Wandering Eyes

5th-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 9-28, 2yo, 1m (off turf), 1:36.04, ft, 8 lengths. MOONLIGHT (c, 2, Audible–Sundown, by Tapit) showed ability when second by just a neck to GI Summer S. winner Carson's Run (Cupid) when unveiled over 1 1/16 miles on the grass at Saratoga July 29. Racing with blinkers added Thursday, the 6-5 favorite drew in off the also-eligible list in this off-the-turf event and quickly was up to pressure fellow also-eligible entry Stolen Magic (Good Magic) for the lead. As that runner began to fade into the turn, Moonlight took over command and made it a one-horse race down the lane, drawing off as the class of the field to defeat first-time starter Malarchuk (Nyquist) by eight lengths. The 10th winner for his freshman sire (by Into Mischief), Moonlight is the fifth winner from as many to race from his dam. Sundown produced a yearling filly by Practical Joke and has a weanling colt by Mendelssohn. She was bred back to Omaha Beach. Sales History: $235,000 RNA Ylg '22 FTSAUG; $170,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT; $285,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $70,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Town and Country Racing, LLC; B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. #11 Moonlight gets blinkers and graduates in R5 at Belmont for trainer Todd Pletcher with @iradortiz in the irons! #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/lVcpYL92gk — TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) September 28, 2023 The post Audible’s Moonlight Wins Big At Aqueduct appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In celebration of Secretariat's Triple Crown sweep a half century ago, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame's traveling exhibition will visit Woodbine Racetrack and Keeneland Race Course in October, the museum said in a release Thursday afternoon. A Tremendous Machine: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Secretariat's Triple Crown will be at Woodbine in Toronto from Oct. 5-8 and at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, from Oct. 25-29. The post Secretariat Exhibition To Visit Woodbine Racetrack And Keeneland Race Course In October appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

David Jacobson's Bowl of Cherries (Speightster) collapsed and died on the horse path following her sixth-place finish in Thursday's second race at the Belmont at Aqueduct meeting. Making her 32nd lifetime start, the 5-year-old mare went off favored at 6-5 but was never a factor in a $25,000 claiming race eventually won by Beautiful Karen (Competitive Edge). Bowl of Cherries was also owned by Jacobson but had a claim voided on her following the race. The TDN has reached out to NYRA for comment. Per NYRA Sr. Veterinarian, Bowl of Cherries collapsed and died on the horse path walking back following Race 2 @TheNYRA #BAQ — Keith-TripleDeadHeat (@TripleDeadHeat) September 28, 2023 The post Jacobson Runner Collapses Post Race At Aqueduct 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. Friday's Observations features a full-brother to Grade I winner Wild Beauty (GB) (Frankel {GB}). 16.10 Newmarket, Mdn, £10,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT SYMBOL OF POWER (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is the latest Charlie Appleby/Godolphin project to be launched in the local town and has the usual eye-catching connections as a full-brother to the GI Natalma S. winner Wild Beauty (GB). Also kin to the G3 Burj Nahaar scorer Desert Wisdom (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and G3 UAE Oaks runner-up Swift Rose (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), he is the fifth foal out of Tulips (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) who was fourth in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest. 17.45 Dundalk, Mdn, €15,000, 2yo, f, 7fT QUADRUPLE (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is a notable Juddmonte newcomer as the first foal out of Lady O'Reilly fast and classy G2 Sapphire S. and G3 Ballyogan S. winner Soffia (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}). Ger Lyons has charge of the homebred, who meets Ballydoyle's fellow newcomer Osprey (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), also a first foal out of the stable's dual Group 3 winner and multiple Group 1-placed So Perfect (Scat Daddy). The post Brother To Wild Beauty Debuts At Newmarket appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

They call it “nominative determinism.” Your name suggests your path in life: like the world's fastest man being a Bolt. On that basis, you would say that being born a Goodman raises expectation enough–without then going ahead and buying yourself a farm named Mt. Brilliant. The last year or so, however, suggests that things are playing out much as they should. Last September, TOBA presented Greg Goodman with the Robert N. Clay Award for his work in preserving horse country around Lexington from development. In April, the KTA/KTOB honored him with the William T. Young Humanitarian Award, reserved for no less a person or organization in the industry than one who “recognizes and promotes the human endeavor.” In between, moreover, the Mt. Brilliant graduate Extra Anejo (Into Mischief) has flashed potential to prove one of the best sophomores of the crop; and while the farm's Keeneland consignment this time couldn't quite match that colt's $1.35 million sale a couple of Septembers ago, it did feature a $850,000 son of Candy Ride in Book 2. Greg Goodman | Keeneland All rather brilliant, rather than merely good. But the relaxed figure presiding over the Mt. Brilliant draft at the recent auction welcomes a visit from TDN with a pleasing blend of self-deprecation and affability. It is a long time now, after all, since he first came here for a November Sale, a greenhorn sent by his dad to buy a couple of mares for a stallion they were standing back in Texas. He was given a budget of $45,000 for one, and $35,000 for the other. “And back then of course there weren't cellphones or anything,” Goodman recalls. “So he couldn't be telling me, 'Okay, bid,' or, 'Don't worry, go on, you can go over.' And I'm sitting there bidding on this mare, and now I'm getting confused which one was $35,000 and which $45,000. And my dad didn't suffer fools very much. “So I've bid $35,000. And then she sold to the next bid, $37,000 or $38,000, whatever it was. And at this point I'm really scared. 'Okay, I really hope this was the right one.' So I called him and he was like, 'Why did you stop at $35,000 on that mare?' By that time, I knew that I had got them the right way round. But he said, 'I meant $35,000 or around there.'” “No!” Goodman replied. “You never mean anything different than what you say! If I'd bought her, you'd be yelling at me, telling me I had to pay.” He chuckles at the memory. “My dad was tight,” he says. “Didn't spend any money, except on horses. I mean, he drove a crappy car. I had to buy him his first decent one, his first cellphone, too. Because he'd been like, 'Why would I want to spend money on that thing? They're going to charge me every month. I can just stop and use a payphone.' But he would spend money on gambling, and horses.” And could afford do so, of course. Because this was Harold V. Goodman, founder in 1975 of an air-conditioning manufacturer that would become the second largest in the world. Michael Stidham with Joel Rosario | Sarah Andrew Just as Goodman is sharing these memories of his dad, Michael Stidham calls by the barn. Stidham was still a very young man when given his start by Goodman Sr., who had hitherto been a patron of Stidham's own father. In fact, Stidham's first graded stakes winner was in his silks: Manzotti, a son of Nijinsky imported from Europe who later stood on the Goodman farm in Texas. In turn Manzotti's homebred daughter, Two Altazano, was Stidham's first Grade I winner in the Coaching Club American Oaks. “His dad was a visionary,” Stidham attests. “In his business, in horse racing, in everything he did: he had a way of knowing.” “Killed it,” Goodman agrees. “He was a thinker, a deep thinker.” “He really was an amazing man,” Stidham says. “And he passed it on to this guy.” Goodman firmly demurs, and Stidham teases him by accepting that he is only “almost as good” as his late father. But Goodman does grant that a love of horses is most certainly in the blood. “My father raced all his life,” he says. “I have pictures of him aged 20, holding some Quarter Horse that he'd race down the streets in Houston. His buddies all used to have horses, and they'd put these little jockeys on them and race down Main Street in the afternoons. “My dad was leading breeder in Texas five years in a row. And he had a lot to do with getting parimutuel betting passed there. So I never went on a vacation in my life that didn't involve a racetrack. From the time I was 17 or 18, weekend after weekend, I'd be driving with friends to Evangeline Downs, sometimes Delta Downs. You could stay in the Howard Johnson's for cheap, and sometimes you could pay for that and your gas from betting. And other times you're trying to scrape a few pennies together to get home. But it was always a blast.” The real clincher, for Goodman, was when his father partnered in a $2.9 million Seattle Slew yearling bought at Keeneland July Sale in 1990. As Goodman puts it: “I mean, A.P. Indy was so exciting that I didn't have any choice but to go into the horse business.” On his father's death, in 1996, Goodman inherited five shares in A.P. Indy, by then at stud. For someone who had just bought a storied Bluegrass farm, those comprised an ideal foundation for a breeding program. “I'd been looking at a bunch of farms,” he recalls. “It was a gorgeous day, and I just sat under this big shade tree, looking at it. I mean, the place was really rough. But I was like, 'Man, I just love this piece of land. It's beautiful.' It had those undulations that are so good for the horses, and the soil is classified number one in the county. I think a lot of that was because there hadn't been horses on it for 50, 60 years. It had been just crops and cattle.” Goodman read up the long history of Mt. Brilliant, and was inspired. He read how the original land grant to the Russell family, in recognition of military service, had been signed in 1774 by Thomas Jefferson; how the farm was named for the Virginia estate of Patrick Henry, who had sealed that deal; about the miraculous survival of Kentucky politician and abolitionist Cassius Clay in the duel at Russell Cave in 1845; and about the farm's 20th Century fame under James Ben Ali Haggin. Man o' War with Will Harbut at Faraway, 1942 | Keeneland Library “And then I wanted to expand a little bit and bought a farm next to us, Faraway, which was where Man o' War was raised,” Goodman explains. “And since the 1960s there hadn't been a thing there, not cows, not a crop, nothing. It had even more rolling hills, and it had more of the Elkhorn running through it. So we got more Elkhorn, ended up with a mile and a half. In the old days they would say that there'd never been a Kentucky Derby winner that didn't drink out of that water, and my farms just flow straight down there. I think that's what makes the soil so good. That, and all the limestone deposits.” Around a decade ago, there was a further expansion into Poplar Hill. Throughout, even if bricks and mortar were not always so scrupulously preserved, the land itself has been treated as sacrosanct. Much of it has been placed into a conservation scheme that prohibits development. And then came a day when Goodman hosted members of the city council to meet an informal lobby of horse farmers, who were resisting proposals for rural development. Mt. Brilliant Farm | Kevin Cosgriff The vice-mayor said to Goodman: “You guys all stay out here on your farms. You never come into town. Y'all never deal with anything unless it's in your backyard, or affecting you.” Goodman looked at him across the table. “Just be careful of what you wish for!” he said. “And the Fayette Alliance was born that minute,” he says. “So for 17 years since we've been fighting as hard as we can to save the farmland. It's a two-sided coin. We look at protecting the rural area, and also making downtown a better place to live. Because this land is a finite resource. We have the best environment in the world for raising horses, and you just don't want to see it destroyed.” This is once again a major battleground, the council having proposed a 5,000-acre urban expansion. “They brought in 5,000 acres 23 years ago, and still have 2,500 acres of that left,” Goodman says. “And besides that, there's about 13,000 blighted, undeveloped and underdeveloped acres already inside the urban service area. Lexington burns about 110 acres a year. So that's over 200 years, at the current burn rate, of available land. You add this 5,000 acres, and it's 250 years. Which would basically be like them planning Lexington, and everything about it, in 1800.” Man o' War's former barn | Sarah Andrew Goodman scoffs at the notion that affordable housing is central to the project. “The big builders that are pushing for this haven't built an affordable house in Lexington, ever,” he claims. “So part of our fight is to say, 'Okay, y'all can do it, but we're going to mandate 20 percent has to be affordable housing.' And would they cry!” Through the courts, the Alliance is asserting that development can only be recommended, after due analysis, by the planning commission; and that the process needs to start over. The Alliance recently conducted a survey that showed 77 percent of the community against expansion, with only 18 percent in favor. And Goodman stresses that preservation of land for the Thoroughbred industry actually represents its most economically fertile use. “Creates $3 billion for this county,” he says succinctly. “The only thing in town that brings more money to the community is the University of Kentucky and the hospital, combined. And that doesn't include the tourism dollars that we bring in. At least 10 percent of the community is involved in the horse business. And that's without things like all the lawyers and accountants we need for our businesses.” So far as Mt. Brilliant's own business is concerned, the aspiration is commercial but realistic. “Well, I never expect to maintain my lifestyle through the horse business,” acknowledges Goodman. “But I do treat it like a business. Some years we're profitable, some years we're not. But it wouldn't be as much fun if I wasn't trying to make money, and that's something I will expect to do overall. Mt. Brilliant Farm | Kevin Cosgriff “Now that I'm getting older, I want to dive into the racing side a bit more. But, to me, to sell a horse for a lot of money is as exciting as winning a Grade I. The sale really excites me. Keeneland September is my favorite week of the year, as well as the most stressful. You've three years invested before you even bring a horse here. A few months of planning; then you work at getting the mare in foal; 11 months of gestation; 18 months raising the horse. So I love the tactical part of it, the decision-making along the way.” As a rule–though he has made an exception for two Triple Crown winners–he will only use a new stallion if he has bought a share. Why, he asks, should he prove someone else's stallion? And the mare, in his view, contributes at least as much to the equation. Goodman has repeatedly imported mares from Europe and was especially drawn to the Ballymacoll dispersal in 2017. He coveted Justlookdontouch (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), but had to yield to Peter Brant and instead bought two of her daughters, Abingdon (Street Cry {Ire}) for 1,050,000gns and Superioritycomplex (Ire) (Hard Spun) for 400,000gns—the latter in partnership with his friend Orrin Ingram. And Extra Anejo is her first foal. “He's just a big, beautiful horse and was always confident,” Goodman recalls. “Smart horse, did everything right. He was the man. I think he might still be the man, just nobody knows it yet. He came out of the [GI] Haskell dead lame. They did X-rays, everything, couldn't find anything. And then it turned out he had a deep bone bruise in his foot. So he's having 60 days off.” It was not the colt's first hold-up, as he reportedly had a chip removed after his dazzling debut at Keeneland last fall. As a result, he still has very few miles on the clock. “Actually, I sat next to Ron Winchell at dinner the other night and he told me that he still has a lot of faith in Extra Anejo,” Goodman said. “He thinks he's an incredible horse and he'll be back. I do think that he'll maybe prove the most talented horse we have raised. He's massive, but so smooth. He hits the ground like a cat.” With luck, then, fresh chapters will be added to a saga dating back to a first graded stakes winner, bought as a weanling from his father's estate at the November Sale for just $8,000: a homebred son of Manzotti, Desert Air, who won the GIII Razorback at Oaklawn. The farm has since raised a GI Belmont S. winner in Creator (Tapit), sold as a Keeneland September yearling for $440,000, while Private Mission (Into Mischief) has been another to advertise the nursery with three graded stakes over the past couple of years. But nothing has been more fulfilling than the growing involvement of Goodman's sons. “I'm so excited that they're in it,” he says. “They like the racing as much as I did when I was their age, and they're better horsemen than me. They like the racing side, and I'm ready for that again. I like that we have no raceday medication, and feel ready to compete again.” Greg Goodman with Hutton Goodman | Keeneland Even so, life will never be as good as where it's “Brilliant.” “I mean, I love just being on my farm,” Goodman says with enthusiasm. “The sale and the races get me away from there–and the winter, too! But otherwise, I'd rather be there than anywhere. I don't go out to dinner, go places much. I like to spend the evenings on the porch, just hanging out. I'm crazy, I'll drive around my farm like 10 times a day, just checking everything out. Everybody that works for me hates that, because I'm like, 'That fence board needs to be fixed.' And they're like, 'What fence board!?' “I'm from Texas and I'm still a Texan. But I love it here and spend as much time here as I can. It's just a beautiful, beautiful place. I love this community; it has been very welcoming to me and my family over the last 30 years. I moved my kids here when they were young. They grew up here, and then went off to colleges all over the country. But they all came back. My grandchildren are here. It's home now. That's hard for a Texan to say. But it's the truth.” The post Keeneland Breeder Spotlight: How Greg Goodman, A Good Texan, Became a Brilliant Kentuckian appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Winner of two major stakes at Santa Anita earlier this year, Defunded is set to defend his win in the 2022 Awesome Again and give trainer Bob Baffert his ninth victory in the race.View the full article

As the field turns for home in the Sept. 30 Ack Ack Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs, the stage will be set for two favorites, one on the lead and the other trying to catch him. View the full article

At a committee meeting Sept. 28, Kentucky lawmakers heard about progress in racing and breeding in the state from representatives of leading industry organizations.View the full article

The ICHSWJ featured presentations and panels on concussions, spinal injuries, and mental health and psychological fitness before concluding with recently retired third-generation jockey Tom Scudamore providing his reflections on the conference. View the full article

Throughout this year, Godolphin has been in rather good standing among the 3-year-old filly division with its homebred duo of Pretty Mischievous and Wet Paint.View the full article

Involved since the organisation's founding in 1991, Goffs Chairman Eimear Mulhern will step down from the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Committee, it was announced Thursday. At Goffs Thursday, Mulhern was presented with a memento from HRI CEO Suzanne Eade, HRI Director of Bloodstock and Equine Welfare John Osborne, and ITM Chairman Dermot Cantillon. A joint statement read, “All at ITM and HRI offer Eimear their sincere thanks for her many years of dedicated service to the Irish industry.” The post Eimear Mulhern Steps Down from ITM Committe appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In early August, during the second session of this year's Fasig-Tipton New York Bred Yearlings Sale, a member of the Hidden Lake Farm consignment's team led a uniquely colored grey Ghostzapper filly into the sale ring and handed her off to the ringman on duty, Eddie Ortiz. As the auctioneer introduced the filly and bidding ensued, each nervous flick of her ear was met with a reassuring stroke down her neck, along her back and across the underside of her belly. Quiet words were spoken, only heard by Ortiz and the inquisitive yearling listening, until the hammer struck at the final price of $300,000. For any onlooker, the compassionate interaction between the ringman and the filly in the ring appeared to be unique, but to Ortiz, it's just the norm. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, he was introduced to horses at an early age and 'officially' started working with them at the age of 10. “I started going [to the barn] on the weekends and after school, learning how to clean stalls. Then I started hotwalking and after hotwalking, I was a groom for a little bit,” he said. The influence was there from the start, with both his godfather, Johnny Belmonte, and older brother, Eliezer, riding as professional jockeys. As Ortiz's time spent in the barn increased, so did his skill set. A trip to the 1992 G1 Clasico Internacional del Caribe with Puerto Rican contender El Barco (Don Lao) was a particular highlight. All of these experiences in Puerto Rico eventually led Ortiz outside of it, as he, at the age of 14, migrated to Florida with his brother, first to Miami and later to Ocala. Ghostzapper–Scene Maker filly (Hip 410) | Fasig-Tipton “I've done a little bit of everything. It's good when you're learning to be around nice horses, like I was in my country, and then to come to the U.S. and learn and be around the best horsemen and best horses, it teaches you a lot,” said Ortiz. Plans of becoming a jockey gave way to working on esteemed farms in Florida's horse country, with time spent at Dr. E.C. Hart's Hart Farm before moving on to Mike Sherman's Farnworth Farm, where he learned how to work with stallions. He was also introduced to the world of two-year-old sales at Ocala Breeders' Sales Company while working for consignors Jimbo Gladwell of Top Line Sales, Eddie Woods, Ciaran Dunne of Wavertree and others. “They are really, really good people, very professional in what they do and really organized. When you work with people like that, who encourage you to do it, it's something that makes you,” said Ortiz. “I've been through a lot of horses in life, I've had a lot of good things happen to me, and you just have to take it and be humble.” His traveling continued, eventually bringing Ortiz to Kentucky to work at Three Chimneys Farm, where the great stallions Point Given and Dynaformer were standing. While in the Bluegrass state, Ortiz also began working for some of the larger consignors in the area, including Taylor Made Farm and Gainesway. Ortiz gives a lot of credit to the Taylor Made team for helping to teach him about many important aspects of the sales world, particularly when it came to showing horses. “I was learning from the best. Taylor Made, to me, are the people that I learned a lot from when looking at a horse. Be prepared, be professional. When sale time comes, they take the time to teach you,” said Ortiz. “You cannot say a bad word about any horse in front of anybody, you might be talking to the owner. That's part of the discipline that Taylor Made teaches people. If you don't get along with this horse, you switch. They'll put you with another horse, that way you can get along. Horses are sensitive and you've just got to have good communication with them.” Taylor Made also brought Ortiz to Saratoga Springs, Ny., for the first time over 10 years ago. For him, the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale of Selected Yearlings is always a highlight. Eddie Ortiz | Sara Gordon “Saratoga is so special. When you've got a nice horse and you've got the right people there, you've got a feeling that horse is going to bring a lot of money. You hang on tight and be prepared because there's going to be some fireworks,” said Ortiz. “That's another thing I learned with Taylor Made, how to price horses and get an idea of where you think you'll be.” But it was his trips to Maryland, working for consignors each year at the Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, that took him one step further with Fasig-Tipton. “Eddie has worked with a lot of different consignors for years and when he would come to the sales, he was the master groomer. He would come up and body clip all of these two-year-olds. It was amazing what he could do,” said Paget Bennett, Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic Sale Director. It was just a couple years ago, as the sale company was still wading through the murky waters of how to conduct sales during the Covid-19 pandemic, that Bennett asked Ortiz if he had any interest in becoming a member of Fasig-Tipton's team of ringmen. His answer was a resounding yes. “It wasn't a once and done to get us through the whole Covid time, he comes for every sale,” said Bennett. “He's just a good guy. I love how he takes care of his animals, because he always does what's right with his personal horses and he always does what's right by the horses in the ring. “He gives them a firm hand when it's needed but otherwise, he gives them the benefit of the doubt when trying to reassure them and getting them comfortable being in there with all of that auction banter going back and forth.” Since Ortiz has joined the team in the sale ring, he has been the prime example of showing what it means to put the horse first. Regardless of the commotion in the sale pavilion, from the auctioneers to the bidders and bystanders, Ortiz has a way of making it seem as though him and the horse he's holding are the only two in the room. Tapit–Plenty O'Toole filly (Hip 129) | Fasig-Tipton “I cannot do anything better than when I perform with the horses. I know when I need to use my ability to calm them down, to let them know, 'Hey, nothing's going to happen.' I try to be a friend to them, because they're babies, in their brain they're still babies. That's what some people don't understand. You cannot beat a horse or teach them the wrong habits; you just need to have good communication with them. Let them know that nothing is going to happen,” said Ortiz. Ringmen play a crucial role during a sale, showing the horses to their full potential while also ensuring their safety in the ring. It can be quite the task, especially when handling weanlings or yearlings. “That's the final step. People have worked so hard prepping them and getting them to that point, so you have to have the right people on them. I think when the handlers remain calm, the horse doesn't sense nervousness with them, and then they're like 'Okay, we've got this,'” said Bennett. When asked if there was any particular horse that has been a highlight during his time as a ringman, Ortiz was unabashedly honest in his response. “I had the pleasure of holding Shedaresthedevil when she sold for $5 million. But the way I look at it, all of the horses have the same value. I treat them the same. I love them the same,” he said. “You can hold a $5 million horse, a $30,000 horse, a $5,000 horse, and by the time everything goes the right way and they're ready to go in the gate, maybe the $5,000 horse will be the Kentucky Derby winner. What I've learned in life is that it's not the price in the book that guarantees they're going to be the super horse.” Just as his late brother influenced him, Ortiz shares his love of horses and the industry with his wife of 18 years, Waya, and they've both passed it on to their children. Of their five kids, their oldest daughters Maria Cardenas and Amy Molina work as grooms at the sales, while their youngest son William follows in the footsteps of his late brother, Alexi. Ortiz's eldest son, a groom and ringmen at the sales alongside his father, passed away two years ago at the age of 20. “I've been through a lot of stuff in the last two years. Losing my son, that hit me really hard, but I have to keep going. My 14-year-old boy has been riding and working with horses since he was a little kid. He ponies my horses and does all the work too. I'm just waiting for him to be 18 so he can be the next 'Eddie Ortiz.' He's really good, always willing, he's got a good head on him and good ability,” said Ortiz. “I love to help people and teach people, encouraging them to do it the right way. This is a hell of a sport, this is so important, and you've got to love it.” Outside of his own children, Ortiz was there to help his nephew Edwin Gonzalez achieve his dream of becoming a jockey. Now a multiple stakes-winning jockey in both his native Puerto Rico and the United States, Gonzalez has won 1,753 races through Sept. 26 and currently ranks second in the jockey standings at the current Gulfstream Park meet. Eddie Ortiz at work | Sara Gordon To top it all off, Ortiz has his own pinhooking business, buying one or two yearlings each year and reselling them as two-year-olds. “My favorite place to sell horses is Maryland. I love to go to Maryland for the May sale. [In 2019], I sold a filly by Tapit that I [originally] paid $7,500 for, and we got $145,000. In the past year, I sold a couple of horses for $80,000, $90,000. I don't spend a lot but as long as I can double my money, I'm good,” he said. Every day of Ortiz's life, the horses come first, on a professional and personal level. Though it's impossible to have an exact count of the horses that have passed through his hands, on the track, at the farm, in the sale ring and everywhere in between, the impact each one has left on Ortiz is evident. “I body clipped [Maple Leaf Mel] for Robert Brewer. She was in Maryland [at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May Sale]. I've been working for Robert for a long time and I've been fond of that filly since she started. I was there when she went down [during the GI Test]. When that happened, I wanted to run to the track. I started crying because I had a little memory with her,” said Ortiz. “When you hold a horse, you don't know if that horse is going to be the best horse in the country. You go through a lot of horses and they're all good memories. You want to be part of something and that's how I feel, I want to be part of it.” Though some may call it a labor of love, for Ortiz, it's just a love. A love for the horses, the people behind them and the industry that encompasses them all. “I would not be the man I am if it wasn't for my mentors and friends: Gilberto Laiz, Richard Curtin, Bill Recio, Gordon Reiss, Andre Elba, David McKathan, Jesse Hoppel, Omar Ramirez, and lastly, the main man that without him I would be nothing, [my brother] Eliezer. I would also like to thank my wife for always being there and helping my business grow,” said Ortiz. “I've got my little farm, I'm living the American dream, that's all I can say. I live well, I take care of my family in the right way, and I have the best support in the horse business. “I'm not looking for the money. If I can help somebody, I will, because I love the horses more than I love my life. If you don't love the animal, you're in the wrong business.” The post Master Of The Ring: Eddie Ortiz appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Highclere Racing's Chic Columbine (Fr) (Seahenge) nosed out Lexington Belle (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) to land the Fillies' Final of the British EBF £100,000 2yo Series at Goodwood Racecourse Wednesday. Group 2-placed Les Blues (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}) finished back in third. A €10,000 Osarus yearling graduate, the George Boughey- trained filly has finished in the top three in five prior starts, including her most recent success in the £50,000 British Stallion Studs EBF Carrie Red Nursery H. at Doncaster's St Leger meeting Sept. 14. The Highclere filly qualified via two Band D restricted maiden races supported by the EBF. George Boughey said: “I was delighted with Chic Columbine; it [British EBF Final] had been a plan for a while–obviously a huge amount of money and a great incentive for buying horses that fit into the restricted race system. “We actively try and buy horses for this type of race; she is a filly who is probably going to step into black-type territory now and, hopefully, she can continue to progress.” Edward Arkell from Goodwood Racecourse added: “We were delighted by the strength of the field for this renewal of the EBF 2yo Series Fillies' Final. Goodwood have always been great supporters of the British EBF and are hugely grateful to both them and the British stallion owners who contribute into the fund.” The Colts and Geldings final, also worth £100,000, will be staged at York Oct. 13. Entries close Oct. 7. The post Chic Columbine Takes Fillies’ Final of British EBF £100K 2YO Series appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

French racing pools are now available exclusively to British and Irish racing fans through a new agreement between the UK Tote Group and France's PMU. Beginning on Thursday, Sept. 28, this agreement is the only way British and Irish pool betting customers can access French pools. The Tote is commingling into French pools for all French races, including the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Sunday. Tote customers will be able to bet into over 7,000 pools and view live racing from 88 French racecourses each year, including 262 Pattern contests and leading trotting fixtures via tote.co.uk, tote.ie and iOS and Android Tote Apps. The PMU typically offers pools of over €750,000 on each race, or nearly €6 million per meeting, with over €15,000,000 bet into pools on the Prix de l'Arc De Triomphe last year. Initially, the Tote will be offering a placepot on the weekend's racing from Longchamp, along with the six most popular single leg pools, with the aim of introducing more bet types in due course. For more information, please go to the UK Tote Group website. Alex Frost, chief executive of the UK Tote Group, said, “We are delighted to work with the PMU on this incredibly positive development for UK and Irish racing fans, which will also drive increased revenues for the grassroots of French racing. By commingling our UK pool into the French pool, British and Irish Tote customers can bet into huge pools on the top class racing action from France. I would like to thank the PMU team for their cooperation and support, and we wish everyone a successful weekend ahead of two fantastic days of racing at Longchamp.” Emmanuelle Malecaze-Doublet, chief executive officer of the PMU said, “This agreement is a strategic milestone in our long-standing partnership with UK Tote Group. We are very proud of this new step that marks the recognition of our expertise as a global horse racing operator and highlights the excellence of French races.” The post French Racing Pools Available To British And Irish Fans After New Agreement Between UK Tote Group and PMU appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I read with much interest the recent article involving the interview with John Sikura from Hill 'n' Dale farm. I happen to agree with some of his points, especially that fixing many of the issues currently present in racing will require the combined sacrifice and agreement of many facets of the racing industry. However, what struck me the most in this article was that, once again, a member of the breeding community in racing does not seem to think anything with their own business needs to change. From a business model perspective of course, this makes sense. It is no secret that people today are breeding more to sell than to race, and huge stud fees and stud deals are driving many top horses to what would be considered by most early retirements from racing. Looking at it from an overall health of the breed now and going forward perspective, however, gives one pause to think if this really is the best for the breed and sport in the long term. Mr. Sikura touched on this aspect a little when he made an analogy using a family that acquires a German Shepherd and if that breeder should be considered immoral or not knowing that the dog likely will have medical issues in life. Yes, German Shepherds are prone to hip dysplasia, and a lot of them end up having quite serious issues because of it. However, the reason that the issue has gotten worse over time and not better is because the desire of the dogs to look a certain way now to fit the “breed standard” that judges in shows seem to think makes a “champion dog.” So, the breeders are looking for those genetics to breed what they feel is the “best specimen” from a look's standpoint but not necessarily from a medical or health standpoint. It is the same with other breeds of dog such as bulldogs. If the breed standard changed to go back to dogs that both looked good and had solid health behind them, you wouldn't have the same number of issues with them you do today (Heck…in Britain vets have suggested severely curtailing and even banning the breeding of bulldogs and pugs because of how horrible their health has become all in search for meeting the “breed standard”). So, to answer his question of “do you blame the breeder?” Well…in some instances…yeah…you do. It may not be every single breeder of German Shepherds, but certainly some will breed poorly in search of meeting market demand. If judges at shows and breed registries were able to get what they considered the “breed standard” to be changed to a healthier dog overall (something that really boggles the mind of us small animal vets who see the horrors that their idea of a “breed standard” brings into this world), then the breeders would adjust their genetics accordingly. Not too much different than what we are seeing in racing these days in the US. Instead of looking to get the “Best in Show” award, though, it is about having the fastest and most precocious horse in hopes of winning early and cashing in. Durability appears an afterthought. Looks and precocity sell in today's yearling market. Everyone knows that. Most also know that corrective surgeries and other alterations are done to some foals to hide or correct faults that may be present after birth. When you breed to fit a specific demand or need, there are going to be unwanted other results in the breed one cannot avoid. One really can't fault breeders, per se, if they are merely providing what the market is demanding right now. However, at what point do breeders have to start looking at what is best for the healthy continuation of the sport we all love even if that means a temporary loss of major profits? At what point does doing the morally correct thing for the horse outweigh the need to have the highest priced yearlings or 2-year-olds that may look great in the ring and/or run a 10 second 1/8th of a mile, but whose bodies can't stand even the most basic rigors of training and racing past one season? Just as one can't paint the entire dog breeding world with the same wide brush, this is not a condemnation of the entire Thoroughbred breeding industry. Just as there have been cries for the racing industry to do better policing itself before having to resort to the oversite of HISA, there needs to be better self-policing or oversite of some kind in the breeding industry for Thoroughbreds. Many, I'm sure, will say I have absolutely no idea what I am talking about. To an extent they may be correct. What I do know, though, is that Mr. Sikura is right in that in order to get real change then everyone will need to make some sacrifices in the name of progress, and that includes breeders. Those sacrifices need to come now, and not for the next generation of racing folks to have to worry about, because there might not be a real next generation. -Dr. Bryan Langlois, DVM served as President of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association from 2018-2019 and is a current board member of their charitable arm, Animal Care PA. He is also on the Board of Directors of ThoroFan. The post Letter To The Editor: Breeders Need To ‘Look Within’ As Well appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There is a persuasive argument that Maljoom (Ire) (Caravaggio) was denied champion 3-year-old miler status only by injury last term and it is therefore a relief that William Haggas has managed to get Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's still-unexposed colt back to the races after a too-long lay-off of 472 days. While his success in Cologne's G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen last May was creditable, it is his stirring display in subsequent defeat in Royal Ascot's G1 St James's Palace S. that marks him as a high-class performer at this trip. Desperately unlucky not to have readily upstaged the trio that finished in front of him headed by Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), he is the one to watch on a quality-rich card as Newmarket's Cambridgeshire meeting gains momentum. Also in the Joel, a traditional stepping stone to next month's QEII, is another who contested last year's St James's Palace in Mighty Ulysses (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}). While Saeed Suhail's member of the Gosdens' crew was just a head behind Maljoom in fifth there, he boasts none of the exhilarating sectionals of his fellow Newmarket resident but at least has a fitness edge on him as they re-engage. Only seen four times since then, he has still mustered a win in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. at last year's July Festival and a share of the spoils in Salisbury's G3 Sovereign S. last month. While Maljoom and Mighty Ulysses probably have the most upside in the field, they will be tested by the rock-solid India-bound Chindit (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) on what could be his career finale and Shadwell's title-holder Mutasaabeq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) who is a true Rowley Mile specialist. The relative of Thursday's star performer Alyanaabi (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) has won four of his five starts on this course, with his sole reversal coming in the 2021 G1 2000 Guineas. Last Friday Watch Newmarket-3.00 Ylang Ylang She is one a recovery mission after her last run in the Group 1 Moyglare. But prior she looked very good at Leopardstown. The drop to Group 2 should be easier for her to get back to winning ways.pic.twitter.com/9o0dCWP5bK — Richard Long Racing (@richardlong1990) September 27, 2023 Ylang Ylang Takes On Shuwari In The Rockfel Newmarket's other Group 2 on Friday is the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Rockfel S. which guarantees a berth in the $1-million GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, so it is perhaps no accident that Ballydoyle have opted to send their TDN Rising Star Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) across the Irish Sea. Having bettered her compatriot Vespertilio (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in Leopardstown's G3 Silver Flash S. over this seven-furlong trip in July, the 1.5million gns Book 1 sensation dropped to last as that subsequent G2 Debutante S. winner got closest to Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. With her flop resulting in the withdrawal of City Of Troy in the following race on the rain-hit Curragh card, she is due a fresh start on this quick surface which should see her able to amply express herself. Ryan Moore is happy to wipe the slate clean. “Ylang Ylang clearly didn't fire as expected last time out but horses have off days, as we have seen in high-profile races this season, and they can often bounce back quickly,” he said. “Certainly, if my filly returns to the form of her Leopardstown [run] she is probably the one to beat on this expected better ground.” Through Fallen Angel, it is possible to gauge how good the Sangsters and Ballylinch's unbeaten Shuwari (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) is or might be, having mastered the Moyglare heroine in Sandown's Listed Star S. over this trip in July. That came on soft ground and connections of the runner-up have since stated that they had the tactics wrong, so the Ollie Sangster trainee has something still to prove. The bad news for her opponents here is that Sangster is expecting the faster surface to improve her. “Her first two runs were pretty straightforward, she looks a lovely filly and I think the better ground will bring out the best in her,” he said. “We wanted to run her in the Prestige at Goodwood, but she suffered a small setback which ruled that out. So she's not as battle-hardened as some of the other runners in the race, but that can't be helped and we're hopeful she can carry on improving.” Alcantor At Home In The Thomas Bryon? Withdrawn from the recent G3 Prix des Chenes, Baron Edouard De Rothschild's TDN Rising Star Alcantor (Fr) (New Bay {GB}) returns to the scene of his impressive debut at Saint-Cloud to contest Friday's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon Jockey Club de Turquie won 12 months ago by Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). Andre Fabre has been happy to experiment with trip where the relative of Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) is concerned, but this mile looks more the ticket rather than the six furlongs over which he was put in his place by White Birch Farm's re-opposing TDN Rising Star Havana Cigar (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) at Chantilly in July. Opposing the home-trained team is Nathan Bennett's Listed Coolmore Stud Churchill S. winner Warnie (Ire) (Highland Reel {Ire}), who upstaged the subsequent G2 Beresford S. winner Deepone (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) in that extended seven-furlong Tipperary contest last month. With so much proven talent in attendance, The Aga Khan's Compiegne scorer Saganti (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) is going to have to be smart to make the jump up in a fascinating renewal. Hukum Handed Wide Draw For Arc, No Woes For Ace Impact Shadwell's Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was on Thursday handed stall 14 for Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp, with the long-time favourite and G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) in the middle in stall eight. Wide draws are notoriously difficult to overcome in the autumn showcase and the Owen Burrows-trained G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. hero will have to emulate the feats of Golden Horn (GB) in 2015 and Dalakhani (Ire) in 2003 if he is to defy the unfavourable post position. Angus Gold was left to reflect on the poser and said, “Golden Horn had a lot of tactical speed, he went forward and stayed out wide and got a brilliant ride. There is no point making a fuss about it, as there is nothing we can do. We'll just have to work around it, see how he breaks and go forward and hope to slot in somewhere.” Burrows added, “Jim [Crowley] isn't too concerned. If I had the choice, I'd rather be in a bit from there but he's fairly versatile and it is what it is. He's in a good spot in himself and similar to how he went into Ascot. It looks like good ground, so that's suitable.” Gousserie Racing and Ecuries Serge Stempniak's Ace Impact is next door to the G1 St Leger winner Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), with Ballydoyle's supplemented entry in seven. Juddmonte's Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) has the inside stall, while Jean-Louis Bouchard's G1 Grand Prix de Paris-winning TDN Rising Star Feed The Flame (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) is in two. Your voices have been heard! Sit back, relax, and enjoy as we bring HUKUM'S 2021 win in the Cumberland Stakes back to life! pic.twitter.com/pZ8YCUdHla — Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) September 27, 2023 Task Force Ready For Middle Park Examination Thursday also saw the draw for Newmarket's G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. and G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. on Saturday, with the former contest featuring the G1 Prix Morny winner and third Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) and River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and the sponsors' unexposed TDN Rising Star Task Force (GB) (Frankel {GB}). A son of the 2009 Cheveley Park heroine Special Duty (GB) (Hennessy), the Ralph Beckett-trained Listed Ripon Champion Two Yrs Old Trophy winner was the subject of an upbeat bulletin from jockey Rossa Ryan. “He has done everything right so far and his listed race at Ripon is working out really well,” he said. “Quite a lot impressed me about him the last day, as his win didn't really feel like a race, it felt more like a piece of work as he was doing it that easily. He has a very good cruise control and hopefully he can use that at the weekend. He has definitely come forward with his racing. He was a small bit of a handful before racing, but he is now figuring things out.” Of the 13 fillies engaged in the Cheveley Park, Simon Munir and Isaac Souede's G2 Lowther S. winner Relief Rally (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) occupies favouritism, with a welcome runner from France in another of Wathnan Racing's acquisitions in the unbeaten Criterium d'Ete scorer Jasna's Secret (Fr) (Galiway {GB}). George Boughey is hoping that Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's hard-working Soprano (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) can make an impact on the back of a career-best third in the G3 Dick Poole Fillies' S. “She looks better than ever,” he said. “She is a very balanced filly, which is so key at Newmarket, and she won on her debut at the track. I think she has got to have a lively chance. She has run over seven furlongs before and it would be lovely if she could get that bit further and aim for a Guineas preparation, but the fact we have put her in a Cheveley Park rather than Fillies' Mile shows where we are at the moment.” The post Newmarket: Maljoom Back In The Joel appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The first edition of the International Conference for the Health, Safety and Welfare of Jockeys (ICHSWJ) since the Covid-19 pandemic began was held at Auteuil Racecourse in Paris on Thursday, Sept. 28. Topics of the conference featured presentations and panels on concussions, spinal injuries, and mental health and psychological fitness before concluding with recently retired third-generation jockey Tom Scudamore providing his reflections on the conference. Tom Stanley served as moderator. The conference began with a presentation on management of concussion by Dr. Jerry Hill, Chief Medical Adviser, British Horseracing Authority (BHA), and Dr. Jennifer Pugh, Chief Medical Officer, Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB). Daloni Lucas, PhD Candidate at the Centre for Health, and Injury & Illness Prevention in Sport (CHi2PS), University of Bath, then presented the second session via video, where she focused on the exploration and prevention of spinal injuries to jockeys. In the afternoon, the third panel discussed the importance of mental health and the psychological fitness of riders. Participants included Professor Duncan Law, Consultant Clinical Psychologists, Changing Minds UK; Karen Lo, Sports Psychologist, Inner Edge, Hong Kong; and Dr. Ciara Losty, Sports Psychologist, Irish Jockey Pathway. “The content today from our presenters has been absolutely superb,” said ICHSWJ Chairman Darragh O'Loughlin. “We are very excited to have the return of the International Conference for the Health, Safety and Welfare of Jockeys, albeit in a different format to how it previously existed. The steering committee for this conference is eager that, rather than being a standalone event that occurs periodically, it becomes more of a forum for sharing of experiences, sharing of information, and sharing of best practices.” “It has been absolutely fascinating,” added Scudamore. “It has been wonderful to see such diverse panels and to get such an insight into what goes on behind the scenes. You can get very insular as a jockey. There are times when you think you are on your own, and I think today has proven we aren't on our own. We've got a lot of people who want to help.” To view a video replay of the ICHSWJ please visit the IFHA YouTube channel and to find out more, go to IFHA website. The post Research The Focal Point Of The 2023 International Conference For The Health, Safety And Welfare Of Jockeys appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A lawsuit filed by trainer Bob Baffert alleges two persons are extorting him, threatening him and his family and damaging his reputation while making repeated negative social media posts and references to an alleged damning video.View the full article

6th-BAQ, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 3:36 p.m. One of only a pair of first-time starters in the field, DIGITAL OPS (Nyquist) is the second foal out of MSW/GISP Flora Dora (First Dude). Picked up on a final bid of $600,000 at this Spring's OBS March sale, the colt is a half-brother to 'TDN Rising Star' Spun Intended (Hard Spun). Drawn outside is fellow first timer and stablemate Unique Insight (Gun Runner). This one, a $360,000 Fasig-Tipton October pickup by Klaravich Stables, is a half to runaway Albany S. winner Drake's Passage (Tonalist). To graduate, that pair will have to face a trio of salty second-time starters paced by the half-brother to Cody's Wish (Curlin) in Hunt Ball (Into Mischief). The Bill Mott trainee and Godolphin homebred stayed on to be second in his Saratoga debut Aug. 19 behind next-out GIII Iroquois S. runner up Risk It (Gun Runner). Enlighten (City of Light), a $450,000 yearling, finished the best of the debuting runners in his own Saratoga race Sept. 2 but was ultimately fourth through a speedy seven furlongs. Arguably the best-bred colt of the bunch, Pentathlon (Speightstown) adds blinkers for his second start after managing sixth behind Just Steel (Justify) and 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) at the Spa Aug. 5. The Phipps Stable-bred counts MGISW My Flag as his third dam with family members such as champion 2-year-old filly Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat). TJCIS PPS The post Friday Insights: Strong Field Of Second-Time Starters Tackle Aqueduct appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Youth Experience Days, which will give more UK young people access to horses, have been launched by insurance broker and risk management firm Gallagher and The Jockey Club. The experience days give children from some of the UK's most disadvantaged communities an opportunity to visit racecourses, meet trainers and spend time with leading figures from around the industry. The effort came about following the results of a survey that indicated 40% of 12-18-year-olds would consider working with equines. Last week, 25 children from the Rio Ferdinand Foundation spent the day behind the scenes at Cheltenham Racecourse and at Gold Cup and Grand National-winning trainer Jonjo O'Neill's yard. Attendees had the opportunity to feed horses, watch them work on the gallops, train in the swimming pool and hear from legends of the sport like Sir AP McCoy and Barry Geraghty. Nevin Truesdale, chief executive of The Jockey Club, said, “It's really encouraging that two-fifths of young people would consider a career working with horses, but what has become really clear is that we need to give them more access to horses and racing. “Our mission at The Jockey Club is to power racing's future, but we can't do that without inspiring people to want to work in the industry and that starts with doing more to share the excellent opportunities that exist within horseracing. “The Youth Experience Days we are hosting with Gallagher are an example of our commitment to the next generation and I hope that everyone who takes part in them leaves with a better understanding of how they can get involved, regardless of whether they've spent any time with horses before or not.” For more information, please visit The Jockey Club website. The post Youth Experience Days Part of Jockey Club Drive To Improve Young People’s Access To Horses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Turf runners look ready for action at Santa Anita after the short break from the Del Mar meeting and with the Breeders' Cup World Championships looming.View the full article

Dr. Schivel, the 2021 winner, could repeat for trainer Mark Glatt, who saddled Howbeit to win it in 2022.View the full article

RFL Steels Limited, a Naas Racecourse Business Club member, is the new sponsor of the Naas Listed Waterford Testimonial S., the racecourse announced on Thursday. Now christened the Listed RFL Steels S., it will be held on Saturday, Oct. 14. September marks 30 years at the company's current location in Naas, and the sponsorship will be part of the celebration for RFL Steels. Rory Larkin, Thoroughbred owner and managing director of RFL Steels Limited, said, “RFL Steels Limited is honoured to have the opportunity to sponsor this race here at Naas. Our business has successfully traded from premises adjacent to the racecourse for the past thirty years.” Eamonn McEvoy, general manager of Naas Racecourse, added, “Delighted to have a new local sponsor in the shape of RFL Steels Limited. Rory Larkin is a massive sponsor in the local community here in Naas and it is hugely appreciated.” The post RFL Steels Limited To Sponsor Naas Stakes Race appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association has extended Turf Paradise's contract to simulcast races for wagering until Nov. 12, the Phoenix track said in a tweet Thursday morning. The extension avoids a shutdown of the track's 37 Off Track Betting sites. A new live horse racing meet is scheduled to start in early January. The news comes after Turf Paradise reported Sept. 19 that the owner of the track, Jerry Sims, would be retiring and that no more live racing or simulcasting would take place after Oct. 1. Additional information on this developing situation will be reported when it becomes available. The AZ HBP has extended Turf Paradise's contract to simulcast races for wagering until November 12th. The extension avoids a shutdown of the track's 37 Off Track Betting sites. A new live horseracing meet is scheduled to start in early January. — Turf Paradise (@turf_paradise) September 28, 2023 The post Turf Paradise’s Simulcast Extended, Plans To Card Races In Early January appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses. The latter venue plays host to the first Group 1 event of the fall season, Sunday's Sprinters' S., which features the lightning-quick US-bred Jasper Krone (Frosted): Saturday, September 30, 2023 4th-HSN, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400mT IN YOUR PALACE (c, 2, Palace Malice–Queen's Turf {Jpn}, by Deep Impact {Jpn}) is the second foal to the races for his dam, a ¥39 million ($489,553) purchase as a foal at the 2012 JRHA Select Sale by Eiichi Kobayashi who won her debut as the favorite going this distance over the local dirt track in late 2014. In Your Palace hails from the extended female family of 10-time stakes winner Furioso (Jpn) (Brian's Time), and this sire's half-brother Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) won this year's G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) at two miles on turf and is set to face Equinox (Jpn) in the Autumn Tenno Sho going 10 furlongs at the end of October. B-Winchester Farm (KY) Sunday, October 1, 2023 3rd-NKY, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT JUNE BLAIR (f, 2, American Pharoah–Lap of Luxury {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), a $275,000 Keeneland September yearling acquisition, is out of a winning full-sister to MGSW/G1SP and Keeneland January sales-topper Up (Ire), whose daughter Aspray (Quality Road) won this year's GII Lake Placid S. and who is also represented by G1SP former 'TDN Rising Star' Monarch of Egypt (American Pharoah); the now Saudi-based Irish GSP Khartoum (Pioneerof the Nile); and a Medaglia d'Oro filly that sold to Shadwell for $1.1 million at KEESEP this year. Lap of Luxury is also the dam of G1SW sire Dutch Art (GB) (Medicean {GB}). B-Diamond Creek Farm (KY) 4th-HSN, ¥15,200,000 ($102k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1800m JOVIAN (c, 3, Justify–Runway Doll, by Majestic Warrior) made two starts at this track as a juvenile, finishing a fractionally disappointing second at 6-5 on seven-furlong debut Nov. 19 before returning a week later to crush by seven lengths going this distance (video, SC 5). DS Stable acquired this colt's dam for $380,000 in foal to American Pharoah at Keeneland November in 2018 and sold this colt for $250,000 at the 2022 OBS March Sale. His yearling half-brother by Nyquist fetched $400,000 at the recently concluded September sale. B-DS Stable LLC (KY) The post Justify Colt Makes Belated Sophomore Debut at Hanshin appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article