Wandering Eyes

Mike Repole discusses Fierceness' Breeders' Cup victory.View the full article

Defending champion looks to join Viva Macau in winning back-to-back editions of the Group Three featureView the full article

Last year it was Gold Trip, ridden by jockey Mark Zahra, that went on to win the Melbourne Cup from barrier 14 — becoming the seventh horse in history to do so from that position. View the full article

Repole Stables' homebred Fierceness overpowered a deep field in the $1.82 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) for trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez. The son of City of Light was 6 1/4 lengths ahead of Muth. Locked was third.View the full article

The 40th edition of the Classic (G1) offers the same type of scenario as the first with horse racing's best and brightest assembled on a two-day, 14-race stage and in the biggest race of them all there are two of the little guys with longshot hopes.View the full article

Lord Bullingdon went last to first in the Golden Mile Stakes on the turf, while longshot Wet My Beak used a similar move at the top of the stretch to capture the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes.View the full article

While Mountain Bear suffered an injury that saw him vanned off after finishing second in the $920,000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) Nov. 3 at Santa Anita Park, trainer Aidan O'Brien believes he'll be able to recover in about four weeks.View the full article

With all eyes on the Breeders' Cup Future Stars Friday at Santa Anita Park, Interstatedaydream and Crupi quietly stole the show at Aqueduct Racetrack Nov. 3.View the full article

The 40th edition of the Classic (G1) offers the same type of scenario as the first with horse racing's best and brightest assembled on a two-day, 14-race stage and in the biggest race of them all there are two of the little guys with longshot hopes.View the full article

Unquestionable, by Wootton Bassett, stalked the leaders and hit the front at the sixteenth pole before notching a 1 1/2-length win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T). View the full article

'TDN Rising Star' UNQUESTIONABLE (FR) (c, 2, Wootton Bassett {GB}–Strawberry Lace {GB}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) was given a tactically flawless steer by world-class reinsman Ryan Moore and proved far too classy in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, defeating his stable companion Mountain Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) by about three lengths. Able to secure the gun run one back on the fence in fourth, the €340,000 Arqana August yearling always traveled sweetly in the hands of Moore as Air Recruit (Air Force Blue) took them along at a lively clip in advance of the heavily backed Canadian invader My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince). Going well into the final three furlongs, Unquestionable was ridden for a bit of luck, hoping that the runs came, and come they did, as the bay–a latest second to Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp–was produced three off the inside at midstretch and scampered clear. Mountain Bear finished full of run down the center to claim second, while My Boy Prince held for third. For Moore, it was a sixth victory in the Juvenile Turf, having partnered with Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) last year, and 13th Breeders' Cup win overall, while Aidan O'Brien was winning a 17th race at the championships. The victory would have been of some consolation for Ballydoyle, whose morning-line favorite River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was ordered scratched Friday. Sales history: €340,000 Ylg '22 ARQAUG. O-Al Shaqab Racing, Westerberg, Mrs John Magnier, Derrick Smith & Michael B Tabor; B-Mme Camille Vitse, Mme Axelle Vitse, Mme Valentine Vitse & Guillaume Vitse; T-Aidan O'Brien. Watch UNQUESTIONABLE win the $1 Million @Prevagen #BreedersCup Juvenile Turf on #FutureStarsFriday at @santaanitapark! Cheers to the connections! pic.twitter.com/MODHgiKmmG — Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 3, 2023 The post Wootton Bassett Colt Leaves No Doubts in the Juvenile Turf appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Repole Stables' homebred Fierceness overpowered a deep field in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) for trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez. The son of City of Light was six lengths ahead of Muth. Locked was third.View the full article

'TDN Rising Star' FIERCENESS (c, 2, City of Light–Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty), off at a wildly overlaid 16-1 from a 6-1 morning line, went through his gears in the final furlong and a half to turn Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile into a one-horse affair, as he dusted his fellow previous Grade I-winning fellow 'Rising Stars' Muth (Good Magic) and Locked (Gun Runner) by a distance. As brilliant as he was in winning his six-furlong debut by better than 11 lengths, good for a 95 Beyer, he was equally disappointing at 55 cents on the dollar when clearly failing to handle the slippery underfoot conditions behind 'Rising Star' Timberlake (Into Mischief) and General Partner (Speightstown) in the GI Champagne S. The gamblers were unforgiving as they gravitated to Locked, Muth and Timberlake, but Fierceness put himself right into the race with a clean dispatch from gate nine, pressing a modest early tempo outside of General Partner. Sidling up at the quarter pole, Fierceness exploded when John Velazquez went for him and pulled clear with each stride in a final time about 2 1/2 seconds faster than the Juvenile Fillies. Velazquez was winning his 20th Breeders' Cup race and first Juvenile since guiding this owner's Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) back in 2010. Repole 'Rising Star' Forte (Violence) won last year's Juvenile for Todd Pletcher, who was celebrating a 15th Breeders' Cup success. O/B-Repole Stable (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Fierceness captures the $2 Million @FanDuel #BreedersCup Juvenile pres. by @TBAftercare! Congrats to the connections on a thrilling #FutureStarsFriday victory! https://t.co/rQSmN1o5Kc — Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 3, 2023 Friday, Santa Anita FANDUEL BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE PRESENTED BY THOROUGHBRED AFTERCARE ALLIANCE-GI, $1,820,000, Santa Anita, 11-3, 2yo, c/g, 1 1/16m, 1:41.90, ft. 1–FIERCENESS, 122, c, 2, by City of Light 1st Dam: Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty 2nd Dam: Nonna Mia, by Empire Maker 3rd Dam: Holy Bubbette, by Holy Bull 'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Repole Stable, Inc. (KY); T-Todd Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $1,040,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $1,102,750. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Muth, 122, c, 2, Good Magic–Hoppa, by Uncle Mo. ($190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $2,000,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $340,000. 3–Locked, 122, c, 2, Gun Runner–Luna Rosa, by Malibu Moon. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($425,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm; B-Rosa Colasanti (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $180,000. Margins: 6 1/4, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 16.50, 2.70, 2.30. Also Ran: Timberlake, Prince of Monaco, General Partner, Cuban Thunder (Ire), Wine Me Up, Noted. Scratched: Ecoro Neo, The Wine Steward. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post City of Light’s Fierceness Leads Home a ‘Rising Star’ Sweep in the Juvenile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Europeans made their presence felt in the first Breeders' Cup race of the day as favored Big Evs led a 1-2-3 international finish in the $920,000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

George Krikorian's homebred daughter of Justify, Just F Y I, takes the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), passing heavy favorite Tamara in the stretch. She beat longshot Jody's Pride at the wire by half a length.View the full article

It took about 45 minutes for Justify to add to his Breeders' Cup grab, as HARD TO JUSTIFY (–Instant Reflex, by Quality Road) managed to secure a handy position from gate 12, relaxed kindly through the middle fractions and kept on very gamely to hold off an equally game try from the Donnacha O'Brien-trained Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) to give trainer Chad Brown a remarkable sixth success in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita, where he won his very first Breeders' Cup race some 15 years ago in the same event with Maram. The $190,000 Keeneland September yearling, who earned her way into the Breeders' Cup with a tally in the GIII Miss Grillo S. at Aqueduct last month, was guided down towards the inside by Flavien Prat to sit just off the flank of Dreamfyre (Flameaway), herself the all-the-way winner of the local prep, the Oct. 8 Surfer Girl S. Asked to confront the front-runner approaching the entrance to the stretch, Hard to Justify edged in front and battled on bravely for the victory as Porta Fortuna was just beaten. Favored She Feels Pretty, a daughter of GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Karakontie (Jpn), was unable to get in from her high draw and was therefore consigned to a four-wide trip, but she, too, boxed on determinedly to finish not far away. It was a 17th Breeders' Cup victory overall for Brown and fifth for Prat, who was aboard Flightline (Tapit) in that history-making Classic last fall. Sales history: $190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. O-Wise Racing LLC; B-Yeguada Centurion SL (KY); T-Chad Brown. Hard to Justify wins the $1 Million #BreedersCup Juvenile Fillies Turf on #FutureStarsFriday at @santaanitapark! Cheers to all of the connections! pic.twitter.com/f91gXEyJQz — Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 3, 2023 Friday, Santa Anita BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF-GI, $920,000, Santa Anita, 11-3, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.42, fm. 1–HARD TO JUSTIFY, 122, f, 2, by Justify 1st Dam: Instant Reflex (GSP), by Quality Road 2nd Dam: Without Delay, by Seeking the Gold 3rd Dam: Slow Down, by Seattle Slew 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Wise Racing LLC; B-Yeguada Centurion S.L. (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $520,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $687,750. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Porta Fortuna (Ire), 122, f, 2, by Caravaggio 1st Dam: Too Precious (Ire), by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) 2nd Dam: Delicate Charm (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire) 3rd Dam: Kantikoy (GB), by Alzao O-Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Barry Fowler; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (Ire); T-Donnacha O'Brien. $170,000. 3–She Feels Pretty, 122, f, 2, by Karakontie (Jpn) 1st Dam: Summer Sweet, by More Than Ready 2nd Dam: Summer Solstice (Ire), by Caerleon 3rd Dam: Summer Sonnet (GB), by Baillamont ($240,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Lael Stables; B-Payson Stud Inc (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. $90,000. Margins: HF, HD, 3/4. Odds: 9.10, 3.80, 3.50. Also Ran: Content (Ire), Austere, Buchu, Carla's Way (Ire), Life's an Audible, Dreamfyre, Laulne (Fr), Les Pavots (Ire), Flattery, Gala Brand, Buttercream Babe. Scratched: Go With Gusto, Mo Fox Givin. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Hard to Justify Gives Brown A Sixth BC Juvenile Fillies Turf Title appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

George Krikorian's homebred daughter of Justify, Just F Y I, takes the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), passing heavy favorite Tamara in the stretch. She beat longshot Jody's Pride at the wire by half a length.View the full article

One of five Grade I/Group 1 winners for Triple Crown winner Justify in what has been a sensational 2023 season both at home and abroad, George Krirkorian's JUST F Y I (–Star Act, by Street Cry {Ire}) had the widest post position in the field to deal with, but took the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies right to odds-on 'TDN Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro), surged past that spent rival at the head of the lane and found the wire first to all but secure a first American championship for Justify. Sent off at generous odds of 7-1 to add the Juvenile Fillies to her latest success through the Aqueduct slop in the GI Frizette S. early last month, the homebred was ridden positively and aggressively by Junior Alvarado and forced Tamara into a testing opening quarter mile in :22.47. Mike Smith was able to give the front-runner a little bit of a chance to catch her breath down the backstretch, as they were able to go the next couple of furlongs in over :24 seconds, but Just F Y I shadowed her every move, and Mike Smith began to get urgent aboard the favorite with better than two furlongs to travel. Meanwhile, Alvarado was riding high on Just F Y I, went by with relative ease and then was fully extended to the wire as 17-1 Jody's Pride (American Pharoah) made things interesting to complete a Coolmore-sired 1-2. Second favorite Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}) plugged home into third. It was a 13th victory overall for Bill Mott, but first in the Juvenile Fillies. Alvarado rode Cody's Wish to his first Breeders' Cup win in last year's GI Dirt Mile. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0. O/B-George Krikorian (KY); T-Bill Mott. The post Just F Y I a First BC Winner for Justify In the Juvenile Fillies; Tamara Seventh appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

French National Hunt sire Triple Threat (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) has been relocated to Capital Stud's Kilkenny base in Ireland and will stand under the farm's NH arm for 2024, Capital Stud announced on Friday. A fee for the three-time graded/group winner will be announced at a later date. The 13-year-old stallion won the G3 Prix La Force and G2 Prix Eugène Adam in France and the GII Monmouth S. in the United States. He also finished second in the GI Northern Dancer Turf S. As a sire he has been represented by graded hurdle winner Sans Bruit (Fr), listed hurdle winner Rosa Kleb (Fr) and graded/listed performers AQPS Jumper Sacre (Fr) and Pacific One (Fr). “We're always following stallions, seeing which ones are getting promising winners in Britain and Ireland, and Triple Threat appeared on our radar at the back-end of last year but he wasn't for sale,” Capital Stud's Ger O'Neill said. “We kept hearing from people about the horse, though. Donnchadh Doyle told us he had two horses by him, one a 4-year-old and the other three, and he was really impressed with them… He said we had to do all we could to get him in Ireland–we need him here. “We made enquiries again and, with the help of John Dwan and Nicky Bertran de Balanda, managed to get a deal up and running. We flew over to France to see him, and were impressed by what we saw, but then we expected to be, as we'd already seen a lot of his stock and liked them. We knew we couldn't leave there without him, and thankfully we managed to negotiate a price.” The post Triple Threat to Ireland’s Capital Stud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

French jumps stallion Jeu St Eloi (Fr) (Saint Des Saints [Fr}) has been acquired for stud duty by Rathbarry & Glenview Studs and will stand the 2024 breeding season in Ireland, the farm announced on Friday. The 12-year-old stallion will move from Haras de Cercy to County Cork to stand along side NH stallions Blue Bresil (Fr) (Smadoun {Fr}), Eagles By Day (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Old Persian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Shirocco (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) and Youmzain (Ire) (Sinndar {Ire}). Paul Harley Bloodstock Ltd. brokered the deal for the stallion, who has produced a number of bumpers, novice hurdlers and point-to-point winners, including the recent Willie Mullins-trained AQPS It's For Me (Fr), who won a Navan bumper by 10 lengths and was installed as favourite for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham; and D Art D Art (Fr), who won a bumper for trainer Tom Cooper. Commenting on the acquisition, Paul Cashman said, “We are delighted to stand such an exciting young NH sire. He has had great success in his brief career to date and he offers NH breeders a complete outcross to existing bloodlines.” The 2024 fee for Jeu St Eloi will be announced in due course. The post Jeu St Eloi to Rathbarry & Glenview Studs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Europeans made their presence felt in the first Breeders' Cup race of the day as favored Big Evs led a 1-2-3 international finish in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

Making their respective maiden appearances at the Breeders' Cup, jockey Tom Marquand and trainer Mick Appleby tasted immediate success when BIG EVS (IRE) (c, 2, Blue Point {Ire}–Hana Lina {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) sat an ideal pace-pressing trip and staved off a stinging late rally from giant Royal Ascot upsetter Valiant Force (Malibu Moon) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita. Holding favoritism for the majority of the wagering, he was relegated to second pick behind the progressive No Nay Mets (Ire) (No Nay Never), and if there was a question as to whether Big Evs possessed the sort of early speed on foreign soil as he did in winning the Listed Windsor Castle S.–over 22 others– the G3 Molecomb S. and G2 Flying Childers S. at home, those were soon put to bed, as he bounced beautifully from a low draw and took up a position in second as G2 Queen Mary S. victress Crimson Advocate (Nyquist) made the running from the rail. Asked to claim the filly in upper stretch, Big Evs edged in front and kicked on gamely as Valiant Force, who won the G2 Norfolk S. at 150-1 in June, stormed home beneath William Buick for second. Starlust (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) made it a 1-2-3 sweep for European-based horses, while No Nay Mets was fourth. Big Evs is the second top-level scorer for his boom first-crop sire (by Shamardal). Sales history: 50,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-0. O-RP Racing Ltd; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd; T-Michael Appleby. The post Big Evs Proves Equal To The Task in the Juvenile Turf Sprint appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Derby Day - one for the racing and punting purists. It also marks the start of the four-day Flemington Spring Carnival which also includes next Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup, Thursday’s Oaks meeting (Ladies Day) before concluding on Saturday November 11 with Stakes Day. View the full article

Whether digital or the old school paper variety, it is safe to say that most of the forms will be turned to the World Championship races. However, it should be noted that Saturday does sport some graded stakes action that you will not want to miss from both Santa Anita Park and Woodbine Racetrack. 'The Great RIP' card gets the Breeders' Cup engines warmed with the GII Twilight Derby for 3-year-olds over the turf. If you are interested in how the course sets up for what's to come, then this nine furlong event should provide some interesting indicators. Probably tops on many a list as he cannonballs in from the East Coast is DJ Stable's Webslinger (Constitution). The bay gelding trained by Mark Casse has had a banner campaign this year with highlights coming when he won the GII American Turf S. on the Derby undercard and in his last race when he lost by a head in the GI Saratoga Derby Aug. 5. His regular rider Javier Castellano is aboard and you can bet that this one will sense the wire late in the game. Also present is the Charlie Appleby trainee Silver Knott (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). The first-time gelding developed some solid class after he ran second in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and he will be one to watch if William Buick can find a way to get him into a free running lane. An intriguing entry here is the presence of GI Kentucky Derby alum Reincarnate (Good Magic). Out of a Scat Daddy mare with strong Tapeta and turf experience, the Bob Baffert trainee actually began his juvenile career on the grass when he finished second at both Del Mar and Santa Anita. The gray colt's victory in the GIII Sham S. set him on the dirt road, but he returns to what might be his surface of choice. The graded action doesn't end there because Woodbine has a pair of 2-year-old races for males and females. First up are the colts going 1 1/16th on the Tapeta in the GIII Grey S. Certainly Piper's Factor (The Factor) appears to be incredibly fleet of foot, especially if he can replicate the 82 Beyer that he posted when he broke his maiden by two lengths at second asking in Toronto Sept. 10. Tunechi | Michael Burns Others that will press the pace include Pipit (Quality Road), who dead heated for second Oct. 8 in the Algonquin S. at Woodbine, and one of two Barbara Minshall trainees led by Tunechi (Outwork), who finished fourth in the GI Summer S. behind Breeders' Cup bound Carson's Run (Cupid). “I think two turns is right up his alley,” said Minshall of Tunechi who was bred in Kentucky by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding. “He definitely acted like a two-turn horse from the day I got him. He's not mean, but you just have to watch yourself around him because he's a big, good-feeling colt.” Switching over to the fillies who are also traveling the same distance, the GIII Mazarine S. could very well go to Tripolina (Constitution), who is a deserving favorite after she won the Display S. Oct. 15 at Woodbine against the boys in her second career start. Standing in her way are the second and third place runners from the Oct. 15 running of the Glorious Song S. in Mystic Lake (Mo Town) for Saffie Joseph and Witwatersrand (Connect) for Mark Casse. The post Webslinger A Marvel On Breeders’ Cup Undercard, Woodbine Cards Saturday Graded Races Too appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2023 Melbourne Cup is only a few days away, and there have been a number of storylines in the lead-up to the race that stops a nation. View the full article