Wandering Eyes

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 8th-LRL, $40k, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 4:50 p.m. ET Alex G. Campbell Jr.’s BERNADETTE THE JET (American Pharoah) dropped the hammer for $425,000 as a yearling at the 2018 Keeneland September Sale. The chestnut has been training steadily at Fair Hill under the tutelage of classic winning conditioner Graham Motion. Bernadette the Jet, a half-sister to GI Preakness S. third place finisher Social Inclusion (Pioneerof the Nile), RNA’d for $485,000 at this year’s Fasig-Tipton March sale after breezing an eighth in :10.2. Social Inclusion became the buzz horse of spring 2014 after a 10-length trouncing of MGISW Honor Code (A.P. Indy) in only his second career start prior to his Preakness effort. TJCIS PPS The post July 26 Insights: Pricey American Pharoah Filly Poised for Laurel Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Brocklesby S. hero Show Me Show Me (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) is the latest new addition to the boutique Goffs UK Goodwood Sale scheduled for Wednesday, July 31. Consigned as lot 7 by trainer Richard Fahey’s Musley Bank Stables, the bay finished second by only a head in the £250,000 Weatherbys Super Sprint S. at Newbury on July 20. From the extended family of Group 2 winner Toocoolforschool (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}), the colt also holds an entry in the G3 Molecomb S. earlier on Wednesday. For more information on the eight-strong Goodwood Sale catalogue, go to www.goffsuk.com. The post Show Me Show Me Added to Goffs UK Goodwood Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Richard Hannon’s Herridge Racing Stables will be open to the public on Sunday, Sept. 1. Sponsored by Unibet and with the aim of raising money for the Greatwood Charity which uses retired racehorses to help disadvantaged children and young adults with special educational needs, and Wiltshire Air Ambulance, the inaugural Open Day lasts from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors will get to meet some of their equine heroes during a parade of the stable’s stars throughout the morning. Entertainers “Sharkey and George” will be on hand to provide fun and activities for children. Food and drink outlets will also be available. Premier League player Charlie Austin will answer questions about his racing experiences and his thoughts on the upcoming season. Tickets are £20 for adults and £5 for children under 16 accompanied by adults. “The open morning provides a wonderful opportunity for us to give something back to fans of racing as well as raising money for two brilliant causes,” said Hannon. “We are very lucky to have some wonderful facilities and everyone at Herridge Racing Stables is excited to welcome visitors to the yard on Sept. 1.” The post Hannon Hosts Yard Open Day for Charity appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kentucky Downs is moving the starting time for its first race to 12:15 p.m. Central Time, up from a 1:25 p.m. post time in recent years. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Uncle Benny (Declaration of War), last seen finishing a huge second in an ultra-key renewal of the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs Nov. 2, is nearing a return to the races. Last term’s Futurity S. winner, owned by Beach Haven Thoroughbreds and trained by Jason Servis, breezed five furlongs in 1:03.23 (8/8) at Saratoga July 22. He was previously credited with a three-furlong breeze in :38.22 (19/41) downstate July 6. “Uncle Benny is doing very well training up at Saratoga,” Beach Haven’s Founding Partner Ara Aprahamian said. “We should expect him to have his first race within the next 30 days. We are encouraged with how fast he has come back since he started training-he had a slight injury following the Breeders’ Cup. We expect him to have a successful remainder of 2019 and maybe even find his way back to the Breeders’ Cup. Aprahamian added, “He had edema–fluid buildup–in his ankle and we decided to give him time off to get back to 100%. We don’t have a specific race picked out, but we’re looking at races going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf–an allowance or a small stakes. Then we’ll stretch him back out.” A game front-running debut winner sprinting over the Monmouth dirt Aug. 24, the $185,000 FTSAUG graduate switched to grass with an eye-catching last-to-first win in Belmont’s Futurity. There was certainly no shortage of talent finishing behind him in the aforementioned Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, including: Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown) (third), subsequent winner of the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway; War of Will (War Front) (fifth), hero of this year’s GI Preakness S.; The Black Album (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) (eighth), winner of the Charlie Barley S.; Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (ninth), victor of the G1 Investec Derby; and Henley’s Joy (Kitten’s Joy) (13th), winner of the GI Belmont Derby Invitational. Uncle Benny is out of the unraced Storm Cat mare Celebrity Cat. His second dam is millionaire Starrer (Dynaformer). This is also the extended female family of MGISW Stellar Jayne (Wild Rush). The post APB: Uncle Benny Gearing Up at the Spa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The undefeated Looking At Bikinis (Lookin At Lucky) will make his highly anticipated stakes debut in Friday’s loaded $100,000 Curlin S. at Saratoga. He stamped himself as one to watch with a very sharp 5 3/4-length front-running win at first asking for trainer Chad Brown over subsequent GIII Sunland Derby winner Cutting Humor (First Samurai) sprinting in the Belmont slop last September. Sidelined thereafter, the bay proved well worth the wait for his sophomore debut, showing a different dimension rallying from off the pace and overcoming a troubled trip to reel in the speedy Not That Brady (Big Brown) in a $100,000 optional claimer going a one-turn mile at Belmont June 27. He earned a hefty 95 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. Looking At Bikinis fired a five-furlong bullet in :59 2/5 (1/29) at the Spa July 19 (XBTV Video). The 1 1/8-mile Curlin will mark his first attempt at two turns. He is the 5-2 morning-line favorite. “We are very excited about this colt,” co-owner Sol Kumin said. “Chad has been extremely high on him since he arrived and we think he has a chance to be special. He’s coming into the race with good spacing and is training extremely well. If he runs like we hope, we will point him to the [GI Runhappy] Travers [S. Aug. 24]. Kumin continued, “He needed some time after his first race. We sent him to Bruce Jackson at Fair Hill, who did an excellent job like he always does, and he came back to Chad ready to roll.” Looking At Bikinis, a $240,000 OBSAPR 2-year-old acquisition (:21 4/5), is campaigned in partnership by Long Lake Stable LLC, Madaket Stables LLC, Thomas Coleman and Doheny Racing Stable. He was produced by the two-time winner Bikini Beauty (Bernardini), a daughter of Grade II winner Beautyandthebeast (GB) (Machiavellian). “This ownership group is great,” Kumin said. “We own one-third in Madaket Stables, Long Lake-two great guys that love racing in Steve Mack and Matt Sidman–own one-third, and Tom Coleman and Mike Doheny, own the other third. It’s a group of young guys that are all close friends that all love racing and buy two-three horses a year together. We will be well represented on Friday.” The post Streaking Into the Curlin Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. is annually one of the sport’s most anticipated contests, and given its position as Britain’s third-richest race (behind the G1 Investec Derby and the G1 Qipco Champion S.) and its calendar spot where 3-year-olds and older horses can meet each other at the peaks of their powers, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Saturday’s renewal of Ascot’s midsummer showpiece could prove to be a vintage renewal, with Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) aiming to become just the third dual winner of the 68-year old race. She would also be the first to win it in non-consecutive years; she bested Ulysses (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) by 4 1/2 lengths at three but sat out last year’s edition, won by Poet’s Word (GB) (Poet’s Voice {GB}), on account of a setback that caused her seasonal debut to be delayed until September. While we wait to see if Enable can make history, it is worth reflecting on the accomplishments of another who did so in 2010. Harbinger (GB) (Dansili {GB}) went off the 4-1 second choice and was abandoned by Ryan Moore in favour of his stablemate, the Derby winner Workforce (GB) (King’s Best), but nonetheless decimated his five rivals under Olivier Peslier, winning by 11 lengths for Highclere’s Admiral Rous syndicate and trainer Sir Michael Stoute in a track-record time of 2:26.78. His 11-length gulf also bettered the race’s previous-best winning margin of seven lengths established by Generous in 1993. He was rated 140 by Timeform-joint sixth of all time in conjunction with Dancing Brave, Dubai Millennium, Sea The Stars, Shergar and Vaguely Noble. His King George was given a mark of 135 by the World Thoroughbred Rankings-good enough to be named the world’s best racehorse of 2010 by a wide margin over the 129-rated GI Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame (Arch). Harbinger, sadly, was injured on the gallops just a few weeks later and never ran again. The competition to secure him for stud was understandably fierce, and despite what connections described at the time as a “very strong bid” to keep the horse in Britain, ultimately they couldn’t turn down an even stronger offer to sell to the Yoshida family’s Shadai Group, and in late 2010 Harbinger was on a plane to Hokkaido, Japan. Harbinger stood this year, his eighth season, for ¥6-million (£44,407/€49,787). He covered 210 mares in 2018 and was one of seven Shadai stallions to break the 200 mark in addition to Lord Kanaloa (Jpn), Drefong, Duramente (Jpn), Maurice (Jpn), Rulership (Jpn) and Epiphaneia (Jpn). Harbinger’s first crop (comprised of 148 foals) hit the track in 2014 and yielded 18 winners from 85 runners, good enough to be named champion first-season sire-a significant accomplishment considering Harbinger himself hadn’t started until mid-April of his 3-year-old year, but it is important to note that Japan’s entire racing program is very focused on older middle-distance and staying horses. Even the 2-year-old program is designed around nurturing future stars, with 2-year-old racing only beginning in early June. As with all ages, Japan has fewer 2-year-old group races, making them more competitive in nature: whereas Japan has 14 2-year-old group races to divide among an annual foal crop of around 7,000, Britain alone has 36 for 4,600 foals. Harbinger notched his first stakes winner shortly after the turn of the calendar in 2015 when Beruf (Jpn) took the G3 Kiesei Hai S. over 2000 metres, and 2-year-old Dreadnoughtus (Jpn) won the G3 Nisai S. over the same distance (yes, a 2000 metre race for 2-year-olds) in late November, and Harbinger wound up the year with 72 individual winners. Harbinger added an additional group and listed winner in 2016, and while he had plied his trade admirably throughout his first few seasons, it was in 2017 that his progeny really began to spring to life. He made headlines when remarkably recording three Group 1 winners in the span of a month, all 3-year-olds from his third crop: the G1 Shuka Sho (2000 metres) winner Deirdre (Jpn); the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2200 metres) scorer Mozu Katchan (Jpn) and Persian Knight (Jpn), winner of the G1 Mile Championship. The momentum rolled into 2018 when he produced a career-best tally of stakes winners (10, including five group winners) and earnings (around £20.7-million/€23.3-million). His headline horse last year was Blast Onepiece (Jpn), a 3-year-old who bested older horses in the 2500-metre G1 Arima Kinen. The Arima Kinen, held annually on the Sunday before Christmas, is the country’s biggest betting race, with the field decided in part by votes from fans who sometimes camp out for days in advance to get a good position among the 100,000-plus crowd at Nakayama Racecourse-despite the cold weather and the holiday season. Harbinger is on three stakes winners thus far in 2019, headed by the G1 Victoria Mile winner Normcore (Jpn). He sits ninth on the sires’ table comprising turf and dirt earnings, and fifth by turf earnings only. He has averaged 3.4 stakes winners per crop. Harbinger is playing an important role on the Shadai roster as an outcross that is also a source of class and stamina. It is well known that Deep Impact and other sons of Sunday Silence are very prominent at the top of the stallion ranks in Japan, and the two other obvious outcross sires to emerge in recent years, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) and Rulership (Jpn), are both by the prolific King Kamehameha, who will also have plenty of daughters at stud. Two of Harbinger’s Group 1 winners, Mozu Katchan and Blast Onepiece, are out of King Kamehameha mares. Seven of his 17 stakes winners are out of Sunday Silence mares, including Persian Knight, and a further five are out of mares by sons of Sunday Silence, while Normcore and Group 3 winner Prophet (Jpn) have second dams by Sunday Silence. “It is very important to have a successful pedigree which is an outcross to Sunday Silence line for the horse breeding industry in Japan,” said the JRHA’s international representative Naohiro Goda. “And as many of the important races in Japan are over a mile and quarter, a mile and half and more, Harbinger is an ideal stallion for Japanese breeders.” Japan’s gain appears to have been Europe’s loss when it comes to Harbinger’s stud career, but it is worth questioning whether he would have gotten the same chance to shine on his home soil. While his record-breaking King George win would have surely gained him some early support at stud, the fact that he didn’t race at two and didn’t reach his best until four would have turned plenty off in the land where a precocious page has become so crucial in the sales ring. Just look at horses like Decorated Knight (GB) and Harzand (Ire) in recent years. Sure, neither were rated 135, but both were incredibly admirable multiple Group 1 winners over middle distances, and both have struggled to attract decent book sizes: Decorated Knight received 66 mares last year and Harzand, after covering 87 in his first season, was visited by just 30 mares in 2018. And while we cannot say that Harbinger wouldn’t have had a 2-year-old stakes winner had he stood in Europe, hypothetically a first year of runners in Europe without one would have been extremely difficult to bounce back from. Harbinger has found a place at Shadai where he can successfully ply his trade, and we can now watch on with interest to see whether he develops into one of the next great imports. And with the Japanese-trained Cheval Grand (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) lining up in hopes to dethrone Enable on Saturday-and with Harbinger’s own Deirdre having run in Royal Ascot’s G1 Prince of Wales’s S.-one has cause to believe that we could still see one of Harbinger’s own sons or daughters someday line up in the race in which he made such a mark. The post Japan An Ideal Environment For Harbinger appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

As Britain swelters in a heatwave that threatens established records, Ascot prepares for a renewal of the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco S. that will challenge the gauge of equine ability. Thursday saw the draw made for what is widely seen as the strongest edition of the midsummer jewel for some time and, as she was in the Eclipse three weeks ago, Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is wide. Widest of all in 11, but that is no disadvantage over this trip at this round course where high numbers are always favoured. Allied with her considerable and still immeasurable talent, the post position may be the final nail in the coffin of some classy rivals. Odds of 8-13 were the best available in the immediate aftermath of the draw and if the plunge that took place minutes before her July 5 Sandown reintroduction is repeated they could look generous. John Gosden is staying guarded and grounded, however. “This is no penalty kick,” he said at this week’s press morning. “She will have come on for Sandown and she is up for it, but I don’t think it is the formality that is being indicated. It’s a big ask, but she is proud and happy in herself. When she’s in the zone, she’s very determined and assertive. She’s very enthusiastic and she loves her training and racing. That makes my job a whole lot easier.” Frankie Dettori is on an astonishing roll even by his standards at present and he added, “She’s in good fettle and it’s all systems go. Everybody has turned up and we’ve got to compete with the best, so I’d be lying if I said I was not nervous. I am nervous, carrying the hopes of the nation on one of best horses in the world and we just want everything to go well. We know what she’s capable of.” ‘TDN Rising Star’ Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) is back a possibly improved horse to the one who was just denied by stablemate Poet’s Word (Ire) (Poet’s Voice {GB}) 12 months ago, having captured the G1 Prince of Wales’ S. over 10 furlongs at the Royal meeting here on June 19 but like all the other older colts he has to concede three pounds to Juddmonte’s queen. Sir Evelyn de Rothschild’s homebred is drawn in nine, with one of Ballydoyle’s three potential pacemakers Hunting Horn (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in between in 10. Interestingly, Aidan O’Brien has declared his quartet all in cheekpieces, with Hunting Horn, the G1 Pretty Polly S. runner-up Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the G1 Epsom Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) all wearing them for the first time. As expected, Ryan Moore is on the latter who receives eight pounds from Enable and 11 from Crystal Ocean and Donnacha O’Brien on the second-string Magic Wand. With all the pace in the high numbers, hold-up merchants Defoe (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) can sit back and wait from their three and four draws as can the Japanese challenger Cheval Grand (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}), who breaks from stall six. Defoe is on a roll after wins in the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom on May 31 and G2 Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot on June 22 and he faces the perfect speed scenario in his reinvention as a johnny-come-lately figure. Trainer Roger Varian is keen to see how he measures up against the best. “He will have to go some to topple Enable and Crystal Ocean, but he fully deserves to be in there and I’m sure he will run another massive race,” he said. “Whether it’s good enough to win the King George we will have to wait and see. Defoe only just does enough, but he’s solid, straightforward and can quicken. He’s fresh and holding his level of form. It’s a great race to be involved in.” The post Enable Faces Ten In Hot King George appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

... View the full article

The weather forecasts played a big part in Grahame Begg's decision to keep Romancer closer to home to run at Caulfield rather than travel him interstate. With rain forecast for Melbourne over the coming days Begg has opted to run Romancer in Saturday’s Catanach’s Jewellers Handicap (1400m) over the Listed Winter Challenge in Sydney. "The weather prediction was for the rain here and that's what he relishes, getting soft ground," Begg said. Romancer has had three starts since being transferred... View the full article

Waiuku trainers Grant and Tana Shaw have experienced a fair bit of success campaigning Locally Sauced in Canterbury and they hope to replicate that form when he contests the Race Images (CHCH) 2200 at Phar Lap Raceway on Friday. The seven-year-old son of Iffraaj won the corresponding race last year and his trainers believe he can go back-to-back after placing in the Whangarei Gold Cup (2100m) at Ruakaka last start. “He has been down there three times now and he has won probably $100,000 down t... View the full article

Months after Maximum Security was disqualified for interference in the Kentucky Derby (G1), an influential international committee on rules will meet in the U.S. to discuss a standard many believe would have let his victory stand. View the full article

Brittlyn Stable's Evelyn Benoit has believed in her stallion Star Guitar from the start of his stud career, and July 24 Benoit's 4-year-old filly Minit to Stardom became the first graded stakes winner sired by Star Guitar. View the full article

Karl Broberg has been the leading trainer in the country by wins every year since 2014 and looks to have this year’s title already wrapped up. But that doesn’t make him a racing insider. In fact, he’s anything but. While running an advertising business specializing in products promoting high school sports, he got involved in the sport as a horseplayer. Then he became an owner. He didn’t begin training until 2009. That’s among the reasons why Broberg doesn’t see the sport through the same prism as so many others. There are racing traditions he doesn’t understand and is unwilling to accept, the latest example being the system of jockeys hiring agents and then turning over as much as 30% of their earnings to them. “It’s absolutely absurd that these jockeys, who have such short careers, are giving 25 to 30% of their money solely to have some guy enter horses for a trainer,” Broberg said. “It doesn’t make sense.” While Broberg does acknowledge that some jockey agents earn their money and do more than just help a trainer with entries, he wants to shake up the status quo. He took a pretty big step toward just that when bringing C.J. McMahon on board to be his stable rider at Evangeline Downs and Delta Downs. The two agreed that with Broberg using McMahon exclusively, the jockey did not need an agent. “When he rides for me, there is no agent,” Broberg said. “He doesn’t have to pay anyone anything. He gets to keep all his money, except for taking care of the valet.” The Broberg-McMahon combination is among the few situations where a jockey likely will thrive without an agent. McMahon was among the top jockeys in the Southwest and won 216 races in 2016, many of them for Broberg. In 2017, he decided to try to break in on more prominent circuits and rode at Gulfstream and in Kentucky. His numbers plummeted, and he won just 48 races in 2018. He needed a way to revive his career and saw Broberg’s proposal as a perfect way to do so. “This is a tremendous opportunity and I’m ecstatic that he believes in me and is going to give me a chance to show my talent and ride good horses,” McMahon said. “To ride for a guy like Karl, who wins 500 plus races a year, how can you say no? I was in a position where I won 40 something races last year. Now, who knows how many we can win together.” The relationship should be most lucrative for McMahon at Delta Downs, which opens Oct. 8. Because Delta’s purses are significantly higher than those paid out at Evangeline, it’s a meet Broberg points for. At the 2018-2019 meet, he won 107 races and his stable earned $2 million. Had McMahon won 107 races at that meet, he would have been the second leading rider at the track. If Broberg has a horse in a race at Evangeline or Delta, McMahon cannot accept an outside mount. Broberg said he will give McMahon advance notice when he knows there is a race he will not have a starter in and, in that case, McMahon is free to ride for anyone he wants. He will also be required to work for Broberg on all mornings when his Louisiana division is breezing horses. When Broberg runs more than one horse in a race, he will bring in an outside rider, but one who will likely wind up on the lesser-regarded part of his entry. “I made this offer with C.J. McMahon because we have had great success in the past,” Broberg said. “A few years ago, he was winning races for us left and right. C.J. has a gift, he’s incredibly talented. When he got back [after riding in Florida and Kentucky] he approached me and said he’d like to ride for me again. But he wasn’t able to get any outside business. Some agents are earning their money. But here you have a fellow who was not able to get any outside business and I’m able to latch on to what I perceive to be one of the most talented jockeys around here, so why not let the jockey keep all the money and get back up on his feet?” The Broberg-McMahon combination is among the few situations where a jockey likely will thrive without an agent. McMahon was among the top jockeys in the Southwest and won 216 races in 2016, many of them for Broberg. In 2017, he decided to try to break in on more prominent circuits and rode at Gulfstream and in Kentucky. His numbers plummeted, and he won just 48 races in 2018. He needed a way to revive his career and saw Broberg’s proposal as a perfect way to do so. “This is a tremendous opportunity and I’m ecstatic that he believes in me and is going to give me a chance to show my talent and ride good horses,” McMahon said. “To ride for a guy like Karl, who wins 500 plus races a year, how can you say no? I was in a position where I won 40 something races last year. Now, who knows how many we can win together.” The relationship should be most lucrative for McMahon at Delta Downs, which opens Oct. 8. Because Delta’s purses are significantly higher than those paid out at Evangeline, it’s a meet Broberg points for. At the 2018-2019 meet, he won 107 races and his stable earned $2 million. Had McMahon won 107 races at that meet, he would have been the second leading rider at the track. If Broberg has a horse in a race at Evangeline or Delta, McMahon cannot accept an outside mount. Broberg said he will give McMahon advance notice when he knows there is a race he will not have a starter in and, in that case, McMahon is free to ride for anyone he wants. He will also be required to work for Broberg on all mornings when his Louisiana division is breezing horses. When Broberg runs more than one horse in a race, he will bring in an outside rider, but one who will likely wind up on the lesser-regarded part of his entry. “I made this offer with C.J. McMahon because we have had great success in the past,” Broberg said. “A few years ago, he was winning races for us left and right. C.J. has a gift, he’s incredibly talented. When he got back [after riding in Florida and Kentucky] he approached me and said he’d like to ride for me again. But he wasn’t able to get any outside business. Some agents are earning their money. But here you have a fellow who was not able to get any outside business and I’m able to latch on to what I perceive to be one of the most talented jockeys around here, so why not let the jockey keep all the money and get back up on his feet?” The post Racing’s Winningest Trainer Looking to Shake Up Jockey-Agent Relationship appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Woodford Racing's Campaign made jockey Rafael Bejarano work for it, but in the end the son of Curlin responded at just the right time to win the $100,000 Cougar II Handicap (G3) July 24 at Del Mar. View the full article

This season will live long in the memory for Ardmore trainer Nicholas Bishara. Not only did he double his previous best tally of wins in a season, but he also experienced Group One glory as an owner through star three-year-old filly Verry Elleegant. “I’m extremely happy,” Bishara said. “I don’t have a big team, I have only got about seven or eight at the moment, so to get 10 wins from that pool of horses is great. “It has pretty much been a dream season. The team has fired on the hom... View the full article

Lisa Allpress has achieved a major career goal with an invitation to ride in the World All-Stars Jockeys series in Japan. Allpress announced the invitation on social media this week, posting: "Smiling because I’m off to Japan! So happy to be invited to the world jockey series in Sapporo 24th and 25th August." The now three-time national premiership-winning jockey said she had always envied the likes of David Walsh and Lance O'Sullivan getting to ride in the Japanese event and desperately wante... View the full article

Campaign (Curlin) looked to have the field for Wednesday’s GIII Cougar II H. over a barrel on paper, but the 4-year-old made jockey Rafael Bejarano work for it–and those that crushed him into 7-10 favoritism sweat for it a fair bit–before edging away to take his career batting average to .500. Drawn widest in a field scratched down to five, the $675,000 Keeneland September purchase dropped himself right out the back door and trailed by double digits a furlong into the race, forcing Bejarano to ride him along entering the stretch for the first time. For the Top (Arg) (Equal Stripes {Arg}) took them along at a decent gallop for the distance, chased along by Morse Code (Tapit) with Itsinthepost (Fr) (American Post {GB})–very much at home at the trip, but a question mark trying the dirt for the first time–close in tow. For his part, Campaign continued to lob along from well back at midway, and sensing a bit of urgency, was asked to take closer order from fourth down the backstretch. Called upon for everything he had at the three-eighths marker, the heavy chalk began to gain ground, but still looked in deep water, as Itsinthepost struck to the front with under two furlongs to race. But Campaign took a deep breath at the three-sixteenths, grabbed Itsinthepost with 100 yards to race and came away to a hard-fought success. A maiden winner going 12 grassy furlongs at Kentucky Downs last summer while under the care of Steve Asmussen and an allowance winner over an extended mile-and-a-quarter trip, Campaign was 10th in Keeneland’s GIII Sycamore S. before switching to this barn this season. A running-on fourth to stablemate and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Gift Box (Twirling Candy) in the GI Santa Anita H. Apr. 6, he backed up eight days later to easily land the 12-furlong GIII Tokyo City S. Campaign was exiting a fourth in the GII Brooklyn Invitational S. at Belmont June 8 in which he was under a similarly busy ride for most of the opening 10 panels, then was locked away in traffic when full of run late. Pedigree Notes: Campaign is out of an unraced daugher of SW & GSP Aurora (Danzig), the dam of GISWs Arch (Kris S.) and Acoma (Empire Maker), GSW Festival of Light (A.P. Indy) and Arch’s MSW full-brother Alisios. Aurora is also the second dam of Japanese MGSW & MGISP Albiano (Harlan’s Holiday) and of the GSW & track record-setting Covfefe (Into Mischief), who will be one of the favorites for the GI Longines Test S. next weekend. Aurora’s dam was the outstanding racemare Althea, champion 2-year-old filly of 1983 and winner of the 1984 GI Arkansas Derby. Campaign’s 2-year-old half-brother, Aster Horn (Speightstown), was purchased for $360,000 out of last year’s September sale and has been sent to Japan, no surprise given that horses from this family like Rabbit Run (Tapit) and Asukusa Genki (Stormy Atlantic) are recent group winners in the country. Arania is the dam of a yearling Speightstown filly and was barren to Mastery for 2019. Wednesday, Del Mar COUGAR II H.-GIII, $100,000, Del Mar, 7-24, 3yo/up, 1 1/2m, 2:32.36, ft. 1–CAMPAIGN, 123, c, 4, by Curlin 1st Dam: Arania, by Dynaformer 2nd Dam: Aurora, by Danzig 3rd Dam: Althea, by Alydar ($675,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP). O-Woodford Racing LLC; B-Alexander-Groves Thoroughbreds (KY); T-John W Sadler; J-Rafael Bejarano. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 10-5-1-0, $394,753. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A++. 2–Itsinthepost (Fr), 121, g, 7, American Post (GB)–Sakkara Star (Ire), by Mozart (Ire). (€5,000 Ylg ’13 OSLATE). O-Red Baron’s Barn LLC; B-Julien Leaunes (FR); T-Jeff Mullins. $20,000. 3–For the Top (Arg), 119, c, 4, Equal Stripes (Arg)–Stormy Martyr (Arg), by Bernstein. O-RRR Racing Inc; B-El Turf (ARG); T-Bob Baffert. $12,000. Margins: 1 1/4, 12, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.70, 4.10, 2.80. Also Ran: Morse Code, Original Intent. Scratched: Premium Forest, Zestful. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. The post Campaign Guts It Out in the Cougar II appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Syahir looking to keep Dream alive View the full article

Duric expecting cheeky run from War Affair View the full article

Patrick Moloney to ride at Kranji in August View the full article

Early scratchings July 26 & 28 View the full article

For Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Mitole, it's all about doing what he does best in his last few races before next season beginning the new phase of his life as a stallion. View the full article

Last year’s Jumbo Jet Trophy winner Preditor (NZ) (Savabeel) will make a bold attempt to go back-to-back first-up from a break this Sunday. He will, however, be partnered in the S$175,000 race over 1400m by a jockey who does not boast the most flattering record on him – four rides for four unplaced finishes – Matthew Kellady. With the five-time winner (1400m to 1800m) weighted at 54.5kgs, his winningest partner (three wins), heavyweight jockey John Powell had to sit out the ride. Trainer S... View the full article

A week after one of the summer's classics for 3-year-olds was contested at the Jersey Shore in stifling humidity, the division is turning up the heat once again. View the full article