Wandering Eyes

Keeneland has supplemented four horses, including Ack Naughty to Book 1 of the 80th November Breeding Stock Sale on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. ET, and has added eight supplements to the November Horses of Racing Age Sale, which begins at noon Nov. 17, the sales organization said in a release Thursday. Consigned by Sequel New York, agent, Ack Naughty (Hip 246) is an 11-year-old stakes-placed daughter of Afleet Alex who is in-foal to Into Mischief. Her son Practical Move (Practical Joke), winner of the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, will make his next start during the Breeders' Cup World Championships. “Ack Naughty is already one of the top broodmares in North America with a promising future,” Sequel's Becky Thomas said. “Her second foal, Practical Move, is undefeated in 2023. He has added multiple graded stakes victories to his résumé this year, and he is sure to be a strong favorite in the Breeders' Cup. Mares of this caliber, in foal to Into Mischief, do not become available often, and Sequel is happy to have had the opportunity to both buy and now sell this mare for Chester and Mary Broman at Keeneland.” Another supplement is Gambling Girl (Hip 245), a 3-year-old stakes-winning filly by Dialed In. Consigned by Highgate Sales, agent, she is out of Tulipmania, a winning daughter of Empire Maker. Additional supplements to the November Sale are: Hip 247 is Lady Edith (Street Boss) who is consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. Hip 248 is a weanling filly by Authentic who is consigned by Paramount Sales, agent. The November Breeding Stock Sale covers a total of nine sessions through Nov. 16 and supplements to Book 1 will continue to be accepted until then. Keeneland will begin its November Horses of Racing Age Sale the next day with supplements will be considered until the day of the sale. A total of 285 horses have been cataloged, including eight additions, which include: Hip 4280 is Meow Meow Hiss, a 3-year-old filly by Creative Cause who is a half-sister to recent GI American Pharoah S. runner-up Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso) is consigned by Hidden Brook, agent. Hip 4284 is Tyson, a 4-year-old Tapit colt who this year captured the GII Seagram Cup and the GIII Dominion Day S. and was third in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup and the GII Eclipse S. He is consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, agent. Click here for the November Breeding Stock Sale catalog and here for the November Horses of Racing Age Sale catalog. The post Ack Naughty Supplemented To Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale; November Horses Of Racing Age Sale Adds Eight appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The announcement of pre-entered fields for this year's Breeders' Cup championship weekend will be televised live on FanDuel TV and on Breeders' Cup website, official Mobile App, and Facebook, X, and YouTube channels Oct. 25 at 9 a.m. PT/12:00 p.m. ET. The pre-entry announcement will be hosted by FanDuel TV talent Christina Blacker and Joaquin Jaime. Featuring 14 Grade I races and $31 million in purses and awards, the 40th running of the Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held Nov. 2 and 4 at Santa Anita. Fields for the races will be drawn Oct. 30. The post Breeders’ Cup Pre-Entry Announcement to be Televised and Streamed Live appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The first Coral Gold Cup Sale, featuring select point-to-pointers at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday, Dec. 2, was launched by Goffs on Thursday. Held after racing on Coral Gold Cup Day in the Newbury winner's enclosure, the sale is the latest offering by the sales company that also conducts point-to-point sales at Aintree, Punchestown, Sandown and Yorton among other locales. In the past, Newbury also featured on that list, and a sale there set a world-record price for a National Hunt horse-in-training at public auction when Un Temps Pour Tout (Ire) (Robin Des Champs {Fr}) sold for £450,000 in 2013, prior to the course's redevelopment. Goffs, UK Managing Director Tim Kent said, “We are excited by the opportunities Newbury will offer as the racecourse has undergone extensive redevelopment since our last sale there just under 10 years ago and it now offers facilities that are second to none. Combined with the world-class Coral Gold Cup meeting, which is always attended by so many leading owners and trainers, it is ideally suited to have a sale of this nature, so we will use our extensive knowledge and experience, learned from years of offsite sales, to make this a success. “We would like to extend our thanks to the Newbury Racecourse executive for their enthusiastic backing of this event, we look forward to working with them in the coming weeks and, of course, to offering a world-class catalogue of pointers on Saturday, 2 December.” The two-day Coral Gold Cup meeting features the Listed Mares' Novices' Hurdle, the G2 John Francome Novices' Chase and the Coral Gold Cup. Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby added, “No matter the industry or profession, competition is vital for a healthy market. Goffs thrives on offering vibrant competition to the market and it is in that spirit that we head to Newbury to launch The Coral Gold Cup Sale. “Goffs have conducted off-site boutique sales all over the world with huge success; think London, Dubai, Hong Kong, as well as our PTP sales, our record speaks for itself and we will bring the same dynamic, customer focussed approach to Newbury which will benefit from our experienced and respected teams in the UK and Ireland.” The post Coral Gold Cup Sale At Newbury Launched By Goffs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Just a few days removed from his 70th birthday, Pat Day joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland to talk his career, what he's been up to since retiring in 2005 and, most of all, the Breeders' Cup. Day rode Wild Again to victory in the inaugural GI Breeders' Cup Classic in 1984 and it was an historic win that helped turn the future Hall of Famer into one of the biggest stars in the sport. Day was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week. “What that race meant for my career was monumental,” Day said. “First of all, let me back up. In January of 84, that was when I came to Christ. I was a stone alcoholic and a drug addict and was still highly successful in the midst of that. On January 27th of 1984, I accepted Christ into my life and got set free from that addictive lifestyle. I recognized that God had blessed me with tremendous talent and ability and opportunities and I started treating that with the respect that it deserved. Subsequently, I had an incredible year capped by the victory with Wild Again in the inaugural Breeders' Cup. That helped secure my first of four Eclipse Awards. I don't know that you could put a price on just what that did for my career. It was tremendous and catapulted me to the next level. I started getting opportunities after that to participate in the major races all over the country and to ride some of the top choices in those races. If the Wild Again win was Day's top Breeders' Cup moment, his loss to Sunday Silence aboard Easy Goer in the 1989 Classic was surely his worst. “When they came off the turn, Easy Goer was slow to change leads,” Day said. “He finally did. When he did, he caught on and accelerated, but obviously it was too little, too late. There was just so much hanging in the balance. The Eclipse Award for top 3-year-old. Horse of the Year. There were some tremendous accolades that hung in the balance. That Breeders' Cup was hard and the second hardest pill to swallow with him would have been the Preakness. I think I rode a horrible race and I think that I cost him the race in the Preakness. Easy Goer was a great horse. The best I ever rode. I know the record doesn't reflect it but I still think he was better than Sunday Silence.” Who was his toughest opponent? “Day in and day out, the smartest, strongest rider I rode against on a regular basis was Jerry Bailey,” Day said. “He would draw up a game plan and he was able to implement that game plan just about every time.” Who was the most competitive rider he ever went up against? “With that subject, Angel Cordero's name always comes up,” he said. “We would laughingly say he could ride two or three horses in a race. Angel, I love you, man. He was an astute handicapper. And if he handicapped the race and he felt that you had the horse to beat, he was going to beat you. He felt like if he beat you he would win the race. He was very competitive.” Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by 1/ST Racing, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, WinStar Farm, the KTOB, XBTV and West Point Thoroughbreds, the team of Zoe Cadman, Randy Moss and Bill Finley discussed Frankie Dettori's decision to postpone his retirement and focus on U.S. racing in 2024 and the GI Kentucky Derby. The team agreed that Dettori, who has been riding in top form this year, deserved at least one more year. Finley predicted he might decide to keep riding for two or three more years. They also reviewed last week's action which included a win by European shipper Mawj (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in the GI Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup S. at Keeneland and the ultra-impressive win by City of Troy (Justify) in the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket. To watch the Writers' Room, click here. To view the show as a podcast, click here. The post Pat Day Joins The TDN Writers’ Room Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Joe Taylor, who has been among the top trainers at Parx since he began his career about eight years ago, has received a six-year suspension from the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) after two of his horses tested positive for the banned substances clenbuterol and methylphenidate. According to a posting on the HIWU website, Taylor has admitted the violations and accepted the penalties. However, his attorney, Alan Pincus, raised questions about the positive tests. “No trainer is going to give his horse two different easily detectable illegal drugs and do it two different times,” Pincus said. “Somebody got to them. Obviously, we can't prove anything. We asked HISA to investigate and they didn't. So what can he do? Their system for banned substances is profoundly unfair. To have any chance at all, you have to prove how it got in there and prove that you were not negligent in letting it get in there. We have suspicions of how the drugs got in there, but we can't prove them. Under their system, you can't win.” With two horses having tested positive for two different substances, Taylor received 18 months for each offense, which ads up to the six years. He was also fined $12,500 for each offense. The first positive came when Cajun Cousin (Cajun Breeze) finished seventh in a June 18 claiming race at Parx. Two days later, the Taylor-trained Classy American (Uncle Lino) finished tenth in a starter allowance at Parx. According to the National Institute of Health's website, methylphenidate “is a powerful central nervous system stimulant with a high potential for abuse in horse racing.” Clenbuterol is a bronchodilator that can treat lower airways disease but also has a steroid-like effect that can help build muscle mass. Both Cajun Cousin and Classy American will be prohibited from racing for a period of 14 months. Taylor, who began his career in harness racing, started training Thoroughbreds full time in 2017 when he had 30 winners. His career peaked in 2019 when he won 111 races. He had 103 victories that year at Parx to lead all trainers in the standings. For his career, Taylor has won 327 races from 2,011 starters. The post Parx-Based Trainer Joe Taylor Receives Six-Year Ban appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Andy Waitt has been named as the new clerk of the course for the Bahrain Turf Club. He replaces Neil Mackenzie Ross. Yusuf Buheji, CEO of the Bahrain Turf Club said, “We are delighted to welcome Andy to the team at the Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club. The Club considers the provision of a first-class racing surface to be fundamental to the growth of horseracing in Bahrain, not only from the perspective of attracting international horses but also in terms of raising the standards of our domestic horse population. “We have made a significant investment in the facilities, developing two separate turf tracks, as well as our extensive training resources, to ensure we provide the best quality surface for all horses and riders. “Andy has a lot of experience from his time working in England and shares our ambition for the future. Our thanks to Neil Mackenzie Ross for his significant contribution during his nine years working for the Club.” Previously based at Chelmsford City Racecourse, Waitt began his career in racing at Sandown Park. Later based at Lingfield Park as head groundsman and estates manager, he qualified for clerk of the course in 2005, and held that role at Great Leighs from 2008-2009. He returned to that track to oversee its re-opening as Chelmsford City in 2015. Waitt said, “I was attracted to the role by the opportunity to work for a progressive racing jurisdiction with long-term plans. I am very much looking forward to the Bahrain International Trophy in November and then the Bahrain Turf Series, which runs from December through to February. I am also thoroughly enjoying getting to know the friendly and accommodating people of Bahrain.” The BTC hosts the $1-million G2 Bahrain International Trophy every November, as well as The Listed Crown Prince's Cup and Listed The King's Cup in February and March, respectively. The post Andy Waitt Appointed New Clerk Of The Course For Bahrain Turf Club appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

WinStar's David Hanley will transition to Senior Bloodstock Consultant along with several other key personnel moves by the end of the year, the farm said in a press release Thursday morning. Hanley's new role will focus mainly on bloodstock, matings, and the development of young horses. “David is a critical part of our team that helps us with developing our bloodstock, and the purchasing of our equine athletes at sales,” said Elliott Walden, CEO of WinStar. “This role will give David the opportunity to see more horses off the farm, while still keeping his eye on our young stock at home.” Serving as General Manager since 2013, Hanley has helped the farm expand its band to over 150 broodmares and 18 stallions with Eclipse Awards for Breeding coming in 2016 and 2020. Dr. Natanya Nieman will take on the role of General Manager while she continues her duties as Resident Vet. “I am excited for Natanya to expand her opportunities here at WinStar. She is a very good horsewoman and having David as a mentor for the foreseeable future will give her the expertise needed to continue to grow here at WinStar,” said Walden. “While she has always been responsible for our horses through her expert veterinary care, Natanya can grow into a top General Manager while learning from one of the best.” On the administrative team, Jack Mullikin will be retiring as CFO at the end of 2023 and Michael Holmes will replace him. Mullikin came to work at WinStar in the first year after a stellar career at Castleton Lyons Farm. He has seen WinStar grow from 415 to 2400 acres. “We will miss Jack tremendously here at the farm. His loyalty and dedication to WinStar has helped make the farm what it is today,” said Walden. “He has mentored Michael over the last nine years and we are blessed to welcome Michael onto our executive team. He will hit the ground running and do a great job. The future is bright here at WinStar.” The post Hanley Transitions To Senior Bloodstock Consultant As WinStar Farm Makes Key Personnel Changes For 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Taylor, who is based out of Parx Racing, admitted to the violations and accepted the penalties according to the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's website. View the full article

A quintet of Group 1-winning race fillies anchor the 1,590-strong Tattersalls December Mares Sale from Dec. 4-7, headlined by the Sceptre Sessions on Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday, Dec. 5. Inaugurated last year, the Sceptre Sessions feature 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) (1433); Pretty Polly S. victress Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) (lot 1788); top-level winners Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) (lot 1776) and Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) (lot 1811), both trained by Ralph Beckett; and South African Grade 1 winner Vernichey (SAf) (Vercingetorix {SAf}) (lot 1802). Prix Vermeille winner Teona (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) (lot 1786), who is in foal to champion sire Frankel (GB), will also go through the ring. The sale features 33 group and listed-winning race fillies that will be offered across the two Sceptre Sessions. There are also numerous top-class mares carrying their first foals like Group 3 winner Nazanin (Declaratio Of War) (lot 1810) in foal to Frankel (GB). Other lots of note include Cruella De Vill (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) (lot 1540) who is a half-sister to star broodmare Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}); Galileo Gal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 1789), herself a half-sister to three Classic/Group 1 winners among them Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) carrying to New Bay (GB); and a sextet of Group/Grade 1 producers led by Nigh (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 1823), the dam of Via Sistina, who is in foal to Too Darn Hot (GB). Large consignments from some of the top owner/breeders are also the order of the sale, with Godolphin's Group 1 winner White Moonstone (Dynaformer) (lot 1398), pregnant to Teofilo (Ire), part of their 46-strong draft. A total of 29 fillies and mares will be offered by Juddmonte, among them the listed-placed Radiator (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) (lot 1511), who is a daughter of Grade I winner Heat Haze (GB) (Green Desert) and a half-sister to top-level winner Mirage Dancer (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in foal to Nathaniel (Ire). A select consignment of eight from Shadwell is highlighted by a full-sister to star filly Taghrooda (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Taqaareed (Ire) (lot 1638), in foal to Pinatubo (Ire). The Castlebridge Consignment will send 105 lots to Park Paddocks for the sale, including Podium (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 1727), a full-sister to G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Peaceful (Ire) in foal to Wootton Bassett (GB). Barton Sales' 65 lots include a Shamardal half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) (lot 1379), Hidden Gem (GB), in foal to State Of Rest (Ire). Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “The Sceptre Sessions at the Tattersalls December Sale were introduced last year to widespread international acclaim and made an immediate impact. This year's Sceptre Sessions look set to follow suit with an outstanding array of Classic and Group 1 winning fillies and producers amongst some of the finest fillies and mares to be offered for sale anywhere in the world. “In addition to the extraordinary quality showcased in the Sceptre Sessions the Tattersalls December Mares Sale features consignments of real quality from so many of Europe's leading owner/breeders including the much sought after drafts from Godolphin, Juddmonte Farms and Shadwell Estates all of which combine to enhance the reputation of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale as the most influential breeding stock sale in Europe.” The post “Real Quality” On Offer At Tattersalls December Mares Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

New Narration, the dam of recent GI Pennsylvania Derby winner Saudi Crown, is the latest supplemental entry added to Fasig-Tipton's upcoming November Sale, the auction company said in a release Thursday. Consigned by Sequel New York, agent, as hip 259, the 8-year-old daughter of Tapit is in-foal to Nashville (Speightstown). Saudi Crown, her second foal, is expected to make his next start in the upcoming GI Breeders' Cup Classic. “New Narration is an exciting addition to our marquee November Sale lineup,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “Saudi Crown is one of the nation's most exciting three-year-old colts and is peaking at the right time with the Breeders' Cup Classic approaching.” “A $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, New Narration also has the physical conformation to match her superior produce record,” Browning added. The Fasig-Tipton November Sale will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7, in Lexington, Kentucky, beginning at 2 p.m. ET. The catalogue may viewed here. The post GISW Saudi Crown’s Dam Added To Fasig-Tipton November appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fred Foley, who died Oct. 15 at age 68 (obituary here), was not a big-name jockey during the time he came up through the ranks in New England in the 1970s and 80s. But in terms of being an affable, even-keeled racetracker and the type of guy you always wanted to stop and chat with if you ran into him on the backstretch, he was of Grade I caliber. Known for an easy, welcoming smile that his distinctive handlebar moustache could never conceal and an ever-present glint in his eye, Foley worked for more than three decades as an in-demand exercise rider after his jockey career ended. He also took a job as a valet on the New England circuit, and parlayed that gig into various racing official positions in the Suffolk Downs jockeys' room that he held until the East Boston oval ran its final races in 2019. The combination of being a local kid with a reputation for aggressively riding claimers of dubious soundness endeared him to the hardscrabble Suffolk railbirds. Growing up in the nearby Day Square neighborhood only a couple of furlongs from the track, “Fast Freddie” graduated from East Boston High and landed a job as a construction laborer before getting a late start in the saddle in his mid-20s. He used to laugh when recounting how he grew up right down the street from the track, yet never once attended the races until some buddies in an amateur hockey league suggested his lithe, 5'4″ 115-pound frame would suit him better to horsebacking than body checking. “I used to go past Suffolk all the time, and I never realized what it really is–a city within a city,” Foley said in a 1983 press profile. “But once I went, I knew this is what I wanted. Once racing gets in your blood, forget it.” So Foley quit his job and took a forty dollars-a-week gig as a stablehand in the 1970s. Even though the backstretch meant a cut in salary, he looked at the opportunity as “going to school and getting paid for it.” Four years later, he finally got a leg up as an apprentice rider. But Foley was so raw and unpolished that he couldn't secure an agent to book his mounts. His “bugboy” allowance lasted an unusually long three years (an apprenticeship in Massachusetts expires one year after a jockey's fifth win). It might have lasted longer had Foley not resorted to drastic measures to kick-start the process. Two years into his apprentice period, at age 27, Foley decided to launch a gung-ho assault on the dangerous Massachusetts county fairs circuit. He said his logic in going all-out on the perilous half-milers during the summer and fall meets at Marshfield, Northampton and Great Barrington fairs was to make trainers think, “If this kid can ride these sore, old horses, we'll put him on some at Suffolk.” The plan worked–sort of. In 1982, Freddie won the Great Barrington riding title. But a Boston Globe write-up the following season serves as the only documentation of his most remarkable riding feat: After winning four races one day on the Marshfield half-miler, Foley got dropped on his head by a subsequent mount while careening through the hairpin turn. The next day he was still groggy, but insisted on riding at Suffolk because he had a rare opportunity to pilot a “live” horse named Royal Wedding. Then he had six more mounts at Marshfield that same afternoon. (This was an era of such abundant racing in New England that on some summer Fridays in the 80s, Suffolk ran in the mornings, Marshfield afternoons, and Rockingham Park at night. There are now no tracks operating in the region.) “I got to the quarter pole on Royal Wedding, and my neck and shoulders were so sore from the Marshfield spill I couldn't move,” Foley told the Globe. “But the horse was still in contention, so I kept going.” Royal Wedding won, igniting the tote board to the tune of $17.80. But it was Foley who paid the price. “I couldn't even pull the horse up, the outriders had to catch me. I couldn't even unsaddle. The stewards at Marshfield took me off my mounts there.” Yet Foley concluded the interview in characteristically upbeat fashion: “I'll keep hustling,” he said, “because I don't know any rich people.” Foley remained a long-shot specialist, good for 30 to 40 wins a year through the middle 80s. But injuries, illness and bad timing took their toll. In 1987, he flipped his car on a patch of ice and spent a week in an intensive care unit, where he was treated for a punctured lung and had his spleen removed. Shortly thereafter, Suffolk closed for two years. After the track reopened in 1992, open-heart surgery kept Foley off horses for longer than he liked. Bowing to practicality, Foley traded his jockey license for a weekly paycheck. He settled in as a valet, and if he had any regrets about being forced into a less glamorous career switch, he didn't voice them publicly. Instead, he toned down his run-and-gun horsebacking style to better suit morning training, and was soon considered one of the most accomplished workout riders on the circuit because of his reliability, deft hands, patience with young horses, and level-headed demeanor. Suffolk Downs | Chip Bott I vividly recall a conversation I had with Foley in the spring of 2000. Then 45 years old, Foley was in better shape than most racetrackers half his age. In addition to being a sought-after exercise rider, he kept fit by skiing and playing ice hockey, and was content to relax while fishing from his home's front porch alongside a quiet little pond up in New Hampshire. At that time, Foley had not ridden in a race for 11 years. But he had started allowing himself the luxury of dreaming about the adrenaline rush of winning. When I ran into him that morning in front of the Suffolk Downs backstretch kitchen 23 years ago, Freddie was zipping from one riding engagement to another, flak jacket swinging cavalierly from his sinewy frame, battle-scarred riding helmet in hand. He told me, with his characteristic big grin, that what he really wanted to do, more than anything else, was to be a jockey again–but only for one more race. Foley had been working out a maiden who had drawn rave reviews from clockers as a well-meant runner who would score first time off a layoff. Foley had previously schooled the colt's brother, a stakes winner. “I've been working him like this,” he enthused, jamming his fists together and pulling them close to his chest, the universal symbol for a horse hard held. “He's going to win. And I want to ride him.” Foley didn't have grand, unrealistic aspirations. He fully intended to ride just once, on that one horse, for that one race. Foley had actually won the last race he rode back in 1989. But one more time, he wanted to go out a winner. The trainer told Foley she was all for it, and would even pay his license fee and vouch for him in front of the stewards. When I next saw Foley a week later, I was shocked to hear his request for a jockey license had been flat-out denied. Apparently, the stewards nixed the idea for the one-time comeback because of his history of heart trouble. Their stated reason was that they feared being responsible if he suffered cardiac complications during the few minutes he'd be out on the racetrack. Foley pointed out that his heart doctor had long ago cleared him to participate in any activity he wanted; that he was one of the fastest skaters on the Suffolk pickup hockey team, and that he already possessed a license–issued by those very same stewards–to exercise horses during morning training. “They asked me for a reason, and I said because I thought it would be fun, that I wanted to ride one more time in my life,” Foley told me. “Then the stewards told me that racing wasn't supposed to be 'fun,'” Foley added, a touch incredulously. “'Fun,' they said, 'isn't the reason we're all here.'” Although crestfallen, Foley not only hid his disappointment, but refused to bad-mouth the stewards or criticize their decision, taking the high road. Yet he proved those officials wrong in the long run: Yes, racing is all about fun. Fun–or at least the tantalizing possibility of it–is the very reason we're all here. f you were lucky enough to hang around Freddie Foley on the backstretch or in the jockeys' room, there was no denying it. The post An Appreciation: For Bullring Specialist Foley, Fun Was The Reason For Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Two Labradors grace the front steps of the main house at Shawnee Farm. Their dark coats glossy in the sunlight, the affable mother-daughter pair are among the eight generations of hunting dogs bred by G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and his wife Sally. As much as the sport of horse racing has been an unwavering passion for the Humphreys throughout their many years together, so too has their shared penchant for bird hunting. In fact, the sport led them into forming a business relationship that evolved into a lifelong friendship–one that has now surpassed even their own generation. Gathered around their trophy-adorned living room to reflect on a few of the best homebreds to come off the surrounding 1,000-plus acres of Shawnee Farm, the Humphreys are joined by their daughter Vicki Oliver and their good friends George “Rusty” Arnold and his wife Sarah. Rusty and Sarah Arnold, Watts and Sally Humphrey, and their daughter Vicki Oliver at Shawnee Farm | Sara Gordon Humphrey met Arnold, a fellow third-generation horseman, at a dove shoot in 1991. At the time Arnold, who saddled his first winner back in 1975, was racing in Kentucky and New York–two places that Humphrey wanted to race, and win. “They came and interviewed me at my barn at Saratoga a few months later and the interview evidently went well,” Arnold said with a wry, sidelong glace at Humphrey. “That fall they sent me three horses.” Three horses soon became 10 or 12 and the numbers have continued to grow from there. While keeping the majority of his fillies to race and with an emphasis on developing families, Humphrey's distinguished breeding program is one that any trainer would be glad to represent. “It's an honor, actually,” said Arnold. “They provide me with these well-bred horses and you're not in a rush with them. You're trying to establish the future. A lot of people don't have the patience for that, but I think that's his background in the industry of developing families. If you develop a horse over a period of time, you aren't pressed to have her at her very best the first time she runs. He lets you build a horse's career.” Such was the story for one filly that, looking back, Arnold considers to be the first top-level horse that he ever trained. It took two attempts for Clear Mandate (Deputy Minister) to break her maiden and it wasn't until almost a year later that she won her first graded stake, but the homebred would go on to be a glowing success for Humphrey, winning Grade I races at two of his most beloved racetracks and eventually retiring to Shawnee and producing Grade I winner and sire Strong Mandate (Tiznow). Clear Mandate hailed from one of Humphrey's finest foundation families that was highlighted by Grade I winner and Classic producer Likely Exchange (Terrible Tiger). As Humphrey recalls, Likely Exchange's dam was field bred to Terrible Tiger when she was having trouble getting in foal. The resulting filly was Likely Exchange, the dam of 1985 GI Belmont S. winner Crème Fraiche who was doubly special for Humphrey as she was the great-granddaughter of a mare purchased by Humphrey's grandfather George M. Humphrey. “They were all lovely horses,” Humphrey said of the family. “Great attitutudes. They all tried.” Likely Exchange's granddaughter was no exception. Bred by Humphrey and his aunt Pamela Firman, Clear Mandate earned over $1 million and claimed a trio of Grade I victories. Perhaps the most memorable of those wins was the 1997 John A. Morris H.–now the Personal Ensign S.–where the 5-year-old chestnut sped away to win by five lengths. “I didn't want to run her that day,” Arnold admitted, laughing as he added that he ultimately wound up going with his boss's gut and keeping her entered. “We had thought we had a big chance to win the Alabama two years before and it came up sloppy and she didn't run well. Then the day of the Personal Ensign, it came up sloppy again. I thought the track was going to get better and it never did, but it didn't matter because she ran the best race that she ever ran.” Later that year Clear Mandate would score again in the Spinster S., giving both Humphrey and Arnold their first Grade I win at their home track. Humphrey and Oliver with Grade I victress Centre Court | Sara Gordon “The Spinster was special because it was here at Keeneland,” Humphrey admitted. “But all of her wins were great.” The summer before Clear Mandate's brilliant 5-year-old campaign, Humphrey and Arnold were a short walk down the hill from the Keeneland winner's circle at the sales pavilion, where they attended one of their first yearling auctions together. There at the 1996 Keeneland July Sale, they purchased a filly from one of the early crops of A.P. Indy for $350,000. Named Let, she would run a close second in the 1998 GI Ashland S. and later claim the 1999 GII Churchill Downs Distaff H. Soon after retiring from the racetrack, Let produced Ravel (Fusaichi Pegasus), a $950,000 Keeneland September yearling who won the 2007 GIII Sham S. But it was later on in Let's breeding career that she brought Humphrey his stable star Centre Court (Smart Strike). Again, Humphrey and Arnold's patience was rewarded. It took a year and four tries for the turf specialist to find the winner's circle, but from there Centre Court reeled off a series of six graded stakes wins highlighted by the 2013 GI Jenny Wiley S. Humphrey's proudest accomplishment with the Let line came two years ago, when Centre Court's daughter Navratilova (Medaglia d'Oro) captured the GIII Valley View S. The victory marked the eighth graded stakes win for Humphrey at Keeneland. As the 23rd owner in history to reach the milestone, he earned a commemorative Keeneland Tray that now sits in the front foyer of the family's home. “They were all a little different,” Arnold said when comparing the family line. “Let was beautiful, that's why we paid a lot of money for her as a yearling. Centre Court is probably more like her sire, a strong-looking horse. Navratilova is very attractive but is a finer version.” “For her to be the third generation in the family to get a graded stakes win is special,” he added, and then laughed. “It means I didn't screw it up.” While Arnold's father and grandfather both focused their careers primarily on the breeding sector of the industry, Arnold was always drawn to the racetrack. The horseman only ventured to the other side once, but the decision has paid dividends. When Humphrey's mother Louise Humphrey passed away in 2012, a number of the horses they owned in partnership were put up for sale. There was one in Arnold's stable at the time that he just couldn't let go. He bought half of Halloween Party (Mr. Greeley) and soon had his first broodmare. “She had won a couple of allowances, nothing fabulous, but she was tough,” Arnold recalled. “When she ended her career I was able to breed one with Watts and I co-bred a graded stakes horse from my one-horse broodmare band.” Centre Court and Morticia at Shawnee Farm | Sara Gordon That first foal was Morticia (Twirling Candy). She was named at the Humphreys' annual Halloween party, where they came dressed as the Addams family, and it soon became apparent that the filly was aptly named. “She called the shots,” said Sarah Arnold, who by then was retired from exercise riding for her husband but joked that she probably wouldn't have attempted to ride the filly anyway. “She didn't like to be by herself. She was one of those fillies that really didn't care much about people, but she loved to be with other horses whether it was a workout buddy or a pony. She was fearless in the afternoon, just not so much in the morning.” “She was definitely a handful,” Rusty confirmed. “But she took us on one hell of a ride.” A case of shins kept the filly from the track most of her juvenile career, but it was an upward trajectory from there. A stakes winner at three, four and five, Morticia earned blacktype victories at eight different racetracks, including the 2017 GIII Buffalo Trace Franklin S. at Keeneland–winning on Friday, October 13th, much to the delight of her connections–and the 2019 GIII Ladies Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs. The consistent turfer retired in 2020 as a millionaire, having placed in all but 7 of her 29 career starts. The Humphreys will attest that as a broodmare, Morticia's personality has become much more agreeable. “She's really very sweet here,” Sally said. “She likes being a mom because she has her own built-in buddy with her all the time.” Morticia's first foal, a filly by Nyquist, has developed into such an impressive yearling this year that she has led the Humphreys and Arnolds into making a difficult decision. Morticia will go through the ring at the upcoming Keeneland November Sale. “I'm a trainer,” Arnold explained. “I love the racing part. This is going to allow me to race the foal. It's tough to keep them both. It becomes a business decision so that we are able to race the others. I've been very fortunate and Watts is the greatest partner in the world. We wouldn't have sold her without keeping a filly, who will be going right into the stable and we hope someday she can breed this family's ability into the next generation.” In foal to Golden Pal, Morticia is among the rarest gems of Humphrey's broodmare band and she may be Arnold's first and only broodmare. “I don't think I'm a broodmare type of guy,” admitted the veteran conditioner. “I like the racetrack. The breeding business has been very good to me, but we're more interested in racing.” Arnold and Humphrey check in with Morticia | Sara Gordon Humphrey has spent decades hoping to perfect a delicate balance of retaining his prized race mares to progress their families and selling some when other members of the family come along. “You don't want to have so much of the same family,” Vicki said, explaining the important lesson she has learned from her father. “It would be awesome to keep them all, but you have to diversify your families.” And so another stable standout will also go through the Keeneland sales ring now that her graded stakes-winning daughter Navratilova has recently entered the Shawnee broodmare band. With an Essential Quality colt on the ground this year and carrying a foal by Flightline, Centre Court highlights the old adage that Humphrey adopted as his philosophy. “Breed the best to the best and hope for the best,” recited Humphrey. “That's about the speech he gave when we first started together,” Arnold added. “He said to take care of the horses the best you can and then we will hope for the best with how they run. That philosophy has never wavered.” And the philosophy has proven to be more than fruitful. Humphrey has developed a breeding program comparable to few others in the upper echelon of racing, but in his characteristically astute, thoughtful manner–the one that served him so well in another world as an investor and entrepreneur–Humphrey's leadership as a public servant of the racing industry has left a far greater impact. But when it comes to his racing stable, the septuagenarian is not done yet. He may not come out and say it, but his family and friends in the room will speak up for him concerning the goal still in the back of their minds. “I know that winning the Kentucky Oaks would be fun for him,” Vicki said. “Especially with as many fillies as he's had over the years.” Oliver has a similar goal herself. While she got her first stakes win at Keeneland just this spring with BBN Racing's Mo Stash (Mo Town) in the GIII Transylvania S., many of her top earners, including her first Grade I winner in 2014 Del Mark Oaks victress Personal Diary (City Zip), are fillies she trains for her father. Humphrey splits most of his homebreds between his daughter and Arnold, but there is far from a competitive fervor, much less any animosity, between the two stables. “We've become friends with Vicki as she's grown through the business,” Arnold explained. “Watts is 10 to 12 years older than me and I'm more-years-than-that older than Vicki. It's evolved into another very good friendship.” Hardly a day goes by that the Humphrey and Arnold clans are not in communication, whether it's Humphrey stopping by the barn at Saratoga or Keeneland or the Arnolds visiting the farm in Harrodsburg. “Rusty and Sarah and all the people that work for him have taken great care of these horses and they care about them,” Humphrey said. “He's always had special people working for him, which is very important to us.” But it goes even deeper than that. The families have shared decades of golf outings and quiet dinners at the farm, spent countless holidays together, and even taken annual hunting trips to the Humphreys' family plantation in north Florida, where they take a pause from racing to enjoy the sport that brought them all together in the first place. “We've had a lot of fun together,” Sarah reflected. “They've always treated us like family.” “A relationship like this is extremely rare in the business we're in,” Arnold added. “It's very special.” The post Keeneland Breeder Spotlight: Humphrey and Arnold: A Connection That Goes Well Beyond Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Langfuhr, a son of Danzig and a top sprinter of the 1990s, has died at the age of 31 at Lane's End, the farm said in a press release early Thursday morning. A sire of 75 stakes winners, five champions and progeny earnings of over $119 million, Langfuhr was a member of the Lane's End Farm stallion roster from 2004 to 2018 when he was retired from stud duty at age 26. Bred and raced by the late Thoroughbred breeder and owner Gustav Schickedanz, Canadian-bred Langfuhr was named champion sprinter of 1996 in Canada and was inducted into that country's hall of fame in 2004. Trained by Mike Keogh, Langfuhr won major American graded stakes including the GI Vosburgh S.,GII Forego H., GI Carter H. and GI Metropolitan H. His career earnings were $698,574. With strong support from his breeder/owner, the stallion sired multiple Canadian champions and stellar runners. Wando, chief among them, won the 2003 Canadian Triple Crown, was named horse of the year and champion 3-year-old colt in Canada and earned in excess of $2.5 million. His stablemate, Mobil, emerged as a top racehorse the following year and was named champion older horse in Canada at four. Both were conditioned for Schickedanz by Langfuhr's trainer. Additional top-level racehorses sired by Langfuhr include Jambalaya, multiple Grade I winner and hero of the GI Arlington Million, champion Lawyer Ron, and millionaires Interpatation and Euroears. “It was a privilege to stand Langfuhr at Lane's End and to have him spend his retirement at the farm,” said Lane's End Farm's Bill Farish. “We are grateful for the many years we had with him. Langfuhr's intelligence and kind temperament will have a lasting impact on all who had the opportunity to work with him.” Langfuhr will be buried in the stallion cemetery at the farm. The post Canadian Champion Langfuhr Passes Away At Lane’s End appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Storm Babet has decided the final shape of the fields for Saturday's Qipco Champions Day fixture, with the softening ground ruling Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) out of the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. and making up Aidan O'Brien's mind as to where to point Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}). That four-times group 1 winner takes up his engagement in the QEII, leaving a total of nine to take part in the G1 Qipco Champion S. Heading the list for the 10-furlong highlight is last year's winner Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}), with the improving Horizon Dore (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) and Derby runner-up King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) declared alongside Shadwell's G1 Juddmonte International and G1 Prince of Wales's S. hero Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who had been a doubt earlier in the week due to the dire forecast. There are 11 engaged in the QEII, with The Aga Khan's Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) a doubt to tackle Paddington if the ground worsens again, while Imad Al Sagar's Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) has been diverted from the Champion by the Gosdens. Cheveley Park Stud's managing director Chris Richardson said of Inspiral on Thursday, “We've obviously been monitoring the weather and the rain that's fallen. I know John Gosden walked the track yesterday, there's been a subsequent 12 millimetres and it looks like there's more to come. As we know, when she ran on soft ground in the Sussex at Goodwood in the summer, Frankie looked after her as it wasn't the sort of performance she was enjoying. The decision now is whether the Breeders' Cup [Filly & Mare Turf] is an option. John is going to speak to Mrs Thompson about it and then we'll know more, but it's very much up to her to decide whether she wants the filly to go to America. They're liaising between them and there's decisions to be made on whether she runs again this year and whether she's kept in training next year. She's a wonderful filly, Mrs Thompson is the owner of the horse and will make the decision.” In other news, the G1 Commonwealth Cup and G1 July Cup hero Shaquille (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) will not run in the G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint. Steve Brown said of the 3-year-old, who was disappointing in the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup, “He wasn't just tracking through as normal behind with his movement. It looks minimal, but given the ground conditions, which are obviously going to be pretty testing, we're just not prepared to take any chances with him. It's as simple as that really.” Marc Chan's defending Champions Sprint title-holder Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) will face 14 in the six-furlong bonanza, there are 14 declared for a wide-open G1 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares S., and Ballydoyle's star stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) faces seven in the G2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup. The storm has resulted in 13mm of rain falling, with further rain forecast on Friday. Ascot's clerk of the course Chris Stickels is ready to switch the Long Distance Cup, Filly & Mares and Champion S. to the drier inner hurdles track for the first time since 2019. “If we have heavy ground on any part of the round course, we can move the round course races to the inner track and we have to decide that before 8 a.m. on Saturday,” he explained. “Looking at the forecast for Friday, I would say that is quite likely. I think the rain we will get overnight will turn us back to soft on the round course and maybe even if we get the top end, some heavy places on the round course. It's a shame we are a week later in the calendar this year and even today, John Gosden said if we were racing today the ground would have been perfect.” The post Inspiral To Avoid Ascot; Paddington To The QEII appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Pierre Ng’s eight-year-old speedster returns from overseas trip to take on Hong Kong’s top sprinter in Sunday’s main event at Group Two levelView the full article

What Randwick Races Where Royal Randwick Racecourse – Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031 When Saturday, October 21, 2023 First Race 12:35pm AEDT Visit Dabble Metropolitan racing heads to Royal Randwick on Saturday afternoon for a huge 10-race card kicking off at 12:35pm local time. The fields are stacked, with 156 acceptors across the meeting, so expect many differing form references to line up this weekend. The rail is out +5m the entire circuit, and with the weather seemingly favourable heading into race-day, we should be racing on a genuine Good 4 surface. Best Bet: Marquess Marquess has won at three of four starts so far this preparation, and we see no reason why that trend can’t continue. The son of Tavistock has been travelling nicely through the grades, with his latest win coming in a BM88 at Rosehill on September 23. The five-year-old gelding stays in that company, and although he gets a 3kg penalty for his trouble, we’re confident Marquess can chalk up his fourth win of the campaign. Best Bet Race 4 – #6 Marquess (8) 5yo Gelding | T: James Cummings | J: Zac Lloyd (58kg) +110 with Betfair Next Best: Dynamic Impact Dynamic Impact has shown plenty of fight in his two runs since returning from a spell. You’ll be getting an each-way price with online bookmakers for this Bjorn Baker-trained gelding, as he’s been defeated a combined 6.6 lengths across his two starts. It’s a deceiving stat, however, as he’s been chasing home the quality of Airman and Kibou in those races, and you’d have to imagine both of those gallopers would be well found in a race like this. Dynamic Impact is a consistent type, and with this being his easiest task to date, expect a bold showing. Best Bet Race 10 – #9 Dynamic Impact (6) 6yo Gelding | T: Bjorn Baker | J: Rachel King (56.5kg) +1000 with Neds Best Value: Smartawi Smartawi makes his return from a 147-day spell in the BM72 Midway Handicap. The now four-year-old put together four wins across eight starts and has been a model of consistency for the Gregory Hickman barn. You can make the argument that he should’ve won his penultimate start of the preparation when narrowly defeated by Let Me Reign at Rosehill on May 20, before being thrown in the deep end behind Kovalica in the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m). His first-up record doesn’t bode well, but at genuine outsider odds with the top betting sites, he’s deserving of plenty of respect here. Best Bet Race 3 – #11 Smartawi (7) 4yo Gelding | T: Gregory Hickman | J: Tyler Schiller (58kg) +6000 with Bet365 Randwick Saturday quaddie tips Randwick quadrella selections Saturday, October 21, 2023 1-4-9-11-12-14 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-11 1-7 5-9 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip All horse racing tips View the full article

Star local jockey gets a two-meeting reduction on the lengthy suspension he received for failing to ride Capital Delight all the way to the lineView the full article

What Caulfield Cup Day 2023 Where Caulfield Racecourse – 22 Station St, Caulfield East VIC 3145 When Saturday, October 21, 2023 First Race 12:15pm AEDT Visit Dabble Caulfield Cup Day 2023 is finally upon us on Saturday afternoon, with a bumper 10-race meeting set down for one of the marquee days on the Australian horse racing calendar. Following the meetings last Saturday and on Wednesday, the rail heads back to the 3m position, and with a perfect track expected, every runner will get their chance. A Group 1 day of racing at Caulfield gets underway at 12:15pm AEDT. Keep reading for our free Caulfield Cup Day race-by-race preview and quaddie selections Race 1: 3YO C&G Plate (1400m) We kick off the day with a competitive three-year-old race for the boys and on the back of a confidence boosting win at Sandown, The Instructor can go on with the job on Saturday. The Russian Revolution colt opted to take a sit on the leader’s heels that day. He quickened nicely to put the race away in a couple of strides. This is obviously harder, but from barrier seven, he looks destined to land outside the lead under Tim Clark. With the favourite Brave Mead drawn awkwardly for his racing style, we’re hoping The Instructor can pinch a length or two when the whips are cracking. Selections: 1 THE INSTRUCTOR 3 BRAVE MEAD 2 KAIZAD 6 KANDINSKY ABSTRACT Race 2: Group 3 Caulfield Classic (2000m) It was hard not to be impressed by the way Riff Rocket destroyed his rivals in the Listed Super Impose Stakes. He has a mortgage on Saturday’s Group 3 Caulfield Classic (2000m) on the back of it and can further stamp his VRC Derby (2500m) credentials. He draws barrier one once again under James McDonald where the pair can stalk the lead throughout. There are no prizes tipping a -200 chance, but Riff Rocket should just be a class above this lot. Selections: 2 RIFF ROCKET 4 GOLD BULLION 5 SUNSETS 1 SUNSOURCE Caulfield Classic Race 2 – #2 Riff Rocket (1) 3yo Gelding | T: Chris Waller | J: James McDonald (57kg) -200 with Neds Race 3: Group 3 Ethereal Stakes (2000m) Having claimed the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) in grand style last time out, Tropical Squall is the logical on top selection in the Group 3 Ethereal Stakes (2000m). Adam Hyeronimus comes down to continue his affiliation with the Prized Icon filly. From barrier 12, the filly will hunt for the rail from the outset where she can then dictate terms throughout. There does not look to be any other speed influences in the event and under a well-rated ride, Tropical Squall should just be winning. Selections: 1 TROPICAL SQUALL 5 KONASANA 4 AUTUMN ANGEL 8 WINGS OF SONG Ethereal Stakes Race 3 – #1 Tropical Squall (12) 3yo Filly | T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | J: Adam Hyeronimus (59kg) +100 with PendleburyBet Race 4: Listed Gothic Stakes (1200m) One of our better bets of the day comes up in the Listed Gothic Stakes (1200m) as Facile looks to build on her maiden win at Warwick Farm on October 2. She was competitive in much harder races than this during her juvenile campaign and on the back of a confidence boosting win, Facile looks a smart play in the Gothic. She has already placed in Group 2 company on two occasions and under Damian Lane, Facile should assert her dominance on her rivals over the final 200m. Selections: 8 FACILE 2 DON CORLEONE 1 ARKANSAW KID 7 DARK HALO Next Best Race 4 – #8 Facile (6) 3yo Mare | T: Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | J: Damian Lane (54kg) +220 with Betfair Race 5: Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) The Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) will gives us a good read on the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) next month. Bossy Nic was first-up in the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) where she couldn’t go with Couer Volante or Inhibitions late, but she can turn the tables on those rivals on the weekend. Her last run as a juvenile in April saw her finish on the heels of Tiz Invincible and Kimochi in Group 2 company to suggest she is a filly worth following. Harry Coffey will need some luck from barrier 10, but with a tow into the race and with race fitness under her belt, Bossy Nic can make a Group 1 statement in the Prelude. Selections: 2 BOSSY NIC 3 COEUR VOLANTE 8 INHIBITIONS 7 AZULA Thousand Guineas Prelude Race 5 – #2 Bossy Nic (10) 3yo Filly | T: Tony & Calvin McEvoy | J: Harry Coffey (58kg) +1100 with Bet365 Race 6: Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1000m) There is little hiding the fact that General Beau loves Caulfield and he can continue his strong record at the track in the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1000m). He has become a non-winner in recent time, having not won in over two years, but that is seemingly the case for a few of his rivals. He draws barrier one under Damian Lane and considering two of his four career wins have come when first-up, we expect a bold showing. General Beau has a 6kg weight advantage on Lofty Strike and draws much better than Spacewalk in the small field. With even luck, General Beau can bounce back to form on Saturday. Selections: 4 GENERAL BEAU 6 SPACEWALK 1 LOFTY STRIKE 5 MIDWEST Best Value Race 6 – #4 General Beau (1) 5yo Horse | T: Mathew Ellerton | J: Damian Lane (53kg) +800 with Dabble Race 7: Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) The quaddie kicks off with the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) where the Mark Walker-trained Skew Wiff looks awfully hard to go past. The Kiwi mare was meant to resume in the Group 2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m) at Flemington, before being a late scratching at the barriers. She went back to the jumpouts since that day and considering her last race day start came when winning the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at weight-for-age level in New Zealand, suggests she brings the right form lines into the Tristarc. Opie Bosson will use barrier two to his advantage and stalk the lead throughout. When asked to quicken, we expect Skew Wiff to put the race away in a couple of strides and we are getting a nice price to find out if she can. Selections: 2 SKEW WIFF 4 SHUFFLE DANCER 1 MADAME POMMERY 8 C’EST MAGIQUE Tristarc Stakes Race 7 – #2 Skew Wiff (2) 4yo Mare | T: Mark Walker | J: Opie Bosson (58.5kg) +400 with Picklebet Race 8: Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m) Buffalo River is on the quick back-up after finishing fourth in the Listed Weekend Hussler Stakes (1400m) on October 14 and looks hard to beat on Saturday. He was made to work for the first 600m of the race to find the lead and it tolled late with Ayrton and Stageman overhauling him inside the final 100m. He stuck on nicely to go down by a length in the end. The seven-year-old was a determined winner of the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes (1400m) the start prior and with three wins and three minor placings to his name at the track and trip suggests he is right in a race like this. With an uncontested lead expected, Celine Gaudray can run the race as she likes and with a bit of luck Buffalo River can make all. Selections: 3 BUFFALO RIVER 8 ALTIVO 10 NUNTHORPE 11 CLIMBING STAR Moonga Stakes Race 8 – #3 Buffalo River (5) 7yo Gelding | T: Mike Moroney | J: Celine Gaudray (58kg) +600 with BoomBet Race 9: Group 1 Caulfield Cup (1600M) The Caulfield Cup is one of the most prestigious races in Australia and the field for the 2023 edition is one of the more even fields we have seen in some time. Gold Trip will be looking to go one better in the race he finished second in last year, while Without A Fight and Soulcombe lead the chasing brigade in terms of the local brigade. A strong international contingent are set to compete for the $5 million on offer with Joseph O’Brien’s Okita Soushi and Valiant King joined by Simon & Ed Crisford’s West Wind Blows. Click here for our full preview of the 2023 Group 1 Caulfield Cup Race 10: Listed Alinghi Stakes (1100m) We have to wait for the final race of the day for our best bet as Viviane looks to build on her picket fence. Mathew Ellerton’s mare has strung together five straight wins and looks to have been well-placed by the stable once again. From barrier eight, Damian Lane looks set to land the one-one spot upon settling and from there can stalk the speed throughout. A mare in form is always a strong reference to abide by and in this case it is the right one. Viviane deserves black-type success and she should get it on Saturday. Selections: 5 VIVIANE 6 HYPOTHETICAL 11 GHAANATI 10 LEMPICKA Best Bet Race 10 – #5 Viviane (8) 5yo Mare | T: Matthew Ellerton | J: Damian Lane (53kg) +180 with Dabble Caulfield quaddie tips for Caulfield Cup Day 2023 Caulfield quadrella selections Saturday, October 21, 2023 1-2-4-8 3-8-10 1-2-5-6-8-10-18 5-6 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

What Ascot Races Where Ascot Racecourse – 71 Grandstand Rd, Ascot WA 6104 When Saturday, October 21, 2023 First Race 12:39pm AWST Visit Dabble Ascot Racecourse will play host to a nine-race card this Saturday afternoon, with the program headlined by the Group 3 Eurythmic Stakes and Listed R.S. Crawford Stakes. Warm and dry weather is forecast for Friday and Saturday, so we expect the track to stay at the current Good 4 rating for the whole day. The rail will be in the +3m position for the entire circuit, with the first race set to jump at 12:39pm AWST. Eurythmic Stakes Tip: Valour Road Valour Road returned from a 15-month spell in the Listed Idyllic Prince Stakes and couldn’t have been more impressive, recording a half-length victory over Nerodio. Trainer Simon Miller has given this son of Frost Giant an eight-week freshen between runs, and he should be ready to go again over 1400m. From barrier six, Chris Parnham should be able to settle Valour Road in the one-one position behind the leaders and be ready to pounce at the top of the home straight. Eurythmic Stakes Race 8 – #4 Valour Road (6) 8yo Gelding | T: Simon Miller | J: Chris Parnham (57.5kg) +400 with Betfair R.S. Crawford Stakes Tip: My Bella Mae My Bella Mae will run in the R.S. Crawford Stakes second-up after a trial. After 22 weeks, the Dion Luciani-trained mare returned in the Jolly Beggar Stakes and finished fifth, 2.6 lengths behind Long Beach, in wet conditions. This daughter of Deep Field should improve now that she is second-up (2:2-0-0) and back on a Good track (8:5-0-0). Patrick Carbery can settle on the rail behind the speed from barrier one and get the most economical run before unleashing this girl’s blistering turn of foot in the final 300m. R.S. Crawford Stakes Race 7 – #4 My Bella Mae (4) 4yo Mare | T: Dion Luciani | J: Patrick Carbery (56.5kg) +600 with PendleburyBet Best Bet at Ascot: Fine Touch The Ross Price-trained Fine Touch has won her last two starts at Belmont over 1700m and 1600m, where she dominated on-speed and ran away from her rivals with relative ease. At her most recent start, this daughter of Maschino settled behind the leader, Feuding, before easing off that runner’s heels to run straight by him and record an easy 1.5-length victory over 1600m. William Pike has been onboard for both of her wins this time in, and he should give her every chance to complete a hat-trick of wins. Best Bet Race 1 – #4 Fine Touch (6) 4yo Mare | T: Ross Price | J: William Pike (57kg) +125 with Neds Next Best at Ascot: Zipaway Zipaway broke his maiden last start at Belmont over 1200m, where he appeared to do a few things wrong but knuckled down in the final 100m to take over and defeat Barney’s World by a long neck. The Neville Parnham-trained galloper hit a flat spot at 300m but recovered to run on strongly, so the 1400m second-up should suit him. With the speed influences drawn outside of this son of Playing God, Steven Parnham should be able to settle just behind them and allow Zipaway to settle, get into a rhythm, and let down with a big finish. Next Best Race 3 – #2 Zipaway (4) 3yo Gelding | T: Neville Parnham | J: Steven Parnham (58kg) +300 with Boombet Best Value at Ascot: Brave Venture This five-year-old gelding finished eighth of nine over 1200m in a One-Metro-Win Handicap on September 16 at Belmont, beaten by 6.5 lengths. This son of Toronado is undefeated second-up from two attempts and has never missed the placings, including two wins, at the Ascot 1200m. Paul Harvey retains the ride, and if he is able to settle closer to the speed, Brave Venture can return to form on dry ground at his favourite track. Best Value Race 9 – #2 Brave Venture (5) 5yo Gelding | T: Brad Graham | J: Paul Harvey (59.5kg) +1000 with Dabble Saturday quaddie tips for Ascot races Ascot quadrella selections Saturday, October 21, 2023 1-4-9 2-4-6-7 1-4-6-8-11-13 2-3-5-12 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

The Tuapeka Harness Racing Club bring their annual Cup Day race meeting back to Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill this Sunday, 22 October. This is the third year the club has raced in Invercargill and the meeting has proved very popular with good crowds attending to enjoy a mix of great racing allied with plenty of free activity for the children making it an ideal day out for the entire family. The feature race is the $20,000 Tuapeka Lodge Cup Handicap Pace over 2700m timed to start at 3.45pm. For just $60 per head race-goers can enjoy a day at the Top Of The Park with the best viewing on course and full hospitality. Contact Southern Harness Racing’s Promotions Officer Lindsay Beer on 021 351 499 or at lindsay.beer@xtra.co.nz for more information. Children’s entertainment is free on the day with mini jeeps and a bouncy castle plus a face painter. In addition, the first 100 children on course will receive a free Mr Whippy ice cream and there will be Kids Go Racing Giveaways and Kidz Kartz Pony Racing. Club President Owen Cameron says, “it will be a great day’s racing with plenty for the whole family to enjoy. One of the big points of interest of the meeting will be whether Robyn’s Playboy can win his fourth Tuapeka Cup having won it previously in 2019, 2020 and 2022 and having finished second in 2021.” Keep an eye on the Tuapeka Harness Racing Club page for more information. The first race is timed to start at 12.40pm and admission is free. View the full article

New Zealand Bloodstock has announced the sponsorship of two large prizemoney races in Malaysia with graduates of NZB’s sales set to be able to compete for stakes of RM100,000. The first of two RM100,000 races set to run in 2024 will be open to graduates of NZB’s 2023 Ready to Run Sale, while the second race will be open to all NZB sales graduates. The two high-stakes graduate races are the first of their kind in Malaysia, and offer a significant prizemoney boost to the racing jurisdiction when compared to the average race stake offering of between RM14,500 to RM39,000. The initiative is supported by other further sponsored open races on 4 November, and comes as part of a wider partnership between NZB and the premier Malaysian racing club who have been regular attendees and purchasers of NZB sales. As a result, New Zealand-bred and sourced horses continue to headline the leaderboards in Malaysia, with just last month Pasir Pinji (NZ) taking out the Selangor Gold Cup (1600m). CEO of Selangor Turf Club, Michael Fong is pleased with the boosted sponsorship from NZB and believes the partnership continues to be a positive one for Selangor Turf Club and the wider jurisdiction. “The collaboration between the Selangor Turf Club and New Zealand Bloodstock is indeed one of the key factors contributing to the success of our horse industry here in Malaysia,” he said. Pasir Pinji (NZ) NZB has been an active sponsor of Selangor Turf Club for over 15 years and NZB’s Director of Business and Development Mike Kneebone’s relationship extends even further. “I first met the Chairman Tan Sri Richard Cham, and his wife Louise 30 years ago when they were attending the Wrightson sale at Claudelands Hamilton at that time,” commented Kneebone. “Selangor Turf Club is known for their forward thinking and innovative ideas to keep racing popular and entertaining for the owners. “The racetrack in Selangor is as good as any track surface you will find plus the trainers have their horses in excellent condition. “We are pleased to continue the partnership bigger and better and understand the importance Malaysian buyers and their racing industry is to the success of our sales,” he added. One of the sponsored races on 4 November lands two weeks out from the Ready to Run Sale of two-year-olds where Malaysia has been a key purchaser. In 2022 Malaysian buyers accounted for a spend of over $1.1 million when purchasing eighteen lots. NZB’s subsidiary business NZB Airfreight has also been key to ensuring the transport of these purchases into Malaysia each year, which has historically been a difficult route logistically. And as a further incentive to Malaysian buyers, Selangor Turf Club is able to offer airfreight subsidies through the partnership and NZB Airfreight to ensure their buyers have access to the world’s best two-year-old sale. The 2023 edition of the Sale will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre on 22 and 23 November, with Breeze Ups just held at Te Rapa Racecourse on 16 and 17 October. For international enquiries, contact Mike Kneebone on +61 439 568 881 or email mike.kneebone@nzb.co.nz For bloodstock enquiries, contact Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or email kane.jones@nzb.co.nz View the full article

Fresh from a Happy Valley double, Pierre Ng will bid to add further impetus to an impressive start to the season by throwing down the gauntlet to champion sprinter Lucky Sweynesse with Duke Wai, a son of Per Incanto, in the Gr.2 Premier Bowl Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (22 October). Fourth in the Gr.3 Korea Sprint (1200m, sand) behind Japan’s Remake – who set a course record – in Seoul on 10 September, Duke Wai (117lb) returns to Sha Tin on Sunday when he will face Lucky Sweynesse (135lb), Sight Success (121lb), Victor The Winner (118lb), Stoltz (117lb) and Adios (115lb). “He (Duke Wai) travelled back brilliantly (from Seoul). It was the second trip (overseas) for him and he handles it well. We trialled him last week, which he won and he finished very well. We’ve got the gear (pacifier with cowls) on for him, similar to the Korean race,” said Ng, who leads the 2023/24 Hong Kong trainers’ championship with 11 wins. “With the light weight, I hope he gets maximum pace. So let’s see how he goes. It’s (going to be) difficult, but with the light weight advantage, that’s a big help.” Since inheriting Duke Wai at the start of last season from retired trainer Paul O’Sullivan, Ng has started the evergreen speedster 12 times – including twice overseas – for a win and six other top-four finishes. Duke Wai will jump from barrier two under in-form jockey Harry Bentley as he attempts to improve on his fifth placing behind Wellington in last season’s G2 Premier Bowl Handicap. While much of the focus centres on the return bout between Victor The Winner and Lucky Sweynesse, who fought out the finish of the Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap (1200m) on 10 September, Frankie Lor is hopeful Adios can continue a consistent season. One of Hong Kong’s most durable performers with four wins and three minor placings from 16 starts last season, Adios has opened the current campaign in familiar fashion. The gelding chased home Victor The Winner and Lucky Sweynesse in the Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap (1200m) before failing by a neck to overhaul Stoltz in the G3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) on 1 October. To jump from barrier four, Adios will be ridden by Alexis Badel. “He (Adios) is good. I think with a light weight, it should be a good race for him but this time it will be tough again against Lucky Sweynesse. It will be difficult to beat him but we try and it’s a good race for him (Adios),” Lor said. Sunday’s (22 October) 10-race card kicks off at Sha Tin with the Class 5 Contract Bridge Handicap (1400m) at 1pm. View the full article

New Zealand Bloodstock has announced the sponsorship of two large prizemoney races in Malaysia with graduates of NZB’s sales set to be able to compete for stakes of RM100,000. The first of two RM100,000 races set to run in 2024 will be open to graduates of NZB’s 2023 Ready to Run Sale, while the second race will be open to all NZB sales graduates. The two high-stakes graduate races are the first of their kind in Malaysia, and offer a significant prizemoney boost to the racing jurisdiction when compared to the average race stake offering of between RM14,500 to RM39,000. The initiative is supported by other further sponsored open races on 4 November, and comes as part of a wider partnership between NZB and the premier Malaysian racing club who have been regular attendees and purchasers of NZB sales. As a result, New Zealand-bred and sourced horses continue to headline the leaderboards in Malaysia, with just last month Pasir Pinji (NZ) taking out the Selangor Gold Cup (1600m). CEO of Selangor Turf Club, Michael Fong is pleased with the boosted sponsorship from NZB and believes the partnership continues to be a positive one for Selangor Turf Club and the wider jurisdiction. “The collaboration between the Selangor Turf Club and New Zealand Bloodstock is indeed one of the key factors contributing to the success of our horse industry here in Malaysia,” he said. Pasir Pinji (NZ) NZB has been an active sponsor of Selangor Turf Club for over 15 years and NZB’s Director of Business and Development Mike Kneebone’s relationship extends even further. “I first met the Chairman Tan Sri Richard Cham, and his wife Louise 30 years ago when they were attending the Wrightson sale at Claudelands Hamilton at that time,” commented Kneebone. “Selangor Turf Club is known for their forward thinking and innovative ideas to keep racing popular and entertaining for the owners. “The racetrack in Selangor is as good as any track surface you will find plus the trainers have their horses in excellent condition. “We are pleased to continue the partnership bigger and better and understand the importance Malaysian buyers and their racing industry is to the success of our sales,” he added. One of the sponsored races on 4 November lands two weeks out from the Ready to Run Sale of two-year-olds where Malaysia has been a key purchaser. In 2022 Malaysian buyers accounted for a spend of over $1.1 million when purchasing eighteen lots. NZB’s subsidiary business NZB Airfreight has also been key to ensuring the transport of these purchases into Malaysia each year, which has historically been a difficult route logistically. And as a further incentive to Malaysian buyers, Selangor Turf Club is able to offer airfreight subsidies through the partnership and NZB Airfreight to ensure their buyers have access to the world’s best two-year-old sale. The 2023 edition of the Sale will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre on 22 and 23 November, with Breeze Ups just held at Te Rapa Racecourse on 16 and 17 October. For international enquiries, contact Mike Kneebone on +61 439 568 881 or email mike.kneebone@nzb.co.nz For bloodstock enquiries, contact Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or email kane.jones@nzb.co.nz View the full article

In an ominous sign for her rivals, Imperatriz has gone to a new level since her blistering Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) win at The Valley last month, according to assistant trainer Ben Gleeson. The track record-breaking sprinting star had a look at Flemington on Tuesday morning in preparation for a likely tilt at the G1 Champions Sprint (1200m) and was ultra-impressive. “She was fantastic,” Gleeson said of the piece of work. “It was a very smooth morning out there, Sans Doute led up Imperatriz … Imperatriz sat three to four lengths off her, I was standing in the clock tower and as they went past me Imperatriz just let rip. “I haven’t seen her work as impressive as that and she’s put in some good gallops. We had a super morning out.” Mick Dee was in the saddle for the Flemington hit-out and was equally as impressed with the seven-time G1 winner’s work. “He was pretty chuffed I think with the way she worked … he’s a man of simple words and he just said, ‘Wow, she’s going as good as I’ve known her to be’,” Gleeson said. “In the week-and-a-half since her win, she’s really recovered well but she’s come on plenty, she’s now dappled up all over. “I think we’ll get to Cox Plate Day and she’ll just look incredible. We’ll take her to Moonee Valley on Tuesday for Breakfast With The Stars and give her one little hit-out there and she’ll be spot on.” Despite lucrative offers, Te Akau and trainer Mark Walker opted to bypass The Everest and remain racing Imperatriz in Victoria, a move which will be more than justified if she can add another G1 win to her already daunting page. View the full article

Unfashionable sire Zed has already produced a Melbourne Cup winner. Will Group 1 winning Kiwi stayer Ladies Man make the field this year? Trainer Allan Sharrock provides an update. CLICK TO PLAY AUDIO View the full article