Wandering Eyes

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk For many reasons last night’s win by Big Al on a wet and punishing Addington night was special. Trained by the father-daughter combo of Steve Clarke and Hayley Stewart, the What The Hill five-year-old, driven by Clarke, capped off a good run of recent form to secure his breakthrough win at start number 12 in the Mid Winter Xmas on Sale Now Trot. First and foremost it marked Stewart’s first ever training success, at start number 117. She’d previously had two placings with Nadira Franco. And three with Big Al “It was very exciting, we were quietly confident though you never know,” says Stewart. Big Al trotted off the mark like a pro and was in front early before handing up to Stuart’s Buller Boy and Blair Orange. “After he led up and then trailed my husband Joe said halfway through the race ‘if he doesn’t win today there’s something wrong’.” Steve Clarke then popped out before the passing lane to grab the leader on the home turn. He went on to win by a length. It was his eighth win in the sulky, and his 12th as a trainer. He trained on his own account between 1984 and 2019, with his daughter joining the partnership from the 2020 season. “We just train a small team and we are hobby trainers who work our horses at 6am and go to our day jobs so it’s never easy against the ‘professionals’, says Stewart, “and that’s one of the good things about these midweek meetings at Addington, they give everyone a chance.” Making it even better is the fact that the horse is named after Steve’s brother Alan, who died around five years ago. “Alan was known as Clarkee and he was at Addington every Friday night working at the start so Addington was a special place for him so it was cool to win a race there,” says Stewart. “And his wife and three daughters are all in Big Al’s ownership with us and they love racing as much as we do.” And the family connection doesn’t end there, with Big Al’s win coming just hours after they heard about the death of Steve and Alan’s godmother Janice Alford. His modest whip flourish at the finishing line was a tribute to both of them. Ordinarily Stewart would have been in the sulky too, though she is currently on light duties as she awaits the arrival of her first child due in October. Her first ever driving win is now firmly on the to-do list. “It would have been nice training and driving and ticking both of them off at the same time but that will have to wait till next year,” she laughs. In the meantime Big Al will be back next Wednesday before contesting the Anne Thompson Graduation Final on May 18 at Rangiora after he gained automatic entry with his third in the heat at Rangiora last week. Buddy reigns supreme at Addington By Mike Love Buddy Reign made the frequent trips down from Nelson to Christchurch a whole lot more worthwhile for Richmond Park trainer Kevin Musso. In a meeting run in testing weather at Addington yesterday, Buddy Reign was not deterred when winning Race 3, the Peninsular Beachfront Resort, Mooloolaba pace over 2600m with driver Tim Williams. “He did well to hold on and win. Kevin’s always provided me with a couple of drives so it’s nice to be able to get them a win,” said driver Tim Williams. Buddy Reign began well from the stand to settle mid field early. The eight-year-old Mach Three gelding was then left parked before regaining cover from the 850m. Williams then peeled at the top of the straight and was able to out muscle a strong challenge from runner up Festus Haggen to win by half a head at the line with a credible 28.4 final quarter under the weather and track conditions. “It was a bit unknown with a standing start. His gait is not the best because he gets a bit rough early,” said Kevin Musso. Musso also lined up Melando Chief in the same race, and finished only 4.3 lengths off the winner in seventh place. “They’ve both had their problems. This one (Buddy Reign) hurt himself as a two year old but I persevered because I knew he’d be alright. They get us out of Nelson so we can travel a bit.” Musso has had a lifetime interest in horses and with wife Bev have bred many over the years. “We breed all of our horses. I don’t think I’ve ever brought one. “We’ve had the Reign breed for a number of years now. Sonic Reign actually broke Starship’s record at Nelson.” Sonic Reign won five races and over $60,000 in stakes and is the older full brother to Buddy Reign who has now won two races and over $35,000 in stakes. View the full article

Jockey Jareth Loveberry has not scored in the Kentucky Derby (G1), but he knows almost what it feels like to win it, having just missed in the 2023 race with Two Phil's with his first Derby mount. This year, Loveberry returns, riding Chunk of Gold.View the full article

Zac Purton, Andrea Atzeni and John Size continue their hot form, while Matthew Poon and Pierre Ng fail to fire.View the full article

Presenter-driver-trainer Brittany Graham knows a thing or two about racing on both sides of the Tasman and now that the Queenslander is working for Trackside in this country she’s (reluctantly) agreed to write a weekly column. My favourite Candyman moment By Brittany Graham In a week that continues to feel unbelievable for all the wrong reasons, there was no other subject to discuss than that of Greg Sugars. The harness racing world was shattered on Saturday evening when the shocking news of the passing of Greg Sugars became apparent. Whether you knew of Greg through his deeds on the track, was lucky enough to meet the man, or were privileged enough to call him a friend, this news has hit hard. It’s been a sad and heavy few days, however the joy of G Sugars has poked through on many occasions when discussing the good times. I have known Greg for many years, but since moving into the media was fortunate enough to converse with him on many occasions due to his incredible success. Whether he was about to partner Just Believe before an Inter Dominion, or I needed someone to speak to at the last minute (and he never said no, so was always the go to!), Greg was always willing. With over 70 Group Ones to his name, it was difficult to pick just one as a favourite for me. On reflection, the 2022 Chariots Of Fire is far more special now than it even was at the time. Greg and Jess (Tubbs) had prepared their first Group 1 winner, Moments Like These, to win the Queensland Oaks of 2021. They were relatively new in their training careers. Unfortunately, it was during COVID so it was up to the great Luke McCarthy to get the job done and Greg and Jess were forced to watch from Victoria. It would have been a whirlwind of emotions, but I am positive they’d wish their first elite success had gone a little differently – together. Fast forward only seven months it’s the Chariots Of Fire and Better Eclipse is storming down the outside. It would have made the disappointment of Queensland seem a distant memory. It was a textbook Sugars drive – cool, calm and collected while pulling the right rein, at the right time. What happened after the race though was a rare show of emotion from ‘The Candyman’. I could see him struggling to contain it as he walked towards me, and then the man who always knew the right things to say was speechless. He and his wife Jess were there together on track, and they had done it. Beaten the odds in one of Australia’s most prestigious races less than 12 months after the horse had joined their stable as a maiden. His smile and joy that night will stick with me forever – that is how I will remember Greg Sugars. View the full article

Glen Hill Farm's homebred Bridle a Butterfly posted a half-length victory over Out On Bail to win the $290,000 William Walker Stakes April 30 at Churchill Downs, giving 2019 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Country House his first stakes winner.View the full article

What Wagga Gold Cup Day Where Murrumbidgee Turf Club – Travers St, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 When Friday, May 2, 2025 First Race 12:45pm AEST Visit Dabble The $200,000 Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) headlines proceedings on another cracking country racing program at the Murrumbidgee Turf Club this Friday. With pristine conditions forecast in Wagga Wagga this week, punters can expect a genuine Good 4 circuit for Day 2 of the carnival. The rail remains in the true position, with racing on Wagga Gold Cup Day scheduled to get underway at 12:45pm local time. Wagga Gold Cup Tip: Medatsu The Chris Waller-trained Medatsu closed off impressively in the Listed Albury Cup (2000m) on April 17 and was one of the better runs in defeat. The son of Staphanos got too far back from barrier 12, and with the track playing up-and-in throughout the day, it was tough to make inroads from the rear of the field. There appears to be genuine speed engaged in the 2025 Wagga Gold Cup, so expect Medatsu to be flashing down the centre of the course at a good each-way price with horse racing bookmakers. Wagga Gold Cup Race 7 – #10 Medatsu (9) 4yo Gelding | T: Chris Waller | J: Kerrin McEvoy (54kg) Best Bet at Wagga: Me Me Me Me caught the eye when returning from a 161-day spell at Kembla Grange on April 15, narrowly denied by Oui Oui Oui in the shadows of the post. The pair cleared out comfortably, with a 3.3-length margin back to third, suggesting punters can follow both with confidence moving forward. This maiden contest is no exception, and although Tyler Schiller will need to overcome the awkward draw (13), expect Me Me to prove too classy for country company. Best Bet Race 1 – #12 Me Me (13) 4yo Mare | T: Robert & Luke Price | J: Tyler Schiller (57kg) Next Best at Wagga: Fear No Evil Fear No Evil was denied a hat-trick of wins by Movin Out at Mornington on April 19 but never shirked the task behind the Group 1-placed filly. The son of Russian Revolution attempted to make every post a winner and was simply outclassed in the end, with the three-year-old looking better placed in this BM74 contest. Expect Jett Stanley to adopt similar tactics and lead from stall eight, and provided the pair can land a soft sectional in the middle stages, Fear No Evil should give a big kick and return to winning ways. Next Best Race 4 – #1 Fear No Evil (8) 3yo Gelding | T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | J: Jett Stanley (60.5kg) Wagga Gold Cup Day quaddie tips Wagga quadrella selections Friday, May 2, 2025 2-4-9 15 1-2-8-10-12 1-5-8-10-11-13-14 Horse racing tips View the full article

Progressive stablemates Overdraft and Oscar have flourished in the care of Jo Rathbone and they put that on display with winning performances at Woodville on Wednesday. Dannevirke Dairy Supplies Woodville-Pahiatua Cup (2100m) contender Overdraft had trialled once before joining the Wanganui horsewoman, and after three seconds, the son of Burgundy broke through for his maiden success in a highweight at Waverley. Rathbone had been wary of the step into Rating 65 grade, but punters had confidence in her charge, closing him among the favourites for the Cup in a market headed by Rum Night ($3.70). In the hands of Jonathan Riddell, Overdraft settled three-wide in the second half of the field in deteriorating conditions. The gelding began slowly making ground along the back straight and was right in contention on the home turn, showing his staying qualities to defeat ex-Hong Kong galloper Gallant Hero by a long head. “I wasn’t surprised by him winning yesterday, he’s very honest and he gives everything really,” Rathbone said. “He’s always felt like a nice horse, but he’s been quite casual in his work, and now he’s becoming a lot more professional. “He’d had a trial before I got him, but he had some soundness issues. He had come to me as a bit of a last chance and to do something a little bit different, and he’s just one that has continued to impress me more and more with the more he’s done. “The wet track didn’t worry him at all, he’s gone on all surfaces and gone well.” Bred by Charlotte Myers, Overdraft was passed in as a yearling when presented at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales, and was retained to race by his breeder and other family members. “He is Kirk and Charlotte Myers’ horse, Kirk is my partner Simon (Harrison)’s uncle,” Rathbone said. The gelding has plenty of pedigree on his page, being a half-brother to multiple Group One-winning juvenile Yourdeel. Earlier in the meeting, Rathbone got plenty of satisfaction out of Oscar’s deserved maiden success in the NZB Mega Maiden Series (1200m). Ridden by Jonathan’s daughter Amber Riddell, a three-kilogram claiming apprentice, Oscar showed his usual speed out of the barriers and found the lead, where he would remain all the way to the winning post holding off Good Craic by a length. The Mulaazem four-year-old had placed in his five previous starts, benefitting from a variety in his training by the former jumps jockey (Rathbone). “She (Riddell) rated him well in front and he found the line quite well, I wondered if he would run out of puff but he kept going,” Rathbone said. “He seems to be trying a lot harder lately with the more racing he’s done. “It’s always rewarding when you can see them running consistently good races and trying, and winning comes as an extra reward.” Oscar was bred and now raced by Gordon Lambert, whose colours have been seen aboard the likes of Group One-winning filly Mi Jubilee. View the full article

Stephen Marsh’s travelling road show continues this weekend with stakes contenders in two Australian states and a strong hand in a domestic age group feature. The Cambridge trainer has Roctave in the Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2000m) at Morphettville while Tardelli will do battle in the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) at Eagle Farm. On the home front, in-form fillies Lady Iris and Mazino will go head-to-head at Te Rapa in the Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1200m). Marsh, who returned this week from Hong Kong where El Vencedor was below par in the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) after racing too fiercely, has plans to be trackside for Roctave’s Derby bid. Bred and raced by The Oaks Stud, the son of Roc De Cambes galloped well at Flemington on Tuesday morning and will travel on to Morphettville on Thursday evening. “He’s really well and has done a treat since he’s been over there,” Marsh said. “He won so well at Ellerslie that we thought there could be a nice race in him and then he went a boomer for third in the Championship Stakes (Gr.3, 2100m). “The first and second horses (Kiwi Skyhawk and Zormella) are well above average, so we thought we’d have a crack at the Derby.” To be ridden by Jordan Childs, Roctave will return home win, lose or draw after Saturday’s outing. Tardelli was an impressive winner three runs back before he was luckless when unplaced in the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) and clinched his trip to Brisbane with a last-start second in the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m). “Michael McNab has gone over to ride him, he’s drawn an outside gate (13), but he has settled in really well over there,” Marsh said. “He breezed up this (Thursday) morning so we’re happy with him. He was very good against the older horses in the Easter without a whole lot of luck again.” Tardelli’s performance on Saturday will determine whether the son of I Am Invincible races on at the Queensland winter carnival. “We’ll see what he does first and then make some decisions. We’re mindful he’s had a big trip, he flew to Sydney and then floated to Brisbane with no direct flights, but he does seem to have handled it well.” Closer to home, U S Navy Flag filly Lady Iris followed up her debut victory at Matamata with a runner-up finish behind stablemate Little Black Dress in the Listed Star Way Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie. “It was a great run and probably the only question mark is stepping up to the 1400m, she is a fast filly and will jump and put herself right up on speed,” Marsh said. Hello Youmzain’s daughter Mazino was second first time out at Pukekohe behind Little Black Dress before overcoming a check to run fourth in the Star Way. “The step up in trip will be right up Mazino’s alley, she has been very good in both of her runs,” Marsh said.Stephen Marsh’s travelling road show continues this weekend with stakes contenders in two Australian states and a strong hand in a domestic age group feature. The Cambridge trainer has Roctave in the Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2000m) at Morphettville while Tardelli will do battle in the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) at Eagle Farm. On the home front, in-form fillies Lady Iris and Mazino will go head-to-head at Te Rapa in the Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1200m). Marsh, who returned this week from Hong Kong where El Vencedor was below par in the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) after racing too fiercely, has plans to be trackside for Roctave’s Derby bid. Bred and raced by The Oaks Stud, the son of Roc De Cambes galloped well at Flemington on Tuesday morning and will travel on to Morphettville on Thursday evening. “He’s really well and has done a treat since he’s been over there,” Marsh said. “He won so well at Ellerslie that we thought there could be a nice race in him and then he went a boomer for third in the Championship Stakes (Gr.3, 2100m). “The first and second horses (Kiwi Skyhawk and Zormella) are well above average, so we thought we’d have a crack at the Derby.” To be ridden by Jordan Childs, Roctave will return home win, lose or draw after Saturday’s outing. Tardelli was an impressive winner three runs back before he was luckless when unplaced in the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) and clinched his trip to Brisbane with a last-start second in the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m). “Michael McNab has gone over to ride him, he’s drawn an outside gate (13), but he has settled in really well over there,” Marsh said. “He breezed up this (Thursday) morning so we’re happy with him. He was very good against the older horses in the Easter without a whole lot of luck again.” Tardelli’s performance on Saturday will determine whether the son of I Am Invincible races on at the Queensland winter carnival. “We’ll see what he does first and then make some decisions. We’re mindful he’s had a big trip, he flew to Sydney and then floated to Brisbane with no direct flights, but he does seem to have handled it well.” Closer to home, U S Navy Flag filly Lady Iris followed up her debut victory at Matamata with a runner-up finish behind stablemate Little Black Dress in the Listed Star Way Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie. “It was a great run and probably the only question mark is stepping up to the 1400m, she is a fast filly and will jump and put herself right up on speed,” Marsh said. Hello Youmzain’s daughter Mazino was second first time out at Pukekohe behind Little Black Dress before overcoming a check to run fourth in the Star Way. “The step up in trip will be right up Mazino’s alley, she has been very good in both of her runs,” Marsh said. View the full article

With five races under her belt, Cashla Bay (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) is one of the more seasoned runners in Saturday’s Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa, and trainer Andrew Forsman is hoping that works in her favour. Bred and raced by The Oaks Stud, Cashla Bay made her debut in the Gr.3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m) at Ellerslie in February where she beat just one runner home. She improved on that result when placing in her subsequent three starts, before breaking through for her maiden victory over 1400m at Matamata earlier this month. Forsman was rapt with the confidence-boosting victory and is hoping the daughter of U S Navy Flag can now earn some lucrative black-type this weekend before heading for a spell. “She has had a fair bit of racing and a fair bit of travelling, but we also wanted to make her a winner this campaign, she has been so genuine right the way through,” Forsman said. “It was good to tick that box the other day at Matamata and hopefully she can get some black-type.” Cashla Bay will jump from barrier six on Saturday and will be ridden by veteran hoop Vinnie Colgan. “It all sets up really nicely for her,” Forsman said. “We have got a good, experienced rider in Vinnie on and she has got the ability. The big thing with her is that she jumps and puts herself in the race and she can handle all track conditions. There’s no reason why she won’t have every chance. “She has been up a fair while now and this has always been the target, and hopefully she can go well.” Forsman will also be represented in the race by Engine Of War (NZ) (Circus Maximus), who will carry the silks of Australian micro-share syndicator MyRacehorse. The Circus Maximus gelding placed on debut over 1100m at Waverley last week, and Forsman is hopeful of a bold showing with that experience under his belt. “He is a very capable horse, he just lacks experience,” Forsman said. “We had to take him down to Waverley the other day without the benefit of a trial just to get his campaign going. “He is a horse we think a lot of, and I think he will make a nice horse into the spring of his three-year-old year.” Engine Of War is the first horse Forsman has trained for MyRacehorse, and he said his future is likely to be in Australia post-Saturday’s run. “They have just come onboard and bought into him,” Forsman said. “At this stage, I’d say his future lies in Australia.” On the undercard, stablemate Force Of Nature (NZ) (Savabeel) is a dual acceptor for the Modern Transport Group (1200m) and Peter Kelly – Bayleys 1400, with Forsman to decide on which race he will contest closer to Saturday. “We put in a late nom for the 1200m, which came on the radar because of the smaller field size and he is probably better weighted there,” Forsman said. “We have Craig (Grylls) engaged to ride him in the 75 (1400m), in his own grade, but he has drawn wide (16) in that. I am glad we have got the back up option. “It will also depend on what the track comes up like. Second-up, if the track was to be testing maybe he is better suited at the 1200m. 1200 to 1400m is about his range. “We will have to see how the fields shape up in the next couple of days and then make a decision. There’s no firm call either way yet.” One stable runner that will take her place in the Peter Kelly – Bayleys 1400 is last start winner Wainui Bay (NZ) (Iffraaj). The Haunui Farm-bred and raced mare has been freshened since her victory over a mile in February, and has pleased in her return, placing in her 950m trial at Cambridge a fortnight ago. “She has got to make the step up from 65,” Forsman said. “I think 1400m will be a little bit short of her best. We have taken the blinkers off. Toward the end of her last campaign she was going well but had a tendency to be a bit keen in her races and doing a bit early. “Back to 1400m, up in grade, blinkers off, I think with a light weight (54kg) she can run really well. I think she will be a horse to keep an eye on and see how she goes in 75 (grade).” Across the Tasman, Forsman will have one representative from his Flemington barn at Caulfield on Saturday, with stakes winner Mustang Morgan (NZ) (Preferment) to contest the Evergreen Turf Handicap (2000m). After running fourth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) last month, he disappointed when 12th in the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m), and Forsman is looking forward to stepping him back in trip this weekend. “He seems great, I can’t fault him, we just don’t know why he went so poorly that (Australian Derby) day,” Forsman said. “We have taken the blinkers off and I think dropping back to the 2000m will suit him. It is a distance we know he has performed well over before, it’s just a shame that he has drawn a poor barrier (13). It is a race he needs to run in. There’s a similar race in a fortnight, and if it doesn’t work out this weekend that will set him up for that at least. “He will deserve a good break after this campaign and I think he will make a nice stayer in time.” View the full article

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The demand for American Pharoah in Japan might explode if his son, Luxor Café, follows in his sire's hoofprints and wins the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill DownsView the full article

Two foals in the last crop at Airdrie the late Brereton Jones would see will give the owner/breeder a chance at enhancing one of the most consequential biographies in Kentucky history: becoming the breeder of a Kentucky Derby (G1) winner.View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features the return of a Rising Star. 15.15 Great Yarmouth, £8,000, Nov, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f 3yT Godolphin's TDN Rising Star VERSE OF LOVE (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) failed to fire on all cylinders when seventh in Newmarket's G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes two weeks ago and gets an almost-immediate opportunity of redemption in a low-key affair. Journeying up the A11 to the Norfolk Coast for this straight seven-furlong heat, the March-foaled bay meets Apple Tree Stud's debutante and fellow HQ day-tripper Rumba Numba (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who is a homebred half-sister to three stakes performers out of Listed Princess Royal Stakes victrix Astonishing (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), from the Roger Varian stable. 15.50 Saint-Cloud, €30,000, Cond, 2yo, 6fT Alain and Gerard Wertheimer entry INDIFFERENTE (IRE) (Siyouni {Fr}) is a Yann Barberot-conditioned daughter of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac victrix Indonesienne (Ire) (Muhtathir {GB}) from the family of Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Matiara (Bering {GB}). The February-foaled homebred bay is a full-sister to G3 Prix d'Aumale third Bahasa (Ire) and a half-sister to Listed Grand Criterium de Bordeaux second Precious Sea (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). She returns for this step up to six furlongs, and encounters 11 rivals, bouncing back off a six-length first-up fifth tackling five at Deauville earlier in the month. The post Rising Star Verse Of Love Seeks Redemption By The Sea appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

9th-CD, $141K, OC100K/N3X, 3yo/up, 6f, 5:13 p.m. ET. WORLD RECORD (Gun Runner) in his second start for WinStar and BBN Racing going seven over Churchill's main track last May was certainly impressive when he won by 6 1/4 lengths. That effort garnered the colt 'TDN Rising Star' honors and the Rodolphe Brisset trainee proceeded to run third in the Maxfield Stakes over course and distance, and then he checked off the GII Amsterdam Stakes at the Spa in late July. Despite finishing sixth in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes upstate, the bay cleared an optional claimer at Keeneland in October. To close out his year in late November, World Record hit the board in the Steel Valley Sprint Stakes at Mahoning Valley. Out of Marwa (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), the '21 $410,000 Keeneland November buy is part of an extended female family which includes sire Sir Cherokee (Cherokee Run) and MGSW Miss Isella (Silver Charm). TJCIS PPS The post Thursday Racing Insights: ‘Rising Star’ World Record Back In The Starting Blocks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Steve Kornacki is more than the political junkie who, for years, has had a way of explaining things when it comes to elections that help make everything make sense. He does so by turning statistics into an easy-to-understand formula and displaying his findings on an interactive map that is known as the big board. But Kornacki sometimes needs a break from politics, and he has found one in horse racing. It's been his passion since his uncle started taking him to the harness races at Scarborough Downs in Maine. He loves to handicap and approaches racing with the same sort of mind set he uses for politics. The numbers matter. Kornacki will once again be part of NBC's coverage of this week's GI Kentucky Derby. But before he left we grabbed him for the TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He was this week's Gainesway Guest of the Week. Like many others, Kornacki believes that the pace may just decide the race. “We're hardly alone in this, I'm sure, but I'll be looking at the pace scenario in the race,” he said. “There was that sense after they introduced the point system back in 2013, that all the sprinters are out of it now and it's slowed down and the speed is holding a lot more. And we saw that for a long time there. It seems that over the last three years that's changed. You had that torrid pace in 2022 that got Rich Strike to the wire first. Mage came from off the pace and then last year Mystik Dan was sort of mid-pack. Sierra Leone and Forever Young rounded out the trifecta and they also came from behind. You had closers coming in there, taking advantage of a pace that heated up a little. So that seems to be the mini-trend. Then, obviously, when you look at the composition of the field this year, you just see speed, speed, speed, especially on the inside. You just see so much of it.” He hasn't made his pick yet but he has a few horses in mind. “I haven't landed yet and I'm torn, to be honest,” Kornacki said. “I've got a couple of closers that I'm really interested in. I'm really interested mainly in the closers. Grande really interests me. I was a little curious about Tiztastic, and maybe to get even a little crazier about it, Chunk of Gold. This is a gut thing, this is not a numbers thing, but I can't shake the feeling that it's just all about the pace. Then again, watch, maybe a couple of them won't break and a couple of them take back because they're afraid of a hot pace. In that case, maybe Rodriguez with Mike Smith, goes to the front and takes him to the lead and they wire the field.” So, what kind of handicapper is he? “Not a good one,” he joked. “I'm always hoping to do better. I do like speed figures. I pay a lot of attention to speed figures, to the Beyers. It's been really interesting hearing Randy (Moss) , talk about those, just given that he's part of the team that complies them. I also like trying to figure out the pace scenario in a race.” In our “Fastest Horse of the Week” segment, which is sponsored by WinStar, we went over the many reasons there are breed to WinStar stallion Heartland. The fastest horse of the week was Keeneland allowance winner Unmatched Wisdom (Cairo Prince), who ran a 103. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association, West Point Thoroughbreds, 1/ST Racing and 1/ST TV, the team of Moss, Zoe Cadman and Bill Finley held the first ever TDN Writers' Room Oaks-Derby draft. All 20 horses in the GI Kentucky Derby and all 14 in the GI Kentucky Oaks were drafted and points will be awarded on a 5-3-1 basis. Zoe Cadman took Journalism (Curlin) with the first overall pick. They also handicapped the major stakes on the Oaks and Derby undercards. Click here to watch the podcast or here to listen. The post Steve Kornacki Joins the TDN Writers’ Room Podcast Presented by Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The $1 million Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) promises a field of 12 talented runners. But because many of those runners are looking for consistency, the morning-line favorite is listed at a healthy 4-1. View the full article

Major immigration reform has been talked about for decades, but torpedoed legislation is as far as that has gone. Indeed, President Ronald Reagan was still just in his second term when he signed the last comprehensive immigration reform bill successfully steered through congress. Amid the cavalcade of immigration-related actions that the current administration has sanctioned, however, the possibility has appeared for that trend to be bucked. In the process, it opens the door for some of the nation's backstretch immigrant workforce to potentially find themselves on a new pathway towards legal status. “This is not a new problem, and I'm encouraged by the fact that the president is talking about it,” said James O'Neill, director of legislative affairs for the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC), a nationwide bipartisan coalition of over 1,700 employers and CEOs, about comments made by President Donald Trump at an April 10 cabinet meeting. At that gathering, Trump intimated of a new program to help farm, hotel and other workers leave the country and then return legally with the support of their U.S. employer. “We are also going to work with farmers, that if they have strong recommendations from their farms for certain people, we're going to let them stay in for a while and work with the farmers and then come back and go through a process, a legal process,” Trump said. “We have to take care of our farmers and hotels and, you know, various places where they use, where they need the people. And we're going to be working with you very carefully on that,” the president added. Federally, the backstretch workforce falls under the umbrella of the fair labor standards act, limiting them to H-2B visas only. The H-2B visa program–which affords non-agriculture seasonal immigrant workers jobs in such industries as hospitality or with animals–has its limitations. It comes with a restrictive annual quota. The visa is typically only granted for a year or less, but it can be extended for up to three years. While Trump's wording at the meeting was vague, the pathways available to bring such concepts to life appear largely two-fold: Through executive order or through legislation. If he takes the executive order route, said O'Neill, “then the scope of the program may be more limited. But it may be faster from a procedural standpoint.” A legislative fix may take longer, O'Neill added, but it would likely be a “more comprehensive or more permanent solution to some of the problems that we're seeing.” While the current administration's aggressive approach to immigration enforcement towards individuals both documented and undocumented has so far largely left horse racing alone, other industries haven't fared as well, like in the breadbasket of Central California, for example, of the Midwest. Indeed, Trump's comments came off the back of much push back from industry groups and immigration reform organizations in recent months. According to O'Neill, ABIC brought over 150 business owners to Washington to meet with over 121 offices at the end of March. They included representatives from the racing industry like trainer Dale Romans and California Horse Racing Board vice president, Oscar Gonzalez. Their message? “What we need to see is a secure border and a secure workforce. And we need policy that provides employers with the talent that they need to keep their business running and their business growing,” said O'Neill. There are possible blueprints for a new immigration bill to follow, including the language written into the stalled 2022 Affordable and Secure Food Act, which, among other things, provided a pathway to a green card after 10 years of work for farm and equine workers in the program. According to immigration attorney Will Velie, who also represents individuals from horse racing, Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo)–the law maker who introduced that 2022 bill–is still pursuing similar legislative reforms. “He needs a Republican co-sponsor, which is where the bill is right now,” said Velie. Velie added that the federal budget is expected to contain tens of billions of dollars for immigration enforcement only. That, weighted against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, could be the impetus needed for comprehensive immigration reform to finally find the needed traction, said Velie. “Trump is so mercurial when it comes to policy. And his party is so lock-step with him that if he on one-day says enforcement only, and on the next day says 'oh, we'll save the farm workers,' then all of a sudden it's a possibility,” said Velie. On Thursday morning at Churchill Downs, Velie will be one of the attendees at a joint ABIC and Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association media briefing to discuss this renewed push for bipartisan immigration reform. The post Amid Immigration Crackdown, Possible Opportunity For Immigrant Backstretch Workers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bob Baffert stood in front of Barn 33–covered once again with green-and-white plaques celebrating his six GI Kentucky Derby winners and three GI Kentucky Oaks winners– and held court with the media and posed for pictures with fans on a humid Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs. Following a well-documented, three-year suspension following the medication disqualification of Medina Spirit in the 2021 Kentucky Derby, it was business as usual for the Hall of Fame trainer, who will make his highly anticipated return beneath the Twin Spires this weekend with Tenma (Nyquist) in the Kentucky Oaks and champion 2-year-old colt Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) and 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) in the Kentucky Derby. He will also saddle the comebacking, unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) in a loaded renewal of the GI Churchill Downs S., Hope Road (Quality Road) in the GI Derby City Distaff S. and turning-back Madaket Road (Quality Road) in the GII Pat Day Mile S., all on the Derby undercard. How does it feel to be back? “It's been good,” Baffert replied on the go after watching a set train by his usual spot by the gap. “The horses, so far, they've settled in well and that's the main thing. It's normal–to me, it feels like just another Derby week.” He continued, “We've got a lot of fans. The fans want to come out and they want to see the good horses and all the top trainers. It's like anything. It's just like going to the Masters again, everybody wants to see the main players. Louisville is a great city. They really love it when people show up everywhere we go. It's nice.” Journalism galloping beneath the Twin Spires Wednesday | Sherackatthetrack All of those “main players,” including Baffert's aforementioned inside-drawn Derby duo, were in action during the 7:15-7:30 a.m. training window reserved for Derby and Oaks entrants. Imposing Kentucky Derby favorite Journalism (Curlin) continues to dominate the headlines on that front since shipping in from Michael McCarthy's Santa Anita base, as does the Brad Cox-trained unbeaten Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro), who is favored at 6-5 on the morning line in the female equivalent. Journalism continues do everything you want to see, displaying terrific energy while galloping powerfully as well as showcasing that massive stride of his. Sovereignty (Into Mischief) is another who has been training like he owns the place while striking grays Final Gambit (Not This Time) and Sandman (Tapit) and Burnham Square (Liam's Map) all left lasting impressions. Sovereignty getting over the track very nicely this morning beneath the Twin Spires pic.twitter.com/KRBChHDWR6 — Steve Sherack (@SteveSherackTDN) April 30, 2025 The post ‘It’s Just Like Going to the Masters Again’ – Following Three-Year Suspension, Baffert Back in Spotlight for Kentucky Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

California Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Peter Stern to the California Horse Racing Board, the CHRB announced Wednesday. Stern, who will require Senate approval for the appointment, has been Chief Revenue Officer at Skedulo and an Advisor at Berkeley SkyDeck since 2025. Additionally, he held several roles at Authorium from 2024 to 2025, including Advisor and Executive Vice President and was the Co-Founder of VoiceBrain from 2021 to 2023. The post Newsom Appoints Peter Stern To California Horse Racing Board appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Precocious kid, streaks ahead of his peers, brought crashing to earth? Hang in there, boy. Because if that's pretty much where the champion juvenile finds himself, heading into the GI Kentucky Derby off a disappointing run at Santa Anita, he need not seek far for inspiration. Robert Low bred Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) with his wife Lawana from their mare No Joke (Distorted Humor), who had cost them $750,000 as a yearling at the 2017 Keeneland September Sale–just days after her half-sister Moonshine Memories (Malibu Moon) had won the GI Debutante Stakes. Unfortunately, No Joke never made the racetrack. “Just one of these hard-luck fillies,” Low explains. “Plagued by little, niggling issues. She did show flashes of brilliance, in her works, even as we were trying to take it easy and let her work through those things. But she's absolutely gorgeous, a wonderful physical, so at some point we decided to turn her into a broodmare. And that has obviously turned out a good decision.” But this was hardly the first time Low had discovered how a hard road will often lead to the summit. He was still a University of Missouri student when buying himself a dump truck in 1970. “Really, it was downpayment on a dump truck,” he clarifies. “A pretty old one, too, and not that profitable because it kept breaking down.” But still–what kind of 19-year-old does that, when his buddies are boozing and chasing girls? “Some of my fraternity brothers and classmates did say I was crazy,” Low admits. “But I was a pretty enterprising youth, raised on a farm, and I'm sure my parents had helped spot me a couple cows, that kind of thing. So when I went to college, I had a few dollars stored away that I could invest. And driving that dump truck, it was really like a summer job.” Except then he remembered what everyone in the meatpacking trade had always told his father, a market news reporter: the guys who made the real money were the truckers. Citizen Bull works at Churchill | Coady Media “I would find out that it wasn't necessarily true,” Low recalls. “But it got me interested, the talk at the kitchen table about over-the-road trucks. So when my dump truck wasn't working out, I decided I'd trade it for one of those. And that's how we got started.” He didn't just do well. He did too well, a sapling rocketing too tall for its roots. “Early, mid-'70s, we were essentially doubling the size of the company: one truck, two, four, eight, and up,” Low explains. “Pretty soon, say just prior to 1980, we had 300. But that kind of rapid growth, I don't know where you can do that now. High-tech, maybe, but in trucking you have assets that are expensive. So going like that, you create a lot of debt–and your debt-to-equity really hasn't had a chance to catch up.” And then, at that peak of vulnerability, he ran into a historic spike in interest rates: 20 percent and more, plus he was borrowing at two to four points above the prime rate. In 1979, not yet 30 years old, Low cleared $1 million profit. The following year, he found himself in a bankruptcy court. Through around four years in Chapter 11, he learned to live scrupulously according to his means: not a cent spent that hadn't been earned. He would come to work every morning terrified of a call from the bank. Would the day's cashflow hold out? It was a highwire and, just as it seemed ready to snap, Low's mother insisted that she should help. “And actually that became a tremendous motivation,” Low says. “Because she was just a regular working person that had gotten her home free and clear. She borrowed $50,000 and gave it to me, at one of the darkest points, to keep the company going. And I think that really turned the situation around, emotionally. I mean, you can't leave your mother hanging out there with nothing. You are very highly motivated, to get her paid back!” Today, looking back as CEO of Prime Inc.–with a fleet of 6,500 trucks and revenues exceeding $2 billion–Low recognizes that the furnace must first be endured before steel can cool and harden. “I was a prideful country boy,” he says. “My parents, my relatives, had always paid their bills. It was a stark awakening. But I learned so many lessons about business, and about life and people. We got it together, got the company reorganized–a different business model, a different attitude–and really never looked back.” It was also to his parents that Low owed his passion for horses, first through the hogs-and-cattle environment in which he was raised and then, more specifically, by introducing him to Oaklawn. Sweet Melania with the Lows | Keeneland “I was farm boy,” Low recalls. “Fancied myself a bit of a cowboy, and took pretty naturally to it. I rode my horse in the Christmas parade, that kind of thing.” Doing so, in fact, produced a life-changing opportunity to flirt with a girl in the fifth grade. “Though Lawana's memory is different from mine,” Low says with a chuckle. “I'm quite sure that she didn't invite me to put her on the horse, but that I invited her.” One way or another, horses have remained a bond in a marriage now extending beyond half a century. “Oh, she loves them,” Low confirms. “She works on the matings and likes handicapping, though she doesn't seem to give me many of her winners! But yes, from early in our marriage we would go to Hot Springs together. Having been there with my parents, as a kid, I just have so many good memories down there, and it's become very dear to our hearts.” So when the business began thriving more sustainably, in the early 1990s, the Lows could have no more fulfilling reward than to start a stable. One of their earliest investments was Capote Belle, who won the GI Test Stakes, and they have twice since followed the Derby trail all the way to the first Saturday in May. Needless to say, both Steppenwolfer (2006) and Magnum Moon (2018) took the Oaklawn route, albeit there was quite a contrast in their fortunes at Churchill. Steppenwolfer, only placed in the Rebel and the Arkansas Derby, outran his odds in third; Magnum Moon, who had won both races emphatically, trailed home covered in mud. “Steppenwolfer was a great ride,” Low recalls. “He was trained by Danny Peitz, who's primarily a local Oaklawn trainer. Actually his brother worked for us in our shop here at Prime. So it was a big family deal, one of those experiences that really reinforce your enthusiasm. “Same with Magnum Moon, going into the Derby as leading points scorer: to have won those races at our home track, around friends and family, created memories to last a lifetime. But I think it remains the rainiest Derby on record, just a bog, and he lost all chance getting bumped around out of the 16 hole.” Tragically, Magnum Moon would never get a shot at redemption. That summer he was struck by laminitis and, despite showing prodigious courage and patience over the following months, eventually succumbed. Built cruises along on the tab at Churchill | Coady Media “We loved that horse so much,” Low says. “Probably even beyond his talent as a racehorse, he had an incredible will to live. He was in that clinic for almost a year, trying to recover. We'd have signs of progress, then a setback, but all the way through he was totally classy, smart, did everything right. “The game obviously has its highs and lows, so you need to cherish those highs and learn to cope with the lows. If it's going to be destructive to your life, you need to be doing something else. Because all it takes is a stroke of very bad luck, one bad step.” Returning to the Derby this time obviously feels different, rooting for a horse in someone else's silks. But the Lows retain plenty of skin in the game, between breeder's prizes and Citizen Bull's family. “We have the mare and the half-sister, who just foaled a beautiful colt by our stallion Colonel Liam,” Low notes. “No Joke has a fantastic Mandaloun yearling colt and a spectacular Life is Good weanling colt–but I think she may be going back to Into Mischief from now on!” There were Derby dreams for Colonel Liam when bought as a juvenile for $1.2 million, but he only paid off that investment once switched to turf. Now building a new career under the skilled supervision of Ocala Stud, his unexpected flowering reminds us that horses, for better or worse, remain ever unpredictable. That leaves the Lows, like anyone else, facing tricky strategic calls to maintain a viable program. The dam of GII Pat Day Mile contender Built (Hard Spun), for instance, was sold when he was a weanling for just $40,000 at the Keeneland November Sale. Both No Joke's previous foals having been retained, moreover, Citizen Bull was allowed to go for $675,000 after catching the expert eye of Donato Lanni for a partnership headed by SF/Starlight/Madaket. “Hindsight's always 20/20,” Low says. “Sometimes you'll make the wrong call. You hate to give up those beautiful Curlin mares, for sure, but before Built we felt like she hadn't produced for us, and needed moving on. I mean, I'm a businessman. Nobody likes just losing money year after year, so you need to manage things somewhat in the hope of ending up with a good, profitable venture. “We get together, try to evaluate where we are, make a decision and go with it. We really appreciate and respect the Taylor Made operation–Mark Taylor and Jeff Hayslett are very helpful–along with our farm manager Denny Wilson, and Jacob West as our bloodstock manager. And as we've said, we still have very good reasons to be cheering for Citizen Bull.” A breeding program of your own, of course, loads residual value into well-bred acquisitions like No Joke. That spurred the Lows into an extra bid or two in stretching for a $1.9 million Curlin filly out of Matera (Tapit), stakes-winning half-sister to Not This Time and Colonel Liam's sire Liam's Map, at Saratoga last summer. “Being farmers, breeders, that gives us a little backstop,” Low acknowledges. “That filly's with J.J. Pletcher in Ocala and it looks like she'll be going on to Todd pretty early, maybe in four or five weeks, hopefully then Saratoga. So we're excited about her.” The Lows lead Colonel Liam into the winner's circle after the Pegasus Turf | Coglianese But there is a further, clinching satisfaction for their whole program: the fact that the Lows have their mares and foals at Primatara Farm, right on the doorstep of the palatial home they built near Springfield, Missouri. “We love being round the horses, and really it's why we have the farm,” Low says. “And we take a great deal of pride that a champion 2-year-old was raised outside of Kentucky. Of course we do the Kentucky-bred thing, we ferry back and forth. But Denny, and Holly Hurshman and the rest of the crew, just do a great job. It's so gratifying to watch these horses growing up, a big part of the enjoyment that we get out of the sport.” No doubt as many people told Low he was crazy, trying to raise champion Thoroughbreds in Missouri, as they did when he bought that truck as a teenager. “They talk about the limestone and water in Kentucky,” Low says. “Well, we have limestone, we have good clean water, rolling hills. It's a beautiful environment. We know we need luck, everyone does. But while luck is always nice, it's also about having a good game plan. And, especially, good people. In the end, that's what gets you through. Whether racing, or trucking, logistics, whatever it is, if you can surround yourself with good people, that's going to make the difference.” The post Breeder Spotlight: Proud Missouri Citizen A Model For Bull Run, Presented By Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk The “House” party looks set to continue at Manawatu today. The red juggernaut will be represented by 11 runners at Palmerston North this evening with all of them backing up from Tuesday’s meeting. Trainer Michael House had five winners then to take him to 903 career victories while son Wilson drove three of them on his 21st birthday – not that there was any huge celebration to mark the big event. “It was just a few drinks with dinner, nothing out of the ordinary.” With 51 wins in 2025, House is the country’s leading junior driver and second in the overall drivers’ premiership behind seven-time champion Blair Orange. He looks a great chance to add to that with six drives tonight, starting with Shezabettorgirl in Race 1, the Andrew and Lyn Neal Stables Mobile Pace “She’s a nice tough mare who won well for Harry (Harrison Orange) the first day – it was a great drive.” “She’d be one of my better drives on the day.” In race 3 he partners up with another Tuesday winner in Matai Harry in the Smale Logistics Mobile Pace (6.04pm). Two days ago he kicked through to lead and won well by over a length from Ragnar Lothbrok. “He’s a keen traveller who’s held his condition well.” “The best one seems to be Kevin Kline who’s drawn out well.” Oakley Shard is another Tuesday winner who shapes up as an each way chance in Race 4, the D and M Webb Mobile Pace. “He’s drawn exactly where he drew the first day (two on the second line) and that could be a good draw from there,” says House. In race 5, the Herb Stent Memorial Handicap Pace House partners with Avenger. After a big second two starts ago at Addington the Sweet Lou six-year-old was fourth on Tuesday. “I was slow away and then he had a bit of gallop so I was three deep which cost me second or third.” “But he’s in a bit of trouble on the second day because it’s 2500 and those back markers will catch you.” House is especially mindful of Rough And Ready in a field that also includes Iron Brigade, Lord Delmar and Nelson’s Boy. House is quietly confident about Koko Kaboom in the Colin Goss Memorial Handicap Trot (7.29pm) though manners will again be critical. “He was third after galloping (on Tuesday) and if he gets around trotting the 2500 will suit him more than the 2000 on the first day.” House’s last drive for the night is with La Bamba in the DSL Electrical Mobile Pace. He was backed into favouritism on Tuesday but finished sixth of seven. “I was stuck three deep and you can’t make ground. The horse went fine, he’ll be fine on the second day as long as we don’t pushed down on the fence.” Race 1 starts at 5.09pm. View the full article

Thursday, Saint-Cloud, France, post time: 16:25, PRIX DU MUGUET-G2, €130,000, 4yo/up, 8fT Field: Ozat (Fr) (Kingman {GB}), Tribalist (GB) (Farhh {GB}), Vertbois (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Aigle Vaillant (Fr) (Wings Of Eagles {Fr}), Tumbler (Fr) (Kingman {GB}), No Lunch (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Zoom (Fr) (No Nay Never). TDN Verdict: Tribalist goes for three consecutive editions of this May Day special, having memorably put Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in his place in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in September. The only question mark is whether his comprehensive defeat by No Lunch in the Prix Montjeu on Chantilly's Polytrack in March was down to the fact that he was needing his comeback and racing under a six-pound penalty, or was it a sign of a slight decline. The fact is that he does like it softer than it is likely to be here, so there is hope for No Lunch if he hasn't been put off his stride by a subsequent no-show in the G2 Godolphin Mile on dirt. [Tom Frary]. Thursday, Munich, Germany, post time: 15:55, WETTSTAR.DE – BAVARIAN CLASSIC-G3, €55,000, 3yo, 10fT Field: Abando (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), Aquaman (Ger) (Cracksman {GB}), Lazio (Ger) (Make Believe {GB}), Oriental Star (Ger) (Reliable Man {GB}), Path Of Soldier (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), Zuckerhut (Ger) (Almanzor {Fr}). TDN Verdict: Early sparring between the G1 Deutsches Derby hopes sees the eight-length G2 Gran Criterium winner Lazio encounter some up-and-comers including the Mulheim winner Zuckerhut and Cologne scorer Aquaman. The latter represents the Henk Grewe stable successful three times since 2019. [Tom Frary]. Thursday, Chelmsford City, Britain, post time: 19:15, BET365 CHELMER FILLIES' STAKES-Listed, £80,000, 3yo, f, 6f 0y Field: Arabian Dusk (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Englemere (Ire) (Goken {Fr}), Enola Holmes (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Hold A Dream (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}), Lady With The Lamp (Ire) (King Of Change {GB}), Liberalised (GB) (Kodiac {GB}), Neytiri Te Tskaha (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), Proudly Yours (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Running Queen (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Spirit D'Or (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Star Of Mehmas (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Wewilldanceagain (Ire) (Wooded {Ire}). TDN Verdict: It's back to sprinting for last year's G2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes winner and G1 Cheveley Park Stakes third Arabian Dusk who failed to see out the seven furlongs of the G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes. Lady With The Lamp beat some significant older horses in the Listed Cork Stakes and rates her biggest threat, while the Listed Harry Rosebery Stakes scorer Star Of Mehmas gets the Ryan Moore treatment which could be significant. [Tom Frary] Click here for the complete fields. The post Black-Type Analysis: Lazio Eyeing Bavarian Classic Laurels appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jockey Jareth Loveberry has not scored in the Kentucky Derby (G1), but he knows almost what it feels like to win it, having just missed in the 2023 race with Two Phil's with his first Derby mount. This year, Loveberry returns, riding Chunk of Gold.View the full article

Led by Arturo R. y Arturo Bullrich (G2) winner Martana, a field of seven fillies and mares has been entered for the May 1 Gran Premio Criadores (G1) in Argentina. The winner will earn an automatic starting berth into the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). View the full article

In the fifth start of his career, East Avenue picked up some valuable experience ahead of his start in the $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1) May 3 at Churchill Downs.View the full article