Wandering Eyes

Superstar filly Almond Eye is in “marvellous” order as she looks to become the first horse since Gentildonna in 2012 to win the Japanese fillies’ Triple Crown at Kyoto on Sunday. The three-year-old enters the Group One Shuka Sho (2,000m) as hot favourite and trainer Sakae Kunieda says she’s only improved after a break. “Over the summer, she matured physically and mentally and has returned to work looking good,” he said. “She has improved a lot and she... View the full article

Veteran trainer Paul O’Sullivan said his notoriously slow starts might soon be a thing of the past after posting his first winner of the season with Willie Way at Sha Tin on Saturday. While Willie Way was only O’Sullivan’s 18th runner for the term, the New Zealander hopes the new training facility in Conghua will ensure his stable is up and firing earlier in future seasons. “I’m not that good at getting going early. I’m a bit old fashioned, I want to give the... View the full article

REDZEL won the world’s richest turf race for the second straight time in Sydney Saturday, storming to victory ahead of a host of top-rated sprinters to clinch The Everest crown. View the full article

REDZEL won the world’s richest turf race on a soft track in Sydney for the second straight time Saturday, holding off a host of top-rated sprinters to clinch The Everest crown. View the full article

REDZEL has won The Everest for the second straight year after a wire-to-wire victory in the world’s richest race on turf. View the full article

Over the past eight seasons, five winners of the Pattison Canadian International Stakes (G1T) have counted the 1 1/2-mile race as their North American debut, a trend that morning-line favorite Thundering Blue aims to add to Oct. 13 at Woodbine. View the full article

Curatolo, Rodd suspended View the full article

Chanteline can now add graded stakes winner to her list of descriptors after mounting a four-wide bid in the lane en route to victory over race favorite Belvoir Bay in the $100,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes (G3T). View the full article

Claiborne Farm, Adele Dilschneider and Perry and Ramona Bass’s AMUSE (f, 3, Medaglia d’Oro-Witty {GSW, $162,600}, by Distorted Humor) proved dirt was more to her liking with a good-looking graduation in her main track-bow at Santa Anita Friday to be tabbed the second ‘TDN Rising Star’ of the day. Fourth in her 1 1/16-mile unveiling on the Del Mar lawn July 21, she fired several bullets in the lead up to this test, most recently breezing a best-of-25 three panels in :35 flat in Arcadia Oct. 8. Favored at 8-5 in this switch to the dirt and cut back in trip, the dark bay ran in a two-wide fifth through an opening quarter in a sharp :21.73. Making an eye-catching move up the outside to take control entering the far turn as the half went up in :45.22, Amuse easily extended clear in the stretch under a hand ride from Hall of Famer Mike Smith to win by four lengths in 1:10.43 and galloped out even further clear with ears pricked. Creative Contessa (Creative Cause) filled the place spot. The winner is a half-sister to Bombard (War Front), SW, $211,320. Her Grade III-winning dam Witty is a half to G1 Dubai World Cup and G1 Goodwood S. victor Well Armed (Tiznow); and the dam of Grade I winner American Patriot (War Front). O-Claiborne Farm, Adele Dilschneider & Perry & Ramona Bass (KY); B-Raydelz Stable (KY); T-Richard Mandella. View the full article

Multiple stakes winner Conquest Farenheit (Scat Daddy–Holy Smokie, by Holy Bull) has been retired and will stand at Ballena Vista Farm near Ramona, CA. The 4-year-old has not raced this year, but won Santa Anita’s Pasadena S. and Baffle S., both on the grass, in 2017 for Rockingham Ranch and Chad Littlefield. “What a horse,” said trainer Peter Miller after the Pasadena. “This is a serious horse. For him to run that way with fast splits and come away like he did is pretty impressive.” Conquest Farenheit had previously been based in Canada, where he was second in Woodbine’s GII Summer S. as a juvenile and was campaigned by Conquest Stables LLC. Sold at the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, Rockingham Ranch signed the ticket for $735,000 and sent him to California. He retires with three wins from seven lifetime starts and earnings of $187,655. Rockingham Ranch and Chad Littlefield will retain ownership of Conquest Farenheit. He is scheduled to stand for $3,000, live foal. View the full article

Millionaire Diversify (Bellamy Road), one of a spate of top New York-breds this year, has been removed from consideration for the $6-million GI Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 3, according to co-owner Ralph Evans. The 5-year-old gelding is trained by Rick Violette Jr. Winner of the GI Whitney S. Aug. 4, Diversify set a brutal pace as the 3-5 favorite in the subsequent GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Sept. 29 and faded to fifth. He had gone into the contest on a three-race win streak which included the Whitney and the July 7 GII Suburban S. Evans said Diversify has since lost weight and will get a break, possibly at Hogan Equine in Cream Ridge, NJ. “He’s not training up to speed, so to speak,” said Evans, “so we’re going to pass on the Breeders’ Cup.” The Whitney victory earned Diversify a “Win and You’re In” berth into the Classic. He will now be pointed to the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, scheduled for Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

Georgeanne Hale, the vice president of racing development for the Maryland Jockey Club, will be honored with the 2018 Joe Kelly Unsung Hero Award. The award is presented annually by Maryland Million Ltd.’s board of directors in recognition of inspiring but often unheralded qualities such as honesty, humility, and work ethic found in people in the racing industry. Hale grew up on a Maryland farm and has been with the Maryland Jockey Club since 1984 in various capacities in the racing office. She also is co-founder and president of MidAtlantic Horse Rescue and started the Totally Thoroughbred Horse Show at Pimlico in 2012. “[Hale’s] vibrant personality and willingness to go out of her way to help others has made her an exceptional leader and ambassador for the equine industry,” said Andy Cashman, general manager of the Maryland State Fair and Agricultural Society Inc. The award is named in honor of Joe Kelly, the first publicist for the Jim McKay Maryland Million who was involved in the signature Maryland event from 1985 until his death in 2012. Hale will receive a $1,000 honorarium and will be recognized at the Maryland Million Gala Oct. 19 at the Maryland Club in Baltimore and on Maryland Million day Oct. 20 at Laurel Park. View the full article

With Vale Dori working to her outside, Abel Tasman and her stablemate covered five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 in a fashion that gave trainer Bob Baffert reason to think the worst race of her career will go down as an aberration. View the full article

Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) will again command a fee of $70,000, live foal stands and nurses, for the 2019 breeding season. The 2017 Horse of the Year, six-time Grade I winner and more than $15-million earner entered stud at Three Chimneys Farm earlier this year after winning the $16-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. “We are very pleased at the performance of our stallions this past year, in the breeding shed, on the racetrack, and in the auction ring,” said Three Chimneys chairman Goncalo Torrealba. “Gun Runner covered an exceptional book of quality mares which should lay the foundation for him as a successful sire.” He continued, “Every stallion on our roster was represented by a high-dollar horse in the sales ring. At Fasig-Tipton July, the top five-selling fillies were by three separate Three Chimneys stallions. Auction results were strong at Keeneland September as well, and both of our freshman sires are off to a great start with their progeny. We have set our fees to represent value to our customers in the marketplace.” Three Chimneys’s 2019 roster and fees are as follows: Gun Runner $70,000 Will Take Charge $30,000 Palace Malice $15,000 Sky Mesa $15,000 Strong Mandate $10,000 Fast Anna $7,500 View the full article

6th-BEL, $75K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7fT, post time: 3:33 p.m. EDT FLYING THE COLORS (War Front), bought back on a bid of $975K at Keeneland November in 2016, is out of Ruby Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) a half-sister to champion and 2003 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Yesterday (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) and to fellow champion Quarter Moon (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), the dam of G1SW Diamondsandrubies (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Ruby Tuesday’s full-sister Betterbetterbetter (Ire) was purchased by Mandy Pope for $5.2 million at Fasig-Tipton November in 2013 and has produced a pair of seven-figure yearlings, including her War Front daughter that fetched $1.2 million from Shadwell at this year’s KEESEP sale. Flying the Colors’s yearling full-sister was a $575K RNA at KEESEP. The third dam includes the Group 1-winning Alzao full-sisters Alborada (GB) and Albanova (GB). I’m Guilty (Verrazano), a $62K KEESEP yearling turned $260K OBSAPR juvenile, is closely related to GSW Ready To Please (More Than Ready), who was sold to Shadai Farm for $825,000 at FTKNOV in 2017 and has since become the dam of Japanese GSW Nac Venus (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}). TJCIS PPs 7th-KEE, $67K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 4:24 p.m. EDT Whisper Hill Farm also looks to play a leading role in this maiden test as it unveils TAPIT WISE (Tapit). The $700K KEESEP graduate is out of Wickedly Wise (Tactical Cat), purchased by Gainesway for $500K at KEENOV in 2014, and hails from the same A.P. Indy sire line as his GI Darley Alcibiades S.-winning half-sister Wickedly Perfect (Congrats) and is also kin to SW Wicked Mizz (Mizzen Mast). Wickedly Perfect is the dam of Japanese Group 2 winner Hartley (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). A yearling full-brother to Tapit Wise sold to Godolphin for $700K at this year’s KEESEP sale. TJCIS PPs View the full article

OXO Equine’s $575,000 OBS March purchase FORTIN HILL (c, 2, Mucho Macho Man–Dusty Rose, by Cherokee Run) justified his 6-5 favoritism with an impressive debut victory at Belmont Friday, becoming the newest ‘TDN Rising Star’. Breaking on top from the outside post in this six-horse affair, the bay was overtaken by the rail-drawn Starting Point (Paynter) and pressed from second through an opening quarter in :22.91. Drawing even with the pacesetter on the far turn, the Indiana-bred effortlessly sailed clear in the lane under a hand ride from Irad Ortiz, Jr. to win as he pleased by five lengths. He completed the six-panel test in a sharp 1:09.56. A $12,000 short yearling at Keeneland January, Fortin Hill sold for $170,000 at Keeneland September and summed $575,000 at OBS March after breezing in a swift :20 4/5. The winner hails from the family of two-time Canadian Horse of the Year and Eclipse winner Chief Bearhart (Chief’s Crown) and MGISW Private Zone (Macho Uno). O-OXO Equine LLC; B-Robert L. Losey (IND); T-Chad Brown. View the full article

THE richest race on turf. View the full article

Leading sire Curlin (Smart Strike) has seen his stud fee raised to $175,000 for 2019, up from $150,000 last season, Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm announced Friday. The two-time Horse of the Year has been represented this year by the likes of 2017 champion juvenile Good Magic, who took April’s GII Toyota Blue Grass S. and was second in the GI Kentucky Derby before romping in the GI Haskell Invitational S. Good Magic was recently retired to Hill ‘n’ Dale himself, and will command an introductory fee of $35,000. Others at Hill ‘n’ Dale to see their fees increase for 2019 are Kitten’s Joy (El Prado {Ire}), who currently leads North American sires by earnings ($15,772,386 as of Thursday) and winners (155 as of Thursday) and whose fee has gone from $60,00 to $75,000; and Violence (Medaglia d’Oro), up from $25,000 to $40,000. The latter saw two of his sons earn automatic berths into the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint with stakes wins last weekend. The complete 2019 Hill ‘n’ Dale roster, along with LFSN fees, is as follows: Army Mule $10,000 Atreides $5,000 Bayern $15,000 Curlin $175,000 Flintshire (GB) $15,000 Good Magic $35,000 Kantharos $20,000 Kitten’s Joy $75,000 Maclean’s Music $25,000 Midnight Lute $15,000 Secret Circle $5,000 Stormy Atlantic $10,000 Violence $40,000 “Our roster continues to expand, offering breeders proven stallions at the highest level in Curlin and Kitten’s Joy, coupled with emerging important sires like Violence, Kantharos and Maclean’s Music,” said Hill ‘n’ Dale President John Sikura. “Champion Flintshire has great first foals, some of which will be offered in November. Yearlings by Bayern and Secret Circle rewarded breeders handsomely at the sales this year. Our two new additions of Champion Good Magic and undefeated Grade I winner Army Mule give Breeders a chance to get involved in stallions that we think will be our next generation of important stallions. Stalwart Midnight Lute is a top 20 sire and is represented by Grade I winner Midnight Bisou. Stormy Atlantic has more than 100 black-type winners including Breeders’ Cup winner Stormy Liberal. The increase in fees for several of our stallions represents racetrack and sales success and the decision was not taken lightly. We continue to offer breeders stallions that are on the rise. This success should offer proof that supporting Hill ‘n’ Dale stallions is a wise investment in this competitive marketplace.” View the full article

Multiple grade 1 winner Diversify has been officially removed from consideration for the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), said co-owner Ralph Evans Oct. 12. View the full article

Barretts is set to host their annual Fall Sale of Yearlings and Horses of Racing Age Tuesday at 11 a.m. (PST) at Fairplex in Pomona, CA. There are 312 horses catalogued for the one-day auction with five weanlings, 252 yearlings and 55 racehorses or broodmares. “The market is strong, particularly, of course, for the top end horses,” said Barretts General Manager Kim Lloyd. “Our concern is to get as many horses sold for our local breeders as we possibly can. We expect to put on a good and have a good sale.” He continued, “It is a good book and there are a few yearlings in there that were supposed to come to the Select Sale, but didn’t make it for one reason or another. There are several other yearlings our consignors are really excited about, so we expect good things.” The yearlings represent sires such as Creative Cause, English Channel, Fed Biz, Goldencents, Honor Code, Jimmy Creed, Lookin at Lucky, Malibu Moon and Street Sense. There are mares offered in foal to the likes of new California sire Danzing Candy, Goldencents and Bluegrass Cat. View the full article

Vasilika's connections are considering the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) as the former claimer is showing herself to be a top-shelf turf filly at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

No one needs to remind John Sadler that he is 0-for-41 in the Breeders’ Cup, but reminded he will be. With the likely favorite in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic in Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) and in the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile with Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags), Sadler’s struggles on racing’s championship day will be a major story leading up to the races, and one that he’s going to have to explain over and over again. “I understand what a sportswriter’s job is, they have to make the race interesting,” Sadler said. “Accelerate has the fastest ‘Rag’ numbers, he’s proven at the distance, he’s won four Grade Is this year. All the other metrics look very good for him. So the only negative thing they’ll be able to say about him is that Sadler has never won a Breeders’ Cup race.” There’s no obvious explanation as to why a trainer as capable as Sadler is has struggled so much when it comes to the Breeders’ Cup. Yes, he has run several longshots. According to Equibase, twenty of his 41 starters have gone off at 15-1 or higher. But he’s also started many horses that came in to the Breeders’ Cup with strong credentials. He’s run eight horses that were 5-1 or lower and his last three starters were 4-1 or lower. He had a particularly tough go last year at Del Mar, where Accelerate was ninth, beaten 14 1/4 lengths in the Dirt Mile, and Stellar Wind (Curlin) was eighth, beaten 12 1/2 lengths, in the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff. “I’m not really worried about [the record] myself,” he said. “I know everyone is going to write about it all week. I know that. I’m aware of that. There’s not a lot I can really say about it. I’ll leave that up to other people. I think it’s a combination of things. A lot of years we might have had the best horse in California, but we didn’t have the best horse in the Breeders’ Cup field. I was thinking about it other day and I remember how mad an owner was at me when I finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. We got beat by Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa). The owner was mad at me because I couldn’t beat Goldikova? How can you be angry when you lose to her?” The closest Sadler has come to winning a Breeders’ Cup race was when Stellar Wind finished second, beaten a neck in the 2015 GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff. According to the footnote of the race, she was bumped and floated out by the winner Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat). There was an objection and a stewards’ inquiry, but the result stood. “That’s the one that we should have won,” he said. “If it’s any other race, I think they take that other horse down.” Another close call came in the 2009 GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint when Cost of Freedom (Cee’s Tizzy) was third, beaten just a head. Another knock often heard about Sadler is that his horses rarely perform well when they ship out of California. That’s not entirely true. A 16% trainer for his career, he rarely runs outside of California. At all non-California-tracks, he is 21 for 181 lifetime (11.6%) and has won such prestigious races as the GI Apple Blossom H. and the GI Dubai Golden Shaheen. “We don’t ship out as much as lot of people do from California,” he said. “For a while, I was taking more shots out of town, but right now we’re just going out two or three times a year. I don’t think our record outside of California is that bad.” It is worth noting that Churchill Downs, which will host this year’s Breeders’ Cup, has not be hospitable to the Sadler stable. He is 3 for 38 (7.9%) there lifetime. When it comes to both criticisms–he’s winless in the Breeders’ Cup and struggles whenever heading out of town–Sadler said it’s important to look at a bigger picture. “To be fair to me, you have to look at my whole body of work, which is 2,400 wins in California, over 30 Grade I wins, over 300 stakes winners,” he said. “You have to look at those stats and remember we race in a tough neighborhood here in Southern California.” Nonetheless, he admits winning a Breeders’ Cup race would come as a big relief. “It would be great, no question about it,” Sadler said. “It would be fabulous. Every year is a new year and, with horses, every day is a new day. Having trained as long as I have, I have a short memory for tragedy, setbacks and bad races and everything like that. I’m always looking ahead, looking forward to getting there. All four of my Breeders’ Cup starters will work over this weekend, so that is what I’m thinking about now, those workouts.” Sadler will also start Selcourt (Tiz Wonderful) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and Catapult (Kitten’s Joy) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile. “We’re going with, arguably, the best hand we’ve ever had,” he said. With horses like Accelerate and Catalina Cruiser, it’s obvious why Sadler will head to Churchill Downs with confidence, 0 for 41 or not. “We’re going to have some nice chances,” he said. “With Accelerate, everything seems to be lining up right with him. We felt the same way about him before he won the [GI] Pacific Classic. As for my record, that’s something I’ll let the handicappers worry about.” View the full article

Coolmore America has confirmed that Declaration of War (War Front–Tempo West, by Rahy) will stand the 2019 breeding season at the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders’ Association’s Shizunai Stallion Station on the island of Hokkaido. The 9-year-old, winner of the one-mile G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot and York’s G1 Juddmonte International over 10 furlongs, closed his career with a stirring third-place effort behind Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno) and Will Take Charge (Unbridled’s Song) in a lone try on dirt in the 2013 GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. He retired with seven wins and three minor placings from 13 starts and earnings of $1,847,489. Declaration of War is the sire of 70 winners from his two crops to race and has been represented by seven black-type winners, four at the graded level to lead all second-crop sires in that category. Olmedo (Fr) was victorious in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains at Longchamp earlier this year, while Opry won the GIII With Anticipation S. at Saratoga this summer and is being aimed for an appearance in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs. His other group/graded include recent G3 Ballyogan S. winner Actress (Ire) and GIII Dania Beach S. winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Speed Franco. Declaration of War was most recently represented by Uncle Benny, who took the Listed Futurity S. at Belmont Park Oct. 7. Declaration of War has had four runners to date in Japan, including Jasper Win, a debut winner at Niigata Sept. 2 (see below, gate 15). A full-brother to MGSW & MGISP War Correspondent and a half-brother to SW & MGSP Vertiformer (Dynaformer), Declaration of War is out of a winning half-sister to Union Rags. View the full article

Poet’s Word (GB) (Poet’s Voice {GB}-Whirly Bird {GB}, by Nashwan), the winner of this year’s G1 Prince Of Wales’s S. and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S., has been retired from racing and will stand at Shadwell’s Nunnery Stud. Poet’s Word was second to standout 3-year-old Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy) in the G1 Juddmonte International on Aug. 22 and trainer Sir Michael Stoute, who handled the 5-year-old for owner Saeed Suhail, revealed midway through September that Poet’s Word had picked up an injury that would rule him out of the rest of the season. The bay, a typical improver for his trainer, had finished second to Hawkbill (Kitten’s Joy) in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic on seasonal debut in March. Poet’s Word, a 300,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 yearling, is a half to the dual Group 3 winner Malabar (GB) (Raven’s Pass) as well as the dam of G2 Railway S. winner Beckford (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}). It is also the family of the likes of Inchinor (GB), Miss Keller (Ire) and Harbour Law (GB). Poet’s Word’s sire, Poet’s Voice, was showing promise with his early crops before dying suddenly at Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud earlier this year. Shadwell Stud Director Richard Lancaster said, “Poet’s Word was a tremendous racehorse and is a great credit to Sir Michael, who gave him the time to develop into one of Europe’s elite middle-distance performers. He put up a huge performance when beating Cracksman in the Prince of Wales’s S. and then backed that up when he displayed all his tenacity and fighting spirit to beat Crystal Ocean in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S.” “Not only are there several precocious performers found in Poet’s Word’s pedigree, he is also a beautiful-looking horse, a point emphasised by his 300,000gns yearling price. He uses himself particularly well and if he can pass that trait on to his offspring, it will stand him in good stead.” Poet’s Word will be available for viewing during the Tattersalls December sales, and a fee will be announced at a later time. View the full article

Over the past eight seasons, five winners of the Pattison Canadian International Stakes (G1T) have counted the 1 1/2-mile race as their North American debut—a trend that morning-line favorite Thundering Blue aims to add to Oct. 13 at Woodbine. View the full article