Wandering Eyes

Three of trainer Carla Gaines' horses were scratched from the Jan. 11 card at Santa Anita Park just after the second race went official. View the full article

The University of Minnesota Crookston Equine Science program will have openings to foal out mares for spring semester 2019. This will give owners/breeders another option to foal mares out in Minnesota, making the foals eligible for Minnesota Breeders’ Fund Awards. More than 10 Equine Science students will participate in pre-and-post foaling procedures as part of the school’s Equine Reproduction Techniques course. “This hands-on experience not only gets our students more involved in the field, but also gets them interested in the Minnesota horseracing industry,” commented Nicky Overgaard, University of Minnesota Crookston Equine Science Instructor. Minnesota Racing Commission Deputy Director Joe Scurto added, “To have the University of Minnesota Crookston support the breeding program in Minnesota adds great value to our racing community. The Equine Science Program is becoming more involved with the Breeders Fund, which will only make the program stronger.” View the full article

<8th-GP, $50,000, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, post time: 3:15 p.m. ET CAN’T BUY ME LOVE (War Front) makes her first start for Heider Family Stables and trainer Graham Motion. Dam Together (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was a highweight at three in her native Ireland, where she was also a GSW and MG1SP (along with a pair of Group 1 level placings in England). She broke through at the highest level for the Coolmore contingent in the 2011 GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. at Keeneland–just a week after finishing second to her elders in the GI First Lady S. there. Already the dam of MGSP Earring (Dansili {GB}), Together’s now 2-year-old full-sister to Can’t Buy Me Love cost $600,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Sale. Together is a half-sister to G1SW Jan Vermeer (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). One of two for Chad Brown, Beautiful Lover (Arch) is half to Zivo (True Direction), who her conditioner send out to a win in the 2014 GII Suburban H. and second in that year’s GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. Beautiful Lover covered an eighth in :10 2/5 at OBS April before garnering a $475,000 winning bid. She’ll be joined by stablemate Connectivity (Midshipman), a $45,000 FTKJUL yearling turned $150,000 FTFMAR 2-year-old after a :10 2/5 move herself. TJCIS PPs 10th-GP, $50,000, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, post time: 4:15 p.m. ET Gary and Mary West homebred BRAINSTORM (Tapit) looks to become the second winner from as many to start out of 2012 GI La Brea S. heroine Book Review (Giant’s Causeway). Book Review is a half-sister to GISW juvenile Irish Smoke (Smoke Glacken). Ry’s the Guy (Distorted Humor), a $90,000 graduate of the Fasig-Tipton Turf Showcase, is out of British G1SW Sleepytime (Ire) (Royal Academy). Prior foals out of the mare, herself a full to G1SW Ali-royal (Ire), include Group 3 winners Gentleman’s Deal (Ire) and Hathal Speightstown). Chad Brown pupil No Rules (Union Rags) was a $330,000 KEESEP yearling. TJCIS PPs 4th-SA, $55,000, Msw, 3yo, f, 6 1/2fT, post time: 5:02 p.m. ET C R K Stable’s HOLLYWOOD GIRL (Giant’s Causeway) was an $875,000 Keeneland September yearling buy in 2017. She’s out of MGISW dirt router Hollywood Story (Wild Rush), who is already the dam of a trio of black-type performers. TJCIS PPs View the full article

D J Stable and Cash is King's Jaywalk, the frontrunner to earn an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly of 2018, returned to the work tab Jan. 11 to begin preparations for her sophomore campaign. View the full article

Santa Anita’s 2019 Spring Stakes Schedule, which runs from Saturday, Apr. 13 through Sunday, June 23, will offer fans and horsemen a total of 35 added money events, headlined by three Grade I, half-million dollar stakes, all May 27—the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, the Gamely and the Shoemaker Mile. In all, Santa Anita will distribute $5.1 million in added purse money over the course of its 42-day Spring run. Including the aforementioned Grade I stakes, Santa Anita will run a total of 21 graded events during the Spring Meet, which will include a comprehensive offering of added money races for horses in all categories. Click here for a complete listing of Santa Anita’s 2019 Spring Stakes Schedule. View the full article

Grade 1 winner Channel Maker has joined the field for the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T) Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

Harvey Clarke, a longtime player in the Thoroughbred business and breeder of Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner I'll Have Another, passed away Jan. 11 at his home in Franklin Lakes, N.J. View the full article

Horse of the Year finalist Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky), last seen capturing the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs Nov. 3, had his penultimate workout at Santa Anita Friday morning for the $9-million GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park Jan. 26, going seven furlongs in a bullet 1:27.20 (1/4) with assistant trainer Juan Leyva astride. “I got him in 1:27 and [galloping] out a mile in 1:40 4/5, so it was a good long-distance work,” trainer John Sadler said. “On this track, it’s not super-fast. He’ll come back next week with more of a blowout type work, like five-eighths or something like that. But I’m glad we got this one in today because of the weather. It’s going to rain tomorrow and we’ve got a lot of rain next week.” City of Light (Quality Road), winner of the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 3, worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 (8/95) at Santa Anita Friday. He is also aiming for a start in the Pegasus. View the full article

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 429 entries to date for its Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale, to be held Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 4 and 5, in Lexington, Kentucky. Sessions will begin daily at 10 a.m. The sale will also feature a supplemental catalogue that will be available online and on the sales grounds. Fasig-Tipton will continue to accept supplemental entries. Hips 1-274 will be offered in the Monday session. Hips 275-429, followed by the supplemental catalogue, will be offered in the Tuesday session. “This year’s catalogue features graded stakes performing racing and broodmare prospects, proven producers in foal to exciting sires, and a large group of short yearlings with good sire power,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “Those looking to fill their orders before the start of breeding season will find a number of interesting opportunities once again at Kentucky Winter Mixed.” The Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale catalogue may now be viewed online. Print catalogues will be available beginning Jan. 18. The catalogue will also be available via the equineline sales catalogue app. View the full article

Harvey Clarke, a prominent owner/breeder who bred the likes of GI Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another (Flower Alley) and co-campaigned MGSWs Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile) and Soldat (War Front), passed away Thursday night at his home in Franklin Lakes, NJ, after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 77. President of the New York City-based AJ Clarke Real Estate Corp., The Bronx native became involved in Thoroughbred racing at a modest level on the New York and New Jersey circuits in the late 1970s. He increased his family’s involvement in the sport in 2003, and enjoyed particular success in the first half of the 2010s as both an owner and breeder. Just one year after making it to the Derby with Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Soldat (co-owned by Namcook Stables, Paul Braverman and W. Craig Robertson III), Clarke saw I’ll Have Another, who he sold as a yearling, take the 2012 “Run for the Roses” and GI Preakness S. A year later, the Clarke-bred speedster Havana (Dunkirk) annexed the GI Champagne S. before finishing second in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile; and that same season Cairo Prince, owned originally by the same group as Soldat, took the GII Nashua S. Godolphin purchased a majority interest in the now-promising young sire after he won the GII Holy Bull S. in 2014. Along with Brookdale Farm, Clarke bred and sold 2014 GI Coaching Club American Oaks and GI Alabama S. and 2015 GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff heroine Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat) out of his and Brookdale founder Fred Seitz’s MSW/GSP Exotic Bloom (Montbrook). They had already sold Exotic Bloom, a $65,000 OBS June purchase, for $500,000 in foal to Quality Road at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. “Harvey has been a friend and client for 42 years and we never exchanged a cross word,” said bloodstock agent Steve Shahinian. “Our friend, Dr. Michael Chovanes, put it best when he told me that, ‘Knowing Harvey Clarke has made me a better person,’ and I think there are many people in this world that feel the same way.” Clarke is survived by his wife, Donna, and children Scott, Alyssa, Nancy, Jennifer and Robert. Service arrangements are pending. View the full article

The South Florida racing community held a moment of silence Friday in memory of Mildred “Mickie” Poleo, one of the most loved and colorful members of the Gulfstream staff who passed away last week. Mickie worked the concession stands at Gulfstream since 1963. “Everyone looked forward to visiting and talking to Mickie every day at Gulfstream,” said Gulfstream General Manager Bill Badgett. “She loved her customers, her co-workers, her job, and loved racing. She was an incredible person. I’ve never met anyone like her. She will be greatly missed.” View the full article

No, WinStar’s Speightstown (Gone West–Silken Cat, by Storm Cat) is not an underrated sire, as some said on social media shortly after the stallion’s Competitionofideas won the Gl American Oaks at Santa Anita Dec. 29. Speightstown is by all standards a top-class stallion, and at age 21 he’s just as appealing now as he’s been the last decade. He may, however, be a bit misunderstood. Competitionofideas became her sire’s 15th individual winner at the highest level and his 99th overall black-type winner, numbers commensurate for a stallion who will stand for $80,000 live foal this year, his 15th season. A prolific sire of winners that act on dirt and turf over a variety of distances (when bred accordingly), Speightstown is a throwback to the established sires of the past in several ways, notably this: from named foals of racing age–not starters–he gets more than 80% runners, more than 60% winners, and 10% black-type winners–stats reminiscent of leading stallions from the pre-big-book age. Speightstown is a bit of a bargain now as his fee has dropped from the $100,000 he commanded from 2016 to 2018, and this may be a nod to age and to the distinct pattern of development of his Grade l winners, something I labelled “The Speightstown Effect” four years ago in a blog post at my day job at Werk Thoroughbred Consultants (WTC). You can read it here, and I suggest you do for more textural background, but if you read on you’ll get the gist of the argument plus the added data that’s brought it up to date. A winner of 10 of 16 starts and the earner of $1,258,256, Speightstown was the champion sprinter at age six in 2004, when he won the Gl Breeders’ Cup Sprint and four other black-type races. He wasn’t a stakes winner before that, and his career was marked by long gaps away from the track due to various mishaps and injuries from two to five. Because, as a $2 million yearling, he was always highly regarded, he was patiently persevered with and finally rewarded his connections, even if it was years later than anticipated. An attractive, muscular, and compact horse, Speightstown entered stud at WinStar in 2005 for a $40,000 fee, and the common and altogether natural assumption was that he’d get fast and early horses–which he does. Almost a quarter of his black-type winners are 2-year-olds and about 20% of his named 2-year-olds win; and many of his top runners are sprinter/ milers. Because of his impeccable consistency, Speightstown’s fee has never dropped below $35,000 (in 2009 and 2010 after the global economic collapse), and from 2011 until the drop in fee this year it only went up, first to $50,000 (2011 and 2012), then to $60,000 (2013), $80,000 (2014 and 2015), and finally to $100,000 (2016 to 2018). The Speightstown Effect… What is the “Speightsown Effect?” It’s this: Speightstown doesn’t get 2-year-old Grade l winners or spring 3-year-old Grade l winners. From 11 crops through the end of 2018 numbering almost 1000 foals and including 2-year-olds, Speightstown has never had a 2-year-old Grade l or Group 1 winner to date, and none before July of their 3-year-old seasons. All rules, of course, may eventually be broken–see Apollo and Justify–but from a broader perspective the “Speightstown Effect” is perhaps an indicator that the stallion’s best progeny need more time than expected to mature–just as he did–and aren’t necessarily the best classic prospects, even though he can get runners that win at 10 furlongs or dirt and turf. This is easier to conceptualize with a tall and scopey horse like, say, Unbridled’s Song than it is with one that looks like he’s built for early speed, but there’s similarity between the two sires because both sired progeny that demonstrated early ability despite some immaturity but were kept on with, sometimes to bad effect. When trainers finally started to give the Unbridled’s Songs more time to mature later in his career, he got some of his best runners, and those did a lot to alter the earlier notion that he got a lot of brittle horses. These included champions Arrogate and Forever Unbridled, plus Grade l winners Cross Traffic and Liam’s Map, among others. Likewise, Speightstown’s Grade l profile to date has been based on second-half 3-year-olds and older runners, irrespective of distance or surface, and it’s likely that he may have had more top-level winners earlier on if some of his more promising runners hadn’t been pushed as hard at two and early at three. At any rate, here are Speightstown’s 15 Grade l winners with the time of their first win at the highest level: Reynaldothewizard (2006) won the G1 Golden Shaheen at seven in 2013. Haynesfield (2006) won the Gl Jockey Club Gold Cup at four in 2010. Lord Shanakill (2006) won the G1 Prix Jean Prat at three (July) in 2009. Jersey Town (2006) won the Gl Cigar Mile at four in 2010. Mona de Momma (2006) won the Gl Humana Distaff at four in 2010. Poseidon’s Warrior (2008) won the Gl Alfred G. Vanderbilt at four in 2012. Golden Ticket (2009) won the Gl Travers at three (August) in 2012. Dance to Bristol (2009) won the Gl Ballerina at four in 2013. She’s Happy (Arg) (2009) won the G1 Estrellas Sprint at end of SH season at three. Seek Again (2010) won the Gl Hollywood Derby at three (December) in 2013. Lighthouse Bay (2010) won the Gl Prioress at three (July) in 2013. Tamarkuz (2010) won the Gl BC Dirt Mile at six in 2016. Rock Fall (2011) won the Gl Alfred G. Vanderbilt at four in 2015. Force the Pass (2012) won the Gl Belmont Derby Invitational at three (July) in 2015. Competitionofideas (2015) won the Gl American Oaks at three (December) in 2018. The results are stark and have practical application. At WTC, we’ve been a strong backer of Speightstown from the beginning and have recommended him without qualms all the way up to $100,000, as his record has always warranted the fee increases. In fact, this year I’ve personally booked two mares to the horse on behalf of a client and recommended him for eight other client mares. But about five years ago, we added a qualifier to our recommendations: don’t push too hard too early with the Speightstowns. Several clients have benefitted from this advice. Speightstown is the type of horse that pedigree scholar Franco Varola might have labelled as “Trans-Brilliant”–that is, a fast or brilliant type that grafts well to stamina–which is something obvious in the horse’s ability to get 10-furlong Grade l winners like Haynesfield (from a Deputy Minister-line mare), Golden Ticket (from a Deputy Minister mare), Seek Again (from a Danehill mare from a Blushing Groom {Fr} mare), Force the Pass (from a Dynaformer mare), and Competitionofideas (from a Medaglia d’Oro mare). But quality sprinter/miler speed is his métier, and he consistently imparts it to his progeny, which makes him a popular sire for owners and breeders. And because his offspring are sound (with 80% runners from named foals, as noted earlier), win regularly, and get black type at above-average rates, he’s an elite sire–no questions whatsoever. He’s just got an effect you need to be aware of. Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks. View the full article

When Winners Foundation president Gino Roncelli walks the backstretch at Santa Anita Park, he can't help but bump into people who were helped by the organization's longtime director, Bob Fletcher. View the full article

D J Stable and Cash is King’s Jaywalk (Cross Traffic), the front-runner to earn an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly of 2018, is targeting the GII Davona Dale S. for her sophomore debut going one mile at Gulfstream Mar. 2. The GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine and GI Frizette S. winner returned to the worktab with a four-furlong move in :50.80 (23/38) at Palm Meadows Jan. 11. “She went a nice, easy half. It was perfect,” trainer John Servis said. “She galloped out super, so she didn’t lose much. Everything went very good.” Servis continued, “The way she galloped out today, I’d say we’re right on schedule. She acts the same and looks the same. She maybe got a little bit taller but, other than that, she hasn’t changed much at all, to be honest with you. She put on a little bit of weight, which is good.” Joining Jaywalk as Eclipse finalists are Bellafina (Quality Road), also a two-time Grade I winner who ran fourth in the Juvenile Fillies, and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who went three-for-three in 2018 capped by a jaw-dropping victory in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The 48th annual Eclipse Awards ceremony will be held Jan. 24 in the Sport of Kings Theater at Gulfstream Park. Servis also trained GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. winner Smarty Jones to the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old of 2004. “We’re very excited about it,” Servis said. “I don’t know how much else she needed to do. She won at [four] at different racetracks, all at different distances, and she won two Grade Is. She had a pretty damn good year.” View the full article

In this new series we ask agents and others who book a lot of mares for their clients which sires might be flying slightly under the radar in this breeding season. Who might be getting overlooked in the rush for the new, hot thing? Read on. Kathy Berkey MIDNIGHT LUTE, Hill ‘n’ Dale, $15,000 I just think at $15,000 Midnight Lute is very good value. Especially for a stallion that was the 17th leading stallion by earnings in the country last year. I tend to look at stud fees based on yearling averages, where I like to see 3x stud fee, and medians, where I like to see 2x stud fee. When I look at his yearling average last year at around $75,000 and the median was $60,000, so he’s way above those multiples that I like to see from a stallion. He has consistently proven that he can get a good racehorse. They sprint, they can go long, and they are generally very good looking. I’ve had a lot of success selling them, racing them, and I like stallions that are flexible that way. Depending on your client, you can breed to race or breed to sell a Midnight Lute. I probably have five or six mares booked to him this year already. He’s a horse that can breed to a lot of different physicals because he’s big, he’s correct, and he’s got some scope to him. He’s very straightforward and can help a mare. I think in that $10,000-$20,000 range it’s very difficult to find a proven, solid stallion like Midnight Lute. Click for Midnight Lute’s catalogue-style pedigree or race record. View the full article

Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park are where you'll find the graded stakes action Jan. 12, as both Stronach Group facilities card a pair of grade 3 events. View the full article

Regardless of the result in the $100,000 La Canada Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park, odds are horseman Don Schnell is going to be carrying his head high Jan. 12. View the full article

Compas Stallions is a growing force among the Irish stallion ranks, with its founder and owner Micheal Orlandi adding two young sires to his roster for 2019. Micheal manages five stallions in total with the addition of Smooth Daddy (Scat Daddy) and Kuroshio (Aus) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), who both stand at Clongiffen Stud alongside My Dream Boat (Ire) (Lord Shanakill), whose first foals arrive this year. Orlandi speaks with TDN‘s Alayna Cullen about his new stallions. TDN: Micheal, how did Compas Stallions come about? MO: Well, this is going to be my fifth year in business. I started off originally with Compas Equine as a bloodstock agent and from there I went into Compas Stallions. This is my fourth year involved with stallions. The stallion who really started things off for me was Cappella Sansevero (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who has his first crop of 2-year-olds in 2019. I really enjoyed being an agent and I learned a lot and I had some excellent clients but I realized that the stallion market has a huge impact in the industry as a whole. If you were lucky enough, fortunate enough to come across a good stallion, you could impact the industry forevermore. I just thought, if I could get involved in the stallion industry and try and make it work, I definitely would enjoy it and it would be a challenge, so here I am now. TDN: You have two new horses for 2019. Who are they? MO: We have Kuroshio, who is back from Australia. He had his first crop of runners in 2018. It was a very small crop but an exceptional crop. He had 22 live foals registered, 14 runners, six winners, and out of those six winners he had three black-type horses. We also have Smooth Daddy who came from America. Smooth Daddy is a son of the legendary Scat Daddy. I wasn’t the only one looking for a son of Scat Daddy. What Scat Daddy has done at stud is probably unheard of. TDN: We want to know more about both horses but we will start with Smooth Daddy. When did he first come up on your radar? MO: Smooth Daddy came on the radar last year but he wasn’t for sale. We kept our eyes on him and then when I found out that he was available I went over to Kentucky to see him. It took us a while to get to the deal done, most of these can be tricky and difficult, but Pete Bradley was the person who was overseeing the deal and he was very helpful. We got the deal done and we are delighted to have him under the Compas banner. TDN: What is his physique like? MO: He’s a good 16.1hh, plenty of size about him. He has plenty of length from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. A good girth to him, great bone, and he walks exceptionally well. He covers a lot of ground; he’s a very loose-moving horse. I think if Smooth Daddy can breed his walk into his progeny they’ll do very well. TDN: Kuroshio is a horse that made quite an impression last year with his small crop of 2-year-old runners. Tell us about him. MO: Kuroshio belongs to Darley. He went to stand at Overbury Stud late in the season when he went to stud first and he covered about 30 mares with 22 live foals. He’s out of a Gone West mare, he has a fantastic pedigree and is by Exceed and Excel. His full-sister is the dam of Anthony Van Dyke (Ire), who we are hoping can boost the pedigree more as he is in all the Classics. In general I think he’s a great fit for a commercial breeder. He’s proven, too. As I said he had a crop of 22 live foals and from that he has had 14 runners, six winners, and three of them are black-type. Dunkerron (GB) was second in a Group 2 at Goodwood, and there was also Kurious (GB) who is in training with Henry Candy. Billy Jackson-Stops was involved in making it all happen as his client is Mr Abdulaziz Al Rabban, who was very excited about Kuroshio. So we managed to get Kuroshio back to the Northern Hemisphere and we are excited about his future with Compas Stallions. TDN: Being Australian bred you would imagine he is quite a strong horse. How would you describe him? MO: Physically, he’s a ball of power and muscle. It’s hard to really fault him when he stands up in front of you. He measures 15.3hh, but he’s plenty big enough. He’s such an imposing horse with a huge presence about him. And he’s a treat to have around the place, a bit of a personality. He ticked so many boxes it was a no-brainer to bring him up. TDN: You mentioned earlier that Cappella Sansevero has his first crop of 2-year-olds this year. How are you feeling about that? MO: It’s an exciting year for Cappella Sansevero. He covered a lot of mares in year one and has some very nice 2-year-olds to run for him. Roger Varian bought the highest-priced yearling by him who is also a half-brother to Harry Angel (Ire) and then there are number of other good trainers who have 2-year-olds by him too. The likes of Ger Lyons, who trained Cappella Sansevero, Joe Murphy and then there are a few spread around the UK too. There’s enough of them out there to see if he’s any good. A friend of mine is breezing one by him this year and he thinks a lot of her, so look, we’ll see. It’s all in the lap of the gods now. But it is an exciting year. I suppose I learned a lot standing him and it is thanks to Cappella I’m where I am now. TDN: You are standing three of your stallions at Clongiffen Stud this year. What is it like being based there? MO: Robert, owner of Clongiffen Stud, is a great stallion man and the stud has a great history. It’s a fantastic location, and when you look at the mare population around Ireland, we’re in the middle of it. We aren’t far from main roads, very close to the M50 and N7 that really connects the whole bloodstock industry from the south up to the north Leinster. The facilities are fantastic here and you can really tell that Robert and his wife, Ciara, really care too. Working with Robert, Ciara and of course Billy with Kuroshio is very exciting as we’re all around the 30 mark. We’re all hoping and dreaming big together. View the full article

John Oxx and Patrick Prendergast announcing that they are joining training forces has rightly been received to great acclaim. The combination of the trainer of Sea The Stars (Ire) with the man who expertly guided last year’s Cartier 2-Year-Old Filly Award winner Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy) will bring a new dimension to racecourses in 2019 and beyond. However, it was a timely reminder of a bizarre wrinkle of racing bureaucracy–if you want to run a stable in partnership and have it recognised on the racecard, you had better pack your bags and head to Australia. While I don’t know if Patrick would rather not have been forced to relinquish his license this coming February in order to join forces with John Oxx, what we do know is in British and Irish racing he, wrongly, didn’t have a choice. The frequent refrain heard from racing authorities in maintaining the status quo on no training partnerships is the issue of liability. If we are to have multiple trainers, who do we attach legal liability upon for the care of the stable? The simple answer is joint trainers should have ‘joint and several’ liability for the care of their stable. This concept would not only solve the liability issue once and for all, but would actually strength the integrity of the stable as not one but two individuals would be held accountable for the stable’s actions. A bank manager will always be happier having a guarantor on a loan in addition to the individual borrower through the ‘joint and several’ liability nature of the loan agreement and yet racing authorities as of yet can’t get their head around the stark benefit of training partnerships. In the era of the ‘super trainer’ and the smaller operation, what better way for the squeezed middle to fight back than trainer partnerships–spreading the financial risk and widening their collective skill set. Think of the exciting complementary possibilities. The quiet genius horseman with the extrovert charmer. The self-sustaining breeder-trainer combining with a young trainer that has shown a talent with temperamental fillies. In creating an enticing product for owners to believe in against competition with super trainers, we have to think again and address a gaping need with this simple solution. Quit the Skitter Scatter nonsense racing authorities, it’s time to sea the sense. Feedback: Jack Cantillon (@jackcantillon) on Twitter or email garyking@thetdn.com. View the full article

Patrick Prendergast, who handled last year’s Cartier champion 2-year-old filly Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy) for Anthony and Sonia Rogers, will not renew his training license this year and will instead move his string and staff to the yard of John Oxx, with the pair forming a training alliance in Oxx’s name. Oxx and Prendergast previously trained adjacent to one another on The Curragh, the 44-year-old Prendergast at Melitta Lodge, which he has grown out of, and the 68-year-old Oxx at Currabeg Stables, where he has executed the careers of the likes of Sea The Stars (Ire), Sinndar (Ire), Ridgewood Pearl (GB) and Azamour (Ire), but which has been quieter as of late. “We feel the timing is good for both parties, we’ve got the space and Patrick has run out of it,” Oxx said. “I think Patrick would like a change in direction a bit. It suits us and it suits him, so hopefully it will work out well for both of us. “Patrick doesn’t want to be the trainer and is happy to come and work for me. The yards are a few hundred yards apart as the crow flies, with a railway line in between, but we used the same gallops on The Curragh. The horses are moving to my place, they are not going to stay at Melitta Lodge; he won’t be training from there. Of last year’s G1 Moyglare Stud, G2 Debutante and G3 Silver Flash S. winner Skitter Scatter, Oxx said, “It’s a good boost for us, he’s got some good horses. I haven’t seen Skitter Scatter yet and Patrick has said she’s small and he doesn’t know how much scope she has, but she’s been a very good filly already.” Prendergast told The Irish Field it will be business as usual for Oxx’s new stable star. “Very little will change for Skitter Scatter,” he said. “She will work on the same gallops she has always worked on, she will be ridden by the same jockey, Ronan Whelan. The only difference is that there will be an extra set of eyes on her. That those eyes belong to John Oxx is an obvious benefit.” View the full article

4th-JEB, AED125,000, Cond., NH/SH3yo, 1000m, 1:00.43, ft GOLDEN JAGUAR c, 3, Animal Kingdom–Golden Sunray {SW-US}, by Crafty Prospector) gave the Phoenix Ladies Syndicate a second very impressive winner inside of 24 hours following the success of Walking Thunder (Violence) in Thursday’s 2000 Guineas Trial at Meydan. Drawn gate seven, the chestnut went up in the air as the gates flew and spotted his rivals several lengths. He made steady progress into midfield passing halfway and kept on very well up the hill in the final 200 metres to defeat the filly Salayel (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) by 3 1/4 lengths. The winner is a half-brother to Golden Domer (Quality Road), GSP-US, $121,011 and hails from the female family of GI Kentucky Derby winner Mine Than Bird (Birstone) and his MGISW half-brother Dullahan (Even The Score). Golden Jaguar, the fifth winner from 11 runners for the Phoenix Ladies Syndicate in the current racing season, is his dam’s most recent produce. Sales history: $90,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP; $60,000 2yo ’18 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $20,423. *1ST TIME STARTER. O-Phoenix Ladies Syndicate; B-William J Betz & Peter V Lamantia (KY); T-Ahmad Bin Harmash. View the full article

Trainer Brendan Walsh doesn't place just any horse right across from his Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots office in Stall 26; he wants one that is held in high regard for him to keep a close eye on. View the full article

In the early morning hours of Jan. 11, trainer John Sadler was a tad concerned he wouldn't get to see his big horse put in his most important work ahead of the Jan. 26 Pegasus World Cup (G1). View the full article

It’s been a pretty good week with both Henry’s Joy who jumped a lot better and The Some Dance Kid winning. Like so many other trainers we are still having to be selective with our runners. I was delighted to get all your questions on Twitter yesterday and I have tried to answer as many as possible: […] The post Donald McCain Blog – Weekend Runners + Exclusive Q & A appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Today is the turn of Pádraic Gahan, a Bloodstock Executive at Goffs, to take the chair and answer our questions TDN: Tell us about your career to date? PG: My earliest memories are of being on foal-watch with my father, Pat, so I owe my initial introduction to the industry to him having grown up on a farm of one or two broodmares in County Wicklow. This interest was strengthened over weekends and school holidays with Helen Markham in Grangecon from the age of 14 where I got an insight into the education of young horses. Having studied Commerce at University College Dublin and being a founding member of their horseracing society, I became a bid-spotter at Goffs in my final year. I recall the morning of my first sale, the Orby in 2013, with fellow debutant and good friend Nick Foster remarking ”I have had trials for Cardiff City and I wasn’t as nervous for them as I am now!” Upon finishing my final exams, I went to Ashford Stud in Kentucky where I was involved in the preparation of the farm’s consignments at the autumn sales in Keeneland. In January 2015, I met with Henry Beeby and joined Goffs UK for an internship. After nine months in the Scottish borders, I joined Goffs in Kill on a permanent basis. In June 2017 I embarked on a trip beginning with four months of travel in South America and culminating with a year working in Australia. There I divided my time between Melbourne trainer Robert Smerdon and Sydney-based Aushorse. I returned home in August to take up my current position at Goffs. TDN: If you could be one person in the industry for a day who would it be and why? PG: It would have to be any winning owner-breeder. You have foaled them, raised them and nurtured their whole life. TDN: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? PG: I have been fortunate to have many mentors who have been and continue to be willing to impart their knowledge but the most recent advice that I valued was given to me by a leading Australian bloodstock agent. It was on the subject of inspecting a horse at the sales and he advised to take a minute to let the horse stand in front of you when you first pull it out. To observe its behaviour and its general demeanour. It got me thinking about an aspect of the horse that I hadn’t previously considered much. Their mind is very important. TDN: What is the best aspect of your current job? PG: When the horses arrive on the sales complex and you can match the pedigrees with the horses and their people. We work hard attracting and processing entries, compiling the catalogues and the sales are the culmination of it all. It is very rewarding to exceed the expectations of a client and it is not always the highest prices that give the most satisfaction. TDN: If you weren’t working in the horseracing industry what would you be doing? PG: Working in the city to support my passion for the industry. TDN: If you had 24 hours to get someone interested in the horseracing industry how would you do it? PG: Give them an unbiased, no-strings-attached experience. We all know the passion we have for the sport, we just need to package this feeling and give it to others. I was exposed to this through the Aushorse initiative Racing Connections. There is often a genuine interest among the public but there can be a barrier to entry without the initial introduction. Team up with a trainer who has a runner and essentially let the person be the owner for the day. It involves meeting with them before racing, answering any questions they may have, introducing them to industry professionals and connections, accompanying them to the parade ring, including them in the pre-race instructions, watching the race with them, and no matter the result congregating in the owners’ and trainers’ area afterwards. All of this without an obligation to actually get involved. We have a marvellous product, we need to showcase it. TDN: What was your biggest achievement in 2018? PG: Professionally, the conversion rate of participants in Racing Connections to ownership. On a personal note, a 12,000 feet skydive. TDN: Who was your horse of 2018 and why? PG: Laurens – class and all heart. She was a queen as a yearling at the Goffs UK Premier Sale when purchased by John and Jess Dance and has since realised dreams. Siyouni looks set to be a remarkable sire in both hemispheres. TDN: What is your New Year’s resolution? PG: To keep learning and surround myself with good people. View the full article