Wandering Eyes

Churchill Downs Incorporated announces the addition of three new points-bearing races on the European / Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby series.View the full article

Sam Agars MR DESIRA - R6 (5) Switch to the Valley and rise in trip look suitable from a good draw Jay Rooney NORTHERN BEAST - R2 (2) Looks poised to take advantage of gate one with Purton back on Owen Goulding DANCING CLASSICS - R3 (1) Will step forward from return and can stalk from the inside draw Phillip Woo NORTHERN BEAST - R2 (2) Has drawn ideally and returns to his favourite course Shannon (Vincent Wong) REWARDING BUDDY - R3 (10) Performed well in recent trial and can...View the full article

A trio of new points-bearing races on the European / Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby series have been added to the lineup for 2026, according to a Churchill Downs Incorporated release Tuesday. The G3 UAE 2000 Guineas, G3 Saudi Derby and Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby Stakes (formerly the Al Bastakiya) will now award qualifying points toward up to two invitations for 3-year-olds to compete in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs on May 2, 2026. New European / Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby Races and Points Structure UAE 2000 Guineas – 1 mile at Meydan Racecourse, Dubai on Jan. 23, 2026 – Points: 20-10-6-4-2 Saudi Derby – 1 mile at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, Riyadh on Feb. 14, 2026 – Points: 30-15-9-6-3 Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby Stakes – 1 3/16 miles at Meydan on Feb. 20, 2026 – Points: 20-10-6-4-2 With these additions, the European / Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby now comprises 10 races, culminating with the $1-million G2 UAE Derby at Meydan on Mar. 28, 2026. The UAE Derby will now award 100 points to the winner, 60 points for second, 30 points for third, 15 points for fourth and 10 points for fifth. “These additions deepen our international pathway to the Kentucky Derby and extend the Derby brand into two of the sport's most dynamic markets,” said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of CDI. “By anchoring a multi-race circuit in Dubai and including the Saudi Derby in Riyadh, we are building consistent engagement with global owners, trainers and fans, strengthening the Derby's worldwide relevance. This expansion is a meaningful step in advancing CDI's international footprint while ensuring the Kentucky Derby remains the most compelling stage for the world's best 3-year-old Thoroughbreds.” The European / Middle East and Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby operate as separate pathways from the primary 36-race series in the United States. Collectively, these international routes can yield up to three starting gate positions for overseas contenders, including up to two invitations to the top point-earners from the European / Middle East series. Launched in 2020, the $1.5 million Saudi Derby was won in 2024 by Forever Young (Jpn), who went on to finish third in the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby. “The addition of The Saudi Derby on the European / Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby is an important step forward for Saudi racing and offers local owners the chance of winning points for their horses to earn a run at Churchill Downs in May 2026,” said His Royal Highness Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal, Chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia. “This announcement also marks the beginning of an exciting new partnership between The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia and Churchill Downs Inc. which holds the promise of more collaboration in the future. Thanks to the vision of Saudi Arabia's leadership, we have been in a position to take advantage of key opportunities on the international stage since the inauguration of The Saudi Cup in 2020. This latest development further strengthens the depth of appeal of The Saudi Cup weekend and sees The Saudi Derby form part of a series of prestigious races with those in the United Arab Emirates, that further compliment the important Middle East swing of winter racing.” Since 1967, 57 horses that raced outside North America have competed in the Kentucky Derby. Winners include Canonero II (Venezuela, 1971) and Bold Forbes (Puerto Rico, 1976), with notable placings by European and Japanese runners over the decades. The post Trio of International Races Added to Kentucky Derby Series Lineup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

David Hayes has labelled barrier seven “perfect” for Ka Ying Rising in Saturday’s Group One The Everest (1,200m) at Randwick after Tuesday night’s barrier draw on Sydney Harbour. While Hayes said on Monday he wanted to be as close to the rail as possible, he certainly wasn’t disappointed when gate seven appeared for the world’s best sprinter during a spectacular drone show. “Perfect. I was going to be happy with anywhere from four to eight and we got there,” Hayes said. “Jump fast and get a good...View the full article

After going through her first New Zealand campaign unbeaten, Australian superstar Keayang Zahara is the biggest mover in this week’s rankings for the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot and the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup, to be held at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. The Volstead four-year-old, who famously won her first 15 starts, was super impressive winning the Dullard Cup in Melbourne over the weekend, beating the likes of Inter Dominion and TAB Trot champion Arcee Phoenix in the process. That victory, her 16th in 17 career starts, has propelled her up eight places to now be seventh in the Dominion rankings. Her wins last year in New Zealand were in the Trotting Oaks, the Trotting Derby and the Show Day slot race, THE ASCENT. She will line up again in the Bill Collins Mile at Melton this Saturday night in another star studded affair. Mighty Logan booked his place in the Dominion with his win in the Worthy Queen at Addington on Friday night while Robert and Jenna Dunn-trained stablemate I Dream Of Jeannie has gone up four places to 14th following her brave second in the same race. During the week both Nellie Doyle and Eurostyle were withdrawn from the field. The winner of Friday night’s Canterbury Park Trotting Cup (9.04pm) at Addington will seal a place in the Dominion field. It’s the last of the automatic qualifiers as is the Canterbury Classic for the New Zealand Cup (9.35pm). Pinseeker will be part of a stellar line-up in that race. Following his second fresh up at Addington last Friday he goes from 18 to 16th – his promotion also helped by the withdrawal of Chase A Dream who had been 12th in the rankings. Across the Tasman there’ll be plenty of interest in Saturday night’s Victoria Cup after Leap To Fame’s upset defeat last weekend. It’s the one feature across the Tasman he hasn’t won and the draws were not kind to him. He has drawn one the second row over 2240 metres. View the Rankings here View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk After 15 months away one of the country’s brightest talents Sarah O’Reilly will return to competitive driving at Addington on Friday night. “I definitely missed it,” says O’Reilly, “and I am ready and good to go.” The Ashburton-based trainer-driver has been off the scene since July 2024 when a horse literally jumped into her cart during trackwork, breaking her arm and causing other injuries. Since then the road to recovery has been a long and trying one. Some weeks ago O’Reilly got the all clear to return to light duties at her employer Brent and Tim White’s stables and then today she passed another big milestone by driving at the trials. She even reined home a winner! “All went well, my arm felt good – it was very pleasing,” says O’Reilly. Now the way is clear for a return to race night driving and on Friday she will drive Moses, trained by her father Gerard, in the Remembering Murray Butt Mobile Trot. She will have another three drives at Oamaru on Sunday. A former champion junior driver O’Reilly is now in the open ranks and has had more than 300 winners since her first in April 2018. View the full article

Popular harness racing platform Harnesslink will continue, under new ownership. It has been saved by major Australian owner Mick Harvey after earlier concerns that it would close, with the loss of half a dozen jobs, if a new owner wasn’t found by last Friday. The Sydney-based businessman has stepped in to buy the website as Kiwi founder and long-time owner John Curtin looks to step away from the day to day business. “Harnesslink has been a trusted source of global harness racing coverage for more than two decades,” says Harvey. “What John Curtin has built over the past 23 years is truly remarkable — a platform that gives the harness racing industry an independent voice, connects participants across continents, and celebrates the sport at every level. “I want to sincerely thank John for his dedication and the foundation he has created. “My goal is simple: to continue and strengthen Harnesslink’s role as a voice for the harness racing community worldwide. “Harness racing has always been about community, hard work, and a deep love of horses. I’m proud to be part of that story and look forward to supporting the industry’s future through Harnesslink.” View the full article

Stakes-winning sprinter Buoyant (NZ) (Dalghar) recorded his biggest victory during New Zealand Cup Week at Riccarton three years ago and owner-trainer Sabin Kirkland has designs on returning to the carnival with his gelding next month. The son of Dalghar was in a purple patch of form during that period, placing in the Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) before winning the Gr.3 Stewards’ Stakes (1200m). He went on to win the Listed Hazlett Stakes (1200m) at Wingatui a month later, but his form dropped off when he campaigned in Australia. He returned to Kirkland’s care last year, and while Buoyant has recorded two victories on his return, he has battled soundness issues, and Kirkland is hoping he has now got on top of them. “We had a few issues with him and hopefully we might have him sorted,” Kirkland said. “He has a few muscle problems, so we have had a chiropractor going over him quite often, so hopefully we are on top of it all.” He showed positive signs he is heading in the right direction when runner-up last-start behind the Robert Dennis-trained Sir Sterling at Ascot Park earlier this month. “I was very happy with him. It wasn’t my plan to go to the front, but it is just the way it ended up,” Kirkland said. “He has come through it really well, he is bouncing.” Kirkland is hoping to see a continuation of that form when he heads to Wingatui on Friday where Buoyant will jump from barrier eight in the Otago Engineering Open (1400m). “He seems to go well at Wingatui, he has won some nice races there,” Kirkland said. “Being a Heavy10, the wider you are the better you are and hopefully we can ride him back this time. Corey (Campbell, jockey) has won a few races on him, so he knows the horse.” Kirkland is looking forward to returning to Riccarton next month for New Zealand Cup Week, and Buoyant’s performance on Friday will dictate which race he targets, with a return to try and reclaim the Stewards’ Stakes a possibility. “We will evaluate things after Friday,” Kirkland said. “We might go back to Wingatui and then onto the Cup meeting, or straight onto the Cup meeting. “We could have a look at the Stewards, but there is a nice Open 1400m on the last day worth $75,000, so we will have a look at those races. They might just be a bit smart for him over 1200m now.” Kirkland will also head to Wingatui with in-form mare Tomasina (NZ) (Darci Brahma), who will drop back to rating 75 grade in the Property Brokers – Ray Kean (1200m), after placing in her last two starts in open company. “She has gone super,” he said. “We have had her in the Open grade in her last two starts, so she is dropping back to 75. She seems to like the give in the track and I think she will put in a good effort.” View the full article

Andrew Forsman’s mare Positivity (NZ) (Almanzor) will look to make her presence felt on the middle day of the Caulfield Cup Carnival on Wednesday, taking on the feature Gr.3 Coongy Cup Handicap (2000m). A placegetter in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at three, Positivity joined Forsman’s Flemington stable on a permanent basis last term and took on serious Victorian company, winning the Gr.3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) before contesting the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), where she finished back in the 23-horse field. The daughter of Almanzor resumed in a competitive Gr.3 Sandown Stakes (1500m) last month and found the likes of Transatlantic and Evaporate too sharp, with that pair going on to finish one-two in the Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) over the weekend. Up to her favoured middle-distance trip, Forsman is confident that she can be more prominent in the running, and hopefully, the finish. “She’s going great, I know the form doesn’t read that way, but her sectionals were very good last start, it was just too short for her,” he said. “She was always going to get back and they would be too sharp, but it was a warm-up run to have her ready for this. “She’s operated really well second-up before at the 2000 at Caulfield and I think it’s the right sort of race, she’s well-weighted and finally drawn a reasonable barrier. “I think she’s got the ability to put herself in the first three or four in the run and I think she can run a good race.” Positivity will be ridden by in-form hoop Ben Allen, carrying 56.5kg. While she is likely to strike a Good4 surface at Caulfield, her stablemates in New Zealand are facing a very different fate, with track conditions dictating where Forsman takes his team of runners on Saturday. Talented sprinter Force Of Nature (NZ) (Savabeel) was initially set for the Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m) at Otaki but poor weather curtailed those plans, making the Elsdon Park 1400 at Ellerslie the only suitable option in the near future. A winner in half of his 10 starts, the gelding produced the only sub-par performance of his career last start at Te Rapa in August, Forsman putting that down to a true Heavy 10. “I think the track was almost too heavy for him that day, he made hard work of it so that’s why we gave him a little freshen up,” he said. “We’ve been waiting for a track that wasn’t as heavy, but that’s not been easy to find, so I guess that’s the logic behind going to Ellerslie. “He has been 1400m, but the worry is that he’s going into it in a bit of a fresh state. We did give him a trial at Te Rapa but that was a little while ago now. “The Spring Sprint at Otaki had been his target race, so with that time between, we just hope he won’t be too fresh at the 1400.” Privy Garden (So You Think) and Moonlight Magic (NZ) (Almanzor) have both been nominated for Sunday’s Wanganui Steelformers Waverley Cup (2200m) at Waverley, but the former is likely to appear at Trentham on the previous day in an Open mile. “Privy Garden ran well last start (Gr.3 Metric Mile, 1600m), we were looking to gain some black-type with her and at a mile, there were just a couple that were a bit too fast for her,” Forsman said. “We’re going to look to go over a little bit further and hope she can be effective at the middle-distance in black-type company. Running at Trentham this weekend is probably the first step in that direction. “Moonlight Magic is a tricky one, she had a trial in between times but it feels like she ran first-up at a mile about two months ago now and we’ve been waiting for a middle-distance race that wasn’t on a heavy track. “She handles a bit of cut in the ground, she likes it, but I’d be a bit nervous going to a middle-distance race on a testing track at this stage. She’s a doubtful starter for this weekend and we may just have to go back to a mile and start again with her a bit.” View the full article

Trainers Ken and Bev Kelso believe their Group One-winning mare Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) is ready to fire in Saturday’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Ellerslie following a pleasing piece of work at Matamata on Tuesday. “She worked nice this morning on the course proper with Quintessa. Vinnie (Colgan, jockey) was quite happy with her work,” Ken Kelso said. Waikato’s wet spring hasn’t been ideal for Legarto’s preparation, with the daughter of Proisir finishing sixth in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) at Ellerslie first-up before going one better in last month’s Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) at Te Rapa. “We have been playing catch-up with the wet tracks,” Kelso said. “It has been pretty hard going getting the work into them with the conditions that we have had in the Waikato, it has been pretty wet. “I thought her first two runs were pass marks. We struck that wet track at Te Rapa when she ran fifth in the Howden and I thought that was an okay run. “She will appreciate getting back onto a better track at Ellerslie, so hopefully we are tracking in the right way. Her work this morning indicated that we are on track for a nice run on Saturday.” Meanwhile, the stable’s star sprinter Alabama Lass (Alabama Express) has returned home from her Melbourne preparation where she finished runner-up in the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley before dropping out to finish last in the Gr.1 Manikato Stakes (1200m). “We think she might have flipped her palate, that’s all we could put it down to,” Kelso said. “Craig (Williams, jockey) said she was travelling really well at the half mile and then at the 600m she started to hang and lose her action and he thought something was amiss. “We initially thought she may have fibrillated, but her heart seemed okay. All we can put it down to is she might have flipped her soft palate because he said she made a little bit of a noise. “But she has trotted up sound and she has been checked out since she has been home and everything seems in order.” Alabama Lass will now spend some time in the paddock before targeting the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on Karaka Millions night in January. “We just decided there wasn’t anything around for her until the Railway, so she has gone out for a brief spell and then she will come back and be set for that,” Kelso said. All going to plan, Kelso is keen to return to Australia next year, where he feels like there is still some unfinished business following the anticlimactic end to her spring preparation. “I think she is good enough to go back there and have another crack at a Group One after running second in the Moir,” he said. “It gives you the confidence to go back. We will just put a line through the run in the Manikato.” View the full article

At Windsor Park Stud in Cambridge, pride runs deep in the paddocks where so many champions have been nurtured. Among the stallions to have carried the stud’s hopes, few have left such a complex legacy as Shamexpress. A Group One-winning sprinter turned stallion, he is the sire of the world’s best racehorse, Ka Ying Rising, a fact that cements his place in New Zealand breeding history. Yet his story is also tinged with a sense of what might have been, for despite his talent as a sire, Shamexpress has battled sub-fertility throughout his stud career. A striking son of one of New Zealand’s great sires, O’Reilly, Shamexpress won one of Australia’s best sprint races in the Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) as a three-year-old, defeating older horses. Prepared by Danny O’Brien, Shamexpress retired to Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand to much fanfare, covering a book of nearly 160 well-credentialled mares in his debut season at stud. But it soon became clear that fewer mares were conceiving than expected, with only 59 foals arriving the following spring Numbers aren’t everything, but in a high-risk game like breeding and racing, they certainly help. Since that initial flurry, the volume of mares waned to the extent that Ka Ying Rising was one of just 27 foals by Shamexpress in 2019, with an all-time low of 7 foals born a year later. But with a very good stud record of 6.4 percent stakes winners to runners, 25 stakes performers and two Group One winners including the world’s best racehorse, breeders are again gravitating to Shamexpress despite his sub-optimal fertility. “Statistically he’s a very good sire,” Windsor Park Stud’s General Manager Steve Till said. “When they get to that level of stakes winners to runners, you are in the company of very good stallions. “He has had that known fertility issue, which has limited his numbers. When you look at his strike rate of the horses that he produces, it’s very good. “He is a very well balanced stallion in terms of producing good fillies and colts, which makes him very easy to mate. “Physically, he is very straightforward. He is definitely the most physical stallion we have stood at Windsor Park, which pairs well with his on-track performance being a class sprinter.” By outstanding sire O’Reilly out of a Volksraad mare, Till said there were a number of reasons why the progeny of Shamexpress are so well suited to Hong Kong, where he has had eight winners from 14 starters. “He passes on a lot of his own traits and he has such a good brain,” Till said. “The environment in Hong Kong is very different from New Zealand, but they seem to take that in their stride. “Then you also have the substance of them, the constitution that often pairs well with a good attitude and a good temperament. They don’t wilt away, and they are strong mentally and physically. “The New Zealand environment lays a great foundation for soundness. The quality of the bone is very good, and they can comfortably stand the rigours and stress of the training. “That is just a hallmark of the breed in New Zealand, they are raised very naturally here in a great temperate environment, and it doesn’t matter what part of New Zealand they come from, there is hardly a region in New Zealand that hasn’t produced a great horse.” Ka Ying Rising as a foal at Windsor Park Stud Photo: Supplied With Asian markets so keen on his colts, Shamexpress has proved equally versatile with his fillies, represented by Group One winner Coventina Bay in New Zealand, while quality mares Grinzinger Belle, Maracana and Embrace Me have been flag-bearers in Australia. Till said Shamexpress has upgraded his stock and given his fertility issues he has largely covered modest mares but thanks to the Ka Ying Rising effect he will cover more than 100 mares this season. “To stand the sire of the best horse in the world, we are immensely proud of that,” Till said. “You’ve climbed Everest when you have achieved that as a stud, and hopefully Ka Ying Rising can climb Everest in a few days’ time.” November’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale will feature four lots by Shamexpress and Till admits demand outstrips supply and they are sure to be popular. “When you can sire a superstar like Ka Ying Rising, the impact is huge, particularly when it is in such a significant market for our breeding industry,” Till said. “We are taking four or five really nice Shamexpress yearlings to the Karaka Yearling Sales next year and they are very typical of their sire. He is very reliable and every year a few of our best foals on the farm are by Shamexpress. “He will probably serve between 120 and 130 mares this year and is very popular, so the future looks bright and hopefully there will be more foals on the way to meet the eager demand.” View the full article

Buoyed by Encountered’s slashing run on his stable debut, Brett Crawford is optimistic the Group Three winner can deliver him his first Class Two success in Hong Kong in Wednesday night’s Lei Yue Mun Handicap (1,800m) at Happy Valley. Transferred after three seasons with Manfred Man Ka-leung and last term with David Hall, Encountered went close to a breakthrough victory after storming home to fall only three-quarters of a length short of Lo Rider in second last month. The former British...View the full article

A new format’s been finalised for the TAB Show Day Punter of the Year Challenge at Addington Raceway. The Friday (November 14) meeting is always a massive part of Cup week and includes the two $500,000 slot races, the Majestic Horse Floats THE ASCENT and the Hill, Lee and Scott THE VELOCITY. This year’s Challenge will see one major change from previous editions – all transactions will be done on-line whereas last year teams were given a betting voucher and then had to bet on the tote. Each syndicate can have up to four members per team. They will be based on the stables rooftop. Each participant/ syndicate must have an on-line TAB account with an opening balance of $600 at the start of the challenge. There will cash prizes of $5000 as well as plenty of giveaways during the day and a buffet lunch will be provided. All beverages will be available to purchase at the cashless bar (eftpos/debit/credit only). Entries close at 4pm Thursday, November 13. For more information click here Or contact rachel.deegan@addington.co.nz View the full article

Ashburton Raceway has had a major makeover ahead of its huge finish to the year. An entirely new surface has been laid, with around 600 tonnes of material being replaced. The work was overseen by Harness Racing New Zealand’s Track Facilities Manager John Denton. “We had a slight delay to doing the work because of bad weather earlier in the month but the whole process went smoothly,” says Denton, “we are confident that the track will provide an excellent racing surface.” View track video here The Ashburton Trotting Club will host three major meetings in coming weeks, starting with Labour Day, Monday October 27. The day will feature two Group 2s in the Mid Canterbury Trotting Owners Ladies’ Sprint for 4YO and older pacing mares and the NZB Airfreight Ashburton Flying Stakes. November sees the running of the second ever “Emerging Talent” meeting on the Thursday of IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup week. Targeted to horses in the maiden to one-win grade it will feature 13 races. Among them will be an Invitational Drivers race for 4YO Mares over 1700 metres. Already dual New Zealand Cup-winning driver Cam Hart has indicated he’s keen to take part and may be joined by other international drivers here for the World Driving Championship that concludes on Cup day. Invitations for the race will be issued closer to the time. Then on December 21 Ashburton will host the Harness 5000. The eagerly-anticipated series, featuring 12 $60,000 finals, is for trotters and pacers whose sire stood for an advertised retail service fee of $5,000 or less in the breeding season of conception and to be eligible horses must compete in at least five race day starts between July 3 – December 9,2025. Every week the Harness 5000 tracker is updated. It shows how any horses have become eligible for the series. The “168” on the tracker signifies correlation to the maximum number of horses that can compete on the day, based on 12 races of 14 horse fields. Right now the figure is well past that at 212, an increase of 17 in the past week. It is anticipated that around 350 horses will be in the mix come December, though this figure could fluctuate. So far the biggest categories are for the 5YO and older Entires and Geldings. There are currently 47 pacers and 46 trotters. To see the Harness 5000 Leaderboard click here View the full article

Harness racing turnovers topped $3.5m for three meetings in this country over the weekend, a big increase on previous years. The Akaroa Trotting Club’s meeting at Motukarara moved from Saturday in 2024 to Sunday and the impact on turnover was telling. Overall turnover was $1.34m, up 67 per cent, with nearly 6000 more punters placing a bet this year, compared to 2024. It attracted the second highest number of unique punters at any Motukarara meeting and beaten only by the Banks Peninsula Trotting Club meeting there in December 2023. The weekend got off to a roaring start. Friday’s Premier night at Addington, featuring the Harness Million races as well as three Group races, saw turnover at nearly $1.6m, up nearly three per cent on last year while Auckland’s meeting was up a whopping 43 per cent to over $600,000. In a first for an October meeting at Alexandra Park unique punters cracked the 10,000 mark. “The results show that the adjustments to our Group and feature race calendar are delivering. The flow of key races through spring is creating a stronger narrative and giving punters more reasons to stay engaged week after week,” says HRNZ’s Head of Racing and Wagering Matthew Peden. “For Friday Night Lights to turn over a combined $2.2M is a great result.” This Friday both venues will be back in action. At Addington the winners of the Group 2 Canterbury Classic and the Group 3 Canterbury Park Trotting Cup will both automatically qualify for the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup and the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot, to be held at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. View the full article

In an exclusive interview, Michael is in Sydney to chat with the man who made The Everest, Peter V’landys. They discuss the richest turf race in the world, the NRL, the man himself, and PVL’s future in his various roles. Guerin Report – S2 Ep. 7 Ft. Peter V’landys View the full article

Barry Donoghue has savoured his first top level success as a breeder and one that has boosted prospects of another major celebration. The Waikato-based horseman bred and sold Gr.1 Might And Power Stakes (2000m) winner Globe (NZ) (Charm Spirit) and will offer a half-brother through his BMD Bloodstock draft at next month’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale. “It was brilliant and not something that we expected or dreamed of until it came around,” Donoghue said. Globe’s latest victory at Caulfield has significantly lifted the profile of Lot 248, a colt by Ace High who will go under the hammer at Karaka on November 13. “It’s a really good update to have and everything helps when you’re going to auction with these horses,” Donoghue said. “The mare threw big foals and this fellow is very similar to Globe, all the family seem to mature more when they get to two rather than as yearlings. “He has a lot of natural strength, he’s a big horse and the only thing he lacks is a walk, but Globe never walked that well either.” They are out of the late Don Eduardo mare Bonnie Doon, who was a sister to the dual Group One winner Booming, and purchased for $16,000 at the 2017 NZB Broodmare Sale where she was offered by Curraghmore. “I went to Karaka to buy a nice, young mare to have a bit of fun with,” Donoghue said. “I went through the catalogue and had a few on the short list and she was the one I bought. “I got her off Gordon Cunningham in foal to Power and she (Lorna Doon) won a race and I sent the mare to Charm Spirit and she had Globe.” He was sold through Cambria Park’s yearling draft for $20,000 and his six wins also includes the Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m). A subsequent visit to Rip Van Winkle produced multiple winner Co Co Winkle with the Ace High colt is the last of her foals. “I’m breeding from two other mares, I bought Quattro Gatti a couple of years ago and she’s got a Wrote foal at foot and is in foal to Hello Youmzain,” Donoghue said. “The other one is a Swiss Ace mare (Lauberhorn) I got given a couple of months ago and she’s in foal to Wrote. “We try to flick them on and make a little bit of money along the way. We’re not commercial, we’re a trading stable with predominantly young horses here.” Aside from his vendor role, Donoghue also has a small team in work with stakes performer Navy Dreams (NZ) (Merchant Navy) among them. Runner-up in last season’s Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1400m), the Merchant Navy colt was second in his first appearance as a three-year-old before an unplaced run in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Te Rapa. “He pulled up very well and Masa (Hashizume, jockey) said he didn’t go a yard in the heavy ground and was off the bridle a long way from home, it was very disappointing,” Donoghue said. “He may run in a maiden at Ellerslie on Saturday, we’ll get him back on the good ground and take it from there.” View the full article

Florida horsemen ask a court for the right to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Gulfstream Park seeking to decouple its horse racing business from its right to offer slot machine gambling.View the full article

Trainer Eusebio Juarez was suspended 24 months and fined $18,000 after two syringes with needles containing the banned substance diisopropylamine were found in his truck. Juarez claimed the syringes were put there without his knowledge.View the full article

2nd-Santa Anita, $61,000, Msw, 10-13, 2yo, 1m, 1:38.01, ft, nose. MR. A. P. (r, 2, American Pharoah–Trenchtown Cat {MSW & GSP, $236,945}, by Discreet Cat) was audaciously claimed for $150,000 out of a debut runner-up effort at Del Mar July 31 and ran a winning race when beaten three-parts of a length into second by $1.15-million Keeneland September grad Kristofferson (Nyquist) at the seaside Aug. 31, earning a strong 88 Beyer for the effort. Beaten for speed in this first two-turn endeavor, the 3-5 favorite managed to tuck in and save ground early as longshot Work (American Pharoah) and Cherokee Nation, a KEESEP-sourced $1.15-million son of Not This Time, matched motors up front. Antonio Fresu asked Mr. A. P. for a burst of speed three furlongs from home, enabling him to secure a three-wide run inside of a rival and the battle was joined in earnest at the head of the lane. Mr. A. P. looked to have the necessary momentum to go on to a comfortable win, but Cherokee Nation would not lie down inside and with Fresu doing his best to keep his mount off of his rival, shifting to his right in the saddle in the final stages, Mr. A. P. got the bob in, if only just. The winner's dam is also represented by a Constitution colt that fetched $325,000 from Centennial Farm at KEESEP last month and a weanling filly by Not This Time. Trenchtown Cat was covered by McKinzie this past season. Sales history: $47,000 RNA Ylg '24 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 3-1-2-0, $63,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Holly & David Wilson; B-Pollock Farms (KY); T-Vladimir Cerin. It was an exciting photo finish in race 2 at Santa Anita as #5 MR. A. P. ($3.20) just noses out #2 Cherokee Nation. The son of American Pharoah was ridden by @Antonio1Fresu and is trained by Vladimir Cerin. Watch more on @FanDuelTV. pic.twitter.com/fjCd636qS8 — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 13, 2025 The post American Pharoah’s Mr. A. P. Gets The Nod In Santa Anita Maiden appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

BH Interview: Madison MeyersView the full article

On the Oct. 13 episode of BloodHorse Monday, Lane's End sales director Allaire Ryan highlights their offerings at the Nov. 4-11 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Frank Angst previews potential milestones in this year's Breeders' Cup.View the full article

A Lexington native, trainer Madison Meyers accomplished a dream while winning her first graded stakes with Desvio in the Sycamore Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland. She spoke with BloodHorse about her career and that moment in this week's BH Interview.View the full article

By Michael Guerin It is hard not to get the feeling the road to the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup actually starts this weekend. We may suggest that is starts with the first open class race of the spring or some of the others along the way. But it is not until you get all the big boys together in one place you get to really measure who is going in the right direction for November 11. Friday night’s $60,000 Lamb And Hayward Canterbury Classic at Addington is that race. A win-and-you-are-in for the Cup it sees the best in the north, Merlin and Sooner The Bettor, come down to take on Republican Party, We Walk By Faith, Alta Meteor and Don’t Stop Dreaming among others. Sure Akuta isn’t there after mucus was found in his throat following his below expected effort at Addington last Friday. But we know where he stands and maybe he might not even make it to the Cup. And Friday night’s drama is set against the backdrop of Leap To Fame racing in the Victoria Cup on Saturday night. If he wins the top of the NZ Cup market might stay the same. If he doesn’t the harness world will tilt on its axis. So Akuta and Swayzee aside, we have all the big players on show this weekend with nowhere to hide. The barrier draws for Friday’s Group 2 would seem to suit Merlin and Sooner The Bettor on the front line best but the TAB have opened Republican Party and We Walk By Faith as the favourites and a rare capacity open class field adds to the importance of luck in the running. The open class trot just 31 minutes earlier will be a great form guide to the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot as Mighty Logan meets the big three again in Oscar, Bet N Win and Muscle Mountain and while the handicaps stay the same as when he won the Worthy Queen last Friday the backmarkers have 600m more to catch him this time. The night also boasts the Garrards’ Sires’ Stakes Sophomore Classic. To see the fields at Addington this Friday night click here View the full article

Stablemates Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) and Kopion (Omaha Beach) were among several Breeders' Cup hopefuls to make an appearance Monday morning on the worktab at Santa Anita ahead of a multi-day rainstorm that's expected to arrive in the area later in the evening. Trained by Richard Mandella, Grade I winners Tamara and Kopion both worked three furlongs with the former being clocked in :37.40 (7/19) on the main track while the latter went to the synthetic training track and was timed in :39.80 (4/4). Kopion wears glue-on shoes, according to Mandella, and was barefoot for a few days. The trainer included that the move was more meant to 'do something with her' before the poor weather came in than it was intended to be a real work. Both fillies are owned by Spendthrift Farm, and might be on track for entry in the same Breeders' Cup race. Tamara, the 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' daughter of Hall of Famer Beholder is ticketed for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint while Kopion has a slight chance of tackling the males in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. If that does not pan out, Mandella says she'll be joining Tamara in the Filly & Mare contest. “We're just taking everything in, but at the moment I would say it's more than likely they both run in the Filly & Mare (Sprint).” Also sending out a noteworthy team was Bob Baffert, whose Explora (Blame), Bottle of Rouge (Vino Rosso), and Desert Gate (Omaha Beach) all went out in preparation for their expected tilt on Future Star Friday Oct. 31. Grade I-placed, and the recent winner of the GII Oak Leaf Stakes, Explora breezed four furlongs in :48.80 (19/63) in her first move since that aforementioned graded victory. It had been her first time going two-turns after an immediate jump into elite company two back Sept. 6 in the GI Del Mar Debutante. That start was post 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' debut Aug. 17 at the venue. She was defeated in the Grade I contest by stablemate Bottle of Rouge, who drilled five furlongs in 1:00.40 (3/43) Monday morning. Both runners are being pointed toward the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Well beaten in both of the above graded races after she claimed the GIII Sorrento Stakes in just her second start, another of Baffert's 'Rising Stars' Himika (Curlin) was also clocked going through her paces Monday with a three-furlong drill in :37.60 (8/19). Of his potential candidates for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Baffert's Desert Gate produced a four-furlong work in :50.60 (55/63) in his first move since running second in the GI American Pharoah Stakes Oct. 4. The older divisions also saw a strong contender for next month's World Championships take a spin around the track, namely MGISW Formidable Man (City of Light) from the Michael McCarthy barn. The winner of the 2025 GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile was timed doing four-furlongs on the main track in 1:02.60. He is being pointed for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. The post Tamara, Kopion Among Breeders’ Cup Hopefuls on Santa Anita Worktab appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article