Wandering Eyes

There are new names on the roll of honor for the Jan. 17 Cape Verdi Stakes (G2T) after Choisya upset favorite Romantic Style.View the full article

Built (Hard Spun), a 6 3/4-length, front-running winner over Magnitude (Not This Time) in the Gun Runner Stakes Dec. 21, has been tabbed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday's GIII Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds. The Lecomte offers 42 points (20-10-6-4-2) on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. The Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners colorbearer was able to dictate the pace through easy fractions of :24 3/5 and :49 1/5 and drew off impressively to earn a field-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure while facing just four rivals that day. Built drew post 13 for the Lecomte, and figures to face a much different pace scenario this time around. “If it was the Kentucky Derby, we'd be happy with that post,” trainer Wayne Catalano said. “We got a couple of easy breezes in just to keep him happy and get a little air in his lungs. We've got him fit and ready. The horse is training great. Licking his feed tub and training great. We're very happy with him.” The unbeaten Juddmonte homebred Disco Time (Not This Time) is likely to vie for favoritism after posting a pair of impressive victories at Churchill Downs, including an optional claimer going a one-turn mile Nov. 30. He makes his two-turn debut for trainer Brad Cox. Golden Afternoon (Goldencents) is an interesting wildcard. He made all three of his previous career starts on turf, including a runner-up finish in last year's GII Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland. The Lecomte program also prominently features the GIII Louisiana Stakes and Fasig-Tipton Silverbulletday Stakes, which offers 42 qualifying points (20-10-6-4-2) toward the GI Kentucky Oaks. The post Following Runaway Gun Runner Victory, Built Takes on Full Field in Lecomte appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York, will hold its winter fundraiser, 'Countdown to the Triple Crown,' on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET, according to a press release from the repository on Friday. The Saturday evening event will feature dozens of silent auction items around the museum, a 50/50 raffle and the online auction bidding goes live at 12 p.m. ET that day. Tickets are $20.00 for members and $35.00 for the general public. Light fare and two drink tickets are included with the price. Click here to learn more about the online auction. The post National Museum Of Racing And Hall Of Fame Holds Winter Fundraiser On Saturday, Feb. 1 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Stephen Doody likes the idea of being back in the big time. And in Doo You Want Me he just might have the horse to take him there again. The big son of Captain Crunch has only just turned three but scored his first win away from home (Manawatu) when he came from a tricky position to win the strongest pacing race at Cambridge on Friday night. It was win number four, all in a row, from just eight starts for Doo You Want Me and he is clearly the real deal. After taking a while to learn his craft he won twice in lower grades at Palmerston North before his arrival moment came when beating some serious older horses like Rough And Ready, Beta Prepare and Warloch in the Palmerstonian last month, no small feat for a two-year-old. He showed that increased tractability again when coming from three back on the inner to win a heat of the Provincial Pace Series on Friday night and will return to Cambridge for the $35,000 final next Friday. Then Doody will start planning to get Doo You Want Me to Alexandra Park in March with the Northern Derby his first black type test. That is the plan,” says Doody. “It would be nice to have a Group 1 pacing horse again, I think the last one I had good enough to race in those races up there was Te Kawau.” Before that of course Doody was the man who put the early touches on 1990s heroine Blossom Lady and then Mister DG while he has had open class trotters like Braig, who won 18 races. Getting a serious Derby-type horse is not easy and it will not be an easy path to trod if last season’s star juvenile Marketplace comes back to his best. But Doody, who trains a team of 11 from his Manawatu base these days, says Doo You Want Me is likely to be hanging around. “The guys who own him paid something like $35,000 for him after he had been passed in at the yearling sales down south. “They have had some good offers for him but they are enjoying him and I think they will be keeping him.” Doody still does the majority of his training from home and brings the horses north each time, although Doo You Want Me will spend a few days with Mike Berger looking after him while Doody pops back down south for the Kapiti Coast meeting. Another horse already having tested her toe in the big time but likely to head back there was Friday night’s other major race winner One More Moment. The Zev Meredith-trained mare capped a magic five weeks by winning the $50,000 Dunstan Horsefeeds Breeders Stakes in a stirring battle with the equally in-form Belle Neige. The two have both excelled over the the last month and with the open class ranks small on numbers a mare like One More Moment wouldn’t look out of place in a Rowe Cup in the autumn if she keeps improving. View the full article

by Michael Guerin There may have been stranger debut victories than Manakau Blaze’s stunner at Blenheim on Friday. You will be hard pressed to find them. The seven-year-old trotting mare was having her first career start and went into it without a trial in eight months. Yet she won by a staggering 15 and a half lengths from trainer-driver Barry Ford, who just to add to the fun hadn’t driven a winner for four years and only three in the last 10 years. And yet this trainer-driver who rarely trains or drives and his mare who had never been to the races recorded one of the easiest wins in recent New Zealand harness racing history. Which raises the questions: How? Who? Why? “It is a funny story,” says Ford, who as you can probably guess also bred and owns Manakau Blaze. “She has always had ability and is a half sister to our good horse, Doctor Bones, who won nine races and ran second in the Jewels. “But every time I have taken her to the trials she has been lame afterwards. “It is nothing serious, nothing to do with ligaments or bone damage, so we think it is is in feet. “I got to the stage we even considered retiring her before we raced her but we have changed her work and now she pretty much just trots on he lead behind the other horses.” Believing in his breed and his mare Ford, whose age is an undisclosed number between 70 and 80, decided the best way to stop Manakau Blaze from getting tender after a trial was to just not trial. “So we found this race on the grass which we thought would help and just set her for this. “I was a bit worried when she drew barrier 1 because that can be hard for them in their first start.” Ford didn’t need to worry. His seven-year-old sweetheart was soon in front and a long way from home only she or trailer Go Home Denise could win but Denise rolled into a gallop when challenging at the 200m and Manakau Blaze raced clear to win by the massive margin. “It was a pretty fun ride,” smiles Ford. It was his 22nd career training win dating back to 1990 and his 14th in the sulky but if Manakau Blaze is proof of anything it is that Ford is a patient man. “So we won’t be backing her up on Sunday,” he told HRNZ. “She can get over this and there is a fillies and mares trot at Amberley [Rangiora, Feb 6] coming up she can have a go at.” That is only three weeks away, nothing when you have waited years for the moment Manakau Blaze and Barry Ford shared trotting down the Blenheim straight on Friday. By the way there were 11 other winners at Blenheim on Friday, all with their own stories. But Friday belonged to Barry and Blaze. View the full article

Due to the temperatures projected to be moving through the region in the coming week, Mahoning Valley Race Course has canceled its live racing programs originally scheduled for Jan. 20 and Jan. 21. View the full article

11th-GP, $94k, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 5:18p.m. ET Unveiled to the far outside is $350,000 OBSAPR pick up NUK SOO KOW (McKinzie) for Hit The Bid Stable and trainer John Terranova. Out of a placed half-sister to GI Champagne Stakes runner-up Commandperformance (Union Rags), the colt hails from the female family of GSW Blind Date (Not for Love), dam of MSW Paulita (Scat Daddy). To the far outside and making a second jump for trainer Chad Brown is Constitution Road (Constitution). He overcame a rough trip on debut as a juvenile where he was jostled at the start, bumped in upper stretch, and then again near the sixteenth pole, but as green as he was, gamely got up for second behind a winner who enjoyed a perfect trip. A $300,000 KEESEP purchase and a half-brother to MGSW Miss Marissa (He's Had Enough), he's got first-time Lasix here for the 3-year-old bow. TJCIS PPs 9th-TAM, $53k, Msw, 3yo, 1mT, 4:15p.m. ET Breaking from the middle of a relatively experienced field of maidens is Godolphin's Twelve Treasures (Candy Ride {Arg}). Out of an unplaced daughter of GI Breeders' Cup Distaff victress Unbridled Elaine (Unbridled's Song), the chestnut is trained by Eoin Harty. His dam's half-siblings include MGSW Etched (Forestry); GSW-Eng, GSP-UAE Emotionless (Ire) (Shamardal); and GSW, GSP-UAE Out Of Bounds (Discreet Cat). Under that illustrious second dam is the extended female family of 'TDN Rising Star' MGSW Nysos (Nyquist). This is the immediate family of GISW & MGISP Glitter Woman (Glitterman) and her son GISW & MGISP Political Force (Unbridled's Song), and MGSW Lead Story (Editor's Note). TJCIS PPs 7th-FG, $60k, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 4:00p.m. ET Heading to post here for Brookdale Racing Inc., Hypnus (Into Mischief) looks to make a statement while in training with Ken McPeek. Out of GI Starlet Stakes victress Dream Tree (Uncle Mo), he is her second to the races behind the placed half-sister Wimberly (Curlin), who brought $700,000 as a yearling in 2022 through KEESEP. Another half-sister by Gun Runner went through that same ring in 2024 but was an RNA at $575,000. Dream Tree is herself a half-sister to SP O' Maggi (Paddy O'Prado) and to the winning dam of SP Experimental (Practical Joke). TJCIS PPs The post Jan. 18 Insights: Debuters Carry Colors for Noteworthy Female Families appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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

Santa Anita Park employees jumped in to serve food to Los Angeles County fire victims, and the racetrack donated its food originally slated for weekend racing to victims, backstretch workers, the National Guard, and firefighters.View the full article

Four-time group 1 winner Designs On Rome has died following a bout of colic at the age of 15.View the full article

The owner of Culworth Grounds Farm, home of young stallion El Caballo (GB), takes time out to face the TDN question master. You made the trip over for the Irish Stallion Trail. Where did you visit and what were your main takeouts from the trip? It was actually the first time that I had done the stallion trail, but I happened to be going home to visit my parents and thought I could double up. It was a great experience overall and a great opportunity to be able to see the stallions and the studs. I didn't only get to see stallions but also a few tours of stallion paddocks, covering sheds and stallion boxes. Always good to get ideas to take home to Culworth Grounds! Was there a surprise package of a stallion for you? The standout from the new horses that I saw was Look De Vega (Fr) for me. I thought he was a classy looking horse with great movement, and it will be very interesting to see his stock. How is your own boy, El Caballo, getting on? We are delighted with how El Caballo has got on. He got a solid book of mares last season covering 100 mares. We were very excited to welcome our first foal by him this week. He has matured into a lovely looking stallion, and we got some great feedback from breeders that saw him parading during the December Sales. He's the first stallion you have stood at Culworth Grounds. How have you enjoyed that experience? It has been a great experience standing a stallion. El Caballo himself is great in the covering shed so that has made things easy. I enjoy talking and meeting new people, so it has been fun talking to breeders and hearing about their mares. I also have a great team of partners in the horse who bring their different skills and opinions to the table so overall we hope that will all help on the journey to giving him the best chance of being a success. What were your highlights from 2024 and how did you find trade on the whole? It might be boring to say but El Caballo was definitely a highlight of 2024. It is one thing thinking that you would like to stand a stallion 'one day' but it was a great thing actually making it happen. We also had the first year with our homebred racing syndicate 'No Fun Winning Alone'. We had some first-time-out syndicate members who enjoyed experiencing racehorse ownership and the experience of owning a winning racehorse. What did you make of trade last year on the whole? Trade this year at the top end of the market was very strong and the bottom was very tricky. In days gone by a nice model of a horse could still sell well but fashion has really taken over with sire power being very important. It is a shame really because good horses can come from anywhere. It was a good year in terms of winners produced by the stud. Who are you looking forward to seeing most this year? We have had lots of winners on the track this year but the horse I am most looking forward to next year is Paborus (GB) (Recoletos {Fr}), trained by Ed Bethell. It looks like he will be targeted at black-type races. Hopes and ambitions for the year ahead? In terms of hopes and ambitions for 2025, it is always to produce and breed nice horses and hopefully one day a champion. We are lucky to have a great team of people at Culworth Grounds and we will continue to invest in the farm and the team. The post In the Hot Seat: Sophie Buckley appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Barry Irwin is the first person to admit that he wasn't a fan of digital sales when they first came on the scene about a decade ago. “I make my living buying and selling in the private marketplace, and when the digital sales first came around in Europe, I was very upset,” he said, adding that he thought that at the time, sales companies were promising owners unreasonable prices on their horses which made it harder to buy privately for an appropriate price. “I didn't like the fact that I had compete for horses,” he said. But 10 years on, he has become a fan, and is offering two racing or broodmare prospects at the Fasig-Tipton January digital sale, which runs until January 21. Hip number 6, Toeris (Tourist-Sutil {Brz}, by Redattore {Brz}), is bred and owned by Irwin in conjunction with Gary Barber. An earner of over $166,000, she was a winner at two and went on to be third in the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar. Her dam, Sutil, was a Group 1 winner in Brazil going a mile and a quarter on the turf. “She hasn't had a top horse yet, but she's had three runners for us and they've all won, and earned well over $150,000 each. We have a five year-old named Juniperro Serra (Noble Mission {GB}) and he I think he will earn Black Type eventually. We have another half-sister named Jungle Cat (Animal Kingdom) who has won over $150,000. Toeris was given a break, but she's back in training so she's she can be a race horse or a broodmare.” Hip 12, By Any Other Name (Aus), Mendelssohn-Alexandra Rose {SAf}, by Caesour (SAf), is a half-sister to Grade I winner Oleksandra (Aus), who Irwin said is the only Australian-bred to come to America and win a Grade I race, which she did when defeating males in the Jaipur Stakes at Belmont. She also won two other graded stakes in America. By Any Other Name is a winner herself in Australia at three. “We started her off in Australia, let her break her maiden and then brought her here,” said Irwin. “She's had nothing but bad luck. We own the whole family, we have several sisters, and this filly doesn't really fit in our program right now. I think we're better off letting somebody else take a shot with her, and seeing if they could do better with us. She's sound, and Bill Mott likes her. We think she's got value as a broodmare. She probably can still run, but here it is the start of the breeding season. We don't want to breed her, but if somebody wants to buy her as a racehorse or breed her, here she is.” Despite his early misgivings, Irwin is now an active user of the digital sales. He sold Nadette (Fr) for $420,000 last summer at the Fasig-Tipton July Digital Sale. “I think Fasig Tipton does the best job (among the digital sales companies),” he said. “They're responsible. They treat both buyer and seller in the same equitable manner. The $420,000 for Nadette was a fair price for us, and a fair price for the buyer. From the perspective of my operation alone, (brick-and-mortar) sales are fixed dates and they're few and far between. If you have a horse who blossoms at a particular time of year, you want to put it in the best possible light. Having a digital sale every month is a fantastic opportunity, because you can take advantage of the form right then and there.” Team Valor has used digital sales as a way of reducing their overall numbers to fit with a somewhat revised model for their operation. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, they had 165 horses, and they are now down to 75. He hired former attorney Fred Heyman, who previously managed Peter Angelos's racing operations, to one day take over the business. “About three or four years ago, we decided that we were only going to buy horses that we thought could be a graded stakes horse,” he said. “Once we had improved it and had our fun, we want to sell it and move on. Most of our horses are sourced in Europe, and not the United States. We buy them with the idea of starting them off there. If we think they'll do well here we will bring them here if not, we'll keep them there.” Irwin's daughter lives in Wales, and said his goal is to spend three to five months in Europe every year looking at horses. “When I'm trying to source horses, just trying to do it by video or digital or photographs or relying on somebody else's opinion is not what I want to do. I think I can do better if I'm there myself.” “I have become disenchanted with too many aspects of racing in America,” he said. “Fred loves it here, and he's more enthusiastic about the domestic scene that I am, so my answer to him is `God bless you.' You can run the American division. I'll run the European division. I'll find the horses, you can find some here but we'll still get most of them over there and that's that's the plan for the future.” The post Embracing Digital Sales, Team Valor Has Two On Offer at Fasig-Tipton January Digital appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2025 California Thoroughbred Breeders Association (CTBA) Winter Mixed Sale, which includes a special 22-horse dispersal from the farm of Donald Valpredo, will be held Tuesday, Jan. 21, at Noon PT in the Hines Pavilion at Fairplex, the organization said in a release on Friday. Valpredo, a California industry leader and former President of the CTBA, passed away in November. Handling the consignment will be Checkmate Thoroughbreds. Including the dispersal, there are 143 cataloged and supplemented broodmares, racing prospects, yearlings and 2-year-olds available in a sale that previously produced stakes winners like Bodacious (Smokem), Lord Prancealot (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) and Grade I-producing broodmares like Expo Gold (Johnannesburg), the dam of GI Preakness Stakes heroine Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil). For further information and to obtain credit, contact Loretta@ctba.com or call (626) 445-7800, ext: 227. The post CTBA Winter Mixed Sale Includes Valpredo Dispersal On Tuesday, Jan. 21 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Earlier this week, Peter Brant shared mating plans his top American mares and a select few European mares with the TDN. But with the number of mares he's sending to European stallions, we thought it merited a part two. Here, Brant shares insights on more of top mares. FIFTY FIVE, 11, Get Stormy-Soave, by Brahms; MORANDA (FR), 17, Indian Rocket (GB)-Spain, by Bering (GB) (dam of GIISW Speak of the Devil), QUIDURA (GB), 12, Dubawi (Ire)-Quetena (Ger), by Acatenango (Ger) (the GII Ballston Spa winner and GISP); THAIS (FR), 11, Rio de a Plata-Tianshan (Fr), by Lahint; AZAFATA (SPA), 16, Motivator (GB)-Anysheba, by Alysheba; SHELTER ISLAND (FR), 9, Le Havre (Ire)-Exit the Straight I(Ire), by Exit to Nowhere. All six will go to Paddington (GB). By my analysis, he lost a month and a half at stud in his first year. He was given a vaccine required in Ireland when they go to stud. He was given the vaccine at the appropriate time, but somehow or another, it stayed with him. He wasn't allowed to go to stud until he cleared quarantine, and he didn't clear for a month and a half. Once it was out of his system, he tested negative, but for the next 30 days his fertility was off, and then he came back and now he's normal. But in the very first group of mares he got, he got a small percentage into foal, and as the season went along, he started to stop his mares. He's at such a discount here at €25,000. He won four Group 1s at three in 63 days. He won some of the biggest races in Europe and he's super well-bred. He was supposed to go to stud at €55,000 and the word got out that he was not fertile. So in 2024, I sent mares to him that were a little later. I bred 10 mares to him to him and eight are in foal. I bred them late, and they shouldn't have all gotten in foal, so whatever was the problem early on had something to do with that shot. In New Zealand (this summer), he got 93 mares in foal, and he was only there for around two-and-a-half months. I thought that these mares suited him. Some of these will go to the States. TOINETTE, 10, Scat Daddy-I Bet Toni Knows, by Sun River. To be bred to Siyouni (Fr) Multiple graded stakes winner Toinette is going to Siyouni. I have a filly called Ultrafragola (Ire) out of Toinette who was a 'TDN Rising Star' in France. This mating is on that same cross, since she's by Sottsass (Fr), and he's by Siyouni. UNAIDED (GB), 16, Dansili (GB)-Wosaita (GB), by Generous (Ire). To be bred to City of Troy. Unaided, who is the dam of Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) (the 2019 U.S. Champion Turf Female), is going to City of Troy. They're both grass horses, the nick is very good and they suit each other physically. The post 2025 European Mating Plans: Peter Brant, Part II appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

6th-Meydan, Cocoa Beach S. (Cond.), AED400,000, NH/SH3yo, f, 1600m, 1:38.15, ft. QUEEN AZTECA (f, 3, Sharp Azteca–Princesa Helena, by Palace Malice) took advantage of a furious early gallop to storm clear late in this prep for the G3 UAE Oaks on Feb. 21. Void of early speed from the inside gate, the blinkered bay filly was content to race at the tail as Arigatou Gozaimazu (Honest Mischief) blazed a trail through the opening 400 metres in an unsustainable :21.54 while chased by favoured Flama Sunshine (Flameaway). Racing against the rail into the turn, Queen Azteca came around a rival with about three furlongs to race and leveled off beautifully in the straight, wresting command from the spent pacesetter inside the furlong before pulling away to score by eight lengths. Taswaheen (Mendelssohn) ran on for second ahead of Arigatou Gozaimazu in third. According to a post from Dubai aficionado Laura King, the victory was the second from 185 Dubai starters for this Swedish-based outfit. Fourth and sixth, respectively, in two tries on the grass to begin her career, Queen Azteca won her maiden on dirt debut at Jagersro last September and was runner-up to Flama Sunshine in a 1400-metre conditions test over this track Dec. 20. The winner is out of a daughter of the stakes-winning With Flying Colors (A.P. Indy), the dam of dual Grade III winner Teresa Z (Smart Strike) and granddam of MGSP Colorful Mischief (Into Mischief). The filly's third dam was four-time Grade I winner My Flag (Easy Goer), herself a daughter of undefeated champion Personal Ensign (Private Account). Princesa Helena is also responsible for the 2-year-old colt El Gady (Kantharos) that was purchased by Libyan interests for $12,000 at KEESEP last fall, a yearling full-brother to Queen Azteca and was most recently bred to Munnings. Sales history: $22,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; 30,000gns 2yo '24 TATMAY. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-0, $85,108. O-Glaesner Racing APS; B-Three Chimneys Farm LLC (KY); T-Niels Petersen. The post Queen Azteca Strikes For Sweden In UAE Oaks Prep appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

“Try something different, you know? Sometimes it's good for you.” Those are the words of jockey Jose Ortiz, currently in a race of his own atop the standings with 44 winners (through Thursday, Jan. 16) in his first winter riding at Fair Grounds. Jareth Loveberry is a distant second with 29 winners. A mainstay on the New York Racing Association circuit for more than a decade (he was leading rider there three times–2016, 2020 & 2021) and also a regular at Gulfstream Park's Championship Meet, the 31-year-old decided to shake things up last spring. “We made a family decision to move to Kentucky, and we started riding for different trainers there,” said Ortiz, who has three young children with his wife, former jockey Taylor Rice. “Some of those trainers go to Fair Grounds instead of Florida (in the winter) and that led to the decision to ride there. I can ride for the same people year-round. I discussed it with (agent) Steve (Rushing), and, at the end of the day, we both agreed Fair Grounds was the right place to winter.” Ortiz added, “I'm very happy down there. All the horsemen have embraced me with open arms.” The Ortiz family: Jose, Taylor, Leilani, Derek & Nikolai | Coglianese Have they ever. Ortiz is booked to ride in 11 of the 12 races on Saturday's stacked GIII Lecomte Stakes program, including the Steve Asmussen-trained Magnitude (Not This Time) in the main event. The Winchell Thoroughbreds colorbearer finished a distant second behind Lecomte 3-1 morning-line favorite Built (Hard Spun) in the Gun Runner Stakes Dec. 21. The Lecomte offers 20-10-6-4-2 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. “These horses are just starting to develop, we'll see who's who,” Ortiz said of the deep 14-horse field. “It's a very exciting time of the year. This is one of the reasons I went to Fair Grounds. I think their Derby preps are very competitive. You can get nice 3-year-olds there, fillies and colts.” Cherie DeVaux will give Ortiz a leg up aboard C R K Stable's Skinner (Curlin) one race earlier in the GIII Louisiana Stakes. Skinner was transferred to DeVaux following a breakthrough victory for John Shirreffs in the GIII Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 23. DeVaux and Ortiz teamed up for a win with More Than Looks (More Than Ready) in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar. “You know when they give you that feeling of a good horse. He gave me that (after working him),” Ortiz said. “He was very good in California and we know he has a ton of ability. It's first time for Cherie here and first time for me riding him, but we really like the horse. He's doing great and I'm very excited to be on him. He can be a very exciting older horse this year. Cherie has given me these type of opportunities to ride for her and I'm very thankful to be one of the main go-to guys.” Skinner | Benoit Other live mounts for Ortiz on the Lecomte undercard include: Gigante (Not This Time) (Colonel E.R. Bradley Stakes) (Asmussen); Nanda Dea (Arg) (Fortify) (Marie G. Krantz Memorial Stakes) (Ignacio Correas IV); Demolition Duke (Good Magic) (Duncan F. Kenner Stakes) (Brendan Walsh); and the promising 3-year-old maiden Cromwell (Quality Road) (maiden special weight) (DeVaux). Ortiz, the year-younger brother of leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr., won the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey in 2017. He rode 276 winners in 2024, good for $26,004,396 in earnings. The latter figure was fourth highest in the nation. The post ‘Trying Something Different,’ Jose Ortiz Dominating at Fair Grounds appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Stallion viewings have continued apace this week throughout Europe, with many breeders descending on Newmarket farms following the Irish Stallion Trail, while the Route des Etalons is currently underway in Normandy. There remains no official stallion trail in Britain despite there having been a number of calls over the years for an emulation of the popular incentive which began in France and was swiftly picked up by Irish Thoroughbred Marketing. There was apparently no appetite to get behind this in England, though many stallion studs in Newmarket open their doors through the December Sales and the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) has up until this year organised the popular stallion parade staged at Tattersalls just before the start of the February Sale. The TBA has now ended its support of that but, fortunately for the many breeders and visitors who have enjoyed the parade over the years, the team at Tattersalls has decided to support it this year and will stage not just a stallion parade but also a showcase of retired racehorses immediately prior to the appearance of the stallions in the ring. Among the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) parade will be the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River (Ire), while trainer Amy Murphy will be riding her father Paul's former top jumper Kalashnikov (Ire), whom she trained to win eight races, including the G1 Manifesto Novices' Chase at Aintree. Also among the nine horses in the showcase is Barbers Shop (GB), now 23, and a multiple winner in his racing days over hurdles and fences for his owner-breeder Queen Elizabeth. The nine Flat stallions to be paraded from 11.30am include two of Britain's new recruits, Isaac Shelby (GB) and Bradsell (GB), with the latter being joined by his fellow National Stud residents Stradivarius (Ire) and Lope Y Fernandez (Ire). During a visit to the National Stud earlier this week it was reassuring to hear that Bradsell is being well received by breeders both in Britain and farther afield, with CEO Anna Kerr reporting that she hopes the sprinting star will be on course to cover a first book of around 130 mares. Kerr and her team are plainly already fond of the amiable Bradsell, who is now vying for attention with his immediate next-door neighbour and champion stayer Stradivarius (Ire). The duo has already been dubbed 'Brad and Strad'. There's plenty to look forward to at the Newmarket farm in 2025 with Lope Y Fernandez set to be represented by his first crop of two-year-olds. The same can be said for A'Ali (Ire), who will be joining his Newsells Park Stud mate Isaac Shelby on the trip from Royston to Newmarket for the Tattersalls stallion parade and will be jousting, metaphorically at least, in the first-season sires' table with Lope Y Fernandez and Ubettabelieveit (Ire), who will be joining the stallion parade from Mickey Stud. Chapel Stud's well-bred Bangkok (Ire) will also be on parade and is another stallion with first-crop runners in 2025. Sophie Buckley's team at Culworth Grounds will be hoping that El Caballo (GB), whose first foals are arriving imminently, can show similar prowess to Havana Grey (GB), who is, like El Caballo, by the late Havana Gold (GB). Breeders will have another chance to inspect El Caballo at Tattersalls, along with Caturra (Ire), who is also returning to the parade from Overbury Stud and completes the nine-strong line-up. The first few mixed sales of the year around Europe tend to be lower pressure than the yearling and foal sales later in the season and are generally convivial affairs just ahead of the covering season starting in earnest. It is therefore great to see Tattersalls making a real effort to turn the February Sale into quite an event alongside the two days of trade. The British EBF has got behind the initiative and will sponsor refreshments in the Lower Sale Ring Bar on the first morning of the sale, and there will be trade stands present, occupied by the British Racing School, RoR, the National Stud and the TBA's educational arm TB-Ed. Tattersalls sponsors a show series for retrained racehorses with finals this year set to take place at the Royal Highland Show in June, Hickstead's Derby meeting that same month, and the Jockey Club RoR National Championships at Aintree in August. Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “The Retraining of Racehorses charity is a vitally important asset to the British racing and bloodstock industries and we hope that the new RoR Showcase at Tattersalls will celebrate both the talents and successes of former racehorses in their second careers, in addition to increasing awareness of the crucial role played by RoR in ensuring their welfare. The Stallion Parade of young British-based sires has been a staple attraction at the Tattersalls February Sale for many years and alongside the exhibition displays of several key industry organisations, the day will provide an opportunity to showcase many important aspects of the bloodstock industry to breeders and racing and equestrian enthusiasts alike.” Hats off to Tattersalls for maintaining and expanding on this traditional curtain-up to the February Sale and, if previous years are anything to go by, it is advisable to arrive early to bag your spot in what is usually a packed sale ring. And, who knows, you may even pick up the dam of a future Classic winner at a bargain price, as Stuart McPhee did when purchasing Alianza (GB) from the Darley draft for 800gns ten years ago. She is now the dam of Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Metropolitan (Fr), who is about to embark on his first season at Haras d'Etreham. The post Cheltenham Hero and Stallion Parade Enhance Tattersalls’ February Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Lance Yohe, CJF, is the new farrier for the UC Davis veterinary hospital's Large Animal Clinic, according to an article published on the UC Veterinary Medicine website by writer Rob Warren. The article states that Yohe has been a farrier for more than 30 years. He completed his vocational education at the Eastern School of Farriery in 1993 and became a Certified Farrier (2014) and a Certified Journeyman Farrier (2015) through the American Farrier's Association (AFA). Warren goes on to say that Yohe has been an active member of AFA since 2008, served as the regional director from 2017-23 and was on their executive board from 2017-22. The new hire also served as director and vice president of the Western States Farrier Association from 2008-16. Prior to joining the UC Davis team, Yohe ran Keystone Farrier Services since 1993. The UC Davis piece also explains that in addition to providing comprehensive hoof care, including trimming and shoeing, Yohe will work with the UC Davis veterinary team to assess and address hoof-related issues affecting a horse's health. The post UC Davis Welcomes New Farrier Lance Yohe appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2024 Longines World Racing Awards ceremony, which will be live streamed, will be held at The Savoy in London on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Organised by Longines and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), the ceremony will honour the Longines World's Best Racehorse (12th edition) and the Longines World's Best Horse Race (10th edition) of the 2024 season. The winners will be announced beginning at approximately 1:40 GMT/8:40 EST. The connections of the winning horse will be presented with a Longines watch and a replica of the vase of the Longines World's Best Racehorse. The connections of the Longines World's Best Horse Race will also be presented with a watch and a replica of a trophy representing a proud horse head. Additionally, the IFHA's annual list of the Top 100 Group/Grade 1 races will be released, as well as the rankings for all horses around the world rated 115 or higher. To view the live stream, please visit the social media accounts of the IFHA and World Horse Racing (WHR). It will also be available on the IFHA website ifhaonline.org. The post Longines World Racing Awards To Be Live Streamed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2024 Longines World Racing Awards ceremony, which will be held Jan. 21, will be available via live stream. View the full article

This year's race meet, which runs through Sept. 14, will feature 51 total stakes, including nine graded events, and 11 stakes restricted to New Jersey-bred horses.View the full article

The Retired Racehorse Project will once again host virtual conferences in February to raise awareness during Aftercare Industry Month (AIM), presented by Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation, the nonprofit aftercare program said in a press release on Friday. The sessions are open to anyone with a professional interest in Thoroughbred aftercare from any cross section of the industry. Four webinars featuring panelists from both non-profit organizations as well as business entities will delve into a range of topics that pertain to everyone who works in Thoroughbred aftercare. AIM will include the following four February sessions: Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET: Racing's In-House Aftercare Programs. Panelists Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall, Michele Pesula Kuegler of Wasabi Aftercare Fund, and Katelyn Morgan of Godolphin Lifetime Care facilitate thriving aftercare programs within a “parent” operation, each with a unique structure and approach. Monday, Feb. 10 at 7:00 p.m. ET: Thoroughbred Matchmaking. Kristina Hobbs of Reciprocity Thoroughbreds, Erin MacDonald of New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, and Rosie Napravnik of Rosie Napravnik Off-Track Sporthorses will share their insight and expertise in the matchmaking process. Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7:00 p.m. ET: From Passion to Prosperity: Founding & Funding Your Non-Profit. Lili Leonard of Black Dog Philanthropic will lead a comprehensive primer on what to consider if you think you want to start a charitable organization, and what you can do to lay a strong foundation for your new non-profit. Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7:00 p.m. ET: There's No Place Like Home: Securing a Long-Term Property. Laura D'Angelo of Dinsmore & Shohl will share the ins and outs of contracts and agreements, and will be joined by Anna Ford of New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, Aubrey Graham of Kivu Sporthorses and Bonnie McRae of After the Races. Click here to register. Conference passes for access to all four sessions are $10 and an individual session pass is $5. The post Retired Racehorse Project’s Virtual Conferences To Promote Aftercare Return In February appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

by Kit Gow/TTR AusNZ Magic Millions racing resumed on Friday night and it delivered an emotional win for Tommy Berry with O' Ole (Aus) (Ole Kirk {Aus}) in the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic (video). The feat was accomplished 11 years after his late brother Nathan guided Unencumbered (Aus) (Testa Rossa {Aus}) to victory in the same race for the same trainer, Bjorn Baker. The filly burst out of the pack within the last furlong of the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic and flew home to defeat perennial bridesmaid Memo (Aus) (Capitalist {Aus}) by 1.5l. Second on debut in the G3 Gimcrack S. to Bel Merci (Extreme Choice), O' Ole went one better in the R. Listed Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic–relegating Memo to second place–before repeating the performance in the Gold Coast feature. “All the stars aligned today,” Berry was emotional post-race. “She's a beautiful filly, and is by Ole Kirk, who I had a lot to do with.” For Baker's bloodstock agent Jim Clarke, the stars certainly did align, “She [O' Ole] drew the exact same gate as Unencumbered, and got back in the exact same way. It was all over at the 200 [-metre mark], and it was an amazing result. “Bjorn has always had an opinion of her and this was always the long term plan. To get her here and to deliver is an amazing result. “She was probably the filly at the sales last year that the whole team zeroed in on. I didn't expect to get there and fall in love with an Ole Kirk out of a Sepoy (Aus) mare and pay that sort of money, but she had a phenomenal physique and every time we saw her parade perfectly. Fortunately she has done the same in her racing career so far.” A delayed flight meant that Baker only arrived trackside in time to join his team in celebrations. “From day dot, she was a superstar, and he [Unencumbered] was very much like her, strong and fast from the start,” he said. “I got very emotional, I was in a taxi thinking of Nathan [Berry], we miss him a lot.” Amongst the filly's owners are Baker's stable vet, Dr. Alan Frogley, and his breaker, Lewis Page. “We're thrilled, just shows you that [the team] is doing a great job. We found a lovely filly by a first-season sire, and it's so important to get back here for Magic Millions year on year.” The fourth foal of provincial winner Vellor (Aus) (Sepoy {Aus}), O' Ole was a A$325,000 purchase for Bjorn Baker Racing and Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) from the draft of breeders Gilgai Farm at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January. Vellor is a daughter of triple Group 2-winning Hosannah (Aus) (Octagonal {NZ}), making her a half-sister to G2 Magic Night S. winner Altar (Aus) (Commands {Aus}). She has a yearling full-sister to O' Ole still to appear in a sales catalogue, and revisited Vinery Stud's popular Ole Kirk again in September. The post Stars Align For O’ Ole And Bjorn Baker In Phenomenal 2yo Classic Victory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

While G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup hero Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) is tucked away neatly in Dubai preparing for next Friday's G1 Jebel Hatta at Meydan, the two other locally based gallopers to salute during the international races meeting six weeks ago return to action on what could be an historic day of racing Sunday at Sha Tin. Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) goes in search of his ninth consecutive victory and his 10th from 12 career outings when he looks to consolidate his stranglehold on the local sprint division in the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup. The David Hayes trainee rocketed through the grades last season, closing off with a maiden Group 3 win in June, and he's only gone from strength to strength since. An easy winner in Group 2 company in October and November, he was more workmanlike than he was spectacular in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint on Dec. 8, but got the job done all the same, besting the re-opposing Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) by a half-length. Ka Ying Rising has drawn widest in a field of eight, having become the first to win the International Sprint from barrier 11 last time. “Obviously he [Ka Ying Rising] has got good gate speed, so that's an asset,” said jockey Zac Purton. “There's a little bit of speed inside him. Being drawn outside in a small field is always tricky because the runners to the inside generally try to hold a more prominent position than they might normally in a bigger field. So, I would expect a few horses to do that and it might not be easy to get across, so I'll need a little bit of luck.” Purton enters Sunday's action within four victories of supplanting the legendary Douglas Whyte as the winningest jockey in Hong Kong history. James McDonald returns from a suspension and warms up for the Jebel Hatta with the mount aboard defending champion Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) in Sunday's G1 Stewards' Cup over the metric mile. Unplaced in an incident-marred G1 Dubai Turf last March and well-beaten behind Romantic Warrior in the Yasuda Kinen in June, the 2023 BMW Hong Kong Derby hero defeated Chancheng Glory (Mor Spirit) in the G2 Jockey Club Mile in November and improved on his runner-up effort in 2023 to take out the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile last time, with champion Japanese miler Soul Rush (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) 1 1/4 lengths adrift in second. Zac Purton moves to within three wins of Hong Kong jockey record. #HappyWednesday #HKracing@LeoSchlink reports. Read here https://t.co/rQHwSgVDbx pic.twitter.com/IJXkT5zaa0 — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) January 15, 2025 The post HKIR Winners Back To Work in Hong Kong appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A new children's book set against the backdrop of Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, has been released. Ollie the Oaklawn Owl: Whoooo's That Jockey? is the second book in an educational series written by Mary Rampellini of Daily Racing Form. The work is illustrated by retired jockey and award-winning artist Renee Torbit. In his latest adventure, main character Ollie learns about the courage it takes to ride racehorses, the equipment jockeys wear, and why racing silks are different colors. “Mary's books provide our youth a great tool to better understand and appreciate one of the most distinguished sports in American history,” Oaklawn's Louis Cella said. “The lessons in these stories are so important for the future generation of racing fans, and the knowledge kids will take away about our human and equine athletes is invaluable.” The book is available at Oaklawn Park and online, as well as at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame gift shop in Saratoga Springs, New York. The post New Children’s Book Set At Oaklawn Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article