Wandering Eyes

Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) will chase Group One honours in the Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington. The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes would like a little luck to go their way in what has been a frustrating week at Flemington. After Mr Brightside was touched out in the Gr. Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley, the Hayes boys have suffered narrow losses with Apulia (Fiorente) and Crosshaven (Smart Missile) earlier in Melbourne Cup week. “With a bit of luck, we could be having a great Cup Carnival,” Ben Hayes said. The Lindsay Park stable is pinning their hopes in Mr Brightside to end Cup week with a Group One win in the Champions Mile (1600m) on Saturday. Hayes said the stable made the decision to come back from the 2040m of the Cox Plate when beaten by Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) to Saturday’s journey with a view of a potential trip to Hong Kong. “He’s an elite miler, so if we do decide to go to Hong Kong, it gives us more options,” Hayes said. “We can stay at the mile or go to 2000 metres in Hong Kong, but we’ve got to get through this run first and see how he recovers from it. “We haven’t committed to anything yet. He’s in the sixth run for the prep and these good horses, you do need to look after them. “It’s something we’ll discuss with the team after the run.” Hayes said Mr Brightside had remained at Flemington since his Cox Plate defeat and had freshened up nicely for his tilt on Saturday. Mr Brightside will also be racing in blinkers again as the gelding looks to improve on his fourth in the corresponding race in 2021, when run as a handicap, then third last year. “He’s probably due and there will be no excuses,” Hayes said. “He hasn’t missed a day’s work. We’ve kept him at Flemington since the Cox Plate and we’ve always said that he thrives racing two weeks, two weeks, and that is what is happening here. “He’s done so well and is a happy, enjoyable horse. “I never get sick about talking about Mr Brightside, but if I ever do, slap me.” View the full article

Owner Tony Ottobre will give Declan Bates a licence to again play ‘catch me if you can’ on Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) when she backs up in Saturday’s Gr.1 Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington. The daughter of Pride of Dubai landed a breakthrough Group One win in the Empire Rose Stakes (1600m), holding on for a one-length win after setting up a mid-race lead of more than six lengths. Ottobre said his discussions with Bates and trainer Ciaron Maher and David Eustace will be about employing similar tactics against weight-for-age stars Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars), Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) and Fangirl (Sebring) in the $3 million race. While he admits the Champion Mile shapes as a much stiffer challenge, he’s happy to back in his tenacious mare. “She’ll be raced in the same way and we’ll just see what happens,” Ottobre said. “I’m sure it’ll keep everyone on their toes to see how the race is going to pan out. “It’s what she’s been doing for quite some time; they let her go a little bit on Saturday and there wasn’t a horse like Amelia’s Jewel chasing her like she was at The Valley. “When a horse gets in front of her, she tries to climb over the top of them and doesn’t really like it. “It’s good for racing I think, it just gives a different type of race pattern that gets people excited. “I’d love to be able to beat those horses, but they are current-day champions we are up against. “We won a mares’ race. There’s a big difference between the two, hence her odds should be about 20-1, I feel.” There were emotional scenes after Pride of Jenni’s Empire Rose win, which gave Ottobre and his wife Lynn the second Group One win of their racing journey. Every win by a ‘Jenni’ horse revives memories of their daughter Jennifer, the inspiration for the naming of all of Ottobre’s gallopers, who died in 2015 after battling a brain tumour. Saturday’s race falls on the eve of the eighth anniversary of Jennifer’s death and while there will again be tears if the mare can salute, Ottobre said Pride of Jenni has already delivered his family its fairytale moment. “We’re really proud of her,” he said. “I’m not sure Saturday will be as emotional as last week because that was her breakthrough and now she’s achieved what we wanted her to achieve. “Her grand final was the Empire Rose. It’s the one she was being set for and she won it. “For me, the Empire Rose is the premier mares’ mile race in Australia and there have been a lot of good horses that have won it.” While he still dreams of more Group One wins with the six-year-old, Pride of Jenni will eventually retire to Ottobre’s Cape Schanck Stud and its fledgling breeding program. Earlier this spring, his first Group One winner Princess Jenni (NZ) (High Chaparral) delivered her maiden foal, a colt by Snitzel. Ottobre normally sells his colts and retains fillies to race, but said he already has a soft spot for the month-old Snitzel colt. “I’ve been asked a few times and I’ve always said 70 (horses on the books), but that’s when I stopped counting so I don’t really know to be honest,” he said. “It could be a little higher. “We’ve got about a dozen broodmares at the moment, and we tend to sell the colts out of the mares and keep the females. “It’s very rare for me to hold one back but at the moment. I think I’m going to hold onto this Snitzel colt.” View the full article

Team Hayes‘ star miler Mr Brightside has firmed into favouritism to beat Fangirl in their rematch at Flemington on Saturday in the Group 1 $3 million Champions Mile (1600m). Mr Brightside has firmed into favouritism to win the 2023 Champions Mile at Flemington on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos. Earlier in the spring Chris Waller‘s brilliant Sebring mare Fangirl was too strong for Mr Brightside when easily accounting for him with a barnstorming 2.67 length victory at Randwick in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m). Both gallopers then went to Melbourne to contest the Group 1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) with Fangirl seventh while Mr Brightside flashed up the inside late to go down a nose to the Sha Tin star Romantic Warrior. Earlier in the week when the diminutive but classy seven-horse field for the Kennedy Champions Mile was released it was Fangirl the punters had on top. She has now eased out from $2.40 to $2.90 through Ladbrokes to salute from the outside alley at headquarters with ace hoop James McDonald, winner aboard Zardozi in the VRC Oaks on Thursday, booked for the ride. Since final acceptances however the money has been steady for $10.9 million earner Mr Brightside to bounce back off his two seconds and salute at the track and trip he recently won the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) over in mid-September. He is a 10-time winner from 15 starts at the 1600m and the latest markets have him into $2.50 to win the Champions Mile from barrier two with Craig Williams in the saddle. A good performance to see out the Cup Carnival by Mr Brightside could have the champ pegged for a trip to Hong Kong in December according to co-trainer Ben Hayes. “He’s an elite miler, so if we do decide to go to Hong Kong, it gives us more options,” Hayes told the media this week. “We can stay at the mile or go to 2000 metres in Hong Kong, but we’ve got to get through this run first and see how he recovers from it. “We haven’t committed to anything yet. He’s in the sixth run for the prep and these good horses, you do need to look after them. “It’s something we’ll discuss with the team after the run.” In a tight top three the other major player at single-figure Champions Mile odds is the reigning champion Alligator Blood at $3.70 from the Waterhouse/Bott stable. The now seven-year-old son of All Too Hard has been typically excellent this campaign winning the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) and Group 1 Might And Power (2000m) over further. His latest run in the Cox Plate had him running a quarter-length third. While he is down in distance here he is a dual Group 1 winner over the mile including in this race last year and cannot be discounted. “He is a bit of a warrior … it’s great to see he is having one of his best seasons and hopefully he has got plenty more left to give,” co-trainer Adrian Bott told Racenet. “He is going super. He came through the (Cox Plate) in great shape. Last year it worked well, dropping back to the mile. He has been very effective at the (1600m) trip.” The Champions Mile is set to run as Race 7 at 4:30pm (AEDT) on the nine-race Flemington Stakes Day card. 2023 Champions Mile Field & Barriers No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating 1 5211×11122 MR BRIGHTSIDE (NZ) Ben, Will & JD Hayes Craig Williams 2 59kg 118 2 x140x42113 ALLIGATOR BLOOD Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Tim Clark 5 59kg 118 3 111113×287 THE INEVITABLE John Keys Damien Oliver 4 59kg 107 4 362598×735 BANKERS CHOICE (NZ) Michael Moroney John Allen 6 59kg 103 5 241111×739 VICTORIA ROAD (IRE) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Blake Shinn 1 58kg 109 6 x3227x1317 FANGIRL Chris Waller James McDonald 7 57kg 117 7 x4298x6261 PRIDE OF JENNI Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Declan Bates 3 57kg 108 Table Credit: Racing Australia. The post Champions Mile 2023 Field & Odds Update: Mr Brightside Firms into Favouritism appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

Imperatriz is close enough to odds-on territory as she looks to extend her impressive winning streak heading to Flemington as hot favourite for the Group 1 $3 million Champions Sprint (1200m) on Saturday. Manikato Stakes winner Imperatriz is the one to beat again this time in Flemington’s 2023 Champions Sprint. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos. Stakes Day concludes the elite racing action of the Melbourne Cup Carnival for another year at headquarters on the weekend with the best sprinters remaining in work doing battle in the Champions Sprint field. It looks a potentially one-horse affair according to the bookies however with Mark Walker‘s Kiwi expat, the now Cranbourne-based Imperatriz, the $2.10 favourite through Ladbrokes. The brilliant five-year-old daughter of I Am Invincible is a 16-time winner from 22 starts and has won her past four on the trot going back to the autumn. All four of her latest turf triumphs have been at her pet Moonee Valley track including a trio of Group 1 victories in the William Reid, Moir and most recently the Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes over the six furlongs by 3.25 lengths on Cox Plate Day. Saturday sees her down the famous Flemington ‘Straight Six’ for the first time and how she handles the track will be key to her chances. Her record is imposing however with a stellar strike-rate at the distance (8:6-1-1), winning form up to a mile suggesting the straight won’t have her losing stream, and she doesn’t need to do much improving to salute for the punters again. There are a few punters taking on the favourite in Champions Sprint betting however with money coming for the James Cummings-trained In Secret to score an upset into $3.90. The four-year-old fellow I Am Invincible mare is a two-time Group 1 winner at the track and distance having won the Coolmore Stud Stakes and Newmarket Handicap here over her career. She has been outstanding in Sydney this spring against the top-tier sprinters. At her latest run she was eye-catching when fourth to Think About it only a length beaten from the outside barrier (12 of 12) in the $20 million The Everest (1200m). In Secret now heads south off a freshen-up at a track and trip she loves and is drawn to get a charmed run from barrier five with James McDonald, who partnered Thursday’s VRC Oaks winner Zardozi to victory at the track, to ride. The rest of the field can be found at double-figures including the in-form Clinton McDonald-trained Star Patrol ($15) who has won the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis – Gilgai Stakes double at the course and distance this prep. Other last start winners in the mix that could prove potential value include the rails-drawn Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Bella Nipotina ($13) who saluted in Sydney’s $3 million Giga Kick Stakes, Chris Waller‘s $2 million The Invitation winner Espiona ($15) and Asfoora ($13). The Henry Dwyer-trained Asfoora was second to Imperatriz two back in the Moir Stakes before returning to winning form in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) with a three-length romp home at Caulfield last month. The 2023 Champions Sprint is set to run as Race 6 at 3:50pm (AEDT) on the nine-race Stakes Day card. 2023 Champions Sprint Field & Barriers No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating 1 x10x8826x1 FRONT PAGE Matthew Dale Tyler Schiller 7 58.5kg 104 2 123x57x138 BUENOS NOCHES Matthew Smith Blake Shinn 11 58.5kg 109 3 47x12284x6 LOFTY STRIKE Julius Sandhu Damien Oliver 4 58.5kg 108 4 2x3x160x11 STAR PATROL Clinton McDonald Ben Melham 6 58.5kg 106 5 x15x11x312 AIRMAN Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Jye McNeil 10 58.5kg 103 6 30236×3331 BELLA NIPOTINA Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Craig Williams 1 56.5kg 114 7 1x1317x244 IN SECRET James Cummings James McDonald 5 56.5kg 115 8 x11121x111 IMPERATRIZ Mark Walker Opie Bosson 8 56.5kg 118 9 x6117x2171 ESPIONA Chris Waller Kerrin McEvoy 3 56.5kg 112 10 11x344x121 ASFOORA Henry Dwyer Mitchell Aitken 9 56.5kg 111 11 1262×4395 C’EST MAGIQUE Grahame Begg Michael Dee 2 56.5kg 95 Table Credit: Racing Australia. The post Imperatriz Short Favourite in 2023 Champions Sprint Field & Betting appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

West Wind Blows is tipped to beat home the Aussies on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival with the Simon & Ed Crisford-trained raider heading markets on the Group 1 $3 million Champions Stakes (2000m). Dual defending champion Zaaki is out to be the third three-time Champions Stakes winner in history on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos. A small but class field of 11 weight-for-age stars faces off in this year’s Champions Stakes at Flemington and markets at Ladbrokes are firmly led by the ultra-consistent West Wind Blows at $3. Irish jockey Jamie Spencer continues associations with the talented Teofilo gelding who comes off back-to-back seconds in elite company down under this prep behind the past two Melbourne Cup winners. He was second at this track and trip to Gold Trip in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) before crossing just a neck second to his former stablemate Without A Fight in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m). Without A Fight went on to dominate the Melbourne Cup results over the two miles on Tuesday and the form is expected to be further franked by West Wind Blows in the Champions Stakes. Spencer has won the Champions Stakes once before a decade back on Side Glance and believes he is on the horse to beat again 10 years on. “I think they’re a better standard of horse now in the race,” Spencer told Racing.com. “It’s obviously his minimum (distance over the 2000m) but the galloping track will help. “He looks like an obvious chance; his form has worked out well. I’m looking forward to the race.” The danger and early Champions Stakes market mover heavily backed since final acceptances in from $9 to $4.80 is Annabel Neasham’s dual defending champion Zaaki. Jamie Kah has the mount on the evergreen nine-year-old from barrier 10 with Zaaki who is out to become the third three-time champion of the race in history. Wakeful (1901-03) was the last to win the race three years running, while the other triple hero was Tranquil Star (1942, 1944 and 1945). Zaaki is fourth-up and fit for his grand final having had two good Sydney runs when third in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) and second in the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) before a Cox Plate sixth. He was only 1.5 lengths off the visiting Hong Kong star Romantic Warrior in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate over the distance, plus 40m, at The Valley on October 28 and looks every hope to finish his spring with a bang. The other major players are the Roger James & Robert Wellwood-trained Kiwi raider Prowess in gate four with dual Melbourne Cup winning hoop Mark Zahra riding, while fellow mares Duais ($7) and Atishu ($7) are also being kept safe in the markets. Four-year-old Prowess comes off a Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m) win on Cox Palte Day over Antino and is after her second elite level win down under. In the autumn she was huge winning Rosehill’s Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) by over three lengths. She comes into the Champions Stakes undefeated over the distance (3:3-0-0) and co-trainer James believes the daughter of Proisir is up to the challenge. “It is her biggest test to date without a doubt, but we have ticked the boxes,” he told TAB NZ. “She has got fresh legs, it is only third up for her – tick; it is 2000m – another tick; she is in grand order – another tick; and she is well trained – that must be four ticks.” Thursday’s VRC Oaks winning jockey James McDonald partners the Chris Waller-trained Atishu on the back of her Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) second here on Derby Day. Edward Cummings’ multiple Group 1 winner Duais meanwhile is the final Champions Stakes ride for retiring hoop Damien Oliver and comes off an excellent prep including finishing 1.3 lengths fourth in the Cox Plate at 30/1. The Champions Stakes runs as Race 8 at 5:10pm (AEDT) on the nine-race Flemington card for Stakes Day. 2023 Champions Stakes Field & Barriers No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating 1 41x217x326 ZAAKI (GB) Annabel Neasham Ms Jamie Kah 10 59kg 116 2 0653216×06 HUETOR (FR) Peter & Paul Snowden Kerrin McEvoy 11 59kg 110 3 746×403116 YOUNG WERTHER (NZ) Danny O’Brien Billy Egan 6 59kg 106 4 13×3123222 WEST WIND BLOWS (IRE) Simon & Ed Crisford Jamie Spencer 2 59kg 110 5 1735×45401 ZEYREK (FR) Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Ben Melham 7 59kg 108 6 34113×2150 PINSTRIPED Enver Jusufovic Ben Allen 9 59kg 107 7 216x143x27 BUCKAROO (GB) Joseph O’Brien Blake Shinn 8 59kg 107 8 5229×86310 MONTEFILIA Chris Waller Michael Dee 1 57kg 112 9 0x43x79334 DUAIS Edward Cummings Damien Oliver 3 57kg 112 10 x216Px5202 ATISHU (NZ) Chris Waller James McDonald 5 57kg 110 11 3311111×21 PROWESS (NZ) Roger James & Robert Wellwood Mark Zahra 4 56.5kg 110 Table Credit: Racing Australia. The post 2023 Champions Stakes Field & Betting Update: West Wind Blows Hard Favourite appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington Racecourse. (Photo by Jay Town/Racing Photos) As the best racing carnival in Australia, if not the world, comes to a close this weekend, the team at Punt Drunk is knee-deep in the love affair for the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Another Melbourne Cup has been run and won with little to no issue, the race still stands as Australia’s premier race on the horse racing calendar, despite the best efforts of Racing NSW. How good is the Melbourne Cup? Take your Everests, take your slot races, and pop them where the sun don’t shine. Sure, they are great races to watch; they galvanise the on-track crowds for 10 minutes with rousing renditions of Sweet Caroline or Baby Shark. However, the crowds and the atmosphere at this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival puts to bed once and for all that the Melbourne Cup Carnival is indeed the best carnival in this country. The younger generation was front and centre with their “speed dealer” sunnies and three-quarter suit pants, but crowds of upwards of 75,000 on VRC Derby Day and an even bigger number on Cup Day suggest the racing future is in safe hands. What caught us by surprise was the fact that VRC Oaks Day’s crowd bettered the one Randwick pulled for The Everest last month. Oaks day crowd beats Everest crowd by 98 people. Everest – 46,498 Oaks day – 46,596 — Damien Ractliffe (@DamienRactliffe) November 9, 2023 Peter V’landy’s will not be happy about that, but there is no doubt the 2024 edition of the Everest will be a show-stopper. If that is the case, fair play. However, nothing brings a nation together like the Melbourne Cup. Whether it is the old lady next door having a $4 mystery boxed first four and turning it into a ridiculous amount of money, or the better half picking a horse out of the mounting yard based on looks and it wins… Bring on Champions Stakes Day! Anti-racers can take a hike Three certainties in life, death, taxes and anti’s trying to make a noise during Cup week. However, this video doing the rounds on social media takes the cake. Truly disturbing video taken at Coalition For Protection of Racehorses official #nuptothecup event on Melbourne Cup Day It contains some of the most vile hatred you will see anywhere Sitting Victorian AJP MP @georgievpurcell widely promoted and attended this event. pic.twitter.com/b193jopW1E — CPR Lies (@CPRLies) November 9, 2023 Not sure if these nuffs have realised this, but they’re well and truly in the minority, and they all clearly sleep with the light on. The crowds at Flemington do not want a bar of their misinformation and nonsense. It was amazing to see such a huge crowd at Headquarters today enjoying the sunshine on the first day of the 2023 Melbourne Cup Carnival!#DerbyDay #MelbCupCarnival pic.twitter.com/YFqkyTV2EF — Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 4, 2023 We’d probably take them more seriously if they made their voices heard at a non-tab meeting or on a Sunday at the Penola races. But that scene isn’t “cool” enough for them. So please, if you are a part of this “cult” get your facts right, do some research, and if you can’t be bothered, get in the bin. About Punt Drunk Welcome to Punt Drunk – our weekly column covering all the latest horse racing and punting controversies, dramas and headline news. Have a story or gripe or issue that just grinds your gears? Just hit us up in the comments or contact us page and our jaded, punt hardened Punt Drunk staff will give it the Punt Drunk treatment it deserves. Don’t expect pleasantries or typical racing media fanboy gloss from Punt Drunk – we’re on the punt and we don’t have time to bullshit; the next is about to jump… If you have any stories that you want our Punt Drunk Team to cover or just want to say G’day send us a message on: More horse racing news View the full article

By Michael Guerin Old Town Road’s tilt at the IRT New Zealand Cup is back on track after a slick private workout at Addington on Friday morning. The Cup third favourite missed the Cup trial on Wednesday as trainer John Dickie battled to get him over a skin infection but he is confident that is now behind him. “He actually got a dose of ringworm, which spread but we got on top of it,” says Dickie. “That saw him miss one hoppled run so what I did was free leg him (no hopples) for some nice strong work on Monday. “But we did want to risk the Cup trial so opted to take him to Addington to work this morning and he was really good.” Old Town Road worked 2400m in 3:5, his last 800 in 58 seconds but sprinted up the straight (last 400m) in 26 seconds. “He felt really strong and he needed that blow out because he was quite fresh. “It hasn’t been the smoothest preparation but he is where he needs to be now and I think he has his chance if Zach (Butcher) can drive him for speed.” Old Town Road is the $8 equal third favourite in a Cup market that has seen very little action so far, Akuta still at $2.2 with the TAB and Swayzee at $3.50. Dickie also suggests his other Cup Day runner That’s What We Do will be better suited by Addington in Race 1 on Tuesday than Kaikoura last start. “He didn’t handle the last bend at Kaikoura but he has worked well since.” View the full article

Burn To Shine will contest Saturday’s Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton Park. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh is hoping to hit the ground running as New Zealand Cup Week kicks off in Christchurch this weekend. Marsh will saddle a pair of impressive last-start winners in feature races on the opening day of the carnival at Riccarton on Saturday, with Burn To Shine lining up in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Nest Egg contesting the Listed Metropolitan Trophy (2600m). Marsh is shooting for a second victory in the 2000 Guineas, having previously captured the prestigious classic with Ugo Foscolo in 2016. He had the narrowest of near-misses four years later, when Bourbonaire was beaten by Aegon by a desperate nose in 2020. This year Marsh will be represented by Burn To Shine, racing in the white and blue colours of owner-breeder The Oaks Stud. The So You Think gelding has never finished further back than third in his six-start career, and his last-start performance was the best of his career so far – beating Trobriand and Lantern Way in a strong victory over the Guineas course and distance in the Group 3 War Decree Stakes (1600m) on October 28. Burn To Shine will be ridden by Johnathan Parkes and is a second favourite behind dominant market leader Crocetti. “It was a fantastic win last time out,” Marsh said. “He had his final serious hit-out on Tuesday morning. He was able to gallop on the course proper, which was in beautiful order. It was lovely work and he pulled up perfectly. “It’s a small, but very select Guineas field. We have the advantage of being settled in down there already, with a winning run over the mile at the course under our belt. Parkesy sticks with the ship. I think we’ve had a perfect preparation.” Nest Egg not only goes into Saturday’s Metropolitan Trophy as favourite for that race, but he is also the favourite for the Group 3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) the following Saturday. The Reliable Man gelding was a commanding last-start winner over 2400m at Te Rapa, taking control at the top of the straight and outclassing his Rating 84 rivals by three and a half lengths. “He has been on a New Zealand Cup path all the way through this spring, and it was really pleasing to see him put away a talented field in good style last start,” Marsh said. “On a good track, stepping up in distance and with blinkers back on, he was terrific. “He’s been brilliant since then. I can’t fault him at all. I don’t think we could have him any better. “They’ve had a bit of rain down there in the early part of the week, which should mean the track will just have a little bit of the fire out of it. That will really help him for the back-up into the Cup the following weekend.” Marsh will also keep an eye on Saturday’s northern meeting at Te Rapa, where he has more than a dozen horses entered including three in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) – well-performed veteran Tightlign, last-start Group 2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) placegetter Jodelin Gal, and the emerging mare Lincoln Lady, who has won all of her last four in a row. More racing news View the full article

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, KY – The first of two Book 2 sessions of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale saw marked polarization, as the demand for the perceived quality remained strong, but fell off for the less desired offerings. “It's been a realistic, selective market today,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “I think it was pretty evident throughout the day, people knew what they wanted and they were very specific about what they were willing to invest in. Speaking to a lot of sellers, they were very pragmatic about the market. They saw, if a mare was young and was well-bred, you were in pretty good shape. I think any mares that were a little older probably have been exposed a little bit and were a tougher sell. And from the consignors we spoke to, there was an acknowledgment that that's where the market is at the moment. So a little bit of softening, but again, that's to be expected in certain areas.” For the session, 213 head grossed $34,428,000. The session average of $161,634 fell 9.21% from a year ago, while the median fell 14.29% to $120,000. The 4-year-old racing/broodmare prospect Cancel This (Malibu Moon), consigned by Four Star Sales, was the session's top-priced lot when selling for $825,000 to Larkin Armstrong on behalf of Helen Alexander. Competition for the top weanlings continued to be strong Thursday, with a colt by Constitution selling for top price of $525,000 from Cherry Knoll Farm. The weanling was one of five to sell for $400,000 or over during the session. There were two to reach that level in the same session last year. “The market has been really strong and on a bull run for some years,” said Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach. “We had a great September sale and yearling market this year. I think that's reflected in strong foal sales.” The Keeneland November sale continues through Nov. 16 with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m. Cancel This Shines at KeeNov Opener Well into Thursday's session, Cancel This (Malibu Moon) (Hip 601) broke to the fore with a session-topping $825,000 bid from Helen Alexander, bidding from her customary place in front of the media stand at the back of the pavilion. Consigned by Four Star Sales, she was offered as a racing or broodmare prospect. Kerry Cauthen, Larkin Armstrong, and Helen Alexander | Keeneland “We [initially] thought maybe we should put the whole budget on one mare, but we got blown out of the water [at Fasig-Tipton Tuesday]. So we decided to divide it up instead,” said Larkin Armstrong, signing on behalf of Alexander. “We were waiting for this one. [She was good enough to] have sold in any sale.” Alexander also signed for a pair of mares in Keeneland's Book 1: Candy Raid (Candy Ride {Arg}) (Hip 206), who brought $425,000 and Weekend Away (Malibu Moon) (Hip 166), a $400,000 purchase. Both mares were consigned by Taylor Made Sales. “[Alexander] went into the sale wanting to buy some nice young mares for her breeding program, so I feel like we got horses that we're really excited about,” added Armstrong. The 4-year-old filly was sold by Corey Johnson, whose CJ Thoroughbreds secured the filly for $180,000 at Keeneland September in 2020. “When Dale Romans picked her out, I remember thinking that she was one of the most athletic, well-balanced yearlings we had ever bought,” said Johnson, obviously reveling in the moment following her sale. “That was three years ago. Our plan was to buy yearlings, race, and then sell them as broodmare prospects. I would say this one worked out very well.” The bay made 20 starts over three seasons on the track, winning only once but hitting the board on 11 other occasions, including a runner-up effort in Presque Isle's Satin and Lace S. in July. She entered the sale with earnings over $240,000. “She had really a good, solid racing career,” said Johnson. “And then, of course, we get a little lucky where the pedigree really booms up. It would be very difficult to expect something like that. We just figured the market would take her as far as it would go. We're very excited.” After the Ring: Kerry Cauthen discusses the $825,000 sale of Cancel This, who topped session 2 of #KeeNov. The Stakes-placed Malibu Moon filly is from the active family of Brightwork, Midnight Bourbon, Girvin and more. pic.twitter.com/PA3BJbtHj4 — Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 10, 2023 Out of MSW Catch My Fancy (Yes It's True), the filly is a half-sister to SW and GSP Dubini (Gio Ponti), SW What a Catch and full-sister to Catch the Moon, dam of GI Haskell Invitational winner Girvin (Tale of Ekati) and Grade III scorers Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow), who also finished second in the GI Preakness S. and GI Travers S., and Cocked and Loaded (Colonel John). To add some extra luster to the page, Cancel This is also a full-sister to Clarendon Fancy, dam of this summer's GI Spinaway S. winner Brightwork (Outwork). “We sold her for some really great clients, Corey Johnsen. It's always great to win for friends,” added Kerry Cauthen. “I think that was beyond our expectations by quite a number, but when you bring out the best-looking filly of the day, you're going to get rewarded.”–@CbossTDN Finley Strikes Late for Exotic West Unbeaten GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Flightline took Terry Finley and his West Point Thoroughbred partners on the ride of a lifetime last year and Finley was keen to acquire Exotic West (Hard Spun) (hip 667), in foal to the champion, Thursday at Keeneland. Finley purchased the 5-year-old mare, the second to last horse through the ring during the second session of the November auction, for $650,000. “David [Ingordo} really liked the mare. She was a beautiful mare,” Finley said. “The Flightlines have been selling really well, but we thought with her placement in the sale, we might get a little lucky. And I think we were–either people were tired or they went to dinner. Obviously, the appetite for Flightline is really over the top–better than we expected and we had high expectations. Anytime you can get one in a belly with a young mare like that, you're going to take a shot.” Consigned by Grovendale Sales, Exotic West won the 2022 Top Flight Invitational and was second in the GII Allaire DuPont Distaff S. after being claimed by Louis Lazzinnaro for $40,000 at Saratoga in 2021. Seven mares have sold in foal to Flightline for $6,625,000 through two sessions of the Keeneland November sale. Leading the way were the $1.65-million Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {GB}) and $1.45-million Champagne Lady (Uncle Mo). “Our outlook is we can't get enough of them,” Finley said. “We are really happy with [Flightline's] first book of mares and the second one is shaping up really well already. If you can't get excited about owning a piece of Flightline and having a shot to have his babies and the expectation of having them hit the track in a couple of years, you probably don't need to be in the game.” Lady Scarlet Brings $625K On Day 2 Early in Thursday's Book 2 opener at Keeneland, Lady Scarlet (Union Rags) (Hip 338) brought $625,000 from Thirty Year Farm. The Saratoga-based farm's Kristen Esler handled the signing duties on the GIII Miss Preakness S. winner. Kristen Esler | Keeneland “We loved her,” said Esler, who operates Thirty Year Farm with her husband, Matt. “She was our first pick. She was in my heart from the moment I saw her. She's beautiful and she's everything we looked for in conformation. She was an A+. She carried herself really well. I like to look them in the eye and spend some time. She is one that we wanted to bring to our farm.” Consigned by Lane's End, the 4-year-old is a daughter of Exclude (GB) (Include), a daughter of SW Soldera, herself responsible for MGSW Exhi (Maria's Mon) and SW Diluvien (Manduro). The daughter of Polish Numbers is also a sister to Soldata, dam of Group 2 scorer Alignement (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). A $200,000 purchase at this venue in January, the mare visited Flightline before returning to Keeneland Thursday. Thirty Year Farm also made a purchase in Book 1, buying Hip 163 Walking Miracle (Into Mischief) for $525,000. “This is the one that was our highest priority. We had one that we got yesterday and we were happy with that purchase, so we may be set, but we don't know yet.” —@CbossTDN Muths Flip a Lady Chip Muth and his sons, always on the lookout for young mares to buy, put in foal and return to the market, purchased Lady Scarlet (Union Rags) (hip 338) for $200,000 at the Keeneland January sale earlier this year. Covered by champion Flightline, the mare returned to the Keeneland sales ring Thursday and sold for $625,000 to Thirty Year Farm. “We needed a couple of mares and we went through looking at young stakes mares,” Muth said. “That mare kind of caught our eye. And we got lucky and got her for the right kind of money.” Lady Scarlet | Keeneland The 4-year-old Lady Scarlet won last year's GIII Miss Preakness S. and Cicada S. Muth admitted he thought the mare might have brought more money Thursday. “To be honest, we all felt like the mare would bring more,” he said. “We sold two mares out here last year almost back to back for $750,000 and one for $700,000.” Also Thursday at Keeneland, Muth sold Miss Mattie B (Tonalist) (hip 373) for $425,000. The 4-year-old, who was third in last year's GII Santa Ynez S., sold in foal to Quality Road. “That's pretty much what we do,” Muth said. “We buy mares and put them in foal to the right horses. We restock 24/7. We are always on the prowl. We very seldom buy on the open market–just when we have a need one and haven't been able to find something to fill a need.” Asked what the family looks for in mares to buy with an eye towards resale, Muth smiled and said, “Can't tell you our secrets.” But he added, “Physicals. Young mares, nice American fillies by name brand stallions. And they have got to be drop-dead gorgeous kind of mares.” Muth said he generally sells about 20 mares a year. “We concentrate on November,” he said. “We bring mares here in the fall and in January we will bring some that got in our program a little later and might be carrying a later foaling date.” Constitution Colt Tops Thursday's Weanlings South Carolina horseman Peter Pugh purchased Thursday's top-priced weanling when going to $525,000 to acquire a colt by Constitution (hip 286) from the Nursery Place consignment. Hip 286 | Keeneland “He was super well-balanced and a real good mover,” said Pugh, who purchased the weanling in the name of Cherry Knoll Farm. “Every time we saw him, he was the same.” Asked if the plan was to pinhook the dark bay colt, Pugh said, “For now. Obviously you want to hit the home run, but I have a partner on him also, we discuss all of this stuff as time goes on.” The weanling is out of Gone to Town (Munnings) and was bred by Nursery Place and Dicken Equine. Nursery Place purchased the mare for $240,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale. She RNA'd with the Constitution colt in utero for $190,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale. “He was probably one of the better colts we've raised in the last 10 years.” After the Ring: Griffin Mayer on the $525,000 sale of their weanling colt by Constitution (hip 286) earlier today at #Keeneland. #KeeNov pic.twitter.com/KC5ObzMhbO — Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 10, 2023 “We try to bring a handful of weanlings every year to Keeneland–a very select few,” said Nursery Place's Griffin Mayer. “They have to be really, really nice with pedigrees and by the right sires. He checked all the boxes and honestly, he's probably one of the better colts that we've raised in the last 10 years. He's very special. He's a homebred for my dad and one of his partners, John Dicken of Dicken Equine.” Cherry Knoll has purchased three weanlings at Keeneland so far this week and acquired two colts at the Fasig-Tipton sale Tuesday, going to $500,000 for a son of Into Mischief (hip 268) and $270,000 for a colt by Not This Time (hip 61). “It's the same old, same old,” Pugh said. “The better horses bring the money. You have to pay for them.” Klaravich Enjoys Strong Results at November Sales Ranking as the nation's second-leading owner in earnings so far this season, Klaravich Stables capitalized on that racetrack success with the sale of a trio of its stable stars in the select sessions of this week's most important breeding stock auctions. Among the headliners at Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton November sale was GI Acorn S. winner Search Results (Flatter) (Hip 179), who sold for $3.6 million to Katsumi Yoshida. Turning its focus on Keeneland in Book 1, the Seth Klarman-led operation also followed up with the sale of four-time graded winner and Grade I-placed Technical Analysis (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) (Hip 145), who sold to Japan's J S Company for $1 million in addition to black-type producer Strong Incentive (Warrior's Reward) (Hip 264), who realized $2.15 million from Alpha Delta Stables. She sold in foal to hot sire Good Magic. Klaravich had GII Mother Goose S. winner Gerrymander (Into Mischief) also entered at Fasig-Tipton earlier this week, but opted to withdraw her and retain her for a 5-year-old campaign. “[Klarman] really likes racing and he wanted to run her as a 5-year-old,” said Klaravich's bloodstock agent Mike Ryan. “If they are sound, they have talent and they still have the desire, then you can run them. Many of them are really not at their best until they're about five anyway. And with turf horses, it can be older than that. There is so much opportunity, you don't have to run them frequently. You know what they are. You pick your spots, five or six races and they can be very successful.” Technical Analysis | Sarah Andrew All consigned by Elite, the trio of mares were campaigned throughout their careers by Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, whom Ryan credits with much of the team's success on the track. “Chad is a huge part of the success,” said Ryan. “We understand each other very well now. When I tell him I really like something, he listens. And I know what he likes. We have a great dialogue and a tremendous trust between us. That's important.” The most accomplished of the trio, Search Results, a daughter of Co Cola (Candy Ride {Arg}), was bred by Machmer Hall. In addition to the Acorn, she also won five more black-type races, including the GII Ruffian S. and GIII Gazelle S. She also hit the board in six Grade I tests, headed by the Kentucky Oaks. Search Results, who brought $310,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale, led that season's Book 4 opener. Ryan recalled, “She was an exceptional-looking filly. I remember when I bought her [at KEESEP] it was very late in the sale and I said 'this filly will top the sale today. We need to buy her.' And she did. I remember saying at the time that I thought she could win the Spinaway. She was really special. And she is by a sire that I really like and out of a mare by Candy Ride, who is starting to show up prominently in pedigrees. She was a magnificent physical all her life.” He continued, “From a physical perspective, it was very hard to fault her. She reminded me of [champion turf female] Rushing Fall [More Than Ready]. Very elegant, had size and substance and class. She had the whole deal.” Through four seasons on the track, Technical Analysis accounted for eight wins, six at the stakes level, including her latest trip to the winner's circle in the Athenia S. last month. She also placed in the GI QEII Challenge Cup S. and the GI Diana S. The daughter of Sealife (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who realized 200,000gns at the 2019 Tattersalls October Sale, sold at Keeneland as a racing or broodmare prospect. “When we bought her in Newmarket, there was no black-type in the first two dams,” recalled Ryan. “We thought we just bought a nice filly at the time. Kingman was starting to roll on pretty good. But she really made her own pedigree. She proved to be a very successful filly, just a notch below Grade I. I thought she was going to bring a little bit more than she did, to tell you the truth, but I think the fact she was the only black-type under the first two dams might have had something to do with it.” Also showing stakes prowess on the racetrack albeit lightly raced, Strong Incentive collected her only taste of black-type in Woodbine's Jammed Lovely S. in 2015 before retiring to the breeding shed. The mare proved to be of greater value in her latter career, producing Grade III winners Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) and Surge Capacity (Flintshire {GB}). Ryan went to $200,000 on behalf of Klarman and William Lawrence at the OBSAPR sale in 2014, and was back to secure the filly for Klarman at Keeneland November in 2018 after the Klaravich partners decided to part ways. Her son, Highly Motivated, was also sent to the sale's ring that season, bringing $240,000. “Both Strong Incentive and Highly Motivated went to the sale that year to dissolve the partnership,” said Ryan. “She was open at the time she sold. She was a big, beautiful mare and didn't have any black-type at that time, but she was a gorgeous mare and there was so much going for her. I told [Klarman] he needed to keep this mare. For only $40,000, she's proven to be a steal.” Underscoring the point, Strong Incentive's most recent foal to race, Ways and Means (Practical Joke), finished runner-up in this summer's GI Spinaway S. And according to Ryan, the 'TDN Rising Star' could be the crowning jewel of the mare's produce thus far. “Highly Motivated was very good, but I think the best one might be Ways and Means,” he opined. “She missed the Breeders' Cup with a bit of an issue, but she is very, very good. Three top horses out of three different sires. That's impressive for any mare.” Given Klaravich's latest success in the sales ring, Ryan is quick to give props to the patience and commitment of Klarman, who is likely to find himself once again among the finalists for leading owner of the 2023 season. Ryan said, “It is great to see him rewarded because he invests a significant amount of capital every year to buy yearlings and 2-year-olds and racing is his passion. He's a great owner. Really loves the game. And he deserves all the success.” —@CbossTDN The post $825K Cancel this Tops ‘Realistic’ Book 2 Opener at Keeneland November appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Andrew Forsman’s three-year-old Balzano will face his first stakes test in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Within the space of a few hours on Saturday afternoon, Andrew Forsman will be represented by well-credentialled runners at Flemington, Riccarton and Te Rapa. The Cambridge trainer’s big day kicks off in the opening race at Te Rapa, where two-year-old colt Red Sea will make his debut. Bred and raced by Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay, the son of Pierata has won two of his three trials – most recently a victory by a length and three-quarters in a 900m heat at Te Rapa on Tuesday of last week. “Both of his trial wins were very good,” Forsman said. “He’s a really nice colt who’s always shown above-average ability, right the way through. It’s always a little bit different when they step out on raceday for the first time, but he’s given us every indication that he should run well first-up. “He’s one of the first horses I’ve trained for Brendan and Jo, so I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to train this one. He seems to be a horse with a pretty bright future, so it’s exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do on Saturday.” Forsman’s other runner at Te Rapa is course specialist Westwood. The daughter of Charm Spirit was a disappointing last-start eighth on heavy ground at Rotorua, but her seven starts at Te Rapa have produced a win and five placings. She was a black-type placegetter in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1200m) at the Hamilton track as a two-year-old. Forsman also has two runners at Riccarton, including Balzano in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m). Racing in the same colours as Aegon, who won this race for Forsman in 2020, Balzano has had three starts for a win and two placings. The Shooting To Win gelding was runner-up at Cambridge in September and again at Waverley on October 12, then cleared maiden ranks with a comfortable last-start victory at Rotorua on October 26. “It’s a big step up from a relatively weak maiden at Rotorua to run against these much classier three-year-olds in the Guineas on Saturday,” Forsman said. “But he’s a horse that I’ve been really happy with all the way through this campaign. He’s kept improving and maturing, and I think he deserves the opportunity.” Stablemate Good Oil will line up in the Gold Club Premier (2000m), where apprentice jockey Lily Sutherland’s 2kg claim will reduce his impost to 57.5kg. Meanwhile, dual Group One-winning stable star Mustang Valley will be in action on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington, taking on a quality field of mares in the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m). The daughter of Vanbrugh scored a superb win in the Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Hastings on September 30, then finished fourth in the Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) two weeks later. In her only appearance since then, Mustang Valley finished at the tail of a six-horse field behind fellow Kiwi mare Prowess in the Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m) at Moonee Valley, but she was less than three lengths away at the finish. “It was an awkwardly run race that didn’t really suit her,” Forsman said. “The first three were up on the fence and probably enjoyed softer runs, while she had to cover a fair bit more ground out wide. Her sectional times were still pretty good. “I’ve been really happy with her since then. She’s been thriving since she arrived at Macedon. She was a fit horse when she flew over, having run in those Group Ones at Hastings, and she seems to have continued to go from strength to strength. “We entered her for a few different races on Saturday, including the Champions Stakes (Group 1, 2000m), but the Matriarch, over 2000m against her own sex, was the logical target.” More racing news View the full article

What Ararat Cup Day 2023 Where Ararat Turf Club – Cnr Western Highway and Geelong Rd, Ararat VIC 3377 When Sunday, November 12, 2023 First Race 1:15pm AEDT Visit Dabble Country Cup racing heads to Ararat on Sunday afternoon, where an eight-race meeting is set down for decision for Ararat Cup Day. Perfect conditions for racing awaits punters and runners alike, with the track coming up a Good 4, with the rail in the true position the entire circuit. Action from Ararat is set to get underway at 1:15pm AEDT. Here are our free Ararat tips for Sunday, November 12, 2023. Ararat Cup Top Tip: Grand Pierro Grand Pierro has not tasted success since claiming the Listed Geelong Classic (2200m) last year, but his three runs this campaign suggest he is ready to peak fourth-up in the Ararat Cup. The Jason Warren-trained stayer went down by the barest of margins at Morphettville last time out, having given the winner some 7.5kg at the weights. Having tasted success at his only start at the 2200m, we’re hoping Grand Pierro is a dour stayer who appreciates getting out over further. Will Price will give him an economical run from barrier three, where he should prove too strong late over 2200m in the Ararat Cup. Ararat Cup Race 6 – #4 Grand Pierro (3) 4yo Gelding | T: Jason Warren | J: Will Price (54kg) +190 with Betfair Best Bet at Ararat: Boldinho Our best bet of the day comes up in the Ararat Bowl (1300m) as Boldinho looks to continue his strong campaign this campaign. The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained runner ran a smart 1300m at Geelong and brings arguably the best form lines into Sunday’s race. With two wins and two seconds to his name from his last five starts in harder races, Boldinho looks well-placed by the stable once again. The Brazen Beau gelding gains the services of Linda Meech and from barrier eight, can lead from barrier to box in fine style. Best Bet Race 7 – #3 Boldinho (8) 4yo Gelding | T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | J: Linda Meech (54kg) +130 with Neds Next Best at Ararat: House Of Pradah The Paul Preusker-trained House Of Pradah was an eye-catching second on debut at Horsham on October 22 and she looks set to break maiden ranks on Sunday. The three-year-old Maurice filly was only getting warm late over the 1400m, and the step up to 1600m at his second start looks ideal. She couldn’t reel in the leader but still put 1.75 lengths on the third-place horse. House Of Pradah retains the services of Dean Yendall, and with speed drawn either side of the pair, the filly should land a gun run in transit. Most of her rivals have had their fair chance at breaking the maiden, but with improvement under her belt, House Of Pradah should be disposing of her rivals. Next Best Race 3 – #10 House Of Pradah (8) 3yo Filly | T: Paul Preusker | J: Dean Yendall (56kg) +140 with Bet365 Sunday quaddie tips for Ararat races Ararat quadrella selections Sunday, November 12, 2023 2-4-5-6-8-10 2-4-6 3-4 1-2-4-7-8 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

Race 2 AONGATETE AVO-JECT 3YO 1200 CU CHULAINN (J Kamaruddin) – Te Akau Racing Manager Mr. R Trumper reported to Stewards, the gelding pulled up post-race with an abscess to the off-fore heel. R Trumper further advised CU CHULAINN, has spent a few days swimming, and at this stage it is the stables intention to continue on with the gelding’s preparation. Race 6 TEAM WEALLEANS 1200 DUBAI DIVA (S Weatherley) – Marsh Racing, Trainer Assistant Mr. R Mildon advised Stewards, the stable was satisfied with the post-race condition of the mare, and it is their intention to carry on with DUBAI DIVA’S current preparation. Race 8 SEEKA 2100 EL NYMPH (L Satherley) – Co-trainer Mr. N Elliot reported to Stewards, the laceration that EL NUMPH received to the left hind leg has healed well, and it is his intention to continue with the mare’s preparation. Race 10 CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF RACING IN TAURANGA 1600 THE QUEEN BEE (C Barnes) – Trainer Mr. A Forsman advised Stewards, THE QUEEN BEE, pulled up post-race slightly sore to the offside foreleg. A Forsman further advised the mare will now no longer be considered as a racing proposition for his stable. The post Racing Tauranga, Saturday, 4 November 2023 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Statement in the name of Phil Holden, Chair of Harness Racing New Zealand: Harness Racing CEO Gary Woodham is in a stable condition in hospital following a medical event. The Harness Racing Board has appointed Mauro Barsi as Chief Operating Officer on a temporary basis until Mr. Woodham recovers. Mr. Barsi is a business consultant and a former CEO of Greyhound Racing NZ. Mr. Woodham’s family have requested privacy at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with Gary and his whanau at this time. View the full article

Former Jockey Club broadcaster Darren Flindell describes the viral video of Romantic Warrior’s win as ‘the best race-calling vision I’ve ever seen’View the full article

Within the space of a few hours on Saturday afternoon, Andrew Forsman will be represented by well-credentialled runners at Flemington, Riccarton and Te Rapa. The Cambridge trainer’s big day kicks off in the opening race at Te Rapa, where two-year-old colt Red Sea will make his debut in the Virtual Print Design & Branding 2YO (1000m). Bred and raced by Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay, the son of Pierata has won two of his three trials – most recently a victory by a length and three-quarters in a 900m heat at Te Rapa on Tuesday of last week. “Both of his trial wins were very good,” Forsman said. “He’s a really nice colt who’s always shown above-average ability, right the way through. It’s always a little bit different when they step out on raceday for the first time, but he’s given us every indication that he should run well first-up. “He’s one of the first horses I’ve trained for Brendan and Jo, so I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to train this one. He seems to be a horse with a pretty bright future, so it’s exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do on Saturday.” Forsman’s other runner at Te Rapa is course specialist Westwood, who contests the North End Law (1200m). The daughter of Charm Spirit was a disappointing last-start eighth on heavy ground at Rotorua, but her seven starts at Te Rapa have produced a win and five placings. She was a black-type placegetter in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1200m) at the Hamilton track as a two-year-old. Forsman also has two runners at Riccarton, including Balzano in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld 51st New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m). Racing in the same colours as Aegon, who won this race for Forsman in 2020, Balzano has had three starts for a win and two placings. The Shooting To Win gelding was runner-up at Cambridge in September and again at Waverley on October 12, then cleared maiden ranks with a comfortable last-start victory at Rotorua on October 26. “It’s a big step up from a relatively weak maiden at Rotorua to run against these much classier three-year-olds in the Guineas on Saturday,” Forsman said. “But he’s a horse that I’ve been really happy with all the way through this campaign. He’s kept improving and maturing, and I think he deserves the opportunity.” Stablemate Good Oil will line up in the Gold Club Premier (2000m), where apprentice jockey Lily Sutherland’s 2kg claim will reduce his impost to 57.5kg. Meanwhile, dual Group One-winning stable star Mustang Valley will be in action on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington, taking on a quality field of mares in the Gr.2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m). The daughter of Vanbrugh scored a superb win in the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Hastings on September 30, then finished fourth in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) two weeks later. In her only appearance since then, Mustang Valley finished at the tail of a six-horse field behind fellow Kiwi mare Prowess in the Gr.2 Crystal Mile (1600m) at Moonee Valley, but she was less than three lengths away at the finish. “It was an awkwardly run race that didn’t really suit her,” Forsman said. “The first three were up on the fence and probably enjoyed softer runs, while she had to cover a fair bit more ground out wide. Her sectional times were still pretty good. “I’ve been really happy with her since then. She’s been thriving since she arrived at Macedon. She was a fit horse when she flew over, having run in those Group Ones at Hastings, and she seems to have continued to go from strength to strength. “We entered her for a few different races on Saturday, including the Champions Stakes (Gr.1, 2000m), but the Matriarch, over 2000m against her own sex, was the logical target.” View the full article

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh is hoping to hit the ground running as New Zealand Cup Week kicks off in Christchurch this weekend. Marsh will saddle a pair of impressive last-start winners in feature races on the opening day of the carnival at Riccarton on Saturday, with Burn To Shine lining up in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai 51st New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Nest Egg contesting the Listed Nautical Boat Insurance Metropolitan Trophy (2600m). Marsh is shooting for a second victory in the 2000 Guineas, having previously captured the prestigious classic with Ugo Foscolo in 2016. He had the narrowest of near-misses four years later, when Bourbonaire was beaten by Aegon by a desperate nose in 2020. This year Marsh will be represented by Burn To Shine, racing in the white and blue colours of owner-breeder The Oaks Stud. The So You Think gelding has never finished further back than third in his six-start career, and his last-start performance was the best of his career so far – beating Trobriand and Lantern Way in a strong victory over the Guineas course and distance in the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m) on October 28. Burn To Shine will be ridden by Johnathan Parkes and is rated a $12 second favourite behind dominant market leader Crocetti ($1.45). “It was a fantastic win last time out,” Marsh said. “He had his final serious hit-out on Tuesday morning. He was able to gallop on the course proper, which was in beautiful order. It was lovely work and he pulled up perfectly. “It’s a small, but very select Guineas field. We have the advantage of being settled in down there already, with a winning run over the mile at the course under our belt. Parkesy sticks with the ship. I think we’ve had a perfect preparation.” Nest Egg not only goes into Saturday’s Metropolitan Trophy as a $4 favourite for that race, but he is also the $6 favourite for the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) the following Saturday. The Reliable Man gelding was a commanding last-start winner over 2400m at Te Rapa, taking control at the top of the straight and outclassing his Rating 84 rivals by three and a half lengths. “He has been on a New Zealand Cup path all the way through this spring, and it was really pleasing to see him put away a talented field in good style last start,” Marsh said. “On a good track, stepping up in distance and with blinkers back on, he was terrific. “He’s been brilliant since then. I can’t fault him at all. I don’t think we could have him any better. “They’ve had a bit of rain down there in the early part of the week, which should mean the track will just have a little bit of the fire out of it. That will really help him for the back-up into the Cup the following weekend.” Marsh will also keep an eye on Saturday’s northern meeting at Te Rapa, where he has more than a dozen horses entered including three in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) – well-performed veteran Tightlign, last-start Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) placegetter Jodelin Gal, and the emerging mare Lincoln Lady, who has won all of her last four in a row. View the full article

Te Akau Racing’s darling of the turf Imperatriz will attempt to put the perfect seal on a standout spring preparation when she heads to Flemington on Saturday to tackle the Gr.1 Champions Sprint (1200m). The daughter of I Am Invincible has been a great flagbearer for Te Akau Racing’s newly established Cranbourne barn, winning all three starts this campaign, including the Gr.2 McEwen Stakes (1000m), Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m), and Gr.1 Manikato Staks (1200m) – all at The Valley. She will now head to Flemington for the first time this weekend and Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis, who bought the now five-year-old mare for A$360,000 at the Gold Coast Yearling Sales, is hoping her lover affair with Melbourne tracks continues. “It’s a new ball game going up the straight at Flemington. We are very happy with her but they don’t keep winning at this level every Saturday. It is a pretty strong field, so we have got our fingers-crossed,” he said. Ellis has been overwhelmed with the support Imperatriz, and in turn Te Akau, has received from both sides of the Tasman, as well as past employees, during her golden run this year. “I got emails from staff that have worked for us from all around the world that have had something to do with her over the last five years. Everyone has got such a thrill out of it and to see the excitement the owners get out if it all is what makes it worthwhile for us,” Ellis said. While Imperatriz has been the main flagbearer for their Cranbourne barn, Skew Wiff ensured their name was still up in lights at Flemington this week when taking out the Gr.3 The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m) on Melbourne Cup Day. “Skew Wiff winning on Melbourne Cup Day was a huge thrill. She is a pretty exciting mare going forward. She is by one of our great sires (Savabeel) and it was just such a thrill to be there on Cup Day to see it all happen,” Ellis said. The New Zealand-based syndicator has received plenty of interest from people wanting to race a horse out of their Cranbourne barn, which was showcased by the speed at which shares in a recent purchase were sold. “We syndicated our first horse (in Melbourne), which is an Almanzor filly that we bought privately, and she was sold in 12 minutes,” Ellis said. “We have just bought a horse (Midnight Blue) on Inglis Digital who won the Perth Cup (Gr.2, 2400m) earlier in the year. We are going to run them in the A$500,000 Cranbourne Cup (1600m) in three weeks time. “There is a lot of interest from Australians that want to have horses with us. It is a very exciting time for Cranbourne, they have got the best facilities I have ever seen anywhere to train horses.” Meanwhile, Ellis has returned to New Zealand to head to Riccarton on Saturday where Te Akau will have a strong representation, including the G.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), a race they have had a great association with. “I am going to Riccarton on Saturday, we have got two runners in the 2000 Guineas,” Ellis said. “We have had six stallions that have won the race and have gone on to stand at stud – King’s Chapel, Darci Brahma, Rock ‘N’ Pop, Extravagant, Embellish, and Noverre. “One of those (Embellish) has got a good chance in the race in Talisker.” Talisker takes a picket fence form line into Saturday and is rated a $18 winning chance with TAB bookmakers, while stablemate Trobriand is at $12 chance following his placing behind Burn To Shine in the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m) last month. “Talisker is a bit hard to get a line on because he is only an average track worker, but he is absolutely thriving,” Ellis said. “Trobriand, his gallop was of a very high standard on Tuesday morning and we couldn’t be happier with him.” Ellis purchased both three-year-olds from Karaka as yearlings for $70,000 and $260,000 out of Landsdowne Park and Windsor Park Stud’s drafts respectively. View the full article

Santa Anita concluded its 19-day Autumn Meet Sunday with Juan Hernandez on top of the jockey standings by both wins (24) and stakes victories (7). Trainer Mark Glatt edged out Phil D'Amato 12-11 to win his first Santa Anita training title, while Hall of Famer Richard Mandella led trainers by stakes wins with five. Leading owner went to Lee and Susan Searing's C R K Stable, who finished with four trips to the winner's circle. Known at The Great RIP, Santa Anita hosted the Breeders' Cup Nov. 3-4. Racing will return to the Arcadia oval Tuesday, Dec. 26 for the Classic Meet opener. The post Hernandez, Glatt, C R K Stable Take Titles at Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Gilletts – trainer Terry, apprentice jockey Dakota and trainer Leanne – have been a significant part of the racing family in Alice Springs for many years. Alice Springs trainers Terry and Leanne Gillett, who are also husband and wife, face an interesting dilemma at Pioneer Park on Saturday. The Gilletts dominate the feature race – an open $24,500 handicap over 1200m – with Terry having four runners and Leanne having one runner in the five-horse event. Terry, the champion Alice Springs and Provincial trainer for the 2020/21 season, will saddle up Supreme Attraction, Great Buy, Supreme Times and Mel’s Legacy. Leanne, a former Alice Springs Cup winning trainer with Ash Grey in 2018, will be relying on Esashi to pull off an upset. Supreme Attraction, who won the $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) during the Alice Springs Cup Carnival in April as a +2500 hope, was the early +160 favourite, but he will have his hands full on Saturday as Great Buy (+200) and Supreme Times (+250) are good enough to claim victory. In all seriousness, Esashi (+500) and Mel’s Legacy (+1400) will have to produce something spectacular to overcome the three leading contenders. Supreme Attraction, an eight-year-old gelding by Supreme Class, won another four races following his Pioneer Sprint triumph before heading to Darwin where he finished sixth in the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint (1200m) at Fannie Bay on August 5. Great Buy, a seven-year-old gelding by Helmet, arrived in the Alice from NSW earlier this year and was placed twice in five starts before getting a win over 1100m (BM76) on October 1 and finishing second behind Supreme Times in open company over 1100m on October 22. He was ninth in the Pioneer Sprint. Supreme Times, an eight-year-old gelding by Supreme Class, was fourth in the Pioneer Sprint and wasn’t all that far away in his next three starts before saluting over 1200m (BM68) in mid-July. He returned on October 1 and finished fourth behind Great Buy before turning the tables on his stablemate three weeks later. Supreme Attraction, Great Buy and Supreme Times boasted respectable records in NSW before continuing their careers in the NT. Nyngan-based Rodney Robb trained Supreme Attraction and Supreme Times, while his son Brett – who calls Dubbo home – trained Great Buy. With a 3kg claim, Supreme Attraction (59.5kg) will be ridden by ever-improving apprentice Lek Maloney and will jump from the outside gate. Great Buy (55.5kg) will have the services of leading Darwin jockey Sonja Logan, the champion jockey in the Alice Springs and Provincial premiership last season, who landed a winning treble at Pioneer Park last weekend. Stan Tsaikos, who preceded Logan as the top jockey in the Red Centre, will partner Supreme Times (57kg) on Saturday after riding Supreme Attraction to victory in the Pioneer Sprint. Esashi, a five-year-old mare by Kuroshio, who won three straight over 1000m in January (BM54), February (0-64) and March (BM73), finished well adrift of Excuses Excuses in third place over 1000m (0-64) last Saturday. The return of in-form Top End jockey Adam Nicholls, who shares the premiership lead with the Gillett’s daughter Dakota with five wins, from a back injury will enhance the hopes of Esashi (55kg), who should finish in the top four. Even though apprentice Ianish Luximon can claim 2kg, Mel’s Legacy (53kg), a four-year-old gelding by Rubick, will find it tough going having had just four starts with her best effort a fourth against the three-year-olds over 1100m (BM66) in April. The Gilletts will go head to head in a 1200m maiden to kick off the five-event program with Terry’s Macer’s Razor (Tsaikos) and Leanne’s Li’lmissprancealot (Nicholls) both finishing third at their previous start. Macer’s Razor, who was placed in two maidens in April and May, finished seventh in just his third start in a 1000m maiden in September before a last start third in open company on October 22 behind Supreme Times and Great Buy. Li’lmissprancealot, second in an 1100m Gawler maiden in her first start for Adelaide trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly in November last year, flashed home to finish a narrow third behind Greg Connor’s stablemates Quanapirri Bay and Black Shiraz in last weekend’s 1100m maiden. The only other Gillett runner on Saturday is Terry’s Tintern Power (Tsaikos) against 0-64 opposition over 1400m in what shapes as the most intriguing race on the program. Tintern Power, once trained by Rodney Robb, has had four starts in the Alice for a first up second over 1100m (BM76) behind Great Buy on October 1 before a last-start second behind the in-form Nicotera over 1400m (0-58) last Saturday. He’s not without a chance, but the likes of Nicotera, Flying Yishu, Quick Return, Strike Eagle, Zoutellus and Sweet As Scandi are all capable of getting the cash. With three wins this season, Leanne currently rules the roast in the Gillett household as Terry has tasted success on just two occasions. More racing news View the full article

Horse Racing on Friday, November 10 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 meeting at Pakenham. Friday Racing Tips – November 10, 2023 Pakenham Racing Tips Best Horse Racing Bets For November 10, 2023 Place these horse racing bets in a multi for $24.94 odds return: Friday, November 10, 2023 Pakenham Race 8 – #4 Rackemann Kempsey Race 4 – #3 Golden Honour Hamilton Race 8 – #1 Grassmere Jewel Albury Race 2 – #2 Mooshaka | 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 November 10, 2023 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. More horse racing tips View the full article

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Classic winner Ace Impact (Fr) (Cracksman {GB}) has been named Cartier Horse of the Year at the 33rd Cartier Racing Awards ceremony at London's Dorchester Hotel. Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget for Gousserie Racing and Serge Stempniak, the unbeaten colt is the first French-trained winner of the award since Treve (Fr) in 2013. His sire Cracksman was the Cartier Three-Year Old Colt of 2017. Ace Impact's fellow nominees for the premier award were Coolmore's Paddington (GB) and Auguste Rodin (Ire), each of whom won four Group 1 races during 2023, and Mostahdaf (Ire), winner of the G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes and G1 Juddmonte International. Ace Impact also receives the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt Award, a category in which Paddington, Auguste Rodin and the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. winner Big Rock (Ire) were also shortlisted. Shadwell's homebred Mostahdaf, a son of Frankel (GB) trained by John and Thady Gosden, was named Cartier Older Horse over Hukum (Ire) and Westover (GB), who produced one of the races of the year in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S., and Inspiral (GB), a previous dual Cartier Award winner. Tahiyra (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), a fifth-generation homebred for the Aga Khan, received the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly Award. Trained by Dermot Weld, she won the Irish 1,000 Guineas, G1 Coronation S. and G1 Matron S. Her conquer in the 1,000 Guineas, Mawj (Ire), was shortlisted for the prize along with French Classic heroine Blue Rose Cen (Ire) and Warm Heart (Ire), who posted Group 1 wins at York and Longchamp this year. Shaquille (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}), trained by Julie Camacho to win the G1 Commonwealth Cup and G1 July Cup, was named Cartier Sprinter. Co-bred by his owner Martin Hughes, he received the award ahead of his fellow Group 1 winners Highfield Princess (Fr), Live In The Dream (Ire) and Art Power (Ire). Having been crowned Cartier Stayer in 2021, Trueshan clinched the award for a second time. Now seven, and trained by Alan King for the Singula Partnership, Trueshan returned to top form in 2023 to win the G2 Doncaster Cup and G1 Prix du Cadran. Gold Cup winner Courage Mon Ami (GB), St Leger winner Continuous (Jpn), and the tearaway G1 Goodwood Cup winner Quickthorn (GB) were also nominated. There was a clean sweep for the Coolmore partners in the juvenile division, with City Of Troy named Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt and Opera Singer claiming the award for Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly. Both are by the Triple Crown winner Justify and trained by Aidan O'Brien. Also shortlisted in their respective categories were the colts Vandeek (GB), Henry Longfellow (Ire) and Rosallion (GB), and fillies Porta Fortuna (Ire), Fallen Angel (GB) and Ylang Ylang (GB). Jeff Smith, the hugely successful owner/breeder based at Littleton Stud in Hampshire, was the recipient of the Cartier/The Daily Telegraph Award of Merit in A longstanding and popular figure in racing, Smith's colours have been carried by a notable list of horses, including Chief Singer, Lochsong (GB), Persian Punch (Ire), and Alcohol Free (Ire). They were most recently seen in stakes-winning action aboard the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. winner Ghostwriter (Ire), trained by Clive Cox. Laurent Feniou, managing director of Cartier UK, said, “I am delighted to celebrate another outstanding group of horses at the 33rd Cartier Racing Awards. Ace Impact displayed his brilliance throughout the year, culminating with a magnificent victory in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and he is a deserving recipient of the Cartier Horse of the Year Award. We are also extremely pleased to present the Cartier/The Daily Telegraph Award of Merit to Jeff Smith, who has enjoyed tremendous success as an owner and breeder over the past six decades. Cartier are honoured to be able to recognise these champions of the sport and I congratulate all of this year's winners.” The post Ace Impact Crowned Cartier Horse of the Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Pin Oak Stud LLC's Parchment Party (Constitution), who overcame a bit of traffic and a tight spot inside at a crucial stage when belying debut odds of 16-1 over this track and distance Sept. 15, doubled up with an equally eye-catching performance in a Thursday allowance at Churchill Downs, becoming a new 'TDN Rising Star' in the process. He is the eighth 'Rising Star' for his WinStar-based stallion. Drawn widest in a field of 10 and only lightly regarded in the wagering at just north of 11-2, the $450,000 Keeneland September yearling allowed the inside traffic to clear and was guided down towards the inside by James Graham and trailed into the backstretch. Going sweetly with the better part of a dozen lengths to find passing the half-mile marker, Parchment Party caught the eye with an inside rally around the second turn and was produced three wide into the stretch. Behind a wall of horses at the three-sixteenths, the June foal descended on the leading group five off the fence inside the final furlong and did his best work through the wire to take it by a widening 1 1/2 lengths while not appearing completely focused at the finish of what has the feel of a key race. First World War (War Front), trying the dirt for the first time and exiting a close fourth as the favorite in the grassy GII Bourbon S. at Keeneland last month, pulled fiercely beneath Tyler Gaffalione for the opening half-mile, settled better thereafter and stayed on for second ahead of longshot Lagynos (Kantharos) in third. Catching Freedom (Constitution), the even-money chalk off a visually impressive debut going this track's one-turn mile Oct. 1, was badly blocked for a run with time ticking away and finished a luckless fourth. Parchment Party, bred on the same cross that produced GI Belmont S. hero and GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Tiz the Law and Grade III winner and 'TDN Rising Star' We the People, is half-brother to Muqtaser (Distorted Humor), MGSP, $303,605; and Darley Japan stallion American Patriot (War Front), GISW, $487,272, and is out of Life Well Lived–a full-sister to MGI/G1SW Well Armed–who was purchased by Bobby Flay in foal to American Pharoah for $1.25 million at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale. Life Well Lived is also kin to GSW Witty (Distorted Humor), the dam of GSW Bombard (War Front) and MGSP Amuse (Medaglia d'Oro); and to Well Lived (Tiznow), whose recently retired daughter Played Hard (Into Mischief) won this year's GI La Troienne S. This is also the family of two-time Japanese Horse of the Year Symboli Kris S (Kris S.). Life Well Lived, who was RNAd for $775,000 when offered in foal to Curlin at KEENOV in 2019, has a yearling full brother to Parchment Party and was purchased by Machmer Hall for $360,000 at Keeneland November Thursday carrying a full-sibling to Parchment Party. 8th-Churchill Downs, $128,215, Alw (NW1X), Opt. Clm ($100,000), 11-9, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.34, ft, 1 1/2 lengths. PARCHMENT PARTY, c, 2, by Constitution 1st Dam: Life Well Lived, by Tiznow 2nd Dam: Well Dressed, by Notebook 3rd Dam: Trithenia, by Gold Meredian Sales history: $450,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $141,960. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree. O-Pin Oak Stud LLC; B-B Flay Thoroughbreds (KY); T-William I Mott. #10 PARCHMENT PARTY ($13.28) settled at the back under jockey @James_D_Graham and he pressed GO at the 3/8 pole to win Race 8 at @ChurchillDowns for trainer Bill Mott and owner @PinOakStud. Another winner by Constitution. Nice winner by @Jockey_Geena. Bet on @FDSportsbook. pic.twitter.com/i9wVunxBhd — TVG (@TVG) November 9, 2023 The post ‘Party On!’: Constitution Colt Turns In ‘Rising Star’-Worthy Performance at Churchill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Standing in the first stall on the left in the Clark family's cozy barn at their farm in Springfield, Ky., ears pricked and head on a constant swivel in search of the next treat, Golovkin appears right at home. One would never guess that the 5-year-old gelded son of Mshawish had just shipped from Monmouth Park, nor that he was the center of Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) findings against his racing owner/trainer John Pimental. The story was first shared by the TDN's T. D. Thornton on Oct. 20, detailing the life-changing ramifications for Pimental and his wife, Diana, stemming from Golovkin testing positive for 193 picograms per milliliter of methamphetamine following his sixth-place finish in a May 29 sprint at Monmouth Park. A July 28 visit from HIWU agents not only made the Pimentals aware of the meth positive but subsequently revealed Levothyroxine in their truck during a search conducted by the agents, resulting in John facing a three-year period of ineligibility (18 months per violation) and a fine of $25,000 ($12,500 per violation) after agreeing to a “case resolution without hearing.” It was the only option he felt was feasible after being unable to afford hiring a lawyer to contest the HIWU's charges of two violations of “banned substances” under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)'s Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program. But what about Golovkin? Claimed for $5,000 on the day he tested positive, he raced twice more over the next two months for new connections before the ruling against John voided the claim, resulting in the bay gelding's return to the Pimentals' barn. It was just Golovkin and his stablemate, Richard the pony, left in a nearly empty barn on the Monmouth backstretch. Acknowledging the rule violations and accepting his consequences led to John signing away his licensure, forbidding him from working in any capacity that puts him in contact with HISA-covered horses. Meanwhile, the Pimentals were restricted to visiting and feeding their remaining horses at the track just twice a day until new homes were found for them. The Pimentals had been having a hard time finding Golovkin a home due to his mandatory 60-day period of inactivity as a result of the positive, until the TDN story came out. That's when bloodstock agent Lauren Carlisle stepped in. Already in conversation with her friends Radhika Clark, Director of Operations for Morning Line Club; Sarah Thompson, bloodstock agent for Equix; and Hagyard's Dr. Megan Cassidy about rehoming another horse, Carlisle forwarded the article to the group and the wheels were set in motion. “I read it and I was pretty upset about the circumstances and the way it affected the Pimentals and this horse, in particular. I had copied the article, sent it to the group and I said, “We need to try to help this horse, this is not a good situation,” she recalled. They immediately leapt into action, sending texts, making calls and replying to tweets to any and all connections that could possibly get them in touch with the Pimentals. Concurrently, Carlisle reached out to Glenn Brok at Brooke Ledge Horse Transportation. Despite the late hour, Brok called within minutes and Carlisle proceeded to explain the situation. By the next morning, he'd been in touch with Diana and connected her with Carlisle. The plan was set, Golovkin would be heading to Kentucky. “The horse couldn't race for 60 days because of the positive and no other trainer wanted to take that horse in, understandably, but it was just a lose-lose situation for everybody. Diana was very thankful and appreciative. She did confirm with me that she wants the horse to be retired and not race again. She was very up front about that,” said Carlisle. “She said that [Golovkin] has been through a lot and she's happy that he's going to have a new home. I texted her when the horse got here and I sent her pictures, so she's been very communicative that way. She's the one that told me how much he likes peppermints and carrots. Golovkin | Sara Gordon “I told her, 'Keep my phone number. If you need help with anything else, please don't hesitate to reach out.'” From the very beginning, Clark and her mother, Sonia, had offered their farm as Golovkin's soft landing. In less than a week after Carlise's initial call with Diana, Brook Ledge had a spot open up in one of their vans and Golovkin was on his way, free of charge thanks to the support of the transportation company. “I had several people reach out. [Keeneland's] Jesse Ullery called me the next morning. He'd seen what I'd put on Twitter trying to find their phone number and he wanted to help. Kirsten [Johnson] with KESMARC called and said if the horse needs any sort of rehab, she will help with that. There have been a lot of people that just wanted to help this horse,” said Carlisle. “The whole thing is unfortunate, but it doesn't mean that a horse has to be stuck at a racetrack in a stall.” Golovkin arrived at the Clarks' farm the morning of Thursday, Oct. 26. After getting a quick bath upon arrival, the gelding settled into his new stall and joined the herd that includes 3-year-old Elegance (Into Mischief), a fellow Off-the-Track-Thoroughbred, and a few other retirees. “He has a really good personality. As soon as I was in the stall with him, he was super playful. He just wants to play! He came off the trailer without a scratch on him, so you know he traveled well and you can tell he was really well cared for by Diana and John. He's in really great body condition, he looks awesome, so that's a testament to them. They did everything they could for that horse,” said Clark. “Dr. Cassidy looked at him and took some X-rays. There are a couple things we're going to verify and re-check but so far, we're pretty happy with him and we're just going to give him some time to settle in.” The four industry women that came together initially to bring Golovkin home were all on hand the day after he arrived and the gelding was more than content to soak up all of the attention. “I'm going to mess with him a bit here and see what he can do. But past that, we'll reach out to some people. If he is eligible for a second career then that's what he's going to do. If he needs to just hang out in a field all day, he's got the field, it's here. Either way he'll have a home and he'll always have a place to come back to if he needs it,” said Clark. As the gelding now fondly known as 'Go-Go' stood in the aisleway of the barn, a hind foot resting and head low as the farm dogs wandered around him, it's easy to see why he meant so much to the Pimentals, even more so after all they've been dealt this year. “I understand they're trying to create rules and enforce them, but at the end of the day, now you've got a horse that's pretty much stranded. That's not helping the animal, which is who we're trying to protect. It's a little bit ironic,” said Carlisle. “Radhika and her mom Sonia, they really stepped up in giving him a place to go and not asking any questions about it. Megan is going to come back out to do another physical on the horse and she's offering her time at no charge. These are the people that need to be recognized.” Thornton followed up with the Pimentals, in a TDN story published Oct. 25, revealing that Alan Foreman, an attorney who is the chairman and chief executive of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, is handling their defense and has managed to get John's signed admission withdrawn so the case can proceed to a hearing. Meanwhile, the pony Richard is heading to Tampa Bay Downs this winter with trainer Gerald Bennett. The Pimentals will be making their way to Florida as well, where Diana has a job in the Tampa Bay racing office for the upcoming meet. “We are all working against each other here and there's a lot of competition in our industry with people wanting to win races and just be better, but when the time comes that somebody needs help or a horse needs help, it's not even a question. Everybody chips in to help. That's just a testament to the people that work in this industry,” said Carlisle. The post Coming Together For Golovkin appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage, who missed the Nov. 4 BC Classic (G1) due to what his connections said was a fever, is being pointed to a 2024 campaign. One early option is the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park.View the full article

The ownership group that wants to buy the currently closed Turf Paradise is reportedly at the escrow stage of closing on the sale, but a projected Jan. 13 opening day was met with skepticism when the prospective majority buyer was pressed to name a start date at Thursday's Arizona Racing Commission (AZRC) meeting. “At this point where we're at, and not having the complete [new ownership] application, there may be a delay from January moving forward,” said Rudy Casillas, the deputy director of the AZRC's racing division, told commissioners after brief comments by Richard Moore, the chief executive officer for potential buyer Turf Paradise Land Trust. Casillas cited both the commission's own lengthy approval process for a new track licensee and what he said was a federal requirement imposed by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) that stipulates “a 90-day advance notice from any track before their implementation of racing.” “Racing may not start until February or March depending on how things go with the vetting and background investigation,” Casillas said. Lloyd Yother, the president of the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (AZHBPA), expressed a feeling of being left out of the loop on the status of what might happen at the last remaining commercially active track on a circuit that hasn't hosted Thoroughbred racing for six months. “We're still in our state of confusion in how things are going down and what's transpiring, what's taking place,” Yother said. “There's so many moving targets [and] we still are at the mercy and going through our normal frustrations with how things are to come about…. We have no earthly idea when and if a meet will be performed at Turf Paradise.” Despite that sense of helplessness, the AZHBPA does have one important cudgel of control within its grasp: Its board of directors will be meeting Friday to vote on whether to extend the required interstate simulcasting permissions beyond Nov. 12 so Turf Paradise's 37 off-track betting parlors won't go dark. Yother said that meeting will determine “whether or not to terminate our signal [permission] or move it forward to [Dec. 31] giving the opportunity for all parties to get their act together and make this happen.” The vote will likely come down to weighing the benefits of keeping the OTBs open (which would allow the new Turf Paradise owner to build up revenue for the purse account) versus closing them (which would make it clear that the AZHBPA has had it with constantly being asked to extend simulcasting privileges to entities that don't conduct live racing). Turf Paradise ended its racing season back in May with a different buyer doing due diligence to purchase the property. On Aug. 1, track owner Jerry Simms announced Turf Paradise wouldn't be opening in November as scheduled for its traditional six-month meet. On Sept. 18, the months-long purported sale with the first buyer was publicly declared dead. Then 10 days later, Simms announced a new buyer had suddenly emerged with a desire to purchase the 213-acre property and save racing at the 67-year-old track. The AZRC met on Sept. 28 and Oct. 12 without anyone from the new prospective buying group speaking in person. But during the Nov. 9 meeting, Simms introduced Moore of Turf Paradise Land Trust, noting that the two parties have been at the escrow stage of the deal since Oct. 18. “We're going through that contract and executing that contract and hopefully everything goes well and we're going to buy the track and continue on with the racing there in Arizona,” Moore said. “That's our main goal.” “We're very excited about this,” Moore said. “We're looking forward to it. And we're getting up to speed on where it's at [to] bring the track up to par and to also make it better and to move forward. And we're definitely committed to bring in the necessary funds and commitment and support to make this a destination. And we have a lot of dreams and hopes and things that we'd like to accomplish once we gain ownership.” The Arizona Corporations Commission's website lists no active registration for Turf Paradise Land Trust other than a name reservation made on Oct. 2. Beyond one question from commissioner Linda York about specifics on the buying group's timetable, Moore was not asked by the AZRC to detail anything about Turf Paradise Land Trust or its plans for the future of the Phoenix track. Starting Gate at Turf Paradise | Coady Photography York's question about the timing of the meet yielded a response from Moore that the season is projected to start Jan. 13 and would last “to May.” Moore added that the sale of the property would likely close before the end of 2023. After Casillas weighed in that such a timetable might be a stretch, Simms told commissioners that he has already been in talks with the HISA Authority about fast-tracking the process for accreditation, and he claimed to have an assurance that “they could probably get that done a lot quicker [to] work with our time frames.” Turf Paradise has plagued by safety issues in recent seasons, and as recently as the Oct. 12 commission meeting, Simms and Yother sparred over whether or not extensive repairs are needed for the main track rail. Yother claimed the fencing is not up to spec and Simms countered that Turf Paradise had fixed problems related to a non-compliance warning issued by the HISA Authority earlier this year after an inspection turned up “numerous gaps and exposed edges in the railing material that could inflict serious harm upon jockeys…” At the Nov. 9 meeting, Arizona's chief state steward, Jason Hart, said he has been making regular visits to Turf Paradise over the past few weeks. Although Hart acknowledged that the rail had been “in pretty bad shape” at end of the last meet, he said every time he has visited since Oct. 23, he has observed workers shoring it up. “My expertise or my opinion would be the rail looks very safe at this point,” Hart said. “There's a couple of things that don't look pretty with the rail, but it is absolutely safe in my opinion.” Hart added that the turf course well pump has been fixed, and that the grass course is being watered regularly after being seeded and fertilized. Hart also detailed how six barns have had the copper wiring cut out of them, but that he has been assured by current track management that electricians have been hired to re-wire those stables. Hart also said frontside windows that appeared to have been blown out in a storm show evidence of being worked on prior to glass replacement. The post AZHBPA: ‘No Earthly Idea When And If A Meet Will Be Performed At Turf Paradise’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article