Wandering Eyes

After its popularity earlier this year, Young Guns returns with all new questions and young professionals. Today we speak with Nicolas Lefevre, Founder of Equos Racing International. TDN: Tell us about your career to date? Nicolas Lefevre: I was born and raised in Paris and I have always been fond of horses. I did my first summer internships at Kildaragh Stud in high school and realised that I wanted to work in the industry. In parallel to my business studies in Paris, I did one breeding season at the Aga Khan Studs (Gilltown), then Cheveley Park Stud in the UK before flying to Australia in 2014. I worked there for Peter and Paul Snowden in Sydney before working as a showman for top breeders across most New Zealand and Australian sales. This is where I met Louis Le Metayer for who I’ve worked with for the past three and a half years. I had a fabulous time beside him working between Australia and France, following the sales seasons of both hemispheres. I decided last summer to launch my own company, Equos Racing International. TDN: If you could be one person in the industry for a day who would it be and why? NL: Probably Angus Gold. He is one of the biggest buyers across the world and remains a very natural and cool character. TDN: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? NL: To stay humble and never take anything for granted. TDN: What is the best aspect of your current job? NL: Travelling and meeting passionate people from all over the world in fantastic areas. And the fact that every day we learn something new. TDN: If you weren’t working in the horseracing industry what would you be doing? NL: Probably working in the art business as my parents are auctioneers in Paris, or maybe as a ski instructor as I am fond of skiing and the mountains. TDN: If you had 24 hours to get someone interested in the horseracing industry how would you do it? NL: First, I’d take them to morning track work in Chantilly. It’s the best way for me to show the magnificence of racehorses and our sport in general. Showing behind the scenes is the most passionate thing if someone wants to discover a new environment. I’ll then take them to the races, taking time to explain every aspect of the process of a race meeting, introducing them to the passionate professionals of our industry. And I’ll try to give them a winning tip. TDN: What was your biggest achievement in 2018? NL: I would say launching my own company this summer, and my first yearling purchase at the Osarus sales in September was particularly memorable. TDN: Who was your horse of 2018 and why? NL: Probably the Australian Cup winner Harlem because he was the first Group 1 winner I was involved with. He was bought by Astute Bloodstock when I was working for Louis Le Metayer. TDN: What is your New Year’s resolution? NL: To keep improving to be the best possible. To encourage new people to become passionate about our industry and to keep going to the races. To share my passion with people coming from various backgrounds. View the full article

A total of 10 first- or second-season sires standing in Great Britain will anchor the 2019 TBA Flat Stallion Parade at Tattersalls on Jan. 31, the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association announced on Tuesday. Ardad (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), Harbour Law (GB) (Lawman {Fr}), Havana Grey (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}), Lancaster Bomber (War Front), Massaat (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Master Carpenter (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Rajasinghe (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}), Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Unfortunately (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}) and Washington DC (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) will be paraded at 11 a.m. in the sales ring. Breeders, owners, trainers and spectators are invited to view the stallions in the Left and Right Yards. Cockney Rebel (Ire) (Val Royal {Fr}), Equiano (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}), Gregorian (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) and Pearl Secret (GB) (Compton Place {GB}) will also be available for viewing. Light refreshments will be available for TBA members and those who wish to view the stallions and speak to stud representatives. “The 2019 Flat Parade will showcase eight new recruits to the stallion ranks and see the return of second season sires Ardad and Time Test,” said TBA Chief Executive Claire Sheppard. “The event has always been an excellent opportunity for breeders to view stallions on the first day of the February Sale and meet with stud managers to discuss nomination enquiries. The TBA team will be on site in the Left and Right Yards to answer any questions and we would like to thank Tattersalls and Weatherbys for their continued support of this event which raises awareness of the latest stallions available to breeders before the start of the covering season.” View the full article

Following a year in which group winners Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), Intellogent (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) and Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) continued to advertise internationally the merits of France’s leading breeding conglomerate and sales consignor Ecurie des Monceaux, further partners have been introduced to the fold, as well as a number of well credentialed young broodmares. However, we’ll start our overview of the farm’s 2019 matings plans with members of a family which helped to put Monceaux on the bloodstock map. “We bought Platonic (GB) with Patricia Boutin from Fittocks Stud when we were first starting out and I think it’s fair to call this ‘P’ family our foundation family,” says Monceaux frontman Henri Bozo. The 20-year-old daughter of Zafonic will be making a short trip to Haras de Bonneval to visit one of France’s most in-demand stallions, Siyouni (Fr). “She’s an old mare now and we want to keep her here at Monceaux. She is not in foal as she was due late but she has a yearling colt by Le Havre (Ire) and a Camelot (GB) colt who was bought by Jeremy Brummitt and is in training with John Gosden for Bjorn Nielsen,” Bozo adds. Platonic’s three daughters at the farm are Pacifique (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), Prudente (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) and Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), the latter being the dam of Classic heroine Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and also G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Magic Wand. Prudenzia will return to Galileo (Ire) after she delivers a foal by the champion sire, while Pacifique, currently in foal to Siyouni, will visit Kodiac (GB). Bozo says, “Prudente is a full-sister to Prudenzia. Her first foal is a smart colt by Galileo. She is in foal to Siyouni and is going to Lope De Vega (Ire), who is a stallion we’re keen to support. His stats are very good and I think he gives a young mare a really good chance. Another mare we are sending him is Falling Leaves (Ire), a young mare by Galileo who is currently in foal to Fastnet Rock (Aus). My Rosie (Ire) we bought from Watership Down Stud in December 2017 and she has a nice Frankel (GB) colt, is in foal to Siyouni and will also go to Lope De Vega. Our policy is to go to proven stallions as much as we can.” Sistercharlie’s four Grade I wins in 2018 culminated in her Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf success and it’s no surprise to hear that her owner Peter Brant has also now bought her 4-year-old half-sibling My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}) and sent her to Chad Brown. Brant also has the 3-year-old colt Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), who was a €340,000 yearling purchase and a winner last year at Clairefontaine on his second start. Their dam Starlet’s Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is in foal to Dubawi and is booked for a return visit. “We started with a bit of luck and had some nice mares. Now we have a second wave of exciting broodmares and among them is Starlet’s Sister. Her 3-year-old is a big hope for this year,” says Bozo. Also among that second wave is Nuit Polaire (Ire) (Kheleyf), the dam of G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Intellogent who is now in foal to Siyouni and is another booked to go Dubawi. Darley’s flagship sire will also be sent the well-bred Group 3 winner Golden Valentine (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}). “We own Golden Valentine in partnership with LNJ Foxwoods. She is a close relative of Goldikova and is in foal to Galileo. When we have what we think is a mare of high potential we try to go to the best stallions we can in the beginning,” Bozo explains. The 10-year-old Militante (Ire) (Johannesburg) added to Monceaux’s group-race haul as a breeder last year via victory for her daughter Wind Chimes (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in the G3 Prix Lieurey. Trained by Andre Fabre for Coolmore, Wind Chimes came close to Group 1 success when beaten just a head by Recoletos (Fr) in the Prix du Moulin and a neck when third in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches. Her dam is now in foal to Frankel and will visit his sire Galileo this season. Among the stallions with multiple Monceaux bookings is freshman Roaring Lion, who will cover Naissance Royale (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway), Louversey (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) and Secrete (Fr) (Cape Cross {Ire}). “Naissance Royale was part of the start of Monceaux and is a mare we really love,” says Bozo. “She has a lovely yearling filly by Shalaa (Ire)—we’re very pleased by his foals—and she is now in foal to Invincible Spirit (Ire). He is a stallion who has been very good to us. I just love him. He seems now to be a very promising sire of sires here and in Australia. “We were keen to support Roaring Lion. He is a superb animal, so courageous and consistent, and so easy to cross. Louversey, whom we bought in foal to Le Havre, is also going to him, as is Secrete, who is currently in foal to Galileo.” He continues, “A newly acquired mare is Knyazhna (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). We bought her in foal to Siyouni at Arqana in December in partnership with Lordship Stud and Gary Chervenell. She will be going to Kingman (GB). He’s one of the young stallions we really believe in. He’s had an amazing start and you can only imagine that those nice 2-year-olds will only improve at three.” Also booked to Juddmonte’s young stallion is Swiss Affair (GB), a winning Pivotal (GB) daughter of Swiss Lake who was bought into privately to form a partnership with her breeder Lordship Stud. Bozo adds, “No Nay Never is another young stallion we are using. He has had a big jump in his fee but he is a good strong horse who you can use with mares who need a bit of power. The three mares we are sending to him are Frame Of Mind (Ire), a Wertheimer-bred Invincible Spirit mare in foal to Siyouni; Rhodalia (GB), a young Galileo mare out of Royal Highness (Ger) who is in foal to Lope De Vega, and Some Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). “We are also sending three mares to Sea The Stars (Ire), and two lovely mares to Le Havre, who is a proven sire who is easy to use, and I think the best is yet to come from him. We will also be using Zoustar (Aus), who has thrown some powerful 2-year-old types in Australia and we thought it would be worth giving him a go.” Balancing proven sires with unproven is an annual headache for most breeders who, without a crystal ball, have no way of telling which of the young stallions will be a hit or a miss. Plenty missed out on the chance to use Wootton Bassett (GB) in his early days, and Bozo was no exception. He says, “I am aware that we are very lucky to be able to afford the good stallions and there is more choice now, with farms such as Ballylinch, Tweenhills, Bouquetot, Etreham, etc., offering competition to Coolmore and Darley, but it’s not getting any cheaper. I wasn’t bold enough to use Wootton Bassett at the start but he was a good bet for those who did and we are now supporting him. Among the mares we will be sending to him is Pretty Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), a half-sister to [G3 Autumn S. winner] Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) bought at Arqana in December.” While Bozo has been the figurehead for Monceaux, he is quick to acknowledge the part played by a wide range of internationally successful breeders involved in the farm. “All the mares are owned in different partnerships and it’s very interesting to hear from the various partners,” he explains. “Patricia Boutin does a lot of work for Lady Chryss O’Reilly and Edouard de Rothschild and I’ve been working with her for a long time. I am also helped greatly by Camilla Trotter who provides me with so much good analysis, nicks and figures, which is wonderfully done. And of course there is much input from the partners, so it’s a big think tank for three months. The first thing we want is to produce a good racehorse and the commercial success comes after that.” View the full article

13:55 Lingfield The Richard Hughes trained Uncle Jerry can run off the same mark as when beaten an agonising neck at Kempton on Saturday and he looks a solid pick in this one. The Kyllachy Bay Colt hasn’t ran a bad race in his last seven outings and a repeat of Saturday’s run would easily […] The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Wednesday 9th January appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who swept the Japanese Filly Triple Crown and concluded her season with a world record-setting victory against the boys in the G1 Japan Cup, was named Japan’s Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly Tuesday. The first champion for her boom sire, she received each of the 276 votes cast for Horse of the Year, becoming the first unanimous winner of that award since T M Opera O (Jpn) (Opera House {GB}) in 2000. Almond Eye was also unanimously voted champion sophomore filly. Almond Eye earned her first group win in January, then returned from a three-month freshening to defeat 2017 champion juvenile filly Lucky Lilac (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) (1600m) (video). Stretched to Tokyo’s metric mile and a half for the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) the following month, she proved two lengths too tough (video) and completed the Triple Crown with a smooth success in the G1 Shuka Sho (2000m) Oct. 14 (video). Sent off the 2-5 favourite in the Japan Cup, Almond Eye tracked a fast pace set by G1 Japanese St Leger hero Kiseki (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}), but claimed that one at will inside the 200m en route to a 1 3/4-length victory in a record time of 2:20.6 (see below). Owned by Silk Racing Co. Ltd, trained by Sakae Kunieda and ridden throughout the campaign by record-setting jockey Christophe Lemaire, Almond Eye has been entered for the G1 Dubai Turf and G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, with the 2019 G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe a longer-range objective. WATCH: Almond Eye stops the clock in 2:20.6 in the Japan Cup Silk Racing is to be represented by another champion in the form of Blast Onepiece (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), who received 114 votes to take the 3-year-old male division over G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) hero Wagnerian (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). The striking bay colt was a three-time group winner in 2018, posting a remarkable first win at that level in the G3 Mainichi Hai (1800m) (video) in March and closing the campaign with a scintillating defeat of champion older male Rey de Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the G1 Arima Kinen (2500m) Dec. 23 (video). Le Vent Se Leve (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S.) finished third in the 3-year-old male category, but was named champion dirt horse on the strength of his win in the G1 Champions Cup Dec. 2 (video). Danon Fantasy (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) won three of her four outings, including the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (video) to provide her all-conquering stallion with a 16th champion, while the 2-year-old male division was more hotly contested, with G1 Asahi Hai Juvenile (video) victor Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) given the nod over G1 Hopeful S. hero (video) Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). Other champions include: Older Female: Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) Sprinter/Miler: Fine Needle (Jpn) (Admire Moon {Jpn}) Steeplechase: Oju Chosan (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) View the full article

After finding 6 winners across yesterdays 3 meetings, the Picks From The Paddock are out to continue their good form today with their NAP and Next Best plus a tip for every race! Best Best Of The Day 13:25 Ayr To take a trip up to Ayr for most jockeys it certainly isn’t a nip […] The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Tuesday 8th January appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Champion galloper Beauty Generation has “improved” since his breathtaking win in the Group One Hong Kong Mile, jockey Zac Purton believes. The high praise came after Beauty Generation and Glorious Forever returned to the track on Tuesday morning, turning in impressive performances. It was the pair’s first hit-out since their respective Group One wins in the Longines Hong Kong International Races as they look to add to their feature-race tally in 2019. Beauty Generation looks... View the full article

One of Hong Kong’s most powerful racing families will take a three-pronged attack into Happy Valley’s premier race on Wednesday night. The famous red and black colours of the Siu family will be represented by Tony Cruz’s Time Warp, John Moore’s Eagle Way and John Size’s Dinozzo in the Group Three January Cup (1,800m) as the trio face-off with distinctly different racing styles. Track-record holder Time Warp is all but certain to roll along in front, adopting a... View the full article

Jockey Matthew Chadwick got the fright of his life on Tuesday morning when he was almost thrown to the turf by an unraced horse who reared during a barrier trial at Sha Tin. The 28-year-old however pulled off a fantastic piece of horsemanship when he was able to pull himself off the canvas and back onto the Paul O’Sullivan-trained Duke Wai. An ice cool recovery! Check out Matthew Chadwick from gate 4, sticking fast to unraced 3yo Duke Wai in a @HKJC_Racing 800m trial at Sha Tin this... View the full article

The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale was off to a strong start Monday in Lexington even before Abel Tasman (Quality Road) strode into the ring, but the fireworks erupted for the Eclipse champion, who ultimately sold for a sales-record $5 million to Coolmore. It was the most ever paid for a broodmare prospect at the January sale and tied the auction’s highest-priced offering set by the broodmare Mackie in 2000. “We are very proud and pleased to be able to offer Abel Tasman and to get that result,” said Keeneland’s Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell. “We thank the Cleary brothers and the China Horse Club for the opportunity to market her.” During Monday’s session, 223 horses sold for $21,052,200. The average was $94,404 and the median was $39,000. With 93 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 29.43%. During the first session of last year’s January sale, 186 head sold for $13,265,100 for an average of $71,318 and a median of $45,000. The highest price at last year’s opening session was $485,000, one of two to top $400,000 on the day. Three sold for $700,000 or over Monday. “It was a very solid session across the board,” Russell said. “Even taking Abel Tasman out of the numbers, the sale is very well up.” A colt by Into Mischief, also bred by the Cleary’s Clearsky Farms, was the day’s top-priced short weanling when bringing a final bid of $375,000. “Short yearlings are very much in demand,” Russell said. “There is a great appetite for them still. I hope that continues on.” Taylor Made Sales Agency, which consigned Abel Tasman, sold 50 horses during the session for a gross of $9,433,000 and an average of $188,660. The agency’s Mark Taylor continued to see demand at the top, but horses struggling to find buyers at the lower levels. “It’s been good, but it’s been very much like it always is in this market,” Taylor said. “The top 5% is really good and it’s fun. And then the next 20% is solid and it’s good, but below that, it’s really tricky. If you’re selling a $100,000 horse, don’t be confused and think she’s a $200,000 mare. You need to know what you have and set your resereve accordingly.” The Keeneland January sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m. Abel Tasman to Coolmore “She’s a queen, though, isn’t she?” Ashford Stud manager Dermot Ryan said after signing the ticket at a sale-record tying $5 million to acquire champion Abel Tasman (Quality Road) (hip 288) on behalf of Coolmore. “They are very rare when they come across like that. She had everything and would be anybody’s dream filly to own.” Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency on behalf of Clearsky Farms and the China Horse Club, Abel Tasman is a six-time Grade I winner. She won the 2017 GI Kentucky Oaks, GI Acorn S. and GI Coaching Club American Oaks and was second in the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff before earning the Eclipse statue as champion 3-year-old filly. Her 2018 season included wins in the GI Ogden Phipps S. and GI Personal Ensign S. and she is a finalist for Eclipse champion older female. “Quality Road is one of your premier young sires at the moment,” Ryan said. “Being by Quality Road, it leaves her open to all the Coolmore stallions. We have American Pharoah, Justify, Uncle Mo, Galileo (Ire)–all of those directions. M.V. [Magnier] will talk to his dad and partners and they’ll decide and let us know.” Abel Tasman’s $5-million price tag tied the Keeneland January record set in 2000 when Britton House Stud purchased Mackie, in foal to Mr. Prospector. “Going on the previous market that we saw in November, I definitely think you’d have to think she was up around that level,” Ryan said of the filly’s record-tying price. “Hopefully she’ll go on and produce herself with one of our own sires. It’s very possible. We’re very, very pleased to have her. She’s a collector’s item.” The sale was a good result for both sides, according to Mark Taylor of Taylor Made. “I thought it was a good price for the seller and I thought it was good value for the buyer,” Taylor said. “You can’t say $5 million isn’t premium and maybe you get a little greedy, but I just had a lot of respect for Abel Tasman. I think she is worth every penny of that.” Coolmore purchased Mariah’s Storm, in foal to Storm Cat, from Taylor Made for $2.6 million at the 1996 Keeneland November sale. That in utero foal became champion and standout stallion Giant’s Causeway. Taylor thinks the operation may have scored a similar score with Abel Tasman. “She is the kind of mare that can produce a stallion and you could be sitting here 20 years from now, like the case was when Coolmore bought Mariah’s Storm from us,” Taylor said. “She could be a mare that makes you $300 or $400 million. It’s a lot of money, but she’s worth a lot of money. She has tons of potential down the road.” Bidding on the star filly began dramatically in the packed pavilion, with an opening salvo of $3 million instantly hushing the expectant crowd. “I think it was interesting that someone opened her up at $3 million,” Taylor said. “I think that is indicative of the fact that you don’t have a huge pool of people willing to play at that level. There are a handful of them and they are all pros, so there is no reason to mess around from zero to $3 million. I don’t think Coolmore actually got engaged until about $4.5 million, so they waited and waited and then got engaged. They were well north of the reserve and there were lots of live bids between the reserve and $5 million.” Abel Tasman was bred by Bernard and Eamonn Cleary’s Clearsky Farm, a nursery started by their late father Eamon in 2009. Through much of Monday’s opening session of the January sale, Clearsky Farm was also represented by the top-priced short yearling after pinhooker Gerry Dilger purchased hip 39, a colt by Into Mischief, for $375,000. The chestnut is out of stakes placed Mary Rita (Distorted Humor), who was purchased by Clearsky for $230,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale. “That’s a nice little testamonial to their program,” Taylor said of the session-topping yearling. “They do a fantastic job. Their dad started the operation and they’ve progressed and carried on. They have a great farm manager [Barry Robinette] and great land and they are very shrewd about the mares they buy. Hats off to them, they are doing an amazing job.” The China Horse Club, which is also co-owners of Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy), bought into Abel Tasman prior to her 3-year-old campaign. “China Horse Club has only been in the business five years and have won an English Derby, Kentucky Oaks and a Triple Crown,” Taylor said. “The plan they put together and how they are executing it is nothing short of just phenomenal. It was a pleasure to work with both of those groups and we just got lucky enough to present Abel Tasman to the public.” — @JessMartiniTDN Teo Reflects on the Impact of Abel Tasman It was a hard decision for China Horse Club Founder and Chairman Teo Ah Khing to part with champion Abel Tasman (Quality Road), who has meant so much to his operation. Ultimately Teo and his partners Clearsky Farm, who bred the superstar mare, decided it was the best business move and they were rewarded Monday when the six-time Grade I winner topped the auction on a $5 million bid from Coolmore. “We wish the best of luck to the buyer,” said Teo, who watched the bidding in the pavilion, seated beside his wife Ivy. “We enjoyed the journey with her from 2-year-old to 3-year-old to 4-year-old. She is such a great horse and has done so much in her career, especially for the China Horse Club. She brought China Horse Club into American Grade I territory. She is our ambassador.” The China Horse Club bought half of Abel Tasman at the end of her juvenile campaign, just after her win in the 2016 GI Starlet S. Transferred to Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the bay went form last-to-first in the 2017 GI Kentucky Oaks, becoming the China Horse Club’s first American Grade I winner in just their third year in the horse racing industry. She followed suit with wins in the GI Acorn S. and GI CCA Oaks and finished second in that year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff to clinch the Eclipse Award for champion 3-year-old filly. An impressive winner of both the GI Ogden Phipps S. and GI Personal Ensign S. in 2018, Abel Tasman is up for a second Eclipse as one of the finalists in the top older dirt female category. “The Kentucky Oaks opened up the door for the Chinese to believe that America is a good place to invest in the horse industry,” said Teo. “Abel Tasman has done a lot for the American industries through China Horse Club. We are sad to part with her, but we hope this encourages more Chinese to buy in America.” —@CDeBernardisTDN Summer Wind Scoops Up a ‘Star’ Summer Wind Farm owner Jane Lyon was unable to make the trip in from Arkansas for the January sale, but she still made her presence felt with Lane’s End’s Chance Timm going to $750,000 on the breeder’s behalf to secure A Star is Born (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (hip 292), who is in foal to War Front. “I felt it was a very, very good price for a mare who has produced a Group 1-placed foal, is by Galileo and is in foal to War Front,” Lyon said when reached by phone in her hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas. “I probably would not have gone much higher because I have bought a lot of mares this year, but I did not want to let her get away at a bargain.” A daughter of SP Looking Back (Stravinsky), A Star is Born is full-sister to Irish Highweight Rip Van Winkle (Ire) and a half to Italian GSW Le Vie Infinite (Le Vie Dei Colori). Campaigned by Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore contingent, the bay won just one of her eight starts, but has been quite successful in the breeding shed. A Star is Born’s first foal was the now-4-year-old colt Fleet Review (War Front), who is a stakes winner and MG1SP in Europe. Her second foal Dual Career, another War Front colt, summoned 475,000 guineas at the 2017 Tattersall’s October Sale. The 8-year-old mare produced by fillies by War Front in 2017 and 2018. “I thought she was a world class mare, the dam of a very good horse and in foal to War Front,” said Hill ‘n’ Dale’s John Sikura, who consigned the mare. “Galileo is the best stallion on the planet, so she is everything you could hope for. She has a good public auction record as far as how well her foals have sold. She is a relatively young mare in foal to a great horse and she is already a producer. It is very fair money. I think she could have made $1 million.” The Galileo/War Front cross has been very successful in the past, producing the likes of Grade/Group 1 winners U S Navy Flag, Fog of War and Roly Poly. Lyon bought another Galileo mare in foal to War Front at the recent Keeneland November sale, going to $1.75 million for Key to My Heart (Ire) (click here for KEENOV story. “I thought the only Galileo mare I would ever have is the filly I just sent down to Billy Mott [a now-3-year-old homebred out of More Hennessy (Hennessy)],” Lyon said. “But, when we saw [Key to My Heart] in November, she was just an outstandingly gorgeous specimen. [Summer Wind manager] Bobby [Spalding] and I both just loved her. We thought we would be there at the right price and we were. It was kind of the same thing with this mare. We thought we would be there if it was not an over the top price. Hopefully if she produced one Grade I-caliber horse, she will do it again!” It has been a banner year for Summer Wind Farm both on the racetrack and in the sales ring. The Georgetown nursery is responsible for undefeated MGISW and soon-to-be champion Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) and dual Grade I winner McKinzie (Street Sense). Lyon also bred and races GISW Chasing Yesterday (Tapit), a half-sister to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). The farm sold the $520,000 yearling topper at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale; were represented by an $875,000 American Pharoah filly at Fasig-Tipton’s Saratoga Sale; and sold 11 yearlings for a gross of $5.705 million and average of $518,636 at Keeneland September. —@CDeBernardisTDN Fatale Bere Sparks Late Fireworks A late supplement, added to the sale just 10 days ago, and the last horse to go through the ring Monday, GISW Fatale Bere (Fr) (Pedro the Great) provided some late fireworks, selling to Shadai Farm for $700,000. A two-time winner in Europe, the 3-year-old filly captured her American debut in the 2017 Surfer Girl S. at Santa Anita. Annexing the GIII Providencia S. in April, hip 397K came charging late to upset the favorite by a neck in the GI Del Mar Oaks Aug. 18. The Leonard Powell trainee closes out her career with a record of 11-5-0-1 and earnings of $427,964. “She is going to a great home,” said Elite’s Brad Weisbord. “They buy the best bloodstock and have the greatest people working for them. It was unfortunate for the partners that Fatale Bere was injured as the favorite for the [GI] American Oaks, but Keeneland stepped up and offered a supplement. We are thankful to [trainer] Leo Powell for selecting us to sell the filly. I think she brought exactly what she was worth. Obviously, she has a little bit of an obscure pedigree, a European pedigree by a sire power that is not super strong. But, the Grade I got her over the goal line and she is a gorgeous European physical.” The Elite team did not have much time to advertise and show off the filly as she was such a late addition. While late supplements come with those types of challenges, Weisbord said extra marketing goes a long way, as does a Grade I win. “We found out just about two weeks ago that they were thinking about selling her with us and about 10 days ago that she would be a supplement,” Weisbord said. “We got lucky a few years ago, we sold Long On Value here. It was one of the first supplements they offered in a long time and we got him done. I do think you need to market extra to make sure everyone doesn’t miss it.” He continued, “Obviously, the big buyers are not going to miss it, but for people who get their catalogues hard printed, your older-school buyer who doesn’t go online, you have to market just a touch extra to make sure everybody understands she is here. When you have a Grade I winner, that usually takes care of itself, but we tried to stress how brilliant her Del Mar Oaks was and our passports go a long way in doing that.” —@CDeBernardisTDN More Pharoah for O’Callaghan Peter O’Callaghan was one of the first to jump on the bandwagon to purchase weanlings from the first crop of American Pharoah in 2017 and he was rewarded handsomely when he sold a colt by the Triple Crown winner for $2.2 milllion during last year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale. O’Callaghan will be hoping for more of the same after purchasing a short yearling (hip 82) by the Coolmore sire for $330,000 Monday at Keeneland. “He’s a great individual by a special horse,” O’Callaghan said. “It was full price for him, but hopefully it will work. He’ll be back here in September [sale] and we’ll give it a go.” As American Pharoah’s first 2-year-olds hit the track this year, O’Callaghan thinks there is plenty of reason to be optimistic about his chances for success, especially given the promising start at stud by another son of Pioneerof the Nile. “American Pharoah was such a special racehorse,” O’Callaghan said. “And he’s a son of Pioneerof the Nile. Cairo Prince is doing very well now, so there’s no reason American Pharoah can’t do well.” Out of Please Sign In (Doc’s Leader), hip 82 was co-bred by Alfred Nuckols, Jr.’s Hurstland Farm and William Kartozian and was consigned by Hurstland Farm. He is a half-brother to Grade I winner Cry and Catch Me (Street Cry {Ire}) and Group 1 winner Certify (Elusive Quality), as well as to Bijou (Street Sense), who topped the 2013 Keeneland January sale when selling for $1.45 million. “It’s a lot of fun having one like this, an American Pharoah with that kind of page that has his pedigree and his physical,” Nuckols, whose involvment in the family goes back four generations, said. “Those are the easy ones to sell. The other ones are the tough ones. But it’s just fun raising a horse like that. I’ve always thought a lot of him. He’s been a nice colt since he was foaled.” Of the colt’s final price tag, Nuckols added, “We had a $250,000 reserve on him, but I just didn’t know. It’s opening day and you never know what they’re going to go for. I’m pretty happy with that.” —@JessMartiniTDN Louisiana Partners Hit a Home Run Perry Judice and David Meche purchased Semillon (Eskendereya), carrying her first foal by Outwork, for just $35,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale and were rewarded Monday when the resulting colt (hip 132) sold to Chris White for $120,000. Consigned by Select Sales, the bay colt hails from the family of GISW Cotton Blossom, GSW Vicarage and MSW Miss Atlantic City. “We were not expecting him to bring quite that much,” said Meche, owner of Muscadine Farm. “He has really put on a lot of flesh in the last 60 days. It is night and day. He has really grown. He was ready. He looked the part and we thought getting him in the sales ring as soon as we could was best.” Meche continued, “We like the colt because if his attitude. He is a tough colt and he has a good walk. That is what we liked the most about him.” This is not Meche and Judice’s first rodeo when it comes to pinhooking a yearling they purchased in utero. “We have always bought and sold and had success selling some young babies in the past,” Meche said. “We foal out, prep them and bring them here. Our goal is to buy quality mares in foal to young stallions to bring the foals back to market.” He added, “The mare is rebred and in the regional market in Louisiana. We will definitely bring this mare back to breed in Kentucky next year.” —@CDeBernardisTDN View the full article

Freedman saddles smart duo in Friday's Kranji Stakes C View the full article

Affair back on Warpath at Kranji View the full article

Updates on stewards' follow-ups to Sunday meeting View the full article

MIND CONTROL (c, Stay Thirsty-Feel That Fire, by Lightning N Thunder) O-Red Oak Stable (Brunetti) and Madaket Stables LLC. B-Red Oak Stable. T-Gregory Sacco. Lifetime Record: GISW, 5-3-1-0, $323,400. Dec. 27 TDN Top 12 Ranking: N/A Last Start: 1st, Jerome S., AQU, Jan. 1 Next race: Possible for GIII Withers, AQU, Feb. 2 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 10. Red Oak Stable’s homebred Mind Control earned a spot in the Top 12 with a capable, wire-to-wire annexation of the Jan. 1 Jerome S. He had dueled his way to a frontrunning score in the GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga last summer, but spiked a fever that forced him to scratch from an October stakes start at Keeneland. A poor shipping experience combined with a bad gate break then derailed his chances in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Mind Control’s Jerome effort seems to be indicative of his truer form, and he made all the pace under tag-team pressure on a drying-out Aqueduct track (which might explain some moderate internal splits). Jockey John Velazquez said “I remembered from Saratoga he opens up and he waits, so I waited until they came after him to get after him really hard and he responded really well.” Trainer Greg Sacco said he was impressed his colt “took the heat” pace-wise, but added “he’s still green and learning.” VIDEO PPS FINISH RACE 1st Listed Jerome S. 7th GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile 1st GI Hopeful S. 1st Maiden 2nd Maiden View the full article

First-year stallions always create a lot of buzz in January in Kentucky, with farms showing off the new arrivals at open houses to breeders eager to see how they have developed since they left the track, and reminding those breeders of their racing exploits. Sunday, we caught up with Cormac Breathnach, Director of Stallion Nominations for Airdrie Stud, to talk about their new multiple graded stakes-winning son of Ghostzapper, McCraken. TDN: Let’s talk a minute about his racing career. CB: McCraken was a top performer. He was an undefeated, graded-stakes-winning two-year-old and to this point still remains the only graded two-year-old colt by Ghostzapper. He broke his maiden very impressively at Churchill Downs for Ian Wilkes, who we all know is a very patient trainer and lets his horses come along, so that was a really marked kind of debut performance. He then went on to win the Street Sense S. and followed up with the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. In his three-year-old debut, he broke the track record winning the GIII Sam Davis S. and by that point was kind of the consensus number one Derby pick, if you will, for most people. He ran well in the Derby. He got struck into leaving the gate. I think a mile and a quarter might have been a little step too far for him. He came back, got a little recuperation time following the Derby, came back and won the GIII Matt Winn S. very impressively. And then was just touched off from the wire in the GI Haskell Invitational. Girvin caught him, Practical Joke was behind, Battle of Midway and Irish War Cry were in the race. It was a strong renewal of the race. He basically had the race won, opened up two or three lengths at the eighth pole and I think just got caught the last few strides and Girvin got there. But a really top performer. He was six for seven up to a mile and a sixteenth. The horse we’re really proud to retire here to Airdrie and he really fits our model very well. {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"Cormac Breathnach on McCraken","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/309970066.sd.mp4?s=e028ecc4b62a9fc3ebade9902420a6b6142f7160&profile_id=165","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/309965206.sd.mp4?s=6d8e03a79bc2384fde9aad3bdc40a32dd024b555&profile_id=165","prerollSkipTimer":"5","midrollAD":"no","midrollAD_displayTime":"midrollAD_displayTime","midrollGotoLink":"midrollGotoLink","midroll_mp4":"midroll_mp4","midrollSkipTimer":"midrollSkipTimer","postrollAD":"no","postrollGotoLink":"postrollGotoLink","postroll_mp4":"postroll_mp4","postrollSkipTimer":"postrollSkipTimer","popupAdShow":"no","popupImg":"popupImg","popupAdStartTime":"popupAdStartTime","popupAdEndTime":"popupAdEndTime","popupAdGoToLink":"popupAdGoToLink"}],"instanceTheme":"light","playerLayout":"fitToContainer","videoPlayerWidth":720,"videoPlayerHeight":405,"videoRatio":1.7777777777778,"videoRatioStretch":true,"videoPlayerShadow":"effect1","colorAccent":"#000000","posterImg":"","posterImgOnVideoFinish":"","logoShow":"No","logoPath":"","logoPosition":"bottom-right","logoClickable":"No","logoGoToLink":"","allowSkipAd":true,"advertisementTitle":"Ad","skipAdvertisementText":"Skip Ad","skipAdText":"You can skip this ad in","playBtnTooltipTxt":"Play","pauseBtnTooltipTxt":"Pause","rewindBtnTooltipTxt":"Rewind","downloadVideoBtnTooltipTxt":"Download video","qualityBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Close settings","qualityBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Settings","muteBtnTooltipTxt":"Mute","unmuteBtnTooltipTxt":"Unmute","fullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Fullscreen","exitFullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Exit fullscreen","infoBtnTooltipTxt":"Show info","embedBtnTooltipTxt":"Embed","shareBtnTooltipTxt":"Share","volumeTooltipTxt":"Volume","playlistBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Show playlist","playlistBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Hide playlist","facebookBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Facebook","twitterBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Twitter","googlePlusBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Google+","lastBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to last video","firstBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to first video","nextBtnTooltipTxt":"Play next video","previousBtnTooltipTxt":"Play previous video","shuffleBtnOnTooltipTxt":"Shuffle on","shuffleBtnOffTooltipTxt":"Shuffle off","nowPlayingTooltipTxt":"NOW PLAYING","embedWindowTitle1":"SHARE THIS PLAYER:","embedWindowTitle2":"EMBED THIS VIDEO IN YOUR SITE:","embedWindowTitle3":"SHARE LINK TO THIS PLAYER:","lightBox":false,"lightBoxAutoplay":false,"lightBoxThumbnail":"","lightBoxThumbnailWidth":400,"lightBoxThumbnailHeight":220,"lightBoxCloseOnOutsideClick":true,"onFinish":"Play next video","autoplay":false,"loadRandomVideoOnStart":"No","shuffle":"No","playlist":"Off","playlistBehaviourOnPageload":"opened (default)","playlistScrollType":"light","preloadSelfHosted":"none","hideVideoSource":true,"showAllControls":true,"rightClickMenu":true,"autohideControls":2,"hideControlsOnMouseOut":"No","nowPlayingText":"Yes","infoShow":"No","shareShow":"No","facebookShow":"No","twitterShow":"No","mailShow":"No","facebookShareName":"","facebookShareLink":"","facebookShareDescription":"","facebookSharePicture":"","twitterText":"","twitterLink":"","twitterHashtags":"","twitterVia":"","googlePlus":"","embedShow":"No","embedCodeSrc":"","embedCodeW":720,"embedCodeH":405,"embedShareLink":"","youtubeControls":"custom controls","youtubeSkin":"dark","youtubeColor":"red","youtubeQuality":"default","youtubeShowRelatedVideos":"Yes","vimeoColor":"00adef","showGlobalPrerollAds":false,"globalPrerollAds":"url1;url2;url3;url4;url5","globalPrerollAdsSkipTimer":5,"globalPrerollAdsGotoLink":"","videoType":"HTML5 (self-hosted)","submit":"Save Changes","rootFolder":"http:\/\/wp.tdn.pmadv.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/Elite-video-player\/"} TDN: Being a top-class son of Ghostzapper like that has to be a plus as well. CB: Absolutely, I mean Ghostzapper is a horse I was very close to for a long time (at Adena Springs) and there’s been a market for a son of Ghostzapper for many years. He has been a top stallion for the last several years and to us, McCraken is hands down the best one to retire to Kentucky. And what he really offers breeders that’s a little unusual in that sire line is precocity. He was so quick and ready to go early as a two year old, and that’s not always something that comes with the Awesome Again and Ghostzapper sire line, they’re typically two turn, three and up type of horse. So he adds a lot of speed and a lot of early performance to that sire line. TDN: Can you tell us a little about the horse’s conformation? CB: He stands just over 16 hands. He’s 16 1/2. He’s a very balanced horse. He’s got a lot of both his sire and grandsire in him. He’s leggier but he’s got that tremendously long deep shoulder and deep chest that Ghostzapper has and a very long and strong gaskin. Which to me are really true traits of Ghostzapper. He’s a short-ish coupled horse. Very balanced. You know he looks like he’s the kind of horse that you can breed to a lot of different mares, a lot of different body types, because he’s sort of the bullseye. You know there isn’t a lot that you need to add or subtract with him. He’s correct in front, moves well, you know so we’re very pleased with him. TDN: How many mares would you expect him to cover this year? CB: I’d say we’ll get in the region of 120, maybe 140 mares, but somewhere in that window. We’re well on the path to that right now and we just hope to add a few in this January sale coming up and through the spring. But we’re very pleased with the quality of mares he’s been getting. We’ll get good support from Governor Jones as all our stallions do and that’s really a key I think, you know to getting horses off on the right foot. So, we’re going to breed plenty of nice mares to him, about 20 mares or so and then we’re getting some good outside support. It’s all positive. TDN: Finally, how’s he settling in? CB: He’s settled in really well. He’s a professional horse. He’s very comfortable in the new environment. He’s been test bred and he’s done exceedingly well with that. So far, he has been a really easy resident to the stallion barn. We look forward to that continuing. View the full article

MIHOS (c, Cairo Prince-Feline Flatline, by Lion Heart) ‘TDN Rising Star’ O-Centennial Farms. B-Wayne, Gray and Bryan Lyster. T-James Jerkens. Sales History: $320,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-2-0-1, $108,880. Dec. 27 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A Last Start: 1st, Mucho Macho Man S., GP, Jan. 5 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. Better late than never for Mihos in the one-turn-mile Mucho Macho Man S. at Gulfstream on Saturday, which ended up drawing a solid crew for a six-horse race. In just his first start both beyond six furlongs and outside of the maiden ranks, this $320,000 KEESEP Cairo Prince colt made his own breaks in reeling in a freewheeling pacemaker by a neck, and while it didn’t hurt that Trophy Chaser (Twirling Candy) was tiring in the final few jumps to the wire, Mihos’s learning experience extends beyond what it looks like in the official chart. He broke on top, responded to being rated to the fifth in a bunched field, advanced to carve out a prime stalking spot entering the turn, then was the only deep threat willing and able to go after the otherwise home-free speedster. Mihos admirably eroded a two-length cushion in the final furlong before galloping out as if the effort left him unfazed, and that aspect of the performance enables him to leapfrog so high up into the Top 12. “He was resolute, that’s for sure. That’s kind of typical of him,” trainer Jimmy Jerkens said post-race. Added jockey Jose Ortiz: “When we got to the three-sixteenths, my horse switched leads a little late [but] I hit left-handed and he gave me a great kick. He had a target in front of him and he kept coming.” VIDEO PPS FINISH RACE 1st Listed Mucho Macho Man S. 1st Maiden 3rd Maiden View the full article

Heading into Monday’s opening session of the Keeneland January sale, champion 3-year-old filly Abel Tasman (Quality Road) was the one everyone was looking to for fireworks and the 5-year-old did not disappoint, realizing a $5-million final bid from Team Coolmore. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency XCVII, the daughter of Vargas Girl (Deputy Minister) was bred by her co-owner, Clearsky Farms, who campaigned the champ in tandem with China Horse Club International. A Grade I winner at two for trainer Bob Baffert, the bay won a trio of Grade Is at three, including the GI Kentucky Oaks. Winner of the GI Personal Ensign and GI Ogden Phipps in 2018, she is once again nominated for a divisional title. View the full article

Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Farm went to $750,000 to acquire the 9-year-old mare A Star is Born (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) during Monday’s opening session of the Keeneland January sale. The mare, who sold in foal to War Front, is the dam of MG1SP Fleet Review (War Front). She was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales. View the full article

January’s first three significant prep races for the GI Kentucky Derby made a small dent in the Top 12 rankings, but we’re still largely in a familiar early-season holding pattern as we await February or March starts for the prime movers and shakers. The list right now resembles a beginning-game chess board, with a few bold pawns on the advance before the bigger playmaking pieces swing into action. 1) GAME WINNER (c, Candy Ride {Arg}—Indyan Giving, by A.P. Indy) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-Gary & Mary West. B-Summer Wind Equine (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $110,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 4-4-0-0, $1,496,000. Last Start: 1st, GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile , CD, Nov. 2 Next Start: Uncommitted. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 30. The 4-for-4 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and near-certain divisional champ in the Eclipse Awards appears to be on target for a mid-March sophomore debut, and the two most likely landing spots for this ‘TDN Rising Star’ are either the GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita Mar. 9 or the GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park a week later. This $110,000 KEESEP Candy Ride (Arg) colt administered a “man against boys” dismantling of the Juvenile field that included a long, relentless drive over the same Churchill Downs strip over which the Derby will be decided. But the deck of competition will get reshuffled many more times between now and the first Saturday in May, and Game Winner will have to not only outrun his maturing peers, but history as well (the imposing 2-for-34 strike rate for the elusive Juvenile/Derby double). It does bode well for Game Winner that he brought a well-honed sense of authority to his afternoon efforts at age two, and I’m especially curious to see what type of pace presence he’ll adopt as his strength at age three considering he’s now won dueling for the lead, stalking just off of it, and coming from farther back (after losing ground with a gate bump and being hooked wide on both turns in the Breeders’ Cup). 2) SIGNALMAN (c, General Quarters–Trip South, by Trippi) O-Tommie M. Lewis, David A. Bernsen, LLC & Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek). B-Monticule (KY). T-Kenneth G McPeek. Sales History: $32,000 Ylg ’17 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: GSW & MGISP, 5-2-2-1, $448,990. Last Start: 1st, GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., CD, Nov. 24 Next Start: Aiming for GII Fountain of Youth S., GP, Mar. 2 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 18. Signalman debuted in May, broke his maiden on Labor Day weekend going seven furlongs at the Spa, then made a big (but premature) move when second in the two-turn GI Breeders’ Futurity S. at Keeneland. He overcame post 13 in the Breeders’ Cup, picking off targets ahead of him with a prolonged advance from over six furlongs out, then meshing fluidly into another gear five-sixteenths from the wire before rallying for third and galloping out past presumed divisional champ Game Winner–all at astronomical 67-1 odds. He returned to action only three weeks later over the same Churchill surface, deftly outkicking 13 rivals after being covered up at the rail and taking wet kickback. So in a broad sense, this $32,000 FTKOCT General Quarters colt already has established the most solid foundation among Top 12 contenders, exhibiting a high level of large-field confidence in the process. He’ll likely await a Mar. 2 sophomore debut in the GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park, and if Signalman does make it to the Derby, he might be the only entrant to boast a 1-1-1 record over the Churchill main track, including two top-notch efforts in the slop. 3) IMPROBABLE (c, City Zip—Rare Event, by A.P. Indy) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-WinStar Farm LLC, China Horse Club International Ltd. & Starlight Racing. B-St. George Farm LLC & G. Watts Humphrey Jr. (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $110,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 3-3-0-0, $269,520. Last Start: 1st, GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity, LRC, Dec. 8 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. Caulfield on Improbable. KY Derby Points: 10. Back on Breeders’ Cup weekend, there was open speculation abbot whether ‘TDN Rising Star’ Improbable’s 7 1/4-length undercard romp in the Street Sense S. might have been a better long-term prep race for the Derby than stablemate Game Winner’s decisive score in the main-event Juvenile. This $200,000 KEESEP City Zip colt further built upon that building block with a subsequent flaying of five overmatched rivals in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity, and he represents a top-tier divisional threat going into his sophomore debut, which has yet to be publicly decided. In limited opportunities (3-for-3), Improbable has displayed a nice mix of aggression and energy efficiency, and he’s fairly nimble for a long-striding prospect. But he was slightly green and required stretch-run stick work to stay focused when well clear in his Street Sense win, and in the Los Al victory even trainer Bob Baffert admitted the colt looked “a little lost” before his jockey again had to prompt him to finish with his mind on the task at hand. That’s all part of the learning process, though, and not a chief concern for Improbable moving forward. 4) MIHOS (c, Cairo Prince–Feline Flatline, by Lion Heart) O-Centennial Farms. B-Wayne, Gray and Bryan Lyster. T-James Jerkens. Sales History: $320,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-2-0-1, $108,880. Last Start: 1st, Mucho Macho Man S., GP, Jan. 5 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. Better late than never for Mihos in the one-turn-mile Mucho Macho Man S. at Gulfstream on Saturday, which ended up drawing a solid crew for a six-horse race. In just his first start both beyond six furlongs and outside of the maiden ranks, this $320,000 KEESEP Cairo Prince colt made his own breaks in reeling in a freewheeling pacemaker by a neck, and while it didn’t hurt that Trophy Chaser (Twirling Candy) was tiring in the final few jumps to the wire, Mihos’s learning experience extends beyond what it looks like in the official chart. He broke on top, responded to being rated to the fifth in a bunched field, advanced to carve out a prime stalking spot entering the turn, then was the only deep threat willing and able to go after the otherwise home-free speedster. Mihos admirably eroded a two-length cushion in the final furlong before galloping out as if the effort left him unfazed, and that aspect of the performance enables him to leapfrog so high up into the Top 12. “He was resolute, that’s for sure. That’s kind of typical of him,” trainer Jimmy Jerkens said post-race. Added jockey Jose Ortiz: “When we got to the three-sixteenths, my horse switched leads a little late [but] I hit left-handed and he gave me a great kick. He had a target in front of him and he kept coming.” 5) ROADSTER (c, Quality Road–Ghost Dancing, by Silver Ghost) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-Speedway Stable LLC. B-Stone Farm (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $525,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISP, 2-1-0-1, $72,000. Last Start: 3rd, GI Del Mar Futurity, DMR, Sept. 3 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. ‘TDN Rising Star’ Roadster maintains a Top 12 ranking purely out of respect for his crackerjack Del Mar debut last summer combined with the prognostication that he’ll rebound positively after subsequent surgery for a displaced soft palate. This $525,000 KEESEP colt (second-priciest Quality Road yearling sold at auction in 2017) has a distance-loving turf specialist half-brother in GISW Ascend (Candy Ride {Arg}), and his dam was a stakes winner sprinting on the turf at Colonial Downs. But Roadster will likely be given ample opportunity to follow in the dirt-track footsteps of his two-turn MGISW sire prior to seeing what he can do on the lawn as Plan B. 6) VEKOMA (c, Candy Ride {Arg}—Mona de Momma, by Speightstown) O-R. A. Hill Stable & Gatsas Stables. B-Alpha Delta Stables, LLC (KY). T-George Weaver. Sales History: $135,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $151,250. Last Start: 1st GIII Nashua S., AQU, Nov. 4 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. The 2-for-2 Vekoma is at Palm Beach Downs after winning the one-turn mile GIII Nashua S. Nov. 4. He’s a May 22 foal who will benefit from some maturing (somewhat green in both career victories), but as he awaits his next afternoon assignment, this $135,000 KEESEP Candy Ride (Arg) colt’s company lines are being buoyed by subsequent sharp performances by the horses he’s beaten. Epic Dreamer (Orb), the horse who ran second in Vekoma’s MSW score Sep. 23, came back to break his maiden next time out, then was the beaten 6-5 fave while encountering minor trip trouble in the Dec. 16 Springboard Mile. From the same MSW, third-place finisher Mihos also broke his maiden next out after losing to Vekoma; Mihos was tabbed a ‘TDN Rising Star’ in that effort, and this past Saturday at Gulfstream earned a berth into the Top 12 by winning the Mucho Macho Man S. 7) INSTAGRAND (c, Into Mischief—Assets of War, by Lawyer Ron) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-OXO Equine LLC. B-Stoneway Farm (KY). T-Jerry Hollendorfer. Sales History: $190,000 Ylg ’17 FTKJUL; $1,200,000 2yo ’18 FTFMAR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $144,000. Last Start: 1st, GII Best Pal S., DMR, Aug. 11 Next Start: Uncommitted. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer saddled the two best-performing overlays in each of the last two Kentucky Derbies: Battle of Midway (Smart Strike) ran a huge third at 40-1 in 2017, and Instilled Regard (Arch) ran an admirable fourth at 85-1 last season. For some sticker-shock pari-mutuel perspective, ‘TDN Rising Star’ Instagrand closed as the 10-1 third favorite in Pool 1 of the 2019 Derby Future Wager–more than five months before the race will even be run. When you consider that this $1.2 million FTFMAR co-sales-topping son of Into Mischief only has two career sprint wins under his belt and has been unraced since Aug. 11 after being withdrawn from training by owner Larry Best, that futures price really says something about the public’s outsized expectations. The undefeated Instagrand did, however, absolutely demolish his fields in those two victories (combined margins of 20 1/4 lengths), and he has now had two three-furlong workouts at Santa Anita in anticipation of a yet-to-be-announced return race. 8) KNICKS GO (c, Paynter—Kosmo’s Buddy, by Outflanker) O-KRA Stud Farm. B-Angie Moore (MD). T-Ben Colebrook. Sales History: $40,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $87,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 6-2-1-1, $672,515. Last Start: 11th GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., CD, Nov. 24 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 18. Knicks Go didn’t even have to leave his Tampa Bay Downs stall last week to exceed expectations yet again. He was named one of three finalists for the juvenile male Eclipse Award, building on the “likeable underdog” narrative he put together in October and November of his 2-year-old season. This $87,000 KEESEP Paynter colt parlayed a 70-1 wire job in Keeneland’s Breeders’ Futurity S. into a commendable 40-1 second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and although he subsequently fizzled in the slop as the fave in the Kentucky Jockey Club S., he figures to be a strong pace presence when he resurfaces about a month from now, likely in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. At the moment he’s the only January-born sophomore ranked within the Top 12, so in theory he’s got a slight seasoning advantage in terms of actual foaling date. 9) MAXIMUS MISCHIEF (c, Into Mischief—Reina Maria, by Songandaprayer) ‘TDN Rising Star’. O-Cash is King LLC & LC Racing. B-Martha Jane Mullholland (KY). T-Robert E Reid, Jr. Sales History: $165,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $170,000 RNA ’17 FTNAUG; $245,000 RNA 2yo ’18 FTFMAR; $340,000 2yo ’18 FTIMAY. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $192,100. Last Start: 1st GII Remsen S., AQU, Dec. 1 Next Start: Uncommitted. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 10. It was 15 years ago that a talented colt based in Philadelphia won his first two starts locally, then made the jump to being an unlikely Triple Crown contender by scoring in a New York stakes. That eventual dual-Classic victor was none other than Smarty Jones, and now ‘TDN Rising Star’ Maximus Mischief will opt for the Florida prep path after a similar 3-for-3, Parx-to-Aqueduct career arc to see if he can also blaze a trail to Louisville on the first Saturday in May. This $340,000 EASMAY Into Mischief sophomore seems to be honing many of the coveted tools (speed, strength, relaxed attitude when stepping up in class and stretching out in distance) that can put him into the hunt at an elite level. But if he goes next in the GII Holy Bull S., he’ll be slicing back a sixteenth of a mile in distance against higher-caliber horses, and he will not likely have the advantage of pressing/leading the pace with soft internal splits of :25.12, :50.67, and 1:14.60 like he got away with in the GII Remsen S. last month. 10) MIND CONTROL (c, Stay Thirsty–Feel That Fire, by Lightning N Thunder) O-Red Oak Stable (Brunetti) and Madaket Stables LLC. B-Red Oak Stable. T-Gregory Sacco. Lifetime Record: GISW, 5-3-1-0, $323,400. Last Start: 1st, Jerome S., AQU, Jan. 1 Next race: Possible for GIII Withers, AQU, Feb. 2 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 10. Red Oak Stable’s homebred Mind Control earned a spot in the Top 12 with a capable, wire-to-wire annexation of the Jan. 1 Jerome S. He had dueled his way to a frontrunning score in the GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga last summer, but spiked a fever that forced him to scratch from an October stakes start at Keeneland. A poor shipping experience combined with a bad gate break then derailed his chances in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Mind Control’s Jerome effort seems to be indicative of his truer form, and he made all the pace under tag-team pressure on a drying-out Aqueduct track (which might explain some moderate internal splits). Jockey John Velazquez said “I remembered from Saratoga he opens up and he waits, so I waited until they came after him to get after him really hard and he responded really well.” Trainer Greg Sacco said he was impressed his colt “took the heat” pace-wise, but added “he’s still green and learning.” 11) AVIE’S FLATTER (c, Flatter–Avie’s Empire, by Empire Maker) O-Ivan Dalos. B-Tall Oaks Farm (ON). T-Josie Carroll. Lifetime Record: MSW, 4-3-0-0, $251,834. Last Start: 1st Coronation Futurity, WO, Nov. 18 Next Start: Aiming for GII Tampa Bay Derby, TAM, Mar. 9 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 0. It’s early enough in the season that the Top 12 rankings have enough flexibility to include a true wild card, and Avie’s Flatter is it. The presumptive winner of the Sovereign Award for 2-year-old champion colt in Canada will be aimed for the GII Tampa Bay Derby, and although owner/breeder Ivan Dalos of Tall Oaks Farm is not an annual major player in the Triple Crown chase, his homebred Ami’s Flatter (Flatter) ran second in the 2015 Tampa Bay Derby and third in the GI Florida Derby. Think back 20 years and you might recall another blast from the past that Dalos bred and sold as a $25,000 KEESEP yearling: Victory Gallop, who was second in both the 1998 Derby and GI Preakness S. before denying Real Quiet the Triple Crown in the GI Belmont S. 12) CAIRO CAT (c, Cairo Prince—La Belle Cat, by Tale of the Cat) O-Walking L Thoroughbreds, LLC. B-Clifton Farm, LLC (KY). T-Kenneth G McPeek. Sales History: $130,000 Ylg ’17 FTKJUL. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-0-0, $133,750. Last Start: 1st GIII Iroquois S., CD, Sept. 15 Next Start: Uncommitted Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 10. Cairo Cat debuted as a grass route prospect when eighth in a MSW on opening weekend at the Spa, then was entered back on the lawn and upset an off-the-turf rainout at 18-1 odds going seven-eighths over a “good” main track. Perhaps thinking he was better intended as a turfer, bettors let him go at 17-1 in the Sep. 15 Iroquois S. at Churchill Downs, and this $130,000 FTKJUL Cairo Prince colt kicked from tenth along the rail before angling off the fence to gun down the all-out fave for a half-length win. He’s currently readying for a 2019 campaign at Payson Park with no comeback race publicly announced. On the Bubble (in alphabetical order) Bankit (Central Banker): Nice last-to-second move in Springboard Mile S.; stabled at Oaklawn and aiming for Jan. 25 Smarty Jones S. Code of Honor ( Noble Mission {GB}): Bounced out of Top 12 for failing to fire as 4-5 fave in Mucho Macho Man S. Coliseum (Tapit): Speedy ‘TDN Rising Star’ needs mental makeover after no-show sixth at 3-5 odds in GIII Sham S. Gray Attempt (Graydar): Should be pace presence in Smarty Jones S. off Dec. 22 Sugar Bowl S. wire job. Gunmetal Gray (Exchange Rate): Got ideal speed setup to rally from last and benefited from 3-5 favored rival going missing in action in Saturday’s Sham S. Long Range Toddy (Take Charge Indy): Could inherit favoritism in Smarty Jones S. after back-to-back stakes wins at Remington. Network Effect (Mark Valeski): Chad Brown trainee breezing at Palm Meadows after seconds in both Remsen and Nashua S. Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man): ‘TDN Rising Star’ training at Santa Anita but could hit road for next start considering glut of talent in Baffert barn. Tackett (Limehouse): Fair Grounds maiden and allowance winner will step up in GII Lecomte S. Trainer Michael Stidham said he’s “probably our top two year old turning three.” War of Will (War Front): Might be force at Fair Grounds in GIII Lecomte S. Trainer Mark Casse said from day one “he’s always seemed special.” View the full article

Dane Street (Street Cry {Ire}-Daneleta {Ire}, by Danehill), the dam of G1 Moyglare Stud S. heroine Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy), will visit Dubawi (Ire) this year, Airlie Stud’s Anthony Rogers confirmed to the TDN on Monday. The 10-year-old mare, who is out of G3 Railway S. third Daneleta, produced More Than Ready filly Data Dependent first up in 2015, and that juvenile winner went on to place second in the GIII Jimmy Durante S. at Del Mar. In addition to Skitter Scatter’s Moyglare laurels, that 3-year-old filly also won the G2 Debutante S. and the G3 Silver Flash S. and played second fiddle in the G3 Grangecon Stud S. Dane Street’s More Than Ready juvenile colt has been christened Moore Street Wise. Daneleta herself is a half-sister to G1 Dewhurst S. hero Intense Focus (Giant’s Causeway), who went on to run third in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. This is also the family of G1 Gran Criterium hero Sholokhov (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) and G1 Irish Derby/G1 Coronation Cup victor Soldier of Fortune (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). View the full article

Bob White has been named farm manager at Don and Irene Dizney’s Double Diamond Farm in Ocala, Fla, the farm announced Monday. White replaces longtime farm manager Jimmy Alexander, who will remain with the farm as an adviser. “I am very excited to add Bob White to our team at Double Diamond Farm,” said Roger Brand, vice president and general manager of Double Diamond Farm. “Bob is extremely qualified for the farm manager position. I look forward to utilizing his experience and energy as we continue our high standard of equine care. I am also thrilled to be able to retain Jim Alexander in an advisory role. He has been an integral part of our program for a long time. His experience and history with Double Diamond have always been valued and appreciated and we’re excited that his affiliation with the farm will continue.” White joins Double Diamond Farm from Taylor Made Sales, where he had worked since 2006, most recently as a Division Manager responsible for mares, foals, weanlings, and yearlings. White’s industry experience also includes broodmare and farm management in Florida and Western Kentucky and stints as a racing official at Oaklawn Park, Hialeah Park and Louisiana Downs. A graduate of the University of Arizona Racetrack Management Program, White assumed his duties Jan. 2. View the full article

The 2019 application for accreditation by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is now available on ThoroughbredAftercare.org. Thoroughbred aftercare nonprofits interested in applying must complete the application by the closing date of Apr. 1 at 6 p.m. ET. Since TAA accreditation is only granted for a specific period of time, organizations with accreditation status ending in 2019 that want to remain accredited need to re-apply. “The TAA is extremely proud of the accreditation process and the organizations that reach this standard,” TAA operations consultant Stacie Clark Rogers said. “For aftercare organizations, TAA accreditation reflects the gold standard of care. For the Thoroughbred industry, TAA accreditation reflects due diligence and represents a good investment in Thoroughbred aftercare.” Accreditation status is determined after a complete review of five key areas: operations, education, horse health care management, facility standards and services, and adoption policies and protocols. In 2018, the TAA awarded more than $3 million to accredited organizations as grants earmarked specifically for equine care, totaling more than $13.8 million awarded since 2012. View the full article

At the close of 2018, Kitten’s Joy (El Prado {Ire}) was crowned America’s champion sire for the second time, an achievement made all the more remarkable by the fact that his reputation and progeny earnings have predominantly been hewn through his turf runners. Kitten’s Joy’s other main accolade of last year was his son Roaring Lion being crowned European champion 3-year-old. Now about to take up covering duties at Tweenhills Farm & Stud, Roaring Lion is joined in the UK by Darley’s G1 Eclipse S. winner Hawkbill, but they are two years behind Kitten’s Joy’s first son to stand at stud in Europe, the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Bobby’s Kitten, bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey and now under the care of Kirsten Rausing at Lanwades Stud. The stallion ranks on this side of the Atlantic have been bolstered further with the retirement of Sheikh Hamdan’s Taareef to Haras du Mezeray in Normandy, meaning that Kitten’s Joy’s three top-rated sons are all about to embark on a stallion career in Europe. For Mezeray’s Charles-Henri de Moussac, not only is the horse’s arrival a welcome continuation of a long-running association with Shadwell, but also a return to a sireline for which, as the breeder of Artie Schiller, he has a soft spot. That particular son of El Prado won the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile among his 10 victories and has stood at WinStar Farm in Kentucky since 2012 before staying in Australia for good prior to the 2018 Northern Hemisphere breeding season. “Taareef is the first son of Kitten’s Joy to stand in France,” says de Moussac. “For us of course it’s interesting as we bred Artie Schiller, so it is a sireline that we like. Taareef was a good 2-year-old, a good miler, and this is what the market and the breeders want now. Kitten’s Joy is starting to prove that he’s a very good sire in Europe, with the likes of Roaring Lion and Hawkbill, so this is a good opportunity for French breeders to have access to his blood.” Twice the winner of the G2 Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein on Arc weekend, Taareef, who enters stud at a fee of €6,000, was unbeaten in his two juvenile starts. Furthermore, he notched a trio of Group 3 contests under the tutelage of Jean-Claude Rouget and in 15 races across three seasons was only out of the first four on two occasions. So while de Moussac correctly identifies his pace and precocity as appealing to breeders, his credentials are given extra solidity by his consistency and durability. Bred by Dixiana Farms, the $675,000 Keeneland yearling is out of the five-time winner Sacred Feather (Carson City), herself a half-sister to a pair of Grade III turf winners. a Explaining Mezeray’s link with Sheikh Hamdan’s operation, de Moussac said, “We must thank Shadwell for giving us the chance to stand the horse in France. The story started with Muhtathir (GB), who started off at another stud, but we were very keen on his sireline because of Trempolino. We heard that there was a chance he could come back to France and when I went to look at the horse in Newmarket I fell in love with him. He’s a beautiful horse, and thankfully Sheikh Hamdan decided to send him back to France. We also stood Naaqoos (GB), who we bred and sold at the sales, but then he came back to stand with us. So it’s been a long association.” That a link was made between two successful owner-breeders should come as no surprise. Mezeray is one of the most respected names in the French breeding industry and has been in operation since 1962 when Charles-Henri’s father Paul first established his breeding operation across 230 hectares at Ticheville. The breeder of two Arc winners, Subotica (Fr) (Pampabird {GB}) and Trempolino (Sharpen Up {GB}), among a host of Group 1 winners, Paul de Moussac died in 1995, the year his son took over the running of the family business. Five years later, Trempolino, who was bred under Paul de Moussac’s American banner Marystead Farm, was brought from his original base at Gainesway Farm to stand at Mezeray. He died there in retirement last March at the age of 34. Muhtathir, who, as a son of Elmaamul, also represents the dwindling Sharpen Up line through Diesis (GB), is now the farm’s elder statesman at 24 and is still covering a restricted book of mares. “Muhtathir is so versatile,” says de Moussac. “He breeds good horses on the Flat and over the jumps, and his daughters are starting to breed some good horses, such as [Group 1-winning stayer] Holdthasigreen (Fr). He has been a very useful stallion for us and despite his age he was able to cover 40 mares last year.” One of Muhtathir’s best offspring, the multiple Group/Grade 1 winner Doctor Dino (Fr), is himself establishing a reputation as a classy dual-purpose operator from Haras du Mesnil, and both father and son were represented during the Christmas period by a Grade 1 winner over jumps. Mezeray is also home to one of the unsung heroes of the French stallion ranks, Myboycharlie (Ire), who has supplied Group/Grade 1-winning fillies in Australia and America via Breeders’ Cup heroine Sistercharlie (Ire), Caulfield Cup winner Jameka (Aus), high-class juvenile Peggy Jean (Aus) and the Beverly D S. winner Euro Charline (GB). Until last season, breeders could use the son of Danetime (Ire) for as little as €5,000 and he is still standing at a very reasonable rate even after a 50% price hike to €7,500. “He has been successful and that means he has some big crops coming through and we have raised his price a bit this year,” says de Moussac. Taareef is not the only new name on the Mezeray line-up this year as the farm is also now home to De Treville (GB), who started his stud career last year at Haras du Thenney. A dual winner and twice runner-up at Group 3 level, what the son of Oasis Dream (GB) lacks on the performance front, he more than makes up for in pedigree, as he was the first foal of Watership Down Stud’s celebrated broodmare Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {GB}). In short, he’s from one of the hottest families in the studbook. “De Treville is owned by Rashit Shaykhutdinov, who is an important breeder in France with about 40 mares. He supported him last year with around 15 mares and he decided to move De Treville when Thenney had a change of management. Of course, there have been some good updates this year. It’s a wonderful pedigree and he’s a good-looking compact horse who should be given a chance,” notes de Moussac. As a former Chairman of the European Breeders’ Fund and current board member of France Galop, de Moussac is all too aware of the challenges facing the industry, with racing’s shrinking income from betting naturally having a knock-on effect to breeding. He says, “The big challenge for us now is to introduce a new generation to racing and breeding. In France we are a bit luckier as, first of all, we have a very good incentive programme, good prize-money and the owners’ premiums, which encourage people to invest in French-breds.” He continues, “Then there is the fact that some big breeders like the Aga Khan decided to keep some good stallions in France, whereas before they were going to Britain or Ireland. Now, new investors in France like Sheikh Joaan are also keeping stallions in France so I can see a big change even from 10 years ago when maybe 50% of the mares, maybe more, were going outside France to be bred. Now it’s a real advantage to French breeders because when you send mares aboard there is an extra risk involved as well as cost. Economically for the French breeder it’s a very good situation.” With around 70 mares currently in residence–20 of the farm’s own and the rest for clients–Mezeray’s set-up has evolved in its 56-year existence from being essentially a private farm to offering a full range of breeding and sales services to fellow breeders. “At the beginning it was just really owner-breeders and we had lots of horses in training but to make it more financially viable we had to become more commercial,” reflects de Moussac. “The challenge is to go on and to make sure we can keep reinvesting. The way the market is going you have to stay as close as you can to the top. There’s a huge difference between the top 20% of the market and the very little below.” View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost Only seven entries for the Group One Stewards’ Cup (1,600m) in Hong Kong Sunday week? Wow. How short does Beauty Generation start? – @AndrewNJHawkins It is a problem a lot of the champions across all jurisdictions face – they are so good that no one wants to compete against them. Beauty Generation is far and away Hong Kong’s best horse... View the full article

Trainer Tony Millard was overseas last month when he notched up his 600th winner so he could have been excused for watching the milestone from a resort pool somewhere, but the South African was busy looking for his next star. The 57-year-old was watching one of his promising horses trial ahead of a three-year-old Derby in South Africa and he hopes to bring it to Hong Kong for next season’s version. “I have got a lot of horses in South Africa, I actually went to watch one of my Derby... View the full article