Wandering Eyes

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh has singled out the Rating 73 handicap as his best chance of success at his home synthetic track meeting on Wednesday. He will be represented by Billy Lincoln (NZ) (Belardo), Sinhaman (NZ) (Tivaci) and Penurious (NZ) (Sacred Falls) in The Oaks Stud (1550m) and indicated the former to most likely to be his leading light in the contest. The Belardo four-year-old finished a respectable seventh in an open handicap at Ellerslie two runs back and was then a close course and distance second on his local track. “I thought Billy Lincoln was terrific the other day and he’s part of a really good hand we’ve got in it,” Marsh said. His effort in his first outing on the synthetic surface took on further merit as he lost a plate during the race. Billy Lincoln’s prospects will also be boosted with the booking of apprentice Jack Taplin to reduce his weight to 54.5kg. At the other end of the scale, Sinhaman will shoulder 60.5kg, with Michael McNab to guide his chances. The son of Tivaci impressed when resuming at Ellerslie when he got into clear air late and finished off strongly for third. “With Sinhaman and Penurious, they are staying types so they could be a little bit vulnerable second-up,” Marsh said. Sacred Falls mare Penurious opened her campaign over 1300m on the course earlier this month and made late ground for third with apprentice Gareth Lahoud to retain the mount. Marsh is also expected a tidy return from Imperial Empress (NZ) (Satono Aladdin), who will be partnered by Ace Lawson-Carroll, in the Kylie Little Racing (1300m). She was turned out after unplaced summer outings in the $1 million Aotearoa Classic (1600m) and the Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m). “She’s a nice horse and has drawn well. She trialled up very well on the synthetic and then went to Waipa where it was very heavy and didn’t really like it,” he said. “She can certainly give some cheek over 1300m in a fresh state. “I also like Hakushu, he’s a horse with ability and he’ll have the blinkers on to sharpen him up.” To be ridden by McNab, the I Am Invincible three-year-old has finished in behind the major players in both appearances this preparation. Meanwhile, the stable will have a strong hand on Friday in the Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Classic (1200m) at Otaki with Miss Moet All (Russian Revolution) and Portland (NZ) (Banquo) to take aim at the Central Districts feature. “They are two nice fillies and deserve a crack at some black type,” Marsh said. Miss Moet All successfully resumed on the Cambridge synthetic last time out while Portland finished a close second at Rotorua. “They both went very against the older horses and have done well since,” Marsh said. If they run up to expectations, the pair will make a return trip to Otaki for the Listed Courtesy Ford Ryder Stakes (1200m) on July 26. View the full article

Waikato Thoroughbred Racing will continue a proud tradition on the Cambridge Synthetic on Wednesday, with the fifth edition of their annual Cambridge RDA Raceday. The Cambridge Riding For The Disabled is part of a nationwide organisation that focusses on providing interaction with horses to improve the health and wellbeing of people experiencing disabilities, challenges or specific needs. The RDA is catering for a wide range of individuals, as well as horses, staff, and volunteers, so fundraisers such as this raceday provide the essential funds needed to keep this service operational. In 2024, WTR was able to fundraise just shy of $25,000 for the charity, and this year, they hope to continue building on that contribution. “The Cambridge RDA Raceday is one of the most rewarding events on our calendar,” WTR chief operating officer Andy Cruickshank said. “It’s a day when the wider racing fraternity comes together not just for the love of racing, but to give back to an organisation that makes an extraordinary difference in people’s lives. “We’re proud to continue to facilitate this day, having been started by the Cambridge Jockey Club prior to the merger, and to help raise vital funds for a cause that resonates so strongly in our community. “Whether you’re a racing fan, a supporter of RDA, or just looking for a great reason to get out of the office on a Wednesday, this is a day not to be missed. “Bring your team, bring your friends, and bring a few coins to contribute to the cause.” WTR will be coordinating on-course fundraising opportunities and sourcing individual race sponsors for the meeting, while the Cambridge RDA representatives will also be on course, collecting donations with their much-loved miniature pony Marvellous Monty. “We are so grateful to Waikato Thoroughbred Racing for their continued support,” Cambridge RDA’s Sam Ogden said. “The funds raised at this raceday are vital to our operations. They help keep our programmes running, our horses happy and healthy, and our riders progressing. Plus, it’s just such a fun day. There’s nothing like the energy of the track, and our volunteers love being part of it.” If you’re heading on course, a gold coin donation will be appreciated on entry, and from there, enjoy a vibrant afternoon of entertainment, headlined by a fantastic card of races on the polytrack, with the first race to jump at 10:55am. View the full article

Synthetic specialist Branciforti (NZ) (Belardo) will commence her path towards defending her crown in the $100,000 Polytrack Championship (1400m) in August when she heads to Cambridge on Wednesday. The Sir Peter Vela-bred and owned mare took out the Awapuni feature in convincing fashion last August and will be out to replicate that feat in six weeks’ time. Trained at Te Rapa by David Greene, Branciforti has shown a penchant for the polytrack, winning four of her eight starts and earning more than $90,000 on the surface. “She really grows another leg on that synthetic track, she loves it,” Greene said. “She seldom goes a bad race and we are expecting her to be very competitive again.” The daughter of Belardo will contest the Kylie Little Racing 1300 at the midweek meeting, where she will be ridden by Michael McNab. She heads into her first-up assignment with good trial form, taking out her 950m heat at the track last month over Group Two performer Witz End. “She hasn’t really shown that in a trial over that kind of distance before,” Green said. “We dropped her out the back, which isn’t really her style either, and she still circled around them and won really impressively. “The main target for her is that innovation race at Awapuni, the same one she won last year. She might just have this one run on Wednesday, and we will go into that in a fairly fresh state. “There aren’t that many top races on the synthetic, so you have got to make the most of it.” Greene will be hoping to take his weekend form into the meeting, having secured a win a piece at each of the northern meetings over the weekend. The Vicki and Terry Pascoe-bred and raced Timetoplaythegame (NZ) (Proisir) kicked off proceedings at Te Rapa on Saturday when scoring his maiden victory in the Andrew (Ledge) Leadbeater Memorial (1400m). “He has been running in good form and had been knocking on the door, so it was good for him to get his maiden win out of the way,” Greene said. “He had to fight very hard to get there, but he showed a lot of toughness in the finish. “He might go to Ruakaka for that special conditions ITM mile. He will qualify off the back of that win on Saturday.” A day later at Matamata, stablemate Elle McFab (NZ) (Fabulous) was impressive when winning on debut in the Tim Wealleans 1200. “I thought that was a great run,” Greene said. “She is still a little bit green and has got a bit to learn. She definitely didn’t do it the easy way but she was still really strong in the finish. There is a lot of upside with her.” View the full article

On the June 16 BloodHorse Monday: OBS director of sales Tod Wojciechowski previews the June 17-18 sale with Olivia Newman, while Louie Rabaut and Sean Collins take a look at key Breeders' Cup divisions and talk youth in racing with Frank Angst.View the full article

The 2024-2025 race meeting at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Arizona, concluded on Kentucky Derby day May 3 with the lowest equine fatality rate among all racetracks in the country and the lowest-ever in the 69-year history of the track, according to a release. For the entire meet, the track recorded a fatality rate of 0.73 per 1,000 starts and from the beginning of 2025 through the end of the meet, post a rate of just 0.24. The 2024 Jockey Club national average was 1.11/1,000, while the 2024 HISA national average was 0.90/1,000, the release stated. “Such accomplishments come about because of teamwork and collaboration,” said Turf Paradise owner Jerry Simms. “A heartfelt thanks to our track crew and track veterinarian, to our horsemen and the HBPA and to our regulatory partners, the Arizona Department of Racing and to HISA. Zero fatalities is our next goal.” There was one fatality on the main track and three on the turf course among the 6,981 starters to race during the race meet. The post Turf Paradise Reports Historically Low Fatality Rate appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

LAMBO, 6/12, CD, Race 8, 6 furlongs, video Beyer Speed Figure – 86 (c, 4, by Uncle Mo-Sunshiny Day, by Bernardini) O-Lawrence Roman. B-Aaron Sones (Ky). T-Peter Jacobson. J-Jose Ortiz. In his first start since being purchased privately by Larry Roman (a New Yorker who also owns current stakes runner Banishing) and trainer David Jacobson, six-race maiden Lambo finally saw another fast-track sprint and celebrated by speeding 6 furlongs in 1:08.63 on the lead throughout. DESERT GATE, 6/13, SA, Race 2, 5 furlongs, video Beyer Speed Figure – 86 (c, 2, by Omaha Beach-Theogony, by Curlin) O-Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. B-Twin Oaks Bloodstock (Ky). T-Bob Baffert. J-Juan Hernandez. Baffert unveiled his first 2-year-old starters of 2025: Curlin filly and $900k Ocala purchase Himika dominated four rivals June 12 to win by six lengths over stablemate Bottle of Rouge, and colt Desert Gate (bought at the same sale for $260k) prevailed in a four-horse field the next day as the 2-5 chalk for the familiar partnership known as the “Three Amigos.” After an extended battle with 9-5 Acknowledgemeplz, he edged away late–and the healthy Beyer indicates both youngsters have talent. CHEEVER, 6/14, SA, Race 9, 7 furlongs (2nd), video Beyer Speed Figure – 86 (c, 3, by Into Mischief-Electric Forest, by Curlin) O-Muir Hut Stables. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (Ky). T-Mark Glatt. J-Antonio Fresu. Welcome to the world of Southern California racing. Cheever has been among the Five Fastest Maidens after both his lifetime starts – yet remains a maiden. In his May 10 debut, the Stonestreet product racked up a sparkling 92 Beyer Speed Figure but checked in third behind Baffert duo Southern Gentleman and Sierra Silver. And Saturday he would have been an 8-length winner were it not for Sierra Silver. It's just a matter of time…right? STARS AND STRIPES, 6/15, BAQ, Race 1, 1 1/8 miles, video Beyer Speed Figure- 87 (c, 3, by Not This Time-Pearl River, by Quality Road) O-Frassetto Stables. B-Pam and Marty Wygod (Ky). T-Bill Mott. J-Jose Lezcano. Last week, Bill Mott topped these rankings with Stars and Strides. This week, he's back with Stars and Stripes. The 3-year-old colts aren't related, but both are fast. This one was ignored at 33-1 in his May 17 Aqueduct debut, but closed for third in a one-mile maiden race so fast he earned a 91 Beyer. That resulted in his 4-5 favoritism Sunday and he coasted in 10 1/2 lengths in front. His first two dams were unraced, but his Wygod family tree includes Breeders' Cup winners Sweet Catomine and Life Is Sweet. SIERRA SILVER, 6/14, SA, Race 9, 7 furlongs, video Beyer Speed Figure – 95 (c, 3, by Game Winner-Promise Me Silver, by Silver City) O-Golden Bear Racing. B-Chester and Mary Broman (NY). T-Bob Baffert. J-Juan Hernandez. How could a maiden capable of a 95 Beyer need three races to visit the winner's circle? Because Baffert stablemates beat him in his first two starts. He also made this list in the aforementioned May 10 race with a 95 Beyer in defeat. Bettors who backed Sierra Silver at even money Saturday had a tense moment when his stumbling start put him near the back of the eight-horse field, but the New York-bred cruised strongly to the front at the 5/16ths pole while being chased in vain by Cheever. The post The Five Fastest Maidens, Presented by Taylor Made, for the Week of June 10-15 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The $250,000 Great West Turf Sprint has been added to Remington Park stakes schedule for 2025, featuring 32 stakes worth $3.4 million. The five-furlong dash will be one of eight stakes on the biggest night of racing at the Oklahoma City oval on Sept. 28, including the featured $400,000 GIII Oklahoma Derby. “We feel the addition of the Great West Turf Sprint adds more value to Oklahoma Derby Day and our overall stakes schedule,” said Matt Vance, Remington Park executive vice president of racing. “Our turf course is in prime condition for the first three months of our season. We believe the Great West will be a potential fit for horsemen looking for prep opportunities just over a month before competing in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. The five-furlong distance of the Great West is the exact same distance as the BC Turf Sprint at Del Mar this fall.” The Remington turf course, which will be in use from the start of the season through at least the month of October, will play host to eight stakes races. There are 18 events restricted to horses bred in Oklahoma, eight of which are carded for Oklahoma Classics night on Oct. 17. The meet kicks off Friday, Aug. 8 and continues through Dec. 20, a six-stakes card that includes the $300,000 Springboard Mile for the 2-year-old males and the Toby Keith Stakes (formerly Trapeze Stakes) for juvenile fillies and named in honor of the late country music star. The regular post time for the 2025 Thoroughbred season is 6 p.m. CDT, 30 minutes earlier than last year. Post time for Oklahoma Derby day is 3 p.m. and the Springboard Mile program begins at 5 p.m. The post Great West Turf Sprint Added To Remington Stakes Schedule appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Santa Anita Park concluded its six-month 2024-25 Winter-Spring season June 15 by posting encouraging increases in handle, field size, on-track attendance, and safety.View the full article

FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY, featuring coverage of the Fourth of July Racing Festival and six consecutive Saturdays of racing from Saratoga, will air this summer on the FOX broadcast network. Coverage begins on Independence Day with coverage from 5-6 p.m. (all times EDT) of the $750,000 Grade I Belmont Derby and picks up with two hours of programing on Saturday, July 19, featuring the GI Coaching Club American Oaks. The GII Jim Dandy Stakes is the focal point of the three-hour broadcast (3-6 p.m.) on Saturday, July 26, followed by the $1-million GI Whitney Stakes on Aug. 2 from 3-6 p.m. Programming on Aug. 9 includes the relocated GI Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes from 3-6 p.m. and the GI Alabama Stakes is the marquee event of a two-hour window (4-6 p.m.) on Aug. 16. The final FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY airs from 3 to 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 23, with the meet's main event, the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes the highlight. FOX Sports and the New York Racing Association began their relationship back in 2016 with the launch of SARATOGA LIVE, providing daily coverage of the 40-day meeting. FOX has continued to expand its coverage of racing's biggest events each year since and recently broadcast the running of the GI Belmont Stakes on June 7. The main Saratoga meeting opens on Thursday, July 10 and runs through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1. The post FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY Returns To FOX Sports For 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Frankie Dettori is set to be in attendance at Royal Ascot this week as a racegoer—but the legendary rider has not ruled out a final hurrah at the meeting in the future.View the full article

A hard-hitting report by a cross-party group of politicians will demand that action is taken to secure the future of the sport in Britain as it faces a "triple whammy" of financial threats.View the full article

With the exception of Ballydoyle's hot prospect 2-year-old Albert Einstein, there are no key figures missing from Royal Ascot's opening card on Tuesday and the scene is set for the first of the week's moments of truth. With the St James's Palace featuring the winners of the 2,000 Guineas, Irish 2,000 Guineas and “French 2,000 Guineas” and the Queen Anne boasting all the elite milers of Europe and a bit extra, the standard has been met again in the year which celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Royal Procession. From individual points of view, this year's edition is a momentous one for Colin Keane following the announcement of his retainer for Juddmonte. This is a true baptism of fire for the rider, but luckily he is already accustomed to the jet power of Field Of Gold, Clarehaven's silver surfer who threatens to take the mantle as Kingman's best from the stable's past master Palace Pier. Whatever the reason for his defeat by Ruling Court (Justify) at Newmarket, which is far from obvious from the tactical and sectional evidence available, the Guineas runner-up who went on to display his power at The Curragh is arguably day one's headline act. He is an ideal conduit for the widely-appreciated talent of Keane, who Ger Lyons described last week as more Mick Kinane than Frankie. There is a long way to go to match the Royal Ascot feats of either of those giants, but perhaps this is the start of that odyssey. Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon is relishing the prospect of seeing how the new combo develop together. “It's going to be a huge race with some huge names and could be the race of the week, but we're happy with Field Of Gold and looking forward to having another crack at the English Guineas winner and seeing how we get on,” he said. “We won't know if Field Of Gold is a better horse than the one that went to Newmarket until after the race, but he is a horse who should keep improving through the year,” he added. “John has always mentioned the Eclipse for him which is very much still a possibility or we could even give him a break after this and wait for Goodwood, but we will decide all this after the race.” Field Of Gold's eerily similar trajectory to his sire continues here, but where Kingman dealt his 2,000 Guineas conqueror Night Of Thunder a heavy beating in this 11 years ago it is hard to see the same situation evolving this time. Ruling Court was spared the effort of running in a stamina-sapping renewal of the Derby and Epsom's loss is Ascot's gain. Asked to be a miler again having been trained with the Blue Riband in mind, Godolphin's son of Justify needs to prove his versatility as he bids to deny the grey's revenge mission. Perhaps it was Field Of Gold's subsequent Irish 2,000 Guineas performance that has led many to the conclusion that the wrong horse was in the winner's enclosure at Newmarket, but while the runner-up was able to close out the final furlong in spectacular fashion there was very little between them over the last three. Overall, Ruling Court was a fraction more professional throughout and that ultimately told at the death. A surefire stayer beyond this mile, he is certain to be well suited by Ascot's stiff test. Then there is Henri Matisse, who demonstrated in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains that he can really trap where it matters. One of Wootton Bassett's several success stories of the recent months, the colt who required blinkers in the Jean-Luc Lagardere has subsequently gone places and showed in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and the Poulains that he possesses a lethal kick. While ParisLongchamp isn't The Curragh, he posted a closing 33.15 last month compared to Field Of Gold's 33.6 in the Irish Classic and makes this at least a three-horse race. Leading The Way… By the time Keane gets to the St James's Palace, he may already have enjoyed the ultimate nerve-settler in the opening Queen Anne where he partners another Juddmonte-Clarehaven project in Lead Artist. Coming of age in the Lockinge last month, the son of Dubawi may or may not have caught the likes of Rosallion and Notable Speech on the hop there but it would be churlish to suggest he lucked out. We are talking about prime Juddmonte Hasili blood and he is certain to be even better suited to this stiff test. Second in the Lockinge having followed the route of last year's Queen Anne winner Charyn, one of Camelot's quickest progeny Dancing Gemini is another who will benefit from this greater examination of stamina. Ascot's straight mile standard time is 1:38.90 compared to Newbury's 1:35.80, so we are looking at a completely different demand to that of the Lockinge. Whether last year's brilliant St James's Palace hero Rosallion needs a stiff straight mile is open to debate, with the fast son of Blue Point so effective around the turning mile 12 months ago. Connections will be hoping that it was ring-rustiness that cost him at the end of the Lockinge, his first start in 11 months, rather than lack of stamina as it is worth remembering that the St James's Palace was not a strongly-run affair last year. While Rosallion shone for the non-exacting tempo of the 2024 St James's Palace, Notable Speech was undone by it having been so demanding in the 2,000 Guineas where the leaders and Rosallion himself flagged late on. Proving more adaptable in the Sussex, the son of Dubawi was faster than everything between the four and the one in the Lockinge before blowing up on his return and is a huge threat to all here. Strictly on the Breeders' Cup Mile form of November, Yulong Investments' Carl Spackler (Lope De Vega) is a touch below this level, but he had beaten the winner More Than Looks in both the GI Keeneland Turf Mile and GI Fourstardave Handicap and looked better than ever in the GI Maker's Mark Mile Stakes last time. How he takes to the straight course is key to his chances, but Tepin did so all those years ago and he has the assistance of James McDonald, whose four Royal Ascot winners include three in Expert Eye, Nature Strip and Dark Shift who mastered the straight line. Trainer Ciaron Maher's bloodstock manager William Bourne gave the lowdown on Carl Spackler. “He's a very straightforward horse, there's not much to know–what you see is what you get. He's got a great temperament, he's like a kid's pony, he's made it so easy to bring him here, get him into the rhythm and train him. He's definitely made life easy for the boss. It's a very international raceday and world-class so just to even be here as a spectator or have a horse here, it's a privilege and to have Yulong entrust us with the horse is just amazing.” Interestingly, McDonald is one of two Antipodean riders in the meeting's opener alongside Mark Zahra who partners the Ascot straight-track specialist and 2024 Queen Anne runner-up Docklands (Massaat). McDonald also has an association with Wathnan this week, with three rides for the operation on Tuesday including the live Coventry contender Underwriter (Mehmas). Jonathan Gregory, Chief Commercial Officer at Ascot Racecourse, spoke of the meeting's outreach. “We're incredibly proud of Royal Ascot and the enduring appeal it continues to hold for audiences around the world,” he said. “None of this would be possible without the support and collaboration of our international broadcast partners, whose commitment plays such a vital role in showcasing the excitement, heritage and prestige of the Royal Meeting. This year is particularly special as we mark the 200th anniversary of the Royal Procession–a milestone we're delighted to honour through a specially commissioned programme that brings this historic tradition to life for a global audience.” And As For Her… In the King Charles III, Asfoora (Flying Artie) is back to bid to extend Australia's tally of eight winners at the meeting from a total of just 47 runners and carve her own slice of history in becoming the first from “Down Under” to return a year later and record consecutive wins. Fitted with blinkers for the first time following her latest seventh in the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes, Henry Dwyer's charge comes into this on a similar level to 12 months ago with much the same horses to beat. “I feel like there is less pressure this year, as she has been there and done it,” Dwyer said. “It's an expensive trip and there's huge costs involved, but she was able to repay us last year and the money is in the bank now. This year is a bonus, she owes us nothing and we're just here for the experience and the fun of it.” Perhaps Believing (Mehmas), who was fourth in this last year, will rate the biggest threat to the Australian mare having continued to move on up in the interim. Unable to deal with Bradsell in the Nunthorpe and Flying Five, she looked a different proposition when taking the G1 Al Quoz Sprint in April and will be fresh and ready for the rematch. In foal to Frankel, she is raring to go according to George Boughey. “I think because it's such an open race, it's attracted a bigger field,” he said. We're drawn in one and possibly a little bit away from some of the others, but I spoke to Ryan [Moore] yesterday and we said it makes our decision pretty clear–we know which way we're going and that's in a straight line towards home.” “A stiff five is probably what she wants now, I think a stiff six is possibly too far. That's why the six in Meydan was so tailor-made for her and anything now is a bonus.” Lord Lloyd Webber and Arthur Mitchell's G2 Temple Stakes and G3 Prix de Saint-Georges scorer Mgheera (Zoustar) looks a much-improved performer this term, while the best of the males could be Wathnan Racing's unexposed TDN Rising Star Night Raider. The son of Dark Angel has proven prowess on the all-weather, which translates so well to this track, having shown off in Newcastle's Listed Golden Rose Stakes in November. He comes back in trip, having tired late on behind what could be the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes winner Inisherin in York's G2 1895 Duke of York. “He's very fast and set some blistering fractions in the Duke of York into a strong headwind that day,” Wathnan's racing adviser Richard Brown said. “He's won over seven furlongs and was a Guineas horse last year, but I just can't wait to see him over five furlongs as he's blisteringly fast. James [Doyle] rode him up at Karl Burke's the other day and was seriously impressed by how quick he was and I'm really looking forward to seeing him. When those sprinters are absolutely flying at Ascot, it's one of the great sights in racing and I think he's going to be one winging along.” A New Movement… Despite the absence of Albert Einstein, the Coventry looks as hot as ever with the TDN Rising Star Postmodern (Too Darn Hot) taking over as the current favourite. From a Wathnan Racing operation focused on success at this meeting, he looks to provide Hamad Al Jehani with a breakthrough Royal Ascot winner. His five-length Yarmouth debut win will come under the microscope here, with countless others down the years coming to a Coventry off similar wide-margin successes only to be found wanting. James Doyle is looking forward to some enviable rides on the Wathnan horses and said, “We look like we've got a nice team and there have been a few welcome additions. We've had a couple of two-year-olds step up to the plate and obviously Zelaina won nicely at Nottingham and there's Postmodern for Hamad and Underwriter for Archie [Watson], so we've a decent group of youngsters. We're all well aware how difficult it is to win at Royal Ascot, everyone knows how tough it can be, but we're looking forward to it, quietly hopeful and would be pretty pleased with the team we have going there.” Ballydoyle's deputies for Albert Einstein are Starspangledbanner's Navan winner Gstaad, who was always in line to play second-fiddle to his much-vaunted stablemate, and the intriguing Warsaw who has come late onto the scene. A son of Wootton Bassett from the family of City Of Troy, he went hard on his racecourse bow over what was surely an inadequate five furlongs and just kept going. Godolphin's Military Code is the chosen one of Charlie Appleby's group of smart and sharp juveniles as he looks for a first Coventry winner, while of the first-season sire pack the trio of Starman, Space Blues and Ubettabelieveit are represented. The best on paper is Space Blues's Power Blue, who represents Amo Racing and got closest to Albert Einstein in the G3 Marble Hill Stakes having previously run into Lady Iman. Ubettabelieveit's Tricky Tel won't be the most celebrated in the line-up beforehand, but has looked a powerhouse around the ultimate learning circuit of Chester and has Colin Keane to help. Aside from the key Pattern-race gala, there is the prospect of Royal Ascot's specialist target trainer Willie Mullins providing The King with a winner on the first day in Reaching High in the Ascot Stakes. The son of Sea The Stars is one of Ryan Moore's mounts as he begins his irrepressible quest for a 12th Leading Jockey Award at the most prestigious meeting of them all. The post Procession of Stars Readied for Royal Ascot appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The six-month Winter/Spring meeting at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, closed Sunday, June 15, with 'encouraging' gains in handle, field size and on-track attendance, according to a release from the track. With over 6,800 horses having raced during the meet and more than 375,000 training sessions on the main and synthetic tracks having taken place, track officials report a safety mark of 99.98%, cementing its status as the safest track in North America among those with a comparable volume of racing and training. “This year was a transitional one for the California racing community and it was a success by every measure,” said Nate Newby, SVP and General Manager of Santa Anita Park. “We are thankful for the continued support of the owners, trainers, jockeys, veterinarians, the horsemen and women who provide outstanding care for the horses; for the horseplayers who back our product; and for our staff for putting on a great show. Horses based at Santa Anita, including Journalism, Raging Torrent and Kopion, won major races around the country, underlining the excellence we experience every day. “Between the Eaton fire and the ongoing recovery, 2025 has been a challenging year for our neighbors and many of our own Santa Anita family, but we hope 'The Great RIP' has provided some sense of continuity.” The season kicked off on Dec. 26, 2024, with the third-largest opening-day handle in track history and all-sources handle over the course of the Classic Meet (Dec. 26-Apr. 6) and the just-concluded Hollywood Meet (Apr. 18-June 15) nearly eclipsed three-quarters of a billion dollars ($745.9 million). Total handle on Santa Anita races alone increased 10% from the previous year. The gains in handle were attributable to some extent to a 5% increase in field size, due in part to the consolidation of California racing into a single circuit. Many races restricted to those horses that were relocated from the Northern California circuit were written by the racing office, allowing those horses to compete against each other during the season. The Pick Six wager resulted in no fewer than 17 carryovers over the course of the season, more than double the number in 2023-2045 and turf racing was also seen to have increased in popularity, with handle on the Santa Anita Pick Three leaping by 31%. On-track attendance (541,592) was ahead by 4% fueled by the largest opening-day crowd in eight years and the largest audience to witness Santa Anita Derby Day in person in seven years. “We have witnessed increases in every key category, including 70 additional races and improvements in field sizes, which could only happen through the move to a single circuit,” said Bill Nader, President of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC). “This has helped drive handle increases and reverse the downward trend in overnight purses to restore our foundation and bring renewed life to California racing. We will now carry this momentum into the second half of the year as racing moves to Los Alamitos and then the much anticipated Del Mar summer.” The addition of horses from Northern California pushed the Santa Anita stable area to its capacity of 2,000 horses, a population increase of more than 10% over last year, making the safety improvements even more remarkable, according to the release. “More than 5,000 pre-work examinations were performed by Santa Anita Park veterinarians since Sept. 1 of last year,” said Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer for 1/ST Racing. “It is impossible to overestimate the importance this played in collaborating with owners, trainers and private veterinarians to provide additional opportunities for intervention for the best interest of the horse and providing a model for the rest of the country.” Live racing will return to Santa Anita Park on Friday, Sept. 26 for the five-week Autumn meet. Seven Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win and You're In” races will highlight the first two weeks of the season. The post Despite ‘Transitional’ Season, Santa Anita Reports Gains In Handle, Field Size, Attendance; Safety Record Sparkles appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, the final major juvenile auction of the season, gets underway Tuesday in Central Florida, with bidding scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. The auction, held in recent years over three days, will be held over two days this year with a catalogue of 851 2-year-olds. “I think there are some horses who breezed very nicely and have a little bit of pedigree here and then you have your usual range of horses who don't have as much pedigree that performed. I think the horses are going to be well bought,” consignor Nick Sallusto of Thorostock said of expectations for the two-day auction. “I think that this sale is a very good buyers' sale.” After setting sale records in 2022, the June sale figures ticked down slightly in 2023 and 2024, but Sallusto said the auction has developed a dedicated buying bench. “I think there has almost become a unique group of buyers that come to this sale because they feel like they can buy a nice horse at a different price point, a little less than the sales average all year long,” he said. With just weeks until the yearling sales season begins, the June sale also has some motivated sellers. “I think sellers look at it as, whether the horse is worth more or not, most of the horses here are in some sort of pinhook package, so if the group has been profitable, than the sellers just tend to let those horses move along at whatever the market values them at,” Sallusto said. “We are getting ready to go back and start buying in a few weeks, so every single dollar counts, it sort of helps push the next year along. “So the buyers need to fill their orders to race and the sellers certainly have a need to move some inventory, even if it is not at the price point that we had hoped it to be.” The 2-year-olds in training sales this spring opened with a record $3-million sale topper at the OBS March sale and, with a record number of seven-figure offerings, the company's April sale produced its highest-ever average. The strength of the market continued in Timonium in May when the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale produced sales record gross, average, and median despite facing an uphill battle with the weather. Consignor Robbie Harris looks for the strength of those previous sales to bolster the competition at the June sale. “I am hoping there are some guys who got shut out,” Harris said. “The 2-year-old sales have been up, as far as average and all of that goes. So I am hoping for some guys who haven't gotten their orders filled and they are looking to try to find something.” Harris is also expecting to see some familiar trends. “It's the same old story,” he said. “What the market perceives as the good ones seem to find a home. I am hoping for some good luck.” While 24 juveniles worked a furlong in :9 4/5 during last week's under-tack preview of the June sale, a colt by Nyquist (hip 634) earned the show's bullet with a :9 3/5 work for Wavertree Stables. A colt by Beau Liam (hip 829) claimed the week's quarter-mile bullet when covering the distance in :20 1/5 for Omar Ramirez Bloodstock. A pair of fillies from Tom McCrocklin's consignment brought matching $400,000 bids to top the 2024 June Sale. Stakes-winning Silent Law (Tiz the Law) was second in this year's GII Santa Anita Oaks. In all, 606 horses sold at last year's June sale for a gross of $22,045,800. The sale average was $36,379 and the median was $20,000. The post ‘A Very Good Buyers’ Sale’: OBS June Brings Curtain Down on Juvenile Sales Season appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tuesday, Royal Ascot, post time: 14:30, QUEEN ANNE STAKES-G1, £793,625, 4yo/up, 8fT Field: Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road), Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Dancing Gemini (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Docklands (GB) (Massaat {Ire}), Lake Forest (GB) (No Nay Never), Lead Artist (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Quddwah (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Sardinian Warrior (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}). TDN Verdict: This could be a case of take the Lockinge form and throw it in the air to see where it lands, or take it literally and go with the same outcome with Lead Artist living up to his title ahead of Dancing Gemini, Rosallion and Notable Speech. A convincing argument can be made for all four top-class colts, which is the beauty of this keenly-anticipated opener, an example of what can happen when Classic winners are left in training at four. Perhaps Rosallion, for all that he was so good in the St James's Palace last year, is the one most vulnerable as this is sure to be a demanding stamina test over the straight track but you'd be brave to bet against a colt so talented. While only Carl Spackler is here to provide true international flavour, he is some horse with which to come to war with the Europeans and is a welcome presence. [Tom Frary]. Tuesday, Royal Ascot, post time: 15:40, KING CHARLES III STAKES-G1, £725,750, 3yo/up, 5fT Field: American Affair (GB) (Washington DC {Ire}), Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Jasour (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Kerdos (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}), Manaccan (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), Night Raider (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Regional (GB) (Territories {Ire}), Rumstar (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Starlust (GB) (Zoustar {Aus]), Twilight Calls (GB) (Twilight Son {GB}), Washington Heights (GB) (Washington DC {Ire}), Asfoora (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}), Balmoral Lady (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}), Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Frost At Dawn (Frosted), Mgheera (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}), Monteille (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}), No Half Measures (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}), Prime Art (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), Aesterius (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Estepona (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}), Tropical Storm (GB) (Eqtidaar {Ire}), West Acre (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). TDN Verdict: He may have taken a while to get to the top, but this could be the time for Night Raider who has done his most impressive stuff on the all-weather which is always key at this meeting. With due respect to Asfoora, Believing and Regional, there is a distinct feeling that this division needs a boost and Karl Burke's colt could be it. Mgheera is one to keep on the right side of, with a switch to Ed Walker having coincided with a surge in form. [Tom Frary]. Tuesday, Royal Ascot, post time: 16:20, ST JAMES'S PALACE STAKES-G1, £650,000, 3yo, c, 7f 213yT Field: Field Of Gold (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), First Wave (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Officer (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), Ruling Court (Justify), Windlord (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). TDN Verdict: A real humdinger this year, the “fourth Guineas” rests between Field Of Gold, Ruling Court and Henri Matisse with the former currently favoured at odds-on. That is based on the assumption that he was definitely the best colt at Newmarket and while Ruling Court has had a far-from-ideal Derby preparation, he might come back and surprise the grey's followers. One thing is for sure, Colin Keane and William Buick won't be wanting to see Henri Matisse looming in behind with two to race with the finishing kick he has exhibited, but is this stiff track his bag? Maybe not. Sit back, relax and enjoy, this is one for the purists and it'll be so glaringly obvious afterwards of course… [Tom Frary]. Tuesday, Royal Ascot, post time: 15:05, COVENTRY STAKES-G2, £175,000, 2yo, 6fT Field: American Gulf (GB) (Ardad {Ire}), Andab (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), Ballistic Missile (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Bone Marra (Ire) (Starman {GB}), Bourbon Blues (GB) (Space Blues {Ire}), Coppull (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), Do Or Do Not (Ire) (Space Blues {Ire}), Gavoo (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}), Gstaad (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Kolkata Knight (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), Military Code (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Postmodern (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Power Blue (Ire) (Space Blues {Ire}), Raakeb (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), Rock On Thunder (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Shaatir (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Super Soldier (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Tajeg (GB) (Ardad {Ire}), Tricky Tel (GB) (Ubettabelieveit {Ire}), Underwriter (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}), Warsaw (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). TDN Verdict: Possibly the most painful absence felt this week is that of Albert Einstein, but there are still 21 precocious talents to stir the blood and get the early 2,000 Guineas market moving. Power Blue makes big appeal as an already battle-hardened colt with key form behind that Ballydoyle dynamo and his first-season sire is by Dubawi who just about reigns at this meeting after several years of success. He may not win this, but watch out for Warsaw as the season progresses as he has the pedigree of all pedigrees in the current racing world. If he wins, he's serious Guineas material, which is also true of Postmodern with his relations far from sprinters. [Tom Frary]. Tuesday, Royal Ascot, post time: 17:35, WOLFERTON STAKES-Listed, £120,000, 4yo/up, 9f 212yT Field: Galen (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Liberty Lane (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Phantom Flight (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Checkandchallenge (GB) (Fast Company {Ire}), Ecureuil Secret (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Enfjaar (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}), Haunted Dream (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), King's Gambit (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), Meydaan (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Passion And Glory (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), Sons And Lovers (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), Torito (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Doha (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). TDN Verdict: As wide-open as it gets, the penalty structure may compromise some but not Shadwell's Enfjaar who keeps promising to make into a good horse. Shockingly, last year's Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly is 14-1 for this after some abject displays but if he is in the right frame of mind this could be his for the taking, while Meydaan looks one who is peaking at a trip that could prove his optimum. [Tom Frary]. Wednesday, Royal Ascot, post time: 16:20, PRINCE OF WALES' STAKES-G1, £1,057,500, 4yo/up, 9f 212yT Field: Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), Certain Lad (GB) (Clodovil {Ire}), Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}), Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Map Of Stars (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Ombudsman (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Royal Champion (Ire) (Shamardal), See The Fire (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Ballydoyle's bruiser Los Angeles proved what a hardnut he really is when taking a Tattersalls Gold Cup that was set up like a war of attrition and there is something about this that has the air of inevitability. Anmaat could have had a say if the track had been hit by one of those thunderstorms that can happen at this time of year, but will surely play second fiddle again on this type of ground. As likeable as Map Of Stars and Ombudsman are, they have something to find with the favourite while See The Fire is so effective on York's flat terrain it is not easy to make a case for her outbattling the big colts in this. [Tom Frary]. Wednesday, Royal Ascot, post time: 15:05, QUEEN'S VASE STAKES-G2, £265,000, 3yo, 14f 34yT Field: Al Wasl Storm (Ire) (Affinisea {Ire}), Asmarani (Ire) (Sottsass {Fr}), Carmers (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Devil's Advocate (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Furthur (Ire) (Waldgeist {GB}), Hallelujah U (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}), Pinhole (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Rahiebb (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Scandinavia (Justify), Shackleton (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Spinning Wheel (GB) (Postponed {Ire}), Titanium Emperor (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Too Soon (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). TDN Verdict: Potential Irish domination here, with Ballydoyle represented by two different types and probably expecting most from Shackleton, while Paddy Twomey saddles the unexposed Listed Yeats Stakes winner Carmers. Francis-Henri Graffard sends across Asmarani, who is up markedly in trip having run into Rafale Design in the G3 Prix Hocquart. [Tom Frary]. Wednesday, Royal Ascot, post time: 15:40, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE STAKES-G2, £225,000, 4yo/up, 7f 213yT Field: Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal), Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), One Look (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Running Lion (GB) (Roaring Lion), Soprano (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Start Of Day (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). TDN Verdict: The way Cinderella's Dream went through the G2 Dahlia Stakes last month, we could be talking about a special filly and this looks hers for the taking. Fallen Angel is an obvious threat, but the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Moyglare winner has a bit to prove with cheekpieces fitted for the first time, while One Look comes into it after chasing home Porta Fortuna in The Curragh's G2 Lanwades Stud Stakes last month. [Tom Frary]. Wednesday, Royal Ascot, post time: 14:30, QUEEN MARY STAKES-G2, £150,000, 2yo, f, 5fT Field: America (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Caitlin G (GB) (Bangkok {Ire}), Cardiff By The Sea (Ire) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}), Come On Eibhlin (Ire) (Space Blues {Ire}), Eskimo Pie (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}), Eternal Solace (GB) (Tasleet {GB}), Flowerhead (Ire) (Starman {GB}), Guernsey Lady (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}), Harry's Girl (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}), Justice Twice (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}), Lennilu (Leinster), Love Olivia (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Miss Yechance (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), Paris Carver (Bolt D'Oro), Revival Power (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}), Secret Hideaway (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Shine On Me (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Social Exclusion (GB) (Lope Y Fernandez {Ire}), Society Kiss (GB) (A'Ali {Ire}), Solana Rose (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Spicy Marg (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Staya (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), True Love (Ire) (No Nay Never), Viamarie (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}), Zelaina (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Wathnan's TDN Rising Star Zelaina took the same Nottingham maiden as last year's winner Leovanni, so connections are hoping that lightning strikes twice. As it rarely does at this meeting, the race is more open than the betting suggests with the likes of the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes winner Lennilu, Ballydoyle's high-class maiden True Love and Ralph Beckett's course-and-distance winner Society Kiss all poised. Special mention must also be made of Revival Power, the full-sister to Winter Power who probably wasn't expected to make such an impressive debut at Thirsk and would be an emotional winner for the Easterbys. [Tom Frary]. Wednesday, Royal Ascot, post time: 18:10, WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES-Listed, £110,000, 2yo, 5fT Field: Ardisia (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}), Azizam (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Beach Partee (GB) (Lope Y Fernandez {Ire}), Better And Better (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), Call Me By My Name (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}), Dickensian (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}), First Approach (Ire) (No Nay Never), Gaga Mate (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Gorey Gold (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}), Havana Hurricane (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}), Jan Steen (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev), Kamakameleon (GB) (Kameko), Kansas (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Logi Bear (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}), Nuevo Slovo (Ire) (James Garfield {Ire}), Old Is Gold (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Rogue Legend (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Rogue Supremacy (GB) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}), Shaman Champion (Ire) (Shaman {Ire}), Sovereign Spell (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Tough Critic (Caravaggio), Utmost Respect (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Wyle Cop (Omaha Beach), Oasis Diamond (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). TDN Verdict: Dual winner Rogue Legend will be more streetwise than most, but there is a chance that St Mark's Basilica's first winner Rogue Supremacy is a smart one. He looked the part at Wetherby on debut, while the Keeneland winner Tough Critic and Hamilton scorer Azizam are other unknown quantities at potentially inflated odds. [Tom Frary]. Click here for the complete fields. The post Black-Type Analysis: Guineas-Winning Trio Clash In St James’s Palace Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Saffie Joseph Jr. is no stranger to rejection. In the early years of his training career, there were moments when he wondered if chasing his dream had been a big mistake. In what is now a familiar part of Joseph's origin story, his father had warned him against leaving Barbados to launch a stable in America. Joseph came anyway. He arrived at Calder Race Course in 2011 only to be told that there was no stall space available, but he went back to the racing secretary week after week until finally securing a spot. A few years into his career, Joseph still had little to show for his efforts. With only a handful of owners–most of them from back home in Barbados–he had been turned down more times than he could count. At his breaking point, he told his dad it was time to go home. “But he told me no,” Joseph said. “He said that we'd come too far to go back. For me, that gave me confidence. It was like he finally believed in me. From then on, everything just went to a different level.” It was the best 'no' that Joseph could have received. Not long after that conversation, he scored his first graded win with Math Wizard (Algorithms) in the 2019 GI Pennsylvania Derby. He had another breakout year in 2024 with 16 graded stakes wins and his first Breeders' Cup victory with Soul of an Angel (Atreides) in the GI Filly and Mare Sprint. Though Soul of an Angel is no longer in his barn, Joseph is determined to return to the Breeders' Cup this year. And after a fast start to the season, he looks poised to do just that. Saffie Joseph Sr. and Jr. in Barbados | photo courtesy Saffie Joseph Joseph's childhood in Barbados revolved around the racetrack. His father was a trainer and his grandfather was an owner. “When I was really young–like six, seven, eight–the grooms would put me on the horses after they had trained and my dad would get really pissed if he saw it,” Joseph recalled with a fond smile. “Cleaning a stall brought so much joy to me as a kid. Even just picking out a horse's foot at that age was like the most amazing thing ever.” At age 22, Joseph became the youngest trainer in history to win Barbados's Triple Crown. Two years later, he arrived in the U.S. with a stable of just two horses. Looking back now, he admits that his decision to start fresh was fueled more by ego than experience. “You have dreams to be the best in the world,” he explained. “You couldn't do that in Barbados. Over there it's more for prestige and for fun. When I was 22, I thought I was the greatest thing around a horse. Then you come to American and you get a reality check. You realize it's not about you anymore. It's about the horses. I look back at that time and I realize that the horses were training me. I wasn't training the horses.” Even after launching his stable, Joseph kept learning from his father, who eventually joined him in South Florida as his assistant and advisor. That guidance and mentorship played a crucial role in Joseph's growth and helped pave the way for his eventual success. When Math Wizard took Joseph to his first Breeders' Cup in 2019, the colt ran a credible fifth in the Classic and left Joseph feeling eager to get back to the World Championships. Saffie Joseph gets his first Grade I win with Math Wizard in 2019 | Sarah Andrew “The Breeders' Cup puts on a show,” he said. “It feels like everyone is there during the week leading up to it. It's fun to be a part of. You look around and there is a good horse on every side of you. There are good trainers there, the best of the best from all over. That's what makes it so unique and so entertaining. All the horses are training there for that week and the camaraderie just makes it an amazing vibe.” In 2023, Joseph's stable notched a pair of third-place Breeders' Cup efforts and in 2024, he got his first victory. After sitting at the back of the pack through speedy early fractions of :21.94 and :44.42, Soul of an Angel pulled off a 19-1 upset in the Filly and Mare Sprint when she came flying late to get a photo-finish win. “When you grow up watching the Breeders' Cup, getting our first win with Soul of an Angel was a dream come true,” said Joseph. “It was a moment that you cherish for life. The way she won it, after the first furlong I was like, 'Whoa, she has no chance.' I didn't think she could win. And then every furlong started getting better and better. By the eighth pole, I felt like she was going to get there. It was like she got there in slow motion.” Joseph watched the race from near the sixteenth pole at Del Mar. When Soul of an Angel switched to the outside and started to make her move, he found himself sprinting down the track apron urging her home. When she hit the wire, he turned to the person who had helped him reach that pinnacle win. Looking back, the memory of hugging his father before they made their way to the winner's circle together still brings a wave of emotion. “I told him that I loved him,” he said. “It was just a special moment. That's what racing brings. I wish more people could enjoy it because I can only describe it so much. You have to almost feel it to believe it.” Joseph celebrates first Breeders' Cup victory | Breeders' Cup Eclipse Sportwire Earlier this year, Soul of an Angel sold for $2.6 million to Chatsworth Stud in Australia, breaking the record for the highest sale to date on Fasig-Tipton's digital platform. Although there's no replacing that stable star, Joseph now finds himself with a growing roster of Breeders' Cup hopefuls. Turf specialist Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) earned her first Grade I score last month in the Gamely Stakes and is now pointing for the GI Diana Stakes on July 12. White Abarrio (Race Day), who won the 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic under the tutelage of Rick Dutrow, was transferred back to Joseph's barn last year. In his most start, he finished fourth in the GI Metropolitan Handicap. Joseph reported that the 6-year-old is pointing for the GI Whitney Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Classic. Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) has already secured two graded stakes wins this year, including the GII Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes in his most recent start. Joseph said he will point to either the Whitney or next weekend's GI Stephen Foster Stakes, another Classic 'Win and You're In' qualifier. Now that Joseph has one Breeders' Cup win on his resume, he is hoping to build on that momentum and attract more top-level talent. “I think when you win the Breeders' Cup it gives owners confidence to say, 'Hey, we want him to train our horses,'” Joseph explained. “At the end of the day, those are the races the big owners want to win–the Breeders' Cup, the Classics, the Grade Is. Until you're able to do that, you don't really get the first-tier horses. I think as you win those races, they also open opportunities. It may not happen immediately, but it definitely gets people to consider you.” More than 10 years after relocating his stable to the U.S., Joseph has proven he can compete at the highest level of the sport, but he stops short of saying that he feels a sense of belonging amongst the best. “There's too much ego in that,” he explained. “I feel thankful and blessed. I thought we weren't going to break through, so it means a lot when you put your whole life into something and you get there finally. It's a full-team moment. There is no hero in this other than the horses. We're just pieces of the puzzle putting everything together to hopefully get the results.” The post Breeders’ Cup Breakthrough: Saffie Joseph Defying the Odds appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ghostwriter (Invincible Spirit), who twice finished third behind City Of Troy last year in the G1 Eclipse and G1 Juddmonte International, is set to continue his racing career in the Amo Racing colours after being bought for £2,000,000 at Monday's Goffs London Sale. Consigned by trainer Clive Cox's Beechdown Farm Stables, the four-year-old could make his first start for his new owners in Saturday's G2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, having finished sixth on his most recent outing in last month's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. Successful in the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes as a juvenile, he is out of the Listed Cheshire Oaks runner-up Moorside (Champs Elysees), from the family of the 2,000 Guineas-winning sire Zafonic. The post Ghostwriter Bought by Amo Racing for £2 Million at Goffs London Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

LONDON, UK — On the eve of Royal Ascot, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Racing and Bloodstock (APPG) has delivered a stark warning regarding the sport's future in Britain, which it fears “risks being tipped into terminal decline”. At a launch in Westminster in the shadow of the British government's seat of power, MPs Dan Carden and Nick Timothy, co-chairs of the APPG, delivered a report demanding urgent action to stave off the threat from a “triple whammy of challenges that represent no less than an existential threat to the sport”. Entitled Securing Racing's Future: The Threat to British Horseracing, the report highlights the potential damage to racing's financial structure from the proposed harmonisation of gambling duties as well as affordability checks on punters, which it claims has already led to a £1.6bn fall in betting turnover on racing. It also highlights the need to reform the Levy to include bets placed domestically on overseas racing, as is the norm in other major racing jurisdictions. The proposed unified Remote Betting and Gaming Duty across sports betting, pool betting, and online casinos and slots is likely to be close to the current 21 per cent rate for the latter. Currently, the tax on sports and pool betting is 15 per cent. This has prompted fears of a loss of more than £40m per year to operators, which would in turn affect the revenue flow to areas such as prize-money and equine welfare via the Levy. Described in the report as “a national institution woven into the fabric of our culture”, racing is the second-largest spectator sport in the country. Thoroughbred racing and breeding and their subsidiary businesses have been assessed to contribute more than £4bn annually to the British economy, supporting around 85,000 jobs, many of which are in small, rural communities. Polling undertaken for the report found that 53 per cent of the public consider horseracing to be an important part of British culture, while 56 per cent support the implementation of a law requiring greater reinvestment into British racing. With the backing and assistance of the British Horseracing Authority, Carden and Timothy are urging their colleagues in government to consider also the “Millions of pounds of international investment…drawn in from key trading markets by the world-leading standards of care, science and animal welfare found at British stud farms and training yards.” At Tattersalls alone last year, in the heart of Timothy's West Suffolk constituency, more than £450m was traded on bloodstock. He said, “Horseracing is one of the crown jewels of British sport and culture. Newmarket, in my constituency, is the centre of racing and breeding in Britain. Some of the most important racing operations in the world are based in Suffolk, and these businesses invest huge sums of money into the local economy. “This is a story we could tell across the country, from rural villages to towns like Cheltenham and Doncaster, where horseracing is part of the social fabric and has been for centuries. “The public recognise this. Nobody will forgive ministers if their decisions lead to the decline of the nation's second-biggest spectator sport. The time for warm words has ended – we now demand action. The government must listen to the public and take immediate measures to secure the future of horseracing in Britain.” Carden's Liverpool Walton constituency is home to the Grand National, the most gambled-on race of the year in Britain. “The message from this report is clear: British racing needs this Labour government to be on its side,” Carden said. “Racing is part of our national story, and its enjoyment and support extends all the way from rural to urban working class communities. “I'm calling on the government to listen and to act in order to secure a fair funding model, protect jobs and allow horseracing to thrive for future generations.” He added, “Hopefully this campaign will grow. The people who rely on horseracing for their livelihoods and for their passion are speaking out and making sure the government is listening. I'm a Labour MP and I want my government to do the right thing and to back British racing for the future.” Among those in London for the presentation were trainer John Gosden and his wife, former ROA president and Newmarket town councillor Rachel Hood, Epsom-based trainer Jim Boyle, Jockey Club senior steward Dido Harding, National Trainers Federation chief executive Paul Johnson, and Martin Cruddace, CEO of Arena Racing Company. Johnson told the gathering, “Racehorse trainers employ thousands of people across the country and they are 15 per cent fewer in number than they were 10 years ago. If I spoke to them about where their businesses are going around half of them would say that their businesses are vulnerable. So, the triple whammy that we are looking at today is potentially going to have far-reaching consequences for the whole sport, because we need those people to be doing what they are doing for the sport and for their local communities.” Gosden referred to his frustration of previous meetings with the government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). He said, “I tried to impress upon them the enormous international investment in the breeding industry – people forget about that – but the thousands of millions of pounds invested in the development of the stud farms, the stallions, the bloodstock that has been brought to this country to cause us to have the highest standard of Flat racing horses on the turf.” He added, “Here we have a gene pool of the Thoroughbred which is far superior to anything else in the world and yet we are about to blow it down the river. What makes me beyond angry is that it is never grasped how important this is internationally.” Timothy, who described the issue of tax harmonisation as a “mad proposal”, spoke of renewed efforts to argue racing's case at this highest level. He said, “It's definitely the case that there is a lot more energy around the industry in parliament, and with the BHA and the All-Party Parliamentary Group, in trying to get these issues to the top of the agenda and to try to make the arguments we need to get our way with government. “It has to be the case that the government is on the side of the second-most popular spectator sport in the country. It's hugely important economically, socially and culturally.” The post BHA and MPs Unite in Urgent Call For Action on Betting Tax Proposals appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Royal Ascot meeting at Ascot racecourse in Berkshire, England will begin streaming, exclusively on Peacock, Tuesday, June 17 at 8:30 a.m. ET and will continue with five-hour shows Wednesday through Friday beginning each day at 8:30 a.m. ET. NBC and Peacock will present a live 4.5-hour Royal Ascot program on Saturday, June 21, starting at 9 a.m. ET. Britney Eurton and Nick Luck host Saturday's coverage on NBC and Peacock, with NBC News' Dylan Dreyer on-site with access to the Royal Enclosure. Steve Kornacki, chief data analyst for NBC News and NBC Sports, returns to NBC Sports' Royal Ascot coverage as an insights analyst. NBC Sports' Royal Ascot coverage schedule this week: Tues., June 17 8:30 a.m. Peacock Wed., June 18 8:30 a.m. Peacock Thurs., June 19 8:30 a.m. Peacock Fri., June 20 8:30 a.m. Peacock Sat., June 21 9 a.m. NBC, Peacock The post Peacock Streams Five Days of Live Coverage of Royal Ascot; Saturday Coverage Also on NBC appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Mystik Dan (Goldencents–Ma'am, by Colonel John), the winner of the 150th Grade I Kentucky Derby in 2024, is set to stand stud at Airdrie Stud in Midway, Kentucky, upon the conclusion of his racing career, according to a press release from the farm Monday morning. A three-time graded stakes winner with earnings to date of more than $4.4 million, Mystik Dan has been campaigned throughout his career by trainer Kenny McPeek for the ownership group of Lance Gasaway, 4G Racing LLC., Daniel Hamby III and Valley View Farm LLC. Mystik Dan first gained attention with an emphatic 7 ¾-length 2-year-old maiden victory going 5 ½ furlongs at Churchill Downs November 12, 2023. The performance was good for a 96 Beyer Speed Figure, one of the top numbers recorded by a juvenile that year. His Kentucky Derby victory came over a strong field which included Grade I winners Sierra Leone, Forever Young, Dornoch and Fierceness, amongst others, and highlighted a 3-year-old campaign that also included an eight-length win in Oaklawn's Grade III Southwest Stakes, as well as second- and third-place finishes in the Grade I Preakness Stakes and Grade II Arkansas Derby, respectively. In his most recent start, the 4-year-old returned to the Churchill Downs winner's circle with a victory in the Grade III Blame on May 31, setting a new stakes record in the process. Mystik Dan is scheduled to make his next start in the Grade I Stephen Foster Stakes on June 28, with a season-ending goal of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in Del Mar. The first foal out of his owner's four-time winning Colonel John mare, Ma'am, Mystik Dan's immediate female family includes Grade I winners Laragh and Siphonic as well as the multiple Graded-stakes winning millionaire Summer Front. “His historic win in the Kentucky Derby will ensure that name recognition will never be an issue for Mystik Dan,” said Airdrie's Bret Jones, “but what we really want is for breeders to focus on some of the other performances that showcase how genuinely talented he has always been. His win at two, where he opens up seven lengths going 5 ½ furlongs and runs a near-100 Beyer is as impressive as any juvenile race you'll ever see. And it's that same brilliant turn of foot that he showed when winning the Southwest by eight lengths that allowed him to open up a clear advantage in the Derby stretch despite being close to a pace that sent every other forwardly placed horse to the back of the field. He's shown that he can train on with a stakes-record performance in the Blame and I know Kenny really believes he's poised to be one of the best older horses in the country this year. He's an exceptional talent with that unmistakable Into Mischief look and we couldn't be more grateful to his great ownership team for the opportunity to stand their Kentucky Derby winner.” ” I trained a great sire in Harlan's Holiday,” said trainer Kenny McPeek, “And I promise you Mystik Dan is every bit as good or better than Harlan's Holiday ever was. Honestly, he reminds me of Northern Dancer in the way he's made and the way he moves- he's just exceptionally balanced and athletic. He's got such great speed and he stays. Those are traits everyone wants in a racehorse. I think he's got every chance to be a really top stallion and we're going to be breeding and buying a lot of them!” “Mystik Dan has given us the ride of a lifetime and we sure think he's going to give us some more great days before it's all said and done,” added co-owner Lance Gasaway. “He's such a calm and personable horse; always such a pleasure to be around. We are going to miss him when the time comes, but we are honored to partner with Airdrie Stud and very excited for what the future holds.” The post Kentucky Derby Winner Mystik Dan to Stand at Airdrie Stud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Ballydoyle's Los Angeles (Camelot) will face eight rivals in Wednesday's G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot, with his chief G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup rival Anmaat (Awtaad) set to renew rivalry. Also in the 10-furlong feature are the progressive Map Of Stars (Sea The Stars), Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) and See The Fire (Sea The Stars), with White Birch the only withdrawal. In the supporting races, Luis Saez will partner Lennilu (Leinster) in the G2 Queen Mary Stakes and Flavien Prat is on Tough Critic (Caravaggio) in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes. There are 25 fillies in the Queen Mary headed by Wathnan's TDN Rising Star Zelaina (Mehmas) and eight in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes including Godolphin's likely favourite Cinderella's Dream (Shamardal). The post Los Angeles Heads Prince Of Wales’s Nine appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Formlines from the English, Irish and French 2,000 Guineas will collide in a pulsating running of the Group One St James’s Palace Stakes (1,600m) to headline day one of Royal Ascot on Tuesday. Field Of Gold and Ruling Court – who locked horns in the Group One 2,000 Guineas (1,600m) at Newmarket in May – will renew their rivalry once again, with the former looking to exact revenge for a half-length defeat. Ruling Court, trained by Charlie Appleby, got first run that day over Field Of Gold, who...View the full article

Venerable sprinter Mrs Chrissie (NZ) (Per Incanto) has won six races for trainer Ciaron Maher and has placed on a further nine occasions, but the six-year-old mare will make a rare appearance at Flemington this Saturday. Mrs Chrissie hasn’t been to Flemington since finishing fifth in an 1100m benchmark 70 in May 2023, and has primarily done her racing at Caulfield. The talented mare will contest an A$150,000 open handicap off a rating of 91 and enters in a fresh state. The daughter of Per Incanto will have her first run since finishing second-last at Morphettville in the Gr.3 Irwin Stakes won by Royal Ascot contender Asfoora on April 12, which Maher’s Assistant trainer Turnbull described as a forgettable experience. “I think the travel and the weather that day really got the better of her,” he said. “She clearly wasn’t at her best, so we were pretty keen just to back off and reset. “Her three prior to that Adelaide race were OK without being amazing. In hindsight, she was definitely not at her best that prep but if she gets back to it, (it’s a) different ball game. “I’m sure she will be fine at Flemington, albeit she has only ever raced there once.” The open sprint is the part of a Flemington card that also includes the $150,000 The David Bourke, which is a qualifier for the Winter Championship Final, and heats of the Creswick Sprint Series, Silver Bowl Series and Mahogany Series for the three-year-old stayers. View the full article

Cranbourne trainer Gavin Bedggood could unveil new acquisition St Lawrence (NZ) (Redwood) at Flemington on Saturday as a potential candidate for next month’s Listed Winter Championship Series Final. Formerly prepared by Ciaron Maher, the son of Redwood has won eight of 23 starts and a tick under A$1 million in prizemoney. The rising seven-year-old was recently purchased for $85,000 and transferred to Bedggood by passionate racehorse owner-breeder Paul Lofitis, of the Lofty Group. St Lawrence has tuned up with an impressive two-length 1300m Seymour trial win last Wednesday. “He might run in The David Bourke (1600m) or we might wait for an Open 1400m the following Saturday,” Bedggood said. “We bought him online. He was a good get. “He’ll head towards the Winter Championship hopefully.” Bred by Westbury Stud owner Gerry Harvey, St Lawrence is one of five winners from seven foals to race out of the unraced Encosta De Lago mare Bacio Del Vinto, who is also the dam of Group Three winner Marroni. St Lawrence began his career in New Zealand, where he was trained by Andrew Forsman. He won two trials on the Cambridge synthetic track, then overcame a wide run to score an impressive debut win at Hasting before his private purchase and transfer to Maher. View the full article