Wandering Eyes

The List: An Update and Review of the Top 25 General Sires List RankingsView the full article

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith joins the April 21 episode of BloodHorse Monday to discuss Kentucky Derby (G1) contender Rodriguez and his Derby memories. Also, Louie Rabaut and Sean Collins react to comments from trainers on their Derby contenders.View the full article

BH Interview: Mike GatsasView the full article

King Of Hearts (NZ) (Jakkalberry) may provide some competition to his talented stablemate Spencer in the coming months after collecting back-to-back victories at Waverley on Monday. A six-year-old by Jakkalberry, King Of Hearts recorded three wins in the care of breeder-owner Thomas Russell, who handed over the care of his gelding to Erin Hocquard in late November last year. After striking firmer surfaces early in the preparation, King Of Hearts was right at home back on the heavy last-start at Waverley, defeating Baronet in a Rating 75 1200m. The class, distance and track conditions remained the same for King Of Hearts on Easter Monday and so did the result. Despite racing keenly under Kavish Chowdhoory through the mid-stages, King Of Hearts was full of running on the home turn and skipped through the ground, putting a 4 – ¼ length margin on Malborough Bay at the post. “I thought he would go a good race, he’s been working well and I thought he would handle the track,” Hocquard said. “It was good to see him win the way he did.” Hocquard was pleased to get the result for Russell and his partner Pip D’Arcy-Brain, who also entrusted her with the gelding’s half-sister Black Orlov, a winner in early December. “He (King Of Hearts) came to me about six weeks before Christmas, initially for pre-training but he ended up staying here and they ended up dropping off his sister as well,” she said. “Brett Gulliver, who is a horse chiropractor and does all my horses, is good mates with them and has a share in King Of Hearts. They were looking for somewhere to send their horses and he put in a few names to them and luckily, they’ve ended up here. “He’s very easy to have around and pretty sensible, they’ve obviously taught him well.” Hocquard is yet to make a firm plan for King Of Hearts going forward, but she is mindful of avoiding Spencer, who was an impressive winner at the Foxton trials last Tuesday. Spencer (NZ) (Derryn) burst on to the scene around this time last year, winning three in a row before placing behind Belardo Boy in the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m). The talented galloper went on to win the Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m) in mid-October but was turned out soon after to avoid the firmer surfaces over summer. Returning to the trials, the son of Derryn was the class horse of his 1000m heat and that was evident in the finish, cruising to the line under a hold in the hands of Chowdhoory. “He only had one little jump-out before that, so whether he has another jump-out or a trial before he kicks off, I’m not too sure yet,” Hocquard said. “I’m looking for races for him over the winter, hopefully these two (King Of Hearts and Spencer) don’t clash too much. “When he won at Te Rapa (Spring Sprint), the track was a bit better and he did handle that, but the track at Foxton the other day was a little hard for him and he enjoys the softer ground. “We’re looking at similar races to last year, but I’ve got to be a bit careful where he goes and that he doesn’t get too much weight.” View the full article

Cambridge Stud have announced an unchanged stallion roster for the 2025 breeding season with their popular young sire Sword Of State earning a fee rise on the back of his yearling sale results. Sword Of State will stand at an increased fee of $20,000 + GST, with the son of Snitzel’s first yearlings selling for up to $540,000 and averaged more than $200,000 at the major sales this year. “Sword Of State has provided some fantastic results for his supporters this year. Many of the best trainers and agents have put their faith in his progeny, which bodes very well for his future,” Cambridge Stud’s Sales and Nominations Manager Scott Calder said. “He has more exceptional stock in the pipeline and we are very bullish about his prospects.” Frankel’s multiple Group One winner Chaldean returns from Juddmonte in England for his second season at a fee of $35,000 + GST. “Chaldean covered an outstanding book of mares in his first season – 59 percent of the mares were either black type performers or producers,” Calder said. “Probabeel is one of four Group One winners in foal to him as are the dams of Group One winners Asterix, Ceolwulf, El Castello, Pinarello and Signify. “We feel that his two-year-old record, in particular, is well suited to this part of the world. He remains Frankel’s best two-year-old son and won the Champagne Stakes/Dewhurst Stakes double at two just like Too Darn Hot.” Proven sire Almanzor was very popular with breeders in 2024, covering 145 mares, and his fee remains at $30,000 + GST for 2025. On the track this season he has been represented by Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner Trav and fellow stakes winners Rise At Dawn, Positivity, Mehzebeen and Keeneland. “Almanzor’s progeny have become a regular feature on the biggest racedays across Australia and New Zealand,” Calder said. “He has had another strong set of results at the sales and continues to show that he produces the right types to give commercial breeders a return in the sale ring as well as producing results on the track.” Hello Youmzain, who was the leading first season sire in France and leads the first season sire list by winners in New Zealand this season, will stand for $30,000 + GST. “Hello Youmzain laid down a marker with his early results in Europe and is trending the same way down here. He has had several very promising winners, including our filly Remala who we have high hopes for next season, and he has had another five trial winners this month alone,” Calder said. Savabeel’s Group One-winning son Embellish represents fantastic value again in 2025 at a fee of $5,000 + GST. His first crop headliners Luberon and What You Wish For have added stakes wins this term, while his second crop three-year-old daughter Hitabell won the time-honoured Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m). “We have experienced firsthand what Embellish is capable of as a sire with his very talented daughter Luberon, who has competed with the best sprinters in the country this year,” Calder said. “Embellish’s biggest crop are rising three-year-olds, so we expect to see even more from him next season.” View the full article

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The List: An Update and Review of the Top 25 General Sires List RankingsView the full article

Resolute Racing's Goliath casts a shadow across the QEII Cup commensurate with his name, his 126 rating giving him an 8lb cushion over the Japanese pair Prognosis and Tastiera.View the full article

By Brigette Solomon The Graeme Rogerson stable has three runners at tonight’s meeting at Cambridge Raceway that stable foreman and driver James Stormont all considers good each way chances. First up for the stable is the first starter Big Wheels who contests the MVS Equine Hospital Mobile Pace over 2200 metres. The three-year-old gelding is a full brother to the 9-race winner Chimichurri and he starts tonight’s race from barrier 10. Big Wheels has had two educational workouts in preparation for his debut and in his most recent he finished 0.75 lengths behind the lightly-raced Crumsy, who placed in two out of three starts as a two-year-old last year. “He’s a big Bettor’s Delight who is still learning but he’s been improving each run at the trials,” says Stormont, “if he gets the right run, he can run in the money but he’s still very much a work in progress and will be better in six months’ time.” In Race 6, Rogerson and Stormont combine once again with Sharp Image starting in the Off The Track Food & Bev Handicap Trot. The lightly-raced three-year-old has had just seven starts for two placings, including a third placing here when fresh up on March 28. Although 6.5 lengths from race winner Final Approach, Sharp Image trotted solidly and fought on well after sitting three back on the fence throughout. He starts from barrier one on the front line in tonight’s race. “He went a good race when first up but was a little disappointing last start,” says Stormont, “we’ve gone away and changed up his workload plus added the removeable deafeners tonight so I’m hopeful there will be some improvement.” The Rogerson stable’s final runner for the evening is Always Flyin in the Friday Steak Night At The Clubhouse Handicap Pace. Already a four-race winner, including twice at this track and distance both from a mobile and stand, he meets just a five horse field with only one runner, Bet West, starting ahead of him on the front line. He is driven tonight by in-form junior driver Harrison Orange in the hopes of a penalty free win. “His work has been very good and he’s a really honest horse,” says Stormont, “Harrison (Orange) is driving him tonight, he’s a junior driver that’s doing a great job and I’m happy to be putting him on and I think the horse should be right in it tonight.” Racing action gets underway tonight at 4.26pm. View the full article

The R.A.C.E. Fund online auction–featuring halters from champions, farm tours, and other memorabilia to bid on–is set to go May 9, the group announced Monday evening. Kicked off with an online auction on eBay beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST and ending May 16, the non-profit's annual fund drive looks to raise money which will be used to help Thoroughbreds in need of retirement and rescue from slaughter. All proceeds from this auction will go toward that goal. Featured items include halters of champions like fan-favorite California Chrome; Serena's Song; Quality Road; Mandaloun; and City of Light. There will also be donated items from photographer Christopher Hoff's private collection including signed photographs, a 1973 Secretariat Kentucky Derby program; 1978 Affirmed and Alydar program, etc. Other offerings will comprise of a VIP farm tour donated by Three Chimneys; horseshoes worn by Seize the Grey from Gainesway; and a War Front horseshoe plaque from Claiborne Farm. “We have some very exciting and amazing auction items again this year. We would like to especially thank volunteer Roxanne Campbell for her dedication and tireless efforts as well as Claiborne, Darley, Denali Stud, Gainesway, Juddmonte, Lane's End, Taylor Made, Three Chimneys, and Christopher Hoff for their generous support by donating such valuable items of racing champions to help us raise funds,” stated Marlene Murray, president of the R.A.C.E. Fund. More information can be found here. The post California Chrome, Serena’s Song Halters Highlight Myriad Items Available in R.A.C.E. Fund Online Auction appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Brian Hernandez Jr., who joined trainer Kenny McPeek in completing the Kentucky Oaks (G1)–Kentucky Derby (G1) sweep last year with Thorpedo Anna and Mystik Dan, is back again with mounts in the marquee events.View the full article

It was a very good week for the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative (TRI), the group leading the fight to kill bills in the Florida legislature that would allow for decoupling at Gulfstream Park, which would mean the track could continue to offer casino gaming without the requisite that it must hold live thoroughbred racing. The matter had come to the attention of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who attended the OBS April sale on Thursday and made it clear where he stands on the issue. “You can count on me as one that is not going to look favorably on legislation that is going to decimate any of our signature industries,” DeSantis said. “That's just the way it goes. I just try to not put my finger in the wind; just do what's right. But on this issue with the horses, it seems to me that we have proposals that will have the effect of harming the industry here in Florida to basically benefit one special interest.” Gulfstream is owned by The Stronach Group and run by its chairwoman, CEO and president Belinda Stronach. No one from The Stronach Group has publicly commented on DeSantis' bombshell announcement, but they can't be happy. They were hoping to go forward with plans to either sell the property or keep it and build a casino on the land. Both plans would mean the end of live racing at Gulfstream. And now, thanks to DeSantis, they have hit a major roadblock. But no one among the leaders of the TRI is ready to declare victory. “We have momentum on our side, but I wouldn't erect a tombstone quite yet,” said Dr. Barry Eisaman, a founding member of the TRI. Without having DeSantis on their side, it would stand to reason that those who have been pushing for decoupling would simply give up and move on the something else. But that's not how politics works. “You would think they would back off,” said TRI Senior Advisor Damon Thayer. “The House has actually posted one of the versions of the bill for action on Wednesday. Like we said right from the start, the bill is teed up for passage in the House. The clock is ticking with the session ending on May 2. We have gotten some strong indicators that the Senate doesn't really want to deal with this issue. I've been around legislatures long enough to know that a lot of crazy things can happen in the waning days. I'm likely to have anxiety about this right up until May 2 when the session ends. According to Thayer, the bill currently circulating in the Senate must be approved by two more committees before going before the Senate for a full vote. For that to happen in less than two weeks would seem highly unlikely. The Florida legislature will not reconvene until January, 2026. That gives both sides time to regroup. TRI President David O'Farrell has kept an optimistic outlook so far as how Florida racing gets throughout this whole mess. He believes that once May 2 comes and goes, those on both sides of the issue can come together to find solutions that work for everyone. “There's still a long way to go,” O'Farrell said. “We bought ourselves some time and that was kind of the message we wanted to send all along to the legislators. They were trying to rush it through the process and we were caught flat-footed earlier in the year. It was moving very quickly through chambers in Tallahassee and our message all along was 'what's the rush, give us a little bit of time, let us negotiate our path forward.' The rug had been pulled out from under us, so to speak. We were already feeling the effects from threat of decoupling. Let's table it for this year. The whole bill was one-sided, all the amended changes to the bill were one-sided. The horsemen never really had any say. Now, let's come back next year in an election year with a plan that will work for all parties including the state of Florida. Let's not have to choose sides here. Let's not end up where one entity ends up benefitting from this legislation and an entire industry gets torn down. Let's cool our jets and come back and find a solution where everyone can win and one which ultimately benefits the state of Florida.” O'Farrell understands that when you have a track owner who doesn't want to own that track anymore, bad things can happen. He can easily see a future without Gulfstream Park, but says that by no means would mean the end of quality racing in Florida. “All options are on the table at this point,” he said. “We just finished unifying all the groups together, which has been great. A lot of times the horsemen, the breeders, the racetracks don't get along, but we've gotten a lot of the groups together through this effort to decouple. We have also started some constructive talk regarding what the future could look like. It's still a long way off from nailing down specifics so far as what the future of Florida racing will look like. There are a lot of people engaged in the matter and lot of people working on this. It is something that should come to fruition sooner than later. It's a little too early to guess where racing will be three years, five years, ten years from now. But I'm very confident there will be a solution and I am actually very excited about the future of Florida racing. Now we have a little bit more time to start to look at what direction things might go, whether in South Florida, whether in Ocala. It might mean a combination of the two. If you find a way to improve the purses, the answer may involve Tampa Bay Downs. We're not really sure. We at least have the time to consider these things without the full on pressure of decoupling happening in a matter of a couple of weeks.” TRI Vice President Jon Green shares O'Farrell's outlook. “Our main goal at the Thoroughbred racing Initiative has always been to kill the bill and then come to negotiation table with management where the horsemen and track management can agree on a bill that benefits everybody,” he said. “Nothing is done until it is done. I would say it would be much more favorable for both parties for the bill to be killed and for us to have clean slate and be able to work together.” But that depends on Belinda Stronach cooperating with the horsemen, which is something the horsemen have no control over. Does she have any incentive to do so and wouldn't it be in her best financial interests to go ahead and sell the track to cash in on the value of its land? “Can she just pull the plug and cash in? That's a valid question,” Thayer said. “We've been asked it before because our short-term goal is to defeat decoupling. The answer is, yes, she could (close Gulfstream). It's her choice. But I don't think it would be a very wise move. I think it would send a bad signal to the legislature and it would show her true colors when it came to the horse racing industry, which clearly has a lot of support in Tallahassee. Their revenue from the slots there is about $39 million a year. We believe she makes money on the horse racing operation, which supplies 200 days of content to two other companies she owns, XpressBet and Monarch. I would be surprised if she just decided to pull the plug. I don't think that would be a very good business or political move.” On both sides, the conclusion has been reached that nothing is going to happen overnight and that things will surely drag on into next year. No one know where this will end. Thanks to DeSantis, the effort to decouple has certainly been weakened. But has it been killed off? Probably not. That's not how politics works. “It's too soon to spike the ball or do a victory dance in the end zone,” Thayer said. “Hopefully, that day will come.” The post Week In Review: DeSantis’s Position On Decoupling Bill Has Changed the Narrative, But the Battle is Not Over appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Grade 2-winning filly Non Compliant suffered a catastrophic breakdown during training April 17 at Los Alamitos Race Course according to California Horse Racing Board records.View the full article

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority released an Equine Health Advisory after their findings suggest horses in early stages of training or those returning from an extended layoff may be at higher risk for fatal proximal forelimb fractures.View the full article

In the TDN's new Breeders' Cup Breakthrough series, we catch up with the six trainers who celebrated their first win at the Breeders' Cup in 2024. We discuss the road to securing that victory, what the breakout win meant to them personally and what they hope to accomplish from here. We start with Kenny McPeek, who secured a long-awaited Breeders' Cup victory with a filly that is known to her fans as 'The Grizzly.' It wasn't that he never had a shot. It's just that the shots weren't quite landing. Kenny McPeek had lost at the Breeders' Cup in just about every way imaginable. Beautician was nailed at the wire in the 2009 Juvenile Fillies. Rosalind missed the break in the 2013 Juvenile Fillies but came flying late to hit the board. Tiz the Bomb ran second to a purse-money-only entrant in the 2021 Juvenile Turf. It all added up to a 0-for-37 Breeders' Cup record for McPeek, though it wasn't because his horses weren't performing. With seven seconds and 10 thirds, his runners were finishing in the money nearly half the time. “It was frustrating,” McPeek conceded as he reflected on the road to reaching his first Breeders' Cup win. “We had a list of fourths, too. Someone said one time that I'm the best worst Breeders' Cup trainer ever. Every time I took a horse over there I was pleased with the way they ran, but I had zero wins. I couldn't explain it other than you just keep trying.” Keep trying and find a horse like 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna). After 40 years in the business, McPeek entered last year's Breeders' Cup with what looked like his best shot yet. The filly had cruised through a nearly undefeated 3-year-old season, highlighted by a definitive GI Kentucky Oaks victory and a gutsy runner-up effort in the GI Travers Stakes. “There were a lot of people that really wanted me to run her in the Classic against colts,” McPeek admitted with a smile. “But honestly I wanted to get the Breeders' Cup win.” The Distaff field changed shape in the days leading up to the big event when reigning older dirt female Idiomatic (Curlin) retired and Japan's promising filly Awesome Result (Justify) scratched the morning of the race. McPeek and the rest of the Thorpedo Anna camp, including jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. and the ownership group of Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Magdalena Racing and co-owner and breeder Judy Hicks, were feeling confident about their chances, but of course there are no sure bets in horse racing. McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. after Thorpedo Anna's score in the 2024 GI Acorn Stakes | Sarah Andrew “We worked hard to enjoy that week,” recalled McPeek. “We didn't overcomplicate it. I felt like on paper she had a real chance and you just hope that Brian didn't have any trouble. When she got away clean and Brian was able to put himself up on the pace with her, Thorpedo Anna did the rest of the work.” Exactly 30 years after making his Breeders' Cup debut, McPeek finally hit the mark. And perhaps the fact that his first win came with a future Horse of the Year made the victory that much sweeter. “I had actually analyzed some other trainers who struggled at the Breeders' Cup,” said McPeek “Bobby Frankel had almost 40 starters before he won a Breeders' Cup and then he ran off six or seven after that. There is a long list of very talented horsemen who have never won. So it's no disgrace to have not won, but to finally win one was nice. I think the event all together epitomizes the sport and how difficult it is. To hit that high level at the Breeders' Cup means everything.” McPeek's first trip to the Breeders' Cup was in 1994, when the international festival of racing was held at Churchill Downs. Tejano Run (Tejano), a colt he had purchased for owner Roy Monroe for just $20,000, finished third in the Juvenile. McPeek said that Tejano Run's Breeders' Cup run and subsequent 3-year-old season highlighted by a runner-up performance in the GI Kentucky Derby helped put his career on the map. Before that, he was working hard to make a name for himself. “I was just trying to make payroll,” he explained. “I did a lot of the work myself, didn't really have an assistant. Mostly I had claiming horses and, in some cases, other people's rejects. I learned how to do a good job with those.” “I went through years where I won most of my races at Ellis Park and Turfway Park and even in the early years, Latonia and River Downs,” he continued. “Once Tejano Run came into my career, I realized that this was the kind of horse that I wanted, but they're really hard to acquire. So I put a lot of focus on yearling sales and analyzing horse's talent level.” As a child, McPeek enjoyed pony rides in the Keeneland paddock | photo courtesy Kenny McPeek Over the decades, McPeek's focus has paid off. The horseman has built a reputation as one of the sharpest eyes on the sales grounds, known for spotting talent that others might overlook. But well before he ever saddled his first winner, his path to success was more accidental–or perhaps fated–than planned. McPeek was originally considering a career on Wall Street, but his plan changed the day after graduating with a finance degree when, late that night, he received some sage advice from his college roommate, who told him to do something that would make him happy. A few hours later, he showed up at Keeneland and took a job as a hot walker. The next year in 1985, he obtained his trainer's license. “My mother was furious,” recounted McPeek. “She said, 'You've got a degree and you're going to do what?' I thought maybe it was just going to be something that was short term–and it almost was. Financially, I really struggled for a long time, but then I started hitting my stride and people started hiring me.” In the early days, McPeek's stable was a fraction of what it is now, with strings in multiples states and year-round bases at Magdalena Farm in Kentucky and Silverleaf Hills Training Center in Florida. As a young trainer, he started off going to the sales to buy one yearling. When his client list started to grow, he would shop for eight or nine. Today, he comes home with around 80 yearlings every sales season. Even with a bigger budget these days, McPeek still attributes much of his success to the long hours he puts in at the sales, sticking around until the final horses go through the ring. As he sees it, anyone can spot a million-dollar horse. It's more difficult to find that diamond in the rough. “I'm mostly proud of buying horses for modest prices and somewhat beating the market to the punch on a pedigree or seeing a horse that nobody else saw,” he said. “I think professionally, it's harder to do that than it is if someone gives you a huge amount of money. Actually, there's less pressure when you've got modest-priced young horses as opposed to the million-dollar yearlings because everybody isn't looking over your shoulder with expectations.” Among some of his top Breeders' Cup performers, McPeek bought 2008 Juvenile Fillies runner-up Dream Empress (Bernstein) for $60,000, 2015 Juvenile Fillies third-place finisher Dothraki Queen (Pure Prize) for $35,000 and 2018 Juvenile third-place runner Signalman (General Quarters) for $32,000. And while he did not train the superstar himself, he famously purchased 2007 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Curlin for $57,000. 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna | Sarah Andrew In 2018, McPeek found another bargain buy that was going to be hard to top when he spent $35,000 on future GI Preakness Stakes victress and six-time graded stakes winner Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil). Four years later, he outdid himself once again when he purchased Thorpedo Anna for just $40,000. The five-figure purchase is now his all-time leading earner. “Thorpedo Anna has got this aura about her,” McPeek explained. “When you're in her presence, she really knows she's good. She's ultra-intelligent and obviously ultra-talented. These kinds of horses are really rare. I'm really proud to have found her at auction and to be able to have handled her and seen all the things she has accomplished. Hopefully there's a lot more to accomplish.” Thorpedo Anna is already well on her way to another iconic campaign this year. She has posted a pair of tour-de-force romps in the GII Azeri Stakes and GI Apple Blossom Handicap, with a new target set on the upcoming GI La Troienne at Churchill Downs. Already, there is a buzz about whether this star filly could be pointed toward the main event this November at Del Mar, where only Hall of Famer Zenyatta has defeated males in the Classic. “I'm thinking about it already,” McPeek said with a reluctant-yet-excited grin. “Let's see. She needs to get through this next start. If she does that, we will contemplate all our options. If she runs the table this year, the Classic will be for sure.” McPeek waited 30 years for one Breeders' Cup win. This time, he could be setting his sights on making history. The post Breeders’ Cup Breakthrough: McPeek’s Three Decades of Determination Pay Off appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Horses in early stages of training or those returning from an extended layoff may be at higher risk for fatal proximal forelimb fractures than previously recognized, according to an Equine Health Advisory released by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority Monday. The advisory, which is based on data drawn from the HISA Portal, provides practical guidance for trainers and veterinarians on how to help prevent these catastrophic injuries. The advisory's key findings include: Fatal proximal forelimb (humeral and scapular) fractures accounted for 15% of training fatalities reported to HISA by Regulatory Veterinarians in 2024. More than 40% of horses that experienced fatal proximal forelimb fractures that were reported to HISA had no recorded high-speed furlongs within the 60 days prior to the fracture occurring. On average, horses with these fractures logged only 12.3 high-speed furlongs in the 60 days prior to injury. Horses with humeral fractures averaged only 5.9 high-speed furlongs in that same timeframe. “It is HISA's goal to substantially reduce the number of these fatalities beginning in 2025,” said Dr. Jennifer Durenberger, HISA Director of Equine Safety and Welfare. “Building awareness is the first step. This advisory reflects our commitment to data-driven safety and highlights the collective responsibility we have as an industry to intercede for at-risk horses before injuries occur. Our goal is to translate this growing body of information in our Portal into actionable guidance that can make our sport safer.” The full advisory is available here. It has been distributed to all trainers and veterinarians registered in the HISA Portal and is also available on www.hisaus.org under the Resources section. The post HISA Study Identifies Risk Factors for Fatal Proximal Forelimb Fractures appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It is nearly 20 years since Speciosa (Ire) became the first Classic winner to emanate from the breeze-up sales. The man who sold her, Willie Browne, had been plying his trade in that sector since 1978, and, as the breeze-ups close in on their 50th anniversary, it is good to see that the Mocklershill maestro is still very much at the top of his game. In fact, last week's Craven Sale at Tattersalls was a good one for the founding fathers of the breeze-up game. There was Browne turning €70,000 into 1.4 million gns like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat. This set a new record for the sale just 12 lots after Con Marnane had been given 650,000gns for a Havana Grey (GB) colt who had been unsold at 50,000gns in the same ring the previous September. The showbiz of the sale ring is not something that would appeal much to Malcolm Bastard, who prefers salmon fishing and sheepdog trials and once opened an interview with this hack by saying “I'm pretty quiet and boring”. That may be true, but it is also true that Bastard is a skilled horseman whose pre-training services are sought by some of the biggest owner-breeders in the land. By the second night of the Craven he had outshone his old muckers Willie and Con when breaking the newly-set record when selling yet another Havana Grey juvenile for 1.75 million gns to Amo Racing. The colt had been sold by his breeder Max Weston at the foal sales for 55,000gns. If you were chiselling these men's faces into granite, Mount Rushmore-style, you'd add Brendan 'Blarney' Holland to complete the quartet. Plenty are attempting to follow in their wake, and many are doing so successfully, but the newer consignors owe plenty of their success to these pioneers. Browne, Marnane and Holland have all consigned subsequent Classic winners at the breeze-up sales, and even one of Browne's slowest, and thus cheapest, breezers won the Gold Cup: in fact, the 20,000-guinea Trip To Paris (Ire) earned more than £800,000 in a 27-race career. Bastard sold a 'slow one', too, in Libertarian (GB), who won the G2 Dante Stakes and was second in the Derby, some eight years after the Mocklershill breezer Walk In The Park (Ire) had filled the same place at Epsom behind Motivator (GB). By now, close observers of the scene will know many of the names on the long list of black-type graduates from the breeze-ups. Obviously plenty of those selected for these sales don't end up putting in the slick breeze which seems to be essential for a six- or seven-figure sale, and some of those who do won't go on to become stars on the racecourse. Just as it is throughout the bloodstock world, it is a case of many are called and few are chosen. Be that as it may, it is undeniable that the breeze-ups have changed the face of the sales scene, both in their bolstering of the yearling market and by their luring of a certain sector of devout and international buyers. Since the turn of the century, the Craven Sale alone has expanded from turnover of around 3.8 million gns to last week's whopping trade of 18.8 million gns. Younger operators may be snapping at their heels for a stake in what is now a lucrative sector of the market, but those such as Browne, who was in from the start and was followed not long after by Bastard and Marnane, are still setting a fierce pace up front. Look beyond the mile marker While we are on the subject of breeze-ups, it is worth noting that among the top 20 stallions by average prices at the Craven Sale, only five of those had ever won a race beyond a mile: St Mark's Basilica (Fr), New Bay (GB), Knicks Go, Street Sense, and Union Rags. For this Thursday's Goffs UK Breeze-up Sale, only six of the 206 juveniles catalogued are by stallions who won beyond a mile. In Europe, most of the leading consignors say they are against official breeze timings, yet unofficial timings are widely available and those horses who have clocked the fastest, even by infinitesimal margins, command a premium. Despite some success by breeze-up graduates in middle-distance and staying races, the offspring of this type of stallion still doesn't get much of a look-in, even though the numbers improve a little for the later sales at Tattersalls and Arqana. One of the reasons for this is likely because so many of the progeny of the top middle-distance stallions are in the hands of owner-breeders. However, in order to help those 10- or 12-furlong stallions emerging from the pack, it would be a great initiative for one of the sales companies to host a middle-distance showcase auction in order to promote the type of horse that Europe still breeds better than elsewhere. There's no point moaning about prize-money if the stallions capable of providing horses suitable for winning the most valuable sector of races continue to be largely overlooked. Powerhouses gearing up for Classics So far this season it has been hard to see beyond the Classics being dominated by the major owner-breeder operations. With Jonquil (GB), Cosmic Year (GB) and the foal purchase Field Of Gold (Ire), Juddmonte is well stocked with colts, and there's also Windlord (GB) and Detain (Ire) to consider. Among the outfit's possible Classic fillies are Swelter (GB), Red Letter (GB), Babouche (GB), Better Together (GB), Flaming Stone (GB) and Tabiti (GB). The Aga Khan Studs, too, have had plenty of success so far on the turf, with Zarigana (Fr) and Ridari (Ire) each winning their Classic trials, along with Princess Zahra Aga Khan's Mandanaba (Fr). Mandanaba, left, is the final foal of treble Group 1 winner Mandesha | Scoop Dyga In a year in which those associated with the operation are mourning the death of HH Aga Khan IV, it is perhaps heartening to see the fillies Mandanaba and Zarigana in particular come to the fore. They are each eleventh-generation descendants of Mumtaz Mahal (GB) (The Tetrarch {Ire}), the filly who really was the cornerstone of the Aga Khan Studs as one of the very early yearling purchases, bought in 1922. The passing of a figurehead of a major breeding operation always brings with it a degree of uncertainty as to what the future holds. In the cases of Juddmonte and Shadwell, which lost Prince Khalid Abdullah and Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum respectively in early 2021, there has been some restructuring and trimming, but there has also been renewed success. Baaeed (GB), Hukum (Ire), Mostahdaf (Ire), Anmaat (Ire), Al Husn (Ire), Eshaada (GB) and Minzaal (Ire) have kept the Group 1 flag flying for Shadwell, while Juddmonte's top-level winners in Europe in the last four years include Westover (GB), Chaldean (GB), Babouche (GB), Kalpana (GB) and Bluestocking (GB), while they also owned the co-top-rated horse in the world last year, Laurel River. There is every reason to believe that the Aga Khan Studs will continue to thrive, particularly when looking at the results through the early stages of 2025. As ever, Coolmore and Godolphin will be unleashing any number of smart three-year-olds in the coming weeks, and they account for two of the most exciting fillies in training in Lake Victoria (Ire) and Desert Flower (GB). A stable whose fortunes it will be particularly interesting to follow over the next month or so is that of Ralph Beckett. Along with nine Oaks entries, the trainer currently has 12 colts in the Derby, and that could become a baker's dozen if Prince Of The Seas (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) prevails in Tuesday's Blue Riband Trial at Epsom, which carries with it automatic entry to the Derby for the winner. A sad parting It had looked like being a nice piece of symmetry: Hugo Palmer represented in the 2,000 Guineas by Seagulls Eleven (Ire), a son of his 2016 winner Galileo Gold (GB), and Andrew Balding by New Century (GB), a son of his 2020 winner Kameko. While it appears to be all systems go for Palmer and his merry band of footballing owners, Balding has now lost New Century, who has already played a significant part in boosting the profile of his young sire by winning the GI Summer Stakes at Woodbine last year. He was among a group of five Qatar Racing-owned horses to leave his stable last week. This came hard on the heels of New Century running fifth in the Craven. By the following day the colt had been assigned to James Ferguson with a view to racing in America in the coming weeks. While it is surely not easy to wave farewell to a Grade I winner, the bigger loser in this fallout may be Qatar Racing. Balding has given Sheikh Fahad Al Thani plenty of high days – including with the aforementioned father and son, and also with the Group 1 winners Elm Park (GB) and Side Glance (GB), both of whom were bred by the trainer's mother, Emma. His Kingsclere stable is in ripping form at present, with Balding riding high in the trainers' table on a strike-rate of 21 per cent and prize-money earnings of £920,509 already banked at the time of writing. Owners moving their horses around is nothing new – and it of course every owner's prerogative to do so, particularly in this case when Sheikh Fahad is reportedly now spending the majority of his time in the US. But it is an unfortunate time to move a colt with such potential, particularly one who could be key to the success of the same owner's stallion. Such was the significance at Kingsclere of Kameko, the first of two 2,000 Guineas winners for Balding, that there is a new barn there named in his honour. Even more significantly, Kameko's three-year-old full-sister was named Kingsclere, but she too is no longer trained there. Balding still has the Greenham Stakes winner Jonquil to aim at the 2,000 Guineas, some 14 years after Frankel (GB), a half-brother to the colt's Listed-winning granddam Joyeuse (GB), blazed an unforgettable trail down the Rowley Mile. The post Seven Days: The Old Guard appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Brian Hernandez Jr., who joined trainer Ken McPeek in completing the Kentucky Oaks (G1)–Kentucky Derby sweep last year with Thorpedo Anna and Mystik Dan, is back again with mounts in the marquee events.View the full article

Tuesday, Epsom Downs, Britain, post time: 14:10, BETFRED BLUE RIBAND TRIAL-Listed, £50,000, 3yo, 10f 17y Field: Devil's Advocate (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Mirabeau (GB) (Territories {Ire}), Prince Of The Seas (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Sea Scout (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), The Cursor (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Tiberius Thunder (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and Trinity College (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Ballydoyle begin their crucial sonar mapping process in the various overseas Derby pointers, with TDN Rising Star Trinity College the chosen one in this revived prep sporting Paul Smith's St Leger-winning colours for the first time. Up in trip having beaten his promising stablemate Acapulco Bay (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in a mile conditions race at Naas last month, he strips fit and rates as one of the yard's key 3-year-olds for the season ahead as he should as a son of Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). He encounters the obligatory Clarehaven prospect in Devil's Advocate, a 7 1/2-length winner at Chelmsford in October with abundant stamina on the dam's side, compatriot Tiberius Thunder who provides a marker to Rosegreen's Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and an unknown quantity from Ralph Beckett's talent-rich 3-year-old arsenal in the Sandown maiden winner Prince Of The Seas, a relative of Stravinsky. Click here for the complete fields with owner and breeder information. The post Black-Type Analysis: Trinity College Faces Six Rivals in Blue Riband Trial appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The video game publisher and developer Cygames, Inc. has announced a partnership with Churchill Downs, which will run the Unbridled Sidney Stakes Presented by Cygames on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard May 2. In addition, on Derby and Oaks days at Churchill Downs, Cygames will have an on-site activation where visitors can play video game demos and take photos. The Cygames Booth in the track's infield will feature demos of various Cygames titles including: Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, and Umamusume: Pretty Derby. A 360-degree panoramic photo spot will also be set up for visitors to take photos. “The Kentucky Derby has a long and prestigious history as the first of the races that make up the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, and I consider it a great joy for Cygames to be a sponsor,” said Koichi Watanabe, President of Cygames. “My hope is that, through our partnership, we can provide an opportunity for potential fans to get to know Cygames and its content.” The post Cygames to Sponsor Unbridled Sidney Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Goliath, Liberty Island and Mr Brightside were among the internationals on the dirt on Monday morning as the build-up to Champions Day ramps up.View the full article

What Wodonga Races Where Racing Wodonga – Hamilton Smith Dr, Wodonga VIC 3690 When Tuesday, April 22, 2025 First Race 1:30pm AEST Visit Dabble Racing in Victoria heads to Wodonga on Tuesday afternoon where a competitive eight-race meeting is set down for decision, beginning at 1pm AEST. A perfect autumn day is forecast for raceday meaning the Good 4 track rating will likely be upgraded to a Good 3 at some stage, while the rail will be in itstrue position the entire circuit. Keep reading for HorseBetting’s free Wodonga racing tips on Tuesday, April 22 below. Best Bet at Wodonga: Glamour Ana Glamour Ana comes to this 1300m maiden second-up from a spell and if she produces anything close to what she did this time last campaign, she should be breaking her maiden at start six. The three-year-old filly chased home the smart Stage ‘N’ Screen at Seymour, and on the bag of a solid enough showing at Pakenham first-up this time in when third over 1200m, she looks primed to strike. Barrier 14 is offset by her want to roll forward and take up a prominent position, and as long as she does not have to work too hard early, Glamour Ana looks hard to beat. Best Bet Race 3 – #8 Glamour Ana (14) 3yo Filly | T: Ben, Will & JD Hayes | J: Cory Parish (57kg) Next Best at Wodonga: Blondie’s Toronado Before struggling in town last time out, the Daniel McCarthy-trained Blondie’s Toronado is sure to appreciate stepping back to country grade on Tuesday. The Toronado filly was well-held at Sandown when leading the field up over 1400m, but the step back to 1300m here looks ideal as she looks to regain winning form. She was an all-the-way winner three back at Wangartta and if Liam Riordan can find the lead from barrier seven, Blondie’s Toronado will prove too hard to run down. Next Best Race 7 – #11 Blondie’s Toronado (7) 3yo Filly | T: Daniel McCarthy | J: Liam Riordan (57kg) Best Value at Wodonga: First Day First Day caught the eye when having her first start for the Ben Brisbourne Stable when finishing fourth at Gundagai over 1800m. The four-year-old mare did plenty wrong from a rearward position but was finding the line nicely when beaten 1.8 lengths in Class 1 company. In a restricted 64 and drawn barrier one, if the Ribchester mare can show improved racing manners and produce a similar finish, the $9 with horse racing betting sites looks a great price to get involved with. Best Value Race 5 – #12 First Day (1) 4yo Mare | T: Ben Brisbourne | J: Lachlan King (55.5kg) Tuesday quaddie tips for Wodonga Wodonga quadrella selections Tuesday, April 22, 2025 1-2-3-11-12 1-2-5-6-9 6-11 2-3-5-7 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Enigmatic galloper Iffididit put his best foot forward when he scored fresh-up after a two-month break by taking out the feature flat event at Riverton on Easter Monday, the Max Winders Shearing/South Pacific Meats Thornbury Handicap (1400m). The Anna Furlong-prepared five-year-old thrives on rain affected surfaces and the Heavy10 surface at Riverton proved ideal for his resumption as he settled back in the field before being sent forward by apprentice jockey Yogesh Atchamah with 700m to run. Iffididit stalked former northerner Chevron around the home bend and gained the upper hand over that runner at the 200m, drawing clear to win by half a length as Master Marko boxed on solidly for third. Furlong, who was back at home in Christchurch, was delighted with both the ride and the win. “He’s a nice horse who enjoys the sting out of the tracks, so conditions were perfect for him today,” Furlong said. “He just can’t cop too many runs on the hard ground so we put him away for a few weeks and brought him back for today. It was a top effort and a lovely ride by Yogesh. “He can be a pretty quirky customer and Yogesh is one of the few that actually get on with him. To be fair, the horse has been a little different right from his first day in the stable, but we all love him. “Now the tracks are how he likes them I think we could line him up at Riccarton in a couple of weeks as there is a nice race (Easter Cup) over a mile that will suit him.” Iffididit is out of the Ustinov mare Ididit, who won on five occasions and was stakes placed in the Gr.3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m). He comes from an extended family that includes former quality Australian sprinter Biscayne Bay. View the full article