Wandering Eyes

Dr Eliot Forbes, RIB CE and Chairman of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) was recently interviewed for an article published in the Ten Furlongs Magazine ARC Supplement. Click here to read the article. The post Championing Life Beyond the Finish Line appeared first on Racing Integrity Board. View the full article

Trainer Dominic Sutton will keep an open mind on the program of Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) until he assesses the gelding’s first-up run at Caulfield. Last year’s Group 1 Australian Guineas winner is down to resume in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m) on Saturday. The gelding’s performance in his return run will determine the path Feroce takes. Races like the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 21 and the Group 1 All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington next month are in the back of Sutton’s mind, as is the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) on February 28. “We haven’t made any set plans. We want to see how he returns first-up,” Sutton said. “We’ll probably keep him to that 1400 metres, to a mile, but he has returned well. “Potentially he could head to the Futurity, the All-Star Mile, but if we need to keep him a level down, there is also the Blamey at Flemington. “The weather will dictate whether he goes to Sydney for a race like the Doncaster, but we’ll probably just target Victoria because we know how wet Sydney can get in the autumn. “I’ll be dodging the wet tracks with him.” Feroce had a good start to his spring last campaign, finishing third in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, before the gelding’s form tapered off when eighth in Toorak Handicap before striking a wet track in the Golden Eagle in Sydney. “He had a really good start to the spring and in the Rupert Clarke, he was super, ran a peak performance that day, and then we got things tactically wrong in the Toorak,” Sutton said. “We pressed forward from a wide gate, and he just couldn’t do it in that high pressure race, riding the speed and that pressure early. “Then we took him to Sydney for the Golden Eagle. It rained on the day, it was a horrible track, horrible conditions. “He needs a good surface, and it was literally a forget run.” While Sutton believes Feroce’s best trip is in thae1400m to 1600m range, he may again be keen to explore stepping the gelding up to 2000m. At his only try at 2000m, Feroce finished sixth in last year’s Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington. “It was an afterthought and he was the youngest horse in the race and with Pride Of Jenni in the race, it was a stiff 2000 metres,” Sutton said. “I have always thought he would be a 10-furlong horse, but he does seem to sprint quite well fresh. “We’ll see which way he takes us, but there are plenty of options.” View the full article

Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma) is coming toward the sharp end of her season and co-trainer Shaune Ritchie is well-qualified to rate her chances of ending it on a high. The top-rated filly will attempt to add further winning momentum to her Classic campaign when she steps out in Saturday’s Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2100m) at Te Rapa. Ritchie has already won the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) with Jennifer Eccles (2020), Artistic (2012) and Keep The Peace (2010) and will bid for his first in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai-sponsored feature with current training partner Colm Murray. Like Artistic, Tajana is a daughter of Darci Brahma, bred and raced by The Oaks Stud, and Ritchie believes she has all the attributes required to add to the stable’s record. “Put it this way, she’s even more laid back and with a better temperament than the other three Oaks winners I’ve had,” he said. “You can’t train that into them, they either have it or they don’t.” Tajana came off a lengthy break to beat a small age-group line-up over 1600m at Pukekohe last time out and has since progressed faultlessly with George Rooke to again take the ride. “She sprinted very quickly but the part we wanted to see was her relax and drop the bridle,” Ritchie said. “She is in superb order for Saturday and has had a nice exhibition gallop,” Ritchie said. Stablemate Nereus will face a stern test in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) with Rooke to also partner Waikato Stud’s son of Savabeel. “We’ve always felt he would end up a weight-for-age horse and he’s in a niggly spot in the handicaps,” Ritchie said. “On face value his run was poor last time, he only ran seventh in a Manawatu Cup (Gr.3, 2400m) and the time between races might indicate he’s had an issue, but he’s a very, very clean-winded and light-boned horse and doesn’t need a lot of racing. “He’s gone best with his races well-spaced, and his exhibition gallop the other day was remarkable and the best piece of work he’s showed us. He will present in the best order of his life.” Dream Maker will also step up in grade in the Gr.2 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas (2000m) off the back of an effortless middle distance maiden victory. “He did a demolition job at Ruakaka, and this is obviously a massive step up,” Ritchie said. “He can run the trip out and he’s got that very good nick of Almanzor out of a Zabeel mare, which we saw in the Wellington Cup (Manzor Blue), and the further they go the better. “He’s a giant of a horse and still a bit of a sook. Whether he’s a future Cup horse or a Derby horse are the questions we need to find out and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ran very well, but I can understand why he’s 30 to one.” Ritchie is confident of a bright opening at Te Rapa with Esperanza in the Listen Live On sportnation.nz (1400m). “She has been desperately unlucky in her last couple of runs, and she can hopefully start us off well,” Ritchie said. View the full article

Barbara Kennedy is hoping she will be pouring more wine in celebration following Wingatui’s meeting on Saturday where the South Auckland trainer is seeking to score more southern stakes success. The expat South African is currently on her first South Island campaign, and she kicked it off with a bang when recording her first stakes win when Pour The Wine (NZ) (Telperion) powered away to a two-length victory in the Listed Timaru Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton a fortnight ago. “We didn’t expect her to win like that, but we are taking it,” Kennedy said. “Since arriving down south she has been thriving.” “It was my first win with this mare. All her prior wins had been with Peter and Dawn (Williams). It seemed like I was never going to win a race with her, so to get a win and for it to be my first stakes win was just fantastic.” While Kennedy has returned to her Byerley Park base in the interim, Pour The Wine has been entrusted to the care of Riccarton trainer Lance Robinson and Kennedy said she has received positive feedback ahead of tackling the Listed Property Brokers – Ray Kean Hazlett Stakes (1400m) on Saturday. “She has been staying down with Lance Robinson and the reports back have been that she is loving life down south, her work has been really good, they are really happy with her going into it,” she said. Kennedy will be trackside on Saturday and will take the scenic route to Dunedin, heading to Christchurch first to meet her mare before joining her on the trip south to Wingatui. “I have never been that far south, it is my first trip down there too, so I am looking forward to it,” she said. “I am flying to Christchurch and then driving down so I will hopefully get to see a bit of the countryside.” Pour The Wine will be ridden from barrier nine by Canterbury jockey Tina Comignaghi and is currently an $8.50 equal third favourite for the Hazlett, alongside the Anna Furlong-trained Betty Spaghetti, with local hope Brave Spirit heading the market at $5.50. All going to plan, Pour The Wine is set to have two more starts in the south, including next month’s Gr.3 Donaldson Brown South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton, before returning home for a spell. “There are probably two more races down there that we will go for, but we will see how she comes out of this race on Saturday first,” Kennedy said. View the full article

Still coming down from the high of taking out last weekend’s Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m), trainer Lisa Latta is hoping to quickly add to her stakes haul over the long weekend. Her first bid will be at Tauherenikau on Waitangi Day where last-start winner Connello (NZ) (Time Test) will contest the Listed Clubs NZ Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m). Bred and raced by Wairarapa local David Woodhouse, the Time Test four-year-old mare carries his silks, which are commonly associated with his former homebred dual Group One-winning mare Belclare. Connello has also performed with distinction on the track, winning four of her 25 starts to date, and placed in the Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m), Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m). Latta has been pleased with her progression since her last-start victory over 1400m at Trentham last month and she is hoping Connello can put in a repeat performance for Woodhouse at his home track. “She is not very big, but she tries extra hard,” Latta said. “She has trained on really well from that win. “David lives down there (Wairarapa) so it would be great to win it for him.” Latta will have strong representation at the holiday meeting, including in the Chatham Islands Jockey Club Wairarapa Cup (2050m). While she is weighing up her options with Knickerless, Thrilling will be a definite starter in the race for the Awapuni horsewoman. The four-year-old daughter of Shocking has been mixing her form of late and disappointed when unplaced over 2200m at Trentham last month, and Latta is hoping she can bounce back on Friday. “Thrilling was a bit disappointing last start,” she said. “The track was a little bit off in places and it was just a real headscratcher, but we couldn’t fault her afterwards. Back onto a decent track I think we will see a different horse.” Latta will head to Te Rapa on Saturday with just the one runner in Platinum Attack who will tackle the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m). The five-year-old gelding made a winning start to his preparation when victorious in the Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton in November before finishing runner-up to Azeezle in the Levin Stakes (1200m) at Otaki. He was met by rain-affected tracks when sixth and fifth respectively in the in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) and Gr.1 Railway (1200m), and Latta is hopeful of an improved performance on better footing this weekend. “We are really happy with him,” she said. “He has just been plagued with wet tracks and wide draws. “We have added some ear covers on him and he will get back on a good track on Saturday, but he will need a bit of luck from that draw (8).” Meanwhile, Latta is looking forward to returning north to Ellerslie on Champions Day where Manzor Blue will contest the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m), with her connections paying the late nomination fee for the two-mile feature following her Wellington Cup heroics. “She has pulled up well, we are really happy with her,” Latta said. “We have put a late nom in for the Auckland Cup, so we will press on towards that.” Stablemate Be Real, who finished third in the Wellington Cup, has been retired, with the mare scanning in-foal earlier this week. “We rescanned her yesterday (Wednesday) and she is definitely in-foal,” Latta said. “It was great to get some valuable black-type for her.” View the full article

Longstanding vendors Highview who have been selling yearlings since 1986, have announced the staging of an Unreserved Deplenishing Sale at its Hamilton property on Sunday 15 March 2026. NZB will conduct the Sale on-farm, which will offer approximately 50 lots consisting of yearlings, two-year-olds, racehorses, broodmares, mares with a foal at foot and more. “There’s a changing of the guard at Highview, with my son Kurtis now taking a more prominent leadership role,” commented Highview’s Brent Gillovic. “We’ve accumulated a lot of horses so this is a genuine reduction process to trim the operation back to around 30 to 40 mares before I hand over the reins. “We have held a couple of these deplenishing sales previously back in the early 2000s which were quite successful. “While it goes against the trend in today’s day and age, for us it is just easier to manage this many horses in one go, here onsite, and sell them all in one hit. “We’ve got a number of sires represented including some nice young horses by the likes of Wrote, Santos, Divine Prophet, Sword of State, Xtravagant, Hello Youmzain, Sweynesse, Vadamos and more. “There will be something for everyone. At the end of the day, our main goal is to find these horses good homes, we’re not expecting the world for them. “It will be a nice Sunday afternoon, with plenty of opportunity for everyone.” The Highview Unreserved Deplenishing Sale will see around 50 thoroughbreds for sale, conducted from 1pm at Highview Stud, 1544 Kakaramea Road, Hamilton, with gates open at 10am. The catalogue will be available to view online at www.nzb.co.nz by late February, while printed catalogues will be available on the day. While online bidding is unavailable, all prospective buyers are welcome to attend. Alternatively NZB and BAFNZ agents will be able to inspect and bid on your behalf should you be unable to attend. For more information, contact the NZB Bloodstock team, or Brent Gillovic on +64 21 921 467 or by emailing brent@highview.co.nz. To register, existing NZB account holders can see the NZB team prior to the Sale starting on-farm at Highview Stud. While new buyers can create an account online here. The Sale will be conducted by NZB under special terms and conditions which will be available in due course. View the full article

Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ) has issued a reminder to all trainers about Strangles, a highly contagious bacterial disease affecting horses. HRNZ is advising vigilance, outlining the key signs to watch for, such as fever, nasal discharge, swelling and abscesses and emphasising steps to manage and prevent spread through good biosecurity and prompt action with your veterinarian. For more information, please follow this link. Strangles – What you need to know … The post Strangles – What you need to know (HRNZ reminder issued 5 February 2026) appeared first on Racing Integrity Board. View the full article

Intrepido, trained by Jeff Mullins, defeated Desert Gate and Plutarch in the 2025 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) and is scheduled to meet them again in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) Feb. 7 at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

Tom and Noreen Quinlan's Athnid Stud has welcomed the first reported foal by the multiple Group 1-placed sprinter Shouldvebeenaring. The colt is out of the unraced Equiano mare Irish Madam, who is the dam of three winners from as many runners to date, including recent Dundalk scorer How'sthebai (Bated Breath). Irish Madam herself is a full-sister to the G1 Sprint Cup runner-up Strath Burn. The Irish National Stud's director of sales Gary Swift described the new arrival as “an excellent colt for Shoulvebeenaring [with] good bone, great depth at his hip and shoulder and an alert head, sharp and just like Havana Grey's stock.” He added, “It was also very fitting that a member of the Quinlan family welcomed his first foal as they are very close friends of the INS.” The G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis winner Shouldvebeenaring, who also finished second in the Sprint Cup and third in the Prix de la Foret as a three-year-old, covered 125 mares in his first season at the Irish National Stud in 2025. He will stand the upcoming season for €6,000. The post Athnid Stud Welcomes First Foal by Shouldvebeenaring appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fresh from claiming the title of leading buyer at Karaka for the 18th time, Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis is turning his attention to one of his highlights of the racing calendar at Te Rapa this Saturday. Both Ellis and his wife Karyn Fenton-Ellis are former chairs of the Waikato Racing Club, and Te Rapa’s Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) raceday features a prestigious race named in honour of their contributions – the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m). The $275,000 feature for three-year-old fillies has carried the Ellis name since 2020, and the stable has recorded two victories during that period with Amarelinha (2021) and Self Obsession (2022). Te Akau will be represented in the 2026 edition on Saturday by last-start winner Born To Be Royal, who was bought by Ellis for $260,000 from Karaka 2024. In addition to her recent victory over 2000m at Matamata, the King’s Legacy filly has placed in another five of her eight career starts, including the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and last month’s Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m). Born To Be Royal will contest the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2100m) Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) “It’s a very special race meeting for Karyn and I every year, and we’d love to win the race that carries our name again,” Ellis said. “I think we’ve got a really strong chance in it this year with Born To Be Royal, and we’d especially like to win it with her because our good friend Butch Castles has a share in the filly with us. “Cameron George also has a share in both that filly and also Towering Vision, who will be a leading contender in the Waikato Guineas (Gr.2, 2000m), so he has a couple of very good chances on what should be another fantastic raceday at Te Rapa.” Ellis is more than satisfied with his results from the 100th edition of the National Yearling Sale at Karaka, where he extended his long reign as leading buyer. NZB’s Book 1 statistics credit him with 17 purchases from that top-tier session for a total of $4.26 million. He finished $545,000 ahead of the second-placed Chris Waller Racing/Mulcaster Bloodstock (10 purchases for a total of $3.715 million). Although Ellis was underbidder on a couple of yearlings on his wishlist – most notably the $1.1 million sale-topping colt by former star Te Akau racehorse Sword Of State – he came away with a range of yearlings priced from $40,000 (a Circus Maximus filly in Book 2) up to $475,000 (a Home Affairs colt out of stakes-performed Te Akau mare Special Memories). “It’s great to be leading buyer again, although I always say that the competition is not to see who buys the most, but who buys the best,” Ellis said. “That’s what we’re aiming to do when we go to these sales every year.” Ellis has a proud record in that regard too, famously purchasing eight of the last 10 winners of the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) including the subsequent multiple Group One winners Melody Belle, Avantage and Probabeel. Te Akau reached 100 Group One victories when Return To Conquer took out the Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie last March, and 61 of those successes have come from horses bought at Karaka. Other notable Ellis yearling purchases include the likes of Darci Brahma, Burgundy, Xtravagant, Heroic Valour, Cool Aza Beel, Maroofity and King’s Chapel. That track record is a hard act for the new batch of yearlings to follow, but Ellis sees all the right signs among his latest intake. “It was a very successful sale at Karaka with an extremely competitive buying bench, and we were made to work hard for our purchases,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier with the yearlings we’ve bought. We missed out on two that we had on our list, but we got all the rest. “My vet Chief Stipe Black came around and saw all the horses with me the other day, and both he and I think that we’ve done extremely well with the horses we’ve managed to bring home. “We bought across a wide range of prices, so there’s many different levels available for people to get involved and buy shares at. Interest has been pretty strong so far – Karyn thinks they’re selling the best they have been for three or four years. “All up, we bought 15 at Magic Millions and 21 at Karaka, so that’s a lot of horses to try to sell all the shares in. We buy them all on spec too. So it’s a big job every year, but one that we really enjoy.” View the full article

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With the Southwest Stakes (G3) set for Feb. 6, it's only fitting that the winner of last year's edition also returns this weekend at Oaklawn Park. Speed King is set to make his 4-year-old debut in the Feb. 5 Fifth Season Stakes. View the full article

Super Corredora, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2025, faces Explora in the Las Virgenes Stakes. The two top sophomore fillies ran 1-2, respectively, in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).View the full article

The recent Thoroughbred Daily News piece by Mike Repole and The Jockey Club's response were both timely and important. Regardless of where one stands on the broader debate, Mr. Repole is plainly correct on this point: the Thoroughbred industry still does not do enough to fund aftercare. For decades we relied on good will, volunteerism, and heroic nonprofit work to clean up the back end of an industry that generates enormous revenue at the front end. That model was not sustainable nor was it morally defensible. In 2011, Jack Wolf and other stakeholders recognized what many in racing would not say aloud–that there was little-to-no meaningful industry funding for retirement, rehabilitation, and rehoming. In response, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) was established in 2012, supported by an initial $1-million donation funded by Breeders' Cup, The Jockey Club, and Keeneland. The TAA created standards, accountability, accreditation, and a mechanism to direct funding to legitimate aftercare organizations. This was good progress, but let's be honest: aftercare funding has not grown nearly enough since 2012. The industry and the public have tolerated inertia for far too long. As a founding board member of the TAA, I was involved in its funding development and have knowledge of its history. Let's examine three key funding sources where meaningful change is overdue: public auctions, The Jockey Club registry, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 1). Auctions: a “starter” assessment frozen in time. Early on, the sales companies developed a mechanism whereby 0.05% of public auction sales could support the TAA–paid by sellers, buyers and the sales companies themselves. We intentionally started small (too small for my taste). The goal was to get industry buy-in, prove the concept, and expand overtime. The original structure included an “opt in” by sellers and buyers. The concern was that market participants, particularly international buyers, might resist contributing to a U.S aftercare initiative. Over the next couple of years, sales companies moved toward mandatory deductions on the seller side and buyer mechanisms that allowed opt-out. But here is the problem: we never grew beyond the starter number. Thirteen years later, the contribution is still 0.05%. That means that on a $200,000 horse, aftercare receives roughly $100 from the seller, $100 from the sales company, and $100 from the buyer (unless the buyer opts out). This assessment was never intended to stay permanently at 0.05%. It was supposed to increase within a few years. It didn't and it must. Any buyer who participates in the U.S Thoroughbred marketplace should do so with the expectation that aftercare funding is part of the deal. Aftercare is not optional. 2). The Jockey Club's “$2.5 million donation”: credit, but also clarity. The Jockey Club recently stated it donates $2.5 million annually to the TAA. I don't dispute that number, and we all appreciate support for aftercare, but I do believe it is misleading without clarification, because a meaningful portion of funding is generated through breeder-paid registry transaction fees, effectively a pass-through mechanism. In other words, it is not “The Jockey Club” alone funding aftercare through The Jockey Club. It is actually the breeders. 3). Kentucky's $250,000 contribution is appreciated and a start, but inadequate. The Commonwealth of Kentucky–through Kentucky House Bill 8–provides $250,000 annually to the TAA, starting in 2025. That is progress. But given what Kentucky earns from Thoroughbreds, it is insufficient. Look at stallion-season tax revenue alone. Even using conservative assumptions–an average of $35,000 per season–and a 6% sales tax–Kentucky could conservatively realize around $40 million in state revenue from stallion seasons alone. Add auctions, racing, tourism, payroll, and sales tax on goods and services, and revenue to Kentucky becomes far larger. With that reality, a $250,000 aftercare contribution is not a “solution.” It is a token. Given the economic reality, Kentucky should be funding aftercare at a far higher level, well into the millions. These horses are part of the state's brand, identity, and economic engine. The state can lead the nation in caring for them when their earning years end. The TAA has changed aftercare for the better. But the funding model has stalled, and the industry is still living far too comfortably with the bare minimum. That is no longer acceptable. Additionally, the TAA itself must become more transparent. I spoke with Walt Robertson, the newly elected president of the TAA, who assured me that changes are being explored and he is the right person to help drive them. Boyd Browning is also 100% behind sale increases. That gives me real hope. But hope is not a strategy. We must stop tolerating inertia, complacency, and neglect. The post Letter to the Editor: Aftercare–Hope Is Not a Strategy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Mario Gutierrez won the Kitten's Joy Stakes and the Sweetest Chant Stakes at Gulfstream Park Jan. 31 aboard Brian Lynch trainees Thousandsticks and Sister Troienne, earning him Jockey of the Week honors for Jan. 26-Feb. 1.View the full article

If bloodstock agent Mike Pender feels the urge to pinch himself from time to time, it would be hard to hold that against him. Having trained the likes of Grade I winners Jeranimo and Ultimate Eagle for his late client B. J. Wright in a career that lasted 15 years, Pender is now very much focused on the bloodstock side of the game, and his two current success stories–the three-time graded-stakes winning turf sprinter Queen Maxima (Bucchero) and Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Intrepido (Maximus Mischief)–are doing their part to keep the humble horseman's name in lights. Both horses are campaigned by Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures. A $40,000 OBS June purchase, the Florida-bred Queen Maxima recently made the Jan. 11 GIII Las Cienegas Stakes her seventh straight success against her peers in turf sprint contests. She has since turned in a pair of easy, maintenance-type works at Santa Anita just to keep her ticking over as connections mull over their choices for the star mare, who is effective no matter the shape of the race. “She is as hearty and made of hickory as any horse you'll ever put a saddle on,” Pender said Wednesday from Kentucky, where he was checking in on some of his other horses. “If anyone takes the time to watch her eight wins, the way in which she wins is chilling. It's chilling. I mean, it's goosebumps. “She wins wrapped up. How many times can [jockey] Juan Hernandez return to the winner circle saying the same thing?: 'We still haven't gotten to the bottom of her.' I think that's the definition of a champion. Juan just says she's so versatile and he can put her wherever he wants. If he needs speed in a paceless race, she's there for him. If it's full of speed, he can just sit back and guide her.” And to the point of getting to the bottom of Queen Maxima or what her ceiling might be, Pender said the goals will be loftier in 2026. “The Jaipur against the boys [at Saratoga in June] is definitely on the radar. That would be nice to add to the resume,” Pender said, adding that the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland is longer-term objective. So talented is Queen Maxima that Pender suggested a switch to the dirt or a stretchout in distance could not be ruled out as the year goes on. The 5-year-old has finished off the board in two tries at a mile on the turf, each time with a bit of an excuse. Queen Maxima | Benoit Intrepido, ultra-game in winning last year's GI American Pharoah Stakes, makes his sophomore debut in Saturday's GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes, facing–among others–Desert Gate (Omaha Beach), who he defeated at odds of nearly 9-1 in the American Pharoah. Ironically, Pender saddled Lombo (Graydar) to an 8-1 upset in the 2018 Lewis. Just a $30,000 Keeneland September yearling, Intrepido was sold on for $385,000 at last year's OBS April Sale and became a 'Rising Star' when racing over a mile for the first time at Del Mar last August. A late surge following a tough trip in the American Pharoah saw him prevail by 3/4 of a length, but he stubbed his toe in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, finishing a non-threatening fifth behind 'Rising Star' and champion Ted Noffey (Into Mischief). Whatever Intrepido does on Saturday, he is sure to come on for the effort, Pender believes. “We feel he's ready to go a mile on Saturday,” he said. “Is [trainer] Jeff [Mullins], the consummate horseman, going to tighten those screws and put him over the top for this race? No way. But he's definitely ready.” Intrepido reunites in the Lewis with Hector Berrios, who will also climb back aboard champion Super Corredora (Gun Runner) in Sunday's Listed Las Virgenes Stakes at the Great RIP. Now going on seven years since saddling his last runner, Pender is very much enjoying applying his skill set toward picking out what he hopes to be top-class runners on behalf of others, including the two stars for Dutch Girl and Irving Ventures. “I guess in football terms, I'm effectively their team manager,” he says. “They admit that they're very new to this process. While I didn't build this stadium nor front of money for the players in their payrolls, I do have to buy their horses, and I have to buy their horses that stay sound and most of all win races in what is arguably the most competitive environment for babies on the planet, Southern California, it's a tough playing field out here. “[The owners] have just been unbelievable,” he added. “I mean, they put their money up, they wash their hands, and then turn it over to Jeff and I. It's tough. It's tough. We don't have a gigantic budget. There's a diminishing foall crop out there that makes for greater demand, and thus the higher purchase prices at these sales. They have been there with open arms every time. Without them, none of this is happening.” Pender reflects back on the Saturday finale at Del Mar on Aug. 10, 2024, when Queen Maxima weaved her way through and powered home to graduate on debut. His hunch at that moment that he just might have unearthed something special has since been proven true. “The people that were sitting next to me in the box, they go, 'We've never seen such a visceral reaction from you. There's tears streaming down your face.' I was like, 'This filly could be any kind,” he related. “I'm really enjoying this aspect of being their agent as well, because it gives me more time to work with them, to educate them, to work on the human aspect of the day-to-day machinations of running a barn and all that goes on with it. This is a new way to branch off into something that was largely forgotten about when I was a trainer.” The post Pender Purple Patch Looks Set To Continue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

These are not easy times for Illinois horsemen, who have already lost Arlington Park and may soon see the area's remaining Thoroughbred track go under. After the Illinois Racing Board, citing financial instability, which included the bouncing of checks, pulled the plug on the track's Standardbred meet in January, there's no telling whether or not a reeling Hawthorne will be able to open its doors when the Thoroughbred meet is supposed to start March 29. Chris Block, the president of the local horsemen's group, is fighting the good fight to keep the track alive, but he admits he has no idea what to expect when it comes to Hawthorne's future or even if the track will be able to open in March. To shed some light on what's going on in Illinois, Block joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast Presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the Week. The frustrating part of this is that Hawthorne, which is now facing severe financial problems, was granted a license to build a casino way back in 2019. Five years later, there's no casino and very little, if any, progress has been made toward building one or finding a partner to help run one. Obviously, if a casino had joined hands with Hawthorne in an expedited manner none of this would be happening. So, where is the casino? “(Hawthorne President and General Manager) Tim Carey started what I think was the process of moving forward because he demolished three quarters of the grandstand and set it up for construction,” Block said. “And then it was my understanding there was more than one funding mechanism for that. One of the major funding mechanisms fell through. Everything came to a standstill. I wouldn't ask you to come to Hawthorne because it's not anywhere near the type of place to watch a race. By tearing down the grandstand, it has made it impossible to watch a race there. It's not a very fan-friendly situation. So with that, this has gone on now for five years thereafter. They use COVID as an excuse, which I understood at the time, but they've had plenty of chances to recover from that. Then Tim Carey hired on Kevin Kline after the passage of the bill in 2019 to be his casino guru, if you will. That's what they called him, a casino guru. And I have not seen anything that makes him a guru in my mind because they've passed on what I understand are deals that could have come together to partner with another company.” The delays have caused a number of problems, especially when it now appears that Carey family has gone deeply into debt by trying to keep the track operating and recently lost a line of credit from a bank that was keeping the place afloat. That's why purse checks to harness horsemen have been bouncing. “I believe what's happened here is that the Carey family, and, specifically, Tim Carey and his staff there, have relied on some funding from a bank to help keep the racing going, both on the Thoroughbred side and the harness side over the last five years,” Block said. “And during that process, they have been trying to get what they think is the perfect deal with a partner to have funding for a racino construction at Hawthorne. The perfect deal has never come according to them. And they've gotten themselves backed into a corner now and up against the wall where they're going to have no choice but to do something or Hawthorne won't exist.” There is so much that is uncertain right now. Will they open on March 29? If they do, will the meet be run to its conclusion or will Hawthorne again run out of money? For good reason, Chicago-area horsemen are stressed, and don't know what to do. “As we stand right now, we have hundreds of horsemen that are on edge, both on the harness side and the Thoroughbred side,” Block said. “A lot of horsemen have had their checks bounce. There are horsemen who put money into the horseman's bookkeeper account just to claim horses. That wasn't even purse earned money, and they can't get to it. And these are all people, hardworking horsemen, that are in need of that revenue to sustain and continue going forward. So I guess if there's any silver lining on the Thoroughbred side, I'm glad the IRB suspended their license during the harness meet. I feel for the harness horsemen. But right now, I don't want to get our horsemen on that backstretch until I know for sure that the Carey family can keep the track going forward in 2026. And until we find that information out, we won't have an answer. I'm advising all our horsemen, unfortunately, to have a backup plan in case by, let's say, February 25th or March 1st, that we don't have anything positive to report because time is running out for our guys to make decisions on where they need to go.” Block said that John Walsh, the general manager of Hawthorne, has now been involved in the project of finding a casino partner. Block expressed his respect for Walsh and took note when Walsh said he was optimistic that something could be worked out in a timely manner that would save the Hawthorne Thoroughbred meet. “They need to make a deal,” Block said. “And that's been our mantra from the Horsemen's Association, just make a deal. Okay. You don't have the opportunity to sit back and wait for the pristine deal. You have to make a deal or otherwise you're going to lose this.” There were three “Fastest Horses of the Week” this week. They were GIII Holy Bull S. winner Nearly (Not This Time); Louisiana-bred and Fair Grounds allowance winner Synthetic (Midshipman); and Quatrocento (War Front), the winner of the GIII Tampa Bay Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. All three earned 98 Beyer figures. The “Fastest Horse of the Week” segment is sponsored by WinStar Farm, which stands the promising sire Cogburn. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the PHBA, 1/ST TV, the KTOB and West Point Thoroughbreds, Randy Moss, Bill Finley and Zoe Cadman discussed the reshuffling of the deck among the nation's top 3-year-olds colts during a week when the Juvenile champion Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) was declared off the Derby trail only to be replaced on the NTRA's Top 10 3-year-old list by his stablemate in the Todd Pletcher barn, Nearly, the impressive Holy Bull winner. The team also discussed Florent Geroux's move to California and the latest news CAW rules that will be instituted this week by NYRA. The podcast concluded with an examination of the four races that will be run this weekend that will award points for the GI Kentucky Derby. For the Writers' Room Podcast video, click here, and for the audio version click here. The post To Discuss the Mess at Hawthorne, Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s President Chris Block Joined the TDN Writers’ Room Podcast Presented by Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In late December, trainer Butch Reid had a tough decision to make. Should he run his promising now-3-year-old Mailata in the Jerome Stakes Jan. 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack or the Dec. 30 Parx Future Stars Stakes at his home base of Parx Racing?View the full article

Slated as the 4-5 morning line favorite, Nitrogen faces six in the Bayakoa Stakes to begin her 4-year-old campaign. View the full article

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Dates: 02/04/2026 Licensee: Johanna Urieta, trainer Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on February 5, 2026; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Ready for Action, who finished tenth at Mahoning Valley on 12/8/25. Dates: 02/03/2026 Licensee: Amador Sanchez, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from More Than Glory, who finished second at Gulfstream Park on 12/13/25. Dates: 02/02/2026 Licensee: Thomas Waltke Jr., trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points.Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Greyzer, who won at Tampa Bay on 12/19/25. Dates: 01/29/2026 Licensee: Kim A. Puhl, trainer Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Riobella on 12/29/25. Pending ADMC Violations 02/04/2026, Edwin Martinez, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Tsunami Gold, who finished second at Sunland Park on 1/4/26. 02/04/2026, William Cowans, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Sticky Note, who finished third at Turfway Park on 12/6/25. 02/03/2026, George Lopez, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Tiz Lissett on 1/7/26. 02/03/2026, Jack Sisterson, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole (Gastrogard)—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Jimmy's Kid on 1/3/26. 02/03/2026, Michael Simone, trainer: Pending ruling for the alleged breach of Rule 3313, regarding the “Use or Attempted Use of a Controlled Medication Substance during the Race Period.” The alleged substance is the class C controlled substance, L-Arginine; Stop-2. The case involved the horse Indulge, for an event dated 11/14/24. 02/02/2026, Hernan Parra, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone—a class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Justy Han, who finished seventh at Gulfstream Park on 1/3/26. 02/02/2026, Anna Meah, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Gabapentin—a class B controlled substance—in a sample taken from Showers, who won at Churchill Downs on 11/6/25. 01/30/2026, Thomas McMahon, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methamphetamine—a banned substance—in a sample taken from Tierra Santa, who won at Laurel Park on 12/7/25. 01/28/2026, Guillermo Flores, trainer: Pending ruling for the alleged possession of the banned substance Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP); Adenosine Monophosphate for an event dated 9/18/25. Violations of Crop Rule Laurel Park Carlos Mancilla – violation date February 2; $750 fine, five-day suspension Mahoning Valley Fernando S. Becerra – violation date February 3; $1.500 fine, ten-day suspension Sunland Park Francisco Amparan – violation date January 30; $250 fine, one-day suspension Turf Paradise Isaias Enriquez – violation date February 2; $500 fine, two-day suspension The post National Rulings January 29 – February 4 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Bob Baffert has confirmed that GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner Litmus Test (Nyquist) will be scratched from Friday's $1-million GIII Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Litmus Test was listed at 5-2 on the morning line. “We're waiting for the San Felipe,” Baffert said via text. “Never intended to run him at Oaklawn.” The GII San Felipe Stakes will be held at Santa Anita Mar. 7. Baffert will still be represented by Buetane (Tiz the Law) in the Southwest. He is the 4-1 second choice, but could go off favored since Baffert has proved time and time again that he's very tough to beat when he ships to Oaklawn. He owns a 41-percent winning percentage at Oaklawn and has won 26 graded stakes there. He has won the Southwest six times. The new morning-line favorite will be D'code (Speightstown), who is listed at 3-1 on the current line. He rocketed to an 8 1/4-length win in his 6 1/2-furlong debut, earning a Beyer figure of 99. The post Morning-Line Favorite Litmus Test Will Be Scratched from the Southwest Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The cancellation comes one day after the track had announced it's Feb. 4-5 cards would begin at 1 p.m. EST, rather than the normal 5:55 p.m. start time.View the full article

The first day of racing at Churchill Downs in advance of the Kentucky Derby April 25 will be moved to the afternoon after being held at night since 2011. Additionally, a Sunday card will be added to Derby Week April 26.View the full article

By Michael Guerin Some simple maths suggests Roydon Muscle can win the feature trot at Addington tonight. That is if trainer-driver Bob Butt’s prediction of what his stable runner is capable of is on the mark. Roydon Muscle is a relative newcomer to Butt’s care who after two disappointing performances at Nelson has been excellent in his subsequent two Addington starts. “We was working so well before Nelson I thought he had to be hard to beat up there but he didn’t race up to it,” explains Butt. “I thought maybe he was one of those older horses who works well but doesn’t put in on race day but he has been racing way better back at Addington. “Maybe he just likes it there.” Roydon Muscle bolted in down in the grades two starts ago then finished a solid fifth after an early mistake in Muscle Mountain’s demolition job in the Group 3 over 1980m last Friday. He returns to the stand tonight off a 10m handicap in the Breckon Farms Trot, with only one horse in front of him so the chance to head forward and make his main rivals Bounce N Beyond (30m) and Eurostyle (40m) chase hard. “I reckon he can trot 3:17 or 3:18 for the 2600m and that would make him hard to catch,” says Butt. “Obviously Eurostyle is a good mare so she will be hard in the small field while Bounce N Beyond seems to be getting better and he trialed well recently so he might be the one we have to beat.” If Bounce N Beyond was to win it would be appropriate as he was bred by race sponsors Breckon Farms, whose owners Ken and Karen Breckon were honoured with the Outstanding Contribution award at the HRNZ Horse of the Year dinner in Christchurch on Saturday. Butt unleashes an early season two-year-old in the last race on the rare Thursday night Addington programme, with Fanfare (R10, No.2) facing just three rivals. The son of King Of Swing is unbeaten in four public trials and will be hard to hold out but while the field is small it has a Cran and Chrissie Dalgety-trained youngster and two from the Ross Houghton barn so stables who know plenty about training juvenile winners. Earlier in the night Butt rates Prophet (R5, No.9) a nice maiden but he will need to be starting from the outside of the front line with some horses better than maiden grade inside him, including last Friday’s eye-catching debutante Elegant Delight. And impressive last-start winner Milou steps up in grade in Race 7 where the recent stable addition has to overcome a second line draw, albeit with her most favoured rivals Gone Surfin and Amaretto Delight drawn wide on the front line. View the full article

Due to continued winter weather conditions in Kentucky, Wednesday's live racing at Turfway Park has been canceled. Live racing is scheduled to resume Thursday with a 1 p.m. ET first post. For the latest on racing and gaming from Turfway Park, visit www.turfway.com. The post Winter Weather KO’s Turfway’s Wednesday Card appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article