Wandering Eyes

What Ballarat Races Where Ballarat Turf Club – 72 Midas Rd, Miners Rest VIC 3352 When Tuesday, August 26, 2025 First Race 2pm AEST Visit Dabble Racing in Victoria heads to the Ballarat synthetic track on Tuesday afternoon with a quickfire seven-race meeting scheduled. Plenty of rain is forecast for the region on Tuesday, so it may pay to be up on speed where avoiding kickback could be crucial throughout the day. The opener is set to jump at 2pm AEST. Best Bet at Ballarat: Delivering Delivering is absolutely humming and finds an ideal setup in this BM78 over 1500m. He owns a rock-solid 1500m profile and arrives off a string of on-pace wins that read perfectly for the Ballarat Synthetic, where momentum and race position are king. From gate eight, Declan Bates will look to control the race from barrier to box. He handles tight-turning circuits, carries 59kg comfortably at this grade, and maps to get an easy time of it out in front. Delivering’s sustained speed should prove decisive again. Best Bet Race 6 – #2 Delivering (8) 5yo Gelding | T: Ciaron Maher | J: Declan Bates (59kg) Next Best at Ballarat: Il Cubo Il Cubo drops from strong BM70 company to a BM64 and gets a key 3kg claim to offset the 62kg impost, bringing him right into this 1200m dash. He’s been effective on synthetic, races on-speed, and from barrier five can either hold the rail or park outside the leader. His recent synthetic efforts read well for this, and the drop in grade should see him absorb pressure and kick. With the claim, Il Cubo will be tough to run down if he finds the front comfortably and can pinch a cheap split mid-race. Next Best Race 5 – #1 Il Cubo (5) 5yo Gelding | T: Reece Goodwin | J: Nadia Daniels (a3) (62kg) Best Value at Ballarat: Mr Tickles Mr Tickles brings the right 1000m peak and a recent second at this track/trip that says he’s ready to win. He draws to stalk the speed from barrier five and gets Beau Mertens, which is a plus around Ballarat turn where timing is everything. His synthetic runs stack up in this grade, and a genuine tempo should let him blend in behind the speed before angling out. With Innocent Enuff likely to absorb pressure up front, Mr Tickles can tag the favourite, peel, and be the one launching late at a backable price with horse racing bookmakers. Best Value Race 7 – #3 Mr Tickles (5) 6yo Gelding | T: Mitchell Leek | J: Beau Mertens (61kg) Tuesday quaddie tips for Ballarat Synthetic Ballarat quadrella selections Tuesday, August 26, 2025 1-5-7-10 1-4-6 2-7-9 1-3-4 Horse racing tips View the full article

It was a sentimental moment at Te Rapa on Saturday when Don’s Legacy broke through for his maiden win in the Noverre Mile (1600m) for owner-trainer Dennis Nunn. The six-year-old gelding was bred by Nunn’s close friend Don Wilson and was gifted to Nunn by Wilson’s widow Dorothy Wilson following his passing five years ago. Nunn took a patient approach with the Bullbars gelding’s development, and was rapt to get the victory at his 12th start. “It has been a while coming,” Nunn said. “It was great to get the win, especially for the Wilson family.” Don’s Legacy went into the race in good form, having finished runner-up in his two prior starts, but his trainer was a bit nervous with the gelding having suffered a stone bruise in the weeks prior, but he needn’t have worried. “He had a few little niggles in-between (his last start), he had a stone bruise which came out on the Sunday before the race,” Nunn said. “That made us a little apprehensive, but it went well.” Nunn and Wilson’s friendship goes back more than four decades, and Nunn said Wilson’s love for animals was evident from their first meeting at his farm. “I met Don 45 years ago when he had (Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) winner) Oopik going,” Nunn said. “I went to see him for some reason, and he said to me ‘want to come for a ride?’, so off we went. When I went to hop in the front of his flash Valiant he said to me ‘you’re in the back seat, my dog, Bob, is in the front. He works for me, so you’re in the back’. “Don was a very straight shooter. The animals, and of course his family, were his love, they came first.” The pair continued their burgeoning friendship and shared their love for farming, animals and horse racing. “From there we have been great friends,” Nunn said. “Whenever he needed some help on the farm, I had a little farm myself, I would go around and help start his tractor or put a pipe in for him or help transfer his horses from A to B. “He was a bit like a grandfather to me, I never had one. He was a real character.” When Wilson passed away at the turn of the decade, Nunn decided to take on his unbroken yearling and continue his good friend’s legacy, and aptly named the horse Don’s Legacy. “When Don passed away in 2020, Dorothy (wife) had no takers for the horse. I said to her ‘do you mind if I took him?’ and she said I was most welcome to the horse. “I then took him to my daughter’s sheep farm and chucked him up in a big 70-acre paddock and forgot about him for six months, and then brought him back to Hamilton and got him broken in. “He has been in and out a few times. The last time he raced (preparation), Sam Spratt rode him for me and she said she thought he was too big to go on the hard ground so put him aside, which we duly did. This time he has come back with a fifth, two seconds and a win.” The victory meant a great deal to Nunn and on Monday he went out to visit Dorothy to savour the win. “I went and saw her today and I have got a photo of the horse framed coming back to the birdcage, with the breeder being Don Wilson on it,” he said. “She was certainly in a bit of shock that he had won a race, I hadn’t seen her in a while.” It was also Nunn’s first training victory in more than 30 years, and he was delighted to break the drought. Horses have always been a big part of Nunn’s life, but he said his interest in racing was piqued in his formative years in the workforce. “I used to work with a gentleman who was an apprentice (jockey) many years ago called Terry Knox. Terry got me interested and I used to help him a bit before work at Te Rapa,” Nunn said. “I always had an interest and people have been very kind to me along the way.” Following Saturday’s win, Nunn said Don’s Legacy is enjoying a week in the paddock before he brings him back in search of his next win. “The jockey (Elen Nicholas) said she feels he is waking up a bit,” Nunn said. “I thought she rode him brilliantly, it was a lovely ride, so we will give him a week out in the paddock and go again.” View the full article

Four-time Gr.1 winner and European superstar, PADDINGTON, has had his first Southern Hemisphere foals arrive on the ground at Windsor Park. “Both his foals are outstanding” commented Rodney Schick. “They have substance and quality. His own attributes are evident in his foals.” Paddington ex. Black Queen Photo: supplied Paddington ex. The Flying Mullet Photo: supplied First on the ground was a colt from a Mastercraftsman mare, The Flying Mullet. This chestnut colt is from a medium-sized mare from the family of Her Royal Highness and Kingsguard. He is correct, has leg and strength. I’m thrilled with him”. Second to foal to Paddington was Black Queen, a half-sister to Karaka Million winner Dynastic. “This brown filly is the first foal from the mare. She has quality, is well-marked, with good bone. It is an excellent first foal.” Rod added “I’m really thrilled with the PADDINGTON foals to date – you would expect so as he is a magnificent specimen, but it gives me great excitement about what’s to come.” PADDINGTON and his foals can be viewed by appointment at the stud. We will be showing him along with AUGUSTE RODIN, CIRCUS MAXIMUS, PROFONDO, SHAMEXPRESS, TURN ME LOOSE and VANBRUGH this week so feel free to contact Mike Moran 021 326 276 or Nick Hewson 027 353 4042 to arrange a viewing. PADDINGTON stands his 2nd season at stud in 2025 at a fee of $35,000 + GST. View the full article

Cody Cole is happy to play a waiting game with Landlock before confirming the three-year-old’s main goals for the season. The Matamata trainer has circled the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) on September 6 as the talented son of Merchant Navy’s resuming run and will firm up plans after the Ellerslie race. Landlock performed well in top company last term with a debut win and runner-up finishes in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) and Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m). In between times, he was fifth in the $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and signed off when third and subsequently relegated to fourth in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). “We haven’t really made a firm plan with him, you probably wouldn’t say he really ran the 1400m out strongly in the Sires, but he was at the end of his preparation,” Cole said. “He probably wasn’t at his best, but it was still a very good run. I would say as a three-year-old he’s going to get up to a mile the way the has finished his races off. “We’ll wait and see how he performs first-up before we make a plan for him.” A $20,000 Karaka buy out of Woburn Farm’s draft, Landlock will further his preparation later this week. “He will go for a gallop on Thursday at Ellerslie and that will top him off nicely to kick off in the Sir Colin Meads,” Cole said. “He really likes Ellerslie and ran well in the Millions and in the Group One. “He seems to have come up well and had a jump-out at Matamata last week and went to Taupo a couple of weeks before that for an outing and a gallop.” Stablemate Navigator will also stretch his legs at Ellerslie ahead of his first-up run there in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m). “He also jumped out last week with Landlock, he’s not a horse you can back up, so we bypassed the Foxbridge (Gr.2, 1200m),” Cole said. “He’s really good fresh and has won first-up over 1400m before, we’ll be leaving the blinkers off him so he doesn’t overdo it and can tend to do that when he gets a bit further than 1200m.” The chestnut son of El Roca is a four-time winner and finished third behind Grail Seeker in last season’s Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m). “He’ll run in the Proisir and then we’ll freshen him up for the Rotorua race (Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes, 1200m) that he ran second in last year,” Cole said. “There’s the Telegraph again obviously, and we want to see how he goes around Ellerslie. “He hasn’t done much racing right-handed, he’s only had a few runs and he was a little bit awkward around Tauranga so the more experience the better for him.” View the full article

Lhasa proved he is more than a synthetic track specialist when he nearly caused an upset when finishing runner-up in Saturday’s Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa. The Hellbent gelding has recorded six of his seven career victories on the polytrack, and it was his sole victory on the grass at Trentham back in March that enticed owner-trainer Mark Treweek to try his charge on the turf once more. He selected the Foxbridge Plate as his target, and Lhasa went into the race in good form, having won two of his previous four races, and finished runner-up last-start in the $100,000 Polytrack Championship (1400m) at Awapuni. Te Rapa’s Heavy8 track rating was Treweek’s main concern heading into the race, however, his gelding skipped along the surface outside pacemaker Sacred Satono for much of the journey. He headed his more fancied rival with 250m to go, but was run down late by Sterling Express. Lhasa’s run gave Treweek his biggest thrill in a training capacity, and he was proud of his charge’s tenacity in the closing stages. “It was super,” Treweek said. “We were up off our seats, it was like winning for us. The other horse was just too smart, he is a very high-quality horse. “We were really rapt with him, he has really matured into a horse now. He tries very hard. We were rapt that he could line-up in that company.” While Lhasa has thrived on synthetic tracks, Treweek said he always knew his gelding could replicate those feats on a grass surface. “As a three-year-old we ran him on the grass quite a bit, but he was quite weak at that stage, he couldn’t finish his races off,” Treweek said. “He has always gone well on the synthetic, he likes that good, even surface. “He has shown us that he could gallop on the turf, he won the open sprint at Wellington.” Treweek said Lhasa has come through the race well, and with Saturday’s result, he is now setting his sights a little higher over spring. “With the rating he has got (94) and running second in that race on the weekend, it shows that he probably is up to it if you can find the right races for him,” Treweek said. “He is thriving on his racing at the moment. We try not to over-race him, usually a three-week gap is ideal for him. “We are not too sure where to go from here. We are looking to see what is available and stay away from a couple of the Group Ones and just try to pick out a nice race or two for him over the spring.” Lhasa’s result on the weekend may have been the highlight of Mark Treweek’s training career to date, but now the Cambridge horseman feels like he has some unfinished business in that role. “The Group Two is the best that we have had training ourselves, we never train many, just the odd one of our own that weren’t really good enough to leave in stables,” he said. “We have been lucky enough to have bought and sold Group One winners and been owners of Group One winners, it would have been great to have trained a Group winner ourselves, so there’s a bit of a target now. Hopefully Lhasa might be able to do it for us.” Lhasa’s victory capped a perfect end to Treweek’s week, with his only other stable runner, Seamsew, having won at Cambridge a few days prior. “Seamsew has come through it really well too. He’s in a good space at the moment,” Treweek said. “1000m is his trip because he has always had average knees, so we can’t overwork him. “He will probably go back to Cambridge again, because basically that’s all there is for him, and he will just keep ticking over as well.” View the full article

The momentum towards Ashburton’s first ever harness 5000 meeting is really starting to build. After the weekend’s racing, a total of 69 horses have now meet the eligibility criteria – an increase of 32 on last week. The biggest category is the 18 5YO Pacing Entires and Geldings who have qualified. The Harness 5000 at Ashburton on December 21 will feature 12 $60,000 finals for trotters and pacers whose sire stood for an advertised retail service fee of $5,000 or less in the breeding season of conception. This year the qualifying period is from July 3 to December 9, 2025 and to be eligible horses must compete in at least five race day starts within this period. To see the harness 5000 leaderboard click here Smiths’ double celebration at Addington By Brad Reid Phil and Christine Smith had double the reason to celebrate at Addington Raceway earlier this month when they enjoyed a rare race-to-race double with a pair of horses they not only bred, but own and race. The Coaster Howe-trained duo of Berretini (Sportswriter) and Cormoran Strike (Creatine) have been stalwarts through the winter months, and their latest exploits not only rewarded their connections with winning cheques, but also booked both horses’ eligibility in the lucrative $60,000 Harness 5000 Series Final at Ashburton in December. For the Smiths, it was a night to remember. “It was fantastic. Coaster had been tipping us out for a few weeks, and of course Cormoran can sometimes disappoint you, then come out and win like he’s supposed to. He went better than expected really, especially with the run he got. To get two in a row on the night was unbelievable. We made full use of the winning owners’ bar,” Christine laughed. Few horses in the country have raced as consistently as Cormoran Strike, who chalked up his seventh career win last week. The flashy black squaregaiter has been in the money in five of his last eight starts, and has raced no fewer than 25 times this season alone. “After he didn’t go that well one night, Coaster changed things around and just worked him every week. He thrives on racing. Those 1980m races don’t hurt him at all. He’s been like a wee cashflow card and quietly joined the six-figure club,” Christine explained. But the trainer still believes there’s more in the tank. “Coaster thinks the world of him and knows he’s better than what he’s shown at times. That’s the frustrating thing – he’s got more in him, but he doesn’t always show it. That’s just the horse.” Cormoran Strike is the fourth foal from Fancy Pants (Sundon), who arrived at the Smiths’ property by way of a debt owed. “Dennis Price owed us some money and signed her over. She left a good one first up. We had some bad luck after that – one had an accident, another didn’t work out. We ended up selling her, but we’ve recently got a Speeding Spur filly out of her from a free service I won at the breeders’ night, so that’s how the filly came about.” Where Cormoran Strike has made his mark with durability, Berretini is carving a path as pacer worth following. The three-year-old became the first male pacer of his age to qualify for the Harness 5000 Final after his tough victory at Addington, sitting parked for much of the 1980m trip before digging in to score by half a neck under Robbie Close. “Friday night was huge – he was left parked the whole way and still dug in to win. He’s still green, but he’s learning,” Christine said. Berretini hails from one of the Smiths’ most productive mares, Midnight In Paris (Christian Cullen), a three-race winner once trained by Kevin Fairburn. She’s left six winners from nine foals of racing age, including the open-class pacer Nandolo (Betterthancheddar), who now races in North America and has banked over $1.1 million. “We didn’t race Midnight In Paris ourselves. Trevor Welham owned her and bred the first foal. When he went overseas we acquired her. She’s been a terrific broodmare. Paris tends to leave giants, so we went back to Sportswriter as a smaller sire and Berretini turned out a damn nice horse.” Coaster Howe rated him highly enough to line up as a two-year-old, but immaturity got in the way. “He tied up – just immaturity – so we gelded him and put him aside for three. This winter he’s thrived and shown he’s above average.” Of course, Berretini’s half-brother Nandolo left the Smiths with some of their proudest racing moments. He started in a New Zealand Cup, placed at Group 1 level, and before bleeding issues forced his sale, showed he could mix it with the elite. “He gave us some great thrills. Betterthancheddar did a bloody good job with the stock he got and the numbers he had. Nandolo’s proof of that. Even this season as an 11-year-old he’s won six races. We bred sound horses and he’s proof of that.” The Harness 5000 Series, designed to reward breeder-owners supporting value stallions, has been a timely boost for people like the Smiths. “It’s a good idea because it might keep some of the smaller breeders in the game – those breeding on a budget but wanting to race their horses,” Christine said. While they never set out to chase the scheme, their philosophy has always been pragmatic. “Bettor’s Delight priced himself out of reach – you’ve got to have a very good horse to get your money back. The mares we’ve got are genuine and they seem to leave winners, so as long as the sire is reasonable they cross well.” So what’s next? “We’ll probably look at Kaikoura, his brother Nandolo won there, then maybe Cup Week. We can’t just sit around waiting for the 5000 final. He’s still green, so racing will improve him.” And as for their broodmare band, the Smiths aren’t slowing down. “We were going to cut back, but mares are hard to shift. Nobody wants them. At the moment we’ve got five, including Happy Harper who bowed a tendon and will go to stud. No trotters, unfortunately.” With a history of producing tough, sound horses and a broodmare band still ticking over, the Smiths are proving that breeding to race can be as rewarding as it is enduring. Last Friday at Addington was proof enough: two horses, back-to-back wins, and a reminder that sometimes persistence – like the horses themselves – pays off. Their story also stretches back to two of the open-class trotters of the 2000s, Whatsundermykilt (Sundon) and Glenbogle (Armbro Invasion), both bred and raced in partnership with Kevin Fairburn. Between them they earned just under $1 million in stakes, delivered Group 1 glory, and gave the Smiths unforgettable days at the races, cementing their reputation as breeder-owners capable of producing horses that last the distance. View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk What a way to bring up your 50th driving success. Morrinsville trainer-driver Warren Rich achieved the milestone at Alexandra Park on Friday night on a trotter he also co-bred, co-owns and trains. Snowy’s Success was having his second career start and despite being second on debut still went out at double figure odds ($17.90). He is by Majestic Son out of Rise to Success, a two race winner. “I thought there were a couple better than us out there but on the night they weren’t,” says Rich. The four-year-old gelding got an economical run in the Blanchard Racing Stables – Here For The Horse Trot. After being three back the fence Rich got a lucky break when leader Mass Disruption went up the track around the 700 metre mark. That left Snowy’s Success in the trail turning for home. He then darted up the passing to win by more than a length. “I could see the one outside Todd MacFarlane’s horse (Pirayas) poking through but I didn’t know how quick it was coming,” says Rich. Not quick enough as it turned out, with that horse Whatever It Takes grabbing second with Pirayas third. “It was a good win, any win’s a good win.” Of his 50 wins, half have been as an open or junior driver and 25 as an amateur. His first win came when he was a junior driver with Dilemma Mill in 1992. A farrier by profession, Rich trains a small team at the Morrinsville track. His pinnacle moment in the sport came in 2002 when he and then training partner Mike Berger quinellaed the New Zealand Cup with Gracious Knight and Facta Non Verba. As for Snowy’s Success, just where he starts next is a bit up in the air. “He threw a spanner in the works by winning,” Rich laughs, “I thought he was going to line up in a maiden next week but he’s won now so we will have to re-jig our plans.” It’s a good problem to have. View the full article

By Jonny Turner There were differing fortunes for old friends Bruce Wallace and Phil Williamson on Southern Surge Finals Day. But both still managed to secure two of the major prizes on a big day of southern harness racing in Gore. Williamson and Wallace aren’t just friends, they’re connected by one of New Zealand’s greatest broodmares in Frances Jay Bee. In the 1990s, Wallace owned and trained the mare with Williamson doing the driving before he took over the training. Following her retirement, Wallace bred the mare on a turnabout basis with his co-owners, with Williamson then guiding her second foal One Over Kenny to multiple Group 1 successes and champion status. The pair were meant to be rivals at Gore with Wallace’s Hobbs and Jay Bee Hill – both descendants of Frances Jay Bee – clashing with Williamson’s hot favourite Rangitata. But when Williamson’s truck struck trouble and Rangitata had to be late-scratched, it was left to Wallace to produce a dream result with Hobbs and Jay Bee Hill filling a Southern Surge Final quinella. “Phil failed to turn up with Rangitata which made it a bit easier, but she would have had to run a track record to beat us,” Wallace quipped. Frances Jay Bee can be described as a gift that keeps on giving through her dozens of descendants that keep winning races. But Wallace admits he probably hasn’t enjoyed his share of that success. “Well actually I haven’t had too many gifts out of it, I sold Majestic Ruby – a half-sister to Hobbs.” “I have probably been buying farms more than racing horses, but this one might be the final gift for me.” When bringing Hobbs along towards her racetrack career, Wallace knew he had a quality trotter and repelled many offers to sell her. The ability the trainer had faith in was on full show in Hobbs’ 2200m track-record breaking win at Gore. “I was sitting here with the watch and when they got to the 800m in 1.49-1.50.” “I thought she would nearly have to go a track record and it would have to be a big effort for Hobbs and even for Jay Bee Hill.” “She was out there doing the work, so I am pretty proud of both girls.” The Frances Jay Bee legacy got richer on Southern Surge Day when Tarragindi ran to a classy victory in another final. Phil Williamson may have missed the first three races at Gore, but thankfully Tarragindi arrived in plenty of time to put on a brilliant trotting display. Raced by the trainer’s wife Bev, the three-year-old showed his class when he won under a hold for driver Matthew Williamson. Tarragindi is a son of Kenny’s Dream, a granddaughter of Frances Jay Bee and a daughter of One Over Kenny. An untapped two-year-old last year, the trotter again showed he’s a more refined product this year, ready to attack the many feature races in spring and summer for three-year-olds. View the full article

By Mike Love Hi Life cruised into the winner’s circle at Rangiora yesterday, taking out the Barny’s All Trade Services pace over 2000m for Rangiora trainer Geoff Dunn. The four-year-old Sky Major mare had not raced since October 2024, and while Dunn was able to put the finishing touches on her preparation, he was quick to credit others for the win. “I’ve only had her for about six weeks. She was worked up by the owner Bruce Taylor, so she was ready to go when she got here,” Dunn said. Beginning safely from her wide draw in the small field, driver Riley Harrison sat at the back of the main body of the field for the majority of the race. She then launched Hi Life from the 500-metre mark, sustaining a strong finish to win by one and three-quarter lengths. “She’d been working nicely at home and had won her trial really well. There was none of my money on her, but I thought she’d go good. She’s a nice horse and does everything right,” Dunn explained. Hi Life had placed five times from 10 starts for former trainers Robert and Jenna Dunn before being sidelined with injury. “She had a decent injury which is why she hadn’t raced for a while, but she’s really bounced back well. Bruce did a really good job,” Dunn noted. Hi Life is the third foal out of Live Or Die mare Life’s Essential, who won three races from 27 starts for trainer Robbie Holmes. “She will keep racing. It’s just a matter of finding suitable races. She showed a bit of speed today and is feeling good. Hopefully she will keep being competitive,” Dunn said. Riley Harrison made it a double on the card when driving Smokin Ashes for Robert and Jenna Dunn to win the Auto Self Serve Waimak Junction and Greywacke RD Mobile Pace. Burnham trainer Bruce Negus also trained a double on the card with Gliding High, driven by Colleen Negus in the RHRC Membership Available 2025/2026 Amateur Drivers Mobile Pace, and Sandfly Bay winning with Sheree Tomlinson in the Paddy McDaddy Horse Of The Year Trot. View the full article

Cal Fischer, owner of Madera Thoroughbreds Racing LLC, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 19, at the age of 88 years old. Prior to monitoring the development of yearlings, weanlings, and sales stock at Madera Thoroughbreds, Fischer served on the Board of the Northern California Thoroughbred Association. Fischer is survived by his wife Jill, and his son Todd, the current Assistant Stallion Manager at Calumet Farm. The post Cal Fischer, Owner of Madera Thoroughbreds, Passes Away appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Northview Stallion's Engage, a multiple graded stakes winner by Into Mischief, got his first winner Aug. 24 when La Resolana won a maiden special weight race at Monmouth Park by 8 1/4 lengths.View the full article

After a last-place finish cost Sweet Azteca a start in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, she made it clear after winning the Rancho Bernardo: World Championships or bust. View the full article

Will Happen (Vekoma) came into this unveiling with a series of strong local works, and she returned to the barn as her sire's newest 'TDN Rising Star' at first-asking. Leading by opening lengths right after the jump, she sailed through an opening quarter in :22.46 without being asked and had amassed an eye-catching margin entering the lane with the field belatedly attempting to catch her. The 2-1 shot was never in any danger coming for home and she was easily the best. Umbralle (Into Mischief), the daughter of MGISW Unique Bella, was a long way second. Sales history: $30,000 Ylg '24 OBSWIN; $$70,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $210,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR. O-Abbondanza Racing LLC and Featherston, Roger; B-Loren Nichols (KY); T-Richard Batlas. #8 WILL HAPPEN ($6.60) dominates on debut for trainer @TeamBaltas. @welfinontes rode the juvenile Vekoma (@SpendthriftFarm) filly to this victory in the 5th race at @DelMarRacing. pic.twitter.com/q4RmikCukG — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 24, 2025 The post Vekoma’s Will Happen Stylish On Unveiling, Earns ‘Rising Star’ Status appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Amoss horses have made 20 starts in maiden races, picking up six wins and 11 top-three finishes. View the full article

After sweeping a trio of graded sprints at Saratoga Race Course this summer, Book'em Danno is not a guarantee to participate in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Del Mar Nov. 1.View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – At 6:30 Sunday morning, Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the hero of the 156h GI, $1.25 million Travers Stakes, was out and about around the Hall of Fame barn of trainer Bill Mott at the Oklahoma Training Track The 3-year-old colt, fresh off his resounding 10-length win in the Travers, grazed in the courtyard at the barn, looking like he could run another 1 ¼ miles later in the day. The margin of victory is tied for the fourth largest in Travers history. Sovereignty's blowout win was the fifth time a horse has won by that much; the last time it happened was 1976 when Wajima (Bold Ruler) did it. Bill Mott didn't come out of the race as well. He was sick with a nasty head cold but powered through. Having just won his first Travers – after failing with 13 other horses during his career–was better than any remedy he could have found at the drugstore. The Travers' win gives Godolphin's Sovereignty five wins in six starts this year and he has all the big ones: the GI Kentucky Derby, GI Belmont Stakes and Travers plus the GII Jim Dandy and GII Fountain of Youth. His only loss came in the GI Florida Derby where he finished second. “You saw a dang good 3-year-old,” Mott said with a smile when asked what anyone who watched the Travers saw on Saturday. “I think he locked up champion 3-year-old honors ..that confirmed it.” What remains for Sovereignty and jockey Junior Alvarado the rest of the year is one more test, the biggest yet. The GI, $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 2. Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock for Godolphin USA, indicated that is the final goal for 2025. Mott said Sunday that Sovereignty will remain at his Saratoga base until he heads to California. There, he could run into the likes of fellow 3-year-old Journalism (Curlin) and older horses such as GI Whitney Stakes winner and defending Classic winner Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), last year's Travers winner Fierceness (City of Light), the formidable Nysos (Nyquist) and Mindframe (Constitution), who is undefeated in three starts this year. “I am sure the others will be concerned about (Sovereignty) as much as we will be concerned about everyone else,” Mott said. Sovereignty has been feted by horse fans and horsemen and women alike since his victory in the Kentucky Derby. As each victory has followed, the superlatives have gotten larger. Mott, like everyone else, has heard the word great being used to describe his horse. “He is pretty darn good,” he said. “Greatness is defined by the test of time. You think greatness, you look at Forego and horses like that, horses that lasted more than one season. If they want to say great, I am not going to argue with them.” Thorpedo Anna Likely to Stay Away From the Big Boys After her popular–but nerve racking–victory in Saturday's GI, $500,000 Personal Ensign Stakes, reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) was bright and alert at trainer Kenny McPeek's Saratoga barn early Sunday morning. Any time a peppermint wrapper was rustled near her stall, she stuck her head out looking for the sweet treat. And she got plenty of them, following her brave win by a nose over Dorth Vader (Girvin), trained by George Weaver. The win was the 4-year-old Thorpedo Anna's 12th in 15 career starts and improved her 2025 record to four wins in five starts. “She's doing super,” trainer Kenny McPeek said in his office at his barn across from the Oklahoma Training Track. “I just went through every horse I have here, and she's probably the cleanest one right now. Her legs are clean. Cleaned the feed tub. Dragging her hotwalker around. Typical Thorpedo Anna.” Owned by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings Inc., Magdalena Racing, Mark Edwards and Judy Hicks, Thorpedo Anna will have one more start before the Breeders' Cup, either the GIII, $400,000 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park on Sept. 28 or the GI, $650,000 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 5. From there, it will probably be the GI, $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff, a race she won last year to complete a season of six wins in seven starts (five Grade Is). In the Personal Ensign, she was ridden, as always, by Brian Hernandez Jr., who has been her partner in all 15 races. McPeek came to that conclusion after watching Sovereignty (Into Mischief) chew up four other rivals in Saturday's GI Travers Stakes. “You've got to watch your competition, and that horse yesterday was ultra-impressive,” he said. “The time he ran, the way he did it. Even if he doesn't win the Classic, he's probably Horse of the Year. He's an amazing, amazing individual and for me to take him on..I'm a little intimidated by him. He's getting better and better. For her to take him on, we'd hesitate on that right now. Not that we're scared. We're realistic.” Pletcher Makes it Official: Fierceness To Pacific Classic Before making it official, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher wanted to make sure things went well on Sunday. Things went well on Sunday. That means that 4-year-old Fierceness (City of Light) is heading west to run in Saturday's GI, $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar. In order to make that happen, Pletcher had to like what he saw when 4-year-old Mindframe (Constitution) worked four furlongs in company with 3-year-old stablemate Classicist (Curlin). Mindframe was timed in 49.45 (52/112) and is being pointed to the GI, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup next Sunday afternoon at Saratoga. Pletcher said he did not want to run the two against each other until the Nov. 1 GI, $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic, so Fierceness is likely to be on a plane to California Wednesday. “It's obviously not an easy race by any means, assuming Nysos (Nyquist) and Journalism (Curlin) are in there,” Pletcher, outside his office at the Oklahoma Training Track Sunday morning, said about the Pacific Classic. “I think the timing for the Breeders' Cup Classic is good; it gives us a little extra time.” Fierceness, owned by Repole Stable, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier, will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez in the Pacific Classic. Pletcher is not sure yet if he will fly west; his assistant Sophie Green will accompany Fierceness. He said that Fierceness, fifth in the GI Whitney Stakes in his last start, will return to Saratoga after the race. Where he and the other Pletcher horses go after the Saratoga meet ends has yet to be determined. “Last year, we stayed here, and it seemed to work out fine,” Pletcher said. “We will have to see what the weather does. We could go to Belmont, we could go to Keeneland.” Mindframe, owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable, will be joined by stablemate Antiquarian (Preservationist) in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Owned by Centennial Farms, Antiquarian worked four furlongs in 48.65 (17/112) in company with 3-year-old stablemate Endorse (Curlin) Sunday on the main track. The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Sovereignty’s Next Goal Will be a Classic appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Eating grass outside Bill Mott's barn Aug. 24, Sovereignty appeared no worse for wear following his Travers Stakes (G1) victory. He now aims to wrap up a Horse of the Year campaign with a Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) win.View the full article

The top two where never in any doubt, and that's how they ran with Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca) coming out on top in the GIII Rancho Bernardo Stakes at Del Mar. Locking horns with Formula Rossa (Vekoma) right from the jump, the fillies rolled through fractions of :21.82 and a half in :43.81, and were still at each other's throats entering the lane. The grey eventually overpowered her determined rival to win by open lengths in 1:15.44. Chismosa (Clubhouse Ride) came on to be third. Sweet Azteca also won the 2024 running of this race. The victress was last seen July 5 winning the GII Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos over MGISW Kopion (Omaha Beach). Sunday, Del Mar RANCHO BERNARDO H.-GIII, $98,000, Del Mar, 8-24, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:15.44, ft. 1–SWEET AZTECA, 126, m, 5, by Sharp Azteca 1st Dam: So Sweetitiz (MSW, $180,480), by Grand Slam 2nd Dam: Sweetitiz, by El Prado (Ire) 3rd Dam: Tizsweet, by Cee's Tizzy O/B-Pamela Cee Ziebarth (KY); T-Richard Baltas; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 9-7-0-1, $667,200. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Formula Rossa, 117, f, 3, Vekoma–Fay Na Na, by Majestic Warrior. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($130,000 Ylg '23 KEEJAN; $270,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT). O-Muir Hut Stables LLC; B-Greathouse Equine, LLC & Glencrest Farm, LLC (KY); T-Mark Glatt. $20,000. 3–Chismosa, 119, m, 5, Clubhouse Ride–You Can Dream, by Cat Dreams. O/B-Jaime R. Renella (CA); T-Rafael DeLeon. $12,000. Margins: 3HF, 2 3/4, 6 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 1.70, 11.90. Also Ran: Donttellourwives. Scratched: Visually. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. SWEET AZTECA ($2.80) and @JJHernandezS19 throw down in the $100,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) at @DelMarRacing for trainer Richard Baltas and owner/breeder Pamela Ziebarth. Watch on-site coverage of Del Mar on @FanDuelTV. Bet with @FanDuel Racing.https://t.co/XK3TJD0A2X pic.twitter.com/mtgDkJs1rx — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 24, 2025 The post Sweet Azteca Too Much for Rancho Bernardo Foes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Should we call him The California Kid? It trips off the tongue, certainly. Like The Great Gambino. Or The Iceman. If Journalism's nickname needs more than just a nice phonetic ring to it, then The California Kid seems fitting for a horse who appears to embody the sun- bleached Pacific Coast ideal. The surfer dude, never happier than out on the waves or cracking a beer on the beach, unfazed by all of life's other meaningless clutter. Just ask the horse's tightknit coterie of coaches, fitness gurus, therapists and (unofficial) horse whisperers (more on this last one in a bit). “He's the kind of horse that walks into a stall, gets in, has a roll on his right side, makes a circular turn, finds himself a nice area, gives it a pat or two, then gets down, rolls on his left side,” says trainer Michael McCarthy, after morning training recently, choreographing the action with his hands, as though guiding water down the drain. The thing is, wherever he goes–Churchill Downs, Pimlico, Saratoga, Monmouth Park–Journalism bears no prejudice. He marches into his lodgings and repeats his routine. No hesitation. No qualms. “Like he's always lived there,” says McCarthy. “It's his way of telling me, 'You know, I'll be fine here. I'll figure it out,'” says McCarthy, explaining how otherwise, Journalism keeps his room spic-and-span, careful of the decor. “It's one of the signs that you see from these really good horses.” Then there was the time, just a few months ago, when the McCarthy stable was in the midst of its annual exodus from Santa Anita to Del Mar, the horses filing one-by-one from the barn out into the waiting 12-wheeled Arcs. All but one horse–Journalism, who would remain at Santa Anita to fly out for the Haskell. The solitary leftover wasn't fazed. No racing around his stall, getting all hot and bothered. No calling after his companions. “I come around, all the horses are coming out of their stalls, coming down the shedrow, loading up, hollering at each other,” says Deedee Anderson, the owner of a successful equine therapy business whose client-list has long included the McCarthy barn. “I check on Journalism, make sure he's okay,” Anderson recollects. “I get to his stall, this horse has already eaten his breakfast and is just standing in the middle, leg cocked, having a snooze–with all of that going on around.” But maybe the moniker doesn't fit the character as much as it does the moment, of a horse hailing from a circuit that has endured more than its fair share of (well publicized) setbacks over the years, trained by a Cali-native who still, despite the pressures and obstacles this new reality presents, wouldn't want to ply his trade anywhere else. “Our racetrack surfaces here in California are, on the whole, day in and day out, better than anywhere. Absolutely. All of America,” says McCarthy, then leans forward in his office chair to punctuate the point. “You'll make sure that gets in there?” This is borne out in the statistics. The Jockey Club's data shows both Del Mar and Santa Anita consistency among the very safest tracks in the country. Amazingly, there were no race-day fatalities at Del Mar throughout all of 2023. It's also borne out in the way, despite such marked numerical contraction in recent years out west, California runners continue to consistently go toe-to-toe with the best of them, emerging with reputations enhanced. “The talent pool may have shrunk a bit here. But the level of talent here is as good as it ever was,” says McCarthy. And Journalism is another timely reminder. “The quality certainly remains.” After a string of spring and summer East Coast raids that saw him bring back trophies for the Preakness and Haskell Stakes (alongside honorable mentions in bookended Triple Crown events), Journalism's next assignment will require panning for gold on home soils. The GI Pacific Classic, next Saturday at Del Mar. The race will mark his seventh in six months–a campaign considered quaint by bygone tastes, but almost swashbuckling by contemporary ones. A sharp five-furlong workout Saturday certainly didn't hurt his chances of appearing. A hard decision, apparently, will come Tuesday (or possibly sooner). If he does line up next Saturday, the race will mark his seventh in six months–a campaign considered quaint by bygone tastes, but almost swashbuckling by contemporary ones. The way his trainer explains it, Journalism's fortitude lies in just the right balance of attributes from his sire (Curlin) and damsire (Uncle Mo), matching chassis with engine. “When you look at him on the end of the shank, you see a lot of Curlin there. You see a wonderful neck, incredible shoulder. Balance. Plenty of condition. He's an incredibly well-boned horse. You know, there's no real flaws looking at him. His eye–he's got an incredibly intelligent eye,” says McCarthy. “It would be odd to see him walking around and his ears aren't like this,” McCarthy adds, wiggling his middle and forefingers of his right hand, like a Watership Down glove-puppet. “He just has this personality. This fortitude. This confidence. I guess that's when I think of Uncle Mo. He was probably the most genuine racehorse I'd ever been around,” he adds, a nod to his assistant days to Uncle Mo's trainer, Todd Pletcher. McCarthy set out his shingle as a trainer in his own right just over a decade ago. In the intervening years, he has built a reputation as a scrupulously disciplined trainer with an uncanny eye for priming the big horses for their biggest assignments. He coaxed four Grade I victories out of City of Light (Quality Road), culminating in a Breeders' Cup-Pegasus World Cup one-two punch of some clout. He carved an Eclipse Award winning career out of the redoubtable Ce Ce (Elusive Quality). With Rombauer's (Twirling Candy) 2021 Preakness Stakes win, he planted his flag, Lewis and Clark style, along the Triple Crown trail. It's one thing to have time to ready the athlete for the big occasion, slowly bring them to the boil. The Triple Crown requires of horse and trainer to draw on an altogether different set of qualities, like the ability to thrown down, even when the battery's sapped, and still spring back for more, like one of those reflexive punchbags. “I believe there's something about a good horse, just as with any good athlete, there's something at some stage that sets them apart,” says McCarthy. Journalism's is a rare appetite for hard graft. “He put on weight between the Preakness and the Belmont. From a figure standpoint, it looked like his fastest race had come in the last of the three legs of the Triple Crown,” he says, before remarking how, after returning home from Saratoga, the horse appeared disinterested by the idea of downtime. “We tried giving him an easy couple of weeks. It didn't seem like he was interested in really being backed off on.” As any trainer will attest, a masterful slight-of-hand performed by many a Thoroughbred is to show all the signs of a full tank during morning training, only to see that gas gauge fall faster than Newton's apple of an afternoon. Was there any moment where the trainer has questioned his approach? “You're always kind of questioning yourself a little bit,” McCarthy says. “But I guess I never really questioned myself about running back in two weeks from the Kentucky Derby to the Preakness until maybe about the half-mile pole in the Preakness, when it didn't seem like he was quite as engaged as he was two weeks earlier. “I thought maybe that the Kentucky Derby had taken more out of him then I thought,” he says. “Maybe he wasn't quite himself for the Preakness, even though he was doing everything he'd want a good horse to do.” The final result, of course, speaks for itself. The win speaks, too, of his versatility. “He hasn't needed it one way or the other,” says McCarthy, pinpointing Journalism's performance in the Haskell at Monmouth Park, swooping from off the pace to gobble up his old Preakness foe, Gosger, in the shadow of the wire–it was the first time he'd encountered an off-track. “He has not had to take his racetrack with him.” Given these new dimensions Journalism has brought to his career, has McCarthy gleaned any new lessons of his own? Some new little tricks to add to his already over-stuffed training manual? The trainer demurs. The horse, he argues, has given him little to really sweat about since first stepping foot into the barn, an $825,000 price tag dangling about his neck. There were the usual sort of growing pains, he says, during the summer of his two-year-old season, when a growth spurt stalled any plans to kick his year off at Del Mar. “He's a big horse, carries a lot of condition, incredible amount of bone,” says McCarthy. Launch day would come later that October, at Santa Anita, a corner-store stroll from his stall. “It gave us no choice but to back off then for a handful of weeks, kind of slowly start back, knowing anyway that he's probably a two-turn type of horse,” he says. Still, “I think when you have a top-flight type of horse, I think you have more time to step back and chart a course and wait, [because] you know the ability that is there,” McCarthy says. “He's been an easy read from day one.” Anderson hovers outside Journalism's stall, feeding him chunks of carrot from her pockets–a useful means of distraction, she says, if you want to chance a pat down his neck, unadulterated. There's a positive correlation, apparently, between proximity to a race and his overall testiness. As Journalism munches away, Anderson extols the work of exercise rider Marc Witkowski. “Marc knows this horse really, really well. He talks to his horses, really knows their nuances,” she says, with a hushed sort of reverence typically reserved for potentates and religious leaders. Witkowski downplays the compliment. “I'm not a horse whisperer. I just understand them,” he says. Witkowski attributes his horsemanship to his time as a young hand on a Tucson, Arizona, ranch next to his grandmother's house, overseen by a man who told him always to talk to the horses, “and to treat humans and horses the same.” “He [Ramon] always said, for people, if somebody was hungry or needed something, you give it to them. With horses, always be kind to them–don't be mean with them ever,” he says. There's an interesting criss-cross of paths between horse and exercise rider. After winning the GII Los Alamitos Futurity, Journalism was on the easy list for a few weeks with a minor sickness. It just so happened that the rider was also out for a few weeks with a broken bone in his ankle and a twisted knee, the result of landing wrong when dismounting. Witkowski's return to the saddle coincided with Journalism's return to full work. “I got back on him when he was just getting back into his routine. We were both so happy,” he says. “I was so scared when that happened, when I hurt myself, that I was going to miss out on everything,” he says. “The first thing that went through my head was that I was going to miss out. I don't know–I just always knew after the Futurity that he would be going to the Kentucky Derby.” McCarthy, in turn, points to the crucial (and so often unheralded) work put in by his assistant trainer, Felipe Rivera, and by groom Rolando Navas. Navas has been with the barn for something approaching a decade, caring for the likes of graded-stakes winning The Lieutenant (Street Sense) and hardened street-brawler Ohio (Elusive Quality). Of Journalism, says McCarthy, “there have been a lot of constants with him.” Journalism's five-furlong slingshot of a workout was still on the horizon when we spoke, and the Pacific Classic was still an uncertainty. “It seems like he's thrived on going to these different venues, different locales, and is a smart horse, you know—he's interested,” McCarthy says, playing coy about his plans. In other words, wherever you take him, trust the horse to throw his hat into the ring. At the same time, “he's very at home here,” says McCarthy. Sounds a lot like the trainer. The post With New Tests on Horizon, Team Talks Journalism: I’m Not a Horse Whisperer. I Just Understand Them” appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX – The annual single session Texas Yearling Sale put on by the Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) and hosted by Dallas-area Lone Star Park is set for 10 a.m. CT on Tuesday, Aug. 26. The TTA catalogue has blossomed from 207 head in 2024 to 261 this year. The offerings include 63 from Texas, 115 from Louisiana, 30 from Arkansas and 11 from Oklahoma. An additional 22 horses have been entered for the mixed session for a total of 283. By the numbers, the 2024 edition, which showcased one of the smaller catalogues in sale history, reported 175 sold for $3,240,000. The average was $18,542 and the median was $11,000, while 77 went unsold. With over 60 on offer, the largest consignment goes to Highlander Training Center, whose sales prep for this year's sale is led for the first time by Colin Brennan. “We are looking forward to a very positive Texas sale this year,” said Chairman & CEO of Highlander Training Center Jeff Hooper. “We had tremendous interest from owners this year not only from Texas, but from Kentucky to Louisiana, to Arkansas to California for us to prep and sell their yearlings.” Hooper said that the auction has proven to be a marketplace where pinhookers can buy quality prospects, but it also serves those who are looking to race. “We have worked to tailor our consignment to provide what both types of buyers are looking for,” he said. “Colin is an exceptional horseman and well-connected throughout the industry.” The TTA catalogue includes a range of sires, plus first-crop stallions like Corniche, Early Voting, Mo Donegal, Mandaloun and Cyberknife. Click here to access the TTA website and here for the online catalogue. The post Annual Texas Yearling Sale Hosted By Lone Star Park Set For Tuesday Aug. 26 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Quisisana could be the surprise invite to European racing's biggest party after earning a free supplementary entry for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) with a win in the Prix Jean Romanet (G1) Aug. 23. View the full article

Randy Howg's homebred Take Charge Tom overcame a stumble at the start to get his first graded stakes victory in the CA$200,000 Canadian Derby (G3) by 5 3/4 lengths Aug. 23 for trainer Robertino Diodoro at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino.View the full article

Precise gave trainer Aidan O'Brien his first win in the seven-furlong Prestige Fillies' Stakes (G3) at Goodwood Racecourse Aug. 24, and earned herself an automatic starting position in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf View the full article

On the day before the win in the GI Forego Stakes by Book 'em Danno (Bucchero), trainer Derek Ryan had already made up his mind about the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. He had no plans to go. “I'm really not that interested in the Breeders' Cup,” Ryan said. “I have no desire to go there. I'm sure I'll be pressured into it, but the Breeders' Cup is not on my radar. I'm not keen to run him on a track that I don't think will suit him. The stretch is too short and the track is speed-favoring. I don't know why they keep running the Breeders' Cup in California. We have some very good tracks here in the East.” Book 'em Danno is a 4-year-old and a gelding and Ryan wants to keep him around for several more years. “He's run four monster races in a row, starting with the race at Churchill,” he said. “They've been tough races. It has taken a little bit out of him. We want him to last. I need him around for a few more years. I'll get together with the partners and we will discuss it. Of course, the $2 million purse means something but I want the horse around for a few years. We'd like to extend his career for as long as possible and that's why I'm not convinced that going to the Breeders' Cup is the right thing to do.” In the Forego, Book 'em Danno, the New Jersey-bred, won by a length in what may have been his hardest race to date. But it also firmly established him as the top sprinter in the country. If the Breeders' Cup were run next week, he'd likely be the favorite. He's won three graded stakes in a row, all of them at Saratoga. The list also includes the GIII True North S. and the GII Alfred G. Vanderbilt S. The Forego, Book 'em Danno's first Grade I victory, might have been a game-changer. After what he showed on Saturday at Saratoga how can you not run him in the Breeders' Cup? By Sunday Ryan had softened his stance a little bit. “We'll talk about it down the road,” he said. “I am sure I will have a meeting with the partners. I'm a bit set in my ways. It's not a no and it's not a yes. It's a maybe.” Book 'em Danno is owned By Atlantic Six Racing, a group of six friends, all of them from the Jersey Shore. Jay Briscione is the managing partner. His thoughts on the Breeders' Cup? “It's the trainers' job is to do what he is doing,” Briscione said. “By any metric you look at, this is probably the most consistent horse in training. He deserves all the credit and Derek has done a great job, We have a good relationship with Derek and we always kick these things around and try to figure out the best spots for him. He is a gelding, We have a stewardship of him now because we want to keep him going and racing because he's developed such a following. Having said that, none of us has ever had a horse for the Breeders' Cup and it's an unbelievably exciting thing. I know it's a cliche. But we want to first see how he reacts and how he comes out of this race. Then we'll make our decision.” “The negatives are that he'll have to face some very good, fresh horses like Straight No Chaser and Bentornado. They'll be fresh and we've gone through a tough campaign. We'd have to ship all the way across the country. It's a speed favoring track with a short stretch. Those are the negatives. The positive is the $2 million purse. We're keeping an open mind.” No Triple Crown for Sovereignty While nothing is certain in racing it sure looks like Sovereignty (Into Mischief) would have won the Triple Crown had his connections decided to run him in the Preakness. He's simply the best 3-year-old around and even a super horse like Journalism (Curlin) can't beat him. Why would the Preakness have been any different? But this is what happens when the Triple Crown sticks to a schedule that calls for horses to run three times in five week and with only two week's rest between the GI Kentucky Derby and the GI Preakness. Trainer Bill Mott and the Godolphin team thought that was too much to ask of their horses and skipped the Preakness. Since, he's won the GI Belmont, the GII Jim Dandy and Saturday's Grade I Travers Stakes You can't blame Mott or the owner. They genuinely believed that running in the Preakness was not the right thing to do for the horse. But what if the Preakness were run on the first Saturday in June, which would have meant five weeks between the Derby and Preakness, the same gap that is now between the Derby and the Belmont? Unless they expand the time between the race, this could be a continuing problem. I have never understood why trainers are so afraid to run their horses back on short rest, but they are. Sovereignty won't be the last Kentucky Derby winner to pass the Preakness. And every time that happens, the sport will miss out on a possible Triple Crown winner. An intransigent NYRA won't hear of moving the date of the Belmont, even though their premier race has much to lose if they don't change their minds. First Saturday in May. First Saturday in June. First Saturday in July. That's the answer. Belterra Stewards Got It Right Congratulations to the stewards at Belterra Park, who did a lot more than slap leading rider Albin Jimenez on the wrist. Instead, they brought the hammer down after watching the replay of a ride in Thursday's second race at Belterra that was, to say the least, suspect. It was trainer Tom Drury, who saddled Jimenez's mount, the 3-5 shot Afleet Vintage (Afleet Alex), who asked the stewards to review the race. Afleet Vintage broke sharply and actually took the lead going into the first turn. But from there, it appeared that Jimenez had a tight lock on the horse and wasn't going to be happy until he wound up last. At the same time a horse named Permit to Carry (Goldencents), swooped to the lead on the far turn and looked unbeatable at that point. Jimemez finally started asking his horse and closed for a non-threatening second. The winner was ridden by Summer Pauly. We don't know what Jimenez said to the stewards, but they obviously weren't impressed, handing him a one-year suspension. The suspension will be reduced to six months if he does not file an appeal. Too many other stewards would have suspended him for 15, maybe 30 days. The Belterra stewards gave him the type of penalty that was appropriate for a ride like that. Good for them. The post Book ‘Em Danno Connections Wrestling with Breeders’ Cup Decision appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article