Wandering Eyes

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features an exciting newcomer from the Karl Burke stable. 2.43 Doncaster, Mdn, 2yo, f, 7f 6yT HARPER VIOLET (IRE) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is an exciting debutante for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum and the Karl Burke stable, being the fourth foal out of the Prix Jean Romanet heroine Ajman Princess (Teofilo), the daughter of the celebrated Reem Three whose two Stakes performers so far are the Commonwealth Cup hero Inisherin by Lope De Vega's sire Shamardal and Dubawi's Strensall winner King Of Cities. She meets another Lope De Vega-sired blueblooded newcomer in James Wigan's Lilt (GB), a William Haggas-trained daughter of the owner-breeder's star mare Dank (Dansili) who captured the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and Beverley D. Stakes. 2.08 Doncaster, Mdn, 2yo, 8fT INFRAAD (IRE) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) debuts for Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum and the William Haggas stable and is a half-sister to the Pretty Polly heroine Nezwaah by Ghaiyyath's sire Dubawi. He is joined by Cheveley Park Stud's fellow newcomer Affettuoso (GB) (New Bay {GB}), a Roger Varian-trained son of the dual Listed winner and multiple Group-placed Cabaletta (Mastercraftsman). 2.16 Newbury, Mdn, 2yo, 6 1/2fT SHIPBOURNE (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is the 12th foal out of Juddmonte's Cheveley Park heroine Special Duty (Hennessy) who was famously awarded two Classics in the stewards' room. Her best so far was this colt's full-brother Task Force, who raced for the same Ralph Beckett stable and was second in the Middle Park. 4.01 Newbury, Novice, 2yo, 8fT KING OF EARTH (GB) (Kingman {GB}) debuts for Abdulla Belhabb, whose finest hour as an owner came with this colt's half-brother King Of Change (Farhh) in the 2019 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Also a half to Cape Cross's multiple Group-winning fellow sire Century Dream, he represents the William Haggas stable whose first-string appears to be Isa Salman Al Khalifa's similarly-unraced Oathbound (GB) (Kameko), a half-brother to the Glens Falls Stakes-placed Long Ago (Roaring Lion). The post Inisherin’s Half-Sister Harper Violet Debuts at Doncaster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Young driver Seth Hill will get a golden opportunity to impress his new boss at Addington tonight. Not that Bob Butt isn’t already impressed. Butt trains The Lazarus Effect, one of the more promising pacers in Canterbury and a $2.50 favourite for the IRT Thanks Bettors Delight Pace at Addington even though he faces a second line draw in the big field. Hill will do the driving for the first time tonight. If The Lazarus Effect wins with the talented junior driver in the cart he only gets half the rating points so would stay on the front line for his next big aim, the NZBS Sales Series Pace at Kaikoura. “And I have no issues handing Seth the reins,” explains Butt. “He is a good young driver who has been working for me for about a month and a very good bloke so we are enjoying having him here.” The Lazarus Effect wore down race rival tonight It’s Tough the last time they clashed and is favoured to do so again tonight, with Butt also having stable newcomer Donmaro in the race. “Rodger [Austin, former trainer] sent him out here to try something new and I really like him,” says Butt. “I can see him going a good race and even if he can’t win this he is worth following.” Butt takes a strong team to the races tonight even if his most favoured ones face difficult draws. He rates Tactical Bid (R5, No.17) a future open class trotter although admits tonight’s race has its own challenges with a huge field and the three-year-old being on the unruly in the 2000m stand. He has one-eyed pacer One Eyed Bandit in the Janice Guerin Memorial as the three-year-old tries to stay remain unbeaten at his second start. “He has a heap of speed but also a lot to learn,” says Butt. “He can win but obviously it is a big field so he will need a bit of luck.” Yet another Butt-trained rep in Gold Bullion is favoured in the IRT Thanks Grego Trot, which is not actually what the race is called but everybody knows who that means. Gold Bullion starts off the 20m mark in another huge field and Butt admits he has been disappointed with the big boy who has at times looked open class material. “He was good two starts ago but not so good last start but I have freshened him up and I think he can improve. “But he will need to as it is a big field and he has to give Confessional a 10m start.” Tonight’s meeting starts with the $45,000 Macca Lodge Sires’ Stakes Classique Trot which has only drawn a field is four and will have unbeaten filly Duchess Maria as everybody’s early multi anchor. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Trainer Matty White thinks Mediator is edging closer to being the finished product. And that should be good enough to win at Alexandra Park tonight at a meeting where White has a strong hand. The South Auckland trainer has five of his 23-strong stable racing tonight, with smart horses in Mhai Surfer Girl (R1) and Lord Popinjay (R10) taking on good fields at either end of the programme. But it is Mediator (R7, No.4) who gives White his best chance in the TAB – Northern Metro Pacers Heat 3 Mobile Pace (7.54pm). He’s a $1.75 favourite. Mediator is almost a victim of his reputation getting too big too early, which can happen when you are a son of Captaintreacherous and former outstanding filly Willow and you win your first two races. Both those wins came in March and then Mediator finished a close up fifth in a Sires’ Stakes heat at Cambridge behind Bettors Anvil, Greased Lightnin and Got The Chocolates, pretty hot form for a pacer racing in R35-43 grade tonight. The only reason he is still there is immaturity as he is still developing physically and mentally but his stride and natural speed suggests there is plenty more to come. “He is getting there and I think we will start seeing something like this best soon,” says White. After two mixed runs to start this campaign Mediator was luckless at Alexandra Park when second to Blazing Louie, being in the trail when the leader stopped and being forced to come across heels before finishing well. “I thought it was a good run and this looks the right race for him,” says White. Mhai Surfer Girl is a smart mare but returning in a good horse’s race to open the night and White says while she will need the run in that grade he has lofty aims. “She has never gone a bad race and we will look at the Queen Of Hearts in December with her and then the Golden Gait.” White says Forgiveness (R2) is up against it in a sharp TAB Metro Trotters heat headlined by Higher Power while juvenile American Falcon (R3) is another at the improving stage. “He has gone two good races so far but can’t draw a barrier. “He has got barrier 6 again this week but he is getting stronger so is still a chance.” Lord Popinjay has been a “surprise package” since joining White’s team and was excellent winning last start but again faces a 20m handicap over 2200m. “He is going super but so much depends on the start. “If he can step well and get past two or three then he has a real chance but in a race like this if they string out and you are at the back it is totally different. So the start really matters.” White also drives Better Reaction for his father Les in a tricky TAB Metro pacing heat in which his best would be good enough to get some money but it is a heat that could slide by in 2:40 for the 2200m mobile and then luck and field position would be the difference between 1st and 5th. He also partners Tight Lines in the last of 11 races (there is a surprise) and says while he has never driven the three-year-old he says any Brian and Gareth Hughes runner deserves respect. View the full article

Following an easy three-furlong breeze in :37 with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard at Keeneland Oct. 23, trainer Jose D'Angelo says 3-year-old filly Shisospicy is ready for the challenge of the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Del Mar Nov. 1.View the full article

After breezing Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing's Shisospicy at Keeneland Oct. 23, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. says the Jose D'Angelo-trained filly is in "great condition" ahead of the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Del Mar Nov. 1.View the full article

Before we can solve the Thoroughbred aftercare problem, we must first define it–and understand its full scope. For this discussion, aftercare refers to the rehoming, retraining, and retiring of Thoroughbreds who: never make it to the racetrack; are not fast enough to race; have finished their racing careers and lost commercial value; can no longer perform as sport horses; or no longer serve useful breeding purposes. When I first began asking industry insiders what it would truly cost to provide lifetime care for all Thoroughbreds that need it, I could not find a clear consensus. The responses ranged from lively debate to polite silence. So I did what any data-minded realist would do: I started counting. After running the numbers every possible way, the result was sobering. I believe we are facing an estimated half-billion-dollar-a-year aftercare problem. To many, that sounds implausible—as it did to me at first. But math has a way of clarifying difficult truths. To simplify the detailed analysis, I summarized the calculations in clear terms. The 2025 foal crop is roughly 17,300. Assume that 10,000 of those horses, about 60 percent, will eventually need some form of aftercare. If half of them are retrained or rehomed and placed in permanent homes, the estimated cost per horse is $5,000, totaling $25 million annually. When the remaining 5,000 foals require full retirement, at an average of 10 years of care at $10,000 per year, the total reaches $500 million. Overall, I believe the projected annual aftercare cost for the current foal crop is approximately $525 million. There are, of course, countless variables. Some horses will require fewer years of care, while others will need more. Annual costs vary by geography, facility, and the specific type of aftercare needed. Yet even with optimistic assumptions, the scale of the challenge remains enormous. To its credit, the industry has made remarkable progress. Old Friends, New Vocations, the TAA, TCA, and NTA, among others, have set admirable standards. Stallion farms, breeders, and sales companies have made meaningful contributions, and countless individuals give time, money, and heart. One major initiative strives to raise $28 million annually—an extraordinary achievement, yet still only a fraction of what's needed to cover every horse in need. The truth is, our industry cannot afford to fund a half-billion-dollar annual aftercare obligation. So where do we go from here? At Stallion Season Exchange (SSE), we believe aftercare can no longer be an afterthought—it must begin with Beforecare. Our approach reimagines funding not as charity but as participation. By connecting consumers directly to the life of the Thoroughbred, we can transform aftercare from a cost center into a shared responsibility and a shared experience. This direct-to-consumer (B2C) model, built on marketing, technology, and emotional engagement, will be developed over the next five years with industry support under the banner of the “2030 Movement”. The main goal of the 2030 Movement is to create the Beforecare Pension Plan, a permanent and sustainable funding source to support non-profit aftercare programs, with a long-term annual capacity of $500 million. By 2030, aftercare will no longer rely on industry underwriting, as consumers, empowered by technology and engagement, will sustain it. This plan allows consumers to buy lifelong participation in a Thoroughbred's journey, from the moment a foal stands and nurses to its racing or sport-horse career and eventual retirement. By licensing images and digital likenesses of Thoroughbreds throughout their lives, the initiative will connect the physical and digital worlds, combining sport, lifestyle branding, and global fandom into a single ecosystem. In a rapidly evolving digital age, where artificial intelligence and immersive media are redefining how people connect to what they love, it's easy to imagine consumers “participating” in the raising, training, and retirement of the horses they help support, without owning them outright. The potential for engagement, loyalty, and scale is tremendous. By 2030, the Beforecare Pension Plan is projected to be fully operational and self-sustaining. The initial five years will rely on visionary sponsors who believe this challenge can, and must, be solved once and for all. Afterward, the industry's charitable aftercare resources can be redirected to other critical priorities, including programs that support the human side of the Thoroughbred business. The challenge is significant but not insurmountable. The math is clear. The technology is available and advancing rapidly. The public's desire for meaningful involvement has never been stronger. The 2030 Movement is achievable. What's needed now is leadership, coordination, and the courage to act. Danny Burgner is the Founder of the Stallion Season Exchage and Beforecare, whose goal is to build a healthy, sustainable future for all Thoroughbreds, and to transform how the public views and engages with the Thoroughbred—honoring racing and breeding traditions while providing lifelong care for the horses that make it all possible. The post Letter to the Editor: Solving Our Half-Billion-Dollar Aftercare Problem appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The dual winner Arctic Grey (lot 2) took top billing at the Tattersalls Online October Sale when going the way of Richard Frisby Bloodstock for 66,000gns. Consigned by Richard Hannon's East Everleigh Stables, the son of Dark Angel has a Timeform rating of 93 and was last seen finishing third in a seven-furlong handicap at Chelmsford. He is out of a winning half-sister to the multiple Group 2 scorer Penitent (Kyllachy) and G2 Mill Reef Stakes hero Supplicant (Kyllachy). “Arctic Grey will continue his racing career in Bahrain where he will be trained at the Royal Stables by Paul Smith,” said Frisby. “Paul has been assisting his father, Allan Smith, for the last 20 years and has recently taken over the license in his own name after many years of success together.” Other popular lots among the horses in training section included the five-time winner Bright (Starspangledbanner) (lot 14), consigned by DML Racing, who was bought by Danny Kearns for 47,000gns, and the high-class handicapper Old Cock (lot 64). The latter was offered by Bethell Racing, on behalf of owner Vimy Aykroyd, with a Timeform rating of 104, with the Hambleton Handicap at York's Dante Festival featuring among his four career wins. Northgate Lodge Stud secured the son of Calyx for 26,000gns. Ahead of next month's inaugural Online Yearling Session, Thursday's October Sale also saw some notable results across the yearlings on offer, including a son of Ardad (lot 125) who was purchased by Mark Walford Racing for 12,000gns. Another to find favour was a filly by State Of Rest (lot 113), consigned by Forenaghts Stud, who was knocked down to Martin Hayes for 10,500gns. The Tattersalls Online October Sale realised turnover of 445,800gns for 62 lots sold at an average price of 7,190gns. Unsold lots remain available and offers can be made through the Make An Offer facility on the Tattersalls Online website. The post Arctic Grey Headlines Tattersalls Online October Sale at 66,000gns appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Live Oak Plantation's blue-blooded homebred Ultimate Love (Curlin) will put her perfect record on the line in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar Oct. 31. She will look to emulate Sharing (Speightstown), who followed a win in Laurel Park's Selima S. with a 13-1 upset at the 2019 Championships at Santa Anita. “I think she fits and hopefully she's a logical player to give it a try,” trainer Mike Trombetta said. Ultimate Love has won her first three career starts–all on grass–by a combined margin of 13 1/2 lengths, capped by a dominating performance while making her stakes debut in the Selima going 1 1/16 miles Sept. 27. The chestnut was a debut winner at Colonial July 24, then dominated five rivals with a career-best 81 Beyer Speed Figure in a first-level optional claimer at Laurel Sept. 5. “There's only so many places to run these young fillies,” Trombetta said. “(The Selima) was perfect for us. I was a little nervous because it was back in like three weeks and a day or two, but she handled it well.” The daughter of leading sire Curlin was produced by Tsunami of Love (Bernardini), a daughter of GI Diana S. heroine My Typhoon (Ire) (Giant's Causeway). Ultimate Love's third dam is the 1993 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner and bluehen mare Urban Sea (Miswaki), who has produced heavyweights Galileo (Ire), Sea the Stars (Ire), et al. #3 ULTIMATE LOVE ($5) is now a perfect 3 for 3! She ran down the leader in the stretch to win the $125,000 Selima Stakes at Laurel Park. The 2yo daughter of Curlin was ridden by @jorgeruizjockey and is trained by Michael Trombetta. Live Oak Plantation owns. pic.twitter.com/13Eo8jLRuQ — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) September 27, 2025 “Originally, I wasn't sure whether she was dirt or turf,” Trombetta said. “When we started pressing her a little bit on the dirt, I wasn't real impressed by what I was seeing. We moved her over to the synthetic (at Fair Hill) and she worked really well. So, I figured, you know what? I'll run her long on the turf first time and see what we get. She was good enough to win. She's just zipped through some conditions really quickly. Obviously, everything gets tougher from here, but she's done really well.” Ultimate Love has breezed twice since her win in the Selima, most recently covering five furlongs in 1:01.80 (10/19) over the all-weather at Fair Hill Oct. 18. “She's training well,” Trombetta said. “Hopefully she fits and she can handle all the travel and everything and give it a good run.” He added, “The plane leaves out of Newark, New Jersey, on the 26th. So, if her final work on Saturday is good, we'll put her on a plane Sunday.” Trombetta added that Hall of Famer John Velazquez has been booked to ride. The post Unbeaten Ultimate Love a ‘Logical Player’ in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Popular Maryland-bred and MGSW & MGISP Post Time (Frosted–Vielsalm, by Fairbanks) will stand his first season at Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City, MD., in 2026 for $4,000 live foal, payable when the foal stands and nurses. An earner of nearly $1.5 million and a stakes winner every year from seasons two to five, Post Time was campaigned by Hillwood Stable LLC (Ellen Charles) and trained by Brittany Russell. He was bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Dr. Brooke Bowman and Milton P. Higgins III. “Post Time is a true throwback racehorse,” Russell said. “He was immensely talented from the start, but what made him special was his durability and will to compete. As precocious as he was at two, he just kept getting better–each year stronger, tougher, and more professional. He faced top-class competition in graded stakes and even the Breeders' Cup yet always showed up. He's the kind of horse every trainer dreams of–sound, genuine, and full of personality.” Charles added, “Post Time was a joy to own from the start–a beautiful, kind horse with immense talent. To see him come home to Maryland and stand at Northview, where so many great stallions have launched their careers, is tremendously gratifying. I hope Maryland breeders will support him the way he supported us every time he ran.” David Wade, General Manager of Northview, said, “Post Time represents everything we look for in a stallion prospect. He's sound, fast, correct, and from a family of solid runners. On the track he broke his maiden going 5 1/2 furlongs at two and went on to win eight of his first nine starts. He didn't dodge any horses, ran a very impressive second in the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile, and won stakes up to 1 1/8 miles. I always judge a horse by who they beat and he has finished ahead Domestic Product, White Abarrio, National Treasure, Muth, and Seize the Grey to name a few. We're thrilled to keep him in Maryland and offer him at a fee that presents incredible value to our clients.” The post Post Time to Northview for 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Multiple grade 1-placed, grade 2 winner Post Time will stand his first season at Northview Stallion Station near Chesapeake City, Md.View the full article

Calumet Farm homebred Gin Gin (Hightail) and Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing's Shisospicy (Mitole) turned in works over the Keeneland main track Thursday morning in advance of next weekend's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar. Returning to the worktab for the first time since narrowly defeating top 3-year-old filly Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GI Juddmonte Spinster Stakes on Oct. 5, Gin Gin had Luis Saez in the irons when covering a half-mile in :49.40 (20/48) (video). Gin Gin, whose sire–a son of Mineshaft–won the short-lived Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint at Santa Anita in 2012. “That was good,” trainer Brendan Walsh said about the move. “We just wanted her to go a nice easy half with a nice gallop out and she did it. Nothing fancy.” Gin Gin is an intended runner in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff. Shisospicy, a 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard, is set to face the boys in the GI Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and went three-eighths of a mile in :37 flat (video) with Irad Ortiz, Jr. at the controls. “Excellent,” trainer Jose D'Angelo said about the work. “That is what we were looking for. Three furlongs with a gallop out. Easy, very good. We are happy.” Shisospicy was last seen winning the GII AGS Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 6. Both Gin Gin and Shisospicy are booked on direct flight on Monday from Cincinnati to California. “From the first workout, I told the owner 'We have a special horse here.'” Hear from trainer ⁦@JFDAngelo⁩ as he discusses MGW and #OBSGrad Shisospicy ahead of her ⁦@BreedersCup⁩ run for ⁦@MorplayRacing⁩ ⁦@Qatar_Racing⁩. pic.twitter.com/PJT540jw98 — OBSSales (@OBSSales) October 23, 2025 The post Gin Gin, Shisospicy Breeze Towards Breeders’ Cup Engagements appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Tales Of The Heart at Keeneland. Resolute To The Heart Resolute Racing's Tales Of The Heart (Mehmas) flashed her class with a 1 1/4-length victory at Keeneland on October 15 (video). Trained by Michael Maker, the three-year-old filly was bred by Tally-Ho Stud, where her sire stands. The daughter of the stakes-placed Shoshoni Wind (Sleeping Indian) brought 400,000gns out of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale on the bid of Jamie McCalmont Bloodstock. The bay placed in the Listed Empress Fillies' Stakes and G3 Princess Margaret Stakes for Andrew Rosen and Marc Chan and trainer Ralph Beckett during her British sojourn. Snapped up by John Stewart's operation for 650,000gns out of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale last winter, Tales Of The Heart is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Sir Arthur Dayne (Sir Prancealot) and a full-sister to G2 Flying Childers Stakes-winning sire Caturra. Her dam has three more Mehmas colts to come–juvenile Shadow Run, a yearling who was picked up by Hamish Macauley and Sean Quinn for 105,000gns out of Book 2 of this year's October Sale, and a weanling born this year. Mehmas has 21 winners from 35 runners (60%) and seven stakes winners (20%) in the U.S. His trio of Grade I winners are anchored by GI Del Mar Oaks heroine Going Global. Sistercharlie Relation Scores In New York Peter Brant's Louise Procter (Siyouni) won for the second time in nine starts during the Belmont at the Big A meeting on October 19 (video). The Chad Brown trainee was bred by St. Elias Stables in France. A €360,000 graduate of the Arqana August Yearling Sale, Louise Procter raced in the silks of Brant's White Birch Farm for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget during her five-start French career. She is one of three winners out of the Chelsey Flower Stakes scorer Create A Dream (Oasis Dream), with the others including the California Derby second Phosphorescence (City Of Light). Louise Procter is also a half-sister to a yearling filly by Baaeed and a full-sister to a weanling colt. Second dam Anabaa's Creation (Anabaa) won the Listed Prix Isonomy and was second in the GI Clement L. Hirsch Stakes and the G1 Prix Saint-Alary. This is the extended family of American champion Sistercharlie (Myboycharlie), the now-Japan-based sire and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass, and that stallion's full-brother Shin Emperor (Siyouni). The Aga Khan Studs' Siyouni is credited with 28 winners from 53 runners (53%). His septet of stakes winners feature five at Group level, with GII Flower Bowl Stakes heroine Bellezza his most recent luminary Stateside. Earthlight Gelding Salutes At Keeneland Graham Grace Stable's Mary's Lad got the job done in his third start at Keeneland for trainer Whit Beckman on Wednesday (video). The grey was bred by Gerard Mullins. Campaigned exclusively in America, the €57,000 Goffs November foal turned €140,000 Goffs Orby yearling was purchased at the latter by Legion Bloodstock. The first foal out of the winning Gorges (Le Havre)–herself a full-sister to stakes winner and two-time group-placed Sotteville–is following by a yearling Blue Point filly. Sotteville is the dam of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale Sceptre Sessions-bound Survie (Churchill), who was second in the G1 Prix de Diane and won the G2 Prix de Malleret. Mary's Lad is the first winner from four runners (25%) in the U.S. for the Darley-based Earthlight. The son of Shamardal is responsible for a trio of international stakes winners, with G3 Prix de Cabourg winner Daylight a highlight. Repeat Winners Brendan Walsh saddled Venencia (Recoletos) in the GIII Rood & Riddle Dowager Stakes at Keeneland on October 19 and came away with the victory (video). Racing for Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Jim Cone, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Team Hanley and Cambron Equine, the five-year-old mare was winning her first graded stakes. Also on the 19th, Aussie Girl (Starspangledbanner) claimed the Noble Damsel Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A meeting for trainer Will Walden (video). She races in the colours of Woodford Thoroughbreds. Activist Investing (Kingman) returned to the winner's circle during the Belmont at the Big A meeting on October 17 (video). The five-year-old entire is raced by Klaravich Stables and hails from the barn of Chad Brown. The post Making Waves: Mehmas Filly Spins Quite A Tale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Edited Press Release Darby Dan Farm has set 2026 stud fees for its roster of 11 stallions that will stand the upcoming breeding season, led by Blazing Sevens, Flameaway, and Dialed In, who will each stand for $10,000 S&N. Blazing Sevens, winner of the stallion-making GI Champagne Stakes at two and runner-up by just a head to subsequent Eclipse Award-winning champion older male National Treasure (Quality Road) in the GI Preakness Stakes, hails from the first crop of leading sire Good Magic. Blazing Sevens broke his maiden at Saratoga in his career bow, winning by 6 1/4 lengths and earning 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard status. Also at two, he finished a rallying third in the GI Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga and overcame a troubled start in the Champagne, covering ground on the far turn before drawing off to win by 3 1/4 lengths for trainer Chad Brown. Demand for Blazing Sevens was strong in his debut season at stud. He displayed excellent fertility, breeding 139 mares and his first foals will arrive in 2026. Flameaway is making a major impact as a stallion and is a leading cumulative third-crop sire this year. A multiple graded stakes-winning son of the prolific Scat Daddy and his only son at stud to win stakes at two, three, and four, Flameaway is represented by Bear River, victorious in the $2-million GII Kentucky Turf Sprint Stakes and a candidate for next weekend's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. In his “Win and You're In” Kentucky Turf Sprint Stakes score, Bear River set all the pace and defeated a contentious international field while sizzling six furlongs in a swift 1:07.71. Flameaway is also represented this year by 2-year-old filly Amada Mila (Chi), a Group 1 winner in her native Chile; and Dark Saffron, who became the first 3-year-old in history to defeat elders in the $2-million G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan Racecourse. Among the horses Dark Saffron vanquished in that lucrative fixture was champion sprinter and last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Dialed In has been a leading sire since earning the title of champion freshman of 2016. He continues to sire top-tier runners, highlighted in 2025 by Whatchatalkinabout, who showed his grit with a determined victory in the GIII John A. Nerud Stakes during the Belmont at the Big A ahead of a third in the GII Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland. Overall, Dialed In is the sire of 76 black-type horses, 29 stakes winners and more than $57 million in progeny earnings in his career. Modernist, a son of the late Uncle Mo and a graded stakes winner at three and four, including the Risen Star Stakes (G2) as a sophomore, is represented eight winners from his first-crop runners in 2025. Among them are Trendsetter, an impressive debut maiden special weight winner; multiple stakes-placed Grazie, designated a 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard off a 4 1/2-length maiden special weight victory on debut at Saratoga and third in both the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes and Seeking the Ante Stakes; and Last Candy, third in the Illinois Debutante Stakes. In the auction ring, first 2-year-olds by Modernist caught the eye, commanding up to $310,000 (Grazie), and $300,000 (Embry Show). DARBY DAN FARM — 2026 STUD FEES Bee Jersey (Jersey Town), $5,000 Blazing Sevens (Good Magic), $10,000 Country House (Lookin At Lucky), $5,000 Dialed In (Mineshaft), $10,000 Flameaway (Scat Daddy), $10,000 Gufo (Declaration of War), $5,000 Modernist (Uncle Mo), $5,000 Shirl's Speight (Speightstown), $5,000 Tale of Ekati (Tale of the Cat), $5,000 Tale of Silence (Tale of the Cat), $2,500 Title Ready (More Than Ready), $2,500 The post Darby Dan Trio To Stand For $10K in 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

When She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) first burst onto the scene, Christian Erickson received several substantial offers for her dam, Summer Sweet (More Than Ready). The first calls came in after She Feels Pretty's debut win and the numbers grew after her victory in the GI Natalma Stakes. Still relatively new to the sport, having taken on the role of trustee for the Virginia Kraft Payson Children's Trust earlier that year, Erickson reached out to his new acquaintance Brian Graves of Gainesway Farm for advice. “We were being offered basically 10 times what she had appraised for the previous year,” Erickson said. “One of the first rules in my 33 years of being a financial advisor is to always take the money. I called Brian and he told me, 'Well, Mrs. Payson would keep her.” So, I thought about it for a split second and said, 'Okay, we're going to keep her.'” Two years later, Summer Sweet is the dam of a five-time Grade I winner in She Feels Pretty, who will be one of the favorites for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. And for Erickson, following the guiding principle of “What would Mrs. Payson do?” has proven to be a winning philosophy–one he intends to carry forward as he steers the future of Payson Stud. For more than four decades, Payson Stud's breeding program has been a fixture in Kentucky, guided by the thoughtful vision of its founders Virginia Kraft Payson and her husband, Charles. Early on, the Payson colors were carried by stars like 1984 GI Travers Stakes winner Carr de Naskra and 1992 European Horse of the Year St. Jovite. After Charles's death, Virginia continued to oversee Payson Stud's racing and breeding operations. In 1997, she was named Breeder of the Year by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. Erickson first met Payson when he was in his twenties, sparking a friendship that would span the next several decades. He described Payson, who was also a trailblazer in sports journalism, as larger than life and someone with whom he felt an instant connection. She Feels Pretty wins this year's GI New York Stakes | Sarah Andrew “She was the first woman hired at Sports Illustrated,” he said. “She worked there for 26 years and became the head of Sports Illustrated's Field and Stream. She was the first woman to do a dog sled race that is kind of like today's Iditarod. As a scuba diver she was inducted into the Underwater Hall of Fame. She hunted with the Shah of Iran and fished with King Hussein of Jordan. She was just an incredible woman. She knew nothing about horses when she and Charles first got involved, but from that time on, she dove into the horse world.” After Payson passed away in January of 2023 at the age of 92, Erickson became the trustee of the Payson estate. He quickly put together a plan not only to continue, but to revitalize Payson Stud. “She knew that she wanted the legacy of Payson to continue and so that's what we're doing now,” explained Erickson. “We're in this for the long game. We want to make a profit, but mostly we don't want people to forget the name.” To help chart a new course for the breeding operation, Erickson enlisted bloodstock agent Nathan McCauley. One of their first priorities was to reduce the broodmare band to about half a dozen mares in order to increase the overall quality of the portfolio. One of the mares they chose to retain was Seeking the Blue (Arch), who produced a Ghostzapper filly that sold for $1.2 million to Resolute Bloodstock at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. Another mare they decided to keep was Summer Sweet. At the time, Summer Sweet's progeny included a filly by Super Saver who had already broken her maiden on debut, as well as a Karakontie filly who would later be known as She Feels Pretty. “I remember the first time I saw She Feels Pretty as a foal,” recalled McCauley. “She was unbelievable. We decided to keep Summer Sweet because we thought she was so promising. She's a beautiful mare. There's a lot to her and she throws that. She puts a great body on them. I've just been blown away by her stock. Every time this mare has a foal, it's an unbelievable foal.” Summer Sweet with Christian Erickson and Nathan McCauley | Sara Gordon She Feels Pretty sold as a yearling to Lael Stables for $240,000 and Summer Sweet's next two foals brought $600,000 and $650,000 as yearlings. For Erickson, watching Payson Stud take the spotlight as the breeder of She Feels Pretty has been an unforgettable experience. His favorite race to date was her historic six-length victory in last year's GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes and he joked that the only thing that could top it would be a win at the Breeders' Cup in two weeks. “We could stay in this business for another 20 years and I don't know if we'll ever have another horse like that,” he said. “I mean, she's generational. It's been an unbelievable ride so early in the game. Everybody knows who She Feels Pretty is.” Summer Sweet's legacy continues through her growing produce record, which includes a yearling filly by Olympiad that Payson Stud plans to race and eventually welcome into their broodmare band. Their faith in that filly, named Hello and Goodbye, is part of what led them to the decision to send Summer Sweet to the upcoming Fasig-Tipton 'Night of the Stars' Sale. “Summer Sweet was always going to be one of our foundation mares,” said Erickson. “But Nathan and I have to make important business decisions about the portfolio. We are keeping her yearling and we also have Solo Album (Curlin), who is a daughter of Summer Sweet's half-sister that we purchased last year. It's definitely going to be bittersweet, but at the same time I feel like she is the reason why we're still in the game and the brand has re-emerged. You have to make business decisions that sometimes aren't easy to do and she will help reinvigorate the portfolio.” At Fasig-Tipton, Summer Sweet will sell as Hip 161 with Gainesway Farm. “Summer Sweet is the complete package,” said Brian Graves. “She is even money to be the dam of a champion come November. She gets you a good-looking horse that suits the commercial market as well as a racehorse. That's a very rare commodity. I think by most people's measures, she's a collector's item.” Also selling through Gainesway is Summer Sweet's weanling filly by Justify, cataloged as Hip 54. Graves called her one of the standouts of the auction. “In my opinion she is one of the nicest foals on Gainesway Farm,” he said. “All of Summer Sweet's offspring that I've seen have plenty of size, great shape to them and are very athletic horses with good walks.” Summer Sweet, who is 11 years old, has had a foal every season for the past six years. Her Justify filly arrived in May and the mare is not currently in foal. Christian Erickson and Summer Sweet | Sara Gordon “She is very easy to breed and she's a mare that you can really trust,” said McCauley. “[The buyer] gets to restart now and get her back on an early cover. She Feels Pretty is a probable champion and with the horses in the pipeline, I think she's only getting better. It's an honor to be able to help with the Payson Stud portfolio. Mrs. Payson laid an incredible foundation and we want to continue the legacy.” “I'm sure Mrs. Payson would be proud of She Feels Pretty and of where her program is at right now,” said Fasig-Tipton's Boyd Browning. “It's a tribute to proper planning and having an association with good people and good horses.” Browning said Fasig-Tipton's association with Payson Stud and Virginia Kraft Payson stretches back decades. He recalled that in 2001, he and the late Fasig-Tipton executive Bill Graves visited the farm to inspect yearlings being considered for the Saratoga Sale. At the time Stuart Angus, who passed away just this August, oversaw the operation. After looking through 15 or 20 horses, Graves singled out one colt he believed was the standout of the group and recommended that Payson send him to Saratoga. Angus agreed and Payson gave the go-ahead. The yearling, by Seattle Slew, sold for $2.15 million. Named Vindication, he later claimed the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. “You know you've been around a long time when you have these memories of three people who are no longer with us,” said Browning. “But that's why it's special to think of the long relationship we've had with Payson Stud and the impact they've had in the Thoroughbred industry. To see the continuation of that legacy going on today is really special.” “We want to continue to grow the brand,” said Erickson. “When people come to the sales and see a horse bred by Payson Stud, we want them to know they're looking at a top-quality individual. Our goal is for people to remember who Mrs. Payson was, and for the next generation to know who we are.” The post Summer Sweet Building on Payson Stud’s Legacy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Henri Matisse, a top-level winner at both two and three, has been retired from racing and will take up stallion duties at Coolmore Stud in Fethard, Ireland for the 2026 breeding season. A stud fee will be announced in due course. Bred by the Immortal Verse Syndicate, Henri Matisse won his first three starts as a two-year-old at the Curragh, including the G2 Railway Stakes and G2 Futurity Stakes, before filling the runner-up spot behind Scorthy Champ (Mehmas) in the G1 National Stakes at the same venue. After finishing fifth in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp, the son of Wootton Bassett then travelled to America where he made the breakthrough at the top level in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, producing a telling late burst to get the verdict by a neck. Henri Matisse returned as a three-year-old with a fifth career victory in the G3 Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” Stakes at Leopardstown, teeing him up for a tilt at Classic glory in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp. In a race run in track-record time, he again showed an impressive turn of foot to hit the front inside the final furlong, before holding off the late challenge of Jonquil by a head at the line. Last seen finishing fifth in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, Henri Matisse also registered Group 1 placings when runner-up to Field Of Gold (Kingman) in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and when third behind Qirat (Showcasing) and Rosallion (Blue Point) in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. Retiring as the winner of six of his 11 starts and over $1.6 million in prize-money, Henri Matisse is one of five winners from six runners out of the G1 Coronation Stakes and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois heroine Immortal Verse (Pivotal), with the others including the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes and G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Tenebrism (Caravaggio) and the G2 Airlie Stud Stakes scorer Statuette (Justify). Immortal Verse, in turn, is out of the Listed Prix la Camargo winner and G3 Prix Fille de l'Air runner-up Side Of Paradise (Sadler's Wells), a half-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Mile-winning champion sire Last Tycoon. This is also the family of the GI Matron Stakes heroine Sense Of Style (Thunder Gulch) and the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Valentine Waltz (Be My Guest), as well as Galileo's trio of Group 1-winning siblings The United States, Hydrangea and Hermosa. Coolmore's David O'Loughlin said, “A very good 2YO winning Grade 1 or Group 2 races over 6 furlongs, 7 furlongs and a mile, Henri Matisse totally outclassed his rivals at the Breeders' Cup and again showed his brilliance with a track record-breaking win in the French Guineas. Himself and Camille Pissarro are the only sons of Wootton Bassett to have won Group 1s at both 2 and 3 years, while Wootton Bassett's first two sons to stud have both sired Group 1 winners in France this year. “Henri Matisse also hails from one of the best damlines in the book. His dam Immortal Verse, winner of the Coronation Stakes and Jacques Le Marois, set a European record for a broodmare when purchased for 4,700,000gns and has also bred Champion 2YO Tenebrism and unbeaten Group 2 winner Statuette. When you put all this together with his physique and movement, he is sure to prove popular with breeders.” The post Record-Breaking Classic Winner Henri Matisse Joins Coolmore Roster for 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

An overflow field of 3-year-old fillies is set to face the starter for Friday' GII Bank of America Valley View Stakes on the final couple of days of racing at the Keeneland Fall Meet. For bettors, the 8 1/2-furlong feature, which carries purse money of $400,000 (including KTDF money), seems like a true 'spread' race. Minnesota-bred Play With Fire (Oscar Performance) looms a logical favorite to give Chad Brown his second Valley View winner in the space of three years (Surge Capacity, 2023). Acquired privately from Fergus Galvin and trainer Brendan Walsh after taking Pimlico's Hilltop Stakes in May, the bay finished second–behind a pair of loose leaders–at Saratoga over the summer, first to Classic Q (Classic Empire) in the Listed Wild Applause Stakes July 3 and then behind May Day Ready (Tapit), who got away with a soft pace to win the Aug. 23 GII Lake Placid Stakes. Juddmonte homebred Tabiti (GB) (Kingman {GB}) won three of her five starts overseas for Ralph Beckett, including a share of the spoils in the G3 Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood July 30. She gave a sound account of herself when third to GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint aspirant and 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Shisospicy (Mitole) in the 6 1/2-furlong GII Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs last month and has her first run here for Brad Cox. Those shopping for rougher chances have plenty of options. The Walsh-conditioned Somethinabouther (Mendelssohn) outran her 16-1 odds to be second in the GIII Ontario Colleen Stakes July 26 and exits a third in a soft-ground renewal of the Listed Old Dominion Oaks at Colonial Sept. 6. Reigning Flowers (Midnight Storm) got home hard to be third in the blanket finish in the Lake Placid and may not have handled the undulations of Kentucky Downs when well-beaten in the GIII Dueling Grounds Oaks last time. And Will Walden, who sent out Rhetorical (Not This Time) to take out the GI Coolmore Turf Mile a few weeks ago, saddles turf debutante Sturgeon Moon (Instagrand). The bay, third to next out Grade I winner Clicquot (Quality Road) in the GIII Indiana Oaks, annexed the Aug. 10 Listed Audubon Oaks in good style and if looking deep in her pedigree, hails from the family of GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winners Banks Hill (GB) and Intercontinental (GB). The post Valley View Seems Ripe For An Upset appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

6th-GP, $70K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 3:30 p.m. ET. A $630,000 buy at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling sale, LITTLE GEORGIE (Charlatan) makes her first start for trainer Saffie Joseph. Sporting the same distinctive chestnut color as her sire, the filly is out of MSW Swingit (Victory Gallop), the dam of 10 foals, eight to race and seven winners. Chief among her produce are MGISP Neolithic (Harlan's Holiday) and MGSW Travel Column (Frosted). The latter–initially an $850,000 yearling purchase by OXO Equine–went to Spendthirft Farm for $2-million at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed sale. TJCIS PPS The post Friday Insight: Debuting Charlatan Filly Given The Sign To ‘Swing It’ At Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Alexis Badel believes the improving Fast Network has the credentials to compete in elevated Group 2 company on Sunday (26 October) when he steps out in HK$5.35 million G2 Premier Bowl (1200m) at Sha Tin, with the handicapper lending a helping hand. The Frenchman partnered the Dennis Yip-trained five-year-old to a thrilling G3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) victory three weeks ago, and said he can continue his impressive form on the 1200m course at Sha Tin, where he has won two of four outings. For that win, Fast Network (124lb) was hit with a seven-point rating hike – to a career-high 111 – but the presence of top-rated sprint star Helios Express (135lb) in the field has compressed the weights, handing the rest a lenient pull, and on Sunday, Badel’s mount will carry one pound less for his National Day Cup effort. “I think he does (handle the step-up to Group 2). I think the handicap plays in his favour,” said Badel, who won the Premier Bowl in 2022 aboard the great Wellington. “He doesn’t carry too much weight – I think 124 (pounds) is more than reasonable.” While John Size’s Group 1 stalwart Helios Express is the class horse in the race, Badel acknowledged a strong challenge could also emerge in the form of David Hayes’ Tomodachi Kokoroe (115lb). The Written Tycoon gelding, who has amassed more than HK$13 million in career stakes, is enjoying an Indian summer in his seven-year-old season, with two wins from two runs already this season, the first of which set a new Sha Tin Class 2 1200m record mark. “It’s interesting to see how he’ll respond against Tomodachi Kokoroe with the bottom weight – with the (1200m) record in Class 2,” said Badel, who has won two of the three Group races contested this season. “And Helios Express, which always gets beaten by the superstar … So I think it is a pretty open race.” A repeat of Fast Network’s National Day Cup heroics could thrust the Wrote gelding into the conversation surrounding the fast-approaching LONGINES Hong Kong International Races on 14 December. The LONGINES HKIR resume is there; Fast Network has won six of his 13 career starts and has never finished further back than fifth. Badel was confident the galloper could deliver. “He gave me a good feel in the Group 3. If he can repeat that, he should run well,” he said. With the draw confirmed, top-weight Helios Express, who will be looking to build on his HK$4.2 million G3 Sha Tin Vase (1200m) win at the end of last season, drew ideally in barrier two. Lightweight Tomodachi Kokoroe was handed a boost when he drew barrier five. Fast Network, who usually prefers to race on the pace, will start from gate 12. Sunday’s (26 October) HK$5.35 million G2 Premier Bowl Handicap (1200m) is the highlight of a 10-race fixture and starts at 4.45pm. View the full article

Trainer Paul Preusker will get another tilt at a Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) after Torranzino (NZ) (Tarzino) ran out a strong winner of the Gr.3 Geelong Cup (2400m) on Thursday. Connections of the son of Tarzino roared as their charge raced past hot-favourite Gilded Water (Fastnet Rock), which is raced by His Majesty The King. Perfectly ridden by Celine Gaudray, Torranzino applied pressure to Gilded Water rounding the home turn and went on to score by half a length to claim the golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday week. Preusker saddled Surprise Baby (NZ) (Shocking) to finish a luckless fifth in the 2019 Melbourne Cup won by Vow And Declare (Declaration of war) and admits he was too cute with the son of Shocking when attempting to snare the 2020 Melbourne Cup off a two-start campaign. “I’m super excited to get another go, that is what it is all about,” he said. “Celine’s has got that job done for me. “He has been an unbelievable horse all the way through. He has wanted to do things his way, I have hurdle schooled him, steeple schooled him, we have locked horns plenty of times, but eventually he won and he is a happy horse now. “Everyone knows if you can get a chance, you’re a chance and you learn every time you get into the Cup. I am grateful for the opportunity to go again. “He is pretty much there now, I will just have to keep the weight of him. He is a horse that does well. We will just keep him ticking over he will do plenty in between, but we won’t ask him for anything more. He’s pretty fit.” For Celine Gaudray, just having a ride in the Melbourne Cup is a dream in itself. “It is so surreal, ever since I was a little girl, I have always watched the Melbourne Cup, to get a ride is unbelievable, and this horse really deserves his spot,” she said. “The whole race I was actually giggling to myself, he was travelling really well, I thought around the 600m I would let him pop out and come into it. I had so much horse underneath me, and he just took me through the line. “I was happy (about the slow pace) as last time they were so strung out and he wasn’t travelling that well. Whereas today, he was able to get a softer run in behind them, and I knew if I pulled out early enough, he would be able to run over the top.” By Westbury Stud stallion Tarzino, Torranzino was bred by Payne Family Racing Pty Ltd. He is the first foal to race out of the Helmet mare Goldilicious (NZ), who is a half-sister to the Group Three winner Showbeel (NZ) (Savabeel), who in turn is out of Champion Stayer Showella (NZ). Torranzino was offered by Janine Dunlop’s Phoenix Park as a yearling in Book 1 of Karaka 2021, where Preusker bought him for $75,000 through New Zealand Bloodstock’s Mike Kneebone after the horse was initially passed in. OTI Racing have recently purchased his half-brother Kandinsky (NZ) (Time Test), who has joined the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable after impressing at the trials for Tony Pike. Kaha Nui Farm purchased his half-brother by Sword Of State at June’s New Zealand Bloodstock Weanling Sales and will present him at January’s NZB National Yearling Sales. View the full article

Talented staying three-year-old Azazel (NZ) (Shocking) has booked his passage for the Gr.1 VRC Derby (2500m) on Saturday week after a tough victory in the Listed Roderick Insurance Brokers 3YO Geelong Classic (2200m) at Geelong on Thursday. Prepared by Mark Walker and ridden by Mick Dee, the son of Shocking was put into the race early when the pace slackened and despite racing wide over the concluding 600m, had a narrow advantage at the line from Highvol and Savisanta. Sporting the colours of OTI Racing, Azazel was purchased at last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis in conjunction with OTI, going to $140,000. A winner of two of his three starts to date, Azazel has already banked A$151,250 in prizemoney and a tilt at the A$2million Derby now looms for which the gelding is a $9 chance. “It’s a big relief, he obviously toughed it out well,” Walker’s Assistant Trainer Ben Gleeson said. “When I saw that they slowed the pace, and it was going to be a sit and sprint, it was never going to suit this horse. Credit to Mick (Dee), he took off at the right time, and the horse was gallant. “We’re thrilled to get this win for OTI, it’s our first stakes winner for them. They have given us two horses to use our craft with, and it’s great to have this horse in the Derby for them. It’s very rare that a plan you plot at the beginning of spring, and that plan goes smoothly. “He will love the 2500m, we bought him with that profile from a good family, so hopefully we get a strong run 2500m and a true staying test. He appreciates a bit of give in the ground, so hopefully there is a little bit of rain around next Saturday. If it’s a truly run race, we will be there at the finish.” Winning rider Mick Dee made all the right moves with Azazel having 0.35 length to spare at the line. “He doesn’t have a great turn of foot, but he really keeps grinding away,” Dee said. “We did want to ride him a bit quieter to see more of a turn of foot today. But the way it panned out, we just had to go and put ourselves in the race. “He is still a little bit green, and he is probably a horse that will never win by a huge margin, but he has a great will to win, and he has improved every time he has stepped out. He looked at a picture in the yard, and he will definitely give a site in the Derby. “Ben said he has kept on improving, and he has plenty of improvement to come, so he is definitely going to be peaking on the right day.” Azazel was bred by Anne Corcoran and was sold for $15,000 as a yearling at Karaka through the Corcoran family’s Grangewilliam Stud. One of 26 stakes winners for outstanding Rich Hill Stud stallion Shocking, Azazel is out of the Tavistock mare Alagant Angel (NZ), who in turn is out of the Group Two winner Alagant Satin (NZ) (Al Akbar). View the full article

Aidan O'Brien will have some of his big guns in action at the weekend, with both Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel) and Hawk Mountain (Wootton Bassett) headlining the cast for Doncaster's G1 William Hill Futurity Trophy and Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett) supplemented for Sunday's G1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud. While the impressive G2 Champions Juvenile winner Benvenuto Cellini was initially thought the main hope for Doncaster, O'Brien has added spice by confirming the Beresford winner Hawk Mountain as well as Lambourn's half-brother Action (Frankel). Completing the six-strong line-up for the two-year-old Group 1 climax on Town Moor are Juddmonte's exciting Item (Frankel), another son of Frankel in Prince Faisal's Oxagon from the Gosdens and outsider Rochfortbridge (Mehmas) from the Adrian Keatley stable. Saint-Cloud's Sunday card is taking shape, with the confirmation stage set for Friday but the addition of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Champagne winner Puerto Rico brings star quality to the Criterium International at a mile. The other Group 1 for the juveniles is the Criterium de Saint-Cloud, where Ballydoyle could be represented by the recent Zetland Stakes winner Pierre Bonnard (Camelot) and/or Eyrefield Stakes winner Christmas Day (Camelot) on a weekend when next year's 2,000 Guineas and Derby markets will see big shifts. The post Benvenuto Cellini And Hawk Mountain Set For Trophy Clash, Puerto Rico To Saint-Cloud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It’s been a big week of firsts for Zac Purton – a maiden The Everest win, an unprecedented 1,900th Hong Kong victory and now, for surely the first time in his career, a spray labelling the eight-time champion “a big sissy”. Speaking from Kempton late on Wednesday night Hong Kong time, Maureen Haggas – wife of top trainer William – called Purton’s steer on their galloper, Lake Forest, in Saturday’s King Charles III Stakes at Randwick in Sydney “about the worst ride I think I’ve ever seen in my...View the full article

Group 1-winner Globe (NZ) (Charm Spirit) has been ruled out of Saturday’s Cox Plate. Racing Victoria stewards confirmed on Thursday morning that the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained galloper had been withdrawn on vet’s advice. “The horse was found to be lame in its off fore upon inspection by RV veterinarians this morning,” RV stewards tweeted. Speaking on SEN’s Giddy Up with Gareth Hall, Price backed the decision of RV’s vets. “I know the horse. We weren’t happy Saturday morning. We have done everything to get him through,” Price said. “That horse, definitely, was not right. He was not right for two reasons. One on the trot up. I know RV vets have called it, but there was absolutely no disagreement from myself. “That horse was not 100 per cent. Whilst it is disappointing for the owners .. the other side of that, you could multiply that disappointment by about 50 if you were to run that horse, see him go no good in the Cox Plate and exasperate a small injury. “It’s the correct decision. I was glad the decision was made. Absolutely the horse should not run.” Price said Globe had shown signs of cardiac arrythmia as well. View the full article

Blake Shinn says you need a champion to win the Cox Plate and is hoping Antino (NZ) (Redwood) is that horse. The Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday has long been regarded as Australia’s weight-for-age championship and Shinn believes he is on the right horse to give him his first win in the race, which will be run for the final time on the current Moonee Valley circuit. Shinn came close in 2017 aboard Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo), almost upsetting the fairytale fourth Cox Plate victory of the champion Winx (Street Cry). “This race really has everything year after year,” Shinn said. “There is always a great story about it and there is so much history about it. “It is what we call the weight-for-age championship of our sport at 2000 metres. It is the best of the best and hopefully me and Antino can come out on top. “I think he’s a horse that deserves all the accolades, but it won’t be easy with the reigning champion Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock), but I feel he’s good enough to do it.” The perceived lack of pace in Saturday’s race is of no concern to Shinn who said he would go out and ride his own race. One thing he knows is Antino can make a long-sustained run and keep going at the business end. “Antino, he is quite adaptable. He has got a turn of foot. He’s not a one-paced horse,” Shinn said. “He has that ability to make a mid-race move and he can sustain a really long run when I need him to do it. “He’s now at a fitness level where I can make two runs on him, if need be, but I won’t be able to assess that until I get out there and get the feel of the race.” Shinn said Antino had gone to new heights since his demolition in the Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield last year. While Antino has been winless this campaign, Shinn said the way the gelding has been racing shows he is right on target, especially after finishing second in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 4. “His run in the Turnbull, in my opinion was incredible,” Shinn said. “He had a kilo more than Sir Delius (Frankel), two, three and four kilos more than the opposition in that race. “He covered ground and was right there to the end. It was the run of a genuine weight-for-age horse and that’s set him up well for this test on Saturday. “It all comes down to luck in running, circumstances and hopefully we can give him a smooth passage, and he gets his opportunity and with a bit of luck he’s good enough. “You need a champion to win this race and hopefully Antino can prove to be one.” View the full article

Speed Demon (NZ) (Yes Yes Yes) will be given every opportunity to live up to his name when he makes his debut at Ellerslie. The youngster has drawn the ace in Saturday’s Eagle Technology 2YO (1100m) and tyro trainer Nick Kneebone is hoping the son of Yes Yes Yes can take full advantage of the coveted rails barrier. “He’s better out in front so he’ll jump and see if we can give him some clear running,” he said. To be ridden by Masa Hashizume, Speed Demon finished in behind the major players in his sole trial earlier this month on a heavy track at Te Awamutu. “He’s had three jump-outs here at Cambridge and pinged the lids every time and that trial was probably the slowest he’s begun,” Kneebone said. “The better ground will help him, and he gets around a right-handed bend better than the left, in his jump-out the other day he hit the bend at full pace and not many two-year-olds can take them like that.” Ability aside, Speed Demon is also blessed with an admirable demeanour. “He’s been very straight forward and that’s why he’s got through to where he is,” Kneebone said. “I’ve probably got bigger and faster two-year-olds, but his mind is what has taken him a long way.” Speed Demon was a $20,000 purchase out of Blandford Lodge’s draft at Karaka earlier this year and is out of the Proisir mare Devotioninmotion (NZ), a half-sister to the Gr.2 Hong Kong Sprint Cup (1200m) winner Amazing Star (NZ) (Darci Brahma). “I don’t know how we got him that cheaply, I really liked him and we snagged him out of Book 2,” Kneebone said. “He’s raced by an overseas syndicate from Hong Kong and Malaysia, they love the New Zealand racing.” Kneebone will also offer eight juveniles through the Phoenix Park draft at the upcoming New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale. “The Home Affairs is probably the stand-out, the Super Seth colt is a lovely mover, and there’s a Shamexpress and they sell themselves,” he said. The former, Lot 122, is a son of the High Chaparral mare Sopraffina (NZ), successful on four occasions, who is a half-sister to Group winners Supera (NZ) (Savabeel) and Eleonora (NZ) (Makfi) from the great Ethereal’s (NZ) family. The Super Seth youngster, Lot 305, is from the Pierro mare Drama Series with the pedigree featuring the Gr.1 Flight Stakes (1600m) winner First Seal. Lot 373 is the gelding by Shamexpress out of the High Chaparral mare High Tail It (NZ) and from the family of the Gr.1 Queen of the Turf Stakes (1500m) winner Ike’s Dream. View the full article