Wandering Eyes

Jacques Beres, who operated Haras de la Croix Sonnet with his wife Francoise, passed away on Sunday evening, Jour de Galop reported. He was 82. Nicknamed one of the last of the 'French Doctors', Beres was a surgeon and co-founder of Doctors Without Borders and Doctors of the World. Beres, who was also a gambler prior to becoming an owner/breeder, travelled all over the world to give aid to those in need. His final mission was in Ukraine last year. In a January interview with the JDG, he said, “You can't talk about an escape…But horses are peace.” Among the notable runners to carry his yellow silks with a white sash were G1 Prix de Saint-Alary heroine Air De Rien (GB) (Elegant Air {GB}), as well as G1 Prix Jean Romanet victress Whortleberry (Fr) (Starborough {GB}). Upon his retirement, Beres acquired Haras de la Croix Sonnet at the end of 2020. Jacques and Francoise have raced under the moniker Ecurie X in recent times. Among their best in the latest iteration of their stables has been 2023 G2 Prix de Malleret heroine Rue Boissonade (Fr) (Seabhac) and 2022 Listed Grand Prix de Fontainebleau hero Flyingbeauty (Fr) (Galiway {GB}). The post French Owner-Breeder Jacques Beres Dies At 82 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Grammy award-winning producer, DJ and songwriter Calvin Harris will headline festivities at the 2024 Pegasus World Cup Presented by Baccarat. To be held Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park, the event, held around the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational, will create a unique Miami experience curated by Palm Tree Crew and Groot Hospitality. “The Pegasus World Cup continues to redefine the experience of Thoroughbred horse racing by collaborating with partners who exemplify innovation and excellence,” said Belinda Stronach, Chairwoman, Chief Executive Officer and President, 1/ST. “Baccarat, Palm Tree Crew and Groot Hospitality, each leaders in luxury, lifestyle, entertainment, and hospitality, bring unique elements that fuse with 1/ST's world-class Thoroughbred racing and wagering to create an electric event that is truly Miami.” For the first time in 2024, Baccarat will welcome select ticket holders to the Baccarat Garden at Carousel Club. The exclusive enclave with its own area on the rail will immerse guests in an incomparable viewing experience with a private entrance, a bar featuring handcrafted cocktails served in exquisite Baccarat glassware, Groot Hospitality concept food and prime view of performances. Baccarat will also return as the Official Trophy Purveyor to create the 2024 Pegasus World Cup championship trophies. “We are thrilled to be able to partner with the Pegasus World Cup as Presenting Sponsor for the second year, and to welcome guests into the Maison Baccarat,” said Adam Banfield, President and CEO, Baccarat North America. “As one of the most dynamic events in the sport of horse racing, it is a natural partner for our brand, and the perfect venue to create our first-of-its-kind experience with the Baccarat Garden at the Carousel Club.” The post Calvin Harris Headlines Pegasus World Cup Festivities appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Robert John Lothenbach, a Thoroughbred owner and breeder who was a passionate booster of horse racing in his home state of Minnesota and also enjoyed success in the sport on the national level, has died unexpectedly. He was 64. The Minnesota chapter of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (MHBPA) announced his passing late on Monday. The cause of Lothenbach's death has yet to be publicly disclosed, and funeral arrangements are pending. Shortly after Canterbury Park first opened in 1985, Lothenbach and three friends each put up $1,000 to claim a single horse. That partnership led to Lothenbach branching out on his own with a racing stable that grew to around 100 horses competing in his royal blue silks with red diamonds. Lothenbach Stables, Inc., eventually won multiple leading ownership titles at Canterbury, and the operation morphed into a bloodstock venture that grew into a broodmare band of 30-plus. Lothenbach's racehorses earned over $30 million in purses with 793 winners in a 23-year span, not counting partnership ventures. He hit the winner's circle with multiple Grade I winners, most notably Bell's the One, who ran third in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. The stable has been nationally ranked in the top 20 ownership entities for both victories and purse earnings from 2020 through 2022. Beyond his racing endeavors, Lothenbach was an entrepreneur who started a printing company from scratch in 1988. It began in a warehouse garage, and he eventually parlayed it into a nationally prominent company that employed 1,300 workers before he sold a majority stake in it in 2016. Lothenbach's business acumen afforded him a transition into philanthropy, anchored by the formation of the Lothenbach Family Foundation and contributions to the Literacy Matters Foundation. According to several published profiles, Lothenbach worked to overcome literacy and learning hurdles as a youngster, and he told the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) in a 2020 article that he wanted to help others “to deal with what I dealt with or still deal with, [because] it's a big deal to me.” Just this past July, Lothenbach was inducted into the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame. “To say that the world of Thoroughbred racing, especially here in Minnesota, is in shock would be an understatement,” the MHBPA post about his passing stated. “Not known to many is just how much Bob Lothenbach gave. When he made generous contributions he insisted it was to be done anonymously. “Unknown to many is that there is a very special program in Canterbury's stable area called Furlong Learning. What began as a tutoring program for a handful of children a few years ago has now blossomed into an educational, experiential and ethical program for over 40 backstretch kids,” the MHBPA post stated. Lothenbach was a client of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, and that company's president, Sid Fernando, recalled him fondly. “Bob Lothenbach was a sportsman who thoroughly enjoyed racing his horses, particularly the homebreds,” Fernando said. “He was also a man of great integrity and character. He never sought the limelight, and he was always generous in crediting others for his success. He'll be missed.” Lothenbach won his first Canterbury leading owner title in 2002. Two years later, his homebred Mayo On the Side won the GI Humana Distaff H. at Churchill Downs on the GI Kentucky Derby undercard. Lothenbach campaigned nine graded stakes winners in his own colors. He also owned a portion of multiple graded stakes winner Saint Ballado, North America's leading sire by progeny earnings in 2005. After being named as TOBA's outstanding breeder of the year for 2019, Lothenbach said, “I'm passionate about Minnesota and also about the racing industry, and just anything I can to do help it, I want to. When I was a kid, 17, I used to drive to Chicago to go to the races. I just loved horses.” A 2013 profile in the printing industry publication Printing Impressions discussed how Lothenbach worked to build up what began locally as Bob's Printing into the nationally recognized company Imagine! Print Solutions that generated annual sales measured in hundreds of millions of dollars. “My mother and father stressed honesty and integrity,” Lothenbach said. “My dad always said, 'If I teach you a good work ethic, I'll never have to worry about you being able to take care of yourself.' That's something he instilled in all three of his sons. It's benefitted me, and all three of us have done well.” A complete list of Lothenbach's survivors was not available at deadline for this obituary. A separate TDN story notes that decisions on the Lothenbach racing and breeding stock are pending at this early stage after his passing. Pessin: 'He's Someone You Really Wanted to Do Well For'… Neil Pessin was introduced to Bob Lothenbach the better part of 20 years ago through his friend and colleague Chris Block, who trained for Lothenbach at the time and had an overflow of horses. “For the first year and a half that I had them, I couldn't tell you what Bob looked like or sounded like,” Pessin said. “Once I started getting a few more horses for him, I talked to him more–not a lot, but more. He was on and off the phone usually in a minute. Over the years, we became very good friends. Besides owner/trainer, it was more of a friendship than it was a business relationship. He's someone you really wanted to do well for. He was passionate about the game, he was loyal to a fault, almost, and he enjoyed it. And he put up his money.” Pessin continued, “He allowed me to buy horses I never could have bought in the past. I bought Eden Prairie [a future four-time stakes winner named for Lothenbach's home town]–I spent $50,000 for her and that was the most I'd ever spent on a horse in my life. Bell's the One was $155,000, Happy American was $350,000. He gave me access to good horses. Over the last handful of years, Lothenbach–a “hands-off owner who let us do our jobs”–improved the quality of his stock dramatically and, accordingly, his spend at the yearling sales. At this year's Keeneland September Sale, for example, Lothenbach helped fortify the middle market to the tune of 14 head for $2.96 million. “At the sales, we would pick out what we liked without any input from Bob, sometimes we didn't like the same horse, but he would let us buy them if we liked them, just one of us. He didn't really have the words 'stop' or 'no' in his vocabulary. He loved to buy and he loved to race. Selling was not his forte.” Bell's the One was a candidate for the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, but eventually the pin was pulled on those plans owing to overly cumbersome travel arrangements. Lothenbach took everything in stride, said Pessin. “I didn't like the layout of what they had set up for us at all, especially for her,” Pessin said. “She was a high-strung filly, we had to ship to Indianapolis, wait on the tarmac in a van, be put in a crate with two others. I just didn't know how she'd handle that and I had really deep reservations about it. Churchill had the race at their track [the week after the Breeders' Cup] that if we won, we made more money than if we ran second [in the Filly & Mare Sprint]. And that's without any expense. “I called Bob and I laid it all out and Bob said, 'Do what you think is best.' I said, 'I think it's best not to run' and he said 'fine.' There was no second-guessing, just straight do what you think is best. That's the kind of person he was. Everyone wants to run in the Breeders' Cup, including myself, but I didn't feel it was right for her with the situation they had.” With Lothenbach making a rare on-track appearance, Bell's the One went on to win the $300,000 Dream Supreme S. at Churchill Downs. –Alan Carasso The post Bob Lothenbach, Generous Booster of Minnesota Racing, Dies at 64 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bell's the One (Majesticperfection), arguably the best horse to carry the silks of the late Bob Lothenbach and who was among the first book of mares bred to Horse of the Year Flightline (Tapit), lost her foal at the seven-month stage in September, her trainer Neil Pessin confirmed Wednesday. “Bob loved her and he was really looking forward to having that foal,” Pessin said. Pessin purchased the daughter of Street Mate (Street Cry {Ire}), bred by Bret Jones, on behalf of Lothenbach for $155,000 as a yearling at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton October Sale and she developed into one of the best filly and mare sprinters of her generation, finishing outside the top three on just two occasions at distances up to a mile. All totaled, Bell's the One was an 11-time stakes winner, five of those in graded stakes capped by a scintillating defeat of Serengeti Empress (Alternation) in the GI Derby City Distaff in September 2020 and was third in that year's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. She was also second in consecutive runnings of Keeneland's GI Madison S. in 2021 and 2022. She concluded her career with a victory in last year's Open Mind S. and retired with a mark of 27-13-5-3 and earnings of $2,000,675. Bell's the One was consigned to the 2022 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, but Lothenbach ultimately decided he wasn't ready to let her go and bought her back on a bid of $2.6 million. A decision on Bell's the One and the rest of Lothenbach's racing and breeding stock is pending. The post Grade I Winner Bell’s the One Loses Flightline Foal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In advance of Giving Tuesday on Nov. 28, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation has launched a special campaign called the Farrier Fund Campaign. The Farrier Fund Campaign, themed 'The Hoof Makes the Horse', is aiming to raise $25,000 this year. The fund will contribute directly to covering the costs of roughly three months of essential hoof care for over 1,600 horses within the TRF's herd. The Farrier Fund Campaign also aims to shine a light on the unsung heroes in equine care–the farriers, dedicated equine professionals who work tirelessly to tend to horses' hooves year-round, ensuring their well-being through all seasons. To support the Farrier Fund Campaign, click here. The post TRF Launches ‘Farrier Fund Campaign’ For Giving Tuesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Louisiana-based stallion Hard Aces was represented by his first stakes winner last week when Spinning Aces captured the Nov. 10 Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs.View the full article

Tickets for the 53rd annual Eclipse Awards, which will be held Jan. 25 at The Breakers Palm Beach, will be on sale beginning Nov. 20. Presented by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters (NTWAB), the Eclipse Awards will honor the 2023 human and equine champions of Thoroughbred racing. The event will be co-hosted by Britney Eurton, Acacia Courtney Clement, and Nick Luck. Caton Bredar will once again serve as the Ceremony Announcer. Information about the Eclipse Awards, including host hotels, can be found at https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-awards/. Questions can be directed to Michele Ravencraft at mravencraft@ntra.com. The post Eclipse Award Tickets on Sale Nov. 20 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Keeneland has added 10 supplemental entries to its Horses of Racing Age Sale, which will be held Friday in Lexington. The added entries, which include 2023 stakes winner Lady Lowery (Munnings), bring the total number of catalogued horses for the one-session auction to 330. Bidding begins at noon. The other supplements are: two-time 2023 allowance winner Detroit City (Dialed In); 3-year-old filly Frothy (Liam's Map); recent Churchill maiden special weight-winning 2-year-old Heart Headed (Oscar Performance); 3-year-old filly Lady Claypoole (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}); 2-year-old colt Masmak (Vino Rosso); two-time 2023 allowance winner Murray (Street Sense); stakes winner and graded placed 4-year-old Nadette (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}); Colonial Downs maiden special weight winner Penzance (Uncle Mo); and Gulfstream maiden special weight winner What Say Thee (Sea the Stars {Ire}). The auction will be led off by GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice), who will offered as a stallion prospect by Candy Meadows Farm. The post Ten Added to Keeneland Horses of Racing Age Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Leading the way as the four-day Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale concluded on Wednesday was a colt by Old Persian (GB) (lot 954). Offered by Ballincurrig House Stud, the colt attracted the bid of Kevin Ross Bloodstock at €60,000. “We really wanted one by the sire,” said Ross. “We love the line, Old Persian is by Dubawi (Ire) which we are keen on, and he was a tough campaigner who won nine races around the world. This is a lovely model, a good-walking type and his half-brother Slade Steel (Ire) (Telescope {Ire}) looked promising when he won his maiden hurdle at Naas the other day. We had to push the boat out, but he is a lovely type. He stays in Ireland and will be for resale.” A record-breaking nine foals hammered for €80,000 or more over the four days and 41 brought €50,000 or higher equaling the previous best-ever achieved results for that metric in 2021. Star sire Blue Bresil (Fr) had 17 foals sell for €50,000 or above this week. Moanmore Stables bought lot 752 for €55,000 on Wednesday. Consigned by Cloney Stud, the colt is out of Oi Oi (Ire) (Oscar {Ire}), herself a half-sister to a trio of Grade 3 winners. Peter Vaughan of Moanmore Stables said of the Blue Bresil colt, “He will be for resale, he has a very good pedigree and is a very good mover.” Taken as a whole, 569 foals sold from 859 offered (66%) for a gross of €10,185,100. Figures were down compared to 2022, with the average declining 1% to €17,900 and the median dropping 17% to €12,000. However, the average was the third-best ever achieved during the foal portion of the sale. The fifth and final session of the November National Hunt Sale will consist of yearlings and mares and will begin at 10:30 a.m. The post Foal Portion Of The November NH Sale Wraps With Old Persian Topper appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Emirates Park's Ejaabiyah (GB) (Frankel {GB}–Estijaab {Aus}, by Snitzel {Aus}) was denied a debut run with the abandonment of Yarmouth's Oct. 24 meeting, but made up for lost time and attained 'TDN Rising Star' status with a highly impressive display in Wednesday's Unibet/British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Novice S. at Kempton. She becomes the 37th Rising Star for Frankel, whose list includes this term's G1 Fillies' Mile heroine Ylang Ylang (GB) and G2 Golden Fleece S. victor Diego Velazquez (Ire). The 6-1 chance raced along the rail in fourth through the early strides and inched into third tracking a modest pace approaching halfway. Shaken up passing the quarter-mile pole, she unleashed a powerful burst of acceleration to seize control with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining and surged clear in the latter stages to easily outclass Sattwaa (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) by six lengths. “It was a taking performance and I really enjoyed that,” said winning rider David Egan. “With the slow pace, she travelled nicely and I thought Luke [Morris] did a good job stacking them up in front, so I wanted to keep tabs on him. I got her rolling early, she had a terrific turn of foot and I loved the way she galloped out after the line. She's a beautiful looking filly by Frankel out of a Golden Slipper winner, so she's regally bred and quite smart too. She'd have won over any trip today. Hopefully, she'll tune up over the winter and be a nice filly next year.” Ejaabiyah, who holds an entry in next year's G1 Irish Oaks, is the first of two reported foals out of G1 Golden Slipper-winning Australian champion juvenile filly Estijaab (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}). The January-foaled homebred bay's dam is a daughter of dual Australian Group 1 winner Response (Aus) (Charge Forward {Aus}), who also produced Estijaab's G3 Concorde S.-winning full-brother Remarque (Aus) and the stakes-placed Alter Call (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Alter Call, in turn, is the dam of the stakes-placed Altermatum (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}). Ejaabiyah is half to a yearling filly by Night Of Thunder (Ire). 3rd-Kempton, £6,800, Nov, 11-15, 2yo, f, 8f (AWT), 1:40.01, st/sl. EJAABIYAH (GB), f, 2, by Frankel (GB) 1st Dam: Estijaab (Aus) (G1SW-Aus, $1,948,724), by Snitzel (Aus) 2nd Dam: Response (Aus), by Charge Forward (Aus) 3rd Dam: Live It Up (Aus), by Match Winner (Fr) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $4,590. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. O/B-Emirates Park Pty Ltd (GB); T-Roger Varian; J-David Egan. Oh, hello! Frankel filly Ejaabiyah, who holds an Irish Oaks entry, kicks in the turbos to power away from her rivals in what looked on paper a useful fillies' novice. She looks very smart! @kemptonparkrace | @varianstable pic.twitter.com/p91PTGONVq — Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 15, 2023 The post Frankel’s Ejaabiyah Surges To TDN Rising Stardom At Kempton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Graham Lee, the hugely popular jockey who suffered life-changing injuries in a fall last week, has undergone surgery at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital in Newcastle. The Grand National and Group 1-winning rider was unseated from Ben Macdui at the start of an all-weather handicap at Newcastle on Friday, suffering injuries that saw him taken to hospital and admitted to an intensive care unit. He has since been identified as having an unstable cervical fracture causing damage to his spinal cord, and the racing world has rallied round the rider and his family. The Injured Jockeys Fund have been heavily involved in those efforts, and on Wednesday afternoon released an update which read, “Jockey Graham Lee had surgery yesterday at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital in Newcastle to stabilise the fractures in his cervical spine and further protect his spinal cord. “He also had a tracheostomy performed to allow him to be more comfortable and improve communication. Whilst Graham has recovered from the surgery well, the extent of his long-term recovery remains uncertain.” The statement added, “Graham's family would like to thank everyone for their best wishes and for their support of the JustGiving page set up by Graham's 18-year-old daughter Amy, who says, 'I am personally writing down each and every message and donation that comes through and I share all of these with dad. To be honest it's simply overwhelming and we can't believe that so many people are thinking of us. I wish I could explain how much of a difference it will make to dad's recovery knowing that he has your support–thank you from the bottom of my heart'.” The JustGiving page created by Amy Lee is now approaching £80,000 in donations that will go to the IJF. The post Graham Lee Undergoes Surgery As Family Speak Of ‘Overwhelming’ Support appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Edited Press Release Kentucky Educational Television (KET), a state network of PBS member stations serving the Commonwealth of Kentucky, will air 'The Legacy of Black Horsemen' an hour-long documentary that details the story of Black jockeys, trainers, grooms and exercisers in the 1800s who played an important role in the Thoroughbred industry. The program documents how Black horsemen were subjected to discrimination and cruelty throughout much of their lives. During slavery, many won the faith of their white owners and were trusted with major financial and horse training decisions. In the wake of the Civil War, many Black horsemen opted to stay in the industry, which led to a near dominance on the turf, with African American jockeys winning more than half the Kentucky Derby races leading to the turn of the 20th century. But that dominance would come to an end with the Plessy v. Ferguson decision and the rise of Jim Crow laws. Black jockeys faced violence on the track from white jockeys, and African Americans were pushed out of the saddle. Eighty years would pass before a Black jockey would again ride in the Kentucky Derby. Utilizing contemporary interviews, reenactments and historical photographs and paintings, 'The Legacy of Black Horsemen' brings these stories to light, showing how African Americans played an indispensable role in establishing Thoroughbred racing as America's first national pastime. 'The Legacy of Black Horsemen' airs Monday, Nov. 20 at 9 p.m. ET and again Thursday, Nov. 23 at the same time. The show may also be viewed on demand at KET.org and on the PBS app. The program is funded in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions. The post KET To Air ‘The Legacy of Black Horsemen’ Documentary appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Mike Love Princess Sadie will be out for listed level spoils today as she looks to win the Macca Lodge Sires’ Stakes 2YO Fillies Classique at Ashburton today. Princess Sadie has been very strong in her three career starts to date, including showing some blistering gate speed to lead from wide out at Addington last time. Oamaru trainer and driver Matthew Williamson is going in with some confidence. “She came through that run really well. She seems to be handling the racing at this stage. She hasn’t had the nicest of trips, but she bounces out of each one.” “Just the draw is not the ideal part, so she’ll have to do a bit of work again, but she’s up to it. Matthews’ father Phil lines up three runners, Empire City for Ricky May, Torquay Street (John Morrison) and Storm Cloud (Nathan Williamson). Other dangers are the Mark and Nathan Purdon trained We Can Have It All and respect for the well drawn Paul Nairn-trained Wypout. “The main dangers look to be on the second line, so with her gate speed we might have to try and stay ahead of them.” Princess Sadie is named after Matthew and his wife Charlotte Williamsons’ first child Sadie, and is part-owned by Charlotte and a number of syndicates. “They are all really enjoying what she’s been able to do so far, most of them will be there today cheering her on.” It’s just the second running of the Classique, following Show No Fear’s win last year. Earlier on the card in race 3 Granny Rose will line up for Williamson also. “The front line draw will help him, he’s a good beginner so he should have a good place chance.” View the full article

Amid continued challenges with its turf course despite dry fall weather, Churchill Downs scrapped grass racing Nov. 15—the fourth consecutive day at least one scheduled turf race has been moved to the main track.View the full article

Led by three-time Group 1 winner Advertise (GB), the 2024 roster and fees for Manton Park Stud were announced on Wednesday. The son of Showcasing (GB) will command £10,000. He sits fourth amongst first-crop sires in Great Britain and Ireland with 15 individual winners from 49 runners in 2023 and covered 41 mares this year. His best runner so far is the stakes-placed Task Force (GB). G1 Prix de la Foret hero Aclaim (Ire), a son of Acclamation (GB), will stand for £8,000. The sire of 2022 G1 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet (GB) who is being offered during the Sceptre Sessions at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, he is also represented by G3 Summer S. runner-up Royal Aclaim (Ire), and the listed winner and G3 Molecomb S. second Purosangue (GB). A total of 37 mares visited him in 2023. As previously announced, French juvenile Group 1 winner Dubai Mile (Ire) (Roaring Lion) will stand at Manton Park next term. His fee will be £7,500. The chestnut was his late sire's first group winner from his single crop of foals. G1 Prix Royal-Oak winner Technician (Ire) completes the quartet at £5,000. His eldest foals are yearlings in 2024. Owner of Manton Park Stud, Martyn Meade said, “We are very much looking forward to going into our second covering season here at Manton Park with two new stallions joining the roster. Advertise has had a promising start with his 2-year-old's making their track debut this year. He has some improving types who are well regarded by leading trainers and expected to progress in their 3-year-old careers. A fee of £10,000 offers exceptional value for an extremely consistent son of Showcasing (GB). Aclaim has proven his capabilities of producing winners at the top level with Cachet and this term has been represented through tough juvenile Purosangue. “As a four-time Group 1 winner, Roaring Lion was an exceptional racehorse. Dubai Mile joins the Manton Park stallion operation for the forthcoming season as Roaring Lion's first group winner and most successful son to date, we are very much looking forward to his career at stud and seeing his future progeny. Despite having a promising roster of young stallions, we have trimmed our fees for 2024 to offer the best value possible for breeders.” The post Manton Park To Stand Quartet In 2024, Including New Stallion Dubai Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Three days after the 60 Minutes segment “Horse Racing Reform?” which covered doping in horse racing, HISA, and breakdowns, Tom Rooney, the President and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, stressed the need to commit to and better communicate the reforms racing is making. Rooney issued a statement that said: “Issues raised in recent media accounts are a reminder of why the public needs to know about the significant progress the sport of Thoroughbred racing has made in equine safety over the last few years. On behalf of NTRA members, which include horsemen's groups, racetracks, and a broad representation of every aspect of our sport, we are firmly committed to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA). HISA is a Congressionally mandated step forward and its leaders are collaboratively working within the sport to make substantial, positive changes uniformly across the country. In addition, HISA and other major national racing entities continue to invest in promising technologies, data analysis, and other measures that can further enhance our sport's safety protocols.” “Any suggestion that our sport is not committed to reform and not supportive of HISA is a minority view. It is time for the whole of the Thoroughbred industry to come together to safeguard the integrity and growth of this beloved sport.” The post After 60 Minutes Segment, NTRA’s Tom Rooney Urges Commitment to Reforms appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Multidarling runs down 12-time champion trainer’s Act Of Faith to take out a Class Four sprint at Happy Valley on Wednesday nightView the full article

A five-strong roster, anchored by Masked Marvel (GB), will stand at Haras d'Etreham's jumping division, Haras de la Tuilerie, d'Etreham announced on Wednesday. Leading the Tuilerie roster, the son of Montjeu (Ire) is the sire of Grade 1 winners like Seljem (Fr). He is also responsible for recent G2 Prix Magalen Bryant winner Maskaya (Fr) among his 40 winners this year. His fee will remain at €12,500. Joining the son of Montjeu (Ire) is new recruit Pretty Tiger (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), who will stand for €4,000 through a partnership between d'Etreham and Haras de Cercy. The dual Group 1 runner-up won the G2 Prix Eugene Adam and the G3 Prix Exbury. Grade 1 winner Goliath Du Berlais (Fr) will have his first 3-year-olds in 2024 and his fee is unchanged at €7,500. Paradiso (Fr), a son of Kapgarde (Fr), will also stand for an unchanged fee of €5,000 and is expecting his first foals in 2024. Rounding out the Tuilerie roster is Latrobe (Ire) at €4,000. The G1 Irish Derby winner is a grandson of Montjeu. Priced at €15,000 the same as 2023 and the sire of 17 Grade 1 winners in the NH sphere, Saint Des Saints has sired six Grade 1 winners this term and remains at Haras d'Etreham. Nicolas de Chambure said, “We are delighted to welcome Pretty Tiger to join the ranks of our jumps sires. It is essential for us to select profiles capable of enriching the pool of French stallions and continuing the development that breeding is currently undergoing in the jumping discipline. It is also with this in mind that we are continuing to support the fillies and mares jumping programme by sponsoring the group races reserved for them at Auteuil. We aim to offer the best to breeders and are very pleased with the stallion profiles we are offering again this year.” The post Roster And Fees For Haras De La Tuilerie Announced appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In Tuesday's TDN, we ran a letter from JoAnn Hayden urging industry supporters to write to 60 Minutes with their thoughts on their Nov. 12 segment, “Horse Racing Reform?” Denali Stud's Craig Bandoroff shared his letter to 60 Minutes with the TDN. To: 60minutes@cbsnews.com Let me preface this by saying I'm 68 years old and I have religiously watched 60 Minutes for the past 35 years and I've watched it less regularly my whole life. I have the show automatically recorded so I'm writing to you as a devoted follower of your show. I have been involved in thoroughbred racing and breeding my whole career, which is now 50 years. I was very disappointed in your segment on Sunday. There is no question we have a history of a drug and cheating problem. But the way you presented your story doesn't portray that the incident percentage of both drug positives and breakdowns is small. Any breakdown is too many. Everyone in the industry feels that way. It is an industry where extremely devoted people labor because of one common thing: we all love horses, especially thoroughbred horses. That did not come across in the piece. Granted your story was about our problem but some senses of balance would have been appropriate. I was very disappointed in both the piece and 60 Minutes in general. It makes me question the integrity and balance of the pieces I have seen over these many years. –Craig Bandoroff, Lexington, Ky. The post Letter to 60 Minutes: Craig Bandoroff appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fan-favorite Channel Maker (English Channel), the 2020 Eclipse Award-winning turf male who made a record six appearances at the Breeders' Cup, has taken up residence at Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky. The 9-year-old was donated to the farm by Adam Wachtel and his fellow owners. Bred in Ontario by Ivan Dalos's Tall Oaks Farm, Channel Maker was a stakes winner at two for trainer Danny Vella and took the 2017 Breeders' S. He was a Grade I winner each year from 2018 to 2020, scoring his first such victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic before adding the Man O'War S. in 2019 and the Sword Dancer and a second Joe Hirsch the following year. He was also a close third in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf en route to his championship. A gallant second in the $1-million Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia at the outset of his 7-year-old season, Channel Maker retained his zest for racing into the latter part of his career, winning the GII Elkhorn S. in the spring of 2022 and this year's GII Bowling Green S. at Saratoga in gate-to-wire fashion. He retired with a record of 10-6-5 from 56 starts for earnings of $3,915,983. “I've idolized Channel Maker ever since I first laid eyes on him devouring the field in the 2020 Sword Dancer at Saratoga,” said Michael Blowen, president and founder of Old Friends. “He arrived at Old Friends covered in dapples and in spectacular condition. Our deepest thanks to Adam and his partners, and to trainer Bill Mott, for allowing us to show him off to his legion of fans. We are honored.” The post Channel Maker Arrives at Old Friends appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kensea (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), the dam of G1 Criterium International-winning Galiway (GB) full-brothers Sealiway (Fr) and Sunway (Fr), has been added to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale as a wildcard, the sales company announced on Wednesday. Offered by James Hanly's Ballyhimikin Stud during the second day of the Sceptre Sessions on Tuesday, Dec. 5 as lot 1825, the 13-year-old mare is owned and bred by Guy Pariente. She is in foal to rising French sire Zarak (Fr). A listed winner herself, Kensea's four foals to make the racecourse have all won. Sealiway is also a winner of the G1 Champion S. and was second in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and now stands at Haras de Beaumont. Besides his Group 1 win, Sunway reported home second in the G2 Champagne S. Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “Kensea is a very rare commodity and represents an almost unique opportunity for breeders from throughout the world to acquire the dam of two Group 1 winners at a relatively young age. She is not only a magnificent tribute to the hugely successful breeding operation that Guy Pariente has developed in France, but also in foal to one of Europe's most exciting young sires and can be mated to any of the world's leading stallions. Kensea is the complete package and will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of a Tattersalls December Mares Sale which as ever promises to showcase the finest mares and fillies to a global audience.” The post “Rare Commodity” Kensea To Be Offered At Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions As A Wildcard appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Prior to this year's Keeneland September Sale, John Stewart was largely unknown in racing circles. That changed when Stewart, the founder and managing partner of MiddleGround Capital, a private equity firm, spent $8.425 million on 13 horses. He was just getting started. Stewart returned to the fall breeding stock sales at Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland where he once again opened his check book, purchasing 11 mares and weanlings for a total of $17.35 million. The list included the two-time GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper). Stewart spent $6 million on the Eclipse Award winner and plans to race her in 2024. So what caused Stewart to get started in racing and why has he been so aggressive when it comes to his purchases? What are his plans and goals going forward? Is he doing this just to have some fun or does he believe his operation can be profitable? Those were among the questions we asked Stewart when he was the Green Group Guest of the Week on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland. Plus, he revealed the newly-coined name for his fledgling operation. “If you get to know me, you'll find out that I don't do anything halfway,” Stewart said. “I bought my first horse last year after I had gone through a divorce. When I was married, my wife never wanted me to get into the horse racing. I always had a passion for it and went to the races and enjoyed it. And then I got divorced. So I was like, 'Okay, I'll buy a racehorse.' And then I started learning more about the industry. When I get involved in something, I want to research everything. I want to know everything, and I want to know the history. I've always respected the industry and how important it is to the Kentucky community and to the economy of the state and especially to the Lexington area. As I've been able to get successful in my career with my business, it affords you the opportunity to get involved in things that you're passionate about and try to make an impact for people other than yourself.” He said that with the ambitions he has for his racing stable and future breeding operation, buying just a handful of horses was not an option. “Anything I do, I'm going to do all the way,” he said. “My goals are to start a breeding and a racing operation and you need numbers to do that. You also have to be lucky at the end of the day to win these big races. With all the horses that are in the Kentucky Derby, they're all competitive horses and have had accomplished records. But you still need luck. So you can't rely solely on just buying the best. You also have to have numbers because things happen, like injuries. So I decided that I needed more bullets in the chamber. Everybody was advising me to stick with buying fillies and mares because they're easier to make money with. But if you're going to have a racing program, you have to have colts. So that's why we really came out in a big way at Keeneland. We bought a lot of colts because I wanted to start getting the pipeline full of horses for racing.” Stewart announced that his newly-purchased property, Shadwell Farm's Shadayid Stud in Midway, will be called Resolute Farm and his racing operation will be Resolute Racing. “In anything I do in life, I'm determined for it to work,” he explained. “Sometimes I believe you will things into existence. You make them happen. I'm very resolute on what we're doing here, so there is a meaning behind it. It's not just some guy that just is jumping into the industry. This has been calculated and we have a very specific strategy of what we're trying to do.” Stewart isn't the first newcomer to make a huge splash at the sales, coming in from out of nowhere to spend millions. Many who have done so have failed and disappeared from the sport within a short period of time. He said that's not going to happen to him. “I'm going to make this profitable,” he said. “This won't be a hobby. I'm going to trust horsemen to run the business and let them make the decisions. Sometimes when you're an accomplished business person, you want to control every aspect of everything. That may be the way others go about it. I'm going to be involved, but I'm going to trust people, people that have been in the industry, people that know how things work to run my day-to-day operations of the business. We have a very specific strategy of what we're trying to do. I'm going to be very involved strategically in what we're doing. I'm going to be involved, but I'm going to trust people that have been in the industry, people that know how things work, to run my day-to-day operations of the business. I'm not going to be micro-managing my farm manager. I'm not going try to tell him what to feed the horses. I'm not going to be micro-managing the trainers and try to tell them this is a race I want to run in and this is where I want to be. In my career, I've always surrounded myself with people that I think are very smart. And then I try to empower them to do the job that they've been hired to do.” 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, XBTV.com and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, the team of Zoe Cadman, Bill Finley and Randy Moss discussed the 60 Minutes story on horse racing, whether or not it was fair and if could be just one more thing that erodes peoples' confidence in the sport. The podcast was recorded three days before GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) was to be sold at the Keeneland November sale. What will he bring? Finley guessed $500,000, while Cadman and Moss both guessed $1.2 million. Still another topic of discussions was the decision to run the 2025 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar and why has Churchill Downs seemingly been taken out of the running as a Breeders' Cup host site. Cadman speculated that Bob Baffert's ban at Churchill Downs may a reason why the Breeders' Cup is apparently reluctant to go there. Click here to watch the podcast and here for the audio version. The post John Stewart 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

Group 1 stallion Tasleet (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who was placed in three top-level sprints, has been acquired by Dr. Anhad Sidhu's Star Born Stud and will stand in India in 2024. A fee for the bay will be announced at a later date. “Tasleet [is] getting ready to head to India,” said New Approach Bloodstock's Ajay Anne on X, who assisted with the deal. “Congratulations to Star Born Stud on acquiring this smart stallion. Thank you Shadwell Stud and Hissa Hamdan. All the best to Anhad Sidhu.” The 10-year-old son of Bird Key (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) is the sire of G1 King's Stand S. and G2 Coventry S. hero Bradsell (GB), as well as the stakes winner American Sonja (GB), who has placed four times at group/graded level. From the same family as crack sprinter Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and his full-brother The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), the G2 Duke Of York S. and G3 Greenham S. hero stood at Shadwell's Nunnery Stud this year for a fee of £6,000. Anne had previously assisted Star Born Stud with their acquisition of stallion Well Done Fox (GB) (Acclamation {GB}). The post Group 1 Sire Tasleet On The Move To India appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Group 2-winning two-year-old Asymmetric (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) has been retired to stand at Ballyhane Stud for 2024 and will command a fee of €7,000. A high-class juvenile for Alan King, Asymmetric fetched a six-figure prize-tag at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale before landing the G2 Richmond S. in tremendous fashion. That victory was described in the Sporting Life as “a highly impressive performance”, with Asymmetric accounting for a quality field, which included subsequent Group 1 winners Perfect Perfect and Ebro River, as well as the Flying Childers winner Caturra. Jockey Martin Harley described Asymmetric to be in possession of an “incredible turn of foot”, which was evident when the colt ran a gallant race to finish third in the G1 Prix Morny S. in 2021. Ballyhane Stud owner Joe Foley commented on his new acquisition, “With Soldier's Call joining Dullingham Park, we are delighted to welcome another son of Showcasing to Ballyhane. We've seen what they can do, with Soldier's Call's exciting first crop in 2023, and another son of Showcasing being responsible for the high-class sprinter Bradsell. “Asymmetric is made very much in that mould, and is a tremendously good-looking colt. With his speed, class and pedigree I am confident that he will be a popular choice with breeders.” Asymmetric added more black type to his record during a season in America before spending his four-year-old campaign in France. On a memorable day in Deauville in August, he won the Listed Prix du Cercle just half an hour before his younger half-brother Mill Stream won the Listed Prix Moonlight Cloud. Mill Stream returned to France at the end of that month to win the Group 3 Prix de Meautry. Asymmetric and Mill Stream are the first and second foals of their dam Swirral Edge, herself an extremely fast dual winner. The mare's Listed-winning half-sister Fashion Queen is already a black-type producer, and the strong sprinting elements of the pedigree are further enhanced by the presence in the family of Flying Childers and Molecomb Stakes winner Wunders Dream, herself now also a black-type producer. The post Ballyhane Stud Adds Asymmetric To Roster For 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Daniel and Claire Kubler have described running stable star Astro King in Friday's $1m Bahrain Trophy as something “dreams are made of” as the husband-and-wife training duo bid to prove that you don't need to spend massive amounts at the sales to secure big-race riches on the track. A 36,000gns purchase from the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale last year, Astro King (Ire) (King {GB}) netted connections £103,080 when landing the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket in September. That performance came after Astro King cashed in a £51,540 cheque for winning a Heritage Handicap at York, meaning the ownership group of Capture The Moment, Carter & Lofthouse have long occupied bonus territory with the six-year-old. But overseeing morning trackwork in Bahrain on Wednesday, the Kublers admitted to being quietly confident that the dream run with their stable star could be set to continue a little while longer and outlined their hopes of coming home with more big-race riches on Friday. Daniel said, “The horse has settled in really well. We were a little bit concerned about travelling as it's the first time he has travelled this far but he's taken it very well and is quite relaxed. He's trained very well since he got here and, watching him this morning, he has settled into his routine quite quickly.” Kubler added, “There is a big, long straight here so the track should suit him. It's fast ground but it looks as though they have put quite a lot of water on it. I hope they don't put too much more on it because we came here for quick ground!” The Kubler yard is very much a joint operation. Based in Lambourn, the stable has gone from strength-to-strength in a short space of time and has sent out 21 winners domestically in 2023. Astro King (stripes): storming to Cambridgeshire glory | Racingfotos.com Friday may represent the training team's first international runner but that's not to say the Kublers are rookies when it comes to challenges abroad. As well as spending three years working with Roger Charlton, Daniel spent time with Francois Doumen in France, legendary Australian trainer Gai Waterhouse and a stint in California with Ben Cecil. Meanwhile, Claire also spent time working in California as assistant to Patrick Gallagher as well working for Jeremy Noseda in Newmarket. In short, the pair know how hard it is to come across a horse capable of competing at this level, never mind finding one who cost them just 36,000gns. That's why the team are affording themselves the opportunity to dream this week. Claire explained “It's a fantastic opportunity. For the owners, it's what dreams are made of. When they bought into the horse last year, of course you live on a hope that he can turn out to be a nice horse, but he has exceeded expectations already. To have won at the York Ebor Festival and then to follow up in the Cambridgeshire, it's just been amazing. Fingers crossed he puts his best foot forward on Friday.” So how has Astro King been transformed from a 36,000gns purchase into a genuine contender for one of the world's richest races, not to mention climb 13lbs in the ratings in a little over a year? It has been well-documented that the Kublers are not what you'd describe as quintessential horse people in that they adopt a slightly more nuanced approach to training. The proof, as they say, is in the eating and there can be no better poster boy for this training method than Astro King. Daniel said, “It would be nice if we could keep on repeating it but we've done really well recently and people have had a bit more confidence to give us more opportunities. We were kind of kicked into going and buying Astro King a little. “We had bought a few yearlings at the time but hadn't sold them all. Obviously the horses-in-training sale comes directly afterwards and a guy called Richard Farquhar, who helps us out with a few things, told us that we had to go and buy this horse. We did that and it's worked out really well. But we love going through all of the form and are very analytical people by nature so the horses-in-training sale suits us. “And then, when you get them home, the horsemanship side of things comes into it and we have a very good team in place at home. It's all about finding the right people to work with each individual horse and it's worked out well with Astro King.” On their training methods, he continued, “The horsemanship and the relationships with the horses is key to the whole thing. The interaction with the horse is the base but we would then do more analytical stuff such as stride analysis and gene testing just to provide a more analytical and data approach. We are basically trying to work out how to get the best out of a horse. It's a puzzle and the more clues you have the easier it is to work it out.” The bookmakers would lead you to believe that Friday's Bahrain Trophy is not such a difficult puzzle to work out with the Charlie Appleby-trained Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) heading the market at general odds of 15-8. Astro King is on offer at a much more general 16-1 in places and the Kublers are under no illusions about the task at hand. Claire commented, “I'm just really excited to be here and it's great that the Bahrain Turf Club have put this race on. They are obviously really progressive and are striving to make this a well-known race in the international calendar.” Daniel added, “They have attracted a really high-class field. It's a race full of quality and, while we have a little to find with some of them on ratings, we know we have come here with a progressive horse who deserves his shot at a race like this. We've nothing to lose. We have been so well looked after coming out here and in many ways it's a shot to nothing. We'd like to think we have a good shot at picking up some of the prize money but, whether we can beat a 121-rated horse in Nations Pride, I don't know.” The post ‘What Dreams Are Made Of’ – Kublers’ King Chasing Bahrain Trophy Riches appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article