Wandering Eyes

The McKinzie (Street Sense) camp has decided it wants to take a shot at the $9-million GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park, but there remains an obstacle: they did not purchase one of the $500,000 spots for the race and those spots are now sold out. “I knew the slots were gone when he won the [GI] Malibu S., so I haven’t really talked much about going in the Pegasus,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “But if he’s doing really well and an available spot comes up, we’ll go. If there’s not a slot available for him we’re not going to worry about it.” In other Pegasus news, the Daily Racing Form reported yesterday that Tom’s d’Etat (Smart Strike) has joined the field for the Jan. 26 race. He has won four in a row, but has never run in a graded stakes event. Based at Fair Grounds with trainer Al Stall, his last win came in the Tenacious S. Dec. 22. With so much maneuvering behind the scenes with people owning spots and trying to make deals with others who do not own spots, it can sometimes he hard to keep track of who is in and who is out of the Pegasus. It appears that nine horses have committed to the field, which is restricted to 12. They are Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky); Tom’s d’Etat; Kukulkan (Mex) (Point Determined); City of Light (Quality Road); Audible (Into Mischief); Bravazo (Awesome Again); True Timber (Mineshaft); Seeking the Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}); Gunnevera (Dialed In). It appears there are spots still available and it would make perfect sense for one of those stakeholders to want to make a deal with the McKinzie team. McKinzie, who has always been a highly regarded member of the Baffert stable, threw in a clunker when 12th in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, but rebounded with an impressive win in the Malibu. He could be second choice in the race behind Accelerate. “I’m going to breeze him on Saturday,” Baffert said. “I want to run him when he’s super right. I don’t want to rush anything. I would like to go but if I can’t find a spot, there’s nothing we can do about it. I can’t commit to the race without a spot. If it happens, it happens.” Baffert won the inaugural Pegasus with Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song). As for his embarrassment-of-riches collection of 3-year-olds, Baffert will look to strengthen his hand Saturday at Santa Anita when he sends out Much Better (Pioneerof the Nile) and Coliseum (Tapit) in the GIII Sham S. Though he’s only run once, winning a maiden, Coliseum will be the likely favorite in the Sham. Owned by Godolphin, he was already being hyped before his first start, which he won by 6 3/4 lengths with Joe Talamo aboard. “Coliseum has so much raw talent,” Baffert said. “He is really, really good. He has the talent but he doesn’t have the mind. We’re slowly getting him there. He wants to get tough, rank. Talamo has been working him. He needs to find a way to wrestle that speed, particularly in the middle part of the race.” View the full article

The 2018 numbers are in, and, according to the final statistics released Jan. 2 by Equibase, trainer Chad Brown sits firmly atop the leading trainers podium by purse earnings in North America for the third consecutive year. View the full article

The 2018 numbers are in, and according to the final statistics released Jan. 2 by Equibase, trainer Chad Brown sits firmly atop the leading trainers podium by purse earnings in North America for the third consecutive year. View the full article

David Jacobson, the leading trainer by wins on the New York Racing Association circuit from 2012-14, has retired from training. View the full article

Jeannine Edwards, who enjoyed an award-winning, 22-year career with ESPN and ABC, will host the 48th Annual Eclipse Awards Jan. 24. It will be the seventh time Edwards has hosted the ceremony. View the full article

An internal marketing policy at The Stronach Group (TSG) designed to minimize imagery that shows whip usage in horse races resulted in unintended blowback to start the new year. But Tim Ritvo, the company’s chief operating officer, told TDN Wednesday that the company is owning up to its error in judgment, and that he now intends to use the instance of overzealous photo editing to spur reform to one of the sport’s most sensitive welfare issues. TSG’s Gulfstream Park recently gave away a 2019 wall calendar as a promotional item. Soon after the calendars began to circulate publicly, some racegoers took to social media to criticize the track’s decision to digitally remove some of the whips carried by jockeys in the in-race action shots. The most prominent image that was sanitized in this fashion was of Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) soaring home in front of the GI Pegasus World Cup field last January. The edited photograph was conspicuous because it did not match up with the original image released by the track a year ago in which jockey Florent Geroux exultantly waved his whip aloft in his left hand as he crossed the finish wire. Instead, the retouched image shows Geroux riding one-handed with the other hand making a loose fist with nothing in it. Jordan’s Henny (Henny Hughes), the long-shot victress of last year’s GIII Hurricane Bertie S., was similarly depicted with an edited-out whip, resulting in jockey Tyler Gaffalione holding his right arm extended away from his mount’s flank in an awkward position. Some sarcastic denizens of social media saw fit to fill in the blanks with items of their own choosing. One Gun Runner shot showed Geroux instead brandishing a photoshopped baguette; a retouched version of a different horse showed the jockey wielding a light saber from the “Star Wars” movie in place of the vanished whip. “If we could do it again, we would have not removed the whips,” Ritvo said. “There’s no question that was an oversight, and that we should have just selected other images. To try to hide or deface [whip use] is not the best strategy, and it was clearly a mistake. We should not try to hide what is already out there. People know that jockeys use whips. What we should do is try to move forward with what’s the right message and what’s the right thing to do. From this, I’ll learn myself, and we’ll address these issues.” Ritvo explained that TSG’s marketing policy at its six United States tracks is to depict “limited use of the whip, meaning nobody reaching back and hitting the horse or anything like that.” TSG’s Santa Anita Park also had a 2019 calendar giveaway, which Ritvo said was assembled by being a little more judicious about which photos were selected rather than relying on the editing process to remove the whips. “The instructions from our main office to our marketing [team] were not to use any whips where people are reaching back to strike a horse,” Ritvo said. “In [Gun Runner’s] case, instead of just swapping out the photo and using another picture, they ended up [digitally editing out] the whip, which is probably a little bit stupid. And the reason it’s stupid is [Geroux] is just waving the whip in victory, not like he’s going to reach back and hit the horse. That’s the frustrating part.” Ritvo has a unique perspective on this issue because he is one of the few former jockeys to rise to a prominent position in racetrack management. He last rode 30 years ago at Suffolk Downs, and he told TDN that he feels strongly about the need to change the culture of whip use in the sport–not only because it creates negative public perception, but because he believes whip usage is largely unnecessary. “Back in my day when we rode, it wasn’t an item of discussion. And truthfully, aftercare wasn’t an item of discussion either. But look how that’s evolved in the last couple of decades,” Ritvo said. “Being an ex-jockey, I actually believe horses enjoy running when they’re properly taken care of. So the question is, why do they need any more encouragement if they really enjoy what they’re doing? “People in the industry are now more understanding about the health and welfare of the animal,” Ritvo continued. “These are important issues. They’re integrity issues. And because [TSG] benefits from racing, we need to be aware of them. I think we’ve done a good job in aftercare. I think we’ve done a good job from where we came from in using the whip for correction. Now we need to evolve into the next steps as to how much are they really needed, and [how we] encourage horses without the effect of hurting the animal or making it do something it doesn’t want to do. “The bottom line is, we care about the horses as much as anybody, because horses are our business,” Ritvo summed up. “The whip should be used as a correction tool, and that’s it. The discussion moving forward should be more on the direction we go as a business as to whether whips are even required. Maybe this will bring the issue more to the forefront.” View the full article

Silver Ray (Silver Hawk), who was rescued from potential slaughter in 2013, with euthanized Wednesday due to chronic orthopedic disease at Old Friends Retirement Center in Georgetown, Kentucky. Bred in the Commonwealth by Ben Walden, Sr., Silver Ray won the 1991 GIII Hoist the Flag S. for owners Jerry and Ann Moss and sired 47 foals from 13 crops with 11 winners. He was ultimately sold to a dressage trainer and tasted some success as a sire of sport horses. In the summer of 2013, Silver Ray was discovered at a livestock auction in California and was purchased by April Smith for $30. Once learning of the news, the Mosses worked with Old Friends founder and president Michael Blowen to secure a spot at the farm. “It has been such an honor to have Silver Ray with us these years,” said Blowen. “He has been an unbelievable fan favorite. He had an incredibly gentle soul, he was wonderful with children, and he just loved getting treats and attention from all of our visitors. Great teamwork brought this wonderful stallion to Old Friends. We’re grateful to the people who rescued him and the Mosses for sponsoring his journey home.” View the full article

The TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program will be recognized with the Ellen and Herb Moelis Industry Service Award at the 29th Annual Stallion Season Auction & Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019, at the Keeneland Entertainment Center in Lexington. The Moelis Award is presented annually to an organization that works to uphold the TCA’s mission. TAKE2 was established in 2012 by the late Rick Violette, Jr., at that time the president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, in an effort to provide retired racehorses with a second career. “Rick was dedicated to ensuring healthy, happy and productive lives for our horses when they leave the track,” said TAKE2 Executive Director Andy Belfiore. “He believed a program to open the door to second careers in the sport horse world was vital to the success of the industry’s aftercare efforts. We are incredibly honored that the TCA has chosen TAKE2 for this wonderful award, and thankful for the TCA’s support in helping us fulfill our mission and carry on Rick’s legacy.” View the full article

CAMBIER PARC (f, 3, Medaglia d’Oro–Sealy Hill {GSW & MGISP, $1,747,081}, by Point Given), a $1.25-million yearling purchase by OXO Equine, took to the turf with a good-looking and well-bet maiden score Wednesday at Gulfstream for trainer Chad Brown. Heavily favored in her debut Nov. 3 on the Aqueduct main, the bay was outfooted after a slow start and showed mild interest late to be fourth. Backed down to 13-10 off a 5-1 morning-line quote here, Cambier Parc settled in fourth as the field strung out through sharp splits down the backstretch. Creeping up to the leaders progressively wider nearing the lane, she surged to the front outside the furlong grounds and drew clear to triumph by four lengths in 1:41.48. Cap de Creus (Tapit) got up late to complete the exacta. The winner’s dam was bought by Bonne Chance Farm for $750,000 at Keeneland November in 2015 with her in utero before justifying that investment when she hammered for seven figures at KEESEP in 2017. Sealy Hill has another Medaglia d’Oro filly who went for $425,000 to Whisper Hill Farm at the same sale in the fall, and she produced a colt by Into Mischief last spring. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $34,200. O-OXO Equine LLC; B-Bonne Chance Farm LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. View the full article

Jeannine Edwards, a decorated reporter for 22 years with ESPN and ABC and a frequent contributor to horse racing broadcasts, will host the 48th annual Eclipse Awards ceremony to be held at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, FL, Thursday, Jan. 24. It will be the seventh time Edwards has emceed the event. “I’m delighted to have been asked to host the Eclipse Awards once again,” said Edwards. “It’s a privilege to be a part of racing’s championship night, and I look forward to the opportunity to connect with old friends and honor all those who made horse racing exceptional in 2018.” A native of Tenafly, NJ, Edwards spent 10 years at the racetrack as an exercise rider, apprentice jockey and trainer in New York and New Jersey before transitioning to television in 1994 as an in-house TV host at Maryland tracks. She joined ESPN in 1995 as a racing analyst, but also worked the sidelines on the network’s college football and basketball programming. She provided extensive coverage for ESPN of American Pharoah’s Triple Crown attempt in 2015. View the full article

Jake Memolo has joined the teams at BSW Bloodstock and ELiTE Sales led and owned by partners Bradley Weisbord and Liz Crow. A graduate of the equine science and management program at the University of Kentucky, Memolo is also a graduate of the Irish National Stud Breeding Course, has held positions at Shadwell Stud, The Jockey Club and Equibase and served as the director of research for Taylor Made Sales Agency. “We’ve continued to grow throughout the year and we’re thrilled to be able to add another young industry talent such as Jake to our dynamic team,” said Weisbord. Added Crow: “Jake will be a super addition to our team. Our clients will appreciate his enthusiasm and knowledge of racing worldwide and he will continue to provide them with excellent communication and service.” View the full article

Fatale Bere (Fr) (Pedro the Great), winner of the 2018 GI Del Mar Oaks, is the headline name among nine new supplemental entries to next week’s Keeneland January Sale in Lexington. Consigned by ELiTE as hip 397K and offered as a broodmare prospect only, the 4-year-old won the Surfer Girl S. in her U.S. debut in October 2016 and added the GIII Providencia S. in her first sophomore appearance last April. Campaigned in this country by the Benowitz Family Trust, Head of Plains Partners LLC, Mark Mathiesen and Mathilde Powell and trained by Leonard Powell, Fatale Bere amassed a record of five wins from 11 appearances and earnings of $427,964. Other additions to the Monday session include: • Hip 397H, French stakes winner and U.S. graded-stakes placed Pas de Soucis (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), consigned by Hunter Valley Farm as a racing/broodmare prospect • Hip 397I, Rain On the Dune (GB), a Frankel (GB) half-sister to GISW Bellamy Road (Concerto), consigned by Taylor Made Sales as a broodmare prospect • Hip 397J, Lori’s Attitude (Temple City), a three-time winner of better than $136,630 and a two-time winner this term. She is consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale as a broodmare prospect only. Shack Parrish’s Indian Creek agency consigns three of the five newest entries to Tuesday’s session, including hip 795E, Nothing To Wear (Malibu Moon), daughter of MGSW Rich In Spirit (Repriced) and therefore a half-sister to MGSW & GISP Wishing Gate (Indian Charlie). The 7-year-old mare sells on a June cover to Blame. Ashview Farm consigns hip 795G, Heavenly Lucky (Lookin at Lucky), as a broodmare prospect, while Lane’s End will offer Morning Line (Tiznow) as a stallion prospect as hip 795H. The four-day Keeneland January sale kicks off Monday, Jan. 7, with each session beginning at 10 a.m. ET. The auction will be streamed live at www.keeneland.com, while TVG coverage will begin Sunday and will continue Monday and Tuesday on TVG2. View the full article

Hronis Racing LLC, Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Chad Brown finished out calendar year 2018 as the leading money earners among owners, jockeys and trainers, respectively, according to official figures released Wednesday by Equibase. Led by its Horse of the Year and Eclipse Award candidate Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky), Kosta Hronis’s racing outfit earned over $7.34 million in prize money in 2018, with 41 trips to the winner’s circle and an additional 76 minor placings from its 259 starters. Accelerate won six of his seven outings last season, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the stable’s earnings, while Hronis’s other winners at the graded level included Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags), Yuvetsi (Bodemeister) and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Gift Box (Twirling Candy). Ortiz Jr. put together his best season in the saddle, his mounts having earned in excess of $27.7 million, easily best in the nation. Ortiz Jr. managed a career-best 346 victories in 2018, also tops amongst his peers, and included 30 graded stakes successes. He took his Breeders’ Cup tally to five wins at Churchill Downs this past November, scoring a second straight victory in the GI Filly & Mare Sprint aboard Shamrock Rose (First Dude) and the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf atop Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). He registered six Grade Is in 2018, four for Brown, including the GI Just a Game S. with A Raving Beauty (Ger) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), the GI Arlington Million with Robert Bruce (Chi) (Fast Company {Ire}) and the GI Flower Bowl Invitational S. with Fourstar Crook (Freud) in addition to the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Brown led all North American trainers for the third consecutive season, with a total of 224 winners from 839 starters for earnings of better than $27.5 million. He struck with a remarkable 28% (140/500) of his turf runners, earning $17.2 million. Brown-trained runners won no fewer than 47 graded events in 2018, of which 20 were achieved at Grade I level. Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) was a four-time winner at the top level last season, including the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, while her owner Peter Brant was also represented by GI Hollywood Derby hero Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Competitionofideas (Speightstown) closed out the season with a compelling victory in the GI American Oaks. View the full article

Every breeder aims for Classic success and achieving that feat must have been extra sweet for Luca and Sara Cumani of Fittocks Stud given that the horse in question was named in honour of Luca’s birthplace. Coolmore’s 2001 St Leger winner Milan (GB) (Sadler’s Wells) is now leading all active National Hunt stallions in Britain and Ireland on the sire table for 2018/19 while his dam Kithanga (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) has just turned 29 and lives in glorious retirement at Fittocks. Two of her daughters are among the 14 mares that the Cumanis will be breeding from in 2019. The G3 St Simon S. winner Koora (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) has been graced with a special partner for her first two seasons at stud. She has a yearling colt by Dubawi (Ire) and is back in foal to the Darley flagbearer. Her rendezvous this season will be no less special as she is set to visit the champion, Galileo (Ire). “Koora is precious to us as she is the last of Kithanga’s 12 foals and her Dubawi colt is lovely,” admits Sara Cumani. Koora’s older full-sister Kindu (GB) has also been retained and is in foal to Mastercraftsman (Ire) with a visit to Showcasing (GB) in the diary. “Deciding on matings has been more testing than ever this year if you want to stick to proven sires,” she adds. “It’s becoming more and more competitive and you have to have the right mare. We tend to go with proven sires. Luca feels that it’s a bit less of an unknown, especially with a young mare. With an older mare you can take a bit more of a chance but with a young mare you don’t know what type of stock they are going to produce.” With the uncertainties of Brexit casting a potentially dark shadow over this year’s covering season, Cumani admits that they will be cautious in their travel plans for mares en route to Ireland. “We’ve talked about Brexit and we’ve tried to stay calm but we don’t want to be travelling any horses around Mar. 29,” she says. “We do have two due in early April who are booked to stallions in Ireland. We like to have them foal with us in case there are any dramas and then we’d send them at 20 days once our wonderful vet has given his blessing.” The Fittocks Stud broodmare band has been enhanced in the last month by the purchase of the Aga Khan Studs-bred Shomaria (Fr) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), a daughter of the dual Group 3 winner Shemima (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}), at Arqana’s December Sale. Just turned four, she was bought in partnership with Andrew Stone of St Albans Bloodstock, who provided Luca Cumani with his final Group 1 winner as a trainer in God Given (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). Shomaria’s year-younger half-sister Shendam (Fr) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) won on her sole start in France for Mikel Delzangles in 2018. “She’s a very pretty mare and she’s going to Lope De Vega (Ire),” says Cumani. “We hope that Shendam might improve the pedigree this year.” The 8-year-old Blue Waltz (GB), a Pivotal (GB) half-sister to Fantasia (GB) (Sadler’s Wells) who was bred and raced by Fittocks in partnership with Andrew Bengough, is currently carrying to Frankel (GB) and will visit Kodiac (GB). “She’s a speedy mare from the family of Blue Duster and her first foal by Oasis Dream (GB) is now in training with William Haggas,” says Cumani. Fittocks Stud will forever be synonymous with the wide-reaching success of the family of Souk (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}) and four direct descendants of this celebrated foundation mare remain in the paddocks at Upend, just outside Newmarket. Souk’s 13-year-old daughter Barter (GB) (Daylami {Ire}), the dam of Group 3 winner Haggle (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), is in foal to Siyouni (Fr) and is booked to Kingman (GB), while Barter’s unraced Oasis Dream daughter Marketeer (GB) is in foal to Churchill (Ire) and will visit Camelot (GB). Pongee (GB) (Barathea {Ire}), now 19 and out of Souk’s first foal Puce (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), is in foal to the former Cumani-trained Group 1 winner Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), “for obvious reasons,” says her breeder. “Pongee will go to Cracksman (GB) next year. She’s been mostly to proven horses in the past but Cracksman was a wonderful racehorse and he’s such a fantastic mover.” Pongee’s 6-year-old daughter Materialistic (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) is carrying her first foal by Churchill (Ire) and will be covered this season by Lope De Vega (Ire). “In a sense we’re broken our own rule here but Camilla Trotter, who helps us with our matings and provides invaluable facts and figures, says we need to take the odd plunge with unproven sires and she can be very persuasive,” says Cumani. “It’s very much a team effort when it comes to deciding on stallions.” So Silk (GB), by Rainbow Quest out of the Cumani-trained dual Group 1 winner Gossamer (GB) (Sadler’s Wells), could be seen as having been an understandably sentimental purchase by Fittocks Stud from the dispersal of her late breeder Gerald Leigh back in 2008. Two of her daughters remain at the farm: the G2 Park Hill S. winner Silk Sari (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), who is in foal to Dubawi (Ire) and will visit Sea The Stars (Ire), and Dreamlike (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who is carrying to Dark Angel (Ire) and is another who will be on her way to Lope De Vega (Ire). “Her first foal is a colt by Siyouni who we didn’t manage to sell but we’ve named him Bonneval (GB) and he will be going into training with Sir Michael Stoute,” notes Cumani. Another homebred, the 8-year-old Got To Dream (GB) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), has returned to the fold after being sold as a yearling, and she is in foal to Tamayuz (GB) with a visit to Zoffany (Ire) on the cards. “We bought her back when we thought her half-sister Lady Of Dubai (GB) was going to win the Oaks,” explains Cumani. The daughter of Dubawi ended up finishing third to Qualify (Ire) at Epsom and is also the winner of the Listed Height Of Fashion S. Representing some new blood on the farm are Umniyah (Ire) (Shamardal) and Slatey Hen (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). Cumani says of the latter, “She is a pretty, sprinter mare and is a half-sister to the dam of Tiggy Wiggy (Ire). She’s in foal to Kodiac —no surprise there—and will go to Churchill.” Umniyah by contrast was bought from Godolphin and is out of a half-sister to Storming Home (GB) (Machiavellian). After delivering a foal by Sea The Stars this season she will be covered by Dark Angel (Ire). Completing the set is Baltic Best (Ire) (King’s Best), bought in December 2017 from Gestut Ammerland and representing one of the stud’s foundation families. Her grandam was the globetrotter Borgia (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}), winner at home of the G1 Deutsches Derby and abroad the G1 Hong Kong Vase while also being placed in the Arc and the Breeders’ Cup Turf. The Cumanis are the owners of what is likely to be the only yearling in Britain by Ammerland’s young resident Ito (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), to whom Baltic Best was carrying when purchased, and the mare is now in foal to Siyouni. As befits her illustrious pedigree, she has a date with Frankel (GB) this spring. View the full article

The 2019 Dubai World Cup Carnival begins its march to Dubai World Cup night on Mar. 30 with a pair of group races at Meydan on Thursday. Worth $200,000 each, the 1200-metre G3 Dubawi S. and grassy 1800-metre G3 Singspiel S. drew fields of seven and 16, respectively. A prep for the G1 Dubai Turf on Dubawi World Cup night, the Singspiel pits Irish highweight and GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. hero Deauville (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})-making his first start for Fawzi Nass and new owners Victorious–against David Simcock’s MGSW Arod (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Chilean champ Furia Cruzada (Chi) (Newfoundland), third in the 2017/18 editions of the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 for trainer Erwan Charpy. Other entrants include German MGSW Degas (Ger) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) who ran second in the G2 Premio Vittorio di Capua in Milan on Oct. 21, as well as GSW Light the Lights (SAf) (Western Winter) after a win in the G3 Abu Dhabi Championship on Mar. 17. Godolphin fields six runners, with trainers Saeed bin Suroor and Charlie Appleby fielding a trio apiece. Bin Suroor trainee Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a MGSP in Turkey and England and fifth in the G1 English 2000 Guineas in 2017, anchors the sixtet. Leading the Dubawi S. field is last out Listed Garhoud Sprint victor Drafted (Field Commission), one of two from the Doug Watson barn along with My Catch (Ire) (Camacho {GB}), who struck on Feb. 8 in the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint locally last carnival. G3 Chipchase S. hero Above The Rest (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}) makes his first start in Dubai, as does Swedish GSP Trickbag (Brilliant Speed) and Korea’s Ace Korea (Smiling Tiger). The latter’s sire just celebrated his first Grade I winner when Spiced Perfection upset the GI La Brea S. at Santa Anita in late December. View the full article

European Exports is a series where we catch up with people who have left their home countries to make a new life in the racing industry in America. Today, we catch up with Gemma Freeman of Stonestreet. KR: Where are you originally from? GF: I’m from Newbury, which is in Berkshire, and it’s a really pretty part of Southern England. Watership Down Stud is there, and Highclere Stud, and it’s near Lambourn. KR: When did you come to America, and why did you decide to come here? GF: I came to America in January 2005. I was working at Watership Down Stud at the time, and I’d spent a year in Australia and some time in Ireland. I had applied for a job in Newmarket that was sort of the next step up, and I didn’t get it and I didn’t have a plan B. Simon Marsh, who runs Watership Down, had spent some time at Lane’s End in his twenties, and so he sent me to Lane’s End for 18 months. And that was 13 years ago. KR: Is there anything you miss about England? GF: Truly what I miss other than family is bridleways and footpaths. All the land is so private here, you can’t just go riding or walking, and that’s what I miss the most. KR: What do you think American racing could learn from British racing? GF: Consistent rules across Britain simplify participation for trainers, owners and fans, and I also think it frees up a lot of brain power, energy, resources–financial and mental–to do other things for the benefit of the sport. KR: And vice versa, what could Britain learn from America? GF: What astounded me when I first came here is how you could go to a racetrack, get your training license and just rent one stall and be a horse trainer. America really is the land of opportunity. The ease of entry as an owner or trainer is much different, and I think it’s really good. Young people, people from different backgrounds, can come and thrive in this country. {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"European Exports With Gemma Freeman","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/309144017.sd.mp4?s=f689a6f443ce03e71509903f48dda82c51bb972b&profile_id=165","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"","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\/"} View the full article

By the time 2018 came to a close, Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Jose Ortiz had firmly established themselves atop the nationwide jockey standings, distancing themselves from the chase pack in the earnings race by millions of dollars. With Irad generating $27.7 million and his younger brother, Jose, ending the year with $26.8 million, the Puerto Rican duo is poised to once again contend for the Eclipse Award for champion rider to be presented at Gulfstream Park on the evening of Thursday, Jan. 24. On the heels of a breakout 2017 campaign which saw Jose top the jockey standings and bring home his first Eclipse Award, Irad will hope to claim one of his own for the 2018 season. The brothers, who are on-track competitors on a daily basis, sat down with the TDN‘s Christina Bossinakis to discuss how they balance their desire to win with a deeply rooted brotherly love. TDN: It seems like riding was in your blood since day one. Did you ever have a thought that you wanted to do anything else? IO: Not really…I was just waiting to turn 16 to get into a jockey school. And my mom said, ‘No, you can’t do that. You’re going to school.’ So they put me in a school…[But] I knew what I wanted to be in my life–I wanted to be a jockey. I was working on my weight early, like at age 15, so I worked every day to try to stay ready when I turned 16. TDN: And Jose, did you decide to be a rider because of Irad, or did you want to be one anyway? JO: No, I wanted to be a rider already…If it wasn’t for our dad, we probably wouldn’t know anything about horse racing. But because of him I knew what I wanted to be. I tried to follow in Irad’s footsteps, but I knew I wanted to go there too. It was a little bit harder for me to keep my weight down because I was a little taller, but I worked it out and here we are. {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"Competitors and Brothers","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/307573446.sd.mp4?s=3ba1674d69c2aa9c19b5e5dd14e07d74d18d6342&profile_id=165","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/272990273.sd.mp4?s=db607aa16f49bebfe2d28f812740c783273c6304&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: You guys clearly have a lot of brotherly love, but how do you balance that thread with the desire to win races as competitors on a daily basis? How do you manage the two? JO: Out there, we have to ride for our owners and trainers–there is a lot of money on the line in the game. So Irad rides for his connections, and I ride for mine. If I have to try to race ride him a little bit, I will. And if he has to race ride me, I understand. As long as you do it with class, it doesn’t matter. TDN: You both have accomplished so much in your young careers. Do you still have any goals that you’re hoping to accomplish? Are there any achievements that you would like to define your careers? IO: The Kentucky Derby, and an Eclipse Award, for me. Those are my big goals. JO: I want to win the Derby and go to Dubai. I haven’t been to Dubai yet. Let’s see if I can go this year. TDN: Both of you are in the run for the Eclipse Award this year and, Jose, you won it last year. Irad, how would feel if Jose won another one this year? IO: Great. I mean, that would be good. If he won, I’m okay with that–you know, I’m happy for him. He deserves it, he works so hard. He’s always on the line. He does everything right, he does everything so perfect. You have to follow him if you want to be a nice man, you wanna be a nice person…He’s so perfect sometimes. Nobody’s perfect but, he’s very close, he’s very close to it…I helped him a lot from the beginning, and I want to see him on top, and he’s on top right now. TDN: How about you, Jose? How would you feel if your brother won his first Eclipse Award? JO: I’d feel very happy for him, because I know how badly he wants to win it. And if he wins it, he deserves everything. He’s working very hard. I’ve been watching him put a lot of work in this year. He’s going to Parx, he’s working hard, waking up early every day. Even if he doesn’t have to work, he’s out there. I’m here where I am because of him…If he wins, I’ll feel like I have two Eclipse Awards now. View the full article

The 29th annual Thoroughbred Charities of American Stallion Season Auction and Celebration, presented by LNJ Foxwoods and the organization’s largest fundraiser, is currently underway. Bidding on better than 200 stallion season will end this Friday, Jan. 4 at 3 p.m. Eastern time, while bidding on seasons to Blame, Bolt d’Oro, Gun Runner, Kantharos and More Than Ready and on all non-season items will conclude at the auction Celebration, set for Sunday, Jan. 6, at 5 p.m. ET at the Keeneland Entertainment Center. Prospective bidders are invited to come as they are after inspecting horses in the Keeneland barn area ahead of next week’s Keeneland January Sale. Non-season items offered in the live auction include a John Deere TX Gator, equine air transportation via Tex Sutton, one-year lease on a Dodge Ram Truck or Jeep Wrangler, a five-night stay at a beachfront bed and breakfast in Costa Rica, “Parade” by Andre Pater, “Colors of the Breeders’ Cup” by Valeriy Gridnev, and two box stalls with Brook Ledge Horse Transportation. LNJ Foxwoods will also be honored with the Allaire du Pont Leadership Award and the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program will receive the Ellen and Herb Moelis Industry Service Award. All seasons are currently available for bidding here. All non-season items are currently available for online bidding here. For additional information, visit www.tca.org or call (859) 276-4989. View the full article

14.40 Ayr Nicky Richards knows the winner’s enclosure very well indeed at this sharp Scottish track in scenic Ayrshire, and he looks to have a fantastic chance of returning there today. 10yo stalwart One for Harry makes his return to the track having been well beaten on his reappearance run, but he looked like he […] The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Wednesday 2nd January appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Glen Hill Farm's Caribou Club rang in 2019 in style, notching his first graded stakes win of the year in the $100,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

CK Ng suspended four days, Zyrul gets two View the full article

Horses' test results January 1 View the full article

7th-GP, $50K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, post time: 3:35 p.m. ET AMARONE (Quality Road), a $100K acquisition by Three Diamonds Farm out of the 2017 Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale, has the right to be any sort on this surface. Her diminutive dam Megahertz (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) was one of the more charismatic turf distaffers on the West Coast in recent memory for trainer Bobby Frankel, as she employed a wicked turn of foot to win the GI Yellow Ribbon S. and GI John C. Mabee H. when pace-compromised on both occasions. Megahertz was acquired for $40K with this filly in utero at the 2015 Keeneland November sale. TJCIS PPs View the full article

The Hong Kong Jockey Club will hold a five-heat "Exhibition Raceday" March 23 at its new Conghua Racecourse on the Chinese Mainland, an initial step toward expansion of an international equine sports industry in the area. View the full article

When Red Hot Kitten crossed the wire a neck to the good in Turfway Park's last race on New Year's Eve, the final day of the 2018 holiday meet, Maker claimed sole possession of the record for training titles at the Northern Kentucky track with 21. View the full article