Wandering Eyes

After its popularity earlier this year, Young Guns returns with all new questions and young professionals. Today we speak with Joanne Lavery, a young pinhooker completing an internship with BBA Ireland TDN: Tell us about your career to date? Joanne Lavery: I have been a work rider and worked full-time in a racing yard. In 2015, I bought three foals to sell as yearlings. One died from colic on the first day of prep and the other two didn’t sell as yearlings so went into training with my aunt, Sheila Lavery. Burgundy Boy (Ire) (Red Jazz) won his maiden and was placed in a Group 3 then sold to Mr. Zhang at the Goffs Champions Day Sale for €260,000. Danehill Quest (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) is still running for Sheila in my colours. He has won once and has been second three times. In 2016 I bought two more foals despite thinking I was a failure at that stage as nothing had run for me yet. One sold at the Goffs Open Sale for a little profit. The other did not sell but is called Lady Kaya (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), who won her maiden by 10 lengths and was second in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. I also completed the ITBA Apprenticeship which gave me work placements in Goffs and Ballyhane Stud, and now I am at BBA Ireland doing an internship. I am still continuing to buy foals and sell unsuccessfully as I have a lovely Red Jazz filly to run next year, who I own in partnership with my boyfriend, and made no profit on yearlings sold this year. TDN: If you could be one person in the industry for a day who would it be and why? JL: Aidan O’Brien. He’s a genius and it would be incredible to work with those well-bred horses. TDN: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? JL: Nick Nugent is always pointing out people to me and telling me who they are and says that it’s very important to know people. Which is unbelievably true, especially in this business. TDN: What is the best aspect of your current job? JL: I love being at the sales. TDN: If you weren’t working in the horse racing industry what would you be doing? JL: I have a degree in social science, for what purpose I don’t know. So I suppose probably stressing or still studying as that degree qualifies you for nothing. Maybe I’d be a primary school teacher, I struggled through honours Irish in school to have that as a possibility. TDN: If you had 24 hours to get someone interested in the horse racing industry how would you do it? JL: I would bring them to the sales to watch the horses going through the ring in the morning, straight from there to the races to watch and have a few bets. Then probably to the bar to maybe secure some commitments. Once you’re in you get hooked. TDN: What was your biggest achievement in 2018? JL: Lady Kaya. (More so Sheila’s achievement, but I made the final decision if she was to be sold or not! I’m glad we picked not.) TDN: Who was your horse of 2018 and why? JL: Apart from my own, Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy). I loved watching him run. TDN: What is your New Year’s resolution? JL: Keep better accounts on the business side of things as I have recently started building my own place in Drumree, Co. Meath. View the full article

15:10 Cheltenham – Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle The 19th running of this hurdle contest doesn’t seem to contain some of the big names it’s attracted in the past but only time will tell if one of today’s runners turns out to be as illustrious as the likes of More Of That or Rock On Ruby. […] The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Tuesday 1st January appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

While its Dec. 28 agenda included consideration of awarding the state's sixth racing license, the New Mexico Racing Commission stopped short of that action Friday. View the full article

Finalists for the 2018 Eclipse Awards will be revealed live at 11:05 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 5 from Gulfstream Park, all racetrack outlets carrying the Gulfstream Park simulcast feed, and on XBTV.com. View the full article

The New York State breeding program holds a high level of anticipation about 2019's arrival. Yet, there will always be a fondness for the unparalleled success of 2018, especially at New York Racing Association (NYRA) tracks. View the full article

He’s done it again. For the eighth consecutive year, Galileo (Ire) wrapped up 2018 as the leading general sire by European earnings. The dual Derby and King George winner-who had his first runners in 2005-earned his first sire championship in 2008. His then Coolmore barnmate Danehill Dancer (Ire) took the title the following year, but Galileo redeemed himself in 2010 and has not relinquished his crown since. According to the TDN‘s year-to-date general sire list (which includes worldwide black-type stats but earnings restricted to Europe), Galileo’s 244 starters in 2018 amassed £8,639,420. Those include 104 winners of 151 races. His 38 stakes winners (an excellent 12.5% of starters), 59 stakes horses, 28 group stakes winners (9.2% of starters), 49 group horses, seven Group 1 winners and 20 Group 1 horses lead each of their respective categories. Those Group 1 winners were St Leger and Grand Prix de Paris victor Kew Gardens (Ire) (also his leading earner by money earned in Europe with £872,983), Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Waldgeist (GB), G1 Irish St Leger winner Flag of Honour (Ire), G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. victress Magical (Ire) (his leading worldwide earner of the year), GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf scorer Line of Duty (Ire), G1 Epsom Oaks winner Forever Together (Ire) and G1 Lockinge S. winner Rhododendron (Ire). Perhaps Galileo’s dominance in Europe is best articulated in the fact that he is by far the continent’s leading lifetime active sire, his total progeny earnings of over £98-million more than double those of Pivotal (GB)’s progeny. His 75 worldwide Group 1 winners-70 in the Northern Hemisphere and five in the Southern–is more than double the next best, Dubawi (Ire), at 38. Galileo’s influence as a broodmare sire this year has also been substantial. His daughters produced 10 Group 1 winners worldwide, including GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), G1 2000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and G1 July Cup winner US Navy Flag (War Front); three Classic winners in Australia and one in South Africa, and Group 1-winning 2-year-olds Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Fog Of War (War Front). He was third behind Pivotal (GB) and his own sire Sadler’s Wells on the 2018 broodmare sires’ table. Galileo’s legacy looks set to carry on through both his daughters and sons. His best son on the racecourse, Frankel (GB), wound up fourth on the general sires’ list; an excellent achievement considering his oldest crop are just four. Galileo was second on the sires’ list at the same stage and earned his first title the following year. Nathaniel (Ire), from the same sire crop, was fifth on the 2018 general sires’ list and is the sire of superstar Enable (Ire), while New Approach (Ire) sired this year’s Derby winner Masar (Ire) and Teofilo (Ire) provided the G1 Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter (Ire). Australia (GB) was third on the first-season sires’ list and sired Group 2 winner Beyond Reason (Ire), while fellow first-crop Coolmore sire and Derby winner Ruler Of The World (Ire) provided G1 Fillies’ Mile winner Iridessa (Ire). Darley’s Dubawi (Ire) was second to Galileo by European earnings (£6,061,403), but he was Europe’s leading sire by worldwide earnings in 2018 ($19,159,292 to Galileo’s worldwide tally of $16,058,499). His leading earner was Benbatl (GB), winner of a remarkable three Group 1s in three different countries: the Dubai Turf, the Munich Bayerisches Zuchtrennen, and the Caulfield S. Dubawi’s five other Group 1 winners in 2018 were Nassau S. and Prix de l’Opera winner Wild Illusion (GB), G1 Prix Vermeille winner Kitesurf (GB), G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 victor North America (Ire) and top-rated 2-year-old colts Too Darn Hot (GB) and Quorto (GB), winner of the Dewhurst and National S., respectively. In July, Dubawi reached a major milestone when becoming the first-ever British-based sire to reach 100 group winners worldwide. The already enormous stature of Galileo’s dam Urban Sea continues to grow, and her Sea The Stars (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), eight years younger than Galileo, continues to establish himself as an elite sire. He wound up third on the general sires’ list and was represented by two high-class Group 1 winners: the Irish and Yorkshire Oaks winner and Arc runner-up Sea Of Class (Ire), and the champion stayer Stradivarius (Ire). Galileo’s influence has been so massive that it has created a unique ‘problem’ for Coolmore: with so many members of its top-class broodmare band–and even its young stallions–being by the great sire himself, Coolmore must find worthy outcrosses for Galileo. It has done well with War Front, and Deep Impact has been successful too, but Coolmore now has a potential superstar outcross sire right in its own barn with No Nay Never (Scat Daddy), Europe’s dominant champion first-season sire. No Nay Never led by earnings (£986,254) and winners (28), with Charm Spirit (Ire) (£494,259) barely edging out Australia (£494,243) for second. Kingman wound up fourth after a very promising season where he tied with No Nay Never and Sea The Moon (Ger) for group winners (two): ‘TDN Rising Stars’ Calyx (GB) and Persian King (Ire). He had five total TDN Rising Stars from his first crop-that’s more than some very respected sires have had in their careers. Returning to No Nay Never, the G2 Norfolk S. and G1 Prix Morny winner led also by black-type winners (six, 10% of starters), black-type horses (14) and group horses (five). He and Ruler of the World were the only two newcomers last year to sire a Group 1 winner: his was the Middle Park winner Ten Sovereigns (Ire), while he also provided G2 Richmond S. winner Land Force (Ire) and four listed winners. Siyouni Leads French Sires Among French sires, Haras de Bonneval’s Siyouni (Fr) was the leading sire by European earnings. His total European progeny earnings were £3,684,803, with £1.08 million of that amassed by Laurens (Fr), winner of four Group 1s last year. He sired 11 stakes winners in 2018 and five group winners. Whipper, sire of the 2018 dual Group 1 winner Recoletos (Fr) (and four total stakes winners), was second among French general sires with earnings of £1,886,093, while Montfort & Preaux’s Le Havre (Ire) was third with six black-type winners, two group winners and £1,763,060 in earnings. The first-season sires’ table holds some very exciting clues for the French stallion ranks. Haras du Quesnay’s Anodin (Ire) (Anabaa) was the country’s leading first-season sire, and he was fifth among European first-crop sires. Haras de Bouquetot’s Group 1 winners Toronado (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Olympic Glory (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) both showed plenty of late-season promise and wound up sixth and eighth, respectively. Charm Spirit has alternated between Tweenhills Stud in Britain and Haras de Bonneval in France through his first four seasons, and his second crop of 2-year-olds this year are French-conceived. View the full article

The New York Racing Association has announced a pair of shipping incentive programs Dec. 30 that will return in 2019 at Aqueduct Racetrack and Belmont Park for horsemen based this winter in Florida or at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. View the full article

At morning-line odds of 9-5, Mind Control will take on a field of five other males in the one-mile Jerome, which awards 10-4-2-1 points to the top four finishers toward entry in the May 4 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). View the full article

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has confirmed the first “exhibition” meeting at Conghua Racecourse in China will take place on Saturday, March 23. The day will feature five races, however there will be no betting and no live broadcast of the races, with each race to be shown in Hong Kong on a 15-minute delay. “The exhibition race day will be held according to the standards and arrangements of a regular race day in Hong Kong,” Jockey Club executive director of racing Andrew... View the full article

John Size’s classy three-year-old Country Star will be tasked with his toughest project yet when he steps into Class Two company at Sha Tin on Tuesday. The gelding has raced solely at Happy Valley in his five-start career to date but such has been his progression through the grades, Size will start him at Sha Tin for the first time. While the champion trainer remains wary of over-racing his young star, he said he deserves his chance in Class Two after not putting a foot wrong to date.... View the full article

Trainer John Moore is so enamoured with the form of his four-year-old Taking Aim he is prepared to take a step he never has before. The master trainer will step-up the in-form galloper from Class Three grade to Group Three on Tuesday in what he admits is a “throw at the stumps”. The son of Choisir has chalked up two wins already this season and looks to have turned a corner since arriving from Australia over a year ago. Because of the huge jump, the 87 rater will carry the bottom... View the full article

Jockey Abel Cedillo rode the 1,000th winner of his career Dec. 30 at Golden Gate Fields, where he guided Madera Thoroughbreds' homebred Be Thoughtful to victory in the first race. View the full article

Giza Goddess parlayed an impressive maiden win into her first stakes score in the $75,000 Blue Norther Dec. 30 at Santa Anita Park and gave her trainer his first stakes win of the year in the final days of 2018. View the full article

The year that was - 2018 season View the full article

Juddmonte Farms’ Anuket (f, 2, Pioneerof the Nile–Rashnaa, by Tapit), a $575,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase, strode home an unchallenged four-length winner in her debut at Santa Anita Sunday to become the newest ‘TDN Rising Star.’ In the mix from the start, the 8-5 favorite contested the pace four wide down the backstretch through a quarter in :21.73. She took command at the top of the stretch after a half in :45.08 and strode clear effortlessly, completing the six furlongs in 1:10.59. Miss Ava’s Union (Union Rags) was second and Bizwhacks (Fed Biz) was third. Anuket is a daughter of graded stakes placed Rashnaa, a half-sister to stakes winner Mistda (Runaway Groom). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $33,000. O-Juddmonte Farms. B-Town & Country Horse Farms & Pollock Farms (Ky). T-Bob Baffert View the full article

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione notched the 1,000th winner of his career in the eighth race Dec. 30 at Gulfstream Park, where he scored aboard first-time starter Mission From Elle in a maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies at one mile on the turf. View the full article

Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen have two legitimate contenders in multiple Eclipse Award categories for 2018, and the connections are hopeful, even at advancing ages, that the pair can continue on their path of excellence in 2019. View the full article

Giza Goddess (f, 2, Cairo Prince–Comfort and Joy, by Harlan’s Holiday) became the second stakes winner for her freshman sire with a determined victory in the Blue Norther S. at Santa Anita Sunday. Sent off at 5-1, the gray filly was caught four wide going into the first turn before settling off the pace behind a quarter in :23.08. She rushed up to challenge for the lead after a half in :46.54, stuck a head in front in upper stretch and resolutely held off Colonial Creed (Jimmy Creed) to win by 3/4 lengths and complete the one mile in 1:34.64. Thriving (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) was third. Switched to the turf after opening her career with three off-the-board main-track efforts, Giza Goddess was third at Del Mar Nov. 10 before a resounding 5 1/4-length maiden victory at the oceanside oval Dec. 1. The filly was a $200,000 KEESEP yearling purchase. O-West Point Thoroughbreds, Mercedes Stables, Scott Dilworth, Dorothy Ingordo, et al. B-Clarkland Farm (Ky). T-John Shirreffs. View the full article

Members of the TDN staff reveal what TDN Rising Star they’re most excited to see race in 2019. Bob Baffert had 16 ‘TDN Rising Stars’ in 2018. Gainesway’s super sire Tapit had eight. So when the two teamed up with a highly touted homebred from the powerhouse Godolphin operation, it was one of those Rising Stars that Brian DiDonato starts writing about while the horses are still in the paddock. If not the night before. Coliseum duly delivered with a jaw-dropping 6 3/4-length debut victory at Del Mar in November (video). And that was at seven furlongs. By a horse who will clearly get better around two turns and with a little more maturity. Godolphin teamed up with a two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer in search of its elusive first GI Kentucky Derby winner and Coliseum might just be the one. It should be fun watching what he does this spring, and the colt took an important step towards a potential start in the Jan. 5 GIII Sham S., working six furlongs in 1:12.40 at Santa Anita Sunday morning. -Jessica Martini, Editor-in-Chief View the full article

It was uncharacteristically windy at Santa Anita Park late last week. But it’s unclear whether those gusts were caused by the rush of departing and incoming key employees (racing secretary, track superintendent, vice president of operations, and announcer all new since last meet) or if this was just the annual breath of fresh air that the Southern California circuit enjoys every Dec. 26 when the racing season opens anew with a stakes-laden program and high hopes for the coming year. There will be plenty of time in 2019 to ponder whether the SoCal circuit is in danger of sliding off the grid or if the work-in-progress rescue operation by The Stronach Group (TSG) will be able to right the venerable Santa Anita ship before frantic bailing-out begins and the lifeboats are deployed. New condition-book and horse population strategies, plus a new roulette-styled wager, have accompanied the recent spate of firings and hirings, and the implementation of this sweeping TSG game plan is being played out against the backdrop of an ugly family lawsuit initiated by patriarch Frank Stronach against his daughter, Belinda Stronach, the chairman and president of the company. But on Day 1 of the new racing season at least, Santa Anita was able to rise above the chaos and worries, posting an all-sources handle of $20.4 million that represents a 19% jump over a year ago while establishing an opening-day track record. Wednesday’s crowd of 41,373–up 3% from 2017–contributed a 5% percent betting increase over last year’s on-track $3.3 million (although a botched scheduling of mutuel tellers on 2017’s opening day resulted in numerous shut-outs that skew any meaningful comparison). And if you break out the opening-day feature race as an (admittedly ambitious) microcosm for what’s to come in 2019, my only response is “More, please!” Full fields of 14 in a North American Grade I stakes are about as frequent as a blue moon, and I counted no fewer than seven middle-distance specialists who earlier in the year had been considered either legitimate or wannabe contenders on the Triple Crown trail. And the rip-roaring race winner McKinzie (Street Sense)? Is this the same horse who was a well-backed no-show when languishing home twelfth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic not even two months ago? The same highly heralded ‘TDN Rising Star’ who, even in victories earlier in the season, swished his tail whenever he was put to pressure in stretch drives, never looking quite comfortable when asked for his all late in the lane? Even by trainer Bob Baffert’s demanding standards, McKinzie’s 4 3/4-length, off-the-pace triumph as the 6-5 favorite represents a significant turnaround, as the colt looked sleek and mean while classily leaving a top-notch field in his wake. “After the Breeders’ Cup, [jockey] Mike [Smith] was like, ‘Is he okay? He just quit,’ Baffert said in the Malibu aftermath. “And I told him, ‘Don’t worry about it, it was my fault.'” Smith subsequently got aboard McKinzie for several morning workouts, and said he could immediately sense the bay was on the cusp of a positive turnaround. “This horse really has something in store,” Smith said. “Bob brought him back here, gave him a little break and his energy came back up, his weight came back up, and he was ready to run. He was loaded from the word ‘Go.’ I’ve said all along that we haven’t seen the best of him yet. When he learns to put a few of these in a row together, we’re going to see something special.” McKinzie’s connections have always regarded the colt loftily. He was named after their good friend Brad McKinzie, the longtime executive at Los Alamitos Race Course who died in August 2017 after battling cancer. “When you name a horse for someone, you’ve got something invested beyond money,” said Mike Pegram, who co-owns McKinzie in partnership with Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. “It did my heart good to see this horse get lucky today.” It’s all about the money… Somewhere along the line–I’m not entirely sure when–the emphasis on being the “winningest” jockey in the nation shifted from ranking riders by actual trips to the winner’s circle to how much in purse earnings they’ve bankrolled. To me, it seems as if an aesthetic has been lost in the shuffle with this change. Think back to the 1940s and 50s, when the annual late-December rush to attain winningest jockey status in terms of victories generated a national publicity opportunity for the sport as riders (on the East Coast in particular) scrambled to land mounts down south after the northern race meets came to a close. In 1952, when 16-year-old whiz kid Tony DeSpirito established a then-record for 390 wins, the entire nation followed his chronicles as he zoomed south from New England and embarked on a whirlwind tour of tracks in Florida and Cuba. On the final day of the year, after he had broken the record for wins in a year set by Walter Miller in 1906, DeSpirito was rushed from Miami to New York just so he could appear on CBS’s “Toast of the Town” with Ed Sullivan. Three decades later, in 1982, the honor of being the leading jockey by wins was still enough of a big deal that determined 28-year-old Pat Day chartered a plane during a New Year’s Eve storm to fly into Delta Downs just so he could secure the title by two victories, besting rival Angel Cordero Jr., 399-397. And given the precipitous declines of both the annual foal crop and the number of races in North America, with each passing year it seems as if Kent Desormeaux’s 1989 mark of 598 wins in one year edges closer to “record that will never be broken” status. Only one jockey since then–Edgar Prado with 536 in 1997–has eclipsed 500 victories. For 2018, the wins/purses debate is a moot point. That’s because Irad Ortiz, Jr. is the clear leader in both categories. Through six races Sunday, he had 346 wins and had amassed $27,714,169 in earnings. Ortiz can safely take Dec. 31 off without concern that those leads will be significantly eroded in his absence–but he need not sit around waiting for the modern-day equivalent of Ed Sullivan to call for a last-minute booking. New Jersey–the gift that keeps on giving? Although I have a strong suspicion that–like racinos–legalized sports betting will not be the long-term panacea that many within the racing industry project it to be, there is little doubt that New Jersey wins the 2018 award for sparking the biggest short-term cash influxes to its Thoroughbred industry. First came the landmark May 14 Supreme Court ruling that struck down a federal law barring wagering on team sports, opening the floodgates for individual states to pursue legal sports betting as they wish. This long-shot victory was made possible chiefly by the perseverance of Monmouth Park’s management, and the state’s legislature acted fast to ensure first-to-market status for sports wagering at a horse track. Then this month, the New Jersey Senate unanimously advanced a bill that would guarantee a five-year, $10 million annual purse subsidy for Monmouth Park. The money would come from the state’s general fund, and there are separate windfalls for New Jersey’s two Standardbred tracks. The State Assembly and Governor Phil Murphy still have to approve SB 2992 before it becomes law. But The Press of Atlantic City last week argued against giving more money to “wealthy horse breeders.” According to the publication’s Dec. 27 editorial, “The last thing taxpayers need is a holiday gift they don’t want bought with their own money…. The Legislature already threw the state’s remaining three ailing horse-racing tracks a lifeline this year …. The sports betting revenue was supposed to allow the racetracks to offer bigger purses to create more popular racing events, and otherwise stabilize the diminishing industry…. New Jersey sports gambling has turned out to be stronger than expected and looks like it will be a $2-billion industry next year…. But apparently that’s not enough for the well-connected horse and racing people.” The opinion piece summed up the pending legislation by stating, “Legislators have said taxpayers should support the horse-racing industry because it is historic and employs people–like every other failing industry. This one just happens to be well-connected politically. State Senate President Stephen Sweeney said legislators never promised that sports-betting revenue would be the end of what they would give New Jersey racetracks. If the subsidy bill passes the Assembly, Gov. Murphy should make that promise, side with the taxpayers and not the affluent horse breeders, and declare the sports betting windfall is enough help for the racetracks.” View the full article

Mission from Elle (f, 2, Noble Mission {GB}–Wild as Elle, by Elnadim) charged home first in her Gulfstream Park debut Sunday to become the 14th winner for her freshman sire (by Galileo {Ire}). Sent off at 7-1, the bay filly stalked the pace from the rail through an opening quarter in :23.17. Forced to steady behind foes down the backstretch, she waited for racing room turning for home before sneaking through along the hedge and bounding home a two-length winner. Mission from Elle completed the one mile over the turf in 1:37.00. Delta’s Kingdom (Animal Kingdom) was second and Silver Kitten (Kitten’s Joy) was third. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,000. O-Run Like Elle LLC. B-Kelly Colliver & Wild as Elle LLC. T-Brendan Walsh. View the full article

13:50 Lingfield Breathless Times did well to get up on the line last time out, finishing strongly but needing to rely on a photo to be crowned the winner by a nose. He tries a mile for the first time and if staying the extra furlong he will be a danger, however both trainer and jockey […] The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Monday 31st December appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has reinstated a bonus program for potential starters in the Apr. 6 GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct in a move that could increase the race’s total purse to $1 million. As an incentive for the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial, a purse bonus of $250,000 will be applied if any horse in the field that is declared an official starter registers a Grade I or Group 1 victory prior to running in the race. Should a Grade or Group 1 winner become an official starter and trigger the increase, the Wood Memorial winner would earn $535,000, with the runner-up garnering $185,000 and third-place collecting $100,000. As part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” prep series, the Wood Memorial offers 100 qualifying points to the winner, 40 points to second, 20 to third and 10 to fourth as horses move toward potential starts in the GI Kentucky Derby May 4. NYRA has also enacted a pair of shipping incentive programs that will return in 2019 at the Aqueduct and Belmont spring meets. Under the “ship and win” program, horses that made their previous start at Oaklawn Park are eligible for a 30% bonus for their first two starts in New York, as well as a $1,500 shipping stipend for a start during either the Aqueduct spring or Belmont spring/summer meets, excluding stakes races. Additionally, horses who made their previous start at either Gulfstream Park or Tampa Bay Downs may be eligible for a shipping subsidy for a start during the Aqueduct spring meet, excluding stakes races. Owners who ship horses from Florida and make their first start from Mar. 8 through Mar. 31 will receive $2,000, while horses shipped in from the Sunshine State and make their first start from Apr. 5 through Apr. 20 will be credited $1,500. First-time starters are ineligible for either program. View the full article

When it comes to good horses, Jorge Abreu knows a thing or two because he’s seen a thing or two. The 44-year-old, who served as a nine-year assistant to the juggernaut operation of Eclipse-Award winning trainer Chad Brown, branched out on his own in 2016, and since that time, has fashioned an enviable record. With over 200 starts under his belt, the horseman’s stable has amassed over $2-million in earnings. “I had a great season so far,” affirmed Abreu. “A lot of nice horses came to my barn this year compared to last year. I got a good mix of horses, like claiming, allowance, 2 year olds and a couple of stakes horses–they haven’t started yet, but they look like they’re going to go that way.” Among his most notable performers this season, Stellar Agent (More Than Ready), who broke her maiden sprinting over the Saratoga sod Aug. 31, finished third in both the GII Miss Grillo S. at Belmont Sept. 30 and the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 2. In both graded stakes tries, the filly finished behind undefeated Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), trained by Abreu’s former boss, Chad Brown. “It was a great experience being in the Breeders’ Cup,” recalled Abreu. “When the filly came to me, I really liked her since day one. I’m not going to lie to you and say that I thought she was going to be Breeders’ Cup material, but when she showed up in the Miss Grillo S., we took the shot and ran her [at Churchill Downs]. And, I was pretty positive that she was going hit the board in the Breeders’ Cup because she was training that way.” {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"The Ascension of Jorge Abreu","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/307544022.sd.mp4?s=a4f3d429c42f249518d607f2f90419414ae362a2&profile_id=165","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/300270047.sd.mp4?s=9704e842c0d121b98b279c15d8d24835ef4929fe&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\/"} This season’s team also consisted of GIII Florida Oaks runner up Goodthingstaketime (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}), winner of a Gulfstream allowance Dec. 7, in addition to Pas de Soucis (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), third in the GIII Ladies Turf at Kentucky Downs in September. Horseman in the Making.. A native of the Dominican Republic, Abreu was introduced to horses at a young age via his parents Reynaldo and Martha, and worked weekends on the backstretch for trainer Murray Garren after the family immigrated to the U.S. in 1984. “Back home, my dad used to be a top rider [in the Dominican Republic] in the 1980s,” explained Abreu. “When we got here in 1984, I used to come to the track with my mom and dad every Saturday and Sunday. I used to be around the shedrow with Murray Garren. I used to roll the bandages, wash the feed tubs and water buckets. And from there, that’s all I know.” Following his time with Garren, Abreu galloped for trainer Billy Badget, and later worked for John Terranova before joining Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito. During his six-year tenure with Zito, Abreu became acquainted with a slew of graded winners, including GI Wood Memorial victor Bellamy Road and two-time GI Whitney hero Commentator. Joining the fledgling Brown operation in May 2008, Abreu had the opportunity to view the Mechanicville, New York horseman’s meteoric ascent to the top of the training ranks. While under the direction of the former assistant to legendary horseman Bobby Frankel, Abreu had a front-row seat to horses of the highest caliber, including Lady Eli, Big Blue Kitten, Stacelita, Flintshire, Stephanie’s Kitten, Zagora, Dayatthespa and Bobby’s Kitten. “It was a great experience for me working for Chad,” explained Abreu, whose brother Reynaldo is one of Brown’s main assistants after several years of training on his own. “I learned a lot over the years. We worked with a lot of different kind of horses. When we started, like everybody else, when you start your business of training horses, it’s kind of slow. But then, over the years, we just kept doing better and better. It was good teamwork and I learned a lot from Chad.” Steadily expanding his operation over the past two seasons, Abreu currently has 40 of horses under his care, a long way off from the single-horse stable he started with. While still under the employ of Brown–who collected his first Saratoga training title with a record 40 wins in 2016–Abreu was represented by a single runner, Woodville (Ghoszapper), who was two-for-two at the summer meet that season. Jumping in with both feet in 2017, Abreu runners won seven races from 68 starts while amassing earnings of $315,949, but the horseman watched as those figures spiked this year when the stable accounted for 27 wins and earnings over $1.6 million. “It was just time for me to make that move,” explained Abreu. “You know, I wanted to do things on my own. [Owners have] been supporting me and upgrading my horses and sending me different kinds of horses every year and putting their trust in me. So, I’m blessed.” Hope Springs Eternal… Following two seasons of steady growth, the horseman looks forward to what the new season may bring and hopes to continue the upward trend. “Well, I’m going to run things the same way,” he said. “I think I have a better quality of horses right now, and I’ve got a couple promising 2-year-olds that haven’t started yet.” Among the potential stars of the barn, 2-year-old Moravia (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) graduated third-time out at Leopardstown June 7 before finishing runner up to Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy) in the G3 Silver Flash S. July 26. The latter went on to add victories in The Curragh’s G2 Debutante S. and G1 Moyglare S. in September. “[Moravia] was rated second-best 2-year-old over there to Skitter Skatter,” he explained. “I had her and she had a little step back, so we sent her to the farm and she’s back in training.” Another European acquisition, Ardara Belle (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}), who won first out at Fountainbleu in September, has also given her trainer high hopes for 2019. “We just had a new one named Ardara Belle (Fr) that came from France. She’s a good filly. I think she’s going to be making noise in 2019.” View the full article

The New York Racing Association announced Dec. 30 the return of a bonus program for potential starters in the $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack April 6 that could increase the total purse to $1 million. View the full article