Wandering Eyes

The mandatory quarantine covering horses previously stabled in Barn 66 at Saratoga Race Course has been lifted by the New York State Department of Agriculture (NYSDA) effective immediately, announced the New York Racing Association (NYRA) via press release. To minimize any impact on the general horse population at Saratoga, and to allow for Barn 66 to be cleaned and disinfected under NYSDA protocols, the group of horses completed the mandatory quarantine at Aqueduct Racetrack. As a result, horses previously stabled in Barn 66 are permitted to return to Saratoga and train with the general horse population beginning Monday, July 14. Horses stabled in Barn 66 were placed under a mandatory quarantine June 25 when a 2-year-old filly [Tenacious Child] returned a positive test for strangles. There are currently two horses that remain under quarantine at a private facility–a 2-year-old colt [Tranquil Sea] and a 2-year-old gelding [Mo Curls]. Per NYSDA protocols, they will be permitted to return to NYRA property upon presenting a negative PCR test for strangles. The post Mandatory Quarantine for Horses Previously Stabled in Barn 66 at Saratoga Lifted appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Monday, Vichy, France, post time: 16:25, PRIX FREDERIC DE LAGRANGE-Listed, €50,300, 3yo, 12fT Field: Quinteplus (Fr) (Telecaster {Ire}), Tommy Boy (Fr) (Intello {Ger}), Zarakchic (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), Starnberg (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), Marchemalo (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}), Espoir Avenir (Fr) (Montmartre {Fr}), Yellow Jersey (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), Master Cath (Fr) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Zingara (Fr) (Kingman {GB}). TDN Verdict: While the Tour de France wends its way through the nearby mountains, Qatar Racing's Yellow Jersey is favoured to follow up an impressive debut performance over this distance at Saint-Cloud and makes his first black-type start here. The Andre Fabre trainee was value for more than the official winning margin of four lengths and will bid to become the maestro's first winner since Doha Dream prevailed in 2016. Jerome Reynier, who annexed this in 2022 and 2023, relies on G3 Prix Hocquart third Zarakchic, sporting a maillot jaune of his own, and G2 Derby Italiano fifth Starnberg. Christophe Ferland's two contenders are Swiss Derby hero Espoir Avenir and ParisLongchamp handicap winner Zingaro. Both Quinteplus, who is three-from-four, and Master Cath, who is five-from-nine, merit respect. [Sean Cronin]. Click here for the complete field. The post Black-Type Analysis: Yellow Jersey Fancied in Listed Feature at Vichy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Saratoga meet has just gotten started and it's already appears that Mother Nature is ready for a nasty fight, one NYRA is going to have a hard time winning. On paper, Saturday's card looked excellent with the GII Bowling Green S. and the GI Diana S., plus three maiden 2-year-old races that included a lot of horse with a lot of potential. But the card was wrecked before it started, thanks to a deluge of rain Saturday morning. It came down hard and heavy for about an hour. They took four races off the grass, choosing to run only the two stakes on a turf course that was listed as “good” by the time the Diana rolled around. The track was listed as yielding for the Bowling Green. The damage to the bottom-line was huge. On the same Saturday in 2024, when it was 85 degrees out and the tracks were fast and firm, the 12-race care card handled $33,225,605. On this Saturday, five races were taken off the grass and there were 46 scratches. Two races, including the Bowling Green went with four-horse fields. The handle was $22,304,942. Friday was also a rainy mess. This year they handed $13,762.784 on the card, a steep drop from the $22,648,941 handled the year before. It was no better Sunday, when five more races came off the grass. There were 13 races taken off the grass during the traditional opening week. There's no track in the world more affected by rain than Saratoga. They rely heavily on grass races, which, when they aren't taken off the turf, tend to be terrific betting races with large fields. They get hammered whenever they have to take races off the grass, which was also the case for the GI Belmont S. festival. Things got so bad on Belmont Day that they had to take every race off the grass. There were two Grade I grass races on the card, the GI Jaipur and the GI Manhattan. Both were postponed and run the following day. The difference between a good meet and a bad meet comes down to how much rain there was and how often they have to take the races off the grass. There's nothing anybody can do about the weather, but that doesn't mean that NYRA can't take some measures that would help with problem. How about: Are they too careful when it comes to shifting races to the dirt? That the Diana was run over a course listed as good, meaning the turf course wasn't in that bad of shape. Yes, they need to keep the courses in top shape to get through a meet where they are used heavily, but running, say, three more turf races on Saturday, would that really have presented such a problem? They have to be more cognizant of the impending weather. Yes, it's unpredictable in Saratoga but there are also plenty of times when you know in advance that rain is likely coming. How about only carding two or three races on the grass on those days? Entries are now taken far in advance of race days. The Saturday July 19 card was drawn Sunday, six days before the actual races. Why are they in such a hurry? If they drew, say, three days out, wouldn't they have more accurate, up-to-date weather forecasts? Install a Tapeta course. To do so would solve most of their problems. But is it feasible? During his recent appearance on the TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland, NYRA President CEO David O'Rourke said that, with a main track and two turf courses, there isn't enough room to put in a fourth track. He said the subject has come up. “We've looked at it,” he said on the podcast. “It's just difficult with the configuration. So in the near term (will they install a synthetic track), the answer is no. But on the same podcast, O'Rourke threw out an interesting concept. Why not turn the dirt track at Oklahoma into a synthetic track and use that when races come off the turf? “But in terms of the main surfaces now, there's even some ideas out there and you can think of them as sort of crazy as putting one over at Oklahoma and bringing off the turf races over there,” he said. It would be difficult to do, but maybe not impossible. They'd have to do things like build a stewards stand, put in teletimers and erect replay towers. Probably not all the fans would be in love with the idea. They didn't pay good money to come to the races only to have to watch four or so races run across the street at Oklahoma on TV. But put in that track in and you'd no longer have to worry about a bunch of four-horse off-the-turf races. Wagering on the Jockeys race Would love to see NYRA take wagering on who will be the leading rider at Saratoga. It would be a particularly interesting and fun bet this year with Flavien Prat and Jose Ortiz emerging as major threats to topple Irad Ortiz Jr., who has won the last three titles. My money would be on Jose Ortiz. It would be a pari-mutuel wager and they could keep the bet open for the first half of the met. Here's my morning line for the jockey title: Irad Ortiz Jr. (6-5), Jose Ortiz (8-5), Flavien Prat (3-1), All others 12-1. The post Week In Review: Who’ll Stop the Rain? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Observations features the son of a Breeders' Cup heroine. 5.15 Killarney, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, 8f 20yT BENVENUTO CELLINI (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) made a deep impression when coming off second best to stablemate Dorset at The Curragh last month and will be expected to go one better in this race won by Anthony Van Dyck in 2018. The second foal out of the Just A Game and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Newspaperofrecord (Lope De Vega) and full-brother to the yard's Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Giselle, he is joined by another Rosegreen representative in Endorsement (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), the first foal out of a full-sister to the top-level performers Johannes Vermeer and Wembley. The post Benvenuto Cellini Runs in the ‘Anthony Van Dyck’ Maiden appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With a spring in his step out of the box on debut, Two Out Hero (War Front–Song River, by Liam's Map) was smashing as he graduated at first asking in Toronto on Sunday which earned him a 'TDN Rsing Star' for the effort. In a race which was moved from the turf to the all-weather, the 2-year-old did not mind the new venue one iota. Blazing ahead, Two Out Hero distanced himself from the rest of field, motored around the far turn and found more in a romp down the lane. Aki (Midshipman) was the runner-up. The final running time was 1:10.47. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. Sales History: $240,000 '24 KEESEP. O-Gold Square LLC; B-Corser Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Kevin Attard. “Look at this win! Mark this one down.” – @WoodbineGeller #7 TWO OUT HERO ($5.30) blew away his competitors in Race 4 at @WoodbineTB. The juvenile colt by @ClaiborneFarm's War Front got the maiden win with Rafael Hernandez in the irons. @kevin_attard trains. pic.twitter.com/ypsjbiZRBy — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 13, 2025 The post War Front Colt Two Out Hero Bags ‘TDN Rising Star’ On Debut At Woodbine appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

At 23 years of age, Danny McLoughlin is the youngest trainer in Ireland. He has belied his youthful years to send out winners at some of the best tracks in the country and just last month, he saddled debut winner Magny Cours (Awtaad) to run in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot. That was a notable feather in the young man's cap and, after switching to the renowned Conyngham Lodge on the Curragh, the dream is to keep building on what has been an eye-catching start to his career as a trainer. “I started out working for Adrian Keatley when I was about 13 and I suppose, like everyone in this game, whether it's breeding, training or riding, we all got into it for the same reason – and that's a love for the racehorse,” McLoughlin explained. “For me, that's what it is all about and, the day that goes, I'll stop. That might be in six months, tomorrow or maybe even in 70 years' time. But hopefully the longer the better because I just love getting up every morning and facing into doing what I'm doing.” Easy to love what you are doing when you have sent out five winners since taking out your licence in one of the toughest jurisdictions there is. Duckadilly (Churchill) provided McLoughlin with a notable first winner at Naas last year. One quickly became two when Bold Optimist (Gleneagles) scored at Cork before delivering a memorable triumph to land a Curragh handicap under Ben Coen. On his strong start, McLoughlin commented, “It's going good and I can't complain. Look, it's not easy and there's no point in hiding it. Financially, it's tough. I never came from money and even now you're doing what you can to keep going but we're giving it a good go anyway and having a bit of success and having a bit of luck. “[I have] good lads around me and have a lot of support. Whether it's owners, staff, friends or family, there are a lot of good people keeping us going. I always believed in myself and, if we keep it going the right way now is the main thing. But we'll give it a good crack.” McLoughlin hit the ground running since joining Tracey Collins's Conyngham Lodge stables on the Maddenstown side of the Curragh this year. His first two-year-old winner Duckadilly added to her tally when accounting for a smart bunch of runners at Fairyhouse back in June. That performance suggested that black-type races could await the lightly-raced four-year-old, and McLoughlin insists that he has no excuses not to deliver the results on the track given the facilities at his disposal. He said, “This place needs no introduction and is steeped in history. Tracey Collins trains here and her father and grandfather enjoyed huge success from here as well so it goes a long way back. When you mention Maddenstown on the Curragh, this place always comes up in conversation. So the facilities are on our doorstep and it's a beautiful place – a very peaceful place where the horses relax.” McLoughlin concluded, “I feel a lot older than what I am and I probably feel like I've skipped a few years. I don't think I know what it feels like to be 18 or things like that. As I said, I wouldn't change it for anything. It's what I love getting up and doing. I have unbelievable support and I just love what I do.” The post Ireland’s Youngest Trainer Danny McLoughlin Making Big Strides appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The tears were flowing following a dramatic finale to Sunday's G1 Cygames Grand Prix de Paris, with Jean-Claude Rouget pulling off an upset with Leffard (Le Havre). Rested since beating only one rival in the Prix du Jockey Club, Gerard Augustin-Normand and Ecurie Antonio Caro's 15-1 shot was able to run down Ballydoyle's favourite Trinity College (Dubawi) in the dying yards under Cristian Demuro for a short-head success. Rouget, who is in an ongoing battle with lymphoma, said, “Of course this is a very emotional moment for me. I was always high on this horse, but he had a bad draw in the Jockey Club and was bumped badly and was very quickly out of the race so was unable to show his true form. He had been doing great since and I didn't hesitate to supplement him. He was brave and rewarded us for being courageous. We'll see how he comes out of this one and decide on his future.” Two-for-two after educative runs at Cagnes-sur-Mer and Toulouse in January and March, Leffard who is one of the last of the Le Havre brigade had split Nitoi and New Ground (New Bay) when runner-up in Chantilly's Listed Prix de Suresnes over a mile and a quarter in May before failing to figure in the 10 1/2-furlong Classic back there the following month. Granted an honest pace on his first try over a mile and a half, he needed every yard to reel in the 3-5 favourite and provide his trainer with a second renewal. New Ground was 5 1/2 lengths back in third, having run too free in the early stages. LEFFARD WINS THE GRAND PRIX DE PARIS! pic.twitter.com/Xk7nTuzmaW — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 13, 2025 The post Emotions Run High As Leffard Wins The Grand Prix De Paris For Rouget appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Saturday at Saratoga, while stuck in Mother Nature's crosshairs, provided trainer Chad Brown a tenth GI Diana Stakes victory with Excellent Truth (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) and saw 'TDN Rising Star' Far Bridge (English Channel) dominate the GII Bowling Green Stakes. With their charges emerging from the efforts in good shape, the connections are tentatively looking to the future. In the Brown camp, Excellent Truth's effort only served to strengthen what the conditioner already believed going into the contest–that his mare was one of the best in the country. After two prior instances of 'so close and yet so far', the Irish-bred finally broke through with a top-level victory in the States with a hard-won effort. “That was a very courageous performance,” said Brown, who won his ninth Diana in the past 10 years. “I'm so proud of her, with the way she battled back and showed a lot of heart. She got a really good trip–she got bumped a little bit in the lane–but outside of that, she got a good trip and she's been a very consistent horse. You could argue with a little better racing luck, she could've won all three of her starts here.” “If she had, I think everyone would be viewing her as a clear leader of the division. I still think she is a slight leader of the division, with a heads up win there just now, but I view her as a horse that easily could've been undefeated so far, at three different distances. She is a remarkable talent, and I'm not surprised–she has always trained super.” While Excellent Truth exited the Diana in good order, Brown said it was doubtful that the mare would contest the GII Ballston Spa Aug. 8, and that he has yet to decide on a next target for her. “I think it [the Ballston Spa] is too tight. I can't see any scenario where I wheel her back in that race.” Stablemate Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), who ran on late to claim third in the race, might see a cutback in distance in her future. “The turf was to her liking, but I think with the pace, those two horses sprinted home. Additionally, my reservation with her stretching out was the pace gets a little softer and it might dilute her kick just a touch. I was happy she got up for third,” Brown said. Far Bridge Emerges in Fine Shape, Targets Sword Dancer Title Defense Team Far Bridge enters the winner's circle after the Bowling Green | Sarah Andrew The rain may've scratched out a good portion of the field in the GII Bowling Green Stakes, but 'Rising Star' Far Bridge was not to be beaten either way, strolling home the easiest of winners under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario. “He's sound and in good order, and I'm delighted with him,” said trainer Miguel Clement. “He handles all adversity, obstacles and challenges. He was enjoying himself, which I love to see, and his ears were pricked up. He's enjoying life and it's great. He and Joel have a great relationship, and we're off to the Sword Dancer.” The GI Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Stakes Aug. 9 offers a 'Win and You're In' berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Del Mar. Should he successfully defend his title, Far Bridge would become just the eighth horse to win two editions of the Sword Dancer since it started being contested at the mile and a half distance in 1980. Minaret Station Eyeballs Grade I Saratoga Derby Invitational Last October's GII Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes winner Minaret Station (Instilled Regard) has been impressing his connections since his successful return to the races June 28 at Churchill Downs when he claimed the Listed American Derby, and trainer Will Walden reports that the colt is ready for the elite level. The OXO Equine colorbearer will point to the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Aug. 2 at The Spa. “He's doing great. I'm really excited about him,” Walden said. “It was a long layoff having the winter off. We targeted that spot [American Derby] from the moment he stepped foot in Keeneland in April. We were lucky that we didn't have any hiccups along the way.” Minaret Station posted a half-mile move Friday over Saratoga's main track in :49.65 (58/92)–it was his first at the venue. Prior to that, he had been based at Keeneland and then Churchill. “He's still a big baby, figuring all this out. He's getting better, and his confidence level is really high. He's a happy horse and he's doing well. We're aiming for the Saratoga Derby and we're excited about it.” Kentucky Oaks Victress Good Cheer On Track for Alabama Beaten GI DK Horse Acorn Stakes favorite GISW Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) breezed a half-mile on Sunday over the Saratoga main track as she continues her preparations for the GI Alabama Stakes Aug. 16. According to NYRA clockers, the Godolphin homebred covered the four furlongs in :50.66 (99/114). It was her second breeze back since her first career defeat June 6 in the Acorn when she ran fifth with no apparent reason to explain the effort. “She just went a nice smooth half-mile from the three-eighths pole,” said Blake Cox, on-site for the breeze as the assistant trainer to his father Brad. “We kept her off the rail. I believe she worked in 50 [seconds], which is exactly what we wanted her to do. We have plenty of time until the Alabama, and in the next few weeks, we'll start asking her to do more.” “I don't really know about the Acorn, that was just a flat effort, and we can't really come up with an excuse. You could tell on the backside that she wasn't traveling well, but hopefully she comes back to her old self in the Alabama.” The post Saratoga Updates: Saturday’s Big Winners in Good Form, Hopefuls Tune Up for Coming Targets appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

2nd-ELP, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:19 p.m. ET. The seventh highest priced Gun Runner to be taken home for $975,000 by Lael Stables during Keeneland September last year is now making her debut at Ellis on Monday. Sent to trainer Cherie DeVaux, GLORY ME is out Blue Heaven Farm's GSW Our Khrysty (Newfoundland), who acquired her for $600,000 at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton Fall Sale while she was in foal to Tiznow. The productive mare counts among her offspring GISW & $2-million buy Grace Adler (Curlin) and recently retired GSW & MGISP Pyrenees (Into Mischief). Our Khrysty is responsible for GSP Virginia Key (Distorted Humor)–herself the dam of GI Curlin Florida Derby hero Tappan Street (Into Mischief). Glory Me's extended female family includes GI Whitney Handicap victor Bullsbay (Tiznow) and MSW Miuccia (Mitole). TJCIS PPS The post Monday’s Racing Insights: Well-Bred Son Of Gun Runner, Out Of Our Khrysty Makes Ellis Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Leading at every step in Sunday's G2 Cygames Prix de Malleret at ParisLongchamp, Qilin Queen (Pinatubo) put another feather in the cap of TBT Racing with a game career-best. Hunted down all the way to the line by the hot favourite Sunly (Night Of Thunder), the 6-1 shot who had beaten only one rival in the Oaks clung on to score by a short neck under Kieran Shoemark. “We went to Epsom with big hopes, but were so disappointed and felt it was the soft ground,” trainer Ed Walker said. “We knew it would be quick here and she stays well, so we were confident she would stay the mile and a half. She's in the Yorkshire Oaks, so we'll try and get the Group One now.” Favourite beaten! Sunly just can't get past Qilin Queen, who makes almost all to land the G2 Prix de Malleret for Kieran Shoemark and @edwalkerracing… pic.twitter.com/85KGyhQQyf — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 13, 2025 The post Pinatubo’s Yorkshire Oaks-Bound Qilin Queen Too Tough In The Prix de Malleret appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Godolphin's Kentucky Oaks (G1)-winning homebred Good Cheer breezed a half-mile in :50.66, according to NYRA clockers July 13 over the Saratoga Race Course main track as she prepares for the 1 1/4-mile $600,000 Alabama Stakes (G1) Aug. 16 at the Spa.View the full article

Jockey Flavien Prat had himself a year in 2024 on the way to his first Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey. How good was he? He set records for Stakes wins (82) and Graded Stakes wins (56). He won the Breeders' Cup Classic. He won 16 Grade I races. The list could go on, but he has turned the page. He will make no predictions for 2025. The 32-year-old French native just wants to keep on riding. He sat down with Tim Wilkin to talk about life as a top jockey in the U.S. TDN: We're sitting here outside the jockeys' room at Saratoga and before you sat down, you went out and gave a pair of jockey goggles to somebody. Is that something you always do? Flavien Prat: Here, there are a lot of kids and most of them ask for goggles. I used to be a kid, and I did the same thing. TDN: How many goggles do you think you will give away up here? FP: Honestly, at the end of the meet, I don't know. I would say at least an average of two a day. TDN: So, close to 100. FP: Yeah, probably. TDN: It's important for you to be there for the kids. FP: Like I said, I used to be that kid that was asking for goggles back in France. When you are a kid, it is something that you really enjoy. Of course it makes me feel good. TDN: It's nice, I suppose, when you walk through the crowd on the way back here after a race to have a kid ask for goggles. But you must hear some not so nice things once in a while after a loss. FP: (laughs) You hear just about anything you can imagine. But, really, it's great to meet with the fans. It's important to be closer than usual. TDN: As we are speaking, it's opening day, and you won the first three races of the meet. Do you think you can win your first Saratoga riding title? FP: It's a possibility. There is a long way to go, and you need to have a clean meet. You have to be consistent and get the right horses for the right races. TDN: And there will be a few days you will miss because you'll be out of town. FP: That's right. TDN: Last year you had a season for the ages. You always want to do better, but can you do any better than what you did last year? FP: You sure can try. TDN: You are chasing yourself. FP: (smiles) There is nothing wrong with that. Even if you don't win as many races or you don't win as many good races, you can always do better on your riding, I think. There is always room for improvement. Can I do as good as last year, or even better? I will sure try. TDN: You have been riding in the U.S. for 10 years. What was the reason to come here from France? Excellent Truth (with Prat in the irons) after denying She Feels Pretty in the GI Dunkin' Diana Stakes | Sarah Andrew FP: I used to spend the winter in the States, and I always enjoyed myself. I was doing okay in France; I won a few stakes. Not bad. I was leading apprentice. It came very quickly and once I lost my bug it was a lot harder, and I was not prepared for that. I was very young. Things were getting better. I was second call for the Wertheimers. I won a few graded stakes. I just felt like every time I came here, I was very happy and enjoyed myself more than when I was in France, and I thought it was the right time to move. At the time, I was riding for Mr. Mandella, and he gave me a lot of support. That was very important. Looking back on it, how Richard Mandella supported me was very key to where I am now. TDN: Best horse you ever rode. Flightline? FP: (nods). Yes. Yeah. I have been very fortunate to have been on a lot of good horses. That day at Keeneland when he won the (Breeders' Cup) Classic, I think he could have won the Sprint, I think he could have won the Dirt Mile and he won the Classic. TDN: He was so good, maybe he could have won them all on the same day. FP: (laughs) I don't know about that, but he was very good. I had the chance to be part of his journey. Everyone had high expectations from the get-go. It came with more responsibility and pressure. Once he won the Pacific Classic and then the Breeders' Cup Classic, everyone expected him to win. As a rider, you know anything can happen. TDN: You always look for another one like that. FP: Always look for the good horses. I was very fortunate to be part of (Flightline's) journey. TDN: If you could ride any horse from history, who would it be? FP: Just one? I will say Secretariat. Europe, I would say Frankel. TDN: I ask everyone this question. If there was a movie made about your life and you could pick the actor to play you, who would it be? FP: They would need to be small, and they would have to have gray hair (laughs). There aren't too many. How about the guy who played in “Seabiscuit.” TDN: Tobey Maguire. FP: Yes. I thought he did a great job. TDN: Favorite horse racing movie. FP: It would be “Seabiscuit.” TDN: Are you into the history of this sport? FP: A little bit. I'm probably not the best one in the jocks' room but I will do it a little. TDN: If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would it be? FP: Bobby Frankel. Chris McCarron. And Richard Mandella. TDN: Who buys? FP: I'll buy. Flavien Prat | Sarah Andrew TDN: Jockeys have to make a lot of sacrifices, especially with their diet. If you could have one day to eat whatever you wanted, what would it be? FP: French fries, for sure. I love French fries. And a nice piece of meat. I would be a happy man. TDN: What is your diet like? FP: A lot of meat, fish and salad. I don't eat lunch. I have coffee and yogurt in the morning and then nothing until dinner. TDN: Your body is trained for that. FP: On off days, because you're at home, I'll snack. It is so much easier when you ride. TDN: Pound for pound, jockeys may be strongest athletes in the world. Explain to me how hard it is to hold a 1,000-pound (or heavier) horse together. FP: It's very physical. It demands every part of your body and your mind. So, it's very demanding. I am lucky enough that I don't have to reduce. There are a lot of guys that have to reduce. TDN: You have a full workload every afternoon. How tired are you at the end of a race day? FP: What is very tiring is when you have to work horses in the morning. Those days go non-stop. That is when you get tired. I would say I average four or five a morning and then you ride all day. TDN: No time for a nap. FP: Quick nap. Power nap. TDN: If you were not a jockey, what do you think you would be doing? FP: I was always intrigued with flying airplanes. TDN: Did you play any other sports growing up? FP: I played soccer. I was terrible at it. I played because most of my friends played. I enjoyed it, but I was very bad at it. TDN: You were always interested in horse racing from a young age. FP: I was. It was always on my mind. TDN: Do you have a nickname? FP: Richard Mandella called me Flavor Flav when I came here. It stuck a little bit in California. TDN: Do you have a favorite television show? FP: I like “Knockers. TDN: Would you call yourself a funny guy? FP: (laughs) I don't think so. TDN: Who is the funniest guy in the room? FP: I don't know. Eric Cancel is pretty funny. Let's say him. TDN: What is so unique about this sport is that all the competitors are in the same room. Is there ever any yelling? Arguing? Fisticuffs? FP: It happens. As you get older, you learn how to manage it. There is emotion. When I was younger it was harder to manage. There is always tension. It's a competitive sport. TDN: Favorite racetrack. FP: Santa Anita is the prettiest. The first time I went to the track – and I remember like it was yesterday – any condition … raining, hot, cloudy … you name it, it's always pretty. TDN: During your record-setting season last year, if I got it right, you rode at 20 different racetracks. You go everywhere. FP: Yes. I enjoy it because when I travel, it's to ride good horses. I think it is something that everyone would love to do. TDN: Is there one race you haven't won that you really want? FP: There are a lot of them. The post Q and A with Flavien Prat appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

John Size won a 13th trainers’ premiership at Sha Tin on Sunday thanks to a treble on the night spearheaded by Bundle Award’s last-gasp win in the feature Class One Hong Kong Racehorse Owners Association Trophy (1,600m). The 71-year-old entered the penultimate meeting of the season with a six-win lead over David Hayes but put the exclamation point on his season by sprinting into a nine-win lead to put the race beyond doubt. With Hayes having entries in only eight of the nine races at Happy...View the full article

HOKKAIDO, Japan — At the Shadai Stallion Station, it's not so much a changing of the guard, more a succession plan. In 2023, the late Duramente caused a temporary break in the passing of the baton from Sunday Silence to Deep Impact to Kizuna. But that was rectified last year, and Kizuna is now the reigning champion sire of Japan. He only has to achieve that 10 more times to match the reign of his father, or 12 to equal Sunday Silence's long run of championships. Signs were promising from the start, however, and, Kizuna was Japan's champion first-season sire in 2019, as well as being the leading sire of two-year-olds last year. To adapt LP Hartley's famous line from The Go-Between, we could state the obvious and say that Japan is a foreign country; they do things differently there. That is true of most things in this refreshing nation, where the day-to-day manners and courtesy do indeed hark back to days gone by. They also do the stallion scene differently – some might say in an old-fashioned way, others might say the right way. It all depends on what breeders value, of course. And if stamina and soundness with a vital dash of speed are your thing, then you are likely to find plenty of what you are looking for around the various stallion studs of Hokkaido. Kizuna was a winner of the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), just like Deep Impact. The latter would go on to complete the Triple Crown, then win the Tenno Sho (Spring) over 2m before dropping back to 1m4f for the Japan Cup and Arima Kinen. He was quite brilliant, of course, and was only ever beaten twice in 14 starts. Few could match him on the track or at stud, but Kitasan Black, a coming force in the Japanese ranks, has a markedly similar profile. Japanese champion sire Kizuna | Emma Berry He may have bombed out in the Derby but he too won the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger), Arima Kinen, Tenno Sho (Spring) and Japan Cup. No surprise then that Kitasan Black is also a rather good stallion, with the world champion Equinox bursting from his first crop and now this year's Derby winner Croix Du Nord also to his credit, as well as the 2023 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) winner Sol Oriens. Kitasan Black also has a dose of Wind In Her Hair's blood in his pedigree as his sire Black Tide is Deep Impact's full-brother. At Northern Horse Park, it remains rather moving to be able to see the 34-year-old Wind In Her Hair, a granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth's dual Classic heroine Highclere, out in her paddock with her tiny friends from the park's Happy Pony Show. Alongside the hustle and bustle of the next-door yearling sale, she is a calm and stately presence; royalty herself when it comes to Japanese bloodstock history. Fifteen minutes away at the Shadai Stallion Station, her name features increasingly regularly among the pages of the 30-strong roster, if receding in its prominence. It is a line-up which draws visitors like pilgrims. After all, who could have watched racing over the last few years and not want to stare in awe at the near-black wonder horse that is Equinox? He does not disappoint in the flesh but his sire – quite literally a towering presence as the tallest of the Shadai stallions, with a swagger in place of a walk – is the one we should all queue up to see. The yearlings of Kitasan Black are bound to be among the most sought after as the JRHA Select Sale gets underway on Monday, but come Tuesday he may have to vie for the spotlight with Equinox, whose 25 foals in the catalogue have already been heavily scrutinised at farms across the land before they make their first public appearance at Northern Horse Park this week. But it's not all about Equinox, of course, and his fellow Japanese-based retirees of 2024 – Grenadier Guards, Schnell Meister, Westover and Titleholder – are all represented among the foals for sale on Tuesday, while there is also one foal catalogued by each of Haras de Beaumont's Arc winner Ace Impact and Darley's Breeders' Cup Mile winner Cody's Wish. Grenadier Guards and Westover are both sons of Frankel, whose first ever Grade 1 winner came in Japan with Soul Stirring, and Frankel's Derby-winning son Adayar is also in Japan under the Darley banner. The Grade 1-winning miler Schnell Meister is by Frankel's stud-mate Kingman and, though bred by Northern Farm, comes from a strong German dam-line, his mother Serienholde (Soldier Hollow) having won the 2016 G1 Preis der Diana. Titleholder had the beating of Schnell Meister in a Grade 2 contest prior to running second to Efforia in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas). He later won the G1 Kikuka Sho by five lengths and, as established above, the name 'St Leger' does not instil dread in the hearts of Japanese breeders in the way it does British and Irish Flat breeders. Along with the aforementioned Deep Impact and Kitasan Black, other Kikuka Sho winners at stud in Japan include the very useful Epiphaneia – a personal favourite at Shadai – and the most recent Triple Crown winner Contrail, who has his first two-year-old runners this season. Lot 470, a colt foal from the first crop of Titleholder | Emma Berry Titleholder can be viewed as an important addition to the stallion ranks at Lex Stud in the hope that he can pick up where his late sire Duramente left off. The winner of the Japanese Derby and 2,000 Guineas, Duramente was a son of the influential King Kamehameha and was only nine when he died in 2021. He looks quite a loss as, along with Titleholder, another of his sons, Durezza, also won the Kikuka Sho, while his daughter Liberty Island won the Fillies' Triple Crown of 2023 a year after Stars On Earth had landed the first two races of that particular challenge. Titleholder's four foals catalogued for Tuesday's sale include lot 470, from Oiwake Farm, a strong colt out of the American Pharoah mare Glutton Lassie. And on the subject of the brilliant Liberty Island, who was sadly fatally injured in Hong Kong earlier this year, it would be no surprise to see her half-brother by Saturnalia (lot 90) feature prominently among the JRHA yearling results by the end of Monday. The post A Pilgrimage in Pursuit of Kizuna, Kitasan Black and Co appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The horse who has provided Star Thoroughbreds with its most significant moment on the racetrack this season is just weeks away from her first barrier trial. All options are on the table for Australian Derby winner Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) this spring, including a potential tilt at the country’s weight-for-age championship. The filly was among the stars of the Sydney autumn carnival, finishing a desperately unlucky second to Broadsiding in the Rosehill Guineas before thumping her rivals to claim the Derby by more than five lengths. Syndicator Denise Martin of Star Thoroughbreds is content to leave Aeliana’s spring programming to trainer Chris Waller but says she is excited by what the filly might be able to achieve. “Chris has reported that she has returned extremely well. She has strengthened and matured and developed nicely,” Martin said. “Her spring program is nowhere near finalised but she will most likely barrier trial at the end of July and have a second barrier trial a couple of weeks later. “Then we will most likely look at a couple of options towards the end of August. The Winx Stakes and the Memsie (Stakes). “But after that there are options such as the Makybe Diva at Flemington, the Turnbull (Stakes), Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate.” Aeliana delivered Star Thoroughbreds its first Derby triumph and Martin described the rising four-year-old’s progression as “a rose opening”. She was particularly delighted to win a classic as she said they didn’t generally target staying types at the yearling sales. “We were elated because I couldn’t have believed I would have purchased a Derby winner,” Martin said. “We would normally buy horses that are sprinter-milers or maybe 2000-metre horses. “I said to Chris (Waller) the Monday after the Derby – the Caulfield Cup? And he said, ‘we’ll see’. “Wherever he goes with this horse, I’m going.” View the full article

The heartbreak of Trentham was well and truly healed for the connections of Smug (NZ) (Complacent) at Woodville on Sunday, when the rising star came out on top in a stirring edition of the Glenanthony Simmentals Stud Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m). The son of Complacent was initially capable hurdler and placed in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3100m) last season, but when he switched into the steeplechasing role for the first time last month, he looked right at home. Smug made every post a winner in that debut, until disaster struck, when his rider confused the two open-rail gaps and took the wrong route out of the figure-eight course at Trentham. The horse was disqualified and jockey Michael Roustoby went for a three-meeting suspension, alongside two other riders that had followed suit. His trainer Chris Wood was understandably disappointed with the outcome, but having seen Smug’s ability in that effort, he decided to press onto the feature, where Smug was right in the market, closing a $6.30 third-elect behind Jakama Krystal ($3.60) and champion jumper West Coast ($5.60). In similar fashion to his debut, Smug was out in front early, jumping beautifully with his ears pricked under Mathew Gillies. He got into a good rhythm lobbing along inside of Izymydaad, with West Coast settling in the trail. Gillies ramped up the tempo entering the third and final lap and it wasn’t long before his rivals began to tire, and suddenly Smug and West Coast were a mile in front, setting up a grandstand finish for the big crowd. Smug had a life when brushing through the penultimate fence, but Gillies didn’t flinch, pressing onto the final jump, and the pair flew it in unison. Neither would give an inch in the last 100m, but Smug kicked up in the shadows of the post to take a thrilling contest by a neck. Wood had contemplated starting in the maiden steeplechase earlier in the day, but elected to go for the $75,000 prize and was rapt to pull it off. “When we put the horse in the race, we were umming and arring about whether we would go for the maiden steeplechase instead,” he said. “But, I spoke to the owner and he said, when you put two and two together, he wouldn’t have been a maidener anymore, so he deserved his chance to run in the big race. “I fully agreed, and that’s what we decided to do. Unfortunately Michael was suspended and missed out on the ride, but that’s the racing game, it has ups and downs, as we all know. “He’s just thrived since that run at Wellington, he’s done everything right and he’s a happy horse. I couldn’t ask for much more. “I’d like to thank Mish Lines for looking after him, she used to work for me but is trying something else in her career now. She loves Smug and he loves her, she took him down to Wellington for me and again to Fielding this time. “She looks after him like a king.” The win was Smug’s second in 47 starts, and Wood believes the seven-year-old has found his sweet spot over the bigger fences. “He struggled in the hurdle races because he just didn’t quite have the pace to keep up, but with the slightly slower tempo in the steeplechases, I think he’s found his niche in life,” he said. “I think we’ll have to go to the Great New Zealand Steeplechase, he’ll go to Te Aroha in a couple of weeks’ time and we’ll map out a plan from there.” Bred by Simms Davison of Mapperley Stud, Smug is raced by Ron and Maryanne Thompson. “Ron is about 82, and he’s had a horse in work every month of his life since he was 20 years of age,” Wood said. “He still loves the racing and is a very good owner. “I inherited him when Tony Gillies gave up from training, they came knocking on my door and that was very kind of them.” The result continued a successful riding return for Gillies this year, having taken out the Waikato Hurdle (3200m) last month aboard Dictation. “Chris gave me a lot of support back in the day, when I gave up riding and worked for him over in Aussie,” Gillies said. “It was good to be able to pay him back today. “Michael Roustoby gave me good instructions, which were much appreciated. The horse was game and if it was live fences he would’ve won by further, he likes those more. “When I watched him at Wellington, he was making two lengths at every fence. They just couldn’t stay with him, and I think he’ll be even more promising once he gets back over those live ones in those good races later on. “I knew West Coast had the heavyweight and I thought, if I could stay next to him, I can wear him back. He had the upper hand after the second-last, but it just shows how tough Smug is, he came back really well. “It was good to see West Coast show that form too.” It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the talented hoop, having had a brief injury lay-off following a fall at Te Rapa on the same day, but he said that comes part and parcel when riding over fences. “It’s good to get back and get back out here doing it, those ups and downs are what jumps racing is all about,” he said. “As long as you can handle that, then you can carry on.” View the full article

Gail Temperton’s emerging talent Never Look Back (NZ) (Shocking) conquered two of the stars in New Zealand jumps racing when taking out Sunday’s Te Whangai Romneys Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3000m) at Woodville. A winner of four flat races, Never Look Back had been a consummate professional in his jumping debut in mid-May, but had mixed his jumping in the Manawatu Hurdles (2500m) and Waikato Hurdle (3200m), albeit still finishing fifth in the latter. The market was a slight reflection of those results, with the son of Shocking drifting from $5.50 to $8, while all the focus was narrowed in on dual-Grand National winner Berry The Cash, and Happy Star, who was making a much-anticipated return to jumping after two years off the scene. Jumping from an inside draw, Never Look Back negotiated the first fence beautifully under Emily Farr, who allowed him to settle into a rhythm in midfield, while the big-striding Taika found the early lead. After being slow away, Saint Bernard was over-racing and found himself in front, setting a decent pace. The pressure really dialled up at the 800m and Happy Star cruised into contention, hitting the lead turning for home and giving his rivals something to catch. Berry The Cash was making up ground through the field, but the big danger was Never Look Back, who came level with Happy Star over the last and had the extra edge late to score by three quarters of a length. While all honours went to the Foxton galloper, Happy Star and Berry The Cash certainly lost no admirers, with the latter also closing strongly into third. Temperton bred and races Never Look Back alongside her partner Stanley Alexander and well-known racing identity Christopher Grace, and she was quietly confident coming into the feature. “He’s a wonderful horse, Stan and I bred him and we raced his mother, so it feels super,” she said. “I actually thought he could do that, and the reason I thought he could do it was because he’s won four races on the flat, and I thought he was the fastest horse in the race. But when they began, they were going so fast, so my confidence went out the window. “It came back on the turn, and I had told Emily, on this track, you get going at the 600, and she did exactly that. She was wonderful.” Farr, who is narrowing in on her 100th winning ride, was delighted with the result and credited Temperton’s pre-race tactics. “I thought he was a lot bigger horse than he actually is,” she said. “Gail said to jump out and hold your position, and just see how you go. I was thinking there would be a lot of pace on, there were a few frontrunners, so I thought I would sit here and ride him how I find him. She said to get going at the 600 and as long as I’m thereabouts, he should come home. “To be fair, she was absolutely right, and he was just superb.” The Waikato hoop was having her first ride aboard Never Look Back, and noted how much he’d improved through recent runs. “One thing I noticed from his replays was that he chucked his head up a little bit and got a bit fractious, but he must’ve learnt so much in the last couple of runs,” she said. “He was easy today.” Never Look Back was the third foal out of a two-win Johar mare Pirentete, who has been a success in the broodmare paddock. Alongside the $150,000 earner, she has produced stakes performer Tamahine, three-race winner Knickerless, and Jolting, a winner of four races in Australia. Her most recent progeny to salute on the track was First Love, a trial winner on home soil before being sold to Hong Kong. View the full article

Promising hurdler Quid (NZ) (Rios) delivered the result all the punters had anticipated at Woodville on Sunday when he powered away with the Gladiators and Eye Ota (3000m). A winner of three on the flat, Quid undoubtably brought the strongest form into the race, having finished a narrow second to Our Daymo when the pair went to war in a maiden hurdle at Trentham in late June. Despite that performance, the TAB opened the Kevin Myers-trained gelding at $4 during the week, which was swiftly snapped up, and he closed at just $1.40. In the hands of Kylan Wiles, Quid stepped away positively but was allowed to slide back through the pack, as Au Revoir and Ronin Porotene strode out to share the early lead. The gelding was full of running along the back straight and cruised into contention at the 600m, where he drew level with talented steeplechaser Captains Run. Quid and Captains Run looked set to fight out the finish, but the former’s ability on the flat shone through after negotiating the second to last fence, skipping away to score by an extending five lengths. Jason Myers, who represented his father at the meeting, shared the market’s confidence in his charge. “He’s a bit of stable favourite and has been the bridesmaid a couple of times,” he said. “It was a great run last time, he was just run down on the line by quite a nice horse of Raymond Connors’. “He’s probably a better horse ridden back, so I wasn’t too concerned when the pace went off and a few went around him – we were always confident. “Kylan is riding really well this season, he’s making the most of a lot of opportunities and wouldn’t be far off in the jumps premiership now too. “The plan has always been to get this horse down to Riccarton, he’s just had a couple of setbacks this time in but pulling up well today, that’s most likely where we’ll head to.” A son of Rios, Quid was bred and raced by Michael Wallace, who won the 2021 Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m) and Wellington Steeplechase (5500m) with the Myers-trained Yardarm, Quid’s half-brother. The stable also prepare the gelding’s full relation in Lochwinnoch, who has won six races. Running well into fourth position was another of the stable’s runners in Prince Turbo (NZ) (Alamosa), a former Koral Steeplechase (5600m) winner who had been off the scene for over 18 months after sustaining an injury. “He’s been doing quite a lot of work at home, just trying to build him into his preparation,” Myers said. “He had a tendon injury at the start of last year. “I was really happy with his run, he was hitting the line nicely and we’re looking at getting him to Riccarton as well.” The Myers team swiftly doubled up on the Woodville card, with The Republican (NZ) (The Bold One) taking out the Dannevirke Carriers and Woodville Service Centre (3000m), with Wiles’ brother Corey in the saddle on this occasion. View the full article

Driver Penalties M Ranger | Waikato Bay of Plenty 3 July (heard Waikato Bay of Plenty 10 July); careless driving; suspended 19-25 July inclusive. J Kriechbaumer | Waikato Bay of Plenty 10 July; use of whip; suspended 11 July – 10 August inclusive. T Mitchell | Auckland 11 July; failed to activate hopple shorteners; fined $100. Trainer Penalties S & A Telfer | Waikato Bay of Plenty 10 July; incorrect gear; fined $100. S & A Telfer | Waikato Bay of Plenty 10 July; late driver notifications; fined $50. S McCaffrey | Auckland 11 July; colour fee; fined $25. Horse Penalties MAKAKU | Waikato Bay of Plenty 10 July; broke in running; must complete trial. KEEP IT KLASSY | Auckland 11 July; lame; veterinary clearance required. SAUCY DELIGHT | NZ Metropolitan 11 July; broke in score up; must complete mobile start trial. ALL CONQUERED | NZ Metropolitan 13 July; refused to begin; must complete standing start trial. Protests HIGHVIEW ROCKN ROLL | Waikato Bay of Plenty 10 July; excessive galloping in home straight; disqualified from 4th. ALL CONQUERED | NZ Metropolitan 13 July; displayed unsatisfactory manners prior to start; declared a non-runner. The post 7-13 July 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Dog Penalty OPAWA SOOTY | Palmerston North 8 July; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. General The Wanganui GRC meeting scheduled of 11 July was abandoned after Race 3 due to track conditions. The post 7-13 July 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Rider Penalties C Barnes | Canterbury 9 July; misconduct; fined $500. T Moodley | Waikato 10 July; medical clearance required. G Lahoud | Whangarei 12 July; use of whip; suspended 20-26 July inclusive. T Moki | Wellington 28 June (heard Woodville-Pahiatua 13 July); left course without permission; fined $100. T Moki | Woodville-Pahiatua 13 July; failed to make weight; fined $200. E Callwood | Woodville-Pahiatua 13 July; use of whip; fined $500. Horse Penalties BIG RICK | Canterbury 9 July; epistaxis; stood down for 3 months and veterinary clearance required. HERE I AM | Canterbury 9 July; late scratching after failing to load; veterinary clearance required. HUMBLE SPEAR | Whangarei 12 July; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. ROTTEN TOMMY | Whangarei 12 July; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. ANOTHER WON’T HURT | Woodville-Pahiatua 13 July; bucked in running; must complete trial. The post 7-13 July 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

By Adam Hamilton STACEY White just wants one more slice of good luck. White and husband, David, were all smiles after young trotting star Bet N Win made a clean sweep of the Inter Dominion heats, albeit in slightly different style last night. While the five-year-old led throughout on opening night, driver Bob Butt led again, but opted to take a sit on the talented but headstrong London To A Brick when challenged in the early stages. Bet N Win picked up well late in a sizzling last half to win by 3.5m with London To A Brick second and the flying Gus in third spot. Bet N Win ran his own last half in 56sec flat and a closing quarter in 27.9sec. “I just hope we haven’t used up all our luck with these good draws in the heats,” Stacey White said. “We need one more good one tomorrow (Sunday) at the final draw. “Tonight was perfect. Another softish sort of run to top him right off for the final.” Amazingly, the other Kiwi trotting hopeful Oscar Bonavena snuck into the final despite galloping in both heats. A new initiative of bonus points for sectional times, gained Oscar Bonavena three extra points and just scraped into the 12-horse field next Saturday. Last night was another horror show. Driver Adam Sanderson tried to nurse him out from barrier one, but galloped soon after and lost all chance. Vitally, recovered and weaved through traffic to run sixth. Talented Victorian Parisian Artise was taken to the lead by new mum, Tayla French, and gave nothing else a chance in a slick 1min57.6sec mile rate for the long 2680m trip. Final favourite Arcee Phoenix lost no admirers with a fighting second after making a midrace move to sit parked. TROTTING FINAL FIELD: Bet N Win, Gus, Parisian Artiste, Arcee Phoenix, Not As Promised, Golden Sunset, Harry Stamper, Constantinople, Oscar Bonavena, Love Gun, Zealous Spur, London To A Brick, Sir Fahrenheit (emergency). X X X LEAP To Fame looks as close as possible to unbeatable in next week’s $1 million Inter Dominion Pacing Final. The long-awaited fourth clash between him and defending Inter Dominion champ Don Hugo proved a one-act affair after an incident-packed second round heat clash last night. While most expected Don Hugo to lead, he was forced to sit parked and Leap To Fame ended-up stalking him in the one-one trail. The race changed dramatically when Kiwi raider Pinseeker got fired-up on Don Hugo’s back and driver Jonny Cox opted to cut him loose and take the lead in the middle stages. “He just took, started kicking the wheels and was uncontrollable. He’s done it before, but not that bad,” Cox said. Pinseeker stopped sharply and was retired from the race. He didn’t qualify for the final. Leap To Fame made his move at the 500m, charged around to take the lead and coasted to a 10.1m win in a sizzling 1min53.7sec mile rate for the 2680m, just 0.9sec outside his own track record. The shock was Don Hugo, who did endure a torrid run, tiring so badly to finish back in eighth spot. It’s almost impossible to see how he could turn the tables in the final, especially given the stretch to 3157m. It was an all Queensland night in the pacing heats with local trainer Shannon Price winning the other two. In last night’s first heat, talented local Sure Thing Captain made it a clean sweep in the heats with another easy all-the-way win. The five-year-old led throughout on night one and repeated the dose for driver Adam Sanderson from gate four last night. “He’s always had the ability and it’s great to see him putting it all together at a time like this,” Price said. “We drew well and didn’t have to race Leap To Fame or Don Hugo in the heats, so we’ve had our share of luck but made the most of it. “The 3157m is going to be a new test again next week because this was as far as he’s raced tonight (2680m) and even this was his first try over this longer trip.” Old marvel Max Delight qualified for his third Grand Final with a fighting second after sitting outside Sure Thing Captain last night. David Aiken’s nine-year-old ran fourth to Boncel Benjamin way back in 2021 then third to Don Hugo at Menangle last year. “Just he did on night one, he was struggling a bit when they really flew around the last bend, but dug in and hit the line really well. I love him,” driver Will Rixon said. Price then won the second heat in all-the-way fashion with Speak The Truth, who won a heat of the 2023 Brisbane and made the final. “That’s great. It’s so good to get them both through, now we need some more luck with the draws for the final,” she said. PACING FINAL FIELD: Leap To Fame, Sure Thing Captain, Captains Knock, Don Hugo, Petes Said So, Rakero Rebel, Max Delight, Catch A Wave, Tims A Trooper, Cya Art, Speak The Truth, Aroda, Nyack (emergency). View the full article

In a thrilling stretch duel, Excellent Truth edged She Feels Pretty to earn her first grade 1 victory July 12 and give trainer Chad Brown his 10th triumph in the $485,000 Diana Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article

Trainer Miguel Clement experienced a rewarding victory when Far Bridge rolled by three lengths July 12 over El Rezeen in the Bowling Green Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article

The GI Dunkin' Diana Stakes continues, as it has for nine of the last ten years, to run through the Chad Brown barn as Excellent Truth (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) just edged out favorite She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) in a stretch duel to take the opening Grade I of the Saratoga summer meet. While eyes and wagering dollars were on Cherie DeVaux's She Feels Pretty, Brown wielded a strong hand in stablemates Excellent Truth and Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), the one-two finishers in the GI Just A Game Stakes over this course June 6. Heavy rain Saturday morning dampened the course down to yielding and expected pacesetter Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhaara {GB}) scratched for Saffie Joseph, Jr. leaving a five-horse field otherwise intact. Excellent Truth, notably second to her stablemate in the aforementioned Just A Game and also to Choisya (GB) (Night of Thunder {GB}) in the GI Jenny Wiley at Keeneland, stretched out to Saturday's 1 1/8-mile distance with aplomb in the silks of Resolute Racing. Expertly guided in the hands of Flavien Prat, aboard for both of her starts since coming stateside for John Stewart, the 5-year-old broke inside of her stablemate and hustled up to form a three-wide charge for the lead outside of rail-drawn She Feels Pretty and Choisya who outsprinted them both. The favorite took back, opting to sit third as Choisya led along the hedge with Excellent Truth never far behind as the field cornered for the first time. In a single file line up the backstretch, the Jenny Wiley winner continued to lead through the opening half in :48.52 with little pressure from either two of her main rivals who were yet to move behind her. It was Excellent Truth who jumped first, drawing alongside midway around the far turn while She Feels Pretty was winding up three wide and the three of them came off the corner together. As the longshot pacesetter faded along the hedge, Excellent Truth was led to contend with the four-time Grade I winner to her inside and the pair threw down the length of the stretch with the Chad Brown runner just edging past the favorite in the final strides to win in a driving finish. It was the 10th overall Diana win for Brown while Flavien Prat picked up his third straight having claimed the last two aboard Whitebeam (GB) (Caravaggio). “It means a lot,” Brown said of his landmark win. “A lot of different horses have done it. Many of the same team members, though. I know I mention his name a lot–[Bobby] Frankel–but I think about him on days like this. This was a race that I can't believe he only won twice, he always pointed to it. It was right in his wheelhouse with a female turf horse–he taught me so much. A big part of it is him, his legacy lives on, because it is his system we are using.” Of Excellent Truth's win, he said: “That reminded me a little bit of the 3-year-old race [2024 GII Lake Placid] when Grayosh, in another race versus She Feels Pretty, came back again on her. I'm really happy for this horse. She had her day today. She has had two tough trips. I think you could argue with a cleaner trip, she could be 3-for-3 in the country. She has always trained like a top horse all winter. I want to thank John Stewart [owner, Resolute Racing] and his team. He could've picked anyone to train her, I was so happy when she showed up in our barn at Payson this winter. She has never had a bad day. She deserved the win today.” “We felt in her last couple of races, she was probably a little further back [than optimal],” Brown continued. “As Flavien [Prat] and I got to know her, she didn't have that electric turn of foot that maybe we thought was under the hood when we really turned her loose in a race. She took a few strides to get going, a little bit more of a strong, steady run she has. So, he had been commenting to me, particularly after the last race, 'you know Chad, I probably should've been a little closer today, and I would've avoided that wide trip on the final turn. I'm going to try to get closer.' Then with the scratch of the six [No. 6, Be Your Best], it became, 'I may even be on the lead now. I don't want to be far away at all.' Luis Saez [ aboard No. 2, Choisya] wanted to be on the lead, which I understand, so we got a good trip. Down the lane, there was no excuse for either horse, we ran right down the stretch together and she showed a lot of heart.” Winning owner John Stewart said of the result, “It's awesome. We won the New York last year with Didia [with trainer Ignacio Correas, IV] and now we have this one here with Chad–and Chad is Saratoga racing. Excellent Truth had a couple of shots and got second in both of them. We knew she was this quality of horse. I think it's a testament to NYRA with the weather challenges and everything that came up to have the race run today and the competition we had in the race. It wasn't a big field, but it was really deep. This is what I got into racing for–to make sure we're competing at the highest level with the best horses, and I think we all saw that today. Any one of those horses could have won that race and it was just phenomenal to get the win. Chad and Flavien [are] a dangerous combination and I'm really happy to have them train and ride for us.” Pedigree Note: Stewart's Resolute Racing paid €1,600,000 for Excellent Truth in France at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale at the end of 2024 after the mare had run second in the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville in July of last year. She is the second top-level winner for Tally Ho Stud's Cotai Glory joining G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint runner The Platinum Queen (Ire). First dam Moment of Truth (Ire), unplaced in her own racing career and a half to French G1 Criterium International winner Zafiso (Ire) (Efisio {GB}), has four winners from five to race including Italian GSP Memo de L'Alguer (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). Moment of Truth is also a half to the dam of GSW/MG1SP Spycatcher (Ire) (Vadamos {Fr}). Excellent Truth's 2-year-old half-brother Armstrong (Ire) (Starman {GB}), her youngest reported sibling, hit the board in his first start just last week. EXCELLENT TRUTH runs on Dunkin'! She wins the Grade 1 Dunkin' Diana with Flavien Prat aboard, giving Chad Brown his 10th win in this race! pic.twitter.com/Wtkgv5IdEQ — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) July 12, 2025 Saturday, Saratoga DUNKIN' DIANA S.-GI, $485,000, Saratoga, 7-12, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.37, gd. 1–EXCELLENT TRUTH (IRE), 120, m, 5, by Cotai Glory (GB) 1st Dam: Moment of Truth (Ire), by Teofilo (Ire) 2nd Dam: Goldthroat (Ire), by Zafonic 3rd Dam: Winger (GB), by In the Wings (GB) 1ST GRADE I WIN. (€52,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR; €1,600,000 4yo '24 ARQDEC). O-Resolute Racing; B-Sandra Russell (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $275,000. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP-Fr, 14-5-5-1, $677,898. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2--She Feels Pretty, 124, f, 4, by Karakontie (Jpn) 1st Dam: Summer Sweet, by More Than Ready 2nd Dam: Summer Solstice (Ire), by Caerleon 3rd Dam: Summer Sonnet (GB), by Baillamont ($240,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Lael Stables; B-Payson Stud Inc (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. $100,000. 3–Dynamic Pricing (Ire), 124, f, 4, by Night of Thunder (Ire) 1st Dam: Shemda (Ire), by Dutch Art (GB) 2nd Dam: Shamooda (Ire), by Azamour (Ire) 3rd Dam: Shemaka (Ire), by Nishapour (Fr) (170,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown. $60,000. Margins: HD, 4HF, NO. Odds: 3.00, 0.70, 3.80. Also Ran: Choisya (GB), Lady Claypoole (Ire). Scratched: Be Your Best (Ire). Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. 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