Wandering Eyes

A guide to this week's radio and television coverage of racing, highlighted by NBC's coverage of the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and Cotillion Stakes (G1) from Parx Racing. View the full article

Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) may be on course to run in a star-studded G1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket this month. Trainer Andre Fabre had been aiming the unbeaten G1 Prix Morny winner at the Oct. 12 G1 Darley Dewhurst S. over seven furlongs–but with Charlie Appleby’s devastating G1 National S. winner Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) now likely to represent owners Godolphin in that, Earthlight’s target is set to switch. As a result, a mouthwatering clash with the likes of Ger Lyon’s unbeaten Siskin (First Defence) and Richard Hannon’s flying machine Mums Tipple (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) is on the cards on Sept. 28. “Of course, given that Pinatubo is now likely to head to the Dewhurst, we have had a rethink about Earthlight,” said Fabre. “I’m waiting for Sheikh Mohammed’s decision, but I’d have thought he would go for the Middle Park now. He’s already won a Group 1 over six furlongs in the Prix Morny, so we won’t be asking him to do anything different. The Middle Park does seem quite a good race this year, but there is no such thing as an easy Group 1.” The post Earthlight Camp Mulls Middle Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Richard Fahey is keen to give Space Traveller (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) the chance to prove himself at the top table in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita in November. A surprise winner of the G3 Jersey S. at Royal Ascot in June, the Bated Breath colt then suffered back-to-back defeats at Goodwood and York. However, he bounced back to winning ways in the G2 Boomerang S. at Leopardstown on Saturday–and Fahey has earmarked the Grade I contest on Nov. 2 as the end-of-season target for his charge. Fahey said, “It was a fantastic performance at Leopardstown, and it was just the job. The mile seems to be his trip. I was happy to see him win again, because he is a good little horse. I thought he was a fraction unlucky the time before at York, because not everything went right. “I was led to believe straight after the race that we would get an invite to the Breeders’ Cup. It is a bit up in the air, but I would love to go there. He has got that natural speed and travels well, and he would be well suited to the track. Hopefully we can get there with a bit of luck.” The post Space Traveller Eyes Breeders’ Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Cameron Beatty was at that stage in life–young, healthy, athletic, motivated, naive–where he never even imagined the possibility that everything he had could be taken away from him. He was the starting quarterback at Freehold Township (NJ) High School and had accepted an offer to play at Fairleigh Dickinson, where he had an academic scholarship. He was going places, and on the fast track. In an instant, everything changed. In 2010, Beatty, now 27, was on his way to the gym to workout when he had a motorcycle accident so serious that it nearly cost him his life. He suffered a brain injury, a ruptured spleen and internal bleeding. At first, the doctors did not realize the extent of the spleen injury and the bleeding it was causing, but when his heart rate dropped to under 20 beats per minute he was rushed into emergency surgery. “I woke up one morning bleeding to death,” he said. It was a windy, grey morning on the backstretch at Monmouth Park as Beatty told his story. He was there not just to talk about his accident but about the horse he owns, Horologist (Gemologist). The New Jersey-bred is coming off an upset win over 2018 Eclipse Award winner Jaywalk (Cross Traffic) in the GIII Monmouth Oaks and is preparing for the biggest start of her career, the GI Cotillion S. Sept. 21 at Parx. Life is good now. He’s married, got his degree from New Jersey City University, recovered from his accident to the point where he was able to play semi-pro football and owns a valuable and talented horse. What does one story have to do with the other? Everything. Click to continue reading in TDN Look. The post TDN Look: A Young Man, an Old Man, a Second Chance, and a Dream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The National Steeplechase Association's race to the Eclipse Award begins in earnest Sept. 19 when American jumping sport's leading lights line up at Belmont Park for the $150,000 Lonesome Glory Handicap (NSA-G1). View the full article

The Henry Cecil Open Weekend, where visitors are given a rare chance to see behind the scenes at British Horseracing’s HQ in Newmarket, is scheduled for Sept. 21-22. Renamed to celebrate the life of the late, great Sir Henry Cecil, the 3-year partnership is backed by a group of his previous owners with the aim of supporting the development and welfare of young people working in the racing industry. Beneficiaries include Racing Welfare, Race Centre and the British Racing School. Among the events over the two-day open weekend, are tours of the British Racing School, Newmarket Equine Hospital, Palace House-the National Horseracing Museum, National Stud, Newmarket Racecourse and Jockey Club Rooms. At 8 a.m. on Sunday, several equine stars can be observed on the Warren Hill Gallops, among them Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). A total of 21 trainers will open their yards to the public from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. later that morning. Tickets start at £17 per person for a Sunday wristband, with selling locations including all equine sites, car parks and yards. Children aged 12 and under are free all weekend. For the full schedule of events, full ticket pricing and more information, go to www.thehenrycecilopenweekend.co.uk. “The Open Weekend is a fantastic opportunity for the public to go behind the scenes and meet the trainers, staff, and horses that have made this a summer to remember of racing,” said Charlie Fellowes, Chairman of The Henry Cecil Open Weekend. “We have an action packed weekend planned for our visitors to enjoy. The queen of racing Enable will canter on Warren Hill, alongside a host of other big names on Sunday morning. Please help us raise funds for our amazing charities and we look forward to welcoming you to Newmarket this weekend.” The post Henry Cecil Open Weekend Scheduled for Sept. 21-22 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The word champion can be used in many different categories in racing and during Irish Champions Weekend, there were a number of individuals, both human and equine, for whom this already applies or soon will. The champion everyone in racing was most pleased to see in person at the Curragh was Pat Smullen, and we’ll be hearing more from him in his TDN column on Wednesday. It is worth adding, however, that Smullen’s modesty is such that his words tomorrow will doubtless focus on others, so here’s a brief thought about him. Simply, without the extraordinary exploits of his race-riding career coupled with an appaealing lack of egotism in his day-to-day life, racing folk—from fans and grooms to some of the sport’s biggest owner-breeders—would not have put their hands so deep in their pockets. The various activities surrounding the Irish Champions Weekend have so far raised €1.3 million for Cancer Trials Ireland, and that tally will rise still. Furthermore, this is a man currently undergoing another course of chemotherapy, which is as physically draining as it is mentally. It is not an exaggeration to say that it was a Herculean effort for Smullen even to attend the races on Sunday, so while he is thanking others, it is important that we thank him for spearheading this campaign in the midst of his own illness. Here, There and Everywhere There was no shortage of champion jockeys in Ireland over the weekend. A magnificent nine lined up for the Pat Smullen Champions Race on Sunday, and though Britain’s reigning champion Silvestre de Sousa is sidelined through injury, the champion jockey-elect, Oisin Murphy, made a quick visit to his homeland on Saturday for a frustrating ride on Deirdre (Jpn) in the G1 QIPCO Irish Champion S. before taking part in an informative day of Arc trials in Paris on Sunday. The one star name missing from Ireland was Frankie Dettori. The fact that he takes so few rides in comparison to his younger rivals means that numerically he is way down the jockeys’ table with 57 wins to Murphy’s 190, but reshuffle the order by prize-money won and Dettori’s stellar season is writ large. With £5,437,576 earned by his mounts this season he has a tally more than double that of his nearest pursuer Ryan Moore, and he added another two Group 1 victories aboard Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Star Catcher (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) to his haul of 16 top-flight wins in 2019. There have been two Irish champion jockeys since Pat Smullen notched his ninth title in 2016 and those two, Colin Keane and Donnacha O’Brien, are currently just one win apart at the top of the table. The same number splits Andrew Slattery and Oisin Orr in Ireland’s apprentice title, with Slattery having taken a narrow lead on Saturday courtesy of his third consecutive win on Kastasa (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) for the Aga Khan and Dermot Weld. All Guns Blazing The Aga Khan’s success over the weekend extended to the G2 Blandford S. winner Tarnawa (Ire), a daughter of Shamardal, who was also in the limelight after Pinatubo (Ire) won the G1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National S. by a whopping nine lengths. For a colt who started his winning streak on his May 10 debut at Wolverhampton, it would have been easy to dismiss him as an early 2-year-old who might be found out once some bigger guns started to fire in the autumn. However, his electrifying performance at the Curragh, following a five-length strike in the G2 Vintage S., was akin to a cannon’s boom which could have been heard by Siskin (First Defence) from his stable at Glenburnie. With Pinatubo likely to head to the Dewhurst and Siskin to the Middle Park, the two exciting juveniles may not meet until next year but if both remain healthy and sound, they are scintillating prospects to savour ahead of the Classics. Shamardal is currently fourth in the European stallion table behind Galileo (Ire), Dubawi (Ire) and Sea The Stars (Ire), with Frankel (GB) behind him in fifth. Each member of that quintet played a significant part in stakes results over the last week. The irrepressible Galileo was represented by Group 1 winners Love (Ire), Magical (Ire) and Search For A Song (Ire), Group 2 winners Waldgeist (GB) and Mogul (GB), Group 3 winner Norway (Ire) and listed scorers Blissful (Ire) and Lancaster House (Ire). Moreover, his offspring filled the top three slots in both the Irish Champion S. and the Irish St Leger. Galileo’s sons Frankel and Ruler Of The World (Ire) were responsible for the G1 St Leger winner Logician (GB) and G1 Matron S. winner Iridessa (Ire), while his daughters Starlet’s Sister (Ire) and Sky Crystal (Ire), were represented by Group 2 winners Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Space Traveller (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}). Newsells Park’s Stakes Treble The aforementioned Mogul and Waldgeist continued an excellent season for their breeder/co-breeder Newsells Park Stud, with Mogul being the brother to dual Group 1 winner and Derby third Japan (GB). Ispolini (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) completed a memorable weekend for the Hertfordshire stud by collecting the G3 Deutsches St Leger for Godolphin in Dortmund and he paid a further compliment to Newsells Park Stud resident Nathaniel (Ire), who is a three-parts-brother to Ispolini’s grandam Playful Act (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells). The Frankel yearling colt out of Ispolini’s dam Giant’s Play (Giant’s Causeway) is heading to Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Sale in a 26-strong draft for the stud, which will also offer a Dubawi half-brother to Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Tamarkuz (Speightstown) for John and Tanya Gunther. Dubawi’s results were enhanced by the return to form of G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Old Persian (GB), who won the GI Northern Dancer Turf S. at Woodbine and, like Too Darn Hot (GB) and Wuheida (GB), is out of a mare by Singspiel (Ire). A Galaxy of Stars Stradivarius (Ire) remains the stellar performer for his sire Sea The Stars (Ire) and, having already won his second Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers’ Million, he completed the old-fashioned stayers’ Triple Crown by adding the G2 Doncaster Cup to his Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup victories. The Gosden stable’s embarrassment of riches was augmented by the G1 Prix Vermeille victory for a high-class daughter of Sea The Stars in Irish Oaks winner Star Catcher (GB) for Anthony Oppenheimer but, unlike the owner-breeder’s Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), she is unlikely to head to the Arc even after her authoritative win at ParisLongchamp. Instead Star Catcher will swerve stable-mate Enable (GB) and be saved for QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot. Gosden also fielded Anapurna (GB) in the Vermeille but she could manage only seventh on her first start since becoming Frankel’s first British Classic winner in the Oaks back in June. His second was provided by yet another Clarehaven representative, Logician (GB), who gave Gosden his fifth victory in the St Leger and Frankie Dettori his sixth. Logician, an echo of his damsire Daylami (Ire) with his shimmering grey coat, is now unbeaten in five starts and is the highlight to date for his dam Scuffle (GB), a half-sister to Bated Breath (GB) and Cityscape (GB), despite the fact that the mare’s previous four foals are all multiple winners. Two of them—Suffused (GB)(Champs Elysees {GB}) and Battlement (GB) (Dansili {GB})—have also earned black type. Scuffle’s sibling, the Juddmonte stallion Bated Breath, heaped further glory on their dam Tantina (Distant View) as the sire of two stakes winners this weekend. Breathtaking Look (GB) won the G3 Japan Racing Association Sceptre S. for Stuart Williams and Jonathan Parry, while Space Traveller (GB) ensured that owner Steve Parkin would at least have some of his sponsorship money returned when he added the G3 Clipper Logistics Boomerang S. to his victory in the G3 Jersey S. at Royal Ascot. Bated Breath’s second Royal Ascot winner, Daahyeh (GB), also performed well in Ireland at the weekend when finishing second to Love in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. Ringfort Bubbling Over There were two champagne moments for Derek and Gay Veitch’s Ringfort Stud on Saturday. Firstly Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), bred by the Lumiere Partnership at Ringfort, continued on his upward trajectory to win his second Group 2 contest of the term when holding off Royal Crusade (Ire) (Shamardal) in the Pommery Champagne S. at Doncaster. The same sponsor also supported Musselburgh’s card where another Ringfort graduate, Just Hubert (Ire), rallied impressively to win the Edinburgh Cup. As a member of the first crop of the late Dunaden (Fr), the 3-year-old also earned his connections extra reward from the stallion’s breeders’ scheme premiums which are paid out by Sheikh Fahad on top of any prize-money earned. As a four-time winner, Just Hubert is his sire’s most prolific scorer and biggest plunderer of the breeders’ scheme pot. A Rare Gem While John Gosden’s record in the St Leger is impressive, Dermot Weld’s dominance of the Irish equivalent will take some beating. The trainer’s Vintage Crop (GB) (Rousillon) won back-to-back runnings each side of his historic Melbourne Cup victory in 1993 and 1994, but this feat was surpassed by the phenomenally consistent Vinnie Roe (Ire) (Definite Article {GB}), who made the race his own between 2001 and 2004. Voleuse De Coeurs (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) followed up with a six-length win in 2013 and was the most recent mare to triumph until Sunday’s dominant performance by Moyglare Stud’s homebred Search For A Song. It was a victory that was entirely fitting for so many reasons. Moyglare’s Eva Maria Bucher-Haefner has not only been a significant donor to the complete overhaul of the Curragh racecourse but has also provided funding for great improvements to the training centre, while her stud was a Group 1 sponsor during the Irish Champions Weekend. The only 3-year-old in the Leger field, Search For A Song is the second stakes winner for her dam Polished Gem (Ire) (Danehill) this season after her brother Falcon Eight (Ire)’s victory in the listed Coral Marathon at Sandown. She is also her dam’s second Group 1 winner after Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), whose name has been given to the new all-weather gallop on the Curragh which runs alongside the ‘Old Vic’. Arguably the most resilient of Polished Gem’s offspring is Custom Cut (Ire) (Notnowcato {GB}), whose 13 wins include three Group 2s, three Group 3s and another three listed contests, while her daughter Sapphire (Ire) (Medicean {GB}) won the G2 QIPCO British Champions Fillies’ and Mares’ S. Such a matriarch has indeed been a gem for an owner-breeder whose generosity in supporting others within the industry deserves to be rewarded. Stars Out For Newmarket’s Open Weekend Newmarket throws open its doors on Saturday and Sunday for the Henry Cecil Open Weekend and among the many events throughout the two days, the chance to see some of John Gosden’s stars will be worth getting out of bed early for on a Sunday morning. Enable, Stradivarius and Logician are among those who will canter up Warren Hill at 8am, an hour before 21 Newmarket yards open their doors for the morning. These include Sir Mark Prescott’s Heath House Stables and Roger Varian’s Carlburg Stables. On Sunday afternoon, a variety of racing stars, including William Buick and Ryan Moore, will be showing their versatility when competing in the show jumping competition on the Severals, while much less glamorously this correspondent will be serving Newmarket’s finest sausages at Beverley House Stables from 9am. There really is no rest for the wicked. The post The Weekly Wrap: Championing The Cause appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Editor’s Note: The Jockey Club has asked for public comment on their proposal to cap at 140 the number of mares a stallion can breed annually. In this ongoing series, we will publish the perspectives of breeders, stallion farms and others on the proposal. Arthur Hancock, Stone Farm I’m all for the proposal. I used to stand stallions; we had Halo, Bold Forbes, Northern Baby, and Cougar, the sire of Gato del Sol, but I got out of it because in order to buy a stallion prospect, you had to go out and breed so many mares. My father, Bull Hancock, everyone knows, was a top stallion man. I asked him, `Why don’t you take a few more mares to Bold Ruler?’ He told me in his own words: overbreeding a stallion compromises the quality of the offspring. And I agree with my father. And he told me back then if you had a son of Bold Ruler, even if he didn’t race, you could sell him for $50,000 to Argentina or Turkey, or somewhere. In the old days, you could get $25,000-$50,000 for the top 10-15 colts in all kinds of countries. If you’re the 10th best three-year-old colt in America now, it doesn’t mean a damn thing. If you’re the 10th best colt in the sale, maybe you’ll make two or three times your stud fee, maybe not. Now if you’ve got a son of Tapit, or any of these other good stallions, you can’t get anything for him unless he wins a graded stakes, and unless he wins a Grade I, you’re still out of the ballgame. If a stallion doesn’t hit, and most of them don’t, you pollute the gene pool with mediocre stock. Another wise old saying that my father used to say is that a good bull is half your herd and a bad bull is all of it. So a lot of bad bulls that you don’t know are going to be bad bulls go to stud and that downgrades the American bloodstock registry. Also, I think it’s unfair if you’re out here at the sales and you’ve got a yearling by a really good stallion, and you’re one of 60 or 70. There will be a few that hit big or do great, but talk to the others. I always felt it was unfair as a person who stood stallions to my customers who had bred to them, because if I did that, they’re going come out here and be one of 50 yearlings. So I think it’s the best thing for the future of the bloodstock industry. I think it’s the best thing for your customers. I agree with my father, because overbreeding stallions compromises the quality of the offspring. How many Secretariats have you seen lately? I haven’t seen any track records broken the past few years. When I was a boy, if you owned a racehorse, you could expect 45 lifetime starts. Now it’s nine or 10. Maybe that’s part of the reason. It compromises the quality of the offspring. I think the stallion people would b a lot better instead of breeding 200 mares to breed 100 to 130 and charge double or one-and-a-half times the current stud fee, and you can make your money back that way. I don’t know how stallions can breed that many mares. In the old days, my dad wouldn’t double a stallion two days in a row. Now, they breed four mares a day, every day. If you’ve got 100,000 Cadillacs to sell, each one is going to be worth less money than if you old had 1,000. It’s the old law of supply and demand. So we’re saturating the supply and it’s costing us all, I think, in the long run. We’d all be better off if we did this. The industry would, the breeders would, the people who buy would. I think it’s a win-win situation across the board. Want to share your opinion? Email suefinley@thetdn.com The post Opinions on the Cap: Arthur Hancock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost.Seldom do you see a Class Two race start a Wednesday night Happy Valley meeting – @ChareneWooWhile the political and social chaos in Hong Kong continues to degenerate into fighting on the streets, the city’s number one sport – horse racing – has remained largely unaffected.For whatever combination of reasons – the Jockey Club’s neutrality, the need for an escape, the… View the full article

Champion trainer John Moore has paid tribute to former Hong Kong horseman Geoff Lane, who died in Australia at the age of 80 on Sunday, saying “you wouldn’t find a nicer guy”.Lane was a star apprentice in Melbourne early in his career before winning the senior jockeys’ championship in 1959-60, collecting a host of features – including three Victoria Derbies and a Cox Plate, before being forced into an early retirement because of weight issues.He made the move to Hong Kong in the early 1970s,… View the full article

Fresh off his first winner of the season at Sha Tin on Sunday, reigning champion trainer John Size unveils exciting ex-Godolphin galloper Beauty Rush at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.Named Tin Hat when trained by James Cummings in Australia, Beauty Rush won four times from eight starts, with the highlight coming when he saluted in the Group Three Manfred Stakes (1,200m) at Caulfield in his last start before coming to Hong Kong.But better than his four-from-eight record is the form he has… View the full article

By the time the Caulfield Cup rolls around in Round 4 of the SuperCoach Racing season, these will be names of horses that SuperCoaches will have become familiar with. View the full article

Outgoing trainer Bruce Marsh could not have scripted his farewell meeting any better when he led in his favourite horse, old marvel Supernova, as his last Singapore winner on Sunday. The 69-year-old New Zealander has called a day on his 14-year-old stint at Kranji with the stable being handed over to his assistant-trainer Jason Ong from Monday. Already a successful trainer at his Woodville stables in New Zealand before he made the big move in 2005, Marsh carried on as the quiet achiever he has always been to go and reach the same lofty heights at Kranji, notably with two Emirates Singapore Derby wins – the first one, Hello And Goodbye, remarkably his very first winner at Kranji and Race Ahead the second one – and a Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge clean sweep with Gingerbread Man, among others. But that heart-stopping win by 11-year-old Supernova in a modest $50,000 Class 4 race over the Polytrack mile will undoubtedly rank highly among his long list of achievements in New Zealand and Kranji combined, or even Australia where the former jockey won the world-famous Melbourne Cup with Silver Knight in 1971. Just to see a host of his peers like Lee Freedman, Donna Logan, John O’Hara, Tan Kah Soon, Cliff Brown and even ex-trainer Brian Dean as well as owners like Mr Cheah Kim Teck, Mr Ong Boon Hin (Jason’s father), jockeys, syces, officials come down to celebrate with him and wish him well at the winner’s circle was a measure of how popular Marsh was among the close-knit Kranji racing fraternity. “I’m so pleased Supernova won my last race here. Zy (Nor Azman, his apprentice jockey) gave him a perfect 10-out-of-10 ride,” said Marsh who had wife Kay by his side. “I’ve never seen Zy so strong to the line. I’m over the moon. “This horse is my favourite at the stable. He’s got good clean legs, he’s a real ‘class’ horse. To do this when he is such an old horse is just amazing. “I’d like to thank all the owners who have supported me from Day 1 and my marvellous staff, too.” Freedman, who has struck a great friendship with Marsh since he arrived in Singapore in September 2017, was rapt to see his Kiwi mate go out on a winning note. “It’s fantastic for Bruce to do it with an old horse who’s 11. It couldn’t get any better than this,” said the Singapore champion trainer. “Is he in for a great night? I would imagine a fair bit, but I hope mine just gets better!” It actually did two races later when the Australian saddled his first winner in even-money favourite Muraahib, but the Australian went one step further by calling Marsh’s win even more fulfilling. “I’m happy I won, but to be honest, I’m happier to see Bruce win with Supernova. He’s a good mate and it couldn’t have ended any better than that,” he said. Supernova just touches out Green Star to score a fairytale farewell win for trainer Bruce Marsh on Sunday. Photo: STC While it was written in the skies Supernova would be the 417th and last bright shining star among Marsh’s constellation of winners at Kranji, it was also fitting it was supplied by his long-serving protégé Zy. “That’s the least I could do for my boss. He has always been supportive and also sent me to New Zealand (for further training),” said the Singaporean rider. “To do it for him, have his favourite horse win on the line, I’m just so honoured to be the jockey to do that for him, for the horse. “I gave it my all inside the last 200m. Even Supernova was giving his best. “In the last 50m, I was like ‘come on, boy, get there, get there’ and he got there. I’m very happy.” Supernova ($35) always had leader Green Star (Syahir Abdul) in his sights, staying within whiffing distance and all poised to strike for that dream finale for his trainer. In the home straight, it was heading towards a two-horse race with the other 10 runners struggling to make ground from the rear. Green Star, however, kicked clear and for a fleeting second, it looked like Marsh would have to rely on his last three runners (Dreamer Legend, Blitz Power and Uncle Lucky) for that fairytale ending. But Zy threw everything at the 11-year-old bar the sink. It was almost like time had come to a standstill with that invisible bond between horse and trainer playing out in slow motion. Supernova might have been at an age when many of his peers would be put to pasture, but here he was at that epic defining moment, digging deep into his entrails and reserve tank like a three-year-old, pumping every blood from his arteries through that big heart of his for only one man. The margin slowly but surely got worn down with both horses lunging at the line locked together. It was the stuff of legends in the making. Kranji held its breath – and to the explosion of joy felt across the grandstand and beyond (definitely in New Zealand where our races are watched ‘live’ every week), the racing Gods have smiled on Supernova – and for one last time on his trainer, Rangi Bruce Marsh. The post Marsh goes out with a Supernova Big Bang appeared first on BOAY Racing News. View the full article

A double at Ruakaka on Saturday has kept the momentum going for Byerley Park trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy after experiencing their best result in the past season. The couple saddled up 20 winners from their stable last term, four more than 2017-18, and with about six weeks of the current season completed they already have four wins on the board. Tipping Point was the first of their Ruakaka winners and the other victory came from Orakei Overlord, who began his career with Pukekohe trainer Patsy Riley and has returned from a successful innings in Australia, where he recorded four wins and five placings for Ballarat trainer Patrick Payne. “He’s reversed the trend by coming back here,” Shaun Clotworthy said. “He had a knee injury in Australia and his owner, Len Phillips, who is a neighbour, decided to bring him back and he gave him to us. “He beat a tidy Rating 82 field on Saturday and did it the hard way. He needs to settle a bit and when he does he could go really well. He’ll probably step up to a mile (1600m) next start.” Like Orakei Overlord, Tipping Point is a newcomer to the Clotworthy stable after originally being trained by her part-owner Adrian Bull and his son, Harry. The Road To Rock six-year-old mare had recorded a win and five placings before joining the Clotworthy stable. Tipping Point’s addition to the stable, along with a couple of other horses owned by the Bull family, has followed on from Harry Bull joining the Clotworthy team. “Harry came north for a career change and was working as a builder for a while then started coming out and riding work for us,” Clotworthy said. “That’s when he decided he wanted to get back into it so he started working for us. “It’s great to have him in the team. He’s a trainer in his own right and a big help to Emma and I. Emma has had a lot of equestrian experience over the years and she brings a new dimension to the training, too. It’s all working out well. ” There was a setback at Ruakaka for the team when the capable William Wallace (racing in Adrian and Robyn Bull’s colours) bled in Orakei Overlord’s race and now faces a mandatory stand down period. But getting a win from Tipping Point helped soften the disappointment. “Tipping Point came up to be a jumper, but she’s taken a while to get the hang of things,” Clotworthy said. “She might have a hurdle start on the last jumps day at Te Aroha, though we might change our minds now that she has won again on the flat.” A third Bull-owned member of the Clotworthy team is the promising Galway Bro, who is raced by the estate of the late Jim Bull OBE and holds a nomination for the Gr.3 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton on November 16. The son of Handsome Ransom won the first of his three starts when trained by Chris Rauhihi and first stepped out publicly for the Clotworthy stable when second at the recent Te Teko trials. “He trialled well at Te Teko and will run over 1300m at Taupo on Friday,” Clotworthy said. “He’s a natural staying type and is still in the New Zealand Cup, but he will have to show plenty between times to get there.” The Clotworthy team also includes Annie Okay, who has won twice from nine starts and was stakes-placed when third in last October’s Gr.3 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie. “She failed dismally at New Plymouth last start and maybe she didn’t like going left-handed,” Clotworthy said. “She has had a break and looks to be coming up well. She’ll trial at Ruakaka (Tuesday).” The Clotworthys have increased their team to 25 to 30 horses, including a few being broken-in, and are pleased to have some nice two-year-olds in the squad. Shaun gets his break away from racing in his role as co-coach for the Papakura Premier rugby side. “It’s my fourth year coaching and I love it,” said the former halfback, whose rugby-playing days included stints of a year apiece placing in South Africa and England and 20 games for Counties. “My son, Harrison, (17) is playing halfback for the first 15 side and I like to get along and watch when I can. My daughter Tatum (15), is also into her sports and represented New Zealand in Tae Kwon Do. “I love racing, but having the coaching job is a bit of a release from it and a chance to think about something else.” Having so much tied up in horse racing, Clotworthy is disappointed in the lack of changes to improve the industry in New Zealand. “It’s so frustrating,” he said. “Maybe one day I’ll get into the politics and understand the other side a bit more, but the way I see it something has to be done and done soon. The stake money has got to be improved. “It’s a good industry and we’re working hard but getting nowhere. It’s been let run down and run down for so long. “Both my son and daughter are keen on racing with our set-up being a family operation and I want them to be involved in years to come if they want, but unless something drastic happens soon they mightn’t get the opportunity. “It’s making it tougher and tougher to attract new owners and unless there is a massive improvement it will only get worse.” The post Clotworthy stable on a roll appeared first on BOAY Racing News. View the full article

LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland September Yearling Sale’s Book 3 section opened with a day of competitive bidding Sunday in Lexington as 256 yearlings changed hands for a total of $30,025,000. The sixth session average was $117,285 and the median was $85,000. Of the 366 horses offered, 110 failed to reach their reserves for a buy-back rate of 30.05%. A pair of yearlings topped the $500,000 mark Sunday, with a colt by Quality Road attracting the session’s highest bid of $510,000. The session topper was consigned by Select Sales and WinStar Farm’s Elliott Walden made the winning bid on behalf of a partnership with the farm and China Horse Club International. WinStar has been active as both buyers and sellers this week at Keeneland. “It’s been solid on both sides,” Walden said. “It’s tough to buy and conversely, it’s good when you sell. I think it’s a healthy market. Looking at the dynamics of everything in the industry, there is not a better time that I can remember to be an owner in the industry because of the purses. You’re running for $130,000 at Kentucky Downs, $90,000 at Saratoga. The expenses had to go up a decade ago, just because hay, feed, labor, everything’s gone up. But now the purses are catching up. It’s a good time to be in the horse business, I think. Just from an economic standpoint.” Select Sales sold 19 yearlings Sunday, including the session-topping Quality Road colt, for a gross of $2,850,000. “The great thing about Book 3 is that the horses that hit the target are selling and the horses that don’t hit the target are also selling,” Select Sales’ Carrie Brogden said. “There is more depth of buyers and also my owners are being more realistic in selling their horses. If I say, ‘This horse has this, this and this,’ we are adjusting the reserves. People are wanting to trade.” Following a competitive opening week of bidding, pinhookers became a more obvious presence on the results sheets Sunday. “We have bought 10 so far and we got most of them on the first two days, which I am delighted about,” said Ocala horseman Eddie Woods. “But we’ve been scrambling ever since. We got three today and one yesterday.” Of the increased participation from pinhookers, Woods said, “That the way it’s supposed to be. The quality kind of drops off, the big planes have left. It’s always been the time when the tide has turned. It won’t be a great sale if you have pinhookers in there the first two days just banging away any time they want. Then it’s not good. But it’s been a great sale so far and for the better horses, it’s going to hold all the way through.” The Keeneland September sale continues through next Sunday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m. Quality Sells at Keeneland Sunday A colt by Quality Road (hip 1385) shot to the top of the leaderboard early in Sunday’s session of the Keeneland September sale when bringing a session-topping final bid of $510,000 from WinStar Farm CEO Elliott Walden. WinStar purchased the yearling in partnership with China Horse Club International. “He’s a nice athletic colt by Quality Road,” Walden said of the yearling’s appeal. “We felt like he was one of the better ones on the day.” Hip 1385, bred by Machmer Hall and consigned by Select Sales, is out of Spring Storm (Unbridled’s Song). He is a half-brother to multiple graded placed Stainless (Flatter). Spring Storm, in foal to Proud Citizen, sold for $29,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale. The 12-year-old mare, whose second dam produced champion Countess Diana, has a weanling colt by Malibu Moon and was bred back to West Coast. “We bought her before Stainless was graded placed,” explained Select Sales and Machmer Hall’s Carrie Brogden. “This colt jumped through all of the hoops. He had great vetting. He was very uncomplicated and he was just one of those horses that got better and better as he got older.” Brogden said Machmer Hall has built its brand at the sales and on the racetrack. “This if the first sale where people have specifically said to me, ‘Ah. This is a Machmer Hall horse. We know you’ve raised it as a runner,'” Brogden said. “That makes me feel really good.” Frosted Filly to McPeek A filly from the first crop of Grade I winner Frosted will be joining the barn of Ken McPeek after the trainer bid $500,000 to acquire the youngster on behalf of Scott and Dana Leeds’s Walking L Thoroughbreds Sunday at Keeneland. “She was the best filly of the day, in my opinion,” McPeek said as he watched on his phone while one of his charge’s headed into the gate at Churchill Downs. “We got one early, as well, and I’m really thrilled to take her home.” The yearling was McPeek’s seventh purchase of the September sale. He also purchased a colt by Frosted (hip 1487) Sunday for $180,000. Walking L Thoroughbreds campaigns recent GIII With Anticipation S. winner Fighting Seabee (Summer Front) and graded winner Cairo Cat (Cairo Prince). Hip 1578 was bred by Runnymede Farm, Peter Callahan, Manlius Stable and Bill Oppenheim, and was consigned to the sale by Runnymede Farm. She is out of Dream to Dream (Scat Daddy), who is a full-sister to group winner Daddy Long Legs. “She was a very well-balanced individual with a great walk and a great mind,” said Runnymede vice president and general manager Romain Malhouitre. “She came here and never put a step wrong along the way. She was very busy in the barn. Did we expect that? No. But we liked her all the way.” The breeding partnership purchased Dream to Dream for $60,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale. Malhouitre agreed 2011 G2 Royal Lodge S. winner Daddy Long Legs’s presence in the pedigree was part of the mare’s appeal, but added, “It was the individual as well. And being by Scat Daddy. Our partner Bill Oppenheim just pointed out to us that she was in the sale and we went to see her and we liked her. She is a compact, well-made Scat Daddy.” Dream to Dream RNA’d with this now-yearling in utero for $120,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November sale. “In the beginning, we didn’t know what we wanted to do,” Malhouitre explained. “Frosted was quite popular, so we tried to see if we could flip her and make money, but the market was not having it. So we were happy to just keep her.” Dream to Dream produced a filly by Animal Kingdom this year and was bred back to Will Take Charge. Runnymede Farm had further success Sunday, selling a filly by Liam’s Map for $300,000 to Team Casse. The yearling (hip 1619) is out of multiple stakes winner Half Heaven (Regal Classic). Bred by Dixiana Farms, she RNA’d for $70,000 at last year’s Keeneland November sale. “I raised her half-sister Highestmaintenance (Macho Uno) when I was at Dixiana and bought her from Mr. [William] Shively at the November sales,” Malhouitre said. “He was very kind to sell her to me. She’s another one with a great walk and a great mind. Those two fillies have been unbelievable the last three days at the sales.” Both Runnymede fillies were by first-crop sires. “We have to balance things,” Malhouitre said. “With young mares, we do different things. We go unproven, proven, unproven, proven. We would like to breed everything on the top, but value wise, it’s not possible for all the mares. So we are trying to have good balance between proven sires, the ones on the bubble, and the freshmen. We think it’s good for all of us. We have the land and the team at Runnymede who help us to develop some very good horses. So, it works.” Runnymede chief executive officer Brutus Clay, III, standing nearby as Malhouitre spoke, added, “We also have to thank our general manager and the whole team at the farm, as well as the bidders and underbidders.” The post Competitive Bidding As Book 3 Opens at Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It was a fight to the finish all the way around for Abscond in the $250,000 Natalma Stakes (G1T), but the 2-year-old daughter of Blame got up between two horses to cross the wire first in the Sept. 15 event at Woodbine. View the full article

Abscond (f, 2, Blame–Solitary Life, by Grand Slam), with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, had to do it the hard way, but got the job done nonetheless in Sunday’s GI Natalma S., a Breeders’ Cup ‘ Win and You’re In’ event for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita. Battling throughout with Walk in Marrakesh (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), the 9-1 chance proved gamest late, getting her nose down in front of her rival at the wire. 3-5 choice Fair Maiden (Street Boss) appeared poised for victory, but drifted out in the late stages and had to settle for third. Final time for the one-mile test was :1:36.51. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $200,000. O-Apogee Bloodstock & Mike Anderson Racing LLC. B-Michael Niall (KY); T-Eddie Kenneally. The post Blame’s Abscond Lands Woodbine’s GI Natalma S. appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Juddmonte’s Cardamon (2, Pioneerof the Nile–Soothing Touch, by Touch Gold) came from just off the pace for a professional score at Churchill Downs Sunday. Settled in a stalking position behind initial fractions of :22.02 and :45.71, the 7-5 favorite spurted to the front turning for home, opened up in the stretch and was a comfortable 1 1/2-length winner over Getridofwhatailesu (Ghostzapper) at the wire. Final time for the seven furlong test was 1:23.19. The homebred is a half-sister to multiple Grade I winner and millionaire Emollient (Empire Maker) and Hofburg (Tapit), a stakes winner and Grade I placed. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,000. O/B-Juddmonte farms Inc. (KY); T-Bill Mott. The post Well-related Pioneerof the Nile Filly Wins Debut at Churchill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Spendthrift Farm’s star sire Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday–Leslie’s Lady, by Tricky Creek) will stand for $175,000 S&N with a full book in 2020, Spendthrift announced Sunday. That’s an increase of $25,000 from the $150,000 he stood for in 2019. “I don’t know if we’ve seen anything quite like Into Mischief, it’s truly remarkable the things he’s doing,” said Ned Toffey, general manager at Spendthrift. “Aside from amounting results on the track and in the sales ring, he’s the consummate professional and loves his job. This year, over 96% of his mares checked in foal. We think Into Mischief is making a positive impact on the breed that will be felt for years to come, particularly with the heart and durability that are signatures of his offspring.” Spendthrift said it plans to announce fees for the rest of its 2020 roster in the near future. The post Into Mischief Fee Bumped Up to $175K appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

West Point Thoroughbreds, William Freeman, and William Sandbrook's Decorated Invader came from off the pace and pulled away to a clear lead in the $250,000 Summer Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine while making his third start for trainer Christophe Clement. View the full article

Decorated Invader (2, ,c, Declaration of War–Gamely Girl, by Arch) came from off the pace to prevail by 1 3/4 lengths over 99-1 longshot Cadet Connelly (Grey Swallow {Ire}) in Woodbine’s GI Summer S., a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ event for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita in November. Trained by Christophe Clement, the colt was coming into this race off of an impressive maiden tally at Saratoga Aug. 10. Final time for the eight-furlong test was 1:36.34. Co-owner West Point Thoroughbreds previously won the Summer S. in 2017 with Untamed Domain. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $217,500. O-West Point Thoroughbreds, William Freeman & William Sandbrook. B-Redmon Farm LLC (KY); T-Christophe Clement. The post ‘Invader’ Punches Ticket to Breeders’ Cup with GI Summer S. Win appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Anthony Oppenheimer's homebred Star Catcher was a tenacious winner who made all bar a messy first furlong of the Sept. 15 Qatar Prix Vermeille (G1) at ParisLongchamp. View the full article

Corsi (2, c, Honor Code–Beth’s Bling, by City Zip) gets off the mark the right way with a stylish four-length victory in his Woodbine unveiling Sunday. Content to stalk the early pace, the 5-1 shot swung out for the stretch drive, shot to the front in early stretch, drew clear and was a geared-down winner at the wire. Tomcat Black (Bernardini) was second. Corsi is the fourth winner for his freshman sire (by A.P. Indy). Final time for the six furlong race was 1:09.97. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,600. O-Glenn Sikura, Mario Serrani, Showay Chen & Stephen Crooks. The post Honor Code Firster Gains Easy Woodbine Win appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Group 1 winner Skitter Scatter has been retired as of Sept. 15 after suffering a recurrence of the muscle injury she sustained in the QIPCO One Thousand Guineas (G1) in May. View the full article

Code of Honor enjoyed a four-furlong breeze over Big Sandy Sept. 15 in preparation for the Sept. 28 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont Park. View the full article