Wandering Eyes

An expanded racing radio and TV schedule from America's Best Racing now includes individual stakes coverage.View the full article

Equibase aims to cast a wide net as it begins to work on a ratings system that will serve as an option for racing secretaries in setting future racing conditions while perhaps providing an alternative to claiming races.View the full article

In a question-and-answer session with ABR's Tom Pedulla, owner Richard Rigney discusses why he struck out on his own with Rigney Racing, his working relationship and friendship with private trainer Phil Bauer, and surviving a plane crash.View the full article

Maiden Watch: Week of Feb. 3-9View the full article

Out of the shadows of his stablemates, Getaway Car is the favorite for trainer Bob Baffert in the $400,000 Sunland Park Derby.View the full article

Three thieves who targeted sporting museums in a two-decade long crime spree were convicted by a Pennsylvania jury Feb. 7 and are now facing federal prison sentences after a fourth, the ringleader of the group, pleaded guilty and testified against them. Included in the 1999-2019 crime spree was the 2013 smash-and-grab, nighttime heist of five trophies worth an estimated $400,000 from the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York. The looted trophies, three of which were solid gold and one of which was the 1903 Belmont Stakes trophy valued at $150,000, will never be recovered. That's because in the hours following the theft, the thieves drove 215 miles south to a bar that one of them owned in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and “melted the trophies down into easily transportable metal pieces,” according to the criminal indictment. The very next day, the thieves drove to New York City, where they sold the raw materials “for approximately $150,000 to $160,000,” the indictment stated. Brien Bouyea, the communications director for the museum, told TDN in a Feb. 11 email that his organization was grateful that police and prosecutors had pursued the criminal convictions and guilty pleas. “The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is pleased to learn of these convictions,” Bouyea wrote. “While the irreplaceable items that were stolen were not recovered, these convictions offer a sense of closure. We thank the prosecutors and law enforcement for their efforts in bringing these criminals to justice.” A methodology of “target-steal-melt-sell” was the blueprint for how at least nine known individuals broke into 14 museums in the Eastern United States over a 20-year span, ripping off artwork, sporting hardware, and high-value, antique memorabilia. According to the June 6, 2023, indictment filed by prosecutors in U.S. District Court (Middle District of Pennsylvania), 20 of the stolen pieces were considered “objects of cultural heritage” as defined by the federal criminal code because they are “either over 100 years old and worth in excess of $5,000 [or] less than 100 years old and worth at least $100,000.” The thieves also orchestrated a 2012 robbery at the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York, where they made off with 14 trophies and other awards worth over $300,000. They also hit museums related to baseball, boxing and golf, looting nine World Series rings and other items once belonging to New York Yankees greats Yogi Berra and Roger Maris; six championship title-fight belts, and the U.S. amateur golf trophy once awarded to Ben Hogan. The thieves also dabbled in popular art and antique firearms, hauling off paintings by Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock, plus three guns worth a combined $1 million. The trophies and awards would be stripped “of the gemstones and other valuable attachments prior to melting the objects clown into easily transportable bars, disks, pucks, and other small pieces of the valuable metals,” the indictment stated. The sales of the metals generally returned only a fraction of what the intact valuables were worth. The “objects of cultural heritage which could not be broken down, such as antique firearms and paintings,” were then sold on the black market, the indictment stated. The New York Times reported that Nicholas Dombek, 54, Joseph Atsus, 50, and Damien Boland, 48, were convicted of concealment and disposal of major artwork and interstate transportation of stolen property. Atsus and Dombek were acquitted on several lesser counts alleged by the prosecution. A fourth defendant, Alfred Atsus, 48, the brother of Joseph, was acquitted on all charges. The convictions were made possible after the leader of the group, Thomas Trotta, 49, was pulled over by state police in Pennsylvania in 2019 for swerving his vehicle. Trotta was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, and in the car, the police found bolt cutters, a sledgehammer, headlamps, ski masks, gloves and several phones. The New York Times reported that investigators “then traced DNA from a cup of water Mr. Trotta drank from while in custody and matched it to DNA found at several burglaries.” Trotta cooperated with law enforcement and eventually pleaded guilty. He wore a wire to record conversations with others in the ring, most of whom were his friends since middle school. Several of the thieves were the godfathers of Trotta's children, the admitted ringleader testified from the stand. “I'm sure they don't like me now,” Trotta said as part of his testimony, the New York Times reported. Three other thieves involved in the organized ring had already pleaded guilty. They are Ralph Parry, 46, Frank Tassiello, 52, and Dawn Trotta, 53, the sister of the ringleader. Another defendant, Daryl Rinker, 51, died in April 2024 of natural causes. All of the thieves who pleaded guilty or were convicted are awaiting sentencing. The 2023 indictment gave a glimpse of how the National Racing Museum heist was planned and executed on Sept. 13, 2013, just 10 days after the racing season had concluded at the historic track right across the street. Per usual, the planning, getaway and meltdown operations were a group effort. Except for one time in that 20-year span, Trotta testified that he always carried out the actual thefts alone. “Prior to Sept. 13, 2013, Nicholas Dombek, Damien Boland and Conspirator No. 1 [later revealed to be Trotta] made multiple visits to the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame [to] view objects of cultural heritage displayed therein and to observe the security measures protecting said objects,” the indictment stated. Then, in the overnight hours of Sept. 13, Boland drove Trotta to Saratoga, where he “entered the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame without authorization, smashed multiple glass display cases with a center-punch tool and grinder, and stole and removed five trophies displayed therein.” Published news accounts at the time described how the thief was able to navigate the unlit corridors of the landmark Union Avenue building without triggering perimeter alarms. In the museum's steeplechase gallery, Trotta took trophies from the 1914 Brook Cup Handicap Steeplechase (won by Compliment) and the 1923 Grand National Steeplechase (won by Sergeant Murphy). He then moved to the post-Civil War gallery, and from a single case pilfered trophies from the 1903 Belmont Stakes (won by Africander), the 1903 Brighton Cup (won by Hermis), and the 1905 Saratoga Special (won by Mohawk II). Upon exiting the museum, Boland drove Trotta and the looted objects 1.7 miles to the parking lot of the Saratoga Casino Hotel, where Trotta transferred the trophies to his own car. The two then drove their separate vehicles 190 miles south to the parking lot of a Denny's restaurant in Dickson City, Pennsylvania, “to inventory the trophies stolen,” the indictment stated. They then proceeded another seven miles to Scranton, where they met up at a bar called Collier's, owned by Boland, to melt down the trophies, the indictment stated. The next day they drove together to New York City “and sold the pieces to an individual known to the Grand Jury,” the indictment stated. After Sept. 14, “[Trotta] paid Nicholas Dombek $30,000 from the proceeds…in exchange for Dombek's help in planning the theft,” the indictment stated. In 2024, Trotta told the CBS-TV news magazine “60 Minutes” that he was able to successfully case museums without drawing attention to himself, even while video recording the very items he planned to steal. “I have a dorky look to me,” Trotta told “60 Minutes” reporter Jon Wertheim. “I notice I don't look like a criminal at all.” Trotta told “60 Minutes” that the gang had justified the thefts by thinking, “Hey, nobody's getting hurt.” But, added Trotta, who was imprisoned prior to testifying at the trial of his friends, “I never looked at it like, sitting in jail for 51 months. Emotionally, I destroyed people. I know this now. I do regret hurting everybody I stole anything from.” The post Dozen Years After National Museum Of Racing Trophy Thefts, Convictions Bring Sense Of Closure appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There are four horse racing meetings set for Australia on Wednesday, February 12. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the best bets and the quaddie numbers for Hawkesbury & Sha Tin (HK). Wednesday’s Free Horse Racing Tips – February 12, 2025 Hawkesbury Racing Tips Happy Valley (HK) Racing Tips As always, there are plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans. Check out all the top horse racing bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on February 12, 2025 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. Neds Code GETON 1 Take It To The Neds Level Neds Only orange bookie! Check Out Neds Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit today. “GETON is not a bonus code. Neds does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. Full terms. BlondeBet Signup Code GETON 2 Punters Prefer Blondes BlondeBet Blonde Boosts – Elevate your prices! Join BlondeBet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GAMBLING WITH? full terms. 3 Next Gen Racing Betting Picklebet Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Join Picklebet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Full terms. Recommended! 4 It Pays To Play PlayUp Aussie-owned horse racing specialists! Check Out PlayUp Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Full terms. Dabble Signup Code AUSRACING 5 Say Hey to the social bet! Dabble You Better Believe It Join Dabble Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Full terms. Bet365 Signup Code GETON 6 Never Ordinary Bet365 World Favourite! Visit Bet365 Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. GETON is not a bonus code. bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. What’s gambling really costing you? Full terms. Horse racing tips View the full article

Our business already includes one John whose namesake signed the Declaration of Independence. (Good day to you, Mr. Penn.) But now we have another, this time on four legs, bidding to confirm that Constitution–if not a founding father–is certainly a patriarch in the making. Yet if the Sam F. Davis Stakes winner were to carve his “John Hancock” on the GI Kentucky Derby roll of honor, he would only be further magnifying two names whose Churchill achievements are already outsized. One is that of his dam Scribbling Sarah (Freud), who ended her track career under a $5,000 tag at Finger Lakes but has already produced a Grade I winner. The other belongs to a woman who, albeit no longer directly involved with this mare, must be counted one of our sport's principal overachievers in recent times. On retirement, Scribbling Sarah was purchased for $7,500 by Gail Rice (docket signed by husband Bobby Jones) at Fasig-Tipton's February Sale in 2015. Scribbling Sarah's brother had missed a G1 Norfolk Stakes podium by a nose, and she had herself managed to win a state-bred maiden at Saratoga as a 3-year-old. But primarily, Gail was drawn to the big Quarter Horse hip and deep girth commended by her mentors in a world of which she had known nothing in her youth. Jimmy Gladwell Sr., for one, but the real immersion had come through first husband Wayne Rice and his family. Wayne's father Clyde grew up riding rodeo with another boy named D. Wayne Lukas, and subsequently became a pioneer pinhooker and serial leading trainer at Penn National. Clyde was followed into training by Wayne and his sister Linda–who had actually trained Scribbling Sarah, though Gail didn't know that when buying her–while his grandchildren include trainers Kevin and Adam, jockey Taylor and pinhooker Brandon. Gail absorbed the Rice lore well, and her choice of Mr Speaker for Scribbling Sarah's second cover resulted in a filly sold as an OBS short yearling for $65,000. When that filly developed into GI Ashland Stakes winner/GI Kentucky Oaks third Speech, Gail accepted a “life-changing” offer from WinStar for Scribbling Sarah, who was still only 10. It was a fantastic coup for a breeder who only had a couple of other mares. One of these was Mongolian Changa (Brilliant Speed), purchased as a $9,000 yearling and trained by Wayne to win a Presque Isle maiden in a light career. Her first foal, by Protonico, arrived ahead of her milk but Gail had prepared by freezing some of Scribbling Sarah's, who had delivered an Upstart colt (later won four of eight starts) a month previously. While the Protonico sold for just $1,000 as a short yearling, against all odds he turned out to be the anointed colt of his crop, destined to return to the Churchill winner's circle under a blanket of roses. And though the Medina Spirit fairytale obviously did not end happily, Mongolian Changa was sold at Fasig-Tipton that November for $1.05 million to Katsumi Yoshida. But if Gail had shown that you sometimes need only a sling to bring down a giant, she has now also passed on some of her luck to Goliath. Thoroughbreds being what they are, there had been zero guarantee that WinStar would be able to borrow Gail's Midas touch after enabling her to cash out Scribbling Sarah. In the event, their purchase has been immediately vindicated. The mare's first cover at WinStar was their young gun Constitution. The resulting colt was scratched from Book 1 of the September Sale and instead surfaced in the farm's racetrack program, in partnership with China Horse Club and Siena Farm. Whoever among these had the inspiration of calling him John Hancock, cleverly combining the names of sire and dam, certainly deserves to land on the Classic trail. But having broken 70 seconds on debut, and now controlled a race barely beyond a mile (and on a speed-favoring surface), John Hancock clearly needs to stretch out from here. He did gallop out with gusto last Saturday, but you couldn't say he has a blatant Derby pedigree. Scribbling Sarah, a turf sprinter herself, was out of a Talkin Man mare who did win in cheap claiming grade on dirt but ended up switching to grass. (That mare's siblings, incidentally, included an 18-for-50 Grade III winner in Wishful Tomcat {Tactical Cat} plus the dam of 13-for-70 stakes stalwart Rated R Superstar {Kodiak Kowboy}, so there's some pretty robust blood around.) The next dam, by the good distaff influence Lord At War (Arg), won a dirt sprint in a curtailed career; and she's out of a Halo half-sister to GI Hopeful Stakes winner Papal Power. That actually means John Hancock shares a fourth dam with Carson's Run, who's also by a son of Tapit in Cupid but has nonetheless excelled over turf–at least showing, in the process, auspicious stamina. On the other hand, Speech seemingly managed to draw on the Classic dirt genes behind her turf sire, Mr. Speaker, while ultimately reverting to sprinting. But then we must throw into the mix Constitution, whose son Catching Freedom emerged as a key player on the Classic trail this time last year. That helped Constitution break into the top five in the general sires' list for 2024, and remember he is only now cycling through his upgraded mares. In fact, John Hancock belongs to his first crop conceived at $85,000, up from $40,000 after Tiz the Law starred among his first sophomores. But whatever Constitution can contribute, for now he must yield center stage to a mare who has not only already had an Oaks third, but also donated milk to the first home in the Derby! A LONG ROAD BEHIND Colloquial | Coglianese Terminology (Bernardini) has a pretty similar background to Scribbling Sarah, in that she broke her maiden under a $25,000 tag at Presque Isle Downs in 2018. She was sold at the Keeneland November Sale the following year, with a maiden cover by Always Dreaming, for just a few dollars more. The man who put his name to a $28,000 docket that day hadn't actually previously signed the Declaration of Independence, albeit his family actually came to Virginia with John Smith. But he has certainly seen plenty in his time–including, much to his dismay, the decline of Thoroughbred breeding in his home state, where a painful void was left by the likes of Paul Mellon, Taylor Hardin and Elizabeth Dodge Sloan. Eventually he faced facts and brought six old mares and six $10 bills to Kentucky, hoping to find better blood and land. And, who knows, it might just be that Beau Lane is getting the hang of the place… The cherished octogenarian has raised a ton of good horses but still wants a real great. And while it remains the earliest of days for Terminology's third foal, there can't be many that have come off his farm to cause so much excitement from two starts. Bred by Lane's daughter “J.B.” and her husband Michael Orem, Colloquial (Vekoma) was sold for $240,000 at the 2023 September Sale. On his sole juvenile start, he beat a 61-year-old track record but not Mentee (City of Light), who held out by a nose. Returning to Aqueduct last weekend, however, he melted the stopwatch for an off-the-charts 106 Beyer. There seems to be a pretty immediate consensus–including from his trainer, who knows him best–that Colloquial shouldn't be shoehorned into a Derby preparation, and we've certainly seen a hastier approach backfire over the years. On the other hand, his pedigree wouldn't necessarily discourage you from trying a second turn at some point. True, there's a fairly fallow zone in the foreground. While Terminology was among no fewer than 11 winners out of an unplaced Storm Cat mare, they mustered a solitary Grade III podium between them. But their dam had fairly limited help, overall, and that's why Bernardini's intervention feels so pivotal. As such an exceptional distaff influence, Bernardini reinforces the bridge between Colloquial and what was, after all, a most aristocratic granddam–not just by Storm Cat, but out of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Gal in a Ruckus (Bold Ruckus), herself a half-sister to the dam of dual Grade I winner/Oaks third Habibti (Tabasco Cat). Moreover the next dam, albeit by the forgotten Californian sire Gummo, was half-sister to the dam of Sam-Son matriarch No Class (Nodouble). Gal in a Ruckus proved a pretty disappointing producer, given what was happening in that parallel branch of the dynasty and the elite partners John Oxley gave her. But perhaps a Bernardini mare and the prolific youngster Vekoma have together stoked up the embers–not to mention the seasoned Virginian hands that helped to raise this colt. Vekoma, of course, is from the same family as Street Sense and Mr. Greeley. Combining that with a line tracing to a mare as influential as Quillopoly (Princequillo) could yet give Colloquial deeper reserves than many are expecting. The post Breeding Digest: An Outsized Signature appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Grand Job, since coming over from the United Kingdom last year, has two gate-to-wire wins that exhibited her speed. She will try to stay perfect in the United States in the Royal Delta Stakes (G3).View the full article

Citizen Bull has been tabbed as the 6-1 individual favorite in Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager while the pari-mutuel field of "All Other 3-Year-Olds" is the overall 9-2 favorite for the three-day pool, which runs Feb. 14-16.View the full article

Byron King's Top 12 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, presented by Spendthrift Farm.View the full article

The recently published Weatherbys Fact Book outlines the extent to which the foal crops have declined in Britain and Ireland, with the number born in Britain having contracted by 27 per cent over the last 20 years, while last year Ireland recorded its lowest figure since 2015. With the caveat that late registrations could still boost the number of foals slightly, as of December 31, 2024, there were 8,887 foals registered in Ireland for that year. The lowest number recorded in the last two decades is 7,546 in 2012 when numbers took a sharp dip for five years around that time following the global financial crisis. The previous high had been 12,633 registered foals in Ireland in 2007. In Britain, 4,198 foals have been recorded as born in 2024 to date, down seven per cent from 4,510 the previous year and from a high of 5,920 in 2008. In his foreword to the Fact Book, Simon Cooper, director of the Weatherbys General Stud Book said, “In 1959, 65 years ago, the combined foal crop for Britain and Ireland was a little over 4,000, and 20 years later in 1979 it had doubled to 8,621. This continued to grow over the following 20 years and by 1999 our total combined foal crop stood at 13,115, before peaking in 2007 and 2008 at over 18,000, a 435 per cent increase in 50 years. That steady recovery since the financial crisis appears to have stalled, at least for now.” He continued, “Of additional concern, there has been a disproportionate reduction in stallions compared to broodmares for the last 15 years: in round numbers stallion numbers have halved in that short period compared to a 25 per cent reduction in broodmares, resulting in us having the highest ratio of stallions to broodmares in the world at 1:60.” Indeed, there has been much comment regarding the fact that only three new Flat stallions – Vandeek (GB), Bradsell (GB) and Issac Shelby (GB) – retired to stud in Britain for the 2025 season along with the potential dual-purpose sire Eldar Eldarov (GB). The number of retirees was larger in Ireland but overall stallion numbers are dwindling. To date, there are 189 stallions registered in Ireland, down from 221 in 2023 and 239 in 2022. In Britain there are 107, which represents a drop from 125 in 2023, 136 in 2022 and 147 in 2021. The team at Weatherbys expects the 2024 figures to rise slightly as new stallions are officially registered. There are 7,580 active broodmares recorded in Britain, again down from 8,191 in 2021, while 14,418 were recorded in Ireland. The 15,193 registered mares in Ireland for 2023 had risen from 14,852 the previous year and 14,505 in 2021. France remains the biggest importer of both Irish-bred and British-bred horses, accounting for 1,074 combined in 2024. Whether or not President Trump's tariffs will affect the number being imported to America from these isles in years to come remains to be seen, but last year there were 304 Irish-breds and 117 British-bred horses permanently exported to the USA, making America the second-largest buyer of British and Irish bloodstock. Saudi Arabia imported 230 horses combined, while Italy accounted for 90 British-breds and 229 Irish-bred horses. Another 182 were exported to Australia from Britain and Ireland last year. When it comes solely to broodmares, India was the top importer of British mares (61) in 2024 while 53 left for France, 46 for Australia and 37 for Japan. In regard to Irish broodmares, 117 were exported from Ireland to France, 75 to America and 22 to Italy. Cooper referred to the impact the smaller breeding pools could have on field sizes at the races. He said, “The optimum field size for maximising turnover is 11 or 12 runners. Declining foal crops on both sides of the Irish Sea and, recognising that 60 per cent of the Irish foal crop is exported to Britain to race, potential average fields sixes of six to eight will have an enormous impact on the health and sustainability of our combined racing industries.” The Weatherbys Fact Book for 2024 can be read online. The post Field Sizes Remain at Threat from Dwindling Foal Crops appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has announced the death of its former chair, Joe Saumarez Smith, surrounded by his family at home on Tuesday. He was 53 and had last month stepped down from his role at the head of the organisation after his health worsened, having first been diagnosed with cancer in June 2023. “Our thoughts and prayers–and we are sure those of everyone involved in our sport–are with Joe's family and friends,” read a statement from the BHA. “He will be hugely missed by us all. “His wife Wanda and their children have asked us to pass on their deep thanks for all the messages of support they have received since Joe was first diagnosed with cancer in June 2023 and especially since he stepped down as BHA chair on 30 January when his health worsened. They have asked for their privacy to be respected at this difficult time.” Saumarez Smith joined the BHA in December 2014 as a non-executive director. In March 2022, he was appointed the BHA chair and in December 2022 his term was extended until June 2025. His fascination with horse racing is said to have begun aged eight, when his maths teacher used betting odds as a means of teaching fractions. He attended his first race meeting aged 12 at Sandown Park, where he opened his first account with bookmakers Heathorns. He also enjoyed a long and illustrious career in racing. His involvement in the sport started in 1991 when he was on the Jockey Club Graduate Programme. He also worked in the racing media, writing extensively for the Racing Post, Financial Times, The Times, The Telegraph and Bloomberg. In the statement released by the BHA on Tuesday, Saumarez Smith is described as “one of the most influential and distinguished figures in British racing” of the last 10 years. “Alongside his senior roles, he was a global ambassador for the sport in areas vital to the sport's overseas interests, influence and stature,” the statement continues. “He played a vital convening role in drawing the racing and betting industries closer together and was a welcome source of authoritative advice and guidance to the Government, principally through his engagement with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport at both political and official levels.” The HorsePWR campaign, part of British racing's increasingly proactive approach to horse welfare, and the creation of a new Horseracing People Board (HIPB), designed to explore and improve of all aspects of our workforce's lives, were among the key initiatives introduced during Saumarez Smith's time as BHA chair. Prior to that he was also chair of British racing's Gambling Strategy Group, playing a prominent role in matters relating to the industry's approach to gambling and the Horserace Betting Levy. Paying tribute to his colleague and friend, BHA acting chief executive Brant Dunshea said, “It has been a great privilege to have known and worked with Joe, always providing wise counsel and tremendous support to the BHA team and to me personally, and for that we will be forever grateful. His commitment to advocating Britain's interests on the global stage was unwavering, and for that British racing owes him a huge debt of gratitude. We will miss him terribly.” Interim BHA chair David Jones described Saumarez Smith as “not just a personal friend to many of us but a great friend of racing”, before adding, “Joe's enthusiasm for the sport shone through in everything he did. He had such a deep knowledge of all aspects of the industry and I and other Board colleagues will really miss his insight.” The statement also revealed that his colleagues at the BHA and his peers had nominated him for an honour this year in the Birthday and New Year Honours Lists, heralding his drive and commitment to racing in the past two years, despite having been diagnosed with stage four inoperable lung cancer. In his citation endorsing the nomination, Saumarez Smith's friend and fellow racing fan, the Conservative peer Lord Herbert of South Downs CBE, said, “Joe has given to the BHA and racing far more than his job specification required, devoting immense time and energy to his role despite undergoing lengthy and ongoing treatment for lung cancer which has frequently exacted a severe personal toll and which has made his contribution even more admirable.” Similar tribute was paid by Sir Francis Brooke, chair of Ascot Authority Ltd, who said, “Joe has been an outstanding international ambassador for British racing, successfully promoting the sport around the world and deepening relationships in all jurisdictions.” Further details regarding memorial arrangements for Saumarez Smith will be announced at a later date. The post BHA Announces Death of Joe Saumarez Smith appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Later this week, breeding sheds across the Lexington region will open their doors to mares, but in the lead-up to the start of the 2025 mating season, there is an underlying feeling of unease in the Bluegrass. Several farms have already–and quite publicly–announced discounts off their initially posted stud fees, while others are either fighting hard to attract mares, or shopping private deals or fee reductions. The fear among many in town is that in 2025, the industry has reached some sort of tipping point–either due to the economy, a mare shortage, inflation, stud fees, or too many horses being exported abroad–that is leaving stallions dangerously exposed. But if the reasons attributed to the current situation are somewhat murky, most of the people interviewed for this story agreed on one thing: this is the hardest year farms have ever had in filling their stallion books. “I have heard the same things being said,” said Airdrie's Bret Jones. “Certainly, to me it's the hardest it's ever been for solid stallions.” Over at Spendthrift, General Manager Ned Toffey said they're seeing the same. In mid-January, the farm announced reduced fees for six of its stallions, citing breeders' rising production costs. “I would say that, yes, this is a tougher year than we've had,” he said. “Bottom line, I think everybody's bookings are down to some degree or another.” While most first-year stallions and the top echelon are faring well, many established stallions proven to get you a good runner–with a respectable number of black-type horses to named foals, for example–are finding the going a little bit tougher. Hard Spun has sired 15 Grade I winners, has four stallion sons in Kentucky, and has two three-year-olds on the Derby trail. His top yearling in 2024 realized $500,000. Despite that success, his fee was cut from $35,000 to $25,000 this year. “The fact that we reduced his fee by a third and given that he's got two colts right now at this stage with Derby aspirations, that's certainly something historically that has moved the needle for him,” said Darley Sales Manager Darren Fox. “And I do feel like if one of those wins a major Derby prep, that will spur him on. He's got 95 mares on his book right now. He bred 140 last year at $10,000 more. So he's probably trending 20% behind the same point last year, with a $10,000 fee reduction. He's getting a little older, sure. Does that explain the drop-off from year to year? I don't think so.” Hard Spun | Darley photo “This is definitely the first year that I've felt like there are great deals out there, and I don't know of any mares for them,” said Carrie Brogden. “It's a gut-wrenching industry. It's not for the faint of heart. I'm just getting the feeling that people are not expanding their mare population. I just got another message: `Hey Carrie, we decided we're getting out of Thoroughbreds. We're not going to breed. We need to sell these mares.' I'm getting more of that than people saying, `I want to breed the mares.'” What the Numbers Say Whatever it may feel like to breeders, there haven't been any huge shifts in the number of available mares, nor in the number of exported mares. In fact, the numbers are fairly stable. Some popular myths: 1) There are far fewer mares than just a few years ago. This is not true. In Kentucky, in 2022, 16,845 mares were bred to 212 stallions for an average book size of 79.5. In 2023, 17,058 mares were bred to 212 stallions for an average book of 80.5. And in 2024, 16,663 mares were bred to 196 stallions for an average book of 85. Over the past 20 years, there have been years where fewer mares were spread among far more stallions. In 2011 in Kentucky, for example, 15,636 mares were bred to 268 stallions, for an average book size of 58.3. The high-water mark over the past 20 years was the 21,594 mares bred in Kentucky in 2007. But while the mare population has fallen by 23 percent since that time, the number of Kentucky stallions has dropped almost in half–by 47%, from 368 stallions in 2007 to 196 last year. 2) More mares are being exported abroad. In fact, fewer mares are being exported now than they were in 2019, before the pandemic. In 2019, 915 mares of breeding age were exported, compared to 623 of breeding age in 2024, according to facts provided by The Jockey Club. 3) Mares are increasingly going to first-year stallions. This is false. The Jockey Club keeps track of how many first- to fifth-plus year stallions get mares. In 2005, 16.42% of the mares went to first-year stallions. In 2024, that number was 16.33%. And while it has ranged as high as 20 percent in 2023, it has remained fairly consistent for the past 20 years. (See table below). These numbers do drop off for second-through- fourth-year stallions, i.e., stallions without runners, but it's not as dramatic as you might think. Last year, while 16.33% of the mares went to a first-year stallion, 14.52% were bred to second-year stallions. This seems to vary slightly from year to year, depending upon the strength of each year's crop of stallions. Fifth-year-and-up stallions–established stallions–get a pretty fairly consistent 50% of the market share. While it's too early to say exactly what is going on in 2025 until the breeding statistics are published later this year, it would appear that a physical shortage of mares or a new obsession with first-crop stallions does not explain this year's difficulties. PERCENTAGE OF MARES BRED TO STALLIONS BY YEAR OF SERVICE Year Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3 Yr 4 Yr 5+ 2005 16.42 13.45 9.98 9.42 50.73 2006 14.01 14.68 12.11 8.73 50.47 2007 13.31 12.58 13.03 11.42 49.66 2008 15.03 12.2 10.65 11.36 50.76 2009 13.34 12.84 10.16 9.68 53.98 2010 11.22 12.37 10.99 10.84 54.58 2011 12.24 9.84 10.98 10.88 56.06 2012 15.27 10.13 9.12 10.55 54.93 2013 13.93 14.57 9.29 8.42 53.79 2014 15.67 12.14 12.47 9.22 50.5 2015 14.45 14.97 10.81 11.66 48.11 2016 17 12.42 12.25 10.88 47.44 2017 14.98 13.94 10.72 10.67 49.7 2018 16.58 13.3 12.24 9.76 48.12 2019 17.82 12.49 10.38 10.86 48.45 2020 13.11 14.93 11.37 10.81 49.78 2021 19.19 10.4 11.2 10.64 48.58 2022 15.03 15.66 8.82 11.31 49.18 2023 20 10.84 12.3 7.96 48.9 2024 16.33 14.52 8.02 11.77 49.35 Source: The Jockey Club Fact Book Some Trends are Clear 1) Book size continues to grow. According to The Jockey Club Fact Book: In 2015, the average Kentucky stallion's book was 77.6. In 2024, it was 85. 2) The number and percentage of mares being bred to `big-book' stallions continues to grow. Ten years ago, in 2015, 2.44 percent of the mares were bred to stallions covering 201 mares or more. In 2018, it was 3.65%. In 2023, the last year on record, it was 11.06%. Among mares being bred, over 20 percent were bred to stallions covering 151 to 200 mares in 2023. In 2015, it was 11%. 3) The foal crop continues to decline. Ten years ago, it was 21,528. The estimated crop for 2023 is 17,200, marking eight straight years of declines. The Disappearance of Breed-to-Race Outfits Unable to fill books in Kentucky, Creative Cause is now standing in Texas | Equi-Sport photo Almost everyone approached on the subject agreed that the growing commercialization of the product, away from the breed-to-race model, has led to where we are today. “When I first got out of college and got back to the farm, we stood a horse named Slew City Slew,” said Jones. “And every year there was one certainty: that Slew City Slew would get a good book of mares from people who wanted to breed to race–people who wanted a good, sound horse that could earn money at the racetrack, pay their way, and give them a lot of fun along that way. And that breed-to-race breeder simply does not exist any more at that level. I think that has been one of the great tragedies in breeding of the last 10, 15 years. People are so risk-averse that they stick to the safety of those first-year stallions, which we all know will not have a high batting average in terms of who succeeds, with just a total blind eye to the stallions that have actually proven that they can get you a good percentage of stakes runners. I don't think that's any secret in the industry, but it's been amazing how quickly it has happened. In the grand scheme of things, 10 years is not a long period of time, but that's a dramatic departure over that time.” From their own farm, Jones cited the loss of a stallion like Creative Cause. “Creative Cause was a horse that was showing that he could get a good Saturday afternoon horse–horses that could pay their own way. And he's standing in Texas now because there was simply no market for him in Kentucky. People are concerned in the economic times that we're living in, and so they run to the shelter of first-year stallions or the uber-proven if you're playing at the higher end of the market.” Toffey said he agreed. “It's a continuing trend that the breed-to-race part of the market is going away,” he said. “There are fewer and fewer people that are just interested in a good, useful sire. It's breed for the market, and they feel like it's got to be something that is going to get them a really good return. And so then a horse like Goldencents, Jimmy Creed, horses that we have that stand for not a lot of money… Goldencents just got a Kentucky Derby winner. He's a good horse for just getting runners. He's a wonderful horse for starting out a young mare. But the market for those kinds of stallions just continues to dry up.” The General Economy, and the Ongoing Effects of Covid “The underlying contributor to breeding historically has been what the general health of the industry is–what the previous year's yearling sales were, and also what the general state of the U.S economy is,” said Chauncey Morris, the Executive Director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders. “And on the bloodstock sales, there are definitely motivators for wanting to either breed at the same rate or more when both Saratoga and Keeneland September posted phenomenal sales, record-breaking sales, sales that not only were good at the top end, but where demand for the horses continued on to the last sessions to where the clearance rate was even in the single digits, which is unbelievable and enviable.” Despite that, he said, “there's something that combines with those economic conditions in that there's a general negative feeling about the state of the industry. I mean, I would be a fool if I said that that wasn't the case. And, there is also uncertainty about the U.S. economy. The underlying economy is positive, but the Federal Reserve did not raise its interest rates because inflation is still an issue. I think that oftentimes in the Thoroughbred industry, we feel that we're in a bubble. I don't feel that's the case now.” Ned Toffey | Spendthrift But many aspects of the industry are healthy, he stressed, including Kentucky purses, and new tracks being built in Maryland and New York. “There is underlying strength in the Thoroughbred racing landscape, and not only in Kentucky,” he said. “When you have what has always been the most important racing product–New York–which is the driver of the American economy, when you have hundreds of millions of dollars being invested by the New York State government into Belmont, that is a real strength, and you can't say otherwise. But you couple it with some very visceral feeling of uncertainty in some prime historical markets of importance to racing, places like California and Florida, and I think that's probably why people are feeling a little bit negative.” Many of these economic uncertainties were ushered in by Covid, and have never left. “Everything went up 20% across the board during Covid and never came back down,” said Fox. Toffey agrees. “Coming out of COVID, you saw everything getting much more expensive, right down to some of the minutiae involved with running a farm, buying supplies. But whether it's that or feed or the hay or labor or the ability to get labor, all those things are getting more expensive. It's getting more challenging to get labor. The costs have gone up dramatically.” For people who plan on keeping their Thoroughbred for a short time before selling it, rising costs puts immense pressure on the need to succeed at the sales. “I think that people have continued to refine their filters over the years,” he said. “And so I think that causes people to be that much more selective with what they are willing to breed to.” Discounts, and the Waiting Game While some farms, like Spendthrift and Taylor Made, announced new discounts, others are offering them privately. Everyone interviewed for this story said they felt that because they knew that books on mid-tier sires weren't full, breeders were taking their time in making their selections, hoping for some last-minute information or on-track performance that might change their perspective. “I think people just are reacting to their reality,” said Fox, “which is `it's difficult and the market is selective.' So they're being selective with the stallions they choose and recognize that some of these proven stallions are probably going to have room all year long and there's no rush. If they wait 'til April when the mare foals, they're six months wiser. Maybe that points you to a different horse, or maybe you catch a bubble horse on the rise. So I do think some people are not rushing in to book everything straight away to try to make last-minute decisions that are hopefully better decisions.” Toffey said he agreed. “I am optimistic that there's going to be kind of a little bit later surge in bookings this year,” he said. “Bookings are down, but I believe people are just playing the waiting game. And you've seen that farms–just as we've announced–are willing to come in their direction if they'll hold out. So I think there's some of that going on. But I do think that the big question is, `what percentage is that going to account for?'” Said SF Bloodstock's Tom Ryan, “With a relatively open-door policy, people feel they can afford to wait longer before committing to second and third-season stallions or horses in bubble years. They hold off for positive indicators, knowing there's still capacity in their book. I believe this lack of urgency contributes to the situation.” And while farms try to lock down those breeders with deals, too-deep discounts could come at a price to farms and breeders alike, warns Jones. “I think there are some that are playing the waiting game because they recognize the vulnerability amongst some of the stallion farms,” said Jones. “And another thing that worries me for breeders, sometimes there's a race to the bottom where we start giving away product to at no cost, which on the surface certainly appears to be in the breeder's best interest…except that everybody knows which of those stallions are being bred for free. And when you go to market with that resulting yearling, there is a stigma attached to that stallion. So while it may save you money up-front, and I underscore the importance of that, ultimately the real payoff is in the auction ring or on the racetrack. And when you're telling everyone that your stallion is worth $0, that has also factored into a reputation for your stallion amongst buyers. And so the return in their auction ring is so often not what those breeders were expecting when they felt like they were getting a supposedly great deal.” The Double-Edged Sword of the Commercial Marketplace But while some established breeding operations are still playing the long game, “most people are trying to hold their Thoroughbred a year or less,” said Mark Taylor. “Everybody has very short-term focus.” Mark Taylor | Fasig-Tipton photo The irony of it, said Taylor, is that if you're breeding to sell, a first-year stallion has less of a financial risk. If you're breeding to race, “that's the worst gamble. Those are the most high-risk horses because as we know, if there are 10 that come off the track and come to Kentucky every year, there's going to be maybe one, maybe two, very rarely three that make it. So there are definitely going to be seven of them that are going to be failures. You look at a horse like Upstart right now. Upstart's a very good stallion. He did a lot with not big books and not uber-quality mares. And you look at even last year–I think he had three or four two-year-old stakes winners and his good mares haven't even hit yet. I haven't called Airdrie, but I bet that he doesn't have a fraction of the mares that one of these horses that's just off the track has. But there's a 70% chance, at least, that they will never be as good as Upstart is.” But if you're holding a horse less than a year, it doesn't matter if he's good or not. And therein lies the basic irony of the situation in which the industry finds itself. Are we breeding racehorses with less of a chance to be good because it's economically advantageous to do so? “This stuff doesn't just happen in a vacuum,” said Toffey. “People make breeding decisions based on other people's buying decisions. And so people understand that it's a safer play to buy a first-year horse. If you breed in year two and the stallion didn't jump up immediately and set the world on fire, you are sitting there with a yearling that you can't sell. There aren't people to buy them.” Ironically, said Jones, bad decisions are often made when breeders are forced to make them too early in order to secure their nomination to the hot stallion. He said that farms do breeders a disservice by trying to get them to commit to a stallion in the summer. “Certainly one of our jobs is to fill our books, but we also have to recognize that the game doesn't work if our breeders can't be successful,” he said. “One of the things I really don't think we're doing right is forcing breeders to make their mating decisions before the fall yearling sales. There is such a panic out there of getting shut out on the hot stallion of the summer that breeders are having to make financial commitments before they really even know what their financial situation is. I know it's hard to put that genie back in the bottle, but if breeders can make more informed decisions, they are more likely to be successful, more likely to purchase and breed more mares, and ultimately that will benefit the stallion farms and the industry at large.” And, with rounds of X-rays and correctional surgeries, turning that mating to the trendy stallion into a marketable yearling has never been harder, nor more expensive, said Taylor, and that is reducing the number of mares people are willing to carry. “If you turn back the clock to when my dad was general manager of Gainesway in the '70s and '80s, you didn't have a repository at the sales,” said Taylor. “Nobody was X-raying these yearlings pre-sale.” Now, he said, screening for `all these little imperfections' starts with X-rays in February of their spring year. “What that triggers is all these surgeries–I mean thousands and thousands of surgeries–cleaning up these things that we never cleaned up before. I can't even fathom how much money that is, but it's going out of the breeders' pockets and it's fixing something that in some cases–I would argue in many cases–did not need to be fixed for the product to do its job.” The risk of spending that money and missing the mark has breeders afraid to take a chance with the one thing they can control–their choice of stallion. “It's so hard to hit that bullseye across at any of the sales,” said Fox. “You've got to have the sire, the physical, the X-ray, the scope, the walk, and your sire has to have been hot in the preceding 60 days before the sales. The expenses are going up and I feel like the bullseye is getting smaller. This has created a dynamic where breeders are being extra careful about the stallions they're choosing. Obviously, they go to first-year horses because of their commercial success. But after year one, it's like there's the mass exodus to the next batch of freshmen sires, or the expensive, proven, hot stallions. And everyone else in the middle is just, I don't know, part of the crowd.” Is There a Fix? For Toffey, it comes down to controlling the pricing you can control–stud fees. “I don't think there's any quick fix,” he said. “But if we can make it to where it's profitable for breeders, that means controlling expenses. Unfortunately, it's hard to control the economy, whether it's hay or hardware. But the other big part of that is stud fees. And so that's why I think you've seen every major stud farm in town, whether they've advertised it or not, making significant concessions.” Taylor said he thinks that there's room to control breeders' expenses by recreating a segment of the marketplace selling naturally raised yearlings purchased from people you trust–no X-rays, no surgeries–with the seller's word that what he's representing is true. “You would be trying to target buyers who just wanted a solid racehorse, and maybe they don't have a huge budget, but you'd probably have some people walking around there looking for a nice horse, and they'd probably find some nice horses in there. That section of breeders would say, `we're not going to do all these screening X-rays, and we're going to save a couple grand.' We're not going to do any surgeries because we don't know what's in there and unless it blows up or it's swollen, we're not doing it. Could you turn back time? There are certain people that I know who just raise a good horse, and I would go buy a horse off of them like that.” Jones points out that there are not only fewer mares–there are fewer mare owners, and nobody is out there recruiting new ones. In 2004, according to Equibase, there were 39,043 individual ownership entities who raced a horse. By 2024, that number had fallen by close to half, to 21,123. TOBA currently lists just over 1,500 members. In 2004, that number was around 2,500. “This is a different conversation, but I think it's as important a conversation as there is,” said Jones. “We have no national marketing as a major league sport. We're not out there promoting to potential racehorse owners–and specifically for this conversation, potential mare owners–about how great this game is. We've got to change that. The only way that you increase the number of mares being bred right now is to get people more excited about horse racing. “This is the greatest game in the world, and we continue to keep that a secret. And it's a political campaign that we need right now to inspire people. The Derby has never been bigger and horse racing has never been safer. Those two statements are facts and they are should be inspiring. That's not to turn a blind eye to all the issues we have. We all know the issues. But until our industry makes the investment of marketing our sport at the national level in a significant way, we can't be surprised when we feel the momentum is turning against us.” The post `The Hardest It’s Ever Been’: What’s Behind the Slow Start to the Breeding Season? 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 champion 2-year-old, has been tabbed the 6-1 individual favorite in pool four of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, while “All Other 3-Year-Olds” is the 9-2 favorite in the pool which runs from Friday through Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. There are 14 new interests in pool four: Burnham Square (Liam's Map), Captain Cook (Practical Joke), Gate to Wire (Munnings), Hypnus (Into Mischief), John Hancock (Constitution), Legitimate (Authentic), Praetor (Into Mischief), Rapture (Uncle Mo), River Thames (Maclean's Music), Sand Devil (Violence), Sorcerer's Silver (Good Magic), Speed King (Volatile), Tip Top Thomas (Volatile), and Vassimo (Nyquist). For the complete pool four field, click here. The post Citizen Bull Individual Favorite in Derby Future Pool appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Santa Anita will increase purses starting Feb. 28 for the Classic Meet, which runs through April 6. The boost in prize money comes after increases in key business metrics for the Southern California landmark through the first six weeks of the season.View the full article

Following a hard-fought victory Feb. 8 in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, CHC and WinStar Farm's John Hancock has joined the Top 10 in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top 3-Year-Old Poll released Feb. 11.View the full article

The Horse Racing Women's Summit has transitioned to the Horse Racing Women's Association, reflecting the organization's change from an annual event to a year-round association dedicated to empowering women in the horse racing industry. With a mission to engage, elevate, and invest in the women of horse racing, the HRWA aims to create a vibrant community of women who work across all aspects of the industry. “We launched four years ago intending to be either a one-time or once-a-year summit,” HRWA chairwoman Stephanie Hronis said in a release from the organization Tuesday. “The notable interest from the women in our sport seeking opportunities to network, learn, and be inspired, led our dynamic committee members to answer the call, recognizing that we are an official and organized community. We celebrate our name edit that reflects our expansion and impact.” Since hosting its inaugural summit in 2022, HRWA expanded its reach in 2023 and 2024, organizing additional gatherings in New York, Kentucky, and Florida, alongside ongoing activities in California. In 2023, HRWA launched a membership program that invests in its Pay It Forward program, scholarships, and events. “As demand for year-round connectivity increased, we quickly outgrew the definition of a 'summit,'” said Shona Rotondo, Chair of the Marketing and Communications Committee. “As an association, we now have the flexibility to host women (and men) in a variety of formats, both in person and online. Our goal is to make our community as accessible as possible for anyone and everyone who wishes to contribute to the mission.” For more information about the Horse Racing Women's Association, membership details, and upcoming events, visit www.horseracingwomen.com. The post Horse Racing Women’s Summit Transitions to Horse Racing Women’s Association appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

France Galop has approved changes to the entry process in Group 2, Group 3 and Listed races, following a meeting of its Board on Tuesday, December 17. The new measures will mirror those for Group 1 races which were implemented in 2024 and have guaranteed sustainable funding of the Owners' Pool (Poule Propriétaire). The Owners' Pool contributes to the financing of black-type contests on the Flat, including 32% of the prize-money offered in Group 1 races last year. It stems from the entry and supplementary entry fees paid by owners for their horses to participate in black-type races. To ensure consistency in the process, the entry fee for Group 2, Group 3 and Listed races now stands at 0.65% of the total prize-money, falling in line with that for Group 1 races. The impact is a drop in the entry fee of 29.5% for Group 2 races and 37.5% for Group 3 races. The early closing stage for these events has also been moved forward for 2025, from four and a half weeks prior to the race to five and a half weeks. Second entries, those which fall between the early closing stage and the supplementary deadline, are also part of the revisions to the entry process. They will now close at the latest on the Tuesday of the week preceding the race and the fee has been standardised at 2% of the total prize-money. The three Group 2 races run over the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend are the only exceptions to the rule. Whilst their second entry fee remains at 2% of the total prize-money, their second entry closing is positioned on a Tuesday in mid-September. In addition, the supplementary entry fee in Group 2, Group 3 and Listed races now stands at 7.2% of the total prize-money, with the aim of standardising entry fees in all Pattern races. This percentage is already applied to Group 1 races, except for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club and the Prix de Diane Longines. The post France Galop Announce Further Changes to the Entry Process in Black-Type Races appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Naming AI will provide assistance to owners naming their horses, The Jockey Club announced Tuesday. The new technology enables users to generate five or 10 name options with a choice of one-, two-, or three-word names. Customers can use the tool to generate names based on words of their choosing or based on a foal's pedigree. The tool adheres to the naming rules outlined in Rule 6F of the Principal Rules and Requirements of The American Stud Book, but as with all names being claimed or reserved, those generated by Naming AI are subject to approval by The Jockey Club Registry. “We're very excited to launch this new naming feature,” said Andrew Chesser, director of Registration Services and director of Business Development for The Jockey Club. “Offering a naming tool that can be used to generate names from the horse's pedigree or based on user input will help owners find creative names to submit for their horses.” Developed by TJC Innovations, Naming AI uses OpenAI, which focuses on natural language processing and generation, and Pinecone, a database service that enables efficient similarity search and indexing of vector data, which is essential for natural language processing. The post The Jockey Club Reveals AI Naming Tool appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Overnight purses at Santa Anita will increase an average of 8% beginning Feb. 28 and continuing through the remainder of the track's Classic Meet Apr. 6. The boost in prize money comes after increases in key business metrics through the first six weeks of the season and were made as a result of collaborative discussions with the Thoroughbred Owners of California, according to a release from Santa Anita. Purses for Santa Anita Park's Hollywood Meet will increase an average of 10% over the 2024 season, with increases ranging from 8 to 11% depending on class level. The Hollywood Meet begins Apr. 18 and runs through June 16. Santa Anita has recorded increases in total all-sources handle, on-track attendance and field size in 2025, despite being impacted by the Los Angeles County wildfires last month. “The transition to a single circuit is the key enabler to the purse increases over the next four months and it is only the beginning,” said Bill Nader, TOC President & CEO. “We will work closely with Santa Anita to return to a balanced purse budget and anticipate further increases for owners and breeders in a phased approach as we continue our new path working together. The early results of the California transition are encouraging.” The track began its 90th anniversary season Dec. 26 with the largest opening day crowd in eight years and all-sources handle of $21.4 million. The total handle was the third highest in the track's history for an opening day and an increase of 17.4% over last year, marking the fourth time in the last seven years that the opening day handle topped $20 million. The on-track attendance of 41,562 was the largest non-weekend or holiday opening day crowd largest since 1990. “We are appreciative of the owners, trainers and horsemen who have been very supportive of Santa Anita Park this season,” said Nate Newby, SVP & General Manager of Santa Anita Park. “Horseplayers have embraced the product on the track with their wagering dollars. Field size has been bolstered by horses from Northern California, many of whom have relocated to the South. Santa Anita Park's stable area is full, creating opportunities to race in a variety of categories to suit their conditions.” The post Santa Anita Announces Purse Increases appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sam Agars JOLLY COMPANION - R3 (3) Proven at the C&D and trialled superbly last month Jay Rooney LUCKY TOUCH - R6 (1) Big run last start to just miss and he can go two better tonight Trackwork Spy LUCKY TOUCH - R6 (1) Just needs to be within range and he has the turn of foot to win Phillip Woo LUCKY TOUCH - R6 (1) Looks a live chance after catching the eye when trying the dirt last start Shannon (Vincent Wong) GIMME FIVE - R3 (12) First attempt on this surface and should get a chance to break through Racing Post Online RELIABLE PROFIT - R4 (3) Kept on well enough for fourth last start and can score tonight Tom Wood HE WAS YOU - R3 (7) Heavily supported two back, blinkers go on here and the trial looked sharpView the full article

Jockey Michael O'Sullivan remains in intensive care following a fall at Thurles last week. Dr Jennifer Pugh, chief medical officer of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), issued an update on X on Tuesday which read, “Michael continues to receive the best of care in the intensive care unit at Cork University Hospital. “Michael's family remain overwhelmed by the support and well wishes they have received over the last number of days.” O'Sullivan's mount, the Gerard O'Leary-trained Wee Charlie (Ire), was one of three fallers at the final fence of the two-mile Racing Again February 20th Handicap Chase at Thurles on Thursday, February 6, with two other runners badly hampered and unseating their riders. The rest of the meeting was abandoned after the second race as the air ambulance arrived to take O'Sullivan to hospital. The rider shot to prominence in 2023 when he celebrated two winners at the Cheltenham Festival, notably landing the G1 Supreme Novices' Hurdle aboard Marine Nationale (Ire). The post Michael O’Sullivan Receiving ‘Best of Care’ After Thurles Fall appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Two-time Group One winner I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) is going into the autumn with revived vigour and back-to-back jumpout wins. But co-trainer Peter Moody admits he still hasn’t locked in a first-up run for the star galloper. Speaking after the son of Savabeel’s 1000-metre jumpout win at Pakenham on Tuesday morning, Moody said the Gr.1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) on February 22 is the most likely kick-off point, but still not a certainty. “He’s had two jumpouts and he’s looked super in them,” he said. “He looked to do it nicely, Jamie Melham rode him and she was happy with his action. “He was good in the wind, he won the trial softly and looked to have a little blow. “Really pleased where he’s at, he looks to be enjoying life. “Futurity first option but not set in concrete.” While the shape of his autumn campaign is still undecided, Moody says one thing is for certain. “I won’t be presenting him on a Good 3 anywhere,” he said. “He’s an older horse. We know he’s a little bit jarry in the knees, he always has been, that’s a part of his physical confirmation. “I wouldn’t hesitate to withdraw him, it wouldn’t matter what race it is, if the track does firm up.” This time two years ago, the versatile galloper recorded a narrow second placing in the Gr.1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) before going on to take out the Gr.1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) later that autumn. Having also won a Golden Eagle (1500m) previously and run well at a mile, Moody says he’ll once again be open-minded when mapping out the gelding’s upcoming preparation. “I actually nominated him this morning for the T.J. Smith, the Doncaster Handicap and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. “So a 1200-metre, 1600-metre and 2000-metre Group 1, so that shows you how much I’m open-minded to where we might go, where we might resume and what type of races he might run in. “I think it’s a great thing, we’ve got one of the world’s top-rated sprinters and he’s got terrific form around the mile. “At the moment though we’re just worried about getting him back to the races and performing. “He hasn’t lost any of his want at this point, he seems a really happy horse and hopefully he can take that to the races.” View the full article

As the autumn carnivals in Victoria and New South Wales continue to heat up, Caulfield and Randwick held feature racing throughout last Saturday. In this week’s edition of The Follow Files, we have found three runners that will most likely push onto feature races during the carnival, following strong performances at the start of their preparations. Caulfield Track rating: Good 4 Rail position: True entire circuit Race 7: Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) | Time: 1:24.66 Horse to follow: Evaporate (3rd) Caulfield Guineas placegetter Evaporate returned for his autumn campaign in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes, when the Ben, Will & JD Hayes-trained gelding was very unlucky to finish in third place. Mark Zahra settled the son of Per Incanto midfield with cover before the home corner; however, when he wanted to get going on the galloper, they had no where to go. Zahra was patient and waited for gaps to appear, but once he got Evaporate into clear air, Angel Capital was already off and gone with the prize. When to bet: Evaporate has already been locked in to run in the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (Slot Race) at Ellerslie on March 8. If he travels over to New Zealand well and takes good improvement from his first-up performance, the equal favourite with horse racing bookmakers will prove very hard to beat. https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Caulfield-2025-Group-2-Autumn-Stakes-08022025-Angel-Capital-Clinton-McDonald-Ben-Melham.mp4 Race 10: Group 3 Peter Le Grand Stakes (1100m) | Time: 1:03.78 Horse to follow: Shadhavar (3rd) In what was just her fifth career start, the Tom Dabernig-trained Shadhavar ran home strongly to finish in the placings behind stakes performers Arabian Summer and Tobeornottobe in the Group 3 Peter Le Grand Stakes. The daughter of Pride Of Dubai wasn’t supported with BlondeBet, jumping as a +2000 roughie; however, she proved to be good enough to mix it with some classy fillies. John Allen elected to settle behind the speed in the box seat, and even though they were held up slightly, when the filly switched tracks to the inside, she let down nicely in the final 300m. When to bet: The Group 3 Zeditave Stakes (1200m) for three-year-olds looks the likely destination for Shadhavar, and with a bit of luck, punters can get an each-way price about her on Blue Diamond Day at Caulfield. https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Caulfield-2025-Group-3-Peter-Le-Grand-Stakes-08022025-Arabian-Summer-Tony-Calvin-McEvoy-Harry-Coffey.mp4 Randwick Track rating: Good 4 Rail position: True entire circuit Race 5: Benchmark 78 Handicap (1600m) | Time: 1:35.78 Horse to follow: Point And Shoot (1st) Point And Shoot is one of the many runners from the Bjorn Baker stable that is in fine form of late, as the three-year-old gelding is rising through the grades quickly in his second racing preparation. After breaking his maiden in December, the son of Blue Point has raced in metropolitan grade in his next four starts, which includes two dominant victories at Randwick over 1400m and 1600m. In his most recent start, Tim Clark rode Point And Shoot patiently at the back of the field before moving to the outside of runners and letting down with a booming turn of foot to record an easy 2.4-length win. When to bet: Interestingly, Baker has nominated Point And Shoot for the All Star Mile on March 8, and to get into the race, you would expect the gelding would have to compete in a black type contest in the lead-up. Wherever the stable chooses to take him next, Point And Shoot will prove hard to beat. https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Randwick-Race-4-BM78-Handicap-08022025-Point-And-Shoot-Bjorn-Baker-Tim-Clark.mp4 Top horse racing sites for blackbook features Horse racing tips View the full article