Wandering Eyes

Atlantic Six Racing's Book'em Danno (Bucchero) has emerged from his career-best effort in a Grade I-quality renewal of the GII A. G. Vanderbilt Stakes on July 19 in good order, and connections are currently mulling over their options as they chart a course for the back end of the gelding's 4-year-old season. In posting a lofty 111 Beyer Speed Figure, the New Jersey-bred was taking his career record to 9-3-1 from 15 starts and his $220,000 paycheck over the weekend lifted his earnings to $1,580,425 “You always hope these horses get better as they get older and he's bigger, stronger and faster, if that's possible,” said Atlantic Six Racing's Jay Briscione, who missed the Vanderbilt owing to his son's wedding. “He's just a professional. I was at the barn the morning after and saw Paco Lopez and he said he just goes about his business, puts his game face on and does his job.” Having won the GI Woody Stephens Stakes at the Spa last summer and the GIII True North Stakes during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival last month, the next logical spot for Book'em Danno comes in Saratoga's GI Forego Stakes on Aug. 23, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. It is the Sprint on championship weekend that the Atlantic Six partners are eyeing up as a possible target beyond the Forego. “We've always taken the 'one-race-at-a-time' approach, so we'll see how he comes out of [the Vanderbilt] and how he responds and then we'll look at our options,” Briscione said. “Obviously he seems to love it at Saratoga just as much as people do. We've always said he was a smart horse, so he's showing that. He loves it up there, we love it up there, so if it works out, that's probably where we'll be heading. “The Forego would be the logical target and though the Breeders' Cup is a long way off, if we're fortunate enough to be healthy and in the same sort of form he's been in, it would certainly be an honor for us to be considered and participate in that kind of event.” Briscione also mentioned the GIII Vosburgh Stakes at Aqueduct on Sept. 27 as a possible alternative. That seven-furlong contest is a Breeders' Cup Challenge race for the Sprint. For now, Briscione, Atlantic Six and trainer Derek Ryan are continuing to enjoy every minute of the journey with Book'em Danno. “I keep pinching myself that we've been blessed with these opportunities with this horse, it's just been so special,” Briscione said. WATCH: Book'em Danno sails home in the Vanderbilt The post BC Sprint Berth Would Be An ‘Honor’ For ‘Bigger, Stronger, Faster’ Book’em Danno appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 30th edition of Dubai World Cup night will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2026. The Dubai Racing Carnival, spanning 17 race meetings, begins on Friday, November 7 and ends on Dubai World Cup night. Dubai Racing Club released the 2025/2026 racing calendar on Monday. There will be four major race days this season beginning on December 19 with Festive Friday with the G2 Al Maktoum Mile the highlight. Fashion Friday, featuring the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge, is set for January 23. Emirates Super Saturday is scheduled for Saturday, February 28, with its key race the G2 Al Maktoum Classic. Finally, the season finale is Dubai World Cup night on March 28. Sheikh Rashed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Racing Club, said, “The Dubai World Cup is firmly established as one of the world's great sporting and social spectacles. As we prepare for its 30th edition in 2026, a milestone to be truly celebrated, we look forward to welcoming the finest horses, jockeys, and connections from around the world. “The 16 lead-up meetings of the Dubai Racing Carnival promise exceptional competition and international flair. Thanks to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, the Carnival continues to elevate Dubai's position on the global racing stage.” The post Dubai World Cup Turns 30 In 2026, As 2025/2026 Racing Calendar Released appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Mike Maker is a man of few words. Really, he is. Don't take it personally. The 56-year-old is just not naturally blabby. The TDN's Tim Wilkin sat down with him in his office on the backstretch at Saratoga Race Course, and found that Maker has some things to say. A former assistant to the late, great D. Wayne Lukas (you know there are stories there), Maker has a favorite horse he has trained, a favorite sports team, and a definitive answer on what actor would play him in a movie on his life. Here is the Saratoga Q&A. TDN: You have a reputation of not saying much. You've heard that, I'm sure. Mike Maker: Oh yeah. TDN: What is your answer to that? MM: It's my pedigree (smiles). TDN: But you do have things to say. MM: I joke around. Sometimes I have a lot of things going on. I'm quiet. TDN: Have you always been a quiet guy? MM: Yup. My father was quiet. His philosophy was 'don't open your mouth too much and people won't know how stupid you are' (smiles). TDN: Some people might think it's aloofness. It's not like you are ignoring people, right? MM: No. Not at all. TDN: What is a long answer for you? MM: Sometimes David Woods (a cameraman at Gulfstream Park and Churchill Downs) and I will joke when we do interviews: 'how many words do you want me to say?' TDN: Really. What are some of the numbers you have come up with? MM: A couple times it was one or two. Or seven- or eight-word answers. TDN: So, you have a little bit of fun with it (not fun for the writers). MM: Oh yeah. TDN: In your career, you have won a lot of training titles in Kentucky. Last year here, you tied for second with Todd (Pletcher) even though Chad Brown ran away with it. What is your secret to training horses? MM: Not much of a secret. I just try to enter the horses in the best race possible. It's not always possible. I just try to place them well and take care of them well. Not really rocket science. TDN: Favorite horse you have ever trained. MM: I guess, Hansen (won five of nine career starts, including 2011 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile). TDN: What puts him there? MM: He was a little challenge from day one, but it was no secret that he had the desire, and he had the talent. TDN: If you had five stalls open in your barn and you could put five horses from history in those stalls, who would they be? MM: Ruffian. Man 'o War. Secretariat. Affirmed. Alydar. TDN: Those are five pretty good ones. If you were not a horse trainer, what do you think you'd be doing? MM: You know, I went to college to get into accounting, but I just couldn't see myself being in an office. I was always good with numbers. TDN: Where did you go to school? MM: I grew up in Madison Heights (Michigan) and went to Langford High School. I went to college at Wayne State University. TDN: You also went to the college of Lukas. You were an assistant to D. Wayne Lukas. Do you have a good Wayne Lukas story for me? MM: A bunch of them. Wayne used to always joke when we ride from Louisville to Keeneland for the races. He said the way I was driving, if I was in California, I would've got run over. One day, I got pulled over. Wayne told the cops, “I've been trying to tell him to slow down for miles.' I got a ticket and had to go to traffic school. TDN: Everyone knows what a legend Wayne was. What was the experience like working for him? MM: It was great. As a kid, you had your sports heroes. Baseball players, football players, basketball players. Mine was Wayne Lukas and I was fortunate enough to work for him. I was lucky to work for him for 10 years. He was like a father to me as he was to others. He kept you motivated, was always positive. TDN: You have trained at tracks all over the country. Is there one that is your favorite? MM: Churchill Downs. It's home. And all the history. TDN: Where do you put Saratoga? MM: Right there, below Churchill. TDN: What do you like about summers in Saratoga? MM: You have the best of the best up here and it's always fun. The competition is great. You see a lot of great horses. Owners come to the races more here than other tracks. TDN: Nights are probably longer because there are so many owners in town. MM: That is correct. TDN: Is that fun for you? MM: Sometimes. If you have a bad day and you are down in the dumps and you want to be left alone–at least I do. TDN: This is one of the only sports that I can think of that as soon as the event–the race–is over you have microphones and tape recorders in your face asking for reaction. It has to be tough especially if you have had a tough beat. In other sports, there is a cooling off period. MM: That doesn't really bother me. It's like pretty much what happens, happens. And there is nothing you can do about it. Turn the page. There is always tomorrow. TDN: I talked to you about doing this Q&A last year at Kentucky Downs. One question I gave you last year–and you said you would think about it for a year–was if you could pick the guy to play you in a movie about yourself, who would it be? Well, here we are. MM: Dave Chappelle. TDN: Wow. I did not see that one coming. Why him? MM: One, I'm a fan of his. And I've got a bit of a smart-ass in me as well. Movies have to be entertaining, and I don't think anyone is interested in what happened in my life, so he would have to kick it up a notch. TDN: Favorite horse racing movie? MM: “Let It Ride.” TDN: If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? MM: My dad. Wayne (Lukas). And my mom. TDN: Are your parents still with us? MM: No. TDN: Would you be able to get a word in with Wayne there? MM: No (laughs). TDN: Favorite holiday? MM: Christmas. Obvious reasons. I have a 12-year-old son, and we have a really good time. TDN: Are you big into gifts? MM: Yes. I like to give more than receive. I don't care if I get gifts. I prefer not to. TDN: If there is a day that you have just to yourself –and, I know in this business that day never comes– but if you did, what are you doing? MM: Just trying to hang out with my kids. My 12-year-old (Caden) is pretty entertaining. Michael is 19 and is going to be a sophomore at U of K this fall. TDN: Are they into the horses? MM: When Caden was young, he really was. He had a pony. He took care of it, bathed it. We worked the 2-year-old sale, and he would clock the horses with his own stopwatch. The first year that he was doing it, I bought a horse–and that was the year Justify won the Triple Crown–and he said he was going to call the horse Lucky because he's the fastest horse in the world. He ran one day. I came home and I said, 'did you see Lucky run?' He went to the lead and got caught in the last jump or two. (Caden) fell to the ground and said he was not going to watch another horse race the rest of his life. TDN: Is he watching now? MM: He's watching now. He has been to the barn with me this summer. TDN: I know we talked about Dave Chappelle, but do you have any movie actors you like watching? MM: Brad Pitt. George Clooney. And I like watching Dave Chappelle skits. TDN: But Pitt and Clooney don't get the call to play you. MM: Nah. TDN: What is your favorite time of day? MM: I'm an early morning person. TDN: What time do you get to the barn in the morning? MM: Between 4 and 4:30. I'm usually up by 3:30. TDN: When time do you go to bed? MM: Whenever I fall asleep. I'll say I get six hours a night. TDN: The race you haven't won that you want to win most of all. MM: Same as everybody else. The Kentucky Derby. TDN: Your best chance in the Derby. Which was it (he is 0-10 for his career in the Run for the Roses)? MM: A lot of my horses got in the Derby from artificial surfaces. Hansen, I was always suspicious he could not go that far (finished ninth in 2012). TDN: Hansen was a big story because his owner (Dr. Kendall Hansen) had his tail painted blue. Whatever happened to that guy? MM: His clinic got raided (in 2019 by Federal agents and he was accused of overprescribing opioids to patients), it went to trail, and he was acquitted. TDN: He's not in the game anymore, is he? MM: No. I talk to him every now and again. TDN: When you have an owner that wants to do something outrageous like paint a horse's tail blue, do you just have to shake your head and go with it? MM: It's all you can do. They were good times. He was always in the right place, a very generous guy and enjoyed the game. TDN: Walking through the crowd at Saratoga, or any racetrack for that matter, you are going to hear some things after a race. MM: Oh, yeah. TDN: If you hear things, is it like water off your back? MM: It doesn't bother me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. TDN: Do you ever say anything back? MM: One guy, he actually emailed me, and I open my emails early in the morning. He left his phone number, and I decided to give him a call. It was early in my (solo) career. If I remember correctly, he made it sound like I was winning races, and I just came out of nowhere and I had been doing this since 1979. I wanted him to know I was not just showing up in the afternoon and saddling horses. TDN: The guy must have been shocked you called him. MM: Yeah, he was. I was on my way to work. TDN: He was most likely in bed. MM: He was. TDN: You loved that. MM: Yes. I did. TDN: So, you are a funny guy. MM (smiles). When Charismatic won the Kentucky Derby, we were walking back. Somebody yelled, 'that horse is never going to win another race again.' I said, 'he doesn't have to.' Mike Maker and Laurel Valley | Sarah Andrew TDN: Ideal night for you after you get home. MM: My son Caden and I have a lot of fun. Joking. Playing tricks on each other. TDN: Favorite sport other than horse racing. MM: Pro football. TDN: Do you have a team? MM: Detroit Lions. I think they will have a great year although there is the scuttlebutt about all the assistant coaches they have lost (to be head coaches of other NFL teams). TDN: Do you go to games? MM: Sure do. Last year, I went to the Colts game (in Indianapolis, a 24-6 win) and we had front row seats so that was a good afternoon. Before they were good, I took my family for one at Ford Field for Christmas. TDN: If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be? MM: What you see is what you get. TDN: That works for me. The post Saratoga Q & A With Mike Maker appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

French ace Calandagan (Gleneagles), G1 Coronation Cup winner Jan Brueghel (Galileo), globetrotter Rebel's Romance (Dubawi) and star filly Kalpana (Study Of Man) headline the confirmations for Saturday's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. Worth a record £1.5m in 2025, the King George is Britain's richest all-aged contest and the most valuable race ever run at Ascot. Francis-Henri Graffard is chasing back-to-back victories following Goliath's surprise win in 2024. This year the trainer will be represented by Calandagan, who gained a deserved Group 1 success in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last time, a victory that ended a run of four consecutive seconds at the highest level. Jan Brueghel, winner of last season's G1 St Leger, had Calandagan's measure when the pair clashed in the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom. Conduit in 2009 is the most recent St Leger victor to follow up in the King George. Aidan O'Brien reported on Saturday that Jan Brueghel and 2023 St Leger winner Continuous (Heart's Cry) were the most likely runners in the race from Ballydoyle, although dual Derby hero Lambourn (Australia) and G1 Pretty Polly Stakes scorer Whirl (Wootton Bassett) both stood their ground at Monday's confirmation stage. Seven-year-old Rebel's Romance would become the oldest winner of the King George, supplanting Swain, Enable and Hukum who all won the race at the age of six. Charlie Appleby's stalwart, the winner of 18 races around the world, will look to add a first domestic Group 1 to his glittering CV. Meanwhile, Kalpana is set to return to the scene of her biggest victory, with Andrew Balding's filly having ended 2024 with a dominant success in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes. The Juddmonte homebred was last seen filling the runner-up spot behind Whirl in the Pretty Polly at the Curragh. Barry Mahon, Juddmonte's European racing manager, said, “Kalpana is all systems go for the King George. This has been her intended target since her last run in Ireland and she is in good shape. “I think her two runs this year have been very solid. We know she is proven over a mile and a half on soft ground, so for her to produce those performances over 10 furlongs on quicker ground is very promising. “We would be hopeful of a strong showing on Saturday back over 12 furlongs, for all it looks a competitive race. Calandagan is a top-class horse and we all saw what Jan Brueghel did at Epsom. I don't know if Lambourn will line up as well but a Derby winner always commands respect.” The Jessica Harrington-trained Green Impact (Wootton Bassett), who was sixth in the G1 Irish Derby on his most recent outing, completes the eight confirmations. The post Coronation Cup Principals Headline Stellar King George Confirmations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NEWSLETTER View the full article

Anna Alcock will join Total Performance Data (TPD) in the newly-created role of marketing manager in September, having occupied the same position at Juddmonte since September 2021. TPD provide cutting-edge GPS tracking, speed and stride data across 160 racecourses in 14 countries. Their advanced data powers products such as live in-running odds, performance metrics, race visualisation and fan engagement content. Will Duff-Gordon, CEO of Total Performance Data, said, “We're thrilled to welcome Anna to the TPD team. One of our core values is hiring people who genuinely love the sport – and Anna's passion for racing, clear from her time at Juddmonte, is no exception. We were especially impressed by her outstanding contribution to Juddmonte's marketing efforts, and we're excited to see her bring that creativity and drive to TPD.” He added, “As we continue expanding our global fan engagement work – from Ascot to Meydan to the Breeders' Cup – we look forward to Anna helping take TPD's marketing and brand to the next level. With her on board, we're even better placed to shine a brighter light on the performance stats hiding under the equine bonnet across the 14 countries we proudly serve.” Alcock said, “I am thrilled to be joining the expanding team at Total Performance Data (TPD) whose racing insight and AI-driven products are being adopted at a fast pace across the racing and betting industries. I am looking forward to harnessing this to showcase TPD to more countries, industry participants and racing audiences globally.” The post Anna Alcock to Join Total Performance Data as Marketing Manager appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Leonard Stewart had been looking forward to Sunday’s Oamaru meeting with a big team of representatives, and he got the results he was after, collecting a winning double and a number of other placings. His run of success began in the opener where Koyama started a narrow second-favourite behind Proserve in the Mariner Suites Oamaru (2200m). In the hands of Yogesh Atchamah, the son of Almanzor settled into a good rhythm in the trail of Vino Valentino, who was cruising into the straight and looked the one to beat. Atchamah had started his run early on Koyama and swiftly caught the leader, who couldn’t match him as he powered clear to score by two lengths to a late-closing Proserve. Stewart was delighted to get a third win for the season with Koyama, who hasn’t been the easiest to manage since his arrival in the stable in February last year. “He’d had a couple of rough runs where he’d been interfered with, but he got a nice clear run and he came through,” Stewart said. “He can be a bit ignorant this horse and Yogesh gets along with him well. “When we got him, he was quite a handful, and we thank the barrier staff for their work with him as well.” The four-year-old had been a $1,001 purchase through Gavelhouse after beginning his career in the North Island, and Stewart’s other victor, Satin Doll, was sourced for $1,432 on the online platform. A mare by Dissident, Satin Doll had shown promise with placings in the north and was on debut for the Stewart barn when she lined up in the Oamaru Scaffolding (1200m). Starting at a quote of $20, Satin Doll far exceeded market expectations when she burst through the middle of the pack to salute ahead of her stablemate, Tranquil Eyes. “She’s been with us for three months and we’ve had a nice build-up, we’ve just been cautious of putting her out on a really testing track and flatten her first-up,” Stewart said. “She’s a very compact little horse and we are still learning about her, so with Gosen’s (Jogoo, jockey) experience, he could encounter any problems and work it out in the race. I think he got a bit of a surprise when he asked her to go, and she reacted so well. “She’d been working well and showed potential, so it was great to see her do that.” Jogoo, who is also in the ownership of Koyama, piloted Queen Of Kings into second placing in the Hart Memorial (1400m), and Lise Paree into the same position in a competitive Glenmoa Farms Ltd River Plate Trophy (1200m), her first attempt in open company. “It wasn’t one of those strong fields with a higher rating horse at the top, so we thought she (Lise Paree) could present herself well,” Stewart said. “She just goes out there and does her best. “Gosen does the right thing with her, she’s still developing and strengthening up and he lets her do her own thing early. When she is ready to go, he doesn’t overdo it, and she responds really well. “I think she’ll be a lovely horse in the spring, she’s just running on ability at the moment.” Based just up State Highway One at Washdyke, Stewart was able to appreciate the condition of the Oamaru track, despite the constant influx of rain through the winter period. “Oamaru have got a great committee and they’ve done plenty of work with the track,” he said. “They’ve put a big drain in along the bend out of the straight, and over by the hill, which I think has made a big difference. “There is a lot of drainage down the back straight and it held up very well.” He was equally as complimentary of his team of staff, which includes his granddaughter Lacy Stewart, who is involved with all facets of the business. “It was a great day,” he said. “My granddaughter Lacy does a great job, she does a lot of the work on Gavelhouse, she reads a horse very well, and we’ve got different owners from around the area, who were all thrilled. “Anybody handling stock through this wet winter deserve a mention, and we’ve all had to go through it. Lacy, as well as Gosen, Nicole and Brodie, have worked very hard and it’s great to get these results.” View the full article

Close on the heels of a pleasing double at Arawa Park on Saturday, Byerley Park trainer Kylie Hoskin is looking forward to stepping out one of her exciting spring prospects at the Avondale trials on Tuesday. Rising three-year-old colt Geneva showed plenty of ability as a juvenile, winning two trials before scoring on debut at Te Rapa in May, and now Hoskin has got stakes ambitions in the coming months for the Jomara Bloodstock bred and raced son of Time Test. “He is a very smart horse,” Hoskin said. “He is uncomplicated, does everything easily and he just might be the real deal. “I am really excited to kick him off again tomorrow. He will probably look at the Northland Breeders’ (Gr.3, 1200m) and the Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) will be our main aim.” Stablemate Fun Never Sets will also trial over 1000m, and the $1.5 million Karaka Millions (1600m) runner is also in line for some stakes targets in the coming months. “She had a nice spell after the Karaka Millions and has strengthened up a lot, so I am excited about the spring with her,” Hoskin said. “We will be looking to get some rating points and looking at some black-type for her.” Looking back at the weekend, Hoskin was delighted to pick-up a winning double at Arawa Park on Saturday courtesy of Pure Gold in the House Of Elliot 1560m and Opera Belle in the Campbell Infrastructure 2200. “It was a big thrill (to get the double),” Hoskin said. “Pure Gold has been a tricky horse to figure out and we had to add a lot of gear to him at the start, but we have slowly been stripping it back and I think without the blinkers on he settled a bit more and he was able to save some up for the end. “Opera Belle just enjoyed that track, and with the light weight she was able to skip away on them.” The double brought Hoskin’s season tally to six wins, with earnings north of $330,000. “I haven’t had so many wins, but I have so many placings and everyone has been doing their part,” she said. View the full article

Despite 24-1 odds, the second longest of the field, Halina's Forte overcame the lack of favoritism and a sloppy/good track to win the $200,000 Honorable Miss (G2) July 20 at the Spa. View the full article

After being a frequent face in the graded ranks since last April, class relief in the Listed Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar provided Medoro (Honor Code) with her moment in the sun as she rolled by runners late to score. Settled well off the pace as Grand Slam Smile (Smiling Tiger) stepped out eagerly to lead through an opening quarter in :23.05, a half in :47.12, and six panels in 1:11.82, the 5-2 shot took the overland route as the field swung for home where 3-2 favorite Queen Maxima (Bucchero) was taken to the rail. Going by competition with a full head of steam, she overhauled Grand Slam Smile in the lane as that one held on for second. Lunar Impact (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) was late on the scene to claim third. The betting choice finished off the board after traffic trouble left her confined to the fence. The winner was last seen Dec. 25 in the GI American Oaks where she ran third behind MGISW She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) and GISP Kathrynmarissa (American Pharoah). The final time was 1:34.88. O-C R K Stable; B-Parks Investment Group (KY); T-Peter Eurton. #9 MEDORO ($7.60) comes off a layoff with @umbyrispoli up to win the $100,000 Osunitas Stakes at @DelMarRacing for trainer Peter Eurton and owner @StablesCrk. pic.twitter.com/tjQML3Vz75 — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 21, 2025 The post Medoro Takes Overland Route to Osunitas Victory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In 2003, Cheryl Prudhomme, a former chemist, decided to roll the dice on a lifelong dream of running a horse farm. She moved from Boston to New York, where she purchased Shamrock Hill Farm in Fort Edward, just a short drive from Saratoga Race Course.View the full article

Gary Barber's No Time flew home to take the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks July 20 to give trainer Mark Casse his fifth win in the race. Her two stablemates—Shifty and Winterberry finished second and third, respectively.View the full article

by Mike Love Tayla Duley recorded her first driving success yesterday at Addington when Denver took out the Seahorse Supplements Proudly NZ Owned mobile trot over 1980m. Not only was it Duley’s first driving success, but the win was also her first success as an owner, giving the win even more significance. “It’s good, I’m wrapt. The first horse I’ve owned as well. My mates, the owners, my partner and grandparents are all there. So it’s pretty special,” said Duley in a post race interview with Nigel Armstrong. Duley did not rush the race favourite early, settling in the back half of the field early. Early speed at the head of the field worked into Denver and Duley’s hands, pulling the right rein at the 400m to loom, pounce, and put away their rivals – going on to win by three and a half lengths from runner-up Schoemaker. “I was pretty confident. He’d been working really good at home. We thought we’d try the mobile because he’s trialled good from the mobile before, and he did everything right and we got the chocolates.” Duley is currently employed by winning trainer Matt Purvis at Woodend Beach, while her family’s passion for harness racing can be traced back to her granddad who was on course to witness the milestone. “My grandad has had a bit to do with racing over the years, so he’s pretty wrapt now that we can just sit there and talk about horses all the time. “I’ve always ridden horses during, then I had a job in a stable come up after high school so I was there for a couple of years. “I went into greyhounds for a few years but decided to make the comeback at the end of last year.” Denver’s win was the seven-year-old Windsong Espoir gelding’s second from just ten starts. Duley races the gelding with 3 Codes Hoovering Hooves Syndicate after purchasing him from Michael House. “I’m grateful to Mickey (Michael House) for selling him. He’s such a nice horse to have around. He’s had tender feet, so the beach has really helped him.” Other highlights on the card included a driving double for Blair Orange (Birdy and Aldebaran Crystal) and a training double for Ben and Greg Hope (A Dancing Rocka and Justa Rippa), while Motukarara trainer Darryn Simpson produced Harry Belafonte for a fresh-up victory after 154 days between races, with no trials or workouts. View the full article

by Adam Hamilton Leap To Fame targets New Zealand Cup after Inter Dominion win The focus turns to the New Zealand Cup after champion Aussie pacer Leap To Fame snared his second Inter Dominion title at Albion Park last night. In front of a packed and passionate local crowd, local hero Leap To Fame posted his 22nd successive win at his home track and his 56th win from just 69 lifetime starts. The $A540,000 first prize also made him the all-time richest pacer in this part of the world with $A4,630,884 – surpassing another great Queenslander, Black A Fake’s on $A4,575,438. Owners Kevin and Kay Seymour said the six-year-old will now have a short break before preparing to tackle NZ’s greatest race of any code. “There’s some unfinished business with the NZ Cup because we were packed and ready to go when he got sick last year,” Kevin Seymour said. “Sure, we’ve since gone across and won the big Cambridge race, but that’s only fuelled our appetite for the NZ Cup. “It’s certainly changed Grant’s (Dixon) mindset. He’s gone from a bit wary about going to NZ to asking when we’re locking in Cup plans, all because Cambridge went so well.” Seymour added to the NZ Cup intent by revealing Leap To Fame would bypass the Group 1 Victoria Cup to focus on his preparation for the second Tuesday of November at Addington. “Now we’re through this (Inter Dominion), we’ll take a breath and start to look at the specifics of NZ,” he said. “But we’ll give Victoria a miss this year and probably look to get to NZ early for a lead-up race or two. “He handled the Cambridge trip so well, thrived over there and obviously raced so well. It gives us a lot of confidence to go back.” Seymour also looked further ahead. Leap To Fame became just the eighth pacer to win multiple Inter Dominion finals and Seymour hinted strongly at chasing a third crown, which only three other pacers have done (Blacks A Fake, Im Themightyquinn and Our Sir Vancelot). “The big studs have been coming hard at us to retire him, but we’ll hold off for at least another year,” Kevin Seymour said. “We’ve been in the game over 50 years and this is the horse we’ve dreamed of getting … Kay won’t let me retire him, at least not for a while yet.” Arcee Phoenix crowned new king of trotting Arcee Phoneix – image courtesy Dan Costello The new “King” of trotting is Arcee Phoenix. Chris Svanosio’s six-year-old followed his TAB Trot win in April with an all-the-way win in last night’s $500,000 Inter Dominion trotting final. First prize made him just the fifth Aussie-trained trotter to bank over $A1 million. Arcee Phoenix easily showed enough speed to lead from the pole and young Kiwi star Bet N Win dropped in behind him for the trail. But driver Bob Butt said Bet N Win dropped a shoe in the first lap and never trotted well after. “I very nearly lost him when he needed to sprint at the top of the straight,” Butt said. Old Kiwi marvel Oscar Bonavena produced a monstrous run to storm home from an impossible position and grab third spot. Svanosio said Arcee Phoenix would not have a break before a likely trip to NZ for the Dominion Trot in November. “This is an incredible thrill,” he said. “The ability has always been there, but we’ve had to be patient. It’s all been rewarded now.” Rubira stamps class in Queensland Derby Rubira – Image courtesy Dan Costello MARK Purdon predicted Rubira was an open-class star in the making aftera front-running win in last night’s Group1 Queensland Derby. Driver Adam Sanderson balanced up from an outside draw then pushed forward and took the lead from favourite and main danger, Hesitate. They ripped home in 54.2 and 26.8 and Hesitate had every chance, but could only get within three metres of Rubira in a 1min54.6sec mile rate for 2680m. “Some three-year-olds are good but don’t take the next step to open-class, this horse will,” Purdon said. “He’ll have a break now and go home to prepare for the big races later in the year.” Rising Sun winner Fate Awaits was best of the beaten brigade with a big run for third. The Janitor impresses in 4YO Championship TOP driver Pete McMullen predicted big things for Kiwi-bred pacer The Janitor after his sparkling Group 3 4YO Championship win last night. “He’s the real deal. He’s fast, but really tough, too,” he said. “I probably under-drove him a bit looking back at the Rising Sun, but there’s a lot to look forward to with him. “We haven’t thought beyond this carnival, but we will now. There’s some good races here towards the end of the year.” The Janitor, four-year-old Always B Miki gelding, scorched home in 53.3sec (26.7 and 26.6) to easily beat another former Kiwi, Major Hot. He’s won 13 of 23 starts. McCarthy claims Oaks and Golden Girl double LUKE McCarthy continued his recent dominance of the Group 1 Queensland Oaks when he upstaged star Kiwi raider Captains Mistress last night. McCarthy worked to the front, took a sit on NSW Oaks winner Cool And Classy and used the sprint lane to rip through and win late. Captains Mistress made an early move to sit parked outside Cool And Classy, but on a night where the pegs were a massive advantage, had to be content with third. It was McCarthy’s seventh win in the race in the past 15 years and trainer Mick Stanley’s first “major” Oaks win after eight second placings over the years. McCarthy also won the Group 1 Golden Girl with mighty mare Eye Keep Smiling, who successfully defended her title from last year. It was the five-year-old’s 10th successive win and owner-breeder Jackie Gibson of Success Stud it had earned her another season of racing. Eye Keep Smiling’s first foal, born through embryo transfer is a Bettors Delight colt and will be sold at the Nutrien Sydney sale in March. View the full article

One of this season’s leading three-year-olds will be restricted to shorter trips in the new term in his transition to the weight-for-age ranks. Dual stakes winner Tuxedo has fashioned an excellent record with three wins and two placings from six appearances, including successes in the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) and Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m). “He’s had two months off and his runs were well-spaced, his form line was fantastic,” said Shaune Ritchie, who prepares the son of Tivaci with Colm Murray. Tuxedo also finished runner-up in the $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) with his only unplaced run coming when seventh in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m). “In the Derby, he ranged up to the favourite (Willydoit) on the corner after getting a pretty good run from the widest gate,” Ritchie said. “He travelled into it like he was going to give him a hard time but just failed to run the trip out and we think he’ll be best around the mile mark this preparation. “He’s been back in work for quite some time and had a couple of run alongs already, so we’ll hit the first two weight-for-age races (Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m), Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m)).” Ritchie said Tuxedo had thrived during his time in the paddock. “He was always a relatively strong horse and now he’s a powerhouse, he looks more like a sprinter-miler than a stayer. He put on about 45kg during the eight weeks he was out,” he said. Tuxedo will also be part of the stable’s annual pilgrimage to Ruakaka. “We’re planning our usual sojourn and will take eight horses up for a week and that will culminate with the mid-August meeting there,” Ritchie said. “That will include Tuxedo, Tajana, Alaskan who came from near last to run sixth in the Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m), Hot Line Bling and Indigo, who is another nice filly, and Transcend, who copped a very heavy track at Wellington in her only start and got run down late. “They won’t all necessarily run at that meeting, but it will bring them along.” Darci Brahma filly Tajana is the current top seed among the rising three-year-olds. “She’s the head of the bunch, I can’t remember the last time I ran a horse first-up in a Group race (Gr.3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic, 1200m) and she ran the colt (Return To Conquer) close,” Ritchie said. Tajana subsequently won at Matamata and ended her campaign when promoted to third behind La Dorada in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). “Her two-year-old form is far stronger than any other filly I’ve had, and we’ve won three Oaks’ (Jennifer Eccles, Artistic, Keep The Peace),” Ritchie said. “She looks like she could be a 1000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) type so I was pleased to see they’ve taken La Dorada over to Melbourne.” Among the older members of the stable to target feature staying events are the dual Group winners Nereus and Mahrajaan, and another import in Davideo. “Nereus hit two very heavy tracks (in Queensland) and that didn’t suit at all, so we brought him home for a spell and he’s still out,” Ritchie said. “He’ll be more of a Christmas and autumn horse, and I’d like to think the summer cups will really suit him.” Current Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) and Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner Mahrajaan has recently returned to the stable. “He had a very long break, and we feel Melbourne may be a step too far, so we’ll look at getting him ready for a Wellington and Auckland Cups’ campaign,” Ritchie said. Davideo was unplaced in two runs during his initial campaign and is likely to also target the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m). “I think he’ll be a much better horse during his second prep, it can take 12 months for them to get used to the change of seasons,” Ritchie said. View the full article

When the Selangor Turf Club announced a RM1 million (NZ$395,000) prize for the Selangor Mile (1600m) in June last year, trainer HY Cheng thought that he might have the horse to win the big race for four-year-olds over 1600m. At that time, Lucky Magic had just started his racing career and was unplaced in his first two runs. But Cheng knew this horse was special. The son of Mendelssohn went on to notch four wins and two seconds in his next six starts, ending the 2024 season with a victory in the Penang Gold Cup (2000m). And Cheng was even more convinced that Lucky Magic is the one and proceeded to map out a specific programme for the New Zealand gelding. Lucky Magic won three of his four starts this season in the run-up to the Selangor Mile at Sungai Besi on Sunday, and that included winning the Perak Derby (2000m) in March and the very last (1300m) race staged in Penang on May 31. Cheng then kept Lucky Magic fresh for the feature race and the gelding repaid his faith with a hard-fought victory over Good Star who was cutting down his lead with every stride in the final 100m. Lucky Magic, ridden by Ridzuan Shafiq, had stormed to the front at the 200m and fought on gallantly to win by a neck. But the celebrations for Cheng and his owners were put on hold for several minutes when Mahadi Taib, the trainer of Good Star, lodged a protest against the winner for alleged interference at the 300m. The protest was eventually dismissed and Cheng could then pop the champagne. But for Cheng, it was more of a huge relief than being joyous. “I always knew Lucky Magic could win the Selangor Mile. I promised the owner the win and I am just so happy my expectation is proven correct,” said Cheng. Just how good is Lucky Magic? “He will win many Cups for sure” is the answer. “I have ridden him five times this year and he is better than ever,” said Shafiq. “He is a fighter. Just when Good Star got to us, he fought back. “He is now more mature and learn to relax in his races.” Fellow Kiwi bred Antipodean came from a long way back in the running to finish third, and according jockey Benardo Pinheiro, it was a superb run. “He had topweight of 59kg which was not easy,” said Pinheiro. “And he had a change of trainer just 30 days before the race which is never ideal.” Lucky Magic was purchased out of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale by HY Cheng Racing Stable for $75,000. The son of Mendelssohn was sold by Prima Park and had two trials in New Zealand for Paul Richards before his export to Malaysia. View the full article

Clearview Park Stud in Timaru has announced the arrival of its exciting new stallion Snapback, a son of champion sire Snitzel, ahead of the e 2025 breeding season. Trained by the Peter and Paul Snowden and raced in the China Horse Club colours, Snapback was a talented two-year-old with strong metropolitan form and is now set to launch a stud career built on performance, pedigree, and presence. The brown entire was a winner over 1300m at two and Group Two placed when runner-up to Cifrado in the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). “He’s by one of the world’s leading stallions, and he brings all the muscle, movement, and swagger we want in a young sire,” said Clearview Park’s Aaron Tapper. “We’re excited to offer South Island breeders a commercial stallion with serious upside.” Snapback is out of stakes placed mare Later Gator (by More Than Ready) and is a full brother to Group Two-winning mare Wee Nessy, trained by Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr. His pedigree combines two-year-old speed, a strong female family, and a proven cross that has already produced stakes success. Snapback stands at a 16.1hh and his introductory fee is $5,000 + GST. View the full article

Despite 24-1 odds, the second longest of the field, Halina's Forte overcame the lack of favoritism and a sloppy/good track to win the $200,000 Honorable Miss (G2) July 19 at the Spa. View the full article

Margaret Davenport and Jon Stillman have been breeding horses for decades, but Shakti is the first foal that they decided to keep.View the full article

Michael Lay's Cruden Bay returned July 20 from an 11-month layoff to secure a second consecutive victory in the $175,000 Connaught Cup (G2T) at Woodbine. View the full article

Charles Fipke's Ready for Shirl (More Than Ready) hadn't visited the winner's circle since January, however, she found the right time to mark her return, collecting her first taste of black-type in the process, in Sunday's GII Canadian Stakes at Woodbine. Favored Gimme a Nother (SAf) (Gimmethegreenlight {Aus}) soon went to the front, slowing the pace to a modest :24.60 and :49.37 as Ready for Shirl set up shop about three lengths behind in the early stages of the nine-furlong test. Continuing to dawdle along through three quarters in 1:14.24, Gimme a Nother cornered for home in front, and it looked like the South African Group 1 winner was going to add her first stateside win as well. Given some solid encouragement down the long straight, Gimme a Nother remained tough, however, Ready for Shirl drew closer with each stride, catching the front runner in the final jump to eke out the win. Stakes winning and graded placed Venencia (Fr) (Recoletos {Fr}), who was camped out at the back early, also kicked on late to get up and grab third. “She's been training exceptional,” said winning rider Emma-Jayne Wilson. “Her last breeze last week on the training track turf was quite stellar, both physically and mentally. And so, she kind of telegraphed to us that she was going to showcase a big day today, and she, she showed up exactly as we expected.” A winner of two of six starts last term, the Fipke homebred kicked off 2025 with a score in an off-turf Gulfstream optional claimer in January before finishing seventh in the one-mile GIII Honey Fox Stakes over that turf course in March. A distant fourth in a main-track allowance at Keeneland in April, the bay was third in the GIII Belle Mahone Stakes over Woodbine's Tapeta surface before coming up just 3/4-of-a-length short of the win in the one-mile GII Nassau Stakes on the turf June 28. “I remember saying her last work, it was as good as she's ever worked for me,” said dual Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield. “She's carrying more weight than she's ever carried before, and since her last race, she's put weight on. I've always had problems keeping weight on this filly, so she was indicating that she's rounding into a really nice filly now.” Pedigree Note: With Sunday's Canadian victory, Ready for Shirl gave her late sire his 109th career graded stakes scorer. The 4-year-old is out of GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Perfect Shirl, herself a daughter of Grade I winner Lady Shirl. Also a homebred for Fipke and trained by Attfield, Perfect Shirl is also responsible for GISW Shirl's Speight (Speightstown) and was most recently bred to Gun Runner. Perfect Shirl is a half-sister to Grade I winner Shakespeare (Theatrical {Ire}) and GSW Lady Shakespeare (Theatrical {Ire}), herself the dam of three-time Canadian champion Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown). Sunday, Woodbine CANADIAN S. PRESENTED BY THE JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION-GII, C$200,000, Woodbine, 7-20, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8mT, 1:49.57, gd. 1–READY FOR SHIRL, 121, f, 4, by More Than Ready 1st Dam: Perfect Shirl (GISW-USA, GSP-Can, $1,390,729), by Perfect Soul (Ire) 2nd Dam: Lady Shirl, by That's a Nice 3rd Dam: Canonization, by Native Heritage 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Charles Fipke (KY); T-Roger L. Attfield; J-Emma-Jayne Wilson. C$120,000. Lifetime Record: 12-4-2-1, $279,987. *1/2 to Shirl's Speight (Speightstown), GISW-USA, GSW & GISP-Can, $1,497,245 and Speightstown Shirl (Speightstown), GSP, $119,038. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue- style pedigree. 2–Gimme a Nother (Saf), 124, m, 5, Gimmethegreenlight (Aus)–Nother Russia (Saf), by Tiger Ridge. O-Newstead Stables LLC; B-Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein (SAF); T-H. Graham Motion. C$40,000. 3–Venencia (Fr), 121, m, 5, Recoletos (Fr)–Sign of Life, by Lemon Drop Kid. O-Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Jim Cone, Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC, Team Hanley and Cambron Equine, LLC; B-Patricia Laffon Lomba, Ines Laffon Lomba & Fernando Laffon Lomba (FR); T-Chad C. Brown. C$22,000. Margins: HD, NK, 1. Odds: 6.25, 1.05, 3.85. Also Ran: Scarlet Poppy (Ire), Crevalle d'Oro, Life's an Audible. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Ready For Shirl Gets Up in Time to Win Woodbine’s Canadian appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Even with a lack of it for this running of the GII Honorable Miss Stakes in Saratoga, the Sunshine State was well-represented as Halina's Forte (Mitole) outbattled fellow Florida-bred R Disaster (Awesome Slew) to take home the hardware. Given the cold shoulder by the betting public, she went off at 24-1 long odds for this sloppy running of the contest, and was content to watch R Disaster set the pace as she saved all the ground on the rail in fifth. Still in midpack behind an opening quarter in :21.72 and a half in :44.50, she made her move from the inside to overtake that longtime leader in deep stretch and hold off a second wind. The 6-5 favorite, Scylla (Tapit), ran on for third. Halina's Forte was last seen June 6 beginning her 2025 campaign at Prairie Meadows, finishing second by a half-length in the Prairie Rose Stakes. Sales history: $130,000 Ylg '22 OBSWIN; $250,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL. O-Rigney Racing; B-Bill & Corinne Heilegbrodt, AF & B Vanlangendonck; T-Philip Bauer. HUGE upset in the G2 Honorable Miss! HALINA'S FORTE ($50.00) wins at 24-1 with @iradortiz aboard for trainer Phil Bauer. pic.twitter.com/dzoQ6r5mfd — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) July 20, 2025 The post The Florida-Bred Takes New York: Halina’s Forte Wins the Honorable Miss at Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The late-striding Journalism (Curlin) is developing a knack for snatching Grade I victories from the jaws of defeat, but he has yet to be able to solve the riddle known as Sovereignty (Into Mischief). On Saturday at Monmouth Park, this athletic colt did his part to edge us closer to a possible Round 3 rematch of the top two finishers of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes. But on Sunday, with Journalism shipping back to California, the colt's connections made no commitment either way about renewing their rivalry with Sovereignty in the Aug. 23 GI Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Journalism didn't have to shoulder a rival out of the way like he did when winning the GI Santa Anita Derby, or burst through a barely clearable hole like when capturing the rock 'em, sock 'em stretch run of the GI Preakness Stakes (in which Sovereignty didn't participate). But Journalism's GI Haskell Stakes score still had that increasingly familiar “Too much work to do-he'll never get there!” sense of deep-stretch foreboding. Then, right on cue, the Houdini-like closer sparked to life and uncoiled with shadow-of-the-wire precision to win yet another big sophomore stakes by a less-than-a-length margin (101 Beyer Speed Figure). Sovereignty is indeed aiming for the Travers, prepping this Saturday at the Spa in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes (entries drawn Wednesday). Sovereignty beat Journalism on the square the two times they raced against each other, stamping his victories in the first and third legs of the Triple Crown as “best horse won” performances that left little doubt that the Bill Mott trainee has now twice executed better-timed and longer-sustained late moves over his hard-trying rival going 10 furlongs. If he does return East, the Travers projects to be Journalism's last shot to try and dislodge Sovereignty from the top of the divisional totem pole before the 3-year-olds start to take on older horses. But even if he doesn't, there is one key element about the sophomore crop as a whole that stands out: The entire campaign has been dominated by off-the-pace closers who rate from far back, and the absence of legitimate, front-running pacemakers who stay on under pressure is striking compared to historical norms. Dating back to last December, when late-season 2-year-olds were first tasked with a nine-furlong graded stakes in high-level races, there have been 18 juvenile/sophomore stakes at that distance or longer on dirt or Tapeta. Eleven were “Road to the Kentucky Derby” qualifying races; three were the Triple Crown series, plus the Haskell, the GIII Ohio Derby, the GIII Peter Pan Stakes, and the $200,000 Bath House Row Stakes. Of those 18 Triple Crown-caliber divisional stakes at 1 1/8 miles or longer, 11 (61%) were won by deep closers. Only two (11%) were won in wire-to-wire fashion. Two went to horses flashing early speed who pressed just behind the leaders. Stalkers accounted for the other three. I don't have an exact number that tells what the long-term winning pace profile is for non-turf route races on this continent, but I am confident in guessing the figure is nowhere close to being titled toward tailgate types as the nearly 6:1 ratio of closers to wire-to-wire horses suggests. And yes, admittedly, 18 races is a small sample. But the trend has persisted across the division for more than eight months now, and it stands out considering that strong early speed is a defining characteristic of North American breeding and racing. And it wasn't as if those closers were launching mid-pack runs that picked off only a few stragglers. Eight of those 11 route stakes were won by horses who closed from either last or next-to-last positions. The number increases to nine if you also count Sovereignty's win in the Derby, in which he rallied from 17th in a 19-horse field. At the opposite end of the scale, scrutinizing the four sophomore stakes at nine furlongs that were either wired or won by pace-pressing threats, two of them subsequently seem suspect because of possible speed biases and one might be chalked up to an odd course configuration. 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic), for example, wired the field in the GII Wood Memorial on an afternoon when 10 of 13 main-track races at Aqueduct were won by horses racing on the front or just off it. Rodriguez next ran in the Belmont Stakes, where he assumed an easy lead but caved under far-turn pressure, finishing fourth behind Sovereignty and Journalism by 8 1/4 lengths. In the Ohio Derby, Mo Plex (Complexity) sat second behind a wilting favorite and took control in deep stretch to win. But the 12 races at Thistledown that afternoon were slanted toward horses who flashed early speed, with that pace profile accounting for nine winners. Mo Plex is an expected entrant in Saturday's Jim Dandy. The speed-centric victory by American Promise (Justify), who forced the pace from second in the Mar. 15 Virginia Derby, also has to be viewed in the context of being aberrational. Nine-furlong races are seldomly run on the main track at Colonial Downs, and they are conducted over a one-turn configuration that theoretically aids frontrunners. After his track-record win in Virginia, American Promise couldn't come close to replicating his winning form, finishing 16th in the Kentucky Derby and eighth in the Preakness. That leaves us with a single wire-to-wire winner of a graded dirt stakes for the sophomore class of '25 who could still be a dangerous divisional contender in the second half of the season: Magnitude (Not This Time). We don't often see 43-1 shots winning graded stakes by 9 ¾ lengths while earning a 108 Beyer number, but that's exactly what this Steve Asmussen trainee managed to uncork when wiring the GII Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds back on Feb. 15. Sent straight to the lead from post 12, Magnitude established a brisk early pace, drew away from the odds-on favorite when confronted mid-race, then braced for and shrugged off a fresh challenge from the second fave. He increased his margin while soaring home solo for a 1:48.85 clocking that equated to the fastest Risen Star in seven runnings since that stakes was elongated to nine furlongs in 2020. Randy Moss of NBC-TV, who makes speed figures for the Beyer team and is also a co-host of the TDN's Writers' Room podcast, wrote on the X social media platform at the time that Magnitude's final clocking for the Risen Star “is likely the fastest” 1 1/8-mile win ever by any 3-year-old at Fair Grounds. (The lone exception Moss found was the 1:48 4/5 win by Clev Er Tell in the 1977 Louisiana Derby, which predates the modern era of timing races in hundredths of seconds.) Moss also noted that Magnitude's 108 rating “equals the highest Beyer ever for a sophomore at Fair Grounds.” Three days after his gaudy win, Magnitude was removed from Triple Crown consideration to have surgery to fix an ankle chip. After recovering, Asmussen gave the colt a relatively easy first race back, and Magnitude ran up the score in the 1 1/16-miles July 5 Iowa Derby, leading at every call, prevailing by 9 1/4 lengths, and earning a 105 Beyer. This past Saturday, Magnitude had his first published workout since that Prairie Meadows victory, breezing a :51.68 half-mile at Saratoga (35/42), where he is training up to the Travers. Magnitude will bring a 4-for-8 lifetime mark into the Spa's “Midsummer Derby.” He's now 4-for-4 in races where he's either led throughout or hit the front by the midpoint call, and 0-for-4 in races where he hasn't. Magnitude's running style will be no secret to the connections of Sovereignty and (if he runs) Journalism. But the two divisional leaders are likely the ones who'll be tasked with making the most significant tactical adjustments to try and win the Travers by reeling in a potentially unpressured pacemaker. It hasn't been a defining characteristic of the current sophomore crop so far this season, but proven early speed never really goes out of style at any level of American racing. The post With Closers in Control of Division, Sophomore Crop’s Curious Lack of Early Speed Stands Out appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

As the connections of the top finishers in the Haskell Stakes (G1) spend the next few days and weeks mulling plans for their 3-year-olds, some interesting possibilities abound. View the full article

Raging Torrent, a two-time grade 1 winner, has been retired after developing a suspensory injury to his left foreleg. It has not been decided yet where he will begin his stud career. View the full article