Wandering Eyes

The Breeders’ Cup has unveiled the official logo for its 2019 championship weekend, which will be held Nov. 1 and 2 at Santa Anita. “Santa Anita Park has witnessed some of the most exciting World Championships in Breeders’ Cup history, and we’re very much looking forward to our return in 2019,” said Craig Fravel, President and CEO of Breeders’ Cup. “The logo we’ve developed for the 2019 event perfectly intertwines the Breeders’ Cup and Santa Anita Park brands–two of the most prestigious in racing–and serves as a perfect representation of our record-breaking 10th running at this great venue.” View the full article

There are about a half dozen ways one can look at the steady but inexorable marches to the top of the Thoroughbred breeding world by Medaglia d’Oro and Kitten’s Joy, but if you don’t start with their daddy, you would have missed the point. That would be El Prado (Ire), an accomplished but generally overlooked winner of the G1 National S. in his native country whose pedigree, racing record (he was co-champion at two in Ireland with St. Jovite), and conformation captivated Frank Stronach so much that he purchased the son of Sadler’s Wells and retired him to Airdrie Stud before deciding that he would get into the stallion business himself at Adena Springs Farm. Named for the great Spanish museum of art built within the confines of a meadow-like park (prado translates into park in English), the powerful-but-somewhat-lightly made-gray was imbued with a genetic pool which was deep in quality and some sire power. His dam Lady Capulet (by Sir Ivor) was a full sister to Sir Wimborne, who also won the National in Ireland when it was a Group 2. Sir Wimborne was retired to John Hettinger’s Akindale Farm in New York where he developed into a leading sire at the beginning of that state’s incentive program. Lady Capulet was also a half-sister to the gray speedball Drone, a son of Sir Ivor’s sire Sir Gaylord, who went unbeaten in four starts but broke down; Drone was a popular and somewhat successful sire. With a family like that, which in most branches had roots in Kentucky, one would think El Prado would have been a popular choice as a Northern Dancer-line sire. However, we are talking about the early 1990s here, when turf horses were not all that popular, and Sadler’s Wells was just beginning what turned out to be an extraordinary career at Coolmore. Indeed, El Prado, the first son of Sadler’s Wells to retire in this country, entered stud a decade before his sire’s great son Galileo (Ire) was foaled. Who knew? Well, it turns out that plenty of people had a hint (including Ken and Sarah Ramsey, as well as Albert and Joyce Bell), and in the end, El Prado sired more than 80 stakes winners. The Ramseys sent Kitten’s First, a daughter of the super turf sire Lear Fan (the mare was named for Sarah Ramsey’s nickname) to his court and got a powerful chestnut colt which they offered at the OBS April 2-year-old sale. That colt failed to sell at $95,000 and was sent to the stable of Dale Romans, where the colt became a very accomplished Grade I winner on the turf under the name of Kitten’s Joy. The Bells, on the other hand, sent Cappucino Bay, a daughter of the moderate sire Bailjumper, and were rewarded with a very special-looking dark bay colt whom they put into training. After finishing second in his debut at the end of his juvenile campaign, he broke his maiden so impressively that Bobby Frankel purchased him on behalf of Edmund Gann, for whom the striking colt went on to win the GI Travers S., among other graded events, under the name Medaglia d’Oro, bestowed upon him by the Bells. Which brings up an aside. In March 2002, preparing to leave Ocala Breeders’ Sales simulcasting facility after a breeze show, your correspondent ran across the late bloodstock agent and raconteur Dick Lossen, who grabbed me excitedly. “You’ve got to watch this horse Frankel has in the San Felipe,” he said, “but I can’t pronounce his name, maybe you can because I think it’s Italian–meedaglee ah dee-oor-o.” I looked at the past performances and winced. “Dick, it’s meh-dahlia-dorro, you heathen” “What the heck kind of a name is that?” he replied. His college-age son rolled his eyes and said, “It’s the name of an espresso coffee, Dad.” To which I replied, “Yes, and thank you for not saying ex-presso.” Of course, Medaglia d’Oro won, franking Dick’s handicapping skills and triggering smiles of ethnic pride among huge numbers of Italian-American households. But we digress. Thus far we have seen that a vastly underrated stallion managed to sire at least two exceptionally talented racehorses who have emerged as hugely successful sires. One, Kitten’s Joy, is the leading North American-based sire by international earnings in 2018 and also the sire of the European Horse of the Year Roaring Lion. The other, Medaglia d’Oro, equaled the record of Mr. Prospector, Danzig, and Storm Cat by having seven Grade I winners in a single year (2017) after he’d already given us the eminent works of art Rachel Alexander and Songbird, among others. To boot, his son Violence currently tops the second-crop sire standings. But the dams and female families of these two top sires could not be further apart in pedigree mix or stallion crosses–and to the naked eye, they are quite different. But when we get to biomechanics, we have two horses that are quite the same in many respects. The Phenotype Target shows that El Prado and his two best sons are basically from the same mold. They are Power horses but their positions far out from the center indicate that they are also somewhat lightly made. They are almost perfect examples of how American breeding stock has evolved over the past 50 years to accommodate such biomechanics. To wit: Up until the 1990s, the majority of quality racehorses and producers were phenotypically closer to the center of the Target, i.e., they were more likely to be balanced as to Power, Stride, and Weight factors and therefore were more consistent. Although they may have been very good racehorses, very rarely were horses with too much or too little body weight (sprinters and two-turn horses respectively) able to compete in the breeding shed with horses that were simply better balanced. Then the market for racehorses changed–trainers wanted more speed (Power) and size (which often was found in lighter made horses), and the breed shifted phenotypically toward the positions on the Target occupied by El Prado and his two best sons. In that respect, Kitten’s Joy and Medaglia d’Oro are almost identical paternal half-brothers. In addition, further plumbing of the biomechanical algorithms finds that, among the leading sires, both Kitten’s Joy and Medaglia d’Oro are not only very close to each other in terms of size and scope, but also several other stallions are close to them in that respect, including Flatter, Deputy Minister, A.P. Indy, and Empire Maker. Nice crowd. Our biomechanically expert colleague Frank Mitchell opines that Kitten’s Joy’s best runners are probably more powerful overall than those of Medaglia d’Oro, but the latter brings a bit more versatility and perhaps refinement to the fray. Thus, one could look at them in terms of baseball, football, and basketball stars with Kitten’s Joy sending out David Ortiz, Ben Roethlisberger, and Lebron James while Medaglia d’Oro would counter with Aaron Judge, Tom Brady and Larry Bird. That’s a bit to contemplate. It’s time to feed the cat and make the espresso. Bob Fierro is a partner with Jay Kilgore and Frank Mitchell in DataTrack International, biomechanical consultants and developers of BreezeFigs. He can be reached at bbfq@earthlink.net. View the full article

15:05 Plumpton Finnegan’s Garden won this race in 2017, one of two course and distance victories last season, and is partnered with Noel Fehily who was on board for one of these wins and boasts a 44% winning strike rate in the last three years over fences at the course. With conditions to suit he can […] The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Monday 17th December appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Dubai World Cup riches are beckoning for renowned dirt specialist Me Tsui Yu-sak and his top galloper Fight Hero but the understated trainer needs to see improvement to justify the trip. Fight Hero shocked everyone, including his trainer, when he ran second in the Korea Sprint (1,200m) in September after travelling wide without cover for most the trip on the deep sand, but the performance also opened the possibility of Dubai. Returning to the races for the first time last month, Fight Hero ran... View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost Conte lands the feature with ease to make it six victories from eight at Sha Tin as John Size and Joao Moreira combine – @HongKong_Racing Conte’s commanding effort on Sunday is just another example to highlight why Size is the best trainer in Hong Kong. The 10-time champion is renowned for his patience – he blocks out any external pressure and... View the full article

Willis Horton Racing's Long Range Toddy kept his win streak going Dec. 16, scoring the third consecutive win of his juvenile season in the $400,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes at Remington Park. View the full article

Flashing speed from the start and opening up in the stretch under a hand ride by Flavien Prat Dec. 16 at Los Alamitos, Galilean added the $100,000 King Glorious for 2-year-old California breds to his resume at odds of 1-5. View the full article

What was you favourite racing moment of the year? RS: The ITV images of the brothers Sheikh Hamad and Sheikh Fahad Al Thani high-fiving over HM The Queen as Roaring Lion won the QEII on QIPCO British Champions Day. Name a horse that stood out for you in 2018 RS: Roaring Lion. From The Craven Stakes in April to the Breeders’ Cup in November, he danced all the dances. As tough as he was talented. And an outstanding achievement by a breeder, owner or trainer? RS: The continuing seam of gold unearthed by the pairing of Watership Down Stud’s Dar Re Mi (Ire) and Dubawi (Ire). What’s your big hope for 2019? RS: That all those promising 2-year-olds train on and we enjoy stellar Group 1 contests next summer. What’s your new year’s resolution? RS: No New Year’s one as such, as I make resolutions throughout the year. I believe we can always improve ourselves. –Rod Street is the CEO of the GBR/Champions Series View the full article

When Royal Diamond (Ire) (King’s Best) sprang a surprise to win the G1 Irish St. Leger at The Curragh in 2012, history records that former top jump jockey Tommy Carmody was the trainer. However it was Johnny Murtagh who was a major decision- maker in the horse’s training regime at Murtagh’s own Curragh- based yard, and it was a victory that made his decision to begin the process of changing from jockey to trainer an easier one. Murtagh took over the license from Carmody for the 2013 season but continued to ply his trade as a top-class jockey, and it was Royal Diamond again who gave Murtagh one of his last major thrills in the saddle when winning the G3 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot at towards the end of 2013. By the time Murtagh hung up his boots in the spring of 2014, his training career was up and flying, thanks in no small part to owner Andrew Tinkler, who was the majority owner by far in his yard. Fast-forward nearly five years however and Murtagh’s client base has a much more balanced look to it, with owners ranging from Qatari royalty to Dublin syndicates and everything in between. This spread of owners and a full capacity yard of just under 60 horses helped Murtagh and his team finish 2018 with 35 winners, including two in Britain, a tally that leaves the trainer quite satisfied. “We won more prize-money this year [just under €600,000] than any other year, but another thing that I was quite pleased about was that every 2-year-old we had this year ran,” Murtagh says. “We had 10 2-year-old winners, and while there may not have been any stars among them, most of them were bought as 2-year-old types and the majority have fulfilled that role.” In five years of training, Murtagh’s score of winners has shown steady progression, save for a blip in 2017 when it dropped to 23, but with the graph back on an upward curve Murtagh has plenty to be excited about. “At the beginning of 2018, one of the main aims was to have a group winner and we got that when True Valour (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) won the G3 Ballycorus S. at Leopardstown. Winners are great and we need them on a regular basis, but we also need a flagship horse. True Valour is staying in America and it is disappointing to lose a horse like that, so we need to find a replacement to run in those stakes races.” One horse who may potentially fill that void is Urban Beat (Ire) (Red Jazz). The lightly raced 3-year-old won three sprints on the trot on easy ground this year which saw the Fitzwilliam Racing-owned horse rated 104 and go off favourite for the valuable ‘Bold Lad’ Sprint at The Curragh on Irish Champions weekend. He failed to land a blow in that event, but Murtagh believes he can make the step up to stakes company in 2019. “I’m hoping he can, we gelded him during the winter and he’s only had five runs in his life, so we think he can improve further. The sprint division is quite tough for 3-year-olds, so next year could be a big year for him. He likes a cut in the ground and I don’t know what happened to him on Champions weekend. All the signs beforehand suggested he was going to be hard to beat and we couldn’t find anything amiss afterwards, so we just put it down to him having a bad day.” Having had a good season with his 2-year-olds, Murtagh tackled the yearling sales in the autumn with vigour, thanks in no small part to the increasingly successful Fitzwilliam Racing, a syndicate established and run by private equity specialist Mark Flood, a man steeped in racing himself being a son of Boardsmill Stud owner William Flood. “Fitzwilliam thankfully went in again and we got eight new juveniles to go to war with for them, which is great, as they are one of my main backers at the moment,” says the trainer. “I also bought a few yearlings myself to either keep or sell on. It’s funny though as despite everyone saying ‘you’ve had a great year,’ I didn’t go to the yearling sales with one other order. I’m not sure why, I put myself out there a lot, I go to the sales, I’m at the races so it’s not for lack of self-promotion. “The country is supposed to be booming again and I know it’s been said before but the big outfits just seem to be getting bigger at the expense of the smaller yards,” he adds. “It’s not just in horseracing, you see it in other walks of life and business. We’re all just looking for that big horse that can elevate you to that next level. And if and when we do come across that horse, I have no doubt we will be able to manage him. I just hope that whoever owns him or her is rich enough to be able to turn down the inevitable big offers that generally come.” Murtagh was well known as a fierce competitor in the saddle and his list of achievements do not require repeating. While the ambition to compete with and beat the best as a trainer is evident, he is also appreciative that there is more to life than horse racing and that he may have just found the right work life balance for this stage of his life. He says, “I still want to win and you’d love to be champion trainer but I’ve conceded to the fact that we have capacity for 58 horses here and to do the job right maybe 58 is the number. We can apply that bit of individual attention at the moment, something that would be a lot harder with 200 horses. We’ve got very good staff, there’s 12 people working here and I am very comfortable with that. I would need to triple the workforce or more if I had 200 horses and I’m not sure if I could get that number of the same standard that I currently have.” Murtagh is in a unique position to be able to evaluate the two individual lifestyles of a jockey and a trainer and he has absolutely no regrets about switching roles when he did. “They are two totally different disciplines, probably less stressful being a jockey, but I wouldn’t swap what I am doing now for the world. It’s a good life, you’re in charge of your own team and you make the decisions. Also I didn’t leave much behind me as a jockey, I left it intact, healthy and well. I was lucky with injuries and I thought training was the obvious next step. My family are now more involved, my wife Orla runs the office and a few of the kids ride out. It’s definitely a more family-orientated life than when I was a jockey. I’m here at home a lot more, I go to a lot of football, rugby and hockey matches with the kids. When I was riding, I was on the go 24-seven and if I wasn’t riding I was in the sauna or out jogging. I missed a lot of family time as a result and now I feel very much part of it. I’m really enjoying it.” On the same theme he continues, “In some respects, the life of a jockey is a lot easier in that you don’t have to look after the horses every day, deal with staff and owners as much but then there are the obvious drawbacks. You have to be totally dedicated and you can’t eat a lot. When you are the top end it’s a fantastic life and when it really matters, i.e. when you get legged up before a race, you have all the control as a jockey but as a trainer when it really matters, you hand it all over to a jockey and you have no control.” Such acceptance for a more balanced life should not be mistaken for complacency, however, one gets the impression that Murtagh does miss not being as involved on the big days on a regular basis, something that was the norm when he was riding. “While I may never be champion trainer, we had 33 winners in Ireland from 58 horses, so that seems like a good ratio of winners to horses for me,” he says. “If we can just up the quality of horse in the yard then I think we can be more active on the big stage. To be honest, I’m not really that interested in training horses rated in the 60s, we tend to be fairly ruthless and if they don’t show potential to at least be an 80-type of horse then we move them on. These horses can go on to win races and that’s fine, but from an economics point of view for the owner, I find it hard to justify spending 20 grand a year on training fees on a horse that might win seven or eight grand if he is lucky enough to win one race. We’re not a punting yard either so we wouldn’t be into setting one up for a gamble.” One avenue that does allow Murtagh to get a Group 1 fix every now and then is his punditry role with ITV, a job that sees him work 10 days a year in front of the camera alongside Ed Chamberlin, Jason Weaver, Francesca Cumani, et al. “I like working for ITV, especially at the moment, as we don’t really have many horses for the big days,” he says. “It allows me to be involved in those high-profile meetings. I get to catch up with a lot of old friends and I don’t find it a difficult job. I’m talking about what I know, about situations I’ve been in. There are lots of good race-readers and analysts these days, but there are also many viewers who aren’t as knowledgeable and maybe watching racing for the first time. The thing Ed [Chamberlin] keeps instilling in me is we need to cut out some of the jargon so more people can identify with and understand the sport. It’s such a fascinating sport and we need to grow the audience which can only help participation in the long run.” Murtagh’s involvement in ITV has also had a beneficial impact on his ownership base, with front-man Chamberlin having invested in a share of winning 2-year-old Lord Rapscallion (Ire) (Alhebayeb {Ire}) and Chamberlin’s route into ownership is something Murtagh is keen to build on. “It’s good to have Ed on board, as he has a high profile and is a good ambassador for the sport. I know it’s catching on, but I think the way forward for ownership is for people to own bits of horses. Look at Fitzwilliam Racing, they have eight horses in total and there are 15 or 20 people involved. The costs are spread and the likelihood of getting a good horse is obviously increased by the more horses you have. If someone doesn’t have the resources to get involved with something like Fitzwilliam, we can also offer a similar situation with another horse where the minimum share you can take is 5%. We then give them a price for the year and take it from there. A one-off payment seems to suit a lot of people, you know where you stand and there are no hidden extras.” So having built a good business from scratch and established himself among the upper tier of trainers in Ireland, Johnny Murtagh goes into 2019 optimistic and hungry to add some prestigious races to his training CV. “We’re hoping we can have a few more group winners and I’d really love to have a 2-year-old group winner,” he admits. “The yearlings we bought this year were a mix of precocious and later-maturing types, so hopefully we’ll have a few for the latter part of the season as well. They’re all broken and riding and just tipping away doing basic ground work. They’ll have a little break over Christmas, but come the first week of January they will be out on the Curragh. January, February and March are important months. By the middle of March they should be matched up in pairs according to their precocity and ability and at that stage we should have a fair idea of what we have.” Whatever ammunition Murtagh has at his disposal, his statistics show he tends to get the best out of his horses, and it would be a surprise if his 2019 targets are not met sooner rather than later. View the full article

Jerold Zaro's homebred Blindwillie McTell turned back all comers with a scintillating performance to graduate while making his stakes debut in the $150,000 New York Stallion Series Great White Way division for juveniles Dec. 16 at Aqueduct Racetrack. View the full article

Jockey Luis Contreras achieved his career 2,000th milestone victory as he reined home first-time starter He's a Macho Man Dec. 16 at Woodbine. View the full article

Did the state of Maryland really need to spend $426,335 on a comprehensive, year-long study to tell us that razing outmoded Pimlico Race Course and replacing it with a gleaming, paradigm-shifting $424-million multi-use racetrack and entertainment destination will uplift the community and preserve the huge economic infusion the GI Preakness S. annually provides to Baltimore? The ambition and scope of the Phase Two vision released last week by the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) is truly stunning and innovative. This would be America’s first real 21st Century racetrack, with an accent on repurposing not just Pimlico’s charming-yet-crumbling 110-acre footprint, but revitalizing and redefining an entire city section. Elements of the new Pimlico would be streamlined yet glitzy, enmeshed within a neighborhood envisioned as environmentally green. Equestrian usage and athletic fields would share space in the track’s infield. The entire racecourse would be surrounded by a walkable, mixed-use commercial and residential district that includes a health care campus. The community’s roadways and other civic infrastructure would greatly benefit from the upgrading, and the centerpiece of it all would be the Palio, an open-air European-styled plaza designed to serve as the saddling paddock for the Preakness while hosting a variety of arts performances and festivals the rest of the year. Civic officials are behind the project. Of course they are. As Tim Keefe, the president of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association told the TDN the day the study was released, “The city leaders of Baltimore certainly don’t want to have the second jewel of the Triple Crown lost on their watch.” And therein lies the chief problem with the Pimlico study: The entire scope of the project was framed around the threat of Baltimore’s losing the privilege and history of hosting the Preakness–and not what might be best for the state’s Thoroughbred industry as a whole. If the MSA had instead wanted to spend the same amount of money to undertake a long-range, forward-thinking study of Maryland’s racing and breeding industry, it’s unlikely that civic leaders would have paid attention to or supported the project. It could very well end up that a $424-million new Pimlico is exactly what Maryland needs to ensure that its Thoroughbred industry has a strong future. But that over-arching aspect wasn’t considered in any great detail. It wasn’t what the MSA was tasked with studying. Keefe’s take is that “whatever happens, the ultimate goal needs to be not just two or three weeks of racing at one racetrack, but the year-round vision for racing in Maryland as a whole.” The obvious question of who might foot the bill for this new Pimlico was not addressed in the study. The Stronach Group (TSG), which owns both Pimlico and Laurel Race Course under the auspices of the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC), has been on the record for quite some time now as wanting to make Laurel the state’s showcase racetrack, and it has backed up that intention by investing in millions of dollars in frontside and backstretch improvements. The company has made it clear that sinking substantial money into Pimlico is not in its game plan. Each year when the Preakness rolls around, MJC officials hint a little more strongly that they’d prefer the event move to Laurel, where it’s no secret that the ongoing upgrades might eventually land the track a shot at hosting the Breeders’ Cup. TSG officials did not return TDN‘s voicemail requests for comment on the issue. The company’s official response to the report came in the form of a press release in which chairman and president Belinda Stronach sidestepped the funding issue by thanking the MSA for its efforts, sprinkling in corporate jargon like “challenges” and “broader racing ecosystem” for good measure. The MSA is best known for spearheading the effort to transform the decayed Camden Yards warehouse district into a thriving sports complex that includes the professional baseball and football homes of Baltimore’s Orioles and Ravens. It also works to ensure best-use land planning for school athletic complexes and community spaces. But the MSA’s $424 million cost estimate for three years of construction on a new Pimlico is likely to be a hard sell at a time when public zeal for funding sports complexes has plummeted since Camden Yards was constructed in the early 1990s. And considering the total combined construction costs for both the football and baseball stadiums was approximately $330 million, it’s difficult to envision that the public would be convinced to come up with nearly another $100 million above and beyond that price point to fund a horse track. Yet despite the seemingly daunting fiscal obstacle, a Baltimore Sun editorial the day the report was released came up with an optimistic cost-sharing scheme that makes the concept look a little more financially realistic. “No one entity should pay all those costs, and there’s a sensible way to divide them,” the editorial stated. “The $424 million comprises $252.2 million for a civic center that would double as a clubhouse for Preakness; $120.5 for infrastructure improvements on and around the property; $21.5 million for demolition and $29.6 million for the reconstruction and reconfiguration of the infield and track. “The first is the sort of expense that might logically be shared by the state (which has already financed civic centers in downtown Baltimore and Ocean City) and the track owners, who would benefit from its use as a new clubhouse. The infrastructure includes some upgrades the city needs to do anyway, and others that could be wrapped into a tax increment financing deal with the developers of the commercial and residential projects that this realignment and redevelopment of Pimlico would facilitate.” The editorial goes on to forewarn that if the MJC balks at participating, the state has “a lot of leverage,” to coerce compliance, specifically: 1) Under state law, the Preakness cannot be moved from Pimlico without the General Assembly’s approval; and 2) The state could mandate that the existing slots revenue facilities improvement program (which last year provided over $8 million in matching funds that the MJC primarily used to upgrade Laurel) instead be redirected to “support revenue bonds sufficient to pay for more than half the total project at Pimlico.” “This plan makes sense,” the editorial concluded. “The city supports it. We expect the state and private sector will, too. If the tracks’ owners don’t, it’s time for Maryland to play hardball.” Other Mid-Atlantic Musings If there was a futures wagering pool on which United States racetrack might next be in line for a resurgence, I’d bet on turf-centric and historical horse race gaming-infused Colonial Downs. After six years of closure, the under-new-management Virginia track won commission approval last Thursday to race 15 dates in 2019, spanning Aug. 8-Sep. 7. While the number of dates in and of itself does not represent a huge impact on the national scene, consider it a small step in the right direction. Colonial Downs Group senior vice-president and general manager John Marshall told TDN in October that he expects the track’s 2020 request to be for 30 dates. One scenario for next year that Colonial has considered involves switching to a late September opening, after Kentucky Downs, Monmouth Park, and the Meadowlands turf meet all close. In that spot, Colonial projects being the second-highest purse level nationally, second to only Keeneland. It would also take advantage of being a racing destination on the annual north-to-south migration line for horses from the Northeast heading to Florida and Louisiana. Progress in the Garden State The New Jersey bill that would grant a $10 million annual purse subsidy to Monmouth Park over the next five years advanced past a Senate committee last week, and it could be up for a full Senate vote as early as Monday. The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee did tack on an important related amendment though, requiring the Meadowlands, Freehold Raceway, and Monmouth to have in place written agreements that disclose the amount of money horsemen will receive from sports wagering operations at those venues. Joan Steinbrenner Passes Away at 83 Joan Steinbrenner, a philanthropist and vice-chairwoman of the New York Yankees and the widow of team owner George Steinbrenner, died Dec. 11 at her home in Tampa at age 83. Although the family name was synonymous with New York baseball for the past five decades, the Steinbrenners became involved in Thoroughbreds when they purchased the land in Ocala in 1969 that became Kinsman Farm and now spans over 750 acres. Seattle Slews? Dan Shaughnessy, the longtime Boston Globe sports columnist, noted that although the name “Sockeyes” is the overwhelming favorite to become the nickname for Seattle’s new National Hockey League franchise that will begin play in 2021, it’s not the only potential choice. “How about the Seattle Slews?” he postulated hopefully. Unfortunately for Thoroughbred enthusiasts, that moniker is not among the list of 13 nicknames that bookmaker Bovada has listed for betting on the outcome. View the full article

Second in the wagering to the odds-on filly Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) came calling for the lead with three-sixteenths of a mile to travel and kicked home best of all to run his unbeaten streak to four in Sunday’s G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. at Hanshin. The mount of Mirco Demuro, the blaze-faced chestnut was off at 18-5 and was in the firing line early before easing back into a prominent third, one slot behind the 1-2 race favourite. Held together on the turn, Admire Mars was pulled out to deliver his challenge in upper stretch, collared Gran Alegria with ease nearing the final furlong and stayed on gamely to best the running-on roughie Kurino Gaudi (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}). Gran Alegria, the daughter of the dual US Grade I and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf winner Tapitsfly, had to settle for third beneath leading rider Christophe Lemaire. “Just as he did in his last start, he made a clean break today,” Demuro commented. “It was our plan to keep our eyes on Gran Alegria and everything went smoothly. He showed a terrific turn of foot. He’s a smart colt and hates to lose so I’m looking forward to seeing how he improves next season.” Pedigree Notes: The fifth Group 1 winner for his sire, Admire Mars is the latest foal to make the races from Via Medici, winner of the G3 Prix de Lieurey for Haras de Saint Pair and trainer Francois Rohaut in 2010. Dam of two full black-type winners in Europe, she was purchased by Emmanuel de Seroux’s Narvick International for €480,000 in foal to Dansili (GB) at the 2014 Arqana December Sale. That in-utero purchase is the 3-year-old filly Freccia (Jpn), a ¥67 million yearling purchase at the JRHA Select Sale in 2016 who has since become a three-time winner and has never finished out of the frame in six career starts. Via Medici is represented by a Kinshasa no Kiseki (Aus) filly that fetched ¥33.4 million as a foal at last year’s Select Sale and she foaled a filly by Duramente (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) this past April. WATCH: Admire Mars makes it four straight in the Asahi Hai Futurity Sunday, Hanshin, Japan ASAHI HAI FUTURITY S.-G1, ¥135,520,000, Hanshin, 12-16, 2yo, c/f, 1600mT, 1:33.90, fm. 1–ADMIRE MARS (JPN), 121, c, 2, by Daiwa Major(Jpn) 1st Dam: Via Medici (Ire) (GSW-Fr, $111,524), by Medicean (GB) 2nd Dam: Via Milano (Fr), by Singspiel (Ire) 3rd Dam: Salvinaxia (Fr), by Linamix (Fr) *1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (¥52,000,000 Ylg ’17 JRHAJUL). O-Riichi Kondo; B-Northern Farm; T-Yasuo Tomomichi; J- Mirco Demuro; ¥71,064,000. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, ¥132,547,000.*1/2 to Via Pisa (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}), SW-Fr, G1SP- Ity, $104,884; and Via Firenze (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), SW & MGSP- Fr, GSP-UAE, $150,624. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Kurino Gaudi (Jpn), 121, c, 2, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)– L’Archetto (Jpn), by Falbrav (Ire). O-Hiroharu Kurimoto; B-Miwa Farm; ¥28,304,000. 3–Gran Alegria (Jpn), 119, f, 2, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Tapitsfly, by Tapit. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; ¥ 18,152,000. Margin: 2, HF, 1HF. Odds: 3.60, 76.40, 0.50. Also Ran: Fantasist (Jpn), Deep Diver (Jpn), Emeral Fight (Jpn), Aster Pegasus, Girasol (Jpn), It’s Cool (Jpn), Meiner Surpass (Jpn), Copano Martin (Jpn), De Gaulle (Jpn), Cadence Call (Jpn), Salt Ibuki (Jpn), Nihonpiro Henson (Jpn). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. View the full article

Robin Malatino is many things. Conventional is not one of them. It’s a philosophy she’s followed throughout her business career and one that has never seemed to fail her. Now the senior vice president of Malatino and Associates at Morgan Stanley in Celebration, Florida, she was also the CEO of the Saratoga Beverage Group, the company behind Saratoga Spring Water. Malatino and her husband Anthony led a group that saved the company after Evian decided to close it down in 1992, 120 years after its founding. The same company Evian wanted to dump thrived under the leadership of the Malatinos, who are no longer involved with the water brand. The time the Malatinos spent in Saratoga running the beverage company introduced them to racing. Knowing virtually nothing about the industry, Robin did not have an advisor, a veterinarian or even a trainer when a horse caught her eye at the 2003 Fasig Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale. She was so naive that when she saw the name Lemon Drop Kid on the sign attached to the stall, she thought that was the yearling’s name and not her sire. It was the second night of the sale and the Lemon Drop Kid filly was set to sell on the first night, so Malatino figured her opportunity had come and gone. But the horse had been an RNA and the couple was able to purchase her after the sale. {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"Robin Malatino","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/298208932.sd.mp4?s=e81314e6efd686a9bc63fec6108ebf5a96d2eef3&profile_id=165","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/281298674.sd.mp4?s=3f4dd448c34db2ff480c4ae47ba311e0c187fba1&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\/"} The horse was later named Sugar Plum Girl (Lemon Drop Kid). She didn’t exactly pan out as she failed to break her maiden in 14 starts. But Malatino went from knowing nothing about the sport to being captivated by it. That led to the couple operating a small stable. But their biggest leap has been entering the breeding business. They stand War Dancer (War Front), the winner of the GII Virginia Derby, the GIII Louisville H. and the runner-up in the GI Man o’ War S. He stands at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions LLC in Stillwater, NY and his stud fee is $7,500. Someone who is a firm believer in horse welfare and that every race horse coming off the track should have a home, Malatino decided to open her own farm in Saratoga. The idea was she wanted a place to retire her own horses. In 2005, the Maltinos closed on Sugar Plum Farm, named after Sugar Plum Girl. The racing world didn’t hear much from Robin Malatino over the next several years, but that started to change in 2011 when the couple, with the help of Ken McPeek, picked out a War Front yearling at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga 2011 Select Yearling Sale. The $220,000 purchase went on to be named War Dancer and began to give the Malatinos the types of thrills they had never experienced before at the racetrack. Now, they were playing in the major leagues. Later trained by Bill Mott, he retired after finishing seventh in the 2016 GIII Knickerbocker S. He is by War Front, was a graded stakes winner and had topped $1 million in earnings. The same Robin Malatino who, years earlier, didn’t know that Lemon Drop Kid was a Classic winning sire, was no longer a neophyte. She knew she had a solid stallion prospect on her hands. “He was a great race horse,” Malatino said. “In 2016, when we decided we were going to retire him we decided to stand him at stud because he was one of War Front’s top sons in the world. And War Front was standing for $250,000. We wanted to stand him in New York [Sugar Plum Farm is not equipped to handle stallions] because that’s where our farm is, and we thought the rest would be easy.” It wasn’t. With so many new stallions appearing on the scene each year, Malatino wanted to make sure that War Dancer was just not another face in the crowd. “We had to distinguish ourselves from all the other horses,” she said. So she started a unique marketing campaign where she compiled video parodies based on the hit TV show The Bachelor. She also came up with what she calls the “Breeding With the Stars” program. With any mare residing outside of New York that is a stakes performer or stakes producer, the Malatinos paid for round-trip cost of shipping to Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions and compensated for the first 90 days of boarding. Under that program, they got 48 mares from seven states and Canada. The Malatinos even go so far as to send presents to the owners of the mares, sending boxes of chocolate cigars when a foal is born. War Dancer was bred to 102 mares in his first year at stud. The horses are now weanlings. He was bred to 90 mares this year. The list of future mares that will go to War Dancer include Sugar Plum Girl. Yes, the Malatinos’ story has come full circle. The mare’s owner contacted Robin Malatino and asked if she would like the mare back so she could live out her years at the farm named for her. “Sugar Plum Girl is coming home,” Malatino said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.” View the full article

Woodbine Entertainment and the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of Ontario (HBPA) reached an agreement in principal for a new four-year racing deal which includes an increase of $22 million, including guaranteed purses and capital investment, in Thoroughbred racing, it was announced Sunday. “Reaching this agreement in principal before the end of the 2018 meet demonstrates the strength of our relationship with the HBPA and our collective commitment to provide world-class racing opportunities to Ontario horsepeople,” said Jim Lawson, President and CEO of Woodbine Entertainment. “We look forward to welcoming back our loyal horsepeople for another exciting Thoroughbred season in April 2019 as we continue to grow our sport throughout the province.” The new four-year agreement in principal, which runs through 2022, includes $18 million allocated towards total guaranteed purses. Woodbine Entertainment has also committed to invest $1 million each year for a total$4 million commitment for further Thoroughbred racing capital improvements over the length of the deal. “Woodbine is committed to continue making investments that ensure the long-term sustainability of the horse racing industry,” said Jonathan Zammit, Vice President of Thoroughbred Racing Operations at Woodbine Entertainment. “The purse commitment made by Woodbine provides a significant bump in purses for the first year of the new agreement, in place for the 2019 meet with continued growth throughout the deal.” The previous agreement was set to expire in March of 2019. View the full article

Zac Purton is riding at the peak of his powers, so it was entirely appropriate he brought up his 900th Hong Kong winner with a quintet at Sha Tin. The two-time champion jockey is right on target to collect a third, putting on a clinic with five winners and three seconds from 11 rides to take charge of an otherwise ho-hum meeting. It continues a hot streak that started with a Group One double last week, continued with a treble at Happy Valley on Wednesday night and culminated with his complete... View the full article

Kerm Din always enjoys a winner, so the performance of Pakistan Friend at Sha Tin on Sunday provided some consolation after Pakistan Star’s sixth in last week’s Longines Hong Kong Vase. The popular owner reported that Pakistan Star pulled up well from the Group One and said he was likely to keep his racing to Sha Tin despite there being some whispers about a potential Dubai trip. “Everything is OK, we will let him rest for a little bit and then he will show us something... View the full article

Chris So Wai-yin’s aptly named Invincible Missile marked himself as a horse to watch with a barnstorming debut at Sha Tin on Sunday. The exciting three-year-old beat home a host of seasoned horses in the Class Four Lukfook Jewellery Wedding Collection Handicap (1,200m) as jockey Douglas Whyte cruised past the front-running duo of Tom’s Dragon and Lightning Treasure. So opted to trial his gelding four times before taking him to the races, and it paid dividends, displaying the... View the full article

Feliciana de Vega (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) registered an impressive six-length tally in her Nov. 3 debut tackling seven furlongs at Newmarket in her only prior outing and doubled up in style to claim a career high in Sunday’s rescheduled Listed Prix des Sablonnets at Deauville. Held up in rear until taking closer order once into the home straight, she challenged wide with 300 metres remaining and powered clear under mild coaxing in the closing stages to easily maintain her perfect record. Feliciana de Vega is the first of three foals produced by MGSP Listed Glencairn S. and Listed Hurry Harriet S. victress Along Came Casey (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}), herself a half-sister to G3 C L Weld Park S. placegetter Hallie’s Comet (Ire) (One Cool Cat), from a family featuring G1SW sire Dowsing (Riverman), his GI Beverley D S.-winning half-sister Fire the Groom (Blushing Groom {Fr}) and her MG1SW son Stravinsky (Nureyev). The bay is kin to a yearling colt Dark Angel (Ire) and a filly foal by Oasis Dream (GB). Sunday, Deauville, France PRIX DES SABLONNETS-Listed, €60,000, Deauville, 12-16, 2yo, 7 1/2f (AWT), 1:25.65, st. 1–FELICIANA DE VEGA (GB), 122, f, 2, by Lope de Vega (Ire) 1st Dam: Along Came Casey (Ire) (MSW & MGSP-Ire, $146,654), by Oratorio (Ire) 2nd Dam: Secretariat’s Tap, by Pleasant Tap 3rd Dam: Secretariat’s Fire, by Secretariat 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (50,000gns Wlg ’16 TATFOA; €85,000 Ylg ’17 GOFOR). O-Waverley Racing; B-Ed’s Stud Ltd (GB); T-Ralph Beckett; J-Christophe Soumillon. €30,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €35,833. 2–Ours Puissant (Ire), 126, c, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Lady Emly (Ire), by Jeremy. (60,000gns 2yo ’18 TATBRE). O-Kevin Bailey & Gabriel Chrysanthou. €12,000. 3–Vanilla Gold (Ire), 122, f, 2, No Nay Never–Miss Childrey (Ire), by Dr Fong. (€120,000 Ylg ’17 ARAUG). O-Gerhard Heinrich. €9,000. Margins: 4HF, SNK, HD. Odds: 1.10, 4.20, 16.00. Also Ran: Marie’s Picnic (Fr), Strings of Life (GB), Come Back (GB), Droit de Parole (Ire), Dr Rio (Fr), Big Boots (Ire), Benazir (Fr). Scratched: Eagleway (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

Left to his own volition on the front end in the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park Dec. 15, Glorious Empire made easy work of his dozen challengers when he headed every point of call en route to his 2 1/2-length victory. View the full article

Eight left the gate in the $125,000 FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire Stakes Dec. 15 at Tampa Bay Downs, but as the field turned for home in the seven-furlong test, World of Trouble commanded the spotlight. View the full article

Eight left the gate in the $125,000 FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire Stakes Dec. 15 at Tampa Bay Downs, but as the field turned for home in the seven-furlong test, World of Trouble commanded the spotlight. View the full article

Wachtel Stable & Gary Barber's homebred Kookie Gal became the first stakes winner for grade 1 winner Boisterous when she stepped to the dirt Dec. 15 and won the $100,000 Soviet Problem Stakes at Los Alamitos Race Course. View the full article

Left to his own volition on the front end in the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park Dec. 15, Glorious Empire made easy work of his dozen challengers when he headed every point of call during his 2 1/2-length victory. View the full article

Eight were entered in the $125,000 FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire Stakes Dec. 15 at Tampa Bay Downs, but as the field turned for home in the seven-furlong test, World of Trouble commanded the spotlight. View the full article