Wandering Eyes

Horse racing at the highest level is one of the toughest sports in the world, but right now Zac Purton is making it look like child’s play.The superstar jockey matched his personal best of six winners in a meeting at Sha Tin on Sunday, while securing his seventh Group One of the season when he lifted a lionhearted Exultant over the line in the Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup.That haul comes after an overnight flight (and minimal sleep) from Singapore, where he won the S$1.5 million … View the full article

Master trainer John Moore has reshaped the landscape for up-and-coming sprinters in Hong Kong with his unheralded Thanks Forever popping the bubble of boom speedster Voyage Warrior.Moore’s three-year-old spent almost 12 months on the sidelines after his debut win last season but returned better than he left, easily taking down the most spruiked horse this season in a 1,000m rout at Sha Tin on Sunday.Coming off just two barrier trials, Thanks Forever travelled up to Voyage Warrior with ease… View the full article

Exultant has solidified his position as the best stayer in Hong Kong with a grinding effort which saw him dig deep to prevail in the Group One Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.The five-year-old, who started at a long odds-on quote of $1.5, appeared to be flat-footed with 600m to run but delivered in spades when he found the line to beat home the fast-finishing roughie Rise High ($44).The win has come at a cost, however, with trainer Tony Cruz ruling out a trip to Japan for… View the full article

Little Giant saluted at Group level for the first time at Sha Tin on Sunday and trainer David Hall holds out hope his lightly raced six-year-old can find enough improvement to add a top-level success to his resume next season.Little Giant was honest as ever in winning the Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m) four weeks after finishing three quarters of a length behind Beat The Clock in the Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m).That effort came at his fourth Group One start for the season and… View the full article

Whether it is on the flat or over jumps, jockey John Allen is becoming a regular at winning feature races. A week after claiming the Doomben Cup aboard Kenedna, Allen was in the winner's stall at Sandown on Sunday after riding Chequered Flag in the Australian Hurdle for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. It was Allen's third win in the race, having scored with Gotta Take Care (2014) and Renew (2017). Before his success in Sunday's Hurdle, Allen rode Eclair Breeze to win on the flat. Cheque... View the full article

In-form New Zealand trainer Tony Pike knows all about Queensland's fickle weather but he is hoping the state's fine patch holds in the lead-up to the Group One Queensland Oaks at Doomben. Pike continued his great winter when The Bostonian completed the Group One Doomben 10,000-Kingsford-Smith double at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The Bostonian will now chase the Group One Sprint treble in the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) on June 8. Pike believes he will have a strong back-up in the race in Endless Dr... View the full article

Ex-pat kiwi Mark Walker continued his impressive run of form in Singapore on Saturday with a winning double that sees him sitting six wins clear of his nearest rival in the race for the trainers’ premiership. Walker, who won five premierships in New Zealand before moving to Singapore in 2011, topped the trainers’ list in 2015 and 2017 and is looking to make it title number three this season. While delighted with his brace of wins on Saturday, Walker admitted the day was made even more specia... View the full article

On a day where there were several eye-catching performances, it was the victory in the last race on the card at Ellerslie by the lightly-tried Verbalizer that captured most of the attention. Having just his second run in a new campaign, the Tobique five-year-old stormed home from near last in the hands of Troy Harris to register his second career win from just seven starts. Trainer Shane Crawford was keen to see his charge put his best foot forward after overcoming a number of issues that would ... View the full article

Persistence paid off for Air Strike in the $201,053 Triple Bend Stakes (G2) May 25 at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

Progressive mare Inscription will head to the spelling paddock next week after completing an impressive treble of wins for Cambridge trainer Ross McCarroll. The five-year-old Cape Blanco mare showed her customary dogged finishing burst to land the opening event over 1600m at Ellerslie on Saturday, although punters who backed her into favourite at $2.20 did have some concerns when she wasn’t travelling like a winner during the middle stages of the contest. “That’s pretty much her style thes... View the full article

It was a busy morning May 25 at Belmont Park as several contenders for the June 8 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) put in work over the New York track. View the full article

A switch to jockey Tiago Pereira paid off nicely for the connections of Marckie's Water as the California-bred horse took another big step forward with his new rider, winning the $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Park May 25. View the full article

Air Strike (Street Sense), dismissed at 12-1 while facing a tough enough bunch in the GII Triple Bend S., flew home to earn a first graded tally Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita. Cutting back after finishing fourth following a very wide journey in Lone Star’s GIII Steve Sexton Mile Apr. 28, the bay colt dropped all the way back to last early as last-out GII Kona Gold S. romper Cistron (The Factor) showed the way. The frontrunner was still clear heading for home after a :44.53 half, but Air Strike began to slingshot past rivals while well widest. Cistron dug deep, but Air Strike had more left in the tank and collared that stubborn foe late to prevail by a head. Lightly raced Nero (American Pharoah) completed the trifecta. According to Trakus data, the winner covered 39 ft. (approx. 4 1/2 lengths) more than the runner-up. Saturday, Santa Anita TRIPLE BEND S.-GII, $201,053, Santa Anita, 5-25, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:23.12, ft. 1–AIR STRIKE, 121, c, 4, by Street Sense 1st Dam: Omnitap, by Tapit 2nd Dam: Classic Olympio, by Olympio 3rd Dam: Palm Beach Dewey, by Talc 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Madaket Stables LLC, Slam Dunk Racing and Nentwig, Michael; B-Gary & Mary West Stables, Inc. (KY); T-Philip D’Amato; J-Norberto Arroyo, Jr. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 10-3-2-1, $279,310. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A. 2–Cistron, 123, h, 5, The Factor–Major Allie, by Officer. ($180,000 Ylg ’15 KEESEP). O-Hronis Racing LLC; B-St. George Farm, LLC (KY); T-John W. Sadler. $40,000. 3–Nero, 121, c, 4, Pioneerof the Nile–Ocean Goddess, by Stormy Atlantic. ($950,000 Ylg ’16 FTSAUG). O-Tabor, M., Magnier, M., Smith, D. and Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Thor-Bred Stables, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $24,000. Margins: HD, 1HF, HF. Odds: 12.70, 5.90, 4.00. Also Ran: American Anthem, Majestic Eagle, All Out Blitz, Law Abidin Citizen, The Hardest Way. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Air Strike was book-ended by next-out winners when a close second at third asking last July at Ellis for breeders Gary and Mary West and Steve Asmussen. He was acquired privately after that by Nick Cosato’s red-hot Slam Dunk Racing, and made good on that investment with a 6 1/4-length romp at Del Mar last August first time for the Phil D’Amato barn. Sol Kumin’s Madaket and Michael Netwig had bought in before he ran back and won again at the optional claiming level going 1 1/16 miles here in October. A close second as the chalk in the Nov. 21 Zia Park Derby, Air Strike was sixth behind GI Santa Anita H. hero Gift Box (Twirling Candy) in the GII San Antonio S. on opening day Dec. 26. Given some time off after that, he returned to be fourth behind Nero going an additional furlong Mar. 30 before his trip to Texas. Pedigree Notes: Air Strike is the 61st black-type winner and 30th graded winner for Street Sense and the 18th black-type winner and eighth graded winner out of a Tapit mare. Hailing from a family developed by the Winchells, his two-time-winning dam was purchased by Ben Glass on behalf of Gary and Mary West at the 2014 Keeneland November sale for $225,000 while she was carrying Air Strike. A daughter of MSW/MGSP Classic Olympio (Olympio) and a half to two multiple stakes winners, Omnitap has an unraced 2-year-old filly by Tiznow ($190,000 OBSAPR grad) and a yearling filly by Union Rags. She was most recently bred back to Street Sense. The post Street Sense Colt ‘Strikes’ Late at Santa Anita appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jockey Patrick Husbands had confidence in Global Access heading into the Marine Stakes (G3), and the 3-year-old son of Giant's Causeway did not disappoint. View the full article

Pole Setter, a son of Take Charge Indy, controlled the pace and rolled to a convincing 1 1/4-length victory in the $100,000 Paradise Creek Stakes, a seven-furlong turf test for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park May 25. View the full article

Shafrizal, Boss suspended View the full article

Pole Setter, a son of Take Charge Indy, controlled the pace and rolled to a convincing 1 ¼-length victory in the $100,000 Paradise Creek Stakes, a seven-furlong turf test for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park May 25. View the full article

On the same afternoon when Sunny Ridge was honored as the 2018 New Jersey-bred of the Year, he found an inviting hole on the rail and surged to victory over a determined Diamond King in the $150,000 Salvator Mile Stakes (G3). View the full article

A jump in class to graded stakes company wasn't an issue for the streaking 5-year-old mare Honey Bunny, who rallied in deep stretch May 25 to win the $100,000 Winning Colors Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. View the full article

On the same afternoon when Sunny Ridge was honored as the 2018 New Jersey-bred of the Year, he found an inviting hole on the rail and surged to victory over a determined Diamond King in the $150,000 Salvator Mile Stakes (G3). View the full article

One of the most productive claims in recent history, Jerry Hollendorfer's Vasilika heads a field of seven fillies and mares in the $500,000 Gamely Stakes (G1T) May 27 at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

Green but game, Karak became the first winner for her sire, Karakontie, May 25 at Belmont Park. View the full article

Sharp Sumurai (First Samurai) looks to kick off his 2019 season with a win in Monday’s GI Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita. During his sophomore season, the bay won a trio of graded stakes, including Santa Anita’s nine-furlong Twilight Derby before rounding out the year with a fourth in the GI Hollywood Derby. Returning with a score in a Santa Anita optional claimer last June, the gelding was a neck behind winner Catapult (Kitten’s Joy) in Del Mar’s GII Eddie Read S. over 1 1/8 miles in July before crossing the wire third, and was later promoted to second via DQ, in the GII Del Mar Mile H. in August. Most recently, Sharp Samurai came from just off the space to nab a nose victory in Santa Anita’s GII City of Hope Mile S. Oct. 6. Catapult, a two-time Grade II winner in 2018, was narrowly bested by Ohio (Elusive Quality) in his most recent start in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. at Santa Anita Mar. 30. A close-up second in last fall’s GI Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs, Catapult launched this term with a fourth in the inaugural $7,000,000 GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. at Gulfstream Jan. 26. Also exiting Gulfstream’s Pegasus, Delta Prince (Street Cry {Ire}), who finished third, returned to register an impressive victory in Keeneland’s GI Maker’s 46 Mark Mile S. Apr. 12. The post Sharp Samurai Heads Shoemaker Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Racing has lost one of its most enthusiastic as well as one of its most successful patrons with the passing of Paul Makin at the age of 82. Australian-born Makin first made his mark on the sport in the closing decades of the 20th century as a punter, focusing his formidable intellect and computer skills, allied to his first-class judgement of both horses and races, on the colossal Tote pools in Hong Kong (and to a lesser extent in Japan) to amass a fortune. He was thus able to invest in the bloodstock market and again he hit the jackpot, unearthing a stream of special horses and enjoying top-level success as both owner and breeder. The horse with whom Makin will be forever associated is the mighty Starcraft (NZ) (Soviet Star), whom he bought as a yearling in New Zealand for $NZ 80,000 before master-minding an adventurous career which made the magnificent chestnut a champion in both hemispheres. Trained on the Gold Coast by Gary Newham, Starcraft proved himself the champion 3-year-old Of Australia in 2004 thanks to his excellent victory in the G1 Australian Derby at Randwick and his weight-for-age triumph in the G1 Chipping Norton S. at Warwick Farm. A weight-for-age Group 1 winner in New Zealand the following spring, Starcraft was then sent to Europe early in 2005. Trained there by Luca Cumani, he established himself as World Champion Older Turf Miler thanks to his wins in the G1 Prix du Moulin du Longchamp and G1 Queen Elizabeth S. at Newmarket. Starcraft subsequently established himself as a successful stallion at Arrowlield. The other superstar to race in Makin’s red, white and blue silks was Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). The headstrong and sometimes wayward filly got her 3-year-old campaign off to a bad start in 2013 when veering off-course through a hedge and falling when seemingly set for victory in a conditions race at Saint-Cloud. Undaunted, Makin and her trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre stuck to their plan of running her in the G1 Prix de Diane, in which she belied her long odds to finish second to Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}). The following month Chicquita provided a rare example of a maiden winning a Classic when strolling home in the G1 Irish Oaks. At the end of that year, Makin’s colourful career in the sport took another turn when he offered his entire collection of racing and breeding stock in an unreserved dispersal at the Goffs November Sale. Makin had been accumulating a band of high-class broodmares including Authorized’s dam Funsie (Fr) (Saumarez {GB}) and 2009 G1 July Cup heroine Fleeting Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). The Paulyn Stud dispersal ranked as one of the notable events in modern bloodstock history, with Chicquita topping the bill at €6-million. Needless to say, Makin’s decision to retire from the game did not prove irreversible. A racing man to his boots, he could not resist the call of the turf and before long he was picking up the occasional tempting prospect including the impeccably bred La Figlia (Ire), a member of Frankel’s first crop out of dual Guineas heroine Finsceal Beo (Ire) (Mr Greeley) whom he bought for €1.8-million as a foal at Goffs in 2015. Another horse whom he raced at the time was his homebred Sky Kingdom (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), who had been retained when the rest of the horses were sold. The son of the top-class Makin-bred Starcraft mare We Can Say It Now (Aus) (a dual Group 1 winner for Makin in New Zealand in 2010), Sky Kingdom won the Wood Ditton S. at Newmarket in 2016 and was subsequently send down to Australia, where his ever-loyal owner persuaded Gary Newham to come out of retirement to train him. Another horse whom he bred from We Can Say It Now was the winning Galileo filly Tranquil Star (Ire), who provided another reminder of Makin’s love of racing heritage: she and Chicquita both share names with champions Australian racemares of yesteryear. One of Makin’s final projects was promoting 2015 G1 Racing Post Trophy winner Marcel (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) as a stallion. On the horse’s retirement to the National Stud in 2017, Makin explained his motivation for the project: “I’m an old guy and I tried to retire when I was 75 and now I’m five years older than that and I’m thinking to myself that I’m glad that I didn’t retire as I nearly experienced depression. The legs might be weak but it’s important to work harder as you get older and to keep your brain active.” A colourful character whose love of the racing game shone brightly throughout his life, Makin kept his brain active to the end, adding plenty to the sport in which he enjoyed so much success. The post Paul Makin Dies appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

1.50 The Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, 6fT KING OF ATHENS (War Front) is the first foal out of the G1 Fillies’ Mile winner Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) whose full-sister Forever Together (Ire) captured last year’s G1 Epsom Oaks. With Ryan Moore on the course-and-distance runner-up Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never), Donnacha O’Brien rides over a third stable representative in New World Tapestry (War Front), another first foal this time out of the G1 Yorkshire Oaks heroine Tapestry (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The post Observations: May 26, 2019 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article