Wandering Eyes

Sitting a picture-perfect stalking trip in a four-horse field, GUN SONG (f, 4, Gun Runner–Nicole H, by Mr. Greeley) pushed by heavy favorite Randomized (Nyquist) to post the 9-2 upset in Friday's GII Beldame Stakes at Aqueduct. Positioned third for much of the first mile as the 2-5 favorite was content to lead, John Velazquez kept his filly quiet and let Margie's Intention (Honor A.P.) back out things before sweeping to the lead as Randomized was left to battle for second with a resurging Margie's Intention. Friday, Belmont At The Big A BELDAME S.-GII, $232,500, Belmont The Big A, 9-26, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:49.45, ft. 1–GUN SONG, 124, f, 4, by Gun Runner 1st Dam: Nicole H (GSW & GISP, $811,144), by Mr. Greeley 2nd Dam: Hot Chipotle, by Victory Gallop 3rd Dam: Cajun Cat, by Storm Cat ($120,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $400,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). O-R. Lee Lewis; B-Marianne Stribling (KY); T-Mark A. Hennig; J-John Velazquez. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 16-5-5-2, $915,720. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Randomized, 124, m, 5, Nyquist–French Passport, by Elusive Quality. ($420,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Cove Springs, LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $50,000. 3–Margie's Intention, 120, f, 3, Honor A. P.–Playful Dancer, by Into Mischief. ($57,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT; $185,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-WinStar Farm LLC and Tom Mueller; B-Coteau Grove Farms, LLC (LA); T-Brad H. Cox. $30,000. Margins: 1 1/4, NK, 35. Odds: 4.77, 0.42, 2.60. Also Ran: Just Music. Scratched: Majestic Oops. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. GUN SONG upsets the Grade 2 Beldame Stakes at 9/2 under @ljlmvel for trainer @Hennigracing, earning credits toward @BreedersCup Distaff entry fees! pic.twitter.com/BgWHgyLYkA — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) September 26, 2025 The post Gun Song Upsets The Beldame appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

GI Santa Anita Derby and GI Preakness Stakes winner Journalism (Curlin) continued to prep for his upcoming start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 1, working a half-mile bullet in company in :47.0 (1/41) Friday at Santa Anita. Journalism shared the bullet for the distance with his workmate, Touch of Destiny (Midshipman), an group-winning import from Uruguay who has not started in the U.S. Of Journalism, trainer Mike McCarthy said “I thought he worked well. It was just an easy half-mile, a leg stretcher.” Journalism most recently was second in the GI Pacific Classic Aug. 30 at Del Mar. The Journalism got a bit more serious today for @mwmracing, breezing outside of a mate @santaanitapark. The 3x Grade 1-winner & Classic @PreaknessStakes hero hit the wire in 47-sharp, galloping out in 59 and change. 35 days til @BreedersCup Classic. #BeastMode #BelieveBig pic.twitter.com/pkqnO5Jjzo — Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners (@EclipseTBP) September 26, 2025 The post Journalism Drills Ahead Of Breeders’ Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Sept. 27 Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) at Newmarket is by no means a straight head-to-head, with four fillies holding major claims, but it could be decided by the outcome of the rematch between Lowther (G2) 1-2 Royal Fixation and America Queen.View the full article

This year's 2-year-old program has marched on without bringing the horses with it. The division is still forming ahead of the Middle Park (G1) Sept. 27, which has as strong a claim as any to be the last real leading 2-year-old race of the campaign.View the full article

Henry and Heather de Bromhead, along with their daughters Mia and Georgia, officially opened the Jack de Bromhead Equine Centre in the campus of ChildVision in Drumcondra. The 1,375 square metre indoor equine therapeutic centre, named in memory of their beloved son and brother, was built as a result of a fundraising campaign spearheaded by Chris Jones. The centre is at the forefront of specialist therapy and education for children with visual impairments and will give children with visual impairments and additional disabilities access to the best global equine activities in a supportive and purpose designed environment. The centre will allow the ChildVision equine team and volunteers to extend their services to reach more children over more hours making a life-changing difference, especially through the winter months and in bad weather conditions. “The equine centre at ChildVision is a wonderful legacy for our beloved Jack, a hugely missed son and brother,” said the de Bromhead family in a statement. “Horses are a huge part of our lives, and we know the physical experience of riding a horse offers so many potential benefits, especially helping address a host of physical, social and emotional issues. More so, the Jack de Bromhead Equine Centre will be a place of learning and hope, full of laughter and joy, traits that were such a part of Jack, all facilitated by the much-treasured horses and ponies that call the ChildVision stables home. “We are delighted to have been part of this journey and today to see this vision become a reality with the opening of the Centre. We are forever grateful to all the donors who came on board to support us – we know Jack would be really proud of what this life-changing generosity will enable for generations to come.” For more information on the centre, please visit the ChildVision website. The post Jack De Bromhead Equine Centre Launched At ChildVision Campus appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A few hours after winning this year's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes with World Beater (Oscar Performance), Riley Mott was home with his family eating takeout pizza. He shared a beer with his father, Bill, and was in bed by 9 p.m. The celebration was quiet, almost ordinary, but the milestone was anything but. Less than three years after going out on his own, Mott, age 33, had claimed his first Grade I win at the track that he had once called his playground and the town where he had first dreamed of following in his father's footsteps. Not long after, Mott returned to the headlines when Argos (Nyquist) claimed the GI Summer Stakes, stamping his ticket to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Mott didn't necessarily set out with such lofty goals for his fledgling stable. His approach was simple: build the right team, attract the right owners, and trust that quality horses would eventually come into the barn. So far, the results are arriving sooner than anticipated. “To be able to win at the highest level so early in our team's career really means a lot,” Mott said. “I'm proud of the team because most of the guys and girls in the barn have been with us from day one. It also says a lot about the ownership that we are lucky enough to work with, that we can compete at the highest level when given the right horses and the right opportunities. I'm just over the moon and hopefully everything from here out this year is a cherry on top.” The son of a Hall of Fame trainer, it's no surprise that Mott's childhood memories are of spending time at the barn. Once he was old enough to start attempting to build sand castles in the shed row while horses were cooling out, he was put to work raking the barn aisle and filling water buckets. By the time he started learning how to walk the pony, he was already dreaming of becoming a trainer one day. “I got addicted to handling the horses and being hands on with them,” he said. “I groomed, I ran the shedrow and I eventually became an assistant. I was lucky enough to grow up around a lot of great horsemen and people within the operation.” After graduating from the University of Kentucky, Mott was an assistant for his father for almost nine years–a period that he describes as the graduate school of his education in the sport. In November 2022, he launched his own stable. “I had the itch for a couple years before I went out,” Mott recalled. “I was 29 and thought I could either stay under my dad for another 10 years and be happy and do well in his operation or I could put what I'd learned to the test and see what I can do on my own. I thought it was the right decision at the right time for my family and I got full blessing from my dad.” From day one, Mott placed an emphasis on curating the right team for his operation. “You can't necessarily control what horses come through the barn or the quality that you're working with every day, but one thing that you can control is the staff that you put in place,” he explained. “Then when that high quality horse or horses do come through, you're ready for it.” In the winner's circle after World Beater's Saratoga Derby score | Sarah Andrew One of the earliest supporters of Mott's operation was Jim and Dana Bernhard's Pin Oak Stud. World Beater came from the first crop of 2-year-olds Mott received from the farm. A $105,000 yearling, the son of Oscar Performance made two attempts on the main track as a 2-year-old before switching over to the turf this year and breaking his maiden at Churchill Downs on May 2. Following a win in the Audobon Stakes and a runner-up effort to Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) in the GI Belmont Derby, World Beater turned the tables on that rival in the Saratoga Derby. The win could not have been drawn up any better for Mott. “For one, it was in Saratoga,” he said. “A Grade I anywhere is special, but Saratoga is my home track where I grew up. Not only that, but my entire family was there–my children, my parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, my wife's whole side of the family.” World Beater added another victory this month in the Sept. 6 GIII Old Dominion Derby. He's now on a planned layoff heading into the fall, with Mott already mapping out a big 4-year-old campaign next year. Mott helps prepare Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) for a trip to Royal Ascot in 2018 | Emma Berry Following World Beater's breakthrough, the barn's latest standout is Argos. A $165,000 OBS March purchase, the son of Nyquist is the first horse Mott has trained for David Romanik, an attorney from South Florida, and his group of partners. Argos broke his maiden at Ellis Park on July 13 and ran third in the Soaring Softly Stakes. Off at 6-1 in the GI Summer Stakes, the bay came flying late to get the win, fending off Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' Wild Desert (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). Now training back at Churchill Downs, Argos is on track for a trip to Del Mar. While Mott has plenty of Breeders' Cup experience, this will be his first representing his own stable at the World Championship meet. “My entire life, the Breeders' Cup has been my Super Bowl,” said Mott. “It's what I've looked forward to all year. I literally daydream about it constantly, so to have one going in just our third year is super exciting and he's not only one that qualified, but I think he's got a legitimate chance to be highly competitive in the race.” Since its launch, Mott's operation has grown into a stable of about 60 horses, with summer strings at Keeneland, Churchill Downs and Ellis Park, and winter bases at Keeneland and Palm Meadows. He hopes to expand further with a Saratoga barn next summer. Mott is well aware that carrying on the family name in racing comes with high expectations, but he doesn't begrudge building his career under the shadow of one of the sport's all-time greats. “It's an honor, because he's my dad and he's my superhero,” he said. “It's really flattering when people say nice things about him, but I find it as a good source of motivation to uphold the standard that he's set forth and the reputation that he has gained over his lifetime. I'd like to uphold that same standard and try to achieve the things that he has. It's a tall order, but I mean, why wouldn't you try to shoot for the stars and accomplish what he has?” Argos wins the GI Summer Stakes | Michael Burns He is quick to deflect comparisons with his father, but admits there's one area where he has the edge. “Maybe I communicate a little better than him and I'm a little more tech savvy than him,” the younger Mott said with a wry grin. “But I would say we're pretty similar. I have my own flavor to some different aspects of what we do in the barn and how we train, but his knowledge has been a major influence on our operation.” His father hasn't been the only trainer to shape his career. Mott said another mentor has influenced his approach to the sport. “One thing I took from Christophe Clement after being around his operation for so long is how he was so involved and conscious of bringing in young people and trying to help their careers,” Mott explained. “That inspired me, after he passed away, in thinking about what I could do to honor him. I think exposing the next generation is super important and something I really want to focus on.” Three University of Kentucky students are currently working for Mott at Keeneland and a University of Louisville student is in his barn at Churchill Downs. For Mott, it all comes back to legacy—not only the one he inherited, but the one he hopes to create. With two Grade I wins, a Breeders' Cup contender and a growing stable, his own story is just getting started. “The main thing is the horses,” he said. “Hopefully the good times keep rolling and we can keep getting fast horses.” The post Riley Mott Building His Own Legacy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

'TDN Rising Star' Damon's Mound (Girvin) leads 64 offerings in the catalog for the 2025 Inglis Digital USA October (Early) Sale which went online Friday morning. Bidding is now open for the online auction with the first lot set to close Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. Eastern, with subsequent listings hammering in three-minute increments thereafter. Among the standouts in the catalog is the aforementioned Damon's Mound, a Grade II winner offered as a racing or stallion prospect. This 'Rising Star' was a quick-starting 2-year-old, breaking his maiden on debut by an imposing 12 1/2 lengths in a Churchill Downs maiden special weight, then adding distance in the stretch to win the GII Saratoga Special Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths in his second career start. He has remained incredibly consistent through his later seasons, finishing in the money in nine of 16 starts–13 of which have been in stakes or graded stakes company–and earning over $780,000. Damon's Mound has continued to perform at a high level in 2025, kicking off his season with a victory in the Sunshine Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park, and earning a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure in this year's GII Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes. Looking to the future, Damon's Mound offers one of the first opportunities to stand a son of the young sire Girvin at stud. Girvin, the sire of Grade I winners Dorth Vader and fellow 'Rising Star' Faiza, has had yearlings command up to $700,000 at this summer's sales. Damon's Mound is offered by owner/breeder Cliff Love, and he is available for inspection at the Saratoga barn of trainer Bill Mott. Also for offer, Presha (Omaha Beach) is a 3-year-old stakes-placed filly who, after selling for $390,000 as a juvenile, showed precociousness on the racetrack, with a 3 1/4-length maiden special weight score at Horseshoe Indianapolis and a third-place effort in the Tepin Stakes on the turf at Aqueduct, where she finished three-quarters of a length behind winner Laurelin (Zarak {Fr}). Offered as a broodmare prospect, Presha offers an international pedigree, with names under the second dam including Bubble Rock, a Grade II winner in the U.S. who became Group 1-placed in Australia; and Blue Chipper, the winner of the G1 Korea Sprint who then shipped overseas to run third in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Presha is consigned by Evergreen Equine. Breeders looking to add to their broodmare bands will also take notice of Chasing Cara (Broken Vow), a multiple stakes-placed mare who is offered in-foal as part of the debut book of champion National Treasure, winner of the both the GI Preakness Stakes and GI Metropolitan Handicap. Consigned by Brookdale, Chasing Cara earned over $326,000 during her racing career, making her contribution to one of the stud book's most influential families, with names including Hall of Famer Sky Beauty, European champion Dayjur, and Grade I winner Violence, among many others. Other mares in the catalogue are offered in-foal to stallions including Grazen, Leinster, Maximus Mischief, Rombauer, Storm the Court, Tacitus, Tizamagician, and Winchill. The slate of yearling offerings is led by a half-sister to Grade I-winning millionaire Carson's Run, by the popular young sire Maxfield. Maxfield currently ranks third on North America's freshman sire list by earnings, including 12 winners and three 'TDN Rising Stars'. Among them are Englishman, who earned an eye-popping 97 Beyer Speed Figure on debut at Churchill Downs. The filly is consigned by Frankfort Park Farm. Weanlings in the catalogue include a colt by Vekoma, the leading freshman sire of 2024. Vekoma has remained white-hot in 2025, with recent graded stakes successes like GII Gallant Bob Stakes winner Mad House and GIII Prioress Stakes winner Praying. Paramount Sales consigns the filly, as agent. “We're coming to the end of the yearling season and everyone is looking towards the breeding shed and 2026,” said Inglis Digital USA CEO Kyle Wilson. “I think we've got some really exciting prospects for breeders and pinhookers who have a little extra cash in their pockets. Racehorses are always in season and we've got some very nice ones on offer. Our team is here to help, so please reach out to any of us for anything.” Interested parties must register for an account on the Inglis Digital USA website and request a bidding limit in order to place bids. Click here to view the catalog and register to bid. The post ‘TDN Rising Star’ Damon’s Mound Leads Inglis Digital USA’s 2025 October (Early) Sale Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Lucky Sweynesse looks to become the third Hong Kong-based horse to win the Sprinters Stakes (G1), one of only two grade 1 sprints on the Japanese racing schedule.View the full article

1st-BAQ, 85k, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 12:35 p.m. ET Courting (Curlin), the 2024 $5-million Keeneland September topper and full-brother to MGISW Clairiere, debuts for Whisper Hill Farm, breeder Stonestreet Stables and Windancer Farm and trainer Todd Pletcher going a one-turn mile. Produced by MGISW Cavorting (Bernardini), Courting is also a half-brother to SW La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro) and a full-brother to MGSP Judge Miller. Rebel Instinct (Into Mischief), a son of GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic heroine Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled's Song) and a half-brother to two-time champion Unique Bella (Tapit), debuts for Chad Brown. The $700,000 FTSAUG yearling is campaigned in partnership by Resolute Racing and breeder Whisper Hill Farm. Dionysus (Nyquist) drew widest of all in post eight for this first career start. The $1.2-million KEESEP yearling is owned by Resolute Racing and is trained by Brown. Three Chimneys Farm homebred Igniter (Volatile), featured in 'Second Chances' following a wide-trip third first out in a live maiden special weight at the Spa Aug. 9, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite. He is trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr. TJCIS PPS The post Saturday’s Racing Insights: $5-Million KEESEP Topper Courting Debuts at Belmont at the Big A appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Although he was the only guest from the Thoroughbred industry to be invited to speak on a panel largely comprised of and aimed at mental health professionals, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith spoke eloquently and poignantly Friday while offering perspectives tinged with gratefulness and optimism regarding how the racing industry has recently stepped up its suicide prevention and wellness initiatives. Smith appeared via videoconference from his home in California during a Sept. 26 session titled “Stigma and Suicide: Breaking the Silence to Save Lives” that was hosted in-person and streamed online by Eastern Kentucky University during the final week of Suicide Prevention Month. Smith began with comments about the unique rigors of being a jockey, a profession in which mental and physical stressors can be intertwined and the workplace is intensely competitive. In racing, as in most sports, Smith said, athletes have long been conditioned to keep quiet about going through trouble in their lives. “A lot of times it's a sign of weakness. There's a lot of money spent on these racehorses. There's a lot of pressure. The purses are in the millions, at times,” Smith said. “And if you show any signs of mental health issues or depression, well, it could cost you your job. “[Owners and trainers] are going to move on to somebody that they feel is more mentally stable,” Smith said. “Although we all go through some sort of mental health issues and depression, no one's able to admit it, especially in sports and especially in a high-pressure situation like riding a racehorse where every half of a second matters and you can make all these decisions that can either win or lose you the race.” “You have to be there, 100% mentally, they believe. So if you show any signs of depression or mental health issues, it'll cost you your job,” Smith said. Smith was asked by a conference participant about what types of reactions he has observed when jockeys in the past have sought out help. “Those that seek out help basically weren't riding much anymore,” Smith said. “You know, we're self-employed. We're independent contractors. So if you're not riding, you're not making a living. It just cost them their job. There are so many jockeys in this industry, [owners and trainers] can just move on to the next guy just like that, and they do. “In our sport, when you win at 20% of the time, you're in the Hall of Fame. So you're losing 80% of the time,” Smith said with a laugh to underscore how prevalent being an also-ran is, even for the best in the business. “A lot of times there's no success, you're struggling to make both ends meet. One moment you're on top of the world and the next you're at the bottom, all depending on how the last race went,” Smith said. “And in our sport, as well, as far as jockeys are concerned, we have to keep our weight at a certain level. So we're constantly pulling weight,” Smith said. “A lot of us will pull anywhere from four to five to six pounds a day. So that takes wear and tear on your body. Not only physically, but mentally as well. So you've got to be able to pull that kind of weight and yet still perform at the highest level, which gets difficult at times,” Smith said. “There's [also] a stigma that just because you're successful, you don't have mental health issues or depression,” Smith said. “Sometimes, some of the most successful people that I've met in life, you would think, 'Why are you depressed? You've got a big house, you've done well,'” Smith said. “I think there's a stigma [that] we only think that people that aren't doing well or aren't successful are having these problems. But even very, very successful people on the highest end, sometimes they're having it just as bad, if not more than others.” Sarah Andrew Smith was asked what forms of professional assistance have been helpful for jockeys and if he, himself, is being counseled or is in recovery for mental health issues. “I'm not in any kind of recovery,” Smith said. “Although like I said earlier, I don't think there's a human being [who] hasn't suffered some sort of mental issue or breakdown or depression, whatever you'd like to call it. We've all gone through it. I'm a man of faith. I believe [in spirituality] very well. I've got a great family. Great friends. I reach out to people. But there's been times when I've even thought, you know…” Smith let that line of thought trail off into silence for a moment. “Sometimes it's just a matter of just holding on for five more minutes and all of a sudden everything changes,” Smith said. “And you like to tell people that, [whether] it's five minutes, thirty, an hour; maybe a day or two, a week. Things will change–for the better, always. At least I believe that.” And the racing industry itself has changed, Smith said. “We've got a lot going now with the Jockeys' Guild, HISA [the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority], and the Race Track Chaplaincy of America, which are on most racetracks, and the Winners Foundation here in California. We've recently partnered with Onrise. We have a lot of places to go, a lot of people to speak to,” Smith said. “Just recently, in the last two years, we've lost two young, young riders, [23-year-old] Avery Whisman and [29-year-old] Alex Canchari,” Smith said. “And they came from great families and good people, and what pushed them to die by suicide, I wish we really knew. Some of it was health issues as far as having to pull a lot of weight, and the other young man was a lot of financial issues that he was going through that caused him to die by suicide.” Smith said the industry has responded. “Our industry has really stepped up recently and taken mental health to a whole level that I never thought it would go to,” Smith said. “I have to say that I'm kind of proud of our industry and our sport that we have done that. We're learning more, and everything is just learning as we go. “Sports in general, I think sports has really done a great job of [addressing] mental health. You see it in the NBA and the NFL and all sports. It's been pretty amazing, and I'm proud of that,” Smith said. “This is something we never would have talked about a couple of years ago,” Smith said. “It's just good to be able to talk to people and to have these organizations that we have now [and] people actually talk about it now a lot more in the jocks' room.” Smith reminisced: “Man, we would never talk about [mental health] in the jocks' room [in the past]. If I was talking to the guy next to me a few years back and he was telling me he had mental issues, I'd be the first one to say that I don't want to be next to that guy, riding next to him. I mean, he's got to make a split-second decision. My life's on the line. “But we all go through it. And once we all start talking about it, I think you feel better about it. And those [who are open about discussing issues] are actually the people that once you talk about it, it's more normal. If I meet a guy that's never gone through it or never said anything, I'm not too sure about him. I think we all need to talk about it. Let it be more open,” Smith said. Smith wrapped up his part in the discussion by pointing out that while the focus of his talk has been about jockeys, there are others within the industry who need help. “Grooms, hotwalkers, the people who work on farms–I hope we can reach out to them. We all struggle, so we're hoping that it reaches everyone.” The post Mike Smith At Suicide Prevention Conference: ‘Sometimes It’s Just A Matter Of Holding On For Five More Minutes’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Legendary trainer and breeder Jim Bolger has confirmed he has put his famous Redmonstown Stud on the market as part of a consolidating of his assets. Bolger sourced the County Wexford farm back in 1990 and, under his expert management, seven Classic winners and 18 Group 1 winners have been reared there in that time. Some of the more famous graduates include Teofilo, Dawn Approach, Trading Leather and Poetic Flare and Bolger says anyone that is serious about breeding a top-class racehorse should consider the 84-acre farm that has a guide price of €975,000. “I am consolidating,” Bolger confirmed. “I have a farm in Rathvilly [in County Carlow] so I will be reducing the number of mares that I keep. They will all be looked after in Rathvilly so I won't be needing the land in Wexford [Redmonstown] anymore.” Asked to sum up how special a farm Redmonstown has been down through the years, Bolger replied, “All you need to do is look at the list of winners that have come out of there. All of the big Group 1 and Classic winners that we have bred came from that land. “We bought it in the early nineties. I don't think there is a farm anywhere in the world of that size that can claim the same amount of success. Obviously it works so anyone who is serious about breeding champions, that's the place to go.” Jackie and Jim Bolger at Goffs | ITM Along with Redmonstown being put on the market, Bolger will offer over 40 yearlings under his granddaughter Clare Manning's Boherguy Stud at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale. That move will result in the master of Coolcullen training “fewer horses” next year. “I will leave all of that to Clare,” Bolger explained of the selling off of his young stock. “I am going to train fewer horses next year. I don't know how many because, for one reason or another, there will be some horses who didn't get to run this year because they might have needed time or whatever. So there will be a few three-year-olds that I will keep on. But the majority of the young horses will go through a ring. I will be just keeping enough horses to keep my hand in [as a trainer] for a while.” The post ‘I Am Consolidating’ – Jim Bolger Puts Famous Redmonstown Stud Up For Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Opulence Thoroughbreds is still in its infancy as a syndicate and their flagship filly Royal Fixation (Palace Pier) has already struck gold for them by winning the Lowther, but a follow-up in Newmarket's G1 Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Cheveley Park Stakes on Saturday would see her enter new territory. Having met with defeat once when runner-up to Venetian Sun in the Duchess of Cambridge, the Ed Walker-trained daughter of the burgeoning first-crop sire currently heads the market for the six-furlong joint-feature on the card and Opulence's racing and communications manager Ed Brown is convinced that is the right call. “I think she deserves to be favourite,” he said. “I've had the discussion with our owners already, but for a syndicate that has only been going five years she can be described as the horse of a lifetime. She's the ultimate professional at home, does everything right and I thought her run in the Lowther was exceptional.” “I got a video off Ed Walker four or five days later of her bucking and kicking,” he added. “He said that good horses come back to the yard after a race like nothing has ever happened and her preparation couldn't have gone any better. Whatever happens, this is likely to be her last run of the year. With a horse like this you might dream of the Breeders' Cup, but this has always been the aim and having never had a Group winner before the Lowther, this would cap a fantastic year for us.” Second to Royal Fixation at York was Jaber Abdullah's America Queen (Havana Grey) and she has strong claims of reversing it given that she was having only her second start there. Richard Hughes is expecting the progression that is obvious on paper. “She ran a bit green in the Lowther and Ryan [Moore] had to commit a tiny bit earlier than he ideally wanted to,” he said. “She has to find a length with Royal Fixation, but she has improved again and I expect them to be much closer together. She will definitely go close.” No renewal would be complete without strong Ballydoyle representation and in the Queen Mary and Railway winner and Phoenix Stakes runner-up True Love (No Nay Never) and the Airlie Stud Stakes winner and Moyglare runner-up Beautify (Wootton Bassett), with the latter treading the same path as last year's winner Lake Victoria. A Different Approach To The Middle Park? Newmarket's other Group 1 jewel is the Tattersalls Middle Park Stakes, where Godolphin's Prix Morny third Wise Approach (Mehmas) looks to hold the aces. Second to Charles Darwin in the Norfolk before slamming the subsequent Gimcrack runner-up Rock On Thunder in the Listed Rose Bowl at Newbury, the half-brother to the 2021 Middle Park winner Perfect Power made the biggest move in a red-hot renewal of the Deauville highlight only to pay for it at the business end. William Buick will be tasked with employing that dramatic acceleration later in the piece here, but interestingly for one of Charlie Appleby's he has never raced at Newmarket and it is possible that the dip may not play to his strengths. The trainer is not dismissing that prospect out of hand. “The only negative I can give is the track,” he said. “I do feel he's a very slick horse and that was why I was keen for him to take his chance in the Prix Morny, I felt conditions there would suit him and the track would suit him.” “We'll always use the dip here as an excuse and I did think about bringing him up here and giving him a gallop, but I just felt we might treat him with the element of surprise on Saturday,” he added. “I didn't really think we'd be participating on Saturday, because I thought ground conditions would go against him and he is a horse that I feel wants quick ground. He's in great order, the ground is tightening up and I think if he produces anything like he did in the Prix Morny he's going to be hard to beat.” Behind in the Morny was David Armstrong's impressive Richmond winner Coppull (Bated Breath), but Clive Cox believes he had valid excuses for that flop. Cox said, “It was very fast in France and we were stuck on a wing and it just didn't work out at all. I think travelling in extreme heat on that occasion didn't help also. He's got a nice middle draw in five and I would hope he would have a competitive chance.” Aidan O'Brien attacks the race with the so-far disappointing TDN Rising Star Brussels (Wootton Bassett), the Flying Childers runner-up Kansas (Wootton Bassett) and possible pacemaker First Approach (No Nay Never), but it is Joseph whose colt has attracted the key market support this week. Second in the Round Tower on debut, the Owning Hill representative The Publican's Son (Beau Liam) is the race's unknown quantity and his trainer is hinting that he could be something special. “It's a big ask, obviously, but he's very fast and we feel he is potentially one who can cope with that jump,” he warned. All Set For Guineas And Derby Pointers Newmarket's other Group race on Saturday is the G2 Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes, where two unexposed sons of Frankel in Action and Ancient Egypt tackle the unbeaten Listed Ascendant Stakes winner Bow Echo (Night Of Thunder) and the likes of Daytona (Wootton Bassett), Humidity (Ulysses) and Pacific Avenue (Dubawi) who have all excited at various stages. TDN Rising Star Bow Echo was impressive at Haydock last time and has continued to dazzle George Boughey and co in the interim. “The one piece of work he did was on the Rowley Mile and it was as impressive a bit of work we've had from a two-year-old,” he revealed. “It was nice to get some match practice, and he couldn't be in much better shape coming into his first Group 2 contest.” “He's the type of horse that if he can take this step up in grade, then the natural next step will be to work back from the 2,000 Guineas next year,” he added. “We'll likely keep him off the track for the rest of the season after this.” If Bow Echo is more one for the course-and-distance Classic next spring, then Amo Racing's 1.1million gns investment Ancient Egypt looks a Prix du Jockey Club/Derby prospect based on pedigree and style of his wins at Beverley and Goodwood. Charlie Johnston, whose father Mark won this four times including with the subsequent Guineas hero Mister Baileys in 1993, is keen to find out more. “I'm sure whatever he does this year, he will be a much better horse next year and he's only going to improve with time and distance,” he said. “But we felt this was the right next step for him in his progression and we wouldn't mind a few more with his potential through the door.” At The Curragh, the G2 Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club Beresford Stakes sees Newtown Anner Stud Farm's Futurity runner-up Geryon (Lope De Vega) taken on by a pair of Ballydoyle representatives in Hawk Mountain (Wootton Bassett) and Port Of Spain (St Mark's Basilica). The former, a son of Galileo 's starlet Hydrangea, has course-and-distance winning form and is bred to improve with each run. The post ‘Horse Of A Lifetime’ Royal Fixation Poised For Cheveley Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A reimagined Saddling Paddock with centralized saddling stalls and a ceremonial Stakes Winner's Circle, along with the new Show Bet Bonus for on-track patrons, are among the highlights of Keeneland's 17-day Fall Meet from Oct. 3-25. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features 3.7 million gns debuter Act Of Kindness. 4.45 Newmarket, Mdn, 2yo, f, 7fT ACT OF KINDNESS (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), the third-highest-priced yearling sold at last year's Tattersalls October Book 1 bonanza at 3.7million gns, had been taken out of her intended debut at Sandown last month and Charlie Appleby sticks much closer to home with the half-sister to Frankel's Fillies' Mile winner Ylang Ylang. Godolphin's precious commodity is taken on by nine peers including TBT Racing's Forbidden Colours (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), an Ed Walker-trained 750,000gns purchase at the same auction whose dam is an unraced sister to the Oaks runner-up Dance Sequence. 3.50 Haydock, Mdn, 2yo, c/g, 7f 212yT POSEIDON'S WARRIOR (IRE) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is another big-money acquisition by Godolphin to debut on the afternoon, being a 900,000gns purchase at the Goffs Orby Book 1 which made him the second-highest-priced colt sold at that auction. A grandson of the Preis der Diana heroine Amarette, the Charlie Appleby representative encounters Amo Racing's 625,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 buy Saxophonic (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a Karl Burke-trained relative of the luminary Alice Springs. 5.20 Newmarket, Mdn, 2yo, f, 7fT OTTOMAN EMPRESS (GB) (Zarak {Fr}) may not have cost as much as Godolphin's other high-profile debutantes earlier on the afternoon, but as a 550,000gns half-sister to the Appleby stable's five-times Group and Graded-Stakes scorer Ottoman Fleet (Sea The Stars) is no back number. If she likes this track half as much as her Wise Dan-winning half-sibling, she could be okay as she faces eight rivals on her first outing. The post Seven-Figure Tattersalls Sensation Act Of Kindness Debuts At Newmarket appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Enoch (Frankel), a half-brother to Wootton Bassett's Prix du Jockey Club, Champion and Irish Champion-winning sire Almanzor, was sent off at 4-1 for Newmarket's seven-furlong maiden on Friday and raced in rear after a tardy start. Staying on powerfully up the hill inside the final furlong, George Strawbridge's homebred collared the long-time leader Battle Apple (Cracksman) en route to a 1 1/4-length success. “He's been a horse we've taken our time with,” John Gosden said. “The mare had one brilliant horse and it's not worked out too well since then, but this is hopefully a smart colt. He's not over-big, but I like the way he's improved in his work through the last six weeks. Rab [Havlin] had a nice feel off him the other day in his work, we weren't expecting him to come and win but he's done it well.” “We're still in September, so I might see what else there is for him,” he added. “Whether he can go for a novice or something more interesting, we'll see. I think he'd handle a bit of cut in the ground.” The winner is out of Darkova (Maria's Mon), who other than Almanzor has produced three Stakes performers including this colt's Listed-placed full-sister Natasha. The family includes the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and Prix d'Astarte-winning champion Darjina (Zamindar), Polish Precedent's Prix du Jockey Club-winning sire Darsi and Wootton Bassett's GIII Franklin-Simpson Stakes winner Guildsman. Unfortunately, Darkova's 2024 filly by Lope De Vega died this year. Impressive debut Enoch (Frankel) thunders home to make a winning start, providing John & Thady Gosden and Rab Havlin with quick doubles @NewmarketRace @BoyleSports | @BritishEBF pic.twitter.com/gcxTKYiAhG — Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 26, 2025 6th-Newmarket, £23,000, Mdn, 9-26, 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:26.16, g/f. ENOCH (IRE) (c, 2, Frankel {GB}–Darkova, by Maria's Mon) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $15,818. O/B-George Strawbridge; T-John & Thady Gosden. The post Winning Debut For Almanzor’s Half-Brother Enoch At Newmarket appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Multiple Graded/Group winner Drafted (Field Commission) has been named the 2025 Bill Kraatz Thoroughbred Makeover Ambassador Award recipient, the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) announced Friday morning. Named for the late past chief steward Bill Kraatz, the award recognizes a graduate horse that has gone on to serve as an ambassador for the athleticism and trainability of retired racehorses in their career beyond racing. Selected by a committee of Makeover officials, Drafted will be presented as the newest member of the honor roll. A millionaire on track, and a globetrotter who visited two other regions of the world during his career, Drafted is described by owner Katie Tarasevich as not what she expected as a 10-year-old, but saw similarities early enough to believe that it was a match meant to be. “I travel a lot, and I noticed that his race career took him to all of the same places I've traveled–I've been to England, I've been to Dubai. And we both have screws in our right ankle!” “He's game for anything,” Tarasevich said, who was still moving between an electric wheelchair and a walking boot when she brought Drafted home. “I wanted an all-rounder, because I like to do a lot of different things with my horses: we've done some hunter shows, some dressage, we've showed in-hand, and we do trail obstacles and trail events all the time.” Drafted participated in the Thoroughbred Makeover and the Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program Championships in 2024 as well as numerous shows and organized trail and endurance rides. Tarasevich says that, while he's a professional in competitions and during outings, at home he's let the bright lights get to him. “I joke that the fame of his international racing career went to his head,” laughs Tarasevich. She says if Drafted doesn't feel that he's getting enough attention from people nearby, he's been known to pick up objects and throw them. The grey knows how to work a zipper and also turns the lights on and off in the barn if he can reach the switch. For his owner, Drafted has been the perfect partner to bring back her confidence and show just what a Thoroughbred is capable of beyond the track. “I haven't found anything that he's scared of or won't try.” The post Drafted is 2025 Bill Kraatz Thoroughbred Makeover Ambassador Award Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A 16-strong field loaded with two past winners of the G1 Sprinters Stakes will vie for the 1200-metre feature at Nakayama on Sunday. Seventh in the 2024 edition to Lugal (Duramente) with Namura Clair (Mikki Isle) third, Satono Reve ran third in the G1 Hong Kong Sprint last December. After defeating Namura Clair in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen in March, he was a good second to Hong Kong Horse of the Year Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize a month later. In action during Royal Ascot, the Lord Kanaloa entire ran second to Lazzat (Territories) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. Sunday is his first start back and he leaves from stall seven. Said trainer Noriyuki Hori, “His two seconds in his recent overseas races were disappointing, but they were both very solid performances. The horse has a lot more experience now and has developed considerably as a racehorse. I don't think he's not suited to the Nakayama 1200 meters. I think he's capable of getting good results and proving that he is suited to the race.” Since taking the 2023 Sprinters Stakes, Kurofune mare Mama Cocha has enjoyed mixed fortunes. This term she has fared better, winning the G3 Ocean Stakes in March over this course and distance. Third in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen later that month, she has rolled a pair of twos–in the G2 Keio Hai Spring Cup to Toshin Macau (Big Arthur) and to Kangchenjunga (Big Arthur) in September's G2 Shankei Sho Centaur Stakes, respectively. Adding an extra dash of intrigue is Hong Kong raider Lucky Sweynesse (Sweynesse). In his pomp when the champion four-year-old and champion sprinter on the island in 2023, the four-time Group 1 winner appears to be rounding back into form. A winner of the G2 Sprint Cup over this trip in April of 2024, he was sixth and fourth, respectively, in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize and the G3 Sha Tin Vase in the spring. The current racing season is less than a month old, and he ran an encouraging second in a Class 1 handicap on opening day. Ka Pilina (Dunkirk) enters after defeating June Blair (American Pharoah) in the 1200-metre G3 Hakodate Sprint Stakes in June in a record 1:06.60, while Puro Magic (Asia Express) won the G3 Ibis Summer Dash over 1000 metres in August. The post Star Sprinters Clash At Nakayama As Top-Level Racing Resumes In Japan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Keeneland's 2025 Fall Meet is set to be the most lucrative in the track's history when it kicks off Friday, Oct. 3, and will also highlight a re-imagined saddling paddock–among other projects–for the 17-day season, the track announced Friday. The purses for 22 stakes during the course of the meet will be worth a total of $10.85-million, led by the GI Coolmore Turf Mile at $1.25-million that Saturday, Oct. 4 during Fall Stars weekend. It will dually function as a showcase of horses taking aim at the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar in November. Fans coming onto the track will notice the saddling paddock with centralized stalls and a ceremonial Stakes Winner's Circle, and will have the opportunity to partake in the new Show Bet Bonus for on-track patrons. Keeneland will also host ever-popular special events like Make-A-Wish Day; College Scholarship Day, presented by Lane's End; Kids Club Day, sponsored by Kentucky Children's Hospital; Heroes Day, and Sunrise Trackside. As is tradition, weekend tailgating on The Hill will also return. Racing will be conducted Wednesday through Sunday during the Fall meet, and gates open at 11:00a.m. First post is 1:00p.m. with complimentary digital programs available for download here. “Keeneland's Fall Meet is a joyous celebration of Thoroughbred racing's most cherished traditions brought to life by the people, the moments and the legacy that connect us season after season,” Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “We're thrilled to unveil the enhancements we've made to elevate the race-day experience, bringing fans closer than ever to the excitement and pageantry of our sport. With the richest purses in Keeneland history and the 40th anniversary of our iconic turf course, this Fall Meet is set to be a landmark celebration.” The post Keeneland Fall Meet Will Showcase Most Lucrative Season Ever, Construction Enhancements appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Lucky Sweynesse looks to become the third Hong Kong-based horse to win the Sprinters Stakes, one of only two Grade 1 sprints on the Japanese racing schedule.View the full article

Straight No Chaser is back for a repeat bid Sunday in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park, and he's already secured a berth to this year's Sprint Nov. 1 via a win earlier this year in Saudi Arabia.View the full article

This week's radio and television schedule, compiled by America's Best Racing.View the full article

Coming into Friday's G2 Joel Stakes a colt on the rise, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Zeus Olympios (Night Of Thunder) emerged from the mile feature with unbeaten record intact and reputation firmly enhanced. Delivered by Clifford Lee to upstage Godolphin's 4-5 market-leader Opera Ballo (Ghaiyyath) heading out of the dip, the 2-1 second favourite who had taken the G3 Superior Mile earlier this month drew away to score by 2 1/4 lengths. “The Godolphin horse settled better than we did early on and had first run on us, so he's obviously a good horse,” trainer Karl Burke said. “He arrived to us at the end of last year and had a little injury as soon as he came, but sometimes with those immature two-year-olds with stress fractures it can be a blessing in disguise as they can really develop and strengthen.” “The Night Of Thunders that I have had can be a little bit fragile as two-year-olds and he's over all that now and moving really well. He came with a bit of a reputation from Roger [Varian]'s, but we were working with the handbrake on until we knew he had an engine [on debut] at Kempton.” “It's been small stepping stones all the way, but next year with that big turn of foot I would imagine we'll start off in the Lockinge and go from there. The owner has Rosallion in the QEII next month, so I would think he won't go there but I will have to speak to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid.” He's fast! Zeus Olympios remains unbeaten, winning the the Group Two Joel Stakes impressively under @CliffordleexLee for @karl_burke @BoyleSports | @NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/qXLyB1EwT8 — Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 26, 2025 The post ‘He’s Obviously A Good Horse’: Burke Thinking Big With Night Of Thunder’s Unbeaten Zeus Olympios appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Remington Park's Thursday night nine-race card had to be cancelled after technical difficulties, the track announced via press release Sept. 25. All wagers made that night were refundable and any guest who bought an official program on track could also seek a refund from the program stands. Racing will resume Friday through Sunday, Sept. 26-28 with Sunday hosting the GIII Oklahoma Derby. The first race nightly is at 6:00p.m. central while first post for Derby Sunday is 3:00p.m. The Thoroughbred season at Remington Park continues through Dec. 20. The post Remington Park’s Thursday Card Canceled Due to Technical Difficulties appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Express Train is ready to defy Father Time again Sept. 27 for the C R K Stable of Lee and Susan Searing in the Goodwood Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

Due to technical difficulties beyond Remington Park's control, The Sept. 25 nine-race card was canceled.View the full article