Wandering Eyes

The annual Longines World’s Best Racehorse and Longines World’s Best Horse Race ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 23. The event will be held for the first time at The Landmark in London, England after it was selected by Longines and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. The world’s three highest-rated horses-according to international handicappers–in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings will be honoured, as well as the Longines World’s Best Horse Race. The award for the top-rated racehorse is a the trophy Equus, a crystal vase, while the trophy for the best race is a proud horse head. The highest rated race is determined by averaging the rankings of the first four placed horses. For the full listed go to http://www.ifhaonline.org. View the full article

I don’t see how the Triple Crown winner cannot be Horse of the Year. I go back to the days before the Breeders’ Cup was inaugurated and the Triple Crown is still the engine that fires this game. Justify did all that he needed to do to prove to me that he was the Horse of the Year. The Eclipse Awards are tough. I’ve had several that I thought deserved the accolade and didn’t get it. If they don’t win it with Accelerate, I’m going to know how John Sadler feels. In 2012, we had Little Mike who won the Breeders’ Cup Turf, the Arlington Million and the Woodford Reserve at Churchill. It just so happened he did that in the same year that Wise Dan came along and beat us. For us, there was no other award we could get other than turf champion. At least Accelerate will be older male champion. I don’t like to talk about other people’s horses, but I will say they were both great horses. It’s just that I’m a little more old school and, to me, the power of winning the Triple Crown is impossible to overcome. Dale Romans does not have an Eclipse Award vote View the full article

Sandy Dudgeon has been elected as a senior steward (non-executive chairman) of The Jockey Club beginning July 12, 2019 after the organisation’s winter meeting held in London on Monday. He will serve for five years and succeeds Roger Weatherby. Elected as a Member of The Jockey Club in 1989, Dudgeon served as a steward from 2009-2012, and joined the Board of Stewards in December of 2017. Currently a chartered accountant, Dudgeon won 60 races in point-to-points and under National Hunt rules and was previously a managing director of Thornhill, as well as holding directorship positions with Dunedin Enterprise Investment Trust plc and Man Alternative Investments Ltd. He is also a senior advisor at Schroders’ private wealth management business. “I am honoured to have been chosen as the next Senior Steward of The Jockey Club,” said Dudgeon. “I am looking forward to building on the great work of my predecessors from next summer, as we continue to ensure The Jockey Club plays a positive and active role in the long-term success of British horseracing.” Lord Daresbury will retire as a steward on Dec. 31 and The Hon Rose Paterson will join the Board on Jan. 1. Added Weatherby, “I am delighted with Sandy’s appointment and will be pleased to pass the baton on to him in July. I would also like to thank Peter Daresbury for his commitment as a Steward and welcome Rose Paterson, the current Chairman of Aintree Racecourse, onto our Board of Stewards. Her appointment helps to ensure The Jockey Club continues to benefit from an exceptional main board.” View the full article

Last spring, consignor Kip Elser and a longtime client came into the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale with five horses and an old idea made new again. The five 2-year-olds bypassed the typical pre-sale breeze and instead galloped down the lane during the auction’s under-tack preview show. The experiment proved enough of a success that the two men have purchased another group of yearlings this year intent on repeating the scenario at the 2019 Gulfstream sale. “We very happy with the first year,” Elser said. “We were very well received–both in the market, which is most important, and then with the buzz created by the whole thing. It has been very positive to the point where my friend and client is doing it again.” In addition to the five yearlings purchased this fall for the original client, who has chosen to remain anonymous, a further four yearlings were purchased by a separate group of partners. “[The original client] decided that he did not want any partners, but he did encourage me to put together another small group,” Elser said. “He thinks there is enough room in the market to expand it somewhat. So that is what we did. We are going with nine horses this year. It’s an exciting project. It’s a lot of fun. We are doing something a little different and we think people are getting a good look at these horses. We’re really looking forward to taking them out in public.” Three of the five 2-year-olds purchased as yearlings in 2017 under the name Gulfstream Gallop sold at the 2018 Gulfstream auction, led by a Noble Mission (GB) colt who brought $120,000 and a filly by Blame who sold for $100,000 to Dennis O’Neill. The filly, named Splashy Kisses, was a maiden winner at Del Mar in August and finished second in the GII Pocahontas S. at Churchill Downs. She was eighth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. “We feel great about last year’s results,” Elser said. “That vindicates the project. We have some later-developing horses who ran well first time and look like they are okay. But to have the one filly be graded placed in the first small group of relatively inexpensive horses is very gratifying. I’ve checked with everybody who has one and they are pleased enough. They are going to win their share, they think.” After putting a toe in the water last year, Elser’s client decided to increase his investment going into the 2018 yearling sales. “Last year was very much a, ‘Let’s throw a dart,’ experimental thing,” Elser explained. “It went very well. I think we ratcheted it up this year–we certainly bought more expensive horses.” Gulfstream Gallop opened its 2018 yearling purchases with a $50,000 colt by Bayern (hip 284) at the Fasig-Tipton July sale and purchased a colt by Flatter (hip 1756) for the same price at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. It made its biggest purchase of the year with a $65,000 daughter of Street Sense (hip 123), one of three purchased at the Fasig-Tipton October sale. Only one of the yearlings was not purchased under the name Gulfstream Gallop, a colt (hip 229) who RNA’d for $100,000 at the Keeneland September sale. “He is a More Than Ready colt who was in Book 1 at Keeneland,” Elser explained. “We partnered up with Jack Delhomme, who bred him. He’s an old friend who used to play here in Charlotte. So he is the only one in the group who wasn’t bought and signed for by the Gallop group.” While the Gulfstream sale is still months away, Elser is already feeling positive about the 2019 gallopers. “I’m very happy with the group,” he said. “They are all up and galloping and putting in the days and the miles.” The Gulfstream sale will be held Mar. 27 next year and its date on the calendar makes it a perfect spot to sell these prospects, according to Elser. “I think if you get a little later in the year, you don’t have a reason not to breeze,” Elser said. “These horses are sitting on ready to breeze and I think if you get a little bit later in the year, like for instance at Keeneland where they are already running 2-year-old races, I think people scratch their heads about not breezing. So it got to be a process of elimination picking Gulfstream.” Elser stressed these horses will be doing exactly what was intended when they gallop in Hallandale next spring. “I think it is important that people know what this group is,” he said. “They haven’t been tried and found wanting. Right from the start this was the plan. As we did last year, they will two-minute lick down the lane at Gulfstream. The intent is to go just fast enough that the guys with the motion analysis cameras can get a read on them. That’s it. Whether you call it an open gallop or a two-minute lick, I don’t know. It is not a fast breeze.” View the full article

William Buick intends to appeal against the severity of the six-week ban imposed by the stewards for his ride in Sunday’s G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase. The jockey pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless riding after partnering the Tony Cruz-trained Pakistan Star (Ger) (Shamardal) to finish sixth in the Group 1 heat. Buick was found to have caused interference to both Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Red Verdon (Lemon Drop Kid) when going for a gap with a couple of furlongs to race, with the Hong Kong Jockey Club stewards suspending him from Dec. 17 to Jan. 28, which is equivalent to 12 Hong Kong racedays. Buick was also fined HK$20,000 for the rule breach, but intends to lodge an appeal against the sanctions. View the full article

In 2018, a new milestone was reached by a broodmare sire in Europe. Pivotal (GB) became the first-ever to be represented by as many as eight individual European Group 1 winners in a single year. And on only four previous occasions has a broodmare sire managed to top the annual list with five or more Group 1 winners. Danehill was the best in 2011, 2012 and 2014, siring the dams of seven, six and five Group 1 winners. Meanwhile, Sadler’s Wells sired the dams of five Group 1 winners when topping the list in 2005. So, only three stallions have managed to head the annual list with five or more Group 1 winners since the pattern began. That’s pretty exalted company considering that some of the finest broodmares have fallen short. Darshaan (GB) was a leading broodmare sire of Group 1 winners in Europe on nine occasions between 1998 and 2013, but the most he could manage in his best years was four, which he achieved on five occasions. Sadler’s Wells was at the top on four further occasions with four Group 1 winners and his son Galileo also had four Group 1 winners in 2016 and 2017, when he shared the title with Pivotal and Storm Cat. What’s remarkable about Pivotal’s success this year is the breath in aptitude of his daughter’s Group 1 winners. There were two juvenile six-furlong winners in Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) and Fairyland (GB) (Kodiac {GB}), and a five-furlong sprinter in Mab’s Cross (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}). One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) won a Group 1 over seven furlongs and Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Olmedo (Fr) (Declaration Of War) over a mile. Then there were middle-distance stars Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). View the full article

As his odds of 1-5 make perfectly clear, there was nothing improbable about Improbable (City Zip)’s victory in the GI Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity. Nor was there anything improbable about a colt of his pedigree establishing a record of three wins from three starts as a 2-year-old. His sire, the ultra-tough City Zip, won five of his 11 juvenile starts, including the GI Hopeful S., and this son of the fast Carson City has also been represented by the Breeders’ Cup 2-year-old winners Bulletin (2018 Juvenile Turf Sprint) and Catch A Glimpse (Juvenile Fillies Turf). It was on the undercard of the opening day of the Breeders’ Cup that Improbable had earned ‘TDN Rising Star’ status with his effortless victory in the Street Sense S., over a mile of the Kentucky Derby course. Sadly, City Zip had to be euthanized at the age of 19 in July 2017, and his long-standing foot problems appear to have prevented him carrying out his stallion duties that year. At least he had been able to cover 129 mares in 2016, so we can look forward to a final crop of nearly 100, which will race in 2019. No fewer than seven members of this 2017 crop sold for prices between $250,000 and $500,000 as yearlings, which illustrates the progress City Zip made after starting his stallion career in 2002 at a fee of $7,500. He was originally based at Contemporary Stallions in New York in 2002, before being moved to Lane’s End Farm at the end of 2004. City Zip wasn’t just a 2-year-old. Although his tough juvenile campaign might have drained a less durable individual, City Zip made a further 12 starts at three and he was good enough to win four more stakes races, including the GIII Jersey Shore S. and GII Amsterdam S. All four of his 3-year-old victories came over six furlongs. Add in the fact that his sire Carson City had gained all of his three graded successes over six furlongs and it seemed fair to assume that City Zip would primarily be a source of speed. The fact that his two-year-younger half-brother Ghostzapper was versatile enough to win the Vosburgh, the Met Mile and the Breeders’ Cup Classic didn’t seem particularly relevant, as his sire Awesome Again possessed much more stamina than Carson City. However, City Zip proved to be much more than a one-dimensional speed sire. He proved very proficient at siring smart performers on turf, as well as dirt, and quite a few of his progeny have been effective around two turns. Two who combined turf prowess with a degree of stamina were Catch A Glimpse, who added the GI Belmont Oaks over a mile and a quarter to her Breeders’ Cup success, and Dayatthespa, a multiple Grade I scorer who landed the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf over the Kentucky Derby distance. Another who enjoyed Grade I success over a mile and a quarter was City Zip’s admirable son Collected, who defeated Arrogate and Accelerate to take the 2017 Pacific Classic, prior to his second to Gun Runner in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. At the other end of the distance spectrum were Work All Week, winner of the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and Finest City, who landed the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. It is a measure of City Zip’s talent that Work All Week, Finest City and Dayatthespa were all sired at $15,000, while Catch A Glimpse was the result of a 20,000-dollar season. City Zip also enjoyed Grade I success with Palace (Forego S. and Alfred G. Vanderbilt H.), Bustin Stones (Carter H.), Personal Diary (Del Mar Oaks) and Zipessa (First Lady S.), In the process of siring all these good winners, City Zip established an Average Earnings Index of 1.68, whereas his mares’ Comparable Index stood at only 1.41, which is another way of saying that City Zip often succeeded in upgrading his mares. It is going to be interesting to see whether City Zip can pass on his prowess as a sire to his sons. Although City Zip is easily the most successful of Carson City’s sons, with his ten Grade I winners, four other sons of Carson City succeeded in siring a Grade I winner, these being Pollard’s Vision, Flying Chevron, Hear No Evil and Cuvee. As yet, no son of City Zip has been responsible for a Grade I winner, but that looks set to change. The precocious Run Away And Hide has a creditable record with six graded winners, despite never standing at more than $7,500. Another of City Zip’s fast sons, the dual Grade I winner Palace, is based at Spendthrift, and will have his first runners next year. Collected is well placed to make a much bigger impact, as he begins his stallion career at Airdrie at a fee of $17,500, and Improbable has already done enough to be taken seriously as a stallion prospect. There is also good reason for thinking that Improbable has a good chance of becoming another good performer at up to a mile and a quarter for City Zip, as there is stamina in the bottom half of his pedigree. The one possible weak link is Stravinsky, the champion European sprinter who sired Improbable’s second dam Our Rite of Spring, who won the Exogenous S. over 8.3 furlongs at Aqueduct. It is interesting that Improbable’s dam, the four-time winner Rare Event, is a daughter of the Belmont and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner A.P. Indy. I have pointed out in the past that A.P. Indy’s son Bernardini has enjoyed considerable success with mares by City Zip’s sire Carson City. This cross’s statistics currently stand at 20 foals, 18 starters and 15 winners, with five of the 15 enjoying black-type success. Among them are the Grade I winners Cavorting and A Z Warrior, and a mare bred this way is the dam of GI Hollywood Derby winner Mo Town. Improbable’s dam Rare Event cost $400,000 as a yearling. Improbable comes from a highly successful Darby Dan female line which is no stranger to classic success, with the Futurity winner’s fifth and sixth dams being Luiana and Banquet Belle. It was Banquet Belle who provided John W. Galbreath with Primonetta, a champion older mare, and Chateaugay, a winner of the Kentucky Derby and Belmont S. Another of Banquet Bell’s foals, Luiana, gave Darby Dan Little Current, winner of the Preakness and Belmont. Improbable’s fourth dam, Darbyvail, was a winning daughter of the Epsom Derby winner Roberto and his third dam, Turkish Tryst, is by Turkoman, who gained two of his GI wins over a mile and a quarter. Turkish Tryst passed on some of the family’s stamina to her Danzig colt Hard Spun, who stayed a mile and a quarter well enough to finish second to Street Sense in the Kentucky Derby and to Curlin in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. View the full article

14:40 Fontwell As the only hurdle winner set to take aim at this 10 runner field Outofthisworld could be seen as a very obvious choice but perhaps that’s doing some of her rivals a disservice. The Alan King trained Midnightreferendum finished second in a Grade 2 national hunt flat race at Aintree and the form of that contest looks very good indeed. The downside to the King runner however is a slightly disappointing 7th placed finish on her hurdling debut doesn’t inspire a tonne of confidence but this race looks far less competitive and a finish closer to the front is certainly expected. The some what of an unknown quantity is Amethea. She’s not done all that much to take note of in her career to date but trainer Ben Pauling has his horses going well at the moment and its very interesting to see that top jockey Nico De Boinville travels to Fontwell just for this one ride. A possible each way shout for punters looking for a horse at a bigger price but I can’t see past the top weight who aims to add another winner to the long list of Harry Fry successes. OUTOFTHISWORLD (WIN) – NAP 15:30 Uttoxeter The fantastic thing about watching any national hunt flat contest is the promise of what might be. Youngsters taking one of their first forays into racing all bright eyed and green is a spectacle to behold and if you’re very lucky you’ll witness a future great in the making. Needless to say not all races in this sphere can produce amazing horses but based on breeding alone I’d be surprised if one or two from this race didn’t turn out to be at least half decent. Lots of the major jumps operations (even the flat with trainer Mick Appleby) are represented with surnames such as Fry, Skelton, Hobbs, Greatrex and Bowen listed amongst the trainers. It’s obviously going to be a hotly contested affair but I think any horse that’s already graced the course before is at a significant advantage and Just Rocky will just get the nod. Out of superstar long distance flat performer Yeats this five year old gelding is precociously bred and a 4th placed effort at Warwick should stand him in good stead for team Skelton. The un-raced Get In The Queue demands a close eye in the betting and North Star Oscar looks an obvious threat as well but Just Rocky may have that extra touch of class that’s needed to prevail here. JUST ROCKY (WIN) Southwell: 11:50 – Sylviacliffs (E/W) 12:20 – Fox Kasper (WIN) 12:50 – Chez Vegas (E/W) 13:20 – Epitaph (E/W) 13:50 – Carlovian (E/W) 14:20 – Esprit De Corps (E/W) 14:50 – Helen Sherbert (WIN) 15:20 – The Groove (E/W) Uttoxeter: 12:30 – Katebird (E/W) 13:00 – Alliteration (WIN) 13:30 – Just Don’t Ask (E/W) 14:00 – Kitikat (E/W) 14:30 – Volcano (WIN) 15:00 – Wish In A Well (E/W) 15:30 – Just Rocky (WIN)* Fontwell: 12:40 – Lee Side Lady (E/W) 13:10 – The Ogle Gogle Man (WIN) 13:40 – Tazka (WIN) 14:10 – Scoop The Pot (WIN) 14:40 – Outofthisworld (WIN) – NAP 15:10 – Bears Rails (E/W) 15:40 – Blue April (E/W) The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Tuesday 11th December appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

The fallout from an action-packed Longines Hong Kong International Races continues with top European jockey William Buick appealing against the severity of the 12-meeting suspension he copped for his “reckless” effort on Pakistan Star in the Vase. After considering the matter, the Godolphin-retained rider has decided to try and get a reduction in the ban, which currently sees him out of action from December 17 through to January 28 and includes a HK$20,000 fine. Buick pleaded guilty... View the full article

At Sha Tin on Sunday, Encouraging became the first ex-Michael Freedman horse to win of the 10 to run since the trainer’s return to Australia last month and another three go around at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. Encouraging won well for new trainer John Moore under Douglas Whyte, with the five-year-old notching his first win from 10 starts. But there certainly has not been a trend of horses improving once leaving Freedman’s yard, with the majority of those to run since the... View the full article

After 8 winners including easy wins for both the NAP and Next Best, the Picks From The Paddock are back to try and get your week off to a flier! Best Bet Of The Day 14:00 Lingfield Trainer Tom Lacey has been in excellent form in recent weeks, posting four wins from his last ten runners, and also has a fantastic strike rate when he has the champion jockey Richard Johnson in the saddle. They team up with He’s A Goer who returns to a left-handed track following a disappointing run when pulled up at Hereford last time out. His only career win came on good ground but it was over this trip and he has experienced testing conditions in bumpers last season so would be no surprise to see an improved run here. That said, Gary Moore has trained the winner of this race for the last two years and sends last years’ winner Clayton in a bid to win it again. He hasn’t been seen since finishing second over course and distance in January but does have a good record when fresh and will likely have been primed for this race so he has to be the selection to bring up the hat-trick for his trainer. Clayton (WIN) – NAP Next Best 13:30 Lingfield Paul Henderson has sent four chasers to Lingfield in the last three years and has emerged with two wins and two placed efforts for his efforts. His runner here is For Carmel who has been the model of consistency over the larger obstacles, making the frame in four from five including a victory at Newton Abbott when last seen over fences and two placed efforts on both prior visits to Lingfield. He had a pipe-opener over hurdles last month so should be spot on for this race and has winning form in testing conditions so should be capable of another bold performance now returning to fences. How’s My Friend finished last season with a hat-trick of victories but all three came in lower grades and doesn’t have the best of records when returning from a break so although is respected he may just need this, so the bigger danger could be Pray For a Rainbow who posted his only career victory over hurdles in heavy ground here at Lingfield and put in a promising run in second when last seen over fences. For Carmel (WIN) Lingfield 12:30 – Tribesmans Glory (WIN) 13:00 – Coded Message (WIN) 13:30 – For Carmel (WIN) 14:00 – Clayton (WIN) 14:30 – Ballyheigue Bay (WIN) 15:00 – Illtellmema (WIN) Musselburgh 12:15 – Nendrum (WIN) 12:45 – Thibault (WIN) 13:15 – Wolfcatcher (WIN) 13:45 – Civil Unrest (WIN) 14:15 – Liva (WIN) 14:45 – Arthurs Secret (WIN) 15:15 – Thyne For Gold Wolverhampton 15:30 – Mossy’s Lodge (WIN) 16:00 – Involved (WIN) 16:30 – Unforgiving Minute (WIN) 17:00 – She’s Got You (WIN) 17:30 – Beehaar (WIN) 18:00 – You’re Cool (WIN) 18:30 – Charlie D (WIN) 19:00 – Rubensian (WIN) The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Monday 10th December appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Injured jockey Tye Angland has been flown back to Australia, two weeks after a horror fall at Sha Tin. The Jockey Club, which has still not revealed the nature of his injuries, confirmed Angland had been moved out of the Prince of Wales Hospital on Monday morning. “Jockey Tye Angland was cleared by doctors for travel and repatriated to Australia on Sunday evening accompanied by his wife Erin and an attending doctor,” the Jockey Club said in a statement. “Tye arrived in Sydney... View the full article

WH Kok suspended for three days View the full article

Trainer Kevin Attard was going to win the 1 3/4-mile race. What was in question until the final strides was which of his two horses would cross the wire first. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday’s Insights features a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup winner Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}). 5.30 Wolverhampton, Cond, £5,800, 2yo, f, 7f 36y (AWT) Khalid Abdullah’s homebred CLERISY (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is a half-sister to last month’s GI Breeders’ Cup Mile hero Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) and debuts for Sir Michael Stoute in this distaffers’ test. Her rivals include Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s homebred firster Thakaa (Lemon Drop Kid), who is out of a stakes-winning half-sister to MG1SW Grand Couturier (GB) (Grand Lodge), representing Charles Hills; and The LAM Partnership’s Maerchengarten (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), who is an Ed de Giles-trained unraced half-sister to this term’s G2 Derby Italiano victor Summer Festival (GB) (Poet’s Voice {GB}). View the full article

Artilena scored her first stakes victory from off the pace in the $125,000 Ontario Lassie for 2-year-old Ontario-bred fillies Dec. 9 at Woodbine. View the full article

When Improbable (City Zip) trounced his opponents in Saturday’s GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity he received much deserved rave reviews. He endured a brief scare from stablemate Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) before switching into another gear and drawing off by five. He is undefeated, a two-time stakes winner and now a Grade I winner. This is a very good horse. And he may not be Bob Baffert’s best 2-year-old. He might not be his fifth best 2-year-old. There’s nothing new about Baffert having a lot of quality juveniles in his barn, but he’s taken it to a new level this year. A ridiculous level. Baffert has had 13 2-year-old males break their maiden this year, a list that includes champion-in-waiting and GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}). He’s also had seven 2-year-old fillies win a maiden race. No doubt, there’s more. There are 21 days left to go in 2018 and he proved last year with Justify that he can still win a GI Kentucky Derby with a horse that didn’t start until February. Baffert doesn’t have to win next year’s Derby, but it appears that he could show up at Churchill Downs with the greatest collection of talent any trainer has ever brought to Louisville. Here are the 13, and one person’s opinion on where they belong on the Baffert pecking order: 1) Game Winner: While some believe that Improbable is Baffert’s best 2-year-old, you can’t deny Game Winner first place. Not after all he has accomplished. He’s a three-time Grade I winner, the Breeders’ Cup winner, is undefeated and a future Eclipse Award winner. 2) Improbable: Would anyone be surprised if this horse were standing in the Derby winner’s circle on May 4? He struggled to break his maiden, winning by only a neck, but has been nothing short of sensational since. He won the Street Sense S. at Churchill by 7 1/4 lengths and looked like a potential superstar in the Los Al race Saturday. 3) Coliseum (Tapit): This horse hasn’t accomplished nearly as much as Game Winner or Improbable, but it appears his potential in unlimited. The colt’s owner, Godolphin, signed on with Baffert because winning a Kentucky Derby remains a major goal, and they came to the realization that their chances can only get better if they team up with the best Kentucky Derby trainer of modern times. Godolphin sent Baffert a handful of 2-year-olds and, reading between the lines, they sent ones they were very high on. Coliseum has run once, winning a Del Mar maiden by 6 3/4 lengths. 4) Roadster (Quality Road): This one is a bit of a sleeper. He was an impressive maiden winner in July at Del Mar and then came back to run third in the GI Del Mar Futurity behind Game Winner. Despite facing Game Winner, he was the 7-10 favorite that day. Baffert said the horse had a minor setback after that race and that he remains very high on him. 5) Magic On Tap (Tapit): By Tapit out of a Grade I winning mare, Aubby K, this horses is bred as well as a horse can be bred. He debuted Sept. 1 at Del Mar and won easily, by 2 1/4 lengths. The race was at 6 1/2 furlongs and this horse should only get better with added distance. 6) Tale of the Union (Union Rags): A New York-bred that costs $925,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midatlantic 2-Year-Old Sale, he smashed the competition in his debut on Aug 26. He won by eight lengths, covering the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.81. You have to wonder why he hasn’t run back, and he hasn’t had a published workout since Sept. 18. 7) Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man): Already a graded stakes winner, which he accomplished in the GIII Bob Hope S., he finished second Saturday behind Improbable at Los Alamitos. It was his first start around two turns, which could mean two things–this horse doesn’t want to go long or Improbable is just that good. 8) Metropol (Shackleford): Broke his maiden Oct. 10 at Santa Anita as the 7-10 favorite. He would be rated higher, but falls to the middle of the pack because he won by only three-quarters of a length over a horse that subsequently ran seventh in a maiden race. 9) Kingly (Tapit): Another whose breeding is off-the-charts good–he is a full brother to Mohaymen, a four-time Grade II winner, and a half brother to GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner New Year’s Day (Street Cry {Ire}). He debuted Dec. 1 at Del Mar and won by 3/4 of a length. What made no sense is that with his breeding and the Baffert brand, he went off at 4-1. The ones the barn really likes almost always go off as odds-on favorites. 10) Much Better (Pioneerof the Nile): Started off with a bang, breaking his maiden by 3 1/4 lengths at 9-10. But Baffert then decided to turn him into a grass horse. He ran second in the Zuma Beach S. and 14th in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Sorry, Bob, grass is not your forte. Time to put this one back on the dirt. 11) Cruel Intention (Smiling Tiger): The good news: he’s 2 for 2. The bad news: His wins have come in California-bred competition. 12) Count Di Luna (Liason): Broke his maiden by 1 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita in his lone appearance, but was completely dead on the board at 10-1. Baffert also used an apprentice, Assael Espinoza. Doesn’t sound like a horse the stable was very high on. 13) Dark Prince (Cairo Prince): Took him five starts to break his maiden and when he did it was in a maiden claimer on the grass. All Hail, Kukulkan That was an eye-catching performance turned in by Kukulkan (Mex) (Pointed Determined) in the Carribean Classic at Gulfstream. The Mexican Triple Crown winner made an almost Arazi-like move down the backstretch on his way to a 10 1/4-length win. He is now 14 for 14 and earned ($180,000) more in that one race than he did in all his prior starts ($152,484). But how good is he? His Beyer number was just a 71, which may or may not win a $25,000 claimer in the U.S. Gulfstream handled $9,617,173 on the card, a 9% increase over the inaugural Clasico Internacional del Caribe program. Yet, American racing fans are, apparently, still having a hard time betting the races for the foreign horses with any confidence. A week earlier, on Claiming Crown Day, Gulfstream handled $13.6 million. Saturday, the last two non-Caribe races handled a combined $2.2 million in the win, place, show, exacta, trifecta and superfecta pools. In the first two Caribe races, the total handle for those races for the same pools was $1.2 million. Nonetheless, there’s something to be said about creating big events at the track, even if they affect the betting. I have not been to a Clasico Internacional del Caribe program, but those who have say the atmosphere is as electric as you’ll find at any racetrack on any day. That’s something you can’t put a price on. It looks the Caribe Classic at Gulfstream is here to stay. Horse of the Year In recent days, the TDN has featured a series asking prominent people in racing who should be Horse of the Year. I figured Justify (Scat Daddy) would come out on top over Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky), but it wasn’t close. Though the poll was hardly scientific, it left me with no doubt that Justify will be named 2018 Horse of the Year. With one exception (Steve Cauthen), I compiled the reports, so I feel I’ve earned the right to have my own opinion heard. I will not only vote for Justify, I won’t even give it a second thought. In fact, as long as I’ve still got a vote and a pulse, I will vote for any horse than wins the Triple Crown. It is the ultimate achievement in this sport, and nothing else comes close. We can be a fickle bunch. Until American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) won the 2015 Triple Crown there were those who were convinced that feat was so difficult that it may never be achieved again. Remember all that talk about shortening the races and/or putting more space between them? So now that it took just three years for another horse to win a Triple Crown, to some people, it’s not that big of a deal? C’mon. Accelerate had a marvelous year and it took something of the magnitude of a Triple Crown winner to deny him what would have been a very deserving Horse of the Year. Yes, we all wish Justify continued to race after the Belmont, but that doesn’t take anything away from what was a sensational, albeit, brief campaign. A Horse of the Year campaign. View the full article

Gary and Mary West’s Final Jeopardy (c, 2, Street Sense–Addison Run, by Unbridled’s Song), a $110,000 Keeneland November weanling, bound home a much-the-best winner of his debut at Gulfstream Park Sunday. The bay colt, sent off at 4-1, was outfooted early and settled at the back of the field through an opening quarter in :22.35. Still last after a half in :46.44, he was angled to the center of the track at the top of the stretch and closed with a vengeance, soaring clear to win by seven lengths and completing the six furlongs in 1:12.90. Admiral Lynch (Super Saver) was second and Greater Cairo (Cairo Prince) was third. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,000. O-Gary and Mary West. B-Bloodstock Investment III (Ky). T- Jason Servis. View the full article

Salomon Del Valle's Margoth purchased a spot in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), confirming multiple graded stakes winner Gunnevera for North America's richest race Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

DEAUVILLE, France-Following a record-breaking opening day on Saturday, the tempo of the trade dropped down a few notches for the second session of Arqana’s December Breeding Stock Sale on Sunday. Nonetheless, the clearance rate remained solid for lower-level trade as of late at 74%. The total accrued for 198 sold was €5,260,500. The average and median both dipped slightly: 5.8% at €26,568 and 6.5% at €21,000, respectively. The draft of the Wertheimer brothers-who cull exclusively at Arqana each year-is perennially sought after, with prices reaching up to €450,000 on Saturday for their carefully cultivated families. Sunday’s top lot didn’t quite reach those heights, but nonetheless leading Czech breeder Jiri Travnicek has secured a mare with plenty to like on pedigree for €150,000 in Kapitale (Ger) (Dubawi {Ire}) (lot 479). The 10-year-old mare, who is carrying her fifth foal by Maxios (Ger), is a Group 3-winning and Group 1-placed half-sister to G1 Deutsches Derby winner and sire Kamsin (Ger) and G1 Preis von Europa victor Khan (Ger). Thomas Janda of Janda Bloodstock signed the ticket on behalf of Tavnicek, who around 10 years ago purchased a farm called Haras de Beaufay about an hour from Deauville. Having spent the last decade renovating the nursery, Tavnicek is now beginning to stock up on mares. “We tried to buy [on Saturday] but didn’t succeed so we are pleased to have been able to buy two today,” Janda said. “We like the family of this mare and the fact that she is a group winner by Dubawi. Her progeny may be destined to be sold so we are looking at commercial pedigrees.” Eric Puerari and Michel Zerolo of Haras des Capucines bred the multiple Grade I winner Zagora (Fr) (Green Tune {Ire}) and sold her on two occasions-as a yearling for €95,000 at Arqana August and as a broodmare prospect for $2.5-million at Fasig-Tipton through Zerolo’s Oceanic Bloodstock-so when Haras d’Etreham’s 7-year-old mare Bartira (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) (Lot 401) from the same family came up for sale on Sunday through Haras d’Etreham, the team found something they were plenty familiar with. Puerari and Zerolo went to €135,000 to ensure the mare, who is carrying to Dream Ahead, joins their paddocks. A one-time winner, Bartira is out of the G2 German 1000 Guineas winner Briseida (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and a half-sister to the German Group 3 winner Brisanto (GB) (Dansili {GB}). The second dam, Party Doll (Be My Guest), is the third dam of Zagora. Bartira is carrying her fourth foal and her first, Pappalino (Fr) (Makfi {GB}), was stakes-placed this year at two. Puerari said the team hadn’t began to imagine a mating yet. “We have to think about the mating; we have a hard enough time thinking about the matings for the mares we already have, let alone the ones we haven’t bought yet,” he quipped. “She’s from the family of Zagora, who we bred, so we know the family well and she has a good mating in her. It’s all positive for her; a nice young mare is not easy to get.” Capucines sold the sale-topping Lily’s Candle (Fr) (Style Vendome {Fr}) for €1.1-million on Saturday. Dschingis Secret (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) was certainly amongst the best of his generation in Europe, last year stringing together consecutive victories in the G2 Grosser Hansa-Preis, G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin and G2 Prix Foy over Iquitos (Ger), Hawkbill and Cloth of Stars (Ire), respectively. The 5-year-old enters stud next year at Haras de Saint-Arnoult, and he gained a new member of his first book on Sunday when his owner Horst Purdwill and partners went to €100,000 through agent Chris Richner to secure the 4-year-old mare Waldfee (Fr) (Dansili {GB}) (Lot 343). The winning mare is currently in foal to Charm Spirit (Ire), and connections will be hoping she becomes as prolific a producer as her second dam Wurftaube (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}), the dam of three stakes horses and the second dam of a further five, including G1 Irish St Leger winner Masked Marvel (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Waldlerche (GB) (Monsun {Ger}), the dam of dual Group 1 winner Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) lit up the bid board during Saturday’s opening session of the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale when her weanling filly by Dubawi (Ire) sold to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for €1-million, and it was a close relation to that G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner that made headlines on Sunday. Ecurie des Monceaux’s 3-year-old filly Aumale (GB) (Dansili {GB}) (Lot 366) fetched a much more modest sum of €90,000 from Australian-based agent John Foote on behalf of Cambridge Stud, but Foote reasoned that with a page like that, it is unlikely her value will ever drop. “She’s something that could be worth a lot more one day, and probably won’t be worth any less,” he said. Aumale was a 300,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling two years ago when scooped up by Mayfair Speculators and Monceaux, and she was a winner in the French provinces earlier this year for Nicolas Clement in the third of her six starts. She is the first foal out of Amber Silk (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), a winning full-sister to Just The Judge who was bought by Will Edmeades for 400,000gns at Tattersalls December in 2013. A year later, Just The Judge lit up that same sale when making 4.5-million gns from Qatar Racing and China Horse Club to dissolve the former’s partnership with the Sangster family, and the 8-year-old mare has this year gone a fair way towards repaying that investment. Prior to Saturday’s sale-topping foal, Just The Judge’s yearling colt by Dubawi had topped the Arqana August yearling sale at €1.4-million. “She’s a nice filly,” Foote said of Aumale. “She’s by Dansili and has a good pedigree. The half-brother was only beaten a nose first time out in Newmarket and the mother has been bred very well. We’ll just hope for the best.” Cambridge Stud has been busy buying mares through this weekend and last week at Tattersalls; they have bought six so far at Arqana and signed for seven in Newmarket. Foote said Brendan and Jo Lindsay-who purchased the famed stud from Sir Patrick and Lady Justine Hogan earlier this year-are doing some culling and sourcing new mares for their suddenly expanded broodmare band. “Before they bought Cambridge, they had a good broodmare band of their own, but only about 25 mares,” the agent said. “They inherited 85 mares from the old Cambridge and they’re going to sell some of them, so they’re just restocking and getting some new blood and some European blood that suits New Zealand. But we’re just trying to buy a bit of value, and it’s working out pretty well. So we just have to hope they’re good-it’s the easy part buying them, we just have to hope they produce winners.” Haras d’Etreham announced last month that Wootton Bassett (GB) would next year stand for €40,000, double his fee of the past two years, on the back of a successful season both on the racetrack and in the yearling sales rings. Wootton Bassett–who had announced himself as a serious sire immediately with European champion 3-year-old and Etreham stallion barnmate Almanzor (Fr) in his first crop-added five new stakes horses and two new Group 1 horses in 2018 and had 12 yearlings sell for over €100,000. The stock of the G1 Jean-Luc Lagardere winner were popular at Arqana on Sunday, too: he was responsible for the day’s top-priced foal, Haras de la Louviere’s lot 522, bought by Jamie Railton for €120,000 out of the unraced Misty Night (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Wootton Bassett also had a colt (lot 399) sold for €70,000 to Mick Flanagan, while Saubouas Bloodstock bought another colt for €52,000. Another established French sire, Montfort & Preaux’s Le Havre (Ire), was similarly popular, with a filly foal bought by Margaret O’Toole for €76,000 (lot 454) and a colt sold for €50,000 to Charel Bloodstock. O’Toole also bought a Showcasing (GB) filly for €70,000. Zoffany (Ire) had a colt bought by Nicolas Lefevre’s Equos Racing International for €50,000. Coolmore’s dual Group 1-winning juvenile Pride of Dubai (Aus) may have been bred and raced Down Under, but his pedigree offers plenty of appeal to European breeders and this season has seen the shuttlers first-crop foals offered at the sales. His name was near the top of the sheets for foals at Arqana on Sunday after Philip Stauffenberg signed for a German-bred half-brother to the Norwegian Group 3 winner Fearless Hunter (Alhaarth), for €57,000. Pride of Dubai is by Street Cry, and leading European sires Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Kodiac (GB) appear under his second dam. Other first-season sires with prominent results on Sunday were Darley’s Territories (Ire), who had a colt sell for €68,000, and Belardo (Ire), with a colt sold for €57,000. View the full article

Owner Chuck Zacney had quite the run in 2005 when Afleet Alex (Northern Afleet) won the GI Preakness S. and GI Belmont S. and was named champion 3-year-old male. He’s had a good horse here and there over the next many years, but nothing like the duo he’s ready to launch in the major races for 3-year-old fillies and colts next year. He’s the co-owner of both GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Jaywalk (Cross Traffic) and undefeated GII Remsen S. winner Maximus Mischief (Into Mischief) and, yes, he’s dreaming of a GI Kentucky Oaks–GI Kentucky Derby double. Can you blame him? Zacney was this week’s guest on the TDN Podcast, presented by Taylor Made. TDN: After two ridiculously easy wins at Parx, what were you hoping to find out in the Remsen with Maximus Mischief, and what did you find out? CZ: We knew it would be another learning experience, so I guess the first thing was the distance, adding two furlongs from the seven-furlong race. The most important thing that we saw was the way he acted in the paddock area. He was a true professional, and then he went to the racetrack and showed it there. So, we were very, very happy the way he relaxed. (Jockey) Frankie (Pennington) got him to relax, and then he won impressively by 2 1/4 lengths. We were very, very happy. And that was pretty much what we were expecting and hoping for in the Remsen. TDN: If you get to the GI Kentucky Derby, Bob Baffert is likely going to be waiting there for you with what seems like about 10 horses. There are several other good horses in the East Coast and the Midwest. These things tend to sort themselves out over time, but as we’re talking here in the first week in December, where do you think he belongs among the soon-to-be 3-year-old crop? In your mind, is he number one? Does he have to do a little more to prove he’s as good as, say, Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg})? CZ: I certainly think he needs to do a little more to be number one and be better than Game Winner, but as of right now, he is three for three. I consider him a top five 2-year-old. Going into next year, like I say, we’re going to be patient with him. And we think he’s going to do really well down in Florida, and he’s certainly going to face some really stiff competition. So we’ll get a much better gauge then, but going into next year, I consider him a top five. It’s not a bad place to be sitting. TDN: Sometimes these things are difficult to put into words, but can you describe the ride and the thrill that Afleet Alex took you guys on? CZ: It was incredible. We put a group together and went to the sale. [Trainer] Tim Ritchey picked out the horse and 30 days later, he’s in his first race, which is pretty much unheard of. He won his first race by 11 1/4 lengths and his second by 12. We go up to Saratoga and we’re the favorite in the Sanford. And I remember (co-owner) Joe Lerro and I standing in the paddock area and I’m looking up and saying to Joe, ‘Can you believe we’re 3-1 here at Saratoga?’ So it was a great ride, and then we won the (GI) Hopeful after that. We just had so many great moments. But once again, it was just a great experience sharing it with (jockey) Jeremy (Rose) and Tim and the partnership. And then at the end of 2004, we got Alex’s Lemonade Stand and Liz Scott involved, and it really was special. Alex meant a lot to a lot of different people. We were getting letters from parents who had kids with cancer. One of the things very few people know– and once again, this was Tim Ritchey’s idea–prior to each big race, Kentucky, Maryland, and New York, we went to a children’s hospital and visited the kids there and talked about Afleet Alex and gave out hats and buttons. It was all about giving back. And seeing these kids, you walk into a room and you see them with tubes and you know their prospects are not really good. But they had the biggest smiles, and that makes you realize how lucky you are. There were lots of good memories there, and who knows, maybe we’re on to another good ride with Maximus. TDN: You guys were very new to the game when you bought Afleet Alex. You jumped into the sport, and the next thing you know, you won two Classic races. Were you guilty, as many people have been in that situation, of thinking, “Gee. This is easy”? CZ: Oh, absolutely. Smarty Jones certainly got me going, the juices flowing. And here we come into the game, and we’re winning two-thirds of the Triple Crown. But the funny thing is we had a nice little claiming group together. At one point, I think we won seven or eight races. We were winning everything at Delaware Park too. I mean, we were red hot, and we’re looking at each other like, ‘What the heck is going on? This is an easy game. I can’t believe more people aren’t doing this.’ So it was a great ride, and as the game goes, you get a little chilly. Just make sure you’re not too chilly for too long. But sure, looking back, you kind of think, ‘Why us?’ Having all this luck, all this success so early, when you hear and read about so many people who have been in the game many, many years and did not even sniff some of the success that we had. TDN: Between Afleet Alex and your 2016 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss), you didn’t have much success. You spent quite a bit of money trying to find the next Afleet Alex. How frustrating was that? You learned the other side of racing, of what a tough game it can be. So tell us a little bit about that experience. CZ: Like I said, we thought it was easy, and the partnership started to break up and go away. But I stayed in the game and continued to spend. I was lucky. My business was doing well, so I was able to spend. But we really were not seeing a whole lot of success on the racetrack. One of the things that I started to realize is not only how tough the game is, but I guess how the injuries were really the toughest part of it. Whether you’re spending $20,000 on a horse or $300,000, and then all of a sudden, they’re not even getting to a race. It happens in training, and you’re scratching your head, thinking, ‘What am I doing wrong?’ So that is really the frustrating part. But I think it really is amazing–things happening in groups. We started out hot. Really got cold for a number of years, and then all of a sudden, I would say from 2016 through now, things are going really, really well. So I’m again thinking, ‘Why am I so lucky?’ View the full article

Danon Fantasy (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) came from off the pace to win the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies over a mile on Sunday. The Danox Inc. colourbearer was giving rider Cristian Demuro his third Japanese Group 1 win, one better than trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida. Dropping back to sit third last through the first half-mile in :47 flat, the 8-5 crowd’s pick began to rally with a quarter mile to travel. Angled widest of all barring second choice Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}), she had moved into third with 200 metres remaining. In charge 50 metres from the line while still dogged by Chrono Genesis, Danon Fantasy held firm to win by a half-length. Beach Samba (Jpn) (Kurofune) was a neck back in third, three parts of a length to the good of Schon Glanz (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). “The filly was relaxed and when I saw the second favorite come outside us after the fourth corner, I told her it’s time to go, we have to fight, and she responded really well,” said Demuro. “She responds very quickly and has a very good turn of foot. She’s a good horse and I think she will have a very good chance in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) next year.” A ¥90,000,000 yearling out of the JRHA Sale in 2017, Danon Fantasy played the bridesmaid in a 1600-metre Tokyo newcomer race on June 3, but has been flawless since, breaking her maiden at Hanshin on Sept. 16, and taking the G3 KBS Kyoto Sho Fantasy S. at Kyoto on Nov. 3. Pedigree Notes… One of 123 black-type winners and 103 group winners for her Shadai Stallion Station-based sire, Danon Fantasy is the 39th Group 1 winner. Life for Sale, who won twice at the top level in her native land, has a yearling colt by Heart’s Cry as her last listed produce. Life for Sale is out of Brazilian MGSP Doubt Fire (Brz) (Ski Champ), a half-sister to South African MGSW & G1SP Ilsanpietro (Brz) (Mark of Esteem {Ire}), Farenheit (Brz) (Spend a Buck), a GSW & G1SP in Brazil, and Brazilian SW & GSP Olympic Leader (Brz) (Know Heights {Ire}). Her fourth dam is Brazilian Oaks heroine Dimane (Brz) (Janus {Arg}). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Sunday, Hanshin, Japan HANSHIN JUVENILE FILLIES-G1, ¥125,140,000 (US$1,111,421/£873,453/€975,855), Hanshin, 12-9, 2yo, f, 1600mT, 1:34.10, fm. 1–DANON FANTASY (JPN), 119, f, 2, Deep Impact (Jpn) 1st Dam: Life for Sale (Arg) (MG1SW-Arg, $199,227), by Not For Sale (Arg) 2nd Dam: Doubt Fire (Brz), by Ski Champ 3rd Dam: My Little Life (Brz), by Ghadeer (Fr) 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (¥90,000,000 Ylg ’17 JRHAJUL). O-Danox Inc.; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Mitsumasa Nakauchida; J-Cristian Demuro; ¥66,288,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Chrono Genesis (Jpn), 119, f, 2, Bago (Fr) 1st Dam: Chronologist (Jpn), by Kurofune 2nd Dam: In This Unison (Jpn), by Sunday Silence 3rd Dam: Rustic Belle, by Mr. Prospector O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥26,368,000. 3–Beach Samba (Jpn), 119, f, 2, Kurofune 1st Dam: Fusaichi Airedalre (Jpn), by Sunday Silence 2nd Dam: Rustic Belle, by Mr. Prospector 3rd Dam: Ragtime Girl, by Francis S. (¥56,000,000 Ylg ’17 JRHAJUL). O-Makoto Kaneko Holdings; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥16,184,000. Margins: HF, NK, 3/4. Odds: 1.60, 2.60, 7.20. Also Ran: Schon Glanz (Jpn), Pourville (Jpn), Meisho Shobu (Jpn), Tanino Mission (Ire), Savoir Aimer (Jpn), Red Anemos (Jpn), Tolochenaz (Jpn), Meisho Keimei (Jpn), Rosen Krieger (Jpn), Win Zenobia (Jpn), Love Me Fine (Jpn), Glacier (Jpn), Jodie (Jpn), Belles Soeurs (Jpn), Star Quartz (Jpn). Click for the Racing Post chart. JRA Video. View the full article

Salomon Del Valle’s Margoth has purchased a spot in the $9-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, confirming MGSW/MGISP Gunnevera (Dialed In) for the Jan. 26 fixture at Gulfstream Park. Gunnevera, who finished third in the 2018 renewal of the Pegasus, was last seeing finishing second behind Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 3. “I’m paying all the money myself,” said Del Valle, a Venezuelan businessman who entered Gunnevera in a partnership in last year’s Pegasus. “I’m happy to be in the race.” “I have a good chance,” added Antonio Sano, who trains Gunnevera at nearby Gulfstream Park West. “He just got beat by a length in the Breeders’ Cup. Maybe, there will be more speed in the Pegasus. One more chance. It’s in my house.” View the full article

The New York Racing Association announced Dec. 9 that the running times of three one-mile races on the main track, including the Go For Wand Handicap (G3), have been adjusted. View the full article

Following a review of the Dec. 1 GI Cigar Mile H. card at Aqueduct, in conjunction with Teletimer, the official timing system for New York Racing Association (NYRA) racetracks, the running times of three one-mile races on the main track, including the GIII Go For Wand H., have been adjusted, it was announced Sunday. The Teletimer system initiates timing of each race when the first runner crosses the timing beam, however, due to an auxiliary starting gate incorrectly parked on the outside fence of Aqueduct’s main track during the first half of the card, the beam was not engaged resulting in the first three one-mile races being timed directly from the gate, without the customary run-up which on Dec. 1 was 54 feet from the starting gate to the first beam. Race 2, a maiden special weight for juveniles won by Kentucky Wildcat (Tapit) which was originally timed in splits of 25.85, 49.82, 1:15.30 and 1:41.41, is now corrected to 24.68, 49.14, 1:14.01 and 1:40.17. Race 3, a $25,000 claiming event for older horses won by Stronger (Bodemeister) which was originally timed in splits of 26.08, 50.55, 1:16.62 and 1:42.92, is now corrected to 25.13, 49.78, 1:15.37 and 1:41.77. In Race 6, the Go For Wand, Marley’s Freedom (Blame) earned a neck score in a race originally timed in splits of 25.27, 48.56, 1:13.34 and 1:38.35, which is now corrected to 24.52, 48.14, 1:12.14 and 1:37.50. The issue was identified and rectified prior to the running of the GI Cigar Mile H. won by Patternrecognition (Adios Charlie). View the full article