Wandering Eyes

The Sporting Art Auction, a partnership between Cross Gate Gallery of Lexington and Keeneland, concluded its 13th edition by achieving total sales of $2.7 million. The high seller was LeRoy Neiman's Lady Liberty, a signed oil on board that realized $229,125. Held at the Keeneland Sales Pavilion on Nov. 13, the auction drew collectors from seven countries who participated in person and remotely. Of the 206 pieces spanning sporting art, American paintings and sculpture, 90% sold. Sale topper: Lady Liberty by Leroy Neiman “We are thrilled with the result of this year's Sporting Art Auction,” said Catherine Ladd Kenneally of Cross Gate Gallery. “The international participation through the online platforms was incredible and really a first for us. As the Sporting Art Auction continues to flourish, we are grateful for our partnership with Keeneland and the community's continued support.” The second- and third-highest-priced sellers were two works by Polish-American artist Andre Pater. His oil-on-canvas Breeders' Cup 1999 realized $141,000, while Watermelon Jockey, a vibrant pastel, recorded $117,500. “The vibrant energy at this year's Sporting Art Auction made for a wonderful event,” said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. “Seeing our Sales Pavilion filled with our community, collectors and enthusiasts who appreciate sporting art is a special way to close our 2025 sales season. We appreciate all of the work by the Ladds and Cross Gate Gallery to make this event happen, and we're delighted to watch its reach and participation grow each year.” The post Leroy Neiman’s Lady Liberty Tops Keeneland’s Sporting Art Auction appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Umberto Rispoli, who captured his first riding title at the recently concluded Del Mar meet, will make a return visit to Hong Kong for Wednesday's Longines International Jockeys' Championship at Happy Valley. The Italian ex-pat spent six years riding in Hong Kong before relocating to Southern California in 2019. For Rispoli, who flew into Hong Kong last Tuesday–just two days after claiming the Del Mar title–the trip is part sentiment, part family vacation, and part professional competition. “I rode here for six years, so obviously Hong Kong is a place that I carry in my heart,” Rispoli said. “It's a beautiful city. When I was a young jockey, when I moved from France to Hong Kong, it's a place that taught me a lot in terms of building a strong character, mentally as well. They race only twice a week, so there aren't many opportunities. It builds your personality, you know. It's a special place.” In advance of the championship, Rispoli returned to Happy Valley last week and was gratified by the response he received. “I was there [last Wednesday] actually as a tourist,” he said. “Just to put myself in the mood again and breathe a little bit of the atmosphere of the races at night at a very charismatic track. It was very fun, very good. I had a warm welcome from everybody, from the riders and trainers and some people working behind the scenes, too. That proves to me that I left something important here. People were happy to see me and I was happy to see them. The most important thing that is wherever you go, you left a mark on people and they appreciate your presence at the track. I was very happy in the way they received me.” Rispoli made the return trip to Hong Kong with his wife, Kimberley Mosse Rispole, and their two young sons, Hayden, eight, and Aramis, three. “The reason we left right after Del Mar–I am here with the family,” Rispoli said. “My son when we left Hong Kong, he was only 2 1/2, so I wanted to show him where he grew up for his first years. And the other child wasn't even born yet. We planned on doing a lot of things, seeing a lot of friends, having nice dinners and some attractions for kids. Hong Kong gives you this opportunity, the chance to enjoy the city and have fun. It's a place you have to visit, because it gives you so much to do. It's a lot of entertainment. For family trips and couple trips, it would be one of the best trips people would take for sure.” Rispoli said his time riding races in Hong Kong presented him with challenges that he has used to develop his skills in the saddle. “It's tight, competitive races,” Rispoli said of racing in Hong Kong. “Almost every day is a handicap, so it's more strategy, more tactical. That's what you don't find anywhere else probably in the world. The handicap system works so very well here. That's what makes Hong Kong racing different.” Rispoli aboard Preakness winner Journalism | Horsephotos In Wednesday's jockey championship, Rispoli will face off against a group of international stars, including last year's championship winner Mickael Barzalona, as well as James McDonald, Ryan Moore, Hollie Doyle, William Buick, Joao Moreira, Christophe Lemaire, Rachel King, Zac Purton, Vincent Ho Chak-yiu, and Hugh Bowman. The 12 riders will compete against each other while earning points in four races worth HK$7.5 million (US$963,743) in prize money, along with total bonus awards of HK$1 million for the top three riders. “It's all about what horses you are going to ride and what draw you get,” Rispoli said of his championship mindset. “That's the important key in those kind of races. I will just try to be myself and no overthinking, just more focused on my horses.” Rispoli will be representing the United States when he makes his championship debut Wednesday. “It's an honor and a privilege,” he said of representing the Stars and Stripes in Hong Kong. “It's a country that, since I have been there at the end of 2019, has given me a lot. So many opportunities. A lot of people, trainers and owners, gave me opportunities without most of them knowing me, who I was and what I had done in the past. So I will definitely try to represent the United States in the best way possible and try to bring the cup home. The Italian enters the jockey championship on the back of a career year in the saddle. In addition to his Del Mar riding title, he also rode Journalism (Curlin) to victory in the GI Preakness Stakes and runner-up efforts in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes. “It's been an amazing year so far,” Rispoli said. “Obviously, having this opportunity to ride at this challenge at Happy Valley, and if I have a chance to win it, it would be a cherry on the cake to just close the year in an amazing way. “Happy Valley is one of the most iconic racetracks in the world. So I am glad to be back and I am glad this opportunity came up.” The post Fresh Off Del Mar Riding Title, Rispole Returns to Hong Kong for Jockey Championship appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

“Phil,” he told his son. “No Tackett ever gave $95,000 for a horse. We're in pretty precarious territory here.” Partly, of course, that was simply a matter of inflation. By the 2014 Keeneland January Sale, Paul Tackett had already been selling horses for half a century. From his first Keeneland consignment, in 1961, he sold six yearlings for $6,100 and imagined himself rich. Even so, the bid felt uncomfortably steep-albeit Morrow Cove (Yes It's True), carrying a first foal by Big Brown, was a big young mare with two stakes wins to her name. “My mother used to make dresses for my sisters out of feed sacks,” Tackett remembers now. “We were poor, but my parents had decided that didn't mean we had to stay that way. They had a lot of work ethic, and a lot of pride. Every night, those dresses would be starched and ironed, she'd put my sisters' hair in rollers and make them shine their shoes. And when they got on that bus, they looked like they'd stepped out of a bandbox.” But subsequent events have only made Tackett grateful that they went to their limit for this mare-first and foremost, the tragedy that claimed Phil in 2020, at just 52. “Congestive heart failure,” Tackett explains. “And he never said anything, was still working seven days before passing away. Even as a boy, he'd pick out what he thought the smartest horses in a sale. And often he would be uncannily right. He put a filly through the ring when he was 11 years old. I had a man walk beside him, so he wouldn't get in any trouble, but Phil had rubbed the filly at home and brought her up to the ring.” Phil's knack had not deserted him here, either. The mare's Big Brown colt would retrieve $70,000 of their outlay, and subsequent foals did better yet: notably a Pioneerof the Nile foal-share at $370,000. And then, at the 2023 September Sale, Tackett brought her Omaha Beach colt down from his little farm near Georgetown. “Nice colt, kind of big and gangly,” he recalls. “We had him in Book 4 and Donato Lanni bought him for $260,000.” Nevada Beach did not start as a juvenile and only surfaced in April. By September he was winning the GI Goodwood Stakes. Tackett remembers watching the horse hook up and go, shouting to his wife, “Look here, look at this country horse!” And while Nevada Beach never got involved in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, he regrouped a few days ago to win the GIII Native Diver Stakes. In the process he further elevated his American Pharoah half-sister, rejected by the tire-kickers when offered at Fasig-Tipton last October. Fortunately Coolmore allowed Tackett to buy out the foal-share, and someday she will return to her native farm to take the place of her mother. “I lost the mare, she colicked,” Tackett explains. “And they had to do a Caesarean to get the filly. But now I've an American Pharoah half-sister to a Grade I winner that couldn't bring $30,000 at auction. The only filly the mare ever had.” Nor is she the only legacy of his late son's ability to push Tackett into a gamble. Phil had always been a fan of Arrogate, and in 2020 proposed sending him their stakes-placed homebred mare Saharan (Desert Party). Having initially protested that Arrogate was beyond their means, Tackett eventually managed to arrange a foal-share. But Phil never lived to see the resulting filly, who realized $350,000 as a yearling. Then her purchaser John Rogitz wrote to Tackett out of the blue. He had read about Phil, and asked whether he could honor his memory by naming the filly Philippa. “Now that is a good human being,” says Tackett, still palpably moved by the gesture. “She broke her maiden on the turf this fall, and now he's said that he'll be sending Philippa back to the farm. That's the reason I get up in the morning, the reason I stay in this business: when you can meet individuals like that.” He has seen many come and go in this business, and knows that those who stay humble are worth more than any balance sheet. Depression Era values were still prized when he was born, in 1937; certainly his father never forgot where he had come from. “He had a sixth-grade education,” Tackett says. “But once he got on his feet, he helped so many people. Small farmers working for him would say, 'We've a chance to buy a little place of our own.' And, though he'd be losing them, he'd say, 'Let me go to the bank with you and I'll sign for you until you get on your feet.' At his funeral, I had 15 or 20 people come up and say, 'If it hadn't been for your father, I'd never have owned my farm.'” In his own youth Tackett was expected to show all the same drive, but he had also been shown the poetry of life-and of the Thoroughbred, in particular. “I must have been about eight when my dad first brought me to Keeneland,” he recalls. “I couldn't see over the rail, but could climb up with my toe in the V-mesh fence and look over. And I thought, 'These are the most gorgeous animals I ever saw.'” At home in Stamping Ground they raised tobacco and cattle, some sheep and hogs, but there were also draft horses and a pony the boy could ride. When no more than 12 or 13, Tackett bought a Tennessee walking mare and started a little showing. “But I guess the judges must have kind of aggravated me,” he says wryly. “Because one day I decided to buy a Thoroughbred: if he could put his nose down on the wire, we wouldn't need anyone to tell us who's best.” Tackett did start at the University of Kentucky but once marrying Jean Ann, he was expected to go to work. “My sister said, 'The cutest girl walks by my house to school every day,'” Tackett recalls. “I said I didn't have time for any of that. But then I went to a football game and she was a majorette. And when I saw her twirling that baton, I told my sister, 'I don't think I'm as busy as I thought I was.'” They will have been married 69 years next month. Back then Tackett was working at a Lexington stockyard part-owned by his father. Mondays they staged a horse sale: drafts and ponies, mostly, but one day a fellow came through with a Thoroughbred mare. He would take $1,000 for her and her weanling. “So I bought her,” Tackett recalls. “My dad wasn't very happy but that fall a man gave me $950 just for the weanling. I thought, 'This is pretty good.' So then I brought those six yearlings to Keeneland. I was so green. If I'd worked a year at Spendthrift or Calumet, I could have seen things it took me 10 years to see for myself. So the whole business was self-taught. But that's why I don't know much!” He gives a self-deprecating chuckle. But somehow he made it all work. Like many of the best stockmen, he had honed an eye for conformation working with steers, and always checked over the stakes horses in the paddock. One day he read Bull Hancock saying that Nasrullah and Princequillo crossed well. Well, Tackett had his $3,000 mare by Mt. Hope, who was by Nasrullah's son Nantallah; so he bred her to Princequillo's grandson Verbatim. The poor man's version, he called it. “I sold the yearling for $16,500,” he recalls. “His name was Hopeful Word, and he won over $1 million: won the Clark, the Stephen Foster. And the only reason I bought the mare was that I had a friend racing at Charlestown, who'd bought a $1,600 yearling out of her. He'd already won something like eight races with that horse, ended up running him till he was 11.” It's hard, he acknowledges, to outrun pedigree. His best angle has been to buy well-bred mares with unfashionable covers. It's a long game, and you can give her a better shot only a year later. Not that he is terribly comfortable with the “halter show” sales environment, altered beyond recognition since 1961. “Back then, see, it was a sport,” he laments. “People kept most of the horses they raised. So horses weren't prepped very much, whether you were a small or big farm. Now here come the agents, the vets, the scoping, the video, the X-ray. When they don't X-ray, mostly they're just immature. So I'll take those home, castrate them, turn them out. Might wait till they're two to break them, run them at three. They all win.” Obviously he needs to put bread on the table, and accepts that some kind of sales prep is necessary through summer. “But you have to know how to take care of land,” Tackett says. “Horses are a crop like any other. So you've always got to be putting down some lime or sowing some clover. And land will get a little stale on you. Tesio had 1,800 acres, and used 600 at a time, so every parcel got two years' rest.” These days Tackett himself is down to 85 acres and 10 mares. “This was my 64th straight year to sell a yearling at Keeneland,” he reflects. “I love selling horses, but what I love most is raising a runner. When I breed, I'm really not thinking about what it'll bring at the sale. Even though I want to sell, and sell good, I don't want to handicap him one bit to sell him. I want him to be a racehorse.” To that end, young stock is reared outdoors. “You take a boy that stays home playing piano with his mother, and a kid from the ghetto, who's going to win if you put them in the boxing ring?” Tackett asks. “We'll bring them in two or three times a week: trim them regularly, worm them, handle them some. But they're out 24 hours and we feed them in tubs out in the fields. Fillies and colts run together till January 15. They have to compete out there.” Tackett teases his wife that no more should be carved on his tombstone than: “An old horse farmer from down on Stamping Ground Road.” But you don't have to spend much time in the company of this delightful gentleman before deciding that few of us could aspire any higher. “The way I've lived my life satisfied me fine,” he says. “I've made my own decisions, some good, some bad. I didn't have to work for somebody else, and I got to be outside with these horses. And if I never raised a champion horse, I did raise a champion family. I've outlived many friends but been lucky in the ones I've had, and still have. Us little guys all fight the uphill battle. “We've done it a long time. But to breed a nice horse is still a big thrill. I've always felt like I was the underdog, and that everybody else was probably smarter than me. So I always felt like I had to get up earlier than they did, and work harder, if I was going to compete at all. And I still feel that way. I'm very humble about what little we've accomplished. I've had such good employees over the years, and vets and farriers.” Beyond that, it just comes down to treating people right. “If you don't, it'll come back to you,” he says with a shrug. “I probably never did sell a horse to a man that I couldn't sell him the second one. Because I never tried to cheat, I just tried to present a good, sound, honest horse. Really my reputation, and my father's reputation, we worked all our lives to make it good-and keep it good. And that's worth more than all the money you'll ever get.” The post Paul Tackett: Selling at Keeneland 64 Years Straight appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Approaching Christmas four years ago, a still slightly gawky chestnut two-year-old jumped from the stalls for his debut in the 1m3f British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes and had to be rousted along by his jockey just to remain in touch with the rest of the field. In last place around the first bend and along the back stretch, he looked as though his 100/1 starting price was justified. But then he woke up. And on the home turn and down the straight he started to scythe through his opponents until the lead was his, the two joint-favourites trailing in his wake at the line. Hopefully the name Giavellotto went into a few notebooks that day, but most of us were probably a little preoccupied by Christmas shopping. We know his name now of course, and on Friday the son of Mastercraftsman hopped back on a plane in preparation to defend his crown in the G1 Hong Kong Vase this coming Sunday. That victory a year ago over his Newmarket neighbour Dubai Honour was Giavellotto's first at the highest level, but he has an impressive record now, which includes back-to-back wins in the G2 Yorkshire Cup, as well as a G2 Princess of Wales's Stakes victory at his home track and third-place finishes in the St Leger, Irish St Leger and Coronation Cup. His latest eye-catching run was to finish fourth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, though this important race had not initially been on his trainer Marco Botti's plans for the horse in 2025. “It's always been the case that it's best not to overface him,” says Botti of his stable star. “He likes a little bit of time between races. Unfortunately, we were forced to miss the Princess of Wales's at the July meeting. His scope wasn't great, and luckily the owners understood, because we had won it last year and it was a race we wanted to run in. But we weren't 100 per cent happy with him, so we were forced to give him a little bit more time and then bring him back for the September Stakes. And it was only after that race, when he beat Kalpana, that we thought we would have to seriously consider the Arc. She was the [Arc] favourite, so it would have been silly not to.” He continues, “When the decision was made, the forecast looked really good. Two weeks before the Arc, it looked like it was going in the direction of a dry spell. Then, obviously, everything changed and when that storm came across it didn't do us any favours, but in that bad ground he was still terrific, wasn't he? You could see in the first part of the race he took a while to just find his feet. And actually, I was worried after a couple of furlongs that he wasn't really travelling, and I thought he was just struggling a bit, but Andrea [Atzeni, jockey] just patiently left him to find his rhythm and then in the straight he picked up.” Freshened up after that run in early October, Giavellotto is pleasing his trainer still. He had his last piece of serious work on the Al Bahathri on Thursday morning under Marco Ghiani before boarding the horsebox to catch his flight to Hong Kong on Friday. This he does with relish, apparently. “He loves to travel,” says Botti. It's just as well because so far he has taken his owner-breeder Francesca Franchini of Scuderia La Tesa to many of the major tracks around Britain, as well as Dubai, Saudi Arabia, France, and of course Hong Kong. Franchini is plainly smitten with the statuesque stallion she bred from the Galileo mare Gerika. To the headcollar Giavellotto wears at Botti's Prestige Place she has attached a tag which proclaims 'I'm the King'. Since April 2024, she has owned him in partnership with Vaibhav Shah. Botti says that no stallion stud has yet been forthcoming with an offer to stand the horse, who almost ended up racing in Australia in his earlier days. “It's been a good journey because most of these horses, as we all know, get sold, so unfortunately most of the trainers, we lose these horses and you don't have a chance to go for the good meetings. He was almost sold as a three-year-old then it fell through, otherwise he would have gone to Australia and that would have been it,” he says. “Luckily for us – and now I can say we were lucky it didn't happen – we get to have him as a six-year-old. He ran well in the St Leger as a three-year-old, he did well as a four-year-old, five, and now six. “As a two-year-old, he was a bit of a handful, and he can be on some days. He likes his routine but generally overall he's fine. My head man Andrew [Morris] gets on so well with him. He's one of the horses that if you change the rider he can get upset. But Andrew, knows him inside out and they get on well, so him being a colt hasn't been a problem at all.” 'I'm The King' reads the tag on Giavellotto's headcollar | Emma Berry Of the prospect of Giavellotto racing on as a seven-year-old, he adds, “Ajay Anne is the racing manager for Mr Shah and we all are thinking the same in that, let's see how it goes in Hong Kong. But the general feeling is that unless something happens in terms of a stud wanting to stand him, he will probably race on next year.” Botti is also overseeing Giavellotto's youngest and final half-brother Gioco Di Squadra, by St Mark's Basilica, who is also chestnut and is out on Warren Hill in the lot after his more celebrated sibling. “Marco Ghiani has ridden most of his gallops and he said Giavellotto felt as good [on Thursday] as he was last year before he went to Hong Kong,” says Botti. “He looks enthusiastic and happy, he's got a good skin. Touch wood, I don't think we could be happier with what we've seen so far. He looks great.” The trainer does admit to having been surprised to a degree by his win at Sha Tin last year. “We kept campaigning him over a mile and six [furlongs] thinking, yes, he was showing more speed, but at the same time, before going to Hong Kong, I felt maybe the mile and a half there was a bit of a sharper than we have in Europe. The straight is just over two furlongs. But then he surprised me, with the turn of foot he showed that day. I mean, obviously he's a solid horse, he's a good horse. He always gives his best on the track, but to get checked and just reorganise himself, he found an extra gear to then pick up and win the race going away. I thought it was quite impressive,” he says. Giavellotto's half-brother Gioco Di Squadra | Emma Berry “Maybe it looks a slightly better field this year than last year, and you always hope you won't draw on the outside and those kind of things. Andrea is going to take the ride. I thought he rode a very good race in the Arc. “It's huge prize-money and when you've got a horse that can travel there and run so well, it makes sense. His owner-breeder Francesca Franchini had the greatest experience winning the race. She couldn't believe it, the set-up on race day and the experience of Hong Kong. So after the race, it was like, well, we've got to come back next year. It has been the priority this season.” Botti, whose training career has been defined by international success through the likes of North American Grade I winners Capla Temptress, Euro Charline, Gitano Hernando and Joshua Tree, as well as globetrotters Jakkalberry, Planteur and Tac De Boistron, is only too aware of his good fortune in still being able to muse over plans for Giavellotto as he approaches his seventh birthday. “Like I said, mostly we have had to sell our better horses as two- or three-year-olds, like Folgaria and Tatsumaki,” he says. “So to actually be able to still have him in the yard – I think it's been a great story, for the yard and the staff, we all need that kind of horse, to be able to enjoy a few nice trips abroad. He's been all over the place and he owes no one anything, really.” The post ‘I Don’t Think We Could Be Happier’: Marco Botti on Giavellotto’s Return to Hong Kong appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With his background in real estate, NYRA chairman and Jockey Club steward Marc Holliday is the ideal person to guide the organization's future and construction of Belmont Park. View the full article

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Irish hopefuls The Lion In Winter, Los Angeles, Al Riffa and Galen have all hit the ground running ahead of their intended targets on Sunday’s Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) at Sha Tin. Aidan O’Brien has been a perennial figure at the meeting, winning the Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) three times courtesy of Highland Reel (2015 and 2017) and Mogul (2020). He will be represented in the same race on Sunday by Group One winner Los Angeles, who will head to stud following his run,...View the full article

David Hayes has his sights firmly set on the HK$300,000 International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) trainers’ bonus with a battalion of seven horses across the four legs of Wednesday’s lucrative competition. The top trainer won the prize in 2021 and will have every chance to do the same at Happy Valley with an in-form squad that includes the strong pair of Akashvani and Romantic Son in the fourth leg, a Class Three contest over 1,200m. Romantic Son ran riot in the grade on his most recent start,...View the full article

He may have been a touch jaded when he left Hong Kong in 2019, but Umberto Rispoli is back in town with a spring in his step and boasting every bit of the infectious energy he’s so well known for. Frustrated by a lack of opportunity after 122 Hong Kong wins across almost eight years, Rispoli packed his bags and headed for the United States. Almost six years to the day, he returns in the midst of his “best year as a rider” after 127 wins including a superb victory aboard Journalism in the Group...View the full article

Australia’s newest Group One winner, Cosmic Crusader (NZ) (Maurice), will back-up in Saturday’s Gr.3 Gold Rush (1400m) at Ascot, assuming he comes through the weekend’s heroics in good order. After a luckless campaign, which saw him finish third in both the Gr.3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m) and Gr.3 RJ Peters Stakes (1500m), both at an odds-on quote, Cosmic Crusader took out the Listed Carbine Club Stakes (1400m) on November 22, before his gutsy Northerly triumph. Having gone from 1400 metres up to 1800 metres, the five-year-old gelded son of Maurice, who was bred by and is raced by Bob Peters, will now drop back to 1400 metres in the Gold Rush. Michael Grantham knows it’s somewhat of an unorthodox preparation, and it’s certainly a challenge, but it’s one he’s looking forward to. “He’s pulled up well this morning,” Grantham told SEN Track. “We’ll probably accept for the Gold Rush and I’ll just keep monitoring him during the week and keep the work up to him, because I don’t want him to get away from me. “It will be a very big test for him. I know it was a big test on Saturday.” Cosmic Crusader will meet a quality field on Saturday, with defending champion Western Empire (NZ) (Iffraaj), who placed third in the Northerly, also set to back-up. Beaten Winterbottom Stakes contestants Overpass (Vancouver), Jokers Grin (Maschino), Rey Magnerio (Magnus) and Rope Them In (Playing God) will also tackle the race. Western Empire’s stablemate, Watch Me Rock (Awesome Rock), who was narrowly beaten by Cosmic Crusader in the Northerly, won’t be there; the Gr.1 Railway Stakes victor has gone to the paddock. “That Gold Rush, with those couple of handy sprinters that can really turn on the speed, it might bring him undone, but you’re racing for $1.5 million so you’ve got to have a crack while you’ve got the horse,” Grantham added. View the full article

A graduate trifecta in the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) provided a timely reminder of the quality that can be found in Book 2 of NZB’s National Yearling Sale, and more of the same can be expected at Karaka 2026. A new-look Book 2 will take place on just one day – Tuesday 27 January – and features a select catalogue of 280 yearlings. The catalogue contains plenty of yearlings with the credentials to follow in the footsteps of Romanoff (NZ) (Belardo), Affirmative Action (Yes Yes Yes) and Shoma (NZ) (Contributer), who were bought for $75,000, $115,000 and $20,000 respectively from Book 2 of Karaka 2024. They finished first, second and third in the $700,000 New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton on November 15. Book 2 of Karaka 2026 features siblings and progeny of numerous black-type performers, including Lot 613, a colt by Divine Prophet from the draft of Mapperley Stud. The colt is a half-brother to Snazzytavi (NZ) (Tavistock), whose nine wins include last season’s Group One Zabeel Classic (2000m), Group One Livamol Classic (2040m) and Group Two Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m). Another half-sister, Le Societe (Anabaa), was stakes-placed and is a black-type producer, while their dam Ritzy Lady (NZ) (Zabeel) herself won at Listed level. Lot 572 is an Ardrossan colt whose dam is a half-sister to the dam of Perth’s recent Group One Railway Stakes (1600m) winner Watch Me Rock (Awesome Rock). Ardrossan is also the sire of Lot 624, a filly out of the Group Three-winning mare Seven Schillings (NZ) (O’Reilly). She is the dam of four winners including Group Two winner Emily Margaret (NZ) (Pins) and stakes-placed Heptagon (NZ) (Jimmy Choux), while Emily Margaret is the dam of the stakes-placed Ha’penny Hatch (NZ) (Circus Maximus). Lot 633 is a colt by exciting Cambridge Stud stallion Sword Of State, whose first crop of two-year-olds has already produced the stakes-winning Australian filly Torture (NZ). This colt is out of a half-sister to the brilliant triple Group One winner Sunlight (Zoustar) along with fellow stakes winners Sisstar (Zoustar) and Clean Energy (Zoustar). Lot 655 is a half-brother to Von Hauke (NZ) (Savabeel), who claimed the biggest win of his career in the Group Two Crystal Mile (1600m) on Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in October. Lot 737 is an Acrobat colt who is a three-quarter-brother to the Group One Levin Classic (1600m) winner Age Of Fire (Fastnet Rock). He is also a three-quarter-brother to the dam of Group Two Wakeful Stakes (2000m) winner Amazonian Lass (More Than Ready). Lot 785 is a colt by Tarzino (NZ) out of the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) winner and NZB Filly of the Year Insouciant (NZ) (Keeper). Other catalogue highlights include: Lot 579, an Ancient Spirit colt whose half-sister Inflamed (NZ) (Ghibellines) won the Listed Stewards’ Stakes (1200m) during the recent New Zealand Cup Carnival in Christchurch. Their dam Ortem Fire (NZ) (Gallant Guru) was herself a winner at Listed level. Lot 590, a colt by King’s Legacy out of the Group Three Quezette Stakes (1100m) winner Petits Filous (Street Boss). Lot 596, a filly by Dundeel (NZ) out of the five-time Group placegetter Promise To Reign (Manhattan Rain). Lot 610, a filly by Noverre (NZ) out of the Group Three winner and Group One-placed Reilly Lincoln (NZ) (Pins). Lot 611, a Satono Aladdin colt who is a half-brother to stakes winners Arby (NZ) (Proisir) and Ess Vee Are (NZ) (Shocking). Lot 612, a U S Navy Flag filly whose dam is a half-sister to Group One winner Devise (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and three-quarter-sister to Group One winner Catalyst (NZ) (Darci Brahma). Lot 619, a filly by Super Seth out of stakes-winning mare Ruby Armani (NZ) (Makfi). Lot 620, a colt by Noverre (NZ) out of the Group Two-placed Safura (NZ) (Almanzor). Lot 623, a full-sister to the multiple black-type placegetter Poetic Drama (NZ) (Proisir). Lot 625, a full-brother to the Group Three Rough Habit Plate (2000m) winner Shocking Luck (NZ) (Shocking) and the stakes-placed Analytica (NZ) (Shocking). Lot 638, a Tarzino (NZ) half-brother to Group Three placegetter Baby Wong (Press Statement). Lot 641, a Sword Of State colt who is a half-brother to the stakes-placed Manzor Magic (NZ) (Almanzor). Another by Sword Of State, Lot 644, whose dam Taroni (NZ) (Showcasing) placed in the $1m Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m). Lot 647, a Proisir half-brother to Group One South Australian Derby (2500m) runner-up Let’s Karaka Deel (NZ) (Dundeel). Lots 650 and 651, fillies out of unraced half-sisters to Group One winner Thee Auld Floozie (NZ) (Mastercraftsman). Lot 671, a filly by freshman sire Profondo out of Group Two-winning mare Yearn (NZ) (Savabeel). Lot 684, a Hello Youmzain half-sister to stakes winner Viva Vienna (NZ) (All Too Hard) and the black-type-placed Divine Inanna (Real Impact). Another filly by Hello Youmzain, Lot 697, whose dam Beyond The Fort (NZ) (Niagara) won the Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) and placed in the Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m). Lot 700, a filly by Satono Aladdin out of Group Two winner Bisou Bisou (Shaft). Lot 714, an Ardrossan half-sister to Group Two winner Shamus (NZ) (Shamexpress). Lot 716, a Profondo colt who is a half-brother to two stakes performers including Group Two winner Tavidream (NZ) (Tavistock). Lot 719, an Ace High filly who is the first foal out of dual Group Two placegetter Contagious (NZ) (Proisir). Lot 724, a Profondo half-sister to Listed winner and Group Three placegetter Sheez Dominant (NZ) (Vanbrugh). Lot 747, a full-brother to Group Three winner Soleseifei (NZ) (Shocking). Lot 751, a Tarzino (NZ) filly who is a half-sister to $1m Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) winner Scott Base (NZ) (Dalghar). Lot 767, a Profondo half-sister to stakes winner Family Ties (NZ) (Contributer). Lot 788, a Hello Youmzain colt whose dam Italian Princess (NZ) (Bertolini) won at Listed level. This colt is also a half-brother to the Group Three placegetter Tevere (NZ) (Contributer). Lot 812, a Sweynesse colt whose dam is a half-sister to the recent Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner Romanoff (NZ) (Belardo). Lot 813, a Hello Youmzain half-sister to multiple Group winner Belardo Boy (NZ) (Belardo) and the stakes-placed Cheveux (NZ) (Belardo). Their dam L’Amour (NZ) (Towkay) also placed at stakes level. Lot 814, a Derryn half-sister to stakes winner and Group One placegetter Lightning Jack (NZ) (Per Incanto). Lot 815, a Hello Youmzain filly whose half-brother Show Pony (NZ) (Vespa) and dam Last Sight (NZ) (Showcasing) are both multiple black-type placegetters. Karaka 2026 will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from 25 to 29 January, with Book 2 taking place Tuesday 27 January. All yearlings purchased are eligible for the Karaka Millions Series featuring the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), followed by the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) as well as the NZB Mega Maiden Bonus Series with $1m in bonuses up for grabs across 40 maiden races each season. SALE SCHEDULE: TAB Karaka Millions Raceday: Saturday 24 January at Ellerslie Book 1 Sale: Sunday 25 & Monday 26 January at Karaka Book 2 Sale: Tuesday 27 January at Karaka Karaka Summer Sale: Thursday 29 January at Karaka View the full article

Just weeks after tasting the bitterness of a short-margin defeat in a Group One, jockey George Rooke is savouring the sweetness of scoring his first elite-level success over the weekend. The expat Englishman thought he had nailed his first Group One victory aboard Affirmative Action (Yes Yes Yes) in last month’s New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, but the photo finish revealed his stablemate Romanoff (NZ) (Belardo) got the nod. Rooke was once again caught in a short-margin struggle aboard the Stephen Marsh-trained Provence (NZ) (Savabeel) in Saturday’s Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham, and had an agonising wait to hear the judge’s call as a result of a malfunction with the photo finish camera. “It was very nerve-racking because two weeks before I learnt my lesson,” Rooke said, referring to Affirmative Action’s defeat. “It was very close that day and I thought I had won, and I was devastated (when I didn’t). “The camera not working wasn’t ideal for a Group One race (on Saturday), they said the software seemed to fail. It was a painful wait, but we got the right result.” The victory fulfilled a lifelong ambition for Rooke, who moved to New Zealand last year in search of further opportunities. “It was my first Group One, so I am over the moon,” he said. “It has always been a lifetime goal for me. It is what we do it for and why we get up at the crack of dawn. “I had two stakes winners in England, it is just very competitive and hard to get on the good horses. Over here there is a bit more opportunity and I have put in the hard work, and the trainers and owners have always supported me since I have been here. It is just nice to get that Group One, the one everyone wants.” While Rooke’s day ended on a high, having also taken out the last race aboard the Robert Wellwood and Roger James-trained Foreverintime (Written Tycoon), the start was a complete contrast. He was dislodged from Atkins during the preliminary in race three and had to undergo a head injury assessment before being declared to resume riding at the meeting. “The day didn’t start off that well, I had a fall and got stood down for one race,” he said. “I was beaten on two favourites and it wasn’t going too well, but I won the last two races, so it all turned around.” Rooke is hoping he can continue his winning momentum through the remainder of the season, particularly over the busy summer period. “I am looking forward to what Provence, Affirmative Action and a few others can do through the rest of the season,” he said. “Now that the weather is coming good, the racing is coming and the money is coming, hopefully I can have a really good summer.” Rooke is enjoying his time in New Zealand and sees himself staying long-term. “I have been here just over a year now,” he said. “I hit the ground running and did really well when I started. The lifestyle, the weather, the people, everything has just been brilliant, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” View the full article

Simms Davison is more than happy to play the long game with his broodmare gem Bella Carolina (NZ) (O’Reilly) and her family. O’Reilly’s daughter continues to do the Mapperley Stud principal proud with future stakes contender Stella Ma Bella (Contributer) the latest to shine. Davison bred and races the Contributor filly, a sister to the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) winner Campionessa (NZ), who was an impressive winner for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson at her second start at Te Aroha on Sunday. “She’s a better physical type than Campionessa, she’s more forward as a younger horse and showing that. She’s got a real physical presence about her, she’s a ripper,” Davison said. “She will go to the three-year-old filly’s race (Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic, 1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, that’s the plan at this stage. “I only had 10 percent of Campionessa so it’s nice to own 100 percent of a nice horse, Te Akau did a great job with her and they’re doing it again with Stella Ma Bella.” Campionessa was also a four-time Group Two winner and is now back in the Mapperley Stud broodmare band. “I sold Campionessa after she had been passed in twice at two different sales,” Davison said. “I bought her back at the Gold Coast (for A$380,000) so there’s probably more money going out so far than in with that family, but hopefully it will reward us in the long term.” A sister to Campionessa and Stella Ma Bella will be offered as Lot 306 in Mapperley’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale in January. “She’s a really good type, you can’t keep everything and we’ve got Campionessa and Stella Ma Bella, so I’ve got two fillies out of the family and hopefully that’s enough,” Davison said. “Bella Carolina’s also got a really nice Profondo colt on her and she’s gone back to him, I have always supported my own stallions with those nice mares.” Meanwhile, Campionessa has also begun her breeding career with a trip across the Tasman to Arrowfield Stud. “She went over to The Autumn Sun, she’s positive and back here on the farm now,” Davison said. “We wanted to breed Oaks types out of her and he’s had another huge spring, so I think we’ve made the right call. “There was a lot of discussion about it to maybe get a bit more speed, Campionessa needed time and distance, but we decided to stick to our knitting. “I think everyone can get a bit carried away about injecting speed, New Zealand is known for producing those Oaks type fillies so we’ve gone to a stallion we think can deliver that.” View the full article

Klaravich Stables' Fully Subscribed notched her second graded stakes score Dec. 7 in the $200,000 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, winning by 4 lengths over multiple graded stakes winner Quietside.View the full article

Despite losing a shoe in Saturday's GII Remsen Stakes, Paladin (Gun Runner) came out of his win no worse for wear, according to trainer Chad Brown on Sunday. “He looks good,” confirmed Brown. “He lost his right front shoe in the race, so we'll give him a few days and get him down to Payson Park next week.” “Overall, he looks like he's in good shape. It's nice to see that he got a lot of experience that will help him down the road. This horse is for real. He's a serious horse, and to get his career started with two wins off the bat–we couldn't ask for more.” Demoted to second behind Renegade (Into Mischief) in his career debut going a mile at the Big A on Oct. 17, the chestnut turned the table on that rival when adding an eighth of a mile while taking on stakes company for the first time in the Remsen. The $1.9 million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale purchase is campaigned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Brook Smith and Summer Wind Equine, who also bred the colt. The Coolmore partners and Smith also campaigned Champion 3-year-old and last year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone (Gun Runner). “He's running faster figures than any of [Brown's Classic runners] in the past,” Brown said. “He's a little ahead of where they were to be honest. He's got good forward, positional speed, all things that are very good things to work with going forward.” Sierra Leone was retired from racing after his runner-up finish in this year's Classic and will stand the 2026 season at Ashford Stud. “It's rewarding because you send a great horse home, and you hope to have a replacement right away,” Brown said. “They've supported me with plenty of expensive prospects in recent years, so to be able to keep it going and have a new, fresh horse on the Derby trail and a potential exciting stallion prospect – which is the broader plan here–is [exciting]. I feel I am doing my part in keeping something in the pipeline for the whole big picture here.” The post Paladin Exits Remsen Win in Good Shape appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Dual Group One winner Orchestral has been retired. The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained mare suffered an atrial fibrillation when running 10th in last month’s Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), and the decision was made to bring the curtain down on her racing career. “Unfortunately, she had an atrial fibrillation in the race and her heart hasn’t come back to a normal rhythm,” Wellwood said. “That counts her out as being a racing prospect, so she has been officially retired and is going to be a mum.” Orchestral was a standout on the track, particularly as a three-year-old, when she strung together five consecutive wins, including the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m), Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) and Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m), before placing in the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m). Last season she went on to win the $1 million Aotearoa Classic (1600m) and placed in the Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m), bringing her career tally to seven wins and four placings from 18 starts, with earnings north of $2.7 million. “She has been a wonderful mare,” Wellwood said. “When you look back through her record you pinch yourself that you are involved with a horse like her. “The Karaka Millions was very exciting, that is probably when she announced herself. To be able to win a Derby with Roger was a dream come true. I joked with him when we first started training together that he needed to teach me how to win a Derby and I remember when he came down the stairs after the Derby he said, ‘job done’. “To win a Group One in Australia too just capped it off, she really showed her class. She is certainly one out of the box and you feel very privileged to be involved with a horse like her. “It has been a dream run and although it is gutting to not have another season with her, we look forward to the Litt family hopefully breeding some superstars from her. “We have unfortunately missed this (breeding) season. She will have a nice break for 10 or 11 months and look for a boyfriend in the new season.” While disappointed to lose Orchestral from his barn, Wellwood was pleased with his team’s efforts over the weekend, recording three wins over as many venues. Regally-bred filly Dance The Night got the stable off to a winning start when taking out the Dunstan Horsefeeds 1600 at Pukekohe at just her third start. A daughter of Group One winner Stolen Dance, Dance The Night has shown good progression, finishing seventh on debut in a stacked three-year-old maiden field at Taupo in September before finishing runner-up behind stablemate Ariadne over a mile at Pukekohe last month. She returned to the South Auckland venue on Saturday, where she was backed into a $5.30 second favourite by punters, and duly delivered against older rivals. “She is a nice filly,” Wellwood said. “It is always hard for those fillies against those older horses. She was only getting 3.5 kilos from a four-year-old gelding. I thought it was a tough effort and she is probably only going to get better from the run.” Attaining black-type has become the focus with the filly, and her trainers are eyeing some stakes targets with her over the holiday period. “We need to sit down and have a talk with the owners, but whether we go to one of those miles, the Eulogy (Gr.3, 1600m) or Boxing Day (Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic, 1600m), or whether we look at heading to New Year’s Day over 2000m (Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes),” Wellwood said. “Hopefully she is going to be able to pick-up some black-type in one of those races.” At Trentham on Saturday, stablemate Foreverintime made a winning return to New Zealand in the Wellington Seamarket Sprint (1200m), having previously raced out of Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman’s Pakenham barn, for whom she won one of her 10 starts across the Tasman. The Barneswood Farm-raced mare was previously in the care of Peter and Dawn Williams in New Zealand, for whom she won on debut before running fifth in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). “She looks very exciting,” Wellwood said. “We didn’t really know what to expect as it was her first run for the stable and we gave her a very quiet trial. “Peter and Dawn Williams had her in New Zealand, and I know they had a high opinion of her when she was here. For whatever reason she didn’t quite fire in Australia, but it was great for her to come back here and do that. “Off that effort you would like to think that she can put her hand up in some nice races going forward.” On Sunday, the stable celebrated the maiden win of four-year-old mare Honour Mission in the Mike Fraser-Jones @ Bayleys 2200 at Te Aroha. “She did that nicely, but I think with more time she could make into a nice staying mare,” Wellwood said. Looking ahead to this coming weekend, Wellwood is excited to head to Te Rapa on Saturday with last start stakes performer Spellbound and three-win mare She’s A Dealer, while stakes performer Dealt With will head to Trentham on Sunday. View the full article

The GI Kentucky Derby aspirants Paladin (Gun Runner) and Renegade (Into Mischief) have a nice little rivalry going after facing each other twice in the span of seven weeks at Aqueduct. Even though the Chad Brown-trained Paladin ($1.9 million FTSAUG) has bested the Todd Pletcher-trained Renegade ($975,000 KEESEP) both times-once via DQ on Oct. 17, and an outright win Saturday in the GII Remsen Stakes-the two colts might not be as far apart as their records indicate. Paladin (owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Brook Smith, Peter Brant and breeder Summer Wind Equine) will head to Payson Park in Florida undefeated at 2-for-2, while Renegade (owned by Repole Stable and breeders Robert and Lawana Low) will still be eligible for a maiden race at 0-for-3 when he likely settles in for the winter at Palm Beach Downs. Yet their one-two finish in the 112th edition of the Remsen showed each can handle two turns over nine furlongs in a stakes, a mark of distinction that is becoming increasingly rare for Triple Crown-caliber contenders at age 2. In fact, stakes experience at 1 1/8 miles around two turns appears set to vanish altogether from the juvenile-season portion of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series once the new Belmont Park opens next autumn and replaces Aqueduct. That's because nine-furlong dirt races over Belmont's 1 ½-mile oval are run out of a backstretch chute around one turn, unlike at soon-to-be-extinct Aqueduct, where 1 1/8-miles races on the main track start in front of the stands and are conducted around two turns. This year's Remsen drew 12 entrants and went off with a robust field of 11, the most starters of any of the eight points-awarding qualifying Derby prep stakes so far this season. After Paladin's victory, Brown described the Remsen as a “good education” because the nine-furlong stakes afforded his colt a chance to “get that two-turn race into him as a 2-year-old.” But will a one-turn Remsen a year from now be as sought-after a spot for trainers? The distance won't change, but the dynamics of one-turn versus two-turn races are decidedly different. Looking back… The Dec. 6 two-turn Remsen was a logical landing spot for both colts after Renegade barely out finished Paladin in a one-turn-mile maiden special weight a month and a half ago, a race that subsequently produced one next-out favored winner among its also-rans. In that Oct. 17 matchup, second-time starter Renegade broke to the back in the seven-horse field, advanced steadily at the fence, but got pocketed at the inside on the far turn and into upper stretch while awaiting clear running room. Renegade was chasing both the surviving pacemaker from an early four-way speed battle, plus Paladin, who had broken on top in his debut but had conceded the lead to force the issue three paths off the rail while always prominent into the stretch. Renegade, the 4.93-1 third choice, tipped out and came after the 1.13-1 favored Paladin with a renewed burst of speed inside the eighth pole. But after splitting rivals he shifted outward after receiving a left-handed crack of the crop, leaning into and bumping Paladin, who had attained a short lead. The stewards lit the inquiry sign after Renegade crossed the wire a head in front of Paladin, and eventually reversed the order of finish. When the two met again in the Remsen, Paladin was favored at 1.88-1 over Renegade at 2.97-1. Paladin again broke alertly and opted not to hook up with dueling 53-1 and 29-1 long shots. He settled in third along the inside under Flavien Prat and always appeared to be a pace-pressing threat, incrementally edging closer starting at the half-mile marker. Renegade broke inward from post nine, then got a midpack trip while three deep through the first turn. He began to advance six furlongs out, then, just before the half-mile pole, he accelerated from sixth to third, with Irad Ortiz Jr. intent on attaining a more forward position by the time the field crested the far turn. Paladin had to be scrubbed on for run 2 ½ furlongs out, and Prat had to bring him out to the five path in search of clear running room into the lane. Renegade was just to his inside, and although he initially appeared to be tailing off while shifting and drifting in upper stretch, his mid-stretch kick was similar to the effort he uncorked in his maiden DQ: He both re-engaged at the eighth pole and appeared to be emboldened by splitting rivals, again with a tiring leader to his inside and the onrushing Paladin outside. But this time Renegade didn't interfere with Paladin, and Renegade didn't have that final bit of oomph to propel himself to the front. Paladin finished straight and with purpose, opening up by two lengths under the wire. The quarter-mile splits for the first mile of the Remsen were :23.32, :24.15, :25.06 and :25.72, with a final eighth in :12.72. The nine-furlong clocking was 1:50.97, which equated to an 85 Beyer Speed Figure for Paladin (a dip of two points off the 87 that Paladin and Renegade co-earned in their maiden race). Notably, for the second straight year, 2-year-old fillies in the same-day GII Demoiselle Stakes ran faster than the colts in the Remsen. The 2-for-2 Zany (American Pharoah) covered nine furlongs in 1:50.55 (89 Beyer) when demolishing the Demoiselle field by 8 ½ lengths. But the slower Remsen clocking shouldn't detract from the “how they did it” aspects of the race. Additionally, Brown said post-win that Paladin lost a front shoe at some point during the Remsen, and Renegade had reportedly missed a November workout leading up to the race because of a quarter crack. Looking ahead… Assuming that the New York Racing Association (NYRA) implements a schedule for the new Belmont Park that keeps the traditional first-Saturday-of-December Grade II stakes (Remsen, Demoiselle and Cigar Mile) on the dirt track before moving to the Tapeta surface for the winter-and then reverting to the main track in time for the GII Wood Memorial Stakes on the first Saturday in April-the 2026-27 “Road to the Derby” qualifying series will be without a two-turn, nine-furlong dirt race until mid-February's GII Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. Under such a template, not only would the Remsen become a one-turn, 1 1/8-miles dirt race, but another current points-awarding, nine-furlong NYRA stakes, the early-winter Withers, would become a Tapeta race. Because it's not a graded stakes, the fact that the Withers would no longer be a dirt race might seem inconsequential. But in each of the last five runnings, the sophomores who won the Withers (which has been run in both January and February during that time frame) were held out of further racing until the Wood Memorial, with the logic being that an affinity for the Aqueduct dirt might translate to same-surface success in a final prep before the Kentucky Derby. There were some fairly relevant “headline horses” in that group. Notably, the Brown-trained Early Voting (Gun Runner) won the 2022 GI Preakness Stakes after capturing the Withers, running second in the Wood, and being held out of the Derby. And in 2023, the Brad Cox-trained Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) won the Withers and ran second in the Wood. He didn't flourish during the rest of his 3-year-old season, but Hit Show, now approaching age 6, is on target to defend his 2025 victory in the G1 Dubai World Cup. Even if you don't think it's a big deal that the Remsen will become a one-turn, nine-furlong race deep on the juvenile-season calendar, or that NYRA will likely be switching its January-March preps for the dirt-track Wood Memorial to Tapeta, consider that the Wood itself is also slated to become a one-turn, 1 1/8-miles dirt prep for the Derby when the new Belmont Park opens. That's relevant because the Wood, with its Grade II status, already faces tough competition by having to go up against two other Grade I preps (Santa Anita Derby and Blue Grass Stakes) that are traditionally run on the same date at the very same nine-furlong distance. In 2027, NYRA will be trying to not only lure entrants for a lower-graded stakes without the benefit of any prep stakes over the Belmont surface, but it's logical to think that trainers of top contenders might not want to be running nine furlongs around one turn in the Wood as a final tightener four weeks before the two-turn, 10-furlong Kentucky Derby. The post Final Two-Turn Remsen Yields a Rivalry, Raises Questions About 9 Furlong Stakes at New Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE — “Deep German family” was an oft-uttered phrase during Sunday's session of the Arqana Vente d'Elevage, most notably in the case of top lot Qualixia (lot 464), who is set to continue her racing career with Joseph O'Brien after being bought by Blandford Bloodstock's Stuart Boman for €320,000. Last seen making a black-type breakthrough in the Listed Grand Prix de Fontainebleau, Qualixia was offered by trainer Philippe Decouz as the winner of four of her 11 career starts. Bred by Gestut Fahrhof, the four-year-old daughter of Blue Point previously sold for €30,000 at the BBAG September Yearling Sale. She is out of an unraced full-sister to the G3 Prix de Psyche winner Quilanga (Lomitas) who, in turn, is out of the G2 German 1,000 Guineas scorer Quebrada (Devil's Bag). “She's a last-time-out Listed winner and she was the standout in today's session,” said Boman after signing for the filly on behalf of an undisclosed client. “This is just the type of filly that we've had good success with, particularly from France. She's often a little keen in her races and been dropped out the back. Joseph has a great system when it comes to taking these fillies on and developing them further.” He continued, “She has a great pedigree and she's got a bright future ahead of her. It's a deep German family and I love German pedigrees. The horses from those pedigrees are very sound, they stay and they train on. That's important, when you buy a horse in training, because you need that for the future.” Of the 259 lots offered on Sunday, 207 sold at a clearance rate of 80%, down slightly from 81% for the corresponding session last year. All of the other key figures were up, however, with the total turnover of €10,217,000 representing an 11% increase on last year's €9,213,500. The average was up by 4% to €49,357 and the median by 14% to €40,000. Reflecting on his own experience at Arqana over the past two days, Boman added, “It's been very hard to try and secure some race fillies. It's been very competitive and we've had to be patient. It was the same at Tattersalls and I've been the underbidder many, many times. But we're happy to get her and to have her on the side for next year. Hopefully, she goes on and can become a Group winner.” Redvers Signs for Two of Sunday's Top Lots Having been the underbidder himself on Saturday headliner Half Sovereign (Ten Sovereign), acting on behalf of Resolute Racing's John Stewart, David Redvers returned to play a leading role on Sunday when signing for two of the day's five top lots. The pick of them at €230,000 was the Monsun mare Longina (lot 409), who won the G2 Diana-Trial and finished third in the G1 Preis der Diana back in 2014. Since retiring to the paddocks at the end of the following year, she has produced three winners from four runners, including the G3 Prix de Royaumont heroine Ottery (Dubawi). Consigned by Windermere Stud as part of the dispersal of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani's Al Shahania Stud, Longina belongs to another deep German family in that of the G1 Deutsches Derby and G1 Japan Cup winner Lando. “She was obviously a very good racemare, from a very good family, and she's produced some very good stock,” Redvers summed up. “She's been bought for Qatar Bloodstock and Sheikh Fahad. She'll be mated to the best and, hopefully, she'll produce some proper stock moving forward.” After seeing off Bertrand Le Metayer – Al Shahania Stud's racing manager in Europe – and Newsells Park Stud in order to take Longina home to Tweenhills, Redvers added, “Interestingly, the people that knew the mare best were the underbidders. There was no question that we were going to have to pay plenty, because she was a bit of a rare gem.” For Pierre-Hugues Henry and Janine Gandy of Windermere Stud, the result capped a productive debut season as consignors. Having kicked things off at the Arqana July Sale, the duo later celebrated a notable windfall at the Deauville October Yearling Sale when bringing a Night Of Thunder colt that topped the sale in being knocked down to Sumbe for €450,000. “It's been a busy year and we couldn't have asked for a better start,” said Australian native Gandy. “Already, to be able to consign horses at every sale so far this year, we weren't expecting that. And to get some of the really good results that we've had has been incredible. We're very grateful to everybody who has supported us in our first year.” Gandy added of Longina, “She had plenty of interest, so we thought she was going to make good money. I'm not sure we expected her to make quite that much, so we're thrilled. She's a beautiful mare and she had all of the right buyers on her. “We've worked with Al Shahania Stud before at Channel Consignment and I think we were just lucky enough to be among the consignments that got chosen to sell their horses. We definitely got a nice one!” 'A Slightly Disappointing Catalogue for Race Fillies' In opposition to Newsells Park in the battle to secure Longina, Redvers had joined forces with that operation earlier in the session when forking out €185,000 for the Makfi mare Catalyst (lot 278). Offered in foal to Sea The Moon by the Channel Consignment, Catalyst was quickly earmarked for a return visit to Nathaniel next year, having already produced the multiple Listed winner Understated and promising juvenile Rubia Queen to the Newsells Park stalwart. “She'll come back to Tweenhills,” Redvers said of the 13-year-old, who is also a half-sister to the dam of the multiple Group 1-winning sire Postponed. “I bought her in partnership with Newsells and she will be covered, unsurprisingly, by Nathaniel. “The daughter, Understated, sold for 550,000gns to [Ecurie des] Monceaux at Tattersalls last week and the two-year-old looks very good. She won very impressively, and she's by Nathaniel as well, so it makes perfect sense to go back to him. I was very glad to get her. I would have much preferred that she'd been cheaper, but there we are.” Weighing up the overall strength of trade following the near-miss with Half Sovereign on Saturday, Redvers added, “She [Half Sovereign] stood out a long way in what has probably been a slightly disappointing catalogue for race fillies. “Everything else seems to be extremely strong and it just goes to show the power of placing the right horse. We've done it before at Arqana with Malavath [who sold for €3.2 million at this sale in 2022], because the buyers are here in abundance. It just happens to be that there's a bit of a shortage of those top flight horses in training this year and they're proving more difficult to acquire.” Wertheimer Homebred Heads to Ireland Wertheimer & Frere ended this second session sitting comfortably as the leading consignor across the first two days, having sold 25 fillies and mares for a total of €3,316,000 and at an average of €132,640, headlined by the Listed Prix Amandine third Jokla (Zarak) who sold to Langlais Bloodstock for €620,000 on Saturday. On Sunday, the pick of the draft was the dual winner Yulia (lot 306) when she was knocked down to Stephen Hillen for €190,000. The three-year-old daughter of Camelot is out of the Listed-placed Cosmique (Pivotal) and can be traced back to the celebrated Allegretta (Lombard), the dam of Urban Sea (Miswaki) and who features as this filly's fifth dam. Yulia is set to join top lot Qualixia in going into training with Joseph O'Brien. “She was enough money, but she was the only one I really wanted today. I was thinking we'd have to give 200 [thousand],” said Hillen, who also bought the Night Of Thunder filly La Brodeuse for €125,000 out of the Godolphin draft on Saturday. “She probably wants further than a mile and a half – she's won over nearly two miles. She was a bit raw-looking and you'd expect, with her pedigree and her physique, that she'd improve from three to four. She'll probably race in Becky [Hillen]'s colours and maybe we'll have a couple of partners, I'm not sure just yet.” He added of the market, “It was strong trade – they've done a good job of getting the right people there.” Australian Owner Buys into Aga Khan Family The blue-blooded consignment from the Aga Khan Studs was responsible for another of Sunday's top lots in the winning Siyouni filly Canneza (lot 289). She is out of the Listed scorer Canndera (Dalakhani), a full-sister to the multiple Group 2 winner Candarliya and a half to this year's G1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier hero Candelari (Frankel). The three-year-old was bought by Johnny McKeever for €180,000, with the bloodstock agent confirming that she will stay in France to be trained by Louis Blanchet. “I've bought her for Gary Johnson, an Australian owner who already has some horses in training in France and breeds in Australia,” said McKeever. “She'll be trained in Chantilly by Louis Blanchet. She's a magnificent filly, from a great Aga Khan family, and we're very happy. She'll no doubt join the stud after her racing days are over.” Of the 20 fillies and mares offered by the Aga Khan Studs so far, 19 have sold for an aggregate of €2,679,000 and at an average of €141,000. The Listed Prix de Saint-Cyr runner-up Ashikidah (Belardo), from the family of the dual Group 1-winning sire Ashkalani, achieved the highest price when sold to American trainer Philip Antonacci for €400,000 on Saturday. Subplots Poonawalla Stud Farms – Poonawalla Exhilaration Stud and bloodstock agent Raunak Banerji signed for three further lots on Sunday, having opened their account for the weekend with Saturday's €400,000 purchase of the G1 Preis von Europa winner Donjah (Teofilo) from the Haras de Montaigu draft. Banerji said mating plans for the quartet of mares, bought for a total of €543,000, would be decided at a later date, but proven sire Territories, who joined Poonawalla in India ahead of the latest breeding season, and new recruit Ecomomics would both look likely candidates. Peter and Ross Doyle – Ross Doyle, having signed for the most expensive foal sold on Saturday, returned to the well on Sunday when signing for a Perfect Power filly (lot 356), together with Cross Park Stud, for €125,000. Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock also featured as the buyer of one of the top five breeding prospects to go through the ring during this session, namely the dual-winning Cracksman filly Michonne (lot 277). The hammer came down on the Francis-Henri Graffard trainee at €185,000. First-crop sires – Of the French-based first-crop stallions with more than one representative catalogued over the first two days, Vadeni leads the way with three sold at an average of €75,000, including a colt bought by the Broadhurst Agency for €100,000. Onesto follows with three sold at an average of €73,333, including a filly to Justin Casse for €110,000, with Ace Impact best of the rest with seven sold at €50,000. Henry Powell – As reported in the TDN preview of the sale, the Mishriff foal catalogued as lot 473 was led into the ring by Henry Powell, the 16-year-old son of Haras du Lieu des Champs owner Richard Powell, nephew of Arqana's Freddy Powell, and grandson of David Powell. The first horse owned outright by Henry, the colt sold to Haras du Cadran for €40,000, a satisfying result for the teenager at the other end of the shank. He said, “It was very difficult at the beginning, because I didn't know how it was going to go. Although many people came to see him every day, and he was vetted many times, I didn't know how much we would get for him. It was a really good experience, but very stressful, to do it for the first time. He was a beautiful foal and I will do it again, maybe next year with the next foal of Roziyna. She was covered by Metropolitan this year.” The post ‘I Love German Pedigrees’ – Blandford’s Stuart Boman Strikes at Arqana for €320K Top Lot appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

On paper, it appeared that the GIII Comely Stakes was Fully Subscribed (Tiz the Law)'s to lose following a strong victory in the GII Mother Goose Stakes over the same track and trip last month. Come race day, the chestnut filly never really gave her backers an anxious moment as she came from just off the pace to win by a comfortable 4-length margin over Quietside (Malibu Moon) at the Big A on Sunday. Sharp at the start, the Chad Brown trainee settled in an outside stalking position behind Kappa Kappa (Omaha Beach), who led the way through a :24.01 opening quarter. Still hounding the pacesetter through a :49.23 half, the 1-2 favorite was given her cue leaving the far turn before overtaking the early leader turning for home. Quietside held on over Ourdaydreaminggirl (Instagrand) in third. Fourth-place finisher Yes It Tiz (Tiz the Law), who tossed her head at the start and was caught in the hand of the assistant starter, was ultimately declared a non-starter. In charge from there, she drew off handily, and despite Quietside's best effort to narrow the gap down the stretch, it was Fully Subscribed on top at the wire. “We thought the one on the outside [Quietside] and Johnny would go [forward] but it was a bit of a messy start and my filly jumped so well, I didn't want to take anything away from her,” said winning rider Flavien Prat. “It felt like the pace wasn't crazy and I wanted to keep her in a good position, but [Chad Brown] told me she was a good filly and she had a good run–and she showed it.” He added, “She gave herself a good trip. She broke very well and I was able to get myself in the race and kind of stick with the filly of Johnny Velazquez [Kappa Kappa]. I felt like I was in control the whole way.” Regarding the runner-up finisher, jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. said, “Second best. Good trip, but we were second best…The one thing I can tell you is that winner is a monster.” A 4-length winner over next out winner Sharp Smile (Practical Joke) in a seven-furlong Aqueduct maiden in her sole start at two, the Kentucky-bred came home third stepping up to a mile in a Saratoga allowance in her return to the race in September. Adding an eighth of a mile in her return to Aqueduct, the Klaravich Stables-owned filly was a neck second facing optional claiming foes, however, bounced back to go one better in her graded stakes appearance on Nov. 8. Pedigree Notes: The second foal to race out of minor winner Sweet Baby, Fully Subscribed has a year-younger sister by Union Rags in addition to a yearling sister by Highly Motivated. Out of GI Del Mar Oaks winner and millionaire Rutherienne (Pulpit), the filly's 12-year-old dam produced a full-brother to the Comely winner this season and was bred back to Maxfield. Sunday, Aqueduct COMELY S.-GIII, $200,000, Aqueduct, 12-7, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:50.55, ft. 1–FULLY SUBSCRIBED, 122, f, 3, by Tiz the Law 1st Dam: Sweetbaby, by Candy Ride (Arg) 2nd Dam: Rutherienne, by Pulpit 3rd Dam: Ruthian, by Rahy ($65,000 RNA Wlg '22 KEENOV; $35,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $300,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Payson Stud Inc (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $110,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-1, $355,300. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Quietside, 122, f, 3, Malibu Moon–Benner Island, by Speightstown. O/B-Shortleaf Stable (KY); T-John Alexander Ortiz. $40,000. 3–Ourdaydreaminggirl, 119, f, 3, Instagrand–Itsinthestars, by Astrology. ($50,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT; $50,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Bran Jam Stable and Clark, David W.; B-Pippa's Hurricane (KY); T-Louis C. Linder, Jr.. $24,000. Margins: 4, NO, 2 3/4. Odds: 0.57, 5.13, 19.43. Also Ran: Yes It Tiz, Valtellina, Kappa Kappa, Noticeable. Scratched: Ruth. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Fully Subscribed was much the best in the G3 Comely at Aqueduct! Chad Brown trains and Flavien Prat was aboard. pic.twitter.com/A8lVaz61td — TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) December 7, 2025 The post Tiz the Law’s Fully Subscribed Clear Winner of Comely appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

W Heart Bond, a 4-year-old filly challenging older and more experienced males, prevailed by a desperate nose in the Champions Cup (G1) Dec. 7 on the Chukyo Racecourse dirt.View the full article

Grade I-stakes winner Mixto (Good Magic–Musical Mystery, by Concerto) will take up stud duty at Hidden Lake Farm in Stillwater, New York in 2026, according to a farm release Sunday. The deal was brokered by The Stallion Company. Mixto will stand as the property of a syndicate for $10,000 live foal stands and nurses. “Champion 2 year-old Good Magic is off to a great start as a sire of sires with Grade I-winning sons Muth, Mage and Dornoch at stud,” said Hidden Lake Farm's Chris Bernhard. “To have a Grade I winner and Good Magic's Leading money earner of $3,330,680 standing in New York is a true testament to the strength of the New York program. “We believe standing top-class runners by Candy Ride, Gun Runner and now Good Magic for the 2026 season is perfect timing with the new Belmont Park and New York-breds running for purse parody in the near future.” Trained by Chief Stipe O'Neill, Mixto was campaigned by Calumet Farm. The striking chestnut record his most important career victory in last season's GI FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic where he defeated subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Full Serrano. In his final career start, he finished a half-length behind winner Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan in March. he finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Classic scorer Forever Young (Jpn) Reel Steel (Jpn). “Mixto was a top-class runner,” added Calumet's Eddie Kane “His race in the 2025 Dubai World Cup was incredible. Mixto challenged the pace most of the race, unleashed a powerful move in the stretch and was nailed at the wire while beating the 2025 Breeders Cup Classic winner. We look forward to supporting Mixto in New York in 2026.” Mixto is out of a full-sister to GISW Rigoletta (dam of Grade I winning millionaire Battle of Midway) in addition to track record-setter Evening Concerto. This represents the family of Champion Female Sprinter Musical Romance (Concorde's Tune), winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. For information about acquiring shares or seasons contact: Chris Bernhard (914) 850-9769 or Email: cjbern@hotmail.com The post Good Magic’s Mixto Joins Hidden Lake Roster for 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Cosmic Crusader broke a top-level drought for West Australian breeding legend Bob Peters and became a long-awaited third Australian elite-level winner for his sire Maurice in taking the Northerly Stakes (G1) at Ascot Dec. 6.View the full article

MyRacehorse's inaugural “12 Days of Giving”, a holiday auction supporting Thoroughbred aftercare, will kick off Dec. 8 and continue through Dec. 19, according to a MyRacehorse release. The auction features memorabilia, unique experiences, and one-of-a-kind items, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the MyRacehorse Transition Fund. To bid on the “12 Days of Giving” auction, click here. Items will close each evening at 6 PM ET between Dec. 8 – Dec. 19. Items included the 12 Days of Giving auction include: Race-worn gear and memorabilia from Seize the Grey and Straight No Chaser Premium race-day experiences at major racing events Custom jewelry and unique keepsakes Behind-the-scenes tours and private stallion visits Exclusive training and farm experiences Selected items will close daily at 6 PM ET throughout the 12-day period. “Thoroughbreds give us everything they have, and they ask for so little in return,” said Michael Behrens, Founder and CEO of MyRacehorse. “Our responsibility is not just to celebrate the wins but to take care of the horses who make them possible. The 12 Days of Giving is a reminder of what makes this community special. When owners, fans, partners, trainers, and friends come together, we can shape brighter futures for every horse we touch. That is the heart of MyRacehorse, and it is why this initiative means so much to us.” Through the Transition Fund and Retail With a Purpose, MyRacehorse provides the resources, assistance, and support needed to help retired racehorses begin life beyond the track. In 2025, 10 MyRacehorse horses successfully transitioned from the track into new homes and second careers. Among them, Inspector (Flatter) was reacquired by the organization in 2024 and he was placed with Second Stride in Prospect, KY, where he began his retraining and was later adopted and started his next chapter in Three-Day Eventing. In his first recognized competition, he won the starter division at the Hagyard MidSouth Team Challenge at the Kentucky Horse Park. Since its debut in June 2024, Retail With a Purpose has raised nearly $100,000 to support the placement and retraining of retired MyRacehorse runners. In total, it has assisted 20 former horses and expanded its reach to partner with organizations including the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Second Stride, Echo Canyon Equine Foundation, and Remember Me Rescue. The post MyRacehorse Launches “12-Days of Giving” Holiday Auction appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

W Heart Bond became only the second filly or mare to win the G1 Champions Cup at Chukyo on Saturday. The daughter of Kizuna denied Wilson Tesoro (Kitasan Black) by a nostril in the 1800-metre affair formerly known as the Japan Cup Dirt. For the second year in a row, Wilson Tesoro was second by a nose in the Champions Cup. He also filled that position in 2023, but the margin in that instance was 1 1/4 lengths. Sent off at 6-1, the four-year-old filly was overeager before the gates flew and was in the hunt for the lead, just off William Barows (Mikki Isle). Sixpence (Kizuna) soon took over with the Silk Racing colourbearer in third behind that duo. The leading two covered 1000 metres in 1:00.30 with W Heart Bond still in a dedicated third. Looming up three deep with 400 metres to travel, the filly soon asserted. In front for a few strides, she was soon tackled by the rallying Wilson Tesoro up the inside. That pair could only be separated by the minimum margin at the wire. Ramjet (Majestic Warrior) rallied from well of the pace to take third, 2 1/2 lengths behind with Meisho Hario (Pyro) in fourth by a head. The 6-5 favourite Narukami (Thunder Snow) ran 13th of 16 after meeting traffic at a critical stage. “She's simply magnificent,” said jockey Ryusei Sakai, who had won the 2023/2024 editions aboard Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid). “Just making it to a Group 1 is tough enough, so winning it is truly amazing. Her final workout didn't look particularly impressive but I guess she knew that the race was what mattered. “We didn't have a specific race plan, so I focused on riding her while keeping an eye on our rivals. She felt good turning the final corners and I trusted that she would give her best run when she geared up as Wilson Tesoro came from the inside. She was really strong today. I'm just happy that she became a Group 1 winner and the first filly/mare in 10 years to win the Champions Cup, rather than my third consecutive title in this race.” A winner of her first five starts, all on dirt over 1800 metres, the eventual winner was second in the 2000-metre Listed Breeders' Gold Cup in August. She put her stamp on the G3 Miyako Stakes in the mud at Kyoto in a record time of 1:47.50 warming up for this on November 9. Pedigree Notes Kizuna has now sired four Group 1 scorers after the victory of W Heart Bond. His Songline claimed two editions of the Yasuda Kinen, while Justin Milano won the Satsuki Sho and Akai Ito landed the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Overall, W Heart Bond is one of 45 stakes winners, 30 group/graded for her Shadai Stallion Station-based sire. One of five winners out of GI Personal Ensign Stakes heroine Persistently (Smoke Glacken), W Heart Bond is followed by her placed full-brother Enduro and a weanling half-sister by Indy Champ. Second dam Just Reward is a half-sister to multiple Grade I winner and sire Good Reward (Storm Cat) and GII Kentucky Cup Classic Handicap hero and sire Pure Prize (Storm Cat). The great granddam of W Heart Bond is blue hen and American champion Heavenly Prize (Seeking The Gold). Sunday, Chukyo, Japan CHAMPIONS CUP-G1, ¥232,860,000, Chukyo, 12-7, 3yo/up, 1800m, 1:50.20, ft. 1–W HEART BOND (JPN), 123, f, 4, Kizuna (Jpn) 1st Dam: Persistently (GISW-US, $526,256), by Smoke Glacken 2nd Dam: Just Reward, by Deputy Minister 3rd Dam: Heavenly Prize, by Seeking the Gold 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Ryuji Okubo; J-Ryusei Sakai; ¥123,402,000. Lifetime Record: 8-7-1-0, ¥245,094,000. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Wilson Tesoro (Jpn), 128, h, 56, Kitasan Black (Jpn)– Chesutoke Rose, by Uncle Mo. O-Kenji Ryotokuji Holdings; B-Ryoken Farm (Jpn); ¥48,972,000. 3–Ramjet (Jpn), 128, c, 4, Majestic Warrior–Nefertiti (Jpn), by Gold Allure (Jpn). O-Koji Maeda; B-North Hills (Jpn); ¥30,486,000. Margins: NS, 2HF, HD. Odds: 6.30, 6.30, 11.80. Also Ran: Meisho Hario (Jpn), Outrange (Jpn), Hagino Alegrias (Jpn), Tenka Jo (Jpn), Sunrise Zipangu (Jpn), Seraphic Call (Jpn), Perriere (Jpn), Sixpence (Jpn), Peptide Nile (Jpn), Narukami (Jpn), Helios (Jpn), Luxor Cafe, William Barows (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. The post W Heart Bond Claims The Champions Cup By A Nose appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Arthur's Ride was a once-in-a-lifetime horse for Cathi and Karl Glassman. The couple bought their first racehorse in 2015 and nine years later, scored their first Grade I when Arthur's Ride, who was named after Karl's late father, claimed the 2024 Whitney Stakes. The team at Taylor Made farm is now hoping that Arthur's Ride's storytale career continues. The son of Tapit is set to begin his stud career at Taylor Made in 2026. Travis White, who was just named President of Taylor Made Stallions last week, said the new addition has seen plenty of visitors since arriving at the farm last month. “We've had a ton of breeders out here and the response has been overwhelming so far,” said White. “He's let down really nice, filled out and put on good weight. He's a beautiful horse and is also just a very classy horse. Bill Mott spoke very highly of his mind and his quality.” Arthur's Ride was always a standout on the racetrack with a striking grey coat reminiscent of his sire's. White said that the new recruit's physical stands out among the sons of Tapit at stud. “He looks a lot like Tapit, but I think there's a lot more of him,” he explained. “He's a bigger version of Tapit and I think that should help when you're trying to figure out what kind of mare to breed to him. I think he should allow breeders more opportunities to match up with him physically.” Bred in Florida by Helen and Joseph Barbazon and the Tapit Syndicate, Arthur's Ride was picked out by Donato Lanni at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale and purchased for $250,000. “Donato is obviously one of the best judges in the game, so that speaks volumes for the horse,” said White. “Also in his pedigree, he's out of a champion mare and he's a half brother to a champion 2-year-old filly.” Arthur's Ride's dam Points of Grace (Point Given) was a champion turf mare in Canada and is also the dam of 2016 GI Natalma Stakes winner Victory to Victory (Exchange Rate). As a 2-year-old, Arthur's Ride put in two runner-up performances in Saratoga behind future GSWs Disarm (Gun Runner) and Instant Coffee (Bolt d'Oro). The Bill Mott trainee broke his maiden in February of his sophomore year in a front-running 1 ½-length win going a mile at Gulfstream Park. Arthur's Ride brings home the GI Whitney Stakes | Sarah Andrew “Bill Mott is not one that always has his 2-year-olds geared up early, but this horse obviously showed signs of a lot of ability and precociousness from the get-go,” said White. While Arthur's Ride was sidelined before he could make a run at the Kentucky Derby trail, he returned the next year and collected two wins in his three starts prior to his Whitney score. “In the race before the Whitney, he won by 12 ½ lengths and ran a 111 Beyer Speed Figure,” said White. “He came back right after that and had an amazing performance in the Whitney, running a 110 Beyer and beating some really nice horses. It takes a very good horse to run back-to-back races with those kinds of speed figures.” White noted that the ability Arthur's Ride showed in both those gate-to-wire efforts marked a combination of talents that the Taylor Made team believes will appeal to commercial breeders. The newcomer will stand for $12,500 in 2026. “People want fast and precocious,” said White. “But with him, not only did he have great speed, but he could carry it a distance.” The post Arthur’s Ride: Whitney Winner By Tapit New at Taylor Made appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article