Wandering Eyes

Rival trainers have all but declared they could be running for second place behind a John Size juggernaut on Wednesday night with the master trainer bringing his strongest team yet to the races this season. The 10-time champion trainer will saddle up promising three-year-old Country Star in the second section of the Class Four Nam Fung Handicap (1,200m) at Happy Valley after a troubled debut three weeks ago where he ran into a number of horses. The son of Starcraft has since trialled behind... View the full article

Berry takes last, Domeyer and Team Australia win PGI Jockeys Challenge View the full article

Springboks leap to the lead thanks to Domeyer View the full article

Mister Yeoh and McEvoy spring Aussies to the top View the full article

Havlin earns first Star prize at PGI Jockeys Challenge View the full article

Bowman has world at his feet, but always has time for a jockeys challenge View the full article

Horses' body weights September 25 View the full article

Track conditions and course scratchings September 25 View the full article

Horses' test results September 25 View the full article

Kranji ready to catch England's passing star Hayley Turner View the full article

From Streaky Bay to Singapore, McEvoy sure has evolved View the full article

Berry happy to be back for another bite at the cherry View the full article

Dalgety out, Bowman earns seven points; Tesoro Privado out, Woodworth rides Southern Spur View the full article

Early scratchings September 25 View the full article

From a financial and artistic standpoint, the return of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships (MATCH) proved to be a success in 2018. Organizers will meet in mid-October to go over the numbers for 2018 and plan for next year. All indications are that the series will undergo several changes next year and likely grow. The championship came down to the final day, Saturday at Laurel, but Jessica Krupnick (Uncle Mo) held on to win the overall MATCH championship to earn a $50,000 bonus for owner Sycamore Racing V and a $25,000 bonus for trainer Tres Abbott. The final day proved to be good theater Saturday, as four horses, three of whom were running at Laurel, had a chance to either win the points title outright or finish in a tie. It will be a dramatic finish to the series, but the MATCH staff said it was even more pleased with the way the MATCH series improved handle for the races it included and helped increase field size. A series that was brought back this year after an 18-year absence, it consisted of 25 races split into five divisions. “The handle went through the roof for the MATCH races Saturday at Laurel and the series came down to the final race,” said MATCH founder Alan Foreman “You can’t plan it any better. All in all, everyone is pleased. We have gotten great comments from the horsemen. The tracks were pleased because our goal was not just to increase field size, but to increase handle and I think across the board there were significant increases to handle. I thought we brought an event to racing that it hadn’t had in a long time and was very good for racing.” There were three MATCH races at Laurel Saturday and handle for the GIII DeFrancis Memorial dash was up 199.5%; the handle for the Laurel Dash increased by 38.7%; and the Sensible Lady Turf Dash saw an increase in handle of 8.3%. The number for the DeFrancis is skewed because a quarantine issue in New York last year limited the field to four horses. This year there were eight. The series got off to a tough start as the initial races were scheduled during the week of the GI Preakness S. and heavy rains both washed races off the grass or created short fields run over sloppy tracks. Foreman said the MATCH team will now take a look back at 2018 and see what worked, what didn’t and how it can be improved upon. He said the primary complaint he heard from horsemen was that its reestablishment was announced too late, which didn’t leave time to plan a schedule that revolved around series races or acquire horses they felt would be a good fit for MATCH. He also said there is a chance that Charles Town may be added to the lineup of tracks involved and there is also a chance there will be MATCH races at NYRA, as well. “We want to hear comments from everyone, horsemen, tracks, media fans,” he said. “We want to hear from horsemen who didn’t participate and what kept them from competing. What worked and what didn’t work. What can we do better?” This year the divisions were 3-year-old & up sprint – turf division; 3-year-old & up fillies and mares sprint – turf division; 3-year-old & up sprint – dirt division; 3-year-old & up long – dirt division; 3-year-old & up fillies and mares sprint – turf division. “We have to rethink the divisions,” Foreman said. “I’m not sure the divisions we selected this year necessarily worked. The horse inventory may not have been there. I think we will tweak it next year. Some of the divisions worked, some I thought were rather weak.” Foreman said the major goal will be to figure out how to grow the amount of money available to the participants. He knows that bigger bonuses will attract more horses and better horses. “Everybody wanted to get their feet wet; now that everyone has gotten some experience, I’d like to have a bigger series, like to have more money and more money to market and promote. And we want to grow the bonus pool because that’s what stimulates the series from a horsemen’s standpoint and gets them to participate.” Foreman added that there is some chance all the races will be held at the same track next year and that Monmouth has shown an interest in being the permanent home of the MATCH races. View the full article

The Road to the Breeders' Cup World Championships resumes this weekend in a big way, with eight domestic Challenge Series "Win and You're In" races Saturday, Sept. 29. View the full article

Following Monomoy Girl's Cotillion Stakes (G1) Sept. 22 at Parx Racing, where she finished first but was disqualified to second behind Midnight Bisou, Abel Tasman moved into the best spot of any female in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. View the full article

State regulators in New York are moving to relax rules regarding claiming races established in the wake of the high-profile rash of equine deaths during the 2012 Aqueduct winter meet. View the full article

Off the charts, no question. You just have to hope that it doesn’t turn out to be off the rails, too. Indices measuring the business done at Keeneland over the past fortnight trail sparks and smoke. Pondering the state of the market before the September Sale, it had been clear that to maintain the arc set by Fasig-Tipton’s summer yearling sales would require something “fairly historic.” In the event, the market carried right on through the roof. The numbers strewn behind the world’s biggest bloodstock auction represent the statistical equivalent of splintered rafters and shattered tiles. A $129,335 average represented another 7.3% gain on last year’s record. Total turnover weighed out at $377,130,400, up a giddy 22.5% and the fourth highest ever at a sale that has, over the years, seen it all. As this table shows, the aggregate between Fasig-Tipton’s summer and Keeneland September reached a staggering $478,188,900, up from $393,161,000 last year-and $347,889,000 in 2016. These are pretty wild numbers. The cauldron, heated by a post-crash decade of central banks kindling the economy with cashflow, just keeps bubbling away. With a bunch of tax breaks now also lobbed onto the fire, the market’s biggest players were able to maintain their unflinching fidelity to a handful of mega-sires. Never in the history of the universe, of course, has a horse sale ended with each and every consignor totally satisfied. And the September median did slip back from last year’s $57,000 record, to $50,000. That was all about the second week, and perhaps echoed warning signs in the early European sales about the impact of overproduction on the lower tier. At the top end of the sale, however, it was hard to give much credence to anyone reprising the perennial complaint that the market reserves its love only for a faultless specimen. Across the opening two Books, in fact, the median rocketed from $200,000 to $300,000. Albeit with fewer sales (596 against 681), that’s as near as we can get to comparing like-with-like, after the switch from last year’s single-session Book 1 and three-day Book 2 to a four-day Book 1. The latest change of format prompted several consignors to confide discomfort in parading borderline Book 2 types alongside their show-stoppers. Some agents also seemed vexed, though perhaps their moods had simply been soured by the appalling viewing weather that lucklessly hit the eve of the sale. Who can say what these people will spend on a horse, if someday everybody leaves town without anything to grumble about? Another thing you often hear is that the rise of heavyweight partnerships has eroded the prices that might be paid if each partner were instead bidding in opposition. But this table suggests that the trend is sooner a reaction to the sheer rate of inflation at the top of the market: Year-on-year, the number of seven-figure dockets more than doubled from 13 to 27. And, as a share of the gross, the “millionaire” hips represented nearly twice the proportion of two years ago. Even rich guys, it seems, might nowadays need a little help to stay competitive amid this kind of spending. The top ten buyers have naturally been spending more, in step with the rising gross; nonetheless their share of that gross has risen, over the past six years, from 18.17% to 23.02%. One significant factor here was the return, in person, of Sheikh Mohammed after an absence of several years. Godolphin (together with its Japanese arm) edged out his brother Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell operation at the head of the spending table, committing $19,960,000 to 27 hips. Compare this with two years ago, when John Ferguson bought the Godolphin boss just five yearlings at $2,245,000. Needless to say, the industry is long indebted to the faithful support of the Maktoum brothers. Phoenix Thoroughbreds, in contrast, remain a startling novelty–but they continued their purposeful start with 21 hips for $8,790,000, the fourth highest spend, one spot behind SF Bloodstock/Starlight West with 19 at $9,315,000. Next came Ben Glass, whom I salute for including three of the four top yearlings by Giant’s Causeway among his 27 purchases for $7,775,000. This great sire only covered 48 mares in 2016, so his stock were already becoming collector’s items before his death in April. Judging from his overall shopping list, Glass seems to like a stallion who has earned his stripes. As such, this business could do with a few more of his ilk. Because we all know that it is crazy to devote so much attention and investment to unproven young sires who, in most cases, will never again stand at their opening fees. In principle, the beauty of a market should be that if you are wrong to clamber aboard the latest, newly painted bandwagon–ignoring sires of proven roadworthiness–then you will pay a price when the wheels come off, on the track. Unfortunately, however, it won’t quite work that way when so many commercial matings are chosen according to results in the ring. Lookin At Lucky (Smart Strike), for instance, has now got his breakout star to underline his extremely consistent stats in producing elite runners–but was still only able to average $59,344 for his 16 sales at Keeneland. And did the Europeans finally come stampeding for Kitten’s Joy (El Prado {Ire}) after finding the best 3-year-old colt in Europe here a couple of years ago for $160,000? Well, Shadwell bought one for $725,000, but his average came in at $107,489, i.e. their conception fee and some keep. Let’s hope his transfer to Hill ‘n’ Dale, with a wider client base and reduced fee, will bring the horse the European support he so plainly deserves. Even the young guns who hit the bull’s eye can’t seem to guarantee the attention of the feckless commercial market. The averages achieved by Bodemeister (Empire Maker) and Maclean’s Music (Distorted Humor), a year after producing GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. winners at the first attempt, were surpassed by 12 and 19 untested new sires, respectively. Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) has proved a rare example of a sire able to multiply his opening fee since introducing his first yearlings to market in 2014. Conceived at $35,000, they realized an average to place him second in the rookies’ table–and he now commands $125,000. But the horse who topped the averages that year was Trappe Shot (Tapit), who had five yearlings sell over the past couple of weeks for an average $19,200; third was Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat), whose fee has fallen from an opening $20,000 to $5,000; next came Tizway (Tiznow), likewise now a quarter of his debut fee; and then came Cape Blanco (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), since hastily discarded to Japan. Of course, there will be stronger and weaker intakes. But the sales mega-sires have generally earned their reputations on the track first: War Front (Danzig) having done so from a base of $10,000, Tapit (Pulpti) from $12,500, and Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday) from $7,500. In fairness, we had an unusually important newcomer this time in the first Triple Crown winner since the 1970s. By managing to process 47 animals at an average more than twice the advertised fee of their conception, American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) continued a debut impressive enough to make his 2019 fee of $110,000 look eminently workable. He leads a warmly received bunch of newcomers overall. Let’s take a closer look at how they fared–measured not by average per horse sold, as is conventional, but by average per horse offered. I always feel it strange that a stallion should in effect be rewarded, in terms of his sales averages, for failing to sell his least attractive stock. True, the odd RNA will only reflect the reluctance of vendors to part with such a paragon. But we all know those will be an exception to prove the rule. I’m not saying whether the market’s right or wrong about any of these. Some who are struggling to get started retain every right to become the next Into Mischief, as their fees dwindle. Because, as so many seem to forget, these horses should be going to stud in order to produce racehorses, not showponies. Among the established sires, meanwhile, the usual suspects were to the fore in War Front (Danzig), Tapit (Pulpit) and Medaglia d’Oro (El Prado). These were the top three by average, but their relatively controlled books accommodate many end-users and the three busiest American sires of 2016–Uncle Mo, Into Mischief and American Pharoah, with 253, 218 and 208 covers–duly finished the sale as first, fourth and third respectively by gross. Medaglia d’Oro managed to join them in second. These four stallions alone processed $80,720,000 of stock, or 21.4 cents of every dollar paid at the sale. In contrast with the Fasig-Tipton Select Sale, the big money was concentrated on colts. Only two of the top dozen dockets, in fact, were for fillies. So it looks as though the striking demand for fillies at Saratoga must simply have reflected a random preponderance possible in any boutique catalogue. The notion that some big investors might be contemplating a more sustainable programme for their stables in the medium term, by seeking potential broodmares, looks a rather fond one in view of the clamour for home-run colts here. Mind you, the whole point about bloodstock values is that they have their own, self-fulfilling logic. The more expensive yearlings remain, the more expensive it will be to acquire a stallion prospect off the track. It was interesting to see the Arqana August Sale, for instance, topped by a colt purchased for Ballylinch Stud. When an astute outfit so astute in its stallion recruitment takes such a punt on a yearling with a plausible page, perhaps it is time to take notice. As for the overall boom, we should not forget how faithfully this market registers the precarious loading of the economic recovery, following the crash of 2008. No less than in the markets for classic cars or collectable art, the quantitative easing decade has favoured precisely those few already blessed with the affluence adequate to this expensive game of ours. And though many of them–as we are fortunate to know, in a game that is also a great leveller–are terribly decent people, nobody can afford to be complacent when the global political landscape is so unstable. In last Tuesday’s TDN, we read how the previous day’s trade (only the seventh of 13 sessions) had already taken the sale gross past last year’s figure. But other publications, with the less gratifying duty of recording events in the wider world, had meanwhile been full of anxious commentaries on the tenth anniversary of the crash. These noted how fiscal stimulus from the incoming administration in 2009, along with cash steroids prescribed by central banks, had helped the economy to bulge again. Yet that success found voters unforgiving. For the time being, populist emotion on both sides of the Atlantic has been directed outwards, for instance in the resentment and obstruction of free trade and migration. But it may yet turn inwards. If it does, the spending of the most affluent is unlikely to remain so unfettered. You know what they say about the berries on the holly tree. The more cheerfully and copiously they grow, the harder the winter ahead. View the full article

The current New York Thoroughbred rule that mandates a minimum claiming price of 50% of the purse for any given race could soon be relaxed by a modest amount on a case-by-case basis in an attempt to allow the New York Racing Association (NYRA) to better compete for entries. The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) voted unanimously Monday to advance an amendment to the 60-day public commentary period that would tweak a rule enacted in 2012 that aimed to dis-incentivize owners and trainers from entering lame or uncompetitive horses in lower-level races bolstered by gaming-inflated purses. The proposed amendment reads as follows, with the new language added to the existing rule highlighted in bold: “The minimum price for which a horse may be entered in a claiming race shall not be less than 50% of the value of the purse for the race, unless the commission approves a request from a franchised or licensed corporation conducting thoroughbred racing for a lower minimum price for all or a portion of a race meeting. The commission shall not approve such a request unless the track has implemented increased measures required by the commission to ensure close examination of the competitiveness, soundness and safety of each horse entered in such race.” NYSGC equine medical director Scott Palmer, VMD, advocated for the rule change at Monday’s meeting, underscoring his support for the change based on other protective measures that have since been successfully incorporated to try and cut down on injuries and fatalities. “The claiming rule price ratio that we set up in 2012 was an emergency measure to address a specific situation at Aqueduct Racetrack, where there were purse-to-claim [price] ratios of up to four times the value, and it really was a tough situation there,” Palmer said. Now, Palmer added, “The circumstances are different than they were in 2012. In 2012, there was an enormous influx of money into the purse structure at Aqueduct. And a $10,000 claiming horse could be running for $40,000 purses. That was way inappropriate, and it completely distorted the normal level of risk aversion [with regard to entering potentially unsound horses]. What we’re talking about here is a very modest change. Not four times… Maybe we go [to a ratio of] 2.4 for certain races. There really are only two classes of races that NYRA has requested to make these changes in.” Palmer continued: “Also, I would say to you that at that time, there was no scientific evidence…to really prove that four times the purse-to-claim ratio was more dangerous than two [times the price]. But it seemed intuitive, we had to do something, and we did a lot of things in a hurry because we had to stop” fatalities and injuries in lower-level claiming races. Palmer said he was confident that other protective policies, most notably the NYSGC’s “out of competition scrutiny” system that centers on more detailed veterinary investigation of at-risk horses, would allow the claiming price ratio to be changed without triggering a spike in injuries or fatalities. “We have in place right now what I like to think of as an ongoing quality-control program where every single fatality is investigated…and we do real-time assessments and interventions,” Palmer said. “So it’s a constant real-time evaluation and adjustment capability that makes me believe that we can put this amendment in place without making a significant increase in risk for the horses.” This agenda item generated the most discussion among commissioners at Monday’s meeting, and the general tone was cautionary about not wanting to roll back safety initiatives for the sake of getting more entries if the end result could be harm to horses. “Believe me, I’ve studied this carefully,” Palmer emphasized. “Because I’m on the line for this, and that’s my job to make sure that doesn’t happen.” In the only other Thoroughbred-related item of Monday’s agenda, there was zero discussion among commissioners prior to voting unanimously to advance a new rule that would allow “jackpot” or “rainbow” pick six wagers at the state’s Thoroughbred tracks. This measure, like the claiming price rule, now advances to a 60-day public commentary period before a final NYSGC vote can be taken to adopt it. According to a brief written by NYSGC general counsel Edmund Burns that was included in the informational packet for Monday’s meeting, this type of bet “appeals to bettors by giving a larger prize when there is only one winning wager from a pool.” View the full article

Last year’s champion 2-year-old Good Magic (Curlin–Glinda the Good, by Hard Spun) has been retired and will join his sire at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm. The chestnut colt, a $1-million Keeneland September yearling, capped his championship season with a win in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for owners e Five Racing Thoroughberds and Stonestreet Stables and trainer Chad Brown. After a third-place finish while making his sophomore debut in the Mar. 3 GII Fountain of Youth S., he tuned up for the GI Kentucky Derby with a victory in the Apr. 7 GII Toyota Blue Grass S. Second behind Justify in the Derby, he battled the Triple Crown winner in the GI Preakness S. before grudgingly settling for fourth on a muddy day at Pimlico. Good Magic rebounded with a dominant victory in the July 29 GI Haskell Invitational. He is currently getting a freshening after a ninth-place effort in the Aug. 25 GI Travers S. On the board in seven of nine starts to date, Good Magic has three wins and earnings of $2,945,000. “Good Magic is a fantastic addition to our stallion roster,” said John Sikura, president of Hill ‘n’ Dale. “It is rare indeed for a Champion 2-year-old to retain his Grade 1 form at 3, which was witnessed by Good Magic’s narrow defeat by super horse Justify in the GI Kentucky Derby. We sold Good Magic for breeder Stonestreet for $1,000,000 as a yearling and he was a beautiful horse. I remember him as medium sized, a great mover and completely correct. Valiant, supremely talented and by Curlin–breeders will love him.” Trainer Chad Brown said of the colt, “Good Magic showed incredible talent and durability as I put him through the most demanding campaign of any horse I’ve ever trained. He’s an extremely rare colt and should make a top stallion.” View the full article

Trainer John Quinn has high hopes MGSW Signora Cabello (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) can gain her revenge on her G1 Darley Prix Morny conqueror Pretty Pollyanna (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in Saturday’s G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket. A 25-1 winner of the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot in June shortly after Phoenix Thoroughbred bought into the Zen Racing runner, Signora Cabello clawed out a neck win in the G2 Darley Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte on July 22 prior to missing by 3/4 of a length to the Michael Bell trainee and current 2019 G1 1000 Guineas favourite in the Prix Morny at Deauville on Aug. 19. “It was a fantastic run and a wonderful sight to see those two fillies duelling and pulling clear of the best that was put in front of them,” said Quinn of the Morny run. “Saturday is a different day and on a different track. I’m very happy with our filly. Her recent work has been good, so I’m expecting a big run from her.” Bell’s charge, who won when unveiled at Yarmouth on June 14, claimed her own Group 2 ring two starts later in the G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. at Newmarket on July 13 in her final start before the Morny. “The Cheveley Park S. is ‘D Day’ for Pretty Pollyanna and it looks a strong race, Signora Cabello merits a lot of respect,” said Bell. “She has been very straightforward to deal with from the word go and has danced every dance that we wanted her to since she made her debut. She had slightly immature knees in the spring, which is perfectly normal at that stage, so we had to back off her for a month and it was a bit of a rush to get her to Royal Ascot, but we have had no problems since then.” View the full article

One week after taking the lead in the race for the 2018 Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship Series overall championship, Sycamore Racing V's Jessica Krupnick held off challenges by three horses in three different divisions to secure the title. View the full article

Turgenev (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) had been second to Godolphin’s potentially classy Royal Marine (Ire) (Raven’s Pass) on debut at Doncaster 10 days prior to this start and was settled in second throughout the early stages. Allowed to stride to the front approaching the final two furlongs, the 8-15 favourite was soon clear and was eased right down to record an emphatic six-length success from Durrell (Animal Kingdom). The winner is the first foal out of Tasaday (Nayef), who began her career with Andre Fabre winning three group races including the G2 Prix de la Nonette. Also second in the G1 Prix de l’Opera and third in the G1 Prix Vermeille and G1 Yorkshire Oaks, she is a daughter of the G3 Prix de la Nonette and G3 Prix Fille de l’Air winner Tashelka (Fr) (Mujahid) who also produced the G3 Desmond S. scorer Tribal Beat (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}). Unfortunately, her yearling filly by Dubawi died this year, while she also has a colt foal by Sea the Stars (Ire). 4th-Newcastle, £5,800, Novice, 9-24, 2yo, 8f 5y (AWT), 1:40.47, st. TURGENEV (GB) (c, 2, Dubawi {Ire}–Tasaday {Hwt. Older Mare-UAE at 9 1/2-11f, SW & G1SP-Eng, MGSW & MG1SP-Fr, SW-UAE, $817,731}, by Nayef) Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $8,694. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. O-H. R. H. Princess Haya of Jordan; B-Godolphin (GB); T-John Gosden. View the full article

GSW Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal) is in good form in advance of the G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile on Sept. 29. Trained by Kevin Ryan, the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum colourbearer would be the third winner of the 1200-metre event for the Yorkshire-based trainer after Amadeus Wolf (GB) (Mozart {Ire}) in 2005 and Astaire (Ire) (Intense Focus) in 2013. A debut winner at Windsor on Apr. 30, the bay ran third in the Listed Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Rose Bowl S. going the Middle Park distance at Newbury on July 20, before his half-length win in the Gimcrack on Aug. 24. “Emaraaty Ana is a very uncomplicated horse who has come out of his Gimcrack win in good form,” said trainer Kevin Ryan. “He is fresh and well. The Gimcrack-Middle Park S. double is something that I have pulled off before and it just seemed the right way to go with him. This will be his last run of the year and he will be much bigger and stronger next season.” View the full article