Wandering Eyes

Busy Clements straight into Top gear View the full article

Nothing lasts Forever, but Kuah still has Power to dream View the full article

Early scratching May 5 View the full article

Updates on stewards' follow-ups to Friday meeting View the full article

A fifth Hong Kong entry added to Kranji Mile - Citron Spirit View the full article

Members of the New York State Gaming Commission April 29 asked agency staff to survey industry stakeholders on the looming issuance of regulations restricting the use of furosemide, known popularly as Lasix, at New York racetracks. View the full article

Nine 3-year-old fillies are entered in the $250,000 Eight Belles Stakes presented by Derby City Gaming (G2), with Bob Baffert-trained Mother Mother searching for her first victory since last visiting Louisville, Ky., in the fall. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday’s Insights features a son of Group 2 winner Miss Lucifer (Fr) (Noverre). 2.00 Nottingham, Novice, £6,000, 3yo, 8f 75yT SPACE BLUES (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) had earned TDN Rising Star status when comprehensively beating the useful Private Secretary (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and the G3 Sandown Classic Trial runner-up Technician (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in a course-and-distance maiden in November, but ran out of gas when too keen on his reappearance and ended up fourth in a decent 10-furlong Newbury conditions race earlier this month. Charlie Appleby shortens up the son of the seven-furlong G2 Challenge S. winner Miss Lucifer (Fr) (Noverre) and there will be some disappointment if he fails to see off these eight rivals. View the full article

Willis Horton Racing LLC.’s Long Range Toddy (Take Charge Indy), winner of the first division of the GII Rebel S., completed preparations for Saturday’s GI Kentucky Derby with a four-furlong work in :47.80 (5/40) Monday at Churchill Downs. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.20 and six furlongs in 1:12.40. The Steve Asmussen trainee will need to rebound from a sixth-place effort over a sloppy track in the Apr. 13 GI Arkansas Derby, but a victory Saturday would make 58-year-old Jon Court the oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby. “That would be a beautiful thing,” Asmussen said. “Jon gave him such a dream trip in the Rebel. Hopefully, we can recapture some of that magic Saturday. Hopefully, we’ll have a fast track like we had [Monday] morning. He worked beautifully this morning. At this time of the year, the 3-year-olds have to step up. He stepped up big time in the Rebel and hopefully can continue to improve. He’ll need to put up the race of a lifetime in the Derby.” Gary and Mary West’s Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) put in his final pre-Derby work at Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Florida, Monday morning. “He went a mile in 1:58 and came home, I want to say, in :25 for the last quarter,” trainer Jason Servis said. “He galloped out a mile and an eighth in 2:12 and cooled out good. All systems are, ‘Go.'” Maximum Security was assigned a clocking of :53.80 for a half-mile by the Palm Meadows clocker. “They’re getting the last [half-mile] when the horse is breezing a slow mile,” Servis said. “That’s something that probably needs to be addressed at some point.” Undefeated in four starts, Maximum Security is coming off a front-running victory in the Mar. 30 GI Florida Derby. Of the colt’s training regimen of longer open gallops, Servis said, “I think it was after his second race that I took him off the rail so to speak and started doing the open miles. It’s just a maintaining thing, trying to avoid injuries that would set us back. Maybe in a fast breeze there is more risk than what I’m doing.” Maximum Security is expected to ship to Churchill Tuesday. Also working in Florida Monday was Bodexpress (Bodemeister), who sits at number 21 on the Derby points board. The Florida Derby runner-up worked five furlongs at Gulfstream Park West in 1:03.15 (1/1). “He did everything really well. He came back really fresh,” said Gustavo Delgado, Jr., the son and assistant to trainer Gustavo Delgado. “The track is a little deep today, I would say. It was an easy five-eighths for him.” View the full article

One day before Jason Servis saddles Florida Derby (G1) winner Maximum Security in the Kentucky Derby (G1), the trainer will send out another stable star in World of Trouble for the $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint (G2). View the full article

Little Red Feather Racing's Secret Spice will try to find the recipe for continued success when she headlines a field of 10 in the La Troienne Stakes presented by Inside Access from Chase (G1) May 3 at Churchill Downs. View the full article

Kaleem Shah's Bellafina, the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the May 3 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) is well drawn in post 4 for the 1 1/8-mile race that appears to be packed with plenty of pace. View the full article

In one of the more unconventional approaches to preparing for the Kentucky Derby (G1), Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) winner Maximum Security completed his serious work April 29 with an easy breeze at Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida. View the full article

Monday’s New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) meeting generated a trio of Thoroughbred rule passages dealing with equine treatment practices, safety standards, and the refinement of the state’s multiple medication violation (MMV) policy. But discussion among board members also signaled that the NYSGC is beginning to formulate what a near-future Lasix phase-out rule might look like if and when the board receives a formal request from the New York Racing Association to take up a proposal that mirrors goals set forth by a multi-track national coalition to end Lasix usage in juveniles starting in 2020 and in all stakes races at participating tracks by 2021. Any possible rule-making process for a possible Lasix phase-out in New York is likely to be different from that in other states because, as one board member noted, the NYSCG’s rules cover not only the three NYRA tracks (which have aligned themselves with the phase-out coalition), but also Finger Lakes (which is not currently part of the national group of tracks advocating to curtail Lasix usage). “I think that it’s important to get veterinary input on this. I think that there’s a lot of misconception about what this drug does, and how it is used to control exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage,” said NYSGC equine medical director Scott Palmer, VMD. “And I think the medical positions and the medical concerns have not been taken into consideration by the coalition racetracks.” It was also revealed that Palmer, in the wake of enhanced NYSGC pre-race veterinary protocols that were put in place at Aqueduct during the recently concluded winter meet, is planning a “more refined analytical presentation” about how that process works for the NYSGC’s monthly meeting in May. “The fatality rate at this Aqueduct meet was 0.88 per thousand,” Palmer said by way of summation for the Jan. 1-Mar. 31 portion of the NYRA season. “Last year it was 1.5. So we’ve got some terrific progress in that area as well.” The three rules that got voted in were: Treatment of Thoroughbred Horses Before a Race–By unanimous voice vote, the NYSGC voted to allow the treatment of Thoroughbred racehorses with ultrasonic, diathermy or other electro/medical equipment treatments up until 24 hours before the scheduled post time of a horse’s race. According to a brief written by NYSGC general counsel Edmund Burns that was included in the informational packet for Monday’s meeting, the previous rule had stipulated treatment was restricted to “24 hours before the start of the racing program, regardless of which race the horse is entered to compete,” and that the new protocol “has no effect on race integrity and has the endorsement of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association.” Helmets and Safety Vests at Thoroughbred Racetracks–By unanimous voice vote, the NYSGC voted in a requirement that “helmets and safety vests must be worn by any person” loading the horses into the starting gate or while mounted on any horse on the grounds of a Thoroughbred racetrack.” According to a summary written by Burns, the proposal also increases “the maximum weight of the safety vest from two to four pounds to permit newer vest models that provide enhanced safety.” MMV rules alignment–By a 3-2 vote, the NYSGC voted to conform New York’s mandatory minimum medication violation penalty rules “to changes in the national model rules adopted by the Association of Racing Commissioners International.” According to Burns, the previous “minimum penalty enhancement rules, adopted by the [NYSGC] in February 2016, were designed to ensure that every state imposes a mandatory minimum penalty whenever a horseperson, typically the trainer, reaches a certain level of multiple equine drug violations…. The [new] revisions will appropriately focus the MMV system on those who consistently violate serious medication and anti-doping rules and assist in developing national consistency in regard to punishment.” View the full article

Churchill Downs Inc. soon will get an answer to its question of how much Japanese racing fans will follow, and bet on, the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). View the full article

A total of 118 individuals participated in the first edition of the DerbyWars Charity Tournament to benefit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) Apr. 20. Broadcast live on the DerbyWars website with special guests and live coverage of the tournament and leaderboard, the telethon-esque coverage was enhanced with the DerbyWars chat feature, the video participation of featured guests, and ongoing Twitter conversation among players to bring a truly interactive live-sports feel to a tournament based on eight races. The event was the brainchild of Peter Thomas Fornatale, founder and host of the In the Money Players’ Podcast in collaboration with Mark Midland, Founder & CEO of DerbyWars. “We anticipated a field of 50 players and were simply blown away when we found ourselves oversubscribed with 118,” said Midland. “The response to the charity angle was fantastic and I credit Pete and JK [Jonathan Kinchen, co-host of the In the Money Players’ Podcast] for their amazing outreach and promotion.” As of Monday, donations in excess of $3,800 had been received as a result of the inaugural contest. “It has been an amazing week for all of us at the TRF. We are gratified to hear so much passion for our horses and our programs from so many new friends from the handicapping community thanks to DerbyWars and the In the Money Players’ Podcast team” said Kim Weir, National Spokeswoman and Major Gifts Fundraiser for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. “On behalf of the valiant herd of equine athletes in our herd, we offer our heartfelt thanks to Mark, Pete, JK, and all of the players and fans who participated in the DerbyWars Charity Tournament on Saturday. The money raised will directly and immediately support our care for the horses to whom we offer a lifelong promise of sanctuary, and the expanded awareness will meaningfully impact on our ability to expand the reach of our work–saving horses and saving lives.” View the full article

The TDN has polled some of the top riders in the history of the sport and asked them to answer this simple question: If given a choice of any of the 20 starters in the GI Kentucky Derby who would you choose to ride? Today, we ask Pat Day. “I would probably pick Omaha Beach (War Front). For one thing, he ran very well in his last couple of races and he showed a new dimension in dropping back and then coming on. I also liked the way he worked the other day and you can’t ignore the fact that Mike Smith picked him. I have the upmost respect for Mike and his judge of horse flesh. That he picked him would play into my decision making. His running style for the Derby is just fine. The reason why we haven’t seen any deep closers win in a while is that the better horses in the fields of late have had tactical speed. Omaha Beach is a horse that is easily placed. The other day he made a big move around the first turn to get into second and did it effortlessly. Then he was very game to hold off Bob Baffert’s horse, Improbable (City Zip). He showed that he’s headed in the right direction and it certainly doesn’t hurt that he has Richard Mandella in his corner. That’s not to take away from some of the other trainers. Not one them got to the Derby by accident. It’s a deep and competitive field and I think the horse that wins will be the horse that gets the trip. There are a number of trainers, Richard being one of them, participating this year that haven’t won the Derby. I know the indescribable joy of winning this race and I wish everybody could experience that. You have some people that have been in the game a long time that are in this Derby that haven’t won it, Richard, Bill Mott, Steve Asmussen and the first-time shooters. Not holding anything against Bob Baffert. He is unbelievably good at this and a great horseman, but he’s already experienced it. It would always be nice to see someone else capitalize on the opportunity. View the full article

It may be the Guineas in Newmarket this weekend but racing results of the past week have had minds turning to Epsom, particularly those from Sandown last Friday. The G3 Bet365 Classic Trial provided a one-two for breeders David and Diane Nagle of Barronstown Stud as Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}) led Technician (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) up the hill. The impressive winner not only gave his young sire another exciting first-crop Derby prospect but continued a fine early season romp for King Power Racing, Silvestre de Sousa and Andrew Balding. That same trio also looks set to be represented by European Free H. winner Shine So Bright (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas on Saturday. In a race so frequently dominated by the offspring of his sire Galileo (Ire), Australia has a clutch of sons going forward for the Derby at this stage, including the impressive Broome (Ire), who brushed his rivals aside with consummate ease when coming from last to first in an eight-length rout in the G3 Ballysax S. While Broome is trained by Aidan O’Brien, Buckhurst (Ire), who made a winning debut that same day at Leopardstown, hails from the Joseph O’Brien stable and has Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner The Gurkha (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Arc winner Solemia (Fr) (Poliglote {GB}) among his close relatives. Sparkling Return Two years ago, Wings Of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi ({Ire}) may have caught the Ballydoyle camp by surprise when winning the Derby at 40/1 but his half-sister Sparkle Roll (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) is already a much shorter price for the Oaks as she also graced Sandown’s winner’s enclosure on a card replete with well-bred individuals. Changing her legs a number of times on the good to firm turf, Sparkle Roll nevertheless stuck to her task in winning for the second time in three starts to record a two-length success over King Power (GB)—yes, racing for you know who, and a Frankel (GB) half-sister to the 2013 Oaks winner Talent (GB) (New Approach {Ire}). Making an eye-catching debut in that same race was the Tsui family’s Sea Of Faith (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who closed impressively to take fourth in a bunched finish for the minor placings. It has been a good spell for Sea Of Faith’s family as her full-brother Shraaoh (Ire) won the G1 Sydney Cup a little over a fortnight ago. The 6-year-old was the product of the first mating of his dam Jumooh (GB)— by Monsun (Ger) and a great grand-daughter of Height Of Fashion (Fr)—with Sea The Stars after being bought by Ling Tsui for €450,000 at Arqana back in 2011. The mare has also produced the G3 Bahrain Trophy winner Raheen House (Ire) from a repeat mating. The connections of any of these fillies going forward to Epsom appear to have Pink Dogwood (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) to fear. From the same family that produced GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire})—their dams are half-sisters—the Aidan O’Brien trainee consolidated her place at the head of the Oaks market with a determined victory at Navan on Sunday in the listed Salsabil S. King in Command It was a productive week for Kingman, largely thanks to his former trainer John Gosden. Calyx’s racecourse gallop on Friday morning settled Gosden’s mind that the Coventry S. winner wasn’t ready to be plunged straight into Classic company after ten months off the track, but he will be seen tomorrow in the race once known as the G3 Pavilion S. but now named the Merriebelle Stable Commonwealth Cup Trial. Meanwhile, the Denford Stud homebred Private Secretary (GB) followed stablemate Sparkle Roll into the Sandown winner’s enclosure for the second win of his career and King Of Comedy (Ire), a half-brother to Lady Bamford’s Prix de Diane winner Star Of Seville (GB) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), landed the same Yarmouth novice contest taken out last year by Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) en route to his Royal Ascot triumph. Brown in the Black It’s safe to say that we’ll be seeing Chad Brown back at Tattersalls in October for the yearling sales. His debut foray to Newmarket in 2017 resulted in the purchase of 12 yearlings, six of which were for Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables and included Breeders’ Cup victrix Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and dual winner Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Another sextet for Peter Brant of White Birch Farm contained the dual winner and TDN Rising Star Demarchelier (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). On Saturday, Value Proposition (GB) (Dansili {GB}), another Klaravich runner, also earned TDN Rising Star status when winning a Belmont Park maiden by 4 1/4 lengths. The Meon Valley Stud-bred colt was bought for 400,000gns—double the amount paid for Newspaperofrecord—his price reflecting his illustrious pedigree. A half-brother to Group 1 winner Speedy Boarding (GB) (Shamardal), he descends from one of Meon Valley’s three foundation mares, One In A Million (GB). W is for Victory Three European stakes winners on Sunday had their roots in Germany’s Gestut Ravensberg. The first was the stud’s homebred Winterfuchs (Ger), a son of the late Campanologist and winner of the G3 Dr Busch Memorial at Krefeld for trainer Carmen Bocskai. The colt is a son of Wunderblume (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}), whose half-sister Wurftaube (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}) notched four group victories including the German St Leger and has spawned a dynasty which includes the G1 Deutsches Derby winner Waldpark (Ger) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the G2 Falmouth S. runner-up Waldmark (Ger) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}). Among the latter’s credits as a broodmare are the champion stayer Masked Marvel (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) and G3 Prix Penelope winner Waldlerche (GB) (Monsun {Ger}), the dam of Sunday’s G1 Prix Ganay winner Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). The Andre Fabre-trained 5-year-old was not the only member of the family to salute the judge at ParisLongchamp as his stable-mate Urwald (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}), winner of the listed Prix du Pont Neuf, is out of Wurftaube’s daughter Waldjagd (GB) (Observatory). The highest compliment is paid to the family by the fact that various branches are in the hands of some esteemed European breeders. Newsells Park Stud bred Masked Marvel and in turn Waldgeist in partnership with Gestut Ammerland, while Urwald is a graduate of Andreas Putsch’s Haras de Saint Pair, and another globetrotting member of the dynasty, the GI Man o’ War S. winner Wake Forest (Ger) (Sir Percy {GB}), was bred by Newsells Park’s sister operation Gestut Fahrhof. Gestut Ravensberg has been in operation in Gutersloh for more than 100 years, with the broodmare Waldrun (Ger), founder of its celebrated ‘W’ family, joining the fold in 1949. A reduced breeding herd is now overseen by Johann Henrich Delius, grandson of founder Paul Niemoller. The stud farm has always doubled as a training centre—originally as a private operation for the Ravensberg horses, and it is now the home of Andreas Wohler’s large string. First Classic for Olave Dietrich Von Boetticher was at ParisLongchamp to enjoy the success of Waldgeist in the colours of his Gestut Ammerland, and he can also take some of the credit for the winner of the Premio Valderas (Spanish 1000 Guineas), which, along with both Italian Guineas at Capannelle, got the European Classic season underway on Sunday. The day will have been a memorable one for Patrik Olave, who, in his second full season training at La Zarzuela racecourse, saddled two fillies for the Guineas, including the winner, Udalla (Ire) (Dream Ahead). Also a winner last year at two and fourth in the listed Criterium de Languedoc in France before her home Classic win, Udalla was bred by Lynch-Bages Ltd and Camas Park Stud from the Peintre Celebre mare High Fidelity (Ger), an Ammerland-bred half-sister to the Arc winner Hurricane Run (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). The 32-year-old Olave returned to his native Spain in 2017 after stints with Shadwell Stud in England and as assistant trainer to Francois Rohaut in France and, having started out with three horses under his care, now has 24 in training in Madrid. View the full article

Jaywalk, last year's champion 2-year-old filly, makes her way back to Churchill Downs for a run at the May 3 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) for the Leonard Green's D. J. Stable and Chuck Zacney. View the full article

Days out from the 2019 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), the high opinion of Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Omaha Beach continues to dominate the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top 3-Year-Old Poll. View the full article

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program hosted nearly 500 fans at its fourth annual Open Barn and BBQ event last Friday in Lexington. Guests toured the facility and met adoptable horses. The event featured live music and dinner, with drinks graciously provided by Jackson Family Wines, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and West Sixth Brewery. After dinner, guests moved to the indoor arena, where they watched adoptable New Vocations horses in hand and under-saddle. A panel that included Dr. Elizabeth Barrett of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Jen Roytz, Executive Director of the Retired Racehorse Project, and Nick Larkin, winner of the inaugural four-star Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and the inaugural Adelaide International Horse Trials Three Star spoke, covering everything from past injuries to bloodlines. Larkin spoke on his experiences retraining Thoroughbreds and gave a mini-clinic with four of the New Vocations horses, showing the crowd how he brings along his OTTBs and starts them over fences. “This event continues to be a testimony of the growing popularity of the Thoroughbred within various equestrian disciplines,” said New Vocations’ Program Director Anna Ford. “We are very thankful for our sponsors who make it possible each year for us to open our doors to hundreds Thoroughbred lovers from all over the country who want to celebrate and learn more about this amazing breed.” New for the event was a silent auction, with unique items and experiences ranging from autographed whips and a protective Tipperary vest to a safari and exclusive dining and bourbon-tasting options. In total, over $24,000 was raised for equine aftercare, allowing New Vocations to rehab, retrain and rehome retiring Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses. View the full article

Delaware Park will open its 2019 racing season May 4 broadcasting in high definition after the track took advantage of The Jockey Club’s HD Grant Fund. Hawthorne Race Course was the first track to use the grant fund to upgrade its signal. Stuart S. Janney III, chairman of The Jockey Club, announced the creation of the HD Grant Fund at the 2018 Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing in response to findings from McKinsey & Company’s 2018 analysis of the Thoroughbred industry, which were presented at the conference. The McKinsey team found that less than one-third of all racetracks broadcast on TVG provided HD signals, and it recommended that racetracks upgrade to HD signals to be competitive with other sports following the legalization of sports betting. Through the HD Grant Fund, qualifying tracks may receive up to $150,000 to purchase or lease HD production equipment. Delaware Park President Bill Fasy said, “We expect that upgrading our signal to HD will be a welcome enhancement to our racing product, and we thank The Jockey Club for facilitating this improvement as we get set for the 2019 season.” Additional grants to racetracks for HD conversions are expected throughout 2019. View the full article

KILDARE, Ireland—It may be less than a week until Ireland’s champion 2-year-old filly of 2018 steps back onto the track for her seasonal debut in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas but at John Oxx’s Currabeg Stables there’s little hint that this is anything other than an ordinary Monday morning, despite the gaggle of cameramen in attendance. Since taking out his training licence, Oxx has seen 40 Flat seasons come and go, though it’s unlikely that the measured horseman was any more ruffled at the start of his career than he is now. Calmness pervades his yard on the Curragh and that atmosphere permeates through to Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy), trained last year with some panache by Patrick Prendergast. The only skitter-scattering in the vicinity comes from the young lambs chasing their mothers as the horses pass by on their way out to exercise. Since February, Oxx and Prendergast have worked in tandem, the former’s name on the licence, and the latter’s stable star, owned by her co-breeders Anthony and Sonia Rogers of Airlie Stud, among those horses to have moved from Melitta Stable to join Oxx’s string. “Patrick is here with me and has given me any information that I need about her and will pass comments as we go along about how she reacts to different things, but I must say she’s a pretty straightforward filly,” says Oxx as his long-term employee Stephanie Roussel warms up Skitter Scatter in the trotting ring. “She’s a bit light and she doesn’t weigh a lot so we have to be careful in that regard, to keep her thriving the best we can. All Patrick’s experience of her last year has been invaluable.” Indeed, Skitter Scatter would not look out of place among this season’s 2-year-olds, though Oxx believes she has grown a little over the winter. “Patrick tells me she has, though she has only been here since the end of January,” he says, before listing the attributes of the filly who progressed from a maiden victory over five furlongs on Dundalk’s all-weather surface last April to climb the grades with three consecutive group victories, culminating in her G1 Moyglare Stud S. win at her home track. Oxx adds, “She’s 15.2 and a nice length with a good action. She has a very economical stride. When you have good horses you’re always looking at them and wondering ‘why are they good?’, and in her case she’s not a big, strong athlete that you could pick out at 100 yards but she has a lot of good qualities. She has a grand temperament and she’s a trier, and she has a fluency in her stride. Horses with ability come in all shapes and sizes.” Oxx would know, as he has had plenty with ability through his hands over the decades, not least the statuesque Sea The Stars (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), who lit up each of the six months in which he raced in 2009, gathering a Group 1 every time he appeared, starting with the 2000 Guineas exactly ten years ago this Thursday. But all trainers know that the important thing is to keep looking forward, and no doubt the many racing fans who have followed Oxx over the years would look forward to nothing more than cheering home another Classic winner for him this Sunday. With only 16 fillies remaining in the 1000 Guineas at the five-day confirmation stage, Skitter Scatter clearly ranks as one of the leading chances, though, in typical fashion, her trainer is not getting ahead of himself. “In Newmarket, a lot depends on the size of the field and the draw, and what’s drawn close to you or far away from you. That can be a big factor in the Guineas. It’s ten years since Sea The Stars so it’s nice to come back with a live chance,” he admits. A relatively mild spring in Ireland has enabled Skitter Scatter to cast off her winter coat and she appears the picture of contentment as she whips in the Oxx string across the Curragh to an oval sand canter which has the racecourse’s magnificent new grandstand as a strikingly modern counterpoint to the ancient terrain of the training grounds. “I always find it’s tough with 3-year-old fillies in the springtime,” says Oxx, who has enjoyed this vista, bar the modern architecture, for a lifetime, his father, John Sr having bought Currabeg in the year his son was born. “For some reason they can struggle with it and then when they turn four they sail through it, but we’re pretty happy with her work and her coat has come on well. She was a bit backward for a while but she has really come on in the last month and we’re still only in the last week of April.” He continues, “Patrick has always said that she didn’t take much work, but she ran in March last year so he had her fit and then kept her ticking over between her races, which were at regular intervals through to September. It’s a little bit different this time around as she hasn’t raced since September and it’s the 1000 Guineas and it’s her first run of the season, so she has to work a bit more than he might have worked her last year. We’ve had to try to get the balance right but she is an experienced horse now so that helps. Sometimes trainers find themselves with an inexperienced horse going into the Guineas and it’s a big task for them, but she is very experienced so we have that in her favour.” Also in her favour is the fact that her trainer has a little experience of his own, as his 12 Classic winners can testify. One more would doubtless be welcomed to christen a promising new partnership. View the full article

The certified public accounting firm Dean Dorton will sponsor GI Kentucky Derby contender Tax (Arch) in all three Triple Crown races. Owned by R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch and Corms Racing Stable’s and trained by Danny Gargan, Tax won the GIII Withers S. and was most recently second in the GII Wood Memorial. “This is a great opportunity to promote the Dean Dorton brand and our deeply rooted history of serving equine clients on one of the world’s biggest and most historic stages,” said David Bundy, President and CEO of Dean Dorton. Dean Dorton’s new logo will be seen on jockey Junior Alvarado’s pants, silks and boots. The sponsorship was initiated when Reeves Thoroughbreds’ Patti Reeves reconnected with longtime friend Donna Logsdon, an employee of the CPA firm. “There isn’t a better fit for a horse named Tax,” said Patti Reeves, co-owner of Tax with her husband Dean. View the full article

Sentient Jet has announced the renewal of its multi-year partnership with the GI Kentucky Derby, GI Kentucky Oaks and Churchill Downs as the event’s Preferred Private Aviation Partner. As an official partner of the two annual races and their shared home track, Sentient Jet will host several unique experiences surrounding the weekend’s celebrations, including private travel services, special on-site hospitality offerings and the third annual Derby Day Breakfast hosted by Brand Ambassador and Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay. The private aviation company will also be the presenting sponsor of Friday’s GII Alysheba S. “Over the past decade, Sentient Jet has become deeply engrained in the horseracing community with a proud presence at many major industry events,” said Andrew Collins, president and CEO of Sentient Jet. “We’re thrilled to kick off our 20th anniversary year with the renewal of our commitment to the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Churchill Downs–three of the world’s most prestigious racing organizations–and look forward to continuing our longstanding support of the sport and all of those who dedicate their livelihoods to it.” View the full article