Wandering Eyes

Dr. Laurie Bohannon has been named to the newly created position of Senior Veterinarian at Santa Anita, The Stronach Group announced Wednesday. Bohannon will serve at the direction of TSG Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Dionne Benson going into Santa Anita’s 23-day Autumn Meet which opens Sept. 27. “In addition to Dr. Bohannon, we have a wealth of veterinary expertise working as part of our team here at Santa Anita,” said Benson. “Dr. Bohannon’s day-to-day role will be to work with our Association veterinarians to ensure the best possible on-track coverage during training and racing. She will often cover on-track training in the morning as well as assist our primary Track Veterinarian, Dr. [Dana] Stead, in order to provide coverage during live racing. Additionally, she will assist with morning examinations for both racing and training.” Bohannon, who received her DVM from Colorado State University, completed her internship at Pioneer Equine Hospital in Oakdale, and completed her residency in Surgery at UC Davis. Along with a Clinical Fellowship at Oregon State University, Bohannon has practiced in both private and regulatory veterinary medicine at California racetracks. In further discussing the assignments of Santa Anita’s team of vets, Benson said, “Dr. Stead will be returning as our primary on-track veterinarian in the afternoons. He brings years of experience to this important task as well as the pre-race and pre-work examinations. Dr. Tim Grande [representing the CHRB] will also perform pre-race and pre-work exams on behalf of Santa Anita. Dr. Grande has been performing these examinations for many years in Southern California and is an invaluable member of our team. Additionally, we hired Dr. April Chitrakar last year to assist in the mornings and she will be returning. Finally, we have Dr. Debbie Lamparter, who leads the Breeders’ Cup veterinary team. She’ll be assisting for several days during morning training prior to opening day here to ensure we have extra coverage.” The post Santa Anita Adds Bohannon to Vet Team appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

George Papaprodromou doesn’t believe that training horses is all that difficult. “All you need is to have the horse,” he said. “If you don’t have good horses forget about it. A good horse makes you a good trainer.” Not all owners believe that, which is why so many of the bigger owners virtually never give someone Papaprodromou a chance. He’s lucky that there are still a few owners left like Rustin Kretz, who see the advantages of having a trainer with a smaller stable who is more hands on than the so called super trainers. That’s why he picked Papaprodromou to train American Theorem (American Pharoah), a professional 1 1/2-length winner over a tough group of maidens Saturday at Del Mar. The horse gave every indication that he belongs at the very top of anyone’s list of the best 2-year-old males in California. Papaprodromou and Kretz don’t know what they have yet and probably won’t until the colt runs back in the GI American Pharoah S. Sept. 27 at Santa Anita. But there’s one thing Kretz is certain of: he picked the right guy to train this horse. “George is really passionate about what he does,” Kretz said. “Though, I have a number of horses, I am still a smaller owner. I’m not one of the type of clients that a Bob Baffert takes on. George gives you a lot of insights about how the horses are doing and he cares a lot. I appreciate the partnerships with George. George is a really hard worker and it looks like the two of us have gotten lucky with this one.” There is certainly some truth to Papaprodromou’s theory that good horses make good trainers and not vice versa, but for years he had a hard time finding anyone who would give him a horse who could run. Training since 2003, through Sunday, he’s had 132 winners from 1,494 starters. He’s also had two graded stakes wins, with Mr. Roary (Scat Daddy) in the 2017 GIII Eddie D. S. and with Imperative (Bernardini) in the GII 2014 Charles Town Classic. He learned under his father, Andreas Papaprodromou, and then took over the family stable in 2003. In his first four years out on his own, he won just nine races. But, thanks in large part to Kretz, his stable has grown in recent years and he says he now has about 30 horses. “It’s a great feeling,” Papaprodromou said of Saturday’s win. “Every year with Mr. Kretz we’ve been buying babies and trying to come up with a good one. I have a small barn and it’s not easy when you run against Baffert and those other guys with the $1-million horses.” Bred by Sierra Farm, American Theorem RNA’d at $190,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September sale. Kretz later reached a deal to buy the horse privately from the breeder for $200,000 “We were at Keeneland, where I normally shop for fillies, but this year I decided I wanted a colt,” Kretz said. “I always use Gayle Van Leer as our advisor and always ask her to go back and take a second look at the horses who were RNAs. Usually, with the ones I ask about, she says they’re not horses you want to buy. But with this one, she really liked him and said we ought to go for it. I was a big American Pharoah fan. I thinking getting a colt by him that’s like this one was a steal.” “There are a lot of American Pharoahs who sold for more than him, but $200,000, that’s not that cheap,” said Papaprodromou ” We liked him. My owner isn’t like some of the owners who have the big-name trainers. He can’t spend $1 million for a horse, so he was perfect for our budget.” To no one’s surprise, Baffert had two starters in the race, first-timer Backshot (Tapiture) and Hydrogen (Violence), who finished third in his debut. Even with his breeding, American Theorem, considering the competition and the lack of exposure Papaprodromou gets, figured to be an afterthought with the bettors. Instead, he was the 2-1 favorite. “George was going up against two Bafferts and he’s notorious for not cranking his horses up for their first starts,” Kretz said. “When I walked into the paddock we weren’t the favorite and then a few minutes later we were. I thought then, ‘Geez, this is true. This is not just George talking this horse up. This horse is for real.'” With jockey Tiago Pereira aboard, American Theorem was seventh early, had to wait for room and then took off when he got clear. Hydrogen was second for Baffert. Click for video replay. “I think he learned a lot,” Kretz said. “It was perfect. He was behind a wall of horses, got dirt in his face. Everything about his race was good for him. He’s a classy guy. You go by the barn and he’s not trying to rip your head off. He’s super calm and he let’s you hug on him. I understand that personality-wise American Pharoah was the exact same way.” As expected, after the race, Papaprodromou’s phone started to blow up, with multiple people offering to buy the horse or buy a piece of him. Kretz said they can stop calling. “He’s not for sale.” said Kretz, who has about 25 horses in training. “George doesn’t really get a horse ready for their first start and look what he did. I think we have something pretty special. My dream isn’t to flip the horse, it’s to go to the [GI] Kentucky Derby. That’s how I got passionate about racing, going to the Derby for the first time as a fan in 2010. After that experience, all I wanted was to have a horse of my own in the race.” There’s a long way to go, but should American Theorem make the Derby, Papaprodromou will be a rookie in the race. But don’t expect him to lack confidence or be overwhelmed by the many Hall of Famers he’ll be going up against. Remember his theory: “it’s the horse that makes the trainer.” “I know with a yearling there’s only so much you can see,” he said. “I really wanted an American Pharoah out of that sale. And, I think, we’ve come up with a good one. I think we might just get lucky with this one.” The post Unheralded Trainer Papaprodromou Unleashes a Pharoah Monster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There has been a good run of records tumbling since the start of the European yearling sales season and the trend continued at the Osarus Yearling Sale at La Teste de Buch, where a filly by Myboycharlie (Ire) set a new high for the sale when selling for €170,000. Conisgned by Haras de Montaigu, lot 270 has been the recipient of update after update this season courtesy of her half-sister Soffia (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), who has progressed from listed success to victory in the G3 Ballyogan S. and then the G2 Sapphire S. Her next target for trainer Eddie Lynam and owner Lady O’Reilly will be the G1 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five during the Longines Irish Champions Weeekend. The daughter of the listed-placed Rime A Rien (GB) (Amadeus Wolf {GB}) was bought by Nicolas de Watrigant for a new partnership which will include Haras de Montaigu and she will go into training with Frederic Rossi. The filly was one of three six-figure lots across the two days, with Tuesday’s Bated Breath (GB) filly being joined by the top-priced colt of the sale from the first crop of Shalaa (Ire) (lot 211). Offered by Yann Creff, the half-brother to listed winner Mambomiss (Fr) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) was another on the list of Mandore International’s purchases, this time in partnership with AGV Karwin, at €100,000. One of the smartest pedigrees in the catalogue was that of the son of Kendargent (Fr) and the G1 Prix Vermeille winner Pearly Shells (GB) (Efisio {GB}). Offered by Hubert Honore as lot 247 on behalf of breeder Andreas Putsch’s Haras de Saint Pair, the colt was bought by Marc-Antoine Berghgracht for €80,000. Despite a new record top price, the sale average dropped slightly from last year to €21,056, while the median held steady at €17,000. With 21 private purchases added to those sold in the ring, 200 yearlings changed hands at a clearance rate of 78% and for a two-day total of €4,091,000—again a slight shortfall from last year but from 12 fewer horses sold. The post Soffia’s Sister Sets New Osarus Record appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Keeneland has been actively encouraging consignors to submit video scopes of their horses ahead of its September Yearling Sale and the Consignors and Commercial Breeders Association has endorsed a uniform protocol, which includes a 10-day window for scopes, as a way to help buyers incorporate the technology in their pre-sale inspections. The TDN reached out to both consignors and buyers to find out how they will make use of the technology at the two-week auction. The responding consignors offered a wide variety of plans, with some planning on providing scopes only for horses earlier in the sale, or having scopes at their barn, but not in the repository, while some plan on providing video scopes in the repository for the entire consignment. Buyers seemed to be taking a wait-and-see approach, voicing concerns about the timeframe of scopes and a preference to have their own vets scope horses. Their responses follow: FROM THE CONSIGNORS Mark Taylor, Taylor Made Sales Agency We believe that video scopes will eventually become the norm here in America. We actually tried them several times previously going all the way back to VHS tapes! It looks as though technology has improved to the point where they are both logistically possible to gather in a tight time frame and high enough quality where vets will at least use them as a tool. Our best guess is that very few buyers who plan on spending six figures and up will buy yearlings exclusively off a video this year. We hope that the vets will take the time to watch the videos before or after they do their “live” scope exam. If they do, we hope it will give them more confidence in this tool. For buyers who make their final decisions in the back walking ring and have historically not done pre-sale scopes, we expect to see them adapt to calling a vet for a video review in the moments before the horse sells. This won’t be a high percentage of people, but some will take advantage of this new available information. We have not put pressure on our customers to do video scopes this year. We have left it up to them. My gut feeling is that we will have around 60% participation in Books 1 and 2. Beyond that, I believe it will taper off towards the end of the sale as breeders become more sensitive to the extra cost involved. Taylor Made is in a unique position having sold so many horses over the years. We document the veterinary findings and follow the results. It is our opinion that there is virtually no difference in race performance between horses with a “perfect” throat and those with a marginal amount of asymmetry. All you have to do is look through our poster that has the 105 Grade I winners we have raised and or sold. There are very few “perfect” throats. The vast majority fell in the 2A to 2B range on the Cornell Scale. Our hope is that doing video scopes will further our ability to provide concrete evidence of how horses looked as yearlings and then compare to on track performance and problems. Pat Costello, Paramount Sales We are using video scopes on all of our Book 1 and 2 horses and selected horses from then on. Walker Hancock, Claiborne Farm We will have scope videos in the repository and for viewing on a computer in our barn on our whole consignment. We are going to encourage vets to take a look at the video first in hopes they will be content with what they see. Carrie Brogden, Select Sales Select Sales will be video scoping our entire consignment and having those scopes in the repository from Books 1 through 5. Our Book 6 clients can opt to have video scopes done or not on their horses. We have been strongly encouraging the veterinarians at both the July and Saratoga sales to use the video scopes. The veterinarians, in my general observation, were very amenable and accepting of the video scopes and over half of them asked to see the scope along with scoping the horse. We had a very difficult horse to scope in the July sale and only had the video scope and it sold for six figures based solely on the video scope provided. Also, one of our top Saratoga horses was sold to the purchaser using video scope only by their veterinarian, as the buyer requested that method of exam. I think we’re seeing a big shift, not only towards technological advances, but also towards the safety of people and welfare of the horse. Conrad Bandoroff, Denali Stud As a CBA member, I think it’s great that people are going to try a lot of different things. From that standpoint, I’m excited because not everyone needs to do the same thing. We’re going to have a lot of take-aways at the end of the sale and have a feel for what is going to be the best system moving forward. At Denali, we are big believers in the video scopes. We have been for a long time. Our protocol is that we’ll video scope every horse and we’ll have those video scopes at the barn. We did that in July and in Saratoga and in the New York-bred sale. The feedback that we got was beyond our expectations in a lot of ways. We had vets that were more than willing to view the video scopes first and then, if they were happy with it, they wouldn’t scope the horse. Or they would view the video after scoping the horse as a comparison. So, I am excited to see the traction that it gets. When it comes to putting them in the repository, that’s obviously going to be the future that is going to make things easier and more efficient for vets, but for us, there are challenges with it. We will have videos in the repository starting in Book 3. Books 1 and 2, we’ll have all videos at the barn. That will allow us to get feedback from vets and from other people on how it is going–What are your thoughts? Observations? What do you like about it and what don’t you like about it? The other reason that we are doing a delayed start [to adding video scopes to the repository], is that once you get into books 3, 4, and 5, a lot more horses are getting sold out of the back walking ring. And I think it’s going to be an increased benefit to have those video scopes in the repository so that a potential buyer, when a horse catches his eye, rather than having him just look at your scope report, can have his vet view the video. I think that will help increase trade and hopefully be a way to help get horses sold out of the back walking ring. We’re big believers that the video scopes need to be done on the sales grounds as an added measure of transparency. I think that’s going to be something that the buyers want and they will demand that level of transparency, which we understand. Adrian Regan, Hunter Valley Farm We’ve decided that our own scopes on our own horses are definitely going to go into the repository–that’s the plan at the moment. We have given our clients who are selling with us the option of whether they want to put them in or not. And the majority of them are going to put them in. We do have a couple of clients who don’t want to put them in. Just with the timing of the whole thing, it hasn’t given everybody a chance to get their heads around it all yet. And that’s fine by us. We have always been supportive about the idea of having video scopes in the repository. Number one, for the horse. If we can save the horse getting scoped at the sales, that’s definitely a plus. That would be our main thing. What we worry about, the downside of it would be that we lose track of who the veterinarian in question is vetting the horse for. We’re hoping, and we’ll see how it plays out, that the vets are going to be up-front with their information as we are about ours. I haven’t surveyed potential buyers, but I’ve talked to veterinarians and they agree with the idea. The majority of them that I’ve spoken to are supportive of the idea. The majority have told me that if they have any question about the video, they’ll come down to scope the horse. Which is fine. Allaire Ryan, Lane’s End We are video scoping our Book 1 and 2 horses only to have available for viewing at our sales barn; and with that we are leaving it up to the clients whether or not they would like their horses done. At the moment, it looks like 15 of our 16 Book 1 horses will be done and the majority of Book 2 will be done, but I don’t have answers yet from every owner. Joe Seitz, Brookdale Sales Most of our horses are going to be done and then we’ll just put them in the repository. Not every single horse will get done because we’re selling 70 some. It’s a work in progress and a lot of them are owned by different people. I think this important, most of all for the horse. I am looking forward to trying it and seeing how it goes. I’m sure we’ll have a lot to learn, but we’re going to give it a try. Reiley McDonald, Eaton Sales We have been using video scopes for two years now. We will video scope every horse in our consignment and submit the recordings to the repository. This is a work in progress. The more participation we get the closer we will be to instituting a viable and practical system for all to follow. FROM THE BUYERS Mike Ryan I think it’s a good move, but it’s like anything else. When the repository started out 20 years ago or whenever it was, it was something new and that people had to get used to. Change is good. And I think this is a change for the better. They are using it in Europe. And I think it’s great that we’re bringing it here, albeit with a couple of caveats. The quality of the scopes is going to be critical–that they are good quality–the timing of the scopes, meaning when they were done, is also very critical. I think they have to be done as close to the sale as possible because things can change quickly. If you scope a horse a week out, they can have a chondritis or an entrapment at the sales. Things can happen quickly that are unforeseen, that nobody can predict. But it has happened and I’ve seen it happen. So they need to be done–I don’t know the logistics of how they are going to do it–in the preferred world it would be good to do it on the sales grounds, but that is an awful lot of horses. I don’t know how many consignors are going to participate, but I hope a lot of them do because I think it’s a positive move. I think a lot of people will still want to scope horses. They are spending a lot of money and people would like to scope them themselves. To be honest, I’d like to be able to scope them, but it becomes problematic, too, when horses are scoped 10, 12, 15 times, which is absurd. There is no need for that. Sometimes in the past, consignors will say, ‘Look, we’re not allowing any more scopes, but here are the names of five vets who scoped the horse. You can speak to them.’ Which we often did at times. I do think it will be extremely helpful in certain ways. If you scope a horse in the evening, after he’s shown 50 or 60 times that day, a lot of them are fatigued and you’re not really getting an honest read of a horse’s throat. And if you do it earlier in the day, you’re likely to get a better read. But there are a lot of horses on the grounds and the vets do the work when it’s requested of them. So that’s one area where I think it’s going to help a lot. It will also be very helpful later in the sale. It will also be helpful if you see a horse in the back ring and there is a video scope in the repository that you could have a vet read in a matter of 10 minutes. If you saw a horse in the back ring, you obviously can’t scope him, you’d go off a report. But if there is a video in the repository, you could use that. It’s new territory, but I think it’s a great call and we will use it, but I’m sure there are going to be cases when clients who are spending a lot of money, their comfort level is going to be better with having a scope done on their behalf. We’ll all learn as we go along. I think it’s very instructive and helpful and we will fine tune it as we go along, just like anything else. Some people are slow to change and resist change, but if you’re providing better information to the buyer–that’s critical. We have to look after the buyers and protect them and give them the confidence that they can go ahead and bid with confidence. So if a particular buyer doesn’t get to scope a horse at the barn, but his vet looks at the video in the repository, well then that will encourage the guy to go and bid on the horse. Whereas, if he didn’t have a video, he might say, ‘I don’t have a scope. I think I’m going to pass on him, I’m going to sit on my hands.’ So there is a lot of good that is going to come out of this, just like X-ray reports in the back ring. I lot of people use them, especially later in the sale, and it gives you more confidence to go up there and buy them out of the back ring. Here is another way for buyers to have confidence, if the sellers have provided a video scope for our benefit. I think people will use it. Mark Casse We’re not going to use it. There are just too many variables that can be manipulated in a video scope, for me. Asked if he would look at the scopes as an initial step, Casse said, I maybe would do it that way. But I can tell you that, if we have interest, we are going to scope them ourselves. Eddie Woods Being a little old fashioned, I don’t intend to use the video scopes at the sales, looking at them myself would be a total waste of time as I would be a poor judge of what I’m looking at. On top of that, throats can change very quickly over a short period of time. As a consignor we have had the misfortune to witness that on more occasions than you would care to think about, i.e. kissing lesions that have turned into a severe chondrites and entrapped epiglottis to name just two. So, for the time being, a video scope that is a few days old would have little appeal to me. There are also some other issues that would need to be dealt with, that’s another conversation. Nick de Meric There is certainly a learning curve on both sides of the fence regarding the use of video scopes. I think they may end up being a more useful tool for buyers who base their bidding activities on vet reports made available by consignors, rather than employing the services of an independent vet to read X-rays and scope separately. As critical as accurate scope reporting is to many buyers, myself included, it is difficult to foresee video scopes replacing conventional exams. However, I could envisage a potential reduction in repeated scoping in certain cases, particularly on yearlings catalogued in later books in the upcoming Keeneland sale. Steve Venosa I won’t look at them. I will have my vet scope and read the X-rays on any horses that I’m interested in buying. Ken McPeek We scope and do comprehensive vet work on every horse we buy. And I’m more comfortable with my own racetrack veterinarian scoping a horse, as opposed to a video. And I think if a consignor knows we are serious, we’ll probably request to scope the horse ourselves, especially if it’s going to be a large number. We would start off with a video scope–we would definitely utilize it. I think sellers and buyers are going to have to come to a happy medium on how this is approached. I’m sure sellers want buyers to be happy with the product and I’m sure buyers want to know that they’re able to check it out. Clovis Crane I’d buy from a video scoping. I would also post-purchase scope and make sure it’s still the same. Ciaran Dunne I would rather use my own vet to scope, or if the consignor feels their horse has been scoped too many times, get an opinion from one of the vets who has scoped them. Carlo Vaccarezza I think it’s going to be very useful. Any more information that is provided to sellers, I think is going to be useful. For myself, I do my homework. With the repository and all the gadgets and all the information that is provided by the consignors, it’s nice to have it. But I also get my own vet who does all my work. Sometimes I like to compare results. Sometimes they are very close and sometimes they are completely out of left field. Sometimes if you have 10 vets who read an X-ray, you can get 10 different opinions. Veterinary is a science, but sometimes it is a guessing game. If the horse is a very pricey horse, I use any information they have and then I use two of my own vets. So they give me two different opinions and then I sit down with all that information. If I am going to be buy a horse maybe for less than $100,000, sometimes I will go by what is in the repository or maybe what the vets for the consignors say. But if the horse is $600,000 or $900,000, then I use two, sometimes maybe three, vets. The post Video Scopes: Consignors and Buyers Speak Out appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

KRA Stud Farm's Knicks Go might not have a win in five starts this year, but his credentials as a juvenile and an improved effort last out landed him favoritism on the morning line for the $300,000 Super Derby (G3) Sept. 7 at Louisiana Downs. View the full article

Thoroughbred owner Mike Anderson, who fully immersed himself in his interests, died Sept. 1 at his Chicago home. He was 67. View the full article

Sierra Farm, in the culmination of a dozen years breeding in Central Kentucky, had its first seven-figure sale when Larry Best bid $1.4-million to acquire an American Pharoah colt from the operation at last year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The milestone moment was bittersweet for the team, though, as the farm’s co-founder Ed Huron passed away just hours later. Now solely owned by Huron’s widow, Sharon, Sierra Farm returns to the September sale next week with an 18-horse consignment and off a weekend of racing which featured a pair of impressive farm graduates. “Surreal,” Sierra farm manager Mike Callanan recalled of last year’s sale. “That is probably the best way to describe it. It was a very, very proud moment for everybody on the farm, but it was very much tempered. I suppose, looking back, it was exactly what Ed, and all of us, had been working the last 10 or 11 years to get to. It was very satisfying, but it would have been great if Ed was there. Sharon had picked out the mare and Ed and I were there buying her. And he saw the baby being born and grow up. He wasn’t there for the last day, but it was what he had worked to get to. He would have been very, very proud.” While it was a son of American Pharoah out of Bsharpsonata (Pulpit) who had Sierra in the headlines last September, it was another colt by the Triple Crown winner bred by Sierra Farm and out of Mighty Renee (Maria’s Mon) who was turning heads at Del Mar Saturday. American Theorem, who RNA’d for $190,000 at last year’s September sale, was purchased privately by Kretz Racing and produced an impressive 1 1/2-length debut win for George Papaprodomou. “I tell you, Ed would have been even more proud with the horse that won on Saturday,” Callanan said of American Theorem. “Mighty Renee was his favorite mare on the whole farm and he loved that foal from the day he was born. He used to drive up to the barn every morning to bring him in.” Callanan admitted he was surprised by the disparity in the two colts at last year’s September sale. “I had two Pharoahs and the two of them were really turned out together right up until the sale,” he said. “In my eyes, there wasn’t much to separate them. I thought American Theorem had a great mind on him, but he wasn’t as athletic as the other guy. But also, he was a February foal and the other guy was a May foal. I think he maybe got overshadowed a little bit because he was with the other guy. People would come to see the two American Pharoahs and they looked at the one and then the other, he just wasn’t as flashy a walker as the Bsharpsonata. Maybe in hindsight, we should have separated them. Maybe we should have put him in the July sale or in Saratoga. He might have stood out a little better there. But hindsight is 20-20.” Callanan continued, “We had him sold to a different client, they turned him back for some ridiculous reason, and Gayle Van Leer ended up buying him privately for the same money. She’s been keeping us up to date with him the whole way along and he’s just been a star from the beginning. So it all ended up the way it was supposed to end up.” While neither Bsharpsonata nor Mighty Renee have yearlings in the September sale, the Sierra consignment did receive a timely update when Rick Kanter’s Doc Boy (Into Mischief) strode home first in the Kitten’s Joy S. at Colonial Downs last Saturday. Trained by Mike Stidham, the colt is now two-for-two on the turf. Sierra Farm will offer the juvenile’s half-sister by Elusive Quality (hip 582) during Friday’s fourth session of the September sale. The yearling is out of the unraced Peggy May (Lemon Drop Kid), a daughter of GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Turf winner Perfect Sting (Red Ransom). “That was big for us for the upcoming September sale because of the Elusive Quality filly,” Callanan said of the stakes win. “She is in Book 2. We were pretty forward with her in Book 2, she’s probably a Book 3 or 4 pedigree, but she is such an outstanding physical, we put her in Book 2, and now we have the update. So I think we’re going to be in good shape with her. She is a beautiful filly, absolutely gorgeous.” Sharon Huron purchased the now 8-year-old Peggy May for $170,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November sale. “That’s a nice young mare that Sharon bought herself–Ed had nothing to do with that mare at all,” Callanan said of Peggy May. “It’s nice to have a young mare like that get black-type with her second foal. Hopefully she can go on. You see the foals that are coming out of her, and you’d have every hope that she’s going to keep doing it. Hopefully, she keeps going that way.” Sierra Farm’s September consignment gets started with three Book 1 yearlings, led off by a colt by Tiznow (hip 83). The yearling is out of Sierra Squall (Grand Slam), a half to graded winner Bahamian Squall (Gone West) and a full to graded winner Apriority. “The Tiznow is a really nice colt,” Callanan said. “His mom is a half-sister to the dam of [GII Best Pal S. winner] Collusion Illusion (Twirling Candy). He’s been a really progressive colt. He’s bit by bit gotten better and better and he is really starting to peak right now for the sale. I think he’s really doing well.” Also in Book 1, Sierra Farm will offer a colt by Ghostzapper (hip 424). The chestnut is out of the unraced Golden Flair (Medaglia d’Oro), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Stravinsky (Nureyev). His half-brother by Speightstown, Full Flat, sold for $250,000 at last year’s September sale and broke his maiden at Kyoto Aug. 11. “The Ghostzapper is a big, strong, good-looking colt,” Callanan said. “He is really nice. His brother won in Japan since the catalogue, so he has a bit of an update there.” Rounding out the farm’s Book 1 contingent is a filly by Malibu Moon (hip 443) out of Grade I placed Hot Storm (Stormy Atlantic). “The Malibu Moon filly is outstanding,” Callanan said. “We have three in Book 1 and they are three really nice horses.” Ed Hudon was founder of the Sierra Aluminum company and the couple began in the racing industry in California, focusing mainly on the track. They relocated to Kentucky in 2006 and began Sierra Farm. While Ed Hudon’s focus remained in racing, Sharon will focus more on the breeding side of the industry, according to Callanan. “We got a little big,” the manager explained. “Ed’s passion was racing and we had a lot of horses on the track. So now we are just trying to get down to a more manageable number for Sharon. We did sell a few mares. If we can knock off two or three at the bottom and just try to be more aggressive culling mares, that’s going to be our goal. And then down the road, race a filly or two, just to get down to more manageable numbers.” The Sierra broodmare band currently numbers about 24 mares and, despite selling some last fall, the farm did make one addition at the Keeneland November sale. “We bought a really nice mare named Scandalous Song (Unbridled’s Song), in foal to Uncle Mo,” Callanan said. “She is a half to [champion] Stardom Bound. We bought her for $260,000 and she was a really nice young mare and already a stakes producer.” Neither Bsharpsonata nor Mighty Renee have yearlings this year, but the two broodmares remain stalwarts of the Sierra band. “Mighty Renee is in foal to Classic Empire,” Callanan said. “We have her daughter on the farm, too. Pauline Revere (Distorted Humor) is in foal to Into Mischief carrying her first foal. So we have the family well-covered here.” Bsharpsonata, who Sierra purchased while carrying the seven-figure American Pharoah colt for $375,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale, produced a filly by Arrogate this year and is back in foal to Uncle Mo. “The original goal with Bsharpsonata was to buy her and get a filly out of her down the road, but she came up with the colt and kind of blew that plan to hell,” Callanan said with a laugh. “So she is back in foal to Uncle Mo, but it would be nice to get a filly out of her down the road.” As for plans for the mare’s Arrogate weanling, Callanan said, “I don’t know–it’s hard to look at her and think you’d keep her. She is worth an awful lot of money. She’s absolutely beautiful. She is a big, tall filly. We’ll run them through [the sales ring] and see what’s happening. We are looking to be more commercial in our outlook going forward.” And while Sierra Farm’s plan is to be a commercial breeding operation, it still has six or seven horses in training. The group is led by Nessy (Flower Alley), who became the first graded stakes winner to carry the farm’s colors when he won the 2018 GIII San Juan Capistrano H., as well as 2018 Iowa Sprint H. winner Done Deal (Macho Uno). “We’ve had a pretty good racing year,” Callanan said. “We have Nessy–he won a race this year and he’s going to run back in two weeks in Canada. So he is flying the flag and keeping the racing side of it going. And Done Deal is coming back, too.” Asked if there was extra pressure to repeat last year’s success at this year’s September sale, Callanan laughed. “Yes, yes,” he said while still laughing. “I told Sharon right after the sale last year, I said, ‘Sharon I don’t know if we’ve got a $1.4-million yearling next year.'” He continued, “This year, I think we’ve got very nice horses. I don’t have the sire power like I did last year. But you never know. When you get to the sales grounds and the horses start showing, you never know which ones will jump up and which ones won’t. I’ve got a really good bunch top to bottom.” The Keeneland September sale begins Monday with Book 1 sessions through Wednesday beginning at noon. Following a dark day Thursday, the sale resumes Friday at 10 a.m. and continues through Sept. 22. The post Sierra Farm In-Form for September appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Zarzyni (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), third in the G3 Tyros S. at Leopardstown in his second career trip to the post July 25, has been added to the Goffs Champions Sale, to be held Sept. 14 at Leopardstown. Trained for HH the Aga Khan by Mick Halford and currently rated 102, Zarzyni–a close fourth when last seen in the G3 Round Tower S.–is a son of the winning Zunera (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), an own sister to the stakes-placed Zabarajad (Ire). The colt’s third dam is Zalaiyka (Ire) (Royal Academy), winner of the 1998 G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and runner-up in that year’s G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot. The Goffs Champions Sale is held in conjunction with Brown Thomas and takes place in the Leopardstown winners’ enclosure and is the opening event of Irish Champions Weekend. Additional entries will be announced over the coming days, with the catalogue due to be published Monday, Sept. 8. For additional information, visit www.goffs.com. The post Group 3-Placed Zarzyni Added to Goffs Champions Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Gordon Lord Byron (Ire) (Byron {GB}) will bring the house down if he can claim top honours in a race named in his honour at Haydock on Thursday. Trainer Tom Hogan’s veteran counts three Group 1 wins among his 16 career victories, including what his trainer believes was a career-best performance in the Sprint Cup at the Merseyside venue six years ago. Ridden by Johnny Murtagh, Gordon Lord Byron came home three lengths clear of his top-class compatriot Slade Power (Ire) (Dutch Art {GB}). He went on to claim his most recent top-level success in Australia the following March. It has been a while between drinks for the popular Irish challenger, as he has not managed to get his head in front since landing the G2 Greenlands S. at the Curragh in May 2017–but he has run several fine races in defeat so far this season. “Thursday’s race will be Gordon Lord Byron’s 103rd start, it is a fairytale,” said Hogan. “Gordon Lord Byron has raced all over the world–Australia, Hong Kong, France and the United Arab Emirates, but winning the Sprint Cup at Haydock Park in 2013 was his finest performance. He loves it there.” Gordon Lord Byron is the highest-rated horse in a field of six runners for the seven-furlong Gordon Lord Byron EBF Conditions S. To add further interest, the 11-year-old will be ridden by Frankie Dettori for the first time. Speaking on the Haydock website, Hogan added: “It is a really lovely gesture by Haydock to put on this race, they are great people there. “I take him to the beach most weeks, it is a 100-miles journey from where I train, but it is well worth it because he loves the sand and sea under his hooves. “He gets five-star treatment and it is all about keeping him happy and content.” Should Gordon Lord Byron emerge triumphant on his return to Haydock, it could be viewed as the perfect way for him to bring the curtain down on his glittering career. However, his County Tipperary-based trainer insists retirement on his not on his mind. He said: “He really enjoys his life–and I don’t see any reason why he will not stay in training next year.” Haydock’s Clerk of the Course Kirkland Tellwright is looking forward to welcoming Gordon Lord Byron and his connections back to the track. He said: “Gordon Lord Byron’s career is heartwarming and we’re proud to have been part of it at Haydock Park. His record is testament to his class and durability and also to Tom Hogan’s skilful handling of the horse.” The post Gordon Lord Byron Runs in Eponymous Race at Haydock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Given events at Santa Anita in the spring, it was understandable that Del Mar racing secretary David Jerkens approached the track’s annual summer meet with both hope and a certain amount of trepidation. In the end, the track achieved what Jerkens called “unprecedented”–the entire seven week, 36-card meet played out with zero race-day fatalities. That works out to 0 for 2,372 starts. Of the four catastrophic injuries sustained during morning training, two were the result of a freak accident involving a loose horse. It’s important to note that these numbers build upon the progress Del Mar has made in the area of safety over the past three years, with significant changes first instituted in 2017. Last year, for example, there were two race-day fatalities the whole summer meet, one of which was the result of clipped-heels. The aftershocks from what happened this spring were felt in other ways, however. According to Jerkens, the horse inventory in Southern California is down some 350 horses. As a result, Del Mar carded 21 fewer races compared to last year–a drop of 7%. Total all-source handle topped $432 million, what amounted to a 10.9% decrease on last year after growth of nearly 7% in 2018 and more than 5% in 2017. On-track attendances also dipped nearly 14% over last year’s totals. Nevertheless, that Del Mar maintained a five-days-per-week schedule means that it’s the only track in California, since the welfare crisis erupted, to do so. Jerkens spoke with TDN about his thoughts on a meet that wrapped Monday. The following remarks have been lightly edited for clarity. TDN: The big takeaway from this meet is this rather remarkable stat: no equine fatalities during race day. What do you attribute as the primary reasons for this? DJ: We put an emphasis on safety, right–that was our main focus going into the meet. There are multiple factors that are responsible for that. I think one of the biggest ones is that trainers and everyone involved are more aware of the current climate. We’ve had increased veterinary presence this summer. People just adapted to the new medication reforms. You have to credit the track maintenance personnel for continuing to evolve–Leif Dickinson and Dennis Moore [track superintendents] for providing the safest surfaces possible. People are focused on safety, all the way down from the trainers, outriders, exercise riders, jockeys, it’s a collective effort to make these things work. We met for hours and hours and hours, days and days and days before the meet, like Del Mar always does. Obviously, we’d like to get to zero, but the reality is it’s been a safe meet and we’re happy with that. TDN: Will you continue to tweak things on the safety front? DJ: Once the meet ends, we’re going to review everything, what worked, what worked better than something else. We’re going to continue to look at moving forward. Let’s start with Dennis Moore and Leif Dickinson, they’re constantly researching any ways to make the track conditions safer. We’ll see how the Santa Anita meet goes. There could be new policies they make, and we’re going to be open-minded and continue to be progressive. TDN: Stepping back for a bird’s-eye look at the meet as a whole, what’s your broad impression? DJ: I think our goal was to establish normalcy in Southern California, maintain a five-day-a-week program. We feel that was important. Many in the industry rely on Del Mar to race five days a week. In order to accomplish that, we carded fewer races. But that was our goal–instill confidence that races in the book would fill. Owners, trainers rely on a condition book that’s going to go. And we did everything we could to accomplish that. I like to call it a revival–we want to be part of a revival of Southern California racing, continue to move forward, and go into this new era with a positive attitude. Be progressive. TDN: Field size dipped slightly to around eight. How difficult has it been to navigate the waters of a shortened horse inventory? DJ: In terms of field size, most important thing is giving the horse players the best product possible. We knew last year’s numbers would be hard to match. Our field size was 8.7. That’s what we call the Del Mar standard–it’s what we strive for. We knew under the conditions we were facing going into the meet, that would be difficult to maintain. We’re going to end up at [at a field size of] eight, which is still a decent number. It’s actually comparable to Saratoga, given that we’ve been going five days a week. It’s not at the Del Mar standard, but it’s still, given the climate and what not, it’s a number we’re hoping, moving forward, which we can move on. But there are positives moving forward. Our Ship & Win recruitment program increased from a year ago–that was a key component of the success of our meet. A strong presence from our Northern California horsemen was a key component–that’s another 100 starters or so that we relied on. Another positive for California racing was that 100% of the races stayed on the turf. That’s another advantage we have–an owner, trainer can rely on our grass races going. So, those are the positives that we take on the meet. TDN: Are we talking more turf racing in the future? DJ: I think that’s the way things are going generally–more categories being offered on the turf that five, ten years ago weren’t offered. We actually ran the same number of turf races as we did a year ago, but with 21 fewer races [in total], so, that just shows you the importance of turf. Our summer meet follows Los Alamitos, so obviously people are looking for turf races before Santa Anita. Again, we’re going to review everything like we do at Del Mar, analyze every race. Everything will be reviewed, see if we can change some things up, continue to make improvements. TDN: Before the start of the meet, you’d mentioned how some horsemen from back East were confused and concerned about some of the changes implemented in California. Are those concerns lessening? DJ: Perception becomes reality, right? Before our meet, that was the whole firestorm of what was going on. They were hearing snippets of news coming out of California and it wasn’t positive. So that was a challenge. But I’m encouraged by the amount of shippers that we saw for the meet for stakes races. [GI] Pacific Classic day, we had about eight shippers come in, and we’ve continued to have shippers coming in, which is encouraging for the summer. The fall meet, where it’s located in the calendar, there aren’t as many turf opportunities, and we do attract quite a few horses to the [GI] Matriarch [S.], the [GI] Hollywood Derby, races like that. The summer can be challenging because there’s so many options back East in that time frame. TDN: Were you aggressively reaching out to out-of-state trainers throughout the meet? DJ: Definitely. I’ve always learned that you just need to get your information out, and people are going to make their decisions accordingly. But make people aware of what you’re offering. We’re aggressive in that approach. Every year we do our recruiting in the spring. When we hosted the Breeders’ Cup, many people came to Del Mar for the first time, and you just continue those relationships. Make the experience as positive as possible, which I think Del Mar does well. TDN: Handle was understandably down–how worrying are the numbers when put into context? DJ: I haven’t really analyzed the handle numbers to be honest. Handle’s definitely down. It picked up the last couple of weeks, since Pacific Classic week. We knew when we had a reduced number of races, field size wasn’t as robust as it’s been, and there would be a financial hit. What we’re seeing is, especially in our out-of-state numbers, the last few weeks of the meet we seem to be recuperating. It looks like people took a wait-and-see approach with our signal a little bit, especially with what had been going on with California racing, so, as the product got better at the end of the meet, we started to see our numbers go back to normal. The approach before the meet was: we’re going to communicate with trainers, be as prepared as possible. For me, I breathed a sigh of relief when the horsemen who sent strings elsewhere returned. To me, that was vital. And, we put a lot of effort into communicating with owners, trainers, doing our best to instill confidence in Del Mar and California racing. TDN: Backstretch workers routinely counter-protested the anti-racing protestors. Do you think this was an effective strategy? DJ: Let’s be honest, this industry in California impacts a lot of people’s lives. There are hundreds of thousands of jobs here, and I think we felt we wanted to get the word out about how well horses are treated, pampered and treated like royalty. We know they are but perhaps the general public doesn’t. They read what the media says, which is to focus on the negative. I think that message has been delivered. I think people are passionate about the game, and they wanted to get the word out. TDN: What are your thoughts about the fall meet? DJ: Preparations have already started for the fall meet this year, with Santa Anita hosting the Breeders’ Cup, that leaves me more overnight races available because there’s two days of Santa Anita, but they’re Breeders’ Cup races, so they’re not using [the] existing population. It helps the start of our meet. The fall meet really is determined if we get lucky in terms of weather. We have a high demand in terms of turf racing. We get a lot of interest from all over for our turf festival. There are certain categories that I saw a significant decline from a year ago. For example, maiden claiming races. Overall claiming races. I’m just going to have to figure out where we’re at with that population moving forward for the fall. But I think we’re going to see a little bit of an uptick in our 2-year-old program. The post “Unprecedented” Safety Record, Main Takeaway from Del Mar Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Connections of Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) have confirmed the unbeaten colt an intended runner in the G1 William Hill St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday week. Khalid Abdullah’s only made his racecourse debut in May, but created a big impression in winning his first three starts–with a pair of emphatic wins at Newbury in May and July sandwiching a similarly dominant display at Newmarket. The John Gosden- trained 3-year-old graduated to Group 2 class for the Great Voltigeur S. at York last month and leapt to the head of ante-post lists for the world’s oldest Classic with an emphatic 1 3/4-length defeat of Ballydoyle’s Constantinople (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Gosden stopped short of committing his charge to the Town Moor showpiece in the immediate aftermath, saying: “We’ll see how he is in the next 10 days before we make any decision as to where he goes next.” However, speaking on Wednesday morning, owner-breeder Khalid Abdullah’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe gave the green light. Grimthorpe told the PA news agency: “Logician is an intended runner in the St Leger. “We’re always nervous of confirming these things straight after a race in case we didn’t get the right answer. “We wanted to make sure Prince Khalid is happy and the horse is happy and that is the case. The horse is in good form.” The post Logician Gets Green Light for Leger appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never) could sidestep Saturday’s G1 Sprint Cup at Haydock on account of the rain-softened ground. After being a beaten favourite in both the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, Aidan O’Brien’s colt belatedly delivered on his juvenile promise with a dominant display in the G1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket on his penultimate start. The bay could finish only sixth when a hot favourite to follow up in the G1 Nunthorpe S. at York last month, but looked set to return to six furlongs in this weekend’s Group 1 feature on Merseyside. However, speaking at a press event at his yard on Wednesday morning, O’Brien said: “I would say we wouldn’t run on soft ground. There is rain forecast and that is not good. “He is a real fast-ground daisy cutter. If he doesn’t run, Fairyland (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) might run instead. That’s what we are thinking at the moment.” Reflecting on his below-par performance behind the brilliant Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the Nunthorpe, the trainer added: “He was in the stalls a long time, it was very warm and Ryan [Moore] said he felt lethargic when the stalls opened. If you are lethargic when you are running against Battaash you suffer. “It just happened so quick. He didn’t hardly blow after the race. Five furlongs, as you know, is an art. You can have all the pace and ability in the world but it is an art of hitting those gates and you have to have quick feet.” O’Brien went on to reveal Ten Sovereigns could bring down the curtain on his racing career in Australia later in the year. “The Everest is in Sydney and I think two-thirds of the time the ground has been soft there. If it is soft he won’t run there, but he could go down to Melbourne, where he might get better ground,” said the Ballydoyle handler. “There are a couple of sprints down in Melbourne. I wouldn’t think he will stay in training next year.” Meanwhile, Haydock have announced Betfair will sponsor the race this weekend, in a deal initially for one year, with the option to extend. The post ‘Sovereigns’ In Doubt for Haydock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Drawing on the inspiration of the Pegasus World Cup and the Everest, the Saint Lucia Turf Club will hold The Pitons Cup, a race in which owners will purchase one of 12 spots, on Dec. 13, 2019, the organization announced today. Organizers said they are hoping to draw participation from North America and across the Caribbean with the event, which is set to be held on Saint Lucia’s National Day as part of the 2019 CECF (Caribbean Equine Cultural Festival) Saint Lucia, a “luxury lifestyle and racing event” which will “couple social responsibility and business networking with the richest day of racing,” the press release reads. The event is named after the two volcanic peaks for which the island is known. The Royal Saint Lucia Turf Club’s newly built facilities will be the first stage of the Pearl of the Caribbean integrated development to be publicly unveiled. Developed by China Horse Club founder and chairman Teo Ah Khing, an architect by trade, the Turf Club will host what is now the richest race in the Caribbean with a purse of $150,000 U.S. In a twist, owners who buy a spot in the race will also be given a racehorse who can compete on the undercard, in the seven-furlong Helen of the West race. “Saint Lucians have been looking forward to having this international racetrack and an event of this nature,” said Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Allen Michael Chastanet. “We are readying to welcome race fans and enthusiasts from around the world who will be getting the Saint Lucian experience for the first time. The Royal Saint Lucia Turf Club adds to the attractions and activities that already exist on our beautiful and iconic island which is among the fastest growing destinations in the world. “The Pitons Cup launches Saint Lucia’s entrance into the world of thoroughbred racing and as a government we are encouraged and excited by the opportunities it creates for our people. There is a passion behind this project to finally see it come to life is a milestone for our country. We are especially happy that the race is happening on our National Day, which holds significance for all our citizens. Great moments in racing will be made in Saint Lucia.” Eden Harrington, Director of the Royal Saint Lucia Turf Club, added, “The Pitons Cup sets the tone for the Royal Saint Lucia Turf Club and its aspirations to be both a significant contributor across the Caribbean and an innovator within the racing landscape. But core to our club’s belief system are the values of community, unity and active contribution. We are part of the community here in Saint Lucia and the success of this fledgling industry here rests on our ability to ensure these values are honored in every way.” The post Pitons Cup Announced for Saint Lucia appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Jockey Club has postponed the second showcase meeting at its Conghua Racecourse in mainland China as a result of the political unrest that continues to plague Hong Kong.After holding the first official meeting at its mainland facility in March, the Jockey Club had scheduled the second event for Saturday, October 26.But on the same day Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor finally buckled to pressure and agreed to withdraw the controversial extradition bill, the Jockey Club… View the full article

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has ordered overseas betting exchange Betfair to cease and desist from offering Hong Kong markets in a scathing letter, accusing them of being “reckless, cavalier and unconscionable” while compromising integrity.The five-page letter to Betfair chief executive Tim Moore-Barton slams the betting giant, saying they have “no approval, authority or permission” to offer Hong Kong markets on their exchange.In a public broadside to Betfair’s parent company, Crown Resorts, the… View the full article

Top Knight out of Singapore Triple Crown series View the full article

Magnum back for a new opus View the full article

Saint Moon, who has thrived since being moved to turf, will try to secure her initial stakes win Sept. 6 in the Christiecat Stakes, the featured race on opening day of the Belmont Park fall meeting. View the full article

Centennial Farm's 6-year-old Preservationist, a gritty half-length winner of the Woodward Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on Saturday, soared back into the Top 10 in the latest Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, claiming the No. 3 position. View the full article

Just over a week after earning his third win in as many starts this year and fifth career graded stakes victory, Hronis Racing's Catalina Cruiser has worked his way into the top 10 of the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. View the full article

Just ahead of Keeneland's September Yearling Sale, stakes conducted Labor Day weekend saw winners by siblings of yearlings scheduled to go through the sale ring over the next several weeks. View the full article

Just ahead of Keeneland's September Yearling Sale, stakes conducted Labor Day weekend saw winners by siblings of yearlings scheduled to go through the sale ring over the next several weeks. View the full article

General Admission tickets for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, to be held Nov. 1-2 at Santa Anita Park, are on sale now at breederscup.com/tickets. The Breeders’ Cup, featuring 14 Championships races worth $30 million in purses and awards held over two days, is returning to Santa Anita for a record 10th time this fall. In addition to the outstanding racing programs, the two days at Santa Anita will be enhanced by a festive atmosphere with food and beverage choices from some of the area’s most popular food trucks and live musical entertainment in the track’s infield. General Admission tickets purchased in advance for Friday, Nov. 1, are $15 and purchases can be made up until 11:29 p.m. PST Thursday, Oct. 31. General Admission tickets purchased in advance for Saturday, Nov. 2 are $25 and purchases can be made until 11:29 p.m. PST Friday, Nov. 1. General Admission tickets purchased on track at the Breeders’ Cup are $20 for Friday and $40 for Saturday. For further details and other ticket options, visit breederscup.com/tickets. The post Breeders’ Cup General Admission Tickets Now Available appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The final entry deadline for the Retired Racehorse Project’s 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA), has passed, with 474 horses registered for the close of entry. For a complete list of entrants, click here. Visit retiredracehorseproject.org for more information. The post RRP Reveals Makeover Class of 2019 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Foundation will hold The Betsy Gala and Grand Prix, an annual fundraiser that supports the UK Markey Cancer Foundation, Sept. 20. Presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, the event is held in memory of Betsy Fishback, the wife of veterinarian Dr. Dave Fishback, who passed away from breast cancer in 2009. For more information, visit ukmarkey.org. The post 11th Annual ‘The Betsy’ Gala Scheduled for Sept. 20 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article