Wandering Eyes

A horseman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was rescued from a burning vehicle on Thanksgiving Day by five members of Gulfstream Park’s first responders team. Supervisors Felix Ramos and Pele Cine, as well as responders Charles Johnson, James Stipes, and Xavier Figueroa will be honored after Saturday’s first race at approximately noon. “If not for these brave individuals, this person would not have survived,” said Gulfstream general manager Bill Badgett. “The members of our first responders risked their own lives to rescue another. We are all very proud of these individuals as well as all our first responders. They have been trained to react quickly and efficiently for any situation that might arise, and we thank them for their service.” The horseman went into diabetic shock. When the vehicle caught fire, the first responders smashed the windows and dragged the horseman free. Video can be seen here. View the full article

With the holiday season in full swing, WinStar Farm is counting down to Christmas with a digital 24-day Advent calendar. Debuting Dec. 1 and continuing daily through Christmas, a message from one of the WinStar stallions will be posted daily at a special link. The same posts will appear across WinStar’s social media platforms. Giveaways will be randomly awarded for social media shares with a special prize given on Christmas Day. “We hope this Advent Calendar will spread good cheer,” said WinStar Farm president and CEO Elliott Walden, “and deliver some fun and anticipation during the holiday season.” View the full article

Aqueduct will host 52 stakes worth more than $7.3 million during its winter and spring meets, the New York Racing Association announced Friday. The schedule is similar to what it was in 2018, and the traditional highlight of the season will be the GII Wood Memorial S., held Apr. 6 featuring a purse of $750,000. The Wood is one of five graded stakes on that day’s card, which includes the GI Carter H. and the GII Gazelle S. Purse increases are being instituted for the Mar. 9 Busher Invitational S., now worth $250,000; and the Apr. 20 New York Stallion Series Times Square Division and Park Avenue Division, now both doubled to $200,000. In addition, one new stakes event is being added to the schedule–the $100,000 Bernardini S. will be contested Mar. 2 at 1 5/16 miles. Aqueduct’s winter meet begins Dec. 7 with the entire winter/spring stakes calendar available here. Live racing will move to Belmont Park Apr. 26. View the full article

Hawthorne Race Course canceled the last seven races Nov. 30 due to unsafe track conditions. View the full article

Jockey John Velazquez earned his 6,000th North American victory Nov. 30 at Aqueduct Racetrack, where he piloted Barry Schwartz's Singapore Trader to victory in the fifth race. View the full article

4th-GP, $60K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 2:03 p.m. ET Todd Pletcher unveils a well-related juvenile in COBBLE HILL (Verrazano), a half-brother to GI Ballerina S. victress Marley’s Freedom (Blame). A $375,000 OBSAPR buy after breezing in a sharp :20 4/5, the bay is also a half to SW Noble Charlotte (Include) and SP Airship (Rock Hard Ten). TJCIS PPs. —@CDeBernardisTDN View the full article

The recently concluded fall meet at Churchill Downs saw horsemen racing for record average daily purse money, excluding figures for the two-day Breeders’ Cup meeting. Over the course of 19 days of racing, daily purse money averaged $604,432, an impressive 20.9% increase on the $499,959 on offer last fall. Average prize money per race was $57,135, up 20.3% on the $47,507 recorded in 2017. Maiden special weight races were worth a record $76,000, while allowance races ranged from $78,500 to $90,000. A total of 201 races were staged that attracted 1,789 runners, an average of a strong 8.9 horses per race. Nearly nine of every 10 races included seven or more starters. Track officials attributed the increase to the early returns from historical racing machines now in use at Derby City Gaming, CDI’s $65-million state-of-the-art facility that was opened just this past September. Average purse money has grown by a whopping 76.5% over a five-year period. By comparison, total daily purse money during the 2013 fall meet was $32,373 and daily purses averaged $328,911. The positive results were achieved under less-than-optimal weather conditions. The average daily temperature for the month of November was 43 degrees, and as a result, just 46% (23 of 50) of races carded for the grass remained on the surface. The condition of the turf course never reached firm during the meet (seven races were run on ground listed as good, 11 on yielding and five over soft turf). “This was an incredibly strong fall meet,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery. “The hailed return of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships to Louisville on opening week after a seven-year hiatus helped set the tone for an outstanding season. Day in and day out, our horsemen, their owners and a robust jockey colony delivered an attractive and competitive racing product that appealed to bettors around the world. We express sincere gratitude to them for their continued support of our thriving racing program, and thank the horseplayers, guests and the greater Louisville community for backing our entertainment experience.” Tyler Gaffalione, riding regularly for the first time at Churchill, built on a strong Keeneland meeting to edge perennial leading jockey Corey Lanerie by a count of 21 winners to 20. Steve Asmussen and Dallas Stewart were tied among trainers with 11 winners, while Loooch Racing was the meet’s leading owner with five trips to the winner’s circle. Churchill will again conduct three meets in 2019-the spring meet (Apr. 27-June 29), the September meet (Sept. 13-29) and the fall meet will extend to 26 days in 2019 from Oct. 27-Dec. 1. View the full article

The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association Nov. 30 released its listing of United States graded and listed stakes races for 2019, the results of its annual grading session conducted Nov. 27-28. View the full article

1st-GP, $60K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7 1/2fT, 11:50 p.m. ET John Oxley went to $600,000 to acquire WINGS OF DAWN (Medaglia d’Oro) at Keeneland September last year and she debuts in this spot for trainer Mark Casse. The dark bay is a daughter of MGSW Juanita (Mineshaft), who was purchased by breeders Aaron & Marie Jones for $1.2 million carrying a full-sibling to this juvenile at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. TJCIS PPs. 10th-WO, $61K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f (AWT), 5:40 p.m. ET North of the border, Mark Casse unveils another well-related first timer in TAPPITTY TAPPITTY (Tapit). The Live Oak homebred is out of GI Diana S. winner and millionaire My Typhoon (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway), who was an 800,000gns weanling purchase by Charlotte Weber’s operation at TATNOV 2002. A daughter of European Highweight Urban Sea (Miswaki), My Typhoon is a half-sister to leading international sire and European champion Galileo (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells); European Horse of the year and top sire Sea the Stars (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}); and Italian Highweight and MG1SW Black Sam Bellamy (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) among others. This is also the female family of Grade/Group I winners Athena (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Bracelet (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}). TJCIS PPs. 8th-DMR, $53K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 4:00 p.m. ET KINGLY (Tapit), a full-brother to MGSW sire Mohaymen, makes his career bow in this test for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who is tough to beat with a juvenile firster. Out of MGSW & GISP Justwhistledixie (Dixie Union), the bay is also a half-brother to Baffert’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner New Year’s Day (Street Cry {Ire}). This is also the family of GSW sire Overdriven (Tale of the Cat), MGSW Smooth Air (Smooth Jazz) and GSW Got Stormy (Get Stormy). TJCIS PPs. —@CDeBernardisTDN View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK—Only three foals have previously surpassed the million-guinea mark in the ring at Tattersalls and it took a Galileo (Ire) sister to a multiple Group 1 winner to push the bar that high on Friday. The price of 1.7 million gns bid by Tony Nerses for the sibling to Blue Diamond Stud’s star performer Decorated Knight (GB) may seem eye-watering but buyer Imad Al Sagar will only have to find half that amount as he is also the filly’s co-breeder, with Saleh Al Homaizi, whom be bought out to retain the filly at Blue Diamond Stud. Nerses had plenty of opposition from potential buyers attempting to prise the coveted filly (lot 1010) from the sales ring, including a determined stand from Julian Dollar of Newsells Park Stud, who had bought Blue Diamond’s Group 2 winner Aljazzi (GB) (Shamardal) for a Horses-in-Training Sale record for 1 million gns last month. Tom Goff was another frustrated bidder and Hugo Lascelles threw in one last hopeful wave of his catalogue at 1.6 million gns, but Nerses, on the phone to Al Sagar, had the final say from the gangway. “Saleh is moving away from some of the horses, not all of them, and Imad was keen to retain this filly,” Nerses explained. The weanling Sea The Stars (Ire) filly (1009) out of Group 3 winner Princess Noor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), who, like the Galileo filly was offered through New England Stud, is also now owned solely by Al Sagar after Nerses had bid 600,000gns on his behalf just moments earlier. As part of a stock reduction, the Blue Diamond Stud partners have offered an array of horses of varying ages through different consigners this autumn, and a number of yearlings have been bought back by the duo to race. Lot 1064, a Fastnet Rock (Aus) half-sister to the G2 Gimcrack S. winner Ajaya (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was another to be signed over to Blue Diamond Stud later in the session at 400,000gns. The million-dollar baby played her part in helping the aggregate to a 24% increase during the sale’s premier session, with 21,136,500gns traded for 172 foals at a clearance rate of 79%, just a point off last year’s mark. The average also shot up by 22% to 122,887gns, while the median was up 8% at 70,000gns. Frankel Out In Force It is almost two years since owner-breeder and former top amateur rider Bob McCreery died but his influence is still very much felt at Tattersalls, where Stowell Hill Stud, run by his wife Jeanette, sold a Frankel (GB) filly from one of the farm’s well established families for 700,000gns. Lot 1014, who was bought by Hugo Lascelles on behalf of xxxx, is a daughter of the Group 3-winning Fantastic Light mare Middle Club (GB), who is now owned by a five-strong partnership known as the Middle Club Team. “The mare was bred at Stowell and raced by my late husband Bob. We sold her at the December Mares Sale to race in America, and she visited Distorted Humor and Medaglia D’Oro in the states but then she came up for sale and Bob bought her back so we put together a group of people to own her.” Middle Club hails from a family which has been very much in the news of late. Her half-sister Anna Nerium (GB) has won a Group 3 in each of the last two seasons, while another half-sister Coplow (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) provided this year’s QIPCO 1,000 Guineas winner Billesdon Brook (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}). The family could yet provide more ripples in the ring at Tattersalls next week when Billesdon Brook’s listed-winning half-sister Billesdon Bess (GB) (Dick Turpin {Ire}) is sold as lot 1896. Juddmonte’s Simon Mockridge stepped in to sign for lot 1030, a Frankel daughter of the G3 Ballyogan S. winner Divine (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) from the family of G1 Prix de la Foret winner Caradak (Ire), at 700,000gns. “She will be a lovely addition to come back to the farm eventually,” he said. “She is out of a fast six-furlong mare and we are looking to go down the Galileo route a little with Frankel by sending him some speedy mares.” A mare with much more stamina on her side is Bobby Flay’s Auld Alliance (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), a half-sister to 2000 Guineas winner Golan (Ire) (Spectrum {Ire}) who was bought from Ballymacoll Stud for 550,000gns in 2013. Her Frankel filly (1061) led the first part of the Flay Dispersal when selling for 325,000gns to Peter and Ross Doyle. Tom Goff was another to spring for a Frankel when buying lot 989, the daughter of G1 Preis der Diana winner Penelopa (GB) (Giant’s Causeway) for 450,000gns from Britton House Stud. “She’s been bought for an owner and she won’t be coming back to the ring just yet,” said Goff. “I knew the mare well and this filly is beautifully put together and was very well presented.” Two For One One Agency signed for just two weanlings during the session but they kept things simple by going to an even 500,000gns for each filly. First was the standout from James Wigan’s West Blagdon Stud draft (lot 992), a Lope De Vega (Ire) first foal out of the winning Galileo mare Tesoro (Ire), a half-sister to this season’s G2 Qatar Richmond S. winner Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never) and grand-daughter of the top-class sprinter and broodmare Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {GB}). “Lope De Vega has had a terrific season with some seriously impressive maiden winners along with his black-type winners,” said Ben Harris as his brother Tom signed the ticket. “This is a wonderful family going back and of course Land Force is an exciting colt, so hopefully we’ll get a nice update there. She was a stunning individual.” The Harrises later signed for a Frankel filly out of the Zamindar mare Household Name (lot 1040). The half-sister to listed winner Gobi Desert (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) was consigned by New England Stud on behalf of her breeder Countess De La Warr, the mother of bloodstock agent Ed Sackville. Dubawi Double Stroud Coleman Bloodstock made a significant impact during the October Sales when signing for a raft of expensive yearlings on behalf of Godolphin and the agency’s purchases on Friday for an “existing client” included the only two Dubawi (Ire) weanlings on offer after withdrawals. German breeder Gerhard Schoeningh has had horses in training in Newmarket with Sir Henry Cecil, Hugo Palmer and Luca Cumani and he has entrusted his listed-winning High Chaparral (Ire) mare Baisse (GB) to the care of the Cumanis’ Fittocks Stud, which consigned her Dubawi filly at Tattersalls as lot 1022. The 10-year-old mare has already produced the Gr Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. winner Best Of Days (GB) (Azamour {Ire}), who was raced by Schoeningh, the owner of Hoppegarten racecourse, until he was sold privately to Godolphin, and the Dubawi filly could well follow the same path after being signed for by Anthony Stroud at 725,000gns. “This filly has never put a foot wrong, she has just been so straightforward,” said Sara Cumani, who added that Baisse is now in foal to Nathaniel (Ire) and will return to Dubawi next year. The Dubawi colt out of Irish 1000 Guineas winner Nightime (Ire) (Galileo {GB}) (1006), offered through the Castlebridge Consigment on behalf of the Wekd family’s Springbank Way Stud, was signed for by Matt Coleman at 700,000gns. Not only a brilliant racemare, Galileo’s first Classic winner has also proved to be an adept broodmare, producing Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who was trained by Dermot Weld to win the GI Man o’War S., and the weanling colt’s full-brother Ghaiyyath (Ire), who is a dual Group 3 winner for Godolphin. Pinhooking Stars Bold pinhookers Eugene Daly and Gerry Dilger played a strong hand in pursuit of Newtown Stud’s Sea The Stars (Ire) colt (lot 865) to provide one of the early highlights of the Friday morning session when going to 400,000gns, outbidding Anthony Stroud. Bred on the same Monsun (Ger) cross as the highly promising young stallion Sea The Moon (Ger), the late April colt is the first foal of listed winner Lopera (Ger), who hails from Gestut Hof Itlingen’s family of six-time Group 1 winner Lando (Ger). “He’s been a spectacular colt from the day he was born and the mare is a real beauty,” said Cathy Grassick of Newtown Stud, which consigned the colt on behalf of his breeder Manfred Ostermann. “Mr Ostermann was an old friend of my father and he’s been such a supporter of ours. He boards all his mares with us when they come to Ireland and this mare is still with us at the moment. It’s a wonderful result for him. This is his really good family. He bred Lando and stood him at Gestut Hof Itlingen.” Daly is renowned for spending substantial sums on foals and last year he and Dilger, of Kentucky’s Dromoland Farm, teamed up to buy a Sea The Stars for €330,000 at the Goffs November Sale. The son of Chicago Dancer (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) returned to the ring at Tattersalls under Daly’s Longview Stud consignment, selling for 1 million gns to Godolphin. It was a cracking day for the Aga Khan Studs stallion Sea The Stars, who was also in the spotlight via Oghill House Stud’s colt out of the Danehill Dancer (Ire) mare Emreliya (Ire) (932), the dam so far of two stakes-placed winners. Oneliner Stables went to 330,000gns to secure the colt, who was another expensive pinhooking prospect. “He had everything and let’s hope he has everything back here next autumn. We just loved everything about him,” said buyer Michelle Motherway from Tipperary, who operates in partnership with her brother Gerard Lowry. Indigo Lady In The Pink Again Derek Veitch’s Ringfort Stud has had a good foal sale so far, selling 12 weanlings for an average of 93,125gns to put the farm in third spot on the consignors’ table behind the bigger operators New England Stud and Castlebridge Consignment. Leading the draft was a Lope De Vega colt out of the listed winner Indigo Lady (Ire) (lot 1055) who sold for 500,000gns to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock. The Sir Percy (GB) mare has had just three foals to date and all have been darlings of the sales ring. The first, now a winner for Bill and Tim Gredley named Expensive Liaison (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), was sold for 155,000gns while last year the 8-year-old’s Dark Angel (Ire) filly was bought by Capital Bloodstock for 600,000gns. Big Shout For Shalaa The big-name established sires dominate the foal sale leader board, with Sea The Stars and Frankel leading the charge but a new name to sneak into the top ten is that of Haras de Bouquetot’s Shalaa (Ire), who is the leading freshman with 11 sold for an average of 97,545gns. Top of his five six-figure foals is Petches Farm’s colt out of the Teofilo (Ire) mare Summer Collection (Ire) from the family of champion miler Spinning World. Bought by Laurent Benoit of Broadhurst Agency for 240,000gns, the colt had been the subject of positive discussion the previous evening between Al Shaqab’s Benoit Jeffroy, who sees Shalaa on a regular basis during the course of his work at Bouquetot, and Liam Norris, who bought the dual Group 1 winner as a foal at Tattersalls back in 2013. Both men agreed that Summer Collection’s first foal by Shalaa was the image of his father. Redvers Honoured With FBA Award Ahead of the start of trade on Friday, David Redvers was awarded the accolade of Bloodstock Agent of the Year by his colleagues in the Federation of Bloodstock Agents (FBA). “This is essentially for David having bought the champion 3-year-old Roaring Lion for $160,000, and also the champion older miler, Lightning Spear (GB),” said Geoffrey Howson of the FBA. “I must give credit to the buying team of Hannah Wall and Peter Molony,” said Redvers. “Hannah loved Roaring Lion and said he was the best walking son of Kitten’s Joy she’d seen. If he hadn’t stayed on Hannah’s list we wouldn’t have bought him.” Both Roaring Lion and Lightning Spear have retired to Tweenhills Stud for the 2019 season, and they are available for viewing throughout the weekend and on Monday at Longholes Stud just outside Newmarket (shuttle buses available from Tattersalls). View the full article

Rick Hammerle has been removed from his position as racing secretary at Santa Anita Park, according to several sources with direct knowledge of the situation. View the full article

Rick Hammerle is being replaced as the racing secretary at Santa Anita, Hammerle confirmed by telephone to the TDN today. The move was the latest in a series of changes recently announced by the track, which include the departure of announcer Michael Wrona and XBTV talent Aaron Vercruysse and Richard Migliore. Other than confirming the news, Hammerle said he would have no further comment at this time. The Stronach Group’s CEO Tim Ritvo did not answer his mobile or office phone at Santa Anita Friday. Hammerle, who has worked as a racing official at Gulfstream, Golden Gate, Del Mark, Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands, was named the racing secretary at Santa Anita in 1999. He added the title of Vice President of Racing in 2011. View the full article

Former claimer turned Grade I winner Vasilika (Skipshot) looks to collect her ninth straight win of the season Sunday in Del Mar’s GI Matriarch S. Scoring her first graded win in the GII John C. Mabee S. Sept. 1, the chestnut followed suit with a half-length success in the GI Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita Sept. 29 and skipped the Breeders’ Cup in favor of the GII Goldikova S. in Arcadia Nov. 4, which she won by 1 1/2 lengths. Chad Brown, who won last year’s renewal of this event, will give Vasilika a run for her money with a strong trio of runners. A two-time Grade III winner in 2017, Rymska (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) closed out last season with a win in the Winter Memories S. in November 2017 and was not seen again until Aug. 31 at Saratoga, when she missed by just a nose in an optional claimer. The bay returned to winning ways last time in the GII Athenia S. at Belmont Oct. 21. Stablemate Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) also enters off a graded win at Belmont in the Sept. 22 GIII Noble Damsel S. The chestnut prepped for that last out score with wins in the Plenty of Grace S. Apr. 14 and De La Rose S. Aug. 4. Completing the Brown trio is Quidura (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who looks to make amends for a seventh-place finish as the favorite last time in Keeneland’s GI First Lady S. Oct. 6. The bay won the GII Ballston Spa S. at Saratoga Aug. 25 and hit the board in three Grade Is last year. Mission Impassible (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) could spice things up as she takes on her elders in this test. Previously campaigned in Europe by trainer Jean-Claude Rouget, the chestnut won the G2 Prix de Sandringham in June and was transferred to Rodolphe Brisset after finishing fifth in the G1 Prix Rothschild S. July 29. She finished a respectable second behind ‘TDN Rising Star’ Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) in the GI QEII Challenge Cup at Keeneland Oct. 13 in her American debut last time out. Also of interest is Excellent Sunset (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), who will be the first Grade I runner for young trainer Anna Meah. Winless in her first five starts in Europe, she broke her maiden in her U.S. bow for trainer Brendan Walsh at Ellis Park July 4 and captured a Saratoga allowance next out Sept. 2. Missing by a neck in her final start for Walsh at Keeneland Oct. 7, the bay was transferred to Meah and crossed the wire first last time in the restricted Katherine Crosby S. over this course distance Nov. 9, but was disqualified and placed second for interference. View the full article

Steve Cauthen, winner of the 1978 Triple Crown aboard Affirmed: For me, the Triple Crown winner is definitely Horse of the Year, anytime there is one, in my opinion. I think what he did was pretty special, not even accounting for who he beat, but just considering he won his first race in January and supposedly bruised his foot after the Derby. Maybe that’s some of the reason the Preakness was closer than any of others, but basically, that’s what great horses do. They overcome stuff and still win. I think he had more in the tank, had that horse come to him sooner. He was just an impressive horse, the way he did it. I would have loved to have seen him run on and finish the year, and run in the Classic, but obviously, he was such a valuable horse that I understand why they wouldn’t want to take the risk. The only other horse who could be Horse of the Year is Accelerate and obviously, he had a great year, but I don’t see how you could say it was a better year. I always have to lean toward the Triple Crown winner. Nothing less than a great horse wins the Triple Crown. There have been a lot who have gotten close, but it takes a great one to win it. View the full article

Six stakes races have been downgraded from Grade I to Grade II status for 2019, while another three will go in the opposite direction after the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s American Graded Stakes Committee’s review of races for next season. A total of 450 races will be graded in 2019 (five fewer than 2018), and 187 will carry listed status. Seven graded races were upgraded and nine new Grade III races and one Grade II race were named. A total of 23 races have been upgraded to Listed status. Ten graded or listed races from 2018 are no longer eligible for grading. The six races to be downgraded from Grade I to Grade II for next year are: Belmont’s Beldame S.; Churchill Downs’s Stephen Foster H.; the Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity; and the Santa Margarita S., Triple Bend S. and Zenyatta S. at Santa Anita. The Jaipur S. and Woody Stephens S.–both on the GI Belmont S. undercard–and the Churchill Downs S. held on GI Kentucky Derby day will be Grade I events in 2019. Five races were upgraded to Grade II status: the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint; the Twin Spires Turf Sprint S. at Churchill; the Gallant Bob S. at Parx; the Eddie D S. at Santa Anita; and the Amsterdam S. at Saratoga. Six races will move in the opposite direction to Grade III: the Chilukki S. at Churchill; Barbara Fritchie S. at Laurel Park; Bayakoa S. at Los Alamitos; and Santa Anita’s Honeymoon S., La Canada S. and Santa Ana S. Nine races will be newly minted Grade IIIs: the Forbidden Apple S. and Futurity S. at Belmont; Green Flash H. at Del Mar; Franklin-Simpson S. at Kentucky Downs; Chick Lang S. at Pimlico; Astra S., Joe Hernandez S. and Sweet Life S. at Santa Anita; and Quick Call S. at Saratoga. A total of 103 races, or 22.9% of all graded events, will be contested at the highest level; 131 or 29.1% will be Grade II; 216, or 48%, will be Grade III. For 2019, a new division has been created for 3-year-olds and up turf sprints that includes races for both sexes. Previously, dirt and turf sprints were combined into one division for each sex. Turf sprints restricted to 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds remain combined with dirt sprints. View the full article

Bob Baffert is dangerous shipping into any racetrack, but he does especially well when sending a runner to New York and will be represented in Aqueduct’s GIII Go For Wand H. Saturday by Marley’s Freedom (Blame). Romping in the GIII Desert Stormer S. at Santa Anita in May in her first start for the Hall of Famer after transferring from Bob Hess, the bay followed suit with a win in the GII Great Lady M S. at Los Alamitos July 7. Scoring a career high last time she shipped to New York with a decisive victory in the GI Ballerina S. at Saratoga Aug. 25, she looks to make amends for a fourth-place finish as the heavy favorite in the GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint at Churchill Downs Nov. 3. Victorious in the Shine Again S. at Saratoga Aug. 1, Your Love (Flatter) was a close second in the GII Gallant Bloom H. at Belmont Sept. 23. Another of interest is Bonita Bianca (Curlin), who enters off a six-length romp in the Empire Distaff H. against fellow NY-breds at Belmont Oct. 20. View the full article

Pavel will look to bounce back from his second straight Breeders' Cup disappointment when he takes on some promising up-and-comers Dec. 2 in the Champions Cup (G1) at Chukyo Racecourse, a race formerly known as the Japan Cup Dirt. View the full article

Three-time stakes winner and GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint third-place finisher Gentlemen’s Bet (Half Ours–Lady of Sun, by Gentlemen {Arg}) will relocate from Journeyman Stud in Ocala to McDowell Farm in Sparkman, Arkansas for the 2019 breeding season. Gentlemen’s Bet, who captured the Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash, Iowa Sprint S. and Hot Springs S., will stand for $1,500 live foal. In addition to his trio of stakes tallies, Gentlemen’s Bet finished third in both the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in a memorable 2013 season, one that also included the second fastest six-furlong time ever registered at Churchill Downs (1:07.90) in an allowance victory. The dark bay earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 107 for that performance–a number he would replicate twice later in his career. Campaigned by owner Harry Rosenblum and trainer Ron Moquett, Gentlemen’s Bet retired in 2017 with an overall record of 7-0-4 from 22 starts and total earnings of $744,155 and entered stud in 2018. View the full article

Fairyhouse plays host to its first big meeting of the jumps season and the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle takes centre stage. This race is run of 2m 4f and gives trainers a good indication of what route they should take for the remainder of the season. Apples Jade is bidding for a hat-trick of victories in the race and looked as good as ever when running away with the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan on seasonal debut. She is versatile when it comes to ground and seems at home over this trip. In truth, it’s hard to see anything beating Gordon Elliott’s star mare. Supasundae was last seasons Champion Hurdle winner and was one of the most consistent horses in training, with placings in Garde 1’s in each of his starts. Jessica Harrington’s inmate doesn’t have a great record when fresh and will undoubtedly come on for the run. I think a watching brief is the best advice when it comes to him. Dortmund Park could be a player for the place purposes, he won the Grade 1 Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown last season and ran much better than the finishing position suggests in the Lismullen Hurdle behind Apples Jade on seasonal debut. He was still bang there two out and wasn’t messed around once his chance had gone. I expect him to come on from that run and may sneak into the places. Last season Triumph Hurdle winner Farclas also represents the Gordon Elliott stable, he is making his seasonal debut and stepping up in distance for the first time. He looks like a relaxed type that will appreciate the extra distance and could be one of those rare beasts who trains on after winning the triumph. Limini represents Willie Mullins here, she was third behind Apples Jade in the Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham back in March and showed her flat talent in a big handicap on Champions Weekend. She is s lassy mare but she was disappointing on her last two starts on the flat. Selection: Dortmund Park – Each-Way The post Hatton’s Grace Preview appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Godolphin homebred Enliven (Ghostzapper), a daughter of MGISW It’s Tricky (Mineshaft), headlines a field of seven entered for Saturday’s GII Demoiselle S. The bay graduated at second asking going 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park Sept. 30, then finished a well-beaten second with a field-best 86 Beyer Speed Figure in Aqueduct’s GIII Tempted S. Nov. 2. Enliven makes her two-turn debut in the Demoiselle. “She’s doing well, so we hope she likes two turns; I think she will,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “She just got her butt kicked in her last race, but that filly’s not back in. She’s doing very well and I don’t think the distance will be an issue.” The aforementioned It’s Tricky, also the dam MGSW and GI Kentucky Derby runner Enticed (Medaglia d’Oro), won a trio of Grade I events on the NYRA circuit, including Saratoga’s GI TVG Coaching Club American Oaks. Molto Bella (Violence) also makes her two-turn debut following a second-place finish behind ‘TDN Rising Star’ Mother Mother (Pioneerof the Nile) in Churchill’s Rags to Riches S. Oct. 28. The cleverly named Filly Joel (Dialed In) broke through at third asking with a runaway maiden win going 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park Oct. 25. View the full article

Unbeaten ‘TDN Rising Star’ Maximus Mischief (Into Mischief) makes his highly anticipated stakes debut in Saturday’s GII Remsen S. at the Big A. The bay won his first two attempts with ease by a total of 14 3/4 lengths sprinting at Parx, including a first-level allowance going seven furlongs Oct. 20 (By Way of Philly, Maximus Mischief One to Watch, by Bill Finley). He earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure last time, the highest of any juvenile this season. “He hasn’t missed a beat in training. We couldn’t be any happier,” trainer Robert Reid Jr. said. “He’s got a real good head on his shoulders. Nothing bothers him. It’s a big jump with an extra quarter of a mile [to 1 1/8 miles in the Remsen], but all indications to me is that it shouldn’t be a problem.” Bourbon War (Tapit) posted a promising debut win in a one-mile off-the-turfer at the Big A Nov. 14. He is the first foal out of My Conquestadory (Artie Schiller), who annexed the 2013 GI Alcibiades S. and sold for $1.5 million with his full sibling in utero at Conquest Stables’ 2016 Keeneland November dispersal. “He’s a horse who all along I thought would need to run and need more ground,” trainer Mark Hennig said. “I never anticipated that he’s the horse who would run the race of his life in his first start. I think there’s plenty of upside. The timing is a question mark, but he’s acting like he’s up to it. I think he’ll be up to the challenge.” Network Effect (Mark Valeski), a three-length debut winner at the Spa Aug. 11, was second-best behind the highly regarded Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GIII Nashua S. here Nov. 4. View the full article

A flurry of evening activity saw the full-sister to triple Group 1 winner Decorated Knight (GB) top the Tattersalls leaderboard when fetching a bid of 1.7-million gns from Blue Diamond Stud, which is owned by her breeders Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar. One lot previously, Blue Diamond also signed for a daughter of Sea The Stars bred by its principals, and a daughter of Frankel (GB) made 700,000gns to the bid of Hugo Lascelles just moments later. View the full article

The sun is coming out on New Zealand's near-$1 billion thoroughbred racing industry, out in the cold so long that one of its most successful businesses, David Ellis' Te Akau Racing, came within a nose of going overseas. The dominant... View the full article

A Dubawi (Ire) colt out of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner and Grade I producer Nightime (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) jumped to the top of the leaderboard at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale on Friday when bringing 700,000gns from Stroud Coleman Bloodstock. The colt is a full-brother to dual Group 3 winner Ghaiyyath (Ire) and a half to the GI Man O’War S. winner Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). View the full article

Twenty-two horses-comprising flat foals, yearlings and mares and horses-in-training-have been supplemented to Goffs UK’s new Doncaster December Sale on Dec. 7. Supplementary entries thus far include an eight-horse dispersal from Woodhall Stables featuring four mares, two of which have been covered by Outstrip (GB) and four foals by the likes of Mayson (GB) and Poet’s Voice (GB). Worsall Grange also have four mare supplementary entries which feature covering sires Peace Envoy and Cannock Chase. View the full article