Wandering Eyes

Yesterdfay saw both the NAP and Next Best win amongst a haul of 8 winners from just the 3 meetings, can the Picks from the Paddock keep up that form today? NAP Of The Day 16:15 Wolverhampton Toni’s A Star has posted all four career AW victories over course and distance and has been in excellent form since switching back from turf, following up a close second on penultimate run with a convincing win last time out, powering home inside the final furlong and winning with more ease than the official half-length winning margin suggests. Up just 3lbs for that, she is still below her best winning mark and comes up against rivals who all seem to be struggling for form so should be capable of another victory here today. Zipedeedodah has a couple of course and distance victories to his name and these came off much higher marks than he races off today, however these both came in 2016 and despite a falling mark he hasn’t shown much to suggest he is ready to capitalise just yet so the bigger danger looks to be Shesthedream who was third behind Toni’s A Star last time out and looks set to chase her home again. Toni’s A Star (WIN) – NAP 18:45 Wolverhampton Contrive has won her last three on an all-weather surface but these have all come on polytrack and her only prior run on tapeta saw her finish ninth of ten. She was all out to win on a head bob last time out and has gone up a further 4lbs for that victory so for me looks vulnerable for win purposes. Pride’s Gold has two wins from four at Wolves, including one over todays’ trip, but couldn’t cope with the step up in class last time out and finished last of five. She should find the drop back in class and the step back up in trip to her liking so she isn’t dismissed lightly. That said, preference is for Considered Opinion who is unbeaten in three runs at Wolves, two over todays’ trip, forging clear to win by almost three lengths when last seen here in August. Her last run at Chelmsford is easily dismissed as it was over a trip too far and the return to the tapeta can see her get back to the winners’ enclosure. Considered Opinion (WIN) Musselburgh: 12:15 – Constancio (WIN) 12:45 – The Steward (WIN) 13:15 – Lady London (WIN) 13:45 – Life Knowledge (WIN) 14:15 – Urban Mode (WIN) 14:45 – Henry’s Joy (WIN) 15:15 – Weapons Out (WIN) Plumpton: 12:30 – Breaking Waves (WIN) 13:00 – Kalashnikov (WIN) 13:30 – Bang Bang Rosie (Win) 14:00 – Empriente Reconce (WIN) 14:30 – Sartorial Elegance (WIN) 15:00 – Seaweed (WIN) 15:30 – Eden Du Houx (WIN) Wolverhampton: 15:45 – Red Stripes (WIN) 16:15 – Toni’s A Star (WIN) 16:45 – Decoration Of War (WIN) 17:15 – Destinys Rock (E/W) 17:45 – Redicean (WIN) 18:15 – Something Brewing (E/W) 18:45 – Considered Opinion (WIN) 19:15 – Captain Dan (WIN) The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Monday 3rd December appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Hong Kong’s local jockeys look to have their work cut out if they are to keep the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship on home soil this year. The four-strong group of 2017 champion Zac Purton, Karis Teetan, Vincent Ho Chak-yiu and Matthew Poon Ming-fai believe they will be chasing the visitors after Monday’s riders allocation, which saw many of the most sought-after rides drawn by to the likes of Hugh Bowman, Christophe Lemaire and Ryan Moore. Teetan, who remains... View the full article

Champion trainer Chris Waller says he is well aware of the “lucrative” prospect of one day training in Hong Kong but is not prepared to give up his star Australian gallopers, at least for now. The trainer of champion mare Winx is in Hong Kong on a one-day hit-and-run mission to oversee the preparation of Comin’ Through ahead of the Group One Longines Hong Kong Mile (1,600m) on Sunday. Following the departure of trainer Michael Freedman and the looming retirement of John Moore... View the full article

He narrowly missed out on a spot in the International Jockeys’ Championship on Wednesday night but Douglas Whyte is confident he can still walk away from Happy Valley a winner. The veteran only has three rides but among them is the in-form Good Omen, the 47-year-old reuniting with the horse who helped him to his 1,800th Hong Kong winner in late October. The Dennis Yip Chor-hong-trained Good Omen steps up in grade for the Class Two France Handicap (1,800m) and meets the impressive Red... View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost Holy Unicorn was 0-27 before the start of this season but is now three from four since joining Jimmy Ting Koon-ho. The five-year-old makes virtually all under Dylan Mo in race one at Sha Tin to give Ting his 18th win at a strike rate of better than one in five – @HKJC_Racing Ting is the new “King of Class Five” – taking over the mantle held by... View the full article

Trainer Steve Asmussen broke his own record for money earned by horses in a single Remington Park season the night of Dec. 1 when his two runners in the third race finished first and third. View the full article

With a massive, late run under jockey Joel Rosario that sent her barreling to the wire, Uni proved herself to be a true force of nature on the grass and notched her first grade 1 score in the $300,000 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) Dec. 2 at Del Mar. View the full article

With a massive, late run under jockey Joel Rosario that sent her barreling to the wire, Uni proved herself to be a true force of nature on the grass and notched her first grade 1 score in the $300,000 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) Dec. 2 at Del Mar. View the full article

Grade I racing on the East Coast has now settled into hibernation mode for the rest of the year, and after this coming Saturday’s pair of Grade I events for juveniles at Los Alamitos, the entire continent won’t see a Grade I contest until opening day at Santa Anita Dec. 26. But the quartet of graded stakes action at Aqueduct Dec. 1, plus the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar, injected a touch of late-season intrigue that will whet the appetite for how the pecking order might shape up in several divisions as the calendar flips to 2019. The catch is that you have to look past some quirky clockings in the New York races to get a clearer picture of the true efforts of the Aqueduct winners Saturday. After handicappers nationwide spent the latter half of the weekend puzzling over some befuddling internal splits and final times, Daily Racing Form’s Dave Grening broke news Sunday evening that a timing beam accidentally blocked by an auxiliary starting gate at Aqueduct resulted in three one-turn mile races on Saturday–including the GIII Go For Wand H.–being hand-timed from when the gate doors opened and not from the timing pole. The allegedly distorted timings mark the second time in four months that a New York Racing Association track has had a significant gate-related gaffe. On Aug. 8, an incorrect pre-race gate placement at Saratoga caused a turf race to be run at 1 1/8 miles instead of the as-carded 1 1/16 miles, an embarrassment made worse by the failure of multiple track officials to recognize the mistake before the race went off. As of press time for this column Sunday night, the official Equibase charts for Aqueduct races Saturday listed the first three one-turn mile races as having run-up distances of 0 feet, while the Cigar Mile’s was listed as 54 feet. According to the Form, Saturday’s problem was rectified prior to Patternrecognition (Adios Charlie)’s wire job in the GI Cigar Mile H., which might be recalled months from now as the big coming-out party for the oft-sidelined 5-year-old. Despite a series of training setbacks since winning on debut in April of 2017, Patternrecognition has now racked up a 5-5-0 record from 11 lifetime starts. Patternrecognition was always the controlling factor through demanding splits (:22.88, :45.68, 1:09.68) before staying on resolutely when ganged up on at the head of the lane. Saturday’s winning time of 1:34.98 marked his second consecutive graded win after stepping up out of the allowance/optional claiming ranks. Trainer Chad Brown said Sunday that the GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park Jan. 26 is now under consideration for the Cigar Mile victor. Patternrecognition’s quick turn of early foot over a Florida racing surface that is generally perceived as kind to frontrunners could make him an enticing proposition in the nine-furlong Pegasus. But pragmatists will note that, despite earning triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in five of his last six races, Patternrecognition remains unraced around two turns, as his three career starts at a mile and one at 1 1/16 miles have all come over one-turn track configurations at Belmont Park and Aqueduct. It’s also worth noting that Patternrecognition’s last two wins in the Cigar Mile and GII Kelso H. came in races where the heavy favorite failed to mount a serious bid: Battle of Midway (Smart Strike) was off the board at even money in the Kelso, and Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) was retired to stud Sunday after his non-threatening fourth at 1.7-1 in the Cigar Mile. The need to look beyond Saturday’s wacky Aqueduct clockings applies most pertinently to Marley’s Freedom (Blame), who rebounded back from 9-10 beaten favoritism in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint a month ago to nail a hard-fought, odds-on neck victory in the Go For Wand. Considering that an uncharacteristically slow start is what compromised her chances in the Breeders’ Cup (fourth, beaten only half a length), jockey Mike Smith wasted no time in asserting an intimidating stalking spot outside of a longshot pacemaker, ratcheting up the pressure from a posted opening quarter of :25.27 to a much more realistic-seeming second split of :23.29. Marley’s Freedom advanced in hand to commandeer the lead 2 1/2 furlongs out, then appeared to relish the pressure of a prolonged stretch drive with Come Dancing (Malibu Moon), who earned style points for her own resolute, runner-up effort. The top two hit the wire 6 3/4 lengths clear of the remainder of the overmatched field, stopping the timer in 1:38.35 for the one-turn mile. Trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday that the California-based Marley’s Freedom could be aimed for longer races in 2019, with an eventual target of nine furlongs to see if that distance might be a sweet spot. But if a blocked timing beam accounted for aberrational clockings in the one-turn mile races, what explains the wide final time disparities in a pair of nine-furlong stakes run about two hours apart on a dry track labeled “fast”? According to the Equibase charts, the GII Demoiselle S. had a run-up distance of 104 feet, while the GII Remsen S. at the same distance is charted as having a 95-foot run-up. Positive Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile), the juvenile half-sister to 2017 GI Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming (Bodemeister), stalked in third despite getting hung out four wide on both turns of the Demoiselle. The robust-framed filly was roused energetically off the final turn but was wrapped up late after polishing off her all-out rivals 10 1/2 lengths clear of the pack. Her final time of 1:56.01 represents the slowest clocking of the Demoiselle since the race stretched out to nine furlongs in 1975, and no other edition of the race has ever produced a time above 1:54.60. Is this an aberration related to a shifting track surface? Regardless of the reason for the suspiciously slow final time, it would be wise to give credit to Positive Spirit more for how she ran her winning race rather than “how fast.” By contrast, the winning effort by undefeated ‘TDN Rising Star’ Maximus Mischief (Into Mischief) in the Remsen four races later yielded a more believable clocking of 1:51.34. But even though you could make the argument that the Aqueduct main track seemed to speed up as the Saturday program went on, “Max” still had to force the fray through two relatively uninspiring opening quarters of :25.12 and :25.55 before seizing control by cracking the pesky longshot Tax (Arch) and having enough late energy left in the tank to fend off 1.15-1 favorite Network Effect (Mark Valeski). Again, don’t put too much emphasis on the internal splits of the Remsen. Instead, the focus should be on how relaxed Max was when racing among rivals through the clubhouse bend in his two-turn debut and how he responded willingly when set down for the drive in the lane. Maximus Mischief has returned to his home stable at Parx, but plans are in the works for the colt to winter in Florida for a planned attack on the Gulfstream Park sophomore prep path to the Kentucky Derby. The biggest against-the-grain challenge for Maximus Mischief moving forward might have to more to do with bucking history than anything else: In the last 55 years, only three horses–Thunder Gulch, Go For Gin and Pleasant Colony–have successfully parlayed the Remsen into a blanket of roses on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs. On the left coast, New York-based shipper Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) annexed the GI Hollywood Derby in authoritative, off-the-pace fashion on closing weekend at Del Mar. “I thought I was on the best horse, so I rode him that way,” said winning jockey Joel Rosario. “With him, he has a powerful quarter-mile kick at the end. Terrific acceleration. So I just needed to keep him outside; keep him in the clear where I could ride him at the finish. It worked out just the way I’d hoped.” View the full article

Training prodigy Joseph O’Brien may come from racing royalty but the 25-year-old has no time for knockers who insist he is only in the position he is because of his famous dad. The Irishman has been training for not even three years, yet he already has around 120 horses in work at any given time, with dozens more ready to enter his yard. The son of master trainer Aidan, O’Brien was a multiple winner of the Irish jockeys’ championship with hundreds of wins around the world... View the full article

UNI (GB) (f, 4, More Than Ready–Unaided {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) took advantage of a fast pace and came from the clouds to get up late and take the GI Matriarch S. Sunday at Del Mar, her first top-level triumph. The victory gave trainer Chad Brown a sweep of the weekend’s Grade I action after Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) captured Saturday’s GI Hollywood Derby to go along with the barn’s score with Patternrecognition (Adios Charlie) in the GI Cigar Mile H. at Aqueduct. Earning her way to America with a score over males in the Prix Matchem last May at Maisons-Laffitte, the chestnut was third in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational first-time U.S. and went one better in the GII Lake Placid S. before breaking through in the GII Sands Point S. Closing her sophomore campaign out with a fourth in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S., she was unbeaten in three starts this season heading into Sunday, most recently annexing the GIII Noble Damsel S. Sept. 22 at Belmont. Let go at 28-5 here, Uni dropped back to run second-last, a good 20 lengths off the lead as Fahan Mura (English Channel) tore off through splits of :22.80 and :46.29. Coming alive on the latter half of the far turn, she spun eight wide at the top of the lane and charged relentlessly to nail longshot Daddy Is a Legend (Scat Daddy) by a neck on the wire in 1:34.35. Lifetime Record: 14-7-3-2, $892,880. O-Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners LLC, Robert V. LaPenta & Bethlehem Stables LLC; B-Haras D’Etreham (GB); T-Chad C. Brown. View the full article

Favored Kingsport shined bright in the last race of his 6-year-old season, pouncing on the turn for home to win the CA$100,000 Sir Barton Stakes over the all-weather track at Woodbine for the second year in a row Dec. 2. He also won the race in 2015. View the full article

Duly favoured in the G1 Champions Cup after last year’s winner Gold Dream (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}) was withdrawn with a muscle strain, Le Vent Se Leve (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S) utilized a stalking trip before drawing off to take his first top-flight victory by 2 1/2 lengths over the deep closer Westerlund (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}). The G1 Racing colourbearer tied the race record of 1:50.10 for 1800 metres set by Sound True (Jpn) (French Deputy). Sent off at 4-5, the sophomore colt stayed close on the heels of Ange Desir (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) glued to the fence in second as the field entered the first turn. He relaxed beautifully on the backstretch and drifted back to a close third as Hiraboku la Tache (Jpn) (Kinshasa no Kiseki {Jpn}) briefly challenged on the far turn. 400 metres from home, pilot Mirco Demuro produced Le Vent Se Leve and the dark bay quickly motored clear to win with ease from Westerlund, who was last of 15 for most of the race. Sunrise Soar (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S), who had sat only a few lengths off the frontrunners in fifth, was a neck back in third, while Ange Desir grimly held on for fourth, another 1 1/4 lengths behind. “I didn’t want to be trapped behind horses starting from an inside draw, and he broke well so we were able to sit in a nice position,” said Demuro. “I let him cruise at his own pace and he responded with a fantastic turn of foot when I asked him once we found an opening at the stretch. He is a colt with great potential and a bright future.” Undefeated in three starts as a juvenile culminating in the Listed Zennippon Nisai Yushun over 1600 metres at Kawasaki last December, Le Vent Se Leve sustained his first defeat when second trying this trip in the Fukuryu S. resuming on April Fool’s Day. He rattled off three more victories prior to the Champions Cup, in the June 17 G3 Unicorn S., the July 11 2000-metre Listed Japan Dirt Derby and in Morioka’s Listed Mile Championship Nambu Hai on Oct. 8. Pedigree Notes… One of 29 black-type winners for his sire and the fifth at Group 1 level, Le Vent Se Leve is the lone reported foal for his dam, the four-time winner Maestrale (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}). His third dam, September Song (Jpn) (Real Shadai) is a half-sister to Japanese MSW Rosen Kavalier (Jpn) and SW Summer Suspicion (Jpn), both by Sunday Silence. She in turn is out quadruple Group 3 victress Dyna Fairy (Jpn) (Northern Taste). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Sunday, Chukyo, Japan CHAMPIONS CUP-G1, ¥194,800,000 (US$1,711,638/£1,339,979/€1,507,082), Chukyo, 12-2, 3yo/up, 1800m, 1:50.10, gd. 1–LE VENT SE LEVE (JPN), 123, c, 3, Symboli Kris S 1st Dam: Maestrale (Jpn), by Neo Universe (Jpn) 2nd Dam: Autumn Breeze (Jpn), by Timber Country 3rd Dam: September Song (Jpn), by Real Shadai 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-G1 Racing; B-Shiraoi Farm (Jpn); T-Kiyoshi Hagiwara; J-Mirco Demuro. ¥103,360,000. Lifetime Record: 8-7-1-0. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Westerlund (Jpn), 126, g, 6, Neo Universe (Jpn)–Uanme, by Marquetry. O-Sunday Racing; B- Northern Farm (Jpn). ¥40,960,000. 3–Sunrise Soar (Jpn), 126, c, 4, Symboli Kris S–Amelia (Jpn), by Special Week (Jpn). O-Takao Matsuoka; B-Tomita Bokujo (Jpn). ¥25,480,000. Margins: 2HF, NK, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.90, 31.10, 7.00. Also Ran: Ange Desir (Jpn), Omega Perfume (Jpn), Sunrise Nova (Jpn), Nonkono Yume (Jpn), Mitsuba (Jpn), Hiraboku la Tache (Jpn), Asukano Roman (Jpn), K T Brave (Jpn), Centurion (Jpn), Incantation (Jpn), Apollo Kentucky, Pavel. Click for the Racing Post chart. JRA Video. View the full article

Grade I racing on the East Coast has now settled into hibernation mode for the rest of the year, and after this coming Saturday’s pair of Grade I events for juveniles at Los Alamitos, the entire continent won’t see a Grade I until opening day at Santa Anita Dec. 26. But the quartet of graded stakes action at Aqueduct Dec. 1, plus the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar, injected a touch of late-season intrigue that will whet the appetite for how the pecking order might shape up in several divisions as the calendar flips to 2019. Yet the catch is that you have to look past some quirky clockings in the New York races to get a clearer picture of the true efforts of the Aqueduct winners on Saturday. The wire job by Patternrecognition (Adios Charlie) in the GI Cigar Mile H. might be recalled months from now as the big coming-out party for the oft-sidelined 5-year-old, who, despite a series of training setbacks since winning on debut in April of 2017, has racked up a 5-5-0 record from 11 lifetime starts. Patternrecognition was always the controlling factor through demanding splits (:22.88, :45.68, 1:09.68) before staying on resolutely when ganged up on at the head of the lane. Saturday’s winning time of 1:34.98 marked his second consecutive graded win after stepping up out of the allowance/optional claiming ranks. Trainer Chad Brown said Sunday that the GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park Jan. 26 is now under consideration for the Cigar Mile victor. Patternrecognition’s quick turn of early foot over a Florida racing surface that is generally perceived as kind to frontrunners could make him an enticing proposition in the nine-furlong Pegasus. But pragmatists will note that, despite earning triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in five of his last six races, Patternrecognition remains unraced around two turns, as his three career starts at a mile and one at 1 1/16 miles have all come over one-turn track configurations at Belmont Park and Aqueduct. It’s also worth noting that Patternrecognition’s last two wins in the Cigar Mile and GII Kelso H. came in races where the heavy favorite failed to mount a serious bid: Battle of Midway (Smart Strike) was off the board at even money in the Kelso, and Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) was retired to stud Sunday after his non-threatening fourth at 1.7-1 in the Cigar Mile. While Patternrecognition’s fractional clockings and final time certainly look legit, moving forward it will be tricky to gauge Saturday’s other three graded Aqueduct stakes based on fractional and final times alone. Despite a dry track labeled “fast,” the earlier races on the card produced lethargic, head-scratchingly slow pace numbers. Positive Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile), the juvenile half-sister to 2017 GI Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming (Bodemeister), stalked in third despite getting hung out four wide on both turns of the GII Demoiselle S. The robust-framed filly was roused energetically off the final turn, but was wrapped up late after polishing off her all-out rivals 10 1/2 lengths clear of the pack. But her final time of 1:56.01 represents the slowest clocking of the Demoiselle since the race stretched out to nine furlongs in 1975, and no other edition of the race has ever produced a time above 1:54.60. Clearly this is an aberration related to the track surface, and it would be wise to give credit to Positive Spirit more for how she ran her winning race rather than “how fast.” By contrast, the winning effort by undefeated ‘TDN Rising Star’ Maximus Mischief (Into Mischief) in the GII Remsen S. yielded a more realistic clocking of 1:51.34. But even though you could make the argument that the Aqueduct main track seemed to speed up as the Saturday program went on, “Max” forced the fray through two relatively uninspiring opening quarters of :25.12 and :25.55 before seizing control by cracking the pesky longshot Tax (Arch) and having enough late energy left in the tank to fend off 1.15-1 favorite Network Effect (Mark Valeski). Yet again, don’t put too much emphasis on the internal splits of the Remsen. Instead, the focus should be on how relaxed Max was when racing among rivals through the clubhouse bend in his two-turn debut and how he responded willingly when set down for the drive in the lane. Maximus Mischief has returned to his home stable at Parx, but plans are in the works for the colt to winter in Florida for a planned attack on the Gulfstream Park sophomore prep path to the Kentucky Derby. The biggest against-the-grain challenge for Maximus Mischief moving forward might have to more to do with bucking history than anything else. In the last 55 years, only three horses–Thunder Gulch, Go For Gin and Pleasant Colony–have successfully parlayed the Remsen into a blanket of roses on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs. The need to look beyond Saturday’s befuddling Aqueduct clockings also applies to Marley’s Freedom (Blame), who rebounded back from 9-10 beaten favoritism in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint a month ago to nail a hard-fought, odds-on neck victory in the GIII Go For Wand H. Considering that an uncharacteristically slow start is what compromised her chances in the Breeders’ Cup (fourth, beaten only half a length), jockey Mike Smith wasted no time in asserting an intimidating stalking spot outside of a longshot pacemaker, ratcheting up the pressure from an initial opening quarter of :25.27 to a far faster second split of :23.29. Marley’s Freedom advanced in hand to commandeer the lead 2 1/2 furlongs out, then appeared to relish the pressure of a prolonged stretch drive with Come Dancing (Malibu Moon), who earned style points for her own resolute, runner-up effort. The top two hit the wire 6 3/4 lengths clear of the remainder of the overmatched field, stopping the timer in 1:38.35 for the one-turn mile. Trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday that the California-based Marley’s Freedom could be aimed for longer races in 2019, with an eventual target of nine furlongs to see if that distance might be a sweet spot Shipping in the reverse direction, Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), went from the East Coast to the West Saturday to annex the GI Hollywood Derby in authoritative, off-the-pace fashion on closing weekend at Del Mar. “I thought I was on the best horse, so I rode him that way,” said winning jockey Joel Rosario. “With him, he has a powerful quarter-mile kick at the end. Terrific acceleration. So I just needed to keep him outside; keep him in the clear where I could ride him at the finish. It worked out just the way I’d hoped.” View the full article

Trainers Rudy Rodriguez and Todd Pletcher, and jockey Manny Franco were the leaders in their respective categories for Aqueduct Racetrack's 22-day fall meet that concluded when the Dec. 2 card was canceled due to heavy fog. View the full article

David Elsworth is excited at the prospect of saddling Sir Dancealot (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) in Hong Kong next weekend. The 4-year-old has performed with great credit this year, getting his head in front on four occasions, including in Group 2 company at Goodwood and Newbury. The gelding has also finished a close fifth in the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye and the G1 Champions Sprint at Ascot. Elsworth is nearing his 79th birthday–but his enthusiasm for training remains undimmed in the autumn of a hugely successful career that has seen him succeed at the sport’s highest reaches–over jumps and on the Flat. He said, “We’d been thinking about the Hong Kong races for a while, but there isn’t a race at seven furlongs. My first thought was to stretch him out for the Mile, but I discussed things with his jockey Gerald Mosse. Gerald has a lot of Hong Kong experience and after discussing things we decided the Mile looked tough and that Sir Dancealot would be better suited by six furlongs, good ground and a strong pace–so the Sprint is the way we went.” While not underestimating the task ahead, Elsworth clearly holds his stable star in high regard. “It’s a high-class race, of course it is, but Sir Dancealot has done nothing wrong all year–he’s the only one coming out from Europe for the Sprint, so we’ll give it a go,” he said. “His one poor run was at Haydock when the ground was heavy. He’s only a 4-year-old, but he’s improved all year and hopefully he’ll have a few more seasons in him yet.” View the full article

Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza, injured in a training accident over the summer, is hopeful he will make it back to the races in January. Espinoza suffered a fractured vertabra and spinal cord trauma when he was thrown from the stricken Bobby Abu Dhabi (Macho Uno) July 22 at Del Mar. “My body is getting stronger day by day,” said Espinoza, whose initial treatment was done at Scripps La Jolla and who has been recuperating at his Del Mar residence. “Last week, I saw my doctor and they checked the MRI and it came out perfect. I was surprised, but really happy. Everything is coming along well and I don’t need surgery, which is great. My spinal cord has healed perfectly fine, which was my main concern. I think by sometime in January at Santa Anita I’ll be ready to ride again.” View the full article

Trainer Steve Asmussen broke his own record for money earned by horses in a single Remington Park season the night of Dec. 1 when his two runners in the third race finished first and third. View the full article

The Darren Weir-trained Voodoo Lad made a much deserved breakthrough at elite level when taking out the Crown Perth-Winterbottom Stakes (G1) at Ascot Dec. 1. View the full article

The recent foal sales have seen many freshman sires facing their first tests as their progeny go under the hammer, and the progeny of Derrinstown Stud’s G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Atwaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) have caught the eye of many judges. He has achieved prices of up to 170,000gns at Tattersalls, and €170,000 at Goffs. The TDN‘s Alayna Cullen caught up with Stephen Collins of Derrinstown Stud to talk about the stallion. TDN: There has been a bit of buzz about Awtaad’s first foals. Can you remind us about his achievements on the racecourse? SC: After he won impressively as a 2-year-old, we knew that we had a top-class colt in the making. He won the Madrid H. on debut at three, carrying top weight, by five lengths, and followed this up with a very convincing victory in the Listed Tetrarch S. Obviously, hopes were high for a good run in the Irish 2000 Guineas. He ran a great race to beat Galileo Gold (GB) in a very quick time. He rounded off an outstanding year by winning the G2 Boomerang S. at Leopardstown on Champions Weekend in excellent style. His trainer Kevin Prendergast stated that Awtaad was as good a horse as he had ever trained–high praise indeed. TDN: How would you describe his physique? SC: Awtaad is a beautifully balanced horse, 16.1hh, possessing an outstanding physique, tremendous shoulder with a deep girth and very strong hip and hindquarters. He is a very correct individual possessing good bone and has a wonderful athletic action. In fact, it is very hard to fault him and probably most importantly he has a wonderful temperament, which he seems to be passing on to his offspring. TDN: I am sure he was quite popular when he retired. Was there a criteria mares needed to have to visit him? SC: Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum is a great supporter of his own stallions and he has particular affection for Awtaad, being a homebred Classic-winning son of Cape Cross. Cape Cross, as we all know, is the sire of stallion sensation Sea The Stars (Ire). Sheikh Hamdan decided to send Awtaad 14 mares including Ezima (Ire), the dam of his outstanding champion Taghrooda (GB), in his first year. Awtaad was heavily oversubscribed with a book limit of 120 mares. We were fortunate to be in a position to select 60% of his book, which were either black-type performers or producers. Breeders were hugely supportive of Awtaad and we at Derrinstown are delighted to see them being rewarded in the sales ring. Awtaad was very competitively priced at €15,000 and his foals at Goffs averaged over four times his stud fee–a remarkable return for breeders. TDN: What has been the general consensus on his foals from breeders? SC: It appears to be that his progeny are very strong bodied, wonderfully balanced with an athletic step. They also seem to possess a great temperament, like their sire. TDN: Is he stamping his stock? SC: There is no question that he is stamping his stock. Knowing what we have on the farm and having seen what is available from breeders at the foal sales, we are delighted with his progeny and we continue to have great confidence in the stallion. We have supported him continuously with quality mares over the last two years and it is our intention to send him a further 15 mares in 2019. TDN: What have been some of the sales highlights for the young stallion? SC: Awtaad enjoyed a great Goffs sale with a foal average above €60,000 for 21 sold, the highlights being Sheikh Hamdan’s purchase of the Swordlestown Little colt for €170,000 and a very nice filly from Corrin Stud, purchased by JC Bloodstock for €100,000. (Editor’s Note: after this interview was conducted, Awtaad had a colt sold for 170,000gns to Abbeylands Farm at Tattersalls, and Shadwell also bought a colt for 140,000gns). TDN: Markaz (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) has also had his first foals selling at the recent sales. How would you sum up his results? SC: Markaz has made a steady introduction to the commercial foal market. Bearing in mind that he stands for a fee of just €6,000, his foals have sold well, making up to €65,000 in Goffs and he appears to have a couple of very nice foals for sale at Tattersalls. It wouldn’t surprise us if that top price was bettered in Newmarket. (Editor’s Note: Markaz had foals sell for 60,000gns and 40,000gns at Tattersalls). View the full article

Last year proved a memorable one for blockbuster sales of mares at the major breeding stock sales on both sides of the Atlantic. Marsha (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) set the standard in Europe with a 6-million gns pricetag-the highest ever for a horse purchased out of the Tattersalls ring-and her buyer, MV Magnier, had also shelled out a combined $14 million for Tepin (Bernstein) and Stellar Wind (Curlin) in Kentucky just a month earlier. With the latest renewal of the Tattersalls December Mare Sale upon us, we look back on the queens that provided the headlines 12 months ago, what they produced this year (if applicable) and who they visited subsequently. Galileo’s Gals In an unsurprising turn of events, Galileo was a popular choice for the market’s top mares last year, and the two Group 1-winning sprinters purchased by MV Magnier for seven figures at Tattersalls-Marsha (6 million gns) and Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) (2.1 million gns) both visited Coolmore’s champion sire for their first cover. The aforementioned Tepin and Stellar Wind were also both covered by Galileo this year; the G1 Queen Anne S. winner Tepin after producing a filly by Curlin, and the six-time Grade I winner Stellar Wind for her maiden cover. Ballylinch Stud spent 1 million gns on the well-related American listed winner Modernstone (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) in foal to Galileo, and she produced a colt this spring before visiting Ballylinch’s flagship sire Lope de Vega. Lope de Vega himself was the covering sire of Birdwood (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who drew a final bid of 1.1 million gns from vendor Newsells Park Stud to buy out its partners David Redvers and Peter Winkworth. Those two certainly cashed in, as the unraced mare was bought for 150,000gns from the Juddmonte draft at the same sale just the year before, but when your half-sister, who happens to be called Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), goes out and wins five Group 1s including the King George and the Arc within the next year, that’s the kind of inflation that will occur. Birdwood foaled a Lope de Vega filly for Newsells Park this year before visiting another former Juddmonte luminary, Frankel (GB). Dubawi’s Dates Dubawi was the beneficiary of four seven-figure mares from Tattersalls last year. Tops of those by price was the GI Man O’War S. winner Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a daughter of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner and excellent producer Nightime (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who brought a final bid of 3.7 million gns from Godolphin. Zhukova was offered by John Murrell and Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez, who also sold the G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Intricately (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) to John and Jake Warren for 1.7 million gns. She, too, is out of a Galileo mare and visited Dubawi. The third mare offered by Murrell and Regalado-Gonzalez was the G3 Lacken S. winner Only Mine (Ire) (Pour Moi {Ire}), who was bought by Flaxman Stables for 925,000gns and sent to Galileo. Wekeela (Fr) (Hurricane Run {Ire}), a Group 3 winner in both France and the U.S. and from the family of Monsun (Ger) and last year’s G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Brametot (Ire) (Rajsaman {Fr}), was bought by David Redvers on behalf of Sheikh Fahad for 1.8 million gns, and the now 6-year-old also visited Dubawi for her first covering. The other seven-figure mare to visit Dubawi was Justlookdontouch (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was bought by White Birch Farm barren after a Sea The Stars (Ire) cover for 1.2 million gns. The 10-year-old Justlookdontouch is an unraced three-quarter-sister to champion Islington (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) and was sold as part of the Ballymacoll Dispersal. Greg Goodman’s Mt. Brilliant Farm in the U.S. bought two daughters of Justlookdontouch from the Ballymacoll dispersal through agent Marette Farrell: The then-4-year-old multiple listed winner Abingdon (Street Cry {Ire}) for 1.05 million gns, and the winning 3-year-old Superioritycomplex (Ire) (Hard Spun) for 400,000gns. Abingdon was bred to Speightstown this year and will visit War Front in 2019 after producing that foal, while Superioritycomplex has continued to race. She has won a pair of allowance races in the U.S. for trainer Mike Stidham, including one at Fair Grounds just last week, and was fourth in a listed race in September. She is being aimed for a stakes race again in late December. Farrell said that should Superioritycomplex be bred next year, she will visit Speightstown. A couple of other high-profile mares from the Tattersalls ring last year have raced on: Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}), bought by MV Magnier and White Birch Farm for 1.5 million gns, has gone winless in nine starts this campaign for Aidan O’Brien but was beaten only 2 1/4 lengths when sixth in the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye. Aim Of Artemis (Ire) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}), another daughter of Justlookdontouch, has raced on for Godolphin at three this year after being bought for 1 million gns. She won a novice race at Newmarket in June for John Gosden before being well beaten in the G1 Coronation S. and Ascot’s Listed October S. View the full article

Maximus Mischief (Into Mischief) exited his victory in Saturday’s GII Remsen S. in fine shape and shipped back to his home base at Parx, according to trainer Butch Reid. “It looked like he came out of the race perfectly and made good time, he was safely back in his stall by 9 p.m. or so,” Reid said. “He was a little tired, but he’s on his toes this morning.” Owned by Cash is King Stable and LC Racing, Maximus Mischief improved his record to a perfect 3-for-3 with his Remsen win. “The most impressive part was how he acted in the paddock and all the prerace stuff, because he can be a handful in the paddock,” Reid said. “In his new surroundings, he handled it very well. He stood perfectly in the paddock, which at Aqueduct can be a little foreboding. He handled it great and was cool as a cucumber and stood there perfectly when we put the tack on him. I was pretty confident with the way things were going to go after that.” Reid said Maximus Mischief will be heading south in a few weeks. “We’re going to give him a little break, but then we’ll be heading down to Florida,” Reid said. “We’ll be heading down to Gulfstream Park in the next few weeks and get him used to the weather down there and get him ready to start his 3-year-old campaign.” Network Effect (Mark Valeski), runner-up as the even-money favorite in the Remsen, is still improving, according to trainer Chad Brown. “He ran spotty a little bit in the race,” Brown said. “He was in a pretty good position and in the final turn it looked like the eventual winner got away from him a little bit, but late in the race he was starting to gain on him. I thought the winner ran terrific and our horse ran very respectable. He’s a work in progress.” Tax (Arch) was third in the Remsen while making his first start for trainer Danny Gargan and Hugh Lynch, who claimed him for $50,000 out of a maiden score at Keeneland in October. “I thought he ran huge. We were expecting a big performance; he’s a really good-looking horse,” Gargan said. “He ran really well and the [speed] number came back tremendous, we’re really excited about that. He came out of the race great.” Gargan continued, “He has a really big future. We’ll keep him in New York and evaluate him and see where our next stakes spot will be. There’s a big chance he’ll run next at Aqueduct, but if not, there’s a couple of different options.” View the full article

Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence’s Patternrecognition (Adios Charlie) may have earned himself a start in the Jan. 26 GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park with his win in Saturday’s GI Cigar Mile H. at Aqueduct. “The owners and I talked about the Pegasus last night. It’s definitely a consideration,” confirmed trainer Chad Brown. Brown, who captured his first Cigar Mile in 2016 with Connect, praised his staff, including assistant trainer Whit Beckman, for persevering with Patternrecognition. “The Cigar Mile is a great race to win and we’re lucky to have won it now for a second time,” Brown said. “He’s a horse that really earned it and everyone in the barn here with Whit has done a great job with the horse, keeping him sound. He didn’t get started until he was four, so he’s clearly had some physical setbacks. But he’s now in good form and has been healthy thanks to a lot of hard work from my team, and a lot of heart and determination from the horse.” View the full article

Rudy Rodriguez and Todd Pletcher tied for leading trainer at Aqueduct’s Fall Meeting, which, with Sunday’s fog-related cancellation, concluded Saturday. Both had 12 wins at the 22-day stand. Jockey Manny Franco was the meet’s leading rider with 25 victories. Chester and Mary Broman, Sr. and Godolphin tied for the most wins by an ownership group, with each entity registering six wins in a meet that started Nov. 2. Aqueduct’s winter meet opens Friday with a first post time of 12:20 p.m. View the full article

Australia’s superstar mare Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) has been voted the 2018 Secretariat Vox Populi Award winner in a year-end online poll of racing fans. Created by Secretariat’s owner Penny Chenery, the award annually recognizes the horse whose popularity and racing excellence best resounded with the general public and gained recognition for Thoroughbred racing. Winx was the top choice among U.S. voters, as well as international fans representing a record 60 countries. In 2018, the 7-year-old’s historic fourth straight victory in the G1 Cox Plate, along with a perfect 7-for-7 record, extended her ongoing win streak to 29 races and added to her current career earnings of more than US$17 million. “Racing certainly offered many historic and heartwarming stories in 2018,” said Kate Chenery Tweedy. “And once again, the ‘Voice of the People’ spoke very clearly. The fact that both the American public and voters abroad were not limited by international borders is a wonderful testament to the growth of the award and the winner’s global appeal. Winx represents everything Mom envisioned when she created this award and reaffirms her notion that a beloved horse will captivate fans and draw interest to the sport no matter where they race.” Trained by Chris Waller and ridden by jockey Hugh Bowman, Winx is owned by Magic Bloodstock, Debbie Kepitis and Richard Treweeke. The custom-made Vox Populi trophy will be presented to the Winx connections Jan. 12 at Santa Anita Park. View the full article