Wandering Eyes

Iconic trainer Aidan O’Brien chases an astonishing 10th victory in the Group One 2,000 Guineas (1,600m) at Newmarket on Saturday and he boasts a strong hand, saddling up the two favourites in Magna Grecia and Ten Sovereigns.Both of his colts go into the feature first-up – a characteristic all nine of his previous winners shared – and they both captured Group Ones in their two-year-old season, with Magna Grecia taking out the Futurity Trophy (1,600m) and Ten Sovereigns winning the Middle Park… View the full article

Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards will line-up juveniles Folk Dress and Louis Luck in the Listed Waikato Equine Vet Centre 2YO Stakes (1100m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. Richards had earmarked the race for both horses after Folk Dress recorded her second win from four starts with an emphatic performance over 1000m at Matamata on April 17, and Louis Luck finished strongly for fifth in the same race. Richards is pleased with his runners heading into Saturday and is expecting a bold showing from the pair.... View the full article

A campaign in Queensland will be considered for impressive Pukekohe winner Nerve Not Verve after the daughter of Shocking raced away with the Haunui Farm Maiden (2100m) on Friday. Prepared by Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard, Nerve Not Verve broke maiden ranks at start number seven, having been placed on three occasions previously and was beaten less than five lengths when seventh in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m). “She ran into a very good one here last time, when second behind Intrigue, but s... View the full article

The Schick family’s Windsor Park Stud, in Cambridge, has announced the stud fees for its seven-strong stallion roster headed by triple Group One winner Charm Spirit at $18,000+GST. The son of Invincible Spirit has made an excellent start to his stud career in both hemispheres, with the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Group Two winner Aretha his best performer from his first crop to date. Hitherto the sire of five stakes performers, Charm Spirit’s Listed winning son Kick On will cont... View the full article

Owner-trainer Andrea Dickson is thrilled with a surprise victory for her gavelhouse.com purchase Pableau at Riverton yesterday. “He was entered in the 1600m but it was cancelled so we entered him in the 2147m for the run as we were not too sure how he would go over distance,” commented Dickson. Dickson purchased the son of Burgundy in January for $1,400 as an unraced four-year-old who had won a trial at two and having his fourth career start on Thursday, Pableau demonstrated his staying pr... View the full article

Disturbance will step up to a distance past 1200m for just the second time this season when he tackles Saturday's Listed Daphne Bannon Memorial Great Easter Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton. The Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong-trained gelding has long shown the potential to compete with the best gallopers in the country but has only started to fulfil that promise this autumn. Disturbance's only previous stakes placing came on the corresponding day three years ago when he finished second to Zigwig in t... View the full article

Not only does Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful Maximum Security feature an atypical past-performance line, trainer Jason Servis believes it benefits his star 3-year-old. View the full article

Veteran jockey Eddy Lai Wai-ming has pulled the pin on his career in the wake of his controversial 10-meeting suspension.The 45-year-old stood himself down from riding on March 27 after he was charged with failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to secure the best possible placing when aboard Winning Controller at Sha Tin on March 17.The inquiry resumed on Tuesday where Jockey Club stewards found him guilty and he was hit with a 10-meeting ban, backdated to when he originally… View the full article

Pukekohe trainer Nigel Tiley has experienced plenty of success in Queensland over the last few years and he is returning to the Sunshine State in a bid to collect some more winter spoils. Tiley had a successful campaign last year, spearheaded by grey galloper Megablast. The seven-year-old galloper was victorious in the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) and placed in the Gr.3 The Queen’s Cup (3200m) and Gr.2 PJ O’Shea Stakes (2200m) at the Sunshine Coast. While pleased with last year’s re... View the full article

Preparation for the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) is just as important as the pace factors heading into the nine-furlong event May 3 at Churchil Downs. View the full article

Roz Southey couldn’t resist a tongue-in-cheek comment when describing the thrill of Zed Em’s amazing win under 70kgs when leading home a New Zealand-bred trifecta in the Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) at Warrnambool on Thursday. Southey and her husband, Mike, co-bred and part-own Zed Em with their fellow Wairarapa farming friends, Bill Shannon and Craig and Jenny Booth and she says she will never forget the day, being among the massive crowd gathered at Warrnambool for the highly popular ... View the full article

At odds of 24-1, A Little Bit Me upset the $125,000 Unbridled Sydney Stakes, taking the May 2 turf sprint at Churchill Downs by a neck over favored Morticia. View the full article

Not only does Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful Maximum Security feature an atypical past-performance line, trainer Jason Servis believes it benefits his star 3-year-old. View the full article

Blue Devil Racing Stable's Come Dancing enters the one-mile Ruffian Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares at Belmont Park May 5 off a career-best effort in which she merengued to a dazzling 7 3/4-length victory in the Distaff Handicap (G3). View the full article

Top Knight shines in the Classic View the full article

Brian Dean back in Kranji winner's circle with Archie View the full article

Forever Good lands boilover win View the full article

Burridge spot-on with Lim's Passion at fifth start View the full article

Horses' body weights May 3 View the full article

Track conditions and course scratchings May 3 View the full article

Early scratchings May 3 View the full article

At odds of 24-1, A Little Bit Me upset the $125,00 Unbridled Sydney Stakes, taking the May 2 race at Churchill Downs by a neck over favored Morticia. View the full article

The imposing presence of Klaravich Stables and Bill Lawrence’s Bricks and Mortar (Giant’s Causeway) has not scared off the competition in Saturday’s GI Old Forester Turf Classic S., and the 5-year-old will have to overcome the 12-hole in the deep 13-horse group. Winning four in a row to begin his career, including tallies in the GII National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame S. and Manila S., as a sophomore in 2017, the dark bay was laid up after a third-place run in the GIII Hill Prince S. that fall and returned to capture a Gulfstream optional claimer Dec. 22. He proved his world-class ability with a convincing score in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. after that, but encountered the stiffest challenge of his career last out in the GII Muniz Memorial H. at Fair Grounds Mar. 23. Laying much closer to the pace than usual, Bricks and Mortar needed every inch of Fair Grounds’s long stretch to best 62-1 longshot Markitoff (Giant’s Causeway), who re-opposes here. Trainer Chad Brown has ample backup if Bricks and Mortar doesn’t fire. Peter Brant’s Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), winner of the GI Hollywood Derby last fall, will look to rebound from a fourth-place run in the GI Maker’s 46 Mile S. last out Apr. 12 at Keeneland. Woodford Racing’s Ticonderoga (Tapit) looks for his first stakes success since annexing the 2017 GIII Palm Beach S. and most recently was an impressive victor of a Gulfstream optional claimer Mar. 14. The only horse to return from last year’s Turf Classic is Pin Oak Stable’s Synchrony (Tapit), who was third in the 2018 renewal. The chestnut is a five-time graded stakes winner and was last seen running third while attempting to defend his title in the Muniz. View the full article

Veteran jockey Scott Stevens will be presented with the 2019 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in a winner’s circle ceremony at Santa Anita Sunday, May 19. A winner of more than 4,800 races in a 43-year career, Stevens will be joined by family, friends and colleagues, including brother and retired Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, who won the award in 1996. The Stevenses are the first pair of brothers to win the award in its 70-year history. Scott Stevens placed first among a list of five finalists that also included Joe Bravo, Kerwin Clark, John Davila, Jr. and Julien Leparoux. “I know I was there when Gary won, but honestly, it’s been so long ago, I don’t remember,” said Stevens from his base at Turf Paradise in Phoenix. “This award is so special and I was honored just to be nominated. When you think about all the great riders and the great people that have won it and to be selected by a vote of your peers … It’s really more than I can describe.” View the full article

All the rage after two incredibly easy victories to start his career last summer, OXO Equine’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Instagrand (Into Mischief) is winless in two starts as a 3-year-old and will get a reset of sorts when he goes postward as the heavy favorite in Saturday’s GIII Pat Day Mile S. at Churchill. Cruising by 10 lengths while clicking off his final furlongs in :11 flat June 29 at Los Alamitos, the $1.2-million Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream co-topper was backed down to 1-10 in the GII Best Pal S. and did not disappoint, cantering home 10 1/4 lengths to the good while getting his final quarter in :23 3/5. Taken out of training after that, he returned in the GIII Gotham S. Mar. 9 at Aqueduct and ran creditably, finishing third after chasing a scorching pace. He stretched out to two turns for the first time in the nine-furlong GI Santa Anita Derby and gave in late to be third behind fellow ‘Rising Star’s Roadster (Quality Road) and Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}). The bay drew advantageously in the 10-hole for this test, outside of the other speed. A distant second choice on the morning line is Mathis Stable and Madaket Stables’ Last Judgment (Congrats). Trained by Todd Pletcher, the $300,000 OBS April buy was fourth at 11-10 debuting against Florida-breds Dec. 29 at Gulfstream before graduating in a sharp score there Feb. 9. He handled his first route try with a victory in an Oaklawn optional claimer Mar. 16. John C. Oxley’s ‘Rising Star’ Dream Maker was on the Derby Trail after an impressive 8 1/2-length optional claiming score Feb. 9 at Fair Grounds, but failed to punch his ticket in a pair of subsequent outings, beating just two horses combined in the GII Tampa Bay Derby and GII Toyota Blue Grass S. View the full article