Wandering Eyes

Singapore next stop for van der Merwe View the full article

Horses' test results December 20 & 22 View the full article

A year after he won the American Oaks (G1T) with Daddys Lil Darling, trainer Ken McPeek is sending another promising Kentucky-based filly out west to seek grade 1 glory. View the full article

Sagamore Farm's Recruiting Ready led every point of call and was able to hold off a late challenge by Skyler's Scramjet in his return to the races in the $100,000 Gravesend Stakes Dec. 23 at Aqueduct Racetrack. View the full article

Champion and dual G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) will visit fellow Arc victor Sea The Stars (Ire) at His Highness the Aga Khan’s Gilltown Stud in 2019, Al Shaqab Racing announced via Twitter on Sunday. The daughter of Trevise (Fr) (Anabaa) is currently carrying to Siyouni (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}), who stands at Haras de Bonneval in France. “Arc-winning champions Treve and Sea The Stars are set for a date this spring,” Al Shaqab Racing said via Twitter. “The star mare is in foal to the Aga Khan Studs’ Siyouni.” While Treve’s first foal, a yearling colt by Dubawi (Ire) is unnamed, her weanling filly by Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) has been christened Paris (Fr). View the full article

An epiglottic entrapment may have knocked Phoenix Thoroughbreds' Dream Tree out of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), but after surgery to repair the issue, she'll be back to try for her first grade 1 win of 2018 in the La Brea Stakes. View the full article

Amy Meagher, Marketing Coordinator at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, answers our questions. TDN: Tell us about your career to date? Amy Meagher: I don’t have a family background in the industry, but my parents were very much supportive of my interest in horses and encouraged me to start riding ponies at a young age. Growing up in County Kildare I regularly went racing and that’s where I developed my desire for a career in the industry. While studying Equine Science at the University of Limerick, I gained hands on experience with Thoroughbreds working at Ashford Stud in Kentucky and also at Newtown Stud in Naas. After graduation I worked for a time as Marketing and Advertising Assistant for the Irish Racing Yearbook, followed by a six-month internship with Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. I joined the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM) team as Marketing Coordinator in September 2017. TDN: If you could be one person in the industry for a day who would it be and why? AM: There are plenty of industry brains I would love to pick, but I think it would be especially insightful to be Miss Patricia O’Kelly of Kilcarn Stud for one day. Miss O’Kelly is absolutely iconic. It’s remarkable what she has achieved for so many years, consistently producing top-class racehorses and sale-toppers. Even to scratch the surface of her expertise and depth of knowledge on the bloodstock industry would be phenomenal. TDN: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? AM: Over the years I have received two pieces of advice that have resonated with me. The first was given to me by a teacher while I was preparing for an exam. She said “Don’t forget the five Ps: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.” The next best piece of advice was “Set your bar high and strive to exceed it.” TDN: What is the best aspect of your current job? AM: I like all aspects of my job, the role is rewarding and challenging in equal measure. When I’m in the office I enjoy researching markets and producing new content for our social media channels. I’m very lucky because I regularly get out and about with my job. ITM has a presence at every Irish-based bloodstock sale and I love going to Goffs and Tattersalls, as well as hosting events for our international clients. TDN: If you weren’t working in the horseracing industry what would you be doing? AM: I have never really considered pursuing a career in any other industry. From a young age I have always aspired to work in horseracing in some capacity. I think I would still work in marketing with a focus on digital marketing. I also find sports psychology really interesting, though I don’t think an industry change is on the horizon for me. TDN: If you had 24 hours to get someone interested in the horseracing industry how would you do it? AM: I believe there’s more to racing than just the winning post and I think most people who are involved in the industry are in it because of the love of the animal. With that in mind, I would take a holistic approach with a view to telling the wider story behind the racing and breeding industry. I think visiting a stud farm, a sales complex, a breaking and training yard and obviously attending a race meeting would help tell the whole story and hopefully spark interest. TDN: What was your biggest achievement in 2018? AM: It has been a year of soaking up knowledge and applying the learning I have received from the highly experienced people in ITM and the remarkable industry people my role has afforded me the opportunity to meet. I’m pleased to have reached some of my professional and personal goals, building sound foundations for a much larger goal I have set myself for 2019. Milestones of note in 2018 include co-hosting my first international event with ITM and running in my first charity race. TDN: Who was your horse of 2018 and why? AM: Justify, without a doubt. The Triple Crown is the one of the greatest challenges in horseracing and it takes a very special horse, with a rare combination of pedigree, attitude, training and versatility to win it. For Justify to win six races in quick succession, while making history as the first horse in 136 years to win the Kentucky Derby without having raced as a juvenile, as well as becoming only the second undefeated horse to win the Triple Crown is, in my opinion, beyond extraordinary. TDN: What is your New Year’s resolution? AM: Generally, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I think it’s far more productive to set and review goals year round, rather than pile on the pressure in January. I also think it’s important to remain open and receptive to the changes a New Year might bring. View the full article

In the sphere of longitudinal lines, order is given to and connections are made within a world of complex variety. It is no coincidence that Ghislain Bozo, son of the famed stud manager Antoine, named his agency Meridian International when taking the plunge in 2002 to bring together the divergent racing and breeding forces of the globe. Responsible for buying the likes of the Beverly D heroine Royal Highness (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), Danedrop (Ire) (Danehill)–dam of the brilliant Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB})–and being involved in Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) as a yearling, the 49-year-old has been at the forefront of the drive to thrust France into the heart of international competition. His career trajectory is one of those epics that cannot be told in brief, but the main point is that he was not pushed into racing and breeding by Antoine and Claire Bozo, who stood at the helm of the beautified Haras du Mezeray. Instead allowed breathing space to probe the world and find his own metier, he gained a rich source of experience that underlines the success of Meridian International during the first two decades of this millennium. And experience is the keyword. It is one that Ghislain uses often as he seeks to define his method of dissecting what he terms as “quality” in the Thoroughbreds that he scans with his keen eye. “Horses have to have speed and generosity, tenacity and quality,” he states. “What quality is is not so easy to describe. It’s in the head and the coat of the horse, its attitude. It’s what makes a horse different from another. It is one way to look at horses that works well and something you define as you gain experience.” That experience had its roots way back in his infant and childhood years at Haras du Bois Roussel, Haras de Mortree and at Mezeray, and although he admits that “we lived around horses, but I was not passionate, to be honest,” the enchantment of such glorious surroundings and the atmosphere of a historic stud farm is forceful and seeps into the material of those who live within its confines. After extensive travels in the States, India and Germany, where the world of business was his focus, he honed an outlook trained on further afield than just France. Eventually, the pull of the trade in horses that had lured his ancestors proved too much and he took up a position at UNIC, which is his birth country’s promoter of the domestic horse industry around the world. After setting up the French Racing and Breeding Committee, it was his business orientation which truly set him on the way to renown. A meeting in the early 2000s with Lucien Urano, who had made his name with French trotters under the auspices of Ecurie des Charmes, proved a waymark as the move to reinstate Ecurie des Monceaux as a major operation with international significance began. “I introduced my brother [the established Henri] to Mr. Urano and he developed the farm for him and we bought him quite a lot of young mares and yearling fillies. Among those yearlings were three Group 1 winners in the first three years, so we had quite quick success there and that really got him started,” Ghislain reflects. “Henri did a good job and launched the stud and that’s how it began. Mr. Urano gave me a real opportunity to succeed and it gave me a stronger exposure to top bloodstock. I then did an MBA in Paris, which really gave me more confidence in business and then I started Capital Pur Sang with Nicolas de Chambure which enjoyed success with a small amount of capital.” It was under Capital Pur Sang that the filly Dream Peace (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) was purchased for €250,000 at the 2010 Arqana Horses In Training Sale before going on to win the G2 Prix de la Nonette and prove herself a genuine top-level performer. Sold for 2.7 million guineas at the 2013 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, she was a benchmark for the operation which also bought into the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere hero Wootton Bassett as he entered stud. “I met more clients through that platform, including Laurent Dassault who is among my main clients today along with the top breeding operations of Ballylinch Stud, Haras de la Perelle, Gestut Brummerhof and Ecurie des Charmes.” With his entrepreneur spirit, it is no surprise that Ghislain wants a shake-up of France’s status quo which he sees as partly focused in the wrong direction. “There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic, but at the same time we are in a transitional phase,” he explains. “When it comes to the French scene, we are in a pivotal moment and we need to make the necessary reforms. We have a very good system in the PMU, which is very beneficial to the industry, but we have to change a very French way of thinking concerning the redistribution of premiums which has some pernicious effects. It brings a little bit of laziness in the selection, as you have average horses getting a return due to the premiums. We need to keep that system but make it more efficient with selectivity in mind. That will balance the offer and encourage investment in better stock and therefore enhance our competitiveness. “France has a long racing history and a complex racing institution. We need to restructure this institution and get people to adapt. There is now a strong awareness among French professionals and hopefully we will move forward. There are a lot of good fundamentals like Chantilly, probably the best training centre in the world, beautiful racetracks, racing programs and fantastic breeding operations, so it is more a question of adapting better to the current world. We need to reduce the number of racetracks and concentrate on attracting new crowds and business people in the best possible comfort. That’s why France Galop wanted to invest in the new ParisLongchamp, which was a really good thing and necessary. It will take time, but hopefully we will get there.” With the UK government in disarray regarding the act of collective self harm known as Brexit, like most others Ghislain is cautious about the aspect of losing the benefits of easy trade with Britain. “I am also very concerned about Brexit and I think everyone can be,” he adds. “I’m sure long term we can find ways to overcome the issues, but it is still a concern.” “As far as bloodstock is concerned, there is a very strong polarisation in ownership, with a few people with a lot of money but it goes around them a bit too much. Every country needs to widen that base of ownership through marketing and better prize money for better organization and better redistribution. The cost of producing a horse has become extremely expensive and stallion fees are probably unreasonable, so we need to be careful with that inflation. What we do have in France is a lot of new, young people and operations in the racing and breeding industry and that is quite exciting. There are reasons to be optimistic as well.” Looking to 2019, Ghislain is keen on a set of fillies with elite pedigrees. “I have two I bought in partnership with David Redvers for Qatar Racing, and for Laurent Dassault and a Chinese client on my side. One is called Sparkle Roll (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) [a half-sister to last year’s Epsom Derby hero Wings of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi {Ire}) who took a Haydock maiden impressively in September for the John Gosden stable] and the other is with Francois Rohaut and is called Big Brothers Pride (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) [a half to this year’s G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Polydream (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who took a Chantilly contest on her sole start in October]. There is also Mythic (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) from the family of Wings of Eagles who I bought for Ecurie des Charmes and who is in training with Alain de Royer-Dupre. She won her only start impressively [at Angers in November]. We also bought a very nice filly, Solage (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), with John O’Connor for Ballylinch Stud and Ecurie des Charmes [for €1-million at the recent Arqana December Sale] and we hope for the best with her. She is a beautiful and well-bred filly.” The acquisition of four such high-profile fillies is evidence that Meridian International is building all the time. Through a trained acumen and a keen sense of what constitutes a choice Thoroughbred, there is a suspicion that Ghislain Bozo can take the family name to new heights. He has what it takes to not only survive, but excel in these unsettled times. View the full article

River Boyne (Dandy Man {Ire}) will face 10 rivals as the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the GII Mathis Brothers Mile S. Wednesday at Santa Anita. A two-time graded stakes winner, the dark bay colt just missed out on a top-level score when second, beaten a half-length, in the Dec. 1 GI Hollywood Derby last time at Del Mar. He was unable to hold off Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the late stages of that 1 1/8-mile race, and cuts back a furlong Wednesday. The consistent River Boyne, trained by Jeff Mullins, has won five of eight starts this year, including the Nov. 4 GII Twilight Derby and the Aug. 5 GII Del Mar Derby. Todd Pletcher ships Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) west as the Zayat Stables runner looks to rebound from recent lackluster efforts. Winner of a pair of stakes last spring, the gray colt was far from disgraced when sixth in the June 22 G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. Back stateside, he was fourth in the Aug. 3 GII Hall of Fame S. and was seventh over the main track in the Aug. 25 GI H. Allen Jerkens S. before finishing fifth in the Oct. 6 Belmont Turf Sprint and seventh in the Nov. 3 Showing Up S. at Gulfstream Park West last time out. Zayat Stables will also be represented by the Richard Baltas-trained Desert Stone (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who broke his maiden over the Santa Anita lawn in May and added a optional-claimer over course and trip in June. Third in the Twilight Derby, he is coming off an eighth-place finish in the Hollywood Derby. View the full article

Battle of Midway (Smart Strike), the 9-5 morning-line favorite will be looking for his third straight victory when he goes postward in Wednesday’s GII San Antonio S. at Santa Anita. The bay colt was an open-lengths winner of the Comma to the Top S. over the Arcadia oval Oct. 28, but had to outbattle a determined Dabster (Curlin) to win the Nov. 25 GIII Native Diver S. at Del Mar last time out. “He hasn’t missed a beat [in his training],” Dan Ward, assistant to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, said of Battle of Midway’s preparation for the San Antonio. “He ran a good race last out. He had to go head and head all the way, so that should have him plenty fit. He’s worked well here at Santa Anita and he’s run well here, so he’s ready to go.” Battle of Midway will break from post two in the nine-horse 1 1/16-mile race and Dabster will be just to his outside in post three. The Bob Baffert trainee, 5-2 on the morning-line, will once again be ridden by Joe Talamo. “He’s a fun horse to ride,” Talamo said of Dabster, who worked a bullet four furlongs in :46.60 last Friday in the company of GI Malibu S. contender Solomini (Curlin). “He shows up every time, and even when he loses, he really tries hard. It should be a good race with him and Battle of Midway. They’re two good horses. Hopefully, we can flip the page this time.” Gift Box (Twirling Candy) will be making his first start for trainer John Sadler and Hronis Racing. The 5-year-old has not been out since winning a Mar. 24 optional-claiming race at Aqueduct for W. S. Farish and trainer Chad Brown. Third in the 2015 GII Remsen S. and fourth in the 2016 GI Travers S., the handsome gray is looking for his first graded stakes tally in the San Antonio. He turned in a bullet five-furlong work in 1:00 Dec. 19 at Santa Anita. View the full article

Before a crowd of over 100,000, Blast Onepiece (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) held off favoured Rey de Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) by a neck to capture the G1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama on Sunday. The 2500-metre event was the first Group 1 victory for the Silk Racing colourbearer and his trainer, Masahiro Otake. Drawn in stall eight, the 8-1 third choice perched out in the middled of the course as Kiseki (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) charged up to show the way while shadowed by Oju Chosan (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) and Mikki Rocket (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}). Blast Onepiece was seventh 800 metres out as Kiseki rolled through the first 1700 metres in 1:43.5. Rallying with 600 metres to travel, the Northern Farm-bred surged up into fourth a quarter mile from the winning post, but Kiseki still hung on gamely to the lead as rivals began to inch closer. Collaring the longtime leader inside the final 100 metres, the colt just withstood the late bid of 6-5 crowd’s pick Rey de Oro who lunged late, but missed by a neck. Cheval Grand (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}), who tanked along near the rear of the field for much of the race, got up for third 1 1/4 lengths behind, with Mikkie Rocket rounded out the superfecta another 1 1/2 lengths back. “As I had drawn a middle gate, I was a bit worried of being caught between horses so I settled him toward the outside,” said pilot Kenichi Ikezoe. “He ran well and though we were closed in by the race favorite at the end, he held on really well. I’ve been telling everyone that he is a Group 1 horse and I’m happy that I was able to prove it.” A winner of his first three trips to the post, including the Mar. 24 1800-metre G3 Mainichi Hai, Blast Onepiece ran fifth in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) at the end of May, but bounced back in the G3 Niigata Kinen over 2000 metres at Niigata on Sept. 2. Fourth trying 3000 metres for the first time in the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger), the colt was the only 3-year-old in the Arima Kinen field and toted 121 pounds to victory, the same as fillies Mozu Katchan (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) (eighth), who won the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup and Smart Layer (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) (13th). Pedigree Notes… One of 24 black-type winners for his sire, Blast Onepiece is MG1SW Harbinger (GB) (Dansili {GB})’s fourth Group 1 winner and first from his 2015 crop. He joins Mozu Katchan, Deirdre (Jpn) (G1 Shuka Sho) and Persian Knight (Jpn) (G1 Mile Championship). Both Mozu Katchan and Blast Onepiece share King Kamehameha (Jpn) as a broodmare sire. After foaling Blast Onepiece, the three-time winner Tsurumaru Onepiece, herself a daughter of Fantasy S. bridesmaid Tsurumaru Glamor (Jpn) (Fuki Kiseki {Jpn}), produced the juvenile filly Victoria Piece (Jpn) (Victoire Pisa {Jpn}), who has already won at Kokura in two starts to date and a yearling filly by Orfevre (Jpn). Tsurumaru Glamor is a half to G2 Nikkei Sho victor and G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) runner-up Al Nasrain (Jpn) (Admire Vega {Jpn}). This is also the family of French Group 2 winner and G1 Italian Oaks third Summer Trip (L’Emigrant). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Sunday, Nakayama, Japan ARIMA KINEN-G1, ¥574,800,000 (US$5,179,733/£4,100,196/€4,552,748), Nakayama, 12-23, 3yo/up, 2500mT, 2:32.20, gd. 1–BLAST ONEPIECE (JPN), 121, c, 3, Harbinger(GB) 1st Dam: Tsurumaru Onepiece (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn) 2nd Dam: Tsurumaru Glamor (Jpn), by Fuji Kiseki (Jpn) 3rd Dam: Elatis, by El Gran Senor 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Masahiro Otake; J-Kenichi Ikezoe. ¥303,360,000. Lifetime Record: 7-5-0-0. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Rey de Oro (Jpn), 126, c, 4, by King Kamehameha (Jpn)–La Dorada (Jpn), by Symboli Kris S. O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥120,960,000. 3–Cheval Grand (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Heart’s Cry (Jpn)–Halwa Sweet (Jpn), by Machiavellian. O-Kazuhiro Sasaki; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥75,480,000. Margins: NK, 1 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 7.90, 1.20, 21.70. Also Ran: Mikki Rocket (Jpn), Kiseki (Jpn), Satono Diamond (Jpn), Sakura Empereur (Jpn), Mozu Katchan (Jpn), Oju Chosan (Jpn), Makahiki (Jpn), Mikki Swallow (Jpn), Ridge Man (Jpn), Smart Layer (Jpn), Perform a Promise (Jpn), Clincher (Jpn), Sounds of Earth (Jpn). Click for the Racing Post chart. JRA Video. View the full article

Members of the TDN staff reveal what TDN Rising Star they’re most excited to see race in 2019. This is a fairly obvious choice, but what I liked most about Improbable (City Zip) was his clear development between each start of his three-race juvenile campaign. Though he got the job done at 2-5 first out at Santa Anita Sept. 29, I felt that he ran the second best race, laying off a sizzling speed duel and just getting up by a neck over one of the tiring pace actors. Shipped to Churchill for the Street Sense S. Nov. 2, he overcame some early traffic and left no doubt as to his potential when scampering away in the stretch to a 7 1/4-length romp. Given his initial two-turn test in the Dec. 8 GI Los Alamitos Futurity, the chestnut appeared to be struggling with the track pretty significantly, tugging at the bit and trying to bear out on the first turn. Once he found his footing, however, he strode clear powerfully, leaving his fellow ‘Rising Star’ stablemate Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) in the dust to the tune of a five-length score. The Beyers for his three races reflect his progression on the eye test, as he graduated from an 85 in his debut to a 93 in the Street Sense to a 96 at Los Alamitos. With his copper color, white blaze and trademark Bob Baffert blue shadow roll, Improbable aesthetically evokes memories of Justify taking the racing world by storm over the winter and spring. I see similarities in their strides as well, with each colt looking like they’re jumping twice to their opponents’ once when they lengthen their gait. The main difference between the two, at least so far, is running style. Justify came right out of the box running, rattling off splits of :21.80 and :44.37 on debut, and he was never worse than second at any call in any of his six career races. Improbable, though far from slow early, does his best running from behind the speed and figures to be able to use that tractability to his advantage as we move into Derby season. —Joe Bianca, Associate Editor View the full article

Andrew Kung is one smart fella. He is a graduate student at the University of California, San Francisco and is working his way toward a Ph.D in Bioinformatics, which is the science of collecting and analyzing complex biological data such as genetic codes. Last week, he enjoyed his 30 minutes of fame when he was champion on Jeopardy! Thursday, winning $21,000. But when the subject of horse racing came up, Kung and two other contestants were left scratching their heads when it came to a question that, one would think, anybody not living under a rock could answer. With a question worth $600 in the first round, host Alex Trebek, read: “Bob Baffert trained two recent Triple Crown winning horses, American Pharoah in 2015 and this horse in 2018.” The three contestants, which also included Carrie Blazina and Jackie Fuchs, stood there expressionless for a few seconds and said nothing. Trebek gave the answer, Justify (Scat Daddy), and moved on to the next question. Probably something the players would know something about, like Norse mythology. The non-answer did not cost Kung and he went on to win the show by a dozen lengths or so, but he admitted to the TDN that he was embarrassed that he could not come up with the answer. He said he’s a casual horse racing fan and knew very well that Justify won the Triple Crown, but his mind just went blank. “I’m actually a casual fan of the sport,” he said. “I enjoy going to the racetrack occasionally. My aunt used to take me to Santa Anita every so often when I lived in L.A. I live in San Francisco now and I go to Golden Gate sometimes. I lived in Boston for a while and I would also go to Suffolk Downs. I just completely blanked at the moment. It was just rattling around in my head. If they had asked about the trainer, I definitely would have come up with Bob Baffert.” Kung distinctly remembers watching the Derby on television, but says he did not watch the Belmont. He remembers the race because it was run over a wet track and says that every time he watches a race run in the slop it reminds him of the classic Seinfeld episode where Kramer overhears two bettors talking about a mud-lover who is a sure thing and then goes to OTB to bet on the horse. “Those big races in the mud always remind me of that Seinfeld episode, the one where Kramer says, ‘his father was a mudder, his mother was a mudder,'” he said. Though Kung and the other two contestants did not attempt to answer the question, he said he was briefly tempted to blurt out the name of another famous horse. “Yes, I was kicking myself a little bit,” he said. “Somehow, I had Funny Cide in mind. On the Jeopardy set, though, you need to have a short memory and move on.” Kung believes that American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) was such a sensation, that he has overshadowed Justify, another reason he whiffed on the question. “To me, America Pharoah winning the Triple Crown after all those years was a huge story,” he said. “I think because of that, Justify slipped under the radar a bit.” He said the episode was taped in mid-November. Ironically, just a few days beforehand he made his most recent trip to the racetrack. “I went to Golden Gate Fields in early November,” he said. “They had one of those nights with $1 beers and $1 hot dogs. When I go, I’m just a small bettor. I like the 10 cent superfecta box.” It’s quite possible that the Jeopardy! crew just wound up with a trio that pays almost no attention to horse racing. Nonetheless, it was an embarrassing moment for the sport as no one could up with the name of the most recent Triple Crown winner. The Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown are supposed to be among the very few events that resonate with the general public and not just the racing fan. Had Trebek asked who won this year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, it would have come as no surprise if no one would have come up with Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky). But the Triple Crown? When asked if the Jeopardy! debacle reflected badly on racing, Kung said: “That’s a tough question. I know it’s not in the cultural forefront like some other sports or has the same cache as the more popular sports. But I feel it still has a dedicated following. Justify was definitely in the news.” He said his cousin, whose mother is a big racing fan, gave him hell for not knowing the answer and he is aware of the razzing he and his fellow contestants have been taking on social media. As for Blazina, she finished second behind Kung. She is a writer for the Boston Globe and recounted her time on Jeopardy! in a Dec. 21 Globe story. When reached by the TDN, she refused to comment. My guess is she hasn’t made many trips to Suffolk Downs lately or owns a Baffert bobblehead doll. As for Kung, he said winning $21,000 as a student is a dream comes true and he promises he will pay close attention to next year’s Triple Crown. Winningest Horse of 2018 Up For Grabs Blow The Whistle (Dixie Chatter) looked like the heavy favorite to land the title as the winningest horse of 2018 when the gelding went to the post in Saturday’s first at Laurel. With 10 wins on the year, he was tied with four other horses. But at 2-5, he was a dud, finishing third in the five-horse field. That leaves the door open for two others to take the title. Persie (Street Sense) will start Wednesday at Penn National. Hot Rodin (Heat Shield) will seek win No. 11 on the year Dec. 29 at Turf Paradise. A Quiet Day in California There was no racing Saturday in Southern California as the Los Alamitos meet is over and Santa Anita won’t open until Dec. 26. Did the world as we know it come to an end? In a state where there is way too much racing and not nearly enough horses, wouldn’t it be nice if the tracks could come together and come up with a schedule with many more dark days besides one Saturday in December? The time has come. View the full article

Jerome Lermyte wanted to be more than just a jockey. The 30-year-old Frenchman wanted to see the world and saw a riding career as his ticket to do so. In his passport, you’ll find stamps from the U.S., Canada, France, South Korea, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Macau, Malaysia, Mauritius and a few others. “That was my dream before I even thought about riding horses,” Lermyte said. “Seeing the world and traveling. France is such a small country compared to the rest of the world. I wanted to do more than ride in France. I wanted to see the world and I felt that way since I was very young. “Everywhere I was going, I was winning. Anywhere I went, I wanted to succeed. I didn’t want to just be a tourist there. I did very well in Macau. But I still didn’t want to stay in one place. I wanted to move around, see new places and learn.” But his years of wanderlust have at last come to an end. Thanks to an in with the Mark Casse stable, Lermyte is staying put, riding at Woodbine through most of the year and Fair Grounds during the winter. Though not Cassse’s No. 1 rider, he gets many quality mounts from one of the nation’s top trainers and has learned to be content with seeing Toronto and New Orleans and not much more. Lermyte attended the French jockey school in 2004 when he was just 16 and made his riding debut a year later. Like many young French riders trying to get started, he found out how difficult it can be to break in. French racing is dominated by a handful of major stables who have contracts with major riders. The rest fight for the scraps. Lermyte did have an association with the Aga Khan’s stable, but would only get to ride for them when stable rider Christophe Soumillon was not available. In 2010, he decided to pack his bags. His first stop was Mauritius. As he attempts to go over the chronology of the various countries that he had stopovers in, even he sometimes can’t keep track. Did he go to Macau before Korea or Korea before Macau? “I enjoyed all the places I rode,” he said. “They all had their own different charms and beauty. Everyone of them had something about them that you would love. All the experiences were great and everywhere I went I learned something and discovered something.” The time came, however, where Lermyte figured out he’d be better off sticking to one place, establishing a reputation and finding a stable that would back him, knowing that he wasn’t going to stay for a year and then head somewhere else. He came to the U.S. in 2015 and won his first-ever race here, at Sam Houston. He was close friends with Florent Geroux and Geroux convinced him to come to Arlington and said he would help him get established. He won 27 races in the U.S. in 2015 and looked like he was on his way. But 2016 was a disaster. He was kicked by a horse and spent most of the year trying to get healthy. He won just three races. In 2017, he connected with Casse and won 26 races, but no stakes. Casse uses many riders at Woodbine, and Lermyte was primarily getting the weaker horses in his stable. That was pretty much the case at the beginning of 2018, but Lermyte kept plugging away and Casse’s confidence in him grew. He won 37 races, including seven stakes. “He is very loyal and also a top trainer,” Lermyte said of Casse. “He will pick the best jockey to do to the job. If you watched the early part of the Woodbine meet, at first I was only riding longshots. For him, that’s normal because he had two main riders, Gary Boulanger and Patrick Husbands. But I started winning stakes for him and from there he started to give me more mounts because I was delivering good results. By the end of the year I was riding many of his best horses.” He is so pleased with how things have gone at Woodbine that he has put away his world atlas. “I’m not that same kid that wants to see everything,” he said. “I’ve seen most of the best racetracks in the world. I’m happy where I’m at and I love Woodbine.” Had Lermyte tried to ride in North America 10 years earlier, he probably wouldn’t have had much success. With the influx of riders coming in from Latin American countries, trainers, at first, weren’t paying attention to the handful of riders coming here from France. Julien Leparoux was the first to break through. Then Florent Geroux, after struggling mightily at the beginning of his U.S. career, took off. Flavien Prat was next. The three are now all considered top 10 U.S. riders. “One thing that I know from traveling all over the world, if you don’t get that chance, you will struggle,” he said “You need to have somebody with a good stable to back you. When Flo got here, he was not popular. Trainers weren’t used to giving someone named Florent with a French accent a shot. They were much more likely to go for Latin riders. They didn’t know anything about the French riders. One hundred percent, those guys made it easier for me. They helped me get a chance, but once you get that chance you have to deliver.” Having now settled down and riding for Casse and other top Canadian trainers, he has set his sights on winning major, Grade I races, even a Breeders’ Cup. It can happen. Just don’t go anywhere. View the full article

Phoenix Thoroughbred III’s undefeated Dream Tree (Uncle Mo) makes her return to the races in Wednesday’s GI La Brea S. at Santa Anita. The $750,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream grad annexed last year’s GI Starlet S. and added the GII Las Virgenes S. in February, but was taken off the GI Kentucky Oaks trail due to a non-disclosed issue. The Bob Baffert pupil resurfaced to romp in Saratoga’s GII Prioress S. going six panels Sept. 2, but was scratched from both the GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint–and the Keeneland November Sale–after suffering an entrapped epiglottis during a breeze. Baffert boasts a record seven wins in the La Brea, but hasn’t taken it since 2012. The Hall of Famer will also saddle ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Emboldened (Elusive Quality). A debut romper here almost a year ago, the Godolphin homebred was third in a local optional claimer in February. She returned in May to annex the track-and-trip Angel Flight S. over MGISW Moonshine Memories (Malibu Moon), but hasn’t been seen since. Peter Miller has two chances at a second La Brea trophy. Mo See Cal (Uncle Mo), claimed for $25,000 over the summer, seeks her fourth consecutive victory. She most recently annexed an open Del Mar optional claimer going a two-turn mile Nov. 15. Kelly’s Humor (Midnight Lute), who took the Ellis Park Debutante S. at this distance and who was also third in the GI Test S. this summer while under the care of Brad Cox, settled for fifth from far back in a Nov. 16 optional claimer first off the trainer switch. Wesley Ward pupil Happy Like a Fool (Distorted Humor), a two-time graded winner, got a confidence builder in a Churchill optional claimer Nov. 25 after bringing $1.45 million at Fasig-Tipton November. Now owned only by the Coolmore partners, she was co-campaigned by Merriebelle when she finished sixth in the GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint. Three-time Cal-bred stakes winner Spiced Perfection (Smiling Tiger) most recently took the Betty Grable S. at Del Mar Nov. 11. View the full article

Santa Anita’s always popular day-after-Christmas opener does not disappoint this year, with the co-featured GI Malibu S. for sophomore sprinters as interesting a race as has been assembled all season. Bob Baffert boasts four of the 14 who made it into the main body of the field, with one more on the also-eligible list for good measure. Leading his group is Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s McKinzie (Street Sense). Garnering the ‘TDN Rising Star‘ distinction for a track-and-trip romp last October, the bay was (somewhat controversially) promoted to first over stablemate Solomini (Curlin) in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity that December. More recently, he bested Axelrod (Warrior’s Reward) in the GI Pennsylvania Derby Sept. 22 before finishing a distant 12th when taking on his elders in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 3. Solomini, meanwhile, has been off since finishing third in the GIII Affirmed S. around two turns here June 10. Another Baffert runner who cuts back is Ax Man (Misremembered). A head-turning sprint winner himself here on New Year’s Day, the Earnhardt homebred took the two-turn Sir Barton S. in the Pimlico slop in May but was a disappointing third at 1-2 in the GIII Matt Winn S. at Churchill June 16. He was last seen finishing third–again at odds-on–in the GIII Los Alamitos Derby over nine furlongs July 14. The quirky Nero (Pioneerof the Nile) was second behind Kanthaka (Jimmy Creed) in the GII San Vicente S. here in February, and returned off the long lay-off to take a Del Mar optional claimer Nov. 18. Kanthaka, by 2012 Malibu winner Jimmy Creed, is a three-time winner over track and trip–he most recently took the GIII Lazaro Barrera S. here back in May. The Malibu often features a formidable East Coast contingent, and this year is no exception. The precocious ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Copper Bullet (More Than Ready) aired in the GII Saratoga Special S. in August of his 2-year-old season, but went missing for more than a year. He picked up where he left off with a convincing allowance score going this distance at Churchill Nov. 23, and defeating older graded stakes winner Wild Shot (Trappe Shot) in the process. Trainer Al Stall, Jr. ran a close second in this race in 2013 with Central Banker (Speightstown), and he’ll look to go one better with another son of Speightstown in the form of Bobby’s Wicked One, who was second beaten a nose in the Steel Valley Sprint S. at Mahoning Valley Nov. 19. Not to be left out of the action is conditioner Chad Brown, who will ship in Klaravich Stables’s Identity Politics (Into Mischief) off a close second against older foes at Aqueduct Nov. 24. Seth Klarman’s Klaravich co-owned Central Banker. View the full article

The results of the G1 Queensland Derby have played an increasingly important role in the 4YO Classic series in Hong Kong over the last few years, with that race’s winners Eagle Way (Aus) (More Than Ready) and Ruthven (Aus) (Domesday {Aus}) having been imported for lofty sums. Neither of those managed to claim the HK$18 million on offer for the BMW Hong Kong Derby–Eagle Way has managed three group wins and multiple Group 1 placings–but the recently retired Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) parlayed a runner-up effort at Doomben in 2015 into victory and future superstardom at Sha Tin nine months hence. Dark Dream (Aus) (All American {Aus}) is the latest Queensland Derby hero to make his way into Hong Kong and is raced by Albert Hung, owner of ill-fated Derby winner and Horse of the Year Rapper Dragon (Aus) (Street Boss)–and, in the spirit of full disclosure, the disappointing Ruthven. Backing up on two weeks’ rest and contesting the same 2000m handicap won in 2017 by Derby favourite and recent G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m) hero Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Dark Dream showed that he will take a fair amount of beating in this year’s domestic centrepiece with a stunning 4 1/2-length victory. Sent off a $4.20 (16-5) chance off a close third on Hong Kong debut on International Races day, Dark Dream settled well off an easy tempo, but began his run on the turn, was guided down to the inside in the lane by Silvestre de Sousa and, in a final-furlong rally reminiscent of Werther in the 2016 G1 QE II Cup, streaked home to win by daylight (video) over a track affected by a steady day-long drizzle. Fellow Classic hopeful Harmony Victory (Brz) (Public Purse) could do no better than fifth as the $2.10 (11-10) favourite. “He handled very well and he’s a horse who is going to be in the big races. He looked impressive to me,” de Sousa told South China Morning Post. “I knew if we were good enough to go around then we were good enough to go on the inside. At the same time he is still a bit green and he got to the 300m and he just starts looking around. He’s just immature and still getting to know the place.” Winning trainer Frankie Lor said Dark Dream would cut back in trip for the Hong Kong Classic Mile Jan. 27. “Coming back to 1600m for the Classic Mile may be a bit short, but I have to try and, of course, I hope he’s a Derby horse,” the conditioner told SCMP. View the full article

If you backed boom sprinter Styling City – as many did – your heart would have been in your mouth with 200m to go as he ran into a couple of dead-ends. But instead of turning it up, the John Moore-trained three-year-old only added to his burgeoning reputation with a stunning win in the Class Two Chek Keng Handicap (1,000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. Douglas Whyte used all of his experience, keeping his cool as each obstacle was thrown in front of him, and Styling City responded like a... View the full article

Dark Dream arrived in Hong Kong amid plenty hype and now local racing fans have witnessed first-hand what the rising star is capable of after he laid an early claim to Derby favouritism at Sha Tin on Sunday. Racing for just the second time in Hong Kong, Dark Dream defied a tricky trip to blast away his rivals in the Class Two Long Ke Handicap (2,000m), winning by four-and-a-half lengths despite having it all to do at the turn. And while Sha Tin was buzzing after the Queensland Derby winner... View the full article

Karis Teetan wasted no time pleading his case for the permanent ride on future star Perfect Match after the Danny Shum Chap-shing-trained three-year-old took out the Griffin Trophy (1,400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. The Mauritian snared the ride in the absence of the suspended Zac Purton and did not disappoint on the 1.3 pop, whetting his appetite for what is to come. “Karis said ‘he’s a very good horse, give him to me to ride’,” Shum said after talking to his jockey... View the full article

There were a number of impressive performances on a card loaded with stakes Dec. 22 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, but none were as dominant as M and J Thoroughbreds and Riverside Bloodstock's Great Wide Open. View the full article

CORNACCHIA (c, 2, Tapit–Great Hot {Brz}, by Orientate) was hammered down to even-money for this unveiling for the red hot Brad Cox barn and lived up the hype with an unlikely victory, getting up just in the nick of time to deny front-running Comedian (Into Mischief) and become the second Tapit ‘Rising Star’ of the day. Attempting to push through between foes approaching a first quarter in :22.41, the bay was forced to check off heels, while running back in sixth. Swung way out to the center of the track in the lane, the homebred gobbled up ground and got to Comedian in the final stride with a determined late surge, winning in a tight photo. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O/B-Gainesway Stable (KY); T-Brad Cox. View the full article

Robert LaPenta and Head of Plains Parners' Coal Front proved he was back in top form Dec. 22, when he turned in a dominating performance in the $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

Every season the Malibu Stakes (G1) provides a unique opportunity--a final grade 1 race restricted to 3-year-olds for a nice purse. It appears not many were willing to pass up that opportunity Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

GRAY ATTEMPT (c, 2, Graydar–Attempt to Name, by Consolidator) became the third black-type winner for his sophomore sire (by Unbridled’s Song) with a front-running score in the Sugar Bowl S. at Fair Grounds. Seizing the early advantage, the $50,000 FTKJUL buy ticked off opening splits of :22.23 and :45.90. Manny Wah (Will Take Charge) tried his best to close in on the leader, but Gray Attempt was always going the better of the two and easily held that rival at bay. The winner navigated the six furlongs in 1:10.45. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0. O-Dwight Pruett; B-Wynnstay LLC, Donna Moore & Jim Richardson (KY); T-William Fires. View the full article