Wandering Eyes

Victorious Forever's Simon and Ed Crisford trainee Zanthos (Sioux Nation), a €1-million Arqana Breeze-Up sale graduate, attained TDN Rising Star status in the colours of KHK Racing at Newmarket's July course in August and rebounded off a second behind Touleen (Lope De Vega) earlier in the month to make all for a career high in Friday's G2 BoyleSports Home Of Early Payout Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket. “We just said to Oisin [Murphy] to keep her happy and let her use her stride,” explained Ed Crisford. “I thought she was maybe doing a bit too much in the early part, but she was travelling so well. I was a bit nervous the last half-furlong, but she stuck on well and she's a classy filly. We didn't realise the pace was going to be that slow [at Leicester last time], we'd tried to do something different and it turned into a two-furlong sprint. Whether that suited Touleen that day I'm not sure, but we put our filly behind and she was doing too much. Oisin told us to put a line through the race and to move on, so we were confident we were going to run well today, but maybe not beat the Leicester winner. She's obviously a very talented filly with a lot of ability and hopefully she can turn into a proper filly.” Looking ahead, Crisford added, “We always felt she'd definitely stay a mile, but today it looked like she was tying up coming up the hill. The sensible thing is probably to put her away [for the season] and bring her back for a [G3] Fred Darling or a [G3] Nell Gwyn in the spring and see where we go from there. We always felt she would stay a mile, the riders at home felt she would stay a mile and Oisin feels she could stay a mile. She's a good quality filly and an exciting filly for next year.” Breaking smartly and racing in isolation with a clear advantage underneath the stands' side rail until well beyond halfway, the 15-2 chance was never seriously threatened and maintained a high tempo in the closing stages to withstand the late threat of The Prettiest Star (Starman) by a half-length for a black-type breakthrough. Pedigree Notes Zanthos, a half-sister to the dual stakes-placed Bakhchisaray (Motivator), is the latest of six reported foals and one of four scorers from as many runners produced by the dual stakes-placed Brioniya (Pivotal), herself a half-sister to G2 Ridgewood Pearl Stakes victrix Beshaayor (Iffraaj) and to the dam of stakes-winning G2 Mill Reef Stakes runner-up La Bellota (Mehmas). The May-foaled chestnut's second dam, the miltiple Group-placed Listed Pipalong Stakes and Listed Bosra Sham Fillies' Stakes victrix Bahia Breeze (Mister Baileys), is a half-sister to the dams of G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte victrix Classic Flower (Calyx) and the dual stakes-placed duo Rock On Baileys (Rock Of Gibraltar) and Orchid Bloom (Farhh). Zanthos makes most to land the G2 @BoyleSports Home Of Early Payout Rockfel Stakes pic.twitter.com/xsSgkbm8Nl — Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) September 26, 2025 The post Sioux Nation’s TDN Rising Star Zanthos Makes All for Rockfel Triumph at HQ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ashley Meadows’ patient handling of The Scunner (NZ) (Shamexpress) is bringing its rewards on the racetrack, with the exciting talent kicking off his six-year-old season with a runaway victory in the Cavallo Farms & Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1400m) at Otaki on Friday. The $50,000 race was the fifth win from only a 13-start career for the Shamexpress gelding, who has now banked over $140,000 in stakes. “He’s a really, really nice horse,” Meadows said. “The ability has always been there. We’ve just given him that little bit of time to mature and develop, and he seems to have come back a different horse this time in.” The Scunner debuted as a summer four-year-old and recorded a win and a placing from four starts in that 2023-24 season. He took a step forward at five, collecting three wins in an eight-start campaign that culminated with a 1600m Rating 75 success at Trentham in May. Friday’s first-up assignment marked another big step up, tackling open company for the first time. The Scunner got in on the 54kg minimum weight and was sent out as a $4.60 second favourite on the strength of a trial win at Foxton on September 16. Jockey Samantha Collett slotted The Scunner into fifth spot through the first half of the race as Liquid Les and Turn The Ace duelled for the lead. Collett allowed The Scunner to stride forward down the side of the track, and he cruised up alongside the leaders under his own steam. The race was all over when Collett pushed the button in the straight. The Scunner dashed clear and opened up a winning margin of four and a half lengths over Turn The Ace and the late-finishing Enrico. “I was really happy with everything he’d shown me this time in, and his trial on Tuesday last week was great, so I was expecting him to do something pretty good today,” Meadows said. “It was nice to see him deliver.” The Scunner won a $65,000 race on New Zealand Cup Day in November of last year in his first and only look at Riccarton. Meadows has yet to commit to a return to that Christchurch carnival. “I’ve got nothing set in stone as far as plans with him for this season are concerned,” the Awapuni trainer said. “We’ll enjoy this win and let the dust settle, then decide where to head next.” The Scunner was bred by Gloria Kenny and is out of the Diamond Express mare Miss Daphne, whose dam Miss Katella is a half-sister to Group One winner Gee I Jane and the stakes winner Miss Jessie Jay, who produced Group One winners Katie Lee and Banchee. View the full article

The Challenge, presented by GaineswayView the full article

Lucky Sweynesse canters around Nakayama on Friday morning. Picture: HKJC. Derek Leung will carry an immense sense of pride to the races in Tokyo, Japan this weekend as he relishes the challenge of international competition and representing Hong Kong, China aboard Lucky Sweynesse in the Group 1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) at Nakayama. Leung, 37, has 499 Hong Kong racing wins and will aim to become only the fourth local rider — after Tony Cruz, Vincent Ho and Matthew Chadwick – to reach the 500-win milestone at next Wednesday’s National Day fixture at Sha Tin. Before that, though, he will take two mounts on Saturday at Nakayama in readiness for his pairing with Lucky Sweynesse on Sunday. “I can’t wait for this Sunday. It’s my honour to represent Hong Kong. I’m very lucky to have the trainer and owner’s support to go overseas and ride. I hope everything goes smooth and that we can run a good race,” Leung said. “My dream is to try and get as many winners as I can and win Group 1s as well. If I am lucky enough to represent Hong Kong overseas, for me, it’s an honour and a big achievement.” Leung links with Smart Weiss in the Shufu Stakes (1600m) and Sumire First in the programme’s finale (Race 12) on Saturday. Smart Weiss is a three-time winner from seven starts. The son of Lord Kanaloa sports the familiar pink and black colours of owner Toru Okawa, who raced dual Sha Tin winner Smart Charade with trainer Chris So. “I have two rides on Saturday in races 11 and 12. I will see the draws and try to get good results. Thank you to the owners for their support,” Leung said. Aboard Lucky Sweynesse in trackwork this week, Leung has gained a valuable feel ahead of the weekend for Nakayama’s unique contours, featuring a long sweeping back section which heads downhill before turning into a short home straight (310m) with a steep incline. The Manfred Man-trained Lucky Sweynesse steps from gate 10 in Sunday’s Sprinters Stakes against 15 rivals, including Satono Reve (barrier seven) – who brings Ka Ying Rising and Royal Ascot form to Nakayama – as well as Mama Cocha (four), Namura Clair (six), Toshin Macau (11), Lugal (15) and Win Carnelian (16). “You can see Satono Reve has performed very well in Hong Kong, Europe and Japan. Of course, he is a hot favourite here. I think, I respect all of the horses, it’s a very strong field and hopefully we can get some luck and a good result,” Leung said. “The draw is a bit wide. We will see on Saturday and Sunday what the racecourse is like, coming from behind, midfield or forward. We’ll try to plan it out later. There are quite a few leaders positioned outside, so they need to work a bit to get in.” A product of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Apprentice Jockeys’ School, Leung has won two Group 1 races in Hong Kong aboard Beauty Generation in the 2017 G1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) and Victor The Winner in the 2024 G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), although success aboard Lucky Sweynesse this Sunday profiles as a new pinnacle for Leung. “His fitness is improving. We know his action is fine and that he keeps getting better and better, but with this class you need to be in top form to run well. This season, he sounds good, though the weather limited him to less training before the season started because of the rain,” Leung said. Man, 68, became a fully-fledged trainer in 2001. He won the 1979 QEII Cup on Go-Getter as a jockey before climbing the local ranks as an assistant trainer, notably under the tutelage of top trainer John Moore. Earlier this month, Man united with jockey Jerry Chau as the second all-local combination to win a race abroad – a feat that he is aiming to repeat on Sunday with Leung – in South Korea’s Group 3 Korea Sprint (1200m, sand) on September 7. Trainer Ricky Yiu and Alex Lai first secured the landmark with Ultra Fantasy in the 2010 Sprinters Stakes. “My horse’s form is very well. We are all satisfied about this trip and everything is fine. He has come to Japan and at first, he feels like a stranger, but after a few days it looks like he loves Japan more than Hong Kong,” Man said. “We feel that everything is fine. The draw is a little bit wide and the better chances from Japan have a better draw.” The trainer has worked Lucky Sweynesse each day on the turf course at Nakayama since Wednesday’s final gallop, citing added experience as the reason ahead of Sunday’s 59th running of the Sprinters Stakes. “In Hong Kong the grass track isn’t always open. In Japan over these few days, they have opened the grass track for us each day, so we decided to have the horse practice on the grass track so that he can get more experience,” Man said. “Thank you to the JRA (Japan Racing Association) for inviting us to race here. I hope my horse gets a good result.” Barrier 10 is the joint-second most successful draw since 1990 (to 2024) with five wins, equal to gate 13, while barrier eight leads the way with seven winners. Overall, 16 attempts have been made by runners from Hong Kong to capture the Sprinters Stakes, with Silent Witness (2005) the only other triumphant, along with Ultra Fantasy. View the full article

The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes will rely on Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto) as their major chance in a Stakes race at Sandown. Rise At Dawn (NZ) (Almanzor) was also an acceptor for the Gr.3 Sandown Stakes (1500m) on Saturday but instead will head to Sydney to contest the Gr.2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill. Ben Hayes said a rich race in Sydney during the spring was in the back of their minds with Rise At Dawn who resumed at Flemington on September 13 finishing third to stablemate Cafe Millenium (Not A Single Doubt). “He’s in great order and with him we’re thinking the Five Diamonds over 1800 metres might be a good race for him,” Ben Hayes said. “He ran so well so well in the Doncaster going that way as well. “It was a tough run first-up and he’s really come on well and there is the option of coming back down here and running in the Toorak.” Rise At Dawn had been posted as third favourite in the Sandown Stakes behind stablemate Evaporate and Transatlantic (Snitzel) before his scratching and being Sydney bound. Hayes said Evaporate had overcome a slight virus which ruled the galloper out of the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield last Saturday. “He got a little virus which put him back a week, so we had to back off,” Hayes said. “We didn’t want to take any risks being the horse he is, but he trialled last Friday and trialled well. “We’ve done a gear change, which I think a lot of the punters will like, taking the earmuffs off, and he’s right back on track and I feel it’s a good race for him to run well on a nice big track.” Evaporate has not raced since finishing a first-up fifth to Private Eye (Al Maher) in the Gr.2 P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 16. On the corresponding weekend of racing last year, Evaporate won the Gr.2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley before going on to finish third in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m). Hayes said Saturday’s set-up where Evaporate has drawn off the track will suit. “He’s drawn a barrier where he will get a bit of galloping room, which he needs,” Hayes said. “I think you’ll see the real Evaporate on Saturday.” The Lindsay Park operation will also have The Pendragon (NZ) (US Navy Flag) in Saturday’s race who had his first start for the stable when last to Angel Capital (Harry Angel) in the Listed Chatauqua Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 6. Hayes said the rise in distance would suit The Pendragon and the stable was expecting an improved performance. View the full article

Otaki horseman Johno Benner has a good association with the Karaka Millions, and he could have another serious contender on his hands for January’s showpiece. He won the 2014 edition of the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) with Vespa and the inaugural Karaka Millions 3YO Classic (1600m) with Scott Base in 2018, when training in partnership with Hollie Wynyard, and exciting juvenile De Armas put herself in a strong position to qualify for the former race when winning on debut at her home track on Friday. After winning her 600m trial at Foxton last week by 10 lengths, she was backed into a $1.70 favourite in the Vets On Riverbank Two-Year-Old (800m) and won accordingly. She jumped away well under jockey Kelly Myers and settled outside leader Spellbound. The pair matched stride for stride for much of the journey before De Armas showed her class in the final 200m when dashing away to score by 4-3/4 lengths. “She was very good,” Benner said. “She has done a lot in a short time, she is definitely pretty smart. “She has always shown plenty. It is hard to line the trial form up, we could only go off what we had seen with all of the other horses there. She definitely showed what we hoped she could and has the action of a filly that is going to appreciate a bit of a drier surface and a bit further again. It is all looking positive.” Benner was also buoyed by her impeccable barrier manners, having been forced to wait in the starting stalls for several minutes while the subsequently late-scratched Singletary failed to load. “She has got above average ability, but she has also got a very good brain, which helps these young ones go a long way,” he said. Benner purchased the daughter of Ardrossan out of Elsdon Park’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Online Yearling Sale on Gavelhouse Plus for $16,000, and he is pleased she is fulfilling the potential he saw in her last April. “I like the Ardrossans,” he said. “She is a beautifully balanced, athletic filly and she just moved so well. She had a great head and eye and had that look of a sharp filly. “I did a bit of study and saw the dam won her first couple of starts and showed a lot, so I thought you can’t make them for that money. I was rapt to get her for $16,000, and being a filly, there are a lot of upsides to that. I am glad I kept hitting bid.” De Armas has already exceeded he purchase price in earnings, having banked $23,000 for Friday’s win, which will go a long way in qualifying her for the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO at Ellerslie on January 24. “Something that I have learned over the years is that if you are chasing it (Karaka Million start), you are probably doing the wrong thing,” Benner said. “They are either not good enough to be there or you are pushing a horse that shouldn’t be pushed. The good ones take care of it for you. “$23,000 should get her in, but we have obviously got a fair bit of water to go under the bridge before January, but it is a good start.” De Armas will now have a freshen-up before chasing valuable black-type in the Gr.2 Happy Hire Wakefield Stakes (1100m) prior to Christmas at Awapuni. “She is going straight to the paddock and she will have a few weeks off and all going well she will target the Wakefield at Awapuni on the 20th of December,” Benner said. “We will possibly look at one more run at Ellerslie before the Millions, but we will just take it as it comes.” While he has tasted success in the Karaka Millions, Benner is under no illusions of the task ahead, but is confident he has the filly to give it a good shake. “She is up there with him (Vespa, prior winner) and we have thought that for a fair while, just because of natural ability,” Benner said. “I feel it is a lot harder now because I think the competition is a lot stiffer than it was back in 2014 for obvious reasons, Te Akau being one of them. “You have got to have a serious horse to compete, but she definitely ticks a lot of the boxes that are required.” View the full article

The father-son training partnership of Peter and Trent Didham recorded their first win when Danjuro scored a tough victory in Friday’s The Tele Otaki Handicap (2100m). A fourth generation of trainers was added to the Didham dynasty when 27-year-old Trent joined his father in partnership earlier this month, and the pair made a promising start with two seconds, a fourth and a fifth from their first six starters. The breakthrough came with Danjuro in Friday’s $50,000 open handicap at Otaki. Ridden by Kavish Chowdhoory, the talented five-year-old settled in third behind Revo and Jack Morrison. That pair began to feel the pinch coming down the side of the track and faded right out to finish second-last and last. Chowdhoory got Danjuro rolling and took command, rounding the home turn with a clear lead. Royal Flower, King Khan and Swingit Our Way all tried hard to reel him in down the straight, but Danjuro kept finding and held on to beat King Khan by a long head. It was a 99th career training success for Peter Didham, and a highly satisfying first for Trent. “It feels good to get that first win, and it was a good tough effort by the horse,” he said. “He’s always had the ability and he’s starting to put things together now. His attitude and things like that have really picked up this time in. Hopefully he can go on with it. “We’re working towards the Waverley Cup (2200m) in a few weeks as his next target, and then we’ll go from there.” The Waverley Cup will be run for a $50,000 stake on October 19. Waverley is also in the stable’s sights this Sunday, where Shameless Star contests the NZB Mega Maiden Series (1200m), Can Do lines up in the O’Keefe Ultra Scan Maiden (1400m), and Felucca resumes in the J Swap Contractors (1200m). Shameless Star showed promise as a two-year-old last season, finishing fourth in both of her first two starts to earn a shot at the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). She resumed with a close and strong-finishing second in a 1200m maiden race at Wanganui on August 30. Shameless Star was a $55,000 purchase from Book 2 of Karaka 2024 and is Karaka Millions eligible, putting her in line for a $25,000 bonus if she wins Sunday’s Mega Maidens race – $20,000 for the owners and $5,000 for the trainers. “She ran a really good race first-up,” Didham said. “She didn’t do much for a week or so after that race, but then we started to pick things up with her again and we’re really happy with how she’s been going. Hopefully we can get that Mega Maiden bonus for her owners.” Can Do was a last-start placegetter on the Awapuni synthetic track and will wear blinkers for the first time on Sunday. “It was a solid effort last time and we’re hoping putting the hood on might improve him a little bit more,” Didham said. “His work on Tuesday morning was very good.” Felucca has been off the scene since February but has pleased her trainers with two trial wins leading into her return to racing this weekend. “I’m quite surprised that she’s opened as a $19 chance,” Didham said. “Her trials have been very impressive. She beat Bold Belle in the most recent one, and that horse went well in the open sprint at Trentham last weekend. We think she can run a good race fresh.” View the full article

Trainer John O’Shea has confirmed that Group One winner Linebacker (NZ) (Super Seth) will bypass the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) after striking a minor setback in his spring campaign. “He won’t go to the Epsom, he’s had a little setback,” O’Shea said. “We had a day in Sydney where there was seven inches of rain. He must have just put his foot down awkwardly when he was trotting out to work and he just had a bit of a sprain of his ankle.” “We’ve resolved that. He spent a week at the beach and it settled down.” With the Epsom now off the table, O’Shea and his team have recalibrated Linebacker’s spring campaign. “We’re probably going to trial him on the 7th at Randwick and then head to the Silver Eagle (A$1 million, 1300m) on Everest Day before heading to the Golden Eagle (A$10 million, 1500m) on November 1,” he said. Winner of the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) in the Autumn, Linebacker resumed earlier this month in the Gr.2 Tramway Stakes (1400m), finishing seventh. While the result was plain on paper, O’Shea said there was no cause for concern. “We weren’t too worried about that. We were actually really pleased with the way he was going,” he said. “We were desperate to run him in the Epsom. Obviously, with 54 kilos, he was extremely well-weighted, and that was his main target in the spring. “But anyway, it’s not to be, and hopefully we can get him back on track in the coming weeks.” View the full article

The Scunner wins at Otaki on Friday first-up. The Scunner winning at Otaki on Friday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Ashley Meadows’ patient handling of The Scunner is bringing its rewards on the racetrack, with the exciting talent kicking off his six-year-old season with a runaway victory in the Cavallo Farms & Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1400m) at Otaki on Friday. The $50,000 race was the fifth win from only a 13-start career for the Shamexpress gelding, who has now banked over $140,000 in stakes. “He’s a really, really nice horse,” Meadows said. “The ability has always been there. We’ve just given him that little bit of time to mature and develop, and he seems to have come back a different horse this time in.” The Scunner debuted as a summer four-year-old and recorded a win and a placing from four starts in that 2023-24 season. He took a step forward at five, collecting three wins in an eight-start campaign that culminated with a 1600m Rating 75 success at Trentham in May. Friday’s first-up assignment marked another big step up, tackling open company for the first time. The Scunner got in on the 54kg minimum weight and was sent out as a $4.60 second favourite with betting sites on the strength of a trial win at Foxton on September 16. Jockey Samantha Collett slotted The Scunner into fifth spot through the first half of the race as Liquid Les and Turn The Ace duelled for the lead. Collett allowed The Scunner to stride forward down the side of the track, and he cruised up alongside the leaders under his own steam. The race was all over when Collett pushed the button in the straight. The Scunner dashed clear and opened up a winning margin of four and a half lengths over Turn The Ace and the late-finishing Enrico. “I was really happy with everything he’d shown me this time in, and his trial on Tuesday last week was great, so I was expecting him to do something pretty good today,” Meadows said. “It was nice to see him deliver.” The Scunner won a $65,000 race on New Zealand Cup Day in November of last year in his first and only look at Riccarton. Meadows has yet to commit to a return to that Christchurch carnival. “I’ve got nothing set in stone as far as plans with him for this season are concerned,” the Awapuni trainer said. “We’ll enjoy this win and let the dust settle, then decide where to head next.” The Scunner was bred by Gloria Kenny and is out of the Diamond Express mare Miss Daphne, whose dam Miss Katella is a half-sister to Group One winner Gee I Jane and the stakes winner Miss Jessie Jay, who produced Group One winners Katie Lee and Banchee. View the full article

Manfred Man Ka-leung and Derek Leung Ka-chun were left slightly disappointed when Lucky Sweynesse drew barrier 10 for Sunday’s Group One Sprinters Stakes (1,200m) at Nakayama Racecourse. Bidding for a fifth elite-level success, Lucky Sweynesse will have to overcome the double-figure draw in the capacity field of 16, while key rivals Satono Reve and Namura Clair fared better than the Hong Kong sprinter with barriers seven and six, respectively. Lucky Sweynesse heads into the feature sprint, which...View the full article

By Jordyn Bublitz Romeo Foxtrot proved once again that grit and determination count for plenty when he claimed victory in the IRT. Your Horse. Our Passion. Handicap Trot at Cambridge Raceway last night. The eight-year-old son of Majestic Son, trained locally by Susan Branch, began brilliantly off his 25-metre mark and quickly took control of the race with Zachary Butcher in the sulky. The pair dictated terms from the outset and, despite a late charge from Johnny Who, held strong all the way to the post. Branch, who has enjoyed a fruitful season this year, admitted she wasn’t brimming with confidence heading into the race after the gelding had endured a health setback following his previous start. “We were absolutely rapt with his last start at Alexandra Park over the 1700m, he worked hard early and was only three lengths off of them at the line,” she explained. “But the next morning he couldn’t walk, he came out in boils all over his chest, so we did very little with him between runs.” “We weren’t overly confident heading into last night, we knew he was a little under-done and he did blow out a bit, but he held on long enough to get the job done!” That resilience has been a hallmark of Romeo Foxtrot’s career under Branch’s care. Since joining her stable, he has put together an admirable record of six wins and 14 placings, proving himself a reliable campaigner. “He’s such a cool dude, he tries hard every time and is perfect to do anything with,” Branch said. Romeo Foxtrot’s consistency has also turned 2025 into Branch’s most successful season since she first took out her trainer’s license back in 1978. All of her stable’s $88,343 in stake earnings this year have come courtesy of him. While Branch is realistic about where her trotter sits in the pecking order, she couldn’t be prouder of his efforts. “He’s not quite level with the best of them, but he always tries his heart out.” View the full article

The field for the $1m IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup has had a trans-Tasman shake-up. Western Australian trainer Greg Bond has officially withdrawn Minstrel and (Gee) Heza Sport from the country’s biggest race at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. Minstrel, the winner of 27 races and over $1.6m, was third in his last race at Gloucester Park on September 12, with Gee Heza Sport finishing fifth. Minstrel was ninth in this week’s rankings and Heza Sport 13th. Their defections mean there will be a juggling of places in next week’s rankings. It is particularly good news for the connections of horses like Dalton Shard and American Me, who are currently just outside the top 15 cut off. The next rankings list will be released on Tuesday night on The Box Seat (Trackside, 8pm). View the full article

The Sept. 28 Zenyatta Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park pays fitting tribute to one Hall of Famer, but it is another one, Beholder, who may hold more of a key to this year's running of the 1 1/16-mile race for distaffers.View the full article

The TAB has come up with a new market for those not keen on investing on hotpot The Lazarus Effect at Addington tonight. The Bob Butt-trained and driven Lazarus four-year-old is the shortest favourite of the night at $1.08 to secure his fourth career win from just six lifetime stars in Race 2, the Garrards Horse and Hound Mobile Pace (5.33pm). With him dominating the market the TAB is now offering a “The Lazarus Effect Out” option. With him out of the picture J T Boe is paying $2.40 for the win, with Quinn next at $2.60. To see the market click here The TAB often offers such options and there is a similar one for the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11 which excludes the Aussie superstars Swayzee and Leap To Fame. View the full article

Stakes-performed filly Miss Ziggy will take a big step down in class at Riccarton on Saturday and attempt to shed her maiden tag in the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap Maiden (1400m). The daughter of Brazen Beau has recorded five placings in her nine-start career so far, headed by a third behind La Dorada and Vega For Luck in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie in January. Miss Ziggy was a last-start fifth in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton two weeks ago, where she was beaten by four lengths by the impressive Miss Starlight. “I was happy enough with her run in the Canterbury Belle,” trainer Andrew Carston said. “She’s not helping herself by doing a few things wrong, which we’re hoping to iron out. “She’ll run in the 1400m maiden on Saturday. I think that bit of extra distance will suit her. “She’d have to be one of the better maidens in the country at the moment, and we’d like to get rid of that tag. This is probably D-Day for her – hopefully she’ll give us a good showing and keep her spring campaign on track.” Miss Ziggy is nominated for both the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) on November 8 and the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) a week later, with the TAB offering fixed-odds quotes of $31 for the 1000 Guineas and $41 for the 2000 Guineas. Carston’s team at Riccarton on Saturday also features a number of other potential feature-race contenders during the New Zealand Cup Carnival in November. Saturday’s Join TAB Racing Club Mile Prelude (1400m) will be the first raceday appearance since December for six-race winner Jon Ol Rocco, who is rated a $51 chance for the Gr.3 Join TAB Racing Club Mile (1600m) on November 12. “He’s coming up really well,” Carston said. “He trialled super and went to Timaru for a very good exhibition gallop. “He’s definitely going to need this run, he’s been off the scene for quite a while, but it’s a nice race to kick him off in and I’m very happy with the way he’s going so far. “At this stage, his campaign is centred around the big mile on the middle day of the carnival.” Former North Island stayer Ess Vee Are was an eye-catching fourth over 1600m at Timaru on September 7 in his first start for Carston. He steps up in distance in Saturday’s Waimakariri Businesses North Canterbury Cup (2000m) as he builds towards the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m), for which he is rated a $26 chance. “That was a really pleasing first fun for us,” Carston said. “It was a big effort against a strong field and over a distance well short of his best. “He’s heading towards the New Zealand Cup and is showing us all the right signs so far. “It’s another strong field this weekend, but going up to 2000m suits and he seems like he’ll only continue to get stronger and stronger as he builds towards the Cup.” Carston’s other runners include last-start winners Say Satono in the Cup Week Tickets On Sale Rating 75 (1200m) and Maybe Diva in The Plough Hotel Rating 65 (1400m). “Say Satono is coming up well this time in and won nicely first-up,” Carston said. “Staying at 1200m again for her second-up run might be a little bit of a query, I don’t think I’ve done that with her before. But I’m trying to keep her fresh with the goal of running her in the Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (Gr.3, 1400m) on the first day of the carnival. She has plenty of weight to carry on Saturday, but I couldn’t be happier with how she’s going. “Maybe Diva came down from the North Island and has had only one start for us and won it impressively, so we can’t complain about that. She’s gone the right way since that race and I see no reason why she wouldn’t be a good chance again going up to Rating 65 company on Saturday.” View the full article

Exciting three-year-old Yamato Satona will carry colours well-known to the harness racing code when commencing his career at Te Rapa on Saturday. A colt by Satono Aladdin, Yamato Satona was a $250,000 purchase at the Karaka Yearling Sales by top harness trainer Barry Purdon, his wife Katrina, and Montana Park’s Dean Shannon, who have combined for success with the likes of star pacers Merlin and Sooner The Bettor. They entrusted Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott with Yamato Satona’s training and while he didn’t appear as a juvenile, Scott noted he showed ability from an early stage. “Barry and Dean selected him themselves and were kind enough to give us an opportunity to train him, they’ve bought a very nice horse,” he said. “They have been very patient, and while he probably showed enough to get going at two, Barry was really keen to wait for him to turn three and bring him on then. “Wexford has a long history of training the odd galloper for the Purdon family, that certainly stems back over many years. Hopefully this one can get to a good level of racing.” The colt has had five trials over the past twelve months, the most recent of those being the strongest on rain-affected surface at Rotorua, which bodes well for what he is likely to strike in the AM Roofing 1300. “He has come up very well this spring, he trialled well and we don’t think he’ll mind the sting out of the track,” Scott said. “While he’s taken on the older horses and some winners, we think he can be putting in a performance that says he’s got a bright future.” Yamato Satona will be joined in the MAAT contest by stablemate Kusuda Rush, who debuted in the autumn for a third behind Gr.2 Timberspan Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) contender Geneva. “He’s had the benefit of a run in the autumn and he’s come back a stronger colt,” Scott said. “He trialled well at Rotorua and he’s another with a good load of ability, just lacks the experience of one or two others. “We expect both horses to be racing in good three-year-old races through the season.” Stable stalwart Waitak is expected to appreciate a step up in distance and the soft ground in the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m), having had no favours in the straight when finishing 11th in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) first-up. “We were well pleased, whilst it was disappointing he didn’t have good fortune, the performance was there,” Scott said. “Both we and Craig (Grylls, jockey) believe that with clear air, he would’ve worked to the line strongly. “He’s come through the race well having not had a hard run and he’s continued to work on, bearing that in mind. We’ve got a hunch that he enjoys the softer ground, so hopefully he can excel there. “We don’t think the draw (15) is a bad thing, if the ground is off a little bit, sometimes being out in the wider ground can be an aid. It’s certainly going to give him a chance to relax from the gate, find a rhythm and we’re going in quietly confident of a bold showing.” It will be take two for She’s All That in the Amore Roses 1200, having missed her resuming run with the late abandonment at Taupo earlier in the month. Scott has looked on the positive side of that result and has high hopes for the daughter of Time Test as a stronger four-year-old. “When she went down to Taupo, an outing like that can certainly bring on their condition and the race stimulation of standing in has tightened her up nicely. It had been a while since her trial,” he said. “She’s a stronger mare which she lacked last year, but she’s bouncing in her work and we think her first run is going to be a real bottler. “We think she won’t mind a bit of give in the ground, so we’re expecting a bold run fresh.” Of Wexford’s remaining runners, Scott gave a particular push for stakes winner I’munstoppable, who resumes off a 287-day absence in the Craigs Investment Partners Sprint (1100m), which also features Reptak. “I’munstoppable has won the Cambridge Breeders Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m) there before, and we think she prefers going left-handed, so she should put in a bold performance fresh,” he said. “Reptak is flying, he’s come out of the winter in good form. “Ribkraka loves Te Rapa and he’s been super consistent all winter, he’s looking great in the coat and should run another good race. Crackercol is three on the ballot, but his racing is getting better and better and he looks close to a win. “We’re hopeful of a good day.” View the full article

Check out the great racing offers available from horse racing bookmakers on Friday, September 26. Enjoy bonus back deals and other promotions to boost your betting experience. Explore these specials from top online bookmakers and get more value from your bets. Top Australian racing promotions for September 26, 2025, include: Today’s horse racing promotions Moonee Valley Races 1-6 | Run 2nd or 3rd Bonus Back Activate your Bet Back Tool in your Betslip on Races 1-6 at Moonee Valley this Friday and if your runner comes 2nd or 3rd, get up $50 back as Bonus Cash. Bet Back Tool is only available to use on the day of race & must be activated on bet placement on Fixed Win bets, and on races with 5 or more runners. T&Cs apply. Neds T&Cs apply. Login to Neds to Claim Promo Sandown All Races | 3+ Same Race Multi Bonus Back If 1 Leg Loses Place a 3+ leg Same Race Multi bet on any race at Sandown this Wednesday and if 1 leg of your multi fails, get up to $50 back in Bonus Cash. Applies to first resulted 3+ leg multi with one losing leg. Available from approx. 8:30am local track time on race day. Availability dependent on field size. T&Cs apply. Neds T&Cs Apply. Login to Neds to Claim Promo Blonde Boosts! Elevate your prices! BlondeBet T&C’s Apply. Eligible Customers Only. Login to BlondeBet to Claim Promo Copycash – Get Copied. Get Paid. Get paid $0.10 every time someone uses Copy Bet to copy your bets. Eligible Customers Only. Login to Dabble to Claim Promo 500% Winnings Boost! – Moonee Valley Get 500% BOOSTED WINNINGS paid in BONUS CASH. Fixed win only. First eligible bet on Moonee Valley. Must apply Promotion in betslip. Max Bet $10. Cash bet only. Max bonus $250. T&Cs apply Eligible customers only Login to Picklebet to Claim Promo Bet Boost | Friday Thoroughbred Meetings Get a bet boost on thoroughbred races around Australia on Friday. Eligible customers. Login to Bet365 to Claim Promo Moonee Valley All Races | Friday Best Tote Exotics Includes Quaddies, Exactas, Trifectas & First 4s. Check your vault for eligibility. Login to Unibet to Claim Promo Owners Bonus – Win a bet on your horse & receive an extra 15% winnings in cash Max Payout $2000. Account holder must be registered as an official owner of the nominated horse. Fixed odds win bets on Australian thoroughbred races only. Excludes boosted, multi, live and bonus bets. PlayUp T&Cs apply. Login to PlayUp to Claim Promo Odds Drift Protector | If Your Horse Drifts, You Get The Bigger Price Only available on Australian Horse Racing Fixed Price Win bets placed from 8am AET the day of the race. Eligible customers. Login to Bet365 to Claim Promo How does horsebetting.com.au find these racing offers? HorseBetting.com.au reviews Australia’s top horse racing bookmakers to share the best thoroughbred promotions for September 26, 2025. Bookmakers are always competing, so if one doesn’t have a deal, another usually does. Rely on HorseBetting.com.au for daily racing bonuses and betting specials. Get better value with competitive odds and offers for existing customers. Just log in to your betting account to see what’s available. For extra help picking winners and using your bonuses wisely, check out our daily free racing tips. View all horse racing promotions View the full article

What Golden Rose Day 2025 Where Rosehill Gardens Racecourse – James Ruse Dr, Rosehill NSW 2142 When Saturday, September 27, 2025 First Race 11:55am AEST Visit Dabble The Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) headlines the action at Rosehill this Saturday afternoon, with a bumper 10-race program set for decision. The rail reverts to the true position for the entire circuit, and with no rainfall forecast leading into the weekend, it should mean the early Good 4 rating holds for race-day. Below are HorseBetting.com.au’s free tips, feature bets and quaddie selections for Golden Rose Day 2025, which is scheduled to commence at 11:55am local time. Golden Rose Tip: Wodeton Wodeton was the eye-catcher in the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m) on September 13, and the Wootton Bassett colt gets the ideal setup to turn the tables on Tempted. He draws gate one to sit closer in transit, steps out to the favourable 1400m for the first time this preparation, and regains the services of star hoop James McDonald. The pair map to be stalking stable companion Beiwacht throughout the journey, and provided he can get clear running as they turn for home, the 2025 Golden Rose should be in Wodeton’s keeping. Golden Rose Race 8 – #4 Wodeton (1) 3yo Colt | T: Chris Waller | J: James McDonald (56.5kg) Shannon Stakes Tip: Rise At Dawn Rise At Dawn was tough first-up at Flemington in the Listed Tontonan Stakes (1400m), sitting forward on a strong tempo before being swallowed up by Cafe Millenium in the shadows of the post. He maps to get it all his own way in the Group 2 Shannon Stakes (1500m), with Joshua Parr set to saunter across to the front from barrier 11. He should be able to tick over a soft sectional in the middle stages, and with a lack of speed for the backmarkers to come into play, Rise At Dawn should take plenty of chasing down. Shannon Stakes Stakes Race 9 – #4 Rise At Dawn (11) 5yo Gelding | T: Ben, Will & JD Hayes | J: Joshua Parr (56.5kg) Golden Pendant Tip: Firestorm Firestorm boasts a terrific first-up record of six starts for four wins, while she has three victories and a placing across her four attempts at Rosehill. The speed should be genuine, and gate five should allow James McDonald to find cover. The Chris Waller-trained mare possesses the best turn of speed amongst this lot, so expect Firestorm to be surging over the top in the Group 2 Golden Pendant (1400m). Golden Pendant Race 7 – #2 Firestorm (5) 5yo Mare | T: Chris Waller | J: James McDonald (56kg) Heritage Stakes Tip: Akaysha Akaysha rattled off the fastest closing splits in the Listed Cap D’antibes Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on September 13, just missing out as My Gladiola was off and gone with the prize. She should take big improvement into this second-up assignment and gains the run of the race from barrier three. Provided she can peak again in the Listed Heritage Stakes (1100m), the $5 on offer with horse racing bookies looks like good value. Heritage Stakes Race 6 – #11 Akaysha (3) 3yo Filly | T: Peter Snowden | J: Rachel King (54kg) Best Bet at Rosehill: Lord Of Biscay Lord Of Biscay got a pass mark when returning at Rosehill on August 30, sucking the breeze three wide without cover when well held by Lady Extreme. The five-year-old gelding should have no issues slotting in for cover this time from barrier one, and he looks to find a winnable BM88 contest while stepping out to 1400m second-up. Trust James McDonald to avoid being locked away on the inside as they turn for home, which should give Lord Of Biscay enough room to pounce. Best Bet Race 5 – #3 Lord Of Biscay (1) 5yo Gelding | T: Kris Lees | J: James McDonald (60kg) Rosehill Saturday quaddie tips – Golden Rose Day Rosehill quadrella selections Saturday, September 27, 2025 1-2-6-8 4-9 1-2-4-8-12 7-8-9-11-14 Horse racing tips View the full article

What Sandown Stakes Race Day 2025 Where Sandown Racecourse – 591-659 Princes Hwy, Springvale VIC 3171 When Saturday, September 27, 2025 First Race 12:10pm AEST Visit Dabble The traditional AFL Grand Final Day meeting awaits punters at Sandown, where a competitive eight-race card is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1500m) headlines proceedings, while punters will get a better read on the three-year-old fillies in the Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m). The rail comes out 3m for the entirety of the Hillside circuit, while the track is rated a Good 4. Although there are some showers forecast for Melbourne on Thursday and Friday, fine conditions on Saturday should mean ideal conditions for racing. Below are HorseBetting.com.au’s free tips and feature picks for Sandown Stakes Day 2025, with the action set to commence at 12:10pm AEST. Thousand Guineas Prelude Tip: Custom Custom caught the eye when running on strongly at Moonee Valley in the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m). She was beaten two lengths by the smart Alpha Sofie but was the one out of the race, suggesting she is worth sticking with for the step up to 1400m. Mark Zahra will need a touch of luck from barrier one, but if the gaps come at the right time, Custom has the finishing burst to blouse her rivals in the 2025 Thousand Guineas Prelude. Thousand Guineas Prelude Race 6 – #8 Custom (1) 3yo Filly | T: Ciaron Maher | J: Mark Zahra (56kg) Sandown Stakes Tip: Evaporate Evaporate has not been seen since a luckless run in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) on August 16, where he showed a strong turn of foot to finish on the heels of genuine Group 1 runners. After a five-week freshen, he looks poised to strike in the 2025 Sandown Stakes. With even luck, Blake Shinn will have Evaporate in clear air in the home straight, and he should prove too hard to hold out this time. Sandown Stakes Race 7 – #1 Evaporate (10) 4yo Gelding | T: Ben, Will & JD Hayes | J: Blake Shinn (59kg) Best Bet at Sandown: King Zephyr King Zephyr went well in defeat at Moonee Valley first-up, doing his best work late over 1200m when beaten a length by the in-form La Fracas. He draws to gain a beautiful run in transit from barrier four under Jordan Childs and should be stalking the leaders throughout. The son of Hallowed Crown is already a winner when second-up, and with race fitness now on his side, King Zephyr simply looks too good for this BM84 field. Best Bet Race 4 – #1 King Zephyr (4) 5yo Gelding | T: Grahame Begg | J: Jordan Childs (59kg) Next Best at Sandown: Gold Medallist Gold Medallist has started her career with three straight wins, and her latest success at Bendigo suggests she is worth following on her first trip to town. The four-year-old mare produced a strong turn of foot when racing behind a strong speed, and she looks set to gain a similar run in transit under Emily Pozman from barrier two at Sandown. If she puts forward anything close to what she did last time out, Gold Medallist should be atop the podium once again. Next Best Race 1 – #2 Gold Medalist (2) 4yo Mare | T: Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman | J: Emily Pozman (a3) (60.5kg) Saturday quaddie tips for Sandown Sandown quadrella selections Saturday, September 27, 2025 1-2-3-7-9 1-5-8 1-2-3-13 2-9-11 Horse racing tips View the full article

Full Serrano is making only his second start of 2025 in the Goodwood at Santa Anita Park, with an eye toward another appearance in the Breeders' Cup.View the full article

Johannes, the defending City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2T) winner and second in last year's Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), returns as the even-money morning-line favorite in this year's edition at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

Santa Anita Park will deny computer-assisted wagering accounts access to win pools with two minutes to post at the track's fall meet, which begins Sept. 26.View the full article

Undefeated Ciunas looks to give Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield a record 10th Breeders' Stakes win Sept. 28 at Woodbine.View the full article

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's proposed 2026 budget has been out for its mandatory public comment period and is now before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The topline comes out to just over $78.4 million. If credits to the industry are fully applied, then the cost to the industry is around $60.4 million. HISA has already responded to nine public comments posted to the federal register. Its response, however, doesn't include those subsequently submitted by Churchill Downs Incorporated's (CDI) CEO, Bill Carstanjen. CDI is hardly an impartial voice in this matter. The company is suing HISA because the 2025 budget was approved under the old formula for calculating assessments, based in part on purses. The current formula (based on both starts and purses) is set to change for next year (to one solely based on starts). Nevertheless, Carstanjen's comments mirror in effect many of the questions and concerns industry stakeholders frequently raise about the cost of operating HISA. For its part, HISA has broached budgetary matters from the public before, including a 90-minute Town Hall earlier this year. The organization has also posted a two-page factsheet on the budget. To talk CDI's comments and next year's proposed budget in general, the TDN sat down Wednesday with Lazarus. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity. TDN: Before we get to the budget specifically, let's quickly talk the sport's economic health. I've written a lot over the years about the economic dangers of concentration at the top end of the market hitting a winnowed out middle and bottom end. What's your response to fears of a shaky middle and bottom end of the sport? LL: I would say some of that is a false narrative related to the fact that people have a general opposition to HISA because they don't want to be regulated. For example, Emerald Downs just had its best year in a really long time. Turf Paradise was just [leased] to an investor that plans to put some real money into Turf Paradise. Tampa [Bay Downs] has had a good year. I would love for somebody to share with me which racetracks are struggling. I'll tell you who is struggling. Hawthorne's struggling because they half-built the casino and then stopped. There are [also] some existing conditions that well predate HISA. For our product to be better and to be more professional, there does need to be some retraction. For example, it's hard to understand why certain racetracks are running at the same time in certain states. Our job, which is welfare, we [need] to be able to deliver the right amount of racing for the horse population. We don't want to overtax the horses that we have and run them too often because we know that too many high-speed furlongs are one of the things that has the potential to cause injuries and ultimately death. So, do we have enough horses to run the races that we have? I'm out there because I care about Finger Lakes and Tampa and Emerald Downs-racetracks that do a really good job on safety and care, but don't have access necessarily to gaming revenue or the same sorts of [horse] populations the strongest racetracks have. So, I agree that that's an area we need to focus on. TDN: Let's get to the budget. Carstanjen points to this overall dynamic: While the number of covered races HISA oversees has dropped by around 25% between 2023 and 2025, the HISA budget hasn't fallen commensurately with it. As such, the per-start fee has risen sharply. Is the current per-start fee the right number? LL: First, I'll say his numbers are wrong. He's basing his calculations on numbers that are not accurate. In 2023, we only had the [Anti-Doping and Medication Control] program for half a year. So, it's not a good barometer. In addition to that, he's not taking credits into account. But putting all that aside, I do think that a per-start fee is a good barometer. And one of the challenges that we face there is, we're not at scale. Because of the Supreme Court case and litigation, we have some very big racing jurisdictions are not under HISA's authority, two of whom have tremendous number of starts, West Virginia, Louisiana, for example. As we get to a resolution from the Supreme Court on HISA, we're either going to be all in or out. If we're all out, then this conversation's irrelevant. If we're all in, that means that West Virginia, Louisiana, Texas, they'll all be part of the overall cost structure. And if you look at the numbers, because I've looked at them very carefully, the amount that they assume of fixed costs is much more than it takes for us to service them. So, bringing them into the system will make a huge difference. The other thing about the 2023 numbers is that we included West Virginia and Louisiana in those numbers. We thought they'd be in. They ultimately ended up not being in. So, those numbers [used by CDI to calculate number of covered races] are just not accurate based on where we ended up at the end of the year. Either way, there's very little correlation between the number of starts and HISA's costs. I think there's this sort of misunderstanding or misconception that the majority of HISA's job is to run an anti-doping program. We have so many more responsibilities than that. We have technology responsibilities to build a portal, to collect information, to create risk assessment models. We've created five apps. We have integrated with about 12 different companies to make life easier for veterinarians when they put their billing records in. We do racetrack accreditations-we took over from the [National Thoroughbred Racing Association]. We spend a lot of time on jockey welfare, physical and mental. We have a national medical director who, when Brian Hernandez got hurt last week, was on the phone coordinating his care, making sure that his medical records were transferring. None of that happened before HISA. We have a national database now for jockeys that didn't exist before. We've public affairs initiatives. [Note: The TDN followed up post-interview on the actual number of covered starts. According to HISA, there were 214,935 covered starts in 2024, and 220,635 covered starts in 2023. HISA's originally projected covered starts for 2025 is 173,988] Bill Carstanjen | Coady Photo TDN: Carstanjen claims HISA's administrative overheads have “created duplication and inefficiencies that are unnecessarily and unsustainably driving up the costs borne by the racetracks covered by HISA.” What's your response? LL: It's the complete opposite. It used to be that every state operated in its own silo, okay? [We] essentially built the system from scratch. Now, we're able to achieve these economies of scale by working directly with racetracks and commissions so that we're not duplicating jobs. One of the best examples is, we took what was something like 15 labs countrywide down to four. We did a great service to the industry by getting rid of the labs that were unprofessional, incompetent, and frankly lacked integrity. Now that we have fewer labs, we get much better pricing per sample. Like anything else, if you're going to give more volume to one lab, they're willing to be more accommodating on price. Same thing with shipping. Now, we have uniform equipment, we handle the shipping from one central place, and we take advantage of those efficiencies. I think where Mr. Carstanjen gets that impression is how when HISA launched, a lot of changes happened in Kentucky statewide, particularly with their commission. Mark Guilfoyle came to work for us-he had been the head of the [former] Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. And on top of that, the current administration [the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation] got sports betting and tripled and whatever [in revenues]. So, Churchill Downs hasn't seen those efficiencies as much in Kentucky as they've seen them elsewhere because of the growth of HHR and all the additional regulation that they've needed to put in place on the commission side. TDN: While the budget has become more detailed with each passing year, I hear often from stakeholders they'd like HISA to much more thoroughly detail key aspects of the budget, including a detailed breakdown of salaries. Isn't this something HISA should be doing? LL: Absolutely we should be giving as detailed a budget as possible. Anybody who writes to me or writes to our CFO and ask questions that are not answered by looking at our online documents, we answer those questions. We're detailing as much as we can in terms of the salaries. There's only 26, 27 I think employees. [Some of] our salaries are already in our 990s, which are public. I think it's the top 10 or 12 [who are]. I've had to get used to this because I was never in public service before. I was always in the private sector. As a personal view, it doesn't feel great for people to know what you're earning. But as somebody who leads the organization with my senior staff, that is an understandable quid pro quo. Laboratory technician | ARCI We do what every other nonprofit does in terms of sharing the top salaries. Should [we] have to share the salary from a more junior employee? I'm not adverse to that. But that's also a little bit unfair to somebody who's just starting their career. In terms of being accountable for how we spend salaries and at least sharing with the industry what we spend on salaries in the IT department versus the comm's department, that I am very happy to share. And by the way, we're required to provide the FTC every year with a market index on our salaries versus market. They heavily scrutinize salaries. We do have significant oversight there. And we also have a board that approves our finances. TDN: What about the vendors? A more detailed breakdown of requests for proposals, who responded, costs? LL: I'm happy to be transparent and share information with anybody who wants it. The challenge with saying, 'we're going to share because we have a lot of vendors and we have a lot of responsibilities to share every single proposal and every single process,' we're just going to end up increasing our costs because we're going to need more people. It's a constant balance between what resources we want to spend money on and what sort of transparency we think is important. But certainly, if the feeling is that there's more information the public wants to see, we'll look at that. TDN: The lab testing and sample collection expenses in the proposed 2026 budget are only slightly reduced from the 2025 budget. What explains this, given the decrease in races needing to be processed and the efficiencies you identified earlier? LL: Because we were already realizing those efficiencies. They're not necessarily new efficiencies. [Some], they've [only] been in place since this year. We've only had four labs this year. The money we spend with the laboratory isn't just on sample analysis. It's also on research, on making sure that, with certain substances that recur in our samples, we are in the right place from a science standpoint in terms of screening limits and all that. For example, the Metformin study that we did recently should be completed any day now. That was funded through our lab testing budget line. That's a number that we use as like a credit line. If we can gain more efficiencies as time goes on, we won't spend up to that. We haven't spent up to the budget number for lab testing to date. TDN: Another point CDI raises is the lower sample-per-race testing ratio in Kentucky now than pre-HISA (a ratio that's also lower at other states). Should the sample-per-start ratio be more uniformly higher across the country? LL: It's a complicated question because the testing plan is based on intelligence, experience, and a number of different factors that are not just simply about volume. So, it's hard to say that we need to be at a certain test-per-race. We're still figuring out what's the lowest number of tests that [costs] the least amount of money to feel comfortable that we're maintaining that level of playing field. But that's the goal. Lisa Lazarus | The Jockey Club photo TDN: Do you have a timeframe with which to get to that sweet spot? LL: I can't say that we'll be there by a certain time, but it's something I'm seeing real gains with. We have debates all the time: Should we always test the winner? Should we be doing more out-of-competition and less post-race testing? Should we be doing less TCO2 [testing]? These are things we talk about all the time in order to figure out where that sweet spot is, where we're spending the least amount of money but able to achieve what we need to deliver. TDN: Factoring in the overall smaller proposed budget for 2026 (compared to 2025), as well as the proposed credits available to the states, it appears the net amount to be charged to the racetracks has increased over 2025 by $1.7 million. What exactly is done to ensure assessments are kept to a minimum? [Note: While Lazarus responded to this question verbally, HISA also supplied written answers to the same questions once the interview was over. For the purposes of brevity, the TDN has used HISA's written response, the same substantively to Lazarus's comments] HISA: The net amount has not increased. The 2026 Budget, after expected credits are netted out, is $60.6M. The 2025 Budget, after netting out credits actually given (versus expected/estimated credits from a year ago), is $61.4M. Therefore, the amount to be charged to tracks in 2026 has decreased by roughly $800K. TDN: How and how often are assessments reimbursed? LL: We bill monthly. The assessments are split 50 50 [between the horsemen and the track]. In some states, the commission pays for the entire invoice, like in Virginia, for example. At the end of the year, we look at everything paid and compare it to what the actual numbers show, and we either give them a credit or tell them there's a shortfall. TDN: Are all tracks and jurisdictions up to speed on their payments? LL: The only racetracks in the country that have not paid HISA in 2025 are those racetracks owned and operated by Churchill Downs. In Virginia [where CDI-owned Colonial Downs is situated] the commission pays the assessment. TDN: How is that impacting you? LL: We haven't [had] to ask anyone for a loan or default on any of our obligations. And if you figure that Churchill Downs owes probably $8, $9 million, I think we're doing pretty well under the circumstances. By next year, I hope we'll start to at least bring in or realize some outside revenue to start the process of basically decreasing the burden on the industry. TDN: Right. In the Town Hall you mentioned how you're looking at raising revenues from HISA in other ways. Have you made any meaningful movement on this? LL: I don't want to say too much yet, but the one area where we're pretty advanced is we have a tremendous amount of data. We have enabled to package our data anonymized, so it's not exposing or connecting any particular benchmark or metric with us to the course, but in ways that are very attractive to insurers, to other jurisdictions, to companies that are producing either wearables or other interesting technologies for horse racing or even other horse sports. We've also had some international jurisdictions reach out about licensing some of our technology because, believe it or not, [we're] seen internationally as being a first mover on having the portal that we have and some of the data analysis that's tied to it. We're collecting about 5,000 records a day. We're well into 6 million records in our database. If we can work also alongside some other industry stakeholders, I think we can even magnify that opportunity. TDN: You've said by 2035 you hope HISA to be financially self-sustaining. When can stakeholders expect to see some meaningful chunks taken out of these costs? LL: What I'll continue to say is that by 2030, I think that stakeholders can expect that half of the assessments will be paid for by non-assessment revenues. TDN: In April of this year, HISA has $2.8 million in outstanding loans and another $1.25 million outstanding in the form of a line of credit. What's the current status on that? LL: I think it's the same. TDN: From your discussions with the horsemen and the stakeholders, what other budgetary questions have you gotten? LL: The cost rate for HISA is not an entirely new cost. They are essentially a 20% increase of costs that existed prior, which I think was the gap between where we were from an integrity and safety standpoint and where we are now, or at least where we're going. Sometimes people will say to me, 'how is this too expensive?' And I'll say, 'okay, how is it impacting you? What do you find expensive?' And they can't tell me. There's nothing that's affecting their day-to-day life. They see numbers, and they're just saying it's expensive. Part of it also, while commission budgets were available, nobody took all those budgets and put them into one number. So, the number feels big to people, especially if they don't understand how the credit system works. The one thing I'm not interested in doing is running an organization that's just keeping the lights on and isn't advancing the sport. I don't think there's much space to cut costs and still be able to deliver what we're required to deliver. I think the industry deserves a lot more and I'm really confident that in time, horsemen and racetracks will come to realize it's worth it ultimately. The post HISA Budget Q&A With Lisa Lazarus: “Bringing Them Into The System Will Make A Huge Difference” appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jockeys' Guild on Paco Lopez suspension: The notice issued by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority against Paco Lopez Sept. 22, 2025 for "immediate suspension for six months" is absolutely uncalled for and beyond ludicrous.View the full article