Wandering Eyes

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 Crimson Advocate winning the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot in a photo finish. It was a huge moment and accomplishment for my young syndicate. The post What Was Your Favorite Moment of 2023: Jake Ballis appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Horse Racing on Wednesday, December 13 will feature six meetings in Australia. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the top bets and the quaddie numbers for the meetings at Wyong, Eagle Farm and Happy Valley (HK). Wednesday Racing Tips – December 13, 2023 Eagle Farm Racing Tips Wyong Racing Tips Happy Valley Racing Tips Best Horse Racing Bets For December 13, 2023 Place these horse racing bets in a multi for $28.88 odds return: Wednesday, December 13, 2023 Eagle Farm – Race 4 #6 Already A Star Wyong – Race 2 #2 Aunt Roberta Wyong – Race 4 #6 Royal Merchant Wyong – Race 6 #4 Spywire | Copy this bet straight to your betslip As always there a plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans, check out all the top online bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on December 13, 2023 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. More horse racing tips View the full article

Online bookmakers have released their racing promotions for Wednesday, December 13, including several great bonus back offers. The top Australian racing promotions for December 13, 2023, include: Today’s best horse racing promotions Bonus Back for 2nd & 3rd Races 1-4 at Wyong. Back a runner in races 1-4 at Wyong this Wednesday and if it runs 2nd or 3rd get up to $50 in Bonus Cash. Fixed Win bets only. 18+ Gamble Responsibly. Neds T&Cs apply. Login to Neds to Claim Promo Bonus Back for 2nd & 3rd Races 1-4 at Mornington Get your stake back in bonus bets. Limits apply. Eligible clients only. General T&Cs apply. Login to PlayUp to Claim Promo Wednesday Bonus Back 2nd or 3rd Races 1-3 at Mornington & Wyong Minimum 6 runners. Fixed Odds only. Check Vault for eligibility. Limits may apply. T&Cs apply. Login to UniBet to Claim Promo How does horsebetting.com.au source its racing bonus offers? HorseBetting has reviewed the top horse racing bookmakers in Australia and has unveiled exclusive thoroughbred bonus promotions and specials for Wednesday, December 13, 2023. These horse racing promotions persist almost daily, showcasing the commitment of Australia’s top horse racing bookmakers. If one bookmaker lacks a promotion, rest assured that another is presenting enticing promotional offers in the realm of gallops. HorseBetting.com.au is your go-to source for the most lucrative horse racing bookmaker bonuses every day. Gain the most value out of your punting endeavours with bookie bonuses with the most competitive horse racing odds available for each race. It’s imperative to note that these thoroughbred racing promotion offers cater exclusively to existing customers. Accessing these special promotions and claiming the bookmaker’s offers requires logging in to each online bookmaker’s platform. For those seeking races and horses to leverage their horse betting bookmaker bonus bets, HorseBetting offers a valuable resource with its daily free racing tips. Stay informed, stay strategic, and make the most of your horse racing experience with these exclusive promotions. More horse racing promotions View the full article

Another challenger to watch is Strong Quality. By Quality Road, the 4-year-old colt runs well when not in grade 1 company. He is 4-4-2 from 12 non-grade 1 starts, with two fourths being his worst finishes.View the full article

Desert Dawn, winless in 10 starts since capturing the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) in April 2022, drops in class to lead the $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) at Los Alamitos Race Course Dec. 15.View the full article

The Fourth Annual Indiana Thoroughbred Alliance (ITA) Stallions and Services Auction launches online Monday, Dec. 18 at 9 a.m. EST. The one-day event will close bidding the same day at 4 p.m., with a preview live Dec. 15-17 at equiring.com/sale/290/ITA24. The auction will feature stallions from Kentucky's Darby Dan, Spendthrift Farm, WinStar Farm, and Crestwood; from Indiana's Indiana Stallion Station, Breakway Farm, and Arrowhead Thoroughbreds; and from Ohio's Poplar Creek Horse Center. The auction also offers services and equipment, such as massage and PEMF services, transportation services , broodmare board, veterinary services, and more. “The mission of our auction is to bring together the industry to raise money for numerous causes,” said Christine Cagle, the ITA Stallions and Services Auction Chairperson. “We realize there is a need for more assistance in our state when it comes to facilitating education, boosting promotion, and lifting the industry. Having our auction prior to the holidays is the perfect excuse for some last-minute gift shopping as well as tax deductions prior to the end of the year. This is our one big fundraiser we do, and all of the money goes to a greater good.” The auction has raised almost $100,000 since 2020, with nearly 90% of that money going back into the Indiana horse industry. The proceeds have funded scholarships, racehorse aftercare, breeder and owner education, the ITA Industry Crisis Fund, and promotional efforts for the Indiana Thoroughbred industry. All listings and updates are posted on the ITA's Facebook page and the ITA's website. The post ITA Stallions and Services Auction Set for Dec. 16 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)-related rulings from around the country. Among the key rulings from the last seven days, trainer Philip Aristone has been suspended for a combined 105 days and fined a total $7,500 after two of his horses tested positive post-race for Lamotrigine, a Class A controlled medication under HISA. According to the National Institutes of Health, Lamotrigine is an anti-seizure, anti-epilepsy drug that is also used off-label to treat other human health issues like acute bipolar depression, fibromyalgia, schizophrenia, and unipolar depression. Los Alamitos-based trainer Reed Saldana has also been banned for two years and fined $25,000 after one of his horses tested positive post-race for the banned substance, Diisopropylamine, a vasodilator, meaning it can cause blood vessels to open or dilate. Diisopropylamine is also found in commonly used human products like hand sanitizer. A Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) arbitration body heard Saldana's case, for which he did not engage an attorney. The next option for covered persons who wish to contest a HIWU arbitration decision is to appeal the result to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 11/4/2023 Licensee: Jeff Hiles, trainer Penalty: A fine of $3,000; imposition of 3 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: A possible violation of Rule 3314—Use or Attempted Use of a Controlled Medication Substance or a Controlled Medication Method—on the horse, Blue Devil. This was also a possible violation of Rule 4222—Intra-Articular Injections Within Seven (7) Days of Timed and Reported Workout. Date: 11/01/2023 Licensee: Steve Krebs, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: For the presence of Guaifenesin—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Burn The Evidence, who won at Parx Racing on 11/1/23. This was a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List). Date: 10/31/2023 Licensee: Ortis Henry, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: For the presence of Glycopyrrolate—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Empress Palpatine, who finished second at Finger Lakes on 10/31/23. This was a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List). Date: 10/29/2023 Licensee: Michael Ferraro, trainer Penalty: A fine of $3,000; imposition of 3 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: A possible violation of Rule 3314—Use or Attempted Use of a Controlled Medication Substance or a Controlled Medication Method—on the horse, Princess Sonya. This was also a possible violation of Rule 4222—Intra-Articular Injections Within Seven (7) Days of Timed and Reported Workout. Date: 09/06/2023 Licensee: Carl James Deville, trainer Penalty: No penalties. HIWU withdrew its Equine Anti-Doping (EAD) charges. Explainer: For the presence of Tapentadol and Butalbital—banned substances—in a sample taken from Eurobeliever, who was pulled up and vanned off at Presque Isle Downs on 9/6/23. This was a possible violation of Rule 3212—Presence of a Banned Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List). Date: 09/06/2023 Licensee: Philip Aristone, trainer Penalty: 45-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on January 5, 2024; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $5,000; imposition of 3 Penalty Points; Additional 30-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on February 19, 2024, as a result of the accumulation of 6 penalty points.Admission. Explainer: For the presence of Lamotrigine—Controlled Medications (Class A)—in a sample taken from Jewels in the Bay, who won at Parx Racing on 9/06/23. This was a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List). Date: 9/03/2023 Licensee: Debbie Van Horne, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: For the presence of Phenylbutazone—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from You're the Cause, who won at Emerald Downs on 9/3/23. This was a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List). Date: 08/12/2023 Licensee: Faustino Patino Lopez, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: For the presence of Dexamethasone—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Night to Remember, who finished third at Emerald Downs on 8/12/23. This was a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of a Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List Workout). Date: 08/08/2023 Licensee: Michael Pappada, trainer Penalty: No penalties. HIWU withdrew its Equine Anti-Doping (EAD) charges. Explainer: For the presence of Tapentadol—a banned substance—in a sample taken from Truckin Tommy, who finished third at Presque Isle Downs on 8/8/23. This was a possible violation of Rule 3212—Presence of a Banned Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers. Date: 08/04/2023 Licensee: Philip Aristone, trainer Penalty: 30-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on December 6, 2023; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $2,500; imposition of 3 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: For the presence of Lamotrigine—Controlled Medications (Class B)—in a sample taken from Field Letters, who won at Penn National on 8/4/23. This was a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List). Date: 06/16/2023 Licensee: Reed Saldana, trainer Penalty: 24-month period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on July 6, 2023; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $25,000; payment of $12,000 of arbitration costs. Final decision of an arbitral body. Explainer: For the presence of Diisopropylamine—a banned substance—in a sample taken from Ice Queen, who finished third at Santa Anita on 6/16/23. This was a possible violation of Rule 3212—Presence of a Banned Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers. Read more on the story here. Pending ADMC Violations Date: 11/05/2023 Licensee: Anthony Farrior, trainer Penalty: Pending Alleged violation: Medication violation Explainer: For the presence of Metformin—a banned substance—in a sample taken from Geothermal, who raced at Laurel Park on 11/5/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3212—Presence of a Banned Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers. Read more on the story here. Date: 11/05/2023 Licensee: Jose Puentes, trainer Penalty: Pending Alleged violation: Medication violation Explainer: For the presence of Acepromazine—Controlled Medication (Class B)—in a sample taken from J and K Express. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List). Violations of Crop Rule One important note: HISA's whip use limit is restricted to six strikes during a race. Los Alamitos Tyler Baze – violation date Dec 8; $250 fine, one-day suspension J.G. Torrealba – violation date Dec 8; $250 fine, one-day suspension The post Weekly Stewards and Commissions Rulings, Dec. 5-11 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Roy Smith, who inaugurated the racetrack superintendent field day in 2001, was honored with the Racetrack Superintendent's Innovator Award during last week's University of Arizona Race Track Industry Symposium. A second-generation race tracker, Smith served as assistant track superintendent to Blackie Chobanian at Suffolk Downs in 1977 and he took charge after Chobanian's passing in 1981. He moved to Philadelphia Park in 1984 and worked at the Pennsylvania track for 31 years before moving to Indiana Grand in 2014. Smith was selected for the 2023 superintendent's innovator award for his work in professionalizing the career of racetrack superintendent and introducing the concept of continuing education to the community. The idea of continuing education is now part of the Regulations of the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority. His vision of a collaborative profession focused on the safety of the horse and rider is embodied in the Superintendent's Field Day and more recently with the new version of the Dirt Panel that has been held at RTIP since 2021. The Racetrack Superintendent's Innovator Award is given to recognize the critical professionals who maintain racing surfaces for safety and fairness. The post Roy Smith Honored With Superintendent Innovator Award appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Here’s this week’s Box Seat with hosts Greg O’Connor and Michael Guerin. View the full article

By Jonny Turner After producing career highlights on Grand Prix day, a couple of local lads will be out to chase more success at Oamaru on Wednesday. In the reasonably early stages of what are sure to be stellar training careers, both Matthew Williamson and Kaleb Bublitz produced their first Group 1 placings on Sunday. Williamson’s Princess Sadie stormed home to take third in the Group 1 Ace Of Hearts, while The Merc gave a great sight while running second for Bublitz in the Group 1 Ace Of Clubs. Williamson and Bublitz will combine with two runners at Oamaru, with Bublitz to drive Winning Bones (race 7) and Hayley Robyn (race 9) for Williamson. “Hayley Robyn’s work has been good, and she’s got a good draw; we are still learning about her, but I am hopeful she can go a pretty nice race,” Williamson said. “She would probably be the best chance out of my team.” “Winning Bones is as good as anything in the field he is racing, but he has been a bit disappointing in his last couple of starts.” “He is better for having a couple of runs, so I am hoping he can show his best this time.” Williamson has three starters from his team racing each other in two races on Wednesday. Dem Bones Dem Bones and Granny Rose take on Winning Bones, while Hunting Weight and Wolfenstein square off with Hayley Robyn. The trainer’s remaining runner Jordan Anne looks a place contender in race 5. Williamson teams up with several handy outside drives on the Oamaru grass on Wednesday. Among them is Sheza Trendy One who can start the reinsman’s day off in style in race 1. “She looks a big winning hope; she was only just nailed on the line on the grass at Wingatui.” “She wouldn’t have to go much better on Wednesday to be hard to catch.” The Steve Allen trained first starter in Lord Fantasy in race 4 also looks a winning threat for Williamson. “He has trialled nice, and he seems to have a bit of upside; he’s a good chance.” Major Cheddar also looks a threat for Williamson and trainer Brad Mowbray in race 2. “He was pretty solid at Wingatui last week, and he gets into a very suitable race; he’s another one that looks a handy chance.” Classie Linc is probably the most talented horse Williamson combines with on Wednesday. But in her first standing start, the mare also looks the riskiest proposition. Classie Linc was very slowly away in a recent trial, which should have punters nervous about her chances in race 6. “The first 10m is going to tell the story; if she gets away with them, she’s a big chance, but she can’t afford to do much wrong over 2000m.” View the full article

Thoroughbred trainers Dale Romans, John Sadler, Shug McGaughey and racing and bloodstock manager Gavin Murphy have joined HISA's Horsemen's Advisory Group.View the full article

The Horserace Betting Levy Board's (HBLB) 2022/23 Annual Report outlined that statutory Levy income to the Board was £100 million, the highest since the Levy collection reforms of 2017. The last two months of Apr. 1, 2022 through Mar. 31, 2023 term saw bookmakers' gross profits increasing significantly on the Board's projections taking into account the actual results to that point and historic comparisons. Over the 12-month period, the Board reports of a continuing decline in turnover (amount staked) which was being partially mitigated by improved margins and gross win (amount retained by bookmakers), the basis on which Levy is paid. The trends have continued into 2023/24. “Whether or not these trends in turnover and gross win will be sustained will become clear with time,” said Chief Executive Alan Delmonte. “While the short-term position provides reassurance in terms of income projection, the Board must however remain cautious because the underlying position is that turnover has declined over a sustained period. Ultimately, whatever the cause, falling turnover is unlikely to prove a positive for the sport's long-term health.” Also outlined in the reports: The achievement of a small operating surplus in the year, in part due to the Board receiving from the Racing Foundation the second £3m of the £6m over two years generously contributed towards the Board's grants for people training and education initiatives. The publication of the Board's first three-year Business Plan, during 2022/23. The updated and enhanced processes for inviting, assessing and monitoring grant applications. The decision to increase transparency with the publication of the Board's race by race prize money contribution, providing greater visibility for the sport's participants about where the Board's prize money funds are directed. Saving an ongoing £100,000 per annum on administrative costs with the move to smaller office premises. To view the Annual Report, click here. The post Levy Releases Annual Report: Income Hits 100M, Betting Turnover Declines appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

On Nov. 3, Meadowlands owner Jeff Gural announced that it was banning 33 trainers and owners, including Howard Taylor, after claiming that evidence and exhibits track officials were able to retain from the doping trials that had taken place over the previous months revealed a list of individuals who had purchased banned substances. The press release listed Taylor as being among those who had allegedly purchased EPO. On Tuesday, Taylor fired back. According to a press release issued by Tilden Katz of Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies, Taylor has sued Gural alleging defamation and related crimes for his accusations that Taylor was purchasing EPO, which, Gural implied, he was supplying to his trainers. Katz said that the statements Gural had made were untrue. “No facts, in either the Meadowlands press release or the article, supported the claim that Taylor ever gave Epogen to any of his trainers or that Taylor ever instructed any trainer to use Epogen on his horses,” Katz said. The lawsuit, Howard Taylor v. Jeffrey Gural, was filed in federal court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Taylor is a lawyer based in Philadelphia who specializes in equine and horse racing related issues. He has one of the largest stables in the sport of harness racing, one that normally has about 170 horses. The post Harness Owner Howard Taylor Sues Jeff Gural for Defamation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Walk In The Park (Ire) sired four of the six highest foals and the three top lots, as the Goffs December National Hunt Sale continued on Tuesday. Ballincurrig House Stud consigned lot 294, a son of Appy Days (Ire) (King's Theatre {Ire}), and he caught the eyes of Gerry Aherne and Charles Shanahan for €90,000. His dam is out of G3 Nell Gwyn S. heroine A-To-Z (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}). Said the colt's breeder Cathal Ennis, “I've had my fair share of setbacks and bred enough slow ones too. I'm not saying I'm successful at all, but if there's one thing I am very fussy about, rightly or wrongly, it's broodmare sires. “I love mares by King's Theatre, Presenting, Saint Des Saints and so on. I set a lot of store by them. Look at Saddlers' Hall, who was disappointing as a sire, but his daughters were dynamite.” Second on the list was Castlefarm Stud's son of Ard Abhainn (Ire) (lot 296), who sold for €80,000 to Kevin Ross Bloodstock and Killeen Glebe. His dam, a daughter of Jeremy, won a listed race over hurdles. Rounding out the top trio was a bay colt (lot 226) from the draft of Thistletown Stud. Snapped up by Rathmore Stud for €80,000, he is out of the Shirocco (Ger) mare Valjan (GB), herself a half-sister to G1 Champion Hurdle winner Katchi (Ire) (Kalanisi {Ire}). At the close of trade, 132 lots sold (58%) for a gross of €2,157,800. The average remained almost even with 2022's at €16,347, and the median rose €20% to €12,000. The post Walk In The Park Reigns At Goffs December appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A pair of runners competing during Kentucky Derby week at Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby, will be offered wild card entries for Epsom's 3-year-old Classics contested four weeks later. The winner of Churchill's $500,000 GII Edgewood S., contested on the Kentucky Oaks undercard May 3, will receive an entry and travel incentive to run in the G1 Betfred Oaks at Epsom May 31. In the colt's division, a runner from the $500,000 GII American Turf S., scheduled for Kentucky Derby Day May 4, will receive an entry and travel incentive to the June 1 Betfred Derby. The Jockey Club and Ascot Racecourse have also coordinated with Churchill to offer wild card entries to a pair of Royal Ascot fixtures. A runner from the $500,000 GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint S., also run on Kentucky Derby Day, will receive an entry and a travel incentive to run in the G1 King Charles III S. (formerly the King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot June 18. Additionally, a runner from the $1-million GI Old Forester Turf Classic S., contested on Kentucky Derby Day, will receive an entry and a travel incentive to run in either the G1 Queen Anne S. June 18 or the G1 Prince of Wales's S., held June 19, both staged during the Royal meeting. In return for the above incentives for U.S.-based runners, a runner from both the Queen Anne and the Prince of Wales's will receive an entry and a travel incentive to run in Colonial Downs' $1-million GI Arlington Million S. over 10 furlongs in mid-August. Also, a runner from the G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at Newmarket's July Festival July 12 will also receive an entry and travel incentive to run in the $500,000 GI Beverly D S. on the same day as the Colonial Downs Arlington Million. Winners of the aforementioned races will receive the invite to run in the corresponding races across the Atlantic. However, in the event that the winners aren't able to accept, racecourses may then also invite placed horses. The elimination procedures in these races will remain as they are now. “A trip to Churchill Downs is one that should be on the bucket list for every racing fan, the world over,” said Matt Woolston, Assistant Racing and International Racing Director at The Jockey Club. “The Kentucky Derby itself can trace its origin back to Epsom Downs in 1780 when Diomed won the very first Derby and we are proud to reinforce this historic link. “These historic races already have an international reputation and we want to welcome more and more international runners in the years to come.” For more information, click here. The post The Jockey Club, Ascot Partner with Churchill Downs for Trans-Atlantic Initiative appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The stable name traces to a ranch they once owned in the Oregon outback: “Bar C” was how they branded their cattle. But while Neal and Pam Christopherson are proud of their home state, and have achieved a great deal there, even they couldn't make horses pay in those gulch-carved scrublands, under those huge empty skies. “Telacaset, Union, Oregon,” Neal says. “Snows an inch, drifts 10 feet. Cold country.” But horses are tough, no? “Well, they are,” replies Neal. “But we lost a heck of a nice Quarter Horse colt that climbed up on the snow drift, across the water trough, and drowned because the ice broke. That's why we moved to Hermiston on the Columbia River. Probably the mildest weather you can have in Oregon is right there.” But all those experiences, across nearly half a century, add up to something that wouldn't be quite as special, nor as solid, if you could leave out the difficult days. The Christophersons have been raising or training horses for 48 years. Long enough, perhaps, to have developed some kind of X-ray vision when they saw Forever For Now (War Front) at the Keeneland November Sale two years ago. They could see straight into that mare's swaying belly, right? “No,” says Neal with a grin, miming the opening of a catalogue. “It just said 'Uncle Mo' down there.” That predilection, after all, was why they were there in the first place. Six years previously, at the equivalent auction, the Christophersons had bought an El Prado (Ire) mare named Fresia for $35,000. She, too, was carrying an Uncle Mo colt, who they sold as a yearling for $60,000. “When we took him down there to the sale at Pomona, they were all talking about something on his X-rays, a sesamoid I think,” Neal recalls. “But Eddie Woods bought the horse, took him to Florida, broke and trained him down there, and then brought him back to Barretts for the 2-year-old sale. And he sold him for $600,000! So right then and there, we knew we had something if we could just stay in the Uncle Mo business.” That colt was raced as Galilean by West Point Thoroughbreds and his six stakes wins–which have now launched him on a stud career in New York–made his dam a suddenly lucrative proposition. Sure enough, having been returned to Uncle Mo on a foal-share, Fresia produced a filly that sold for $700,000 to Courtlandt Farm at the September Sale of 2021. It was with their share of the proceeds that the Christophersons promptly spent $210,000 on Forever For Now that November. And, once again, a foal acquired in utero has raised the stakes. Because the mare delivered such a knockout son that he even broke new ground for horsemen as seasoned as the Penn brothers. Their one-horse Book I consignment, so expertly handled that the colt was as mannerly and inquisitive after 300 shows as on his first, made nearly every shortlist. In the end M.V. Magnier had to go to $1.35 million to tap back into a family that his Coolmore team had helped to make one of the best in the book, Forever For Now's third dam being a full sister to Galileo (Ire) himself. Okay, so maybe that kind of page doesn't really require X-ray vision. “No, you just grab the dice and you roll,” Neal says. “See what happens. Because 99.9 percent of this game is luck.” But you have to believe that you can put yourself in a position to be lucky. And the Christophersons' Bar C Racing Stable has been doing that for a long time now, albeit mostly in shallower waters. “When we first met, we were down there at Corvallis,” Neal recalls. “That's where Oregon State University is. And I had a stallion and a mare, Quarter Horses, that I was actually using to rodeo. Pam and I ran into each other down at the bar. She'd just bought a mare off the track, to barrel race. So we both started with Quarter Horses.” Since then, the Christophersons have excelled with Thoroughbreds on the West Coast scene in many different guises: as breeders, owners, vendors, and for 30 years as trainers. They stood a local phenomenon in Harbor the Gold, 14-time champion sire in Oregon; having bred or co-bred 11 champions over the state line, they were recently inducted into the Washington Hall of Fame; and they've topped a Barretts sale with a $600,000 Cal-bred. Sadly, after decades of accomplishment, they feel disenchanted with the direction of their home circuit. Having for a long time upgraded the Pacific gene pool with Kentucky mares, they've gone up another level even as horseracing in Washington has been reduced to 55 days at a single track. The mares, as a result, are increasingly staying right where they are in the Bluegrass. Recently, the Christophersons have even toyed with prospecting for a farm of their own there. “They've closed nearly all the tracks where we are,” Neal laments. “They closed Portland Meadows. They closed Playfair. Yakima. Now it's Golden Gate. The horse business in our neck of the woods is going downhill. These youngsters don't like to mess with horses, that's the only thing I can see. It's unfortunate. Like to see it keep going. We used to have five different racetracks just in Washington. But we took six head to the Seattle sale this summer, and only made $35,000.” Of course, this kind of situation only tends to spiral downward: a struggling region tends to end up disillusioning precisely those whose experience, resources and skills it can least afford to lose–skills, it can now be seen, of uncommon transferability. Because the Christophersons have managed to hang in there, even against a growing headwind. “This mare came into the ring at Pomona a couple of years ago and nobody's bidding,” Neal recalls. “So I opened the page, and I'm thinking, 'What's the matter with this?' So I raised my hand once, just for the hell of it, got her for $1,000. She was in foal to Stanford, who was just beginning there in California, so on our way home we went over to the ranch, dropped her off, said, 'Foal her out and breed her back!' When all that was done, we went back and got her, took her back to Oregon, had a foal. Brought the foal back a year later to the yearling sale at Pomona–and sold her for $100,000. Out of my $1,000 mare. But, again, all luck. She had good breeding, everything was good.” So the Christophersons have been doing their best. They still have five stallions–even a young son of the inevitable Uncle Mo–and a score of broodmares. “The Uncle Mo is a good-looking fella, but we'll see,” Neal says with a shrug. “In this business it always takes three years to find out if you've got anything. A lot of people ask us, 'Why do you do this? It takes so damned long!' But if that was how we started, every year now we've got horses going someplace or another.” Increasingly, however, “someplace” means Kentucky. In fairness, this is hardly some overnight reaction to their September coup. “No, what happened was that we were buying and selling in the Pacific Northwest and getting nowhere,” Neal explains. “We knew Gary Chervenell in Washington, and he's always been telling us, 'If you want the good stuff, go to Kentucky. That's where they're made.' So we made our first trip over with him 20 years ago, and really that's what has made us–the fact that we just got lucky buying some fairly well bred mares.” One of the introductions Chervenell made was to Bo Davis, then broodmare manager at Overbrook. And when that farm's Seeking The Gold half-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Boston Harbor blew a knee, Davis wouldn't stop pestering them about him. “You guys really need to stand this horse,” he urged them. “I know him, I've been with him ever since he was born.” “We had a darn good horse at that time, name of Tiffany Ice,” Neal recalls. “But he was 22, and Bo kept saying he wasn't going to last forever. And finally, one day when he called us on our way down to Portland Meadows, back when those bag phones had just come out, the first mobiles, we said 'Oh, just send him out.'” “When he got off that van, after shipping all the way from New York, he didn't look very good at all,” Pam says. “We looked at each other and said, 'What in the hell do we do now?'” says Neal, shaking his head. “We got him fattened up, and I think he bred seven mares his first year,” Pam said. “But his first foal was Noosa Beach. He won the [GII] Longacres Mile, and was horse of the Emerald Downs meet four years in a row. Out of the first mare he ever bred.” “And you know why we bred him?” Neal says. “Because the old horse, Tiffany Ice, if ever a mare looked like she's going to kick him, do anything bad, he would just turn away and go back in his stall. And this mare, she was pretty testy. So what we did, we brought the new guy up. Had no idea what he was going to do. He'd never tried to breed anything. And he was a wild man. Boy, she didn't kick no way when Harbor the Gold got ahold of her! And that was the first baby. Won over $500,000.” “And Harbor the Gold went on to have 72 stakes horses at Emerald Downs,” Pam marvels. “The next closest to him had 27. And every year his babies made $1 million in racing.” As it happens, Harbor the Gold died the same year that the Christophersons sold Galilean's sister, and played up the winnings on Forever For Now. As so often in this business, as one door closed, so another one opened. “We were going back and forth at Hill 'n' Dale when they sold Fresia's filly,” Pam recalls. “And they had this cute little War Front mare there, in foal to Uncle Mo, and I just kept looking at her. She was young, and pretty nice. Kinda looked like Miss Piggy! A big broad thing with a white blaze down her face. They said she'd had a beautiful Justify filly, I don't know where she might have shown up meanwhile, but this was going to be her second foal. Anyway when we sold the filly so well, we thought, 'Well, let's get this mare.' And all we ever wanted from the colt she was carrying was to try to make back the $210,000 she cost.” The Christophersons are clear that one of the reasons the colt so wildly exceeded those hopes is the diligence and hands-on attention of the Penn family: brothers John and Frank, plus John's son and daughter-in-law, Alex and Kendra. Certainly you couldn't hope to see a more obliging horse, loosely on the shank, after the number of shows he made in September. But that reflected the companionship established at home–over many a mile, and many a month–with Kendra, who was also tending him at Keeneland. “She's a good hand, by golly,” Pam says. “She's walking them, ponying them, she knows everything about them. And that horse, he knew what he was supposed to do. They're sure good people, and they did a great job.” “We really believe in them,” stresses Neal. “You can get lost in some of those big 'factories'. This horse came out and walked the same way, every single person that came to see him, didn't get pissy once. He's a smart horse. They'll go a long way with him, as long as they keep him sound.” Forever For Now, who has a Caravaggio weanling and is in foal to Mystic Guide, is obviously slated to return to Uncle Mo next. “We're pretty well Uncle Mo'd out,” says Neal wryly. “Own a share in Mo Forza, that's now standing in California. His first crop was on the ground this spring. We'll see what happens. But a lot was riding on September. A few hundred bucks a day, it starts getting 'old' after a while! Now we've got enough that we can leave them here. But we're just into it, and have been forever. Like I said, we've got something coming through every year now. And the real breeding program's going well, no matter what. We've got a couple of the best kids in the country.” Their daughter is a nurse, and has managed to resist the lure of horses, but their son now has a few acres of his own, and is also boarding mares with the Penns. The Christopherson momentum, after all these years, remains ever forward. At the November Sale, a young mare in foal to War Front caught this observer's eye in the back ring: she was by an unjustly neglected sire, but out of a half-sister to Scat Daddy. It was going to be instructive to learn which person was smart enough to buy her. Sure enough, when the next sheet went up on the wall, there it was: sold to Bar C Racing, $160,000. And history tells us to keep an eye on that War Front foal! So by no means was this amazing coup in September necessarily the climax of a story already 48 years in the telling. Its authors remain full of passion for the next chapter. “Because here we are, 73 years old, looking at picking up stock and barrel and going to Kentucky,” says Neal with a chuckle. “Now, isn't that crazy?” The post ‘Bar C’ Coup Reverses the Oregon Trail appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Churchill Downs has announced a new partnership with the British Jockey Club and Ascot Racecourse to offer a program in which horses competing during Kentucky Derby week could receive an entry and travel incentive for races at Epsom and Royal Ascot.View the full article

Thoroughbred trainers Dale Romans, John Sadler, Shug McGaughey and racing and bloodstock manager Gavin Murphy have joined HISA's Horsemen's Advisory Group.View the full article

Longtime Thoroughbred horseman and Indiana native Tim Glyshaw has been named the Indiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association executive director. View the full article

The 2023 shortlist nominees for the Sports Personality of the Year were revealed by the BBC on Tuesday. The winner will be announced during alive broadcast live from Media City in Salford on Tuesday, Dec. 19, with presenters Clare Balding, Gary Lineker, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott looking back at the year of sport on BBC One and iPlayer from 7 p.m. local time. The contenders are as follows: Stuart Broad (Cricket) Frankie Dettori (Horse Racing) Mary Earps (Football) Alfie Hewett (Wheelchair Tennis) Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Athletics) Rory Mcllroy (Golf) In existence for seven decades, the awards allow the public to decide who its sporting heroes are. Votes can be cast by phone or online on the evening of Dec. 19, with the number to call for each contender revealed during the programme. For further information about the awards please visit the BBC website. The post 2023 BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Shortlist Revealed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Longtime Thoroughbred horseman and Indiana native Tim Glyshaw has been named the new Indiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (IHBPA) executive director, according to a Tuesday press release from that organization. Glyshaw assumes his new position beginning Feb. 1. He will fill the position vacated by current executive director Brian Elmore, who is retiring after serving six years at that job. “We are very fortunate to find someone like Tim who has such a vast knowledge of the business to replace Brian Elmore,” said Joe Davis, the president of the IHBPA. “Brian has been very valuable to our organization, and his retirement leaves a big void for us,” Davis said. “So finding someone to fill that position was a big task. Tim not only has experience from the perspective of a trainer, he is also an accomplished businessman. Meshing those two skills together will be a huge asset for us.” Glyshaw, a native of Evansville, is a graduate of Indiana University with a degree in education. After teaching for two years, he made the move into Thoroughbred horse racing, working for Trainer Robert Holthus before branching out on his own in 2004, racing primarily in Kentucky and Indiana. “It's been wonderful training, but I think it's time to pursue other options,” said Glyshaw. “The executive director position will allow me to still be involved in racing and hopefully do some good things for the members in Indiana. Brian has done so well and I'm eager for him to teach me about this position over the next few months. I'm very fortunate to have such a great mentor as I transition into this position. “I still have nine horses in training,” Glyshaw continued. “Four of those are with Deerfield Farm, who has been with me from the start. We are currently stabled at the Churchill Downs Training Center and racing at Turfway. As we get closer to February, I'll know when my last start is as a trainer before I step into my new role with the IHBPA.” Glyshaw will transition into his new role as the IHBPA Executive Director in early 2024 alongside Elmore, who will phase out following the first quarter of the year, according to the press release. The post Glyshaw Named Indiana HBPA Executive Director appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The four-day Arqana Vente d'Elevage concluded on Tuesday, with four fillies and mares making €1 million or more, and 668 horses (77%) marked as sold for a gross of €47,135,000. Overall, the average was down 8% to €70,561, however, the median rose to €20,000, an increase of 16% off of 2022's mark. The sale was topped by Group 1 winner Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) at €4.025 million from leading buyer Portofino Bloodstock. Taking just Tuesday's trade into account, 109 lots sold (79%) for a gross of €581,500. The day's average was down 5% to €5,335, while the median increased by 14% to €4,000. Tuesday's top lot was lot 919, the Kingman (GB) mare Crispina (GB). From the family of stallions Cityscape (GB) and Bated Breath (GB), the Haras d'Annebault-consigned 6-year-old was sold in foal to G1 Deutsches Derby hero Laccario (Ger) and brought €52,000 from SARL Trotting Bloodstock. A named filly foal, Laskaria (Fr) (Laccario {Ger}), was the day's dearest foal, changing hands for €25,000 from the draft of Haras d'Annebault. Richard Venn Bloodstock bought the April foal on behalf of Paola Beacco Bd. La Motteraye Consignment was the leading vendor, offering 39 mares, fillies and foals for a gross of €4,971,000, including Channel (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) for €1.2 million. Arqana President Eric Hoyeau and Executive Director Freddy Powell said, “In a record-breaking year, the 2023 edition of the Vente d'Élevage has concluded with very good results. With four fillies and mares making over €1 million, including an historic top price of over €4 million, turnover from the December sale exceeded €45 million for the second time. Driven by buyers from all over Europe, as well as from the United States, Australia, Japan, India, Turkey and France, demand remained buoyant. The middle market segment also remained strong, with a high level of activity both internationally and domestically. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our vendors, as well as the buyers who once again turned out in force. We would also like to thank all our teams, in the yards, the stud farms and in the offices, for their involvement during this great marathon that is the Vente d'Elevage. As this marks the end of the sales year, we wish everyone a very happy holiday season.” The post Solid Results As Curtain Falls On 2023 Arqana Vente d’Elevage appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Thoroughbred trainers Dale Romans, John Sadler and Shug McGaughey, plus racing and bloodstock manager Gavin Murphy, have joined the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)'s Horsemen's Advisory Group, the HISA Authority announced via press release Tuesday. The advisory group is a body of racing industry participants formed by the HISA Authority last year to provide formal feedback to the Authority 's executive team and Standing Committees on the implementation and evolution of its Racetrack Safety and Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) regulations. The four new members will replace outgoing Horsemen's Advisory members Rick Gold, Rick Schosberg, Donnie Von Hemel, and the late Frank Jones. Romans is an Eclipse Award-winning trainer from Louisville, Kentucky. He races in Kentucky, New York and Florida, and is a member of the board of directors while also serving as the vice president of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. Sadler is a California-based conditioner who has been training since 1978. In addition to training multiple Eclipse Award champions, Sadler was previously president of the California Thoroughbred Trainers and a member of the board of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. McGaughey is a New York- and Florida-based Hall-of-Fame trainer and a native of Lexington, Kentucky. Historically the private trainer for the laureled Phipps Stable, McGaughey brings decades of experience as a top horseman to the Horsemen's Advisory Group. Five of McGaughey's trainees have been inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame. Murphy, originally from Queensland, Australia, is the head of SF Bloodstock, an internationally recognized investment fund, with breeding and racing operations in the U.S., Australia, and Europe. A longtime industry stakeholder, Murphy was previously employed at Soros Fund Management, has served on the board of directors of the Breeders' Cup, and has a significant involvement with top Australian stud farm, Newgate. The full list of the Horsemen's Advisory Group members can be found here. The Group has 19 members with a wide variety of viewpoints from across racing. Its membership includes trainers, owners, veterinarians, backstretch employees and representatives of racing offices and aftercare initiatives. “I am grateful to Rick Gold, Rick Schosberg, Donnie Von Hemel, and the late Frank Jones for their dedication to improving HISA's Racetrack Safety and ADMC programs,” said the HISA Authority's chief executive officer, Lisa Lazarus. “Their feedback has been integral to HISA's evolution as we work to create a fair and safe playing field for the sport. We look forward to collaborating with the new horsemen joining our group and benefitting from their years of hands-on experience in the Thoroughbred industry.” The post Four New Members Join HISA Horsemen’s Advisory Group appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The British Horseracing Authority is considering whether to limit the number of horses a trainer can run in major handicaps, the Racing Post reported Dec. 12.View the full article

Churchill Downs has announced a new partnership with the British Jockey Club and Ascot Racecourse to offer a program where horses competing during Kentucky Derby week could receive an entry and travel incentive for races at Epsom and Royal Ascot.View the full article