Wandering Eyes

New Al Shaqab stallion Al Hakeem (GB) has six of his first seven mares bred scanned in foal, Al Shaqab Racing announced on Wednesday. The multiple group-winning son of Siyouni (Fr) is standing his first season at Haras de Bouquetot in France for €5,000 this year. Among the first mares in foal is Al Johrah (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), placed at group level and a half-sister to multiple Group 1-placed Stormy Antarctic (GB) (Stormy Atlantic). Cacimar (Fr) (Cacique {Ire}) is another confirmed in foal. She is out of the stakes winner Jubilant Girl (Henrythenavigator) and is a half-sister to stakes winner Native American (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) from the family of Group 1 winner Decorated Invader (Declaration Of War). Linea Blu (Ire) (Due Diligence), a half-sister to group winner Keeper Of Time (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Hawwa (Fr) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}), a sister to a pair of stakes winners and out of listed winner Grandes Illusions (Fr) (Kendor {Fr}), are also in foal. The post First Mares Scanned In Foal To Al Shaqab’s Al Hakeem appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Michael McCarthy trainee heads east after two on-the-board finishes at Santa Anita Park. This will be just his third start out of 13 away from California. Lord Bullingdon has improved his finishing position in each of his last three races.View the full article

Journeyman jockey Francisco Arrieta equaled a career high March 14 at Oaklawn Park, winning five races on the day's 10-race card to garner Jockey of the Week honors by the panel of racing experts.View the full article

Joshua Kerin has joined the staff at Inglis Digital USA as a sales and recruitment associate. Kerin will focus on helping the auction company recruit horses, with a focus on building and maintaining relationships in the bloodstock sector. He will be based at the company's Lexington office and he will work with Senior Director of Sales and Recruitment Kyle Wilson. “I'm thrilled to be joining the Inglis Digital USA team,” Kerin said. “Having grown up in Australia, I witnessed firsthand the influence and respect Inglis holds in the sales market. Having been immersed in the U.S. market for the past nine years, I believe I can contribute to strengthening the Inglis reputation and expanding its presence in the United States.” Kerin began his life with racehorses on the Standardbred side, working on his grandfather's farm. He made the switch to Thoroughbreds at age 13, when he went to work for Cox Plate-winning trainer Colin Little. He also spent time working with trainer Ciaron Maher before moving to the U.S. to continue his education at Colorado State University. Kerin graduated from CSU with a degree in equine science, with a minor in business management, and he was also a punter on the school's football team. After graduating, Kerin moved to Kentucky to intern at Three Chimneys Farm before taking a full-time job with Hidden Brook Farm in 2021. In 2023, Kerin moved into a dual role with Vinery Sales and Silver Springs Training Center. He is a member of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers Club's board of directors. “Josh brings a wealth of knowledge and years of experience with him to the Inglis Digital USA team,” Wilson said. “We're thrilled to have him on board and ready to get him started working with our existing and future clients.” The post Joshua Kerin Joins Inglis Digital USA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) is one of 35 individual Group/Grade 1 winners set for the 29th edition of the Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan on Apr. 5, as the likely fields were released on Wednesday. Worth a combined $30.5 million in prize-money, the nine races are anchored by the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup, which features Forever Young, a winner of the 2025 G1 Saudi Cup, facing off with Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), who won the 2023 edition of the race. The $6-million G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic sees Godolphin's Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) aiming for a title defense and he squares off with six other top-tier winners, among them Japan's Danon Decile (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), Durezza (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) and Cervinia (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}). Missing from the FWD Champion's Day entries at Sha Tin in late April, Saudi Cup runner-up Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) has been entered for the $5-million G1 Dubai Turf, where he will clash with Team Valor runner and Group 1 winner Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) and Godolphin's Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Isivunguvungu (SAf) (What A Winter {SAf}) is among the field for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint, as are British Group 1 winners Regional (GB) (Territories {Ire}) and Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}). Tuz (Oxbow), who won the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen last year, and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint hero Straight No Chaser (Speightster) lock horns in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. Grade I winner Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief) contests the G2 Godolphin Mile, while the card also features the G2 Dubai Gold Cup and the G2 UAE Derby. To view the likely fields, please click here. “The strength and depth of horses aiming for the Dubai World Cup meeting this year is superb,” commented Ali Al Ali, CEO and board member, Dubai Racing Club (DRC). “We are delighted to have horses from 13 racing jurisdictions represented, including several returning champions. “We wish everyone safe travels and can't wait to welcome everyone to Dubai for the most exciting day of our year.” The post Forever Young Spearheads Likely Entries For Dubai World Cup Night appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The return of Seven Days earlier this week allows us to close the book on the stopgap that was Winter Watch. Before you know it the first Classics of the season will be upon us, leaving the cold, dark months that spanned 13 editions of this column since it first came into being in November as nothing but a distant memory. Albeit not too distant, I hope. After all, the whole reason why we embarked on this journey in the first place was with those very Classics in mind, informed by the achievements of 2,000 Guineas hero Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) when the Godolphin runner went from Kempton maiden winner to king of the Rowley Mile in the space of 98 days last year. Only time will tell whether we've seen another Classic winner in action on the all-weather this winter, but those of you who have been paying close enough attention will be well familiar with the likeliest pretenders by now. Here's looking at you, Opera Ballo (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), the colt who has emulated stable-mate Notable Speech by winning his first two races at Kempton in the style of a potential top-notcher. Even if you haven't been on the ride with us before now, then this 14th and final installment of Winter Watch is the one for you. From a longlist of around 40, we've whittled it down to the 10 three-year-olds who left the most lasting impression with their exploits on the all-weather this winter, ready to run in a Classic trial near you this spring. In the interests of trying to provide something outside the box, we've omitted the six horses in Europe who have been awarded 'TDN Rising Star' status since we started in November, as well as those who have already been successful in a stakes race. DAMYSUS (GB) Frankel (GB)–Legerete (Rahy) Sales info: Bred in partnership by Newsells Park Stud and Merry Fox Stud, he was bought by Blandford Bloodstock, on behalf of owners Wathnan Racing, for 460,000gns at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Pedigree/form notes: This colt is one of eight winners from 11 runners out of the G2 Prix de Malleret heroine Legerete, who was also twice Group 1-placed in the Prix Marcel Boussac and Prix de l'Opera. Legerete is the dam of three black-type performers thus far, including the Listed scorer and G2 Prix Eugene Adam and G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano runner-up Pilote (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}). Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Damysus ran out an emphatic winner when making his debut in a Southwell novice (7f) in December, impressing with his strength at the finish as he ran right away from a useful sort trained by Charlie Appleby to land the spoils by two and a half lengths. He holds a Derby entry and will be one to look out for in a trial of some description this spring, promising to be suited by at least 10f. Winning start! Pricey Frankel colt Damysus delivers in style first time up at @Southwell_Races for @the_doyler, the Gosdens and Wathnan Racing! pic.twitter.com/qk48B8b34M — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 10, 2024 GLITTERING SURF (GB) Oasis Dream (GB)–Sparkling Surf (GB) (Frankel {GB}) Sales info: Bred by former trainer Peter Winkworth, she was bought back for 100,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Pedigree/form notes: This filly is said to be the first horse trainer Owen Burrows has had for Winkworth, who bred her out of the Frankel mare Sparkling Surf, a half-sister to the G1 Prix Vermeille winner Kitesurf (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and G2 Dante Stakes third Surfman (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Winkworth also trained the second dam, Shimmering Surf (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), before his retirement from training in 2011. She later won the G3 Pinnacle Stakes and was twice placed at Group 2 level when in the care of Roger Varian. Sent off the 11-8 favourite when debuting in a fillies' maiden (1m) at Kempton in December, Glittering Surf was in front from an early stage, taking an enthusiastic hold of the bridle, before quickly putting daylight between herself and the chasing pack when shaken up over two furlongs out. Whilst the runner-up made some late inroads, Glittering Surf was still over three lengths clear at the line. She doesn't hold any fancy entries at this stage but could be the type to make significant progress as a three-year-old, with Burrows describing her as “a big, long-striding filly”. Smart horse alert Glittering Surf (Oasis Dream) makes some impression on debut under Richard Kingscote to run out the emphatic winner of the race won last year by Friendly Soul @kemptonparkrace An exciting prospect for @OwenBurrowsRace @unibet | @BritishEBF pic.twitter.com/5sZjwAffET — Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 18, 2024 KON TIKI (GB) Night Of Thunder (Ire)–Maid Up (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) Sales info: Offered by breeders Brightwalton Bloodstock at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale, she was bought by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock, on behalf of owner Peter Harris, for 220,000gns. Pedigree/form notes: This filly is the second foal out of the G3 March Stakes winner and G2 Lillie Langtry Stakes second Maid Up (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), whose first runner, Champagne Prince (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), has a BHA rating of 107 after his exploits on the all-weather for Harris and trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam this winter. Kon Tiki only won by half a length when making her debut in a fillies' novice (7f) at Wolverhampton in December, but she was value for extra after conceding first run to the second, Mother Mara (GB) (Mohaather {GB}), who brought plenty of experience to the table as well on her third career start. Kon Tiki should leave that form well behind in time and her entry in the 1,000 Guineas underlines that she's a filly held in high regard by her connections. She's sure to stay at least 1m on pedigree. LEFFARD (FR) Le Havre (Ire)–Let's Misbehave (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) Sales info: Bred by Ecurie Haras du Cadran and Ecurie Melanie, he went the way of trainer Jean-Claude Rouget for €150,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale. Pedigree/form notes: This colt is out of an unraced mare whose siblings by Sadler's Wells include the multiple Group 1-winning sire High Chaparral (Ire) and G2 Dante Stakes winner Black Bear Island (Ire), as well as Chenchikova (Ire), the dam of the Prix de Diane winner Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Leffard made a winning debut in a newcomers' event (10f) at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in January–a race named after the stable's 2023 scorer, Ace Impact (Ire)–beating stable-mate and next-time-out winner Kalaoun (GB) (Kitten's Joy) by a short neck. He then proved too strong for five other previous winners when following up in a conditions race (10.5f) at Toulouse earlier this month, showing a smart change of gear to win a shade cosily by three quarters of a length. He's one of nine entries for Rouget in the Prix du Jockey Club and it will be interesting to see how high he can climb for a trainer with a formidable record in that Classic. 1-2 for Jean-Claude Rouget at Cagnes-Sur-Mer! The well-supported Leffard is just about able to hold off stablemate Kalaoun with the pair pulling well clear! Join us for more French racing – live on Sky Sports Racing! pic.twitter.com/oYSRkQIVNt — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) January 20, 2025 LES PETITS PRINCES (FR) Bated Breath (GB)–Hurbling (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}) Sales info: Bred by Haras du Mont Dit Mont, he was a €14,000 purchase at the Arqana August Yearling Sale. Pedigree/form notes: This colt is one of four winners from six runners out of the unraced Hurbling, from the family of the multiple Group 1 winners Hermosa (Ire) and Hydrangea (Ire), both by Galileo (Ire). Their dam is the G2 Prix du Gros-Chene heroine Beauty Is Truth (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), a half-sister to this colt's winning grandam. After coming from last to first when making a successful debut in a maiden (1m) at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in February, Les Petits Princes was then followed home by four last-time-out winners when maintaining his unbeaten record in a conditions race (1m) at Chantilly on Monday, showing a likeable attitude to get the verdict by a short neck. He's entered in next month's G3 Prix de Fontainebleau–a race in which his full-brother Summiter (Ire) finished third in 2021–and another bold display there would entitle him to a tilt at the Poule d'Essai des Poulains. Prix Des Issambres @hippocotdazur Cagnes Sur Mer – Maiden – 3 ans – 1600m – 8 Pts – 23 000 € Les Petits Princes (m) Anthony Crastus @CrastusAnthony (Bated Breath (Gb) @JuddmonteFarms – Hurbling (Ire) par Hurricane Run (Ire)) Nicolas Perret Ecurie… pic.twitter.com/RwX4KLd5Ve — French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) February 10, 2025 LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (GB) Night Of Thunder (Ire)–Beautiful Morning (GB) (Galileo {GB}) Pedigree/form notes: Lady Bamford's homebred filly is the third winner from as many runners out of the G3 Royal Whip Stakes scorer Beautiful Morning who, in turn, is out of the Listed-placed Date With Destiny (Ire), perhaps best known as the sole offspring produced at stud by the 2,000 Guineas hero George Washington (Ire). One of a handful of promising fillies the Gosdens have unleashed this winter, Life Is Beautiful looked better the further she went when landing a fillies' maiden (1m) at Kempton in November. Settled in mid-division in the early stages, she was pushed along early in the straight and kept finding all the way to the line to turn over the short-priced favourite from the Ralph Beckett yard, ultimately winning by three quarters of a length. She promises to be suited by middle-distances and is a name to watch out for when the Oaks entries are published, representing a stable which has won four of the last 11 runnings of that Classic, including with two fillies who started out on the all-weather. Winning start Life Is Beautiful (Night Of Thunder x Beautiful Morning) makes a nice debut for team Gosden at @kemptonparkrace pic.twitter.com/ukspxK866X — Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 6, 2024 NOBLE CHAMPION (IRE) Lope De Vega (Ire)–Cute (GB) (Diktat {GB}) Sales info: Bred by Thomas Foy and the Lope De Vega Syndicate, he was a successful pinhook for Andrew Black's Chasemore Farm, who bought him for 140,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. He later sold to SackvilleDonald, on behalf of owners TBT Racing, for 500,000gns at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale. Pedigree/form notes: This colt is one of six winners from eight runners out of Cute, with the G2 Challenge Stakes scorer Pogo (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) standing out as her headline performer thus far. Cute is a half-sister to another winner of the Challenge Stakes in Arabian Gleam (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), as well as Pikaboo (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), the dam of the dual Classic heroine Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). After a promising debut in a Newmarket novice (7f) in November, Noble Champion then showed the benefit of that experience with a smooth performance from the front when winning a Lingfield novice (7f) later in the month, sprinting clear late on to beat a subsequent winner by five and a half lengths. He's since been given an entry in the 2,000 Guineas and, if he proves half as talented and durable as Pogo, then his connections should have plenty of fun days ahead with this colt. EBF Novice Stakes @LingfieldPark @BritishEBF Lingfield – Classe 5 – 2 ans – 1409 m – 10 Pts Noble Champion (m) Hector Crouch @HectorCrouch (Lope De Vega (Ire) @BallylinchStud – Cute (Gb) par Diktat (Gb)) E Walker @edwalkerracing TBT Racing… pic.twitter.com/LAyg7h3BbB — French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) November 21, 2024 PINHOLE (GB) Frankel (GB)–Nimble Thimble (Mizzen Mast) Pedigree/form notes: This Juddmonte homebred is a full-brother to the G1 Fillies' Mile winner Quadrilateral (GB) and a half to the eight-time winner and Listed-placed Boardman (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Their dam, Nimble Thimble, is a half-sister to the GII Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap hero and sire Three Valleys, while the second dam is a Listed-placed half-sister to the Juddmonte blue hen Hasili (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}). Pinhole was trained by Sir Michael Stoute when finishing fifth on his debut in a Newmarket novice (7f) in October, before wasting no time getting off the mark for Ralph Beckett when winning a similar event (1m) at Southwell in December. That was a dominant performance to win by two and a quarter lengths, with another five lengths back to the third, and he's very much the type to go on improving, having been described by Beckett as “a big, strong horse”. A step up in distance won't do him any harm, either, and this Derby entry is very much one to follow as the year progresses. Straightforward success! Quadrilateral's full brother Pinhole scores second time of asking in workmanlike fashion for @Rossaryan15, @RalphBeckett and @JuddmonteFarms… pic.twitter.com/8cK6UrL4CU — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 14, 2024 PURVIEW (GB) Kingman (GB)–Variable (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) Pedigree/form notes: At this stage the Juddmonte team is responsible for five Derby entries and this homebred is another for Dermot Weld, who trained the dam to win the Listed Finale Stakes at the Curragh. Variable, in turn, is out of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Proportional (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}). The Dundalk maiden (1m) won by Purview on his debut back in November probably wasn't the strongest contest of its type–the runner-up has been given a turf mark of just 76 after two further starts–but this colt was clearly in a different league to his rivals, just needing to be kept up to his work in the straight to run out an authoritative winner by two and three-quarter lengths. There is arguably no finer judge of a Thoroughbred than Weld and it's perhaps telling that he has this colt entered in everything from the Poule d'Essai des Poulains to the Irish Derby. He will stay at least 10f and looks to have a very bright future indeed. Purview breaks his maiden tag at the first time of asking in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden under Chris Hayes for trainer Dermot Weld! @IrishEBF_ pic.twitter.com/zrGEGJtnsH — Dundalk Stadium (@DundalkStadium) November 22, 2024 TIGRESS OF GAUL (FR) Siyouni (Fr)–Lucerne (GB) (Frankel {GB}) Sales info: A €700,000 purchase at the Arqana August Yearling Sale, she was bred by Ecurie des Monceaux, who have retained a share in her with owner Jose Aguirre-Moreno. Pedigree/form notes: This filly is the second winner from as many runners out of an unraced half-sister to the top-class miler and sire Charm Spirit (Ire), who won the G1 Prix Jean Prat, G1 Prix du Moulin and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in a brilliant three-year-old campaign. After winning a newcomers' race (1m) at Chantilly in December, Tigress Of Gaul then made it two from two when justifying very short odds with relative ease in a conditions event over the same course and distance last month, quickly asserting under a hands-and-heels ride to beat another last-time-out winner, Poschiavo (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}), by three quarters of a length. Entered in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Tigress Of Gaul looks every inch a black-type performer and could be a flagbearer this year for Tim Donworth, a rising star of the training ranks in France. Smart performance to make it two from two! Entered in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Tigress Of Gaul wins cosily at @fgchantilly | @TimDonworth94 pic.twitter.com/YF0k3D19Wp — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) February 27, 2025 TDN RISING STARS (EUROPE) SINCE NOVEMBER Date, Track, Horse, Sire 03/04 CHY We'll Defend (Fr) Zelzal (Fr) 02/14 CHY Tito Mo Cen (Ire) Uncle Mo 01/29 KEM Opera Ballo (Ire) Ghaiyyath (Ire) 12/04 KEM Bowmark (GB) Kingman (GB) 11/21 WOL Falakeyah (GB) New Bay (GB) 11/12 CHY Mandanaba (Fr) Ghaiyyath (Ire) The post Winter Watch: 10 All-Weather Winners with Top-Class Potential appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of 28 Group/Grade 1 winners have been entered for the HK$74-million FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin on Apr. 27 which features a trio of Group 1 races. There are 95 horses vying for starts in the 2000-metre HK$28-million G1 FWD QEII Cup, 1600-metre HK$24-million G1 FWD Champions Mile and 1200-metre HK$22-million G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize. The local defense is anchored by Sprint Prize entrant Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) and miler Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}), as well as the winners of the 2024 Mile and Sprint Prize last year in Beauty Eternal (Aus) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and Invincible Sage (Aus) (Thronum {Aus}), respectively. Hong Kong's star sprinter has won his last 10 races in a row and is aiming for his fourth Group 1 in a row. Europe is also sending some prominent entries, among them the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained G1 King George winner Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), who is co-owned by American John Stewart's Resolute Racing. The gelding is pointing for the Cup. Andrew Balding's well-traveled The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) is hoping to improve off a fourth in the 2024 Longines Hong Kong Cup, while trainer William Haggas sends four led by Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) as well as Group 1-placed and 2024 Golden Eagle winner Lake Forest (GB) (No Nay Never). They are targeting the Cup and Sprint. There is a 25-strong Japanese contingent led by Japanese Filly Triple Crown heroine Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) and Tastiera (Jpn) (Satono Crown {Jpn}) who are both contesting the FWD QEII Cup after running second and third in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup in December. Isivunguvungu (SAf) (What A Winter {SAf}) is being prepared for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint next month by trainer Graham Motion, who has entered the South African Group 1 winner for the Chairman's Sprint Prize. One of the most well-traveled runners is Australian Group 1 winner Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. The son of Wootton Bassett is cross-entered for the FWD Champions Mile and FWD QEII Cup, but has the Mile as his first choice. Andrew Harding, executive director, racing, Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), said, “We are delighted with the spread of entries and quality of interest in this year's FWD Champions Day features–including 56 entries from our overseas friends and 39 from Hong Kong, laying the foundation for another wonderful staging of our spring flagship meeting. “The excitement that the world's best sprinter Ka Ying Rising brings each time he races is electric and we cannot wait to see him tested once more against international opposition in the Chairman's Sprint Prize. Exceptional miler Voyage Bubble has gone from strength to strength across the last six months and he will face another exciting challenge next month. “Our global champion Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {Ire}) has given us some incredible memories this year in Dubai and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, so while we are disappointed not to see him go for a fourth win in the FWD QEII Cup, we are immensely proud of his efforts, and his absence opens the door for what shapes as a remarkably competitive FWD QEII Cup.” The post Ka Ying Rising One Of 28 Top-Level Winners Among FWD Champions Day Entries appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Entries are now open for the David F. Woods Memorial Award, presented for the best Preakness story print, television and multimedia from 2024, and the Jerry Frutkoff Photography Award, presented to the photographer of the best Preakness image from 2024. Recipients of the David F. Woods and Jerry Frutkoff Award will be honored at the Alibi Breakfast Thursday, May 15 at Pimlico Race Course. The Alibi Breakfast, which started in the late 1930s, features a gathering of media, owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys, and celebrities to celebrate the Preakness and solicit interesting and humorous race predictions. Along with the Woods and Frutkoff, the Maryland Jockey Club will also recognize the recipient of the Old Hilltop Award, a tribute to selected media members who have covered Thoroughbred racing with excellence and distinction, and a Special Award of Merit will be given to one who has made a positive impact on the racing industry. Entries for the Woods and Frutkoff must be submitted by April 15. Submissions for the Woods must include an attachment or link of the story with name and date. Submissions for the Frutkoff must include an attachment of the image as well as the media outlet it appeared. Submissions can be sent to david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com or phil.janack@gulfstreampark.com. The post Preakness Print/Photography Awards Accepting Entires appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Spirit Wind (Bahamian Squall), a multiple graded stakes winner of more than $730,000, was sold post-RNA for $500,000 to Willingham Stud, Fasig-Tipton announced Wednesday. Spirit Wind was initially not sold on a final bid of $450,000 in Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton March Digital Sale. Taylor Made Sales Agency consigned the 6-year-old mare, whose marquee win came in the GII Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga last summer. Her $500,000 sale makes Spirit Wind the highest-price horse offered in the March Digital Sale, which concluded Tuesday with gross receipts now in excess of $3,600,000. She led a trio of graded or group stakes-winning fillies or mares offered in the auction, which accounted for the three highest-price horses sold. R Harper Rose (Khozan), winner of the GIII Hurricane Bertie Stakes last year, sold for $400,000 to Australia's Chatsworth Stud and French group stakes winning 2-year-old Laulne (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) sold for $320,000 to Franklin Finance, Haras D'Etreham and Madaket Stable. “Fasig-Tipton Digital is the proven online sales platform to offer high profile breeding and racing stock to a global audience, with graded and group stakes winners now sold to entities operating on three different continents,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales. “Our success with these graded stakes winners in our March sale comes on the heels of selling champion Soul of an Angel for $2,600,000 earlier this month, a record price for a North American online auction and the second highest price ever achieved digitally worldwide.” Fasig-Tipton Digital's next scheduled auction is the April Digital Sale, to take place April 3-8. Entries close this Monday, March 24. The post MGSW Spirit Wind Brings $500k In Fasig-Tipton March Digital Post-Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be present at Turfway Park for the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks Saturday, March 22, the organization announced Wednesday. Turfway Park will highlight accredited aftercare throughout the event including Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, who will be honored with a named race. Following the conclusion of the race, a presentation will be made to the winning connections, which will include a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance blanket and gift bag. “Turfway Park is excited to welcome back Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance for our Jeff Ruby Steaks Day,” said Tyler B. Picklesimer, Director of Racing & Racing Secretary, Turfway Park. “Hosting Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and honoring them with a named race are great opportunities to raise awareness for accredited aftercare.” “Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is thrilled to be part of Jeff Ruby Steaks Day for another year,” said Emily Dresen, Director of Funding & Events, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. “The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance race is a fantastic way to highlight our shared goal, and we are grateful for Turfway Park's continued support in promoting accredited aftercare on such a significant day of racing.” The post Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance On Site At Turfway For Jeff Ruby Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) a little less than a month and a half away, stables have been mulling their plans for the final two weekends of major preps on March 29 and April 5. View the full article

Ahead of his bid for a third victory in the city’s most prestigious race, Australian rider boots home Power Koepp and M Unicorn at city circuit.View the full article

The first equineline.com report centered on Thoroughbreds in their second careers, Off-Track Thoroughbred Profile, is now available through the Jockey Club, the organization announced Wednesday. The report, 9OT, provides information customized to off-track Thoroughbred owners and those shopping for a Thoroughbred. Based on feedback received from off-track Thoroughbred owners, the report contains a bespoke summary of the horse's race record, including comments, owners, and trainers for each race; the last 10 workouts; a list of the horse's siblings; auction history; and, if applicable, the subject mare's produce record. To encourage the promotion of Thoroughbreds in their second career, this report is shareable through SMS messaging and email and across multiple platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X. Equineline product 9OT is available for purchase for any registered Thoroughbred at equineline.com. The report will be available for free to all off-track Thoroughbreds with a T.I.P. number as a benefit to those participating in The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.). OTTB Profiles for existing T.I.P. numbers can be accessed through the associated account; new T.I.P. numbers will have access to the associated OTTB Profile in the account 30 days after application. “Helping Thoroughbreds thrive in a second career and communicating their value and talent outside of the industry should be a priority of everyone in our sport,” said Kristin Werner, deputy general counsel and director of Industry Initiatives, The Jockey Club. “We want the OTTB Profile to be the ultimate information source for equestrians seeking their next Thoroughbred, and we hope owners of the nearly 40,000 Thoroughbreds registered in the T.I.P system will enjoy this information and share it with others.” The post Jockey Club Creates New Off-Track Thoroughbred Profile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is partnering with seven regional farms and Rood & Riddle for tours to be held from April through October. The Museum's tour series will kick off Saturday, April 12, at Sugar Plum Farm. Other available tours include Mill Creek Farm (May 10), Greentree Stables (June 14), McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds (July 12), North Country Farm (Aug. 17), Old Tavern Farm (Sept. 13) and Song Hill Thoroughbreds (Oct. 11). Additionally, there will be three opportunities to visit the Saratoga location of Rood & Riddle equine hospital (June 24, July 22, Aug. 26). Guests will enjoy a 90-minute experience at each location, where a knowledgeable guide will provide a comprehensive look at the day-to-day operations and what makes each place unique. Guests will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with resident thoroughbreds, farm staff, and experts in horse care at Rood & Riddle. Finally, at the close of the tour, guests will have the opportunity to ask their guide any questions they may have about the care and keeping of these beautiful animals and aspects of life on the grounds. “These tours always sell out and they offer a wonderful educational experience that will truly resonate with race fans and horse lovers,” said Cate Masterson, the Museum's director. “Visiting these beautiful farms and Rood & Riddle are incredible opportunities to learn about the daily life there, the care and routine of the horses, and the chance to meet the people who make these operations so successful and vital to the community and racing.” All tour purchases include complimentary Museum admission. To book a tour, click here. The post National Museum Of Racing And Hall Of Fame To Hold 2025 Tour Series appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The nominees for the New York-bred divisional championships were announced Wednesday via a press release by the New York Thoroughbred Breeders. The list of nominees is as follows: 2-Year-Old Male: Bold Fortune (Central Banker), Jack and Jim (Slumber {GB}), Mi Bago (Vekoma), Mo Plex (Complexity) and Sacrosanct (Honest Mischief). 2-Year-Old Filly: Accelerating (Mitole), Scythian (Tiz the Law), Shoot It True (Munnings), Stone Smuggler (Honest Mischief) and With the Angels (Omaha Beach). 3-Year-Old Male: Antonio of Venice (Laoban), Doc Sullivan (Solomini), Pandagate (Arrogate), Tapalo (Tapiture) and The Big Torpedo (Big Brown). 3-Year-Old Filly: Kinza (Carpe Diem), Landed (Omaha Beach), My Mane Squeeze (Audible), Roanan Goddess (Leofric) and Sweet Brown Sugar (Collected). Older Dirt Male: Bank Frenzy (Central Banker), Light Man (Central Banker), Maker's Candy (Twirling Candy), Mama's Gold (Bolt d'Oro) and Rotknee (Runhappy). Older Dirt Female: Kant Hurry Love (Kantharos), Silver Skillet (Liam's Map), Sterling Silver (Cupid), Stonewall Star (Flatter) and Venti Valentine (Firing Line). Turf Male: Dakota Gold (Freud), Dancing Buck (War Dancer), Senbei (Candy Ride {Arg}), Spirit of St Louis (Medaglia d'Oro) and Works for Me (Daddy Long Legs). Turf Female: Caldwell Luvs Gold (Goldencents), Loon Cry (More Than Ready), Moonage Daydream (Candy Ride {Arg}), Scythian (Tiz the Law) and Silver Skillet (Liam's Map). Male Sprinter: Dancing Buck (War Dancer), Light Man (Central Banker), Rotknee (Runhappy), Senbei (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Tapalo (Tapiture). Female Sprinter: Kant Hurry Love (Kantharos), Loon Cry (More Than Ready), My Mane Squeeze (Audible), Sterling Silver (Cupid) and Tricky Temper (Into Mischief). Nominations are also open for the New York Farm Manager of the Year which will be awarded along with the above-mentioned championships May 19. The New York Farm Manager of the Year Award will be chosen from the nominated candidates and voted by the board of directors of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. in recognition of an individual in a managerial or supervisory role at a New York Thoroughbred-based farm. Submit nominations here. The post ‘Rising Star’ With The Angels Leads New York-Bred Divisional Nominees; Nominations Open For New York Farm Manager Of The Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Churchill Downs Racetrack has renewed its partnership with Ford as the exclusive automotive partner of the Kentucky Derby through 2029, the track announced Wednesday. Under the renewed agreement, Ford will be granted exclusivity in the automotive category and an expanded footprint with interactive vehicle displays to promote fan interaction and immersive brand experiences to supplement the excitement of Derby Week and beyond. As part of the multi-year agreement, Ford will expand its on-site footprint to include the naming of the First Turn Club, a premium hospitality space originally debuted in 2023 overlooking the first turn of the racetrack. The popular location will now officially be called the Ford First Turn Club, offering guests a distinctive race-day experience with prime views and upscale amenities. Additionally, Ford will activate exclusive luxury vehicle displays and brand-new Ford-themed fan experiences at key areas around the track, including the Paddock Plaza and VIP Gate, ensuring high-profile brand visibility to attendees throughout Derby Week. “Churchill Downs is thrilled to continue building our relationship with Ford Motor Company as an Official Partner of the Kentucky Derby and to expand our collaboration in exciting new ways,” said Casey Ramage, vice president of marketing and partnerships at Churchill Downs Racetrack. “The Kentucky Derby is built on tradition and long-standing partnerships, and Ford's commitment to excellence and innovation aligns perfectly with the spirit of this exceptional event. We look forward to continuing to work together to deliver an unforgettable experience for Derby fans and guests.” Ford will maintain the existing sponsorship of key Derby and Oaks activations not limited to: branding inclusion on the Kentucky Derby Starting Gate, presenting sponsorship of the Churchill Downs Barn Area, entitlement of a Derby Day race sponsorship, exclusive digital content and year-round vehicle displays at Churchill Downs. “At Ford our mission is to create tangible impacts on the communities where we work and serve,” said Phil O'Connor, director of global marketing communications–Ford Blue and Model e at Ford Motor Company. “Ford has a deep connection with the Louisville community. Our Louisville-based manufacturing facilities employ roughly 12,000 Kentuckians. Our heritage of capability, passion and innovation make our friends at Churchill Downs Racetrack ideal partners. We're excited for this next chapter in our partnership and honored to continue supporting the bluegrass state.” The post Churchill Downs Renews Partnership With Ford Ahead Of Kentucky Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Tattersalls Online Breeze-Up Sale will take place at Dundalk Stadium on Wednesday, May 28, followed by the online part of the auction that will run through from June 4 to June 5. This will be the third running of the Tattersalls Online Breeze-Up Sale, of which Irish EBF Auction Series Race Final winner Fiona Maccoul (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) is a graduate from. Fiona Maccoul was picked up for just €5,000 by Shane 'The Rancher' Ryan during Book 2 of the Goffs Orby Sale but, having failed to get the filly into a physical sale, the breeze-up handler advertised the filly's talents on the online platform. Fiona Maccoul was subsequently knocked down to Jack Cantillon on behalf of Syndicates Racing for 27,000gns following an eye-catching breeze at Dundalk and has since gone on to achieve a rating of 78 for Jessica Harrington. Tattersalls Online Sales Manager Katherine Sheridan commented, “Following the success of the previous two years, the Tattersalls Online Breeze-Up Session has, again, been widely welcomed by consignors who are seeking an alternative route for their two-year-olds. “Complementing our live breeze-up portfolio, the Tattersalls Online Breeze-Up Session provides vendors with a cost-effective opportunity to breeze using state-of-the-art facilities at Dundalk whilst reaching a large domestic and international market via the Tattersalls Online platform. The innovative format of the sale and the additional resources available for buyers caters for a broad buying bench. With participation in previous years from purchasers located in Britain, Ireland, Italy and the Gulf Region, we are looking forward to further growth of the concept this year.” Initial entries for the 2025 Online Breeze-Up Session will be published on the Tattersalls Online website on Wednesday, May 21. Each lot will be catalogued with their vendor contact details and viewing location listed allowing potential bidders ample opportunity to make enquiries and arrange inspections prior to the sale. All breeze-up lots will also complete a pre-sale five-stage veterinary certificate after the breeze-up takes place. Spectators are invited to attend the breeze-up at Dundalk on Wednesday 28th May. The breeze-up footage will be live streamed on the day and will be published on the Tattersalls Online website by Thursday May 29 ahead of selling in the Tattersalls Online June Sale. Entries for the Tattersalls Online Breeze-Up Session can be submitted through the Tattersalls Online website at www.tattersallsonline.com. Entries will close on Friday May 16 with wildcards accepted up to Friday May 23. Enquiries can be made to Katherine Sheridan or Ross Birkett by phoning +44 1638 665931 or by emailing tattersallsonline@tattersalls.com. The post Tattersalls Says Online Breeze-Up Sale Can Provide “Alternative Route” For Handlers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Apprentice jockey Levi Williams has been charged with murder following an altercation in Newmarket on Saturday, March 8. A fight between four men on the town's High Street resulted in two of them being taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. A 45-year-old man was released from hospital later that evening but a 71-year-old man, who had remained in intensive care in a critical condition, died subsequently on Tuersday, March 18. A statement released by Suffolk Police on Wednesday read, “A 25-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm and subsequently bailed, was rearrested yesterday afternoon and taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning. “Levi Williams, of Holland Park, Newmarket, has subsequently been charged with murder. He was remanded in custody and is due to appear before Ipswich Magistrates' Court today, Wednesday 19 March. “A 23-year-old man who was also arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm; and a 45-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of affray; both remain on police bail until 5 June and 9 June respectively.” Williams, who is apprenticed to trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam, has ridden 12 winners since his first race ride in 2017. The post Apprentice Jockey Charged With Murder appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky., held an online auction for halters worn by a pair of GI Kentucky Derby winners in Silver Charm and Giacomo. The proceeds, totaling $4,380, will be presented to the East Kentucky Dream Center for emergency flood relief to residents in Pike County, Ky. Online bidding for the Silver Charm halter was already underway when Dr. Jack Root of Oakhurst Equine in Oregon contacted the farm and generously donated Giacomo's halter to help. “Like so many others, Old Friends' supporters from within the horse industry were deeply disturbed by the suffering caused by the recent floods in Eastern Kentucky, particularly in Pike County,” said John Nicholson, President and CEO of Old Friends. “After a halter worn by 1997 Kentucky Derby winner and Old Friends resident Silver Charm was successfully auctioned, a halter from 2005 Derby winner Giacomo was also donated by Dr. Jack Root to be auctioned for flood victims relief. The resulting financial gift comes from two horses who are members of a small group of living horses who can claim to have won a race synonymous with Kentucky. It is given in hopes that it will ease the burden of some Kentuckians who remain in desperate need.” The post Old Friends Auctions Halters To Benefit Kentucky Flood Victims appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

For all the incredible experiences Blane Servis remembers from when his father John campaigned champion Smarty Jones, there were a few less-than-comfortable memories too. Take, for instance, the time during Smarty Jones's run for the Triple Crown when Servis's school hosted a pep rally and made a teenaged Servis the guest of honor. As a self-described socially awkward kid, stepping into the spotlight felt a bit more like a nightmare than a celebration. In high school, Servis discovered that drinking was the easiest solution to overcoming his social anxiety. Later, he turned to prescription pain pills. “I remember the first time I ever took them,” Servis recalled. “I liked drinking when I was younger because I would drink to a point where I didn't have anxiety about talking to people. It got to a point where I had to drink more and more to feel that way and it was a fine line between drinking enough to feel like that or blacking out. The first time I took a pain pill, I got that feeling immediately.” Servis managed to keep his life afloat while hiding his addiction for years–working as an assistant for his father, getting married, and eventually becoming a trainer and a father himself–but ultimately the addiction won out. Servis lost his trainer's license, lost his purpose and nearly lost his life. Still, his passion for the sport of horse racing proved indomitable. Despite the ugliness of his past, Servis found a way back to the business he has always loved and today, as an assistant trainer for Brad Cox, he hopes to make the most of this second chance. “I have a passion for wanting to better the sport and progress things in the right direction,” he said. “It has been so good to me that it's the least I can do. Even if it's just being a beacon of hope for people that are struggling, that would be a positive thing.” Football to Falling Out Celebrating Smarty Jones's Kentucky Derby victory | Horsephotos Servis's earliest memories are from the backside of a racetrack. On weekends, he and his brother Tyler would wake up at four in the morning to make the drive with their father, a stalwart of the Northeast and Mid-atlantic regions, from Philadelphia to Delaware Park. “There were a bunch of creeks there and my brother and I would catch frogs while the horses were training, and then after training Dad would have us painting boards and fences,” Servis recalled. “I saw firsthand the commitment that this sport takes.” Servis loved racing, but he also loved football. He told his father that he was going to become a professional football player–either safety or running back–and then own his own horses one day. That plan started to go sideways in high school when he was kicked out of four different schools for various instances of alcohol and drug use. He was supposed to be a preferred walk-on at the University of Arkansas, but couldn't get the grades to get in. Servis started working for his father, but would often come to the barn hungover and work through the morning only to start partying again in the afternoon. “I really did love football and I think when that didn't happen, I was living with the guilt of messing up something that I had wanted since I was a kid. My dreams were broken and I didn't know what I was going to do with the next chapter of my life, but that was when I fell in love with the horses. They each had their own personality and I loved everything about the sport.” Servis became a foreman and then assistant to his father while also working the starting gate at Parx. At that time, some of the early progeny of Smarty Jones were hitting the racetrack. “Just like Smarty Jones when he hit his head in the gate, some of the Smarty Jones babies were notoriously bad in the starting gate,” noted Servis. “The starter at the gate would always give me my dad's horses and since he had a lot of Smarty Jones babies, I would get some of the worst horses. I always say that taught me more about handling horses than anything.” When Servis took out his trainer's license in 2013, one of his first acquisitions was Hard to Name (Hard Spun). While the gelding had shown potential early on, he had developed displacement issues and by the time he got to Servis, he was running in $10,000 claimers. For much of his career, Hard to Name had competed in sprints in an attempt to keep him from displacing, but Servis thought that the horse was bred to go long and decided to test out a theory. “A big part of displacing with a lot of horses is mental,” explained Servis. “I decided that we were going to try to keep him as relaxed as we could and train him to be fit to go a mile. You could see in his races that as soon as the rider started asking him to move, the horse got nervous, his head would go up and he immediately displaced. So we worked with the horse for a while and I told the rider, 'Whatever you do, when they're coming down the stretch just give him his head. Don't ride him, just let him go.' He ended up winning by 10 lengths.” While Servis's stable started to take off, his addiction continued to maintain a hold on his life. There was a seven-year period after he became a father when he swapped drinking for ADHD medication, but the Adderall led to insomnia–leaving him sleepless for days on end and often sick from exhaustion. After his divorce was finalized, he returned to old habits like never before. He bounced from one rehab to the next, sometimes running his own stable and sometimes working for his brother. On the job at Turfway Park | Katie Petrunyak During perhaps the darkest point of his life, Servis had one of his most promising horses break down in a morning work. A few days later, he woke up to several missed calls from a close friend only to find out that the friend had overdosed that very night. The two tragic events sent Servis into a spiral. “I was staying in my room calling somebody to go feed and water my horses,” he described. “People would come knock on my door and I wouldn't answer. I had just checked out of everything.” Eventually, the racing commission suspended his training license when he failed to show up to his barn for a week. Unable to step foot on a racetrack for two years, Servis searched for jobs at breeding farms in Pennsylvania. One day, a friend sent him a TDN article about Walden Racing that described how the team there had gone through Stable Recovery together. Servis insisted that he did not need to go through a recovery program, but he did call trainer Will Walden and ended up landing a job as a barn foreman at WinStar Training Center. WinStar's Elliott Walden had one stipulation for the job: he could not drink or use drugs. Servis reiterated that it wouldn't be a problem. Things were looking up as he made the move to Kentucky. But it wasn't long before Servis reverted back to his old ways. After one long bender and several days of failing to show up for work, Servis woke up one morning to find Will Walden, WinStar's General Manager David Hanley and Stable Recovery's Christian Countzler and Mike Lowery standing at his door. Hoping they wouldn't come in and find the four empty vodka bottles in his bedroom, he groggily stepped outside and immediately passed out cold in the doorway. “My passion and desire to be in the sport had made me bullheaded enough to where I kept telling myself that I was going to make something happen,” said Servis. “I was backed up against the wall where my only options where to try to do something about this or deal with the fact that I was not going to be able to work in racing. I'd just have to do a normal job where I was completely miserable every day.” When he finally came to, Servis committed to going to Stable Recovery. Power of Patience Servis's time at Stable Recovery was not without its setbacks. Six months in, he ignored the Stable Recovery team's advice and visited family and friends back in Philadelphia, relapsing soon after he got there. When he returned to Kentucky, he told himself that he would go back to Stable Recovery eventually. Months later, he woke up one morning feeling worse than ever before. Looking in the mirror to find scabs all over his face, he couldn't remember anything about the previous night. “I looked at my phone and found that I had texted some guy when I was blacked out about buying weed off him,” described Servis. “He didn't have any, but apparently instead I had bought fentanyl off the guy. I didn't remember any of it. I realized that if I'm able to do that blacked out, where I don't have control of my decisions, I'm going to end up dying. I was terrified and went right back to Stable Recovery.” Servis and Painted Desert (Medaglia d'Oro), a half sister to Grade I victress Wet Paint, who looks to break her maiden this weekend | Katie Petrunyak This time, Servis went in with a completely different mindset. He committed to trusting the program's process and allowed himself time for healing. “My trip to Kentucky was originally driven by horse racing, but I ended up learning so much about recovery and myself, and I got a brotherhood of people that I never had back home. Stable Recovery was perfect for me because it involved doing something I was passionate about and it was a program with a strict structure, which is what I needed.” After completing the program, Servis started working as a groom at Godolphin's training division at Keeneland. It was a ways down the ladder from where he had once been. Instead of running his own stable, he was relegated to grooming three or four horses each day. But Servis was willing to be patient and he stayed there for a year. This February, a job posting on Facebook led Servis to an interview for an assistant position with Brad Cox. He landed the job and signed on as the head of Cox's division at Turfway Park. The first few weeks have been like nothing Servis could have imagined for himself as he manages a string of 20-some horses. Already this month, the Cox stable has collected five wins and one runner-up performance from six starts at Turfway. “I forgot how much I missed it,” Servis admitted. “I can be hands on now, doing things that make a difference in a horse's career. It's very exciting for me because I love nothing more than being able to work with a horse and watch them blossom.” After the Turfway meet ends, Servis will likely move to Cox's Keeneland division and stay there through the summer working with 2-year-olds. He said has always enjoyed working with young horses. Reflecting on it now, he likens training juveniles to cultivating patience and discipline in his own life. “With these horses, over time you start to see how these little things you're doing can make a big difference,” he said. “The extra work and effort you're putting in can completely change them and take them to a different level. It just shows you the importance of discipline, structure and continuing to do the right thing every day.” Servis intends to get his own stable up and running again one day. For now, he's more than content just being back in a shedrow, taking small steps every day to change his life for the better. “The reason I drank to begin with was because of the shyness and the nervousness, but mostly it was just me being in my own head, being anxious and overthinking stuff all the time. I could be in a room full of people and still feel completely alone. I came to the program to stop drinking and screwing up my life, so that fact that in the process I was able to get to a place where I can actually have peace in my life and not be constantly overthinking, that is one of the most amazing things. I don't worry about the future too much because I trust in God and I'm not caught up in my past because we work through that. That doesn't mean the worry doesn't start creeping up every once in a while, but it is so much better than it ever was before. I'm blessed to be able to experience that.” Stable Recovery is a recovery housing program in Lexington, Kentucky that offers men in the early stages of recovery access to 12-step meetings, life skills training and-through the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship-the opportunity to develop a trade in the equine field. To learn more about Stable Recovery, click here. The post The Road Back: Blane Servis Returns to the Racetrack appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

St. Patrick's Day (Pioneerof the Nile), the full-brother to Triple Crown winner and Coolmore stallion American Pharoah, has been re-acquired by his breeder Summer Wind Farm, the farm announced via social media Tuesday. Having previously stood at stud at Florida's Journeyman Stud, the 10-year-old stallion was entered in this year's Keeneland January Sale but was withdrawn. “With St Patrick's Day's arrival to the farm earlier this winter, Jane also completed her own very special set of nine horses,” the post reads. “She now owns all the offspring of Littleprincessemma (Yankee Gentleman) that she bred since the moment she acquired the eventual Broodmare of the Year for $2.1 million in 2014 when “Emma” was carrying St Patrick's Day in utero.” The post notes that St. Patrick's Day has joined another of his half-siblings in Triple Tap (Tapit) at the farm and that “nothing has been ruled out or in for either horse's future.” The post St. Patrick’s Day, Full To American Pharoah, Re-Acquired By Breeder Summer Wind Farm appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

National HBPA CEO Eric Hamelback released a quarterly letter Wednesday which addresses Florida's decoupling bill along with the New York Times piece on horse racing. The letter reads: “The first quarter of 2025 has been nothing short of a tsunami for most of us in the industry. We entered the year hoping to turn the page, making positive strides and setting the industry on the right path. Then came January 7. While the events of that date didn't bring our industry to a standstill, they certainly caused an unexpected stumble–one that no one saw coming or wanted to face. Seemingly without warning, industry press announced an agreement between the owner of Gulfstream Park and the Gulfstream horsemen's association to jointly support legislation allowing Gulfstream to decouple. “Decouple” is a word with multiple meanings, but to horsemen, it tends to be followed by concern–and expletives. The proposed bill in Tallahassee would allow Gulfstream to operate its casino without any obligation to conduct live racing. Ownership claimed this move was necessary to secure financing for improvements to the Gulfstream property. (Pause, smile and cue more expletives. Next, start taking steps to defend the future of racing, not only in Florida but across the country.) The industry's pushback is well in motion. But the fight is far from over. The Florida Legislature introduced House Bill 105, filed by Rep. Adam Anderson, which effectively redlined existing statutes requiring Thoroughbred racing facilities to host live races as a condition for operating slot machines and card rooms. Let's not forget: These gaming operations were not a given; they were made possible only because they were tied to horse racing. The facilities benefiting from gaming revenue rode in on the backs of horsemen and women. Within hours–also on January 7–I issued a statement making it clear that the National HBPA cannot currently support Gulfstream's requested legislative changes. The NHBPA and its affiliates–including the Tampa Bay HBPA–emphasized that these changes do not offer any meaningful benefits for horsemen. Across the country, horsemen agreed: Decoupling from live racing threatens to cripple horse racing in any state. Our industry is not subsidized by gaming. Gaming companies and permit holders pay horsemen a tariff–a tax–for the privilege of having entered states where horse racing laid the groundwork for legalized wagering. Without the existence of pari-mutuel betting, states would never have allowed these gaming companies to set up shop, whether in brick-and-mortar casinos or, going further back to my younger days, the riverboats of Shreveport. Every trainer, every farm and every training center is a small business. These businesses collectively drive a multibillion-dollar agricultural sector in the United States. Decoupling must be stopped–not just in Florida but wherever it threatens our industry's future. I also want to address a recent opinion piece published in the New York Times. Written by Noah Shachtman, the piece attempted to couch horse racing in the U.S. as a sport that has outlived its economic usefulness and should simply disappear. My issue with this opinion piece? Like so many before it, it relied on exaggeration, misinformation and a lack of factual evidence to push an anti-racing narrative, so much so that it is hard to even address. Like everyone I know who read the article, I looked down, shook my head and felt frustrated. We are all tired of seeing our sport mischaracterized in the mainstream media. Fortunately, I believe that hit pieces like this are losing traction. Why? Because they continue to ignore the facts. You've probably heard the old saying, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” The author of this article certainly didn't. His criticism focused on the idea that racetracks and purse money are “subsidized” by revenue from slot machines, casinos or historical horse racing machines. Sound familiar? See above. What he conveniently left out was the fundamental fact that these gaming organizations were only allowed to establish themselves because of coupled legislation with horse racing. Even more glaring was his omission of the economic impact of horse racing–the tens of thousands of jobs it provides, the breeding farms, the training centers and the vast network of agribusinesses and supporting industries that depend on it. This needs to be said: Our industry is not dying. And I am glad the relentless attacks from the media are not resonating the way they once did. From coast to coast, horsemen and women remain deeply committed to this sport. That said, the New York Times article should serve as a call to action. We must continue to respond–with facts, with passion and with personal testimonies about what racing means to us. Horse racing is more than a sport; it is a way of life. It is a vital industry with real economic significance in the United States. And it is worth defending and fighting for.” The post National HBPA’s Eric Hamelback Addresses Decoupling, NYT Piece In Spring Quarterly Letter appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

An exciting host of 28 individual Group 1 winners headlines entries for FWD Champions Day on Sunday, 27 April at Sha Tin – all chasing a chance to compete for the record HK$74 million prize money on offer across three of world racing’s pre-eminent contests. Representing owners from Hong Kong, Great Britain, Australia, France, Japan, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Bahrain and Qatar, 95 horses are vying for starts in the HK$28 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m), HK$24 million G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) and HK$22 million G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m). Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress), Voyage Bubble, California Spangle, Galaxy Patch, Beauty Joy and Helios Express spearhead Hong Kong’s arsenal – along with Beauty Eternal and Invincible Sage, winners, respectively, of the FWD Champions Mile and Chairman’s Sprint Prize last year. The international contingent of 56 is headed by Group 1 winners Goliath, Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars), Royal Patronage, El Vencedor (NZ) (Shocking) and an intimidating 25-strong contingent from Japan, led by Liberty Island, Tastiera, Soul Rush, Satono Reve, Lugal, Gaia Force, Prognosis and Dura Erede. Phenomenal talent Ka Ying Rising chases a fourth straight Group 1 in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize. Acclaimed as the world’s highest-rated sprinter recently, Ka Ying Rising is Sha Tin’s 1200m track record holder (1m 07.20s) and winner of his last 10 consecutive races. Voyage Bubble has quickly asserted himself as the city’s premier miler. Ricky Yiu’s star horse will aim for a fourth consecutive Group 1 in the FWD Champions Mile after successes this season in the HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), HK$13 million G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) and HK$13 million G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m). Hong Kong’s entry features 10 individual Group 1 winners. Second three times to Ka Ying Rising at Group 1 level, Helios Express will aim to emerge from his rival’s shadow and capture a maiden top-level crown in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, along with stablemate Howdeepisyourlove, who will contest the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) on 5 April. A three-time placegetter on FWD Champions Day, California Spangle is eyeing a return to glory in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize next month as well as Beauty Eternal, who aims to defend his title and give trainer John Size a fifth triumph in the race after wins also with Electronic Unicorn (2003), Sight Winner (2009), Contentment (2017). Six-time winner Goliath is becoming one of global racing’s great overseas campaigners as Francis-Henri Graffard’s gelding prepares to compete in his fourth jurisdiction in the FWD QEII Cup. Resolute Racing’s German-bred galloper won the 2024 G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2392m) ahead of strong opposition including Bluestocking, Rebel’s Romance, Sunway, Auguste Rodin, Luxembourg and Dubai Honour. Mr Brightside is one of Australia’s most beloved horses. Photo: supplied Mr Brightside is one of Australia’s premier horses as a nine-time Group 1 winner, including victories in the 2022 and 2023 G1 Doncaster Mile (1600m), 2023 and 2024 G1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m), and 2024 and 2025 G1 Futurity Stakes (1400m). The seven-year-old fought out an exhilarating 2023 G1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) with Romantic Warrior. He is entered in the FWD Champions Mile. Royal Patronage brings fascinating form lines to Hong Kong having won in Great Britain, the United States of America and at Group 1 level in Australia, surprising in the G1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) this month for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott. The son of Wootton Bassett is entered for the FWD Champions Mile and FWD QEII Cup, holding a preference for the former. El Vencedor is New Zealand racing’s current banner horse having won his last three starts – each at Group 1 level: 2025 G1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m), 2025 G1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) and 2025 G1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m). Stephen Marsh’s tough six-year-old is entered to run in the FWD QEII Cup. A familiar fleet of Japanese entries is headlined by 2024 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup second and third placings Liberty Island and Tastiera, respectively. Liberty Island is Japan’s outstanding 2023 Triple Tiara winner and she is the stablemate of two-time FWD QEII Cup runner-up Prognosis, who is also among Japan’s list of possible starters. Group 1 performer Ho O Biscuits is chanced with his first start abroad in the FWD QEII Cup. Third in the 2024 HK$26 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), Noriyuki Hori’s Satono Reve holds an entry for the Chairman’s Sprint Prize along with 2024 G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) winner Lugal, Group 2 winner Danon Mckinley and Big Caesar. Soul Rush was second to Voyage Bubble in the 2024 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile and Tatsue Ishikawa’s galloper will aim to go one better in the FWD Champions Mile. Soul Rush was also third to Romantic Warrior in the 2024 G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m), while fourth out of that race, Gaia Force, could also ship across for the FWD Champions Mile. Ciaron Maher’s exciting sprinter Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto) is entered to run in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, searching for a second elite level success after collecting last month’s G1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m). Maher has also entered Duke De Sessa – last year’s G1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) hero – and Middle Earth for the FWD QEII Cup. The Foxes ran his heart out for trainer Andrew Balding to grab fourth in the 2024 HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) and the son of Churchill is plotted to return for another crack at international glory in Hong Kong. Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald have entered Lady Laguna, Ostraka, Port Lockroy and Fawkner Park, while William Haggas has also engaged four – led by the returning Dubai Honour as well as Group 1-placed and 2024 Golden Eagle (1500m) winner Lake Forest, Maljoom and Al Mubhir. Dubai Honour has raced in Hong Kong four times, including a third in the 2023 FWD QEII Cup behind Romantic Warrior, while Maljoom is a dual Group 1 placegetter behind Charyn and Notable Speech. Isivunguvungu is being prepared for the Al Quoz Sprint next month by trainer Graham Motion, who has entered the South African Group 1 winner for the Chairman’s Sprint Prize. Bhupat Seemar from Dubai has entered Trafalgar Square in the FWD QEII Cup, while Bahrain has four entries – Calif and Sovereign Spirit (FWD QEII Cup), Goemon (FWD Champions Mile) and Swift Asset (Chairman’s Sprint Prize). Six horses selected to run in the HK$26 million 148th BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (23 March) – Rubylot, My Wish, Californiatotality, Markwin, Noisy Boy and Stunning Peach – hold entries for FWD Champions Day. Hong Kong’s contingent is bolstered by a host of established and emerging performers including Sunlight Power, Gorgeous Win, Magic Control, Ensued and Straight Arron. Mr Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “We are delighted with the spread of entries and quality of interest in this year’s FWD Champions Day features – including 56 entries from our overseas friends and 39 from Hong Kong, laying the foundation for another wonderful staging of our spring flagship meeting. “The excitement that the world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising brings each time he races is electric and we cannot wait to see him tested once more against international opposition in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize. Exceptional miler Voyage Bubble has gone from strength to strength across the last six months and he will face another exciting challenge next month. “Our global champion Romantic Warrior has given us some incredible memories this year in Dubai and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, so while we are disappointed not to see him go for a fourth win in the FWD QEII Cup, we are immensely proud of his efforts, and his absence opens the door for what shapes as a remarkably competitive FWD QEII Cup.” View the full article

A total of 28 individual Group One winners feature among the Champions Day entries released by the Jockey Club on Wednesday.View the full article

What 2025 Golden Slipper Stakes Where Rosehill Gardens Racecourse – Sydney, NSW When Saturday, March 22, 2025 Prizemoney $5,000,000 Distance 1200m Conditions Group 1, Set Weights 2024 winner Lady Of Camelot (5) | T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | J: Blake Shinn (54.5kg) Visit Dabble The 68th running of the time-honoured Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) headlines the action at Rosehill on Saturday afternoon, with a capacity field of 16 two-year-olds set to battle it out in Australia’s premier juvenile sprint. The $5 million feature has plenty of form-lines to dissect, including the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m), where Devil Night attempts to be the first horse since Sepoy (2011) to do the double. Wodeton has been the long-standing favourite for the event and will be looking to replicate the feat of Shinzo (2024) for Coolmore once again. Will the $1.6 million colt live up to the hype? Or is there an upset brewing in the 2025 Golden Slipper? 2025 Golden Slipper odds The wealth of support with horse racing bookmakers for Wodeton prior to the barrier draw has kept the Wootton Bassett colt a firm $5.00 favourite with Neds heading into the Slipper. Tempted is on the second line of betting at $5.50 with BlondeBet after a strong win in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m), while Skyhook ($8.50) was the big firmer after a slashing win in last Saturday’s Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m). Undefeated colt Rivellino is the big drifter out to $11.00 despite securing the services of Hong Kong-based hoop Hugh Bowman, while the likes of Devil Night ($11.00), Marhoona ($13.00) and Within The Law ($15.00) represent good each-way value with horse betting sites. 2025 Golden Slipper speed map There should be speed to burn in this year’s edition of the Golden Slipper, with the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained trio of North England (9), Farcited (17) and Bellazaine (15) all looking to press forward to contest the early lead. Beiwacht (16) and Devil Night (11) have shown good early speed in the past as well, while Skyhook (8) can take a sit this time despite making every post a winner in the Pago Pago. The favoured pair of Tempted and Wodeton should get every chance to hold a handy position drawn in gate one and two respectively, while the likes of Rivellino (3), West Of Swindon (4), Tycoon Star (5) and Quietly Arrogant (7) map to sit midfield with cover throughout the journey. Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2025 Golden Slipper. Golden Slipper 2025 preview & form It’s worth splitting your stake in a wide-open edition of the Golden Slipper; however, it’s the Godolphin filly Tempted that goes on top. The daughter of Street Boss arguably should’ve won the Blue Diamond with any luck two starts back and proceeded to frank the form with a barnstorming victory in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on March 8. Gate one allows Blake Shinn to hold a spot on the leaders’ back throughout, and provided she doesn’t get held up when attempting to get clear, Tempted must be considered a major player. Within The Law has done nothing wrong and appears slightly disrespected in the market at the $15.00 with PlayUp. She was wide without cover every step of the way in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) leading into this and still had the audacity to finish best. The tempo aids her chance to storm down the centre of the course despite drawing barrier 13, and with the Lucky Vega filly arguably having the best turn-of-speed in the race, she must be respected. West Of Swindon is the forgotten horse here and is a big price with online betting sites. Team Hawkes missed a run in the Pago Pago to save himself for this, and although he may be considered underdone compared to some key rivals, the $26.00 is too big to ignore. Golden Slipper 2025 selections & best bets Selections: 13 TEMPTED 12 WITHIN THE LAW 5 WEST OF SWINDON 16 MARHOONA $100 betting strategy $50 Win Tempted (#13) @ +450 with Neds $30 Win Within The Law (#12) @ +1400 with Playup $20 Win West Of Swindon (#5) @ +2500 with BlondeBet Golden Slipper 2025 final field 1. Rivellino (3) T: Kris Lees J: Hugh Bowman W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Brown Sex: Colt Sire: Too Darn Hot (GB) Dam: Intrinsic +1000 +250 2. Devil Night (11) T: Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes J: Michael Dee W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Chestnut Sex: Colt Sire: Extreme Choice Dam: Mischief Night +1200 +300 3. North England (9) T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott J: Tim Clark W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay or Brown Sex: Colt Sire: Farnan Dam: Our Belisa +1600 +400 4. Tycoon Star (5) T: Ben, Will & JD Hayes J: Mark Zahra W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: Written Tycoon Dam: Miss Iano +2500 +625 5. West Of Swindon (4) T: Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes J: Tyler Schiller W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: Wootton Bassett (GB) Dam: Fife +2000 +500 6. Beiwacht (16) T: James Cummings J: Adam Hyeronimus W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: Bivouac Dam: Metastasio +3000 +750 7. Skyhook (8) T: Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou J: Kerrin McEvoy W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Chestnut Sex: Colt Sire: Written Tycoon Dam: Madame Pauline +650 +163 8. Wodeton (2) T: Chris Waller J: James McDonald W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: Wootton Bassett (GB) Dam: Fiera Vista +360 -111.11 9. King Of Pop (18) T: Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou J: Zac Lloyd W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: Farnan Dam: Za Zi Ba +1800 +450 10. Quietly Arrogant (7) T: Peter Snowden J: Tommy Berry W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Chestnut Sex: Colt Sire: Capitalist Dam: Single Sapphire +2500 +625 11. Farcited (17) T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott J: Joshua Parr W: 56.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: Farnan Dam: I Am Excited +10000 +2500 12. Within The Law (13) T: Bjorn Baker J: Jason Collett W: 54.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Filly Sire: Lucky Vega (IRE) Dam: Contract Signed +1000 +250 13. Tempted (1) T: James Cummings J: Blake Shinn W: 54.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Chestnut Sex: Filly Sire: Street Boss (USA) Dam: Calliope +450 +113 14. Bellazaine (15) T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott J: Regan Bayliss W: 54.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay or Brown Sex: Filly Sire: Zousain Dam: Benella +1600 +400 15. Military Tycoon (12) T: Ciaron Maher J: Thomas Stockdale W: 54.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Chestnut Sex: Filly Sire: Written Tycoon Dam: Military Reign +2500 +625 16. Marhoona (6) T: Michael Freedman J: Damian Lane W: 54.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Filly Sire: Snitzel Dam: Salma +1200 +300 17(e). Alabama Magic (14) T: Brett Cavanough J: Braith Nock (a) W: 54.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Filly Sire: Alabama Express Dam: Makfi Lass +20000 +5000 18(e). Nepotism (10) T: Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes J: W: 54.5kg Age: 2YO Colour: Bay Sex: Colt Sire: Brutal (NZ) Dam: Brigite +8000 +2000 Horse racing tips View the full article