE MARK (Not This Time–Belle's Finale, by Ghostzapper) Lane's End $25,000 Up to the Mark | Coady Photography Here's a horse that taught a couple of valuable lessons for anyone smart enough to heed them. One is that the fearless approach can pay off even if you're beaten: the decision to risk a new distance at the Breeders' Cup, against a vintage group of Euro raiders, was arguably only thwarted by a dream trip for the winner and enabled Up to the Mark to tell us something new about himself–something that made us all think still more highly of him. Meanwhile the GI Mile was won by a horse he had nailed in their previous start, confirming his caliber at that trip. But a still more important lesson concerned a different type of versatility. Because our horses will only expand their boundaries if we push our own, and Up to the Mark's career confirms what has long been obvious to any student of pedigrees: even when horses might have an obvious surface, on paper, we have to remember that races aren't staged on paper. How many other talents remain unfulfilled, you wonder, because they are campaigned in prescriptive fashion? As it is, the slavish orthodoxies of our business have created a dividend for more imaginative breeders. Because the discovery that Up to the Mark was an elite performer on grass means that we get a much milder fee than would be the case for a dirt horse so narrowly denied a fourth consecutive Grade I success. And yet the pedigree that made it perfectly logical to start him on dirt–first four dams are by Ghostzapper, Capote, Fappiano and Key To The Mint–could easily filter into his second career. After all, Not This Time himself in this instance appears to have served as a conduit for the flexibility trademarked by Giant's Causeway. Maybe Up to the Mark can now emulate his grandsire by helping breeders to overcome their prejudices, especially in an era when the American turf program is growing far faster than the available pool of talent among Kentucky stallions. There's room at the top, after all, after the loss of Kitten's Joy and English Channel. And those who are squeamish about chlorophyll will surely be comforted that Up to the Mark's grandam Capote Bell won elite dirt dashes in the GI Test and GII Prioress. If he can breed a few to start their careers like he did, impressive in a Saratoga dirt sprint, then perhaps they will also emulate the kind of money he made as a $450,000 Book 1 yearling. Silver: COUNTRY GRAMMAR (Tonalist–Arabian Song, by Forestry) Winstar $10,000 Country Grammer | Benoit This horse was one of the great auction steals at just $110,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January Sale. It tells you a lot about our business that he had brought four times as much as a 2-year-old, at OBS April, yet had since won the GIII Peter Pan S.! He was chased home there by Caracaro (Uncle Mo) and Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), respectively GI Travers runner-up and GII Jim Dandy winner on their next starts. Though it was a poignant dispersal that put him into the ring, only WinStar were wide awake. The rest of us must keep going to work! Country Grammer now gets the chance to top up his earnings since–enormously inflated in the desert, but also very respectable in the best Californian company–at what could prove another bargain price. It's unsurprising to be reminded that this tremendously game animal draws on two doses of Pleasant Colony, responsible for the dams of both sire Tonalist and damsire Forestry. Tonalist may be keeping his price down but remember that Country Grammer's sire is himself extremely well-bred, while the second dam is a half-sister to a brilliant dasher in Etoile Montante (Miswaki) and granddaughter of the Juddmonte foundation mare Nijinsky Star (Nijinsky). The continued efficacy of this branch has been confirmed by both his granddam (produced a very fast juvenile in Britain) and his own mother, whose daughter by Runhappy banked over half a million with multiple graded stakes placings. On pedigree as well as performance, then, Country Grammer is absolutely entitled to sire an elite runner like himself, and you can't say that of many horses standing at this kind of money. Personally, I wouldn't labor the point about his earnings: nobody is going to deceive themselves that this is the third best American Thoroughbred of all time, and the real point of his Dubai win was that he had too much for the likes of Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), Life Is Good (Into Mischief) and Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow). And pinhookers should note the progress he made, admittedly as a May 11 foal, from $60,000 September yearling to his bullet breeze in Ocala. Gold: LOGGINS (Ghostzapper–Beyond Blame, by Blame) Hill 'n' Dale $7,500 Loggins | Coady Photography Like everybody else, and far more than many, I'm just guessing with all these horses. But every now and then even I can strike lucky and that was certainly the case with Not This Time. I was in his corner from the moment he went to stud in 2017 at $15,000-a fee he has meanwhile increased tenfold-and I feel there are striking echoes about this fellow, who starts at half that price. Both ran the subsequent champion juvenile to a neck on what unfortunately proved to be their final start, and in each case their connections were entitled to hope for revenge next time. At the Breeders' Cup Not This Time had to concede first run to Classic Empire, who exploited his cleaner trip but was all out to hold on. Loggins, in contrast, was exposed to a hot pace in the GI Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland, and yet rallied bravely as Forte picked up the pieces. Moreover, the winner jostled him towards the rail sufficiently for a rider objection, albeit one that was ultimately not sustained. Regardless it was a remarkable effort, against the GI Hopeful winner, from a horse that could not have learned too much when breaking his maiden by over eight lengths on debut. He now enters competition with Mystic Guide for what remains a slightly alarming vacancy as a worthy heir to their sire, who's plainly in the evening of his career as he welcomes Loggins to the barn. It would be a shame if such a flamboyant talent failed to secure a male conduit for genes that have already served Justify and Up to the Mark so well, through their dams. Loggins himself shared a damsire with Forte, in Blame. My feeling is that Blame's precocity in this capacity channels the quality both of his own maternal line, and that of his sire Arch. Now Loggins can combine that legacy with Ghostzapper's prowess as a broodmare sire, typical of the Deputy Minister sire-line. As such, any breeder who wouldn't mind retaining a filly would be well advised to consider Loggins. He was a $460,000 Saratoga yearling, remember, as the first starter for a graded stakes winner out of a half-sister to two others. The next dam is a dual Grade II-placed Unbridled's Song half-sister not only to Street Boss but also to the dam of another elite sprinter in Jack Christopher (Munnings). As the rest of this podium demonstrates, we'd appreciate rather more proof of soundness. But the bottom line is that a raw Loggins had shown himself to be nearly Forte's equal, forcing him seven lengths clear of smart horses like Red Route One (Gun Runner), Instant Coffee (Bolt d'Oro), Newgate (Into Mischief), Two Phil's (Hard Spun) and Funtastic Again (Funtastic). All served as complimentary proxies on the Derby trail after Loggins was derailed. Forte obviously achieved a much deeper body of work, but that's why he's basically seven times the price. Loggins has gone to a farm that has excelled with these brief meteors and its owner must have been very keen, given that Spendthrift was in the ownership group that made a deal to send him here. In the current fee climate, he has been priced with unbelievable generosity. That will surely secure the kind of volume that can help Loggins make his second career far more sustainable than his first. The Value Podium: New Sires Gold: LOGGINS. $7,500 Hill 'n' Dale. Reminiscent of Not This Time. Silver: COUNTRY GRAMMER. $10,000 WinStar. Modern career, old school merit. Bronze: UP TO THE MARK. $25,000 Lane's End. Turf discount but potential for any surface. Check out our breeders picks for their value sires of 2024. The post Kentucky Value Sires for 2024, Part I: New Stallions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After hearing from Chris McGrath in his 2024 Value Sires Part I, we thought we'd ask several breeders who they thought offered particularly good value this year. Here's what they said: Jody Huckaby The horses I have chosen are expensive, but I think they are good value. GOLD: Elite Power (Curlin-Broadway's Alibi, by Vindication), Juddmonte Farms, $50,000. The first horse I like for his body of work, race record, and pedigree is Elite Power. To me, he's on top of the list, with everything being considered. I look at it as a pie, and how many pieces of that pie can I get. He's brings the most pieces. I love his speed. I love his longevity, his consistency. His pedigree is deep–a very deep family top and bottom–and the conformation was there as well. SILVER: Gunite (Gun Runner-Simple Surprise, by Cowboy Cal), Ashford Stud, $40,000. Gunite would be number two for me, and it goes back to a lot of the same type of reasoning. He was a Grade I winner as a two-year-old, a very attractive horse to me, the way he ties together, the way he moves, and his longevity. That's a big deal for me, and yes at $40,000 it's steep, but when you start looking at all the pieces he brings to the table, a lot of the things he moves for me. BRONZE: Forte (Violence-Queen Caroline, by Blame), Spendthrift Farm, $50,000. I thought he was a really, really nice-looking horse, physically. A year from now, he's going to be a very imposing horse. He's still a little immature now but he will fill into an absolutely gorgeous horse. He was the two-year-old champion. We raced Loggins, and the defeat we had at Keeneland to Forte was gut-wrenching. It was just unfortunate, because Loggins had some bad luck in spots wasn't able to show his true colors, but he was a genuine racehorse. We're breeding several mares to him. He was as nice a yearling as we ever had. We have high hopes for him. Tommy Wente GOLD: Pappacap (Gun Runner-Pappascat, by Scat Daddy), Walmac Farm, $12,500. I think everybody is too high this year, and everybody is trying to get to the good horses and it's tough, but if anybody is good value, it's Pappacap at $12,500. He's a hard-knocking horse. He's very correct, a good size, and I think they could have stood him for a little more money, but they kept him at $12,500. For me, he's the best value there is among first-crop sires. He's a Gun Runner, who's very hot, and this horse could run. I booked three mares to him. SILVER: Proxy (Tapit-Panty Raid, by Include), Darley, $25,000. He's by Tapit, he's well-bred, and he's at Darley, where they're not going to overbreed this horse. I like that. He might be $5,000 to $10,000 more than I wanted to spend, so at $25,000 he's a little high, but for his pedigree, and where he is standing, he's got a good shot at $25,000. BRONZE: Two Phil's (Hard Spun-Mia Torri, by General Quarters), WinStar Farm, $12,500. I think Two Phil's is good value. He's a decent horse with good balance. He has a good front end, he's correct with a great body, has a great race record, and he's by Hard Spun. At $12,500, you've got a shot to make some money. Honorable Mention: Taiba (Gun Runner-Needmore Flattery, by Flatter), Spendthrift Farm, $35,000. I thought he was a good value, and I'm glad I got one, but he booked up so fast I couldn't get more mares to him. He had 300 applications on the first day they announced he was going to go to stud. I think that makes him good value. He probably could have stood for $50,000 or $60,000 and still filled up. I don't know how many mares they took, but as soon as the word got out, it was crazy. Sally Lockhart GOLD: Elite Power! I bought four seasons for clients before the Breeders' Cup and am so excited. What a phenomenal racehorse and outstanding individual. SILVER: Up to the Mark (Not This Time–Belle's Finale, by Ghostzapper), Lane's End Farm, $25,000. At $25,000 what's there not to like? Serious race record, son of Not This Time How can you go wrong? BRONZE: Loggins (Ghostzapper-Beyond Blame, by Blame), Hill 'n' Dale Farm, $7,500. Great price for a great physical. I loved him when I saw him. Such a shame we didn't see his true potential on the track. The post First-Crop Value Sires: The Breeders Speak appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The barrier draw may have further complicated the richest race in Australia this Saturday for many hopefuls, but trainer Mick Price suspects the rather aptly-named Gold Rush at Ascot might pan out perfectly for his runner Ayrton. Price said on Thursday that the expected high-pressure race, named in honor of Damien Oliver’s final race ride, would likely to suit Ayrton as long as he can ultimately get a clear run when it mattered most. “Just looking at the race, it’s a very busy race,” Price said. “I think they’ll go boot-scooting out of the gates, as a lot of horses that take a position have drawn out, like Dom To Shoot, Valour Road and Bustler. “We will go forward to be off the fence and off the pace. We don’t need to lead and we don’t need to get back; we’ve drawn a gate (11) where we can take advantage of being off the speed and off the fence. “I think it’s ideal. “But it’s a race with a lot of traffic and foremost, I am hoping for a clean run. If he gets buffeted or held up, it won’t be too good because he’s a momentum-type of horse. “I have a lot of respect for those tough Perth horses that are going around. They are tough horses and it’s a tough race to win, but we’ve trained on good and we’re in good condition, so we get our chance to be competitive.” Sportsbet has Ayrton marked a $9.50 chance behind the three-year-old favourites Ripcord ($6.50), Super Smink ($7) and the well-backed veteran Comfort Me ($8). Oliver’s mount Munhamek has drifted out to $10 after drawing poorly in gate 17. View the full article

Jockey Club approves the six-time Hong Kong champion rider’s request to miss the three cards immediately following the New Year’s Day programmeView the full article

Talented three-year-old Tokyo Tycoon will commence his path towards next month’s $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) when he heads to Te Rapa on Saturday to contest the Wentwood Grange 3YO (1200m). Tokyo Tycoon began his three-year-old term in brilliant style when winning the Listed El Roca – Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) at Hastings first-up, however, the wheels came off his preparation when he found the Heavy9 conditions too taxing at the Hawke’s Bay venue three weeks later when fifth in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m). The decision was made by trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson to give the Satono Aladdin gelding a freshen-up and they are pleased with the condition the diminutive gelding has returned in. “The heavy track tripped him up and when he got home he was pretty tired,” Bergerson said. “The two trips down there caught up with him and we thought it was a good time to give him a break. “We gave him a quick freshen-up and I am really glad that we did, he is the best he has ever looked. We got a bit of spring grass into him and he looks fantastic.” While not overly enamoured with his 900m trial at Taupo last month, where he finished fourth, Bergerson said he had a similar showing in his lead-up to the Colin Meads Trophy, so he isn’t overly concerned. “He is hard to get a line on here at home because he has been laidback. I thought he trialled okay at Taupo, but he has done that before when he won first-up at Hawke’s Bay,” he said. “He has got the most condition we have ever had on him. He is obviously not the biggest, but he is pretty electric when he is on song. I am really looking forward to it. “We want to get him to the Karaka Million at the end of January. Hopefully he runs well on Saturday and we can map a path.” Tokyo Tycoon will be met on Saturday by stablemate Quintessa, with the Shamus Award filly also fresh-up. Quintessa has won all three of her starts to date, including the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings in September. Her preparation was curtailed by a niggly injury following that run and Bergerson is looking forward to resuming her three-year-old campaign on Saturday. “She is another one that is unassuming here at home but when it comes to raceday, she really turns it on,” Bergerson said. “She had a bit of a setback following her last run, pulling a muscle in behind, so we gave her a bit of time and rehabbed her slowly. “She has come back in good order and her work this week has been super. I am really excited to see her step out as well.” Quintessa could be on a course to meet Tokyo Tycoon once more in the Karaka Million, however, her trainers are also contemplating targeting her at an elite-level assignment instead. “It is a bit up in the air where we go to after Saturday, whether we get her to that Karaka Million or the Levin Classic (Gr.1, 1600m),” Bergerson said. “We will be guided by Saturday’s performance.” View the full article

Wessex (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) is in good order to resume at Te Rapa on Saturday, although trainer Andrew Forsman believes the four-year-old will improve as she steps up in distance this preparation. The stakes-winning daughter of Turn Me Loose hasn’t raced since she finished fourth in the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) during the winter and will kick off her campaign in the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m). Wessex has a smart first-up record with two victories off a break and Forsman has been pleased with her progress since returning from a break. “She’s going well and has had a couple of quiet trials without the blinkers on and I think she’s been quite sharp,” he said. “For her on top of the ground, she is going to be better when she gets up to a mile. She could get some of it, but the race will set her up to get up to a mile pretty quickly.” Wessex, whose three wins feature a decisive front-running victory in the Gr.3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) earlier this year, and in just two outings further she ran third in last season’s Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m). “I think the Rich Hill Mile (Gr.2, 1600m) on New Year’s Day could be a nice race for her and if she ran well in that we might keep her ticking over for the Elsdon Park ($1 million Aotearoa Classic, 1600m),” Forsman said. He also has Ethereal Star (Snitzel) and Bella Ragazza (NZ) (Tivaci) in the Wentwood Grange 3YO (1200m), although the former may not front up. “I’m happy with her, but I don’t know if it’s the right race,” Forsman said. “It’s a small field and she’s got a niggly draw (seven) so it’s 50/50 whether she’ll run, I might wait for Pukekohe.” Ethereal Star enjoyed a lucrative juvenile campaign with success in the Listed Challenge Stakes (1100m), finished runner-up in the Karaka Million (1200m) and fourth in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). However, the Snitzel filly was below par in two unplaced runs in Melbourne earlier this season. “It’s often a time when they’re growing and can be all a bit much for them,” Forsman said. Bella Ragazza won on debut last term and then finished in behind the major players in stronger company. “She won early on in a soft sort of race and then lost her way a little bit,” Forsman said. “She’s by Tivaci so we’ve given her some time and hoping that she can relax and hit the line well on Saturday and that will give us confidence to get up to 1400m and a mile this preparation.” Forsman’s Te Rapa team is completed by Armino (Fastnet Rock) in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers’ Championship Qualifier (2200m) with Medina (NZ) (American Pharoah) a doubtful starter in the Power Farming Handicap (1300m) from a wide barrier (14). Armino was a close fourth at Pukekohe two runs back and the son of Fastnet Rock then ran eighth under trying circumstances at Te Rapa where he was taken on in front. “I thought it was a very brave run, a super effort, and if he gets any peace up on speed then he’ll be competitive,” Forsman said. View the full article

Samarkand (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) made it two wins in a row with success in the Class 4 Ngau Chi Wan Handicap (1800m) for David Hayes and Jerry Chau in Hong Kong on Wednesday night. Carrying 127lb, the Mongolian Khan gelding again show his liking for Happy Valley with another brave performance. “He’s acclimatised now and I have a feeling he’s that style of horse who really likes the Valley and can keep going through the classes because he’s got tactical speed and that makes it easier,” Hayes said. “We’ll race him around here and probably keep him to a mile. He can go 1800 (metres) but he’s more impressive at the mile.” Samarkand showed early promise in New Zealand finishing fourth on debut as a two-year-old in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) for Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman. He then went on to record a win and two seconds as a three-year-old before crossing the Tasman to join the stable of Bjorn Baker. He added another win and two placings to his record before heading to the Asian racing jurisdiction. View the full article

Scoring your first win in front of a bustling home crowd is what dreams are made of for most aspiring trainers, and for Leah Zydenbos that became a reality at Hastings on Wednesday. The Christmas at The Races twilight meeting attracted plenty of racegoers to Hastings Racecourse and local hope Candle made sure they had something to cheer about when taking out the Bramwell Bate Lawyers Handicap (1200m) for Zydenbos and training partner Guy Lowry. The daughter of Super Easy was slow away and settled at the rear of the field for apprentice jockey Lily Sutherland, who kept a cool head aboard the mare throughout. They entered the straight with all before them and Sutherland elected to stick to the fence where she was able to find a passage Candle snuck through to claim a 1-1/4 length victory. It is a moment that will live long in the memory of Zydenbos, 22, who recently joined Lowry in partnership. “It was really exciting to get that first win,” Zydenbos said. “Lily did a terrific job. When she was a little bit slow away, she waited for the gap up the straight and it came, and the horse sprinted away. We were very happy.” Zydenbos has had a lifelong involvement with horses, competing in showjumping and mounted games, and became a world champion in the latter before a chance encounter led her to pursue a career in racing. “I grew up showjumping and riding mounted games. In mounted games in 2017 I won a World Championship in a New Zealand team,” she said. “Through a mutual friend I ended up riding racehorses for the Pitman family down in Christchurch.” After gaining a grounding in racing in Canterbury, Zydenbos moved north to Hastings three years ago to work for Guy Lowry at Game Lodge and has enjoyed competing as an amateur jockey in recent years. “When I moved up to Hastings in 2020 I ended up working for Game Lodge and I went from there. I have ridden as an amateur and have really enjoyed that,” she said, “I won the Duke Of Gloucester Cup (aboard Nedwin) in 2021 down at Riccarton, which was a real highlight.” While still looking to compete in the amateur riding ranks, Zydenbos is enjoying her new challenge of training, but said she is still coming to grips with the opportunity she has been given at such a young age. “I am lucky to have the opportunity the Lowrys have given me. It doesn’t quite feel real yet,” she said. View the full article

Highly regarded two-year-old Montana Bay (NZ) (Thunder Down Under) will deliver a memorable victory at Te Rapa on Saturday if he can go one better on his previous visit to the Hamilton course. The ICIB Brokerweb 2YO (1100m) contender is prepared by Stephen Ralph for long-standing friends and clients Stuart and Cherie Hope, who enjoyed a successful association with the juvenile’s sire. Montana Bay has drawn a handy barrier (five) after producing a game performance last time out to finish runner-up from an awkward gate. “It was a good run and we had to jump from out wide and he got taken on to the first corner and he had to keep going,” Ralph said. “He just didn’t get a rest and it took a good one (Maracatu) to beat him. If he had jumped from an inside draw, he would have had a lot more petrol left at the other end. “He’s a quality animal and it was just a shame he didn’t get a breather, so we’re hoping for another good run and then look for a decent race for him.” “If he can front up, there’s one on January 1 (Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes, 1200m) and we’ll be off to have a crack at that.” Montana Bay is a son of Thunder Down Under, who won four races from Ralph’s stable including the Listed ARC 3YO Salver (2100m) and placed in the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m). Out of the Galileo mare River Dreaming, he subsequently retired to Ralph’s property and from limited books has produced three placegetters from four runners to date. “We really rate the Thunder Down Unders and Stuart and Cherie own half of the stallion with us,” Ralph said. “They have been in the game almost from the start with us and have been extremely successful, obviously with Santa Monica. “We all get on really well and they leave us to do our thing and trust our judgement.” Santa Monica (NZ) (Per Incanto) won the 2019 Gr.1 Railway (1200m) and is a half-sister to Montana Bay, whose sister and stablemate Monique Tonnerre (NZ) (Thunder Down Under) was a trial winner at Ellerslie on Monday, with their dam the Volksraad mare Monarch. Meanwhile, Ralph is looking forward to the next appearance of his talented but wayward three-year-old Leroy Brown (NZ) (Ace High). The son of Ace High impressively accounted for subsequent Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) runner-up Charmer (NZ) (Charm Spirit) at Tauranga two runs back before finishing fourth in the Listed Trevor & Corallie Memorial (1500m) at Te Rapa. “We were a bit disappointed last start because he led and he’s just not a leader and needs to take a sit,” Ralph said. “We’re trying to get to the Levin Classic (Gr.1, 1600m) so we’re going to have to hope that he wins on January 1 in a set weights and penalties over a mile or that he has enough points to get in.” The Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) is the long-term aim for Leroy Brown. “Hopefully, we can keep ticking the boxes as we go. He’s as green as grass but he’s got a massive future,” Ralph said. View the full article

What Caulfield Races Where Caulfield Racecourse – Gate 22, Station St, Caulfield East VIC 3145 When Saturday, December 16, 2023 First Race 12:15pm AEDT Visit Dabble Victorian metro racing heads to Caulfield on Saturday afternoon for a bumper 10-race program kicking off at 12:15pm local time. With no rain predicted in the lead-up, it should serve up a pristine Good 4 surface. The rail comes out +10m for the entire circuit, so it may pay to favour horses ridden on speed. Best Bet: Traffic Warden Traffic Warden did enough on debut at Rosehill on December 2 to suggest he can get the job done on his first trip to Melbourne. He chased gamely behind the talented Storm Boy but was only able to reel in the final margin to 2.3 lengths. Jamie Kah takes the reins this time, and with barrier three allowing her slot in closer for cover, Traffic Warden should be right in this two-year-old contest. Best Bet Race 1 – #1 Traffic Warden (3) 2yo Colt | T: James Cummings | J: Jamie Kah (59kg) -111.11 with PlayUp Next Best: Jambalaya Jambalaya is seeking back-to-back wins after producing a breathtaking performance on debut at Mooney Valley on November 17. The son of Shooting To Win went straight to the front and never looked like losing, heading to the wire under a hold for Jamie Kah. This BM70 is clearly more competitive, but with similar tactics to his first-up romp, Jambalaya will be hard to hold out. Next Best Race 7 – #3 Jambalaya (7) 3yo Gelding | T: James Cummings | J: Jamie Kah (57.5kg) +120 with Dabble Best Value: Spanish Tides The top betting sites are giving us a massive each-way price for Spanish Tides this weekend. She ran on well first-up at Cranbourne in open company behind Revolutionary Miss on November 25 and found enough to finish in the minor money despite lacking fitness. This BM78 is a big step down in grade, and with three wins from four second-up runs, Spanish Tides should be in the finish. Best Value Race 4 – #1 Spanish Tides (1) 7yo Mare | T: Luke Oliver | J: Wiremu Pinn (a2kg) (62kg) +1900 with Bet365 Caulfield Saturday quaddie tips – 16/12/2023 Caulfield quadrella selections Saturday, December 16, 2023 3 3-4-6-8-10-14 2-4-5-9-11 2-4-5-7-11-16-17-18 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

Our Alley Cat will contest the Group 3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Our Alley Cat will have several disadvantages to contend with in the Group 3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday, but trainer Vicki Prendergast hopes the score can be evened out with Opie Bosson on board. A winner of seven races, and more than $311,000 in stakes, Our Alley Cat sits on top of the book in the feature sprint with 59kg, her closest rivals being Romancing The Moon and Jodelin Gal, five kilograms adrift, and the rest of the 14-horse field on the minimum. The seven-year-old mare earned her 99 rating with classy, and often bridesmaid-status performances through the group sprints in past seasons, which she rectified with a deserved black-type victory in the Group 3 Spring Sprint (1400m) at Hastings in October. Typically among the quickest out of the gates, Our Alley Cat was uncharacteristically slow away last-start in the Group 2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe, and was unable to take up her usual on-speed position in the running, finishing an eventual sixth behind Campionessa. “She just missed the kick at Pukekohe. She was supposed to load last but that didn’t happen, and she’s pretty naughty in the gates so apparently when the gates opened she was playing up. She’s no good getting back like that,” Prendergast said. “She’s been fine since then and she’s in really good order for Saturday, we’re really happy with her.” Our Alley Cat will also contend with a wide draw in 12 at Te Rapa, Prendergast’s decision to start her mare fairly reliant on having the expertise of Bosson in the saddle. “I reckon Opie takes about five kilos off and she has to be a chance when he gets on her. I’m not sure I’d start her with anyone else, but having him on, I think it’s worth giving her a go,” she said. Although identifying the mare’s pet distance as 1400m, Prendergast is debating a start in the Group 1 Sistema Railway (1200m) on New Year’s Day at Pukekohe over the mile features through the summer. “I haven’t really decided on the Railway, I’ve kept her nomination in because I think she’s better over 1200m than she is over a mile, so we’re still thinking on that one.” More horse racing news View the full article

Tokyo Tycoon will resume his three-year-old campaign at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Talented three-year-old Tokyo Tycoon will commence his path towards next month’s $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) when he heads to Te Rapa on Saturday to contest the Wentwood Grange 3YO (1200m). Tokyo Tycoon began his three-year-old term in brilliant style when winning the Listed El Roca – Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) at Hastings first-up, however, the wheels came off his preparation when he found the Heavy 9 conditions too taxing at the Hawke’s Bay venue three weeks later when fifth in the Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m). The decision was made by trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson to give the Satono Aladdin gelding a freshen-up and they are pleased with the condition the diminutive gelding has returned in. “The heavy track tripped him up and when he got home he was pretty tired,” Bergerson said. “The two trips down there caught up with him and we thought it was a good time to give him a break. “We gave him a quick freshen-up and I am really glad that we did, he is the best he has ever looked. We got a bit of spring grass into him and he looks fantastic.” While not overly enamoured with his 900m trial at Taupo last month, where he finished fourth, Bergerson said he had a similar showing in his lead-up to the Colin Meads Trophy, so he isn’t overly concerned. “He is hard to get a line on here at home because he has been laidback. I thought he trialled okay at Taupo, but he has done that before when he won first-up at Hawke’s Bay,” he said. “He has got the most condition we have ever had on him. He is obviously not the biggest, but he is pretty electric when he is on song. I am really looking forward to it. “We want to get him to the Karaka Million at the end of January. Hopefully he runs well on Saturday and we can map a path.” Tokyo Tycoon will be met on Saturday by stablemate Quintessa, with the Shamus Award filly also fresh-up. Quintessa has won all three of her starts to date, including the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings in September. Her preparation was curtailed by a niggly injury following that run and Bergerson is looking forward to resuming her three-year-old campaign on Saturday. “She is another one that is unassuming here at home but when it comes to raceday, she really turns it on,” Bergerson said. “She had a bit of a setback following her last run, pulling a muscle in behind, so we gave her a bit of time and rehabbed her slowly. “She has come back in good order and her work this week has been super. I am really excited to see her step out as well.” Quintessa could be on a course to meet Tokyo Tycoon once more in the Karaka Million, however, her trainers are also contemplating targeting her at an elite-level assignment instead. “It is a bit up in the air where we go to after Saturday, whether we get her to that Karaka Million or the Levin Classic (Group 1, 1600m),” Bergerson said. “We will be guided by Saturday’s performance.” More horse racing news View the full article

Wessex will kick-off her summer campaign in the Group 3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo: Trish Dunell Wessex is in good order to resume at Te Rapa on Saturday, although trainer Andrew Forsman believes the four-year-old will improve as she steps up in distance this preparation. The stakes-winning daughter of Turn Me Loose hasn’t raced since she finished fourth in the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) during the winter and will kick off her campaign in the Group 3 J Swap Sprint (1400m). Wessex has a smart first-up record with two victories off a break and Forsman has been pleased with her progress since returning from a break. “She’s going well and has had a couple of quiet trials without the blinkers on and I think she’s been quite sharp,” he said. “For her on top of the ground, she is going to be better when she gets up to a mile. She could get some of it, but the race will set her up to get up to a mile pretty quickly.” Wessex, whose three wins feature a decisive front-running victory in the Group 3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) earlier this year, and in just two outings further she ran third in last season’s Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m). “I think the Rich Hill Mile (Group 2, 1600m) on New Year’s Day could be a nice race for her and if she ran well in that we might keep her ticking over for the Elsdon Park ($1 million Aotearoa Classic, 1600m),” Forsman said. He also has Ethereal Star and Bella Ragazza in the Wentwood Grange 3YO (1200m), although the former may not front up. “I’m happy with her, but I don’t know if it’s the right race,” Forsman said. “It’s a small field and she’s got a niggly draw (seven) so it’s 50/50 whether she’ll run, I might wait for Pukekohe.” Ethereal Star enjoyed a lucrative juvenile campaign with success in the Listed Challenge Stakes (1100m), finished runner-up in the Karaka Million (1200m) and fourth in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). However, the Snitzel filly was below par in two unplaced runs in Melbourne earlier this season. “It’s often a time when they’re growing and can be all a bit much for them,” Forsman said. Bella Ragazza won on debut last term and then finished in behind the major players in stronger company. “She won early on in a soft sort of race and then lost her way a little bit,” Forsman said. “She’s by Tivaci so we’ve given her some time and hoping that she can relax and hit the line well on Saturday and that will give us confidence to get up to 1400m and a mile this preparation.” Forsman’s Te Rapa team is completed by Armino in the Stayers’ Championship Qualifier (2200m) with Medina a doubtful starter in the Power Farming Handicap (1300m) from a wide barrier (14). Armino was a close fourth at Pukekohe two runs back and the son of Fastnet Rock then ran eighth under trying circumstances at Te Rapa where he was taken on in front. “I thought it was a very brave run, a super effort, and if he gets any peace up on speed then he’ll be competitive,” Forsman said. More horse racing news View the full article

What Damien Oliver Gold Rush Day Where Ascot Racecourse – 71 Grandstand Rd, Ascot WA 6104 When Saturday, December 16, 2023 First Race 12:29pm AWST Visit Dabble The Group 3 Damien Oliver Gold Rush will headline the final day of The Pinnacles at Ascot this Saturday afternoon. With warm weather forecast across the weekend, the track should remain in the Good range for the whole nine-race program. The rail will be moved from the +8m position from last Saturday to the +4m position for the entire circuit, with racing to get underway at 12:29pm AWST. Check out our Gold Rush preview and $100 betting strategy here Starstruck Classic Tip: Rusty Dreams Last start, Rusty Dreams made up a lot of ground from the back of the field to finish second behind Baby Paris in the Listed Jungle Dawn Classic. This daughter of Universal Ruler has shown versatility in her racing, as she can go forward and sit on-speed or settle last and run on strongly. With little speed engaged in this race, Damien Lane should be able to push forward and settle just ahead of the main dangers, which could prove pivotal. Starstruck Classic Race 4 – #2 Rusty Dreams (6) 4yo Mare | T: Michael Lane | J: Damien Lane (56.5kg) +240 with Picklebet Best Bet at Ascot: Billy Ray Last weekend, Billy Ray dropped back from Group 3 level to a 1600m Benchmark 78+ and was very good behind the in-form Starry Heights. Backing up seven days later, the son of Sebring steps down in grade again to a Benchmark 72 but will only rise 1kg in the weights. With Michael Poy retaining the ride and jumping barrier four, this gelding should be able to settle midfield off the rails and work his way into the race around the home turn. Best Bet Race 3 – #2 Billy Ray (4) 6yo Gelding | T: Luke Fernie | J: Michael Poy (59.5kg) +220 with Neds Next Best at Ascot: Devine Belief David Harrison-trained Devine Belief was a dominant winner over 1000m on December 2, running away from his rivals to record a two-length victory over Baalbek. This four-year-old mare won her only prior second-up start and will enjoy the rise in trip to 1100m in a slightly stronger race. Damien Oliver jumps in the saddle, and from barrier seven he will push forward and settle in the one-one position before peeling off the leader’s back to take control in the final 200m. Next Best Race 7 – #7 Devine Belief (1) 4yo Mare | T: David Harrision | J: Damien Oliver (56.5kg) +320 with Boombet Best Value at Ascot: Full Of Merit Full Of Merit finally broke her maiden on December 3 in Pinjarra, where she sat outside the leader before taking over at the top of the home straight to win by 1.3 lengths over 1500m. This weekend, jockey Holly Watson will look to push forward from barrier one, take a solo lead and run the race to suit her mount. If Full Of Merit can get away with some cheap sectionals through the middle of the race, she will prove very hard to run down. Best Value Race 2 – #11 Full Of Merit (13) 4yo Mare | T: Dion Luciani | J: Holly Watson (54kg) +1500 with Dabble Saturday quaddie tips for Damien Oliver Gold Rush Day Ascot quadrella selections Saturday, December 16, 2023 5-9-10 7-9-11 1-5-13 2-4-5-16-18 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

Leah Zydenbos recorded her first training win at Hastings on Wednesday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Scoring your first win in front of a bustling home crowd is what dreams are made of for most aspiring trainers, and for Leah Zydenbos that became a reality at Hastings on Wednesday. The Christmas at The Races twilight meeting attracted plenty of racegoers to Hastings Racecourse and local hope Candle made sure they had something to cheer about when taking out the Bramwell Bate Lawyers Handicap (1200m) for Zydenbos and training partner Guy Lowry. The daughter of Super Easy was slow away and settled at the rear of the field for apprentice jockey Lily Sutherland, who kept a cool head aboard the mare throughout. They entered the straight with all before them and Sutherland elected to stick to the fence where she was able to find a passage Candle snuck through to claim a 1-1/4 length victory. It is a moment that will live long in the memory of Zydenbos, 22, who recently joined Lowry in partnership. “It was really exciting to get that first win,” Zydenbos said. “Lily did a terrific job. When she was a little bit slow away, she waited for the gap up the straight and it came, and the horse sprinted away. We were very happy.” Zydenbos has had a lifelong involvement with horses, competing in showjumping and mounted games, and became a world champion in the latter before a chance encounter led her to pursue a career in racing. “I grew up showjumping and riding mounted games. In mounted games in 2017 I won a World Championship in a New Zealand team,” she said. “Through a mutual friend I ended up riding racehorses for the Pitman family down in Christchurch.” After gaining a grounding in racing in Canterbury, Zydenbos moved north to Hastings three years ago to work for Guy Lowry at Game Lodge and has enjoyed competing as an amateur jockey in recent years. “When I moved up to Hastings in 2020 I ended up working for Game Lodge and I went from there. I have ridden as an amateur and have really enjoyed that,” she said, “I won the Duke Of Gloucester Cup (aboard Nedwin) in 2021 down at Riccarton, which was a real highlight.” While still looking to compete in the amateur riding ranks, Zydenbos is enjoying her new challenge of training, but said she is still coming to grips with the opportunity she has been given at such a young age. “I am lucky to have the opportunity the Lowrys have given me. It doesn’t quite feel real yet,” she said. More horse racing news View the full article

Montana Bay (outside) will contest the ICIB Brokerweb 2YO (1100m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Highly regarded two-year-old Montana Bay will deliver a memorable victory at Te Rapa on Saturday if he can go one better on his previous visit to the Hamilton course. The ICIB Brokerweb 2YO (1100m) contender is prepared by Stephen Ralph for long-standing friends and clients Stuart and Cherie Hope, who enjoyed a successful association with the juvenile’s sire. Montana Bay has drawn a handy barrier (five) after producing a game performance last time out to finish runner-up from an awkward gate. “It was a good run and we had to jump from out wide and he got taken on to the first corner and he had to keep going,” Ralph said. “He just didn’t get a rest and it took a good one (Maracatu) to beat him. If he had jumped from an inside draw, he would have had a lot more petrol left at the other end. “He’s a quality animal and it was just a shame he didn’t get a breather, so we’re hoping for another good run and then look for a decent race for him.” “If he can front up, there’s one on January 1 (Group 2 Eclipse Stakes, 1200m) and we’ll be off to have a crack at that.” Montana Bay is a son of Thunder Down Under, who won four races from Ralph’s stable including the Listed ARC 3YO Salver (2100m) and placed in the Group 3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m). Out of the Galileo mare River Dreaming, he subsequently retired to Ralph’s property and from limited books has produced three placegetters from four runners to date. “We really rate the Thunder Down Unders and Stuart and Cherie own half of the stallion with us,” Ralph said. “They have been in the game almost from the start with us and have been extremely successful, obviously with Santa Monica. “We all get on really well and they leave us to do our thing and trust our judgement.” Santa Monica won the 2019 Group 1 Railway (1200m) and is a half-sister to Montana Bay, whose sister and stablemate Monique Tonnerre was a trial winner at Ellerslie on Monday, with their dam the Volksraad mare Monarch. Meanwhile, Ralph is looking forward to the next appearance of his talented but wayward three-year-old Leroy Brown. The son of Ace High impressively accounted for subsequent Group 3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) runner-up Charmer at Tauranga two runs back before finishing fourth in the Listed Trevor & Corallie Memorial (1500m) at Te Rapa. “We were a bit disappointed last start because he led and he’s just not a leader and needs to take a sit,” Ralph said. “We’re trying to get to the Levin Classic (Group 1, 1600m) so we’re going to have to hope that he wins on January 1 in a set weights and penalties over a mile or that he has enough points to get in.” The Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) is the long-term aim for Leroy Brown. “Hopefully, we can keep ticking the boxes as we go. He’s as green as grass but he’s got a massive future,” Ralph said. More horse racing news View the full article

What Randwick Races Where Royal Randwick Racecourse – Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031 When Saturday, December 16, 2023 First Race 12:30pm AEDT Visit Dabble Royal Randwick is the destination for NSW metropolitan racing this Saturday, with 10 races set for decision. The rail moves out +4m the entire circuit for the meeting, and with warm weather forecast in the lead-up, the track should sit comfortably in the Good range. The first race is scheduled to get underway at 12:30pm AEDT. Best Bet: Zouphoria Zouphoria broke her maiden status in style last start on Randwick’s Kensington circuit, making every post a winner. Jett Stanley’s 2kg claim leaves the daughter of Zoustar with just 50.5kg on her back, so we can expect a similar front-running display this weekend. Provided she gets across to lead again, Zouphoria will be hard to catch when they straighten for home. Best Bet Race 3 – #10 Zouphoria (3) 3yo Filly | T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | J: Jett Stanley (a2kg) (52.5kg) +160 with Bet365 Next Best: Louisville Louisville should be fit and firing as he heads to Randwick third-up. The son of Redwood was gallant last start but could not cut into the margin quick enough, going down to Cloudland by a half-length. A small field and lack of tempo went against the five-year-old, but with more speed on in this BM78 contest, watch for Louisville to be closing off down the centre. Next Best Race 8 – #11 Louisville (5) 5yo Gelding | T: Chris Waller | J: Tommy Berry (56.5kg) +340 with Neds Best Value: Glory Daze Following a gelding operation and two barrier trials, Glory Daze is set to return after 273 days off the scene. He has been a terrific find for connections, winning twice in his four starts since arriving in Australia — one of which came at this course on February 25. Although the 1600m may be short of his best trip, Glory Daze looks way over the odds with online bookmakers. Best Value Race 7 – #9 Glory Daze (5) 5yo Gelding | T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | J: Rachel King (53.5kg) +1000 with Unibet Randwick Saturday quaddie tips – 16/12/2023 Randwick quadrella selections Friday, December 16, 2023 2-5-9-11-15 1-6-7-11 3-4-5-10 9-10-11-12 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article