Wandering Eyes

Seeing no reason to mess with a successful formula, trainer Kelly Breen has entered Valedictorian in the $150,000 WinStar Matchmaker Stakes (G3T) July 20 on the Monmouth Park turf. View the full article

Three Chimneys Farm's homebred Guarana has a short record of only two starts going into the $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) July 20 at Saratoga Race Course, but the Ghostzapper filly will be the one to beat. View the full article

Singapore Derby 2019 post position draw reactions View the full article

Early scratching July 21 View the full article

Baertschiger has four shots at best fit for Horseshoe View the full article

Singapore Derby 2019 Post Position Draw View the full article

Indiana Grand will showcase racehorse aftercare programs Saturday as part of Caesars Entertainment Racing properties’ “Empire of Hope.” The entire evening will be dedicated to raising funding and awareness for racehorses once their careers on the track are completed. A “Parade of Champions” will be held following the fourth race on the evening’s card and will feature several former racehorses now serving as outriding and pony horses. Among the former racehorses with new careers at the track is Vinny. Owned by outrider John Neal, Vinny has served as an outriding horse in both Kentucky and Indiana and was part of the on-set group of horses included in the Disney movie “Secretariat.” “We are excited to offer a night where we can place the spotlight on racehorse aftercare programs,” said Jon Schuster, vice president and general manager of racing. “Organizations such as Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Friends of Ferdinand and New Vocations are crucial to our business and it’s very rewarding to see our equine athletes go on and find success in different types of careers after their racing days have completed. We hope to provide a great backdrop with our ‘Empire of Hope’ event to support such a worthy cause in both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing at Indiana Grand.” Indiana Grand has been working over the past two months to help raise funding for aftercare. One dollar from every package sold for Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Indiana Derby was earmarked for the cause, and unclaimed monies from an on-track contest have been earmarked for racehorse aftercare programs. Friends of Ferdinand, based in the Indianapolis area, will be on hand Saturday to provide information about its program, and items from Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will also be available throughout the racing card. The Indiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) will provide two donations during the night and the jockeys of Indiana Grand will also provide a donation to the overall tally for the evening. The Indiana Grand casino has also joined in support of “Empire of Hope” with the “Give $10, Get $10” program. Guests on the casino floor may stop at the casino cashier and give a $10 donation and in turn get $10 in casino play. All proceeds from the promotion will go directly to racehorse aftercare programs. Racing at the Shelbyville oval gets underway at 6:15 p.m. Saturday. The post Empire of Hope to Showcase Aftercare at Indiana Grand appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock will have a strong hand at his local meeting on Saturday, led by a trio of fillies in the Seaton Park 3YO (1400m). Sharrock will line-up juvenile stakes winner London Express, and promising gallopers Akerra and Penelope Cruise in the three-year-old contest. Akerra is proving an exciting prospect, having won on debut at Awapuni in May and stormed home late to finish runner-up over 1200m at the same track earlier this month, beating stablemate London Express int... View the full article

Cambridge trainer Chris Wood has four runners engaged at the Waikato Racing Club’s meeting at Te Rapa on Saturday, headlined by nine-time race winner Parcorus. The seven-year-old gelding has been disappointing in three runs this preparation, but Wood is hoping some alternative therapy might be able to get him back on track. “He hasn’t really fired this time in to be honest,” Wood said. “But I’ve had a little bit of acupuncture work done on him this week and he just had ... View the full article

The first of three grade 1 stakes for sophomore runners that will most likely determine the group's year-end champion takes place July 20 with a showdown in the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park. View the full article

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Deja vu? Oh, yeah. A couple of weeks shy of a year after he saddled Diversify (Bellamy Road) to win the 2018 GI Whitney S., the late trainer Rick Violette was honored Wednesday on another very wet and stormy day at Saratoga Race Course. Led by his mother, Bea, members of Violette’s family and his friends gathered in the winner’s circle in a driving rain following a race carrying his name. Violette, a skilled horseman who died of lung cancer. The New York Racing Association moved the Rockville Center for 2-year-old New York-breds from Belmont Park this year and renamed it to salute Violette. Sky of Hook (Tapiture), trained by Rudy Rodriguez, prevailed by a nose over the sloppy, sealed track, the same type of surface Diversify relished in the Whitney. Bea Violette said NYRA officials offered to move the trophy presentation under the stands behind the winner’s circle, but she was undeterred by the rain. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “They said, ‘We can stay inside and you don’t have to go out, but it won’t be televised in here.’ I said, ‘No, I want to go outside. So many people know that I’m here and they expected to see me. We’ll go outside.'” So they did. The group gathered around winning jockey Luis Saez smiling for photos under umbrellas included Violette’s brother Chris, retired trainer Mike Hernandez, Violette’s longtime assistant Melissa Cohen and retired track announcer Tom Durkin. Some folks, unprepared for the deluge that prompted NYRA to cancel the steeplechase that was the first race on the program, watched from under cover. Cohen spent 15 years working for Violette and handled the barn when he was busy with NYTHA duties and when he was ill. She was upbeat as she talked about her feelings during the event. “Just a lot of good memories,” Cohen said. “It’s a day to celebrate Rick’s life and what he has accomplished and how he made this industry and everyone around him better people.” Cohen acknowledged the weather parallel with the Whitney and nodded to the people gathered under the stands. “It’s a good crowd,” she said. “It just seems to want to rain on Rick’s parade quite a bit and it still does, but we make the most of it. It’s still a day of celebration for everybody.” Bea Violette made the trip from Boynton Beach, Florida for her son’s race. She described him as very modest–called him “a perfect son”–and said he did not tell his family about his accomplishments, on the track or in the boardroom, where he was a fierce advocate for horsemen and backstretch workers. “When he was sick, he was like that, too,” she said. “He never complained about a thing. Everything was fine. He was just so good. He was just so patient. He never complained about a thing. And that’s not like him. He wanted the best of everything. The barn better be clean. Everything should be neat. When he was sick he said, ‘I don’t want any drama.'” Earlier in the day, NYTHA pledged $25,000 to Mercy House of Saratoga, Inc., a new non-profit created to provide temporary residences for a wide range of people in need. The money will be used for the construction of a 6,000 square-foot suite of rooms–named for Violette–to serve backstretch workers from Saratoga Race Course, within a four-story, 30,000 square-foot building to be built on Washington Street by Bethesda Episcopal Church. A monumental storm forced NYRA to delay the running of the Whitney while the horses and their connections waited in the saddling shed. When the weather improved, speedy Diversify rolled through the mud to give Violette the final graded stakes victory of his career. “We weren’t there, but it had to be the biggest moment in his life,” Bea Violette said. “He didn’t intend to have him run. He said, ‘The horse is telling me. Listen to the horse.’ And he did.” The post Rain a Fitting Tribute to Violette appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The reigning 3-year-old filly champion Monomoy Girl returned to trainer Brad Cox's Churchill Downs base from WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., July 14 after recovering from a colic episode early spring. View the full article

Breeders' Cup and FanDuel Group, parent company of TVG, announced July 17 a comprehensive multi-year sponsorship agreement naming TVG and FanDuel official wagering partners of the Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 1-2 at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

History of Horseracing Old History Its quite difficult to pinpoint the exact date of the first horserace but we do know that there were chariot and mounted races in the Olympic Games of Greece over the period 700–40 BCE. Both forms of racing were well organised and supported as a form of public entertainment in […] The post The First Horse Race – How Everything Started appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

A complaint has been filed in San Diego Superior Court by trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and the California Thoroughbred Trainers against Del Mar, which to date has not allowed the Hall of Fame trainer to start horses at its meet. View the full article

A complaint has been filed in San Diego Superior Court by trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and the California Thoroughbred Trainers against Del Mar, which to date, has not allowed the Hall of Fame trainer to start horses at its meet. View the full article

Butter Hut (Interactif) stamped himself as one to watch with a powerhouse, front-running debut victory sprinting over the Indiana Grand turf course last Friday. Listed at 10-1 on the morning-line, he went off at odds of 3-1 thanks to a flashy worktab, which included three bullet drills at Keeneland for trainer Lee Thomas. The 3-year-old Louisiana-bred, owned and bred by Keith Plaisance, earned a gaudy 88 Beyer Speed Figure for the eight-length tour de force. “When you see those works in the morning you get excited, but there’s still so many questions when you’re going into that first race,” Thomas said. “You’re just looking for him to be professional walking over, getting saddled and loading into the gate. Once he broke on top, it was a bit of a relief. It was his race after that. It was great.” Butter Hut has returned to Louisiana while Thomas and Plaisance work on a game plan moving forward. The 34-year-old conditioner currently has 36 horses in training at Evangeline Downs and another eight at Keeneland. “We’re going to take our time and progress with him,” Thomas said. “He’s a Louisiana-bred and came out of the race really well. That’s always the first major hurdle to overcome. We don’t really have a spot picked out for him going forward. He’s got a really great owner in Keith Plaisance and he’s going to let the horse develop and find his own way.” Plaisance is the owner of Pacific Gulf Wire Rope, a leader in the wire rope and rigging industry. He purchased Butter’s Hut’s three-time winning dam Spun Ribbon (Hard Spun), a daughter of the lawnmower Take the Ribbon (Chester House), for $185,000 at the 2010 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. “Keith has been very successful down here on the Louisiana racing scene, but he’s trying to branch out now,” Thomas said. “He’s looking forward to putting his horses out there on more of a national level.” Thomas added, “We’re really excited about [Butter Hut] going forward.” Thomas saddled 38 winners from 260 starters in 2018, good for earnings of $794,854 in 2018. He’s already gotten his picture taken 26 times this year. “I really started out training for my mother [Michele Rodriguez] and our family–she owns Elite Thoroughbreds down in Folsom, Louisiana,” Thomas said. “We’ve been branching out from Louisiana. This was our first year that we’ve also run in Texas, Indiana, Kentucky and Oklahoma. It’s been an exciting year.” 3rd-Indiana Grand, $31,000, Msw, 7-12, 3, 4,/5yo, 5fT, :55.80, fm. BUTTER HUT (c, 3, Interactif–Spun Ribbon, by Hard Spun) was off at 3-1 while sporting a very upbeat worktab from Keeneland. He blasted out to the front, led comfortably through an opening quarter in :21.86, and drew off in the stretch to win by a visually impressive eight lengths. Boom Five Thousand (Bullet Train {GB}) was second. The winner’s dam, a daughter of the talented turfer Take The Ribbon (Chester House), had a colt by Custom for Carlos in 2018 and a filly by Bodemeister this year. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $18,600. Click for the Equibase.com chart. O/B-Keith Plaisance (LA); T-Lee Thomas. The post In Sharper Focus: Butter Hut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A complaint has been filed in San Diego Superior Court by trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and the California Thoroughbred Trainers against Del Mar, which to date, has not allowed the Hall of Fame trainer to start horses at its meet. View the full article

Bob Fortus, the long-time turf writer for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, died Tuesday. He was 69. His death was confirmed by the Times-Picayune, which reported that Fortus was seriously injured when struck by a car in March near the Fair Grounds Racetrack. The article noted that Fortus’s death was a result of complications suffered from the accident and that he died at the Capitol House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Times-Picayune report revealed that Fortus suffered several broken bones and was in a coma for weeks, and had to undergo two operations to stop bleeding in his brain. Fortus, who covered the Fair Grounds beat, as well as the nation racing scene, worked for the Times-Picayune from 1980 until he was laid off in 2012. “What Bob was passionate about, he was really passionate about,” said Doug Tatum, a former Times-Picayune sports editor. “He didn’t go halfway on things. He was immensely passionate about horse-race coverage. He took pride in it, in being the source in New Orleans for horse racing news.” Fortus, who was quick with a laugh and had an easy-going manner, earned several awards during his career. He was named to the Fair Grounds Press Box Hall of Fame in 2011. Two years later, he won the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters’ Walter Haight Award, which honors “career excellence in turf writing.” “I don’t think we can overstate his love for horse racing,” said fellow turf writer Gary West, a close friend who has written for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Dallas Morning News and ESPN, told the Times-Picayune. “He had a real passion for racing and for horses. I think he realized how unselfish the horses are and how pure the sport is. In my view, he saw clearly what horses are doing when they race. They’re defining themselves. Even the lowliest horse out there was making an effort. He was defining himself.” Before getting into sportswriting, Fortus taught statistics, first at Washington State University, then at Tulane University. He earned three degrees from the University of Michigan, an undergraduate degree in mathematics and master’s and doctoral degrees in statistics. Survivors include his companion, Cherish Van Mullen. Funeral arrangements are incomplete. The post Turf Writer Bob Fortus Passes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Breeders’ Cup and FanDuel Group, parent company of TVG, have entered into a comprehensive multi-year sponsorship agreement making TVG and FanDuel the official Wagering Partners of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The agreement also gives TVG and FanDuel official partner status for four of its business units: Advanced-Deposit Wagering (TVG) as well as sports betting, daily fantasy sports and on-line casino, all of which operate under the FanDuel brand. TVG will become the name-in-title sponsor of the $2-million GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the $2-million GI Breeders’ Cup Mile and will produce the Breeders’ Cup Players’ Show, which is a live wagering-focused telecast of the World Championships that is sent to simulcast outlets around the world. “We are excited to be back working with TVG and the FanDuel Group. TVG has been a long-time supporter of the Breeders’ Cup and a good friend to the horse racing industry,” said Craig Fravel, President and CEO of Breeders’ Cup. “We are equally excited about putting the very best in international Thoroughbred racing in front of a new wave of sports bettors and our partnership with TVG and FanDuel is a big part of that plan.” Kip Levin, CEO of TVG and COO of FanDuel, said, “We are looking forward to not only enhancing our ability to cover the Breeders’ Cup races themselves, but to devote more coverage and promotion to the lead-up through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In Series. This is a great opportunity to bring horse racing and the Breeders’ Cup front and center to our sports betting and daily fantasy customers as well and to introduce horse racing’s championship event to the next generation of racing fans.” The post Breeders’ Cup, FanDuel Announce Sponsorship Agreement appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

OXO Equine’s Rowayton (Into Mischief), most recently a troubled third in the July 6 GIII Dwyer S., will make his next start in the July 26 Curlin S. at Saratoga. “He was supposed to breeze this morning, but the rain set that back,” said trainer Don Chatlos. “He’ll breeze on Friday. The race for him is the Curlin and I only wanted one breeze in between for him.” Rowayton, twice Grade I placed as a juvenile, made his sophomore debut with an impressive allowance victory June 6 at Belmont Park. He was boxed in traffic before finishing a good third behind Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) in the Dwyer. “That trip is what won us the allowance race, but probably cost us second in the Dwyer,” said Chatlos. “I can’t take anything away from Code of Honor. He ran huge that day.” How Rowayton handles the nine-furlong Curlin will determine which route he takes later in the summer. “We can judge from there if it’s the [Aug. 24 GI Runhappy] Travers S. [at 10 furlongs] or the [Aug. 24 GI] Allen Jerkens next [at seven furlongs],” continued Chatlos. “We can always cut back to the seven furlongs if we think the mile and an eighth was too much for him.” Graded stakes winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Instagrand (Into Mischief), also owned by Larry Best’s OXO Equine, is back in training with Chatlos after having a chip removed from his left hind ankle following an eighth-place finish in the May 4 GIII Pat Day Mile. “Instagrand got in here on Saturday. He’s just jogging right now. He wants to do more, but we’ll take our time and let him tell us when he’s ready,” said Chatlos. “We’ll let him get ready on his own and if that means Belmont fall meet, that’s fine.” Instagrand won last year’s GII Best Pal S. and was third in the Mar. 9 GIII Gotham S. and Apr. 6 GI Santa Anita Derby before the Pat Day Mile. Chatlos also has a bevy of Best’s high-priced juveniles readying for racetrack debuts. Forever Poe (Colonel John), an $850,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May purchase, turned in a three-furlong breeze in :35.02 at Belmont July 6. “He will probably work here this week,” said Chatlos. “He had a shin that was bugging him and we didn’t want to press on him.” Madison Parc (Curlin) worked four furlongs in :48.87 (14/80) at Saratoga Sunday. The $420,000 Fasig-Tipton November weanling purchase is a half-sister to Best’s GISP ‘TDN Rising Star’ Brill (Medaglia d’Oro). Chatlos expects the New York-bred filly to be ready to make her debut in about three weeks. Mundaye Call (Into Mischief), purchased for $950,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, worked four furlongs in :49.98 (45/80) at Saratoga Sunday. “Jose Ortiz worked her the same day as Madison Parc and she went a little slower, :49 and change,” Chatlos said. “He let her gallop out faster than she worked. He was just getting a feel for her. He’ll work her out of the gate on Sunday.” Also on the Saratoga grounds is Snap Chap (Into Mischief), a $1.2-million Keeneland September yearling purchase. “We have Instagrand, which is a play on Instagram, and this one is named Snap Chap,” said Chatlos. “He looks the part for sure. He’s a ways away from a work, but he’s a nice-looking horse.” Snap Chap is out of the unraced Gaudete (Distorted Humor), a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Munnings (Speightstown). The post Best Runners Eye Spa Engagements appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Woodbine's $125,000 Ontario Colleen Stakes (G3T) attracted 10 3-year-old fillies going a mile on the inner turf July 20, and a strong pair from the U.S. is set to face off with two tough locals. View the full article

OFF THE RECORD (c, 3, Distorted Humor–Savvy Star, by Medaglia d’Oro) drew in as an MTO for this debut after heavy rains soaked the track through the first half of the day Wednesday and earned his diploma in the slop with a decisive score. Displaying several bullet works at Keeneland this spring, he was given a 2-1 chance to kick off his career on the right hoof in this affair, which was scratched down to five. The bay kept close tabs from a joint second as the Azrael (Cross Traffic) registered opening splits of :22.57 and :45.65. Drawing even with the pacesetter at the top of the stretch, Off the Record splashed away to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:24.50. Sales history: $295,000 RNA 2yo ’18 FTFMAR; $150,000 yrl ’17 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O/B-WinStar Farm (KY); T-Rodolphe Brisset. The post Distorted Humor Colt Scores in Sloppy Spa Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation will co-host a cocktail reception, reading, and book signing at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame with author Patrick Smithwick as he launches his new book Racing Time: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Liberation. The event, which coincides with the 22nd running of the G1 A.P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase at Saratoga Racecourse, begins at 5:30 p.m. and is open to the public. In addition to the book signing and reading by the author, there will be hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. There is no charge for the reception; RSVPs are welcome at www.trfinc.org/racing-time. The post TRF to Co-Host Book Launch appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Castle Hill Gaming, which provides state-of-the-art gaming products to casino gaming facilities across the United States, has joined the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. Based in Charlottesville, Va., Castle Hill boasts over 120 game titles, offered in both mechanical and video reel formats, for its historical horse racing (HHR) machines that are based on the results of previously run horse races. The company’s HHR machines are GLI-approved for operation in Castle Hill’s home state of Virginia, and already in use at casinos and gaming facilities in Oklahoma, Washington, and Texas, among other states. “We thank Castle Hill for its support of the NTRA and look forward to working with their team as they expand their gaming portfolio into horse racing and historical racing,” said NTRA Chief Operating Officer Keith Chamblin. The post Castle Hill Gaming Joins NTRA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article