Wandering Eyes

Handy mare Shelbyrock’n (NZ) (Rock ‘N’ Pop) continued the winning run of pacemakers at New Plymouth on Saturday when she streeted her rivals by more than fifteen lengths in the last race on the card, the Seaton Park 1600 (1600m). The 2023 Interprovincial (1600m) winner on the track has always been a difficult customer to head off when she can get terms to her liking out in front and rider Ellie Sole made full use of the seven-year-old mare’s front running ability as she led clearly from the minute the starting barriers opened. All but one of the winners on the seven-race card won from in front and that played into the hands of Sole and her mount as Shelbyrock’n travelled sweetly before applying the pressure with 700m to run to quickly put her nearest challengers under duress as she dashed away by five lengths on the home bend. Sole kept her mount up to the mark as she maintained a strong gallop to bolt in and register her sixth career victory for trainer Shane Brown and owners Lyn Anstis and Ray Small. Sole had won earlier in the day aboard the Tawhiti Hina- trained Charm Zafarm (NZ) (Charm Spirit) with a similar effort and was confident of a good performance when she was legged aboard Shelbyrock’n in the birdcage. “She was a lot quieter today when I got on her and once we cleared the gates so well I knew she was ready for a big effort,” said Sole. “She just travelled so sweetly and when I let her slide she was full of running. In the straight I was too scared to look behind me as I wasn’t sure who was chasing but when I got back to the jockey’s room and saw the replay I couldn’t believe just how far in front we were. “She just relished the track conditions after struggling at Trentham last time and when she can get her own way in front she just fights and fights. “Rounding the home bend, she was going that well I was pretty sure she was the winner but I wasn’t taking any chances.” Bred by Waikato Stud out of the Pins mare Joy (NZ), Shelbyrock’n has now won six of her 35 starts and more than $168,000 in prizemoney. Her granddam is the Centaine mare Gio (NZ), the dam of Group Three winner Crepe De Chine (NZ) (Pins). View the full article

The rookie pair of Joshua Brown (NZ) (Dalghar) and his owner-trainer Lance Gussey took out one of New Zealand racing’s biggest winter prizes in Saturday’s $120,000 Listed Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth. Things have happened quickly for Joshua Brown, who made his debut only 15 months ago in April 2024, and also for Cambridge-based Gussey and his wife Angela. With only five horses in work, Gussey now boasts four wins from just 20 career starters. Gussey is continuing the thoroughbred legacy of his late father, Joshua Brown’s breeder Ron Gussey. Joshua Brown gave the younger Gussey his first training success at Rotorua in May of last year, followed by two more at Te Rapa in September and June. But Saturday’s black-type triumph towers above them all. “That was amazing,” Gussey said. “Lynsey Satherley gave him a perfect ride and the horse did us proud. It’s a great feeling. “The horse has come a long way in quite a short time. He’s a bit of a hard horse to get a line on when he’s fit, but I think he’s fit now! “I really don’t know where we’ll go with him from here. We’ll have to talk about it and make a plan. This was the race we were targeting, and we’ve done it, so I think we’ll just enjoy that for now.” Saturday’s Opunake Cup was the 13th start of Joshua Brown’s career. The Dalghar gelding has now won on four occasions, placed in another three and has banked $149,540 in stakes. Drawn the outside gate in an 11-horse Opunake Cup field, Joshua Brown broke only fairly and eased back to settle in second-last. With leaders having won all of the previous five races on the card, that seemed to be far from an ideal place to be. But Satherley allowed the five-year-old to roll forward midway through the race, improving around the outside of the field and drawing up alongside the leader Spencer (NZ) (Derryn) before the home turn. Joshua Brown pounced and took command in the straight, pulling ahead of a tiring Spencer. Soldier Boy (NZ) (Proisir) emerged as a big threat with powerful late finish down the outside, but Joshua Brown saw him coming and lifted again. He kicked away in the final 75m and won by a length with his ears pricked. “This means a lot,” said Satherley, who has ridden Joshua Brown in all but one of his 13 starts. “He’s a champion horse for champion people. They’ve been loyal to me and this horse has been great. “He’s not the easiest. He’s probably one of the hardest horses I’ve ever dealt with. You’d never get an exhibition gallop out of him, and some days we’re lucky if we can even gallop him. But he’s got a ton of ability and he’s done it pretty easily today. He doesn’t even really know what he’s done. “It was a muddling race, they didn’t seem to really know what they were doing, so I just kept him happy. He’s a horse you’ve got to keep happy. “He rolled around them easily. To be fair, he probably could have won by more, but he does wait for them. “I don’t really like travelling, so I probably wouldn’t have come down this far today if I didn’t rate this horse highly. It was well worth it for him. “He’s got a bright future. You’ve just got to play around with this horse. He’s not Mr Easy. You’ve got to keep him happy and let him think he’s winning.” View the full article

New Plymouth trainer Tawhiti Hina saddled back-to-back winners on his home track on Saturday with full-sisters Za Spirit (NZ) (Charm Spirit) and Charm Zafarm (NZ) (Charm Spirit). Hina has seven horses in training and had won nine races in his career before Saturday’s dream afternoon. He had trained two winners in a day once before, with Side Piece (NZ) (Jon Snow) and Summer Breeze (NZ) (Zed) combining for a pair of victories in $17,000 maiden races at Waverley on April 21. But Saturday’s heroics in races worth $50,000 and $40,000 were on a whole new level. “I’m really, really happy,” Hina said. “The season has been going well, and this is my second double. I’m just absolutely grateful to everyone that’s backed me and given me a horse to train.” Za Spirit was the first cab off the rank in the $50,000 Sandfords Rural Carriers (1200m). Overlooked as a $22 outsider in a field dominated by $1.80 favourite Ma Te Wa (NZ) (Time Test), the five-year-old mare was pushed forward by jockey Kavish Chowdhoory and found the front after a keen early battle for the lead. Chowdhoory was able to give the mare a breather coming down the side of the track, then began to crank her up again before the home turn. Za Spirit’s efforts began to take their toll in the straight, with Ma Te Wa eating into the margin with big strides late in the piece, but Za Spirit clung on to win by a half-head. “That was a really nice effort,” Hina said. “She’s such a cool horse who just loves racing and tries really hard. “She’s owned locally by a bunch of family members. They were the first people to give me a horse to train, and she was my very first winner, so it’s awesome. Now I’ve got five horses for them. I’m really grateful for their support. “The plan was to go to the front. She hates wet tracks, so we were just hoping she could hold on as long as she could.” Za Spirit is by Charm Spirit out of the Savabeel mare Zafrenzy. From 23 starts, Za Spirit has recorded three wins, three seconds and seven thirds. She has earned $101,590. Around 40 minutes later, the spotlight shifted to Za Spirit’s younger sister Charm Zafarm. The four-year-old was more prominent in the betting market at $5.10, and she romped to a runaway win in the $40,000 Delaval Coastal Agri (1400m). Apprentice jockey Elle Sole also adopted front-running tactics, taking up the lead within the first 100m of the race. It was a one-horse race from there as she powered clear down the back of the track. Charm Zafarm never slowed down and the chasers never had a look in. The local mare charged down the straight and crossed the finish line seven and a quarter lengths ahead of the runner-up Jaeger (NZ) (Time Test). “When Elle got so far out in front, I briefly thought, ‘Oh, slow down a bit,’ but she’s a horse that needs to roll along,” Hina said. “When I saw how well she was travelling, I started to think we might be able to win it. “I think that’s how you have to ride this track today – get out in front and hope you can hang on.” Charm Zafarm has had 19 starts for two wins, four seconds, three thirds and $66,480 in stakes. “She’s had a few niggles along the way,” Hina said. “She ran a really good race for me on debut as a two-year-old, then went up north and was trained up there for a while. She came back to me and we’ve had a few issues with her. We’ve pieced everything together now and fixed the problems. Hopefully we’re on the right track.” Sole is forming a highly successful partnership with the stable. She has had 17 rides on Hina-trained runners for four wins and four placings. “He’s been very good to me,” Sole said. “He helps me out a lot and I’m super grateful to him. “This mate can be a bit naughty in the gates, so the plan was just to hope she jumped well and then try to run them ragged. That’s what she did. I was very relieved when she jumped cleanly. I was like, ‘Oh, thank goodness.’ “She just travelled super from there, so I thought I might as well try to get a bit of a kick on them. I couldn’t hear anything coming in the straight.” View the full article

Ace Lawson-Carroll completed his first 50-win season with an early double at Rotorua on Saturday, including a perfectly judged front-running ride on Diomedes (NZ) (Echoes of Heaven) in the Arawa Park Hotel Rotorua (1560m). The 20-year-old apprentice went into Saturday’s meeting with 48 wins to his name from 609 rides this season. That put him in 17th on the national premiership. He was ranked fourth among apprentices behind Lily Sutherland (64 wins), Triston Moodley (52) and Amber Riddell (50). Lawson-Carroll moved to 49 with a four-length victory on favourite Moelle (NZ) (Swiss Ace) in the Rotorua ITM (1400m), and then Diomedes helped him hit the half-century in Saturday’s $40,000 open handicap feature. Diomedes broke well from gate two and strode forward to take up the early lead. He had company for some of the back straight as Solidify (NZ) (Redwood), who had been over-racing, moved up alongside him. But Lawson-Carroll began to increase the tempo from the turn out of the back straight, shaking free and pinching a break on his opposition. Diomedes rounded the home corner with a big margin up his sleeve, and despite solid chasing efforts by Solidify and Nigella Lane (NZ) (Niagara) down the straight, he never looked like being caught. Diomedes crossed the finish line three lengths in front. “I thought he’d be a good chance today, he’s got nice wet-track form,” Lawson-Carroll said. “It was a matter of giving him a comfortable enough run, then getting the revs up early and putting away the field.” The Kurtis Pertab-trained Diomedes has now had 23 starts for four wins, seven placings and $76,190 in stakes. The six-year-old son of Echoes Of Heaven is raced by his breeders, Sandy Schlaepfer and Julie Young. “This horse had been racing really consistently and has kept putting in good performances,” Pertab said. “He’s up in the grades a bit now and needs to have everything go his way. He got that today, so we’re really happy. “Ace rode him bang-on. He just kept improving at the right time without really going for him. He doesn’t have much of a sprint on him any more, getting a bit older and long in the tooth, but he can keep up a strong gallop. Ace gave him a perfect ride. “He’s an old warhorse and it’s nice to have horses like him in the stable.” View the full article

A well timed run by rider Michael McNab aboard the lightly raced Jelly Roll (NZ) (Swiss Ace) paved the way for the four-year-old to break his maiden status in spectacular style at Rotorua on Saturday. The Samantha Logan-trained and owned son of Swiss Ace was having just his third start and had looked a galloper of some promise when finishing fourth in both of those efforts. With the Heavy 10 rated Rotorua track expected to play in favour of those handy to the pace for the first few races, the chances of Jelly Roll appeared to be in jeopardy when he flopped out of the barrier and settled in the last three for McNab. Even approaching the 600m when McNab asked for an effort to circle the field, the gelding looked to have his work cut out for him as the free-going Brego (NZ) (Belardo) was pinging along in front with race favourite Litteral (NZ) (Redwood) and the well supported Zerre (NZ) (Zacinto) hot on his tail rounding the home bend. McNab didn’t give up though as Jelly Roll found a nice strip of ground out in the middle of the track and he powered home in the closing stages to grab Litteral right on the line to post his first victory. Logan was thrilled with the performance after making the tough decision to start in the shorter maiden 1215m contest as opposed to the maiden 1400m one race later. “It was a last minute decision and a hard one to make, but I rang Ralph Manning and he said go race one so I have Ralph to thank,” Logan said. “I was a bit worried when he walked out of the gates as he probably needed the 1400m but that is why Michael is the best as he didn’t panic, brought him to the outside and he finished off really well. “I’ve always been happy with the horse as he such a neat little horse to have around and we have made him a bit of a pet. “It has just taken a little while for the penny to drop with him.” McNab was succinct in his summing up of the race. “They went along at a nice even clip and didn’t take the speed out of the race at any time,” he said. “That meant I was able to be really strong late in the piece on a very heavy track.” Out of the Captain Rio mare Icing On The Cake (NZ), Jelly Roll comes from an extended family that includes Group One performers Legs (NZ) (Pins), Sixty Seconds (NZ) (Centaine) and Guyno (NZ) (O’Reilly). View the full article

The recipient of a textbook, ground-saving ride from Hector Berrios, Game Warrior (Game Winner) threaded the needle in the stretch and outbattled an unlucky Iron Man Cal (Collected) to the line in the traditional opening-day feature of the Del Mar summer meeting, the restricted Oceanside Stakes. Equipped with the blinkers that were removed for the first time in his career when a closing third to Day and Age (Omaha Beach) as the tepid favorite in a one-mile Santa Anita allowance on June 13, the dark bay colt was allowed to find his footing and settled in the latter third of the field, a spot or two ahead of odds-on Iron Man Cal, who was ridden cold one from the tail after stumbling very badly from gate three. Traveling nicely into the final three furlongs, Game Warrior pinched ground at the fence and moved into striking position before taking a narrow gap between pacesetting Kale's Angel (Complexity) and Cali Cat (American Pharoah) in upper stretch. In the meantime, Iron Man Cal went for a run up the fence and was more or less on even terms with the eventual winner in the final 50 yards before just being outgamed. Lyle the Crocodile (Ire) (Inns of Court {Ire}) was also off to a slow beginning, but rallied down the center for a slice. A maiden winner in six trips to the races last season, Game Warrior belied odds of 34-1 to complete the exacta in the Feb. 16 Baffle Stakes down the hillside turf course ahead of a fourth in the Mar. 22 Rushaway Stakes over the Turfway synthetic. The $52,000 KEESEP yearling turned $200,000 OBSMAR breezer was fourth and not beaten far in the Cinema Stakes at Santa Anita May 11 prior to the aforementioned allowance. The fourth stakes winner for his Lane's End-based sire, Game Warrior hails from the female family of Lady Samuri (First Samurai), the SW & GSP dam of treble graded-stakes winner Last Samurai (Malibu Moon) and SW Candy Raid (Candy Ride {Arg}). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. CAESARS SPORTSBOOK OCEANSIDE S., $102,500, Del Mar, 7-18, (C), 3yo, 1mT, 1:36.32, fm. 1–GAME WARRIOR, 120, c, 3, by Game Winner 1st Dam: Le Mi Geaux (GSW, $171,390), by First Samurai 2nd Dam: Message Red, by Cryptoclearance 3rd Dam: Redeye Rain, by Instrument Landing 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($52,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $200,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR). O-Jethorse LLC; B-George W Ruggiero (KY); T-Peter Miller; J-Hector Isaac Berrios. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 11-2-1-2, $159,075. 2–Iron Man Cal, 124, c, 3, Collected–Joyful Dreams, by Kitten's Joy. ($130,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Little Red Feather Racing & Madaket Stables LLC; B-Brereton C Jones (KY); T-Philip D'Amato. $20,000. 3–Lyle The Crocodile (Ire), 120, g, 3, Inns of Court (Ire)–Miriam's Song (GB), by Royal Applause (GB). 1ST BLACK-TYPE. (€4,000 Ylg '23 GOFOR2). O-CYBT, McLean Racing Stables, Michael Nentwig, Ray Pagano & Jeremy Peskoff; B-Jerry Murphy (IRE); T-Philip D'Amato. $12,000. Margins: HF, NK, HD. Odds: 19.30, 0.50, 10.10. Also Ran: Artislas, Cali Cat, Day and Age, Incanto (Ire), Kale's Angel, Bodi Zafa, Mala. Charging up! @HIBerrios & Game Warrior slip through traffic to capture the @CaesarsSports Oceanside Stakes. pic.twitter.com/xOaQzADgkp — Del Mar Racetrack (@DelMarRacing) July 19, 2025 The post Game Winner’s Game Warrior Prevails In the Oceanside appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Multiple graded winner Mo Plex (Complexity) continued his preparations for the GII Jim Dandy Stakes Friday morning at Saratoga while MGSW Echo Sound (Echo Town) has her eyes on the GI Test Stakes with her own move over the Oklahoma training track. New York-bred Mo Plex went out on Saratoga's main track Friday morning for a half-mile work in :48.84 (22/74) for trainer Jeremiah Englehart. The solo work under Manny Franco, who will have the call in the Jim Dandy, was exactly what the conditioner wanted to see. “The plan was nice and easy this week into the race next week,” Englehart said of the work. “He's been uber aggressive, so I thought Manny did a pretty good job to get him to settle. At the quarter-pole he was wanting to go, go, go and he got him to relax a little bit. All in all I thought that was pretty good.” The field for the major local prep for the GI Travers Stakes is mighty itself as the potential presence of 'TDN Rising Star' dual Grade I Classic winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) looms large ahead of the confirmation stage. The likes of 'Rising Stars' MGISP Baeza (McKinzie); GSW & GISP Hill Road (Quality Road); and crowd favorite GISW Sandman (Tapit) are also potentials to make the gate. “It's obviously going to be a challenge. It's always tough to run against a horse like Sovereignty, but when you have one that hopefully can compete with him, you look forward to these opportunities.” Echo Sound Leads George Arnold Duo for Test Echo Sound with Luis Saez up | Sarah Andrew Echo Sound went out for a solo first work over the Oklahoma training track Friday morning, covering the half-mile in :50.49 (30/33) with Luis Saez aboard, as she continues her march to the GI Test Stakes Aug. 2 at Saratoga. Having arrived from Keeneland before stablemate Kilwin (Twirling Candy), who will be making the trip up to New York Monday, the George Arnold trainee's move went all according to plan. “Luis breezed her and said he was very happy with the work. Everything is on schedule,” said Arnold over the phone from Kentucky. Arnold added that Kilwin would work at Keeneland Sunday before joining Echo Sound at Saratoga for the Test. The daughter of Twirling Candy started her career on the turf, including running second to 'TDN Rising Star' GSW Shisospicy (Mitole) in the GIII Mamzelle Stakes May 10, but so impressed her connections with her 1 1/4-length win last out June 8 in the Leslie's Lady Stakes that they opted to give her a shot at the elite level on the main track. “It was a pretty good race,” said Arnold, with a laugh. “We decided to try her on the dirt once and it went the right way. She came out of it good, and she'll also run in the Test. I wish they weren't in the same spot, but they are–it's a good problem to have.” Thorpedo Anna on Track for Personal Ensign, Future Targets Unknown for Mystik Dan Having arrived at The Spa July 10, 'TDN Rising Star' Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) is settling into a routine as she preps for her anticipated start in the GI Personal Ensign Stakes Aug. 23. “She's doing good and we're getting her into a routine here,” Kenny McPeek said, adding that it was good to see her return to the form he'd grown accustomed to. “I thought the race on Derby week was just a shame because she just got mugged. It wasn't her, and she came out of it fine, it's just what could go wrong did. She's certainly far from done.” Last year's GI Kentucky Derby hero Mystik Dan (Goldencents) arrived on the same day as his most famous stablemate, but with less firm plans on his future. McPeek said that plans are to be determined for the Classic winner. “He's training good and I haven't really decided where I'm pointing him to yet. He's going to run in something important later in the season.” The post Saratoga Updates: Mo Plex Tunes Up for Jim Dandy, Echo Sound on Track for Test appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Walmac Farm's freshman sire Core Beliefs was represented by his first winner with his first starter when the 2-year-old filly Nour scored on debut in a $25,000 maiden claiming race July 18 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

Whisper Hill Farm's Leslie's Rose surged to a 3 3/4-length win over Dazzling Move in the Shuvee Stakes (G2) July 18 to register her first win since the 2024 Ashland (G1). Heavily favored Raging Sea lacked her usual closing kick and finished third. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Arguably the best older horse in training, Mindframe (Constitution), went back to work Friday morning. The 4-year-old colt had his first work since winning the loaded GI Stephen Foster Stakes last month for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Mindframe worked an easy four furlongs in :52.46 (76/78) on the main track with regular exercise rider Carlos Quevedo on board. “He does whatever you ask him to do,” Pletcher said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. “He is cool that way. He goes easy if you want him to go easy, he goes fast if you want him to go fast.” Pletcher still has to figure out what race will be next for Mindframe, who has won all three of his starts this season at three different distances (seven furlongs, a mile and 1 1/8 miles). He also has the talented 4-year-old Fierceness (City of Light)–who can make his own case for top older horse–who worked five furlongs in 1:01.70 (5/14) in company with 5-year-old stablemate Dreamlike (Gun Runner) earlier Friday. Fierceness, owned by Repole Stable, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier, has been penciled in for the GI, $1 million Whitney Stakes here on Aug. 2. Pletcher has been considering running Mindframe, owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables LLC, for the same race, but that talk might be cooling down. “Ideally, no,” Pletcher said when asked about running the two against each other. “We would split them up. If we wait for the (GI) Jockey Club Gold Cup with (Mindframe) that would be one way of splitting them up.” The $1 million Gold Cup is scheduled for Aug. 31, the final Saturday of the Saratoga meet. “You never want to assume that both of them are going to be ready on the same day,” Pletcher said. “Fierceness has not run since the (GI) Met Mile (second, on June 7) and we have always pointed him to the Whitney.” The way Fierceness has been prepping for the Whitney makes it even more logical that he could be the solo Pletcher runner in that race. “He is giving us every indication that he is on target for it,” Pletcher said. “I would say if he stays that way, that would probably give us a good reason to wait a little longer on Mindframe and give him a little extra time.” In the Stephen Foster, Mindframe beat a field that included Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), last year's 3-year-old champ, 2024 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (Golden Cents) and Gr I Dubai World Cup winner Hit Show (Candy Ride). McPeek Back From Japan Trip In Time For CCA Oaks Take Charge Milady | Sarah Andrew After a whirlwind seven-day trip to Japan, trainer Kenny McPeek is back and just in time to see his 3-year-old filly Take Charge Milady (Take Charge Indy) run in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile GI, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga Race Course. Take Charge Milady is 9-2 on the morning line in the field of six and will take on the likes of 8-5 ML favorite Immersive (Nyquist), last year's champion juvenile filly and 2-1 La Cara (Street Sense), who won the GI Acorn at Saratoga in her last start. “She needs to win this race if really put herself in the mix for top 3-year-old fillies,” McPeek said while watching his horses train on the Oklahoma Training Track Friday morning. “She is doing everything right.” In her last start, Take Charge Milady, owned by James Bell, Magdalena Racing and Kenneth Rhodes, handed Immersive her first career loss when she won the Monomoy Girl Stakes at Churchill Downs by a neck. Take Charge Milady has won three of six starts this year; she was second in the GI Ashland Stakes, 1 1/4 lengths behind La Cara. Take Charge Milady reminds McPeek of Take Charge Lady, who McPeek trained to 11 wins in 22 starts in a career that went from 2001-2003. Take Charge Indy is a son of Take Charge Lady. “Take Charge Lady was so good,” McPeek said. “Great mare, too. This filly is easing her way there. She hasn't won a graded stake yet and she definitely has to find another level.” Take Charge Milady will be ridden by Kendrick Carmouche for the first time. Brian Hernandez Jr., who was on board her last three starts, is riding at Monmouth Park Saturday. During his Japan trip, McPeek attended the Japan Racing Horse Association (JHRA) Select Sale (he didn't buy anything) and also did plenty of touristy things with his wife Sherri and daughter Annie. He had promised his daughter Annie that he would take her to Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who McPeek trained to the 2020 Eclipse Award for champion 3-year-old filly. She was sold and is now at Northern Farm in Hokkaido. “Seeing Swiss was on the bucket list, we saw her twice,” McPeek said. “When she was sold, I told Annie I would take her one day to see her. She was very happy, and Swiss remembered her!” Book 'em Danno Ready To Roll in Vanderbilt Book'em Danno | Sarah Andrew Trainer Derek Ryan was more than happy to show off his stable star Friday morning. That would be Book 'em Danno, the 4-year-old gelding who does nothing but show up every time he runs. Ryan is hoping that trend continues Saturday when Book 'em Danno enters the starting gate of the GII, six-furlong $400,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt. Book 'em Danno, who has the catchy moniker from the old Hawaii Five-O Tv series, has won eight of 14 career starts. He likes Saratoga as he has won two of three starts, the latest being the GIII True North during the Belmont Racing Festival last month. He also won the GI Woody Stephens here last year. “He shows up, he is always there,” the New Jersey-based Ryan said. “He runs everywhere; he's a throwback.” Owned by Atlantic Six Racing LLC, Book 'em Danno turned heads for the first time last year when he finished second, beaten just a head by Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the G3 Saudi Derby. Forever Young would go on to finish third in last year's GI Kentucky Derby in a three-horse photo finish. In his 14 career starts, Book 'em Danno has finished off the board just twice. “Any good horse I have ever had, they all have the same thing that others don't have,” Ryan said, “You can't buy class. If they have it, they have it, if they don't, they don't.” Book 'em Danno will be ridden by Paco Lopez, who has been the rider for all three of his starts this year. In the Vanderbilt, they will be facing horses like Mullikin (Violence), who was second in the True North and the top two finishers from last year's Vanderbilt, Nakatomi (Firing Line) and Skelly (Practical Joke). “I am not afraid of anybody, but at the same time, I don't think anyone is afraid of us,” Ryan said. When you are in races like these, you are running against the best. Everything has to go your way. They are all legit horses. That's why they're in there.” The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Mindframe Back To Work, May Wait For Next Race appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

3rd-Colonial Downs, $73,600, Msw, 7-18, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:18.46, gd, 6 1/2 lengths. CHANNEL THE MUSIC (c, 2, Maclean's Music–Empress Eleanor, by Empire Maker) finished a closing third on debut over a muddy main track at Monmouth Park June 22. In career start number two, the colt broke alertly, settling just off the speed up the backstretch. Making steady progress around the far turn, the even-money favorite took command at the top of the stretch, kicking away from rivals when called on for his best. Runner-up American Tapit (American Pharoah) was clear of the rest, but only managed to finish within 6 1/2 lengths of the winner. Empress Eleanor is a half-sister to GIII Canadian Derby winner Abeliefinthislivin (Arrogate) and GSP Fully Living (Unbridled's Song), who produced GSW Ballet Dancing (Medaglia d'Oro) and MGSP Untreated (Nyquist). The colt's second dam Half A.P., herself a half-sister to Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old filly Halfbridled (Unbridled), was purchased by Merriebelle Stable for $450,000 in foal to Candy Ride (Arg) at the 2014 Keeneland November Sale. Bought back for $67,000 at Keeneland November in 2023, Channel The Music made $115,000 at KEESEP last fall before hammering for $200,000 after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5 at this year's OBS March Sale. Empress Eleanor is also responsible for a yearling filly by Practical Joke and a colt by Girvin foaled Mar. 7. Sales History: $67,000 RNA Wlg '23 KEENOV; $115,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $200,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $47,250. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Colts Neck Stables LLC; B-Merriebelle Stable LLC (KY); T-Jorge Duarte Jr. Channel the Music graduates in R3 at @colonialdowns under Horacio Karamanos for trainer Jorge Duarte! TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/LxP0N2Z0Eo — TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) July 18, 2025 The post Maclean’s Music Colt Channel the Music Graduates Impressively at Colonial appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A dual graded stakes winner and millionaire, Scylla will try for her first win in more than a year when she battles Jody's Pride, R Disaster, and six other female sprinters in the $200,000 Honorable Miss Stakes (G2) July 20 at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will aim for his fifth win in the CA$500,000 Woodbine Oaks at Woodbine July 20, where he brings a five-horse contingent to the 1 1/8-mile race over the all-weather track. View the full article

It's been a rough last few starts for the Whisper Hill Farm colorbearer, but 'TDN Rising Star' Leslie's Rose (Into Mischief) has found her best stride again and gamely took home the GII Shuvee Stakes at Saratoga. Eased up in the stretch last out in the GI Ogden Phipps at this venue, it had been the most recent in a serious of tough-luck jumps as her last four starts after the 2024 GI Kentucky Oaks either saw her get knocked around at the start, or staring eye-to-eye with fellow 'Rising Star' Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna). Back here with familiar faces GSW & GISP Dazzling Move (Not This Time) and 3-5 betting choice MGISW Raging Sea (Curlin), she was content to track the former as that frontrunner rolled through fractions of :23.62, :47.56, and 1:11.78 with Leslie's Rose never far away. As that pair swung for home, it looked like the favorite might try to make it three in a line, but the top two quickly distanced themselves from Raging Sea in the lane. Game as they come, Dazzling Move tried to muster a response late, but Leslie's Rose relentlessly pushed forward to win by three lengths. The longtime leader held second and Raging Sea managed third. The final time was 1:50.77. She's back! #3 LESLIE'S ROSE ($10.40) battles in the Saratoga stretch under @iradortiz to win the $200,000 Shuvee Stakes (G2) for @PletcherRacing and owner @whisper_hill. Another graded stakes winner for @spendthriftfarm's Into Mischief. Bet Saratoga https://t.co/WBsgDcEauN pic.twitter.com/hiIR11KI3X — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 18, 2025 Friday, Saratoga SHUVEE S.-GII, $200,000, Saratoga, 7-18, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:50.77, ft. 1–LESLIE'S ROSE, 124, f, 4, by Into Mischief 1st Dam: Wildwood Rose (Ire), by Galileo (Ire) 2nd Dam: Wildwood Flower, by Langfuhr 3rd Dam: Dial a Trick, by Phone Trick 'TDN Rising Star'. ($1,150,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Whisper Hill Farm LLC; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $110,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 10-4-1-2, $743,800. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Dazzling Move, 122, f, 4, Not This Time–Lady Liam, by Saint Liam. ($85,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP; $135,000 2yo '23 EASMAY). O-Miller Racing LLC; B-Jesse Korona (ON); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. $40,000. 3–Raging Sea, 124, m, 5, Curlin–Stormy Welcome, by Storm Cat. ($300,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP). O/B-Alpha Delta Stables, LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $24,000. Margins: 3 3/4, 9 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 4.20, 4.40, 0.65. Also Ran: Gun Song, Prides Crossing, Malibu Beauty, Sidamara. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post ‘Rising Star’ Leslie’s Rose Back to Winning Ways with Game Shuvee Victory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) will continue its tradition of honoring police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) during First Responders Day Thursday, July 24 at Saratoga, the organization announced Friday. As thanks for their dedication and service to their community, the day will feature free admission for all first responders and a named race in their honor. Special recognition will be given to three members of the Saratoga Springs Police Department and other individuals who were instrumental in the rescue of 'Sly', a 22-year-old quarter horse who fell through the ice on a pond this past February. Officers Kyle Clinton, Kris Camarro, and Dominic Martuscello will be honored for their intervention efforts in the winner's enclosure during a special ceremony. Aly's owner will also be recognized and Sly himself will be in attendance to greet fans and take photos at Horse Sense from 2-4:00 p.m. The New York State Troopers Pipes and Drums band–the first police pipe band to organize in the U.S.–will perform trackside following the third and fifth races. The New York State Troopers Pipes and Drums will be supplemented by an appearance from the New York Police Department (NYPD) Ceremonial Unit, which conducts hundreds of ceremonies each year in honor of police officers in New York and across the U.S. Saratoga Springs first responder t-shirts commemorating the city's police and fire departments will also be available for purchase, while supplies last. Each shirt costs $20 and all net proceeds will benefit the respective organizations' charitable foundations. For more information and to see a list of the foundations, please go here. The post NYRA Continues Tradition of Honoring First Responders at Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After Book'em Danno won the True North Stakes (G3), Mark Rubenstein and his partners in Atlantic Six Racing have brought the 4-year-old back to Saratoga for the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G2). The field also includes grade 1 winners Nakatomi and Mullikin.View the full article

Adding the hardware from the $1 million Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park to the trophy case would be a dream realized for any horseman, but it would be a most prized possession for a Jersey guy.View the full article

Eleven months after her retirement from racing, Mel's Baby Sister made a return to Saratoga to collect her Down Broadway Award as New York's Retired Racehorse of the Year as decided by the voting public via an online poll. The prize is named in honor of the first horse to retire though the Take The Lead program back in 2013. Mel's Baby Sister race in the colors of August Dawn Farm and was trained by Melanie Giddings to a lone career victory before ultimately retiring after two unplaced efforts during the Saratoga Summer meet. Giddings joined the new owners, the Richardson Family from New Jersey, in the winner's enclosure. “She was such a spunky personality to train on the track, but she was a total sweetheart in the barn,” Giddings said. “I mean, everybody really, really loved to be around her. It's so good to see how happy she is.” “She is just a kind soul,” Kendra Richardson said about the 4-year-old grey filly. “She is going to be part of the Retired Racehorse Project. It's so important to raise awareness that these horses have so much potential beyond the racetrack.” The post Mel’s Baby Sister Crowned Retired Racehorse of the Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Not only has he been successful in the short time he has been involved in racing, former MLB All-Star Jayson Werth has obviously fallen in love with the racing game. His infectious enthusiasm was on display all of last year as he was among a group of owners who campaigned GI Belmont S. and GI Haskell S. winner Dornoch (Good Magic). He was back in the spotlight this year with Flying Mohawk (Karakontie ({Jpn}), who finished second in the Jeff Ruby Stakes S. and made it into the GI Kentucky Derby, where he finished 18th. It's no wonder that Werth declared on national television that horse racing is the “most underrated sport out there.” It was a great year for Werth's Two Eight Racing LLC, but this year he has decided to try something different. Werth has put together a syndicate he calls Icon Racing Affirmed Group. He's hoping to win races, but he also wants to be a pied piper, spreading the word about the sport and bringing new owners into the game. “This sport is incredible,” he said. “I wanted to stay competitive and stay in the sport and be able to run at the highest level, but I mean, it's not an easy game to do it by yourself. Honestly, it's fun to do it with your friends and family and I just don't think that people really have any clue how great this sport is. And from an owner's perspective, I think that is the lens that is the best to look through for the sport. You can come to the track, you can bet on these horses, you can be a fan, but it's not the same experience as owning. You own a horse, you follow it, it becomes a part of your family…almost like the relationship you've had with a family pet. So to bring in new people and show them the sport, that was kind of the idea.” Werth didn't have to wait long to get his first winner with his new venture. Sacred Goddess (Kantharos) was the first Icon horse to make it the races and the New York-bred filly broke her maiden at first asking on Thursday at Saratoga. She was a $200,000 purchase at Ocala April and is also owned by Team Penney Racing and Dorsman Racing. The trainer is Jeremiah Englehart. Werth and Englehart celebrate after Sacred Goddess broke her maiden at Saratoga | Sarah Andrew “I've said this a couple of times now, there's nothing like winning, but there's nothing like winning in Saratoga,” Werth said. “This is a special place for me anyways, just with the whole Belmont thing with Dornoch. My second day ever of horse racing was spent in this place. I came up here for the Travers, four, five years ago now. I was like, 'Wow, this place is cool.' I had no idea. I'm so green and new to the sport that I had no idea this place was even here, let alone how cool it is. So to win our first race on our first time out is incredibly special. It's a testament to just the job that our team has done.” The Icon Affirmed Group has nine 2-year-olds in training and there are 27 partners in the syndicate, many of them, Werth said, are among his family and friends. “It is kind of a family affair and it's a huge responsibility for us as managers of this fund to create an experience and make memories that last forever,” Werth said. The next horse from the Icon stable to race might be Hero Declared (Maclean's Music). He is trained by Whit Beckman, who has told the Icon team he thinks that the colt is a runner. He cost $575,000 at OBS March. So far, Icon doesn't charge any management fees, but Werth said that is likely to change in the future. Sacred Goddess | Sarah Andrew Werth and his team, which includes partner Ken Kuykendall, are already working on putting together a new set of horses that will debut next year at two. This one will be called Icon Racing Big Brown Group. The stable has already acquired one horse, a filly by Jackie's Warrior from the Fasig-Tipton July Sale. Werth isn't doing this just for kicks. He wants the Big Brown Group to be bigger and better than the Affirmed Group. He envisions Icon growing and acquiring the capital to spend big dollars at the sales. He wants to be in the same stratosphere as West Point Thoroughbreds, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Starlight Racing and the other top partnerships in the sport. “We'll see where we can take this,” he said. “Sky's the limit, right? I mean, we did as good as we could this year and the response has been unbelievable from the partners. Everybody's super excited. We've gotten a ton of interest.” He's ready for more. “I don't think anything's defined yet on a grand scale. But one thing's for sure, we love what we're doing,” Werth said. “We're having a lot of fun doing it now for the second year with Big Brown. And we're doing it for free. Ken and I and our partners are putting a lot of time into it for no fees, which is obviously a lot different than most partnerships. I don't know if we would do it for no fees again next year because it is a lot of work and we're coming out of pocket for a lot of stuff, which is fine. We're building a brand and building an experience. I understand why the other partnerships and syndicates do charge fees and that whole thing because it is a commitment. It's a lot of work. It's a way of life. Some of the guys that I've talked to, that's their job. That's what they do for a living. It's a labor of love for us, but I think probably next year we might have to start charging some fees just to cover some of the expenses and costs that come along with operating a stable like this.” Enter the sport and get a Belmont and Haskell winner right from the start? It's not supposed to be this easy, and Werth knows that. But he's found a sport he cannot get enough of and he sees building the Icon brand as the next logical step. “We've got people that do know the sport and have been in horse racing that want be a part of our team because we look like the guys that are having the most fun around here,” he said. The post Jayson Werth Leads Off with a Home Run appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

CJ Stables' well-fancied ROCK IT ROB (c, 2, Maxfield–Miss Vigilance, by War Pass) got the better of an early pace duel with favored Cerro Rico (Yaupon), put that one away in upper stretch and kicked on nicely to become the fourth individual winner for his first-crop sire (by Street Sense) Friday afternoon at Saratoga. Bet into 19-10 from a 4-1 morning line, the $95,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-Bred yearling acquisition was hustled away from gate four by Jose Ortiz and flashed slightly more pace through an opening couple of furlongs in :22.15 as they put a space on the rest of their rivals. Asserting his superiority in upper stretch, the March foal pinched a winning break into the final eighth of a mile and reported home about three lengths to the good of longshot Sunday Boy (Central Banker). Sales history: $95,000 Ylg '24 FTNAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O-CJ Stables; B-Joe Fafone (NY); T-Steve Asmussen. #4 ROCK IT ROB ($5.80) and @jose93_ortiz put away foes and the 2yo son of Maxfield (@DarleyAmerica) wins on debut in Race 6 at Saratoga. Congratulations to the Steve Asmussen barn and owner CJ Stables. Bet Saratoga with @FanDuel Racing.https://t.co/l4do4Vzd7A pic.twitter.com/0sNpiS3Uht — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 18, 2025 The post Maxfield Colt Rock It Rob Wins Battle and War On Saratoga Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Walmac Farm's freshman sire Core Beliefs was represented by his first winner when the 2-year-old filly Nour scored on debut in a $25,000 maiden claiming race July 18 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association is teaming up with Dean Dorton, a Top 100 CPA and advisory firm, to host a deep dive webinar on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its tax implications affecting Thoroughbred racing.View the full article

When Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred Burnham Square enters the starting gate for the Haskell Stakes (G1) July 19, it will mark the first time they have had a runner in Monmouth Park's showcase race since 2017.View the full article

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) will collaborate with Dean Dorton, a Top 100 CPA and advisory firm, to host a deep dive on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its tax implications affecting Thoroughbred racing, the group announced Friday afternoon. Set to take place Thursday, July 24 at 1:00 p.m., the webinar will feature insight from Jen Shah and Joe Daugherty, Lexington-based certified public accountants with Dean Dorton, and the firm's equine tax leaders. The CPAs will provide specifics of the new laws and answer questions regarding topics like depreciation benefits, business tax improvements, loss limitation, and other changes. “The NTRA is pleased to collaborate once again with the team at Dean Dorton,” said Tom Rooney, president and CEO of the NTRA. “Jen Shah and Joe Daugherty's equine tax expertise is among the best in the country, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has many new tax provisions that they can help everyone better understand. Dean Dorton's team is among the best at communicating insights and benefits available to the equine community. This webinar is an invaluable resource.” To register, please go here. The post NTRA Partners with Dean Dorton to Hose Webinar on Tax Implications from O.B.B.B Act appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Saturday, Curragh, post time: 15:40, JUDDMONTE IRISH OAKS-G1, €290,000, 3yo, f, 12fT Field: Bay Colony (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), Butterfly Wings (Justify), Island Hopping (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Merrily (No Nay Never), Minnie Hauk (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Subsonic (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Wemighttakedlongway (Ire) (Australia {GB}). TDN Verdict: Few will bet against Minnie Hauk completing the Oaks double in this impoverished field which doesn't deserve its Classic status. Only the well-beaten Oaks fourth Wemightakedlongway and a relative miracle stands in the way of Ballydoyle's Epsom heroine and it will be one of the biggest upsets of recent times if she can't get the job done. This race says more about the state of modern European racing than it does about the protagonists, three of which come from the long odds-on favourite's own yard and have been found wanting of late. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Curragh, post time: 14:35, GAIN RAILWAY STAKES-G2, €72,000, 2yo, 6fT Field: Learntodiscover (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Power Blue (Ire) (Space Blues {Ire}), Puerto Rico (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), True Love (Ire) (No Nay Never). TDN Verdict: This is slightly more of a poser than the farcical feature, despite having just four runners led by Ballydoyle's Queen Mary winner True Love. More macho than most colts, she looks to dominate the Marble Hill runner-up and Coventry fifth Power Blue and last month's course-and-distance maiden one-two Learntodiscover and Puerto Rico, with the latter representing Rosegreen's boys' brigade. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Curragh, post time: 15:05, BARBERSTOWN CASTLE SAPPHIRE STAKES-G2, €72,000, 3yo/up, 5fT Field: Erosandpsyche (Ire) (Sepoy {Aus}), Rumstar (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), The Highway Rat (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), Mgheera (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}), Arizona Blaze (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev), Powerful Nation (Ire) (Sioux Nation), Grande Marques (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus]), Songhai (Ire) (Sands Of Mali {Fr}). TDN Verdict: At last, a Group race not in name only. Mgheera won the Temple in the manner of an improved mare and has unfinished business, having been forced out of the King's Stand with a spread plate. She is taken on again by compatriot Rumstar, who was below-par when sixth at Haydock in between taking the Palace House and Sandown Sprint but the three-year-olds could hold the key. Arizona Blaze gave his all in customary style when second in the Commonwealth Cup and will be a tough nut to crack, while the Midsummer Sprint winner Powerful Nation promises to make his mark in this category. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Curragh, post time: 16:15, MICHAEL JOHN KENNEDY CURRAGH CUP-G2, €72,000, 3yo/up, 14f 16yT Field: Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Harbour Wind (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Leinster (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), London City (Justify), Queenstown (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Uxmal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Comic Book (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Drawn To Dream (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}), Shackleton (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). TDN Verdict: A welcome drop in class for Al Riffa, despite this race mysteriously holding the same status as the Hardwicke in which he was a gallant second last month. While the trip is an unknown, the quality gap isn't with Ballydoyle's perpetually-disappointing Shackleton the most likely danger if he can pull his finger out with weight-for-age to help. It is interesting that the Niarchos Family have held on to a six-year-old gelding, but then Uxmal is a Royal Ascot winner whose form figures read well on the face of it. [Tom Frary]. Saturday, Newbury, post time: 14:57, THE HALLGARTEN AND NOVUM WINES HACKWOOD STAKES-G3, £85,000, 3yo/up, 6fT Field: Diligent Harry (GB) (Due Diligence), Elite Status (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Ferrous (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Jarraaf (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}), Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), King Of Blue (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), King's Gamble (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), Regional (GB) (Territories {Ire}), Russet Gold (GB) (Al Kazeem {GB}), Fair Angellica (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}), Rage Of Bamby (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), Ain't Nobody (Ire) (Sands Of Mali {Fr}). TDN Verdict: Time for the real Kind Of Blue to stand up, please. Unrecognisable this term, the sprinter seemingly destined to reach even greater heights at four is threatening to head into the abyss and unfortunately this is a category that takes no prisoners. Last year's winner Elite Status is another going the wrong way and this really could be a straightforward task for the King's Stand regular Regional, who is too hardened to give any quarter. [Tom Frary]. Sunday, Chantilly, France, post time: 17:00, GOFFS PRIX ROBERT PAPIN-G2, €119,000, 2yo, 6fT Field: Moojeed (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Tadej (GB) (Ardad {Ire}), Super Soldier (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Imperial Me Cen (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Green Sense (Ire) (Starman {GB}). TDN Verdict: France has won just one of the last 11 renewals and is represented by Moojeed and Imperial Me Cen, who finished first and third when meeting over this course and distance in last month's G3 Prix du Bois. Tadej was just over five lengths ahead of Super Soldier when both ran unplaced in Royal Ascot's G2 Coventry Stakes and should hold the edge once more. Green Sense is the only filly on show and comes back off an unplaced effort in the G3 Albany Stakes at the Royal meet. [Sean Cronin]. Sunday, Curragh, post time: 15:40, ROMANISED MINSTREL STAKES-G2, €72,000, 3yo/up, 7fT Field: Big Gossey (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}), Chicago Critic (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Lord Massusus (Ire) (Markaz {Ire}), Mutasarref (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Room Service (Ire) (Kodi Bear {GB}), Queen Of Thunder (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Vespertilio (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), East Hampton (GB) (Cracksman {GB}), California Dreamer (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Take out his Queen Anne no-show and Diego Velazquez remains an exciting older miler with the memory of his Meld and Solonaway wins still relatively fresh. Sharpened up over seven here, he encounters the smart filly Vespertilio who may have enjoyed a much-needed confidence boost when taking the six-furlong Listed Dash Stakes here last month. Last year's Jersey third Chicago Critic popped up again last time when taking Leopardstown's Listed Amethyst Stakes and is one of the other contenders. [Tom Frary]. Sunday, Curragh, post time: 14:30, AL SHIRA'AA RACING MEADOW COURT STAKES-G3, €42,000, 4yo/up, f/m, 10fT Field: Higher Leaves (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}), One Look (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Azada (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), Beechwood (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}), Indigo Five (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}), Lemsairbat (Fr) (Bated Breath {GB}), Naomi Lapaglia (GB) (Awtaad {Ire}), Soft Winds (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Tasmania (Ger) (Australia {GB}), Uluru (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Having pulled off the notable feat of landing the 2023 Goffs Million on her racecourse debut, One Look owes connections nothing especially after winning the G3 Park Express Stakes and giving Porta Fortuna something to think about in the Ridgewood Pearl. Higher Leaves is another ready-baked Group 3 winner, having relished the Toulouse mud to take apart the Prix Fille de l'Air in November and she probably needs all of the forecast rain and a bit more. [Tom Frary]. Sunday, Chantilly, France, post time: 15:50, DARLEY PRIX CHLOE-G3, €73,200, 3yo, f, 9fT Field: Cathedral (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Rosa Salvaje (Ire) (Maximum Security), Paix Des Dames (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}), Whataboutism (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Relaxx (Fr) (City Light {Fr}), Serving With Style (GB) (Mohaather {GB}). TDN Verdict: Last term's G3 Oh So Sharp Stakes runner-up Cathedral has finished fourth in both starts this year and holds solid claims coming back off a career best in Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation Stakes. Relaxx rates as an obvious danger and returns off a clear-cut success and black-type breakthrough here in last month's Listed Prix de Bagatelle. Serving With Style has failed to fire in two outings since running second in last term's G2 Rockfel Stakes while Rosa Salvaje and Paix Des Dames need to step up on previous black-type efforts. The unexposed Whataboutism is an interesting contender and will bid to provide Andre Fabre with a record sixth renewal. [Sean Cronin]. Sunday, Chantilly, France, post time: 17:35, PRIX MESSIDOR-G3, €73,200, 3yo/up, 8fT Field: Alcantor (Fr) (New Bay {GB}), Geography (Ger) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}), Ice Max (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Quddwah (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Vertbois (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Caramelito (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), Siam Paragon (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}), Ridari (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), Dos Mukasan (Fr) (Golden Horde {Ire}). TDN Verdict: April's G3 Prix de Fontainebleau victor Ridari ran with credit when unplaced in both G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and G1 Prix du Jockey Club and has an opportunity to regain the winning thread here. He holds fellow sophomore Dos Mukasan on Poulains form. Alcantor, Marhaba Ya Sanafi and Siam Paragon are consistent performers at this level and lead the home defence. The former, along with G2 Prix du Muguet runner-up Vertbois, represents the Andre Fabre stable seeking a record-extending 14th edition. [Sean Cronin]. Sunday, Hoppegarten, Germany, post time: 14:05, GROSSER PREIS DER BBF GRUPPE – FURSTENBERG-RENNEN-G3, €55,000, 3yo/up, 12fT Field: Ami De Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Padre Palou (Ger) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Alpenjager (Ger) (Nutan {Ire}), Weltbeste (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), Diamond Crown (Ger) (Cracksman {GB}), Sweet Summer (Ger) (Waldgeist {GB}), Zauberkonig (Ger) (Teofilo {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Zauberkonig is the lone sophomore in the field and seeks compensation coming back off a hampered 10th in this month's G1 Deutsches Derby. Padre Palou holds Alpenjager on a line through Flatten The Curve while Weltbeste finished in front of Diamond Crown and Sweet Summer when runner-up in last month's Listed Hamburger Stuten Cup. Ami De Vega brings Scandinavian form to the table and is undefeated in two black-type starts this year. [Sean Cronin]. Click here for the complete fields. The post Black-Type Analysis: Irish Oaks Is Minnie Hauk’s To Lose appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article