Wandering Eyes

The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) allocation to the new disease surveillance, veterinary science and education programme starting in 2025 is rising to £2.76m [from £2.32m]. The Racing Foundation and the British European Breeders' Fund (BEBF) are supporting specific projects with an additional £220,000, bringing the total funds available to £2.98m. The news comes following continued support from the Racing Foundation, the TBA, the Gerald Leigh Charitable Trust and the BEBF. That support is said to underline the importance that the industry places on advancing the health and welfare of the Thoroughbred. Racehorse owners and the TBA also contribute towards the provision of equine infectious disease surveillance. Alan Delmonte, Chief Executive of the Levy Board, said, “Promoting and supporting veterinary science and education is one of the statutory objectives of the HBLB. The Board's Veterinary Advisory Committee takes a careful and thorough approach in assessing which applications should be recommended for funding. This year saw a particularly high number of veterinary research applications, and the Board is pleased to have increased funding for 2025 to £2.76 million. The Board also extends its thanks to the industry partner funders, whose involvement contributes to world-class research being conducted in Britain.” Simon Sweeting, Chairman, British EBF, “To date, the British EBF has directly funded over £1.3million of equine veterinary research projects, in addition to our £42million prize money allocations and we are pleased to be building on that support by fully funding two projects in 2025. The Trustees selected a study covering Inbreeding depression in Thoroughbreds and methods for non-invasive diagnosis of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals. Both subject areas are of importance to the long-term health of the Thoroughbred, and we are delighted to be supporting the aims of the HBLB in this important work.” The post New Industry Funding for Equine Disease Surveillance and Veterinary Science appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a half-brother to a recent Group 1-placed filly. 3.32 Deauville, Debutantes, €45,700, 2yo, c/g, 6fT RAYIF (IRE) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) is an intriguing newcomer for The Aga Khan Studs and Francis-Henri Graffard stable, being a half-brother to the recent G1 Commonwealth Cup third Rayevka. Stouter-bred on the sire's side than that daughter of Blue Point, he has obviously been showing enough at home to warrant an introduction over this trip. The post Rayevka’s Half-Brother Rayif Debuts at Deauville appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Marked by a soft month of wagering in June, wagering on Thoroughbred racing in the United States continued to slide through the second quarter of 2025, dipping 2.38% to $3,281,212,052. Betting totaled $956,784,146 in June, a reduction of 7.18%.View the full article

2nd-ELP, 100K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 6 1/2f, 1:19 p.m. BELLS OF MARANELLO (Nyquist), a daughter of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can (Proud Citizen), was a $750,000 KEESEP grad back in 2023 for Cindy Heider. The mare, who RNA'd for $4.9m at FTKNOV in 2014 following her racing career, produced SW/GSP Believe In Royalty (Tapit) for her first foal and, more recently, MGSW Conclude (Collected). Steve Asmussen trains for Heider Family Stables with son Keith Asmussen aboard for the debut. Breaking mid-gate, Angelic Sense (Street Sense) is the full-sister to GI Starlet Stakes winner Street Fancy, both out of stakes-winning first dam Bold Angel who sold to Hunter Valley Farm for just $65,000 at KEENOV in 2012. This is the family of GI Kentucky Derby winner and sire Fusaichi Pegasus. Walking L Thoroughbreds picked up this Ken McPeek trainee for $325,000 at KEESEP. TJCIS PPS 1st-SAR, 100K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 12:35 p.m. In New York, Ewing (Knicks Go) brought $585,000 at OBS April from D.J. Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds after breezing in :10.1. First dam Sassy Ali Joy has four winners from five to race including stakes-placed Tuscan Queen (Street Boss). TJCIS PPS 7th-SAR, 100K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 6 1/2f, 3:54 p.m. Later in the card, Gin's Beach Road (Quality Road) is a China Horse Club-bred daughter of GISW Yellow Agate, making her a full-sister to GSW Agate Road and a half to GSP Gasoline (Curlin). Live Oak Plantation purchased her for $650,000 as a yearling at Saratoga in 2023. Second-time starter Trango Tower (Curlin) ran a well-beaten fifth in her Saratoga debut last summer behind the likes of MGISW La Cara (Street Sense) and MGISP Quickick (McKinzie). Away since last August, this Alpha Delta homebred daughter of MGSW/MGISP Lewis Bay gets Lasix for trainer Chad Brown. TJCIS PPS The post Saturday Insights: Nyquist Daughter Of An Oaks Winner Unveiled At Ellis appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK — Kemi Badenoch MP has spoken of the importance of British racing remaining an “international beacon” during a briefing with industry stakeholders at Tattersalls on Friday. The Leader of the Opposition, Badenoch, along with Shadow Ministers from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, Stuart Andrew MP and Louie French MP, joined a Newmarket horseracing policy conference organised by the Jockey Club and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). “The most important thing is that horseracing stays here and continues to thrive here – that we are an international beacon,” Badenoch said after listening to John Gosden speak about the growth of the racing and breeding industry since the early 1980s following a fallow time in Newmarket. “The breeding industry is the whole bedrock of the racing industry, and what happened from 1980 onwards, there came massive investment here, particularly from the Middle East – from the United Arab Emirates and from Saudi Arabia – and they set up stud farms here. And when you had a good horse, a stallion prospect, they stayed here,” Gosden explained. “And when you do that, all the best broodmares then come to those stallions, and that has made the breeding industry here, in Britain and Ireland, the best in the world for turf racing. “Consequently, where we are standing has become a great clearing house. There are only two great clearing houses in the northern hemisphere, one in Keeneland, in America, and the other one is right here. So if you are here during the sales you will see people of every nationality – from Australasia, the Far East, Hong Kong, America, South America – they are all here trading.” The most imminent threat to British racing comes from a government proposal to harmonise betting duties so that tax on sports betting, including racing, would be raised to the same level of tax imposed on online casinos and slot machines – from 15 per cent to 21 per cent. On the Monday of Royal Ascot week the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Racing and Breeding delivered a report which will be submitted to government ahead of the end of the consultation period on July 21. Entitled Securing Racing's Future: The Threat to British Horseracing, the report highlights the potential damage to racing's financial structure from the harmonisation proposal as well as affordability checks on punters, which it claims has already led to a £1.6bn fall in betting turnover on racing. It also points to the need for Levy reform to include bets placed domestically on overseas racing, as is the norm in other major racing jurisdictions. The delegation of politicians agreed to meet members of the racing community to listen to the issues affecting the sport as part of the Conservative Party's policy renewal as it seeks to rebuild after losing last year's general election to Labour. Gosden was joined by fellow trainers Stuart Williams, Simon Crisford, James Fanshawe, Alice Haynes, James Ferguson, Roger Varian and William Haggas. Leaders of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, Racehorse Owners Association, and National Association of Stable Staff were also present, along with Jim Mullen, the new CEO of the Jockey Club, and representatives from various major stud farms, racecourses and Weatherbys. Welcoming Badenoch and her colleagues, the Jockey Club's Senior Steward Dido Harding said, “Racing clearly matters here in Newmarket but it matters for the country as well. Firstly, we are a hugely popular sport – the second-most attended sport in the country with 4 million people a year going racing. “There is also huge economic impact – 85,000 people work in the racing industry across the country. The economists would call Newmarket an economic cluster. You have every element of the racing and breeding industry represented in this town and that drives economic growth. It's in the order of £260 million that comes into this part of the east of England courtesy of the racing and breeding industry. That's a huge economic impact in a rural area and that is replicated across the country in other parts of the racing industry.” The BHA is urging all industry participants to get behind its 'Axe the Tax' campaign to persuade government to consider betting on horseracing independently amid fears that the sport could be hit by the loss of £66m in income. Speaking at Friday's conference, trainer Stuart Williams told Badenoch, “The British racing industry is a world leader in that we export horses all over the world. There are only two forms of funding – one is through the owners, and breeders are mostly owners as well, and the other one is through the punters. We are the only country in the world which runs a system where most of the profits go to the bookmakers and not back to the participants in racing.” He added, “The Levy deal is hugely important to us and we are in a stage now where the major betting operators are American-based casinos and they are not interested in British racing. They are using it as a gateway to get people in to bet on these addictive casinos. This upcoming tax will be the absolute death of all of this, the whole lot will crumble if we get lumped in with the casinos. “You can see the direction of travel and the agenda is that betting is the new smoking, and the government is going after it with a passion. And if we can't distinguish ourselves as a game of skill, against the addictive casino-based games of chance where the house always wins, we are in dire trouble. It's imminent and it needs to be addressed right now.” Closing the conference, Newmarket's MP Nick Timothy said after the leader of his party had departed, “It is really conspicuous that Kemi Badenoch chose to come here today. She hasn't done that with any other sport.” The post Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch Hears Racing’s Fears of ‘Dire Trouble’ from Betting Tax Rises appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

When it comes to Sandown's G1 Coral-Eclipse, there has been a shift of power to the Classic generation in recent times with seven of the last ten going their way. Saturday's renewal will either see a fifth consecutive success for the 3-year-olds or a break in the sequence and the onus is on Ombudsman to reestablish the reputation of the older horses. Godolphin's son of Night Of Thunder is the key protagonist on his emphatic Prince of Wales's Stakes success last month and to date has no blemish on his record. Carefully nurtured by John and Thady Gosden last term, the progressive colt dealt with Anmaat and co without mercy as he finally showed his hand at Royal Ascot but now needs to back up on quick ground in a different test. In a select renewal, the Wertheimers' Sosie (Sea The Stars) is the other 4-year-old and he bids to provide Andre Fabre with a first Eclipse and while his narrow defeat of Map Of Stars in the G1 Prix Ganay means he has something to find withe favourite, he did beat the speedier Sardinian Warrior in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan last time and it will be fascinating to see how his reinvention from mile-and-a-half supremo develops. Racing Manager Pierre-Yves Bureau is relishing the prospect. “We felt it was the time we travel with him, it's the first time and I hope everything will be okay,” he said. “When he won the Grand Prix de Paris last year it was on good ground and I don't think there will be a problem with this. His dam was a miler, so we tried and he performed nicely in the Ganay. We have been very lucky with all this family. They are good fighters and I'd say that's what we'll need tomorrow.” Turning to the 3-year-olds, there is no doubt that Aidan O'Brien will have a say in matters with Ryan Moore picking Delacroix (Dubawi) over Camille Pissaro (Wootton Bassett) in a surprise twist. Take out his Derby flop and the former, a son of Dubawi who beat Lambourn convincingly over this trip in Leopardstown's G3 Ballysax Stakes, remains one of the yard's kingpins and the fact that he is favoured over a Prix du Jockey Club winner speaks volumes. “The only horse who is yet to win at the top level is mine and we're hoping he can bounce back from the Derby, where everything went wrong for him,” Moore said. “I'd say the track probably didn't suit and the mile and a half was just too far. There's nothing between Camille Pissarro and Delacroix, just a pound on official ratings.” Surprisingly, the 2,000 Guineas hero Ruling Court (Justify) is considered an outsider here despite running like a 10-furlong performer in the St James's Palace. Maybe it is because William Buick is on Ombudsman, but it is not a choice he would have relished with the 10 pounds weight-for-age differential levelling things up. “The tempo of the St James's Palace Stakes was completely different to what Ruling Court encountered in the 2,000 Guineas. They went an end-to-end gallop and he never really looked comfortable throughout the race,” Charlie Appleby explained. “We have always wanted to step him up in trip and a mile and a quarter is probably the ideal distance to aim for as a first try over middle distances.” “Conditions at Sandown look there to suit. He has won around the course before and has a significant weight pull against the older horses, which can often come into play in an Eclipse. It's a small but very strong field and he's a Classic-winning colt who doesn't look out of place.” Lofty Ambitions On The Line For Estrange… Saturday's other high-profile action is at Haydock, where Cheveley Park's exciting filly Estrange (Night Of Thunder) is the heavy favourite for the G2 Lancashire Oaks. David O'Meara was talking about the Arc after her course-and-distance romp in the G3 Lester Piggott Stakes and she will need to deal with three rivals with a degree of ease to remain in that conversation. “The ease with which she won did take me a bit by surprise, but we did expect her to put up a good show,” her trainer said. “Amazing Maria was brilliant for us, then we also had G Force, while Mondialiste gave me great satisfaction when we took him to Canada and he won the Woodbine Mile. Far more of those good horses end up in other yards, so we are very aware that we are very fortunate to have Estrange in the yard and Cheveley Park Stud have always been very supportive to us.” Shadow Of Light | Emma Berry Shadow Of Light Bids For Redemption… Sunday's G1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville affords Godolphin's G1 Middle Park Stakes and G1 Dewhurst Stakes winner Shadow Of Light (Lope De Vega) the opportunity to atone for his reversal in last month's G1 Commonwealth Cup. Probably in need of this seven-furlong trip now, he faces Bond Thoroughbred's recent acquisition Maranoa Charlie (Wootton Bassett) who is back over the same course and distance of his G3 Prix Djebel success. In a fascinating contest, Juddmonte's Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up Cosmic Year (Kingman), Ballydoyle's G3 Acomb Stakes winner The Lion In Winter (Sea The Stars) and Resolute Bloodstock's G3 Prix Texanita winner Woodshauna (Wooded) provide an exotic mix. Charlie Appleby is looking for Shadow Of Light to bounce back from his Royal Ascot disappointment. “The drop back in trip and quick ground caught out Shadow Of Light in the Commonwealth Cup, but he came out of the race in great nick,” he said. “Stepping back up to seven furlongs is a positive and hopefully the ground at Deauville will be a bit more forgiving. We will be on weather watch and a decision will be made on the day after we have had a look at the ground. I can't fault his preparation going into this and feel he is the horse to beat if he can run up to anywhere near the form of his Guineas third.” In Sunday's 156th G1 Deutsches Derby at Hamburg, the 18 protagonists are headed by Rennstall Gestut Hachtsee's G2 Union-Rennen winner Zuckerhut (Almanzor), Gestut Park Wiedingen's G3 Bavarian Classic winner Path Of Soldier (Soldier Hollow) and Westminster Stud's G3 Diana-Trial scorer Lady Charlotte (Golden Horn). Also in the mix are Hajro Jusufovic's G3 Baden-Baden Derby-Trial winner Juwelier (Wootton Bassett) and Newtown Anner Stud Farm's Convergent (Fascinating Rock), not seen since finishing third behind Lambourn and Lazy Griff in the G3 Chester Vase. The post Will Ombudsman Rule in the Clash of the Generations? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced juveniles from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes, sponsored by OBS, highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, including links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for Saturday at Saratoga and Ellis Park. Saturday, July 5, 2025 Saratoga 1, $100k, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 12:35 p.m. ET Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($) Empires King (Classic Empire), OBSAPR, 60,000 C-Global Thoroughbreds, agent; B-Martin Weis Ewing (Knicks Go), OBSAPR, 585,000 C-Hidden Brook, agent; B-D J Stable & West Point TBs Sar 3, Sanford S.-GIII, $175k, 2yo, 6f, 1:40 p.m. ET Imagine John (Maclean's Music), OBSMAR, 50,000 C-On Point Training & Sales; B-Pure Bred Funding & Jason Lorenz Obliteration (Violence), OBSMAR, 200,000 C-Ocala Stud; B-Leland Ackerley Saratoga 6, $100k, 2yo, f, 1mT, 3:20 p.m. ET Stylish Gem (Practical Joke), OBSAPR, 85,000 C-S G V Thoroughbreds (S Venosa), agt; B-Fergus Galvin, agent Ellis 7, $100k, 2yo, f, 1mT, 3:42 p.m. ET Diablo Shiraz (Daredevil), OBSAPR, 20,000 C-Wavertree Stables Inc (C Dunne), agt; B-John Ennis Hollybygolly (Yaupon), OBSMAR, 210,000 C-Kings Equine, agent; B-RB Bloodstock, agt. Storyteller Racing The post Summer Breezes: Saturday, July 5. 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Dr Paolo Romanelli, the founder of Ital-Cal Horse Management, might live roughly 5,000 miles from Milan in Florida nowadays, but a small piece of his heart will always remain in the vicinity of the San Siro Racetrack which, on Saturday, will host races run in memory of Romanelli's grandfather and mother. Romanelli himself was a native of Pisa, before his move Stateside, but his mother, Maria Luisa Regoli, once lived across the street from the San Siro Racetrack in the surrounds of what was then a thriving training operation. The facility, described by Romanelli as a “masterpiece of Italian architecture”, was a passion project for powerful owner Giuseppe de Montel, who made his fortune first as a silk entrepreneur and then as a banker. At a time when the great Federico Tesio was an all-conquering force in Italian racing, de Montel soon brought in Romanelli's grandfather, Luigi Regoli, to oversee his burgeoning operation with terrific results. “De Montel was a visionary owner-breeder,” says Romanelli. “Because of his passion for horse racing, he asked Paolo Vietti-Violo, one of the most famous architects at the time, to build this beautiful stable. In 1937, he hired my grandfather as a private trainer and he had between 100-120 horses in the stable. Together they won some big races, including the Derby [Italiano] with Orsenigo and the Gran Premio di Milano with Macherio. A lot of people think that, if it wasn't for the war, Orsenigo could have won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. “Unfortunately, because of his Jewish origin, de Montel left Italy at the beginning of the war. He donated the stable to a charity managed by a congregation of nuns but, because of the maintenance expenses, the charity was unable to keep the stable. It was left unkept and run down. Every time I went to the races [at San Siro], I went to look at the place, because my mum grew up there when she was going to high school in Milan. I was very emotionally attached.” Thankfully, there has been a happy outcome for this site which holds such a special place in Romanelli's heart. Last April, it was inaugurated as a spa, De Montel Terme Milano, with many of the original features being kept intact. Fittingly, the spa will sponsor one of the feature races on Saturday's card, the Listed Premio Giuseppe de Montel, run over seven furlongs for two-year-olds. “The spa spent €52 million and completely revamped the stable,” says Romanelli, before explaining how two more of Saturday's contests–the Premio Luigi Regoli and Premio Maria Luisa Regoli–came to be named after his dear family members. “I have a brother in Italy who is a professor and chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Pisa. He is also the director of multiple thermal spas in Italy, so he was able to introduce me to the directors of the De Montel Terme Milano. And I grew up in Pisa with the now-director of the San Siro Racetrack, Lorenzo Stoppini, who is a very good friend. “I put together a commercial relationship between the track and the spa with already wonderful outcomes, with horse owners going to the spa with discounts and spa clients invited to the Turf Club at San Siro. “After this I called Lorenzo and I said, 'Lorenzo, I put together a nice agreement between the spa and the racetrack, could I have two races named after my grandfather and my mum, the same day of the [Premio Giuseppe] de Montel?'. He agreed and now we have a colts' race for my grandfather and a fillies' race for my mum.” He continues, “I am offering two trophies to the owners of the winners. One of them was made by my good friend Nina Kaiser, an equine artist who did the life-size statues of John Henry and Zenyatta for Santa Anita. And, together with some friends, I also own a stallion in France called Keiai Nautique. He is by Deep Impact and was a Group 1 winner in Japan. So, for the winner of the fillies' race [the Premio Maria Luisa Regoli], I'm going to offer a free nomination in 2026 to Keiai Nautique.” Romanelli himself will be represented in the Premio Luigi Regoli by Biscayne Blaze (Yoshida), who will sport the colours–red body with blue sleeves–which were once those of Regoli himself. Like the site of de Montel's former stables, the silks too have had a facelift, after Romanelli commissioned a special set by the famous fashion designer, Renato Balestra. Sadly, Romanelli is unable to make it to Milan on Saturday, but he'll be watching on fondly from afar as he does his own bit to uphold the legacy started by his great-grandfather, Luigi Regoli Sr. A former training partner of Tesio, Luigi Sr had two other sons, Federico and Antonio, both of whom were also hugely successful trainers. Previously, Federico won the Derby Italiano eight times in his spell as first jockey to the man he was named after, Tesio, before providing the Regoli dynasty with arguably its most significant victory when he trained the 1933 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner, Crapom. The post Regoli Dynasty Remembered with Pair of Races at San Siro appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

For decades now, Japanese buyers have frequented American bloodstock sales, eagerly snapping up racing and breeding stock of the highest quality to help grow the domestic Thoroughbred industry. By any metric, the undertaking has been a smashing success, given not only the performance of Japanese-based runners on foreign soil, particularly over the last six to eight years, but also the strength of the Japanese bloodstock markets. The Japanese Racing Horse Association (JRHA)'s annual Select Sale is a mostly insular affair, but American owner Mike Repole is always ready to think a bit outside the box, and with a bit of a 'what's good for the goose, is good for the gander' mindset, the successful businessman and owner/breeder shipped out a team to the island of Hokkaido to shop last year's sale. They did not leave there empty-handed, signing for five yearlings and a pair of foals, some with recognizable pedigrees and others less so. The most forward of their grab, Bento Express (Jpn)–a son of the expatriated Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Drefong–becomes the first to face the starter when he goes postward in the Saturday opener at Saratoga. Bento Express is set to become the sixth starter out of Tammy the Torpedo (More Than Ready), a dual Grade III winner on the turf for trainer Chad Brown, who was knocked down to Dr. Masatake Iida for $1.65 million in foal to War Front at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale. Repole dispatched Alex Solis II and Pat Cummings to Hokkaido last summer, and the experience left a real impression on Solis, who was making his first visit to the JRHA auction and embraced the challenge of finding Japanese-breds that might excel in this country. All totaled, Solis signed for five yearlings on the first day of the sale–a second colt by Drefong out of a half-sister to MG1SW Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (¥41m/$255k); a colt by Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn) and half-brother to MGSW & G1SP Sound Chiara (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) (¥50m/$311k); a Kizuna (Jpn) filly out of champion Ginger Punch (¥68m/$423k); and a filly by leading freshman sire Nadal (¥78m/$485k) whose dam Lelievre (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) is a half-sister to champion Lucky Lilac (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and is the pick of the lot, if you ask Solis. The majority of the yearlings arrived in the States early last September, just two months after the sale, flying to Chicago via Alaska and spending a little time in Kentucky before being sent on to be broken. The Ginger Punch filly was broken in Japan and arrived in mid-February. “When you start looking at the horses over there, you have some crossovers that look like American horses, dirt horses, turf horses, firm ground stuff,” he explained. “And then you also have the crossover of all the European mares that have very European attributes. So I just knew those probably wouldn't work in this country. “So I really had to be careful, thinking, 'Okay, does this look like a horse that would fit the U.S.?' And so yeah, I think we bought things that looked more American-like, so that definitely pulled us towards probably a Nadal, the Drefongs. Bento Express, purchased for ¥50 million ($310,962) from the draft of Dr. Iida's Chiyoda Farm Shizunai, has drawn the widest gate in a field of six for Saturday's debut, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. at the controls aboard the 5-2 second favorite. Solis and the Repole braintrust have been impressed with what they've seen thus far. “He's a very good-looking colt, he looks very quick,” said Solis. “I was just trying to buy a nice physical, and he kind of fit the bill. He's an Apr. 13th foal. I wondered how early he would be. The Japanese, they really don't focus on 2-year-old racing. So I guess that's probably where this is coming from, just that it's truly an American type, and I think that's why he's probably jumping on the bit so early.” Bento Express back at the barn | Sarah Andrew Bento Express's worktab is highlighted by a bullet half-mile from the gate in :47 flat (1/114) over the Belmont training track June 22 and went the same distance in :47 3/5 (3/144) on June 28, also from the machine. “He's trained well,” Solis said. “My question always has been is he a grass or a dirt horse? Just for the fact that Tammy the Torpedo and a lot of that family is grass. And Drefong still is Gio Ponti, he's out of a Trempolino mare at the bottom. Ghostzapper and then Trempolino. So I always wondered, Drefong's had a lot of grass in Japan, so I always wondered that. But he's trained well enough on the dirt that give it a shot. It's a positive sign.” For the record, among the five group and 11 black-type winners sired by Drefong is G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) hero Geoglyph (Jpn)–also a close fourth in the 2023 G1 Saudi Cup–and this year's G2 UAE Derby victor and GI Kentucky Derby participant Admire Daytona (Jpn). Bento Express would not be the first high-profile graduate of the JRHA Select Sales to post a victory at Saratoga. Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) fetched just over $765,000 at the 2015 yearling sale and the 'TDN Rising Star' annexed the 2018 GI Woodward Stakes in his first try on the dirt, having won the GI Turf Classic some four months prior. Solis indicated that they have a return visit to Hokkaido penciled in somewhere down the road in the back of their minds once assessing the success of their first raid on the Select Sale. This year's renewal of the auction begins with the yearling section on Monday, July 14, followed by the foal section on Tuesday, July 15. That session will feature 25 foals from the first crop by two-time Horse of the Year Equinox (Jpn). The post From Hokkaido To the Spa: Repole Set To Unveil Drefong Colt appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2025 Bloodstock South Africa KZN Yearling Sale broke all previous benchmarks for the auction including an aggregate that surged past the prior year's standard by over R5.6-million, the group announced Friday. A total of 195 yearlings changed hands from the 209 catalogued (seven lots did not sell in the ring or privately later). The aggregate was R44.725-million, over R5.6-million higher than the figure for 2024, while the average rose to a sale record of R229,359; the median improved to R180,000; and the top price came in at R1.3-million late in the day. The aforementioned sales topper was Lot 202–named V Squared, a Vercingetorix (SAf) filly out of Victoriana (SAf) (Jet Master {SAf}). The dam is a half-sister to multiple Listed winners Hammie's Hooker (SAf) (Trippi) and Gem King (SAf) (Master Of My Fate {SAf}). V Squared is a full-sister to Quickstepgal (SAf), who is considered one of South Africa's leading 2-year-old performers. Lot 202 went the way of Jonathan Snaith, who was also the top buyer at the auction. Snaith was quoted as saying that the filly was a standout in pedigree and conformation. “One of our core objectives is to create auction platforms that reach the broadest possible base of buyers and to ensure that all vendors get their fair share of opportunities,” said Bloodstock SA CEO Michael Holmes. “We're pleased to have played our part in delivering that again this year, and we wish all our clients the best with their purchases.” The post 2025 Bloodstock South Africa KZN Yearling Sale Shatters Own Records appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sam Agars SZERYNG - R7 (2) Broke through in fine style last start and looks far from finished Jay Rooney MAGNIFIQUE - R9 (6) Trialled brilliantly ahead of his return and is drawn to get a dream run Trackwork Spy MAGNIFIQUE - R9 (6) Looks ready to make an impact on his return from a freshen up Phillip Woo SZERYNG - R7 (2) Eye-catching winner last start and can repeat from a good draw Shannon (Vincent Wong) TOURBILLON GOLFER - R7 (3) Ran well for second on debut and can win Racing Post...View the full article

Forced to miss the Triple Crown series after exiting his sensational GII Fasig-Tipton Risen Star S. victory with an ankle chip, Magnitude (Not This Time) makes his highly anticipated return in Saturday evening's $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows. He is the 9-5 morning-line favorite. The Winchell Thoroughbreds colorbearer was a 9 3/4-length, front-running winner of the Risen Star at odds of 43-1 Feb. 15, good for a 108 Beyer Speed Figure. His final time of 1:48.85 was the fastest Risen Star in seven runnings (including one year with split divisions) since it was elongated to nine furlongs in 2020. Future GI Preakness S. winner Journalism (Curlin) matched Magnitude's gaudy figure two weeks later in the GII DK Horse San Felipe S. at Santa Anita Mar. 1. The only sophomore to earn a higher rating this season has been GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), who received a 109 Beyer Speed Figure in the Belmont. Magnitude has posted seven breezes for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen at Churchill Downs, including a five-furlong move in 1:00 (2/19) June 22, since having that aforementioned chip removed by Dr. Larry Bramlage four days after the Risen Star. “With a horse that has run as fast as him in the past, we're dreaming big,” Asmussen said. “His Risen Star was brilliant in time, as well as who he beat that day. Obviously, the ankle chip was not ideal, especially the timing of it. But the rehab at Becky Maker's went well. He's done exceptionally well since he came back into training and has put in some very good recent works. I feel that the Iowa Derby is the right spot to get him back started.” Magnitude got his picture taken twice last year and capped his five-race, 2-year-old campaign with a well-beaten second-place finish in the Gun Runner S. Dec. 21. He finished sixth-beaten 2 3/4 lengths-in the slop in the GIII Lecomte S. Jan. 18 before his breakout performance in the Risen Star. Magnitude will join Asmussen's string in Saratoga following his trip to Altoona this weekend. The stakes schedule at the Spa is topped by the GI DraftKings Travers S. Aug. 23. “The circumstances are what we're looking for as far as the way the racetrack is playing, the (1 1/16 miles) distance, and it being a little cooler in the evening,” Asmussen said of the Iowa Derby. “Hopefully, we can get back in the mix with horses that his numbers indicate he belongs with.” One of 24 graded winners for Taylor Made's leading young sire Not This Time, Magnitude was produced by the Bernardini mare Rockadelic, a daughter of MGISW and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up Octave (Unbridled's Song). The $310,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $450,000 Keeneland September yearling was bred in Kentucky by Ron Stolich. Asmussen has trained two of Not This Time's top performers thus far–2022 Travers winner and champion 3-year-old colt Epicenter, and Cogburn, who set a North American record for 5 1/2 furlongs while capturing the grassy GI Jaipur S. in :59.80 at Saratoga last year. “Not This Time has been unbelievable to me,” Asmussen said. “Epicenter being champion 3-year-old, then Cogburn running 5 1/2 in under a minute last year, still one of the craziest races I've ever been a part of. We did acquire Magnitude because of his physical similarities to Epicenter and also being by Not This Time gave us a level of confidence. Magnitude has proven to be worthy.” The post Asmussen ‘Dreaming Big’ Ahead of Magnitude’s Return in Iowa Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Charlie Appleby was expected to take Friday's seven-furlong novice at Sandown, but it was the stable's second-string Pacifica Pier who came out on top in one for the notebooks. Unleashed by James Doyle to take control a furlong out, the 13-2 shot stayed on strongly to record a half-length success from the eyecatcher of all eyecatchers, Juddmonte's Publish (Kingman). There was another 3/4-of-a-length margin back to Godolphin's favourite Key Of Magic (Justify) in third. “He's a big boy to sit on and I had to nurse him along and wait to get organised, but when I went for him he got really lost,” Doyle explained. “He's a raw horse who will benefit from time. We were hoping going racing would spark him up a bit and he feels like a horse for the backend of the season and beyond–I see him as a three-year-old and he feels like he'll certainly go a mile in time. This ground might have been as quick as he wants.” This is going to be a strong race (Palace Pier) wins the @Tattersalls1766 £40,000 @BritishEBF Novice Stakes @Sandownpark for @the_doyler and @godolphin But could runner-up Publish be the key horse to take from the field? pic.twitter.com/uJW5MjGHEa — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 4, 2025 The post Palace Pier’s Pacifica Pier Prevails In Fascinating Affair At Sandown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ombudsman headlines a stellar cast of world-class runners in the Group One Eclipse Stakes (1,990m) at Sandown on Saturday. The John and Thady Gosden-trained four-year-old bounced back from defeat on seasonal reappearance with a devastating performance to win the Group One Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (2,000m) at Royal Ascot last month. Held up for a run for much of the straight, William Buick managed to manoeuvre around runners at the 200m pole and charge home to win going away in impressive...View the full article

With multiple recent placings behind a rising star of New Zealand’s steeplechasing ranks, Al’s Red Zed takes strong form credentials into Saturday’s Waikato Hunt Cup (3900m) at Te Rapa. Al’s Red Zed began his steeplechasing career last winter, scoring a three-length maiden win at Trentham in July before finishing fourth in the Koral Steeplechase (4250m) and falling at the last fence of the Grand National Steeplechase (5600m). The Zed gelding has had two steeplechase starts this winter for two placings, both behind Jesko. He ran third in a 3800m open steeplechase at Wanganui on May 11, then finished second – beaten by six and three-quarter lengths – in the Manawatu Steeplechase (4000m) on June 7. Jesko went on to extend his impressive winning sequence to three with another commanding performance in last Saturday’s Wellington Steeplechase (4900m). “Those were a couple of very good runs for placings behind Jesko, who’s emerged as a pretty exciting prospect this season,” said Paul Nelson, who trains Al’s Red Zed in partnership with Corrina McDougal. “We’ve been happy with both of those performances this time in. If he runs to that form again on Saturday, he should be competitive in that race. “His campaign was briefly interrupted with a stone bruise after the Manawatu Steeplechase, but he’s over that now and has been working up nicely leading into this weekend.” Nelson said the 10-year-old is unlikely to make another trip to Christchurch for the Grand National Carnival next month. “I doubt we’ll take him down to Riccarton again,” he said. “It seems like distances beyond about 4000m might be a bit much for him. But we’ll see how he goes tomorrow and then we might have a better idea of what else we’ll do with him this season.” Al’s Red Zed’s stablemate The Bambino also brings a consistent form line into Saturday’s Te Rapa meeting, where he will line up in the OTL Group Hurdle (2800m). The seven-year-old son of Rock ‘N’ Pop was off the scene for almost a year before resuming in the Grant Sweeney Memorial Hurdle (3000m) at Wanganui on May 11, where he ran third behind Verry Flash and Obrigado. The Bambino’s next start produced a fourth behind Billy Boy, Verry Flash and Run Jakko Run in the Manawatu Hurdles (2500m) at Trentham on June 7, followed by a last-start third at Te Aroha on June 22 – beaten by a long head and a short neck by Lord Spencer and Invisible Spirit. “He’s going really nicely this time in,” Nelson said. “He’s been working well since then too and is showing us the right signs. Hopefully he might be able to step up a couple of places on Saturday. “I’m hoping the track on Saturday might not be quite as testing as he’s been racing on lately. I was talking to Butch Castles at Te Rapa earlier today, and he said it’s very wet but should be fairly loose. That’ll suit him better than the really sticky ground.” Incidentally, Castles, the chief executive of Waikato Thoroughbred Racing, is the co-breeder of Al’s Red Zed and raced his twice-winning dam Taatledoya. Nelson and McDougal’s Te Rapa contingent also includes last-start placegetter Empire State and the four-year-old Skaw Valley in the Irwin’s Truck & Bus Maiden Hurdle (2800m). View the full article

The 2024-25 season has been one of the best ever for Pencarrow Stud, and some of the renowned bloodlines that have underpinned that success are now available for purchase in the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus. Graduates of the famous Waikato nursery have won over 100 races this season, headed by a pair of Group One classic winners in Australia – Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) in the Australian Guineas (1600m) and Maison Louis (NZ) (Super Seth) in the Queensland Derby (2400m). Closer to home, homebreds Tomodachi (NZ) (Tarzino) and Island Life (NZ) (Vadamos) have been Group Three winners in Sir Peter Vela’s familiar blue and white hooped colours, while the Pencarrow-bred and sold Golden Century (NZ) (Pierro) finished third in the $1.25 million Group One New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie in March. Golden Century features twice in the National Online Breeding Stock Sale, with Pencarrow selling both his dam Breeze (Sea The Stars) and his half-sister Tempest (NZ) (Frankel). The other mares being offered by Pencarrow are the Group Three-placed Asama Blue (Fastnet Rock), who is in foal to Paddington, and the multiple Listed placegetter Assume (Fastnet Rock). “We always have to review our broodmare numbers at this time of the year and make some tough decisions, and this year it means putting this lovely group of mares up for sale,” Pencarrow Stud manager Leon Casey said. “They’ve all got quality pedigrees behind them and they’re all very nice types of mares too – very good and correct and good to deal with. “Breeze has already proven herself as a black-type producer, with her son Golden Century placing in the New Zealand Derby this season. He was also second in the Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) and fourth in the Group Two Waikato Guineas (2000m). “Golden Century looks like he has a good race in him once he has a bit more experience behind him. He did all of that in his first preparation, so I could see him coming back from his spell with a bit more strength and maturity, and that might be all he needs to take the next step. “We’re also selling his half-sister Tempest, who’s recently retired from racing and showed ability on the track (one win and eight placings from 14 starts). She’s by Frankel out of a Sea The Stars mare, so she has some quality genes behind her.” Similarly, only one dam fits on the pedigree page of Asama Blue, who is closely related to elite-level winners such as Peeping Fawn (Danehill), Thewayyouare (Kingmambo), Chief Contender (Sadler’s Wells), Rags To Riches (AP Indy) and Jazil (Seeking The Gold). Assume has already produced two winners from three foals to race and is a half-sister to the stakes winner and black-type producer Sandreamer (Oasis Dream). Bidding is open in the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus with the first lot closing from 7pm (NZT) on Wednesday 9th July. View the full article

Entries for NZB’s 2025 Ready to Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds are now open, with the Sale to be held at the Karaka Sales Centre on 13 and 14 November. With a reputation like no other, NZB’s Ready to Run Sale is renowned for being the leading breeze up sale globally. The incredible success of graduates on the racetrack has seen increased buyer demand at Karaka for two-year-olds prepared by New Zealand’s expert horsemen and women. As a result, the 2024 sale aggregate reached over $39 million, an increase of 11%. The clearance rate reached an impressive 80%, while an Australasian record was set with the I Am Invincible colt from Kiltannon Stables’ draft selling for $1,650,000. While the sale ring results continue to deliver, so do the graduates on the racetrack. This season alone the Sale has produced 10 Group One wins through the likes of Antino, Feroce, Mr Brightside, Ceolwulf, War Machine and Gringotts, plus emerging stars like exciting Hong Kong winner Patch of Stars and this year’s J.J Atkins runner up Hidden Achievement. “Off the back of the record-breaking 2023 Sale which was the most successful two-year-old sale I had been involved with, the 2024 Sale managed to surpass those results again which was phenomenal.” “Our team are already busy canvassing buyers internationally and the bookings already made by Hong Kong, Malaysian and Australian buyers is very exciting, they can’t wait to get back here in November.” This year’s Breeze Ups will take place on Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 October at Te Rapa where all horses catalogued have the opportunity to gallop prior to entering the auction ring, whilst being timed and filmed for buyer analysis. Entries for the Sale are open now and close at 5pm on Friday 1 August. To nominate your two-year-olds for the 2025 Ready to Run Sale, visit NZB’s online portal at portal.nzb.co.nz. For portal enquiries, contact NZB’s Bloodstock Administrator Mary Jane Harvey (+64 9 298 0055 or email maryjane.harvey@nzb.co.nz). View the full article

Fresh off wrapping up his eighth jockeys’ premiership, Zac Purton has the chance to put an exclamation mark on his season with another stacked book of rides including the rampant Patch Of Stars in the Class Three Chairmen’s Day Handicap (1,400m) at Sha Tin on Saturday. The Manfred Man Ka-leung-trained three-year-old has gone from strength to strength in his past three runs, beginning his sequence with Purton on for the first time at Sha Tin back in April. He doubled up in Class Four company with...View the full article

Hong Kong racing looks set to have it’s lowest-rated Champion Griffin in 14 years after the Jockey Club confirmed the initial nominations on Wednesday. Not since the 75-rated Bear Hero took the gong at the end of the 2010-11 season has a horse still in Class Three won Champion Griffin, but that is likely to change this season. Sky Jewellery and Crossborderpegasus are the nominated gallopers and, with the John Size-trained pair unlikely to race again this season, it looks as though either the...View the full article

Ciaron Maher might be away on holidays but his team at home are keen and ready for Finals Day at Flemington where the stable says they have a strong team taking on the wintertime features with lessons learnt along the way. Detonator Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry) and She’s An Artist (Trapeze Artist) headline their team with the former out to break a long run of outs. Despite having not won since taking out The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange in November 2023, the now six-year-old Detonator Jack faces one of his more winnable tasks second-up. While the Listed VRC-CRV Winter Championship Final (1600m) is not insignificant, there is a gap between it and the million-dollar 7+ Sport Stakes (1600m) last September at Randwick where he finished fourth behind Fangirl (Sebring), and the Gr.1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) in which he ran sixth behind Celestial Legend (Dundeel) during The Championships in 2024. “Detonator Jack ran really well first-up but he got a long way back,” stable representative Leigh Allen said. “We thought he was a bit under what he normally is on returning but we can forgive him being a that far off them.” “He’s been consistently running against black-type and group company, so he will know the difference here.” Detonator Jack is rated a $16 chance at Flemington with firming favourite Oh Too Good (All Too Hard) at $2.70. Of Maher’s other runners, She’s An Artist is looking to continue her perfect record in the Listed Creswick Stakes (1200m) to follow-up on her impressive win down the Flemington straight over 1100-metres on June 21. That experience for the horse and their own learning from the past is key to the preparation for this event. “We gave her that look down the straight and she seemed to tick every box there,” Allen said. “We were surprised with how well she won, not that she won, and it seems me to be a similar field but we are confident with how well she came through and she should be winning. “We were going to straight into the Creswick after her Bendigo win but we did that with Pharari last year after winning at Ballarat and she folded in the Creswick because she didn’t handle the straight. “We learned from that, and she has improved again.” Allen is also happy with Shockletz (NZ) (Shocking) in the Mahogany Challenge Final (2500m) with weight relief and the distance suiting the three-year-old daughter of Melbourne Cup (3200m) winner Shocking. View the full article

Allan Sharrock has won two of the last four editions of the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m), and the New Plymouth trainer believes Saturday’s Group One Turf Bar Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa could put Lazio (NZ) (Per Incanto) on target to add to that record. Sharrock saddled Justaskme (NZ) (No Excuse Needed) to win the midwinter feature on his home track in 2021 and again in 2023. The 2021 edition produced a Sharrock quinella, with the runner-up position filled by London Express (NZ) (Shamexpress) – the dam of last week’s $190,000 sale-topper at the National Weanling Sale at Karaka. This year’s Sinclair Electrical and Refrigeration Opunake Cup will be run on July 19 for an increased stake of $120,000, and Sharrock has his eyes firmly on that prize with Lazio. The lightly raced five-year-old has recorded four wins and three placings from a career spanning only eight starts. He made a big impression earlier in the season with back-to-back open handicap victories at Te Rapa on September 15 and Trentham on October 27. Spelled after finishing fifth in the Levin Stakes (1200m) in late November, Lazio has returned to action this winter with a first-up third placing at Wanganui on May 31 and a subsequent trial win at Foxton on June 24. Notably, he is unbeaten second-up. “The Opunake Cup is the race I’m looking at with him, provided he performs up to expectations this weekend,” Sharrock said. “Based on the way he’s worked leading into it, I can’t see any reason why he wouldn’t do that. “He went super first-up at Wanganui and I was thrilled with him. He’s gone the right way through the few weeks since that race. He trialled nicely the other day for Kelly Myers, who made the trip down to ride him. “Te Rapa is a track that he seems to like, which is not the case for all horses, so that’s a factor in his favour this weekend. He’s going into it in good order.” Lazio will be ridden by apprentice jockey Ashlee Strawbridge, whose four-kilogram claim will reduce his impost to just 51.5kg. Lazio is raced by Luigi Muollo’s Explosive Breeding Ltd, who bred the Per Incanto gelding alongside Sharrock and Paul Dombroski. Lazio is a half-brother to the four-time Group One-winning Hong Kong sprinting star Lucky Sweynesse. Their dam Madonna Mia (NZ) (Red Clubs) won nine races for Sharrock including the Listed Wanganui Cup (2040m). Sharrock heads into this weekend with 48 wins to his name this season, sitting in sixth place on the national trainers’ premiership. He will also be represented at Te Rapa on Saturday by last-start placegetter Indian Gold in the Mark Sanders Memorial (1400m), while his five-horse contingent at Otaki could also be worth following. “There’s a maiden runner at Otaki that I’ve got a bit of time for, Ena Sharples,” Sharrock said. “She’s a nice filly who ran a good race for second on debut a few weeks ago. She worked particularly well this week. “Confetti is another one that’s been working very nicely. We were originally pointing her towards Te Rapa, but we ended up changing tack to run her at Otaki instead. It looks a nice race for her.” View the full article

Versatile performer Pacifico (NZ) (Ardrossan) has hit a rich vein of form and another top showing on Saturday will earn him a crack at a richer winter prize. The son of Ardrossan will shoot for his fourth win on the bounce in the UBP Te Awamutu Cup (1600m) at Te Rapa with a return in the mix later this month for The Callinan Family Taumarunui Cup (2200m). Trainer Andrew Forsman can’t fault the four-year-old and will also be chasing success across the Tasman with Prochester (NZ) (Proisir) in the Mahogany Challenge Final (2600m) at Flemington. Pacifico posted consecutive victories over 1600m at Te Aroha and Tauranga before he again made all the running to win last Saturday’s Whangarei Gold Cup (2100m). “A lot is down to maturity and he’s going great now, when he’s in form and we can find races for him most weeks there’s no reason not to go again,” Forsman said. “He hasn’t raced at Te Rapa for nearly a year, that was when he was a Rating 65 horse and he’s a different proposition now and that’s why we want to start him in this race. “There’s the possibility of running him in the Taumarunui Cup, so we just want to see how he goes on the course.” To be ridden by two-kilogram claimer Rihaan Goyaram, who has won on the gelding before, Pacifico has enjoyed a quiet lead-up. “It’s on our doorstep and we haven’t had to do much with him, he’s a fit horse and lines up another solid chance,” Forsman said. Prochester showed his staying quality when third in the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2100m) before he relocated to Flemington. “The first run he had over there in the St Leger (Listed, 2800m) was a bit further and he didn’t quite run it out, but he’s going better now than he was going into that race,” Forsman said. “The distance should be fine on Saturday and there’s a bit of a tail to the race and that helps. “The track should be fine for him, he gets through a little bit of cut in the ground so it should be ideal.” The son of Proisir finished runner-up to race rival Shockletz last month before an unplaced effort. “The key to him is getting out into the clear and two starts back at Flemington he did that, and he was able to have a crack at them,” Forsman said. “He never really let down that well last time among horses, he got left a bit flat-footed early in the sprint home and he’s far happier out in the clear. “He needs momentum to build into it so hopefully Matt (Cartwright) can get a soft run early and then get him off the rail and rolling to make his run a bit sooner than most.” Forsman’s other runner at the weekend is Milanese in the Quick Count Maiden (2100m) at Tauranga on Sunday. Like Pacifico, she is raced by breeder Jomara Bloodstock with the Zed four-year-old coming off a fourth placing at Matamata over a mile. “She’s improving and she’s had a couple of fitness runs and should hopefully finish in the top three or four to justify pressing on with,” Forsman said. View the full article

Robbie Patterson could have as many as five runners taking on this year’s Listed Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration Opunake Cup (1400m), including an in-form Belles Beau, who will make his final appearance before the feature at Otaki on Saturday. A four-year-old by Iffraaj, Belles Beau proved he was up to open class when defeating stakes winner Bradman at Wanganui last start, and with Belardo Boy in the mix, he’ll have the luxury of a 54kg impost in the New World Otaki Handicap (1400m). “It’s been three weeks, so we’ve got to keep him up to the mark at this time of the year,” Patterson said. “He’s done very well since then, he’s had a couple of gallops at Stratford recently and gone super. “Especially at the weights, it’ll take a pretty good horse to beat him on Saturday.” Preparing for just his 10th start, Patterson is cautious of his charge climbing up the weight scale too rapidly, particularly as he heads into the spring. “He beat a good horse in Bradman the other day, so we’ll just have to place him properly going forward,” Patterson said. “These geldings get up the weights very quickly, so we’ll get through the Opunake Cup and go from there. “Hopefully he can transform this wet-track form onto better tracks, but he has won on them before and he has strengthened up so hopefully we can go to that next level.” Come the 19th of July at New Plymouth, Belles Beau will have plenty of company in the form of his own stablemates, with last-start winner Sinbin and Group Three-winning mare Our Jumala confirmed for the race, while Catherinenz and the gelding’s full-sister Belles Fate are also being considered. “After winning the open handicap the other day, Sinbin will be going there, and Catherinenz will as well if she can bounce back next week at Hawera,” Patterson said. “Our Jumala will be in there, and then possibly Belles Fate, we’re tossing up whether we go for the Cup or a Rating 75 mile. So we’ll have potentially five, but probably four.” He will also be one of three Patterson runners in the Otaki contest, with Margherita Veloce and Belladonna Lily preparing for further targets. “I think we’ll just stay in the Open 1400 (with Margherita Veloce), she’s done pretty well since her last run and she’s still a bit big,” he said. “She’s getting ready for the Rating 75 1800 at New Plymouth, that will be more her ticket. “I freshened Belladonna Lily up with a view on going to New Plymouth as well, after she ran third over 2000m six weeks or so ago. “It’s good fitness for them, and hopefully they can get a slice of the cherry.” Later on the Otaki card, an improved Ballroom Blitz will look to back up her first-up success in the Vets On Riverbank Handicap (1600m), while maideners Jaegar, O’Ceirin’s Belle and La Kwik bring solid form into their respective races. “This girl (Ballroom Blitz) has really matured up and is going really well,” Patterson said. “She loves bad ground and is down in the weights, so I’m expecting a bold run from her. “Jaegar has improved from his run, I’d be expecting him to go close in that Maiden 1400, but I’ve got a question mark with La Kwik on the heavy ground, if she doesn’t put her foot in the till then she’ll be off for a spell. “O’Ceirin’s Belle will be a natural improver from her first-up run, she’s looking for 2000m now, but it’ll be a bit like that in the heavy ground over a mile.” Meanwhile, Patterson will be keeping a close eye on the northern meeting at Te Rapa, with promising three-year-old Beausk taking on the Jack and June Stewart Memorial (1200m). The son of Charm Spirit won his maiden comfortably on Taranaki’s apprentice-only day, but faces a sterner task, and Patterson will apply a noseband in an attempt to improve his racing manners. “He likes to go a bit hard in his work, and going up a grade, I’d like to see him finishing off his races a bit better,” he said. “He galloped last week at Stratford and he just went a bit hard early, then didn’t finish it off. We put the noseband on yesterday and he relaxed the whole way, and was able to finish it off nicely. “We’ll see where we are with him because it’s a tidy enough field, but he’ll be going back to a special conditions maiden at New Plymouth on the 19th after this.” View the full article

The United States Supreme Court punted on Monday the constitutionality of the Horseracing and Safety Integrity Act (HISA) back down the legal ladder, requiring three different federal appeals courts to reconsider their earlier decisions on the matter in light of a fresh ruling by the highest court in the land. The Supreme Court's Friday decision in Federal Communications Commission (FCC) vs. Consumers' Research saw a 6-3 majority of justices essentially dismiss an argument that the agency delegated too much authority to a private company to administer the program. With this decision in mind, the Supreme Court issued near identical “summary dispositions” for all three of the active petitions before the court focused on HISA-stemming from the 5th, 6th and 8th Circuits of the U.S. Court of Appeals-requiring them to reconsider how they had ruled in their prior decision on HISA's constitutionality. In those decisions, the 6th and 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld HISA's constitutionality. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, however, struck down HISA's enforcement mechanism as unconstitutional. To discuss the possible implications from the Supreme Court's actions for HISA, the TDN spoke Thursday with constitutional law expert Lucinda Finley. Finley is the Frank Raichle Professor of Trial and Appellate Advocacy, and director of Appellate Advocacy at the University of Buffalo Law School. The following has been heavily edited for brevity. TDN: Why does the FCC vs. Consumers' Research case that the Supreme Court ruled on last week hold such import over the various HISA cases? LF: Essentially, the cases involve the same constitutional issue, namely whether congress delegated too much authority either to the [Federal Trade Commission] FTC in the HISA cases, or the FCC in the consumers' research case. And second, did the agency delegate too much authority to a private entity, namely HISA [Authority], in the horse racing cases and a communications entity in the FCC case? They involve the same basic constitutional issues of what is known as the nondelegation and the private nondelegation doctrines-the concern about the scope of congress' authority to grant discretion to agencies, and an agency's authority to grant discretion to develop rules to private entities. TDN: Can you summarize the decision in the FCC vs. Consumers' Research case, and how it's applicable to HISA? LF: What the decision to me is saying is that a majority of the Supreme Court have zero interest in reconsidering their longstanding precedence about the non-delegation and private nondelegation doctrines. A six judge majority of the current Supreme Court has basically reiterated and upheld the precedence that the 6th, 8th and partially the 5th Circuit in the HISA cases have relied on to find most of HISA constitutional. The majority of the Supreme Court in the FCC vs. Consumers' Research case said congress can give broad authority to determine rules to an agency, as long as they have some general intelligible ascertainable principal to guide what the agency does. The HISA statute clearly has that. All the rules that are developed have to be based on the welfare and the safety of horses and riders and the integrity of the sport. That is actually more intelligible guidance than the principle in the FCC case, where the statute said that the private entity just had to determine a fee-that telecommunication carriers had to contribute to a fund as whatever amount was sufficient to enable the extension of telecommunication services to poor communities. The second principle from the FCC case concerns the private nondelegation doctrine. The petitioners in that case were challenging how, in order to provide broadband and other telecommunication services to poor or rural areas that the private marketplace might not want to serve on its own because they wouldn't make enough profit, the agency set up a fund requiring fees to be paid in. The agency in that case, the FCC, had given the authority to a private party to look at how much things were costing, what it would cost to extend services, and based on that, to determine the fee that the service providers had to contribute to the fund. The petitioners said that delegation by the federal agency to a private body violated the private nondelegation doctrine. The Supreme Court said, 'no it doesn't. It's fine.' They noted that all the private body was doing was essentially making recommendations that the federal agency had to review and had the approval power over. I think this new Supreme Court decision makes that argument a slam dunk for the constitutionality of the structure of the HISA Act, [for] it gives the [HISA] Authority the ability to recommend the rules in the first place and then send them up to the FTC for approval. US Supreme Court | Getty Images TDN: The Supreme Court has vacated each lower court's decision (in the 5th, 6th, and 8th Circuit Court cases), sending each one back to its originating federal appeals court for reconsideration. Can you walk us through what this will mean procedurally? LF: We call it G.V.R. Grant the petition for certiorari. Vacate the lower courts. And remand for reconsideration. The Supreme Court is saying, 'We're going to show respect to the lower courts who have looked at the particulars of the HISA structure, and let them be the ones to reflect on our new decision and write their own opinions explaining how our new decision applies to the HISA cases.' By vacating the lower court decisions, basically what that means is there is no binding ruling for or against the constitutionality of HISA right now. The lower courts will now probably ask the parties to submit briefs with their respective arguments as to how this new FCC vs. Consumers' Research case bears on the constitutional questions in the HISA cases, and then the lower courts will get to write their own opinions saying how they think this new decision applies to HISA. TDN: How long will that take? LF: That's a question of how quickly the lower courts decide to set a briefing schedule and whether they want oral arguments or just want to do it based on a briefing schedule. I would hope that the lower courts will want to move this forward rather quickly because these cases were up at the Supreme Court for quite a long time. I think everyone understands it would be best to have a definitive resolution to the HISA issues sooner rather than later. TDN: The 6th and 8th Circuits agreed that HISA's rulemaking structure is constitutional. The 5th Circuit disagreed by opining that HISA's enforcement provisions are unconstitutional because it incorrectly delegates governmental enforcement powers to a private corporation. How do you expect each of the appeals courts to act as they reconsider their original rulings in light of the FCC v. Consumers' Research decision? LF: First let me say, the cases would go back to the same panel of three judges in the lower courts that heard the case initially, who already found the basic structure and rule-making authority in the HISA statute to be constitution. I also think it is highly likely that the lower courts will once again, now bolstered by this new Supreme Court decision, say that the basic structure of the HISA statute that recognizes the private HISA Authority and gives it the ability to recommend rules to the FTC-and the FTC then gets to approve them, reject them, suggest modifications-that fundamental structure of the statute is constitutional. Now, the 5th Circuit found that the enforcement provisions of HISA were unconstitutional-that they gave too much enforcement authority to the private entity, because they gave it investigatory authority, subpoena authority, initial determination of violations. There was no enforcement issue in the recent FCC Supreme Court case. There's nothing in that case that directly bears on the enforcement power given to the private entity. So, it is possible the same three judges of the 5th Circuit that already found the enforcement power part of the HISA statute unconstitutional will say, 'we stick with our view. Nothing the FCC case changes that.' I suspect that HISA and the FTC will then be arguing, 'Oh, no, no. The new recent Supreme Court decision does change that.' As I said, going back to that larger policy implication, by a strong six-to-three majority, the current Supreme Court has basically said, 'We are not interested in revisiting our almost hundred-year-old precedence on private nondelegation. As long as the federal agency has the ultimate authority, it's constitutional.' Based on that, I would expect HISA and the FTC to argue that even under the enforcement provisions, the FTC and administrative judges and ultimately the federal courts have the final decision on whether anyone has violated the statute, and if so, what the proper penalty should be. We'll see whether the 5th Circuit is receptive to those arguments. It's important to emphasize the Supreme Court overruled the 5th Circuit in their FCC vs. Consumers' Research decision. It's generally been the U.S. appeals court for the 5th Circuit in a variety of cases that has been trying to resuscitate challenges to the longstanding precedent of the nondelegation and private nondelegation doctrines. I think the recent FCC case shows that there are only three Supreme Court justices wanting to go that way. At some point, the 5th Circuit may realize, how many times do you need to get slapped down by the Supreme Court before you say, 'Okay, we get it. We're not going out and around to make new law on the nondelegation doctrine.' TDN: But if the 5th Circuit rules in a way that would send the case back to the Supreme Court, what will happen then? LF: If the 5th Circuit issues an opinion basically that HISA's rule making authority is constitutional but the enforcement authority is not, you will still have a conflict with the decisions of the 6th and 8th Circuits. I would then expect that the FTC and the HISA Authority would once again petition the U.S. Supreme Court. And I think it would be very likely that the Supreme Court would have to take that case, because you would still have a conflict between the lower circuit courts on the constitutionality of a significant part of the HISA statue. So yes, in another year or two, we could be right back at this same situation. TDN: In this reconsideration process we're in right now, can the litigants apply other angles to their arguments, where they believe HISA is unconstitutional beyond the enforcement provisions? LF: In their initial complaints filed in the district courts, they raised some additional issues such as the appointment authority [otherwise known as an appointments clause challenge]-whether the members of the HISA Authority need to be co-principal officers of the United States, given their rulemaking recommendation ability. And thus, need to be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. That's an issue that the lower courts didn't really resolve and was not an issue in the Supreme Court petitions that just got sent back for reconsideration. Another issue they raised in their complaints initially in the district courts was what they call the anti-commandeering argument. They argue that the fee structure in the HISA statute puts too much pressure on state racing commissions to be the ones to collect the fees and send them to HISA. But the lower courts have rejected that argument. So, [the litigants] could now try to focus on their appointments clause challenges. But there was another Supreme Court case last week that I think resolves the appointments clause question as well [in Kennedy vs. Braidwood Management]. I read both of those Supreme Court decisions of last week as pretty much settling the questions of the constitutionality of HISA, even on the enforcement issue. Under the enforcement scheme, it's very clear that HISA's enforcement rulings are the beginning of the process, they're not the final say. They [defendants] can go to an administrative law judge, and then ultimately to a federal court. [Furthermore], the lived experience under HISA, we are seeing administrative law judges more and more actively reviewing HISA decisions, and often disagreeing with them or making substantial changes, modifying and reducing penalties. TDN: Unsurprisingly, various sides in the separate HISA cases have all claimed the Supreme Court's Monday action as a win. Do HISA's opponents have any reason to feel emboldened by Monday's decision? For example, the national HBPA described the Supreme Court's decision to remand as a “renewed opportunity for the Fifth Circuit to address the fundamental constitutional issues raised by horsemen nationwide-and do so in a manner consistent with the highest Court's recent guidance and precedent.” LF: I think the [broader NHPBA] statement signals that they're going to press their enforcement claims and their appointments clause claims in the lower courts. As I already said, the FCC case decision does not directly consider enforcement powers. But to the extent the enforcement powers arguments against HISA are essentially private nondelegation doctrine arguments, it's still the same underlying constitution issue. The way the Supreme Court has analyzed the question of private nondelegation is to look at whether the federal agency ultimately has the right to review and reject the actions of the private authority. And the Supreme Court said in the FCC vs. Consumers' Research case that if the federal agency has the power to review and accept or reject the actions of the private body, then it does not violate the private nondelegation doctrine. That general principle should apply whether its enforcement recommendations of the private body or rule making recommendations of the private body. As I said, I think the ultimate issue is, do they [the HISA Authority] have the powers of principal officers of the United States or not. That issue is why I think the case last week [Kennedy vs. Braidwood Management] about the panels that make recommendations about preventive health services to the secretary of HHS is so relevant. The court said no, they don't exercise the powers of principal officers to the United States because ultimately what they're doing is making recommendations to the agency and the agency gets to decide whether to accept or reject their recommendations. TDN: In light of all that has happened legally since HISA was enacted, how do you see its legal footing? Stronger than ever? Still a little shaky? LF: I think the tenor of my remarks throughout our conversation has been that I think the Supreme Court decisions of last week put HISA on very solid constitutional footing. I guess the big question going forward is going to be, how many other states are going to go the route of Texas and say, 'you know, we are so intent on doing it our own way that we are willing to give up millions of dollars in interstate wagering revenue that are a life blood of horse racing.' The post Q&A With Lucinda Finley: “HISA On Very Solid Constitutional Footing” 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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