Wandering Eyes

Tip Two Win (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who ran second in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas in the wake of Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in May, will contest the 1 1/4-mile $500,000 Qatar Derby over the Doha turf course during the Qatar International Derby Festival on Dec. 22. Trained by Robert Teal for breeder Mrs. Anne Cowley, the grey colt won the Listed Flying Scotsman S. last September and ran second in the G3 Tattersalls S. later that month before a pair of victories in Qatar, including the Feb. 24 Listed Al Biddah Mile (Qat-G2) to open his sophomore account prior to his miss in the Guineas. A solid fourth in Royal Ascot’s G1 St James’s Palace S. in June, Tip Two Win was unplaced versus elders in the July 31 G2 Qatar Lennox S. “Tip Two Win had a racecourse gallop at Kempton Park on Tuesday morning and put a big smile on my face,” Teal said. “He went so well that I’m starting to get nervous already ahead of the Qatar Derby. David [Probert] rode him and he went one circuit, which is a mile and a quarter, in the company of High Acclaim, who is a very good work horse. They went a nice strong pace all the way. David was delighted with him and thought that he had really strengthened up since he last ran back in July.” Added Teal, “Al Rayyan is a nice level track and he will be able to bounce off the fast surface there so if he’s going to get a mile and a quarter anywhere it will be in Doha. It’s great prize money and they looked after us so well last year that we have to give it another go. His plane leaves in the early hours of Saturday morning and he’s a good traveller–nothing fazes him.” View the full article

Keeneland has added 11 supplemental entries to the catalog for its January Horses of All Ages Sale, to be held Jan. 7-10, 2019. With the additions, a total of 1,565 horses, headlined by champion Abel Tasman (Quality Road), have been cataloged to the auction, which offers broodmares and broodmare prospects, yearlings, horses of racing age and stallions. The Jan. 7 opening session includes seven supplements, five consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, and two consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent. Of the four supplements cataloged to the Jan. 8 session, two are from the consignment of Lane’s End, agent, with one apiece from consignor James M. Herbener Jr., agent for Fox Hill Farms, and consignor Mill Ridge Sales, agent for Juddmonte Farms. On the first day, supplemental entries are the broodmare Brunilda (Arg) (Mutakddim), a Grade III winner in foal to Mshawish; racing or broodmare prospects Miz Creed (Jimmy Creed) and Egoli (Quality Road), both winners at two in 2018, and White Mischief (Into Mischief); two yearlings–a colt by Declaration of War out of a half-sister to impressive juvenile Coliseum (Tapit) and a filly by California Chrome out of stakes winner Dame Ellen (Elusive Quality); and the Grade III-placed racing prospect Marzo (Medaglia d’Oro). Supplemented to the sale’s second day are racing or broodmare prospects Best Performance (Broken Vow), a multiple graded stakes-placed runner who was second in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Navajo (Union Rags), a winner at two; broodmare prospect Butterscotch (Tapit), a full sister to Grade I-placed Normandy Invasion; and racing prospect Allium (Malibu Moon). Keeneland continues to accept supplementary entries. The January Sale’s four sessions begins at 10 a.m. ET each day, and the sale will be streamed live on Keeneland.com. View the full article

Old Friends Farm, the popular retirement home for Thoroughbreds in Georgetown, Ky., has agreed to open a new affiliate on the West Coast, which will break ground in 2019. Doug Freeland of Flagstone Group and Elizabeth Neil are developing a 95-acre parcel of land just outside of Temecula, Ca., to be used for both the retraining and retirement of Thoroughbred horses. Old Friends Farm West, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, will begin development in March 2019, and the property will include a Visitor’s Center & Gift Shop, a Winery & Café, a Memorabilia Museum, one indoor and two outdoor retraining rings, multiple barns, a teaching Vet Center, and an Event Center for fundraising and charity events. “The plan is to have a premiere facility for the retraining and retirement of Thoroughbred horses, as well as a facility that allows the public to come and visit these former stars of the track, especially those who have raced here in California,” said Neil, who will serve as Director & President of Old Friends Farm West. “Southern California has been good to me, and it’s time to return the favor,” added Freeland, who will serve as Chairman of the Property. “After arriving in San Diego as a young Navy pilot, and later becoming a real-estate developer, I’ve long been a fan of the Del Mar Turf Club. This is a non-profit venture that will be a win-win for our four-legged friends and a feel-good project for all of us. We are excited that our Kentucky friends are supporting us and encouraging this endeavor.” If you would like more information on Old Friends Farm West, or would like to become involved and/or make a tax-free contribution, contact Elizabeth Neil at 805-722-7345 or by email at elizabethoffw@gmail.com. View the full article

Despite drifting from odds-on favouritism to odds-against, Divine Image (Scat Daddy) nonetheless quelled any concerns with an impressive performance tackling one mile in her Chelmsford City unveiling. The chestnut recovered from a slightly awkward break to track the pace in third along the fence from flagfall. Angled into a clear path when shaken up off the home turn, the 6-5 pick received one flick of James Doyle’s enhancer once hitting the front approaching the final eighth and powered clear under mild coaxing in the closing stages to easily account for Stratification (Australia {GB}) by six lengths. “She was a little slowly away from the gates, but we got a nice little pitch in behind the front two,” explained Doyle. “She was a little on and off the bridle and, like Charlie [Appleby] thought beforehand, might be better over a bit further. She did it well once she clicked into gear and got a bit of room in the straight. She’s a nice one to look forward to.” Divine Image is the first reported foal and scorer out of three-time stakes-placed Sure Route (GB) (Ishiguru), herself the leading representative produced by an unraced half-sister to a quartet of black-type performers featuring GIII Iroquois S. victor Motor City (Street Sense). Sure Route, who has also produced a yearling colt by Union Rags and a filly foal by Air Force Blue, was bred back to Air Force Blue this year. Sales history: $195,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP; $125,000 Ylg ’17 FTKOCT; €360,000 2yo ’18 ARQMAY. 2nd-Chelmsford City, £8,000, Cond, 12-13, 2yo, f, 8f (AWT), 1:41.49, st. DIVINE IMAGE, f, 2, by Scat Daddy 1st Dam: Sure Route (GB) (MSP-US, $201,163), by Ishiguru 2nd Dam: Shore Light, by Gulch 3rd Dam: Shawgatny, by Danzig Connection 1ST-TIME STARTER. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, £5,175. O-Godolphin; B-Peter Magnier (KY); T-Charlie Appleby. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

CF Roberts Mares’ Handicap Chase Neil King’s Silent Steps sneaks into this off a nice racing weight and was an impressive winner ten days ago. That was the seven-year-olds first win under rules having spent time in the care of Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls without success. This confidence boosting run may turn this former […] The post Friday Preview – Will Bolger To Be Crowned “King Of The Banks” Again? appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Cloth of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is the second-highest rated horse to retire to stud in France in the past 40 years. He had just two brilliant fillies-Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Sea Of Class (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire})-in front of him in two G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphes. He is from the prolific Niarchos family that includes G1 Prix de Diane winner Northern Trick, and more recently Group 1 winners Main Sequence (Aldebaran), Light Shift (Kingmambo) and Ulysses (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). That looks like a lot of value for €7,500. “Everybody will remember him for being the first colt home in the last two Arcs,” said Julian Ince of Haras du Logis, which will stand Cloth of Stars at stud in 2019. “But I think the one thing that people will appreciate is that he was an exceptional 2-year-old: he won the G3 Prix des Chenes and was second in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud. He was a fabulous 2-year-old that went on to be a champion older horse.” For all the talk of his runner-up effort in last year’s Arc and his third this year, a length behind those two special fillies Enable and Sea Of Class, Cloth of Stars did in fact collect a Group 1 win of his own last spring when besting Zarak (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Ganay. He was a six-time group winner from a mile to 10 furlongs, and had Group 1 form from two to five. His Arc second was rated high enough to win nine of the previous 10 runnings of the great race. “That’s what we look for in France [in a stallion],” Ince said. “We like good 2-year-olds that train on and last a long time. And I think that’s what people have appreciated, that in fact he was a top-class 2-year-old that trained on to the age of six. As his trainer Mr. Fabre said to me, ‘he was a wonderful horse.’ He was a very determined racehorse but with a very, very kind nature.” {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"Cloth of Stars at Haras du Logis","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ClothOfStarsTN.jpg","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/305792328.sd.mp4?s=ac0ce05e9955493e27316dabe2fb7bd1b993e0bf&profile_id=165","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/304696837.sd.mp4?s=ca9456b0fe7b3bccd8bbfa2ed7750225cd70ddcf&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\/"} Ince said that Cloth of Stars, who was a 400,000gns yearling purchase by Godolphin, will be limited to 120 mares from the start of the season, but more spots may be made available if he takes to his new job well. He said that within 24 hours of the announcement of the horse’s retirement to Logis, breeding rights were sold out. “I think with young horses, it’s always a prudent thing to do to not to overload the horse in the very beginning,” Ince said. “If he can handle that, that’s great, and we’ll open up the book afterwards. But I think it’s very important to give the horse a chance, into his new career, by not overloading him from day one. “He’s very much in demand. Breeding rights were sold very, very quickly because people realize to get a horse like this with that high a rating, a top-class 2-year-old; he’s a horse that everybody wants and we’re absolutely delighted by the response of breeders.” Cloth of Stars has been at Logis for about a month, and Ince said the response from breeders who have seen him in the flesh has been positive. “He’s not an over big horse,” he said. “But he’s a very well- balanced horse. And the one thing we’ve noticed about him is he’s an exceptional mover, and that’s what breeders have really appreciated. He’s got a great colour, great skin, is a great-moving horse; if the foals look like him, I think everybody will be very happy.” Cloth of Stars apparently gained some accolades from his master trainer Andre Fabre, too. “A couple days after the horse arrived at the stud, Mr. Fabre phoned us and he was describing the horse and just said to me that he was a horse with wonderful conformation, he thought he had a lot of character and was a very determined racehorse but that he is an exceptionally kind horse as well, and that’s exactly what we’ve seen at the farm; he’s got such a good temperament. He’s a very kind horse and you know you can do anything with him. We’re very, very delighted to have the horse with us.” View the full article

TDN: Favourite racing moment of the year? SK: There were several, including Native River (Ire) (Indian River {Fr}) winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup. However my favourite moment is somewhat biased, but my cousin Patrick Prendergast training the Moyglare Stud S. winner Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy) for the Rogers Family. TDN: A horse that really stood out for you in 2018? SK: Enable (GB). TDN: An outstanding achievement by a breeder, owner or trainer? SK: Along with Skitter Scatter winning the Moyglare, then Enable returning to close to her best for Juddmonte and John Gosden despite an interrupted campaign. TDN: Big hope for 2019? SK: Skitter Scatter to win the 1000 Guineas and Madhmoon (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) to win the 2000 Guineas. TDN: Your new year’s resolution? SK: Plan or organise myself better and the usual fitness aspirations that I set every year and never get close to achieving. View the full article

With Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races unveiling a 2019 stakes schedule with a reduced purse for the Charles Town Classic (G2), the West Virginia Racing Commission unanimously approved that schedule Dec. 13. View the full article

Friday Lough Derg Jewel Track: Doncaster – 2:20 Jockey: Will Kennedy He had an irregular heartbeat after Carlisle the last day. I’m still not sure what he did, whether he just got panicked or something else. It was nice to find something given how he faded out of it and he seems back in good order at […] The post Donald McCain Blog – Friday Runners appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost Beauty Generation or Able Friend, who was better? – @nicklasyip It has been a topic of much discussion after Beauty Generation’s demolition job in the Longines Hong Kong Mile. Able Friend was dominant winning the 2014 Mile, one of four Group One victories on his way to being named the 2014-15 Horse of the Year, while that was the fourth Group One win for... View the full article

In the madness following Glorious Forever’s barnstorming win in Sunday’s Longines Hong Kong Cup, an unknown opportunist seized the chance to get a photo with the Group One-winning star. While the staff of Frankie Lor Fu-chuen’s stable posed with the four-year-old, a mystery man also strode out onto the track and planted himself front and centre of the photo. Once Jockey Club officials realised something was amiss, they were quick to usher the imposter from the track and normal... View the full article

The Hong Kong Derby picture will become clearer this Sunday with trainer Richard Gibson rolling out his key hope in the lucrative race. Highly rated English import Gold Chest will make his Hong Kong debut in the Class Two Lukfook Jewellery Cup (1,400m) among a host of other Derby hopefuls. The lightly raced three-year-old won both of his starts in England, including a win in Listed company at Newmarket before making his way to Gibson’s stable in September. Having trialled twice at Sha... View the full article

The Maryland Stadium Authority's completed study about the future of Pimlico Race Course, expected to be released Dec. 13, will lay out a plan that includes the demolishing and rebuilding of the Baltimore racetrack at a price tag of $424 million. View the full article

The Maryland Stadium Authority's completed study about the future of Pimlico Race Course, expected to be released Dec. 13, will "call for" the demolishing and rebuilding of the Baltimore racetrack at a price tag of $424 million. View the full article

One year after trainer Chad Brown trainee Lewis Bay scored a dominating, gate-to-wire run in the $100,000 Rampart Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park, the trainer returns to the Florida track Dec. 15 with another promising filly. View the full article

The Jockeys’ Guild held its 2018 Annual Meeting, sponsored by TVG Betfair USA, in Las Vegas Dec. 10 and 11. Those in attendance participated in presentations and discussions on how to enhance the sport of horseracing, improve the conditions under which Guild members ride, and what can be done to assure that the younger riders carry on the traditions of the Guild. Since 2007, the Guild has provided its members $13.5 million dollars in benefits, including health and welfare reimbursements. The riders in attendance elected John Velazquez and Mike Smith as Jockeys’ Guild Co-Chairs, Ricky Ramirez, Julien Leparoux and Javier Castellano as Vice Chairs, Joel Campbell as Treasurer, and Rodney Prescott as Secretary. Joe Bravo and Alex Birzer were re-elected and Joe Talamo was newly elected as members of the Board of Directors. Ramon Dominguez was appointed as an ex-officio member of the Board. View the full article

Tony Martinez, a third generation track superintendent, has been named track superintendent at Gulfstream Park. Martinez grew up working at Del Mar, where his grandfather Manuel Martinez was the trackman for decades. Martinez has worked at Sunland Park, Zia Park and was the track superintendent at Bay Meadows at the age of 28. He and his family have also served as consultants and built tracks in Australia, Saudi Arabia and Canada. “It’s a great honor to be at Gulfstream Park,” Martinez said. View the full article

The El Camino Real Derby, Golden Gate Fields’ cornerstone race for 3-year-olds to be held Feb. 16, 2019, will provide the winner with an automatic, all expenses paid berth to the May 18 GI Preakness S. at Pimlico, it was announced Wednesday. Any horse nominated to the Triple Crown series is eligible to earn the automatic berth. A Bay Area fixture entering its 37th year, the El Camino Real Derby was originally held at the now-defunct Bay Meadows, but has been held at Golden Gate since 2005. The nine-furlong event held over the Tapeta track will also provide the winner 10 qualifying points toward the GI Kentucky Derby. “We are ecstatic to offer this intriguing incentive to run in the El Camino Real Derby to our horsemen, owners, breeders and their horses,” said David Duggan, Vice President and General Manager of Golden Gate Fields. “We have seen horses in the past go on and do big things in Triple Crown races after running here in the El Camino Real Derby and we are hoping to see that trend re-emerge with this new bonus in 2019.” The Golden Gate Fields Winter/Spring Meet gets underway Wednesday, Dec. 26 and runs through Sunday, June 9. View the full article

China Horse Club, WinStar Farm, Starlight Racing, and Head of Plains Partners' Audible, undefeated in two starts last winter at Gulfstream Park, returns to South Florida for the $100,000 Harlan's Holiday Stakes (G3) Dec. 15. View the full article

After a recruiting trip to Japan, the Stronach Group’s President Mike Rogers has secured a commitment from the connections of Aerolithe (Jpn) (Kurofune) for the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational to be run Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park. The race is worth $7 million. In addition, Rogers reports that the connections of Mexican star Kukulkan (Mex) (Point Determined) are considering a start in the $9-million GI Pegasus World Cup and that the Coolmore team has indicated that it will start GI Breeders’ Cup Turf runner-up Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Pegasus Turf race. Aerolithe will be five when the Pegasus card is conducted. She is 4 for 13 in her career with three stakes wins, including the G1 NHK Mile Cup. Rogers said that the ownership group, Sunday Racing Co., Ltd., has agreed to come, but there still may be a hitch Nippon Cargo Airlines had been the primary carrier in Japan when it comes to transporting horses. Earlier this year, the airline was grounded after the Japanese government found errors in its maintenance records, which has made shipping horses in and out of Japan very difficult. Rogers said he is trying to find alternative means of shipping the horse from Tokyo to the U.S. He has been in contact with both Korean Airlines and Tex Sutton Equine Transport and is cautiously optimistic transportation can be worked out. “We’re committed to helping support the shipping costs from Japan,” Rogers said. “It’s about growing the event, so we’re committed to helping the owner with that.” Rogers said he was also scouting for Japanese dirt horses for the Pegasus World Cup, but the horses on the list that were considering the race all ran poorly in the G1 Champions Cup on the dirt and their connections decided to pass. Nonetheless, Rogers saw getting even one Japanese horse as a major coup for the Pegasus races. “It’s very exciting,” he said. “We really want to position ourselves to be an international race, so having a horse from Japan is a step in that direction.” A Japanese presence could also greatly help grow the handle. Rogers said it was unlikely the 2019 Pegasus Turf would be simulcast in Japan. That country limits the amount of foreign races its bettors can wager on to 20, and there are several restrictions. However, if the Japanese continue to participate in the Pegasus events that could open the doors to players in that country being able to bet on Gulfstream’s two rich races. The first ever race simulcast into Japan was the 2016 G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Japanese bet about $35 million on the race. “We are not overly optimistic we will get approved this year,” Rogers said. “We’re long-term thinkers and I think we will get approved in the future. We’re playing the long game on this one.” Kukulkan is a sensation in Mexico, where he was undefeated in 13 starts and won the Mexican Triple Crown. He shipped to Gulfstream to compete in last Saturday’s $300,000 Carribean Classic S. and demolished his opponents, winning by 10 1/4 lengths. “Kukulkan’s owner is considering running, as well,” Rogers said. “We are really excited about that. The horse is undefeated and you have to give him a lot of credit for that. Yes, he probably hasn’t run against this kind of competition yet, but the owner seems like a real sportsman and he’s taking it under serious consideration. For us, to have a Triple Crown winner from Mexico positions us even more so to be an international event.” Considering that Kukulkan got a 71 Beyer Speed Figure in The Carribean Classic, he will likely have a hard time competing against the caliber of horses lining up for the Pegasus World Cup. Rogers reported earlier that Coolmore, which has been a big supporter of the Pegasus program from the start, has made a commitment to run in both races. Rogers said he has been told the stable will likely ship Magical to run in the $7-million turf race. She’s coming off a stellar performance in the Breeders’ Cup Turf where she finished second behind Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), losing by just three-quarters of a length. She would likely be heavily favored in the Pegasus Turf. Getting other European horses to come over is still a work in progress, and January is not a good time to have a race when looking to attract European flat horses. The top quality horses from overseas are primarily put away for the winter until the flat season starts up in the spring. “Maybe it’s out fault because we were late in announcing this race, but we’ve been told by the Europeans if they had a little more time they could have prepared to run in the race,” Rogers said. “We’re committed to this turf race. I think you’ll see more Europeans put it on their calendar in the future.” At $7 million, the Pegasus Turf has a bigger purse than any single race in Europe. View the full article

BOB BAFFERT, TRAINER, JUSTIFY I don’t vote and, of course, John Sadler and I are both biased. We both trained two really good horses and had really good years with them. The Triple Crown is the biggest arena the sport has. It is the holy grail of our sport. What Justify did was pretty incredible. He ran six races right in a row and won them all. That takes an incredible athlete to do something like that. I’ve been fortunate and blessed to train some great horses. He had six outs. Accelerate, who had a great year, had seven outs. But they were spaced out and John did a fantastic job of managing him. Justify had to toe the line. I didn’t have a chance to pick or chose with Justify, he had to just go. We couldn’t miss a beat with him, and he pulled it off. You can’t do that unless you have an exceptional horse. We’ve seen so many horses go down in the Belmont. I should know. They fail when they get there. It takes an exceptional , superstar kind of horse, and that’s what Justify is. My take on it is that it is incredibly difficult to win the Triple Crown and he made it look easy. With him and Pharoah, great 3-year-olds, there is something about them, their mechanics, their genetics…they are superior horses and he was a superior horse. People knocked us because the horse never ran after the Belmont, but he couldn’t run, he had an injury. Unfortunately, those things happen. I was just as sad as everyone else when we had to stop on him. I wouldn’t have had any doubts about him handling older horses. If he was that good in the spring of his 3-year-old year, just imagine how much better he would have been come the fall. He would have been twice as good. JOHN SADLER, TRAINER, ACCELERATE Full disclosure to everyone: I’m biased and I do not have a vote for Horse of the Year, but if I did, it would be for Accelerate. At the beginning of 2018, we mapped out a year-long campaign that was crafted to get Accelerate to the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. During that period, Accelerate hit every mark we needed him to in his training, never took a misplaced step or had a setback. Accelerate went on to compile a race record of six wins from seven starts, was the high- weighted/co-highweight horse in six of those races and five of those wins were at the highest level, Grade I, going 1 ¼ on dirt– the quintessential “Classic” distance in U.S. racing. From a historical perspective, only four other horses have achieved this feat since 1975 and three of those were named Horse of the Year in their respective years (Affirmed in the pre-Breeders’ Cup era, Alysheba and Cigar since the inception of the Breeders’ Cup…Lava Man was the other and he was defeated by Invasor (Arg) in the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Classic, their only head-to-head meeting.) The Breeders’ Cup is, by our sport’s definition, the Championship event of horse racing. Winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic is the equivalent of the Super Bowl and more times than not, the winner of that event has been named Horse of the Year. Accelerate did all those things in 2018, ran superior speed figures (by whatever metric you use) and did not duck anyone in the process. It would be remiss to not acknowledge Bob Baffert and the connections of Justify for their achievements. The constraints of the Triple Crown are well known and there are no “do overs” on the trail. Bob’s record in the Derby, Preakness and Belmont needs no preamble at this stage of his career and what Justify did in a short amount of time was another of his achievements that made history. I’m sure the connections of Justify are disappointed that they were not able to finish out the year due to injury. As a sport, we were all denied the opportunity to see these two horses compete head to head in our Championship event. That said, Accelerate should not be penalized because Justify was unable to run and he did. On a final note, while Justify overcame the “Apollo curse,” Accelerate overcame my much-maligned Breeders’ Cup record. That’s a Horse of the Year achievement unto itself! View the full article

Lester Piggott is still hospitalised and is recovering after have surgery to be fitted for a pacemaker a few days ago. One of the sport’s all-time great figures, Piggott, 83, was admitted to hospital at the start of this month and underwent tests while doctors monitored his condition. His daughter Maureen Haggas, wife of Classic-winning trainer William Haggas, confirmed on Wednesday a pacemaker had been fitted to help her father’s heart beat normally and revealed he could return home as soon as this weekend. “He had a pacemaker fitted around 10 days ago, but he’s going ok,” Haggas told Press Association Sport. “He’s still in hospital at the moment. We’re hopeful he might be out by the weekend, but they’re not 100% sure yet. He obviously wants to get out of there, but they won’t let him go unless they’re 100% happy with him.” Piggott–who had a spell in intensive care in 2007 in a Swiss hospital with a heart complaint – won the Derby a remarkable nine times. View the full article

Editor’s Note: Today’s column on equine tax planning is the first in a new regular series in the TDN, presented by Keeneland. It is written by Len Green of The Green Group and DJ Stables, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies this year with Jaywalk. As is often heard in the horseracing industry, “The race is not over until the horse crosses the finish line!” The same is true with maximizing your tax deductions and minimizing your taxes. For those, who think it is too late to save on your 2018 taxes, we are here to tell you it is not. With over 35 years of experience saving our clients taxes along with our knowledge of the new tax laws, we are confident the following information will help you as you approach the 2018 home stretch and allow you to hit the wire a winner. What Does the 2017 Tax Act Do to Assist You? First, the recently enacted Tax Act contains favorable developments for depreciating and expensing yearlings, breeding stock, farm equipment and other property. Bonus Depreciation: An increase in bonus depreciation allows a write off to increase from 50% to 100%. Accordingly, you are now permitted to fully expense purchases in the first year for yearlings, breeding stock and farm equipment. Used property can now qualify also. A few weeks still remain for 2018 asset additions with the potential benefit of a full tax write-off. IRC §179 Deduction: The maximum amount that may be expensed has been increased from $500,000 to $1 million. The phase-out threshold has been increased from $2 million to $2.5 million. Farm Equipment: The useful life has been reduced from seven years to five years and the 200% declining balance method can now be used. Race Horses: Certain Thoroughbred horses can still be depreciated as 3-year property. Even if business equipment or horses are purchased before year end, they still qualify for these tax benefits. Maximize the Pass-Thru Business Income Deduction: An entirely new tax saving deduction allows certain taxpayers to deduct 20% of their qualified business income. To maximize the deduction, you should take action steps to qualify your taxable income so it is below this new provision’s phase-out thresholds. If your taxable income (not adjusted gross income) is less than $157,000 for single taxpayers or $315,000 for married filing jointly, you may be eligible for this new pass-through deduction. The deduction phases out at $207,000 for individuals and $415,000 for married filing jointly. In some cases, the deduction may be limited to 50% of wages paid. Accordingly, one strategy would be to convert your independent contractors to employees to boost the 20% deduction. Set Up a Retirement Plan: You may be eligible to establish a retirement plan before year-end (or beyond). Contributions to a Keogh plan or a one-person 401(k) plan can be significant and save you significant 2018 tax dollars if set up before December 31, 2018. A SEP-IRA is another flexible alternative. A SEP can be set up before the filing date of your 2018 tax return, yet still provide you with a 2018 deduction. Required Minimum Distributions: If you are age 70 ½ or older, please remember to take your required minimum distribution from your retirement plan in order to avoid a harsh penalty. Child Tax Credit More Available: Under prior law, the child tax credit was phased out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income of more than $75,000 for single taxpayers and above $110,000 for joint filers. Those thresholds have been increased dramatically, up to $200,000 for single taxpayers and $400,000 for couples. In addition, the credit, which is for each child under age 17, has been doubled to $2,000. Gifting: For those of you inclined to make gifts still in 2018, keep in mind that the annual gift tax exclusion is $15,000 per recipient or $30,000 if married. With the Federal estate tax exemption scheduled to return to the 2017 amount of $5.5 million after 2025 (from the 2018-2025 threshold of more than $11 million), an opportunity is available for high net worth individuals to transfer substantial assets tax-free now to family members or trusts. Charitable Deductions: There is still an opportunity to make contributions before year end. A tax saving technique is to donate appreciated securities to qualified charities and receive a tax deduction at the appreciated amount and avoid the capital gains you would have paid if you sold the securities and donated the cash. Tax Preparation Fees: The 2017 Tax Act eliminated itemized deductions for individuals where this was previously deducted in prior years. To the extent that the tax preparation fee includes work done on your horse business, that would be properly deducted on Schedule C, Schedule F or on your LLC. Action Steps You should review the applicability of these recommendations with your tax professional or take advantage of the fact that readers of this column receive a one-hour consultation with our firm. To contact The Green Group, please visit http://www.greenco.com/ or call (732) 634-5100. View the full article

Yearling entries for the 241st running of the 1 1/2-mile G1 Investec Derby, totalling 356 yearlings, were announced by Epsom Downs Racecourse on Wednesday. Slated to carry a purse of at least £1.5 million and be run on June 6, 2020, the Investec Derby sees 12 entries from Godolphin, who won the 2018 edition with Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}). Coolmore has won the Derby seven times with various partnerships, and they have entered 75 yearlings representing Sue Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor. Among their best yearlings is a Galileo (Ire) colt out of Shastye (Ire) (Danehill), who brought 3.4 million guineas at Tattersalls and is a full-brother to Group 2 victor Japan (GB), himself a leading 2019 Derby contender. Five-time Derby winning owner His Highness the Aga Khan enters 19, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum as 22 potential Derby starters led by a Dubawi (Ire) colt out of 2014 G1 Investec Oaks victress Taghrooda (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Prince Khalid Abdullah (16), Saeed Suhail (9) and Her Majesty The Queen (5) are also represented. The stallion with the most entries is 2001 Derby hero Galileo with 56, while his undefeated son Frankel (GB) has 22. Dubawi (Ire) sends out 13 yearlings, with the highlight a son of MG1SW Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). The most expensive yearling at 3.5 million guineas sold in Europe in 2018, the colt is a full-brother to undefeated G1SW Too Darn Hot (GB). Derby winners Australia (GB) (24), Camelot (GB) (16), Sea The Stars (Ire) (18), New Approach (Ire) (5), Authorized (Ire) (2) Pour Moi (Fr) (1) Ruler of the World (Ire) (1), Sir Percy (GB) (3) and Golden Horn (GB) (18) are also featured. International stallions represented on this list include Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (4) and Deep Impact (Jpn) (1). For the full list of entries, click here. “It is pleasing to see owners from across the world continuing to support the Investec Derby at the yearling entry stage, including so many of those who have enjoyed Investec Derby success in the past,” said Andrew Cooper, Head of Racing and Clear of the Course at Epsom Downs. “The yearling entry stage offers a tried and tested route to Investec Derby glory and we are grateful for the support it continues to receive.” There is a £9,000 second entry stage for the Derby in April of 2020 and an £85,000 supplementary entry stage on June 1, 2020. There are also two wild card slots open: winning a juvenile conditions race on Sept. 29, 2019 or the 10-furlong Listed Investec Blue Riband Trial in April of 2020. View the full article

Keeneland is expanding its Spring Meet in 2019 by opening a day earlier than in previous years and presenting two new stakes, both $100,000 turf sprints, the track announced Wednesday. The meet will open Thursday, Apr. 4 and host a total of 18 stakes worth a season-record $4.6 million in purse money through closing day Apr. 26. The centerpiece of the meet, as usual, will be the $1-million GII Toyota Blue Grass S. Apr. 6, with the $500,000 GI Central Bank Ashland S. set for the same Saturday. Opening on a Thursday means the Spring Meet will not lose a day because of Easter Sunday, Apr. 21, when Keeneland is closed. Prior to 1960, the Spring Meet often opened on Thursday when the season was shorter. The new stakes added to the calendar are both for sophomore turfers, with the 5 1/2-furlong, $100,000 Palisades S. for straight 3-year-olds to be held opening day, and the $100,000 Limestone Turf Sprint for 3-year-old fillies unfolding Friday, Apr. 12 at the same distance. “Keeneland is excited to offer these new features for the 2019 Spring Meet,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said. “The addition of two turf stakes for 3-year-olds will increase opportunities for horsemen competing during the Spring Meet and fill a nice niche in the national landscape of turf racing. We’ve also seen the growing interest of several major connections to use the grass stakes at Keeneland to prepare for summer campaigns, including competing at Royal Ascot. The new races will enrich a season anchored by blockbuster stakes racing on the first two Saturdays and one that spotlights leading 3-year-olds with classic aspirations.” The 2019 Spring Meet will also include the resumption of Keeneland’s April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, to be held Tuesday, April 9. Preview Day, during which cataloged horses will have breezes over both the dirt track and turf course, is scheduled for Monday, April 8. View the full article