Wandering Eyes

Saturday’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) at Te Rapa was an eagerly anticipated clash between a number of up-and-coming talents, but it turned into a tour de force by New Zealand’s most exciting three-year-old. Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto) extended his unblemished record to five out of five with another dominant display, leading every step of the way in the hands of premiership-leading jockey Warren Kennedy. The Zacinto gelding was already the favourite for the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 11, and the TAB reacted to Saturday’s spectacular performance by cutting his odds from $1.90 to $1.50. Saturday’s Sarten was the second black-type success for Crocetti, who had also led all the way in the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka on August 19 and romped to victory by four and a half lengths. In between times, he lined up over 1200m at Te Rapa and took a sit in third place before bursting out of an awkward position to score another easy win. The step up to 1400m on Saturday posed no problems for Crocetti, who returned to his previous front-running tactics and never gave the opposition a look in. He ran his rivals into the Te Rapa turf, kicking powerfully in the straight and maintaining a clear advantage all the way to the finish. Crocetti is trained by Danny Walker and Arron Tata for owner-breeder Daniel Nakhle. His five-start, five-win career has now banked $198,275 in prize-money. “He’s a dream, he really is,” Walker said. “That was a good win today. “He learned a lot last start – it was just one of those things, the way the race was run, and he was able to show that he could take a sit just off the pace. Today I told Warren to just make his own luck, and he did that. “We’re really looking forward to the 2000 Guineas now. The step up to 1600m won’t bother him at all.” Crocetti is out of the twice-winning O’Reilly mare Gracehill (NZ), who is a full-sister to Group Three winner Killarney (NZ) and half-sister to the multiple Australian Group winner Crosshaven (Smart Missile). The previously undefeated Lupo Solitario (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) was eating into Crocetti’s margin in the closing stages of Saturday’s race and got into second, a length and a half from the winner, while perennial placegetter To Catch A Thief (NZ) (US Navy Flag) was again close up in third – the seventh time he has filled that position in an eight-start career. Lupo Solitario will not head to Christchurch for the 2000 Guineas next month. To Catch A Thief’s third placing has seen him move into fourth favouritism for the Riccarton classic at $10, behind Crocetti, Lantern Way (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) ($8) and Trobriand (Kermadec) ($8). View the full article

A wide draw and an energy-sapping fast pace were not enough to stop Johny Johny (NZ) (Charm Spirit) in Saturday’s Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa. The speedy son of Charm Spirit had some factors in his favour leading into the $100,000 weight-for-age feature – including the race’s postponement and relocation from last Sunday at Rotorua, where he had never previously raced in his career. Te Rapa has been a happy hunting ground for Johny Johny in recent weeks, and he has now won three races in a row at the Hamilton track. But once the gates opened in Saturday’s Sweynesse, there was nothing easy about Johny Johny’s task. After jumping well from gate nine, he was driven forward by apprentice jockey Jim Chung, but found himself surrounded by others vying for the lead. Is That So (NZ) (Sufficient), Laneway Flirting (NZ) (El Roca) and Packing Rockstar (Fastnet Rock) were all prominent in the early stages, and then Sassy Merlot (NZ) (Burgundy) charged forward out wide to throw down the gauntlet. It developed into a duel between Johny Johny and Sassy Merlot, who eyeballed each other from the 1000m up to the home turn. Johny Johny finally shook free of Sassy Merlot at the top of the straight and made his bid for glory, but his efforts began to take their toll coming into the final 100m. Beebeep (NZ) (Vespa), Habana (Zoustar) and Tightlign (NZ) (Align) launched powerful late runs and charged at the tiring leader in the final strides, but Johny Johny dug deep and clung on, winning by a head. The time was a quick 1:09.52. Johny Johny has now won 10 of his 17 starts and $247,625 in stakes for Cambridge trainers Tim and Margaret Carter, who share ownership with their son Morgan. The Sweynesse Stakes was the first black-type success for Chung, who was having only his fourth ride at stakes level. The 26-year-old has now ridden 19 winners from just over 320 career rides. “I’m extremely grateful for all the support they (the Carters) have given me,” Chung said. “They’ve always supported me, ever since I first got to New Zealand. “Johny Johny was just really honest today. When I saw the wide draw, I was a bit worried, but I didn’t need to worry. He’s just so fast, and all I needed to do was hang on and try to get him home. He has really good speed and always tries so hard. “He doesn’t care if anyone tries to challenge him in front. He just runs his own race, even if there are others around him. He tried really hard late in the race today. I was confident that he could hold on.” The Carters were delighted to give their stable apprentice the biggest win of his riding career. “Good on him, I’m so proud of him,” Margaret Carter said. “I’m proud of both of them. “We said to Jim that he would probably have to work for the lead, but he was going to have to try to put him there. “This horse is such a tough little bugger in everything that he does. We might as well try for the Group One sprints over the summer months now – he’s very talented and he’s proving that now. To have 10 wins from 17 starts is brilliant.” View the full article

2023 Group 2 Caulfield Sprint winner Doull. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Michael Dee and Annabel Neasham have combined with Doull (+1200) taking out the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1000m) on Saturday afternoon. It was a brave performance by the son of Snitzel, who was seemingly headed by the heavily favoured Spacewalk (+160) with 100m to run. Michael Dee lifted the four-year-old off the canvas after sitting outside the leader throughout the journey, as Western Australian-trained gelding Indian Pacific (+1400) kicked up to secure the lead early. It set up nicely for Spacewalk, who loomed large turning for home, but peaked on the run, allowing Doull to kick back on the inside to score a stunning victory. 2023 Group 2 Caulfield Sprint Replay – Doull | T: Annabel Neasham | J: Mick Dee Even Annabel Neasham showed an element of disbelief in the performance, as she had originally accepted in a BM78 at Randwick. “I have to say full credit to the Rosemont team,” said Neasham. “I had him in a Benchmark 78 in Sydney and they said ‘you’d better throw him in this group two’. “We thought it was going to map really nicely but he is just the most beautiful colt. We haven’t had him all that long and the Freedmans did a phenomenal job with him. “He’s just so professional and it is great that he got his head in front. Hopefully he can build from there. “He has always shown above average ability but he has matured into a horse that has the most beautiful temperament. He’s got tactical speed as well.” Michael Dee was impressed with the win as well, shedding light on the fight of his mount. “He certainly showed some fight,” said Dee. “I thought we were going to run a nice second or even third but to his credit he dug deep and really wanted it today and fought on hard. “He began to come into a rhythm down the side and he could sense the horse outside fired him up a touch. “That took away his finish a little bit but we were in the right place to have him there and fighting out the finish.” More racing news View the full article

Coeur Volante ridden by Blake Shinn returns to the mounting yard after winning the Thousand Guineas Prelude at Caulfield. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Racing Photos) Coeur Volante (+360) proved too strong in the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) on Saturday afternoon, with the Michael Moroney-trained filly announcing herself as a genuine contender for the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) on November 18. It was an impressive victory for the daughter of Proisir, as Blake Shinn pressed across from the wide draw to find the one-one position throughout the 1400m contest. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained pair of Oz Empress (+1300) and Azula (+800) ensured a genuine galloper, allowing the eventual winner to click through her gears, getting the better of her rivals at the winning post. Two closers caught the eye at big odds to secure the minor money, as both Vivy Air (+2500) and Zourion (+2500) added some value for multiples players. Coeur Volante was able to hold all challengers in the end, proving her win in the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) on September 29 was no abnormality. 2023 Thousand Guineas Prelude Replay – Coeur Volante | T: Mike Moroney | J: Blake Shinn Moroney was on course to see his filly first-hand, and praised Blake Shinn for his positive ride, before confirming the Group 1 Thousand Guineas will be the next target, but didn’t rule out a run in between now and then. “It was another very good ride but she flew the gates and I left it up to Blake, as you do with those good jocks,” said Moroney. “He said that if she flew the gates she’d be positive and if she didn’t he’d ride her back so she flew the gates and, for a filly that has had very little practice, she did a good job getting across because she had to go again to get there and I thought it was a great effort. “The decision we’ve got to make now is if we give her a run ten days before on Melbourne Cup Day or whether we go straight into it (the Thousand Guineas). “She’ll tell us.” Blake Shinn was glowing about his filly post-race and spoke to her adaptability from the wide draw. “It was a great effort by my girl,” said Shinn. “She’s a really talented horse as she displayed at Moonee Valley and the job was going to be for me and the horse to overcome that draw. “Very grateful to Mike and the connections to allow me to have that free rein to assess it from the start. “That was really not my plan to do what we did but we called it as we jumped and she jumped probably half-a-length in front of the rest. “I didn’t want to take that from us. It is a difficult start to try and get right and we chanced our own going forward and fortunately we got in.” Coeur Volante is now an equal +300 favourite with most online betting sites for the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) on November 18. More racing news View the full article

Billy Egan returns to the mounting yard aboard Autumn Angel after winning the Ethereal Stakes at Caulfield. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Autumn Angel (+380) has run down Tropical Squall (+100) in the shadows of the post to claim the Group 3 Ethereal Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield. The Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman-trained filly ran into the minor money in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 29, and has bounced to an impressive victory thanks to a perfectly timed ride by Billy Egan. He was able to navigate a path to the lead along the inside running rail, while the daughter of The Autumn Sun produced a stunning turn-of-foot to defeat the Sydney raider. Basilina (+4000) was strong to the line, filling out the trifecta spot, while the Chris Waller-trained Konasana (+600) was far from disgraced rounding out the top four. It was all honours the winner though, as Autumn Angel looks to press on to the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) on November 9. 2023 Group 3 Ethereal Stakes Replay – Autumn Angel | T: Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman | J: Billy Egan Co-trainer Katherine Coleman confirmed the three-year-old will head that way, after praising the victory of their filly. “We came here with a bit of confidence and, I tell you what, watching how the race panned out I thought we were in all sorts of trouble so she has done a fantastic job,” said Coleman. “She didn’t really get to build into it. she had to sprint and she’s done a fantastic job. “We’re thrilled with her. “Hopefully she pulls up well from this and we’re looking at an Oaks.” Billy Egan produced a brave steer to get clear on the inside, and noted he was in danger of missing out on an opportunity to get out. “I was thinking about what Moods (Moody) would do to me if I didn’t get through,” joked Egan. “I was pretty firm on getting through and I was lucky I’ve got a well-educated horse whose got a big heart to get through the gaps. “You can’t do it without the horse being willing.” Autumn Angel is now on the third line of betting at +600 with online bookmakers heading to the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) on November 4. More racing news View the full article

John Allen returns to the mounting yard aboard Sunsets after winning the Caulfield Classic. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) John Allen along with the Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young team combined for success in the Group 3 Caulfield Classic (2000m), as Sunsets (+1400) clung on to victory, holding off the short-priced favourite, Riff Rocket (-357.14). It comes as a shock to most punters, as Sunsets was well beaten by Riff Rocket last start in the Listed Super Impose Stakes on October 7; however, the son of Dundeel was able to turn the tables courtesy of a timely steer from senior jockey John Allen. They went at a muddling tempo on speed as Tokyo Run (+6000) elected to lead under Opie Bosson, allowing Sunsets to drift across and sit outside the leader under his own steam. He was there to be beaten though, as Riff Rocket loomed the victor as they turned for home under James McDonald, the odds-on favourite was simply unable to head Sunsets in the shadows of the post. It’s left the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) a wide-open edition, with Riff Rockets defeat likely to shuffle the market significantly heading into the feature on November 4. 2023 Caulfield Classic Replay – Sunsets | T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | J: John Allen Co-trainer Natalie Young spoke about her three-year-old colt post-race and confirmed the team will press on to seek Group 1 glory in two weeks time. “He’ll definitely get further,” said Young. “This is the most relaxed colt you’ll come across. He goes to sleep in the stalls and gets here on race day and doesn’t work himself up. He brings his A-game. “Don’t you love it when you’ve got a live Derby chance.” John Allen assessed the speed of the race expertly and mentioned the slowly run race definitely helped Sunsets find on the wire. “He was quick out of the gates,” said Allen. “There wasn’t a lot of speed in the race and the plan was to roll forward, hopefully sit outside of the leader and it panned out that way. “There was no pressure. He always travelled comfortably. He gave a good kick on the corner. “The runner-up was there to probably beat him in the home straight but over the last 100 (metres) he really toughed it out.” Sunsets is now listed as a +600 chance in futures markets for the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) on November 4. More racing news View the full article

by Jonny Turner Trainers, drivers, and administrators are rallying to encourage their peers in New Zealand harness racing to support Katie Cox in her battle against cancer. The 33-year-old Cox, who is both a highly popular figure and a highly talented horsewoman, has recently been diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer. Rural personality Craig Wiggins has formed a charitable trust in Cox’s name to help raise funds for her treatment, which includes medication that costs more than $100,000. Champion reinsman Ricky May and Bruce Taylor have joined Wiggins as trustees. Leading Southland trainer-driver Kirstin Green was touched when hearing of Cox’s cancer battle, and she immediately wanted to contribute. Green is pledging to donate one of her driving fees every week for the next month. The reinswoman hopes the move can be followed by drivers across New Zealand. “Like everyone else, I was so shocked when I found out about Katie’s diagnosis,” Green said. “We are in the same industry and around the same age group. Her team is flying, and she is an outstanding horsewoman.” “I thought if every driver could donate a driving fee each week, it would be a really quick way to raise quite a lot of money. I want to get into it right away, and I hope more drivers will get on board. I am sure they will.” Harness racing clubs have quickly moved to get behind the efforts to support Cox. Southern Harness Racing general manager Jason Broad said his organisation had pledged $1000 to the cause, and the group hopes clubs across New Zealand would do the same. “Southern Harness is right behind Katie and her family during this very difficult time,” Broad said. “It is great to see so many people in the industry offering their support, and we encourage anyone who can to do so.” The Northern Southland Trotting Club has also pledged to donate $1000 to Cox’s charitable trust. “Our committee was unanimous; we really wanted to get behind Katie,” President Greg Tither said. “We are wishing her and her family the best in this very difficult time.” “We hope other clubs will be able to come forward and support the cause, as well.” Invercargill Harness Racing Club President Craig Heyrick has personally pledged $100 to the campaign. He is calling on club presidents across New Zealand to make a personal donation, as well. Harness racing owner and journalist Jonny Turner has donated $500 and hopes as many owners can get behind the cause, too. “I have no doubt Katie’s story will have touched many owners across New Zealand, and I hope they can contribute to the campaign.” “I am also encouraging my colleagues in the media to get behind the cause, as well.” “Harness racing is a tight-knit community made up of some great people; I am sure they will.” Donations to the Whatever with Wiggy Charitable Trust (CC59951) for Katie Cox can be made by bank deposit. Account name: Katie Cox Appeal Account number: 06-0837-0390071-01 More information can be found at the Whatever With Wiggy Facebook page. View the full article

Danny Shum’s Moments In Time treads a similar path to Sha Tin as 2021 Champions & Chater Cup victor PanfieldView the full article

Jockey expects smart four-year-old to lead in his quest to remain unbeaten at Sha Tin on SundayView the full article

The past three months have been as exasperating as life can get for Glen Kozak. View the full article

Skew Wiff will take a second attempt at her Australian debut in Saturday’s Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Two weeks after a forgettable trip to Flemington, Group One-winning New Zealand mare Skew Wiff will have a second attempt at an Australian debut in Saturday’s Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. A brilliant winner of the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings on September 9, the four-year-old Savabeel mare later crossed the Tasman to join the Cranbourne branch of Te Akau Racing’s operation. Trainer Mark Walker entered her for the Group 2 Rose of Kingston Stakes (1400m) on October 7, but she became fractious in the starting gate and was late-scratched on veterinary advice. Fortunately the last fortnight has brought much better news for the Waikato Stud homebred, including a successful trial at Cranbourne on Monday. “What happened at Flemington was obviously not an ideal way to kick off her Australian campaign,” Walker said. “But I was pleased to see that she trialled very well on Monday and behaved at the barriers, so hopefully we’ve put that hiccup behind us now and we’re back on track. “It does mean that she’s going six weeks between races, which is a bit of a question mark. But her performance in the trial was very good, so she should hopefully be okay.” Skew Wiff will be joined at Caulfield on Saturday by her stablemate Zourion in the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m). Racing in the colours of Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay, the Zoustar filly won both of her starts last season including the Group 2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). Zourion kicked off her three-year-old preparation in the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 29, where she made up ground from last to finish sixth. “She didn’t get all favours in the run first-up, but there was a lot to like about the way she finished it off,” Walker said. “I think she should get a tempo to suit over 1400m this weekend, and hopefully she’ll be very competitive.” A bold performance on Saturday will put Zourion firmly in contention for the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on November 18. Group One three-year-old features are also looming large on the horizon for two of Te Akau’s runners in New Zealand this weekend. Walker and co-trainer Sam Bergerson will saddle What You Wish For in Saturday’s Group 2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) at Te Rapa, while the in-form Talisker will line up in the Wide Span Sheds (1300m) at Ashburton on Sunday. Both are sons of Cambridge Stud stallion Embellish, and both are being pointed towards the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 11. What You Wish For Wish For has yet to put a foot wrong his career, with four starts for a win and three second placings. He has been runner-up in both of his three-year-old starts so far, chasing home Solidify at Taupo on August 23 and Lupo Solitario at Tauranga a month later. “He’s going really well,” Walker said. “The blinkers go on this week, which we think will make him a good chance in that strong field on Saturday.” Talisker went winless as a two-year-old last season, but finished second in the Group 2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) and a respectable seventh in the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m). He has gone to a new level since travelling to the South Island this spring, scoring back-to-back wins at Riccarton on August 31 and Timaru on October 6. “He’s thriving down south this time in, and you’d think he’d be hard to beat on Sunday,” Walker said. More racing news View the full article

Crocetti will have his final 2000 Guineas build-up run in Saturday’s Group 2 Sarten Memorial at Te Rapa. Photo: Therese Davis (Race Images) Te Rapa’s Group 2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) has been a springboard to Group One glory for five recent winners of the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), and the connections of the undefeated Crocetti are hoping for more of the same. Crocetti takes a perfect four-from-four record into Saturday’s $150,000 Sarten, which is his last dress rehearsal ahead of the 2000 Guineas at Riccarton on November 11. Katie Lee (2009), Sacred Falls (2012) and Ugo Foscolo (2016) all won the Sarten in their final start before winning the Guineas, while Turn Me Loose (2014) and Madison County (2018) placed at Te Rapa before triumphing in Christchurch. Online betting sites rate Crocetti a -166.67 favourite for Saturday’s Sarten, and he also dominates the fixed-odds market for the 2000 Guineas with a current quote of -111.11. An easy winner of his only start as a two-year-old, Crocetti has made a huge impression in his three spring starts in the hands of jockey Warren Kennedy, who will be aboard again on Saturday. The Zacinto gelding kicked off his campaign with two wins at Ruakaka by a combined margin of nine lengths, including the Group 3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) on August 19. He had a first look around the course for Saturday’s Sarten at Te Rapa on September 29. Despite being far from comfortable in the Heavy 9 conditions and being held up in the home straight, he produced an irresistible surge to win going away, beating Impendabelle and To Catch A Thief by a length and three quarters. “He probably didn’t love the heavy ground at Te Rapa last time, but having the first use of the track in the opening race of the day probably helped him get through it a little bit better,” said Danny Walker, who trains Crocetti in partnership with Arron Tata. “He got the job done really nicely in the end. “I think everything’s gone to plan with him through the few weeks since that race. He seems to be coming along well and doing everything right. “I don’t see any problem with the step up to 1400m on Saturday, and hopefully this race will top things off in terms of his preparation for the Guineas in Christchurch next month.” More racing news View the full article

Lucky Sweynesse is chasing his 14th win at Sha Tin on Sunday. Zac Purton believes Lucky Sweynesse is poised to improve significantly in the Group 2 Premier Bowl Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday, but is wary of race tactics which might again favour Victor The Winner in the HK$5.35 million feature. Danny Shum’s Victor The Winner (115lb) condemned Lucky Sweynesse (135lb) to only the fifth defeat of the champion sprinter’s glittering career in the Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap (1200m) on 10 September. Although there is a narrowing of the weight differential this weekend – Lucky Sweynesse again shoulders 135lb under Purton, while Victor The Winner carries 118lb for Karis Teetan – Purton respects Victor The Winner’s ability to control the pace before reeling off slick closing sectionals. “Well, we meet him (Victor The Winner) slightly better at the weights, but it’s a smaller field (this time),” Purton said. “He (Victor The Winner) is not going to have any pressure, so if he runs home in 21.40 (seconds) again, he’s going to be hard to catch. “I thought Lucky Sweynesse ran really well (last start). He couldn’t have done any more than what he did. He was on a (yielding) track that doesn’t really suit him, he was first-up for the season, he had to give a lot of weight away and, at the end of the day, the winner ran home in 21.40 seconds. “It’s very hard to give any horse a start and think you’re going to catch them under those circumstances. “He (Lucky Sweynesse) is certainly getting better, his action is becoming more fluent, he’s handling his work a little bit better. He’s not at his best yet, he’s going to work his way towards that, he just needs racing like a lot of these horses and he’s quite a strong horse, so when he gets to step out on race day and gets the competition into him, he’s going to continue to improve.” With eight wins in the 2022/23 season, Lucky Sweynesse suffered defeat only twice in a magnificent campaign which featured three Group 1 triumphs. One of those losses came when runner-up to Wellington in the Premier Bowl. Manfred Man’s flagbearer will face other four rivals on Sunday apart from Victor The Winner – Sight Success (121lb), Duke Wai (117lb), Stoltz (117lb) and Adios (115lb) – as he prepares for the Group 2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on November 19. Leading Purton 18-16 in the Hong Kong jockeys’ championship, Hugh Bowman will attempt to building on a flourishing partnership with David Hall this weekend. Bowman has taken 10 rides for Hall this season for four wins and three minor placings and takes the reins on Northern Beast and Invincible Sage. A three-time winner for Jerome Hunter as a two-year-old in Australia where he was known as Thron Bone, Invincible Sage closed his debut season for Hall with consecutive third placings. “He was very good (last season). Coming back to start this season off at the same course and distance, it would have nice to draw the middle of the pack but we’ve come up with barrier one, so we’ll just him in behind the front runners and get into a good rhythm and see how he can finish for us,” Bowman said. “We’re very confident of a forward showing and he looks to me that he’s strengthened up a little bit, matured physically so I think we can see a stronger product than what we had last year. He’s ready to run a very good race.” Reflecting on his liaison with Hall, Bowman said: “We’ve had a great association since my arrival almost 12 months ago now and he’s been an almost constant flow of support and it’s been nice to deliver some nice winners for him and hopefully it continues.” Bowman rode 11 winners and 21 placings from 81 rides for Hall last season. More racing news View the full article

Leading 3-year-old Arabian Lion, who became Justify's first grade 1 winner after capturing this year's Woody Stephens Stakes (G1), has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Spendthrift Farm for the 2024 breeding season. View the full article

Trainer John Pimental was mired in a 1-for-46 streak on the morning of July 28, 2023. But the 68-year-old horsemen knew he didn't have life as bad as those numbers suggested. He was taking care of eight Thoroughbreds for a good, longtime client. He enjoyed escorting runners to the Monmouth Park starting gate with his 17-year-old pony, hustling as much business as he could on race days when his own horses weren't in, the way he had always earned a living as a second-generation racetracker who grew up on a Massachusetts horse farm. His wife Diana, 65, was back under the shedrow helping run the stable after having recently spent eight days in the hospital because of Lyme disease, and the two were thankful they had carved out a nice little circuit for themselves after their home track of Suffolk Downs went belly-up in 2019. They now spent summers on the Jersey Shore while wintering at Tampa Bay Downs, in between making time to dote on their five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. John's training record predates the 1976 advent of the Equibase database, so his lifetime totals exceed the published 250 winners from 2,964 starters. But beyond statistics, if you get him to talk–John is a man of few words who is more comfortable letting the more gregarious Diana speak for the two of them–he might grudgingly admit how proud he is about his reputation for keeping older horses sound. Or how he has long been respected for his horsebacking skills, and has routinely been called upon to fill in as an outrider. Or how the only Association of Racing Commissioners International violation on his record in nearly a half-century of training was a $100 fine for once not having a foal certificate on file. But that clean record–and any semblance of normalcy for the Pimentals–shattered on that sultry summer Friday on the Monmouth backstretch. That's when agents for the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) descended upon John's stable and upended his world: one of his horses had tested positive for 193 picograms per milliliter of methamphetamine, a street drug of abuse that is classified as a “banned” substance in racing, meaning it is never supposed to be found in any horse. “July 28 is when our whole life changed,” Diana recalled in an interview this week. “Three men from HIWU came in, looked at John, and said, 'You're suspended. Take your [stable] sign down.'” John's stunned reply was to ask the strangers under his shedrow if this was a joke. “It was crazy. They told me they were former FBI agents, and they were really firm about everything,” John said. As Diana, a former racing office worker and jockey agent who has also spent her entire life on the backstretch, recalled it, “The HIWU guy came right into the barn and said, 'This isn't going to be nice.' Those were exactly his words.” The gelding who had tested positive was Golovkin (Mshawish), who had run sixth and last in a May 29 Monmouth sprint. The 5-year-old had been the only horse in the barn owned outright by John, but Golovkin had been claimed away that day for $5,000 and hadn't been in the stable for two months. HIWU, which operates the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)'s Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program, had just begun testing the nation's Thoroughbreds the week before Golovkin's race. Although John didn't know exactly what type of penalty he'd be facing, he knew it could be career-threatening. Then trouble escalated to a higher level. “They searched our rooms, and then said that they had to search the truck,” Diana said. “When they searched the truck, we had an old container of thyroid [medicine]. We had put it in the truck and totally forgot about it. I was shocked when he pulled it out. “When he said, 'What is it?' I wasn't going to lie. I couldn't do it. I couldn't lie,” Diana said. “I told him it was [Levothyroxine]. I knew we weren't supposed to use it on racehorses, but I didn't know at the time it was a banned substance that you couldn't even have in your possession. We had used it for the pony.” John soon learned his HIWU fate: He was looking at being ruled off for three years (18 months per violation) and a fine of $25,000 ($12,500 per violation) as the responsible licensee. Even as their heads were reeling from trying to process what they were being told, what the agents allegedly said next truly disturbed the Pimentals. “The men from HIWU told John, 'If you give us some information [on other people breaking the rules], we'll cut you some slack,'” is how Diana recalled the conversation. “Come on, you don't know somebody that's doing something?” Diana said the agents prodded. John's curt reply was that he'd been minding his own business as a trainer for nearly 50 years, and he wasn't now about to start getting involved in what other racetrackers did. “And that's the truth. Even if he knew something, he would never say something,” Diana said. So what's life been like in the three months since? “A lot of sleepless nights, you know?” John said. “That's all I do, is think about this all the time.” Fighting the Case The Pimentals initially contacted a lawyer, but got sticker shock when the attorney told them they'd need to pay a $7,500 up-front retainer, and that seeing the case through to its conclusion might cost thousands more. Still, John thought he had a pretty good shot at fighting the meth positive, which he guessed had been triggered by environmental contamination from a drug user who came in contact with Golovkin either in the starting gate or in the test barn. One New Jersey racing official, whom the Pimentals did not want named in this story because they didn't want to get that person into trouble, told them the picogram level of the meth finding was akin to “taking an Olympic-sized swimming pool and putting one more drop of water in it.” That official added that if the state were still doing this type of drug testing instead of HIWU, John wouldn't be facing any penalization. Diana Pimental feeding Golovkin | Sarah Andrew The Pimentals said there were inconsistencies in the HIWU reporting, too. They showed TDN John's charging document, which initially states that Golovkin's blood sample was collected on May 28, which does not match the actual May 29 date of his race (another section of that document has the correct date, however). They also said that the test barn chain-of-command paperwork purportedly shows a different groom than the one they hired as having signed the required form. The Pimentals said they'd like to square those who-and-when discrepancies with actual video footage from the test barn, but have been told Monmouth has no such security cameras. They paid $2,078 to have the split sample tested, and weren't surprised when it, too, came back positive for meth. Without legal counsel, they prepared a defense as best as they could for what they thought was an opportunity to plead their case. But they misunderstood the purpose of a Zoom meeting with a HIWU attorney, and when they attempted to defend themselves, they were told the videoconference was for scheduling and logistics purposes only, and was not the actual hearing. HIWU's lawyer strongly advised them to get an attorney, Diana said, explaining that there was a lot of paperwork that still had to be filed properly before that hearing date. “It's just John and I, nobody else is working on these horses,” Diana said. “None of us has ever done anything. John's never been in trouble, even since being a young kid at the track. Never done drugs. I tried to explain to them, we're not bad people. We're good people. We just need help. Let us work with you to show you that we didn't do this.” At this point in retelling the tale, Diana lets loose with the tears she has been trying to hold back the entire time. “I'm sorry. It's just that they've taken our horses. They've taken our lives. This is wrong,” Diana said. Out of Options John and Diana talked over their options. Preparing for the hearing on their own was too daunting and they couldn't afford a lawyer. “We had to give up because we were just going broke. We couldn't afford to keep going any more,” Diana said. “We're not getting any income in. We go from getting paid for taking care of eight horses to nothing, and John's like, 'We just can't do this. We're going to not have anything left. No savings, no nothing.'” They got back in touch with the HIWU attorney and said they just wanted to “end it.” That meant John would have to sign an “admission of rule violations” and “acceptance of consequences” document that would be termed a “case resolution without hearing.” Diana and John Pimental | Sarah Andrew John balked at admitting that he doped a horse. But he signed the document anyway on Sept. 25 with the understanding that he wasn't admitting to any doping, and was instead acknowledging the rule violations and accepting his consequences. There's a mistake in the official version of that document posted online by HIWU. It's probably just a cut-and-paste error, but it continues the pattern of sloppy documentation the Pimentals said they found in other HIWU-issued paperwork: after listing John by name at the start of the document, it later refers to him as “Mr. Ruiz” when citing his sanctions. By the time John signed away his licensure, the eight remaining racehorses in his stable were long gone, having shipped out to a different trainer at Delaware Park. The owner of that string, the husband-and-wife partnership of Juan and Margaret Palomino, had employed the Pimentals for about seven years. Margaret told TDN she thought it was “ridiculous” when she first heard the news about John's violations, and that she believes HISA and HIWU's penalties are too draconian for small-scale horsemen. “It's like they want smaller outfits out of business,” Margaret said. “When this happened to John, we didn't know where we were going to go or who would train our horses. We don't have deep pockets. I talked to my husband, and Juan said, 'We'll just sell everything and get out of the business.' And I said, no-that might be what they want. “It's like condemnation without any representation,” Margaret said. “John and Diana were absolutely terrific. We're still friends and we'll always be friends. Last year we had a terrific meeting at Monmouth. We made over $200,000. This year, because of the circumstances, I think we made $31,000.” The Pimentals' pony has been sold but has not yet shipped out of the stable. Diana said HIWU cut them a small break by allowing them to go onto the Monmouth backstretch twice daily to feed the pony until the new owner comes to get it. The Pimentals are also still allowed to go in and feed Golovkin, who was transferred back to John when the HIWU ruling voided the gelding's May 29 claim. Diana said they are having trouble finding a new home for Golovkin, who over the summer twice finished last for the owners who had claimed him, and then had to sit out a mandatory 60-day period of inactivity that meant he couldn't race or have a published workout. “They took our livelihood away,” John said. “I'm not guilty, but I can't prove it, because the money that I'd have to spend to fight it, I can't do it. And I think what they're doing is making the fines so high that people have to get out of business. They just step in and take over.” From Welfare Line To…Welfare Line? John's best trainee, about a dozen years ago, was a rugged grass sprinter named National Hero, who twice got voted New England's turf horse of the year. But the Thoroughbred who helped get John his only real national press was Welfare Line, an ornery 9-year-old gelding purchased by John in 1994 for $1,500 after winning 15 races from 116 starts, primarily at the lowest levels of New England racing. John worked patiently to transform “Welfie” into a gate pony, and they were inseparable partners on the track until 2016, when the gelding was retired from ponying. “That $1,500 was the best investment I ever made,” John told Mike Henry of the Tampa Bay Downs media team back in 2019. “Once we converted him over, he wasn't tough anymore. We'd bring a racehorse to the gate, and when I'd turn Welfie around to get away, he would squeal and let me know how much he loved his job. He was a good 'catch' horse, too. I used to be an outrider at Suffolk, and he wasn't shy about catching a loose horse. He was just made for the job.” Even after his second retirement, Welfie never left the shed row, and when the Pimentals were stabled at Monmouth, the backstretch trolley tours knew to stop at their barn so guests could pet, pose for photos, and feed peppermints to the grand old gelding, an equine ambassador who lived to age 34 before dying from natural causes. Four years later and facing banishment, John notes with dark humor that he has gone from caring for Welfare Line to possibly being on a welfare line. The Pimentals said longtime backstretch friends have reacted with sympathy for John's predicament. Tampa Bay Downs even offered Diana her old job back in the racing office for the season that starts next month. John has tried to see if he can get non-training work at Tampa, but he's found out that he's not eligible for work that puts him even remotely in contact with HISA-covered horses. He's been told “no” for being an outrider, working as a stall superintendent, driving a feed truck and laboring on a nearby horse farm. “He cannot even go the frontside,” Diana said. “What's he supposed to do? I mean, this is all he's done his whole life, the horses. That's his whole life, and they just ripped it out from under him.” What might he try outside of the sport? “Walk dogs or something? I don't know,” John said. The Pimentals celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary in subdued fashion last week. “Friday the thirteenth, no less,” Diana quipped, managing a wry laugh about their run of bad luck. They were supposed to have already left for Tampa, but Diana's blood pressure has recently spiked, and her doctor advised not travelling until they are sure that her new medication to control it is working. “I keep telling them this whole situation is why my blood pressure is so high,” Diana said. Ever since John signed off on his HIWU admission and acceptance, the couple has been nagged by doubts about whether or not there is still some avenue of appeal open to them. They really don't know the rules well enough to figure out if there is a next step. It turns out there is. But the Pimentals' window of opportunity is closing fast. Alexa Ravit, HIWU's director of communications and outreach, told TDN via email that, “John Pimental has until Oct. 26 to seek review from an Administrative Law Judge at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC),” which oversees HISA. Golovkin and Richard the pony reside in a near-empty barn at Monmouth Park | Sarah Andrew Ravit explained that in John's case, “there was no decision or determination by HIWU or the Arbitral Body. The violations have been admitted and the consequences accepted by the Covered Persons. If a Covered Person who has signed such an admission came to HIWU and requested that he/she be permitted to withdraw the admission, HIWU would consider that request if it was made within a reasonable time period, e.g., within the 30 days provided to seek review by the FTC. “If HIWU accepted the withdrawal of the admission, the notice of sanctions would be withdrawn, and, in the case of Equine Anti-Doping Cases, the matter would be re-initiated before the Arbitral Body, and, if there was an active Provisional Suspension of that individual at the time of the admission, the Provisional Suspension would be re-imposed,” Ravit wrote. On Oct. 19, the Pimentals were heartened by news that HIWU was lifting provisional suspensions on five trainers, possibly because environmental contaminations were suspected. This prompted them to get in touch with Alan Foreman, an attorney who is the chairman and chief executive of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. Foreman recently agreed to work as an ombudsman on behalf of racing industry constituents needing a go-between to deal with HIWU and HISA, and his role is to provide confidential advice and assistance at no cost related to horsemen's rights in those situations. Diana said the conversation was productive and that Foreman agreed to look into the case on John's behalf. “John and I were hoping we would get another chance to bring it up again,” Diana said. “We just want our lives back.” The post HIWU Descends Upon a Shedrow, Upending Life For a Mom-and Pop Stable appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Highlighted by a special check presentation in the winner's circle, the leadership of Keeneland recognized October 20th as “TRF Cheers to 40 Years” Day at Keeneland in celebration of the Foundation's four decades of commitment to the welfare and retirement of Thoroughbred racehorses. The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) has been a pioneer in aftercare for retired racehorses since its founding in 1983. Joined by TRF Board Member Katie LaMonica and Warden Abby Caudill of Blackburn Correctional Complex, the Keeneland team presented the TRF with a donation of $4,000 toward the care of the TRF herd in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The TRF currently operates three farms in Kentucky, caring for 70 horses, including 40 at the TRF Second Chances farm at Blackburn Correctional Complex and 9 at the TRF Sanctuary Farm at Chestnut Hall. The TRF will also host a table on the apron during Sunrise Trackside Saturday, Oct. 21 between 8 and 10 a.m. The post ‘TRF Cheers To 40 Years’ Day Staged at Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a Galileo (Ire) son debuting at Leopardstown. 16.46 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, c/g, 8fT BLACKPOOL (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is an exciting newcomer for Aidan O'Brien in a maiden he has targeted with some smart types in recent times, being the third foal and first runner out of the G1 1000 Guineas, G1 Nassau S. and G1 Matron S. heroine Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). He is one of a trio from the Ballydoyle stable which unleashed Galileo's Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) in 2020, including another son of that much-missed sire in Double Agent (Ire), a full-brother to the triple group 2 winner and G1 Yorkshire Oaks runner-up Free Wind (Ire). 13.20 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, f, 7f 23yT AZADA (IRE) (Siyouni {Fr}) is a significant debutante for The Aga Khan and Dermot Weld, being a half-sister to the five-times group 1 hero and sire The Autumn Sun (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}). Weld has won four of the last 10 renewals of this maiden, including two of the last three with this owner-breeder's runners including 12 months ago with the subsequent G1 Irish 1000 Guineas fourth Tarawa (Ire) (Shamardal). 13.55 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, c/g, 7f 23yT SPOKEN TRUTH (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) is another notable newcomer from the Dermot Weld stable on this intriguing card, being the fourth foal out of Moyglare's excellent producer Joailliere (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) who provided the operation with last year's brilliant G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs (Ire) also by Frankel. Also responsible for the listed scorer and G2 Champions Juvenile S. third Reve De Vol (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), the homebred meets a Ballydoyle outsider in the similarly-unraced Autumn Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a Peter Brant homebred son of his triple graded-stakes winner and multiple grade I-placed Quidura (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The post Leopardstown Debut for Galileo Son of Legatissimo appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Joseph O'Brien will bid to complete a remarkable treble in the Oct. 21 Caulfield Cup (G1) when saddling Valiant King and Okita Soushi in the AU$5 million 12-furlong handicap.View the full article

Haskell Sakes (G1) victor and Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) runner-up Geaux Rocket Ride continued his preparations for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) with a six-furlong work in company under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith Oct. 20 at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify–Unbound, by Distorted Humor), who became the first Grade I winner for his boom sire in this year's Woody Stephens S. on the Belmont Stakes undercard, has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2024 at Spendthrift Farm. He will stand for $30,000, stands-and-nurses terms. Bred in Kentucky by Bonne Chance Farm LLC, the chestnut was purchased by Amr Zedan's Zedan Racing Stable for $600,000 out of the 2022 OBS April Sale and made a big impression at first asking, graduating by three lengths and clocking a strong 1:09.78 for six furlongs. Arabian Lion proved proficient when stretched out to two turns by trainer Bob Baffert, finishing second to fellow 'Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense) in the GIII Lexington S. before romping by four lengths in the Sir Barton S., good for a 103 Beyer. Having been under consideration for the GI Belmont S., Arabian Lion cut back to seven-eighths of a mile for the Woody Stephens, defeating then-unbeaten Drew's Gold (Violence) by 1 3/4 lengths, covering the distance in a slick 1:21.70 (109 Beyer) ahead of a third in the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. at Saratoga. Arabian Lion retires with a record of 3-2-1 from nine starts and earnings of $498,100. “Arabian Lion is a tremendous-looking individual and he showed real brilliance on the track,” said Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey. “His win in the Woody Stephens was arguably the best performance this year by a 3-year-old, and the speed figures back that up. “We are grateful to Mr. Zedan for the opportunity to stand another one of his stars. He and his team have obviously done a great job of acquiring and racing the best of the best, and those are the type of stallion prospects we are looking to stand at Spendthrift.” Arabian Gold will stand alongside Zedan's 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner) at Spendthrift. Produced by a half-sister to the stakes-placed dam of the Spendthrift-owned MGSW Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro), Arabian Lion–the first son of Justify to stud–counts the inimitable Personal Ensign (Private Account) as his third dam. Descending from that unbeaten racemare is MGISW My Flag, her champion daughter Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat) and additional Grade I winners Miner's Mark, Traditionally and Mr Speaker . #3 Arabian Lion claws to the front to win the G1 Woody Stephens S. at Belmont under John Velazquez for trainer Bob Baffert! #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/QWjNEZRtZG — TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) June 10, 2023 The post Justify’s First Grade I Winner Arabian Lion Retired To Spendthrift appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kelli Cross and Tanya Johnson found themselves in similar situations three years ago, juggling farms, sales and motherhood all at the same time, when they decided to join forces and create the Johnson Cross consignment which debuted at the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale in 2021. The horsewomen have only gained strength since then and return with their third offering at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale next week in Lexington. “Tanya and I had known each other for a few years,” Cross explained. “She operates Red Gables Stud, which is boarding and breeding, basically a Thoroughbred nursery, and I operate Sovereign Farm. And we are both moms. The last sale I did under Sovereign Farm, I was seven months pregnant. I looked at her a few months later and said, 'This would be way easier if we just did it together.' And she agreed.” The two women quickly realized they made a great team. “Tanya is always on a shank,” Cross said. “If there is a tough one–she's probably five foot even–if there is a big rank colt, she's always there. I will do cards. I do enjoy showing, too, but we complement each other. One of our strengths pick up where the other one leaves off. It was very easy to find our groove.” Johnson added, “Kelli is really good at talking to the people and I'm not. I stand back and let her do that and I'm with the horses while she deals with the people, so it works out really well.” Johnson continued, “If Kelli can't be here, I can and if I can't be here, Kelli can. It's so much easier having two of us in this position. As she said, we both have kids that are our number one priority. And the farms, I guess, would be the number two priority.” Balancing a life in the Thoroughbred industry with raising a family is actually what led Johnson to start Red Gables Stud in 2007. “When I started Red Gables, I was seven months pregnant with my second child,” Johnson said. “It is so hard to be a mom in this business–or to do both–I should say. And I wanted to do both. The only way I could figure to do both was to have my own place. It wasn't necessarily the best financial decision at the time. But at that time, I had a 2-year-old and was pregnant again. I wanted to be with my kids and I also didn't want to give up working. There is no way I could have done that. I had a good client base and they all supported me in starting the farm, so I went ahead and did that. And I've been doing it ever since.” Red Gables hit the international stage earlier this year when Valiant Force (Malibu Moon), who was born at the farm, captured the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot. “For a first baby, when he hit the ground, we were all like he's gorgeous,” Johnson said of the future group winner. “We just all knew it. He was a little bit sassy. We bred her back and then [breeder] Ramon [Rangel] took her home. We are prepping the half-sister, the Mitole (hip 72), right now for the [Fasig-Tipton November] Night of the Stars. Ramon is doing the mare–he didn't want to do both–so we took the baby for him. I think she's a nicer baby, but we will see.” The Johnson Cross consignment kicked off the yearling sales season with a pair of strong results at the Fasig-Tipton July sale earlier this year, selling a filly by Malibu Moon (hip 188) for $275,000 and a colt by Thousand Words (hip 37) for $150,000. Both were homebreds from Cross's Sovereign Farm. Two months after the auction, the filly's half-sister Ms. Tart (Maximus Mischief), who had sold for $145,000 at the 2022 Keeneland January sale, broke her maiden on debut at Colonial Downs. The filly traveled north of the border to run in the GI Natalma S. Both fillies are out of Sheza Sweet Lemon (Lemon Drop Kid), a mare who helped start off Sovereign Farm back in 2014. “I bought her for $1,000,” Cross said of the mare. “My husband felt bad for her because she looked like she got kicked in the head. He said, 'Kelli, she has a sinus infection, she needs some help.' So we bought her and her first foal ended up beating Bucchero in a graded stakes and he gave us some black-type updates there. She is just the gift that keeps on giving–20% of the babies that we raise at Sovereign Farm will run in a stakes race and obviously she helps those numbers quite a bit.” Johnson Cross will offer seven horses at next week's October sale. “I think the one I am looking forward to is the Maximus Mischief, just because of how well he's doing right now,” Johnson said of hip 451. “This is a filly that we RNA'd out of July because she was just big and a little immature back then. But she's grown into herself and looks like she's going to be a beautiful horse.” The yearling, who RNA'd for $47,000 in July, is out of Faithful Prayer (With Distinction) and was bred by Connie Brown. Cross brings a pair of colt by first-crop sires to the October sale. Hip 812 is a son of Global Campaign out of stakes-placed Luna Rising (Stay Thirsty) and hip 1108 is by Promises Fulfilled. Out of Pure Legacy (Simon Pure), he is a half-brother to 'TDN Rising Star' The Great Maybe (Upstart). Both yearlings were bred by Monica Egger. “Both are first-year sires and that's great because people always get really excited about those,” Cross said. “And both of them are lovely colts. They are both for a client of mine that I've had for years and years. She is a wonderful lady.” While still in its infancy, the Johnson Cross consignment has already had great success with yearlings by first-crop stallions, according to Cross. “[Ms. Tart] was the first six-figure Maximus Mischief sold at auction,” Cross said. “And interestingly enough, we had the first six-figure Thousand Words to sell at auction [in July]. So two years in a row, we've taken some handier stud fees and we have been able to have that first six-figure baby, which I think says a lot about our little program that we've put together.” The ethos of the Johnson Cross consignment is very much in keeping with its partners' personalities. “Boutique,” Cross described the consignment. “We feel like it's very carefully curated. We are going to have a couple of horses in the sale for customers and we have a couple of horses in the sale for ourselves. So it's a good mix.” Johnson added, “We are just going to keep it smaller to where we can be hands on with all of the horses in our consignment. We get to hand pick show people, so the horses are shown to the best and taken care of at the sale. It's not about numbers for us.” The small numbers also allow Johnson and Cross to have a personal relationship with their clients. “I can't say enough about our clients,” Cross said. “We have fun with our clients. It's a good group. They all feel like friends and family.” Johnson agreed. “They love being able to come to the sale and come to the barn,” she said. “We have a client who likes to top up the horses for us when they go out. It's great. They feel comfortable doing it. We are fine with them being here. There is nothing being hidden from them. Obviously there are times when they don't do so well, but I think because they trust and rely on us for our input, it's never a surprise. It's brutal honesty from us. You've got to keep it honest and upfront. They want that, too, deep down, even if they might not appreciate it at the time. I think that's what makes it fun.” The Fasig-Tipton October sale will be held next Monday through Thursday with bidding beginning each day at 10 a.m at Newtown Paddocks. The post Johnson Cross a Partnership That Works appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Driving legend Ricky May says only one thing stands between Beach Ball and becoming a player on the open class scene: standing start tapes. The four-year-old produced the performance of the night at Addington on Friday night when he came from last with a surging run over the last lap to crush his opposition before the top of the straight. It was ninth win of his 34 start career and May thinks he may have gone where no other driver has before. “I’m pretty sure I am the first driver to win a standing start race on him,” says May, correctly. “He actually stepped away tonight then went into a little bobble and there is really no reason for him to do it but that might just be him at the moment. “He has a really good motor and went great afterwards and I suppose we all forget he is still only a four-year-old. “So if he can get the hang of the standing starts that will be a huge help and give him so many options because obviously a lot of the better open class races are stands.” Beach Ball will still have plenty of options for trainer Kevin Chapman who also owns and bred the son of Somebeachsomewhere, who beat a proven open class horse in Smiffy’s Terror on Friday night. He wasn’t the only smart pacer to impress coming from last on Friday night as Franco Sinatra never looked a winning hope in a strong Race 3 until the last few strides. Taken back to last as co-trainer Cran Dalgety suggested he would be, Franco Sinatra was trapped three wide at the 800m then pushed wider and simply never looked likely to win. But he dug deep in the final 100m to win like a good horse, albeit the leaders walking their last 400m in 29.1 seconds. Franco Sinatra has now won six of his nine starts with his only unplaced effort coming in the Sires’ Stakes Final back in May and he won’t look out of place in the NZ Derby on December 10. Later in the night Look To Da Stars made up for a costly break in last week’s Harness Million Trot when he clung on to win the Lone Star Sires’ Stakes Heat. Allowed to settle early by Blair Orange he worked around to lead and just held out Head Em Up and impressive debutante A Fine Patrick it what will be a good form race View the full article

Bay Bridge returns to the scene of his greatest success with a big chance of winning the group 1 again.View the full article

Forget Frankel, it is only Trueshan who has recorded three victories at flat racing's season-ending showstopper since its 2011 creation but a fantastic fourth, in the British Champions Long Distance Cup (G2), could be his biggest challenge yet.View the full article

Pioneering Spirit seems more effective racing over firm turf courses than wet ones, but he had no issue with sloppy main track Oct. 20 in the $112,500 Knickerbocker Stakes during the Belmont at the Big A meet.View the full article