Wandering Eyes

After a successful first season in New Zealand, talented young jockey Matthew Cartwright is back home in Victoria for a winter stint. Cartwright currently holds a spot inside the top 10 in the New Zealand jockeys’ premiership, while he also gained his first taste of Group One glory earlier this season when he won the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) on Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj). “It was very rewarding and I was so glad to get that,” Cartwright said of that top-level triumph. “I’m very proud of my efforts and what I’ve achieved for my first season in New Zealand; I had seven Stakes winners, there was a Group One, a Group Two, a few Group Three’s and a few Listed races. “I was very happy, I rode 53 winners in New Zealand, it’s the most winners I’ve ever ridden in a season and we’ve still got a few months left.” More broadly speaking, Cartwright believes that he’s benefited from his time across the Tasman, both in and out of the saddle. “It’s improved me as a rider, it’s probably made me grow up mentally as well,” he said. “I feel like being away from home has probably mentally toughened me up and made me realise what it’s like being away from home as well.” Cartwright was back at the races on home soil last week at Kilmore and plans to ride in his home state for the next couple of months. “I’m just going to have a lighter winter and be riding in Melbourne and then I’ll head back to New Zealand early August for a few Group horses,” Cartwright said. “I’m happy with how it’s been going in New Zealand and I’d like to give Melbourne a crack for the winter, nothing permanent but I want to ride here and keep my licence in Melbourne for next season as well.” Cartwright hopes to taste metropolitan success during his time back in Melbourne and will ride veteran galloper Curran for his family in Saturday’s Listed Bel Esprit Stakes at Caulfield. View the full article

A successful association between Windsor Park Stud and Riverton owner-trainer Andrea Dickson has continued with A Mandarin, who will shoot for a hat-trick of wins when she lines up in the Grand Casino (2200m) at Wingatui on Sunday. A Mandarin has joined Dickson’s stable under a lease from Windsor Park Stud. That same arrangement resulted in Dickson winning races at Oamaru and Gore with the capable mare Rita Hayworth in 2021 and 2022. While Rita Hayworth ventured south as an unraced mare, A Mandarin brought established racetrack credentials. The daughter of Turn Me Loose was trained by Sam Mynott through a creditable northern career that spanned 16 starts for two wins, a second, two thirds and four fourths. Her wins came in 2100m races at Te Rapa and Pukekohe in January and October of last year. “I’m leasing her from Windsor Park, and with the good form that she had up in the North Island, I felt quite lucky to get her,” Dickson said. The five-year-old had excuses when unplaced in her first four starts in the South Island, but has turned a corner in her last two appearances with back-to-back Rating 65 victories in the Ashford Motor Lodge Christchurch Pourakino Handiacp (2147m) at Riverton and the Homestead Villa Motel & Majestic Float (2200m) at Ascot Park. The Riverton race had a stake of $40,000. “In her first start for me in January, she hit her head on the top of the gates and almost knocked herself out,” Dickson said. “Then she was badly interfered with by a fallen horse at Wingatui in February. I gave her a bit of a break for a few weeks, and she’s come back really well with those two wins in April. Those were a couple of very good performances. “She’s feeling very well. It’s quite a step up on Sunday, going into open class, and it looks like a very competitive field. “But she’s been working really well and is in great order. She tries really hard, and she seems to be forming a good rapport with Yogesh Atchamah, who has ridden her to both of those wins and can claim 2kg. “I can’t fault her leading into the race, and if she was able to run in the top four against that level of opposition, I’d come out of it pretty happy.” View the full article

Runaway last-start winner Honey Badger will head to Te Rapa on Saturday as a hot favourite for the Ambient Group 3YO (1100m), where another big performance could earn her a black-type opportunity at Tauranga next month. Honey Badger has shown a real affinity for heavy tracks, with both of her two career victories coming in those conditions. That includes a spectacular performance at Rotorua on May 10, where she blew her Rating 65 opposition away by eight and a half lengths. Trainer Tony Pike is open to the possibility of the El Roca filly taking on older mares in the Listed Team Wealleans Tauranga Classic (1400m) on June 21. “We’ll see how she goes tomorrow before making any plans, but if she happened to win well, we’d certainly give consideration to trying her out at weight-for-age at Tauranga,” Pike said. “She’d run a couple of good races on drier tracks (fifth and fourth at on Soft5 tracks at Te Rapa on April 13 and April 26), but she obviously has a real preference for that rain-affected going. She got that at Rotorua last start, and you don’t often see horses win as impressively as she did that day. “With the rain we’ve been having over the last few days, she’ll have suitable conditions again tomorrow, albeit a rise in class. She’s a short-priced favourite and probably deserves that on the strength of her last-start performance. “She came through the Rotorua run in fantastic order and has worked very well through the week.” Honey Badger will be joined on the float to Te Rapa by her stablemate Cast Of Diamonds, who is a similarly warm favourite for the Wright Civil (2200m). The four-year-old son of Eminent has finished second in his last two starts over 2100m and 2200m, beaten by a long neck and a short head. “He’s racing really well,” Pike said. “He went down by a very narrow margin at Rotorua last start. This looks like an ideal race for him, probably a touch easier than what he came up against last time, and he looks close to a win.” Honey Badger and Cast Of Diamonds could be the start of a notable long weekend for Pike, who also has a pair of highly regarded two-year-olds entered for the Mlaadi Laurich (1150m) at Te Aroha on Monday. Happy Youmzain and Cream Tart both come from the first crop of Hello Youmzain. The Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion is also the sire of Pike’s Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) winner Lucy In The Sky. Cream Tart finished second on debut at Matamata on May 14. She was beaten by a neck by Alacritous, with four and a quarter lengths back to the third placegetter. This will be the first raceday appearance for Happy Youmzain, who has recorded a win and three placings from four appearances at the trials. “They’re both going really well,” Pike said. “Cream Tart impressed me with that debut performance at Matamata. She might have just got the front a little bit soon there, but fought very well. Happy Youmzain has really pleased us at the trials. “We’ll assess what happens with the weather and track conditions between now and then, but as long as the ground isn’t too testing, they’ll head there on Monday as a couple of very nice chances.” View the full article

Luke Ferraris has shaken off the worst of the fever that sidelined him from Wednesday night’s Happy Valley meeting and is hoping he has the ammunition to continue his strong recent form at Sha Tin on Saturday. Victorious at the past two meetings he has ridden at, Ferraris will feature in both of Saturday’s Group Three features but must overcome barrier 10 aboard Lucky With You in the Sha Tin Vase (1,200m) and Chancheng Glory in the Lion Rock Trophy (1,600m). “Lucky With You is going to need the...View the full article

Hugh Bowman has supreme confidence in Helios Express capitalising on the absence of superstar Ka Ying Rising and a light weight when the talented sprinter chases a deserved win in Saturday’s Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m). A brilliant winner of last year’s Classic Mile and Classic Cup (1,800m), Helios Express has had to settle for five seconds and two thirds behind Ka Ying Rising in his seven starts this season. That streak includes three Group One seconds and a last-start third in the Group...View the full article

Presenter-driver-trainer Brittany Graham knows a thing or two about racing on both sides of the Tasman and now that the Queenslander is working for Trackside in this country she’s (reluctantly) agreed to write a weekly column. By Brittany Graham On a stacked King’s Birthday weekend of harness racing, here are four to follow around the grounds. Addington – Friday R8 #4 Tremendous Sensation On a night with quite a few well-backed, odds-on favourites, Tremendous Sensation looks a nice chance at a bit more value. I have really liked this mare’s handful of runs back from a long break and think she is now ready to cash in from a positive barrier draw. Her second to Miki Bennett last start was very good, and we can get a line on that form reference when he goes around earlier in race 5. She has versatility on her side although I’d expect her to make her own luck tonight with Blair Orange in the bike. To place a bet on this race click here Alexandra Park – Friday R6 #1 Carrera Hombre Luckless in a heat last week, his effort was sound in a quick last half and he has all the options from gate 1 in tonight’s TAB Metro Pacers Final. He has shown more than enough gate speed to hold those to his outside, although even from a trail he will still be a danger. He seems a progressive 3YO to follow who is still only relatively lightly raced in the big scheme of things, and I think he’s up to the challenge here. If you are looking for an absolute roughie to follow throughout the card, Crazy is huge odds and could sneak into some minor money, so a top 3 or 4 bet could provide some fun. To place a bet on this race click here Ashburton – Sunday R2 #5 Snooowgood Despite letting backers down last week at Timaru, this talented 3YO trotting filly can bounce back at start two. The early mistake on debut was not at all her fault after coping a nasty check, and her trials show above average talent and her fair share of high speed which will be very dangerous in this maiden trotting grade. I also like that she’s drawn out a little further this week which will hopefully mitigate the risk of getting into bother. To place a bet on this race click here Invercargill – Monday R10 #6 Remission Really like the way this 4YO mare has returned after being tested in strong company last season. Luckless here two starts ago when getting bottled away from a second row draw before charging home, her gritty effort behind Francent last week was a signal of an impending victory. She has enough gate speed to make something of this barrier draw, hopefully settling in front of her main rivals. View the full article

Consistent Taranaki mare Our Jumala has a number of winter features in her future and Robbie Patterson hopes she can pick up the first of those in Saturday’s Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui. The daughter of Zed kicked off a series of stakes races on a winning note in the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m) in late March, which she followed up with a fourth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2050m), fifth in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) and a luckless last-start third in the Listed Rotorua Cup (2200m). Pleased with each of those performances, Patterson is pressing on to the Wanganui feature with designs on a trip to Riccarton early in the new season. “She was a bit unlucky there at Rotorua, if she was drawn poorly she probably would’ve got a lot closer,” he said. “She’s trained on well, I’ve freshened her up a bit to drop back to a mile, so I’m hopeful of a good run. “She’ll have a short break for now, then will come back for the Opunake Cup (Listed, 1400m) and Winter Cup (Gr.3, 1600m).” Stablemate Ragamuffin will make an awaited step-up over ground in the Balance Accountants 2040, following two placings on heavy tracks this preparation. “I’ve been waiting for a long time to get him right and ready to step up to 2000m, and he gets his chance on Saturday,” Patterson said. “I think he’ll like the distance, he’s relaxing really well now, and he’s drawn a nice spot to get midfield. I’d be disappointed if he’s not in the thick of it.” Among his younger contingent, Patterson has plenty of faith in both Unbounded (Full Circle Appearance Medicine 2YO 1200) and Ma Te Wa (Wanganui-Taranaki Racehorse Owners Association MDN 1340) as they enter their second raceday starts. Challenge Syndications’ juvenile Unbounded was unsuited to the pattern on debut at Hawera, but if she strikes a track to suit, the daughter of Turn Me Loose could be one flying under the radar on Saturday. “The Hawera run was better than it looked on paper, it was one of those days at Hawera that everything was off the front, and she had to come wide,” Patterson said. “She was strong late in the piece. “She’s jumped out and galloped on rain-affected ground and revels in it, so I’m hoping that Wanganui gets a bit more rain to loosen the track up. “I think she can be very competitive in the right conditions.” Time Test three-year-old Ma Te Wa stepped out for the first time back in February but looked and performed like a stronger gelding when winning at the Foxton trials on Tuesday. “I gave him that run but he was just a bit weak, so I flicked him aside and he’s come back really well,” Patterson said. “He won a couple of jump-outs and that trial on Tuesday. “I’m expecting a big run from him, Craig is pretty happy to be riding him on Saturday. “I think he’s a horse that will win races, he’ll excel at a mile in time, probably with another year on him.” Patterson has had lighter representation at the races in recent weeks, but with a large volume of young stock coming through the stable, it has been business as usual in New Plymouth. “We’re still pretty full, we have a lot of young horses in while some of the older horses are out for their winter break,” he said. “Not racing-wise, but we’re still busy working away.” View the full article

Dark Destroyer is no stranger to success in Queensland, and he will be looking to replicate his past success when he heads to Eagle Farm on Saturday. Formerly trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, Dark Destroyer had a successful three-year-old winter campaign in the sunshine state, winning the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2143m) and finished runner-up in the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m). He went on to Group One glory in the Tarzino Trophy (1400m) the following spring, and after a stint with Sydney trainer John O’Shea, he is now in the care of Matamata trainers Darryn and Briar Weatherley. Following his runner-up effort in the Listed Rotorua Cup (2200m) earlier this month, his ownership group elected to send him to Queensland, with the first assignment of his Australian raid being Saturday’s Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth Cup (2400m). “We can’t fault him, we just need a bit of luck and hopefully we get a bit of rain, which is forecast, and that will only enhance his chances,” Darryn Weatherley said. “He had to work a little bit from that wide gate at Rotorua and he almost pulled it off. He has got form in Queensland as a former Rough Habit Plate winner and David Archer (part-owner) was very happy to put him on the plane and accompany Pier over here and have a crack. “Sam (Weatherley, jockey) worked him on Tuesday morning on the course proper and he got off him and said he couldn’t have worked any better. I am really happy with the way he is, and he is eating well, is bright, and I am looking forward to Saturday. “We have got Jason Collett (jockey) onboard, he has drawn a nice alley (3), so we will rub the rosary beads and hope for the best.” Weatherley was given a further boost of confidence following the six-year-old’s appointment with a chiropractor earlier this week. “I had a chiropractor go over him on Wednesday and he had worked on the horse three years ago and said he is a different horse this time around,” Weatherley said. “He might have had a couple of niggly issues, even though he still had form, but the chiropractor remembered him well.” Following Saturday, Weatherley said they have a couple of options, depending on the result. “If he was competitive, you would have to look at something like the Brisbane Cup (Gr.2, 3200m), but there is also the Caloundra Cup (Listed, 2400m) if you wanted to go down that path.” Meanwhile, Weatherley reported that stablemate Pier is thriving in the warmer climes of Queensland, and he has pulled up well following his third placing in last weekend’s Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben. “He raced last weekend after being here for only about four days and I thought he went huge considering he drew the outside gate,” Weatherley said. “Now that he has been here for over a week, he is actually a better horse today than leading into last Saturday, he has just settled and he is eating better. “It is three weeks until the Stradbroke (Gr.1, 1400m), we are not a guaranteed starter yet, but we hope a few do pull out and we get a run. If he happened to get a nice draw, and especially if we get a shower of rain, he will be competitive.” Pier has been plagued with issues his entire career, and Weatherley said it is rewarding to be competing at the highest level once more with his homebred. “He has had his issues,” Weatherley said. “Touch wood he has never been so sound in his life, he is very bright, and I believe he has finally grown into himself. “Even though he achieved what he did winning a Hawke’s Bay Guineas (Gr.2, 1400m) and 2000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m), I think he was always a weak boy that needed time. “When he won the 2000 Guineas, he was 474 kilos and he is now 530 kilos, so he has gone from a schoolboy to a man. We look forward to what lies ahead with him.” View the full article

Robert Dennis looks set for a lucrative meeting at Wingatui with an in-form team on Sunday, headed by open sprint handicap prospects Chevron and The Hangover. The Ascot Park trainer is enjoying a breakout season with a personal best of 32 winners and stable earnings of nearly $930,000. He has several chances to further his tally with former northerner Chevron and The Hangover both appealing as strong chances in The Mosgiel Tavern Handicap (1400m). The former placed in his first two appearances for Dennis before a comfortable win over 1600m at Riverton under apprentice Yogesh Atchamah, who will again take the reins. “He’s done really well since he’s been down here and improved with each run,” Dennis said. “He never gave the others a look in last time, the same rider sticks and he’s well in at the handicap with only 54.5kg. “Dropping back to 1400m shouldn’t worry him and provided he gets through the track, he should be a really good chance.” The Hangover is rarely far from the action and was runner-up to race rival Go Lotte on the course in the Beaumont Cup before a close fifth at Riverton, where beaten less than a length. He will be partnered by Billy Jacobson. “He’s there or thereabouts he’s very consistent and we’re pretty methodical where we race him,” Dennis said. “He likes his races spaced and likes a little break at the farm between runs. He tries his best and should do the same again on Sunday, he should handle the track, and we’ve got a good rider.” Jacobson will also continue his association with Sir Sterling in the Positive Sings + Print Handicap (1600m) following their victory romp at Riverton. That came as no surprise as they had been placed in their previous two outings together. “He’s up just 1kg on his last start win and, barring one or two horses, it’s a similar strength race to what he beat,” Dennis said. “We think he has come on really well and he could reach some reasonable heights in the South Island.” Dennis will kick off the day with Mackenzie Lass in the Nellies Restaurant & Bar 2YO (820m) and, while respectful of two-time winner Cool Aza Rene, expects a decent showing from his filly. “She had a jump-out two weeks ago and won it dominantly and Billy (Jacobson) came down and rode her at Wingatui,” he said. “Obviously, Te Akau’s horse has all the experience and has winning form, so he’ll be very hard to roll but I think going forward to her three-year-old season, our filly will be a pretty handy horse.” He also likes the future prospects of last start runner-up Taihoro, who is not a certain starter in the Speights Maiden (1300m), but is one to follow. “Whether we run or not on Sunday I’m not sure, we’ll decide closer to the time,” Dennis said. “He’s obviously only just had a fresh-up run on a testing track and I think he’s going to be a very good horse.” View the full article

Roydon Bergerson only has one preference for all five of his competitive chances on Saturday at Wanganui, a rain-affected track. That was the reality earlier in the week with the abandonment of Tauranga on Wednesday, and while he wouldn’t be wanting it to get to that extent, his top galloper Bradman would appreciate a Heavy surface as he tackles the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m). The runner-up in last year’s edition, Bradman is a model of consistency and always a big player in the feature contests, as displayed last start when he was a close-up fourth in the Listed Rangitikei Cup (1600m). “It was a good, honest run from him in the Cup, it’s just a shame it didn’t rain more,” Bergerson said. “He would’ve been a bit harder to beat, but he tried hard and was only beaten three quarters of a length. “I think he’s improved, he needed to but I’m just praying for a bit more rain.” Speedster Farravallo will make his resumption in the Dawn Eales-Baldwin Memorial OPN 1200 after a very impressive trial performance on Tuesday at Foxton. The four-year-old has been off the scene for over seven months, and despite already having a quartet of victories to his name, Bergerson is seeing a much-improved version of Farravallo this preparation. “He’s going super this time in, he’s a different horse,” he said. “He’s more relaxed, he was a bit of handful when we first got him but he’s settled down a lot and he’s more controllable. “He pulled up a little bit lame after his last start, so we’ve given him a good spell, he’s done a lot of pre-training down on Chris’ (Rutten, part-owner) farm so he’d done a lot of work before he came to me. He’s only been here for the last two months, he’s had a couple of jump-outs and a good trial. “He’s a lot stronger than he was last year which is a big help, he looks great in the coat and he’s ready to rock and roll on Saturday. “It’s a tidy little field, but he’s pretty well.” The gelding will be partnered by Kavish Chowdhoory in the open sprint, while apprentice Jim Chung will claim two kilograms off stablemate Reign It In, who has a long-term goal in mind through the winter. “I think there is going to be a lot of pace on which could set it up for one of the backmarkers, so hopefully it’s him,” Bergerson said. “He’s come up well this year, I’m trying to get him to the Winter Cup (Gr.3, 1600m). “He likes 1200 and likes a heavy track, so send down the rain.” Ardrossan filly Fleeting Glimpse pleased the Awapuni horseman on debut behind a storming Tycoon Boss, and she’ll be aiming to go one better in the Sound Electrical MDN 1340. “We like her, she’s not an overly big filly but she’s a nice looking type,” he said. “We gave her a chance (on debut), I didn’t think she could beat the winner but he looks like quite a nice horse going forward and she’s done well to hang in there for second. “Hopefully the rain keeps coming, Bradman and her probably have the draws to get to the outside first and that’s a big plus at Wanganui.” Bergerson hopes to also have Charlotte’s Way on the truck to the River City, but that will depend on a suitable jockey to ride her in the Dave Hoskin Carriers 1340. At times an enigma, the daughter of Pentire put her best foot forward when second to Mafia Mamma at Trentham back in March, with the long time in between runs suited to her. “If there is a scratching with a good jockey on, I’ll start her, but if not, she’ll wait and go to the poly meeting next week,” Bergerson said. “She’s going well, but we’ve just got to keep her fresh. She’s a funny little horse, we do a lot of different things with her and change training styles to keep her interested. She seems good and worked very well on Tuesday morning, as good as anything over at the track here. “She’s on song, but we’ll see what happens on Saturday.” View the full article

The Opening Day program of the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival June 4 at Saratoga Race Course will feature six New York-bred stakes to celebrate the best of racing in the Empire State for New York Showcase Day.View the full article

In a federal court case involving the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) that is being closely watched because it involves a trainer's allegations of a wrongful denial of Seventh Amendment rights to a jury trial, a judge in Florida on Thursday denied conditioner Phil Serpe's request for preliminary injunction in a lawsuit initiated last October against the HISA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The civil complaint involves “banned substance” sanctions stemming from the alleged detection of clenbuterol in an Aug. 10, 2024, Saratoga Race Course winner from the 66-year-old trainer's stable. Although Serpe's underlying lawsuit will proceed without any injunction being granted for the time being while his contested Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) case separately plays out at the FTC arbitration level, Judge David Leibowitz of United States District Court (Southern District of Florida) wrote in his May 29 order that because that FTC arbitration process has not yet been completed, the court will leave open the opportunity for Serpe to refile his Seventh Amendment injunction claim at a later time. “The FTC does not become involved or take any action until after arbitration is completed,” the judge wrote. “Plaintiff's arbitration is scheduled for June 2025. So, until the FTC's administrative law judge is called upon to review the Authority's sanction decision, if any, Plaintiff's claim as to the FTC is not ripe,” the judge wrote. “While the merits of Mr. Serpe's Seventh Amendment claim may ultimately win the race, this Court will not grant extraordinary relief before the starter's gate has even opened,” the judge wrote. So even though Serpe appears to have suffered a blow to his case on technical grounds with the denial of the injunction, the fact that the judge stressed Serpe's option to refile his Seventh Amendment claims later in the administrative process could be viewed as encouraging for the trainer. TDN reached out to both Serpe's attorney and to HISA get opinions from both sides on the denial of the injunction and the judge's seemingly telling words about the Seventh Amendment claim possibly prevailing in the long run. Saratoga grandstand and main track | Sarah Andrew But a HISA spokesperson wrote in a Thursday afternoon email that the Authority would have no comment, while Serpe's attorney did not respond to an emailed query prior to deadline for this story. In a civil complaint filed seven months ago, Serpe's legal team had asked the court to “declare HISA and the HISA Rules to be unconstitutional, preliminarily and permanently enjoin Defendants from enforcing HISA and the HISA Rules against Serpe, and dissolve and vacate the Authority's provisional suspension against Serpe.” Some of Serpe's “private nondelegation doctrine” allegations of unconstitutionality share common legal underpinnings with at least eight other lawsuits spawned in the federal court system over the past four years in which the powers of HISA, HIWU and the FTC and have been challenged by various individuals and entities representing horsemen and other HISA-regulated parties. But Serpe's Oct. 17, 2024, complaint was unique in that it stated that, “HISA and the HISA Rules violate the Seventh Amendment's right to a jury trial.” Initially, Serpe was facing a provisional suspension, plus a two-year period of ineligibility and a fine of up to $25,000 if HISA's clenbuterol allegations were proven against him. But HISA had announced on Nov. 4, 2024, that it was directing HIWU to impose provisional suspensions only in limited circumstances, thus lifting all in-effect provisional suspensions (including Serpe's) while the Authority reviewed whether any “modifications to the current rules are appropriate.” And on Apr. 23, 2025, HIWU informed Serpe that it would be dropping its pursuit of the $25,000 penalty–a move that Serpe's legal team termed in a court filing was actually part of “a concerted effort with HIWU to prejudicially moot Serpe's [Seventh Amendment] claims during the pendency of this case.” In his May 29 order on the injunction denial, Judge Leibowitz wrote that he was well aware of the number of other constitutionality cases that have been brought against HISA in the federal court system, although he noted that Serpe's case stands out because of its Seventh Amendment aspect. Three of those other cases have already been decided at the federal appeals court level (two in favor of HISA's constitutionality and one against). And in each of those three lawsuits, the losing party at the appeals court level has initiated legal action in the U.S. Supreme Court that could lead to the nation's highest court deciding once and for all whether the 2020 law that governs the sport in America is constitutional or not. “Plaintiff Philip Serpe's challenge to HISA's constitutionality is not the only one making its way through the federal courts,” the judge stated in his order. “Plaintiffs residing in horseracing country have lodged challenges to both HISA's delegation of rulemaking authority to [a] private-entity [as well as to] HISA's enforcement scheme. Phil Serpe | Sarah Andrew “Plaintiffs' Seventh Amendment challenge to HISA has been asserted (albeit tangentially) at the district court level, but no district court or court of appeals has squarely addressed the Seventh Amendment challenge to date,” the judge wrote. “Because the United States Supreme Court has yet to decide the private nondelegation question, this Court stayed that issue in [Serpe's] case and directed the parties to brief only Plaintiff's Seventh Amendment challenge,” the judge wrote. While the judge denied the injunction against the FTC for the “ripeness” reasons explained above, Leibowitz also wrote that, “as for a preliminary injunction against the Authority, Plaintiff fails to show irreparable harm.” The judge continued, in a different part of the order: “Serpe contends that Defendants' ability to impose a civil monetary penalty against him in the absence of a jury violates his Seventh Amendment rights…. The Authority responds that there is no violation here because HISA's enforcement scheme falls 'plainly under the “public rights” exception,' to the Seventh Amendment. “Serpe points to several types of harm that he says are 'irreparable' such that a preliminary injunction is warranted,” the judge wrote. “First, Serpe points to his provisional suspension from horseracing. However, since Serpe filed the instant Motion, 'the Authority has lifted all provisional suspensions (including Plaintiff's) outside a narrow category of circumstances inapplicable here.' “Nevertheless, Serpe argues the Authority's lifting of provisional suspensions was without lawful effect because the Authority lacks authority to lift suspensions and its pronouncement doing so violated its own rules governing rulemaking,” the order stated. “As a result, Serpe says his horseracing status remains uncertain and his harm is, therefore, irreparable. “The Court disagrees with Serpe on this point. Serpe continues to be allowed to train horses to compete in races. Consequently, his reliance on the now-lifted provisional suspension does not show 'irreparable harm,'” the judge wrote. “Apart from the now-lifted provisional suspension, Serpe says his lost business and consumer goodwill as well as his subjection to an alleged 'unconstitutional proceeding' constitute irreparable harm,” the judge wrote. “Although lost business and customer goodwill may constitute irreparable harm in certain circumstances, subjection to an unconstitutional process in-and-of-itself does not,” the judge wrote. “Serpe's claimed harms are not irreparable because he may pursue a remedy against the Authority for money damages in the event of a constitutional violation that causes harm,” the judge wrote. Quoting from a legal precedent, the judge continued: “The key word in this consideration is irreparable. Mere injuries, however substantial, in terms of money, time and energy necessarily expended in the absence of a stay, are not enough. The possibility that adequate compensatory or other corrective relief will be available at a later date, in the ordinary course of litigation, weighs heavily against a claim of irreparable harm.” The post Judge Denies Injunction In Serpe Suit Vs. HISA, But Leaves Door Open For Refile Of Key Seventh Amendment Claim appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Clayton Douglas couldn't be happier with Giga Kick ahead of the AU$1 million Kingsford Smith Cup (G1) May 31 at Eagle Farm. The group 1 winner produced a strong run in the Goodwood (G1) May 10 to finish third in his first outing since November.View the full article

Grade 3 winner and dual grade 1-placed Pyrenees, a homebred for Bonnie Baskin and Adam Corndorf's Blue Heaven Farm, has been retired from racing.View the full article

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) will be onsite at Saratoga Race Course for Belmont Stakes weekend, according to a press release from the non-profit on Thursday. To highlight accredited aftercare, the New York Racing Association, Inc (NYRA) will honor the TAA with a named race on the undercard on Friday, June 6, and a presentation will be made to the winning connections, which includes a gift bag. TAA representatives will be present to host the winners of the VIP experience donated by NYRA that was auctioned off earlier in the year in the “Off to the Races” Campaign to support accredited aftercare. The post TAA Onsite During Belmont Stakes Weekend appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

One of the spring's most exciting prospects, Godolphin's Opera Ballo had suffered a bump in the road when sixth in the Craven but bounced back in style in Thursday's Listed Heron Stakes at Sandown. Always travelling with gusto as William Buick tried to curb the enthusiasm, the son of Ghaiyyath who had impressed on his first two starts at Kempton to earn TDN Rising Star status moved to the front approaching the furlong pole. At the line, the 5-4 favourite had registered an authoritative 2 1/2-length success from New Bay's previously-unbeaten G2 Champagne Stakes winner Bay City Roller. “He's a work in progress and the engine is there, we just need to fine-tune it a bit,” Buick said. “The ability and improvement is there and although I do think he'll stay a mile and a quarter, he has a turn of foot and is exuberant so I would stay at a mile for now.” Opera Ballo delivers in the Heron pic.twitter.com/Oi3lyGdFwL — Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 29, 2025 The post Ghaiyyath’s Opera Ballo Back On Track In The Heron appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Saturday running at Kyoto Racecourse: Saturday, May 31, 2025 3rd-KYO, ¥10,600,000 ($74k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m BIG BAND BEAT (JPN) (c, 3, McKinzie–Cast in Silver, by City Zip) is a half-brother to the stakes-winning Guanare (Runhappy) and was purchased in utero for $80,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale. The stakes-placed Cast in Silver is a daughter of the U.S.-sourced Palace Rumor (Royal Anthem), herself the dam of 2013 GI Belmont Stakes hero Palace Malice (Curlin), but also successful in Japan, having accounted for G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) winner Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Group 2 winner Iron Barows (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}). Big Band Beat was sold for just over $145,000 as a foal at the 2022 JRHA Select Sale. O-Toshiyuki Fukumori; B-Field Luck Co Ltd; T-Hisashi Shimizu The post Well-Related McKinzie Colt Set For Kyoto Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Having promised to make his presence felt in the better middle-distance contests for a while, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's Almaqam delivered on Thursday evening in Sandown's G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes. Taken to the front early by Oisin Murphy, the 7-4 second favourite predictably faced his sternest challenge from the 5-4 market-leader Ombudsman inside the last two furlongs but stayed on strongly to end that rival's unbeaten sequence by 1 3/4 lengths. This win came at the track at which the apple of Ed Walker's eye had wowed 12 months ago in the Listed Heron Stakes and while his four subsequent Pattern-race efforts had seen no wins, he had been second in the G2 Prix Dollar at ParisLongchamp in October. “I thought this would be an easy option, but I was worried about the Gosdens' horse,” Walker said. “He was still on his winter holidays last time and today he looked much sharper. He's big and laid-back and we almost have to wake him up. He has an awesome temperament and I think he will keep improving. We mustn't be lured into big races on fast ground–the ground is important for him and those autumn targets like the Champion Stakes are ideal for him. We put him in the Arc the other day, as Ryan Moore said he needed a mile and a half last year and there could be more to come over further.” Almaqam vs Ombudsman! Classy performance from Almaqam to land the G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes @edwalkerracing | @oismurphy | @Sandownpark | @StarSports_Bet pic.twitter.com/4IZPZgd8xq — Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 29, 2025 The post Lope De Vega’s Almaqam Wins The Brigadier Gerard appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A group of former Todd Pletcher assistant trainers have pledged to donate a percentage of their earnings from the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival to support the mission of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), the organization said on Thursday in a press release. Michael McCarthy, George Weaver, Jonathan Thomas, Whit Beckman and Amelia Green have each committed a portion of their festival earnings to the TRF, underscoring their dedication to the welfare of retired racehorses. Click here to learn more about helping the TRF. The post Trainers Pledge Belmont Festival Earnings To Support TRF appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Hayden Cullen isn’t sure the bookies have got tonight’s feature race market at Addington right. Because the Canterbury trainer and his wife Amanda train both the favourites and he says there is little between the pair. The Cullens prepare Hadron Collider (R7, No.7) and Trump Card (No.2) who dominate the market for the NZBS Weanling Sale June 26 Pace, the $20,000 main race tonight over the 1980m. TAB bookies understandably opened Hadron Collider the $1.80 favourite after his recent second to Sideshow Bruce in the Uncut Gems and an overall body of work that has seen him race many of our better intermediate grade pacers this season. Blessed with high gate speed he could head forward and even wrest the lead off his stablemate but Cullen says it may not be that cut and dried. “He is a good horse and has to be hard to beat,” he says of Hadron Collider. “But I don’t think there is as much between them as some people might think. “Trump Card is a horse we always liked last campaign and he has come back better this term. “He might be stronger too and should be at peak fitness now after three runs so there isn’t a lot between them this week and either can win.” There is a way for punters to back both at a 50 per cent profit should one win, with Hadron Collider boosted to $3 for the Box Seat Boost (under futures on TAB website) while Trump Card is $3.20. Put $10 on both and you spent $20 for a return of $30 or $32. It isn’t everybody’s cup of tea but the sort of thing professional punters do to make money. Their biggest danger is Miki Knows while summer star Wild Willow should be better for his comeback race last start. Earlier in the night the Cullens bring smart young trotter Major Cyclone back to the races against the handy Paddy McDaddy in Race 2. Major Cyclone was originally earmarked for the Ascent Trot Slot race last November but didn’t get there yet is clearly better than the grade he is in tonight. “He has been trialing well and is a really nice horse so my biggest concerns would be the 2600m fresh up and the other favourite, who is also a handy horse,” says Cullen. The Cullens are now well settled in at a property they know well, the former All Stars training facility at Rolleston, where they used to work when Hayden was in partnership with Mark Purdon. “It is great to be back and we have 20 horses in work here but a lot of yearlings to bring back in,” Hayden says. “At this stage we can train here until next April because as everybody knows it is going to be developed some time after that.” View the full article

By Michael Guerin Higher Power may not be quite as good as driver Zachary Butcher’s mate but that still might be good enough to win at Alexandra Park tonight. The three-year-old gets barrier 1 in the $35,000 TAB Metro Trotters Final, a race matched by an identical race for the pacers tonight to spice up the last Alexandra Park meeting before winter. Higher Power was too good for the older horses after leading last Friday, once again showing the benefits of Derby and age group performers dropping back into the grades. Not that Butcher drove Higher Power in those elite races as he partners his stablemate and our best three-year-old trotter Meant To Be. “Barry and Scotty (trainers) think there isn’t much between them and they are right but I have to rate Meant To Be higher because he is my mate,” smiles Butcher. “But I was impressed driving this horse last week and if he races up to that he is the one to beat. “Tony’s horse (Youneverknow) was good winning his heat too and he is the one we have to beat.” There’s not between the two in the market with Higher Power at $2.40 and Youneverknow at $2.60. Butcher says the early fireworks could decide the race. “Higher Power has been a little funny a couple of times at the start and galloped a couple of starts ago drawn down low. “I think he will be okay but that start will obviously determine whether he can lead or not.” The two three-year-olds should really dominate the race if they behave as it is hard to see any of their rivals trotting past both of them should they be handy. But there is enough depth into the contest to suggest it will be a hot form reference in the weeks ahead. Butcher has plenty of time for South Side Story, his drive in the $35,000 TAB Pacers Metro Final but says his best work is still in front of him. “He is a lovely horse but the penny is still to drop for him so he will keep getting better,” he says. “That is quite a good field and I drove Carrera Hombre who was quite unlucky last week when I got held up so he will be hard to beat from the ace.” Later in the night Iron Love looks one of the better best when well suited by the mobile trot after beating most of its rivals tonight, including Halberg and Butcher last start. View the full article

Jewel Hope and Bentraghhill led the way at €150,000 apiece during Thursday's Tattersalls Ireland May Point-to-Point & Horses-in-Training Sale. The former, sold as lot 35 from Monbeg Stables after winning a point-to-point at Ballindenisk, caught the eye of Hamish Macauley Bloodstock. By Masar, he is a half-brother to a pair of stakes horses, including Hope Cross (Cape Cross), who was second in the GIII My Charmer Handicap and another half-sister is the dam of G1 Gold Cup-winning stayer Subjectivist. Offered by Loughanmore Farms, Bentraghhill (Getaway) was snapped up by Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins. Lot 42 was placed at Fairyhouse in April. The gelding is a half-brother to a pair of graded-winning hurdlers in Party Central (Yeats) and Craigneiche (Flemensfirth). Overall, 73% (65) of the 89 horses offered sold for a gross of €2,423,000. The average was €37,277 (-17%) and the median was €30,000 (-8%). In 2024, the number of lots sold was 16 from 23 lots offered (70%) for a gross of €718,500. From the larger 2025 catalogue, a trio of lots made six figures. Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins said, “We welcomed a strong contingent of UK-based buyers, which continues to underline the appeal of Irish point-to-pointers on both sides of the Irish sea. “This sale after two years is now a viable alternative for vendors, with the added advantage of selling in Ireland and removing additional travel costs. It would however be remiss not to acknowledge the selective nature of the trade and the clearance rate of 73%. “I'd like to acknowledge the hard work of the bloodstock team in assembling a quality catalogue and supporting both vendors and purchasers throughout the sale.” The post €150K Co-toppers For Masar And Getaway At Tattersalls Ireland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After a sizzling win in a May 23 maiden on the grass at Churchill Downs, Wesley Ward confirmed what he already knew. 'TDN Rising Star' Outfielder (Speightstown) is among the best 2-year-olds he has ever trained. So it's no surprise that the colt will soon be on his way to Royal Ascot to compete in the G2 Norfolk Stakes June 19. “I was nervous going into the race at Churchill, just because I was so excited and he's one of those colts who has so much ability, Ward said. “The race was five-eighths on the grass. But you just never know how it's going to turn out. If you ever get to see his workouts you can visually see that he breathes different air. He's a big colt but he's real agile and quick. He moves like a cat. Usually, big horses are kind of lumbery and they don't have the agility that this guy does.” Outfielder was purchased at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale for $850,000. Ward also bought a horse named Schwarzenegger (Not This Time) for $950,000 at the same sale. “Both colts were my picks of the sale. We spent a lot for both,” Ward said. “Nobody picked him out but me. You know how bloodstock agents like to take credit for things. The guy who signed the ticket, me, is the guy who picked him out.” Ward bought the horse before he was able to bring in any partners. He talked former major league outfielder Jayson Werth into buying 20% of the colt, but was uncomfortable owning the remaining 80% himself. “I couldn't afford to spend that much money when we paid as much as we did. It was too much of risk,” Ward said. The problem was solved when Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing went in for 60%. At first Ward thought that Schwarzenegger would turn out to be the better of the two and he was planning to run him at Saratoga. As for Outfielder, he thought he would need some time, but that didn't turn out to be the case. “We started breezing them together in tandem,” Ward said “Outfielder came around a lot quicker than I expected because he's a bigger colt. Schwarzenegger [who is unraced] was the one I had planned on running early. But as we got through the workouts in April and May, Outfielder was just better in each and every work. It wasn't by a great margin, but if you watched their works you can pick out visually which of the two is better. “Moving on the grass down in Florida he really took to it as far as just galloping on the grass,” he said. “We had him at Palm Beach Downs and at Payson Park. He just floated over it. Even though he hadn't had a breeze yet I thought he'd really liked the grass. The riders on him, one being David Flores, were elated when they got off of him.” Outfielder wins on debut and earned a 'TDN Rising Star' | Coady Media Outfielder won his debut by 6 1/4 lengths and covered the five furlongs in :55.93 seconds. “In that race he widened the margin with effortless ease,” Ward said. “The thing about him is that he is so sound. He's got a big airway and a big throat. A lot of big horses have air issues, but I knew that wouldn't be a problem for him. There is a lot of excitement surrounding this guy.” With Ward's affinity for Royal Ascot, it comes as no surprise that the colt is headed overseas. Ward has won the Norfolk twice, with Shang Shang Shang (Shanghai Bobby) in 2018 and with No Nay Never (Scat Daddy) in 2013. If all goes well, Outfielder's next start after the Norfolk will be in the GI Prix Morny in Deauville Aug. 24. The Kentucky-based conditioner has won that race three times, with No Nay Never, Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) and Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac ({GB}). “He'll run in the Norfolk, which is a path I've been down a few times,” Ward said. “It comes up a little quick, especially with my 2-year-olds. I like a little more spacing. Being that he ran on the grass and he came out of the race great, the Norfolk looks like the best spot. There's no better grass course in the world than what they have at Royal Ascot. Keeneland might be as good. It is a very kind and safe surface for him to run back on. From there we'll go to the Prix Morny. I've run in it four times, and have won three times and had a second. It's a path I've been down before.” As much as Ward has been impressed by the 2-year-old's works on the grass, he says he'd like to try him on the dirt. “He would be very good on the dirt,” he said. “I don't want to try him on the dirt until the fall of the year. I want to let him mature a little bit more. If we get that far and he accomplishes the things we think he will, we'll have to take a look at the dirt.” For now, it's on to Royal Ascot, where Ward has won 12 races and will be in search of lucky number 13. The post ‘TDN Rising Star’ Outfielder Headed To Royal Ascot appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Oaklawn Park is promoting Zack Gillham to Vice President of Racing & Wagering, while Jason Milligan will assume the role of Director of Racing, the track said via a press release on Thursday morning. In his expanded position, Gillham will oversee all aspects of Oaklawn's racing and sports wagering operations. A member of the Hot Springs team for over eight years, he most recently served as Executive Director of Wagering. Milligan, the former Vice President of Racing, has been with Oaklawn's equine operations for the past 28 years. The post Oaklawn Promotes Gillham, Milligan To Director Of Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior underwent surgery on his left front leg at the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Equine Hospital May 28, the HKJC announced. He has since returned to trainer Danny Shum's stables at Sha Tin.View the full article