Wandering Eyes

Riccarton trainer Andrew Carston is happy to have exceeded the goal he set himself for the 2018/19 racing season, whilst maintaining a consistent win count. This time last year Carston, who had just won the Gavelhouse Newcomer to Training Award, stated that his goal for the new season was to win a stakes race. “It was my best season yet,” Carston said. “Not by number of wins but I wanted to get a stakes winner this season and I got one – well two really, a Listed and a Group Thre... View the full article

While he may have lost the services of talented four-year-old King Louis, Hastings trainer John Bary is excited about his team’s spring prospects in the countdown to the upcoming Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival that kicks off on August 31. Last season’s Gr.3 Mongolian Khan Trophy (1200m) winner King Louis has been transferred to the Ballarat stable of Simon Morrish by owner Richard Wood, a move that Bary described as completely understandable. “While it’s always a shame to see a nice horse... View the full article

Waverley trainer Harvey Wilson could be in for a memorable week if results from the first day of the Grand National Carnival at Riccarton on Saturday are anything to go by. The former three-time Olympian lined up his entire jumping team of two on the weekend and came away with a win from It’s A Wonder in the Yesberg Insurances Koral Steeplechase (4250m) and a runner-up finish from Bad Boy Brown in the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Sydenham Hurdles (3100m). Those performances will ensure that ... View the full article

Saturday's 11-race Marylou Whitney Day card, featuring three graded stakes and highlighted by McKinzie's victory in the 92nd running of the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney, generated an all-sources handle record of $31,835,863. View the full article

Allied Racing Stable's Mr. Money ran himself into millionaire status Aug. 3 when he notched his fourth consecutive graded stakes victory in the $500,000 West Virginia Derby (G3) at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort. View the full article

Godolphin homebred Lucullan took home his first stakes score Aug. 3 with a text-book stalking trip that sent him straight to a nose victory in the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

Allied Racing Stable's Mr. Money ran himself into millionaire status Aug. 3 when he notched his fourth consecutive graded stakes victory in the $500,000 West Virginia Derby (G3) at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort. View the full article

Karak became the first black-type winner for her sire, Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) winner Karakontie, when she rolled to an easy 2 1/2-length victory in the $78,000 Tyro Stakes at Monmouth Park. View the full article

Saratoga’s 11-race card, dedicated to the late Marylou Whitney, generated an all-sources handle record of $31,835,863. That figure eclipsed the previous Whitney Day record of $30,153,138 set in 2017. The card featured three graded races, with Leinster (Majestic Warrior) setting a course record while winning the GIII Troy S., Covfefe (Into Mischief) outbattling Serengeti Empress (Alternation) in a dramatic renewal of the GI Longines Test S., and McKinzie (Street Sense) soaring home first in the GI Whitney S. On-track handle for the day was $7,078,192 and the paid attendance was 40,791. The post Whitney Day Generates Record Handle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Zyrul suspended three days View the full article

Woodworth-Burridge Craft a rare win together View the full article

Bigger Treasure in store after gutsy Class 1 win View the full article

Caribbean Lady keeps up hot trot for Team Takaoka-Lerner View the full article

Gem of a first Kranji win for Moloney View the full article

Track conditions and course scratchings August 4 View the full article

Horses' body weights August 4 View the full article

Amalfi Sunrise (f, 2, Constitution–Soot Z, by Empire Maker), a no-brainer ‘TDN Rising Star’ with a blowout win on debut at Santa Anita June 23, stayed perfect in style in Saturday’s GII Sorrento S. at Del Mar. The 3-5 favorite battled between horses through an opening quarter in :22.50. She took over entering the far turn and went on to win for fun, reporting home a much-the-best winner. The dark bay becomes the second black-type winner for her freshman sire (by Tapit). Powerfulattraction (Commissioner) just nipped Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) for second. The final time for six furlongs was 1:10.96. Sales history: $40,000 yrl ’18 KEESEP; $185,000 2yo ’19 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0. O-Branham or Naify; B-Jack Mandato (Ky); T-Simon Callaghan. The post Daylight Win for Constitution Filly in Sorrento appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sometimes it's all a matter of distance and surface as converting Leinster into a turf sprinter has proven to be a gem of wisdom as he rolled to a track-record victory in the $194,000 Troy Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 3. View the full article

Mr. Money has proven more or less unbeatable since a breakout romp in the GIII Pat Day Mile on GI Kentucky Derby Day May 4, and the progressive colt strung together his fourth consecutive win Saturday while becoming a millionaire. Breaking well from a high draw, the heavy favorite locked on to Plus Que Parfait early and traveled under stout restraint through opening splits of :24.42 and :49.10. He poked a head in front turning for home, and was clearly going much better than his rivals as he hit the top of the lane. Kept to task, he bounded away with powerful strides to run up the score as he pleased. A convincing third-out winner last September at Churchill in his first route try, Mr. Money was far from disgraced when fourth behind Game Winner (Candy Ride {Ire}) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile over the same track and trip. He resurfaced to be seventh behind War of Will (War Front) and Country House (Lookin At Lucky) in the GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds Feb. 16, and settled for fifth behind longshot stablemate By My Standards (Goldencents) in the GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 23. He put it all together when cut back for the one-turn-mile Pat Day, but had no trouble stretching back out to air in the GIII Matt Winn S. back under the Twin Spires June 15. He earned a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure while taking the GIII Indiana Derby by 2 1/2 lengths July 13 and avoiding a loose horse in the process. Saturday, Mountaineer WEST VIRGINIA DERBY-GIII, $500,000, Mountaineer Casino & Resort, 8-3, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.28, ft. 1–MR. MONEY, 120, c, 3, by Goldencents 1st Dam: Plenty O’Toole, by Tiznow 2nd Dam: O’ Toole, by Distorted Humor 3rd Dam: Well Dressed, by Notebook ($130,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Allied Racing Stable, LLC; B-Spruce Lane Farm (KY); T-W. Bret Calhoun; J-Gabriel Saez. $301,000. Lifetime Record: 10-5-2-0, $1,074,220. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Chess Chief, 118, c, 3, Into Mischief–Un Blessed, by Mineshaft. ($145,000 RNA Ylg ’17 FTSAUG). O-Estate of James Coleman, Jr.; B-Morgan’s Ford Farm (VA); T-Dallas Stewart. $100,000. 3–Plus Que Parfait, 122, r, 3, Point of Entry–Belvedera, by Awesome Again. ($24,000 RNA Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $135,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Imperial Racing, LLC; B-Calloway Stables, LLC (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $50,000. Margins: 6, NK, 4HF. Odds: 0.50, 35.40, 6.10. Also Ran: Top Line Growth, Chilly in Charge, Math Wizard, Fluminense, Conative, Cornstarch. Scratched: Grumps Little Tots. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Pedigree Notes: A half-brother to the 2-year-old colt Mr. Kidd (Palace)–who recorded his first published breeze last week (3f, :38.60, 7/8 at Churchill July 27); yearling filly by Awesome Again that fetched $190,000 as aweanling at KEENOV last fall; and a filly foal by Speightstown, Mr. Money is out of a winning daughter of O’ Toole, a full-sister to GSW Witty and to GISP Helsinki. His stakes-winning third dam produced G1 Dubai World Cup hero Well Armed (Tiznow) and Life Well Lived (Tiznow), the dam of GISW American Patriot (War Front). Plenty O’Toole was bred back to Ghostzapper for 2020. The post Mr. Money Becomes a Millionaire at Mountaineer appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Aftercare has been at the forefront of Bourbon Lane Stables, and to add to the initiative, founder and co-owner Mike McMahon announced Aug. 3 a new 501(c)(3) retirement fund to help with the costs of caring for the partnership's former racehorses. View the full article

Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram, and Paul Weitman's McKinzie turned in a late-running drive up the center of the Saratoga Race Course stretch to win the Aug. 3, $1 million Whitney Stakes (G1) by 1 3/4 lengths. View the full article

Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram, and Paul Weitman's McKinzie turned in a late-running drive up the center of the Saratoga Race Course stretch to win the Aug. 3, $1 million Whitney Stakes (G1) by 1 3/4 lengths. View the full article

On a day devoted to honoring the legacy of the late Marylou Whitney, New York's governor Andrew Cuomo made his first visit to Saratoga Race Course, announcing the construction of a permanent hospitality facility for backstretch workers. View the full article

‘TDN Rising Star’ McKinzie (c, 4, Street Sense–Runway Model, by Petionville) gave Hall of Famer Bob Baffert his first win in Saratoga’s prestigious GI Whitney S., a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, Saturday afternoon. The 4-5 favorite briefly led the field into the clubhouse turn, but conceded to GII Suburban S. winner Preservationist (Arch). Re-guided to the outside by Mike Smith, he sat a tracking second through a half mile in :47.48. The bay took a narrow advantage as they lined up at the top of the stretch and the MGISW showed his class from there, kicking home a two-length winner. Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) was second; Vino Rosso (Curlin) was third. McKinzie, winner of last term’s GI Pennsylvania Derby and GI Malibu S., entered off a troubled second in the GI Runhappy Metropolitan H. at Belmont Park June 8. The final time was 1:47.10 Sales history: $170,000 yrl ’16 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 12-7-4-0. O-Pegram, Watson & Weitman; B-Summer Wind Farm (Ky); T-Bob Baffert. The post Baffert Gets His Whitney with McKinzie appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Newcomer En Wye Cee (Declaration of War) had been keeping good company in the mornings, and belied 10-1 odds Saturday afternoon at the Spa to best a strong-looking group of maidens while garnering the ‘TDN Rising Star’ distinction. The bay sported an upbeat tab that included a 1:01 flat breeze in company over the Oklahoma training track July 19 alongside GI Whitney S. competitor Vino Rosso (Curlin) (Click for XBTV video) and fired a 1:01 1/5 bullet with well-bred Fort McHenry (Tapit) July 11 (Click for XBTV Video). Able to save some ground early from midpack behind splits of :22.02 and :45.19, En Wye Cee was taken very wide by Jose Ortiz for clear sailing entering the stretch. Even-money Free Enterprise (Curlin)–a $485,000 yearling buy who was a good second in fast time first out–emerged from the cavalry charge in midstretch, but En Wye Cee gobbled up ground with impressive strides down the center to reel in the leader and get up by a half-length before galloping out with good energy. The winner’s 2-year-old half-brother Eternal Summer (Summer Front) was seventh in the day’s first race going two turns on the grass. Dam Celtic Arch (Arch), who cost just $3,000 in foal to Trappe Shot at last year’s Keeneland November sale, is a half to a pair of overseas stakes performers and hails from the extended female family of Grade II winner Regal Sanction (Regal Classic). Celtic Arch was bred back to Pennsylvania-based Peace and Justice for 2020. 6th-Saratoga, $90,000, Msw, 8-3, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:15.44, ft. EN WYE CEE, c, 3, Declaration of War 1st Dam: Celtic Arch, by Arch 2nd Dam: Royal Sanction, Royal Academy 3rd Dam: Northern Sanction, by Affirmed Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. O-Waterford Stable; B-Waterford Stables, Inc. (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. The post Declaration of War Colt Scores on Saratoga Dirt to be Named Newest ‘Rising Star’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article