Wandering Eyes

It was very much a case of that man again early doors at Arqana after Norman Williamson, who sold recent 2,000 Guineas winner Ruling Court at this breeze-up sale 12 months ago, set the early tempo when his Maxfield colt went the way of Godolphin for a cool €1 million. It proved to be another shrewd piece of business for the man behind Oak Tree Farm given he sourced the colt at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale for just $70,000 last year. Anthony Stroud, who signed for lot 5 on behalf of Godolphin, confirmed the colt would be trained by Charlie Appleby. The post That Man Again – Williamson Sets Early Tempo At Arqana With Million-Euro Maxfield Colt appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In a thrilling conclusion to the Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival, the talented three-year-old colt Reserve Bank defied his age to conquer a quality field of older sprinters, including the heavily favoured Giga Kick, in a decisive victory in Saturday’s Group 1 $1 million The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville. Trained at Cranbourne by Mick Price & […] The post Three-Year-Old Reserve Bank Wins The Goodwood 2025, Beats Sir Sway and Giga Kick appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

Five-year-old mare Avebury (NZ) (Savabeel) relished the week back-up when successful at Caulfield on Saturday in the Summit Concepts Merchandise Handicap (1400m), having finished a close-up fifth at the same venue seven days earlier. The daughter of Savabeel sat just behind the speed throughout under Jye McNeil and relished getting clear air mid-straight to run out a ready winner for trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman. Originally prepared by John O’Shea, Avebury was the winner of the Listed Canberra Guineas (1400m) for that stable as a three-year-old and was sold at last year’s Gold Coast Broodmare Sale for $575,000 to Boomer Bloodstock and Murray Thoroughbreds. The attractive mare recorded her first victory at start three for her new connections. “It was a a good plan by Sam to back-up and step out to 1400m,” McNeil said. “There was a a little bit of speed in the early stages, which didn’t make it straightforward (from barrier 1) and I ended up in a position that I had to be patient and make sure I made the right move to get out and get some clear air. “Once she did that, she hit the front really fast and actually had a really good look around so it was a win with a bit more in store. “Sam spoke about backing her up straight after her run here a week ago and obviously they are a team that prepares their horses really well and they had her spot-on today. “When she hit the front really fast it was a bit of a shock to her and she spotted the winning post and pricked the ears. I feel like if she had something to chase or something come at her, she would have she would have had more in the tank.” Bred by Waikato Stud, Avebury is a half-sister to Gr.1 Queensland Derby runner up Paternal (NZ) (Savabeel), with both out of the O’Reilly mare O’Dianne (NZ). View the full article

Rugged mare Nigella Lane (NZ) (Niagara) got the big race win she has deserved all season when she ground down gallant pacemaker Dark Destroyer (NZ) (Proisir) to take out the Listed Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m) on Saturday. The Ralph Manning-prepared daughter of Niagara has been a model of consistency without tasting victory in her last five starts with placings in the Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) and an unlucky runner-up finish in the Manawatu Breeders’ Sakes (2050m) after winning the Thames Cup (1600m) at Te Aroha in January. Adept on all surfaces, rider Kelly Myers was happy to sit the mare towards the rear of a compact field before weaving between runners approaching the home turn. Veteran galloper Dark Destroyer had adopted the unusual role of pacemaker and was making a great fist of things as he swung for home with a two length margin on his nearest rival including Nigella Lane who was charging into the fray. Despite fighting like a tiger, Dark Destroyer had to yield to Nigella Lane at the 100m and she went on to win by a long neck with New Plymouth visitor Our Jumala (NZ) (Zed) also finishing strongly to take third. Manning was thrilled to see his charge finally get a stakes win he felt had been a long time coming. “She deserved that as she has been up a long time but you wouldn’t know it with her work this week,” Manning said. “She has been so unlucky in those stakes races and today she got up and had some luck on her side. “In saying that it was just a gorgeous ride by Kelly. I don’t give her any instructions as she does plenty of homework, but she got rolling at the right time and in the best part of he track to make her challenge. “Dark Destroyer really fought hard but my mare is bloody tough and I knew that she wouldn’t take a backward step if it got down to a dog fight. “We haven’t thought too far ahead and she may go to the paddock now, but this is a race and track I love and this makes it three wins in the race after I won it with Lord Peregrine (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) and Pump Up The Volume (NZ) (Savabeel), so I’m pretty proud of that.” Manning was also delighted with the performance of his mare Finest Hour who finished fifth in the Australian Turf Club Autumn Sprint Final (1200m) at Trentham, but was beaten by less than half a length. “Finest Hour (NZ) (Zabeel) is a mare I bought off gavelhouse.com and she just keeps improving,” he said. “She went a tough race today and the goal with her is to get some black type next season as she is closely related to Detonator Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry) and Madison County (NZ) (Pins), who was a multiple Group One winner, so when she hits the breeding barn that black type will be very important for her.” Nigella Lane is a daughter of well performed mare Casabella Lane (NZ) (Volksraad) who won six races including the Gr.2 Japan NZ Trophy (1600m). She has now won six of her 26 starts and over $217,000 in prizemoney. View the full article

Impeccably bred three-year-old filly Madiyya (NZ) (Super Seth) recorded her first metropolitan success when cruising to victory in the Assured Insurance Brokers Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday. Prepared by Ben, Will and JD Hayes, the daughter of Super Seth was given a perfect ride by Luke Currie, who settled the mare midfield before tracking the leaders into the turn and once balanced up the chestnut filly dashed away to notch her second career victory from three starts. Bred and raced by Trelawney Stud, Madiyya is a half-sister to dual Group One winner and sire Grunt (NZ) (O’Reilly), in addition to Group Two winning mare Zayydani (NZ) (Savabeel). The latter played an important role for the Hayes brothers as they established their careers after the relocation of their father David to Hong Kong, with Zayydani both the first winner for the new-look Lindsay Park and first stakes winner. “It was a terrific ride by Luke. It was little bit sticky early. He tried to hold a position, and it didn’t quite work out,” Will Hayes said. “I thought he made a great decision to get in the three-wide line with cover. “She is still very green and raw with plenty of upside. She didn’t handle that bend terrifically but when she leveled out, she was too strong. “It was a very exciting win and we are very happy to get the win for Trelawney Stud.” Hayes indicated a trip north to Queensland could now be on the cards for Madiyya for the Gr.3 Fred Best Classic (1400m) at Eagle Farm at the end of the month. “She is talented and the first thing we will be guided by is how she pulls up,” Hayes said. Madiyya’s dam Ruqqaya is a half-sister to Ocean Park and has a weanling colt by Proisir and visited Paddington last spring. View the full article

Matamata trainer Andrew Scott brought up his 1000th win in New Zealand when exciting talent Tomodachi (NZ) (Tarzino) took out the Gr.3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park on Saturday. Heading into this weekend, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing statistics credited Scott with 998 winners in New Zealand. He and training partner Lance O’Sullivan picked up a win with Tristar (NZ) (Exceedance) at Trentham in the early part of the afternoon, then reached the milestone in the $100,000 fillies and mares’ feature at Rotorua. “They tell me that’s my 1000th winner, so that’s quite a milestone,” Scott said. “But training racehorses takes a team of owners and staff, and I’ve been very lucky in that regard. I’ve also had some amazing mentors along the way with Mike Moroney and Lance. I started out quite a long time ago now, and to get to 1000 today is amazing.” But Scott was keen to direct most of the post-race attention on to Tomodachi. The Pencarrow Stud homebred has made an enormous impression in a short career to date, winning six of her nine starts and more than $179,000 in stakes. The daughter of Tarzino burst on the scene with three wins in a row last autumn, then ventured across the Tasman to Queensland and finished midfield in a solitary appearance over 2180m. A stronger and better version of Tomodachi returned to racing as a four-year-old this season, collecting back-to-back wins at Tauranga and Ellerslie before flashing home from the back of the field for a close third in last month’s Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m). Saturday brought a deserved black-type breakthrough. “What a mare,” Scott said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s quick ground or wet ground – she’s just a really good racehorse, and she can only get better from here. “Our concern coming into today was that the pace might not be quick enough for her to relax, but fortunately she did and then she had that kick in the straight. “To get the big black type and a Group Three win today is so valuable for the team at Pencarrow, and we still think it’s all in front of her. We can start to get really serious with her next season. “Her sectional times at Trentham last start were just off the charts. She has an exceptional turn of foot when she’s on quick ground and has the opportunity to let down.” A big part of Saturday’s success was jockey Joe Doyle, who got Tomodachi to settle into a good rhythm in third-last before saving crucial ground around the home turn. Tomodachi snuck through the inside and burst to the lead at the top of the straight. Bedtime Story (NZ) (Per Incanto) emerged from the pack and chased hard through the last 200m, but Tomodachi had enough up her sleeve to hold her out and win by a length and three-quarters. “She’s all class,” Doyle said. “The track is in bits now and it’s tough wherever you go, so I didn’t see much point in going wide and spending more petrol than I needed to. “She was on the bridle a little bit today, but looking at her previous races, I’ve seen her pull a lot harder than that. “Going into next season, when she gets on a good track, she can run some savage splits. She’s very high-class. All credit to Lance, Andrew and the owners.” Tomodachi became the seventh individual stakes winner for Westbury Stud stallion Tarzino, who has also been in the black-type spotlight this season through the deeds of Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) hero Willydoit, Gr.3 Easter Cup (2000m) winner Torranzino and Listed Christmas Cup (2400m) victor Kadavar (NZ). The dam of Tomodachi is the High Chaparral mare Quintessentially (NZ), who herself won three races. Second dam Uberalles (NZ) (Giant’s Causeway) placed in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), while the third dam is the great Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm), whose four Group One wins included the Melbourne Cup (3200m) and Caulfield Cup (2400m). O’Sullivan and Scott have now won the Rotorua Stakes two years in a row, having taken out the 2024 edition with Karman Line (NZ) (Myboycharlie). That mare was checked out of contention in the straight on Saturday, but stablemates Lux Libertas (NZ) (Almanzor) (third) and Kelly Coe (NZ) (Proisir) (sixth) performed with plenty of merit. “The team’s run well,” Scott said. “Lux Libertas was massive. She was held up behind them and just couldn’t quite get to the right part of the track, but Warren (Kenndy) was really pleased with the way she just kept coming. Kelly Coe hit the line really well too.” View the full article

Promising jockey Liam Kauri jumped at the chance to ride for one of New Zealand’s biggest stables at Trentham on Saturday, guiding Tristar to victory in the Leica Lucy 3YO (1200m). The $35,000 race was Kauri’s 20th win in a career that has been plagued by long stints on the sidelines with injuries. The 25-year-old took special satisfaction from Saturday’s success aboard the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Tristar. “It’s the biggest stable I’ve ever ridden for, so this was a huge opportunity for me,” Kauri said. Saturday’s Trentham assignment was a step down in class for Tristar (NZ) (Exceedance), who had shown bright promise throughout her three-year-old season. She was a two-length winner on debut at Taupo in September, where beaten runners included her subsequent stakes-winning stablemate Sethito (NZ) (Super Seth). Another victory followed at Tauranga, and then Tristar finished a luckless 10th in the Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m) and a close sixth in the $100,000 Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy (1500m). Tristar headed to Trentham on the back of a strong trial win at Pukekohe on April 29, and she made a notable move into $2.20 favouritism in the lead-up to Saturday’s race. Kauri played his part to perfection. After settling at the back of the small field as Anushka Shesastar (NZ) (Proisir) set a moderate pace up to the home turn, Kauri angled his mount into the clear and began to move her through her gears. The race changed quickly in the straight as Anushka Shesastar faded out of contention, with Detrimental (I Am Invincible), Albarossa (Vino Rosso) and Tristar striding to the front together. That trio drew more than four lengths clear of the rest of the field to fight out the finish, and it was Tristar who got the upper hand and scored by a neck. Detrimental finished second, a head in front of Albarossa. “The two scratchings this morning made it an easier race to judge,” Kauri said. “I noticed that they came from the back in the first race, so I was happy to ride her the same way. “She got to the front easily in the straight. She didn’t quite put them away like I thought she was going to, but she fought well and was strong through the line. She’s a promising horse.” Tristar was bred by the Little Avondale Trust and is by Exceedance out of the Pierro mare World Away. That makes her a half-sister to her stablemate Karman Line (NZ) (Myboycharlie), who won the Gr.3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) on this day last year. Little Avondale offered Tristar in Book 1 of Karaka 2023, where she was bought by Wexford Stables for $220,000. Her seven-start career has now produced three wins and $59,260 in stakes, with the promise of much more to come. Tristar’s big ownership group was represented at Trentham on Saturday by Hamish Croad, who noted that many of the owners also race Karman Line. “She’s obviously a half-sister to Karman Line and we’ve always thought pretty highly of her,” Croad said. “A lot of the owners are in both horses, so we’re hoping for a good day with Karman Line running in the Rotorua Stakes later in the afternoon. “Tristar is a bit more of a robust type than Karman Line, so we were hoping that she might go a bit earlier. “She was a bit unlucky not to make the field for the NZB Kiwi (1500m), but she may not be a real fan of Ellerslie anyway. “She’s shown today that she handles a bit of cut out of the ground, and we think she has a bright future. Hopefully she’ll come through this well, and then Lance and Andrew will have a good look at her and see where to go next.” View the full article

Trainer Gavin Sharrock rocked punters once again with another promising young horse from his Stratford -based operation when Country Salon (NZ) (Darci Brahma) overcame a slow start to bury his race rivals late in the piece as he took out the Ladies Man 2YO (1200m) on a testing Heavy 10 surface at Trentham. The son of Darci Brahma had been fancied on debut when finishing fifth at Waverley last month behind Saturday’s race favourite Belzoni (NZ) (Belardo). That experience did him the world of good although those who supported him at $12 on the Fixed Odds market would have been holding their breath as he was slow to move for rider Jim Chung and trailed the field in a slowly run race until the 600m. Chung then sent the gelding around runners to issue a challenge approaching the home bend, where he still had several lengths to make up on Belzoni, his stablemate Under Orders (NZ) (War Decree) and well fancied debutant Transcend (So You Think). Just as Transcend look to have mastered the other two, Country Salon dug deep and with a couple of huge bounds levelled up and took over to win by a long neck at the line. Sharrock, who had also taken out another juvenile contest with Spandeedo (NZ) (Ferrando) at Hawera on Tuesday, was delighted with the effort. “I love working with the two-year-olds and this was one was unlucky at Waverley as he got knocked over and still ran fifth,” Sharrock said . “The instructions were to teach him as he over-raced in front last time and he will learn something today. “His mother won a race on a Heavy 10 so he might be another one we target for the Castletown Stakes (Listed, 1200m on 20 June). Chung was also impressed by the effort. “He sat back in the gates and missed the jump, but that may have been a good thing as he got to come around them and get out into the middle of the track,” he said.” “He hit the line well as it took him a while to wind up but he did it nicely in the end. Bred and raced by Sharrock, Country Salon is out of the Ferlax mare Uniquebotique (NZ) who is a daughter of Gr.3 Gasmate Stakes (1600m) winner Sokool (NZ) (Bin Ajwaad) and has dual Australian Group One winner Prince Salieri (Salieri) in his extended dam line. View the full article

By Michael Guerin If Alexandra Park races true to recent form for tonight’s $200,000 Magness Benrow Sires’ Stakes there may be less winning chances in the Group 1 than it appears as first glance. Because while the race is the strongest of the three-year-old pacing fillies season so far the girls covering the least ground should hold a huge advantage. Tonight’s meeting is take 2 after last night’s attempt was postponed after just one race because of bad weather. In the past few weeks in northern harness racing the most obvious trend has been the biggest race winners almost always coming from on the marker pegs. It was the case in all five Groups 1 here two weeks ago and two of the three held at Alexandra Park last week. It was also the case when Arcee Phoenix won the $600,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge last month with the most jarring exception to the marker pegs domination being Leap To Fame in the $1m Race by betcha, but he is an exception to a lot of rules. The reasons for the popular pegs are well known: the times being recorded these days are so fast horses coming wide often face having to break national records just to keep up. That trend looks set to continue in tonight’s 2200m mobile Sires’ Stakes and if it does it give an enormous advantage to Beside Me (R8, No.3) and most likely General Jen (No.2). Beside Me looks the likely leader and driver Carter Dalgety says if he gets there he won’t be handing the lead away. “She got a little too excited for her own good in the Oaks last start but that was 2700m whereas being 2200m this week I can let her roll more,” says Dalgety. Beside Me was beaten in that Oaks by Arafura, who is in tonight’s race but faces a second line draw so it could be her stablemate General Jen who emerges as the main danger to the favourite. General Jen was allowed to miss the earlier northern three-year-old features by co-trainer Hayden Cullen and she looks a fresh and happy horse when she bolted away with her Alexandra Park debut against older pacers last Friday. If she can use her gate speed to cross to the markers and trail Beside Me she could try the same sit-and-snipe tactics Arafura did two weeks ago. “I have no doubts Arafura is the best of our fillies but she may not be the best chance this week,” says Cullen. “I can see General Jen getting the better run, hopefully on the back of Beside Me, and she really impressed me how she won up here last Friday. “Arafura is tougher but if she has to race in the running line it becomes a lot harder for her.” One horse who could be on the markers but not the best version of them is Southland filly Captains Mistress. She looks the real deal but faces being three or even four deep on the markers and if so could need an intense war up front to open gaps for her to chase down tired legs later. Her trainer-driver Nathan Williamson also brings his one-start, one-win juvenile trotter Duchess Maria (R4, No.2) north for the $50,000 IRT Young Gun Final in which she will have to handle the right-handed track to down Redpark Warrior. Tonight’s other major trot the $120,000 IRT Trotters Championship should probably see Meant To Be continued on his winning march but the reduction in distance from 2700m last start to 2200m mobile tonight gives him less time to overcome his unruly start point. To see tonight’s fields click here View the full article

Jockey Junior Alvarado has been fined $62,000 and suspended two Kentucky racing days after using the whip two more times than is permitted when winning the GI Kentucky Derby aboard Sovereignty, according to a Kentucky stewards' ruling Friday. Under Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) rules, jockeys can use the crop no more than six times during a race. The typical penalty for going one to three strikes over the limit is 10% of the jockey's earnings or a $250 fine, whichever is bigger. Alvarado's share of the Derby purse was $310,000. It typically comes with a one-day suspension. This, however, was Alvarado's second whip violation within 180 days, according to the stewards' ruling. According to HISA Rule 2283 (c)(1), a second violation within that 180-day period results in a doubling of the fine and a doubling of the suspension period. Alvarado's two-day suspension will run May 29 and 30. According to the BloodHorse, the ruling is under appeal, which will likely be heard by a three-person HISA Internal Adjudication Panel. The post Alvarado Fined $62,500 And Suspended Two Days For Crop Violation During Winning Derby Ride appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In a ruling issued May 9, jockey Junior Alvarado was fined $62,000 and suspended two racing days for violating established riding crop rules in piloting Sovereignty to victory in the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs. View the full article

5th-CD, $120k, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 1mT, 2:46p.m. ET OLYMPIC DAME (Medaglia d'Oro) will break from the rail here wearing the colors of Qatar Racing for trainer Brendan Walsh. A $385,000 FTSAUG purchase in 2023, the price looked like a steal three months later when her half-brother Honor Marie (Honor Code) brought home the trophy for the GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in late November, and kept himself in the headlines from there, running through the 2024 Kentucky Derby trail by route of Louisiana and eventually finishing eighth in the big dance. He went on the shelf after trailing along in eighth in the GI Travers Stakes but has since redeemed himself. He was last seen winning the Listed Isaac Murphy Marathon Stakes beneath these same Twin Spires as his sister will begin her career. The pair also claims GSP Abarta (Into Mischief) as a half-sibling. Their dam, Dame Marie (Smart Strike), is a half-sister to G1 Betfair St. Leger hero Rule of Law (Kingmambo). This is the extended family of G1 Prix de Paris victor Feed the Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who joined the stallion ranks in France this year after multiple placings at the elite level last season. TJCIS PPs 6th-SA, $60k, Msw, 3-5yo, 6 1/2f, 6:38p.m. ET It's the battle of the high six-figure auction horses in this maiden special weight, and Florida-bred Southern Gentleman (Mitole) takes first prize in that department at a princely $725,000 when he changed hands at OBSMAR last year to Speedway Stables. In the barn of Bob Baffert, this son of Mitole is a half-brother to GSW Midnight Stroll (Not This Time) and SP Atthecrossroads (Practical Joke). Their dam Midnight Magic (Midnight Lute) is a half-sister to GSW Coalport (Kitten's Joy) and that one's dull-brother, French Listed winner Jolly Good Kitten. This is the immediate family of GI Santa Maria Handicap victress Favorite Funtime (Seeking the Gold). Two spots to his inside is Cheever (Into Mischief) for owners Muir Hut Stables and trainer Mark Glatt. The Stonestreet-bred was a $700,000 acquisition from the same OBSMAR auction, and hails from an accomplished female family as the son of GSW Electric Forest (Curlin), herself a daughter of MGSW & MGISP Forest Music (Unbridled's Song). The dam's half-siblings include GSW Kentuckian (Tiznow) as well as GSW Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo). Breaking farthest out in the field is Legal Heir (Nyquist), a $550,000 OBSAPR purchase and now racing for the partnership of MKW Racing and Spendthrift Farm. In the barn of Richard Mandella, the Maryland-bred is a half-brother to SW & GSP Monday Morning QB (Imagining). Their dam How My Heart Works (Not For Love) is a half-sister to MSW & MGSP Awesome Flower (Flower Alley), who would achieve fame by way of her son, MGISW Cyberknife (Gun Runner). This is the female line of SW Well Dressed (Notebook), who is best known for her world-beating son, multiple Group 1 winner Well Armed (Tiznow). That gelding needs little to no introduction to most racing fans. Well Dressed's line branches out in many directions via her daughters and has produced many graded and group winners at every level. TJCIS PPs The post May 10 Insights: Half to Honor Marie Debuts at Churchill, California Hosts Big Ticket Maidens appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) winner Rodriguez will miss the May 17 Preakness Stakes (G1) because of a foot issue, but his connections have another colt in mind for the second leg of the Triple Crown, undefeated Goal Oriented.View the full article

Kathy Walsh, who started training as an interloper among the nation's almost hermetically-sealed male ranks and who pursued her career with a rare combination of grit, guts, gumption and generosity, passed quietly in her sleep at the age of 85. A consummate horsewoman, Walsh brooked no fools and minced no words, yet garnered the kind of deeply held reverence and affection typically extended to those of royal lineage. There's a reason she was nicknamed The Queen. “She probably hired and fired me more times than she changed her underwear, I used to tell her,” said jockey Mike Smith. “She could be tough on you–but once you were part of the family, buddy, you were part of the family, man.” Walsh was born into racing. Her father James trained. She cultivated great taste in mentors. Walsh spent the formative years of her equine education mining nuggets of wisdom from the likes Allen Jerkens, Charlie Whittingham and Buster Millerick, who she viewed as her “adoptive grandfather.” Walsh started training in the early 1970s, taking over her father's stable upon his death. She soon hung out her shingle as a trainer to note, winning multiple titles at Longacres in Washington State and Canterbury Downs in Minnesota. “We go way back, me and Kathy, back to the old Canterbury Downs days,” said Smith. “She's a great horsewoman. She had a strong stable back then. She was someone you wanted to ride for all the time.” Once becoming a permanent fixture of the California circuit, so the overall quality of her stock improved in leaps. She won 15 graded stakes during a career comprising 1231 individual wins. This includes the 2001 GI Santa Monica Handicap with Nany's Sweep. Walsh's moon shot came in 2007, and the arrival in her barn of Cal-bred Georgie Boy (Tribal Rule), who took that year's GI Del Mar Futurity. The following spring, Georgie Boy claimed wins in the GII San Vicente Stakes and San Felipe Stakes, on the way to what was expected to be a bold tilt at the Kentucky Derby. He missed the race, however, with pulled muscles in his back, but he returned to action later that year before claiming the GII San Carlos Stakes, his final race. As a two-year-old still learning his craft, Georgie Boy was headstrong, a real bruiser. “But we knew he could run,” said Smith, who rode the horse to second in the GII Best Pal Stakes, a prep for his next race, the Del Mar Futurity. “He was so aggressive with the blinkers on when we finished second. And she was pretty aggravated because we'd gone pretty quick. And I said 'Kathy, he doesn't need these blinkers anymore. I know he did when he was young, bless him, but he needs to relax. Take them off,” Smith recalled. “Well, she took the blinkers off but she took me off with them!” said Smith. “Of course, the horse relaxed beautifully in the Futurity and won it. “I ran into her the next day and I said, 'Well, first of all congratulations. But if I knew I was attached to those damned blinkers, I would never have told you to take them off!' That's just the game, isn't it,” said Smith. “And you know, we were having dinner together two nights after that.” Walsh was a pioneer among female trainers–a distinction she would begrudgingly acknowledge but more readily downplay. “So many other people are deserving to be here, men and women,” Walsh told the LA Times in 1988, before her trainee, Hanuman Highway, took a shot at the Kentucky Derby. He finished seventh. “But really, this horse doesn't know me as a woman or a man. He just knows me as an individual. I don't mean this as a put-down on women, but I think the respect I might get has more to do with getting a horse to the Derby than what sex I am.” Former trainer Mike Puhich, now trainer and director of horse operations at the Pegasus Training and Rehabilitation Center in Redmond, Washington, knew Walsh since he was knee-high to a pastern. She was Puhich's godmother. “My dad's the one who gave her the nickname The Queen,” said Puhich, of his father, Nick. “She was a great horseperson and a great person. It's hard to think she's gone.” Marietta Gelalich was a long-time owner with Walsh, and one of her closest friends. “Not only was she good with the horses and honest with me about when they should run and shouldn't run, but when my husband ['Tiny'] died–and she loved my husband–she stayed with me 24-7 to help me get back on my feet. She was a true, true friend,” said Gelalich. “I miss her and I love her and she was a true friend and a good trainer. And she did not like a lot of women, you know. You had to cuddle up to her to make her like you. She'd been a woman in a man's world for so long,” said Gelalich. “They broke the mold–thank god–when they made The Queen. She was made of cast iron,” said XBTV and TDN Writers Room presenter Zoe Cadman, who became close friends with Walsh after working for her as a freelance exercise rider. “She loved her horses, cussed like a sailor and tolerated people. She tried for years to get me to work for her full-time but would never acquiesce to giving me a day off. She said I could sleep when I was dead. I declined! Sleep tight, Queen.” Said Smith, “She led a wonderful life. She wouldn't have traded her life for anybody. I can guarantee you that.” The post The Queen Of Racing Kathy Walsh Passes At 85 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Albaugh Family Stables and Castleton Lyons's Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief–Areyoucominghere, by Bernardini), third to 'TDN Rising Star' and champion Forte (Violence) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby and GII Fountain of Youth Stakes in 2022, will enter stud at Haras Don Florentino in Argentina for the 2025 breeding season, Turf Diario reported on Friday. Bred in Kentucky by Castleton Lyons and Kilboy Estate, Cyclone Mischief cost $450,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale and won two of his first four starts for trainer Dale Romans, including a 5 3/4-length allowance success that saw him jump as the 6-5 favorite in the GIII Holy Bull Stakes. A troubled seventh on that occasion, he bounced back in the final two Gulfstream legs on the Derby trail before finishing down the field in the Run for the Roses. He added allowance victories at Ellis Park last August and back in Hallandale Beach on Jan. 26 and amassed a record of 4-1-4 from 18 starts for earnings of $405,528. Bred on the exact same cross as last weekend's GI Kentucky Derby hero Sovereignty, Cyclone Mischief is out of a half-sister to Suddenbreakingnews (Mineshaft), a 3-year-old of note in 2016 when taking out the GIII Southwest Stakes ahead of a runner-up effort in the GI Arkansas Derby. The Grade III-winning and G1/GISP third dam Party Cited (Alleged) produced seven winners, including GIII West Virginia Derby scorer Ready Set (Touch Gold) and dual Grade I winner Composure (Touch Gold), the dam of GSW & GISP Penwith (Bernardini). A Munnings half-sister to Cyclone Mischief was purchased by Frank Fletcher Racing for $225,000 at Keeneland September last fall. The post Cyclone Mischief To Stand In Argentina appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

An 81-year-old Penn National-based veterinarian charged in February by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) with allegedly intentional, conspirational and repeated violations of intra-articular injection rules designed to safeguard the health of horses has consented to an “agreed order” of a lifetime ban of practicing medicine on Thoroughbreds covered by HISA. Allen Post Bonnell, a veterinarian who has been practicing for 45 years, signed the consent order May 7, according to documentation provided by HISA. Beyond his work as a veterinarian, Bonnell is barred from “participating in any activity” at a racetrack or training facility. According to the consent order, Bonnell agreed to a stipulation that his acceptance of the lifetime ban resolves only the HISA charges against him, and that the penalty is separate from charges, “if any,” that might be issued by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU). An investigation initially led by the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission last year had revealed that Bonnell allegedly conspired with 13 implicated trainers from May 2023 through November 2024 to administer intra-articular injections to the joints of Thoroughbreds within the prohibited stand-down periods, in direct violation of HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) and Racetrack Safety Programs. According to the PSHRC investigative report that was later handed over to HISA, “Dr. Bonnell informed investigators that trainers will request his services for intra-articular injections because they know he will not report them as required, allowing them to run their horses during the time they should have been placed on the veterinarians list… “Dr. Bonnell went on to [tell investigators] that he feels what he is doing is harmless and it just helps the horse with pain and inflammation. He said the reason he does not report it is that the injections he gives are worthless if it's done too far out because it eventually wears off. If he reports it and the horse is put on the veterinarians list for 14 days, it could be an additional 14 days to a month, even two months, before it runs in a race,” the PSHRC report stated. In a November article published by the Paulick Report in the wake of Bonnell's summary suspension by the PSHRC, the veterinarian told Ray Paulick that he believes the “HISA rules are a nightmare” because they “don't make any sense.” HISA disagreed, stating in a press release in February that of the more than 100 unique horses alleged to have breezed or raced in violation of HISA's intra-articular stand-down times, 30% never raced again, “strongly suggesting these injections were used to mask pain.” Approximately 10% were observed to be lame post-race by a regulatory veterinarian. Three horses were euthanized as a direct result of injuries sustained in those races, HISA stated. Under HISA's rules, horses treated with intra-articular injections are not permitted to race within 14 days or perform a workout within seven days of the treatment. The post Penn Vet Agrees To Lifetime Ban To Resolve HISA Allegations Of 18-Month Joint Injection Conspiracy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Vandeek. 2.35 Naas, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, 5f 205yT Besides Ballydoyle buzz horse Albert Einstein (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Aidan O'Brien will also saddle GSTAAD (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), a 450,000gns Tattersalls December purchase who is a half-brother to the G1 Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes hero Vandeek in their Naas debuts. The post Ballydoyle Duo Debut At Naas appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Michael Behrens and MyRacehorse, owners of last year's GI Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate), will be celebrated at Thursday's Alibi Breakfast with the role of Honorary Postmaster for Preakness 150. Previous Honorary Postmasters have included Hall of Fame trainers D. Wayne Lukas, Nick Zito, and Bob Baffert; Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado; and Horse of the Year recipients Cigar and Knicks Go. Behrens is the Founder and CEO of MyRacehorse, the platform that brought fractional racehorse ownership to the masses. Under his leadership, MyRacehorse has opened the gates of the sport to over 100,000 fans worldwide. “It is an incredible honor to be named Honorary Postmaster for Preakness 150,” said Behrens. “This race means the world to us. Winning it last year with over 2,000 MyRacehorse owners behind the horse was one of the most powerful moments in our journey. To be back here a year later in this role is truly special.” The post Preakness Names Michael Behrens, MyRaceHorse Honorary Postmaster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The federal lawsuit in Michigan involving TwinSpires and a state law requiring advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platforms to partner with a brick-and-mortar racetrack before accepting simulcast wagers took a twist Friday when a judge granted in part and denied in part a motion by state defendants to dismiss the claim initiated back in January by Churchill Downs Technology Initiatives Company. “TwinSpires brings this claim under the implied cause of action to enjoin state actors from violating federal law,” United States District Court Judge Hala Jarbou of the Western District of Michigan wrote in a May 9 opinion. “It has alleged facts sufficient to state a claim under preemption, but not for a claim under the dormant Commerce Clause. While the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) will be dismissed as a defendant, the Executive Director of the MGCB and the Attorney General remain as defendants in this lawsuit.” That means the underlying case (minus the dormant commerce clause allegations) will proceed against those two individuals while a preliminary injunction issued two months ago in favor of TwinSpires remains in effect. Back on Feb. 19, the judge had ruled that the MGCB was unconstitutionally violating the Interstate Horseracing Act (IHA) by requiring that ADW to partner with a brick-and-mortar state racetrack before accepting simulcast wagers from Michigan residents. Via that earlier injunction, which survived an Apr. 18 motion to dismiss by the Michigan defendants, the judge had ordered the MGCB not to enforce the contested Michigan Horse Racing Law (MHRL) licensing requirement about partnering with an in-state racetrack or to issue any sanctions against TwinSpires, a Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) subsidiary, for accepting bets from Michigan residents on out-of-state simulcast races. An entirely separate lawsuit brought against TwinSpires by Henry Williams, the executive director of the MGCB, was remanded from the federal court system to a state court in March. Both lawsuits stem from the fact that at the start of 2025, Michigan's law requiring ADWs to partner with a racetrack in the state couldn't be fulfilled by any ADW operator because there hasn't been any Thoroughbred racing in Michigan since 2018, and Standardbred races last ran in February 2024. TwinSpires (and other ADWs) previously partnered with the now-demolished and to-be-developed Northville Downs, whose license-holders as of Jan. 1 were planning to-but had not yet received at that time-approval for the required 30 days of Standardbred racing at a different location so that all parties could be eligible for ADW and simulcasting in 2025. On Dec. 23, 2024, the MGCB notified all licensed ADWs to cease offering wagering for Michigan residents effective Jan. 1, 2025. The shutdown was to be temporary until the harness track's licensing issue got resolved. While ADW operators Xpressbet, NYRA Bets, and TVG Network voluntarily complied with the order, TwinSpires did not. After a week of continuing to take bets against the order, the MGCB suspended the TwinSpires license Jan. 7. On Jan. 31, Northville Downs received its licensing, allowing third-party facilitators to accept wagers in accordance with the MHRL license requirement. However, the MGCB continued to maintain its suspension against TwinSpires. The post Gaming Board–But Not State Officials–Dismissed As Defendant In TwinSpires Vs. Michigan Suit appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

British racing's largest marketing campaign yet will launch May 20 under the title "The Going Is Good," with Simon Michaelides of Great British Racing declaring he was "incredibly confident" about what it can do for the sport. View the full article

Godolphin's Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Good Cheer returned to training May 6 at Churchill Downs, and trainer Brad Cox said the $500,000 Acorn Stakes (G1) on Belmont Stakes (G1) weekend at Saratoga Race Course could be her next target.View the full article

A panel of veterinarians serving in equine medical leadership roles discussed Kentucky's equine safety protocols and advances in technology during a May 9 panel of the ARCI Annual Conference at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.View the full article

The Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority announced the inaugural board of directors for The Maryland Jockey Club, a newly formed nonprofit entity charged with overseeing live racing at Laurel Park, Pimlico, and a new training facility.View the full article

A big step for Maryland racing was made May 9, when Maryland Gov. Wes Moore approved a plan that called for the demolition and restoration of Pimlico Race Course, in addition to the acquisition of Shamrock Farm as a satellite training center. View the full article

A full field of 18 3-year-old milers line up for the G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo on Sunday. Ante-post favouritism has been granted to G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes hero and Junko Kondo runner Admire Zoom. The son of four-time Group 1-winning miler Maurice warmed up for this with a stalking neck second in the G2 New Zealand Trophy at Nakayama in April behind Katsumi Yoshida's Immigrant Song (Makfi) and 1 1/4 lengths in front of the Saturnalia filly Caught Alliciant in third. Trainer Yasuo Tomomichi said, “He wasn't fully wound up for his last race, but he ran well enough. It was good that he handled the long trip to the track and the overnight stay, so those things were a real plus. In the meantime, things have been as expected with him.” Owned by Teruya Yoshida, Caught Alliciant is one of six fillies in the race. If successful on Sunday, she would become the first filly to win since Aerolithe (Kurofune) in 2017. Jockey Akiro Sugawara will have his hands full, as he leaves from the widest stall in 18 aboard the ante-post fifth choice. Trainer Daishi Ito said, “She started well last time [in the New Zealand Trophy] and got into a good rhythm in the race. She's not the type where her condition changes so much, but the warmer weather is definitely better for her.” Another filly to watch is Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) fourth Ma Puce (Mind Your Biscuits). The Yuji Yoshimoto runner was second in the G2 Daily Hai Queen Cup to subsequent 1000 Guineas heroine Embroidery (Admire Mars) back in February. Hironobu Tanabe is booked to ride and the duo leaves from stall 12. The one-two finishers out of April's G3 Churchill Downs Cup, a prep for the NHK Mile Cup, have been entered in Yoshinori Itsukage's Lance Of Chaos (Silver State) and TO Racing's Arte Veloce (Maurice) who leave from stalls five and 15, respectively. Also coming off a win is Hirotsugu Inokuma's Yankee Barows, who won the G3 Falcon Stakes over Kazumi Yoshida colourbearer Mondo Dell'Amore (World Ace {Jpn}) in March. The son of Epiphaneia is drawn in stall four under Mirai Iwata. Trainer Hiroyuki Uemura said of Yankee Barows, “He had a break at the farm after his last race, with this next one being his target. In recent work, the ground was bad, but he managed to run well throughout that piece of training. There's no big change with him, and I think he showed some of his potential last time in the Falcon Stakes.” The post More To ‘Admire’ In NHK Mile Cup? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article