Wandering Eyes

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

After starting the year with two third-place runs, Flurry Racing Stables' Mr. Misunderstood will try to regain his winning form in the $250,000 Old Friends Stakes Sept. 5 at Kentucky Downs. View the full article

Long-time racing official Rick Hammerle, now of Oaklawn Park and Kentucky Downs, selected Comical to finish ahead of Powerfulattraction in a head-to-head Del Mar Debutante prop to secure the victory in the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation’s inaugural eight-week Summer Prop Contest. Hammerle finished one point better than Toronto-based professional horseplayer Tommy Massis. Hammerle chose to direct the $5,000 first-place winner’s contribution to the Jockey & Equestrian Initiative of the University of Kentucky’s Sports Medicine Research Institute (UK SMRI). Massis chose to split his $3,000 second-place contribution direction between the UK SMRI and Virginia Tech’s Jockey & Equestrian Helmet Study. Matt Miller of Northbrook, Illinois finished third overall and directed $1,000 to the PDJF. “I never met a contest I didn’t like,” joked Hammerle. “It was a fresh, awareness-raising idea from the TIF and working in Kentucky at the moment, I’m very happy to have the chance to direct money to the UK program which seeks to improve the lives and careers of jockeys and exercise riders.” Overall, $25,000 will be donated to the jockey health-related initiatives. Based on the direction of winners through the eight individual weeks and the overall contest winners, $11,250 will go to the PDJF, $11,250 to the UK SMRI and $2,500 to the Virginia Tech Helmet Study. Additional contributions were made in weeks two, three and four thanks to the generosity of Machmer Hall Farm, Winchester Feed and Select Sales Agency, respectively. “We thank the TIF for their creativity in bringing awareness to the three jockey health-related initiatives highlighted in this summer’s contest,” said Dr. Scott Lephart, Dean of the University of Kentucky’s College of Health Sciences and founder of the SMRI. “We are committed to advancing Thoroughbred racing through focused research and evidence-based programming to improve the well-being of the jockeys. Our commitment to this discovery at UK is intended not only to advance the care of the sport’s valuable human assets, but also to sustaining and growing the industry.” The post Hammerle Wins TIF Contest, Over $25K Donated to Jockey Health Initiatives appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

OwnerView is now accepting nominations for the 2019 New Owner of the Year Award, presented by Fasig-Tipton, which will honor a new Thoroughbred owner who has been successful in and had a positive impact on the sport and industry. The deadline for nominations is Sept. 30, and the award will be presented at the Thoroughbred Owner Conference at Santa Anita scheduled for Oct. 28 through Oct. 30 ahead of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Nominees must have made their first start as a Thoroughbred owner over the past four years, and had an ownership interest in a stakes winner in the past 12 months. They must have had a verifiable owner’s license in 2019. Anyone can make a nomination, and a selection committee of industry personnel and established owners will choose the winner. Past recipients of the New Owner of the Year Award include Sol Kumin, LNJ Foxwoods, Charles and Susan Chu, and the Churchill Downs Racing Club. “The annual Thoroughbred Owner Conference celebrates Thoroughbred ownership, so it is the perfect venue to present the New Owner of the Year Award,” said Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView. To submit a nomination, contact Gary Falter for a nomination form at (859) 224-2803 or gfalter@jockeyclub.com. The post OwnerView Accepting Nominations for New Owner of the Year Award appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Doug O’Neill, jockey Flavien Prat and Kosta and Pete Hronis’s Hronis Racing took home their respective titles during Del Mar’s 36-day summer meet, which concluded Monday. O’Neill saddled 24 winners during the stand–including five on one day July 31–to best Peter Miller for his fifth summer training title. His trainees earned $1,409,685. John Sadler boasted an impressive nine stakes wins. His 15 total wins put him fourth in the standings, but his $1,966,654 in purse earnings was the most among conditioners. Prat took home his third Del Mar summer title–either solo or shared–in the past four seasons. He won at a strong 27% clip for the meet, visiting the winner’s circle 42 times–10 more than Drayden Van Dyke. Prat’s mounts racked up $2,989,976 in earnings. It was the fifth Del Mar owner title for Hronis Racing, which won nine races–including seven stakes victories–all with John Sadler. Hronis runners earned a record $1,441,077 during the meet, and included GI Pacific Classic S. upsetter Higher Power (Medaglia d’Oro) and Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags), who was named Horse of the Meet thanks to wins in the GII San Diego H. and GII Pat O’Brien S. Hronis Racing was last year’s Eclipse Award-winning owner. After a much-publicized rash of fatalities at the Santa Anita meet, there were no racing deaths during the Del Mar stand. “Without a doubt, this is the most gratifying meet I have ever been part of,” said DMTC CEO Joe Harper. “Given the current climate, especially after the first-half of the year in Southern California, we had three goals this summer: continuation of our exemplary safety record; provide stability and a dependability to racing in California, and to offer a consistent, five-day-a-week schedule that would reward fans and horsemen alike. With a wonderful display of teamwork from our owners, trainers, jockeys, vets, track personnel and the CHRB, we accomplished these goals in exceptional fashion.” With a smaller horse population than in 2018, Del Mar carded 21 fewer races (6.6%) than it did during last year’s summer meet, and all-sources handle fell by 10.9% after wagering increases in the prior two seasons. “Based on the first-half of the year, we knew maintaining the handle trends of the last two years was going to be challenging this meet, especially running fewer races,” said Josh Rubinstein, DMTC’s president. “However, the bettors continued to support us, especially the last three weeks, when our field size rallied. At the end of the day we had extremely safe racing, handled over $432 million and paid out over $21.0 million in purses. We are very pleased.” In 2020, summer racing at Del Mar will feature an additional weekend, as the meet will be held over eight weeks from Saturday, July 18 through Labor Day, Sept. 7. Racing resumes at Del Mar this fall, Nov. 8 through Dec. 1. The post O’Neill, Prat & Hronis Take Del Mar Titles appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article