Wandering Eyes

The Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association issued a joint statement Thursday regarding The Stronach Group’s ban of trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. TSG announced June 22 that it was banning the Hall of Famer from its tracks as it continued to deal with a high equine fatality rate at its Santa Anita meeting. Four of the 30 horses who suffered fatal injuries during the meeting were trained by Hollendorfer. The New York Racing Association announced Saturday it would not take entries from the trainer and Hollendorfer’s status at the upcoming Del Mar meeting remains up in the air. In Thursday’s statement, the THA and HBPA decried a lack of due process and transparency in the ban. The complete statement from the THA and HBPA follows. Due process is a fundamental and accepted constitutional right in our country. In a government sanctioned and regulated industry, it is required. Every person in our industry who holds a license to participate is given a right to due process when their livelihood is threatened. We are an industry that operates according to rules and regulations, standards are clear, violations have consequences and we are transparent. The situation which occurred recently at Santa Anita from The Stronach Group regarding Jerry Hollendorfer has clearly sidestepped those rights and exemplifies our concerns. By this action, every licensee in racing is on notice of potential arbitrary career-ending actions by racetracks without rules, standards, the right to due process, fundamental fairness and accountability. As horsemen, we know that our primary responsibility is the health, welfare and safety of the horse, the integrity of our sport, and the fairness of competition.There is no place in our sport for individuals who cannot accept this commitment. In this regard, racetracks, regulators and horsemen must constantly work together to find solutions to the challenges we face, with honest discussion and transparent decision-making. When decisions are made behind closed doors and without open communication, we create conflict and turmoil at a time when we need to be collectively focused on the betterment of horse racing. The HBPA and THA are in lockstep on this issue. We do not intend to stand idly by and let reputations be destroyed, and careers ruined. There must be a fair process that gives our horsemen a right to confront allegations of wrongdoing. In those states where horsemen are not accorded due process by racetracks, we will seek agreements to protect their rights or statutory protections. Our intent is to ensure a fair process. The time we take to do what is right and fair will be an invaluable investment in our industry. The post THA/HBPA Issue Statement on Hollendorfer Ban appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Chad Brown trainee Royal Charlotte (Cairo Prince) seeks her fourth victory from as many tries but first at the graded level in Friday’s GIII Victory Ride S. at Belmont Park. The First Row Partners representative took a key heat by four lengths at Gulfstream Mar. 16 before beating a decisive next-out Belmont allowance winner in the Keeneland mud Apr. 19. The grey earned her first black-type victory after uncorking a sweeping turn move in Monmouth’s Hystericalady S. May 27. New York-bred Sue’s Fortune (Jump Start), winner of last summer’s GII Adirondack S., finished far back in the GI Frizette S. going a mile here last fall but returned a winner in state-bred allowance company May 18. She earned a stand-out 97 Beyer Speed Figure when finishing second to the streaking, five-for-five GSW Break Even (Country Day) in the local Jersey Girl S. June 9. ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Brill (Medaglia d’Oro) is an intriguing entrant. Having been transferred from the embattled Jerry Hollendorfer to Don Chatlos since her last start, OXO Equine’s $1-million Fasig-Tipton July purchase finished off her juvenile campaign last term with a distant third to Bellafina (Quality Road) in the GI Chandelier S. at Santa Anita Sept. 29. She checked in runner-up first off the bench in her most recent sprint at Oaklawn Mar. 22, and was a close third in the GIII Fantasy S. behind Lady Apple (Curlin). The bay was fourth in the nine-panel GII Black-Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico May 19, and gets first-time blinkers with two very fast bullets over Big Sandy on display leading up to this. The post Cairo Prince Filly Seeks First Graded Score in Victory Ride appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

One of the many positives about Godolphin Flying Start-the two-year international Thoroughbred industry training program devised by Sheikh Mohammed-is that it offers a way into the business for talented young people without pre-existing family or industry connections. If, indeed, that is an unstated goal of the project, it showed that it had hit the mark again with the 2019 graduating class with the revelation that Philip Antonacci, an Ivy League graduate with deep roots in the Standardbred–but not Thoroughbred–industry, had been hired by Dave Reid at Preferred Equine to fill the role of Director of Sales for its Thoroughbred division. That job is a newly created post for Antonacci, who finishes the course this week. “It’s an amazing program, especially for people from relatively outside the industry,” said Antonacci. “I think it accomplishes all the goals Sheikh Mohammed set out and it gives young people like me the opportunity to go from being a history major at Penn to launching a career in global bloodstock.” Preferred Equine was formed by Reid and his late partner, Geoff Stein, over 30 years ago. The largest consignor in the Standardbred industry, they have sold over 20,000 horses at auction. They also operate a series of Standardbred auctions, syndicate stallions, and conduct private transactions for their clients. In 2013, they made their Thoroughbred consigning debut, offering two yearlings at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Yearling Sale, and they have continued to expand that consignment, as well as offer a consignment for clients at the Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale. But even before that time, they were dipping their toes into the Thoroughbred waters, starting Ice Wine Stable in 2009 and campaigning No Nay Never, among others, in partnership with Coolmore. Two of the Ice Wine principals were Philip’s father Frank Antonacci and his brother Jerry; their father, Sonny, had raced Standardbreds for years, and who established Lindy Farms in Somers, Connecticut in 1972, a comprehensive nursery and training center. He went on to breed more winners of the Hambletonian than any other individual breeder. The Antonaccis were longtime clients of Preferred’s, and had enlisted Stein and Reid to run the Tattersalls sales business that came along with their purchase of Lexington’s Red Mile Standardbred track in 2000. Philip Antonacci grew up on the farm, riding and driving horses and serving as a sort of assistant trainer to his brother, the farm’s head trainer. They traveled together in the summers to races, and Antonacci had vague ambitions of becoming a trainer himself. But with more and more exposure to the Thoroughbred business, he started to feel the lure of that breed. He was a second-year history major at the University of Pennsylvania when he met Gai Waterhouse at a party his father and Dave Reid were throwing at Saratoga. “She asked me what I wanted to do, and I told her I really liked Thoroughbreds,” Antonacci recalled. “She said, `Why don’t you go to the Flying Start program?’ I had heard of it because of all the people who have come out of it; you meet some of the most successful people in the industry and they’re Flying Start graduates. But she said, `if you’re going to go on the course, first you’re going to have to come work for me.’ She does such a good job training people and I credit her with getting me to a level that Clodagh and Joe Osborne would expect.” Antonacci graduated from Penn in May, 2017, was accepted to Flying Start, and spent the next two years traveling the world and learning the business. He did placements with Todd Pletcher, Boomer Bloodstock, Doug Watson and Mark Johnston, and while he briefly toyed with training, in the end, it was bloodstock that called to him. “I want to have a handle on everything. There’s no part of the industry I like or dislike more than an another,” said Antonacci, a well-spoken, well-read 24-year-old with a serious and steady demeanor. “I’m open to everything, but for me, the bloodstock made the most sense. I think I’ll always have a bit of a training bug, and I don’t know if it’s something that might surface again or not. The bloodstock business fascinates me. I love action, I love the deals-what’s going on behind the scenes. It’s a good opportunity for someone with a business mindset, and so it seemed like a logical route for me.” At Preferred, he’ll pretty much be carving a new path for himself. “Dave and Preferred Equine is the largest agent in the Standardbred industry,” said Antonacci. “He has a level of professionalism and a reputation that few people have in the industry and in the bloodstock business have. He has international experience in the Thoroughbred industry in the short time that he’s been involved, 10 years now or so, and he’s made significant progress. I’m really looking to assist him in building on opportunities.” Clodagh Kavanagh, Flying Start’s General Manager, said she expected Antonacci to put what he learned to good use. “Coming from a highly successful Standardbred racing and breeding family, Phil had a great grounding in horsemanship and business before he joined Godolphin Flying Start,” she said. “He was able to take in all of the opportunities that Flying Start offered to learn, experience and develop himself and his network in the thoroughbred industry and I have no doubt that he will apply those learnings, and build his network and expertise over the coming years. David Reid and Preferred Equine look like the perfect fit for Phil as his first role following his graduation. I wish him the best of luck in his career as an alumnus of the program.” While Antonacci will look to create new pathways in the Thoroughbred business, he can rely on Preferred’s existing back end staffing and systems to give him a leg up on others starting from scratch. “We’ll start with consigning horses for some clients at the New York-bred sale at Saratoga,” he said. “We’ll try to work some private deals, represent some clients at yearling sales. I really do think it’s going to be the perfect kind of relationship. He has the auction experience, experience managing bloodstock and livestock, as well as systems set up in his back office and employees working for him that are some of the best in the world. With Flying Start, it builds contacts and a level of global knowledge, and I think if you pair that with Dave’s experience, his reputation and what he’s started to build over the past few years, it’s a really exciting opportunity.” Reid has long been a believer in cross-breed ownership, and the addition of Antonacci to his team should smooth the transition of some of his Standardbred contacts to Thoroughbred, and vice versa, he said. “I’ve been a very strong advocate for dual-breed ownership and participation, and even in light of the current challenges within the Thoroughbred industry, I still feel as strongly as ever that the dual-breed participation and adding that Thoroughbred aspect to a portfolio is important,” he said. “Part of the reason for bringing Phil on is to accelerate that process.” Reid said he has also been impressed with the professionalism and knowledge of the Flying Start graduates with whom he has done business in the industry, such as GBRI’s Amanda Bossom, Melissa Jordan at Tattersalls, SF Bloodstock’s Caroline Walsh and the TDN’s own Gary King. Reid has been on his own at the helm of Preferred for the past seven years. He operated the company with Geoff Stein for almost a quarter-century, until Stein, a seemingly healthy and fit 58-year-old, collapsed and died in March, 2012 after his morning run. “When Geoff died, it was very shocking and unexpected,” said Reid. “He was the only business partner I had had in my adult life. The only thing you can really do at that time, and we said it upon his death, was continue the values we had had together into the future. As years have gone by, people would say, `why didn’t you take on a new partner?’ But it was one of those things where you had a perfect marriage and it wasn’t going to be replaced. “But now it’s seven years removed, and it’s probably the perfect time.” “Dave is an unbelievable person,” said Antonacci. “Nobody has ever said a bad word about him, and I think this is a big opportunity to grow his business. I’m just privileged for Dave to allow me to use the knowledge I’ve gained over the last two years, and the relationship we already had, that he trusts me to take the thoroughbred business and run with it.” The post Antonacci Gets a Flying Start with Preferred Equine appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

All eyes will be on Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) on Saturday as she makes her eagerly awaited return to action in the G1 Coral Eclipse at Sandown. The John Gosden trained mare, who is unbeaten on her last nine starts, was last seen narrowly getting the better of Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs last November and that Ballydoyle 4-year-old will renew rivalry with the dual Arc winner with six other rivals going to post on Saturday. Also in the line up in the ten furlong contest are Hughie Morrison’s G2 Dante S. winner but G1 Investec Derby disappointment Telecaster (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) and the progressive Regal Reality (GB) (Intello {Ger}), trained by Sir Michael Stoute for owner/breeders Cheveley Park Stud. Regal Reality’s stablemate and G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge. S. winner Mustashry (GB) (Tamayuz {GB}) steps back up in trip after failing to reach the placings in the G1 Queen Anne S. while G1 Prix d’Ispahan winner Zabeel Prince (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), trained by Roger Varian, is another one on a retrieval mission after finishing in rear at Royal Ascot. The David Menuisier trained Danceteria (Fr) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}) and Ballydoyle’s Hunting Horn (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) complete the octet. The post Eight Declared For Eclipse appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Tattersalls have added four wildcards to their July Sale which begins next Wednesday for three days. Heading the quartet is lot 177A At Last (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The 3-year-old filly is a half-sister to the very promising young sire Zoustar (Aus) and will be offered by The Castlebridge Consignment. At Last has run three times for Aidan O’Brien and holds an entry in a fillies maiden at Roscommon on Monday. Gay Kelleway has added her 96-rated gelding Cosmelli (Ity) (Mr Vegas {Ire}) who was a close fifth in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle last week and will be offered as lot 798A. The next horse into the ring lot 798B is also a wildcard and is the French trained Brian Ryan (GB) (Finjaan {GB}). The 4-year-old has been in terrific form for trainer Andrea Marcialis this season winning five of his last six starts including last time out in the G3 Grosser Preis der Landeshaupstadt Dresden in Germany last month. The final wildcard is lot 862A New Show (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}. The Michael Bell trained son of Group 1 winner Music Show (Ire) (Noverre) showed his wellbeing earlier this week when winning for the fourth time at Catterick on Monday. The post Four Wildcards Added To July Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

This week is a recap of the 1988 Dwyer Stakes (G1) won by Seeking the Gold. The recap, which ran in the July 9, 1988, magazine, written by Karen Johnson Downey, carried the headline: "Seeking The Dwyer." View the full article

Despite his unblemished record and his impressive performance in the G2 Gain Railway S. connections of Siskin (First Defence) are not getting carried away regarding the horse’s future plans. It is very much a race by race approach and Ger Lyons and the Juddmonte team are keen for the colt to come through his G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. test before committing to future targets. Reflecting on his defeat of ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Monarch Of Egypt (American Pharoah) at The Curragh last weekend, Teddy Beckett, Khalid Abdullah’s racing manager said, “It was just a five-horse race so he still has a fair amount more to prove, I would say, but he did it very nicely and obviously we have to be pleased with that. It’s very exciting to have such a nice horse with Ger so early in our relationship with him.” Speculating over Siskin’s prospects of getting a mile and thus possibly developing into a Guineas candidate next year Beckett added, “It’s reasonable to think he could get up to a mile. His father was a seven furlong horse and so was his mother [Bird Flown], actually. There is stamina going back, but it’s by no means a staying family. He’s out of a mare by Oasis Dream, so there are going to be some stamina limitations. We’ll just see, hopefully we’ll go to the Phoenix S. next [Aug. 9] and then make a plan from there.” The post Race By Race Approach For Siskin appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPostIf I was John Moore I would be telling the HKJC if I can’t train here I will return to Australia and take my champs with me – @AtCroydonNowNext season will be master trainer John Moore’s last with the Jockey Club confirming they will adhere to their hard-and-fast retirement rule – even if he was to snatch the trainers’ championship at the eleventh hour.While Moore –… View the full article

Classic Unicorn couldn’t have been more impressive in his debut win but trainer Chris So Wai-yin is wary of his former boss as he looks to go back-to-back on Sunday in the Class Three Members Cup (1,000m) at Sha Tin.The raw three-year-old was far too good for his rivals on June 2, leading all the way under the guidance of Zac Purton and now jumps up in grade after earning an 11-point ratings boost.Classic Unicorn did plenty wrong in his first start, but the ability is clearly there for all to… View the full article

Premier Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan will have a large number of runners at Doomben on Saturday but much interest in his team will centre of the debut of two-year-old Knight Mariner (NZ) (Tavistock). The colt, who will be having his first start in the Madam Wu Two Year Old (1350m), has impressed in a recent trial. Knight Mariner was picked out of Riverrock Farm’s 2018 NZB Ready To Run Sale draft for $240,000 by Gollan's bloodstock adviser John Foote, as a possible future stayer. He is bred to ... View the full article

Staff at the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s landmark Conghua training facility in mainland China have returned to work, one day after walking off the job due to a pay dispute.Some stable assistants downed tools on Wednesday over perceived concerns the Jockey Club was attempting to change their rest-day arrangements. Demands were also made for a pay increase of 40 per cent.Jockey Club officials have denied they were planning any such changes to their existing rest day agreements.The strike did not… View the full article

The darling of the New Zealand turf is nearing a return to the track after a favourable winter preparation. Melody Belle, who is all but assured of taking home the title of New Zealand Horse of the Year after winning five Group One races this season, has pleased trainer Jamie Richards with her work and he said she will likely trial at Te Rapa in the coming weeks. “We are looking forward to next season with her,” he said. “She has done well through the winter and she will trial in about ten... View the full article

Cambridge trainer Tony Pike has experienced a successful Queensland winter campaign, headlined by The Bostonian’s Group One double, and he is hoping to cap it off in style at Doomben on Saturday. Stable runner Cyber Attack will contest the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap (1350m) after two previous unplaced runs in Australia this preparation and Pike expects a better result on Saturday with the gelding. "If he brings his best form, he should go close," he said. "He was a bit tardy out of the barr... View the full article

Lisa Latta is poised to become a $20 million woman this weekend. The Palmerston North trainer has 12 horses entered for Awapuni on Saturday and with several strong chances engaged, she looks likely to bank the $22,000 she needs to break $20 million in New Zealand stakes earnings, according to NZTR figures. It is believed she will become the first woman to reach the mark. "I hadn't realised I was getting close to $20 million and it's not something you ever think about but it's always nice to hit ... View the full article

Riccarton-based owner-trainer Taylor Burnett couldn’t be happier with his $2,500 gavelhouse.com purchase Gifted. Having bought the Alamosa mare in May 2018, the now five-year-old took her earnings to almost $46,000 since her move to the South with a gritty victory at Ashburton yesterday. Off the back of a win less than a fortnight ago at Riccarton Park, Gifted proved once again just how tough she really is, leading the entire 1600m trip to beat her rivals home by a long neck. “It was a grea... View the full article

Te Awamutu horseman Stephen Ralph has experienced one of his biggest seasons-to-date and he can now call himself a Group One-winning trainer after the deeds of Santa Monica in the Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. It was a career highlight for Ralph who later in the season picked up his second stakes win of the term when Speedy Meady dead-heated the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa with Vigor Winner. “It has been enormous (this season),” Ralph said. “The... View the full article

Rain can dampen anyone's Fourth of July holiday, but in particular, the connections of the 3-year-old filly Concrete Rose are hoping that forecasts calling for scattered thunderstorms July 6 in Elmont, N.Y., do not amount to much ado at all. View the full article

Le Grange duo in firing line for Golden Horseshoe fourth Leg View the full article

O'Hara fined $5,000 for elevated TCO2 reading from Kratos View the full article

Tan takes his time with Magic Wand View the full article

Early scratchings July 5 View the full article

Woodworth pulls off act of bravery at trials View the full article

New Zealand-bred horses were active at Hong Kong’s Happy Valley racecourse on Wednesday, taking out half of the eight race card. Zacinto gelding Not Usual Talent took his Hong Kong record to three wins from 10 starts when victorious in the Class 2 Hoi Ha Handicap (1650m). The Benno Yung-trained four-year-old was ridden by Aldo Domeyer and while pleased with the win, he expects to see improvement from the gelding in the new season. “He was a bit clumsy amongst horses but once I gave him dayli... View the full article

Robert Baron's multiple graded stakes winner Promises Fulfilled will look to add to his already extensive résumé when he takes on a field of eight other horses in the $300,000 John A. Nerud (G2) July 6 at Belmont Park. View the full article