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TIMONIUM, MD – With a blockbuster final session, the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale concluded Tuesday in Timonium with records in nearly every major category. A filly by Into Mischief caused the day’s biggest fireworks when selling for $1.8 million to Michael Lund Petersen. The seven-figure price was the most ever paid for a horse in the Midlantic sales ring and bettered the previous mark of $1.5 million set in 2017. With 326 horses sold, the sale gross was a record $29,374,000, bettering the previous mark of $25,237,000, also set in 2017. The average of $90,104 bettered the 2015 figure of $88,859, while the median of $43,000 trailed only 2015’s figure of $45,000. “I was hoping we would do something big based on what everyone was telling me with what they were bringing and it all came to be,” said Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sales Director Paget Bennett. “We had a lot of new buyers and a lot of new consignors here, so when you get all the new faces, that tells you that people have confidence in this sale.” For the fifth straight year, the Midlantic sale produced a seven-figure transaction when Petersen, standing alongside bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, made his record-setting final bid for hip 360, a bay filly from Bobby Dodd’s consignment. The previous Midlantic record was set in 2017 when Breeze Easy and John Oxley teamed up to buy a colt by Curlin for $1.5 million. The record-setting filly topped an impressive sale for Into Mischief, who had nine juveniles sell in Timonium for a total of $4,215,000 and an average of $468,333. The Spendthrift stallion was represented by three of the sale’s top eight prices, including a $710,000 colt. Bennett admitted the record-setting auction exceeded her expectations. “You hope to always improve over your previous year, but this really exceeded my expectations,” she said. “When that horse came in–everybody knew it was a lovely horse–and when it just kept going and going, it was very exciting. It’s great for this marketplace that consignors have the confidence to bring that type of horse to Maryland and for everybody to see that you can get the big bucks in Maryland in May.” From a catalogue of 600 head, 425 horses went through the sales ring and 99 failed to find new homes for a buy-back rate of 23.3%. It was 22.6% a year ago, when 333 horses sold for $24,868,500. The 2018 average was $74,680 and the median was $38,000. “I think it’s been strong and with a solid middle market,” bloodstock agent Liz Crow said of the action in Timonium. “I think there have been a lot of new names on the results sheet, which is nice to see and this a great place to have a sale. You get all of these trainers who don’t go to a lot of the other sales. It’s one of the sales where the middle market is actually existent and it’s been nice to see.” Consignor Eddie Woods was more pragmatic about the market conditions. “It’s all or nothing,” he said. “I think what you are able to peddle here are the horses that just need to be gone and you’ll get $35,000, $40,000 or $50,000 for them because there are people here to buy them. There is more racing in this part of the country than there is in any other part of the country period, so hence there is a bigger market for them. But it’s still all for the good horse at the end of the day and that’s all you can aim to have because, selling horses for $35,000, $40,000 or $50,000, that’s great that they are gone, but you don’t do any good.” Into Mischief Filly Sets Midlantic Record A filly by Into Mischief became the most expensive horse to ever sell in the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sales ring when bringing a final bid of $1.8 million from Michael Lund Petersen. Petersen stood alongside bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, who did his bidding out back of the pavilion, not far from where Larry Best’s advisor John Dowd was bidding while on the phone. For Petersen, a founding shareholder in Pandora Jewelry, the filly’s appeal started squarely with her future trainer, Bob Baffert. “Bob loved her,” Petersen said. “I was hoping it wouldn’t go that high, but we had Bob on the phone and he still thought it was a good idea. I am solely relying on Bob. If he thinks it’s a good purchase and it’s my turn, then I am going to buy them. I don’t know enough about horses to spend $1.8 million on one. So I need a little bit of advice.” The bay filly (hip 360) was the first to work the furlong in the bullet :10 flat time during last week’s under-tack preview. She is out of stakes-placed Peggy Jane (Kafwain) and was consigned by Bobby Dodd. Brad Grady’s Grand Oaks purchased the filly for $220,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. Petersen purchased another :10 flat worker from Dodd’s Midlantic sale consignment last year, going to $925,000 for a colt by Union Rags named Tale of the Union, who turned in a ‘TDN Rising Star’ debut at Del Mar last August. Also at the 2018 Midlantic sale, Petersen purchased a Mucho Macho Man colt for $625,000. That youngster is multiple graded stakes winner Mucho Gusto, who won Saturday’s GIII Laz Barrera S. “Last year I bought two horses here,” Petersen said. “Mucho Gusto has done a lot of running and Tale of the Union is coming back to breeze in a couple of weeks. I guess that’s why we are here again.” Asked how it felt to purchase the sale-record horse, Petersen admitted, “I’m still a little excited about spending that much money in five minutes. I don’t think about the history, I just thought it would be fun to have the horse. Mr. Baffert is really excited about him, so if he is excited I am excited. But I know there is a long way to go.” Grady and Dodd are no strangers to million-dollar sales and now own the record sales price at two venues. The two teamed up to offer a colt by Tiznow who sold for an OBS record $2.45 million during the 2017 April sale. “Bobby and I have been so fortunate,” Grady said. “We’ve sold several million-dollar horses over the years.” Grady knew early on the Into Mischief filly was something special. “Bobby doesn’t give the accolade of ‘freak’ very often,” Grady explained. “He’s done it a couple times. One of them happened to be the horse we went to the [GI Kentucky] Derby with and who we won the GI Haskell with, Girvin. The second time he breezed this filly, he called me and told me she was a freak. The team at the farm, Grand Oaks, does a great job. I knew if they kept her sound and happy, we would have big payday or have a good racehorse, either or. But it doesn’t make economic sense for us to keep horses like that when they are going to bring that much money.” Of the filly’s record-setting final price tag, Grady said, “She had plenty of vetting, plenty of people, but also she had the right people. There were multiple people that could give seven figures. You never know with some of these horses how far it will go. We had a good idea that she was going to bring half a million, but it’s hard to know where it will go from there. It never crossed my mind that she could bring $1.8 million.” Colonel John Colt to Best Bloodstock agent John Dowd, bidding on behalf of Larry Best’s OXO Equine, was forced to $850,000 to acquire a colt by Colonel John Tuesday in Timonium. Consigned by Randy Miles, the bay (hip 528) is out of Tayrona (A.P. Warrior) and he worked a furlong last week in :10 1/5. “We thought he was a really good individual who breezed really well,” Dowd said. “He checked all the boxes. He was a big strong, two-turn colt who has a natural turn of foot. Obviously, the stallion has left the country, but he himself was a really good horse. He won the GI Santa Anita Derby and the GI Travers S. and he was just a really good athlete.” Colonel John, who won the 2008 Santa Anita Derby and Travers, currently stands in Korea. The juvenile was bred by Silver Springs Stud and Susan Casner signed the ticket on the colt as a weanling at $10,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November sale. Miles acquired him privately last fall. “We bought privately in Kentucky in October,” Miles said. “We were asked to go out and look at him for a private purchase and we fell in love with him right then. When we got him back to the barn and started breaking him and training him, with his class and athleticism, it all fell into place.” While Miles declined to say what he paid for the yearling, he agreed it was significantly less than Tuesday’s final price tag. “We couldn’t wait to get him here,” Miles said. “We wanted him here in Maryland to showcase him on the dirt because he just handled the dirt so well. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. This time it just worked.” Miles continued, “The horse did everything. He breezed that way twice. He did it in his prep breeze, he did it in his timed breeze and he came back to the barn like he never breezed. He did it like it was a walk in the park. I can’t wait to watch this horse on the racetrack because his cardio must be out of this world. I really have lofty expectations for this horse. He has a great mind and he has the body and the heart. So I just can’t wait to see him.” Bradley Stretches for Into Mischief Colt Bloodstock agent Pete Bradley, bidding on behalf of owner Bill Lawrence, went to $710,000 to acquire a colt by Into Mischief during Tuesday’s second session of the Fasig Midlantic sale. The bay colt (hip 322) shared the quarter-mile bullet time of :21 3/5 at last week’s under-tack preview and was consigned by Top Line Sales as agent for Carlo Vaccarezza. “I liked everything about him,” Bradley said. “He had beautiful balance, good stride and good mind. It is so hard to buy a good horse and it’s really tough for the rest of them to sell here. There are a lot of good judges here. A good horse comes in and there is plenty of money. Everyone you talk to has said it, you have to stretch. He was an exceptionally nice horse and those are hard to buy.” The colt is out of Nihilist (Latent Heat), a half-sister to stakes winners Green Suede Shoes (Meadow Monster) and Cosmo Girl (City Zip) from the family of Grade I winner Ermine. Vaccarezza purchased the colt for $265,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. He RNA’d for $575,000 after working a furlong in :10 1/5 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale in March. “He was a big, pretty colt down there, but I didn’t have an order for him then,” Bradley said when asked if he had seen the juvenile prior to the Gulfstream sale. Top Line’s Torie Gladwell said the colt has only improved since March. “Ever since the Miami sale, he just got better and better,” Gladwell said. “He never had a day off or did anything wrong. He was just a true, solid racehorse. He worked in :10 1/5 at Gulfstream and galloped out well there. He was just a little immature. A lot of people knew we were high on him and I think we were a little too high on him, but here he was just a star. He really showed up.” Of the decision to work the colt a quarter in Timonium, Gladwell said, “He is super fit. We actually breezed him three eighths on the farm a couple weeks ago. He’s just gotten fitter and fitter and we knew he would breeze a quarter here really well even though he is a big horse. Our track is small at home, so we knew he would be able to handle the tight turns on this small track here.” Vaccarezza, making his first concerted foray into pinhooking this year, has had several notable successes. During Monday’s session of the Midlantic sale, he sold a colt by Street Sense for a session-topping $500,000. That colt had been a $280,000 Keeneland September acquisition. Another Filly For Speedway Peter Fluor of Speedway Stable and bloodstock agent Marette Farrell have been focused on buying fillies with an eye towards increasing the operation’s fledgling broodmare band this week in Timonium. They added another potential broodmare to the stable Tuesday, going to $570,000 for a filly from the first crop of Palace (City Zip) (hip 384). “She had a great work. I loved her composure and her class and she has a nice dam,” Fluor said. “We were looking for an athlete and she was very impressive to us. Obviously a lot of other people liked her, too. But the important thing is to be the last one [to bid]. Otherwise, we’re not talking and Boyd [Browning]’s not happy.” Speedway also purchased a filly by Bernardini during Monday’s first session of the Midlantic sale, going to $335,000 for hip 85. Hip 384 is out of Prenuptial Vow (Broken Vow) and is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Theperfectvow (Majesticperfection). The filly, who worked a furlong last week in :10 1/5, has made a habit of being popular in the sales ring. She was purchased by Peter O’Callaghan for $140,000 as a weanling at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton November sale. A pinhooking partnership led by Eddie Woods purchased her for $170,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. Asked if he was surprised that a filly from Palace’s first crop attracted a $570,000 bid, Woods explained, “For the Palace, yes, but for the horse, no. She was the most expensive Palace yearling from the past year. And she is stunning. Every time you look at her, you think, ‘Wow.’ She’s just one of those. And she was just like that the day I saw her in Peter O’Callaghan’s barn at Keeneland. I thought, ‘We’ll never get this one.’ And she’s been like that all year.” The filly worked a furlong at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale in :10 flat, but little else went right for her in South Florida, Woods said. “We took her to Miami and she had the joint-fastest move of the day, but it was on her wrong lead,” Woods said. “And the whole Miami experience wasn’t good. She hated the place. She didn’t act right, she didn’t act like she normally does. She didn’t eat. It was just a mess. And at Miami, you can’t stutter step, so we just regrouped and came here. And she’s done everything perfectly.” More Pharoah for Durant Josh Stevens, bidding on behalf of owner Tom Durant, purchased a daughter of American Pharoah out of a full-sister to Tapit for $275,000 at last month’s OBS April sale. He was so happy with that purchase, the bloodstock agent went to $530,000 for a colt by the Triple Crown winner out of Our Love Tap (Tapit) (hip 350) for the same owner in Timonium Tuesday. “We had bought an American Pharoah filly for Tom Durant at OBS April who was from the family of Tapit,” Stevens said. “This colt, being out of a Tapit mare, made our list and then that pushed us over the edge because we are really happy with that filly.” Both juveniles will be trained by Bret Calhoun, but the colt will be given plenty of time to mature. “Having an owner like Tom who is willing to turn the horse out and let him grow up a little bit gave us more confidence to go after a horse that we think is going to be better when he gets a little older,” Stevens said. Our Love Tap is a half-sister to Grade I winner Dearest Trickski (Proudest Romeo) and a full to graded-placed Gray Sky. Hip 350 worked a furlong during last week’s under-tack preview in :10 3/5. He was consigned to the Midlantic sale by Paul Sharp and was part of Sharp and Liz Crow’s pinhooking venture, which purchased him for $200,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. “He is so easy to be around,” Crow said. “He is so calm and carries himself with class. Every single thing we’ve asked him to do, he’s done it like it was nothing.” Crow admitted the colt’s work was a concern when they sent him through the sales ring Tuesday. “We were a little disappointed he went in :10 3/5 because we know how talented he is and I know what it takes at these sales to bring a million-plus dollars,” she said. “We really thought all year he could be that quality horse. But we are really happy with who got him. I’m happy he is going to a good program and we’ll see him down the road.” Malibu Moon Colt a Score for Scanlon David Scanlon, who admitted he was pleasantly surprised to acquire a colt by Malibu Moon for just $25,000 from the Eaton Sales consignment at last year’s Keeneland September sale, was rewarded Tuesday in Timonium when the juvenile (hip 497) brought a final bid of $275,000 from trainer Ian Wilkes, bidding on behalf of Bob Lothenbach. “It was kind of a heads-up deal,” Scanlon said of the September purchase. “My partner, Frankie O’Connor, he works at Eaton. We looked at him and Frankie pointed him our way and said he seemed to be falling through the cracks. $25,000 was probably a little cheaper than we expected. We were prepared to pay $50,000 or more. When we paid $25,000, we thought it was our lucky day.” The colt is out of Steely Magnolia (More Than Ready), a half-sister to GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat). He worked a furlong in :10 1/5 during last week’s under tack preview. “He has grown and he really filled out,” Scanlon said of the colt. “He had a really nice walk as a baby and a really nice hip, but he was just immature looking. So we pointed him to a later sale to give him time to mature. And he was just a runner. He had all the good points. He is a Malibu Moon, but had the best parts of More Than Ready.” Of the result, Scanlon said, “It’s typical pinhooking. A couple of them you get beat up on and this one you get rewarded.” Scanlon sent 12 horses through the sales ring in Timonium this week and sold all 12 for a total of $1,424,000 and an average of $118,667. “It has been really good sale,” he said. “The clearance has been great. We’ve sold every horse. So when you can hit a couple of good home runs and sell every horse, that’s a really good horse sale.” L & N Racing Strikes for Tapit Colt As the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale was winding down Tuesday, Lee Levinson’s L & N Racing swooped in to purchase a Tapit half-brother to Saturday’s GI Preakness S. winner War of Will (War Front) for $260,000 while bidding over the phone. “He’s a Tapit who is a half to War of Will–those are the kind of horses we look for,” Levinson’s son Michael said. “He obviously didn’t have the most impressive work of the day, but we thought he galloped out well.” Lee Levinson added, “He is well bred and we love to buy well-bred horses. The ones who go longer take longer to develop, so we’ll give him time.” The bay colt (hip 575), a $130,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling purchase, is out of Visions of Clarity (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells). In addition to War of Will, he is a half-brother to Group 1 winner Pathfork (Distorted Humor) and multiple stakes winner Tacticus (A.P. Indy). He worked a furlong last week in :10 3/5. Given the colt’s stand-out pedigree and War of Will’s Preakness win, was the father-son team surprised to acquire the 2-year-old for $260,000? “To be honest, yes,” Michael said. “He vetted well, but he went later in the sale. Maybe people who were on him had already bought what they wanted to buy. We think it’s a good buy. I guess we’ll find out when he gets to the track.” The youngster will be trained by Steve Asmussen. The L & N Racing partnership, which also includes Lee Levinson’s son Andy and family friend Don Nelson, finished second with Lookin at Lee (Lookin at Lucky) in the 2017 GI Kentucky Derby. The post Records Fall as Midlantic Sale Concludes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

BETHLEHEM ROAD (g, 3, Quality Road–Alydarla {GSP, $150,650}, by Henny Hughes), unbeaten in two outings to start his career, stretched out in the Parx Spring Derby Tuesday and turned back several challengers to score an impressive frontrunning victory. Wiring his debut by 4 1/4 lengths going seven furlongs at this oval Apr. 1, the homebred came back three weeks later and triumphed by open lengths on the engine once again, earning an 86 Beyer for the effort. Taking late money to go off a narrow 7-5 favorite in this first two-turn try, the bay broke on top and went straight to the lead. Dictating an eye-popping quarter of :22 1/5, the gelding moderated the pace somewhat down the backside through a half in :46 1/5. Pressed by Fix Me a Sandwich (To Honor and Serve) midway around the far turn, Bethlehem Road stiff-armed that rival by the top of the lane and skipped clear once again. Second choice Mount Travers (Speightstown), however, had enjoyed a perfect trip from off the pace while saving ground on the turn, and appeared to have the leader measured approaching the sixteenth pole. Bethlehem Road found more yet though, and turned back the Linda Rice invader to get clear once more, hitting the wire 1 1/2 lengths to the good in 1:44 2/5. The winner’s dam, stakes placed three times, is a half to SW/GSP A Red Tie Day (Indygo Shiner) out of SP Mamboalot, herself a daughter of GSW Investalot. Bought by Don Ameche for $75,000 at Keeneland November in 2013, Alydarla has a juvenile City Zip filly named Mama Kin who went to Blue Devil Stable for the same price at KEESEP. She also is responsible for a yearling filly by Malibu Moon and foaled an Outwork filly Apr. 4. O/B-Don Ameche III, Gryphon Investments LLC & Randy Reed (KY); T-Dee Curry. The post Unbeaten Quality Road Gelding Keeps Finding to Take Parx Spring Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday’s Insights features a quintet of ‘TDN Rising Stars’. 2.45 Yarmouth, Novice, £, 2yo, 6f 3yT PATH OF THUNDER (IRE) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) who was the joint-third highest-priced juvenile at 375,000gns at the recent Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, made an eye-catching debut behind TDN Rising Star Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Electrical Storm (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) at Newmarket last month and bids to continue Charlie Appleby’s fine start to the season with this age group. A half-brother to the graded stakes-placed Excellent Sunset (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), he encounters the 350,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase Maxi Boy (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) a Michael Bell-trained relative of the G1 Prix Saint-Alary scorer Wavering (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}) and G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Mandaean (GB) (Manduro {Ger}). 5.35 Cork, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, 5fT MOUNT FUJI (IRE) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is one of two newcomers from Ballydoyle, with Seamie Heffernan partnering the half-brother to the G1 Phoenix S. and G2 Railway S. winner Sudirman (Henrythenavigator). The March-foaled grey is joined by stablemate South Saqqara (American Pharoaha $300,000 KEESEP half-brother to Acapulco (Scat Daddy). 7.25 Kempton, Novice, £9,000, 2yo, f, 6fT SRI SENE POWER (IRE) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is the next generation of King Power Racing blockbuster buys, being a 600,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 full-sister to the multiple grade I runner-up Fanciful Angel (Ire) and useful handicapper Mount Angel (Ire). Richard Hannon, who supplied the operation with its first Classic winner on Sunday, introduces the February-foaled bay against a Godolphin newcomer in Dubai Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) a Saeed bin Suroor-trained relative of the G2 Cherry Hinton S. winner Gamilati (GB) (Bernardini). The post May 22, 2019: European Observations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

John Dowd, acting on behalf of Larry Best’s OXO Equine, went to $850,000 to secure a son of Colonel John (Hip 528). A :10 1/5 breezer for consignor Randy Miles, the colt was purchased by Susan Casner for $10,000 at Keeneland November. Out of the A.P. Warrior mare Tayrona, hip 528 was bred by Silver Springs Stud. The post Colonel John Colt Summons $850K appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Store season got underway in Britain on Tuesday with the first day of the Goffs UK Spring Sale, which saw a decent 80% clearance rate for the 225 young jumpers catalogued, though figures in other sectors dropped slightly from last year’s results. At £4,737,800, the aggregate was down by 14%, while the average dropped by 4% to £26,468 and the median by 13% to £21,000. The six-figure barrier was breached on four occasions, initially when a gelding by four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats (Ire) took top billing when selling for £105,000 to agent Aiden Murphy and his son, trainer Olly Murphy. Consigned by Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm—which was also responsible for selling the G1 Preakness S. winner War Of Will (War Front) at least year’s Arqana Breeze-up Sale—the 3-year-old (lot 76) is a half-brother to G1 OLBG Mares’ Hurdle winner Roksana (Ire) (Dubai Destination), one of the stars of this year’s Cheltenham Festival. Getaway (Ger) has enjoyed a good season with his runners and the young son of Monsun (Ger) supplied two of the top four lots including the joint-session topper (lot 238), a half-brother to the Scottish Grand National winner Joe Farrell (Ire) (Presenting {GB}). Colin Tizzard will train the Ballincurrig House Stud offering after buying him in conjunction with Ross Doyle. Getaway’s other banner horse of the day was lot 164, a 3-year-old out of the unraced Flemensfirth mare Crossbar Lady (Ire), who sold for £100,000 to Tom Malone from Treannahow Stables.. “I saw him yesterday and I fell in love with him,” said the agent. “He’s going to Paul Nicholls and he’s just his type of horse: a big rangey chaser for the future. We’ve had good fun with Getaway, through Getaway Trump (Ire), and he’s doing very well.” The champion trainer will also take charge of lot 246, a son of Glenview Stud resident Sholokhov (Ire), who was another to sell for £100,000. Out of Maryota (FR), a Martaline (GB) half-sister to the prolific Grade 1-winning hurdler Yanworth (GB) Norse Dancer {Ire}), the 3-year-old was a member of Tom and Katie Rudd’s Busherstown consignment. The May Sale continues over the next two days, with point-to-pointers and horses in training coming under the hammer, including dispersals from the Million In Mind syndicate, Brittas House and Grech & Parkin. The post Goffs UK Springs Into Action appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Track superintendents and their staffs from around North America are set to meet at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races June 23-25 for a full schedule of educational panels as part of Track Superintendents’ Field Day. A complete agenda for the event has been announced, with award-winning speaker, author and farmer Jolene Brown set as the keynote speaker. Other speakers include: Terry Meyocks of The Jockeys’ Guild, Chris McErlean of Penn Gaming, Sal Sinatra of the Maryland Jockey Club, Derron Heldt of Prairie Meadows and one of Standardbred racing’s most recognizable names, John Campbell. The post Full Agenda Set for Track Superintendents’ Field Day at Charles Town appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The post position draw for the 151st running of the GI Belmont S. will be held in the Foxwoods Club at Citi Field Tuesday, June 4 at 5:30 p.m., the New York Racing Association, Inc. announced Tuesday. For the second straight year, NYRA will hold the draw for the Belmont S. at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, before a game, with the Mets taking on the San Francisco Giants at 7:10 p.m. The post position draw will be followed by a Q&A session with selected trainers and owners moderated by NYRA TV analyst and handicapper Andy Serling. The post Belmont Stakes Post Position Draw to be Held at Citi Field appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainers Mike Pender and Marcelo Polanco were ordered to vacate their stalls at Santa Anita over the weekend by the track’s management, according to a story published in the Daily Racing Form. Pender was cited for a horse welfare issue and Polanco was cited for training a horse on behalf of another person. Pender underwent a hearing with Santa Anita stewards May 13 for the unknown horse welfare issue. Polanco was the listed trainer for Commander Coil (Coil), who was euthanized Friday after suffering a shoulder injury during training hours in Arcadia. He was the first horse to be lost during training or racing at Santa Anita since Mar. 31. Last month, trainer William Morey was banned from racing at Santa Anita for a medication violation that led to an investigation by the California Horse Racing Board. The post Two Trainers Told to Leave Santa Anita appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Shortly after an Into Mischief colt shot to the top of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old Sale when selling for $710,000, a filly (Hip 360) by the Spendthrift stallion shot right past him, becoming the new topper at $1.8 million. Donato Lanni signed the ticket on behalf of Michael Lund Petersen, who campaigned the likes of MGISW Mor Spirit (Eskendereya) and MGSW Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man). A :10 flat breezer for consignor Bobby Dodd, the bay was purchased by Brady Grady’s Grand Oaks for $220,000 at KEESEP. Bred by Barbara Banke’s Grace Thoroughbred Holdings, the filly is out of SP Peggy Jane (Kafwain). The post Into Mischief Filly is First to Hit Seven Figures at EASMAY appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The MATCH Series moves to Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course June 1 as part of a major racing program featuring eight stakes worth a total of $1.3 million. View the full article

A colt by leading sire Into Mischief (Hip 322) sparked some fireworks early in Tuesday’s second session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old Sale when hammering for $710,000 to bloodstock agent Pete Bradley, who was acting on behalf of owner Bill Lawrence. Bred in New York by Dr. Jerry Bilinski and Marty Zaretsky, the bay is the second foal out of Nihilist (Latent Heat). Carlo Vaccarezza purchased the colt for $265,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale and he RNA’d for $575,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale in March. Hip 322 breezed in :21 3/5 in Maryland for consignor Top Line Sales. The post Into Mischief Colt Sparks Early Fireworks in Timonium appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Claiborne Farm has purchased an interest in Catholic Boy (More Than Ready), a Grade I winner on both dirt and turf and who won the GII Dixie S. at Pimlico Race Course on Preakness Day in his 2019 debut. He will stand at the farm upon his retirement from racing, they announced via press release. “What an incredible horse. What an incredible effort,” said Robert LaPenta, who campaigns Catholic Boy in partnership with Madaket Stables, Siena Farm, and Twin Creeks Racing Stables. “Six and a half months off—(the Dixie Stakes) was not an easy race, and he made us proud.” A Graded stakes winner at ages 2, 3 and 4, Catholic Boy won three of his four starts as a juvenile. His two-year-old victories included the GIII With Anticipation S. on turf, as well as the GII Remsen S. on dirt. He has won at five different tracks on both the East and West Coasts from 7 1/2 furlongs to 1 1 /4 miles. In 2018, Catholic Boy became just the third American 3-year-old in history to win Grade I races on dirt and turf, preceded only by two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome and Secretariat, who also retired to Claiborne. Those wins came in the GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. and the GI Runhappy Travers S., both at a mile and a quarter. His 104 Beyer figure in that race marked the fastest speed figure of any 3-year-old colt over 10 furlongs in 2018, according to Claiborne. Catholic Boy was bred in Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding and is out of the Bernardini mare Song of Bernadette, who was sold in foal to War Front for $2.3 million at last year’s Fasig-Tipton November Sale. She was purchased by Bridlewood Farm. (See the TDN video feature on Song of Bernadette.) “He’s just such a gifted horse,” said trainer Jonathan Thomas immediately after the Dixie. “I would have been happy coming here and running a good second or third and galloping out well. But he has it in him to win. It was great to see. Sometimes turf is a little easier on them coming back and that was the plan we utilized.” Thomas speculated that the GII Suburban at Belmont might be his next start. “He was great,” said jockey Javier Castellano of the win. “He’s a super horse. You can do whatever you want. He can be on the pace, he can come from behind. I like the way he did it. Coming off a layoff since the Breeders’ Cup, that’s a long time to put in a good race like he did. It was a great performance.” Catholic Boy’s record currently stands at 11 starts with seven wins–six of them graded–and earnings of over $1.9 million. Claiborne’s Walker Hancock added, “A graded stakes winner on both dirt and turf at two, and Grade 1 winner on both dirt and turf at three, makes him one of the most versatile and unique stallion prospects on the market. Plus, being a son of More Than Ready opens him up to breed to a very wide variety of mares. We are thrilled to stand him at Claiborne Farm upon his retirement.” The post Claiborne to Stand Catholic Boy Upon Retirement appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Roger Varian has decided to give Qabala (Scat Daddy) another shot at Classic glory by supplementing the filly for Sunday’s G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh. Qabala was sent off favourite for the Newmarket equivalent May 5 but had to settle for third behind Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is also an intended starter on Sunday. Varian is hoping The Curragh’s level playing field will aid her chances and is looking forward to the rematch. “Qabala has impressed us since running a very good race in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket where I felt she was a touch unlucky not to finish closer. I feel she deserves another crack at a Classic, and everything about her demeanour suggests she is ready to go again,” he said. There are 11 fillies left in the reckoning, among them Joseph O’Brien’s Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}), who bids to put a slightly tame effort at Newmarket behind her and Michael Bell’s Pretty Pollyanna (GB) (Oasis Dream {IGB}), not seen in action since finishing third to Iridessa and Hermosa in last year’s G1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket. The post Qabala Added To Irish 1000 Guineas appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Immediately after suffering the first defeat of his career when second to Telecaster (GB) (New Approach {GB}) in the G2 Dante S. at York last week, Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire})’s trainer John Gosden’s first thoughts were to aim the Lloyd Webber’s colt at the G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot. However connections are now mulling over letting Too Darn Hot take his chance in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas on Saturday, setting up a potentially exciting clash with Newmarket’s G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas winner Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). “John just felt we’d keep him in at this stage and then make a decision later in the week as to whether or not he’s actually going to run,” explained Simon Marsh, racing manager to Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber. “He’s come out of the race very well and is absolutely fine. I think York was a case of stamina – the way the race was run and I think at this stage in his career, he’s obviously going to be better over a mile. But I have no doubt that later on he will stay a mile and a quarter. Frankie [Dettori] was at pains to stress how keen and fresh he was.” Too Darn Hot is one of 16 horses to stand their ground for Saturday’s race with Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) another intriguing contender. The Charlie Hills trained colt was last seen finishing a head second to Magna Grecia in the G1 Vertem Futurity at Doncaster last October. The post Too Darn Hot Still A Curragh Possible appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The burgeoning reputation of Coolmore stallion Australia (GB) has been a feature of the European scene since the beginning of the flat season and it appears the stallion’s growing influence has not been lost on some shrewd American bloodstock speculators either. When the Fozzy Stack trained Mohican Heights (Ire) became Australia’s first 2-year-old winner in Ireland this year when making a successful debut at Leopardstown last week, he did so in the silks of American bloodstock agent Deuce Greathouse II who owns the colt along with Canadian Jules Sigler. Greathouse wasn’t present for the win but that didn’t stop him deriving great excitement from the occasion. “He is the first horse I bought to keep for myself and run in Ireland so yes it was very exciting and it’s always fun when a maiden wins impressively first time out,” Greathouse said. That seven furlong 2-year-old maiden at Leopardstown last Friday looked a strong contest on paper with Ballydoyle represented by Galileo (Ire) and War Front half-siblings to the likes of MG1SWs Canford Cliffs (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) and Excelebration (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) but nothing could get past Mohican Heights who lead from flag fall and fought off all challengers to make a perfect start to his career. “Fozzy had been pointing towards that race for a while as he has always been an early type of horse which I guess is a bit of a surprise given his pedigree, which suggests he would want to go a mile and a quarter. When you have a horse with speed that can carry it for a bit of distance that gives you hope that he could develop into a smart horse,” Greathouse said. Mohican Heights was bred by Kevin Molloy out of Mohican Princess (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}) whose progeny have operated successfully up to two miles .These include the former Aidan O’Brien trained Eye Of The Storm (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who, despite having only one eye, won the G3 Ballyroan S. at Leopardstown in 2014 and is still going strong at the age of nine, winning last Monday at Leicester. Molloy, who operates a chain of liquor stores in Dublin sells his stock through Paddy Kelly’s Ballybin Stud and Mohican Heights, the mare’s last reported foal sold for €100,000 through Ballybin at the Goffs Orby Sale last October. Recalling the sequence of events that lead him to signing the buyer’s docket Greathouse explained, “I was impressed that Australia’s 2-year-olds had done as well as they had at that stage and I was at Arqana in August when a Godolphin filly [Beyond Reason (Ire)] won a group stake and I just had it in my head that if I found an Australia I liked I wanted to buy one, so I went to Goffs and it just worked out. I don’t mind buying a horse out of an older mare if I like the individual. He was a good sized, nice looking athletic colt with good balance and nice walk. For a while it seemed like the market didn’t really pick up on Australia and this horse was also very late in the sale and maybe a lot of people had already filled their orders but I was very happy to get him for what we paid.” Explaining the horse’s subsequent route to the Stack’s Thomastown Castle Stables in Tipperary Greathouse continued, “Fozzy and I met at the sales a few years ago and we’ve just kind of been buddies to have a drink with since then. We tried to buy a racehorse at Tattersalls a few years ago but got outbid and he does a good job so I thought why not just leave the horse with him. It’s certainly worked out well so far.” The words ‘Royal Ascot’ tend to crop up soon after any horse wins a maiden impressively at this time of year and it comes as no surprise that connections are also thinking along those lines. “The plan is to run him in the [Listed] Chesham S. at Royal Ascot, then we’ll make a plan depending on how he fares there. I would like to think he would have strong chance based on his debut performance.” The Royal Meeting evokes happy memories for Greathouse as the Kentucky native, whose family own and operate Glencrest Farm, was an integral part of the team that orchestrated a famous victory for the mighty mare Tepin (Bernstein) in the 2016 G1 Queen Anne S. Greathouse advised her owner Robert Masterson to part with $140,000 to secure her as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton in 2012 and after a glorious career that netted six top level wins including the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile for trainer Mark Casse, she was then sold to MV Magnier for $8-million back at Fasig-Tipton in 2017. “I’ll certainly be at Royal Ascot this year. I came over with Robert Masterson a few years ago and it was obviously a great experience. I didn’t expect to get there so soon the first time and to have a reason to return so soon again is fantastic. So hopefully this horse stays happy and healthy and gets there in one piece.” Plans for the future will obviously be dictated by how Mohican Heights handles a jump in class but if things progress how Greathouse hopes, there are no shortage of options, either side of the Atlantic. “If he continues to improve and if we still own him as a 3-year-old the new Turf Triple Crown would be a very tempting option next year but we will take it one step at a time. We’ll hopefully get to enjoy Ascot first and then take it from there,” he added. The post Greathouse Hopes Mohican Can Scale The Heights appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Promising three-year-old fillies to the fore again after a slow start It has been a tough start to the season for Ralph Beckett. Early performances showed the trainer the horses, while healthy, were not quite ready, so he took the wise course of giving them more time, which has meant fewer runners than expected in […] The post Ralph Beckett Stable Tour appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Epsom hosted their Breakfast With The Stars morning on Tuesday and despite the absence of any major equine stars the G1 Investec Derby picture became a bit clearer with the news there is a strong chance that ante-post favourite Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) will feature among the mob handed Ballydoyle challenge for the race. The super impressive winner of the G3 MBNA Chester Vase and ‘TDN Rising Star‘ is not currently entered in the Derby and would have to be supplemented at a cost of £85,000 and despite recent speculation that he could be rerouted to Chantilly for the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, O’Brien confirmed Epsom is the favoured option. “Epsom is always where we want to be – the lads would prefer Sir Dragonet went to Epsom rather than France,” he said. “We don’t have to make our mind up until the supplementary stage but we are favouring Epsom. John [Magnier] has always considered Epsom to be the holy grail.” O’Brien has won nearly every Derby trial this year bar the G2 Dante S. at York and as a result it will be no surprise to see a similar situation June 1 to 2017 when Wings Of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi {Ire}) was one of six to represent the trainer. The likes of Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Anthony Van Dyke (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Cape Of Good Hope (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) have all impressed in their trials and summing up O’Brien said, “The lads will decide how many to run but there will be a good crew there.” The post O’Brien Outlines Epsom Plans appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Of course it was lovely to have all the plaudits after my retirement, along with various articles and appearing on TV shows, but I wouldn’t have had the profile I have now without Dermot Weld. As I said previously, Dermot, Stan Cosgrove and Mr Haefner gave me the opportunity to ride good horses and our relationship grew over the years. I’d like to think it was one of the most successful partnerships in Irish racing that there has been for a long time, and I think one of my proudest achievements was holding down the job for the number of years that I did. The first couple of years were tough in that I was obviously trying to fill Michael Kinane’s boots which was never going to be achievable, but obviously I made as much of an effort as I could to try to do that. I think after a number of years I settled into the role with Dermot and understood what he wanted. He’s not shy about letting you know how he wants his horses to be ridden. He’s very much a tactician and doesn’t take kindly when a race has been lost that you should have won. He has always been a fierce competitor and still is to this day. I realised that very quickly and I think that made me a better jockey. I had to be very much tactically aware of what was happening around me and a lot of that came from Dermot’s tuition throughout the early years. He was very good amateur rider himself and understood when something went wrong, but when mistakes were made he didn’t take kindly to it at all. He was a pioneer for international racing and it was fascinating to sit down and speak to him about the logistics of getting Vintage Crop (GB) to the Melbourne Cup back in 1993. It was just so difficult that most people would have given up, but he wanted to get there to try to win that race and he’s the type of person who just keeps persevering. As a result he ended up making history. What has always struck me is how Dermot knows the families of the horses he is training inside out, which is obviously important when you’re training for major owner-breeders. He has a big string of horses but he never carries a sheet of paper in his hand. He knows every horse, every rider, and exactly how he wants each piece of work to be ridden. He pairs off the horses from his mind, there was never a list in his hand, and I think that shows the sort of brain he has. I’m sure he would have been successful in any role he had chosen if he wasn’t training racehorses. Aside from Harzand (Ire) winning the Derby, I think one of my favourite moments was when Rite Of Passage (GB) won the Ascot Gold Cup. People don’t realise how difficult he was to keep sound. He was a very upright horse, straight in front, and he was plagued with leg injuries all his life. I think that was where Dermot came into his own in nursing horses to their races. I don’t think that horse would have achieved anything like what he did if he was trained by anybody else. The amount of care and attention he received in coming back to win the Long Distance Cup on Champions Day after more than 500 days off the track was unbelievable. It was extraordinary to have a horse prepared to win on a day like that after such a long time off. Dermot was great in coaxing longevity out of horses. Famous Name (GB) springs to mind: he had six straight seasons of competing consistently in stakes class. He was just short of Group 1 level but he won all those listed races and up to Group 2 level, year in and year out. He wasn’t an easy horse to keep sound either; he had to have a lot of physiotherapy and he struggled a little bit with arthritis towards the end, but Dermot got the best out of him and I think he enjoyed doing so. He’s a vet, as we all know, and he has a huge understanding of his horses. Galway was always such a big week for the stable. In a way it was a little bit frustrating for me in that Glorious Goodwood takes place during the same week and I was always wondering why we weren’t targeting those races rather than going to Galway. But it’s a meeting with which he has a long association going back to his childhood, and he just loves the place. We took a lot of good horses there to win maidens and there was a bit of method to his madness in that Galway is a very undulating and tricky race track. A lot of maidens that he takes there learn plenty by running there first or second time out. It brings them forward and I think Dermot likes that aspect to it. He’s been hugely successful at the meeting I think I once rode 12 winners there in the week. It’s a unique racetrack and he specialises in getting horses there at their peak. Of course every great trainer relies on having a good team behind him or her. The late Joe Malone was a huge help to Dermot over a number of years. He was an old-school horseman and I learnt a lot from him over the years. When Dermot was off sourcing owners from all around the world, Joe kept the show on the road. He was just one of those great horsemen—they don’t make them like him any more. Every time we had two horses running in a race and I was a bit confused as to which one I would ride I always consulted Joe, and nine times out of ten he was spot on. He is sadly missed. There’s a number of staff that have been there for years and years, the likes of Raymond Carroll, and Dave Phillips, who looked after Vintage Crop and travelled him to Australia to win the Melbourne Cup, and then Media Puzzle (Ire) and Vinnie Roe (Ire) after him. Dermot has great staff to travel horses and he could let them go off around the world in confidence that the job would be done to the standard that he wanted. I think that’s testament to Dermot as well, the fact that there’s no great turnover of staff. He was a great trainer before I ever joined him and it was an enormous pleasure to ride for him for more than 20 years. Crowley Spot On Looking back on last weekend’s action, I thought that the Lockinge was a little bit of a messy race. Laurens (Fr) ran superbly and was up on the pace as is the norm for her, but she was perhaps a little bit fresh and gassy with PJ McDonald and there’s no question she’s going to improve from the run. Jim Crowley gave Mustashry (GB) a beautiful ride. He had the run of the race in my opinion; he just sat off the pace, relaxed, and came through and maybe caught Laurens as she was getting a little bit tired. That’s not to take anything away from Mustashry, who looks a typical Sir Michael Stoute improver at the age of six. Le Brivido (Fr) was at the back of the field and there was no pace, and I have a feeling that he is a horse who will jump forward again for that run when he gets to Royal Ascot. The race itself was a little bit inconclusive. Wishing William Well I’d like to wish William Buick all the best this week with his upcoming tests. It’s a worrying time for himself and his family but hopefully it’s nothing too serious. I hope all the tests go very well for him and that we see him back on the racecourse very soon. The post The Pat Smullen Column: Reflections On A Master Trainer appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Chad Schofield says he has learned from previous mistakes while riding run-on specialist Super Turbo as he looks to harness his booming finish at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.Schofield has ridden the David Hall-trained six-year-old three times this year but believes the horse will be aided by a strong tempo in the Class Two Suffolk Handicap (1,200m) as he looks for his first win of the season.After attempting to ride him closer to the speed previously, Schofield said he has learnt to utilise… View the full article

Ballarat trainer Simon Morrish cannot remember the last time he has had two runners nominated for a stakes race. That is the case at Flemington on Saturday with Chouxting The Mob and Mental Telepathy entered for the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) which guarantees the winner a start in the Melbourne Cup. Chouxting The Mob is safely in Saturday's line-up if connections elect to start while Mental Telepathy arrives from New Zealand on Wednesday night and will need to please Morrish to start. "I coul... View the full article

Three-year-old colt Keep On Fly continued a stellar run for Windsor Park Stud stallion Rip Van Winkle, producing a powerful run from the rear of the field to win the 136th running of the Italian Derby in Rome at the weekend. A 10 length winner at his previous start, Keep On Fly took the step up to elite company in his stride to beat Italian 2000 Guineas winner Mission Boy and provide his sire Rip Van Winkle with his 28th individual stakes winner. Keep On Fly is out of the Duke Of Marmalade... View the full article