Wandering Eyes

Royal Flower has one cup to her name and she will be seeking to earn another for breeder-owner-trainer Gail Temperton when she heads to Trentham on Saturday to tackle the Gr.3 NZ Campus Of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m). The Foxton mare won her local cup last year and has subsequently run fourth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2100m) before an eye-catching runner-up result behind Rosso in the Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m) at Trentham a fortnight ago. Temperton was duly rapt with that effort and has been pleased with her mare’s progression heading into Saturday, but she is wary of the extra distance and her outside gate of 18. “She was very pleasing (last start),” Temperton said. “I think she has finally matured, she is easy to get along with now, she wasn’t when she was younger. “She will have Mereana (Hudson, jockey) on again, who rode her very well that day. We have just got to extend the distance, but it is a lot longer. “On her dam side she has got a little bit of staying blood. The Proisirs (sire) can go the distance, but I don’t think I have seen any of them over 3200m. “There are some very good horses in this field and they are real stayers. She will have to be at her best but will be doing her best, but the draw is no help.” While disappointed with Royal Flower’s outside gate, in contrasting fortune, she is rapt with stablemate Procul Boy’s draw of barrier two in the John Turkington Forestry Douro Cup (1600m), although the last start winner’s impost of 59.5kg does have her concerned. “He (Procul Boy) has got the good draw and half the distance, but he has got quite a fair bit of weight,” Temperton said. “He is not a big horse, he is quite a bit smaller than her, so I would have liked to have swapped the draw and the weight. He has won with 59 on his back, but as you go through the grades it gets harder.” “But he is a nice horse, the Proisirs are nice horses.” View the full article

Riccarton trainer Lance Robinson will trek south to Gore with just the one run runner on Sunday, but he is hopeful that will be enough to bring home a winner’s cheque. Promising Tagaloa gelding Alottago will be seeking to bounce back in the Listed Liquorland Gore Guineas (1335m) following his seventh placing in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in November, the only blemish on his seven-start career. Robinson said the Heavy9 conditions were not to his gelding’s liking on that day and he was proud of his tenacity when fighting on for a seventh placed finish, in a race headed by the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) bound stablemates Romanoff and Affirmative Action. “His run in the Guineas was outstanding,” Robinson said. “He drew two and he was down in the worst of the ground in a mile race. To his credit he pressed on really well. “We were really proud of the horse that day and we gave him a nice break after that and he has come back really well.” Alottago was runner-up in a 1200m trial at Ashburton earlier this month and pleased Robinson with an exhibition gallop last week, giving him plenty of confidence leading into the southern assignment. “We are really happy with him. He had a really nice trial a fortnight ago at Ashburton,” Robinson said. “We took him to Riccarton the other day where he had an exhibition gallop between races and we were really happy with that. “He is as forward as we can have him for a fresh-up run.” Robinson will be keeping a close eye on the weather in the lead-up to Saturday, with the Canterbury horseman loathe to run his charge on a rain-affected track. “As long as it doesn’t get too wet down here, that’s my only concern,” he said. “If the track got really wet I would probably pull him out. The forecast is good until Monday, so hopefully that rain holds off and we can get a good track, and he should run really well.” A $20,000 purchase by Robinson out of Apex Bloodstock’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale draft, Alottago has gone on to win two and place in four of his seven starts, including placings in the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m), Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) and Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m), and has earned more than $80,000 to date. All going to plan post-Saturday, Robinson is keen to chase the other two legs of the Southern Guineas Series with his charge – the Listed ILT Ascot Park Hotel Southland Guineas (1400m) and Listed Property Brokers – Ray Kean Dunedin Guineas (1600m). “We will get Sunday out of the way, get him home and reassess after that, but we will follow that series and then he can have a winter break,” Robinson said. Alottago is currently rated a $6 second favourite for Sunday’s feature behind the John and Karen Parsons-trained Miss Starlight at $3.90. View the full article

Samantha and Francis Finnegan followed a successful pattern when going to $125,000 to purchase a sharp filly by Written By at the Summer Sale at Karaka on Thursday. Awapuni conditioner Samantha Finnegan picked up her first winner as a trainer when Written By filly Bona Sforza swept home on debut to take out the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton and she also finished fourth in the Gr.1 1000 Guineas (1600m) behind star filly Well Written. Bona Sforza was a $150,000 Karaka yearling purchase and the Finnegans went to $125,000 to purchase Hallmark Stud’s filly by the same sire as Lot 954. Lot 954 – Written By – Glowing Trait Filly Photo: Trish Dunell The filly is out of the More Than Ready mare Glowing Trait who has now had three foals to race, all winners, including Written Glow, a debut winner for Cody Cole and subsequently sold to the Hayes family’s Lindsay Park. “She was just a smashing filly,” Francis Finnegan said. “On type, she was as good as you could get in any of the books. And when a dam’s three from three and they’re all closely related, it’s a bit easier. “I suppose when a full sibling’s winning, it’s always a help. And it’s gone to Lindsay Park in Australia, so there’s a chance of an Australian black type update for this filly too. “She vetted well and we have a good one by the stallion, so you tend to go where you’ve found success before. “We had Tuesday gallops, so we weren’t really able to get away. So it suited us that this filly was later in the catalogue, as we could only get up for the summer sale.” View the full article

Trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have been putting in the hard yards over the past few weeks as they look to amass their next stable stars and they struck early at the Summer Sale session of the New Zealand National Yearling Sales at Karaka on Thursday. Bidding remotely through New Zealand Bloodstock’s Andrew Seabrook, O’Sullivan went to $80,000 to buy a striking filly by Noverre out of the four-win El Roca mare Royal Roc as Lot 865. “She is just athletic and a really nice filly. She walked well, and she looked to have a good mind. She looked like a Savabeel (grand sire). “We’ve got two in the stable by Noverre and we like both of them,” O’Sullivan said. “We saw everything on the complex yesterday, but she was the one that we really wanted. “We were looking for something that was going to get up and run and have a bit of a punt and I feel like if she was in the other sale would have made a lot more.” O’Sullivan said he was pleased with what they had sourced at Karaka, headed by a Super Seth filly in Book 1 for $260,000. “You always want more, and we certainly tried on a few that we missed out on, or some that we thought were going to go in the ring and have a good go and we didn’t even have a bid,” he said. “I think it was a very strong sale, the Australians were certainly helped by just how weak our dollar is and we’re trying to compete with them, which makes it very difficult. The good ones certainly made very good money. “We purchased eight, including the one today, and then we have been given another three or four to train at this stage.” The Matamata horseman said there were shares available in a number of their purchases, including the Noverre filly. “She was my type of horse and we just put them all up on the Wexford website,” he said. View the full article

It is that time of year when stars of Hong Kong’s racecourses take centre stage, which means that now is as good a time as any to take a look at several names that stand out from the crowd. There are three equine icons that define racing in Hong Kong: the one who lifted our spirits, the one who is a local hero and the one who conquered global riches. More than just a horse Walking into Sha Tin Racecourse, visitors are greeted by a life-size bronze statue that makes the importance of one horse...View the full article

The extent of Hawthorne Race Course's financial troubles, and with it the enormous ramifications for industry stakeholders in the state, were made glaringly clear during Wednesday's Illinois Racing Board (IRB) meeting. On Monday, the racing board suspended the operating license of Suburban Downs, Inc., which manages Hawthorne's harness meet, for “failure to provide documentation demonstrating its financial integrity, and proof that they can meet the minimum standards” as outlined in state law. According to representatives from the Illinois Harness Horsemen's Association (IHHA) who attended Wednesday's meeting, Hawthorne–which is owned and operated by the Carey family–is responsible for more than $580,000 in bounced checks between some 66 individuals in recent months. With the 2026 Thoroughbred meet scheduled to begin March 29, representatives from the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) detailed both the sense of urgency with which they're seeking assurances from Hawthorne the meet can go ahead, as well as the consequences if it doesn't. The ITHA alone is apparently owed around $600,000 from Hawthorne for payments dating back seven months. “There's a very good chance that the last horse race in the Chicago area has been raced. Ever. Imagine that,” said ITHA executive director David McCaffrey. “Washington Park. Arlington. Maywood. There's a very good chance that it could be over.” Rather than offer concrete assurances over a Thoroughbred meet this year, representatives from Hawthorne asked the commissioners and the attending stakeholders to put their trust in a vaguely detailed sense of optimism that a last-minute deal over the next few weeks could be cobbled together. Specifics surrounding this alleged deal were in short supply. Hawthorne president and general manager Tim Carey was scheduled to provide an update for the commission. He pulled out before Wednesday's meeting. In his place sat John Walsh, Hawthorne's assistant general manager. “For the optimistic part of things, we have moved in a different direction in the last month and a half as far as getting these casinos and racinos up and running,” said Walsh. “We're working with a new partner, someone nearby, someone interested in Illinois and Illinois racing, who really wants all of this to succeed and move quickly,” said Walsh. “Whatever's going to happen is going to happen in the next two or three weeks.” The racing board did not ask about the identity of this alleged partner nor any substantive details about the purported deal. Walsh did not offer this information up voluntarily either. At the same time, Walsh strongly suggested that if this alleged deal cannot come to fruition by Feb. 16–when the facility would need to switch over operations from harness racing to Thoroughbreds–Hawthorne's 2026 Thoroughbred meet would be effectively over. “We will have something in place by that date… or we don't,” said Walsh. “If we don't turn over the track, I'm sure Tim will contact the board and just say where he is. But I just know things have to be done by then [Feb. 16]. They will be done. They have to be done.” In 2019, the state granted Hawthorne the go-ahead to convert its old grandstand into a casino. Since then, nothing concrete has materialized on that possibility despite repeated promises to the contrary by track operators. Indeed, ITHA president Chris Block voiced during Wednesday's meeting what he described as “growing alarm” through the years “over Hawthorne's delays finalizing a deal to open and operate this casino. “Amidst those delays, we've seen the precipitous decline of racing in Hawthorne. In 2021, we had 909 horses on the backstretch. Last summer, we peaked at 635. A drop of nearly 30%. Just five years ago, Thoroughbred purses in Northern Illinois totaled $19.27 million. Last year, we ran for $8.6 million. A drop of more than 50%,” Block said. And why should the industry trust that this time things will be different? “When I say I'm optimistic, I think everything is going the right way,” said Walsh, who described himself as a natural pessimist. “At our February meeting, if we have one, I'll be here and I'll be smiling.” The next scheduled IRB meeting is in March. Peppered throughout the meeting were glimpses into the sheer scale of Hawthorne's financial mismanagement, and the toll it's having on the horsemen and women facing economic dire straits. “We have some trainers in the audience that aren't eating because they're feeding the horses first,” said one Standardbred trainer during the public comment period. “The horsemen who depend on Hawthorne for their livelihoods, who have not been paid since before Christmas, deserve to hear directly from the person responsible for that,” said Jeff Davis, the IHHA president, noting Tim Carey's failure to appear at the meeting. “His absence I think is disrespectful not only to the horsemen but to you as a board,” Davis said, adding that there are some $414,000 in state funds “that remain inaccessible in Hawthorne's frozen accounts.” During his presentation, Davis explained how he had just learned “Churchill Downs obtained a judgment against Hawthorne Race Course in December for $1.64 million.” He added: “I'm not an attorney, but it was a judgment based on confession, they called it, which means they weren't, Hawthorne wasn't fighting that. They admitted it. And they owe it.” Walsh appeared to refute Davis's assertions, but his response raised more questions than it answered. “As far as the Churchill Downs settlement, it's not correct. There hasn't been a settlement. We haven't paid anybody anything. And the amount is not quite correct. It's much lower,” said Walsh. Pressed by one of the commissioners, Walsh explained how he and other Hawthorne employees–like the clerks and security personnel–had continued to receive their salaries during this time. The banks, he said, were deciding seniority of payments. “I'm never good with these. I'm never very good with speaking in public. However, I want to assure the horsemen that Hawthorne, its employees and the Carey family are disgusted by this turn of events. It was unexpected–Hawthorne would never decide to write checks that didn't go through,” Walsh said, at the opening of his remarks. In a press release Monday, the racing board stated that it would consider reinstating the licenses of Suburban Downs, Inc. should they “cure the violations and provide documentation demonstrating they meet the minimum standards, including but not limited to its financial integrity, under the Act and rules contained in Title 11 of the Illinois Administrative Code.” Block voiced his fears that the financial turmoil that has roiled the current harness meet at Hawthorne will bleed over into this year's scheduled Thoroughbred meet, if indeed it goes ahead. “We want to race this year at Hawthorne. All our horsemen are looking forward to it. Only, I hope that Tim and his family are taking the necessary steps to create the correct financial conditions,” said Block. The post Illinois Thoroughbred Racing ‘At a Critical Juncture’ Due to Hawthorne’s Financial Woes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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Rancho San Miguel stallion Brickyard Ride (Clubhouse Ride–Brickyard Helen, by Southern Image), a multiple graded winner and eight-time black-type winner, was represented by his first foal, a filly born Jan. 24 out of To the Limits (Swiss Yodeler). The filly was bred in California by Jerry Engelauf. “I am very impressed by the quality of this first foal by Brickyard Ride,” said Tom Clark, owner of Rancho San Miguel. “Her sire exhibited great class, speed, and longevity on the extremely tough Southern California racing circuit, and this smart-looking filly is an excellent early representative of those strengths.” Brickyard Ride's graded wins included the GII San Carlos Stakes and consecutive runnings of the GIII Kona Gold Stakes. With 13 wins on his CV, the chestnut won or placed 21 times in his racing career. After covering 44 mares in 2025, Brickyard Ride will stand the 2026 breeding season at Rancho San Miguel for $4,000, live foal guarantee. The post First Foal for Multiple Graded Winner Brickyard Ride is a Filly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Brad Cox is not prone to any delusions of grandeur where it comes to the chances of Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo) against the likes of champion Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Nysos (Nyquist) and GII Clark Stakes hero Magnitude (Not This Time) in the G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Feb. 14. He also realizes that $20 million is a lot to play for and is keen to seize upon the opportunity that presents itself, knowing that he has his horse the best he can be in advance of the 1800-meter contest. “He's done very well, he deserves an opportunity and I'm glad he's been invited and excited about giving him a chance,” Cox said from South Florida, where the mercury reached a balmy 66 degrees Wednesday afternoon, significantly warmer than home in Kentucky. Having made the GIII Forty Niner Stakes the third graded success of his career Nov. 2, Bishops Bay went on to top the Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale on a bid of $1.3 million from Pedro Lanz on behalf of the Saudi-based KAS Stables. The bay was on trial for a potential trip to the desert in the Dec. 6 GII Cigar Mile Stakes, came through that effort with flying colors and has since held his form, according to Cox. “He's training very well since the Cigar Mile here at Payson, he's had all his works here,” the trainer said. “He's doing very well and he looks amazing. It's going to be a tall task–with $20 million on the line, it's supposed to be.” Bishops Bay has recorded weekly breezes on a Saturday schedule over the deep surface at Payson since the first of the year, most recently drilling five furlongs in 1:01.60 on Jan. 24. He is scheduled to turn in his final local work this coming weekend. “He's been really good here,” Cox said. “Sometimes this Payson surface can get to some of them, but he's been handling it incredibly well. It's gives you confidence. He's a good horse and lots of times good horses work good on just about anything and he shows that. He's a classy horse to be around, beautiful horse physically. I remember loving him the first time I saw him at Warrendale Sales and he's been very good to us.” A $450,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase in 2021, Bishops Bay was a head second to next-out GI Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo (Arrogate) in the 2023 GIII Peter Pan Stakes and also rounded out the exacta underneath GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Two Phil's (Hard Spun) in the GIII Ohio Derby. Victorious in a single appearance at four, he well and truly arrived in 2025, with six wins in eight appearances, capped by the Cigar Mile. Though his best form of late has come at the mile, Cox is quietly confident that Bishops Bay can handle the added distance in Riyadh. “More confidence doing it around one turn as opposed to two turns based off what we've seen from him,” he said. “You have to look at it and treat it like an extended mile race. That track can be demanding and tiring late, I think he's going to have to be ridden properly. “It can be a challenging track, but I do like the idea that it's a one-turn mile and an eighth. If it were a two-turn mile and an eighth, it wouldn't be what I'd think would suit him, but the one turn definitely gives us a bit more confidence.” Cox will have a Saudi Cup entrant for the fourth time in the seven-year history of the race, his best result coming when Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) was beaten less than a length into third by Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) two years ago. Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) struck for the barn in last year's G1 Dubai World Cup, and the trainer continues to learn on the job where it comes to traveling horses. “Saudi Crown gave us a big thrill and what I learned that day is that it's a long stretch and a tiring track there,” Cox said with a laugh. “I do think there is something about having the experience going over to places like Saudi and Dubai and it's definitely valuable to have that experience from a personnel standpoint.” Cox is of that mindset that goes 'you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.' He remains realistic about his Saudi Cup chances, but is clearly embracing the challenge that lies straight ahead. “He has to step forward, there is no doubt,” Cox said of his charge. “We've given him one opportunity in a Grade I to date. He ran a very respectable race there at Saratoga going seven furlongs [sixth in the Forego Stakes] and he probably wants to go a little further. He needs to step up and move forward and if he does and gets the right trip and some racing luck, I think we can be in the mix.” Bishops Bay flies to Saudi with the other Florida-based entrants for the program on Feb. 2. A record $1.3 million in the ring for multiple graded stakes winner Bishops Bay at the November Horses of Racing Age Sale! Purchased by Pedro Lanz, Agent for KAS Stables and consigned by @EliteRaceSales. #KeeNov pic.twitter.com/IMiT0EWW2X — Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 12, 2025 The post Bishops Bay Thriving Ahead of Saudi Sojourn appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Florida-bred Mythical takes on seven rivals in the Forward Gal Stakes (G3) Jan. 31 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

It was nothing less than a perfect GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who finished one-two in the $3-million race with Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and White Abarrio (Race Day). To talk about his big day at Gulfstream, his concerns that White Abarrio would not run well, and plans for the two 7-year-olds going forward, Joseph joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. Joseph was the Gainesway Guest of the Week. White Abarrio had not run since the Aug. 31 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga and was then a vet scratch in the minutes before the running of the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Joseph admitted that he wasn't sure whether White Abarrio could overcome all the obstacles that had been thrown at him. Even though White Abarrio was beaten by his stablemate, Joseph was openly emotional over how well he ran. “I reacted the way I did because of everything he's been through,” Joseph said. “There was a lot of pressure. There was his high-profile scratch before the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile as he got on the track. Whether the reason was legitimate or not, the vets decided to scratch him. So when something like that happens, you have to go through all these protocols where you have to make sure that you go over this horse from head to toe. You have many different people look at him and almost every person who looks at a horse is going to have a different opinion. So just to go through all that was hard. “And then the horse was good until Thanksgiving and then, after Thanksgiving, we were searching to try to get something out of him that basically wasn't there. That's the worst thing you can do as far as training a horse. We went ahead and we pulled his shoes and went to a different type of shoe. We went back to nail-on shoes, and that was a big mistake. We went from being good for a couple of weeks to where we were way behind schedule. [Blacksmith] Ian McKinley came in from New York and he looked at him and he said he would get him to how we wanted him. He did a marvelous job. All the credit goes to him.” Joseph knew that if White Abarrio ran poorly, he would be subject to second-guessing. “The situation created a lot of pressure,” he said. “We worked the horse and everything is checking out fine, but there is pressure that you don't want something to happen to the horse. And then someone would say, 'I told you, we told you that.' That could happen to any horse on any given day. You just don't want the horse to go out there and run tenth or eleventh because it's going to be the same kind of talk from the naysayers. It's always easy to talk after. Before, it's a lot harder. Thank God the horse went out there and showed up and ran big.” The only thing White Abarrio did wrong was that he wasn't quite good enough to beat Skippylongstocking, the veteran campaigner who picked up his first Grade I win during a career that spanned 36 starts. “[Skippylongstocking] had everything go right for him,” Joseph said. “We went into the Harlan's Holiday and that was kind of like a barrier going into the Pegasus. We thought he was getting there, but he was coming off a bad run at Charles Town. We needed to see him run well before we could have any confidence. When he won the Harlan's Holiday, we felt good and we felt like he should move forward quite a bit. He gave us all the confidence going into the Pegasus that he was going to run one of his best races, but you never know until they do it.” The main reason that both Joseph horses are still running at seven is because they are not fashionably enough bred to be sought after by the major breeding farms and they keep making money on the racetrack. Still, Joseph said this likely would be the last year for both. “I think it would be good for them to go off next year to stud,” he said. “There have been offers for White Abarrio, but nothing the owners were ready to accept or good enough for them. White Abarrio definitely has a great resume. He's won the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Whitney, two runnings of the Pegasus, the Florida Derby. So to have a horse with that resume…there's not many that have that kind of resume.” Joseph said he was not yet sure where the two would run next but added that the GII Oaklawn Handicap and the GI Dubai World Cup would be under consideration for both. The “Fastest Horse of the Week” was Knightsbridge (Nyquist), who earned a 105 Beyer figure when winning the Jan. 24 GIII Fred Hooper Stakes on the Pegasus World Cup undercard. The Fastest Horse of the Week segment is sponsored by WinStar, which stands Timberlake. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the PHBA, 1/ST TV, the KTOB and West Point Thoroughbreds, Randy Moss and Bill Finley took a look back at the Eclipse Awards and discussed Finley's suggestion that a rule be instituted that requires a horse to make at least two starts in North America to be eligible for championship honors. They also looked back at Graham Motion's one-two finish with Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) and One Stripe (SAf) (One World {SAf}) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. Looking ahead, Moss and Finley gave their picks for this week's major prep for the GI Kentucky Derby, the GIII Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The post Saffie Joseph Jr. Joins The TDN Writers’ Room Podcast Presented by Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Godolphin and Charlie Appleby have dominated Kempton's Unibet Supports Safer Gambling Maiden Stakes in recent years, annexing recent renewals with elite-level winners Opera Ballo (Ghaiyyath), Notable Speech (Dubawi) and Measured Time (Frankel). The axis unleashed another potential heavyweight on Wednesday evening as 750,000gns Tattersalls Book 1 yearling Palladas (Lope De Vega) delivered a power-packed debut display to attain 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' status in the one-mile contest. Palladas settled into a smooth rhythm and lobbed along in sixth after an alert getaway. Cruising forward once into the home straight, the 6-5 favourite powered to the front passing the furlong marker and thundered clear in the latter stages to easily outclass Al Azd (Dubawi) by an impressive 2 3/4 lengths. Palladas is the fourth of five foals and third scorer from as many runners produced by Listed River Eden Stakes third Isabella (Galileo), herself a daughter of Listed Blenheim Stakes victrix Song Of My Heart (Footstepsinthesand). Song Of My Heart is also the dam of G3 Musidora Stakes third Pandora (Galileo) and the dual stakes-placed Allegio (Galileo). The March-foaled chestnut is a half-brother to GIII La Jolla Handicap victor and GII Del Mar Derby runner-up Maltese Falcon (Caravaggio) and the unraced two-year-old colt Helvellyn (Pinatubo). 2026 2025 2024 2203 2022 2021 Palladas, a 750,000gns son of Lope De Vega, continues stunning run of Charlie Appleby in this Kempton maiden.@godolphin pic.twitter.com/GCB2Je2ybz — Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 28, 2026 The post Godolphin’s Palladas Powers to TDN Rising Stardom at Kempton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Getaway Car is one of two sons of Curlin set for the San Pasqual Stakes (G2) Jan. 31 at Santa Anita Park, with veteran Midnight Mammoth a major contender.View the full article

Artificial intelligence on the track and the emerging threats of prediction markets and wagering are among the salient topics to be discussed at the National HBPA Conference March 3-7 in Hot Springs, Ark., at Oaklawn Park.View the full article

In this series, we will have a look predominantly at American-bred first-time juvenile starters (through the end of 2025) and debuting 3-year-olds in maiden races at Meydan Racecourse, with a specific focus on pedigree and/or performance in a sales ring. The flagship venue for racing in the United Arab Emirates is Meydan Racecourse, which will host racing on Fridays through the end of March, with the exception of Super Saturday on Feb. 28 and Dubai World Cup night Mar. 28, 2026. Here are the horses of note for this Friday's program at Meydan: Friday, January 30, 2026 2nd-MEY, AED165,000 ($44,913), Maiden, 3yo, 1600m SALLOOM (Authentic) debuts for the Dubai-based string of horses for the Stables of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Sons and trainer Bhupat Seemar on the back of a good-looking trial victory from close range back on Jan. 7 (see below). An. Apr. 14 foal, the bay is the third to race out of a winning daughter of the Grade III-placed Chasethegold (Touch Gold), herself the dam of the GSP juvenile filly Goldrush Girl (Political Force) and granddam of a trio of 3-year-old stakes winners: 2025 GII Wood Memorial Stakes hero Rodriguez (Authentic); GIII Southwest Stakes hero One Liner (Into Mischief); and Hutcheson Stakes scorer Provocateur (Into Mischief). The female family also includes Grade I winners Albertus Maximus and Daredevil. A $175,000 Keeneland September acquisition, Salloom breezed a furlong in :9 4/5 (see below) at the 2025 OBS March Sale and brought a healthy $600,000. Stable go-to rider Tadhg O'Shea rides from gate two. Bato (Street Sense) was a $115,000 buyback out of the 2024 Keeneland September Sale but found a new home when hammering for 140,000gns ($193,887) at last year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up (video). The Jan. 20 produce is a son of 2020 Martha Washington Stakes winner Lucky Polly (Lookin At Lucky), a half-sister to 10 winners, among them the stakes-winning former 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Undulated (Curlin). Bato's now-juvenile half-brother by Jackie's Warrior fetched $280,000 at Keeneland last September. The post Desert Doings: Saudi-Owned Authentic Colt Looms Large on Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Artificial intelligence on the track and the emerging threats of prediction markets and wagering are among the topics to be discussed at the National HBPA Conference to be held March 3-7 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, the horsemen's organization said in a Wednesday press release. “Each year, we strive to take a deep dive into the serious issues facing racing while also showcasing innovation that already is making a difference,” said Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association (NHBPA). “Our goal is to be a conference that isn't just reactive to challenges but serves as an early warning about emerging threats to our industry. We also want to show our affiliates and horsemen ways to improve on the good work already being done.” Topics also include reimagining racetrack ownership led by horsemen and participants; updates on the Horseracing Integrity & Safety Act (HISA); strengthening horse racing's integrity with increased education and collaboration among officials and investigators; and building pathways to second careers for retired racehorses. “We are in the midst of the AI revolution, whether we like it or not, and horsemen and their leaders must be informed and prepared,” Hamelback said. “Meanwhile, there has been precious little talk about the impact of the prediction markets, which do an end-run around regulated gambling, including sports betting. The conference also seeks to highlight the positives about our great industry. In that regard, we have a couple more special presentations that will be announced soon.” Click here to view the conference program. The post HBPA Conference Topics Include AI And Horsemen As Racetrack Owners appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fairmount Park saw a plethora of upgrades in 2025 under new ownership, Accel Entertainment, and they aren't slowing down anytime soon in 2026.View the full article

Yesterday's piece with a selection of leaders in the French bloodstock community concluded with a teaser regarding the future stallion career of Daryz, the winner of last year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for Francis-Henri Graffard and the Aga Khan Studs. Of course, there is a lot of water to pass under the bridge, and more Group 1s to be won, before a decision has to be made, but it will be a conversation all the same as to whether Daryz takes up residence at the Aga Khan family's Haras de Bonneval in France or Gilltown Stud in Ireland next year. When the former opened its doors last week for La Route des Etalons, it was suggested to Pierre Gasnier, manager of the French studs for the Aga Khan family, that Haras de Bonneval could have a shiny new attraction to show off when these two days come around in 2027, in the event that the champion colt remains in France for his stud career. “That's if he does,” Gasnier teased in reply with a smile. “He's the first Arc winner by Sea The Stars and maybe he could be the one to take the mantle of his sire [at Gilltown] – you never know.” Gasnier went on to stress that such a decision is still a long way off, but clearly the possibility exists that Daryz could follow in the footsteps of his sire by retiring to Gilltown once his racing days are done. Indeed, there is a precedent there already as, before Daryz, the last three-year-old colt to carry the Aga Khan colours to victory in the Arc was Dalakhani in 2003, and he too took up stallion duties in Ireland the following year. Twenty years on from Dalakhani, French breeders could have been forgiven for thinking 'at last' when it was announced that the unbeaten Arc winner Ace Impact would be joining the burgeoning stallion roster at the Chehboub family's Haras de Beaumont for 2024, making him the first winner of France's greatest race to retire to stud in the country since Sagamix arrived at Haras du Logis for the 2001 season. It's an opportunity which the domestic industry has seemingly grabbed with both hands, as well as many other breeders from all parts of the globe. “When you're retiring a horse of that calibre, my job is made slightly easier because mares came from all over the world for him,” said Haras de Beaumont's Mathieu Alex. “We're very, very pleased with the numbers he has covered, as well as the quality of the mares he has covered from all over the world. Now, it's up to him, but we're going to support him strongly again in year three.” Closer to hand, 2026 will be an important year for another Haras de Beaumont resident in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Champion Stakes winner Sealiway, who is set to be represented by his first runners in the coming months. “The trainers have been very positive about them,” Alex said of Sealiway's first batch of juveniles. “It's early yet, but they look precocious and they look fast. Time will tell, but for Haras de Beaumont, which is a young enterprise, and also for France, we'd love to be able to have a very good stallion one day.” He continued, “We need a couple of good stallions coming through in France, but some serious racehorses have retired to stud here recently. We have to wait for them to have their first runners, but a few of them will become good stallions, I'm sure. It's a very, very competitive game, but here in France we're well able to breed horses and train horses. Of course, we have to be concerned about the situation with the prize-money, but we have the product.” Certainly, few would argue with that final sentiment following what was a hugely successful season for French-trained horses on the international stage in 2025. One such success story was Sosie (Sea The Stars) who, after winning the Prix Ganay and Prix d'Ispahan on home soil, ended the campaign by providing trainer Andre Fabre with a record fourth win in the Hong Kong Vase. A couple of weeks earlier, Fabre had forfeited one of his many other records when the brilliant Calandagan (Gleneagles) won the Japan Cup to provide compatriot Francis Graffard with a 14th top-level victory of the calendar year – beating Fabre's previous benchmark for a French trainer of 13. The aforementioned Daryz and Prix de Diane and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Gezora (Almanzor) were among the others to represent the Graffard stable with distinction in 2025, but there is no mistaking who is the current poster boy of French racing. A place at stud might be out of the reckoning for the gelded Calandagan but, for his many followers, there will be the joy of hopefully getting to see him race many more times. “He has been a very good flagbearer for the French industry,” Gasnier said of the Aga Khan Studs homebred, who was last week crowned Longines World's Best Racehorse for 2025, having also beaten a number of top-notchers in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and Champion Stakes. “He was bred and raised in Ireland, but he's obviously trained in Chantilly, where we have all of the facilities to train top-class horses. We have the training centres, we have the racetracks and we have the people. This year, we saw it, internationally.” On the experience of following Calandagan to Tokyo, Gasnier conceded that, despite himself, he couldn't help but feel like the team there was representing France and the tricolour flag. He added, “You have to feel a bit like this, even though, personally, I'm not really a patriotic person. You know that you have all of the French people watching that horse performing – the Calandafans. The Japanese people are following him now as well, so he's very important for racing because he will stay in training and the people will continue to support him very strongly.” When Calandagan does eventually bring the curtain down on his racing career, there is little doubt that his presence at Haras de Bonneval would put even more numbers on the door during the La Route des Etalons, should the team wish to have him on the ground as an equine ambassador for the longstanding excellence of the Aga Khan Studs. Put simply, anything that can increase engagement with the sport and its participants is worth exploring at this stage, in order to try and reverse the worrying trend of falling turnover on the PMU. It brings us back to the same age-old debate that we hear in Britain and Ireland, about the need to find ways to bring more people into the sport, especially among the younger demographic. “We went from six million to three million gamblers in France,” reiterated Nicolas de Chambure whilst welcoming visitors to his Haras d'Etreham on Friday morning. “We have to do everything we can to attract the public to the races and to come to the farms. Every little event that can help to promote our industry as a whole is always a good thing. “These two days [La Route des Etalons] are hopefully a little bit of a help in that sense. We should be working a lot closer to the PMU and they should be promoting these two days. We would be more than happy to have some of the gamblers coming to see these champion horses and getting to know a little bit more about what we do.” “The whole idea of this weekend is that we open our doors to everybody,” added Gasnier on a similar theme. “We make sure that we invite all of our neighbours, so that everybody that wants to be here can come and learn a bit more about what we do. “France Galop has done a very good job as well with the initiative bringing horses into the city in Paris, and it works. We saw more people going racing in Deauville during the summer, and it was the same at Longchamp, so you have to be hopeful. Of course, you have to worry about the betting, but it will follow if people continue to go racing more often – it will.” On the subject of attendances, there has most definitely been cause for optimism in that regard. In 2025, the five racecourses managed by France Galop – Auteuil, Chantilly, Deauville, ParisLongchamp and Saint-Cloud – welcomed a record 438,000 spectators, an increase of 8% on the 2024 figure. One initiative which has consistently succeeded in bringing in large audiences is the JeuXdi events at ParisLongchamp. This year, they will take place every Thursday between May 7 and July 9, bringing together live racing and DJ sets which get underway at the close of the card and go on well into the night. Another evening fixture which takes on a similar format is La Garden Party, which takes place every year on or around Bastille Day, with the Grand Prix de Paris headlining the action on the racecourse. “It's one of the best nights in Paris during the summer,” added Gasnier. “France Galop and Longchamp are doing a big party every Thursday evening, and it works. I heard recently of a young lady who came into the industry only because she used to go racing to follow her favourite influencer, and she will be one of many stories like that.” Another man with first-hand experience of one of the most popular evenings in the French racing calendar is trainer Henri-Francois Devin, who saddled New Ground to finish third in last year's Grand Prix de Paris and now reports the son of New Bay to be a different horse after being gelded during the winter. On Saturday, Devin was required at his family's historic Haras du Mesnil to assist his mother, Antonia, in welcoming the steady stream of visitors who came in to see the three stallions – Bay Bridge, Doctor Dino and Telecaster. “The success of these events is very encouraging,” Devin said of the JeuXdi evenings. “They have attracted large crowds of young people, many of whom had little previous connection with racing. “What is interesting is that the sport itself did not change – the races remained competitive and authentic. What changed was the experience around it: timing, atmosphere and accessibility. It shows that the younger generations are open to racing when it is presented as a social and cultural event, not solely as a betting product. This model deserves to be developed further.” He continued, “On Sunday, Vincennes welcomed 50,000 spectators for the biggest trotting race in the world, the Prix d'Amerique. Attendances are genuinely increasing, yet PMU turnover is declining. As with the JeuXdi events, it is now possible to attract more people to racecourses than in the past. “However, the racing authorities and the PMU have not done enough work on the second part of their mission: turning spectators into bettors and racing enthusiasts. On the racecourse itself and between race meetings – media, social networks, etc. – the effort made to convert these spectators is far too limited.” If there is one person whose efforts cannot be faulted when it comes to trying to reinvigorate the industry, then Benoit Jeffroy must be high on the list. As well as managing the stresses that come with launching a new stallion operation, the Haras de Castillon boss reported that he's also been bending the ear of his fellow stallion masters in an attempt to launch a new bonus system, similar to those that already exist in Australia and Ireland. In Ireland, for example, the IRE Incentive scheme, launched in 2021, awards a bonus of €10,000 to the owners of Irish-bred winners of selected races across the Flat and National Hunt programmes in both Ireland and Britain. The owners of each eligible winner – those carrying the (Ire) suffix and who are Foal Levy compliant – have until the end of the following year to spend their bonus on Irish-breds at Irish sales. “For a year now, I've been trying to work with other stallion owners and I'm trying to find a system like they have in Australia and like they have in Ireland,” Jeffroy explained. “The people standing stallions would put money into a pool and that could go towards bonuses that have to be spent on purchasing yearlings or foals to dynamise the market.” He added, “It's so important as stallion owners to help to dynamise everything – we have to be leaders. So far I've failed, but I'm working hard on it. You have to convince everybody and everybody has to agree to the project, but I think it's our responsibility as well to help as much as we can.” It would be fair to say that Jeffroy lacks nothing in endeavour, although he himself joked that some have questioned his sanity in opting to launch a new stallion base in such challenging times for the industry. “I think the English saying is 'God loves a trier,'” he laughed, before striking a more serious note when it comes to the need for the next generation to step up to the plate. “But if I don't do it, or Pauline Chehboub [of Haras de Beaumont], or Nicolas de Chambure, then who will? We will see what happens, but I think we have to try.” The post Daryz, Calandagan and the Thursday Evenings Bringing French Racing to Life appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Turfway Park Racing & Gaming has canceled its Friday and Saturday Jan. 30-31 live racing cards due to continued subzero wind chill temperatures expected in the Florence, Ky. area. Wednesday and Thursday's cards had previously been canceled amid the prolonged cold conditions, with live racing scheduled to resume Wednesday, Feb. 4. Additional information regarding makeup dates for Friday's $125,000 Wishing Well Stakes and Saturday's $125,000 Forego Stakes will be announced in the coming days. For the latest on racing and gaming from Turfway Park, visit www.turfway.com. The post Turfway Park Cancels Live Racing Through Saturday, Jan. 31 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk At what is now essentially his local track, in-form trotter Racey Krusa heads back to Oamaru this Sunday. The nine-year-old has turned into quite the “surprise package” since joining Amber Hoffman’s Waikouaiti Beach stable late last year, winning four of his five starts with her, and finishing third in the other. And it’s not just that he’s stringing the wins together – it’s the way he’s doing it. In his last start, at Oamaru on Wednesday January 21, Racey Krusa was nicely situated one out and one back before being left parked for the final lap. Driver Wilson House made his move at the home turn and the pair left the field in his wake, winning by more than two lengths. “To his credit he just relaxed so beautifully,” says Hoffman. After being transferred from Amber Lethaby’s stables in Canterbury, where he had his first three wins, Racey Krusa debuted for his new stable at Invercargill with a win in November. “His owners (Bruce Graham) thought a change of scene would do him some good and he’s enjoying the beach life,” says Hoffman, “we do all his fast work on the beach and he loves being on the lead as well.” “That first run we didn’t expect him to win, it was more a case of getting a line on him.” Before that win though Racey Krusa took a while to get used to his new surroundings. “He’s a cool wee dude but in the first two weeks he didn’t eat much and I was almost tempted to send him home but all of a sudden he came right,” says Hoffman, “and he’s mated up with a wee galloper and since then he’s been a really happy horse.” “He’s been a wee surprise package – that’s for sure.” Overall Racey Krusa has now won seven from 80 starts and looks to have a great opportunity to surprise again at his “home” meeting. He’ll line up in Race 12, the O’Connell Family/ Murphy Family Waikouaiti Handicap Trot (5.15pm). Among his rivals will be Dark Ghana, who went back-to-back at Blenheim on January 16 and 18, and last start Riverton winner Kracka Looka. To see Sunday’s field click here Racing at Oamaru on Sunday starts at 11.55am. View the full article

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals. Among this week's rulings, trainer Jose Roberto Gonzalez Jr. has been suspended a combined 36 months and fined $25,000 for two out-of-competition positive tests collected from Ol' McClintock, according to the case resolution. Of the samples collected from the Gonzalez trainee at Alburquerque Downs on April 22 last year, the banned bronchodilator Albuterol was detected in the hair sample, and the banned anabolic drug Testosterone was found to be present in the horse's blood sample. Gonzalez's 36 month suspension begins July 3, 2027. The trainer is currently serving an 18-month suspension for a separate out-of-competition positive test, after a hair sample taken from his trainee Discovery N Sight at Alburquerque Downs in July of last July tested positive for Albuterol. Resolved ADMC Violations Dates: 01/27/2026 Licensee: James Dimmett, trainer Penalty: A written Reprimand; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Caffeine–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Woods Hole, who finished sixth at Belterra Park on 10/1/25. Dates: 01/27/2026 Licensee: Michael Lerman, trainer Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU. Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Vibing on 12/10/25. Dates: 01/26/2026 Licensee: Andrew Harris, trainer Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Glycopyrrolate–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Constant Conflict on 12/15/25. Dates: 01/26/2026 Licensee: Ryan Kenney, trainer Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on January 27, 2026; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Lidocaine–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Smooching, who won at Turf Paradise on 12/8/25. Dates: 01/26/2026 Licensee: Antonio Arriaga, trainer Penalty: A fine of $500. Final decision of internal adjudication panel. Explainer: Violation for the breach of rule 3510(d), “Refusal or failure without compelling justification to comply with any other provision of the Protocol (where such refusal or failure does not constitute an Anti-Doping Rule Violation)” for an event dated 3/18/24. Dates: 01/21/2026 Licensee: Steve Davis, trainer Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU. Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Flunixin–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Diamonds R Lucky on 12/2/25. Dates: 01/21/2026 Licensee: Jose Roberto Gonzalez Jr., trainer Penalty: Combined 36-month period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on July 3, 2027; 14-month period of Ineligibility for Covered Horse, beginning on April 22, 2025; a combined fine of $25,000. Admission. Explainer: Out-of-competition medication violations for the presence of Testosterone and Albuterol–both banned substances–in samples taken from Ol' McClintock on 4/22/25. Pending ADMC Violations 01/28/2026, Kim A. Puhl, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Riobella on 12/29/25. 01/26/2026, Kevin Eikleberry, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Kanojo on 12/23/25. 01/23/2026, Thomas Waltke, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Greyzer, who won at Tampa Bay on 12/19/25. 01/23/2026, James Begg, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Lidocaine–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Kentucky Joker on 11/14/25. 01/22/2026, Steven Martin, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Soul Sacrifice, who won at Remington Park on 12/20/25. 01/22/2026, Michael Anthony Ferraro, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Lidocaine–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Keigs, who won at Finger Lakes on 10/28/25. Violations of Crop Rule Los Alamitos Rigoberto Sevilla–violation date January 26; $300 fine, three-day suspension Parx Racing Angel Alciro Castillo–violation date January 22; $250 fine, one-day suspension The post National Weekly Rulings: Jan. 22-28; Trainer Gonzalez Banned Additional 36 Months appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Horse Racing Ireland CEO Suzanne Eade has pointed to Irish racing being “in good health” after statistics released for 2025 shows increases in racecourse attendances, on-course betting and sponsorship. There has also been an upturn in prize-money, field sizes and owner retention. The biggest growth of all the metrics measured came in the combined value of €225.4m for bloodstock sales at public auction, which was up by 14%. Across 390 fixtures last year, attendances rose by 6% to an overall figure of 1.316m. The overall Tote turnover amounted to €81.3m, up on 7.2% on the previous 12 months. This figure incorporates €10.6m through the Tote on course (up by 1.9%) and €62.8m off course (up by 9.0%) on Irish pools. The World Pool betting into some of Ireland's biggest Flat fixtures realised €7.9m in turnover, an increase of 1.3% on 2024. “The industry figures for 2025 reveal a racing and breeding industry that performed well,” Eade said. “Attendances were strong, and many tracks around the country showed increased attendance figures year-on-year. The bigger festivals performed strongly, and Punchestown's festival being up by over 15% to more than 136,000 patrons is a good example. The Irish Derby weekend at the Curragh, the Galway Races, Listowel's Harvest meeting and Leopardstown at Christmas all posted gains as well.” Commercial sponsorship rose by 2.9% to €7m with the Irish EBF contribution from the country's stallion owners growing by by 6.9% to €3.1m. Prize-money stood at €70.76m, up by 1.2% on the 2024 figure, while money won in Britain by Irish-trained horses came in at exactly £20m, down by 2% from the previous year. Throughout the rest of the world Irish-trained horses earned 35.8% more than in 2024, including notable victories at the Breeders' Cup for Ireland's champion trainers across both codes, Aidan O'Brien and Willie Mullins. The average field sizes grew slightly to 11.51 runners per race, although the volume of entries slipped by 5.1%. At 33,230 he total number of runners remained virtually identical year on year. The total number of owners grew by 1.1% to 4,791 with owner retention improved by 3% to 76.2%. Eade added, “Prize-money, betting turnover, the value of bloodstock sales and sponsorship all moved in a positive direction, too. These are indicators that our sport is in good health and that it continues to hold a broad appeal. “Of course, there are always challenges to face, but our budget for this year seeks to address those key areas. The targets laid out in our Strategic Plan 2024-2028 are designed to enhance how all aspects of the industry perform. As we get closer to these stated aims, these improvements, we believe, will yield even stronger results in the years to come.” The post Eade Hails ‘Broad Appeal’ of Irish Racing as Key Metrics Rise appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Hallmark Media and Churchill Downs racetrack announce Kentucky Roses, an all-new original movie shot on location at the iconic Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby (G1), will premiere for viewers in early May.View the full article

Oaklawn announced Jan. 27 the cancellation of its Jan. 30 - Feb. 1 racing. The Southwest Stakes (G3) and its full supporting card, as originally drawn, will be contested Feb. 6. Aqueduct, Turfway, and Charles Town among the tracks to cancel racing.View the full article

Hallmark Media and Churchill Downs have partnered on an all-new original movie called Kentucky Roses that will make its Hallmark Channel debut May 2 and stream the next day on Hallmark+, the media company and track said in a joint release on Wednesday. The movie, which was shot at Churchill and wrapped production last year, unfolds across two timelines–present day and 1932. Kentucky Roses stars Andrew Walker (Three Wisest Men) and Odette Annable (Supergirl, Walker), alongside Ally Ledford, Peyton Meyer, Brynn Thayer and Gregg Henry. The partnership continues in Hallmark Gold Crown stores with a collection of romantic jewelry inspired by the movie. The post Hallmark Media And Churchill Downs Partner On Original Kentucky Roses Movie appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Recently crowned Eclipse champion older dirt male courtesy of his victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Nov. 1. Susumu Fujita's Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) turned in a strong piece of fast work Wednesday at the Ritto Training Center in advance of his title defense in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Feb. 14. The newly turned 5-year-old, trained by the globally successful Yoshito Yahagi, was partnered in a gallop over 1200 meters by his regular jockey Ryusei Sakai and covered the distance in the time of 1:18.7. As is customary in Japan, the work itself is slow-paced at first before the horses are asked to quicken through the wire. Forever Young got his final 200 meters in :11.6. “This will help him improve,” Sakai said in the Japanese media. “He still had plenty of energy in his body, so I worked him properly.” Since defeating his close relative and 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) by a half-length in the Classic, Forever Young has made history by becoming the first dirt horse to be named Japanese Horse of the Year, receiving 226 out of a possible 248 votes. He was also formally recognized as Japan's best older colt or male and champion dirt horse at ceremonies held earlier this week in Tokyo. Forever Young made his first appearance of 2025 in the Saudi Cup, clawing his way past Hong Kong standout Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in the shadow of the wire. Third in the G1 Dubai World Cup, he won the Nippon TV Hai ahead of his first successful American raid in three tries in November. The winner's share of the Saudi Cup purse would take his career earnings to just shy of $30 million. Forever Young and the other Ritto-based runners headed to Riyadh entered quarantine Wednesday afternoon. They are expected to fly to the desert on Feb. 4. The post Forever Young Works, Enters Quarantine For Saudi Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article