Wandering Eyes

Bold Thruster fresh and ready at barrier trials View the full article

Six-furlong race more as a first-up prep run for Jupiter Gold this time View the full article

The New York Racing Association concluded its 2018 season at Saratoga Race Course Sept. 3 with the second highest all-sources handle in history, despite a summer meet that was inundated with more than 10 inches of rain. View the full article

The 2018 Saratoga racing season concluded Monday with the second highest all-sources handle in track history, despite a meet plagued by rain-soaked days. With 50 races forced off the turf, total all-sources handle generated during the meet was $659,083,459. It was $676,709,490 in 2017 when only 27 races were taken off the turf. The 2018 season also witnessed the largest all-sources handle in Travers Day and Woodward Day history, and the second largest wagering ever on opening day. On the final Saturday of the season, NYRA set another record for handle when $31,030,034 from all-sources was wagered on Woodward Day, easily eclipsing the previous Woodward Day record set in 2017 by 11.3%. Brown, Ortiz, Jr. Take Spa Titles Chad Brown earned his second H. Allen Jerkens training title with a record-setting 46 victories during Saratoga’s 40-day meet which concluded Monday. “It’s been an outstanding meet,” said Brown, who was bettering the previous record win total of 40 he set in 2016 and which was equaled by Todd Pletcher in 2017. “We’re just thankful for all the good fortune we’ve had. Saratoga always holds a special place in my heart being from the area. Being so up close with all the fans, friends and family all meet on a daily basis makes it extra special to win here. I’m just so proud of the horses that have shown up and ran so well for us. My staff of course, they deserve all the credit. They’re in here working 24-7 and making sure everything’s checked and prepared, which makes it easy for me coming to the barn every day.” Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. also captured his second title at the Spa, taking the Angel Cordero, Jr. award after riding 52 winners at the stand. “We worked really hard to win the title and now we can enjoy it,” Ortiz said. “My agent, Steve Rushing, did such a great job and all the owners and trainers who gave me an opportunity. Without them it wouldn’t have been possible. I won on a lot of nice horses this summer, I can’t name them all at the moment, but each of them was special. Diversify winning the [GI] Whitney was a top moment, but they were all special.” The meet’s leading owner was Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables with 21 victories and earnings of more than $1.429 million. Klaravich ended Michael Dubb’s four-year streak of leading owner titles in Saratoga. View the full article

Chad Brown's record-setting effort led to his second H. Allen Jerkens award for the Saratoga Race Course meet's top trainer, while jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. notched his second Angel Cordero Jr. award for leading jockey. View the full article

A sloppy, sealed track did not deter Bradshaw from breaking his maiden and becoming the first winner for his sire Sept. 3 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

SUMMERING (f, 2, War Front–Wishing Gate, by Indian Charlie), given a ‘TDN Rising Star’ nod when impressively capturing her course-and-distance unveiling July 29, returned with a more workmanlike victory to stay unbeaten in Monday’s Juvenile Fillies Turf S. at Del Mar. Dueling on a fast pace when favored in her bow, the Glen Hill homebred still had plenty in the tank to romp by five lengths. Crushed down to 3-10 off the strength of that effort, Summering wasn’t away all that great and pulled some early, but soon settled to sit a close-up second through splits of :23.57 and :48.91. Taking charge from the longshot pacesetter at the quarter pole, she edged clear into the lane and kept to her task to score by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:37.15. Lady Prancealot (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), making her North American debut, finished up full of run from last to be second. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $96,000. O/B-Glen Hill Farm (FL); T-Thomas F. Proctor. View the full article

After battling for a contested lead throughout while racing inside, Pure Sensation dug deep in the stretch to win the Turf Monster Stakes (G3) a second straight year and third time overall. View the full article

Mind Control found more while racing along the rail to hold off favorite Mucho and secure about a one-length victory in the $350,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1) Sept. 3 at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

MIND CONTROL (c, 2, Stay Thirsty–Feel That Fire, by Lightnin N Thunder), privately purchased out of a maiden win a little over three weeks ago, shook off some early pace pressure and dug in late to hold off heavily-favored ‘TDN Rising Star’ Mucho (Blame) in the GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga. Second on debut behind returning GII Saratoga Special S. hero Call Paul (Friesan Fire) July 5 at Delaware, the Red Oak Stable homebred convincingly broke his maiden next out Aug. 12 at Monmouth, after which Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables bought in. Given a 10-1 chance in this closing day feature, the bay broke well and dueled early on with ‘Rising Star’ Nitrous (Tapit) through splits of :22.96 and :45.68. Cutting the corner into the lane, he appeared likely to be overhauled by the imposing Mucho in the three path, but kept on finding to deny that one by just under a length in 1:22.99. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $238,400. O-Red Oak Stable & Madaket Stables LLC; B-Red Oak Stable (KY); T-Gregory D. Sacco. View the full article

The G2 Champagne S. on Oct. 15 is the next likely port of call for unbeaten G3 Solario S. winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Jockey Frankie Dettori had predicted a jump to Group 1 level after Saturday’s Solario, but trainer John Gosden told the Daily Mirror on Monday, “I think the Champagne at Doncaster is the logical target for him–there’s a two-week gap, so that works out pretty well–and that’s probably where we’ll head. There is the [G1] National S. at The Curragh, but it closed in June and he wasn’t put in that, because he hadn’t even done a piece of work by then. If that goes well, then we’ve got options in October.” View the full article

Grade I winner A P Valentine (A.P. Indy–Twenty Eight Carat, by Alydar) was euthanized due to complications from colic Saturday at Park Equine Hospital in Woodford County. The 20-year-old had been pensioned at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Kentucky. A P Valentine won the 2000 GI Champagne S. and was second in the following year’s GI Preakness S. and GI Belmont S. while racing for Rick Pitino’s Ol Memorial Stable and trainer Nick Zito. He was retired from racing in 2001, but was soon pensioned due to unresolvable fertility problems. View the full article

OXE Equine’s Instagrand (Into Mischief), who was the 4-1 favorite when the pool opened Friday, closed as the 7-2 favorite in the GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Future Wager. “All Others” closed as the 4-1 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sires Future Wager. The “All Others” interest opened as the 4-1 second choice Friday, behind morning-line favorite Into Mischief, who closed as the second choice in the wagering Sunday at 9-2. The pool was the second of three future wagers ahead of the Breeders’ Cup. The third and final pools open Oct. 5 and close Oct. 7 and will consist of the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic Future Wager #2 and the GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf. Complete Breeders’ Cup Future Wager results and information are available at www.BreedersCup.com/Future-Wagers. View the full article

Trainer Ed Barker earned $18,000 for winning the New York Racing Association’s first ‘Under 20’s Claiming Challenge.’ Launched in April, the contest was open to trainers with 20 or fewer horses. Those trainers were required to submit a list of horses who would be eligible to accrue points in the contest. Only claimed horses could be deleted or added to that list. Points were awarded on those horses’ performances at the Belmont meet in claiming races or when they ran in an optional claimer with a claiming tag. Barker’s roster of horses accumulated 41 points in claiming races at the Belmont meet. Robert Falcone, Jr. was second with 28 points and received a $15,000 bonus and Jim Ryerson was awarded $13,000 for finishing third with 27 points. “It was a great, innovative program, particularly for the smaller trainers at NYRA like myself who need help making ends meet,” Barker said. “I think the contest created a nice level of competition among the trainers for the prize money and it helped fill the entry box with some extra starters. It was a win-win for us and NYRA.” Martin Panza, NYRA’s senior vice president of racing operations, added, “For doing it the first time, we were pleased with the results. The contest was designed to help the small trainers and the trainers who run their horses frequently. It’s a difficult environment for them and this is a way to help keep them in business. It also rewards them and recognizes them for running their horses here with us. Ed Barker is a trainer who runs his horses and, if you’re an owner, you need trainers like that because you can’t make any money keeping your horses in the barn.” The contest will be offered again at the Aqueduct winter meet. View the full article

Every trainer with smart two-year-old colt dreams of winning the 2000 Guineas or possibly the Derby but they will now be shaking in their boots after Too Darn Hot’s scintillating performance in the Group 3 Solario Stakes. Frankie Dettori settled the impeccably bred son of Dubawi early and quickened well inside the final furlong to relegate the Royal Ascot winning Arthur Kitt to a distant second. So impressive was his performance that Too Darn Hot now heads the market for both the 2000 Guineas (6/1) and The Derby (5/1). “He’s pretty special,” said Dettori “I kept him going right up to the line because I suspect a Group 1 will be the next step. I gave him as much experience as I could. He’s put a very good field to bed in impressive fashion”. Andrew Balding’s Duretto regained the winning thread when getting on top late inside the final furlong in the Listed Chester Stakes. This was his first victory of the season but it may have been a weak event, with Duretto’s main danger Here And Now ultimately running below par. David Probert always had his charge in a prominent position and even though he edged left inside the final furlong, he won quite snugly from Mark Johnston’s Hochfield. Another horse to appreciate a drop in class was Sir Michael Stoute’s Veracious, the three-year-old filly contested the Coronation Stakes and Nassau Stakes on her two previous starts this season. Thankfully for her connections, there was nothing like the calibre of Alpha Centauri or Wild Illusion in the Atalanta Stakes. Ryan Moore tracked the leaders throughout and quickened well to beat Awesometank by just under two lengths. Afterwards, Moore told ITV racing: “She’s a really nice filly, she’s run well in two Group Ones and a stronger pace would have suited her better. “I was in front earlier than I would have wanted, but she can only win and there was a bit left in the tank at the end. “She’s a very honest filly, she just doesn’t do a whole lot when she gets to the front”. Archie Watson Celebrates Soldiers Call Royal Ascot WinIt was a red-letter day for fledgeling trainer Archie Watson who trained his first Group winner when his Royal Ascot winning Soldiers Call cosily landed the Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg at Chantilly. The Lambourn based trainer who was previously assistant trainer to William Haggas started out with just three horses in his harness and is having a fantastic season thus far. Soldiers Call is the flag bearer for the yard, following this Group success and a Royal Ascot win. Archie said: “We’ll consider the Flying Childers now and both Soldier’s Call and Listed winner Shumookhi are in the Abbaye, where they’d get a lot of weight from the older horses, but Churchill Downs is the main end-of-season plan for him”. There was more success on the International front on Sunday with Saeed Bin Suroor’s Best Solution landing his second Group 1 of the season under Pat Cosgrave in the Longines Grosser Preis von Baden. After winning Germany’s most prestigious race Suroor said: “I really have only three good horses in my stable: Thunder Snow, Benbatl and Best Solution – the rest are just horses,” he said. “These three are my leaders and they’ve run well for me in Dubai, in Europe and will hopefully do so in America and Australia as well.” Roger Varian’s Defoe finished a creditable second on his return from a layoff and he said of his stable star: “He ran a nice race and I think the lack of pace leading to a sprint in the short straight didn’t help him. “We’ll take him home and make a decision about where to go next, there are no firm plans. He’s very talented but he’s always better on softer ground.” The post Weekend Review – Take Cover From Gosden’s Next Superstar Who’s Just Too Darn Hot appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

COMPLEXITY (c, 2, Maclean’s Music–Goldfield, by Yes It’s True) took all the play for his debut on closing day at Saratoga and ran to the money with an impressive score to earn ‘TDN Rising Star’ honors. Showing a string of sharp local breezes, culminating in a 1:00 2/5 (3/18) five-furlong move Aug. 26, the $375,000 Keeneland September graduate was backed down to 85 cents on the dollar and broke about a length slowly from his inside draw. Quickly recovering and punching through at the rail under his own power, he dictated terms through splits of :22.14 and :45.02. Looking like a winner all the way, he shook clear approaching the lane and never faced a serious threat, coasting home five lengths to the good of longshot Harvey Wallbanger (Congrats) in a sharp 1:09.78. The winner is the third ‘Rising Star’ at the meet for Klaravich Stables and runaway leading trainer Chad Brown, following up Feedback (Flatter) and Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). He is a half to fellow ‘Rising Star’ Valadorna (Curlin), GSW & GISP, $560,920. His unraced dam is responsible for a yearling filly by Astrology and foaled a Curlin filly this season before visiting Pioneerof the Nile. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $51,000. O-Klaravich Stables Inc.; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. View the full article

LA TESTE DE BUCH, France—A Grade I winner from the 2016 sale and a Group 1 entrant from last year’s graduates are just two of the factors which will boost the confidence of the Osarus team heading into the September Yearling Sale, which starts its two-day run today. Fatale Bere (Fr), from the first crop of Pedro The Great, became her sire’s first top-level winner when landing the GI Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 19. Her brother is among the draft of Haras de la Haie Neuve, which stands the 8-year-old son of Henrythenavigator, and he is set to sell for breeder Jean-Luc Rouxel as lot 275, just five lots before the close of the sale tomorrow. There should be plenty of action to come before then, and indeed the spacious parade grounds at La Teste de Buch racecourse played host to plenty of yearling inspectors on Monday, including trainers Mark Johnston, Archie Watson and Jean-Claude Rouget, as well as Peter and Ross Doyle, who are visiting the Osarus sale, close to Bordeaux, for the first time. The Middleham Park Racing team of Tim and Tom Palin and Mike Prince are also in France and on the hunt for the next Boitron (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), who was bought from this sale last year by Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International and Sylvain Vidal for €45,000. The first horse to run in the partnership of prolific French owner Gerard Augustin-Normand and Middleham Park Racing is now unbeaten in three races, most recently scoring impressively in the listed Denford S. in mid-August. Trained by Richard Hannon, he is now likely to be supplemented for the Vincent O’Brien National S. on Sept. 16. Along with the recent stakes performers, last year’s sale can also boast of 33 individual 2-year-old winners to date this season, the most recent addition to the group being Australien (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), a winner at Pornichet on Friday and one of 17 purchases by Con Marnane at the sale last year to make him the leading buyer. ‘King Con’ was one of the first to arrive at the sale and was busy on Monday perusing this year’s offerings with his wife Theresa and daughters Amy and Olivia. In the years since the September Yearling Sale was first staged in 2008, plenty of improvements have been made to the stabling and viewing facilities at La Teste de Buch. It has less swank than France’s premier yearling auction in Deauville but it offers a viable alternative selling option for the rising number of domestic and international breeders taking advantage of the resurgence in the French breeding industry, not to mention the generous premiums on offer for owners and breeders of French-bred runners. New on the consignors’ list this year is a draft name that will be unfamiliar to some, though the man behind it is known to many. Guillaume Vitse, former manager of Guy Pariente’s Haras de Colleville for 11 years, is now operating his own business with his wife Camille under the banner of Normandie Breeding, which offers four yearlings over the next two days. “The opportunity came up to buy our own farm at Beuvron-en-Auge close to our home and it seemed the right time in life to do it,” said Vitse. “It was a pleasure to be at Colleville for the rise of Kendargent. That was very exciting, and the French stallion market is very strong now, so I’m doing what I love—breeding horses and boarding mares for clients—right in the heart of Normandy, which was why we decided on the name.” The first of the Normandie Breeding draft to go through the ring this week is lot 10, La Chambotte (Fr), a filly by Wootton Bassett (GB) and the first foal of the four-time winner One And Only (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}). Vitse’s former employer, Haras de Colleville, also has four yearlings catalogued, all by resident stallions Kendargent (Fr) and Galiway (GB). They include lot 7, named Norwegian Sir (Fr), a brother to Kenadargent’s listed Prix Marchard d’Or winner Princedargent (Fr) and a half-brother to another stakes winner, the five-time scorer Private Jet (Fr) (Aussie Rules {GB}). By the end of play last year, just over €4 million had been traded for 201 yearlings sold (including private sales) at an average of €21,674 and median of €16,000. A slightly larger catalogue has been formed for this year’s sale and after withdrawals, 264 will be offered over the next two days, starting from 1pm local time today. View the full article

As a lover of quality two-year-old racing, the action at around 3:30 last Saturday was something of a treat for me, with two wide-margin maiden race winners and ‘TDN Rising Stars’ proving similarly impressive when they stepped up to Group 3 company. Firstly, the Round Tower S. at The Curragh was taken in very dominant style by No Nay Never’s substantial son Ten Sovereigns (Ire) and then the Solario S. threw up a potential Classic winner when the regally-bred Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) forged four lengths clear of the Chesham S. winner Arthur Kitt (GB) (Camelot {GB}). These eye-catching victories led to some significant changes to the Racing Post‘s list of the year’s top juveniles, with Too Darn Hot taking over the top spot with a figure of 118, 2lb above Kingman’s sidelined G2 Coventry S. winner Calyx (GB), who has also won his first two starts in style. Ten Sovereigns has been given a figure of 113, which places him third equal among the 2-year-old olds, equal with the Coventry S. second and G1 Phoenix S. winner Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). It is worth adding that the next colt on the list, on 112, is the G2 Superlative S. winner Quorto (Ire), who shares the same sire, Dubawi, as Too Darn Hot. Too Darn Hot has such an illustrious pedigree that it’s hard to find anything new to say about it. With Dubawi as his sire, the international Group 1 winner Dar Re Mi (GB) as his dam and the celebrated broodmare Darara (Ire) as his second dam, Too Darn Hot is a full-brother to those very talented fillies So Mi Dar (GB) and Lah Ti Dar (GB). Anyone thinking of backing Too Darn Hot for the G1 2000 Guineas should note that So Mi Dar never tackled a distance shorter than a mile and a quarter after the age of two, while Lah Ti Dar is unbeaten in three starts from 10 to 12 furlongs. Too Darn Hot also represents the remarkable Dubawi-Singspiel cross which has produced 10 black-type winners from a total of only 30 foals–a terrific 33%–with the Group 1 winners Left Hand (GB) and Wuheida (GB) and this year’s Group 2 winner Old Persian (GB) among them. Again, it should be noted that Left Hand’s group victories came over 10 and 12 furlongs, while Old Persian’s Group 2 successes were both gained over a mile and a half. Rare Rhythm (GB) landed his Group 3 victory at Meydan over a mile and three-quarters. Even Wuheida’s wins in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and G2 Dahlia S. were gained over a furlong more than a mile, as was the listed race won by Crystal River (GB). There are a couple of exceptions to this general rule, though, as Laugh Aloud (GB)’s stakes successes have been gained at around a mile and Majestic Dubawi (GB) was speedy enough to become a six-furlong Group 3 winner at two. Moving on to Ten Sovereigns, the question is whether a mile will suit a son of No Nay Never, a horse who was never asked to tackle more than seven furlongs during a career which stretched only to six starts. His solitary effort over seven furlongs was probably a career low for a horse who shone in winning the G2 Norfolk S. over five furlongs and the G1 Prix Morny over six. Anyone who backed No Nay Never to win the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint over 6 1/2 furlongs will remember that he looked like justifying favouritism until he was run down by Bobby’s Kitten (Kitten’s Joy) close home. This perception that No Nay Never had distinct stamina limitations is strengthened by the fact that his sire Scat Daddy has also been represented in Europe by such precocious speedsters as Lady Aurelia, Acapulco, Caravaggio, Sioux Nation, Scitter Scatter, So Perfect, Van Beethoven and Sergei Prokofiev. However, this impressive collection represents only one aspect of Scat Daddy’s talents, as we have seen from this year’s Triple Crown exploits of Justify, and from the American-raced fillies Daddys Lil Darling, Lady of Shamrock, Dacita (Chi) and Harmonize, all of whom stay at least a mile and a quarter. No Nay Never started his stallion career at a fee of €20,000 in 2015, before Scat Daddy had enjoyed most of his European success (Acapulco won the G2 Queen Mary S. in June 2015 but her win was too late to help No Nay Never in his first season). By Coolmore standards, No Nay Never wasn’t rushed off his feet, with a book of 118 mares, compared to the 157 mares covered by Australia, another Coolmore newcomer. No Nay Never ended up with a first crop of 88. His second, from a book of 154, is quite a lot larger. By the time No Nay Never’s first crop reached the yearling sales, Scat Daddy’s reputation as a wonderfully effective stallion had been justified time after time and buyers were happy to pay many times No Nay Never’s fee to obtain his most promising youngsters. The colts sold for up to 850,000gns, the fillies for up to 420,000gns and his overall average exceeded 114,000gns. I must admit that I wondered whether this was another example of yearling-sale hype. There’s usually an example every year, when demand for a new stallion’s stock seems to be out of proportion to his fee, and quite often the bubble bursts when the youngsters start to race. This time, though, the hype is proving well justified. In addition to Ten Sovereigns, No Nay Never has been represented by the Group 2 winner Land Force (Ire) (RPR 111) and the Group 1-placed The Irish Rover (Ire) (RPR 109), as well as the above-average performers Neverland Rock (GB), Cosmic Law (Ire), Servalan (Ire), We Go (Fr) and North Wind (Ire). He also has a black-type winner on dirt in the U.S., where Mae Never No (Ire) won the five-furlong Colleen S. at Monmouth Park in August by seven lengths. What must be especially pleasing for the Coolmore team is that No Nay Never, whose pedigree is free of Sadler’s Wells and Danzig, is shaping up as a valuable outcross for Ireland’s large numbers of Danehill line mares. As many as six of his eight black-type earners are out of mares by sons of Danehill. The Irish Rover and We Go are out of Danehill Dancer (Ire) mares, while the Group 2-placed Neverland Rock has a Fastnet Rock (Aus) dam. The Group 2 winner Land Force is out of a Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) mare and the listed winner Servalan has a dam by Oratorio (Ire). Ten Sovereigns completes the sextet, as he is out of a daughter of Exceed And Excel (Aus). The fact that Exceed And Excel did his winning at up to seven furlongs would normally sound alarm bells when assessing a son of No Nay Never as a 2000 Guineas candidate, but Ten Sovereign’s dam Seeking Solace (GB) was not a typical daughter of the speed-oriented Australian stallion. Seeking Solace raced seven times for Andre Fabre in France and this Darley homebred never tackled less than a mile and a quarter as a 3-year-old. After winning over a mile and a quarter on her seasonal reappearance, Seeking Solace raced exclusively in black-type company, notably finishing a two-length fourth in the G3 Prix Penelope and a length second in the Listed Prix de la Seine over 11 furlongs. Seeking Solace was clearly useful, but it was quickly decided that she was surplus to requirements at the huge Darley operation and she was offered for sale at the Tattersalls 2011 July Sale, carrying her first foal, by Halling. BBA Ireland secured her for 65,000gns. Seeking Solace’s dam Flamelet was culled by Darley the following year, when she sold for only €7,500 as a 12-year-old. Ten Sovereigns is Seeking Solace’s fourth foal, second starter and first winner, but the mare’s record looks set to improve significantly as her 2017 and 2018 foals are sisters to Ten Sovereigns. The first of them is in Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale. Seeking Solace’s story raises two questions. Why did she stay so well for a daughter of Exceed And Excel? And why was she not considered good enough for retention by Darley? The answer to the latter question is that standards are very high in the Darley/Godolphin breeding operation. Although Ten Sovereigns’s first three dams all earned black-type, none of them quite managed to win a group or listed race. As to Seeking Solace’s stamina, I am surprised that she stayed so well. Although her dam Flamelet managed only three starts for Sheikh Mohammed, she nearly became a Group 3 winner when a close second in the Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial over a mile. The chances are that this daughter of Theatrical would have stayed further, as her family produced Labirinto, a well-travelled Group 3 winner over a mile and a half, to Theatrical (Ire). Flamelet failed to produce a black-type winner but Ten Sovereigns’s third dam, the Capote mare Darling Flame, was second in the G3 Cherry Hinton S. at two and now ranks as the second dam of two good fillies by Dubawi. Interestingly, neither stayed well, with the Australian Group 1 winner Shamal Wind (Aus) shining at around six furlongs and the Group 2 winner Al Thakhira (GB) doing best over seven furlongs. View the full article

The fourth conference of the China Horse Owners Alliance was held on Aug. 30 at the Yulong International Hotel. Zhang Yuesheng, owner of Yulong Horse Group, was elected as the chairman of the CHOA, while a new race was also announced: the 1600-metre, 2 million RMB ($300,000) Chairman Cup, to be held in 2019. The purse dwarfs that of the 1.75-million RMB ($256,000) Chengdu Dubai International Cup and the former 1-million RMB ($146,000) Inglis China-Australia Cup. The Yulong Autumn Sale was held the following day. The majority of the 174-horse catalogue were Thoroughbreds, with an additional 33 horses such as Akhal-Teke horses, warmbloods, Arabian horses, ponies and Friesian horses. In total, 173 lots were offered and 87 sold, delivering a 50.3% clearance rate. The turnover is 19.6 million RMB ($2.87-million), which is 6.6-million RMB more than the Yulong Thoroughbred Sale in May. Eagles Cleaved Sky (Aus) (lot 47), a 4-year-old colt by Purrealist (Aus), is the highest-rated horse in the Yulong Jockey Club. He was offered for sale but failed to reach his reserve at 1.8-million RMB ($270,000). The defending champion of the China-Australia Cup was confronted with the first rainy raceday of the Yulong International Racing Tournament since 2017 and was defeated by Club Star (Aus) (lot 52), a 7-year-old son of Starcraft (NZ). The sale topper was Guan Yi Zhan Shen (Aus) (lot 11), a 3-year-old colt by Sepoy (Aus) sold for 750,000 RMB ($110,000) to Mr. Chen Hongwei, who is also a horse owner in the Hong Kong Jockey Club. But the topper’s thunder was stolen in the inaugural 800,000 RMB ($117,000) Inglis Cup by the bought-in Ji Di (Aus) (lot 19). The 3-year-old son of Artie Schiller is owned by Yulong and the winner’s prize of 500,000 RMB eclipses the 420,000 RMB at which he was unsold. With purses of 2.8-million RMB ($400,000), the Sept. 1 raceday is the richest in mainland China. The first two races, the Inglis China-Australia Cup and Inglis Cup, are sponsored by Inglis. Andrew Munce, the COO of Inglis, attended the meeting and said, “Mr. Zhang has been a great supporter of our company in Australia and we express our great thanks to him. We would also like to express our thoughts and congratulate him on the amazing job he’s done up here, building this complex. This racecourse is amazing and world-class and as good as anywhere else in the world.” The third race is the 200,000 RMB ($30,000) Tattersalls European 2YO S. The fourth and fifth races are both worth 600,000 RMB ($88,000) and sponsored by Yulong. These two races are the Yulong Breeders’ Cup and the Yulong Derby. The last race is a 100,000 RMB handicap (1800m) won by Group 3 winner Excess Knowledge (GB) (Monsun {Ger}). View the full article

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities has appointed Dr. Terry Wan as chairman of its Advisory Council on Equine Prohibited Substances and Practices, and Dr. Ludovic Bailly-Chouriberry as vice president. Wan is chief advisor of Doping Control for the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and Bailly-Chouriberry is the director of Laboratoire des Courses Hippiques. “Ensuring the quality and fairness of racing in the interest of all industry stakeholders is the most critical mission of the IFHA,” said IFHA Chairman Louis Romanet. “Our Advisory Council is the peak body to advise racing authorities on best governance for doping control, to provide recommendations on benchmarks for testing and standards of research, and to promote ways of attaining international uniformity in these areas.” “We are extremely fortunate to now have two of the foremost leaders in the research of equine prohibited substances to guide the Advisory Council. Dr. Terry Wan and Dr. Ludovic Bailly-Chouriberry have served on this group for many years, both being directors of two of the most cutting-edge analytical laboratories in the world, with Dr. Wan only recently retiring from that role. Both the Hong Kong Jockey Club Racing Laboratory and the Laboratoire des Courses Hippiques are among the five analytical laboratories that were appointed as IFHA Reference Laboratories in 2017, a testament to their scale of operations, resourcing, research activity and capability to detect the use of prohibited substances, including the major doping agents.” View the full article

Alberto Sanna gets a golden opportunity to impress champion trainer John Size when he partners debutant Red Warrior at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. Size is the trainer most affected by Joao Moreira’s move to Japan after the duo combined for 52 winners from 193 rides last season. But the Magic Man’s departure opens up opportunities with Hong Kong’s leading stable and punters were keen to see who would be granted the prized rides. Size saddles up his first two runners of the... View the full article

Here we address your thoughts, questions and statements from the previous meeting. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost Must say the jockey ranks [look] badly depleted – @Rodney2351965 It is no secret the riding roster is going through a rebuild with Zac Purton the only bona fide star on the books at the moment. That is what happens when so many established names depart at once. The Jockey Club will add one more rider in October – Silvestre de Sousa is the odds-on... View the full article

Eastern invader Ride a Comet, third in the Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga Race Course a month ago, made an auspicious West Coast debut Sept. 2 with an impressive come-from-behind victory in the featured $250,000 Del Mar Derby (G2T) at Del Mar. View the full article

Seconds after the horses in Del Mar’s 10th and final race crossed the finish line, gunshots were fired outside the track’s fountain admission gate, according to numerous reports. The incident, which was recorded on TVG’s on-site broadcast, sent many racegoers scrambling and seeking safety. TVG’s Todd Schrupp, who was heard on the television broadcast repeatedly exclaiming “Gunfire at the track!” during the gallop out of the 10th race, later took to Twitter to share details of the event. “The racetrack has always been refuge from realities of our World, today shortly after last race at Del Mar Racing, several shots were fired yards from our TVG set during brawl outside Fountain admission gate,” Schrupp wrote. “Police quickly locked down situation.” A subsequent report from San Diego’s CBS News 8 revealed that a man waiting in line to attend a post-race Ice Cube concert pulled out a gun and fired it three times into the air, prompting sheriffs to tase the suspect. When he did not cease his aggression after the tasing, the sheriffs opened fire and wounded the suspect, according to witnesses. While there were no confirmed reports of additional injuries at the time of publication, TVG confirmed that all of its personnel were safe and accounted for. At 10:22 p.m. ET, Del Mar Racetrack tweeted, “The situation has been contained. The concert is moving forward as planned.” View the full article

Michael Langford's Limation wasn't exactly the face the Harrah's Louisiana Downs crowd was expecting to cross the wire first in the $300,000 Super Derby (G3), but cross it he did. View the full article