Wandering Eyes

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) has established the D. Wayne Lukas Award, to be given annually to a New York-based assistant trainer who demonstrates the qualities that the late Hall of Fame trainer himself exemplified– dedication, a strong work ethic, and a high commitment to excellence–the organization said in a press release on Wednesday. Owners and trainers will be invited to nominate an assistant trainer for the $10,000 award, which will be presented each year on Sept. 2, D. Wayne Lukas's birthday. “'The Coach' mentored countless young people, and so many of his assistants have gone on to have their own remarkable careers,” said NYTHA President Tina Marie Bond. “Assistant trainers are crucial to the success of every stable, and we wanted to recognize their contribution in honor of Wayne. His commitment to his craft, his love of horse racing, and his willingness to share his deep knowledge set a standard that we must all strive to match.” NYTHA will put together a panel of horsemen and women to determine the winner of the D. Wayne Lukas Award. Details will be released later this month. The post NYTHA Establishes D. Wayne Lukas Award For Assistant Trainers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Catastrophic flash flooding struck the Ruidoso, New Mexico area Tuesday night, washing away homes and businesses and causing significant damage to Ruidoso Downs. Several feet of water submerged the track and backside area with social media videos showing people and horses alike trying to escape through the torrent. Local reports indicate the Rio Ruidoso river rose to over 20 feet in under an hour in a remarkable, record-breaking flood event, the second Ruidoso has seen in as many years in an area already impacted by wildfire burn scars. CNN reported that at least three people, including two children, were killed in the flooding Tuesday. The Daily Racing Form reported that the rest of the track's 2025 meet, which was scheduled to conclude in September, has been called off with track owner Johnny Trotter telling DRF “We can't run at Ruidoso again this year. We can't put it back together.” Ruidoso Downs Racetrack has been destroyed. Numerous horses were trapped in the flood waters. #nmwx pic.twitter.com/XR9Q15Xol4 — Scott (@RandomHeroWX) July 9, 2025 Major flooding at Ruidoso Downs today. It's being reported they still need trailers to remove horses. pic.twitter.com/V1HSeozXd8 — Michael Dempsey (@turfmichaeld) July 9, 2025 The National Weather Service office in Albuquerque put the Ruidoso area under a Flood Watch Tuesday morning around 9:00 a.m. local time, stating that “A Flood Watch for Flash Flooding is in effect below the recent burn scars around Ruidoso today. Another round of showers and thunderstorms will be capable of producing locally heavy rainfall on already saturated ground.” The Ruidoso area is heavily prone to flash flooding, especially since the Salt and South Fork wildfires tore through the town last summer. The Quarter Horse track, which runs annually from May through September, is in the midst of racing with a 10-race card scheduled for Friday and two Grade I events on the calendar for Saturday. This flood comes nearly one year to the date after flash flooding over a burn scar ran through portions of the track last July. Ruidoso just completed repairs from that flood event in April. This story will be updated. The post Flash Flooding Devastates Ruidoso Downs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 07/08/2025 Licensee: John E. Salzman, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: Medication violation for the use or attempted use of a Class C controlled substance on Had to Have Him during the race period dated 5/16/25. Had to Have Him did not make a start that day. Date: 07/03/2025 Licensee: Jonathaniel Badillo, trainer Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on July 4, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Treated as one violation. Admission. Explainer: Medication violations for the presence of Capsaicin—a Class B controlled substance—in samples taken from Spotten Bull, who won at Parx Racing on 5/21/25; and finished second at Parx Racing on 5/28/25. Date: 07/03/2025 Licensee: Lynn B. Chleborad, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the use or attempted use of a Class C controlled substance on Count de Monet during the race period dated 5/17/25. Count de Monet did not make a start that day. Pending ADMC Violations 07/09/2025, Marcus Vitali, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Ibuprofen and Flunixin—both Class C controlled substances—in a sample taken from Freedom Empire, who won at Turf Paradise on 4/24/25. 07/07/2025, Timothy Murphy, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone—a Class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Lookin' Super, who finished fourth at Finger Lakes on 6/9/25. 07/07/2025, Howard Rubin, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone and Dexamethasone—both Class C controlled substances—in a sample taken from Lucky Diablo on 5/30/25. 07/02/2025, Carlos Sedillo, trainer: Pending medication violation for the possession of Levothyroxine—a banned substance—for an event dated 3/6/25. Violations of Crop Rule Horseshoe Indianapolis Mitchell Murrill – violation date July 3; $250 fine, one-day suspension Los Alamitos David Cohen – violation date July 4; $500 fine, no other information Armando Aguilar – violation date July 4; $750 fine, three-day suspension Thistledown Luis Antonio Gonzalez – violation date July 3; $250 fine, one-day suspension The post National Regulatory Rulings, July 3-9 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Owner-breeder Jaber Abdullah has a reputation for being one of the shrewdest judges around, but even a man with over three decades of experience in the sport can suffer from a crisis of confidence. Abdullah himself discovered as much just last month, on the eve of the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. There his royal blue silks with white striped sleeves and white cap were carried by the Richard Hughes-trained Sayidah Dariyan, who massively outran odds of 66/1 in finishing fourth, beaten just a length and a quarter, behind Time For Sandals. If Abdullah had been given his way, however, Sayidah Dariyan wouldn't have taken her chance at all, with the owner being led to believe that she would be out of her depth against the leading three-year-old sprinters in training. “Jaber rang me the night before and she was 150/1 then,” says Hughes. “He said, 'She's got no chance,' and he didn't want me to run her. I said, 'Boss, I'm running this filly. I really think she's got a good chance.' “So, I had a very sleepless night when you're putting your neck on the line like that, but I would have been disappointed if she hadn't finished in the first four, to be honest. She didn't let us down and she ran a blinder.” The initial purchase of Sayidah Dariyan was typical of Abdullah's apparent Midas touch at the sales, a relatively inexpensive buy who has gone on to prove herself at the top level. She follows in the footsteps of horses such as Queen's Logic, Youmzain, Majestic Roi and Music Show, all Group 1 winners whose combined cost is a mere five-figure sum. Hughes himself tasted Group 1 glory aboard Youmzain and Music Show, with it being 15 years this week since the latter won the Falmouth Stakes. Whilst it was Hughes who struck the winning bid on Sayidah Dariyan when she fetched £35,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, don't think for one second that she passed Abdullah by. “To be honest, I'd never even heard of Dariyan when I bought this filly,” Hughes says of the late Haras de Bonneval stallion. “I just liked the shape of her and I only had her bought five minutes when Jaber rang me and said, 'I want that one.' “Our quality seems to have gone up a notch this season and that's largely thanks to Jaber, who has been a great supporter. I've asked him to buy a few horses and he's bought them. Luckily, I'm repaying his faith.” Certainly, with 39 winners on the board already, Hughes is on track for his most productive season since he saddled his first runners in September 2015, that coming just a matter of weeks after he hung up his riding boots at the conclusion of that year's Qatar Goodwood Festival. A three-time champion jockey in Britain, Hughes has longed for a place at the very top table in this second career and, as the 10-year anniversary of his final day in the saddle looms, finally there's a feeling in the camp that things are going in the right direction. Still, that in itself brings more challenges for Hughes, who will have his allegiances pulled in two different directions this weekend, with big-race runners at both Newmarket and York on 'Super Saturday'. “It is,” Hughes agrees when it's put to him that these are the type of contests that every trainer wants to be involved in. “But then there's a lot of anxiety that comes with it. And you can't be in two places at the one time, which is a shame. I'll probably have to go to Newmarket.” It's at Newmarket on Saturday that Hughes will try to break his Group 1 duck as a trainer when No Half Measures (Cable Bay) lines up in the July Cup, a race he won so memorably as a jockey when partnering Oasis Dream to victory in 2003. At the time of writing No Half Measures is a general 50/1 shot, despite the fact that she was beaten less than three lengths in last year's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye, shortly after her biggest win to date in the G3 World Trophy Stakes at Newbury. No Half Measures shows grit to land the Group 3 Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes at @NewburyRacing for Ryan Moore and @RHughesracing! pic.twitter.com/EzShOTGSQP — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 21, 2024 Owner Richard Gallagher seemingly needed no persuading to have a crack at this Group 1 and, much like he did with Sayidah Dariyan, Hughes warns that it would be a mistake to underestimate his filly in a wide-open division. “She's as good as any of them and I'd say she should be half those odds,” says the trainer. “She's going to run a big race and I couldn't have her any better. She was a bit unlucky at Haydock [when finishing second in the Listed Achilles Stakes]. There was a track bias that day on the stands rail and she had a penalty. She did everything bar win, if you know what I mean. “I just wish it was soft ground for the July Cup. We skipped Ascot because of the ground, but we feel Newmarket might just be a better track for her, with a little bit more ease in the ground. And the fact that we're going six [furlongs] on better ground, that will suit her better than five on better ground. She's just on her head over five on quick ground.” He adds, “She's a really good filly who improved way beyond our expectations last year. Ryan [Moore] won on her at the July Course and, when he got off, he said, 'This is pretty good you know.' I said, 'Will I get a bit of black type?' and he said, 'You'll get better than that.' How right he was.” Elsewhere on Saturday, Whip Cracker (Cracksman) is described as being on a “very dangerous mark” ahead of his run in the John Smith's Cup at York, while Abdullah's Star Of Mehmas (Mehmas) is set to line up in the Listed City Wall Stakes on the same card, having gone close to winning in similar company on her last two starts. By then, Hughes is hoping he'll already be among the winners, with Sayidah Dariyan appearing to hold leading form claims when she drops back down in grade for Friday's G3 Summer Stakes on the Knavesmire. “We thought it was the obvious place to go and she only lost three kilos at Ascot, so that really gave me the green light to train her for York,” Hughes explains. “I didn't have to worry that she'd had too hard a race at Ascot. “I think that was only her third run on grass. She's learning and she's getting stronger. It's a bit of a unique thing sprinting. They have off days, of course they do, but they definitely get better at it the more they race. “The easier six [furlongs] should suit her as well. I think she's quick enough for five, so the fast six at York should be right up her street.” Sayidah Dariyan first showcased her top-class potential last year when winning her maiden at Lingfield by 13 lengths, the sort of margin that you rarely see in sprint races of any description. Or at least that's the idea, but then Hughes sent out another two-year-old filly in the Abdullah silks to spreadeagle her rivals at Haydock last week. America Queen is the horse in question, a daughter of Havana Grey who cost her connections €180,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-up Sale, before winning by 12 lengths when making her debut on Merseyside. Blimey …. 180,000euro breezer (Havana Grey) dazzles on debut in the @BritishEBF fillies' maiden @haydockraces @RHughesracing | @loughnane_billy pic.twitter.com/9TnYep69UP — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 3, 2025 “I picked her out [at the breeze-ups],” Hughes remembers. “I was bidding away and then I got cold feet at about 140 grand, so I told Jaber, 'Please, buy this filly for me,' and he did. She's a very racy type and she just looked very genuine and was easy to deal with at the sales. And she came from a very good consignor [Greenhills Farm] which always helps. “In her routine canters she wouldn't take the eye at all, but she did one nice gallop with Mood Queen. The two of them just went along on the bit, but the fact that it was hard to split them on the bridle told me that she'd be good enough to win [at Haydock].” He adds, “She probably is good. She came from the breeze-ups and we thought she'd probably win if she did everything the right way round. But we didn't foresee anything like that happening, to be honest.” Next on the agenda for America Queen is the G2 Lowther Stakes at York's Ebor Festival, a race Abdullah has already won on five occasions this century, with the great Queen's Logic getting the ball rolling back in 2001. Time will tell whether this filly has the ability to add her name to that illustrious roll of honour but, in the meantime, Hughes is bullish about the prospects of Queen's Logic's granddaughter, Mood Queen (Kodiac), when she lines up in Friday's G2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes over the same course and distance as her recent maiden victory. Abdullah's homebred is the first foal out of the dual winner Baby Alya (Rio De La Plata), a three-parts sister to another Lowther scorer in Lady Of The Desert (Rahy), a filly Hughes later partnered to victory in the G2 Diadem Stakes. For good measure, Lady Of The Desert herself was responsible for Abdullah's latest Lowther heroine, Queen Kindly (Frankel). “It's a great family and we like Mood Queen a lot,” adds Hughes. “She moves beautifully and she's getting better. She's just a real nice two-year-old. “I was quite surprised that Karl Burke is running his filly [Venetian Sun]. I thought when I made the entry that we'd have the best filly in the race, so I've got to get back in my box now! She's a very good filly and I respect her hugely. “But Mood Queen won at Newmarket, and you haven't seen the best of her yet, so she'll have to perform well to beat us, Karl's filly – I think we'll give her a good run for it.” The post Richard Hughes Sets Sights on First Group 1 Success as a Trainer appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bill Farish (Lane's End Farm) and Eric Gustavson (Spendthrift Farm) were re-elected to the Breeders' Cup Board of Directors, the organization said in a release Wednesday. M.V. Magnier (Coolmore) and Craig Fravel (Brown Advisory) were elected to the Board. Farish, Gustavson and Magnier will all serve four-year terms. Fravel, former President & CEO of Breeders' Cup Limited from 2011-19, will serve a three-year term. “We congratulate Bill and Eric on their re-election and are pleased to welcome M.V. and Craig to the Board,” said Barbara Banke, Chairman of Breeders' Cup Limited. “Their combined expertise and vision will be instrumental in driving the success of upcoming Company initiatives, particularly the continued global expansion and impact of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.” The post Farish and Gustavson Re-Elected to Breeders’ Cup Board of Directors; Fravel and M.V. Magnier Elected appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced juveniles from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes, sponsored by OBS Sales, highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, including links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for opening day of the traditional summer meet at Saratoga. Thursday, July 10, 2025 Saratoga 6, $100k, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 4:02 p.m. Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($) Cy Fair (Not This Time), OBSAPR, 185,000 C-Niall Brennan Stables, agt; B-Swinbank Stables c/o G Weaver The post Summer Breezes: Thursday, July 10, 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Reserved seating is now on sale for Kentucky Downs' unique seven-day all-grass race meet. Tickets can be purchased at www.themintkentuckydowns.com/tickets. Kentucky Downs runs Aug. 28, 30, 31 and Sept. 4, 6, 7 and 10. Reserved seating is available every day in the popular open-air Finish Line Pavilion, as well as every day except Saturdays Aug. 30 and Sept. 6 in the air-conditioned VIP Chalet. Parking is free at Kentucky Downs. Post time is 12:20 p.m. Central every day except for Saturdays Aug. 30 and Sept. 6, when it will be 11:30 a.m. CT. The post Reserved Seating Now on Sale at Kentucky Downs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Hugh Bowman surged past his best Hong Kong haul and onto the 71-winner mark with a Happy Valley treble on Wednesday evening, but he won’t be resting on his laurels for too long in the off-season. The 44-year-old struck in the first two races on the card, but by far his best win came in the feature Class Two Begonia Handicap (1,800m) aboard the fast-finishing Jumbo Legend for Caspar Fownes. Victory for the six-year-old never looked likely in the run, with Bowman having to sit and suffer in last...View the full article

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 222 selected yearlings for the 104th Saratoga Sale, to be held on Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 4 and 5, in Saratoga Springs, New York, it was announced Wednesday morning. Sessions will begin each evening at 6:30 pm in the Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion. “We have assembled another outstanding group of yearlings for Saratoga, the type of quality that buyers expect to find at the number one ranked yearling sale by percentage of Grade I winners,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. The Saratoga Sale is once again the top ranked major North American yearling sale by percentage of Grade I winners and graded stakes winners according to statistics recently released by The BloodHorse MarketWatch. The sale has produced six individual Grade I winners in the last year. Recent sales graduates include Eclipse Champion and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone (Gun Runner); Journalism (Curlin), winner of this year's GI Preakness S.; Seize the Grey (Arrogate) (2024 Preakness S. and GI Pennsylvania Derby); Tappan Street (Into Mischief) (2025 GI Florida Derby); Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) (2024 GI Stephen Foster S.); and And One More Time (Omaha Beach) (2024 GI Natalma S.) The sale also has the distinction of producing the last three Preakness Stakes winners in Journalism (2025), Seize the Grey (2024), and National Treasure (Quality Road) (2023). In addition to success at the Grade I level, Saratoga has produced 11 additional individual graded stakes winners in the last 12 months in Ballerina d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), Barnes (Into Mischief), Battle of Normandy (City of Light), Clicquot (Quality Road), Hall of Fame (Gun Runner), Hope Road (Quality Road), Integration (Quality Road), Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro), Owen Almighty (Speightstown), Rocket Can (Into Mischief), and Ticker Tape Home (Medaglia d'Oro). “The depth of quality found at Saratoga is second-to-none,” added Browning. “From catalogues of just 200 or more yearlings, Saratoga has produced six individual Grade I winners in the last year as well as three consecutive Preakness winners.” The catalogue may now be viewed online, and will also be available via the equineline sales catalogue app. Print catalogues are now available from all Fasig-Tipton offices. The post Catalogue for 104th Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale Now Available appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Reigning Eclipse Award winning journeyman Flavien Prat added another milestone to his resume with his first NYRA riding title at the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet.View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – And now for the main event. With nine days of racing already in the books–a proper warmup by any measure, topped by the GI Belmont Stakes–the 157th season of racing at Saratoga begins Thursday with a 10-race program. It is the earliest-possible start in the calendar-driven schedule for the 40-day season that closes on Labor Day Sept. 1. For 44 years after racing resumed at Saratoga in 1946 following World War II, Saratoga was what eventually came to be known as a boutique meet of 24 programs, six days a week over four weeks. The season often started and ended in August, hence the marketing slogan “The August Place to Be.” Saratoga's burgeoning popularity in the 1970s and 1980s prompted the New York Racing Association to expand the meet to 30 days in 1990, then to 36 and finally to 40 in 2009. Four days were added in 2024 to accommodate the inaugural Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Festival, which was held upstate for the first time while Belmont Park is undergoing a massive rebuild. This year, a fifth day was added to the Belmont Festival and NYRA conducted the four-day July 4 Racing Festival last weekend. Those mini meets, technically part of the Belmont-at-the-Big A season, featured 12 Grade I races. By the time that the Saratoga meet draws to a close, a total of 49 days of racing spread over four months, with more than 500 races, will have been staged over America's oldest track. As has been the case for decades, the $1.25-million GI Travers on Aug. 23 and the $1-million GI Whitney on Aug. 2 are the marquee events of the highest-profile meet in North America. There will be 18 Grade I races as part of the 64-stakes menu worth more than $20 million in total purses. Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said he made his first visit to Saratoga 54 years ago with his father Norman, the well-respected horseman and sales executive. Through his life and career, Casse has watched Saratoga grow in importance. His stable had a strong performance at Saratoga last summer: a record of 15-4-7 and earnings of $1.264 million from 53 starts. Mark Casse | Sarah Andrew Casse chuckled as he said that he told a friend over the weekend: “When you win in a lot of places, a small group sees. When you win at Saratoga, the world sees.” Trainer Bill Mott, the nine-time training champ at Saratoga during his distinguished Hall of Fame career, has the nation's leading 3-year-old in his care, Godolphin's Sovereignty (Into Mischief), winner of the GI Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. He expects the colt to prep for the Travers in the GII Jim Dandy on July 26. It is possible that the Travers could be another showdown between Sovereignty, GI Preakness Stakes winner Journalism (Curlin) and Baeza (McKinzie), who finished in that order in the Derby and the Belmont. Mott has been a regular at Saratoga since 1987 and his stable is based next to the Oklahoma training track from spring to late fall. Mott said the Saratoga season has a special feel to it. “It always has,” he said. “Very much. Much more than any other meet.” However, with the two extra weeks of racing this year, Mott said that the run-up to the launch of the season is out of ordinary. “Well, a little bit because of the length of it,” he said. “Yeah, it's a little different.” Sovereignty | Sarah Andrew This is the 12th summer that Jason Fitch and his brothers will operate King's Tavern across Union Avenue from the main entrance to the track. They also run the City Tavern on Caroline Street downtown. Fitch said the Belmont Stakes and July 4 festivals have altered the normal rhythm for Saratoga and racing. “It's funny, because I think a lot of people are confused,” he said. “Confused in a good way, though. Belmont was great for us again this year with the rain. The rain actually helped us, believe it or not. Obviously, if it rained all day, it would have been bad.” Fitch said the rain early in the day slowed down the arrival of the crowd, which enabled his staff to better handle the business coming through the door. Last year, he said the tavern was “jam packed” from morning until night. “Once the rain stopped, it was mayhem, which is great,” he said. “So, Belmont was Belmont. There was a lot of buzz around the track about that just because, obviously, it's the Belmont.” Fitch said that the July 4 weekend was certainly not the same as the Belmont Stakes festival or the regular season. NYRA announced that the total paid attendance for the four days was 52,156 with an on-track handle of $9.5 million. “Just talking to people, there were kind of mixed reviews,” he said. “They were kind of torn between going to the Spa and watching the horses or going to the boat for the fireworks. We have a lot of friends that did half days, a half day at the race course, and then went out to the boats or home for barbecues. We definitely saw a good influx of business at King's and the City Tavern, which was great. It's always positive to have positive numbers. But I think there is some confusion with 'does my heart belong at the racetrack, or does my heart belong on the boat for the Fourth?' Either way, it was a great weekend for us. There were more people in town for the Fourth than when it's just the Fourth of July celebration.” Saratoga | Sarah Andrew Fitch said some of the conversations he had with patrons focused on whether a 22-percent increase in racing days from 2023 to this summer might not be a positive. That has been a common talking point locally as the meet has grown in length over 35 years: How much is too much? No doubt, the key stats remain strong. Even though the 2024 meet was reduced by one day because of bad weather caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, NYRA reported typically solid attendance and handle figures. All-sources handle of $803,806,964 eclipsed the $799,229,288 from 2023, a 3.2 percent gain. Minus the one day, the total paid attendance was 1,051,092, down 2.5 percent from the previous year. As always, racing is a slave to the weather. Despite losing a full day from the meet, NYRA benefitted from an important stat: it moved 20 fewer races from the turf to the dirt–65 to 45–than it did in 2023. The off-the-turf switches due to wet conditions produce many scratches and hurt handle. Saratoga draws the stars and builds reputations every summer. Last year, seven of the 11 horses that earned Eclipse Award titles, led by Horse of the Year 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), competed at least once at the Spa. That championship lineup also featured Immersive (Nyquist), 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), National Treasure (Quality Road), Idiomatic (Curlin), Soul of an Angel (Atreides) and Moira (Ghostzapper). Thorpedo Anna training at Saratoga last fall | Sarah Andrew Thorpedo Anna rebounded from the first off-the-board finish in her career in the GI La Troienne Stakes to win the GII Fleur de Lis Stakes. She is on course to the GI Personal Ensign on Aug. 23. Five-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown will seek his fifth-straight Saratoga training title and eighth overall. His 45 victories last summer doubled the runners-up Todd Pletcher–who has led the standings a record 14 times–and Mike Maker, and was one shy of the track record he set in 2018. Irad Ortiz, Jr. secured his third-consecutive riding title and sixth overall with 52 victories. He had a comfortable advantage over Flavien Prat, who finished with 45 wins. Prat had a record-breaking season at the Spa, though, with 18 stakes victories, surpassing the mark of 15 shared by Ortiz, Jr., Joel Rosario and John Velazquez. Two Saratoga stalwarts for decades, trainers Christophe Clement and D. Wayne Lukas, passed away in recent months. Lukas, 89, was the leading trainer six times and won 266 races, fifth on the all-time list. Clement, 59, won with his second Saratoga starter, Coxwold, in August 1992 and his next-to-last runner, Big Invasion (Declaration of War), in the Harvey Pack on Sept. 2, 2024. NYRA tweaked its stakes schedule for 2025. The most notable changes involved three Grade I races. The Fourstardave was moved ahead one week to the Whitney Day program and the Sword Dancer was relocated from Travers Day to two weeks earlier to fill the slot vacated by the Fourstardave. The Personal Ensign, previously run on the Friday before the Travers, was dropped into the Travers program. Worth noting is that NYRA ran the Schuylerville and the Sanford during the July 4 festival, a week or so earlier than usual, stretching out the 2-year-old stakes program. That might produce more entries in the second legs of the series, the GIII Adirondack and the GII Saratoga Special. Trainer Cherie DeVaux won the GI New York Stakes with her stable star She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) during the Belmont Stakes Festival and will saddle her again Saturday in the GI Diana. DeVaux was born in Saratoga Springs and lived there until her family moved when she was in kindergarten. She began her career in racing as a hotwalker, climbed the ladder to assistant trainer and launched her own stable in 2018. She won her first Saratoga race in 2019. Last summer she finished 10th on the trainer's earnings table with $1,021,400 from a record of 5-10-7. Now based at Barn 83, Lukas's home starting in 1988, she said she is looking forward to the meet. It won't be all business, though, since her parents live in nearby Glens Falls, and her younger sister, Adrianne, has horses at Saratoga in what is her first full year as a trainer. “It's exciting,” DeVaux said. “I love it that nothing changes the environment that's here, the excitement. This is kind of the kickoff of the championship part of the year, getting horses ready for Breeders' Cup and the campaign is getting started for us, as well. So, very excited. Excited for what we're bringing. It should be a good time.” For Jason Fitch and his staff, the upcoming eight-plus weeks will be the busiest of the year. He said there is the standard high level of anticipation for the racing season. “I think so. One hundred percent,” he said. “You see more and more people going across to the Oklahoma, lining up just to see them run around the Oklahoma. It's special. The buzz is definitely there.” The post Saratoga’s Busiest Summer in History Moves to the High-Profile Race Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) has suspended the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory's (PETRL) probationary Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) Equine Analytical Laboratory (HEAL) accreditation status for a minimum of six months, beginning July 8, 2025, the organization announced in a release Wednesday morning. Effective immediately, samples collected in Pennsylvania are being sent to Industrial Laboratories for analysis. HIWU's independent Laboratory Expert Group, which evaluates the performance of Program laboratories, recommended the suspension of PETRL's probationary HEAL accreditation due to nonconformities associated with HEAL compliance. HIWU, in consultation with its Laboratory Expert Group, will review PETRL's response to this suspension and associated corrective actions. Probationary accreditation status will not be restored unless and until the laboratory is in full compliance with HEAL. HIWU's review of PETRL is ongoing, and any impact on resolved or pending ADMC Program cases will be publicly disclosed in accordance with Program rules. The HEAL accreditation program was implemented on January 1, 2025, and is the national laboratory accreditation program established by HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program. Overseen by HIWU, it builds on the foundations of the ISO 17025 and Racing Medication & Testing Consortium models and requires a robust External Quality Assessment Scheme to ensure that Program laboratories maintain HEAL standards. The post HIWU Suspends Probationary HEAL Accreditation of Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Dual Group 1 winner Jukebox Jury, an emerging force in the National Hunt stallion ranks, has died at the age of 19. “It is with great sadness that we announce Jukebox Jury has been euthanised due to complications following colic surgery,” read the statement posted to social media by Burgage Stud, home to the son of Montjeu since 2018. “He had a lovely, kind personality and was a pleasure to work with. He will be greatly missed, but we are thankful he came to Burgage and the impact he has left.” Bred by Paul Nataf, Jukebox Jury proved himself a smart two-year-old for trainer Mark Johnston and owner Alan Spence, notably winning the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes and filling the runner-up spot in the G1 Racing Post Trophy. The following season he added three more Group-race victories to his tally, with the first of his two wins at the top level coming in that year's Preis von Europa. At four he won the G2 Jockey Club Stakes, while at five he won three more races, highlighted by his dead-heat with Duncan in the G1 Irish St Leger. Jukebox Jury retired to Gestut Etzean in Germany in 2013 and was there until 2018 when he moved to join the Burgage roster in County Carlow, Ireland. The G1 Prix du Cadran heroine Princess Zoe was among his star performers conceived during his time in Germany, but it's over jumps where his runners have really excelled. The five-time Grade 1 winner Il Etait Temps is his best runner in that sphere to date, while last season his daughter Bambino Fever was unbeaten in four starts in bumpers, culminating with top-level victories at the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals. The post Jukebox Jury Dies at 19 Following Colic Surgery appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

American Affair (Washington DC) has been ruled out of next month's G1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York, after a bone scan “highlighted some issues”, according to trainer Jim Goldie. An eight-time winner for the Goldie stable, American Affair continued his remarkable rise through the ranks with a popular win in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot last time, providing his trainer with the first Group 1 victory of a career spanning over three decades. Goldie remains hopeful that American Affair will have further opportunities to add to his top-level tally in 2025, with an appearance at the Breeders' Cup top of the wishlist, but a tilt at the Nunthorpe is definitely off the cards. “We're hoping it's not the end of his season,” said the trainer. “We thought, just to clear the decks, if we took him out of the Nunthorpe now, we wouldn't try to rush him back. We don't think it's that serious but, if you get a warning, you heed it. “It was after his routine vaccine for equine flu, sometimes it sets off an allergic reaction, that's the whole idea of it. Basically, he went lame behind on us, but he came sound quite quick. “Obviously, something was going on, so we decided to bone scan him and it highlighted some issues. If you scan most horses in training you'll find something, but we're just being careful.” Goldie added, “The Breeders' Cup isn't until November 1. I've taken advice from various vets that I work with and they think he can make that. I'm reasonably confident we'll get him there.” The post Royal Ascot Hero American Affair Forced to Miss Nunthorpe appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

by Jonny Turner Sunday was billed as Averil’s big day out, and it proved exactly that. Northern Southland owner Averil Fowler sponsored one of the feature events at Ascot Park in the Averil’s Big Day Out Gold Chip Final. The event was run just two races after Fowler watched her pacer Miki Cohen win at $21 odds for trainer-driver Kirstin Green. Both helped deliver a thrilling Sunday for Fowler and her crew of supporters who came to enjoy her big day out. The race carrying her name came about after Fowler won a race sponsorship in a charity auction at a bowling tournament. A week prior, Miki Cohen wasn’t slated to be starting on the same day as Fowler’s race, but a quick chat between Green and Fowler changed that. “I went to the workouts the week before and the horse just had a quiet run, Kirstin said afterwards he was still a bit fat,” Fowler said. “I mentioned that my race was going to be the next week, so she said she might as well chuck him in and I’m glad she did.” Fresh up since April, with two quiet workouts to prepare, the Miki Cohen camp were hopeful rather than overly confident. That meant Fowler told her friends who came to enjoy Averil’s Big Day Out to bet accordingly. Thankfully though, they didn’t listen. “I had a great crew there with me and I said to them he’s still on the way up and not to back him.” “Luckily, they didn’t take any notice of me.” “The horse winning was a great thrill and everyone had a great day.” Fowler’s interest in harness racing stems from a family connection and also through her involvement in bowls. Fowler is an outstanding bowler, having won national titles and numerous tournaments and championships in Southland. When looking to ease back from the commitments of competing, she turned to harness racing. Fowler had previously enjoyed the sport through her late partner, Graham Clearwater, and brother, Murray McKeown. “We raced Nod D’or with Murray. He also had a horse called Joni James, which was named after Dad and our uncle.” “So we followed it pretty closely, it sort of started from there.” Fowler enjoyed success with Dallas Dale earlier this year, also raced from the Green stable with many of the same owners who are in Miki Cohen. Fowler took a share in the latter after watching the national yearling sales. “I saw Kirstin bidding on the horse, the sales were on TV in those days.” “I went in another one with Kirstin this year – a trotter.” “Brad Morris is doing a bit of work with him and all the reports are pretty good so far.” With his fitness to keep improving, Miki Cohen looks set to deliver Fowler more thrills while her yearling progresses towards a racetrack career. View the full article

Race 3 WAITOMO FUELS MAIDEN 1400m ROAR OF THE JUNGLE (M McNab) – Trainer Mr. K Pertab reported to Stewards, that upon return to the stable, the gelding underwent a veterinary exanimation which included blood tests, with no abnormalities being detected. K Pertab further advised that it is his intention to continue with ROAR OF THE JUNGLE’S current preparation and puts the disappointing performance to the Heavy 10 track conditions. Race 4 MCMILLAN ACCOUNTANTS 1560m BALLISTIC MISS (G Rooke) – Trainer Mr. S Marsh reported to Stewards, he was satisfied with the post-race condition of the filly, however, BALLISTIC MISS has been sent for a brief freshen up. The post Racing Rotorua @ Arawa Park, Wednesday 2 July 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Brazilian hoop Bruno Queiroz was airborne in the tangerine silks of Te Akau Racing at Riccarton’s synthetic meeting on Wednesday, guiding two of the stable’s runners to success and another to a narrow placing. The double emulated his effort on the previous day at Otaki, where he piloted Testing (NZ) (Time Test) and He’s All Fabulous (NZ) (Fabulous) to victory across the rescheduled card, before heading south with a big book of rides. His Riccarton brace commenced in the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap Maiden (1600m) where odds-on favourite Purple Prose (NZ) (Embellish) was tasked with running down the $201 outsider New Beginning (NZ) (Vespa), who looked to have a winning break on his rivals in the straight. In a perfectly-timed run, Queiroz wound up on the outside aboard Purple Prose and caught New Beginning just short of the line, a satisfying result for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. “It was a good effort to win from that far back and a lovely ride of Bruno’s,” Walker said. “With his experience beforehand in Singapore, (Bruno) rides the polytracks so well and has a real confidence about him on the synthetic surfaces. “Purple Prose has the breeding to get over more distance, being a half-brother to our good staying mare Elegant Lady (NZ) (Highly Recommended), and he’ll keep improving with more time and maturity.” A couple of races later, it was the turn of Queen Of Naples (NZ) (Darci Brahma), who was shooting for a repeat performance after a dominant maiden win at the course last month. Starting as the second-elect in the Red Nose Raceday – 24 July Three-Year-Old (1400m), Queiroz looked to find cover early aboard the daughter of Darci Brahma, but with no leader emerging from the field, he took matters into his own hands and dictated the tempo up-front. The filly was travelling strongly into the straight, and once she kicked clear, she was never in doubt, holding out a strong finish from race-favourite Wanderin Spelle (NZ) (Wyndspelle) to score by 3–¾ lengths. Queiroz was duly impressed with Queen Of Naples and is enjoying life in New Zealand after relocating to the country in autumn. “I was confident because her last win was very, very, easy, and today, this field did not have pace,” he said. “I had instructions to keep her happy and she was travelling very well. I waited until the straight, and in the last 200m, she was flying home. “I am very happy here, love this country, and with my manager Andre Neill, we are getting plenty of support and opportunities. I’m happy to enjoy my work here and enjoy the moment.” It looked that Queiroz may have completed the treble in the last, with a long wait for a photo finish between his mount, Rule Of Law, and Delmonico, but the result went the way of the Andrew Carston-trained runner. View the full article

Local gelding Zoulander (NZ) (Zoustar) belied his odds once more when scoring his second consecutive victory on Riccarton’s synthetic track on Wednesday. Despite winning over 1400m on the surface last month, he was unwanted by punters in the Join TAB Racing Club Rating 75 (1400m), jumping a $26.40 outsider. The seven-year-old gelding was slow out of the gates, but he quickly regained the deficit and apprentice jockey Floor Moerman elected to push forward on the fence to sit in the trail. Pacemaker Doubtful Sound (Not A Single Doubt) kicked clear at the turn and Moerman was seeking to find clear running room for her charge, which she found with 250m to go and Zoulander was able to reel in the leaders to win by a head over Sorcha (NZ) (Burgundy), with a further neck back to Doubtful Sound in third. “He missed the kick, or maybe I missed the kick on him, but he got back to them pretty quickly and then he travelled really well all the way,” Moerman said. “As soon as I got clean air, he was really wonderful. He is lovely to ride.” While his victory may have surprised punters it didn’t surprise his handlers, who have now set their sights on the $100,000 Polytrack Championship (1200m) at Riccarton on August 6. “On his day he tries hard, and his work has been just as good, if not better, since that last start,” Matthew Pitman said. “We said to Floor before the race to ride him for a bit of luck and put him in a dogfight, and you know once he gets into that dogfight he usually comes out on top. She rode him well. “He will be eligible for the $100,000 race on the poly in the middle of the National Week. That will be a great race for him to target, and in the form he is currently in he wouldn’t be without a chance.” A race later, the Pitmans were back in the winner’s circle welcoming back Ocean Light (NZ) (Ocean Park) following his long head victory in the Cup Week Hospitality On Sale Now Rating 75 (2200m). The four-year-old son of Ocean Park is also set to return to the track during the Grand National Festival of Racing next month, with the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) being his ultimate aim in November. “He is a very good horse and I was very pleased with how he was ridden today. He is a better horse when he is left behind the speed,” Michael Pitman said. “There is a nice race for him on the middle day (of the Grand National carnival) on the poly. The poly has got its place, it suits certain horses, and he is one of the ones it does suit. He will then be probably set for the New Zealand Cup.” Earlier on the card, Cape Horn (All Too Hard) broke through for his maiden victory in the Herman’s Hermits 2 August Christchurch Maiden (1200m) at his third career start, and kicked off what would become a winning treble for his trainers, who now sit on 36 wins for the season. View the full article

The star Kiwi jockey joined Racing Pulse after recently announcing he is going to come out of retirement and return to race riding. Listen Here View the full article

Apprentice jockey Triston Moodley is on the mend in Hamilton Hospital following an incident at the Waipa trials on Tuesday. The 23-year-old hoop was kicked in the head in the mounting yard at the Te Awamutu track and he was airlifted to Waikato Hospital where he underwent surgery last night. Moodley is apprenticed to Byerley Park trainer Danny Walker, who has been by his bedside and reported that he has come through the surgery well. “He got kicked in the head yesterday at the trials, he is in Hamilton Hospital, and he had surgery last night and had a plate put in,” Walker said. “It was quite a long operation, but he has come through it well. “They did a scan today and they are reasonably happy. They said there is a little bit of blood there, but it should dissolve. “They will do another scan tomorrow and continue to monitor him. “He is very drowsy and tired after a big surgery. It will just be a long resting period for him at the moment to recuperate.” Walker said the doctors haven’t given a prognosis on how long they expect Moodley will be out of the saddle, and Walker said he is thankful the outcome wasn’t worse. “It is very thankful that he had his skull cap on,” Walker said. “It could have been anybody walking out in the parade ring that got kicked, but it just happened to be him, it is just one of those unfortunate things. “They haven’t given a prognosis on how long he will be out, but he will be out for a couple of months at least. “He is very unlucky, but lucky.” Moodley was enjoying his best season to date with 52 victories, 12 more than last season, highlighted by his first stakes victory aboard the Erin Hocquard-trained Spencer in the Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa last October. View the full article

Race 8 OPTIMISE FERTILISERS & EQUI-LISE RATING 65 1400m HIT THE SWITCH (B Jacobson) – Trainer Mr. J Blackadder reported to Stewards, that upon return to the stable the gelding underwent blood tests, which revealed no abnormalities. J Blackadder further advised HIT THE SWITCH has been sent for a brief freshen up. J Blackadder puts the disappointing performance of the gelding down to the Heavy 10 track conditions. The post Amberley Racing Club @ Riccarton Park, Saturday 21 June 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Bob Butt is letting his mind wander. An easy win on night one for Bet N Win and another great barrier draw in the second round of heats on Saturday night have Butt excited about tackling Saturday week’s $500,000 Grand Final. And who the main danger might be. Other than unexpected change of training bases when Bet N Win first arrived in Queensland, everything has gone superbly for the young trotting star during this Aussie raid. “Even having to change bases because of the beach situation near Vic (Frost) and Gail (Geeson) was more of an inconvenience for us than the horse,” co-trainer David White said. “He’s been terrific all the way, from Sydney to Brisbane and through his two races. “They’ve been ideal races to get under his belt as things start to get more serious.” Butt couldn’t agree more. “He raced well and felt great,” he said. “It’s terrific to have another nice draw in what looks a winnable race again this week. “He’s really showing he’s one of the top chances in the series. “In saying that, I thought Arcee Phoenix was fantastic on the first night and he’s the one I look at as the horse to beat. “I’d think we’d need him to have some bad luck, whether it’s in the barrier draw or the race itself, to beat him in the final the way he’s going.” Bet N Win, who is $1.60 favourite to win again this week, doesn’t have to contend with Arcee Phoenix on Saturday. The Victorian star and TAB Trot winner will instead clash with the other Kiwi raider, Oscar Bonavena, in the last of the trotting qualifiers (race five). And it’s a race with layers. Oscar Bonavena was one of the stories of night one after finishing a desperately unlucky seventh and driver Adam Sanderson putting his hand up for a howler of a drive. Mark and Nathan Purdon have “stuck fat” and backed in Sanderson to atone on night two. It is a fair call given his overall record and the superb way he’s driven the likes of Oscar Bonavena and Rubira through this Carnival. Oscar Bonavena will probably need a top two finish to be assured of a final berth after being so far down the points table after night one. But he will need to be on his best behavior from a draw which would suit many but probably not him. Oscar Bonavena will start from the pole and he has shown several times he can gallop at the start from inside draws on the front row. In another twist to the race, Arcee Phoenix will start from directly behind him (gate eight). His trainer-driver Chris Svanosio will be really wary of Oscar Bonavena at the start and careful not to strike trouble if he makes a break. View the full article

Two of the heavyweights of New Zealand synthetic racing are set to meet for just the second time this week at Cambridge’s synthetic meeting on Thursday. The Mark Treweek-trained Lhasa (Hellbent) has won six of his nine starts on the surface, while the David Greene-trained Branciforti (NZ) (Belardo) has won four of her nine polytrack starts, including defeating the former in last year’s $100,000 Martin Collins Polytrack 1400m Innovation Race at Awapuni. The pair will renew their rivalry in Thursday’s Cambridge Real Estate 1300, with the 92-rated Lhasa set to carry 63.5kg, 6.5kg more than the 79-rated Branciforti. Initially set to carry 67.5kg, Treweek has utilised the services of four-kilogram claiming apprentice Sam McNab, but said his charge still has a tough ask under the big impost. “It is a lot of weight, so we have gone for a four-kilo claim,” Treweek said. “I have been giving it a lot of thought as to whether to run him or not, but it (weight) is what it is and at this stage we will be running. “I know they say weight will stop a train but horses on that track carry the weight a little bit better, it’s not like you are running in a really deep track on the turf.” The $100,000 Polytrack Championship (1400m) at Awapuni next month remains a lucrative carrot for Treweek, who said he was keen to give his gelding another run to keep him up to the mark. “He is very well so I was keen to give him another run,” he said. “There’s the $100,000 series coming up, so it would be nice to think we could have a look at one of those providing he comes through the race well on Thursday.” Treweek will also head to Cambridge on Thursday with another synthetic specialist in Seamsew (Brazen Beau), who will contest the Saddlery Warehouse 970. “He has battled away and hasn’t hit the line too well in his last two runs, he has needed the runs,” he said. “I expect him to go a really good race on Thursday, he is very well and a bit fitter now, so he should be right in it.” Treweek has elected to engage in-form apprentice jockey Yuga Okubo on Thursday, with his four-kilogram claim bringing Seamsew’s impost down to 55.5kg. The Cambridge trainer is impressed with the pool of quality four-kilogram claiming apprentices in the region and said it bodes well for the industry’s future. “We are blessed with some good jockeys coming through,” he said. “Both of those boys ride really well, and so does Ashlee Strawbridge. They are really good riders for their claim.” View the full article

LEXINGTON, KY – The day, which began at Newtown Paddocks Tuesday with a steady renewal of the Fasig-Tipton July Selected Yearlings Sale, ended with a record-blasting edition of the Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale and it was the very last horse through the ring who made the loudest noise when stakes-winning 2-year-old Romeo (Honor A. P.) sold for $1.7 million to the bid of Mahmud Mouni. The Horses of Racing Age catalogue, down to 70 entries from 123 a year ago, may have been small, but it was definitely mighty as decreased supply ran headlong into increased demand. With all but three offered horses failing to meet their reserves, 51 horses sold for $8,037,000 for a sales record average of $157,588 and record median of $95,000. The average was up 52.7% and the median rose 53.2% from 2024 figures. “I am not going to say we knew it was going to be this strong, but we knew it was going to be strong,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “And the reason we knew it was going to be strong is because we really, really tried to recruit some top-quality horses over the last 60 days. It is very hard to get a man or woman with a live racehorse to sell that racehorse, because they are hard to get and people enjoy having them. There is a scarcity of supply and the demand is off the charts.” The auction produced a seven-figure topper for the second year in a row when Mouni paid a sale record $1.7 million for Bashford Manor Stakes winner Romeo from the Paramount Sales consignment. The Fasig-Tipton July Selected Yearling Sale, meanwhile, produced results largely in line with its 2024 renewal. A total of 156 head grossed $16,828,000 for an average of $107,872 and a median of $90,000. The average dipped slightly from 2024 when 154 horses sold for $17,319,000 for an average of $112,461, while the median was unchanged. With 61 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 28.1%, down from 33.3% a year ago. “It was a solid start to the yearling sales season,” Browning said. “The numbers are virtually identical to last year, despite a few less horses. The average is virtually the same, the median is the same, and the RNA rate is a little bit better than it was last year. I think, as we expected, it was a very similar marketplace to last year. Trade was solid. There was no craziness that took place in this sale. But that's not what this sale is intended to do. It doesn't have the pedigrees that allow you to have breakout activity in the yearling sale. But if you brought a well-conformed horse here that was athletic, mature and vetted well, you were rewarded. So it was a very, very good start. It should provide a level of confidence to everybody as we move onto the next stage.” A colt from the first crop of multiple Grade I winner Jack Christopher was the day's top-priced yearling, selling for $350,000 to CHC, Inc. and Maverick Racing. The yearling was consigned by Buckland Sales. $1.7-Million Romeo Ends Horses of Racing Age Sale with a Bang Mahmud Mouni, active last fall and all spring buying for the Libyan partnership Tagermeen Racing, went to a sales record $1.7 million to acquire stakes-winning juvenile Romeo (Honor A. P.) (hip 370) as the very last horse through the ring at the Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale Tuesday. He was consigned by Paramount Sales. “We are planning to send the horse to Steve Asmussen,” Mouni said after letting his son do much of the bidding in the back ring. “We would like to have a chance with the next few races and to the Breeders' Cup this year. But our main plan is for Saudi Arabia next year and maybe the Derby in Dubai. This is too many plans. I will ask the trainer what is best. But the main issue is to go to the Middle East for 2026.” Of the colt's final price, Mouni said, “I was shocked. We were expecting $750,000 to $1 million.” Romeo, who RNA'd for $14,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale, made three starts for owner Joseph Lloyd and trainer John Robb. After romping in his May 3 debut at Laurel, he finished third in the June 5 Tremont Stakes and scored a front-running 3 3/4-length victory while setting a new stakes record in the June 29 Bashford Manor Stakes last time out. Team Paramount and Team Mouni celebrate at Fasig-Tipton | Fasig-Tipton The colt's engagement in the Fasig-Tipton sale came about thanks to Paramount's Paddy Campion, who found Lloyd via social media. “I got in touch with the owner on Facebook and we arranged a call,” Campion said. “I thought it would be a good idea to put him in this sale just coming off that win. He agreed that it was a good idea, so we started talking. The snowball started rolling. Fasig played a huge roll in trying to organize everything and make everything go smoothly.” It wasn't until Sunday that Campion saw the horse in person. “I kind of a breathed a sigh of relief when I saw him off the van because he's beautiful also,” he said. “Then I realized he was the whole package. And then I saw all the big people coming to inspect him and I could tell they thought the same thing. I think he's the real deal. He was so calm and collected the whole time.” Of Lloyd, Campion said, “He is a smaller-time guy. He lives in Baltimore and has four kids. He had a nice filly in the past, but this is a huge result.” Asked about the owner's reaction to the $1.7-million result, Campion said, “I have been back and forth on text. I actually have to call him.” Campion added with a smile, “And I need to add him as a friend on Facebook now.” Red Route One Off to Stud, Destination Undecided Emmanuel de Seroux went to $550,000 to acquire multiple graded winner Red Route One (Gun Runner) (hip 329) and the bloodstock agent said the 5-year-old's racing career is over. Red Route One in the ring Tuesday | Fasig-Tipton “We bought him for stud duties,” de Seroux said. “We don't know where yet. We have many options. We have to sit down and decide where he is going to go.” Bred and raced by Winchell Thoroughbreds and trained by Steve Asmussen, Red Route One won the GIII Essex Handicap in March, as well as the 2024 GII New Orleans Classic and GIII Prairie Meadows Cornhusker and the 2023 GIII West Virginia Derby. On the board in 13 of 28 starts, he won six times and earned $2,165,107. Red Route One, who was consigned Tuesday by Taylor Made Sales Agency, is out of the unraced Red House (Tapit), who is a full-sister to champion Untapable. “He's by Gun Runner out of a Tapit mare,” de Seroux said of Red Route One's stallion appeal. “He made $2 million like the auctioneer reminded us. And he's a beautiful horse. He has quite a lot of attributes to be a successful stallion, I think.” Of the chestnut's final price tag, de Seroux added, “You always hope to get them for less, but a horse like this, obviously quite a few people wanted him.” Just a few hips later, de Seroux was back in action to acquire Rosie Jeeks (World of Trouble) (hip 332) for $300,000. Consigned by Elite, agent, the 4-year-old filly is coming off a win in the Goldwood Stakes sprinting over the lawn at Monmouth Park June 21 for Team Hanley and Thirty Year Farm and trainer Chad Brown. “She is going to run in Del Mar hopefully,” de Seroux said. Jack Christopher Colt Tops in July The first yearlings by multiple Grade I winner Jack Christopher (Munnings) were well-received during the Fasig-Tipton July Selected Yearling Sale Tuesday in Lexington, with a colt by the Coolmore stallion (hip 35) attracting the auction's top price when selling for $350,000 to China Horse Club and WinStar's Maverick Racing. The chestnut was bred by Susan King and was consigned by Zach Madden's Buckland Sales. He is out of Above the Crowd (Discreetly Mine). “He was our favorite horse of the sale,” said WinStar's Elliott Walden. “We stretched a bit for him, but he was a beautiful colt.” Hip 35, a colt by Jack Christopher | Fasig-Tipton The China Horse Club/Maverick Racing partnership came back later in the showcase to purchase another colt by Jack Christopher (hip 87) for $110,000. That chestnut, a $50,000 Keeneland January yearling, was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, as agent for Love's Equine Stables. “We just thought they were both athletic,” Walden said of the pair. Jack Christopher, who RNA'd for $145,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton July Freshman Sire Showcase before selling for $135,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October sale, won the 2021 GI Champagne Stakes at two and returned at three to win the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial and GI Woody Stephens Stakes. Trainer Ken McPeek purchased the auction's second-highest priced yearling by the sire, going to $270,000 for a yearling from the Lane's End consignment, while Flying Dutchman paid $200,000 for a colt from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. In all, the stallion, who stood the 2025 season for $25,000, had nine yearlings sell Tuesday for an average of $162,778. The results made sense to Coolmore's Adrian Wallace. “He was a highly accomplished racehorse himself, a three-time Grade I winner,” Wallace said of Jack Christopher. “He always showed an awful lot of speed in his career. He was a precocious 2-year-old himself. And he's by Munnings, who gets fast, early, precocious horses. So you'd imagine Jack Christopher is a carbon copy of that. He was a better racehorse than Munnings was and he was very well-supported by breeders in his first couple years at stud.” Wallace continued, “The first crop look the part. The first one through the ring from Buckland Sales, bred by Susan King, to bring $350,000 and to go to China Horse Club and Maverick is a great indication of that. The future looks exceptionally bright for him and hopefully he will keep on going. It's obviously early days, but you'd have to be very enthused by the way they look.” Of the similarities he sees in the stallion's yearlings, Wallace said, “They are stamped very much, you can almost pick them out of a crowd. They are very similar. They are generally chestnuts with big white blazes, athletic fast-looking horses with plenty of strength with good hip and shoulders. They look like him. And if he can get some like himself, he will be off to a great start.” 'We Loved Her': Epicenter Filly a Score for Beamish As Stephanie Beamish and Keiber Rengifo accepted congratulations out back, Beamish admitted the $185,000 she and her partners had just sold an Epicenter filly (hip 61) for was among her best results in three decades of pinhooking. “We were really looking for $100,000, so we are very pleased with where she ended up,” Beamish said. “This is one of the better ones that I've had.” The bay filly, who was purchased Tuesday by Winchell Thoroughbreds, which campaigned her champion first-crop sire, was acquired by Beamish, Rengifo and Mike Rose for $43,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale. She was consigned to the Fasig-Tipton sale Tuesday by Four Star Sales. “Her conformation. She just had a very, very balanced body with a nice neck,” Beamish said of the filly's appeal last fall. “She had a beautiful walk even as a baby. She just had the package that we look for.” The Fasig-Tipton grounds | Fasig-Tipton Of her pinhooking career, Beamish said, “In different scenarios, I've been doing it for at least 30 years. It started long ago, just being a rider myself, not on racehorses, but being around the horses and going to the races. Then going to farms and watching breeding. It just sucked me in. I have done some 2-year-olds in training [sales], but I mostly try to stay with the babies to yearlings.” The partners had five additional yearlings sell Tuesday. Among that group were: a colt by Munnings (hip 110), purchased for $125,000 at Keeneland November, selling for $190,000 to Arroyo Bloodstock, agent for FTF Racing; a filly by Volatile (hip 143), purchased for $57,000 at Keeneland November, selling for $160,000 to Osiris Racing Stables; and a filly by Corniche (hip 168), purchased for $35,000 at Fasig-Tipton November, selling for $72,000 to Doble Jak Inv. Rounding out the group, hip 250, a son of Liam's Map who had been purchased for $90,000 at Keeneland November, sold for $175,000 to Rengifo's Golden Rock LLC. The post $1.7-Million Romeo Leads Record-Setting F-T July HORA Sale; Yearling Demand Stays Steady appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Speaking with horsemen July 8, Del Mar officials laid out the plans in the event Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents or any other law enforcement entity attempt to "raid" the premises.View the full article