Wandering Eyes

Dewhurst Stakes winner Gewan has been crowned European Champion Juvenile for 2025 with a rating of 121. Trained by Andrew Balding, Gewan was recruited from the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale for €80,000 having been purchased originally from Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. He followed up a debut win at Newbury in July with an impressive defeat of Italy (112) in the Group 3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes at York. His defeat of Gstaad at Newmarket to end the season followed a sole defeat in the Group 2 Betfred Champagne Stakes at Doncaster and confirmed him a leading Classic prospect for 2026. Following Gewan is the Aidan O'Brien-trained pair of Gstaad and Puerto Rico, each with a mark of 119, while stablemates Hawk Mountain (116) and Action (115) also take high rank. O'Brien is also responsible for the highest-rated fillies in the Classification, with Precise and True Love being awarded a mark of 115. The second-highest rated British representative, with a mark of 118, is the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained Zavateri. A winner of four of his five starts, the Without Parole colt won the Group 1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at the Curragh prior to finishing fourth behind Gewan in the Dewhurst. Britain's highest-rated filly is Venetian Sun. Trained by Karl Burke, she too took Group 1 honours in the Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville to go alongside her victories in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (sponsored by bet365) at Newmarket's July Festival. Graeme Smith, BHA Handicapping Team Leader, said, “Gewan became the first outright European Champion 2YO to emerge from Kingsclere in the 48-year history of the classification, bettering the achievement of Andrew Balding's previous Dewhurst – and subsequent QIPCO 2,000 Guineas – winner Chaldean (119) in 2022. “He follows Forest Flower (125 in 1986) and Mrs Penny (joint Champion in 1979 at 121), who were both crowned Champion 2YO Fillies for Andrew's late father, Ian. “Gewan's 121 performance in defying long odds in a representative Darley Dewhurst Stakes capped a stellar year for his sire, Night Of Thunder. As well as being represented in 2025 by the top-class Ombudsman and QIPCO 1,000 Guineas winner Desert Flower, the Darley stallion established a strong hand for the 2026 Classics. “Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes winner Bow Echo and Distant Storm, who finished third behind the imposing grey Gewan in the Dewhurst, also rank within the top 11 in this year's Classification.” IHRB Handicapper Mark Bird added, “Aidan O'Brien trained Europe's Champion Juvenile Filly for the third year in a row and for a record ninth time in total as Precise and True Love shared top billing on a rating of 115. “True Love's victory in the Group 1 Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket was matched by Precise's success in the Group 1 Bet365 Fillies' Mile at the same track two weeks later. “In what was a banner year for the Ballydoyle-trained two-year-olds, Aidan trained a record seven individual two-year-old Group/Grade 1 winners in 2025. He also matched his previous best total of nine two-year-old Group/Grade 1 race wins in a calendar year, as well as equalling his highest total of two-year-old winners (three) at Royal Ascot. “This dominance of the two-year-old landscape is reflected in his being responsible for six of the top 10 horses in the Classification. “Two of the four Ballydoyle Group 1-winning colts ended the year tied as Champion two-year-old in Ireland on a rating of 119. Gstaad landed the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar after running up three times in elite company, while Puerto Rico went from strength to strength to win both the Group 1 Qatar Prix Jean Luc Lagardere and the Group 1 Criterium International in France by season's end.” The post Dewhurst Stakes Hero Gewan Crowned Europe’s Champion Juvenile For 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Training trio Ben, Will and JD Hayes hoping to snatch another feature win in New Zealand. Buoyed by a successful raid on New Zealand feature racing last year, Ben Hayes is plotting to do the same as Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel) takes on the Gr.1 Railway Stakes at Ellerslie on Saturday. The 1200-mere event is the beginning of a two start trans-Tasman campaign for the five-year-old along the lines of when the Hayes team were successful with Here To Shock (NZ) (Shocking) in the Gr.1 BDC Group Sprint (1400m) in February 2025. That win has given the stable the confidence to go again. “He left after his trial last week and we are really happy with him,” Ben said. “It is full steam ahead.” The son of Irish sire Harry Angel won a jump out at Flemington over 800m on January 9 after finishing third in the AU$1 million The Supernova (1400m) at Pakenham on December 13. That even has since delivered two winners and one placegetter among the six starters since. “We had success last year and Arkansaw Kid, I think he is a very good group two horse in Australia who is competitive in group ones but always finds one better,” Hayes added. “We thought it is a great opportunity to try and win a group one with him. “With the set weights and penalties conditions, he gets in there quite nicely in the weights. “He will then go on to the same race that Here To Shock won, then maybe the Canterbury Stakes in Sydney after that.” Arkansaw Kid finished second in The Meteorite (1200m) at Cranbourne on November 22 to the Cindy Alderson-trained Jigsaw who is also set to start in the Railway Stakes. View the full article

Mark Newnham leads the way on the dirt this season and the championship leader is well placed to add to his lead with some excellent chances on Wednesday’s all-dirt card at Sha Tin. The Australian is two wins clear of Caspar Fownes in the premiership on 32 and is also one clear of Danny Shum Chap-shing in the unofficial dirt equivalent on seven wins. Newnham has not been afraid to pitch his runners onto the surface this campaign and it has borne plenty of fruit, with New Forest going for a third...View the full article

Lib and Katrina Petagna’s Elsdon Park is fast building a reputation for excellence despite still being in its infancy. The Wellington couple took ownership of the stunning Matamata property formerly known as Valachi Downs in 2022, and their investment is paying dividends. Under the watch of General Manager Kerrie Cox, quality graduates are already emerging from the farm, while Petagna’s well-known apple green silks with a navy sash and navy and yellow striped sleeves continue to be prominent on the racetrack. Elsdon Park will present 32 yearlings (28 Book 1, 5 Book 2) at Karaka this year, but can be rightly proud of having four graduates of last year’s draft qualified for Saturday’s Listed TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) “It’s a big draft from us this year, with a lot of quality and I think horses that will suit a variety of budgets and purposes, including trade horses or end users,” Cox said. “To have four horses that we have bred potentially going to run in the Karaka Millions 2YO is quite an achievement.” Among them are the Johno Benner-trained pair of De Armas (NZ) (Ardrossan) and Butler Cabin (NZ) (Ardrossan), with the former an unbeaten stakes winner, the Andrew Forsman-trained Ellerslie winner Stromlinien (NZ) (Almanzor) and the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained debut winner Dashing Dixie (NZ) (Alabama Express). “While two-year-old racing is not the be-all and end-all, it is nice to be producing sound horses which is very high on our priority list with how we grow them and raise them. “We use specialised nutritionists for their bone development and muscle development. It is a big tick for us that these horses are coming out and being nice, sound two-year-olds. “The four runners in the millions range from a $16,000 online purchase in De Armas to a $450,000. Filly in Stromlinien, and I think that’s really awesome.” The Elsdon Park draft includes yearlings by a number of sires Lib Petagna has an interest in, including nine yearlings by Waikato Stud stallion Ardrossan. “Lib was in the ownership of Adrossan when he was racing and then retained shares in him when he went to stud,” Cox said. “He’s a really good-looking horse and we never got to see the best of that horse on track. “I think the people who saw him race and the people who were involved with him knew what a good racehorse he was going to be. “We have supported him strongly and we’ve bred the majority of his stakes winners and stakes performers to date. We have sent him some really nice mares and he leaves a cracking type. “We’ve been well rewarded, not only in the sales ring but also those horses have gone on to be nice racehorses. We have Ardalio (NZ) (Ardrossan), who is a three-time Group Three winner by Ardrossan running in the Railway Stakes (Gr.1, 1200m) on Karaka Millions night too.” Cox said since taking control of the farm, the Petagna’s have continued to develop on the great foundation the Hickman’s and Valachi Downs had built and they have an eye to the future with Elsdon Park home to a broodmare band of around 80. ”The Hickman’s and Valachi downs did a wonderful job establishing the farm. The facilities are top quality. “We sort of settled in and then made some changes after about a year being here and we put in a new foaling unit and yearling parade area and have adjusted a few things and we have a great team. “Looking ahead, we are interested in standing a stallion, and whether that’s going to be this season, which we’d be quite keen on, we are not sure. “We’ve just got to find the right one that not only suits our broodmare band, but one that also suits the New Zealand industry.” The Elsdon Park colours have been to the fore in recent weeks care of classic hopefuls Ammirati (NZ) (Savabeel) and Day One (Wootton Bassett), who are both prominent in betting for the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), while last Saturday’s Gr.3 NZB Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) winner Fairy Dream (NZ) (Proisir) is another graduate of the farm, sold to Roger James and Robert Wellwood for $360,000 at Karaka 2024. ”I think Lib gets his biggest thrills in the industry through winning those big races, not only in our colours, but also with horses that we’ve bred and that people have purchased off us,” Cox said. “Now that he has Elsdon Park and this beautiful broodmare band, which with the help of Bruce Perry he has developed over a number of years, he comes to the farm a lot and his interest in the breeding side of the industry has really grown. “Whilst it is a long game, it’s one where once you’re in it, it doesn’t seem that long because every year you’ve got the next crop coming through.” Lots to Watch Lot 97 – Per Incanto x Santa Catarina Colt. Photo: New Zealand Bloodstock Lot 97 – Per Incanto x Santa Catarina colt “We’ve got a Per Incanto colt out of Santa Catarina. He’s a half-brother to Stromlinien. He’s a really well-balanced, forward, strong Per Incanto. He’s got this real strength of Per Incanto, and he’s definitely got stamped by the Savabeel influence from his dam side. He’s a lovely horse and I think he’ll appeal to pretty much anyone when they see him. Personally, I think Santa Catarina is going to be one of our best mares going forward. She’s just a magnificent-looking horse and she was fast.” Lot 375 – Alabama Express x Daniela’s Magic Filly. Photo: New Zealand Bloodstock Lot 375 – Alabama Express x Daniela’s Magic filly “The Alabama Express filly out of Daniela’s Magic. She really should probably be in the keeper paddock, to be honest. She’s one of the most beautiful-looking horses. She’s big and scopey, bold and strong. She’s got a great brain on her and the mares doing the job, she’s left an Australian stakes winner already, only a young mare and she just leaves a belter type and this one is no different. Alabama Express fillies are in hot demand.” Lot 400 – Maurice x Eleonora Filly. Photo: New Zealand Bloodstock Lot 400 – Maurice x Eleonora filly “She is very much like her Dad. I saw him in the flesh last year and I was quite impressed. The mare is a beautiful big chestnut mare and this filly’s half-sister, Ethereal Star, was a chestnut as well and she was an incredibly fast stakes-winning two-year-old that ran second in the Karaka Millions. She has got that precocity to go early and she has a great brain and is a beautiful filly.” View the full article

A massive week of racing, buying and selling awaits! Michael has some breaking news before looking ahead to the Karaka Millions, before heading out to Karaka to chat with some heavy hitters ahead of the 100th Yearling Sales. Plus a tribute to Via Sistina following her retirement. Guerin Report – S2 Ep.20- Karaka Millions & Yearling Sales Preview View the full article

Cranbourne trainer Cindy Alderson left Ellerslie on Tuesday morning well satisfied that Jigsaw (Manhattan Rain) is on target for his Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) mission. The last-start winner of the A$1 million The Meteorite (1200m) on his home track in late November confirmed his position as equal favourite for Saturday’s big sprint with a bold hitout under regular rider Logan Bates. “I was really pleased with him, he appeared to enjoy himself and Logan confirmed that he handled it well going right-handed,” Alderson said. “He arrived on Sunday and has settled in well at Donna Logan’s stables at Byerley Park, so having a look at the track this morning will have set him up nicely for Saturday. “He’s had right-handed experience in Queensland and the StrathAyr surface is familiar given he’s a winner at Moonee Valley. “They timed him to run his last 600m in less than 36 (35.65s officially), which was all he needed to do on top of the trip over.” Jigsaw, a seven-year-old gelding by Manhattan Rain, is in the form of his life with wins at his last three starts, the second of those being the Gr.2 McEwen Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate day. He won The Meteorite by three-quarters of a length over Railway rival Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel), who has accompanied Hayes Racing’s Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) candidate Torture (NZ) (Sword Of State) to Auckland. They worked together at Ellerslie, timed for their last 600m in 36.52 without being pressured. The Liam Birchley-trained Karaka Millions 2YO pair Dream Roca (NZ) (El Roca) and Vanzadee (NZ) (Vanbrugh) were ridden in solo gallops by Sam Collett, who reported that they both got through their task well. “The chestnut filly (Vanzadee) ran quicker time (36.51) and the other horse just strolled around (in 39.18), but they both had a good look at their surroundings and given they’ve just got off the plane they felt good,” Collett said. One of the most scrutinised horses at the Ellerslie gallops was Well Written (Written Tycoon), the hot favourite for the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), who pleased trainer Stephen Marsh in her hitout with stablemate The Exponent, clocking 34.81 for the final 600m. “I thought she worked up very well, I really couldn’t be happier with her,” Marsh said. “She just needed an outing as she’s been very relaxed at home, so this works out perfectly for her. “Matt said he was ultra happy with her, and now that we’ve got her where we want her, it’s just a matter of counting the days to the weekend.” View the full article

Everything worked out perfectly for White Abarrio in last year's Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1). View the full article

New Mexico's Ruidoso Downs, beleaguered by flooding the last two years, will be unable to host a live meet in 2026 at the facility due to the potential for “life threatening” flooding from even moderate rainfall, according to a press release posted on the track's website. The story was first reported by the Paulick Report. The somber statement details findings from JE Fuller, an engineering firm, and discussions with state officials. Ruidoso's 2026 racing schedule will be hosted at the Downs at Albuquerque as the track assesses its future, with officials stating “the racetrack is not sustainable now or for many years to come.” For nearly 80 years, Ruidoso held both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse meets, but planned to switch to only Quarter Horses in 2025 after 2024 flooding washed out much of the oval. The track has been home to “Quarter Horse Racing's Most Coveted Prize,” the GI All-American Futurity, which was moved to Albuquerque for both 2024 and 2025. The track's statement appears below in its entirety, while the JE Fuller report can be seen here: “We have been diligently working with local, state, and federal agencies to evaluate ongoing flooding risks at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and determine whether flood mitigation measures could be implemented to prevent a repeat of the significant flooding that occurred in July 2024 and July 2025. Both these flooding events were catastrophic for the customers, patrons, employees, horsemen, and horses at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack. Our goal has been to return the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack facilities and operations–if that could be done–with flood mitigation steps needed both on-site and off property upstream of the Racetrack to avoid a future flooding event. For the past several months, we have begged for solutions to no avail. “Thursday, January 15, 2026, Ruidoso Downs Racetrack owner Johnny Trotter, General Manager Rick Baugh, and Village of Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford traveled to the State Capitol in Santa Fe, NM to meet with numerous state officials to discuss additional flood mitigation efforts, only to find out that the racetrack is not sustainable now or for many years to come. It has now become clear that, even with proposed flood mitigation work done on-site and off-site upstream, Ruidoso Downs Racetrack cannot be adequately protected from future flooding. “We are sharing the findings of engineering firm JE Fuller, which was retained by and working for the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security, regarding future flood risks at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack. August 5, 2025, JE Fuller analysis shows that the Racetrack faces serious and ongoing flooding risks that cannot be adequately addressed with the mitigation measures proposed. “According to the JE Fuller Report, even moderate rainfall events–around two inches or more per hour–can overwhelm existing and planned drainage improvements intended to mitigate flooding risks at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack. A rainfall event of two inches per hour over the fire-scarred areas creates a high risk of dangerous flooding at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack that could be life threatening. “Based on the JE Fuller findings, and our follow-up discussions with governmental agencies, the engineers specializing in hydrology and flooding concluded that the Racetrack is not sustainable as a public venue. We are deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of everyone who attends Ruidoso Downs Racetrack, and our equine athletes. Continuing operations at the current site of Ruidoso Downs Racetrack is not feasible. “This decision is not taken lightly. It is, without question, the most challenging and emotional choice we have ever made as an organization. The racing schedule will be run at the Downs at Albuquerque and the 2026 NM Bred Sale, and the Super Select sale will be held at the Ruidoso Downs Sales pavilion in their normal time frames. We will continue to communicate openly as we assess our next steps.” The post No Racing at Ruidoso Downs in 2026, Track’s Future Uncertain appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In a post on the social media platform X, Repole wrote he is "convinced there is only one path left to force real change and save this industry outside of Kentucky and a few surviving states." View the full article

A graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start program, Harrison Everett is mixing his passion for racing and design as the Abu Dhabi Turf Club aims to raise its prominence on the international market.View the full article

Outspoken owner Mike Repole announced Monday on his feed on the social media platform X that he has taken the first steps toward launching what he called a “national lawsuit” that he hopes will bring what he feels are vital changes to the horse racing industry. Repole compared his lawsuit to Michael Jordan vs. NASCAR. That case refers to the recent antitrust lawsuit filed by Jordan's 23XI Racing against NASCAR, accusing the organization of monopolistic practices, which culminated in a mid-trial settlement in December 2025. Among the issues brought up by Jordan was a lack of team input into the governance of the sport, which, when it comes to horse racing, has been a major sticking point for Repole. He has repeatedly accused the sport of being run by an intransigent “old boys' club” that doesn't welcome outside views. Repole would not state specifically who the plaintiffs would be in the lawsuit, but he did reveal that he has his sights set on many of the sport's most important organizations. “The Jockey Club and their entities, the Breeders' Cup, the NTRA, TOBA, and all their stewards, have been notified legally what my intentions are,” he said. “They've been notified. They've been notified to prepare. They've been notified to prepare for litigation. They've been notified to save all documents, emails, texts, everything. They, in turn, have notified me to do the same.” In an apparent reference to the same entities, which are either based in Lexington, Kentucky, or have offices there, Repole said, “I've never been a big fan of Shakespeare, but something is rotten in Lexington.” The TDN reached out to the Breeders' Cup, The Jockey Club, TOBA, and the NTRA, asking those organizations to comment on Repole's lawsuit. TOBA said it had no comment. By the deadline for this story, the TDN had not heard back from the other organizations. Repole said he did not know exactly when his lawsuit would be filed, but he noted that he has been working on the suit since June and has already hired two law firms to work with him. Repole has made no secret of his frustrations with the sport and his dissatisfaction with the people who are in leadership positions. His efforts to force change include the formation of the National Thoroughbred Alliance, which he hoped could facilitate getting the sport's leaders into the same room to work on fixing what he clearly believes is broken. “This wasn't Plan A, it wasn't Plan B, and it wasn't Plan C,” he said. “Unfortunately, I really believe that litigation is the only way and the only chance we have of enforcing change. This is much needed for the survival of the industry that we all love. It's not what I would want to do. It's not that I am glad that I had to do this. I just feel like it's a calling, a mission. He continued, “It's no secret that I have brought some of the key leaders together in a room. It's no secret that I've had plenty of one-on-ones. I've had some very positive conversations. I've had some very negative conversations. But I've had zero action. People can love me or hate me, but the reality is that I believe that if somebody doesn't take this step, we'll be down to three or four states with racing and 10,000 foals a year within the next five years.” Repole, who is among the wealthiest people in the sport, expressed how determined he is to wage this fight. “I will take this as far as I can,” he said. “I have no fear about it and there is no financial ceiling to stop me.” Repole revealed that part of his argument will revolve around antitrust issues. He named several individuals in the sport who serve in important roles in more than one organization. “Isn't that a conflict of interest or a matter of antitrust?” he asked. “They're all the same. The same people are controlling the entire sport.” Repole acknowledged that his lawsuit may never see the inside of a courtroom, but said that doesn't mean that his actions won't bring about change. One thing he hopes to accomplish through the process known as discovery is to pull back the curtain and find out more about what is going on behind the scenes at the organizations he has targeted. “Discovery will bring forward facts that have long remained hidden and are critical to the future of the sport,” he said on X. He said he also hopes his lawsuit forces industry leaders to consider his complaints and to start to develop a better plan for the sport's future. “There's a lawsuit and it gets very, very nasty,” he said. “There's tremendous discovery that comes on both sides, and then there's some mediation. Then there's some alliance and then there's some compromise. Even if the lawsuit doesn't go through the entire court system, all of a sudden it forces people to get to a table and engage and say, 'Either you're going to go through the court system or you're going to sit down and make a decision.'” As he has done in the past, Repole brought up the subject of aftercare and the industry's struggles to find a solution that will guarantee the safety of all horses once their careers are over. “We have an industry that can't even solve what should be a simple and moral aftercare issue,” he said. “I started with that issue and was struck by how the sport can't even solve that. We're worried about the 200 or so horses that die every year on the track, and I am, too. But what about the 2,000 that don't have aftercare homes or get shipped to Mexico for slaughter or go to Puerto Rico or somewhere else? How about the horses that wind up in kill pens? I guess because the optics aren't as important as they are when it comes to horses breaking down, it's not an important issue to the industry.” Repole said he has been tempted to get out of the sport for years. He says that if his latest attempt to force change on the sport fails, he will be done with the game. “I've thought about getting out 100 percent sooner,” he said. “I want to give this one more go. If I can't get it done, I'll accept the loss and kindly get out and never be heard from again by this industry. I'll admit that I couldn't provide the change.” The post Repole Says He’s in the Process of Launching a Wide-Ranging Lawsuit Against the Horse Racing Industry appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The pari-mutuel field of "All Other 3 Year Olds" closed as the 7-2 favorite in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby (G1) Future Wager, and unbeaten Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Ted Noffey was the 6-1 second choice.View the full article

On the Jan. 19 episode of BloodHorse Monday: Gulfstream Park's Brian Nadeau previews the Pegasus World Cup card, and Frank Angst discusses a recent study stating regulatory vets are protecting vulnerable horses.View the full article

The pari-mutuel field of "All Other 3 Year Olds" closed as the 7-2 favorite in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby (G1) Future Wager and unbeaten Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Ted Noffey was the 6-1 second choice.View the full article

A 1/50th share in Zarak (lot 1) topped Monday's Arqana Online January Sale when bought by Ghislain Bozo of Meridian International for €505,000. Of the 13 lots offered, eight sold for a total of €866,500, with the full results available to view on the Arqana Online website. The sire of 11% stakes winners/runners, Zarak is notably the sire of last year's Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Metropolitan, along with fellow Group 1 scorers Haya Zark and Zagrey. A son of Dubawi and the unbeaten Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Zarkava (Zamindar), Zarak stands for an unchanged fee of €80,000 at Haras de Bonneval in 2026. Another headline act was the talented National Hunt performer Olympic Story (Masked Marvel) (lot 5), who sold to Nicolas de Watrigant's Mandore International Agency for €310,000. The winner of the G3 Prix de Chambly over hurdles at Auteuil, she is out of the Listed scorer and Group 1-placed Kapkiline (Kapgarde), from the family of the top-level winners Kalif du Berlais (Masked Marvel) and Kivala du Berlais (Saint des Saints). The post Zarak Share Headlines Arqana Online January Sale at €505,000 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Group 1 Saudi Cup hero Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) is represented by his first foal, a colt out of Oriole (Medaglia d'Oro), who hit the ground at Shawhan Place Monday, it was announced via press release. The new arrival, bred by the farm who raised the stallion, is out of a daughter of multiple stakes winner Free as a Bird (Hard Spun), herself a half-sister to SW Let Me Entertain U (Nobiz Like Shobiz) and to the dam of full-siblings SW Dancing Magic (Good Magic) and SP Thunder Chuck. Oriole is a winner producer with two of racing age. “To say that I'm excited to have the first Senor Buscador foal would be an understatement,” said Shawhan Place's director of sales, Courtney Schneider. “It's really a full circle moment for all of us here at Shawhan Place. We foaled and raised Senor Buscador, as well as all of his siblings here.” “This colt has a great hip and shoulder, just like his sire. He is tenacious with a positive attitude and a good mind. We are expecting several more Senor Buscador foals this spring and we are anxiously awaiting their arrival.” The sire finished off an undefeated two-year-old season with a commanding win in the Springboard Mile, earning a 93 Beyer Speed Figure. The aforementioned win in the G1 Saudi Cup topped his career with seven wins in 23 starts and earnings just shy of $13-million. Senor Buscador stands for $7,500 at Lane's End. The post Senor Buscador’s First Foal is a Colt Born at Shawhan Place appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The pari-mutuel field of “All other 3-year olds” closed as the 7-2 favorite in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) while unbeaten GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile champion Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) was the 6-1 second choice, announced Churchill Downs via press release. The GI Kentucky Derby is 15 weeks away, and others who attracted interest include GSW Paladin (Gun Runner) at 14-1 and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Chief Wallabee (Constitution) at 17-1 odds. The former is trained by Chad Brown while the latter is in the barn of Bill Mott. Total handle for the Jan. 16-18 KDFW pool–the third of six scheduled wagering pools in advance of the 152nd running of the $5 million GI Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve Sat., May 2–was $355,060 ($272,202 in the win pool and $82,858 in exactas), an 8.2% gain from last year's $328,150 ($254,139 in the win pool and $74,011 in exactas). A total of $856,987 has been bet on Derby future wagers thus far compared to $841,165 at this stage last year–a 1.9% increase. Other Future Wager dates are set for Feb. 13-15 (Pool 4); March 13-15 (Pool 5) and April 2-4 (Pool 6). Pool 5 will include the Longines Kentucky Oaks Future Wager. The full list of horses, their odds and payoffs, may be found here for Pool 3. The post Derby Future Pool 3 Closes with ‘All Others’ 7-2 Favorite, Ted Noffey 6-1 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jake Ballis and a group of partners finalized the purchase of the Dubai-based Six Speed (Not This Time) Monday morning with hopes that the colt can continue to move forward and make it to the GI Kentucky Derby. Ballis noticed the horse, who sold for 220,000 guineas at the 2025 Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale, when he won a Jan. 2 prep for the 2000 UAE Guineas. Now in the Ballis stable, he will start in Friday's GIII 2000 UAE Guineas at one mile. The race awards 20 Kentucky Derby points to the winner. “I was actually flying and had a layover and was watching the Dubai races on my phone and saw this horse win a trial race in Dubai,” Ballis said. “Visually, he was impressive. He sat on the rail, took dirt, and was behind horses and finished strong. I flew to Gulfstream and I looked him up and saw that it was an expensive 2-year-old purchase, and I figured he wouldn't be for sale. I flew home the next day and my wife said, 'Did you see this Not This Time colt win? We should inquire about it.' I told her that I did see the race but that I didn't think the horse would be for sale. I ended up getting in touch with the trainer via a friend of mine, Adam Potts, who works for BBA Ireland, and I asked him to reach out and try to negotiate a deal. He's a Not This Time colt with a very good pedigree. Usually, we don't buy enough yearlings to get the sire-type pedigrees when it comes to colts. We may go and get one a year. The fact we could take on partners with this horse was important. We're hoping he can get some Kentucky Derby points and, hopefully, he can stretch out and get on the Kentucky Derby trail, which is what our partners all want.” Should Six Speed, a Kentucky-bred who was bred by Katie Rich Farms, have a successful run in the UAE 2000 Guineas, he will be pointed for the GII UAE Derby on March 28. Ballis said the colt will remain with trainer Bhupat Seemar, who worked for Bob Baffert for about five years. “If he makes it to the Kentucky Derby, I don't know if I'll switch to an American trainer,” Ballis said. “I would like to. But I guess if he were to win the UAE Derby and qualify for the Derby, it would be hard to switch trainers before the Kentucky Derby.” Ballis admits it was a pleasant surprise that he was able to pull this deal off. “We play in the private market a lot,” he said. “We inquire about buying horses privately a lot and we have had a lot of success doing that. But the private market has become way more difficult. People are just not willing to sell. It's a product of the yearling market being so strong. You see a really good yearling and you know it's going to sell for at least $750,000 or $1 million. If people are tempted to sell a horse, they put such a crazy number on it that it doesn't make sense to buy the horse. I was very surprised we were able to buy this horse.” He said one of the deciding factors was the horse's sire, Not This Time. “One of the biggest lures for us is that this will be the fifth Not This Time that we have purchased,” Ballis said. “Sacred Wish won a Grade I for us. Cy Fair won the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Believe in Magic just turned three and she is stakes-placed. Flat Out Time is graded stakes-placed on the turf and dirt. So far, Not This Time has been very good to us.” For Six Speed, the key question going forward will be his ability to get a distance as he has yet to race beyond seven furlongs. “It's not often that you can get a colt at this time of year that has a shot of making it to the Kentucky Derby,” Ballis said. “But the Derby is not the be-all-and-end-all. If he proves that he can't get the distance, there are plenty of important one-turn races in the U.S. for him.” The ownership group is Ballis' Black Type Thoroughbreds, Brunetti Dugan Stables, Swinbank Stables, and Steve Adkisson. The post With An Eye on the Kentucky Derby, Ballis and Partners Buy Dubai-Based Not This Time Colt appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Anyone who hit the Irish Stallion Trail over the last weekend would have noticed the plethora of sons of Wootton Bassett to have joined the throng this year. Five to be precise, standing at five different studs, with two of those, the French Classic winners Camille Pissarro and Henri Matisse, based at Coolmore's main farm near Fethard and at Castlehyde Stud in Fermoy. Their illustrious sire joined the Coolmore roster in 2021, having stood his first nine years in France at Haras d'Etreham, rising from a €6,000 debutant to €40,000. Wootton Bassett hit the stratosphere in stallion-fee terms on arrival in Ireland, where he started out at €100,000 and, in 2025, covered at €300,000. It is fair to say that his death from acute pneumonia last September rocked the bloodstock world. “It was a big disaster,” admits Coolmore's director of sales David O'Loughlin. But, of course, in the wake of any active stallion's death, there are still consolation prizes to come. “We're glass-half-full people. We've got four crops in the can, and we're very lucky to have had him. We've two stallions already and four or five in the pipeline if we're lucky and things play out the right way.” O'Loughlin acknowledges the role played by Etreham's Nicolas de Chambure in taking a chance on Wootton Bassett in the first place and points to the growing number of horses who will attempt to extend his sire-line. “Tally-Ho has King Of Steel and Maranoa Charlie,” he says. “Then there's Unquestionable, Topgear and we've a couple. All these horses have come into Ireland, so he's going to get a great chance. “[In training] we've Puerto Rico, Hawk Mountain, Albert Einstein, Constitution River, all very promising horses. And Twain is on the way back, so he's going to go on as a four-year-old and he's from the family of Galileo, so he would be a very exciting stallion prospect.” He adds, “Wootton Bassett was really an outcross. He's Iffraaj, Gone West, Mr Prospector, so I'd say that's a big part of his success. And he was out of a Primo Domini mare; it's a bit out there, so maybe that's one of the reasons why he's working.” O'Loughlin's colleague Mark Byrne says that he can't remember the respective farms having been so busy with visitors since the culmination of the breeding stock sales. It's not just Camille Pissarro and Henri Matisse they've come to see of course. Delacroix, winner last year of a scintillating Eclipse as well as the Irish Champion Stakes reinforces the Dubawi blood introduced to Coolmore last year in the form of Henry Longfellow. A son of the top-class miler Tepin (Bernstein), Delacroix is also, crucially for this operation, free of Galileo blood. He says of the Wootton Bassett pair, both of whom are out of mares by Pivotal, “They're hugely exciting horses. Henri Matisse probably really came to prominence when he won the Railway and he beat Hotazhell, who went on to win a Group 1. He danced a lot of dances at two and finished up by winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. “And then to be the fastest ever French 2,000 Guineas winner is an incredible record. You just have to look at his pedigree. He's out of a champion mare who's already produced a champion in Tenebrism. So he's bred in the purple and he's free of Galileo blood as well, so he can cover a lot of mares around Ireland, England and France.” Henri Matisse with Paul Quinn | Coolmore His dam is the brilliant Immortal Verse, a representative of the deep and successful Mill Princess family nurtured at Kilfrush Stud over decades. Henri Matisse's pedigree could even be enhanced this year by the aforementioned Hawk Mountain, winner of the G1 Futurity Trophy and a son of dual Group 1 winner Hydrangea (Galileo), who also descends from the Mill Princess family. Camille Pissarro on the other hand emulated Wootton Bassett by winning the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere before finishing third to Henri Matisse in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains then winning the Prix du Jockey Club. “He won his maiden in April and through his two-year-old career ran every month all the way to October,” Byrne says. Of the decision to stand Camille Pissarro, a half-brother to fellow Group 1 winner Golden Horde, at Coolmore Stud and Henri Matisse at Castlehyde, he adds, “We have to balance them out, the two Wootton Bassetts out of Pivotal mares, but at the same time, there's been an awful lot of investment in Castlehyde in the last few years and they have a lovely yard, lovely stallions. It's a really good stud farm: they've produced a lot of good racehorses for clients. Ace Impact was born and raised there for a while, and so was Barnavara. So there's been very good horses that have come off their farm. It's only fair that they get a horse like Henri Matisse.” Byrne continues, “We're looking at three very exciting first-season sires and they all have huge importance. Any one of them, or all three of them, could be super stallions. Delacroix is by Dubawi and he's out of a super race mare and brilliant producer. “That day in the Coral Eclipse, he was very exciting in the finish. His final furlong was the the fastest ever run in the race and he has a lot of key ingredients. Dubawi out of those super race mares is a really good ingredient for sires. You've got the same with Zarak and Too Darn Hot. Let's hope history repeats itself.” Delacroix -300x214.jpg" alt="" width="636" height="454" /> Delacroix settles in at Coolmore Knowing how hard it is for the smaller independent studs to secure a stallion in the first place, one wonders if the team at Coolmore ever gets blasé in welcoming new recruits. After all, this year's pair of Wootton Bassetts plus a Dubawi follows on from last year's pair of Derby winners plus a Dubawi. It's a pinch-me line-up for any operation, and this sextet has been assembled in only the last two years. “You never get used to it,” Byrne says firmly. “Of the six, their dams have either produced or won Group 1s themselves, and some of the dams have even done both. That's incredible. The distaff side of the pedigrees, and then the stallions they're by – Justify, Wootton Basset, Dubawi, Deep Impact. They could be anything.” O'Loughlin adds, “John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, George von Opel – they have been doing that for a long time, buying all those mares, buying yearling fillies, racing them, and we're starting to see results. It's taken a long time, but we're seeing the results in the stallion yard. It's a lot of investment, but there's such a passion for it, a determination to get the best they can. “We're so lucky in Ireland to have what we have. Like Gay O'Callaghan, what he gave for Sands Of Mali, and Tally-Ho, what they've given for Maranoa Charlie. It's incredible to have these Irish families, and they've poured in so much money. “It all goes back in. There's no one taking dividends and heading off into the sunset with it. We're very lucky in Ireland that we have organisations, individuals, families like that, that are prepared to keep putting it back into the industry they love.” He continues, “It's a passion for it, and when you really see it is at the Goffs November Foal Sale. The amount of young people, running around looking at foals, and if we're lucky those people are going to stick with the game. “The pinhooking is the entrée because it's affordable, and the out is fairly soon, so if they do well at that, they go again, and then eventually they buy mares, but the mares have become so expensive. It's very hard for young people to get into a nice mare, but they build up their pot. Nobody takes out, everybody puts it back in, and before long you see them with a couple of nice mares. “Pinhooking is a great education for them. They're learning about conformation, they're learning about what works, they're learning how to buy a horse, sell a horse. They lose money. That would be the best education they get. They learn from their mistakes, and they go back in. “If you think of the older brigade, the Eddie O'Learys, the Paul Shanahans. We all remember them being around – they were the young pinhookers 30 years ago. And more Eddie O'Learys, Tony O'Callaghans, Gay O'Callaghans, Paul Shanahans will come from these young people.” Let's adjust the title of the older brigade to the experienced brigade, and among that we can certainly add the name of David O'Loughlin, a Classic-winning breeder in his own right thanks to Authorized among a number of classy horses with which he has been associated. Lest we think of this brigade as a hard-nosed commercial bunch, O'Loughlin admits to having shed a few tears when Auguste Rodin won the Derby. Later this year, it will be his first foals, along with those of the following year's Derby winner City Of Troy, among those being keenly inspected by the pinhookers. “The vision of the boss, loading up the mare, sending her off to Japan,” he says of Rhododendron's trip to Hokkaido in what would transpire to be Deep Impact's final season at stud. “We were so lucky that the mares were out there and they got covered before he got injured, and the Yoshidas were so good to us.” Auguste Rodin and City Of Troy have each had a first foal arrive within the last week. “City Of Troy's first foal is here [on the farm], and he's a very good first foal, so it's a really exciting start, because he's obviously a very important horse,” says Byrne. “He's in rarefied air for what he did as a racehorse, and he covered a great book of mares from world-class breeders, owner-breeders, commercial breeders. “We touched on the importance of the Derby but it's not just us, you see what Japan are doing, and they're building their stallions off one-and-a-half miles to two miles. Deep Impact won over two miles, so they're big believers in class and ability, and they're not worried about distance, and I think that's showing on the racetrack now, from years of investing in those top-class mares and top-class racehorses.” He adds, “Over the years, I think two of the best stallion prospects we've ever had, even before they covered a mare, were City Of Troy and Auguste Rodin, for what they won between them, the quality of those Group 1s, the pedigrees and the physicals. They're remarkable horses.” O'Loughlin emphasises his colleague's point. “Coolmore is very much about the Derby,” he says. “We strongly believe in it as the most important stallion-making race. Galileo and Montjeu, the incredible success Coolmore has had, came from the Derby, and the Derby-type stallions. We can see that legacy going on with Auguste Rodin, City Of Troy. And for me, Wootton Bassett's legacy will not be complete unless he gets a Derby winner. “I remember when we were talking as a team about buying the horse, that was one of the first questions we asked. Would he be able to get a horse to win at a mile and a half? And we took a view that with all the Galileo mares, maybe that would happen.” In King Of Steel and Whirl, Wootton Bassett's offspring have already gone close at Epsom, with a runner-up in the Derby and the Oaks. The final crop of Wootton Bassett to be born in the coming months will of course feature some very special dam-lines, too. It is unfair to pick just one from such illustrious mates, but in Fennela, a Sea The Stars half-sister to City Of Troy's dam Together Forever (Galileo), there is written more than one Derby storyline. O'Loughlin adds, “Hopefully, in the four crops we have in the can, there's a Derby winner. But as long as we're here, we will be trying to breed a Derby winner. It's the race we want to win. We want to stand the winner of the Derby. It's very much what our entire racing and breeding operation is about.” The post The Art of Breeding: Camille Pissarro, Henri Matisse and Delacroix Bolster the Coolmore Ranks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 26 Racing on Demand slot machine-style parimutuel games—with distinct similarities to Historic Horse Racing—that were removed from Santa Anita by Department of Justice law enforcement officers Saturday afternoon will be destroyed after 30 days unless there's some intervening court action, according to a California Department of Justice “notice of intention to destroy machines and devices.” The 30-day window began the day the notice was posted, which is dated January 17. The notice was provided by the CA DOJ in response to a series of questions by the TDN about the reasoning behind Saturday's action to confiscate the machines. Los Angeles Turf Club senior vice-president Scott Daruty confirmed that Santa Anita had been provided with the notice Saturday. According to the notice, “The destruction of said machines and devices will proceed, unless on or before the expiration of 30 days from the posting hereof, an action is commenced in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover the possession of said machines and devices.” Lower down in the notice, it states that legal jurisdiction for such endeavors is given over to the Superior Court. If the machines are ultimately destroyed, any money seized in connection with them will be turned over to the treasury of the city or county where they were seized. Santa Anita is in the City of Arcadia. Daruty stated on both Saturday and Sunday that they intend to take the matter to court. “We will be seeking a court confirmation that our view of applicable law is correct,” he told the TDN Sunday. “Based on the very limited, almost non-existent investigation they did into how those Tote terminals actually work, I think our legal position is much better than theirs. And frankly, I'm not sure they even understand that they took Tote terminals.” These remarks mirror in tone what Daruty had stated in a short statement issued Saturday evening. In it, he maintained that the terminals operated under longstanding pari-mutuel wagering laws using a wager that regulators had already approved, and after the AG's office had apparently received fore-warning about the machines nearly a year ago before they were made operational. “Attorney General Bonta received our comprehensive legal analysis nearly a year ago. His office had ample time to raise concerns. They did not. We proceeded on solid legal ground, and since the state is choosing to challenge that now, we're fully prepared to defend ourselves. We're confident the law is clear,” Daruty wrote. The very public operation saw state DOJ personnel wheel the machines out the back of the Santa Anita grandstand on gurneys during racing. Given the apparent abruptness of the law enforcement operation, little information was initially shared publicly about who and what precipitated the action. Reached briefly on Sunday morning, Daruty explained that the state Attorney General's office, under Rob Bonta, gave the order. “There was no court order. There was no court action. There was no seizure warrant. This was an action of the Department of Justice under the direction of the Attorney General's office,” said Daruty on Sunday. Courtesy California AG Office There had been 26 machines in total operating in the grandstand pavilion since Thursday. They offered $1 bets and required gamblers to select the first three finishers of three random six-horse previously-run races. The ultimate purpose of the machines was to provide a much-needed additional source of income for Santa Anita's purses, which have struggled to compete with other states whose purse accounts are juiced by supplemental revenue sources like HHR machines. The question had been whether the machines were legal or not without explicit approval from Tribal entities in the state who hold a lock on non-pari-mutuel wagering in California. Indeed, a politically powerful Tribal entity told the LA Times Thursday that they would have a “full throated” response to machines going in at Santa Anita, arguing that they violate the tribal compact on gambling. On Thursday when they were launched, Daruty explained to the TDN that he believed the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) had already provided cover for the machines when they approved the “Three-by-Three” wager in 2024. “As for the CHRB, they have already approved Santa Anita Park to conduct wagering on out-of-state simulcast signals and have already approved the Three-by-Three wager, which approvals cover the Racing on Demand activity,” he said on Thursday. When asked on Sunday if there were other political forces that had precipitated Saturday's action by the state AG's office, Daruty pointed to the sway that Tribal entities wield. “What exactly triggered the actions yesterday? I don't know. However, I will say that anybody who keeps an eye on California politics knows how much money the Tribes spend and knows how, let's say, influential they can be to politicians,” he said. Daruty was tight-lipped Sunday morning about what the next steps would be, other than to say they would take the matter to court and that he still believed theirs was a strong case, describing the machines as “Tote” terminals. The state AG's office is similarly tight-lipped about what legal triggers precipitated Saturday's action. An AG spokesperson wrote only the following in Monday's email that contained the notice: “We have seized the machines at the Santa Anita racetrack pursuant to California Penal Code 335a.” Other than to indicate “prohibited lotteries or gambling,” the language of that statute deals primarily with a set of actions once the machines have been seized. While Tribal entities are a political behemoth in the state, they suffered a rare reversal of fortunes in the courts last year in their attempt to sue and ultimately shut down gambling halls called card rooms in the state. The post State AG’s Office: Intent is to “Destroy” Machines Confiscated at Santa Anita After 30 Days appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Brian Toomey's promising career as a National Hunt jockey was cruelly short in July 2013 when the County Limerick native suffered a life-threatening head injury in a fall at Perth. Remarkably, he briefly returned to race-riding in the summer of 2015, before stepping back the following year to dedicate himself to his next big goal of becoming a trainer. That dream came to fruition in November 2023 when Toomey saddled his first runner at Lingfield, with the horse in question, Wake Up Harry, going on to become his trainer's first winner when striking at Kempton the following month. Wake Up Harry is owned by the former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp who, as Toomey reveals in our latest Hot Seat, has been a huge supporter of the young trainer and his burgeoning yard in Buckinghamshire. How did you first become involved in racing? I didn't come from a racing or equine background, but I was lucky that my father bought me a pony at a young age and my interest kind of progressed from there. I rode in a few point-to-points in Ireland and then I came to work for Brendan Powell when he was based in Lambourn. What was your defining memory of 2025? I trained a two-year-old winner at Newbury [Electrical] for Jeff Smith which was something special. I also trained a two-year-old winner for Harry Redknapp. That was a horse I purchased myself and Harry named him Burdett Estate where he spent the first 20 years of his life, I think. Harry is an unbelievable guy and he treats him like his son, to be honest. He rang me on Christmas Day and he's just a fantastic person. What is your favourite thing about being a trainer? I love being able to give the horses individual care. What is your least favourite thing about being a trainer? The uncertainty. What motivates you? Results and trying to get the best out of the string of horses that I have. I've got 12 horses in and I've been lucky that I've trained 15 winners now. I've got two horses for Harry Redknapp, two for Tony Bloom, two for Jeff Smith and one that runs in Queen Camilla's colours. I've been very fortunate. What keeps you awake at night? Trying to figure out where my next winner is going to come from. Either that or harrowing the gallop through the night during the winter! What is your proudest moment to date? To start off this business on my own. It was a goal that I'd been chasing for such a long time and I was able to do it without any backing whatsoever. Nothing was handed to me. Give us an underrated sire to keep the right side of in 2026… Bungle Inthejungle or Ten Sovereigns. Ten Sovereigns was a proper horse and the champion three-year-old sprinter in Europe. I think they might have made a bit of a mistake sending him to Turkey. I don't have any of his progeny in the yard, but I really rated him. And a horse to follow on the racecourse in 2026… The Reverend for Tony Bloom. He showed a high level of form on the Flat and I think he could develop into a leading novice hurdler for Willie Mullins. Tell us something people don't know about you… That I once died! People know that I had a head injury, but not everybody knows that I lost consciousness and was practically dead for seven seconds. What's your go-to karaoke song? Rockstar by Nickelback. Who is your inspiration? My late father, God rest him. He had a dairy farm and was a real grafter. The post In The Hot Seat: Brian Toomey appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

“Doing matings with my clients is very much a team thing,” says Headley Bell, whose Nicoma Bloodstock has been helping clients mate their mares since 1979. “My role is to try to assist in fulfilling dreams.” Nicoma got off to a quick start with mating success, and the hits just keep on coming: in late December, George Strawbridge was first and third in the GI American Oaks with Ambaya (Ghostzapper), who was closely followed by Will Then (War Of Will) in third. Previous successes include two Arc de Triomphe winners (Suave Dancer and Trempolino), a Kentucky Oaks winner (Keeper Hill), back-to-back Derby winners (Street Sense and Barbaro), Horses of the Year Bricks and Mortar and Havre de Grace, the now-Mill Ridge stallion Oscar Performance, and the 2024 Preakness winner Seize the Grey. In the 2025 edition of this column, Bell described the painstaking work that goes into every year's matings. “My first objective is to understand what the goals of the client are,” he told the TDN last year. “Are they a commercial breeder? Are they breeding to race? Or are they both? And then, if they have a portfolio of mares or are trying to build one, I like to grade them out into A, B, and C categories because it helps you to decide. I value them, appraise them and generally stick to a 20% value of the mare for the stud fee. I also use various tools such as your TDN sire statistics, Mare Produce Records and a computer program that lets me study stakes winners and their five-cross pedigrees. My goal is always to breed a racehorse. I understand the commercial side, but by breeding a racehorse, you'll satisfy the commercial side as well.” He continued, “The first thing I try to do in the process is inspect the mare if possible, because that helps define, by looking at her, what her pedigree is. Through her color, her size, her racing talent, I'm trying to identify who she is and not just that she's a Bernardini mare because she's by Bernardini. I try to understand the entire pedigree, and strongly consider the dam's side. I also apply this practice with stallions. Truly in the mating process I am blending pedigrees and trying to position ourselves to get lucky. I am a 'value player' and closely follow trends on stallions and often go against the herd, such as 12 mares to Arrogate in his last year.” It's clear that it's not just the equine families that matter to Bell, but the human ones, too, and as his client roster and matings below attest, like the generations of Thoroughbreds he has bred, his client relationships are generational as well. With that in mind, some of his 2026 matings, grouped by client. Larry Johnson I first want to feature and celebrate the family of R. Larry Johnson–daughters Tracy Mulroy and Kelly Caraballo and their families– for the passion and success of their father and his Legacy Farm through four generations of his breeding stemming from his foundation mare of 1976, Ran's Chick. While Mr. Johnson was able to embrace the potential of Mindframe, he did not witness his crowning achievements with two Grade I wins at Churchill Downs in 2025, for he passed away suddenly February 4, 2025. With the assistance of Andrew Motion, the family turned to me this year to help guide them with their matings for a continuation of their father's passion and legacy in the Thoroughbred business. They, too, are passionate and want to carry on with their father in mind for this and future generations. Future Is Now | Sarah Andrew FUTURE IS NOW, 6, Great Notion–Past as Prelude, by Berardini. Will be bred to Constitution. A multiple Grade II winner of nearly $1 million, she, too, stems from a Legacy Farm foundation family and a stallion Mr. Johnson thought so highly of that he became a shareholder in him–Constitution, the sire of Mindframe. Constitution will be her choice for '26. HOLLYWOOD WALK, 7, Animal Kingdom–Walk of Stars, by Street Sense. Will be bred to Twirling Candy. A stakes winner of over $500,000 and a half-sister to the GI-winning Mindframe, she will go to the over-achieving stallion Twirling Candy for '26. Jerry and John Amerman The Amermans had another remarkable year of racing in 2025, with their homebred Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) winning the GI Belmont Derby as well as two other graded stakes, and homebred Stark Contrast (Caravaggio) finishing second, beaten just three-quarters of a length, in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf; this from a band of only eight or so broodmares. Our mother had a wonderful relationship with so many passionate and gifted women like Jerry Amerman. It is a joy each day to continue these relationships over the years. CATCH THE EYE, 10, Quality Road–Turns My Head (Ire) by Montjeu (Ire). Will be bred to Liam's Map. This mare, currently in foal to Oscar Performance, is the dam of first foal and promising three-year-old, the Grade III-winning and Grade I-placed Stark Contrast, by Caravaggio. He recently won the Eddie Logan impressively to start the year. She will visit Liam's Map for '26. JOY OF LEARNING, 10, Kitten's Joy–Miss Chapin, by Royal Academy. Will be bred to Constitution. Joy of Learning is currently in foal to Not This Time. She is a daughter of the foundation mare (and a favorite of the Amermans) Miss Chapin whose second foal is Joy of Learning. Test Score (Looking At Lucky), the GI Belmont Derby winner, is Joy Of Learning's second foal. Joy of Learning will be bred to Constitution for '26. Clover Hill Farm/Maggie Gieseke (daughter of Lynn Schiff, another extraordinary lady who left us too soon) Sierra Leone | Sarah Andrew WILD SILK, 13, Street Sense–Spun Silk, by A.P. Indy. Will be bred to Sierra Leone. The dam of Grade II winner Red Carpet Ready and the promising three-year-old stakes winner Time to Dream, is currently in foal to Oscar Performance, and will be bred to Sierra Leone for 2026. Sierra Thoroughbreds/Michael Salley (introduced to us after falling in love with Mill Ridge on a Horse Country tour) SPOOL, 4, Hard Spun–Forever Smart, by Smart Strike. Will be bred to Upstart. In his second year in the Thoroughbred business, Michael bought a maiden mare named Spool at Keeneland November. She was raced by Eclipse Thoroughbreds, showed real potential on the track and will go to the value stallion Upstart in '26. Nancy Dillman Nancy is a friend and client for 40 years who was introduced to us when she bred Diminuendo in Diesis's first crop, in 1985. Nancy continued breeding champions from a broodmare band of no more than three mares, including a Horse of Year in Havre De Grace. NEON ICON, 5, Arrogate–Mademoiselle Coco, by Medaglia d'Oro. Will be bred to Cody's Wish. From a half-sister to Havre De Grace and a daughter of Arrogate whom she raised and sold as yearling to Bo Bromagen, Nancy could not resist buying Neon Icon back at Keeneland November after she showed so much promise on the track, earning nearly $300,000. She will go to Cody's Wish in '26. Jamm Ltd/Audie Otto GOIABA, 12, Speightstown–Christies Treasure, by Belong to Me. Will be bred to Oscar Performance. Audie Otto and her mom Tolie, a dear friend of 40-plus years who is now gone, fulfilled dreams when they bought their foundation mare, Shop Again, in 2007. They raced a daughter of hers by Smart Strike named Smart Shopping, and, from the last crop of Arrogate, bred Seize The Grey. Needing to add to their broodmare band as Shop Again aged, Audie bought Goiaba last year at Keeneland November. She is a daughter of Speightstown from the foundation Christie's Treasure family at the Bonne Chance dispersal. She had a beautiful Uncle Mo weanling that accompanied her, and we believe she needs some turf with her mating. We will be breeding her to Oscar Performance for '26. Frank Garrison and Mill Ridge, et al PROXIMITY BIAS, 10, Flatter–Sidle, by Seeking the Gold. Will be bred to Liam's Map. My dear friend from my college days, Frank Garrison from Nashville, hand-walked Nicosia, the daughter of Nicoma–the horse who, in 1976, made Mom the first woman to train, breed, and race a $100,000 stakes winner. He has been breeding a few mares with us ever since. We fulfilled every imaginable dream in September when a homebred we retained to race named Plensa (Caravaggio), won the $2 million Gun Runner Stakes at Kentucky Downs. Trained by Rusty Arnold and his team and ridden by Florent Geroux, Plensa's win was a thrill of a lifetime–and I have had my share. His dam, Proximity Bias, in foal to Life Is Good, will return to Liam's Map for '26 and try and replicate her outstanding '25 Liam's Map foal. The post 2026 Mating Plans: Nicoma Bloodstock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Matt Rogan has been appointed non-executive director of Racecourse Media Group (RMG), the global media rights organisation for 37 British racecourse shareholders. Rogan is the co-founder of Two Circles, an agency which specialises in sports marketing and analytics. Having later served as CEO and then executive chair in over a decade at Two Circles, he now spends much of his time focused on Board advisory work, including roles with production company Whisper, sports equipment brand Built for Athletes and performance data specialists Twenty First Group. He also sits on the Major Events Panel for UK Sport, which makes recommendations on National Lottery awards and advises on the hosting of major sporting events in the UK. “I'm delighted to be joining Racecourse Media Group at a fascinating time for horse racing,” said Rogan. “Shifts in media consumption are creating ripples across all sports, and my early exposure has shown me that the team at RMG are very well placed to seize the opportunities these create on behalf of their shareholders, customers and racing fans.” Conor Grant, chair of RMG, added, “Matt is highly regarded within the sports industry, and his expertise spans digital strategy, data-driven decision-making, and commercial innovation. A significant part of RMG's strategy is around content innovation and next-generation fan engagement – we will greatly benefit from Matt's expertise, especially in these areas. I am delighted Matt is joining the Board.” The post Matt Rogan Named Non-Executive Director at RMG appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Craig Williams will ride progressive mare Knobelas (NZ) (Belardo) for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr in New Zealand this Saturday. The star jockey is already booked to ride Alabama Lass in the Group 1 Sistema Railway (1200 metres) at Ellerslie. The Price-Kent stable will be hoping for a bit more luck with the daughter of Belardo after a horror watch at Flemington last start. But that luckless run certainly hasn’t discouraged punters, with Knobelas backed into favouritism at the weekend for the Aotearoa Classic (1600 metres) at the Karaka Millions meeting. At the time of writing, Knobelas was rated a $4.50 chance with Ladbrokes. “I see she is favourite, at the moment,” Kent Jnr told The Verdict podcast on Monday. “She is very progressive. “She’s still looking for an out from last weekend – that was a tragedy.” Kent Jnr said the OTI galloper had arrived safe and sound across the Tasman. They’re now hoping for a bit more luck at the barrier draw. “She’s drawn barrier one, her last two starts, which is less than ideal,” “She just wants a bit of room. “Hopefully, we draw well. “She has arrived, I can confirm her bloods are great and she’s lovely and sound, bright and eating.” View the full article