Wandering Eyes

Barring a scare at penultimate fence, rising star Billy Boy (So You Think) produced what all the punters anticipated when he powered away with the Apparelmaster Waikato (3500m) at Te Aroha on Sunday. Easily recognisable with his massive frame, Billy Boy has become a fan favourite in the jumping caper this season, winning both the Manawatu Hurdles (2500) and Wellington Hurdles (3200m) to maintain his unbeaten status. Switching to the bigger fences for the first time, Billy Boy was backed as though unbeatable in the market, closing at $1.30 with his nearest counterparts being Zac Flash and Timba, both at $10. With his regular rider Joshua Parker on board, Billy Boy strode out to take the early lead and put a space on his rivals after gliding over the first fence. Throughout the first lap and a half, the gelding put on a beautiful display of jumping out in front, and the first to put pressure on the favourite was Timba, who he promptly shook off at the fence under the palms. Turning to negotiate the final two fences, Billy Boy had his rivals off the bit and chasing, but ploughed through the second to last, and while he stayed on his feet, Go Butch was suddenly a big danger and drew level going into the last. In the same fashion that Zac Flash had fallen at the previous fence, Go Butch misjudged the final obstacle and fell, leaving Billy Boy to cruise in by 6 – ½ lengths, with Saint Bernard running on well into second. Parker was swift in admitting he was at fault and praised the gelding, of whom he has guided to four victories in as many starts. “I was probably getting a bit excited, but Bill put me in my place and just said ‘let me do it’,” Parker said. “I left him alone into the last and he’s run massively, his jumping was absolutely brilliant. “Bill’s just happy being Bill, and that’s the best way to describe it. You don’t try to ask for anything silly because he’ll correct you, he’s old enough and wise enough to know.” Jo Rathbone, who trains Billy Boy out of Wanganui, was relieved to see her stable star on his feet after watching a fair amount of mishaps at that fence through the season. “There seems to be a few too many action-packed maiden chases lately, but he seemed to get away with it,” she said. “It’s not what we needed. “I said Josh to keep hold of his head because they seem to have a few issues at the fence, I don’t know whether it’s a bit lower and they’re not sighting it very well, but he was lucky enough to get away with it. “Apart from that fence there, he jumped nice and evenly, and he enjoys his job – as a lot of these jumpers do. They enjoy doing it, which is why they try and put in the effort.” Rathbone confirmed earlier in the week that Billy Boy would not be travelling to Christchurch to contest this year’s Grand National Festival of Racing, with the Great New Zealand Hurdle (4200m) in her sights. “I’ll play it by ear, but he may have a flat run in between times and we’ll see what happens,” she said. A winner of seven races from 32 starts, Billy Boy continues to honour the legacy of his late owner Denis Leamy, who passed away in June. View the full article

Versatile galloper Leitrim Lad (NZ) (Tavistock) bounced back into winning form over the bigger fences at Te Aroha on Sunday, claiming a comfortable victory in the Te Aroha Veterinary Services Te Aroha Cup (3500m). A winner of 11 races on the flat, Leitrim Lad has successfully stepped into the jumping role over the past couple of seasons and impressed when winning a restricted open steeplechase at the course in mid-June. The son of Tavistock didn’t back up that performance when finishing midfield in the Waikato Hunt Cup (3900m) last time out, but with a gear change, punters didn’t lose faith, backing Leitrim Lad into clear $2.70 favouritism over Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m) winner Smug ($4.70). In the hands of regular rider Emily Farr, Leitrim Lad cruised up to be near the speed early, settling into a good rhythm alongside Super Spirit. The open chase field put on a professional display of jumping throughout and all were well in contention at the 800m, where another key rival in Obrigado began to make up ground on Leitrim Lad. Farr didn’t panic and got over the second to last fence safely, and with his pace on the flat, Leitrim Lad was able to hold off any challengers, clearing the last and powering clear to win by an extending 4 – ½ lengths to Obrigado and an improved Izymydaad. Farr was delighted with the result, having won four of her seven starts aboard the eight-year-old. “He’s an absolute superstar, and even today, you only feel like you’re in third gear when you’re going pretty fast,” Farr said. “When he won here last time it was exactly the same, and at Te Rapa, he made a little bit of a noise, so we put the noseband on and he’s come back.” She commended the efforts of Leitrim Lad’s trainer Eamonn Green, who also bred and races the $333,000 earner. “To keep the old boy – as I call him – going as well as he is, it’s amazing,” Farr said. “Kenny Rae has a lot to do with Eamonn’s training as well, and Eamonn adores every single horse he has. “He does a wonderful job.” View the full article

Talented hurdler Our Daymo (NZ) (Zed) did it the tough way to maintain his unbeaten status over fences at Te Aroha on Sunday. A capable flat performer, Our Daymo switched over to jumping at just his ninth start and took to the new role immediately, defeating a subsequent winner in Quid at Trentham in late June. The son of Zed appeared on the flat in between that race and Sunday’s Peter and Jess Brosnan Hurdle (3100m), where he closed second-favourite behind Jerricoop. In the hands of English hoop Ashley Dascombe, Our Daymo settled near the tail of the field early, negotiating his fences well as English Gambler went forward to take up his customary role as pacemaker. Entering the second lap, Our Daymo was caught three-wide and covered plenty of extra ground as the pressure began to dial up along the back straight. He looked to be feeling the effects of the tough trip and was under a ride nearing the 800m, but he responded to Dascombe’s urgings, picking up again as Abu Dhabi led the field into the straight. It was a two-horse war between Abu Dhabi and Invisible Spirit over the last couple of fences, with neither horse giving an inch, but after switching back to the inside, Our Daymo came powering up and outsprinted the pair to defeat Invisible Spirit by a long neck, with Abu Dhabi less than a length back in third. Dascombe is based with Our Daymo’s trainer Raymond Connors, and he made no secret of how highly he thinks of the gelding. “He’s by far my favourite horse now, he’s unbelievable and just gives and gives,” Dascombe said. “He’s been like that since I rode him at Trentham, even at home, he’s just tough and tries. “I wanted to be a bit further forward because I had to make up ground turning in, but he jumped well. “We did think they might be a little bit too quick for him in the open, but he took to it and he was brilliant.” It hadn’t been the easiest watch for the Bulls horseman, but Connors was rapt with the result. “It was a great race and a good finish, he looked flat a long way out but he kept giving,” he said. “It gets harder as you step up, so hopefully he can keep going. “He’s definitely going to be Ashley’s favourite horse.” Out of a High Chaparral mare Kyrenia, Our Daymo was bred by Anne Corcoran, and is raced by Connors and his father Mark. In 12 appearances, he has won on four occasions and earned over $76,000 in stakes. View the full article

Apprentice jockey Ace Lawson-Carroll is recuperating in Waikato Hospital after sustaining serious injuries in a shocking race fall at Te Rapa on Saturday. Lawson-Carroll was one of four riders taken to hospital after the fall, alongside Ashlee Strawbridge, Rihaan Goyaram and Hayley Hassman. His fellow jockeys were cleared of any serious injury, but Lawson-Carroll went into surgery on Saturday night, having an operation on his femur. The 20-year-old is indentured to Byerley Park trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, and the former was pleased to share that Lawson-Carroll was feeling positive when they spoke on Sunday morning. “He’s in Waikato Hospital and had an operation on his femur last night, they were a bit worried that it may be cutting off some blood circulation so they operated on that,” he said. “I believe he has to have an operation on his hip and his shoulder, so he’s got a couple more to go. “We’ve spoken to him this morning and he’s pretty positive, his partner is up there with him now and Emma’s been there today, and I think we’ll go in after the races today. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to the surgeons yet, but when I go in, I’ll hopefully be able to have a chat and see what sort of rehabilitation and recovery he’ll be doing. “He’s a fit young man, with a positive attitude.” It was an unfortunate end to a career-best season for Lawson-Carroll, having guided 51 winners and his first at Listed level this term. View the full article

Three-year-old gelding Arcadia Park (NZ) (Ocean Park) proved the superior stayer when taking out the Listed Belmont Classic (2200m) in impressive style on Saturday. Ridden by Clint Johnston-Porter, Arcadia Park worked to the front inside the final furlong and despite a determined chase from the well-fancied filly Fancy Red, proved too tough in the run home to score by just over a length. Arcadia Park continued his winning ways, notching a hat trick of victories and second straight feature after claiming the Listed Aquanita Stakes (2019m) at Bunbury for trainer Michael Grantham and owner-breeder, Bob Peters. Royal Trooper, sent forward passing the 1400m mark by jockey Holly Watson to inject tempo in the race, stuck on gamely in the straight to hold third. Peters said Arcadia Park was impressive and praised the gelding’s response when challenged by Fancy Red in the straight. “It was quite good,” Peters told RWWA. . “I think once he felt the other horse coming, he found another gear, and his stamina kicked in. “It showed there is something there. “He’s bred to do this and it’s nice to see him do it. “He’ll go out for a month and come back; we’ll get him up to staying again.” Arcadia Park is bred to be good, he’s by Cox Plate winner, Ocean Park out of Arcadia Dream, who captured both the WA Derby (2400m) and Natasha Stakes (2200m). When asked whether Arcadia Park could be aimed at the Perth Cup (2400m), Peters responded cautiously. “We’ll find that out,” Peters said. Johnston-Porter claimed his second Belmont Classic, adding to his earlier success aboard Jackpot Prince (2017). Belmont Classic | Arcadia Park Arcadia Park repels the challenge of the other favoured runner, Fancy Red, to win the Belmont Classic bravely Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app pic.twitter.com/KLaB6zmpmD — Racing.com (@Racing) July 26, 2025 View the full article

Mia Familia Racing Stable's Lovesick Blues shocked some of the best sprinters on the West Coast and beyond, winning the $402,000 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) July 26 at Del Mar.View the full article

Baoma Corp's Nysos ended trainer Bob Baffert's string of bad luck with beaten favorites in the July 26 San Diego Handicap (G2), delivering another scintillating winning performance. View the full article

Canterbury Park racing officials will delay the start of the July 27 racing program to 6 p.m. CT due to a projected excessive heat index early in the afternoon. The seven-race program was originally scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.View the full article

It was bomb's away in the 'Win and You're In' GI Bing Crosby Stakes Saturday as LOVESICK BLUES (g, 7, Grazen–Queenofhercastle, by Ministers Wild Cat) drove past pacesetter Hejazi (Bernardini) in the final sixteenth to win at odds of 18-1 and secure himself a slot in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint this November. Swung out wide as the Baffert-trained Hejazi looked home free at the top of the stretch, the Mia Familia Racing Stable runner had all the momentum down the center of the course and got by late to spring the upset. Lifetime Record: 41-9-10-8. O-Mia Familia Racing Stable; B-Nick Alexander; T-Librado Barocio. That is one fast horse! Lovesick Blues wins the #WinAndYoureIn Bing Crosby Stakes at @delmarracing! pic.twitter.com/HkcBs3xFNL — Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) July 27, 2025 The post Lovesick Blues Springs The 18-1 Upset In ‘WAYI’ Bing Crosby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Baoma Corp's 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist), who is a neck away from being undefeated in six career starts, made just his second trip around two turns, winning the 1 1/16-mile GII San Diego Handicap at Del Mar Saturday. His fellow Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Mirahmadi (Into Mischief), a $1.05-million Keeneland buy, set the :23.49 and :46.91 pace with Nysos trapped on the rail behind him throughout. Flavien Prat found room at the eighth pole for Nysos, who accelerated when the seam opened up, and hand rode him to the wire. Mirahmadi held for second while Tarantino (Pioneerof the Nile) finished third. Nysos was last seen winning the GIII Triple Bend Stakes by 5 1/4 lengths following a deadheating second by a neck behind Mindframe (Constitution) in the GI Churchill Downs Stakes. Baffert said after the San Diego Nysos would be aimed at the GI Pacific Classic at the end of August. Saturday, Del Mar SAN DIEGO H.-GII, $300,500, Del Mar, 7-26, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:42.61, ft. 1–NYSOS, 124, c, 4, by Nyquist 1st Dam: Zetta Z, by Bernardini 2nd Dam: Seresa's Spirit, by Rahy 3rd Dam: Unbridled Elaine, by Unbridled's Song ($130,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $150,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT; $550,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Baoma Corp; B-Atkins Susie (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat. $180,000. Lifetime Record: GISP, 6-5-1-0, $598,500. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Mirahmadi, 119, c, 4, Into Mischief–More Chocolate, by Malibu Moon. ($1,050,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne, Masterson, Robert E., Waves Edge Capital LLC, Donovan, Catherine & Ryan, Tom J.; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds LTD. (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $60,000. 3–Tarantino, 118, g, 7, Pioneerof the Nile–Without Delay, by Seeking the Gold. ($610,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $240,000 RNA 2yo '20 KEENOV; $235,000 3yo '21 KEENOV). O-David A. Bernsen LLC & Rockingham Ranch; B-Fred W. Hertrich III & John D. Fielding (KY); T-Peter Eurton. $36,000. Margins: 2 3/4, 3 1/4, HF. Odds: 0.10, 16.60, 57.70. Also Ran: Hall of Fame, Express Train, Judge Miller. Scratched: Midnight Mammoth. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. #2 NYSOS ($2.20) lives up to his favoritism $300,000 San Diego Handicap (G2) at @DelMarRacing! This is the fourth graded victory for the four-year-old colt by @DarleyAmerica's Nyquist. Flavien Prat was in the irons for trainer Bob Baffert. pic.twitter.com/9RKnZZLBEw — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 27, 2025 The post Nyquist ‘Rising Star’ Nysos Tops Baffert Exacta in San Diego appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

For most 3-year-olds, winning the $485,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) would be a huge accomplishment. Yet there's a different perspective for a dual classic winner. Then the Jim Dandy becomes a means to an end for a colt like Godolphin's Sovereignty.View the full article

It was overcast and foggy, but weather was not going to stop her as Daisy Flyer (Mshawish) flew home in the final yards to take the GIII Lake George Stakes at Saratoga. Sent to George 'Rusty' Arnold as a juvenile, she ran a flat eighth last summer on unveiling July 21 at Ellis Park, but produced her first inkling of the dramatic final kick in her Sept. 5 graduation at Kentucky Downs when she won the photo by a head. When her connections stepped her up into the GII Miss Grillo Stakes at the Belmont Big A meeting that October, she never left the back half of the field, finishing ninth. Allowed some time away after that effort, she returned Mar. 1 at Gulfstream Park in the GIII Herecomesthebride Stakes, and roared home in the lane to run third in a blanket finish, beaten less than a long neck for it all as an 87-1 long shot. While she wasn't the favorite here, the betting public definitely took notice of her after those efforts, and sent Daisy Flyer off carrying 7-1 odds for this breakthrough attempt. Near the back in fifth but closer than in her previous starts, she saved all the ground going into the backstretch and was asked to close the distance as they swung through the far turn after six furlongs in 1:10.02. Rallying relentlessly from the outside as 7-5 favorite Classic Q (Classic Empire) tried to hold them off, Daisy Flyer made good on her name to overhaul that longtime leader in the final strides, winning by a neck. The betting choice hung on for second by a nose over Reining Flowers (Midnight Storm). “I was trying to get her up to be second and all at once she made that little late spurt, and it all worked out,” said Arnold. “She's a filly we obviously liked to bring her back from Mar. 1 to now and run in a graded stake, but she had trained the right way and backed it up.” When asked about a next start, the conditioner said, “She'll be going farther. Her next start is in the Dueling Grounds Oaks [Sept. 10] at Kentucky Downs going a mile and five-sixteenths. We had to get her eligible for it–it's an invitational and I don't think she'd quite done enough and now she has.” Upset in the Grade 3 Lake George pres. by @DrinkSurfside! DAISY FLYER gets her first stakes win as she flies down the stretch at 7-1 under Jose Lezcano for trainer Rusty Arnold. pic.twitter.com/ObUmF77KXo — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) July 26, 2025 Pedigree Note Hailing from a salty European female family, Daisy Flyer was bred top to bottom for grass racing and claims a fleet of successful relatives. Three of her elder half-siblings earned Listed and/or Graded black-type, and the sisters in that trio have gone on to broodmare careers, namely Turf War (War Front)–a winner producer in Japan–and Scarabea (American Pharoah), whose most recent is a 2025 filly by Authentic. The lone brother in that bunch is 11-time winner, GIII Essex Handicap-third Time for Trouble (English Channel). Dam Starstruck now boasts six winners from six to the races, and her latest of racing age is a juvenile colt named Turf Star (Caravaggio). She has a 2025 filly by Channel Cat to her tally. Starstruck is a daughter of multiple highweight mare Agnetha (Ger) (Big Shuffle), an English Group winner and placed in the G1 Phoenix Stakes. The second dam was herself a full-sister to MGSW-Ger Areion, who went on to become a six-time leading sire in Belgium and Germany as well as being crowned a leading broodmare sire in Slovakia. Saturday, Saratoga LAKE GEORGE S. PRESENTED BY SURFSIDE-GIII, $175,000, Saratoga, 7-26, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.19, fm. 1–DAISY FLYER, 120, f, 3, by Mshawish 1st Dam: Starstruck (Ire) (MGSW, $299,423), by Galileo (Ire) 2nd Dam: Agnetha (Ger), by Big Shuffle 3rd Dam: Aerleona (Ire), by Caerleon 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-George R. Arnold II; J-Jose Lezcano. $96,250. Lifetime Record: 5-2-0-1, $218,902. *1/2 to Time for Trouble (English Channel), GSP, $689,734; 1/2 to Scarabea (American Pharoah), MSP, $190,290; 1/2 to Turf War (War Front), SW, $111,550. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Classic Q, 122, f, 3, Classic Empire–Lovely Em, by Scat Daddy. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($40,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Gary Barber, Blue Crevalle Racing and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Winning Bloodstock (KY); T-Mark Casse. $35,000. 3–Reining Flowers, 120, f, 3, Midnight Storm–Mi Fiori, by Congrats. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Four G Racing LLC; B-4G Racing LLC (KY); T-John Alexander Ortiz. $21,000. Margins: NK, NO, 1 3/4. Odds: 7.20, 1.40, 13.60. Also Ran: Lavender Disaster, Aterradora (Ire), Good Long Cry, Pookie. Scratched: Kay Cup, Play With Fire, Pretty Lavish (Ire), Princess Attitude. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Daisy Flyer Comes Flying Late with Nail-Biting Rally in Lake George appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – As the 2-year-old colt Soldier N Diplomat (Army Mule) was charging down the stretch at Saratoga Race Course Saturday afternoon, his owner, Vinnie Viola, up in his clubhouse box, was eyeballing him and the finish line at the same time. “I was holding my breath the whole way down,” Viola said. Soldier N Diplomat had to hold off a late charge by Accost (MacLean's Music) to win the second race, a $100,000 maiden special event weight for 2-year-olds. At the end of the six furlongs, Soldier N Diplomat, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, had won the race by a neck. Viola owns St. Elias Stable with his wife Teresa. He is no stranger to success in sports. Last month, the Florida Panthers, owned by Viola, won their second straight Stanley Cup, beating the Edmonton Oilers in six games. If Soldier N Diplomat's rousing victory in his first start reminded Viola of Panthers star Sam Bennett scoring a breakaway goal, he wasn't saying. But the rush of victory at the Spa in front of a packed house was just as sweet to Viola as a Panther victory at a sold-out Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL. “The physical sensation is a little different,” Viola said in the winner's circle. “When you win a horse race, you kind of get to exhale. When the hockey game is over, you inhale.” Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Soldier N Diplomat began separating himself in deep stretch and Viola began feeling good. Then, Accost and jockey Manny Franco began to rally for trainer Chad Brown and the result was certainly in doubt. “When he took the lead around the sixteenth pole, I started to lean in, thinking he was going to widen,” Viola said. “When I saw the other horse coming, I started to lean back …” No worries, Ortiz had it the whole way. Viola paid $950,000 for the colt and a major reason he did it was on the advice of ace bloodstock agent Steve Young. Army Mule, who Viola also campaigned, carries a soft spot in the owner's heart. He ranks him at the top of the list of horses he has owned even though he only raced three times. He won them all by a combined margin of 22 1/4 lengths, the last being a 61/4-length win in the GI Carter Handicap in April of 2018. He was retired late that year because of a knee injury, one that cost him most of his 2-year-old season. Young found Soldier N Diplomat at this year's OBS March Sale. “Steve called me and said, 'Vin, this is a stamp of Army Mule,” Viola said. “We looked at him and thought he looked just like his dad.” All eight of the runners in the race were making their career debuts. Soldier N Diplomat had showed promise in the mornings and Ortiz had worked him. Mornings and afternoons are two different things. “He relaxed well, which helped us a lot and he punched home nicely,” Ortiz said. “They are babies, you never know. Sometimes, they work good in the morning, but you never know until you get out here.” Soldier N Diplomat ran the six furlongs in 1:11.87 and paid $3.90, $2.80 and $2.10. “He has trained terrific,” Young said. “He is one those horses that trains with such action and mechanics that shows he has got more in the tank.” Viola wasn't sure what is next for his budding star, but the GI Hopeful Stakes at the end of the Saratoga meet was heard in the winner's circle. Viola said he has a “few more” Army Mules in his possession, but Soldier N Diplomat is his best. “This is just a real blessing,” Viola, who probably said the same thing at the end of the NHL playoffs, said as the Saratoga winner's circle emptied out. The post Saratoga Maidens Presented By Keeneland: Winning Always a Thrill, Be It The Stanley Cup Or a Race at Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Brant (c, 2, Gun Runner–Tynan, by Liam's Map), a record-setting $3-million OBS March breezer, lived up to the hype for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert with a spectacular 'TDN Rising Star' performance on debut at Del Mar Saturday. The 4-5 choice sat the trip in third through an opening quarter in :21.56, revved up three deep at the top of the stretch and leveled off with powerful strides to win going away by five lengths. Civil Liberty (Independence Hall) was second. The final time for 5 1/2 furlongs was a sharp 1:02.63. Brant becomes the 20th 'Rising Star' for leading young stallion Gun Runner. Brant's two-time winning dam Tynan, a half-sister to GSW and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Pappacap (Gun Runner), had a filly by Candy Ride (Arg) in 2024 and a colt by Bolt d'Oro this year. Brant, a $200,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by St. Clair Stables, brought a record-setting $3 million from Amr Zedan after powering through a :9 3/5 breeze from the Eddie Woods consignment at OBS March. The previous record for a horse sold at OBS was the $2.45 million paid by agent John Moynihan on behalf of Coolmore for a Tiznow colt at the April sale in 2017. Sales history: $200,000 yrl '24 KEESEP; $3,000,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-PTK, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. #8 BRANT ($3.60) looked like a future superstar on debut! The $3 million 2YO purchase dominated in Race 4 at @DelMarRacing. The Gun Runner (@Three_Chimneys) colt out of a Liam's Map (@LanesEndFarms) mare was piloted by Flavien Prat for @BobBaffert and owner @ZedanRacing. pic.twitter.com/2z3Aifqbcz — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 26, 2025 The post OBS Record-Setting Brant as Advertised, Delivers ‘Rising Star’ Performance on Debut at Del Mar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.-'TDN Rising Stars' Fierceness (City of Light) or Mindframe (Constitution) in the GI $1 million Whitney Stakes? Will one of them be running or will it be both? Those questions got definitive answers Saturday morning outside Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher's barn on the Oklahoma Training Track. When entries are taken for the meet's marquee race for older horses on Sunday, both horses names will be front and center, but it will be Fierceness who carries the flag for Pletcher and the ownership group of Mike Repole's Repole Stables, Derrick Smith, Michael B. Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier. “We plan to enter both,” Pletcher said. “We want to make sure we have a good week and if everything goes smoothly, the plan is to run Fierceness,” Pletcher said. “We are fortunate to have two horses that are multiple Grade I winners that are capable of running in these kinds of races.” Mindframe, who has won all three of his starts this year–all at different distances–will be pointed to the $1 million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at the end of the meet, Aug. 31. But he will be entered in the Whitney as a safeguard in case Fierceness ends up not running. The two 4-year-olds both worked on the main track at Saratoga Saturday morning. Fierceness and exercise rider Danny Wright appeared at 7 a.m. and went in company with stablemate Dreamlike (Gun Runner), going four furlongs in :49.40 (104/167). Mindframe (outside) at Saratoga | Sarah Andrew “All of his works have been excellent,” Pletcher said. “We tried to do a little less with him today than he did last week when he had such a big work (five furlongs in 1:01.70) and such a strong gallop out. This was more of a maintenance work.” Mindframe, owned by Repole and Vinnie and Teresa Viola's St. Elias Stable, and exercise rider Carlos Quevedo appeared later at 8:45 a.m. and also went four furlongs in :49.22 (87/167) while working in company with stablemate Classicist (Curlin). For now, Pletcher will be fine keeping his two stable stars away from each other. Fierceness has won six of 11 career starts and is coming off a second-place finish in the GI Met Mile at Saratoga June 7. “I think, for a race like the (GI) Breeders' Cup Classic, I would look forward to having both of them in there and taking their best shot at it,” Pletcher said. “There is a good chance we'll keep them separated until that day.” Joseph Mulling What to do With Skippy Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. knows that he will be running White Abarrio (Race Day) in next Saturday's Whitney. He's not sure what he is going to do with his stablemate Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator). The 6-year-old horse, who seems to get better as he gets older, worked four furlongs in :49.22 (87/167) on the Saratoga main track in company with stablemate Wally World (More Than Ready) at 8:45 Saturday morning. Joseph said he will decide on Sunday whether he will put Skippy's name in the entry box. “We won't decide until we have to,” Joseph said outside his barn on the Saratoga backstretch Saturday morning. The main goal for Skippy this summer, Joseph said, is the GII Charles Town Classic in West Virginia on Aug. 22. It's a race that Skippy, owned by Daniel Alonso, has won the last two years. Joseph would love a three-peat. Skippylongstocking was entered to run in the GI Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs on June 28, but Joseph scratched. He hasn't run since May 26 when he won the GII Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes at Santa Anita. Joseph would like to get a race into Skippy before the trip to Charles Town, but the Whitney is a tough spot, he knows that. “The cons are the competition,” he said with a laugh. “The pros are if we were to win it. We want to run in the Whitney. We did it last year (finishing fifth). If he runs in the Whitney and has a hard race and you mess up the Charles Town Classic … that is the drawback.” Skippylongstocking has started 32 times and has 11 wins, three seconds and seven third place finishes. This year, he has two wins and two thirds in four starts. “He is consistent,” Joseph said. “He has gotten better as he has gotten older. From his 4-year-old year on, he has been really, really good. Every track he goes to, he runs. Thankfully, he has been able to stay around and he has been a joy to have.” Skippylongstocking works Saturday | Sarah Andrew Jockeys Will Have a Song to Sing on Sunday The not ready for prime-time jockeys will take center stage at Vapors Night Club in Saratoga Springs Sunday night. It's the annual Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) “Riders Up!,” the annual karaoke contest and fundraiser. The East Coast jockeys will belt out their tunes while those on the West Coast will do the same on Aug. 10. Those attending should not plan on hearing dulcet tones that will bring back memories of Sinatra or Elvis. But the jockeys promise they will give it the best they got. “I love music, I just can't sing,” Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez said Saturday morning on the Oklahoma Training Track. When asked to rate himself as a singer, he laughed. “I am close to a minus-zero,” he said. “I do try. I will put in a good effort. I just can't sing.” He said he will perform with his wife Leona but would not reveal what kind of number they are going to do. Joel Rosario, another Hall of Famer, admitted he is pretty much tone deaf, too. But he'll give it a shot. “Please don't ask me to sing,” he said on the Saratoga backstretch when asked for a preview. “I only sing in the house where no one can hear me.” International riding star Frankie Dettori wants no part of the singing competition, but he'll be the to support his buddies. And have a few laughs, too. “I am good, but I'm not singing,” he said. “Some people take it real serious. I am going to be a spectator. I'll watch everyone make a fool of themselves. I am going to take a back seat and have a good laugh.” Doors open at 7 p.m., and the performances start at 8. For tickets and more information, click here. The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented By NYRA Bets: Fierceness The One For Pletcher In Whitney appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Francisco Arrieta—who rode the horse that shut off one ridden by Tyler Conner, resulting in a fall of the latter's mount and a serious spinal injury for the latter jockey—has been suspended 15 days by the Colonial Downs stewards.View the full article

Daisy Flyer became the Calumet Farm's fourth graded stakes winner of 2025 in swooping to victory in the $175,000 Lake George Stakes (G3T) July 26 at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

Ned Toffey, the general manager of Spendthrift Farm, was confident going into Saturday's seventh race at Saratoga. The Spendthrift homebred Tommy Jo (Into Mischief) had been training lights out for Todd Pletcher and the entire team was expecting a big effort. They got something more. “Some of us were discussing what we saw in her back in Ocala when she was being broken and her early breezes there,” Toffey said. “She was one that gave some sore backs to the exercise riders down there. She's been really forward and always wanting to do more right from the very beginning. They don't all telegraph it that way but she certainly tipped her hand from an early stage. You just never know because there are so many factors. They have to deal with the crowd, deal with the gate with a bunch of other horses in there. You never know they're going to handle things on race day. And it's Saratoga. Everybody has a horse they are excited about. We certainly have felt like she is a very, very nice filly. We were cautiously optimistic that she would run well. I would say she exceeded expectations.” Ridden by John Velazquez and the second choice in the wagering at 2-1, Tommy Jo stalked the early pace set by race favorite Vajra (Vekoma). Vajra, who stumbled at the start, was done in mid-stretch while Tommy Jo coasted right on by for a 3 3/4-length win. The running time was 1:11.24. Five races earlier, a maiden for two-year-old colts was won in 1:11.87. Pletcher said afterward that he would likely point Tommy Jo to the GI Spinaway S. on August 30. Toffey said the filly was named for the granddaughter of Spendthrift owners Eric and Tammy Gustavson. The two-legged Tommy Jo has yet to celebrate her first birthday. The four-legged Tommy Jo is a Spendthrift product through and through. She is by the farm's star stallion Into Mischief (Harland's Holiday) out of a Spendthrift-owned mare Mother Mother (Pioneerof the Nile). Mother Mother was purchased by Spendthrift at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November sale for $1.8 million. Tommy Jo is her second foal to make it to the races and her first winner. “For me, that's makes it way more rewarding,” Toffey said. “Obviously we want to win more than a maiden but when you do well with a homebred that's the most special part of all of this. We try very hard to raise a good horse and put a lot into it. As we all know, it's not an easy game, start to finish. When you get one who really has talent it's very gratifying.” The post Saratoga Maidens Presented By Keeneland: Spendthrift Homebred Romps In Saratoga Maiden appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It may have only been a prep race for next month's GI DraftKings Travers but GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes winner SOVEREIGNTY (c, 3, Into Mischief–Crowned, by Bernardini) made sure to remind everyone who is in charge of the division with another stellar performance taking Saturday's GII Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga for Bill Mott and Junior Alvarado. Closer to the pace than usual in this compact field of five, the Godolphin homebred sat off expected frontrunner Mo Plex (Complexity) with Triple Crown rival Baeza (McKinzie) keeping him company along the inside. Despite being caught out four wide around the far turn past the half in :48.49, Sovereignty turned for home narrowly in front and while Baeza gave it his all, he was always second best as the Derby hero came home in good order to win in a final time of 1:49.52. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 8-5-2-0. O/B-Godolphin; T-William Mott. SOVEREIGNTY rules again! The Belmont Stakes champ proves he's still on top with a big win in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy pres. by @MoheganSun under @JuniorandKellyA for trainer Bill Mott! pic.twitter.com/ALCT6ZVxOS — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) July 26, 2025 The post Sovereignty Continues To Rule In The Jim Dandy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza, riding in New Jersey July 26, guided Running Away to victory in the $252,000 Monmouth Oaks (G3).View the full article

By Mike Love Leeston trainer Anj Mugford will be looking for a trip to the winner’s circle at Addington today when Ruthless Emma lines up in race two, the Betavet Prepare Handicap trot over 2000m. The four-year-old What The Hill mare has not missed a placing this campaign, and backs up today after a strong second placing last Sunday behind the talented Laura McKay-trained Birdy. “She’s come through last week really well. She’s bright and happy in her work,” said Mugford. The manners that Ruthless Emma brings will be a huge advantage over the shorter trip. “Hopefully we’ll get a handy run on the fence this time.” Mugford is under no illusions that they will have a fight on their hands with Friday night winner Origin in the race, as well as three other race winners in the field. “Origin is one of the biggest dangers. It’s been right in the fight in almost all of its races.” Origin for trainer Margo Nyhan retains a front row draw despite winning at Addington on Friday night. Concession junior driver Mia Holbrough will take the reins behind the obvious danger and current race favourite. Other chances in the event include the Paul Nairn trained and driven Something Else, who was a handy fresh-up run when fifth last week, providing punters with some good value today. Meanwhile, the Jason Ford trained and driven Kingaroy looks set for an economical run if he brings his manners. The race winners in the event will need to overcome their 20m handicaps to feature, which is not an easy feat over the shorter distance. Mugford has trained two winners in her training career from limited starters, with Ruthless Emma looking to provide an upcoming thrilling era in Mugford’s career. “I’m hoping to race her right through until the summer. It’s been a while since I’ve had a good horse, so I’ve decided I want to keep this one. She’s well bred so she’ll be a nice broodmare one day as well.” Mugford trains full-time while working for Kevin Fairbairn. “I help out Kevin Fairbairn – he’s my neighbour – and then do my own. I do all of his shoeing and all of my own shoeing as well. So that fills up my days. “I’m working four at the moment; there’s about fifteen out in the paddock that are due to start doing something.” Race one gets underway at 12.40pm. View the full article

Due to expected extreme heat, Ellis Park has canceled live racing July 27-28. Sunday's full card has been rescheduled for Aug. 1, while Monday's races will be offered back as extras and an additional day of racing will be added Aug. 8.View the full article

On a blazing hot afternoon July 26 at Belterra Park, Perry Ouzts broke the North American mounts record, previously held by Hall of Famer Russell Baze, with his 53,579th ride in the sixth race at the Southern Ohio track.View the full article

Literate turned the tables on heavily favored Caitlinhergrtness, running down last year's Canadian champion 3-year-old filly for her first graded stakes victory in the $116,256 Trillium Stakes (G3) July 26 at Woodbine.View the full article

Tommy Jo (f, 2, Into Mischief–Mother Mother, by Pioneerof the Nile) became the 53rd 'TDN Rising Star' for her out-of-this-world stallion Into Mischief with a powerful performance on debut at Saratoga Saturday. Off as the 2-1 second choice, the Spendthrift Farm homebred was ridden along in fifth, hit the gas with a flashy sweeping move on the far turn and was hand ridden to a facile 3 3/4-length victory over Tennesse Belle (Yaupon). Tommy Jo's final time for six furlongs of 1:11.24 was faster than the 2-year-old male equivalent on the undercard, won by $950,000 OBS March graduate Soldier N Diplomat (Army Mule), who stopped the timer in 1:11.87. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O/B-Spendthrift Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. Tommy Jo dominates in R7 at Saratoga under @ljlmvel for trainer Todd Pletcher and owner/breeder @spendthriftfarm! pic.twitter.com/5osoqKeLWO — TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) July 26, 2025 The post Tommy Jo a New ‘Rising Star’ for Into Mischief at Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article