Wandering Eyes

To all participants, members, volunteers, employees, suppliers, and supporters of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and Harness Racing New Zealand. New Zealand’s racing industry thrives because of the dedication, integrity, and passion of thousands of individuals, on the track, behind the scenes, and in our communities. Each of those individuals who run businesses, are employed, volunteer their time, or in other ways lend their positive support to racing and its participants play a vital role in ensuring our sport remains strong, inclusive, and future-focused. Unfortunately, there is a small minority of people whose persistent negative behaviour runs counter to these shared values. This may be either online abuse, personal attacks, public harassment or unwanted attention. These behaviours cause real harm, impacting individuals’ mental wellbeing, reputation or career, and eroding the trust and cohesion our sport depends on. Together, we have a collective responsibility to uphold the standards of respect, professionalism, and integrity that define a healthy and sustainable industry. Abuse, whether verbal, physical, written, digital or psychological, has no place in New Zealand racing. We all deserve to work and participate in an environment where people are treated with dignity. This is not just about compliance, it’s about maintaining a supportive and positive culture and community that more people want to be a part of. It’s about creating an environment where people feel safe, valued, and proud to be part of the racing industry. We ask everyone, regardless of their role, to lead by example, speak out when behaviour falls short, and support one another in maintaining high standards of conduct. As part of this commitment, our organisations have: Maintained strong channels to raise concerns or report misconduct, so individuals can confidently, safely and confidentially report concerns. Reinforced expectations for on-course behaviour at all race meetings and industry events. Confirmed that appropriate consequences will be applied, ranging from formal warnings up to disciplinary action or removal from participation in industry activities. Committed to strengthen each Code’s respective Rules of Racing, including explicit references to such misconducts and to the sanctions that may be imposed. This letter marks a united stance across equine codes and the Racing Integrity Board. We are committed to taking meaningful action, and just as importantly, to setting a positive and respectful tone for the future. Let’s lead with integrity. Let each of us call out poor behaviour. And let’s all stand together in creating a racing industry where everyone feels safe, supported, and welcome. Yours in racing, Racing Integrity Board New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Harness Racing New Zealand Racing Integrity Board Confidential Integrity Line Make an anonymous report by: calling 0508 742 123, or submitting information online via: www.integrityline-nz.org/rib, or this QR code: OnTrack Racing In a non-emergency, contact the OnTrack support line on 0800 667 224 for free, confidential support and assistance. Tel: 0800 667 224 (support line) Email: support@ontrack.org.nz Full press release can be viewed here View the full article

Underrated galloper Vittorio Veneto (NZ) (Redwood) delivered the perfect gift for connections on Cambridge’s synthetic track on Thursday, powering to victory in the Cambridge Real Estate 1300. A lightly-tried son of Redwood, Vittorio Veneto had finished in the top five in six of his attempts on the all-weather surface, but flew under the radar in an open contest where Lhasa (Hellbent) carried a clear topweight and much of the field were near the minimum. Jumping from the centre of the line, Vittorio Veneto showed speed early under apprentice jockey Rihaan Goyaram, taking a clear lead ahead of Richard And I (NZ) (Ocean Park). The gelding was travelling comfortably into the home turn, and when asked for an extra effort, he kicked clear and put a margin on his rivals, crossing the line 3 – ¼ lengths ahead of a game Branciforti (NZ) (Belardo). His trainer Peter Lock was delighted with the result, and more so for fellow owner Franco Dal Vecchio, who celebrated his birthday on Thursday. “We were over the moon, it was a special day for us because Franco, who owns the horse with me, it’s his birthday today,” Lock said. “We’ve had a great association and raced horses together for about 40 years, so for the horse to win and win the way he did, it was great. “It’s just a shame he wasn’t here to celebrate with me tonight, but we’ll definitely catch up over the weekend.” The win was Vittorio Veneto’s third on synthetic tracks, and Lock was surprised his price drifted out to nearly $19. “The presenters were mentioning a number of horses that were synthetic specialists, except this horse, who hasn’t been out of the money on a synthetic track,” he said. “He drifted out to around $15 or $18 in the end, so we’re happy with the result. “In about three or four weeks’ time, there is a $100,000 race back here over 2000m, so being a three-win horse, hopefully he can get in on a nice weight. We’ll have a crack at that, I’d be happy to run second or third in a race with that stake.” Vittorio Veneto is flying the flag for the Te Aroha stable at present, but his talented stablemate Debit (NZ) (Darci Brahma) is not far from hitting the track herself after a bold showing at the Te Awamutu trials on Tuesday. The speedy daughter of Darci Brahma has been patiently handled by Lock and she rewarded him in spades last term, winning three out of three starts. After a deserved spell, she returned at the Foxton trials last month and showed clear improvement from that effort with a tidy second placing over 850m behind Australian import Azeezle (Exceed And Excel). “We were very happy with her,” he said. “When she went to the Foxton trials, she’d done a lot of work on the treadmill, I’m not a big fan on galloping her too much and we’ve had a lot of bad weather. “She hadn’t really had the work I wanted to get into her going into that trial, and she’d really improved a tonne out of that. “She’ll have one more trial, last year she had four trials before going to the races and won her next three, so being a year older, I just think she needs one more to be 100 percent fit.” View the full article

Pencarrow Stud’s select offering of four broodmares proved to be the star attraction in the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus on Wednesday, earning the two highest prices of the sale. Pencarrow’s draft achieved an aggregate of $288,500 and an average price of $72,125, including the two mares in the catalogue that broke the six-figure mark. The Group Three-placed Asama Blue (Fastnet Rock), who was offered in foal to the exciting Windsor Park Stud shuttle stallion Paddington, fetched a sale-topping price of $126,000 to the Sunlight Trust. Fellow Pencarrow mare Breeze (Sea The Stars), who is the dam of this season’s Group One New Zealand Derby (2400m) placegetter Golden Century (NZ) (Pierro), earned the second-highest price of the sale with $102,500. “They’re a couple of lovely mares and we were absolutely delighted to see them both sell the way they did,” Pencarrow Stud manager Leon Casey commented. “We knew that they both had good credentials and we expected a fair bit of interest in them, but it’s always hard to judge a market in the lead-up to a sale like this. What we ended up getting for them was towards the upper end of what we might have expected, so we’re really pleased and wish the new owners well. They’ve secured some very nice mares.” A third member of the Pencarrow draft, Golden Century’s half-sister Tempest (NZ) (Frankel), sold for $50,000. Another of the sale’s big drawcards was the Group Three winner and Karaka Millions placegetter Karman Line (NZ) (Myboycharlie). She was offered by Wexford Stables and is now bound for Japan following her $95,000 purchase by Golden Orchid Brothers Inc. “We decided to purchase Karman Line because we were impressed by the softness and flexibility in her back movement, which we believe makes her well-suited for Japanese racing,” Golden Orchid’s Junichiro Obara said. “Going forward, we are planning matings that would allow her offspring to perform well in short-distance turf or dirt races.” Group Two winner and black-type producer Xpression (NZ) (Showcasing) sold for $80,000, while Inthespotlight (NZ) (O’Reilly) and Our Tristabelle (NZ) (Tavistock) both fetched $65,000. Inthespotlight is the dam of three winners from three foals to race, headed by Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) placegetter Japanese Emperor (NZ) (Satono Aladdin). She is in foal to Japanese Emperor’s sire Satono Aladdin. Our Tristabelle, meanwhile, has been retired after a five-win racetrack career and is carrying her first foal by Ocean Park (NZ). Overall, the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale saw 41 mares sell for a total of $874,600 and an average price of $21,331. To enquire about any of the passed-in Lots, contact Haylie Martin (haylie@gavelhouse.com) or Patrick Cunningham (Patrick.cunningham@nzb.co.nz). View the full article

Peter Brosnan brought up his century of winners in emphatic style last weekend at Te Rapa, and the Matamata horseman will head south on Sunday with a couple of key contenders in the Hawke’s Bay features at Woodville. Brosnan was sitting on 99 wins heading into last Saturday’s Te Rapa meeting, and it wasn’t long before Squire (NZ) (Savile Row), who he trains in partnership with wife Jessica, scored a nine-length demolition of his rivals in the open hurdle. He was rapt with the result, with the milestone coming as a nice bonus. “I didn’t really know, Jess had said something a while back, but I didn’t take much notice at the time,” he said. “We were pretty surprised with how well he won, we always thought he was good, but on that run, he was very good. “With all the young ones that we tried, you just hope they can show enough to be back in the team the next year, then in the second year they’re generally much better horses. “This horse could be an exception, he seems to have adapted very quickly.” Squire will back-up in the Te Whangai Romney’s Hawke’s Bay Hurdles (3000m) at Woodville on Saturday, while stablemate Jakama Krystal (NZ) (Jakkalberry), who won last Saturday’s Waikato Hunt Cup (3900m), takes on the Glenanthony Simmentals Stud Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m). “Both of them haven’t done much this week, they’ll just have a trot around the farm or on the treadmill and have a swim,” he said. “Once they’re up and racing, we don’t do too much, we just try to keep them happy. “Jakama Krystal is a tough little mare that doesn’t take a lot of work, and she’s bounced out of that race pretty well. “I’ll leave it (tactics) to Kylan (Wiles, jockey), he’s the sort of jockey that can read a race pretty well, so I never give him too many instructions.” The Brosnans will have a full truck heading to the Central Districts, and they are particularly looking forward to the return of Rocem in the Cody Singer Memorial (4000m) for maiden steeplechasers. “She’s had a few little setbacks, that’s why she’s a bit late coming in,” he said. “We think she’s quite a talented horse, especially over the bigger fences. Squire winning at Te Rapa last Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) “Last season we gave her a trial at Cambridge over the steeples and she really loved it. She’s had seven hurdle races and is looking like she needs those bigger fences now.” Having initially ridden on the flat and over fences as an amateur, Brosnan entered the training ranks in the early 2000s, following in the footsteps of his parents, Sam and Marj Brosnan. “Racing was pretty much bred into me,” he said. “Mum and Dad trained and had a stud farm, so we with the horses from day one and were going to the races all around the country every Saturday. “I rode first as an amateur, I rode two winners in the amateurs and then three over jumps against the professionals. After Mum and Dad retired from training, I took over a few of their horses that they owned themselves and they always had jumpers.” Brosnan celebrated his first feature success with Southern Countess, a talented hurdling mare who won three editions of the Tony Richards Toyota Hurdles (on Pakuranga Hunt Cup Day), as well as the 2011 running of the Great Northern Hurdle. “She was a granddaughter of Our Countess, one of my parent’s horses, that ran second in a New Zealand Cup, third in a Wellington Cup, and won a Hawke’s Bay Cup and a few of those types of races,” he said. “She liked Ellerslie, she won the hurdle on Pakuranga Day for three years in a row, was third in her first year in the Great Northern, then won the second year, and was second in the third year. “She did well to keep racing as long as she did, she had a high cruising speed and seemed to suit hurdling.” Brosnan accumulated 44 winners as a trainer before being joined in partnership by Jessica at the commencement of the 2015/16 season, and the couple balance their contracting business with breaking in, pre-training and training horses, predominately jumpers. Last term, their promising steeplechasers Ima Wonder and Auld Jock asserted themselves in open company, with the former winning the Pakuranga Hunt Cup (4800m) and the latter placing in the Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) and Great Northern Steeplechase (6400m). “I’ve had a few horses come in along the way, and we still break in quite a few and do pre-training,” he said. “We do some for Graham Richardson, Kylie Fawcett and Raymond Connors, and then there has been a few more in-between, I’ve always done Cliff Goss’ horses, getting them educated and generally trialled for him. “In the summer, we have a contracting business, so we try not to have too many over that period. “I like the jumpers, it’s a bit more hands-on and you spend a bit more time with them, getting to know them individually. When it goes well, it’s a lot of fun. “I like the mares as well, I think they’re a bit harder to get your head around, but when they come right they can be very good. “Auld Jock will always have a special place, and Old Countess was a good mare, we had a lot of fun with her. She won four of her five starts in steeplechases at Wanganui and raced in quite a few of the big races. “Ima Wonder is one of our favourite horses and Mrs (Ann) Browne (owner) has been such a big help to us, I often ask her for advice. We’re generally on the same page, but her advice is very good.” In recent years, the Brosnans have opened their gates to the jumping community with schooling days, with fences they developed on the property during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Jess and I bought this property off my parents, we’ve been here for about 20 years,” he said. “Over COVID, we couldn’t get the horses out to be schooled and it’s always hard to get jockeys, so we thought if we could get our own jumps here, we could do that ourselves and it works well. “We had the first jumping school about four or five years ago, they’ve become quite popular and so many horses have come through those days. In the second year, Abu Dhabi came through the jumping school and he went on to win the Northern. “Raymond’s horse, Our Daymo, came up and got his ticket and trialled, and he won his first hurdle start at Wellington.” View the full article

Massive Sovereign “hasn’t missed a beat in his training” and David Eustace is looking forward to getting him back to competitive racing in Sunday’s Class One Hong Kong Racehorse Owners Association Trophy (1,600m) at Sha Tin. Winner of the 2024 Hong Kong Derby (2,000m), the Irish import has only been seen three times since, beaten in a pair of Group Ones to end his 2023-24 campaign when trained by Dennis Yip Chor-hong. He made his final start for the Yip stable when sixth in the Group Three Sa Sa...View the full article

The New Zealand racing industry is in mourning following the passing of apprentice jockey Ngakau Hailey. The 18-year-old hoop was involved in a vehicle accident in Hamilton on Wednesday between a dirt bike and car, with Hailey sustaining critical injuries, and he later passed away at Hamilton Hospital. “It’s tragic, words just can’t describe it. I was talking with him on Monday and then this happens,” New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Northern Riding Master Noel Harris said. Apprenticed to Te Awamutu trainer Debbie Sweeney, Hailey kicked off his riding career two years ago and recorded his first win aboard the Sweeney-trained Chattahoochee at Cambridge in June 2023. He went on to record a further six victories that season. He continued to impress in the saddle, riding home 39 winners in the last two seasons, and Harris said he was well-liked amongst the racing community. “He was very polite and he was a very talented boy,” Harris said. “You knew straight away when you saw him on a horse that he was a natural. From where he was brought up, they just jump on a horse and you are part of it.” Hailey was initially raised on the East Coast of the North Island where he began riding bareback from a young age and he competed in horse sports before moving to Hamilton when he was eight-years-old. Rugby League became Hailey’s new passion, and he held aspirations of playing in the NRL. He played hooker for his local club, the Hamilton City Tigers, as well as Waikato Maori and Waikato District. While his small stature kept him from progressing in league, it helped him follow a new path when he joined his uncle on a trip to Pokeno where tried his hand at riding track work for the first time. He fell in love with riding once more and began riding regular track work for trainer Shelley Wright before commencing his apprenticeship with Sweeney. Hailey impressed Harris from day one and he said he will be a massive loss to New Zealand thoroughbred racing. “He was a natural talent, and that is just what you want,” Harris said. “It’s tragic, he was a lovely boy.” A givealittle page has been created to assist Hailey’s family with funeral costs: LINK View the full article

Speedy youngster Spandeedo (NZ) (Ferrando) will be even more of a force to be reckoned with when he learns to harness his abundance of pace. Despite his youthful enthusiasm, the son of Ferrando has collected a win and two placings from three appearances and will bid to add to his record in Saturday’s Simon Bendall @ Metcalfe Real Estate 2YO (1200m) at Hawera. “He should have won three in a row really, if they let him run he just goes too fast into the turn and can’t corner so well,” trainer Gavin Sharrock said. “He’s a lovely horse to have around, he just gets a bit keen at the moment and wants to go flat out.” Another top showing from Spandeedo will book the gelding a crack at a black-type feature before a break. “He’ll run on Saturday and if he happens to win, then he’ll go on to the Ryder Stakes (Listed, 1200m),” Sharrock said. “I’ll put him aside for three weeks after that for a freshen-up and look at the three-year-old races. “I’m pretty sure he’ll go better on just a soft track or even better ground.” Sharrock has enjoyed a good season with the younger members of his stable with Daylight Robbery (NZ) (Super Seth) and Country Salon (NZ) (Darci Brahma) also winners and multiple placegetters. “Daylight Robbery is just about ready for a gallop, he had two months off after he pulled a muscle in his hind quarter and he’s headed toward the Wanganui Guineas (Listed, 1200m),” he said. “Country Salon had two weeks in the paddock after his second in the Castletown Stakes (Listed, 1200m) and he’s going to the Guineas as well. “I’ve got six more rising three-year-olds as well, including a sister to Soldier Boy and Sargeant Major and a nice U S Navy Flag.” Sharrock also has two other worthy contenders at Hawera with Vibration (NZ) (Proisir) to run in the Grace Hornby @ Metcalfe Real Estate (1400m) and Stewart (NZ) (Darci Brahma) in the Sharna Caskey @ Metcalfe Real Estate (1200m). “Vibration won well last start, he’s a little bit wayward but he’s got a ton of talent,” he said. The Proisir three-year-old had got home well for a minor placing before romping to victory at Otaki. “That fourth at New Plymouth was unbelievable, he just couldn’t get a run and when he got out, he flew home so the writing was on the wall,” Sharrock said. Darci Brahma gelding Stewart has placed on a quartet of occasions and was a last-start runner-up. “He was unlucky at Te Rapa when he got carted out and there was only a nostril in it, he’s done very well since then,” Sharrock said. View the full article

Group One-winning sprinter Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto) has returned to Danny Walker and Arron Tata’s Byerley Park stable with some lofty summer targets in mind. The four-year-old son of Zacinto was a standout in his three-year-old season, winning six of his seven starts, including the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), and was runner-up behind Bonny Lass in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m). The Daniel Nakhle-bred and raced chestnut picked up where he left off, winning the Kerikeri Cup (1100m) first-up this season before placing in the Gr.3 Concorde Stakes (1200m) and winning the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on Karaka Millions night. That triumph earned him Trackside NZ and Perth Racing’s slot in the A$5 million The Quokka (1200m), however, he tailed the field home in the Perth feature and has since enjoyed a well-earned spell. Walker is delighted with the way Crocetti has returned to his South Auckland barn and is looking forward to preparing him for a potentially lucrative summer campaign. “He came back into work on the weekend and he is looking really well,” Walker said. “He had a good spell and he is looking really good, he is quite happy and fresh. “There are not a lot of weight-for-age races, and we will miss the early ones, but we will play it by ear and see how he comes up. He looks amazing.” While his stable star has returned to his care, Walker’s focus this week is on Ruakaka’s meeting this Saturday, where Amulet (NZ) (Charm Spirit) will be first-up in the Northland Business Systems (1200m), while Jurisprudence (NZ) (Justify) will contest the Tanalised Mile (1600m). Justify entire Jurisprudence has had three starts for the stable since being purchased off Inglis Digital last year for A$30,000, with the former Australian placing in his New Zealand debut at Ellerslie in April before winning at the Auckland track a month later. He didn’t handle the Heavy10 track conditions at Te Rapa last month and his trainers have opted to look further north for better footing. “He was bought by a client of ours off the Inglis Digital sale and they sent him over here. He is a well-behaved colt, he is a lovely horse, and he has got a fair bit of ability,” Walker said. “We are going for a slightly better track than Te Rapa, he absolutely hated it. Hopefully the track doesn’t get any worse than it is (Soft6) and it should suit him perfectly. “He has worked really well and I am more than hopeful with him.” Meanwhile, Walker is weighing up whether to start Amulet after she drew barrier 12 for her first-up assignment. “A wide draw at Ruakaka over 1200m is not ideal, but we will have a think about it,” he said. “She is very well and trialled quite nicely. She is quite a promising filly.” View the full article

Donna Logan has been in a rebuilding phase since returning to New Zealand from Singapore late last year and she is excited to kick-off the careers of her Byerley Park stable’s foundation juveniles this weekend. Logan will return to her old stomping ground of Ruakaka on Saturday, and she is excited to return to the place she called home for several decades. “There will be a lot of people there we haven’t seen in a long time and it is always fun to go back up to Ruakaka,” Logan said. “It holds a strong place in my heart, so I am looking forward to the day out up there.” Logan will kick-off the careers of three juveniles in the Promote Waipu (1200m), including Beat Of The Sun (The Autumn Sun) and Yokozuna (Fierce Impact), who she purchased at Karaka last year in preparation for her return to New Zealand. “Beat Of The Sun I bought as a yearling when I was in Singapore, and my daughter (Samantha Logan) pre-trained him,” Logan said. “To me, he is going to be a lovely, big staying type of horse, but we have to kick-off somewhere and it’s a very good surface at Ruakaka, so I figured it would be a good opportunity to make his debut. “I bought Yokozuna at the same sale and Samantha pre-trained him as well. He is probably a more precocious type of horse than Beat Of The Sun and I would expect him to be a bit more prominent. He is not the greatest beginner in a race, but he’s definitely got some ability.” Rounding out Logan’s representation in the race will be Reliable Man filly Conscribe (NZ) (Reliable Man), who will carry the colours of Westbury Stud principal Gerry Harvey, who has been a big backer of Logan’s since her return. “She is a real pocket rocket and that is why I put the apprentice (Hayley Hassman) on her, she doesn’t do anything wrong and is very easy to ride,” Logan said. Fellow Westbury product White Palace (NZ) (Reliable Man) is also in contention to make her debut in the Northland Business Systems (1200m) but requires a couple of scratchings to make the field. “White Palace is a nice horse with a lovely big stride on her,” Logan said. “She has trialed on wet tracks and we know she doesn’t like them so we are hoping for better footing for her and that is why we are heading to Ruakaka with her.” Another stable runner heading north in search of more favourable footing is stable newcomer Ravenna Rose (NZ) (Redwood), who will contest the Tanalised Mile (1600m). “Ravenna Rose was sent up to me by James and John Bridge,” Logan said. “They had her in the South Island but she does not like heavy tracks so they think she would be the sort of horse to race over the winter months at Ruakaka. “She is a staying type of mare but we will see how she features fresh-up at a mile.” View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a daughter of Venus De Milo. 5.00 Leopardstown, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, f, 7fT AMELIA EARHART (IRE) (Camelot) is an intriguing newcomer for Ballydoyle in the maiden won last year by the stable's Group 1 performer Exactly and in 2021 by the eventual Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Homeless Songs, being the seventh foal out of the dual Group winner Venus De Milo (Duke Of Marmalade) who was also placed four times at the highest level including the Irish Oaks. A full-sister to the G2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup winner Cleveland, she encounters some exciting fillies from the country's leading yards including the Niarchos homebred Thenandnow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a Jessica Harrington-trained daughter of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Albigna (Zoffany). 4.10 Newmarket, Mdn, £40,000, 2yo, f, 6fT NIGHT SHINING (IRE) (Dark Angel {Ire}) debuts in one of the July Festival's intriguing set of maidens and stands out as a 475,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase whose full-sister Dark Liberty was a German Listed scorer. Lady Bamford's newcomer, whose other full-sibling is the Listed Star Stakes third Sunstrike, has Ryan Moore on board with George Boughey sending out a signal loud and clear. The post Amerlia Earhart, Daughter Of Venus De Milo, Debuts For Ballydoyle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

John Stewart of Resolute Racing plans to offer 25% ownership rights in 'TDN Rising Star' Verifire (Authentic) on the platform Inglis Digital USA, according to a tweet on Wednesday. The Resolute head asked in his post, “Have you ever dreamed of having a horse run in your silks in a Grade I at Saratoga?” Stewart went on to say that the winning bidder would be able to have their colors carried by the colt in his next race, which could be the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 23. Inglis Digital USA replied to the post on X that more information concerning the sale of the share would be forthcoming. The 3-year-old, who was bred by Gainesway and is trained by Brad Cox, earned his 'Rising Star' badge on debut at Colonial Downs Mar. 15. The chestnut then cleared an optional claimer at Pimlico May 16 before taking home the Maxfield Stakes at Churchill Downs June 29. Resolute Bloodstock purchased Verifire for a cool million at the OBS March Sale in 2024. Have you ever dreamed of having a horse run in your silks in a Geade 1 @Saratogaraces1? Now is your chance. @resracingky is proud to offer a 25% ownership opportunity in VERFIRE on the @inglisdigitalus platform. The winning bidder will be able to have their silks worn in his… pic.twitter.com/reIo4vBG4S — Jstewartrr (@jstewartrr) July 9, 2025 The post Stewart To Sell Share Of ‘TDN Rising Star’ Verifire On Inglis Digital USA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

One of the secrets to Far Bridge's recent success is his versatility, which has led him to be favored for the $200,000 Bowling Green Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course July 12.View the full article

Lane's End stallion and second-crop sire Game Winner will shuttle to Haras Fazenda Mondesir in Brazil for the 2025 and 2026 Southern Hemisphere breeding seasons. View the full article

Local trainers Andrew and Lyn Neal head to Cambridge Raceway tonight with two live chances, each well-placed to make an impact on the card. First up for the team is Two Francs, who lines up in Race 3, the IRT. Your Horse Our Passion Handicap Trot (6:13p.m.) The four-year-old Majestic Son gelding has always shown ability, but it’s been a matter of getting his race-day manners in line. If he can step away cleanly tonight, co-trainer Lyn Neal believes he’ll be right in the finish. “He’s the coolest horse but he’s just a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde on race day,” she said. “He’s getting there mentally now, and when the penny finally drops, he’s going to be a really nice horse.” Two Francs put in a solid effort when resuming last week after a brief freshen-up, and the team is confident he can take another step forward tonight. “He’s been a lot better this preparation. I think he’s a real good chance this week,” Lyn said. “If it was 2700m, I’d say they wouldn’t beat him, but over the 2200m we can’t afford to be too slow early.” While longer-term plans include racing at Alexandra Park, the focus for now is firmly on building his ringcraft and confidence. “We’re just trying to educate him at Cambridge,” Lyn explained. “I’d love to take him to Auckland where the good stakes are, but we’re just trying to make his manners a little bit better before we tackle the big stuff.” Later in the evening, the Neals’ homebred mare Diamonds Are Forever contests Race 6, the Dunstan Horsefeeds Mobile Pace (7:32p.m.) The five-year-old daughter of Always B Miki finds herself in a softer field than she typically faces at Auckland, and while tonight’s outing is being treated as a conditioning run, she’s not to be underestimated. “She’s a lovely staying mare who just loves the longer distances,” said Lyn. “We haven’t been able to get a trial for her here in the Waikato, so we’re using tonight much like a trial. The race being penalty free with a junior driver on is really the only reason she’s racing at Cambridge.” “She is ready to go though” Lyn said, “Andrew took her into the Cambridge track last Saturday and gave her a good hit out.” With both horses primed and representing strong stable form, the Neals could be in for a rewarding night at their home track. View the full article

Julian Richmond-Watson and Simon Mockridge were each honoured with separate awards during the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) Flat Breeders' Awards, sponsored by Watership Down Stud at Chippenham Park on Wednesday evening. Formerly the chairman of the TBA and now filling that same role at the Thoroughbred Group since 2023 as well as being a board member of the Horseracing Betting Levy Board (HBLB) and a member of the British Horseracing Association (BHA) Flat Pattern Committee, Richmond-Watson received the Andrew Devonshire Bronze which acknowledges outstanding achievement and contribution to the British thoroughbred breeding industry. An owner since 1970, Richmond-Watson founded Lawn Stud in 2002 with his wife Sarah. The stud earned its first Group 1 with the victory of 2008 G1 Oaks heroine Look Here (Hernando), and its second with 2021 G1 Prix Royal-Oak winner Scope (Teofilo), out of Look Here's half-sister Look So (Efisio).Richmond-Watson also bred Kinross (Kingman), a dual Group 1 winner in 2022. Mockridge, currently general manager of Juddmonte UK, was awarded the Dominion Bronze in recognition of his outstanding contribution and long-term commitment to the industry. He joined Juddmonte in 1981 and rose through the ranks to be stud director at Banstead Manor Stud in 2015. He has held his current role since 2021. The iconic operation has produced 125 Group/Grade 1 winners and 30 Classic-winning homebreds, including Frankel, Kingman and Enable. The following is a full list of the 2024 TBA Flat Breeders' Award Winners: Andrew Devonshire Award – Julian Richmond-Watson Dominion Award – Simon Mockridge TBA Stud Employee Award, sponsored by New England Stud – Zoe Isaacson, Barton Stud TBA Silver Rose Bowl – Flat Breeder of the Year, presented by Watership Down Stud – Juddmonte TBA Silver Salver – Flat Special Merit Award, sponsored by Streets Bloodstock – Brightwalton Stud Langham Cup – Small Breeder of the Year, sponsored by Chasemore Farm – Deborah O'Brien Filly of Merit Award – Breeder of a British-bred filly who had significant racecourse success in 2024, sponsored by Blue Diamond Stud -Friendly Soul (George Strawbridge) HJ Joel Silver Salver – Flat Broodmare of the Year, sponsored by Barton Stud – Emulous (Juddmonte) As previously announced, the 2024 Statistical Award Winners are: BBA Shipping Silver Cigar Box – Leading British-based sire by earnings in 2024- Dubawi Queen's Silver Cup, presented by Newsells Park Winery – Leading British-based Flat breeder – Godolphin Barleythorpe Stud Silver Cup – Leading British-based sire by Flat winners in 2024 – Dubawi Tattersalls Silver Salver – Britain's leading first-season sire in 2024, sponsored by Tattersalls – Sergei Prokofiev. TBA Chairman Philip Newton said, “The TBA Flat Breeders' Awards Evening is about celebrating the achievements of British-bred successes, and tonight's winners once again reflect the significant depth and quality of our thoroughbreds and breeding establishments along with some incredibly worthy and highly respected winners of our individual awards. “Significant thanks must go to our headline sponsor Watership Down Stud, along with all the other sponsors this evening who make this evening such a special occasion and for whom we are extremely grateful.” The post Julian Richmond-Watson And Simon Mockridge Honoured At TBA Flat Breeders’ Awards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A group of U.S.-based racing investigators recently returned from a two-week intensive exchange program where they swapped ideas and soaked up perspectives from their counterparts at organizations like France Gallop and the British Horseracing Authority. Members of the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) who work at tracks and for regulators across the U.S. were given the chance to see how integrity is measured in Europe and what practices work best in France and England. “The larger contingent this year meant a wider spread of roles and regulators were represented,” said John Burgess, who is the Head of Integrity for the British Horseracing Authority and also happens to be a member of ORI. “Connections were made after tailored presentations, and I am sure that will not be the last time those involved will speak, share ideas and work together to resolve common problems either side of the Atlantic.” The post Investigators Return From Euro Exchange Fully Charged appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Think Newmarket July and the image conjures up the panama hat, the beautiful tree-graced pre-parade ring, steel bands (in the old days), ice cream, great racing. Here are five things to concentrate on during the next three days of action on the track. This Ballydoyle Wootton Bassett Thing One of the big stories of 2025 has been the thrusting of Wootton Bassett onto the leading stage of international racing theatre and while the current Classic crop is doing much for his burgeoning reputation, it's his two-year-olds who are threatening to send him stratospheric. Albert Einstein, Beautify, Daytona, Dorset, Italy and Brussels are just some of his Ballydoyle contingent to have made a notable impact so far and we'll get to see at least two this week. Italy could be the one for Saturday's G2 Superlative Stakes, for many of the purists the meeting's most exciting race, the one that hosted Dr Devious, Dubawi, Native Trail and City Of Troy and is always a key Guineas pointer. Brussels is the selection for Thursday's G2 Kingdom of Bahrain July Stakes and he comes here off a win in The Curragh maiden won by the sire's Henri Matisse and Unquestionable. Both are TDN Rising Stars with copious amounts of potential, which is what this meeting's juvenile contests are all about. More Classic Gold To Be Prospected In The Old Strutt & Parker? We love the July Cup, the Bunbury Cup and all that group-race action, but come on now, we're all just waiting for the next big thing to emerge, right? Where better than Friday's Weatherbys British EBF Maiden Stakes for two-year-old colts and geldings, probably the most storied maiden in Britain known in the past as the “Strutt & Parker” when it was sponsored by the estate agency. Alhaarth beat Mark Of Esteem in it in 1995, it was won the following year by Bahhare, in 2001 by Dubai Destination and in 2007 by Rio De La Plata. Oh, and last year Field Of Gold, so pay close attention. Not surprisingly, Charlie Appleby takes this very seriously and has a pair of entries at present including the €1.9-million Arqana May Breeze-Up topper Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder), a son of George Washington's only foal Date With Destiny, while Aidan O'Brien has one of his envied bounty of Wootton Bassetts engaged in Constitution River. Field Of Gold's stable has the one entry, Frankel's Oxagon in the colours of Prince Faisal, while Andrew Balding has Jeff Smith's homebred Venetian Prince, a son of St Mark's Basilica and the Juddmonte International heroine Arabian Queen. One for the video recorders, as we middle-aged fanatics used to say. Can Milers Win The July Cup? Well, the quick answer is yes. Most top-class milers have the pace to mix it with the sprinters, but it's probably more of a case of mentality switch than anything else. The list of those who have succeeded over six furlongs and a mile at the highest level is long and includes this race's winners Chief Singer, Green Desert, Soviet Star, Royal Academy and Alcohol Free. Godolphin's Notable Speech is the latest to shorten up, but he has the speed to make a serious impact, no doubt. The stronger pace scenario is what will really suit and it's just a question of whether he can do those sub-11-second splits that won him his mile races earlier in the piece. Charlie Looks To Break His Duck Perhaps the man with most on the line this week is Charlie Appleby, with the Festival in his own back yard. He has maintained an impressive 36% strike-rate at the track over the last five seasons, but there are two major omissions from his big-race tally to date and they both come this week. His only two prior runners in Friday's G1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes, Wuheida and Certify, were second in 2017 and seventh in 2014, while he is zero from five in the feature G1 July Cup on Saturday. He has leading chances in both this year, with Cinderella's Dream (Shamardal) almost favourite for the fillies' contest and the aforementioned Notable Speech and talented Sandy Lane winner Symbol Of Honour (Havana Grey) forming a strong double act in the big sprint. In Thursday's July Stakes, Appleby's unbeaten TDN Rising Star Maximized (Mehmas) bids to improve the stable's record of two third placings from three runners, while one area in which the stable excels is in Saturday's Superlative. He has had five winners from 11 runners in the contest and this year's entries Wild Desert (Too Darn Hot) and Saba Desert (Dubawi) will be afforded due respect as a result. Royal Ascot Bounce? Forget It With Royal Ascot not too far in the rearview mirror, there could be an argument that this comes too soon for those who endured the heat of battle in Berkshire. That does not appear to be the case for the two-year-old generation, with recent trends suggesting a bold showing there has been no bar to success in the July Stakes for one. Whistlejacket stepped up from a fourth in the Norfolk to land last year's day one six-furlong feature, Persian Force improved on a Coventry second in 2022 while Tactical had also struck in the 2020 Windsor Castle. Up against Ballydoyle and Godolphin this time, connections will be hoping that the Ascot savvy of Do Or Do Not (Space Blues) and Comical Point (Blue Point), runner-up in the Coventry and fifth in the Norfolk respectively, will give them the edge they need. If the July Stakes points to Royal Ascot experience being no hindrance, it seems an essential qualification for Friday's G2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes, where the fillies take centre stage over six furlongs. Last year's winner Arabian Dusk is the outlier, having skipped the Royal meeting, as eight of the previous nine winners had contested the Albany. Four of those were completing the double, while the 2016 winner Roly Poly was bouncing back after running eighth in the Queen Mary. This year's Albany scorer Venetian Sun (Starman) looks only to have to turn up on those trends, whereas Shine On Me (Havana Grey) and Spicy Mara (Starspangledbanner) fit Roly Poly's Queen Mary profile. Where Royal Ascot drops away in relevance is in the Superlative, with the last 10 winners fitting the more unexposed Classic profile of maiden or novice to here. Of those still entered, Coventry seventh Raakeb (Ten Sovereigns) and eighth Bourbon Blues (Space Blues) and the Chesham fourth Venetian Lace (Masar) will seek to buck the historical trend. The post The Newmarket July Festival: Five Things To Watch Out For appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – From her office at Barn 83 on the Oklahoma Training Track, all trainer Cherie DeVaux has to do to get a glimpse of the horse is look out the window. And she sees him, across the way, standing in his stall. “He has this big, white face looking at you,” DeVaux said, and she smiles. Gets her every time. 'He' is a 2-year-old colt who goes by the name of Dr. Agne (Into Mischief). He has never run but will on Friday when he starts his career in a one mile, $100,000 maiden turf race. DeVaux will be rooting hard for the young horse because, sure, she wants to win. But the back story is one that resonates because of the history DeVaux has with Dr. Agne's dam. That is Lady Eli, who defied the odds and became a champion in 2017 when she was running for trainer Chad Brown. DeVaux was an assistant to Brown back then and Lady Eli started her career with six straight wins, the last of which was the GI Belmont Oaks on the Fourth of July in 2015. Things changed right after that when, on her way back to the barn following the Oaks, Lady Eli stepped on a nail. She then developed laminitis, which can prove fatal. In stepped DeVaux, who was with Lady Eli every step of the way through her long journey to becoming an elite racehorse again. “I was on a bucket with her the whole time,” DeVaux said. “I was there for her whole recovery.” Lady Eli | Sarah Andrew She, along with Dr. Robert Agne of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Saratoga and Dr. Bryan Fraley of Fraley Equine Podiatry in Kentucky, did everything they could to give Lady Eli a chance to make it back. And make it back she did. After over a year away from the races, Lady Eli returned and would run eight more times, winning four and finishing second three times. While the story is heartwarming, there was nothing fuzzy about Lady Eli. She was never one to be confused with a barn pet. “She was vicious, vicious,” DeVaux said. “Most horses, kids can go up to, but she was not a kid's horse. But she was really nice to me. I couldn't go up and kiss her or anything. She was tolerant, I would say, of me. We were a huge part of each other's stories at that time.” Then, a second gut punch. On Labor Day of 2015, Dr. Robert Agne, 54, was killed when he was hit by a car while cycling in Vermont. Dr. Agne would drive from Saratoga to Belmont whenever he was needed to help Lady Eli. DeVaux, shattered when she heard the news of Dr. Agne's death, remembered thinking they would have to name a horse for the fallen doctor. “I didn't think I would really have one that would be [Lady Eli's] or I would be a trainer for that matter,” said DeVaux, who went out on her own in 2018. Dr. Agne the horse will be Lady Eli's first foal to race in the United States. He came to DeVaux's barn after he was purchased by a group of Lady Eli's former owners, particularly Sol Kumin, who raced under the name Sheep Pond Partners. Dr. Agne is owned by Kumin's Madaket Stables LLC, Twin Brook Stables and Belladonna Racing LLC. Dr. Agne, who DeVaux said is “much nicer” than her cranky mother, will be ridden by Jose Ortiz in his debut, which is the sixth race Friday. She said that Dr. Robert Agne's widow, Carrie, is expected to be at Saratoga to see the debut. “It will be hugely emotional,” DeVaux said. Chad Brown Aiming For 5th Consecutive Spa Training Title Trainer Chad Brown has had a stranglehold on the Saratoga training title in recent years and he is hopeful that continues for the fifth straight summer. Brown, who is from nearby Mechanicville, has been the leading trainer at Saratoga for the four summers (he shared the title with Linda Rice in 2023). Overall, the five-time Eclipse Award winner for outstanding trainer, has won the Saratoga title seven times, the first one coming in 2016. Last summer, Brown rolled to the title with 45 wins ($5,848,233 in earnings) to easily outdistance Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and Mike Maker, who both finished with 22 visits to the winner's circle. The 45 wins was one shy of the record 46, which Brown set in 2018. “It's important to have a good meet up here,” Brown said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. “We focus a lot of our annual business around summer racing, and we target this meet every year.” Brown, 46, is coming off his ninth Belmont spring/summer meet championship, which was held at Aqueduct while Belmont Park continues its massive reconstruction. Dynamic Pricing takes the Just a Game Stakes at the Spa | Sarah Andrew Opening weekend at Saratoga will see Brown take aim at the $500,000 GI Dunkin' Diana Stakes, a race he has won eight of the last nine years and nine times overall. He will saddle Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) and Excellent Truth (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), the one-two finishers in the GI Just a Game Stakes at Saratoga last month. Also in Brown's barn is Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), last year's champion 3-year-old. “I have a lot of high-quality horses,” Brown said. “I have a high-quality training business. It just fits to be focused on this meet. It's not only this meet, but it's sort of the centerpiece of our season.” Brown said that he does about 80 percent of his racing and earns about 80 percent of the barn's price money from April through Thanksgiving. Right smack dab in the middle of that time is the 40-day Saratoga meet. You bet he is going to be geared up for it. “Some of the very best racing in the world is summer at Saratoga,” Brown said. “I am from up here, my friends and family are from here, a lot of my clients enjoy racing here. A lot of the most prestigious races in our country are right here at Saratoga.” And Irad Looking For 4th Straight Spa Riding Title Lately, Irad Ortiz Jr. winning the Saratoga riding title has been as constant as August thunderstorms and Hattie's fried chicken in the Spa City. The 32-year-old Ortiz Jr. has dominated the Saratoga jockey colony like no other in recent years. He has claimed the riding championship the last three summers and has won it six times in the last 10 years (he also won in 2015, 2018 and 2020). Irad Ortiz with trainer Chad Brown | Sarah Andrew His brother, Jose, has three titles of his own in the last decade. The only non-Ortiz to win it was Luis Saez, the 2021 champ. “It always means a lot,” Irad Ortiz Jr. said after morning workouts on the Oklahoma Training Track. “I just have to keep grinding and working hard. I love this place. They have some of the best horses, a lot of the best trainers in the summertime.” He will take nothing for granted and knows he'll have to grind and work even harder than ever this summer. The competition in the jockey's room–as it always is–is stiff. Last year, Ortiz won 52 races to edge Flavien Prat, who finished with 45 wins. Prat, the reigning Eclipse Award winner for outstanding jockey, is coming off his first New York Racing Association title. He was the winner of the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet with 43 wins. “It's crazy how many good riders we have right now,” Ortiz Jr. said, rattling off the names of Prat, his brother, Saez, Dylan Davis, Junior Alvarado, Manny Franco, John Velazquez, Javier Castellano, just to name a few. “Those guys are really good. Riding against them and having the opportunity to ride live horses and win a meet here is just a blessing.” The post Saratoga Notebook: DeVaux Has Special Bond With 2-Year-Old Colt Dr. Agne appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The city of Ruidoso, N.M., hammered by wildfires and flash flooding last summer, experienced damaging flooding July 8 after heavy monsoonal rains. The floodwaters impacted homes and businesses, including the racetrack, Ruidoso Downs.View the full article

Duke of Cambridge Stakes (G2) one-two Crimson Advocate and Cinderella's Dream face off in a fascinating rematch after both were declared for the July 11 Falmouth Stakes (G1) at Newmarket Racecourse.View the full article

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit has suspended the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory’s probationary Equine Analytical Laboratory accreditation status for a minimum of six months.View the full article

Thursday, Newmarket, post time: 15:35, THE PRINCESS OF WALES'S STAKES-G2, £125,000, 3yo/up, 12fT Field: Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), El Cordobes (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Ghostwriter (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Palladium (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko). TDN Verdict: This should be easy pickings for Ghostwriter after his third in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes, where he showed that the trip held no fears. William Buick has chosen El Cordobes of the Appleby pair which is probably a hint worth taking, especially as the stable do so well on their home terrain at this meeting. [Tom Frary]. Thursday, Newmarket, post time: 14:25, THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN JULY STAKES-G2, £100,000, 2yo, 6fT Field: Brussels (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Comical Point (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Do Or Do Not (Ire) (Space Blues {Ire}), Jel Pepper (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}), Maximized (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}), Zavateri (Ire) (Without Parole {GB}). TDN Verdict: Godolphin's unbeaten Woodcote winner Maximised is taken on by Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Brussels in a fascinating encounter. They probably have it between them, but the surprise Coventry runner-up Do Or Do Not has the best form having got closest to Gstaad at Royal Ascot. [Tom Frary]. Thursday, Newmarket, post time: 13:50, THE BAHRAIN TROPHY STAKES-G3, £200,000, 3yo, 13fT Field: Further (Ire) (Waldgeist {GB}), Hallelujah (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}), Nightime Dancer (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Scandinavia (Justify), Titanium Emperor (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). TDN Verdict: The second sighter for the St Leger after the Queen's Vase, with the runner-up and fifth from that Royal Ascot contest Furthur and Scandinavia set to re-oppose. There is very little between them on that form and with both stables in flying form this could boil down to a match, with the remaining trio a notch below. [Tom Frary]. Thursday, Leopardstown, post time: 18:10, XIN GIN IRISH EBF BROWNSTOWN STAKES-G3, €39,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 7fT Field: Vera's Secret (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus}), Bellaphina (Ire) (James Garfield {Ire}), Bluedrum (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Dance Night Andday (Ire) (Buratino {Ire}), Duckadilly (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), Chantez (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Easy Mover (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Temperance (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}). TDN Verdict: The unbeaten Duckadilly beat some solid yardsticks over this trip at Fairyhouse last month and is tested against the impressive G3 Mutamakina Stakes winner Vera's Secret. Chantez was behind the latter in that contest and has not shown up so far in 2025, but she did beat Garden Of Eden in the course-and-distance Listed Ingabelle Stakes in September and deserves another chance. [Tom Frary]. Friday, Newmarket, post time: 15:35, THE TATTERSALLS FALMOUTH STAKES-G1, £275,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 8fT Field: Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal), Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Running Lion (GB) (Roaring Lion), Atsila (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}), Elwateen (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), January (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), Lady Ilze (GB) (Territories {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Back on a straight track, the impressive G2 Dahlia Stakes winner Cinderella's Dream may be able to exact revenge on her G2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes conqueror Crimson Advocate but there is no guarantee given the rate of progress of that rival. Surprisingly, Aidan O'Brien hasn't won this since 2017 but January ran well enough when third in the G1 Coronation Stakes to hold a major chance of bringing it back home to Rosegreen. As with many of the main clashes of the generations in recent times, the power has shifted markedly to the 3-year-olds with six of the last nine winners from that age group. In a race that can throw up surprises, Elwateen is of interest after her fourth in the 1,000 Guineas on the Rowley Mile here. Truly on the rollercoaster this year, she was tried in the Oaks but is back at a mile with Saeed bin Suroor unsure of her trip. [Tom Frary]. Friday, Newmarket, post time: 14:25, THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE STAKES-G2, £100,000, 2yo, f, 6fT Field: Argentine Tango (GB) (Mattmu {GB}), Mood Queen (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), Royal Fixation (GB) (Palace Pier {GB}), Shine On Me (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Spicy Marg (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Venetian Sun (Ire) (Starman {GB}). TDN Verdict: All eyes on Venetian Sun after her Albany win and she looks to have scared off a few potential rivals, but not the course-and-distance Listed Empress Stakes winner Argentine Tango who is as tough as they come. Palace Pier's juveniles are going strong so far and Royal Fixation is an intriguing representative despite having just a Thirsk novice under her belt. [Tom Frary]. Friday, York, post time: 14:45, THE WILLIAM HILL SUMMER STAKES-G3, £85,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 6fT Field: Electric Storm (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Nighteyes (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Rage Of Bamby (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), Tiger Bay (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}), Arabian Dusk (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Beaujolais Nouveau (GB) (Twilight Son {GB}), Celandrine (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Enola Holmes (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), First Instinct (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), Hold A Dream (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}), Rogue Sensation (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Sayidah Dariyan {Fr}). TDN Verdict: Fourth in the G1 Commonwealth Cup, Sayidah Dariyan sets the standard in a renewal dominated by the 3-year-olds. Close in behind on form lines is First Instinct and the Sandy Lane third rates the biggest threat alongside Celandine, who beat Time For Sandals in last year's Lowther but hasn't been seen so far this term. [Tom Frary]. Thursday, Newmarket, post time: 16:45, THE EDMONDSON HALL SOLICITORS SIR HENRY CECIL STAKES-Listed, £55,000, 3yo, 8fT Field: Opera Ballo (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Arabian Story (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Brian (Ire) (Shaman {Ire}), Elarak (GB) (Kingman {GB}), King Of Cities (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Royal Playwright (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Seagulls Eleven (Ire) (Galileo Gold {Ire}), Spectacular View (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Just about the most interesting race on the opening card, this Sussex prep graced by Baaeed in 2021 features Godolphin's exciting Opera Ballo, firmly back on track after his Craven flop when beating some smart types in Sandown's Listed Heron Stakes in May. Speaking of Baaeed, Shadwell's Elarak impressed in the same course-and-distance novice taken in by that luminary last month and while he may not be in the same bracket, he is on the same path at least. [Tom Frary]. Click here for the complete fields. The post Black-Type Analysis: Ghostwriter Faces Godolphin Duo In Princess Of Wales’s Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Greg Geier doesn't remember a time when horses weren't a part of his life. He and his brother Dennis were practically raised on the track. They tagged along with their father, Louisiana-based George Geier, to the barn early each morning on the weekends and traveled north every summer for race meets in Detroit. “We started walking horses when we were eight years old,” Geier recalled. “Then we went to grooming and then we went to helping our dad do everything. I never did ride, though. I always thought it was safer on the ground.” More than 40 years later, not much has changed. Dennis—better known as “Peaches” on the Churchill Downs backside—is the longtime assistant for trainer Bret Calhoun. Greg, too, has never had a job that didn't involve laying hands on a horse each day. Geier has saddled hundreds of winners in his lifetime, but last year, he was part of something special. As the assistant trainer for Kenny McPeek's base at Churchill Downs, Geier played a pivotal role in helping oversee both Mystik Dan (Goldencents) and Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) in the lead-up to their Kentucky Derby and Oaks victories. The fairytale continued when Thorpedo Anna stormed through a Horse of the Year-worthy season, capped by her win in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Now four, the champ has secured her spot back at the Breeders' Cup by capturing the 'Win And You're In' GII Fleur de Lis Stakes. “I never imagined I could be around a horse like this, let alone a Horse of the Year,” said Geier. “It's what you get up for. I mean, you get up for all of them, but when you're around these kinds, you really want to get up and be around them. Spending time with horses was all Geier ever really wanted to do. After graduating high school he went to the University of New Orleans, but it did not take him long to find out that academia was not the path for him. He'd work on the backside every morning, but once in lectures, he was either dozing off or wishing he was at the races. After a year, he went back to work for his father, following the circuit between Fair Grounds, Jefferson Downs and Louisiana Downs. After his father passed away, Geier bounced between roles as both assistant and head trainer. He spent a decade working for Gene Cilio in Chicago, and when Cilio died, Geier took over the stable and trained horses for prominent owner Jim Tafel. Two of his top earners were Coragil Cat (Forest Wildcat), winner of the 2008 GIII Hanshin Cup Handicap, and Country Flavor (Empire Maker), who won the same Arlington race two years later. Geier heads back to the barn with Mystik Dan after his Kentucky Derby victory | Coady Media But Geier always preferred the company of horses to the hustle of recruiting owners. Whenever stalls became hard to fill, he gravitated back to assistant roles. Not long after Tafel passed away, Geier again found himself looking for a fresh start. He began working for Kenny McPeek in 2016, starting at Delta Downs before shifting to Fair Grounds and eventually settling in at Churchill Downs. Over the years, the horseman has worked with a long list of McPeek's top runners. Grade I winner Rattle N Roll (Connect) and multiple graded stakes winner Smile Happy (Runhappy) are two of his all-time favorites. “I knew from early on that they would be nice,” he explained. “You can just tell. You're out there and you work them once or twice and you know where you're at.” With Thorpedo Anna, it took a bit more time to realize her talent. “At first she was a little flighty, but she settled down,” Geier described. “She was high-strung, strong, nervous. She just had to learn to channel that energy. The older she's got, the better she's become.” Geier said that these days, 'Thorpedo' is “as cool as a cucumber” in the stall, but knows what to do when it's time to train. The assistant did not make the trip to California for Thorpedo Anna's Distaff win. He stayed behind to run the operation in Kentucky. With two horses to saddle at Churchill that day, he was still able to tune in to watch the star filly's dominant victory. “When she left for the Breeders' Cup, she was training just as good as she was before the Oaks,” Geier described. “She was at the top of her game.” This year, Thorpedo Anna returned to the winner's circle for the GII Azeri Stakes and GI Apple Blossom Handicap. While she had a disappointing last-place finish in the GI La Troienne Stakes, she quickly rebounded with her resounding three-length Fleur de Lis score on June 28. Geier and the rest of the Thorpedo Anna team in the winner's circle after her Kentucky Oaks victory | Horsephotos “In the La Troienne, she didn't have the best trip—got banged around going into the first turn. I think that just bothered her,” Geier said. “But then she regrouped. When she ran in the Fleur de Lis, she just showed she was back on top of her game.” Thorpedo Anna recently left Churchill Downs and is enjoying a short freshening at McPeek's Magdalena Farm. She is set to arrive in Saratoga next week and is pointing for the GI Personal Ensign on Aug. 23. During Thorpedo Anna's time training at Churchill Downs this spring, visitors on the Kentucky Derby Museum's backside tour often stopped by McPeek's barn hoping to get a glimpse of the champion. Geier understood the sentiment and was happy to oblige. “She's just a class of her own,” he explained. “These kinds of horses don't come around too often.” Geier knows not to take any of his experiences for granted. His father passed before he could see Geier working with the likes of Grade I winners Rattle N Roll, Mystik Dan or Thorpedo Anna, but his legacy follows Geier on the backside every morning. “Oh, he'd be real proud, I believe,” Geier said. “He was dedicated to his profession too. So I think he'd be proud of what I'm doing.” The post Breeders’ Cup Connections: Greg Geier a Steady Hand in the Shedrow appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has appointed Katie Keenan as the new Senior Vice President and Chief Experience Officer (CXO), the track said in a Wednesday release. Keenan is a global live event and venue operations executive with two decades of sports industry experience. Prior to joining NYRA, she was Vice President for Live Events & Operations at the National Football League (NFL), where she led the planning and delivery of the NFL's marquee events including the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, and NFL International Series Games. As CXO, Keenan will develop and implement strategies focused on providing a premier on-track experience for fans, racing participants and stakeholders. Accordingly, she will oversee NYRA's hospitality offerings and guest-facing operations. The post Keenan Named NYRA SVP, Chief Experience Officer appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ahead of She Feels Pretty's start in the $500,000 Diana Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course July 12, trainer Cherie DeVaux discusses what makes the filly special on the track and special to the trainer's career.View the full article