Wandering Eyes

Frocks at the Trots is back as part of the 2025 Team Teal campaign. The fashion in the fields competition ran for the first time in 2024 and was seen as a successful addition to the Team Teal Campaign. This year it will be run again with four heats and a final. The final winner will win a trip to Mooloolaba Peninsula Resort and be crowned the 2025 Frocks at the Trots Winner. The four “Frocks” heats will be : Heat 1 – Cambridge Raceway – January 27 Heat 2 – Amberley Trotting Club Meeting at Rangiora – February 6 Heat 3 – Gore Harness Racing Club – February 16 Heat 4 – Online – February 24 Final – Addington Raceway – March 14 Outfits must incorporate teal and all entries must be aged 18 plus and officially register prior to each of the heats. More information is available in the brochure here Since 2018 Harness Racing New Zealand has been involved in the annual Team Teal campaign to increase awareness of ovarian cancer, and raise funds for research. View the full article

Check out this week’s The Box Seat with Matt Cross and Greg O’Connor View the full article

Goldrush Guru. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) Morphettville-based trainer Andrew Gluyas is aiming for more Group 1 success with his Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) winner Goldrush Guru, as the promising colt gears up for his autumn campaign. The rising star, who also claimed the Listed Hill Smith Stakes (1800m) during his most recent preparation, has returned to work with big targets on the horizon. Gluyas is eyeing potential runs in Randwick’s Group 1 ATC Derby (2400m) in April and the Group 1 SA Derby (2500m) at Morphettville in May. “The break has definitely invigorated him and I’m quite happy with the way he’s returned,” Gluyas told Racing.com. “For those spring three-year-olds that get over a bit of ground, it can be a test for them to come back, so we’ll be monitoring him closely.” Gluyas believes the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) in Melbourne will be a pivotal point in the preparation. “We’d like to give him an opportunity to get to another Derby and we’d like to think that can be in Sydney. “But we’ll get to the Australian Guineas in Melbourne and that will be a bit of a fork-in-the-road race for us, whether we make the decision to head up to Sydney or wait and bring him back to Adelaide,” Gluyas said. Now a more seasoned and mature horse, Goldrush Guru might be ready to handle the mile distance in Group 1 company, but Gluyas remains cautious. “Now that he’s a bit more organised, he might be able to race well at a mile. What we do know is that there is a bit of quality about him but whether he’s brilliant enough for a Group 1 mile, we’ll find out.” Horse racing news View the full article

Co-trainer of Malua Racing Troy Corstens and jockey Ben Allen. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos) Malua Racing is set to have a strong presence at next month’s Magic Millions Carnival, with as many as six horses likely to represent the stable, led by promising juvenile Zouclaire. The daughter of Zousain made an eye-catching debut in last weekend’s Magic Millions Victorian 2YO Classic (1100m) at Caulfield Heath, finishing 2.8 lengths behind the impressive winner, Invincible Woman. That performance has her firmly on track for the $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) on the Gold Coast. “She was superb,” Troy Corstens, who trains in partnership with his father Leon and Will Larkin, told Racing.com. “We are going to have a crack (at the Magic Millions) and see if we can get in and hopefully we are right with prize-money.” Zouclaire is expected to be joined in Queensland by her three-quarter brother, Zou Sensation, who finished second in a Benchmark 84 (1200m) at Caulfield Heath on Saturday. The duo will spearhead Malua Racing’s assault alongside Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m) runner-up Bittercreek, Stay Silent and Stay Humble, both by Deep Field, and Capitalex, a son of Capitalist. “The prize-money up there is amazing, and the team is up and going well, so we thought we might as well have a bit of a crack,” Corstens added. Horse racing news View the full article

Snow Patrol. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) winner Snow Patrol is likely to miss his autumn campaign after suffering a knee injury. The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained four-year-old, owned by Ace Bloodstock, has been sidelined following the setback. The son of Contributer has not raced competitively since finishing seventh in the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic (1600m) at Eagle Farm on June 15, though he did have a barrier trial at Rosehill in early October, finishing in the same position. “They’re going to put him in a paddock for a month and let him rest up,” Ace Bloodstock’s syndicate manager Darcy Mangan told Racing.com. “He was on his way up to Sydney, they just thought he was a little bit off and they did a scan and there was a fracture. “I’d say he will probably miss the autumn.” The setback comes as a blow to connections, with Snow Patrol showing significant promise earlier in his career. Horse racing news View the full article

The Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority board went into closed session at its Dec. 17 meeting to discuss acquisition of property for a new training center, widely believed to be Shamrock Farm in Woodbine, Md.View the full article

By Michael Guerin A horse who snuck into his $100,000 Golden Gait final at Alexandra Park on Friday through a technicality is the biggest danger to our best two-year-old trotter. Meant To Be opened $1.80 for the two-year-old trot on Friday but is likely to start closer to $1.30, with the unbeaten Ya Eejit Ya rated his clear and perhaps only threat at $3.10. But you have to go deep into the fine print of the inaugural Golden Gait series to find how Ya Eejit Ya even got into Friday’s race. For two-year-olds to be eligible for their finals they needed to have four starts during the qualifying period but Ya Eejit Ya only had three, winning them all. But the conditions state if a horse accepts for a race but it is abandoned or not held then it gets a “technical start”, which is the clause Ya Eejit Ya triggered. “We accepted for a race with him but there were only four acceptors so they scrapped it,” says trainer Sean McCaffrey. “Our other horse in that race Hillbilly got moved to another race against the older horses but there was no race for Ya Eejit Ya that night but he still gets credited with a start.” While many wouldn’t know about the rule it is a well thought out one and it is only fair Ya Eejit Ya is in Friday’s final as McCaffery has been a key supporter of the juvenile trots all season and Ya Eejit Ya has been a total pro. He has been too good for Hillbilly all three times they have met and more importantly downed Meant To Be the one time they met after the big boy was checked into a gallop early and made up 50m to finish third. That was back when Meant To Be was still very much learning and his South Island trip seems to have brought him on mentally and while the best version of him probably wins, Ye Eejit Ya has trotted 58 second 800m sectionals and will be hard to catch over a mile if Meant To Be is giving him a 10-length start. “My two are really well and Ya Eejit Ya has been trialling and working great,” says McCaffrey. “He just floats over the ground and he will be in front and if the big horse can beat him then so be it. “But I wouldn’t discount Hillbilly, he is a real tough bugger and if they go hard he will keep going.” McCaffrey is stoked to have Con Grazia Love back to her best form and she only just went down to One More Moment in the Queen of Diamonds last Friday and returns for the stronger $100,000 aged trot. “She had issues with her gut all last season but she is way better now and you can see it in her coat. “She was good last week and she has gate speed so you might even see her lead this week and she’d be hard to catch.” The stable also has former southerner What A Minx in the middle aged page for R48-61 and the Cambridge trainer says she will need a hot pace to leave her rivals gasping. “She just keeps running so the harder they go the better.” View the full article

No-one’s won more Invercargill Cups than six-time winner Blair Orange, so leading into this Friday’s $100,000 Group 1 Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup he talks about his favourite horses and memories. By Dave Di Somma Harness News Desk It was back in his days as a junior driver that Blair Orange won his first Invercargill Cup. It was with the Laurence Hanrahan-trained The Tough Nut in 2000. Now he is a six time winner, the most in the Cup’s history. “I was just a kid then, driving The Tough Nut,” says Orange. “It was pretty cool because Laurence left me on because (regular driver) Ricky (May) was away at the Inter Dominions.” And Orange didn’t let Hanrahan down. “I had a good sit and we unleashed at the 600, he was airborne. It was unreal really.” The Tough Nut and Orange went on to win by nearly 10 lengths, in 4:00.1. It was a race record (over 3200m) at the time. “To go four minutes that was something back then,” says Orange. It was Orange’s second win with The Tough Nut, who had eight consecutive victories in 1999-2000, and 15 overall from 44 starts. Orange’s other wins have been with Harnetts Creek (2004), Highview Tommy (2011), Saveapatrol (2014), Johnny Fox (2015) and Classie Brigade (2017). “They were all pretty special animals to be fair,” he says. “Highview Tommy was one of the coolest horses I’ve ever been associated with.” In the 2014 victory the Mark Jones-trained Saveapatrol beat a field that included three-time New Zealand Cup champion Terror To Love and 2015 champion Arden Rooney. “He was a big horse, it was a shame he broke down, he could have gone a lot further.” Over the years Orange has driven around Ascot Park countless times. So does it have its own quirks or characteristics? “Generally it’s an on speed track, it’s hard to come wide from too far back.” Orange, who will win his seventh consecutive drivers’ premiership this year, will partner the Robert and Jenna Dunn-trained Dalton Shard on Friday against the hotshots like Republican Party, Rakero Rocket and Mo’unga. Earlier this season the Always B Miki four-year-old showed his quality by winning two New Zealand Cup qualifiers in the Maurice Holmes Vase and the New Brighton Cup. His last start was a sixth in last Friday’s East West Fencing Summer Cup at Addington, won by Mo’unga. “He’s not out of it, he’s got good manners and will get in the right spot.” So can Orange make it seven Cups in 25 years? “Its been a kind track to me and the Invercargill Cup has been a kind race to me.” “It would be a good Christmas present wouldn’t it?’ View the full article

The race for the junior drivers’ premiership, Swayzee’s race day return, a notable 21st and movie night at Cambridge all feature in this week’s News Briefs. Junior drivers’ premiership battle heats up The Junior Drivers’ premiership is down to one. Last night’s meeting at Addington saw Carter Dalgety get a Trent Yesberg-trained double with Whosdreamingnow and Major Performer to take his tally for the year to 60. He trails leader Sam Thornley by just one. He had a win last night with Kawactus. Snapping on the leading pair’s heels is Wilson House on 58. Thornley is aiming to clinch a notable double after winning the Australasian Young Drivers’ Championships in New South Wales over the weekend. With so much racing between now and the end of the year the premiership is set for an exciting conclusion. Swayzee set for Boxing Day return Dual New Zealand Cup winner Swayzee is close to a racetrack return, following his heroics at Addington last month. After skipping the Inter Dominions the champ’s connections are targeting a $1 million bonus for winning all five legs of the NSW Carnival of Cups. Swayzee won the first two at Parkes (September 20) and Young (November 8) and now head to Tamworth on January 17. Victory at Tamworth would secure Swayzee at least a $250,000 bonus. That doubles to $500,000 if he can win Tamworth and add Albury on February 14. All going well, the rising seven-year-old would then be racing for the $1 million bonus at Penrith on March 15. Hart confirmed Swayzee would resume from a freshen-up in the $50,000 Group 3 Shirley Turnbull Memorial (2790m) at Bathurst on Boxing Day. Happy 21st for Santanna Mach What a trouper Santanna Mach is. The 10-year-old notched up his 21st lifetime win in the Country Feasts Mobile Pace on the grass at Rangiora on Sunday. Despite his long run of success, starting as a four-year-old, he continues to be under-rated by punters. The Michael House-trained gelding was 12/12 in the betting and paid $36.70 for the win. He has now had 212 starts. Firsts at Oamaru The Canterbury-based Phoebe Stud had two firsts at Oamaru on December 11. A winner of 14 races and over $400K, Locharburn sired his first winner when J R Tolkien (Locharburn – Cheyenne Princess) won for trainer Murray Howard and driver Carter Dalgety. The stud also stands Royal Aspirations and his three-year-old progeny Niamh won on debut for trainer Mark Jones in the race before J R Tolkien’s success. Well known racing presenter Greg O’Connor co-bred and co-owns the filly. And Rakaia-based Jason Ford had his first win as a trainer with Gold Nugget scored at Rangiora on Sunday. It was just his sixth start as a trainer. It was the Father Patrick six-year-old’s first win in 17 starts. Dunn goes $2m clear Ex-pat Kiwi star Dexter Dunn now has a more than $2m lead as the top stakes-earner in North America this year. His earnings are at $16.6m, with Yannick Gingras second on $14.5m. Just two other drivers have surpassed the $10m mark. They are Jason Bartlett ($12.4m) and David Miller ($10m). Dunn has had 304 wins this year and is set to be named the USA Driver of the Year for the fifth time in six years. Third win for promising 2YO Doo You Want Me showed he’s got a good future ahead of him with a third career win (in just seven starts) in last Tuesday’s Palmerstonian at Manawatu. Trained by Stephen Doody and driven by nephew Andre Poutama, the two-year-old came four and five wide before winning by a length, beating the likes of favourite and 16-race winner Rough And Ready. Doo You Want Me was bought for Doody for $35,000 and has so far earned nearly $22,000 in stakes since debuting in April this year. Next year he’ll be aimed at the Harness Million in Auckland and maybe the Derby at Addington. By Captain Crunch out of 10-race winner Delightful Lana, Doo You Want Me was bred by Kelvin Holmes Holdings who have a Art Major filly out of Delightful Lana at next February’s Yearling sale in Christchurch. Shalalana is Lot 305. Shutkowski hits 50 winners Fredastaire tiptoed his way to giving Allan Shutkowski his 50th career win as a trainer at Manawatu on December 12. It was the Blenheim-based trainer’s third win this year. His first win was with Short Cut at Hawera in 1989, with his best season wins-wise being the seven he had in 2015 – four of them by C A Penny. It was Fredastaire’s second win in 16 starts. Surviving and thriving in 2025 The New Zealand Sires’ Stakes have released their season review including a ‘quick question’ survey and the ‘Greatest Place to Race’ podcast looking back on ‘the future’ and contemplating ‘surviving and thriving’ in 2025! To see more click here Club News : Rangiora Remedial work is being done on the Rangiora all-weather track after it was damaged by severe wins earlier in the month. The grass track was not affected and held its last meeting last Sunday. The all weather track is expected to be in action on January 1. Club News – Cambridge Cambridge Raceway is running a summer outdoor movie series from Sunday December 22. Dr Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas will start at 5pm followed by Love Actually at 7pm. Tickets are just $5. To see more click here View the full article

On Monday, the California Authority of Racing Fairs (CARF) board voted unanimously (with one abstention) to rescind a proposed Golden State Racing meet spanning the first half of next year, essentially leaving Northern California without Thoroughbred racing in 2025 outside of the annual suite of summer fair meets. This means that the Northern Californian horsemen and women have had little time to respond and adapt to a proposal by the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) and 1/ST Racing and Gaming–a business entity under The Stronach Group (TSG) umbrella–to maintain a stabling base at Pleasanton, and for the horses there to be shipped to Santa Anita where an expanded menu of races are expected to be carded to fit the NorCal horse inventory. Reached Tuesday while Monday's vote was still fresh in their minds, several stakeholders speculated on what the latest upheaval to the state's industry might mean to them and their businesses. If there was a throughline in their answers, it was of uncertainty as to just how many of the roughly 780 horses currently stabled at Pleasanton will remain on to fill races south of the state divide. “Pretty sober around here today. A lot of folks don't know what they're going to do,” said Tim McCanna, currently leading the trainer's table in earnings at the Golden State Racing meet at Pleasanton, which ends Wednesday. McCanna has around 40 horses stabled at Pleasanton. He estimates that around half of this string will fit the Southern California circuit. The other half won't. Among the proposed offerings at Santa Anita are weekly races with preferences and restrictions for Northern-based horses. According to Santa Anita general manager Nate Newby, the bottom level claiming race could be lowered to either $6,250 or $5,000–down from a prior bottom of $8,000. A final decision on that will be made before Thursday, he said. Alongside Santa Anita, trainers will also have the option of running some horses at Los Alamitos, which cards certain races for lower-tier Thoroughbreds. “I've just printed up a stall app' for Santa Anita, to see if I can get a few stalls to work out of,” said McCanna, who hopes to maintain a small stable of around eight to 10 horses at Santa Anita that he'll rotate as horses ship back and forth the roughly 700-mile round trip. McCanna said that some of his other horses will go to Emerald Downs, in Washington. More generally, McCanna fears the majority of horses at Pleasanton won't make the cut in Southern California, even with specially carded races. “There's more cheap horses here than good ones,” said McCanna. “There's a lot of guys who won't fit down there. They'll be out of the business–they can't wait until June to run in the fairs. I think a lot of them are just going to scatter into the wind and I think that'll have an effect on the fairs next summer.” One of the trainers gearing up to give the new program a shot is Steve Sherman, who maintains a string of about 25 at Pleasanton. “I've downsized my stable a little bit because I wasn't sure what direction it was going to go in,” he said. “I kept hearing a lot of bad things this last month, so I've put a lot of things on hiatus.” Seven or eight of his horses are unraced 2-year-olds nowhere near race-fit. “They're far away from a run, so actually, Pleasanton's a great spot for them,” he said. For his other 17 or 18 horses that are fit and ready to run, Sherman said that he hoped Santa Anita would write races suitable for the horses stabled in NorCal. “I hope it's the same program [as Golden State Racing at Pleasanton]. I hope they write the same kind of races. They said they were going to,” said Sherman. “Hopefully at the start of the year, we'll have a better idea of what's going on.” A fear, said Sherman, is that a significant portion of the horses stabled at Pleasanton would be rerouted to Turf Paradise. “I just don't know how many horses are going to participate in this,” said Sherman. “I've heard they could lose a lot of horses to Phoenix [to Turf Paradise]. I don't know how true that is.” According to trainer Blaine Wright, Turf Paradise currently has limited stall space. “They don't have enough stalls, they say, to accommodate a bunch of the horses over here,” he said. Wright has a string of about 32 at Pleasanton. He expects to lose about six or seven horses to Turf Paradise. He'll also send about six horses to Washington, when Emerald Downs opens for training there in February. “Hopefully I can get most of my clientele to stick in there and give it a try. Some guys are on board and other guys aren't. I know my stable's going to get cut. My biggest fear is my workforce. I'm wondering how long I can keep most of my guys going,” said Wright. “If it doesn't work, then I'll probably pack up and head home to Seattle and race at Emerald Downs for the spring and summer,” he said. Wright said that he attended a Zoom meeting Tuesday morning with Northern-based owners and trainers, and representatives from TSG and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association. Steve Sherman | Benoit Discussed, said Wright, was the logistics of the vanning program (the cost of which will reportedly be covered for the trainers), travel incentives for the trainers and grooms, as well as possible carded races at Santa Anita. “Hopefully they'll have a bit of a book put out for us in the next few days,” he said. Still, Wright described as a key concern of his the roughly 700-mile round-trip that horses stabled at Pleasanton must undertake to run at Santa Anita. “How often can we really ship these horses that far? It's one thing to go from Golden Gate to Pleasanton or Pleasanton to Santa Rosa. You try to run these horses every two to three weeks. Well, that's probably not very doable when you're 350 miles away,” said Wright. “Right now, it's take a deep breath and see what happens this next month. About all we can do at this point,” he added, with resignation. A concern of trainer Bill McLean's is the response from some of his clientele to losing the ability to see their horses run (and potentially train) on their doorstep. “I was just speaking to an owner this morning. He said, 'I want to watch my horses run. I don't want to have to go down to Santa Anita. I love to run in my own backyard.' It's tough–I don't know how many owners up here will stay in the game or…” said McLean, letting the thought trail off. McLean has about 36 horses at Pleasanton. He expects to lose some horses to Turf Paradise. Some will also move to Emerald Downs when that opens up. Everything, he said, is very much up in the air at the moment. “I haven't talked to all my owners yet, see what they want to do with some of their cheaper ones. Might have to get rid of some of them, I guess,” said McLean. “It's just come on all of a sudden. I thought we were going to be alright, when John Harris and George Schmitt offered some money to keep them going,” McLean added. Harris and Schmitt offered Golden State Racing a $2-million line of credit for the proposed 2025 meet, now rescinded. Doubts about the long-term viability of Santa Anita's racing program for the lower-quality Pleasanton-based horses are also shared among other Northern California-based stakeholders. “I can tell you what's going to happen,” said owner-breeder Tom Bachman. “They're going to write races for the North. They'll never be able to fill those races. They're going to say, 'gee, we tried.' And then they're going to quit doing that,” he added. “They'll help some of the bigger people go down there,” said Bachman. “I just spoke with Tim McCanna and he said, 'yeah, I'll just open up a stable down there and rotate them through.' But he's got horses that are running for $12,500, $16,000 and $20,000 and a couple allowance horses so he can do that. “These young guys that are running for $4,000, $5,000 and $6,250, they can't do that. Those horses have got to run once a month, and they're still upside down, even if they win,” said Bachman. According to key California breeder Adrian Gonzalez, consolidation seems to make sense. “But I don't know if all those horses will actually go down south,” he speculated. “From what I've heard from different trainers, if they had had 20 horses, about five would fit.” As for Sherman, he voiced frustration that Golden State Racing folded too quickly. More could have been done, he said, to give the nascent program a fighting chance, like a better advertising campaign and better strategic coordination before the start of the meet in October. “To me, they had one foot in and one foot out. They never had both feet in–that's what it looks like from the outside looking in,” said Sherman. “It sucks, basically.” The post “It Sucks, Basically”: NorCal Stakeholders React to Pleasanton News appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

HIWU announced sanctions Dec. 17 in a resolved case against owner-trainer Stuart Williams after his horse, Pandora's Gift, tested positive for the controlled medication gabapentin.View the full article

Sharp ‘N’ Smart will contest Saturday’s Group 2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Trentham. Photo: Race Images Former New Zealand Horse of the Year Sharp ‘N’ Smart is set to head to Trentham on Saturday to kick-off his summer campaign and ready for a Group One assignment at the Upper Hutt track next month. The son of Redwood was runner-up in the Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) as a three-year-old before going on to win the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), and trainers Graeme and Debbie Rogerson are keen to go one better in the Thordon Mile next month. He will prepare for the feature mile this weekend when he lines up at Trentham in the Group 2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m), where he will be ridden by Ryan Elliot from barrier three. His trainers are pleased with the five-year-old gelding ahead of Saturday, where he will be fresh off a mixed Melbourne Spring campaign, where his third placing in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) was bookended by unplaced runs in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m). “The first run he struck a real bog track in the Turnbull,” Graeme Rogerson said. “He went super in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup where he had 59kg, he had to give a lot of weight away, and he came from last to run third. And things didn’t quite go right in the Cup for him. “He looks good, and he is back on track. He had a gallop between races at Te Rapa. “He is getting ready to go back down on January 11th for the Thorndon Mile and then he will go back to the Herbie Dyke.” Team Rogerson will also be represented at Trentham by Skymax in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m). The daughter of Ferrando finished sixth in the Group 2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in her last two outings, and Rogerson believes she will be competitive in Saturday’s three-year-old fillies’ feature. “She went well (in the 1000 Guineas), she is probably just below the top three-year-olds,” Rogerson said. “She is going towards the Oaks (Group 1, 2400m), so it is a nice race for her and young Bailey (Rogerson, apprentice jockey) will ride her. I think she is a chance.” Rounding out the stable’s representation at Trentham will be fellow three-year-old Elegant Jazz. The daughter of Russian Revolution won first-up at Rotorua earlier this month, and Rogerson is hoping for a repeat performance this weekend. “She seems to have come back well as a three-year-old, so we will give her a chance,” he said. “It is a nice race for her and we will go from there with her.” Horse racing news View the full article

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The Indiana Thoroughbred Alliance is celebrating its fifth year with another exciting charity auction. Partnering with the cutting-edge auction platform BidXSell, the Fifth Annual Stallions & Services Auction brings fresh energy to the ITA's mission.View the full article

The Indiana Thoroughbred Alliance is celebrating its fifth year with another exciting charity auction. Partnering with the cutting-edge auction platform BidXSell, the Fifth Annual Stallions & Services Auction brings fresh energy to the ITA's mission.View the full article

At a Dec. 17 Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission meeting, NYRA Bets was approved to operate as a vendor within the commonwealth. The racing vendor license is valid for one year.View the full article

Tracy Reid needed a job. It was 2011 and she was back in her hometown of Miami after rupturing her Achilles tendon for the second time. Trying to put the pain and the disappointment behind her, it was tenacity driving her hope that she could return to the only career she ever had–playing the game of basketball. In the interim though, bills were stacking up, her savings account was moving towards the point of exhaustion and the reality of everyday life was coming to collect. Reid happened to see a job for a security position and so she cobbled together a resume, left her high tops at home and went to Gulfstream Park. “I think that when they interviewed me, they were a little taken aback that I had absolutely no experience whatsoever,” said Reid. “I wasn't from law enforcement and I hadn't worked at a gate or at a concert. But I told them that I was a team player, that I knew all about how to get along with others and they took a chance on me.” The security guard job was for a spot on the track's backside and it is probably safe to say that there have not been many applicants like Reid. Probably few walked through the door with 'college national player of the year finalist' on it, or for that matter, 'WNBA pro' who won the league's first rookie of the year prize. Yes, that is the same award superstar Caitlin Clark just garnered after the 2024 season. “I definitely was uniquely overqualified is what they told me, but hey, any job is a good job,” she said. “I was ready to work and when I found out I was going to be on the backside at a racetrack, I had no clue what I was getting into. I had never been around horses and never been to any races in my life.” What Reid lacked in security experience she made up for when it came down to the all-important category of fostering relationships. Playing the sport of basketball from a young age to the highest level, the blue chip was used to solving problems, being a role player and learning when it was time to handle the basketball. “I had never worked a day in my life anywhere, so when I became a stable officer, it was a revelation and it was the opportunity to learn about Thoroughbreds and horse racing,” she said. “So, what started out as a seasonal position checking credentials and health certificates became so much more, as I talked to vets, trainers and learned who the owners were. I fell in love with it.” Reid (left) checking medications at Joe Catanese's Gulfstream barn | courtesy of Tracy Reid It did not take Reid long to identify with the equine athletes she was surrounded by and develop a healthy respect for the challenges that they face every day. As she says, Thoroughbreds are something that she gravitated to from the beginning. “So much of it was relatable,” Reid said. “So, I really started to get into it, and it was something that I was like, I'm glad I'm in this area because I couldn't see myself being indoors. At the time I was in rehab [for my Achilles] and trying to get myself into playing shape. I was just like one of those horses trying to get back to racing.” In fact, Reid was a blue-chip prospect out of Miami Central High School and she received an athletic scholarship to the University of North Carolina where the small forward collected a trove of hardware during her time in Chapel Hill from 1994 to 1998. Among her many accomplishments on the hardwood, the All-American was a two-time ACC player of the year and her senior season was marked by a trip to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. Before the start of the second season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), Reid was made the seventh pick by the Charlotte Sting. “The transition into the pros was so easy,” she said. “The reason why is because, and as you can see with Caitlin Clark, you're literally coming right off of your [college] season, so you haven't had a break yet, which worked in my case because I didn't have the opportunity to get out of shape and have to get into shape to play in the WNBA.” After averaging nearly 14 points a game, she was named the league's top rookie. However, Reid entered a whole new world at the end of that first year, as she was forced to manage everything from her diet to decisions about potential treatments that could help stave off future injuries. With a season that lasts only during the summer, the challenges for league members are legion. “I let the doctor in Charlotte convince me to clean out my knee,” said Reid. “I didn't feel like I needed it, but he thought that it would help me, so I skipped the chance to go play overseas. Then from there, I don't think I healed properly after the surgery. I came back to training camp the next year and got injured almost immediately. And so that was the struggle for me, as I tried to move forward in the league.” Beat down and unable to eclipse what became a series of nagging injuries, Reid would make progress by playing in Europe during the offseason. However, after three years in Charlotte where she played with the likes of WNBA legend and current University of South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley, her grinding pro career began to take its toll after stops in Miami, Phoenix and Houston. Reid said, “I've always spoken to potential athletes about my story, and counseled them about what it means to essentially be your own boss. The money is great, but what ends up happening is your body is on a clock. Coaches have their own jobs on the line and that creates a tremendous amount of pressure on you as an athlete to get back out on the court.” Tracy Reid the Miami Sol | Scott Troyanos/Allsport/Getty Images According to the former rookie who sparkled her first season, thinking about her own injuries has directly helped her understand exactly what equine athletes go through. That is why she says it is imperative for humans to do everything possible to protect a horse's integrity because no one else is going to do it. “So it's about these beautiful animals,” she said. “Here on the backside, I learned it is just like a village and it's our job to keep everyone here safe. This is such a unique security position we are in. I use my background in basketball all of the time. When people at Gulfstream found out I used to play in the WNBA, they started treating me differently and I think the level of respect that I have built comes from them knowing that I am a leader. Leaders do what they do, they lead, and I am all about treating everyone with that same level of understanding.” Reid quickly elevated her security game at The Stronach Group's track since joining the staff as a part-time employee. Leaving to coach high school for a spell, she returned when a supervisor positioned opened up, which eventually led to her becoming the security manager of the entire backside and also the training facility at Palm Meadows. Under her watchful eye during Gulfstream's Championship Meet she oversees roughly 1,530 Thoroughbreds who are spread across some 112 trainers. Reid is the floor leader of around 60 staff members, who cover everything from the stable gate to the barns to the frontside during racing. When it comes time to hiring new security personnel, she always remembers what it was like to be on the other side of the desk answering posed questions. “I don't go on resumes,” Reid said. “I'm an interviewer. I'm the type of person who forms my own opinions on my interactions with the person I'm hiring. This is a communication skills job and we are all about a team background. I'm more interested in people that work well with others because this is all about customer service. We aren't bouncers at a strip club.” With the WBNA thriving and players like Kaitlin Clark filling the seats like never before, the league's very first rookie of the year has built her own stellar career in the arena of equine security. Donning a different kind of uniform each day, Tracy Reid certainly found a home on the backside for that unique skill set that she honed on the basketball court. There is nothing like having a blue chip like her on your team. The post The Blue Chip: Former WNBA Star Uncovers Equine Security Career At Gulfstream 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-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Observations features a half-sister to Classic heroine Mangoustine. 5.40 Kempton, Mdn, £6,800, 2yo, 8f (AWT) SANDIRELLA (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) is the sixth foal out of Zotilla (Ire) (Zamindar), a half-sister to the high-class Flotilla (Fr) (Mizzen Mast) who cost just €75,000 at the 2019 Arqana December Sale and who has already produced the high-class Mangoustine (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) who emulated her aunt by winning the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches two years ago. John and Thady Gosden have charge of Imad Al Sagar's homebred, who bids to follow in the steps of the stable's subsequent G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Friendly Soul (GB) (Kingman {GB}) by capturing this on debut. The post Half to Mangoustine Debuts at Kempton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Maiden Watch: Week of Dec. 9-Dec. 15View the full article

Owner Mike Repole believes he might have the best 4-year-old in the country in his barn at the start of the new year, and that horse isn't necessarily Fierceness (City of Light). Mindframe (Constitution) has been out of sight, out of mind since finishing second in the July 20 GI Haskell S. at Monmouth. In his prior start, he was second in the GI Belmont S. While he didn't win either race, he overcame the fact that he had only two lifetime starts before the Belmont and was an inexperienced, lightly raced horse with a lot to learn. He could only get better. But trainer Todd Pletcher and Repole had to take a step back after Mindframe developed some minor problems after the Haskell. “He didn't have anything done surgically,” Pletcher said. “There was some minor bone bruising. We felt that we were running out of time to make the [Breeders' Cup] Classic and so we felt the right thing to do was to stop on him.” On Tuesday, Mindframe had his first work of the year, breezing at Stonestreet Ocala. Repole was so impressed by the colt's work that he played it on X, while adding this comment: “Look who's back!!!!! Maybe the best 4 year old colt in the country next year. Guess??? Hint…It's not Fierceness.” Look who's back!!!!! Maybe the best 4 year old colt in the country next year. Guess??? Hint……..it's not Fierceness. pic.twitter.com/ka8cshTMWz — Repole Stable (@RepoleStable) December 16, 2024 Pletcher said he would not compare the two horses. “I have a lot of confidence in both horses and I will not compare them,” he said. “They are both big-time talents and I am fortunate to train both of them.” He knows, however, that Mindframe has the potential to have a huge 4-year-old campaign. “He accomplished a lot in a short period of time,” said Pletcher, who has still another quality soon-to-be 4-year-old in Locked (Gun Runner) in his barn. “Mindframe went from a maiden to an 'a other than' to runner-up in the Belmont and the Haskell. He showed tremendous talent for a May foal. I think he proved he was one of the best 3-year-olds last year. He's a big, strong colt that you would think would improve with some more experience and maturity.” Mindframe left Ocala Tuesday and arrived later in the day at Pletcher's winter headquarters at Palm Beach Downs. He was getting nothing but positive reports from the people looking after him in Ocala. “He's responded really well.” Pletcher said. “Ian Brennan has been very high on how the horse has been training coming back. His first breeze was quite good. We anticipate he will come to hand pretty quickly like he did once he got into serious training earlier this year.” For both Fierceness and Mindframe, Pletcher has yet to map out a 2025 schedule. Repole has mentioned that he'd like to see Fierceness run in the GI Metropolitan Handicap. Fierceness is owned solely by Repole, while Mindframe is owned by the Repole-St. Elias Stables partnership. It may not be easy to keep them apart. “It's a little early to project what race they will run in first next year,” he said. “As Mike has stated, the Met Mile is an early goal for Fierceness. That might put Mindframe into a longer race around the same time. When it will be a challenge is when the Whitney comes around and obviously the Breeders' Cup Classic, too. We'll hope we'll be in a poistion to run them both in a race like that.” This is somewhat new territory for Pletcher, whose top 3-year-olds are usually so good that they are sent off to stud and don't run at four. “We're in a fortunate situation,” he said. “It was Mike's decision to bring Fierceness back as a 4-year-old. As we know from an economic standpoint, even though he'll be running in races with lucrative purses, he would be more valuable as a stallion, but Mike wants to race him again. That's fantastic for us. To have three really good horse in Fierceness, Mindframe and Locked is really something special.” The post Repole, Pletcher Looking Forward to Return of Mindframe appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The rate of racing-related equine fatalities declined for the third straight quarter, according to statistics released Tuesday by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. For the third quarter of 2024 (from July 1 through Sept. 30), the fatality rate decreased approximately 21% year-over-year, with racetracks operating under HISA's rules reporting 0.93 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts, as compared to a rate of 1.18 in the third quarter of 2023. “The consistent year-over-year declines in the racing-related equine fatality rate are a testament to the dedication and collaboration of all stakeholders in our industry,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “As safety and integrity continue to improve, we're reminded that our mission to protect the well-being of horses and riders will preserve the sport for generations to come. There's still more to achieve, but the progress so far is inspiring.” The aggregate year-to-date fatality rate for HISA racetracks (Jan. 1 to Sept. 30) was 0.85 per 1,000 starts, approximately a 36% decrease as compared to the same period in 2023. HISA submitted public disclosure requests for racing-related fatalities in Louisiana, Texas and West Virginia and received responses after releasing its own second-quarter results. During the second quarter of 2024, fatalities at racetracks in these non-HISA states amounted to 2.38 racing-related fatalities per 1,000 starts, more than triple the fatality rate at racetracks operating under HISA's rules during the same period, which was 0.76 racing-related fatalities per 1,000 starts. This story will be updated. The post HISA Reports Continued Declines in Racing Fatalities appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A 1/50th share in the Aga Khan Studs stallion Zarak (Fr) took top billing in the Arqana December Online Sale when going the way of Alex Elliott for €800,000. Of the 13 stallion shares and breeding rights offered, nine sold for a total of €1,323,000. A four-time winner when trained by Alain de Royer-Dupré, notably landing the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Zarak boasts an exceptional pedigree as a son of Dubawi (Ire) and the unbeaten G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar). Zarak stood his first season at Haras de Bonneval in 2018 and is set to command a career-high fee of €80,000 in 2025, having produced three Group 1 winners from his early crops, including this year's Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Metropolitan (Fr). Haya Zark (Fr) also struck at the top level this year in the Prix Ganay, while Zagrey (Fr) became his sire's first Group 1 winner when successful in the Grosser Preis von Baden in 2023. The share gives the right to one covering per year, plus an additional covering every odd-numbered year, meaning two coverings in 2025 followed by one covering in 2026, and so on. A 1/50th share in Haras d'Etreham resident Hello Youmzain (Fr) was the most expensive of the other lots offered at €250,000. The Broadhurst Agency's Laurent Benoit was the successful bidder. The leading first-season sire in France in 2024, Hello Youmzain has produced 20 individual two-year-old winners in Europe, including the G3 Prix des Chines scorer and G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere third Misunderstood (Fr). He will stand for a fee of €40,000 in 2025. The post Zarak Share Tops the Arqana December Online Sale at €800,000 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Rae Guest has announced that he is to cease training in January after 36 years with a licence. The Newmarket trainer told David Milnes of the Racing Post that he has sold his Chestnut Tree Stables to Jack Jones, who has rented some boxes there since he started training in 2022. Now 74, Guest, who is also a former jockey with notable success in Scandinavia, India and Britain, is renowned as a trainer of fillies in particular. He notched his first Group 1 win in the Yorkshire Oaks with My Emma (GB) (Marju {Ire}), who later followed up in the Prix Vermeille. He also trained the Cheveley Park Stakes winner Serious Attitude (Ire) (Mtoto {GB}), while his latest black-type success came with Divina Grace (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), winner of the Listed Chalice Stakes at Newmarket in August. A widely popular member of the Newmarket training fraternity, Guest hails from a famous racing dynasty. His father Charlie Guest was a jockey, as was his uncle, Joe, while another uncle, Nelson, trained. Rae's brother Richard is a Grand National and Champion Hurdle-winning jockey and former trainer, sister Jane was married to Sir Henry Cecil and later trained successfully in her own right, and another of his sisters, Sally, was a leading amateur rider on the Flat and one of Sir Michael Stoute's key work riders. Guest told Milnes, “I'm not giving up training because I don't enjoy it any more – I still love the game and some of my owners will have horses with Jack. I'll be following them and [wife] Rachel has a few mares, so I'll still be in the sport but just not the day-to-day training.” The post Group 1-Winning Trainer Rae Guest to Retire appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The breeding community lost a friend and asset last week. Annette Covault died Friday, Dec. 13, from complications of ill health that she had dealt with for several years. As the booking secretary for Claiborne Farm first and then Gainesway Farm over several decades, Covault, known to her familiars as “Netto,” provided common sense and good humor to breeders and farm managers working through the prickly process of getting mares booked to stallions in a timely manner. The stallion veterinarian at Gainesway from 2008 to 2019, Rocky Mason, DVM, noted that, “Annette elevated the horse industry; she was a consummate professional. With witty quips or prosing on the latest New Yorker article, she was always charming to be near. Annette looked after me like I was family, an attribute not celebrated enough in this world.” In addition to serving breeders and farm managers, Covault would also be called upon to advise the hapless, wandering scribe in search of a story. When an editor would peek round the corner and say, “Mr. Prospector is dead. Check it out,” the call went out. Annette Covault took those calls with good humor and would summarize the situation with a “few cogent comments,” like “He's standing up and grazing, but if you'd like to come take his pulse …” As booking secretary and general knower of things, Annette Covault looked out on the stallion paddocks at the historic nursery for more than 20 years. Born in Fletcher, Ohio, Covault did not come from horse people. After graduating college, Covault moved to Kentucky in the mid-1970s, where she initially took a job with The Thoroughbred Record magazine. The publication and its printing press were both located on North Broadway in Lexington, in a little colony of racing and breeding people. Heeding the call of her favorite horse, Secretariat, Covault moved her tack to Claiborne Farm. “Mrs. Downing was looking to retire, I seem to recall,” said Dell Hancock, “and Annette came in to take her place. Mrs. Downing thought a lot of her and described Annette this way: Annette's a Brahmin,” a member of the highest class. “She was a dedicated person, and she worked hard,” said Seth Hancock. “She dedicated her life to the work she was engaged in doing.” Dedicated, competitive, and yet with a streak of humor, Annette was recalled in this story from Dell Hancock: “After Swale won the Derby, we were standing around and feeling pretty good, and John Sosby said, 'I think I'm responsible for Swale because I take care of the farm.' Then the broodmare manager said, 'I'm responsible because I took care of the mares.' Then the foaling man said, 'I was responsible for him because I foaled the mare.' “Then Annette said, 'Well, there wouldn't have been a Swale if I hadn't booked that mare on the right day.' She thought she had trumped everyone with that. “But then Dr. Kaufmann said, 'I knew him when he was just a follicle.'” Good humor helps to leaven a world of situations, including those that arise on a horse farm and with horse people. Dealing with legendary breeders, such as the Whitneys, Alfred Vanderbilt, William Haggin Perry, and the Phippses, and working around horses like her beloved Secretariat, leading sires Nijinsky, Hoist the Flag, Danzig, and Mr. Prospector, Covault developed a cordial working relationship with these and many other owners and breeders involved in the daily process of breeding championship-quality racing stock year after year. After Claiborne, Covault became booking secretary to Gainesway Farm, and in her decades-long specialty, Covault combined the delicate mix of qualities required of the position: uncommon diplomatic tact and a salty sense of humor. “Annette brought a great reputation and years of experience to Gainesway,” said Michael Hernon, who was in charge of selling seasons at Gainesway at the time. “She was my cherished friend. Her word was her bond.” Dr. Dede McGehee, horse breeder and owner of Heaven Trees Farm, summarized her experience. “Annette, She was the best.” The post Annette Covault Passes Away appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article