Wandering Eyes

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

TATTERSALLS, ENGLAND – After spending close to 14 million gns at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Amo Racing picked up from where it left off at Park Paddocks on Monday, spending 525,000gns on a Starman filly, which led the opening session of Book 2 and prompted Kevin Philippart De Foy to share his excitement about the prospects of training next year's batch of two-year-olds. Philippart De Foy, who took over at Freemason Lodge this year, has been a key cog in Kia Joorabchian's travelling posse at all of the major yearling sales in Europe and America this autumn and will train the Tally-Ho Stud-consigned Book 2 sale-topper. Philippart de Foy said, “She was my pick of the sale. It is a very good dam side and she is a very easy-going filly and very racey. Obviously, Starman can do very little wrong and he had winners again today so I am delighted to get the filly.” Few stallions burst onto the scene quite like the Tally-Ho resident has this year. Venetian Star, North Coast, Lady Iman and more have contributed to what has been one of the most memorable performances that any first-season sire has produced for many years and Starman has already been anointed as a stallion that is here to stay by a host of leading buyers at the yearling sales. None more so than Amo, who landed three six-figure yearlings by the stallion on Monday. Asked about Amo's support of Starman, Philippart de Foy said, “I don't think it is only Amo, I think a fair few people are big on Starman. It looks as though they are horses who will progress as three-year-olds – they are not small, racy two-year-olds. They have size and scope, so hopefully they will progress on from what has been a very strong start.” He added, “It's a very exciting time. From Deauville in August through to Keeneland and now Book 1 and 2 at Tattersalls, we have picked up some lovely horses with good pedigrees and by good stallions. So it's very exciting and we're looking forward to next year.” Asked if he was getting used to his new boss, who was doing his best to distract him during the interview down in the chute entering the sales ring, the trainer joked, “you would never get used to him!” The Starman filly is out of Emirates Empress (Dark Angel), a sister to two high-class performers in Royal Champion (Shamardal) and Outbox (Frankel), who Tally-Ho sourced for only 30,000gns at the December Mares Sale in 2022. Tony O'Callaghan commented, “It is a great return on the mare's purchase and it is an exceptional trade here for fillies. We are obviously delighted with Starman's progress, they should stay a mile. He has such a great temperament.” When two powerhouses go head-to-head on a horse, it usually spells celebration for the vendor, but in the case of lot 727, Justin Casse and Amo teamed up to secure a 360,000gns Starman colt from Pier House Stud, which will go into training with Joseph O'Brien. O'Brien has trained for Amo Racing in the past and Casse, who bought G3 Tyros Stakes winner North Coast at this sale 12 months ago, says he is hoping for similar luck with the stallion. “The stallion has been good to me and to Joseph,” he said. “Starman has had a couple of Group winners, one of whom [North Coast] I bought, as well as a filly in France. Hopefully we can replicate that success. This colt was a standout for me today.” Casse added, “This colt walks a little better than North Coast. We bought two in America with Amo. We are working individually, but if we land on the same one, we might get together.” Amo also spent 145,000gns on a Starman colt from Tally-Ho, bringing the operation's total spend on Monday to 2,135,000gns on nine yearlings. That headlined a strong opening session to Book 2, where the turnover climbed by 16% to 24,988,500gns. The average was up by 13% to 116,769gns while the median jumped by 38% to 90,000gns. The clearance rate nestled at a respectable 87%, which was down by just 3%. Mangan Keeps Standards High For Thoroughbred Corporation After drawing a blank at Book 1 on behalf of the Thoroughbred Corporation, Jane Mangan opened up about how Prince Faisal Salman has remained patient through to Book 2, where the pair came away with a Night Of Thunder filly from Plantation Stud and a St Mark's Basilica filly from Linden Bloodstock for a combined 800,000gns. Speaking after securing the Night Of Thunder filly for the joint sale-topping sum of 450,000gns, Mangan said, “Last week, we failed. We underbid five last week. I suppose, The Corporation are looking for well-bred [yearlings] and good physicals. We value them as individuals and we met a lot of good company last week. To be honest, this filly was our pick of the entire sale. The sire needs no explanation and she comes from a great farm. Physically, she is exactly what we are looking for. It was a lot of money but it's good to get her.” She added, “You need to keep your standards where you want them – don't settle and don't buy a horse you don't want to buy. The Prince is very diligent in terms of valuing each horse individually – not buying the market, buying the horse. Buy a horse that you want to look at in the spring. We've got two today and [we are] very happy to get them. Night Of Thunder Continues To Brew Up A Storm Night Of Thunder produced one of the performances of Book 1 with 23 yearlings selling for over 14 million gns and that momentum carried over into Book 2. Night Of Thunder was responsible for four of the 10 most expensive yearlings sold on Monday, including a 525,000gns colt that was consigned by Cheveley Park Stud that was knocked down to Godolphin. Anthony Stroud commented, “He's for Godolphin and will go to Moulton Paddocks. He's bred very similarly to the Dewhurst winner [Gewan] on Saturday. Night Of Thunder has done amazingly well. He's going to be champion sire and he's got so many good horses.” Speaking on the prowess of the stallion, Stroud added, “They seem to win over all sorts of distances; they're very versatile and seem to have excellent temperaments. The progeny from his better books of mares are coming on-stream now so his results are only going to get better and better. It really highlights how important Dubawi is as a sire of sires.” Stroud also landed a Night Of Thunder colt from Genesis Green Stud for 350,000gns on a day when the Darley-based stallion was responsible for eight yearlings who sold for an average of 281,875gns. Buy of the day Plenty of breeze-up handlers got in on the action on the opening day of Book 2 and Justin Timmons of Dolmen Bloodstock can dream with the New Bay colt he sourced from Highclere Stud for 100,000gns. Up relatively early in the sale, the New Bay colt is out of a Kingman mare, who has already produced a winner, and from the family of Baaeed and Hukum. He boasts plenty of quality and could be one for Arqana or one of the later breeze-up sales. Thought for the day A quick read of the pinhookers' table would put hairs on your chest. While the 450,000gns Minzaal would provide just about anyone with the confidence to plough into the pinhooking game, there was some reality in the figures given just 48% of the 65 pinhooks made profit. The post “Very Exciting Time” For Amo With Another Top Lot Added To The Team At Tattersalls appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Arctic Beast (Yaupon) made it three-for-three in his young career with a second straight romping success in stakes company in Monday's New York Breeders' Futurity at Finger Lakes. Sent off at a nickel on the dollar to build on a 7 1/4-length success over Diamond Child (Weekend Hideaway) and Party in the Army (Army Mule) in the 5 1/2-furlong Aspirant Stakes Sept. 22, the two-time Fasig-Tipton graduate was content to track outside of Diamond Child through the early exchanges as Party in the Army made up for lost time after going in the air at the break. Cruising up to the front-runner nearing the stretch, Arctic Beast wrested command under a hold and raced away to yet another convincing victory. Party in the Army was along late to complete the exacta as the 12-1 second choice. Arctic Beast is the lone winner for his dam, a close relative of the dual stakes-winning Freudie Anne (Freud). He is the last listed produce for Frostie Anne. Click for the Equibase.com chart. NEW YORK BREEDERS' FUTURITY, $155,667, Finger Lakes, 10-13, (S), 2yo, 6f, 1:11.47, ft. 1–ARCTIC BEAST, 122, c, 2, by Yaupon 1st Dam: Frostie Anne (MSW, $584,443), by Frost Giant 2nd Dam: Lake Toccet, by Toccet 3rd Dam: Lake Honey, by Meadowlake ($120,000 Wlg '23 FTNMIX; $275,000 Ylg '24 SARAUG). O-Paradise Farms Corp, JP Racing Stable, David Staudacher, Zilla Racing Stables & Jennifer Rice; B-Rockridge Stud LLC & Saratoga Glen Farm & Beal's Racing Stable LLC (NY); T-Michael J Maker; J-Ricardo Santana Jr. $93,400. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $205,503. 2–Party in the Army, 122, c, 2, Army Mule–Party Like Grandma, by Desert Party. O/B-Flower City Racing LLC, Christopher J Meyer & Richard Spiesman (NY); T-Jeremiah C Englehart. $34,247. 3–Diamond Child, 122, c, 2, Weekend Hideaway–Boss Barney's Babe, by Street Boss. O-Irish Hill Century Farm; B-Irish Century Hill Farm & Morgan O'Brien (NY); T-Melanie Giddings. $18,680. Margins: 5 3/4, 4, NO. Odds: 0.05, 12.45, 24.07. Also Ran: Hey Pal. Scratched: Pepper J. #3 ARTIC BEAST ($2.10) was a beast again today improving to 3 for 3 in his career after dominating the $155,667 NY Breeders' Futurity at Finger Lakes. The son of Yaupon (@spendthriftfarm) was ridden by @RSantana_Jr and is trained by Michael Maker. pic.twitter.com/w2NsULz030 — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 13, 2025 The post Yaupon’s Arctic Beast Sails Home in NY Breeders’ Futurity appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Fasig-Tipton November sale added another pair of supplements to the catalogue with Grade I star power to their families Monday, namely Streak of Luck (Old Fashioned), the dam of MGISW Ted Noffey (Into Mischief), and MSW Avana (Vino Rosso). The former, who is by a son of leading broodmare sire Unbridled's Song, will go through the ring as HIP 220 via the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment for Aaron and Marie Jones. She was purchased by said owners back in 2021 for $620,000 at the KEENOV sale. The 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' is the mare's second foal with her first being Fully Authorized (Authentic), a two-time winner in his own right as a juvenile. Ted Noffey was recently seen dominating the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland to firmly stamp himself as the one to beat at the Breeders' Cup this November at Del Mar. Her yearling filly by Munnings sold to Repole Stables at KEESEP for $425,000 last month. The mare is being offered in foal to red-hot sire Not This Time, who counts 12 individual graded winners in 2025 and two Grade I winners on the turf in the last two months–those being Rhetorical and Troubleshooting. He also sired the exacta in Saturday's GII Franklin Stakes, won by Time to Dazzle–herself out of an Unbridled's Song broodmare, with In Our Time running second. He again made his power known Sunday when siring the bottom two-thirds of the trifecta in the GIII Glen Cove Stakes via Flat Out Time and Abientot. He claimed the entire board in the GII Jessamine Stakes Oct. 3 on opening weekend at Keeneland among other fruitful results for the stallion this year. Catalogued as HIP 219 is Avana, an 11-time winner in her career with five victories coming during her 2025 campaign. She's a multiple stakes winner who is out of a full-sister to MGISW Belle Gallantey (After Market), and counts a half-sibling named Revealing Quality (Quality Road), the dam of SP Mo Quality (Mo Town). That pair also has a four-time winning half-brother by Good Magic. This is the extended female family of the late champion, MGISW Arrogate. Avana will go through the ring as a racing or broodmare prospect consigned by Indian Creek, agent for the Complete Dispersal of Peter Redekop B.C. Ltd. The entire catalogue, complete with the most recent supplements, may be viewed here. Print versions of the supplemental catalogue will be available on-site at sale time. The post Dam of Ted Noffey Latest Supplement to Fasig-Tipton November Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features an exciting son of Zarak. 14.30 Chantilly, €31,100, Cond, 2yo, 8fT Andre Fabre nominee SENEQUE (IRE) (Zarak {Fr}) failed to meet his reserve when stalling on €1.2 million at last week's Arqana Arc Sale and heads postward off the back of an impressive five-length score over course and distance last month. The grandson of G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern heroine Temida (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}) encounters three prior winners in a field of eight. They include Bordeaux maiden victor Lyneham (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), a half-brother to G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup runner-up Lindy (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), who is one of four colts by Wootton Bassett named Lyneham. The post Arqana Arc €1.2 Million RNA On Deck at Chantilly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bidding returns to the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in upstate New York for the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale, which begins Tuesday at 10 a.m. A total of 281 horses, including weanlings, broodmares, and broodmare prospects, have been catalogued for the one-session auction. Lili Kobielski saw plenty to be optimistic about as she oversaw her The New Hill Farm consignment at barn seven Monday. “The activity has been wonderful,” she said. “We have been non-stop yesterday and today. We've seen some new faces today that I think just got in. The energy is amazing.” The Saratoga auction comes as an ultra-competitive yearling sales season nears its finale. “The yearling sales were so strong, I would certainly expect that everyone would be excited to buy babies,” Kobielski said. “I would think all the yearling sellers would be feeling confident and have some cash in their pockets.” The newly passed tax code which features bonus depreciation, allowing buyers to write off the up-front cost of a horse in its first year, has helped drive much of the national demand for yearlings this summer and fall. On a regional level, purse parity will begin in 2026, allowing New York-breds to race for equal purse money as open company horses on the New York Racing Association circuit. Both factors–plus high purses–figure to make for a competitive market in Saratoga, according to Kobielski. “I think depreciation is a big deal, right now,” Kobielski said. “And there is also purse parity in New York starting soon, so New York-breds will be running for the same money as open company. That's another great incentive to buy one. And purses are so big. It's a really exciting time to be buying.” The Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale in August, which produced records for gross and average and a record-tying median, also rewarded several pinhookers who had purchased weanlings at last year's Fall sale. The $525,000 co-topping daughter of Early Voting had been purchased for $150,000 last October, while a daughter of Practical Joke purchased for $62,500 last year, sold in August for $500,000. Pinhookers shopping The New Hill Farm consignment last October also found success in August, with a daughter of Upstart purchased as a weanling for $80,000 selling this year for $350,000 and a colt by Vekoma purchased for $90,000 selling for $325,000. “We are very grateful to the pinhookers,” Kobielski said. “It's always good news for everyone when someone buys from you and they do well with your horses. Then they come back and hopefully buy more.” During last year's Saratoga Fall sale, 148 head sold for $3,920,500. The average was $26,490 and the median was $14,500. A filly by Cyberknife brought the auction's top price of $230,000 and the weanling was one of eight to sell for six figures. The post Optimism Abounds Ahead of Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The International Thoroughbred Breeders' Federation (ITBF) has announced the launch of its Stud Farm Supporters initiative. In a move to help meet the not-for-profit organisation's increased running costs, several individual Thoroughbred stud farms from across the globe are donating to ensure the continued vital work and achievements of the ITBF. As the sole international representative body for Thoroughbred breeders, ITBF currently serves the Thoroughbred breeding organisations, and the individual members within, of 29 member countries across six continents. ITBF Stud Farm Supporters include Coolmore (global), Godolphin's breeding operation, Darley (global), Juddmonte (global), Shadwell (Europe), Lanwades (Europe), Arrowfield (Australia), Northern Farm (Japan), Usha Stud (India) and the National Stud (England), as well as support in South America. The ITBF's CEO, Sarah Carmichael, said “The ITBF crucially speaks for, and acts on behalf of Thoroughbred breeders, ensuring that the voice of breeders is heard and responded to on the global stage. “Our industry faces more challenges than ever before and requires unfaltering representation at the highest level. The ITBF has an ever-evolving remit, and with that, our running costs have naturally increased in tandem. “We are delighted at the positive response from 'ITBF Stud Farm Supporters' who have so generously shown their appreciation of the ITBF's vital work in representing 'breeding' within the wider Thoroughbred industry, the equine world, at governmental and supra governmental levels.” She added, “We are enormously grateful to the stud farms who have contributed to help meet our needs. The ITBF, of course, does remain resolutely neutral in representing all breeders equally, across all member nations.” The post The ITBF Launches Stud Farm Supporters Initiative appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article