Wandering Eyes

Veteran trainer soaks up the victory of Tourbillon Prince at Sha Tin on Sunday.View the full article

Veteran trainer puts slow start to season behind him with dominant display at Sha Tin.View the full article

South African jockey experiencing knee and toe pain after hitting the turf in Sunday’s ninth race.View the full article

Young French jockey ends agonising run of placings with victory aboard the Ricky Yiu-trained Harry’s Hero.View the full article

Rider Penalties R Goyaram | Auckland 12 December; careless riding; suspended 24-31 December inclusive. J Fawcett | Auckland 12 December; careless riding; suspended 22-30 December inclusive. W Pinn | Auckland 12 December; medical clearance required (subsequently received on 13 December). S Spratt | Waikato 14 December; careless riding; suspended 15-20 December inclusive. T Mitchell | Waikato 14 December; use of whip; suspended 15-20 December inclusive and fined $1,000. O Bosson | Waikato 14 December; failed to make weight; fined $450. B Murray | Southland 14 December; use of whip; fined $300. S Wynne | Southland 14 December; failed to make weight; fined $100. T Davies | Manawatu 15 December; careless riding; suspended 16-21 December inclusive. A Lawson-Carroll | Manawatu 15 December; use of whip; fined $300. Trainer Penalty M Eales | Wairarapa 11 December; incorrect gear; fined $50. Horse Penalties JAMAICA BAY | Wairarapa 11 December; cardiac arrhythmia; veterinary clearance required. FAY KHAN IT | Wairarapa 11 December; epistaxis; stood down for 3 months and veterinary clearance required. LUVABEEL | Auckland 12 December; late scratching after rearing at the barriers; must complete trial. REIMAGINED | Tauranga 13 December; respiratory distress; veterinary clearance required. PREDOMINANCE | Tauranga 13 December; lame; veterinary clearance required. VELVET BLUE | Waikato 14 December; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. CANHEROC | Waikato 14 December; lame; veterinary clearance required. RUTHLESS ROYAL | Southland 14 December; reared at start; must complete trial. The post 9-15 December 2024 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Driver Penalties W House | Manawatu 10 December; use of whip; fined $300. S Doody | Manawatu 12 December; use of whip; suspended 13 December – 21 January inclusive. J Abernethy | Manawatu 12 December; out of position at start; fined $100. D McCormick | NZ Metropolitan 13 December; use of whip; suspended 14-22 December inclusive. R Harrison | NZ Metropolitan 4 December (heard Rangiora 15 December); careless driving; suspended 16-22 December inclusive. Trainer Penalty R Austin | Winton 12 December; failed to affix gear so as not to come adrift; fined $100. Horse Penalties JETASI | Manawatu 10 December; fell in running; must complete trial. BREENY’S ROCKNROLL | Manawatu 12 December; late scratching on veterinary advice; veterinary clearance required. NEYMAR | Manawatu 12 December; broke in running; must complete trial. IRISH SUN | Winton 12 December; broke at start; must complete standing start trial. HOGIE | Winton 12 December; fetlock and pastern injuries; veterinary clearance required. FIGHT FOR FREEDOM | Auckland 13 December; broke in running; must complete trial. THE JOLLY ROGER | Auckland 13 December; broke in running; must complete trial. KNOWING ME | NZ Metropolitan 13 December; broke at start; must complete standing start trial. Protest TUAREG | Auckland 13 December; lapped on; relegated from 4th to 5th. General Race 3 Manawatu HRC meeting of 10 December was declared a no race due to a horse lying prone on the track. The post 9-15 December 2024 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Trainer Penalty L Cole| Non-raceday dated 6 December; failed to comply with rehoming policy; fined $6,000 and costs of $4,300. Dog Penalties PRYOR BALE | Southland 10 December; marring (second offence); stood down for 28 days and must complete trial. BIG TIME RONALD | Waikato 12 December; failing to pursue the lure; stood down for 28 days and must complete trial. OPAWA BETH | Christchurch 13 December; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. OPAWA MEG | Christchurch 13 December; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. Protest: LUCKY JACK | Christchurch 12 December; denied a fair start; declared a non-runner. The post 9-15 December 2024 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Chrissy Bambry collected an winning double with her talented stayers at Trentham on Sunday, headlined by Opawa Jack (NZ) (War Decree) in the Taylors Property Plus 2100. The son of War Decree jumped positively under Kate Hercock and found a handy position early in the trail of Sailor Jack, while race-favourite Manifique settled at the back. The speed was only leisurely as they streamed down the back straight and turning for home, Opawa Jack and Sailor Jack put the pressure on and left the rest of the field chasing. The pair fought it out all the way down the long Trentham straight with Manifique the sole runner to make up ground, and although she got impressively close, Opawa Jack held on to score by a half-neck, with Sailor Jack only a half-head back in third. Bambry was thrilled with her gelding, but admitted she wasn’t expecting the win to come leading into Sunday’s meeting. “I wasn’t that confident to be fair, I told his owners in Christchurch not to fly up because I didn’t think he was a winning chance, so they’ve proved me wrong,” she said. “We’ll just take it race-by-race with him, but there are some nice summer cups for him.” Bred by Brian and Lorraine Anderton of White Robe Lodge, Opawa Jack was purchased for $40,000 out of their draft at the 2021 Karaka Yearling Sales and has gone on to earn $138,500 with seven wins from 28 starts for Bambry and the remainder of his ownership group. Bambry was back in the winner’s circle in quick succession at Trentham, winning the following race with progressive stayer Phats (NZ) (Embellish). The Embellish gelding performed solidly through his last preparation, earning a late three-year-old campaign across the ditch, where he finished third in a pair of lucrative age-group staying contests in Victoria. After returning to his homeland, Phats put together three solid performances over a mile before stepping up to his favoured middle-distance range in the Hardy Trade Supply 2100, where he started a deserved $3.70 favourite. In the hands of flying hoop Masa Hashizume, the gelding settled off the fence in midfield and cruised along behind a solid tempo. One of his main dangers, Mr Twinkletoes, stormed to the lead at the top of the straight and set a task for Phats, but in the final strides, he powered over the top to take the victory by a long neck. The race was one of six automatic qualifying races for the $350,000 Remutaka Classic (2100m) to be run back at the course during Wellington Cup Week, a place Bambry intends to accept with her promising galloper. “He’s in the Remutaka now with the golden ticket, so he’ll probably go to the Marton Cup (Listed, 2200m) two weeks before,” she said. A homebred galloper, Phats is owned by Bambry alongside her parents Tony and Judith, and Luca and Simon Luoni. The success was his second in 18 starts, surpassing $100,000 in stakes. View the full article

It’s been a while between drinks for the connections of Field Of Gold (Starspangledbanner), but the talented galloper looked back to his impressive best when taking out the JR N Berkett 1400 at Trentham on Sunday. The big-striding chestnut was among the top three-year-olds of his year, and in the care of Tony Pike, he won the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m), after placing in the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m), Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1600m). Field Of Gold struggled to replicate that form in the following season while still posting a win in March of 2023, his last time in the winner’s circle before heading to Bill Thurlow’s stable. In five starts last season for the Waverley horseman, he put together a trio of good placings. After trialling twice in preparation, it all came together again in the Rating 75 contest, where his 62kg impost was decreased by Sima Mxothwa’s four-kilogram claim. Friendless in the market, Field Of Gold started at $26 on TAB Fixed Odds and raced three-wide for much of the 1400m journey, while Knight’s Realm controlled the tempo and gave the field something to chase in the straight. Race-favourite Scouser looked ominous at the 300m and started to wear down the leader, but coming hard to his outside was Field Of Gold, who showed a serious will to win in the closing stages, sticking his neck out and finding the line over Knight’s Realm, with Scouser only a long-head back in third. Thurlow was rapt with the performance, particularly after revealing the gelding had faced a setback which pushed back his return to race-day this season. “It was great, he’s a horse that has had his issues so for him to come back and do that, it’s absolutely outstanding really,” Thurlow said. “We’re very happy with him. “He had a little hairline fracture which took a while to come right, he was just starting to really get going last season and that happened and set him back again. He’s had a bit of bad luck to be honest, but Matt and Diana (owners) really love the horse, so they have given him the time and let him come through it.” Field Of Gold holds an early nomination for the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) in early February, but Thurlow is happy to take the gelding race-by-race at this stage. “We had pencilled in an open mile for him in a couple of weeks, then there is the Marton Cup (Listed, 2200m) which he may end up at,” he said. “In saying that, we’ll really just see how he comes through this race because first and foremost it’s the horse, but if he comes through well and he’s happy and sound, we’ve got a few little targets for him.” A son of Starspangledbanner, Field Of Gold was bred by his owners, the Goodson and Perrin Family Trust. The victory placed him just shy of $250,000 in stakes earnings, with five wins in 26 starts. Field Of Gold’s success continued a glittering season for Thurlow’s stable, as his 17th winner in just 60 starters. “I’ve got a very good team around me and the horses are going very well,” he said. View the full article

Belle’s Echo (NZ) (Echoes Of Heaven) made a booming return in her six-year-old season at Trentham on Sunday, putting away a tidy field of sprinters in the Blue Star Christmas Cup (1200m). The daughter of Echoes Of Heaven had been a model of consistency in her last campaign, but was sent for a spell by trainer Lisa Latta following a couple of uncharacteristic performances through the winter period on unsuitable tracks. Latta gave her a quiet trial at Foxton in mid-November to prepare for the open sprint contest, where she was underrated in the market ($8) despite an outstanding course record, with three wins and two minor placings from seven attempts at Trentham. In-form front-runner Idyllic jumped the $2.50 favourite and went straight to her customary leading role, but The Stoney One was immediately to her outer and didn’t allow the mare any comfort in the early stages. Meanwhile, Ace Lawson-Carroll was biding his time at the tail aboard Belle’s Echo, who still had them all ahead of her at the 300m mark. The Stoney One looked to have the better of Idyllic and Is That So was hot on their heels, but it was Belle’s Echo who came with a scorching turn-of-foot down the outside to put them all away, powering through the line to score by a length to Is That So in a sharp time of 1.07.62. Latta indicated the performance had come as a surprise, but was a very pleasing result for the stable. “I didn’t really expect that honestly, her coat is nowhere near there and I thought she would improve a lot with the run, but she’s won very well,” she said. “It was very satisfying to watch, especially after those two races at the end of her last preparation on really heavy tracks, where she just didn’t see the distances out. “She holds a nomination for the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m) but she’s not really a weight-for-age horse at the moment, we’d be silly to run in that. We’re going to have to go back to the drawing board and try and map something out for her, the biggest thing really is getting some black-type with her at some stage this preparation.” The six-year-old is out of a Woodbury Lad mare in Woodbury Belle, who herself was highly-successful on the track, winning 13 races and placing in the Gr.3 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) for Myles Oldershaw, who co-bred and co-owns Belle’s Echo. Belle’s Echo is fashioning an impressive record of her own, with Sunday’s victory her fifth from 26 starts and over $150,000 in stakes to her credit. Latta was in the winner’s circle earlier on the card with Keeping Time (NZ) (Time Test), a deserved maiden winner in the Pullman Melbourne City Centre 1600 after a confident front-running ride by apprentice jockey Amber Riddell. “She was very good as well, Amber was going to be caught wide and she used her initiative by going forward and got some really soft sectionals,” Latta said. “She put the pressure on when she turned in and she’s fought right to the line. I think once she gets over 2000m, she’ll be even better.” A mare co-bred and raced by Little Avondale Stud, Keeping Time is a daughter of Time Test out of talented race-mare Can’t Keeper Down, a four-race winner and placegetter in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2100m). View the full article

The demise of racing in Singapore has had a bright side for Roger James and Robert Wellwood, with Sweynesday (NZ) (Sweynesse) emerging as an exciting young talent in their Cambridge stable. The lightly raced four-year-old collected the third win of his five-start career with another promising performance in Saturday’s Pathways – The Immigration Specialists (1200m) at Te Rapa. Sweynesday races in the colours of Eric Koh’s Falcon Racing, renowned as one of the leading owners in Singapore. The son of Sweynesse was bought for $80,000 by Koh, King Power and Bevan Smith Bloodstock from the 2022 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka. That group also paid $280,000 at the same sale to buy December (NZ) (Shamexpress), who James and Wellwood have trained to win three of his seven starts so far. “We’re fortunate to train Sweynesday for Falcon Racing,” Wellwood said on Saturday. “He and another horse we’ve got in our stable were both bought to go to Singapore, and we’ve been the fortunate beneficiaries of what’s happened to racing in Singapore. We’re very grateful that they’ve decided to leave those two horses in our stable. “They were both were bought at Karaka by a very good friend of mine, Bevan Smith, who has an excellent record of buying quality yearlings and two-year-olds that go on to perform on the racetrack. We’re thrilled that he bought this horse and that he’s ended up in our stable, and we’re excited to see what the future holds for him.” Sweynesday had two starts as a three-year-old last season, finishing second on debut at Taupo in March before leaving maiden ranks with a smart victory at Ellerslie in April. The gelding resumed in October with a first-up defeat of subsequent winner Wind Of Change at Ellerslie, then ran second behind the highly rated Twain on November 30. Sweynesday was sent out as a $2.60 favourite at Te Rapa on Saturday and produced a performance worthy of that billing. In-form jockey Masa Hashizume gave him a patient ride in midfield as Rayet led the field up to the point of the home turn. Master Brutus tackled and headed Rayet in the straight, but then Sweynesday loomed ominously on his outside. Hashizume asked his mount for maximum effort and Sweynesday stretched out powerfully in the last 50m, edging ahead of Master Brutus to win by a short neck. Rayet held on for third, five lengths adrift of the first pair. The 1200m were run in 1:09.93. Sweynesday’s five-start career has produced three wins, two seconds and $92,025 in stakes. “He’s a quality horse,” Wellwood said. “He doesn’t have too many chinks in his record, running first or second in every start so far, and it was another good performance today. He’ll learn more from that too, he was a little bit green, but Masa rode him patiently and timed his run perfectly. “We’ll see how the horse comes through today, but everything he’s shown us so far is giving us a bit of confidence to think about raising the bar a bit higher with him later in the campaign. But the horse has to come first, so we’ll wait a couple of days and make sure he’s come through this well before making any other plans.” View the full article

Guy, Jayne & Emily reflect on a magic day at Te Rapa highlighted by a stunning Snazzytavi win and Blue Sky At Night’s Waikato Cup victory for local connections. We also review the best from Ascot Park plus Australian racing where the (NZ) suffix was again, to the fore. Weigh In, December 15 View the full article

What Orange Races Where Racing Orange – Towac Park Racecourse – 57 Canobolas Rd, Orange NSW 2800 When Monday, December 16, 2024 First Race 1:50pm AEDT Visit Dabble Racing in country NSW heads to Orange on Monday afternoon, where a quickfire seven-race meeting is set down for decision. Clear skies are forecast in the leadup to Monday and on raceday itself, so the track is expected to start as a Good 4, with a Good 3 track rating likely at some stage. The rail comes out 3.5m from the 500m-300m with the cutaway in play, as racing is set to commence at 1:50pm AEDT. Best Bet at Orange: Cougars Cougars will resume from a 19-week spell, and if he puts forward anything like he did before heading to the paddock, he should prove too hard to run down in the opener. The three-year-old gelding managed to lead for most of the 1100m event but was grabbed late in the shadows of the winning post. Drawn barrier three, the 1000m looks perfect for the son of Flying Artie to jump, lead and win. The even money on offer with Neds looks the right price. Best Bet Race 1 – #1 Cougars (3) 3yo Gelding | T: Barbara Joseph & Paul & Matt Jones | J: Patrick Scorse (59kg) Bet with Neds Next Best at Orange: Smarter Than You Smarter Than You has been building nicely towards a win this campaign, finishing second in both of her runs. Her first-up run over 1180m at Gundagai was massive when coming from the rear of the field, and she produced a similar finish when beaten a half length last time out at Queanbeyan. With plenty of early speed engaged, Ashley Morgan will have the Smart Missile mare settle towards the rear, but with a swift turn of foot, Smarter Than You looks too hard to hold out this time. Next Best Race 4 – #9 Smarter Than You (8) 6yo Mare | T: Todd Smart | J: Ashley Morgan (55.5kg) Bet with BlondeBet Best Value at Orange: Whiskey George Bruce Cross’ Whiskey George has finished second in three of his four starts to begin his career, but gets his chance to go on better on Monday. The four-year-old gelding is a natural frontrunner, so barrier 14 is offset by the fact he will roll forward and look to take up the running. If he doesn’t have to use up too many carrots early under Deanne Panya, Whiskey George presents great each-way value with horse racing bookmakers. Best Value Race 5 – #6 Whiskey George (14) 4yo Gelding | T: Bruce Cross | J: Deanne Panya (59kg) Bet with Picklebet Monday quaddie tips for Orange Orange quadrella selections Monday, December 16, 2024 5-9 2-4-6-7-9 2-4-6-8-10-12 1-2-3-8 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

In the Turfway Park Synthetic Championships finale Dec. 14, grade 1 winner Howard Wolowitz bounced back from a rough trip in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) to nearly set a track record in the $249,670 Holiday Cheer Stakes.View the full article

Jockey Sophie Doyle and Awesome Treat won their second stakes together this year in the $249,715 Holiday Inaugural Stakes at Turfway Park Dec. 14, an extra special win for Doyle who returned to riding this spring after the birth of her daughter.View the full article

The team of trainer Mike Maker and jockey Luis Saez combined to win two stakes on the Turfway Park Synthetic Championships day card Dec. 14 with Dana's Beauty and Paros. View the full article

Vanessa Arnott, a long-serving jockey in the Top End, returns to scale on the Jason Manning-trained Brazen Bon at Fannie Bay on Saturday after booting home her 300th winner in Darwin. Picture: Caroline Camilleri (Fotofinish Racepix) She had to wait until the final race, but jockey Vanessa Arnott made it 300 wins in Darwin on Saturday. Arnott, who debuted at Fannie Bay in 2005, celebrated the milestone aboard Jason Manning’s Brazen Bon, who was making its NT debut, over 1100m at Class 2 level. Drawing a wide gate, Brazen Bon – starting at $6 with online bookmakers – settled in sixth place after Tayarn Halter’s $2.80 favourite Forms Of Fear led exiting the back straight. Brazen Bon, a four-year-old gelding, was among a group chasing the leader and was caught four ddeepbut was fourth approaching the final bend. Forced three ddeep,turning for home, the son of Bon Aurum went after Forms Of Fear, who was running on empty despite leading comfortably with 350m to go. Brazen Bon, carrying 3kg less than Forms Of Fear, swooped at the 100m to seal victory by 1.3 lengths. Jockey Vanessa Arnott had a challenging day at Fannie Bay on Saturday, coming close but missing out on several occassions before finally securing her 300th career victory in the final race. She finished fourth with Kessler in the 0-58 ranks and saw Motivated Miss narrowly beaten by a nose in the BM54 over 1200m. Her toughest loss came with the $3.20 Picklebet favourite Bon’s Pride, Brazen Bon’s full brother, who surged late but fell just short, finishing second by a neck in the BM76 over 1200m. 14/12/24 Darwin Race 5 Replay – Brazen Bon https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Darwin-2024-14122024-Race-5-Brazen-Bon-Jason-Manning-Vanessa-Arnott.mp4 Horse racing news View the full article

With his victory in the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini Internacional (G1), Intense for Me earned the first automatic starting position in next year's $5 million Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.View the full article

In his stakes debut, Michael McCarthy-trained Journalism triumphed over a field that included three from the Bob Baffert barn.View the full article

Journalism (c, 2, Curlin–Mopotism, by Uncle Mo), an impressive maiden winner stretching to a mile second out at Del Mar Nov. 17, rolled past 'TDN Rising Star' Getaway Car (Curlin) in the stretch to win going away and key an exacta for his leading sire in Saturday's GII Los Alamitos Futurity. Heavily favored GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Gaming (Game Winner) was third. The final time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:43.04. Journalism becomes the 110th stakes/64th graded winner worldwide for leading sire Curlin. Saturday, Los Alamitos LOS ALAMITOS FUTURITY-GII, $200,000, Los Alamitos, 12-14, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.04, ft. 1–JOURNALISM, 120, c, 2, by Curlin 1st Dam: Mopotism (GSW & MGISP, $876,090), by Uncle Mo 2nd Dam: Peppy Rafaela, by Bernardini 3rd Dam: Peppy Lapeau, by French Deputy 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($825,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG). O-Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC and Robert V. LaPenta; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Michael McCarthy; J-Umberto Rispoli. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $158,880. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Getaway Car, 120, c, 2, Curlin–Surrender Now, by Morning Line. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($300,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $700,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Blue Heaven Farm & Curlin Syndicate (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $40,000. 3–Gaming, 120, c, 2, Game Winner–So Stylish, by Johannesburg. ($40,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $250,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman; B-Mt. Brilliant Farm & Ranch, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $24,000. Margins: 3HF, 3, 6. Odds: 2.80, 3.70, 0.50. Also Ran: Rank, Mellencamp. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. JOURNALISM ($7.60) set out to make headlines in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2). The two-year-old son of Curlin was ridden by @umbyrispoli for trainer @mwmracing. Play the last of the day card and return for the Night card: https://t.co/UZoLIUWypE pic.twitter.com/AcXXimn75X — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 15, 2024 The post Headline Horse: Curlin’s Journalism Impresses in Los Alamitos Futurity appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Locomotive could be full steam ahead to New Zealand, Luke McCarthy wins elusive final and Cantfindabettorman gets some consolation in today’s wrap of the Inter Dominion Finals at Menangle. By Adam Hamilton Owner Glen Holland will look seriously at a New Zealand trip with newly crowned Inter Dominion winner The Locomotive. Holland said now the $NZ650,000 TAB Trot was confirmed for Cambridge in April, it was a serious option. Like Just Believe the past two years, The Locomotive made a clean sweep of the series, winning all three heats and the final, at Menanagle last night. It was The Locomotive’s eighth successive win and gave Goulburn trainer-driver Brad Hewitt his biggest moment at his first drive in an Inter Dominion final. “I’d never have thought it would come with a trotter, but it’s great,” he said. “You wouldn’t get an easier drive, either. He absolutely cruised in.” The Locomotive worked forward to take the lead from Keayang Chucky and dashed clear late to win by nine metres in a 1min55.3sec mile rate for 2300m, with closing splits of 55.7 and 28.3sec. Holland confirmed the five-year-old, who has been trained by Wayne Potter for much of his stellar juvenile career, would remain with Hewitt. “He’s Brad’s now. Whether we go to the Great Southern Star, over to the big NZ or up to Brisbane for that next Inter Dominion in July (next year,” he said. The Locomotive, a son of Muscle Mass, has raced 35 times for 22 wins and banked $485,758. Keayang Chucky ran a sound second, but had his chance, while unheralded stablemate Keayang Stuka – the find of the series – smashed the clock from a mile back to finish a clear third. X X X The Hunter Cup is the next big target for newly crowned Inter Dominion hero Don Hugo. Trainer-driver Luke McCarthy said a “hit and run” trip on Victoria’s marquee race at Melton on February 1 was most likely. “There’s a chance he could go to Ballarat, but more likely I’ll just keep him at home where he loves it and go for the Hunter Cup only,” he said. McCarthy ticked the only missing big box of his career with a monstrous Inter Dominion pacing final win on Don Hugo at Menangle last night. McCarthy added the iconic race to the Miracle Mile, Hunter Cup, Victoria Cup and TAB Eureka on his trophy cabinet and this time trained the winner himself, too. It was his 11th drive in a pacing final. “It’s a great one to get off the Bucket List, it’s taken me a few goes,” McCarthy said. Don Hugo capped a stunning rise to prominence, having burst into the big league winning the world’s richest harness race, the $A2.1mil TAB Eureka at Menangle back on September 7. “He was good then, he’s better now. That’s the great thing, every time he goes out for a break he comes back better and he’s still only a four-year-old,” McCarthy said. “If he keeps building, he’ll be up with the best I’ve driven. He has to be.” Don Hugo, who survived a stunning slugfest with star WA warrior Minstrel over the last 700m, obliterated the track record with a 1min50.4sec mile rate for 2300m, taking a full second off the previous mark. McCarthy, 42, has been a megastar of the sport for 15 years. He boasts almost 3000 wins, 80 at Group 1 level, plus a World Trotting Derby win in the US. Minstrel’s effort for second was outstanding, while David Aiken’s remarkable rising nine-year-old Max Delight ran a terrific third. X X X Champion driver Chris Alford was left wondering what might have been after winning the Inter Dominion pacing consolation on former Kiwi gelding Cantfindabettorman. The Isabel Walsh-trained five-year-old was one of the stars of the first round of heats in the series, but didn’t handle the travel to Bathurst well on night two, which derailed his final hopes. “He wasn’t himself in the race at Bathurst and then didn’t back-up a few days later in the last heat at Menangle, which cost us making the final,” Walsh said. But Alford left nothing to chance by pushing forward to take the lead from gate four and dictating terms last night. “Isabel and Pete (Walsh) have done a great job to pick him back up in a week and he felt a lot more like his best tonight,” he said. “He’d have been very competitive in the final at his best, but winning this (consolation) is a good result from where we were.” Cantfindabettorman, raced by Diane Reilly who had 2022 Inter Dominion winner I Cast No Shadow, will now return to Victoria to lock horns with Tact McLeod and others in the major country cups ahead of the Hunter Cup. View the full article

It was a big day for owners like Sheila Rosenblum and NY Final Furlong Racing Stable. But it was a huge day for first-year stallion Honest Mischief. View the full article

Bill Knauf, a long-time executive at Monmouth Park, has been named the president and general manager of the non-profit entity the Maryland Jockey Club Inc. that is set to take control of Maryland's two major Thoroughbred tracks starting Jan. 1. The announcement of his hiring was made by the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Authority (MTRA), a non-profit group modeled after the New York Racing Association, which operates racing at Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga. The Maryland tracks were transferred to the MTRA by The Stronach Group, which donated them to the state after years of operating at a loss. His duties in Maryland will include overseeing the rebuild of Pimlico, made possible by a $400 million investment in the facility approved by the Maryland General Assembly and Gov. Wes Moore. Once Pimlico has been rebuilt, racing will cease at Laurel. Knauf, 51, served as Vice President of Business Development at Monmouth Park and is a graduate of Tufts University and the University of Arizona's racetrack industry program. Knauf sat down recently with the TDN to discuss his role at the Maryland tracks and his vision for the future. TDN: Maryland racing has a lot of problems and challenges that need to be overcome going forward. But that also means you have the chance to be at the forefront of a renaissance in Maryland. How exciting is that? BK: I am incredibly excited. For a racetrack operator to be able to build a racetrack or to be involved with building a new racetrack at Pimlico is incredible. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Maryland racing has such great history. I grew up in upstate New York but I paid attention to Maryland racing and the Preakness was something I always paid attention to. I loved the race and I loved the history. Managing a Triple Crown race is a dream come true, as well. Everything combined made this an incredible opportunity that I could not turn down. TDN: One of the biggest changes going forward is that the Maryland tracks will not go head-to-head with Colonial Downs when that track is running. Was it difficult to get your horsemen to agree to that? BK: The horsemen here have been great. Some of those talks about taking off when Colonial is running started before I got here. Everybody is really on board with making the circuit work for everyone. The horsemen are completely in sync with us when it comes to reducing days and finding what the right amount of days is. Every year we are going to learn something. The horsemen are aligned with us. It's something I am familiar with from working at Monmouth because the horsemen there leased the racetrack. When we decided we had to reduce days it was natural to look at that July, August period because that's when Colonial ramps up and they wanted to run more days. The conversation between their horsemen and our horsemen was open and productive. I think this will be a great thing for the industry. TDN: The Stronach Group cut purses going into 2024. Can you maintain the current purse levels or will further cuts take place? BK: We will maintain them to start. Hopefully, we will turn around the wagering trend that has been happening in Maryland. We're going to do some things differently. We're going to do some marketing things differently. Stronach had three tracks and they went at it from a corporate standpoint. We will be more focused on on-site attendance. We will be trying to get people to come out to the track. We will look at what we can offer from a wagering standpoint. An example might be to focus on our 12 percent Pick 5 takeout. I think that's something that's been overshadowed but it is great for the bettors. I think our marketing plan moving forward will reflect that. Hopefully, we can turn things around and increase purses. But the purses starting the new year will be very comparable to what they were in 2024. TDN: Clearly The Stronach Group was losing money operating these racetracks, otherwise they wouldn't have wanted to get out. Since the new entity is a non-profit there should be less pressure to turn a profit. That said, no one wants to lose money. How do make these racetracks profitable? BK: There are a lot of changes operationally that we will look at. One, there have been two tracks and we will be going to one. That's a big plus. We will consolidate to one operation. We'll be at Laurel for the next two years and then in 2027 we will swing over to Pimlico and have just one racetrack. Albeit, we will also be adding a training center in that time frame. I think the consolidation will certainly help us to control costs. When you are losing money and you want to turn it around, that's not something that can be done immediately. You start with the little things. At Monmouth we were constantly working on new ways to generate revenue. You can only control costs so much. You have to run racing and be cognizant of track safety. That's not an area where we would ever cut corners. The answer then is to grow revenue. Whether it's sports wagering, an ADW platform, fixed odds, all these ancillary items can add up to additional revenue. That's how you do it, you claw your way back. TDN: Next to Kentucky, Maryland might be the most passionate state in the country when it comes to its love of horses and racing. Have you sensed that, how important horse racing is to the general populous of the state? BK: Absolutely. One of the things I will never forget is after I got the job and made my first road trip to Maryland I had to stop at one of the rest stops. As soon as I walked in I saw on the wall a huge mural of Thoroughbreds. The only other one they had was of a crab. Crabs and horses. That really hit home, that this is a horse state. Now that I have been here a couple of months I have had conversations not just with the horsemen but with the breeders. I am thoroughly impressed by how much passion there is in this state for the horse. You can feel it. There is a great history here. There is nobody in this state that doesn't want racing to succeed. It feels great because I know there aren't a lot of states out there that show the same sentiment. As we hopefully turn the racing around we hope that will spur on all the other components of the industry, including the breeding industry. We're going to have a new training center and that might attract new outfits into the state. I think the next two or three years will mark a reinvigoration of racing in this state. TDN: You don't have slots or a casino, but at the same time the casino industry contributes to the purse account. The Stronach Group let the horsemen know they needed help and were hoping to get a slice of the casino revenue for themselves. Where do things stand with that? As the new operators, will you be looking to get some of that casino money? BK: No. We're not going to get any of the slot money. That is earmarked just for purses. In the bill, the horseman will have certain obligations after 2027 if the non-profit cannot remain profitable. If we show a deficit the horsemen will have to assist us with that deficit. TDN: The spacing of the Preakness has been a hot button issue for years. The Stronach Group came out publicly to express its desire to have more spacing between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. Fortunately or unfortunately, that never went anywhere. Will the new Maryland Jockey Club campaign for there to be more time between the Triple Crown races? BK: I haven't had any conversations on this subject yet. When I was at Monmouth, I certainly heard a lot of chatter about the spacing of the races. We have not had any discussions concerning the spacing of the races. I am sure we will at some point. But I have no idea where that will go. TDN: What changes can we expect when it comes to the wagering menu? BK: Looking at their wagering menu since I've been here I think it's pretty solid. They have rolling multi-race wagers, which I think is important. I love the 12 percent Pick 5. That was one of my favorite bets at Monmouth and we made it a key focus. For me, I love those type of bets because once you've handicapped five races you are more prone to bet on the races individually. Maybe down the line and when I have a better feel for things, we might look at guaranteed pools on certain days. I mentioned fixed odds. I think we will look at implementing fixed odds wagering here. I am very familiar with it from my time at Monmouth. While it didn't really take off as of yet at Monmouth that has been because there has not been enough content as there could be in terms of tracks they can take. The players at Monmouth who were betting it loved the fact that they had the opportunity to lock in their prices and their bets weren't susceptible to any late odds drops. TDN: You had a long run at Monmouth, one of the nicest tracks in the country. How bittersweet was it to have to leave there? BK: It really is. Great reflection was due because I started there at ground zero as a marketing assistant 26 years ago. I was so lucky to have such great people to learn from, starting with marketing. I worked with Bobby Kulina for a long time and also for Dennis Drazin and Bill Anderson. I had the primary responsibility of running the Breeders' Cup in 2007. A lot of memories have come flooding back. At the same time, I was extremely confident that this was the right move at the right time. As I learned more about what is going to happen here this just wasn't something I could turn down. Monmouth will always hold a special place in my heart. Now that we're not running in July and August I can hopefully get down there some next summer. TDN: I would imagine some people currently working at Laurel and Pimlico are nervous about their futures because a new management team is coming in. Do you anticipate a lot of personnel changes? BK: We have actually carried over everybody from the existing Maryland Jockey Club over to 2025. We are going to roll with that. I am fortunate that the executive staff that I am working with here has many, many years of experience and are well respected around the industry. I didn't know any of them prior to getting here but I feel that since we all lived at racetracks all of our professional lives the transition has gone incredibly well. They've been unbelievable to work with. I feel right at home and I know there is a great team here. We will reshape the ideas of the new Maryland Jockey Club. Sometimes, there may have been different policies under the old administration. We will have a little more flexibility to try things out. The post A Q&A With Bill Knauf appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Spendthrift Farm LLC's Tuscan Sky (Vino Rosso) was among several horses Saturday morning tuning up for Pegasus World Cup Preview card held next Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 3-year-old breezed a half-mile at Palm Beach Downs in preparation for the GIII Harlan's Holiday Stakes, a prep for the $3 million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 25 at Gulfstream. Tuscan Sky, who is coming off a runner-up finish in the Discovery Stakes at Aqueduct Nov. 3, turned in the fastest clocking (:47.89) at the distance (1/24). He worked in company and finished on even terms with Spendthrift Farm LLC's Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro), an entrant for Saturday's GII Fort Lauderdale Stakes, a prep for the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. “Major Dude and Tuscan Sky breezed together. Both went well and both have been training well,” Pletcher said. Wathnan Racing's Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance), who is coming off a fourth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar, breezed an easy five furlongs in 1:02.75 (9/12) for the Harlan's Holiday at Palm Meadows. Others slated to run in the Harlan's Holiday include: Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Digital Ops (Nyquist); Bill Mott-trained Rocket Can (Into Mischief), who captured the GIII Holy Bull and finished second in the GII Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream last year; and Bobby Dibona-trained Steal Sunshine (Constitution), the winner of the 2023 GII Gulfstream Park Mile. Whisper Hill Farm's Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) also represented Pletcher on the Palm Beach Downs worktab while preparing for a scheduled start in the Fort Lauderdale. The 5-year-old, who most recently finished off the board in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, was timed in :49.91 (8/24) for a leisurely half mile. Grand Sonata captured the GII Turf Cup Stakes at Kentucky Downs prior to the Breeders' Cup. Pletcher's fellow Hall of Famers Mark Casse and Shug McGaughey will also be involved in the Fort Lauderdale. Casse-trained Win for the Money (Mohaymen), who finished off the board in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile after capturing the GI Woodbine Mile, and McGaughey-trained Fort Washington (War Front), who captured the GIII Monmouth Stakes, are entered to start. Emmanuel (More Than Ready), a former Pletcher trainee now conditioned by Michael Maker, is also entered in the Fort Lauderdale. Pletcher was also pleased Saturday with Team Valor International LLC's Bless My Stars (Saf) (Gimmethegreenlight {Aus}), who is scheduled to make her U.S, debut in Saturday's Suwannee River Stakes, a mile turf stakes for fillies and mares that will serve as a prep for the GII Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The South African-bred 5-year-old mare, who is Group 1-placed and a Group 2 winner, breezed a half mile in :49.89 (6/24) at Palm Beach Downs. “We've been getting her acclimated and she's settled in well,” Pletcher said. The post Runners Get Final Works Before Pegasus Preview Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

For the second year in a row Saratoga Race Course's Oklahoma dirt training track has maintained a gold standard for equine safety.View the full article