Wandering Eyes

Godolphin Australia announced on Wednesday that it will move to a public training model when James Cummings' current contract comes to an end on Thursday, July 31. In a joint statement with Cummings, Godolphin Australia managing director Andy Makiv said the change would provide greater flexibility for the business, while maintaining Godolphin's strong presence in the Australian Thoroughbred industry. “The private training model that we first adopted after the purchase of Woodlands in 2007 with successive trainers, Peter Snowden, John O'Shea and now James Cummings for the past eight years, has proven to be very successful,” said Makiv. “Moving away from a private training model gives us greater business agility. We will continue to have the same number of horses in training–it's fundamental to what we do. As a stallion business, Group 1 winners like Anamoe, Bivouac, Broadsiding and Cylinder have all come through our commitment to racing. “Our numbers have and will remain stable, just as they have been for the past five years. We remain absolutely committed to breeding and racing in our famous Godolphin blue silks.” He added, “James is a fantastic trainer and has been incredibly successful. He brought up his 50th Group 1 win late last year and we are extremely grateful for his leadership of our wonderful racing team who have supported him. “We are looking forward to working with James under our new training model.” Makiv also confirmed that high-class two-year-old Tempted (Aus) (Street Boss), G1 Cox Plate contender Tom Kitten (Aus) (Harry Angel {Ire}) and G1 Kennedy Oaks winner Zardozi (Aus) (Kingman {GB}) were among the horses who would remain in Cummings' care, with the trainer looking forward to the next phase of his career. “The time is right for me to take the next step in my career and launch my own venture as a public trainer,” said Cummings. “I've been fortunate to work with exceptional horses and a dedicated team during my time at Godolphin, and together we've celebrated many memorable successes. “This experience has been incredibly rewarding and has taught me invaluable lessons, both professionally and personally. I'm deeply grateful to Godolphin for their ongoing support and I look forward with great anticipation to this exciting new chapter.” The post Godolphin Announce Move to Public Training Model in Australia appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Duke Of Bedford on his way to winning Tuesday’s Brierly Steeplechase (3450m) at Warrnambool. Photo: Bruno Cannatelli Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax didn’t set out to breed a Brierly Steeplechase (3450m) winner, but that’s what they have done, with Blandford Lodge homebred Duke Of Bedford taking out the Warrnambool feature on Tuesday. “I had two in that race. I also bred Blandford Lad, who ran fifth,” Blandford Lodge principal Graham Bax said. “He (Duke Of Bedford) is a neat little jumper and he is going along well. He is a young steeplechase horse, so he has got a bright future in front of him. “If he runs tomorrow (in the Grand Annual Steeplechase, 5500m) he should be a big show.” While pleased to see his homebred victorious on Tuesday, Bax is still perplexed how a steeplechaser has been produced from the family. “The mare (dam) is by Fastnet Rock, so how we got a steeplechaser out of that I don’t know, but you never know when breeding horses where it’s all going to end up,” he said. By Tavistock, Duke Of Bedford is out of winning Fastnet Rock mare Miralago, a half-sister to the dam of Group One winner Danzdanzdance. Bax has been breeding from the family for several decades and he has enjoyed plenty of success during that time. “I have had that family for years and it goes way back to an English mare called Polly Soleil that I bought more than 30 years ago,” he said. “I have bred a lot of good mares out of that family, including (multiple Group One winner) Lucia Valentina, (Group Two winner) Silky Red Boxer, Danzdanzdance, (stakes winner) Le Gai Soleil, there’s a lot of good horses from that family. “It is a super family that has been performing for Blandford Lodge for a long time. It will keep going as well, we have another horse out of the family running today (Wednesday) at Canterbury called Ahuriri, who has won the St Leger (Listed, 2800m). The family just keeps giving.” Bax offered Duke Of Bedford at Inglis’ 2020 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale where he was purchased by STC Syndications for A$45,000. He went on to win one race for Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young before he transferred to Andrew Bobbin’s Stawell barn, for whom he has added another six victories to his tally, culminating in his Brierly Steeplechase triumph. “I love setting goals with races and working backwards and hitting the target, and this was one today,” Bobbin said post-race. Bobbin said he will wait until Thursday morning before deciding whether his six-year-old gelding backs up in the Grand Annual Steeplechase. “We’ll just see how that field holds up and at about 7:28am Thursday morning, I’ll probably still be scratching my head, I might even toss a coin,” he said. Horse racing news View the full article

Lucy In The Sky has travelled south to contest Saturday’s Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m). Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Gifted filly Lucy In The Sky will have a gilt-edged opportunity at Riccarton on Saturday to end her two-year-old campaign on a high note. The Tony Pike-trained juvenile has impressed in both of her appearances and will enjoy a drop in grade in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) with Jasmine Fawcett booked to guide the youngster. “She flew down on Sunday and travelled well and it would be nice to get a stakes win under her belt before she goes out and comes back for the spring,” Pike said. The Cambridge Stud-bred and raced daughter of the farm’s shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain was a slick debut winner at Ellerslie before returning there to finish a creditable sixth in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). “She was impressive first-up and very good in the Sistema, she got taken on and was savaged from the 600 or 700m mark by the outsider of the field and she fought on well considering,” Pike said. A half-sister to Group 2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) winner Ruud Not Too, Lucy In The Sky was subsequently untouched to win a 750m trial at Ruakaka last week. “If she handles the track, we would expect her to go very close,” Pike said. Closer to home, the stable will have a strong hand in the opening event at Te Rapa with TAB Racing Club (2100m) with two top chances. “High Country is stepping up in trip and he was really good the other day fresh-up over a mile and Poetic Justice broke through for a pretty soft win in the same grade,” Pike said. “He will have gained a fair bit of confidence, he’s always showed the talent and has taken a while to mature physically. “He’s just starting to put it all together now so I would expect both of them to run well.” In-form four-year-old Cannon Hill will meanwhile bid to go one better in the Prezzy Card Mile (1600m) following his resuming effort for second over 1400m. “I quite like Cannon Hill, I thought his fresh run was really good and stepping up to a mile will really suit him,” Pike said. There is also a sense of timing about Ziggy Stardust, who will step out in the SkyCity Hamilton Maiden (1200m). She has placed in six of her eight starts, including a runner-up finish in last season’s Champagne Stakes and was again second in her most recent outing at Matamata. Meanwhile, Pike has all but ruled out any involvement in the Brisbane winter carnival. “We were considering Storm Front, but he had a cardiac arrythmia the other day at Ellerslie so that’s sent him to the paddock,” he said. “I don’t think we will be worrying about Queensland this year, we had a couple of others possibly in mind for lower-level races, but outside of the big races the prize money is not a lot better than here. “We’ll batten down the hatches and try and get everything ready for the spring and summer for next season. Horse racing news View the full article

The Cunning Fox (NZ) (Reliable Man) and Tom Ryan have prevailed in a stirring Galleywood Hurdle at Warrnambool on Wednesday, securing the talented hurdler’s fifth-consecutive jumps win and first feature. In what would also prove to be Patrick and Michelle Payne’s first May Racing Carnival feature win together, The Cunning Fox ($2.90) was given a patient ride by Ryan, as Stern Idol ($3.20) set his usual strong gallop under replacement rider Fergus Gregory. Ryan moved the striking grey into the race down the side and it was race on over the last, with Stern Idol, Affluential (NZ) (Zed) ($2.20) and roughie Right Now (NZ) (Wrote) ($19) all also real chances. But The Cunning Fox, despite racing a touch waywardly, was too tough late, maintaining his unbeaten jumps status with a huge closing effort. “It was a fantastic version of the Galleywood,” said stable representative Neil Greaves. “We have a lot of confidence in The Cunning Fox, but we weren’t that sure he was going to be good enough to beat Affluential and Stern Idol and the rest of the field was pretty solid as well. “So it’s a great thrill for everybody, Joe O’Neill’s here with his large group of owners out there, some have come from as far away as Sydney.” After joining her sibling in a training partnership last September, Michelle Payne scored her first ‘Bool jumps winner with Sing For Peace on Tuesday and has wasted no time picking up one of the main events. For Patrick Payne, it was his first Galleywood triumph and completed his collection of Warrnambool jumps features, having won the Brierly in 2017 with Zed Em (NZ) (Zed) and the Grand Annual an incredible four times, with Awakening Dream (2012), Chaparro (2014), No Song No Supper (2016) and Zed Em (2019). “I’m sure for Patrick and Michelle, this will be a real feather in their cap,” Greaves said. “Those who have been coming every year know Patrick’s been a master trainer full stop, but a master trainer of jumps horses, this is just another example of that.” View the full article

Cody Cole collected his second quinella in a matter of days in the Central Districts on Wednesday, with Rareza (NZ) (Exosphere) and debutant Andantino saluting at the Woodville meeting. The Matamata horseman took a pair of runners to Wanganui last Sunday in The Nomad (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) and St Giles (NZ) (Swiss Ace), both of whom took out their respective races. His two representatives at the midweek meeting repeated the dose, headed by resuming talent Rareza. The daughter of Exosphere had just seven starts under her belt prior to the Speldhurst Mates (1200m), including a last-start success back in November where she struck a similar surface to the conditions on Wednesday. Starting a $3 favourite, Rareza jumped alongside one of her main rivals in Sinbin (NZ) (Derryn), while Gohugo (NZ) (Per Incanto) took up the pacemaking role. The mare hit clear air early in the straight and had to find plenty in the testing conditions, but she did just that, holding off Sinbin to win by a nose. “She was super. For a midweek (rating) 75 it was a strong enough field,” Cole said. “She had a little setback a couple of weeks ago and missed a bit work, so she was in need of the run and we thought we would kick her off soft. She was in that rating bracket where she can afford to get a few points and still have another crack at 75, then maybe raise our sights to something else. “We’ll just get her home, see how she comes through it and look through the programme for where we’re likely to head with her. She’s progressive, she’s still doing it on ability and hitting the front and waiting for them a little bit too. “Maybe the addition of some gear will help her at some stage, to get a bit more out of her.” Rareza was guided by in-form apprentice Triston Moodley, who earlier in the day rode her stablemate Andantino to victory in the Property Brokers Pahiatua/Woodville (1100m). Having appeared at the trials back in January, Andantino came into the race as favourite ahead of Casino (NZ) (Savabeel), and it would be the two first starts that would fight out the finish in a competitive three-year-old maiden. Casino made a good account of herself, but she was unable to pick up the gelding, who kicked clear to score by half a length. Cole had been cautiously confident coming into the race and was rapt with the son of Castelvecchio. “It’s been a fair while since he trialled so you’re always a bit reserved there, but he’s shown us plenty of ability and worked well leading into it,” he said. “He’s got upside, he’s got potential there. “He’s one of those horses with good gate speed and can get up on speed, he’d drawn a bit sticky but that didn’t really worry us too much. It was fortunate that the rain didn’t come any earlier because I don’t know whether he would’ve copped it too much wetter than it was. “We’ll just hopefully find a track that is just in that soft range or thereabouts to get another run into him, then he’ll head to the paddock and look towards next year.” Bred by GSA Bloodstock, Andantino was a $50,000 purchase by Cole at Karaka when presented from the draft of Ralph Thoroughbreds. Back in the north, it was a rewarding sight for Cole to see his Group Three-performing mare Oneira (NZ) (Contributer) back at the trials on Tuesday. As a three-year-old, Oneira placed in a Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), but due to a variety of reasons, has only had four starts since that race in October 2023. “She had one run in the spring where she got back and it just wasn’t her pattern,” Cole said. “She’s not comfortable getting in amongst them in her races and it was a bit of a nothing race. “She then had an injury, so she’s been out over the summer, and I’ve just brought her back up quietly. She’s developed into a nice, rounded mare, she was always a little bit light and lean. “Her trial was good, she was still pretty burly in condition yesterday so that will tighten her up a lot. “She’s stakes placed and we haven’t had many runs with her after that, so it’ll be nice to get a nice prep into her in the early winter then come back in the spring. She likes those off tracks, so we’ll find a race for her over the next few weeks to kick off.” In the meantime, Cole will have a quartet of runners heading to Te Rapa on Saturday, including another promising debutant in Atkins (NZ) (Savabeel) contesting the SkyCity Hamilton 1200. The Savabeel four-year-old has been a work in progress for Cole but impressed with a flashing trial at Ellerslie in early April. “She’s going to improve a lot from the experience, she’s a nice mare that has taken a lot of time and management to get her there in one piece,” he said. “We’ve really seen the best of her in her last two trials, they’ve both been good especially the last one where she sat back and picked them up pretty effortlessly under a soft ride. “Craig (Grylls) quite likes her and sticks with her on Saturday, so she’s definitely one to look forward too.” Speedy filly Power Of Three will be back up to her winning distance in the MetalCo 1200, after being run down late by Albarossa at Trentham last time out. “In hindsight, it probably wasn’t the track to take her to, she’s got quite a short sprint and she hit the front quite quickly there,” Cole said. “It’s a long way to get run down and she was fresh-up and probably needed the run late. “She will be suited to a turning track where she’s not exposed so early.” View the full article

There’s one word to describe Riviera Rebel’s (NZ) (Pure Champion) last assignment of the season – heavy. The in-form gelding has been lumbered with top weight, 60kg, in Saturday’s Avon City Ford Easter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton, where his biggest rival will be the inclement weather. While the son of Pure Champion is adept at racing in heavy conditions, recording three of his six wins on the surface, including the Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) at Riccarton last start, co-trainer Graham Eade is wary of the inclement weather in Christchurch leading into the weekend, with the track already rated a Heavy10 on Wednesday morning. “It is going to be deep, and they have piled the weight onto him, so it’s going to be another learning curve,” said Eade, who trains in partnership with his granddaughter Brooke Kincaid. “He doesn’t mind a heavy track. He’s not very big, but he’s quite strong and he has got that will to win. Having topweight is the biggest concern though. “It’s raining quite heavily here. It started before we went to the track at 6:30am (Wednesday morning) and it hasn’t stopped, and it’s supposed to carry on tonight and tomorrow. “It is going to be a test because the weight he has got and the track. He is going to go out after this. If it was 2000m I would probably pull him out, but it’s a mile.” While he holds concerns about the wet-weather, Eade has been pleased with the way Riviera Rebel has come through his victory in the Canterbury Gold Cup last Saturday, and he has received positive reports from his trackwork rider in the interim. “He has come through his last start really well,” Eade said. “His rider, Denby-Rose Tait, reckons the race hasn’t hurt him and he feels as good as ever.” Riviera Rebel will jump from barrier three, with Kylie Williams in the saddle. Eade will also line-up consistent mare Intercept (NZ) (War Decree) in the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap Rating 65 (1200m). The War Decree four-year-old has placed in three of her last four starts, including a runner-up effort over 1400m at Riccarton last Saturday, and Eade is hoping she can go one better this weekend. “She went well,” Eade said. “She has been here (Riccarton) as well and the trip away from Riverton will do her the world of good. She is seeing a lot of horses around her, which you don’t see down there.” View the full article

A son of Hollie Wynyard’s first Group One winner will have his turn in the spotlight at Te Rapa on Saturday, representing the Cambridge horsewoman in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1400m). That runner will be Wyndstorm (NZ) (Wyndspelle), a two-year-old gelding out of the second crop of yearlings by Wyndspelle. In the care of Wynyard, and former training partner Johno Benner, Wyndspelle placed at the highest level on a number of occasions, capped off by his crowning victory in the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m). Five years on, Wynyard was entrusted with Wyndstorm, who made an immediate impression when winning at the Foxton trials, an effort he backed up on debut when finishing a tidy third behind Pacific Breeze. The long-striding youngster stepped out at Ellerslie for the first time earlier this month, and despite racing three-wide throughout, he was too good for his rivals and earned a black-type assignment in the process. “He’s definitely always shown a bit of ability, he’s a lovely big horse, pretty laid back and he doesn’t care about anything really,” Wynyard said. “When he won, that didn’t come too much as a surprise, but the way he did it sitting three-wide showed he has quite a bit there. “This guy is probably twice the size of his father, Wyndspelle was pretty short and nuggety. But they are very similar in temperament, Wyndspelle was just an absolute dude. He was the ultimate professional, knew his job and gave it 100 percent every day.” Wyndstorm’s versatility will likely come into play in the juvenile feature, drawing the extreme outside barrier. “He hasn’t drawn a very good gate in 14, so we’ll have to work out what we do from there,” Wynyard said. “He’s proven he can go back, sit wide and do whatever we want really, and still be there at the end so hopefully we can get it right. “He’s a big horse so we gave him a bit of time between runs, the 1400 is going to suit him and he’ll run that out naturally so we don’t need to do a lot with him. He’s only had one gallop this week.” Wynyard’s two-pronged attack in the race will be completed by Toretto (NZ) (Ardrossan), a winning two-year-old in his own right earlier in the season. After winning a trial at Foxton this time in, the son of Ardrossan didn’t favour the conditions at Ellerslie when contesting the Listed Star Way Stakes (1200m). “I think the track was a little bit testing and holding and he just didn’t cop it, he raced on a similar track at Wanganui in his first-up run and had the same sort of result,” she said. “I’m not going to read too much into that, he can handle a soft track but it just needs to be loose.” While hopeful for a strong performance on Saturday, Wynyard’s target for Toretto is the Listed Staphanos By Deep Impact Champagne Stakes (1600m), run at Ellerslie on May 17. “We’ve taken the blinkers off for Saturday, we’ll ride him a bit quieter and have him attacking the line,” she said. “He’s looking like a mile will suit, so we’re really setting him for the Champagne. “We’re just playing around with a few things, but he’s working great and he’s a talented little horse. Hopefully he can put his best foot forward on Saturday.” Back in Cambridge, Wynyard’s sharp filly Archaic Smile has pulled up well from her second consecutive Group placing in the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) last weekend. She finished just three-quarters of a length from Ardalio (NZ) (Ardrossan), after finishing a half-length adrift of Vegas Queen (NZ) (Proisir) when runner-up in the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m). Rapt with her performance, Wynyard is considering the Gr.3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) to complete the filly’s season on May 10. “I’m very proud of her, she’s not the biggest filly and definitely hasn’t got the straightest legs, but she’s got a bit of ability there and a heart as big as herself,” Wynyard said. “She just gives everything each time she goes out. “We are quietly looking at the fillies and mares 1400 at Rotorua, that would definitely be her last race this prep. But any signs before then that she’s had enough, she’ll head straight to the paddock. “At the moment we’re happy enough with her and we’ll wait and see what the track ends up like.” Looking to next season with the Group One-performing daughter of Saxon Warrior, Wynyard is hoping to test her abilities over a mile. “I’m pretty keen to see how she would go over a mile, just the way she relaxes in her races now and how she runs out the 1400m,” she said. “If she can get a mile, that opens up a lot of options for her as a mare. “I think we’ll definitely try her over that distance, but that’ll be a next year job.” View the full article

Statuario ridden by John Allen wins the Galilee Series Final at Caulfield. (Photo by Reg Ryan/Racing Photos) The Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) headlines the action at Morphettville on Saturday afternoon, with a capacity field of 16 and three emergencies set to line up in the $1 million three-year-old feature. The Emma-Lee & David Browne-trained Statuario has opened as the firm +300 favourite with horse racing bookmakers after drawing barrier three on Tuesday morning. The support comes as no surprise after a breathtaking 2.3-length victory at Caulfield on April 5, with the son of D’argento blitzing his rivals over the 2400m in Listed company. Lavalier is on the second line of betting at +450 with Neds and is on the one-week backup after finishing second in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) last Saturday. The 2500m appears ideal for the Godolphin gelding; however, he may be forced to do it tough, drawn out in barrier 15, as Jamie Melham gets legged aboard once again. The Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained American Wolf is on deck for a hat-trick of wins this preparation and is the only other galloper in single figures at +600 with BlondeBet. The Tavaci gelding should have no issues staying the journey on Saturday, with his latest win on Anzac Day coming over the 2800m in the Listed VRC St. Leger at Flemington. Double-figure odds are available for every other runner engaged, with the likes of Saint Emilion and Politely Dun likely to have plenty of admirers at +900 apiece with Dabble. The 2025 South Australian Derby is scheduled to get underway at 4:35pm local time. Horse racing news View the full article

What Warrnambool Cup Day 2025 Where Warrnambool Racing Club – 2/64 Grafton Rd, Warrnambool VIC 3280 When Thursday, May 1, 2025 First Race 11:20am AEST Visit Dabble The Listed Warrnambool Cup and Grand Annual Steeplechase will headline the final day of the Warrnambool May Carnival, with 10 races set down for decision this Thursday. The track will remain in the Soft range on the flat, while the steeple track is rated as Heavy. The rail will stay in its true position, with the opening race set to kick off at 11:15am AEST. Warrnambool Cup Tip: Mystery Island Shane Jackson will be seeking back-to-back Warrnambool Cups with Mystery Island, who seems to be going just as well, if not better, than he was last year. The son of Victoire Pisa flew home from the back of the field in the Terang Cup over 2150m last start, and the extra distance here will be a positive. If Harry Coffey can find a back to follow from barrier 17, Mystery Island can defend his title with a strong finish. Warrnambool Cup Race 9 – #11 Mystery Island (17) 8yo Gelding | T: Shane Jackson | J: Harry Coffey (54kg) Grand Annual Steeplechase tip: Instigator After running a slashing third place in the Brierly Steeplechase, Instigator appears to be primed and ready for a big crack at the 2025 Grand Annual. The Aaron Purcell-trained gelding settled at the rear of the field and jumped nicely throughout the 3450m on Tuesday, but given how strongly he finished, the trip looked to be too short for the seasoned jumper. If Instigator can navigate each of the jumps and sprint sharply late, he can win the co-feature at a good each-way price with horse racing bookmakers. Grand Annual Steeplechase Race 7 – #4 Instigator (9) 11yo Gelding | T: Aaron Purcell | J: Braidon Small (54kg) Best Bet at Warrnambool: Cleo Cat Following the first defeat of her six-start career at the end of last preparation, Cleo Cat will return from a 16-week spell with the benefit of a five-length trial victory over 1000m at Terang. The daughter of American Pharoah showed a lot of ability when winning her first five races before going down in the Listed Black Pearl Stakes at Geelong in January. Jordan Childs will push forward and take up the lead from barrier four, and if Cleo Cat gives a strong kick, her rivals will struggle to run her down. Best Bet Race 3 – #2 Cleo Cat (4) 4yo Mare | T: Tom Dabernig | J: Jordan Childs (60kg) Warrnambool Cup Day quaddie tips – 1/5/25 Warrnambool quadrella selections Thursday, May 1, 2025 1-2-4-5 1-2-6-9 1-4-5-6-11 3-10-14 Horse racing tips View the full article

What Town Plate Day 2025 Where Murrumbidgee Turf Club – Travers St, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 When Thursday, May 1, 2025 First Race 12:25pm AEST Visit Dabble The $200,000 Wagga Town Plate (1200m) headlines the action at the Murrumbidgee Turf Club this Thursday. With no rain forecast on race-day, punters can expect a Good 4 surface. The rail is in the true position for the entire circuit, with the opening event at Wagga scheduled to get underway at 12:25pm local time. Wagga Town Plate Tip: Felix Majestic Felix Majestic was sensational on return in the Group 3 McCarten Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on March 15. The son of Smart Missile bombed the start and was never in contention, but he rattled off some impressive closing sectionals. Molly Bourke will need to get him leaving the gates evenly, and provided he can manage to slot in somewhere mid-field with cover, Felix Majestic should give a bold sight at each-way odds with horse racing bookmakers in the 2025 Wagga Town Plate. Wagga Town Plate Race 7 – #2 Felix Majestic (6) 5yo Gelding | T: Gary Nickson | J: Molly Bourke (60.5kg) Best Bet at Wagga: Stardom The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Stardom comes through a hot maiden at Kembla Grange on April 15, where the daughter of Zoustar gave a good account of herself to finish in the minor money. She was unable to dictate terms on debut but should get the opportunity to slide across and lead this time around from barrier 13. Jett Stanley will make this a genuine test over 1200m, and provided the pair can pinch a break turning for home, Stardom should get every chance in the Wagga opener. Best Bet Race 1 – #8 Stardom (13) 2yo Filly | T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | J: Jett Stanley (56.5kg) Next Best at Wagga: Group Chat Group Chat was impressive when breaking her maiden at Wagga on April 13, pushing through at a crucial stage to score by 1.5 lengths. While the four-year-old strikes a much tougher assignment third-up and rises to 1400m for the first time, she seemed to have plenty left in the tank last time out. Expect Ashley Morgan to drag back towards the rear of the field from gate 13, but with a superior turn of foot to her rivals, Group Chat should have the last say in this. Next Best Race 5 – #8 Group Chat (13) 4yo Mare | T: Matthew Dale | J: Ashley Morgan (55kg) Wagga quaddie tips – Thursday 1/5/2025 Wagga quadrella selections Thursday, May 1, 2025 2-8 2-3-4-6-7-8 2-7-12 1-2-3-4-5-8-9 Horse racing tips View the full article

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Experienced breeding and racing identity Bruce Perry has unveiled a new thoroughbred service to run independently of his successful bloodstock business. Bruce Perry Consultancy will offer advisory services for investors, owners, breeders and farms who seek unbiased and expert guidance in navigating the industry. “It will be totally separate from my bloodstock business and will strive to help and support new people and those already involved with advice, insights, views and different opinions,” he said. “A lot of people may not have the time to be at sales and have the opportunity to see the international side of the industry and no doubt they have questions on many aspects of breeding and racing.” Perry can draw on his decades of experience in all aspects of the thoroughbred industry to offer impartial advice to assist clients to make well-informed, strategic decisions that will serve their best interests. “Whether you are new to racing and breeding, seeking a more structured approach to existing investment, or require an impartial, experienced perspective, Bruce Perry Consultancy can provide expertly tailored support. “I believe there is a gap in the market for this type of support service and believe it is a positive move for the industry. “We need to keep people involved in the game, at all levels, for the longest time and we need them to succeed. “It’s really about identifying risk and trying to avoid any pitfalls.” View the full article

Gifted filly Lucy In The Sky (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) will have a gilt-edged opportunity at Riccarton on Saturday to end her two-year-old campaign on a high note. The Tony Pike-trained juvenile has impressed in both of her appearances and will enjoy a drop in grade in the Listed Berkey Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m) with Jasmine Fawcett booked to guide the youngster. “She flew down on Sunday and travelled well and it would be nice to get a stakes win under her belt before she goes out and comes back for the spring,” Pike said. The Cambridge Stud-bred and raced daughter of the farm’s shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain was a slick debut winner at Ellerslie before returning there to finish a creditable sixth in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). “She was impressive first-up and very good in the Sistema, she got taken on and was savaged from the 600 or 700m mark by the outsider of the field and she fought on well considering,” Pike said. A half-sister to Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) winner Ruud Not Too (NZ) (Bernardini), Lucy In The Sky was subsequently untouched to win a 750m trial at Ruakaka last week. “If she handles the track, we would expect her to go very close,” Pike said. Closer to home, the stable will have a strong hand in the opening event at Te Rapa with TAB Racing Club (2100m) with two top chances. “High Country (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) is stepping up in trip and he was really good the other day fresh-up over a mile and Poetic Justice (NZ) (Almanzor) broke through for a pretty soft win in the same grade,” Pike said. “He will have gained a fair bit of confidence, he’s always showed the talent and has taken a while to mature physically. “He’s just starting to put it all together now so I would expect both of them to run well.” In-form four-year-old Cannon Hill (NZ) (Ardrossan) will meanwhile bid to go one better in the Prezzy Card Mile (1600m) following his resuming effort for second over 1400m. “I quite like Cannon Hill, I thought his fresh run was really good and stepping up to a mile will really suit him,” Pike said. There is also a sense of timing about Ziggy Stardust (NZ) (Turn Me Loose), who will step out in the SkyCity Hamilton Maiden (1200m). She has placed in six of her eight starts, including a runner-up finish in last season’s Champagne Stakes and was again second in her most recent outing at Matamata. Meanwhile, Pike has all but ruled out any involvement in the Brisbane winter carnival. “We were considering Storm Front (NZ) (Snitzel), but he had a cardiac arrythmia the other day at Ellerslie so that’s sent him to the paddock,” he said. “I don’t think we will be worrying about Queensland this year, we had a couple of others possibly in mind for lower-level races, but outside of the big races the prize money is not a lot better than here. “We’ll batten down the hatches and try and get everything ready for the spring and summer for next season.” View the full article

Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax didn’t set out to breed a Brierly Steeplechase (3450m) winner, but that’s what they have done, with Blandford Lodge homebred Duke Of Bedford (NZ) (Tavistock) taking out the Warrnambool feature on Tuesday. “I had two in that race. I also bred Blandford Lad, who ran fifth,” Blandford Lodge principal Graham Bax said. “He (Duke Of Bedford) is a neat little jumper and he is going along well. He is a young steeplechase horse, so he has got a bright future in front of him. “If he runs tomorrow (in the Grand Annual Steeplechase, 5500m) he should be a big show.” While pleased to see his homebred victorious on Tuesday, Bax is still perplexed how a steeplechaser has been produced from the family. “The mare (dam) is by Fastnet Rock, so how we got a steeplechaser out of that I don’t know, but you never know when breeding horses where it’s all going to end up,” he said. By Tavistock, Duke Of Bedford is out of winning Fastnet Rock mare Miralago, a half-sister to the dam of Group One winner Danzdanzdance. Bax has been breeding from the family for several decades and he has enjoyed plenty of success during that time. “I have had that family for years and it goes way back to an English mare called Polly Soleil that I bought more than 30 years ago,” he said. “I have bred a lot of good mares out of that family, including (multiple Group One winner) Lucia Valentina, (Group Two winner) Silky Red Boxer, Danzdanzdance, (stakes winner) Le Gai Soleil, there’s a lot of good horses from that family. “It is a super family that has been performing for Blandford Lodge for a long time. It will keep going as well, we have another horse out of the family running today (Wednesday) at Canterbury called Ahuriri, who has won the St Leger (Listed, 2800m). The family just keeps giving.” Bax offered Duke Of Bedford at Inglis’ 2020 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale where he was purchased by STC Syndications for A$45,000. He went on to win one race for Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young before he transferred to Andrew Bobbin’s Stawell barn, for whom he has added another six victories to his tally, culminating in his Brierly Steeplechase triumph. “I love setting goals with races and working backwards and hitting the target, and this was one today,” Bobbin said post-race. Bobbin said he will wait until Thursday morning before deciding whether his six-year-old gelding backs up in the Grand Annual Steeplechase. “We’ll just see how that field holds up and at about 7:28am Thursday morning, I’ll probably still be scratching my head, I might even toss a coin,” he said. View the full article

A mix of proven and up-and-coming sires sees fees for Waikato Stud’s six-strong roster set for the 2025 season, once again headlined by the NZ Hall of Fame inductee-in-waiting Savabeel. Alongside him stands second-season sire sensation Super Seth, emerging force Ardrossan, proven Group 1 producer Ocean Park, exciting first-season sire Noverre and a sire-in-waiting Banquo rounding out the formidable lineup. “It’s a lineup we are continually proud of, and it continues to fit with tradition which has, and does, lead to success,” said studmaster, Mark Chittick. “They are stallions that we have put the time and the investment into because we believe they suit our expansive broodmare band, which continually produces top-class racehorses including three Group 1 winners this season bred by Waikato Stud: La Dorada, Savaglee and Atishu.” “Stallions with the credentials that we require are not easy to come by – we are very, very appreciative of the support of current shareholders and breeders. Each stallion is sourced primarily for our 200-plus broodmare band, but in this day and age we couldn’t do it on our own and we thoroughly appreciate the incredible support that we are given by Australasian breeders. We enjoy the success together, Super Seth is a good example of Waikato Sud and our major shareholders sharing in that success.” Savabeel Sitting some $2.7 million clear of his nearest contender on the New Zealand sires’ premiership with Damask Rose claiming the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi, Savabeel looks set to secure his 10th New Zealand Champion Sires’ title and will be inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame in May. This season alone, Savabeel has sired three Group 1 winners: Atishu, who claimed her third elite-level victory in the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes, along with two new Group 1 winners in Savaglee and Provence, bringing his Group 1 tally to 35. He continues to strike at a phenomenal 11.1% Stakes winners to runners and 7.3% Group winners to runners. This year, Savabeel produced his highest-priced yearling yet and set a new record for the highest-priced filly ever sold at Karaka – $2.4 million for the full sister to Orchestral, from the family of Savaglee, Aegon and Atishu. Savabeel will stand at an unchanged fee of $100,000 plus GST. “He deserves every accolade, and we are very proud of everything he’s done and is doing for the New Zealand industry,” said Chittick. “He has great vitality and we’re heading into the season with a bright, happy and healthy horse – the only thing we will avoid breeding this year at his age is maidens. He’s had another incredible season on the track and in the sales ring, and he just keeps reminding us why he’s so special.” Super Seth is a sire on the move , priced up to $75,000 plus GST Three Group 1 winners, two countries, one super sire, Super Seth. Feroce kicked off Group 1 proceedings with victory in the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on 1 March, handing young trainer Dominic Sutton his first Group 1 win. Seven days later, another first-crop son, Linebacker, claimed the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Royal Randwick, delivering John O’Shea and Tom Charlton their first elite-level win as a training partnership, and Tom’s first as a trainer. Just three weeks later, two-year-old La Dorada put on a three-and-a-half-length show to take the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, adding to her earlier wins in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes and R. Listed Karaka Millions 2YO. They are joined by black-type stars Sethito, Poetic Champion, Super Photon and the Group 3-placed two-year-old, Sanctified – the former helping Super Seth achieve an impressive 8% stakes winners to runners’ strike rate. Super Seth leads the New Zealand Second Season Sires’ Premiership as the only stallion in his cohort so far this season to surpass the million-dollar mark in progeny earnings. He sits in fifth position on the Australian Second Season Sires’ Premiership, with A$3.2 million in earnings achieved by half the number of runners to those above him. In the sales ring, his ready-to-run horses made up to A$550,000 and $420,000 on home shores, while his yearlings have sold for as much as $700,000. You’ll need to move quickly to book a mare to Super Seth this spring. With limited outside nominations available, bookings by application will close at 5pm (NZT) on Wednesday, 4 June – click here to nominate. With Group 1 winners from both his first and second crops, Super Seth has earned a fee increase to $75,000 plus GST. “An unbelievable stallion. I don’t feel as though we have had a stallion start like this in New Zealand for a long time. Three Group 1 winners across two countries in a month is freakish, and he keeps backing up with Trans-Tasman winners every single week,” Chittick enthused. With stakes horses in all three crops, despite covering smaller, lesser-quality books – Ardrossan has already proven his ability to upgrade his mares and produce winners. With bigger and better-quality books in the pipeline, this season’s matings are set to benefit from both strength in numbers and quality coming through. Ardrossan’s fertility last season was 90.14%, and from his earlier, smaller books, he has produced an impressive 9% stakes winners to runners, including Yaldi, Ardalio (a two-time Group winner who starred on Karaka Millions night), Beau Dazzler in Australia, Saltcoats, Codigo and Loch Katrine, among others. His rising two-year-olds come from Ardrossan’s biggest book to date and made up to A$150,000 at Magic Millions – bought by Danny O’Brien Racing, and at Karaka it was Bjorn Baker Racing / Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) who bought his top lot for $150,000. His yearlings averaged over five times their service fee ($116,363) with international demand for his stock to the fore – six of 11 Karaka yearlings were bought by Australia or Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, Ardrossan has made an immediate impact with two winners from limited runners: Sky Heart for Caspar Fownes and Sunday’s Serenade for Jamie Richards. Buyers from Hong Kong also secured three of his five NZB Ready to Run horses last year for upwards of $250,000. Ardrossan Ardrossan will stand at an unchanged fee of $20,000 plus GST. “He’s had to do it the hard way and prove himself. He’s consistently producing good winners off his smaller books – Ardalio recording her second Group win on Saturday is a good example, and now his bigger crops are starting to come through. To achieve 9% stakes winners to runners from very low numbers and average pedigrees is quite incredible. He’s certainly an upgrading sire, and people have to understand, and be reminded, that his numbers don’t increase until the foals of the 2024 crop. I’m adamant that as these numbers and quality do rise, he will be a formidable sire. He’s a very safe stallion who can leave good types that become very good racehorses out of any type of mare,” explained Chittick. A proven Group 1 producer in both New Zealand and Australia, five-time Group 1-winning Champion Ocean Park is renowned for his remarkable toughness and soundness – qualities he continues to pass on to his progeny. With nine stakes horses this season alone, they are highlighted by Powers Of Opal and Hurry Curry, who finished second and third respectively in the Gr.1 VRC Oaks during Melbourne Cup week. To date, he has produced 326 winners for 890 wins, 22 stakes winners and progeny earnings exceeding $53 million. Ocean Park Ocean Park will stand at a slightly reduced fee of $15,000 plus GST. “He always has a good horse – they’re good, tough racehorses. He’s getting into the latter part of his career now and he’s a very good, safe, proven horse,” said Chittick. Described as ‘close to perfect as one would see in a yearling’ by his subsequent purchaser David Ellis CNZM, Noverre’s first yearlings entered the sales ring in 2025. He averaged A$350,000 at Magic Millions with a top price of A$500,000. At the 2025 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, his first crop averaged $135,625, with a top price of $310,000. Noverre Noverre will stand at an unchanged fee of $10,000 plus GST. “He’s such a good-looking horse and he passes that onto his yearlings. He throws a great type and he was well-supported by trainers and agents here in New Zealand and over in Australia this year,” said Chittick. “Breeders – none more so than ourselves – have been incredibly impressed with what he’s left. His books have increased year-on-year, and last season he served the biggest book of any sire in New Zealand. Off the back of the types he’s leaving, the quality of mares he’s had and his phenomenal first yearlings at the sales, he’s got an unbelievable opportunity at stud.” Pedigree, type, and turn of foot. Banquo hails from a strong Australian sprinting family, being a full brother to Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate winner Booker. A good-looking son of Written Tycoon, he was a A$600,000 Magic Millions yearling. Banquo retired to stud on the eve of the 2021 New Zealand breeding season and, entering stud months after his cohort was announced, had limited opportunities. However, his first runner, Portland, produced a strong fourth on debut for Stephen Marsh, with trainers commenting positively on their potential as racehorses. Banquo Banquo will stand at an unchanged fee of $3,000 plus GST. “Starting at stud at an awkward time of the year meant his opportunities were limited. Comments from trainers and owners with Banquo’s progeny in work are very, very encouraging,” concluded Chittick. Summary of Waikato Stud’s 2025 fees (20224 fee in brackets): Savabeel $100,000 + GST (No live foal guarantee, no maidens) ($100,000 plus GST) Super Seth $75,000 + GST (Live foal guarantee) ($45,000 plus GST) Ardrossan $20,000 + GST (Live foal guarantee) ($20,000 plus GST) Ocean Park $15,000 + GST (Live foal guarantee) ($20,000 plus GST) Noverre $10,000 + GST (Live foal guarantee) ($10,000 plus GST) Banquo $3,000 + GST (Live foal guarantee) ($3,000 plus GST) View the full article

The field for the GI Kentucky Derby, ranked in “likeliest winner” order. 1) JOURNALISM (c, Curlin–Mopotism, by Uncle Mo). O-Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC, LaPenta, Robert V., Magnier, Mrs. John, Smith, Derrick and Tabor, Michael B.; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. Sales history: $825,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG. Lifetime record: GISW, 5-4-0-1, $638,880. Last start: WON Apr. 5 GI Santa Anita Derby. Journalism is the legitimate and deserving favorite. He checks many of the Derby desirability boxes by being a big, long-striding colt who has won three straight two-turn graded stakes with a confident, powerful way of going and fast speed figures. Through only five starts, Journalism has honed a level of gravitas unmatched by his peers. This athletic $825,000 FTSAUG colt by Curlin from trainer Michael McCarthy's stable drew the eight post outside the Derby's two main speed threats, which will give Umberto Rispoli the chance to position him advantageously within the first flight, playing to Journalism's stalk-and-throttle style. Journalism comes into the Derby after having run the two most visually impressive races on the sophomore portion of the Derby prep calendar. His win in the GII San Felipe Stakes (108 Beyer Speed Figure) was punctuated by a prolonged, three-deep sweep on the far turn that he torqued to an emphatic stretch kick, and his 102-Beyer GI Santa Anita Derby score was accomplished despite significant momentum loss three-eighths from the wire when Journalism got trapped in tight quarters down near the fence. Favorites are always a dicey proposition in the Derby, no matter how talented the horse. The public's choice has now lost the last six Derbies after winning six straight between 2013 and 2018. There are some knocks against Journalism, but you have to reach to come up with them. With four races against only four other rivals (and one start against nine others), he's inexperienced against large fields. Journalism (like four other entrants in this year's race) will also be trying to buck an 0-for-49 streak that has beset every Derby entrant between 2017 and 2024 who has attempted to win the Derby with only two prior starts at age three. And it's an open question as to how much that dominant Santa Anita Derby took out of this colt four weeks ago. Journalism basically got stopped on the far turn, had to shoulder aside a rival, then ran hard all the way to the wire. Sovereignty gallops under the spires Tuesday morning | Renee Torbit/Coady Media 2) SOVEREIGNTY (c, Into Mischief–Crowned, by Bernardini). O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott; Lifetime Record: MGSW, 5-2-2-0, $572,800. Last start: 2nd Mar. 29 GI Florida Derby. This Into Mischief-sired homebred for Godolphin is the Derby's most dangerous deep closer. The “how he did it” aspects of Sovereignty's best races exceed the “how fast” metrics of the speed figures he was assigned for those efforts. Sure, all winter and spring long, this column has warned of the dangers of falling in love with an off-the-tailgate type in a 20-horse race. Too often, late runners like Sovereignty are at the mercy of the pace and/or traffic. But there's something to be said for being able to reliably fire with one sustained run, and Sovereignty's last-to-first clock-cleanings of talented fields in both the GII Street Sense Stakes in October and the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes in March attest to his ability to finish races with exclamation points. In the Derby, trainer Bill Mott will go back to regular rider Junior Alvarado, who had missed Sovereignty's not-fully-cranked second in the GI Florida Derby because of a shoulder blade fracture sustained in a March spill. Yes, Sovereignty is a touch light in the speed figures department, with a lifetime Beyer progression of 79-89-87-95-92. Daily Racing Form lists 103 as the Derby's winning Beyer par. But considering Sovereignty's pedigree resonates with Triple Crown race-winning royalty (Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, A.P. Indy, Empire Maker and Bernardini, to name a few), it's reasonable to speculate he'll be a longer-the-better type of performer capable of producing faster figures at 10 furlongs and beyond. 3) CITIZEN BULL (c, Into Mischief–No Joke, by Distorted Humor). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Robert Low & Lawana Low (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $675,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime record: MGISW, 6-4-0-1, $1,451,000. Last start: 4th Apr. 5 GI Santa Anita Derby. At 20-1 on the morning line, the 2-year-old champ has really taken a hit from the public's pricing perspective over the past month. Part of that confidence drop is attributable to this Bob Baffert trainee running like a “short” horse when backpedaling to fourth in the Santa Anita Derby. Other bettors will be scared off by Citizen Bull having drawn the dreaded inside post, a position that often results in good horses getting buried behind a crowded wall of rivals. Gate one has not delivered a Derby winner since 1986. On the flip side, that narrative translates to significant value if you are willing to gamble that Baffert has sufficiently tightened Citizen Bull in the past month or so. And if you further feel that this colt's natural speed won't make breaking from the rail too much of an issue, there is quite a bit of upside arguing in favor of Citizen Bull being the overlay of this year's Derby. This $675,000 KEESEP son of Into Mischief wired three graded stakes routes between October and February. Look to his sophomore debut in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes as the race that showcased Citizen Bull at his best. He pummeled two capable stablemates at 9-10 odds despite a bobble at the break and never being roused for his full run. If Citizen Bull scores on Saturday, he'll be only the third GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner in 41 years to also win the Derby, joining Street Sense in 2007 and Nyquist in 2016. 4) RODRIGUEZ (c, Authentic–Cayala, by Cherokee Run). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Kingswood Farm & David Egan (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $485,000 Ylg KEESEP '23. Lifetime record: GSW, 5-2-2-1, $522,800. Last start: WON Apr. 5 GII Wood Memorial Stakes. 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez has breakout-race momentum on his side coming out of a wiring of the GII Wood Memorial Stakes. If you believe he is stamped after his sire, the later-developing 2020 3-year-old champ Authentic (who won the pandemic-shifted Derby in September), it's reasonable to expect this colt's best races are ahead of him. But it's also fair to question whether Rodriguez, a May 20 foal who won't turn three until three days after the GI Preakness Stakes, is ready for prime time just yet. Although he has caught the eye with two triple-digit Beyer performances (his Jan. 4 maiden win and the Apr. 5 Wood Memorial), he was cuffed around by the likes of Journalism and Citizen Bull in two other California stakes, and in both those efforts he looked out of his element when tasked with having to chase the pace while never settling between rivals. Trainer Bob Baffert took the blinkers off this $485,000 KEESEP colt for the Wood because he and jockey Mike Smith believe Rodriguez is a more comfortable free-runner when allowed to see what's around him. The result was a more professional, seize-the-lead performance. Rodriguez took heat from the favorite, shrugged him off, then swatted back a late challenger to win with his ears pricked by 3 1/2 lengths. His final time of 1:48.15 was the fastest nine-furlong clocking in any points-awarding Derby prep stakes since 2022. Although I had Rodriguez at No. 2 and stablemate Citizen Bull at No. 5 in the last edition of these rankings, they're flip-flopped for the final version because of experience. Flashes of raw talent have been there, but Rodriguez has yet to put together back-to-back 'Don't mess with me' types of races. And while Citizen Bull's post one gate placement gets a bad rap for not producing Derby winners (8-for-95 since the advent of the starting gate in 1930), Rodriguez's post four is even worse at 5-for-95. Baeza, currently on the outside looking in | Stephen Ibanez/Coady Media 5) BAEZA (c, McKinzie–Puca, by Big Brown). O-C R K Stable LLC and Grandview Equine; B-Grandview Equine (KY); T-John A. Shirreffs. Sales history: $1,200,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime record: GSP 4-1-2-0, $148,500. Last start: 2nd Apr. 5 GI Santa Anita Derby. At No. 21, Baeza is currently outside looking in as an also-eligible. He would need one other Derby entrant to scratch prior to 9 a.m. Friday to gain the privilege of starting from the outermost gate. Although he's only broken his maiden, Baeza is intriguing because he's a half-brother to 2023 Derby winner Mage and 2024 GI Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch. Family ties aside, Baeza has held his own against strong company, finishing second to both Journalism and Rodriguez earlier this year. In the Santa Anita Derby, this $1.2 million KEESEP colt by McKinzie stalked outside, then got first run at Citizen Bull on the far turn. He led between the three-sixteenths and sixteenth poles, and although he did lose focus for a few strides in deep stretch (that can be forgiven; Baeza is just a May 13 foal), he tried his best to run with the far-more-accomplished Journalism. Baeza reportedly lost his right front shoe at some point in that race. After Baeza clocked the slowest five-eighths breeze out of 15 workers at that distance Monday at Churchill Downs, trainer John Shirreffs said he was okay with the 1:02 workout. “I know 1:02 is a little on the slow side, but he's not an especially sharp work horse,” Shirreffs said. “We put a good work into him last week [seven furlongs in 1:28 at Santa Anita on Apr. 20] and he's ready. We just need to get a little lucky and get him into the race.” 6) LUXOR CAFÉ (c, American Pharoah–Mary's Follies, by More Than Ready). O-Koichi Nishikawa; B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt & Westerberg Ireland ULC (KY); T-Noriyuki Hori. Lifetime record: SW-Japan, 6-4-1-0, $377,323. Last start: WON Mar. 29 Fukuryu Stakes. While neither of the two Japan-based contenders for this year's Derby are projected to be as tough or as talented as Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), who last year landed third in a three-way photo for the win, this Kentucky-bred son of American Pharoah from Noriyuki Hori's stable rates in the top third of the 2025 field based on his ability to produce a startlingly quick turn of foot in the late stages of his races. Luxor Café has now won four straight (twice over a metric nine furlongs), showing good rhythm and response while closing into paces that were not as robust as he's likely to encounter on Saturday. This full brother to Japanese dirt champion Cafe Pharoah has twice beaten Admire Daytona (Jpn) (Drefong), who subsequently rebounded to win the G2 UAE Derby. While jockey Joao “Magic Man” Moreira is not a household name to American-based bettors, the acclaimed overseas champion and top-notch Hong Kong-based rider brings several decades of international expertise to the Derby. But as TDN colleague Alan Carasso pointed out earlier this week in an X posting, it's odd that Luxor Café will be Moreira's lone mount at Churchill during the entirety of Derby week, meaning he will not get a chance to get a feel for the track under race conditions while spending a very long day cooped up in the jockeys' room. Sandman paddock schools Tuesday | Renee Torbit/Coady Media 7) SANDMAN (c, Tapit–Distorted Music, by Distorted Humor). O-D. J. Stable LLC, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables; B-Lothenbach Stables Inc (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. Sales History: $1,200,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR. Lifetime record: GISW, 8-3-1-2, $1,254,595. Last start: WON Mar. 29 GI Arkansas Derby. Sandman was rated as high as No. 2 on this list back in February. While I still believe he's built up capable credentials that put him in the hunt for an emphatic finish in the Derby, his two best races were three and four starts back, and he hasn't delivered enough deep-stretch detonation in two stakes since then to stand out as a top-tier threat. In a Dec. 13 Oaklawn allowance over a short-stretch mile, this $1.2 million OBSMAR son of Tapit broke well from the rail, had a ground-saving go while covered up for most of his backstretch run, then overcame a positioning dilemma by slicing through at the fence to a shoot a narrow gap that easily could have closed and left him blocked. He won by 1 3/4 lengths. Then in the Jan. 25 GIII Southwest Stakes, Sandman buckled at the ankle then leaped sideways at the start. Relegated to last, he started gathering true steam three-eighths out, uncoiled through the lane, then brushed aside a lugging-out rival to close on a speed-centric track and get second, beaten only a length. Sandman's third in the Feb. 23 GII Rebel Stakes lacked the visual flourish he had unfurled in his previous start. And his 99-Beyer win in the GI Arkansas Derby came after a torrid pace setup undercut the front-runners, virtually handing the race to any closer who was up to the task of simply showing up. This gray did arrive on the scene in the stretch, but Sandman shied from one left-handed crack of the crop and veered outward at the eighth pole. He only had to beat a maiden in the final stages to secure the 2 1/2-length victory, not multiple waves of closers like he might face on Saturday. Having said that, the Arkansas Derby did not appear to take much out of Sandman, and trainer Mark Casse has had five weeks to tighten this colt for a more polished performance. Sandman has a decent foundation of six races at a mile or longer, and he's already raced three times at Churchill. 8) EAST AVENUE (c, Medaglia d'Oro–Dance Music, by Ghostzapper). 'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. Lifetime record: GISW 3-2-0-0, $654,395. Last start: 2nd Apr. 8 GI Blue Grass Stakes. 'TDN Rising Star' East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) is a speed-oriented colt who has spent the better part of his winter and spring campaign trying to regain the relevancy that merited 9-5 favoritism in last November's Breeders' Cup Juvenile. After wiring the GI Breeders' Futurity Stakes at Keeneland last October, this Godolphin homebred from Brendan Walsh's barn lost all chance when stumbling at the break of the Juvenile and finishing ninth. Then, after a 3 1/2-month break, East Avenue ran tenth as the odds-on choice in the Risen Star Stakes, perplexing his connections (and bettors) because there was no obvious excuse for the poor outing. Racing with blinkers on for the first time in the GI Blue Grass Stakes while desperate for qualifying points, East Avenue ran a valiant race on the lead despite getting caught in the final jumps. He was headed and passed in upper stretch but clawed back the lead, and the effort stood out because speed was not staying on at Keeneland that afternoon. Out of seven main-track races on Blue Grass day, six were won by stalkers or closers. 9) BURNHAM SQUARE (g, Liam's Map–Linda, by Scat Daddy). O/B-Whitham Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Ian R. Wilkes. Lifetime record: GISW, 6-3-1-1, $977,755. Last start: WON Apr. 8 GI Blue Grass Stakes. Burnham Square is a lighter-framed closer, and being agile and nimble can be advantageous in a 20-horse race like the Derby. A winner of two of three stakes starts as a sophomore while closing from last in all of them, this Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred by Liam's Map showed in February how being light on his feet can be a plus in crowded conditions. In the 1 1/16-miles GIII Holy Bull Stakes, Burnham Square marched up the rail on the backstretch, but was bottled up with nowhere to go approaching the far turn. He showed no hesitation while bumping aside a rival to make his own running room, then willingly took aim on the favorite. Even though it took the better part of the stretch to reel him in, this gelding responded to rousing before punching through over a short-stretch configuration. This Ian Wilkes trainee then ran fourth, beaten only three lengths by Sovereignty in the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes. His GI Blue Grass Stakes victory was aided by a hot first half mile that ensured slow closing fractions over a track that wasn't kind to speed all afternoon. Tiztastic Tuesday morning at Churchill | Renee Torbit/Coady Media 10) TIZTASTIC (c, Tiz the Law–Keesha, by Tapit). O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith; B-Capital Bloodstock (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. Sales history: $80,000 Ylg '23 KEEJAN; $335,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime record: GSW, 8-3-1-2, $1,549,800. Last start: WON Mar. 22 GII Louisiana Derby. Tiztastic (Tiz the Law), who celebrates his birthday Apr. 30, only has one lifetime win on dirt (the GII Louisiana Derby). But how often do you encounter a Thoroughbred who has managed to win million-dollar races on both turf and dirt prior to hitting age three? (In addition to his main-track score at Fair Grounds, the grass victory was the Juvenile Mile Stakes at Kentucky Downs last September). True to form for most of Steve Asmussen's annual Derby contenders, Tiztastic ($80,000 KEEJAN, $335,000 KEESEP) sports a good foundation of five two-turn graded stakes dirt races between October and March. Although this year's Louisiana Derby was weak on paper (at the time, it featured no contenders ranked within TDN's Derby Top 12 list), Tiztastic enjoyed a nicely settled trip before sparking into a quicker cadence about 2 1/2 furlongs out. He swept widest for the drive in the five path, and came over the top with purpose at the eighth pole to draw away to a 2 1/4-length tally that translated to a career-best 95 Beyer. Yet he was only passing spent horses and was not seriously challenged in the deep stages of that 1 3/16-miles prep. Tiztastic has experience in larger fields, having twice competed in 10-horse races, and once each in fields of 12 and 13. In his overall eight-race body of work, he's never been worse than fifth or been beaten by more than 6 1/2 lengths. 11) FINAL GAMBIT (c, Not This Time–Pachinko, by Tapit). O/B-Juddmonte (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-2-1-1, $520,639. Last start: WON Mar. 22 GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks Stakes. Final Gambit (Not This Time) has a big “ask” ahead of him on Derby day. Coming off a 26-point Beyer improvement in his GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks Stakes triumph, this Brad Cox-trained homebred for Juddmonte must again up his Beyer (from 90) by at least another dozen points in what will be his first lifetime race over dirt while breaking from post three, which has a 6-for-95 record in the Derby since 1930. But Mystik Dan (Goldencents) managed to overcome post three last year by saving ground at a double-digit mutuel, and there's wild-card appeal in the way Final Gambit tears off into his stretch runs that lends believability to the notion that he might all of a sudden come up with a huge effort at an outsized price. This is a work-in-progress colt who has only raced on grass and Tapeta, and it's true that he's been erratic and not fully focused through the lane while motoring past comparatively slower horses at Turfway all winter. Yet Final Gambit has a visually appealing turn of foot that seems to materialize out of nowhere, and at a starting price that figures to drift north of his 30-1 morning-line ranking, it's tempting to take the gamble that 10 furlongs just might be his sweet spot, especially if you believe the Derby pace projects to be unsustainable. 12) COAL BATTLE (c, Coal Front–Wolfblade, by Midshipman). O-Norman Stables LLC; B-Hume Wornall & Jay Adcock (KY); T-Lonnie Briley. Sales history: $70,000 Ylg '23 TTAYRL. Lifetime record: GSW, 8-5-0-1, $1,188,875. Last start: 3rd Mar. 29 GI Arkansas Derby. Sometimes consistency trumps sensationalism, and that about pinpoints the upside for Coal Battle, a $70,000 TTAYRL colt by Coal Front who won four stakes in succession earlier this campaign (Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs, Springboard Mile Stakes at Remington, plus the Smarty Jones Stakes and the Rebel Stakes, both at Oaklawn). Coal Battle then turned in a premature middle move in the Arkansas Derby that he couldn't sustain beyond a third-place finish. Trainer Lonnie Briley pointed to Coal Battle being uncharacteristically agitated and wound up prior to the Arkansas Derby, and the veteran conditioner blamed himself for not getting four (instead of three) works into this colt prior to that final prep. Coal Battle has scored on the front end and from farther back, over four different dirt tracks, and has also won twice over wet surfaces, so he doesn't come off as a one-dimensional colt who requires things his own way, pace- or surface-wise. American Promise Tuesday morning | Stephen Ibanez/Coady Media 13) AMERICAN PROMISE (c, Justify–Tapella, by Tapit). O-BC Stables LLC; B-Candy Meadows LLC (KY); T-D. Wayne Lukas. Sales history: $750,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime record: SW, 9-2-1-1, $444,874. Last start: WON Mar. 15 Virginia Derby. This $750,000 KEESEP colt by Justify is a May 1 foal who has been described by trainer D. Wayne Lukas as “just growing into his frame.” After nine starts on roughly a once-a-month basis since last July, he'll go in the Kentucky Derby off a seven-week break coming off his win in the Virginia Derby. Will that extra time between starts yield a big difference in this still-developing colt's career arc? He earned a 95 Beyer in both his lone stakes win Mar. 15 at Colonial (over a one-turn configuration for nine-furlongs) and in his muddy, 1 1/16-miles maiden win Dec. 29 at Oaklawn. But American Promise failed to hit the board in two graded stakes routes in between, and he has never finished ahead of any sophomore contenders of consequence. Still, American Promise is a speed threat who does not require seizing the lead to win, which is a tactical plus. And he has his 89-year-old trainer's Hall-of-Fame mojo going for him, which includes saddling four previous Derby champs: Winning Colors (1988), Thunder Gulch (1995), Grindstone (1996) and Charismatic (1999). 14) GRANDE (c, Curlin–Journey Home, by War Front). O-Repole Stable; B-KatieRich Farms (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. Sales history: $300,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime record: GSP, 3-2-1-0, $228,200. Last start: 2nd Apr. 5 GII Wood Memorial Stakes. After saddling the beaten favorite in the Derby in 2024 and having to scratch the Derby favorite on the morning of the race in 2023, this year trainer Todd Pletcher will send out the lower-profile Grande, a $300,000 KEESEP colt who has two wins from three lifetime starts. Grande won a one-turn-mile maiden and a nine-furlong allowance, both at Gulfstream, then secured Derby qualifying points with a promising runner-up effort behind Rodriguez in the Wood Memorial. That try was notable for Grande being hooked wide on both turns while closing against the grain of a speed-favoring Aqueduct surface. Grande will reunite with John Velazquez, who was in the saddle for his first two lifetime victories. Since 1900, 29 horses have started in the Derby with exactly three lifetime starts. Only four have won: Regret in 1915, Big Brown in 2008, Justify in 2018 and Mage in 2023. Of the remaining 25 also-rans, only one finished better than seventh: Grande's sire, Curlin, who was third in 2007. 15) CHUNK OF GOLD (c, Preservationist–Play for Gold, by Cairo Prince). O-Terry L. Stephens; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Ethan W. West. Sales history: $2,500 Ylg '23 FTKOCT. Lifetime record: GSP, 4-1-3-0, $348,818. Last start: 2nd, Mar. 22 GII Louisiana Derby. Chunk of Gold (Preservationist), a May 11 foal who hammered for the bargain price of $2,500 as a FTKOCT yearling, is ranked here as the 15th-likeliest win candidate. But his off-the-tailgate style makes it quite likely he'll be passing horses late in the lane, putting this gray in play as a long-shot candidate for minor awards in exotics. This Ethan West trainee ran second in both he the nine-furlong GII Risen Star Stakes and the 1 3/16-miles GII Louisiana Derby, pairing 92 Beyers in each of those efforts. Yet he still has never won beyond six furlongs or on the dirt, with his only lifetime win occurring at 13-1 odds back in December over Tapeta at Turfway. 16) FLYING MOHAWK (c, Karakontie (Jpn)–Bonbons Fleur, by Twirling Candy). O-Two Eight Racing, Berry Family Racing LLC and Kaleta Racing; B-John O'Meara (KY); T-D. Whitworth Beckman. Sales history: $25,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $72,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime record: GSP, 6-2-2-0, $295,800. Last start: 2nd Mar. 22 Jeff Ruby Steaks Stakes. Flying Mohawk (Karakontie {Jpn}) is the lone Derby entrant with a published equipment change. Trainer Whit Beckman will remove blinkers after this colt rallied late despite trouble at the break to gain second behind winner Final Gambit in the Jeff Ruby. Like the winner of that Turfway stakes, Flying Mohawk has never attempted a race on dirt. This colt ($25,000 KEENOV, $72,000 KEESEP) took four grass starts to break his maiden while racing in New York and Kentucky last year. Then, off a three-month layoff, he took down a first-level turf allowance at Fair Grounds before his second-place try over Tapeta. 17) PUBLISHER (c, American Pharoah–Indian Pride, by Proud Citizen). O-Gus King and Estate of Brereton C. Jones; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. Sales history: $600,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG. Lifetime record GSP, 7-0-2-3, $407,756. Last start: 2nd Mar. 29 GI Arkansas Derby. Steve Asmussen has a well-publicized 0-for-26 record in the Derby. But he runs a large outfit with a sophomore program geared toward earning Derby qualifying points, so a lot of the rank outsiders he's lost with over the years were in the “let's just take a shot” category. Publisher, a $600,000 FTSAUG colt by American Pharoah who is still a maiden after seven starts, is most definitely among that group. Publisher ran seventh, fourth and second in Oaklawn's series of graded stakes preps. His 95-Beyer second when chasing Sandman home in the Arkansas Derby might have signaled a turnaround that was achieved with Asmussen adding blinkers for the first time. Irad Ortiz, Jr. will also be getting aboard for the first time. Publisher's running style suggests he will be passing horses late. Buchanan (1884), Sir Barton (1919) and Brokers Tip (1933) are the only maidens to win the Kentucky Derby. Dating to 1937 (when more precise records started being kept), maidens in the Derby are 0-for-12, with the best finish among them an eighth. Render Judgment | Renee Torbit/Coady Media 18) RENDER JUDGMENT (c, Blame–Barbara Gordon, by Commissioner). O-Baccari Racing Stable LLC, Dream Walkin Farms, Inc., MJM Racing, Rocket Ship Racing and Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek); B-Green Lantern Stables (KY); T-Kenneth McPeek. Sales history: $310,000 Ylg '23 FTKJUL. Lifetime record: SP, 7-1-2-1, $250,672., Last start: 5th Apr. 8 GI Blue Grass Stakes. Render Judgment (Blame) hasn't won a race since breaking his maiden six months ago, but that lone victory was a two-turn race over the Churchill dirt. Since then he's finished fifth, third, eighth, second and fifth in points-awarding Derby preps at Churchill, Fair Grounds (twice), Colonial and Keeneland. Trainer Kenny McPeek won the Derby last year with Mystik Dan, but this $310,000 FTKJUL colt has been slower to establish himself. Render Judgment appears most effective as a stalker, but his lifetime-best Beyer tops out at 90. 19) ADMIRE DAYTONA (JPN) (c, Drefong–Ice Pastel, by Shackleford). O-Junko Kondo; B-Northern Racing (JPN); T-Yukihiro Kato. Sales history: ¥66,000,000 Wlg '22 JRHAJUL. Lifetime record: GSW, 6-2-2-0, $672,047. Last start: WON Apr. 5 G2 UAE Derby. Admire Daytona (Jpn), a son of 2016 champion American sprinter Drefong, was pressured by multiple challengers on the front end, lost the lead in a three-way stretch battle, then regained it in the final jump to prevail by a nose in the UAE Derby. Trainer Yukihiro Kato will now ask this ¥66-million JRHAJUL weanling to break the 0-for-14 Dubai/Kentucky Derby double that has stood since the UAE Derby's inception. Part of the difficulty this year for Admire Daytona will be having to get acclimated to another new country. He has endured two global shipping experiences this spring after making his first five starts in Tokyo. Similar to the circumstances mentioned in Luxor Café's write-up, world-class jockey Christophe Lemaire will also be without a mount the entirety of Derby day, so he will have no opportunity to scope out the surface or get a feel for it until the horses hit the track for the post parade. 20) OWEN ALMIGHTY (c, Speightstown–Tempers Rising, by Bayern). O-Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing LLC; B-Mark Stanley (KY); T-Brian A. Lynch. Sales history: $360,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $350,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG. Lifetime record GSW, 7-3-2-0, $499,935. Last start: 6th (DH), Apr. 8 GI Blue Grass Stakes. Back in March, even before Owen Almighty ($360,000 KEENOV, $350,000 FTSAUG) wired the GIII Tampa Bay Derby in the second-fastest edition of that stakes in 44 years, trainer Brian Lynch was on record as saying that the spring goal for this son of 2004 champion sprinter Speightstown would be the GII Pat Day Mile, a one-turn stakes on the Derby undercard. But the colt's owner, Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing, wanted to accrue more two-turn experience and race in the Derby. So Lynch relented and re-routed this compact, hard-trying speed threat to Keeneland's Apr. 8 Blue Grass Stakes, in which Owen Almighty dead-heated for last after prompting the pace and briefly leading in upper stretch. After the race, Lynch again publicly declared that the Pat Day Mile was the target. But by Apr. 16, he again bent to the wishes of the owner, so it was on to Louisville for Owen Almighty. This wasn't the first, nor will it be the last, time a trainer makes a judgment call only to be overruled by owners brimming with Derby fever. But even though Owen Almighty has very capably punched above his weight in shorter races, it's awfully tough to give any Derby entrant serious consideration at 10 furlongs when a reputable conditioner keeps indicating that a race at that class level and distance is probably beyond what the colt wants to do or is capable of doing. Neoequos Tuesday morning | Stephen Ibanez/Coady Media 21) NEOEQUOS (c, Neolithic–Bold Birdie, by Birdstone). O-C2 Racing Stable LLC, Parsard, Ian, Shining Stables LLC, Stefania Farms LLC, Reimer, Ken T., Braverman, Paul, and Pinch, Timothy; B-Helen Barbazon, Joseph Barbazon & Matalona Thoroughbreds, LLC (FL); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. Sales history: $22,000 Ylg '23 OBSOCT. Lifetime record: 7-2-2-2, $291,050. Last start: 3rd Mar. 29 GI Florida Derby. Neoequos ran third in both the Fountain of Youth Stakes and the Florida Derby after two wins and two seconds sprinting in races restricted to Florida-bred or -sired horses. This son of Neolithic ($22,000 OBSOCT) is adept at getting out of the gate quickly, a skill that Flavien Prat, his new rider, will have to deploy from post position two. Prat is also named on the also-eligible Baeza and would likely opt for that mount should Baeza draw into the Derby. The post TDN Kentucky Derby Preview: And the Winner Is… appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

This year's Alysheba Stakes (G2) drew a field of six, but owner Mike Repole is billing the May 2 race at Churchill Downs as "a heavyweight title fight" between two multiple grade 1 winners—his Fierceness and Todd Pletcher stablemate Locked.View the full article

Maiden Watch Kentucky Derby EditionView the full article

Multiple grade 1 winner Carson's Run looks to return to form in the $200,000 Fort Marcy Stakes (G2T) May 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The 4-year-old son of Cupid takes on four opponents in the 1 1/8-mile race for older horses.View the full article

A competitive field of 12 3-year-old fillies, including eight last-out stakes winners led by Stonestreet Stables' homebred Eclatant, has been entered for the $600,000 Eight Belles Stakes (G2) May 2 at Churchill Downs.View the full article

In its ongoing case against Philip Serpe for a Clenbuterol positive stemming from last August, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) will not pursue a fine against the trainer–what could have been a $25,000 penalty–as per a letter issued by the agency last week. Serpe, however, argues that this action was taken by HIWU to prejudicially stymie his legal efforts in a federal court case against the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which includes the contention that he has been wrongfully denied his Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial. In a joint motion filed last week, attorneys for the FTC and the HISA Authority wrote that the lack of a monetary fine in the case “moots Plaintiff's Seventh Amendment claim and removes any risk of cognizable harm with respect to it.” As such, “The Court should dispose of Plaintiff's Seventh Amendment claim, and Plaintiff's motion for a preliminary injunction relating to that claim,” they wrote. In his response, Serpe's attorneys argue that the defendants' “late-stage motion should be seen for what it probably is–part of a concerted effort with HIWU to prejudicially moot Serpe's claims during the pendency of this case. Defendants' motion should be swiftly and soundly rejected.” In this filing, Serpe's attorneys contend that he is unaware of any other anti-doping and medication control case in which HIWU has “voluntarily decided” not to seek a fine against a charged person. He also alleges an “alignment” of actions between HIWU's enforcement decisions and the defendants' litigation. The FTC is charged with overseeing the HISA Authority, including ensuring “transparency and integrity” in the Authority's operations. “HIWU has again made a decision that is obviously intended to moot Serpe's requests for relief–almost as if Defendants need HIWU not to seek a fine to defeat Serpe's Seventh Amendment claim and/or remedy the irreparable harm that Serpe is suffering,” Serpe's attorneys wrote in the filing. HISA spokesperson Mandy Minger wrote in an email that the agency would not comment on the matter. On Aug. 10 last year, the Serpe-trained Fast Kimmie won a four-horse, off-the-turf $30,000 claimer at Saratoga for owner WellSpring Stables. The A and B samples both confirmed the detection of Clenbuterol, a controversial bronchodilator that HISA has classified a “banned” substance, though it remains permitted under very specific uses. HIWU reportedly denied Serpe's request for hair testing and DNA analysis in the case. On Oct. 10, HIWU formally issued Serpe a charge letter for the alleged violation. One week later, Serpe filed suit against the FTC and the HISA Authority in the United States District Court (Southern District of Florida). In that suit, Serpe claimed that HISA and its regulations are unconstitutional–a claim underpinning a series of lawsuits aiming to strike down the federal law. HISA's constitutionality is expected to be decided either later this year or next year by the U.S. Supreme Court. Serpe also argued that HISA violates his Seventh Amendment rights, in part because anti-doping and medication control cases under HISA have legal parallels with cases of fraud requiring jury trials. The attorneys for the FTC and the HISA Authority have fought back against these claims. In a January response to Serpe's motion for preliminary injunction, they argued that the Seventh Amendment claim is not “ripe,” a legal term meaning that it rests upon future events that may or may not occur. “Plaintiff cannot say whether there will be any subsequent government proceeding to which the Constitution applies. Even if there is, the type of remedy that will be reviewed there–an 'all but dispositive' Seventh Amendment consideration,” the attorneys wrote, “remains unknown.” While HIWU initially served a provisional suspension against Serpe–as was protocol at the time in cases involving banned substances–the following month, the HISA Authority asked HIWU to limit the circumstances in which it imposed these suspensions. As a result, Serpe was one of the trainers who last November saw their provisional suspensions lifted, allowing him to return to training. This month has seen a flurry of legal actions in Serpe's federal lawsuit. This includes oral arguments on April 10 on his motion for preliminary injunction. The following day, the court ordered the parties to file supplemental briefs on whether the FTC had waived sovereign immunity “as to the recovery of damages for constitutional injuries suffered by persons subject to enforcement actions under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act.” In their joint motion last week that asked to “dispose” of Serpe's Seventh Amendment and preliminary injunction claims, the attorneys for the FTC and the HISA Authority asked that the court either vacate the order for supplemental briefs, or to extend the deadline. Because HIWU no longer intends to issue a fine against Serpe, thereby removing “any risk of cognizable harm,” there is no longer “any need to litigate this issue,” they wrote. In his response, Serpe's attorneys asked the court to deny this request as the “defendants know they are vulnerable, if not likely to fail, on Serpe's Seventh Amendment Claim,” and that they “appear to be working with HIWU to do everything they can to avoid the Court's ruling.” Serpe also lists a series of other legal requests covering a set of eventualities. This includes how, if the court finds the FTC is not entitled to sovereign immunity or that the trainer is not suffering irreparable harm, “the Court simply convert his preliminary injunction motion papers into a motion for summary judgment.” Alternatively, Serpe's attorneys write, “if the Court finds that Serpe's Seventh Amendment claim is not ripe for summary judgment because the arbitration is not concluded, then Serpe respectfully requests that the Court withhold ruling on the motion for summary judgment until the arbitration is concluded, at which time the parties can submit the arbitration record and the Court can rule as a matter of law on summary judgment.” Serpe's arbitration hearing in this case is reportedly scheduled for June 5 and 6. The post Serpe Clenbuterol Case Reaches Legal Inflection Point appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Mike Love Father-daughter trainers Steve Clarke and Hayley Stewart will be looking for their first training success as a partnership today at Addington Raceway. It is their fifth season of partnership from their Norwood base just outside Christchurch and so far they have recorded five placings – three of which have come this season with maiden trotter Big Al ($3.70FF) who lines up in Race 2, the Mid-Winter Christmas On Sale Now Trot over 2600m (5:04pm). Big Al, who will be driven by Steve Clarke, comes into today after a solid third on Sunday at Rangiora behind Just Easy. Clarke is no stranger to the winners circle having trained 11 winners before going into partnership with his daughter Hayley Stewart, who is looking for her first training success. “It’s a family affair. Mum’s been coming out and driving them. My husband Joe comes out and drives him every morning. Big Al’s been a bit of a project for him.” said Stewart. “He pulled up good after Sunday. He’s just had a few quiet days.” Big Al has backed up well in the past having raced at the West Coast March meetings, placing on both days. “He seems to thrive off the racing so I don’t think the small gap between races will worry him.” Stewart is hopeful that the nature of the midweek meetings will work into their favour. “He’s a really good beginner, so it really works in his favour. “It’s a small even field so they’re all a chance at these kinds of meetings.” Other chances in the event include current race favourite Brightman ($3.40FF) for trainer/driver Kyle Cameron, Ma Belle Amie ($6.00FF) for trainer/driver John Versteeg and Star Invasion ($3.90FF) for Amber Lethaby, with Sheree Tomlinson to drive. Clarke and Stewart also line up The Town Of Light in Race 4, the McMillan Equine Feeds Pace over 2000m (6:08pm) at eye watering odds ($101 FF)with Clarke to drive. “He’s still really green. It’s a bit of a drop back from his race on Sunday,” says Stewart. “We think a bit of him. It’s just taking him a while to learn the whole racing game. “He might have a wee break after today.” Swift Guy ($3.20FF) for trainer/driver Leo O’Reilly and Rockin Roman ($3.80FF) for trainer Cheree Wigg and driver Jonny Cox are somewhat loosely favoured in an even field. Clarke and Stewart are working just the two race horses at the moment having just tipped three others out for the winter. “We don’t usually work too many in the winter because dad and I both work full time – so it makes it hard to work them in the morning before we have to go.” Racing commences today from 4:24pm this afternoon. View the full article

Multiple graded stakes winner Beach Bomb ships to Aqueduct Racetrack for the $175,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G3T) May 2. The 5-year-old mare is looking for her third consecutive graded stakes victory. View the full article

This year's Alysheba Stakes (G2) drew a field of six, but owner Mike Repole is billing the May 2 race at Churchill Downs as "a heavyweight title fight" between two multiple grade 1 winners—his Fierceness and Todd Pletcher-barnmate Locked.View the full article

If the field set to go to post for the $1 million Derby City Distaff Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs May 3 is an indication, the breadth of ability within the division will again be overflowing, and any attempt at ascendancy hard fought.View the full article