Wandering Eyes

Maiden Watch: Week of Jan. 26-Feb. 1View the full article

A yearling colt by G1 Irish Derby hero Santiago topped the one-day Tattersalls Ireland Winter Flat and National Hunt Stale at Fairyhouse on Tuesday. Sold as lot 72 from Monroe Stables, the bay son of Regal Empress (Presenting) brought €42,000 from Gerry Aherne bidding on behalf of his family's Prospect Stables. A half-brother to Grade 2 hurdle winner Kazansky (Milan) who was runner-up in a Grade 1 on Monday, the colt is also a half-brother to the multiple graded-placed hurdler Knockanard Lady (Fame and Glory). His dam is a half- or full-brother to six black-type horses, four of the stakes winners led by Grade 1 scorers Wrath Of Titans (Oscar) and Thunder And Roses (Presenting). “He will be re-offered as a three-year-old, I really loved him; he has a great pedigree, and he is by a stallion who we think is going to be very exciting,” said Aherne. “Hopefully, when we resell, the pedigree will have done a bit more again, and the stallion will have done what we are expecting him to do.” “He comes from good breeders, we have bought out of the pedigree before and it is a family that just keeps on giving. This colt was due to be sold at the November National Hunt Sale, but was injured at the last minute and had to be withdrawn – we saw him and liked him then.” Second on the buyers' sheet was lot 25, a son of Jeu St Eloi out of the dual winner Innisfree Beauty (Yeats), who went to Adam Potts of BBA Ireland for €36,000. The dam is a half-sister to Grade 1 chase winner Galvin (Gold Well), and the colt was sold by Galbertstown Stables, the sale's leading consignor. Said Potts, “I am not too sure what his plan will be, but if he were to be reoffered as a store at the Derby Sale, I am sure he would stack up very well. “I saw all the colts this morning, and he was the one who stood out for me; I thought he was one of the nicest models – he has plenty of size and is light on his feet. “He has a good pedigree being out of a half-sister to Galvin and by Jeu St Eloi, who is producing the goods, and he is the first by the sire that I have bought.” The day's highest priced filly was a chestnut by Nirvana Du Berlais and christened Luna Of Glain (lot 97). She caught the eye of Timmy Hillman for €30,000 from the draft of Galbertstown. The dam won twice over hurdles and is a half-sister to the G3 Swinton Hurdle winner Joe Jo Star (Piccolo), as well as Group 3 hero Venturi (Danehill Dancer). “She is by a top stallion, has a pedigree with a bit of class and she is a good sort,” said Hillman after purchase. A total of 67 lots sold from 146 offered (46%) for a gross of €727,800. The average was €10,863 (+2%) and the median was €6,500 (-13%). Tattersalls Ireland's CEO Simon Kerins said, “The sales calendar got underway today with the Winter Flat & National Hunt Sale. Trade was selective as was evident with the clearance rate, however there was good demand for particular types. It was pleasing to see some Eastern European presence, purchasing at least six lots, however it would be remiss to say it wasn't challenging at a certain level of the market. “Attention now turns to inspections for the Derby Sale, with our aim to assemble the strongest possible catalogue in June. The Tattersalls Ireland bloodstock team look forward to meeting store vendors over the coming weeks.” The post Santiago Yearling Colt Tops The Tattersalls Ireland Winter Flat And NH Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

El Vencedor has been given the green light to defend his title in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The reigning Horse of the Year, who completed a Group One weight-for-age hat-trick last autumn, has won just one of his seven starts this season and serious doubts about his future were raised when he faded badly to finish eighth in last Saturday’s Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m) at Ellerslie. At the time his trainer Stephen Marsh said that El Vencedor would back up in the Herbie Dyke Stakes only if he was “120 percent” happy with him, and on Wednesday morning he reported that after extensive tests and other observations, he will take his place. “We went over him with every possible test and we can find absolutely nothing wrong with him; his blood and heart and everything else are fine,” Marsh said. “He went out to the beach at Raglan this morning and just enjoyed himself, he looks bright and well and to be frank we can’t find any reason why he shouldn’t run. “Opie (Bosson) said he was just too laid back on Saturday, so we’ve decided to take the ear muffs off and see if that makes a difference. Wiremu (Pinn) has ridden him a lot, so we’ll go back to the tried and true there. “If there was any doubt about his soundness we wouldn’t be running, but if he was to run poorly again we would probably pull stumps and even consider retiring him. “He’s been a wonderful horse who owes us nothing, so we’ll see what happens at Te Rapa and take it from there.” Marsh will be double-handed in Saturday’s second weight-for-age feature, the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m), with the highest rated horse in his stable, Provence, and three-race winner Tardelli. “Provence had to run at Ellerslie to get to Te Rapa and the way the race was run she had no chance, but she’s very well,” he said. “A mile is her pet distance and we’re targeting the Otaki Classic and Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes with her, but at 1400 with good tempo I could still see her running into it. “George Rooke will stay with her and Jonathan Riddell is on Tardelli. He’s only lightly raced and he was great over 1200 with that fourth in the Railway. “He’ll love the step up in distance and he’s a big strong colt, so the weight-for-age conditions shouldn’t be too much of a disadvantage.” At Tauranga on Thursday, Marsh will have a keen eye on his resuming three-year-old Magic Carpet, the winner of the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas in October and lining up in Rating 75 1400m company off the back off a trial placing at Pukekohe. The Satono Aladdin colt holds a nomination for the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby, but Marsh rates him a better prospect for the NZB Kiwi on the same Champions Day card at Ellerslie in a month’s time. “I would have preferred to run him in his own age-group but they scrapped the three-year-old race at Tauranga. If he runs well we’ll definitely look at the Kiwi with him.” Marsh, runner-up to the powerful Te Akau stable in the last six seasons and currently a closest ever 13 wins behind the Mark Walker/Sam Bergerson partnership with 56 wins versus 69, reports that his headline act Well Written is making all the right moves in the countdown to the NZB Kiwi. “She’s perfect,” he said succinctly. “Matt (Cartwright) came in a cantered her around this morning and everything is good with her. “She looks a picture and is getting that freshness back in her legs. We won’t have to do too much with her, maybe a trip to Ellerslie on the 21st (of February) for a breeze around, so we’re in a good place with her.” Well Written, who extended her unbeaten sequence to five with a facile win in the Listed Karaka Millions 3YO 12 days ago, remains the $1.20 favourite for the $4 million slot race on March 7. View the full article

International representation included 37 horses from Japan, led by Godolphin's Pyromancer. Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher led all trainers with 31 nominees, followed by Bob Baffert (23), Chad Brown (22), Brad Cox (21), and Daisuke Takayanagi (14).View the full article

As expected, House Bill 881, which aims to decouple Thoroughbred racing and gaming licenses in Florida, passed its second committee Feb. 3 when the Commerce Committee voted for it to proceed.View the full article

Potente, a $2.4 million yearling purchase, breaks his maiden on debut Jan. 31 at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

Charles Sniffen, who got his training license in 1968 and for the past 20 years has been assistant trainer for Ferris Allen, has been selected as the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association Backstretch Worker of the Year for 2025.View the full article

The Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund Committee approves Keeneland's request for $6 million to $6.25 million in Kentucky-breds funds.View the full article

Turfway Park will shift its Feb. 4-5 live racing cards to afternoon programs with a 1 p.m. ET first post in response to single-digit wind chills expected during the evening hours.View the full article

As expected, House Bill 881—which aims to decouple Thoroughbred racing and gaming licenses in Florida—passed its second committee Feb. 3 when the Commerce Committee voted it to proceed.View the full article

Byron King's Top 12 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, presented by Spendthrift Farm.View the full article

John Bogar, long time track announcer at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, has announced his retirement effective Feb. 5. Bogar has been a mainstay at the Grantville oval since joining the team 45 years ago.View the full article

Purses for 3-year-old and upward maiden special weight (MSW) races at Keeneland Race Course ($110,000) and Churchill Downs ($120,000) are projected to remain level this spring compared to the same seasonal race meets in 2025. Executives from both tracks disclosed those spring 2026 figures during the Feb. 3 Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) advisory board meeting. Keeneland's non-juvenile MSW purses had been $100,000 each April between 2022 and 2024 before getting bumped up to $110,000 last year. Churchill Downs has carded non-juvenile MSW races for $120,000 during its April-June meet since 2022. Although MSW purse levels do not tell the entire story about how healthy a track or a circuit's racing is, they are often cited within the Thoroughbred industry as a useful barometer that indicates the class of horses a track can expect to attract. The KTDF is funded by three-quarters of 1% of all money wagered in the state on both live Thoroughbred races and historical horse race gaming, plus 1% of all money wagered on Thoroughbred races via inter-track wagering and whole-card simulcasting. That money, along with funding from each track, goes to pay purses in the state. At Tuesday's meeting, the KTDF advisory board approved the recommendation of allotment requests that the Keeneland and Churchill purse estimates were based on. The Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation still has to vote on final approval of the funding at a subsequent meeting. The post MSW Purses At Keeneland And Churchill To Remain Level This Spring Compared To ’25 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

International representation included 37 horses from Japan, led by Godolphin's Pyromancer (JPN). Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher led all trainers with 31 nominees, followed by Bob Baffert (23), Chad Brown (22), Brad Cox (21), and Daisuke Takayanagi (14).View the full article

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races has announced a 7.5% purse increase, effective at the start of the upcoming condition book Feb. 11.View the full article

I've never understood this business of Dry January–the one month when those of us who take a glass of cheer are most grateful for a little respite from the dark and cold. Okay, maybe not a problem in California, but those of you battling all that snow and ice will surely see the merit of Dry February instead. It's shorter, for a start; and ends with the days lengthening and spring tangibly in the air. It's perfectly natural, however, for stallions to have a dry January. Certainly nobody will be paying much attention to a general sires' list for now topped by Exaggerator, and the booty contested in the desert over the coming weeks may well distort the early standings. That said, time may yet show that a significant marker was laid down by one stallion in particular during the opening skirmishes of 2026. Sooner or later, after all, Into Mischief's monopoly must come to an end. And, while the Spendthrift veteran continues to underpin his prowess with corresponding libido and fertility, one of the two pretenders to the crown (the other obviously being Gun Runner) could conceivably have made a decisive thrust last week. First came news that Into Mischief's champion juvenile Ted Noffey is off the GI Kentucky Derby trail. Then Not This Time responded not only with a standout candidate to fill the vacancy, in GIII Holy Bull Stakes winner Nearly, but also with On Time Girl, whose GIII Forward Gal Stakes success on the same card earned 20 gate points for the GI Kentucky Oaks. Following on from Six Speed's Dubai romp a week previously, Not This Time duly ends January as the only American stallion with three graded winners. Among the rest, only Quality Road even has two. As we keep stressing, these Not This Time sophomores belong to a crop still only sired at $45,000. Not This Time | Sarah Andrew Every effort is evidently being made, in terms of the access to a stallion now trading at $250,000, to ensure that the champion turf sire of 2025 tilts his versatility back towards the core of the commercial market. There will doubtless be much satisfaction, then, that his early headlines this year are coming on dirt. Not even the best stallions, however, can take all the credit. And Nearly has also been able to draw on some conspicuously curated maternal blood. For his dam Ib Prospecting doubles down on one of the ultimate Classic dirt brands, Weekend Surprise (Secretariat), whose sons A.P. Indy and Summer Squall stand opposite each other as her grandsire and damsire respectively. Ib Prospecting is by A.P. Indy's son Mineshaft out of four-time Listed scorer Stormy Frolic (Summer Squall)–herself half-sister to GII Hawthorne Gold Cup winner/millionaire Super Frolic (Pine Bluff). That “Surprise package”, plainly very deliberate, did not initially achieve many dividends in Ib Prospecting herself. She had to drop into claiming company as a 4-year-old to break her maiden, in a dirt sprint at Santa Anita in 2018, and then changed hands in each of three remaining starts for between $16,000 and $25,000. The last of those claims was a case of third time lucky for Kristine Gibbons of Wind Hill Farm, Florida, who had targeted Ib Prospecting as being from the same family as Dessman (Union Rags), a farm graduate who had gone on to make big money at the 2-year-old sales that year. (Later beaten a nose in the GII San Vicente Stakes.) Ib Prospecting's first foal, a Bolt d'Oro colt, immediately cleared costs as a $180,000 weanling. Unfortunately she subsequently lost a foal by Not This Time, but Gibbons stretched her budget to return her in 2022 and the resulting colt rewarded that perseverance by realizing $350,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. While his emergence as Nearly must be rather poignant for his breeders, who reportedly lost the mare last year, at least there's a Taiba yearling whose page has gone up in the world. Actually the pedigree has also been lately served by Ib Prospecting's half-sister by Vindication, Frolic's Revenge, dam of three stakes horses including Drew's Gold (Violence), a GI Woody Stephens Stakes runner-up who last month won a Group sprint in Dubai. In trying to depose Into Mischief, of course, Not This Time is extending a rival line of the breed-changing Storm Cat. It is fun, therefore, to see the Storm Cat model (by Storm Bird out of the Secretariat mare Terlingua) mirrored in Nearly's third generation by Summer Squall (another son of Storm Bird, with Weekend Surprise also a daughter of Secretariat). Moreover Storm Cat and Summer Squall respectively sired Nearly's grandsire and granddam out of mares by sons of Blushing Groom: Giant's Causeway was out of the famous Rahy mare Mariah's Storm, and Stormy Frolic out of Mt. Livermore's graded stakes-winning daughter Lindsay Frolic. Its multiple echoes make this a most elegantly crafted pedigree. Gibbons only breeds half a dozen mares a year, and yet the first she ever bought produced Stellar Jayne (Wild Rush) and Starrer (Dynaformer). And that's quite apart from Wind Hill's role in honing the athleticism of the young Nearly, who apparently loved to roll a beach ball around his paddock. Just like Six Speed, incidentally, Nearly ultimately traces to La Troienne (Fr): Six Speed's ninth dam is her 1935 daughter Baby League (Bubbling Over); Nearly's eighth dam is her 1936 foal Big Hurry (Black Toney). Not a bad start to the great matriarch's centenary year. ANOTHER WHO'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE DADDY Weekend Surprise also has a vestigial footprint behind On Time Girl, whose unraced third dam Miss Kilroy was by A.P. Indy. Miss Kilroy was the first foal of Miss Caerleona (Fr) (Caerleon), who had been imported by Stonerside from the Lagardere program in France and subsequently produced Karen's Caper (War Chant), beaten a nostril in both the G1 Coronation Stakes in Britain and the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup once switched Stateside; and also GII Davona Dale winner Miss Coronado (Coronado's Quest). After buying the Stonerside program, Darley retained a couple of Miss Kilroy's daughters: Abby's Angel (Touch Gold) became a stakes winner and dam of a Group 1 sprinter, Comicas (Distorted Humor); while Miss Jean Brodie (Maria's Mon) ran second in the G1 Irish Oaks on only her third (and final) start. But Miss Kilroy herself had meanwhile been sold for just $15,000, as an 11-year-old at the 2009 January Sale. Her new owners sent her to Unbridled's Song and the resulting filly, Cara Marie, after changing hands a couple of times, ran a length third in the GII Lake George Stakes (also won a turf stake round Horseshoe) and so earned a final sale–for $650,000, carrying a first foal by Speightstown, at Keeneland in 2016–to China Horse Club. They sent her for her next cover to Uncle Mo, and sold the resulting yearling to Albaugh Family Stables for $500,000. Girl Daddy wins the GIII Pocahontas Stakes | Coady Media As Girl Daddy, this filly emerged as one of the best female juveniles of 2020: a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', on debut at Ellis Park, she then won the GIII Pocahontas Stakes before running third at the Breeders' Cup. Unfortunately, she derailed there and already next spring was covered by Into Mischief. The Albaugh team will not have needed reminding that Girl Daddy's profile was uncannily similar to that of a certain son of Giant's Causeway whose premature retirement four years previously so disappointed them. They decided to let Not This Time console her that all was not lost. Her Into Mischief filly was sold for $700,000 and has never run. But her “in-house” daughter by Not This Time was retained–and named On Time Girl. So here's another case of a mare playing her part, even for a “daddy” then starting to punch way above fee. AN AUTHENTIC HELP West Coast Equine found a bargain at Keeneland last September when a half-sister to Nearly, who then remained unraced, brought just $10,000. That price presumably reflected the market froideur for her sire, Authentic, down this spring to just $15,000 after starting at $75,000. Given the quality and quantity of his support, there's no denying that the 2020 Horse of the Year has disappointed expectations, despite a Grade I winner from his second crop in Iron Orchard. But the theory that he would never have won a Derby at its regular slot in the calendar is not wholly to his disparagement, if you now take the position that some of his stock have simply needed time. Authentic | Sarah Andrew The $700,000 yearling Westwood, for instance, took six attempts to break his maiden (admittedly highly tried in the process) and last week confirmed himself a maturing talent by winning the GII San Pasqual Stakes. Authentic's fourth graded stakes winner (and eighth at black-type level) admittedly comes from a class-high 212 starters. Where would Complexity (who also has four, plus 12 stakes winners, from 137 starters) have taken the same mares? Who can say. But Authentic was also a little unfortunate that another member of his first crop, Rodriguez, hit problems after his GII Wood Memorial breakout last year. Something about that colt's family obviously works for Authentic, as we saw again last week with an exotic 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', performance by Salloom in Dubai. True, it is a consistently productive one. But this fellow is out of a Congrats half-sister to Cayala (Cherokee Run), whose three stakes winners include none other than Rodriguez. The post Breeding Digest: Nearly Time For A Surprise Package appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Commerce Committee in the Florida House of Representatives reported favorably Feb. 3 on the controversial decoupling bill backed by Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs that would allow either track to cease live racing while retaining their respective casino and card-room privileges. The vote appeared to be 15-9. The decision was largely split along party lines, with the “no” votes cast by Democrats and only two Republicans splitting off from the “yes” votes to oppose the bill. (One voice vote was inaudible during the roll call; the Florida legislature's web page for the bill had not posted the official tally prior to deadline for this story.) Tuesday's thumbs-up on decoupling by the Commerce Committee joins a 10-5 favorable vote passed by the House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee Jan. 14. With both of both of HB 881's assigned committees now reporting favorably, the bill can be scheduled for floor consideration and a vote by the full House membership. A nearly identical companion bill has been filed in the Florida Senate. It has been referred to three committees, but has yet to be scheduled for any debate in that chamber. Decoupling, which means separating legal requirements to host pari-mutuel racing from gaming privileges, is hardly new to Florida. In 2025, a similar version of decoupling ended up getting passed in the House but not the Senate. Testifying before the committee on Tuesday, Lonny Powell, the chief executive officer of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA), estimated that he has appeared before the Florida legislature in 12 of the last 14 years in an effort to keep decoupling from happening. Since 2021, all other forms of pari-mutuel gaming in Florida (greyhound and Standardbred racing, plus jai alai) have ben decoupled. Thoroughbred racing remains the lone exception. This latest version attempts to provide a “runway” in terms of timing that would require Gulfstream and Tampa to give notice of racing suspension as of July 1, 2027, with racing required to continue for at least three years after that notice of intent got filed. Presumably, according to the bill's Republican sponsor, Rep. Adam Anderson, that would be enough time for Thoroughbred owners, breeders and other industry stakeholders to legalize and build a new racetrack somewhere else in the state and come up with a way to fund its purses and operation. Six members of the public-all related to various ownership, breeding and auction organizations based in Florida-testified against the decoupling bill on Tuesday. No members of the public testified in favor of decoupling. Three representatives spoke against it, with two testifying in favor, including Anderson, the sponsor. Powell's comments about the potential adverse impacts of decoupling were blunt. But he also tried to get the politicians to realize that the FTBOA and other stakeholders have a Plan B in the pipeline. “There is nothing in this bill that's really good for the horsepeople. There's nothing that gives us confidence. There's nothing that gives us hope. The horsemen and the horsewomen, the breeders and the owners and farms, with decoupling, face the ultimate devastation of their industry,” Powell said. “But I do want to come here with, once again, a solution, because we heard you last year. We've got to figure out a way to make this issue just move on, and we've got to get our breeders back where they have some confidence in breeding these championship Florida horses,” Powell said. “We do have the only existing permit allowed by law [for a track to be] located in Marion County [that the FTBOA secured in 2011] for this very purpose, in case the racetracks rolled back their racing dates,” Powell said. Back in December, when speaking at the Global Symposium on Racing hosted by the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program, Powell had unveiled a plan to enter into a “mutually exclusive, multi-year agreement” with “a Delaware registered entity” to try and bring a new racetrack in or near Ocala to fruition. Two months ago, Powell identified that group's two principals as Philip Levine, who served as mayor of Miami Beach from 2013 to 2017, and John Morgan, a billionaire attorney based in Florida who is best known as the founder of the personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan and who has active involvement in various Thoroughbred partnerships. “What the challenge is, right now, the way this is designed, is the tracks get to exit [the racing industry] for free, not paying any tab,” Powell told the committee Tuesday. “In fact, they shut off all the revenue to everybody. [So] we now have to assume the economics of the horse side and the track side to get this done… “And I am quite confident that we'll be before you next session with a proposed solution that could very well make winners of everybody around the table. That's one of the best ways to get things done, and that's what we're working on,” Powell said. Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, the committee's Democratic ranking member, said she has two “massive issues” with greenlighting decoupling. One has to do with potentially putting horse people out of their livelihoods at a time when many Floridians already have hardships related to affordability. The second relates to overstepping the local wishes of Broward County voters, 57% of whom she said back in 2005 approved gaming at Gulfstream only because it was a licensed facility that already took horse bets. “Thoroughbred racing is an important part of our economy,” Hunschofsky said. “And I find it very difficult to reconcile when we're in the Commerce Committee, and we're here to support small businesses, [and when] we're having people struggling with the economy right now, struggling to find work, [we] have legislation in front of us now that will literally decimate an industry, an industry that's part of the history here in Florida.” As for the local control, Hunschofsky put it this way: “So now, the state wants to come in and say, 'Okay Broward, you made a decision based on [allowing gaming at a racetrack].' And now we're going to change the rules of the game, and we're not going to go back to the residents of Broward and say, 'Hey, do you still want to have gambling [at Gulfstream] if they take away the Thoroughbred racing?'” As is customary, the bill's sponsor, Anderson, was allowed the last word before the legislation came up for a committee vote. Just like he has at previous hearings, Anderson-in what must have seemed like a mind-boggling paradox to Thoroughbred stakeholders-portrayed himself as a proponent of Florida's breeding and racing industries. After thanking the committee's legislators for offering up only “light questions” related to his bill, Anderson said that he was “especially encouraged by some of the testimony about the industry starting to work on actionable solutions, and that's what we want to see happen. “I think all of you in front of me here know that I'm committed to this industry, committed to the racing community,” Anderson said. “I'm a lover of the animal. I'm a lover of the race. I've been involved in the racing industry for the better part of a decade. I want to see it thrive. But I want to see it thrive independently. Because we value free-market principles.” The post Florida Decoupling Bill Passes Second Committee, Clearing Way For Vote On Full House Floor appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed), who earned over $2.6 million spanning a career which saw him win both the GI Jaipur Stakes and the GI Fourstardave Handicap twice each, was represented by his first foal on January 23rd when a filly was born out of the multiple stakes-placed mare Sustainable (Forestry). The filly was bred by Carlos Cleto. “You can see from this photo, an outstanding foal,” Cleto said. “Casa Creed was an 'iron horse' who won four Grade I's and showed up every race. A very exciting stallion.” Casa Creed is standing in Kentucky at Mill Ridge Farm for $8,500 LF and is part of the Ride Together Incentive Program where the registered breeder of a live foal earns a free season if the resulting offspring wins a straight maiden race as a 2-or 3-year-old. The post Casa Creed Represented By First Foal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

America's Best Racing's Bob Ehalt gives his "At a Glance" analysis of the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.View the full article

Austro-Canadian billionaire and prominent racing owner/breeder Frank Stronach will face a sexual assault trial later this week in Toronto that will be decided solely by a judge, according to a report from the BBC. The article states that 93-year-old Stronach, one of Canada's richest men, has been charged in relation to more than a dozen historical sexual assault allegations that span nearly a half-century. Stronach has pleaded not guilty to the 12 Toronto charges, and has denied all of the allegations against him. Prosecutors have split his case into two separate proceedings, with a second trial in nearby York Region scheduled for later in the spring. The Toronto trial was set to begin Tuesday, but has since been delayed to Thursday. He faces a total of 18 offences involving 13 complainants, according to prosecutors. The post Owner/Breeder Frank Stronach To Face Sexual Assault Trial In Canada appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Grace Muir, founder and CEO of HEROS Charity, received her MBE from Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal at St James's Palace on Thursday, January 29. Muir was recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List and appointed an MBE in June last year, having devoted her life to retraining and rehoming former racehorses and providing educational opportunities for young people. HEROS first achieved official charity status in 2006, before Muir – with support from The Racing Foundation – founded HEROS Education in 2015. HEROS Education aims to provide a safe, nurturing environment for young people who, for a variety of reasons, struggle within traditional learning settings. “This is the biggest honour of my life,” said Muir, who was accompanied at St James's Palace by her husband Michael West, sister Anne Janaway and stepdaughter Dulcie West. “I am passionate about what I do because I truly love my work – it is my life. To be recognised and awarded an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours List was incredible and beyond my wildest dreams. It was a great privilege for my family and I to attend St James's Palace, and it felt especially fitting that Princess Anne presented the award, given her deep involvement in the equine world.” She added, “I hope this recognition will strengthen my ability to advocate for ex‑racehorses and young people. As we celebrate 20 years of HEROS, I remain as determined as ever to advance our mission and expand our efforts to support positive, happy outcomes for both horses and young people.” The post ‘This Is The Biggest Honour Of My Life’ – Grace Muir Receives MBE appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of 367 of the world's top 3-year-old Thoroughbreds became eligible to compete in the 2026 Triple Crown series during the early nomination phase, which closed Monday, Jan. 26, Churchill Downs said in a press release on Tuesday. This year's early nominees span the globe and include several horses that have already made an impact on the 'Road to the Kentucky Derby', led by graded stakes winners 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Further Ado (Gun Runner), 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Golden Tempo (Curlin), 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Intrepido (Maximus Mischief), Litmus Test (Nyquist), Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), Nearly (Not This Time) and Paladin (Gun Runner). International representation included 37 horses from Japan, led by Godolphin's Pyromancer (Jpn) (Pyro), winner of the Listed Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki Racecourse . Eleven fillies were nominated including: Bella Ballerina (Street Sense), Belle of the Barn (Street Sense), Counting Stars (Honor A.P.), Dancin in Old Town (Tapit), Energy Issei (Jpn) (Mozu Ascot), Goldmunze (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}), Perfect Town (Speightstown), Ten Time Top (Jpn) (Nadal), Tokai Ma Cherie (Jpn) (Drefong), Unnatamsa (Jpn) (Pyro) and Zany (American Pharoah). Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher led all trainers with 31 nominees, followed by Bob Baffert (23), Chad Brown (22), Brad Cox (21) and Daisuke Takayanagi (14). Last year, there were 373 early nominees and another five late nominations. Click here for a complete list of Triple Crown nominees. The post Wide Open Trail: 367 Made Eligible For Triple Crown Series appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After his win in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3), Nearly replaced Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate Ted Noffey in the No. 1 spot on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top 3-Year-Old Poll.View the full article

Turfway Park will shift its Feb. 4-5 live racing cards to afternoon programs with a 1 p.m. ET first post in response to forecasted single-digit wind chills expected during the evening hours.View the full article

Martin Hassett, who worked with Coolmore for 36 years before concentrating on training, sent out Moonverrin to win at the Dublin Racing Festival National Hunt racing returned to its roots on Sunday when small-time trainer Martin Hassett hit the headlines with 20-1 shot Moonverrin battling to victory in the Grade 2 Mares Bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival. This was a success that Hassett, who overcame a near-death experience before walking away from full-time employment at Coolmore Stud in a bid to concentrate entirely on training, had worked all of his life for. And boy did he celebrate. However, the 61-year-old on Tuesday morning shared contrasting emotions after stablemate Battle Of Ridgeway could not be saved after suffering an injury and being forced to pull up in Monday's 2m1f handicap chase at Leopardstown. “We're gutted,” the County Tipperary handler said. “It's after ruining the whole thing to be honest. Couldn't have been better above in Leopardstown on Sunday and then the horse died on Monday. It's just gutting. We're absolutely devastated. We don't have a big number of horses and, to go to a Dublin Racing Festival with two of them, it's dream stuff. We really get behind our horses as well and sure this fella was a legend – he was only getting going.” He added, “We only ran him on Monday because we thought he'd win and that would guarantee us a spot at Cheltenham. We were on top of the world on Sunday and I couldn't sleep that night because I was so wound up from the excitement of it all. I couldn't sleep last night but for a completely different reason – I was so depressed after losing the horse. It's an awful game at times.” It was around this time six months ago that Hassett faced an altogether more serious setback. In two minds whether or not to ignore a little flutter in his chest, he decided to visit his doctor. It was then that the room fell silent and Hassett was provided with a whole new outlook on life. “I had a triple bypass about six months ago,” he said, just the same as if he was telling you he picked up bread and milk from the shop. “Before that, I gave 36 good years to Coolmore. My brother, Michael, is the same – he worked for Coolmore and Ballydoyle and only retired recently as well. I worked in one of the outside farms mainly with broodmares and a bit of weanlings in the off season. They were 36 great years and I worked with some seriously great people – the likes of Christy Grassick, Tom Lynch and Aidan Archdeacon, who is probably the greatest horseman I have ever come across. I could not say one bad word about my time there.” He continued, “I had the triple bypass and the Magnier family never flinched. They were very good to me during that time and, it's as simple as this, if I had ignored the problem I'd be dead by now. I never drank, never smoked and I used to run when I was younger. I always considered myself to be the last man that would get heart problems. In fairness, I went to the doctor and I was lucky. He came to me and he said, 'bad news'.” Just a few weeks later, stalwart sprinter Harry's Hill won at Tipperary. Up until that point, Hassett deservedly wore the title as being Irish racing's great early riser by getting his work done while many others were only rolling over in the bed. Training by and large in the dark before scuttling off to the day job at Coolmore wasn't exactly going badly, either. Hassett has consistently enjoyed decent tallies under both codes in recent times. But the triple heart bypass provided him with an opportunity to step back and take stock of it all. He explained, “Harry's Hill won for us in Tipperary shortly afterwards and your perspective on life changes when things like that happen. That's when I decided to give this training thing a proper go. We were going well with the horses we had but I was getting up mad early to muck out and get the work done here before going to the day job at Coolmore. We're going to give it one shot here and we've got 24 horses in at the minute. We're going to give it a right, good crack, I can tell you that. We always felt we could train a bit but it's all about getting the right horses. In Moonverrin, now we have the horse.” Moonverrin's win was achieved in fortunate circumstances with Royal Hillsborough's rider Stephen O'Connor misjudging the winning post. Just a short head separated the two fillies at the line. Yet, Hassett admitted to being slightly peeved about the fact the postscript revolved around the runner-up rather than Moonverrin, who he believes is not being given the credit she deserves. He said, “I'll be honest, I'm a small bit p****d off over the whole thing because I don't think we've got the credit we deserve. Now, I'm not downing the runner-up [Royal Hillsborough] and I genuinely feel sorry for the young fella, [Stephen O'Connor] but she's been a small bit disrespected given the manner in which the win came on Sunday.” On the added emotion surrounding Moonverrin's emergence as a top-notch prospect, Hassett added, “Ned Morris bred her and owns her. After she won at Cork, he said to me that he wasn't selling her unless we got a lot of money. There were plenty of offers but I did what Ned told me to do and I asked for a lot of money. I'd say they [the buyers] got shied off for the money we were asking for and, in the meantime, Ned's poor grandchild, David Lahart, was killed in a car accident just before Christmas. He was only 19 years of age. Ned didn't know whether to laugh or cry after the mare won shortly after David's passing. It was bloody emotional. I never felt as much pressure with a horse before in my life. It was nothing to do with winning or losing, nor money either. It was because the man was broken and all we were trying to do was provide the Lahart and Morris family with a reason to smile. That's all we were trying to do. “Genuinely, when the mare won in Cork, I shed tears myself. After that, he told me not to sell the mare. But what's very funny about the whole thing is that I felt absolutely no pressure going to Leopardstown on Sunday. I don't know why but, in the build-up to the race, my biggest worry was the jeep breaking down on the way up to the races. I know lads will say, 'easy to say it now,' but I couldn't see her getting beaten. That's a fact.” Hassett is leaning towards side-stepping the Cheltenham festival with Moonverrin in favour of a tilt at either Aintree or Fairyhouse in the spring. What's most exciting about the filly, according to the effervescent handler, is that she should develop into an even better jumper next season and beyond. Successes like this, and indeed Declan Queally's breakthrough Grade 1 triumph last month with I'll Sort That, have breathed new life into the National Hunt sphere of late and Hassett's outlook on the game – for all that it can tame lions at times – is a refreshing one. He concluded, “It was bred into us to just drive on – keep trying, keep trying, keep trying. My father used to train a few under a permit and I suppose that's where the love came into it. We're well able to do it. And so are a lot of other lads. Lads will say the game is dominated by Gordon Elliott or Willie Mullins but that's a narrative that lads put out there to down everyone else. What about Declan Queally and all of the other trainers who've had a great time of it over the jumps? There are plenty of trainers who are having a go at this game and that's what National Hunt racing was built on. If you know what you're doing, you'll make a living. We feel like we know what we're doing and we're not lying down. We're having a go.” The post ‘I’d Be Dead If I Didn’t Go To The Doctor – That Gave Me The Perspective I Needed To Give Training A Go’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article