Wandering Eyes

A difficult draw in the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) has prompted Chris Waller to scratch dual acceptor Firestorm (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) in preference for the Gr.2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1300m) at Eagle Farm, paving the way for first emergency and barn mate Coleman (Pierata) to take his place in the Group One. Waller had initially hoped to run the daughter of Satono Aladdin in the day’s main feature but said drawing barrier 16 made her task hard. “If she had a good draw she would definitely be running (in the Stradbroke),” Waller said. “She is good fresh and she has won a Group Two over 1300m and run second in the Coolmore Classic (Gr.1, 1500) beaten a nose. “My gut tells me, leave the Stradbroke, run her in the Dane Ripper and that will have her peaking for the Tatt’s Tiara (Gr.1, 1600m) in two weeks.” View the full article

Former jockey Herbie Rauhihi, who was revered by many young hoops in the Central Districts, has passed away, aged 86. One of those impressionable young riders was Noel Harris, who would go on to become one of New Zealand’s most decorated jockeys. Harris looked up to Rauhihi from the outset of his riding career and he said Rauhihi made a big impression on him in his formative years in the saddle. “He was a champion guy,” Harris said. “He rode for my Dad, Eric Ropiha, and all the good trainers around Woodville. “He was a great person to follow through a race, he taught me so much. He was my idol, and he was so patient. “Without even asking he would come over and put me in the right direction when I started riding. He was just a lovely jockey and just a gentleman.” Former jockey Herbie Rauhihi has passed away, aged 86. Photo: Ken Lush (Race Images) While Rauhihi was a great mentor to young riders, he had plenty of success in the saddle himself, even rubbing shoulders with royalty, having met Queen Elizabeth II in 1970 following his victory aboard Every Post in the Captain James Cook Handicap at Trentham. “He rode Every Post for a trainer called Gary Lee from down south, and he met the Queen,” Harris said. “Young Ida was a top horse he rode for Eric Temperton. He won races on her in New Zealand and Australia. “He even rode over fences, he was adaptable.” Rauhihi also rode in Australia’s most coveted race, the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), on several occasions, with his best result being a third in the 1969 edition aboard Fans. Harris said Rauhihi was a likeable character and can recall a plethora of humorous anecdotes about the talented horseman. “I remember him going to the races one day at Hawera and it was raining,” Harris said. “There weren’t declared riders there, so he turned around and went to a double feature Western at the movies instead.” Rauhihi had a great love for the horse and riding, a passion he would continue well past his retirement as a jockey. “Even when he gave up race riding, he was still riding track work in Foxton,” Harris said. “Most people when they give up riding, that was it, but not Herbie. “He was a legend to me.” A celebration of Rauhihi’s life will be held this Friday, June 13, at 11am at Poutu Marae, near Shannon, before he is taken on a final lap of Foxton Racecourse. View the full article

He may have been away in Australia, but that didn’t stop Robbie Patterson from stealing the show on his home track on Tuesday, combining with Triston Moodley to win four consecutive races on the apprentice-only card. The New Plymouth horseman engaged 11 runners in the rescheduled meeting and two of those stepped out in race four, where lightly-tried mare Freebelle skipped through the testing ground to break maiden status ahead of Crafty Colin and her stablemate O’Ceirins Belle. Patterson had been confident of a bold performance from the daughter of Belardo, who resumed into second behind Flutterbelle last month at Hawera. “She did what I thought she should do, she was always going to progress from her first start back and she’s a mare with a bit of ability,” he said. “She likes off ground, so she should be able to kick on with it through the winter.” In the following event, Last Souvenir delivered on both the market and his trainer’s expectations, with an overdue maiden success after sitting near the speed throughout. Moodley got the best out of the four-year-old in the closing stages, holding off his stablemate Jaegar, while Patterson’s third representative La Kwik finished tidily into fourth. “I was expecting this horse to win really, he has the grounding and he’s got the ability,” Patterson said. “He’s probably been a shade disappointing so far, but he galloped up well on wet ground before this race. “Hopefully he can go on with it now too.” After the two favourites delivered, capable wet-tracker Ballroom Blitz followed suit as one of the better-backed runners in an open Rating 65 contest, fittingly named Leica Lucy 2024/25 Season Winner Filly Of The Year (1400m) in honour of the stable’s Oaks-winning star. A daughter of Zed, Ballroom Blitz did all of the work in bridging the gap between the leaders and the remainder of the field turning for home, but she was still too good, grabbing the lead in the shadows of the post to deny I Don’t by a half-length. “She loves bad ground and had the good grounding coming into the race, she had three jump-outs and a trial so I knew she was pretty fit,” Patterson said. “1400m is short of her best but yesterday was probably more of a staying test. “She’ll step up to the mile next start and hopefully we can pick up a couple of wins through the winter.” Patterson and Moodley completed their quartet of wins in the seventh event, with Beausk putting on one of the most impressive performances of the meeting when powering away with the Hilal’s Sister – Marhoona Golden Slipper Winner 2YO and Up (1200m). “Gryllsy (Craig Grylls) has done a fair bit on him and he’s been a pretty tough horse, he rode him the other day with blinkers on and he was quite aggressive,” Patterson said. “We pulled the blinkers off which made him drop the bit a bit more and finish the race off. “He was quite impressive and Triston said he loved the ground, so there should be a nice special maiden for him around Opunake Cup time, where he should be pretty competitive.” Currently on holiday in Brisbane, Patterson watched the success unfold on TV and was rapt with the winning efforts, as well as Belles Fate, who went close to making it five in the last. “It was easier watching in Brisbane than it would’ve been there, looking at the weather,” he said. “It was really good. “Lemmy Douglas is my foreman and is in charge while I’m away, he’s doing a great job. I’ve got good staff around me, so I don’t have to worry too much. “I’ve won four in a day a few times so I was hoping we could get five in the last, but it wasn’t to be. In saying that, Belles Fate was super and she’ll improve a lot with that, so hopefully she can win her next start and get in the Opunake Cup (Listed, 1400m) with a nice light weight. “Margherita Veloce was a real improvers run, she’s big in condition, and Jaegar went super as well, he’s a horse that will win a race pretty smartly.” Patterson’s team will have a quieter weekend after the midweek meeting, but it could be just as lucrative, with two live chances in Ma Te Wa and Belles Beau heading to Wanganui on Saturday. Ma Te Wa second-rated his maiden rivals when resuming at the course a fortnight ago, and with a four-kilo apprentice claim in use, he’ll be a big threat in the Hirepool 3YO 1340. “He’s super by all accounts, he galloped really well this morning (Wednesday),” Patterson said. “With Sima (Mxothwa) on, he’ll be positive, and it’ll take a good one to beat him, especially around Wanganui where he’s already got the track through well. “I think he’s a horse going places.” Also engaged at Te Rapa, Belles Beau is likely to feature at the Central Districts meeting in the Loaders Wanganui OPN 1340, with a view of progressing towards the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) in mid-July. “His first-up run was super, I’m building him up to the Opunake Cup,” Patterson said. “I was struggling to get a jockey at Te Rapa so I put him in at Wanganui, which was probably lucky because he’s drawn 19 and three on the ballot there. “He’ll get back again and run on, but he’s a good horse that can run a good race.” View the full article

Six-year-old gelding Tai has been a work-in-progress for breeder-owner-trainer Joanne Moss, and she was rewarded with her patience with a maiden win at New Plymouth on Saturday. The half-brother to Moss’ Group Three winner Doctor Askar was just having his second raceday start, and first since making his debut at the Taranaki track two years ago. After dislodging local apprentice Elle Sole in the prelim, Tai took his place in barrier seven and pressed forward to settle just behind the speed. Sole asked him to improve from the 600m, and they had just Madam Pele before them as they entered the straight. The son of The Bold One lapped up the heavy conditions and was able to reel in the pacemaker and ran out a 1-1/4 length victor over race favourite Autumn Beauty. While injury was the instigator for Tai’s long layoff, it was a lack of time which led to his lengthy period on the sidelines, and Moss was glad to get him back to the races on Tuesday and get the win. “He did have an injury initially, he recovered well and then he came back into work last year,” Moss said. “We just got busy with calving and cows, and when we get busy, they get put out. “It was great to see him win yesterday, he had been working well.” Moss doesn’t have any firm plans with Tai, but said he will thrive over the winter months. “We will just cruise along and hopefully the rain stays around because he is a one-paced horse that grinds away,” she said. Tai’s victory continues a pleasing run of results for his dam Petipas Delight, with his Derryn half-brother Doctor Askar winning five consecutive races this year, including the Listed Flying Handicap (1400m) and Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m). The four-year-old is back in work after a break, but Moss has yet to lockdown any immediate plans with the talented gelding. “He is back in work and is very full of himself,” Moss said. “We are just cruising along with him and we’ll see how he comes up before making a plan. “He is rated 91 now, so he will have to step up a bit.” Petipas Delight also has a rising three-year-old filly by Shocking Moss is looking forward to progressing, and the 20-year-old mare is set for an early service to Grangewilliam Stud’s Derryn or The Bold One after missing to Mr Mozart last year. “She (Petipas Delight) is getting on now. We have got a Shocking filly out of her, so we will see how she goes,” Moss said. “She missed (last season), so that was a bit unfortunate, and we will probably have to go Derryn, but then there’s The Bold One as well.” Doctor Askar’s success may also lead to his Zed half-sister Giszelles Delight heading to the breeding barn for the first time this spring. “He has an older sister, so she might be pulled out of the paddock and go to something,” Moss said. View the full article

It was a sense of déjà vu for Triston Moodley as he took out the apprentice-only day at New Plymouth on Tuesday after riding four winners for local trainer Robbie Patterson. The northern hoop won the contest last year when piloting five winners, and he was delighted to repeat the feat this year. “You don’t always get days like that, and I was very happy to be able to win it again,” he said. “I love riding at Taranaki, it is a lovely course. It is a quirky course and I seem to do pretty well on it.” The meeting, which was postponed from last Thursday as a result of track conditions, wasn’t without its struggles, with Moodley and fellow Auckland apprentice Ace Lawson-Carroll having to travel to Taranaki by road after their flights had been cancelled. “It was a bit of a hectic start to the morning with all of the flights being cancelled due to fog, so I jumped in my car with Ace and I drove down,” Moodley said. “We just missed the first race, but I am glad we made it down there and it panned out the way it did. “I thought I had a good book of rides, but I didn’t think I would ride four (winners). I am grateful to Mr Patterson and for all of the trainers for supporting me.” Moodley’s quartet of wins has brought his season tally to 45 victories, five more than last year. The 23-year-old has been rapt with the way the season has gone, highlighted by his first stakes win aboard the Erin Hocquard-trained Spencer in the Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa last October. “My goal for the season was to do better than last season, so I have hit that goal and I am very happy with that,” he said. “Throughout the season I have been getting support from all these big trainers like Mr Marsh, Mr Patterson and Mr Sharrock. I am grateful to every single one of them.” View the full article

The post Father’s Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A letter sent by CDI's Bill Carstanjen to the Louisiana Racing Commission and state political leaders, noting CDI's intention to surrender its racing license at Fair Grounds, appears unlikely to result in immediate regulatory or legislative relief.View the full article

By Jordyn Bublitz Frank Phelan is hopeful of a strong start to the 2025 New Zealand Amateur Drivers Championships at Cambridge tonight. For well over a decade he’s been a strong force in the North Island amateur driving ranks and this week’s championships will be his third attempt at the title. He is one of 10 drivers taking part at Cambridge tonight and then Addington on Friday and Sunday. “The ultimate goal is to win,” Phelan says, “this year the winner gets to go to the World Champs so it makes it even more important to win, if you get the chance it’s the trip of a lifetime and an opportunity to represent New Zealand.” Phelan kicks off his campaign with Midfrew Lucre in Heat 1 at 6.07pm tonight and he rates the Jay Abernethy-trained gelding as his best drive of the series. “He’s been up a while but hopefully Jay has got him right for the night,” he says. “He’s really competitive in these amateur races and he’s always thereabouts. I think he’ll go a really good race and he’d be the pick of my drives.” Midfrew Lucre is currently a $5 fourth favourite behind Delightful Chic, Billy The Kid and Desert Dawn. A trainer of 30 years, Phelan says taking out his amateur licence felt like the right move after competing amongst open class drivers for 18 seasons. “I had an open horseman’s license and used to like driving a couple of my own, but if I had anything half-pie decent, I’d give (son) Scotty and Jay Abernethy the drives.” he said. “I felt that if you’re not out there all the time it’s just too hard.” “Then the amateurs came along, and after a few years I changed over, and I really enjoy it. It’s nice just having a couple of drives a month and the people out there are really great. We look out for each other.” A stalwart supporter of the amateur ranks, Phelan thoroughly encourages anyone to give it a go. “It’s a great thing to do, if you’re an owner or someone in the background who really loves the horses you’ve got to get out there and see how good it feels to drive.” To place a bet on tonight’s race click here View the full article

By Jonny Turner Where the main chances settle in the running of the Diamond Creek Farm and SBSR Silk Road Series Final is anyone’s guess. At least, that’s the feeling among the camps of several of the favourite runners ahead of the feature event at Ascot Park on Thursday (3.54pm). Francent ($1.65FF) is set to start a warm favourite in the mares’ event after a dominant heat win at Winton for trainer Mark Jones. The four-year-old must start from the outside of the front row under the feature event’s preferential draw, which means she could end up at either end of the field during the running for driver Samantha Ottley. “The 8 draw at Invercargill over 2200m is never easy, but she is versatile,” Jones said. “She has gate speed and she can do a bit of work, so it will be up to Sam to see how things pan out.” While the running of Thursday’s race is beyond Jones’ control, he feels he has his mare in the right shape ahead of her southern tilt. “This series is a nice opportunity for her — she probably showed that in her heat win at Winton.” “I was happy enough with her last start at Addington.” “Initially, I thought she could have run on a length or so better, but in saying that, she will be better for the run.” “Hopefully she is ready to go a pretty good race on Thursday.” Where Mallory Maguire settles in the running looks equally mysterious ahead of Thursday’s feature. The winner of the final heat of the series has drawn barrier 1 on the second row for trainer Alister Black and driver Nathan Williamson. The comeback pacer follows out a rough hope in Classee, who ran a cheeky third behind her at Ascot Park last week. Haley Jaccka heads into the Silk Road Series Final after a narrow second behind Mallory Maguire in her last start. The four-year-old has drawn barrier 3 on the second row, following out an outsider in Aint No Angel. Trainer Brett Gray is hopeful that draw turns out to be a workable one for his mare, who again combines with driver Brent Barclay. “Hopefully the draw will pan out OK for her,” Gray said. “She has had two runs back after a bit of a freshen-up, and she’s better for having them.” “Her work this week has been sharp, and I think she’ll go a nice race.” Gray has a two-pronged attack on the Silk Road Series Final with Always Ticking, who charged home from last on the home turn to run fourth behind Mallory Maguire in last week’s heat. Gray is also hopeful that barrier 6 could be a reasonable draw for the mare. “She has probably drawn the best of the better chances,” Gray said. “Her last run was great and her work since has been good too — she’s a handy chance if she gets any luck.” Starting from barrier 2 on the second row, Remission is also among the top five favourites for the Silk Road Series Final, alongside Francent, Mallory Maguire, Haley Jaccka, and Always Ticking. To place a bet in the race click here View the full article

Ramona S. Bass and Perry R. Bass II's Goliad will get a break from facing grade 1 milers when he drops in class and shortens in distance June 14 in the $100,000 Daytona Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

Augustin Stables' Mrs. Astor, a three-time stakes winner in Southern California, faces the opposite sex for the first time in the June 15 $100,000 San Juan Capistrano Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

California-breds have long been the backbone of California racing. Since 2014, they've represented between 45% and 50% of all starters at Thoroughbred race meets in the state. Over half of all horses currently stabled in Southern California tracks are understood to be Cal-breds. A shrinking foal crop in the state, however, means that racing secretaries will have to rely on fewer of them than is currently the case over the next few years. Modeling performed for the TDN suggests there will be a combined 290 fewer Cal-bred runners competing in California between 2026 through 2028. This is a tough time for the state's remaining breeders as they attempt to forge a commercial footprint in a region with high training costs and purses that can't compete with states propped up by supplemental purse incomes. For the current consolidated model to have a healthy future, however, the number of Cal-breds needs to pick up. With all this in mind, the TDN recently asked some of the state's smaller breeders and other figures this question: What key changes would encourage you breed more Cal-Breds? John and Allegra Ernst At the height of their breeding venture, the Ernsts had about 13 mares. Now, they have eight mares, four in retirement, while the Ernsts bred only one of the remaining mares this year. John and Allegra Ernst | courtesy of the Ernst Family “The other ones we could breed them, but with everything that's going on, we're not doing it,” said John. What would incentivize the Ernsts to breed more Cal-breds, they said, is an idea they first floated the over 10 years ago with the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), giving Cal-bred owners a minimum $1,000 per-start fee for any race. “In other words, any owner of any Cal-bred should be able to get $1,000 for every start they make,” said John. This start-fee money, say the Ernsts, would be deducted from the purse, with the remaining balance split the usual way between the finishers. The way the Ernsts describe it is as a self-fulfilling prophesy, with greater participation and larger field sizes leading to bigger handle and larger purses. “And then in the future, we can push it up to $1,500–maybe even $2,000 per-start,” said John. “There's incentive for the owners to actually recover some money. And if they can actually run their horse a couple times a month–even if it's not that much–we have a chance of at least recovering some of what we've lost,” said John. “This way, we could see some returns, encourage people that are like us to stay in the business, and encourage other new owners to say, 'hey, I'll go into this and even though I might lose some money, I won't lose as much,'” he added. Adrian Gonzalez As a leading consignor, Gonzalez's business revolves around the sales. As such, he said that changes could be made to the California yearling sale (hosted in September) to make it more appetizing to buyers. Adrian Gonzalez | courtesy of Adrian Gonzalez “We have our entire livelihood come down to one day as a commercial breeder, and it couldn't come at a worse time,” said Gonzalez, saying that its proximity to the marathon Keeneland sale hurts its success. “Going after 4,000 some-odd other yearlings selling, I just don't believe there's an appetite among California buyers to bend,” he said. Instead, Gonzalez floated the idea of a yearling sale during the Del Mar meet, during what he described as the “peak of enthusiasm for racing” in the state. “When you're down there for the summer, everybody's excited about it, and what better time to sell yearlings,” he said. Otherwise, “we'd like to build our own sales venue and have a date that's conducive to working for the California circuit, and not trying to just work around another sale company's calendar,” said Gonzalez, who said he has about 60 mares on his farm this year. The Cal-bred program could also be modified to better cater to turf horses, including the institution of new 2-year-old turf stakes races for Cal-breds, said Gonzalez. As Gonzalez pointed out, there are eight juvenile stakes on the dirt for Cal-breds, and none on the turf. “Obviously, they can run in open races, but that's a taller task,” said Gonzalez, about smart Cal-bred juvenile turf runners. “As a stallion owner and manager, the stats were trying to produce are in black type horses, and we have a limited amount of races for those [on the turf for Cal-breds],” he added. Harris Auerbach The last mare that Auerbach bred in California was in 2019–this from around 25 mares in the state at the height of his involvement. A former vice-chair of the CTBA, Auerbach said the industry here in California–as well as nationally–needs to start thinking “less provincially.” What that could mean for California breeders, Auerbach said, is a multi-state breeding program, consolidating what remains of the industries in the nation's Western and South-Western regions. Harris Auerbach | Fasig-Tipton “California as you know is on an island. Maybe California should pair up with Arizona and New Mexico and Oregon and Washington and British Columbia, and create a regional breeding program that could be of benefit to all the states,” said Auerbach. “We could make it so that all the horses could be eligible to run in races of all different conditions, all different types,” Auerbach said, calling the necessary legislative changes to get such a venture off the ground as large but not insurmountable. “It should have happened a decade ago.” Joe Lacombe San Diego-based Lacombe has six mares, five of them bred this year (and four of them have foaled). Like Gonzalez, Lacombe sees California's one remaining yearling sale as the key focus of reform to lure more customers, especially local trainers and owners who have migrated to out-of-state sales to fill their stalls. “We need to get more value at the sales,” said Lacombe, who said the median sales price is way too low for it to be viable to commercial breeders. The median at last year's Fasig-Tipton Fall Yearlings and Horses of Racing Age sale was $15,000. “No one's going to keep doing this if they lose all the time,” he added. One idea to boost participation at the sale, said Lacombe, could be a tweak to the Cal-bred bonus program for maiden winners, increasing the bonus amount for those who purchase a horse at the sale above that for home-breds. “Now, somebody who breeds a homebred should get something for winning that race. But at the same time, you should pay more for someone who brought a horse, so there's a differentiation there, that you can make more if you buy at the sale,” said Lacombe. There could also be better coordination between the racing office and the horsemens' organizations to create better racing opportunities for Cal-breds, said Lacombe. He says he understands the fix racing secretaries are in–if they write more Cal-bred races, they're going to struggle to fill the open races. “It's a real horse population problem,” said Lacombe. “But look at other state programs–I think there are others that are more in tune with their local-breds,” he said. “Racing and breeding needs to work hand-in-hand.” Dr. William Gray After breeding 27 mares last year, Northern-California based Gray bred 20 mares this year, 16 of which are in foal. Mares and foals | Horsephotos “We don't have a problem with horses–we've got a problem with owners. We don't have enough owners,” Gray said. “The hardest thing for trainers and owners to deal with is that you don't know when a horse is going to get in,” he said. “My own personal experience, that's when a horse gets hurt, when you start holding them for a race. And it's very expensive for owners.” Which is why Gray sees the condition book as ground-zero for change. “It all starts in the racing office,” he said. “The biggest change I would make in racing and in the racing office, I would make a rule: if there's a stated race in the condition book and they get five-head in it, they've got to use it,” Gray said, adding that extras would be exempt from that mandate. More generally, the racing office should be “more inventive” about the races it writes, Gray said. This includes giving more opportunities to horses that haven't won for a period of time, “or that haven't finished first, second or third in, say, six months,” he said. There could also be a mandate on the specific number of Cal-bred races carded per-day, he said. “We used to have a rule that they mandated so many races per-day, strictly for Cal-breds,” said Gray. “If we had more mandated Cal-bred races again, that would certainly help.” Shane Easterbrook Easterbrook this year is standing the only son of red-hot sire Gun Runner in California, the former Brad Cox trained Corporal. Easterbrook said that she and Corporal's other owner have stepped up this year the number and quality of mares they ordinarily keep, in order to support the stallion. “I think he's got great potential,” said Easterbrook, about that decision. As someone still investing in California breeding, Easterbrook said she'd like to see greater involvement in the sport from younger generations–or as she described it, an influx of bright young minds to an industry in need of fresh ideas. “Right now, we're seeing the older generation as they exit the sport, there's not a younger generation coming up through behind them,” said Easterbrook. Partly, that's because of the beating the sport has received publicly in recent years in the mainstream media, said Easterbrook. “And partly there's the financial aspect to it,” she added. So, what would help turn that around? One would be better promotion of the sport. “How do you get the younger generation to get excited, to get involved, to get passionate about horse racing?” said Easterbrook. “What I would like to see is more input, more direction, more leadership as far as trying to get the younger generation involved,” said Easterbrook. “There needs to be leadership to help promote the sport in general in a positive light, rather than what's visualized in the media,” she added. Sonny Pais | courtesy of Sonny Pais Alfred A. “Sonny” Pais Owner-breeder Pais struck gold in recent years with Cal-bred meteor Brickyard Ride, who retired to stud last year at Rancho San Miguel. For Pais, it all comes down to purses. “We do need things to change, obviously,” said Pais. “The purses nowadays aren't any better than they were 10 to 15 years ago.” Which underpins why Pais suggested lengthening the racing calendar afforded Del Mar, with its premium purses in the state. “If we could extend our period, with its purse structure, at Del Mar for another couple of months, that would definitely help,” he said. “You need something to aim at.” The post What Would Encourage California’s Breeders to Breed More Cal-Breds? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A 2-year-old store by Walk In The Park made €230,000 on the bid of Gerry Aherne to top the Goffs Arkle Sale on Wednesday. Sold as lot 457 from the Glenwood Stud draft, the colt is out of G2 Warfield Mares Hurdle heroine Sparky May (Midnight Legend), who ran third in the G1 Sefton Novices' Hurdle. Her best produce is Grade 1-winning hurdler and chaser Stage Star (Fame And Glory). He sold for €110,000 to Richard Frisby during the 2023 Goffs December National Hunt Sale. Leading the 3-year-old stores was a gelding by Nathaniel (lot 389), who sold to Tom Malone and Owen Daley for €200,000. Consigned by Oaks Farm Stables, the bay is a half-brother to Grade 1-winning hurdler Santini (Milan) and Grade 2 victor Rockpoint (Shirocco). Another 14 lots made or exceeded €100,000 on Wednesday, bringing the total over the first two days to 29. The gross was €18,752,000 (+13%) for 349 lots sold from 415 offered (84%). The average was €53,731 (+11%) and the median was €45,000 (+7%). Regarding the 2-year-old portion of Wednesday's session, 16 sold from 23 offered (70%) for an aggregate of €838,500. The average and median in this category was €52,407 and €39,000, respectively. Part 2 of the sale continues on Thursday. “The Arkle Sale makes the Goffs team especially proud as it is now the first choice for so many of the best 3-year-olds offered each year which, in turn, drives all the leading buyers to the sale,” said Goffs Group chief executive Henry Beeby. “The two days have returned a mighty trade of sustained demand especially at the top of the market with 29 six-figure lots comparing very favourably with the 16 to pass that milestone last year so clearly demonstrating the quality of the catalogue and the hunger for the best. In addition, the average of €53,731 is a record for the sale whilst an 84% clearance rate underlines the depth of the market. “Sales ring success has driven vendor support but equally key has been the racecourse performances of Arkle graduates whether at the major festivals or in the point-to-point field.” The post Walk In The Park Colt Tops The Part 1 Finale Of The Goffs Arkle Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sandal's Song, an intended starter in the June 19 Norfolk Stakes (G2), has become the latest pre-Royal Ascot purchase by Wathnan Racing.View the full article

Carl Spackler impressed in his gallop under Jamie Spencer, with the 5-year-old set to make his debut for Australian handler Ciaron Maher in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1).View the full article

Bishops Bay appears primed to land his fourth consecutive victory when he visits the Jersey Shore in the $150,000 Salvator Mile Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park.View the full article

Jack Keller, the longtime clerk of scales at Finger Lakes, will be inducted into the track's Hall of Fame June 13.View the full article

Longtime Finger Lakes Clerk of Scales Jack Keller will be inducted into the track's Hall of Fame this Friday, the gaming establishment said in a press release on Wednesday. When Keller arrived at Finger Lakes outside of Farmington, New York in 1967, he figured he would spend a year working as a valet and then move on to another track for his next adventure in the world of racing. One year, however, became 59. “As it turned out, I never left,” said Keller, who is in his 39th season as the track's Clerk of Scales. Keller grew up in Ohio and fell in love with racing when he was going to the track with his father. He then landed a job on the backstretch in 1950, becoming a hotwalker at Ascot Park near Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He also rode at Ohio fairs but was too heavy to make weight at parimutuel tracks so transitioned to becoming an outrider and then assistant starter across Ohio, working at Ascot Park, Thistledown, Randall Park and Cranwood Racecourse. His racing career includes stops at 17 different racetracks, including a winter in the 1960s as an exercise rider at Hialeah Park for the famous Darby Dan Farm. Keller came to Finger Lakes in 1967 and worked as a valet for twenty years, when he transitioned to the race office. He has been Clerk of Scales for 39 years. The Jockey's Room was named in his honor last year. “Jack has been an institution here at Finger Lakes,” said President and General Manager of Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack Chris Riegle. “His dedication and knowledge of the sport have allowed him to excel at every one of the many positions he has held here throughout the years.” Keller's induction into the Hall of Fame will take place at Friday's annual HBPA meeting and awards banquet. The post Clerk Of Scales Jack Keller To Be Inducted Into Finger Lakes Hall Of Fame appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Godolphin's Racing and Nominations assistant at Jonabell Farm for Darley America joins Ferrin Peterson on this week's Boundless Podcast to discuss the many ways there are to get into Thoroughbred racing. The episode is the first episodei n the Boundless students series, designed to inspire young people to get involved in racing and to learn how to break into the industry. Morgan explains that her role is to handle all administrative tasks for the racing side of Godolphin, as well as vaccination and vetwork and HISA paperwork. She also supervises the aftercare of their herd, under the program they call Godolphin Lifetime, where all geldings are found a lifetime home or transitioned into a second career. Morgan explained that she was not from a racing family, but grew up riding and transferred to the University of Kentucky after two years at a community college near her Maryland home. But she found some barriers to entry, often finding it hard to beat out others with family connections for jobs. She worked as a waitress, and did one season at a breeding farm, and was driving a friend to her job at Mill Ridge when she passed the gates at Jonabell on Bowman Mill Road. She looked up the contact information, sent in a resume at Jonabell, and landed a job at their yearling division in Paris, Kentucky. She switched to mares and foals at the main farm, and gradually transitioned to this job. She offers young people advice on how to ask for, and get help, finding a job in the industry. “You have to get yourself out there and push as hard as you can, especially if you don't have a family in the industry,” she said. The podcast is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or is available on YouTube by clicking here. The post Godolphin Racing and Nominations Assistant Katelyn Morgan on Boundless appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Chad Brown seeks a fifth win in the Eatontown Stakes (G3T) at Monmouth Park June 14 with a pair of runners, Maggie Go and Whiskey Decision, that make their barn and year debuts.View the full article

A filly by Frosted (hip 279)–the first horse on the track Wednesday morning–turned in the co-fastest :9 4/5 furlong time so far at the under-tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale and that mark was equaled later in the session by fillies by Honest Mischief (hip 180); Midshipman (hip 327); and Higher Power (hip 340). Through two of five sessions of the June under-tack show, seven juveniles have now hit the :9 4/5 mark. The gray filly by Frosted is out of graded winner Dixie Serenade (Uptowncharlybrown) and is a half-sister to stakes winner Dixieland Belle (More Than Ready). She is consigned by Robbie Harris's Harris Training Center. “A :9 4/5 surprises everybody, but we knew she was a fast filly,” said Harris. “We actually had her in [OBS] April [sale], but we never even got a chance to prep her or breeze her. She came up with a little thing with her foot, so we just gave her time and she rewarded us for it. An old man told me once, you take care of the horse and he will take care of you. And I'm a firm believer in that.” Harris, along with longtime farm manager Carlos Garcia, purchased the Pennsylvania-bred filly for $30,000 at last year's OBS October sale. “I just loved her,” Harris said of the filly's appeal last fall. “She is a real pretty filly with good balance. I own her with my farm manager, Carlos, who has been with me a long, long time. I am excited for him.” Harris sent out four horses to work over the synthetic surface at OBS Wednesday and the consignor said conditions seemed fairly consistent throughout the session. “I thought it was pretty solid all the way through,” Harris said. “We went all the way through from :9 4/5, :10 flat, :10 1/5, :10 2/5. And that's kind of how those horses came into it. No shockers. The last page kind of hurts some guys when it gets hot at the end. But I think it was pretty fair all morning.” Casey Seaman's Crystal Eclipse Stable sent out a New York-bred filly by Honest Mischief to share the furlong bullet Wednesday. Bred by Sequel Stallions NY and Scott Miller, the dark bay filly is out of Blue Hen Madness (Any Given Saturday). McKathan Bros. Sales sent a filly by Midshipman out for her :9 4/5 work shortly after 10 a.m. Wednesday. The bay juvenile is out of multiple stakes-placed Freedom Come (Lit de Justice) and is a half-sister to graded winner Harlem Rocker (Macho Uno). Purchased by Heather Maytham for $7,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale, the filly RNA'd for $40,000 following a :10 flat work at the OBS March sale. The next horse on the track, a filly by Higher Power, set the bullet mark for Angel Hernandez's Hernandez Stables. The New York-bred bay is out of the unraced Gold Anklet (Lemon Drop Kid) and is a half-sister to stakes-placed Little Daddy (Scat Daddy) and to the dam of graded winner and Grade I-placed Mo Plex (Complexity). She was purchased as a weanling for $10,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Mixed sale in 2023. A day after sending out bullet workers at a furlong and a quarter-mile, Blue Sapphire Stables had another quarter-mile bullet when a filly by Caravaggio (hip 252) covered the distance in :20 4/5. The gray is out of Curl the Pearl (Curlin), a half-sister to graded winners Chitu (Henny Hughes) and Beautiful Gift (Medaglia d'Oro). Purchased for $6,500 at Keeneland last September, she RNA'd for $9,000 the following month at OBS. Also sharing the :20 4/5 quarter-mile bullet Wednesday was a filly by Cloud Computing (hip 229) consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock. Bred by Green Lantern Stables, the dark bay is out of stakes winner Clever Beauty (Indian Charlie) and RNA'd for $18,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton July sale. The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning each day at 7:30 a.m. The June sale will be held next Tuesday and Wednesday. Bidding begins both days at 10 a.m. The post Fillies Dominate at OBS Wednesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The star of her division last fall, 2-year-old champion filly Immersive is finally set to make her 3-year-old debut June 14 at Churchill Downs in the $175,000 Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes.View the full article

The International Conference for the Health, Safety, and Welfare of Jockeys will take place Dec. 11-12 in Hong Kong. View the full article

Natural Rise toyed with the opposition in the June 11 Tokyo Derby at Oi Racecourse before winning with ease and moving within one win of sweeping Japan's Dirt Triple Crown.View the full article

The International Conference for the Health, Safety and Welfare of Jockeys (ICHSWJ) will take place in Hong Kong on Dec. 11-12. The conference, which is being organised by the Jockeys Health and Wellbeing Committee (JHWC) of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), and is proudly supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), will take place between the International Jockeys' Championship (IJC) and the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR). “Jockey health, safety and welfare are all non-negotiable aspects of our sport,” said JHWC chair Darragh O'Loughlin. “This year's conference will take a deep dive into a wide range of topics that play a crucial role in improving the lives of jockeys, while also facilitating meaningful networking opportunities between attendees from around the world.” The 2025 conference, themed Performance Medicine in Racing – Developing and Protecting the Jockey, will take an applied, evidence-based approach featuring impactful presentations followed by dynamic panel discussions with leading experts in the field. For more information, please visit the ICHSWJ website. The post International Jockeys’ Conference Scheduled For December appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article