Wandering Eyes

Reigning Eclipse champion turf female Moira and three-time North American grade 1 winner Anisette are set to make their seasonal debuts April 5, but they'll do so south of the Equator in the Doncaster Mile (G1) at Randwick Racecourse.View the full article

Explore a multitude of captivating racing promotions offered by horse racing bookmakers on Friday, April 4. Immerse yourself in the thrill with generous bonus back offers, elevating your betting experience. Delve into these promotions from top-tier online bookmakers to maximise your betting opportunities. The top Australian racing promotions for April 4, 2025, include: Today’s best horse racing promotions Blonde Boosts! Elevate your prices! BlondeBet T&C’s Apply. Eligible Customers Only. Login to BlondeBet to Claim Promo 10 Again! – Waverley, Townsville, Sapphire Coast Get 10% Boosted Winnings paid in BONUS CASH. Paid in bonus cash. First eligible bet per race. Must apply Promotion in betslip. Cash bets only. Max bonus $100. Picklebet T&Cs apply. Login to Picklebet to Claim Promo Cranbourne | Friday Bonus Back 2nd All Races Any Race. Any Runner. Any Odds. Get a Bonus Back if your runner comes second. Fixed odds only. Check your Vault for eligibility. Unibet T&C’s apply. Login to UniBet to Claim Promo Owners Bonus – Win A Bet On Your Greyhound Or Horse & Receive An Extra 15% Winnings Win a bet on your greyhound or horse and receive an extra 15% of winnings in cash. Max payout $2000. Account holder must be registered. PlayUp T&Cs apply. Login to PlayUp to Claim Promo Cranbourne | Double Your Winnings Up To $50 Bonus Cash Get DOUBLE WINNINGS paid inBONUS CASH. Applies to Win. Place & Top 2/3/4 markets. First bet applies Picklebet T&Cs apply. Eligible Customers Only Login to Picklebet to Claim Promo Cranbourne Race 2 | Copy Any Bet If Your Horse Runs 2nd Or 3rd Get Cash Back Copy any bet at Cranbourne in Race 2 and if it comes second or third get real cash back up to $25. Dabble T&Cs apply. Eligible Customers Only. Login to Dabble to Claim Promo Daily Exotic Boosts Boost your exotics by up to 20%. Available on Exactas, Quinellas, Trifectas & First Fours. Excludes Quaddies. Check your Vault for eligibility. T&C’s apply. Login to UniBet to Claim Promo Boost ‘Til You Boom Place a boosted racing single bet and get your racing boost back each time your boosted bet doesn’t win Eligible Customers Only. BoomBet T&C’s Apply. Login to BoomBet to Claim Promo How does horsebetting.com.au source its racing bonus offers? HorseBetting.com.au meticulously assesses leading Australian horse racing bookmakers, revealing thoroughbred bonus promotions for April 4, 2025. These ongoing offers underscore the dedication of top horse racing bookmakers. In the realm of horse racing betting, when one bookmaker isn’t featuring a promotion, another is stepping up. Count on HorseBetting.com.au as your go-to source for daily rewarding horse racing bookmaker bonuses. Enhance your value with competitive odds and promotions tailored for existing customers. Easily access these offers by logging in to each online bookmaker’s platform. For valuable insights into races and horses to optimise your bonus bets, trust HorseBetting’s daily free racing tips. Horse racing promotions View the full article

Group One winner Pier is set to make his raceday return at Trentham next week after nearly a year away from the track. The five-year-old gelding was a revelation in his three-year-old term, winning three and placing in two of his six starts, including victories in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m). The son of Proisir has been plagued by issues in subsequent years, only having four starts last season, three of those in the spring, before returning to win over 1300m at Te Aroha in his last raceday outing last June. “He has just had a couple of issues, he had a bit of a problem with a knee, but more than anything it’s been immaturity and time is a great healer,” said Darryn Weatherley, who trains in partnership with his daughter Briar. “This time in he has been really good, we gave him plenty of time. He spent a bit of time on the water treadmill at Mark and Shelley Treweeks, and we brought him up quietly and he’s ticking all of the boxes.” Pier made his first public appearance this year when winning his 800m heat at the Ellerslie trials on Thursday, much to the satisfaction of Weatherley. “It was a nice hit-out,” he said. “He has been off the scene for quite some time, so we were looking forward to getting him back out there for a day out. He had a bit of a shake and a sweat before the trial, but then afterwards he walked in like he had been doing it all his all life. “He pulled up really well, he recovered quickly, so hopefully he comes through it okay and then he may look to Trentham for the Listed sprint (City of Napier Sprint, 1200m) next Saturday. “We will just take one step at a time. The first hurdle has been completed, and it will be nice to get to the Hawke’s Bay sprint next Saturday and once we are over that hurdle we will sit down and discuss where we go. Whether we go to Brisbane for the winter or stay around here, it all depends on the horse, he comes first.” Stablemate Vito also pleased when finishing runner-up in his 800m heat. “He is a half to Ess Vee Are and Arby, he is by Vadamos and out of the same mare as the other two,” Weatherley said. “That was his second trial and he has had two seconds at the trials. He is a horse with a bit of family ability, and we will have a lot of fun with him when he gets to the races.” Looking ahead to the weekend, Weatherley will return to Ellerslie on Saturday where he will be represented by two runners. Debut winner Inside Out will be looking to double-up in the Auckland Co-op Taxis 1500, while Perspective will contest the Cloudsoft Accounting 2200. “Inside Out is a beautiful horse and he has come on well since his maiden win,” Weatherley said. “He doesn’t show a lot in his work, but he is a racehorse and I will be expecting another bold showing, I think a bit of him. “Perspective was a bit ordinary last start, but I think the ground was soft enough for him whereas Ellerslie has got quite a nice footing out there, even if we do get rain, and it is a different Soft to what Pukekohe was. His work has been good so we can hopefully get back to the form that he showed at Matamata.” View the full article

Consistent galloper The Good Shepherd will aim to add to his career-best season at Ascot Park on Sunday, starting among the favourites in the Editor’s Cut Sports Bar Handicap (1200m). The Power seven-year-old is nearing the $100,000 mark in the current term, with three wins and a number of placings in good company across the South Island. He is trained by trainer-jockey Lee Callaway, but often the topweight, the gelding has established a successful partnership with rising apprentice Ruvanesh Muniandy, who will be back on board and decreasing his weight to 57kg. A month since his last appearance at Wingatui, The Good Shepherd will turn up in a fresh state having pleased Callaway in the lead-up. “He had a couple of weeks off to freshen him up and he’s been working well, he should be nice and fresh and feeling well for Sunday,” Callaway said. “I think he prefers the better tracks now, but we’ll go here and then head to the open sprint at Riverton over Easter.” The Waikouaiti horseman will have a six-strong representation at the Southland meeting, with last-start winner Pete’s Pride stepping up in class after winning a competitive Rating 65 contest on Otago Classics Day. “He’d been working well and went a great race that day, he had a week off as well after that,” Callaway said. “He should be really competitive.” Callaway has called upon another claimer in Yogesh Atchamah for Pete’s Pride, while senior hoops Rohan Mudhoo and Ashvin Goindasamy take the ride on stablemates Shooting Stride and Empress Suiko in The Ave Sports Bar Maiden (2225m). “They’re pretty evenly matched, Shooting Stride came from back last-start and it was a very good run, he just wanted to do a couple of things wrong,” Callaway said. “The distance should be perfect for him. “Empress Suiko didn’t handle the wet track last-start, I’ve taken the blinkers off and giving her a go over the 2200 this time, she’s bred to go this distance. I would’ve preferred to go in the 1800 but I think she’ll get away with it.” Completing the stable runners will be Mininjagirl (Waikiwi Tavern and The Foundry Restaurant Handicap, 1400m) and Hestikitiboo (Northern TAB and Sports Bar Handicap, 2225m). “I would’ve liked to get another 1200 race in for Mininjagirl, she had a decent go over that last time, but on a better track, I think she’ll go a nice race,” he said. “Hestikitiboo is probably working the best of most of my horses to be honest.” View the full article

Leaders in the United States and Canada have indicated they will honor the existing United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement for some goods, including Thoroughbreds. Horses will continue to cross the U.S.-Canada border duty-free.View the full article

Trainer John Toscano Jr. died April 3 in a Long Island, N.Y., hospital, according to Daily Racing Form. He was 80.View the full article

Largy Go (Ire) (Poet's Word {Ire}) (lot 8) caught the eye of O'Neill Racing, and was knocked down for a sale-topping £305,000 at the Goffs Aintree Sale on Thursday. Consigned by Newlands Farm, the bay made a winning start to his career with a stylish victory Loughbrick over three miles on March 29. Gordon Elliott was the leading buyer of the next two lots for £250,000 apiece–first Lemmy Caution (Fr) (Tunis {Pol}) (lot 5) and With Nolimit (Fr) (Bande {Ire]) (lot 21)–for a combined £500,000. He also shelled out another £315,000 for Hernando De Soto (Ire) (Affinisea {Ire}) (lot 9) and Sound Judgement (Ire) (Doyen {Ire}) (lot 18) with Aidan O'Ryan. Elliott, who has purchased a pair of Grade 1 winners out of this sale, also shelled out £95,000 for Tip Of The Wings (Ire) (Wings Of Eagles {Fr}) (lot 30). All five had won their debuts. At the close of trade, 28 lots sold of 30 offered (93%) for a gross of £3,571,000. The average rose to £127,536 (+41%) and the median rose 40% to £105,000. A total of 17 horses made six figures or better. Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent said, “Today has been a wonderful result for this sale and it finished less than £100,000 short of eclipsing the booming sale we enjoyed here in 2022. We knew coming into today that we had a strong catalogue and that was echoed by everyone who saw the horses over the last two days. However, we needed to see that talk transpire into action in the ring and we are thrilled with the results which are befitting a sale and race meeting of the highest stature. “This sale has sold some cracking horses over its eight years, four of which have gone on to win Grade 1 races at the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals, and the calibre of horses sold tonight bodes well for the future. We would like to extend our thanks to the vendors who supported this sale and we are delighted to have delivered world-class prices for their horses – we can't do it without you. To our buyers, we extend the very best of luck and we hope to see you in the winners' enclosure here at Aintree in the coming years. As ever, we would also like to extend our gratitude to the Aintree Executive who are so supportive of this fantastic event.” The post Poet’s Word Gelding Breaks £300K Mark As Goffs Aintree Sale Concludes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Racing industry participants are invited to the latest Speaker Series, a popular event hosted by the Thoroughbred Club of America (TCA) and which will feature HISA's CEO Lisa Lazarus as the guest after a day at the races at Keeneland. Lazarus will give a presentation discussing the first years of HISA and how to navigate the coming years. Scott Hazelton will moderate a panel discussion, which will include Dale Romans, Steve Asmussen, Elliot Walden, Dr. Stuart Brown, and possibly others, including Mark Casse. A question and answer session will follow. The Speaker Series evening will be held Wednesday, Apr. 23 at 5:30 p.m. ET at the TCA facilities on Rice Road in Lexington. The event is open to all active industry participants and it is free. The post Lazarus to be TCA Speaker Series Guest after Keeneland Races Apr. 23 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tenma, with a record of four wins in five starts, is the even-money, morning-line favorite in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) April 5 at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

After seeing her unbeaten streak come to an end in the Honeybee Stakes (G3), last year's Demoiselle Stakes (G2) winner Muhimma will try to return to her winning ways in the rescheduled Ashland Stakes (G1) April 7 at Keeneland.View the full article

West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing, and CJ Stables' Statesman has won his last two races and steps up in class for the $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) April 5 at Aqueduct Racetrack.View the full article

When President Donald Trump announced sweeping updates to the United States' global tariff structure Wednesday evening, there was some good news for the Thoroughbred racing industry, according to an analysis by the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society of the fact sheet which accompanied the announcement. Horses eligible under the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) will continue to cross the U.S.-Canadian border duty-free, according to the CTHS. As outlined in the fact sheet: “For Canada and Mexico, the existing fentanyl/migration IEEPA orders remain in effect, and are unaffected by this order. This means USMCA-compliant goods will continue to see a 0% tariff…” Under the USMCA,Thoroughbred horses (classified under Codes 0101.21.00 for pure-bred breeding animals and 0101.29.00.20 for others used for racing) retain their status as duty-free goods, ensuring uninterrupted cross-border movement vital to the industry. In the CTHS analysis, horses from the U.S. will also be able to travel to Canada without a tariff. “In response, Prime Minister Carney has announced that the Government of Canada will be responding to President Trumps tariff orders by matching the U.S. approach with a 25% tariff on all vehicles imported from the U.S. that are not compliant with USMCA,” said the CTHS in a statement. “There being no reference to any other counter tariffs, this would indicate that Canada, like the U.S., will maintain the status quo as it relates to the USMCA agreement.” The full document is available here. “This is exceptional news for our community,” read a statement from the national board of directors of the CTHS. “The continuation of duty-free transport recognizes the long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship between Canadian and American Thoroughbred breeding and racing operations. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the many industry members, organizations, and government officials in both countries who voiced the importance of this issue. Your dedication and collaboration were instrumental in protecting the interests of our cross-border industry. We also express our deep appreciation to U.S. businesses and officials who engaged with our concerns and understood the economic and cultural significance of our thoroughbred trade.” The CTHS urged those shipping horses across the board to continue to carry appropriate documentation when transporting horses, including proof of foaling location (USA or Canada), and to notify the CTHS if they encounter any issues at the border. The post Some Good Tariff News: Canadian Horses Will Continue to Cross Border Duty Free appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Amid the embattled economics of horse racing, more and more attention has been placed upon Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) players. One such focus has surrounded whether these behemoths of the betting pools are contributing their fair share back to the sport. That's the case certainly in California. Last year, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) became the first regulator of a major racing jurisdiction to really dig down into the issue during a public hearing–one that later led to a published Q&A. The scrutiny that California has received hasn't always sat well with some industry leaders, who say they feel unfairly victimized due to CAW data published by the state unavailable in other jurisdictions–a valid point that paints a damning picture of the way key CAW data (from an industry standpoint) is shielded from view almost universally around the country. On the flip side, a strong argument can be made that because California doesn't enjoy the same purse subsidies enjoyed elsewhere, how it manages its wagering monies–and it's CAW play in particular–is that much more important if horse racing is to stand a chance at economic sustainability in the Golden State. There's way less wriggle room, in other words, to get the formula wrong. Has the scrutiny California received over the past year or so led to actionable change? Yes and no. At Santa Anita, the impacts from a set of rate hikes among CAW players–which includes a slight drop in CAW play–has been met with approval in various quarters, while at Del Mar, a titan of the CAW world still wields a seemingly lop-sided influence on the pools. Marshall Gramm, a professor of economics at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, and a professional gambler, said the outsized impact at Del Mar from one Elite Turf Club player (who wagers under the moniker Elite 17) is fiscally risky. “For one player to be so powerful, I think it's a huge concern,” he said. Primer First, however, here's a CAW primer. The debate around CAW players typically surrounds the major edge they wield over regular gamblers thanks to their use of sophisticated technologies that allow them to precisely read the markets and to place massive wagers across nearly all polls in the final seconds of betting, as well as the attractive rates and rebates offered to them which are unavailable to the average punter. When “rates” are mentioned, what is meant are “host fees.” This is a charge wagering outlets pay to track operators for the contractual right to import a simulcast signal. A wagering outlet could be another racetrack, an ADW platform (like FanDuel), or a CAW platform (like Elite Turf Club). Experts say that CAW host fees for the premium tracks typically vary between 6% and 8%. After breeders' premiums and other minor deductions have been removed, host fees are roughly split 50/50 between the track and the purse account in California. Rates, therefore, are vitally important for industry stakeholders to know. The amount CAW players are “rebated” can be broadly calculated with this simple equation: Rebate = Takeout minus host fee (plus any other associated minor fees). The smaller the host fee and the larger the takeout, then the bigger the rebate. Last year, the TDN revealed how in 2023, Elite 17–one of more than a dozen individual Elite Turf Club players–enjoyed a noticeably more favorable rate than those other players that year. Owned by The Stronach Group (TSG) and the New York Racing Association (NYRA), Elite Turf Club is a CAW wagering platform that makes up a significant portion of Del Mar's handle. But the favorable rate that Elite 17 enjoyed gave the betting breakdown of Elite Turf Club's ledgers that year a lop-sided look. Indeed, Elite 17's play constituted nearly 47% of Elite Turf Club's total handle on Del Mar in 2023, according to data obtained by TDN. This was no small amount of money–Elite 17 wagered some $53 million on the track alone that year. Elite 17's predominance wasn't always so pronounced. As recently as 2021, Elite 17's play had constituted just over 36% of Elite Turf Club's total handle on Del Mar. That year, two players–Elite 17 and Elite 2–reportedly received similarly favorable deals. By the time 2023 rolled around, Elite 2 reportedly declined that deal, which would have necessitated making a “substantial seven-figure up-front payment.” The Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), which has the final say over such deals, was critical of the way Del Mar–along with other tracks–had for years offered special rates to some of the sport's biggest CAW players, who are often called the “whales” of the betting pools. “With the benefit of hindsight, it has been the wrong deal for over 10 years and this is why we need a market correction,” wrote the organization's president and CEO, Bill Nader, who only joined the organization in late 2022. Last year, however, little had changed, with Elite 17 still wielding the same lop-sided impact on CAW wagering. According to 2024 data obtained by the TDN, the amount Elite 17 wagered constituted 46% of the overall handle that Elite Turf Club players placed on Del Mar's product–what amounted to $63.4 million of a total $138.1 million (including Breeders' Cup play in the fall). Nader said the rate that Elite 17 paid last year had increased slightly from 2023–in line with a slight rate hike for all CAW players at the track–but that it still remained lower than rates for the other Elite Turf Club players. Is this a healthy dynamic? Handle at the track's flagship summer meet dropped off noticeably last year from the year prior, which the track said was due in part to new restrictions on CAW play. But could the special deal that Elite 17 continued to get also be depressing overall wagering on the track's product among price-sensitive gamblers? Indeed, Elite 2's wagering at Del Mar dropped off by over $32 million between 2021 (when this player reportedly received a favorable rate) and 2023 (when they didn't). Track management did not answer directly. “Del Mar will continue to work with industry stakeholders to maximize handle from all segments of the parimutuel market and help to generate important purse funding that is crucial for California racing due to the lack of supplemental purse funding sources available in other states,” the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club wrote in response to a string of questions sent to the club's president, Josh Rubinstein. “We implemented measures in the last year to reduce late odds fluctuations that were a source of frustration for some players and we plan to continue those efforts,” the DMTC added. Nader said the question was tough to answer definitively. “I'm not sure I can really answer that,” he replied. Gramm, however, contends that Elite 17's predominance at Del Mar is likely to have a negative impact on wagering among both CAW players and the retail side. “I think in some ways it's even worse to have one monolith team,” said Gramm, who said he uses computer technologies to aid his betting (as many retail players do), but does not wager though a CAW platform. “The regular players are struggling as it is. But if you've one team with a separate deal and they're crushing other CAW players as well, I don't think it's a good thing. Not a good thing at all,” he said. Especially when factoring in the rate at which some of these teams are winning. According to wagering reports reviewed by the TDN, some Elite Turf Club players can win at an average rate in excess of 105% in some pools, even before their rebate is factored in. At this rate, the profit margin would be much better than many investment accounts. In effect, this suggests the effective takeout rate for non-CAW players can be greater than the published rate, reducing the average gambler's opportunity to churn more bets. Santa Anita The landscape appears slightly different at Santa Anita, where all CAW players saw their rates hiked uniformly before the start of the current meet on Dec. 26, said Nader. At the SoCal track, it's now pretty much a “level playing field” for all CAW players, said Nader. “Return to purses has increased considerably,” he said, estimating that increase to around $1 million annually from the CAW rate hike. How has this played out in numbers? Compared to the same first-quarter period in 2023, there have been 4 extra cards this current meet and 67 additional races run (amounting to a nearly 18% increase in races). This includes 70 new races restricted for the northern California inventory. According to the TOC: Total Handle is up 12.4% California ADW and Brick and Mortar is up 15.8% Out of State ADW and Brick and Mortar is up 16.3% CAW is down 1% Average handle on a NorCal restricted race is $643,573, while average handle on a non-restricted race is $836,217. While overall handle has been impacted by cancellations brought on by the wildfires, Nader sees the rate hike–which he said precipitated the slight decrease in CAW play–as having an overall healthy effect on wagering at Santa Anita. “It is refreshing to see the growth from ADW and brick and mortar handle in California and across the country,” Nader added. Scott Daruty, president of TSG's Monarch Content Management and Elite Turf Club, has a dual reading of the numbers. “If you want to raise pricing because you want to bring the percentage of the pool down, then I think this was the exact right move,” said Daruty. This is no moot point. If CAW players become too big a percentage of the pools, their impacts are magnified and they essentially “cannibalize” the markets. In the past, Nader has pinned this tipping point at about 25% of the betting pools. Industry reform advocate Pat Cummings's June 2023 report found that back then, CAW play in California often surpassed that benchmark. In some jurisdictions, they make up over 40% of the pools. According to Daruty (who spoke before last weekend's numbers were in), CAW play has made up around $19.9% of the overall handle during the current Santa Anita meet. However, Daruty said he also believes the rate hike was unnecessary. Even without it, he said, there would have been an increase in both retail play and CAW play anyway by virtue of the improved product at Santa Anita this meet. Indeed, average field size has jumped this year from last by nearly 8%: 7.5 this year versus 6.96 in 2024. “If you're trying to make more money, which is a valid goal–we're in a struggling industry–then raising the price I think is the wrong approach,” he said. Gramm sides with the TOC, in that he sees the numbers out of the current Santa Anita meet as justification for the rate hike. “The market response makes sense,” he said. “If the CAWs are charged more, their handle's going to be down. And if they're a smaller part of the pool–even if you don't necessarily know it–more money's going back to ordinary players, who may be incentivized to bet more.” At the same time, Gramm said more needs to be done to narrow the gap between retail players and the professional teams. Though incremental steps have been taken to curb last minute odds changes in California, more needs to be done to better stop that in all the pools, Gramm said. Perhaps even more importantly, lowered takeout is a tactic that would help all gamblers, but retail players especially, who should be the core focus of track operators, he added. “North of 20% [blended takeout] for recreational players is still too high in the environment we're living in now, where there are tremendous other betting opportunities,” said Gramm. “We're just in a more competitive landscape,” he added. “And so, I think we need to price our recreational players a little more competitively, and I do think they'll respond very favorably to that.” The post Update on CAW in California: Rate Hikes and One Dominant Player appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The weather-delayed Appalachian Stakes (G2T) on April 8 for 3-year-old fillies looks about as competitive as a race can be.View the full article

7th-AQU, $86K, OC80k/C, 4yo/up, 1m, 4:22 p.m. ET. A debut winner by 3 1/2 lengths over the slop at Churchill Downs last summer, STAR OF WONDER (Uncle Mo) earned a 'TDN Rising Star' for the effort. The WinStar homebred then cleared an allowance condition under the Twin Spires in mid-September, and broke through on the main track there in late November when he faced optional claimers for the second time. Back on the tab at Payson Park by Feb. 1, the colt hails from the same Brad Cox shedrow as his multiple Grade I winning older half-sister Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil). TJCIS PPS The half-brother to Shedaresthedevil, #10 Star of Wonder wins impressively on debut in R8 at Churchill Downs under Flavien Prat for trainer @bradcoxracing! @WinStarFarm @SienaFarmKY #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/vwLokuvzmI — TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) June 2, 2024 The post Friday Insights: Star Of Wonder Shoots For 4-Year-Old Debut At Aqueduct appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A special Belmont Stakes Racing Festival three-day admission pass is now available at nearly 200 Stewart's Shops throughout the greater Capital Region, the New York Racing Association, Inc. announced in a press release Thursday. The pass includes general admission to Saratoga Race Course for three of the five days of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival: Thursday, June 5, Friday, June 6, and Saturday June 7–Belmont Stakes Day, featuring the third leg of horse racing's Triple Crown–for $99. The admission pass, which represents a savings of 15 percent based on individual day pricing, is available exclusively at participating Stewart's Shops, while supplies last. “Stewart's Shops has become synonymous with convenience for local horse racing fans by offering access to NYRA Bets gift cards, Saratoga season passes and Post Parade programs,” said NYRA Vice President, Sales and Hospitality, Kevin Quinn. “Our longstanding partnership with Stewart's Shops has now expanded to include three-day passes for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, providing fans the opportunity to enjoy multiple days of the event at a reduced price.” The post NYRA Partners with Stewart’s Shops to Offer Special Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Admission Pass appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

"Inside Churchill Downs," the popular weekly horse racing radio show, returns for its 11th season April 4 at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN Louisville's ESPN 680/105.7.View the full article

Fridays don’t get much bigger than Cambridge’s Night of Champions. Tonight’s 10-race card will get underway at 5.08pm , with the two biggest races, the $600,000 TAB Trot at 7.49pm and the $1m The Race by betcha at 8.52pm. The night will have a strong trans-Tasman theme including The Locomotive versus Oscar Bonavena, and Leap To Fame and Don Hugo vs the likes of Merlin, Don’t Stop Dreaming and Republican Party. Leap To Fame needs personal best performance in The Race by betcha By Michael Guerin The hero of harness racing is going to have to produce the best winning performance of his career to win in the $1million Race by Betcha at Cambridge tonight. That hero is Leap To Fame, a genuine cast-iron champion, winner of 49 of his 62 starts and almost everything you could want in a pacer. He has won most of the races that matter in Australia, shattered records and conquered hearts. Tonight he will need to do something he hasn’t done before. He will, almost certainly, need to sit parked outside another great horse and crush him to win. That is the accepted speed map for tonight’s 2200m slot race, that Leap To Fame from barrier seven will work forward and sit parked outside leader Don Hugo from barrier 2. No shock in that. About the only gift Leap To Fame wasn’t given is gate speed and that coupled with a series of dreadful draws means he has done more than his share of sitting parked in our best races. But here is the shocking, and thought-provoking, part for punters: He almost always gets beat when he does. Larry, as he is affectionately known, has sat parked in seven races at the highest level and been beaten in five. The only exceptions was when he won a somewhat below par Miracle Mile last year when Sooner The Better even gave him a scare late and in the 2024 Blacks A Fake when he sat parked outside the enormously inferior Hi Manameisjeff. So how can clearly the best pacer in this part of the world get beaten so regularly when asked to race outside the leader? Welcome to modern harness racing. As the breed has refined, gear and tracks improved the best harness races have become punishing affairs. Most are won by horses on the markers or, when things get crazy, swoopers. Few, very few, are won by horses sitting parked. Leap To Fame is THE living example of that. Examine the five times Leap To Fame has sat parked and been beaten and you find the leaders were been Swayzee (twice), Rock N Roll Doo, Catch A Wave and in last month’s Miracle Mile, Don Hugo. So every time the champ has sat parked outside a Grand Circuit winner in a major race, he has been beaten. Every time. That is not to say it will happen tonight and if almost any other horses was drawn to lead tonight you would be happy taking the TAB’s $2.30 quote that “Larry” could sit parked outside them and put them to the sword. Tonight his issues are two, or maybe threefold. If he can crush Don Hugo, no small feat, Leap To Fame could still be left a sitting duck for stalkers Merlin or Don’t Stop Dreaming, who aren’t as good as him but might not have to be. But first he has to get past Don Hugo, a Eureka, Inter Dominion and Miracle Mile champion driven by a freak in Luke McCarthy and one who could cover 6-8 less lengths than Leap To Fame. Don Hugo isn’t as good as Leap To Fame either but that isn’t the point. The point is, actually the question is, do you really want to take $2.30 for a horse to do something it has only successfully achieved 28.4 per cent of the time? Of course you do. Because you want to see Larry win. You want to witness greatness and feel that rush. Possibly, maybe probably, he will give that to us. But wanting doesn’t produce winning. And very rarely, as it turns out, does sitting parked in $1million races. LARRY’S PARKED PROBLEMS : Leap To Fame’s record when parked out in the highest level races March 2025: 2nd to Don Hugo in Miracle Mile Feb 2025: 2nd to Swayzee in Hunter Cup July 2024: 1st in Blacks A Fake, beating Swayzee. March 2024: 1st Miracle Mile beating Sooner The Bettor. Oct 2023: 3rd to Act Now in Victoria Cup. Sept 2023: 2nd to Encipher in The Eureka July 2023: 2nd to Swayzee in Blacks A Fake Oscar Bonavena can “definitely win” – Mark Purdon By Michael Guerin At least Mark Purdon knows it can be done. The genius trainer of New Zealand harness racing proves just how bad he is as being semi-retired by having runners in both slot races at Cambridge tonight: Oscar Bonavena in the $600,000 TAB Trot and Chase A Dream in the $1million Race by Betcha. He co-trains both with son Nathan and the two horses, are different ends of their careers, face a similar challenge tonight, both expected to have to come from off the speed to run past the all-conquering Australians. Oscar Bonavena looks likely to be midfield at best in the TAB Trot with Purdon loathe to rush him off the gate from barrier three because of his hit-and-miss mobile manners. Chase A Dream has drawn one on the second line with the best Purdon can hope for in the pace being three deep on the markers with Don Hugo being attacked to create late gaps. Both horses swooped to win their warm up Flying Miles last Friday and in the brief history of the big-money slot races at Cambridge, Purdon is the only driver to come from back in the field at the bell to win one. He came from last to win the first running of the Pace with Self Assured, the subsequent two editions being won by the leader Copy That and Merlin coming out of the one-one last year. The only running of the TAB Trot saw Just Believe sit parked last year to beat the leader, with the elite horses usually making Cambridge feel smaller than most 1000m tracks. “I’d love to be able to use Oscar early from barrier three but I really don’t think it is the best thing to do with some of the issues he has had early in some mobile races this season,” admits Purdon. “He is at his most potent when driven for speed so I hope they go hard early and we get a sit handy to them. “He can definitely win because he is really well.” Chase A Dream benefitted from a tougher training regime last week to improve dramatically but his task, and that of all the horses who get back in the Race by Betcha, is a daunting one. Not only do they have to hope for a brutal pace to soften the leaders up but gaps on a track that rarely sees the best fields break up over 2200m and a home straight that will disappear below their hooves very quickly. If Purdon is going to become the first driver to win two Cambridge slot races, Oscar Bonavena is by far his best chance of pulling it off. Early tactics key in TAB Trot By Michael Guerin Chris Svanosio is going to do something he doesn’t want to do at the start of tonight’s $600,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge. Because he knows if he doesn’t do it the slot race could be over as soon as it has begun for Arcee Phoenix. The Victorian horseman, universally known an Snooze, realises he can’t be caught napping at the start of the 2200m mobile because if he is Arcee Phoenix will lose his crucial tactical advantage over fellow Aussie and likely race favourite The Locomotive. Arcee Phoenix has drawn barrier 4 and The Locomotive barrier 6 and most expect one of the pair to lead after 400m. Whoever does becomes the horse to beat, covering less ground and able to dictate to their rivals. So what is the problem? “I have spent the last two years trying not to rush him off the gate,” sighs Svanosio. “I have looked after him in most of his races early to keep him balanced and then let him work his way into the race. “In some of those races he has still been able to work his way to the front and he is a very good front runner but he hasn’t been really buzzed off the gate. “But if I let Brad [Hewitt, driving The Locomotive] get straight past us then that gives the advantage to him. “So I might have to roll the dice this week, try to get him out as fast as I can and see what happens.” While that is a key tactical admission and full of logic the richest race of a horse’s career is a tricky time to be seeking new weapons for their arsenal. Arcee Phoenix has plenty of experience, starting in this race last year and two Group 1s at the NZ Cup meeting. He finished fourth in all three. With the champion Just Believe retired he is one of those bidding for his crown. The price of the crown may be early balance and poise under pressure. Whether he can pay that price could decide tonight’s race. Even if Arcee Phoenix learns his new trick quickly Hewitt has made it clear he intends to press on, full of confidence his Inter Dominion winner will handle a dogfight into the first bend and come out the other side trotting. With the fastest Kiwi on the front line, Muscle Mountain, drawn widest it seems certain one of the two big gun Aussies will eventually lead, wresting it off more than likely Queen Elida. That will make the winner of the early battle the favourite to win the war but the uglier it gets inside the first 600m, with anything below 43 seconds for that opening sectional considered detrimentally fast, the better the chances of the locals. Oscar Bonavena would love to watch an early fireworks display before putting a dampener on it later and under those circumstances he would become the horse to beat. Bet N Win felt the biggest loser from the draw, being the only horse on the second line, but driver Bob Butt gets the chance to sum up early whether to stay on the markers and wait for gaps if the pressure get ramped up or slide into the running line if it doesn’t. Either way, he is going to have to try adopt a new racing style to win tonight, just like Arcee Phoenix. Whereas The Locomotive and Oscar Bonavena will just need to be themselves and the race should come to one of them. Will “the Menangle boost” be a thing at Cambridge? By Michael Guerin A thing without a name could be a crucial factor in tonight’s two mega money slot races at Cambridge. Since it is as yet un-named, we will call it the Menangle boost. It is the boost in performance horses get after regular racing at the Menangle track outside Sydney, the hardest harness racing in this part of the world. Menangle is like nothing else in Australasian harness racing with the searing miles and relentless style turning those who can handle it into fitter and therefore faster horses. Since Menangle opened in 2008 a disproportionate number of Grand Circuit races have been won by the New South Wales horses who are most exposed to its rigours. “It is definitely a factor,” says champion horseman Luke McCarthy, who has Don Hugo in tonight’s Race by Betcha. “I notice it when I take horses who have been racing well at home [Menangle] up to the Brisbane winter carnival. They get back to the 1000m tracks and just fly around them.” Don Hugo could do just that tonight, with all of his three career highlights being major Menangle wins and he could feel very bold whizzing around Cambridge against the marker pegs tonight. Another Menangle regular is The Locomotive, favourite for tonight’s TAB Trot and his trainer-driver Brad Hewitt agrees with McCarthy that those who can handle Menangle thrive away from it. “It makes them so fit because the racing is so hard,” says Hewitt. “I was in the Inter Dominion Pacing Final with Captains Knock back in December and I have never been in a race like it. We went absolutely flat out all the way. “It makes them better horses when they go back to normal races.” Plenty of the best horses in tonight’s two slot races have raced at Menangle recently, with Leap To Fame, Don’t Stop Dreaming and Merlin also competing at the Miracle Mile carnival last month but the longer horses are exposed to the 1400m track the better they seem to become. The markets suggest the Menangle boost may be a very real thing at Cambridge tonight. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Who Sunnys Sister is at Addington tonight and who she is in a month time could be two vastly different things. Which is driver John Dunn’s way of warning you to be careful when the Group 1 winner returns in the opener, the IRT.Your Horse.Our Passion Mobile Trot tonight (5.21pm). While the Addington card plays the supporting role to the very serious stuff at Cambridge it does see the return of a high class trotter who could well be taking on some of those in tonight’s TAB Trot in just a month’s time. Sunny’s Sister is more than just retired champion Sundees Son’s little sister, she is the Oaks and Derby winner of her year who looked set to make an open class impact until a bone chip in her fetlock saw her sidelined last spring. That was taken out and she returns in a winnable race to start the night at Addington but with Dunn worried she has only had one soft trial. “She won it but they only went like qualifying speed so she can’t be at peak fitness,” says Dunn. “We are going into this race hoping she goes well and then improves and we can look at the races up north, possibly culminating in the Rowe Cup. “But she isn’t in that form yet so she will be driven for speed this week and trying to divebomb them. “She won’t be taking off and trying to be her big brother.” They could see Sunnys Sister as vulnerable if one of her better rivals, like Mr Love, could get forward and into a dominant position with the pair clearly standing out under the mobile conditions. Dunn says the team, officially trained by father Robert and wife Jenna, is getting its mojo back after a slow patch. “We have little things going wrong and horses out of form and it means I haven’t been able to drive them as I like, which has been very frustrating. “But I think they are turning the corner now.” One horse Dunn says punters can jump on tonight with a degree of confidence is Tyron’s Strapping Lad (R3, No.2), who stormed home for second fresh up last Friday. “He was a horse we liked last season and he has come back well and he is also on trial for a trip north so he would want to go well, which we think he will.” He also expects improvement from smart filly Queen Tyron (R2, No.3) who was highly rated by the stable last season before sidelined by injury. “Her fresh up run will have improved her so she will be hard to beat so we have some good chances to start the night.” The stable also have Frazzled in Race 5 but in a strong enough field to test her while later in the night the highlight will be the $20,000 Stevie and Maree Thank Their Clients Pace, a rare Addington mobile mile. That could suit Dunn’s hard-running Who’s Delight if he can get across to the markers, sometimes easier said than done from the off mobile mile start point on a bend. View the full article

Pax Romana (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) (lot 2) topped the Auctav April Flash Sale when selling for €45,000 to Meridian International. The Haras de la Morsangliere-consigned once-raced 3-year-old filly is a half-sister to a trio of black-type horses: listed winner and GI Secretariat Stakes third Afandem (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}); the Grade 3-placed hurdler Le Vagabond (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}); and the listed-placed Frenchette (Fr) (The Gurkha {Ire}). Lot 3, an AQPS filly foal by Saint Des Saints (Fr), also sold. She made €23,000 on the bid of Lucy Snowden from the Haras des Trois Rivieres consignment. This is the extended family of stakes winners and Grade 1-placed National Hunt horses Alary (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) and Musica Bella (Fr) (Bateau Rouge {Ire}). The gross was €68,000 for two lots sold from three offered (66%), while the average was €34,000 and the median was €34,000. The post Siyouni Filly Tops Auctav April Flash Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Luis Gavignano's involvement in horse racing, which began innocently enough with a few claiming horses at Laurel Park in 2017, has blossomed into a racing, breeding and pinhooking operation with its own burgeoning home base in Ocala. His Lugamo Racing, with a dozen broodmares to support its graded-stakes winning first-season stallion, as well as a new stakes winner among its 10 horses in training, will offer 14 juveniles at the upcoming Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Gavignano traces his love of horses back to his childhood in Venezuela. Now living in Virginia where he owns a string of fast food restaurants, he found an outlet for that passion at nearby Laurel Park. “The closest track I have is Laurel Park,” Gavignano said. “So I started going there. I have been a horse lover for forever, but not really into the racing. So I just started looking. I met some trainers over there at Laurel Park, Rodolfo Sanchez and Claudio Gonzalez. I bought two or three claiming horses, nothing really special or any big horses. That was in 2017.” The following year, Gavignano made his first trip to the OBS sales and it was there, in April of 2021, that he purchased Petulante (Arrogate) for $40,000. The gray went on to win the 2023 GIII Salvator Mile and is currently standing his first season at stud in New York at Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions. “I have 12 mares right now that are in foal to Petulante,” Gavignano said. “I am trying to give him a chance. I will try to keep these 12-15 mares to show other breeders that I believe in my horse. They can see that I am trying to support him. I hope other people will at least give him a chance.” Gavignano's current focus is on buying at the yearling sales before deciding whether to send his 2-year-olds through the sales ring or into his racing stable. “I started very quietly, buying two or three horses,” Gavignano explained. “Last year, I did it a little bit more. I bought 24 horses as yearlings. Honestly, I didn't plan to buy 24 horses last year. My idea was to buy a few horses, maybe five or six, and keep two or three and sell the other ones. That was my initial idea. But for some reason, I fell in love with so many horses that I ended up buying them. I am still dealing with which ones I am going to keep and which ones we will try to sell.” The sell-or-race philosophy worked out perfectly for Lugamo last year. The operation purchased a daughter of Tapit for $60,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton October sale and reoffered her the following April at OBS where she sold for $325,000 to KatieRich Farms. At the Fasig-Tipton July Sale in 2023, Lugamo purchased a filly by Tiz the Law for $80,000 and, when she failed to meet her reserve at $145,000 at OBS in March, she joined the operation's racing stable. Both fillies are now stakes winners, with May Day Ready (Tapit) winning last year's GII Jessamine Stakes and finishing second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, while Cloe (Tiz the Law) won the Melody of Colors Stakes in just her third lifetime start at Gulfstream Park Mar. 23. May Day Ready | Erin Johnson/Coady Media Gavignano credited Servando Espinoza with helping him to find May Day Ready as a yearling. “[Espinoza] has his own farm and his own company, but we are very close,” Gavignano said. “We are neighbors. I keep my horses at my farm and he comes every morning to take my horses to the track. We have this relationship and we are good friends. He told me I should look at this Tapit filly. I went with him to see her and I said, 'No way. I don't think she has a chance.' She was very small. But he said he thought we could put her where she should be. And she's by Tapit. Usually you cannot go wrong with Tapit. “The change after six months was amazing,” Gavignano continued. “She looked totally different. And more important, she was working really good at the farm. I put her in the sale and you saw the numbers. We bought her for $60,000 and we sold her for $325,000. But the most important thing is the new owners did a really good job with her.” Despite a :9 4/5 work, Cloe failed to attract the interest Gavignano was hoping for, but he was happy to take her home. “Since the first day, I did not want to put Cloe in the sale,” he admitted. “She was a really good filly with everything–conformation, size, the pedigree. Everything was good. And she really had a good breeze. I talked to Tristan de Meric and I said, 'I am going to put her through the ring, but I am going to be picky with how much I am going to ask for her. Because I think she is special.'” Gavignano admitted he really hadn't expected the filly to RNA. “I was surprised, but the big buyers want a clean, clean horse,” he said. “She had a small issue. When I spoke to the doctor, he said to me, it's nothing for racing, but maybe it is going to hurt her at the sale. I wasn't going to give away my filly. So I kept her.” The pinhook or race debate continued at this year's OBS March sale, where Gavignano sold three horses, but ended up taking one home. “I had one Uncle Mo colt that was doing really good, but he got injured in the stall the night before the sale,” Gavignano said. “He's doing great. He's back at my farm. It was nothing major. So that's one of the horses I am going to keep. He did great in the breeze at OBS. I am a strong believer in God, so I think it was a message. He sent a message to keep this horse and that's exactly what I am doing.” Lugamo Racing's OBS April contingent includes a colt by Into Mischief (hip 27), purchased for $200,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October sale, and a colt by Tapit (hip 249), purchased for $300,000 at the Keeneland September sale. Both colts are consigned by Top Line Sales. With de Meric Sales, Lugamo will offer a filly by Into Mischief (hip 660), who was purchased for $115,000 at Fasig-Tipton October and a colt by Justify (hip 744) purchased for $200,000 at Keeneland September. “Last year, I tried to buy more into some pedigrees and see what happens,” Gavignano said. “I think it's a very good group. So far, I think Top Line and the de Merics are happy with the group that we are bringing. But you never know. You have to have good luck. For instance, at the March sale, we had three fillies the first day and the first day was really, really bad for breezing. It was 20+ mph headwind. So they didn't really perform in the way they did before. But the next day and the following day, there was no wind and there were a bunch of :9 4/5s and even a :9 3/5.” Gavignano thinks he may have found a way to circumvent any bad luck when the under-tack show for the Spring sale begins Sunday. “The good thing is, I have horses in every day of the book,” he said with a chuckle. “So I don't have everything in the same basket.” Two years ago, Gavignano purchased a farm in Ocala, but he wasn't originally thinking of his racehorse operation when he bought the property. “The reason I bought the farm initially was more for the love of the horses, not really thinking that it would be a perfect facility for training,” Gavignano said. “It was more that I wanted to have a place where I could fly out of my base in Virginia and spend time around the horses.” He continued, “But if you put everything together, it was a perfect combination. My barns were there, I have a bunch of broodmares that are in foal. So I can see the horses and I can have the horses there to rest for a few weeks or months. We want to actually build an equine pool. I am preparing for the farm to be a complete facility. So we don't have to go to a different place, everything will be in one place.” After eight years in the business, Gavignano has experienced success on the track and in the sales ring and he is now expanding into breeding, but he has no problem identifying his favorite aspect of the industry. “There is nothing like racing,” he said. “When you go to a sale and you see your horses doing good, it's very nice to see that. But you know the goosebumps that I feel every time that I have a horse in any race? I don't know why, for me, a $20,000 claiming race makes me feel that way. That adrenaline when we are in a race, it's difficult to feel that any other way.” So while he will be offering several horses at the OBS Spring sale, he won't be too upset to take some of those babies home with him. “I don't have any hesitation to keep them, to be honest with you,” Gavignano said. “If the horse doesn't bring what I want, I hope we can have the next Cloe.” Of his expanding equine empire, Gavignano admitted, “When I got more into the horses, you know, it is difficult to get out.” The under-tack preview of the Spring sale will be held next Sunday through Friday with sessions beginning daily at 8 a.m. The auction will be held Apr. 15-18. Bidding begins each day at 10:30 a.m. The post With Success on the Track and in the Sales Ring, Lugamo Racing Does it All appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 107 entries for its April Digital Sale, which may be viewed online at digital.fasigtipton.com. Bidding is open and will now close on Wednesday, Apr. 9, beginning at 2 p.m. ET, instead of Tuesday, Apr. 8 as originally scheduled. The closing date has been pushed back as to not conflict with rescheduled racing at Keeneland. The catalogue features horses of racing age, breeding stock, 2-year-olds in training, yearlings, and a no guarantee season to Nyquist. Featured offerings include the major reduction of Merriebelle Stable as well as half-sisters to Eclipse Champions Mitole and Ria Antonia; GI Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan; and Grade I winners Hot Rod Charlie, Dunbar Road and Princess Violet. “We've got over 50 horses of racing age in current form ready for action at the spring meets, stakes-credentialed breeding stock, quality offerings from the reduction of Merriebelle Stable, and a no guarantee season to leading sire Nyquist,” said Leif Aaron, Director of Digital Sales. Other offerings of interest include: Tiarella (Hip 7): Nyquist filly broke her maiden by seven lengths going away Aqueduct on Mar. 23. Offered as a racing/broodmare prospect by Indian Creek, agent. Yes Ma'am (Hip 21): Three-year-old half-sister to last year's GI Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan. Offered as a racing/broodmare prospect by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. Blind Spot (Hip 23): Stakes winner at two and multiple stakes performer. Offered as a broodmare prospect by Gainesway, agent. Her Laugh (Hip 24): Daughter of Practical Joke was an undefeated stakes winner last year at two and placed in stakes company on the Kentucky Oaks trail this year. Offered as a broodmare prospect by Ballysax Bloodstock, agent. Delray (Hip 25): Three-year-old Munnings filly won her last two starts, including an allowance at Aqueduct on Mar. 28. A winner last year at two, she's never finished worse than third in six career starts. Offered as a racing/broodmare prospect by Full Servis Equine, agent. The post Bidding Open for Fasig-Tipton April Digital Sale; Will Now Close Apr. 9 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It felt more doomsday than liberation day as the world – especially those people who do business with America – awaited President Trump's address from the White House on trade tariffs. In the bloodstock sector, where horses are regularly traded between Europe and the United States, the one thing we can be certain of for now is that the issue will add some uncertainty to the market. A first test of the degree to which it will affect the sales will come when the breeze-ups get underway later this month. The Arqana Breeze-up Sale at Deauville in May has routinely attracted not just many American-bred horses pinhooked in Kentucky the previous autumn but also plenty of American buyers. Some of those regular transatlantic visitors recently told Sue Finley what it is they like about this two-year-old sale in particular, but that was before the introduction of a 20 per cent trade tariff on the European Union (EU) trading bloc for all imports to the USA. This could affect sales in France, Ireland, Germany and Italy, and, to a lesser extent, Britain, which left the EU in 2020 but had a 10 per cent tariff imposed by Trump on Wednesday. These will come into effect from April 9. According to the Financial Times, EU leaders are now planning a four-week period of consultation and negotiation before deciding whether to issue retaliatory tariffs on American goods. Britain's prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is holding out for a trade deal that will reduce the 10 per cent rate but has not ruled out some degree of retaliation. At Arqana, close attention will be paid to these crucial EU negotiations, according to CEO Freddy Powell, who adds, “And we have a very close alliance with the Irish agricultural industry.” We're not only selling horses, it's the whole package, and often the American buyers are coming to find something they don't have at home – Freddy Powell Fluctuations in currency strength routinely affect the ebb and flow of spending from different nations, and that will doubtless play a part this year too. In the immediate aftermath of Trump's announcement, the pound and the euro both rose against the dollar. “The impact on the American buyer is still very difficult to calculate because obviously, through political and economical actions, there can be a lot of change between the euro, sterling and the dollar, so that 20 per cent could actually be far less in the end,” Powell says. Furthermore, not all international purchasers at sales are exporting the horses they buy, with plenty of Americans counted among the overseas clients supporting stables and stud farms in France, Britain and Ireland. “Half of the American purchases stay in France,” Powell says of the trade at Arqana. “Our American clients are not only attracted by the genetics of our horses and the know-how of our breeders and trainers, they also come to buy horses in France to enjoy the French racing, the atmosphere – the savoir vivre a la Francaise. We're not only selling horses, it's the whole package, and often the American buyers are coming to find something they don't have at home. So this demand is not going to stop from one day to another – 9 April is not going to be the day of the funeral of French racing for the Americans.” It is a similar story at Tattersalls, particularly at the yearling sales. At last year's Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale, at least 43 yearlings were bought by American entities for almost 12 million gns, just less than 10 per cent of that elite sale's total turnover. It is difficult to wholly assess the exodus of bloodstock from Europe to America but the Weatherbys Fact Book states that last year 117 British-bred horses were permanently exported to the US, and that number has been largely consistent over the last four years, with 442 having been exported during that time. The number is greater when it comes to Irish-breds, of which 304 were exported to America last year (1,187 in the last four years). Alongside public auctions, there is strong trade in private purchases for horses who have shown decent form in maidens. Earlier this week, Brian Sheerin reported on the lucrative sale of Curragh maiden winner Dupont Law (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}), who will be leaving Ciaran Murphy to race on in America. A new wave of Middle Eastern buyers and an emerging force in Amo Racing, as well as the big-spending Yulong operation and typically strong demand from Japan and Australia, were all significant factors in healthy returns in last year's yearling, foal, horses-in-training and breeding stock markets in Europe. Indeed, it could be argued that if, say, Japan responds like-for-like to the imposed 24 per cent tariff, then perhaps buyers from that country will favour European sales over those in America, where they also make a significant impact. Powell says, “We need to put things into perspective: the American market is very important for Arqana, it amounts to 10 per cent of our trade, but also we are very lucky to have a massive spectrum of international clients. As an example, in August 2024, we had 11 different buyers for the 11 top prices of the sale, and they were from nine different countries.” With regard to the forthcoming breeze-up sales in particular, it is worth noting that horses bearing a USA suffix sold in Europe would not be subject to tariffs if returning to America for a racing career. There is little doubt, however, that the market for two-year-olds over the next two months will have a knock-on effect for the yearling sales, which in turn affects the foal trade. A number of people from different roles canvassed for their opinions on this emerging situation said that they preferred not to be quoted but would be keeping a close eye on developments. That old saying that a week is a long time in politics is perhaps particularly true of the volatility of the current era. The one thing that we have learned about the bloodstock business, particularly since the more troubling days of the Covid pandemic, is that its participants are resilient and adaptive. They may need to be once more as the true impact of the tariffs is assessed in the coming months. The post Watching Brief for Bloodstock World as Trump Enforces Trade Tariffs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Stonestreet Stables' Emery looks to extend to three her unbeaten streak at Keeneland as she will face familiar foes and talented older mares in the $650,000 Madison Stakes (G1) April 8.View the full article

Multiple grade 2 winner Hoist the Gold headlines a field of 12 older horses entered for the $350,000 Commonwealth Stakes (G3) April 8 at Keeneland.View the full article