Wandering Eyes

Updates on Stewards' follow-ups to Friday meeting View the full article

Simon Kok suspended three days View the full article

Horses' test results August 31 & September 2 View the full article

Facing a field of five other runners in the $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap (G2T) Sept. 2 at Saratoga Race Course, Qurbaan stole the show under a solid hand ride by Joel Rosario and earned his second consecutive title in the 1 1/16-mile test. View the full article

Facing a field of five other runners in the $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap (G2T) Sept. 2 at Saratoga Race Course, Qurbaan stole the show under a solid hand ride by Joel Rosario and earned his second consecutive title in the 1 1/16-mile test. View the full article

Jackpot Farm's Basin proved up to the grade 1 challenge of the $350,000 Runhappy Hopeful Stakes (G1) Sept. 2 at Saratoga Race Course as the son of Liam's Map drew off in the stretch for an easy win in the seven-furlong race for 2-year-olds. View the full article

Basin (c, 2, Liam’s Map–Appenzell, by Johannesburg) put on a show in the Saratoga slop while making his stakes debut in Monday’s GI Runhappy Hopeful S., leading home a one-two-three finish for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. The 3-1 chance broke sharply from his outside draw and found a perfect spot stalking a pair of dueling leaders in third. He revved up while three deep as they hit the quarter pole and he turned on the afterburners from there to score by six lengths. ‘TDN Rising Stars’ Shoplifted (Into Mischief) and Gozilla (Flatter) were second and third, respectively. The final time for seven furlongs was 1:23.48. Basin kicked off his career with a close second as the even-money favorite behind By Your Side (Constitution) in a June 14 maiden at Churchill and was flattered when that rival came back to take the GIII Sanford S. July 13. Basin earned his diploma at second asking at the Spa July 21 by 1 1/4 lengths over Three Technique (Mr. Speaker), who earned his ‘TDN Rising Star’ badge with an impressive maiden victory at the Spa Saturday. Basin is the first black-type winner for his freshman sire (by Unbridled’s Song) Sales history: $150,000 yrl ’18 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0. O-Jackpot Farm; B-Cottonwood Stables LLC (Ky); T-Steve Asmussen. The post Liam’s Map Colt Leads Home Asmussen Triple in the Hopeful appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

For all of the photo finishes at Saratoga Race Course during a weather-shortened 39-day meet, the races for top honors among horsemen and jockeys turned out to be anti-climactic. View the full article

Dubawi‘s colourful story is a perfect reminder that attitudes–and prices–are constantly changing in the bloodstock world. Subject to the usual difficulties which face young stallions before their progeny prove themselves, Dubawi was priced at only £15,000 in his fourth year in 2009, having attracted no more than 91 mares in 2008. Even that substantial price cut (from €40,000) didn’t have the desired effect, with Dubawi’s book falling further in 2009, to only 68. Then Dubawi’s first crop hit the track running, with the G2 victories by Poet’s Voice and Sand Vixen highlighting his considerable potential, and Dubawi began the restoration of his profile which ultimately saw him become Britain’s highest-priced stallion in each of the last four years. As his profile rose, Dubawi began to receive more mares sired by the mighty Galileo. Among the first half a dozen foals that Dubawi sired from Galileo’s daughters was a chestnut colt out of the listed-placed Forest Storm. Conceived at £20,000, the colt made only 32,000gns as a yearling but then proceeded–as Night of Thunder–to win both his 2-year-old starts before becoming the only horse to defeat Kingman, in the 2000 Guineas of 2014. A matter of days after Night of Thunder had become his sire’s second winner of that mile Classic, Dubawi was to cover Nightime, a mare who had become Galileo’s first Classic winner when she landed the Irish 1000 Guineas in 2006. By 2014 Dubawi’s fee had already reached £100,000 but that six-figure sum was still to prove a very sound investment on behalf of Nightime’s owners, the Weld family’s Springbank Way Stud. Nightime’s Dubawi weanling colt was consigned to the 2015 Goffs November Foal Sale, where he became the year’s highest-priced European foal at €1.1 million. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the colt–Ghaiyyath–has now followed Night of Thunder’s example by becoming the second Group 1 winner to represent the Dubawi-Galileo combination. Already a Group 3 winner at two and three, Ghaiyyath received a rave review from his trainer Charlie Appleby in the Racing Post‘s stable tour in early April: “A very exciting horse who was one of our big Classic hopes last year but had a setback just before the Dante,” Appleby explained. “We gave him plenty of time to get over that and he had just the one run–an impressive victory in a Group 3 over 1m2f at Longchamp in September. He’s another progressive Dubawi colt who has done all the right things at home and after a very pleasing victory in Group 2 company over 1m2f in the Prix d’Harcourt back at Longchamp last weekend, we’ll aim next at the G1 Prix Ganay at the same track on Apr. 28, with the Arc being the long-term target. I wouldn’t say he lacks a change of gear, but he’s a big, powerful horse and his biggest asset is that when he gets to the front he’s relentless and just keeps piling it on.” Although the Prix Ganay venture didn’t go to plan, with Ghaiyyath finishing only third behind Waldgeist and Spirit of Man as the 1-2 favourite, the Arc target seems to be very much alive and kicking following the 4-year-old’s demolition of the opposition in Sunday’s Grosser Preis von Baden. I suspect that Night of Thunder and Ghaiyyath are just the tip of the iceberg where Group 1 winners from the Dubawi-Galileo partnership are concerned. At present there are 10% black-type winners among the nick’s 42 foals of racing age, which include seven 2-year-olds of 2019. The nick’s other black-type winners are Dartmouth, now resident at Shade Oak Stud following his successes in the G3 John Porter S., G3 Ormonde S., G2 Hardwicke S. and G2 Yorkshire Cup, and the Listed winner UAE Jewel. The latter was unbeaten on his first two starts in the spring but hasn’t been seen out since. He holds Group 1 entries this autumn, but if he does reappear this year Ghaiyyath has shown it is possible to bounce back at four from an interrupted 3-year-old season. Dubawi also has something like 18 yearlings with dams by Galileo, including youngsters out of the Group 1 winners Golden Lilac, Great Heavens, Nightime (dam of Ghaiyyath) and Romantica, as well as the Group 2 winners Gretchen and Secret Gesture. The partnership also has at least 19 foals. One is a filly out of the multiple Group 1 winner Alice Springs, while one of the colts is out of Kissed By Angels, a Group 3-winning sister to the magnificent Minding. As most of these youngsters are out of black-type earners, it seems fair to expect this cross to flourish over the coming years. Ghaiyyath’s dam Nightime was not only Galileo’s first Classic winner, but also one of the first to demonstrate that Galileo often benefits from mares with plenty of speed in their backgrounds. Nightime’s first two dams, Caumshinaun and Ridge Pool, were respectively sired by the King’s Stand S. winners Indian Ridge and Bluebird, and her third dam, Casting Couch, was by another leading sprinter in Thatching. Daughters of Indian Ridge produced two further group winners by Galileo. One, Oh Goodness Me, was essentially a miler, as she was third in the Irish 1000 Guineas, but the other, David Livingston, won the G3 Rose of Lancaster S. over 10.5 furlongs, having taken the G2 Beresford S. over a mile as a 2-year-old. Nightime’s stamina went unproven, as she failed to reproduce the form she had shown on heavy ground in the Irish 1000 Guineas. However, her broodmare career suggests strongly that she would have stayed quite well. Ghaiyyath is her second Group 1 winner, following the GI Man o’War S. winner Zhukova, who stayed a mile and a half well despite being a daughter of the sprinter Fastnet Rock. Nightime also produced a mile and a quarter winner to Oasis Dream and a mile and a half winner to Raven’s Pass. Although Ghaiyyath’s second dam Caumshinaun was essentially sprint bred, she stayed a mile, as she showed by winning the Listed Platinum S. Ghaiyyath’s fifth dam, the speedy Drama, won the G3 Greenlands S. and went on to produce a pair of notable broodmares in the GIII winner Tycoon’s Drama and the listed-placed Last Drama. Last Drama was the dam of the Grade I-winning American turf performer King’s Drama and second dam of Dubawi’s son Move Up, who enjoyed group success over a mile and a half in Britain and Turkey. The post Pedigree Insights: Ghaiyyath appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Gouverneur Morris (c, 2, Constitution–Addison Run {SP}, by Unbridled’s Song), picked up for $600,000 after breezing an eighth in :10 1/5 at the FTFMAR juvenile sale, ran to the billing as the 3-5 favorite to earn the ‘TDN Rising Star’ nod in his Saratoga unveiling over the sloppy going on closing day. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the gray’s worktab included a sharp four-furlong breeze in :47 3/5 (17/108) at the Spa Aug. 17. Gouverneur Morris took a bump at the start and recovered quickly to sit a perfect trip in third as Maximiliano (Quality Road), a $425,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, and Secret Rules (Secret Circle) battled through an opening quarter in :22.38. He ranged up with a sweeping move approaching the quarter pole, and from there it was just a question of how much he’d win by. It was nine lengths back to Maximiliano in second; Secret Rules was third. The final time for 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:04.29. The February foal, a half-brother to Final Jeopardy (Street Sense), MGSP, $164,450, becomes the 11th winner for his freshman sire (by Tapit). Gouverneur Morris was the most expensive of 41 juveniles to switch hands ($110,843 average) by his sire this year. Addison Run produced a colt by Runhappy in 2018 and a filly by Into Mischief this year. She was bred back to Candy Ride (Arg). Sales history: $200,000 yrl ’18 KEESEP; $600,000 2yo ’19 FTFMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O-Team Valor International & WinStar Farm LLC; B-Machmer Hall, Carrie & Craig Brogden & James F. Miller; T-Todd Pletcher. The post Constitution Colt As Advertised, Named ‘TDN Rising Star’ at the Spa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Nominations are now open for the 16th annual Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards. The awards, sponsored by Godolphin and run by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in association with the Racing Post and Racing TV, recognize the skills, commitment and contribution of over 10,000 stable staff in England, Scotland and Wales and offer £128,000 in total prize money with £40,000 available to a single yard or stud. Nominations will close on Tuesday, Nov. 12 and can be made at www.studandstablestaffwards.co.uk. The award ceremony is slated for The Underglobe in London on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. “It is crucially important that we reward those dedicated, hardworking people who do so much for the racing and breeding industries and Godolphin is delighted to be continuing its support of the awards for 2020,” said Hugh Anderson, Managing Director of Godolphin (UK & Dubai). “I would like to wish all those who are nominated the best of luck on behalf of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.” The post Nominations Open for the 2020 British GSSSA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Racing at Leopardstown on Saturday, Sept. 14, the first day of the Longines Irish Champions Weekend, will begin at 1:55 p.m. local time, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Monday. The change was made to avoid a clash with the All-Ireland senior football final replay, and also to accommodate the Japanese television audience on the Green Channel. Japan is hopefully being represented in the G1 QIPCO Irish Champions S. by Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}). The revised post times for the Irish Champion and the G1 Fastnet Rock Matron S. are 4:15 p.m. and 5:25 p.m., respectively, with the Matron concluding the five live races on RTE. “On a fantastic day of sporting action, we will cater for those who would like to see one of the best race meetings of the year and one of the highlights of the season, as well as the All-Ireland final replay,” said Leopardstown CEO, Pat Keogh. “The news that Green Channel will show the QIPCO Irish Champion S. live on their channel is fantastic news for the profile of the race and we’ve been inundated with media requests from Japan which underlines the interest there in their brilliant racemare, Deirdre. “It’s an incredible day’s racing and is one for the whole family to enjoy–indeed it is worth repeating that accompanied children under-18 are free and there are plenty of free children’s activities.” The post Earlier Start for Longines Irish Champions Weekend on Sept. 14 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Nadia and Vanessa Camperlengo founded a unique Thoroughbred organization called Classic Legacy Thoroughbred Aftercare which is run and governed by women. Their Saratoga fundraiser “Lauding Legacy” honored Barbara Livingston and raised significant funds for the Saratoga Police Force Mounted Unit. We caught up with Nadia just after they closed on a new farm in Virginia. DP: What is the meaning behind the name and the concept of Classic Legacy? NC: My mother Vanessa Camperlengo and I started Classic Legacy Thoroughbred Aftercare (CLTA) in honor of her mother, my grandmother, who passed away three years ago. Thoroughbreds were her life. A revered owner and breeder, she dedicated her life to the industry. Even when she had nothing – I can distinctly recall her claiming the horses she bred off the track, her horses that she believed were being overworked and overrun. She would miss a rent payment so she could claim her babies back. Her vigor was matched by her intelligence – she knew every female line. Another fond memory is when her grandchildren would come visit her in Florida – you weren’t allowed to come into her room if you didn’t know Mr. Prospector’s female line. She made her daughters, and then me, study pedigrees relentlessly. Every Sunday since I could remember, she’d call and talk about pedigrees. You could say I started saying “double copy mare” in my sleep! So now, we’ve been active ever since. With an all-female board, comprised of myself, my mother, aunts, and close peers, we work in her memory! DP: What impact do you feel you have made for Thoroughbreds? NC: Though we’ve been active for a short amount of time, we believe our impact is vast. And a lot of that comes from our passion and real connection to these incredible creatures. Whether it’s one horse or 100–each life counts. I think to the industry, we’re showing folks just how personal and important aftercare rescue and overall advocacy is. My aunt, Aleta Overby, our Intake Coordinator, likes to tell the story about the guy on the beach who was surrounded by dying starfish. He was throwing them back when his friend told him that there were too many to make a difference. He held up the starfish in his hand, threw it back into the ocean and said, “It made a difference to that one.” That’s what we are. DP: What is your hope to accomplish or change for Thoroughbreds in the future? NC: To offer horses a chance to go to the next phase of their lives and careers, if appropriate. The best safeguard for a retired Thoroughbred is being good at their job, whether it is as a show horse, a therapy horse, or simply a pasture horse. Each and every Thoroughbred has a purpose – even if they aren’t filling someone’s pockets. DP: Tell us a little bit about your facilities. NC: We have two farms: one in Louisiana and one in Virginia. In Louisiana, we’re located about an hour north of New Orleans, near the horse community of Folsom. We’re on 25 acres with 6 paddocks, 2 pastures, and 17 stalls between two barns. The area’s most regarded vet clinic (which is able to do some surgeries) is less than one mile from the farm. In Virginia, we just closed on a beautiful farm in Norwood, VA (near Nelson County). It has over 100 acres, miles of riding trails, and a nice sized, renovated barn. This is the perfect location for our incoming sanctuary horses. DP: What is unique or special about Classic Legacy? NC: I think there’s a lot that makes us unique. First, we have an all-female staff and board in a male dominated industry. Secondly, we all have full time jobs, including myself. This is our passion. We don’t make a penny. And you know what? We don’t want to. It’s not the point. A six figure salary doesn’t make us want to wake up early before our full time jobs start to work on CLTA. It’s because we love it. And we’d be nowhere without these horses! DP: Give us an overview of a few of the Thoroughbreds currently in re-training with you? NC: Currently, we have two mares in re-training. First is Nashshinderella. She was abandoned at a training farm by her owner who quit paying bills for his five horses. She’s currently being trained for trail riding and therapy work for her future at our sanctuary. She’s four years old, very kind and gentle. Second is Bella Atrice. She’s an older lady, 18 years old and she has a beautiful pedigree. She’s out of the major stakes winner Irish Actress. Bella won almost $200,000 and had a few foals but the last one almost killed her–so her former groom at the racetrack, Ronnie Betor, who’d kept tabs on her all those years after the track, offered to take her on. Ronnie has had her the last couple years, riding her and loving her, but for financial reasons can no longer keep her. She plans to come to our sanctuary with Nash–they’ll be good buddies! We have just successfully rehabbed and rehomed a sweet colt named High Providence who came to us in December with a tendon injury. DP: Tell us about your recent event at Saratoga honoring Barbara Livingston? NC: “Lauding Legacy: An Aftercare Celebration” was so successful in large part because of all of the community participation. It would not have been possible without everyone. My mother and I decided that the best way to raise awareness and support aftercare would be through community collaboration. My mother herself worked on the backstretch in the 1970s at Saratoga, so the community is important to us. We had a 30+ piece silent auction, live music from The Accents, catering from Mazzones, tasting tables from Sagamore Rye Distillery, One With Life Tequila, and Oliva Vineyards. And to really drive home our love for collaboration, we had an aftercare exhibition featuring representatives from Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare (CTA), Long Shadows Farm, Saratoga War Horse, and New Vocations! We chose to honor photographer Barbara Livingston with our Founder’s Award that evening because of her dedication to the industry and aftercare. Presenting her award was Julie Krone, another female trailblazer in the industry. Additionally, Congressman Paul Tonko attended, and gave Barbara a Congressional Award! Barbara was also gracious to host an impromptu book signing for all who purchased her books for a donation. Proceeds from our event went directly to the Saratoga Mounted Police Force, and their quest to bring a third aftercare horse onto their force! We raised $10,000 for these incredible folks. What was also great about having the Patrol attend was how they greeted guests at the front of the Casino on horseback. We are thrilled to be hosting yet another “Lauding Legacy” event next summer at the Canfield Casino! We’ll be honoring the legacy of Marylou Whitney and raising funds for B.E.S.T.–Backstretch Employee Service Team. DP: If you could have three wishes for the future of off-track Thoroughbreds, what would they be? NC: A good job, a good home, and lots of love – all in one place! For more information, contact Nadia Camperlengo at nadia@classiclegacy.org. Diana Pikulski is a partner at Yepsen & Pikulski and the editor of the Thoroughbred Adoption Network. The post On Aftercare: Mother-Daughter Team Honors Family Passion for Thoroughbreds appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Preakness Stakes (G1) winner War of Will had what trainer Mark Casse called "his big work" before his next race: the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) Sept. 21 at Parx Racing. View the full article

Canadian sire Giant Gizmo (Giant’s Causeway–Golden Antigua, by Hansel) has been purchased by Alberto “Droopy” Paz Rodriguez for Haras Cerra Punta and will be relocated to Panama to continue his stud career. A multiple graded stakes winner as a 4-year-old, the chestnut entered stud at Adena Springs’ Canadian satellite Gardiner Farm in 2010, where he has sired nine stakes winners and two graded stakes winners. The post Giant Gizmo Relocated to Panama appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

For many of us, the last few weeks have been spent with one eye on the sales ring and the other on the racecourse. It would seem that, other than for those who can continue to be predominantly owner-breeders, the days of being able to breed racehorses with the focus solely on their future days on the track are long gone. It has long been a mystery that the type of horse most people would love to own is now infrequently the type many people set out to breed or to buy as a yearling. A Nathaniel (Ire) filly, anyone? Last year the median price for his yearling fillies was 26,000gns, roughly on a par with his covering fee this season. Yet who wouldn’t want to race Enable (GB)? Similarly, try selling a small chestnut colt who is likely to be best at around two miles from his 3-year-old season onwards. Even if he is by the mighty Sea The Stars (Ire), many agents would convince their clients that they should be buying something that could be running at Royal Ascot less than a year later, with the tantalising possibility of being offered eye-watering sums from a buyer in Hong Kong. Longevity is now rarely a consideration. With British prize-money dramatically off-kilter with most of the rest of the world and likely only to regress, it is hard to argue with such a business proposition—despite the obvious risks involved—except to say, where is the fun in that? Fortunately for Bjorn Nielsen, he took the view that it was better to keep the diminutive Stradivarius (Ire) to race himself when bidding in the ring didn’t reach the required amount. The horse’s earnings of almost £2.5 million tell only part of the story as he has another £2 million in Weatherbys Hamilton bonuses to add to that tally. It’s not really about the money at that level though, is it? For two glorious seasons Stradivarius has remained unbeaten. For all that Nielsen has publicly (and admirably) stated that his life’s ambition is to breed a Derby winner, it is hard to imagine that any other horse will bring him such a sustained level of joy as his wonderful staying champion. Now that we know this 5-year-old so well, equally importantly it is a joy in which all those who love racing can share. Really the only upside to staying stallions being out of favour with commercial breeders is that we are likely to be given the chance to see Stradivarius race on next season. But it’s a strange old world in which horses who barely raised a flicker of public interest on the racecourse are suddenly flavour of the month at stud and at the sales—for one season at least. A Tale Of Two Sales On the face of it, the European yearling sales season has started in perhaps stronger fashion that might have been imagined, with improved figures at Arqana August and new records set at the Goffs UK Premier Sale and at BBAG. It is also likely that the sobering figures at the one-day Silver Sale in Doncaster give a better indication of what is to come in the lower tiers of the market. The questions regularly asked are whether there are too many sales, too many horses being bred, too much racing or too few owners coming into the sport, and all of those could reasonably be answered with a boost to prize-money. But, just like Boris Johnson, despite his grandiose fiscal promises, British racing has no magic money tree. The situation could be eased, however, with a fairer spread. As far as we are able to take any sale at face value when there are plenty of new sires to be promoted, the Premier Sale figures are encouraging, especially the clearance rate. The presence of a solitary Kingman (GB) colt, both at Goffs UK and in Baden-Baden, made a big difference to the overall feel, with a £440,000 record-breaker on Tuesday followed by a €700,000 top-priced colt in Germany—a sum which was overshadowed only by the sale of Gestut Brummerhof’s Sea The Stars filly at €820,000, which set a new high for the sale by more than €100,000. Charlie Vigors, who consigned the Goffs UK sale-topper on behalf of his breeders Bob and Pauline Scott, said they took a chance that the colt would stand out in Doncaster, and so he did. With 51 yearlings by the young Juddmonte sire to come in Books 1 and 2 at Tattersalls October, it was a smart move. For breeder Gestut Rottgen, which sold the Kingman colt at BBAG, it was the only time the operation had used the stallion. It probably won’t be the last. Agents representing four international entities went after him and, as is often the case, Sheikh Mohammed had the final say. The hard-working Matt Coleman did a pretty good Where’s Wally impression in Baden-Baden, popping up in his striped polo shirt among the crowd in varying locations all over the sales arena to bid on four horses throughout the day for Godolphin. The agent’s tenacity gave the sale a huge boost, with almost a quarter of the turnover coming through the exchange of those two fillies and two colts. Similarly, Angus Gold at Doncaster on Sheikh Hamdan’s behalf accounted for more than 10% of the Premier Sale aggregate. Australians Adjusting Focus For a number of years, the pilgrimage for Australian buyers looking for European stayers was to Newmarket for the Tattersalls Horses-in-Training Sale. With plenty of private deals for such horses now commonplace throughout the season, a number of those buyers have taken a step farther back in the chain to buy middle-distance yearlings, and the BBAG sale, with its plethora of stock from proven stamina-led families, seems the perfect place to start. As featured in TDN last week, this has been the method employed by Australian Bloodstock for some years now, and others, such as Brad Spicer, are following suit. It is not a practice restricted to Australian buyers either. A shrewd syndicate of British owners has also targeted the BBAG sale over a number of years with the aim of finding value in the yearling market to race middle-distance horses in Britain for several seasons in the hope that they will achieve a level that is enticing to southern hemisphere buyers. Whichever tactic is deployed—either finding a whizz-bang 2-year-old or a longer-term prospect—the aim remains the same: to sell that horse to the highest bidder overseas. A successful outcome in this scenario naturally should mean reinvestment in young stock from those parties, but it is a situation which gives rise to mixed feelings. In many ways, it is a source of pride that bloodlines in this part of the world are still so respected and in demand, but it is part of a precarious situation for the European countries as racing nations. The ‘sport of kings’ has perhaps never truly been accessible to those without vast reserves to call on but in Australia at least, it is the booming syndicate model which is king. Rondinay Family Running Wild For Etzean Shamardal already has one worthy advertisement of his potential as a sire of sires in Lope De Vega (Ire) and there could be more to come. Two of Shamardal’s sons have entered the fray this year with their first yearlings—Dariyan (Fr), and Bow Creek (Ire)—but French Navy (Ire) and Amaron (GB) are one jump ahead with a smattering of first runners already on the track. The latter, bred in Suffolk at the Swinburn family’s Genesis Green Stud, was trained in Germany and made plenty of fruitful trips to neighbouring countries in pursuit of his nine victories from 22 starts. The classy miler, who has stood at Gestut Etzean at a fee of €4,500 since his retirement, has never covered more than 50 mares in a season. He has had two winners in Germany from his eight runners to date and a graduate of last year’s BBAG Sale, Run Wild (Ger), brought his tally of wins to three when making an extremely favourable impression last week. She posted a six-length victory on her third start for John Gosden and a group of owners which includes David Redvers, Barbara Keller and Ghislain and Henri Bozo. Out of the Cadeaux Genereux (GB) mare Rondinay (GB) and bought for €160,000, Run Wild was bred by Ralf Kredel at Etzean and is her sire’s most expensive yearling to date. Even before she herself showed such promise on the racecourse, she was entitled to be given consideration. Her half-sister Rock My Soul (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) was a treble listed winner in Germany for Uwe Ostmann and was later Group 3-placed in France. Her broodmare credentials include being the dam of three-time Group 3 winner Young Rascal (Fr) (Intello {Ger}), while another half-sibling is Augustin Stable’s Group 3 winner Rock My Love (Ger) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), who has thus far raced in Germany, France and Canada. Included in Rondinay’s offspring is the listed winner Rock My Heart (Ger) (Sholokhov {Ire}), who is now a broodmare in Japan and produced a Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) filly this year, while Rapido (Ger) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) was second to Sea The Moon (Ger) in the G2 Oppenheim-Union-Rennen. Among the purchasers of Amaron yearlings in Baden-Baden last week was Shamardal’s former trainer Mark Johnston. What A Caper Whether it was her late cover, her covering sire, or the fact that she was already 14 when sold three years ago, the sum of 85,000gns still seems a little paltry for the well-bred decent performer Karen’s Caper (War Chant), particularly when she had unraced colts by Dubawi (Ire) and Frankel (GB) on the ground. That was the sum that paid by Highclere Stud when she was let go from the Godolphin draft in December 2016, and the 11,000gns paid for the New Approach (Ire) colt she was carrying at the time when he was offered as a yearling didn’t necessarily offer much further encouragement. However, the colt’s buyer was Mark Johnston, famed for favouring pedigree over conformation, and whatever faults the yearling may have been perceived to have had last October, he is now a three-time winner named King’s Caper (GB). The colt brought up his hat-trick on Saturday just hours after his year-older Frankel half-brother Casanova (GB), who runs in Princess Haya’s colours, broke his maiden when winning by 4.5 lengths at Wolverhampton. Karen’s Caper, whose first foal Kinglet (Kingmambo) won the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas, had no foal last year but delivered an Iffraaj (GB) filly foal on Feb. 3. The Joy of Nugent There are many reasons to appreciate Nick Nugent. In the press room at Goffs, the hearts of the sales correspondents lift a little as he takes to the rostrum at the end of a long day, knowing that he is the fastest auctioneer in the west, rattling out bids and quips at an equally high velocity. Nugent also does a fantastic job of pretending to be a bit of a Victor Meldrew. Passing the press desk at Doncaster last week, he berated us for being far too cheery on social media. “I’m fed up with people posting photos of themselves having a lovely time on holiday,” he said. “I want to see them sitting at home on their own having a miserable time and eating a Pot Noodle. I don’t have FOMO, more JOMO. I prefer the joy of missing out.” The post The Weekly Wrap: Hard To Fathom Fashion appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges knows horse racing is not immune from the political unrest rife in Hong Kong, saying the organisation will remain “vigilant” against any potential threats.Despite the unsettled environment, it was business as usual for the Jockey Club at Sunday’s season opening meeting at Sha Tin, which went off virtually unaffected.Engelbrecht-Bresges admitted he was relieved at how the day unfolded, hoping to unite people behind the sport and the… View the full article

In the $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap (G2T), how two new arrivals handle their second American start could hold the key to deciding the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes on Sept. 2 as the curtain falls on another year of racing at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

In the $250,00 Bernard Baruch Handicap (G2T), how two new arrivals handle their second American start could hold the key to deciding the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes on Sept. 2 as the curtain falls on another year of racing at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

In a daringly bold move that saw him split horses in deep stretch and sail to the lead, Jerome Moss' homebred Nolde picked up the first graded stakes win of his career in the $250,000 Del Mar Derby (G2T) Sept. 1 at Del Mar. View the full article

Nolde (Pioneerof the Nile, who was nosed out of the win when second over the Del Mar lawn in the July 17 Oceanside S., got the better of the photo finish Sunday to win the GII Del Mar Derby. The 6-1 shot settled well off the pace as Kingly (Tapit) sprinted out to a clear lead. Kingly was in front and racing keenly through fractions of :23.44 and :47.80, but his advantage evaporated when Neptune’s Storm strode to the lead without prompting at the top of the lane. Kingly tried valiantly to battle back along the rail, but it was Nolde finding a seam between the two foes late and charging to the lead. Originaire closed stoutly down the center of the course to nip Neptune’s Storm for second. “Sometimes when you get on this horse, he’s nice and easy going. Not today,” said winning jockey Victor Espinoza. “He was strong; like a bull. I like that. He was telling me he was ready. When we ran last time, I knew he ran a good race, but I knew he’d be better next time. He’s got a long stride and distance is going to be good for him. He’s not an easy horse to ride, but he’s got a lot of talent. We’ve just got to figure out a way to bring it out. When I sent him inside today, he just went. He was ready.” Nolde made the first four starts of his career on the main track, but moved to the lawn to graduate in his fifth outing going one mile at Santa Anita May 3. He added a June 21 optional claimer at that same distance in Arcadia and was caught late while making his stakes debut in the Oceanside. He was making his first start beyond a mile in the Del Mar Derby. “The Oceanside prepared him nicely for this, which was the plan,” said winning trainer John Shirreffs. “We were very happy with the way the horse trained for the race. Victor has ridden him a number of times and really knows the horse. He got him settled in a nice position and Nolde has a really nice turn of foot.” Pedigree Notes: Nolde is out of the Moss homebred Sister Moon, who RNA’d for $57,000 at the 2011 OBS April sale and was second the Anoakia S. and who set a 5 1/2-furlong track record at Del Mar that year. The dark bay was runner-up the following year in the GIII Railbird S. She produced a filly by Empire Maker in 2018 and a colt by Quality Road this year before being bred back to City of Light. The Mosses purchased Nolde’s second dam Shimmer for $210,000 at the 2003 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and she was a two-time winner in their colors for John Shirreffs in 2005. She sold, in foal to Union Rags, for $140,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November sale. The winner’s third dam, graded-stakes winner Private Light, also produced graded-stakes placed Sailor’s Warning (Storm Cat) and graded winner Cielo Gold (Conquistador Cielo). Sunday, Del Mar DEL MAR DERBY-GII, $251,404, Del Mar, 9-1, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:46.98, fm. 1–NOLDE, 122, c, 3, by Pioneerof the Nile 1st Dam: Sister Moon (GSP, $107,350), by Dixie Union 2nd Dam: Shimmer, by Pulpit 3rd Dam: Private Light, by Private Account 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Jerome Moss (KY); T-John A. Shirreffs; J-Victor Espinoza. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 8-3-2-1, $270,470. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Originaire (Ire), 122, c, 3, Zoffany (Ire)–Polly Perkins (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). (€50,000 Ylg ’17 GOFOR; 70,000gns 3yo ’19 TATFEB). O-BG Stables; B-Vimal and Gillian Khosla (IRE); T-Jeff Mullins. $50,000. 3–Neptune’s Storm, 122, g, 3, Stormy Atlantic–Immortal Life (Ire), by Iffraaj (GB). ($50,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $70,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP; $130,000 2yo ’18 OBSAPR). O-CYBT, Gevertz, Saul, Gitomer, Lynn, Goetz, Mike, Nentwig, Michael and Weiner, Daniel; B-Tracy Farmer (KY); T-Richard Baltas. $30,000. Margins: NK, HD, NK. Odds: 6.60, 6.30, 2.40. Also Ran: Hackberry, Kingly, Moody Jim (Ire), Nolo Contesto, Visitant, Parsimony. Scratched: Walker Stalker. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. The post Nolde Surges to Del Mar Derby Win appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Spendthrift Farm owner B. Wayne Hughes has joined the Water Hay Oats Alliance. The organization is a grassroots movement formed to support passage of The Horseracing Integrity Act (HR1754/S1820) with the intention to create a uniform standard for drug rules and testing through a national program overseen by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), a private, non-governmental entity. “I wholeheartedly support the effort,” said Hughes. “The need for this legislation is urgent, and the future of horse racing hangs in the balance of its enactment. We are on the edge of the cliff.” The post Hughes Joins WHOA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Dan Hendricks, who has trained horses on the Southern California circuit since 1981, sent out his last starter when Matson (Congrats) finished off the board in the 10th race Sunday at Del Mar. “Don’t really have any plans,” the 61-year-old conditioner said when asked about his decision. “Time to take a break. Going to clean things up around here, then spend some time traveling. We’ll see what comes next after that.” Going into Sunday, Equibase statistics show that during his career, the Los Angeles native has started 4,890 horses, won 734 races and had purse earnings of $32,170,947. Hendricks, paralyzed from the waist down following a motocross injury in 2004, trained GI Santa Anita Derby winner Brother Derek, millionaire Om, and Grade I winner Daytona. When asked what would be the toughest part of his upcoming new life, the wry conditioner said, “Learning how to sleep in in the mornings.” The post Hendricks Runs Final Horse at Del Mar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Pierre Jean and Leslie Amestoy's homebred filly Fritzies Flame became the first black-type winner for Laugh Track when she went gate-to-wire in the Rio Grande Senorita Thoroughbred Futurity Sept. 1 at Ruidoso Downs. View the full article

Who's the Diva Now, owned and trained by Kevin Eikleberry became the first winner sired by Lotsa Mischief when she won her career debut in the $25,300 Las Vegas Ranch Stakes at Arizona Downs Sept. 1. View the full article