Wandering Eyes

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today’s Observations features the debut of a half-brother to G1SW and sire Havana Gold (Ire) by Dark Angel (Ire). 2.00 Deauville, Debutantes, €27,000, 2yo, c/g, 6 1/2f (AWT) BRULLEMAIL (IRE) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is a half-brother to the G1 Prix Jean Prat-winning sire Havana Gold (Ire) who races for Gerard Augustin-Normand and Herald Bloodstock and the Philippe Sogorb stable. Among his rivals is Shadwell’s homebred Raamez (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), a John Hammond-trained son of the G3 Oh So Sharp S. winner and G2 Rockfel S. third Tabassum (Ire) (Nayef). 2.00 Newmarket, Mdn, £8,000, 2yo, f, 7fT LEAFHOPPER (IRE) (Dark Angel {Ire}) debuts for Godolphin and John Gosden and is a 480,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 full-sister to the G2 Superlative S.-winning sire Birchwood (Ire). Also in the royal blue is the Charlie Appleby-trained Thread of Silver (GB) (Shamardal), a granddaughter of the G3 Prix de Meautry winner Do the Honours (Ire) (Highest Honor {Fr}) from the family of Cassandra Go (Ire) et al. The post Observations: Aug. 10, 2019 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Alysha Collett boots home promising youngster Bluestone for an easy victory. New Zealand jockey Alysha Collett has not taken too long to return to the Kranji winner’s circle at her Singapore riding comeback after she booted even-money favourite Bluestone home on Friday. Collett is back for a second stint after the first one was cut short a few weeks before it was up, due to vertebral injury sustained in a nasty race fall from Drone on October 14. The 25-year-old went back to New Zealand to convalesce and once she was back on her feet, she put in a application for a new licence, which was successful. The plucky lass had her first rides last Sunday, without placing in three starts, but she was straight back in business five days later. From her book of six rides, Bluestone, an impressive all-the-way debut winner as a two-year-old in a Restricted Maiden race (1100m) on July 19, was the standout. No doubt, the Cliff Brown-trained son of Hallowed Crown faced a sterner test in the $75,000 Novice race over 1200m where he was pitted against the likes of Hotshots Slam, Ocean Crossing and even stablemate Attention who was backing up after his third place last Friday, but Collett rode him a treat for the perfect result at the receiving end. “I didn’t expect to ride a winner that quick. He’s a beautiful horse and he hit the line nicely,” said Collett, who rode one winner for Brown last year, Sir Isaac. “The healing process took a while and then I had to get a licence back here. So it was a surprise to get on such a nice horse at only my second day. “There was a bit of pressure early in the race but I didn’t panic. I didn’t want to bustle him up. “I waited for him to get on the right leg and get a good rhythm to the line.” It was for sure a well-judged ride from the winning jockey of close to 380 races, including 11 that were posted at Kranji last year. -STC View the full article

Ballarat trainer Mitchell Freedman has been handed the task of rejuvenating the career of Bassett. The recently turned seven-year-old runs for the first time for Freedman in Saturday’s VRC Member Brenda Nugent Handicap (1000m) at Flemington. Bassett started his career with Peter Moody before being transferred to Mick Price’s stable halfway through his three-year-old season. The gelding showed ability under Price, winning the Listed Hareeba Stakes at Mornington but that victory in March 2017, was his last. Freedman said Bassett had his longest break in his 38-start career before joining his stable. “He seems to be going quite well,” Freedman said. “He had a jump-out at Horsham last week and I was pleased with how he went there.” Freedman said there was no set agenda for Bassett when he arrived at Ballarat, other than to get him fit again and hopefully in a winning frame of mind. He said the atmosphere at Ballarat and the variety of trackwork options has kept Bassett’s mind sharp, but the full results would not be known until he returned to racing. Freedman sees Saturday’s race as a competitive affair and with a handicap rating of 84 Bassett is a hard horse to place. “It’s a bit tricky with these horses that are high in the ratings and out of form as they’ve got to go out and tackle up-and-comers,” Freedman said. “I think there’s some Group Two, potentially Group One, horses in Saturday’s race and he’s got to tackle them. I think he’s going well but I think he’ll need a couple of runs to get his fitness levels up and then we’ll have to be smart where we place him and where we race him.” View the full article

Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards has confirmed riding engagements for Te Akau star pair Melody Belle and Te Akau Shark for the Group 2 US Navy Flag Foxbridge Plate.In the first Group 2 race of the New Zealand season, Te Akau stable jockey Opie Bosson will be ride Te Akau Shark and Michael McNab is be aboard Melody Belle.Te Akau Principal David Ellis is impressed with how hard both jockeys have been working and in the last five weeks. “Opie and Michael have been riding an enormous amount of ... View the full article

Tony McEvoy. Leading trainer Tony McEvoy has applauded the announcement of prize money increases for South Australian racing and is committing to the long term future of the sport in the state. Thoroughbred Racing South Australia on Friday announced an increase of $5.8 million. McEvoy said it was a clear indication from TRSA and the government they want racing to again be strong in SA. He believes it is incumbent on people like himself to get behind TRSA and the government to show support. “People will say I’m pulling up stumps and going to Ballarat, but I’m not pulling up stumps out of South Australia,” McEvoy said. “I want to get my stable in South Australia back as strong as it’s ever been. “I will make a commitment and with these increases I can go to my clients saying that we’re trying to get this up and going and we need your support. “We’ve got to look after it.” McEvoy is committed to having 100 horses in training at Ballarat in Victoria with his son Calvin in charge. While numbers at Angaston will initially fall, McEvoy is keen to increase those again. “I want to live in the Barossa and I want something to do, so I’ll look forward to building that number back up,” he said. McEvoy said TRSA had committed more than double its allocated share of government funds to provide the increases. A total of 69 per cent of the extra funds has been allocated to provincial and country races with 88 per cent of the annual races in SA to increase by between 11 and 35 per cent. The new prize money increases come into effect on September 1. * More than 60 per cent of metropolitan races will attract $50,000 prize money * $45k races increase to $50k * $35k non-maiden races go to $40k * $30k maiden races increase to $35k * Provincial non-maiden races increase from $15k to $20K * Provincial maidens increase from $13k to $17.5k * All country cups rise from $20 to $25k * Country races rise from $12k to $15k * Country maiden races increase from $10k to $13k View the full article

If there was one horse who had to win on August 9, it is Majulah – and he sure rose to the occasion!With his previous record of one win and six placings in 34 starts, the New Zealand-bred Postponed six-year-old is no superstar by any stretch of the imagination. His one and only victory was recorded nearly two years ago when then prepared by trainer Mok Zhan Lun.But with a name inspired by Singapore’s national anthem, Majulah Singapura (Onward Singapore in English), what more fittin... View the full article

Roaring Lion is recuperating at Cambridge Stud after two colic surgeries. Four-time Group One winner and shuttle stallion, Roaring Lion, returned to Cambridge Stud on Thursday following two colic surgeries in the last ten days. The son of Kitten’s Joy was admitted to Cambridge Equine Hospital within minutes of arriving at Cambridge Stud from quarantine on July 27. He underwent immediate surgery which had to be repeated on August 1 to repair adhesions which had formed in his small intestine. “Thanks to two world-class surgeons, Dr Alanna Zantingh and Dr Greg Quinn from Waikato Equine and with our own vet Dr Rob Hitchcock assisting, we have managed to save his life and he is on his way to a slow recovery,” Cambridge Stud chief executive Henry Plumptre said. “It has been a complex and challenging environment for everyone involved and we owe a massive debt of gratitude to the veterinary team and the Cambridge Stud staff, led by Marcus Corban, who have ensured his survival. While he has a long road to travel, the beginnings of a recovery are complete and having him back at Cambridge signals the start of the next stage. “We have found this week what Sheikh Fahad and David Redvers experienced with Roaring Lion last year on the racecourse – extraordinary courage, a will to win and an amazing constitution. His demeanour remained calm at all times which was a major part of his immediate recovery. Our aim now is to slowly repair him back to full health, in order that he can return to the UK and continue his career.” View the full article

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-Sar, $90k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:21 p.m. ET Trainer Chad Brown unveils the $1.4-million acquisition KITTANSETT (American Pharoah) in his debut in Saturday’s fifth event at the Spa. OXO Equine (Larry Best) signed the ticket for the handsome bay at the 2018 Keeneland September Sale. Out of the Grade II-winning mare Bsharpsonata (Pulpit), Kittansett is a half-brother to graded-stakes performers Vigilante (Tiznow) and Play It Loud (Unbridled’s Song). He has been breezing consistently at this oval, most recently clocking a :48.03 (7/96) half-mile in company Aug. 3 with stablemate Structor (Palace Malice), (Click for XBTV Video), the co-fourth highest priced juvenile at this year’s OBS March Sale when he sold for $850,000. TJCIS PPs 1st-DMR, $61k, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 5:00 p.m. ET Godolphin’s homebred Garth (Into Mischief) looks to make a huge splash in his debut in Saturday’s opener at Del Mar. The Bob Baffert trainee has absolutely sizzled in the mornings over the surface, recording four consecutive bullet works, including a July 25 5/8ths out of the gate in 1.00 flat in company with Eight Rings (Empire Maker), (Click for XBTV Video), a dominant first out winner here Aug. 4. Garth is out of Country Star (Empire Maker), who broke her maiden as juvenile with an impressive score in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. for trainer Bobby Frankel. She annexed the GI Hollywood Starlet S. in track-record setting time later that season. TJCIS PPs The post Augudt 10 Insights: $1.4-Mil. American Pharoah Debuts at the Spa; Baffert Unveils Speedy Into Mischief at Del Mar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Saturday’s action in Europe is more low-key than of late, due largely to the gap between Goodwood and York’s Ebor meeting and also to the fact that The Curragh staged their Phoenix S. card on Friday evening. At Haydock, the G3 Rose of Lancaster S. sees Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) look to build on his win in Royal Ascot’s Listed Wolferton S. June 18 and second to Elarqam (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the July 27 G2 York S. and Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s G2 Sandown Mile winner of last year has his favoured soft ground. “He seems in good form,” trainer William Haggas commented. “He ran well at York, but I don’t think he ran as well as he did at Ascot.” Heading the opposition is George Strawbridge’s Feb. 23 G3 Winter Derby winner Wissahickon (Tapit) who runs on turf for the first time since winning the prestigious Cambridgeshire H. at Newmarket in September, and the 3-year-olds Pondus (GB) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) and Raise You (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) with the latter coming back from a disappointing effort when 15th in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly June 2. Newmarket’s G3 German-thoroughbred.com Sweet Solera S. could include Sheikh Hamed Dalmook Al Maktoum’s TDN Rising Star Ultra Violet (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) who impressed when winning by eight lengths on debut over six furlongs here June 28. Trainer Ed Vaughan said, “I’m very pleased with her work. She worked on Saturday on the watered gallop and it was the best piece of work she has shown me. The step up to seven furlongs should benefit her. Her best furlong was her last furlong on her first start and she is bred to go seven furlongs, so we are hoping for a big run. Ideally we want the ground good or faster, as she likes to hear her heels rattle and we would probably not run if it was soft.” Sir Evelyn de Rothschild’s June 23 Pontefract maiden winner Soffika (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) is one who will relish the step up from six furlongs on pedigree, being related to Notnowcato (GB). Sir Michael Stoute’s assistant James Horton commented, “We think she is filly with a bit of quality and she likes to bounce off the ground. It is hard to know what they have beat first time out, although it seemed a competitive race at Pontefract.” Godolphin’s July 25 Listed Star S. runner-up Light Blush (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) returns to the scene of her debut success July 13 and Charlie Appleby said, “We were pleased with the performance of Light Blush at and she came out of the race in good order. She won over the course and distance on her debut and we are confident that she should be there or thereabouts.” The post Rose of Lancaster Takes Centre Stage appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Expat New Zealand jockey James McDonald is excited for the season ahead with dual Group. Expat New Zealand jockey James McDonald is excited for the season ahead with dual Group One winner Verry Elleegant after her two recent trials in Sydney. The Chris Waller-trained mare created quite a following last season after her heroics in autumn, taking out the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) and Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m). “She was very good last preparation and hopefully she can take that to weight-for-age and be competitive in those bigger races,” McDonald said. The daughter of Zed has impressed McDonald in her two recent trials and he is looking forward to riding her in her raceday resumption, which is likely to be the Gr.1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick next Saturday. “She is going excellent,” he said. “She has developed a little bit since her last preparation, but not a hell of a lot. “She was always a fine, petite sort of filly. Now that she is a mare, she has come back in really good order.” McDonald is pleased that she has settled in her trials, something she had a tendency not to do last season. “She is relaxing very well in her trials,” he said. “She has got to do that on race day as well, but I have no qualms with her doing that.” View the full article

New Zealand jockey Alysha Collett has not taken too long to return to the Kranji winner’s circle at her Singapore riding comeback after she booted even-money favourite Bluestone home on Friday.Collett is back for a second stint after the first one was cut short a few weeks before it was up, due to vertebral injury sustained in a nasty race fall from Drone on October 14. The 25-year-old went back to New Zealand to convalesce and once she was back on her feet, she put in a application for a... View the full article

She’s A Smash Hit will line-up at Ruakaka on Sunday. Cambridge trainer Shaune Ritchie is taking advantage of the training conditions on offer in the winterless north and hopes to capitalise when he lines up a trio of runners at Ruakaka on Sunday. Ritchie views Tumbleweed, She’s A Smash Hit and All Paid Up as winning prospects at the Northland meeting and said they have benefited from an extended visit to the racing and training facility two hours north of Auckland. “We’ve got eight horses up there at present and those three are part of the team that went up there last week,” Ritchie said. “We’re likely to swap them around and bring them home and send another lot up next week or the week after.” Ritchie said there were several benefits to wintering members of his spring arsenal in the warmer climes of Ruakaka, including use of better grass gallops, beach access and a temperature increase that brings the horses forward. “We’re restricted here in the Waikato with how heavy the tracks are and how much we can push them and stretch them right out. Whereas, even if we are there for seven days we can get two gallops into them and blow the cobwebs out of their lungs and open them up and have a little bit of a sprint to see where we’re at with them. “Within 24 hours their coats start coming out and the fact that it’s about four or five degrees warmer overnight, they really do come on. “I had a chat with Stephen Marsh, who has also got a team up there, and he was surprised how well they do in that environment. “If you’re in any other part of New Zealand, once you get rain for two or three days, you get mud for four or five days. In Ruakaka, the moment it stops raining, within half an hour you’re standing on dry sand again. Little things they may have like greasy heal or minor hiccups, they just seem to go away.” Ritchie said on non-gallop days he was making extensive use of Ruakaka’s beach, which was proving a useful mental aid to many of his steeds. “Their whole mental attitude is so much better, there’s no doubt it takes a bit of extra time to work them and walk them in the water on the beach but that’s the whole idea. “If you’re permanently there, that advantage probably disappears but when you go up for a short spurt, how much they improve is remarkable.” Wintering horses in a warmer climate is nothing new, with the legendary Irish trainer Vincent O’Brien an advocate of the practice, taking horses to Italy for that purpose in the 1960s. “I’ve been doing it since I began in partnership with Dad, probably the best part of 25-years,” Ritchie said. “In one of the boxes there that we used to use as a feed room there’s a bit of chalk and some of the old horse names are still there from more than 20 years ago.” Three-year-old filly Tumbleweed will tackle older horses as she looks to break maiden ranks but with Ashvin Goindasamy’s 3kg claim, Ritchie rates her a strong chance of breaking through. “She’s got to be hard to beat with 51kgs and she’s a go-forward horse. With the light weight, if she can get a soft sectional somewhere in front, she can skip away and be hard to beat,” Ritchie said. Another go-forward type is She’s A Smash Hit, who finished second on debut at Ruakaka last month. “I’m not hell bent on her leading and I wouldn’t mind her taking a trail but she’s very effective out of the gates,” Ritchie said. “She’ll certainly be in the first three or four in the run and she showed some greenness on debut which she should have learned a lot from. I expect her to be hard to beat.” All Paid Up will represent the stable in the Hirepool (1200m) and although Ritchie believes the four-year-old will get over ground this season and might be one run away from his best, he is expecting a bold showing fresh. Meanwhile, Ritchie is looking forward to spring racing with five-year-old gelding The Good Fight, an impressive winner over 1400m when resuming at Te Rapa last week. “He’s nominated for the Livamol (Gr.1, 2040m) but very unlikely to run,” Ritchie said. “He’s in such a sweet position in the handicaps and I’m pretty keen on an Australian campaign. “We’re considering going straight to Ruakaka over 2000m in three weeks’ time or Sydney for a couple of rating based races there which is particularly appealing considering all the prizemoney over there. “We’ll almost certainly put a nomination in for a race like the Metropolitan (Gr.1, 2400m) and if he could win a couple of those rating races along the way, he’d get into the Metropolitan with a light weight.” In-form galloper Sultan of Swing will be kept to his preferred tracks of Te Rapa and Ellerslie where possible, with a tilt at the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) at Hawke’s Bay a potential option given his awkward position in the ratings. Ritchie is also delighted with the progress of three-year-old filly Bella Mente. Group One placed at two, Ritchie has high-hopes for the daughter of El Roca this campaign. “She’s come up superb, she’s in great order,” Ritchie said. “I’m going to have lunch with (part-owner) Russell Warwick next week and work out where we go. We’ve got so many options. “She’ll trial at Te Rapa next week and then we’ll see how she pulls up and start making some decisions after that. “She’s an exciting filly and we expect to see her in the better three-year-old races through the season.” View the full article

Trainer Chad Brown, holding powerful hands in all three of the day's grade 1 races at Arlington International Racecourse, also sends out the favorite for the Aug. 10 finale, the Pucker Up Stakes (G3T). View the full article

G1SW Pedro the Great (Henrythenavigator-Glatisant {GB}, by Rainbow Quest), a half-brother to G1 2000 Guineas hero and sire Footstepsinthesand (GB) (Giant’s Causeway), passed away at Haras de la Haie Neuve in France, Jour de Galop reported. The 150,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling was nine. Bred by Hascombe Stud in Kentucky, the 2012 G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. hero won two of his five starts for trainer Aidan O’Brien and a Coolmore partnership. Out of English Group 3 winner Glatisant, Pedro the Great is a half-brother to the winning dam of G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Power (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and GISW Curvy (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). Retired to stud at Haras de la Haie Neuve in 2014, he has sired GI Del Mar Oaks heroine Fatale Bere (Fr) among his three black-type winners and GSPs Bonita Fransisca (Fr) and Lagrandecatherine (Fr) from small crops. Pedro the Great stood for a career high of €10,000 in 2019. “Pedro the Great made his mark on the history of the farm, just as Verglas, Hurricane Cat and Robin Des Pres did before him-but he holds a special place because he gave us the first Group 1 winner raised on the stud in Fatale Bere,” said Tangi Saliou who runs the stud and stud founder Alain Regnier to Jour de Galop. The post Pedro the Great Passed Away appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Del Mar managed the turmoil in Southern California with analytics, planning, and extensive communication with horsemen. View the full article

When Uni, a 5-year-old mare, popped up in the entries for the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) Aug. 10 at Saratoga Race Course, it sent a rather loud message about her current form. View the full article

The Stronach Group has appointed Chief Strategy Officer Aidan Butler to an additional position as Acting Executive Director of California Racing Operations. “Aidan has played a critical role as we have advocated for changes that redefine our sport for the better,” said Belinda Stronach, Chairman and President of The Stronach Group. “California continues to be a key priority for our company and Aidan’s presence on the ground will ensure that we continue to make progress addressing our industry’s challenges toward the modernization of our sport.” Butler will be charged with codifying and building on the reforms initiated by The Stronach Group during its Winter meet while continuing to oversee the areas of horse population, ownership and technology. The post Stronach Group Appoints Butler to Head California Racing Operations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sixteen prominent Thoroughbred trainers have expressed their support for the Horseracing Integrity Act via an open letter “to the Thoroughbred Community” sent out Friday. The trainers who signed on are: Tom Albertrani, Christophe Clement, Ben Colebrook, Gary Contessa, Arnaud Delacour, Janet Elliott, Mark Hennig, Kiaran McLaughlin, Shug McGaughey, Ken McPeek, Tom Morley, Graham Motion, Todd Pletcher, John Sadler, George Weaver and Nick Zito. The letter reads: “Horse racing is at a pivotal moment in its long history in the United States. The past six months presented a string of events at venerable Santa Anita Park that have shaken public confidence in our sport and led to calls from the public and government authorities for major reform. Each of us loves the majestic animal at the heart of our sport and wants it to flourish, and within that context we offer our support as horsemen for two watershed initiatives to enhance the integrity and safety of horse racing. We voice our support for the Horseracing Integrity Act of 2019 (HIA), introduced on a bipartisan basis in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The HIA puts the entire regimen and apparatus for Thoroughbred drug testing in the very capable hands of an independent board composed of non-conflicted equine experts and representatives of the United States Anti-Doping Agency and creates a framework for uniform testing, regulations, and sanctions nationwide to best protect the integrity of our sport and vouchsafe the health and well-being of racehorses. We understand the HIA is not without controversy among some of our colleagues, specifically regarding concerns of increased cost and regulation. But the sport finds itself amid an ongoing crisis of confidence and the need to reform and restore public trust more than justifies the necessary sacrifices. We are ready for change and will embrace it for the greater good. Medication reform is not the only path to safe racing. We also support initiatives to standardize and improve the quality and consistency of racing surfaces and urge the allocation of more resources by racetracks and other stakeholders for the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory and related research projects, headed by Dr. Mick Peterson, formerly of University of Maine and now associated with University of Kentucky. For too long this critical piece of competition and safety has been maintained with inconsistent methods, techniques, and measurements. Technology, science, and human endeavor must marry their resources to achieve this goal, and we call for the industry to bring to bear the necessary human and capital resources to make this a reality. Once again, we urge our colleagues to join us in supporting this vital work. None of us takes this stance lightly, but we believe we are at a precipitous moment at which the industry must act to revive public trust in our sport and to protect our most cherished possession, our racehorses.” The post Trainers Show Support for Horseracing Integrity Act via Open Letter appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

No one will ever consider Bill Parcells a touchy-feely type of guy. Yet if you ever want to see his soft side, just mention John Tuggle and the emotion will pour out. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – A year ago, Jonathan Thorne sent a son of Pioneerof the Nile through the sales ring at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearlings Sale and watched as the youngster sold for a sale-record $600,000. It was a gratifying moment for the longtime New York breeder who has been on the front lines of the evolution of the state’s breeding program. Thorne returns to the New York sale with a five-horse consignment in 2019. “I was just really fortunate enough to breed a horse and raise him and get him to that point and get him here, which is very hard to do,” Thorne reflected on last year’s record sale as he oversaw showing at his Barn 5 Friday morning. “That’s what all of us up here are trying to do and I was just very lucky to have the right pedigree and the right horse to match the pedigree and everything worked out for the best.” Last year’s sale topper, who was purchased by Shortleaf Stable, is now named Rift Valley. “I think the horse is with Shug [McGaughey] and doing well, so hopefully he’ll do well,” Thorne said. The 2018 edition of the New York-bred sale couldn’t have come at a better time for the state’s breeding industry, which was represented by a bevy of top-level performances in the day’s leading up to the auction, highlighted by the GI Whitney S. victory of Empire-bred Diversify (Bellamy Road). In addition to the record-setting yearling, the auction also set new marks for gross, average and median. The competition to better those marks yet again gets underway Sunday with the first of two sessions of this year’s New York-bred sale. “New York racing is in a great spot right now, so all we’re trying to do is raise more good horses to compete at the highest level-whether in New York or the rest of the world–that’s what we’re trying to do,” Thorne said. “But it takes a lot of time and effort to get to that point. I think you’re seeing a lot more quality broodmares being brought to this state to take advantage of that program, but it’s still a three-year process. You get the mare, then you get the foal and then everything has to go well as a yearling and then a 2-year-old to finally race. I think it’s hard to get the momentum going, but the momentum is going right now. I think you’re seeing the highest quality New York-breds ever in the last five years and I think that momentum is just going to keep going and it’s going to get better and better.” After the New York-bred yearlings shipped in Thursday, there was plenty of activity at the barns on the first day of showing Friday and there were plenty of the familiar shoppers left over from the Saratoga Select sale earlier in the week. “All the buyers are coming because they’ve found really top-notch racehorses here,” Thorne said. “I think most of [the select sale buyers] all stay now. They’ve been rewarded before and they know there are good horses here, so they stick around. And it’s a beautiful place to be. It’s the best racing in the world, you have the best jockeys, the best trainers, and the best horses. There is really no other place that you’d want to be.” Thorne, who has been consigning under the Thorndale Farm banner for over two decades now, brings a five-horse consignment into this year’s auction. The group includes three homebreds and a pair of youngsters purchased as wealings at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Sale. “I think I’ve got a great group of horses-nothing with the pedigree I had last year, but the physicals will appeal to most of the buyers here,” Thorne said. “And then we’ll just hope for the best.” Thorne’s family traces its roots in upstate New York back 200 years and began breeding Thoroughbreds in 1980. The farm produced graded winners Notebook and Don’t Forget Gil and is currently home to a broodmare band of 10. “We are a commercial breeding operation,” Thorne, who served stints at Gainesway, Eaton Sales and Derry Meeting Farm before going out on his own at Thorndale, explained. “I love to race, too, but I want to build a quality broodmare band, which also takes a lot of time and effort. So hopefully these horses run and make the mares more valuable and then you can breed to better stallions. That’s what you always try to strive for.” Thorne’s homebreds entered in this weekend’s sale include a colt by Maclean’s Music (hip 378); a filly by Not This Time (hip 413); and a colt by Freud (hip 598). Of the pinhooking side of his operation, Thorne said, “It depends on my availability at the farm and how many foals I have. I enjoy doing it and I want to buy weanlings who will fit in this consignment in August. So I just try to buy quality individuals.” Thorndale’s pinhook offerings are a colt by Brody’s Cause (hip 389) and a filly by Freud (hip 478). Thorne is obviously a man enjoying what he does. “I love every part of it,” Thorne said. “I love racing, breeding, foaling, training, I like it all. I really like beautiful horses and I like all of the people who work with them. It’s a lot of fun.” The Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale begins Sunday evening at 7 p.m. and continues Monday at noon. The post Thorne Ready for New York Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Peter Redekop's 5-year-old son of City Zip has already won three consecutive stakes this year. View the full article

Not only were Thoroughbreds back racing at Colonial Downs for the first time in six years Aug. 8, but emotions were running high as well for the people who worked to bring live racing back to New Kent, Va. View the full article

Cartier Horse of the Year Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy) appears to be on the road to recovery after undergoing surgery twice in the previous 10 days for colic and has returned to Cambridge Stud. Trained by John Gosden to win the Eclipse, Juddmonte International, Irish Champion S. and the Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot, the son of Kitten’s Joy emerged as the champion of his generation. He covered his first book of mares in the spring but it was when he was shipped to New Zealand to stand at Cambridge Stud the problem first emerged. Cambridge Stud CEO Henry Plumptre said in a statement, “Thanks to two world-class surgeons, Dr. Alanna Zantingh and Dr. Greg Quinn from Waikato Equine and with our own vet Dr. Rob Hitchcock assisting, we have managed to save his life and he is on his way to a slow recovery. “It has been a complex and challenging environment for everyone involved and we owe a massive debt of gratitude to the veterinary team and the Cambridge Stud staff, led by Marcus Corban, who have ensured his survival. While he has a long road to travel, the beginnings of a recovery are complete and having him back at Cambridge signals the start of the next stage. “We have found this week what Sheikh Fahad [owner] and David Redvers [racing manager] experienced with Roaring Lion last year on the racecourse–extraordinary courage, a will to win and an amazing constitution. His demeanor remained calm at all times which was a major part of his immediate recovery. Our aim now is to slowly repair him back to full health, in order that he can return to the UK and continue his career.” The post Roaring Lion Returns to Cambridge Stud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Defying the rain-softened ground and a trio from Ballydoyle, Khalid Abdullah’s Siskin (First Defence) kept his unbeaten record intact as he prevailed from TDN Rising Star Monarch of Egypt (American Pharoah) in Friday’s G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. at The Curragh. Held up in fourth early by Colin Keane, the 10-11 favourite cruised into a challenging position on the far side heading to two out where battle was joined with Monarch of Egypt who he had beaten in the course-and-distance G2 Railway S. on fast ground June 29. Looking to be losing that until the final 100 yards, the homebred began to assert as the line neared and had 3/4 of a length to spare there, with a head back to the G2 July S. winner and early pace-setter Royal Lytham (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) in third. 1–SISKIN, 129, c, 2, by First Defence 1st Dam: Bird Flown (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB) 2nd Dam: Silver Star (GB), by Zafonic 3rd Dam: Monroe, by Sir Ivor 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Ger Lyons; J-Colin Keane. €171,000. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, €294,500. The post First Defence’s Siskin Maintains Unbeaten Run in the Phoenix appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

LNJ Foxwoods' Anonymity, a 5-year-old mare by Tapit, is a danger in her second start of the year in Sunday's Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) at Del Mar. View the full article