Wandering Eyes

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

If there was a title for the fittest jockey in Hong Kong, Vincent Ho would certainly be a contender and the many hours spent hitting pads in the gym paid off for him in the Class 4 Wong Chuk Wan Handicap (1800m). The rider had to niggle the Caspar Fownes-trained Family Leader from the outset to race in fifth spot, and, through pelting rain, he was hard at it before the field of 12 had reached the 600m pole. There was no respite for the jockey’s busy arms: a check 450m out made the task more st... View the full article

Zac Purton followed a four-timer at Sha Tin last weekend with a double on Wednesday night that began with victory on the promising Reliable Team. Frankie Lor’s three-year-old made it two from two with a three and a half-length success in the Class 4 Sham Chung Handicap (1200m). “He did a good job, he had a heavy weight (133lb) and the gate (9) wasn’t kind again but he was able to get in a good spot,” the champion jockey said. “The way the race was run through the mid-section was a litt... View the full article

Jockey Aldo Domeyer has made a rapid advance since arriving in Hong Kong at the start of May and he annexed his first Hong Kong treble when the promising Not Usual Talent took the finale at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. “I thought I had a pretty fair card and could go well but I didn’t expect it would go as well as it did. From five rides I had three winners and two places, so it all went accordingly,” the South African rider said. “I thought I’d take my chances the way the going wa... View the full article

A field of 10 evenly matched 3-year-olds is set to contest the $200,000 Kent Stakes (G3T) July 6 at Delaware Park, led by stakes winners Empire of War and Eons as well as grade 3 winner Solidify. View the full article

Trainer Leslie Khoo is hoping it was a dislike of Polytrack that was behind Beauty Diva’s lacklustre debut run in Singapore. The Singaporean handler brought the Showcasing two-year-old filly to Kranji with high hopes she would live up to her brilliant fifth place to Probabeel in January’s Karaka Million (1200m). Her New Zealand jockey-turned-trainer Clint Isdale (ex-assistant trainer to Bruce Marsh at Kranji for a short while) told Khoo that Beauty Diva should be a lovely prospect for Singap... View the full article

Trainer Chad Brown apparently believes in the essence of the old adage that stipulates if you don't succeed at first, try, try again. Only Brown's twist on that saying is try, try, try, try again. View the full article

A slot in the 2019 TAB Everest–Australia’s richest race–is available for sale via a tender process, Racing NSW has announced. The A$14-million TAB Everest will be run at Royal Randwick on Saturday, Oct. 19. The 2019 slot will be sold to the person or organization that it is deemed “brings benefit and adds to the promotion and appeal of the race”–the price paid will not be the sole factor in selecting the winning bid. The winning bidder will have the right to nominate their own horse of strike a deal with the owner of another horse for the race. The slot is strictly for the 2019 renewal of the race and there is no accompanying option for future runnings. “The slot has attracted many interested parties who are willing to pay the amount necessary,” said Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys. “The challenge for them is how they can show that they will bring something unique to The Everest. We have already done a Barrier Draw on the Opera House, so you can rule that out.” The tender process will close at 4:00 p.m. local time on July 12. For a copy of the tender documentation, contact Racing NSW at (02) 9551-7556 or kreece@racingnsw.com.au. The post Everest Slot Available appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The sixth-annual Jockeys and Jeans Fundraiser, held this year at Santa Anita June 22, raised over $205,000 for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. The event featured a speech from Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who received the first Jockeys and Jeans Person of the Year Award. Fifteen Hall of Fame riders signed autographs during a morning session at Santa Anita and a dozen later mingled with the crowd and honored guests, including severely injured former riders. Former trainer Leah Whitesell was given the first Uphill Push Award for her work raising funds to purchase and then drive a wheelchair accessible van 1,100 to long-time paraplegic former jockey Vincent Amico. Hall of Famer Chris McCarron was also a featured speaker. The Stronach Group’s Chief Strategy Officer, Aidan Butler, and its COO, Tim Ritvo, attended the event. The latter took the podium to discuss his own riding career and the need to support the PDJF. “The bottom line is this, Jockeys and Jeans will be doing another event at one of The Stronach Group’s tracks in the future,” said the group’s president, Barry Pearl. “So many there worked hard to make the event a success and it’s obvious they genuinely care about catastrophically injured jockeys.” Jack Fires, 63, who has been a paraplegic since a racing accident at River Downs when he was 21, was attending his third Jockeys and Jeans event. “I know all of us [injured riders] feel good about being recognized,” said the PDJF Board Member. “A lot of us can’t make it to the track anymore and this is a way to be involved in something that at one time was a big part of our lives. And I think it’s a way for the Hall of Fame jockeys and everyone else to get familiar with the folks they are helping. All of us enjoyed being there.” Since it was founded in 2014 by a group of former jockeys, Jockey and Jeans has raised more than $1.2 million for the PDJF. For more information, contact Eddie Donnally at (818) 653-3711 or visit www.jockeysandjeans.com. The post Jockeys and Jeans Raises $205K for PDJF appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Gulfstream Park took home nine first-place awards in Strictly Slots magazine’s The Best of Racinos Awards. The operation was voted first in Florida in Best Entertainment, Best Video Poker, Best Promotions, Best Hosts, Best Live Racing, Best Grandstand, Best VIP Area, Best View, and Best Special Events. Strictly Slots conducts an annual survey of readers in wide-ranging categories to determine winners of its Best of Racinos Awards. The post Gulfstream Earns Strictly Slots Awards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The big-event format for this year's MATCH Series continues July 13 at Delaware Park, which will host four series stakes as well the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (G2) July13. View the full article

Old Friends has announced it will be closing its satellite division based at Kentucky Downs in Franklin at the end of July. The division is home to seven Old Friends retirees, including Canadian Horse of the Year Thornfield, Kentucky Turf S. winner Rumor Has It, and Grade II winner Ball Four. It has been open to the public since June of 2015, and tours were scheduled and conducted by staff at the Simpson County Tourism office. The horses will be returned to Old Friends’s Georgetown location and are currently expected to ship July 25. The collaboration was originally designed by Old Friends president Michael Blowen and former Kentucky Downs President Corey Johnsen to help raise awareness of retired racehorses and to promote local attractions in Simpson County. “We had a wonderful run, but unfortunately, we did not achieve the level of tourism or growth we had hoped for,” said Blowen. “We felt it was no longer cost effective to remain open. “We are eternally grateful to Dan Ware and his staff at the Simpson County Tourism Office for the enormous support they supplied this venture, and to our farm manager Jennifer Jones for the impeccable care she provided our horses,” Blowen continued. “The staff at Kentucky Downs has been a very gracious host, and we can’t thank them enough for their backing in this project.” The post Old Friends to Close Kentucky Satellite Site appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

MISS PEPPINA (f, 2, Bayern–Shehaseyesforyou, by Is It True), an $80,000 OBS April buy after breezing a furlong in :10 1/5, rallied from well back to graduate on debut Wednesday at Belmont. Breezing five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 (8/27) over the local main track June 23, the chestnut was given a 12-1 chance and broke alertly before being steadied a bit behind the first flight. Continuing to get shuffled all the way back to eighth midway on the turn, she started to advance five sixteenths out, and tipped three deep at the top of the lane. Floated out one path further in early stretch, she started to gain steam after that and swept past Avuncular (Uncle Mo) a sixteenth out before edging away to score the 2 1/4-length upset in 1:04.87. Avuncular just held for second over late-running Talk You Out of It (Overanalyze). Sales History: $15,000 RNA Ylg ’18 OBSAUG; $80,000 2yo ’19 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $54,000. O-Bob Petersons Stables et al; B-Orylana Farm (FL); T-Gary P. Gullo. The post Bayern Filly Rallies to First-Out Score at Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

An additional 10 entries have been added to the Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale, bringing to 200 the number of head catalogued for the auction which will be held next Monday in Lexington. Among the new additions is Federal Case (Gemologist) (hip 594), who was second in this year’s GIII Hutcheson S. for Robert and Lawana Low. The sophomore is consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency. Also added is stakes-winning 3-year-old filly Brunette Princess (Bodemeister) (hip 596); 5-year-old Royal Asscher (Tale of Ekati) (hip 597), who was third in Saturday’s GII Princess Rooney S.; and 2-year-old Lady Glamour (Discreet Cat) (hip 598), who was third in Saturday’s Debutante S. at Churchill Downs. The July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale will take place Monday beginning at 4 p.m. Fasig-Tipton’s July Sale of Selected Yearlings will be held Tuesday beginning at 10 a.m. The post Ten Added to F-T July HRA Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

3.00 Haydock, Novice, £10,000, 2yo, 7f 37yT ENCIPHER (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) debuts for Godolphin and John Gosden and is a 425,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase whose dam is a half-sister to the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix du Moulin heroine Ervedya (Fr), one of Siyouni’s earliest and still one his best. 6.55 ParisLongchamp, Cond, €34,000, 2yo, f, 7fT CAT KATE (IRE) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) debuts for Haras Voltaire and Andre Fabre and is a half-sister to the 2016 G1 Epsom Derby hero Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). She encounters the Wertheimers’ Igo (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), a Freddy Head-trained newcomer whose dam is a half-sister to Polydream (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}). The post Observations: July 4, 2019 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tom Amoss has been a high-percentage, highly consistent trainer for more than three decades, but his name has never been more in the spotlight than it has been this year after a breakthrough win in the GI Kentucky Oaks with Serengeti Empress (Alternation). Amoss says his methods of training haven’t changed, but a few other things have, including a concentration on buying at sales and adding former hotwalker-turned-bloodstock agent Lauren Carlisle to his buying team. Amoss did not grow up in a racing family, so he started at the bottom and worked his way up the hard way. Now he not only develops young horses, but he also strives to develop young horsemen and horsewomen. “There were people there that helped me along the way and I feel responsibility to do the same for this younger generation,” said Amoss. “So working with Lauren or others for that matter that are actually in the barn working with me on a daily basis, I take a lot of pride in that.” Carlisle had walked hots for Amoss the summer after her freshman year at University of Louisville in 2009. After a number of different jobs in the industry, she found her niche in bloodstock. “I really like working the sales and finding horses–it’s a challenge,” said Carlisle. “I’m not a very good office doer, so I enjoy being out there and actually working hands-on per se and finding the next racehorse. That really appeals to me.” It’s been less than a year since Carlisle began assisting Amoss in buying horses for clients, but it’s already paying dividends. A promising juvenile the team got for $225,000 at OBS April, Long Weekend (Majesticperfection), debuted at Churchill Downs June 23 to officially win by five lengths. He’s pointing toward stakes competition at Saratoga next. “Lauren found that horse, called me and told me how athletic he was, and we made the purchase strictly on her finding the horse,” said Amoss. The partnership works out well. “The 2-year-old in training sales are attractive from the standpoint of you’re getting to look under the hood. You’re getting to watch the horses breeze,” continued Amoss. “Unfortunately, they come at a very difficult time for me. It’s in the spring, we’ve got a lot going as we’re preparing for the bigger races here at Churchill, but I have full confidence in Lauren and I turn it over to her.” Amoss said Carlisle knows what he looks for in prospective runners, but she’s also able to bring fresh approaches from a different viewpoint that he might not have considered. “I personally target athletes strictly,” said Carlisle. “I don’t look at pedigrees before I look at horses; I look at the physical first. If I don’t like the way they’re built, there’s no reason for me to look at their pedigree. From there, pedigree will tell you how expensive they’re going to be, depending on how they look.” In the past, Amoss has been viewed, correctly or not, as primarily a claiming trainer, but the last few years have seen him concentrating more on yearling sales and even 2-year-olds in training sales. Serengeti Empress was a $70,000 purchase at the 2017 Keeneland September sale. “In terms of how people view the stable since Serengeti Empress won the Kentucky Oaks, it’s a bit of a wry smile I have about it because I’ve been doing this a long time,” said Amoss. “I didn’t all of a sudden get really good at it overnight like from last year to this year. I do recognize that people see it as something that separates you from a lot of other guys. Maybe that’s more perceived than real. Whatever it is, I’ll take it.” The process starts anew for Amoss and Carlisle when yearling sale season officially kicks off at the Fasig-Tipton July sale next week. “This time of year, it’s reload,” said Carlisle. “Two-year-olds are behind us. So [at] Fasig July, I’ll be out there looking at every single horse, and then [at] Saratoga, I’ll be at that sale as well. I know Tom will be too. The focus is to do it all over again.” The post Amoss & Carlisle a Winning Team appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Vinnie Viola’s St Elias Stable will have high expectations heading into Thursday’s July 4 card at Belmont, as it unveils a coupled entry of 2-year-olds who cost a combined $900,000 at last year’s Keeneland September Sale in the day’s fifth event. The first half of the pairing, trained by Todd Pletcher, is $400,000 KEESEP grad DR POST (Quality Road). The dark bay is out of Grade II winner Mary Delaney (Hennessy) and has trained forwardly at Saratoga, capping off preparations with a swift half-mile gate breeze in :48 flat (2/44) June 26 on the Oklahoma. His teammate is Night Code (Honor Code), a $500,000 KEESEP buy owned in partnership by St Elias and West Point Thoroughbreds. Attempting to become the first winner for his freshman sire (by A.P. Indy), the Steve Asmussen trainee is a half to ‘TDN Rising Star’ Moonshine Memories (Malibu Moon), who won her debut at Del Mar in August of 2017 en route to capturing both the GI Del Mar Debutante and GI Chandelier S. Also drilling sharply, including a half-mile gate work in :46 2/5 (1/17) June 25 at Keeneland, Night Code is out of a half-sister to dual champion Favorite Trick (Phone Trick). Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) will be represented by the fast-working Another Miracle. Owned by Len and Jonathan Green, the bay cost $210,000 at KEESEP and is out of SW Retraceable (Medaglia d’Oro). Trained by Gary Contessa, he was the swiftest of 80 half-mile workers on the local training track June 7 when covering the distance in :48 1/5 from the gate. TJCIS PPs 8th-ELP, $50k, Msw, 3yo/up, 1mT, 5:10 p.m. ET Win Star Farm and Stonestreet Stables’ CENTRAL PARK (Pioneerof the Nile), bought for $825,000 as a KEESEP yearling, makes his debut for trainer Rodolphe Brisset in this turf route finale. The bay is out of SW turfer Dynazaper (Ghostzapper), while his second dam is GSW Broad Dynamite (Broad Brush). He shows an encouraging worktab at Keeneland going back to early May, punctuated by a half-mile breeze from the gate in :46 3/5 (1/66) there June 26. TJCIS PPs 8th-LRC, $40k, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 7:28 p.m. ET Bob Baffert unveils a sophomore filly with big potential for Three Chimneys Farm in SHOCKING FAST (Distorted Humor). The bay is the first foal out of unraced Amour d’Ete, a half-sister to champion and star sire Speightstown (Gone West) and full-sister to MGSW/MGISP Irap who hammered to Three Chimneys for $1.75 million at KEESEP in 2013. Shocking Fast shows a local workout back on Apr. 23 which was just that, going a half-mile from the gate in an eye-popping :45 1/5 (1/6). TJCIS PPs The post July 4 Insights: Expensive St Elias Pair Headline Belmont Baby Race; $825K Colt Debuts at Ellis; Baffert Filly Looms at Los Al appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York Racing Association will welcome fans back to the Spa for an action-packed four days filled with world-class Thoroughbred racing and outstanding special events during opening weekend of the 2019 season at Saratoga Race Course July 11-14. View the full article

The Consignors and Commercial Breeders Association, in acknowledgment of the increased use of video endoscopy on sales grounds in the United States, has announced its endorsement of the American Association of Equine Practitioners “Protocol for Pre-Sale Video Endoscopic Examination of the Upper Airway at Public Auction” as a way to help create uniformity and increase buyer confidence in the procedure. “I really don’t think there is a huge disparity in the way that people have been video-scoping, but there certainly have been a few small differences,” said CBA President Gray Lyster. “It’s really important that we all get on the same page on the best way to do this. It’s going to be valuable that we can stand together and say all these videos follow the same guidelines. It is fine-tuning what is being done now and setting some parameters.” The video scope, which is standard procedure at Australian sales, has steadily gained in popularity as a way to avoid horses being scoped multiple times by multiple vets prior to auction. “As a consignor, when you’re watching your horse being scoped for maybe the 10th, 11th or 12th time, you can start to debate the animal welfare aspect of it,” Lyster said. “It’s too often and we need to find a way to try to at least begin to embrace these videos. A lot of places around the world have already implemented and had some success with videos. “As a seller, what’s really important to me is buyer confidence and if I am replacing their individual vet scoping a horse with my video, I want their feedback and I want to do it in the best way I can and to have it presented the best way we can. What we’re hoping to do in 2019 is really ease into it.” Endorsing a uniform policy is one way to move the process forward and among the guidelines is a narrower window of time for the test to be done before a sale. “When we scope with grades that we are using in our vet reports, the horses are usually scoped when the X-rays are taken,” Lyster said. “And that can be anywhere in that 21-day window [before the sale]. But what we are saying to our membership is, if you’re doing a video scope, you need to be within a 10-day window.” Lyster said the CBA had found almost unanimous support for the endorsement of the protocol, although he doesn’t expect video scopes to completely replace individual vets scoping horses. “There are going to be more and more vidoes on the grounds this year than ever,” Lyster said. “But this isn’t an area where the CBA is hoping that people will stop allowing their horses to be scoped and only provide videos. We’re actually suggesting to our membership that they still fully allow all the scoping of their horses that they have in the past. Just because we are providing vidoes does not mean that we’re trying to shut people out from scoping our horses in 2019. We’re really hopeful, actually, that people will watch videos and scope our horses and try to learn something from it. I think you’ll find a lot of buyers out there who are wondering the same thing–why haven’t we done this yet?” The post CBA Endorses Video Scope Protocol appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article