Wandering Eyes

Bango, the co-winningest horse in documented Churchill Downs history with 11 wins beneath the Twin Spires, pursues his first victory at Keeneland against a contentious group of sprinters in the Oct. 6 Phoenix Stakes (G2).View the full article

New York State Gaming Commission accepted an appeals court ruling in June that a three-ban for trainer Linda Rice was "shockingly unfair." The court, however, agreed Rice "blatantly broke" the rules.View the full article

Stable Recovery, Inc., a program based in Lexington that provides individuals in early recovery from substance abuse the opportunity to live in a sober and supportive environment while training to become horsemen and horsewomen, received a $300,000 grant from the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission Monday, Oct. 2, the organization said in a release Tuesday. The funding is part of a multi-state settlement with a number of pharmaceutical companies for their roles in facilitating the opioid epidemic. “We are incredibly appreciative of the Commission's decision to trust us with this funding for our program,” said Frank Taylor of Taylor Made Farm, who is currently serving as interim CEO of Stable Recovery. “As we continue to tighten our program and focus on helping people to recover in the most effective way possible–while also providing the industry with quality horsemen–we can use all the help we can get, and this is certainly a lot of help.” The mission and growth of Stable Recovery has been covered extensively in the TDN here and here. “We are really excited for what this funding will allow us to do for our participants,” said Christian Countzler, Stable Recovery's Director of Addiction Recovery. “This will allow us to reach more people who desperately need help and to offer them the opportunity to do something special by learning a trade that is so meaningful in this part of the country.” Added Dan Pride, COO of Godolphin USA and Chairman of the Board at Stable Recovery: “What a blessing for Stable Recovery and for those individuals entering recovery who will have the opportunity to benefit from this additional funding. We also hope this will allow us to continue to make inroads in the industry as people notice that, not only does Stable Recovery do good for our program participants, but we provide the industry with some high quality, responsible horsemen too.” The post $300,000 Opioid Abatement Grant to Stable Recovery appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Turfway Park purses for maiden special weight (MSW) races are projected to stay level at $70,000, the same as last season. The dovetailed 2023-24 meets that run through March will open Nov. 29. Chip Bach, Turfway's general manager, reported that projection during the Oct. 3 Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) advisory board meeting. The overall purse structure, Bach said, will also be “similar” to the previous meet “even though we're adding days and races.” Bach said Turfway plans on running Wednesdays through Saturdays with a 5:55 p.m. Eastern first post, with the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks S. program a traditional afternoon racing exception. Exact 2024 racing dates have yet to be awarded by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, but Turfway's corporate parent, Churchill Downs, Inc., lists Mar. 23 as the date of the 2024 edition of the Jeff Ruby on its “Road to the GI Kentucky Derby” points races calendar. In the recent past, Turfway has experimented with various under-the-lights first post times, and also tried running during some afternoons on Saturdays. This year management wants to establish a more consistent niche, timing-wise. “We confuse the handicappers if we're all over the place,” Bach said. “We found once we start building a consistent pattern for them, it's better for us,” he noted, citing Turfway's 5:55 p.m. slot as being more profitable. “We believe we have enough not only in purse money, but horse population to keep us running four days a week,” Bach said. “We are planning on running nine races a day in December and January,” Bach said, adding that track management will evaluate that number mid-season to see if carding nine races nightly is still sustainable heading into February. This season will be Turfway's second with its entirely rebuilt racing facility. Prior to upping MSW purses to $70,000 last season, Turfway paid out $62,000 in MSW purses in 2021-22. The dual meets that season were conducted with temporary trackside amenities as the multi-year grandstand rebuild was nearing completion. In 2020-21, Turfway paid just $32,000 for MSW races, when the dual meets were heavily compromised by both the COVID-19 pandemic and the initial phases of the grandstand construction that kept the northern Kentucky oval closed to on-track spectators. During the 2019-20 season, Turfway paid MSW purses in the $46,000-48,000 range. The KTDF advisory committee approved the requested recommendation of the Turfway allotment that the MSW purse estimates were based on. The full Kentucky Horse Racing Commission still has to vote on final approval of that funding. The post Turfway MSW Purses Projected to Hold Steady at $70,000 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ben Glass, the stable manager for Gary and Mary West, has reported that GI Stephen Foster S. winner West Will Power (Bernardini–Wild Promises, by Wild Event) has been sold to a Korean farm, where he will stand at stud next year. Glass said the deal was brokered by bloodstock agent Jun Park. Glass did not know what farm had bought West Will Power, but according to a Tweet from Korea Racing his new home will be Songma Farm. On July 1, West Will Power picked up the biggest victory of his career, winning the GI Stephen Foster S. by a half-length, picking up his first Grade I win in the process. Afterward, however, he suffered a soft tissue injury and his retirement was announced in early August. “He had an injury after that race, I believe in his left front pastern,” Glass said. “Dr. (Larry) Bramlage said it would take considerable time to heal, if it would heal at all. We didn't want to bring him back as a 7-year-old and maybe hurt him. He ran so well for us and was a homebred, so we decided the best thing to do was to retire him.” Trained by Brad Cox, West Will Power was 7-for-17 during his career and earned $1,745,390. He also won the GII New Orleans Classic S. and the GII Hagyard Fayette S. “He had a very nice career and that he's a homebred made it even nicer,” Glass said. “That's because we got the breeders' awards. We were really happy with him and the career he had.” Glass said he tried to find a U.S. stallion farm that would agree to take West Will Power, but was unsuccessful. “Sadly, Kentucky farms did not reach out to us and I tried quite a few,” he said. “I think with his age, being six, that probably stopped most of them. I tried hard to sell him throughout the whole United States. If this injury had happened earlier in his life I think we would have found a home for him here. But with his being six, then breeding at seven, his first foals would have been born when he was eight and wouldn't have run until he was 10. That's one of the reasons there wasn't a great deal of interest.” The Wests have sent other stallions to Korea, including Concert Tour (Street Sense), the winner of the 2021 GII Rebel S. and the 2021 San Vicente S. “We've sent a couple other horses to Korea,” Glass said. “We get pictures back and they just look gorgeous. They take great care of them and they are really coming on when it comes to their breeding program.” The post West Will Power Will Stand at Stud in Korea appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The $20 million prize money for The Everest may have attracted the fastest horses and elite jockeys but the owners enclosure at Royal Randwick will be packed with everyday Aussies. View the full article

The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) on Tuesday fined trainer Linda Rice $100,000 in a re-adjudication of her “improper practices” case that has persisted at the commission level and in the New York courts for more than two years. In 2021, the NYSGC fined Rice $50,000 and revoked her license for three years after investigating claims that Rice received favorable treatment from the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and that the racing office was releasing to her the names and past performances of horses that had already been entered in races, giving her an unfair advantage. The NYSGC initially had alleged that Rice had paid racing officials in exchange for the information, but that bribery charge–which Rice had denied–was later dismissed by the commission. On June 8, 2023, the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division ruled that the three-year banishment imposed by the NYSGC was “entirely unwarranted.” But that same court also upheld the commission's determination that the “improper practices” rule had been violated, and ordered the matter back to the NYSGC to reassess the penalty “with the constraint that any reassessed penalty cannot contain a license revocation.” At the Oct. 3 monthly meeting, NYSGC chair Brian O'Dwyer read into the record a brief explanation of Rice's revamped penalty. As per the NYSGC's custom, the commissioners did not discuss or debate the matter in an open-public session prior to voting upon it. Their voting happened prior to the start of the meeting and O'Dwyer only reported a summary of the decision. “The appellate division agreed with the Commission's findings that trainer Rice had blatantly broke the rules of racing by conspiring with others to choose the optimal races for her horses. The appellate division determined, however, that any revocation was unwarranted,” O'Dwyer said. “We respectfully disagree with that decision, but are constrained by law to follow it. The original fine of $50,000 was predicated on a three-year revocation. Since that is now not extant, we have decided, on the basis of the record, [to] increase the fine to $100,000. And we therefore impose a penalty on trainer Rice of $100,000. The vote was unanimous in that regard,” O'Dwyer said. Messages seeking comment left with Rice, with an employee of her racing stable, and with her attorney, Andrew Turro, did not yield callbacks in the immediate aftermath of the NYSGC's decision. This story will be updated with replies if they arrive prior to deadline for this story. The post NYSGC Doubles Rice’s ‘Improper Practices’ Fine to $100K appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

This day 4th October in horse racing news history From the extensive Horse Betting news archives we present the all the thoroughbred racing action in Australian and overseas racing news in history. Delve in and enjoy our walk back in horse racing time. Horse Racing Tips 12 months ago Mornington betting tips & quaddie picks | Thursday 6/10/2022 Mornington Racecourse will host a nine-race card on Thursday as the solitary Victorian meeting for the day. See our free … Read More Horse Racing Tips 12 months ago Thursday’s Gosford racing tips & quaddie | October 6, 2022 Gosford Racecourse holds the featured provincial meeting on Thursday afternoon with an eight-race card starting at 1:25pm AEDT. See our … Read More Horse Racing Tips 12 months ago Ipswich racing tips, best odds & quaddie | Wednesday 5/10/2022 Queensland metropolitan racing returns to Ipswich Turf Club on Wednesday with an eight-race program commencing at 1:18pm AEST. See our … Read More Horse Racing Tips 12 months ago Sale racing tips & quaddie numbers | Wednesday, October 5 Racing returns to Sale Turf Club this Wednesday with a very competitive eight-race program kicking off at 1pm AEDT. See … Read More Australia horse racing news 12 months ago Mixed bag for Phil Cole on Darwin return After a highly successful campaign in outback Queensland, Darwin trainer Phil Cole endured mixed fortunes on his return to Fannie … Read More Horse Racing Tips 12 months ago Today’s horse racing tips & best bets | October 4, 2022 Three horse racing meetings are scheduled around Australia today. See the top tips, best odds and quaddie selections for free … Read More Australia horse racing news 2 years ago Punt Drunk: Bowman brings up Group 1 ton Punt Drunk returns for another Monday as we look back on the weekend of racing that was, including Hugh Bowman’s … Read More Horse Racing Tips 2 years ago Goulburn betting tips, top odds & quaddie | Tuesday, October 5 HorseBetting’s New South Wales racing tipster brings you his best bets, value picks and quaddie selections for the Goulburn meeting … Read More Horse Racing Tips 2 years ago Mildura betting preview, top tips & odds | Tuesday, October 5 Mildura plays host to an eight-race card on Tuesday, October 5. See all of the top tips, value bets & … Read More Horse Racing Tips 2 years ago Today’s horse racing tips & best bets | October 4, 2021 Horse racing around the country sees four meetings being held on this Monday afternoon. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 2 years ago Thrilling finish to Great Northern Steeplechase After competing for the full six-kilometre distance of a gruelling Diprose Miller Great Northern Steeplechase (6200m), less than half a … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 2 years ago Miss Tycoon Rose sets special mark for Pitman A comfortable victory by Miss Tycoon Rose at Riccarton on Saturday provided co-trainer Michael Pitman with more than the usual … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 2 years ago Plan comes to fruition for Justacanta A thrilling victory by Justacanta in Saturday’s Listed Paris Lane Stakes (1410m) at Flemington saw the successful culmination of a … Read More Horse Racing Tips 3 years ago Sunshine Coast Sunday Races Horse Betting Tips & preview What Sunny Coast Races Where Corbould Park, Pierce Ave Caloundra, QLD When Sunday, October 4, 2020 First Race 1:40PM AEDT … Read More Horse Racing Tips 3 years ago Kyneton Sunday Races Horse Betting Tips & Best Bets What Kyneton Races Where Kyneton Racecourse, Campaspe Place Kyneton, VIC When Sunday, October 4, 2020 First Race 1:00PM AEDT Watch … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 3 years ago Probabeel provides Richards with Group 1 double Star Kiwi mare Probabeel capped another stellar day for outstanding young trainer Jamie Richards when winning the Group 1 Epsom … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 3 years ago Group 1 quinella for Richards in Hawke’s Bay feature In a thrilling finish to the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) at Hastings it was the Jamie Richards-trained pair … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 3 years ago Blanket finish to Hawke’s Bay Guineas The judge has his work cut out at Hastings on Saturday as he perused the photo finish to one of … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 3 years ago Local win in Canterbury Belle Stakes Local filly Matchmaker gave her rivals a start and a beating when she took out Saturday’s Listed New Zealand Bloodstock … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 3 years ago Rae colt dominates Riccarton two-year-old contest Ruakaka trainer Kenny Rae is no stranger to spring success at Riccarton with early season two-year-olds and he was at … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Waller with two chances in Group 1 Turnbull Chris Waller has trained the winner of three of the past four Turnbull Stakes at Flemington and has Finche and … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Hawkes bullish over Brutal return Doncaster Mile winner Brutal will resume in the Premiere Stakes as he heads towards a start in the $7.5 million … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Gundagai’s Len Tozer receives top award Len Tozer, the secretary/manager of the Gundagai Race Club for 50 years, has been honoured with the Simon Nivison Award … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Tye Angland joins spring carnival coverage Former jockey Tye Angland has been added to Channel 7’s racing commentary team for the spring carnival … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Everest contenders to clash in Group 2 Gilgai Everest contenders Sunlight and Santa Ana Lane will clash in the Group Two Gilgai at Flemington, two weeks before the … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Surprise Baby favourite to earn Cup berth The TAB has taken a big bet on Surprise Baby to win the Melbourne Cup, the day before he attempts … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Key points about the Metropolitan Handicap All the key statistics and history surrounding the Group One Metropolitan Handicap … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Kolding on top for Waller in Epsom Chris Waller will saddle up almost a third of the Epsom Handicap field as he looks to win the prestigious … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Mystic Journey can stamp Plate credentials Trainer Adam Trinder is confident Mystic Journey will run a strong 2000m in the Turnbull Stakes when the mare gets … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 4 years ago Chiaretta breaks maidens at Te Rapa Well-related filly Chiaretta showed she has inherited her share of the family ability when coming from well off the pace … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Trainer Amy Usher makes Sydney debut Trainer Amy Usher will make her Sydney metropolitan debut with Lamelo in the Breeders’ Plate at the Epsom Handicap meeting … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Newnham, Dolan chase Metrop Dream Master and apprentice will combine when trainer Mark Newnham and jockey Robbie Dolan team up in the Group One Metropolitan … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Small field for Maribyrnong Trial Stakes A couple of juveniles with race experience will clash with a few unraced horses in Melbourne’s first two-year-old stakes race … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Key points about the Flight Stakes All the facts, figures and history behind the Flight Stakes, a Group One race for three-year-old fillies over 1600m at … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Jason Coyle gets in the Group 1 Spirit Jason Coyle has no qualms taking on Flight Stakes fancies Funstar and Probabeel with St Covet’s Spirit and will not … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Facts and figures on G1 Turnbull Stakes What you need to know about the Group One Turnbull Stakes at Flemington … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Deploy out to break drought at Farm Stakes-performed sprinter Deploy will chase his first win in more than two years when he heads to Eagle Farm … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 4 years ago Rugby, Racing and Trophies As All Blacks coach Steve Hansen currently plots a path that could see his beloved national team secure the Rugby … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 4 years ago Feature targets for Ritchie pair Cambridge trainer Frank Ritchie is heading into the last day of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival in high spirits. The … Read More Ireland horse racing news, United Kingdom Horse Racing News 4 years ago Crystal Ocean snapped up by Coolmore Crystal Ocean is to stand at Coolmore’s Beeches Stud as a National Hunt stallion … Read More France horse racing news, United Kingdom Horse Racing News 4 years ago Enable to jump from barrier nine in Arc Enable will start from barrier nine in her bid for an unprecedented third win in the Prix de l’Arc de … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Stella Victoria sets record in Doomben win Tough mare Stella Victoria has showed her stakes-winning ability with a class-record win at Doomben … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Patience approach works for Alpine Dancer Trainer Robert Heathcote’s noted patience with his horses has continued to pay off with Alpine Dancer winning at Doomben … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 5 years ago Gosford double for Marsh Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh made a flying visit to Gosford, just outside of Sydney, on Thursday to saddle a pair … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Moir flop Nature Strip out of $13m Everest The Australian Turf Club has confirmed Nature Strip will not run in $13 million Everest in its slot … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Blair House set for Caulfield debut in G1 Godolphin galloper Blair House will be the third horse from Charlie Appleby’s contingent to run at Caulfield during the spring … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago QRIC launch inquiry at Les Kelly stables after Gold Coast meeting A Stewards Inquiry was commenced yesterday after the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) Integrity Investigations Team (IIT) reported what they … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago In Her Time Provincial horse of the year In Her Time and The Monstar have been named provincial and country horse of the year respectively … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Viddora makes amends in G1 Moir Stakes Viddora has returned to Moonee Valley to claim victory in the Moir Stakes after being beaten narrowly in the Group … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago The Taj Mahal holds off late Valley lunge The Taj Mahal has progressed his Caulfield Cup claims holding off a late surge from Gallic Chieftain to win the … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago I Am A Star too strong in Stocks Stakes Trainer Shane Nichols is eyeing Group One races with I Am A Star after her all-the-way win in the Stocks … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Futooh chasing Flight Stakes upset The Lindsay Park stable will be represented by two fillies in the Flight Stakes including Futooh who David Hayes believes … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago The G1 Metropolitan: what you need to know All the key comments and history surrounding the Group One Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick on Saturday … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago What you need to know about the Epsom All the facts, figures and history behind the Epsom Handicap … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Wall Of Fire returns in The Metropolitan Imported stayer Wall Of Fire makes his return from a lengthy lay-off in the Group One Metropolitan Handicap over 2400m … Read More Hong Kong horse racing news 5 years ago Yeung tips hat to Lee after Namjong’s sweeping success at Happy Valley A relieved, effusive Keith Yeung paid special tribute to retired trainer Almond Lee after the jockey broke a frustrating run … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 5 years ago Bosson excited for Hastings return Everything’s apples with Opie Bosson ahead of his comeback to race-riding at Hastings on Saturday. The champion hoop had just … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 5 years ago Benner hot on Scott Base Johno Benner has no doubt he is taking a horse to the races capable of winning Saturday’s Group 1 Livamol … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Victorem trials well ahead of Kosciuszko Victorem has given a strong performance during a trial in Gosford two weeks out from The Kosciuszko at Randwick … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago The facts and figures of the Fight Stakes All the facts, figures and history behind the Flight Stakes ahead of the race on Randwick Racecourse on Saturday … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Dee aims for back-to-back G1 Metropolitans Jockey Michael Dee will be chasing back-to-back wins in the Group One Metropolitan at Randwick when he rides imported stayer … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Newnham chasing first Group One win Trainer Mark Newnham will be striving for his first Group One win when he saddles Lanciato in the Epsom and … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Barrier concern for Grunt in G1 Underwood Trainer Mick Price has a nagging concern the outside barrier could prove detrimental to the chances of Grunt in the … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Neds bookmaker launches in Australia THERE is a new online bookmaker on the Australian scene after former Ladbrokes boss Dean Shannon launched Neds on Wednesday … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Stonebrook steps up for Waterhouse-Bott Stonebrook has continued his development for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in winning at Canterbury … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Purcell learning quickly with quality team Aaron Purcell has taken over the stable of Caulfield trainer Ciaron Maher and has a team of stakes horses lining … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Sircconi set on a Caulfield Guineas path A Listed race at Flemington is the next step on the path to a planned Caulfield Guineas start for Group-winning … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago VRC not happy with recent Cup alterations Recent announcements regarding penalties and abolishing the minimum topweight for the Melbourne Cup do not sit well with the Victoria … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Well-bred Shaolin Kungfu breaks through Shaolin Kungfu, a half-brother to former star sprinter Dance Hero, has finally broken his maiden with a strong win at … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Waller relishes Humidor challenge for Winx Chris Waller expects the Darren Weir-trained gelding Humidor to provide Winx with a stern test when they meet for the … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Gr 1 star Russian Revolution to be spelled The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained sprinter Russian Revolution will be sent for a spell after his unplaced run as favourite … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Mature Nymph Monte ready for the Livamol TRAINER and part-owner of Nymph Monte Grant Nicholson believes the horse has “improved so much” since punters last saw it … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Skyfire takes on Winx in Turnbull Stakes Winx scared away many potential rivals but restricted-class galloper Skyfire will take on the champion mare in the Group One … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Temple Of Bel earns shot at Group Two race Trainer Archie Alexander believes Temple Of Bel deserves a crack at the Group Two Edward Manifold Stakes after a convincing … Read More Horse Racing News, New Zealand horse racing news 6 years ago Irish Cream runs into Karaka Million contention at Ruakaka TE AKAU have unearthed another potential Karaka Million winner to follow in the footsteps of Melody Belle. It was only … Read More Horse Racing News, New Zealand horse racing news 6 years ago Busy Breslin set for cross-country travels AWAPUNI trainer Mike Breslin will be going in all directions over the next few days after changing plans for his … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Twitter reacts to Sportsbet’s Hotham announcement WHO’S ready for Sportsbet’s newest addition to a stacked spring program, Ballarat Race Club’s Hotham? Introducing the most prized racing … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Ace High a trump card for Payne, Cordina David Payne is confident Ace High can provide his first Group One success since Criterion in 2014 when the colt … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago VRC hoping for crowd of 25,000 to see Winx Victoria Racing Club chair Amanda Elliott is hoping for a crowd of around 25,000 at Flemington for Turnbull Stakes day … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago John Zielke out to quinella juvenile races In-form trainer John Zielke has every reason to believe he can quinella the first two metropolitan juvenile races of the … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Bonus boost for annual Gold Coast meeting The annual Gold Coast metropolitan meeting in March will receive a boost in bonus payments and prize money … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Six rivals for Winx in G1 Turnbull Stakes Winx has drawn barrier two and will have six opponents in the Group One Turnbull Stakes when she races at … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Field of 10 for Spring Champion Stakes Gloaming Stakes winner Ace High heads a field of 10 for the Group One Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Pentathlon preparing for Melbourne Cup New Zealand trainer John Wheeler is happy with Pentathlon’s lead-up to his second Melbourne Cup campaign … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago QRIC to increase investigators The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission is set to increase its number of police investigators … Read More Horse Racing News, New Zealand horse racing news 6 years ago Bullrush enjoying new surroundings in New Zealand AUSTRALIAN punters might remember Bullrush starting its career with Hawkes Racing where it won its first five race day starts, … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Aidan O’Brien chasing Group One record Trainer Aidan O’Brien has outlined targets for some of his stable stars as he chases Bobby Frankel’s record of 25 … Read More Horse Racing News 6 years ago Trainer Ron Quinton to front inquiry Trainer Ron Quinton will appear before Racing NSW stewards over high cobalt levels detected in two of his horses … Read More Australia horse racing news, Horse Racing News 6 years ago Miss Vista reverting back to old tactics for 55 Second Challenge SPEEDY five-year-old mare Miss Vista makes its season debut in the 55 Second Challenge at Moonee Valley this Friday night … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Nikolic claims conspiracy by ‘corrupt’ RV Danny Nikolic has told a court he wants to ride racehorses again but away from Victoria’s chief steward and his … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Hayson used Nikolic partner TAB account Jockey Danny Nikolic has denied being involved in betting on three NRL games on his friend Eddie Hayson’s behalf … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Spring Champ learning curve for Hand It In Hand It In’s trainer Rod Ollerton believes the steep learning curve of Group One racing could be perfect education for … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Guineas distance to suit Good Standing Good Standing will race over 1600m for the first time in the Caulfield Guineas, a distance trainer James Cummings believes … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Xtravagant to undergo bone scans New Zealand multiple Group One winner Xtravagant will undergo bone scans to determine if there is a reason for his … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Numbers whittled down for spring features The picture is becoming clearer for the upcoming spring features following the latest declarations for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago McEvoy to ride Scottish in Caulfield Cup Godolphin and Kerrin McEvoy will team up in a bid for their second Caulfield Cup with the jockey to ride … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Sacred Elixir’s Guineas draw perfect: Pike Trainer Tony Pike is delighted with Group One winner Sacred Elixir and the gelding’s barrier draw heading into the $1 … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Bon Aurum chasing G1 double Bon Aurum will be striving to add the Group One Toorak Handicap to his recent Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes win … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Missrock set to topple top Sydney fillies Trainer Robbie Laing says Missrock will give the opposition something to think about in the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Philip Courtney chasing second city winner Fledgling Canberra trainer Philip Courtney is confident Maryore can give him his second city winner at Canterbury on Wednesday … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Nikolic claims targeted by “corrupt” RV Danny Nikolic says he will relocate to Queensland to get out of the firing line of Racing Victoria’s chief steward … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Global Glamour draws eight in 1000 Guineas Global Glamour will jump from barrier eight in the Thousand Guineas as she chases a second Group One win a … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Impending draws barrier 10 in Guineas Caulfield Guineas favourite Impending has drawn barrier 10 of 14 in the Group One race … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Delay to Michelle Payne’s training career Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne’s training career has been delayed by rain … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Field of 14 for Caulfield Guineas The Group One Caulfield Guineas has attracted a field of 14 while the Thousand Guineas for fillies has 15 acceptances … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Good Standing gets look around Caulfield Caulfield Guineas contender Good Standing has pleased trainer James Cummings in a gallop at Caulfield ahead of the Group One … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Nikolic wants second chance, likely in Qld Jockey Danny Nikolic continues giving evidence in a Victorian tribunal as he tries to regain his riding licence … Read 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Multiple group winner Pretty Tiger (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}–Fast And Pretty {Ire}, by Zamindar) will stand as part of a partnership between Haras d'Etreham and Haras de Cercy next year at the former's NH branch, Haras de la Tuilerie, the studs announced on Tuesday. A fee for the G1 Prix Ganay second and G1 Prix d'Ispahan third will be announced later. There are also breeding rights available in the G2 Prix Eugene Adam hero, who was bred by Haras de Chevotel. Also a winner of the G3 Prix Exbury and a pair of listed races, the €105,000 Arqana August yearling won six times from 17 starts and has $479,162 in earnings for racing owner Bernard Giraudon and trainer Fabrice Vermeulen. The partners already jointly manage the stallion career of fellow Sea The Moon stallion Wonderful Moon (Ger) who is based at Haras de Cercy, and will do the same with Pretty Tiger, while supporting both stallions with mares. After 2024, the pair will be rotated between the two studs annually. Etreham's Nicolas de Chambure said, “We are delighted to have purchased Pretty Tiger to join our stallion roster. He has an exceptional physique, size, speed, and a colossal acceleration; all of which will make him a great match for French National Hunt broodmares. It is fantastic to have Haras de Cercy as our partner for these two sires, Wonderful Moon and Pretty Tiger.” Jacques Cypres, president of Haras de Cercy, said, “Pretty Tiger and Wonderful Moon ran over the Classic distance and performed at a high level early in their respective racing careers, making them valuable assets to French National Hunt breeding.” The post Pretty Tiger To Stand As Haras d’Etreham And Haras De Cercy Joint Venture appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

RP Racing's Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) will make his next start in the Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita, trainer Mick Appleby confirmed on Tuesday. The colt has won three of five career starts, including the G2 Flying Childers S., G3 Molecomb S. and Listed Windsor Castle S. at Royal Ascot, and has banked £180,665. “He's in good form, we've just freshened him up a bit and he seems in good order,” said Appleby. “Hopefully he stays that way until he goes, he flies out on October 26. He's got to have 48 hours in quarantine then he'll be able to go out on track two or three times before the race.” “We're going to take him for a racecourse gallop so we can run him around a bend, obviously he's never raced around a bend before but I don't think it'll be an issue,” Appleby said. “He's got to do a bit of stalls work with a bell but I think we're going to do that when he's out there so he can get used to the stalls there. “He's doing very well and hopefully it's all systems go.” The post Big Evs is Breeders’ Cup-Bound appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of 114 lots have been catalogued for the 2023 Goffs October HIT & Yearling Sale, set to be held on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at Doncaster. There will be 73 horses-in-training and 33 yearlings, breeding and youngstock on offer. Of the yearlings set to sell, 14 are eligible for the Great British Bonus. Sires represented include Ardad (Ire), Earthlight (Ire), Harry Angel (Ire), Invincible Army (Ire), Land Force (Ire), Mohaather (GB), Oasis Dream (GB) and Sergei Prokofiev. The session will also offer two lots eligible for Harry's Half Million by Goffs. The sale features mares in foal to Frontiersman (GB) (lot 85), Golden Horn (GB) (lot 87) and Planteur (Ire) (lot 88), as well as some well-bred NH young stock. “The October Sale offers buyers their last chance at securing a Donny yearling in 2023 and with almost half the yearlings eligible for the Great British Bonus, buyers can purchase in the hopes of picking up their share of significant additional prize money on the track,” Goffs UK Managing Director Tim Kent commented. “We also catalogue some attractive young NH stock with entries by the likes of Flemensfirth, Getaway, Jack Hobbs and Walk In The Park so there is plenty of quality to capture the attention of buyers.” The post Goffs Doncaster October Sale Catalogue Now Online appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Insights features Book 1 millionaire Euphoric (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at Navan. 15.55 Navan, Mdn, €12,000, 2yo, 8fT Ballydoyle representative EUPHORIC (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is out of a half-sister to G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, G1 Fillies' Mile and GI Just A Game S. placegetter Fantasia (GB) (Sadler's Wells), realised the fourth-highest price when knocked down for 1.9-million guineas at last year's Tattersalls Book 1 fixture and is one of two Aidan O'Brien-trained newcomers in this one-mile test. He is accompanied by stablemate South Pole (Ire) (No Nay Never), himself a 650,000gns Book 1 acquisition, who is a half-brother to Sunday's GIII Tokyo City Cup victor Missed The Cut (Quality Road) out of GI Flower Bowl S. fourth Beauly (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). 12.50 Chantilly, Cond, €34,000, 2yo, c/g, 9fT Godolphin's €130,000 Arqana October purchase CASAPUEBLO (IRE) (Le Havre {Ire}) attained 'TDN Rising Star' status with an encouraging debut score over this course and distance in his only prior outing last month. The Andre Fabre trainee encounters five rivals in this return. The post Book 1 Millionaire on Deck for Navan Bow appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After significant rainfall cancelled the entire Friday and Saturday Belmont at the Big A cards, a pair of Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' Challenge races were moved from Sunday to Wednesday in order to allow everyone to dry out. The GII Miss Grillo S., a pathway to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, brings together a cast of 12. Only Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott's Gala Brand (Violence) has graded experience. The chestnut filly delivered in her second start when she faced males and won the GIII With Anticipation S. Aug. 31 at Saratoga over next-out GI bet365 Summer S. hero Carson's Run (Cupid). From the inside gates, Appellate (Constitution) from the Todd Pletcher barn and Hard to Justify (Justify) from Chad Brown's shedrow will tussle once again. The latter won on debut by a head over the former July 23 at Saratoga, but the Pletcher trainee made a start since Sept. 3 upstate and gained some valuable grass experience as a runner-up once again. Meanwhile, Gainesway homebred Memorialize (Karakontie {Jpn}) for Graham Motion is looking to build on her own maiden victory, this one at second-asking, when the chestnut filly won confidently by three lengths Aug. 20 at Saratoga. The boys get their chance later on the BAQ card when the GII Pilgrim S. goes off with GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf implications at stake. Leading the way is 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road), who absolutely rolled from seemingly nowhere Sept. 2 at Saratoga to break his maiden by a neck at second asking. “His last breeze was very good. He's training well and came out of his race in good order,” said the colt's trainer, Todd Pletcher. “He got a very wide trip, which maybe turned out to be a blessing with all that was going on at the eighth pole. Turning for home, I thought he had way too much to do, and he really kicked in late. He's had a little bit of experience, so hopefully that pays dividends.” A pair of runners who might fly under the radar are Liam's Journey (Liam's Map) for Mike Maker and Fulmineo (Bolt d'Oro) for Arnaud Delacour. The post Rescheduled Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ Races Take To BAQ Turf appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Wanamaker's, in partnership with the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey, will be holding its first-ever New Jersey-Bred Sale on Thursday, Nov. 16. “We are excited to partner with Wanamaker's on a New Jersey-bred mixed sale,” said Michael Campbell, executive director of Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey. “The New Jersey-bred program is gaining attention from breeders and owners across the country. The partnership with Wanamaker's is a great benefit to New Jersey breeders who can sell their horses without the stress and financial commitment of bringing them to the sales grounds. With a dozen New Jersey-breds earning over $100,000 in purse earnings during the 51-day Monmouth Park meet, now is a great time to be involved in the New Jersey-bred program.” Wanamaker's CEO Liza Hendriks added, “We are delighted to announce our exciting partnership with the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey, which promises to provide New Jersey breeders and owners with an exceptional selling experience and simultaneously extend the reach of New Jersey-breds throughout the nation.” Entries will be open until Monday, Nov. 6 and the catalogue will be released Nov. 8. The entry fee will be $300. The sale will be open to horses of all ages and all entries must be registered with the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey. For more information on the buying and selling processes through Wanamaker's, please visit www.wanamakers.com. The post Wanamaker’s to Host First New Jersey-Bred Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Race Lens includes four key features—advanced search and custom handicapping angles, the ability to back-test handicapping theories, customized past performances, and True Odds proprietary predictive modeling. View the full article

The top 10 standings in the most recent National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top Thoroughbred Poll held steady after racing this past week, with Arcangelo continuing to lead over Cody's Wish.View the full article

The 5 1/2-furlong Woodford Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland Oct. 7 has attracted a tough field of 12, including Cinderella story Live In The Dream from England.View the full article

A grey son of Ghaiyyath (Ire) (lot 151) took the lead during Book 1 at Tattersalls after making 1.05 million gns on the bid of Godolphin. That operation had earlier picked up a son of Ghaiyyath's sire Dubawi (Ire) and the mare Shastye (Ire) (Danehill) for 1 million gns earlier on Tuesday. Consigned by Ballyhimikin Stud, the colt is out of Tickled Pink (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), herself a daughter of G2 King's Stand S. heroine and top producer Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}). The colt is a half-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}). Cassandra Go is the dam of 10 winners including the Group 1 producer Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), a winner of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, who would go on to foal top-level winners Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Another daughter of Cassandra Go, the Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) mare Theann (GB), won the G3 Summer S. and foaled GI First Lady S. and GI Rodeo Drive S. heroine Photo Call (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). first seven figure lot for first season sire Ghaiyyath! Lot 151 at #tattsoctober Book 1 is a colt by the @DarleyEurope sire who is a half-brother to G1 winner Victoria Road. He was consigned by Ballyhimikin Stud and has been bought by Godolphin for 1,050,000gns, pic.twitter.com/W5Ju8hEEIe — TDN (@theTDN) October 3, 2023 The post Ghaiyyath Half-Brother To Victoria Road Sells To Godolphin for 1.05 Million at Tattersalls appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Keeneland has cataloged 3,569 horses for its 80th November Breeding Stock Sale, which will begin Wednesday, Nov. 8 and run nine sessions through Thursday, Nov. 16, with the stand-alone November Horses of Racing Age Sale the following day, according to a press release from Keeneland Tuesday morning. The stand-alone November Horses of Racing Age Sale the following day. Click here for the catalog for the Breeding Stock Sale, which features proven producers, broodmare prospects who were successful racehorses, and royally bred weanlings at all levels of the market. The auction will open with a single-day Book 1, which begins at 1 p.m. ET and will showcase broodmares, broodmare prospects and weanlings. Among them are stakes winner Puca, who is carrying a full sibling to 2023 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic); Breeders' Cup winner Caravel (Mizzen Mast) and her dam, Zeezee Zoomzoom, in foal to Justify; and Grade I winner Dalika (Ger), in foal to Flightline. The November Breeding Stock Sale catalog also includes 11 horses from the Estate of Michael Baum. Mt. Brilliant Farm is handling the dispersal, which includes mares in foal to Candy Ride (Arg), Into Mischief, Maxfield, Mendelssohn and Uncle Mo as well as weanlings by Candy Ride, More Than Ready, Street Boss and Street Sense. “Keeneland is bullish about the future of Thoroughbred racing, thanks to another successful September Yearling Sale and the excitement surrounding the upcoming Fall Meet,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “The quality of our November Sale catalog always draws international attention as owners and breeders look to the future by enhancing their broodmare bands and investing in foals.” Print catalogs for the November Breeding Stock Sale are scheduled to arrive around Oct. 13. Breeding Stock Sale schedule The catalog for the November Breeding Stock Sale includes 1,779 weanlings and more than 2,000 broodmares and broodmare prospects. The auction will present the following schedule: Book 1 – Wednesday, Nov. 8. Session begins at 1 p.m. with 237 horses in the catalog. Keeneland will consider supplements to Book 1 until the auction starts. Every remaining session begins at 10 a.m.: Book 2 – Thursday-Friday, Nov. 9-10. A total of 812 horses are cataloged over the two days. Book 3 – Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 11-12. A total of 829 horses are cataloged over the two days. Book 4 – Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 13-14. A total of 832 horses are cataloged over the two days. Book 5 – Wednesday-Thursday, Nov. 15-16. A total of 859 horses are cataloged over the two days. All Keeneland sales are livestreamed at Keeneland.com. As always, online and phone bidding will be available. Sire power Established stallions and popular young sires are represented in the November Breeding Stock Sale catalog by in-foal mares and weanlings. One of them is Horse of the Year Flightline, who entered stud this year and has 11 in-foal mares in the catalog. Additional stallions with their first in-foal mares in the catalog include champions Corniche, Epicenter and Jackie's Warrior; Preakness winner Early Voting; Belmont winner Mo Donegal; and Grade I winners Aloha West, Cyberknife, Drain the Clock, Golden Pal, Happy Saver, Idol, Jack Christopher, Life Is Good, Mandaloun, Mystic Guide, Olympiad, Pinehurst and Speaker's Corner. Broodmares in the catalog are in foal to 170 stallions, among them American Pharoah, Authentic, Bolt d'Oro, Candy Ride (ARG), Constitution, Curlin, Ghostzapper, Good Magic, Gun Runner, Hard Spun, Into Mischief, Justify, Liam's Map, Maclean's Music, Maximus Mischief, Medaglia d'Oro, McKinzie, Munnings, Not This Time, Nyquist, Omaha Beach, Practical Joke, Quality Road, Speightstown, Street Sense, Tapit, Twirling Candy, Uncle Mo, Vekoma, Volatile, War Front and War of Will. A total of 155 stallions, including the group named above, have weanlings in the catalog. In addition, sires with their first weanlings in the catalog include Horse of the Year Knicks Go, champion Essential Quality and Grade 1 winners Charlatan, Maxfield, Silver State and Yaupon. Weanlings Grade I winners of 2023 who were purchased as weanlings at the November Sale include two-year-old champion Forte (Violence), who sold for $80,000 in November. Additional Grade I winners in North America who were sold as weanlings at the auction are Angel of Empire (Arkansas Derby), Exaulted (Shoemaker Mile) and Marketsegmentation (New York). Around the world, two November Sale graduates have captured Group I stakes this year. In Japan, Lemon Pop won the February. In the United Arab Emirates, Sibelius took the Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Nakheel. The online catalog for Keeneland's November Horses of Racing Age Sale will be available by the end of the week of Oct. 16. Keeneland will continue to accept approved supplements for the auction until the Nov. 17 sale day. The post Keeneland Catalogs 3,569 for November, Including Puca, Caravel, and Dalika appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

“Her dad should have shot me,” says Tim Hamlin wryly. Needless to say, he had met Nancy at a horseshow. She had just started out on her veterinary studies. “And she quit school to come to a little town in northwest Iowa to help me,” Hamlin recalls. “This was '84, we were kids, had no money. We lived in a single wide trailer house for seven years. Nancy would get up at 4 a.m. to make donuts, so we could buy horsefeed.” Eventually they found a filly that emboldened a roll of the dice. “First horse I ever borrowed money on,” Hamlin says. “Had her in a sale in Oklahoma. And two or three days before, I walked out the barn and there she was lying dead. No insurance. So then we had to pay the bank back on a dead horse.” He shakes his head. “You've got to be stubborn in this game,” he says. “For every good thing that happens, there'll be two bad. Why we put ourselves through it, I don't really know.” Except he does, perfectly well. Hamlin finds the picture on his phone. “This says it all to me,” he says. “That's our daughter after the race.” He smiles at the tears of joy streaking the face of this accomplished young woman, who had seen enough of her parents' lifestyle to go to law school instead. “You know, we were just a couple of horse nuts,” he reflects. “That's all we cared about. But somehow you just go on, day to day to day, and now here we are.” Outwork -1024x745.jpg" alt="" width="613" height="446" /> Allen Poindexter and Outwork “Here” is the porch of a beautifully restored antebellum farmhouse near Winchester, Ky.; and the race that so moved their daughter was the GI Spinaway S. at Saratoga last month. For the Hamlins, in partnership with Allen Poindexter, bred the winner Brightwork (Outwork) from a Malibu Moon mare unearthed for just $17,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale. Now unbeaten in four starts, Brightwork heads to the GI Alcibiades S. on Friday as the leading filly of her crop. But her emergence actually seals a second cycle of vindication for those early years of sacrifice. For prior to arriving in Kentucky, 17 years ago, the Hamlins had already reached the pinnacle of the Quarter Horse world. In fact, it was partly the sale of an All American Congress grand champion—bought as a baby for just $20,000—that enabled a new start in Thoroughbreds. The reasons for switching breeds, however, carry a warning for the community they joined. “Okay, so we quit when we were on top,” he acknowledges. “But we didn't see a lot of future with what was going on there. The Quarter Horses had a genetic defect. There'd been too much inbreeding. And there was one particular stallion, Impressive, that mutated a gene. He was so beautiful, everybody had to have his sons and daughters. Well, 20 years down the road, when they were producing foals, whenever you bred Impressive to Impressive, 50 percent of them would have this hot gene. And they were like fainting goats: they'd just drop over and some would die.” The guidance on hyperkalemic periodic paralysis was that you could evade the mutant gene by testing, and only breeding negative to negative. “Well, it just so happened that the best show horses, with the big muscle, with the good hair, all tended to be positive,” Hamlin explains. “We'd enjoyed it. And we were good at it. But we had 100 of them, and felt like we were on a train running away down the track, and had to get off. So we did. We sold everything and moved out here.” Hamlin, who traces this disaster to artificial insemination, perceives a perilous equivalence in the explosion of Thoroughbred book sizes. Tim and Nancy Hamlin at their Wynnstay Farm “When I was a kid, there were 15 stallions within an hour radius of my house,” Hamlin remembers. “And they all had 10 to 20 mares. By the time we left, we had the only stallion left in the whole of northwest Iowa. Shipped semen ruined the [Quarter Horse] stallion business, and then the gene pool as well. Boom, 20 years, all the old blood was gone. And once it's gone, it's gone. And what's left is all related.” Nobody, he cautions, can know what genetic devils might now be being entertained unawares. “No question, people in the Thoroughbred world need to know about this,” he says. “When I tell people, they think I'm crazy. But we watched it happen firsthand. You can't go to a horse show nowadays and find one without Impressive in the pedigree. He was the most beautiful horse I ever saw in my life. But you now have to test for seven different genetic defects when you register your Quarter Horse foal. Seven!” How, for instance, does anyone know whether Thoroughbred breakdowns might reflect some genetic vulnerability? “We haven't even begun to look in that area for defects,” Hamlin says. “With Quarter Horses, they had to figure out what was going on, fast, because they were just dropping dead. We just don't know what could be coming, with all the Northern Dancer we have, all the Mr. Prospector. Why do horses bleed? We don't know. Because we're not doing the testing.” In some ways, Hamlin is nostalgic for the days before ovulatory agents and ultrasound. “Whenever I have this conversation, people say, 'This is the United States of America and we can breed as many mares as we want,'” he says. “Well, that's true. But when books were 50 or 60 mares, a lot of those mares had to be bred several times. Now it's a one-shot deal. You make them ovulate, bring on the next one. If The Jockey Club wanted to do something, maybe they should look into letting Nature take its course.” Be all that as it may, the upshot was that the Hamlins once again found themselves in a trailer house. This time, it was because the Bluegrass farm that had captured their imagination was in a daunting state of repair: 70 rough acres that had long supported only a few ponies, some cattle, and crops. The house was built by a Captain Bush, when granted 3,000 acres of Clark County as reward for service in the war of 1812. He brought his bride, Martha Wynn, and they called their home Wynnstay. The Hamlins revived the name, rightly feeling that it combines two aspirations: to win, and to last the course. The Hamlins had been introduced to Thoroughbreds by the late Lazaro Mata, a Cuban horseman described by Hamlin as one of the best he has ever been around. They collaborated in some pinhooking experiments in Ocala, albeit the first turned into the type from which you learn fastest. “There was a colt by Icecapade we really loved,” Hamlin recalls. “But he cost $100,000, which was all we had to spend. So we bought three $30,000 babies instead. One broke her leg, one had a bad throat, the other just couldn't run. And then we watched the Icecapade bring $600,000.” Nonetheless Mata encouraged their Kentucky reset—and so, too, did another friend. “Man, you guys would be good at this,” Chris Baccari told them. “You already do the breeding, the showing, you get them ready for the sales. You can do this.” They landed running, all but doubling their money on a $155,000 weanling colt by Tapit–at $300,000, much the most expensive yearling in the future champion's debut crop–between November and September Sales. Immediate encouragement, then, that their skills would prove transferable. “You have to work Quarter Horses hard enough to make them look good,” Hamlin reflects. “So being sound is a big part of it. But they spend a lot more time inside. We've learned that Thoroughbreds do best outside. Ours go out every day up until the sale.” As for physique, Hamlin still prizes similar attributes to those he once sought in a roping horse, a cutting horse, a barrel racer. And while he feels that standards may have slipped in his previous world, where structural defects are increasingly indulged for bulk and muscle, his own purist standards have stuck. “We pick out the same things now that we did with the show horses,” he says. “A lot of Book I horses at Keeneland look just like the horses we used to have: hair's perfect, weight's perfect, they're athletic, sound-looking.” One way or another, the Wynnstay formula is paying off. For Brightwork, as we'll see, is not an untypical project. Her dam Clarendon Fancy was acquired as a young, unraced mare by Malibu Moon, in foal to Colonel John—a sire already on the page through GIII Iroquois S. winner Cocked And Loaded, the first foal of Clarendon Fancy's full sister Catch The Moon. The Hamlins especially liked the damsire, Yes It's True. He had always reminded them of a show horse: big, athletic, plenty of hip. “We don't give a lot of money for our mares,” Hamlin says. “We can't. Whatever we make, that's what we can spend. Clarendon Fancy was back in Book 4 or 5. But she was beautiful. We sent her out to Iowa, to foal her out, because Allen has been the leading owner out there for 11 or 12 years.” Midnight Bourbon and Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen | Sarah K. Andrew Unfortunately that first foal was lost. But meanwhile things started happening to the pedigree: Catch The Moon produced GI Haskell winner Girvin (Tale Of Ekati) and later GI Preakness runner-up Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow). With the emergence of Girvin, someone offered $250,000 for Clarendon Fancy in foal to Nyquist. But she turned out not to be pregnant, and the deal was off. Eventually this disappointment would prove just another example of how hard it is, in this business, to tell your good luck from your bad, and vice versa. In the meantime, however, a return to Nyquist brought only fresh frustration. One summer night, freaked out by a bull, Clarendon Fancy took off round the field–and kept going. Next morning they found a fetus. The only crumb of comfort was that her first foal, by Temple City, had now gained some minor black type. Nonetheless, Hamlin's friend Mark Toothaker, at Spendthrift, was reluctant to admit Clarendon Fancy into the first book of Bolt d'Oro. “I can't,” he said. “I'd lose my job!” “It will be the best foal you get,” promised Hamlin. After much arm-twisting, Toothaker relented. “Well, she had Bolt's highest-selling filly that year: $280,000,” says Hamlin with a chuckle. “And it was Spendthrift that bought her!” And that filly is now a valuable breeding prospect, thanks to Clarendon Fancy's next cover. The choice of Outwork was inspired by a colt raised by Wynnstay for a client, and sold for $140,000 as a weanling at the 2018 November Sale. As Outadore, he made the podium in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. “We loved that colt,” Hamlin explains. “He was a beautiful mover, correct, great-minded. So we took a shot on Outwork. We didn't want to spend a lot: the mare was kind of a disappointment, but we didn't want to get rid of her. We do fall in love with these mares. We don't just buy and sell, buy and sell. We try to make them work.” Brightwork winning the 2023 Spinaway S. | Sarah K. Andrew So the only two Outworks raised at Wynnstay have been Outadore and now Brightwork. “As a baby, she was perfect,” Hamlin says. “I wouldn't change a thing. So when Fasig-Tipton came out to look at babies for their 'Night of The Stars', they're like, 'An Outwork? I don't know.' And I said, 'Yeah, but she's too good to miss. Somebody's going to find her.' And Jared Hughes did.” Though Clarendon Fancy was left open after delivering a Yaupon filly late this spring, she is still only 11. And with Brightwork extending a new limb on what has become a highly commercial family tree—Clarendon Fancy's daughter by Volatile brought $285,000 from Ocala Stud at Saratoga the day after the GIII Adirondack S.—these are exciting times for Wynnstay and their partner. Poindexter has been a client more or less since the Hamlins came to Kentucky. “Allen's been great,” Hamlin stresses. “He runs a big business, only comes out here once or twice a year, but he's one of the most competitive people I know. We probably couldn't have done this without him. He has enabled us to experiment.” As a result, Wynnstay has now expanded to 225 acres; and has many luminous graduates besides the one now shining so brightly. Skelly (Practical Joke), for instance, looked one of the fastest horses in the nation when running up a sequence earlier this year. Sold for $250,000 as a yearling, he was homebred by Poindexter from a Bwana Charlie mare originally acquired in utero with her $8,000 dam, Game For More (More Than Ready). Game For More herself, meanwhile, produced Grade II winner Isotherm (Lonhro {Aus}) and Grade I-placed Gio Game (Gio Ponti) before delivering one of the last three colts by Giant's Causeway. He was sold for $500,000 and, as Giant Game, was placed in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and has this year become a graded stakes winner. “So in one day we sold Giant Game and Skelly for $750,000,” marvels Hamlin. “And both from that $8,000 mare. We were at the yearling sale with Allen and there was a Heiligbrodt dispersal afterwards, and there was nobody in there. The Wine Steward | Coady He bought three: two for $8,000, one for $16,000. All three have had graded horses; and all sold six-figure babies.” Now, moreover, one of Game For More's daughters has produced The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso) to win his first three starts including the Bashford Manor S. He was another to have spent formative months on the farm. Once again, then, old Quarter Horse lessons have rung true. “Game for More was a beautiful mare, only she'd had a bad stifle and her hip was kind of atrophied away,” Hamlin recalls. “But you could see her bone structure was good. That's what we used to have to do with the Quarter Horses: buy cheap mares and breed to good stallions to get show horses. It's no different now. We have 10 graded stakes-producing mares here that cost nothing.” That's out of no more than 30, many still too young to have had their produce tested on the track. Quite plainly, then, there's a special affinity at work here. “These babies, you can't let them get sick,” Hamlin says. “You have to look around the corners. You can't treat them for rhodococcus, for instance: it scars up their lungs, they don't run. So you have to see it before they get it.” It was for much the same reason, a few years ago, that the Hamlins started consigning their own horses: with horses, they feel, it's always about engagement; about getting on the right wavelength. “We used to go to Saturday night auctions and buy crazy horses that nobody else wanted, take them home and fix them,” Hamlin recalls. “Some you could, some you couldn't. But their brain is a big part of it. A lot of it is they're just scared. You have to earn their trust. “I hate it when I submit a mare and they tell me that she's this or that: it's not a good enough nick, she's too old. Because we put a lot of thought into which mare to breed to which horse. The stud farms don't know what your mare needs. They don't see them.” And don't start him on nicks. “We don't want computers raising our horses,” he scoffs. “One time we bought the prettiest Quarter Horse mare that I have ever seen, and I bred her to our stallion. And her baby looked like a mule. And I was sick, because it wasn't supposed to look like that. So I bred her back to the same stallion and everybody was like, 'What are you doing? You crazy? You're going to get another donkey.' And that mare had the prettiest gray colt God ever stuck on the earth, and we sold him for tons of money. But I don't know if too many people that would've done it again.” So here's a couple that arrived with no inherited assumptions. And, in such testing times, perhaps we can learn from their willingness to challenge orthodoxy. “We can send men to the moon, but we can't have a horse live a normal life with a prosthetic leg?” Hamlin asks. “We can't just kill them on the track. It's not going to last, people won't stand for that. I think we need some outside help, we need scientists to help us figure it out. “The money's the easy part. All you have to do is, at the gate, say: 'Please give us a dollar: we're going to make a weightless chamber for these horses to live in, while they're healing.' People wouldn't give you a dollar. They'd give you $100.” Just another example of marching to a different beat—but one worth heeding, surely, given how this farm is striking gold in neglected seams of the market. Mind you, if they can do this kind of thing with mares bought for as little as $8,000, what they might do with one that cost $800,000? “Oh, I always think about that,” Hamlin says. “But nobody gives us that kind of chance.” He shrugs and smiles. “We don't need that. We just do our own thing.” The post A Wynn Win Situation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The broodmare Laurelita (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), the dam of US Grade I winner Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}), will be offered by Manister House Stud during the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale, the sales company announced on Tuesday. The sale takes place from Nov. 24-25. The Mark Casse trainee won the GI Beverly D S. at Colonial Downs this past summer. A sister to six other winners, Laurelita is out of the Dansili (GB) mare Chervil (GB), whose siblings include GI Yellow Ribbon S. heroine Light Jig (GB) (Danehill). She is in foal to Starspangledbanner (Aus). Luke Barry of Manister House Stud said, “Having retained her daughter Leveret (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}), we are looking forward to offering Laurelita, a young Group 1-producing mare with a very desirable early covering to a worldwide audience in Goffs this November.” The Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale will also feature over 40 mares from the Niarchos family's operation including Classic winner Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in foal to Frankel (GB). Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said, “The who's who of international thoroughbred breeders will be at Kildare Paddocks this November and we are thrilled to include Laurelita in a star-studded catalogue which is shaping up to be one for the ages. As the dam of such an exciting Grade I winner as Fev Rover, she is a mare that would grace any breeding stock sale anywhere in the world and I wish to extend my thanks to the Barry family at Manister House Stud for choosing Goffs.” The post Dam Of Grade I Winner Fev Rover To Be Offered At Goffs November Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fenwick Farm matriarch Maryellen McAuliffe McEwan passed away on Sept. 29 at her home in Camden, SC. The longtime Thoroughbred owner/breeder/trainer was 100 years old. The Canada native and her husband Fred built Fenwick Farm, now operating as Fenwick Equestrian, located in Camden in the 1970s. Some of the more notable names raised and/or trained at the facility, now run by McEwan's children Fred and Wilhelmina, include Grade I/Group 1 winners Caressing (Honour and Glory), Arewehavingfunyet (Big Brown), Stephen Got Even (A.P. Indy) and Femme Elite (Northjet {Ire}). A private mass will be held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Camden, SC, and an inurnement will follow in Canada with her parents. The post Fenwick Farm Founder McEwan Passes Away at 100 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Breeders' Cup qualifier Live In The Dream (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}), who won the G1 Nunthorpe S. in August, is doing well prior to an intended start in the Oct. 7 GII Woodford S. at Keeneland. “He's very well, he's out of quarantine and he took the travelling very well,” trainer Adam West said on Tuesday. “You can't do too much in quarantine, he had a little canter on the track for the first time yesterday and he's breezing on the grass today, then it'll be a light blow with Sean Kirrane on Thursday. “We got the draw last night and we're very excited to be drawn in stall two, which I think will be helpful. There are some good horses in it but Caravel (Mizzen Mast) hasn't declared which is a bit of a relief. “We should know what our sectionals are and how our form holds up in real life against the Americans on Saturday.” Owned by Steve and Jolene De'Lemos, the gelding punched his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with a one-length victory in the Nunthorpe over Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye heroine Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) at York. The Woodford is his first start since. “He was pretty much ready and raring to go before he went out there, as much as I want to win this race I also want to see him bang on for the Breeders' Cup,” said West. “I'll be flying out with the jockey tomorrow and the owners and my assistant trainer, so it will be good to get a picture of it for ourselves.” The post Live In The Dream Settling In Well In Advance Of Woodford appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A colt who could only ever have been one of the highlights of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale duly brought the hammer down at a round million guineas, drawing to a close the extraordinary association of Newsells Park Stud's great mare Shastye (Ire) (Danehill) with Book 1. On May 1 last year, after two years without producing a foal, Shastye foaled a colt by Dubawi (Ire). Tragedy swiftly followed joy for stud owner Graham Smith-Bernal and his team at Newsells Park when the 21-year-old mare haemorrhaged just 24 hours later and could not be saved. A sale-ring darling for so many years at Tattersalls, Shastye has now been represented by six seven-figure yearlings at Book 1, including the Group 1-winning brothers by Galileo (Ire), Japan (GB) and Mogul (GB), while the Group 3 winner Sir Isaac Newton (GB) was the most expensive of them all at 3.6 million gns. With the mare's final foal being the first that she has produced by champion sire Dubawi (Ire), it was perhaps no surprise that the buyer was Godolphin, with Anthony Stroud signing for the colt in the company of Sheikh Mohammed, who has been present at Park Paddocks over the last two days. Julian Dollar, manager of Newsells Park Stud, said of the colt [Lot 96], “He's an extraordinary foal out of an older mare. He's got so much strength. I didn't think Graham [Smith-Bernal] could ever bear to part with him because when [Shastye] died when the foal was 24 hours old, he was there and he bottle-fed the foal over that first night, so he had a big emotional attachment for Graham.” Dollar also paid tribute to Shastye, herself a stakes-placed half-sister to the Arc winner Sagamix (Fr) who was bought for Newsells Park Stud by John Warren in 2005 for 625,000gns. “She's been a mare in a million,” he said. “She's done so much for Newsells Park Stud. She's done so much for Andreas Jacobs before and now for Graham, which is great. And she's kept me in a job for 15 years. It was a great day when Klaus Jacobs and John Warren bought her as a mare and we've been able to enjoy her ever since. This is fitting, a sort of footnote, if you like, that she has a million-guinea yearling as her last foal. And it's nice for Graham to have that with a foal that was born after he bought the stud.” Anthony Stroud added, “He's by Dubawi, who we all have huge regard for, and is out of an incredible mare who has produced so many great horses. We all looked at him, and the boss looked at him, and we felt we had to go for him. We owned [half-sister] Secret Gesture and it's an incredible family, really. We're lucky to have him. He is a very good-looking, good-walking and correct horse. Very athletic. He fitted our criteria.” Much is expected of the select fare on offer during the three days of Book 1, which last year posted an average price just shy of 300,000gns. It is fair to say that trade was steady rather than spectacular during the first half of the opening session, though the average was still just above 260,000gns after around 100 lots had passed through the ring. Indicating some solid trade just below the top level, however, was the fact that the median, at 220,000gns, is above the figure posted in 2022. Dollar has presided over Book 1-leading drafts from Newsells Park Stud at the last five editions of the sale. He added, “I don't think there's anything extra on the table. You've got to have a nice horse and make sure there's lots of interest. Overall, they are making a little bit below where I thought they were going to be, so it's sticky enough, but it's always a little tricky the first day and then people get their confidence and it picks up.” The post Fitting Finale as Shastye’s Dubawi Colt Makes a Million appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Dual Group 1 winner Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) will not run in the G1 Dewhurst S. and instead be prepared for a 3-year-old sprinting campaign, according to Chris Wall, racing manager for KHK Racing. Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, the grey colt is undefeated in four six-furlong starts, beginning at Nottingham in July, followed by the G2 Richmond S., G1 Prix Morny and Saturday's G1 Middle Park S. in the yellow-and-black-striped colours of Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa's KHK Racing. Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup S. is a likely target for the son of Mosa Mine (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). Wall said, “Sheikh Khalid has decided to stick to sprinting. “We had long discussions last night and that was the way he wanted to go and that is fine, we're all supportive of it. “There's nothing else for Vandeek to run in now so we hope he winters well and he'll come back with a view to the Commonwealth Cup as his principal early-season target. “I think he's all about speed so I think we should play to his strengths rather than ask him to do something out of his comfort zone.” The post Vandeek To Skip Dewhurst With An Eye To The Commonwealth Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article