Wandering Eyes

Lucy In The Sky delivered a memorable result on multiple fronts with her historic success at Riccarton. The Cambridge Stud-bred and raced filly executed her southern plan to perfection on Saturday when the Tony Pike-trained juvenile was untroubled to triumph in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m). Her victory stroll credited the farm’s young shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain with his first Southern Hemisphere stakes victory. It was also the first running of a black-type event on a synthetic track in New Zealand after the feature two-year-old event was switched from the turf to the all-weather due to the weather bomb that hit the Canterbury region. “There were five races at that distance and she was almost a second faster than the open handicap, the quickest of the day, so her time backs up the performance,” Cambridge Stud Head of Sales and Nominations Scott Calder said. “It was an unfortunate situation with the weather, but for the stallion it was a great result and a well-deserved stakes win for the filly. “I think she’s a pretty talented horse and Tony Pike’s view is that November at Riccarton for the Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) is the longer-term aim. “She is a very fast filly, but Hello Youmzain is starting to show in the Northern Hemisphere already that some of his progeny get over a bit of ground and hopefully a mile will be within her reach.” It was a notable result for the farm at Riccarton as runner-up Queen’s Legacy is also a homebred graduate. Lucy In The Sky is a daughter of O’Reilly’s unraced daughter Too Many Diamonds, also the dam of the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) winner Ruud Not Too. “The mare is retired and Lucy In The Sky is her last living foal, for a mare of her age she didn’t have as many foals as we would have hoped for,” Calder said. “We retained the filly to keep the family going and she’s a beautiful broodmare prospect for down the line.” Cambridge Stud also celebrated a homebred success across the Tasman with the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-prepared Immediacy continuing his hot run of form at Caulfield with a dominant 2000m performance. Successful over ground at his previous run at Mornington, last season’s Gr.2 Autumn Classic (1800m) winner is now likely to head to Queensland for the Gr.3 Chairman’s Handicap (2000m) and Gr.2 Brisbane Cup (3200m). “He was obviously a quality three-year-old and it’s been good to see him step into the open ranks and hopefully he can add to his black-type record,” Calder said. By Tarzino, Immediacy was originally purchased as a yearling from the draft of Kiltannon Stables at Karaka for $15,000 by Game Lodge and then secured by Busuttin and Group 1 Racing for $200,000 when offered by Riverrrock Farm at the Ready to Run Sale. He is a half-brother to Cambridge Stud’s dual stakes winner Bella Waters with their dam the Irish-bred Pivotal mare But Beautiful. Her Hello Youmzain filly was sold at Karaka last year for $280,000 to Busuttin and Andrew Williams Bloodstock. “She has an Embellish weanling colt and unfortunately missed to Chaldean this year,” Calder said. View the full article

Three-year-old gelding Dazzling Fit threw his hat in the ring as a potential Classic Series horse for next season with a sparkling win in the first section of the Class Four Cox’s Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. Jockey Luke Ferraris settled David Eustace’s galloper in mid-pack early on and turning out of the back straight still had a lot of ground to make up. When hitting top gear, the well-supported Dazzling Fit flew down the straight to record a very comfortable win over Max Que, after being sent off $2.65. Winning trainer David Eustace was very bullish about the progressive youngster post-race. “We’ve always liked him. He’d put in two really good performances but was showing signs of greenness and just inexperience, which is very normal,” he told SCMP. “He was good today. He jumped well and he relaxed. He had a bit of ground to make up and I thought he flattened out well and picked them up well. “He’ll be a lovely horse for next season. He’ll definitely stay a mile. Whether he needs to do that now I’m not sure, but for next year he will. “We’ll see how he is as to whether he has another run or whether we give him a chance to mature. I’ll just be guided by the horse.” Dazzling Fit was sold for $115,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Book 2 Yearling Sale through the draft of Haunui Farm. A son of Ribchester, he is out of the Charge Forward mare Sapphire Lass and was purchased by Tartan Meadow Bloodstock’s Paul Chow. Named Ribblesdale in New Zealand, Dazzling Fit was an impressive Ellerslie trial winner for trainer Alex Oliveira last September, prior to his export to Hong Kong. View the full article

Ciaron Maher and connections have opted to fly Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) to Queensland ahead of her tilt at the Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on May 24. The leading trainer reported that the star mare has pulled up well after her win at Caulfield last Saturday and won’t be asked to do too much at home before heading north. “She’s come through it in pretty good order … track was on the firmer side but that’s what you come to expect at Caulfield,” Maher told RSN. “She’s going to fly up there (Queensland), she’ll have a quiet week this week, travel up the next, do a couple of pieces of work and should be ready to go for Doomben, which has been her target.” Maher hinted that the Doomben Cup will likely be Pride Of Jenni’s sole Queensland run but that an exact plan has not been set in stone. “At this stage that’s her plan, we’ll see how she is up there but Doomben 2000m, you would think that’s going to suit her down to the ground,” Maher said. Pride Of Jenni is $4 second favourite for the Doomben Cup behind $3.50 market leader Buckaroo (Fastnet Rock). View the full article

Foxton trainer Gail Temperton will have a two-pronged attack in the postponed Foxton New World Foxton Cup (2100m) at Hawera on Tuesday, but each of her representatives have two very different paths ahead of them. Group Three performer Royal Flower (NZ) (Proisir) is dropping back from stakes grade after placing in the Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2050m) at Wanganui last month, and Temperton has been pleased with her this time in, having placed in her last two outings following a five-month break from racing. “She always does her best and she will do her best again tomorrow,” Temperton said. “She’s pretty consistent, I would like her to go up a notch, but there is just nothing for her at the moment. She had a big holiday when the tracks were hard because she doesn’t like them rock hard, and she hadn’t had a holiday for a long time. “It’s unfortunate because by the time she is back in and ready there really isn’t a lot of good racing for her. She wasn’t up to the Travis Stakes (Gr.2, 2000m), but she is somewhere in the middle.” Temperton has no particular plan in mind for Royal Flower over the winter months, but finding a suitable track may prove to be a Goldilocks-type fable, with it needing to be just right. “It will purely depend on the weather,” she said. “She is no good when it’s a bog, but she is good up to a Heavy9 on some tracks but not on others, that is about her limit.” Royal Flower will be ridden on Tuesday by three-kilogram claiming apprentice Liam Kauri and will jump from barrier five. “Liam won on her in the only ride he has had on her,” Temperton said. “Liam always follows instructions very well.” Temperton will also be represented in the race by Never Look Back (NZ) (Shocking), who will be ridden by Leah Hemi from barrier two. The six-year-old gelding was victorious in a high weight at Woodville last week and has a jumping future ahead of him post-Tuesday. “He won well last week but there is a big difference between a high weight and a Foxton Cup, but he will do his best,” Temperton said. “He will be jumping on the weekend, so that will be his main aim now.” Temperton said the Foxton Cup field has benefited with the postponement and transfer of the meeting from Otaki on Sunday to Hawera on Tuesday. “The field has improved with leaving it open, it got some better horses in it. We will just do our best, we can do no more,” she said.Royal Flower is on the second line of betting in the TAB market for the Foxton Cup at $4.60, behind $2.60 favourite Boomtown Boy (NZ) (Caravaggio), while Never Look Back is rated a $9 winning chance. View the full article

Promising youngster Towering Vision (NZ) crowned a successful couple of days for Windsor Park Stud when he credited resident sire Circus Maximus with his first Southern Hemisphere black-type winner. The farm graduate claimed top honours in Saturday’s Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa a day after the farm hosted another top edition of their annual Rugby, Racing and Beer Sale at Riccarton. Trained by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, Towering Vision is a first crop representative of Galileo’s triple Group One winner Circus Maximus. “This is the time of the year you want to be doing it with this type of stallion, Ha’penny Hatch was stakes placed the previous weekend, and this is what we really want going into the breeding season,” Windsor Park’s Rodney Schick said. “The favourite, Engine Of War, was scratched and he’s an exciting horse and then Rufus will also be running in the Champagne Stakes in a couple of weeks as well. “It’s really starting to happen for Circus Maximus, so we’re really excited.” Towering Vision was offered by Windsor Park at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale and Te Akau’s David Ellis purchased the son of the unraced Iffraaj mare Qiji Vision for $105,000. “He was off the farm, I bought him from a client as a weanling,” Schick said. “The Circus Maximus’ are not really bred to be out and out two-year-olds, but you want to see them start to operate at the back end of the season.” The weekend was kick-started by Windsor Park’s Riccarton Sale, which again featured 10 yearlings. “It was fantastic and we sold all 10, highlighted by the filly that went to Ben Kwok for $100,000,” Schick said. “She is a lovely, sharp filly and very much in the mould of Sword Of State.” She is a daughter of Sword Of State and the Charm Spirit mare Paper Dragon, a sister to the Listed Ryder Stakes (1200m) winner and multiple Group placegetter Pacific Dragon. “That was our fourth sale and we’ve taken 40 horses down there and sold them all, so it’s been a great clearance rate,” Schick said. Steve Davis again auctioned off the lots with a pair of high-profile guest speakers complementing the occasion. “We had All Black legend Kieran Read come to speak as well as Will Hayes from Lindsay Park, and what an outstanding young guy he is,” Schick said. “We had a great day and a lot of fun, the weather turned it on for us at the end after the weather bomb, so it all went to plan.” View the full article

Group One-winning mare Campionessa (NZ) (Contributer) has been retired from racing and will be offered at Magic Millions’ Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale later this month. Bred by Mapperley Stud principal Simms Davison, Campionessa was passed in as a yearling at Karaka, and again the Magic Million Gold Coast National Yearling Sale. Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis was Johnny-on-the-spot on the Gold Coast and offered Davison $60,000 for the filly, which he duly accepted. It would prove to be an astute purchase by Ellis, with the daughter of Contributer carrying Te Akau’s tangerine and blue silks to victory on 11 occasions, including the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2050m), and she amassed $1.4 million in career earnings for her syndicate. A model of consistency throughout her career, Campionessa was also Group One placed on three occasions, including the Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m), and twice in the Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m). She also tested her talent in Australia, where she performed with distinction, including winning the Gr.2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m). A daughter of three-win O’Reilly mare Bella Carolina (NZ), Campionessa is a half-sister to stakes winners Leedox (NZ) (Time Test) and Tennesse (NZ) (Per Incanto), and hails from the family of Group One winners Dress Circle (NZ) (Zabeel) and Carson’s Cash (NZ) (Lord Ballina). Campionessa retires after finishing fifth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), run on the inaugural Champions Day meeting at Ellerslie in March. Mark Walker trained her in partnership with Sam Bergerson over the last couple of seasons, and he was impressed with her talent and resilient nature. “She was a great mare, very tough, and just got better from season-to-season,” he said. “As a three-year-old, she went through the grades, but we didn’t necessarily think that she was up to Group One quality. “But she continued to improve and as a four-year-old and went down to our Riccarton base in search of black-type. She ran second in the Spring Classic (Listed, 2000m) and then won Metropolitan Trophy (Listed, 2500m), the lead-up to the New Zealand Cup (Gr.3, 3200m), with a brilliant ride by Josh Parr. “We spelled her and she came back and won the Rich Hill Mile (Gr. 2, 1600m) first-up, which has always been a hard race to win, and it was an exceptional effort. “To win it first-up, we knew then that she was continuing to improve, and each season she just got better and better, highlighted with her two peak performances in the Zabeel Classic and the Peter Young Stakes in Melbourne. “She’s always been a very sound mare, very tough, and she’d be a great addition to anyone’s broodmare band.” Campionessa won’t be the only former Te Akau Racing representative on offer on the Gold Coast, with the trans-Tasman powerhouse also offering Group One performer Wolverine (NZ) (Tivaci), stakes winner Family Ties (NZ) (Contributer), stakes performers Sans Doute (Not A Single Doubt) and Millefiori (NZ) (Iffraaj), two-win filly The Victress (Zousain), and The Sky Above (American Pharoah), a half-sister to Group One performer Landlock (Merchant Navy). View the full article

The 57-year-old handler has a pair of horses backing up off last-start victories at the city circuit on Wednesday night.View the full article

The world’s best sprinter will be set for the Russell Balding Stakes at Rosehill, with Racing Victoria’s tough protocols prompting the move away from the Champions Sprint.View the full article

With 17.7 million viewers (6:33-7:24 p.m. ET), the 2025 Kentucky Derby will rank as NBC's most-watched Saturday program since the NFL Wild Card Playoffs in January 2024 (excluding Paris Olympics).View the full article

William Harrigan knew what he was doing when he bought Complicated as a 4-year-old at the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. The daughter of Blame had finished a nose behind Lady Eli in a maiden special weight at Saratoga in 2014. View the full article

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For all the ability and potential Bishops Bay has displayed in his first eight races, there was one noticeable omission from his resume. A graded stakes win.View the full article

William Harrigan knew what he was doing when he bought Complicated as a 4-year-old out of the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. The daughter of Blame had finished a nose behind Lady Eli in a maiden special weight at Saratoga in 2014. View the full article

Grade 1 winners Formidable Man and Raging Torrent were among 216 horses to record timed workouts at Santa Anita Park May 4.View the full article

With 17.7 million viewers (6:33-7:24 p.m. ET), the 2025 Kentucky Derby will rank as NBC's most-watched Saturday program since the NFL Wild Card Playoffs in January 2024 (excluding Paris Olympics).View the full article

It's taken a good deal of patience in more than one respect, but Dundeel finally has a female group 1 winner to add to his collection after Femminile's stirring triumph in the May 3 South Australian Derby (G1).View the full article

Nothing like coming 10-wide on your return to the races, but if you're going to make a comeback, why not do it big? Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) kicked off her 2025 campaign by overcoming drama she likely won't see again, and took home the trophy for the GIII Beaugay Stakes to boot. Given a freshening after back-to-back third-place efforts in the Listed Winter Memories Sept. 13 and GII Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 17, she had not been to the winner's enclosure since her victory this time last year at Churchill Downs in the GII Edgewood Stakes. Between that race and the Lake Placid, her connections tired her against elite company in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational to no avail. Sent away at 7-2 odds here and forced to watch the race unfold in fifth with no one really keen on taking the lead, the field went from a :22.67 first sectional to a :47.97 four panels, and clicked through six furlongs in 1:11.75. Pushed along passing the quarter pole and rolling to the outside of Raqiya (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and Spaliday (More Than Ready) as they entered the latter stages of the turn, she found herself floated ten paths off the fence when the former blew the entry into the upper stretch. Brave as they come, she relentlessly kept on and closed the margin into the furlong grounds as Edict (Arg) (Il Campione {Chi}) fought off Heredia (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the final yards. She overhauled that pair to win by a half-length with Edict claiming a hard-fought second. “Believe me, I wanted to move earlier but I couldn't,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr. “Then I hit the clear and I saw Frankie's [Dettori] horse [No. 4 Raqiya] having trouble to make the turn. I said 'Oh my God.' So, now I don't want to check my horse, stop the momentum, so I said by the time I get there, he is either going to blow the turn or make the turn. He controlled the horse. I got the time to go around them and get there on time.” Trainer Chad Brown noted the traffic issues, but was largely pleased with her effort, saying, “It was nice off a layoff that she [No. 7, Dynamic Pricing] was ready and avoided the trouble in this race. She was able to get her season started the right way.” Dynamic Pricing closes at 7/2 to win the G3 Beaugay at Aqueduct under @iradortiz for trainer Chad Brown! pic.twitter.com/SkL905QQJW — TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) May 4, 2025 Pedigree Notes: Dynamic Pricing's sire Night of Thunder is the current heir apparent to the great Dubawi (Ire)'s line–a precious link to the ill-fated Dubai Millennium, who only managed to produce 56 foals before passing away from complications of grass sickness. That this line, a miracle by many standards in itself, continues to thrive such as it does serves testament to the quality Dubawi and his sons can produce. With seven champions and progeny earnings of over $38-million, Night of Thunder proves more than capable of flying the house standards as another daughter, Desert Flower (Ire), was part of Godolphin's fleet of four over the weekend that claimed the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks in the U.S., and the G1 Betfred 2000 Guineas and G1 Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket. As to the victress, she is a half-sister to one other winner, but is the most accomplished for Shemda (Ire) (Dutch Art {GB}) by far. The mare, a winner in France, is a half-sibling to MGSW-Ire Shamida (Ire) (Australia {GB}) as well as SP Shajak (Ire) (Zarak {Fr}). The female family really blooms beneath the third dam as Shemaka (Ire) (Nishapour {Fr}) was a highweight filly at three and claimed the G1 Prix de Diane Hermes-French Oaks. She would go on to claim MGSW-Fr Shemima (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}); G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes victor Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}); G1SP-Aus Sheraz (Fr) (Sea the Stars {Ire}); G1SW-Fr Shakeel (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}); and Chilean Group 1 winner Full of Luck (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky) as her descendants through varies daughters. Shemda has only produced a yearling colt by Mehmas (Ire) since Dynamic Pricing, and has no breeding on record for 2025. Sunday, Belmont At The Big A BEAUGAY S.-GIII, $175,000, Belmont The Big A, 5-4, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.12, fm. 1–DYNAMIC PRICING (IRE), 122, f, 4, by Night of Thunder (Ire) 1st Dam: Shemda (Ire), by Dutch Art (GB) 2nd Dam: Shamooda (Ire), by Azamour (Ire) 3rd Dam: Shemaka (Ire), by Nishapour (Fr) (170,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $96,250. Lifetime Record: 8-3-0-3, $497,125. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Edict (Arg), 118, m, 5, Il Campione (Chi)–Stormy Valery (Arg), by Bernstein. O-John T. Behrendt; B-Triple Alliance S.A. (ARG); T-David G. Donk. $35,000. 3–Heredia (GB), 118, m, 6, Dark Angel (Ire)–Nakuti (Ire), by Mastercraftsman (Ire). O-Wathnan Racing; B-St Albans Bloodstock LLP (GB); T-H. Graham Motion. $21,000. Margins: HF, HF, 1HF. Odds: 3.50, 27.00, 4.50. Also Ran: Grayosh, Mohawk Trail, Spaliday, Lady Firefoot, Raqiya (Ire). Scratched: Amanda's Folly, No Mo Candy. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Dynamic Pricing Overcomes Wild Traffic, Claims Beaugay in ’25 Bow appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

NBC Sports' 25th presentation of the Kentucky Derby delivered an NBC Sports-record average of 17.7 million viewers on NBC and Peacock–marking the largest Kentucky Derby audience since 1989 (18.5 million viewers, won by Sunday Silence) and a 6% increase from last year (16.7 million viewers for Mystik Dan's victory in a three-horse photo finish). Viewership peaked at 21.8 million viewers from 7-7:15 p.m. ET, as Sovereignty ran to a 1 1/2-length victory over Journalism. The peak audience was the largest ever for an NBC Sports presentation of the Kentucky Derby (up 8% from 20.1 million last year). Led by Peacock, the “Run for the Roses” posted NBC Sports' largest streaming audience for a horse racing event with an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 959,000 viewers–up 34% from last year (714,000) and nearly tripling 2023 (371,000). NBC Sports has averaged 15+ million viewers across all platforms for 10 of the last 12 Kentucky Derby races held in May (2013-2024, excludes 2020 COVID-impacted event which was moved to September). With 17.7 million viewers (6:33-7:24 p.m. ET), the 2025 Kentucky Derby will rank as NBC's most-watched Saturday program since the NFL Wild Card Playoffs in January 2024 (excluding Paris Olympics). NBC Sports presents the 150th Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 17, at 4 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, with coverage beginning at 2 p.m. ET on CNBC and Peacock. The post NBC, Peacock Present the Most Watched Kentucky Derby Since 1989 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

7th-Laurel, $48,710, Msw, 5-4, 3yo, 1m, 1:39.45, sy, 9 1/2 lengths. LIONEL (c, 3, Authentic–Sweetgrass {MGSP, $330,145}, by Street Sense) stepped forward to keep the leader in his sights as he stalked the pace through :24.40, :47.83, and 1:13.16 splits from three off the rail, eventually taking a commanding advantage. Moving well but floating out a touch greenly as they rolled off the turn, Lionel kicked away from the field to win by 9 1/2 lengths over Kitty's Son (Cupid). The victor is the most recent to the races for his dam, who hails from the female family which produced GISP Stellaris (Harlan's Holiday). Lionel, the mare's third winner from as many surviving offspring, has a pair of half-sisters in the wings–a juvenile by City of Light and a yearling by Colonel Liam. Sweetgrass is due to Win Win Win for 2025. Sales history: $875,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $28,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne, Determined Stables, Masterson, Robert E., Ryan, Tom J., Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine; B-Seclusive Farm, Brad Stephens & Breeze Easy (KY); T-Brittany T. Russell. Lionel (by @spendthriftfarm Authentic) powered away on debut under @JevianToledo to break his maiden at @LaurelPark for SF Racing, @StarlightRacing, @MadaketStables, et al. pic.twitter.com/h76c47B4su — Brittany Russell Racing Stable (@BTRracingstable) May 4, 2025 The post Authentic’s Lionel Strong on Debut at Laurel Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Charlie Appleby and William Buick completed a classic double when landing the One Thousand Guineas (G1) with Desert Flower at Newmarket May 4. The Godolphin trainer and jockey won the Two Thousand Guineas (G1) with Ruling Court Saturday.View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Observations features a Ballydoyle newcomer. 1.20 Curragh, Mdn, €25,000, 2yo, 6fT NEOLITHIC (IRE) (Sioux Nation) missed his intended target here last month and lines up for this race his Ballydoyle stable won with Air Force Blue 10 years ago. The 210,000gns Tattersalls December Foal purchase is a half-brother to El Kabeir's G1 Fillies' Mile third Bright Diamond, who earned TDN Rising Star status with a nine-length win on her debut. The post Sioux Nation’s Neolithic Debuts for Ballydoyle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Yes, Bill Mott was loyal to Junior Alvarado, letting him ride Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the GI Kentucky Derby after he missed the main prep in the GI Florida Derby. Alvarado fractured his shoulder blade in a Mar. 23 spill at Gulfstream and was sent to the sidelines. Manny Franco filled in for the Florida Derby and rode a fine race, guiding Sovereignty to a second-place finish. That opened the door to a number of possibilities. Mott could have kept Franco on the horse or he easily could have enticed one of the sport's two best riders, Flavien Prat and Irad Ortiz Jr., to take the mount. Neither one had a top Derby mount. But Mott, when it became clear that Alvarado would heal up in time to make the Derby, gave the mount back to Alvarado. It was a magnanimous gesture, but it was also the smartest move he could have made. He knew that riding Alvarado gave him the best chance of winning. “I would like to say, it was great having Junior back on him. He didn't ride him the last day because of an injury,” said Michael Banahan, the director of USA bloodstock for the owner, the powerful Godolphin Stable. “The confidence that Junior has in a horse, especially a horse coming from off the pace like that and knowing him so well, I think helped him get there today as well because he knows that he's going to be there for him. Manny Franco gave him a great ride down in Florida. But he probably wouldn't have had the confidence in him that Junior had because he knows him so well. So great, great ride by Junior again today.” Alvarado left his native Venezuela, where he was a graduate of that country's jockey academy, in 2007 to see if he could make it in the U.S. He was the leading rider at Arlington Park in 2009 and 2010 and won his first Grade I in the U.S. in Arlington Park's GI Beverly D. S. in 2010 aboard Eclair de Lune (Ger) (Marchand de Sable). From there he set out for New York to challenge himself against some of the best jockeys in the world. In 2011, his first full year in New York, he won 162 races. In 2012, he won 183 races. Yet, he seemed to always be in the shadow of the superstars in the New York colony. He was not someone you thought of when it came to riding in the Kentucky Derby. He did not get his first Derby mount until 2006 and he was 0-for-5 coming into Saturday's race. Coady Media Nobody pays closer attention to details than the Hall of Fame Mott. With his stable, he could have used any jockey he wanted, but he saw something in Alvarado that others apparently did not. He had his first mounts for Mott in 2011 and went 7-for-20, winning at a 35% rate. He liked how Alvarado rode but he also liked the fact that he could turn him into a de facto house jockey. He didn't need to hunt for jockey because he knew Alvarado would always be available for him. It was part of bond that just kept growing stronger. “I wasn't probably completely aware at the time of who I was riding for,” Alvarado told the Daily Racing Form. “Maybe a few months you start riding for him and people are saying, 'Oh, you're riding for Mott, you're riding for Mott!'” Mott would still use other riders but his go-to guy became Junior Alvarado. He has ridden 416 winners for Mott from 2339 mounts for a 17.8% clip. They have combined for 46 graded stakes wins, including 16 Grade I's. There was something about this combination of jockey and trainer that clicked. Before the Derby, Alvarado was known as the regular rider of Cody's Wish (Curlin), the 2023 Horse of the Year. Alvarado rode him in 10 of his 16 races, including his last nine starts. His most memorable wins on Cody's Wish came in back-to-back running of the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and the 2023 GI Metropolitan H. Alvarado might have thought it would never get better than that. Especially after he had his shoulder problems. But it did. He won the Derby. “I was completely heartbroken,” he said of the shoulder injury. “I thought that was it. I knew that was this horse. All along I knew it was the right horse for me to win the Derby. And I always say, well, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. But at the same time, like I said, I don't know if I'm going to be able to get another horse like this if I don't get back on time. But once again, I got the call the next day when I get out of the hospital. Mr. Mott said, 'Listen, you do what you need to do, and you'll get to ride on the horse back.' I think that gave me a peace of mind and to do what I needed to do the right way to recover properly, and I just did that. “You don't get that in the business often, because this is the nature of the business. Someone else gets to ride the horse. You ride him good, and you get to keep him. I did a good job. How are you getting them off? You know what I mean? So I understand that, too. But, once again, like I say, just having the peace of mind and being able to do what I needed to do, it just is something that I will appreciate from Mr. Mott.” His relationship with Mott was among the first things that popped into his head after crossing the Derby finish line. “If I could win with anyone, it would be Mr. Mott,” Alvarado said, while being interviewed by NBC's Donna Brothers on horseback. “We've been a team for a while. It's like a dream come true to have it come with him and the Godolphin team… He told me the day I got out of the hospital, 'Do what you need to do. He will be waiting. All the other horses you're riding, you'll get back on.'” Mott didn't need to be reminded how well his association with Alvarado had worked for both of them. “My regular rider, Junior Alvarado, I think it made that special,” he said following the race. “I think it makes it special for both of us.” Alvarado won't win any riding titles this year and it's unlikely that he will be an Eclipse Award candidate. But he is a very good jockey who has forged a relationship with one of the best trainers in the sport. For Mott, for Alvarado, for Godolphin and for Sovereignty, it could not be working out better. Will Sovereignty Run in the Preakness? Predictably, Mott was not ready Sunday morning to commit to the GI Preakness S. Mott is as methodical as any trainer in the sport and can't be rushed into making decisions. “We've got to consider all options with him,” he said Sunday. “We certainly respect the Triple Crown and what it means, but we're not dead set on it. We'll have to let the horse tell us how he's doing in the next little while and then we'll go from there.” I'd be surprised if he were to run in the Preakness. While Mott understands the history of the race and the importance of the Triple Crown, he will put the horse first and it is unlikely that he will decide that the best thing for Sovereignty is to run back in two weeks in the Preakness.” So let's start the debate all over again. The Triple Crown needs fixing and the obvious solution is to put more space between the races, especially the Preakness and the Derby. Tradition is great, but not so great when you have a watered-down Triple Crown. Odd Odds The Derby has become a race where, more times than not, you can't make any sense out of the wagering. It seems that a lot of bettors, in particular people who pay attention to the sport once a year, are trying to find the next Mine That Bird (Birdstone) or Rich Strike (Keeen Ice). How else can you explain why Render Judgment (Blame), who was a non-threatening fifth in the GI Blue Grass went off at 20-1, while Blue Grass winner Burnham Square was 19-1? The post Alvarado Rewards Mott’s Loyalty With Winning Ride in Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

One day removed from a big win with Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the GI Kentucky Derby, the media converged on Bill Mott's barn on the Churchill Downs backside Sunday Morning. Accompanied by Godolphin's Michael Banahan, Mott indicated the colt exited the 10-furlong Classic in good order, however, had also sustained 'a small scrape–about four inches' on his right front pastern during the early part of the race. “He did sustain a little scrape on the outside of his pastern, most likely leaving the gate,” Mott said Sunday. “He broke and the horse outside of him was trying to get over, and it looked like maybe that horse caught him on the outside of his right front pastern. It's more of a scrape, it's not a cut, a scrape about four inches long. Right now, it looks to be a superficial thing, but everything else on him looks good: knees, ankles, jogging good. I can't be happier with everything else…On a normal day with a horse that's not him, you wouldn't be concerned about it, really.” “When I got back to the barn last night after the race, he'd already eaten up, his tub was empty,” the Hall of Famer said. “Probably did it in 20 minutes. That's unusual for a horse that had to run a race as hard as he did.” According to Mott, he would give the horse two or three days off and the colt's ownership connections and trainer would consider whether the team would forge on to Baltimore for the GI Preakness in two weeks. “We've got to consider all options with him,” he stated. “We certainly respect the Triple Crown and what it means, but we're not dead set on it. We'll have to let the horse tell us how he's doing in the next little while and then we'll go from there.” Derby post-time favorite Journalism (Curlin) appeared to come out of a runner-up effort in 'good order', according to a pragmatic Michael McCarthy Sunday morning. “We've got no complaints,” said the West Coast horseman. “I thought he ran very well. “Unfortunately, he got pinched there a little bit leaving the gate. I was a little bit farther back underneath the wire for the first time than I'd have liked. But he made a wonderful run around the turn, was beaten by the horse I thought he had to beat.” The trainer indicated that the Preakness remains among possibilities for the GI Santa Anita Derby winner. “We'll get with everybody and talk it over in the next day or so, come up with a plan that's best for Journalism,” McCarthy said. “We'll give him a day or two to get his feet underneath him and see where we're at with him. He's run well back off a quick rest before.” McCarthy won the 2021 Preakness with Rombauer, who did not run in the Kentucky Derby. Baeza, Sandman Possible for Belmont In contrast to the top two finishers, third-place finisher Baeza (McKinzie) will not return for the second jewel in the Triple Crown, according to trainer John Shirreffs. “Quite a trip for him, this whole week,” Shirreffs said Sunday morning. “He's never been on a wet surface before, so there was that. Then that big field and the bumping that went on. But in the end he ran well and we're proud of him.” The conditioner said the Preakness was not a consideration for the bay. “Too much for a West Coast horse to work with,” he said. “We'll go back west, then look at the [GI] Belmont.” The third leg of the Triple Crown will be run this year on June 7 at Saratoga in upstate New York as Belmont Park continues to undergo its massive renovation. It also will be run at a mile and a quarter instead of the classic distance of a mile and one-half. Sandman (Tapit), second choice in Saturday's Derby, exited a seventh-place effort well and is likely to return in the Belmont, according to Mark Casse's assistant Allen Hardy Sunday. “He is good this morning,” said Hardy. “He ate up last night and jogged early this morning [at the barn].” The post Sovereignty Returns from Derby Win Well, But With ‘Small Scrape’, Journalism Exits in ‘Good Order’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Redentor led a quartet of 4-year-olds across the finish line in the Tenno Sho (Spring) May 4 at Kyoto Racecourse, marking a turn of the generational page among Japanese stayers.View the full article