Wandering Eyes

On a quiet April 28 morning at Churchill Downs for Kentucky Derby (G1) prospects after a half-dozen breezed April 27, three Derby entrants notched their final high-speed workouts for the 1 1/4-mile classic, the opening leg of the Triple Crown.View the full article

“The Bel-Mint Stakes,” a tribute version of Mint Cookie Crumble ice cream, has been re-branded by Stewart's Shops in honor of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, the New York Racing Association announced Monday. The Bel-Mint Stakes will be available at more than 175 Stewart's Shops ice cream counters for a limited-time only, from Apr. 28 through June 8. The GI Belmont Stakes will be run for the second time at Saratoga Race Course June 7. The post NYRA Partners with Stewart’s Shops to Offer ‘The Bel-Mint Stakes’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Tuesday could well be Josh Dickie’s time to shine at Manawatu. The Raceway had new lights installed last week and they will be on show for the first time tonight and on Thursday. Costing around $300,000 the project was planned and co-ordinated by Andrew Neal and local committee member/trainer Stephen Doody with funding from the club, the Racing Safety Fund and the Manawatu-based Central Energy Trust. Dickie has seven drives on the day, six of them for his employer Stonewall Stud and trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer. “I know all the horses back to front,” says Dickie, “by driving them in work you get a great feel. It’s a big help.” “On paper it looks a good book but you always need a bit of luck.” And Dickie thinks his “best of the day” could well be in the first, The Racing Again Thursday 1st May Mobile Pace (4.10pm) with Captains Secret. “He’s a smart little horse who’s well suited to this race .. he looks the stand out.” A one-race winner (from 8 starts), Captains Secret was eighth earlier this month in a Garrards Sires Stakes 3YO Semi Final against the likes of Bettors Anvil, Greased Lightnin and Got The Chocolates. Consequently he opened a $2.30 favourite for his Palmerston North debut. Next up is Cyamate, who is fresh up since his fourth on debut at Cambridge last May, in Race 2, Happy Birthday Melissa Lammas Mobile Pace. “He’s come back good, he trialled at Puke (Pukekohe) a week or two ago out of grade and he did a bit of work and got tired late.” He’s drawn six in the seven-horse field. “He’s better suited off the speed so drawing out is not a bad thing. He looks well-placed there too.” Delightful Chic is another fresh-up runner for the Telfers in Race 3, the Mike and Cleone Lyons Mobile Pace. She’s won twice, the most recently at Manawatu in November. “She’s a handy filly and has high speed,” says Dickie, “she has a good furlong in her and if you can use that at the right time is the key to her I think.” With three seconds in his last three starts, Iron Brigade looks another big hope in Race 4, the Bright New Lights Country Cup Handicap Pace. “You can’t fault that form line.” “In the last stand he was second to The Surfer – he’s just thriving at the moment.” “He’s a top two chance who can win.” In Race 7 Dickie partners up with Heavenly Belle in Race 7, the Tracy Cadwaller Stables Handicap Trot. It’s just her second start after a fifth on debut. “She hasn’t had a trial but has had some solid work at home so fitness shouldn’t be a problem.” “She usually has good manners and likes to bowl along which could make it tough for those off 30 (metres).” On debut in the last, Race 8 (7.33pm) is S S Guppy in the Thanks Kids Kartz Mobile Pace. “He’s a little bit green but has a nice draw and it is a winnable race.” A Captain Crunch three-year-old, he was a $46,000 purchase at the 2022 National Standardbred Weanling sale And if you are curious about the name, SS Guppy is the ship and home to Cap’n Crunch and his crew. The ship features in many of the commercials and merchandise for the Cap’n Crunch range of breakfast cereals. View the full article

America's Best Racing, a multimedia fan development and awareness platform initiated and funded by The Jockey Club, has received two 2025 Stevie Awards, presented by the 2025 American Business Awards, winning in the categories for Marketing Campaign of the Year–Entertainment & Sports and for Influencer Marketing Campaign of the Year. ABR has also been named a finalist in the 2025 Shorty Awards “Sports” category. All of the awards are for ABR's ground-breaking campaign, “A Stake in Stardom,” which this week will be represented in the 2025 Kentucky Derby by social media influencer and entrepreneur Griffin Johnson. Launched in 2022, “A Stake in Stardom” seeks to modernize the perception of Thoroughbred racing by marketing the sport to a new generation of fans. Through the campaign, ABR empowered influencers to become actual owners, allowing them to authentically share the sport's thrills and challenges with their audiences. Participants in the program have included media powerhouses such as NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, comedian and actress Heather McMahan, and Indy Car driver Alexander Rossi. In the first four months of 2025, the program has generated more than five-million video views. Much of that has been driven by Johnson, who was paired with GI Arkansas Derby winner Sandman (Tapit) via a partnership with West Point Thoroughbreds. “We are incredibly honored to receive two more awards for “A Stake in Stardom” and to be a finalist for another,” said Dan Tordjman, vice president of TJC Media Ventures/America's Best Racing. “Through long-term storytelling and deeper emotional investment, “A Stake in Stardom” is not only reshaping how racing is marketed, it is redefining who gets to be a part of it. We want to thank our marketing agency Branch & Bramble for launching this program with us, along with our partners at West Point Thoroughbreds.” The post America’s Best Racing’s ‘A Stake in Stardom’ Wins National Marketing Awards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Enjoy the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby (G1) May 3 at Keeneland with a community celebration in the Bluegrass. On Derby Day, Keeneland is offering enhanced programming campus-wide featuring live music, food trucks, family activities and more.View the full article

On a quiet April 28 morning at Churchill Downs for Kentucky Derby (G1) prospects after a half-dozen breezed April 27, three Derby entrants notched their final high-speed workouts for the 1 1/4-mile classic, the opening leg of the Triple Crown.View the full article

AUBURN, Wash.–The headline in the local edition of The Seattle Times on Wednesday, June 19, 1996 was full of elan as it fired off a bold prediction the day before the opening, “Racetrack Will Help Put Auburn On The Map.” The building of Emerald Downs, which replaced the venerable and beloved oval at Longacres, was set to anchor development in the region and usher in a new era for the city which the paper said would attract “gamblers, shoppers and spectators.” Some folks quoted were optimistic about the wiping away of a “blue-collar and backward” past in Auburn, while others were concerned about “traffic and pollution.” An adjoining article offered suggestions about the best ways to get to Emerald Downs. How did they do it back in the dark ages before smartphones? One source who was a bit tongue-and-cheek said about the building boom, “I'm waiting for the blue herons. When they start leaving, I'm going.” On Sunday, Emerald Downs celebrated a pearl milestone event with the opening of its 30th season. The total handle came in at $894,464, which was the highest in two years, and the seven-race card with five and six-horse fields did nothing to dampen the spirits of the crowd that assembled. The base who clearly love coming out to the paddock and bellowing at the top of their lungs as runners reached the stretch, proved once again that this sport is far from dead and buried. “Through our promotions and the experiences we offer here it's so gratifying to see people coming out for our 30th season because their support is essential and so is having the horses to put on the track,” Emerald President Phil Ziegler said. Dean Mazzuca, who operates an Emerald syndicate, added, “I'll haul people I meet for the first time down to the winner's circle to get their picture taken and they have the time of their lives. All of them come back after that.” Headwinds At 30 Despite being a beautiful facility where you can see bald eagles nest on light poles, there are headwinds at Emerald Downs and some complicated sailing ahead. The once robust state-bred breeding program is now in tatters. At one point not so long ago, it was ranked fifth in the nation and touted some 40-plus sires for its stallion series. Now, there are eight and filling a Washington-bred race is difficult. Then there is the much-publicized situation with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA). As TDN's Dan Ross reported on the recent HISA Budget Town Hall, the regulator has changed its methodology when it comes to assessing costs to racetracks, and the move will shift next year to one based solely on the percentage of annual racing starts. As HISA officials visited Emerald over the weekend, the story is ongoing and is full of uncertainty when it comes to paying the bill when it comes due. Blaine Wright | JN Campbell What is known is that long gone are the days when a powerful racing archipelago linked the sport year round. The same story has played out in other locales that lost key portions of their circuit. Now, the Auburn track survives on its own. Like the Baltimore Colts, Longacres disappeared in the night and was suddenly sold. Out east, Yakima Meadows and Playfair Race Course were shuttered along with the fair circuit tracks like Sun Downs. “We are on an island here,” said trainer Blaine Wright. “With the closure of California racing in the north, it has really made that trek to Santa Anita and down to Turf Paradise a challenge. The number of racing days is fixed at 51 here because purses can't support additional days, so this season lasts through Sept. 7, but the days are spread out. I am considering just taking the winter off. I'm going to have to make a tough decision about where to go next. Simply heading down to these other tracks is not easy to pull off.” Island Life At 30 Other stalwart trainers who have been successful at Emerald like Frank Lucarelli and Tom Wenzel also echoed how tough shipping and uprooting your family can be. “When you are from Washington and it's your home you want to be there,” said Wenzel. “We all have families and leaving them behind is not that easy. Maintaining separate residences is costly and I can tell you right now that everything across the board is 30% more expensive. The economics of this doesn't make any sense. We need to raise our purses to make this more competitive and that just hasn't happened.” Tom Wenzel | JN Campbell As the Turf Paradise meet winds down this next week, Lucarelli is making preparations to transition his string back to Emerald Downs. One of the positives for him is having a string that is already in shape. Instead of wasting valuable time conditioning his runners in Auburn all will arrive ready to run. The veteran conditioner said that Turf Paradise has become a winter refuge, but the costs are high. Even thinking about Santa Anita or Del Mar isn't as easy as it might seem. “Here's the thing, going to California isn't all it's cracked up to be because if you take a handful of horses down there and enter them at the level they belong then there is a really good chance they are going to get claimed off of you,” he said. “If they can't compete at higher levels then there is no point in going.” All three Emerald-based trainers said they loved their home track and having almost 700 horses on the property now with the potential for the barns to reach their capacity at 1200 could certainly be interpreted as a positive. “I am telling all my California folks that I have gotten to know at Golden Gate before it closed and down at Santa Anita to come to Washington. Maybe it will happen and we have a chance to create an even more competitive place in our own backyard.” Emerald's Past At 30 Speaking of the spirit of competition, a carefully curated Hall of Fame to Washington racing stands inside the grandstand at Emerald. Walking by it and seeing the names of horse and human alike that gave it their all is a reminder that time can stand still if we are patient enough to take it in. Certainly change is always in the offing and much that goes on is probably not what we expected. There is something else though that is important at Emerald Downs on the start of its 30th season and it has to do with the people who love the horses. Hugh Wales (left) with Frank Lucarelli | JN Campbell The spirit of racing lives in Auburn just like it does at any racetrack, but it is flesh and blood too. Walking around the place you could run into former founders like Jack Hodge who fondly remembers designing the building in the early 1990s and carries such pride that the horsemen in the state came together to save the industry. Or you could converse with Chief Stipe Moore, who has spent over 50 years in the business–first as a jockey–and is currently the Washington Horse Racing Commission Chair. If you go to Emerald you have to marvel at the aura that surrounds the Director of Publicity Joe Withee, whose passion for the place seeps out of his pores. You know when he talks about racing in this part of the world he really cares. How about sitting and listening to Steward Donny Smith. His stories of how his father rode with George “The Iceman” Woolf at Santa Anita and the days of record-keeping by hand channel something out of a Laura Hillenbrand book. Finally, if you want a crash course in the perils of jockeying and a good anecdote about the inner workings of a jocks' room then senior investigator for the commission Hugh Wales is your man. The people who lived the history are there. Emerald Downs is an island, but it is still currently on the map. There is time to visit since–like the blue herons–the Thoroughbreds haven't left yet. The post Once Part Of A Racing Archipelago, Emerald Downs Survives As Lone Island appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It was on the first Saturday in May, 2024 that Mystik Dan (Goldencents) ran the race of his life to win the GI Kentucky Derby by a nose over Sierra Leone (Gun Runner). One year and four starts later, he hasn't won again, but will hope to end the losing streak on the anniversary of his greatest triumph. On Saturday, Mystik Dan will take on seven others in the Lake Ouachita S. at Oaklawn Park. It will be his first start since he was beaten 20 3/4 lengths in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park. The Oaklawn race is scheduled to go off about 18 minutes after the Derby. In what was otherwise a magical year for trainer Kenny McPeek, about the only thing that went wrong was that Mystik Dan never ran back to his Derby performance. The next stop was the GI Preakness Stakes, where he finished second, beaten just 2 1/4 lengths. From there, it just unraveled. He was eighth beaten 15 3/4 lengths in the GI Belmont S. and then finished sixth in the GI Malibu S., which he lost by 11 1/4 lengths. It would only get worse. In his first start as a 4-year-old, he finished ninth in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational, 20 3/4 lengths behind the winner, White Abarrio (Race Day). McPeek said blame him and not the horse. “I made some mistakes bringing him back,” he said. “I shouldn't have taken him to California [for the Malibu]. In hindsight, I shouldn't have trucked him out there. I should have waited for another spot. Then we thought we had him good to go for the Pegasus. It was too much too soon. I might have mismanaged him a bit, if you want to call it that. I'm more critical of myself than anyone else.” McPeek went against conventional wisdom and ran Mystik Dan in all three Triple Crown races. It worked out fine for the Derby and there was nothing wrong with his performance in the Preakness. But he looked like a spent horse in the Belmont. “Was he taxed by the third one? Probably,” McPeek said. “We thought he was okay going into the Belmont, but he didn't handle the track at Saratoga. I don't think that's the case, that the Triple Crown took too much out of him. Every horse is different. You can't blame it completely on the Triple Crown.” McPeek's plan this year is to try to pick some fairly easy spots to see where he's at with Mystik Dan. If he fares well in races like the Lake Ouachita, he will start looking for tougher challenges. “I need to 'step-ladder' him,” he said. “We need to start at the bottom and work our way back up. I think this race is a really good stepping stone. But it's not such an easy race with Saudi Crown in there. But this is a race he could and should win. Then we'll take it from there. He's healthy and doing well. He's doing super. He looks great, has been working great and doing everything right. “It's never easy,” McPeek said. “For a horse to transition from two to three to four is hard. I wish I could undo some decisions I made. At that time, I thought they were the right moves. He's not the first Kentucky Derby winner that struggled coming back after the Derby and a tough Triple Crown series.” Mystik Dan will not have the services of regular rider Brian Hernandez, Jr., who will be riding Burnham Square (Liam's Map) in the Derby for trainer Ian Wilkes. Francisco Arrieta will substitute for Hernandez. “Francisco is a good rider and he's the leading rider down there at Oaklawn,” McPeek said. “He's hitting on all cylinders and I know he's excited about getting on him.” McPeek is not going to rush things and said he will also consider entering Mystik Dan in a turf race. But first he's got to show that he's the same horse who won one of the more thrilling Derbies in history. “I'd like to think he can work his way back up,” McPeek said. “He hasn't beaten older horses and he has to do that. If he wins this race, the next spot will probably be a Grade II or Grade III somewhere. We're going to need him to take us there. We certainly know he has the talent. He just has to put it all together.” The post One Year Later, Mystik Dan Will Look to Return to the Winner’s Circle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), last year's Eclipse champion juvenile, completed his major preparations for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby with a bullet five-furlong work in :58.40 (1/15) Monday at Churchill Downs. Churchill Downs clockers caught Citizen Bull in fractions of :11.60, :23, :45.80, :58.40 and out six furlongs in 1:12.40 and seven-eighths in 1:27.20. “He worked really good out there,” said jockey Martin Garcia, who was aboard for the work. “But he was just messin' around. He did it easy.” Garcia also revealed that trainer Bob Baffert, who has radio contact with his riders as they go through their exercises, called an audible for Monday's work. “I thought I was working four furlongs,” Garcia said. “But then when I get into it, Bob tells me I'm going five. So I'd broken off at the half-mile pole, which meant I had to go past the wire and finish up at the seven [furlong marker]. We did it and it worked out OK.” Norman Stables' Coal Battle (Coal Front) blew out three furlongs in :36.00 (7/16) Monday at Churchill. Bethany Taylor was aboard for trainer Lonnie Briley. “He looks like he did it pretty easily,” Briley said of the work that produced fractions of :11.60, :36 and out a half-mile in :50. The work was the fourth for Coal Battle since arriving three weeks ago from Oaklawn Park where he was third behind Sandman (Tapit) in the GI Arkansas Derby. “The closer to the race, the tougher it gets,” said the 72-year-old Briley, who will be saddling his first Kentucky Derby starter. “He will walk tomorrow and then there will be some jogging and galloping. He's ready.” C R K Stable LLC and Grandview Equine's Baeza (McKinzie), the lone also-eligible for the Derby, worked five furlongs in 1:02.00 (15/15) Monday at Churchill Downs for trainer John Shirreffs. Clockers caught the bay in splits of :13.60, :26.40, :37.80 and then a final time of 1:02. He went “out” in 1:16. “He went good,” jockey Flavien Prat, aboard for the work, said. “He felt good and he did it easy.” Shirreffs added, “I know 1:02 is a little on the slow side, but he's not an especially sharp work horse. We put a good work into him last week [seven furlongs in 1:28 at Santa Anita Apr. 20] and he's ready. We just need to get a little lucky and get him into the race.” Scratch time for the Derby is Friday at 9 a.m. The post ‘Just Messin’ Around:’ Bullet Drill for Derby Hopeful Citizen Bull appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A number of wildcard entries have been announced for this week's Tattersalls Guineas Horses-In-Training Sale as well as the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale that takes place next month. The horses-in-training section of the Guineas Sale takes place on May 1 and features the wildcarded King's Call (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), who is rated 95, and recent winner Cast Party (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). King's Call is catalogued as lot 165. The three-year-old son of Dandy Man was a winner on debut at Ayr last year before holding his own in Group company and finishing second in a York nursery in October off an official mark of 95. Cast Party will be offered by The Castlebridge Consignment as lot 164. Victorious on her latest run and placed on all three of her career starts for John & Thady Gosden, the €150,000 foal from the family of Group 1 winners Dubawi Heights and Make Believe boasts a Timeform rating of 80p. Meanwhile, a total of 17 additional entries have been announced for the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale.The sale takes place on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 May. The wildcard catalogue can be viewed here. The post Wildcards For Guineas H-I-T And Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale Revealed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Following Monday's confirmation stage, 17 colts remain in contention for Saturday's Betfred 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, headed by the impressive G3 Craven Stakes winner Field Of Gold (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). The potential field is down from the 24-strong group who stood their ground at the latest entry stage, with last year's G2 Coventry Stakes scorer Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and G1 Futurity Trophy hero Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) featuring among those who were taken out of the race on Monday. Aomori City (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Detain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Noble Champion (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Stanhope Gardens (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) and Tuscan Hills (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) will also miss the first British Classic of the season. The John and Thady-Gosden trained Field Of Gold is the sponsor's 2/1 favourite to follow up his Craven victory over the same course and distance, ahead of Ballydoyle's unbeaten Twain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) at 5/1. The unexposed Ruling Court (Justify) and last year's G1 National Stakes hero Scorthy Champ (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) are next best at 7/1, with 15/2 shot Shadow Of Light (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Europe's champion two-year-old colt of 2024, the only other contender currently trading at single-figure odds. Meanwhile, the Charlie Appleby-trained Desert Flower (Ire), a stable-mate of Ruling Court and Shadow Of Light, remains a warm order for the Betfred 1,000 Guineas after the daughter of Night Of Thunder (Ire) featured among 15 confirmations for Sunday's Classic. Unbeaten in four starts as a two-year-old, culminating with a wide-margin success in the G1 Fillies' Mile, Desert Flower is Betfred's 10/11 favourite to make it five from five when she lines up at Newmarket. Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), herself a three-time winner at the top level in 2024, heads the list of potential dangers at 7/2, along with Red Letter (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at 5/1 and Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) at 12/1. That pair finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in last year's G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes won by Lake Victoria. Celestial Orbit (GB) (No Nay Never), Ellaria Sand (GB) (Sands Of Mali {Fr}) and Trad Jazz (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) were the three fillies taken out of the race on Monday, while the recent G3 Dubai Duty Free Stakes winner Duty First (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) is a 14/1 chance with Betfred after being supplemented at a cost of £30,000. “That was the natural path [the 1,000 Guineas] after her win the other day,” said Billy Jackson-Stops, racing manager for owners Victorious Racing. “It was a bit of a formality we were going to have a go at the Guineas, so we supplemented her this morning. Archie [Watson]'s been very happy with her. We left it [the decision] slightly up to Archie as the trainer and he said that was the natural fit for her. “We spoke to Shaikh Nasser [Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, founder of Victorious Racing] this morning. He's very excited about her and he's really looking forward to the Guineas.” The post Field Of Gold Among 17 Colts in 2,000 Guineas, with Duty First Added to 1,000 Guineas appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Naas's opening six-furlong fillies' maiden on Monday has a rich recent history and there was a lot to suggest that Ballydoyle's Simply Astounding (Wootton Bassett {GB}) can add another chapter. The fourth foal out of the high-achiever Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the 11-8 favourite was out smartly and able to keep close tabs on the leading pair with Ryan Moore enjoying a straightforward trip. In front two out, the homebred drew away along with the well-regarded Cape Sounion (Ire) (No Nay Never) to beat that Donnacha O'Brien-trained rival by 1 1/4 lengths. There was a yawning seven-length gap to the third, Glitter And Glory (Ire) (Lucky Vega {Ire}) from the Jessica Harrington yard. Becoming her sire's 11th TDN Rising Star, Simply Astounding joins the likes of Twain (Ire), Maranoa Charlie (Fr), Unquestionable (Fr) and River Tiber (Ire) in that category. This maiden was won in 2017 by the future luminary Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and a year later by this stable's subsequent G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Fairyland (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Aidan O'Brien was not inclined to dampen enthusiasm afterwards. “She's a lovely filly and Sue named her that way because she's highly thought of,” he said. “Everyone has always been happy with her at home–she's been very natural in everything she's done and Ryan was over the moon with her there,” he added. “Given normal improvement, she'll probably be a very good filly. I know Donnacha liked his filly and they went a long way away from the third. She could come back here for the Ascot Trials Day and then head to the Albany [at Royal Ascot] and afterwards step up in trip. Ryan said she's going to really enjoy stepping up later.” Minding, who also broke her maiden over six albeit on her second start, went on to become one of the operation's best racemares when racking up seven Group 1 wins including the 1,000 Guineas, Oaks and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Her son Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) also scored at the highest level in the 2023 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes, with her dam Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) a star both on the track and in her second career for Coolmore. @coolmorestud's filly (Wootton Bassett x Minding) makes a winning debut in the @IrishEBF_ Fillies' Maiden @NaasRacecourse Previous winners of this include Fairyland (2018) and Alpha Centauri (2017) …. pic.twitter.com/WjDmihWil0 — Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 28, 2025 The post Another TDN Rising Star For Wootton Bassett And Ballydoyle As Simply Astounding Dazzles appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

NBC Sports will present coverage for both the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby May 2-3 on USA Network and Peacock as well as offer live streaming for all weekend races at Churchill Downs on Peacock, the outlet announced Monday afternoon. Live coverage from Churchill Downs begins with five hours of Kentucky Oaks day Friday, May 2, beginning at 1:00 p.m. on USA Network and Peacock. Derby day coverage features 10 races across 7.5 hours–five on NBC and Peacock on Saturday starting 2:30 p.m., which follows the opening 2.5 hours beginning at noon on USA Network and Peacock. Over the two days, NBC Sports will present 17 live races from Churchill Downs. For coverage in Spanish, Telemundo Deportes will present live coverage of the 151st Kentucky Derby, beginning Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on Universo, and streaming on the Telemundo app. Highlights will include a variety of interviews, catch-ups on past winners like Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and profiles of the competitors for the 2025 Run for the Roses. NBC Sports will also introduce new camera angles, extended SkyCam coverage, and other technological changes to their coverage. A similar arrangement was also presented regarding the upcoming airing of Preakness weekend, as Black-Eyed Susan day May 16 will be shown on Peacock starting at 4:30 p.m. on the platform. Preakness Day coverage will begin May 17 at 2:00 p.m. on CNBC and Peacock before moving to NBC at 4:00 p.m. for the marquee event. Live streaming will continue uninterrupted on Peacock for the duration that Saturday. The post NBC Sports to Air ‘Run for the Roses’ and Kentucky Oaks Coverage, Preakness Schedule Revealed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The catalogue for the BBAG Mixed Spring Sale, of which Group 3 winner Ultima is a notable graduate, is now online. The sale is slated for May 31 and will be held during the Spring Meeting, which takes place between May 29 and June 1. A total of 44 horses have been catalogued for the Mixed Spring Sale and they include 23 two-year-olds, 15 older horses and four broodmares. Along with a strong home contingent, there are also vendors from France, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Hungary. Many of the horses catalogued hold entries for the BBAG Sales races. Ultima cost just €32,000 at the sale last year before landing a Group 3 contest at Hannover. The post BBAG Mixed Spring Sale Catalogue Released appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Veteran analyst Randy Moss recently helped separate pretenders from contenders during a question-and-answer session with Tom Pedulla conducted on behalf of America's Best Racing.View the full article

A list compiled by America's Best Racing of TV, radio, and livestream racing coverage for a busy Kentucky Derby (G1) week.View the full article

Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN) once again kicks off a full slate of Kentucky Derby week programming on Tuesday morning live from Churchill Downs with the first of three 'Derby Countdown' Shows presented by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.View the full article

America's Best Racing cheat sheet provides short bios on each Kentucky Oaks (G1) filly.View the full article

We only have a handful of races to base wet track form on but some are compelling and worth noting.View the full article

For the 20 3-year-old Thoroughbreds expected to compete in the Kentucky Derby (G1), racing luck can make or break their Derby run from the start. Some of that luck comes into play several days beforehand: the luck of the post-position draw.View the full article

To celebrate Sandman being in the 151st Kentucky Derby and to highlight the importance of taking care of Thoroughbreds after their racing careers, Ken Freirich wanted to do something big for the heart and soul of the sport: the horses.View the full article

Bobby Flay's Go Go Boots (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), a June 6 G1 Betfred Oaks entry, justified long odds-on favouritism for John and Thady Gosden with a three-length triumph in Monday's Download The Raceday Ready App Fillies' Novice Stakes over 10 furlongs at Lingfield. Last year's €230,000 Arqana Breeze-Up graduate had previously won at the track having annexed her debut over one mile in December. Go Go Boots remains unbeaten with a straightforward success at @LingfieldPark! This Epsom Oaks-entrant looks a filly to follow for John and Thady Gosden! pic.twitter.com/hL2K9Do3ZA — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 28, 2025 4th-Lingfield, £7,200, Nov, 4-28, 3yo/up, f/m, 10f (AWT), 2:06.67, st. GO GO BOOTS (GB) (f, 3, Night Of Thunder {Ire}–Hertford Dancer {GB} {SW & GSP-Eng}, by Foxwedge {Aus}), a G1 Oaks entry who shed maiden status after a dawdling getaway in her Dec. 4 debut over one mile at this venue last time, broke from the outside stall and stalked the tempo in a close-up second for most of this sophomore bow. Sent to the front rounding the home turn, the 2-11 favourite was beyond recall in the straight and stayed on powerfully under whipless coaxing in the latter stages to easily account for Knickerbocker (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) by three lengths. Go Go Boots is the third of five foals and one of two scorers produced by Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial victrix and G2 Ribblesdale Stakes third Hertford Dancer (GB) (Foxwedge {Aus}). The April-foaled chestnut's third dam, dual Group-placed Listed Empress Stakes-winning producer Massarra (GB) (Danehill), is kin to six black-type performers headed by G1 Haydock Sprint Cup-winning sire Invincible Spirit (Ire). Go Go Boots is full to a 2-year-old colt and half to a yearling colt by Saxon Warrior (Jpn). Sales history: 97,000gns RNA Ylg '23 TATOCT; €230,000 2yo '24 ARQBRU. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, £7,290. O-Bobby Flay; B-Highclere Stud & Mrs Michelle Morris (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. The post Bobby Flay’s Oaks Entry Go Go Boots Goes Two-For-Two at Lingfield appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Keeneland will offer campus-wide enhancements for the community celebration of the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby, and tickets for that event are now on sale, the organization shared via press release Monday morning. General admission for Derby Day at Keeneland is $10 and children 12/under are free when accompanied by an adult. Gates open at 10:00 a.m. and parking is free. Fans are welcome to bring their own seating or enjoy a variety of public seating areas including the grandstand as the broadcast of the race will be shown through the afternoon on the infield tote board as well as monitors around the track. There is no ticket or reservation requirement to tailgate on The Hill for Derby Day. In addition to the usual programming, Keeneland will also offer enhanced campus-wide activities like live music, food trucks, family events, and more. Drive Thru Betting will also be offered near the Entertainment Center for the May 2 GI Kentucky Oaks as well as the May 3 Kentucky Derby via Gate 1. Signage with directions will be displayed to help with navigation. To pre-purchase tickets for Derby Day at Keeneland, please visit the Keeneland website. The post General Admission Tickets to Derby Day at Keeneland On Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Any week which included the return of Kyprios (Ire) should be considered a good week indeed. Yes, this time of the year is really all about exciting maiden winners and Classic trials, but any horse who can stick around in the Flat pack for as long as Kyprios has done must be cherished. Four members of the final crop of his sire Galileo (Ire) have entries in the Derby and/or Irish Derby, but otherwise we will be relying on his older runners, including last year's St Leger one-two Illinois (Ire) and Jan Brueghel (Ire), to give the late champion something of a last hurrah. Kyprios, who on Saturday won his third consecutive Vintage Crop Stakes en route to Leopardstown then Royal Ascot, will once again lead the charge. It was hard to imagine that so soon after Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) we'd be treated to another stayer of such a high calibre. But, three years ago, the then-four-year-old Kyprios announced himself as the new staying king as Stradivarius's superiority waned slightly with his advancing years. Following their first meeting at Royal Ascot when Stradivarius might have seemed an unlucky loser in the Gold Cup, the two bright chestnut sons of half-brothers delivered their most thrilling tussle on a truly glorious afternoon on the Sussex Downs with just a neck separating them at the finish of the G1 Goodwood Cup. That was Stradivarius's fifth appearance in the race that he had won four times between 2017 and 2020, and Kyprios's first. The baton was passed. Kyprios won the Goodwood Cup again last year during a magnificent season of Group 1 victories in the Gold Cup, Irish St Leger and Prix du Cadran, at distances ranging between 1m6f and 2m4f. Here's hoping for more of the same this year, though his trainer Aidan O'Brien has suggested that, just as Stradivarius was in 2020, Kyprios may be aimed at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe this year instead of the Cadran. Waltzing Wootton Anyone preparing to strike up a rendition of Waltzing Matilda as the jolly Swagman (Ire) led them a merry dance in the Sandown Classic Trial on Friday may well reasonably have assumed that the colt was a son of the 2014 Derby winner Australia (GB). However, this Ballydoyle runner is more Wiltshire than Wagga Wagga as he is instead by Wootton Bassett (GB), who has a strong portfolio of potential Classic contenders for the coming season. Following Monday's confirmation stage, he is responsible for seven of the 17 colts left in Saturday's Betfred 2,000 Guineas. A number of those are out of Galileo mares and that is also true of Swagman, but he started his life in Germany, rather than Ireland, at Gregor and Julia Baum's Gestut Brummerhof, most famous internationally for having produced the Arc and King George winner Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}). The Baums bought Swagman's unraced dam ten years ago from the Wertheimers' breeding operation for €350,000. She is from a line tracing back to Baron Guy de Rothschild's G1 Prix Royal-Oak winner Lady Berry (Fr) (Violin d'Ingres {Fr}), with a slew of black-type performers under Swagman's granddam Featherquest (GB) (Rainbow Quest) alone. BBAG Graduates Shine Swagman had been bought from Brummerhof by Alex Elliott on Coolmore's behalf at the BBAG Yearling Sale of 2023 for €180,000. The top lot that day, at €300,000, was a filly from the final crop of Adlerflug (Ger) consigned by her breeder Gestut Rottgen. Named Eleganz (Ger), she too left Germany, to be trained in Chantilly by Andre Fabre. Bought by Imad Al Sagar, whose breeding operation has recently been expanded from Newmarket to Kentucky, she won on debut at Saint-Cloud last Wednesday. Fabre is also the trainer of the Al Sagar homebred Burhan (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), who made it a good week for the breeder when winning the Listed Prix du Pont Neuf at Longchamp. Al Sagar's Blue Diamond Stud was also represented this week by first-time-out winner Remmooz (GB). The son of Blue Point (Ire) was sold as a foal for 37,000gns and later fetched 250,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 2 when bought by Federico Barberini for Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum. Another from that same crop of Blue Diamond graduates is last year's G1 Futurity Trophy winner Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who holds entries in the 2,000 Guineas of Britain, Ireland and France. Eleganz, meanwhile, has an entry for the G1 Prix de Diane, which was won by Al Sagar in 2022 with Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is now in foal for the first time to Dubawi (Ire). Enora's Family to the Fore It has also been a good week for the Gestut Rottgen-bred G1 Preis der Diana winner Enora (Ger), who was sold privately to Katsumi Yoshida in 2016. Not only is she the granddam of the aforementioned Eleganz, but Enora's three-year-old son Energico (Jpn) won Saturday's key trial for the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), the G2 Aoba Sho. Energico's sire Duramente (Jpn) died in September 2021 at only nine years of age and, just as the premature loss of Eleganz's sire Adlerflug that same year was deeply unfortunate for Germany, Duramente's untimely demise increasingly looks a blow for Japan. The winner of the Japanese Derby and 2,000 Guineas a decade ago, Duramente's best offspring include the Triple Tiara winner Liberty Island, who tragically suffered a fatal injury in Sunday's G1 FWD QEII Cup, as well as fellow Classic winners Stars On Earth (Jpn), Titleholder (Jpn), and Durezza (Jpn), along with the Grade 1 winners Lugal (Jpn), Dura Erde (Jpn) and Champagne Color (Jpn). Their top-level wins have been recorded across the distances, from the Sprinters Stakes to the Japanese St Leger. Like Galileo and Adlerflug, Duramente's final crop are three-year-olds this year, and Energico looks well placed to emulate his father with a Derby victory on June 1. Yes For No Whistlejacket (Ire) was a bit of a favourite of this column last year when his busy juvenile campaign included wins in the G1 Prix Morny and G2 July Stakes. The laidback colt was overshadowed towards the end of the season by some of his later-emerging stable-mates who are now hogging the Classic limelight but it was good see Whistlejacket back in the winner's enclosure at Navan on Saturday after the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Committed Stakes. Carrying a Group 1 penalty, he had to work hard to overcome the fellow Aidan O'Brien-trained Ides Of March (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) but win he did, en route to the G1 Commonwealth Cup, on what was a good day for his sire No Nay Never. Charles Darwin (Ire), the full-brother to Blackbeard (Ire), became the first two-year-old TDN Rising Star in Europe this year following his wide-margin win in the 6f maiden which has been won in the past by the likes of Camille Pissarro (Ire) and River Tiber (Ire). Then No Nay Never popped up as the broodmare sire of Wemightakedlongway (Australia {GB}), the front-running winner of the G3 Salsabil Stakes for Joseph O'Brien. Bred by the trainer's mother, Annemarie, the filly's price was subsequently cut for the Oaks, though the G1 Pretty Polly Stakes later in June has been mooted as a more likely target. Stars Out in Force at Longchamp Another sire to have enjoyed some notably good results on Sunday was Sea The Stars (Ire), who had the first two home in the first Group 1 of the European season, the Prix Ganay, with Sosie (Ire) and Map Of Stars (GB). This came just 35 minutes after Aventure (Fr), also by the Gilltown Stud resident, had won the G3 Prix Allez France in taking fashion, making it a particularly special weekend for the Wertheimer brothers, owner-breeders of both Sosie and Aventure. Last year's G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner, Sosie was making a return to action after finishing fourth in the Arc to Bluestocking (GB) and Aventure, but his immediate family has already been represented by another group winner this season, with his three-year-old half-brother Uther (GB) (Camelot {GB}) having landed the G3 Prix Noailles a fortnight earlier to put himself in the picture for the G1 Prix du Jockey Club. One of the very useful features of the excellent France Galop website is that it has a breeders' table, and this currently shows the Wertheimers to be way out in front with 40 winners already this year. High Earners from Modest Origins Liberty Island's fatal injury cast a pall over proceedings at Sha Tin on Sunday but the other two Group 1 races on the card provided a shot in the arm for smaller breeders at a time when so many of the world's best races are being dominated by the major owner-breeder operations. Leaving aside the fact that some people believe that geldings have no place in Group 1 contests, the FWD Champions Mile, won by 90/1 outsider Red Lion (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), flew the flag for Tattersalls Ireland's mixed December sale, which was where the six-year-old was initially sold by breeder Patrick Harney for €7,000. Trained originally in Ireland by Andrew Slattery under the name of Fiach McHugh, he was later a vendor buy-back at £240,000 at the Goffs London Sale of 2022. Following his seventh-placed finish in that week's Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot, he changed hands privately to join the Hong Kong stable of John Size. You don't have to look too far back in Red Lion's pedigree to find some smart connections. His third dam Lionne (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) is a three-parts-sister to the Dewhurst and Derby winner Sir Percy (GB) and her offspring included the dual Group 3 winner and Irish Oaks fourth Grace O'Malley (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}) as well as March Stakes winner Jadalee (Ire) (Desert Prince {Ire}). From humble beginnings, Red Lion has now won almost £3.5 million following this breakthrough at Group 1 level. Hong Kong's current star package Ka Ying Rising (NZ) is the best sprinter in the world and has won his last 12 starts, including Sunday's G1 Chariman's Sprint Prize. He has now amassed earnings in excess of £6 million, but he too has modest origins. The four-year-old was himself never offered at public auction but was sold privately to race in Hong Kong after winning his trial at Levin on New Zealand's North Island for his initial trainer and breeder Fraser Auret. His sire Shamexpress (NZ) stood for a fee of just NZ$8,000 last year, the equivalent of roughly £3,500, and Ka Ying Rising's dam, the five-time winner Missy Moo (NZ) (Per Incanto), had been sold as a yearling for the paltry sum of NZ$500, while his granddam Royal Rhythm (NZ) (Rhythm) changed hands at Karaka as a 12-year-old in 2011 for NZ$1,000. You don't always need the deepest pockets to breed a good one. But it helps. The post Seven Days: From High Born to Humble Beginnings appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After the eighth race at Churchill Downs Thursday, May 1, horse owner and philanthropist Ken Freirich will make a $100,000 donation to four Thoroughbred retirement charities to be split evenly amongst them, it was revealed in a joint press release. The four aftercare organizations are New Vocations, Second Stride, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, and the Thoroughbred Charities of America. Freirich, who is a part of owner of Kentucky Derby hopeful Sandman via his involvement with West Point Thoroughbreds, will present the check in the winner's circle after the eighth race on the card, dubbed 'The Run for the Retired Racehorses'. Owners and fans are encouraged to do the same by going to this link to make their donations to Thoroughbred aftercare. “The horses are the heart and soul of the sport, and they are also like family to all of us,” said Freirich. “It's so incredibly important to take care of them after their racing careers. I am thrilled to partner and contribute to these wonderful organizations, the 'After Caregivers;' they need our support to continue their amazing work.” “When Ken approached us with his desire to donate, we jumped at the chance to help surprise our longtime partners, New Vocations, Second Stride, TAA and TCA,” said Cathy Shircliff, director of Equine Industry Relations for Churchill Downs Incorporated. “It's such an honor to facilitate this donation and give these organizations the recognition they deserve.” The post Ken Freirich, Co-Owner of Derby Runner Sandman, to Make Donations to Four Aftercare Organizations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article