Wandering Eyes

Some 47 years ago, a horse by the name of Bravo Bravo won his first start off a claim by the Auerbach Family of California, setting in motion a long and successful career in the racing and breeding business, both at home in California and in Central Kentucky. The matriarch of the family is the widely respected Madeline Auerbach, who among other accomplishments founded and is the former Chairperson of CARMA (California Retirement Management Account), a funding arm for retired race horses in the state. In 1996, Madeline Auerbach and her late husband Jim were approached the much-missed trainer Barry Abrams with the idea of claiming a then 6-year-old son of Nureyev named Unusual Heat. While he only won one of his two start for the Auerbachs and partners, Unusual Heat was retired to stud in the Golden State and raised the bar for stallions in the state, topping the standings seven times prior to his passing in 2017. As you will read below, Unusual Heat as left an indelible mark on the family's breeding operation, now headed up by Harris Auerbach, one of Madeline's six children. “We have really trimmed down our line-up the last few seasons as 'less is now more,'” Harris Auerbach said. “All of the mares on our roster are homebreds out of our best mare lines. We have had some of these families for 30 years!” To follow is the operation's plans for the 2025 breeding season. HAUTE STYLE, 12, Unusual Heat–Style of the Year, by Half a Year, to be bred to Kingsbarns Foaled a colt by Nashville Friday, Jan. 17. Haute Style is a productive young mare with five foals of racing age (including a 2-year-old of 2025), three have started and all are winners. Her 2022 filly by Global Campaign, Warming, was a very impressive first-out winner at Aqueduct last summer and is being pointed to a winter 2025 campaign. Haute Style is out of our oldest family. We raced her mother and bred all 14 of her siblings. There are three other active mares in her first dam. Physically, she is the best-looking of our broodmares and is the beauty winner of her family. Big, but not oversized, well-proportioned and correct. She has passed those traits along to all of her foals. She's versatile and can be bred to a lot of different body types. For 2025, we decided to send her back to the Uncle Mo line with Kingsbarns, who we consider one of the top physicals of Uncle Mo sons to start at stud. They are a good pedigree match on paper and physical combination for the eyes. Hoping to inject more dirt profile on a pedigree that's been largely slanted to the turf. JAX EL, 17, Unusual Heat–Sci Fi Kin, by Siphon (Brz), 2025 covering TBD Currently in foal to Candy Ride (Arg) on an Apr. 17 cover. Jax El is a stakes-placed mare and Grade I producer who has six horses of racing age, five to run, all five are winners. She currently has 5-year-old King's Glory (a $575,000 Keeneland September graduate), by Speightstown on the race track. Her first baby was Dr. Dorr by Lookin At Lucky, winner of the GII Californian Stakes and second to champion Accelerate in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup, besting champion City of Light in that race. Dr. Dorr was also graded-stakes placed multiple other times at various distances on the dirt. Jax El is also a full sister to Grade II winner Pretty Unusual. Jax El is a large, heavier mare who dazzled with brilliant speed as a racehorse. She, like most Unusual Heat mares, is a good outcross for many sire lines due to her Nureyev descendancy, plus she adds the added uniqueness of the Siphon line. Jax El will be visiting Epicenter at Coolmore-Ashford. She's a big strong mare and he's right sized and scoped for her. Dirt long producer on a dirt long runner. She offers some speed while he offers distance. Giant's Causeway over Unusual Heat is a lightly tried but intriguing pedigree play. LETHAL HUNTER, 22, Jade Hunter–Lethal Leta, by Synastry, to be bred to Charge It Currently empty. Lethal Hunter is an unraced mare and a graded stakes producer of seven horses to race, five winners, two black-type winners and one graded stakes horse. She's also the producer of two different sales yearlings of $500,000 and $485,000. She currently has an unraced 3 year old in Dubai in training with Michael Costa named La Jedal (Candy Ride {Arg}) and a yearling filly by Nashville. There are eight other active mares in her first dam, including two of her daughters. Generally, we are hesitant to breed any mare over 19 or 20 years old, but based on Lethal Hunter's physical condition (she looks 15 or 16) and her ability to deliver nice foals after empty seasons, we decided to give her one more try in the breeding shed. The bulk of her babies as a young mare were by Unusual Heat, as we acquired her dam Lethal Leta when she carrying with Lethal Hunter, specifically for the purpose of breeding to Unusual Heat. Lethal Hunter is one of the last Jade Hunter mares in production and offers a very different profile to breed and many good outcross possibilities. In the past, she has produced a multitude of body types, different types of runners by distance and style and her foals have all had unique mental characteristics to match their “outlier” mother. In other words, she goes well with a lot of different lines and we're never quite sure what type of foal will be produced. She is booked to Charge It, first crop son of Tapit at Gainesway, for 2025 in hope to add his impressive body frame and dirt distance preferences to her long legs, narrower frame and turfy preference. LETHAL LEGACY, 12, Unusual Heat–Lethal Leta, by Synastry, to be bred to Street Sense Currently in foal on an Apr. 9 cover to McKinzie. Lethal Legacy got a later start in breeding shed at age seven and has produced three foals, two of racing age, one to race, a winner at in his first start at two, Lethal Speed (Kantharos). The other foals are by Oscar Performance and Improbable. There are eight other active mares in her first dam. This mare was a hard-knocking, durable racehorse out of a very fast family geared towards longer sprints and mile races. Versatile to run on both dirt and turf. Has a page that easy to outcross and goes well with many sire lines. Physically, it would be advantageous to mate her with leggier stallions with more scope, but the Kantharos mating produced a horse with speed and closing kick. She is going to proven stallion Street Sense in 2025, as the cross has produced multiple graded stakes winners and the physical match should produce a well- balanced foal. REMINISCING, 6, Acclamation–Chi Chi Nette, by Ole', unlikely to be bred in 2025 Currently in foal on a May 26 cover to Olympiad. She's a young mare with a lot of upside that has produced two very different foals–a 2023 filly by More Than Ready and a 2024 colt by Liam's Map. Both are nice young prospects and we're excited to have her in foal to Olympiad and the Speightstown line, which goes very well with the Unusual Heat dam side. In light of the late cover date, we have tentatively decided to give this mare the 2025 breeding season off to ease the pressure of a potential quick breeding turn around. It would allow her to concentrate on raising a probable May foal and cycle back to an earlier cover in 2026. We retired AMERICA'S FRIEND, a graded stakes producer (dam of GSW America's Tale and recent SW Hollywood Beauty) and legacy for us in 2024 at age 20 after she aborted her 2023 cover. The post 2025 Mating Plans, Presented By Spendthrift: Harris Auerbach, Auerbach Racing LLC appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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The Saudi Derby (G3) has promising candidates from Japan, Dubai, and the United States, all looking to establish an international reputation in the race that vaulted Forever Young to acclaim in 2024.View the full article

In addition to Jose Ortiz's commanding lead in the standings at Fair Grounds, Ortiz posted two stakes wins on Louisiana Derby Preview Day including the Mineshaft (G3) for a four-win day and Jockey of the Week honors Feb. 10-16.View the full article

Grade 1 winner Cinderella's Dream headlines the Feb. 21 Dubai Racing Carnival card when she starts in the Balanchine Stakes (G2T).View the full article

Last year's King George hero Goliath (Ger) will make his 2025 bow in Hong Kong on Champions Day, Apr. 27, according to an X post by the gelding's co-owner, John Stewart of Resolute Racing. Stewart purchased a majority share in the son of Adlerflug (Ger) after he landed the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard last summer. Geldings remain barred from participating in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. “I am dedicated to international racing at the highest level,” Stewart told TDN Europe. “I think the fans want to see the best horses compete in the top races. “There are a lot of barriers to global competition and the sport needs to evolve. The Arc has become a substandard race compared to Royal Ascot, the Breeders' Cup, the Saudi Cup, Dubai World Cup, the Everest and other international races. “I think the Arc could benefit from a rule change that would open the race to the best performing horses in the world.” After Hong Kong, Stewart is eyeing targets like Royal Ascot, Saratoga in upstate New York, Caulfield in Australia, or a return to Japan. A winner of the G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris last October, Goliath ran with credit to be sixth in the G1 Japan Cup in November. The post Goliath Bound For International Campaign, Stewart Unhappy With Arc Restrictions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A U.S. District Judge in Michigan preliminarily enjoined authorities from enforcing a state law prohibiting advance-deposit wagering hub TwinSpires from accepting wagers from individuals in Michigan on races outside the state.View the full article

Straight No Chaser, honored last month as North America's champion male sprinter at the Eclipse Awards, now has a chance to prove his mettle in Saudi Arabia in the $2 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse Feb. 22.View the full article

Towering above all the drama, competition, and high stakes of the two-day Saudi Cup meeting is one single question: Can Romantic Warrior perform as well on dirt as he has on the turf?View the full article

A veteran Hall of Fame trainer, Mark Casse knows that sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. The Casse-trained Sandman (Tapit) turned in a remarkable effort in his last start, the GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn, finishing second after breaking in a tangle and dropping far behind the leaders. Once straightened out, he rallied furiously and finished second, missing by just a length. To talk about the Southwest and Sandman's next start, Sunday's GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn, Casse joined the team on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the Week. “Take nothing away from the winner, but, yes, I think we would have won with a clean break,” Casse said. “I knew going in that we were going to find out whether he was a man or a boy. I think he proved he was a man. We all know that a lot of horses, even a lot of good horses, are not able to overcome what he was able to overcome. So I don't know about everybody else, but I came away from the race extremely impressed.” Casse said he was not going to do anything out of the ordinary between the Southwest and Rebel to help his charge break more cleanly. “He is so smart,” Casse said. “He does everything right. I just think it was a fluke. I'm not going to try to reinvent the wheel with him. He's done everything perfectly. I'm just going to say it was a fluke and we're going to go from there.” Sandman was a $1.2-million purchase at the 2024 OBS March sale. He is owned by the partnership of D. J. Stable LLC, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables. Casse said that, with the way the bidding was going, he didn't think his group was going to be the winning bidder. “Jon Green came to me and said, 'What do you think of him?'” Casse said. “I said, 'I love him.' Terry Finley came to me and said, 'What do you think? I said, 'I love him.' The way I normally do it is I go around and tell the owners my choices. I tell them what I think and then I step away. When he brought $1.2 million, I said, 'Well, I guess we didn't get him.' And then I walked back there and luckily we did. From the very beginning, he would just do things with ease.” Lately, Casse has been dividing his time between training and trying to find a solution that will keep South Florida racing going if legislation to decouple is passed and Gulfstream is closed. On Monday, he was in Tallahassee with other horsemen to meet with legislators. “We brought a group together to bring all horsemen together to go in one direction,” he said. “So we're working on that. I think we were a little stunned by the news that they were going to try to decouple, but we shouldn't have been. We cannot allow one person anymore to control our destiny. So we're working diligently to see what we can do. We have some very important people helping us and we will end up succeeding. It's a battle and it's not easy and it may be the last thing I do.” In our “Fastest Horse of the Week,” segment, which is sponsored by WinStar, we went over the many reasons there are breed to WinStar stallion Cogburn. The fastest horse of the week was Magnitude (Not This Time), who earned a 108 Beyer in a sizzling victory in the GII Risen Star S. Magnitude came out of the race with a minor injury and will not make the GI Kentucky Derby. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association, West Point Thoroughbreds, the KTOB, 1/ST Racing and 1/ST TV, the team of Randy Moss, Zoe Cadman and Bill Finley looked ahead at this weekend's action, which includes a huge card at Oaklawn Park on Sunday, topped by the GII Rebel S. and the GIII Honeybee S. Saturday's card at Turfway Park includes the Derby prep the John Battaglia Memorial S. The favorite may be First Resort (Uncle Mo) who will be making his 3-year-old debut. He currently tops the TDN Kentucky Derby Top 12, which is authored by T.D. Thornton. Another topic of discussion was the betamethasone positive Todd Pletcher received last week. For Bob Baffert, Medina Spirit (Protonico) crossed the wire first in the 2021 Derby and then tested positive for betamethasone. That was part of the reason Baffert received a lengthy ban from Churchill Downs, which kept him out of three straight Derbies. If the charges stick, Pletcher may get no more than a $500 fine from the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), an indication of how severe the Churchill ban against Baffert was. To view the video of the podcast, click here. For the audio version, click here. The post Mark Casse Joins the TDN Writers’ Room Podcast, Presented by Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) is unconstitutionally violating the Interstate Horseracing Act (IHA) by requiring the advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platform TwinSpires to partner with a racetrack in that state before accepting simulcast wagers from Michigan residents. The judge further issued a preliminary injunction ordering the MGCB not to enforce the contested Michigan Horse Racing Law (MHRL) licensing requirement or to issue any sanctions against the Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) subsidiary for accepting bets. The Feb. 19 order only pertained to the TwinSpires motion for a preliminary injunction. It did not decide the overall, underlying case. “The IHA establishes the exclusive procedure by which off-track betting systems (like TwinSpires) accept interstate off-track wagers,” wrote Chief United States District Judge Hala Jarbou in a 35-page opinion out of U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. “When someone in Michigan places a wager on an out-of-state race, and they place this wager through an off-track betting system that accepts the wager out of state, under the IHA, the off-track betting system needs consent from the racetrack, the regulating entity in the racetrack's state, and the regulating entity in the state where the system accepted the wager, not the MGCB. “By requiring a third-party facilitator license for such transactions, Michigan has acted contrary to the IHA,” the judge continued. “The Executive Director's attempt to force TwinSpires to obtain a license before accepting bets of this nature is unconstitutional, akin to adding an additional consent to the IHA's exclusive process. “TwinSpires may need a license to accept wagers for races on Michigan racetracks under section 3004 of the IHA,” the opinion continued. “But the Executive Director cannot penalize or prevent TwinSpires for accepting a wager outside of Michigan when the race is not at a Michigan racetrack. TwinSpires has demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits, that imminent and concrete irreparable harm would occur without a preliminary injunction, and that a preliminary injunction would prevent harm to others and advance the public interest.” The Jan. 12 lawsuit by Churchill Downs Technology Initiatives Company-plus a still-pending, entirely separate lawsuit brought five days later by the MGCB against TwinSpires-both stem from the fact that at the start of 2025, Michigan's law requiring ADWs to partner with a racetrack in the state couldn't be fulfilled by any ADW operator. That's because there hasn't been any Thoroughbred racing in Michigan since 2018, and Standardbred races last ran in February 2024. TwinSpires (and other ADWs) had previously partnered with the now-demolished and to-be-developed Northville Downs, whose license-holders as of Jan. 1 were planning to-but had not yet received at that time-approval for the required 30 days of Standardbred racing at a different location so that all parties could be eligible for ADW and simulcasting in 2025. On Dec. 23, 2024, the MGCB notified all licensed ADWs to cease offering wagering for Michigan residents effective Jan. 1, 2025. The shutdown was to be temporary until the harness track licensing issue got resolved. While ADW operators Xpressbet, NYRA Bets, and TVG Network voluntarily complied with the order, TwinSpires did not. After a week of continuing to take bets against the order, the MGCB suspended the TwinSpires license Jan. 7. On Jan. 31, Northville Downs received its licensing, allowing third-party facilitators to accept wagers in accordance with the MHRL license requirement. However, the MGCB continued to maintain its suspension against TwinSpires, stating in a Jan. 17 court complaint that, “A summary suspension is not optional to the aggrieved party but rather is an immediate suspension pending a prompt hearing.” The federal judge summed up both sides' legal arguments in the Feb. 19 opinion: “TwinSpires asserts that compliance with the third-party facilitator license requirement was unnecessary because of the preemptive effect of the IHA and that any related sanctions would be unconstitutional. TwinSpires claims it voluntarily acquiesced to the MHRL license requirement to promote a good relationship with the MGCB and stimulate growth in Michigan's horse race industry,” Jarbou wrote. “Defendants disagree. According to Defendants, the IHA does not restrict a state's ability to require additional consent for interstate off-track wagers. Because TwinSpires has accepted wagers that were placed in Michigan, Defendants argue that TwinSpires has violated the MHRL. Defendants argue that TwinSpires accepts wagers in Michigan and therefore needs consent (via a license) from Michigan regulatory entities,” Jarbou wrote. The opinion continued: “The IHA governs interstate off-track wagers placed in Michigan. However, when TwinSpires filed its motion for preliminary injunction, there were no licensed racetracks in Michigan, and TwinSpires accepted pari-mutuel wagers that were placed in Michigan without a recognized third-party facilitator license. Given the attempted enforcement actions against TwinSpires for these transactions, the Court will explain why-even when no entities could accept wagers in Michigan-interstate off-track pari-mutuel wagers remained lawful and subject to the IHA's exclusive regulations. “The IHA only requires that pari-mutuel wagers are lawful in each state involved in the interstate transaction; it does not require pari-mutuel wagering to be active,” the opinion continued. “As is relevant for the case before the Court, while no entity could accept pari-mutuel wagers within Michigan's borders when Northville Downs's licenses were suspended, Michigan does not prevent residents from placing such wagers out of state. Thus, even if the Court were to adopt Defendants' interpretation of MHRL section 431.317(a), pari-mutuel wagers remained lawful throughout January (particularly those wagers accepted out of state for races that took place out of state). “As discussed above, the IHA is concerned with the lawful status of pari-mutuel wagers, not whether any entity is accepting wagers in a state. Under either interpretation of the MHRL language, pari-mutuel wagers were lawful in Michigan even when Northville Downs did not have its licenses,” the opinion stated. “Congress established an exclusive, uniform process through which off-track betting systems could accept interstate off-track wagers. The IHA prohibits states from adding supplemental requirements,” the judge wrote, adding at a different point in the opinion, “An order forcing TwinSpires to cease operations in Michigan would cause TwinSpires to continue to lose its competitive place in the Michigan pari-mutuel wagering sector. This harm is exacerbated now that the MGCB has reinstated Northville Downs's licenses, allowing TwinSpires's competitors to accept wagers while maintaining its summary suspension of TwinSpires's license. “If shut down, TwinSpires would be the only online wagering platform that could not accept bets from Michiganders,” the judge wrote. “If the Court does not issue a preliminary injunction, TwinSpires faces a concrete and imminent threat of state action forcing it to cease operations in Michigan. Not only is such action an unconstitutional intrusion on TwinSpires's rights to accept certain interstate off-track wagers under the IHA (given the statute's preemptive character), TwinSpires has also demonstrated that it has already lost customer goodwill and its competitive market share. “These are incalculable injuries that constitute irreparable harm,” the opinion continued. “The Executive Director's continued public allegations and attempts to sanction TwinSpires will only exacerbate these harms. TwinSpires has demonstrated certain and immediate irreparable harm; a preliminary injunction is warranted to prevent further harm…” “TwinSpires has demonstrated a likelihood to succeed on the merits of its constitutional claim and has established irreparable harm,” the opinion stated. “The preliminary injunction would protect TwinSpires's rights, as well as the rights of Michiganders to place interstate off-track wagers via the IHA. Thus, issuing a preliminary injunction would prevent harm to others and advance the public interest.” TDN requested comment from both CDI and the MGCB. Neither responded prior to deadline for this story. The post Violating the IHA by Enforcing ‘Unconstitutional’ Sanctions Against Twinspires appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There are five horse racing meetings set for Australia on Thursday, February 20. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the best bets and the quaddie numbers for Hawkesbury. Thursday’s Free Horse Racing Tips – February 20, 2025 Hawkesbury Racing Tips As always, there are plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans. Check out all the top online bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on February 20, 2025 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. Neds Code GETON 1 Take It To The Neds Level Neds Only orange bookie! Check Out Neds Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit today. “GETON is not a bonus code. Neds does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. Full terms. BlondeBet Signup Code GETON 2 Punters Prefer Blondes BlondeBet Blonde Boosts – Elevate your prices! Join BlondeBet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GAMBLING WITH? full terms. 3 Next Gen Racing Betting Picklebet Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Join Picklebet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Full terms. Recommended! 4 It Pays To Play PlayUp Aussie-owned horse racing specialists! Check Out PlayUp Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Full terms. Dabble Signup Code AUSRACING 5 Say Hey to the social bet! Dabble You Better Believe It Join Dabble Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Full terms. Bet365 Signup Code GETON 6 Never Ordinary Bet365 World Favourite! Visit Bet365 Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. GETON is not a bonus code. bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. What’s gambling really costing you? Full terms. Horse racing tips View the full article

Canada's Sovereign Award finalists were announced by The Jockey Club of Canada Wednesday, in addition to dual Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield who will receive the E.P. Taylor Award of Merit at the 50th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony which will be held Apr. 24 at the Paramount Eventspace in Woodbridge, Ontario. Additionally, Emma-Jayne Wilson and Moira (Ghostzapper), winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf before selling for $4.3 million at Fasig-Tipton in November, will both receive Special Sovereign Awards. Wilson surpassed Julie Krone's purse earnings record for a female rider, while Moira amassed over $1.5 million in earnings in 2024, but was not eligible having failed to make at least three starts in Canada last year. Victor James will also be presented with the 2024 Outstanding Groom Award, sponsored by OLG while Ian Dick will receive the Outstanding Off-track Worker Award. James was nominated by Josie Carroll while Dick was nominated by Colleen Dalos. Horse of the Year finalists will be announced during the 50th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony. Judging for the Media Awards is performed by media professionals within the industry selected from across North America and the United Kingdom. 2024 Sovereign Awards Finalists The finalists in each of the following categories are listed in alphabetical order. Champion Two-Year-Old Female Aristella Nitrogen Souper Supreme Champion Two-Year-Old Male Dream On He's Not Joking Scorching Champion Three-Year-Old Female Avana Caitlinhergrtness Kin's Concerto Stormcast Champion Three-Year-Old Male August Rain Dresden Row My Boy Prince Champion Older Main Track Female Big Hug Elysian Field Fashionably Fab Champion Older Main Track Male Apprehend Paramount Prince Wicked Django Champion Female Turf Horse Fev Rover (Ire) Full Count Felicia Stormcast Champion Male Turf Horse Cruden Bay Filo Di Arianna (BRZ) Patches O'Houlihan Champion Female Sprinter Gal in a Rush Play the Music Stormcast Champion Male Sprinter Filo Di Arianna (BRZ) My Boy Prince Patches O'Houlihan Outstanding Broodmare Dancing Allstar Executive Affair Platinum Steel Outstanding Breeder Adena Springs Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. Chiefswood Stables Limited Outstanding Owner Gary Barber Chiefswood Stables Limited Bruno Schickedanz Outstanding Trainer Kevin Attard Josie Carroll Mark Casse Outstanding Apprentice Jockey Fraser Aebly Pietro Moran Sofia Vives Outstanding Jockey Sahin Civaci Rafael Manuel Hernandez Patrick Husbands Listed in alphabetical order, the Media finalists are: Digital Audio/Visual and Broadcast Category Peter Gross – Podcast Episode 233 Horse Racing Alberta – Women in Thoroughbred Racing Goh Iromoto – The Long Run Photograph Category Skip Dickstein – Magnificent Moira, Winner's Jubilation Barbara D. Livingston – Moira Mary Jane Sibbitt – Right Way/Wrong Way Writing Category Mike McIntyre – Resolve and Reinvention at a Gallop Jennifer Morrison – Trials, Tears and Canada's Queen of Racing Joe Nevills – 'She Means Everything': Attard Team Says A Long, Short Goodbye To Moira At Fasig-Tipton November Sale The post Sovereign Award Finalists Revealed; Attfield, Wilson and Moira to Receive Special Awards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Brendan Walsh trainees Somethinabouther and Salt depart from the balmy south Florida weather in search of Kentucky Oaks points in the Feb. 21 Cincinnati Trophy Stakes at Turfway Park.View the full article

Del Mar is planning across-the-board increases to its overnight purse schedule from its top allowance offerings all the way down to the maiden claiming ranks for its upcoming summer racing season that kicks off July 18.View the full article

America's Best Racing offers a capsule look at the Rebel Stakes (G2) runners.View the full article

Charles Town's biggest day on the 2025 calendar follows a format that started in 2020, with the $1 million Charles Town Classic (G2) and $750,000 Charles Town Oaks (G2) on the same Aug. 22 card. View the full article

The wait is almost over. With less than a month until the Flat season proper gets underway, what better time to draw up a list of under the radar runners, beginning with Brian Sheerin's nominations from Ireland. From potential Classic contenders to well-handicapped sprinters rated 76, our man in Ireland has put forward 10 horses who will hopefully prove profitable to follow this season. Giselle (Ire) Frankel (GB) filly out of Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) Form: 213 Trainer: Aidan O'Brien Giselle could be one of the most exciting fillies that Aidan O'Brien has to look forward to this season and she deserves to be spoken about in the same breath as Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Fairy Godmother (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). That is a big statement for a filly that was twice beaten as an odds-on favourite and only managed to win a maiden. But there are reasons to suggest that Giselle can prove herself to be the real deal. For starters, she was sent off a short-priced favourite when beaten by stablemate Bedtime Story on debut at Leopardstown. The latter went on to post one of the most electric performances of the entire week at Royal Ascot when landing the Chesham Stakes by almost 10l before stretching her unbeaten streak to four with wins at Group 3 and Group 2 level. Giselle was understood to have picked up a minor setback in the middle of last season, which saw her landing a Curragh maiden off the back of a 121-day layoff, the form of which has yet to be tested. And while she could only manage fourth–later promoted to third–in the G3 Staffordstown Stakes on her final start, a line can be drawn through that effort given it represented a tight turnaround on top of what was presumably a tough enough preparation for that maiden success. All told, O'Brien sent out 14 different fillies to achieve ratings in excess of the mark of 96 that Giselle managed in three starts as a juvenile, but chances are that this filly ranks highly among Ballydoyle's hopes for Classic success this season. Odds of 33-1 for the Oaks would appear a very fair offering. Bay Colony (Ire) New Bay (GB) filly out of Coco Rouge (Ire) (Shamardal) 045 Fozzy Stack Fozzy Stack and long-standing owner Craig Bernick enjoyed some good days with You Send Me (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), who came agonisingly close to winning the G3 Athasi Stakes at the Curragh last season. The pair could have a similarly exciting filly to carry on the mantle in the shape of You Send Me's sister Bay Colony (Ire) (New Bay {GB}). A €480,000 purchase at the Goffs Orby Sale, Bay Colony has been set some stiff tasks in her three starts to date, including when fifth in a Group 3 over a mile at the back-end of the season. She should come into her own over further this season and appears a filly who will only get better with time. A maiden should be well within her compass and she can make her mark at pattern level. Johnny Murtagh: trainer of Subsonic | Tattersalls Subsonic (Ire) Lope De Vega (Ire) filly out of Laganore (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) 2 Johnny Murtagh Laganore provided trainer Tony Martin and jockey Colin Keane with a breakthrough Group 1 success respectively when landing the Premio Lydia Tesio in Italy back in 2017 and it would appear as though she is going to be an important broodmare to Newtown Anner Stud judging by the smart debut performance that Subsonic posted for Johnny Murtagh at Leopardstown last October. Sent off at odds of 10-1, she gave the more experienced and high-class prospect Minnie Hauk (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) most to think about when going down by just a half a length. That was quite an impressive performance given Subsonic was forced to come widest in the straight and, while she was ultimately no match to Minnie Hauk, they pulled clear of the third. Everything in Subsonic's pedigree would suggest she will do better when she goes up in trip and she rates a smart middle-distance prospect. Acapulco Bay (Ire) Dubawi (Ire) colt out of Je Ne Regretterien (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) 21 Aidan O'Brien How could you not fall in love with Acapulco Bay after his Curragh maiden win last August? Having bumped into stablemate Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Iire}) on debut, he took a step forward to win that maiden when upped a furlong in trip to a mile. However, he barely had to come out of second gear when making most of the running and getting the job done in the style of a colt who had so much more under the bonnet. Out of a sister to Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), it's safe to say Acapulco Bay is smart. He could even be a Derby horse, for which he can be backed at odds of 33-1. Scorthy Champ (Ire) Mehmas (Ire) colt out of Fisaaha (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) 131 Joseph O'Brien It might seem somewhat of a cop out to nominate a Group 1 winner as being under the radar but odds of 20-1 about the National Stakes hero winning the 2,000 Guineas would appear to underestimate him–especially in what looks an unusually open year. Let's be clear, there was no standout colt last year and this year's 2,000 Guineas is there for the taking. Scorthy Champ could represent some value. He doesn't seem to be getting the credit he deserves for that National Stakes success given the runner-up and odds-on favourite Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was wayward in the finish on the day. To be fair to Henri Matisse, he did not let the form down when landing the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, and his National Stakes conqueror is becoming more and more of an enticing proposition with a view towards Newmarket Paddy Twomey: has plenty to look forward to with Currawood | Tattersalls Currawood (Ire) Acclamation (GB) colt out of Mohassan (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) Form 322 Trainer Paddy Twomey Things didn't go entirely to plan for Paddy Twomey last season yet a number of young horses shaped as though they could be smart and Currawood was one of those. Twomey sent out just 19 winners from 89 runners last year, which was his lowest tally since 2021, where he achieved the same number of wins from 63 runners. Last year's dip in numbers came from a greater pool of resources, which would suggest the year didn't go smoothly for whatever reason, and the trainer admitted as much in an interview with Racing TV during the year. For that reason, Twomey could be sitting on a number of horses who either haven't run or haven't shown their full potential, and Currawood looks underestimated. Despite failing to win in three starts, the colt showed distinct promise, notably when chasing home 2,000 Guineas favourite The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in a 7f maiden at the Curragh. That form doesn't look too bad now given subsequent Group 3 scorer Ides Of March (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who holds a rating of 108, was back in third. Nor does Currawood's third and final start as a juvenile, where he went down fighting behind Antelope Canyon (Ire) (No Nay Never) over an inadequate 6f at Naas, with the front pair pulling well clear of the remainder. Off 95, Currawood could be well enough handicapped to run in something like a Madrid Handicap in the beginning of the season but it may be more Twomey's style to get a maiden win on the board and maybe even a rated race before tilting at pattern races later in the year. Likedbymike (Ire) Inns Of Court (Ire) filly out of Trisara (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) 831 Michael Byrne This filly is rapid. She improved on each of her three starts last year, getting the job done in impressive fashion when scoring by almost five lengths when dropped to the minimum trip in a maiden at Cork in October. That success provided her owner and trainer Michael Byrne with his first win since 2007 and, judging by the style it was achieved in, it definitely won't be his last. Likedbymike could be well-handicapped off a mark of 90 and she could even be up to making her mark at Listed level. Given how at home she seemed over the easy 5f at Cork, the Listed Polonia Stakes over the C&D would appear to be a good target for her to aim towards. She should develop into a smart sprinting filly this season. Copacabana Sands (Ire) Sands Of Mali (Fr) filly out of Buttonhole (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) 55839 Michael O'Callaghan Of a similar ilk to Likedbymike but perhaps not as classy, Copacabana Sands will win races when she learns how to race properly. Despite doing plenty wrong in five starts at two, she showed enough promise–including when flashing home for third in the Irish EBF Auction Series Race Final over 7f at Naas–to suggest she is well-handicapped off 76. What's really interesting about Copacabana Sands is that she has joined trainer Michael O'Callaghan, who is one of the best in the business with sprinting types. While Copacabana Sands has been tried over the mile, it is over shorter where she can come into her own, and she may even be up to premier handicap level once she learns how to settle and race efficiently. Falling Snow (Ire) Justify filly out of Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) 1 Donnacha O'Brien Out of the 1,000 Guineas winner Winter, Falling Snow is bred to be smart and clearly is judging by her impressive debut success over 7f at the Curragh. A big, rangy daughter of Justify, Falling Snow came into that race off the back of a taking display in a barrier trial but it took a while for the penny to drop and she only got the better of Ballet Slippers (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) close to the line. Falling Snow is entitled to do much better as a three-year-old and it will be fascinating to track her progress. Powerful Nation (Ire) Sioux Nation colt out of Atlantic Queen (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}) 212132 Andy Slattery Ireland may not be renowned for its sprinters but Powerful Nation looks a colt to keep onside this season. He improved with each start last season, culminating with an excellent second when taking on older and hardened sprinters in the G3 Mercury Stakes at Dundalk. Powerful Nation could be deemed a shade unfortunate not to have landed that contest given he was short of room at a crucial stage and the margin of defeat was just a head at the winning line. Whatever way you slice it, he's an exciting sprinter in the making. The post Under The Radar: 10 Irish-Trained Three-Year-Olds To Keep Onside In 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Adam Hamilton The Kiwi flavour really ramps up at Menangle on Saturday night. Millionaire pacer Merlin, who races at Its Merlin in Australia, launches his quest to win the Miracle Mile in the Ultra Air free-for-all over 2300m (12.18am). Crucially, the Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained star has drawn perfectly in gate one, with Inter Dominion winner Don Hugo drawn next door in barrier two. Purdon and Phelan stable their horses with the Fitzpatrick clan and Gavin Fitzpatrick will take the reins on Its Merlin this week. Its Merlin hasn’t raced his second to Republican Party in the Auckland Cup on New Year’s Eve. The winner has subsequently franked the form with close-up and terrific third to Swayzee and Leap To Fame in the Hunter Cup. Don’t Stop Dreaming has come out of finishing seventh in the Auckland Cup to run second to Leap To Fame in the Cranbourne Cup and brilliantly win the Terang Cup last Saturday night. Its Merlin should have enough gate speed to hold his rivals at the start, making him clearly the horse to beat on Saturday night. The five-year-old will then back-up a week later in what will be two star-studded Miracle Mile qualifiers at Menangle. Its Merlin had three runs in a Menangle campaign this time last year for a second in the Paleface Adios Sprint, fifth in the Chariots Of Fire and then a strong win in the Light Horse FFA, which is essentially a Miracle Mile consolation. Star Kiwi trotter Oscar Bonavena also opens his Sydney campaign on Saturday night in a 1609m free-for-all. The Mark and Nathan Purdon-trained veteran will start from an outside draw (gate nine), but looks classes above his rivals. Oscar Bonavena ran below his best in the Great Southern Star final, but bounced back superbly for a breathtaking Bruce Skeggs Trotters’ Cup win at Cranbourne last Saturday week. His major Sydney aim is the $100,000 Group 1 Hammerhead Trotters’ Mile on March 8. He’ll be driven by Greg Sugars just months after Oscar Bonavena defeated his now retired superstar Just Believe in the Group 1 New Zealand Trotting Free For All at Addington. “It’s strange how things work out, but I’m thrilled to get the drive,” Sugars says. The Kiwi flavour extends to the last of the Chariots Of Fire qualifiers where We Walk By Faith has drawn well in gate two, where he needs a top four finish to make the Chariots field itself. Already the Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained Better Knuckle Up is in the Chariots, just doing enough when fourth in last Saturday night’s Hondo Grattan. We Walk By Faith finished just behind Better Knuckle Up in fifth spot last week. Top Victorian trainer Emma Stewart, who already has Miki To Success, Bay Of Biscay and War Dan Buddy in the Chariots, has another three runners – Kingman (gate one), Stormryder (five) and Some American (six) – through the Hondo Grattan. Kingman looks the one to beat this week and nothing went right in the Hondo Grattan and he now gets Luke McCarthy back aboard. View the full article

The new Home Energy Grant, funded by the John Pearce Foundation, was launched by Racing Welfare on Wednesday. The initiative offers crucial financial assistance to both current and retired individuals within the sector, helping them cope with the rising costs of home energy. The Home Energy Grant offers £300 to eligible households, specifically those living on or below the Minimum Income Standards, as defined by The Joseph Rowntree Foundation. This support is aimed at individuals and families who are most vulnerable, ensuring they can meet the essential energy needs of their homes during these challenging times. Lucy Miller, regional welfare manager at Racing Welfare, said, “National Energy Action highlighted that, as of January, approximately 6.1 million UK households are struggling with fuel poverty, spending over 10% of their income on energy costs. The rising energy prices have added significant strain for many within the racing community. This grant provides a much-needed lifeline to help alleviate the financial burden for those who have dedicated their lives to the racing industry, whether they are still working or enjoying their retirement. We are immensely grateful to the John Pearce Foundation for their generous funding, which has made this initiative possible.” For more information on the programme and to apply, please visit the Racing Welfare website. Applications are open until Apr. 18. The post Home Energy Grant Launched By Racing Welfare appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

RIYADH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA — Owner Al Gold knows that you can't win if you don't play, and the New Jersey native has not one, but two cracks at a nice payday on Saturday's Saudi Cup undercard at King Abdulaziz Racecourse here in Riyadh. Gold, who did not make the trip over to Saudi Arabia, but will be watching from the comfort of his winter home in Florida, campaigns Cyclone State (McKinzie) in partnership with George Messina and Michael Lee, as the $70,000 Keeneland September yearling looks to extend his current winning streak to four in the G3 Saudi Derby, the first of six group races on a program featuring an eye-watering $34 million in prize money. A few races later on the card, Howard Wolowitz (Munnings) will carry the owner's colors in the G2 1351 Turf Sprint. Gold paid $240,000 for Howard Wolowitz from the consignment of Clarkland Farm at the 2022 Keeneland January Sale. “Chad Summers picked out this horse, the Munnings, and liked him very much,” Gold said. “We look at the physical first, the page second. We watched the walk. The walk was great. Everything about the horse, we liked. The poise, the way he walked through everything. We were fortunate enough to get him.” Howard Wolowitz | Neville Hopwood/Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia Three months after acquiring the Munnings colt, Gold celebrated one of his most memorable victories as an owner when Cyberknife (Gun Runner) struck from close range in the GI Arkansas Derby, and in a backwards sort of way, that colt played a role in the naming of his new purchase. “Well, actually, what happened was I was going to the Arkansas Derby with and my wife and another couple, and the plane started shaking and making all kinds of noise,” he began, “and we had to go back and never made it there, so I named this horse Cabin Pressure originally, at that time and that moment. He really wasn't doing much in his training and then I was watching 'Big Bang Theory', I said, 'Let's change the name to Howard Wolowitz,' so we changed the name, and he got a lot better all of a sudden.” Howard Wolowitz didn't do much running in a six-furlong maiden on the dirt to begin his career and soon found himself in the barn of Jose D'Angelo, who insisted that what Gold had on his hands was a horse crying out for a surface switch. After graduating by a wide margin over the Gulfstream Tapeta track last June, Howard Wolowitz was a troubled fourth in the Mahony Stakes at Saratoga in August, then validated 3-1 favoritism in the GI Franklin-Simpson Stakes at Kentucky Downs. Howard Wolowitz also didn't have much luck in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, finishing three lengths' ninth. American Grade 1 winner Howard Wolowitz leading the international horses to the track in Riyadh on Wednesday morning. ⁦@TheSaudiCup⁩ pic.twitter.com/mVCJYNlvcd — Adrian Beaumont (@AdrianBeaumont) February 19, 2025 “He's really not a five-furlong horse,” Gold suggested. “Those were very tough horses. He went wide on the turn, checked back to last, so you can't make a ground at Del Mar from being last at the top of the lane. That he only lost by three lengths was a testament to the horse's talent.” Howard Wolowitz bounced back in no uncertain terms with a towering victory in the Holiday Inaugural Stakes at Turfway Park when last seen Dec. 14. Emisael Jaramillo, in the irons last time, rides the colt on Saturday. Cyclone State | Coglianese Iowa-bred Cyclone State has punched well above his weight and carries a record of 3-1-0 from four starts at a mile–all around one turn–heading into Saturday's Saudi Derby. “There's a lot of tough horses here in America, and we hear the track [in Saudi Arabia] can be a little speed-favoring,” Gold said of Cyclone State, who is trained by Summers. “He's going to be out there winging, and we hope he's good enough to handle those.” Beaten in the dying strides of a one-mile maiden at Aqueduct by future GII Remsen Stakes runner-up Aviator Gui (Uncle Mo) back in September, Cyclone State broke through Nov. 3 and added a Dec. 6 allowance at odds-on. Clear by as many as eight lengths entering the final furlong of the Jerome, the bay easily held sway to punch his ticket to Saturday's Saudi Derby. Luis Rivera, Jr., in the irons for Cyclone State's last three wins, comes in from New York to ride. Gold said that neither horse has as-yet been invited to the Dubai World Cup meeting on Apr. 5, but that both would be considered for their respective races if offered the opportunity. In the meantime, Howard Wolowitz and Cyclone State will be looking to uphold the 'Gold' standard in the Saudi desert. CYCLONE STATE went out for an easy gallop this Wednesday morning for trainer @horsesummers under exercise rider Jesus Mangual. Following this, the colt showed nice behavior during gate schooling. CYCLONE STATE realizó vuelta y media de galope esta mañana del Miércoles para el… pic.twitter.com/AY9hJiL791 — Agentes305 (@agentes305) February 19, 2025 The post Gold Hoping For Double Dose of Saudi Success appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Herb Oster served as executive director since January 2024.View the full article

The Rebel Stakes along with other races from Oaklawn, Aqueduct, and Tampa Bay Downs airs on "America's Day at the Races." Oaklawn coverage will also be available on FanDuel TV.View the full article

For the second consecutive year, Fasig-Tipton will sponsor a best turned-out prize of SAR 10,000 (US$2,666) for the world's richest race, the group 1 $20 million Saudi Cup Feb. 22 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh.View the full article

For the fourth consecutive week, 2-year-old champion Citizen Bull has maintained his top spot in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top 3-Year-Old Poll Feb. 19.View the full article

Brendan Walsh trainees Somethinabouther and Salt depart from the balmy south Florida weather in search of Kentucky Oaks points in the Feb. 21 Cincinnati Trophy Stakes at Turfway Park.View the full article