Wandering Eyes

In this new series, we'll spotlight the dams and connections of some of 2025's racetrack superstars. First up, we'll set the scene by explaining our objective and search for trends, then for a curtain raiser we'll kick off the series by checking in with the dam of one of the top older horses of 2025. Tabbed to be something special from the start, 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) is a multiple Grade I stakes winner and future Gainesway stallion. Grade I-Winning Trends The end of June marked the halfway point of 2025, with 34 of the 93 scheduled Grade I races for the year already in the books. With five dual Grade I winners to date, that leaves 29 individual Grade I winners in 2025 through June. So much is made of the sires and broodmare sires of those elite horses–and rightfully so–but it takes two to tango. What about the broodmares? Twenty-nine broodmares have produced Grade I winners this year through June. While it's vitally important to stallion careers to get those top-level winners, it's somewhat of a 'unicorn' situation for a mare to do it. Based on numbers alone, broodmares have so few chances in comparison to stallions. It's not an overstatement to say it changes everything when they do. Not only can a Grade I winner change the trajectory of the mare's future produce in value and in the quality of the stallions she visits, but it changes the people around that mare, too. In the extreme, a Grade I producer can help pay off a farm if she or her future progeny are sold. At the very least, a mare like that in the field delivers a sense of pride and a heavy–but welcome–responsibility to those who care for her. We tried to identify trends among the year's Grade I producers, but it will surprise no one to learn there seems to be no clear-cut rhyme or reason behind the special mares responsible for the year's top runners beyond astute bloodstock decisions, hard work by good teams, and that elusive element known as luck. Sure, breeders can increase their chances by using the leading sires (Into Mischief has the most individual Grade I winners this year with three) and top broodmare sires (Distorted Humor leads that category with three), but other patterns? Forget about it. Sarah Andrew Only one mare this year was producing a second career Grade I winner (Spirit of St Louis's dam, the late Khancord Kid); some were young (White Abarrio's dam Catching Diamonds was four when he was foaled); and some were in the latter part of their producing careers (Choisya (GB)'s dam Fragrancy (Ire) was 16 when she was born). Some mares were unraced, some only placed. About two-thirds of the producers broke their own maidens, while about half earned black-type. Many of the mares have been through an auction ring themselves, with Keeneland selling the most among the 2025 Grade I producers to date. About a third of the mares sold for under $100,000 publicly at some point in their lives. A few brought seven figures. The sires of the 2025 Grade I winners are similarly tough to pin down: with most currently standing in Kentucky, where they usually need an exceptional race record to earn a shot, they stand for a variety of fees. Their ages, too, are all over the place. The seemingly ageless Medaglia d'Oro is the elder statesman (age 23 when Good Cheer was foaled), while Maximus Mischief and Omaha Beach were only five when Raging Torrent and Kopion, respectively, were born. Right around half of the sires were 10 or under when their 2025 Grade I winner was foaled. With no discernable patterns, where does that leave us? Perhaps simply with a reminder that hope prevails as the foundation of our great sport. If it were easy to breed a Grade I winner, everyone would do it. These mares are something special, yes, but so many factors have to go right along the way, from planning a mating to conception to foaling to every single step that gets those horses into a starting gate and finally the winner's circle at the elite level. That's why only 29 mares in the first six months of the year can carry the banner of Grade I producer for 2025. Over the coming weeks, we'll take a look at several of those mares and check in with some of their connections and the people who care for them. What makes these mares so special? What do they have in the pipeline? What goes into their matings? First up is Locked's dam, Luna Rosa (Malibu Moon). Locked wins the Santa Anita Handicap, his second Grade I | Benoit Luna Rosa, dam of Locked Already a Grade I winner at two, Locked registered a 109 Beyer Speed Figure in his eye-popping 8 1/2-length score in the GI Santa Anita Handicap in March. Dr. Naoya Yoshida and his wife, Marie Yoshida-Debeusscher, foaled and raised not only Locked, but also his dam, Luna Rosa. It all stemmed from a meeting in 1995 in Ireland, when Federico Barberini, a Newmarket bloodstock agent based at that time in Italy, paid a visit to Kildangan Stud, where Dr. Yoshida worked. That chance meeting would lead to a cherished client and multiple generations of Locked's family for the Yoshidas. In 2008, Barberini bought a mare named Gabriellina Giof (GB) (Ashkalani {Ire}) at the Keeneland January sale for $75,000 for his client, Roman restauratrice Rosa Colasanti. The mare had previously been a 2-year-old stakes winner in Italy for Colasanti, and had since been sold and exported to this country, where she won another black-type event and placed in the 2001 GII San Clemente Handicap at Del Mar for Arnold Zetcher. Now she was back in Colasanti's hands, but an ocean away. Luna Rosa last month near Lexington | Sarah Andrew Barberini advised Colasanti to keep Gabriellina Giof at Dr. Yoshida's Winchester Farm near Lexington. Although they hadn't yet made it to the races when Dr. Yoshida began caring for Gabriellina Giof in the same pastures where 1983 Broodmare of the Year Courtly Dee once grazed, the mare had already produced MGISW Gabby's Golden Gal (Medaglia d'Oro) and MGSW & GISP Always a Princess (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}). Under Dr. Yoshida's watch, she would produce Luna Rosa, her final foal before she passed away. Colasanti retained Luna Rosa, racing her as a homebred. While campaigning under trainer Rodolphe Brisset–around the same time he went out on his own after more than a decade as assistant to Hall of Famer Bill Mott–she ran well at two, finishing a strong second in a Keeneland maiden special weight. Luna Rosa then broke her maiden at three while going eight furlongs on the turf at Horseshoe Indianapolis in 2018. “Rodolphe Brisset, whom we've supported from early in his career, loved Luna Rosa,” remembered Dr. Yoshida. “She really showed ability. While she won only one race from her five starts, she performed very well on both dirt and on turf. She was a beautiful mover. “She also had her own mind. She's very tough, as was her mother, so even now we treat her like a queen,” said Dr. Yoshida with a laugh. After going to Frosted for her first foal–a now-5-year-old gelding named Mega Moon who was last seen finishing second in an optional claimer at Santa Anita at the end of May–Luna Rosa was sent to Gun Runner as part of his third book. Dr. Yoshida felt the Three Chimneys stallion would be ideally suited to the mare. “I saw Gun Runner on the racetrack and thought he was very unique. Obviously, he was a very good dirt horse, but he had really good action like one running on the turf, almost like he was flying. It was very light, very smooth, and I thought we could produce a Classic-type horse in using Gun Runner for Luna Rosa. That's the main reason we chose him, although he was still a new stallion. “Ms. Colasanti has a very good artistic eye when she's evaluating a horse. Each horse has to pass her test. That means we have to produce a world-class and a Classic-type horse.” Dr. Naoya Yoshida | Sarah Andrew Dr. Yoshida said Locked passed Colasanti's test and really stood out from the start. . “We were very happy because he had presence–a lovely presence–and a certain dignity from the time he was born, but he was easy to handle. He also had an impressive walk. “Luna Rosa is a powerful mare, but Locked is built more like Gun Runner. Although when looking at Luna Rosa from the side, I can see the same kind of square line which Locked has. In addition, any tough mentality he has most certainly comes from Luna Rosa.” While Dr. Yoshida may have brought the suggestion of Gun Runner for Luna Rosa to the table, he said mating plans for the mare are a group decision. “We work together with all of our boarding clients to make decisions for mating arrangements. Ms. Colasanti has been so kind to trust our suggestions since she started to keep her horses at the farm, but we always give our comments and suggestions to her to make our final decision together. There are so many important factors, of course–ability, race performance, commercial value, budget.” Luna Rosa went to Caravaggio and Tiz the Law in the two years following Locked, and visited Gun Runner's GI Preakness Stakes-winning son Early Voting for the current yearling. That colt is scheduled to go through the Keeneland September sale as part of Book 1. Dr. Yoshida said he looks like a Classic horse. “When we decided to enter the yearling for the Keeneland sale, Ms. Colasanti considered keeping him because he is very nice. This Early Voting colt has a very classy shape with a nice top line. He's a little different type from Locked, but extremely nice.” Locked himself sold at the 2022 Keeneland September sale for $425,000 to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm. They sent him to Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and the colt quickly rewarded Dr. Yoshida's vision, breaking his maiden in his second start at two at Saratoga in a 'TDN Rising Star' performance, then adding a win in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity before hitting the board in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He missed the Classics with a minor ligament injury. Since coming back late last year, he's captured the GII Cigar Mile and the Big 'Cap in addition to a runner-up effort in the GI Pegasus World Cup. He was last seen finishing third in Friday's GII Suburban Stakes at Saratoga. Rosa Colasanti's Luna Rosa | Sarah Andrew Luna Rosa has a full-brother to Locked on the ground and was bred back to Gun Runner again for next term. Dr. Yoshida said the foal reminds him of Locked and is showing signs of being another top colt. “I have a really good feeling on this foal, too,” said Dr. Yoshida. Both Locked and last year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone are bred on the identical cross, being by Gun Runner and out of Malibu Moon mares. They are also both foals of 2021. Even when getting in on the ground floor of a cross works so well, Dr. Yoshida is not one to rest on his laurels. “It's lovely to have Locked racing well, but we are also constantly thinking ahead to the next winner from this family. We always need to work harder and update our strategy.” Dr. Yoshida continued, “Ms. Colasanti most enjoys breeding and racing in Europe, so having first Gabriellina Giof and now Luna Rosa at the farm gives our team the mission to protect her passion. I hope we have more success for Ms. Colasanti. Her success helps promote cooperation between Europe and the United States, and that's what we try to do.” Up next, we'll check in with the dams and some of the breeding decisions behind a few key 3-year-old colts of 2025: GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Tappan Street and GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Burnham Square. The post The Producers: Part 1, Locked and Bloodstock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

(This story is courtesy of the The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey) There are many reasons that Kelso is considered one of the best horses of the 20th century, but the ones that stand out are his class, consistency and durability. Back when the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup was still considered one of the most important races on the calendar, Kelso won it five years in a row, from 1960 through 1964. It's considered one of the greatest feats in racing history. It would seem that accomplishment–winning the same stakes race five years in a row–would be beyond the reach of the modern thoroughbred. How many horses today even last five years? Not many. It's not what horses do anymore. Then there's the New Jersey-bred He'spuregold (Vancouver {Aus}). The 7-year-old gelding, who is owned and was bred by John Bowers's Roseland Farm Stable, celebrated the holiday weekend in style by winning his fifth straight Irish War Cry Handicap, a grass race restricted to New Jersey breds. “John stopped by the barn this morning and said you seemed really excited about the race yesterday,” trainer Kelly Breen said. “I said, 'Do you realize what your horse just did? He won the same race five years in a row.' It's unheard of. It's incredible.” Way back in 2020, He'spuregold made his debut finishing third in a maiden race at Keeneland while going off at odds of 70-1. Six starts later, he broke his maiden in a Jersey-bred race at Monmouth. Breen knew what he had, a horse with a lot of potential but one that also had ankle issues. “We've had some ankle problems with him and they are just as bad now that he's seven-years-old as they were when he was he was three,” Breen said. “He's had those issues, so we've worked hard to keep the problems in check. He's made his visits to Patty Hogan and he has had surgery. But he keeps going. He's a warrior.” “Kelly is over the moon,” Bowers said. “Kelly appreciates what he's done, with the five straight wins. We bred the horse in hopes that he'd be a good grass horse and he's always run great on the grass. The Irish War Cry is a New Jersey-bred race on the grass, so when he won it the first two times I wasn't really that surprised. Winning it five times in a row is really a thrill. It's something to be proud of.” As a 3-year-old, He'spuregold won the race for the first time in 2021. Breen tried him in a couple of graded, open races, but he wasn't up to the challenge. So it was right back to the Irish War Cry, which, as a 4-year-old he won by 2 1/2 lengths. He picked up his only career win on the dirt when capturing the 2022 Charles Hesse III Stakes at Monmouth for Jersey-breds. And he would go on to beat a tough field of allowance runners in 2023 at Gulfstream. He lost his next three starts, but the 2024 Irish War Cry awaited. With Paco Lopez, his regular rider throughout his career aboard, he had to fight this time, wining by just a neck over One Time Willard (Micromange), who is also trained by Breen. The secret to his success? “His demeanor helps,” Breen said. “He's a pleasure to be around. He's overall just a nice horse. He's nice to be around. He's a classy horse. It's hard to put into words sometimes, but he's nice to be around, nice to train. He's the best athlete on your sports team. My son plays hockey. It's like training Gretzky. My style of training really fits with him. I tell them to go out there and work a half-mile in 48 flat and he does it. He is the perfect athlete.” He beat open company in the 2024 Red Bank Stakes but that would be his last win coming into the 2025 Irish War Cry. This time he won by three-quarters of a length over the same One Time Willard. “You have to give Kelly a lot of credit because the horse has had ankle issues since he was three,” Bowers said. “Kelly has kept the horse going. One thing Kelly said to me is that the horse runs easily once he starts running. That's what kept him in high class races for so long.” The 2025 Irish War Cry win upped his career earnings to $687,170. He's won 10 races, five of them being the Irish War Cry. There won't be a sixth straight. Though He'spuregold is obviously still on top of his game, Bowers doesn't want to assume any of the risks that come with campaigning an 8-year-old. “We don't plan on running him next year,” Bowers said. “I don't want to see him running in claiming races. By the end of this year, he will have done everything we had hoped for and more. I appreciate it when people recognize him and his accomplishments.” The post New Jersey’s Version of Kelso, It’s He’spuregold appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tuesday, Hamburg, Germany, post time: 18:25, GROSSER PREIS VON LOTTO HAMBURG-G3, €55,000, 3yo/up, 10fT Field: Quest The Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), Wintertraum (Ger) (Lord Of England {Ger}), Atoso (Ger) (Guiliani {Ire}), Calyx Rose (Ire) (Calyx {GB}), Daydream Express (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Egina (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), New York City (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), Eagle Emblem (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}). TDN Verdict: Christoph Berglar's Tattersalls October Book 2 graduate Eagle Emblem is the lone sophomore on display and gets a crucial nine pounds, and more, allowance from his elders. He was one length adrift of runner-up, and subsequent G1 Deutsches Derby fourth, Path Of Soldier when fourth in Baden-Baden's G3 Derby-Trial at the end of May and brings solid form to the table. Egina was rewarded for her consistency at black-type level with a brace of Listed victories in May and remains undefeated in two starts this term. Atoso annexed this last year but is winless in six outings since, while Wintertraum, Calyx Rose and Daydream Express already have black-type wins in the bag this year. The Sarah Steinberg-trained duo Quest The Moon and New York City complete a wide-open renewal, with Deutsches Derby heroine Nina Baltromei teaming up with the latter. [Sean Cronin]. Click here for the complete field. The post Black-Type Analysis: Eagle Emblem Tackles His Elders at Hamburg appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The following is a note from Dauna Moths, the sister of the late D. Wayne Lukas, to TDN's Christina Bossinakis. I just watched the TDN tribute to Wayne. I wish I could talk with each of those who commented–I consider us all “family.” Also, thank you for your recent comments on his life. My heart overflows to read all the remembrances to him. I have been overwhelmed by calls and e-mails from my friends and I am still trying to accept this reality. My heartfelt wish is to thank those who made kind comments and were a part of Wayne's life. For Wayne's 80th birthday, I sent him many scrapbooks of his life and I enclosed a card and blank pages, telling him he had to finish the books. Well, he certainly has done that. Many of the pictures of his early life were in Sermon on the Mount. Of course, I'm proud of all his achievements, but what really counts to me are the memories of our childhood. The many remembrances of his kindness and giving to others from others that knew him are comforting. My brother, Lowell, and I try to live the same way–and this is a tribute to a mother and father who taught us these values and way to live. It is ironic that I have a bulletin board with some of the same quotes that Wayne had on his, but that it was unknown to each of us! I wish there was a way for me to respond to all those who have remembered him and their gracious comments comfort me. Thank you for being a part of his life. The post Letter to the Editor: All in the Family – Remembering Wayne Lukas appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Unbridled joy was present in bundles at Hamburg on Sunday as recent amateur-turned-apprentice Nina Baltromei urged Hochkonig to victory on the line in the 156th Deutsches Derby, denying the Karl Burke-trained Convergent (Fastnet Rock) by the merest of margins. Hochkonig is by the Lomitas stallion Polish Vulcano, who stands at the Darboven family's Gestut Idee, which sponsors the Derby and is where the 17-year-old was bred. We'll be hearing from the stallion's breeder Albert Darboven in tomorrow's TDN, but for the breeders of Hochkonig, racing photographers Marc and Gabi Ruehl, Sunday's victory was somewhat surreal. Marc has been photographing Derby winners at Hamburg since Walter Swinburn won aboard Luigi back in 1988. He told TDN on Monday, “It was unbelievable. But the day before I told Nina that I was just going to focus on her and Hochkonig – and it worked!” Hochkonig was the second Classic winner of the season for trainer Yasmin Almenrader after the victory of Matilda in the G2 German 2,000 Guineas. The Soldier Hollow filly has subsequently been bought by Peter Brant of White Birch Farm and switched to the French stable of Francis Graffard. “Yasmin does a great job every time,” said Gabi. “We've seen it this year with Matilda and Hocking, but we have won so many races with Yasmin and she is all about the horse. We are in touch with her daily.” The Ruehls live near Cologne, about ten minutes from Gestut Schlenderhan where, for them, the Hochkonig story began 25 years ago with the purchase of his Schlenderhan-bred granddam Habina, by 1977 Derby winner The Minstrel. In fact, Derby winners from various nations run free in Hochkonig's pedigree. Though his grandsire Lomitas could manage only second in the Deutsches Derby back in 1991, the subsequent German Horse of the Year is himself a grandson of the most recent winner of the British Triple Crown, Nijinsky. Hochkonig's dam is by the Derby Italiano winner Kallisto and, as mentioned, has The Minstrel as her damsire. Six generations back on the page you will find Violetta, bred by the Moller family of White Lodge Stud and herself by Sir Victor Sassoon's 1953 Derby winner Pinza. She in turn features as the granddam of Teenoso (Youth), the winner at Epsom 30 years after Pinza, and the third dam of 2006 Derby hero Sir Percy (Mark Of Esteem). “We are just happy to have provided the next Derby winner for this line,” said Marc. “The German preference is for stamina, this is what Germany is famous for, we don't have too many horses running over 1,000 metres.” The Ruehls usually welcome “two or three foals a year” and currently have six mares at their property. “I had my first horse when I was nine and and later bought a Thoroughbred mare with my father, so the horses came first but I have been a professional photographer since I was 18,” said Marc. “I was concentrating on taking the photos but it was easy because I could see Hochkonig was near the front fighting. After he crossed the line I was sure he had won but I was a little bit nervous until we had the result.” Of the couple's decision to use Polish Vulcano for Halinara, he explained, “He is a son of Lomitas and we wanted the cross with The Minstrel because of Nijinsky, and also he is a really nice stallion. He doesn't have many runners but those who have run have done very well. It's the same with Kallisto. We used him often and we had great success with him.” Halinara will return to Polish Vulcano next season, as will her daughter Halima (Tertullian), and this year she has a filly foal by Alter Adler. Modestly, there were no photos of the Ruehls with Hochkonig displayed among the reams of photos of the Derby winner on their website. We did however coax them into tracking down the attached image of Marc celebrating in fine style. “We are not the owner, we are only the breeder,” Marc said, and his wife added, “But we enjoyed yesterday evening with the owner and the trainer. It is so important to enjoy these wonderful moments.” It is indeed. Delacroix Proves His Worth The feature race in Britain over the weekend was the Coral-Eclipse Stakes, in which Aidan O'Brien scored another perfect ten when Delacroix followed the likes of Giant's Causeway, St Mark's Basilica and City Of Troy in handing another win to the trainer. Only just though. In a hard scrabble of a finish, Ryan Moore rousted Delacroix home down the outside to deny favourite Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder), having been temporarily boxed in and bumped by stable-mate Camille Pissarro (Wootton Bassett), ridden by Christophe Soumillon. 'The lads have been looking for a Dubawi all their lives and he is out of a champion. He is a total outcross for all the mares,” said O'Brien of Delacroix, and we hope that Henry Longfellow, presumably happily out grazing in a Coolmore paddock after a busy covering season, took no offence. But of course, Delacroix, as suggested, is indeed a much more useful future option to the Coolmore broodmare band than the similarly good-looking Henry Longfellow as Delacroix is out of the Bernstein mare Tepin, and therefore free of Galileo blood, while the latter is out of Minding. Two sons of Dubawi out of two top-class racemares. It will be interesting to see which one ends up as the better sire, but that's a puzzle for the future. For now, Delacroix has bounced back from Derby disappointment to deliver a blow for the three-year-olds in the first generational clash of the season. His victory means that O'Brien's tally of Group 1 wins for the year now runs to ten and includes the Derby, Oaks, Irish Derby, Prix du Jockey Club and Poule d'Essai des Poulains. And we're only halfway through the season. The Wootton Boys With the Prix de Diane having fallen to Almanzor's daughter Gezora, it was time for another of Wootton Bassett's stallion sons to shine on Sunday when Wooded provided the winner of the Prix Jean Prat, Woodshauna. The latter, like his sire, is trained by Francis Graffard, and Woodshauna, from his first crop, becomes the first Group 1 winner – and stakes winner of any description – for Wooded, who stands at Al Shaqab's Haras de Bouquetot. Bred by Patrick Lemarié of Haras de Magouet, Woodshauna's victory gave a terrific boost to the form of the G3 Prix Texanita, which he won on May 16, beating subsequent G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Time For Sandals (Sands Of Mali) by a head. For that run, he had been wearing the colours of Al Shaqab Racing, but Woodshauna landed his Group 1 success in the silks of John Stewart's Resolute Racing, having been bought at the Goffs London Sale for £625,000 and kept in training with Graffard. It was a good day for graduates of Arqana's October Yearling Sale, as Woodshauna had originally been, as over in Warsaw, Chestnut Rocket (Intello) landed the Polish Derby for owner JK Grzegorowski. From the same sale the following year came Cape Ashizuri, who became the second winner for his young sire St Mark's Basilica with a two-length victory at Ayr on Sunday. Bred by Barrownstown Stud, the colt is a half-brother to G1 Prix Morny winner The Wow Signal (Starspangledbanner) and, like him, is trained by John and Sean Quinn, who picked him up at Arqana for €75,000. Wootton Bassett was himself represented by his latest stakes winner on Deauville's cracking Sunday card when Nighttime got the ball rolling in the opening Listed Prix Roland de Chambure, named in honour of the former owner of Haras d'Etreham, where Wootton Bassett famously started his stud career. This came a day after fellow juvenile Daytona took the inaugural running of the Listed Pat Smullen Irish EBF Stakes at Naas. Nighttime represents a nice mixture of two major owner-breeders as, though she runs in the blue and white livery of the Wertheimers, who bred her, she is out of Daytime, a once-raced Juddmonte-bred daughter of those overachieving parents Frankel and Midday (Oasis Dream). Blood will out. Palace Pier Emerging It is probably fair to say that Palace Pier has been the surprise chart-riser in the freshman sire ranks in recent weeks, and he now has seven winners to his credit, including the Listed-placed Sirius A. All seven of those winners have come in Britain, including a double at Sandown and Beverley last Friday, and, most tellingly, at a strike-rate of 44 per cent winners to runners. Palace Pier, by Kingman, was a later starter himself, but was unbeaten at two when winning a maiden and a novice contest on August 30 and September 18, before bursting onto the scene when winning the following season's G1 St James's Palace Stakes on his first start in Pattern company. His closest rival on strike-rate among the first-season sires is Haras de Bouquetot's Armor, who has three winners from seven runners (43 per cent), while Nando Parrado and Starman are operating at 28 and 27 per cent respectively. With 12 winners, including Group 3 winners Lady Iman and Venetian Sun, Starman remains at the head of the table overall. Looming Threat to British Racing The British Horseracing Authority may currently be missing a chief executive and a chair but it means business when it comes to addressing the serious threat to British racing from the proposals for a flat rate of tax across all forms of gambling. Following a Royal Ascot week launch of the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Racing and Bloodstock (APPG), the campaign stepped up a notch last week with a visit to Newmarket by a group of senior Conservative politicians, including Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch MP, to hear the concerns of some of racing's participants. This was followed by an appearance on Luck on Sunday of APPG co-chair and Labour MP Dan Carden. Newmarket, Britain's largest training and breeding hub, is a Conservative stronghold and has Carden's co-chair Nick Timothy as its representative in parliament, but cross-party support to quash the idea of a racing tax rise is vital. Speaking at last week's meeting at Tattersalls, William Haggas questioned the sway that shadow ministers could have in this issue, asking Badenoch, “Actually, what can you do about it? With all due respect you are not in power at the moment.” Her reply appeared to offer some reassurance. She said, “We can get the message to them. That is our job.” Indeed, from the benches of power, Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, answered a question in the House of Commons from Caroline Dinenage MP regarding the “looming and imminent crisis” facing the sport. Nandy said, “We understand not just the joy that horseracing brings to millions of people in the UK and across the world but also the huge economic benefits and we are absolutely determined to back British horseracing to the hilt.” Encouraging words. Let's hope her government in turn backs the minister. The post Seven Days: A Photo Finish Like No Other appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

GoffsGo, a new online sales platform that allows vendors to sell when they're ready, has been introduced by Goffs, with the first horses expected to be on the market and selling in the coming week. In a press release issued by Goffs on Monday, GoffsGo is described as “an easy to use, always on sales facility, that takes the waiting out of selling horses online”. Horses will be available for bidding as soon as they are published on the website, with bidding remaining open for around three to five days before closing. Entries for GoffsGo are open now and can be made on Goffs.com at a special launch fee of £49. The release continues, “Offering a point of significant difference to the existing online marketplace, GoffsGo is designed to get your horse onto the market fast, cutting waiting times and allowing people to maximise their horse's value by selling when the time is right. Entries are always open, 365 days of the year and Goffs will work with each vendor to arrange the fastest available date to put their horse on the market.” Like with other online sales, buyers will still need to register to bid with GoffsGo, with approved registrations being given a term length for their credit. This leaves buyers free to bid across all Goffs sales, both physical and online, that are held during the approved credit period. Goffs Group chief executive Henry Beeby said, “We mentioned earlier in the year we had been working on something in the online sale sphere and we are very excited to announce our new service, GoffsGo. “Designed to offer a point of difference in the online sale market, GoffsGo allows people to sell when they are ready, so when people ask us, 'When is your next sale?', we can say, 'Now', as we always have a sale in action. “We have built this service with flexibility in mind and part of that point of difference that GoffsGo offers is the option of discretion. So for those who wish to utilise all the benefits of selling with Goffs, and all our renowned service and integrity, but want to do so in a controlled, confidential manner, GoffsGo can provide that. “The other feature we are introducing with GoffsGo is our new preferences tool. So if you login and submit your preferences, the platform will send you an email when a horse that matches your preferences comes to market, so you never miss a horse but equally are not inundated with information irrelevant to you. “As with every Goffs sale, GoffsGo aspires to the highest standards of integrity and welfare. Therefore, all lots offered on GoffsGo will be accompanied with a vendor supplied Veterinary Certificate against which buyers can vet whilst the Goffs Conditions of Sale have been specially adapted for this service but still provide the protection and transparency clients know and appreciate when utilising the Goffs service.” He added, “This has been a huge project for the Goffs Group. GoffsGo is a concept that has taken a year to plan, design and build, and we are delighted to release it to the market. Entries for GoffsGo are open now. We are offering great value to introduce the service with entry fees from just £49, and we expect to launch the website in the coming week or so with horses on the market and selling. “Ruairi Breen, who is based in Kildare, is our online sales executive and will be in charge of running GoffsGo. Ruairi comes to Goffs from Jessica Harrington where he held the position of race planner and owner communications and brings a wealth of racing knowledge to the role. We look forward to seeing him drive this new and unique service forward.” Once an entry has been made, Goffs will contact the vendor regarding all required documentation and will organise the earliest possible date to get their horse on the market. For more information on GoffsGo, please read the FAQ here. The post Goffs Announce Launch of GoffsGo, The New Always-On Online Sales Platform appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainers Andrew Balding and Warren Greatrex were among those to take part in Racing Welfare's Castle to Abbey Challenge on Sunday, raising over £100,000 in the process. A total of 80 participants from across the racing industry completed the North Yorkshire coastline walk, from the historic Scarborough Castle to the iconic Whitby Abbey. Together, the grand total raised so far is £100,507, with donations remaining open via this link. Dawn Goodfellow, chief executive of Racing Welfare, said, “I wanted to say such a heartfelt thank you from Racing Welfare to every single person who has taken part, from the first past the post to the last, for all of the miles they've covered and the fundraising and the promotion they've done. “It has been probably our biggest challenge event to date, and probably the most money raised from any challenge event we've ever done from individual sponsors, so I can't thank everybody enough. The support has been truly humbling. “The funds raised will make a real difference to those in our industry facing difficult times, whether that's through mental health support, housing advice or financial assistance.” The post Racing Welfare’s Castle to Abbey Challenge Raises Over £100,000 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

If you're looking for a single word to sum up the catalogue for the Tattersalls July Sale, chances are that 'mammoth' will do the trick. In what other week would you find a recent Royal Ascot winner among the 17 horses who boast Timeform ratings in excess of 100, along with a list of mares as long as your arm that hail from deep Godolphin, Juddmonte and Shadwell families. Don't forget Baroda Stud offering the first mare in foal to champion racehorse City Of Troy. Put simply, there is something for everyone among the over 900 horses set to sell between Tuesday [sale gets underway at 9.30am] and Thursday at Park Paddocks. Andrew Balding will doubtless be one of the busiest trainers this week. As well as managing a typically-strong assault at the Newmarket July meeting, which includes leading July Cup hope Flora Of Bermuda, Balding will be overseeing a draft of 25 horses. Among them is Golden Gates Stakes winner Quai De Bethune, successful at the royal meeting on just his sixth start and one of the hottest properties on the sale ground. But he is not alone in the Kingsclere corner of the Highflyer Paddock, with fellow three-year-olds Humam (Kodiac) and Gallant (Hello Youmzain) boasting similarly-attractive profiles and ratings. Balding commented, “Obviously Quai De Bethune has been an improver and has been very consistent in his races. I thought that was a very good performance at Ascot and he's being sold to dissolve a partnership. I'm sure there are more miles on the clock so I hope he sells well.” As far as British-based trainers are concerned, few hit the yearling sales quite like Balding, who does a lot of the heavy lifting himself on behalf of a wide variety of clients. Many of those owners need to cut their cloth to measure, which means the wheels need to turn. Hence, here we are. “Exactly,” Balding agreed. “And when you sell at this time of the year, it tends to give you a little more ammunition when it comes to the yearling sales. Plenty of our owners need to keep the wheel turning. We are selling a lot of horses this week and, while I don't know the exact number, a lot of them have won their latest start. I'd like to think we have a really good consignment this week.” Some of the breeding stock on offer this week would not look out of place here in December. Within the 48 lots that powerhouse operation Godolphin will offer, there are sisters to champion older horse Ghaiyyath [lot 244], Sea Silk Road [265] and the Derby winner Masar [852] to name just a few. But if it's a novelty factor that you're after, look no further than Miaharris (Zoustar) [180], the only mare to be sold in foal to City Of Troy. A classy filly on the track, Miaharris reached a rating of 99 and landed a Listed success over the minimum trip at Newbury. She will be sold this week by Baroda Stud, whose owner David Cox said, “She was a very good racemare and there is definitely a bit of a novelty factor involved with her given she is in foal to a champion in City Of Troy. There are three well-related maiden mares – Hala Be Zain (Zoffany) [66], Queen Of Mercia (Golden Horn) [142] and Heavenly Fire (Harry Angel) [145] – who are all in foal to Shaquille and are going down well as well so it is shaping up to be an interesting sale. But, definitely, there is a bit of a novelty factor with Miaharris with her covering.” Marconi: a bloodstock agent on the rise| Tattersalls One man who can be expected to get in on the action for the highly-rated racing prospects is bloodstock agent Alessandro Marconi. The Italian native, best known for unearthing last year's French 2,000 Guineas winner Metropolitan, has been a growing force at the major breeze-up, online and horses-in-training sales in recent times. Being in demand brings its own challenges with Marconi ruing the fact he didn't get in on the action at Arqana last week in order to help lighten his load ahead of the July Sale. He explained, “There was an article with Mr Stuart [Boman, bloodstock agent] in one of the papers the other day and he was very right in what he said – it is easy to split horses for America, Australia, the Middle East or wherever. Where it becomes tricky is when you have multiple clients from the same region, which I have, because they all want the same horses. “I can give directions and coordinate the traffic on the roundabout but the main issue is, for example, if you take Dubai, it will be the same three or four trainers who have the clients that I have. So, how are you going to solve the equation? You just need to do your best to fill the orders but you need to buy the right ones. The majority of the horses that I am buying are for Middle Eastern clients.” Explaining his upsurge in popularity and approach to this week's sale, the former assistant trainer to Dubai trainer Ahmad Bin Harmash, said, “The horses I bought two years ago started winning and are doing better and better. So the clients that I lost started coming back. That's the way it is. The Marconi horses are winning. I want to get the job done properly and the most important thing for that is buying the right horse. There were five horses in Arqana last week that we tried to buy and now I am regretting not buying at least one. But we must be hopeful of being active this week.” The post Royal Ascot Winner Features Among Jam-Packed Tattersalls July Sale Offering appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The King's Cup, which was run as a Group 3 for the first time this year, will be worth $400,000 in 2026, after the Bahrain Turf Club announced a doubling of the prize fund for the most prestigious contest in the Kingdom's racing calendar. In conjunction with the boost in value to The King's Cup, the international race programme has also been strengthened, creating a clearly signposted 'Road to the King's Cup' for highly-rated horses over both a mile and middle-distances. This programme culminates with the $120,000 Listed Al Methaq Mile (1600m) and the $400,000 G3 King's Cup (2400m), which will be run next year on Friday, March 6. Yusuf Buheji, CEO of the Bahrain Turf Club, said, “As the quality of international horse attracted to compete in Bahrain improves, we want to ensure there are attractive and valuable options available to owners and trainers outside of the now established Bahrain Turf Series races. This has led to a strengthening of the international programme and the developing of a 'Road to the King's Cup', which takes in the Crown Prince's Cup and other premier races. “The King's Cup, run in honour of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, is the most prestigious prize in the Kingdom's racing calendar. The introduction of floodlights last year enabled us to create The King's Cup Festival, with consecutive nights of high-class racing and international competition.” He added, “Our goal is to keep developing and improving the quality of racing in Bahrain, together with the facilities, thereby making Bahrain an even more attractive and compelling proposition to international visitors.” The headline race in the first half of the season remains the G2 Bahrain International Trophy, with the $1-million contest taking place this year on Friday, November 14. Last year Spirit Dancer, trained by Richard Fahey and co-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, made history when becoming the first horse to retain the trophy, beating the subsequent Group 1 winner Lead Artist. Meanwhile, the Bahrain Turf Series returns with 12 races, worth a total of $1 million and a further $80,000 available in bonuses. With both sprint and middle-distances races, the series gets underway on Friday, December 19 and concludes with two handicaps, each worth $100,000, at The King's Cup Festival in March. The post Bahrain Turf Club Increases Investment with $400,000 King’s Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

St. Louis native and multi-diamond, award winning artist Nelly has taken a significant ownership role in a National Thoroughbred League (NTL) team that will move to St. Louis from its original Seattle base, the group announced Monday. Renamed as the “Nellies” in honor of its newest owner, the team is an expansion of the rapper's involvement after having been an early investor in the venture. Nelly will also serve as host of the NTL's Nelly Cup at Fairmount Park Saturday, July 19 for the track's centennial celebration. There will be music headlined by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member of A Tribe Called Quest, Jarobi White, as well as refreshments, a Nelly-inspired fashion show, and a trophy presentation by the artist. The NTL is the first team-based professional league in horse racing, giving fans recurring favorites and rivalries, while turning race weekends into lifestyle experiences and opportunities to support the community. “Nelly was an early investor in the National Thoroughbred League and his expanded ownership role is a testament to the momentum and success we've built so far,” said Randall Lane, co-founder of the NTL. “Our mission is rooted in creating authentic connections and fan bases in every city we're in, which is why each team's ownership group includes individuals who have strong, personal ties to their local communities.” For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the NTL website. The post Award Winning Artist Nelly Purchases Seattle-Based National Thoroughbred League Team appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Last year's 2,000 Guineas winner Notable Speech heads a list of 16 contenders for Saturday's G1 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup at Newmarket, after being supplemented on Monday at a cost of £36,000. Trained by Charlie Appleby, Notable Speech has raced exclusively over a mile in his 10 career starts to date, with last year's G1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood featuring among his other significant victories. Last seen finishing fourth in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, the son of Dubawi now faces a two-furlong drop in distance, having impressed his connections in a recent piece of work. Godolphin posted on social media on Monday, “Update from Moulton Paddocks: Following a very pleasing piece of work over the weekend, the decision has been made to supplement Dubawi's 2,000 Guineas hero Notable Speech for the G1 July Cup @NewmarketRace.” Notable Speech is one of two supplementary entries for the July Cup made by Godolphin, along with the John and Thady Gosden-trained Spy Chief (Kingman), who produced a career-best effort when filling the runner-up spot in the G3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot last time. Symbol Of Honour (Havana Grey) could also represent Appleby and Godolphin, following his success in the G2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock, while Whistlejacket (No Nay Never), Big Mojo (Mohaather) and Ides Of March (Wootton Bassett) will also be trying to land a blow for the three-year-olds in the first big clash of the generations in this division. That trio all contested the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, with Whistlejacket finishing one place ahead of Big Mojo in sixth as stablemate Ides Of March came home towards the rear of the field. Andrew Balding's Flora Of Bermuda (Dark Angel) is among the market leaders after her third-place finish in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. The first two from that Group 1, Lazzat and Satono Reve, will be missing from Saturday's July Cup, but five of the next six look set to be in action at Newmarket, with Iberian (Lope De Vega), Jasour (Havana Grey), Inisherin (Shamardal) and Run To Freedom (Muhaarar) all trying to turn the tables on Flora Of Bermuda. Wathnan Racing, the owners of Flora Of Bermuda, could be represented by up to three runners with Night Raider (Dark Angel) and Rogue Lightning (Kodiac) also in the mix, while this year's G1 Al Quoz Sprint heroine Believing (Mehmas) is set to make her final appearance on a racecourse for George Boughey. The potential field is completed by the Richard Hughes-trained No Half Measures (Cable Bay) and Richard Spencer's Twilight Calls (Twilight Son). The post Supplemented Notable Speech Features Among 16 July Cup Contenders appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bloodstock agent Ed Sackville has been appointed by Juddmonte in the new position of Head of European Sales. Sackville, a graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start programme and Highclere Stud, will be responsible for commercial aspects of the European business, including overall responsibility for the sale of European stallion nominations, working closely and directly with Juddmonte's Nominations Manager Shane Horan and the nominations team. In a press release issued by Juddmonte, it was also confirmed that Sackville will continue to work with clients of SackvilleDonald as an independent breeding adviser. Douglas Erskine Crum, CEO Juddmonte Group, said, “As we look to expand our stallion roster in Europe, we have identified the need also to expand our nominations team to continue to serve our growing client base to the highest standards. “We have worked for many years with Ed. He is one of the most respected advisers in our industry and has close connections with Juddmonte. All of us in the team look forward to working even more closely with him in future.” Sackville added, “Juddmonte has a long history of racing top class horses which go on to become world class stallions. Frankel and Kingman are the epitome of this success, which has been carefully nurtured and developed over 40 years. With Frankel's Classic-winning son Chaldean already in the stallion roster and Kingman's Classic-winning son Field Of Gold to follow, Juddmonte's history of standing successful sires looks set to continue. “I am hugely excited to be a part of this journey and look forward to working with Shane, his team at Juddmonte, and with breeders throughout Europe.” The post Ed Sackville Named Juddmonte’s Head of European Sales appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Another record-setting performance by Sweet Azteca, a record pool in the Players' Pick 5, increased field size for a second consecutive year, and a first local riding title for jockey Kazushi Kimura highlighted the Los Angeles County Fair meet.View the full article

The nine-day Los Angeles County Fair Meet concluded Sunday with increased field sizes for a second consecutive year and with Kazushi Kimura claiming his first local riding title, the track announced. Several metrics improved for the 2025 season in addition to the field size–a bump up to 7.6 starters per race from slightly less than seven over the corresponding season a year ago. The total Players' Pick 5 pool of $974,636 eclipsed the previous high of $410,783 from 2016 when two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome had been the meet marquee attraction. While Kimura claimed sole ownership of the riding title with 10 victories–one more than Diego Herrera in second–for the LACF season, trainers Steve Knapp and Peter Miller tied for the top spot in the trainer standings with six victories apiece. Knapp led the 2024 Winter Meet, and Miller has led outright or shared the title on eight occasions since daytime racing returned to Los Alamitos in 2014. The second daytime meet of 2025 will begin Friday, Sept. 12 with six scheduled racing days through Sunday, Sept. 21 on a Friday-Sunday time frame both weeks (Sept. 13-15 and Sept. 20-22). Post time will be 1:00 p.m. The post Kazushi Kimura Claims First Riding Title at Los Angeles County Fair Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In How To Talk To Customers, co-author Tom Larkin wrote that the key in business relationships was to “Make A Great Impression on the Customer”–known by his signature acronym M-A-G-I-C. “Results matter, and so does the process used to get those results,” the Preface pithily preached. According to those that knew him best, Larkin built a successful consulting company which focused on the development and enhancement of a business's number one concern, outreach. He traveled the world giving dynamic presentations on what has become the lost art of customer service. Sadly in 2023, he succumbed to ALS after a four-year battle. In college at Arizona State, Larkin ran across future horseman Corey Johnsen and the two formed a lifelong bond. To pay tribute to his friend through his syndicate CJ Thoroughbreds, Johnsen christened a colt Tom's Magic (Justify) after they acquired him for $200,000 during Keeneland September. “Marette Farrell who we use as our bloodstock advisor pointed this colt out to us at the sale,” said CJ Thoroughbreds Vice President C.J. Johnsen. “We focus primarily on fillies, but we've had clients who wanted to invest in colts and we really couldn't believe that a Justify would be priced so well. He had sesamoiditis, but we knew we could park him for 60 to 90 days at the farm in Midway [Kentucky] and everything would work out. Tom Larkin was really important to my dad [Corey Johnsen], so we wanted to name this colt after him.” What excited CJ Thoroughbreds about their purchase was the colt's Ontario-bred roots from dam SP Dixie Chicken (Rahy). Being a half to Dixie Moon (Curlin), who won the Woodbine Oaks, and to Guy Caballero (Quality Road), who took down the Plate Trial Stakes north of the border, gave the ownership group hope that the King's Plate Stakes Aug. 16 could be a viable target going forward. “We brought Scott Mawaka of Mo Speed Racing on board as an equal partner,” said Johnsen. “Sending this colt to Mike Stidham made sense and we liked his potential, plus his pedigree speaks to the idea that he can go longer. So, the idea of getting to the King's Plate has been out there for some time.” The question concerning how to prepare a Thoroughbred for a race that is more than nine months out intersects nicely with Larkin's quote about how the process is just as important as the end result. When talking to customers he urged companies to create their own 'magic of communication,' which became all about connecting on another plane with potential clients. Empathy, listening, following through on promises and being accountable were just some of the devices his toolkit deployed to create the opportunity to do business. Mike Stidham is customer-driven | Hodges Photography As Stidham can attest–having cared for the likes of current Darley sires Mystic Guide (by Ghostzapper) and Proxy (by Tapit) to last weekend's GIII Kelso Stakes hero Think Big (Twirling Candy), plus countless others over nearly 50 years in the game–training a Thoroughbred incorporates all of the tenets Larkin espoused. “The customer experience is everything,” said Stidham. “I was going through a tough time in the 90s when I was trying to get to the next level and I thought that I needed to find something else to do. I looked around at some of the old timers who were losing horses left and right to other barns. I knew I needed to get with the program and start working on getting more clients, otherwise that was going to be it. The key was becoming customer-driven, and you do that by going above and beyond what was expected.” Gone were the days when owners were stymied by a paywall and isolated from knowing what was going on with their horses. Stidham became part of the Internet generation that sent workout videos and he picked up the telephone to personally give updates, instead of clients calling him. “You never get a second chance to make a first impression as the saying goes,” he said. “It's true. My assistant Hilary [Pridham] and I take a lot of pride in service and because we have been doing this so long we know almost immediately what kind of horse we have on our hands.” When Tom's Magic was sent to Stidham starting last summer, the colt got a smattering of working experiences from the main track at Delaware to Turfway's synthetic surface in the fall. Stidham said the colt moved effortlessly no matter what was under him. Of course, the son of Justify was customarily green when he debuted in late November, but he showed some spark as the runner-up over the grass versus Cherie DeVaux trainee Deep Manhattan (Justify), who Stidham called “a monster.” The chestnut broke his maiden at course and distance before the calendar turned, and his 3-year-old campaign was marked by a score in the Black Gold Stakes Mar. 1. With the King's Plate six months out at that point, Stidham had several avenues that Tom's Magic could take. He opted for monsoon-laden Keeneland, which miraculously put on the delayed GIII Transylvania Stakes–the result was a ninth-place finish behind eventual GI Belmont Derby champ Test Score (Lookin At Lucky). Tom's Magic was a tough customer in the Black Gold Stakes | Hodges Photography “A horse in your barn is a customer too,” said Stidham. “You have to think about their needs, what will make them rise to any given occasion. What's interesting about this colt is that the weather helped and hurt us at different stages over the next three months after the Transylvania.” On the lookout for the 'right' race for his customer, the trainer thought seriously about the GIII Penn Mile Stakes, but it kept being put off. “I have never seen a race delayed like that,” he said. “Things got really tricky and Hilary, who scours the condition books, was trying to find a fit for him that would give us a chance to build some confidence.” The barn found the right spot in the Tale of the Cat Stakes at Monmouth June 28 and got to the winner's circle. “The weather was great that day, he sat just off the speed and looked really comfortable,” Stidham said. “I especially liked what he showed in the latter stages of the race with that stride of his, so we are all systems go moving forward to the King's Plate. Even though Stidham has never entered Canada's signature Thoroughbred race, he is confident that Tom's Magic can handle the surface, the distance and be ready to ship to Toronto. Now, it is all about keeping his good customer happy. “I love a horse that is not afraid to train,” Stidham said. “He's exactly that type and coming out of the race at Monmouth with the same amount of time off as he had from April to late June, I think we will be ready.” Whether it's training an employee in the art of customer service or caring for a Thoroughbred who is pointing to a big race, it certainly takes magic. Tom Larkin built a successful career inspiring others to think about the process before taking stock of the results. Ever customer-driven, the team behind Tom's Magic is looking to do something similar with trying to get the 3-year-old ready for his King's Plate bow. Now, that's a fitting tribute for his namesake's memory. The post Good Customer Tom’s Magic to Make King’s Plate Bow appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

by Adam Hamilton Millionaire Kiwi trotter Oscar Bonavena’s exasperating start to the Brisbane Inter Dominion series has taken another twist. Mark and Nathan Purdon’s superstar nine-year-old has drawn gate one – probably one draw they didn’t want – in his do-or-die second round heat at Albion Park next Saturday night. Oscar Bonavena has a history of galloping when put under pressure from inside front row draws. The awkward draw follows an opening night horror show where he was held-up and hit the line full of running in seventh place. Driver Adam Sanderson returned to Mark Purdon and put his hand up for a bad draw. It has left Oscar Bonavena precariously placed to make the final so drawing one in the second and last heat is far less than ideal given his history. Adding to the intrigue of that heat, series favourite Arcee Phoenix is drawn to follow out Oscar Bonavena from gate eight. Arcee Phoenix smashed the clock when he sustained a big run from back in the field on opening night to run second to Kiwi young gun Bet N Win. Bet N Win will dominate betting to win again night two after drawing gate three. Driver Bob Butt should be able to push forward and find the lead. His only real danger looks to be the gifted but wayward Gus, who ran a slashing second on night one. Gus is out of the drawing, meaning he will start from barrier 12. The news wasn’t great for the lone Kiwi in the pacing series with Pinseeker drawing barrier 11 on night two. Making it much worse is the fact he is the same heat as Leap To Fame, Don Hugo and Catch A Wave. It’s by far the strongest heat of the pacing series. What an intriguing race it will be with Don Hugo drawn to lead from gate one and Leap To Fame yet again drawn inside the back row (gate eight). This time Grant Dixon likely take his medicine and follow through behind Don Hugo. But whether he stalk Don Hugo and beat the renowned speedster from off his back is highly debatable. View the full article

by Jonny Turner There is more to Duchess Of Kent than the brilliance she’s shown in her recent winning hat-trick. The three-year-old made it three-from-three this time in when speeding up the Ascot Park passing lane to win the Diamond Creek Farm & SBSR Silk Road Final on Sunday. Speed has been the key ingredient in Duchess Of Kent’s hat-trick of victories, with the filly settling handy in each before zipping home to score for driver Brent Barclay. As fast as she is, trainer Lauren Pearson thinks there is more to Duchess Of Kent’s game. “I think she’d stay – I think she’ll follow pace all the time, but she has got that speed as well, which is a major help.” Putting three wins to her name has helped Duchess Of Kent add to the already impressive record of her dam, Galleons Honour. The outstanding producer has a 100% record at stud and has produced a string of smart types including Duke Of Wellington and Duke Of Cornwall. Each has been bred by the late Lester Smith, whose estate races Duchess Of Kent. Smith had a lifelong passion for harness racing and enjoyed excellent success in the sport, most recently with Pearson and Barclay. “This one ended up being Lester’s favourite horse after he sold Duke Of Cornwall, because she was a keeper,” Pearson said. Her victory in Sunday’s Silk Road Series final has now earned Duchess Of Kent the opportunity to take on better fillies in her age bracket at Addington. “She’s paid up for the Nevele R Fillies Series, so we will have a smack at that,” Pearson said. “She can have a week or so off now while we go on holiday.” “We will get her up to Bob Butt – Bob doesn’t know it yet but we are going to ask whether he can take her and keep her up there for two Nevele R heats and find out if she’s good enough.” Though the Duchess Of Kent’s current campaign could not have gone any better, behind the scenes there have been plenty of challenges. “We’ve had a lot of ups and downs with it, but hopefully we’re on top of them now.” “They put her first campaign down to soreness, so we turned her out and then an abscess burst out, so we’re hoping it was that.” “We got her back and then we had a tie-up issue again after the first workout, but we seem to be on top of it at the moment.” After reining home Duchess Of Kent with a pinpoint steer, Barclay notched a late double with Haley Jaccka taking out a hectic running of Sunday’s finale for trainer Brett Gray. View the full article

by Mike Love Templeton trainer Jeremy Pearson trained his first winner yesterday when Coba Charged took out the Wouldn’t Be Here Without Ted & Di Enright pace, with Sam Thornley in the sulky. “It’s bloody brilliant,” said Pearson. It was Pearson’s eleventh race as a trainer, and only the second this season. It was Coba Charged’s ninth career start and maiden victory. Coba Charged made a good beginning from the outside of the tapes to be in the one out one back position briefly before being left parked. Over-racing in the parked position, Coba Charged had a couple of unsuccessful digs for the lead. Thornley finally reached the lead around the 400m, going on to a tenacious victory by half a head at the line. “He’s been a bit of a challenge, and he does get on the nickel a bit but we got there in the end playing around with him. “He had a few tie-up issues as a two year old, but we got around that one. It’s just getting him to race kindly is the next thing.” Pearson also owns Coba Charged, who started his racing career with Regan Todd, placing on two occasions as a two year old. “I bought two at the weanling sales, him and Cyclone Sala who won last week (June 27) at Alexandra Park. It’s been nice having two come out and have success within a week.” “We will space his (Coba Charged’s) races a bit, and have a couple more starts then give him a bit of a breather. We will try to give him more education and get him to race kindly.” Pearson’s introduction to the sulky was a little uncanny – but nevertheless bug-inducing. “Wendy Devenport had a horse called Uncle Drew who pulled a lot, so she needed a driver. So the next day I went around, jumped in the sulky, and he pulled me around for 400m before I could pull him up.” Pearson currently trains out of the Kevin and Bonnie Williams’ property at Templeton. Other highlights on the card included a double for driver Ricky May (Shadow Creek/Brent Weaver and The Coalman/Mark Jones), while John Howe trained KD Grins to a maiden victory for the race day he sponsored. View the full article

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Matthew Chadwick is hoping to make his move in the race for the Tony Cruz Award with a strong book of rides headlined by Bravehearts in the feature Class Two Begonia Handicap (1,800m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday. The 34-year-old will arrive to the Valley on the 34-winner mark for the campaign, just two behind leader Matthew Poon Ming-fai and one ahead of fellow hopeful Derek Leung Ka-chun in the race to be the season’s leading local jockey. Chadwick is hunting down a second Tony Cruz Award and...View the full article

New Zealand-bred three-year-old Public Attention will continue his racing career in Hong Kong following his recent sale. The grey son of Written Tycoon was bred by the late Sir Patrick Hogan and Lady Justine Hogan out of Legramor, a daughter of their dual Group One winner Katie Lee, and he was offered through Carlaw Park’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft where he was purchased by Coolmore’s Tom Magnier for $160,000. Public Attention was raced by Coolmore, in association with several partners, including Sir Peter Vela, and won two of his eight starts to date carrying Coolmore’s iconic silks, including the Gr.3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Randwick in February. His talent was spotted by $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) slot holder Aziz “Ozzie” Kheir, and a deal was brokered for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained colt to contest the southern hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race in March. He finished eighth in the inaugural running of the NZB Kiwi before placing in the Gr.2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m) in April. That proved to be his last race in Australia and his former trainers believe he will acquit himself well in Hong Kong. “He was quite lucky for our stable,” Kent Jnr told Racing.com. “I still think he’s on the up and up and he’ll make a lovely horse in the Hong Kong environment. “He’s got the absolute best temperament, he’s an extremely sound horse and above all, he’s got smart ability. “He’s got a turn of foot, and he got to a good level here without us ever really seeing the best of him. I think the best of him was still to come. “I think he’s got a very good chance to be very successful up there in Hong Kong.” View the full article

Memories of a former high-class performer were revived when Peter Fitzgerald recently made a return to the winner’s circle. The Otaki horseman celebrated his first success in three decades when Revo broke his maiden on the polytrack at Awapuni last Friday. Fitzgerald enjoyed top-flight success in the early 1990s with the free-going chestnut Captain Cook, who won six races including the Gr.1 International Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa where he beat Fun On The Run. He subsequently took a lengthy break from training before returning and now has Revo and multiple placegetter Just A Drop in work at Otaki. “In the 1990s we found it too hard financially, so I tried something else and got paid by someone else,” Fitzgerald said. “I worked in a few stables in Australia, including Gai Waterhouse, which was really interesting and I learned a lot. “I never lost the interest and have always been a punter and followed the form and breeding.” Fitzgerald also spent time outside of the industry when he moved into real estate. “I became a house flipper and gave up the horses and didn’t want to go back into it until I could afford it,” he said. “I got a property company going and made a bit of money, so I thought it was time to have a crack with the horses. I enjoy training them and the ones I’ve got have got issues, so I potter around with them.” Fitzgerald has always been a follower of interval training, an approach he took with Captain Cook. “He was the second or third horse I trained and got away with the mistakes I made because he was so good,” he said. Interval training involves the use of multiple workouts on the same day separated by short rest periods to challenge and condition the cardiovascular system. “Theoretically, you’re encouraging the muscles and the mind of the horse to adapt to extra speed and it sends more blood and oxygen around the system and will become more efficient,” Fitzgerald said. “You can improve heart and muscle performance by up to 15 percent, but the horse has to be very sound to undertake it.” Under that training regime, Captain Cook also won the Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) as a three-year-old before he finished runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and third in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m), both times behind Veandercross. He also ran third in Rough Habit’s Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2020m), ran second to Naturalism in the Gr.2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m), was runner-up in the Gr.3 Tattersall’s Cup (2200m) and Gr.3 Thames Valley Stakes (1600m) behind Surfer’s Paradise and third in the Listed Craven Plate (2000m). “He still holds the New Zealand 2000m record and that suggests interval training does work, it was at weight-for-age (International Stakes), so it was no pretend race, and ran 1m.58.8s,” Fitzgerald said. “These two horses I’ve got now, one of them is sound enough physically but not mentally and the other is sound enough mentally but not physically, so I haven’t used interval training yet. “I would like to, but the horses aren’t in a position to do it yet. I certainly believe in it and it’s a great tool to condition horses.” View the full article

Te Akau’s Cranbourne barn has welcomed some exciting reinforcements ahead of spring racing, headlined by $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) heroine Damask Rose. The rising four-year-old mare was a standout for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson in her three-year-old term, winning three of her five starts in her homeland, including the $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) and NZB Kiwi, accruing more than $2 million in earnings. Having taken out two of New Zealand’s richest races, her connections have now set their sights on securing the lion’s share of one of Australia’s biggest prizes – the A$10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on November 1. The daughter of Savabeel, who was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis out of Milan Park’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $200,000, gained an automatic entry into the rich feature through her NZB Kiwi triumph. Damask Rose landed in Melbourne last month, and Walker said she has settled in well to her new environment. “She has settled in really well to out Cranbourne barn, we are really happy with her. She hasn’t missed a beat,” he said. “She is still lightly raced and she has got a bright future.” While the Golden Eagle remains her key spring target, Walker has outlined a potentially lucrative pathway to the Syndey feature. “She will kick-off in the Cockram Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m) on the 30th of August and she will have a couple of jumpouts before then,” he said. “From the Cockram it is three weeks to the Sir Rupert Clarke (Gr.1, 1400m) and then three weeks after that is the Toorak, a Group One mile handicap, and it is three weeks from there to the Golden Eagle.” Te Akau’s Group One-winning two-year-old Return To Conquer has also crossed the Tasman, with his major spring target also set to take place on November 1. The son of Snitzel was an unstoppable force in New Zealand, winning all four of his starts, including the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m), Gr.3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m), Gr.3 Matamata Slipper (1200m), and Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). With an eye to his future at stud, Walker is gearing his campaign towards the stallion-making A$2 million Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day. “He is jumping out next Monday and he will be aimed towards the Coolmore Stud Stakes and see if he measures up to the sprinting three-year-olds over here,” Walker said. “He’s an exciting prospect.” Te Akau’s Cranbourne barn is set to gain another exciting addition from their New Zealand operation next week when they welcome Group One-winning filly La Dorada. The daughter of Super Seth has been bested in only one of her five starts to date, when runner-up in the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) to Too Sweet at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, but subsequently went on to win the $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). “La Dorada is over next week and she will be aimed towards the Thousand Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) here,” Walker said. “She is just coming for the spring and then she will head back home for the Karaka Millions 3YO and NZB Kiwi.” View the full article

The world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising will return straight home to Hong Kong after his tilt in the Group One The Everest (1,200m) with his owner keen to show his commitment to Hong Kong racing. On a winning run of 12 races which includes four Group Ones, the David Hayes-trained superstar was imperious last season - rising up to a rating of 132 from 111. He dismantled his sprinting rivals by going faultless in the Hong Kong Speed Series, winning the Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) and...View the full article

Jockey Flavien Prat, trainer Chad Brown, and owner Klaravich Stables earned leading titles for their respective categories during the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet, which included racing at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article