Wandering Eyes

Having endured bad luck with Crypto Force (Time Test) after his G2 Beresford Stakes victory as a juvenile, Kia Joorabchian will be praying that things pan out more smoothly for the Wootton Bassett half-brother who cost the Amo Racing founder 2,200,000gns during the second session at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Matching the sum fetched by the Fittocks Stud-consigned Frankel colt earlier in the day, lot 247 is the fourth foal out of the winning Galileo mare Luna Mare, from the family of Lord Weinstock's globetrotting champion Pilsudski. Her first foal was the aforementioned Crypto Force, who won two of his three starts as a juvenile and later finished third in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup after missing his entire three-year-old campaign. Luna Mare was bought by Marlhill House Stud for 500,000gns at the 2022 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, just a couple of months after Crypto Force's win in the Beresford. She has a filly foal, also by Wootton Bassett, but is not in foal this year, according to Marlhill House manager Brian McConnon, who was understandably delighted with the result. He said, “The plan always was, when we bought the mare here three years ago, that we'd send her to Wootton Bassett. She was a young Galileo mare, and Crypto Force was one of the flagbearers for her, so she had a great profile. “This is the first Wootton Bassett we got out of the mare, so the plan came to fruition. It's fantastic. We were hopeful that he'd sell well, but you obviously don't know until you get here. Then all the right people vetted him and you just need them to step up. We were obviously delighted that Coolmore and Amo Racing locked horns again.” Having been pushed all the way by the Coolmore team, Joorabchian admitted that the colt had proved harder to get his hands on than he had originally hoped. “To be honest with you, I was hoping it would be half of that [fee],” he conceded. “Unfortunately, when you're bidding against the other big guys, you have to really go for it. You don't have a choice. “We own the half-brother, Crypto Force, and he won a Group 2 for us in Ireland. So, we know the mare and we know she can produce a good horse. We love Crypto, really. He's been a bit fragile for us. He had a couple of bad injuries at the end of his two-year-old career and never really managed to pick up that velocity that he had as a two-year-old. “But we know what happened to him and and this is a big upgrade with Wootton Bassett who is now gone. It's a family that we know and we thought we had to have him.” On future plans for the colt, Joorabchain added, “He'll go to Freemason [Lodge]. He'll go to our own yard here and we'll see how he goes. Hopefully, he'll be an earlier type of Wootton Bassett.” Amo Racing's total spend at Book 1 now stands at 8,145,000gns from seven yearlings, including one bought in partnership with Valmont. Earlier on Wednesday, lot 231, a St Mark's Basilica colt from Galbertstown Stables, was added to the team at a cost of 800,000gns. He previously sold to Fearghal Hogan for €120,000 at the Goffs November Foal Sale. The post Wootton Bassett Colt Joins Wednesday’s Toppers at Book 1 with 2.2m Gns Sale to Amo Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

At Tattersalls on Wednesday, MV Magnier confirmed that Delacroix will retire to Coolmore Stud for the 2026 breeding season. The winner of the G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes and G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, Delacroix is set to appear first on Qipco British Champions Day where he holds entries for the G1 Champion Stakes and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. The three-year-old son of Dubawi and the brilliant racemare Tepin is the winner of six of his 11 races and he was beaten just a nose when second last year in the G1 Futurity Stakes. Along with his two Group 1 victories this season, Delacroix won two Group 3 Classic trials at Leopardstown in the spring and was also runner-up to Ombudsman in the G1 Juddmonte International at York. That pair could clash again in the Champion Stakes. The Coolmore team added another son of Dubawi to its string for next year when buying the second offspring of the G1 Nassau Stakes winner Lady Bowthorpe (Nathaniel) from breeder Emma Banks at Tattersalls. The chestnut colt was sold for 1,300,000gns from the draft of Fittocks Stud. Magnier said of the yearling colt, “He's a lovely horse and Lady Bowthorpe was a very good race filly, as we all know. It's a great result for Emma Banks. She's a very nice lady and well done to her.” He added, “Dubawi is still going very well and we are going to retire Delacroix this year. Delacroix is probably one of the most important horses we have retired in Ireland in a good while. He has everything: race record, pedigree, and he's a complete outcross, so we can really get behind him.” The post Champions Day Beckons for Delacroix; Will Stand at Coolmore in 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

New Vocation has launched its 16th annual Breeders' Cup Pledge, giving contenders the opportunity to donate a percentage of their earnings from the championships to support the charity's mission of rehabilitating, retraining, and rehoming retired racehorses. Since its inception in 2009, the pledge has raised more than $1.2 million for aftercare. This year, in conjunction with New Vocations' recently launched Capital Campaign Phase II, participants in the pledge will receive a complimentary personalized brick, which will be placed along the walkway at the organization's Lexington facility. “We are very grateful for the tremendous support we've received over the years through the pledge,” said New Vocations' Thoroughbred Program Director Anna Ford. “The pledge offers an easy way for connections to give back to the horses and support their transition into new careers. The funds raised play a vital role in our mission, allowing us to serve more than 600 horses annually. We hope many will be inspired to join this year, and we look forward to placing a large number of new bricks as part of our Lexington expansion.” In 2024, the Pledge raised over $120,000, with more than 50 championship contenders represented by owners and/or trainers who pledged a percentage of their earnings. New Vocations will continue to accept pledges from owners and trainers until Oct. 30. For more information about the pledge, visit www.newvocations.org/events or contact anna@horseadoption.com or carey@horseadoption.com. The post New Vocations Launches Annual Breeders’ Cup Pledge, With an Added Incentive appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A great day for the Cumanis' Fittocks Stud draft continued with the sale of lot 218, the Dubawi colt out of G1 Nassau Stakes winner Lady Bowthorpe (Nathaniel), for 1,300,000gns. He became the first purchase at Book 1 this week for Coolmore. The colt's breeder Emma Banks, who sold his full-brother to Godolphin at last year's sale for 2,000,000gns, said, “I'm so lucky to have a mare that has produced two beautiful yearlings. Her [Too Darn Hot colt] foal is lovely and she's in foal to Wootton Bassett, so it's exciting.” She continued, “Both of them are getting the best possible chance with trainers that are at the top of their game, so I'm very happy. It gives me an excuse to descend on Ballydoyle next year to see how he's getting on. “It's not every day that you can sell a horse for that much money. If the vets are right, we've got a filly, a Wootton Bassett filly in the oven. So, I'm thrilled about that. I am very emotionally invested in the mare, of course, so that first filly stays with me, I think.” MV Magnier, who confirmed that fellow Dubawi colt, the dual Group 1 winner Delacroix, will be retired to Coolmore Stud for the 2026 season, said of his latest purchase, “He's a lovely horse and Lady Bowthorpe was a very good race filly, as we all know. It's a great result for Emma Banks. She's a very nice lady and well done to her.” He added, “Dubawi is still going very well and we are going to retire Delacroix this year. Delacroix is probably one of the most important horses we have retired in Ireland in a good while. He has everything: race record, pedigree, and he's a complete outcross, so we can really get behind him.” The post Second Millionaire for Fittocks as Lady Bowthorpe’s Dubawi Colt Sells for 1.3m Gns to Coolmore appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A three-year-old full sister to the great Verry Elleegant (NZ) is slated to make her debut on Friday night at Southside Cranbourne. The Chris Waller-trained Verry Stella (NZ) (Zed) has been accepted to contest Race 2 – a maiden event over 1300 metres. Very Stella has the same trainer as her now-deceased sister and was also bred by Don Goodwin, who has also since passed away. The filly will carry the same colours – red, royal blue band, armbands, band on cap and pom pom. Very Stella is the seventh-named foal from the two-time winner Opulence, herself a daughter of Danroad. Opulence’s other foals are Black Lace (by Towkay), Verry Flash (Zed), Verry Elleegant (Zed), Grand Prospect (Haradasun), Affluential (Zed) and So Suave (Zed). Goodwin purchased Opulence in foal to Towkay for NZ$14,000 at the 2011 New Zealand Bloodstock May Sale. He had a plan to send the mare to Grangewilliam Stud stallion Zed, for whom he was a shareholder. Opulence is a great-granddaughter of Cotehele House and she herself is the dam of Group 1 winner Danewin and G3 victor Commands (both then became G1-producing sires). Opulence’s fourth dam is the blue hen Eight Carat, who has produced five elite-level scorers – Diamond Lover, Kaapstad, Marquise, Mouawad and Octagonal. The Zed-Opulence mating has produced a good deal of success for Goodwin, who died last December aged 86, and his fellow owners. In 2022, Verry Flash won the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m) at Trentham. He won 14 races and was twice placed at G3 level. Verry Elleegant, who died in February last year, is remembered as one of the all-time greats. The 2020-21 Australian Horse of the Year boasted a record of 16 wins, 11 at G1 level and prizemoney earnings of $14.8 million. She was victorious in the Caulfield Cup in 2021, before taking out the Melbourne Cup a year later. Grand Prospect won four races in New Zealand and the Bob Peters-owned, John Leek Jnr-trained Affluential triumphed in the Grand National Hurdle in 2024, while the Waller-trained So Suave, who races in Brae Sokolski’s colours, shed his maiden tag at Doomben in June. Verry Stella has prepped-up for her debut with three trials and two jumpouts. She will be handled by Fred Kersley, with the pair to jump from gate three. Before his death, Goodwin, who was named the inaugural winner of the New Zealand Small Breeder of the Year Award in 2020-21, said of Verry Stella: “Waller has got the cracking full to Verry Elleegant and they tell me that she is a gorgeous filly.” Opulence passed away in 2022, with Verry Stella being her final foal, while Zed died in 2024. View the full article

By Dane McLeod/TTRAusNZ Big changes are on the horizon for Mitch Cunningham and his family, following the decision to sell their Hunter Valley property, Ridgmont Farm. While this marks the end of their time as stud farm owners, their commitment to the racing and breeding industry remains strong, with their involvement continuing from Newgate Farm. Cunningham originally acquired the property – then known as Glastonbury Farm – in 2020 alongside Andrew Dunemann and Neil Douglas, purchasing it from Duncan and Di Grimley, and Yvonne and Mark Clerke. Following the sale, the farm was rebranded as Ridgmont and, in 2023, Cunningham bought out his business partners and assumed sole ownership. Cunningham acknowledged the challenges and questions that could arise around making this announcement mid-season, but he explained that upcoming Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sales preparations have been a significant factor. He said, “There was never the right timing for this decision, but first and foremost on our mind was that preparations for Magic Millions are starting very shortly, so one factor of the decision is around that. “We had no intention of moving horses mid-preparation. This way, we can travel the horses to Newgate, and they can start their Millions preparation there. There wasn't much time left, so we had to make the call and let our staff know. “It's a regrettable decision, but a decision that has been made to redistribute equity into building our racing and breeding portfolio. It is a re-calibration of the allocation of funds for us, and a desire to continue to develop our broodmare band.” With the sale of Ridgmont Farm now pending, the Cunninghams have made arrangements to relocate their horses. All broodmares, foals and yearlings will move to Newgate Farm, which will also act as consignor for Ridgmont-owned yearlings during the 2025 sales season. “We have done a lot of business together in the past, so it is a natural fit,” Cunningham added. “Henry Field and the team have been a huge source of counsel for us, and we have a lot of stallion equity with them. “I'm really looking forward to working with Henry, Bruce [Slade] and Jim [Carey], and I'm sure we will have lots of success. Ridgmont will continue building towards having one of the leading broodmare bands in Australia.” The post Ridgmont Farm On The Market as Cunningham Family Shift Focus appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Luca Cumani admitted to holding back the tears after he and his wife Sarah enjoyed their greatest day in bloodstock when their Fittocks Stud-consigned Frankel colt sold to Godolphin for 2.2 million gns on day two of the Book 1 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. The Frankel colt was bred in partnership with Newsells Stud and Marina and Leonidas Marinopoulos and it was Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida who filled the role as underbidder. Cumani said, “It's fantastic, absolutely fantastic. It's the highest we have ever done. We sold one for two million last year, which was very exciting and this is even better. He is such a lovely horse – never puts a foot wrong. He is a great-looking Frankel horse out of a mare who is already proven. I am delighted that he has gone to a very good home.” He added, “This is our best day at the sales. It is very emotional and we are especially thankful to the people who appreciate a good horse. I am also very thankful to my stud groom Martin Languillet. He and all of the staff have done a fantastic job.” The Frankel colt is out of Motivator mare Innevera, who Godolphin knows well given she is the dam of the outfit's Group 2 winner Ottoman Fleet. The sale of lot 197 helped bring Godolphin's total spend at Book 1 this week to 12.3 million gns and counting. The post ‘Our Best Day’ – Fittocks Stud Sets Early Tempo At Book 1 With 2.2 Million Frankel Colt To Godolphin appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Champion sprinter Muhaarar, the sire of six individual stakes winners in 2025, is on the move to Haras de Montaigu for the 2026 breeding season, after two seasons at Haras du Petit Tellier. Back in May, the Saffie Joseph-trained Be Your Best became Muhaarar's third top-level winner when landing the Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita, while other notable runners for the sire in 2025 include Motorious, a dual Grade III winner in America, G3 Bengough Stakes scorer Annaf and Listed-winning two-year-old Clea Chope. Be Your Best, Motorious and Annaf were all conceived during Muhaarar's six seasons on the Shadwell roster, after the son of Oasis Dream retired to Nunnery Stud as the winner of the Commonwealth Cup, July Cup, Prix Maurice de Gheest and British Champions Sprint Stakes for owner-breeder Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum in 2015. Muhaarar relocated to France in 2022 and spent two seasons at Haras des Faunes, before moving to Haras du Petit Tellier ahead of the 2024 season. During his time there, he covered 235 mares, including more than 45 black-type mares or dams of black-type performers. Aliette Forien, director of Haras de Montaigu, said, “A remarkable racehorse combining precocity and speed, Muhaarar is now a reliable and high-value stallion within the French roster, offered at a very competitive fee. We are delighted to welcome him to Montaigu.” A stud fee for Muhaarar will be announced at a later date. The post Champion Sprinter Muhaarar Moves to Haras de Montaigu for 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Promising three-year-old Kygo Star (NZ) (Wootton Bassett) overcame a wide journey to come out on top in a tight finish in the Allspark Electrical Maiden 3YO (1400m) at Avondale on Wednesday. The Chad Ormsby-trained gelding was impressive on debut at Taupo, storming home late to finish second behind Oratia Beauty (Too Darn Hot). Finishing third in that contest was Magic Carpet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin), who came out 10 days later to win the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Te Rapa. Despite the form coming out of the race, Kygo Star opened at $9 with the TAB, but that was swiftly snapped up by punters and he closed a well-supported $3.70 favourite ahead of Shoma (NZ) (Contributer) ($3.90). Kygo Star jumped positively from barrier nine but was unable to find cover, settling three-wide in the open for jockey Tayla Mitchell. He was still travelling strongly into the home turn and fought hard to get on even terms with Shoma at the 150m, but coming hard to his inside was Miss Parker (NZ) (Circus Maximus), who looked like she was going straight past. Showing tenacity in the final bounds, Kygo Star lifted off the canvas to hit the front right on the line, pipping Miss Parker by a half-head, with Shoma less than a length back in third. Mitchell had been on board in his first raceday outing and saw plenty of improvement in the son of Wootton Bassett. “He’s a really lovely horse, I really like him,” she said. “It probably didn’t go to plan, I was three-wide but they’ve been quite messy races today and I didn’t have any interference, so it was pretty good. “I think he learned a lot from Taupo, he was a bit green coming around the corner there and letting down, but he definitely let down today.” Cambridge-based Ormsby was similarly impressed, having expected the step up to 1400m to suit. “I just like the way he was beaten at the 100 but he really showed a big effort and grit to win by a half-head,” he said. “He’s always been keen to get on with the job and he showed that grit in his last start and probably ended up winning the race after the line there. It was always encouraging going that bit further.” Racing in the colours of breeders Jamieson Park, Kygo Star is out of a Camelot mare Star Karen, who placed in a Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m). View the full article

Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto) will be on a mission to put an interrupted campaign back on track when he takes his place in the $1.5 million Alan Brown Stakes at Rosehill. The Group 1 winner has missed scheduled starts in the 7 Stakes (1600m) and Shannon Stakes (1500m), both times due to poor blood readings, although trainer Ciaron Maher says they have been the result of a mild virus rather than anything sinister. “There are a lot of viruses around this year and it was just unfortunate that he got one,” Maher said. “But he seems good now. You never really know where you’re at with that sort of thing but it should be a nice race for him to kick off. “He could even end up in the Big Dance.” Gringotts was being aimed towards the King Charles III Stakes (1600m) on Saturday week but the missed runs have all but forced Maher into a campaign pivot with the gelding’s new potential target, the Big Dance (1600m), at Randwick on Melbourne Cup day. View the full article

Spendthrift Farm's six-time champion General Sire Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday) will once again stand for $250,000 S&N in 2026, while second crop sire Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}) will be increased to $100,000 S&N, up from $35,000 in 2025, according to a Spendthrift release. Also increased for 2026: leading third crop sire Omaha Beach (War Front) has been increased to $75,000 S&N from $35,000, while leading first crop sire Yaupon (Uncle Mo) will stand for $60,000 S&N, up from $25,000 in 2025. Omaha Beach currently ranks 13th on the General Sires List, while Yaupon ranks in the top 5 among all North American sires by 2-year-old earnings. “What Into Mischief is doing to add to his legacy–siring his record third Kentucky Derby winner and directly accounting for 10 Grade 1 victories so far, not to mention Grade 1 winners sired by four of his sons at stud this year–it just continues to make you realize that we're witnessing one of the greatest sires of all time,” said Ned Toffey, general manager of Spendthrift. “We are now seeing the emergence of young stallions like Vekoma, Omaha Beach, and Yaupon who are also No. 1 in their respective sire crops. You could make the argument that we're in the best of times at Spendthrift, which certainly has a long history that I greatly respect and don't take lightly. It is extremely humbling and gratifying, and it makes you proud of the work that is being done here by the entire team from the top down, starting with Eric and Tammy Gustavson.” In 2025, Into Mischief surpassed Tapit as the all-time leading sire by progeny earnings–becoming the first in history to exceed the $225 million mark–and appears on his way to a seventh straight General Sire title in North America. Vekoma also ranks as the No. 2 Sire of 3-Year-Olds in North America from his first crop, only behind Into Mischief. Yet, his 12 black type-winning 3-year-olds are the most of any sire this year–including Into Mischief–and his 6 graded-winning 3-year-olds to date from his debut crop is the co-highest among all North American sires. Spendthrift recently announced that it will stand GI Hopeful winner Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) in 2026. The 3-year-old will make his final start in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar. His introductory fee will be announced upon retirement. Decreasing slightly for 2026, Forte (Violence) ($45,000 in '25) and National Treasure (Quality Road) ($40,000 in '25) will both stand for $35,000, while Dornoch (Good Magic)'s fee has been set at $30,000, down from $40,000 this year. Stallions participating in Spendthrift's Safe Bet Program for 2026 are Greatest Honour (Tapit) and Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo). Both will be represented by their first crop of 2-year-olds to race, and the Safe Bet Program guarantees breeders a graded stakes winner in 2026, or a stud fee would not be owed for any foal resulting from a 2026 cover to those stallions. “We still have a lot to look forward to this year, including what is shaping up to be the best representation by our stallions that we've had in a Breeders' Cup,” said Toffey. “It's an exciting time, and we are energized to announce stud fees and get to work.” 2026 Spendthrift Fees: Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday) $250,000 Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}) $100,000 Omaha Beach (War Front) $75,000 Yaupon (Uncle Mo) $60,000 Forte (Violence) $35,000 National Treasure (Quality Road) $35,000 Dornoch (Good Magic) $30,000 Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) $25,000 Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) $25,000 Taiba (Gun Runner) $25,000 Maximus Mischief (Into Mischief) $20,000 Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) $17,500 Arabian Lion (Justify) $15,000 Authentic (Into Mischief) $15,000 Cyberknife (Gun Runner) $15,000 Goldencents (Into Mischief) $10,000 Mitole (Eskendereya) $10,000 Greatest Honour (Tapit) $7,500 Jimmy Creed (Distorted Humor) $7,500 Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) $7,500 Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) $7,500 Vino Rosso (Curlin) $7,500 Zandon (Upstart) $7,500 Basin (Liam's Map) $5,000 By My Standards (Goldencents) $5,000 Known Agenda (Curlin) $5,000 Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) $5,000 Temple City (Dynaformer) Private The post Into Mischief to Stand for $250K in 2026, Vekoma Up To $100K; Big Increases for Omaha Beach, Yaupon appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Future Is Now is a remarkably consistent turf sprinter who won the 2024 Franklin Stakes (G3T) by three-quarters of a length and since then has won three of four stakes. View the full article

Sam Mynott has her sights set on the New Zealand Cup carnival with Electron (NZ) (Turn Me Loose), but where the gifted mare takes her first steps toward Riccarton is yet to be locked in. The Cambridge trainer’s preference is to kick off in Saturday’s Gr.3 fastinternet.nz Spring Sprint (1400m) at Otaki if there is any improvement in track conditions, currently rated a Heavy 10. Plan B is for multiple Group Three placegetter Electron to resume closer to home a day before in the Placemakers Taupo Handicap (1300m). “Ideally, she will go to Otaki, but we will see if the sun comes out for us or not and I’ll wait until Thursday afternoon to make that call,” Mynott said. “I am really happy with her and that’s why I don’t want to give her a gut buster first-up, there’s a long season ahead.” Electron has posted two wins and a placing from four first-up appearances and has again worked well ahead of her return without going to the trials. “She’s a bit funny in the barriers and I keep her away from them as much as I can,” Mynott said. “I’ve taken her off the property out to the Windsor Park track and given her some good gallops there. She’s pretty fit but will improve with a run regardless.” Joe Doyle, who won on the Turn Me Loose mare last season, has been booked for the ride at Otaki and George Rooke for Taupo. Mynott has plans to trip south with Electron for the Gr.3 Windsor Park Stud Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) on the opening day of the Riccarton carnival and is also nominated for the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) on the middle day. “We’re hoping to get down to Riccarton where I’ve targeted the Breeders’ Stakes and there’s the option to run in both,” she said. “It would just depend how she went and came through the first one, so she could run on both days.” Mynott is also keen to run Miss Madridista at Otaki in the Harcourts Premier Otaki (1200m). “I’d love to get a run into her, and she will cop a bit of cut in the ground,” she said. The Shamexpress mare has won twice from six appearances and hasn’t been seen since her autumn campaign. “She’s come up super well this time in, she’s flying and I’d love to get her rating up to target some better races,” Mynott said. At Taupo, she also formed a good opinion of Too Darn Sweet (Too Darn Hot), who will debut in the McLeod Hiabs Maiden (1100m) with Matthew Cameron in the saddle. “She’s fast and she’s got a beautiful gate (two). She has trialled up really nicely the other day and is definitely one to watch,” Mynott said. View the full article

Kiwi Group One winner Pier (NZ) (Proisir) will not feature in this year’s Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m), but he will still have the opportunity to run for a A$5 million stake back in Sydney. After a successful campaign in Queensland through the winter, Pier was set on a path towards the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) and got off to a flying start when placing in the Gr.2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m). He was among the main dangers to hot-favourite Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) in last Saturday’s Epsom, where he ran a respectable fifth. “His effort was better than it looked, it wasn’t a bad run by any means,” said Darryn Weatherley, who trains in partnership with his daughter Briar. “The occasion got to him a little bit to be fair, when we saddled him at Rosehill for the Theo Marks he was good, but the three weeks in between and being at Randwick for the first time, he was very agitated saddling up. “He got really hot in the Theatre of the Horse and dislodged Ethan Brown (jockey) when he got on him, so he had a bit of a race before he got to the start. “Ethan rode him beautifully, but he did ride him a little bit to take the edge off the favourite (Autumn Glow) early, keeping her three-wide. It was good piloting, but I think we were one run away from having such a hard mile. “When the pace came out of the race at the 800, he was up and running through the bridle, then he came off Autumn Glow’s heels before the turn and got on the wrong leg but still had the audacity to fight on for fifth. “We got a nice enough paycheck for that being such a prestigious race.” Pier’s ownership group, which includes the Weatherleys and prominent Australian owner Ozzie Kheir, opted to pay the late entry fee into the Cox Plate in early September, but he was withdrawn from the nominations in favour of the Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m), run at Randwick on Everest Day (October 18). “He was in there (Cox Plate) because if you’re not in there, you can’t run, but it was all down to Saturday,” Weatherley said. “I just feel another mile will be more suitable than going the 2040m at Moonee Valley, and he’s also stabled in Sydney at the present time, so it would be a big trip to go into a high pressure race. “I feel the run has improved him so his next run will be in the King Charles. I know it’ll be a very strong field, but I think we’ll have a better horse on the day and we’ll chance our luck. “He’s ticking all the boxes, I’ve never seen him look so good and had him feel so good. I just hope next Saturday week that with his freshness taken off him, his manners are a bit better and he can be competitive. “If he gets some of the chocolates in a A$5 million race, it’s certainly well worth being there.” Pier is currently rated a $15 hope in the King Charles, in a market headed by glamour mares Pride Of Jenni (Pride of Dubai) ($3.50) and Fangirl (Sebring) ($3.60). View the full article

A filly from the first crop of GI Belmont Stakes winner Mo Donegal (hip 177) brought top price of $240,000 during the first session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's October Yearlings Sale Monday in Central Florida. The bay filly–one of three to bring $200,000 or more during the session–was bred by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds LLC and was consigned by Richard Kent's Kaizen Sales. Christophe Nouvellet, bidding on behalf of Dream With Me Florida, LLC, made the winning bid. “She was a standout in the back ring,” Nouvellet said. “She looked good, moved good and had something to her. We have open plans for her. We don't know if we are going to race her or sell back. We just liked her. And she was definitely the standout of the day.” The session-topping yearling is out of the unraced On The Good List (Speightstown), a half-sister to Grade I winner Dunbar Road (Quality Road). Blum purchased the mare, with the filly in utero, for $95,000 at the 2023 Keeneland November sale. The filly RNA'd as a weanling for $55,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale. “I sold Serena Song's as a yearling and this filly has that kind of class,” said Kent, whose Kaizen Sales was the session's leading consignor with 18 sold for $605,000. “That's big words.” Of the yearling's session-topping price, Kent added, “The price was excellent. The filly justified the price. She was just a super star all week. She'd been scoped eight times and showed herself just brilliantly over 100 times. She's a very classy filly. We had all the players in town bidding on her.” Nouvellet was philosophical about the filly's six-figure price tag. “Every time you buy a horse, you expect to pay less,” he said. “Unfortunately, you often pay more. There is a good horse everywhere. It's a question of opportunities. You are either there or you're not. And when you are there and you see a nice horse, if you have enough money left, you try your luck.” Dream With Me Florida, which recently purchased the 200-acre McKathan Brothers' Farm in nearby Citra, also acquired a Florida-bred filly by Colonel Liam (hip 182) for $13,000 during Tuesday's session. Hip 177 was one of four to bring six figures during Tuesday's session. There were seven to reach that threshold in the entire 2024 auction. During Tuesday's session, 146 yearlings sold for $3,255,600 for an average of $22,299 and a median of $15,000. The buy-back rate was 32.4%. At last year's opening session, which was abbreviated as the sales company shuffled the auction's schedule ahead of an incoming hurricane, 104 horses grossed $1,713,900 for an average of $16,480 and a median of $10,000. The 2024 auction's cumulative average was $19,275 and median was $10,000. The final session of the OBS October sale begins Wednesday at noon. The post Mo Donegal Filly Tops OBS October Opener appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A lawsuit filed against jockey Luan Machado for poor riding after he finished second in a race at Churchill Downs last November was dismissed by Jefferson Circuit Court in Louisville, Ky.View the full article

Week of Sept. 29-Oct. 5View the full article

The Horse Racing Women's Association, Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, and Keeneland hosted a backstretch women's appreciation event Oct. 7 in the sales pavilion at Keeneland, honoring the women who work tirelessly to care for the equine athletes.View the full article

5. MIZZOU, KEE, 10/3, about 7 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-88 (2nd) (c, 3, by Munnings–Mo'ne Davis, by Bernardini) O-Harrell Ventures and Seaside Racing. B-Brenda and Philip Robertson (Ky). T-George Weaver. J-Jose Ortiz. This Friday maiden sprint kicks off a clean sweep for Keeneland in the Five Fastest Maidens. Mizzou battled with Divine Justice (below) from the start to ultimately lose a head bob despite having been away from the races for more than a year. Curtis Harrell and his nephew Forrest Jr. bought Mizzou for $300,000 at Keeneland September in 2023 from Versailles, Ky., husband and wife breeders Phil and Brenda Robertson. The Robertsons bought dam Mo'ne Davis from Roy Jackson four years ago–she's a half-sister to Jackson's 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro. 4. DIVINE JUSTICE, KEE, 10/3, about 7 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-88 (c, 3, by Justify–Rarities, by City Zip) O-Flurry Racing Stable, Titletown Racing Stables, Mathiesen Racing and KC Racing. B-Killora Stud (Ky). T-Brad Cox. J-Tyler Gaffalione. A month-and-a-half ago, Semper Primus broke his maiden at Ellis Park by 8 1/4 lengths with a 100 Beyer, becoming only the second triple-digit-Beyer maiden since we started Five Fastest Maidens this May. Next across the finish in that race was Divine Justice, who just managed to outduel Mizzou Friday in his second career outing. He's a son of Justify out of a full-sister to two-time Grade I winning sprinter Palace. 3. GALLIVANT, KEE, 10/4, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-89 (3rd) (c, 2, by Into Mischief–Fancy Dress Party, by Munnings) O/B-LNJ Foxwoods (Ky). T-Ben Colebrook. J-Luan Machado. And now we get to the swift Saturday sprint at Keeneland. This son of supersire Into Mischief was well-backed at 5/1, and a pacesetting third-place 89 debut Beyer is a fine launching pad. His dam, also raced by the Roth family, won five of her six starts including the GIII Beaumont Stakes at Keeneland, so Gallivant has strong genes on both sides of his pedigree. 2. ROCKIES BALBOA, KEE, 10/4, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure- 91 (2nd) (c, 2, by Girvin–Toni Ann's Miracle, by Hear No Evil) O-Charles Monfort, Americas Pastime Stables and Bloom Racing Stable. B-Tonya Hunt (Fla). T-Dale Romans. J-Corey Lanerie. “Rocky” probably thought he had pacesetter Gallivant measured, until Local Knowledge landed an uppercut in the final furlong. In large part, his massive improvement from a no-excuses fifth in his first lifetime start is why some may look at the race's lofty rating with raised eyebrows. In that Sept. 1 debut, he trudged home 9 3/4 lengths behind highly-regarded Oscar's Hope with a mediocre 60 Beyer. By contrast, his 91 Beyer on Saturday came a half-hour before Oscar's Hope finished second in a Keeneland allowance–in a six-furlong time 1.16 seconds slower than Rockies Balboa. That might seem illogical, but in making speed figures you go where the data takes you. 1. LOCAL KNOWLEDGE, KEE, 10/4, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-94 (c, 2, by Yaupon–Chestnut Street, by Scat Daddy) O-Spendthrift Farm. B-Stoneriggs Farm (Ky). T-Todd Pletcher. J-Dylan Davis. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. Right in the middle of Spendthrift's banner weekend, this performance flew under the radar. But the $625,000 OBS April purchase delivered a big debut Beyer despite a disadvantageous trip. Watch the head-on replay and you'll see the son of Yaupon slam into the side of the gate at the break and drop five lengths behind average fractions. He also took the long way four wide around the turn, yet still ran down the leaders with nice-looking strides and a final quarter of :23.87. The post Five Fastest Maidens, Presented By Taylor Made: Sept. 30-Oct. 6 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

According to the HIWU website, GI Belmont Stakes winning trainer Jena Antonucci has had a horse test positive for Lidocaine. The horse in question is Bee a Queen (Khozan). Bee A Queen last raced on Sept, 12 at Gulfstream, but it is not clear whether or not that was the race from which the filly had a positive test. After the notice of the positive was posted on the HIWU website, Antonucci posted a statement on her X account explaining that she was willing to work with HISA/HIWU and called for there to be a solution to the problem of trainers being suspended when the medication in question is of “irrelevant concentration.” Here statement read: “While this is still a pending matter, learning you have a controlled substance test which is above an allowable limit is a terrifying experience. Primarily because you do not want to feel that you let down your horse, your owner, your team of those that know who you are. “Since learning that we were navigating the waters of a 3-Hydroxylidocaine overage, we did a complete business triage to ensure we assessed every aspect of our operation. I could not be more thankful to our entire team knowing there was no purposeful or accidental exposure in our control including our veterinary team who does not use Lidocaine in their practice. I am most proud of the professionalism and attention to detail exhibited by everyone. “I continue to stand behind HISA and HIWU and will continue to work with all organizations to get the language right to serve all horsemen fairly and justly. While our overage was nominal, it is paramount we work towards utilizing irrelevant concentrations in testing for the future of sport. “I appreciate HISA and HIWU having an open line of communication during my process and encourage anyone finding themselves in a similar situation to work with the organizations to find solutions. There is something to be learned through each event by both sides. “As a side note…It is easy to be very reactionary as what we do is every bit of our being–so it is personal. I would only ask and encourage trainers to be prudent in detailing all business practices and share your attention to detail and how on top of your business you are, and I would also ask that HISA and HIWU continue to learn it isn't all black and white. We are in this together and we must continue to respect both sides to find and agreeable middle for the horse. For without them we will have nothing.” She concluded the statement saying there will be no further comment at this time. The post Jena Antonucci Has Lidocaine Positive, Says ‘It’s Not All Black and White” appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Over the course of four seasons at the racetrack, Sibelius (Not This Time) took his connections on the ride of a lifetime. The well-traveled gelding made 27 starts at 14 tracks, including two international trips to Meydan Racecourse. During his career, he established himself as a three-time group/graded stakes winner, highlighted by an elite-level victory in the 2024 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. Many who think of Sibelius may reflect on his race record, with six of his nine wins secured at the black-type level while earning just over $1.8 million. However, for those that spent every day with the chestnut while he was racing, it was his inquisitive nature, endearing demeanor and driving work ethic that elevated him from trainee to family member. That's why when it came time for owners Delia Nash and Jun Park, and trainer Jerry O'Dwyer, to make a decision regarding the future of Sibelius after he suffered a tendon injury following a routine gallop last August, the team quickly came to a collective consensus: retirement from racing. “He can come back 100% from it, but that will be a seven or eight month or a year process. He has done so much for us already, we are not going to take a chance of him overexerting himself again,” Jerry O'Dwyer had said following the news of Sibelius's retirement. It was a pivotal moment for everyone involved. Though briefly bittersweet, it opened the door to a new chapter for Sibelius, a horse that has proven his resilience time and time again. “He's a very, very special horse. We had four years of great racing with him. And when he did get injured, we were certainly feeling a little sad and sorry for ourselves that the journey was over. But to know that he was okay and it was nothing that just a little bit of time wasn't going to resolve for him, that's all that really matters at the end of the day,” said Nash, who retains ownership of Sibelius with Park. “He still has so much more to give. He just oozes personality and loves to work and play as well.” After spending six months recuperating in recovery from his tendon injury, Sibelius got back to work, this time under the guidance of Jerry's wife, Alison O'Dwyer. Though she grew up in the world of eventing, competing through the three-star level, O'Dwyer has transitioned to focus on the retirement and retraining of Thoroughbred racehorses primarily in the discipline of dressage. It's O'Dwyer's focus on Off-Track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) that has led her to become a regular competitor at the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover, held annually in October at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. She has previously won the overall championship once and topped the dressage division three times. This year marks O'Dwyer's sixth year of competing at the Makeover, which begins Oct. 8 and continues through Oct. 11. However, this trip will be more memorable than most as she will be aboard her husband's most successful trainee, Sibelius. “I think it's really remarkable how many people he has touched, even outside of my family. First, I'm very thankful to Delia for sharing him. She could have easily landed him back at her farm for her to look at every day and instead, she wanted him to receive a new education and that involved sharing him with me and my family,” said O'Dwyer. “He was obviously huge for Jerry's career. Sibelius really gave us the most amazing experience and ride going international, but also with wins here in America that I know we'll all never forget. O'Dwyer and Sibelius | O'Dwyer photo “Jun is also such a wonderful co-owner. He is happy if the horse is happy. It's a great little family. There are a lot of people in Sibelius's corner and that's just very special. It all goes back to his character. He's so sweet and wants to do right by his people every second of the day.” Sibelius and O'Dwyer will be competing in the disciplines of dressage and freestyle, a free-form division to demonstrate skills of the trainer's choice, at the Makeover. Though Sibelius has experienced success on the international stage in the world of racing, it has taken a whole new training experience to prepare the gelding for his Makeover debut. “It was obviously extremely intimidating to start off with. Sibelius comes with a lot of pressure, but pressure is a privilege, and I just want to do right by him. When we brought him back into training down in Florida, he was definitely confused. He was still a bit 'racy' and could get upset on his hacks home, and I thought, 'This is going to be tough,'” explained O'Dwyer. “But once we got to Kentucky and established a routine, he really turned a page and mellowed out significantly. You could tell he flipped the switch and thought, 'Okay, this is my new life. This is the new expectation of me.' It was then that we started to bond and make progress quickly. That was in May, and he's just been a joy ever since.” In the lead-up to the Makeover, O'Dwyer has trailered Sibelius everywhere, from hacking out to horse shows, all the while witnessing his progress firsthand as he's found purpose in his new career as a riding horse. The gelding now travels confidently on his own and also stands tied to the trailer without issue. While those may seem like minor details to most, when it comes to making the transition from the track to the show world, all point to taking major steps in the right direction. The 7-year-old gelding's kryptonite remains his curiosity, many times leading to the point of distraction, but it's also something that O'Dwyer has enjoyed learning more about and working with. “He's very nosy, that's what Delia calls him, and he just wants to know what other people are doing. Sometimes we have to have a 'discussion' when we venture to a new place, but it's not like he's misbehaving. He really is great off-property. The environment can impact him but he's just so classy, he handles it all so well,” said O'Dwyer. “It's all about having compassion and understanding that this is actually very, very hard for him. He's still working hard, but in a new way. He has to carry himself differently. He's normally used to going fast in a straight line and now I'm asking him to lift his shoulders and make small turns. “I feel so brave on him now. For me, from a very personal standpoint, it's been a fun transition. I used to be very intimidated by him and now I trust him so much.” Though it's a new chapter for Sibelius, his second career marks a continuation of the story for his connections, who all remain a supportive and loving team behind the Group 1-winning gelding. Alison O'Dwyer and Sibelius | courtesy A O'Dwyer “We all became a little family unit through the races, especially during our trips to Dubai. We pretty much did everything together and it made the experience so special. To see that carry through now to his second career, and for Alison and Jerry to still be involved, is wonderful. He really is just as much their kid as he is ours,” said Nash. Sibelius's talent paired with his trainer's experience, both at the Makeover and outside of it, appears to be a good omen ahead of their next competitive endeavor. “I obviously love the competition and I love the people that run it, they're very passionate. What I appreciate most about the competition is that what's really valued is showing off the training. You get to be creative and I love being able to think very seriously about my horse's strengths and weaknesses, and how to present them in the best possible light. That's not something that we really get a chance to do in any other competition,” said O'Dwyer. Unlike with his racing career, where connections were continuously looking ahead to the next start, they now plan to take it day by day and simply enjoy the continuing ride with Sibelius. “He has a home with me for life and will be spoiled when he returns to the farm. But for now, he's a horse that wants to have a job. For him to go on and have this opportunity, who knows where he'll go after this. He has a lot to accomplish here and that competitive edge still lives on in all of us,” added Nash. Just as he did at the track in the mornings, and at the races in the afternoons, Sibelius is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression, regardless of the outcome. However, if a slate of morning-line odds were to be drawn up ahead of the Makeover, there's no doubt the multitalented gelding would lead the way as the 2-5 favorite. To view the full list of entries for the 2025 Thoroughbred Makeover, click here. The post The Ride of a Lifetime Continues for G1SW Sibelius and Connections at the Thoroughbred Makeover appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Due to an injury sustained in training, WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s multiple grade 1 winner Patch Adams will not be competing in the Breeders' Cup as planned and has been retired to WinStar Farm for the 2026 breeding season.View the full article

Due to an injury sustained in training, WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s dual Grade I winner Patch Adams (Into Mischief–Well Humored, by Distorted Humor) will not be competing in the Breeders' Cup as planned and has been retired to WinStar Farm for the 2026 breeding season. A stud fee will be announced later. “Patch Adams had a straightforward lateral condylar fracture in his right hind that went back together extremely well, and he can race or breed without any notice of the fracture in 2026,” said Dr. Larry Bramlage of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. “He has an excellent prognosis.” Trained by Brad Cox, the 3-year-old reeled off back-to-back Grade I victories in the Woody Stephens Stakes and the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes. “The speed and heart he showed in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial not only established himself as the leading 3-year-old sprinter in the country but drew a lot of attention from the breeding public and solidified our decision to stand him in 2026,” said Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager of WinStar Farm. “While he could still run at four, we have made the difficult decision to stick with our original plan to retire him.” His final time of 1:21.36 in the Woody Stephens stands as the fastest seven-furlong time by a colt at Saratoga during the 2025 season. Named a TDN Rising Star after winning his second career start at Churchill Downs by 10 1/2 lengths, Patch Adams stopped the clock for seven furlongs in a rapid 1:20.77, just 0.33 seconds shy of the track record set by two-time champion Groupie Doll back in 2012. “I've had good two-turn colts in my career like Essential Quality and Cyberknife, but Patch Adams is the fastest 3-year-old I have ever had,” said Brad Cox, a two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer and currently the leading trainer in the country by earnings. “When he won by 10 lengths going seven furlongs in 1:20.77, I knew he would be a Grade I winner.” Patch Adams won four-of-seven lifetime starts–was undefeated (3-for-3) at seven furlongs–banked $772,585. Patch Adams is by perennial leading sire Into Mischief out of the stakes-winning Distorted Humor mare Well Humored. he hails from the family of Grade I winners Well Armed, Cyberknife, Played Hard and American Patriot. The bay was bred by WinStar. “Here at WinStar, we believe in speed,” said Walden. “We believe Patch Adams has the genetics, race record, conformation, and pedigree to make a top stallion prospect. Patch Adams was a fast 2-year-old and a very fast 3-year-old.” For more information on Patch Adams, contact Liam O'Rourke, Olivia Desch, or Ben Hanley at 859-873-1717, or visit www.WinStarFarm.com. The post MGISW Patch Adams Injured, Retired to WinStar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Morgane Kervarrec knows she's not exactly known for being the most outgoing person on the backside. But for her, the job has never been about small talk or making appearances. It's about the work, the horses, and the quiet rhythm of morning training at Santa Anita. “People will say sometimes that maybe I'm not really social,” Kervarrec admitted. “It's not that I'm tired of being social. I'm just tired of fake connections with people that you don't get with animals. That's why I picked this job. You deal less with people and more with animals. The connection that you have with them is real.” The bond she shares with the horses she works with is what she loves most about her job as an exercise rider for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. It is also what has helped the 35-year-old build up an impressive list of trainees going into this year's Breeders' Cup. This fall, her mounts include recent GI Goodwood Stakes winner Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach), GI Del Mar Debutante Stakes victress Bottle of Rouge (Vino Rosso), 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Boyd (Violence), and GSW and GISP Barnes (Into Mischief). Violence) and GSW and GISP Barnes. She shares her insights on the quartet in this episode of Breeders' Cup Connections."> Kervarrec's connection with horses didn't just start one morning on the track. As a young girl growing up in Brittany, France, she was drawn to the simple honesty of the animals and she began dreaming of a life spent working with them. “I think I started falling in love with horses before I started talking, before I even started walking,” recalled Kervarrec. “It's something that runs in my family and I always promised my parents that I wouldn't work with horses. So I went to college to please everybody, but I just realized it wasn't for me. I ended up working with horses anyway.” Kervarrec moved throughout Europe and Australia working as both an exercise rider and a jockey. In 2019, she traveled to California with the intention of staying at Santa Anita for three months. She never left. After starting out working for fellow French export Leonard Powell, she moved over to trainer Simon Callaghan's barn. Three years ago, she had to take a pause from riding for the birth of her daughter. For Kervarrec, it was never a question of if she was coming back to the racetrack, but of how it could be an opportunity to turn over a new leaf in her career. “When you come from Europe, well let's be honest, Bob Baffert is a legend all around the world,” she said. “There are a lot of good trainers here in the U.S. that we don't know about in Europe, but everybody knows Bob Baffert. I remember when I first came, Justify was still here, so just seeing him in the morning I was just like, 'Wow.' One morning I saw Bob standing in the front of his barn. I was like, 'Okay, I'm just going to take a shot. After all, he's just like any other person.'” Baffert offered Kervarrec a job on the spot and she started the next morning. Kervarrec said that she has been a horse lover for as long as she could remember | photo courtesy Morgane Kervarrec One of the first stakes-level horses that she was assigned to that still holds a place in her heart today is Mr. Fisk (Arrogate). The Sunny Brook Stables homebred brought home three graded stakes in California and is now a stallion at Pleasant Acres in Florida. “He was very special to me,” said Kervarrec. “He has a great personality and I really miss him every day. I'm just happy that he has a very good life now having babies.” Another early standout performer was three-time Grade I winner Adare Manor (Uncle Mo), who took Kervarrec to her first Breeders' Cup when she competed in the 2023 Distaff. “I remember going to the track in the morning with her name on the towel, and it's like you're proud because that's your baby that you train all year long,” Kervarrec explained. “The Breeders' Cup is the target. That's our championship.” As a member of Baffert's team, Kervarrec gets on no shortage of Breeders' Cup-level quality horses. But she said she treats all her mounts the same, no matter their future potential or existing resume. “We're spoiled at this barn,” she admitted. “I'm blessed to be able to get on such good horses, but it doesn't matter if they are stakes horses or if they're just going to win their allowance. I love them all the same. I think that we have to remember that the people [on the backside] really do this job because we love the horses first.” This year, Kervarrec has an embarrassment of riches with the horses she is working with. She said she shares a unique connection with each of them. The first time she rode Nevada Beach, she went back to the barn and asked the foreman if she could keep riding the 3-year-old son of Omaha Beach. “He is just such a sweet boy and he's a huge horse, but he's like such a gentle giant,” she shared. “He really wants to do whatever you ask him to do. He's very special to me.” After breaking his maiden on debut this past April, Nevada Beach was runner-up in the Affirmed Stakes and claimed the Los Alamitos Derby before his definitive win in the Goodwood, a 'Win and You're In' for the Breeders' Cup Classic. Kervarrec said she was at pony club with her daughter when the big colt got that first Grade I score on Sept. 27, but she was watching from her phone and cheering him on as he stormed to the wire. While Nevada Beach is a breeze for Kervarrec to ride in the mornings, Bottle of Rouge requires a touch more concentration and skill. Nevada Beach wins the GI Goodwood Stakes | Horsephotos “When she first came in, it wasn't easy to find a way to get along with her,” said the horsewoman. “She was a little sassy, so you had to find a way to ask her what you wanted to do because you don't make them do what you want, you ask them. She has really figured out what we are doing here and now she is really easy to work with. I would say that she is one of my favorites now.” A winner in her second start at Del Mar, the Jill Baffert-owned juvenile claimed the GI Del Mar Debutante and is now pointing for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Kervarrec also rides Himika (Curlin), the fourth-place finisher in the Debutante. She said she enjoys working with the 2-year-olds, and helping them learn the ropes of the racetrack. One colt who needed a steady hand when he first arrived in the Baffert barn was Zedan Racing Stables' Boyd. “It's funny because I normally don't like riding chestnut horses, but there is something so special about him,” she said with a fond smile. “I remember galloping him for the first time. He was just so smooth and was like, 100% good boy, really. He was willing to do good, but was confused about what he was doing here. That is, until the first race. Then he showed everybody that he totally understood the task.” In his first start on Sept. 7 going five-and-a-half furlongs, Boyd broke sharply and never looked back, breaking away to win by almost six lengths and earning the 'Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' nod. The colt is now expected to train up to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Kervarrec also rides another Zedan Racing Stables-owned colt, Barnes (Into Mischief). She said that sitting aboard the Grade II-winning colt named after Baffert's longtime assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes is a great honor. “Jimmy is a great person to work for,” she said. “Same with Bob. He has been supporting me and didn't give up on me when I needed him. He's not easy, but he's a great boss.” Being an exercise rider is demanding under any circumstances. The early mornings, long hours, and ever-present risk of injury make it a tough way to make a living. For Kervarrec, balancing that with raising her 3-year-old daughter adds another layer of challenge, but also motivation. “For me, it was never a question to stop working because I'm a mom,” she shared. “It's a big life turn, but I'm grateful for her. She loves horses and is riding already. She loves to spend time at the barn. If you let her, she'll walk down the shedrow and pet everybody so you've got to keep an eye on her.” Perhaps that horse-crazy streak runs in Kervarrec's daughter, too. It's a common thread on any backside, where so many people have built their lives around the sport because it's what their parents and grandparents did before them, and because deep down, they can't imagine doing anything else. “What people see on the front of the track is just the glitter,” Kervarrec explained. “It's the pretty side. They don't see all the people on the backside who are here because they love their job. They love horses and they work hard to make all this possible. I think that when you love your job, you get up every morning with the feeling that you're not working. I feel blessed every day when I get to gallop these horses.” The post Breeders’ Cup Connections: For Morgane Kervarrec, It’s All About the Horse appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Brian Sheerin and Emma Berry NEWMARKET, UK — Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum rarely misses Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and when the ruler of Dubai is present at Park Paddocks it is a safe bet that he will make a major contribution to the top end of the market. This he did once more, buying the day's top lot for 3,700,000gns – the most expensive yearling sold anywhere in the world this year – as well as three of the five seven-figure lots of the session. By the day's end, Sheikh Mohammed and his team of representatives, which included Anthony Stroud, David Loder and trainers Charlie Appleby and Saeed Bin Suroor, had recruited another 10 yearlings to the Godolphin fold for a first-day outlay of 9,300,000gns. Leading the session, but only narrowly, was lot 90, an exquisitely-bred son of Sea The Stars whose close relation Crystal Ocean, by the same stallion, had been champion older horse in England in 2019. Bred by Ed's Stud and consigned by Eugene Daly's Longview Stud, the colt is out of the late Sir Evelyn de Rothschild's Listed winner Crystal Zvezda (Dubawi), who was bought from the dispersal of Southcourt Stud for 775,000gns in 2022. His appearance in the ring sparked a bidding duel between the Godolphin team outside the ring and Kia Joorabchian and the Amo Racing posse inside. “He was exceptional-looking and [comes] from a very good stud farm,” said Stroud. “It's a Rothschild family so he was majestic in the way that he moved and walked. He was a lovely horse.” He continued, “Obviously the family works well with Sea The Stars and he really stood out for us. You have to pay for the ones you really want and he was the one we wanted.” With a sentence that may be music to the ears of those vendors with horses still to come, Stroud added, “Godolphin has supported this sale hugely. It's only the first day and we have two more days to go.” Stroud later also signed for lot 95, Airlie Stud's half-brother to former champion Irish two-year-old filly Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy). The son of Too Darn Hot finally brought the hammer down at 1,000,000gns. Airlie's Anthony Rogers said, “It is a great price – he is a lovely horse. You can never believe that you are going to get a million for a horse. Dane Street has been an amazing mare for us and we failed to sell her here about 15 years ago. She is still breeding, but she has had a rest this year.” Also on the Godolphin list was a Blue Point colt out of the G3 Ballyogan Stakes second Boston Rocker (Acclamation), who is the dam of six winners from as many runners to date, including the G2 Zabeel Mile scorer and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains third San Donato (Lope De Vega), as well as this year's G2 Gimcrack Stakes runner-up Rock On Thunder (Night Of Thunder). Sold as lot 67, he continued the annus mirabilis for James Hanly and his Ballyhimikin Stud when selling for 1,000,000gns. “He was a cracking colt,” said Hanly. “He was always a super horse. He never turned a hair from the day he got here.” The Godolphin team will be hoping that lot 67, who was bred in partnership by Hanly, Anthony Stroud and Skymarc Farm, can emulate another previous Tattersalls October graduate from Ballyhimikin in Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder), the winner of this year's G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes and G1 Juddmonte International, who was bought by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for 340,000gns at Book 2 back in 2022. Another flagbearer for Ballyhimikin this year has been the high-class filly Estrange (Night Of Thunder), who was a Book 1 yearling, also in 2022, when going the way of Cheveley Park Stud for 425,000gns. Asked if selling is any less nerve-wracking after his stellar year on the track as a breeder, Hanly replied, “I just take each day as it comes. Each day is a new day, so just enjoy it and do your best. Some days it doesn't work out, so you've got to put up with those days.” Weighed In The extraordinary highs of last year were always going to be hard to match, but the returns on Tuesday were strong by most standards, even though they represented a reduction when it comes to year-on-year comparisons. From a staggering 92 per cent clearance rate in 2025, 79 per cent of the first-day yearlings were marked as sold. The turnover of 40,533,000gns from the sale of 125 yearlings (eight more than last year's opener) represented a drop of six per cent, while the average of 323,352gns was down by 11 per cent and the median by 19 per cent at 210,000gns. Family Matters for Amo Racing While Amo Racing had filled the role of underbidder to Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation on the day's top lot, it hadn't taken long for Kia Joorabchain to make presence felt again at Book 1 when outbidding MV Magnier of Coolmore at 3,600,000gns for lot 15. The brother to last year's sale-topper, by Frankel out of the G2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes winner Aljazzi (Shamardal), was bred and consigned by Graham Smith-Bernal's Newsells Park Stud. “The boys love him,” Joorabchian said. “We have a lot of people that really liked him around us and we couldn't really let him go. We want to keep the family tight. We want to be able to see how the family works out.” The colt's two-year-old sister, who fetched 4,400,000gns 12 months ago, is now named Partying and is with Amo Racing's new trainer Kevin Philippart de Foy at Freemason Lodge in Newmarket. He continued, “If he's a very good horse he's going to be a stallion but if he's not, he's not going to be a stallion. Obviously we like the filly [Partying] otherwise we wouldn't have gone for the brother. But who knows, right? She still hasn't run, but it's a completely different project because if the filly runs or doesn't run, she's still got a huge residual value and she can be a broodmare, and we have five stallions so it's important. “I thought we paid a little bit more than what we were expecting to but we're up against Coolmore, and they've got five [partners] versus one. So we've got to give them a crack.” Julian Dollar, general manager of Newsells Park Stud, said, “He just blossomed during the summer. Particularly during yearling prep, he just came into himself. What he has always had is a really lovely attitude – a great temperament. [He has] always been very athletic. Six or nine months ago, I thought he was just one of those gangly babies but he just started to come. He's still not where I'd like him to be now but he's a lovely horse.” Of the 12-year-old Aljazzi, he added, “Unfortunately she lost a pregnancy to Too Darn Hot back in January and we failed to get her back in foal. She's had two blank years but we will regroup and go again. I think she should go back to Frankel, don't you? “When I did the budget last December, I put him in at a measly half-a-million. I said half-a-million because some of these big, raw Frankels can still make half-a-million even if they are just legs. He really came together all year, especially during his prep. And I suppose coming in here, I thought maybe there is a chance he might make seven figures, a bit like I felt with the filly last year. But when you get two big-hitters locking horns, there's always a chance they can go and make unbelievable amounts.” Determined Bidding Pays Off There was no shortage of American buyers through the opening session of Book 1, with Repole Stable, Justin Casse, Chad Brown, Liz Crow, Mike Ryan, Andrew Cary and Alex Solis all signing for yearlings, but perhaps the most prominent so far is Matt Dorman of Determined Stables, who bought four fillies through David Ingordo. While Ingordo is a Tattersalls regular, this was a first visit to Park Paddocks for Matt Dorman. “We've purchased remotely before but we definitely wanted to be here in person,” Dorman said. “Everything has been great. I commend Tattersalls [for the] wonderful grounds, good people, and it's been very easy to look at horses and go through the process we need to go through.” The quartet of yearlings was bought for a total of 1,500,000gns and included a Bjoirn Nielsen-bred No Nay Never half-sister to French Listed winner Chartreuse (Lawman) for 540,000gns from the draft of Brian O'Rourke (lot 69). Ingordo also signed for Ballyvolane Stud's Too Darn Hot filly five lots later at 425,000gns. A first foal, she is out of Caromil (Sea The Stars), a sister to the Listed winner Boerhan from the family of G1 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Millisle. Dorman continued, “We have a broodmare band in Lexington, Kentucky, and they are producing and doing well. We wanted to shift the focus a little bit to develop more runners and create some future broodmares. We are really looking long-term, and the stallion power that is present here makes a lot of sense as we like to race on turf and dirt. These [fillies] will ship back to the States and they will go to Cherie DeVaux.” Night Of Thunder Millionaire for Juddmonte Juddmonte has made a concerted effort to acquire speedier types at the yearling sales this year and, a week on from spending €440,000 on a Mehmas colt at the Goffs Orby Sale, added a Night Of Thunder colt to the roster for a cool million gns. The Night Of Thunder colt was bred by Lodge Park Stud and hails from one of the farm's most famous families given the dam, Express Way (Dark Angel), is a daughter of Alluring Park (Green Desert), who famously produced Oaks heroine Was (Galileo). Juddmonte's Simon Mockridge simply summed up the transaction, “He's just a super horse – a lovely horse. That's what you have to pay for them, I'm afraid. It's very expensive in there. He's a very good mover. Showed well all week. It's an amazing family as well. The stallion has been fantastic this year.” Meanwhile, Jamie Burns of Lodge Park Stud was visibly emotional after the sale and reported his mother, Patricia, who has cultivated the family for many years, to be “thrilled to bits”. Burns said, “He exceeded expectations greatly. He is a lovely-moving horse and he goes to a great home. Delighted to see him go to Juddmonte as he will be given every opportunity. Night Of Thunder is flying. Galileo has worked great in the pedigree so we are trying a different angle. We're absolutely thrilled to bits. Mum is delighted.” Subplots Japanese owner Tsunefumi Kusama, a first-time visitor to Tattersalls, will be racing two smartly-bred fillies in his homeland, having bought Ballyphilip Stud's Frankel half-sister to top sprinter Battaash for 600,000gns along with the Palace Pier filly out of Oaks winner Anapurna (Frankel) from Meon Valley Stud for 200,000gns. It should be noted that Palace Pier enjoyed a good sale. Three yearlings by Darley's young stallion sold for an average of 298,333gns, which placed him in the top 10 performing stallions on that metric. Nurlan Bizakov was in attendance at Tattersalls to secure lot 157, a brother to his top-class miler Charyn, whose first foals will hit the ground in 2026. The Sumbe boss went to 450,000gns to secure the Grangemore Stud-consigned brother to the multiple Group 1 winner. Bizakov said, “He is very similar to his brother, though a different colour, and he does remind me of Charyn at this stage. We were, of course, interested in the pedigree as soon as the catalogue came out – the mare has been a very good producer.” Bizakov went on to spend 300,000gns on lot 176, a Wootton Bassett colt out of G3 Athasi Stakes winner Happen (War Front) from Tweenhills. The Thompson family's Cheveley Park Stud was yet another major owner-breeder to get in on the action when spending 750,000gns on a Sea The Stars sister to the highly-rated Roi De France. Out of Bjorn Nielsen's Group 3-placed Danilovna (Dansili), who is a half-sister to multiple Group 1 scorer Lillie Langtry (Danehill Dancer), the Sea The Stars filly was consigned by Brian O'Rourke Bloodstock. The big question coming into Book 1 was whether Amo Racing would be as strong as last year. Well, that question was answered pretty quickly when Kia Joorabchian went to 3.6 million gns on a Frankel colt from Newsells Park Stud. All told, Amo Racing and Godolphin spent 13.9 million gns between them. That worked out at almost a third of the total aggregate on Tuesday. Newtown Anner Stud was one of the bigger spenders at Goffs last week and landed a sister to Saffron Beach (New Bay) for €500,000. Maurice Regan's operation was busy once again at Tattersalls when going to 525,000gns for lot 166, Whatton Manor Stud's Dubawi half-sister to multiple Group 2 scorer Silver Knott, out of the Group 1 winner God Given (Nathaniel). Golden Touch Taking a chance on a foal by young stallion Space Traveller paid off in spades for Michael Carty of Kilmoney Cottage Stud when he almost tripled his money on the half-brother to Royal Ascot-winning two-year-old Ain't Nobody (Sands Of Mali). Bought for 82,000gns, the Space Traveller colt fittingly sold to Ain't Nobody's trainer Kevin Ryan for 240,000gns. Carty said, “We can't afford to buy the foals by the big stallions so we took a chance on Space Traveller and we have been well rewarded. I'd give him a big chance. This is a grand colt, now. He prepped well and has been very easy to deal with. I liked him a lot as a foal and we were lucky to get a nice update when his half-brother Ain't Nobody was second in the Nunthorpe earlier in the summer. He's gone to a very good trainer which is important. We buy around 10 foals every year and, while we knew this lad was nice, we are pleasantly surprised by what he made. It's a great day.” Buy of the Day Lot 60: Nathaniel colt ex Bizzi Lizzi (Muhaarar) Vendor: Meon Valley Stud Buyer: Andrew Balding, 75,000gns A strong colt by one of the best middle-distance stallions in Europe from an excellent breeder which has diligently nurtured this particular family for more than four decades. There's plenty to like about what appears to be a very reasonable purchase of this son of the dual winner Bizzi Lizzi, herself out of the dual Group 1 winner and multiple stakes producer Izzy Top (Pivotal). Trainer Andrew Balding was standing alongside Mick and Janice Mariscotti when bidding for this colt and history tells us that it pays to follow the purchases of this particular team. Coltrane, who was retired on Saturday after finishing runner-up in the G1 Prix du Cadran, won nine races, including six at stakes level, and amassed more than £1 million in prize-money having been bought by Balding at Book 1 seven years ago for 50,000gns. They trio has also enjoyed success with another Meon Valley Stud-bred by Nathaniel in the G2 Queen's Vase winner Dashing Willoughby, bought at Book 1 for 70,000gns in 2017. The Mariscottis also have Zavateri running in this weekend's G1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes. The Without Parole colt, who is unbeaten and is already a three-time group winner, was a Book 2 purchase last year for 35,000gns by Anthony Bromley and trainer Eve Johnson Houghton. We'll be watching this well-bred Nathaniel colt with interest in the years to come. Tattersalls Takeaways: Day 1 The opening session of the October Yearling Sale provided the two most expensive yearlings sold anywhere in the world this year at 3,700,000gns (approximately $5.2m) and 3,600,000gns (approximately $5.08m). This compares to a top price of $4.1m at the Saratoga Sale, $3.3m at Keeneland September, and the equivalent of $2.83m at Japan's JRHA Select Sale. Godolphin dominated the buyers' list on Tuesday, signing up 10 yearlings for 9,300,000gns, including the top lot and four of the top ten. Next on the list was Amo Racing, whose three purchases totalled 4,600,000gns. The Coolmore partners were notable absentees from the first-day buyers' sheet. A third of the way through Book 1, Frankel is the leading sire with six yearlings sold at an average of 939,167gns. There was a decent result for Ballylinch Stud's first-season sire Bayside Boy when Blandford Bloodstock signed for lot 137 at 300,000gns. The colt out of Fairy Dancer (Fastnet Rock) was bought last year from breeder Ballylinch for 80,000gns by Oneliner Stables. From a larger catalogue this year (537 compared to 448 in 2024), the key figures took a dip during the opening session, with the clearance rate of 79 per cent being down from 92 per cent 12 months ago. The post Tattersalls on Top of the World as Two Most Expensive Yearlings in 2025 Launch Book 1 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article