Wandering Eyes

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Nearly 35 years ago, as a young Kentucky-bred journalist fascinated with the Thoroughbred industry, I thought I knew a bit about the world’s most famous horse race. Then I met Jim Bolus and John Asher. They were a pair of walking Kentucky Derby encyclopedias, able to recall with little effort every fact, figure, nuance, story, tale and myth surrounding the race. To be in their presence was awe-inspiring; to become friends with both was life impressionable. Jim, a noted turf writer and “unofficial” Derby historian, had a heart attack and died while jogging in May 1997. He was 54. That same year, John, a five-time Eclipse-Award winning broadcast journalist, joined the staff at Churchill Downs. John died Monday while on vacation in Florida at age 62. As much as John knew about the Derby, it was something else about him that really impressed me: He wanted everyone to love the Derby as much as he did. And if that meant speaking to a group at midnight while standing on his head, well, I believe John would have done it. As director of communications for Churchill, John simply felt it was his duty to spread the word about the Derby. And he was the perfect guy for the job. Affable, lovable and outgoing, while possessing a great radio voice that mesmerized his audience every time. Easy going, funny and unpretentious, while able to enthrall and captivate every group, from school kids to senior citizens. John could speak about the Derby with ease to insiders and those who wouldn’t know a horse if it was standing beside them. And he did. That was the quality that made John so special and unique. He was so comfortable among both the insiders and the outsiders. Part of his job–perhaps the part he enjoyed the most–was spending time on the backside with owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys, grooms, hotwalkers, vets, etc. Part of his job was dealing with the media, both those like myself, from trade organizations, and those from non-mainstream sports publications. And then, of course, part of his job was being the public face of the company. My contact, obviously, was as a member of the media. Interestingly, John had a big impact on me in that regard. Nothing to do with writing or editing, but in helping me understand the larger picture outside my sheltered world of reporting to those who already knew the industry. One Derby week John asked if I would be kind enough to appear live from the backside one morning on two national television shows whose audiences would mostly be comprised of people who knew nothing about horse racing or the Derby. That afternoon, John asked how the interviews had gone. “Seemed fine,” I said, “but no clue why those shows wanted someone to talk about the Derby.” “What did you think about last year’s Derby broadcast?” John shot back. “You know what I always say John,” I replied. “More fluff than I need.” And that was his point. As an insider, the telecast is not geared to me. Just like the shows I was on were not geared to racing fans. As someone who wrote for an industry trade, I was all about reporting to that group. John’s job was not just about the insiders, but the outsiders as well. John’s job was to sell the Derby–to everyone, to anyone; whoever would invite him, whoever would listen to him. And it is hard to imagine anyone better at it than John. As an aside, a few years ago, my youngest son, Ben, was attending Western Kentucky University. There he met, and became close friends with Erin Asher, one of John and Dee’s three children. It gave John (who was a proud WKU alum) and I an even closer connection, something we discussed many times, including at a party our kids threw together following their graduation ceremony. Of course, even that day, as we both burst with pride, our conversation invariably turned to horses, the industry, and the Derby. While watching last year’s Derby, I thought about Bill Nack, the former Sports Illustrated writer and Blood-Horse contributor who had passed away just a few weeks prior to the race. He was another person who possessed a wealth of Derby knowledge. This year, when they play My Old Kentucky Home, I will think of John Asher, a cherished friend and the person who made me see the Derby in a different light. I expect there will be people tuning in who would have never witnessed a Derby had it not been for John. Churchill Downs disseminated a series of remembrances of John Asher Tuesday afternoon. Edited comments follow: Trainer Norm Casse: “John Asher was the only person I knew that loved Louisville, Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby more than me. He was Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby and they will never be the same. I have looked up to him my entire life and I will miss him dearly.” Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey: “John was an irreplaceable guy. Nothing meant more to him than the Kentucky Derby, the Churchill Downs community, the Louisville community and the racing community throughout. Nobody loved the Kentucky Derby any more than he did. He was a statue for what racing and the Kentucky Derby meant. He’ll be sorely missed.” Journalist Tim Layden (Sports Illustrated): “It’s incredibly sad that John Asher is gone. He was as cheerful and kind and upbeat as anyone I’ve been around in four decades as a journalist. A good, sweet man and with a radio baritone you could never un-hear.” Track Announcer Travis Stone: “I will never forget one particular time John Asher called me: It was a cold, rainy December evening. I was in New York City changing trains. He said, ‘How do you feel about moving to Kentucky?’ From a personal and career perspective, a more significant phone call I will never receive. Perhaps it’s selfish of me to say this now, but I hope I shared with him how much that call and his subsequent visits, texts and calls helped me to feel welcome not only at Churchill Downs, but Louisville as well. If not, his passing reminds me of my responsibility to do the same for others.” Trainer Chuck Simon: “John was just a great person. When I first started training in Kentucky I didn’t know that many people and used to hang out with (late track announcer) Luke Kruytbosch who was my friend from Arizona. Back then, Luke was stationed near the old Press Box and Gold Room for the big players and John was always around. He always took the time to come over and talk to me every time he saw me and ask how my horses were and if I had anything that he could include in a press release–knowing that free press is a godsend for a new trainer starting out. He barely knew me yet he was trying to help me out. Few people I ever met were as naturally kind as John Asher was.” Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day: “John was a great guy–a sweet, sweet guy and dear friend. He helped me out a number of different times and situations. He was always affable and always upbeat and always a joy to be around. If you ever had any questions about the Kentucky Derby, you’d call John. He was a walking encyclopedia. What a great guy. It really took the wind out of my sails.” Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer: “So heartbroken. The world knows John Asher as the voice of Thoroughbred racing and its No. 1 fan–and he was the best. I also know him as a strong community leader fighting for those who have little. I will so miss his presence at Churchill Downs and the streets and boardrooms of Louisville where his total humanity shone like a brilliant first Saturday in May. Rest in peace, brother.” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “As a legendary voice in Kentucky’s Thoroughbred racing community, I got to know John during my many visits to Churchill Downs. His enthusiasm and knowledge of the storied race track and the Kentucky Derby was impressive. Elaine and I send our condolences to his wife, Dee, and his family, and to all of those who knew and loved him. John will be sorely missed.” View the full article

The 2017 running of the GIII With Anticipation S. was won by a horse named Catholic Boy (More Than Ready), who has since gone on to become that rare runner with Grade I victories on turf (Belmont Derby) and dirt (GI Travers S.). Whether any member of the field signed on for the Wednesday feature during closing week at Saratoga remains to be seen, but there appears no standout in what feels a wide-open renewal. It has been a fantastic meeting for New York-breds in graded stakes at the Spa and Empire-breds have also left their mark in the With Anticipation. Startup Nation (Temple City) proved too tough in 2014 and Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown) will be well backed to follow suit. The bay colt, a distant seventh in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden that was rained onto a sloppy main track July 23, took full advantage of his chance in a rare nine-furlong test last time and careered away from the opposition to graduate by an impressive eight lengths. Irad Ortiz, Jr. takes over in the saddle from brother Jose. The latter sticks here with Amerman Racing homebred Joyful Heart (Kitten’s Joy), who finished a debut second to Swamp Rat (Hat Track {Jpn}) in a six-furlong tilt downstate June 17 before leading throughout to annex a similar heat by 2 1/4 front-running lengths July 8. The course has been carrying speed of late and the gray should be on or near the lead here. Swamp Rat has one run since his maiden-breaker, a runner-up effort in the Skidmore S. over 5 1/2 panels Aug. 17. In the 13 previous runnings of the With Anticipation, no fewer than six winners were making their first trips to the winner’s circle. Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the race five times, including the maiden winner Azar (Scat Daddy) in 2015, and sends out a pair of runners here. Opry (Declaration of War) ran on gamely through the final furlong to finish third, beaten a half-length, in a seven-furlong race originally scheduled for the grass Aug. 11. Out of a half-sister to Grade III-winning turfer White Cat (Mountain Cat), Opry’s sire accounted for 2017 With Anticipation second Irish Territory (Ire). View the full article

DONCASTER, UK—On the eve of the Goffs UK Premier Sale, Managing Director Tony Williams had spoken with cautious optimism of his hope that the company’s leading yearling auction would take another step forward this year. Bettering the previous sale record by £100,000 can be seen as a leap rather than a mere step and in the £380,000 session-leading first-crop son of Gleneagles (Ire) there was widespread anticipation that this would be a colt to lead the flagship Doncaster sale into new territory. The Goffs UK team didn’t have long to wait to see if its determination to persuade Julian Dollar of Newsells Park Stud to consign the half-brother to listed winner Al Malhouf (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) to the Premier Sale would pay off. In at lot 20, the free-moving bay glided around the ring alongside Newsells Park’s yearling manager Gerry Meehan, not putting a foot wrong as the bidding soared past the previous record and Al Donald stood his ground against a sustained attempt from Amanda Skiffington. The SackvilleDonald agent was busy throughout last season’s yearling sales on behalf of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha of King Power Racing and was fulsome in his praise of the colt who has paid a huge compliment to his young dual Guineas-winning sire. “He was a standout horse by some way, the nicest I’ve seen ay Doncaster in many a year,” said Donald. “And he’s a half-brother to a good horse by a potentially exciting young stallion.” Naturally delighted with the result, Julian Dollar, who has brought a draft of nine to Goffs UK having eschewed Arqana’s August Sale this year, said, “Tim Kent and Tony Williams came to the stud to see the horses and felt that this was the kind of horse who could change the profile of this sale. If that’s what they are trying to do then it’s up to breeders to send them the ammunition. Gerry [Meehan] adored this horse and has felt all along that he was something special.” Newsells Park Stud ended the first session as the leading vendor by aggregate with seven yearlings sold for £870,000. Realistic ambitions A lively final hour of the sale boosted the session’s figures but ss the day progressed it was clear that breeders and pinhookers alike had set realistic reserves. The clearance rate by the end of the session came in at a decent 88.5% when 225 of the 254 yearlings offered found buyers. Seventeen yearlings sold for six-figure sums and the aggregate, average and median figures adjusted to a level more in line with those achieved two years ago. The average of £44,791 was down from £53,490 on the same day last year, as was the median of £35,000 (from £37,000). The session’s turnover dipper only slightly at £10,078,000. Stamina Unaffected By Rude Awakening Despite having to stand outside in his dressing gown at 4am when a fire alarm caused the Mount Pleasant hotel to be evacuated, Oliver St Lawrence lasted until very close to the end of the 11-hour sales session to buy lot 256 at £200,000 on behalf of Fawzi Nass. Standing with Nass and trainer George Peckham, the agent withstood attempts from Joseph O’Brien and, latterly, Ross Doyle and Richard Hannon, to secure the Exceed And Excel (Aus) half-sister to the listed winners Scoville (Ger) (Sholokhov {Ire}) and Skagen (Ger) (Dashing Blade {GB}) bred by Eimear Mulhern’s Abbeville Stud. “She was a lovely walking filly. Fawzi saw her yesterday and loved her. We’ve been sending photos to his teenage son Abdullah back in Newmarket and he said we had to buy her,” St Lawrence said. Since the publication of the catalogue, the filly’s 2-year-old half-brother Tenax (Ire) (Slade Power {Ire}) has won for Joseph O’Brien bringing the tally for his dam Stravina (Ger) (Platini {Ger}) to six winners from eight runners. Dream Buy For HKJC The fact that Oasis Dream (GB) has had two new Group 1 winners this year along with some smart juvenile performers has refreshed buyers’ memories that he is indeed an elite sire who should not be ignored. A member of a strong Juddmonte family whose full-brother has continued to improve this year was on the select list of the Hong Kong Jockey Club and lot 175 duly ended up at the head of the team’s purchases for the day at £150,000. The May-born colt’s dam Quiet (GB) (Observatory {GB}), a half-sister to the dam of Twice Over (GB) (Observatory {GB}), was bought carrying him for 38,000gns at Tattersalls. “He’s taken it all in his stride and has behaved impeccably ever since he arrived on the sales ground,” said consignor Jenny Norris of Norris Bloodstock, who also foaled the colt on behalf of his breeders in the Quiet Partnership. “The mare boards with us and is now in foal to Dabirsim (Fr). She has no foal on the ground as he was quite a late foal so the mare was rested last year.” The colt’s 4-year-old brother Silent Echo (GB) was trained initially, like his dam, by Roger Charlton, for whom he won twice at three. Sold on for 120,000gns by Juddmonte last autumn to Peter Hedger, the gelding has won another two races and is now rated 99. The Hong Kong Jockey Club had previously struck at £140,000 for lot 93, a colt by Kodiac (GB) out of the treble listed winner Miss Honorine (Ire) (Highest Honor {Fr}) bred by James Hanly, Trevor Stewart and Anthony Stroud. “He’s a nice balanced colt and the whole team was in agreement on the fact that he’s just a really nice individual,” said Mark Richards. It was a good day for James Hanly’s Ballyhimikin Stud, which consigned both the Kodiac colt and another of the top ten lots (134), a Camacho (GB) half-brother to last year’s £270,000 sale-topper by Bated Breath (GB). While he couldn’t quite scale the heights of his sibling, the son of Night Sphere (Ire) (Night Shift) still brought a decent return of £125,000 when sold to Dermot Farrington on behalf of Phoenix Thoroughbreds. The Camacho colt will be trained by John Quinn, who has guided Signora Cabello (Ire), by the same sire, to two Group 2 victories and a runner-up finish in the G1 Darley Prix Morny for the Phoenix team. Amer Abdulaziz arrived in Doncaster on Tuesday morning and through Farrington added three yearlings to the Phoenix Thoroughbreds string for next season. Knight Has His Day Richard Knight was denied the chance to buy lot 92 in the ring when the son of Acclamation (GB) was initially knocked down for £180,000, but after it transpired that he had been bought by back by his vendor, the agent later agreed a private sale of £150,000 with Rathbarry Stud. Knight was reluctant to name the new owner of the half-brother to four winners from the Meon Valley Stud family of Reprocolor (GB) but he did advise that the colt would be trained in Newmarket by William Haggas. “He’s very racy and light on his feet plus he’s out of a good producer. I was very sweet on him,” said Knight. The agent was back in action later in the day to secure lot 142, a Kodiac half-brother to the black-type performers Faithful Creek (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}) and Tangled (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}) on behalf of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Malek Al-Sabah, who races inder the name of Al Areen Racing. “No trainer has been decided yet but he’s a lovely sharp colt by Kodiac and the mare has been a successful producer,” said Knight after signing the ticket at £120,000. Shadwell Back In The Fray The absence of a single purchase by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum at Arqana’s August Sale was noted but his Shadwell team, which has increasingly targeted the Premier Sale, made its presence felt during the opening session with Angus Gold signing for six yearlings for a total of £595,000. One of those purchases put broad smiles in the faces of the WH Bloodstock team, a new name on the consignors’ list representing the young partnership of Mimi Wadham and Violet Hesketh, both 27, who met while students on the Godolphin Flying Start programme. The duo pinhooked lot 32 as a foal and the Tamayuz (GB) half-brother to the 98-rated Berkshire Blue (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}) was one of the session’s early leaders at £110,000. “Reality hasn’t quite hit yet,” said Wadham, whose mother Lucy trains in Newmarket. “He’s been popular since he’s been here and has been impeccably behaved. We bought him for 35,000gns as a foal, so to sell him to Shadwell for £110,000 is a real result.” Hesketh added, “I loved his attitude throughout the whole sale. He’s shown himself brilliantly, had his head down with a great walk and hopefully he’ll go and do the business on the track.” WH Bloodstock will head next to the Tattersalls October Sale at which they will consign one yearling in each of Books 1 and 2 and a further six in Book 3. Shadwell also bought the first Muhaarar (GB) yearling in the Doncaster ring, lot 21, for £120,000. The colt is out of the listed-placed Montjeu (Ire) mare Lady Francesca (GB, a half-sister to G3 Ridgewood Pearl S. winner Purr Along (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}), and was consigned by his breeder Newsells Park Stud. The three Muhaarar colts sold through the first session returned an average price of £72,000. Among the other Shadwell purchases for the day was lot 113, the first foal by Showcasing (GB) out of the six-time winner Must Be Me (GB) (Trade Fair {GB}) sold by Barton Stud for £115,000. Realising the same price was lot 188, Kilcarn Park Stud’s Dream Ahead half-brother to the listed winner Thanksfortellingme (Ire) (Notnowcato {GB}) whose grandam is Cheveley Park Stud’s former champion juvenile and top-class producer Red Camellia (GB) (Polar Falcon). Tucker’s Brazen Lady Devon-based Richard Tucker is one of the most prolific breeders of winners in Britain and his Nelson Farm enjoyed a decent result with a first crop daughter of Australian sprinting star Brazen Beau (Aus) when lot 203 was sold to Howson & Houldsworth bloodstock for £100,000. Tucker had bought the filly’s dam Royal Blush (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) through the same agents as a 4-year-old back in 2011 for 7,000gns from breeder Denford Stud and she has proved to be a real bargain. Her best runner to date, the Group 2-placed seven-time winner A Momentofmadness (GB) (Elnadim), sold in the same ring as a yearling for £72,000 and the Brazen Beau filly will race for the same owners, Tony Wechsler and Ann Plummer. “In our opinion she was the nicest filly in the sale but it also helped that she is a half-sister to a horse who has given Ann and Tony so much fun,” said Matt Houldsworth. “She will go into training with Charlie Hills.” Richard Tucker added, “She was a smashing filly who has been a delight to deal with from day one. The mare has been very kind to us.” Nine of the ten members of Brazen Beau’s first crop offered on Tuesday sold for an average of £47,556. Session Ends On Several High Notes As twilight crept across the Doncaster sale yards, one of a number of late highlights of the opening day was provided by the Oaks Farm Stables-consigned son of the late Society Rock (Ire) out of the dual winner Skeleton (Ire) (Tobougg {Ire}), offered as lot 235. Mark Dwyer pinhooked the colt from Brian Kennedy’s Meadowlands Stables for 50,000gns and saw that figure rise to £135,000 when Anthony Stroud had the final say on behalf of Godolphin. “I had Society Rock as a breeze-up horse and I couldn’t sell him but he was such a good racehorse and I’ve always been watching him,” said Dwyer. “You have to feel for Roger O’Callaghan [of Tally-Ho Stud] as he’s a huge loss when he’s producing horses like this.” Also providing a strong final hour to the day was lot 259, a daughter of Gleneagles bought for John Dance for £140,000 by Edward Creighton. The grand-daughter of listed winner Honest Quality (Elusive Quality), who traces back to the Juddmonte matriarch Toussaud, was consigned by Houghton Bloodstock for breeder Colin Murfitt of Pantile Stud and brought the first-day average for four Gleneagles yearlings sold to £165,000. She was followed into the ring by lot 260, who will also end up racing in John Dance’s colours after agent Ed Sackville went to £120,000 for the Manister House Stud-consigned daughter of No Nay Never whose grandam Sundrop (JPN) (Sunday Silence) was a dual Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed. Ed Sackville would be made to stand down when it came to the final lot of the day (265), Trinity Park Stud’s Acclamation (GB) half-sister to Group 2-winning sprinter Mobsta (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}). The agent made a concerted effort to add her to the list of 17 purchases on the day by SackvilleDonald but eventually had to concede to Joe Foley, who went to £185,000 to buy her for Steve Parkin of Clipper Logistics. The second and final session of the Premier Sale begins today at 10am. View the full article

With its 2018 relaunch, the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship Series returned just in time for a horse like Page McKenney. View the full article

The story of 2-year-old colt Classy John (Songandaprayer) looks like a pretty interesting one on paper, but is even more so than meets the eye. A $12,000 Equine Sales of Louisiana purchase in May off of just a gallop, the Valene Farms-owned Dallas Stewart trainee shipped up to Saratoga last Saturday to romp by six lengths at 12-1 odds in a typically tough GI Travers S. day maiden special weight (video replay). The Louisiana-bred beat a pricey group in the process, defeating the likes of an $850,000 2-year-old acquisition and a $650,000 yearling as well as several fashionably pedigreed homebreds. Classy John was an excellent value purchase to be sure, but as it turns out, he wasn’t an intentional one. “We got a little confused. I was on the phone, and I thought I was bidding on 15, but it was 14,” owner Murray Valene revealed. “But it turned out to be a pretty good buy, huh? We didn’t have any idea what the horse looked like, but that’s the way it goes. You never do know. It turned out to be a really nice little horse, with some decent pedigree.” Classy John is the third foal and first to race out of Kitty’s Got Class (Old Forester), who handily won her first three races, including two stakes, as a Woodbine-based juvenile. After looking at the colt’s page, and him as an individual, Valene began to come around to his purchase. “I took one look at him when he got in and said, ‘Boy, I like the looks of this colt.’ So we sent him up to Dallas because he looked like he was above average. He was just a good-looking horse.” Hip 15, an Eskendereya filly who went for $9,000, has not yet started or been credited with an official work. Once in Stewart’s program, Classy John gave some indication that he was a nice horse, but he really caught his trainer’s attention after blazing through five panels in a bullet :58.60 from the gate at the Churchill Downs Training Center Aug. 17. “Two or three weeks before [the race, on Aug. 9,] he worked in [1:01 4/5], but in the last work, he worked in :58 3/5 from the gate,” Stewart noted. “So I called the clocker to make sure that was legit–I was up here [in Saratoga]. The clocker said he might have even gone a little faster than that–it was unreal. So I talked to Murray and told him there was a race on Travers Day. Murray’s always game for anything, so he said, ‘Let’s go for it.'” Valene and Stewart already had another runner for the card in last year’s local GI Hopeful S. third Givemeaminit (Star Guitar), who checked in eighth in the GI H. Allen Jerkens. Stewart admitted to wondering before the race if his decision to ship Classy John up to the Spa was the right one. “I got to thinking that maybe it wasn’t the right thing to do with the crowd and everything,” he said. “We’d have to fly him up on Wednesday, gallop him Thursday and Friday and then run Saturday. So I was a little concerned about that, but it looked like it would be the first race of the day, so we went with it and he handled it great.” A fast work doesn’t necessarily mean a fast race, but Stewart was confident in Classy John’s ability. “He worked so good, and we had the video of the work, so I saw it,” he said. “Plus, I talked to [jockey] Jack Gilligan who worked him and he said, ‘He is really, really nice.’ So we just got him up here and that’s how it went–he just slaughtered ’em.” Classy John shipped back to Kentucky Sunday morning, but will likely return to New York for the Oct. 6 GI Champagne S. He is not Breeders’ Cup nominated. What made the performance even more special was that Classy John is named for Valene’s father, John Valene, who passed away last Tuesday at the age of 100. “My father passed away on Tuesday, and I flew up on Friday to watch the races,” Valene said. “So, just given the name and the circumstances and everything else, it’s extra special and I think he’s going to be a nice little horse. Hopefully, he stays healthy, because in this game you never know, but I think he’s for real.” John Valene, who had attended the races at Canterbury Park just a couple weeks ago, first got the family involved in racing in the early 1960s when he claimed a horse who Murray Valene says subsequently won his next seven starts. Murray Valene’s racing interests later grew significantly, and at one point Valene Farms had around 140 horses in training. He now has about a dozen on the track. Valene is also associated with Louisiana’s Clear Creek Stud, of which he jointly owns the property that it stands on. Valene has mostly campaigned Louisiana-bred or sired horses, including champions in Minnesota and Illinois. But this wasn’t by any means his first win up at Saratoga. Valene Farms took the 1993 GII Adirondack S. with $7,000 purchase Astas Foxy Lady (Zuppardo’s Prince), and doubled up in the same race (via DQ) exactly 20 years later with the Stewart-trained Designer Legs (Graeme Hall). The latter was a $10,000 yearling acquisition. “It just goes to show you–you never know based on what you paid for a horse what you’ve got,” Valene said. “It’s all about the heart and what’s on the inside. Nobody knows that until they run.” View the full article

While his four graded stakes placings have shown Lone Sailor's ability to compete at the top level, his connections would love to see the Majestic Warrior colt break through in the Sept. 2 Super Derby (G3). View the full article

Caledonia Road (Quality Road–Come a Callin, by Dixie Union), last year’s champion juvenile filly, will be offered at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services, the consignor announced Tuesday morning. The 2017 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly victress will go under the hammer on behalf of Zoom and Fish Stable Inc., Charlie Spiring and Newtown Anner Stud as a racing/broodmare prospect in Lexington, Sunday, Nov. 4. “It is very rare that a filly with Caledonia Road’s credentials comes to public auction,” said consignor Hanzly Albina of Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services. “She is an Eclipse champion, Breeders’ Cup champion, and hails from a Classic family. She should have broad appeal to leading racing and breeding programs around the globe.” Bred by Vegso Racing Stable and purchased for $140,000 as a Keeneland September yearling in 2016 by trainer Ralph Nicks, the Florida-bred originally raced for Zoom and Fish Stable and Charlie Spiring for her first two starts. She won her Saratoga debut last September and ran second in the GI Frizette S. at Belmont Park in early October. Zoom And Fish Stable, managed by Luc Paiement, and Spiring then sold one third of their filly to Maurice and Samantha Regan’s Newtown Anner Stud and she sealed her championship for Nicks with a 3 1/4-length victory in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar Nov. 4. After receiving some time off to heal after a chip was removed from her right front ankle last fall and a virus forced her to miss some training time, Caledonia Road easily won a one-mile Belmont allowance at the end of April, before a fifth to likely 3-year-old filly champion and MGISW Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Acorn S. June 9. Her record stands at 5-3-1-0 and $1,307,800 in earnings. “Caledonia Road is a true collector’s item,” added Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “We look forward to showcasing her to the world at our November Sale.” Caledonia Road is out of a half-sister to MSW and GIII Azalea S. bridesmaid Citizen Advocate (Proud Citizen). Under the third dam is GI Donn H. hero Hymn Book (Arch) and fellow Grade I winner and young sire Data Link (War Front). View the full article

Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy) proved herself the top 2-year-old filly so far in Ireland this year when winning the G2 Debutante S. at The Curragh last Sunday. She is co-owned and co-bred by Anthony Rogers and his mother Sonia of Airlie Stud, a farm that has bred a long roll call of Classic and Group 1 winners since its establishment by the late Captain Tim Rogers and his wife Sonia in the 1960s. TDN‘s Daithi Harvey caught up with Anthony Rogers about the exciting times of being involved with such a filly. TDN: Skitter Scatter really announced herself as a top-class filly last weekend. Did you get to enjoy the occasion? AR: It was one of the best days I’ve had on a racecourse. My mum has had one or two as good or better but for me, it’s taken a while to get there and it was a very exciting day. Up until Sunday she has been totally underestimated, in my opinion. I don’t usually bet but I couldn’t believe it when I saw 11/1 about her and said ‘I’ll have a bit of that.’ Normally, on the rare occasion that I do have a bet it puts the kibosh on them but even I couldn’t stop her on Sunday. TDN: Skitter Scatter hails from a family that you have had an involvement with for a while now. Can you tell us how she came about? AR: It all started with Skitter Scatter’s granddam Daneleta (Ire) (Danehill), who Robert Clay of Three Chimneys Farm purchased from Nicolas Clement around 2002, and he asked my mother to partner with him on her. We sent her to America to a friend of mine, Ben Cecil, with the hope of getting some more black-type into her but unfortunately it didn’t work out for her on the track so we sent her to the breeding shed. That career has worked out very well for her as she bred G1 Dewhurst S. winner Intense Focus (Giant’s Causeway), among others. When Skitter Scatter’s dam Dane Street (Street Cry {Ire}) came along we raced her with Robert until buying him out of the partnership at Keeneland in 2016. She is back home in Airlie now. TDN: Dane Street got off to a great start as a broodmare with her first produce, the winning graded stakes-placed filly Data Dependent (More Than Ready) before foaling Skitter Scatter. What has she produced in the interim? AR: Dane Street has a yearling by More Than Ready that is going to Book 1 at Tattersalls (lot 321) and a colt foal by No Nay Never who we will also sell as a yearling. That foal came quite late in mid-May so we rested the mare this year. It’s just a thought but perhaps I might give Mr. Magnier a call to see if he can fit her into Galileo (Ire) next year. TDN: Skitter Scatter was out early in the season; she had her first run at Dundalk at the end of March when third to Jungle Jane (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}). Were the reports always positive from Patrick Prendergast? AR: To be fair to Patrick, within the first couple of months he said ‘this could be a stakes horse.’ I don’t think he predicted she would be winning a Group 2 but he liked her a lot, he liked her attitude and basically everything about her. She is not a robust, big strong filly but she is very professional and has learned from each race. Her first race was just an outing, even though she ran well, but then she beat Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy) on her second run. She got into a battle there with him and he is 16.2 hands or something close and I think he even gave her a bump but she never flinched. She loves a battle and is a very tough filly. TDN: So what is next for Skitter Scatter? The G1 Moyglare Stud S. at The Curragh Sept. 16 looks the logical next step? AR: Yes, she is in the Moyglare but I am slightly worried about Mr. Bell’s filly Pretty Pollyanna (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Rumour has it he is going to bring her to Ireland, though personally I think she should stay in England! If she comes she would look the obvious one to beat; I wouldn’t be scared of anything else, really. TDN: I presume there have been a few offers to purchase Skitter Scatter? AR: Yes, there have been and we have turned them down. We want to race her and you can’t sell everything. My mother is a certain age and is really enjoying it so we will hopefully continue to enjoy her. Patrick has done a wonderful job with her and it’s great for him also as he has seen his fair share of good horses being sold through the years and she looks like being as good as he’s had, and he is going to keep her. Ultimately she will come back to Airlie as she is the kind of filly you’d want to breed from. As I said she’s not big but she has a huge heart and a great mind and they are two very important factors when considering breeding. Also it’s a great family that has been very good to us and the best way to keep a pedigree like that alive and strong is to keep a few members of it and support it. TDN: Being by Scat Daddy hasn’t done her any harm so far and should allow plenty of covering options when the time comes? AR: Absolutely, and the granddam is by Street Cry and I love him as a broodmare sire. Of course Scat Daddy is a huge loss not only to Coolmore but also the international bloodstock industry. If he was standing now I imagine his covering fee would be pretty high. Obviously Skitter Scatter is from his last crop so it’s just exciting that we have got a little bit of him to race with. I guess we are lucky she is a filly as, if she was born a colt we would have sold her. We sell all the colts and keep the odd filly; we need to keep a few as we are cleaning out and replenishing each year. We move along around four or five and bring in three or four fillies from the track. It’s important to try and keep upgrading and to keep the momentum going. TDN: I guess this is a busy time of year for you prepping yearlings for the sales? AR: Indeed it is. We have about 30 yearlings to sell, between our own homebreds and some for clients. This will be followed by between 15 and 20 foals. It’s an exciting time of year and it’s great to have a few good winners in the lead up to a sale; it keeps the farm’s name in the minds of buyers. It’s a pleasure watching the youngsters grow and develop. Mum and I sit down probably in a month or two to plan next year’s matings so it’s a three-year cycle to bring them to the yearling stage. Then you bring them to the sales and its three minutes in the sale ring. It’s high pressure stuff; my wife avoids me for a while at this time of year, but it’s what we are about and I wouldn’t swap it. TDN: I noticed you have a yearling out of the granddam Daneleta catalogued at Goffs next month. AR: Yes, we have a very nice Dark Angel colt out of Daneleta in the Orby Sale at Goffs (lot 254). Unfortunately he managed to give himself a cut behind his fetlock out in the field. It needed stitching and it looks good so far but there is only a 60% chance he will get to the sale; we will just have to see closer to the time. He has x-rayed fine, it’s just a superficial wound and it is annoying but these things happen with horses and he is a lovely colt. View the full article

Rabada (SAf) (Brave Tin Soldier-Jordie {SAf}, by Fard {Ire}), a Group 1 winner at two and three in South Africa, will enter stud at Summerhill Stud this year. Rabada was bred by Summerhill and raced in the colours of Mayfair Speculators, having been bought for R300,000 as a 2-year-old. The winner of five of 10 lifetime starts for trainer Michael Azzie, Rabada was unbeaten in three starts as a juvenile culminating in the G1 Champion S., and he added the G1 Daily News 2000 the following autumn at three. “An absolute joy to train, he was my pick for the July ahead of Abashiri; I just wish we’d been able to run him there,” Azzie said. “He had brilliant 2-year-old speed and the class to carry it over 2000 metres. Remember, he won the Daily News without the stick, which tells you that besides his natural talent, he was as genuine as the day was blue. Despite the problems I had with his feet, he was as good a horse as I’ve had the privilege to train. Imagine how good he’d have been if we’d not battled with his feet?” View the full article

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is aiming to hold a groundbreaking “showcase” meeting in mainland China – with no betting ­– at Conghua Racecourse on March 24. Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges confirmed he was in talks with officials to make the meeting happen at the opening of the HK$3.7 billion facility on Tuesday. It is likely to be a typical 10-race card that is seen on most weekends at Sha Tin and it would fit in nicely on the calendar –... View the full article

The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s new Conghua Racecourse “opened up things for the imagination”, a leading Guangzhou official said at the official opening in Guangdong province, China, on Tuesday. Mainland government officials were among the 500 guests at the official unveiling of the state-of-the-art HK$3.7 billion facility, which will serve as a satellite training and spelling centre for the club’s racing operations in Hong Kong. Chen Jianhua, the chairman of the Standing... View the full article

The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s new Conghua Racecourse “opened up things for the imagination”, a leading Guangzhou official said at the official opening in Guangdong province, China, on Tuesday. Mainland government officials were among the 500 guests at the official unveiling of the state-of-the-art HK$3.7 billion facility, which will serve as a satellite training and spelling centre for the club’s racing operations in Hong Kong. Chen Jianhua, the chairman of the Standing... View the full article

RACING NSW stewards have given Chautauqua’s owners a glimmer of hope the star sprinter could return to the track after giving the grey time to be re-educated. View the full article

Hairi out of hospital, now in rehab View the full article

Double Cash disqualified, former trainer Steven Lam fined $20,000 View the full article

Eagle Eye spreads his wings to Moonbeam Vase View the full article

Franco Da Silva to ride at Raffles Cup weekend View the full article

Condylar fracture forces Only Win out of Moonbeam View the full article

Woodbine Entertainment, along with the HBPA and Jockeys’ Benefit Association of Canada, will host the inaugural Backstretch Softball Classic in support of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Foundation Sept. 17. The foundation assists individuals involved in the horse racing industry and this year’s proceeds will assist Woodbine-based rider Lanscott Fray, who was left paralyzed from the chest down after a training accident earlier this year. The tournament, which will feature a team comprised of stars from Woodbine’s jockey colony, will be held from 12 to 4 p.m. at Paul Coffey Park. The public is welcome to attend and a raffle and BBQ will also benefit the Gomez Foundation. Please contact josiedepaulo@outlook.com to sponsor a team or make a donation. View the full article

A relaxed Rose's Vision swept up the rail and fought off Have At It with a gutsy move in the stretch to win the $100,000 Better Talk Now Stakes for 3-year-olds over the turf at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

Hronis Racing’s Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky) closed as the 3-1 favorite in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic future wager and Catholic Boy (More Than Ready), winner of Saturday’s GI Travers S., is listed second, closing at 7-1 after opening at 50-1 Friday. In the GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff future wager, Monomoy Stables LLC, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables’ Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) closed as 3-1 favorite when the first of three future wagering pools closed Sunday. Both the Classic and Distaff Future Wager pools consisted of 23 unique wagering interests and one All Others wager for a total of 24 betting interests. “All Others” includes all Thoroughbreds other than the pool’s individual horses. The second Breeders’ Cup Future Wager pools on the GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sire will open this Friday, Aug. 31 and close Sept. 2. Complete Breeders’ Cup Future Wager results are available at www.BreedersCup.com/Future-Wagers. View the full article

A Louisiana-bred filly by Songandaprayer topped Monday’s Texas Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale at Lone Star Park when selling for $30,000 to Susan Naylor. Consigned by Clear Creek Stud, agent, the yearling is out of stakes placed Those Lion Eyes (Lion Heart) and was bred by Tom Curtis and Wayne Simpson. During the one-session sale, held jointly by the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park, 44 of 82 yearlings sold for a total of $414,300. The median jumped 72.2% from last year’s mark of $4,500, and the average dropped from $11,556 to $9,415 this year. The buy-back rate this year was 46.3% “Obviously we would have liked to see some bigger numbers today, but overall the middle and lower-end of the market seemed fine,” said sales director Tim Boyce. “We just didn’t have the really exceptional individuals we had last year, so the average was down a bit, but it’s encouraging that the median jumped almost 75%. It was also good to see the mixed session numbers jump compared to last year.” In the mixed session, 18 of 24 head sold for $93,100 with an average of $5,172 and a median of $2,350. The highest-priced horse in the mixed session was a weanling filly by Too Much Bling who sold for $19,000 to Naylor from the consignment of Benchmark Training Center, agent for the Estate of Ed Few View the full article

Amerman Racing’s Oscar Performance (Kitten’s Joy) returned to the worktab for the first time since being pulled up near the wire of the Aug. 11 GI Arlington Million. The 4-year-old worked four furlongs over the Oklahoma turf course Monday in :49.43 (8/57). “He breezed by himself, we just wanted to get a feel for him without putting him under too much pressure,” trainer Brian Lynch said. “He was nice and comfortable and got his first work back.” Oscar Performance, who received a clean bill of health from Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital after he was vanned off the track at Arlington, is expected to make his next start in the Oct. 6 GI Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland. Also pointing for that million-dollar race is stablemate Heart to Heart (English Channel). “They’re on a collision course,” Lynch said with a laugh. “They both seem real good.” View the full article