Wandering Eyes

In a discussion with NYRA publicity, Antonucci reflected on the stellar career of Arcangelo and what her achievements mean for women and the sport.View the full article

The ceremony will honor the highest-rated horse in the 2023 Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings as well as the Longines World's Best Horse Race. View the full article

French jockey thinks the former Hong Kong champion trainer’s in-form recent recruit could be worth setting for Happy Valley’s only black-type raceView the full article

It has been a big year for Whitsbury Manor Stud. From a landmark result with homebred Chaldean going on to win the 2,000 Guineas for Juddmonte, his half-sister Get Ahead selling for 2.5m gns at public auction and the continued rise of superstar stallion Havana Grey, 2023 has been the gift that keeps on giving for Ed Harper and his team. There is plenty, still, to look forward to next year, with fellow Whitsbury-based stallion Sergei Prokofiev set to be represented by his first crop of runners and Dragon Symbol taking up his position on the roster. From all things Whitsbury to reflecting on the breeding stock sales, the ever-engaging Harper makes for required reading in this week's Q&A. You must look back on 2023 pretty fondly with Whitsbury Manor Stud homebred Chaldean winning the 2,000 Guineas for Juddmonte? We wouldn't have a lot of runners in Classic races because of the types of stallions we stand but, obviously, we use a few outside stallions every year. When you use the best stallion around [Frankel], you hope to provide yourself with a chance to step up on quality. It couldn't have worked out any better with Chaldean winning the 2,000 Guineas. Where would that rank? A great milestone. It ranked very highly but I don't feel as though it was a whole heap of hard work that produced the result. For example, producing a stallion like Showcasing or Havana Grey, that takes five or six years of hard work from every team member pulling in the same direction. A result like Chaldean is a piece of good judgement in the sales ring to buy the mare by Dad, which isn't to be underestimated, but even he would admit that there is a lot of luck involved. So, you get yourself a diamond mare in Suelita, what are you going to do with her? You're going to send her to a diamond stallion. It's brilliant, and it's fantastic, but it's not comparable to the whole Whitsbury machine working together for years to make a stallion. I see the two things very differently. You must have got a lot of pleasure at seeing Chaldean's half-sister Get Ahead, a talented mare in her own right, selling for 2.5m gns to Ian MacAleavy's First Bloodstock? I'd have rathered if we didn't have to sell her! We have to remind ourselves that the function of Whitsbury is not to have a small, uber broodmare band sending mares to the best stallions on the planet. Our job is to keep small breeders alive in England because, without them, there is no breeding industry in this country. If we can sell Get Ahead and support the business in areas that help, such as the grassroots by making stallions, then that's our job. Effectively, weighing up the sale of Get Ahead, we can't be everything to everyone. You can't be brilliant at everything. It doesn't work like that for anybody. So weighing it up, we ask ourselves what our priority is. Is it looking out into the paddock and seeing the occasional super mare going to the super stallion or is it making the next stallion? We effectively prioritised the buying of Dragon Symbol over keeping Get Ahead. That's the choice we made. I'll go on to Dragon Symbol in a second but, when you mentioned Whitsbury supporting the grassroots players in England, I just wonder how you would look back on the breeding stock sales on a personal level taking into consideration how many smaller breeders took a kicking? The most satisfying thing for us this year was the 20 to 30 smaller breeders who really benefited from Havana Grey. That means that some of those breeders can reinvest and possibly step up the next rung up the ladder, which is great, or, on a slightly scarier level, it means some will survive another two or three years. Without stallions like Havana Grey, that doesn't happen. I'm not pretending to have the answers as to why this is but, culturally, when smaller breeders in England stop, they stop for good. They don't come back. When small breeders in Ireland stop because, say there's a dip in the market or maybe there's overproduction, for whatever reason, they seem to have the ability to come back when times get better. I feel like we have to be the lifeboat throwing the vests out to keep some of the smaller breeders alive and, when you get it right and you help a load of people, it's very satisfying. Obviously, we're trying to run a profitable business as well, we're not a charity, but we need a thriving industry and we have to provide our clients with a chance to make money. It's very satisfying when it happens. Did you listen to this month's Jamie Railton podcast where Roger O'Callaghan was the guest? Roger singled out Whistbury for high praise. A lot of people would say there are similarities between how Whitsbury and Tally-Ho Stud is run. What would those similarities be? I listened to it, yes. There's lots of other places in England who had good years, so we don't have a monopoly on that. But what do we do similar? For starters, we don't really worry what other people are doing and Tally-Ho certainly don't worry either. The one thing that we would agree on is that we need to see success scattered around the business from time to time. It can't be for one outfit all the time because that's not how a sport works. I've a few friends and connections who have never been involved in the breeding industry who have started to ask me questions about getting involved for the first time. I've known some of these people for 20 years and they've never asked me that so it's nice to think we have just pricked the interests of a few new players because we can't just have people going out of the market. We need new people as well. For me, one of the stories from the mares sale was your neighbour Katrina Yarrow getting 52,000gns for Havana Grey foal with the first mare she ever bought. Exactly. And that was someone who was brave enough to listen to us when we recommended the mare. Fair play to Katrina for giving it a go. You're only ever going to find out by giving it ago and, if you don't risk too much and keep top of what you are prepared to invest, it can be a lot of fun. Getting back to the Railton podcast, when Roger said that some breeders need to look themselves in the mirror over some of the poor results in the ring, rather than blaming the game, did you think that was fair comment? Yea, I would agree with Roger completely. We're all good at seeing the difficulties in our game but the skill is figuring out how to combat it. Sending back the same mares, who are a year older, year after year, and then saying, 'oh, it hasn't happened for me,' is not the approach. If you asked that same person what they have done to give themselves a chance, what have they actively gone and done, they often don't have any answer for you. Some will say, 'oh, well I can't go out and buy a new mare, I had to play it safe because the foal sales didn't go well or the yearling sales didn't go well.' Well, the answer to that is no, when the foal or yearling sales don't go well, that's when you have to go out and buy a new mare! You almost have to be more active when things aren't going well. People tend to almost go back into the shell when things aren't working for them. Everyone should be trying to improve all the time. I mean, I read Emma Berry's piece with Peter Kavanagh in the TDN on Tuesday, and he made some excellent points. The bit I would completely agree with is that, part of the puzzle, and the piece of the game that we rarely talk about, is horse husbandry. It's arguably the most important part of the puzzle. From choosing stallions, to buying mares or even sending horses into training, it's all completely irrelevant if the horse husbandry hasn't been good enough. That is the area that is slipping in Britain; the horse husbandry is going the wrong way a lot of the time. Obviously there are plenty of people doing a good job but, in general, the slide is in the quality of husbandry, and that's difficult to get around. When husbandry slides, the rest of it becomes irrelevant. What are we talking about here? Just poorly presented foals at the sales with regards to lack of bone, poor feet etc? Everything. The quality of the land, management of the pasture, the attention to detail on the stock, general care of the stock; it's everyday stuff. Thinking that you can just turn out horses and forget about them, be it mares, foals, whatever, horse husbandry is an everyday job. If you are not on it every day, it slips. I was at the pinhookers panel at Tattersalls on the evening before the foal sales where you came out with a great line when referencing a conversation you had with your accountant. I think he was questioning one of your decisions and you said something along the lines of, 'you don't get to have a say, you just keep the score!' With that in mind, and I know you won't mind me saying this, but I would say there were a few people questioning the decision to stand Dragon Symbol at Whitsbury. Lucky you don't care what other people think! We had the same reaction with Showcasing and Havana Grey. When we bought Showcasing, I was told that the Gimcrack wasn't a stallion-making race. You had to go back to Mill Reef when a Gimcrack winner became a good stallion. What a load of rubbish that was. With Havana Grey, people were saying, why are we getting excited about a son of a stallion who was standing for eight or 10 grand, or whatever it was at the time. That made no sense to me either because, first of all, Havana Gold had already proved himself as a bloody good stallion and, also, you could give 10 examples in about three seconds of horses who were more successful than their sires. In terms of Dragon Symbol, he's very easy to defend. He was five pounds a better racehorse than Havana Grey ever was and it's about standing a quality racehorse at the end of the day. To be first past the post in a Commonwealth Cup, with himself and Campanelle six lengths clear of the rest, and to then go and be beaten just a neck behind Starman in a July Cup as a three-year-old, those are serious performances. I happened to think Cable Bay was a bloody good stallion as well. He just didn't have the rub of the green in terms of fertility and soundness, in that he had one or two issues that held him back, which was nobody's fault. He got eight black-type two-year-olds in his first crop which is better than ninety per cent of stallions and that allowed them to double his fee to 15 grand, which nobody batted an eye over. He absolutely deserved it. Dragon Symbol (right) | Racingfotos.com Is it extra special bringing Dragon Symbol back to where he was bred or does it even matter? The answer to that is I couldn't give a monkeys who bred him! It's a nice thing to talk about but it had zero influence on the decision. In fact, I think it could have the opposite effect as people might get the wrong end of the stick in thinking Dragon Symbol was a vanity project when the reality is that it couldn't be further from the truth. We're far too business-minded and commercial to worry about that sort of thing. And what's the vibe ahead of Sergei Prokofiev's first runners next year? I don't even want to hear things from trainers in February, let alone December, but all I would say is that the Sergeis are very easy customers to deal with. They are relaxed and compliant. As we were saying earlier, sadly with the staffing in the industry, we don't have the time to deal with difficult horses compared to back in the day, so having a stallion who produces even-tempered and nice horses is a step in the right direction. We almost got to the end of the conversation without waxing lyrical about Havana Grey. I know you find it boring to continue to heap praise on him but even you must have been punching yourself over the continued support behind him at the foal sales? It's fantastic but my pulse doesn't raise much at the sales. When we're selling our own stock for good money, we need to do that to keep the cogs turning in the right direction and to reinvest in the industry, but it's not something I get excited about. What excites me most is watching our horses win on the track. I do get nervous watching a two-year-old we thought a lot of make its debut. Even if it's a Class 5 at Wolverhampton, I'll be far more nervous about that than a horse going through the ring. The other thing that makes us happy is trying our best to help and advise people and, when it works out even better than what we'd hoped it would, that is very satisfying. Celebrating the result of our clients is more satisfying. The post Ed Harper Q&A: “What Excites Me Most Is Our Horses Winning On The Track” appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Somehow this is a real sweet spot in the market. For a stallion farm, the $10,000 cover is a particular pitch: you're a cent away from offering a horse at four figures, but you feel that dropping him into a low-rent neighborhood might be beneath his dignity. You're offering a very accessible fee, but you're not going to let him look cheap. That makes this a surprisingly congested zone, ample for separate assessment. And since clinging to a five-figure fee somewhat represents a show of faith, some of these sires tend to have a fair case in their favor. At a time when fees are widely perceived to be challenging, this is a nook that harbors some decent value. It is broadly populated by three types. First are the veterans who have achieved an honorable viability over the years (and we know how difficult that is) but are now suffering the commercial prejudice in favor of fresher blood. On the other hand, we have a bunch of younger guns, typically riding out the bumps between the vogue of novelty and distrust of racetrack exposure. And then there are a few in between, horses in their prime who have settled into a workable niche that keeps them competitive with the next tier up. The senior group is headed by a remarkable pair, both about to enter their 20th year at stud, with a body of work behind them that will forever embarrass the vast majority of this lot. And there's plenty of life left in MINESHAFT, judging from seven stakes scorers this year (one for each of his lifetime Grade I winners) at a ratio that Uncle Mo, Medaglia d'Oro and Tapit have barely matched. A 1-2 in the GII Cigar Mile showcased his continued prowess, both Hoist the Gold and Senor Buscador already owning wins at that level earlier in the year. The former is now in the millionaires' club, and will soon be joined there by the latter assuming he perseveres in 2024. SKY MESA is still more neglected, yet similarly remains in the top 15 active sires by lifetime earnings, with ratios of black-type and graded stakes action that measure up respectably against all but the elite names. Remember that these old boys can draw some venerable influences close: Sky Mesa's first three dams are by Storm Cat, Affirmed and Round Table, yet the continued vigor of his family has been lately evinced by his half-sister's son Maxfield (Street Sense). Mineshaft's first three dams, meanwhile, are by Mr. Prospector, Hoist the Flag and Herbager (Fr)! Both Mineshaft and Sky Mesa have superb families and to be able to access their blood, relatively undiluted by the huge books nowadays flooding the gene pool, is a diminishing opportunity too obvious to any enlightened breeder to require the formal gilding of a place on the Value Podium. Really I should have them both up there, but they covered 40 mares between them last year and that tide is hardly going to turn at this stage. Happily, we know them to be in good hands and they will remain long cherished once their service is finally over. Ditto another veteran, MIDNIGHT LUTE, who had a few more mares than that pair last spring but again hardly the numbers commensurate with his five elite winners–including not just Midnight Bisou but more recently Smooth Like Strait, himself now launching a stud career at a bargain fee–and the solid ratios that also keep him inside the top 20 active sires. At the other end of the spectrum, meanwhile, most of the younger sires are awaiting the emergence of their first runners. (By the way, don't forget that we gave the absolute beginners a separate assessment, at the outset of this series, highlighting the claims of one standing at this fee in COUNTRY GRAMMER.) One of the younger guns that has already tested the water on the racetrack, however, has done so with quite promising results. For while COLLECTED found himself in a very competitive intake, his first sophomores this year included winners of the GII Del Mary Derby, GII Pennine Ridge S. and GII Black-Eyed Susan S. Drain the Clock | Sara Gordon Among several only just embarked on their new careers, INDEPENDENCE HALL and especially DRAIN THE CLOCK have some big numbers behind them-unsurprisingly, in view of the 101 Beyer clocked by the former in his record-margin romp in the GIII Nashua S., or the similar precocity displayed by the latter as prelude to his GI Woody Stephens success. TACITUS, HAPPY SAVER and IDOL were contrasting brands, on the margin of the elite around a second turn but amply demonstrating the functionality of their aristocratic genes. Happy Saver, in fact, has none other than Weekend Surprise replicated top and bottom: she's his third dam, while her son A.P. Indy is the damsire of Super Saver. The latter has another son trading in this bracket in RUNHAPPY, whose fee slips despite producing a GI Hopeful winner in the $12,000 yearling Nutella Fella. We saw another glimpse of the real Smile Happy in the GII Alysheba S., meanwhile, and the stakes are now pretty minimal for those keeping the faith with Runhappy. A couple of nuggets at this level are the Lane's End pair, THE FACTOR and TONALIST. The former had a quiet year by his very consistent standards, and needed to come down in line with his yearling yield, but there's no knocking a stellar lifetime ratio of two winners to three named foals. As for Tonalist, a single horse has blatantly distorted his earning power but what Country Grammer has represented much more fairly is all the toughness one would hope to inherit from Tapit over Pleasant Colony. It's heartening to see that this was recognized by as many as 115 mare owners last spring, twice as many as Tonalist entertained in 2021. Another farm that demands a visit for those working to this kind of budget is Spendthrift. Admittedly its $10k trio have all long shed the novelty value prized by its more commercial clients, as was clear when their latest yearlings entered the ring. Continued demand in the breeding shed, however, suggests that people can glimpse a different type of value here. Sure enough, on the track JIMMY CREED produced another three graded stakes winners including the evergreen Casa Creed, whose Fourstardave H. win was his fourth at the top level. Jimmy Creed is carving out a very viable place at this level, with his book back up into three figures last spring, and only narrowly misses joining one of his neighbors on the podium. VALUE PODIUM Bronze: HONOR A.P. Honor Code–Hollywood Story (Wild Rush) Lane's End $10,000 Honor A.P. | Sarah Andrew This is our clear pick among the many young stallions whose farms are hoping that this kind of fee will prove only a foundation, once some actual runners can attest to their genetic prowess. That, of course, is the reverse of the usual scenario. As a rule, the commercial market backs away faster and faster, the closer a stallion gets to the unsparing exposure of the racetrack. Everyone knows that most young sires will fail, and tries to ride their fleeting commercial momentum. If you truly believe in a horse, however, this is the time to double down. Only where could you hope to find a combination of top-class pedigree, physique and performance for just 10 grand? Well, right here at Lane's End–that's where. Honor A.P. beat the subsequent Horse of the Year at Santa Anita, and did so fair and square. He would surely have gone close to doing so again, but for his nightmare trip in the September “Derby”. The matter was left unresolved by his further misfortune, but nobody could deny that he had ticked the performance box in the little opportunity he had. Physique? How does $850,000 Saratoga yearling sound? And as for the genetic package, he's out of a Grade I winner (at both two and five) by a sire from one of the great modern families. True, Honor Code himself has proved a rather disappointing sire, to the extent that he recently became another far-sighted “rescue” by a Japanese industry prepared to play a longer game. Honor Code promptly came up with Honor Marie's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. as something to remember him by, but his departure is probably good news for his son. It must have been difficult to launch Honor A.P. alongside his own sire, when the latter had failed to pull away into a higher tier of the market. Honor A.P. now gets a clear run even as he prepares to launch his first runners. He made a perfectly solid sales debut, his 48 yearlings processed at $55,145 highlighted by a $375,000 colt. Just because Honor Code did not prove consistently potent, that doesn't alter the fact that Honor A.P. converted a stellar genetic legacy into something luminously functional on the track. Unsurprisingly he struggled for numbers in his third book, but we've been given every incentive to hang in there with a fee cut from $15,000. With luck, his quality will start to now take his mares past those floundering against the dull tides of quantity. Silver: FROSTED Tapit–Fast Cookie (Deputy Minister) Darley $10,000 Frosted | Darley Could it be that Frosted has finally reached a point where he becomes a value proposition? There's no denying that he has been a letdown to this point. The fastest GI Met Mile winner in history retired with his 123 Beyer as the most expensive option of the 2017 intake, at $50,000, and averaged around $225,000 with his first yearlings. And here he is, after 344 starters, still waiting for that breakout Grade I winner. In the meantime, his fee has slumped consecutively until settling at $10,000 last year. But if we reset our bearings accordingly, we'd have to concede that he has had a quietly productive campaign, his 18 black-type performers including three graded stakes winners (plus one in Australia). True, he's still benefiting from some of the classy mares he received early on: Keeneland Grade III winner Frost Point, for instance, is out of a Grade I-winning millionaire. So we'll have to see whether he can maintain this kind of output with rather lesser raw materials, but it's very striking that last spring Frosted moved his book up from 108 to 154. Evidently the kind of commercial breeders who could not initially afford him have by no means given up on the gray, and it may be that a different kind of cocktail will shake some fresh flavors-as a sprint influence, for instance, and even as a turf one, as in the case of globetrotting Jasper Krone-out of a horse that once seemed to have the world at his feet. After all, he traded 66 of his latest crop of yearlings at $65,475, which would do very nicely indeed off this kind of fee; while one sold for $50,000 in the previous crop soared to $900,000 at OBS in April. Frosted is still only on his fourth crop and that leaves ample scope for a market thaw. Gold: CROSS TRAFFIC Unbridled's Song–Stop Traffic (Cure The Blues) Spendthrift $10,000 Cross Traffic | Spendthrift This horse has endured some dazing fluctuations since being crowned champion freshman by multiple indices in 2018. His reward in 2019 was the attention of 188 mares at $25,000, up from just 60 at $7,500 the previous year. The resulting crop were juveniles of 2022, when 33 individual winners from 79 starters put him second in the all-comers' 2-year-old table, with no fewer than 13 of them earning black-type. And how did they follow through this year? Well, 63 of his 105 sophomore starters won, notably GI Ashland S. winner Defining Purpose. And another 3-year-old filly was on track for a stunning Grade I debut when taking her unbeaten spree of five (Saratoga maiden and stakes at two, another stakes and two graded stakes at three) into the Test S. Her name, you will scarcely need reminding, was Maple Leaf Mel. From his older stock, Cross Traffic also produced homebred Here Mi Song to win the GIII Commonwealth S for a three-horse program that also includes her dam, an apt measure of the type of service he can perform for the smaller breeder. Ludicrously, however, his 2020 book plunged by two-thirds and he ended up with only 28 live foals, of which a bare dozen started this year, leaving him submerged in the general sires' table despite 14 black-type performers. He must continue to ride out this slump after another couple of quiet years, but his book last spring responded to his 2022 deeds with a rally to 84. The hope now must be that Cross Traffic can consolidate the second chance he has earned from those fickle breeders. It will assist his cause that the familiar precocity of his stock tends to be fortified with maturity, after the fashion of near-millionaire Ny Traffic who soaked up four campaigns. Cross Traffic himself, remember, raced only as a 4-year-old, when making up for lost time with a GI Met Mile second and GI Whitney success on just his fourth and fifth starts. His family has some fairly exotic seeding, albeit no more so than the big horse on this farm. And it is full of runners, not least his dual Grade I-winning dam. She has additionally given Unbridled's Song the mother of Gulfport (Uncle Mo), who won the Bashford Manor by a dozen lengths last year before his promotion to replace Forte (Violence) in the GI Hopeful S. There's some real genetic vigor here, then, and Cross Traffic has now shown twice over-with his juveniles of 2018 and 2022-the kind of crop he can produce if only he's given the chance. And, at this kind of money, a proper, sustained chance is just what he deserves. Sires At $10,000: Breeders Selections Fabricio Buffalo | Keeneland Fabricio Buffolo, Buffalo Bloodstock Gold Medal: Happy Saver I think he is a nice example of what a true American dirt horse looks like, especially with such an impressive and powerful shoulder. I think it's hard to not think about his name and not associate it with such a solid and sturdy front end. He was a very good racehorse who showed grit and resilience throughout his races against all the best in the country. He is an interesting young stallion. Silver Medal: Midnight Lute When considering the group of stallions with runners standing at $10,000, I think that he stands out with a solid percentage of black-type horses and black-type winners to runners, including five Grade I winners which is not usual at this price bracket. He's quite versatile with his progeny having good performers on different surfaces and distances, and the key lies in finding a mare that can suit him physically. Bronze Medal: Jimmy Creed He is another horse that has done fairly well at this stud fee bracket getting a good percentage of black-type horses compared to others, including some with higher price tags. It's evident that the market can be quite tough on horses like him that have had a decent number of crops, but he has received continued support in the last few years attesting to the confidence that breeders have found in him. The Factor | Lee Thomas Elgin Hamner, Prime Bloodstock Gold Medal: The Factor If The Factor had not left for a couple of years, I believe he would be a constant top 25 sire. He's great value to have a shot at a good runner. Silver Medal: Frosted I was really high on him coming out, he's a strong horse with a strong race record. Love the Tapit over Deputy Minister. Now, he has established himself as a racehorse producer. He's always top two or three of his crop and gets a bigger, stronger horse than The Factor. They seem to run anywhere and are selling ok. He just needed a couple of big horses earlier. Bronze Medal: Goldencents It's hard to make it as a sire, but they run early and often. They don't sell as well as they should (can lack size), but each one born could be a runner. Honorable Mention: Honor A.P. No runners yet, but the physical when he stamps them is pretty strong. We have to keep that A.P. blood going, it's the best two turn blood of the last 20 years, and he is one of the last of that line with a shot. The post Value Sires For 2024, Part 3: The $10k Club appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of $82,494,143 was bet on Remington Park throughout the season, lower by 3.8% from the 2023 total of $85,761,277.View the full article

As 2023 draws to a close, the TDN is asking industry members to name their favorite moment of the year. Send yours to suefinley@thetdn.com. I think my favorite moment of 2023 was Epsom Derby day. The Derby was a great race which included Passenger for Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd., who was a bit too immature for this big event but who has won the G3 Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor since. The winner, Auguste Rodin, doesn't need any introduction now but what an impressive horse. Winning a Group 1 as a two-year-old and four Group 1s this year in three different countries is very special. I am really looking forward to seeing him on the track again. Well done to all his connections to keep him in training next year. But that day was also very special to me because my wife, Kelsey Lupo, connected through Jamie McCalmont, was supporting Prosperous Voyage who won the Princess Elizabeth Stakes, trained by Ralph Beckett for Andrew Rosen & Marc Chan. Kelsey was able to walk into the winner's circle with our less than three-month-old daughter Millie that day. Not the first race day for Millie but the first big win for her and definitely a favorite moment of mine this year! –Aurelien Voileau, Assistant Manager to the Niarchos Family The post What Was Your Favorite Moment of 2023: Aurelien Voileau appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Cementing a hat-trick, Elegant Lady (NZ) (Highly Recommended) won the Cochranes of Canterbury (2200m) on Wednesday at Ashburton. After capping a hat-trick of seconds with victory on New Zealand Cup Day, Elegant Lady won at Riccarton on the synthetic earlier this month and then scored again in the same grade. Carrying virtually the same weight (56kg) with Lily Sutherland aboard, Elegant Lady received a smooth passage three back outer, ranged into contention on straightening and had things parcelled up inside the final 200m. “It was another really good win by a progressive mare and a lovely ride by Lily (Sutherland),” said co-trainer Mark Walker. “She’s a nice staying prospect and we have got the Dunedin Gold Cup in the back of our minds, and an opportunity to look for some black type.” The Listed Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) will be contested on Saturday 3 February at Wingatui. Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM bought her dam Lady Masako for $23,000 as a yearling at the 2015 South Island Sale. “She’s a homebred filly that has strengthened and developed into a beautiful looking mare,” said Ellis, who spent the day inspecting yearlings at Haunui Farm, Westbury Stud, and Hallmark Stud, ahead of Karaka 2024. “She was pretty well placed by Mark (Walker) and Sam (Bergerson) to win again in the same grade, and it’s as much about keeping their confidence high when aiming for a Cup race. “She’s always been incredibly consistent and sometimes horses that obviously try as hard as she does just need that extra bit of maturity to start winning. “She had no trouble seeing out the 2200 metres today, has stamina in her dam line, and stepping up to a mile and a half (2400m) may suit her. “She’s a lovely mare, great attitude, and good to see her winning races in the south after I’d bought her mother at a South Island sale. “Hunter Durrant and his team of staff are doing a fantastic job looking after the horses in work at Riccarton, and they’vee got a strike rate better than three (2.9) this season which is quite incredible.” By Fastnet Rock (Danehill) stallion Highly Recommended, Elegant Lady is the second foal from Iffraaj mare Lady Masako (NZ). View the full article

John Sargent had extra reason to celebrate at Warwick Farm when debutante Photographics (NZ) (Per Incanto) gave him a rare pre-Christmas two-year-old winner. Not only is the victory timely, it is also a family affair as the filly is leased by Sargent and his wife, along with their children Lucy and Jack. “I put my kids in this horse and they need the money so I was under a bit of pressure to get the horse out and racing,” Sargent said. “At least they’ve got some back now. “We’ve usually got other people in the horses with us, but this is the first time just the whole family. Lucy is here and my son lives in London, so it’s a great thrill for them.” By proven stallion Per Incanto, Photographics won her only barrier trial and had shown Sargent ability from the outset. He wasn’t sure how she would handle the heavy conditions in Wednesday’s Highland Race Colours Handicap (1000m) but they proved no issue, Photographics ($4.40) skipping through the ground to score by 1-1/4 lengths over Miss Piera (Pierata) ($3 equal fav) with Husk (Calyx) ($3 equal fav) another half-head away third. Sargent said Photographics had been a bit fierce early but was relaxing much better in her work and that had translated to race day. “She showed a lot of early speed when I started to gallop her, but she has started to harness it now and I think she will be a nice filly in time,” he said. “I think she will just keep improving.” Photographics was ridden by three-kilo claiming apprentice Molly Bourke, who Sargent felt was a key factor in the win. Bourke has been in good form in town, parlaying a victory aboard the Gary Nickson-trained Felix Majestic (Smart Missile) at Randwick on Saturday into Wednesday’s Warwick Farm success. “It’s a big help on the wet tracks, three kilos, and she judged the pace very well there,” Sargent said of Bourke. View the full article

Industry Update – What the Board are Talking About from Mauro Barsi, Chief Operating Officer December 2023 I begin this report by wishing our CEO, Gary Woodham, the best for a swift and full recovery from his recent medical event. We know that he is on leave until at least February next year and remain excited about seeing him back in the office and on track again soon. Code Funding Code Funding is up for renegotiation and we have had our first meeting already. We are particularly focussed on ensuring that our funding is sufficient to meet the needs of the industry, including the ability to trial new ideas and bring innovation to the sport. We will continue to let you know more in this space as it comes to hand but suffice it to say the full Board has been briefed on the process and the current funding model, and is prepared for a robust debate. We should have a clear idea on what the future may look like by the end of February. Forbury Park The issues surrounding Forbury Park have now been settled and the Board is in the process of formally taking clean title on the site. We remain committed to working through the options surrounding Forbury’s future and we have placed the initial proceeds management model on the HRNZ website. The Board is clear that it will work with the local club to ensure the best outcome for the funds and the community, and it will be looking to potential purchasers shortly. At this stage we are exploring strong opportunities for sale on an ‘as is where is’ basis and we will know more early next year. Entain We are working closely with Entain to look at the new season calendar and to consider trialling some new ideas ahead of the season start as well. One of the issues we are considering is giving more racing opportunities for the horses we breed whereby we can utilise our horse population simply by altering the qualifying standard whilst ensuring horses of similar ability compete together. We have also identified a significant pool of horses that qualify under the current standard yet don’t race due to programming not providing competitive opportunities. It is early days in this process but we remain committed to getting more horses to the track, more racing to Entain, and better wagering for our industry. We are likely to consult with the clubs shortly, once we have a consultation document drafted. Forums We are supporting the creation of the Regional and National Forums, and we look forward to working with them once they are in place. Currently we are providing Chris Lange’s assistance (HRNZ Legal Advisor) to support the mechanics and legal requirements of Forum building and we can see that the process is advancing. We are in regular contact with the Harness Racing Governance Working Group and we are also reaching out to Forum areas. We note that the process for recognising the voices of small clubs is also making progress and we draw your attention to that so that you don’t miss out on being a part of it. Operation Inca As some of you may have read, there are reports that Operation Inca has concluded. We have not as yet received any formal notification of this and we are currently engaging with the parties to find out. Once we know the formal position – and whether there are any ongoing issues of privacy or suppression – we will be able to determine what further steps HRNZ may wish to take. Mauro Barsi Chief Operating Officer View the full article

Media Release : Kapiti Coast Harness Racing Club Race Day Thursday 4th January 2024 The Kapiti Coast Harness Racing Club holds its annual harness race meeting at the Otaki Racecourse on Thursday 4th January 2024 in conjunction with the Otaki Maori Racing Club as a dual code race meeting. This is the fourth occasion on which this has occurred in recent years. Gates open at 10:30 a.m., and the first race is at 11:27 a.m. It is anticipated that there will be six harness races on the programme, with a potential eight galloping races to follow, so possibly a total of fourteen races on a family fun-filled day of excitement. This will be the only harness racing to take place in the Wellington region this season – North Island grass track harness racing at its very best on a wonderful sole of grass, resulting from an extensive grass resewing programme and track drainage work undertaken by the Otaki Maori Racing Club in recent years. The feature harness race on Thursday January 4th is the $20,000 Otaki Cup for the highest graded pacers, from a standing start over 3000 metres. The other feature race on the harness programme is the $15,000 Wellington Trotting Cup for horses with a trotting gait, from a standing start over 3,000 metres. Kapiti Coast Harness Racing Club President Chris Craddock will have his 5yo horse, Raging Whitebait, racing on the day. The horse is trained in Bulls by Doug Gale and is expected to give a bold showing. Doug will have a team of five horses at the race meeting. Local Otaki harness trainer Wendy Devenport will also have horses racing on the day. Uncle Drew from Devenport’s stable is a grass track specialist, “and should give a good account of himself” the trainer stated. She added, “watch out for The Elite Athlete who could be a smoky”, and who placed third on this day at Otaki a year ago. Local Levin harness trainer Murray Gibbs will also be represented with his racing team, with all expected to be primed for the annual local harness race meeting. There will be plenty of free activities for the children, including bouncy castles, face painting, a drawing competition, fun run events, treasure hunts, lolly scramble, tug of war and much more. The meeting promises to be a family-fun, community event, with harness racing not to be missed on the Kapiti Coast. Competitive stakes will be on offer, with very competitive racing on a wonderful grass track surface. Come early, bring a picnic basket, and enjoy a day in the sun on the grassed area on one of the most picturesque race courses in New Zealand…Otaki Racecourse. Harness Club President Chris Craddock stated that he was “delighted that the Kapiti Coast Harness Racing Club and the Otaki Maori Racing Club were once again combining to host this dual code race meeting on the Otaki track. The Kapiti Coast community is getting the best of both worlds with both harness and galloping races featuring on the day”. Chris Craddock President Kapiti Coast Harness Racing Club Inc. 027 410 2420 View the full article

Riverton trainer Stephen Blair-Edie is hoping Christmas comes early when he takes his quintet of runners to Gore on Sunday. The Good Shepherd (NZ) (Power) will spearhead his charge on the Christmas Eve meeting in the Dynes Transport Limited Tapanui Cup (1335m). The six-year-old gelding takes two placings into the meeting and his handler is hoping he can improve on those results this weekend following a short freshen-up. “He takes some good form into the race, and a bit of weight unfortunately,” said Blair-Edie, referring to his 60kg impost. “Two starts back he carried 7.5kg more than the winner, so that speaks for itself. The other day with the tearaway horse in front of him, he had done the work and then Henry Hubber sat on his hindquarter and let him do the work. He wasn’t far away.” Blair-Edie is opting to keep his charge closer to home over the summer in the hope of finding more forgiving ground and believes he should be very competitive on Sunday. “He doesn’t really like the firm going but down in Southland we have got a lot more chance of getting a bit more give (in the ground) than further up the Island,” he said. “He had a couple of days off and was pretty alert this morning when he worked. He is not going to have to pull his feet out of the mud, so let’s hope he can glide over it with 60 kilos.” The Dennis brothers-raced The Motivator (NZ) (Zacinto) is set to make his debut for the stable in the Advance Agriculture Rating 65 1335. Previously in the care of Canterbury trainer Ross Beckett, the son of Zacinto joined Blair-Edie’s barn a few months ago with a view to racing in front of his Southland owners. “I have been friends with the D boys for a long time. They don’t normally farm their horses out, so I took it as a compliment getting the horse,” Blair-Edie said. “He has got southern owners, so they were keen to see him run in Southland. I have had him for over three months. “He went in a jumpout the other day against some open class horses. He ended up winning that. He is just a bit lazy away. He is a big horse. I would like to see him win that if he can.” Blair-Edie will also line-up debutant The Wild Colonial (NZ) (Kilbroney) in the White Robe Lodge Maiden 1200, Sunset Express (NZ) (War Decree) in the Forest Lodge And Hokonui Honda Maiden 1335, and Keep It Loose (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) in the Road Transport Logistics And Tapanui Four Square Maiden 2000. View the full article

As one door closes, another opens, and that is the case for leading New Zealand eventer Amanda Pottinger. The Kiwi horsewoman recently called time on the eventing career of her star thoroughbred Just Kidding, who took Pottinger to the lofty heights of competing at some of the most iconic competitions in the world, including the Badminton Horse Trials and the 2022 World Championships in Pratoni, Italy. By Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus, Just Kidding was initially destined for a career on the racetrack and was sold out of Curraghmore’s 2008 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale draft for $110,000. He joined trainer John Sargent’s Matamata barn for whom he raced as Sun Of God and had three raceday starts, however, it soon became apparent that his racing career was limited when finishing last in two of those outings. He subsequently entered the care of former jockey Darryn Weatherley, who was working for Sargeant at the time, and it was through that connection that Pottinger first came about the diminutive gelding. “He came from Darryn and Lou Weatherley and they have a small family run business,” Pottinger said. “We had a horse off them before through John Sargent, who Darryn used to work for. John found us a horse that was owned by Darryn and Lou at the time and that was how the relationship started with Darryn and Lou. “One day we were driving past and called in to see them. They had Ferg (Just Kidding) there in the paddock. “He was very naughty the day we looked at him but it was just his type and movement that I liked about him, but he was tiny – he was like a pony. “Darryn wasn’t letting him go very easily because he was used as the babysitter to take the younger horses to the track. They knew he wasn’t a very good racehorse at that point, but he was a bit of a pet for them.” Pottinger’s tenacity paid off and she took the then five-year-old home. It would prove to be one of the best decisions of Pottineger’s life, with the gelding going on to help launch her riding career onto the world stage. “He has completely made my career. He has taken me all around the world and competed at the highest level of the sport,” Pottinger said. “Finishing second in the five-star in Adelaide on our debut was a real highlight, as was completing Badminton. Being on a small thoroughbred from New Zealand was pretty unheard of at the time. “We were in the top 10 after dressage on the first day. I think I was seventh equal with Oliver Townend, who was world number one at the time, that was a big thrill. “A Badminton to us is like a Wimbledon for tennis. They are the Grand Slams of our sport. He has also taken me to the World Championships to represent my country. He has well exceeded all expectations.” While the curtain has come down on Just Kidding’s eventing career, Pottinger is excited about the prospects of another thoroughbred in her care that she hopes will take her to the Paris Olympics next year. “I have another horse, Good Timing, that is still in the UK,” Pottinger said. “He is campaigning for the Paris Olympics in six months time. I head back to England at the end of January and that is 100 percent our goal to get to Paris. “He is only a 12-year-old. He was born and bred in New Zealand by Stan (Alexander) and Gail Temperton, who just live down the road from me now. They bred him and then sold him as a racehorse, but they have bought back into him in a syndicate to carry on his journey as an event horse. “He is a phenomenal horse who hit the English eventing scene at the beginning of last year and is now full steam ahead campaigning for Paris. “For me, Badminton was amazing and the World Championships was the next step, but the Olympics is definitely at the top of the list.” Thoroughbreds have been a big part of Pottinger’s life and she is enjoying representing the breed at elite-level in eventing. “I am a massive fan of thoroughbreds,” she said. “They are not all I have had, but they are all I had at a younger age because they were all that I could afford. “Now having them at the top of the sport and comparing them to some of the other bred horses, I certainly haven’t changed my opinion on them, even 10 years later and going all around the world. “They are such a great animal to be sitting on at that upper end of the sport. Their endurance and galloping really comes to play. “You never get worried that you are going to run out of steam at the end. When you are still able to accelerate in the last few minutes, that is a feeling that is a luxury at that level because endurance is massive. “To still have something that is able to accelerate and still be ears pricked and wanting to do the job is an unbelievable feeling.” Pottinger has also enjoyed being a Welfare Ambassador for New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing over the last few years, and enjoys educating people about life after racing for thoroughbreds and their capability as eventing horses. “I started with NZTR a couple of years back. They sponsor prizes in eventing, dressage and showjumping. I was a big fan of it and wrote them to thank them for it and that is how the relationship started,” she said. “I think it is massively important for people to see the journey of post-racing and there are other uses in the ability for horses to change disciplines. The versatility of the thoroughbred is amazing. “I promote the life after racing to show that they can be used in other disciplines and right at the top of that discipline. “It’s also about educating people about how to re-train these horses. Even though you do get them after racing at a young age, there is a part of it that is re-training, not just training. I am really trying to promote that actually with the right tools and right education, it is easier than what people have a perception of it being. “I am really big on trying to get people to get those skills to help get the best of the thoroughbred, even though it would have already had a racing career.” Pottinger currently splits her time between England and New Zealand, but said she is set to make a permanent move back home to New Zealand following the Olympics next year. “My fiancé lives in New Zealand and has a business here. We are juggling life on both sides of the world, which takes a great deal of commitment,” Pottinger said. “He is amazingly supportive of what I do, so I come back to New Zealand and try to support him in what he does. “I am fortunate that while I am in New Zealand I can still run a business by training and coaching people with their horses. “I can only split it to a couple of months here before I have to go back there (England) to get back on the horse and training. “This coming year with the Olympics, I need to get back there pretty soon, but after the Olympics we have made the call that I will be moving back to base myself permanently in New Zealand for the future of my career.” Pottinger is hoping that her full-time presence back in her homeland will help spur on the next generation of eventing riders in New Zealand. “What tends to happen with our sport is that you get a big influx going to the UK, which is the natural progression because of Badminton, Burghley and those events. There is only a small contingent (of elite riders) now based back in New Zealand, so what that looks like when I move back is a little uncertain at the moment. “I think you need to have the people in the UK competing against the best in the world and you also need top riders back here promoting the sport and up the game of the next generation.” View the full article

Regally-bred filly My Annie Belle (NZ) (Snitzel) is set to make her much anticipated debut at Matamata on Friday in the Cunningham Decorating Services (1200m). The three-year-old daughter of Snitzel is a half-sister to 14-time Group One winner Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) and stakes winner Tutukaka (NZ) (Tavistock), and breeder-owner Marie Leicester is hoping she can leave her mark on the track under the guidance of trainers Ken and Bev Kelso. She has had two trials to date, including finishing fourth in her 900m heat at Taupo last month, and while happy with their charge ahead of her debut, the Kelsos aren’t overly enamoured with her outside draw in the 14-horse field. “She has had a couple of trials and I thought she trialled up really well at Taupo,” Ken Kelso said. “She has unfortunately drawn wide. It would have been nice to have drawn an alley, but we are going to run her from there, it is going to be a lovely track. She has got a little bit of gate speed so she will probably go forward.” The Kelsos will line-up another well-bred filly in Little Jeanie (NZ) (Savabeel) in the COMAG (1400m). The three-year-old filly is out of Miss Opulence (NZ) (O’Reilly), a half-sister to Group One winners Sir Slick (NZ) (Volksraad) and Puccini (NZ) (Encosta De Lago). The daughter of Savabeel has placed in her two starts this preparation and Kelso believes the Monovale Holdings-bred and raced filly is a good chance of breaking through for her maiden win this week. “She was very unlucky at Te Aroha where she should have won,” Kelso said. “She had to change ground at a crucial time and stormed home and got beaten by a nose. She is a nice Savabeel filly.” Kelso is also excited about Australian import Jolted (Deep Imact) making her debut for the stable in the Noble & Lee Chartered Accountants (1400m). “She is a Deep Impact mare that John Sargent had in Sydney. She won at Newcastle,” Kelso said. “He ran her in the AJC Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) where she struck a wet track and it probably came up too soon for her. “She is still quite immature. Pinecliff Racing sent her over here to try and get some black-type down the line. “She probably won’t be competitive over 1400m and won’t be competitive until she gets up to 2000m, but you have got to kick-off somewhere.” Meanwhile, stable star Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) will make her first public appearance of the summer when she heads to Matamata on Friday for an Open trial to help ready her for a lucrative assignment next month. “She will trial in the Group and Listed trial before the first race on Friday,” Kelso said. “She will then hopefully kick-off on January 14 at Ellerslie in an Open 1400m where the maximum topweight is 60kg. “It is two weeks before the Karaka Million four-year-old ($1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic, 1600m) and it is to give her a look around Ellerslie as well because she hasn’t been to Ellerslie.” View the full article

Free-going stayer Sagunto (NZ) (O’Reilly) has been a loyal servant of Peter and Shaun McKay’s stable and he will spearhead the father and son’s team at Trentham on Saturday. The eight-year-old will defend his title in the Gr.3 Humphries Construction Manawatu Cup (2300m), in which barnmate Langkawi (NZ) (Helmet) also looms as a serious chance for the Matamata trainers. Eight-time winner Sagunto will follow an identical path to last year, having finished fourth in an open handicap at Pukekohe ahead of another southern sojourn. “He’s definitely better for that run and he was carrying 61kg and he comes down to a nice weight (55kg) this time with the topweight (Colorado Star) pushing a few of them down, so it’s worked out well,” Peter McKay said. “It didn’t help that he got taken on last time and I was expecting him to pull up and run last on the corner, but he dug deep. “In his lead-up race last year he did run last and then came out and won the Cup so hopefully he does it again.” Lisa Allpress successfully combined with Sagunto 12 months ago and she will be reunited with the son of O’Reilly on Saturday. “She obviously knows how to ride him and lets him roll and do his thing,” McKay said. Safely through the weekend, Sagunto may again tackle the Listed Marton Cup (2200m) and the Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m), having finished runner-up in both events last season. Langkawi gave a strong account of himself at his latest outing when he ran second for apprentice Jim Chung, who will take the mount again, on the course earlier this month. “It was a good run, he jumped and pulled quite hard. He was instructed to bring him out into the better part of the track and he kicked again,” McKay said. “He’s a funny horse and needs something to chase and he was out there by himself with his ears pricked. In the last couple of strides he spotted the winner (Fierce Flight) coming inside him and had another dive.” The stable is also looking forward to the debut run of Eminent colt Rocky Marciano (NZ) in the Japac Homes 2YO (1100m). “He’s had two trials and the first one was disastrous, he went up in the gates and he sat back and then rolled up to them the last bit,” McKay said. “He had a few days in the paddock before he trialled again and he jumped and sat outside the leader and then blew out. He’s had a couple of nice gallops since.” The stable will also be represented by the capable pair of Bad ‘N’ Bouj (Deep Field) and Wolfgang (NZ) (Puccini) in the Noel Eales Memorial Cup (1600m). The former will be dropping significantly in grade after she tailed the field home in the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) behind El Vencedor (NZ) (Shocking) and McKay was forgiving of that performance. “They went very slowly and when she went to go, they sprinted and wherever they were around the corner is where they finished, bar the winner who left them to it,” he said. “Her start before, she got back and couldn’t get a run and ran home well. She loves Trentham and I think she will be a very good chance.” Wolfgang has also performed well on the track in the past and from four appearances has a distance victory to his credit and three placings, including a second as a juvenile in the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1000m). View the full article

A huge festive period of racing awaits Wexford Stables, and Christmas has come early for Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott with the exciting return of Asterix (NZ) (Tavistock) headlining their team on Saturday at Te Rapa. The son of Tavistock made waves in claiming the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) in his fourth raceday appearance last March, and despite battling hoof and lameness issues since, has recorded another Open-class victory and a fourth behind Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher Stakes (2050m). Coming off a 266 raceday hiatus since an unplaced run at Group Two level in Sydney, Asterix will contest the Print House Mile (1600m) at Te Rapa following a comfortable 1150m trial performance at Te Awamutu, with Niranjan Parmar taking one-kilogram off his 58kg allotted weight. “We’re just excited to get him back on the racecourse,” Scott said. “He’s coming up very well, his trial was very encouraging and he trialled in a manner that suggests he’s got good confidence and striding out in his movement. “We’ve been pleased with his work leading in, there’s some improvement to come in his fitness and he generally takes a run or two before he starts to hit his straps, so we see no reason that will change.” The re-opening of the Ellerslie Racecourse presents the five-year-old with an opportunity to emulate his Derby-winning performance at the track this campaign, with Scott indicating the ultimate goal to be the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m). Asterix also holds elite-level nominations for the Gr.1 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m) and Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m), ahead of the Cup on March 9. “We’re hoping to aim him for the Auckland Cup, so it’s all about getting some miles into his legs so when the 2000m races come around he’s got a good base,” Scott said. Promising staying filly Saxs ‘N’ Silks (Saxon Warrior) commenced her career with two runner-up performances this preparation, and Jasmine Fawcett will guide the three-year-old for the third occasion in the Waikato/BOP Racehorse Owners Association Mile (1600m). “She’s been racing well, she’s a filly that is deserving of a win. She does meet a strong field on Saturday, but Jasmine knows her well and she’s fit with a good level of education leading into the race,” Scott said. “There’s no reason why she can’t produce a similar performance to what she has been, she’s a promising staying filly on the way up.” After showing her affinity with the Heavy tracks in her three-year-old season with a victory and two minor placings from three starts, Silver Javelin (NZ) (Reliable Man) will resume in the Peter R Wilson Memorial (1200m). “She’s coming up well, she’s had a nice couple of trials to get her fitness up and has drawn well,” Scott said. “The only question mark is the quicker track, as all of her form has been on softer ground but she’s in for a good prep and there should be a good improvement in fitness post-Saturday.” A quiet Wexford presence at Te Rapa will be preceded by 13 representatives at Matamata on Friday, which include four debutant runners. Among the stable’s leading hopes is Smokeshow (NZ) (Contributer), the talented gelding likely to benefit from a second-placed performance at Otaki, where he did himself no favours in behind Marotiri Molly (NZ) (Per Incanto), who went back-to-back at Trentham last Saturday. “The winner of his race has gone on and won again, so that’s quite a strong form reference,” Scott said. “It was a good educational trip for him away from home, while he still did a little bit wrong in the run so we’ve put a one-eyed blinker on him and we’ve seen improvement in his work with that gear change. We’re hoping the step-up to 1400m, a home-track advantage, and a kind draw will see him finishing well.” Billy Jacobson will partner the Contributer three-year-old in the Comag (1400m), while Masa Hashizume is booked aboard I’munstoppable (NZ) (Charm Spirit) in the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1200m), the filly also having her third race-day appearance after two top-four finishes. “Both of her runs have had good merit, last start she got a little wide and still wanted to over-race a bit, so we believe with the benefit of two runs under her belt she’ll have a bit more ringcraft,” Scott said. “She’s another that will benefit from going back left-handed on her home track. We’re hoping she can just find a bit more rhythm, giving her a stronger finish.” Of the four first-starters, Scott indicated three-year-old geldings Trump Card (NZ) (Ace High) and Alavisto (NZ) (Almanzor) to be ones to follow in future, both contesting the Comag (1400m). “We have a promising stayer in Trump Card, he’s another progeny of Ace High who is going well. He’ll be hitting the line there well,” he said. “Alavisto’s trials have been pleasing, he’s going to be better once he gets out over further. Those two are probably the best chances of the first starters.” View the full article

In a special meeting of the Arizona Racing Commission, commissioners voted Dec. 19 to revoke the live racing permit for Arizona Downs, according to Paulick Report.View the full article

Remington Park's 2023 meeting concluded Dec. 16, after having set a new record in pari-mutuel handle Sept. 24 when a 10-race card generated $4,128,147. The 67-day season ended with a decrease in pari-mutuel handle-a total of $82,494,143 wagered throughout the season, a 3.8% decrease from the 2023 total of $85,761,277. Export handle from outside Remington provided the largest portion of the handle at $79,426,201. That is a 3.7% dip from last year's handle of $82,494,002. Remington Park controlled handle, on-track and one off-track site, was $3,067,942, down 6% from $3,267,225 in 2022. Remington hosted 605 races this season, five more than in 2022. From opening day Aug. 18 through the conclusion of the turf season Nov. 11, 92 races were run over the turf this season compared to 108 a year ago. The total purses for the season of $15,847,215 produced a daily average of $236,525. A total of 4,767 horses competed in the 605 events for an average field size per race of 7.9. The Thoroughbreds return from Aug. 16 to Dec. 13. The post Remington Park Concludes 2023 Meeting appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The increase in breeder awards was approved by the Fund board due to projected revenue increases expected by the Fund in 2024. View the full article

Dollars and Sense with Frank AngstView the full article

18.30 Kempton, £6,800, Mdn, 2yo, f, 8f (AWT) George Strawbridge's homebred FRIENDLY SOUL (GB) (Kingman {GB}), one of two nominees from the John and Thady Gosden stable, is a half-sister to six stakes performers headed by elite-level winners We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}). She was scratched from her intended debut at Lingfield earlier this month, having become distressed in the stalls during the loading process, and faces one dozen rivals here. Opposition includes Roger Varian trainee Lightning Touch (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is a once-raced daughter of dual group-winning G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and G1 Prix de l'Opera third Legerete (Rahy). The post Well-Related Daughter of Kingman Set for Belated Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainers with fewer than 20 horses in their stables are eligible to earn points as their horses compete in overnight races at Aqueduct Racetrack. Trainers with the most points can earn bonuses after the spring meet ends.View the full article

A year after the retirement of 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline, trainer John Sadler has another exciting older stakes horse in his barn, this one coming to him from Argentina.View the full article

From an altitude of 10,000 feet, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)'s mandated goal is a simple two-pronged affair. Uniformity in welfare and safety. Uniformity in drug testing. Over the past few months, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU)–HISA's enforcement arm–has made several announcements that have peeled the curtain back on just how difficult the second part of that equation will be to accomplish. Internal reviews of the six HIWU-contracted laboratories uncovered different limits of detection in blood for diabetes drug Metformin and for benzoylecgonine (BZE), a metabolite of cocaine. In the case of Metformin, all the positives originated from just the one lab. After dropping several cases against trainers for Metformin and BZE positives, HIWU explained that it had subsequently harmonized its “testing sensitivity” in blood across the six labs for these two substances, and that it would repeat the harmonization process for other drugs, including banned substances of which there are listed well over a thousand. “There are an awful lot of substances out there that we need to sort through, and we won't sort through them until they're actually identified by a laboratory,” said HIWU chief of science, Mary Scollay, at a recent HISA town hall. “But we are committed to harmonizing across laboratories in fairness to stakeholders.” Scollay then added this coda: “It's important to realize that the lack of harmonization across laboratories has existed for decades.” For those who have watched drug testing evolve in the sport over the years, Scollay's words hardly came as a shot from the dark. One of the key drivers of federal regulation of horse racing was to eliminate the crap-shoot nature of drug testing under a state-by-state system. But under HISA, why haven't these differences been ironed out? The answer involves a bracing plunge into the opaque waters of drug testing, where clear answers can be as easy to retrieve as Excalibur from its stone, and where arcane terminology is used interchangeably depending upon the person talking. But it turns out that a variety of issues–from different testing equipment to different testing methodologies to different sets of staff interpreting the results–have all played a part in leading the sport to where it finds itself now. HIWU has “testing specifications” for more than 300 “core” analytes–most of them controlled medications but some banned substances–to which all HIWU-contracted laboratories are required to test. “Beyond those analytes, HIWU has asked each laboratory to utilize the broadest scope of analysis available to them,” wrote Scollay, in response to a list of questions. Outside of those 300 or so core analytes, therefore, testing variability from facility to facility means the six HIWU-contracted labs are screening for different numbers of substances, and have varying abilities to screen for the same substances, according to drug testing experts. In other words, the same sample sent to two different laboratories could result in two different sets of results. Furthermore, as HIWU–which was built by Drug Free Sports International–continues to work through a laborious “lab harmonization” process, what are the implications for the horsemen and women facing potentially life-changing sanctions for banned substance violations? And how can stakeholders be assured that newly established harmonized limits adequately factor in the risk of inadvertent contamination, especially those banned substances ubiquitously used by humans? “It would be one thing if this was just a fine and a ten-days [ban],” said Cynthia Cole, former director of the University of Florida's (UF) laboratory. No contractual agreement was reached between the UF lab and HISA. In different equine anti-doping cases, Cole has both provided testimony for HIWU, and prepared opinions for trainers defending themselves. “But these bans, these are career ending for people,” Cole added. “I just feel really strongly that the bar should be very high, and that there should be no doubt that there was a violation.” History “Incredulity and disbelief ran neck and neck, but outrage outstripped them both at Santa Anita Saturday as horsemen reacted angrily to the latest drug scandal to rock thoroughbred racing.” The above paragraph, which reads as though plucked from a story from recent years, instead originates from a 1989 LA Times article, when a spate of cocaine positives had entangled several trainers, including leading lights like Wayne Lukas and Laz Barrera. The reason given for the sudden rash of cocaine positives? That Truesdail Laboratories, the drug testing laboratory used at the time by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), had started to use more sophisticated equipment to analyze the samples. According to one official at the time, the “improvements in testing” had suddenly increased the sensitivity of the equipment “10-fold.” In other words, new state-of-the-art instruments were detecting substances in blood and urine at previously unachievable levels. Some said at the time the levels were so small as to be inconsequential–a refrain that has turned into a steady drumbeat in the intervening years. “The increased sensitivity in drug testing has resulted in a number of things being called positives that never would have been called before,” said Eric Hamelback, chief executive officer of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, speaking at the 2019 National HBPA Convention. The same drumbeat has reverberated around other equine sports, as well. Nearly 20 years ago, one Irish veterinarian who had administered a “mild sedative” to the high-level show jumper, Landliebe, one-month prior to a failed drug test subsequently issued a public statement evoking “amazement” that traces of the drug could still be found in a horse's system after that time. On a practical front, drug testing has evolved in an attempt to keep up with an ever more sophisticated array of performance enhancing drugs and doping methods. In human sports at least, regulators don't appear to be winning that war, for there remains quite a lag-time between new drugs coming onto the scene and reliable ways to test for them. But advances in testing sensitivity has also had the effect of widening the gap between possibility and practice from one lab to the next. For it turns out there exists a complicated set of issues that weigh into testing variability between facilities. The instruments used to analyze samples, the way tests are prepared for sampling, the types of tests run, the substances being tested for, staffing expertise, ongoing research into the detection of emerging substances and a slew of other issues all play a part. Just Why Are Labs Different? In pre-HISA days, individual state commissions contracted their drug testing programs out to individual laboratories. And though most states followed the Association of Racing Commissioners International's (ARCI) model rules, it still left a lot of contractual wriggle room around things like the scope and type of testing performed, what specific matrices–blood or urine, for example–were being tested, and so on. At the end of the day, however, the relative accuracy and breadth of each drug testing program can–like so many things in life–be distilled down to money. Funding for the drug testing program, for one. And funding to keep the laboratories at the cutting edge of science. “In a lot of cases, the determining factor in those contracts was price, with the low bidder winning the work,” said Richard Sams, an expert in racing chemistry and toxicology. Sams is also a former lab director currently advising several defendants in cases against HIWU. “Low-bidding often meant limited testing, and oftentimes, not very high quality testing,” Sams added. Take Joe Gorajec's term as executive director of the Indiana Horse Racing Commission. Back in 2015, he organized for blood samples taken from harness and Quarter horses to be sent to the California-based Truesdail Laboratory–the Commission's official lab at the time-and to two audit laboratories: LGC in Kentucky, and Industrial Laboratories in Colorado. Gorajec's actions led to the Indiana racing commission severing ties with Truesdail after it failed to detect in three samples high levels of commonly used corticosteroids that the other two laboratories detected. Under HISA, of course, the regulatory dynamic in drug testing has changed. But horse racing has swapped out a patchwork quilt of different rules for a patchwork quilt of different labs. Though a single entity now contracts out a set of testing requirements to six different laboratories, the fact that no two labs are created equal remains a thorn in the side of testing uniformity. And experts single out two primary reasons why. One concerns the instruments used to analyze the samples. In a recent presentation at the Global Symposium on Racing in Arizona, Scollay compared the situation to the use of different ovens from kitchen to kitchen. This is where the specter of poor funding continues to loom large. “Some of the laboratories have brand new instruments–state of the art,” said Cole. “Other laboratories, not so much.” Historically well-funded laboratories like UC Davis's “Maddy Lab” in California and the University of Kentucky's Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory have “a lot of new equipment and a lot of very well-trained chemists and technicians,” said Cole. When it comes to HIWU-contracted laboratories like the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Analytical Toxicology Laboratory, and the Animal Forensic Toxicology Laboratory at the University of Illinois-Chicago, “these are smaller laboratories with generally older equipment,” Cole said. “Over the years, they've adapted to what they've been asked to do, and they've developed their own methods of testing and confirmation methods, and they're not the same,” said Cole. To get a gauge on just how crucial funding can be, a top-of-range liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry system can retail around the $750k mark. And these machines can have a shelf-life of only around a decade, give or take a few years, due to ongoing technological advances. The other key area concerns drug testing extraction methods. This is the process by which the substance or analyte is removed from the blood or urine to be examined under an instrument like a mass spectrometer. There are all sorts of different extraction processes for different analytes, and each of these processes can be “substantially different” depending on the lab, Sams said. “The fraction of the drug that's present in the sample that gets removed by the process can vary considerably from one lab to the next,” said Sams. Horse racing is far from the only sport confronting these sorts of problems. Just take this 2022 paper, in which three Norwegian researchers focus on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)'s approach to drug testing in human athletics. “Some laboratories are capable of detecting lower concentrations of prohibited substances than other laboratories, simply because the laboratories may use different equipment and/or test methods,” the researchers write. HIWU'S Approach If lab variability has been a decades-long problem ensnaring all professional sports, not just horse racing, why has it become a lightning rod under HISA? One of HISA's most compelling selling points has been the advent of a level playing field comprising the same drug testing rules and a stable of accredited laboratories “testing for the same banned and controlled medicines at the same level,” as HISA CEO, Lisa Lazarus, put it in September of this year. But for the reasons already identified, the goal of a completely fair drug testing playing field for all participants–no matter their location in the country and no matter where a sample is sent-is a major challenge when dealing with multiple laboratories. The more labs needing to be unified in their capabilities, equipment and approaches, the more complex and expensive the problem. For U.S. horse racing, the crux of this issue primarily surrounds HISA's lengthy list of banned substances–those substances, in other words, beyond the more than 300 core analytes that HIWU's six labs can test for reliably. Banned substances are not supposed to be detected in a horse's system at any point, racing or training. As such, violations for these substances come with the heaviest penalties under HISA, including a potential two-year ban for the trainer. No trifling matter, therefore. Unlike most controlled substances under HISA–those with set thresholds and screening limits–banned substances under HISA are being tested to limits of detection, which is the lowest concentration of a substance that can be identified by a laboratory. And different labs can have different limits of detection for the same substances. That's if they're testing for them at all. As Cole puts it, “I think the really difficult issue has come up with the banned substances, which is where they basically have said, 'if it's there at all, it should be called.' That's been a problem because you can have a laboratory that's very, very good at finding [a banned substance], and then another lab where their ability to detect [a banned substance] isn't as good.” When asked about this aspect of the drug testing program, Lazarus wrote in emailed answers to questions that “it is important to remember that all samples at any given racetrack go to the same Laboratory,” so lab variability is not a problem within the same “races and meets.” It's unclear just how many banned substances for which HIWU has set harmonized limits of detection. Nor will the specific limits be made public, once established. “HISA/HIWU cannot comment on the number of Banned Substances that have a harmonized Limit of Detection,” wrote Scollay. “Since Banned Substances should never be in a horse, laboratory testing specifications for them are not published.” Another key question is this: Exactly how many substances is each lab routinely screening for? According to one state regulator–who asked to remain anonymous–the most proficient HIWU-contracted laboratories are screening for around double the number of substances as some other HIWU-contracted labs. Scollay didn't deny the claim, but explained how beyond the more than the 300 “core” analytes, “HIWU cannot speak to the overall capabilities of each lab.” She added, however, that a key part of the harmonization process is the “collaboration and sharing of information” between labs. Human Drugs Which leads to the issue of those banned substances which are commonly found in everyday life, like legitimately prescribed human drugs. What process is the agency using to ensure that the harmonized limits of detection weigh the possibility of intentional misuse of a banned drug in a racehorse against the threat of inadvertent contamination? In her written responses, Scollay explained that the agency uses any or all of the following criteria to set “relevant, effective, and achievable” harmonized limits of detection in banned drugs: 1–A survey of the laboratories to determine their current capabilities to detect the substance. 2–Conducting a review of the science surrounding the substance to determine illicit use in human and equine sports, or its effects in other mammalian species. 3–Assessing the threat level of the substance. “I.e., the potential for that substance to be present in the horse's environment beyond the control of the trainer,” Scollay wrote. Scollay wrote that HISA and HIWU also consult the international community on testing specifications, “and consider their controls on Banned Substances and Controlled Medications that are not regulated by Screening Limits or Thresholds.” A feature of the new regulatory environment is the potential for trainers to be provisionally suspended for banned drug positives while they await a hearing. In Jonathon Wong's case, for example, the trainer has been provisionally suspended since the start of August for a June 1 Metformin positive. What happens if one of the six HIWU-contracted labs detects a new banned substance without a harmonized limit of detection? How will the cases be handled while the harmonization process takes place? “The actions taken will depend on the specific circumstances of the case with an emphasis on fairness to all racing participants,” wrote Scollay. International Community International regulators like the British Horseracing Authority avoid the issue of lab variability by using only using one primary facility to test their samples in their jurisdiction. But how do other international jurisdictions handle substances with no established international threshold, residue or screening limits? In Europe, at least, the answer sounds familiar. The European Horserace Scientific Liaison Committee (EHSLC) considers some substances to be prohibited-at-all-times, as is the case with anabolic steroids and other anabolic agents. For these substances, European laboratories generally work to the lowest concentrations their confirmatory analysis procedures allow. But the EHSLC also maintains an evolving list of substances that have “target sensitivities”–in other words, agreed-upon screening concentrations similar in effect to HIWU's “harmonized limits of detection,” said Clive Pearce, an internationally renowned animal sports medication and doping control expert. To generate this list, the EHSLC's veterinarians, analytical chemists, pharmacologists, and racing administrators work together to select substances whose presence in a racehorse's blood or urine sample would be of particular concern. What are these concerns? That such substances are, for example, unlicensed veterinary products, routinely used human medicines, or environmental and plant-based contaminants, Pearce explained. The “sensitivities” agreed upon for each substance reflect the concentrations considered to have the potential to affect a racehorse's performance or to compromise its welfare. More broadly, for all substances subject to the EHSLC's process for achieving drug screening harmonization, the most important consideration is that all its laboratories are able to routinely deliver the same level of detection, said Pearce. According to Pearce, the list of substances with “target sensitivities”–drug substances and their major metabolites in both blood plasma and urine–total about 150. At the symposium in Arizona, Scollay explained that there are now new “open lines of communication” between HIWU and the EHSLC. Why can't the EHSLC simply share all relevant information on substances with “target sensitivities” with HIWU, therefore? It turns out it's not that simple. “The international community's research and laboratory testing specifications are confidential,” Scollay wrote. “International jurisdictions limit their information dissemination due to potentially compromising their own anti-doping and medication control programs.” Other experts consulted for this story were more specific. They explained that the litigious nature of U.S. horse racing can make international jurisdictions wary of sharing with their American counterparts sensitive information that might be publicly divulged during a case. If all boats can't be lifted by readily shared information across international borders, how else then to make the program here better, quicker? Solutions Gorajec is all in on federal oversight of racing. He played an instrumental part in getting HISA passed in Washington. But he said he has his reservations about the current drug testing program. “This shouldn't be an issue at this juncture,” said Gorajec, highlighting the documented problems associated with uniformly detecting BZE, the cocaine metabolite long on regulators' radars. “They had a couple, three years to get their arms around this. Cocaine has been around for decades.” HIWU-contracted labs must be accredited with an international standards organization and with the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC), the latter of which handles an external quality assurance program, which includes single- and double-blind testing of the six labs. HIWU officials are also putting together another accreditation program to “build on the foundations” of the international and RMTC accreditation systems as the agency “moves testing laboratories towards harmonization of methodologies and sensitivities across the spectrum of Prohibited Substances.” What would help, Gorajec said, would be to significantly raise accreditation standards to whittle down the number of HIWU-contracted labs to just the most proficient. “That should have already been done,” he said. When asked about Gorajec's comments, Lazarus wrote that HIWU will evaluate the contracted laboratories on a regular basis, “and if a Laboratory does not meet HIWU's performance criteria, it will not be continued in the program.” Cole suggested for HIWU to establish an oversight committee-possibly populated by a chemist, a veterinary pharmacologist and an industry figure-to review new or unusual findings and make recommendations as to whether they should be pursued. “They are trying to fix the plane while it is in the air,” said Cole, about the work HIWU officials are doing to fix the problem of lab variability. “But they are trying.” According to Ed Martin, president of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI)–another key industry figure not shy of voicing his concerns and frustrations with the federal law–HIWU should convene a long meeting between the various lab directors with the sole purpose of reaching an agreement as to what the “point of regulatory action” is on a list of some of the more commonly called substances. “It would seem to me, the best way to insulate themselves from legal challenges would be to get that done sooner rather than later,” Martin added. In response to Martin's suggestion, Scollay wrote that HIWU conducts weekly meetings with the directors of its contracted laboratories. “There have been multiple discussions regarding strategies to achieve harmonization,” she wrote. “All the directors are committed to this goal, but all parties recognize that time is needed to reach it. In short, meetings are already happening on a weekly basis.” When asked about her overall thoughts as to the harmonization process, Lazarus wrote that she was “absolutely thrilled” at the progress made in the time given. “The discrepancies amongst states under the prior system were significant, so to be where we are at such an early stage is a major benefit to the industry,” wrote Lazarus. “These adjustments have all been to the benefit of horsemen. Prior to HISA, this level of transparency did not exist at the Laboratory level.” As racing continues to grapple with the practical and legal conundrums posed by lab variability, stakeholders can seek cold comfort from the fact they are not alone. The Norwegian researchers critical of WADA's drug testing program zero in on the testing of “so-called non-threshold substances” for accusations of subjectivity. “These tests lack objective and quantifiable decision limits that undisputedly resolve whether test results should be interpreted as positive or negative,” they write. The lack of “clearly defined criteria for doping tests,” the researchers added, “carries a great risk of punishing innocent athletes and undermines the fight against doping in international sports.” Sound familiar? The post Drug Testing Under HISA: When Uniformity and Variability Collide appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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The New York State Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund Corporation (the Fund) Board of Directors' unanimously approved a motion during its Dec. 12 meeting to increase the breeder award rates for all New York-breds, the organization announced Tuesday. The increase, which covers all New York breds competing in the state beginning Jan. 1, was approved by the Fund board due to projected revenue increases expected in the upcoming season. An increased hold-back rate from 10-15% will also be implemented to ensure the Fund can payout awards up to the new advertised rates. The new breeder's awards rate schedule for New York-breds in 2024: 2024 New York-Bred Program Breeder Awards New York-Sired* '24 Award (% Earned) 2023 Rate First Place 40% 30% Second Place 20% 15% Third Place 10% 15% Cap per Award $40,000 $40,000 Non-New York-Sired* '24 Award (% Earned) 2023 Rate First Place 20% 15% Second Place 10% 7.5% Third Place 5% 7.5% Cap per Award $20,000 $20,000 “These bigger better bonuses reward breeders for creating quality race horses,” said Tracy Egan. “Board Chairman Brian O'Dwyer encouraged the Board to find away to get award money out the door to award earners as quickly as possible and by hiking breeder awards, we will do that.” The Fund pays breeder, owner and stallion awards across six pay periods a year: Jan-Feb, Mar-April, May-June, July-August, Sept.-October, November-December. In conjunction with the these higher awards, 15% will be held back each period, however, are expected to be paid back at the conclusion of the fiscal year. For more information, visit www.nybreds.com. The post NY-Bred Breeding Award Rate Increased for 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article