Wandering Eyes

Blake Shinn steers Quiently Arrogant to victory in the Gold Nugget 2YO at Sunshine Coast on January 4, 2025. Photo: Darren Winningham Quietly Arrogant delivered an impressive performance to claim victory in the Aquis Gold Nugget QTIS 2YO Colts and Geldings at the Sunshine Coast on January 4, 2025. The Peter Snowden-trained colt, ridden by Blake Shinn, showcased his raw ability and composure to prevail in the $150,000 contest over 1100m. The two-year-old son of Capitalist settled at the rear of the six-horse field early, as Erne de Berne set the pace. Bookmaker favourite Torque To Be Sure raced keenly in the midfield, causing jockey Nash Rawiller to battle for control throughout. Meanwhile, Quietly Arrogant bided his time, stalking the field from behind before making his move in the final 200m. Sweeping wide around the turn, Quietly Arrogant displayed a powerful finishing burst, overtaking the leaders with ease. The $4.80 Picklebet chance surged clear to score by 1.19 lengths in a time of 1:05.08 on a Soft 7 track, defeating the $1.55 favourite Torque To Be Sure, who ran greenly under pressure. Erne de Berne held on for third, while North Pole completed the top four. Sunshine Coast Race 1: Gold Nugget 2YO Replay – Queitly Arrogant https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Sunshine-Coast-2025-Gold-Nugget-2YO-Colts-And-Geldings-04012025-Quietly-Arrogant-Peter-Snowden-Blake-Shinn.mp4 Trainer Peter Snowden expressed his delight with the win, highlighting Quietly Arrogant’s promising future. “He’s still learning, but this was a big step forward,” Snowden said post-race. “Blake rode him perfectly, letting him find his rhythm before producing him at the right time. He’s got talent, and this sets him up nicely for the Magic Millions.” Jockey Blake Shinn was equally complimentary of the colt, praising his maturity and ability to respond under pressure. “The plan was to ride him quietly and let him finish strongly, and he executed it perfectly,” Shinn said. “He’s still raw but has plenty of upside. He had the race won at the 300m.” Torque To Be Sure, despite his second-place finish, left connections frustrated with his lack of focus and wayward running. Nash Rawiller described the colt as “a real handful,” adding that he will need further experience and education to fulfill his potential. Quietly Arrogant’s win marked his first career success from two starts, taking his prizemoney to $94,100. Owned by prominent syndicates including Newgate Bloodstock and China Horse Club, the colt is now set to contest the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, where Snowden believes his relaxed racing style and finishing ability could make him a threat in the open field. Currently Quietly Arrogant is a $13 Neds hope for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic set for Gold Coast on January 11, 2025. Horse racing news View the full article

Australian jockey has high hopes for Michael Chang’s progressive four-year-old making the leap to Class Three.View the full article

Champion jockey keen to see talented sprinter rebound in Class Two Tai Tong Handicap after disappointing defeat.View the full article

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Father Ted (Practical Joke) split a pair of highly regarded Bob Baffert-trained runners to finish a strong second in his 2-year-old unveiling on Santa Anita's opening day program Dec. 26. A bit chilly on the board at 8-1 for trainer Mark Glatt, Father Ted broke like a shot, but was quickly outfooted to race in fifth as three of them lined up–led narrowly by a three-deep San Saba (Justify)–through an opening quarter in a sharp :21.99. Still racing in that same position with plenty to do leaving the quarter pole behind, Father Ted began to launch in the stretch, but favored Madaket Road (Quality Road), a debut second in the GIII Bob Hope Stakes, got the jump and enjoyed first run on the dueling leaders. Madaket Road stormed to the front in deep stretch and dug down gamely to cross the wire a half-length ahead of Father Ted, who blitzed home in a field-best :12.33. It was another 3 1/2 lengths back to the aforementioned first-time starter and second-choice San Saba in third. The final time for six furlongs was 1:09.97. Madaket Road received an 86 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort, two points higher than Father Ted. “We were super impressed with his debut,” Glatt said. “He had trained pretty forwardly. I knew that it was probably a little too short for him and it turned out to be. But you want to see a young horse like that finishing at the end. I don't think it was a soft group by any stretch of the imagination.” MADAKET ROAD ($3.80) closed like a pro when @JJHernandezS19 asked him in the 2nd at @santaanitapark. @BobBaffert trains the two-year-old colt by Quality Road (@LanesEndFarms). Get in on the next: https://t.co/7I3M5l53AE pic.twitter.com/6tGRDBPGxa — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 26, 2024 What's up next for the newly turned 3-year-old? “Our second condition book (at Santa Anita) was just released and I expect him to get right back in,” Glatt said. “I don't know yet if we'll sprint him one more time before we stretch him out. I think sometimes you can jump into a two turn a little too quickly. He may benefit from sprinting one more time before we do stretch him out. I think we're leaning that way right now and I'm sure there's gotta be a race, hopefully an elongated sprint of some kind going 6 1/2 or seven furlongs.” Glatt added, “We'll see how he does in start number two.” The Muir Hut Stables colorbearer, a $150,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $475,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer (:10 1/5), was bred in Ontario by Robert Marzilli and is the first foal out of the 10-year-old Uncle Mo mare Cry Uncle. A five-time winner and $450,000 Keeneland September graduate, Cry Uncle was claimed by Zilli Racing Stables for just $10,000 at Woodbine in the summer of 2020 and she concluded her racing career later that fall. Father Ted is bred on the same Practical Joke x Indian Charlie cross as top sprinter Skelly (MGSW & GISP, $1,777,163). The 'Second Chances' Honor Roll is headed by Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin), fellow two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) and GISWs A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo), Honor A. P. (Honor Code), Locked (Gun Runner), Paradise Woods (Union Rags) and Speaker's Corner (Street Sense). The post Second Chances: Father Ted – ‘You Want to See a Young Horse Like That Finishing at the End.’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With plenty of tasty birthday cake in the offing, a cadre of newly-minted 3-year-old colts have blown out their candles and are ready for stakes action across four tracks on Saturday. Leading the charge at Santa Anita is the GII San Vicente Stakes, which is the annual renewal of the seven furlong dirt race. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has won 13 prior editions, including last year with Muth (Good Magic). In customary fashion, the Hall of Famer enters a pair of runners in Barnes (Into Mischief) and Romanesque (Practical Joke). The former–a $3.2 million purchase by Zedan Racing at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale–was green as grass on debut under the Twin Spires Nov. 27, but he re-rallied to graduate by a head that afternoon. “He had every reason to get beat that day [at Churchill Downs],” Baffert said of Barnes's unveiling. “And 5 1/2 furlongs is probably a little short for him. We knew he was a nice horse. He shipped there and handled everything well. He was a little bit green. He was in a bad post and got jostled around a little bit. But he handled it well.” Since his first start, the bay has had four works at 'The Great RIP,' including a bullet six-furlong move from the gate in 1:12.80 Dec. 22. “We'll see how he handles the next step,” Baffert said. As for Romanesque, whose ownership group includes SF, Starlight, Madaket, Stonestreet, Dianne Bashor, Determined, Robert Matheson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge and Catherine Donovan, the Pennsylvania-bred broke his maiden by 2 1/4 lengths at Del Mar Nov. 23. Bullard wins the Bob Hope at Del Mar | Benoit Not to be overlooked is San Vincente morning-line favorite Bullard (Gun Runner) for owners Talla, St. Elias, Three Chimneys and West Point. The Michael McCarthy trainee earned a 'TDN Rising Star' badge after he debuted a winner by 1 1/4 lengths at Del Mar Sept. 1. Next out, the $675,000 Keeneland September grad captured the GIII Bob Hope Stakes over the same surface with nearly a five-length score Nov. 17. The Saturday sophomore show for colts also includes a pair of races with Derby point implications to the tune of 10-5-3-2-1 for the top five finishers. First, all eyes will be fixed on the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct where McAfee (Cloud Computing) is set for his stakes debut. Bred by Judy Hicks, the half-brother to potential Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) won an auction-restricted maiden special weight at first asking in Louisville Nov. 1 for trainer Rick Dutrow, then the colt was the runner-up in a starter allowance at Churchill Nov. 24. “He's huge,” said Dutrow. “He's a big horse and we love him. We were so happy with him [in defeat], he ran like a true racehorse on the inside, kept coming, just stuff you really love to see for a second-time starter.” Swinging over to Hot Springs, Oaklawn Park cards the Smarty Jones Stakes. Trainer Brad Cox has claimed three of the last four winners here and he potentially could have the race favorite in Hot Property (Medaglia d'Oro). The Gary and Mary West homebred conquered two turns going gate to wire in his first start at Fair Grounds Nov. 24. “Look, he's definitely a two-turn horse,” Cox said. “Glad the race is a mile and a sixteenth, as opposed to the old distance of one mile. I think it will suit him. Ran really well the first time. Took a little pressure on the front end, fought it off and finished up well. Once again, looks like a horse, the farther the better. It is a step up with having only the one race, but not a lot of options. I think the timing fits well. Pretty smart horse. I think he'll handle the ship and, hopefully, gets a good trip.” Finally at Gulfstream Park, the Mucho Macho Man Stakes is not a Derby prep, but it has been used as a stepping stone by barns to the Florida series. Look for 'TDN Rising Star' Guns Loaded (Gun Runner) to take money, but Resolute's Septarian (Protonico) and AMO's Cool Intentions (Authentic) are also of interest. The post ‘Let Them Eat Stake’ As New Sophomore Colts Tuck In Saturday 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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Owner/trainer Juan Muñoz Cano, facing a pending Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit violation for the banned substance clenbuterol, had his Kentucky license suspended Jan. 2 pending an appearance before stewards in the state.View the full article

In yesterday's edition of Value Sires for 2025, Chris McGrath profiled the stallions standing between $20,000 and $29,999, awarding the gold medal to Darley's Hard Spun (read more here). Here, we asked the breeders to hand out their top picks for this category. Carrie Brogden Gold: Hard Spun (Danzig x Turkish Tryst, by Turkoman), Darley, $25,000 My top value sire in this bracket is Hard Spun. Even though he doesn't always throw the most commercial physical horses, if you choose your mare wisely, you can get a sales horse that is also a top racehorse which is the holy grail of commercial breeding. Ranked 20th on the General Sires List, his numbers compared to his fee make him the best value of a stallion standing in Kentucky in this range. Silver: Authentic (Into Mischief x Flawless, by Mr. Greeley), Spendthrift Farm, $25,000 My silver medal goes to Authentic. Finishing out seventh on the first-crop sires list and having only broken his maiden in one start himself as a 2-year-old, Authentic is stellar value. His progeny should relish two turns and excel as they mature and the distances get longer. He was well supported all through his first and bubble years at stud. He throws a very stretchy, correct horse and had 24 first crop 2-year-old winners. Bronze: Upstart (Flatter x Party Silks, by Touch Gold), Airdrie Stud, $25,000 With two three figure sized crops in the pipeline this stallion is poised for a big comeback after suffering through his small bubble crops. Already the sire of the physically stunning freshman, Zandon, Upstart throws a big walking, leggy strong horse. If the results from his first-crop replicate with the bigger books and better quality mares, he will become a sire back on fire once they hit the track. John Greathouse, III Gold: Hard Spun (Danzig x Turkish Tryst, by Turkoman), Darley, $25,000 Hard Spun has sired 15 Grade I winners over his career. I don't think there is another stallion available at $25,000 that has done that. He's been consistent year in and year out, getting tough and hard-knocking racehorses. For my money, I think that's the best value you can find at stud. Silver: Girvin (Tale of Ekati x Catch the Moon, by Malibu Moon), Airdrie Stud, $25,000 Girvin is a horse that could really explode over the next couple of years. His quality of mares has gone way up since moving to Kentucky and he's bred over 300 mares the last two years. He's got a Grade I winner in his first crop. There is a lot to like here and great value at $25,000. Bronze: Army Mule (Friesan Fire x Crafty Toast, by Crafty Prospector), Hill 'n' Dale Farm, $20,000 Army Mule is another horse that I think could be very sneaky over the next couple years. He has also bred over 350 mares the last two years, and the quality has increased as well. He's proven he can produce racehorses with a Grade I winner already, and he's capable of getting you a quality sales horse. At $20,000, I think he's incredible value. The post Value Sires–The 20-Somethings: The Breeders Speak 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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7th-SA, 61K, O/C, 4yo/up, 1m, 5:36 p.m. 'TDN Rising Star' EAGLES FLIGHT (Curlin), the 4-year-old half-brother to Horse of the Year Flightline (Tapit), returns to action Saturday off a lengthy layoff. Debuted in a six-furlong maiden special weight event at Santa Anita May 27, the John Sadler trainee earned his 'Rising Star' stamp with a 2 3/4-length come-from-behind win which garnered an 89 Beyer Speed Figure. Unraced since that unveiling, Eagles Flight was mentioned as a possible runner for opening weekend's GI Malibu Stakes but was never officially entered there. “We're anxious to get him started,” said Sadler. “He had some delays last year obviously, but he's a talented horse.” Opting for this spot instead, he will race with the addition of blinkers and with a new rider aboard as Umberto Rispoli takes over for Flavien Prat. TJCIS PPS 6th-GP, 94K, Msw, 3yo, 1mT, 2:49 p.m. Aqueous (Omaha Beach), purchased by Pin Oak Stud for $950,000 at KEESEP in 2023, is out of an unraced half-sister to Marion Ravenwood (A.P. Indy), better known as the dam of champion and MGISW Nest (Curlin) in addition to GISW Idol (Curlin) and MSW/GSP Lost Ark (Violence). Both mares are daughters of GSW/MGISP Andujar (Quiet American) who sold for $2.5m to My MeadowView Farm at FTKNOV in 2006. TJCIS PPS The post Saturday Insights: Eagles Flight Returns To Action At Santa Anita appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Wagering on horse racing in the United States dropped 3.35% in 2024 to $11,265,210,514, according to figures published Jan. 3 by Equibase.View the full article

Chapel Stud has announced that dual St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov has joined its stallion ranks for 2025. The deal was brokered by Richard Venn Bloodstock.View the full article

In his first work since finishing ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), Godolphin homebred East Avenue breezed a half-mile at Fair Grounds Jan. 3. Trainer Brendan Walsh said the Feb. 15 Risen Star Stakes (G2) would be the colt's next start. View the full article

Grade I winner 'TDN Rising Star' East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) returned to the worktab Jan. 3 in his first published move since finishing ninth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November. The well-beaten favorite in the championship race, the son of Medaglia d'Oro went onto the track shortly after a renovation break for a half-mile breeze in :49.20 with Declan Cannon in the irons. The sectionals were reported as :12 2/5, :24 4/5, and :37 2/5 and he galloped out five furlongs in 1:02 1/5, according to clocker Billy Pettingill. “This was the first time I've seen him in person and he really stands out on the track,” Petingill said. “The work was impressive. The time was fast, but what I really liked was how his momentum just carried him through the gallop out.” East Avenue is reportedly targeting the GII Risen Star at Fair Grounds Feb. 15, and at the current stage, all is going according to plan. “Our goal is to get him there [the Risen Star] in great shape and leave some room for improvement,” said trainer Brendan Walsh said. “He's naturally fast, but he's also a very cool horse with a great mind.” “Once he blew the start [in the Juvenile], we were dead in the water,” Walsh said. “We sprinted him first time out, and then sent him to the lead at Keeneland [Breeders' Futurity win]. In the Breeders' Cup, he just outbroke himself. His head was going faster than his body. It was disappointing, but you don't get a do over. It's horse racing. It's sports. Sometimes things just happen and you move on.” The post East Avenue Returns to Work Tab at Fair Grounds appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Dubai's champion sprinter, Tuz, dominated; Golden Vekoma showed promise as a UAE Derby (G3) candidate and the turf feature Jan. 3 at Meydan Racecourse ended in a three-way scrap to the wire.View the full article

2nd-Aqueduct, $80,000, Msw, 1-3, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:54.97, ft, 3 lengths. UNCLE HULKA (c, 3, Uncle Mo–Canteen, by Candy Ride {Arg}) a well-beaten fourth as the favorite in his one-mile debut over the local course Nov. 3, added Lasix Friday and drew outside with an extra 1/8th of a mile to run. The 4-5 favorite let second choice A Bourbon for Tony (Bernardini) handle the tempo and sat just off through fractions of :24.39 and :49.71. Up alongside that leader off the turn, Uncle Hulka dueled briefly outside the pacesetter before putting him away and edging clear in the final sixteenth to home geared down three lengths in front. Come-backing Tracking Error (Good Magic) came charging from last and was making up good ground late but had to settle for second while galloping out on even terms with the winner. First-time starter and 'Insight' runner Chowser (Constitution) came home a non-factor in fourth. Canteen, who sold for $240,000 at KEENOV in 2023 to Don Alberto Corp, has a newly-turned yearling Not This Time filly and visited both Uncle Mo and Tapit for her 2025 foal. Sales History: $340,000 Ylg '23 KEEJAN; $270,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG; $750,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $49,400. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Spendthrift Farm LLC, Big Easy Racing LLC, Titletown Racing Stables, Kanter, Rick, Golconda Stable, Goodrich, Ali and Parkinson, Mark; B-White Birch Farm, Inc. (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. #6 UNCLE HULKA ($3.70) proves to be the best in Race 2 at Aqueduct with @jockeyfranco in the irons for trainer Chad Brown. Congratulations to @SpendthriftFarm and all of the connections with this 3yo colt by Uncle Mo. pic.twitter.com/nkboijWJTw — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 3, 2025 The post Uncle Mo Colt A Second-Out Winner At Aqueduct appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In what is becoming a familiar trend for the sport of horse racing in North America, betting in 2024 declined by 3.35%. According to figures released Friday by Equibase, $11,265,210,514 was the all-sources yearly handle for 2024 for U.S. racing, down from 2023's total of $11,655,726,020. Handle was last up in 2021, but that was an outlier because those numbers were going up against 2020 figures when the pandemic shut down much of the sport. Prior to that, the last handle increase was in 2018. The more alarming trend is how far handle has fallen since it peaked in 2003 when $15.18 billion was wagered. When adjusted for inflation, since 2003 handle has fallen by 57.3%, and there doesn't appear to be anything on the horizon that will reverse the trend. It's also worth noting that the betting handle figures have fallen significantly since the early 2000's even though Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) players are now pumping about $4 billion a year into the handle and were not a factor 15-20 years ago. The handle picture might have looked brighter if not for a poor fourth quarter during which handle fell by 14.44%. The number of races run in the U.S. fell by 2.82%, from 31,746 to 30,852, which could account for some of the decline in handle in 2024. A total of $1,252,385,694 in purses was paid out in 2023, a 0.23% increase from the prior year. The larger picture is that purses are no longer growing the way they did in 2021 and 2022 when revenues from Historical Horse Racing Machines and other forms of gaming were pumping millions into the purse accounts. Purses increased by 35% in 2021 and by 11% in 2022. In 2023 they were down 0.3%. The average field size held steady, showing a 0.19% increase over 2023. The average field size in 2024 was 7.45 starters per race. The post Handle Drops, Purses Up Slightly In 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Eldar Eldarov, the Champion three-year-old stayer in Europe who won the St Leger at Doncaster followed by the Irish edition at the Curragh, has been retired to Chapel Stud where he will cover a limited book of mares. His stud fee has been set at £5,000. Trained by Roger Varian and campaigned by KHK Racing, Eldar Eldarov won five of his 10 starts and amassed over £1 million in prize-money. His career was cut short after he sustained neck injuries in a stalls accident in Dubai last March. Roisin Close of Chapel Stud said, “I would like to thank His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa for entrusting us with Eldar Eldarov. I am delighted to be able to bring a horse of this calibre to British breeders. Bred by Lanwades Stud, one of the best in the business, he boasts a pedigree full of top-class racehorses and producers.” She added, “He was an exceptional athlete, and had it not been for a freak accident, he would most likely be out of my league. It is no secret that he suffered a potentially life-threatening injury in Dubai, and it is thanks to his owner's dedication to his recovery that he is now able to stand at stud. With his welfare a priority, we will be limiting his mare numbers. We will also be offering a limited number of breeding rights. “I keep having to pinch myself—having a Champion three-year-old stayer and dual Classic winner standing at Chapel Stud is a dream come true.” On behalf of KHK Racing, Oliver St Lawrence added, “Eldar stood out as a colt for the future at the breeze ups especially with his fabulous Kirsten Rausing pedigree stuffed with Group 1 winners like the tough Alpinista. His will to win, guts and ability are what defined him.” The post “Dream Come True” For Chapel Stud As Eldar Eldarov Joins The Roster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Former leading owner John Dance has appeared in court to deny taking more than £64 million from wealth management fund clients for himself. The 50-year-old businessman, who lives in Murton Village, Newcastle, pleaded not guilty to nine criminal charges including fraud by abuse of position, fraud by false misrepresentation and money laundering. The alleged offences cover the period from February 2014 until March 2023. Dance, once a part-time DJ and former nightclub owner, was the principal partner at wealth management fund Vertus Asset Management, which later became the firm WealthTek. He is accused of using some of the money from the alleged fraud to buy racehorses. Dance owned several high-profile horses, including six-times Group One winner Laurens and Bravemansgame, winner of the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park in 2022 and runner-up in the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup. The horse is no longer in his ownership. Dance appeared at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court for a 15-minute hearing on Friday. He answered “not guilty” in a hushed voice to each of the nine charges read out by the clerk. Helen Law, prosecuting, outlined the allegations against Dance as being £64m worth of fraud from his clients while he was a partner in the wealth management firm, which related to three charges of fraud by abuse of position. He also faced three charges of fraud by false representation related to documents he allegedly used, she said. Dance also faced three money laundering charges relating to how funds were allegedly used, including the purchase of racehorses. Josh Hart, defending, said, “The issues for trial will be whether the defendant's conduct was dishonest or not. The defendant denies any allegation of dishonesty.” Chairwoman of the Bench Margaret Higgins said the case will be dealt with at the crown court. Dance will next appear at Newcastle Crown Court on February 6 and he was granted conditional bail. Outside court, Mr Hart said his client did not wish to make any comment. The post Former Leading Owner John Dance Denies £64 Million Fraud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), National Turf Writers And Broadcasters and Daily Racing Form will offer a live announcement on FanDuel TV of the finalists for the 2024 Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards on Sunday, Jan. 5 at Noon ET, the NTRA said via a press release on Friday. The network will televise live the 54th annual awards show itself, which is held at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida, on Thursday, Jan. 23. New to this year's event, will be an Eclipse Awards Charity Golf Tournament benefitting the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, which will be held Thursday morning prior to the awards ceremony. Also for the first time, one fan and a guest will win a chance to attend the show as part of the Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards Sweepstakes. Entries for that drawing are currently being accepted online and will continue through Jan 7. Click here for more information. The post FanDuel TV To Release Eclipse Awards Finalists Live Jan. 5 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It's been a torrid beginning to 2025 for champion freshman sire Vekoma, who racked up yet another potentially important horse when Golden Vekoma ran out a good-looking winner of Friday's UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Sponsored by Kentucky Derby, a 1400-meter contest run under allowance conditions at Meydan. Making his first start since finishing a distant third in a 1600-meter maiden Dec. 6, the bay colt broke running from a double-digit gate and parked right off the speed in a three-wide third, then dropped down into the two path when the pace-pressing Laafit (Honest Mischief) looked to take a bad step nearing the turn. Chasing the filly Arigatou Gozaimazu (Honest Mischief) into the final 600 meters, Golden Vekoma was sent into the lead by Connor Beasley in upper stretch and kept the gallop up to the line, accounting for the previously Russian-based Nimble Boy (Upstart) by 2 1/4 lengths. The previously unbeaten Rammayy (Win Win Win) was third, Golden Vekoma hails from a Bass family third dam that includes MGSW Goliad (War Front) and the stakes winners Dancing To Town (Speightstown) and Welcome Dance (Henny Hughes). Sticks Wondergirl did not produce a foal in 2023 or 2024 and was most recently bred to Tiz the Law. UAE 2000 GUINEAS TRIAL SPONSORED BY KENTUCKY DERBY (Cond.), AED300,000, Meydan, 1-3, NH/SH3yo, 1400m, 1:24.51, ft. 1–GOLDEN VEKOMA, 121, c, 3, Vekoma–Sticks Wondergirl (SW, $198,048), by Stevie Wonderboy. ($145,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $90,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi; B-Woods Edge Farm LLC (KY); T-Ahmed bin Harmash; J-Connor Beasley; AED180,000. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $53,761. *1/2 to Midshipman's Dance (Midshipman), SW, $177,279. 2–Nimble Boy, 121, c, 3, Upstart–Funfortheholidays, by Harlan's Holiday. ($32,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV). O-Krasnokutsky Brothers Partnership; B-Schultz Family Racing (KY); T-Bhupat Seemar; J-Tadhg O'Shea; AED60,000. 3–Rammayy, 121, c, 3, Win Win Win–Just Like Lucy, by Majesticperfection. ($250,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Brereton C Jones (FL); T-Michael Costa; J-Ray Dawson; AED30,000. Margins: 2 1/4, 4 3/4, NK. The post Golden Vekoma Strikes For His Red-Hot Sire In UAE 2000 Guineas Trial appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It has been just over a year since Light Up Racing (LUR), inspired by the Australian-based initiative Kick Up for Racing, was launched in an effort to 'illuminate the path to transparency, awareness and accountability in horse racing' in the United States. As Light Up Racing's pilot year has come to a close, it's safe to say the grassroots initiative has not only become a necessary voice in changing the industry narrative, but also in bridging the gap between those within the industry and those outside of it. “As an industry, we're bad for putting our head in the sand and hoping it goes away, rather than transparently addressing things. Phase one of Light Up was just getting a proof of concept up and going and seeing how it resonated and I suppose what parts really connected and worked. I think what I really started to notice was the transparency element and leading with openness,” said Vicky Leonard, founder of Kick Up for Racing, managing director of Kick Collective, and managing director of TTR AusNZ. To that point, Light Up launched a Media & Content Cohort Training Program with the goal of teaching industry members about topics such as personal branding, leveraging social media, media interview techniques, content creation and more. In 2024, the initiative hosted 100 attendees across four sessions held in Lexington, Kentucky; Arcadia, California; Saratoga Springs, New York; and Louisville, Kentucky. “I say media training but it's also social media and beyond that, or [for conversations] with our peers, particularly when somebody is aghast that you work in the horse racing industry. It's an awkward and challenging conversation but we need to be proud, put our shoulders back and use that as an opportunity to talk about the progress that the industry has made,” said Leonard. “The training is very much about teaching those concepts but then the practical tools on how to have those conversations, handle media interviews, and write a press statement. “It'd be good to get more senior stakeholders at those trainings going forward but I think we'll be able to do that.” Light Up has developed a website, now available in both English and Spanish, that hosted 32,000 visitors in its inaugural year. The website houses veterinary-backed resources, public relations tools and social media guides to counter misinformation. Along with creating and curating those resources, the LUR team also spent a lot of time building a presence on social media by sharing content that not only provided the audience with a behind-the-scenes look at the industry, but also a transparent perspective in the face of high-profile situations. Vicky Leonard | Sara Gordon Following the news that Just Steel (Justify) had sustained a condylar fracture of his right front fetlock during the May 18 GI Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, Light Up released a video with an update on the colt following a successful surgery at the Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, narrated by surgeon Dr. Larry Bramlage. Bramlage provided details about the fracture the colt sustained and how the surgery went overall, as the video included clips of Just Steel walking back and forth in the barn post-surgery without any visible lameness. Following that video, Light Up released another featuring Dr. Wayne McIlwraith, a pioneer in equine orthopedic surgery, explaining what a condylar fracture is and how it is treated. From there, Light Up followed up with Just Steel in June as he recovered from his surgery at Mulholland Springs, sharing a video of the colt's progress with an update from the farm's owner Martha Jane. Across the social media platforms X, Facebook and Instagram, the video with Bramlage garnered nearly 88,000 views; the video with Mcllwraith received approximately 22,000 views; and the update from Jane collected nearly 21,000 views. “After Just Steel sustained a condylar fracture in the Preakness, we saw comments on social media saying, 'he's going to be put down.' To then create a piece of content with Dr. Bramlage and Dr. Mcllwraith to say, 'actually, this is why he's not going to be put down,' we took that negative and turned it into a positive about the advancement of veterinary medicine,” said Mill Ridge Farm's Price Bell, a co-founder and board member of Light Up Racing. “I think we take for granted that we know a condylar fracture is not a life-threatening injury. However, the general public doesn't know that. So, to address that and then to see opinions change within comments was meaningful and it certainly makes you feel like we're on the right path.” The initiative welcomed 1,500 members to the LUR community, all of which worked together to address negative or false information spread across news outlets or social media with research-based responses in an effort to educate, rather than simply deny. Price Bell | Keeneland During the Triple Crown season alone, the group tackled over 3,000 misinformed comments, while also releasing a unique series of videos catching up with every contender across each of the three races. Following the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, LUR worked with trainers and their staff to gather footage of each horse post-race, all culminating in a trio of videos that provided an inside look at the horses after competing in some of the country's most-watched and attended races. “There's no doubt we need to have an 'always on' messaging, but there's certain times of year where it peaks and troughs. We've doubled down on the Triple Crown because that's when all eyes are on the industry,” said Leonard. “You've got to remember that some of the comments that are made about our industry are absolutely ludicrous. There are comments out there saying, 'if they don't win, they just get shot,' and we have to say 'no, this is the reality.' Being visual is the best way to do it. “When it came to the task of tracking down footage of every horse [that ran in the Triple Crown races], we did have to pester the hell out of the trainers and the grooms, but we got there in the end. One of those videos got half a million views, so it definitely resonated.” Overall, Light Up's social media accounts accrued 2.5 million views across all of their platforms which the team says led to meaningful conversations with members of a non-racing educated audience. “We're bad for an industry about keeping it to ourselves and we've got to blow open the barn doors. That's why what Visit Horse Country and Amplify Horse Racing is doing is absolutely incredible, and we just have to be another cog in that wheel in a different capacity around exposing people in a marketing and media sense,” said Leonard. “Letting people in is just the most important thing and you can do it with the little device in your pocket.” However, the goal for Light Up Racing isn't only to combat the negativity, but to also bring the horses, and therefore the heart of the industry, back to the public. “Just within my lifetime and the generations around me, the horse and agriculture are further away [from the public]. It's incumbent on us who participate in the industry to share what we do to connect more people to the horse,” said Bell. “We can get so bogged down in our day-to-day that it's hard to remember what that first experience was like. Those of us who have access need to share what a horse is doing because the public doesn't have the access and they don't have any experience. It's on us to really push that.” Leonard points out that one of the biggest differences between Australia's industry and the industry stateside is that it's the norm for Australian trainers to have a presence on social media, while for those in the U.S. that's not the case. “In Australia, every trainer is very good on social media. Each trainer has a social media strategy or description, I don't know any that don't, whereas that's not the case in America. In Australia, you wouldn't have a training business and not be very active on social media, so it's been a far bigger jump,” she said. Light Up Racing listeners | Photos by Z “This doesn't just help improve the narrative and the perception, but it also helps their business too. It's about having a really active social media strategy, which is a great return on investment (ROI) to get more clients. That's going to be a big focus moving forward.” For Bell, he sees Light Up Racing as an initiative that not only brings together members of the public and the racing industry, but also as a foundation to further connect the racing community by bringing their experiences, feelings and voices to the surface. “What I'm really proud of with Light Up is that it's helped people who felt voiceless recognize that they have a powerful voice and that we're all in this together. We all need to use our voice for the good of the horse and the industry going forward,” said Bell. With the foundation for Light Up Racing now firmly established in its inaugural year, the team behind the initiative plans to expand training programs, amplify advocacy efforts and expand the innovative tools they can offer to empower the racing community. In order to do that, the nonprofit initiative is seeking donations to support their efforts. “What the funding can do is really let us get our tentacles into all the different parts of America and make sure that we're there and proactive when stuff happens, so it's not like we're scrambling as an industry to deal with things reactively,” said Leonard. “There's a lot of terrific initiatives and great marketing strategies. However, getting those into the community and making sure it's distributed, and actually dealing with crises and jumping in when there's misinformation, does require the industry community to help and support us. “We're really hoping to become a very useful tool for the great work that's already done and just helping to amplify it.” To learn more about Light Up Racing, click here. The post A Bright Future Ahead For Light Up Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday and Monday running at Chukyo Racecourse: Sunday, January 5, 2025 3rd-CKO, ¥10,600,000 ($67k), Maiden, 3yo, 1900m HUG (JPN) (c, 3, Justify–Fleet Bertie, by Afleet Alex) made a single visit to the races as a 2-year-old, finishing a good second over 1800 meters at Kyoto Dec. 15 and will be tough to beat here with expected improvement. Narvick International acquired the colt's stakes-placed dam at Keeneland November in 2021 for $185,000 and the colt repaid that bill when selling to Yoshizawa Holdings for the equivalent of $312,000 as a foal at the JRHA Select Sale in 2022. Second dam Whirlie Birdie (Stormin Fever) and third dam De Bertie (De Niro) were both successful at the graded stakes level. B-Matsuura Bokujo Monday, January 6, 2025 4th-CKO, ¥15,200,000 ($97k), Allowance, 3yo, 1800m SHIN BELIEVE (c, 3, Constitution–Sand Puce {Arg}, by Footstepsinthesand {GB}) could not have been more impressive in breaking his maiden by five resounding lengths as the 9-5 favorite in a newcomers' test going this distance at Niigata in early August (see below, SC 10), but the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile proved a task too tall, as he faded to finish a distant 10th to Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) after racing prominently in the first half of the contest. A $385,000 buyback as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, he was hammered down to Forever Young (Jpn)'s owner Susumu Fujita for $800,000 at last year's OBS March Sale. B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY) The post Constitution’s Shin Believe Returns at Chukyo appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It was inevitable really. Kizuna (Jpn), the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) winner of 2013 and champion first-season sire in 2019, has now followed the example set by his feted sire Deep Impact (Jpn) to become Japan's champion sire for the first time. The Shadai stallion had finished in the top four in the championship in the three previous years and took the laurels this time from 2023 champion, the late Duramente (Jpn). He in turn had finally ended the 11-year domination of Deep Impact, who was also the champion freshman sire back in 2010. Justin Milano (Jpn) was the star performer for Kizuna during 2024, winning the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) and finishing runner-up to Danon Decile (Jpn) in the Japanese Derby. His dam is well known to readers in Europe as she is the 2011 Nunthorpe Stakes winner Margot Did (Ire), who provides another feather in the cap for Exceed And Excel (Aus) as a broodmare sire. His daughter Believe'N'Succeed (Aus) is the dam of the ill-fated Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Ire). Kizuna, who also won the G2 Prix Niel before finishing fourth in the Arc behind Treve (Fr), is out of the Storm Cat mare Catequil, which means that he is bred on the same cross as one of the rising stars of the European sires' ranks, the Lanwades resident Study Of Man (Ire). Catequil, a daughter of the GI Delaware Oaks winner Pacific Princess, was placed twice for Sheikh Mohammed when trained in England by James Fanshawe. She proved to be a gem of a broodmare and was also the dam of G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas) winner Phalaenopsis (Jpn) (Brian's Time) as well as the G1 Belmont Stakes-placed Sunday Break (Jpn) (Forty Niner), who stood at stud in both Kentucky and France. Kizuna's offspring won 211 races in 2024, and he was represented by 24 juvenile winners, which was down from his personal record tally in the sector of 33 in 2023. His three-year-olds of 2024 emanated from his largest crop to date after he covered 242 mares in 2020. That figure has dropped in subsequent years to below the 200-mark. His 14 stakes winners in 2024 included the Grade 2 winners Queen's Walk (Jpn), Sixpence (Jpn) and June Take (Jpn). Crack sprinter Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) has become the perennial bridesmaid in the Japanese sires' table since 2019 and the 17-year-old son of King Kamehameha was second again last season. Bellagio Opera (Jpn), winner of the Osaka Hai, took his tally of Group/Grade 1 winners to ten, including the brilliant former Horse of the Year, Almond Eye (Jpn). Her first foal, Aaron's Rod (Jpn) is now three and finished second in November in a Tokyo Maiden. Almond Eye has a two-year-old colt by Maurice (Jpn), a yearling filly by Kitasan Black (Jpn) and was covered by the latter's son Equinox in his first book in 2024. Epiphaneia, the Japan Cup winner of 2014 | Emma Berry Aaron's Rod is by Epiphaneia (Jpn), a striking-looking son of Symboli Kris S, who was runner-up to Kizuna in the Japanese Derby and won the following year's Japan Cup. He took third in the 2024 sires' table after a season highlighted by two Classic winners. The aforementioned Danon Decile won the Derby and Stellenbosch (Jpn) landed the Oka Sho. Four of Epiphaneia's seven individual Grade 1 winners came in 2024, and they included Takarazuka Kinen winner Blow The Horn (Jpn) and Victoria Mile winner Ten Happy Rose (Jpn). The death of Duramete (Jpn) in March 2021 at the age of only nine must be considered a huge loss for the Japanese stallion ranks. A dual Classic winner in 2015, he was well supported in his four and a half seasons at Shadai Stallion Station, and had 191 and 203 reported foals in his first two crops. Members of his final abridged crop are three-year-olds this year. Duramente is already the sire of seven Grade 1 winners, with four Classic winners among them, including the brilliant Triple Tiara winner of 2023, Liberty Island (Jpn), who was the top-rated filly in the world that year. With two St Leger winners to his name already in Japan, Duramente posthumously displayed some diversity in 2024 as the sire of the G1 Sprinters Stakes winner Lugal (Jpn), who not only has a Derby winner as his sire, but has another Derby winner from the other side of the world, New Approach (Ire), as his broodmare sire. Completing the top five in Japan was Drefong, a former winner of the G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint and G1 Forego Stakes, who posted his highest-placed finish to date. Beyond Japan, his son Warp Speed (Jpn) was a close second in the G1 Melbourne Cup, and Drefong had a pair of Grade 3 winners among his four stakes winners at home. Kitasan Black (Jpn), who now shares the honour of being the most expensive stallion in Japan with his son Equinox (Jpn) ended last season in tenth place but we can expect to see renewed interest in him, including from breeders outside Japan, thanks to the exploits of his aforementioned world champion. First Set to Nadal in Freshman Championship Nadal, who brings more coveted Hail To Reason/Roberto blood to the Japanese ranks through his Breeders' Cup Classic-winning sire Blame, was champion first-season sire in the country for 2024. GI Arkansas Derby winner Nadal | Emma Berry Bought by Kerri Radcliffe for $700,000 as the Fasig-Tipton Florida Two-Year-Old Sale of 2019, the imposing Nadal ran just four times during five months of the following year but was unbeaten, his two Grade II wins in the San Vicente and Rebel Stakes setting up his victory in the GI Arkansas Derby. He was never seen again on the track after that, having fractured a foreleg in his preparation for the Kentucky Derby. His 32 first-crop winners in 2024 put him in pole position among the young stallions recruited to Japan in 2021. He had 103 foals in his first book. Saturnalia (Jpn), like his sire Lord Kanaloa, had to settle for second. The Japanese 2,000 Guineas winner of 2019, he was also a Grade 1 winner at two, and he supplied 26 juvenile winners in 2024. Saturnalia is a half-brother to the hugely successful Epiphaneia and is a stallion to keep eye on as his first three-year-olds take to the track this year. Saturnalia, a Lord Kanaloa half-brother to Epiphaneia | Emma Berry Le Vent Se Leve (Jpn), another Roberto-line stallion who shares his sire Symbol Kris S with Epiphaneia, was third in the table with 25 individual winners, including Listed winner Soldier Field (Jpn). Gold Dream (Jpn), a Grade 1-winning dirt horse by Sunday Silence's son Gold Allure (Jpn), was fourth overall but had the highest tally of winners (33). Look out for the first runners in 2025 by Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn), another sleek, near-black son of Deep Impact, who is the likely favourite to take this year's first-season sire championship. The post Kizuna Emulates Sire Deep Impact with First Championship appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

While racecourses in Britain and Ireland battle the elements to keep racing going during the cold snap, officials Down Under have been dealing with a more unusual threat to the action on the track after it emerged that the Gold Coast meeting has been relocated to the Sunshine Coast after a 500-metre section of the track was found damaged on Friday. Racing Queensland officials have sent samples for urgent testing to identify the cause and have not ruled out the possibility of foul play by anti-racing campaigners. “Racing Queensland and the Gold Coast Turf Club are concerned about what has happened. We will continue to investigate, including sending samples to the laboratory to see what caused it,” Racing Queensland chief executive Jason Scott told racenet.com.au. The Magic Millions carnival is one of the most eagerly-anticipated meetings in Australia and the hope is that the track will be fit for purpose in time for the meeting next week. Two senior jockeys are understood to have galloped on the Gold Coast course proper on Friday afternoon, with the Queensland Jockeys Association saying they “weren't 100 per cent happy” with the damaged section. “The advice from turf experts was that next Saturday's Magic Millions meeting will be fine to proceed,” Scott said. “They believe the track will be able to be fixed up.” The post Potential Sabotage? Gold Coast Meeting Switches To Sunshine Coast After Track Poisoning appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article