Wandering Eyes

Multiple Group One winner Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj) made a big impression ahead of a possible Australian feature target at the Ellerslie trials on Tuesday afternoon. The daughter of Iffraaj has only had three raceday appearances this season, and in that time picked up both the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) and Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m), accumulating more than $500,000 in prizemoney. Starting favourite in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) in early February, Grail Seeker struck firmer track conditions than she would typically fancy but still finished sixth in a high-class field. Instead of pressing on in that campaign, trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott went back to their proven method with the four-year-old, freshening her up and returning to the trials where she showed every bit of the class that earned her two elite-level crowns this term. In the hands of Masa Hashizume, Grail Seeker settled second-last in the 1100m heat and was never off the bridle, powering past her rivals in the straight to win her 1100m heat by a neck. “We were pleased with her parade, she settled and looked great in her skin and coat,” Scott said. “Masa knows her well and has trialled her in the past, and it was all about how she was going at the line. He got off and said she is going equally as well as she was before the Tarzino, so we’re pleased with that. “She really stretched out nicely in the straight.” A trip to Royal Randwick is now under serious consideration for Grail Seeker, with the A$1.5 million Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) to be run on the 19th of April. “We’ll see how she comes through the next couple of days, but there is the All Aged Stakes in Sydney, that’s where we are initially looking to go,” Scott said. “We’ve just got to make sure that if we are heading overseas, that she is going as well as she could. We’ll see how she comes through this trial before confirming.” The mare was initially intended to appear at the abandoned Taupo trials last week, but O’Sullivan and Scott found the positives in her adapted schedule. “It was nice to get her around Ellerslie, a lot of her future racing will certainly be around there and she went right-handed well, which she hasn’t got a lot of experience doing,” Scott said. “It was a plus for us to get her more familiar with the track, a lot of the big races are there and the more times she can go around, it certainly is more beneficial to the horse. “It was a good piece of exercise and education for her.” View the full article

During an April 1 meeting of the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation's Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund Advisory Committee meeting, a Kentucky Downs advertising budget double the size it received in 2024 was approved for $974,000.View the full article

Multiple Group One winner Grail Seeker. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Multiple Group One winner Grail Seeker made a big impression ahead of a possible Australian feature target at the Ellerslie trials on Tuesday afternoon. The daughter of Iffraaj has only had three raceday appearances this season, and in that time picked up both the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) and Group 1 Telegraph (1200m), and accumulating more than $500,000 in prizemoney. Starting favourite with horse racing bookmakers in the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) in early February, Grail Seeker struck firmer track conditions than she would typically fancy but still finished sixth in a high-class field. Instead of pressing on in that campaign, trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott went back to their proven method with the four-year-old, freshening her up and returning to the trials where she showed every bit of the class that earned her two elite-level crowns this term. In the hands of Masa Hashizume, Grail Seeker settled second-last in the 1100m heat and was never off the bridle, powering past her rivals in the straight to win her 1100m heat by a neck. “We were pleased with her parade, she settled and looked great in her skin and coat,” Scott said. “Masa knows her well and has trialled her in the past, and it was all about how she was going at the line. He got off and said she is going equally as well as she was before the Tarzino, so we’re pleased with that. “She really stretched out nicely in the straight.” A trip to Royal Randwick is now under serious consideration for Grail Seeker, with the $1.5 million Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) to be run on April 19. “We’ll see how she comes through the next couple of days, but there is the All Aged Stakes in Sydney, that’s where we are initially looking to go,” Scott said. “We’ve just got to make sure that if we are heading overseas, that she is going as well as she could. We’ll see how she comes through this trial before confirming.” The mare was initially intended to appear at the abandoned Taupo trials last week, but O’Sullivan and Scott found the positives in her adapted schedule. “It was nice to get her around Ellerslie, a lot of her future racing will certainly be around there and she went right-handed well, which she hasn’t got a lot of experience doing,” Scott said. “It was a plus for us to get her more familiar with the track, a lot of the big races are there and the more times she can go around, it certainly is more beneficial to the horse. “It was a good piece of exercise and education for her.” Horse racing news View the full article

Romantic Warrior cruises along Meydan’s home straight. Photo: HKJC Romantic Warrior has completed his final piece of fast work ahead of the Group 1 Dubai Turf (1800m) at Meydan on Sunday (AEST), when Danny Shum’s globetrotting champion bids for a Hong Kong record 11th Group 1 victory. Partnered by regular rider James McDonald on Tuesday morning, Romantic Warrior worked with companion Romantic Charm on the course proper, delighting Danny Shum with a leisurely hit-out. “Actually, he’s very fit at the moment so I talked with James McDonald and asked him to give him a happy, easy, smooth gallop on the turf and let him enjoy the work (because) the race is coming and after the gallop James gave me a very positive report,” Shum said. “He (McDonald) said the horse is very fit. He loves the horse. The horse loves it here and he is very happy here.” Reflecting on Romantic Warrior’s Group 1 Jebel Hatta (1800m) victory in record-breaking time (1:45.10) on January 24, Shum said: “I think at that time, he was about 85 percent fit but he did a great job. It was a great run.” The winner of 18 of 24 starts and world record prizemoney of HK$206.9 million, Romantic Warrior currently shares the Hong Kong record for the most Group 1 triumphs with Golden Sixty and Dubai Turf victory against 10 rivals this weekend would shunt the Acclamation gelding into outright leadership. Narrowly beaten by Japanese dirt superstar Forever Young in the Group 1 Saudi Cup (1800m, dirt) on February 22, Romantic Warrior has thrived since returning to Meydan ahead of what is slated to be the final run of another glorious campaign. “Even in the Saudi Cup, even though he ran second, he still broke the record as well. Forever Young was too good on the dirt,” Shum said. “I wanted to cry after the race, Forever Young was very strong but the third horse (Ushba Tesoro) was 10 lengths behind. “So, he (Romantic Warrior) has done a great job already. He’s taken my team everywhere – Australia, Japan, Saudi and Dubai. “This time (in the Dubai Turf), the Japanese horses are very dangerous. The main dangers are the Japanese horses. James will ride him wherever he’s comfortable. He’s got natural speed, so it all depends on the pace. He’s very flexible.” Romantic Warrior will claim a US$500,000 bonus if he clinches the Dubai Turf against last year’s winner Facteur Cheval and a powerful Japanese squad led by Liberty Island, Soul Rush, Brede Weg and Meisho Tabaru. The Dubai Turf is scheduled to be run at 2.15am (AEST) on Sunday. Horse racing news View the full article

Crystal Powerful wins at Happy Valley under Andrea Atzeni. Photo: HKJC Andrea Atzeni has rocketed into third place in the 2024/25 Hong Kong jockeys’ championship and the Italian ace is aiming to continue a prosperous stretch of form when he takes seven rides at Happy Valley. The 34-year-old rode 10 winners through March from 51 pairings to lift his score to 36 behind only Zac Purton (87 wins) and Hugh Bowman (51). Brenton Avdulla (34) and Luke Ferraris (33) are the only other riders to surpass the 30-win mark this season. Atzeni based himself permanently in Hong Kong ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. He rode 48 winners through his first full term, which served as his second taste of the city’s ultra-competitive circuit after a short stint in 2014/15 where he triumphed three times. Crystal Powerful seeks consecutive wins with Atzeni in the Class 4 Japan Racing Association Trophy Handicap (1000m) from barrier two for trainer Cody Mo. The Exceed And Excel gelding was successful in Class 5 on March 12 at the Valley. “He’s up in class, so I think he needs everything to go right for him. I was hoping for a good draw and we got a good draw, so hopefully he gets some luck in running and with that weight (121lb) he should be competitive again,” Atzeni said. A two-time winner over 1200m, Crystal Powerful was able to capitalise under Atzeni for the first time over 1000m by a head last month at the city circuit. “He’s been unlucky with draws. He’s a horse who, if he gets a (good) draw, he’s very competitive. Cody decided to drop him back to 1000 metres, which I thought was a good idea because he’s shown a lot more speed this year than he did last year. “He’s been coming out of the gates a lot quicker and over 1200 metres we just kept taking him back and trying to get him in behind. Dropping back to 1000 with a good draw – he jumped quickly and he won quite nicely,” Atzeni said. The in-form Atzeni also rides U S S Constitution, Senor Toba, Inno Century, Santorini, Mighty Commander and Kaholo Angel tomorrow night before jetting to Australia to reunite with Al Mubhir in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday for trainer William Haggas. “William approached me a while ago and said Al Mubhir was going to run in the Doncaster Mile. He asked me if I was happy to go and ride him and obviously, I said ‘yes’. “I actually rode him in the Lincoln (Handicap) a few years ago and he was favourite for the race. It (Doncaster Mile) looks like an open race and with a light weight (53kg/116lb) he should be competitive,” Atzeni said. Atzeni is one of four Hong Kong-based jockeys engaged to ride in Sydney. Zac Purton, Hugh Bowman and Karis Teetan head Down Under this weekend. Bowman also enjoyed a productive March with nine winners. The Australian is aboard M Unicorn in the Class 3 Tokyo Handicap (1650m) for trainer Caspar Fownes. “He won with authority (last start). It was a funny race and they didn’t go particularly hard early. Obviously, I made the mid-race move, which I was able to do without getting to top gear. He sustained a strong gallop through the line which was encouraging. “His form has been consistently good but he’s just difficult at the start of races, he jumps ok but he just won’t find a position. Even when he draws well you don’t get that advantage with him, if I can get a clean break with him and hold a more forward position with him it would be an advantage but he’s a bit difficult,” Bowman said. Hong Kong International Sale graduate M Unicorn is a six-time winner in Hong Kong from 26 starts with HK$7.19 million in earnings. The consistent Motoman returns in the first section of the Class 4 Nakayama Handicap (1200m) with jockey James Orman for trainer Pierre Ng. The Super One gelding has placed third in his last three runs and managed to win for the first time in January. “All of his runs have been great. He’s always around the mark. We’ve drawn (10) a little bit tricky, so that’s my only worry on the ‘C+3 course’ but I think if we can get the right run, he’s definitely in with a great chance,” Orman said. “He just got that short sprint, so we just have to time our run right.” Horse racing news View the full article

Joliestar ridden by Damian Lane wins the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington. Photo: Brett Holburt (Racing Photos) The sprinters get set to scorch the turf at Randwick on Saturday afternoon, with a quality field of 13 set to line up in the $3 million Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) on Day 1 of The Championships. The weight-for-age feature has attracted a stellar field of seven previous Group 1 winners, including the Chris Waller-trained Joliestar currently holding the call at $3.50 with . The Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) winner returns to Sydney after a dominant display down the Flemington straight and retains the services of star hoop Damien Lane. Briasa flashed home against the pattern of the day at Rosehill on March 22, finishing fifth behind Private Harry in the Group 1 Galaxy (1100m) last time out. The son of Smart Missile is the big firmer at $4.50 with after securing barrier three; however, he will need to carry the burden of an extra 4kg under weight-for-age conditions. Overpass is on the third line of betting at $7 with and returns as the main speed influence in the race, with a lack of tempo a concern for some key rivals as the Bjorn Baker-trained gelding prepares for another trip to Western Australia for The Quokka (1200m). Sunshine In Paris ($7) and Jimmysstar ($8) are the only other runners holding single figures, while the likes of Yulong pair Magic Time ($11) and Kimochi represent good value with online betting sites. The chances don’t end there in what’s shaping up to be a wide-open edition of the TJ Smith Stakes. 2025 TJ Smith Stakes Final Field 1. Overpass (2) T: Bjorn Baker J: Joshua Parr W: 58.5kg Age: 6YO Colour: Bay Sex: Gelding Sire: Vancouver Dam: Walkway +600 +150 2. Jimmysstar (9) T: Ciaron Maher J: Ethan Brown W: 58.5kg Age: 5YO Colour: Chestnut Sex: Gelding Sire: Per Incanto (USA) Dam: Anniesstar (NZ) +700 +175 3. Jedibeel (8) T: Brad Widdup J: Craig Williams W: 58.5kg Age: 5YO Colour: Bay or Brown Sex: Gelding Sire: Savabeel Dam: Starry (NZ) +10000 +2500 4. Headwall (7) T: Matthew Smith J: Zac Lloyd W: 58.5kg Age: 5YO Colour: Bay Sex: Gelding Sire: Dream Ahead (USA) Dam: Positive Quest +2500 +625 5. Briasa (3) T: Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes J: Tyler Schiller W: 58.5kg Age: 4YO Colour: Grey-bay Sex: Gelding Sire: Smart Missile Dam: Mary’s Grace +320 -125 6. Sunshine In Paris (11) T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald J: Chad Schofield W: 56.5kg Age: 5YO Colour: Bay Sex: Mare Sire: Invader Dam: Zenaida (NZ) +600 +150 7. Joliestar (4) T: Chris Waller J: Damian Lane W: 56.5kg Age: 4YO Colour: Bay Sex: Mare Sire: Zoustar Dam: Jolie Bay +260 -153.85 8. Magic Time (1) T: Grahame Begg J: Jordan Childs W: 56.5kg Age: 5YO Colour: Bay Sex: Mare Sire: Hellbent Dam: Time Awaits +1000 +250 9. I Am Me (6) T: Ciaron Maher J: Tim Clark W: 56.5kg Age: 6YO Colour: Bay Sex: Mare Sire: I Am Invincible Dam: Mefnooda +5000 +1250 10. Kimochi (13) T: Gary Portelli J: Nash Rawiller W: 56.5kg Age: 4YO Colour: Bay Sex: Mare Sire: Brave Smash (JPN) Dam: Summer Fun +2000 +500 11. Switzerland (5) T: Chris Waller J: Ryan Moore W: 56.5kg Age: 3YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: Snitzel Dam: Ms Bad Behavior (CAN) +1400 +350 12. Traffic Warden (12) T: James Cummings J: Blake Shinn W: 56.5kg Age: 3YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: Street Boss (USA) Dam: Efficiently +2000 +500 13. Shezanalister (10) T: Bjorn Baker J: Ms Rachel King W: 56.5kg Age: 5YO Colour: Chestnut Sex: Mare Sire: Star Turn Dam: Filomena’s Grace +10000 +2500 Horse racing news View the full article

Sires’ Produce favourite, Wodeton. Photo: Bradley Photos The Group 1 Sires’ Produce (1400m) is one of four Group 1 events for Day 1 of the Championships at Randwick on Saturday afternoon, attracting a select field of 10 two-year-olds to battle it out for the $1 million prize. The Chris Waller-trained Wodeton has opened the $2.80 favourite with horse racing betting sites for the event after a fast-finishing runner-up effort in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) a fortnight ago. Coolmore has acquired the services of Ryan Moore for the absent James McDonald, with the Wootton Bassett colt set to jump from barrier nine. Rivellino is on the second line of betting at $3.50 with as he attempts to turn the tables on the favoured galloper, with Hugh Bowman once again poised to make the trip back from Hong Kong taking the reins. The most intriguing runner comes in the form of the undefeated Melbourne raider Vinrock ($6) who will be seeking Group 1 glory at just his third start after claiming dominant back-to-back wins in Victoria. Mark Zahra is booked to ride the I Am Invincible colt and appears the obvious leader in the race after drawing barrier one on Tuesday evening. State Visit is the only other runner in the mix according to Dabble, holding his price at $6 after an eye-catching effort in the Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 15. Bellazaine ($13), Prestige Forever ($15) and Buffalo ($26) are all friendless early, with punters happy to take the lead at the top of the market. 2025 ATC Sires Produce Stakes Final Field 1. Rivellino (6) T: Kris Lees J: Hugh Bowman W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Brown Sex: Colt Sire: Too Darn Hot (GB) Dam: Intrinsic +200 -200 2. Wodeton (9) T: Chris Waller J: Ryan Moore W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: Wootton Bassett (GB) Dam: Fiera Vista +200 -200 3. Vinrock (1) T: Matt Laurie J: Mark Zahra W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: I Am Invincible Dam: Girl Gone Rockin’ +400 +100 4. Prestige Forever (10) T: David Brideoake & Matt Jenkins J: Jamie Mott W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: Ole Kirk Dam: Cool Passion +1400 +350 5. State Visit (5) T: Ciaron Maher J: Jason Collett W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: Wootton Bassett (GB) Dam: Celebrity Queen +500 +125 6. Buffalo (4) T: David Atkins J: Zac Purton W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Chestnut Sex: Gelding Sire: Written By Dam: Contributing +2500 +625 7. Nordic Viking (3) T: John Sargent J: Craig Williams W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay or Brown Sex: Colt Sire: So You Think (NZ) Dam: Nordic Charm +5000 +1250 8. Navy Pilot (2) T: Ciaron Maher J: Zac Lloyd W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: I Am Invincible Dam: Amuletum (GB) +5000 +1250 9. Federalist (8) T: Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes J: Nash Rawiller W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: I Am Invincible Dam: Arcadia Queen +2500 +625 10. Bellazaine (7) T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott J: Tim Clark W: 54.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay or Brown Sex: Filly Sire: Zousain Dam: Benella +1400 +350 Horse racing news View the full article

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Lexington is forecast to experience rain showers and thunderstorms April 2-6, putting a damper on Keeneland's highly anticipated opening weekend. What that means for a race like the $600,000 Transylvania Stakes (G3T) is to be determined.View the full article

After winning the Florida Derby (G1) last week with the Brad Cox-trained Tappan Street, owners WinStar Farm and CHC have an opportunity at another top-level stakes victory April 5 when River Thames competes in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1).View the full article

Gotham Stakes (G3) winner Flood Zone will aim to take a circuitous route to this year's Kentucky Derby (G1) when he starts in the $1 million UAE Derby (G2) March 5 at Meydan in his final start ahead of the United States classics.View the full article

Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Straight No Chaser faces off with defending champion and local star Tuz in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) on the Dubai World Cup program.View the full article

The Backside Learning Center (BLC) will host a Derby Handicapping Social at Angel's Envy Distillery in Louisville on Tuesday, Apr. 15 at 5:30 p.m. ET. A handicapping seminar moderated by Donna Barton Brothers of NBC will feature FanDuel TV's Caton Bredar and Gabby Gaudet, as well as Churchill Downs analyst Joe Kristufek. “All of us on the panel are very excited to be in the new venue,” said Bredar. “We all really look forward to the social, as we not only get to reconnect and get geared up for the Derby, but we can support the backside community and the important work of the Backside Learning Center.” The evening will also include complimentary hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and a guided tasting of Angel's Envy Distillery products. Guests, who must be 21+ to attend, will also have the opportunity to learn about the mission of the BLC, which supports the diverse community of backstretch workers and their families. Tickets are $75 per person. For more information and for tickets–which are limited to 100 for the event–visit one.bidpal.net/blcderbyhandicapping25. The post Backside Learning Center to Hold Derby Handicapping Social appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Purse levels for maiden special weight (MSW) races at the seven-day Kentucky Downs meet in August and September are once again projected to be $170,000, the same level as last season. Although that number isn't going up in 2025, it's still by far the biggest money outlay for maidens at any North American racetrack, because Kentucky Downs boasts the highest overall purse structure on the continent. At Tuesday's meeting of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) advisory committee, some board members-as they have in past years-cautioned against the risks of maintaining such a high level, lest Kentucky politicians get the notion that too much money is being used to fund purses that are out of whack with those at boutique meets in other jurisdictions. The KTDF is funded by three-quarters of 1% of all money wagered in the state on both live Thoroughbred races and historical horse race gaming, plus 1% of all money wagered on Thoroughbred races via inter-track wagering and whole-card simulcasting. That money, along with funding from each track, goes to pay purses in the state. Ted Nicholson, the vice president of racing at Kentucky Downs, noted that given the available money, “We could go higher, but…” The remainder of Nicholson's comment was lost in cross-talk, as a number of KTDF board members chimed in at once to debate the issue. Rick Hiles, a board member of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association, who represents that organization on the KTDF board, summed up the Kentucky Downs purse issue this way: “I've argued for years about [not] getting these purses up ridiculously at that level because the legislators have tried to come in and take some of this money back. And you get it to a point that [it's] ridiculous what you're giving away, like $170,000 for maidens, and then the legislators are going to reach in one of these days and say, 'You know what? You guys have got too much money. You're doing too much. Give it to us.'” Braxton Lynch, who represents the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders association on the KTDF board, has long advocated for boosting purses of allowance races with KTDF funding. She made that same suggestion again on Tuesday. “But the allowance races are $200,000,” Nicholson responded, citing another Kentucky Downs purse figure that dwarfs money paid out elsewhere in North America. In the span of a decade, Kentucky Downs has nearly doubled its MSW purses, which stood at $80,000 or $90,000 (based on the age of horses) in 2014. In the post-pandemic years, Kentucky Downs MSW purses have been $135,000 in 2021, $150,000 in 2022 and 2023, and $170,000 in 2024. Nicholson said that for the 2025 meet, Kentucky Downs will feature new private suites and new paving stones in the paddock to replace grass that gets chewed up by heavy foot traffic. In addition, the turf-only track known for its huge fields is endeavoring to upgrade its simulcast presentation. “We're developing new camera locations. We're going to have a drone. We're going to have a cable-cam that's going to run the length of the stretch,” Nicholson said. “We're completely remodeling our simulcast center, and we're also creating a 10,000 square-foot sports book,” Nicholson added. Nicholson also said Kentucky Downs will be hiring a racetrack surfaces consultant “to take a look at any way we can improve our turf course.” During the Apr. 1 meeting, the KTDF advisory board approved the funding request that the Kentucky Downs purse projections were based on. The Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation still has to vote on final approval of that allotment at a subsequent meeting. The post Kentucky Downs Maidens to Again Race for $170K, a Level That Even HBPA Rep Acknowledges is ‘Ridiculously’ High appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The final pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager makes its three-day run April 3-5. Santa Anita Derby (G1) contender Journalism was tabbed as the 4-1 favorite among 39 individual horses, and another option is available for "All Other 3-Year-Olds."View the full article

Full Moon Madness, coming off a triumph in the Tom Fool Stakes (G3), vies to return to the Aqueduct Race Track winners' circle in the $300,000 Carter Stakes (G2) April 5. View the full article

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

Thomas Meis and Mallory Baker will be joining the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA)'s Washington, D.C., office, and Steve Driskill will be promoted to Vice President of NTRA Advantage-Equine Discounts. Driskill has been a member of the Advantage team since its inception in 2002. He replaces Fritz Widaman, who has joined the new Maryland Jockey Club. Driskill started his career in horse racing at Remington Park. Baker joins the NTRA's Washington, D.C., office in the newly created position of Horse PAC® coordinator. Previously, she's worked as an Associate for The Elevated Group, and as a Press Assistant for the House Committee on Oversight & Accountability. She graduated from the University of Kentucky. Meis also joins the Washington, D.C., office as Communications Director. Meis previously worked for the law firm Tyson & Mendes as a Communications Coordinator and graduated from Syracuse University. “We are thrilled to welcome the newest members of the team,” NTRA's Tom Rooney said. “We look forward to continuing to build on the momentum we've established in Washington since opening our D.C. office only a few short years ago.” The post Meis, Driskill, Mallory Join NTRA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tickets are now on sale for a charity bourbon raffle hosted by CASA of Lexington, featuring a grand prize of a Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby 150: Baccarat Edition bottle with a halter worn by Kentucky Derby 150 winner, Mystik Dan. Produced to commemorate the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, the bottle is one of only 150 produced. The grand prize is a triple-barreled American whiskey aged in three distinct casks– the traditional bourbon barrel, a cognac cask and an exclusive barrel seasoned within the Kentucky Derby Winner's Circle. Each of the limited bottles is showcased in a crystal decanter meticulously crafted by artisans of the French Maison Baccarat and presented in a custom leather carrying case. Set for Wednesday, Apr. 30, proceeds from the Bourbon Raffles, Serial No. 007 raffle will support CASA of Lexington's mission to provide advocacy for abused and neglected children in seven central Kentucky counties: Bourbon, Fayette, Garrard, Jessamine, Lincoln, Scott and Woodford. Along with the grand prize, other raffle prizes will include a Four Roses 20-year Visitor Center OBSV Private Barrel; limited edition green, blue, and red bottles of Blanton's La Maison du Paris; a 2021 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon; a Van Winkle Special Reserve Lot “B” 12-year; an Old Rip Van Winkle 10-year; and two 2024 bottles of Maker's Mark Cellar Aged. The raffle is held in partnership with Elizabethtown-based nonprofit Give 270, and is hosted through the organization's BourbonRaffles.org platform. The raffle will take place live on Give 270's Facebook page and YouTube channel on Wednesday, Apr. 30, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $100 and will be available for purchase until 7 p.m. on the day of the drawing. A total of 1,000 tickets are available for the raffle. Subject to availability, there is no limit to the number of tickets purchased per person. To purchase tickets, visit www.bourbonraffles.org. To learn more about CASA of Lexington, visit www.casaoflexington.org. The post CASA of Lexington Hosts Charity Raffle Highlighting Mystik Dan’s Kentucky Derby Halter appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of 32 horses, including the winners of the 2024 2000 Guineas, 1000 Guineas and their Irish counterparts, have signed on for the £400,000 G1 BoyleSports Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 17. Godolphin's trio is anchored by G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Sussex Stakes score Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) for Charlie Appleby, who also saddles graded/group winners Mysterious Night (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Ottoman Fleet (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Roger Varian's pair of G1 1000 Guineas victress Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and multiple listed winner Tyrrhenian Sea (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) have both been entered. Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), successful in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas for Karl Burke, will stand her ground for Wathnan Racing, alongside G1 Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}), who is trained by Richard Hannon. Hannon has four other runners to go to war with, and multiple Group 1 winner Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), who beat Haatem in the Irish 2000 Guineas, is one of them. Said Hannon, who also runs GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Persica (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), and Witch Hunter (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), “We are very happy with them all and they all look great. Unquestionable, like Rosallion, wouldn't like it soft but he is a very nice addition to the yard. Witch Hunter on his day can be anything, he has been placed in the Lockinge before and is such a brave warrior. Rosallion is in very good form.” John and Thady Gosden have four entered, including last year's surprise winner Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), who could become the first horse since Soviet Line (Ire) (Soviet Star) in 1995/96 to record consecutive scores. Their G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Friendly Soul (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who races in the colours of George Strawbridge, is also part of their quartet. Other top-level winners signed on include Sun Chariot Stakes heroine Tamfana (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) for David Menuisier, and Ralph Beckett's Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}). The post Quartet Of Guineas Winners Highlight 32 Lockinge Entries appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It was an earlier-than-usual morning for trainer Mark Casse's team April 1 as they welcomed Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Sandman to Churchill Downs just after 4 a.m. ET to begin his preparations for the $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1).View the full article

The Oklahoma Training Track at Saratoga Race Course will open for the 2025 season on Saturday, Apr. 19, according to a the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) Tuesday. The Oklahoma barn area will open to licensed trainers and staff beginning Tuesday, Apr. 15. In 2025, NYRA will expand public access to the Oklahoma Training Track. Beginning April 19, and continuing up until the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, the Whitney Viewing Stand will be open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. In previous years, the Oklahoma Training Track and Whitney Viewing Stand were accessible to the public on weekends only prior to the start of the Saratoga summer meet. NYRA will provide updated operating hours for the Whitney Viewing Stand prior to the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, June 4-8. Beginning June 9 and continuing through Labor Day, the Whitney Viewing Stand will be open to the public daily from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Pedestrians may access the Oklahoma Training Track by entering the property via Gate 21 off East Avenue, but fans are reminded that vehicles are not permitted on the property at this time. In advance of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, the main track at the Spa will open on Wednesday, May 7 with timed workouts permitted beginning Saturday, May 10. The 40-day summer meet will open Thursday, July 10 and continue through Monday, Sept. 1. Following the four-day opening week, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from closing week, when the 2025 summer meet will conclude on Labor Day. For more information, please visit www.NYRA.com. The post NYRA to Expand Public Access to Oklahoma Track Training to Begin Apr. 19 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The final pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which begins its three-day run Thursday and continues through Saturday, is led by 4-1 favorite Journalism (Curlin), who heads a field of 39 individual horses, in addition to “All Other 3-Year-Olds” not listed. Unlike the first five Future Wager pools, Pool 6 will close Saturday at approximately 4 p.m. ET, prior to the GII Wood Memorial, GI Blue Grass and GI Santa Anita Derby. Wagering for Pool 6 opens Thursday at noon through www.TwinSpires.com, as well as simulcast and ADW outlets nationwide. Like the first five pools, win and exacta wagering is offered. Journalism, the winner of last month's GII San Felipe, is set to face a compact field in the Santa Anita Derby, including Eclipse Award winner Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), listed at 10-1 in the future wager. Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy and owned by Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5, Bob LaPenta and Coolmore, closed as the 5-1 favorite in Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. The complete field for Pool 6 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (with trainer, sire and morning line odds) #1 Admiral Dennis (Brad Cox, Constitution, 80-1) #2 American Promise (D. Wayne Lukas, Justify, 30-1) #3 Baeza (John Shirreffs, McKinzie, 60-1) #4 Barnes (Bob Baffert, Into Mischief, 15-1) #5 Built (Wayne Catalano, Hard Spun, 50-1) #6 Burnham Square (Ian Wilkes, Liam's Map, 40-1) #7 Caldera (D. Wayne Lukas, Liam's Map, 40-1) #8 Captain Cook (Rick Dutrow, Practical Joke, 25-1) #9 Chancer McPatrick (Chad Brown, McKinzie, 30-1) #10 Chunk of Gold (Ethan West, Preservationist, 30-1) #11 Citizen Bull (Bob Baffert, Into Mischief, 10-1) #12 Coal Battle (Lonnie Briley, Coal Front, 25-1) #13 Dragon (JPN) (Mikio Matsunaga, Mind Your Biscuits, 50-1) #14 East Avenue (Brendan Walsh, Medaglia d'Oro, 30-1) #15 Final Gambit (Brad Cox, Not This Time, 40-1) #16 Flood Zone (Brad Cox, Frosted, 40-1) #17 Flying Mohawk (Whit Beckman, Karokontie, 60-1) #18 Grande (Todd Pletcher, Curlin, 60-1) #19 Hill Road (Chad Brown, Quality Road, 40-1) #20 Journalism (Michael McCarthy, Curlin, 4-1) #21 Luxor Cafe (Noriyuki Hori, American Pharoah, 20-1) #22 Madaket Road (Bob Baffert, Quality Road, 50-1) #23 McAfee (Rick Dutrow, Cloud Computing, 90-1) #24 My Mitole (Carlos Martin, Mitole, 80-1) #25 Omaha Omaha (Michael Gorham, Audible, 99-1) #26 Owen Almighty (Brian Lynch, Speightstown, 30-1) #27 Passion Rules (Brad Cox, Fresian Fire, 50-1) #28 Publisher (Steve Asmussen, American Pharoah, 25-1) #29 Render Judgment (Kenny McPeek, Blame, 80-1) #30 River Thames (Todd Pletcher, Maclean's Music, 40-1) #31 Rodriguez (Bob Baffert, Authentic, 50-1) #32 Sand Devil (Linda Rice, Violence, 80-1) #33 Sandman (Mark Casse, Tapit, 8-1) #34 Shin Forever (Hideyuki Mori, Complexity, 50-1) #35 Sovereignty (Bill Mott, Into Mischief, 10-1) #36 Statesman (Shug McGaughey III, Constitution, 80-1) #37 Tappan Street (Brad Cox, Into Mischief, 10-1) #38 Tiger Twenty Four (Bill Mott, Lord Nelson, 80-1) #39 Tiztastic (Steve Asmussen, Tiz the Law, 15-1) #40 All Other 3-Year-Olds (20-1) For more information on Pool 6 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, click here. The post Journalism Made the 4-1 Favorite in Pool 6 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Mark Stanley had a fair idea what must have happened when hearing a sudden cascade of message alerts as they drove along. “Based on, nobody calls to tell you a horse ran bad,” he says wryly. “We were out with our grandkids, so I'd taped the race. And then my phone just starts exploding. So I knew he must have won, even before we got back and watched it. Obviously I have nothing to do with him, now, but we've enjoyed following him a lot more than I thought I ever would, watching somebody else's horse. But that's what's fun about this whole business. Those 20 or 30 guys texting about the race, it's like a team, everybody rooting for everybody else.” And, in fairness, Stanley does still have skin in the game. As a first foal, Owen Almighty's success in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby is a valuable boost to his dam Tempers Rising (Bayern); and any breeder is going to enjoy the ride, once a colt starts being measured out for a blanket of roses. The GI Blue Grass Stakes will be a crucial junction for the Speightstown colt, with options of proceeding towards the GI Kentucky Derby or reverting in distance for the GII Pat Day Mile. And that might well boil down to whether he takes sooner after his dam, who herself contested a Classic at Churchill Downs only five years ago, or his sire. Tempers Rising won just a maiden in 14 starts for Stanley, but after running second in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks was given her chance in the postponed GI Kentucky Oaks of 2020, by no means discredited with a midfield finish. “I always thought her a better racehorse than her record showed,” Stanley says. “She was always knocking on the door, and made over $300,000.” At one point Tempers Rising was put in a digital sale, but that was never more than an experiment and Stanley unhesitatingly retained her at $150,000. On her eventual retirement, he then made another astute call–one that other breeders would do well to emulate–in sending this unproven mare to a proven veteran in Speightstown. The resulting colt was obviously a cracker, judging from the $360,000 paid for him as a foal at Keeneland by Sycamore Hall Farm. “Yes, he was good-looking,” Stanley says. “But I'm a bit of numbers guy, and when I looked into it, Speightstown's weanlings sold about as well as his yearlings. So I went ahead and put him in the November Sale, and it worked out.” (Sure enough, the colt proved a pretty neutral pinhook in realizing no more than $350,000 from Boardshorts Stables at Saratoga the following summer.) So can the breeder offer Flying Dutchmen, the owners of Owen Almighty, any encouragement regarding his potential to stretch out? “Well, I think that these guys have done a lot better than I ever do, so I'm going to stay out of it and just enjoy whatever they do,” Stanley emphasizes. “I thought the Pat Day was a good spot, but I understand Derby fever, too. I always thought that the mare just needed a little speed, and of course that was Speightstown's calling card. But from what we're seeing, he got some endurance from his mother, too. So the combination seems to have worked out pretty well.” Owen Almighty as a foal | courtesy Taylor Made Whatever happens, Tempers Rising has enjoyed an immediate vault in status, vindicating Stanley for the further opportunities she has been given since. Her second foal, a Constitution colt, was pinhooked from the September Sale at $185,000 and has been catalogued by Tradewinds Stud at the upcoming Arqana Breeze-Up Sale. Next in line is a colt by none other than Not This Time; and while Tempers Rising missed last year, that left her vacant for an early cover by McKinzie this time round. “We were real excited about the Not This Time, even before all this,” Stanley says. “He's put together the same way as Owen, very athletic, but a little bigger. He's at TaylorMade, where they obviously see a lot of the stallion's foals, and they think a lot of him out there.” Stanley got to know the Taylor family as Little League baseball coach to Duncan's son Marshall, and his interest in other sports has also been stimulated by daughter Alex's marriage to Chief Stipe Davenport, who has just succeeded his father Scott as Bellarmine University basketball coach. Alex, for her part, has long been integral to the Stanley equine program, as it was her toddler tantrums that prompted the naming of its very first recruit. That was back in 1993, when Stanley joined a gang of pals for a weekend at Saratoga. “There were 16 of us, my brother and 14 other guys,” he recalls. “And actually Kenny McPeek was in that group. Well, you know how smart you get at the track sometimes. And we decided that instead of just betting on these horses, we'd get together and buy one. They had a 2-year-old sale, first time I've known them do that during the meet, so we went over and circled the three fastest times. And the one that fell in our price range was this Temperence Hill filly. I signed the ticket [for $70,000] and we went out and celebrated for two days. Two weeks after that, the bill comes. And not a one of them could be found. Not one of the 15! So now I was in the horse business.” Alex was two at the time and, playing on the sire's name, Stanley named the filly Her Temper. Within weeks of entering McPeek's barn, she had won a Turfway maiden and a Keeneland allowance; and the following spring, back at Keeneland, she added the GII Beaumont Stakes. So were there 15 guys kicking themselves then? “Well, virtually every time there are 16 guys in the winner's circle photo!” replies Stanley with a chuckle. Keeneland was already a track dear to his heart. “I've no background at all in racing, I'm from West Virginia, but when I came to U.K. [to study engineering] we'd go out there Friday afternoons,” he recalls. “Mainly because of the girls! But I got into the whole atmosphere and pageantry. And then, working with Kenny early, he's so good with his owners, at communication and keeping you involved.” Variations on a theme since Her Temper include GI Ruffian Handicap winner Swift Temper (Giant's Causeway), sold privately to Japan after falling shy of her reserve at $2.05 million at the 2009 Keeneland November Sale; and Quiet Temper (Quiet American), a $90,000 September yearling who won the GII Fair Grounds Oaks the following year. Stanley, who manufactures auto parts for Toyota, mischievously explains that only the fillies are branded this way. “Boys don't have tempers!” he says, plainly not in earnest. “But as Alex got older, and that first horse having done pretty good, she took pride in the names. Remember we've also had graded stakes winners called Golden Temper (Forty Niner) and Pleasant Temper (Storm Cat), too. So we've tried to match Alex through the stages of her life.” Stanley's mother also contributed to the family's engagement with the program. “She and I used to love going to the track together in the mornings,” Stanley recalls. “She especially loved watching them get a bath after they'd worked. She used to follow Pleasant Temper, in particular, and Elliott [Walden, trainer] treated her like a queen. When that filly ran in Chicago [in 1997], Elliott arranged a limo to pick her up from the airport, and we had lunch in the stakes room, all the shrimp you could have, wine, whatever. “And then we ran terrible! About a month later, my mother's having open heart surgery and I'm sitting with her in the hospital. And it comes up on the screen that Arlington was closing–it was back when they were battling the riverboats–and she turned to me and said, 'I knew they were giving me way too much.' She thinks she broke them.” Mark and Nancy Stanley | courtesy Mark Stanley That longstanding connection to the Walden family connects two milestones in which Stanley played a gratifying role. “In 2001, Pat Day won his 8,000th race on one of mine that Elliott trained,” he explains. “And his groom was a young Bret Jones [of Airdrie, son of Brereton C. Jones]. And then, last October, Irad Ortiz won his 4,000th race on Good Temper: Will Walden training, and Brereton Jones as breeder. So it's full circle.” Earlier this month that Collected filly, just $40,000 deep in the 2023 September Sale, won an optional allowance on the Fair Grounds turf by over seven lengths. “Will picked her out for me, and I'm keen on seeing her go a little longer,” Stanley says. “It's fun, I knew Will when he was three or four years old. He has fought a lot of things but come out on the good end of it.” Good Temper forms part of what is nowadays a considerably reduced program. “The initial theory was to buy fillies and accomplish enough that you could breed them,” Stanley says. “But then it got to the point where, one Thanksgiving, [his wife] Nancy's father asked me how many horses we had. And I said, 'I don't know, eight I think, counting babies, eight or 10.” And Nancy said, 'You better count them again.' And it turned out to be 19. I realized then that I couldn't afford to tie up so much money, and we sold most of them. Now we've just four on the track, plus Tempers Rising and her yearling.” Quality not quantity, then: a single mare, with a first foal on the track, and he's giving everyone Derby fever. That's a condition Stanley fully understands, having sampled it himself in 1999. Though he made no show on the day, Ecton Park (Forty Niner) later beat Lemon Drop Kid in the GII Jim Dandy and Menifee in the GI Super Derby. “He probably shouldn't have run, but it was my first and only chance so I'm glad we did,” Stanley reflects. “For this year we already have our seats, so we'll be there rooting for Owen, whichever race he ends up going for.” Because ultimately this game has been about enjoying the ride, and in the right company–as exemplified by Ecton Park himself, when he failed to meet his yearling reserve at $190,000. “So I went back to Bill Harrigan, made him an offer, and we shook hands on it,” Stanley recalls. “And I know for a fact that somebody else went in an hour later and offered him $30,000 or $40,000 more. But Bill stuck to our handshake, even though we didn't have anything in writing. I've always admired him for that. That's the straight-up kind of guy you like to do business with.” And experiences of that kind, with families like the Waldens and the Taylors, trainers like McPeek and Dale Romans, have long made Stanley rejoice in that fateful Saratoga excursion, all those years ago. “I probably would have been better off, financially, if that first filly had just tanked and I'd quit,” he says. “But over the years I wouldn't have had anything near the same fun.” The post Keeneland Breeder Spotlight: Owen Puts Stanley In Best Of Tempers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of 250 two-year-olds have been catalogued for the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-up Sale, which takes place on Thursday, May 22 and Friday, May 23. The full catalogue is available to view here. Previous graduates of the sale include last year's Irish Oaks third Purple Lily (Ire) (Calyx {GB}) and the G3 Round Tower Stakes winner Letsbefrankaboutit (Ire), while Coto de Caza (Ire) won three times as a juvenile, including the G3 Cornwallis Stakes, after being bought for €270,000 in 2024. The first crop of Tally-Ho Stud's Starman (GB) will be strongly represented at the sale with 20 two-year-olds, while Coolmore's Sioux Nation–the sire of Coto de Caza and Letsbefrankaboutit, as well as last year's top-priced lot at €370,000–is responsible for 18. In total, the progeny of 88 different sires have been catalogued, with lot 27, a half-sister to the aforementioned Purple Lily, featuring among the dozen by Cotai Glory (GB). Other potential highlights include lot 43, a St Mark's Basilica (Fr) half-brother to the dual Group 1 winner Limato (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}); lot 82, a Wootton Bassett (GB) colt out of the Listed scorer Friendly (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a full-sister to multiple black-type winners, headed by the G2 Superlative Stakes hero and sire Gustav Klimt (Ire); and lot 228, an Alkumait (GB) half-brother to the G1 Caulfield Cup winner Deny Knowledge (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}). The breezes will get underway at Fairyhouse Racecourse from 8.30am on Thursday, May 22, before the sale commences at 10.00am on Friday, May 23. Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins said, “The Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-up Sale has experienced extraordinary growth year on year and an incredible number of purchasers have attended in recent years from across the globe. The quality throughout the catalogue has continued to grow exponentially, thanks to consignors recognising that the sale attracts agents, owners, and trainers with significant buying power. This catalogue is our strongest yet and there will be a horse for every level of the market. Our graduates continue to excel on the racetrack, the best advertisement for the sale. “We've worked hard to ensure that our clients enjoy a top-tier experience at the sale, with excellent facilities and hospitality on offer. The team at Fairyhouse Racecourse has been incredibly accommodating, and with the track being in close proximity to the sales complex, it makes for an ideal location, with a seamless transition between both venues and offering great convenience for those attending. Irish Thoroughbred Marketing and our own marketing team will continue to work tirelessly to assist existing and new purchasers attend this year's sale. We're really looking forward to it!” The post ‘Strongest Catalogue Yet’ for Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-up Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article